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ObjectiveTo evaluate the intervention effect of meteorological risk forecasting service on acute onset and medical expenses of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease（COPD） patients， and to provide scientific basis for the establishment of health management model for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease（COPD） patients.MethodsStudy subjects were recruited from chronic obstructive pulmonary patients aged ≥40 in Pudong New Area. Propensity score matching method was used to determine the intervention group and the control group. The control group received regular health education and follow-up management， and the intervention group was provided with meteorological and environmental risk forecasting services through WeChat， mobile phone short message service（SMS）and telephone. Finally， a total of 2 589 subjects were included in the analysis， including 1 300 in the intervention group and 1 289 in the control group. General demographic data， past medical history and family history of COPD， COPD related knowledge and practice survey， COPD related symptom assessment， acute onset， health service utilization and medical expenses before and after intervention were collected through questionnaire survey. The differences of acute attack， health service utilization and related medical expenses between the two groups before and after intervention were compared to evaluate the intervention effect.ResultsIn terms of acute attacks， after intervention， the incidence of acute attacks in the intervention group was lower than that before intervention（χ2=52.901， P0.05）. After intervention， the difference between the control group and the intervention group with different intervention methods was statistically significant （H=11.864， P

Glycosylated whey protein (GWP) was prepared from whey protein and xylooligosaccharide by wet glycosylation method. Its advantages for use as a fat substitute were analyzed, and the application of this fat substitute in reduced-fat processed cheese was explored. The results showed that the optimal preparation conditions were determined as: xylooligosaccharide concentration of 6%, reaction temperature of 85 ℃ and reaction time of 2 h. The grafting degree of GWP prepared using these conditions was (29.28 ± 1.53)%, and a browning phenomenon occurred during the preparation process. Compared with whey protein, the contents of α-helix, β-fold, β-turn and random coil structures changed in GWP, and the water and oil-holding properties increased by 60.18% and 103.97%, respectively; the emulsifying capacity and emulsion stability increased by 30.81% and 13.57%, respectively. The surface of GWP was smoother. The surface hydrophobicity at pH 7.0 was 2.48 times higher than that of whey protein. After shearing at 10 000 r/min for 10 minutes, the median particle diameter of GWP was 7.57 µm, and the stability of the solution was obviously improved, so that GWP could be used to simulate fat. The hardness of reduced-fat processed cheese with 60% butter replacement by GWP was significantly lower than that of full-fat processed cheese (P 0.05), and the total sensory score was equivalent to that of full-fat processed cheese. These results proved that the glycosylated whey protein has a potential application as a fat substitute in reduced-fat food while guaranteeing that the quality of the product is good.

BackgroundChronic heart failure (CHF) is a common cardiovascular disease. Improving the self-management ability of CHF patients will contribute to quality of life improvement and reduction of rehospitalization and mortality rates. The Partners in Health (PIH) Scale is a measure designed by Flinders University, Australia, to assess the generic knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and impacts of self-management in chronic disease patients, and is mainly used to assess the implementation effect of self-management projects in chronic disease patients.ObjectiveTo translate the PIH Scale into Chinese, then test the reliability and validity of the Chinese version in CHF patients, providing CHF patients with a tool for precisely assessing their self-management abilities.MethodsThe PIH was translated into Chinese with the guidance of the Brislin's translation model, then was revised according to the results of the review of a panel of experts, and a pre-test, and then the Chinese version of PIH (C-PIH) was developed. The demographic questionnaire, C-PIH, and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) were used in two surveys (one was conducted between April and June 2010, and another between April and June 2011) with 410 CHF patients selected from two grade A tertiary hospitals in Beijing using convenience sampling. Measurement of ceiling and floor effects, and item-total correlation were used for item analysis. Expert evaluation was used to evaluate the content validity analysis. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to measure the criterion-related validity. KMO test, Bartlett's test of sphericity, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used for construct validity analysis. Monofactor analysis was used for validity analysis of known-groups. Reliability analysis was estimated by using the Cronbach's α.ResultsItem analysis indicated that only item 3 (level of adhering to medication) of the C-PIH showed ceiling effect. Item-total correlation coefficients of the scale ranged from 0.424 to 0.761 (P

