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AbstractPeople often use qualitative relations to describe locations or directional information, especially in written communication, such as ‘the restaurant is located at the southeast corner of the square’. However, when a large number of spatial entities are involved, qualitative relations alone are not intuitive enough for people to understand a spatial configuration. In fact, many applications, e.g. pertaining to sharing travel experiences, use sketch maps, i.e. maps focusing on the main features of an area whilst abstracting exact scale measurements, to help demonstrate abstract qualitative relations with more intuitive geometric points. Current approaches for generating point sketch maps from qualitative spatial relations require a high level of expertise, face inherent difficulties with efficiently processing large-scale data in bulk, and are vulnerable to inaccurate or conflicting information contained in qualitative data. To address these limitations, by incorporating machine learning techniques, we propose to translate the problem into an optimization problem of data reconstruction, enabling a novel end-to-end approach for generating point sketch maps from qualitative directional relations in bulk. Experiments on real-world datasets show that the proposed approach has very high accuracy and is robust even with a large portion of inaccurate or incomplete information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the finite-time annular domain stability and stabilisation for the positive systems. A new analysis method is proposed to obtain less conservative finite-time annular domain stability criteria and its superiority to modified Gronwall inequality is analysed. Moreover, conditions for the existence of state feedback and observer-based controllers that guarantee the closed-loop system to be positive and finite-time annular domain stable are given under the linear programming framework. Finally, two numerical examples are provided to show the effectiveness and superiority of the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe influence evaluation of the additive fibre on concrete structures is a concerned problem especially in strengthening and repairing engineering. Current theoretical studies on the damage mechanisms of tunnel lining are generally based on the tensile and compressive characteristics of the ordinary concrete. Little attention is paid to the toughness and damage development of the fibre reinforced concrete, as well as the influences of high-speed train dynamic loading. In this paper, both tensile and compressive experiments of fibre reinforced concrete with different lengths and volume contents are carried out considering three types of the glass, PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) and hybrid fibres. Afterwards, the damage evolution of fibre reinforced concrete is explored by application of the digital image correlation (DIC) technique. The hypothesis of strain equivalence and damage theory of Najar are employed to determine the damage parameters of the fibre reinforced concrete so as to establish three-dimensional finite element model of surrounding rock-tunnel. Finally, the parameters that affect damage development of concrete tunnel lining incorporated fibre under train loading, including the vehicle speed, fibre type, fibre length, and volume content, are performed. The results show that adding fibre into concrete can effectively enhance the damage resistance capacity of concrete and significantly improve the developing trend of multistep damage of ordinary concrete under train excitation loading. Moreover, fibre reinforced concrete can reduce the final damage values of tunnel lining subjected train loading. The paper contributes to the understanding of damage behaviours of fibre reinforced concrete lining for high-speed trains loading as a potential risk in the course of the operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractViscoelastic surfactant (VES) fracturing fluid is characterized by low filtration loss, high sand carrying and environmental friendliness for applications in low permeability reservoirs and unconventional oil and gas extraction. In this work, the VES fluid was prepared with 0.7 wt% trimethylstearylammonium chloride (OTAC), 0.14 wt% sodium salicylate (NaSal), and 0.1 wt% nano-ZnO particles to form a nanomodified VES fluid. The rheology and dynamic filtration were conducted. The results showed that the fluid filtration loss of the VES system was significantly reduced compared to that of the conventional polymer disperse system. The stabilization of the VES fluid is enhanced by the incorporation of ZnO nanoparticles. It effectively increases the viscosity of the fracturing fluid at high temperatures. It makes it easier to form filter cake, which significantly reduces the amount of filtration loss. With the increase in core permeability and displacement pressure difference, both the filter loss and the loss coefficient increase. In addition, the formation damage rate of nanomodified VES fluid is only 34%, which is less than the traditional Guanidine Fracturing Fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, lead-free energy storage ceramics, (1−x)(0.95Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-0.05Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3)-xSr0.7La0.2SnO3 (BNT-BZCT-xSLS, x = 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20), were prepared. The crystal structure, microstructure, dielectric properties, ferroelectric properties, energy storage properties, and charge-discharge performance of BNT-BZCT-xSLS were systematically studied. Among the products, BNT-BZCT-0.15SLS exhibited the highest energy storage performances (W = 2.95 J/cm3, Wrec = 2.09 J/cm3, and η = 71%) due to its dense microstructure, finer grain size, and improved relaxation. Furthermore, the BNT-BZCT-0.15SLS also showed an ultra-fast charge and discharge speed (t0.9 = 0.033 μs) and a large power density (PD = 28.0 MW/cm3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At extreme deep-sea pressure, the assessment of the electroacoustic conversion performance of transducers is a major problem, particularly in the acoustic exploration of seabed sediment in 11,000-m abysses. To address this problem, an online measurement method was proposed for the electroacoustic performance under extreme pressure. The method utilized the 11,000-m transceiver with the high-frequency and narrow-beam characteristics. In the full-depth pressure profile, the transceiver signal was measured online by an extreme pressure simulation device. At different extreme pressure sites, characteristics of the transceiver signal were analyzed using the transceiver signal at atmospheric pressure as the reference. The characteristics included amplitude response characteristics, frequency response characteristics and time-frequency characteristics. The 11,000-m transceiver has verified the stability and reliability of its electro-acoustic conversion performance. It was also analysed the effect of the transducer on the calculation of seabed sediment parameters in a pressure environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new type of the load-adaptive hoisting mechanism (LAHM), which can automatically adjust transmission ratio based on the payload. The load-adaptive hoisting mechanism can perform high speed under light load condition and it can perform large output force under heavy load condition. Because variable radius reel and spring-load rope are used, it can conduct smooth and continuous adaptive adjustment according to the difference of payload. After the theoretical analysis of the load-adaptive hoisting mechanism proposed in this paper, we discuss the working principle of the mechanism and establish the theoretical relationship model which contains key mechanical parameters of the system. In addition, through the contrast experiment with the traditional reel mechanism, the results prove the superiority and efficiency of this mechanism. Finally, the experiment of glass tube with an explosion