A Circular Touch Mode Capacitive Rainfall Sensor: Analytical Solution and Numerical Design and Calibration.

A circular capacitive rainfall sensor can operate from non-touch mode to touch mode; that is, under the action of enough rainwater, its movable electrode plate can form a circular contact area with its fixed electrode plate. Therefore, the weight of rainwater is borne by only its movable electrode plate in non-touch mode operation but by both its movable and fixed electrode plates in touch mode operation, and the total capacitance of its touch mode operation is much larger than that of its non-touch mode operation. Essential to its numerical design and calibration is the ability to predict the deflection shape of its moveable electrode plate to determine its total capacitance.

Development of a prognostic nomogram for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients received radiotherapy based on clinical risk factors.

Purpose: The goal of the study was to create a nomogram based on clinical risk factors to forecast the rate of locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) who underwent radiotherapy (RT).

Methods: In this study, 574 ESCC patients were selected as participants. Following radiotherapy, subjects were divided into training and validation groups at a 7:3 ratio.

An Improved Theory for Designing and Numerically Calibrating Circular Touch Mode Capacitive Pressure Sensors.

The design, especially the numerical calibration, of a circular touch mode capacitive pressure sensor is highly dependent on the accuracy of the analytical solution of the contact problem between the circular conductive membrane and the rigid plate of the sensor. In this paper, the plate/membrane contact problem is reformulated using a more accurate in-plane equilibrium equation, and a new and more accurate analytical solution is presented. On this basis, the design and numerical calibration theory for circular touch mode capacitive pressure sensors has been greatly improved and perfected.

Prediction model of stress ulcer after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer established by machine learning algorithm.

Background: Patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) are prone to stress ulcer after laparoscopic surgery. The analysis of risk factors for stress ulcer (SU) in patients with CRC is important to reduce mortality and improve patient prognosis.

Aim: To identify risk factors for SU after laparoscopic surgery for CRC, and develop a nomogram model to predict the risk of SU in these patients.

The Thermal Stress Problem of Bimodular Curved Beams under the Action of End-Side Concentrated Shear Force.

A bimodular material is a kind of material that presents two elastic moduli in tension and compression. In classical thermoelasticity, however, the bimodular material is rarely considered due to its complexity in analysis. In fact, almost all materials will present, more or less, bimodular characteristics, and in some cases, the mechanical properties of materials cannot be fully utilized simply by ignoring the bimodular characteristics.

Insights into Advanced Neurological Dysfunction Mechanisms Following DBS Surgery in Parkinson's Patients: Neuroinflammation and Pyroptosis.

Parkinson's disease is a severe neurodegenerative disorder. Currently, deep brain electrical stimulation (DBS) is the first line of surgical treatment. However, serious neurological impairments such as speech disorders, disturbances of consciousness, and depression after surgery limit the efficacy of treatment.

Application of the Variational Method to the Large Deformation Problem of Thin Cylindrical Shells with Different Moduli in Tension and Compression.

In this study, the variational method concerning displacement components is applied to solve the large deformation problem of a thin cylindrical shell with its four sides fully fixed and under uniformly distributed loads, in which the material that constitutes the shell has a bimodular effect, in comparison to traditional materials, that is, the material will present different moduli of elasticity when it is in tension and compression. For the purpose of the use of the displacement variational method, the physical equations on the bimodular material model and the geometrical equation under large deformation are derived first. Thereafter, the total strain potential energy is expressed in terms of the displacement component, thus bringing the possibilities for the classical Ritz method.

Polymer Conductive Membrane-Based Circular Capacitive Pressure Sensors from Non-Touch Mode of Operation to Touch Mode of Operation: An Analytical Solution-Based Method for Design and Numerical Calibration.

Polymer-based conductive membranes play an important role in the development of elastic deflection-based pressure sensors. In this paper, an analytical solution-based method is presented for the design and numerical calibration of polymer conductive membrane-based circular capacitive pressure sensors from non-touch mode of operation to touch mode of operation. The contact problem of a circular membrane in frictionless contact with a rigid flat plate under pressure is analytically solved, and its analytical solution is used for the design of touch mode circular capacitive pressure sensors for the first time.

