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Two novel semiconductor organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites [(C6H15BrNO)2MBr4] (M = Cd for 1 and Zn for 2) were successfully synthesized, which undergo a high-temperature reversible transition at ...

Purpose To evaluate dosimetric properties of intensity‐modulated proton therapy (IMPT) for simulated treatment planning in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) targeting left atrial‐pulmonary vein junction (LA‐PVJ), in comparison with volumetric‐modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and helical tomotherapy (TOMO). Methods Ten thoracic 4D‐CT scans with respiratory motion and one with cardiac motion were used for the study. Ten respiratory 4D‐CTs were planned with VMAT, TOMO, and IMPT for simulated AF. Targets at the LA‐PVJ were defined as wide‐area circumferential ablation line. A single fraction of 25 Gy was prescribed to all plans. The interplay effects from cardiac motion were evaluated based on the cardiac 4D‐CT scan. Dose‐volume histograms (DVHs) of the ITV and normal tissues were compared. Statistical analysis was evaluated via one‐way Repeated‐Measures ANOVA and Friedman’s test with Bonferroni’s multiple comparisons test. Results The median volume of ITV was 8.72cc. All plans had adequate target coverage (V23.75Gy ≥ 99%). Compared with VMAT and TOMO, IMPT resulted in significantly lower dose of most normal tissues. For VMAT, TOMO, and IMPT plans, Dmean of the whole heart was 5.52 ± 0.90 Gy, 5.89 ± 0.78 Gy, and 3.01 ± 0.57 Gy (P

Low-dimensional chiral organic–inorganic hybrid metal halides have attracted a lot of attention in recent years due to their unique intrinsic properties, including having potential applications in optoelectronic and spintronic devices. However, low-dimensional chiral molecular ferroelectrics are very rare. In this paper, we report a novel zero-dimensional molecular ferroelectric (C9H14N)2CdBr4 (C9H14N+ = protonated 3-phenylpropylamine), which has obvious dielectric and thermal anomalies and shows a high Curie temperature at 395 K. It crystallizes in the P21 space group at room temperature, showing a strong CD signal, large spontaneous polarization (Ps = 13.5 μC cm−2), and a clear ferroelectric domain. In addition, it also exhibits a flexible SHG response. The photoluminescence spectrum shows that 1 has broadband luminescence. At the same time, compound 1 has a wide band gap, which is mainly contributed to by the inorganic CdBr4 tetrahedron. The high tunability of low-dimensional chiral molecular ferroelectrics also opens up a way to explore multifunctional chiral materials., A novel molecular ferroelectric (C9H14N)2CdBr4 with high Curie temperature (Tc = 395 K), strong CD signal, large spontaneous polarization, clear ferroelectric domain and fluorescence characteristics.

Organic–inorganic hybrid metal halides with dielectric properties have attracted widespread attention due to their applications in the field of optoelectronics. Here, we successfully synthesized a novel dielectric material (C8H18BrN)2SnBr6 (1), which undergoes two continuous phase transitions. It is worth noting that compound 1 also exhibits excellent semiconducting and photoluminescence properties. This Sn(IV)-based hybrid metal halide with excellent switchable dielectric, semiconducting and photoluminescence properties will pave the way for the development of Sn(IV)-based metal halides with practical applications.

We investigated expression of carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1) and endoglin (CD105) in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and its potential role in predicting tumor growth and progression. A total of 47 RCC specimens and 15 adjacent normal kidney tissues were obtained. Expression of CEACAM1 and CD105 was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Microvessel density (MVD) was counted under the microscope by labeling the endothelial cells with biomarker CD34. The positivity of CEACAM1 expression in RCC (42.6%) was significantly lower than that in the normal kidney (73.%, P = 0.038). In contrast, the positivity of CD105 expression was significantly higher in RCC (78.7%) compared to that in the normal kidney (46.7%, P = 0.017). The expression level of CD105 in 47 RCC patients was significantly associated with the clinical stages of RCC (P < 0.05) but not with gender, age, tumor size, or histologic grade. Average MVD in RCC (78.05 ± 16.57) was significantly higher than that in normal tissue (43.62 ± 12.37, P < 0.05), and was significantly higher in RCC patients with advanced histologic grades (P < 0.05) or clinical stages (P < 0.01). In addition, MVD was significantly correlated with CD105 but negatively correlated with CEACAM1. Our findings suggest that down-regulation of CEACAM1 may promote angiogenesis in RCC, and that up-regulation of CD105 may promote RCC progress. MVD may be an indicator of RCC malignancy.

Purpose This study assessed the therapeutic efficacy of postoperative magnetic resonance (MR)-guided interstitial 125 I seed implantation for treatment of oral and maxillofacial malignant tumors. Methods and materials A total of 127 patients with oral or maxillofacial malignant tumors were included in this study who received interstitial 125 I treatment after the surgery resection. Before implantation, all the patients received MR scans to assess the lesion scope, extent, and nature. 125 I implantation target regions were based on the pre-operative imaging. 125 I seeds were delivered to target regions via puncture needles under the real-time guidance of MR. Computed tomography (CT)or MR was performed immediately after implantation and again every 3 months later. Results After successful 125 I implantation, all patients were also examined regularly to detect tumor recurrence, lymphatic, and distant metastases. To date, CT or MR verification showed that 13/127 patients experienced tumor recurrence or lymphatic metastasis or distant metastasis. No seeds migration was observed, no serious treatment-related complications affected patient quality of life, and no important organ (such as major cervical vessels, spinal cord, etc.) injuries were observed. Conclusion Our results show that MR-guided 125 I implantation is an effective approach to site-specific treatment for oral and maxillofacial tumor, which could potentially reduce postoperative complications and tumor recurrence rates, increase patient survival, and improve quality of life.