is designed, which proves the feasibility and advantages of this mechanism and makes it possible to be used widely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laparoscopic technique is widely used in peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter placement. We developed a modified minimally invasive laparoscopic PD catheter (PDC) insertion with internal fixation and evaluated the early results by observing the intraoperative and postoperative conditions of the novel technique with those of conventional open surgery. Retrospective research was performed on 59 patients who underwent PDC insertion from June 2019 to January 2022, including 23 patients who received open surgery and 36 patients who received modified minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery. Information such as preoperative conditions, operation time, incision length, incidence of intraoperative complications, time from operation to starting PD, time from operation to discharge, and incidence of catheter-related complications were collected and analyzed. The incision length, intraoperative blood loss, catheter migration rates and the total incidence of complications 6 months after operation in the laparoscopic group were lower than those in the conventional group. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in operation time, time from operation to starting PD, time from operation to discharge and the incidence of catheter blockage, leakage, exit-site infection, peritoneal dialysis associated peritonitis and hernia. Modified minimally invasive laparoscopic PDC insertion and internal fixation method achieved direct vision and reliable fixation of the catheter, significantly reduced incision length and blood loss. The incidence of catheter migration was significantly lower than that of open surgery. Our primary findings reveal that modified minimally invasive laparoscopic PDC insertion with internal fixation is safe, effective and beneficial for PD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, with the characteristics of simplicity, speed, and nondestructive analysis, has been frequently used in tobacco blending design and maintenance. Its main function is to identify the appropriate combination from hundreds of types of tobacco leaves to match the target formula. Due to the large number of combinations of tobacco leaves, preparing so many blended samples of tobacco powder with different proportions and measuring their spectra are time-consuming, laborious, and costly. Therefore, a novel strategy of simulated spectra based upon calibration transfer is proposed to substitute for the measured spectra without preparing these tobacco powder blended samples. Five and nine single-grade tobacco powder blending experimental results showed that the substitutive spectra for a massive tobacco powder blended samples may be obtained in a short time according to the established calibration transfer models between measured and simulated spectra of a small number of blended samples. Moreover, with the help of calibration models built on the same spectrometer, the desired properties including reducing sugar, total sugar, potassium, starch, and total nitrogen of these tobacco mixtures are quickly predicted. In addition, transfer based on canonical correlation analysis and independent component analysis were superior to other approaches, respectively. The strategy of simulated spectra partially may replace powder blending and spectral analysis and may be considered to be a valuable and effective tool for computer-aided numerical tobacco blending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Li–Be mineralization in the northeastern Pamir is the most westerly portion of the newly defined Western Kunlun–Songpan–Ganze rare metal belt in China. This paper discusses the geochemistry and isotopic U–Pb–Sr–Nd–Hf systems of two Triassic granites and Li–Be pegmatites, trying to identify their genetic relationship. Our study shows that although the biotite monzogranites, the muscovite granites, and the Li–Be pegmatites have similar zircon and coltan U–Pb ages of 210 Ma, continuous crystallization could not completely account for their compositional and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic diversity. In comparison with the biotite monzogranites, the muscovite granites exhibit strongly fractionated characteristics, with higher levels of SiO2, K2O, P2O5, Li, Be, Cs, Rb, and Ta, and are sourced from a partial melt of meta-pelite rocks, showing a genetical relationship with the Li–Be pegmatites. A model of volatile accumulation is an attempt to interpret some characteristics of the strongly fractionated muscovite granites and Li-Be pegmatites, which show dramatically elevated contents of P2O5 of 0.20–0.23% to Li–Be pegmatites of 0.4–2.64%, respectively. P2O5 might be an agency of the accumulation of fluxing compositions also including B, F, and H2O. Succeeding pegmatite-forming fluid exsolution and selective removal of Ca–Na–K to precipitate feldspar minerals far away from the parent granites should be accountable for some strongly fractionated characteristics in the residual melt, e.g. the enrichment of Rb, loss of Sr and Ba, and elevated negative Eu anomaly. Furthermore, this selective extractant of alkalis metal triggered by the accumulation of flux notably enhanced the contents of Li and Be in the remaining melts by three times, which might be also an important mechanism for the rare metal concentration in the Li–Be pegmatites by thousands of times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates finite time annular domain (FTAD) stability and stabilisation for Itô-type stochastic time-varying systems with continuous Wiener and discontinuous Poisson noises (STVSWPNs). First, using Itô-Levy formula and time-varying multiple quadratic Lyapunov functions, two less conservative FTAD-stability conditions based generalised differential Lyapunov equations (GDLEs) and differential linear matrix inequalities (DLMIs) are obtained. Second, the FTAD stabilisation is studied and some new sufficient conditions for the existence of state feedback and static output feedback controllers are presented by tractable differential linear matrix inequalities. Moreover, a new numerical algorithm is given. Finally, a numerical example and a real-world example are utilised to show the effectiveness of the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited mathematical analytical studies for tunnel leakage-induced surface and subsurface soil movements and tunnel responses incorporated the distribution of excess pore water pressure, in which the concrete lining was often assumed perfectly permeable or impermeable. This mechanical closed-form model will bring calculation errors and inconsistencies in engineering practice. This article introduces a new set of mathematical model for analyzing tunnelling-induced dissipation of excess pore water pressure and ground consolidation settlement considering long-term leakage influence through a semi-permeable lining, in which the soil-lining permeability ratio is used as the relative parameter to measure the influence of lining permeability on consolidation settlement. The interesting point is that the theoretical model conducts coupling with the Terzaghi-Rendulic consolidation theory through solving of the conformal mapping technique in complex variable theory and the separation variable method in classical mathematical physics equation. The accuracy of presented solutions is verified by comparisons with numerical simulation and in-situ measurements of engineering profiles and reasonable agreements are obtained. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is implemented on the subsurface consolidation settlement and the distribution of excess pore water pressure, and the results indicate that the soil-lining permeability and the soil Young's modulus notably affect the tunnel leakage-induced ground responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the study of sedimentary acoustics, measuring sound speed in the first layer sediment is a key issue. To solve this problem, we proposed a method for measuring the sound speed in the deep-sea first-layer sediment using a high-frequency submersible sub-bottom profiler. In this method, we obtained the reflection data of deep-sea sediments near the bottom using a wide-band narrow-beam single transducer and obtained the profile of deep-sea sediments using the reflection compression method. The first sediment layer was extracted according to the layer structure information, and the sound speed of the first sediment layer was directly measured. The transducer feasibility of the high-frequency submersible sub-bottom profiler operating at high pressure in deep sea was verified through high hydrostatic pressure tests in the laboratory. We designed a laboratory reflection compression measurement device to simulate the first layer of deep-sea sediments and verified the effectiveness of the measurement method. This method also was used to process deep-sea sediment data acquired by the Deep-Sea Warrior manned submersible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to prepare GeXIVA[1,2] PLGA microspheres by W/O/W re-emulsificationsolvent evaporation technology and to develop sustained-release formulations to meet the clinical treatment needs of chronic neuropathic pain. Through prescription optimization, the uniformity of particle size and the encapsulation efficiency is improved, so as to achieve the quality standard of the microspheres. The mechanism of trehalose improving the stability of GeXIVA[1,2] was studied and verified by molecular simulation. The results showed that when adding trehalose to W1, using the PLGA model of 75:25, PLGA concentration of 30%, PVA concentration of 1.5%, adding 1% NaCl to PVA and adding 1% NaCl to solidification water, the prepared microspheres are smooth, the particle size is about 25 µm, and the encapsulation rate reaches 90%. The results of in vitro release experiments showed that the microspheres could be released steadily for about 30 days. The microsphere samples were characterized and analyzed by molecular simulation and powder X-ray diffractometer, and the protective mechanism of trehalose on GeXIVA[1,2] was discussed. The results showed that the hydrogen bond formed between trehalose and GeXIVA[1,2] acted as a hydration film and played a certain protective role on GeXIVA[1,2]. In addition, high-viscosity trehalose can form a glass state and wrap around GeXIVA[1,2], reducing the free movement of molecules. In the microsphere system, trehalose can also avoid the influence of PLGA material on the secondary structure of GeXIVA[1,2]. In conclusion, this study is expected to provide a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove a new bound on the number of shared values of distinct meromorphic functions on a compact Riemann surface, explain a mistake in a previous paper on this topic, and give a survey of related questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate risk factors for endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia/malignancy in premenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding or oligomenorrhea. Specifically, we aimed to elucidate whether body mass index (BMI) or age confers a higher risk. A retrospective cohort study was performed at a large academic center examining risk factors for endometrial hyperplasia/malignancy in premenopausal women undergoing endometrial sampling. Of the 4170 women ages 18–51 who underwent endometrial sampling from 1987 to 2019, 77 (1.85%) were found to have endometrial intraepithelial neoplasia or malignancy. Clinical predictors of EIN/malignancy in this population included obesity (OR: 3.84, 95%, p <.001), Body mass index [(OR30 vs. 25:2.11, p <.001) and OR35 vs. 30: 1.65, p <.001], Diabetes (OR: 3.6, p-value <.001), hormonal therapy use (OR: 2.93, p <.001), personal history of colon cancer (OR: 9.90, p =.003), family history of breast cancer (OR: 2.65, p <.001), family history of colon cancer (OR: 3.81, p <.001), and family history of endometrial cancer (OR: 4.92, p =.033). Age was not significantly associated with an increased risk of disease. Adjusting for other factors, a model using BMI to predict the risk of EIN/malignancy was more discriminative than a model based on age. Increased BMI, may be more predictive of endometrial hyperplasia/malignancy than age in premenopausal women with abnormal uterine bleeding. Modification of evaluation guidelines in a contemporary demographic setting could be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the traditional automatic transmission, Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT) with P2 configuration is developed by replacing hydraulic torque converter with a wet electronically controlled clutch and a driving motor. The paper proposed a coordinated control strategy of the upshift process for the P2 configuration parallel hybrid vehicle equipped with DHT to ensure the shift quality. Firstly, considering the meshing transmission loss, the dynamics modelling of DHT shifting process was built by Lagrange method, and the model parameters were identified by bench test; Secondly, taking no jerk as the constraint and minimum slipping work as the optimisation goal, the forward discrete dynamic programming was used to solve the optimal control law of the transmission torque of the shifting clutch and the input shaft torque of transmission. Besides, for the hybrid operation mode, further considering the influence of the motor, engine and main clutch, two coordinated control strategies of the main clutch engagement and slipping were proposed. The simulation results show that the two coordinated control strategies can achieve small jerk and slipping work, ensure smoothness in the course of gear shift. And by the method of slipping control of the main clutch, the shifting time can be shortened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a four-wheel-drive hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) with dual clutch transmission (DCT) is decelerating while turning, the vehicle often transits from front-wheel hybrid mode to electric mode of the rear hub motors, in order to improve the energy efficiency. However, the mode transition process is accompanied by the driving torque front-to-rear axis conversion and the wheel load transfer. And the mode transition process involves not only the torque coordinated control of the multi-power sources, but also the differential control of the left and right rear hub motors. If not properly controlled, it will cause a large jerk and the vehicle to be unstable. In this paper, a seven degrees of freedom (DOF) of vehicle model integrated with DCT powertrain system is introduced to reflect its lateral and longitudinal dynamic characteristics in the mode transition process. The optimal control strategy considering the differential distribution of the rear hub motors' torque is proposed based on sliding-mode control (SMC). Simulation and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test results show that the proposed mode transition control strategy can not only achieve smooth front- to rear-end driving torque switching and reduce the jerk 5.7%, but also improve the tracking performance of side slip angle and the yaw rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timely information on lake ice cover conditions is critical in support of commercial shipping, winter-road transportation, and winter leisure activities such as snowmobiling and ice fishing. Monitoring of lake ice extent and ice phenology (i.e. dates associated with freeze-up/break-up and ice duration) is also valuable for improving numerical weather prediction (NWP) and for climate monitoring. The availability of free synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1 A/B constellation provides an unprecedented opportunity to develop operational algorithms for lake ice cover mapping at a temporal frequency not available until now from SAR missions (ca. every 1–5 days depending on latitude). For NWP, rapid and accurate mapping of ice cover and open water areas in lake-rich regions is required. However, the classification of SAR