The responses of inflammatory cytokines and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session were compared between 7 postmenopausal (57±2 y) and 8 premenopausal females (44±3 y) during the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle, when estrogen and progesterone are highest, and. HIIT consisted of 10 x 1 min running intervals (90% maximum heart rate) separated by 1 min recovery intervals. Blood samples were collected at baseline (fasted), pre-exercise (postprandial), and 0, 30 and 90 min post-HIIT and analyzed for interleukin (IL-6) and 10 (IL-10), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and BDNF. IL-6 significantly increased from pre-exercise to 0 min post-HIIT in postmenopausal (+40%, p=0.01) but 30 min post-HIIT in premenopausal females (+60%, p=0.02). IL-6 remained elevated at 90 min post-HIIT in premenopausal (+104%, p=0.05) and to a higher degree in postmenopausal (+385%, p<0.001). IL-10 showed no response. TNF-α increased from pre- to 0 min post-HIIT (+10%, p=0.05), then decreased to below pre-exercise at 30 min (-10%, p=0.02) and 90 min (-5%, p=0.04) in both groups. BDNF increased immediate post-HIIT in premenopausal (+60%, p<0.001) but not postmenopausal females. The differences in IL-6 and BDNF response to HIIT between pre and postmenopausal females provide evidence of the role of female reproductive hormones in the regulation of these exercise-induced responses.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is associated with hyperglycaemia-induced hypoxia and inflammation. The study assessed the effects of a single high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) on glycaemia (BG) and serum level of pro-inflammatory cytokines and an essential mediator of adaptive response to hypoxia in T1D patients. The macronutrients intake was also evaluated. Nine patients suffering from T1D for about 12 years and nine healthy individuals (CG) were enrolled and completed one session of HIIE at the intensity of 120% lactate threshold and duration of 4 x 5 min intermittent with 5 min rest after each bout of exercise. Capillary and venous blood was withdrawn at rest, immediately after and at the 24 h post-HIIE for analysis of BG, hypoxia-inducible factor alpha (HIF-1α), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and vascular-endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Pre-exercise BG was significantly higher in the T1D compared to the CG (p = 0.043). HIIE led to a significant decline in T1D patients’ BG (p = 0.027) and to a tendency for a lower BG at 24-h post-HIIE vs pre-HIIE. HIF-1α was significantly elevated in the T1D compared to CG and there was a trend for HIF-1α to decline, and VEGF, TNF-α to increase in response to HIIE in the T1D group. Both groups consumed higher and lower than recommended amounts of protein and fat, respectively. In T1D group, a tendency for a higher digestible carbohydrate intake and more frequent hyperglycaemic episodes on the day after HIIE were observed. HIIE was effective in reducing T1D patients’ glycaemia and improving the short-term glycaemic control. HIIE has the potential to improve adaptive response to hypoxia by elevating the serum level of VEGF. Patients’ diet and level of physical activity should be screened on a regular basis, and they should be educated on the glycaemic effects of digestible carbohydrates.

For 80 years high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been a significant area for medical research. It is a non-invasive procedure which causes cell death in a highly localised area at a defined distance from the transducer. Since 2000, the clinical indications have broadened considerable as the technology has improved. This review looks back at the history of HIFU and the current clinical indications.

Knee osteoarthritis (KO) is an important health condition, affecting one third of the people aged 65 years or more. Pain is the main cause of disability. Pain management in KO includes pharmacological and non-pharmacological modalities. Patient education, lifestyle changes, physical exercise and physical agents are prescribed as a first approach for pain control. Laser therapy is part of many therapeutical protocols, with two forms, low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and high-intensity laser therapy (HILT). The paper aimed at stressing the advantages of HILT, based on a greater wavelength, higher energy delivery and deeper tissue penetration. Research on 23 published trials revealed that analgesic effect is rapid, cumulative and long lasting. Compared to sham, to LLLT or to other associations of therapeutical modalities, HILT provided significantly better results on pain reduction and functional improvement. Ultrasound examination showed reduction of intraarticular inflammation.

