Impulsive Synchronization and Adaptive-Impulsive Synchronization of a Novel Financial Hyperchaotic System

The impulsive synchronization and adaptive-impulsive synchronization of a novel financial hyperchaotic system are investigated. Based on comparing principle for impulsive functional differential equations, several sufficient conditions for impulsive synchronization are derived, and the upper bounds of impulsive interval for stable synchronization are estimated. Furthermore, a nonlinear adaptive-impulsive control scheme is designed to synchronize the financial system using invariant principle of impulsive dynamical systems. Moreover, corresponding numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed methods

Biomimetic Synthesis of Zinc Oxide 3D Architectures with Gelatin as Matrix

Peanut-like and flower-like zinc oxide 3D architectures were synthesized via a facile biomimetic process using gelatin as matrix. Techniques of XRD, SEM, HRTEM, FT-IR, and UV-vis absorption spectra were used to characterize the structure and property of the zinc oxide architectures. The experimental results show that the peanut-like ZnO and flower-like ZnO architectures can be obtained through changing the Zn2+ concentration or the aging time. FT-IR spectra indicate that the Zn2+ is coupled with the C=O bond of the gelatin molecules through the electrostatic interaction. Based on the experimental process, the possible growth mechanism of the ZnO 3D architectures is proposed. UV-vis absorption spectrum of the peanut-like ZnO has a broad absorption band in the UV region, and the blue-shifting of the band is observed

A Three-Stage Stirling Pulse Tube Cryocooler Approaching 4 K

Presented at the 16th International Cryocooler Conference, held May 17-20, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia.It is a great challenge for a Stirling Pulse tube cryocooler (PTC) to reach liquid-helium temperature, where there are promising applications such as superconducting digital electronics, midinfrared instrument, heterodyne detectors. Lockheed Martin first achieved a temperature below 4 K with a four-stage configuration with He-3 as working fluid. A single-stage Stirling PTC precooled by a self-made two-stage GM-type PTC has been constructed and tested to explore the loss mechanism of 4 K PTC working at high frequency at Zhejiang University. Temperature as low as 4.2 K has been successfully obtained with He-4 as working fluid by the end of 2008. In this paper, we report a newly-designed three-stage PTC, which aims to reach 4 K. The 4 K cooler is a thermalcoupled type, whose mass flows are easier t ocontrol and whose energy flows are more readily monitored. It will be working with He-4 instead of He-3. The first and second stages have been finished. A bottom temperature of 35 K and 9 W at 77 K with 300 We input has been achieved in the first stage. The bottom temperature of second stage is as low as 20.6 K, and the cooling power is measured as 1.0 W at 28.6 K. The test results are in good agreement with the model for both stages. The first and second stage is designed to couple with the a stage, which is expected to reach below 5.0 K at 30 Hz

Are serum levels of inflammatory markers associated with the severity of symptoms of bipolar disorder?

BackgroundTo explore the relationship between serum levels of inflammatory markers and symptomatic severity of bipolar disorder (BD).Materials and methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on 126 BD patients with current depressive episode (BDD), 102 BD patients with current mixed or (hypo)manic episode (BDM) and 94 healthy controls (HC). All participants were drug-naïve and had no current active physical illness associated with inflammatory response or history of substance abuse. Fasting serum levels of CRP, leptin (LEP), adiponectin (ADP), visfatin (VIS), TNF-α, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Symptomatic severity of BD was assessed with HAMD-17 and YMRS. Generalized linear model was used to determine the association between the serum levels of inflammatory markers and symptomatic severity of BD.ResultsThe serum levels of IL-6, IL-10 and IL-17, and the IL-6/IL-10 ratio were significantly lower in mild BDD than in HC. In moderate BDD, the serum levels of MCP, IL-6 and IL-17 were significantly lower than in HC. In severe BDD, the serum level of ADP, MCP-1, IL-10 and IL-17and the IL-17/IL-10 ratio were significantly lower than in HC. The serum levels of TNF-α and the IL-6/IL-10 ratio were significantly higher in mild BDM than in HC. In moderate BDM, the serum level of VIS, IL-2, and IL-17 were significantly higher than in HC, but the IL-6/IL-10 ratio was significantly lower than in control. In severe BDM, the serum levels of IL-6 and IL-17 and the ratios of IL-6/IL-10 and IL-17/IL-10 were significantly lower than in HC, but the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio was significantly higher than in HC.ConclusionIn BDD, immune-inhibition is persistently predominant, while in mild-to-moderate BDM, immune system is activated but inhibited in severe BDM. The dynamic change of serum inflammatory markers suggests that alteration of peripheral inflammatory markers in BD is state-dependent instead of trait-marked

