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Aims: Good sleep is crucial for healthcare professionals, especially nurses, to prevent errors and injuries that may occur during caregiving. This study investigated the sleep quality and coping styles of nurses during the post-pandemic period, as well as related factors. Subject and methods: An online observational cross-sectional study involving 1022 nursing staff was conducted. Participants completed questionnaires on job characteristics, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ). Pearson’s correlation and multiple logistic regression analyses confirmed interactions between these factors. Results: A total of 1022 nurses completed the survey, of whom 90.90% (n= 929) were female, and 87.38% were over 25 years old. The PSQI score was 10.51(2.23), and 91.1% (n= 931) of the nurses had sleep disturbances. In this study, we found that PSQI was associated with SCSQ. Multivariate analysis showed that age (36–40 years), frequency of night shifts (9–11 times/month, ≥ 12 times/month), and less humanistic care were risk factors for sleep disorders among night shift nurses (P< 0.05), whereas frequency of exercise (1 time/week), non-attendance of training and learning after night shifts, and SCSQ positivity were protective factors for sleep disorders (P< 0.05). Conclusions: Sleep quality of medical staff, especially nurses, was affected by shift work during the post-pandemic era. Designing the best strategy for employees who are more likely to have sleep disorders, such as experienced nurses, will support them through sleep hygiene education and strengthen the humanistic solicitude of nurses.

The sticky surface of cooked noodles seriously reduces consumer acceptance. This study investigates the effects of 12 wheat flour samples with different farinograph and pasting characteristics on the texture, sensory properties, and surface tackiness of recooked frozen cooked noodles (FCNs). The recooked FCNs made of flour sample 1# with long dough stability time (DST) and high farinograph quality number (FQN) had a low surface tackiness (411 g) and high evaluation score (87). Meanwhile, wheat flour (sample 12#) with high peak viscosity (PV) had a proper degree of starch gelatinization, which would bring a low surface tackiness to FCNs. FCNs (sample 1#) had a high water‐holding capacity (T21= 0.14 ms) and low unbound water content (A23= 1.38%), and they had a dense internal gluten network structure. The dense structure formed by protein and starch contributed to reducing the surface tackiness of FCNs after recooking and storing. Noodles factories should choose wheat flour which has long DST, high FQN, and high PV as raw material when producing FCNs. This study provides important information on choosing wheat flours suitable for making FCNs of high quality.

We investigated the relationship among red cell distribution width (RDW), to total serum calcium (TSC) ratio (RCR), and in-hospital mortality in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This study was a retrospective analysis. The data of 2700 AIS patients was retrospectively analyzed from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care database (version IV). The main outcome of interest was in-hospital mortality. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to determine whether RCR was independently associated with in-hospital mortality. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to plot the survival curves for RCR. Subgroup analyses were performed to measure the mortality across various subgroups. The area under curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was calculated to ascertain the quality of RCR as a predictor of in-hospital mortality in patients with AIS. In the multivariate analysis, statistically significant differences were identified in age, ethnicity, length of ICU stay, mechanical ventilation, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, RDW, hemoglobin, RCR, whether taking anticoagulants, hyperlipidemia, and atrial fibrillation (P < .05). A threshold inflection point value of 1.83 was obtained through a two-piecewise regression model. There was a non-linear relationship between RCR and hospital mortality in patients with AIS. The hazard ratio (HR) and the 95% confidence intervals (CI) on the right and left of the inflection point were 0.93 (0.57-1.51; P = .7660) and 2.96 (1.37–6.42; P = .0060), respectively. The Kaplan–Meier curve indicated that survival rates were higher when RCR was ≤ 1.83 and lower when RDW was > 1.83 after adjustment for age, gender, BMI, ethnicity. The area under curve (AUC) of RCR was 0.715. A higher RCR was associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality in patients with AIS.

A new ratiometric fluorescent sensor based on the bifunctional carbon quantum dots (CQDs)@metal–organic framework (MOF) nanocomposite possessing peroxidase-mimicking catalytic and luminescent characteristics was developed for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and cholesterol detection. The incorporation of fluorescent CQDs into the cavities of MIL-101(Fe) MOF with peroxidase-like activities endows the nanocomposite with bifunctional properties. The CQDs@MOF can oxidize o-phenylene-diamine to 2,3-diaminophenolazine by H2O2with yellow fluorescence (556 nm). Meantime, the intrinsic fluorescence signal (455 nm) of CQDs@MOF is inhibited due to the inner filter effect. Therefore, the ratio of the fluorescent intensity is employed as the signal output to construct the H2O2ratiometric biosensor. In addition, the cholesterol can be determined by the ratiometric sensor with high sensitivity. In addition, the total cholesterol in human serum is determined with high accuracy using our ratiometric biosensor. This ratiometric fluorescent platform based on the bifunctional CQDs@MOF provides new insights in the field of bio-sensing.