Background Intracranial fibrosarcoma is an extremely rare neoplasm in the central nervous system. Insofar there were only sporadic case reports describing its features. The purpose of this study is to review the clinical and surgical features of cases who were treated in our department. Method The authors retrospectively reviewed and detailed the clinical and surgical data obtained from 5 patients with fibrosarcoma who underwent treatment at our institute between January 2009 and January 2019. Results There were 3 males and 2 females including 2 juvenile and 3 senior patients. The most frequent sign was intermittent pain and vomiting. The location of the tumor included middle fossa, thalamus and midbrain, sellar and suprasellar region and right parietal-occipital lobe. Surgical observation demonstrated the consistency of the tumor was tenacious with abundant blood supply. Gross total resection was achieved in 2 cases. Pathological analysis showed spindle cells in a herringbone form with positive Vimentin staining in all 5 cases, with the absence of GFAP or S-100. All 5 patients were deceased eventually after a varied period of time after the first surgery. Conclusion Intracranial fibrosarcoma was a highly malignant entity presented in the central nervous system. Surgery still remains the first-line treatment followed by radiotherapy, however, the prognostic outcome was very poor. Future studies should be more focused on accumulation of the relevant information on this disease thus hopefully in assisting to developing more optimized treatment.

Controlling effective separation of carriers at the interface is a key element to realize highly efficient halogenated perovskite-based optoelectronic devices. Here, a comprehensive study of interfacial properties for CsPbBr3 nanocrystals (NCs)/graphene heterostructure is performed by the combination of theoretical and experimental methods. Enhanced visible light absorption is observed experimentally in the CsPbBr3 NCs/graphene heterostructure. The strong photoluminescence quenching phenomenon and improved photoresponse prove the efficient interfacial charge transfer from the perovskite CsPbBr3 NC layer to the graphene side. Significantly, theoretical calculations suggest that an intrinsic built-in electric field, pointing from graphene toward CsPbBr3, promotes the separation of photoinduced carriers at the CsPbBr3 NCs/graphene interface and simultaneously inhibits the recombination of electron-hole pairs. Thus, the high optoelectronic performance can be obtained in the CsPbBr3 NCs/graphene heterostructure, as shown in our experiment. Moreover, the CsPbBr3 NCs/graphene heterostructure exhibits smaller effective mass than that of CsPbBr3 NCs, indicating that the heterostructure does possess a high carrier mobility, which can further accelerate the separation of photogenerated carriers. Furthermore, the calculated results reveal that, accounting for the presence of the stronger built-in electric field, larger band bending value, and smaller effective mass, the PbBr2/graphene interface can realize the separation of the photoinduced carriers more effectively than the CsBr/graphene interface and thus more efficiently facilitate electron transfer from the perovskite optical absorber side to the graphene electronic transport side. Our findings provide valuable insight into perovskite/graphene-based photodetector devices via the interface engineering project.

A novel chromium(VI)-based compound, [(CH3CH2)3N(CH2Cl)][CrO3Cl] (1), undergoes a high-temperature phase transition at around 340.9 K, accompanied by an ultra-large entropy change of 63.49 J mol-1 K-1. Compound 1 exhibits a moderate ferroelectric polarization of 0.48 μC cm-2 and a remarkable CD signal. Strikingly, 1 occupies a narrow band gap of 2.22 eV, which is chiefly attributed to the inorganic [CrO3Cl]- tetrahedron. It is believed that these findings will contribute to an alternative pathway for the design of multifunctional ferroelectric materials, whose potential applications will be in semiconductors, energy storage, etc.

BACKGROUND Patients with schizophrenia have an increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus that has shown a significant association with the rs7754840 polymorphism in the gene encoding the cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) regulatory subunit-associated protein 1-like 1 (CDKAL1). OBJECTIVE To examine whether this polymorphism was involved in the susceptibility in first-episode drug-naive schizophrenic patients (FDSP), and further influenced their clinical symptoms. METHODS This polymorphism was genotyped in 239 FDSP and 368 healthy controls. The clinical symptoms in FDSP were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) five-factor models. RESULTS There was no significant difference in the allelic and genotypic frequencies of this polymorphism between two groups (both p > 0.05) after adjusting for covariates. However, the PANSS depressive score significantly differed by genotype in FDSP after adjusting for covariates (F = 5.25, p = 0.006). This significant difference also persisted after Bonferroni correction (p

Background Shende’an tablet (SDA) is a newly capsuled Chinese herbal formula derived from the Chinese traditional medicine Zhengan Xifeng Decoction which is approved for the treatment of neurasthenia and insomnia in China. This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of SDA against Parkinson’s disease (PD) in vitro and in vivo. Methods In the present work, the neuroprotective effects and mechanism of SDA were evaluated in the cellular PD model. Male C57BL/6J mice were subject to a partial MPTP lesion alongside treatment with SDA. Behavioural test and tyrosine-hydroxylase immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate nigrostriatal tract integrity. HPLC analysis and Western blotting were used to assess the effect of SDA on dopamine metabolism and the expression of HO-1, PGC-1α and Nrf2, respectively. Results Our results demonstrated that SDA had neuroprotective effect in dopaminergic PC12 cells with 6-OHDA lesion. It had also displayed efficient dopaminergic neuronal protection and motor behavior alleviation properties in MPTP-induced PD mice. In the PC12 cells and MPTP-induced Parkinson’s disease animal models, SDA was highly efficacious in α-synuclein clearance associated with the activation of PGC-1α/Nrf2 signal pathway. Conclusions SDA demonstrated potential as a future therapeutic modality in PD through protecting dopamine neurons and alleviating the motor symptoms, mediated by the activation of PGC-1α/Nrf2 signal pathway.

Image matting is a fundamental computer vision problem and has many applications. Previous image matting methods always focus on extracting a general object or portrait from the background in an image. In this paper, we try to solve the text matting problem, which extracts characters (usually WordArts) from the background in an image. Different from traditional image matting problems, text matting is much harder because of its foreground’s three properties: smallness, multi-objectness, and complicated structures and boundaries. We propose a two-stage attentional text matting pipeline to solve the text matting problem. In the first stage, we utilize text detection methods to serve as the attention mechanism. In the second stage, we employ the attentional text regions and matting system to obtain mattes of these text regions. Finally, we post-process the mattes and obtain the final matte of the input image. We also construct a large-scale dataset with high-quality annotations consisting of 46,289 unique foregrounds to facilitate the learning and evaluation of text matting. Extensive experiments on this dataset and real images clearly demonstrate the superiority of our proposed pipeline over previous image matting methods on the task of text matting.