Pattern of prefrontal cortical activation and network revealed by task-based and resting-state fNIRS in Parkinson’s disease’s patients with overactive bladder symptoms

BackgroundOveractive bladder (OAB) symptoms are common in Parkinson’s disease (PD), and negatively contribute to the quality of life (QoL) of patients. To explore the underlying pathophysiological mechanism, we investigated the correlation between the prefrontal cortex (PFC) function and OAB symptoms in PD patients.MethodsOne hundred fifty-five idiopathic PD patients were recruited and classified either as PD-OAB or PD-NOAB candidates based on their corresponding OAB symptom scores (OABSS). A linear regression analysis identified a correlative connection of cognitive domains. Then cortical activation during the performance of the verbal fluency test (VFT) and brain connectivity during resting state were conducted by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) for 10 patients in each group to investigate their frontal cortical activation and network pattern.ResultsIn cognitive function analysis, a higher OABS score was significantly correlated with a lower FAB score, MoCA total score, and sub-scores of visuospatial/executive, attention, and orientation as well. In the fNIRS study, the PD-OAB group exhibited significant activations in 5 channels over the left hemisphere, 4 over the right hemisphere, and 1 in the median during the VFT process. In contrast, only 1 channel over the right hemisphere showed significant activation in the PD-NOAB group. The PD-OAB group revealed hyperactivation, particularly in certain channel in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), compared with PD-NOAB (FDR P < 0.05). In the resting state, there was a significant increase of the resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) strength between the bilateral Broca area, left frontopolar area (FPA-L) and right Broca’s area (Broca-R), between the FPA and Broca’s area if merging the bilateral regions of interest (ROI), and also between the two hemispheres in the PD-OAB group. The Spearman’s correlation confirmed that the OABS scores were positively correlated with RSFC strength between the bilateral Broca area, FPA-L and Broca-R, between the FPA and Broca area if merging the bilateral ROI.ConclusionIn this PD cohort, OAB was related to decreased PFC functions, with particularly hyperactivated left DLPFC during VTF and an enhanced neural connectivity between the two hemispheres in the resting state as observed by fNIRS imaging

Single-digit-micrometer thickness wood speaker

Partial funding for Open Access provided by the UMD Libraries' Open Access Publishing Fund.Thin films of several microns in thickness are ubiquitously used in packaging, electronics, and acoustic sensors. Here we demonstrate that natural wood can be directly converted into an ultrathin film with a record-small thickness of less than 10 μm through partial delignification followed by densification. Benefiting from this aligned and laminated structure, the ultrathin wood film exhibits excellent mechanical properties with a high tensile strength of 342 MPa and a Young’s modulus of 43.6 GPa, respectively. The material’s ultrathin thickness and exceptional mechanical strength enable excellent acoustic properties with a 1.83-times higher resonance frequency and a 1.25-times greater displacement amplitude than a commercial polypropylene diaphragm found in an audio speaker. As a proof-of-concept, we directly use the ultrathin wood film as a diaphragm in a real speaker that can output music. The ultrathin wood film with excellent mechanical property and acoustic performance is a promising candidate for next-generation acoustic speakers

Control and Characterization of Individual Grains and Grain Boundaries in Graphene Grown by Chemical Vapor Deposition

The strong interest in graphene has motivated the scalable production of high quality graphene and graphene devices. Since large-scale graphene films synthesized to date are typically polycrystalline, it is important to characterize and control grain boundaries, generally believed to degrade graphene quality. Here we study single-crystal graphene grains synthesized by ambient CVD on polycrystalline Cu, and show how individual boundaries between coalescing grains affect graphene's electronic properties. The graphene grains show no definite epitaxial relationship with the Cu substrate, and can cross Cu grain boundaries. The edges of these grains are found to be predominantly parallel to zigzag directions. We show that grain boundaries give a significant Raman "D" peak, impede electrical transport, and induce prominent weak localization indicative of intervalley scattering in graphene. Finally, we demonstrate an approach using pre-patterned growth seeds to control graphene nucleation, opening a route towards scalable fabrication of single-crystal graphene devices without grain boundaries.Comment: New version with additional data. Accepted by Nature Material