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Surface defects of lithium batteries seriously affect the product quality and may lead to safety risks. In order to accurately identify the surface defects of lithium battery, a novel defect detection approach is proposed based on improved K-nearest neighbor (KNN) and Euclidean clustering segmentation. Firstly, an improved voxel density strategy for KNN is proposed to speed up the effect for point filtering. Then, the improved clustering segmentation strategy is applied to distinguish point clouds with defect features. The outline fitting algorithm based on the least square method is applied to determine geometric features of each surface defect which are used to classify defect types. Furthermore, experimental results show that the proposed surface defect detection method reaches 99.2% accuracy and 35.3-ms average time consumption for data processing. Finally, an industrial application example of lithium battery production is demonstrated, which meets the requirements of industrial application. All these reports exhibited that the industrial visual inspection system with rapid measurement is an effective method and guarantees for accelerating industrial production and manufacturing in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study aimed to observe cervical intervertebral discs (IVDs) in asymptomatic subjects and to explore the factors associated with cervical intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD). Methods: Cervical spine MRI of 5843 subjects was retrospectively analyzed. On the sagittal T2-weighted MR images, the mean signal intensities of the nucleus pulposus were obtained. Standard signal intensity (SSI) of intervertebral discs was defined as the ratio of mean disc signal intensity to mean CSF signal intensity. Results: In subjects under 70 years old, the SSI of IVD was lowest at the C5/6 level. In those over 70, the SSI of IVD was similar among the disc levels from C2/3 to C7/T1. The disc SSI decreased significantly with age in both genders. In subjects under 70 years old, the SSI of the discs at each level was higher in females than in males. In those over 70 years old, no difference was found in disc SSI between two genders at most disc levels. Logistic regression analysis showed that kyphotic and straight cervical spine, obesity and older age were associated with higher risk of having lower disc SSI. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the largest cross-sectional study using MRI-based quantitative assessment to characterize cervical IVDD in asymptomatic subjects. Cervical IVDD was shown to progress with age and significantly correlated with gender, BMI and cervical alignment. Early intervention of related factors may help delay cervical IVDD and prevent future neck and shoulder pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capsule medical robots with unique application advantages have broad prospects for gastrointestinal detection, targeted drug delivery, medical assistance, and other fields. However, due to the complexity of the gastrointestinal environment and the limitations of the space magnetic field, robust motion control of capsule robots is still a challenge. Using a permanent magnet (NdFeB) as a space magnetic source, a capsule robot manipulation instrument with an integrated motion intelligent control approach is proposed in this work. First of all, a steering fixture controlling a permanent magnet is designed, and a manipulation instrument capable of five degrees of motion freedom is built with low cost and high accuracy. Furthermore, an integrated motion control approach, consisting of a primary motion subsystem and an auxiliary motion subsystem, is presented, where the motion route of the capsule robot is planned. A parallel optimization strategy is adopted to improve the traditional Gray Wolf Optimization Algorithm, the improved version of which is utilized to tune the parameters of controllers. Finally, some experiments of the designed capsule robot are carried out in different planes and slopes, as well as simulated stomach and real pig stomach, respectively. The results show that the motion characteristics are continuous and stable, and the average position error is 4.2 mm, which meets the application requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the bearing capacity of traditional two- and four-legged shield hydraulic support, a one-degree statically indeterminate support was designed, and a method to control the linkage of the legs and balance ram was established. Based on the plane frame system, a two-dimensional mechanical model of the statically indeterminate support was established, and the analytical expressions for the transverse distribution interval of the boundary load were derived. The effects of the friction coefficient and balance ram specifications on the boundary load and bearing area were quantitatively analyzed. The results indicated that the bearing area is divided into two regions along the transverse direction. Furthermore, this bearing area can be increased by increasing the friction coefficient, increasing the balance ram specifications, and decreasing the tip-to-face distance under the downward motion of the support. The bearing capacity of the proposed support is considerably higher than that of the traditional support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast and precise positioning of lithium battery is crucial for effective manufacturing of mass production. In order to acquire position information of lithium batteries rapidly and accurately, a novel dual-template matching algorithm is proposed to properly locate and segment each battery for fast and precise mass production. Initially, an image down-sampling method is applied to build up a multi-layer image pyramid for speeding up target search, and a novel mixed matching template is designed to increase the matching precision. A row of lithium batteries is likely tilt during rolling, and the images of batteries captured by the CCD camera are distorted, which may generate a negative effect on next procedure. Hence, a two-level correction algorithm for battery angle and location is applied to obtain rough areas of the batteries and improve the accuracy of template matching. Lastly, the comparison with other state-of-the-art algorithms is done to locate each battery in a row with high speed and precision. The precision rates of the proposed algorithm, improved SAD algorithm, and YOLOv3 algorithm are 99.44%, 95.98%, and 93.64 for normal battery images and 97.86%, 89.19%, and 85.10 for tilted battery images, respectively. Compared with improved SAD matching algorithm and YOLOv3 algorithm, the positioning accuracy of the proposed method is significantly increased, and the matching robustness is improved in spite of large battery inclination angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For beam directors, tight optical path sealing and low rotational friction torque are critical aspects for the tracking and positioning performance. To maximize sealing pressure and minimize rotational friction torque, a magnetorheological fluid sealing (MRFS) structure design method based on multi-objective COOT (MOCOOT) algorithm optimizer was proposed in this work. The MOCOOT integrates archive, grid strategy, chaotic mapping strategy and COOT optimization algorithm. Firstly, the magnetic field strength of the sealing clearance was derived based on the equivalent magnetic circuit model, the sealing pressure formula of MRFS with pole teeth structures was established, and the friction torque model of MRFS based on Bingham equation was also developed. Then, according to the actual requirements of optical path sealing of beam directors, the constraint conditions of structure parameters were determined, and the optimization target model of sealing pressure and friction torque was constructed. As follows, a multi-objective version of COOT optimization algorithm, named MOCOOT, was proposed to optimize the structural parameters of MRFS structure. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method was verified via pressure and rotating friction torque tests implemented on an established experimental platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposed an assistive system to recognize the special character CAPTCHAs for the visually impaired community in the Chinese region. To improve the recognition precision, a convolutional neural network (CNN), which is named Captchanet for recognition, was proposed. Firstly, a ten-layer network architecture was designed and three improved training strategies were proposed for the deep learning model. Secondly, a customized Chinese character training set was designed using a novel and fast method, with the view of overcoming the limitation in labeled data collection and uneven data distribution. Finally, the experiments were conducted on the test set gathered from public websites to test the effectiveness of the proposed Captchanet. The statistical results demonstrated that the Captchanet has better classification performance and has obtained higher success rates of recognition than the well-known machine learning approaches and CNN-based approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the fact that Asians constituted a sizeable proportion of those exposed to the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001 due to its proximity to Chinatown and many South Asians working in the nearby buildings, no study had focused on examining the mental health impact of the attack in this group. Based on data collected by the World Trade Center Health Registry from a sample of 4721 Asians 2-3 years after the disaster, this study provides a baseline investigation for the prevalence and the risk and protective factors for PTSD among Asian Americans directly exposed to the attack and compared this population against 42,862 non-Hispanic Whites. We found that Asians had a higher prevalence of PTSD compared to Whites (14.6 vs 11.7%). "Race-specific factors" significantly associated to PTSD in the multivariate analyses were noted among sociodemographics: higher education was protective for Whites but a risk factor for Asians; being employed was protective for Whites but had no effect for Asians; and being an immigrant was a risk factor for Whites but had no effect for Asians. However, income was a protective factor for both races. Other "universal factors" significantly increased the odds of PTSD symptoms but showed no racial differences, including exposure to the disaster and the presence of lower respiratory symptoms which intensified odds of PTSD by the greatest magnitude (3.6-3.9 times). Targeted effort to reach out to Asians is essential for prevention and follow up treatment given this group's