Large-scale web services are increasingly being built with many small modular components (microservices), which can be deployed, updated and scaled seamlessly. These microservices are packaged to run in a lightweight isolated execution environment (containers) and deployed on computing resources rented from cloud providers. However, the complex interactions and the contention of shared hardware resources in cloud data centers pose significant challenges in managing web service performance. In this paper, we present RScale, a robust resource scaling system that provides end-to-end performance guarantee for containerized microservices deployed in the cloud. RScale employs a probabilistic machine learning-based performance model, which can quickly adapt to changing system dynamics and directly provide confidence bounds in the predictions with minimal overhead. It leverages multi-layered data collected from container-level resource usage metrics and virtual machine-level hardware performance counter metrics to capture changing resource demands in the presence of multi-tenant performance interference. We implemented and evaluated RScale on NSF Cloud's Chameleon testbed using KVM for virtualization, Docker Engine for containerization and Kubernetes for container orchestration. Experimental results with an open-source microservices benchmark, Robot Shop, demonstrate the superior prediction accuracy and adaptiveness of our modeling approach compared to popular machine learning techniques. RScale meets the performance SLO (service-level-objective) targets for various microservice workflows even in the presence of multi-tenant performance interference and changing system dynamics.

Objectives: To compare the clinical efficacy of unilateral and bilateral puncture PKP in the treatment of OVCFs and explored whether there is a difference in the efficacy of unilateral and bilateral puncture PKP after surgery. Methods: A total of 98 patients with OVCFs treated by PKP from August 2016 to June 2018 were selected. There were 62 cases in the unilateral puncture group and 36 cases in the bilateral puncture group. The operation time, the amount of bone cement injection, the height of the anterior edge of the vertebral body and the visual analog scale (Visual Analog Scale, VAS) scores before and after the operation were analyzed, and whether the differences between the 2 groups were statistically significant was analyzed. Results: All patients were followed up completely. The operation time and the number of X-ray fluoroscopies of the unilateral puncture group were significantly reduced compared to those of the bilateral group, and the difference was statistically significant (p 0.05). The height of the anterior edge of the vertebral body in both groups was significantly improved compared with that before the operation, and the difference was statistically significant (p Conclusion: Unilateral and bilateral puncture PKP can achieve good clinical efficacy in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, but unilateral PKP has the advantages of short operation time and low X-ray exposure.

In patients with preserved ejection fraction or right bundle branch block (RBBB) pattern requiring a high percentage of ventricular pacing, His-bundle pacing (HBP) might be an alternative to biventricular pacing, although the high threshold occasionally occurs. We provided a case of the intrinsic RBBB correction by capturing intra-Hisian left bundle branch (LBB) or distal His-bundle with different output settings. LBB pacing had the advantage of a much lower threshold while remained most synchrony as HBP. LBB pacing might be a promisingly safe and effective procedure for patients with high-grade atrioventricular (AV) block and RBBB pattern.

In this paper, the frequency of measured transient voltage of neutral grounding reactor on UHV AC transmission line (abb.: neutral reactor) is analyzed. Firstly, the measurement method of transient voltage of neutral reactor is introduced. Then the measurement results are analyzed. When the no-load transmission line is put into power system, the transient voltage of neutral reactor contains two high frequency components. The component with lower frequency is determined by the zero-sequence voltage of the transmission line, and these oscillation frequency range is between 100 Hz and 250 Hz. The component with higher frequency is determined by the inductance value of the neutral reactor, and the corresponding relationship between the transient voltage frequency and power frequency impedances of the neutral reactor is obtained. When the no-load transmission line is cut off from power system, the transient voltage of neutral reactor contains only one frequency component, which is determined by the zero-sequence voltage of the transmission line, and these oscillation frequency distribution range is below 50 Hz. The measurement results will be useful for the UHV AC insulation coordination design, computer simulation model development, voltage measurement device development or other technical fields.

Transient overvoltage is an importance cause of the failures in power system. Optical technique has been developed to measure the transients in power system in a contactless mode, which has great advantages compared to traditional measuring technique based on electrical principles. To verify the on-site performances of optical technique in measuring switching transients in UHV substations, this paper presents the measurements using optical technique conducted in Yunan 1000kV substations at the moments of energizing transformer and transmission lines. With applying simplified de-coupling method, three-phase transients at two moments were clearly given.

Background: We evaluated whether the serum procalcitonin (PCT) level could predict death in severe and critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Methods: This study included 129 COVID-19 patients. PCT levels on admission, treatment, and death were collected. The outcomes were compared. Results: The optimum cutoff value of the PCT level determined by receiver operator characteristic curve analysis to predict all-cause death was 0.085 ng/mL, with sensitivity of 95.7% and specificity of 72.6%. Overall, 78 patients had a PCT level below 0.085 ng/mL and 51 patients had a PCT level of 0.085 ng/mL or greater. High-PCT-level patients had lower levels of lymphocytes (P=0.001) and albumin (P=0.002) and higher levels of creatinine (P=0.024), D-dimer (P=0.002), and white blood cells, neutrocytes (P Conclusions: A PCT level of 0.085 ng/mL or greater on admission could effectively predict death and ventilator use in severe and critical COVID-19 patients.

A systematic study of nonsequential double ionization (NSDI) of alkaline-earth metal atoms with mid-infrared femtosecond pulses is reported. We find that the measured NSDI yield shows a strong target dependence and it is more suppressed for alkaline-earth metal with higher ionization potential. The observation is attributed to the differences in the recollision induced excitation and ionization cross sections of alkaline-earth metals. This work indicates that NSDI of alkaline-earth metals can be generally understood within recollision picture and sheds light on ultrafast control of electron correlation and dynamics of ionic excited states during NSDI of atoms with complex structures.

