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Background Objectives Methods Results Conclusion Self‐care can improve overall oral health. However, few studies have investigated this in community‐dwelling older adults with oral frailty. The Capability, Opportunity, Motivation and Behaviour (COM‐B) model may be an appropriate framework to identify factors that affect self‐care ability.The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of and factors influencing self‐care ability in community‐dwelling older adults living with oral frailty, and to analyse the risk factors of low self‐care ability.Two hundred seventy‐five community‐dwelling older adults with oral frailty participated in this cross‐sectional study from October 2022 to March 2023. Participants underwent evaluations of oral health knowledge and behaviour, oral health literacy, nutritional condition, social support, oral health‐related quality of life, self‐efficacy and self‐care ability using questionnaires. The self‐care ability of older adults was assessed using the Chinese version of self‐care ability scale for the elderly (SASE). The influencing factors were evaluated by single‐factor analysis, correlation analysis and multi‐factor analysis. Furthermore, we conducted additional analysis, wherein self‐care ability was analysed as a categorical variable.Of the participants, the SASE score was 62.43 ± 7.33, and 73.09% were inadequate at self‐care ability. There was a positive correlation between the level of self‐care ability and each variable (p < .001). Multiple linear regression showed that health literacy (p < .001), age (p < .001), nutritional condition (p = .001), gender (p = .003), quality of life (p = .014) and self‐efficacy (p = .040) were significantly associated with decreased self‐care ability (R2 = 0.444, F = 19.241). Binomial logistic regression analysis showed that gender, educational level, nutritional condition, oral health literacy and quality of life (all P<0.05) were risk factors for developing low levels of self‐care ability.This study suggests that health literacy, age, nutritional condition, quality of life, gender and self‐efficacy are important factors that influence self‐care ability in community‐dwelling older adults living with oral frailty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mannosylerythritol lipids (MELs) are a class of glycolipids that have been receiving increasing attention in recent years due to their diverse biological activities. MELs are produced by certain fungi and display a range of bioactivities, making them attractive candidates for various applications in medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. Despite their remarkable qualities, industrial-scale production of MELs remains a challenge for fungal strains. Excellent fungal strains and fermentation processes are essential for the efficient production of MELs, so efforts have been made to improve the fermentation yield by screening high-yielding strains, optimizing fermentation conditions, and improving product purification processes. The availability of the genome sequence is pivotal for elucidating the genetic basis of fungal MEL biosynthesis. This review aims to shed light on the applications of MELs and provide insights into the genetic basis for efficient MEL production. Additionally, this review offers new perspectives on optimizing MEL production, contributing to the advancement of sustainable biosurfactant technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pathogenic viruses can be transmitted by female Aedes aegypti (Ae. aegypti) mosquitoes during blood-meal acquisition from vertebrates. Silencing of mosquito- and midgut-specific microRNA (miRNA) 1174 (miR-1174) impairs blood intake and increases mortality. Determining the identity of the proteins and metabolites that respond to miR-1174 depletion will increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of this miRNA in controlling blood-feeding and nutrient metabolism of mosquitoes. Methods: Antisense oligonucleotides (antagomirs [Ant]) Ant-1174 and Ant-Ct were injected into female Ae. aegypti mosquitoes at 12–20 h posteclosion, and depletion of miR-1174 was confirmed by reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). Ant-1174-injected and control mosquitoes were collected before the blood meal at 72 h post-injection for tandem mass tag-based proteomic analysis and liquid chromatography-tandom mass spectrometry non-target metabolomic analysis to identify differentially expressed proteins and metabolites, respectively. RNA interference (RNAi) using double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) injection was applied to investigate the biological roles of these differentially expressed genes. The RNAi effect was verified by RT-qPCR and western blotting assays. Triglyceride content and ATP levels were measured using the appropriate assay kits, following the manufacturers' instructions. Statistical analyses were conducted with GraphPad7 software using the Student's t-test. Results: Upon depletion of mosquito- and midgut-specific miR-1174, a total of 383 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, among which 258 were upregulated and 125 were downregulated. Functional analysis of these DEPs using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment suggested that miR-1174 plays important regulatory roles in amino acid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, fatty acid metabolism and sugar metabolism pathways. A total of 292 differential metabolites were identified, of which 141 were upregulated and 151 were downregulated. Integrative analysis showed that the associated differential proteins and metabolites were mainly enriched in a variety of metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, citrate cycle, oxidative phosphorylation and amino acid metabolism. Specifically, the gene of one upregulated protein in miR-1174-depleted mosquitoes, purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP; AAEL002269), was associated with the purine, pyrimidine and niacin-nicotinamide metabolism pathways. PNP knockdown seriously inhibited blood digestion and ovary development and increased adult mortality. Mechanically, PNP depletion led to a significant downregulation of the vitellogenin gene (Vg); in addition, some important genes in the ecdysone signaling and insulin-like peptide signaling pathways related to ovary development were affected. Conclusions: This study demonstrates differential accumulation of proteins and metabolites in miR-1174-depleted Ae. aegypti mosquitoes using proteomic and metabolomic techniques. The results provide functional evidence for the role of the upregulated gene PNP in gut physiological activities. Our findings highlight key molecular changes in miR-1174-depleted Ae. aegypti mosquitoes and thus provide a basis and novel insights for increased understanding of the molecular mechanism involved in a lineage-specific miRNA in mosquito vectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experimental study of AWJ milling performance of nickel-based superalloy materials is the basis for the study of milling process parameter optimization. Therefore, this paper focuses on the effect law of process parameters (waterjet pressure, abrasive flow rate, nozzle traverse speed, nozzle tilt angle and step-over distance) on milling performance (milling depth and surface roughness) when milling of nickel-based superalloys via AWJ. The prediction models of milling depth and surface roughness were established using the response surface method. The waterjet pressure is the factor that affects the milling depth and surface roughness the most, while the abrasive flow rate is the factor that affects the milling depth and surface roughness the least. In the interaction term of the milling depth model, the maximum milling depth is obtained at low waterjet pressure when the nozzle tilt angle is between 60° and 80°. While at high waterjet pressure, the maximum milling depth is obtained when the nozzle tilt angle is close to 90°; at any step-over distance, the effect on the milling depth is smaller when the nozzle traverse speed increases above 25 mm/s. In the interaction term of the surface roughness model, when the waterjet pressure is low, there is an optimal nozzle traverse speed to minimize the surface roughness value; at a higher nozzle traverse speed, the minimum surface roughness value occurs at minimum step-over distance. The validation experiment shows that the maximum relative error of the milling depth model is 10.09% and the maximum relative error of the surface roughness model is 12.12%, which proves the validity of the established milling depth model and surface roughness model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: At present, good results have been obtained in the treatment of hematogenous osteomyelitis(HO) in children by the use