[Water Quality Prediction Model for the Pearl River Estuary Based on BiLSTM Improved with Attention Mechanism].

To improve the accuracy and stability of water quality prediction in the Pearl River Estuary, a water quality prediction model was proposed based on BiLSTM improved with an attention mechanism. The feature attention mechanism was introduced to enhance the ability of the model to capture important features, and the temporal attention mechanism was added to improve the mining ability of time series correlation information and water quality fluctuation details. The new model was applied to the water quality prediction of eight estuaries of the Pearl River, and the prediction performance test, generalization ability test, and characteristic parameter expansion test were carried out. The results showed that:① The new model achieved high prediction accuracy in the water quality prediction of the Zhuhaidaqiao section. The root-mean-square error (RMSE) between the predicted value and the measured value was 0.004 1 mg·L-1, and the coefficient of determination (R2) was 98.3 %. Compared with that of Multi-BiLSTM, Multi-LSTM, BiLSTM, and LSTM, the results showed that the new model had the highest prediction accuracy, which verified the accuracy of the model. ② Both the number of training samples and the number of forecasting steps affected the prediction accuracy of the model, and the prediction accuracy of the model increased with the increase of the training samples. When predicting the total phosphorus of the Zhuhaidaqiao section, more than 240 training samples could obtain higher prediction accuracy. Increasing the number of prediction steps caused the prediction accuracy of the model to decline rapidly, and the reliability of the model prediction could not be guaranteed when the number of prediction steps was greater than 5. ③ When the new model was applied to the prediction of different water quality indexes in eight estuaries of the Pearl River, the prediction results had high precision and the model had strong generalization ability. The input data of upstream water quality, rainfall, and other characteristic parameters associated with the section prediction index of the object could improve the prediction accuracy of the model. Through many tests, the results showed that the new model could meet the requirements of precision, applicability, and expansibility of water quality prediction in the Pearl River Estuary and thus is a new exploration method for high-precision prediction of water quality in complex hydrodynamic environments.

An Innovative Failure Criterion for Metal Cylindrical Shells under Explosive Loads.

Metal cylindrical shells are widely used to store and transport highly hazardous chemicals. The impact resistance of metal cylindrical shells under an explosive load is a concern for researchers. In this paper, an innovative failure criterion considering the time effect is proposed for metal cylindrical shells under explosive loads. Firstly, based on the maximum shear stress criterion, an innovative failure criterion containing the time effect is provided. Then, a metal cylindrical shell model is established. Next, a failure pressure equation for metal shells under an explosive load is proposed based on the innovative failure criterion. Lastly, the proposed equation is verified by numerical simulation. The results indicate the failure pressure equation for a metal cylindrical shell under an explosive load uses the finite element method. Our research is of significance for fully understanding the failure mechanism of piping and pressure vessels under impact load.

Burst Pressure Prediction of Subsea Supercritical CO2 Pipelines.

To improve transportation efficiency, a supercritical CO2 pipeline is the best choice for large-scale and long-distance transportation inshore and offshore. However, corrosion of the pipe wall will occur as a result of the presence of free water and other impurities present during CO2 capture. Defects caused by corrosion can reduce pipe strength and result in pipe failure. In this paper, the burst pressure of subsea supercritical CO2 pipelines under high pressure is investigated. First, a mechanical model of corroded CO2 pipelines is established. Then, using the unified strength theory (UST), a new burst pressure equation for subsea supercritical CO2 pipelines is derived. Next, analysis of the material's intermediate principal stress parameters is conducted. Lastly, the accuracy of the burst pressure equation of subsea supercritical CO2 pipelines is proven to meet the engineering requirement by experimental data. The results indicate that the parameter b of UST plays a significant role in determining burst pressure of pipelines. The study can provide a theoretical basis and reference for the design of subsea supercritical CO2 pipelines.