In this work, machine learning (ML), materials informatics (MI), and thermochemical data are combined to screen potential candidates of energetic materials. To directly characterize energetic performance, the heat of explosion ΔHe is used as the target property. The critical descriptors of cohesive energy, averaged over all constituent elements and the oxygen balance, are found by forward stepwise selection from a large number of possible descriptors. With them and a theoretically labeled ΔHe training data set, a satisfactory surrogate ML model is trained. The ML model is applied to large databases ICSD and PubChem to predict ΔHe. At the gross-level filtering by the ML model, 2732 molecular candidates based on carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen (CHNO) with high ΔHe values are predicted. Afterward, a fine-level thermochemical screening is carried out on the 2732 materials, resulting in 262 candidates with TNT equivalent power index Pe(TNT) greater than 1.5. Raising Pe(TNT) further to larger than 1.8, 29 potential candidates are found from the 2732 materials, all are new to the current reservoir of well-known energetic materials.

Pituitary adenomas, the most common type of lesion in the sellar region, rank third among all brain tumors, with an incidence of 73-94 cases per 100,000 individuals. Due to its high resolution, MRI is highly efficient in brain imaging and has emerged as the most appropriate method for tumor consistency evaluation. The present study aimed to assess the levels of collagen types I and III in pituitary adenomas with different consistencies and to determine the value of T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) MRI for predicting tumor consistency. A total of 55 patients with pituitary adenomas were divided into the soft and firm tumor groups according to intraoperative tumor consistency. The ratio of the tumor to Pons' signal intensities on T2WI scans was determined. A receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted to assess the specificity and sensitivity of T2WI in predicting tumor consistency. Average optical density (AOD) values for collagen types I (0.046±0.008 vs. 0.052±0.012, P=0.033) and III (0.044±0.008 vs. 0.050±0.010, P=0.016) were significantly lower in the soft tumor group compared with those in the firm tumor group. There was no significant difference in the ratio of the tumor to Pons' signal intensities on T2WI scans. The area under the ROC curve was 0.595±0.078 (P=0.250). The maximum tumor diameter significantly differed between the soft and firm tumor groups (P=0.001). AOD values for collagen types I and III were significantly correlated with the maximum tumor diameter (P

Objective: To investigate the effect of drug treatment combined with psychological intervention on mental disorders in patients with persistent moderate–severe allergic rhinitis. Methods: Sixty patients with persistent moderate–severe allergic rhinitis who met the criteria were randomly divided into 2 groups: control group and experimental group. The control group was only given medication, whereas the experimental group was given psychological intervention on the basis of the same medication. Cognitive behavioral therapy was used for psychological intervention. After 12 weeks of treatment, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ) were used to evaluate the changes in anxiety, depression, and quality of life before and after treatment. Results: The SAS and SDS scores of the control group after treatment were lower than those before treatment, and the difference was statistically significant. Similarly, the SAS and SDS scores of the experimental group after treatment were lower than those before treatment with statistically significant difference. In addition, after treatment, the SAS and SDS scores of the experimental group were statistically lower than those of the control group. The results of RQLQ showed that the scores of each dimension in the control group after treatment were lower than those before treatment, and the difference was statistically significant. Similar results were found in the experimental group. After treatment with these 2 different schemes, the RQLQ scores of sleep, nonnasal/eye symptoms, and emotion in the experimental group were statistically lower than those in the control group. Conclusion: Drug therapy or drug therapy combined with psychological intervention can alleviate anxiety and depression of patients with persistent moderate–severe allergic rhinitis and improve their quality of life. Moreover, based on the effect of improving mental disorder and quality of life of patients, drug therapy combined with psychological intervention is better than drug treatment alone.

Accurate and reasonable wind speed prediction system has a significant impact on the utilization of wind energy. A novel combination forecasting model based on Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network and BP neural network is designed in this paper. This model combines the principle of deep learning algorithm and the improved BP neural network to deal with nonlinear wind speed prediction. Before the prediction, singular spectrum analysis (ssa) and complete ensemble empirical model decomposition adaptive noise (CEEMDAN) are selected as the data pretreatment part to de-noise the original wind speed data and decompose it into multiple components. This part is conducive to improving the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of wind speed data and simplifying the characteristics of wind speed data. Then, in order to reduce the error accumulation and computation redundancy, fuzzy entropy (FE) is used to calculate the time complexity of each component, according to the Spearman correlation, the inherent mode function (IMF) components are recombined to form a new subsequence. Experimental results show that the error accumulation can be reduced by 48.65% for dataset 1 and 29.53% for dataset 2, and the operation time can be reduced by about 50% for two datasets. To avoid the limitation of a single model, introducing the LSTM and improved BPNN which improved by sparrow search algorithm (SSA) two different prediction models are used to predict the sub sequences with high complexity and the low complexity subsequences, respectively. Finally, the predicted values of the models are superimposed to get the final values. In order to verify the validity of the proposed model, the final predictions, compared with six different prediction models, show that this model can achieve the best performance and obtain higher prediction accuracy. Such as the performance evaluation indexes (RMSE = 0.051, MAPE = 0.929%) are smallest obtained from dataset1 by one-step prediction, and (RMSE = 0.086, MAPE = 0.966%) are smallest obtained from dataset2 by one-step prediction. In addition, the Pearson correlation between the predicted value and the true wind speed value obtained by the prediction model applied to the two data sets is the highest 99.17% and 98.73%, respectively.

The development of DC distribution network technology has provided a more efficient way for renewable energy accommodation and flexible power supply. A two-stage stochastic scheduling model for the hybrid AC/DC distribution network is proposed to study the active-reactive power coordinated optimal dispatch. In this framework, the wind power scenario set is utilized to deal with its uncertainty in real time, which is integrated into the decision-making process at the first stage. The charging/discharging power of ESSs and the transferred active/reactive power by VSCs can be adjusted when wind power uncertainty is observed at the second stage. Moreover, the proposed model is transformed into a mixed integer second-order cone programming optimization problem by linearization and second-order cone relaxation techniques to solve. Finally, case studies are implemented on the modified IEEE 33-node AC/DC distribution system and the simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed stochastic scheduling model and solving method.

