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The nervous system and Chinese meridians have played vital roles in western medicine treatment and traditional Chinese medicine treatment, respectively. However, few studies have focused on relationships between them and develop effective treatments combining them. This paper discuss relationships between the nervous system and meridians from structures, functions, treatments and modern methods used to study them. Hopefully through this article, relationships between the nervous system and meridians will be revealed to some extent.

Wave scattering of plane waves by irregularities in a transversely isotropic (TI) saturated half-space has been rarely studied. Based on Biot's theory, this paper used an indirect boundary element method (IBEM) to solve the two-dimensional (2D) wave scattering of incident plane qP1- and qSV-waves by irregularities in a layered TI saturated half-space. 2D dynamic Green's functions for uniformly distributed loads as well as pore pressure acting on internal inclined line in a layered TI saturated half-space are derived. The method was verified by comparing with two published results for isotropic medium. The canyon, partially filled alluvial valley and fully filled alluvial valley with trapezoidal cross-section are covered in numerical calculations. Results show that the dynamic responses of the three types of irregularities are significantly different. The peak surface displacement amplitude of the fully filled alluvial valley case is up to approximately twice as much as that of the canyon case. The influences of TI property on the three irregularities are apparent, and the soft sedimentary material is more sensitive to TI property. Besides, the ground motion of the local irregularities strongly affected by the incident angle and frequency of plane wave.

The Central Yunnan Urban Agglomeration (CYUA) is an important zone of western development in China. The clarification of the spatial structure and changing trends in CYUA could help promote the coordinated development of the CYUA and enhance the overall competitiveness of the region. Based on data from the Yunnan Statistical Yearbook and the nighttime light data, this paper extracts the urban built-up area of the CYUA and analyzes the urban expansion and urban spatial connection intensity of the CYUA from 2000 to 2018 by using the urban gravity center model and the gravity model. The results show the following: (1) From 2000 to 2018, the urban built-up area of the CYUA expanded rapidly, and the urban built-up area increased by 369.35%, with Kunming accounting for 45.41% of the increased area. Kunming was the main contributor to the increase in the urban built-up area in the CYUA. From 2000 to 2018, the urban built-up areas of the CYUA were scattered in various mountain basins. (2) Overall, the urban gravity center of the CYUA has moved to Kunming, and the distance of the urban gravity center has increased since 2005, indicating that urban expansion has accelerated since 2005. (3) The development of the CYUA is extremely unbalanced. The urban spatial connection intensity between Kunming city, Yuxi city, and Qujing city, and Yi Autonomous Prefecture of Chuxiong is relatively strong, while the urban spatial connection intensity among cities other than Kunming is weak. Overall, the CYUA is characterized by stellar radiation with Kunming city as the core and Yuxi city as the secondary core.

Large-eddy simulation (LES) with dynamic one-equation subgrid-scale stress model was utilized to study the characteristics of turbulent flow over sea-surface generalized as two-dimensional wavy wall with different wave steepness. The statistical characteristics of turbulent field and pressure distribution were presented in detail. The simulation results showed that the separation zones induce stronger convection as the wave steepness increases. Reynolds shear stress near the wall boundary showed positive correlation with the wave steepness, while in the outer region, time-averaged turbulent fields seemed to be insensitive with the wall boundary. The equivalent velocity profiles obtained from the spatial averaging of the time-averaged velocity indicated that lower velocity occurred as the increase of wave steepness due to the increased pressure-induced form drag. The vortex structures were also visualized and showed vertically-bent characteristics which induced negative Reynolds shear stress at the stoss side as the increase of wave steepness that is equivalent to the effect of wave age.

