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Using the large-scale constant stiffness pile-soil interface direct shear test system, the direct shear test of cohesive soil-concrete pile-soil interface was carried out by applying different normal stresses under different interface roughness levels. The interface shear strength and its parameters (interface adhesion, interface friction angle), interface shear failure displacement and interface shear stiffness are analyzed. The results show that the interface shear strength, interface friction angle, interface shear stiffness coefficient and interface residual shear stress all increase with the increase of the surface roughness of concrete, with the maximum increase of 35.80%. However, the interface adhesion first decreases and then increases with the increase of roughness, with an increase of 23.70%. Therefore, the mechanical properties of the pile-soil interface are affected by the roughness, and the test results can provide reference for the engineering practice of static pressure piles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New particle formation (NPF) is a global phenomenon that significantly influences climate. NPF also contributes to haze, with pronounced negative impacts on human health. Theory and observations both show that nucleation is favored during clean days and inhibited during haze episodes due to a high pre‐existing condensation sink (CS). Here we show that the surprising occurrence of NPF during haze days in Beijing is associated with a high concentration of sulfuric acid dimers. With both field observations and model simulations, we demonstrate that downward mixing of sulfur dioxide (SO2) from the residual layer aloft enhances ground level SO2, which in turn elevates sulfuric acid dimer after rapid SO2 oxidation in the polluted air. Our results address a key gap between the source of SO2 and its atmospheric oxidation products during haze conditions in a megacity, Beijing, providing a missing link in a complete chain describing NPF in the polluted atmosphere. Plain Language Summary: New particle formation is a global phenomenon with notable effects on climate and health. Recent studies have argued that atmospheric nucleation during haze episodes with high aerosol loading should not occur. In spite of this, we have observed intensive nucleation events during haze episodes in Beijing and found an unexpected high concentration of sulfur dioxide (SO2), along with a decreased condensation sink (CS) owing to the development of boundary layer. The SO2 originates from emissions by tall stacks outside of Beijing and is subsequently transported downward from the morning residual layer to the surface, this contributes to peaks of SO2 during the day. A decreased loss of sulfuric acid dimer owing to a decreased CS drives nucleation during haze episodes. As the phenomenon of a later morning SO2 peak exactly coincide with nucleation has been widely reported in eastern China, we highlight the importance of emissions of SO2 from tall smokestacks in atmospheric nucleation events. Key Points: Sulfuric acid dimer is involved in new particle formation (NPF) events during haze episodes in BeijingField observation and model simulation confirm downward mixing of sulfur dioxide from residual layerHigh formation rate of sulfuric acid dimer owing to a decreased condensation sink promotes NPF during haze [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The MoS 2 -based mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) exhibited excellent pervaporation separation for aromatic compounds, but the narrow interlayer spacing and few affinity sites in MoS 2 limited the simultaneous improvement in the total flux and separation factor. Therefore, constructing 2-PE transport channels and affinity sites in MMMs is of significant importance to improve the pervaporation separation performance. Herein, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (IL) was intercalated into the interlayer of the molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2) under electrostatic and concentration diffusion interactions to obtain IL@MoS 2. Then, IL@MoS 2 was incorporated into polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to prepare MMMs for efficient 2-PE separation, which had good miscibility with polymer matrix. The total flux, separation factor and pervaporation separation index of as-prepared MMMs reached 1466 g m−2 h−1, 33 and 47,571 g m−2 h−1, separately, which increased by 26 %, 31 % and 44 % compared with that of PDMS embedding with MoS 2. This is because IL@MoS 2 in MMMs not only can afford 2-PE transport channels, but also provide 2-PE affinity sites due to the hydrogen bonds and π-π interactions, which promotes the solubility of 2-PE in MMMs. When the concentration of maltol increased to 1500 ppm in 2-PE aqueous solution, the 2-PE flux and separation factor of 2-PE/water only decreased by 23 % and 26 %, revealing that MMMs had good 2-PE selectivity in 2-PE/maltol/water mixture. In addition, it displayed exceptional durability during 168 h testing, demonstrating that this membrane had a good application prospect for 2-PE separation. [Display omitted] • The interlayer spacing of MoS 2 was regulated by intercalation modification of IL to prepare IL@MoS 2. • IL@MoS 2 was incorporated into PDMS to engineer MMMs for 2-PE pervaporation separation. • IL@MoS 2 in MMMs intensified 2-PE pervaporation separation due to the hydrogen bonds and π-π interactions. • MMMs had a flux of 1466 g m−2 h−1 with a separation factor of 33 which was higher than that embedded with MoS 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The new digital shearography meets the requirements of high standards, making it suitable for dynamic tests while providing high-quality phase maps. • Both shearing direction and amount can be controlled quantitatively and accurately. • Phase maps can be evaluated with a single exposure. • High light efficiency and accurate phase demodulation lead to high-quality phase maps. Digital shearography (DS), a laser-based optical interferometric method, is widely employed for measuring the first-order derivative of an object's surface deformation. Unlike digital holography, DS integrates self-reference optics, enhancing resistance to environmental disturbance and improving detection sensitivity, making it ideal for non-destructive testing (NDT). DS finds applications in diverse fields such as material inspection, fluid property research, medical diagnostics, cultural heritage restoration, and military defense. The conventional temporal phase-shift (TPS) method encounters limitations in dynamic tests, leading to the introduction of the spatial phase-shift (SPS) method. However, SPS is restricted by aperture size, impacting the phase map quality. The spatial light modulator (SLM) introduces a novel approach to DS system development, enabling quantitative shearing adjustments through precise SLM control. Existing DS systems using traditional phase-shift technology rely on interferometers and struggle to achieve high-quality phase maps with a single exposure. The proposed high-performance DS, leveraging both SLM and a micro-polarizer camera, overcomes this limitation, facilitates single-exposure phase map evaluation with the polarization phase-shift technique, and eliminates the need for a tiny aperture, enhancing light beam utilization and phase map quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a novel system for synchronous measurement of out-of-plane deformation and two orthogonal slopes using a single camera. The linearly polarized reference beam introduced by an optical fiber interferes with the unpolarized object beam to measure the out-of-plane deformation. A modified Machâ€"Zehnder interferometer is used to measure the two orthogonal slopes of the out-of-plane deformation. One of the object beams of the Machâ€"Zehnder interferometer is an unpolarized beam, and the other object beam is split into two orthogonal linearly polarized object beams by a polarizing prism. The two beams are orthogonally polarized. Hence, they will not interfere with each other. The two polarized beams respectively interfere with the unpolarized beam to simultaneously measure the two orthogonal slopes of the out-of-plane deformation. In addition, the imaging lens and apertures are respectively placed in three optical paths to independently control the carrier frequencies and shearing amounts. The effectiveness of this method can be proved by measuring two pressure-loaded circular plates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multi-level point cloud processing scheme that significantly improves the quality of point cloud fusion. • The solution has the ability to process static and dynamic multi-view point clouds. • Digital image correlation can easily generate enough point cloud data. Post-processing of the initial point cloud is one of the important ways to improve the measurement accuracy of digital image correlation (DIC). In this study, a multi-level point cloud optimization scheme is proposed for processing point clouds of multi-view images in DIC systems. Dense point clouds obtained after interpolation of primary point clouds from multi-view images contain noise. First, the local Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC) algorithm is proposed to retain local features while removing coarse matching points. Defects are filled in by the adaptive cavity repair technique based on information around the cavities and restores the original surface shape to the greatest extent. Finally, a multi-layer surface filtering is executed to smooth the mesh. Experiments verify the comprehensive performance of the multi-level optimization scheme, providing excellent results in point cloud fusion, cavity repair, and mesh smoothing, regardless of static 3D reconstruction or dynamic deformation measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the aging assessment method of the oil–paper insulation in power transformers, the polarization and depolarization current (PDC) characteristics of oil–paper composite insulation samples are investigated under high