Working in unknown environment has become a fundamental requirement of mobile robot manipulation system. This application scenarios require robots to have some basic capabilities, such as the fast and flexible locomotion, dexterous manipulation, and environmental interaction. However, most studies have only focus on just one of the aspects, which restricts the actual applications. This paper attempts to show a novel design of the mobile robot manipulation system with all above capabilities. The system consists of a mobile platform and a reconfigurable 7 degrees of freedom (DOF) robotic arm. The quadruped and wheeled locomotion is realized on the mobile platform. Different from traditional mobile robot manipulation system, a new type of reconfigurable connecting mechanism (RCM) is developed to realize the quick change the configurations and modules. Due to these designs, the system can adapt for different tasks. Besides, the hardware and software of the control system are introduced. Finally, the performances of the developed mobile robot manipulation system are validated by a series of experiments.

To illustrate the benefits of water reuse project, the process-based life cycle analysis (LCA) could be combined with input-output LCA to evaluate the water reuse project. Energy is the only evaluation parameter used in this study. Life cycle assessment of all energy inputs (LCEA) is completed mainly by the life cycle inventory (LCI), taking into account the full life cycle including the construction, the operation, and the demolition phase of the project. Assessment of benefit from water reuse during the life cycle should focus on wastewater discharge reduction and water-saving benefits. The results of LCEA of Beijing water reuse project built in 2014 in a comprehensive way shows that the benefits obtained from the reclaimed water reuse far exceed the life cycle energy consumption. In this paper, the authors apply the LCEA model to estimate the benefits of reclaimed water reuse projects quantitatively.

Two-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures provide an ideal platform for various optoelectronic applications. However, a weak self-powered near-infrared photoresponsivity limits their applications. Here, a novel self-powered near-infrared photodetector with ultra-broadband, high responsivity, and high robustness based on graphyne/hexagonal boron phosphide (Gyne/BP) heterostructure is proposed by using the first-principles calculation and quantum transport simulations. The self-powered near-infrared Gyne/BP photodetector displays a wideband photoresponsivity from 750 nm to 1500 nm and the maximum photoresponsivity can reach up to 120 mA/W. Revealed by the interfacial properties of Gyne/BP heterostructure, the type-II band alignment, large CBO and VBO, and built-in electric field contribute to the superior photoresponsivity. Surprisingly, such broadband and high self-powered photoresponsivity are robust against external elastic strain by virtue of the robust type-II band alignment, large band offset, and intrinsic built-in electric field in strained Gyne/BP heterostructure. Nonetheless, the compressive strained Gyne/BP photodetector generates superior photoresponsivity compared with unstrained one on account of the enhanced light absorption and smaller effective mass. Our study demonstrates that Gyne/BP vdW heterostructure is a promising candidate for self-powered near-infrared photodetector, and the robustness of the photoelectric properties provides enormous convenience in experimental fabrication.

Rationale Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is characterized by transient and reversible left ventricular systolic dysfunction, which are often associated with acute physical or emotional stressors. Cancer is one of the comorbidities in TTS, and TTS is even considered as a paraneoplastic syndrome, but its mechanism remains unclear. We report a patient in whom cancer and untreated mental disorders triggered TTS. Patient concerns A 59-year-old man was transferred to the Department of Cardiology because of acute onset of severe chest pain and dyspnea before cystoscopy. He presented with hematuria, had been diagnosed with a high-grade urothelial bladder cancer, and underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumors 4 months previously. He had severe anxiety regarding recurrence and death from cancer, especially after the hematuria recurred. Diagnosis TTS and severe anxiety. Interventions The results of coronary angiography, a left ventriculogram, echocardiography, and the clinical outcome led to the diagnosis of TTS. The patient was treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support, mechanical ventilation, and drugs for heart failure and anxiety. Outcomes Echocardiography showed normal wall motion on day 6 of symptom onset. Six months after symptom onset, the anxiety score was reduced from 12 to 11, and the patient had no episodes of any discomfort, and no evidence of cancer recurrence was observed. Lessons Patients with cancer and TTS have a higher level of stress, and physicians need to pay more attention to early screening and early treatment of mental disorders in these patients. Prompt and effective multidisciplinary treatment, including psychological counseling and antianxiety drugs, can improve the prognosis in such cases.

This study aimed to investigate the clinical value of kinesin superfamily protein 2A (KIF2A) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.This study retrospectively analyzed 196 HCC patients who underwent hepatic resection, and their preoperative clinical characteristics were collected from the medical records. Immunohistochemical (IHC) assay was performed to detect KIF2A expression, subsequently KIF2A expression was evaluated by a semi-quantitative IHC score (according to IHC staining density and intensity of positively stained cells) and then graded as KIF2ACompared to adjacent tissue, both KIF2A IHC score and grade were higher in tumor tissue (Both P 0.001). Tumor KIF2A expression was positively correlated with performance status score (P = 0.001), multifocal tumor nodule (P = 0.018), largest tumor size (P = 0.015) and Barcelona clinic liver cancer stage (P 0.001). Regarding live function indexes, tumor KIF2A expression was positively associated with aspartate aminotransferase (P = 0.006). As to tumor markers, tumor KIF2A expression showed a trend to be positively correlated with alpha fetoprotein (P = 0.060) and carbohydrate antigen 199 (P = 0.053), but no statistical significance. Kaplan-Meier curve showed that tumor higher KIF2A expression was associated with worse OS (P 0.001), which was further validated by multivariate Cox's regression analysis as higher an independent factor predicting shorter OS (P = 0.001).KIF2A is upregulated in tumor tissue than adjacent tissue, importantly, tumor KIF2A is associated with worse liver function, raised tumor stage and poor OS in HCC patients.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the expression of H3K27me3 in different anatomical sites and analyze its prognostic value in children with ependymoma. METHODS A total of 188 children diagnosed with ependymoma were admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, between 2012 and 2017, and regular follow-up was conducted. Expression of H3K27me3 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and scored semiquantitatively. The prognostic correlation was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression survival analyses. RESULTS Of the 188 children with ependymoma, 61.7% were male, and the median and average age was five years (0-17 years) and 6.26 years, respectively. There were 65 cases of supratentorial ependymoma, 115 cases of infratentorial ependymoma, and 8 cases of spinal cord ependymoma. The median follow-up time was 39.95 months (0.3-90.19 months). Five-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 48.5% and 61.4%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier univariate survival analysis showed that H3K27me3 expression had significant effects on PFS (P = 0.0003) and OS (P

