冻融循环对含纯Ⅰ型裂隙围岩的动态起裂特性影响规律

以寒区隧道为工程背景研究在冻融循环作用下围岩内Ⅰ型裂纹的动态起裂特性演化规律,采用隧道模型试件作为研究对象,开展冻融循环试验与大尺度落锤冲击试验,得到岩石试件经历不同冻融循环次数后的相关力学参数,并在裂纹尖端粘贴裂纹扩展计(crack propagation gauge, CPG)测量预制裂纹的动态起裂时间。采用有限元软件建立相应的数值模型计算裂纹尖端的动态应力强度因子,采用试验-数值法计算动态起裂韧度,随后采用电镜对冻融循环后的试样进行扫描,研究冻融循环对岩石材料的细观损伤机制。研究结果表明:随着冻融循环次数的增加,岩石材料的纵波、横波波速与弹性模量逐渐减小,而泊松比逐渐增大;砂岩材料的动态起裂韧度随着冻融循环次数的增加逐渐减小,表征线性反比例的特性;材料内部的胶结物质会由于冻融循环的影响而流失,材料的孔隙和裂纹也随着冻融循环次数的增加而变多变大。     

Active flow management in preparative chromatographic separations: a preliminary investigation into enhanced separation using a curtain flow inlet fitting and segmented flow outlet fitting

Active flow management in the form of curtain flow sample introduction and segmented outlet flow control has been shown to enable sample to elute through a chromatography column under the principles of the "infinite diameter column". Such an elution process avoids the detrimental effects of the heterogeneity of particle-packed chromatographic columns by injecting the sample directly into the radial core region of the column, thus avoiding wall effects. The process described herein illustrates how the principles of the infinite diameter column can be applied using conventional injection devices suitable for long-term analysis that requires robust protocols. Using this approach, sensitivity in separation was 2.5 times greater than conventional chromatography, yielding a product at twice the concentration. Benefits of curtain flow injection are thus relevant to both preparative-scale and analytical-scale separations.     

Self‐Assembled Aptamer‐Based Drug Carriers for Bispecific Cytotoxicity to Cancer Cells

Monovalent aptamers can deliver drugs to target cells by specific recognition. However, different cancer subtypes are distinguished by heterogeneous biomarkers and one single aptamer is unable to recognize all clinical samples from different patients with even the same type of cancers. To address heterogeneity among cancer subtypes for targeted drug delivery, as a model, we developed a drug carrier with a broader recognition range of cancer subtypes. This carrier, sgc8c‐sgd5a (SD), was self‐assembled from two modified monovalent aptamers. It showed bispecific recognition abilities to target cells in cell mixtures; thus broadening the recognition capabilities of its parent aptamers. The self‐assembly of SD simultaneously formed multiple drug loading sites for the anticancer drug doxorubicin (Dox). The Dox‐loaded SD (SD–Dox) also showed bispecific abilities for target cell binding and drug delivery. Most importantly, SD–Dox induced bispecific cytotoxicity in target cells in cell mixtures. Therefore, by broadening the otherwise limited recognition capabilities of monovalent aptamers, bispecific aptamer‐based drug carriers would facilitate aptamer applications for clinically heterogeneous cancer subtypes that respond to the same cancer therapy.     

Heterogeneous slow dynamics and the interaction potential of glass-forming liquids

The role of the intermolecular interaction potential on the dynamic and thermodynamic properties of model glass-forming mixtures is investigated through molecular dynamics simulations. Variations of the repulsive exponent m in the well-studied Lennard-Jones Kob-Andersen mixture are shown to have a negligible effect on the fragility and dynamic correlation volumes when quenches are performed at constant pressure. The number of dynamically correlated particles, estimated from the temperature derivative of a two-point dynamic correlation function, is approximately invariant to m at any fixed relaxation time. Further, the density scaling property of a model tetrahedral network glass-former, based on inverse power law and Lennard-Jones potentials, is investigated. The optimal scaling exponent γ is close to zero and does not superpose the data well. The breakdown of density scaling is consistent with the absence of correlation between fluctuations of the virial and the potential energy. These results emphasize the crucial role of structural many-body correlations in glass-forming systems and show the need of investigations of more complex and realistic model liquids.     

Charge and spin currents tunnelling through a toroidal carbon nanotube side-coupled with a quantum dot

We have investigated the mesoscopic transport through the system with a quantum dot (QD) side-coupled to a toroidal carbon nanotube (TCN) in the presence of spin-flip effect. The coupled QD contributes to the mesoscopic transport significantly through adjusting the gate voltage and Zeeman field applied to the QD. The compound TCN-QD microstructure is related to the separate subsystems, the applied external magnetic fields, as well as the combination of subsystems. The spin current component I_z^s is independent on time, while the spin current components I_x^s and I_y^s evolve with time sinusoidally. The rotating magnetic field induces novel levels due to the spin splitting and photon absorption procedures. The suppression and enhancement of resonant peaks, and semiconductor-metal phase transition are observed by studying the differential conductance through tuning the source-drain bias and photon energy. The magnetic flux induces Aharonov-Bohm oscillation, and it controls the tunnelling behavior due to adjusting the flux. The Fano type of multi-resonant behaviors are displayed in the conductance structures by adjusting the gate voltage V_g and the Zeeman field applied to the QD.     