of drug-loaded calcium sulfate, but there are few clinical studies reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy of radical debridement combined with drug-laden calcium sulphate antibiotics in paediatric haematogenous osteomyelitis. Methods: In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 15 cases of pediatric hematogenous osteomyelitis admitted to our hospital in recent years. A total of 15 pediatric patients with HO treated in our hospital from January 2018 to February 2022 were included for evaluation. Results: All 15 patients were treated with drug-laden calcium sulfate, and the antibiotic of choice was vancomycin in 14 cases and vancomycin combined with gentamicin in 1 case. The follow-up period ranged from 12 to 36 months, with a mean follow-up time of 24.73 months, and all children were treated with drug-laden calcium sulfate with satisfactory clinical outcomes. The results of serological examination showed that the preoperative white blood cell count level, C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate were higher than the postoperative ones, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05).After the operation, referring to the treatment standard of McKee's osteomyelitis, 15 cases were cured without recurrence; According to the Lower Extremities Functional Scale, 12 cases were excellent, 2 cases were good and 1 case was moderate, with an excellent rate of 93.33%. Children with lower limb involvement could walk with full weight bearing, and gait was basically normal. Conclusion: Drug-loaded calcium sulfate is a good therapeutic method for the treatment of hematogenous osteomyelitis in children, with a effect of reducing complications and reducing recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pathogenic viruses can be transmitted by female Aedes aegypti (Ae. aegypti) mosquitoes during blood-meal acquisition from vertebrates. Silencing of mosquito- and midgut-specific microRNA (miRNA) 1174 (miR-1174) impairs blood intake and increases mortality. Determining the identity of the proteins and metabolites that respond to miR-1174 depletion will increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of this miRNA in controlling blood-feeding and nutrient metabolism of mosquitoes. Methods: Antisense oligonucleotides (antagomirs [Ant]) Ant-1174 and Ant-Ct were injected into female Ae. aegypti mosquitoes at 12–20 h posteclosion, and depletion of miR-1174 was confirmed by reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). Ant-1174-injected and control mosquitoes were collected before the blood meal at 72 h post-injection for tandem mass tag-based proteomic analysis and liquid chromatography-tandom mass spectrometry non-target metabolomic analysis to identify differentially expressed proteins and metabolites, respectively. RNA interference (RNAi) using double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) injection was applied to investigate the biological roles of these differentially expressed genes. The RNAi effect was verified by RT-qPCR and western blotting assays. Triglyceride content and ATP levels were measured using the appropriate assay kits, following the manufacturers' instructions. Statistical analyses were conducted with GraphPad7 software using the Student's t-test. Results: Upon depletion of mosquito- and midgut-specific miR-1174, a total of 383 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, among which 258 were upregulated and 125 were downregulated. Functional analysis of these DEPs using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment suggested that miR-1174 plays important regulatory roles in amino acid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, fatty acid metabolism and sugar metabolism pathways. A total of 292 differential metabolites were identified, of which 141 were upregulated and 151 were downregulated. Integrative analysis showed that the associated differential proteins and metabolites were mainly enriched in a variety of metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, citrate cycle, oxidative phosphorylation and amino acid metabolism. Specifically, the gene of one upregulated protein in miR-1174-depleted mosquitoes, purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP; AAEL002269), was associated with the purine, pyrimidine and niacin-nicotinamide metabolism pathways. PNP knockdown seriously inhibited blood digestion and ovary development and increased adult mortality. Mechanically, PNP depletion led to a significant downregulation of the vitellogenin gene (Vg); in addition, some important genes in the ecdysone signaling and insulin-like peptide signaling pathways related to ovary development were affected. Conclusions: This study demonstrates differential accumulation of proteins and metabolites in miR-1174-depleted Ae. aegypti mosquitoes using proteomic and metabolomic techniques. The results provide functional evidence for the role of the upregulated gene PNP in gut physiological activities. Our findings highlight key molecular changes in miR-1174-depleted Ae. aegypti mosquitoes and thus provide a basis and novel insights for increased understanding of the molecular mechanism involved in a lineage-specific miRNA in mosquito vectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Three‐column osteotomy (3CO) is considered valuable and increasingly utilized in the surgical treatment of severe spine deformity while associated with high implant‐related complications and revision risks. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and clinical outcomes of satellite rod fixation used around the rod‐fracture area in revision surgery due to rod fracture after 3CO. Methods: Twenty‐five patients applying satellite rod fixation in revision surgery from August 2012 to May 2016 were retrospectively reviewed as the SR group. Patients undergoing revision surgery with traditional strategy after 3CO due to rod‐fracture were selected as the TR group. Cobb angle, distance between C7 plumb line and center sacral vertical line (C7PL‐CSVL), global kyphosis (GK) and sagittal vertical axis (SVA) were assessed. Patients were required to fulfill the Scoliosis Research Society‐22 questionnaire (SRS‐22) at pre‐revision and the last follow‐up. The paired t test was used to analyze the difference among pre‐revision, post‐revision and last follow‐up. Results: There was no statistical difference in terms of age, gender, body mass index (BMI), fusion level at 1st surgery, and follow‐up period between SR and TR group (all P > 0.05). The operation time (1.5 ± 0.7 h vs 3.2 ± 0.9 h, P < 0.001) and intraoperative blood loss (178 ± 51 mL vs 324 ± 96 mL, P < 0.001) were significantly higher in the TR group. Patients in both groups obtained obvious deformity correction after revision surgery. For patients in SR group, the coronal Cobb angle significantly improved from 27.9 ± 21.5° at pre‐revision to 21.8 ± 16.6° at post‐revision (P = 0.034). The C7PL‐CSVL decreased from 22.6 ± 14.3 mm to 21.3 ± 10.9 mm (P = 0.719). Similarly, improvement was attained in post‐revision GK (25.8 ± 17.0° vs 20.2 ± 15.1°, P = 0.061). SVA was corrected from 35.6 ± 33.9 mm to 30.8 ± 24.3 mm after revision (P = 0.182). At the last follow‐up, no significant correction loss was observed in both coronal and sagittal parameters (all P > 0.05). All patients responded to the SRS‐22 questionnaire and all the domains showed improvements in different levels. As compared to the TR group, the SR group had significantly better pain and management satisfaction scores (all P < 0.05). Additionally, there was no reoccurrence of implant failure during follow‐up and all patients achieved solid bony fusion in SR group. Conclusion: Satellite rod fixation around rod‐fracture area is indicated for patients in the requirement of revision surgeries due to rod fracture after 3CO. Compared with traditional revision strategies, revision surgery with satellite rods, if patients are selected adequately, is a simpler procedure with less intraoperative blood loss and shorter operating time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Gram-staining-negative, non-motile, rod-shaped or curved rod-shaped, moderately halophilic bacterium, designated C176T, was isolated from Yuncheng Salt Lake in Shanxi Province, P.R. China. The optimal temperature, salinity and pH for growth of strain C176T was 37 °C, 6% (w/v) NaCl and 7.5. Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated strain C176T has the highest similarity with Spiribacter salinus LMG 27464 T (97.7%), following by the S. halobius E85T (97.6%), S. curvatus DSM 28542 T (97.2%), S. roseus CECT 9117 T (97.0%) and S. vilamensis DSM 21056 T (96.9%). The ANI and dDDH values between strain C176T and S. salinus LMG 27464 T were 69.8 and 17.7%, respectively. The DNA G + C content of genome for strain C176T was 54.1%. Summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c and/or C18:1 ω6c) and C16:0 were detected as its major fatty acids, with content of 38.7 and 28.6% respectively, while Q-8 was the predominant ubiquinone. The major polar lipids of strain C176T contained phospholipid, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphoglycolipid. In accordance with results of polyphasic taxonomy, strain C176T is considered as a novel species of the genus Spiribacter, for which the name Spiribacter salilacus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is C176T (= MCCC 1H00417T = KCTC 72692 T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explore the accurate control of hole shape for AWJ hole-making of C f / SiC based on experimental and mathematical analysis methods, and the influence mechanism involved is emphatically analyzed. The results reveal that D difference is most influenced by the standoff distance, followed by the traverse speed, while it is less influenced by the pressure and the abrasive flow rate. The traverse speed, pressure and abrasive flow rate affect the D difference by changing the total energy of the jet; while the standoff distance mainly affects the D difference by changing the effective impact area, which is fundamentally different from other process parameters. In terms of interaction effects, decreasing the traverse speed and increasing the waterjet pressure can amplify the effect of interaction with the involvement of the standoff distance on the D difference. Based on the established D difference model and D offset model, a control method that can gain acquired hole shape is finally obtained for selecting the process parameters of AWJ machining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is it possible to develop a quantitative method for detecting parental DNA contamination in conventional IVF using preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A)? In this study, a quantification method was established for the parental contamination test (qPCT), which ensured more reliable results, and then verified its effectiveness for vitrified conventional IVF embryos. A total of 120 surplus vitrified blastocysts from patients who underwent prior routine IVF cycles were available for study. The results of the prospective clinical study of qPCT-PGT-A showed that the maternal contamination rate was 0.83% (1/120) and that the risk of paternal contamination was negligible. The 24 frozen embryo transfer cycles resulted in 16 clinical pregnancies, including 13 live births, one late inevitable miscarriage and two ongoing pregnancies. The risk of PGT in embryos with potential parental contamination is relatively low, and PGT-A is applicable for vitrified conventional IVF embryos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the causes of failed primary surgery and the revision strategies for congenital scoliosis (CS) patients with lower lumbar/lumbosacral (LL/LS) hemi‐vertebra (HV). Methods: Fifteen CS patients with LL/LS HV (seven females and eight males) with a mean age of 20.4 ± 10.4 years undergoing revision surgery in our center were retrospectively reviewed. The radiographic parameters including Cobb angle, distance between C7 plumb line and center sacral vertical line (C7PL‐CSVL), thoracic kyphosis (TK), lumbar lordosis (LL) and sagittal vertical axis (SVA) were assessed at pre‐revision, post‐revision and the last follow‐up. The causes of failure in primary operation, and radiographic and clinical outcomes of revision procedures were analyzed. Results: The revision rate of patients undergoing LL/LS HV resection and correction surgery was 11.4%. The average time interval between primary surgery and revision surgery was 18.2 ± 10.6 months. The operation duration and estimated blood loss of revision surgery were 194 ± 56 min and 326 ± 74 ml, respectively. Reasons for failed primary operations were as follows: internal fixation fracture in 10 cases, curve progression in two cases, implant loose in two cases and post‐operative coronal imbalance in one case. The post‐revision Cobb angle was significantly improved from 29.9° ± 8.3° to 18.7° ± 6.7° (P < 0.001) with a correction rate of 37.5% ± 12.6%. At the final follow‐up, the average Cobb angle was 18.9° ± 6.2° and the correction was well maintained (P = 0.788). The C7PL‐CSVL at pre‐revision, post‐revision and at last follow‐up were 23.2 ± 9.3 mm, 14.8 ± 4.8 mm and 14.9 ± 5.4 mm, respectively. Significant improvements (P = 0.004) were observed after revision surgery and there was no evident loss of correction (P = 0.703). There was no significant difference in TK, LL and SVA before and after revision surgery (all P > 0.05). At the last follow‐up, no significant correction loss of above coronal and sagittal parameters were observed (all P > 0.05). The revision methods were individualized according to the primary surgical procedures and the reasons for revision. The recommended revision strategies include incision of pseudarthrosis with sufficient bone graft, fixation of satellite rods, thorough residual HV excision, prolonged fusion to S2 and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion at lumbosacral region. Solid bony fusion and no implant‐related complication were detected during the follow‐up. Conclusions: The causes of revision surgery for patients with congenital scoliosis (CS) due to lumbosacral HV were verified and implant failure with pseudarthrosis was the main reason for failed primary operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landfill leachate is a complex effluent and it is difficult to deal with. Electrochemical methods have been considered as a promising alternative technology for treatment of landfill leachate with refractory organic contaminants and heavy metals. Peroxi-coagulation (PC) process with iron anode and modified graphite felt cathode was developed for efficient landfill leachate concentrate treatment. Compared to electro-Fenton (EF) and electrocoagulation (EC) processes, the PC process was more cost-effective due to the combined action of •OH oxidation and iron hydroxides coagulation. A maximal TOC removal of 77.2% ± 1.4% was obtained after 360 min at initial pH = 5.0 and current density of 10 mA/cm2. After the PC process, concentrations of all seven heavy metals in the final effluents were below the allowable emission limits given by the present regulatory standards. The method preference for heavy metal removal was PC > EC > EF. Based on the three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with regional integration analysis during the PC treatment, the florescence peaks of both humic acids and fulvic acids disappeared after treatment for 360 min. Decreasing trends were observed in the fluorescent regional standard volumes for aromatic protein I (31.4%), aromatic protein II (63.7%), fulvic acid-like (69.5%), soluble microbial by-product-like (75%) and humic acid-like regions (76.3%). The results indicate that comparing to the EF and EC process, the PC process provide a promising and more cost-effective alternative for the treatment of landfill leachate concentrate. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to their excellent properties such as lightweight and high strength, fiber-reinforced composite materials are widely used as ideal materials for key structural components in extreme service environments (e.g., aviation, aerospace, and nuclear power). However, due to their non-uniformity and anisotropy, they have become typical difficult-to-machine materials, which are prone to cause damage during machining, thereby reducing the service life of the entire component. This review primarily summarizes the damage (including delamination, thermal damage, tool wear, and other processing damages) and suppression strategies of scholars in the process of traditional and non-traditional machining of fiber-reinforced composite materials in the past few years. Besides reviewing the research progress, the limitations of the current research were presented. From this review, it can be seen that traditional and non-traditional (e.g., laser machining) machining methods are difficult to avoid damage. Abrasive waterjet (AWJ) machining is a green and environmentally friendly machining technology. Some key issues are expected to be furtherly solved during the AWJ drilling of fiber-reinforced composite materials with low damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abrasive waterjet (AWJ) has a significant impact on the dimensional accuracy and machining damage of C f /SiC composites. Thus, this paper aims to investigate the hole characteristics and formation mechanisms of surface damages (e.g. crack damage, tearing damage, delamination damage and burr damage). The results show that the diameters of hole entrance and hole exit varies with the traverse speed, jet pressure, standoff distance, and abrasive flow rate within certain parameters range. The over-machined phenomenon has the greatest