applied voltage. Based on the asymmetry of polarization absorption current and depolarization current and the polarity effect of insulation pressboard, the repeated polarization current test method is proposed. A novel aging characteristic parameter, which is the ratio of the normalized charge for the first polarization and the normalized charge for the second polarization, is extracted. The difference between the decay rates of the first polarization current and the second polarization current increases at first and then decreases with the polarization time, and decreases with increasing aging degree of the pressboard. The more serious the insulation aging is, the smaller the variation range of aging characteristic parameter with polarization time is, and the closer the value is to 1. With decrease in the DP, the maximum of aging characteristic parameter changes in a decreasing trend. The aging condition of the oil–paper composite insulation can be assessed by the repeated polarization current method and the relationship between the aging characteristic parameter and the polarization time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adding timely rehabilitation surgery is an optimized perioperative measure that can reduce physical stress, reduce surgical risks, and postoperative complications and promote the recovery of organ function. Therefore, it is of great value to study its application in gastrointestinal surgery (GS). To this end, this article applies retrospective analysis and statistical methods to conduct targeted investigations and studies on GS patients. The results of the survey showed that 26.7% of patients were effective in ARS and 40% were effective in treatment. Compared with traditional treatment methods, its effective treatment rate is 13.4% higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geological conditions of urban subway foundation pits are controllable factors in determining the deformation of pits. In this paper, the monitoring data and statistical data of a subway deep foundation pit in North China are presented and compared with those of Tianjin subway. The deformation characteristics of the proposed pit, open excavated with triple-layer steel supports, are introduced in detail. Based on the aforementioned information, the energy conservation equation of the mobilized strength design (MSD) method in which the compression deformation energy of internal support is considered is applied to predict the maximum lateral movement. The maximum lateral movement turns out to be 22.2 mm according to the improved MSD method, which is very close to the measured value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human health and marine life are being compromised consequent to the accumulation of municipal solid waste on many beaches and the scientific community is seriously concerned about this situation. The present study is the pioneer to determine the abundance and the composition of beach litter along the Aoshan Beach in Qingdao, China. The quantitative survey of the Aoshan Beach was conducted for approximately 3 months (May to July 2019) to evaluate the number of different types of litter. The average litter composition and its weight for 3 months were estimated to be 4441 ± 364.16 items/km with the corresponding weight was 260.52 ± 28.53 kg/km, respectively. The findings demonstrated that plastic litter was the most abundant by count (32.21% of the total account) followed by ropes and cotton (24.92%) and wood (14.20%). The weight of ropes and cotton was the maximum (22.52% of the total account), followed by plastics (20.47%), wood, and glass 14.59 and 14.94%. Moreover, floating litter from the Yellow sea deposited along the coast by high and low tidal waves. It was concluded that mitigation measures must be adopted to decrease littering its source, waste management, recycling, developing efficient tolls, and pursuing a long-term public awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Objectives Search Strategy Selection Criteria Data Collection and Analysis Main Results Conclusions Adverse pregnancy outcomes, which can be caused by multiple factors, present a significant threat to the health of mothers and their babies. Cell‐free fetal DNA (cffDNA) from placental trophoblast cells might be able to reflect placental and fetal status. Previous studies have yielded controversial results regarding the association of FF or cffDNA with various adverse pregnancy outcomes. A previous study has attempted to systematically assess the association between low fetal fraction (FF) and adverse pregnancy outcomes, but it failed to perform quantitative analyses due to the few studies included. In the present study, we attempted to quantitatively assess the association of FF (or cffDNA) with adverse pregnancy outcomes and further analyze the causes of heterogeneity.To investigate the association of high/low FF or cffDNA with adverse pregnancy outcomes.We searched the databases of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science from January 1, 1990, to June 15, 2022 in this meta‐analysis.Studies on the relationships of adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with FF or cell free DNA were included. Non‐English literature was excluded.Data about pregnancy outcomes and cell free DNA were extracted and meta‐analyzed. Subgroup analysis was performed by different outcomes.There were 11 studies included involving 8280 participants. No significant heterogeneity was observed among the studies (I2 = 27%, 25%), and a fixed‐effect model was used for weighted quantitative analysis. The results revealed that the FF or cffDNA during pregnancy was significantly associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women (OR = 1.57, 95% CI [1.24, 1.99], P = 0.233). The overall incidence of the maternal adverse outcomes was 8% (95% CI: 5–13). Subgroup analysis of different outcomes showed an evident association between low FF or cffDNA and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) (OR = 1.76, 95% CI [1.36, 2.27], P = 0.581). There was no evidence that the occurrence of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) and placental abnormality was associated with FF or cffDNA. No association was observed between low FF or cffDNA during pregnancy and adverse outcomes in fetuses (OR = 1.39, 95% CI [0.99, 1.94], P = 0.242). The overall incidence of adverse outcomes in fetuses was 8% (95% CI: 6–11). There were controversies over the association between high FF or cffDNA and HDP, and sPTB and small for gestational age infant, among different studies.Pregnant women with low FF or cffDNA during the first or second trimester of pregnancy have an overall increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, especially HDP. However, the association between FF and various pregnancy outcomes needs to be further explored by more prospective studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The longitudinal deformation profile (LDP) is the profile of wall displacement versus the distance from the tunnel face. To develop LDP equations, numerical methods and in situ experiments have been used to obtain the deformation of a tunnel in three-dimensional space. However, extant approaches are inadequate in terms of explaining the mechanical relation between the wall displacement and the conditions of a tunnel (e.g., properties of rock). In this paper, an analytical approach is proposed to develop a new LDP equation. First, on the basis of the axisymmetric elastic model of a tunnel, a closed-form solution of wall displacement is derived. Then, a new LDP equation is presented according to the solution developed above; the coefficient β, defined as the ratio of the effective range of the "face effect" to the radius of the tunnel, is proposed for the first time. Finally, a case study is proposed to validate the practicability of this equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastic pollution is considered to be a major coastal environmental issue worldwide, and studies have confirmed the ubiquitous nature of microplastics on many beaches. To best of our knowledge, no previous study on microplastic pollution has been conducted in the present study area to date. This study examined the microplastic abundance, polymer type, size, shape and color in the sediments of Liuqinghewan Bathing Beach and the fishing port beach of Qingdao, China. Microplastics (1–0.5, 0.5–0.25 and 0.25–0.125 mm) were extracted from beach sediments using a density separation method. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to determine the chemical composition of the plastics while physical characteristics (size, shape, and color) of microplastics were observed using a stereomicroscope. The average microplastic abundance values with the grain size ranges from 1 to 0.125 mm at Liuqinghewan Bathing Beach and at the fishing port beach were approximately 208 ± 3.5 and 299 ± 5.7 microplastics per kg of dry sand, respectively. The number of microplastic particles with the grain size from 0.25 to 0.125 mm was significantly higher than for the other grain sizes. Microplastics were mainly multicolor fibers in all samples making up a large proportion that exceeded 97%. On the basis of FTIR analysis, the microplastics were shown to be composed of polypropylene and polystyrene at both sites. Microplastic characteristics used to identify their origin revealed high development and industrialization predict the non-point source of microplastics related to their hydrodynamic and geographical conditions. Assessing the distribution and characterization of microplastics on sandy beaches of some regions is not novel but a rather common study. However, the outcomes of current study furnish valuable and novel data for the evaluation of microplastic concentrations in beach sediments, environmental risks in China, and a baseline for future analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although much attention has been paid to investigating and controlling air pollution in China, the trends of air-pollutant concentrations on a national scale have remained unclear. Here, we quantitatively investigated