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Abstract Background With the demand for more effective and engaging teaching strategies in higher education, there is an imperative to blend traditional and innovative methods to optimize student learning outcomes. To address this educational need, this study sets out to design and evaluate a hybrid learning approach that integrates a flipped classroom based on working process systematization (termed “W + flipped classroom”) teaching design with blended online and offline methods based on the BOPPPS (bridge-in, objective/outcome, preassessment, participatory learning, post assessment, summary, termed “B + BOPPPS”) teaching model and explore its application effects in the field of biological separation engineering. Methods The undergraduate class of 2020 majoring in biomedical engineering from Huanghuai University was designated the control group (n = 74), while the undergraduate class of 2021 was chosen as the experimental group (n = 79). The control group received traditional teaching methods. The experimental group adopted the integrated “W + flipped classroom” and B + BOPPPS teaching models. After the conclusion of the teaching period, comparisons were made between the two groups in terms of course objective achievement, academic performance, and critical thinking skills. A survey was distributed to assess learning effectiveness. Semistructured interviews were conducted with teachers and students from the experimental group to evaluate teaching effectiveness. Results The integrated “W + flipped classroom” and B + BOPPPS teaching models significantly improved the academic performance and critical thinking skills of the experimental group. The teaching evaluation revealed high levels of acceptance among both teachers and students, along with improved satisfaction with the teaching methodology. Conclusion The integration of the “W + flipped classroom” teaching design with the “B + BOPPPS” teaching model provides a scientific foundation for future teaching reforms. This study serves as a valuable reference for implementing the OBE philosophy, enhancing learning outcomes, achieving engineering education accreditation, and cultivating high-quality applied talents in the field of bioengineering at applied universities.

Grain boundaries are important microstructures in metallic materials, and dislocation nucleation on grain boundaries plays a crucial role in material deformation. Studies on P segregation on grain boundaries typically focus on segregation behavior at substitution or interstitial positions. Less attention is given to the interaction of a certain amount of P with dislocation nucleation and grain boundary structural units during deformation. Previous deformation mechanism studies often qualitatively determine mechanisms, struggling to quantitatively explain their roles. This paper offers an atomic mechanism for grain boundary dislocation nucleation, aiding in understanding of the effect of P segregation in BCC Fe on mechanical properties. In this paper, a large-scale atomic/molecular massively parallel simulation (LAMMPS) program was employed. It investigated the effect of P segregation in BCC Fe grain boundary on the tensile deformation behavior. Binary Fe-P embedded atom potential was used for the calculation of stress-strain curves and dislocation activation energy densities. The analysis of P segregation behavior on different grain boundary structures and the effect of temperature was conducted using visual analysis software (OVITO.3.10). To illustrate the elastic-plastic component of the strain during loading, a set of kinematic parameters based on continuum medium mechanics was employed. The atomic deformation tensor of the deformation gradient was calculated using the nearest-neighbor table approximation of the continuum medium field around each atom. Additionally, the mechanisms of dislocation nucleation and twinning were discussed for the symmetrically inclined grain boundaries in BCC Fe. For the (111) grain boundary system, dislocation nucleation extends and dominates the deformation behavior. For the (112) twin grain boundary system, tensile deformation is mainly controlled by twin grain boundary, resulting in BCC-FCC phase transitions. Tensile loads were applied to different grain boundaries at temperatures of 300 K and 600 K. The results indicate that, in the Fe-P system with P concentrations ranging from 0.05at.% to 0.2at.%, compared to enhancing the strength of (111) grain boundary systems, P segregation leads to a decrease in strength for (112) systems, but the effect is minor. The P segregation hinders dislocation nucleation on the (111) and (113) grain boundaries, while it promotes dislocation nucleation at (112) grain boundaries, and P segregation has no significant effect on dislocation nucleation at (114) grain boundaries. The degree of deformation of the E structural unit at the P segregated site on the (111) grain boundary is small, and the dislocations are more inclined to nucleate in the unsubstituted structural unit near the P atom.

Over several months, representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science and National Institutes of Health (NIH) had a number of meetings that lead to the conclusion that innovations in the Nations health care could be realized by more directed interactions between NIH and DOE. It became clear that the expertise amassed and instrumentation advances developed at the DOE physical science laboratories to enable cutting-edge research in particle physics could also feed innovation in medical healthcare. To meet their scientific mission, the DOE laboratories created advances in such technologies as particle beam generation, radioisotope production, high-energy particle detection and imaging, superconducting particle accelerators, superconducting magnets, cryogenics, high-speed electronics, artificial intelligence, and big data. To move forward, NIH and DOE initiated the process of convening a joint workshop which occurred on July 12th and 13th, 2021. This Special Report presents a summary of the findings of the collaborative workshop and introduces the goals of the next one.