The shape of a wall affects turbulent flow and scalar transport. In this paper, the turbulent mass transfer above a two-dimensional wavy wall was investigated by large-eddy simulation to analyze the temporal and spatial statistical characteristics, the effect of the convection-diffusion mechanism on the physical process of scalar transport, and the role of the dispersive quantity (form-induced quantity). The results show that the presence of the wavy wall leads to flow separation and changes in flow structures and scalar transport. The momentum is controlled by the enhanced turbulence level between crests, whereas there is a scalar transfer sink on both the leeward and windward sides. The former is due to the scalar diffusion-dominant mechanism triggered by reduced velocity of reversed flow in the separation zone, whereas the latter is attributed to strong convection due to an enhanced turbulent shear layer that stimulates the convection-dominant mechanism. The high-order dispersive quantity has a peak on the windward side and is phase-locked on the leeward side downstream of the separation point. Analysis of the quadrant distributions of the high-order dispersive quantities reveals that dispersive sweep and ejection events respectively occur at the separation point and in the intersection region of reattachment and reversed flow. We suggest that these two positions are the origins of quasi-streamwise vortices, which relates to the strong convection above the turbulent shear layer. The momentum and scalar transport are controlled by this type of vortex structure persistently disturbing the time-averaged flow field when the high-order dispersive quantity reaches its peak.

Electrically conductive cellulose-based hydrogels are prepared by a facile and environmentally friendly method, of which the electrical and mechanical properties can be easily controlled by varying the graphene loading. With an ultralow initial addition of graphene oxide (GO, 0.2 wt% versus the mass of cellulose), the resulting cellulose/reduced graphene oxide (CG0.2) hydrogel shows a significantly enhanced compressive modulus of 332.01 kPa, 54.8% higher than that of pure cellulose hydrogel. Further increasing the addition of GO to 2 wt% (versus the mass of cellulose), the electrical conductivity of the resultant CG2.0 hydrogel is as high as 7.3×10−3 S/m, 10,000-fold higher than that of pure cellulose hydrogel, and of which the mechanical properties are also enhanced. These cellulose-based hydrogels with controllable electrical and mechanical properties have a great potential for application in drug delivery and artificial muscle.

As phase change composites, high thermal conductivity, large latent heat of fusion and good shape stability are all required for practical applications. By combining defect-free graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and microcrystalline cellulose, lightweight cellulose/GNP aerogels are fabricated and their highly porous but strong three-dimensional networks benefit the encapsulation of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and prevent the leakage of PEG above its melting point. Phase change composites are prepared by vacuum-assisted impregnating of PEG into the cellulose/GNP aerogels, which exhibit high thermal conductivity, good shape stability and high latent heat of fusion. Even compressed upon the melting point of PEG, the phase change composites keep their shapes stable without any leakage. With only 5.3 wt% of GNPs, the composite exhibits a high thermal conductivity of 1.35 W m−1 K−1, 463% higher than that of the composite without GNPs. The highly porous cellulose network and the low loading of highly thermally conductive GNPs are responsible for the high loading of PEG in the composite with a satisfactory latent heat of fusion of 156.1 J g−1.

The Erhai Lake basin is located in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, with high altitude and fragile ecological environment. Frequent man-made activities have aggravated soil erosion in the Erhai Lake basin. To solve this problem, based on Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), the paper uses Visual Studio 2010 software, combines the ArcGIS Engine component library with the. NET platform and uses C# as programming language to complete the development of soil erosion assessment system in Erhai Lake basin. The system includes four modules: document management, factor calculation, erosion analysis and thematic maps. The operation results show that the system not only meets the needs of users for soil erosion assessment in Erhai Lake basin, but also improves work efficiency and simplifies the evaluation procedures for soil erosion. It is of great significance to protect the ecological environment, promote the rational use of resources in Erhai region and the sustainable development of the economy.

The work of targeted poverty reduction in China has problems of inaccurate identification, low efficiency and unscientific management at present. To solve these problems, this paper combines GIS technology and poverty alleviation to develop the targeted poverty reduction geographic information system, using the ArcGIS Engine and the .NET framework as a platform, adopting Geodatabase to manage data and C# language, and combining ArcGIS Engine provided interface and method for program design. Targeted poverty reduction geographic information system includes data management, data browsing, data query, thematic maps, spatial analysis and other functional modules. By digging out the spatial characteristics of poverty-reducing data, we can visualize, manage and analyze poor population data, forecast poverty trends and improve the quality and efficiency of targeted poverty reduction.