striking history of underutilization of mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical properties of a fused deposition modeling (FDM) process product are greatly influenced by many process parameters. The identified parameters namely deposition orientation, layer thickness and deposition style, raster width, and raster gap are more significant factors contributing to the strength of a FDM product. In this paper, tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact strength are considered as three evaluation indexes to characterize the mechanical properties of a FDM part. An experimental research approach based on the Taguchi method was presented and some special specimens were designed. The influences of the five parameters on the three evaluation indexes were analyzed by the use of analysis of variance (ANOVA). Finally, based on the gray relational analysis, a set of optimal process parameter combination was obtained to optimize comprehensive mechanical properties of FDM parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extant research has demonstrated the positive intrapersonal effects of mindfulness training. However, the cognitive mechanisms underlying the effects of mindfulness training on interpersonal processes are less clear. Here, we combined a randomized control mindfulness training design with computational approach to moral decision-making and moral judgments. Participants were randomly assigned to a Training group (N = 32) who received an 8-week mindfulness training or a Control group (N = 26) who waited for the same period of time. Before and after the 8-week period, participants completed a moral decision-making task, where they made tradeoff between money for themselves and unpleasant electric shocks to another person, and a moral judgment task, where they evaluated the blameworthiness of someone else's choices in the same moral decision-making task. Trait mindfulness, as measured by the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, significantly increased from the pre- to post-training session for the Training group, but not the Control group, demonstrating the effectiveness of the mindfulness manipulation. For the Control group, participants' moral preference in both the decision-making task and the judgment task declined over time, exhibiting a "slippery slope" effect. In contrast, for the Training group, mindfulness training prevented moral preferences from declining. Computational modeling revealed that mindfulness training specifically reduced the increase in the weights of money over time in both the decision-making and judgment tasks, thereby curbing the "slippery slope" effects. These findings provide a cognitive account of the prosocial effects of mindfulness training on moral decision-making and moral judgments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming to improve the flexibility of virtual maintenance operations, virtual hand was designed and applied in a virtual maintenance system. The structure of virtual hand was designed according to the real human hand and the frequently used gestures of virtual hand were elaborated. Moreover, the motion mapping from human hand to virtual hand was established and a framework which described the interaction mechanism of virtual maintenance system with virtual hand was proposed. Finally, a prototype system was developed and an example of scraper conveyor was provided. The application results indicated that virtual hand can simulate most of operations through real human hand and the flexibility of virtual maintenance operations was improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the quality and efficiency of assembly sequence planning for complex mechanical product, a converse method-based approach for assembly sequence planning is proposed. Firstly, the disassembly interference matrix of product and the disassembly constraint degree of part are defined. Product disassembly sequence is obtained through geometry reasoning algorithm and the searching work of disassembly sequence is simplified by the contact constraint set. Secondly, the maneuverability of tool is inspected through the using matrix and interference matrix of assembly tool. The infeasible disassembly sequence is excluded and product assembly sequence is obtained by reversing the order of disassembly sequence. Thirdly, the evaluation mechanism for assembly sequence is established to get the optimal assembly sequence and the optimal assembly sequence is selected by calculating the value of evaluation function. Finally, a vibration generator is illustrated to verify the validity and feasibility of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to realize automation and intelligence of product disassembly process in a virtual maintenance environment, an improved max-min ant system based methodology for product disassembly sequence planning was proposed. The feasibility graph for product disassembly process was defined and the mathematic model of product disassembly sequence planning problem was set up. Thus, the problem of product disassembly sequence planning was transformed into the problem of searching optimal path on a feasibility graph. Moreover, an improved max-min ant system based on the strategy of sorting elite ants was presented and the flowchart of the improved algorithm was designed. Finally, by simulation examples, the robustness and