Background The incidence of mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome (MCLS), also known as Kawasaki disease (KD), has been increasing year by year. Coronary artery lesions (CAL) induced by KD has become the main cause of acquired heart disease in children. Many clinical studies show that mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) is associated with CAL in KD, but the strength of association between them differs across original research on different individuals. Objective To systematically evaluate the correlation between MP infection and CAL in KD, providing evidence for early and timely delivery of effective clinical treatment to improve the quality of life and to prevent adverse outcomes in children with KD. Methods Observational studies on KD〔KD patients with MP infection (MP-IgM positive) (exposed group) compared with those with simple KD (control group), with CAL as the outcome measure〕 were retrieved from databases of CNKI, Wanfang Data, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science from inception to April 3, 2022. Two researchers independently performed literature screening and data exaction. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to evaluate the quality of included studies. Stata 15.0 and RevMan 5.4 were used for data analysis. Results A total of 31 studies involving 6 131 subjects were included. The average quality score of the studies rated using the NOS was 7, indicating a high overall quality. Meta-analysis showed that the risk of CAL in the exposed group was higher than that in the control group〔RR=1.65, 95%CI (1.40, 1.94), P1∶160, or by quantitative PCR, or undescribed method (P

Improving the power generation efficiency of coal-fired units is an effective measure to achieve energy conservation and carbon reduction. The engineering application of 700 ℃ ultra-supercritical coal-fired power generation is hindered by the high price of superalloy materials; therefore, it is necessary to explore new layouts and structures to shorten the high-temperature steam pipelines and reduce the engineering costs. By taking the phase III expansion project—the world’s first demonstration project of high-level layout—of the Jinjie coal-fired power plant as an example, this study introduces the engineering innovation practice of the high-level layout technology for an air-cooled ultra-supercritical steam-turbine generator unit. The results indicate that the reinforced concrete frame and shear wall structure can effectively lower the overall center of gravity and improve the seismic performance of the main power house,thereby ensuring the safety of the main power house structure, high-temperature steam pipelines, and steam turbine generator unit through technological breakthroughs. Compared with those of the conventional layout (its operating floor level being 12.6‒17 m), the main steam and reheat steam pipelines of the high-level layout (its operating floor level being 65 m) can save 34.2% and 20.9% of raw materials,respectively; and exhaust steam pipes of the air-cooled island can save 93% of raw materials. Furthermore, the power supply coal consumption can be reduced by 4.5‒5.1 g/(kW·h) compared with the design value, and the overall economical efficiency is significantly improved. The monitoring data after operation show that all parameters in the real-time on-line monitoring system of the main power house structure are within the safety threshold, and the plant structure and critical equipment are both in a safe state. Therefore, we propose to promote clean and efficient coal-fired power generation technologies and apply the high-level layout technology to the advanced air-cooled coal-fired power units in northeast, north, and northwest China as these regions are rich in coal but short of water. This can provide practical experience for the construction of economical high-temperature steam pipelines for 700 ℃ ultra-supercritical coal-fired power units.

Objective To explore the application of a hybrid training mode characterized by “clinical practice + result oriented +humanistic care” for practical training of medical students. Methods The research objects were the graduate students at the department of ultrasound in Peking University Third Hospital, and the subjective evaluation index was the two-way questionnaire completed by teachers and by students. The recognition of teachers and students to the new training mode and its effectiveness as well as suggestions were evaluated. Results It was found that 95.74% of teachers and students acknowledged the new mode and were willing to participate in, 76.7% of them believed that the method helped to solve problems in work and psychology, 6.4% of teachers and students thought that the communication efficiency of new mode was lower than the traditional method. The advantages and disadvantages of the new model, the opportunities and threats of teaching and management were analyzed with SWOT. Conclusions The new hybrid traniniing model has got a high degree of recognition. According to the results of SWOT analysis, we should develop strengths and circumvent weaknesses, creating new opportunities for medical practice and educational model innovation.