imagery using traditional machine learning (ML) approaches is challenging due to the large data volume generated by imaging systems such as Sentinel-1 SAR as well as the complexity of radar signatures as a function of sensor and target characteristics. For lakes specifically, radar backscatter can vary greatly with incidence angle, polarization and surface properties (e.g. calm and wind-roughed open water, new thin ice, surface roughness due to the presence of pressure ridges, ice type, melting of ice and on-ice snow). To address the challenge of large-scale lake ice mapping, we investigate the GPU-boosted deep neural network approach that is efficient at handling big complex data. In this paper, we design a novel maximum a posterior (MAP) approach combining a convolutional neural network (CNN) and conditional random field (CRF) for better addressing the challenges of operational lake ice mapping. The proposed approach is tested on 17 Sentinel-1 dual-polarization (VV and VH) SAR images, where eight are used for training and validation and nine used for out-of-sample testing. To identify the optimal network architecture, an independent validation set is used to evaluate the performance of a series of six CNNs with increasing model complexity. The best model overcomes the noise effect in Sentinel-1 SAR imagery and the lake ice signature ambiguity issue; it achieves average classification accuracies of 97.10% and 97.14% for open water and ice, respectively, on the validation set. Moreover, the best model outperforms the last-ranked model by about 2% in terms of mean overall accuracy (OA), demonstrating the improvement and importance of model selection. The use of CRF can consistently improve the CNN by reducing the artefacts and noise effect in ice maps, outperforming the CNN model when used alone by about 3% in terms of mean OA on the validation set. The proposed CNN-CRF approach also achieves high accuracy on the nine test scenes, achieving a mean OA of 93.10%, demonstrating strong generalization capability that is important for SAR lake ice mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of lock-release experiments are carried out to investigate the hydrodynamics of weakly and strongly stratified two-layer gravity currents (GC) on a flat bottom. A particle image velocimetry (PIV) system combined with an optical method is used to obtain the mixing process, front velocity, and velocity profiles of the two-layer GCs, focusing on the effect of the initial height ratio and lock aspect ratio. For a weakly stratified two-layer GC, the two layers mix thoroughly earlier with a higher initial height ratio and lock aspect ratio. A theoretical model is improved to predict the time that is necessary for the thorough mixing during the propagation of weakly stratified two-layer GCs. For a strongly stratified two-layer GC, a higher initial height ratio leads to a larger velocity of the upper layer because of the larger initial density difference, which results in a shorter time for the upper layer to outrun the lower layer. After the upper layer outruns the lower layer, the current has a constant-velocity phase and then a deceleration phase. The present investigation indicates that the maximum velocity in a vertical velocity profile of a strongly stratified two-layer GC is located at the position near to, or higher than the upper limit for single-layer GCs due to the smaller drag resistance at the upper boundary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-bottom profiling traditionally uses low-frequency signals (less than 20 kHz) to examine layered structures of the bottom sediment in large depth, but it has some limitations in deep-sea surveying. The surficial sediment within several meters under the water–sediment boundary in the deep sea cannot be distinguished clearly. In this study, a high-frequency sub-bottom profiler (HFSBP) was developed and applied to a manned deep-submergence vehicle (DSV), named Deep-Sea Warrior, to obtain a centimeter-level resolution stratum of several meters in the deep-sea surficial sediment. Twelve diving tests were carried out, the diversity of surficial benthic profiles on the northern slopes of the South China Sea was shown up for the first time and as many as four layers profiles were obtained in the low bending canyon region, rock surface profiles, discontinuous stratum structures and thick surficial sediment in the deeper region. Continuous and clear stratum structures within a range of about 2 m on the seabed surface sediment were obtained in 11 of the 12 dives. As the dive sites took a certain dispersive distribution, it reflected that the stratum structure of surficial sediment was prevalent in the northern slopes area of the South China Sea for the most part. To verify the effectiveness of HFSBP, a laboratory test in an anechoic tank was performed, and the experiment results verified the layered ability and the thickness measurement stability of it. The comparison was performed with shipboard data of deep-sea sub-bottom profiler (SBP) Bathy-2010, and the HFSBP results were obviously better than those of Bathy-2010 measurement. The clear and continuous fine layered data obtained by HFSBP may help scientists in new area research in marine geophysics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First-principles calculations were performed to study the structural, mechanical, electronic and magnetic properties of Fe(8−x)MoxB4 (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). Results show that the Mo atoms would enter the Fe2B lattice by replacing the Fe atoms and cause a change in the crystal structure. According to the calculated formation enthalpy, all borides are thermodynamically stable; moreover, Mo would reduce the stability of Fe2B when the Mo atomic number is less than four in the unit cell. On the whole, with the increase of Mo content, the Young's moduli and shear moduli decrease firstly and then increase, while the bulk moduli get bigger. Although the hardness of Fe2B would decline with increasing Mo content, Mo is an excellent candidate for improving the ductility of Fe2B on the basis of the G/B and Poisson's ratio ν values. The charge density plots indicate that the integral strength of the linear boron chains in [002] orientation is reduced in Mo-alloyed Fe2B. The toughness improvement of Fe2B would be attributed to the evolutions of B–B bonds, Fe/Mo–B bonds and Fe/Mo–Fe bonds, which may induce the deflection of the Fe2B cleavage plane. Besides, the magnetic moments of these borides monotonically decrease with the increase in Mo content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precise measurements of the magnetic field are essential for particle accelerators, and the harmonic coil measurement system is especially suitable for the multipole field because of its unique advantages. The accurate placement of magnets is essential for accurate magnetic field measurements. The current positioning technique employed for harmonic coil measurement is inefficient due to its labor-intensive and time-consuming nature. The aim of this study is to automate the positioning of the quadrupole magnet. Therefore, a close-range photogrammetry system is utilized to monitor the position of the magnet due to its non-contact feature, and an electrically driven Stewart platform is utilized to manipulate the magnet. Meanwhile, a control system has been developed to regulate the automatic positioning. The system is capable of receiving measurements from the close-range photogrammetry system in order to ascertain the displacements of the magnet from its current position to the target. Subsequently, it can transmit commands to Stewart platform to regulate its movement. The experiments indicate that the efficiency of the quadrupole magnet positioning has increased significantly by at least 5 times, and the final positioning accuracy was verified by the laser tracker. The study also addresses the potential application of this technology in high radiation environments that are otherwise inaccessible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to deal with the shortage