the variation of air pollutants in China using long-term comprehensive data sets from 2013 to 2017, during which Chinese government made major efforts to reduce anthropogenic emission in polluted regions. Our results show a significant decreasing trend in the PM2.5 concentration in heavily polluted regions of eastern China, with an annual decrease of ∼7% compared with measurements in 2013. The measured decreased concentrations of SO2, NO2 and CO (a proxy for anthropogenic volatile organic compounds) could explain a large fraction of the decreased PM2.5 concentrations in different regions. As a consequence, the heavily polluted days decreased significantly in corresponding regions. Concentrations of organic aerosol, nitrate, sulfate, ammonium and chloride measured in urban Beijing revealed a remarkable reduction from 2013 to 2017, connecting the decreases in aerosol precursors with corresponding chemical components closely. However, surface-ozone concentrations showed increasing trends in most urban stations from 2013 to 2017, which indicates stronger photochemical pollution. The boundary-layer height in capital cities of eastern China showed no significant trends over the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei, Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta regions from 2013 to 2017, which confirmed the reduction in anthropogenic emissions. Our results demonstrated that the Chinese government was successful in the reduction of particulate matter in urban areas from 2013 to 2017, although the ozone concentration has increased significantly, suggesting a more complex mechanism of improving Chinese air quality in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detection of litter along beaches in many countries indicates an anthropoginic source of marine pollution. The abundance and composition of litter were measured for the first time along the No.1 Bathing Beach, Qingdao, China. Surveys were conducted during May to July, 2018 in order to estimate the occurrence and abundance of nine litter types. In total, 4476 litter items were collected with a corresponding weight of 330.2 kg. The most prominent litter was plastic followed by paper, wood, and (cloth and ropes) with corresponding percentages of 49.91, 10.30 and 9.76% of the total litter items. Plastics were the most abundant litter type (38.81%) in term of weight, followed by paper (12.11%) and food items (9.07%). The main sources of litter included human recreational activities, e.g. tourism, fisheries and cafes. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between the number/weight of different items during the three months of study. The results of the present study will help to administer effective beach litter management programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ocean trench is a major surface feature of a subduction zone, formed by the subduction of a lithospheric plate into the mantle. Despite the importance of ocean trench depth, the primary factors controlling it have not been systematically studied. In this study, we collected several global datasets and performed stepwise regression analysis to investigate this issue. Bathymetric data illustrate that the maximum depth of global trenches varies from −3282 m to −10,924 m, with an average depth of −6125.8 m. Global trench depth generally follows a normal distribution, but also shows a bimodal pattern. Our analysis results suggest that slab age (A s), slab dip (θ s), sediment thickness (T sed), and crust thickness (T c) within a trench are the primary factors controlling global trench depth. The influence of A s , T sed , and T c on trench depth is similar and is much greater than that of θ s. Collectively, these four factors account for 77 % of the variation in trench depth, and other factors including data resolution, reheating events on the seafloor or dynamic topography may account for the remaining 23 % of the trench depth variation. Hierarchical cluster analysis indicates that when a trench enters a terminal stage, its exceptionally thick T sed and T c will cause the trench depth to significantly shallow, irrespective of how strongly the A s and θ s vary. Prior to this, the trench depth is mainly controlled by A s and θ s because T sed and T c are generally small. Our study also reveals varying degrees of correlation between trench depth and subduction zone kinematic parameters including subducting plate velocity (V subn), upper plate velocity (V upn), thermal parameter (φ), trench migration velocity (V tn), subduction velocity (V sn), back-arc deformation rate (V d), and subduction polarity (P sub). There seems to be no correlation between subduction duration (T sub) and trench depth. We consider these linkages between trench depth and subduction kinematic parameters are the result of the correlations between these parameters and A s , θ s or T sed in trenches. • This study analyzes global trench depths and their controlling factors. • High-resolution global seafloor bathymetric data make this analysis possible. • Slab age, slab dip, thickness of sediment and crust primarily control trench depth. • We identified five clusters of global trenches based on four controlling factors. • Trench depth is also indirectly linked to subduction zone kinematic parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A high precision roll angle measurement method based on digital holography is proposed. • This method requires only a single hologram to obtain the phase of two object beams, thus enabling dynamic measurement of the roll angle. • Relying on the rough surface of the measured object, this method does not require the installation of a target on the measured object. • Based on the numerical reconstruction principle of digital holography, there is no need to adjust the imaging system to refocus when the measurement distance changes. Among the six degrees of freedom for a moving body, measuring roll angle is the most difficult. In this study, a noncontact, no-imaging dynamic roll angle measurement system based on holography is proposed. Two beams of light are used to irradiate the measured object symmetrically, then two reflected light and the reference light interfere with each other to produce a hologram. By extracting the phase information of the two reflected light from two illumination beams using single hologram, this method achieves dynamic measurement of in-plane deformation, and then the roll angle is obtained through subsequent data processing. The effectiveness of the proposed method in-plane roll angle measurement is validated based on theoretical and experimental results. Experimental results show that the proposed method measures roll angle with high accuracy at both fixed and varied distances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membranes are widely used for the separation of similar molecular kinetic diameter gas. However, their performance is limited by a large amount of discontinuous porous structures and a few adsorption affinity sites. Herein, we first prepared magnetic Co@NC@ZIF-8 nanoparticles, followed by introducing it into the polyimides matrix to design precursor membrane with vertical nanochain-like particle distribution by magnetic field induction. Afterwards, hybrid carbon molecular sieve (HCMS) membranes were prepared by pyrolyzing precursor with high-temperature under N 2 atmosphere, which had ordered microporous architecture and Co-N-C structure. Resultant HCMS membranes prepared by magnetic field induction had excellent gas separation performance, whose CO 2 , N 2 and CH 4 permeabilities were 27,050, 2614 and 622 Barrer, with CO 2 /N 2 , CO 2 /CH 4 and N 2 /CH 4 selectivities of 10.4, 43.5 and 4.2 respectively. These values far exceeded 2019 CO 2 /CH 4 and 2008 N 2 /CH 4 upper bounds as well as approached 2008 CO 2 /N 2 upper bound. The superior performance resulted from the vertically ordered nanochain-like channels for gas transport, which dramatically shortens the transport path of gas molecules to intensify shape sieving potential. Moreover, the Co-N-C structure on the wall of channels could facilitate CO 2 transport due to the π complexation. Additionally, a large quantity of nitrogen sites in the carbonized Co@NC@ZIF-8 enhance CO 2 adsorption selectivity owing to the acid-base interaction. More remarkably, after 30-day aging testing, it was found that HCMS membranes prepared by magnetic field induction had exceptional aging resistance compared to the pristine CMS membranes and one without magnetic field induction under the same aging environments. [Display omitted] • HCMS membranes hybridized by magnetic Co@NC@ZIF-8 core-shell were designed by magnetic field induction. • The Co-N-C structure could cause π complexation with CO 2 to implement facilitated transport. • M-CMS/Co@NC@ZIF-8 had CO 2 permeability of 27,050 Barrer with CO 2 /CH 4 and N 2 /CH 4 selectivity of 43.5 and 4.2 respectively. • Ordered nanochain-like channels can inhibit the aging of HCMS membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • We propose an error elimination method for thermal disturbance in high-temperature environment using color speckle and camera instead of traditional industrial camera. • This measurement method is simpler and easier, and the accuracy and practicability of the measurement are higher than the existing methods. • All the advantages of digital image correlation method, including simple structure, non-contact and full field measurement. • No stringent synchronization is required because what we process is the grayscale information of different channels of each picture. • Suitable for any complex high temperature environment. Abstract Digital image correlation method is a kind of displacement and strain measurement technique based on visible light illumination. It can realize non-contact and full-field measurement with lower requirements on the measurement environment, thus it's widely used in testing and research for mechanical properties of materials at high temperature. But there are many factors affecting the measurement accuracy due to the complexity of the high temperature environment, of which the influence