Unified decision making and control for highway collision avoidance using active front steer and individual wheel torque control

Collision avoidance is a crucial function for all ground vehicles, and using integrated chassis systems to support the driver presents a growing opportunity in active safety. With actuators such as in-wheel electric motors, active front steer and individual wheel brake control, there is an opportunity to develop integrated chassis systems that fully support the driver in safety critical situations. Here we consider the scenario of an impending frontal collision with a stationary or slower moving vehicle in the same driving lane. Traditionally, researchers have approached the required collision avoidance maneuver as a hierarchical scheme, which separates the decision making, path planning and path tracking. In this context a key decision is whether to perform straight-line braking, or steer to change lanes, or indeed perform combined braking and steering. This paper approaches the collision avoidance directly from the perspective of constrained dynamic optimization, using a single optimization procedure to cover these aspects within a single online optimization scheme of model predictive control (MPC). While the new approach is demonstrated in the context of a fully autonomous safety system, it is expected that the same approach can incorporate driver inputs as additional constraints, yielding a flexible and coherent driver assistance system

Synthesis of Well-Defined, Brush-Type, Amphiphilic [Poly(styrene-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-graft- Poly(e-caprolactone)]-b-Poly(ethylene oxide)-b- [Poly(styrene-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-graft- Poly(e-caprolactone)] and Its Aggregation Behavior

ABSTRACT: Brush-type, amphiphilic [poly(styrene-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-graft-poly(e-caprolactone)]-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-[poly(styrene-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-graft-poly(e-caprolactone)] was successfully synthesized via consecutive ringopening anionic polymerization, reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, and coordination-insertion ring-opening polymerization (ROP). Two poly (ethylene oxide) macro-RAFT agents with two 3-benzylsulfanylthiocarbonylsufanyl propionic acid end groups were prepared by the reaction of Poly(ethylene oxide) with hydroxyl group at two ends [HO-PEO-OH] with 3-benzylsulfanylthiocarbonylsufanyl propionic acid chloride in the presence of pyridine; their molecular weights were 4840 and 8570 g/mol, and their molecular weight distributions were 1.07 and 1.09, respectively. The obtained macro-RAFT agents were used to mediate the copolymerization of styrene and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate with 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile as the initiator and dimethylformamide as the solvent. The hydroxyl groups of the 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate units of the resulting triblock copolymers then initiated the ROP of e-caprolactone in the presence of Sn(Oct) 2 at 100 8C in toluene. It was determined that the RAFT process was controllable. The self-assembled morphologies of the copolymers varied from rods to pearl necklaces and vesicles with an increase in the water concentration in tetrahydrofuran from 22.0 to 25.7, 29.6, and 39.0%, and the morphologies were also dependent on the molecular weight and chain structure of the copolymers

Ionophore‐Based Biphasic Chemical Sensing in Droplet Microfluidics

Droplet microfluidics is an enabling platform for high‐throughput screens, single‐cell studies, low‐volume chemical diagnostics, and microscale material syntheses. Analytical methods for real‐time and in situ detection of chemicals in the droplets will benefit these applications, but they remain limited. Reported herein is a novel heterogeneous chemical sensing strategy based on functionalization of the oil phase with rationally combined sensing reagents. Sub‐nanoliter oil segments containing pH‐sensitive fluorophores, ionophores, and ion‐exchangers enable highly selective and rapid fluorescence detection of physiologically important electrolytes (K+, Na+, and Cl−) and polyions (protamine) in sub‐nanoliter aqueous droplets. Electrolyte analysis in whole blood is demonstrated without suffering from optical interference from the sample matrix. Moreover, an oil phase doped with an aza‐BODIPY dye allows indication of H2O2 in the aqueous droplets, exemplifying sensing of targets beyond ionic species.Phase in: The oil phase in droplet microfluidics is functionalized with rationally combined sensing reagents. Thus, the sub‐nanoliter oil segments become chemical sensors toward specific targets in their adjacent sub‐nanoliter aqueous droplets. This biphasic sensing platform enables detection of a wide spectrum of targets including ionic, polyionic, and non‐ionic species, in a real‐time and reagent‐conservative fashion.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149501/1/anie201902960_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149501/2/anie201902960-sup-0001-misc_information.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/149501/3/anie201902960.pd

Efficient sunlight promoted nitrogen fixation from air under room temperature and ambient pressure via Ti/Mo composites

Photocatalytic nitrogen fixation is an important pathway for carbon neutralization and sustainable development. Inspired by nitrogenase, the participation of molybdenum can effectively activate nitrogen. A novel Ti/Mo composites photocatalyst is designed by sintering the molybdenum acetylacetonate precursor with TiO$_{2}$. The special carbon-coated hexagonal photocatalyst is obtained which photocatalytic nitrogen fixation performance is enhanced 16 times compared to pure TiO$_{2}$ at room temperature and ambient pressure. The abundant surface defects in this composite were confirmed to be the key factor for nitrogen fixation. The $^{15}$N$_{2}$ isotope labeling experiment was used to demonstrate the feasibility of nitrogen to ammonia conversion. Also, modelling on the interactions between light and the synthesized photocatalyst particle was examined for the light absorption. The optimum nitrogen fixation conditions have been examined, and the nitrogen fixation performance can reach up to 432 ${\mu}$g$\cdot$g$_{\text{cat}}^{-1}\cdot$h$^{-1}$. Numerical simulations via the field-only surface integral method were also carried out to study the interactions between light and the photocatalytic particles to further confirm that it can be a useful material for photocatalyst. This newly developed Ti/Mo composites provide a simple and effective strategy for photocatalytic nitrogen fixation from air directly under ambient conditions