outperforming others of the improved algorithm were verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with the roughness, the three-dimensional (3D) topography parameters, surface microstructure geometric characteristics and other information can more fully evaluate the grinding quality of the slider raceway surface. In this paper, based on the 3D topography model of the abrasive particle distribution on the surface of the formed grinding wheel, the material removal mechanism between the abrasive particle and the raceway surface is analyzed. With the undeformed chip thickness distribution model as the intermediate variable, the 3D topography model of the slider raceway surface is established, and the model verification is carried out from the roughness and the geometric characteristics of the surface microstructure, respectively. At the same time, the surface microstructure is extracted from the topography model, and the effects of different grinding process parameters on the geometric characteristics such as the height to width ratio, depth to width ratio and distribution density of groove, convex peak and peak valley structures are studied. Results are shown that AS,TH increase from [0.05 0.6 μm] to [0.25 0.8 μm] and FGH grows from [0.11 1.05 μm] to [0.5 1.61 μm] when the grinding depth rises from 1 μm to 4 μm. AS, TH are firstly decreased from [0.17 0.61 μm] to [0.08 0.52 μm] and then increased to [0.26 0.78 μm], and the FGH declines from [0.34 1.01 μm] to [0.16 0.86 μm] and then increases to [0.51 1.38 μm] with the feeding speed is in [25, 28 m/min]. In addition, in the range of grinding wheel linear velocity [28, 34 m/s], the AS,TH decreases from [0.19 0.81 μm] to [0.1 0.55 μm] and the FGH decreases from [0.55 1.6 μm] to [0.2 1.1 μm]. This can prepare for the subsequent research on the impact of the topography characteristics on the friction coefficient and wear amount of the slider raceway surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

4D printing has the potential to create complex 3D geometries which are able to react to environmental stimuli opening new design possibilities. However, the vast majority of 4D printing approaches use polymer based materials, which limits the operational temperature. Here, we present a novel multi-metal electrochemical 3D printer which is able to fabricate bimetallic geometries and through the selective deposition of different metals, temperature responsive behaviour can thus be programmed into the printed structure. The concept is demonstrated through a meniscus confined electrochemical 3D printing approach with a multi-print head design with nickel and copper used as exemplar systems but this is transferable to other deposition solutions. Improvements in deposition speed (34% (Cu)-85% (Ni)) are demonstrated with an electrospun nanofibre nib compared to a sponge based approach as the medium for providing hydrostatic back pressure to balance surface tension in order to form a electrolyte meniscus stable. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray computed tomography and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy shows that bimetallic structures with a tightly bound interface can be created, however convex cross sections are created due to uneven current density. Analysis of the thermo-mechanical properties of the printed strips shows that mechanical deformations can be generated in Cu-Ni strips at temperatures up to 300 °C which is due to the thermal expansion coefficient mismatch generating internal stresses in the printed structures. Electrical conductivity measurements show that the bimetallic structures have a conductivity between those of nanocrystalline copper (5.41 × 106 S.m−1) and nickel (8.2 × 105 S.m−1). The potential of this novel low-cost multi-metal 3D printing approach is demonstrated with the thermal actuation of an electrical circuit and a range of self-assembling structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endothelial injury and dysfunction in the artery wall fuel the process of atherosclerosis. As a key epigenetic regulator, Ash2l (Absent, small, or homeotic-Like 2) is involved in regulating vascular injury and its complications. However, the role of Ash2l in atherosclerosis has not yet been fully elucidated. Here, we found increased Ash2l expression in high-cholesterol diet-fed ApoE−/− mice and oxidized LDL (oxLDL) treated endothelial cells (ECs). Furthermore, Ash2l promoted the scavenger receptors transcription by catalyzing histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) trimethylation at the promoter region of transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) and triggered the activation of the pro-inflammatory nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) by enhancing interaction between CD36 and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). Meanwhile, enhanced expression of scavenger receptors drove more oxLDL uptake by ECs. In vivo studies revealed that ECs-specific Ash2l knockdown reduced atherosclerotic lesion formation and promoted fibrous cap stability in the aorta of ApoE−/− mice, which was partly associated with a reduced endothelial activation by suppressing scavenger receptors and the uptake of lipids by ECs. Collectively, our findings identify Ash2l as a novel regulator that mediates endothelial injury and atherosclerosis. Targeting Ash2l may provide valuable insights