Hypertension is one of the most common primary cardiometabolic diseases and is a major contributor to cardiac mortality and morbidity. Furthermore, cardiac risk factors such as obesity and sedentary lifestyle are often seen in hypertensive patients. Regular exercise acts against these risk factors and improves the overall health of an individual. High-intensity interval training appears to do so in a more efficient way. We used a systematic literature review (SLR) approach to provide an overview of the present literature highlighting the cardiovascular advantages of HIIT in hypertensive individuals. We reviewed 4004 articles from reputable journals published between 2013 and August 14, 2023, focusing on 7 selected papers for in-depth analysis. This systematic review revealed the protective effects of HIIT against cardiac complications in hypertension. All the reviewed articles showed a decrease in blood pressure and many other risk variables of cardiovascular diseases. However, guidelines for this exercise are needed for maximum benefits. Therefore, further research on HIIT is necessary to fully harness its potential.

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease worldwide. Exercise therapy has been identified as a first-line treatment option in patients suffering from knee OA. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an innovative exercise modality with potential in improving various disease-related outcomes. The purpose of this review is to explore the impact of HIIT on knee OA symptoms and physical functioning. A comprehensive search of scientific electronic databases was conducted to identify the articles on the effects of HIIT on knee OA. Thirteen studies were included in this review. Nine compared the effects of HIIT with those of low-intensity training, moderate-intensity continuous training, or a control group. Three evaluated the effects of HIIT alone. Eight reported a decrease in knee OA symptoms, and eight reported an increase in physical functioning. HIIT was shown to improve knee OA symptoms and physical functioning, but also aerobic capacity, muscle strength, and quality of life with minimal or no adverse events. However, compared to other exercise modalities, no clear superiority of HIIT was found. HIIT is a promising exercise strategy in patients with knee OA: anyway, the actual quality of evidence remains very low, and more high-quality studies are needed to confirm these promising outcomes.

The likelihood of pre-hypertensive young adults developing hypertension has been steadily increasing over the past few years. Despite the fact that aerobic exercise training (AET) has demonstrated positive results in lowering high blood pressure, the efficacy of different types of AET among pre-hypertensive young adults has not been well-established. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and continuous moderate-intensity training (CMT) on blood pressure (BP) of physically inactive pre-hypertensive young adults. 32 adults (age 20.0±1.1 years and BMI 21.5±1.8) were randomly assigned into 3 groups: HIIT, CMT and control (CON). HIIT and CMT groups participated in 5 weeks of AET; while the CON group followed a DASH diet plan only. The HIIT protocol consisted of 1:4 minute work to rest ratio of participants 80%-85% heart rate reserve (HR-reserve) and 40%-60% HR-reserve respectively for 20-minutes, CMT group exercised at 40%-60% of HR-reserve continuously for 20-minutes. In both HIIT and CMT groups, systolic blood pressure (SBP) (3.8±2.8 mmHg, P=0.002 VS 1.6±1.5 mmHg, P=0.011) was significantly reduced. While, significant reductions in the diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (2.9±2.2 mmHg, P=0.002) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) (3.1±1.6mmHg, P<0.0005) were noted only in the HIIT group. No significant differences in SBP (-0.4±3.7 mmHg, P=0.718), DBP (0.4±3.4 mmHg, P=0.714), or MAP (0.1±2.5mmHg, P= 0.892) were observed in the CON group. Both HIIT and CMT decreased the BP in physically inactive pre-hypertensive young adults; however, HIIT yielded more beneficial results in terms of reducing the SPB, DBP and MAP.

Succinate is proposed to be a mediator of muscle exercise-induced adaptations. We studied metabolic health and changes of muscle mass in 6-month-old male mice after 12 weeks of feeding regular diet (RD, 13.4 kcal% fat, 66.8 kcal% carbohydrate, 29.8 kcal% protein), high fat diet (HFD, 60 kcal% fat, 20 kcal% carbohydrates, 20 kcal% protein) and ketogenic diet (KD, 80 kcal% fat, &lt;1 kcal% carbohydrates, 20 kcal% protein) with or without 2% succinate supplements (SUS) in drinking water (n=8-12 per group). Functional overloading of the plantaris muscle (PL) was induced in a group of mice by denervation of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles at week 6 of feeding different diets. HFD induced the greatest (p &lt; 0.001) increase in body and fat mass. HFD and KD lead to significant (p &lt; 0.01) impairment in glucose tolerance compared to RD. SUS blunted (p &lt; 0.01) initial surge in energy intake when mice were switched from RD to HFD, but did not influence any measures of metabolic health after 12 weeks of the study. Functional overloading lead to ~25% increase in PL mass which was not affected by diet or SUS. In conclusion, SUS does not have a long-term effect on metabolic health or muscle mass.