Because of a lightning strike, short circuit fault, and switch operation, grounding grid will be impacted by high-frequency current, which makes the grounding grid appear uneven distribution of transient grounding potential, this kind of transient grounding potential rise will be coupled to the core wire through the outer surface of the cable and will invade the secondary system, which may have an impact on the normal operation of the secondary equipment and Endanger the safe and stable operation of substation or converter station. In addition, with the digitalization, electronization, and localization of the secondary equipment in the UHV converter station, a large number of precision secondary equipment used for protection, control and communication is placed in the high-voltage switching field of the converter station, which greatly increases the probability of interference with the secondary system of the UHV converter station. It is well known that using shielded cables and choosing correct grounding mode of the shielding layer is an important measure to improve the electromagnetic compatibility of converter stations. In this paper, based on a test method to research transient grounding potential rise in converter station, the transient overvoltage of multi-segment secondary cables and their shielding layer with different grounding modes are measured in the field of an AC filter in a UHV converter station. The test results show that the grounding of the shielding layer between the first and the last sections is the key to suppress transient overvoltage for the multi-segment control cable. The best grounding method is to increase the shielding layer and armor layer of the control cable between the on-site control cabinet to be grounded at the single end of the B-phase on-site control cabinet based on the cable grounding mode. That is to say, the cable of the shielding layer and the armor layer between the on-site control cabinet should consider the grounding at the signal gathering point.

The rapid growth of Internet services and mobile devices provides an excellent opportunity to satisfy the strong demand for the personalized item or product recommendation. However, with the tremendous increase of users and items, personalized recommender systems still face several challenging problems: (1) the hardness of exploiting sparse implicit feedback; (2) the difficulty of combining heterogeneous data. To cope with these challenges, we propose a gated attentive-autoencoder (GATE) model, which is capable of learning fused hidden representations of items' contents and binary ratings, through a neural gating structure. Based on the fused representations, our model exploits neighboring relations between items to help infer users' preferences. In particular, a word-level and a neighbor-level attention module are integrated with the autoencoder. The word-level attention learns the item hidden representations from items' word sequences, while favoring informative words by assigning larger attention weights. The neighbor-level attention learns the hidden representation of an item's neighborhood by considering its neighbors in a weighted manner. We extensively evaluate our model with several state-of-the-art methods and different validation metrics on four real-world datasets. The experimental results not only demonstrate the effectiveness of our model on top-N recommendation but also provide interpretable results attributed to the attention modules., Comment: Accepted by the 12th ACM International Conference on Web Search and Data Mining (WSDM 2019), code available: https://github.com/allenjack/GATE

China has prohibited an extensive list of solid waste from abroad since 2017. While China seeks to move away from being the world's dumping ground, cleaning up its own backyard is proving to be a great challenge. China's Yangtze River economic zone, which covers 11 provinces and accounts for 40% of the country's Gross Domestic Product, has been found to be alarmingly polluted: 74 million metric tons of solid wastes, including industrial solid waste, construction debris, municipal solid waste, and hazardous waste, have been disposed of by dumping. In this study, the statistics and spatial patterns of waste dumping were determined and mapped, and then the subsequent environmental impacts on the local and downstream marine ecosystem were evaluated. The results indicated the largest dumped-waste volume was found in Sichuan province (industrial solid waste) and Hubei province (solid waste mixture). The potential environmental impacts aroused by waste dumping in Hubei, Jiangxi and Sichuan provinces were serious, while the impacts in Yunnan and Zhejiang were slight. It is imperative for the Yangtze River Economic Zone to develop stringent measures for curbing the dumping of solid waste, assessing the implications from existing dumping activities, and enhancing the capacity for responsible waste management.

When the converter station is suffered by lightning strike, short circuit fault or switch operation, the grounding grid of the converter station may be impacted by high frequency and large current, which makes the grounding grid of the converter station presents a complex impact characteristic, namely, a phenomenon of uneven distribution of transient grounding potential, which may cause the interference of the cable of secondary circuit. With the increase of power system voltage level and transmission capacity, the area of the converter station is also increased accordingly, especially the UHV AC substation and UHV DC converter station share one site, which makes the area of the substation or converter station increases greatly, so that the phenomenon of uneven distribution of transient grounding potential is becoming more and more serious, which makes the probability of interference in the secondary circuit cable greatly increased. In recent years, the fault caused by the disturbance of the secondary circuit due to transient grounding potential rise has occurred from time to time, this poses a serious threat to the power grid and affects the safe and reliable operation of the electric power system. The research of different simulation calculation methods are carried out aimed at transient impact characteristics of grounding grid in UHV converter station, such as circuit analysis method, transmission line model method and electromagnetic field analysis method, and a large number of simulation calculation studies have been also carried out. However, grounding grid is built by using moment method and Fourier transform method based on the typical grounding grid structure of UHV converter station, and the distribution of transient grounding potential in UHV converter station is calculated based on the simulation calculation, meanwhile, the feasibility of the simulation calculation model is verified by comparison between simulation test results and simulation calculation results. Thirdly, the effects of different impulse current waveform, different current injection location, different soil resistivity, different grounding grid material, and different grounding grid structure on the transient impact characteristics of grounding grid are studied based on the simulation calculation model. Finally, by means of the simulation calculation model of transient impact characteristics of grounding grid, the transient characteristics of the grounding grid are optimized by optimizing the structure of grounding grid and optimizing the vertical grounding electrode arrangement for reducing the transient grounding potential rise of grounding grid. It will provide experimental data support for simulation calculation of transient impact characteristics of the grounding grid in UHV converter station, which will provide engineering guidance for the design of grounding grid.