of oil and natural gas, the supplement energies, such as oil sludge, waste plastics, waste rubber needed to be studied. The pyrolysis and combustion methods have advantages when they are chosen to treat oil sludge. The investigation of kinetics is significantly important to know the kinetic parameters and the reaction mechanisms and to provide important theoretical basis for the process design of pyrolysis and combustion to treat oil sludge. Most previous studies on pyrolysis and combustion kinetics of oil sludge regarded pyrolysis process or combustion process, and rarely split pyrolysis or combustion process to calculate kinetic parameters separately. In this work, the experiment of pyrolysis and combustion were carried out by thermal gravimetric analyzer. After splitting the pyrolysis and combustion processes into two stages, respectively, the methods of Coats-Redfern and distributed activation energy model (DAEM) were used to calculate the kinetic parameters. Based on the results of thermogravimetric analysis, the pyrolysis and combustion process can be divided into two stages. For the pyrolysis process, the first stage is mainly with the evolution of adsorbed volatile hydrocarbon and the rupture of weaker chemical bond and the second stage is the cracking of organic macromolecules. Meanwhile, in the first stage of combustion process, small molecular organic matter in dry basis oil sludge will volatilize and then burn on the surface of the crucible and the gas phase outside the crucible, and in the second stage, macromolecular organic matter will volatilize, pyrolyze and burn, and the diffusion of oxygen into the crucible will cause the fixed carbon to burn. According to the kinetic results of the pyrolysis process, the activation energy of the first stage calculated by the Coats-Redfern model are all less than 40 kJ/mol, and that of the second stage increases from 148.14 kJ/mol to 184.97 kJ/mol with the increase of the heating rate. The results of DAEM model show that with the increase of the conversion rate, the activation energy of the first stage increases from 60.82 kJ/mol to 81.05 kJ/mol, and that of the second stage increases from 120.60 kJ/mol to 237.07 kJ/mol. For the combustion process, the activation energy calculated using Coats-Redfern model decreases from 120.18 kJ/mol to 73.48 kJ/mol in the first stage, and that of the second stage is relatively low. The results of DAEM model show that with the increase of the conversion rate, the activation energy decreases from 129.53 kJ/mol to 62.36 kJ/mol in the first stage and that in the second stage is stable at about 70 kJ/mol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the deadliest forms of malignancy affecting females worldwide alongside breast cancer is cervical cancer, which urgently calls for novel treatment approaches. Gold nanocarriers are attaining acceptance due to their inert nature, minimal side-effects, low cytotoxicity and easy fabrication. Synthesis of gold nanorods conjugated with graphene and folic acid was carried out, which were finally loaded with bevacizumab for improved therapeutics. The drug loaded folic acid conjugated graphene-gold nanorods were irradiated with non-infrared laser for improved penetration of the drugs into the specifically targeted tissue. The graphene-gold nanorods with/without drugs and irradiation at different power densities (0.25 and 0.5 W/cm2) were studied. Transmission electron microscopy, zeta potential and polydispersity index established the integrity of prepared graphene nanorods carriers. The encapsulation efficiency and drug loading of the graphene-gold nanorods were determined. In vitro cytotoxicity assay was carried out via 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide, or MTT assay, with HeLa cells. There was non-significant difference between drug loading and encapsulation with irradiated and non-irradiated graphene-gold nanorods. But with irradiation the blank graphene-gold nanorods had increased cytotoxicity. The graphene-gold nanorods were released in a sustained manner as depicted by in vitro release studies. The drug loaded nanorods were also internalized by HeLa cells and distributed within the cellular compartment. We also tested drug loaded folic acid conjugated graphene-gold rods in vivo in U8GMG tumor bearing mice and results clearly indicated the irradiated ones were most efficient in suppressing tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon quantum dots (CQDs), as a new carbonaceous nanomaterial, have attracted considerable attention due to their excellent properties. In this work, eggshell membrane (ESM), an excellent carbon source that is very easy to obtain, was used to synthesize water-soluble and fluorescent CQDs with a rapid, environmentally friendly and waste-recycling hydrothermal method. The synthesized functionalized CQDs showed superior water dispersibility and stability with a maximum fluorescence emission peak at 420 nm. The fluorescence quantum yield was approximately 9.6% under the selected synthesis conditions. A new label-free fluorescent method for the selective determination of Hg2+ was developed with a detection limit of 2.6 μM using the inhibition of the CQDs fluorescence by the ions. The linear range of the detection is from 10 to 100 μM. The prepared CQDs have also been successfully applied to the determination of Hg2+ in water samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, effect of calcium and gypsum on scheelite and fluorite was investigated using sodium oleate as collector. Micro-flotation and contact angle results showed that the adsorption of calcium could inhibit the hydrophobicity of scheelite and fluorite. Moreover, sulfate could enhance the inhibition. FT-IR results showed that calcium could be priori precipitated into calcium oleate and adsorb on mineral surface. The adsorption of calcium could increase the scheelite potential to IEP, while it showed limited effect on fluorite potential. However, the interaction of calcium on scheelite and fluorite in gypsum solution was more complex than that in calcium solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an online taxi driving anomalous trajectory detection framework for maintaining the city public transport civilisation. The framework consists of two parts: an offline detector building and an online trajectory detection. The former employs a popular route concept to process massive trajectory data and adapts the mapping grid-based anomaly detection method by taking into account spatial and temporal characteristics of the trajectory dataset. The latter maps ongoing trajectory points and detects whether the ongoing driving route is anomalous or reliable. The proposed trajectory anomaly detection method is faster than the existing methods as it involves only simple activities of trajectory point mapping and retrieval procedure, without requiring extra distance or density calculation. In addition, the proposed method has detection accuracy comparable to that of the existing high-performance methods. The application and efficiency of the proposed method are demonstrated using extensive experiments on real datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeted liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is a robust and reliable tool in quantitative analysis of pesticide residues in food samples. However, these methods have been only targeted to a predefined set of pesticides. Many other unexpected pesticides and/or their (bio)transformation products present in food matrices that may be harmful to consumers need to be discovered for food safety monitoring purpose. Therefore, non-targeted screening approaches using liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) have gained much attention in food monitoring recently. However, the development and implementation of non-targeted screening of potential pesticides and their (bio)transformation products in food samples are particularly challenging due to the inherent sample complexity and large quantity of MS data. To provide guidance on how to use non-targeted screening approaches for pesticide