During the high-speed flight of a vehicle in the atmosphere, surface friction with the air generates aerodynamic heating. The aerodynamic heating phenomenon can create extremely high temperatures near the surface. These high temperatures impact material properties and the structure of the aircraft, so thermal deformation measurement is essential in aerospace engineering. This paper revisits high-temperature deformation measurement using the digital image correlation (DIC) technique under high-intensity blackbody radiation with a precise speckle pattern fabrication and a heat haze reduction method. The effect of speckle pattern on the DIC measurement has been thoroughly studied at room temperature, but high-temperature measurement studies have not reported such effects so far. We found that the commonly used methods to reduce the heat haze effect could produce incorrect results. Hence, we propose a new method to mitigate heat haze effects. An infrared radiation heater was employed to make an experimental setup that could heat a specimen up to 950 ℃. First, we mitigated image saturation using a short-wavelength bandpass filter with blue light illumination, a standard procedure for high-temperature DIC deformation measurement. Second, we studied how to determine the proper size of the speckle pattern under a high-temperature environment. Third, we devised a reduction method for the heat haze effect. As proof of the effectiveness of our developed experimental method, we successfully measured the deformation of stainless steel 304 specimens from 25 ℃ to 800 ℃. The results confirmed that this method can be applied to the research and development of thermal protection systems in the aerospace field.

This paper investigates the use of contactless power ultrasonic excitation to decrease the electrical impedance of the weld in laser welding. The literature extensively documents the impact of em-ploying contact power ultrasonic excitation on the microstructure morphology and refinement of grain in the weld. This study involves characterizing an industrial High Power Ultrasound Transducer (HPUT) by determining the optimal distance and angle for contactless excitation of the fusion zone in the weld, aiming to achieve the maximum amplitude. Subsequently, the transducer is integrated into the laser welding system, resulting in the creation of an ultrasonic-assisted welding system. To find the improvement due to the contactless vibration assistance, the welding area was char-acterised by an impedance ohmmeter device. The results indicate an approximately 6 % im-provement in the welding quality in terms of the impedance value, an important parameter for battery pack welding. In response to the issue of overheating in the industrial transducer during prolonged welding operations, an alternative transducer was proposed to overcome this challenge. Further investigations are carried out by the alternative transducer to find the effect of different wave types, namely, shear and compressional waves, on the welding quality. The contact vibration can excite the plate approximately 50 times higher in acceleration amplitude than contactless ex-citation. Nevertheless, enhancements of 10% and 6% are observed in the impedance value when utilising compressional and shear waves, respectively, as compared to the results obtained with contactless vibration.

Uniform illumination is a key requirement in different research fields. However, this requirement is often difficult to achieve when high intensity is required at the same time. Recent advancements in LED lamps allow nowadays for compact and economical solutions. In this work we present a suitable solution for various laboratory purposes requiring stable, uniform and high intensity illumination. The system is composed of four identical high power white LED arrays of 30 mm diameter each, placed on a supporting and cooling structure having a minimum volume of 26 cm x 26 cm x 8 cm. A numerical model has been developed, based on a ray tracing software, in order to simulate the performances. These have then been experimentally validated with measurements of the power density map, carried out with a 1% uncertainty pyranometer. Data show that the built system is very stable over time and provides an illumination uniformity higher than 98%, on a surface of 50 mm radius, which reduces to 95% on a surface of 75 mm radius. The power density can be adjusted in the 390-1360 W m-2 range, not affecting uniformity.