Wind power is being used on a large scale worldwide. While a few studies have employed the life cycle assessment method to examine the economic and environmental trade-offs of wind power, the impacts of wind farm infrastructure—such as civil and electrical works—have not been thoroughly taken into consideration. Thus, it remains difficult to accurately grasp the entire environmental impacts of wind energy systems. In this study, a newly built onshore 40-megawatt (MW) wind farm in China has been selected for conducting life cycle analysis with consideration of the infrastructure. Resource and energy-related inventory data were gathered over the wind farm's life cycle, including the phases of materials and manufacturing, transport, construction and installation, operations, and end-of-life. The results showed that the entire greenhouse gas emissions intensity was 16.4–28.2 gCO2 eq./kWh for the onshore 40 MW wind farm, which is slightly higher than those for nuclear power (10.9–13.9 gCO2 eq./kWh) and hydropower (3.1–3.9 gCO2 eq./kWh). It is almost comparable than photovoltaic power (16.0–40.0 gCO2 eq./kWh), but significantly lower than those for thermal power (810–820 gCO2 eq./kWh) and biomass power (~200 gCO2 eq./kWh). Additionally, life cycle cost analysis indicated that the levelized cost of electricity from wind power was approximately 0.01–0.02 USD/kWh.

Background Headaches associated with pituitary adenoma have been reported to be related to the structural characteristics and endocrine factors of the tumour itself. Objectives The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of, and the risk factors for, non-functioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA)-associated headaches in Chinese patients with normal endocrine activity. Methods Ninety-seven patients with a NFPA with normal endocrine laboratory results were prospectively enrolled in this study. The relevant clinical demographic data were collected and examined with the appropriate statistical methods. Results The pre-operative prevalence of tumour-associated headaches was 48.5%; 87.2% of these patients had migraine-like headaches. A family history of primary headache (odds ratio (OR) 3.67; p = 0.032) and a higher tumour Knosp grade (OR 1.83; p = 0.001) were identified as risk factors for the occurrence of NFPA-associated headaches. The patient’s age, sex, visual disturbances, optic chiasm compression, tumour size and tumour volume were not significantly associated with NFPA-associated headaches ( p > 0.05). In addition, headache severity was significantly correlated with the Knosp grade ( r = 0.339; p = 0.001). The sides of the headaches and of cavernous sinus invasion were significantly concordant (48.9% agreement; κ = 0.257; p = 0.007). Conclusions Migraine-like headaches are a common clinical manifestation in patients with NFPAs. A family history of primary headaches and cavernous sinus invasion are risk factors for NFPA-associated headaches.

Widespread implementation of renewable energy technologies, while preventing significant increases in greenhouse gas emissions, appears to be the only viable solution to meeting the world's energy demands for a sustainable energy future. The final energy mix will include conservation and energy efficiency, wind, geothermal, biomass, and others, but none more ubiquitous or abundant than the sun. Over several decades of development, the cost of photovoltaic cells has decreased significantly with lifetimes that exceed 25 years and there is promise for widespread implementation in the future. However, the solar input is intermittent and, to be practical at a truly large scale, will require an equally large capability for energy storage. One approach involves artificial photosynthesis and the use of the sun to drive solar fuel reactions for water splitting into hydrogen and oxygen or to reduce CO2 to reduced carbon fuels. An early breakthrough in this area came from an initial report by Honda and Fujishima on photoelectrochemical water splitting at TiO2 with UV excitation. Significant progress has been made since in exploiting semiconductor devices in water splitting with impressive gains in spectral coverage and solar efficiencies. An alternate, hybrid approach, which integrates molecular light absorption and catalysis with the band gap properties of oxide semiconductors, the dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cell (DSPEC), has been pioneered by the University of North Carolina Energy Frontier Research Center (UNC EFRC) on Solar Fuels. By utilizing chromophore-catalyst assemblies, core/shell oxide structures, and surface stabilization, the EFRC recently demonstrated a viable DSPEC for solar water splitting.

A comprehensive study was conducted 8 months after the 2010 Yushu earthquake to assess the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among medical rescuers and the rescuers' quality of life. Additionally, the study examines differences between local and supporting forces, as well as the relationship between PTSD and lower quality of life (QoL), and the risk factors for both. A total of 338 rescuers (including 123 local rescuers and 215 supporting ones) were randomly selected from Yushu County (the epicenter) and Xining City using multistage systematic sampling. Two standardized instruments, the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) and the Chinese version of the WHOQOL-BREF, were used to evaluate the prevalence of PTSD and obtain the rescuers' QoL. Being between 40 and 50 years old, a nurse, Tibetan, having been in serious danger or having received mental health training before this earthquake were significantly and independently associated with PTSD symptoms. Compared with supporting rescuers, local rescuers were more likely to develop PTSD and to report a lower QoL. Additional mental health services and training should be available to at-risk medical rescuers and groups to ensure they are adequately prepared for relief efforts and to maintain their mental health after assistance in disaster relief.

As a promising photocatalytic material, g-C3N4 has drawn tremendous research interest. However, the fast charge recombination and narrow range of solar absorption restrain its practical application. Herein, for the first time, based on extensive hybrid functional calculations, graphyne (Gyne), a new two dimensional material, is used to form a layered vdW-nanohybrid with g-C3N4 to enhance the photoelectrocatalytic activity of g-C3N4. A comprehensive theoretical study of interfacial properties of g-C3N4/Gyne heterostructure including the band structure, partial density of state, optical absorption, wave functions, charge density difference, band alignment and photocurrent density is acquired to provide deep insight into the photocatalytic performance. The calculated results show that g-C3N4/Gyne heterostructure exhibits tremendous photocatalytic performance as that of recently experimentally synthesized Gyne family based nanocomposite, g-C3N4/graphdiyne (g-C3N4/GDyne). The designed g-C3N4/Gyne heterostructure has a fourfold increase in photocurrent density (0.937 μA/mm2) compared with that of g-C3N4 (0.233 μA/mm2). More importantly, the photocatalytic performance of g-C3N4/Gyne can be further improved by doping 2BN-pairs into Gyne layer. Theoretical prediction indicates that g-C3N4/2BN-Gyne even realizes a sevenfold increase in photocurrent density (1.669 μA/mm2) due to the type II band alignment, broadened light absorption range and much smaller effective mass, providing helpful physical mechanism information for further optimizing the optoelectronic properties of g-C3N4/GDyne and g-C3N4/Gyne. Our theoretical work provides stepping stone into the design of highly efficient g–C3N4–based photocatalysts and a fully coherent picture about the interfaces of g-C3N4/GDyne and g-C3N4/Gyne heterostructures can also be obtained.