Tikhonov regularization is commonly used in dynamic light scattering. The selection of regularization parameters is the key point in regularization inversion. In order to study the influence of the regularization parameters selection criterion on the inversion accuracy of flowing particles, the flowing aerosol was used as the experimental object. For particles of different distribution width, under different noise levels and velocities, the Tikhonov regularization was used to retrieve the unimodal and bimodal aerosol particle size distribution by using GCV and L-curve criteria. The inversion results show that for the unimodal/bimodal aerosol particles with narrow and medium distribution, when the noise level is low, the inversion result obtained by using the GCV is better than that of the L-curve. When the noise level is high, the inversion effect of the L-curve is better than that of the GCV. The inversion effect of the L-curve for wide distribution particles is better than that of the GCV. With the increase of velocity, the inversion errors of the two criteria show an increasing trend. The effect of the increase of velocity on the measurement is similar to the addition of signal noise. Finally, the conclusion of the simulation data is verified by the inversion results of the experimental data.

Type 2 bradykinin receptor (B2R) is an essential G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that regulates the cardiovascular system as a vasodepressor. Dysfunction of B2R is also closely related to cancers and hereditary angioedema (HAE). Although several B2R agonists and antagonists have been developed, icatibant is the only B2R antagonist clinically used for treating HAE. The recently determined structures of B2R have provided molecular insights into the functions and regulation of B2R, which shed light on structure-based drug design for the treatment of B2R-related diseases. In this review, we summarize the structure and function of B2R in relation to drug discovery and discuss future research directions to elucidate the remaining unknown functions of B2R dimerization.

Dynamic light scattering (DLS) has been proved to be a feasible method to measure the flowing aerosol particle size distribution (PSD). However, since the flowing aerosol particle is affected by the Brownian motion diffusion and the uniform translational motion relative to optical scattering volume, its inversion is more complex than traditional DLS. In this paper, Tikhonov and truncated singular value decomposition (TSVD) are used to invert aerosol particles with different noise levels and flow velocities. After the analysis of the influencing factors, the results showed that: For unimodal small aerosol particles, in the case of low flow velocity, the inversion errors of TSVD are smaller than those of Tikhonov. For unimodal particles with high flow velocity, the increase in flow velocity will weaken the PSD information distribution of DLS measurement, which becomes another factor affecting PSD inversion besides noise. In addition, truncation of singular values further results in loss of PSD information distribution. The inversion accuracy of TSVD decreases obviously. Tikhonov adopts the strategy of modifying the small singular value, which will not lose all the PSD information distribution carried by the singular value while reducing the influence of noise. In this case, Tikhonov is more suitable. For bimodal aerosol particles, the resolution of the DLS particle sizing measurement is limited by the noise mixed in the intensity autocorrelation function data and the inherently lower information content of the data. On this basis, the influence of flow velocity will further cause the loss of data information. Tikhonov has better performance indicators and stronger bimodal resolution. The experimental results are in good agreement with the simulation results.

Approved therapies for Fabry disease (FD) include migalastat, an oral pharmacological chaperone, and agalsidase beta and agalsidase alfa, 2 forms of enzyme replacement therapy. Broad tissue distribution may be beneficial for clinical efficacy in FD, which has severe manifestations in multiple organs. Here, migalastat and agalsidase beta biodistribution were assessed in mice and modeled using physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) analysis, and migalastat biodistribution was subsequently extrapolated to humans. In mice, migalastat concentration was highest in kidneys and the small intestine, 2 FD‐relevant organs. Agalsidase beta was predominantly sequestered in the liver and spleen (organs unaffected in FD). PBPK modeling predicted that migalastat 123 mg every other day resulted in concentrations exceeding the in vitro half‐maximal effective concentration in kidneys, small intestine, skin, heart, and liver in human subjects. However, extrapolation of mouse agalsidase beta concentrations to humans was unsuccessful. In conclusion, migalastat may distribute to tissues that are inaccessible to intravenous agalsidase beta in mice, and extrapolation of mouse migalastat concentrations to humans showed adequate tissue penetration, particularly in FD‐relevant organs.

Although organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) have been banned for more than three decades, their concentrations have only decreased gradually. This may be largely attributable to their environmental persistence, illegal application, and exemption usage. This study assessed the historic and current regional context for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), chlordane, and hexachlorobenzene (HCB), which were added to the Stockholm Convention in 2001. An air sampling campaign was carried out in 2018 in nine cities of the Pearl River Delta (PRD), where the historical OCP application was the most intensive in China. Different seasonalities were observed: DDT exhibited higher concentrations in summer than in winter; chlordane showed less seasonal variation, whereas HCB was higher in winter. The unique coupling of summer monsoon with DDT-infused paint usage, winter monsoon with HCB-combustion emission, and local chlordane emission jointly presents a dynamic picture of these OCPs in the PRD air. We used the BETR Global model to back-calculate annual local emissions, which accounted for insignificant contributions to the nationally documented production (<1‰). Local emissions were the main sources of p,p’-DDT and chlordane, while ocean sources were limited (<4%). This study shows that geographic–anthropogenic factors, including source, history, and air circulation pattern, combine to affect the regional fate of OCP compounds.