impact on the hole dimensional accuracy, which can be effectively enhanced by improving the jet trajectory. The formation mechanisms of various damages are also obtained. These results will guide realizing high-precision and low-damage hole machining for ceramic matrix composite material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fierce competition in automobile industry makes buying a car to be a daunting task for customers, since it is a high-risk decision due to the intrinsic imperceptibility of car products. Nowadays, customers are more willing to take some advice from online reviews before making a purchase decision in the era of big data. Therefore, we try to develop a novel data-driven method to make reasonable decisions for customers when they buy cars. To achieve the goal, our study first collects data from online reviews rather than questionnaires. To better depict the ambiguity and complexity of online reviews, we then utilize the hesitant probabilistic fuzzy set (HPFS) and sentiment analysis to quantify evaluations. Taking customers’ psychological cognition into account, a novel method combining the prospect theory and term frequency is used to measure the weights of different attributes. After that, we further propose an improved multiplicative multi-objective optimization by ratio analysis (MULTIMOORA) approach to rank the products. Specifically, the dominance degrees from TODIM (an acronym in Portuguese of interactive and multicriteria decision making) method are extended in three sub-ranking methods in MULTIMOORA, namely ratio system method, reference point method, and full multiplicative form method to prioritize all car products for customers. Finally, we provide some product improvement suggestions for car manufacturers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ceramics are the most typical difficult-to-machine materials for high-performance applications. The paper utilized AWJ to turn the alumina ceramics. A prediction model of the depth of penetration (DOP) after AWJ turning of alumina ceramic was established. The variation trends of predicted and experimental results with respect to process parameters were consistent. Within the range of this study, it may be stated that the developed model can achieve good predictions both qualitatively and quantitatively. The material removal mechanism of alumina ceramics turned by AWJ was also analyzed. The turned surface topography analysis showed that the main removal mechanism of alumina ceramics in turning was plastic shearing at a shallow nozzle tilt angle but brittle fracture at a larger nozzle tilt angle. Through the analysis of chip morphology during AWJ turning, it was proved that the removal mechanism of ceramics turned by AWJ was mixed (brittle fracture and plastic shear). Gained predicted model and material removal mechanisms will provide more details to understand and improve the AWJ turning technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to evaluate and analyze the quality of guidelines and expert consensus on clinical practice regarding metabolically associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) over the past five years. Data from the websites were retrieved using computers. We evaluated guidelines and expert consensus on MAFLD that were officially published between January 1, 2018 and March 24, 2023. Two evaluators independently examined the literature and extracted data. The included literature on guidelines and expert consensus was then subjected to quality review and analysis using assessment tools from Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II and the Joanna Briggs Institute Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-QARI) (2016). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values of all items on the AGREE II scale for the two evaluators were greater than 0.75, indicating a high degree of agreement between their assessments. Scope and purpose (48.90%), participants (49.21%), rigor in the formulation process (56.97%), clarity of expression (90.08%), applicability (66.08%), and independence of file compiling (60.12%) were the AGREE II scoring items with the standardized average scores. Apart from the participants, the average scores of all the scoring items in the guidelines from other countries other than China were higher than those from China (|Z|+>+2.272, p+<+0.05). MAFLD guidelines must be revised to enhance their methodological quality. When creating guidelines, it is recommended that the formulators strictly adhere to the formulation and drafting standards of AGREE II and elevate the quality of the guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Surgical decision‐making for congenital kyphosis (CK) with failure of anterior segmentation (type II) has been contradictory regarding the trade‐off between the pursuit of correction rate and the inherent risk of the osteotomy procedure. This study was designed to compare the clinical and radiographic measurement in type II CK underwent SRS‐Schwab Grade 4 osteotomy and vertebral column resection (VCR), the most‐adapted osteotomy techniques for CK, and to propose the strategy to select between the two procedures. Methods: This retrospective observational comparative study evaluated surgical outcomes in type II CK patients underwent VCR or SRS‐Schwab Grade 4 osteotomy at our institution between January 2015 and January 2020. Patients operated with VCR and SRS‐Schwab Grade 4 osteotomy were allocated to Group 1 and Group 2 respectively. Radiographic parameters and SRS‐22 quality of life metrics were assessed at pre‐operation, post‐operation, and during follow‐up visits for both groups, allowing for a comprehensive comparison of surgical outcomes. Results: Thirty‐one patients (19 patients in Group 1 and 12 patients in Group 2) aged 16.3 ± 10.4 years were recruited. Correction of segmental kyphosis was similar between groups (51.1 ± 17.6° in Group 1 and 48.4 ± 19.8° in Group 2, p = 0.694). Group 1 had significantly longer operation time (365.9 ± 81.2 vs 221.4 ± 78.9, p < 0.001) and more estimated blood loss (975.2 ± 275.8 ml vs 725.9 ± 204.3 mL, p = 0.011). Alert event of intraoperative sensory and motor evoked potential (SEP and MEP) monitoring was observed in 1 patient of Group 2. Both groups had 1 transient post operative neurological deficit respectively. Conclusion: SRS‐Schwab Grade 4 osteotomy was suitable for kyphotic mass when its apex is the upper unsegmented vertebrae or the neighboring disc, or when the apical vertebrae with an anterior/posterior (A/P) height ratio of vertebral body higher than 1/3. VCR is suitable when the apex is located within the unsegmented mass with its A/P height ratio lower than 1/3. Proper selection of VCR and SRS‐Schwab Grade 4 osteotomy according to our strategy, could provide satisfying radiographic and clinical outcomes in type II CK patients during a minimum of 2 years follow‐up. Patients undergoing VCR procedure might have longer operation time, more blood loss and higher incidence of peri‐ and post‐operative complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slow-controlled release fertilizers are experiencing a popularity in rice cultivation due to their effectiveness in yield and quality with low environmental costs. However, the underlying mechanism by which these fertilizers regulate grain quality remains inadequately understood. This study investigated the effects of five fertilizer management practices on rice yield and quality in a two-year field experiment: CK, conventional fertilization, and four applications of slow-controlled release fertilizer (UF, urea formaldehyde; SCU, sulfur-coated urea; PCU, polymer-coated urea; BBF, controlled-release bulk blending fertilizer). In 2020 and 2021, the yields of UF and SCU groups showed significant decreases when compared to conventional fertilization, accompanied by a decline in nutritional quality. Additionally, PCU group exhibited poorer cooking and eating qualities. However, BBF group achieved increases in both yield (10.8 t hm−2 and 11.0 t hm−2) and grain quality reaching the level of CK group. The adequate nitrogen supply in PCU group during the grain-filling stage led to a greater capacity for the accumulation of proteins and amino acids in the PCU group compared to starch accumulation. Intriguingly, BBF group showed better carbon–nitrogen metabolism than that of PCU group. The optimal nitrogen supply present in BBF group suitable boosted the synthesis of amino acids involved in the glycolysis/ tricarboxylic acid cycle, thereby effectively coordinating carbon–nitrogen metabolism. The application of the new slow-controlled release fertilizer, BBF, is advantageous in regulating the carbon flow in the carbon–nitrogen metabolism to enhance rice quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Background Design Methods Results Conclusions Relevance to clinical practice Trial and