Search

The study aimed to explore the relationship between family resilience, post-traumatic growth(PTG), and caregiver burden among family caregivers of stroke survivors. Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study to recruit 253 family caregivers of stroke survivors from a public hospital in Shandong Province, China. Caregivers completed sociodemographic information, the Shortened Chinese Version of the Family Resilience Assessment Scale, the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory, and the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview. We used Amos 24.0 to construct structural equation models and examine the mediating effects of stroke survivors’ post-traumatic growth. Family resilience was positively associated with post-traumatic growth, and both family resilience and post-traumatic growth were negatively associated with caregiver burden. Post-traumatic growth partially mediated the relationship between family resilience and caregiver burden, and the mediating effect accounted for 21.27% of the total effect. Targeted interventions should address family resilience and post-traumatic growth as protective factors of caregiver burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extent of coal combustion within the tuyere and raceway region is one key factor affecting the maximum pulverized coal injection (PCI) rate. Coal burnout strongly depends on the availability of oxygen. In this paper, a three-dimensional model is developed to simulate the lance-blowpipe-tuyere-raceway of a blast furnace. This model aims to describe the coal flow and combustion behaviors along the coal plume under different local oxygen enrichment ways. Room-temperature oxygen has two effects on coal combustion. On one hand, the cooling effect of oxygen delays the coal combustion. On the other hand, the oxygen content around the coal particles significantly increases, benefiting coal combustion. Therefore, aiming at different local oxygen enrichment ways, three different lance configurations, including a single coaxial oxygen-coal lance, a double oxygen-coal lance, and an oxygen-coal double lance, are designed. Under the single coaxial oxygen-coal lance, the burnout has the maximum increase of 4.05%. Under the double oxygen-coal lance, the burnout has the maximum increase of 12.51%. Under the oxygen-coal double lance, the burnout has the maximum increase of 12.84%. Therefore, the effect of different local oxygen enrichment ways should not be neglected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The autoassembly system based on an automatic drilling and riveting technology is efficient for a long lifetime and high-reliability design of modern aircrafts. The automatic feeding of the rivet plays an important role in ensuring the system reliability. This paper focuses on the design of the rivet feeding tube to improve the system reliability by decreasing or even preventing the rivet jamming. The main factors that influence the rivet transport in the tube were analyzed. To avoid the rivet jamming, an analytical method was suggested to evaluate the tube's minimum bending radius, minimum interior diameter, and lowest inlet air pressure. To verify the analytical model, the finite element simulation and experiment were carried out to study the transportation process of the rivet in the tube. The result shows that the model presented in this paper can satisfactorily offer theoretical proof for the optimization of the rivet feeding tube. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes the welding of heat-affected zone microstructures of austempered ductile iron (ADI). Importance of welding when the ADI castings need to be produced and repaired; Procedure of the welding; Difference in the mechanical properties of weld metal with ADI base metal; Assessment of the phase transformation and characteristics of the microstructure in the weld joint.