TiEV is an autonomous driving platform implemented by the Tongji University of China. The vehicle is drive-by-wire and is fully powered by electricity. We devised the software system of TiEV from scratch, which is capable of driving the vehicle autonomously on urban paths as well as on fast express roads. We describe our whole system, especially novel modules of probabilistic perception fusion, large-scale mapping and updating, the 1st and the 2nd planning and the overall safety concern. TiEV finished the 2016, and the 2017 Intelligent Vehicle Future Challenge of China held at Changshu. We show our experiences in the development of autonomous vehicles and discuss the future trends.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of estrogen's anti-inflammatory effects on synovial cells during the pathogenic process of osteoarthritis. Methods We isolated synovicytes from synovium tissues and identified the cells with flow cytometry. Then we detected the expression level of estrogen receptor β (ERβ) in synovicytes with immunofluorescence staining. The synovicytes were divided into control group, group pretreated with 10 ng/mL IL-1β, group pretreated with 10 ng/mL IL-1β and 10

Objective To investigate the effect of siRNA-mediated chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7) silence on the proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of human MG-63 osteosarcoma cells. Methods The study designed and synthesized siRNA targeting CCR7 (CCR7-siRNA). After MG63 cells were transfected with CCR7-siRNA, the expression of CCR7 was identified by Western blotting; cell apoptosis was detected by annexinV-FITC/PI double staining combined with flow cemetery; cell proliferation was tested by MTT assay; and cell migration and invasion abilities were examined by Transwell

Since metallic biomaterials used for orthopedic and dental implants possess a paucity of reactive functional groups, bioactivity modification of these materials is challenging. In the present work, the titanium discs and rods were treated with carbon dioxide plasma and then incubated in a modified simulated body fluid 1.5SBF to obtain a hydroxyapatite layer. Surface hydrophilicity of samples, changes of surface chemistry, surface morphologies of samples, and structural analysis of formed hydroxyapatite were investigated by contact angle to water, X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results demonstrated that hydrophilicity of titanium surface was improved and hydroxyl groups increased after modification with carbon dioxide plasma treatment. The hydroxyl groups on the surface of titanium were the richest after carbon dioxide plasma treatment under the condition of 20 W for less than 30 s. The hydroxyapatite formability of titanium surface was enhanced by carbon dioxide plasma pretreatment, which was attributed to the surface chemistry. MC3T3-E1 cell as a model cell was cultured on the Ti, CPT-Ti and CPT/SBF-Ti discs in vitro, and the results of the morphology and differentiation of the cell showed that CPT/SBF-Ti was the highest bioactive. The relative parameters of the new bone around the Ti and CPT/SBF-Ti rods including bone mineral density (BMD), a ratio of bone volume to total volume (BV/TV), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th.) and trabecular number (Tb.N.) were analyzed by a micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) after 4-, 8- and 12-week implantation periods in vivo. The results indicated that the CPT/SBF-Ti was more advantageous for new bone formation.

The present study aimed to evaluate the bioactivity of titanium surfaces sandblasted with large-grit corundum and acid etched (SLA) plus further alkali or hydrogen peroxide and heat treatment for dental implant application. Pure titanium disks were mechanically polished as control surface (Ti-control) and then sandblasted with large-grit corundum and acid etched (SLA). Further chemical modifications were conducted using alkali and heat treatment (ASLA) and hydrogen peroxide and heat treatment (HSLA) alternatively. The surface properties were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and contact angle and roughness measurements. Further evaluation of surface bioactivity was conducted by MC3T3-E1 cell attachment, proliferation, morphology, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and calcium deposition on the sample surfaces. After insertion in the beagle's mandibula for a specific period, cylindrical implant samples underwent micro-CT examination and then histological examination. It was found that ASLA and HSLA surfaces significantly increased the surface wettability and MC3T3-E1 cell attachment percentage, ALP activity and the quality of calcium deposition in comparison with simple SLA and Ti-control surfaces. Animal studies showed good osseointegration of ASLA and HSLA surfaces with host bone. In conclusion, ASLA and HSLA surfaces enhanced the bioactivity of the traditional SLA surface by integrating the advantages of surface topography, composition and wettability.