High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) is a novel exercise intervention that may test body systems in a balanced and integrated fashion by challenging individuals’ abilities to complete mechanical work. However, research has not previously determined if physical work capacity is unique to traditional physiologic measures of fitness. Twenty-five healthy men and women completed a six-week HIFT intervention with physical work capacity and various physiologic measures of fitness assessed pre- and post-intervention. At baseline, these physiologic measures of fitness (e.g., aerobic capacity) were significantly associated with physical work capacity and this relationship was even stronger at post-intervention assessment. Further, there were significant improvements across these physiologic measures in response to the delivered intervention. However, the change in these physiologic measures failed to predict the change in physical work capacity induced via HIFT. These findings point to the potential utility of HIFT as a unique challenge to individuals’ physiology beyond traditional resistance or aerobic training. Elucidating the translational impact of increasing work capacity via HIFT may be of great interest to health and fitness practitioners ranging from strength/conditioning coaches to physical therapists.

Wenchuan earthquake that occurred in China in 2008 caused severe damage to a large number of electric substations. In this paper, Kriging interpolation method was used to calculate the impact area of the instrumental seismic intensity in Wenchuan earthquake, and to compare the intensities based on strong motion observation against the instrumental seismic intensities at locations where the observation data is available. The instrumental seismic intensities were calculated for the Wenchuan Earthquake at substations in the national power grid with voltage of 110kV or higher in areas of Mianyang, Deyang, Guangyuan and Chengdu. The cumulative Gaussian distribution function was then used to fit the relationship of the curves of the damage probabilities of high-voltage electrical equipment such as transformers, voltage mutual inductors, current mutual inductors, circuit breakers, isolating switches and lightning arrester with their instrumental seismic intensities. The damage probability density distribution curve of high-voltage electrical equipment based on the instrumental seismic intensities was obtained. The results showed that: (1) In the lower seismic intensity region, the mean instrumental seismic intensity was in good agreement with the traditional seismic intensity, but there was noticeable dispersion; in regions of intensity IX and above, the instrumental intensity was lower than the seismic intensity, but there was a lower degree of dispersion. (2) Among high-voltage electrical equipment, the transformers were most vulnerable to damage and they had some damage even under lower instrumental intensity. More damage would be produced when the instrumental intensity reached VIII or above; the second most vulnerable equipment was the circuit breaker, and the damage was most likely to occur when the instrument intensity was IX or above . (3) The damage rate curves of lightning arresters, current mutual inductors, voltage mutual inductors and isolating switches were relatively close to each other and the damage probability was the highest when the instrumental intensity was about X.

Wenchuan earthquake that occurred in China in 2008 caused severe damage to a large number of electric substations. In this paper, Kriging interpolation method was used to calculate the impact area of the instrumental seismic intensity in Wenchuan earthquake, and to compare the intensities based on strong motion observation against the instrumental seismic intensities at locations where the observation data is available. The instrumental seismic intensities were calculated for the Wenchuan Earthquake at substations in the national power grid with voltage of 110kV or higher in areas of Mianyang, Deyang, Guangyuan and Chengdu. The cumulative Gaussian distribution function was then used to fit the relationship of the curves of the damage probabilities of high-voltage electrical equipment such as transformers, voltage mutual inductors, current mutual inductors, circuit breakers, isolating switches and lightning arrester with their instrumental seismic intensities. The damage probability density distribution curve of high-voltage electrical equipment based on the instrumental seismic intensities was obtained. The results showed that: (1) In the lower seismic intensity region, the mean instrumental seismic intensity was in good agreement with the traditional seismic intensity, but there was noticeable dispersion; in regions of intensity IX and above, the instrumental intensity was lower than the seismic intensity, but there was a lower degree of dispersion. (2) Among high-voltage electrical equipment, the transformers were most vulnerable to damage and they had some damage even under lower instrumental intensity. More damage would be produced when the instrumental intensity reached VIII or above; the second most vulnerable equipment was the circuit breaker, and the damage was most likely to occur when the instrument intensity was IX or above . (3) The damage rate curves of lightning arresters, current mutual inductors, voltage mutual inductors and isolating switches were relatively close to each other and the damage probability was the highest when the instrumental intensity was about X.