Modeling and Compensation of Dynamic Hysteresis with Force-Voltage Coupling for Piezoelectric Actuators.

Piezoelectric actuators are widely used in the field of micro- and nanopositioning due to their high frequency response, high stiffness, and high resolution. However, piezoelectric actuators have hysteresis nonlinearity, which severely affects their positioning accuracy. As the driving frequency increases, the performance of piezoelectric actuators further degrades. In addition, the impact of force on piezoelectric actuators cannot be ignored in practical applications. Dynamic hysteresis with force-voltage coupling makes the hysteresis phenomenon more complicated when force and driving voltage are both applied to the piezoelectric actuator. Existing hysteresis models are complicated, or inaccurate in describing dynamic hysteresis with force-voltage coupling. To solve this problem, a force-voltage-coupled Prandtl-Ishlinskii (FVPI) model is proposed in this paper. First, the influence of driving frequency and dynamic force on the output displacement of the piezoelectric actuators are analyzed. Then, the accuracy of the FVPI model is verified through experiments. Finally, a force integrated direct inverse (F-DI) compensator based on the FVPI model is designed. The experimental results from this study show that the F-DI compensator can effectively suppress dynamic hysteresis with force-voltage coupling of piezoelectric actuators. This model can improve the positioning accuracy of piezoelectric actuators, thereby improving the working accuracy of the micro- or nano-operating system.

Modeling and Compensation for Asymmetrical and Dynamic Hysteresis of Piezoelectric Actuators Using a Dynamic Delay Prandtl-Ishlinskii Model.

Piezoelectric actuators are widely used in micro- and nano-manufacturing and precision machining due to their superior performance. However, there are complex hysteresis nonlinear phenomena in piezoelectric actuators. In particular, the inherent hysteresis can be affected by the input frequency, and it sometimes exhibits asymmetrical characteristic. The existing dynamic hysteresis model is inaccurate in describing hysteresis of piezoelectric actuators at high frequency. In this paper, a Dynamic Delay Prandtl-Ishlinskii (DDPI) model is proposed to describe the asymmetrical and dynamic characteristics of piezoelectric actuators. First, the shape of the Delay Play operator is discussed under two delay coefficients. Then, the accuracy of the DDPI model is verified by experiments. Next, to compensate the asymmetrical and dynamic hysteresis, the compensator is designed based on the Inverse Dynamic Delay Prandtl-Ishlinskii (IDDPI) model. The effectiveness of the inverse compensator was verified by experiments. The results show that the DDPI model can accurately describe the asymmetrical and dynamic hysteresis, and the compensator can effectively suppress the hysteresis of the piezoelectric actuator. This research will be beneficial to extend the application of piezoelectric actuators.

Circular RNA 100146 Promotes Colorectal Cancer Progression by the MicroRNA 149/HMGA2 Axis.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has developed into the third leading cause of cancer-associated death worldwide. Studies have confirmed that circular RNAs (circRNAs) absorb microRNAs (miRNAs) to regulate the function of downstream genes. This study aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of circRNA 100146 in CRC. The expression of circRNA 100146, miRNA 149 (miR-149), and high mobility group AT-Hook 2 (HMGA2) was detected by quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). A series of biofunctional effects (cell viability, apoptosis, migration/invasion) were evaluated by the use of methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT), flow cytometry, and transwell assays. Protein levels were measured by Western blot assay. A xenograft model was established for in vivo experiments. The interactions among circRNA 100146, miR-149, and HMGA2 were evaluated by dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation assays, or RNA pulldown assay. circRNA 100146 was upregulated in CRC tissues and cells. circRNA 100146 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and suppressed migration and invasion in vitro and impeded tumor growth in vivo Also, miR-149 was negatively regulated by circRNA 100146 and was targeted to HMGA2 and mediated its expression. Moreover, miR-149 interference abrogated the activities of silenced circRNA 100146 in proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. Furthermore, HMGA2 overexpression abated the effects described above caused by circRNA 100146 silencing, while the mutations on miR-149 binding sites in the 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) of HMGA2 led to its loss of this ability. circRNA 100146 knockdown repressed proliferation, enhanced apoptosis, and hindered migration and invasion in SW620 and SW480 cells through targeting the miR-149/HMGA2 axis.