Polycaprolactone (PCL), poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and hydroxyapatite (HA) are frequently used as materials for tissue engineering. In this study, PCL/PLA/HA nanofiber mats with different weight ratio were prepared using electrospinning. Their structure and morphology were studied by FTIR and FESEM. FTIR results demonstrated that the HA particles were successfully incorporated into the PCL/PLA nanofibers. The FESEM images showed that the surface of fibers became coarser with the introduction of HA nanoparticles into PCL/PLA system. Furthermore, the addition of HA led to the decreasing of fiber diameter. The average diameters of PCL/PLA/HA nanofiber were in the range of 300-600 nm, while that of PCL/PLA was 776 +/- 15.4 nm. The effect of nanofiber composition on the osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cell adhesion and proliferation were investigated as the preliminary biological evaluation of the scaffold. The MC3T3-E1 cell could be attached actively on all the scaffolds. The MTT assay revealed that PCL/PLA/HA scaffold shows significantly higher cell proliferation than PCL/PLA scaffolds. After 15 days of culture, mineral particles on the surface of the cells was appeared on PCL/PLA/HA nanofibers while normal cell spreading morphology on PCL/PLA nanofibers. These results manifested that electrospun PCL/PLA/HA scaffolds could enhance bone regeneration, showing their marvelous prospect as scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.

This paper proposes a new token structure for efficient handling of identity access management for online composite software services. With the requirement of “Single Sign-On (SSO)” for atomic services in a given composite service, this token structure binds service attributes, including workflow, providers, users, operator permission, and operation environment, together in its creation process. The token can be viewed as a deciphered string produced by IDP (identity provider) and consumed by SP (service provider). The concept of conference key distribution is also used to distribute the token and to secure the transportation procedure. Furthermore, the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) is adopted to support the exchange of authentication and authorization information between SPs and IDPs. Finally, we apply our service token concept to SourceID Liberty 2.0 (an open source implementation for Liberty Alliance Project) as an illustration of its feasibility and practicability.

Video surveillance has become more and more prevalent. It is a basic problem to get the number of access people in scenes. When occlusions occur, it becomes difficult to count people. We propose a fast and robust people counting method, and implement a system. In our system, we use group tracking to compensate weakness of multiple human segmentation, which can handle complete occlusion. Our system can run in real-time about 30fps for CIF video, with counting accuracy defined by frame above 95%.

Background subtraction is a typical method to segment foreground from background in motion analysis. Most of background subtraction methods base on static back-grounds. We propose a particle filter based method to estimate dynamic backgrounds, such as water waves, foliage, smoke, etc. We consider the dynamic scenes vary under some rules and use particle filter to track background. Experiments show our results are promising, compared with other background subtraction methods.

With the rapid development of hardware equipments, it is now economically and technically feasible to build a video surveillance system. This paper presents the system architecture of VISS, a Video Intelligent Surveillance System deployed in parking lots. In VISS we adopt robust moving object detecting and tracking algorithm, and we present a novel activity recognition framework based on Layer Hidden Semi-Markov Model (LHSMM) which is used for modeling activities. The experimental results on real-time video show that the system is effective and robust in complex activity recognition.

This study focuses on the surface modification of a near beta-type Ti-27 wt.% Nb alloy by alkali-heat treatment. The influence of alkali concentration, alkali-treated time and alkali-treated temperature on the microstructure and constitutional phases of the modified surface is investigated by SEM, XRD and ICP. Immersion experiments in a simulated body fluid (SBF) were carried out to examine the Ca-P phase forming ability of the modified surfaces. The SEM observation and XRD analysis revealed that a sodium titanate layer is formed after alkali-heat treatment. The morphology and Ca-P phase forming of the layer are greatly affected by the surface roughness of the samples, the alkali concentration, the alkali-treated time and alkali-treated temperature. The results of SBF immersion, which are obtained by ICP analysis, indicate that the activated sodium titanate layer prepared by alkali-heat treatment is beneficial to further improving the biocompatibility of the Ti-27 wt.% Nb alloy.