of the thermal disturbance on digital image correlation method is the most obvious. In order to reduce the influence of it and improve the measurement accuracy, this paper proposes a measurement method for eliminating thermal disturbance error in high temperature deformation measurement based on color speckle and camera. Two kinds of grayscale field information of different colors were endued to the surface of specimen, and we collected images by color camera with channel separation for each frame of them. Then we processed the grayscale field of two channels separately combined with the digital image correlation method, analyzed the information carried by two different grayscale fields, and a simple mathematical model was performed to separate the thermal disturbance error from the measurement results. Finally, we set up the experimental system, built the mathematical model between the two channels through static measurement experiment, which was used to extract and correct the thermal disturbance error of measurement results of the rigid body motion experiment. The high consistency between corrected result and true displacement value proved the feasibility and accuracy of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Specular surface is illuminated by scattered light to generate speckle patten. • The sensitivity factor is influenced by surface normal of the specular surface. • The specular surface is conjugated to the interferogram in the optical setup. • Defects below specular surface is detected by the proposed shearography. Abstract Shearography has been widely used in non-destructive testing due to its advantages of fast, full-field, and high sensitivity for nondestructive test and strain measurement. Shearography has been applied successfully to various industry applications. However, traditional shearography requires the surface under test to be sufficiently rough. This study presents a modified shearography setup that can be applied to workpieces with specular surface which is illuminated by light scattered from a rough plane to generate speckle patten. In the optical setup, the specular surface is conjugated to the phase map to simplify the positional correspondence between the interferogram and the internal defects. The sensitivity factor is analyzed through ray tracing method based on geometric optics which is influenced by the surface normal. The experimental results are described and presented as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The SLM can change the phase of the light and the amount of shear. • The nonlinear random error in phase shift method can be eliminated. • The efficiency of detection can be greatly improved. Abstract The paper presents a new shearography system which applies a spatial light modulator (SLM). The system can control the shearing amount and direction as well as introduce the phase shift accurately and automatically, making shearographic testing easier and more practical. Shearography has the known advantages for nondestructive test and strain measurements of being fast, full-field, and having high sensitivity. Traditionally, the shearing amount is controlled by adjusting a reflector mechanically. Mechanical adjustment of the reflector is slow, inconvenient and not well suited for in-field NDT practice. For application of phase shift techniques, a piezoelectric transducer (PZT), which is usually used for application of phase shift techniques, introduces random error due to its tendency to be nonlinear. This paper introduces a new shearographic detection system with a spatial light modulator. The spatial light modulator controls the liquid crystal by using a birefringence effect and twisted nematic effect. The spatial light modulator can change the phase of the light and shearing amount accurately and automatically, thus eliminating the nonlinear random error in the phase shift method. Furthermore, this system also improves testing efficiency. In this paper, the fundamental of SLM shearography is presented. The capability of this optical configuration is demonstrated theoretically as well as through experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Polyaniline-decorated halloysite nanotubes (PANI-d-HNTs) having a multilayer hollow tubular structure were incorporated into sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) to prepare high-performance mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) for CO 2 /N 2 separation. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that PANI-d-HNTs were tightly wrapped by SPEEK chains. The strong interfacial interaction between PANI-d-HNTs and SPEEK, as confirmed by attenuated total-reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry, led to excellent miscibility between the polymer and halloysite nanotubes, which in turn, resulted in improved mechanical properties for the MMMs. The highest CO 2 permeability of 1260 Barrer and a CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of 87 were achieved for MMMs loaded with 0.9 wt% PANI-d-HNTs; these values exceeded the Robeson's upper bound proposed in 2008, and were also much higher than those of MMMs containing 0.9 wt% HNTs, for which, a CO 2 permeability of 1093 Barrer and CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of 74 were observed. It is proposed that PANI-d-HNTs with a multilayer hollow tubular structure can be used as high-speed facilitated channels for CO 2 transport, where densely arranged secondary amine groups readily reacted with CO 2 to facilitate transport in the MMMs. Importantly, durability testing indicated that MMMs loaded with 0.9 wt% PANI-d-HNTs maintained outstanding CO 2 permselectivity for over 120 h, suggesting the superior stability of the membranes under mixed gas feed conditions. Graphical abstract fx1 Highlights • Hollow tubular PANI-d-HNTs were introduced to SPEEK membrane for CO 2 transport. • The CO 2 permselectivity of MMMs was higher than that of the pure SPEEK membrane. • High-speed CO 2 transport channels in MMMs contributed to high CO 2 permselectivity. • The densely arranged amine groups present on channels can facilitate CO 2 transport. • Good compatibility between PANI-d-HNTs and polymer matrix was obtained in MMMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Smartly coupling exonuclease-induced target recycling signal amplifications with β-cyclodextrin host-guest recognition, a novel "signal-on" aptamer sensor for sensitive determination of ochratoxin A (OTA) was proposed for the first time. Firstly, the formation of double-strand DNA (dsDNA) was occurred by hybridizing OTA aptamer with its complementary DNA (cDNA) and as the probe DNA the cDNA at its 3′ terminal was labeled with methylene blue (MB). Next, when OTA was present, the aptamer tended to form aptamer-OTA complex with conformation of G-quadruplex instead of aptamer-cDNA duplex, leading to thus the probe DNA separating from dsDNA complex. Then the RecJf exonuclease was added, demolishing partially G-quadruplex structure and releasing a certain number of OTA. Sequentially, those released OTA would continue to react with the rest of aptamer in dsDNA, drawn into development of a new round of G-quadruplex complex, where the target cycling was realized. Meanwhile, as a signal molecule, MB modified on cDNA was liberated along with the cDNA being digested into monoucleotides by RecJf exonuclease, capable of diffusing onto the electrode surface due to host-guest recognition with β-cyclodextrin, whereupon the signal was enriched and yielded. In this way, cycles of target with continuous output of signal indicators were undergone, in which the detection of target was in return fulfilled with signal amplification owing to the joint endeavor of exonuclease and β-cyclodextrin. Under the optimal conditions, the raising signal maintained a linear relation with the logarithm of the target concentrations ranging from 10 pg/mL to 10.0 ng/mL and the detection limit reached as low as 3 pg/mL. This brand-new strategy was simple and low-cost but satisfactory in terms of detection limit, range and sensitivity, in all possibility to be applied extensively for diverse targets detection by easily alternating the corresponding aptamers. Highlights • A well-performed ochratoxin A aptasensor was proposed using exonucleases and β-cyclodextrin. • The employment of RecJf exonuclease triggered the target cycling and signal amplification. • The host-guest recognition with β-cyclodextrin facilitated capturing signal molecules, enabling the signal enrichment. • The selectivity was ensured by the adoption of aptamer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a Double Imaging Mach-Zehnder Spatial Carrier Digital Shearography (DIM-SCDS) system. Compared to traditional Spatial Carrier Mach-Zehnder shearography, DIM-SCDS has two advantages: one is that it can adjust shearing amount and spatial carrier frequency independently; the other one is that it can measure a larger area with a shorter working distance. Two pairs of imaging lenses and apertures are placed in the two arms of Mach-Zehnder interferometry, respectively. Shearing amount is adjusted by the mirrors in the two arms, and spatial carrier frequency is determined by the angle between the two apertures when they are mapped to the same optical axis. Shearograms of the object under test are recorded using a CCD. Shearogram phases are calculated as the measurement results. Finally, the performance of DIM-SCDS is proved by experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Baicalin largely alleviated the symptoms of systolic and diastolic pressures and reduced urine protein. • Baicalin protected against liver and kidney cells apoptosis. • Baicalin effected the apoptotic proteins expression of liver and kidney tissue in JEG-3 cells and rat preeclampsia model. Abstract The incidence of acute liver and kidney injury in pregnancy is companied by Preeclampsia (PE), which has remained a major cause of maternal and fetal morbidity, and mortality. Therefore, a significant treatment to protect against liver and kidney injury of PE requires new drugs to develop potential therapeutic benefits to the clinic. Baicalin