To accurately estimate the age of individual tree and to achieve full-cycle sustainable management of natural Larix gmelinii forest in Great Xing' an Mountains of northeastern China, we constructed individual tree age prediction model using stepwise regression and random forest algorithms based on 44 fixed plots data and 280 standard tree cores obtained from the Pangu Forest Farm. We analyzed the influence of stand structure, site conditions, and competition index on the accuracy of model prediction. The model was evaluated by the coefficient of determination (R²), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAE). The results showed that the random forest model had the highest prediction accuracy when number of decision trees was 1500 and number of node contention variables was 8. The random forest model had better accuracy and prediction ability than the stepwise regression model, with R², RMSE and MAE of 0.5882, 9.9259 a, 8.1155 a. Diameter at breast height was the most important factor affecting age prediction (83.8%), followed by tree height (34.4%), elevation (17.9%), and basal area per hectare (17.5%). The random forest algorithm exhibited better adaptability and modeling effect on constructing a predictive model for individual tree age. This research contributed to improving the accuracy of growth and harvest estimation for L. gmelinii, and could provide a reference for other scientific studies related to tree age estimation in forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IRIG-B time code(B code) becomes the suitable standard code for time system equipment because of its superior capacity, simple implementation and easy deployment. IRIG-B code time system is used for time information transfer and time synchronization between different ranges in the shooting range system. However, with the development of large-scale integrated circuit and PLD，and with the enhancement of acquiring of integrability and programmability for timing equipment, conventional time unified system cannot meet the requirement. In order to solve those problems, we put forward a VPX time unified system design based on FPGA, which has the characters of high reliability and integrability, high operability and scalability, and small volume as well. In addition, the design implemented in this paper could support more applications.

As the fresh cherry tomato, largely produced and consumed in China, needed an increasing manual-picking cost these years, the automatic harvesting machine was expected to replace the manual labor to implement the intensive work. Accurately identifying and locating the mature fruit bunches, was a key technique of harvesting robot research. The existing research could be classified into active and passive detecting method, among which the active method was becoming more mainstream. In this paper, a new vision system for cherry tomato's automatic harvesting was designed based on laser ranging and vision servo, and the system included a camera, a laser sensor and a manipulator as the servo unit, among which the camera was fixed coaxially ahead of the laser sensor, and could slid up and down driven by a cylinder. When the camera slid down, the laser sensor was triggered to measure the distance between fruit and camera's view system. Through analyzing the color feature of the image acquired from the camera, the R-G color model was adopted to intensify the difference between target fruit and background. According to the column pixel grey statistics, the candidate area of fruit bunch was selected from the R-G image, with a view of decreasing the whole image processing and improving recognition accuracy. Then the CogPMAlignTool contained in the Cognex VisionPro image processing classlib was used for the fruits' identifying from the bunch, with the single fruit's template scaling range (0.8, 1.2), rotating angle range (-π, π) and acceptable threshold 0.36. According to the image coordinate of the periphery fruits and the coordinate transformation between the camera and the manipulator, the stereo coordinate was estimated based on the camera imaging model, which was considered as the initial position for targeting the fruit based on the vision servo. The transition matrix between the camera and the manipulator was determined through the hand-eye calibration. According to the deviation between the fruit's center and the image center, the base joint and the forearm joint were controlled to change the posture of the camera based on vision