for developing novel therapeutic candidates for atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monotropein is one of the active ingredients in Morinda Officinalis, which has been used for the treatment in multiple bone and joint diseases. This study aimed to observe the in vitro effects of Monotropein on osteogenic differentiation of lipopolysaccharide treated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (bMSCs), and the in vivo effects of local application of Monotropein on bone fracture healing in ovariectomized mice. Lipopolysaccharide was used to set up the inflammatory model in bMSCs, which were treated by Monotropein. Molecular docking analysis was performed to evaluate the potential interaction between Monotropein and p65. Transverse fractures of middle tibias were established in ovariectomized mice, and Monotropein was locally applied to the fracture site using injectable hydrogel. Monotropein enhanced the ability of primary bMSCs in chondro-osteogenic differentiation. Furthermore, Monotropein rescued lipopolysaccharide-induced osteogenic differentiation impairment and inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced p65 phosphorylation in primary bMSCs. Docking analysis showed that the binding activity of Monotropein and p65/14-3-3 complex is stronger than the selective inhibitor of NF-κB (p65), DP-005. Local application of Monotropein partially rescued the decreased bone mass and biomechanical properties of callus or healed tibias in ovariectomized mice. The expressions of Runx2, Osterix and Collagen I in the 2-week callus were partially restored in Monotropein-treated ovariectomized mice. Taking together, local application of Monotropein promoted fracture healing in ovariectomized mice. Inhibition of p65 phosphorylation and enhancement in osteogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells could be partial of the effective mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hierarchical zeolites with improved diffusion rate are considered the best strategy to eliminate the limitation of purely microporous network in typical zeolite materials. Herein, hierarchical MFI (Hi-MFI) and hierarchical MOR (Hi-MOR) zeolites with controlled morphology were directly synthesized over modulating grow kinetics. The synthetic parameters were investigated systematically, including gel aging and crystallizing conditions. Using hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and tetrapropyl ammonium bromide (TPABr) as templates, Hi-MFI nanosheets and sphere-like zeolites were obtained. Besides, unilamellar, multilamellar, nanorod and worm-like Hi-MOR zeolites were synthesized in the presence of CTAB and polyethylene glycol (PEG). The transalkylation of toluene and 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene to xylene performance showed that the hierarchical structure of MFI and MOR zeolites enable zeolite with improved 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene conversion and xylene selectivityGraphical Abstract: Controlled synthesis of hierarchical MFI and MOR zeolites over modulating the grow kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite laminates are susceptible to impact damage during service, and some damage is invisible. So it is necessary to monitor the impact location on the surface of composite laminates. Novel carbon nanomaterials represented by carbon nanotubes and MXene films have unique nanoscale structures and excellent physical properties. Applying the carbon nanotubes (CNT) and MXene films to monitoring the damage area of composite laminates under impact. Laying sensor arrays within the monitoring range, a localization algorithm suitable for sensor arrays is proposed, which can accurately calculate and locate the impact position to the monitoring area. Then check the impact location area, detect damage in time, and avoid structural damage or even failure caused by accumulated damage. After the impact test, the sum of the resistance change rate of the sensor in the M5 area is 0.6030, which is higher than the sum of the resistance change rate of other areas, and the impact point is determined to be in the M5 area. The calculation results are completely consistent with the real impact area, which greatly improves the efficiency of detection and maintenance, and has certain engineering significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asexual eukaryotes tend to occupy broader geographical ranges than their sexually reproducing relatives, with this phenomenon seemingly linked to ecological differentiation among closely related asexual and sexual lineages. Here, we used sympatric asexual and sexual Corbicula lineages to assess their ecological niche divergence and genetic differentiation within East and Southeast Asia. The predicted suitable area for asexual lineages was concentrated to Southern China, South Korea, Japan and a small region in Thailand and Vietnam, while that for sexual lineages mainly covered the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines as well as Indonesia. Potential sympatric distribution of both lineages was found in the Yangtze River Basin in China, the Central and Southern Japan. Anthropogenic activity was an important variable for the distribution of asexual lineages, while precipitation variables underpinned that of sexual lineages. Although both lineages had distinct distribution patterns, the