played protection role on inhibition of cell apoptosis which is a potential drug for keep liver and kidney from acute injury on PE patients. In this study, we made PE rat disease model with liver and kidney acute injury, and then used low-, medium-, and high-dose of Baicalin to treat PE rat, respectively. We found that Baicalin attenuated acute injury symptoms and inhibited apoptosis of rat liver and kidney tissues. The intervention of Baicalin increased the expression of anti-apoptotic protein XIAP and Bcl-2, reduced the expression of apoptotic protein Caspase-9 in rat liver; and similarly, Baicalin increased the expression of Bcl-2, while inhibited Caspase-9 and AT1 in rat kidney. Interestingly, Baicalin intervention with medium dose showed a better function for inhibiting apoptosis. Our data suggests that Baicalin is a potentially therapeutic candidate for preventing liver and kidney damage, which shed a light on therapeutic benefit for PE rat models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • An osmotic-tolerant mutant was obtained by high-throughput screening technology. • Fatty acid composition and intermediates contributed to improve osmotic tolerance. • 248 g/L glucose was totally consumed by neutralizing agent combination strategy. • 223.7 g/L lactic acid was produced with an overall productivity of 5.53 g/L/h. • Open fermentation was carried out for highly efficient lactic acid production. Abstract High titer, productivity and yield are the main pre-requisites of an efficient lactic acid production process. However, the hyperosmotic stress inhibits cell metabolism in the later phase of fermentation. In this study, an osmotic-tolerant mutant named Lactobacillus paracasei NCBIO01-M2 was obtained through a high-throughput screening technology, which exhibited a higher tolerance to osmotic stress due to its more flexible regulation of the unsaturated fatty acid proportion along with the intracellular compatible solute pools. The mutant successfully consumed all 248 g/L initial glucose and produced 223.7 g/L lactic acid with a productivity of 5.53 g/L/h in a single batch fermentation by the neutralizing agent strategy. Moreover, similar fermentation performances were also achieved in the open fermentation mode without sterilization by the mutant, which suggested that the mutant would be a potential for cost-effective commercial lactic acid production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A novel aptamer sensor for ratiometric ochratoxin A (OTA) detection was constructed based on the host-guest competition mode. Firstly, the aptamer modified with methylene blue (MB) at its terminal was fixed on the surface of the gold electrode via the host-guest recognition with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD). Then the MoS 2 nanosheets/Au NPs nanocomposites were used for the signal amplification. When OTA was present, the configuration of MB-aptamer transformed from vertical linear to G-quadruplex, thus making itself unable to get close to the electrode surface and causing a decrease in the redox current of the MB-aptamer. Whereas the free ferrocenecarboxylic acid could recognize and occupy the vacant site and produce signals in the current, resulting in the “ratiometric” effect. Consequently, on the basis of the “dual-signal” principle, a highly sensitive detection of OTA was made, indicating that the OTA concentration had a linear response to the signal of sensor between 0.1 nM and 50 nM, and as low as 0.06 nM OTA had been detected. Overall, this method for OTA detection was constructed easily with high sensitivity and specificity, providing a significant platform for highly efficient detection of OTA in biological samples. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • A novel electrochemical sensor for ochratoxin A detection was developed. • MoS 2 nanosheets-Au NPs nanocomposites were used for the signal amplification. • OTA aptamer ensures the specificity of detection. • The merit of β-CD with superior recognition capability was employed. • The ratiometric strategy could avoid the majority of the interferences and maintain higher precision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed matrix composite membranes (MMCMs) integrate the merits of inorganic and organic materials, but the tortuous transport passageways bring about large transfer mass resistance for gas transport. Herein, we prepared polyethylenimine-functionalized halloysite nanotubes (PEI-HNTs) by the electrostatic self-assembly of positively charged polyethylenimine and negatively charged halloysite nanotubes. Blending as-obtained PEI-HNTs with polyvinylamine (PVAm), MMCMs were prepared by casting above mixed solution on the top of ultrafiltration polysulfone (PSf) support. PEI-HNTs had good miscibility with PVAm due to hydrogen bonding. MMCMs (1 wt% PEI-HNTs loading) exhibited exceptional separation performance (CO 2 permeance: 179 GPU; CO 2 /N 2 selectivity: 127.9), respectively, which were 1.4 and 2.3 times that of MMCMs embedding with 1 wt% HNTs. Noticeably, its value was beyond those of MMCMs incorporating with reported hollow tubular filler as well as other shape filler. This is due to the fact that PEI on the surfaces of HNTs provides a lot of amine carriers, which facilitate CO 2 transport. More importantly, the transport passageways are continuous, thus presumably reducing the CO 2 transfer resistance compared to other shape inorganic material filled-MMMs. Besides, resultant MMCMs revealed desirable stability for over 360 h, with a CO 2 /N 2 mixture as feed gas. Remarkably, it maintained superior gas separation performance (CO 2 permeance of 126 GPU; CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of 88.6) under the acidic conditions. [Display omitted] • PEI-functionalized halloysite nanotubes were blended with PVAm to prepare MMCMs for CO 2 separation. • PEI-functionalized halloysite nanotubes functioned as the continuous CO 2 facilitated transport channels. • MMCMs exhibited excellent CO 2 separation performance under the acidic conditions. • MMCMs had a CO 2 permeance of 179 GPU with a CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of 127.9. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with dementia experience a high prevalence of comorbidities that seriously affect patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to map the evidence and components related to comorbidity management, including interventions to facilitate and support the practice of management. A scoping review was conducted. In June 2022, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Open grey, and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify relevant literature. The inclusion criteria were outlined to identify studies on comorbidity management in people with dementia. We found 43 items that met the inclusion criteria. The majority of the studies were published since 2010. Most research focused on medication management, health care service use and provision, and comorbidity-related monitoring and management; there were a small number of studies that involved decision-making. Only 6 studies developed interventions to support dementia care, which included comorbidity management. Studies involving the comorbidity management process were mainly based on qualitative methods, which make it difficult to quantify the impact of these processes on comorbidity management. Given the serious impact of dementia on managing comorbidities, there is a need to develop systematic interventions targeting the management of comorbidities. • Studies have focused on medication management, health care service, monitoring and management, and decision-making. • Communication acts as a glue for self-management, family support and health care support. • There are very few studies that test interventions to support the management of comorbidities among people with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yellow Sea current conditions during the late Marine Isotope Stage 3 (late MIS3, 40–30 ka B.P.) highstand remain unknown. Here, environmental magnetism, geochemistry, particle size, and scanning electron microscope methods are employed to analyze core YS01A with a basal age of 40 kyr from the South Yellow Sea mud deposits. Greigite formed in marine sedimentary layers with thickness >7 m during early diagenesis. Greigite formation is related to the redox state and total organic content (TOC) availability, which are controlled, respectively, by the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass (YSCWM) and the Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC). In MIS1 (7–0 ka B.P.), a strong YSWC brought greater TOC, and a strong YSCWM (thickness of 48 m) resulted in a strongly reducing low-oxygen environment. This led to massive magnetite dissolution and pyrite preservation. In late MIS3 (37–31 ka B.P.), the weak Kuroshio Current and East Asian Winter Monsoon (EAWM) resulted in a low-intensity YSWC that provided less TOC. A weak YSCWM (thickness of 35 m), caused by shallow water depths and a weak EAWM, contributed to a less reducing sedimentary environment. Thus, pyritization was interrupted and greigite was preserved. Greigite content can, thus, be used to trace the development of Yellow Sea currents. During a period of slow sea level rise at 41–37 ka B.P., minor greigite formed with most magnetite being preserved, which indicates that the environment started to become reducing. This can be interpreted as due to initial formation of a thin and weak YSCWM. During the 37–31 ka B.P. highstand, the greigite content increased, which suggests more reducing conditions related to establishment of a thicker and intensified YSCWM. In addition, the greigite content decreased progressively, which may have resulted from YSWC weakening. Our results suggest that greigite can be used as a simple tool to reflect current evolution in the Yellow Sea, which can give a better understanding of continental shelf environment change. • Greigite-bearing layers (7 m) formed in late MIS3 are detected in the Yellow Sea. • Greigite formation is controlled by the total organic content and redox state. • Its content reflects