The concentrations of 16 phthalate esters (PAEs) were detected in the sewage and sludge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Qingdao, China. The total PAE concentrations in the influent samples from the Chengyang, Licun River, and Haibo River WWTPs were 134.42, 186.02, and 135.72 ng/mL, respectively. Dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dimethylglycol phthalate (DMGP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di(2-ethoxyethyl) phthalate (DEEP), dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP), and di-n-octyl phthalate (DnOP) were all detected, with DMP being the most abundant compound. By contrast, the total PAE concentrations in the effluent samples from the three WWTPs were 39.91, 55.42, and 44.37 ng/mL. The removal efficiencies for individual PAEs in the three WWTPs varied widely. DMP and DEP were removed effectively in the Chengyang WWTP, whereas DMP and DnOP were removed relatively well in the Chengyang and Haibo River WWTPs. In the sludge from the Chengyang, Licun River, and Haibo River WWTPs, the total PAE contents were 96.46 mg/kg, 91.20 mg/kg, and 98.45 mg/kg, respectively. According to the mass balance, most PAEs (48.30%–56.31%) in the sewage decreased, and 43.69%–51.70% of total PAEs were discharged to the environment through the effluent and sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pulp samples from 20 pulpitis cases together with 20 normal participants were analyzed with a serum metabolomics approach using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)/Orbitrap mass spectrometry. • Determine the key metabolites of pulpitis and the pathways associated with pulpitis incidence, providing certain foundation for analyzing the relation of metabolites with pulpitis incidence. Pulpitis, a pulp disease caused by caries, trauma, and other factors, has a high clinical incidence. This study focused on identifying possible metabolic biomarkers of pulpitis cases and analyzing the related metabolic pathways for providing a theoretical foundation to diagnose and prevent pulpitis. Pulp samples from 20 pulpitis cases together with 20 normal participants were analyzed with a serum metabolomics approach using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)/Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Moreover, this work carried out multivariate statistical analysis for screening potential biomarkers of pulpitis. Through biomarker analysis and identification, such as partial least squares discrimination analysis, orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis model establishment, correlation analysis, and biomarker pathway analysis, 40 biomarkers associated with 20 metabolic pathways were identified, including 20 upregulated and 20 downregulated metabolites. Those major biomarkers included oxoglutaric acid, inosine, citric acid, and PA(14:1(9Z)/PGD1). Among them, oxoglutaric acid and inosine were most significantly downregulated and had the highest correlation with pulpitis. Among these metabolic pathways, GABAergic synapse and alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism were positively correlated with pulpitis. 4. These biomarkers as well as metabolic pathways may offer the theoretical foundation to understand pulpitis pathogenesis and develop preventive drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of mining area on the 'ground surface' is mainly divided into three categories: the movement and deformation of vertical direction (subsidence, inclination, curvature), the movement and deformation of horizontal direction (horizontal movement, stretching and compression) and the shear deformation of surface plane, which are mainly reflected by discontinuity deformations including surface cracks, collapse pits, subsidence troughs, etc. These kinds of deformation directly act on the iron tower foundation of transmission lines, causing varying degrees of damage on iron tower foundation, such as sink, tilt, displacement, distortion, etc. and thus influence safety of the iron tower and the stable operation of the entire transmission lines. Therefore, this paper reviews the actual situation of the mining area, compares the features of different foundations, and proposes a method of applying the independent big slab foundation. This foundation can resist uneven settlement in a mining depth to thickness ratio of 90 to 150, and adjust anchor bolt to assist for processing surface uneven settlement and deformation. In this way, the risks of geological hazards in the meaning area could be eliminated significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large artery atherosclerotic stroke (LAAS) is the most common ischemic stroke (IS) subtype, and microemboli may be clinically important for indicating increased risk of IS. The inflammatory process of atherosclerosis is well known, and lymphoid phosphatase (Lyp), which is encoded by the protein tyrosine phosphatase nonreceptor type 22 (PTPN22) gene, plays an important role in the inflammatory response. Our study was intended to evaluate the relationship between PTPN22 gene and LAAS and microembolic signals (MES). Three loci of the PTPN22 gene (rs2476599, rs1217414, and rs2488457) were analyzed in 364 LAAS patients and 369 control subjects. A genotyping determination was performed using the TaqMan assay. The G allele of rs2488457 might be related to a higher risk for developing LAAS and MES (odds ratio OR=1.456, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.156-1.833, P=0.001; OR=1.652, 95% CI 1.177-2.319, P=0.004, respectively). In the LAAS group, the prevalence of the GTG haplotype was higher (P<0.001) and the prevalence of the GCC haplotype was lower (P=0.001). An interaction analysis of rs2488457 with smoking showed that smokers with the CG/GG genotypes had a higher risk of LAAS, compared to nonsmokers with the rs2488457 CC genotype (OR=2.492, 95% CI 1.510–4.114, P<0.001). Our research indicated that the PTPN22 rs2488457 might be related to the occurrence of LAAS and MES in the Han Chinese population. In addition, the rs2488457 polymorphism and the environmental factor of smoking jointly influenced the susceptibility of LAAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]