Pleomorphic adenoma (PA) is the most prevalent benign tumor of the salivary glands, characterized by both epithelial and mesenchymal differentiation. It primarily originates within the parotid and submandibular glands, with only rare occurrences in the minor salivary glands. PA in the sinonasal area is extremely rare. Herein, we present a case of a 61-year-old female with a large soft tissue mass in the paranasal sinus and nasal cavity, as evidenced by computed tomography imaging. The patient suffered from repeated nasal congestion for more than 6 months. Eventually, the mass was completely resected using an endoscopic endonasal prelacrimal approach under general anesthesia. Postoperative pathological examination revealed the presence of PA in the nasal sinus.

In this study, the transformation mechanism for the sulfur element during pyrolysis of sewage sludge (SS) was investigated. The amount of H2S, which was mainly produced from methionine pyrolysis at low temperatures, increased stepwise with increasing temperature in the range of 400–600 °C. The pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py–GC–MS) results showed that a large amount of sulfur-containing heterocyclic compounds was found in the tar from sulfur-containing amino acids. The electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (ESI FT-ICR) MS results further confirmed that the sulfur element in sulfur-containing amino acids was mainly transferred into the tar phase. Polymerization was the main reaction during the low-temperature pyrolysis of sulfur-containing amino acids. In addition, methylation, deamination, desulphurization, and decarboxylation also took place during the pyrolysis. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results indicated that the content of sulfur-containing inorganic compounds was very low in char. With an increase of pyrolysis temperatures, the heterocyclic compounds further cracked to form H2S. The above results indicated that H2S mainly came from methionine during the pyrolysis of SS at low temperatures. A potential mechanism for the transformation of the sulfur element during the pyrolysis of SS was proposed.

ABSTRACTHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of mortality in cancer patients, but the association between miR-125b-2-3p and the onset and prognosis of HCC has not been reported in previous studies; thus, the clinicopathological implications of miR-125b-2-3p in HCC require elaboration. To examine the expression of miR-125b-2-3p in HCC, both in-house RT-qPCR and public datasets were used to calculate the standard mean difference (SMD) and the summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC). MiR-125b-2-3p was markedly lower in HCC than in non-tumor tissue as assessed by the in-house RT-qPCR which was confirmed by the integrative analysis showing the SMD being −0.69 and the area under the curve (AUC) being 0.84 based on 1,233 cases of HCC and 630 cases of non-HCC controls. To gain a overview of the clinical value of miR-125b-2-3p in HCC, all possible datasets were integrated, and lower miR-125b-2-3p levels could lead to poorer differentiation and a more advanced clinical stage of HCC. The hazard ratio (HR) of miR-125b-2-3p was also calculated using a Cox proportional hazards model, and the miR-125b-2-3p level could act as an protective indication for the survival with the HR being 0.74 based on 586 cases of HCC. Furthermore, the effect of nitidine chloride (NC), a natural bioactive phytochemical alkaloid, on the regulation of miR-125b-2-3p and its potential targets was also investigated. The miR-125b-2-3p level was increased after NC treatment, while the expression of its potential target PRKCA was reduced. Above all, a low-expressed level of miR-125b-2-3p plays a tumor suppressive role in HCC.