cold water mass and warm current evolution in the Yellow Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to analyze the change of static pressure pile characteristics in silt and silty clay with the penetration depth, two PHC pipe piles were penetrated in the field in the actual project, and the research was based on the full section test technology and FBG test technology. The results show that the pile pressure increases with the increase of the pile penetration depth; The change of pile tip resistance is affected by the soil layer hardness; When the pile tip is in the transition stage, the pile tip resistance increases significantly; In the process of pile penetration, the hardness and brittleness of the soil layer will be affected by the pile penetration, and the different soil layers will have different effects on the pile tip resistance of the two piles; When the pile goes deep into the soil, the pile side resistance will change slowly, but it will usually increase. This fluctuation is related to the difference of the soft and hard layers of the soil layer, and will also be subject to performance constraints; The pile end resistance ratio in hard soil will be smaller than that in soft soil, which will further affect the load sharing ratio of the test pile. The test results can provide support for practical engineering technology. • For the purpose of analyzing how jacked pile properties in silty soil and silty clay vary with penetration depth based on full-section test technique and FBG test technique. • Through the test, using the total cross-section test technology continuously collecting the whole process of penetration of pile end resistance, analyses the change rule. • Compared with the traditional test methods and test components, the technology in this paper is more advanced, the data has higher accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Software-Defined Network (SDN) provides a more flexible and effectively managed network design for next-generation networking. Network managers can easily manage and regulate the entire network using its programmable central controller architecture. This central controller serves as the focal point for numerous attack vectors due to its centralized structure. However, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks against the SDN is the most prominent. The goal of this project is to use a machine learning method to categorize SDN traffic as either attack or normal traffic. Next, the Feature Selection method, such as the Filter-based Fisher score method, Wrapper-based method, and analysis of variables (ANOVA) f-test, is used for finely-granulated detection. Then, a rule-based detection method using the Renyi joint entropy algorithm is employed to detect DDoS attacks on SDN controllers. We manage a public "DDoS attack SDN Dataset" with 23 attributes overall. The dataset includes normal and attack traffic for the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). Except for attributes that specify the target and source machines, the dataset, which contains more than 100,000 recordings, has statistical features such as byte count, duration sec, packet rate, and packet per flow. In the classification process, many classifiers such as Artificial Neural Network (ANN), XGBoost (XGB), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and k-Nearest Neighbor (k-NN) were used. The test results demonstrated the efficacy and efficiency of the suggested strategy using the analysis of variables (ANOVA), which performed better than competing methods across a range of evaluation parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Privacy has emerged as a top worry as a result of the development of zero-day hacks because IoT devices produce and transmit sensitive information through the regular internet. This study suggests a deep neural network (DNN) and federated learning (FL) for an IoT network as well as mutual information (MI) for an effective anomaly detection method. The suggested method is different from the conventional model by use of decentralized on-device data to spot IoT network incursions. The information is kept on localized IoT devices for model training and only modified weights are shared in the centralized FL server is an advantage of integrating FL with Deep learning (DL). It uses the IoT-Botnet 2020 dataset for evaluation. Results demonstrate the efficiency of the DNN-based network intrusion detection system (NIDS) in comparison to the deep learning models with improvement in the accuracy of the model and a reduction in the False Alarm rate (FAR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening faces two major challenges: insufficient screening coverage and poor adherence. A smartphone applet named "Early Screening Assistant (ESA)" was developed to create an online risk-assessment and fecal occult blood test (FOBT) at home. This retrospective study was designed to evaluate whether the new CRC screening strategy can improve the colonoscopy participation rate (PR) and lesion detection rate (DR). Methods: In total, 6194 individuals who accepted normal health examinations and CRC screening based on the ESA from June 2020 to May 2022 were assigned to the ESA group. Accordingly, 7923 inhabitants who only accepted normal health examinations were assigned to the control group. The colonoscopy PR and neoplastic lesion DR were then compared between the two groups. Results: Overall, a higher proportion of subjects in the ESA group (285 of 6194 [4.6%]) completed colonoscopy than in the control group (126 of 7923, [1.6%]), p < 0.01). The neoplastic lesion DR also significantly increased in the ESA group (76 of 6194 [1.22%]) compared with the control group (15 of 7923 [0.19%]) (p < 0.01). The adjusted diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the "Online assessment + FOBT at home" were 41.5% and 62.6% for neoplastic lesions, respectively. Conclusions: This retrospective cohort study confirmed that the new CRC screening strategy based on the "Online assessment + FOBT at home" can improve colonoscopy participation and the neoplastic lesion detection rate and may represent a promising screening strategy for CRC. Trial registration: This study was registered in China Clinical Trial Registry (https://www.chictr.org.cn) on 29/09/2022. Registration number: ChiCTR2200064186. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nano TiO2 powders were prepared by an epoxide epoxy-driven sol-gel method with TiCl4 solution as titanium source. Then, the self-made nano TiO2 powders were mixed with potassium acetate to prepare K2Ti6O13 whisker. The effects of sintering temperature and holding time on the crystal structure and morphology of potassium titanate were investigated in detail. The phase composition and morphology of the prepared whiskers were analyzed by XRD and SEM and the photochemical reaction apparatus was utilized to analyze the photocatalytic activity of whiskers. The results indicated that high quality of potassium hexatitanate whiskers with a better yield could be obtained under the calcining condition of 900 °C for 3 h. The average diameter of prepared whisker with uniform thickness and good dispersion is in the range of 0.3 µm, the ratio of length to diameter (L/D) can approach as 12. Furthermore, TC modeling molecular can be decomposed completely by the whiskers irradiated for 1 h with a 500 W mercury lamp, which shows that the prepared potassium titanate whiskers are a good type of materials for the pollution management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the impacts of oxygen metabolism characterized by oxygen uptake rate (OUR) on lactic acid production in Lactobacillus paracasei were investigated through metabolite profiling and metabolic flux analysis. At growth phase, with the cost of declining lactic acid yield, the cells shifted pyruvate metabolism from lactic acid production to ATP high-yielding acetate synthesis to guarantee sufficient energy supply for cell growth under high OUR condition. When the cells reached to stationary phase, significant glucose metabolism inhibition happened with high OUR level due to much more reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in the cells, which subsequently would attack glycolytic key enzyme, glycerate-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), leading to the substantial limitation of glucose consumption. Moreover, other than glucose metabolism restriction, the decline on metabolic level regulation of lactic acid yield further decreased lactic acid productivity. On the other hand, it was interestingly found that intracellular redox balance was greatly dependent on acetyl-CoA node (acetate/ethanol) in growth phase, and acetoin node (acetoin/2,3-butanediol) in stationary phase respectively. The application of integrated metabolite profiling and metabolic flux analysis highlighted the regulation of energy and redox metabolism in lactic acid production by L. paracasei . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: This review aims to summarise and evaluate multicomponent interventions focused on improving the competence of family members of people with dementia (PwD) who undertake the caregiving tasks. Background: Caregiver competence is essential for family members of PwD acting as caregivers. Competence affects the physical and mental health of both PwD and caregivers. Many kinds of multicomponent interventions are used to improve caregiver competence. Design: A systematic review. Methods: A literature search from six databases was conducted. Articles published until January 2017 were screened. Intervention studies that measured caregiver competence of family members of PwD as an outcome were included. The Oxford Center Evidence‐based Medicine criteria and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions were used for quality assessment. Results: Fifteen studies were included, and number of participants was 1096. The characteristics of the included studies and key findings were analysed. Multicomponent interventions may improve the family caregivers’ competence. Caregivers in the intervention group were confident and skilful in managing their role. Conclusion: The intervention design, treatment content and length and intensity of the intervention varied in the included studies. Given that heterogeneity was high, combining these results via narrative synthesis is more appropriate than a meta‐analysis. The current study provides recommendations regarding the formulation and implementation of interventions based on relevant literature. In view of existing research, researchers should conduct an in‐depth study in this area and provide evidence‐based interventions to support family members caring for PwD. Relevance to clinical practice: The competence of family caregivers is essential for the life quality of PwD. To promote the health of the family caregiver and PwD, multicomponent interventions may be appropriate for nurses to practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new simple and highly sensitive electrochemical method for pyrophosphatase (PPase) activity detection was developed based on the peroxidase-like activity of G-quadruplex-Cu 2+ DNAzyme. In the absence of PPase, Cu 2+ could coordinate with pyrophosphate (PPi) to form Cu 2+ -PPi compound. While in the presence of PPase, it could destroy the coordinate compound because PPase catalyzed the hydrolysis of PPi into inorganic phosphate and produced free Cu 2+ , which then could be coupled with G-rich DNA to form G-quadruplex-Cu 2+ DNAzyme. The formation of a mimic enzyme (G-quadruplex-Cu 2+ DNAzyme) was immobilized on the surface of screen-printed gold electrode (SPGE). Using 3, 3′, 5, 5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) as a redox mediator and H 2 O 2 as an enzyme substrate, the DNAzyme catalyzed the reduction of H 2 O 2 to generate quantitative chronoamperometric signal. The catalytic activity of G-quadruplex-Cu 2+ DNAzyme for TMB-H 2 O 2 reaction was proportional to the activity of PPase, based on which, a simple and sensitive turn-on electrochemical method for PPase activity was thus developed for the first time. The chronoamperometric intensity of the system had a linear relationship with the PPase activities in the range of 1.0–50.0 mU/mL and the detection limit could be down to 0.6 mU/mL (S/N = 3). This proposed method was selective, cost-effective and convenient without any labels or complicated operations, which was furthermore applied to screen the inhibitor for PPase with high efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the problem of a large amount of noise in the phase pattern in digital speckle pattern interferometry, which seriously affects the phase reconstruction and measurement precision, a filtering method based on optimized 2D S-transform is proposed in this paper. The optimized 2D S-transform provides high signal-to-noise ratio denoising method by adding tilt factors and translation factors to keep the Gaussian window of the appropriate size at different frequency positions. The analysis results of different frequency fringe pattern denoising show that the criteria metrics indicator signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the results of the proposed method can reach at least 14.5435 dB and the criteria metrics peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) can reach at least 19.4555 dB, which has better precision compared with the traditional method and solves the incongruity between the smoothness of low-density fringe and the integrity of high-density fringe. • Compared with the traditional filtering method, the proposed method has better accuracy and higher signal-to-noise ratio. • Compared with the advanced filtering method windowed Fourier transform, the proposed method has advantages in the filtering of variable density fringe phase patterns. • The proposed method solves the incongruity between the smoothness of low-density fringe and the integrity of high-density fringe in phase pattern filtering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PHC pipe pile cooperated with jacked method is widely used in recent years. The excess pore water pressure of pile-soil interface caused during jacked PHC pipe driving would produce important effect on jacked pile construction and bearing characteristics. Two full scale jacked-in piles are penetrated into the clayey soil and studied by monitoring the law of generation and dissipation of excess pore water pressure. The law of excess pore water pressure with penetration depth and time is also analyzed. From this test results, excess pore water pressure of the pile-soil interface increases to the peak and then begins to decrease, but it remains large. The excess pore water pressure of S1 test pile pile-soil interface decreases from 201.4 kPa to 86.3 kPa, and decreases from 374.1 kPa to 114.3 kPa for S2 test pile. The excess pore water pressure of pile-soil interface rises first at the initial stage of consolidation, and it dissipates when the hydraulic gradient between pile-soil interface and soil around the pile disappears. The dissipation degree of excess pore water pressure reaches from 75% to 85%. The proposed solution provides certain engineering significance for jacked pile construction and bearing capacity design in the clayey foundation. • Through on-site monitoring of the distribution and dissipation of excess pore water pressure at the pile-soil interface, the stress characteristics of the pile-soil interface during the PHC pipe pile sinking process were studied. • The maximum ratio of excess pore water pressure of pile-soil interface to effective pressure of overlying soil is 1.08, and gradually decreases along the pile. • The excess pore water pressure at the pile-soil interface caused by pile sinking is approximately linearly increased with the depth of the soil. • Studying the generation and dissipation of excess pore water pressure at pile-soil interface is helpful to reveal the important characteristics and bearing capacity of pile-soil interface during pile-sinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a simple spatial phase shift shearography based on the Michelson interferometer. A novel digital shearography set-up with a large angle of view, which is based on a 4 f system is demonstrated. In the system, the Michelson interferometer is used as a shearing device to generate a shearing distance by tilting a small angle in one of the two mirrors. In fact spherical wave fronts become plane after going through the first lens in 4 f system. Tilting the mirror in the Michelson interferometer also generates spatial carrier frequency. Sinusoid fitting method is applied to evaluate the phase. This system can generate a phase map of shearography by using only a single image. The effects of shearing angle, the choice of algorithm and comparison result are discussed in detail. The theory and the application are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sources, transport pathways and main distribution limitations of surface sediments were clearly identified in the Bohai Sea (BS) and Yellow Sea (YS) by combining the particle size and magnetic property distribution characteristics. The sediment distribution pattern on shelves is mainly controlled by the sediment sources, which include Huanghe-derived sediments, coastally eroded sediments, old Huanghe and old Changjiang subaqueous delta sediments, and mixed sediments transported by the Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC). The distribution pattern of silt reflects the transport pathway and limitation of the Huanghe- and old Huanghe-derived sediments, and the sand distribution reflects the final distribution of the coastally eroded sediments, including the eroded old Changjiang subaqueous delta sediments. In addition to the sediment sources, the complex hydrodynamic pattern on the shelves has an important influence on sediment distribution and transport. The sediment particle size and topography of shelves exert limited control over the sediment distribution. Surface sediment sources in the central South YS (SYS) were identified, with the most important contribution being from mixed sediment sources and a convergence area of finer sediment located at approximately 123°E, 36°N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continued population growth and the corresponding increase in consumption will mean increases in the global demand for food crops, especially maize, which is used as a food, feed and bioenergy crop. Optimal nitrogen (N) management for high-yielding maize (>15 Mg ha −1 ) is a challenge because the N demand at post-silking will increase significantly, and synchronization of the N supply with such demand will become more difficult. In this study, treatment variables consisted of one solely urea (split application before sowing and at 6 leaf stage) and two CRU-N (nitrogen from controlled-release urea (CRU))/Urea-N (nitrogen from urea) mixtures (1:2 and 2:1) with one-off application at two N rates (180 kg ha −1 and 240 kg ha −1 ) in two experimental years (2013 and 2014). The results indicated that an one-off application of the blend of CRU and urea before sowing was able to satisfy the N demand of a high-yielding maize system (>15 Mg ha −1 ); the results also showed a greater percentage of N accumulation at post-silking (51%–63%) with the grain yields ranging from 16.9 Mg ha −1 to 19.3 Mg ha −1 ，and one-off application a mixture of CRU and urea with 2:1 at 180 kg N ha −1 achieved the lowest N losses (80 kg N ha −1 and 12 kg N ha −1 ), while a mixture of CRU and urea with 1:2 at 240 kg N ha −1 got highest economic return in both years. This work demonstrates that blending CRU and urea in an one-off application could potentially improve grain yields and create a simpler, more efficient and business-friendly system of high-yielding maize production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of elective delivery versus expectant management for women with pre-eclampsia (PE) and to assess neonatal outcomes before and after 34 weeks gestation.Methods: We searched Biomed Central, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase, HMIC, Medline, and WHO trial registry, British Nursing Index, ClinicalTrials.gov, Current Controlled Trials, and Web of Science on 16 March, 2016. 