Protocol Registration Patient or Public Contribution Reporting Method To comprehensively synthesise existing evidence from systematic reviews regarding the effects of exercise interventions on physical, psychological and social outcomes in frail older adults to provide reference for clinical practice.Frailty is highly prevalent in older adults and associated with increased adverse health outcomes. Some systematic reviews have assessed the effectiveness of exercise interventions in frail older adults with varied inclusion criteria, methodology quality, types of exercise and outcome measures.An overview of systematic reviews reported following the PRISMA checklist.PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science and Cochrane database were searched from inception until June 2023 to identify relevant systematic reviews with or without meta‐analysis of randomised controlled trails. Two reviewers independently selected articles, extracted data, assessed quality and summarised findings.A total of 17 systematic reviews were included, with methodology quality varying from moderate to critically low. The most frequent types of exercise were multicomponent exercise and resistance‐based exercise in community and long‐term care facilities, respectively. Exercise interventions had positive effects on most physical outcomes and depression, but inconsistent effects on cognitive function and quality of life. The quality of the evidence for most outcomes was low and very low.This overview highlights the importance of exercise interventions to improve physical, psychological and social aspects in frail older adults and provides evidence on characteristics of exercise interventions for frailty in various settings.Multicomponent exercise and resistance‐based exercise should be recommended for frail older adults. There is a need of more well‐designed research with large sample size and validated definition of frailty. Long‐term effects, adherence during and after exercise interventions, adverse events and cost‐effectiveness should be emphasised in future studies.The overview protocol was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic reviews (CRD 42021281327).No patient or public contribution.The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were applied to report the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Preimplantation genetic testing for chromosomal structural rearrangements (PGT-SR) is widely applied in couples with single reciprocal translocation to increase the chance for a healthy live birth. However, limited knowledge is known on the data of PGT-SR when both parents have a reciprocal translocation. Here, we for the first time present a rare instance of PGT-SR for a non-consanguineous couple in which both parents carried an independent balanced reciprocal translocation and show how relevant genetic counseling data can be generated. Methods: The precise translocation breakpoints were identified by whole genome low-coverage sequencing (WGLCS) and Sanger sequencing. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) combining with breakpoint-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to define 24-chromosome and the carrier status of the euploid embryos. Results: Surprisingly, 2 out of 3 day-5 blastocysts were found to be balanced for maternal reciprocal translocation while being normal for paternal translocation and thus transferable. The transferable embryo rate was significantly higher than that which would be expected theoretically. Transfer of one balanced embryo resulted in the birth of a healthy boy. Conclusion(s): Our data of PGT-SR together with a systematic review of the literature should help in providing couples carrying two different reciprocal translocations undergoing PGT-SR with more appropriate genetic counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To introduce the satellite rod technique utilized in severe spinal deformity after three‐column osteotomy (3CO) and to evaluate the radiographic and clinical outcomes at 2‐year follow‐up, further discussing its utilization in this particular cohort. Methods: A total of 32 (19 females and 13 males) with an average age of 32.9 ± 18.3 years from December 2012 to March 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Radiographic measurements were performed on standing full‐spine anteroposterior and lateral radiographs preoperatively, postoperatively, and at last follow‐up. The coronal parameters including Cobb angle and distance between C7 plumb line and center sacral vertical line (C7PL‐CSVL), as well as the sagittal parameters including global kyphosis (GK) and sagittal vertical axis (SVA) were measured at three time points. The Scoliosis Research Society‐22 questionnaire (SRS‐22) was fulfilled preoperatively and at each follow‐up. Paired t test would be used to determine whether there was a significant difference between time points. Results: A total of 32 patients were enrolled in this study with mean age of 32.9 ± 18.3 (range, 12 to 66) years old. Twenty patients underwent pedicle subluxation osteotomy (PSO) and 12 patients underwent vertebral column resection (VCR). The pathogenesis of this cohort included neuromuscular scoliosis (11 cases), congenital kyphoscoliosis (seven with hemivertebrae and five with segmentation failure), degenerative spinal deformity (five cases), and thoracolumbar tuberculosis with angular kyphosis (four cases). The post‐operative Cobb angle decreased significantly from 49.1° ± 28.0° to 19.0° ± 16.7° with a correction rate of 65.2% ± 21.8%. At final follow‐up, the average Cobb angle was 19.4° ± 16.9° and no obvious loss of correction was found. The preoperative, postoperative, and last follow‐up C7PL‐CSVL were 23.9 ± 14.5 mm, 15.7 ± 11.1 mm, and 12.1 ± 7.4 mm, respectively. Significant postoperative improvement was attained while there was no change observed at last follow‐up. Postoperative GK significantly improved from 73.8° ± 28.1° to 23.2° ± 11.7° with the correction rate of 66.0% ± 17.9%. SVA decreased significantly from 42.9 ± 33.9 mm to 24.1 ± 21.1 mm. The average GK and SVA at final follow‐up were 22.7° ± 10.1° and 23.5 ± 21.1 mm, respectively and no obvious loss of correction was observed of them during follow‐up. In addition, no change or loss of motor or somatosensory evoked potential occurred during surgery. During the follow‐up, two malposition screws and one rod breakage were found. Conclusion: The satellite rod used in patients with severe kyphoscoliosis undergoing 3CO could yield favorable radiological and clinical outcomes. With the utilization of this technique, the coronal and sagittal balance could be well‐maintained during follow‐up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photosynthetic rate (Pn) and leaf area index (LAI) play an important role in dry matter production. To understand the role of Zn fertilizer in increasing the yield of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and summer maize (Zea mays L.) by regulating Pn and LAI, a field experiment with six Zn rates (0, 2.3, 5.7, 11.4, 22.7, and 34.1 kg Zn ha−1) was conducted from 2013 to 2015 on a calcareous soil. Zinc application increased wheat and maize yield by 4–19% and 4–13%, respectively, across the 2 yr. The aboveground biomass, Pn, and LAI of both wheat and maize also significantly increased with increasing Zn rates. Structural equation modeling showed that the yield increase of wheat mainly depended on the Pn and LAI, whereas that of maize mainly depended on the Pn. The relationships of the Pn and LAI with shoot Zn concentrations followed a linear‐plateau trend for wheat and linear for maize. The optimal shoot Zn concentrations to obtain the maximal Pn and LAI of wheat were determined to be 46–49 mg kg−1. Zinc application at 11.4 kg Zn ha−1 was an optimal rate to guarantee yield attainment and Zn biofortification. The results of this study are useful for farmers to optimize their Zn fertilizer management in agricultural systems to obtain high yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare radiological and clinical outcomes between partial and radical hemivertebra (HV) resection in congenital scoliosis (CS) patients with single nonincarcerated HV. CS patients with single HV undergoing partial HV resection from February 2011 to May 2016 were retrospectively reviewed and included in the P group; those undergoing radical HV resection were included in the R group. Patients in R group were age-, sex-, curve magnitude-, and apex location-matched with those in P group. Comparisons were performed in terms of radiological results, clinical outcomes, and complications preoperation, postoperation, and at the last follow-up between the P and R groups. Both P and R groups included 25 CS patients, and the mean age at surgery was 10.1 ± 5.2 years. Compared with the R group, the P group had a similar correction of the Cobb angle at postoperation (38.6 ± 6.7° vs. 35.2 ± 5.6°, P = 0.057) and at the last follow-up (38.4 ± 7.0° vs. 34.7 ± 6.7°, P = 0.062). The estimated blood loss was 690.9 ± 291.3 mL in the R group and 502.2 ± 223.8 mL in the P group (P = 0.023), and the operating time was 259.4 ± 70.2 minutes in the R group and 206.9 ± 61.2 minutes in the P group (P = 0.007). During follow-up, no significant correction loss and major complication were observed in the P group, whereas 1 patient in the R group had rod breakage with pseudarthrosis at 24-month follow-up. Partial HV resection is a safe, effective, and less invasive procedure and achieved comparable correction with radical HV resection in the treatment of CS patients with single nonincarcerated HV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of society, the demand for power is increasing, but the inefficiency of the original power grid has gradually become an obstacle to social development, so it is urgent to reform the power grid, and the power Internet of things is an important means of power reform. Effective infrared image recognition of power Internet of Things equipment can achieve real-time monitoring of equipment status. The quality of image recognition is not only related to recognition methods, but also to the quality of the image itself. In order to improve the quality of image recognition, an image enhancement algorithm based on membership function is proposed in this paper. Firstly, piecewise linear transformation is introduced, and on the basis of it, an improved piecewise linear transformation method is proposed. Secondly, an image enhancement algorithm based on membership function is proposed by improving the traditional fuzzy enhancement method. Finally, based on the image enhancement algorithm of membership function, an improved piecewise linear transformation method is introduced to form an image blur enhancement system. Through the simulation experiment, we can find that the two image enhancement algorithms are improved in this paper, which can enhance the image enhancement effect of the original two enhancement algorithms, and the image fuzzy enhancement system composed of two improved enhancement methods can enhance the image enhancement effect again, and effectively improve the infrared image recognition quality of power Internet of things equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fenton based reactions are effective for pharmaceutical removals, but traditional Fenton processes have drawbacks of pH adjustment and large amount of produced iron sludge. To overcome these challenges, a heterogeneous electro-Fenton process was proposed for effective contaminant degradation at circumneutral pH without iron sludge production. The anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen (a common pharmaceutical in natural waters) was used as a representative contaminant. Activated carbon fibers (ACFs) supported ferric citrate (Cit-Fe/ACFs) was synthesized and used as the cathode, and RuO 2 /Ti was used as the anode. H 2 O 2 was electro-generated in situ from O 2 reduction and the production rate of OH per unit area was 6.8 μM W −1  cm −2 using Cit-Fe/ACFs cathode. A maximal ibuprofen degradation of 97% was obtained after 120 min at the current density of 7 mA cm −2 . The electrical energy per order ( E EO ) varied from 0.24 ± 0.03 to 2.65 ± 0.04 kWh log −1  m −3 when the current density ranged from 1 to 7 mA cm −2 . The Cit-Fe/ACFs cathode showed relatively good reusability and ∼85% IBP removal was achieved after 6 cycles of degradation. Our results showed that the prepared Cit-Fe/ACFs cathode was promising for the treatment of pharmaceutical contaminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erythroid Krüppel-like factor (EKLF/KLF1) is an erythroid-specific transcription factor whose activity is essential for erythropoiesis. The underlying mechanisms for EKLF specifically restricted to erythroid cells are of great interest but remain incompletely understood. To explore the epigenetic regulation of EKLF expression by promoter DNA methylation, we investigated the methylation status of the EKLF promoter and EKLF gene expression from a panel of human tissues. We observed that erythroid-specific hypomethylation of the EKLF promoter in adult erythroid cells was positively associated with EKLF expression. Demethylation of the EKLF promoter by 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine led to elevated EKLF expression in non-erythroid cells. We further uncovered that EKLF promoter DNA methylation reduced the binding affinity for the transcription factors GATA1 and c-myb (MYB), which in turn silenced EKLF expression. These results suggest that hypomethylation of the EKLF promoter has functional significance in the establishment and maintenance of erythroid-specific gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high quality, dynamic laser beam shaping method is demonstrated by displaying a series of hybrid holograms onto a spatial light modulator (SLM), while each one of the holograms consists of a binary grating and a geometric mask. A diffraction effect around the shaped beam has been significantly reduced. Beam profiles of arbitrary shape, such as square, ring, triangle, pentagon and hexagon, can be conveniently obtained by loading the corresponding holograms on the SLM. The shaped beam can be reconstructed in the range of 0.5 mm at the image plane. Ablation on a polished stainless steel sample at the image plane are consistent with the beam shape at the diffraction near-field. The ±1st order and higher order beams can be completely removed when the grating period is smaller than 160 μm. The local energy ratio of the shaped beam observed by the CCD camera is up to 77.67%. Dynamic processing at 25 Hz using different shapes has also been achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a natural extension of three-way decisions, this paper presents a novel three-way decision model with order information. First, we do some comparative analysis between ordered three-way decisions and decision-theoretic rough sets, and then present some important properties of the proposed model. Second, a hybrid decision table consisted both of the “order information” and “loss function”, is utilized to solve the ordered three-way decisions with two classification problem. Two order sets (dominating set and dominated set generated by order relation) and three risk strategies (optimistic strategy, equable strategy, pessimistic strategy) are induced to construct the model and design the algorithm of ordered three-way decisions. At last, an illustrative example of salary administration validates the reasonability and effectiveness of our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method suitable for the design of large aperture multi-wavelength confocal diffractive optical element (DOE) was proposed. The method is based on set operation for microstructures. As examples, different multi-wavelength confocal DOEs with aperture of 20 mm were designed. The results of the numerical simulations show that the confocal DOEs achieved diffraction-limited focusing performance at all design wavelengths, but the diffraction efficiencies were lower than the ideal DOEs. For experimental verification, one three-wavelength confocal DOE with focal length of 200 mm was fabricated and tested. The optimum full width at half maximum (FWHM) is preferably 1.067 times of the diffraction limit and the highest optical imaging solution reaches 94.6% of the diffraction limit. Both the simulation results and the experimental results verify the validity of this method for designing multi-wavelength confocal DOE. The presented work may find applications in large-aperture multi-wavelength laser communication, wide-spectrum diffractive telescopes, and high-precision multi-wavelength Computer generated holography (CGH). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decreased micronutrient concentration in cereal grains caused by excessive application of phosphorus (P) fertilizer may contribute to reduce their nutritional quality. To help correct this problem in maize grain, a 3-year field experiment was conducted to determine how P application rate affects micronutrient partitioning in maize shoots and other plant organs and micronutrient bioavailability in grain. Phosphorus application significantly decreased shoot zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) concentrations at all growth stages but had no effects on shoot iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) concentrations. As the P application rate increased, shoot Zn and Cu contents decreased, and shoot Fe and Mn contents increased. The ratios of pre-anthesis to post-anthesis mineral contents were not affected by P application rate except Zn. P application increased the percentage of Zn that was allocated to grain and decreased the percentage that was allocated to other tissues, but had no effects on the allocation of other micronutrients among tissues. The bioavailability of Zn, Cu, Fe, and Mn in grain decreased as P application rate increased. Overall, taking account of grain yield and nutrients concentration, P fertilizer rates should range from 12.5 to 25.0 kg P ha −1 under the local condition. It can be concluded that not only grain yields, but also nutritional quality, should be considered in assessing optimal P rates in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Zinc (Zn) nutrition affects wheat yield and the health of humans who consume wheat grain. This study determined: 1) how distributions of roots and available Zn (DTPA-Zn) in soil affect the Zn content of wheat plants; and 2) the concentrations of shoot Zn and soil DTPA-Zn needed to obtain high yields and the 'target value' of grain Zn biofortification (45 mg kg). Methods: Zn application rates were investigated in a field experiment, and Zn location relative to root location in the soil profile was investigated in a pot experiment. Results: In the field, wheat yield and tissue Zn levels increased with Zn application rate. High yields required 29.4 mg Zn kg in shoots and 1.98 mg DTPA-Zn kg in soil. The target value of Zn biofortification of grain was obtained with 31.6 mg Zn kg in shoots and 4.09 mg DTPA-Zn kg in soil. In the pot experiment, Zn application at 0-15/0-30 cm soil layers showed the most improvement with tissue Zn levels. Conclusion: Increasing soil available Zn and matching its distribution with that of roots can increase Zn uptake by wheat, yield, and the Zn concentration in grain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Increasing both yield and grain zinc (Zn) concentration (GZC) are the two important goals of maize production in China and elsewhere in the world. However, it is not clear whether soil application of Zn fertilizer could realize high yield and GZC. The current study aimed to examine how soil Zn application affects yield and GZC and what is the optimal DTPA-Zn for high yield and GZC requirement. Methods: A 3-year field experiment with Zn fertilizer application rates of 0, 10, 25, 50, 100, 150 kg ZnSO•7HO ha was conducted. Results: Soil Zn application significantly increased soil DTPA-Zn concentrations, maize yield, GZC and kernels number per spike; and decreased the length of barren ear tips. In each of these cases, the level of response was highly related to the quantity of Zn added to soil. The optimal soil DTPA-Zn concentration was 4.7 mg kg required to attain high yields and was 7.6 mg kg required to attain high GZC, respectively. Conclusion: Soil Zn fertilization can increase simultaneously both grain yield and GZC and achieved the biofortification of maize with Zn, and its realization depended on the available Zn concentrations in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A photo-electrochemical photo-anode of CdS-modified graphene foam (GF) was prepared by chemical vapor deposition method. The interconnected 3D scaffold network of the as-prepared CdS-modified GF composite not only facilitates the separation of photo-generated charge carrier, but also provides a direct pathway for charge transport in the conductive network, resulting in the enhanced photo-current response. Experimental results confirm that the deposition of the CdS nanowires (NWs) makes a major contribution to improving the photo-current density of as-prepared CdS NWs/GF photo-anode, which reaches a high value of 55 μA/cm 2 with clear light-on and -off. Meanwhile, the PEC reaction leads to the photo-corrosion of CdS NWs/GF photo-anode, resulting in the prominent decrease of photo-current density during the photo-electrochemical reactions. Such a CdS-modified 3D GF photo-anode with impressive photovoltaic properties provides a promising platform for photo-electrochemical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many finite element (FE) models for the impacts of ultrahigh-velocity micro-particles on ductile materials have been developed in the recent years. However, few FE models on brittle materials were found from the literatures. This paper presented an attempt to model the ultrahigh-velocity (417-528 m/s) impact process for alumina ceramics. The methodology involved the FE method analysis to estimate the volume of material removal based on the Johnson-Holmquist ceramic material (JH-2) model. Subsequently, the depth of penetration (DOP) on various abrasive waterjet (AWJ) turning parameters was predicted by the FE models and derived mathematical equations. The final depths of penetration predicted by the FE models were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. The average relative error between the predicted and experimental results was lower than 15 %. Furthermore, the preliminary mechanism of ceramic material removal was analyzed from the FE models. Under ultrahigh-velocity impact, the ceramic material removal stemmed from the initiation and propagation of the cracks. The large-scale ceramic material removal was caused by the crack coalescence. Thus, the DOP on AWJ turning process can be effectively predicted by the FE models. Expectantly, this paper will supply a guidance to select a proper method for predicting the AWJ turning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel spouted bed reactor is evaluated for water treatment by an adsorption and electrochemical regeneration process. The adsorbent is a bisulphate graphite intercalation compound with low specific surface area but high electrical conductivity, suitable for adsorption of contaminants and simultaneous electrochemical regeneration within a single unit. The effects of current density and liquid flow rate on Acid Violet 17 removal were investigated. The hydrodynamic behaviour of the liquid spouted bed reactor was characterised by a flow regime map. A four-parameter model has been developed to describe the adsorption and electrochemical regeneration process in the liquid spouted bed reactor. It was found that the experimental data of dye removal agrees well with the modelled simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As user-designer interactive products, smart, connected products (SCPs) have been highly focused. User satisfaction, being an important indicator to judge the performance of products, might be discussed through online customer reviews in the era of Big Data. Therefore, this paper tries to assess user satisfaction of SCPs with the aid of online reviews and then proposes a novel textual data-driven evaluation method. We first mine core attributes and evaluations by topics extraction and sentiment analysis instead of market survey approaches. Combining frequency weights and position weights, we then introduce an integrated approach to obtain the final importance of attributes. Specifically, a new frequency-oriented formula and a new position score-based formula are defined to calculate frequency and position weights, separately. Entire and partial user satisfaction degrees are subsequently analyzed by probabilistic linguistic-regret theory-multiplicative multi-objective optimization by ratio analysis (PL-RT-MULTIMOORA) and a formula with weighted rejoicing–regret values, respectively. Finally, the designed decision-making method is successfully applied to evaluate user satisfaction of smart speakers. Some useful suggestions are given to customers and manufacturers in the light of entire and partial user satisfaction degrees. • Design a textual data-driven evaluation method assessing user satisfaction of SCPs. • Mine core attributes and evaluations by data analysis techniques. • Determine final importance of attributes by frequency weights and position weights. • Entire and partial user satisfaction degrees are both discussed. • Provide some advice to customers and manufacturers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a powerful nonparametric approach for assessing the performance of decision making units (DMUs). Traditional DEA models usually utilize a self-evaluation mode to evaluate DMUs, which have the following shortcomings such as efficiency overestimation and incomplete ranking. As the extension of traditional DEA, cross-efficiency (CE) evaluation remedies these limitations. It connects self-evaluation with peer-evaluation to appraise DMUs and rank them. However, most existing studies on CE evaluation utilize the arithmetic average method to aggregate self-evaluation efficiency and peer-evaluation efficiency, while ignoring the significance of self-efficiency and the irrational psychology of decision-makers (DMs). Observed by the aforementioned phenomena, this paper employs regret theory to portray the regret aversion behavior of DMs and further proposes a novel regret cross-efficiency aggregation (RCEA) method. Considering aggressive and benevolent cross-efficiency models, we apply the RCEA method to calculate the