To analyze disturbance voltage of secondary cables due to a circuit breaker ground fault in UHVDC convertor substation, this paper established an equivalent model according to the real size of ground grid as well as secondary cable, and carried out spot-measuring. For the purpose of suppressing interference on cores caused by ground potential rising, it's better to ensure armor grounded in both ends, meanwhile, to make shielding sheath grounded only in sensitive devices.

Objectives Few studies of tornado injuries have considered differences related to damage levels and Enhanced-Fujita (EF) scale ratings. This study aimed to evaluate the pattern, spectrum and geographical distribution of injuries related to the Yancheng tornado and provide guidelines for effective emergency medical strategies. Setting The study was conducted at three hospitals which treated patients with injuries related to the tornado in Yancheng, China. Participants We obtained the records of 451 patients with tornado-related injuries. Of these, 401 valid trauma medical records were included; 50 other records were excluded for insufficient information. Informed consent was obtained from all patients by telephone. Main outcome measures We analysed patients’ injury sites and types and used the abbreviated injury scale (AIS) to standardise injury severity. Geographical information system and non-parametric tests were used to analyse the effects of geographical factors on casualties. Results Women, middle-aged/elderly individuals (age>45 years) and children/adolescents (0.05). Conclusion We recommend the use of helmets to prevent head injuries caused by tornadoes and suggest prioritising the treatment of high-risk head and multiple-organ injuries. Additionally, medical rescuers should follow the ‘same quality and different quantity’ principle: the injured in all affected areas should receive equal attention, but numbers of medical personnel should be allocated based on the level of effects from the tornado.

Objectives. To identify optimal predefined criteria (OPC) for filters of the VisiTag™ module in the CARTO 3 system during pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). Methods. Thirty patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who experienced PVI first were enrolled. PVI was accomplished by using a Thermocool SmartTouch catheter. Ablation lesions were tagged automatically as soon as predefined criteria of the VisiTag™ module were met. OPC should be that ablation with the setting resulting in the conduction gap (CG) as few as possible, while contiguous encircling ablation line (CEAL) without the tag gap (TG) on the 3D anatomic model as much as possible. Result(s). When ablation with parameter setting is being catheter movement with a 3 mm distance limit for at least 20 s and force over time (FOT) being off, there were 60 CEAL without TG on the 3D anatomic model. However, 26 CGs were found. After changing FOT setting to be a minimal force of 5 g with 50% stability time, 22 TGs were displayed. Of them, 20 TGs were accompanied by CGs. On reablation at sites of TG with changed parameter setting, 18 CGs were eliminated when 20 TGs disappeared. When reablation with FOT is being a minimal force of 10 g with 50% stability time, 6 remaining CGs were eliminated. However, there was no CEAL. With a mean of follow-up 10.93 months, 2 patients with persistent AF suffered AF recurrence. Conclusion. A 3 mm distance limit for at least 20 s and FOT being a minimal force of 5 g with 50% stability time might be OPC for the VisiTag™ module.

Fossil fuels are the main energy source to satisfy the worldwide energy demands. However, the energy demands are increasing and the supply of fossil fuels is decreasing, thus many countries are looking for other fuel sources. Differing from the traditional fuels, hydrogen is considered as one of the most promising energy sources due to its intrinsic features such as clean, efficient, safe and sustainable. Developing novel technologies for hydrogen production from renewable sources (such as biomass) becomes a core area for the investigation of hydrogen industry. Within this work, different pathways for hydrogen production including steam reforming, electrolysis, and biomass gasification have been systematically compared in terms of yield and cost. This comparison is unique since the systematic evaluation was conducted from many aspects for all the hydrogen production pathways, especially those by involving the biomass gasification that still lack of available literatures. The assessment methods involved energy analysis, exergy analysis and economic analysis. It was concluded that steam reforming remains the cheapest method of hydrogen production at 1.748 $/kg, however, steam reforming is not an ideal process currently or for the future, gasification and electrolysis remains competitive with high yield but requires relatively high initial and annual expenditure. For biomass gasification, though its energy efficiency is lower than steam reforming, it has relatively higher mass yield, demonstrating the feasibility of this process for hydrogen production. Further for biomass gasification, the selection of correct feedstock is a key to maximize its yield, i.e. a yield of 82.47% is possible with corn stover fed gasification. Keywords: hydrogen production, biomass feedstock, gasification, pyrolysis, fossil fuel, techno-economic assessment, exergy DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20171006.2990 Citation: Kang P, Morrow G, Zhang X L, Wang T P, Tan Z F, Agarwal J. Systematic comparison of hydrogen production from fossil fuels and biomass resources. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2017; 10(6): 192–200.

The aim of this paper is to investigate medical efforts and injury profiles of victims of the Lushan earthquake admitted to three military hospitals. This study retrospectively investigated the clinical records of 266 admitted patients evacuated from the Lushan earthquake area. The 2005 version of the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS-2005) was used to identify the severity of each injury. Patient demographic data, complaints, diagnoses, injury types, prognosis, means of transportation, and cause of injury were all reviewed individually. The statistical analysis of the study was conducted primarily using descriptive statistics. Of the 266 patients, 213 (80.1%) were admitted in the first two days. A total of 521 injury diagnoses were recorded in 266 patients. Earthquake-related injuries were primarily caused by buildings collapsing (38.4%) and victims being struck by objects (33.8%), the most frequently injured anatomic sites were the lower extremities and pelvis (34.2%) and surface area of the body (17.9%). Fracture (41.5%) was the most frequent injury, followed by soft tissue injury (27.5%), but crush syndrome was relatively low (1.2%) due to the special housing structures in the Lushan area. The most commonly used procedure was suture and dressings (33.7%), followed by open reduction and internal fixation (21.9%).The results of this study help formulate recommendations to improve future disaster relief and emergency planning in remote, isolated, and rural regions of developing countries.