1704 citations were identified. Randomised controlled trials comparing elective delivery with expectant management for women with PE were included. Seven studies were included (n = 1501). There were no maternal deaths.Results: Elective delivery lowered incidence of complications in women with PE or hypertension greater than 34 weeks gestation (n = 756; RR, 0.64; 95% CI 0.51-0.80). For women with severe PE less than 34 weeks gestation, elective delivery lowered the incidence of placental abruption (n = 483, 5 RCTs; RR, 0.43; 95% CI 0.19-0.98). For women with PE or hypertension greater than 34 weeks gestation, elective delivery also reduced the need for antihypertensive drug therapy. The need for ventilatory support and the risk of developing neonatal intraventricular hemorrhage or hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy may be increased in infants whose mothers undergo elective delivery for severe PE at less than 34 weeks gestation. However, there was no relevant evidence for women with severe PE over 34 weeks.Conclusions: In women with PE or gestational hypertension beyond 34 weeks gestation, elective delivery can decrease the incidence of complications, severe hypertension and the need for antihypertensive drug therapy. Elective delivery can also lower the risk of placental abruption in women before 34 weeks gestation with severe PE, however, may be associated with increased risk of neonatal complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this research is to improve poor network structure of polychloroprene rubber (CR)/epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) self-crosslinking blends, which could substitute traditional vulcanizates in some application area. Carbon black (CB)-CR/ENR blends were prepared by reacting CR with ENR in the presence of CB. The structure of CR/ENR blends was characterized by attenuated total-reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR). The effect of CB loading on curing characterization and mechanical properties of CR/ENR blends was investigated, and the interaction among CR, ENR, and CB was studied using differential scanning calorimetry. The effect of CB loading on the Payne effect of CR/ENR was investigated using rubber process analyzer. Scanning electron microscope was used to characterize the morphology of CB-CR/ENR blends. The results showed that CR/ENR blends were obtained by the ring-opening reaction of epoxy groups in ENR and chlorine groups in CR. Mechanical properties of CR/ENR blends increased with the increase of CB loading. The Payne effect of CR/ENR became more remarkable with increasing CB loading. Morphology study indicated that interfacial compatibility between CR and ENR increased with the increase of CB loading because CB could strengthen the self-crosslinking network structure of CR/ENR blends. The promoting effect of CB on self-crosslinking reaction was verified by the assessment of crosslink density. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:463-471, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel electrochemical sensor for highly sensitive and selective detection of glutathione (GSH) was developed coupled thymine-Hg 2+ -thymine (T-Hg 2+ -T) coordination with mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN). Hg 2+ ions could specifically interact with thymine bases to form strong and stable T-Hg 2+ -T complexes. And the electroactive molecules-methylene blue (MB) was sealed in the inner pores of MSN with a unique sequential thymine (T)-rich DNA in the presence of Hg 2+ . After the target was added, the formed duplex DNA T-Hg 2+ -T complex could deform into single-stranded DNA by a competitive displacement reaction, leading to the release of MB entrapped in the MSN. Thus the target-dependent amount of released MB could be conveniently monitored with an n -dodecanethiol modified screen-printed gold electrode. Using GSH as a model target, the proposed assay showed a wide detection ranging from 1.0 nM to 1.0 μM with a detection limit of 0.6 nM. This strategy was simple and universal for various analytes with different competitive displacement ligands, possessing a great potential for convenient biotools testing and commercial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membranes have great promise in CO 2 capture. However, tortuous transport passageways restrict the enhancement in the permeability due to the presence of disordered porous structure and dead-end pore. Herein, the growth of ZIF-8 layer on the surface of Fe 3 O 4 formed magnetic core-shell Fe 3 O 4 @ZIF-8 particles, which were fixed into 6FDA/ODA:DABA polyimides under magnetic field-induction to fabricate a precursor membrane with vertically oriented chain-like particles. It was then pyrolyzed to form hybrid carbon molecular sieve (HCMS) membranes with ordered microporous structure under high temperature conditions. The cross-section scanning electron microscopy images and N 2 adsorption for resultant HCMS membranes indicate that Fe 3 O 4 @ZIF-8-derived carbons frameworks were vertically oriented to form the ordered microporous structure, which also had good compatibility with carbon matrix stemmed from 6FDA/ODA:DABA polyimides. The as-prepared HCMS membranes embedded with 5 wt% Fe 3 O 4 @ZIF-8 manifested a highest gas separation performance (permeability of 5130 Barrer; CO 2 /N 2 selectivity of 29; CO 2 /CH 4 selectivity of 48), outperforming the pristine CMS membranes, which were near and beyond 2019 CO 2 /N 2 and CO 2 /CH 4 upper bounds, separately. These good separation performances resulted from vertical chain-like microporous particles, which provided fast transport channels to accelerate CO 2 diffusion rate. In addition, we supposed that Fe 3 O 4 prevent ZIF-8 frameworks from destruction during the pyrolysis and promote the size screening capability. More importantly, this membrane exhibited excellent aging resistance over 30 days aging testing compared to pristine CMS membranes. Therefore, it affords a feasible way for carbon capture from flue gas and natural gas. [Display omitted] • HCMS membranes with ordered microporous structure were engineered by magnetic-induced orientation. • Fe 3 O 4 inhibited the collapse of ZIF-8 frameworks during the pyrolysis. • The oriented chain-like channels for facilitating CO 2 transport were constructed. • HCMS membranes had a CO 2 permeability of 5130 Barrer with the CO 2 /N 2 (CH 4) selectivity of 29 (48). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the problem that the model test of pile jacking cannot reproduce the soil's self-gravity and thus cannot truly reflect the pile jacking force, this paper developed an airbag loading system. The airbag is used to pressurize and simulate the overburden soil weight. The method of subsection pile jacking and coupling is ingenuously adopted to achieve long pile penetration. Because the airbag and pressure can be controlled well, it is convenient to simulate the cohesive soil foundation. The size of the model pile used in the test is larger than that of the usual centrifugal model test pile, so it belongs to large scale model test. The experimental results using this system show that the pile jacking force increases with the increase of penetration depth. The degradation of pile lateral resistance has little impact on pile jacking force. After modification based on the degradation theory of pile lateral resistance, the overall variation law of pile lateral resistance is good, and the difference value generated at the joint of pile segments is basically 0. With the increasing of pile depth, the pile lateral resistance is gradually exerted. The pile end resistance fluctuates with the depth, and accounts for a relatively high proportion of pile jacked force, which is maintained above 50%. The method of pile jacking with airbag loading in this paper provides a new idea for the study of the penetration characteristics of jacked pile. • The paper innovatively simulated the overburden of soil by using the air bag loading method, and at the same time used the large-scale model pile to simulate the pile jacking process in laboratory. • A full-section earth pressure sensor was installed at the end of the model pile to obtain the accurate end resistance during pile jacking. • Through section pile jacking, the pile jacking force, pile end resistance and pile lateral resistance of each section of pile jacking process are analyzed. Finally, the whole pile jacking process is realized by coupling and superposition of the three sections of pile jacking process. • Based on the section pile jacking and pile lateral friction degradation theory, the degradation coefficient of pile lateral friction is deduced, and the force mechanism and influencing factors of pile lateral friction degradation are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a Dual Directional Sheared Spatial Phase-Shift Digital Shearography (DDS-SPS-DS) system for simultaneous measurement of strains/displacement derivative in two directions. Two Michelson Interferometers are used as the shearing device to create two shearograms, one in the x -shearing direction and one in the y -shearing direction, which are recorded by a single CCD camera. Two lasers with different wavelengths are used for illumination, and corresponding band pass filters are applied in front of each Michelson Interferometer to avoid cross-interference between the two shearing direction channels. Two perpendicular shearing directions in the two measurement channels introduce two different spatial frequency carriers whose spectrums are orientated in different directions after Fourier Transform. Phase maps of the recorded two shearograms can be obtained by applying a windowed inverse Fourier transform, which enables simultaneous measurement of dual directional strains/displacement derivatives. The new system is well suited for nondestructive testing and strain measurement with a continuous or dynamic load. The capability of the dual directional spatial phase-shift digital shearography system is described by theoretical discussions as well as experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]