Assessing the default risk by means of a discrete‐time survival analysis approach

In this paper, the problem of company distress is assessed by means of a multi‐period model that exploits the potentialities of the survival analysis approach when both survival times and regressors are measured at discrete points in time. The discrete‐time hazards model can be used both as an empirical framework in the analysis of the causes of the deterioration process that leads to the default and as a tool for the prediction of the same event. Our results show that the prediction accuracy of the duration model is better than that provided by a single‐period logistic model. It is also shown that the predictive power of the discrete‐time survival analysis is enhanced when it is extended to allow for unobserved individual heterogeneity (frailty). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Radial distribution of the contributions to band broadening of a silica‐based semi‐preparative monolithic column

Using an on‐column local electrochemical microdetector operated in the amperometric mode, band elution profiles were recorded at different radial locations at the exit of a 10 mm id, 100 mm long silica‐based monolithic column. HETP plots were then acquired at each of these locations, and all these results were fitted to the Knox equation. This provided a spatial distribution of the values of the eddy diffusion (A), the molecular diffusion (B), and the resistance to the kinetics of mass transfer (C) terms. Results obtained indicate that the wall region yields higher A values and smaller C values than the central core region. Significant radial fluctuations of these contributions to band broadening occur throughout the exit column cross‐section. This phenomenon is due to the structural radial heterogeneity of the column.     

Microcirculatory fraction (MCF(I)) as a potential imaging marker for tumor heterogeneity in breast cancer

Cancer is a heterogeneous disease by nature. Current imaging studies usually ignore intratumor variability in imaging biomarkers. We postulate that quantifying tumor heterogeneity with imaging techniques can provide useful information about cancer biology and potentially serve as novel imaging biomarkers. In this retrospective study, we identify a potential imaging marker, the microcirculatory fraction (MCF(I)), that quantifies tumor heterogeneity in normoxic/hypoxic cellular composition. We demonstrate its application on a test population of 22 women with stage II/III HER-2 negative breast cancer receiving antiangiogenic-cytotoxic combination neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Early change in MCF(I) (ΔMCF(I)) is assessed with dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging at the end of Cycle 2 and associated with pathologic response. Its performance is compared with other established volumetric imaging biomarkers (initial tumor volume and volume change) by statistical and graphic methods. We demonstrate that a significant (P<.01) difference in ΔMCF(I) can be detected between good (median ΔMCF(I) 0.27) and poor (median ΔMCF(I) -0.12) responders, despite the limited population size. Differences in the volumetric biomarkers are not statistically significant. Receiver operating characteristic analysis also shows that ΔMCF(I) is a good predictor for pathologic response (AUC=0.86, 95% CI 0.69-1.00, P<.01), while predictions made with the established volumetric biomarkers are not significantly better than random guesses. We conclude that ΔMCF(I) has the potential of being a better predictive biomarker for therapeutic response assessment. Our findings support our postulation that quantifying tumor heterogeneity with imaging techniques can provide additional information that can serve as novel biomarkers.     

不排水条件下土石混合料双轴压缩离散元模拟

基于离散单元法构建了考虑碎石形状的柔性边界不排水双轴压缩模型,研究了11组不同含石量土石混合料在不排水条件下的宏细观力学特性。研究发现,(1)土石混合料强度随含石量增加先增后减,含石量超过约60%时形成碎石骨架,强度快速增长;含石量约80%时强度和内摩擦角最大;含石量增加,混合料黏聚力逐渐减小。(2)不排水受载下,土石混合料孔隙水压力先正后负、先增后减。含石量较小时,含石量增加,混合料孔隙水压力变化较小,混合料在碎石骨架形成初期孔隙水压力增加;碎石骨架完全形成后最大孔隙水压力减小。(3)含石量小于约30%时,混合料应变局部化呈规则剪切带,随后含石量增加破坏规则剪切带,当含石量约为80%时,混合料再次形成规则剪切带。含石量增加,配位数逐渐减小,颗粒间接触力在含石量小于60%时随含石量增加缓慢增长,超过70%时则快速增长。     

以晶体生长原理重塑蚕丝柔性材料世界的未来

本文通过先进的结构表征手段,证实了包括丝蛋白材料在内的多种柔性材料内存在典型的介观多级结构和晶体网络结构.由于柔性材料中介观结构特别是晶体网络结构对于其宏观性能的有决定性影响,全面深入了解内部晶体的生长动力学和晶体网络结构的介观重构尤为重要.根据丝蛋白分子折叠成丝蛋白材料的最新研究成果,将晶体研究的方法,包括结晶动力学...