screening, three different aspects, namely, sample preparation, data acquisition and data processing, encompassed in the workflow of non-targeted screening approaches have been discussed, and current strategies, advances and challenges regarding these three aspects are reviewed. In addition, the recent application of non-targeted screening analysis of pesticide residues and their (bio)transformation products in food samples has been overviewed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We selected a 1.4 wt% Octadecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (OTAC) concentration wormlike micellar fluid with broad relaxation time spectrum and another single relaxation Maxwell fluid of 4.0 wt% OTAC concentration with a constant weight ratio of OTAC to NaSal of 5:1. The shear viscosity, dynamic modulus as well as the extensional viscosity were tested. The steady and unsteady motion of spheres were investigated by high-speed video images in these two wormlike micellar fluids. Extremely slow settling velocity is found when smaller spheres with diameters of 3.2 and 4.0 mm settles in the 1.4 wt% OTAC solution. Stronger rebound of these spheres occurs in this fluid. Comparing with particle settling velocity in inelastic power law fluid, we concluded that this extremely slow sedimentation in the 1.4 wt% OTAC solution seems to be dominated by the slowest stress relaxation of this solution. The rheology test demonstrated that this wormlike micellar fluid has more tensile hardening, low viscosity and strong elasticity. The oscillation of sphere results from the elasticity of the entangled microstructures of wormlike micelles. For a Maxwell viscoelastic 4.0 wt% OTAC solution, settling behaviors of spheres agree with previous literatures that the flow becomes instability as the Wi number exceeds a critical value. Steady and unsteady motion of Particles settling in two kinds of wormlike micellar fluids, one with broad relaxation time spectrum and another with single relaxation Maxwell fluid, were investigated by high speed video camera. The shear viscosities, dynamic modulus as well as the extensional viscosities were tested. Extremely slow settling velocity is found when smaller spheres settles in the broad relaxation time spectrum solution. Stronger rebound of these spheres occurs in this fluid. Comparing with inelastic power law fluid settling velocity, we concluded that this extremely slow sedimentation in broad relaxation time spectrum solution seems to be dominated by the slowest stress relaxation of this solution. The oscillation of sphere results from the elasticity of the entangled microstructures of wormlike micelles with tensile hardening in extensional rheology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nitrogen and phosphorus content in water and sediment is an important index for evaluating the nutritional status of wetland ecosystems. This study used an inversion model to assess the total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) content of constructed wetland using the canopy spectral reflectance data of four wetland plants. And then determine their relative suitability as a remotely sensed environmental monitoring tool. For water, the coefficient of determination (R2) of floating plants (up to 0.92) was higher than that of emergent plants (up to 0.82). For sediment, the R2 of TN inversion for S. natans was 0.59 and that of TP inversion for L. minor was 0.52, suggesting that floating plant canopy spectral reflectance data are more useful for assessing water directly, while indicators for the sedimentary environment can be assessed using emergent plants. Overall, the results clearly show that it is feasible to estimate water and sediment TN and TP content using plant canopy spectral reflectance data, providing the basis for widespread, rapid, and reliable monitoring of wetland ecosystem health via hyperspectral remote sensing. This study provides a reference for the timely development of further wetland restoration and protection measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To accurately calculate the unsteady dynamic load and output performance of the rotor in the stand-alone large-scale wind turbine, a novel added mass force expression mA=128/75ρR3 is derived and corresponding dynamic wake model is established using the acceleration potential flow theory and the blade element momentum in the present study. Moreover, induced velocity delay, wind shear, and yaw are considered in the proposed model. Referring to IEC61400-1 standard of the wind turbine, numerical models of turbulence, gust and wind direction change are established to investigate the output performance of the rotor under the combined effect of aerodynamic force, gravity, and centrifugal force. The obtained results show that the axial load and flapwise bending moment of the blade root are mainly determined by the axial aerodynamic component, while the tangential load and edgewise bending moment are mainly determined by the gravity component of the blade. It is found that the wind shear has a significant impact on the axial load and flapwise bending moment. Meanwhile, the axial thrust and rotor power are mainly affected by the inflow wind speed. It is observed that when the yaw angle exceeds 9.25°, the axial thrust and power of the rotor decrease obviously. The research results are compared with the experimental data from the NREL, it is found that the proposed model provides a new choose for the calculation of added mass force, and it has more calculation accuracy compared with classical BEM method in the prediction of unsteady dynamic load and output performance of the rotor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the mechanism of thermotolerance of cotton cultivars with different heat tolerance, the response of yield component and photosynthesis to short-term heat stress (HT; average temperature 34°C) was studied. Pot experiments were carried out in 2015 and 2016 by using cotton cultivar PHY370WR (heat tolerant cultivar) and Sumian15 (heat susceptible cultivar). Results showed that heat (34°C) treatment resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in cotton yield. Path analysis showed that the direct path coefficient (0.89) of boll weight was higher, compared with the boll number (0.46). With high-temperature stress, it was the difference of boll weight reduction contributed the majority to the difference of yield reduction between cultivars, not the difference of boll number reduction. Different decrease in photosynthesis between cultivars leads to the different decline in boll weight. Different thermotolerance between the two cultivars were as follows: the heat tolerant cultivar could maintain higher photosynthesis rate under HT, and it could recover more quickly and highly in photosynthesis than the heat susceptible cultivar. More importantly, the leaf functional period of heat tolerant cultivar was less shortened by HT than that of heat susceptible cultivar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The medical community has expressed significant interest in the treatment of cartilage defect. Successful repair of articular cartilage defects remains a challenge in clinics. Due to the huge advantages of 3D micro/nanomaterials, 3D artificial micro/nano scaffolds have been widely developed and explored in the tissue repair of articular joints. In this study, chondrocyte/osteoblast-loaded β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) bioceramic scaffold and chondrocyte-loaded β-TCP bioceramic scaffold were prepared by micromass stem cell culture and bioreactor-based cells-loaded scaffold culture for articular cartilage defect treatment. The results demonstrate chondrocyte and osteoblast can be successfully induced from allogeneic bone marrow stromal cells using micromass stem cell culture. Further, chondrocyte-loaded β-TCP scaffold and osteoblast-loaded β-TCP scaffold can be successfully prepared by bioreactor-based cells-loaded scaffold culture. Finally, the scaffolds are applied for Beagle articular cartilage defect treatment. The relative cartilage