Error Analysis of a Spherical Capacitive Sensor for the Micro-Clearance Detection in Spherical Joints.

Spherical joints have attracted increasing interest in the engineering applications of machine tools, industrial robots, medical equipment, and so on. As one of the promising methods of detecting the micro-clearance in spherical joints, the measurement accuracy of a spherical capacitive sensor could be affected by imperfectness during the manufacturing and installation of the sensor. This work presents error analysis of a spherical capacitive sensor with a differential structure and explores the dependence of the differential capacitance on manufacturing and the installation imperfectness. Five error sources are examined: the shape of the ball and the capacitive plate, the axial and radial offset of the plate, and the inclined installation of the plate. The mathematical models for calculating the capacitance errors of the spherical capacitive sensor are deduced and validated through a simulation using Ansoft Maxwell. The results show that the measurement accuracy of the spherical capacitive sensor is significantly affected by the shape of plates and ball, the axial offset, and the inclined angle of the plate. In contrast, the effect of the radial offset of the plate is quite small.

Research on Asymmetric Hysteresis Modeling and Compensation of Piezoelectric Actuators with PMPI Model.

Because of fast frequency response, high stiffness, and displacement resolution, the piezoelectric actuators (PEAs) are widely used in micro/nano driving field. However, the hysteresis nonlinearity behavior of the PEAs affects seriously the further improvement of manufacturing accuracy. In this paper, we focus on the modeling of asymmetric hysteresis behavior and compensation of PEAs. First, a polynomial-modified Prandtl-Ishlinskii (PMPI) model is proposed for the asymmetric hysteresis behavior. Compared with classical Prandtl-Ishlinskii (PI) model, the PMPI model can be used to describe both symmetric and asymmetric hysteresis. Then, the congruency property of PMPI model is analyzed and verified. Next, based on the PMPI model, the inverse model (I-M) compensator is designed for hysteresis compensation. The stability of the I-M compensator is analyzed. Finally, the simulation and experiment are carried out to verify the accuracy of the PMPI model and the I-M compensator. The results implied that the PMPI model can effectively describe the asymmetric hysteresis, and the I-M compensator can well suppress the hysteresis characteristics of PEAs.

An Improved Capacitive Sensor for Detecting the Micro-Clearance of Spherical Joints.

Due to the flexible and compact structures, spherical joints are widely used in parallel manipulators and industrial robots. Real-time detection of the clearance between the ball and the socket in spherical joints is beneficial to compensate motion errors of mechanical systems and improve their transmission accuracy. This work proposes an improved capacitive sensor for detecting the micro-clearance of spherical joints. First, the structure of the capacitive sensor is proposed. Then, the mathematical model for the differential capacitance of the sensor and the eccentric micro-displacement of the ball is deduced. Finally, the capacitance values of the capacitive sensor are simulated with Ansoft Maxwell. The simulated values of the differential capacitances at different eccentric displacements agree well with the theoretical ones, indicating the feasibility of the proposed detection method. In addition, the simulated results show that the proposed capacitive sensor could effectively reduce the capacitive fringe effect, improving the measurement accuracy.

A Novel Approach for Detecting Rotational Angles of a Precision Spherical Joint Based on a Capacitive Sensor.