Fabry disease is caused by deficient activity of α-galactosidase A, an enzyme that hydrolyzes the terminal α-galactosyl moieties from glycolipids and glycoproteins, and subsequent accumulation of glycosphingolipids, mainly globotriaosylceramide (Gb3), globotriaosylsphingosine (lyso-Gb3), and galabiosylceramide. However, there is no known link between these compounds and disease severity. In this study, we compared Gb3isoforms (various fatty acids) and lyso-Gb3analogs (various sphingosine modifications) in two strains of Fabry disease mouse models: a pure C57BL/6 (B6) background or a B6/129 mixed background, with the latter exhibiting more prominent cardiac and renal hypertrophy and thermosensation deficits. Total Gb3and lyso-Gb3levels in the heart, kidney, and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) were similar in the two strains. However, levels of the C20-fatty acid isoform of Gb3and particular lyso-Gb3analogs (+18, +34) were significantly higher in Fabry-B6/129 heart tissue when compared with Fabry-B6. By contrast, there was no difference in Gb3and lyso-Gb3isoforms/analogs in the kidneys and DRG between the two strains. Furthermore, using immunohistochemistry, we found that Gb3massively accumulated in DRG mechanoreceptors, a sensory neuron subpopulation with preserved function in Fabry disease. However, Gb3accumulation was not observed in nonpeptidergic nociceptors, the disease-relevant subpopulation that has remarkably increased isolectin-B4 (the marker of nonpeptidergic nociceptors) binding and enlarged cell size. These findings suggest that specific species of Gb3or lyso-Gb3may play major roles in the pathogenesis of Fabry disease, and that Gb3and lyso-Gb3are not responsible for the pathology in all tissues or cell types.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the antiparasitic activity of extracellular products of Streptomyces albus. Bioactivity-guided isolation of chloroform extracts affording a compound showing potent activity. The structure of the compound was elucidated as salinomycin (SAL) by EI-MS, 1H NMR and 13C NMR. In vitro test showed that SAL has potent anti-parasitic efficacy against theronts of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis with 10 min, 1, 2, 3 and 4 h (effective concentration) EC50 (95% confidence intervals) of 2.12 (2.22–2.02), 1.93 (1.98–1.88), 1.42 (1.47–1.37), 1.35 (1.41–1.31) and 1.11 (1.21–1.01) mg L−1. In vitro antiparasitic assays revealed that SAL could be 100% effective against I. multifiliis encysted tomonts at a concentration of 8.0 mg L−1. In vivo test demonstrated that the number of I. multifiliis trophonts on Erythroculter ilishaeformis treated with SAL was markedly lower than that of control group at 10 days after exposed to theronts (P < 0.05). In the control group, 80% mortality was observed owing to heavy I. multifiliis infection at 10 days. On the other hand, only 30.0% mortality was recorded in the group treated with 8.0 mg L−1 SAL. The median lethal dose (LD50) of SAL for E. ilishaeformis was 32.9 mg L−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we present our progress in inducing an ectopic brown adipose tissue (BAT) phenotype in skeletal muscle (SKM) as a potential gene therapy for obesity and its comorbidities. We used ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD), a novel targeted, non-viral approach to gene therapy, to deliver genes in the BAT differentiation pathway into rodent SKM to engineer a thermogenic BAT phenotype with ectopic mUCP-1overexpression. In parallel, we performed a second protocol using wild-type Ucp-1-null knockout mice to test whether the effects of the gene therapy are UCP-1 dependent. Our main findings were a robust cellular presence of mUCP-1immunostaining (IHC), significantly higher expression levels of mUCP-1measured by qRT-PCR, and highest temperature elevation measured by infrared thermography in the treated thigh, achieved in rats after delivering the UTMD-PRDM16/PGC-1a/BMP7/hyPB gene cocktail. Interestingly, the weight loss obtained in the treated rats with the triple gene delivery, never recovered the levels observed in the controls in spite of food intake recovery. Our results establish the feasibility of minimally invasive UTMD gene-based therapy administration in SKM, to induce overexpression of ectopic mUCP-1after delivery of the thermogenic BAT gene program, and describe systemic effects of this intervention on food intake, weight loss, and thermogenesis.

We report a high-energy single-frequency deep-ultraviolet (DUV) solid-state laser at 167.079 nm by the eighth-harmonic generation of a diode-pumped Nd:LGGG laser. A maximum DUV laser output energy of 1.5 μJ at a 5 Hz repetition rate with a 200 μs pulse duration is achieved. The central wavelength of the DUV laser is located at 167.079 nm and can be finely tuned from 167.075 to 167.083 nm. The linewidth is estimated to be 0.025 pm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first Letter reporting a high-energy single-frequency solid-state DUV laser below 170 nm. The successful demonstration of the high-energy single-frequency DUV laser source with the unique wavelength is useful for direct detection of a Al^+27 ion via resonance fluorescence in a multi-ion optical clock.

Our understanding of the diversity and evolution of vertebrate RNA viruses is largely limited to those found in mammalian and avian hosts and associated with overt disease. Here, using a large-scale meta-transcriptomic approach, we discover 214 vertebrate-associated viruses in reptiles, amphibians, lungfish, ray-finned fish, cartilaginous fish and jawless fish. The newly discovered viruses appear in every family or genus of RNA virus associated with vertebrate infection, including those containing human pathogens such as influenza virus, the Arenaviridaeand Filoviridaefamilies, and have branching orders that broadly reflected the phylogenetic history of their hosts. We establish a long evolutionary history for most groups of vertebrate RNA virus, and support this by evaluating evolutionary timescales using dated orthologous endogenous virus elements. We also identify new vertebrate-specific RNA viruses and genome architectures, and re-evaluate the evolution of vector-borne RNA viruses. In summary, this study reveals diverse virus–host associations across the entire evolutionary history of the vertebrates.