In this work, a novel reinforcing filler, millet gliadin (MG), was used for the improvement of the mechanical properties of zein nanofibers. The structural and physicochemical properties of MG were compared with those of zein, and the influence of MG on the morphology, physical properties, and molecular structure of zein nanofibers was investigated. The results indicated that MG has an obviously smaller weight-average molecular weight (7623) in comparison to zein (13,330). Transmission electron microscopy showed that zein molecules more easily form aggregates with larger diameters than MG molecules in acetic acid. At a concentration of 30% (w/v), MG exhibited a significantly higher viscosity (0.66 ± 0.03 Pa·s) than zein (0.32 ± 0.01 Pa·s), indicating the stronger interactions of MG molecules. With the incorporation of MG, the tensile strength was significantly increased to 49.32 MPa (ZM-1/2), which is 2.08 times and 4.45 times higher than that of pure zein nanofibers (ZM-1/0) and MG nanofibers (ZM-0/1-1), respectively. Moreover, zein/MG composite nanofibers exhibited improved water stability. Fourier transform infrared spectra showed evidence of the hydrogen bonding interaction between zein and MG. Therefore, MG is a good candidate for use as a natural reinforcing filler in electrospun nanofibers made of biopolymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop aryloxyphenoxypropionate herbicides with novel structure and improved activity, a total of twenty-eight novel quinazolinone–phenoxypropionate derivatives containing a diester moiety were designed and synthesized. The herbicidal bioassay results in the greenhouse showed that QPEP-I-4 exhibited excellent herbicidal activity against E. crusgalli, D. sanguinalis, S. alterniflora, E. indica, and P. alopecuroides with inhibition rates >80% at a dosage of 150 g ha−1 and displayed higher crop safety to G. hirsutum, G. max, and A. hypogaea than the commercial herbicide quizalofop-p-ethyl. Studying the herbicidal mechanism by phenotypic observation, membrane permeability evaluation, and transcriptomic analysis revealed that a growth inhibition of plants by QPPE-I-4 was the result from damage of the plants' biomembrane. The evaluation of ACCase activity in vivo indicated that QPPE-I-4 could inhibit ACCase and may be a new type of ACCase inhibitor. The present work indicated that QPPE-I-4 could represent a lead compound for further developing novel AOPP herbicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To optimize the processing technology of Gastrodia elata by water in which millet had been cooked and investigate the effects of LPS-induced microglia (BV2) inflammatory responses. Determination of gastrodin, p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, parishin A, parishin B, parishin C, parishin E in the extract of Gastrodia elata by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the content of six components were used as evaluation index, the volume ratio of water in which millet had been cooked to water, cooking time and drying temperature were selected as single factor variables. The designation of orthogonal test was based on single factor on three indicators, then optimization of the preparation technology. Comparison of the content of six components in different processed product. The neuroinflammatory cell model was induced by LPS and the cell viability was evaluated after treatment with the extract of processed products by a Cell Counting kit 8 (CCK-8) assay. The levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β in the cell culture medium were measured with ELISA kits. The protein expressions of TLR4, MYD88, P65, INOS, COX-2, IL-1β in LPS-induced BV2 cells were detected by Western blot. The results showed that the cooking time and the volume ratio of water in which millet had been cooked to water had a significant effect on the test results. The water in which millet had been cooked of Gastrodia elata processing technology: The ratio of the volume water in which millet had been cooked to water was 1:3, the boiling time was 25 min and the temperature of drying was 75 °C. The comprehensive score of the six components in processing with water in which millet had been cooked products was higher than that of steamed products. The extract of Gastrodia elata had exhibited varying degrees of protective activity on LPS-induced BV2 cells. The results showed that the secretion of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β was significantly increased in BV2 microglial cells induced by LPS compared with the normal control group (P<0.001). Compared with the LPS group, the two extract of Gastrodia elata significantly decreased the expression level of TNF-α (P<0.05), IL-6 (P<0.05, P<0.001), IL-1β (P<0.05, P<0.001) in LPS-induced BV2 microglial cells. The result of Western blot showed that PZH significantly inhibited the LPS-induced TLR4/MYD88/NF-κ B signaling pathway activation, and decreased the protein expressions of TLR4 (P<0.01), MYD88 (P<0.01, P<0.05), P65 (P<0.01), INOS (P<0.05), COX-2 (P<0.05, P<0.001), IL-1β (P<0.001). The optimized processing technique is simple, stable and feasible. The mechanism of processed drugs of Gastrodia elata may reduce inflammatory factor expression by inhibiting the TLR4/MYD88/NF-κ signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explores the interplay between innovation, economic systems, governance structures, and law, and how they interact with one another in the context of China and Ethiopia's investments in the Digital Silk Road. The way cutting-edge methods related to governance and economic systems might help lower the risks involved in major infrastructure projects, like the Digital Silk Road, particularly in light of law and 5G developments, is investigated. China–Africa connections are to be strengthened, sustainable development is to be encouraged, and healthy economic progress is the goal of the partnership between Ethiopia and the Hainan Free Trade Port. The impact of these transnational investments on fair growth and sustainable development is assessed, while exploring the evolving agendas and procedures governing investments. This research draws attention to how the law and legal cooperation between Ethiopia and China may promote mutually advantageous outcomes, promote transparency and governance mechanisms, and lessen the likelihood of disputes. This research on the factors influencing the future of the Digital Silk Road and its consequences for long-term, sustainable economic growth, and business in the area, aims to provide valuable insights for policymakers, development professionals, and academics, and for the copromotion of China and Ethiopia in terms of digital investment. This research relates to the promotion of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), in terms of construction and economic development. It also examines how the DSR raises concerns about data security and privacy, cross-border transactions, technology transfer, and cyberterrorism, as well as encourages digital investment, such as through enhancing digital governance regulations, modernizing international investment agreements (IIAs), and bolstering global health, coordination, and cooperation; the article concludes by analyzing the implications for Africa. The findings show that such cooperation would support Africa's digital transformation and sustainable development, while strengthening China–Africa cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]