Efficient photocatalytic nitrogen fixation from air under sunlight via iron-doped WO3_3

Photocatalytic nitrogen fixation from air directly under sunlight can contribute significantly to carbon neutralization. It is an ideal pathway to replace the industrial Haber Bosch process in future. A Fe-doped layered WO$_3$ photocatalyst containing oxygen vacancies was developed which can fix nitrogen from air directly under sunlight at atmospheric pressure. The iron doping enhances the transport efficiency of photogenerated electrons. The photocatalytic efficiency is around 4 times higher than that of pure WO$_3$. The optimum nitrogen fixation conditions were examined by orthogonal experiments and its nitrogen fixation performance could reach up to 477 $\mu \text{g} \cdot \text{g}_{\text{cat}}^{-1} \cdot \text{h}^{-1}$ under sunlight. In addition, the process of nitrogen fixation was detected by situ infrared, which confirmed the reliability of nitrogen fixation. Also, modelling on the interactions between light and the photocatalyst was carried out to study the distribution of surface charge and validate the light absorption of the photocatalyst. This work provides a simple and cheap strategy for photocatalytic nitrogen fixation from air under mild conditions

Folic acid and zinc improve hyperuricemia by altering the gut microbiota of rats with high-purine diet-induced hyperuricemia

A high-purine diet can cause hyperuricemia and destroy the microbial composition of the gut microbiota. Both folic acid and zinc significantly reduce uric acid levels and alleviate hyperuricemia. However, whether the underlying mechanisms are associated with the regulation of the gut microbiota remain unknown. To explore alterations of the gut microbiota related to folic acid and zinc treatment in rats with hyperuricemia in our study. A hyperuricemic rat model was established with a high-purine diet. The effects of folic acid and zinc on uric acid levels were evaluated. Alterations of the gut microbiota related to hyperuricemia and the treatments were evaluated by sequencing using the Illumina MiSeq system. The results demonstrated that uric acid levels dropped observably, and the activities of adenosine deaminase (ADA) and xanthine oxidase (XOD) were downregulated after folic acid or zinc intervention. 16S rRNA gene sequencing-based gut microbiota analysis revealed that folic acid and zinc enhanced the abundance of probiotic bacteria and reduced that of pathogenic bacteria, thus improving intestinal barrier function. PICRUST analysis indicated that folic acid and zinc restored gut microbiota metabolism. These findings indicate that folic acid and zinc ameliorate hyperuricemia by inhibiting uric acid biosynthesis and stimulating uric acid excretion by modulating the gut microbiota. Thus, folic acid and zinc may be new and safe therapeutic agents to improve hyperuricemia

Medial Habenula-Interpeduncular Nucleus Circuit Contributes to Anhedonia-Like Behavior in a Rat Model of Depression

The habenula is a nuclear complex composed of the lateral habenula (LHb) and medial habenula (MHb), two distinct structures. Much progress has been made to emphasize the role of the LHb in the pathogenesis of depression. In contrast, relatively less research has focused on the MHb. However, in recent years, the role of the MHb has begun to gain increasing attention. The MHb connects to the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) both morphologically and functionally. The MHb-IPN pathway plays an important role in regulating higher brain functions, including cognition, reward, and decision making. It indicates a role of the MHb in the pathogenesis of depression. Thus, we investigated the role of the MHb-IPN pathway in depression. MHb metabolic activity was increased in the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-exposed rat model of depression. MHb lesions in the CUMS-exposed rats reversed anhedonia-like behavior, as observed in the sucrose preference test, and significantly downregulated the elevated metabolic activity of the IPN. Substance P (SP)-containing neurons of the MHb were found to innervate the IPN and to be the main source of SP in the IPN. SP content of IPN tissue of the CUMS-exposed rats was increased and MHb lesions reversed this change. In the in vitro experiment, firing rate recordings showed that SP perfusion increased the activity of IPN neurons. Our results suggest that hyperactivity of the MHb-IPN circuit is involved in the anhedonia-like behavior of depression, and that SP mediates the effect of the MHb on IPN neurons

Recent advances in research on aspartate β-hydroxylase (ASPH) in pancreatic cancer: A brief update

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly aggressive tumor, often difficult to diagnose and treat. Aspartate β-hydroxylase (ASPH) is a type II transmembrane protein and the member of α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase family, found to be overexpressed in different cancer types, including PC. ASPH appears to be involved in the regulation of proliferation, invasion and metastasis of PC cells through multiple signaling pathways, suggesting its role as a tumor biomarker and therapeutic target. In this review, we briefly summarize the possible mechanisms of action of ASPH in PC and recent progress in the therapeutic approaches targeting ASPH