servo algorithm, so that the 2 centers in the fruit and the image could coincide approximatively. After aiming the fruit, the laser sensor was triggered to measure the distance between the vision system and the fruit, and the accurate coordinate of the periphery fruits could be obtained on the basis of the distance and the gesture of manipulator. Furthermore, the width and the length of the bunch were calculated after the coordinates of 4 periphery fruits were measured, which would be the necessary parameters to guide the robot's grasper to case the bunch from the bottom up with the fruit bag and cut the stem. The test result showed that the average successful identification rate of single fruit from the bunch was 83.5%, and the rate would be better, if the fruit bunch had more regular shape, or the bunch stem was closer to the view center of vision unit; and through the vision servo control to aim the fruit center, the average deviation between the fruit center and the image center was 8.38 pixels. Finally, the measuring error of bunch length was 8.25 mm, and that of bunch width was 5.25 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a convenient method allowing ordinary people to quickly make 3D models of small objects, using only a mobile phone and computer. First, we capture a number of images around the object, and then quickly calculate the internal and external parameters of each image, and semi-automatically extract contours of the object using graph cuts, and finally generate a digital 3D model using the information from the object contours. The theoretical precision of the method is discussed in relation to a simulation experiment, and then the validity of the method is verified through a real experiment. The method in the paper can be used on static objects composed of different materials, and can solve the 3D reconstruction problem where image-matching or LiDAR fails. This method solves the robust SFM problem with a suitable background, and reduces the calculatiion costs through algorithm optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of pesticides is an important part of modern agriculture and contributes to the productivity and the quality of the cultivated crop. Pesticide exposure via spray drift can have a negative impact on bystanders, residents, livestock, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Several reviews related to drift phenomenon have been published since the negative effect of spray drift has been recognized. Spray drift is affected by environmental and meteorological conditions, the spray technique and the crop. Wind speed and wind direction are meteorological factors affecting spray deposition. Relative humidity and high air temperature can reinforce evaporation by decreasing the droplet size of particularly small spray droplets, subsequently decreasing their sedimentation velocity and making them more drift-prone. The fate of spray droplets is influenced by operating conditions such as application height, driving speed of sprayer, and nozzle spacing. Air-assisted spraying and use of shielded sprayers in general reduce spray drift. The use of an end nozzle at the edge of the field can prevent overspray of pesticides. A new equipment was developed to study spray drift of boom sprayer and to evaluate drift risk of different spray equipment in this study. ISO 22369-2-2010 had been proposed in which sprayers were classified based on the results of field tests conducted following the ISO 22866 Standard "Methods for field measurement of spray drift". However, this test required well defined and stable conditions of wind speed and wind direction with respect to the sprayer travel direction. As an alternative methodology to simplify the assessment of spray drift risk for different equipment, this study developed drift test system to assess the amount of drift generated by field boom sprayers. The system was expected to be an effective alternative for drift assessment when wind tunnel was unavailable. This study followed the ISO 22369-2-2010 standard to test the potential drift of different nozzles indoor. According to the international standard ISO 22369-2-2010, the spray drift potential of six kinds of fan nozzle (XR110-04, IDK120-03, IDK120-04, ID120-015, ID120-025, and ID120-05) were tested and evaluated indoor by measuring the drift loss and calculating the potential drift. The method could be used for direct evaluation of drift. In the test, BSF (1‰) tracers were used to test the droplet. The test showed that the droplet size and pressure were the main factors affecting drift loss (P<0.05). When the pressure was 0.3 MPa, the potential drift of XR110-04 was 33%, which was much higher than the other 5 kinds of nozzles. The potential drift loss of nozzle Lechler ID120-025 was only 6%, which was the minimum. The risk of spray drift was closely related with the spray pressure in this study. The result showed that as the spray pressure increased, the volume of the droplet diameter became smaller, which greatly increased the potential drift. The results can provide valuble information for the reduction of pesticide spray drift and drift classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the association between long-term fine particulate matter(PM&#95;(2.5)) exposure and the risk of chronic kidney disease(CKD) in people with abnormal metabolism syndrome(MS) components., Methods: Based on health checkup data from a hospital in Beijing, a retrospective cohort study was used to collect annual checkup data from 2013-2019. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on demographic characteristics and lifestyle habits. We measured blood pressure, height, weight, waist circumference, concentrations of triglycerides(TG), fasting glucose, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C). Longitude and latitude were also extracted from the addresses of the study subjects for pollutant exposure data estimation. Logistic regression models were used to explore the estimated effect of long-term PM&#95;(2.5) exposure on the risk of CKD prevalence in people with abnormal MS components. Two-pollutant and multi-pollutant models were developed to test the stability of these result. Subgroup analysis was conducted based on age, the presence of MS, individual MS component abnormalities, and dual-component MS abnormalities., Results: The study included 1540 study subjects with abnormal MS components at baseline, 206 with CKD during the study period. The association between long-term PM&#95;(2.5) exposure and increased risk of CKD in people with abnormal MS fractions was statistically significant, with a 2.26-fold increase in risk of CKD for every 10 μg/m~3 increase in PM&#95;(2.5) exposure(OR=3.26, 95% CI 2.72-3.90). The result in the dual-pollutant models and multi-pollutant models suggested that the association between long-term PM&#95;(2.5) exposure and increased risk of CKD in people with abnormal MS fractions remained stable after controlling for contemporaneous confounding by other air pollutants. The result of subgroup analysis revealed that individuals aged 45 or older, without MS, with TG&lt;1.7 mmol/L, HDL-C≥1.04 mmol/L, without hypertension, and with central obesity and high blood sugar had a stronger association between PM&#95;(2.5) exposure and CKD-related health effects., Conclusion: Long-term exposure to PM&#95;(2.5) may increase the risk of CKD in people with abnormal MS components. More attention should be paid to middle-aged and elderly people aged ≥45 years, people with central obesity and hyperglycemia.

A method was developed for the determination of glufosinate-ammonium and its metabolites in litchi and banana by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. The samples were ultrasound extracted by water, centrifuged to precipitate, and filtered through a 0.22 μm Millipore membrane. The sample extract was separated by an Extend-C18 column with 0.1% ammonia-methanol (9:1, v/v) as mobile phase with an isocratic elution, identified by electrospray ionization in negative and multiple reaction monitoring modes, and quantified with external standard method. Moreover, the pretreatment and mass spectrometry conditions were discussed. The method showed good linear relationship in the range of 1-1000 μg/L for glufosinate-ammonium and its metabolites. The average recoveries ranged from 82.9% to 98.6% with the relative standard deviations of 2.6%-6.3% when the litchi and banana samples were spiked at 50, 100, 1000 μg/kg. The limits of detection were 5-10 μg/kg. The method has rapid analysis speed as well as high reliability and sensitivity, which are suitable for the fast determination of glufosinate-ammonium and its metabolites in litchi and banana samples.

Objective: To package the lentiviral particles carrying human fibroblast growth factor 21 (hFGF21) and identify the morphological characteristics and transduction capability for the target gene of human embryo kidney 293T (HEK293T) cells., Methods: After sequencing identification, the lentiviral recombinant plasmid Lv105-hFGF21 was packaged and concentrated in HEK293T cells, and then identified by RT-PCR and electron microscopy. The titer of recombinant lentivirus was determined by real-time quantitative PCR. The expression of hFGF21 at both mRNA and protein levels was detected by RT-PCR and immunofluorescence, respectively in lentivirus-infected Vero cells., Results: RT-PCR demonstrated that hFGF21 mRNA could be transcribed in Lv105-hFGF21 infected HEK293T cells. The typical lentiviral particle was seen under the electron microscope. The diameter of virus particles was 40-70 nm. The title of the virus was substantially elevated from 3.68 × 10(8); VG/mL to 1.25 × 10(9); VG/mL after concentration. The expression of hFGF21 was detected in Lv-hFGF21 infected Vero cells by means of both RT-PCR and immunofluorescence., Conclusion: The hFGF21 lentiviral particles have been packaged successfully and hFGF21 can be expressed in the infected Vero cells.