identity and similarity tests overall indicated that the asexual and sexual lineages had similar niche. Genetic analyses suggested that 348 COI sequences from 47 populations were separated into two major clusters; one consisted of sexual lineages, and the other comprised asexual lineages across all studied regions and minor sexual lineages from China. The present study suggests that sexual and asexual Corbicula lineages have similar ecological niches accompanying COI genetic differentiations in East and Southeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We collected eleven bench samples of No. 6 coal from the Heidaigou Surface Mine, Jungar Coalfield, Inner Mongolia, China, and four samples from the affiliated coal preparation plant. Based on these samples, we used inductively coupled-plasma mass spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer techniques, and borehole exploration data, to investigate the distribution, occurrence and enrichment causes of gallium (Ga) in the coals. Our results show: (1) Gallium is significantly enriched in the coal seams from the study area, with an average content of 18.8-26.0 ppm. Gallium is distributed heterogeneously in the coals, and reaches ore-forming scales only in No. 6 coal of Heidaigou Surface Mine, not in the other mining districts of Jungar Coalfield. (2) On the horizontal plane, Ga is enriched in the main minable coals from the northern and middle part of the coalfield. In the vertical profile, Ga content in the coal seams is higher at the base of Taiyuan Formation (Nos. 8 and 9) and Shanxi Formation (Nos. 3 and 4) than at the top of the Taiyuan Formation. Within the identical coal seam, Ga content is higher in the benches near the roof and floor than in the middle section. (3) Gallium in the coals is associated mainly with kaolinite and boehmite. Additionally, Ga may be adsorbed to some extent by humic acid, resulting in a high level in weathering coal. (4) Geological factors affect Ga enrichment in coal, such as the property of parent rocks in the source area, the sedimentary environment, organic matter, structure, and past magmatic hydrothermal activity. Especially, Ga content in parent rocks plays a leading role. (5) The mobility and precipitation of trace elements like Ga are controlled principally by the geochemical behavior of the major element Al. Terrestrial and transgressive environments can cause the precipitation of bauxite, whereas marine-continental depositional environments may cause the separation of Ga from Al. In addition, Ga may migrate in the form of gas, and may be affected by the ground temperature. Thus, it is relatively enriched in high-volatile coal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Methylation of ingested inorganic arsenic (InAs) to monomethyl- (MMAs) and dimethyl-arsenical species (DMAs) facilitates urinary arsenic elimination. Folate and creatine supplementation influenced arsenic methylation in a randomized controlled trial. Here, we examine if baseline status of one-carbon metabolism nutrients (folate, choline, betaine, and vitamin B12) modified the effects of FA and creatine supplementation on changes in homocysteine, guanidinoacetate (GAA), total blood arsenic, and urinary arsenic metabolite proportions and indices. Methods: Study participants (N = 622) received 400 or 800 μg FA, 3 g creatine, 400 μg FA + 3 g creatine, or placebo daily for 12 weeks. Results: Relative to placebo, FA supplementation was associated with greater mean increases in %DMAs among participants with betaine concentrations below the median than those with levels above the median (FDR < 0.05). 400 μg FA/day was associated with a greater decrease in homocysteine among participants with plasma folate concentrations below, compared with those above, the median (FDR < 0.03). Creatine treatment was associated with a significant decrease in %MMAs among participants with choline concentrations below the median (P = 0.04), but not among participants above the median (P = 0.94); this effect did not significantly differ between strata (P = 0.10). Conclusions: Effects of FA and creatine supplementation on arsenic methylation capacity were greater among individuals with low betaine and choline status, respectively. The efficacy of FA and creatine interventions to facilitate arsenic methylation may be modified by choline and betaine nutritional status. Clinical trial registration: Clinical Trial Registry Identifier: NCT01050556, U.S. National Library of Medicine, https://clinicaltrials.gov; registered January 15, 2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate state of charge (SOC) estimation in battery management systems (BMS) is of crucial importance to guarantee the safe and effective operation of automotive batteries. However, the BMS consistently suffers from inaccuracy of SOC estimation. Herein, we propose a SOC estimation approach with both high accuracy and robustness based on an improved extended Kalman filter (IEKF). An equivalent circuit model is established, and the simulated annealing-particle swarm optimization (SA-PSO) algorithm is used for offline parameter identification. Furthermore, improvements have been made with noise adaptation, a fading filter and a linear-nonlinear filtering based on the traditional EKF method, and rigorous mathematical proof has been carried out accordingly. To deal with model mismatch, online parameter identification is achieved by a dual Kalman filter. Finally, various experiments are performed to validate the proposed IEKF. Experimental results show that the IEKF algorithm can reduce the error to 2.94% under dynamic stress test conditions, and robustness analysis is verified with noise interference, hence demonstrating its practicability for extending to state estimation of battery packs applied in real-world operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite anecdotal reports of food insufficiency in the overland migration through Mexico, little is known about the frequency and extent of food insecurity during this transit. In a shelter in north central Mexico, we interviewed 95 Central American migrants traveling overland to the US regarding their experiences of food insecurity in transit. 