Polymer Conductive Membrane-Based Non-Touch Mode Circular Capacitive Pressure Sensors: An Analytical Solution-Based Method for Design and Numerical Calibration.

In this paper, an analytical solution-based method for the design and numerical calibration of polymer conductive membrane-based non-touch mode circular capacitive pressure sensors is presented. The accurate analytical relationship between the capacitance and applied pressure of the sensors is derived by using the analytical solution for the elastic behavior of the circular polymer conductive membranes under pressure. Based on numerical calculations using the accurate analytical relationship and the analytical solution, the analytical relationship between the pressure as output and the capacitance as input, which is necessary to achieve the capacitive pressure sensor mechanism of detecting pressure by measuring capacitance, is accurately established by least-squares data fitting.

A Further Theoretical Study of Capacitive Pressure Sensors Based on Thin Film Elastic Deflection and Parallel Plate Capacitor: Refined Closed-Form Solution and Numerical Calibration.

The capacitive pressure sensor based on thin film elastic deflection and a parallel plate capacitor uses a non-conductive elastic annular thin film centrally connected to a conductive, rigid, flat, concentric-circular thin plate as a pressure sensing unit. On application of pressure, the non-conductive thin film deflects elastically, which in turn moves the conductive thin plate (as a movable upper electrode plate of the parallel plate capacitor) towards the lower electrode plate, resulting in a change in the capacitance of the capacitor. Therefore, the applied pressure can be determined by measuring the capacitance change, based on the closed-form solution for the elastic behavior of the annular thin film under pressure.

Large Deflection Analysis of Peripherally Fixed Circular Membranes Subjected to Liquid Weight Loading: A Refined Design Theory of Membrane Deflection-Based Rain Gauges.

The anticipated use of elastic membranes for deflection-based rain gauges has provided an impetus for this paper to revisit the large deflection problem of a peripherally fixed circular membrane subjected to liquid weight loading, a statics problem when the fluid-structure interaction of membrane and liquid reaches static equilibrium. The closed-form solution of this statics problem of fluid-structure interaction is necessary for the design of such membrane deflection-based rain gauges, while the existing closed-form solution, due to the use of the small rotation angle assumption of the membrane, cannot meet the design requirements for computational accuracy. In this paper, the problem under consideration is reformulated by giving up the small rotation angle assumption, which gives rise to a new and somewhat intractable nonlinear integro-differential equation of the governing out-of-plane equilibrium.

Extracellular matrix protein laminin β1 regulates pain sensitivity and anxiodepression-like behaviors in mice.

Patients with neuropathic pain often experience comorbid psychiatric disorders. Cellular plasticity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is assumed to be a critical interface for pain perception and emotion. However, substantial efforts have thus far been focused on the intracellular mechanisms of plasticity rather than the extracellular alterations that might trigger and facilitate intracellular changes.

A Theoretical Study on an Elastic Polymer Thin Film-Based Capacitive Wind-Pressure Sensor.

This study is devoted to the design of an elastic polymer thin film-based capacitive wind-pressure sensor to meet the anticipated use for real-time monitoring of structural wind pressure in civil engineering. This sensor is composed of four basic units: lateral elastic deflection unit of a wind-driven circular polymer thin film, parallel plate capacitor with a movable circular electrode plate, spring-driven return unit of the movable electrode plate, and dielectric materials between electrode plates. The capacitance of the capacitor varies with the parallel move of the movable electrode plate which is first driven by the lateral elastic deflection of the wind-driven film and then is, after the wind pressure is reduced or eliminated, returned quickly by the drive springs.

A Refined Theory for Characterizing Adhesion of Elastic Coatings on Rigid Substrates Based on Pressurized Blister Test Methods: Closed-Form Solution and Energy Release Rate.

Adhesion between coatings and substrates is an important parameter determining the integrity and reliability of film/substrate systems. In this paper, a new and more refined theory for characterizing adhesion between elastic coatings and rigid substrates is developed based on a previously proposed pressurized blister method. A compressed air driven by liquid potential energy is applied to the suspended circular coating film through a circular hole in the substrate, forcing the suspended film to bulge, and then to debond slowly from the edge of the hole as the air pressure intensifies, and finally to form a blister with a certain circular delamination area.