To investigate the protective effects of the combination of Xuesaitong (XST) and aspirin on cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury (CIRI) in rats, and further explore the underlying mechanisms.

A quaternary narrow-band-gap semiconductor, Ba2Cr4GeSe10, has been discovered by solid-state reaction. It features a new structure type and crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1̅ (No. 2). The featured 2D anionic layers are constructed by condensed CrSe6octahedra that are stacking along the caxis, with dispersed GeSe4tetrahedra and located Ba2+cations forming these layers. The energy-band structure shows a clear separation between the region of electronic conduction and the zone of electronic insulation. Significantly, an undoped Ba2Cr4GeSe10sample shows a desirable low thermal conductivity κT(0.51–0.87 W/m·K) and a high Seebeck coefficient S(351–404 μV/K) and reaches a ZT≈ 0.08 at 773 K.

In particle size measurement using dynamic light scattering (DLS), noise makes the estimation of the particle size distribution (PSD) from the autocorrelation function data unreliable, and a regularization technique is usually required to estimate a reasonable PSD. In this paper, we propose an Lp-norm-residual constrained regularization model for the estimation of the PSD from DLS data based on the Lp norm of the fitting residual. Our model is a generalization of the existing, commonly used L2-norm-residual-based regularization methods such as CONTIN and constrained Tikhonov regularization. The estimation of PSDs by the proposed model, using different Lp norms of the fitting residual for p=1, 2, 10, and ∞, is studied and their performance is determined using simulated and experimental data. Results show that our proposed model with p=1 is less sensitive to noise and improves stability and accuracy in the estimation of PSDs for unimodal and bimodal systems. The model with p=1 is particularly applicable to the noisy or bimodal PSD cases.

•Explores the properties of visual direct address as an integral dimension of television news-reading.•Shows how visual direct address was affected by technological innovation with the introduction of the teleprompter or autocue.•Suggests a likely direction of change towards more expressiveness in TV news-reading.•But shows through comparison between different national broadcasters how degrees of expressiveness may be affected by cultural factors.

Functionalized Fe/Fe3O4nanoparticles was developed to detect Pb2+.

The combination of 1,3-dichloropropene+dimethyl disulfide (1,3-D+DMDS), which forms a pre-plant soil fumigant, can provide a substitute for the environmentally unfriendly methyl bromide (MB). Three greenhouse trials were performed to evaluate the root-knot nematode and soilborne fungi control efficacy in the suburbs of Beijing in China in 2010–2014. Randomized blocks with three replicates were designed in each trial. The combination of 1,3-D+DMDS (10+30 g m−2) significantly controlled Meloidogyne incognita,effectively suppressed the infestation of Fusarium oxysporumand Phytophthoraspp., and successfully provided high commercial fruit yields (equal to MB but higher than 1,3-D or DMDS). The fumigant soil treatments were significantly better than the untreated controls. These results indicate that 1,3-D+DMDS soil treatments can be applied by soil injection or chemigation as a promising MB alternative against soilborne pests in cucumber in China.

To explore the prognostic significance and underlying mechanism of TYRO protein tyrosine kinase-binding protein (TYROBP) in osteosarcoma. Firstly, the expression of TYROBP was analyzed using the ttest. The Kaplan–Meier plotter analysis and a receiver operating characteristic curve were performed to evaluate the influence of TYROBP on overall survival (OS). Further, Cox regression analysis was conducted to predict the independent prognostic factors for OS of osteosarcoma patients, and a nomogram was constructed. Then, the relationship between TYROBP and clinicopathological characteristics was determined using statistical methods. Enrichment analyses were conducted to evaluate the biological functions of TYROBP. Finally, the ESTIMATE algorithm was used to assess the association of TYROBP with immune cell infiltration. TYROBP was significantly increased in osteosarcoma (all P < .001). However, the high expression of TYROBP was related to better OS in osteosarcoma patients. Cox regression analysis showed that TYROBP was an independent prognostic factor for predicting OS (P = .005), especially in patients of the male sex, age <18 years, metastasis, and tumor site leg/foot (all P < .05). Besides, TYROBP mRNA expression was significantly associated with the tumor site (P < .01) but had no remarkable relationship with age, gender, and metastasis status (all P > .05). Functional annotation and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed that TYROBP was mainly involved in immune-related pathways. Importantly, TYROBP positively correlated with immune scores (P < .001, R = .87). TYROBP served as an independent prognostic biomarker for OS in osteosarcoma. High TYROBP expression might prolong the survival of osteosarcoma patients mainly through promoting antitumor immunity.