74% experienced some degree of food insecurity, ranging from having only one meal to no food at all in one or several consecutive 24 h periods. Factors associated with relatively more severe food insecurity included more days in active transit, more severe illness impacting mobility, or travel companion illness in the prior 2 weeks. Illness was predicted by a pre-migration diagnosis of chronic disease. Understanding the factors associated with relative severity of food insecurity during overland migration can inform policies for prioritizing assistance and prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trioecy systems are generally considered to be less stable and less widely distributed. Recently, a rare and mostly hermaphrodite (> 50%) trioecy system was detected in a single indigenous population of Corbicula fluminea. While hermaphrodite specimens are common in the invaded range, dioecy systems dominate C. fluminea populations in native regions, with trioecy populations being rare and transient in both ranges. To date, the stability of this trioecy system, as well as how environmental conditions effect sex allocation and reproductive activities remains unknown. To address this, the population sex ratio and brooding characteristics were analyzed through morphological and histological examination of C. fluminea specimens. Trioecy was sustained over the assessment period, with an approximate sex ratio of 1:1:6 (male:female:hermaphrodite). Greater water temperature significantly increased the population ratio in favor of males, while lower water temperatures were significantly associated shift toward females. Gametogenesis and brooding occurred throughout the year, but asynchronously. The incubation rate substantially increased between June and December, and had a significant and positive correlation with water temperature. Overall, these data suggest that a C. fluminea trioecy sexual system can be a stable phenomenon, and water temperature is both a driver of population sex ratio and reproductive activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen sulfide exists widely in mammalian tissues and plays a vital role in physiological and pathophysiological processes. However, striking differences with orders of magnitude were observed for the detected hydrogen sulfide concentrations in biological matrices among different measurements in literature, which lead to the uncertainty for examination the biological relevance of hydrogen sulfide. Here, we developed and validated a liquid chromatography- mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the determination of hydrogen sulfide in various biological matrices by determination of a derivative of hydrogen sulfide and monobromobimane named sulfide dibimane (SDB). 36S-labeled SDB was synthesized and validated for using as an internal standard. This method has been successfully used to measure hydrogen sulfide levels in a broad range of biological matrices, such as blood, plasma, tissues, cells, and enzymes, across different species. Moreover, a novel mode that hydrogen sulfide could loosely and non-covalently bind to human serum protein (HSA) and hemoglobin (HB) was revealed by using the developed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual amide hydrogen bond crosslinked and strengthened high strength supramolecular polymer conductive hydrogels were fabricated by simply in situ doping poly (N-acryloyl glycinamide-co-2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic) (PNAGA-PAMPS) hydrogels with PEDOT/PSS. The nonswellable conductive hydrogels in PBS demonstrated high mechanical performances-0.22-0.58 MPa tensile strength, 1.02-7.62 MPa compressive strength, and 817-1709% breaking strain. The doping of PEDOT/PSS could significantly improve the specific conductivities of the hydrogels. Cyclic heating and cooling could lead to reversible sol-gel transition and self-healability due to the dynamic breakup and reconstruction of hydrogen bonds. The mending hydrogels recovered not only the mechanical properties, but also conductivities very well. These supramolecular conductive hydrogels could be designed into arbitrary shapes with 3D printing technique, and further, printable electrode can be obtained by blending activated charcoal powder with PNAGA-PAMPS/PEDOT/PSS hydrogel under melting state. The fabricated supercapacitor via the conducting hydrogel electrodes possessed high capacitive performances. These cytocompatible conductive hydrogels have a great potential to be used as electro-active and electrical biomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]