regret-based aggressive cross-efficiency and the regret-based benevolent cross-efficiency, and introduce a parameter reflecting the psychological preference of DMs to aggregate them. To attain consensus between DMUs' expectations for efficiency and the ultimate integration results, we design a regret cross-efficiency adjustment algorithm. This algorithm provides a more acceptable evaluation result and derives a full ranking for all DMUs. Finally, the validity and feasibility of the proposed model are illustrated by evaluating the efficiency of scientific research activities in 13 universities in China. • We develop a novel regret cross-efficiency aggregation method. • Aggregate the regret cross-efficiency in line with DMs' psychological preferences. • A novel regret cross-efficiency ranking model considering consensus is proposed. • The validity of our model is verified by the evaluation of 13 Chinese universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce the seismic response of long and large-span continuous beam bridge, this paper carried out a study on vibration reduction control of long and large-span continuous beam bridge, and magnetorheological dampers are used to provide control force for the control scheme. Based on the LQR classic optimal active control algorithm, a semi-active control algorithm considering system fault tolerance is proposed. When some dampers fail, the fault-tolerant control algorithm provides compensation output to the control system, so that the control system can still maintain the expected control effect. The actual engineering example of a long and large-span continuous beam bridge is selected, and a finite element analysis program is written. The semi-active vibration reduction control of the long-span continuous beam bridge is calculated and analyzed in various combinations of working conditions. The calculation results show that the method in this paper has achieved good results in controlling the seismic response of the bridge structure. • Proposed a semi-active control algorithm considering system fault tolerance. • Optimized the weight matrix value of the LQR active control algorithm. • Verify the control effect of the fault-tolerant control algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Proposed a harvesting motion planning algorithm with a fast and high success rate. • Verified the algorithm by 2D and 3D simulations, in the lab and field environments. • Saved 40–60% of the path planning time by the algorithm. • Increased the path planning success rate to 95% in unstructured environment. Aiming at the problems of low success rate and long planning time of harvesting robots in unstructured and complex environments, a harvesting motion planning algorithm based on pre-harvesting guide points (Pre-harvesting Guide Informed—RRT*, PGI-RRT*) is proposed. This algorithm is on the basis of progressively optimal informed RRT * algorithm. The third point between the starting point and the target point is selected as the pre-harvesting guide point. The four random trees are generated between the initial point, the target point and the guide point at the same time to quickly obtain the initial path. In the PGI-RRT* algorithm, P probability sampling is used to replace random sampling to improve the blindness of sampling. New nodes are generated by the dynamic step size. To do so can improve the speed and flexibility of the PGI-RRT* algorithm to explore the unknown space, and improve the convergence speed of the optimal path. 2D simulation experiments show that, compared with Informed-RRT*, the PGI-RRT* algorithm can reduce the time to find the initial path by about 75–86 %, and improve the success rate by 18–32 %. 3D simulation experiments and experiments in laboratory and field environments show that the PGI-RRT* algorithm proposed in this paper can significantly reduce the planning time and improve the planning success rate. Compared to the 9 algorithms added to the pre-harvesting guide points for double path planning in the OMPL, the PGI-RRT* algorithm can reduce the path planning time by 40–60 %, and improve the success rate of path planning to 95 %, and shorten the execution time of the manipulator by about 8 s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights from the article: The formation, composition and evolution of the oldest continental crust is the logical starting point for discussing the differentiation and development of the crust-mantle system and the tectonic evolution of the Earth. The North China Craton (NCC) is the largest Archean to Paleoproterozoic craton in China. 11 Y.S. Wan B. Song D.Y. Liu SHRIMP U-Pb zircon geochronology of Paleoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks in the North China Craton: evidence for a major Late Paleoproterozoic tectono thermal event Precambrian Res 149 2006 249 271.

Symbols are considered as the language of a map; hence, accurate understanding of the meaning of symbols is crucial when obtaining geographical information from a map: the symbolisation of spatial data is of key importance in cartography. A geographical information system (GIS) provides a convenient mapping platform and powerful functions for spatial data symbolisation, while the presence of various mapping standards impedes the understanding of maps and sharing of map information. On the other hand, the available GIS platforms find it difficult to deal with automatic conversion between maps and different mapping standards. To resolve this problem, an approach for symbol recognition and automatic conversion is proposed, and a conversion system based on the approach and the ArcGIS Engine platform is developed to realise automatic conversion between maps produced based on different mapping standards. To test these conversion effects of the proposed system, the petroleum sector is chosen as the research field and the mutual conversion of a map in practical work among the three mapping standards (i.e. the Chinese Petroleum, Shell and USGS standards) governing this field is taken as a case study. The results show that the conversion system has a high conversion accuracy and strong applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a natural extension of three-way decisions with incomplete information, this paper provides a novel three-way decision model based on incomplete information system. First, we define a new relation to describe the similarity degree of incomplete information. Then, in view of the missing values presented in incomplete information system, we utilize interval number to acquire the loss function. A hybrid information table which consist both of the incomplete information and loss function, is used to deal with the new three-way decision model. The key steps and algorithm for constructing the integrated three-way decision model are also carefully investigated. An empirical study of medical diagnosis validates the reasonability and effectiveness of our proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foliar zinc (Zn) application represents an effective way to improve grain Zn concentration of cereal crops. Spraying Zn together insecticides would be an important advantage for the growers to minimize costs. However, there is very little information about combined foliar application of Zn fertilizers together with insecticides. A field experiment was conducted to investigate how spraying Zn fertilizer in form of ZnSO 4 together with commonly applied insecticides (e.g., Acetamiprid and Imidacloprid) affects the grain Zn concentration of wheat grown in the Northern China Plain. The main treatment included three levels: only insecticide applied (recorded as T1); foliar Zn fertilizer applied one day after insecticide application (recorded as T2); foliar Zn fertilizer applied together with insecticide (recorded as T3). The results showed that there was no antagonistic effect between insecticide and Zn when they were sprayed together. Compared with insecticide application only, foliar application of Zn fertilizer with insecticide increased grain yield by 3.7–4.9%, and grain Zn density by 48.2–61.6%. Grain yield and grain Zn concentration were not affected no matter Zn fertilizers were applied simultaneously with insecticide or one day after. The toxic effect of insecticide on insects was not affected when it was mixed with Zn fertilizer in the laboratory condition. Compared with application of Zn fertilizer and insecticide at different times, simultaneous combination can reduce the cost by 120 USD ha −1 and increase farmers’ net income by 6.3%. Therefore the results show clearly that ZnSO 4 can be mixed and sprayed together with insecticide without causing any adverse effect. This is a very useful and cost-effective approach for growers contributing both to improving grain yield and grain Zn concentration and controlling aphids as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]