An experimental platform for laser-driven ion (sub-MeV) acceleration and potential applications was recently commissioned at the HiLASE laser facility. The auxiliary beam of the Bivoj laser system operating at GW peak power (~10 J in 5-10 ns) and 1-10 Hz repetition rate enabled a sta-ble production of high-current ion beams of multiple species (Al, Ti, Fe, Si, Cu, Sn). The pro-duced laser-plasma ion sources were fully characterized against the laser intensity on target (1013-1015 W/cm2) by varying the laser energy, focal spot size, and pulse duration. This al-lowed to provide accurate scaling laws of the maximum ion energy for the different target ma-terials investigated. Such experimental scaling laws are presented for the first time in the inves-tigated laser intensity range and for ns-class laser pulses, and allow to provide a qualitative in-terpretation of the laser-plasma interaction underpinning physics, thus to tune the main features of the accelerated ion beams (energy, temperature, and current). Such a detailed study was facil-itated by the large amount of data acquired at high repetition rate (1-10 Hz) provided by the Bivoj laser system. The versatility and tuneability of such high-repetition-rate laser-plasma ion sources are of po-tential interest for multidisciplinary user applications.

China is rich in coal resources under water bodies. However, for a long time, the safety prediction of high-intensity mining under water bodies is one of the problems encountered by the coal industry. It is of great significance to realize safe mining under water bodies, improve the recovery rate of coal resources and protect reservoir resources. Therefore, this article takes the No. 5 coal seam and No. 11 mining area of Wangwa Coal Mine as the research object, and integrates physical simulation, numerical simulation, theoretical analysis and other methods to study the development height of water-conducting fracture zones in fully mechanized top coal caving mining. Solid-liquid coupling physical simulation test reveals the failure characteristics of overlying strata in goaf and the seepage law of reservoir water under the influence of mining. By comparing the monitoring data of borehole leakage, the measured data obtained by borehole peeping with the height data of water-conducting fracture zone obtained by the traditional empirical formula of three-under standard, the error between the two is as high as -29.39 %. In this case, the variance correction coefficient is used to correct the empirical formula, and on this basis, in order to effectively protect the surface water dam and water body, the mining height of coal seam in the working face with limited height mining is inversely derived. The research results provide a basis for the safety prediction of high-intensity mining under the reservoir dam in the ecologically fragile areas of western China and provide a scientific guarantee for the formulation of safety measures under such conditions.

Objective: To study the changes in urine metabolism in female water polo players before and after high-intensity training by using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and to explore the biometabolic characteristics of urine after training and competition. Methods: Twelve young female water polo players (except goalkeepers) from Shanxi Province were selected. A 4-week formal training was started after one week of acclimatization according to experimental requirements. Urine samples (5 ml) were collected before formal training, early morning after 4 weeks of training, and immediately after 4 weeks of training matches, and labeled as T1, T2, and T3, respectively. The samples were tested by LC-MS after pre-treatment. XCMS, SIMCA-P 14.1, and SPSS16.0 were used to process the data and identify differential metabolites. Results: On comparing the immediate post-competition period with the pre-training period (T3 vs T1), 24 differential metabolites involved in 16 metabolic pathways were identified, among which niacin and niacinamide metabolism and purine metabolism were potential post-competition urinary metabolic pathways in the untrained state of the athletes. On comparing the immediate post-competition period with the post-training period (T3 vs T2), 10 metabolites involved in 3 metabolic pathways were identified, among which niacin and niacinamide metabolism was a potential target urinary metabolic pathway for the athletes after training. Niacinamide, 1-methylnicotinamide, 2-pyridone, L-Gln, AMP, and Hx were involved in two metabolic pathways before and after the training. Conclusion: Differential changes in urine after water polo games are due changes in the metabolic pathways of niacin and niacinamide.

Purpose: This study investigates the impact of different intensity normalization (IN) methods on the overall survival (OS) radiomics models’ performance of MR sequences in primary (pHGG) and recurrent high-grade glioma (rHGG). Methods: MR scans acquired before radiotherapy were retrieved from two independent cohorts (rHGG C1: 197, pHGG C2: 141) from multiple scanners (15, 14). The sequences are T1 weighted (w), contrast-enhanced T1w (T1wce), T2w, and T2w-FLAIR. Sequence-specific significant features (SF) associated with OS, extracted from the tumour volume, were derived after applying 15 different IN methods. Survival analyses were conducted using Cox proportional hazard (CPH) and Poisson regression (POI) models. A ranking score was assigned based on the 10-fold cross-validated (CV) concordance index (C-I), mean square error (MSE), and the Akaike information criterion (AICs), to evaluate the methods’ performance. Results: Scatter plots of the 10-CV C-I and MSE against the AIC showed an impact on the survival predictions between the IN methods and MR sequences (C1/C2 C-I range: 0.62-0.71/0.61-0.72, MSE range: 0.20-0.42/0.13-0.22). White stripe showed stable results for T1wce (C1/C2 C-I: 0.71/0.65, MSE: 0.21/0.14). Combat (0.68/0.62, 0.22/0.15) and histogram matching (HM, 0.67/0.64, 0.22/0.15) showed consistent prediction results for T2w models. They were also the top-performing methods for T1w in C2 (Combat: 0.67, 0.13; HM: 0.67, 0.13), however, only HM achieved high predictions in C1 (0.66, 0.22). After eliminating IN impacted SF using Spearman’s rank-order correlation coefficient, a mean decrease in the C-I and MSE of 0.05 and 0.03 was observed in all four sequences. Conclusion: The IN method impacted the predictive power of survival models. Thus, performance is sequence-dependent.