regeneration abilities on Beagle femoral trochleae were as follows: Chondrocyte/osteoblast-loaded β-TCP bioceramic scaffold group > chondrocyte-loaded β-TCP bioceramic scaffold group > β-TCP bioceramic scaffold. Therefore, micromass stem cell culture and bioreactor-based cells-loaded scaffold culture can be applied to prepare chondrocyte/osteoblast-loaded β-TCP bioceramic scaffold for articular cartilage defect treatment. It suggests allogenic chondrocyte/osteoblast-loaded β-TCP bioceramic scaffold could be potentially used in the treatment of patients with cartilage defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of a variety of malignancies, including oesophageal cancer. Alterations of the lncRNA focally amplified lncRNA on chromosome 1 (FAL1) are present in epithelial tumours. However, its expression pattern and function in oesophageal cancer are poorly addressed. In the current study, we reported that FAL1 is upregulated in oesophageal cancer tissues and is positively correlated with outcomes in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Consecutive experiments revealed that the expression level of FAL1 is higher in OSCC cell lines than in human normal oesophageal epithelium cell line HEEpiCs. Importantly, Knockdown of FAL1 suppressed cell proliferation, increased cell cycle arrest, inhibited cell invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by affected related genes. In contrast, overexpression of FAL1 has the opposite effects. Our findings underline a novel biological mechanism in which FAL1 acts as a regulator of oesophageal cancer cells and may provide insights into novel therapeutic strategies for oesophageal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a miniature, high voltage-division ratio non-contact sensor system for measuring lightning overvoltage is designed and the high-voltage arm capacitance formed by the coupling between the transmission line and the sensor's sensing metal plate and the voltage divider capacitance of the sensor constitute a capacitive voltage divider system to get the voltage signal. The capacitance value of the high-voltage arm and the low-voltage arm is calculated by the finite element simulation software and then we analyzed the relationship between the high-voltage arm capacitance and the distance between the sensor and the transmission line. The calibration of the standard lightning signal of 1.2 µs/50 µs is carried out to verify the correctness of the simulation analysis of the sensor and meet the requirements of the lightning overvoltage measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the adsorption of calcium and gypsum on scheelite and fluorite using micro-flotation, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive spectrometer, and zeta potential measurements. Micro-flotation showed scheelite recovery is more sensitive to calcium, and gypsum shows stronger inhibition than calcium. Stick-shape precipitates as sulfate-bearing are only found on fluorite surface in gypsum solution. Change law of the zeta potentials of scheelite and fluorite in gypsum solution is obviously different from that in calcium solution. Therefore, we concluded that gypsum would make the separation of scheelite from fluorite more difficult than calcium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the twenty-first century, internationalisation of higher education (HE) has multiple dimensions - contents of curriculum, mobility of students and faculty, technology and programmes, which are all more or less related to English-medium instruction (EMI) policies. Like many other non-English-speaking countries, China’s EMI policies are crucial for its internationalisation of HE. What striking features do these policies have? And what challenges do they meet? Within Spolsky’s [(2004). Language Policy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press) tripartite conceptual framework and utilising the data gathered via internet, interview and classroom observation, the paper is intended to examine China’s EMI policies in HE from three perspectives: language ideology, language management and language practice (LP). The study finds that China’s EMI policies are aiming at bidirectional internationalisation - for both outbound Chinese students and inbound international students. It also uncovers that the current main problems in China’s EMI policies do lie in LPs - limited EMI courses or programmes, and asymmetrical number of international degree students. The author argues that EMI policies should be developed together with disciplinary advancement and Chinese-medium instruction policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, discussions concerning use of clean technologies in oil and gas industry are thriving more than ever before because the question of global warming and the threat to public health have reached critical points. The present research intends to study the various thermal processes and investigate the environmental advantages and disadvantages of each one in the oil utilization process. Each process is first briefly introduced and its environmental features are then examined. Since the energetic aspects of these processes are also important, and in some cases combustion is preferred to the environmental aspects, the energetic features of all these processes are also explained in brief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particle Filtering (PF) has been widely used for predicting Remaining Useful Life (RUL) of industrial products, especially for those with nonlinear degradation behavior and non-Gaussian noise. Traditional PF is a recursive Bayesian filtering framework that updates the posterior probability density function of RULs when new observation data become available. In engineering practice, due to the limited accuracy of monitoring/inspection techniques, the observation data available for PF are inevitably imprecise and often need to be treated as interval data. In this article, a novel Interval Particle Filtering (IPF) approach is proposed to effectively leverage such interval-valued observations for RUL prediction. The IPF is built on three pillars: (i) an interval contractor that mitigates the error explosion problem when the epistemic uncertainty in the interval-valued observation data is propagated; (ii) an interval intersection method for constructing the likelihood function based on the interval observation data; and (iii) an interval kernel smoothing algorithm for estimating the unknown parameters in the IPF. The developed methods are applied on the interval-valued capacity data of batteries and fatigue crack growth data of railroad tracks. The results demonstrate that the developed methods could improve the performance of RUL predictions based on interval observation data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature effect on the oxidation behaviour of NiCrAl and NiCrAl-Y alloys has been studied in the present work. Thermogravimetric analysis has been carried out at 900, 1000, 1100 °C for 210 h in order to investigate oxidation kinetics. Phase constitution of surface scales was determined by using X-ray diffraction, and microstructure was examined by using scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectra. Oxidation resistance of NiCrAl alloy has been found to be improved substantially by adding rare earth element yttrium at all the three experimental temperatures. But Y-rich inclusions result in higher initial oxidation rates as a result of oxidation of the inclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The score statistic continues to be a fundamental tool for statistical inference. In the analysis of data from high-throughput genomic assays, inference on the basis of the score usually enjoys greater stability, considerably higher computational efficiency, and lends itself more readily to the use of resampling methods than the asymptotically equivalent Wald or likelihood ratio tests. The score function often depends on a set of unknown nuisance parameters which have to be replaced by estimators, but can be improved by calculating the efficient score, which