A Multi-Parameter Perturbation Solution and Experimental Verification for Bending Problem of Piezoelectric Cantilever Beams.

The existing studies indicate that the application of piezoelectric polymers is becoming more and more extensive, especially in the analysis and design of sensors or actuators, but the problems of piezoelectric structure are usually difficult to solve analytically due to the force-electric coupling characteristics. In this study, the bending problem of a piezoelectric cantilever beam was investigated via theoretical and experimental methods. First, the governing equations of the problem were established and non-dimensionalized.

One-Dimensional Theoretical Solution and Two-Dimensional Numerical Simulation for Functionally-Graded Piezoelectric Cantilever Beams with Different Properties in Tension and Compression.

The existing studies indicate polymers will present obviously different properties in tension and compression (bimodular effect) which is generally ignored because of the complexity of the analysis. In this study, a functionally graded piezoelectric cantilever beam with bimodular effect was investigated via analytical and numerical methods, respectively, in which a one-dimensional theoretical solution was derived by neglecting some unimportant factors and a two-dimensional numerical simulation was performed based on the model of tension-compression subarea. A full comparison was made to show the rationality of one-dimensional theoretical solution and two-dimensional numerical simulation.

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells ameliorate the inflammatory reaction in CLP-induced septic acute lung injury rats via sTNFR1.

We hypothesized that the adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs), which secrete high amounts of soluble molecules, such as soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (sTNFR1), may ameliorate sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI). A total of 120 male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were separated into four groups: the sham control (SC), sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), CLP-ADMSCs, and CLP-sTNFR1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) groups; CLP groups underwent CLP and then received 1 × 10 ADMSCs with or without knockdown of sTNFR1 intravenously at 1 hr after surgery. Rats were killed at 3, 6, 24, and 48 hr after the SC or CLP procedures.

An Electroelastic Solution for Functionally Graded Piezoelectric Circular Plates under the Action of Combined Mechanical Loads.

In this study, we obtained an electroelastic solution for functionally graded piezoelectric circular plates under the action of combined mechanical loads which include the uniformly distributed loads on the upper surface of the plate and the radial force and bending moment at the periphery of the plate. All electroelastic materials parameters are assumed to vary according to the same gradient function along the thickness direction. The influence of different functionally graded parameters on the elastic displacement and elastic stress, as well as the electric displacement and electric potential, was discussed by a numerical example.

One-Dimensional and Two-Dimensional Analytical Solutions for Functionally Graded Beams with Different Moduli in Tension and Compression.

The material considered in this study not only has a functionally graded characteristic but also exhibits different tensile and compressive moduli of elasticity. One-dimensional and two-dimensional mechanical models for a functionally graded beam with a bimodular effect were established first. By taking the grade function as an exponential expression, the analytical solutions of a bimodular functionally graded beam under pure bending and lateral-force bending were obtained.

Theoretical Study on Synchronous Characterization of Surface and Interfacial Mechanical Properties of Thin-Film/Substrate Systems with Residual Stress Based on Pressure Blister Test Technique.

In this study, based on the pressure blister test technique, a theoretical study on the synchronous characterization of surface and interfacial mechanical properties of thin-film/substrate systems with residual stress was presented, where the problem of axisymmetric deformation of a blistering film with initial stress was analytically solved and its closed-form solution was presented. The expressions to determine Poisson's ratios, Young's modulus, and residual stress of surface thin films were derived; the work done by the applied external load and the elastic energy stored in the blistering thin film were analyzed in detail and their expressions were derived; and the interfacial adhesion energy released per unit delamination area of thin-film/substrate (i.e.

Baicalin inhibits toll-like receptor 2/4 expression and downstream signaling in rat experimental periodontitis.

Periodontitis is a severe inflammatory response, leading to characteristic periodontal soft tissue destruction and alveolar bone resorption. Baicalin possesses potent anti-inflammatory activity; however, it is still unclear whether baicalin regulates toll-like receptor (TLR) 2/4 expression and downstream signaling during the process of periodontitis. In this study, the cervical area of the maxillary second molars of rats was ligated and inoculated with Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.