We demonstrate a ps 167.75-nm vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) laser by cascaded second-harmonic generation (SHG). The VUV laser is produced by eighth-harmonic generation (EHG) of a mode-locked ps 1342-nm Nd:YVO_4 amplifier through three stages cascaded SHG with two LiB_3O_5 crystals and one KBe_2BO_3F_2 crystal, successively. The 167.75-nm laser provides up to 65-μW output power, and the corresponding photon flux and photon flux density are 5.5×10^13  s^−1 and 1.6×10^18  s^−1·cm^−2, respectively.

A rapid and sensitive method for determination of trace carbaryl in water by using diallyl phthalate-europium (Eu3+) as fluorescent probe was developed in this paper. The interaction between Eu3+, diallyl phthalate and carbaryl was studied by high-resolution mass spectrometry, and the change of fluorescence spectra of complexes before/after binding with carbaryl was also investigated. The influencing factors of fluorescence intensity including solution pH value and interferents were evaluated. The results showed that diallyl phthalate was complexed with Eu3+in a molar ratio of 2:1 to form stable complexes. Carbaryl could also interact with this probe to form multiple complexes, which significantly increased the fluorescent efficiency of Eu3+-diallyl phthalate probe. The fluorescence intensity showed good linear relationship with the concentration of carbaryl at pH 9.0 using 245 nm/615 nm as excitation/emission wavelength in the range of 6.25 × 10−8− 2.5.0 × 10−6M with linear correlation coefficient of 0.9968. The detection limit of the method was 9.6 × 10−9M. Water samples were extracted by acetonitrile, and then detected by using Eu3+-diallyl phthalate as fluorescent probes. The recoveries of the method were between 91.8%−94.5%, with RSDs less than 6.1%. The method was suitable for rapid determination of carbaryl in water samples.

A high average power 1342 nm passively CW mode-locked picoseconds (ps) composite Nd:YVO_4 laser was demonstrated with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). The oscillator cavity was carefully designed to optimize the laser beam radii in the crystal and on the SESAM. The combination of composite bonded laser crystal, direct pumping, and dual end-pumped configuration was adopted to reduce the thermal effect and produce high output power with high beam quality. A maximum average output power of 7.63 W was obtained with a repetition rate of 77 MHz and a pulse duration of 24.2 ps under an absorbed pump power of 38.6 W, corresponding to an optical–optical efficiency of 19.7% and a slope efficiency of 25.9%, respectively. The beam quality factor M^2 was measured to be 1.49.

Dynamic light scattering (DLS) is a popular method of particle size measurement. Multiangle dynamic light scattering (MDLS) collects DLS data at multiple angles and analyzes the data simultaneously to improve the particle size measurement. Using data from several scattering angles admits the possibility of introducing noise caused by scattering angle error in the measurement, which may have an impact on the performance of the MDLS technique. We investigate the effect of scattering angle noise on recovered particle size distributions (PSDs) using simulated and measured MDLS data and various levels of angular noise. Our results show that, for unimodal PSDs, those with small particle sizes are more strongly affected by the noise than are medium and large particle size systems. For bimodal PSDs, those containing small-sized particles are also more affected by the noise than the systems of larger particles. Furthermore, broad PSDs are more vulnerable to angular noise than narrow PSDs.

We demonstrate a sub-pm linewidth acousto-optic (AO) Q-switched nanosecond Nd:GYSGG ring laser at 1336.6 nm side-pumped by 808-nm quasi-continuous wave (QCW) diode lasers for the first time. With incident pulse energy of 4.23 J at 10 Hz, a maximum output macropulse energy of 36.7 mJ at 1336.6 nm with linewidth of less than 0.85 pm and a micropulse width of 300 ns was obtained at a repetition rate of 80 Hz, corresponding to an average micropulse peak power of 15.3 kW. The M^2 factors were measured to be 1.42 and 1.10 in x and y directions, respectively. It can be tuned from 1336.576 to 1336.652 nm with a tuning resolution of 1 pm. The 1336.632 nm can be converted to deep ultraviolet (DUV) laser at 167.079 nm through its eighth harmonics, which is very useful for the Al27^+ optical frequency standard.

Real-time intraocular optical coherence tomography (OCT) visualization of tissues with surgical feedback can enhance retinal surgery. An intraocular 23-gauge B-mode forward-imaging co-planar OCT-forceps, coupling connectors and algorithms were developed to form a unique ophthalmic surgical robotic system. Approach to the surface of a phantom or goat retina by a manual or robotic-controlled forceps, with and without real-time OCT guidance, was performed. Efficiency of lifting phantom membranes was examined. Placing the co-planar OCT imaging probe internal to the surgical tool reduced instrument shadowing and permitted constant tracking. Robotic assistance together with real-time OCT feedback improved depth perception accuracy. The first-generation integrated OCT-forceps was capable of peeling membrane phantoms despite smooth tips.