Precision spherical joints are commonly employed as multiple degree-of-freedom (DOF) mechanical hinges in many engineering applications, e.g., robots and parallel manipulators. Real-time and precise measurement of the rotational angles of spherical joints is not only beneficial to the real-time and closed-loop control of mechanical transmission systems, but also is of great significance in the prediction and compensation of their motion errors. This work presents a novel approach for rotational angle measurement of spherical joints with a capacitive sensor. First, the 3-DOF angular motions of a spherical joint were analyzed. Then, the structure of the proposed capacitive sensor was presented, and the mathematical model for the rotational angles of a spherical joint and the capacitance of the capacitors was deduced. Finally, the capacitance values of the capacitors at different rotations were simulated using Ansoft Maxwell software. The simulation results show that the variation in the simulated capacitance values of the capacitors is similar to that of the theoretical values, suggesting the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed capacitive detection method for rotational angles of spherical joints.

A Novel Method for the Micro-Clearance Measurement of a Precision Spherical Joint Based on a Spherical Differential Capacitive Sensor.

A spherical joint is a commonly used mechanical hinge with the advantages of compact structure and good flexibility, and it becomes a key component in many types of equipment, such as parallel mechanisms, industrial robots, and automobiles. Real-time detection of a precision spherical joint clearance is of great significance in analyzing the motion errors of mechanical systems and improving the transmission accuracy. This paper presents a novel method for the micro-clearance measurement with a spherical differential capacitive sensor (SDCS). First, the structure and layout of the spherical capacitive plates were designed according to the measuring principle of capacitive sensors with spacing variation. Then, the mathematical model for the spatial eccentric displacements of the ball and the differential capacitance was established. In addition, equipotential guard rings were used to attenuate the fringe effect on the measurement accuracy. Finally, a simulation with Ansoft Maxwell software was carried out to calculate the capacitance values of the spherical capacitors at different eccentric displacements. Simulation results indicated that the proposed method based on SDCS was feasible and effective for the micro-clearance measurement of the precision spherical joints with small eccentricity.

miR-215 promotes cell migration and invasion of gastric cancer by targeting Retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene 1.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumor and has high mortality worldwide. microRNAs (miRNAs) play critical roles in carcinogenesis. Previous studied showed that miR-215 was involved in tumorigenesis and progression. This study was designed to clarify the biological function of miR-215 in GC. METHODS: qRT-PCR was used to detect the miR-215 expression in GC tissues and 6 human GC cell lines (AGS, SGC-7901, NCI-N87, GES-1, MKN-45 and BGC-823) as well. Transwell assay was used to investigate the biological function of miR-215 in GC. Luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm its effect on the regulation of the target gene Retinoblastoma tumor suppressor gene 1 (RB1). RESULTS: miR-215 was frequently up-regulated in GC tissues compared to adjacent non-tumor tissues and GC cell lines. miR-215 expression level was correlated with the progression of tumor invasion and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage. Over-expression miR-215 in GC cell lines promoted cell migration and invasion. Besides, miR-215 could down-regulate the expression of RB1 in vitro via directly binding to its 3'-untranslated region (UTR), while the expression of RB1 would suppress the miR-215-indueced GC cell migration and invasion. CONCLUSIONS: miR-215 promoted cell migration and invasion of gastric cancer by directly targeting RB1.

The lectin of Dolichos biflorus agglutinin recognises glycan epitopes on the surface of a subset of cardiac progenitor cells.

The discovery of adult cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) provides a promising way for treating heart disease; however, their surface characteristics that play a critical role in regulating their maintenance, self-renewal, migration, and differentiation have not been fully investigated. One subpopulation of Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA)-positive cells was identified in the heart of adult mice. Flow cytometry showed that 3.7% of heart cells could be labeled by FITC conjugated DBA. BrdU pulse-chase showed that 55-75% of DBA(+) cells were CPCs. Evidences from 5-FU-induced myelosuppression along with BrdU pulse-chasing suggests that DBA-positive cells are proliferative. Furthermore, DBA positive cells display a cologenic appearance in vivo. Our findings suggest that DBA-positive cells in the heart of adult mouse contained a subset of CPCs, and DBA reactivity is one novel surface characteristic on CPCs.