accounts for the variability induced by estimating these parameters. Manual derivation of the efficient score is tedious and error-prone, so we illustrate using computer algebra to facilitate this derivation. We demonstrate this process within the context of a standard example from genetic association analyses, though the techniques shown here could be applied to any derivation, and have a place in the toolbox of any modern statistician. We further show how the resulting symbolic expressions can be readily ported to compiled languages, to develop fast numerical algorithms for high-throughput genomic analysis. We conclude by considering extensions of this approach. The code featured in this report is available online as part of the supplementary material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A combination of chemotherapy and photothermal therapy as a promising strategy has exhibited noticeable therapeutic effect on cancer therapy. To ensure the exertion of synergistic effect on a tumor region, a multifunctional vehicle for selectively delivering therapeutic agent into tumor cells is highly desirable. Thus, folate-poly (ethylene glycol)-distearoylphosphatidylcholine (FA-PEG-DSPE), cRGD [cyclic (Arg-Gly-Asp-D-Phe-Lys)]-PEG-DSPE and lecithin were employed to develop dual modified nanoparticles (FA/cRGD-PNPs) encapsulating polyaniline and cisplatin by a film-ultrasonic dispersion method. The FA/cRGD-PNPs showed a uniform size of 102.7 nm, remarkable stability and monodispersity, and highly localized temperature respond. Compared to chemo or photothermal treatment alone, the combined treatment on cellsin vitrosignificantly suppressed the survival rate of MDA-MB-231 cells (1.87%) and MGC-803 cells (2.37%) treated for 48 h. The results further indicated the induced cell apoptosis rate of MDA-MB-231 cells reached to 92.6% with treatment for 24 h. Hence, our research highlights the great potential in drug delivery and the combination of chemotherapy and photothermal therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass is a nonorganic fuel that has a high potential for transforming into favorable chemicals in pyrolysis and syngas reaction in gasification reaction. However, economic problems in design and operation of gasification systems are the most important problems in this field. The present research aims to review current conditions and economic characteristics of this process. This research also studied economic characteristics of different produced chemicals such as hydrogen, methanol, and ethanol. Based on the literature data, it was found that the use of a 2000 dry-ton/day plant is more economical than that of 1000 dry-ton/day plant for ethanol production. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Almalyk porphyry cluster in the western part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt is the second largest porphyry region in Asia and hence has attracted considerable attention of the geologists. In this contribution, we report the zircon U–Pb ages, major and trace element geochemistry as well as Sr–Nd isotopic data for the ore-related porphyries of the Sarycheku and Kalmakyr deposits. The zircon U–Pb ages (Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS)) of ore-bearing quartz monzonite and granodiorite porphyries from the Kalmakyr deposit are 326.1 ± 3.4 and 315.2 ± 2.8 Ma, and those for the ore-bearing granodiorite porphyries and monzonite dike from the Sarycheku deposit are 337.8 ± 3.1 and 313.2 ± 2.5 Ma, respectively. Together with the previous ages, they confine multi-phase intrusions from 337 to 306 Ma for the Almalyk ore cluster. Geochemically, all samples belong to shoshonitic series and are enriched in large-ion lithophile elements relative to high field strength elements with very low Nb/U weight ratios (0.83–2.56). They show initial (87Sr/86Sr)iratios of 0.7059–0.7068 for Kalmakyr and 0.7067–0.7072 for Sarycheku and low εNd(t) values of −1.0 to −0.1 for Kalmakyr and −2.3 to 0.2 for Sarycheku, suggesting that the magmas were dominantly derived from a metasomatized mantle wedge modified by slab-derived fluids with the contribution of the continental crust by assimilation-fractional-crystallization process. Compared to the typical porphyry Cu deposits, the ore-bearing porphyries in the Almalyk cluster are shoshonitic instead of the calc-alkaline. Moreover, although the magmatic events were genetically related to a continental arc environment, the ore-bearing porphyries at Sarycheku and Kalmakyr do not show geochemical signatures of typical adakites as reflected in some giant porphyry deposits in the Circum-Pacific Ocean, indicating that slab-melting may not have been involved in their petrogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution, composition, and source of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the Luan River, China, were investigated in this study. The compositional profiles of PAHs in the three mediums represented different characteristics. In different land-use areas, compositional profiles of PAHs in water were familiar, while that in sediment and bank soil presented differences. The spatial distribution of PAHs indicated that the most polluted sites all gathered in the middle and lower reaches of the region, which was different from other rivers in China. The PAH data of bank soilwere used for source identification. Both diagnostic ratios of selected PAHs and principal component analysis (PCA) with multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis were studied, suggesting mixed source of PAHs in the Luan River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the contamination level, distribution, possible source, and human exposure risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the urban traffic environment, 15 PAHs were measured in 34 road dust samples (particle size < 25 μm) collected from three grades of roads and park paths in Xinxiang, China. ΣPAHs concentrations ranged from 311 to 21200 ng g−1, with a mean of 5890 ng g−1and decreased in the following order: main roads (7650 ng g−1) > collector streets (7410 ng g−1) > bypasses (2970 ng g−1) > park paths (1570 ng g−1), indicating that significant positive correlation existed between PAH contamination and traffic density. PAHs in all samples were dominantly composed of 4-ring PAHs, accounting for 44.8% of the total. Pyrene, fluoranthene, and chrysene were the predominant individual components and accounted for 14.7% (1.2–19.2%), 12.9% (3.3–20.3%), and 11.0% (2.5–18.6%) of ΣPAHs, respectively. The specific isomer ratios indicated that traffic emission was the dominant source of PAHs in road dust. The incremental lifetime cancer risk values showed that cancer risk from exposure to road dust–borne PAHs was acceptable for local residents in Xinxiang. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background/Study Context:The face is the most distinctive physical feature of a person. Previous work has shown that one’s own face (self-face) is advantageous in perception. Here the authors investigate how aging influences the configural and featural processing of self-face. Methods:Older and young adults searched for their own faces and faces of strangers (Experiment 1) or acquaintances (Experiment 2) among distractor faces. The configural and featural processing of faces was assessed with face inversion in Experiment 1 and with changes in point of view in Experiment 2. Results:Experiment 1 revealed a robust self-face advantage for upright faces in both young and older adults. A similar advantage was observed for inverted faces in young but not in older adults. Experiment 2 revealed a self-face advantage in older adults regardless of the point of view; in young adults, however, the self-face advantage only emerged for frontal view faces. Conclusion:The present study shows that older adults have a self-face advantage in configural but not in featural processing. The authors suggest that the impairment in featural processing in older adults is likely the result of age-related changes in perceptual experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]