In multi-angle dynamic light scattering measurements, due to the inevitable presence of baseline measurement noise, the normalized intensity autocorrelation function (ACF) data deviates from the true value. This leads to incorrect angular weighting estimates, which affect the accuracy of inversion results and determination of particle size distributions (PSDs). We outline a method to calculate better angular weighting coefficients from the noisy intensity ACF data. The method involves first compensating for the baseline error in the ACF data and then determining the weighting coefficients. We demonstrate the method using simulated ACF data containing baseline error for unimodal and bimodal PSDs and also for experimental data for unimodal and bimodal samples. For the unimodal PSDs ACF data were simulated for 100–900 nm and 100–650 nm particle size ranges, and for bimodal PSDs 360–900 nm and 100–900 nm particle size ranges were used. The performance of our method was shown by comparing the results of weighting coefficient and PSD determination with and without baseline compensation to the known coefficient values and PSDs. With baseline compensation the relative error of the weighting coefficients decreased significantly. Furthermore, with baseline compensation, the PSD results for the four groups of simulated data were improved. The deviations between the known and recovered PSDs were decreased, the relative error of peak position obviously decreased, and the occurrence of false peaks was reduced. The PSD results from the experimental data further validates the conclusion that the method proposed apparently reduces the relative error of peak position, effectively eliminates the false peak, and improves the accuracy of the recovered PSD.

In this paper, through the analysis of the redundant array of independent disks system (RAID), storage area network system (SAN), network storage system (NAS), based on RAID on the system FPGA is used to design a set of intelligent high speed disk storage protocol, through the test and analysis can meet the continuous data acquisition, the real-time data storage needs, in the software through providing high access speed increases memory buffer, large storage capacity and higher data security.

In the modulation recognition of MQAM signals cluster points of traditional clustering algorithm were not accurate, iterations of the algorithm are multiple and the curve of square error function was not smooth. To solve these problems, this paper presents a theory of modulation recognition method for reconstruction of MQAM signal constellation diagram based on semi supervised clustering, using labeled samples to guide the membership degree and the clustering center update. Analysis the receiving constellation and extracting the characteristic parameters R of constellation compared with parameter Rs of standard constellation, to realize modulation recognition of the different order of MQAM signal. The results show that the method to identify the MQAM signal at rate of 90. Convergence of iterative process is reduced from 40 to 8 times. The algorithm has low computation complexity and the square error function curve is smooth.

In this study, co-metabolism reduction of p-nitrophenol (PNP) under anaerobic condition was investigated in an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor. p-Aminophenol (PAP) was identified as the dominant product of PNP reduction in UASB, and no further degradation of PAP was observed under anaerobic condition in UASB. The performance of three cosubstrates, namely sodium acetate, glucose and methanol, was compared, demonstrating that sodium acetate had the best performance as the external cosubstrate. Both PNP removal and PAP formation increased with the increase of acetate concentrations and the increase of hydraulic retention times (HRTs). Both PNP removal and PAP formation was significantly influenced by initial PNP concentration, exhibiting the inhibitory nature of PNP.

A serial of micro-scale cationic particles was synthesized by inverse suspension polymerization. These particles formed flocs with hydrolyzed polyacrylamide through electrostatic attraction. The structure of these flocs evolved from a bulk state to insulated microspheres at a critical salt concentration, which increased with increasingly cationic degree of particles, corresponding to the change of Zeta potential. Moreover, the adsorbance of HPAM on the cationic particles attained a maximum about 409 mg/g at 500mg/L HPAM in salt-free water and 237 mg/g at 800mg/L HPAM in 2wt% NaCl solution at 20°C according to a semi-quantitative method implemented by viscosity contrast experiment. This adsorbance difference accounts for that the electrostatic shielding effect of salt stimulates the desorption rate of HPAM.

n this subject, a new spatial structure of the membrane contactor is explored and designed from analysis of mass transfer process, resistance theory and flow type. Under laboratory conditions, the experiment uses several methods including fluid mechanics, mass transfer process and the analysis of the fluid flow to achieve CO2 absorption function with the new hollow fiber membrane contactor. This new design of device is tested in conditions of two absorption liquids: MEA, DEA; three absorption concentrations: 6L/h, 8L/h, 10L/h; liquid velocity: 1mol/L, 0.5mol/L and air speed: 1L/min, 0.5L/min, to absorb CO2 from the gas mixture to make sure that if it has good properties. Through these experiments, we could see that the new hollow fiber membrane contactor has an increase in absorption efficiency by 10% on average.

The civil air defense works are underground protection spaces built in case of war. At present the amount of these works has reached a considerable scale and thorough exploitation and reasonable utilization of these space resources in peacetime is also the key to sustainable development of civil defense. Aiming at the public use planning of Beijings civil air defense works in residential district, the public service suitable for locating in these works and the demand of public service are analyzed. And a suitability evaluation index system for this purpose is established by adopting the method of analytic hierarchy process (AHP). A frame of public use planning of civil air defense works is formed by summarizing the use planning principles of public service and determining the public use planning procedure. The method system can provide technical support and theoretical direction for public use of civil air defense works in residential district of Beijing, and provide reference for other provinces and cities.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has a tremendous global impact upon the ability to diagnose, treat, and monitor eye diseases. A miniature 25-gauge forward-imaging OCT probe with a disposable tip was developed for real-time intraoperative ocular imaging of posterior pole and peripheral structures to improve vitreoretinal surgery. The scanning range was 2 mm when the probe tip was held 3-4 mm from the tissue surface. The axial resolution was 4-6 µm and the lateral resolution was 25-35 µm. The probe was used to image cellophane tape and multiple ocular structures.

For the improvement of reliability, safety and efficiency advanced methods of fault diagnosis, new technology and method such as expert system become increasingly important for many kinds of fault diagnosis. Thereby, the classification principle of system structure is used to build the hierarchical analysis model of combustion engine. The model is converted to binary fault tree by means of Fault Tree Analytical Method (FTA). Meanwhile, the knowledge base is constructed with production rule and frame representation. Fault diagnosis system is designed on the thought of analytical hierarchy process. Its development is accomplished by Delphi 7.0 language. The work has offered a simple and practical tool to users and brings great convenience to engineering corps.

In order to solve the problem of field fault detection for engineering vehicle, we introduce a new networked portable fault diagnostic system based on PDA. The architecture of the system is presented. The system consists of dual-tier architecture. The first tier server is based on the related technical database of engineering vehicles, and the second tier one is the technical information database downloaded from the manufactures technical resources with PDA as the terminal for maintenance technician. The system function includes information query, user interaction, data downloading and uploading as well as network communication. The software platform is composed of Microsoft SQL Server Compact (SQL CE) database, application software on PDA and computer. Meanwhile the hardware platform is mainly composed of desktop PC or dedicated server, PDA mounted with cradle, data acquisition card as well as PCMCIA network adapter and so on. Both wireless communication and USB interface are adopted in the system. It has been used in many military units. The application demonstrates that the PDA-based networked fault diagnosis system of vehicles is beneficial to data query, fault elimination and repair capability of engineering vehicles.

For the low accuracy of single-scale inversion method in photon correlation spectroscopy technology, a cascadic multigrid (CMG)- truncated singular value decomposition (TSVD) inversion method that combines the TSVD regularization with CMG technology is proposed. This method decomposes the original problem into several subproblems in different scale grid space. According to the particle sizes inverted from the coarsest scale to the finest scale, the solution of an original inversion problem can be obtained. For the inversion of each subproblem, TSVD method is used. The simulation and experimental data were respectively inverted by TSVD and CMG-TSVD methods. The inversion results demonstrate that the CMG-TSVD method has higher accuracy, more strong noise immunity and better smoothness than the TSVD method.

This paper intends to deal with one novel profile control agent formed by combination of HPAM and cationic microspheres with different cationic density (CD) by the method of micro-emulsion polymerization. Profile control is of great importance in well stimulation for current oilfield with high water cut. The main profile control agents now are polymer or polymer microspheres. Each of these agents has its own performance advantages. The novel profile control agent is equipped with the advantages of both the agents mentioned above. Analyzed by transmission scan electron microscope (TSEM) and laser particle sizer, the particle size of the original synthesized microsphere and the swelled microsphere in water are 50-100nm and 1-3μm respectively. Analyzed by micro-electrophoresis, the surface potential arrives at its highest value at 30% of the cationic density; aggregation happens when CD is low and the electrostatic force is insufficient to keep the system stable. Due to electrostatic interaction, the synthesized system flocculates at a concentration of 0.02% separately. Measured at varied shear rates, the viscosity of the system can be significantly enhanced by electrostatic interaction. However, this enhancement is not obvious when the salinity is higher than 3%, which indicates that the increasing of viscosity is closely related to the salinity of solution. Moreover, by increasing hydrolysis degree of HPAM, the viscosity of the system can be improved by 20% additionally. Through core displacement test, the synthesized system is proved to have relatively good profile control performance.

In order to achieve semantic retrieval for scientific research information in WWW, this paper applies an ontology-based framework to information retrieval system for management information system. After analyze the limitations of traditional method, bring a semantic search forward, and mainly introduce the thought of the semantic retrieval as well as the way to constitute ontology entity and the language that describes it. Moreover, semantic retrieval system based on ontology is also given. The application to retrieve project information shows that the framework can overcome the localization of other ontology’s models, and this research facilitates the semantic retrieval of management information through semantic retrieval concepts on the Semantic Web.