Background: This study investigated the effect of indirect air-cooling on the variation in intrapulpal temperature (ΔT) during different light-curing protocols of bulk-fill resin composites in molars with class V cavities. Methods: A nonretentive class V cavity was prepared in an upper molar. The intrapulpal temperature changes with and without air-cooling were recorded with type K thermocouple. The cavity was restored with bulk-fill resin composites: Tetric PowerFlow and Filtek Bulk-Fill Flow. The tooth was exposed to different light-curing protocols (n=5) using the Valo Grand light-curing unit: (i) high-intensity light-curing of 3200 mW/cm² (3 and 6 s) and (ii) moderate-intensity light-curing of 1000 mW/cm² (10 and 20 s). The ΔT data were subjected to two-way ANOVA, followed by Bonferroni post hoc test. Results: A significant increase in temperature was observed with the use of the high-intensity light-curing resin composite without indirect air-cooling. In addition, the application of air-cooling significantly decreased the temperature in all the groups except for the Tetric PowerFlow bulk-fill resin composite at 3 s of light-curing. Conclusion: Indirect air-cooling resulted in a lower increase in intrapulpal temperature during the light-curing of bulk-fill resin composites, making it an effective alternative for controlling the temperature rise in class V restorations with 1 mm of remaining dentin.

Background: Low-level (LLLT) and high-intensity laser therapy (HILT) can be beneficial additions to knee osteoarthritis (KOA) rehabilitation exercises; however, it is still being determined which modality is more effective. Aim: To compare the effects of LLLT and HILT as adjuncts to rehabilitation exercise (LL+EX and HL+EX) on clinical outcomes in KOA. Methods: Thirty-four adults with mild to moderate KOA were randomly allocated to either LL+EX (n = 17) or HL+EX (n = 17) groups. All participants underwent their designated laser treatment combined with rehabilitation exercises weekly for twelve consecutive weeks. The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), active knee flexion, and Timed Up-and-Go test (TUG) were assessed at baseline and immediately post-intervention. Results: Post-intervention, both groups significantly improved their KOOS, NPRS, active knee flexion, and TUG scores compared to baseline (p &lt; 0.01). The mean difference of change in KOOS, NPRS, and active knee flexion scores for the HL+EX group surpassed the minimal clinically important difference threshold. In contrast, the LL+EX group only demonstrated clinical significance in NPRS scores. Conclusions: Incorporating HILT as an adjunct to usual KOA rehabilitation led to significantly higher improvements in pain, physical function, and knee-related disability compared to LLLT.

A new approach to the treatment of wound lesions, which are complicated by the presence of polyresistant microflora and a possible immunodeficiency background has been proposed. It involves treating the wound surface with high-intensity pulsed optical radiation of a continuous spectrum, continuously covering the entire UV range (from 200 to 400 nm), visible and near infrared region of the spectrum. A pulsed xenon lamp is used as a radiation source. A description of the design and technical characteristics of the developed device for high-intensity optical irradiation "Zarnitsa-A", which implements the proposed medical technology for wound therapy, is represented. The results of preclinical studies of the apparatus in vitro and in vivo are represented hereinafter. The article shows that the apparatus exposure has pronounced bactericidal and wound-healing properties. The apparatus action reliably provides higher rates of wound healing compared to the use of only a typical antibacterial and wound healing agent – “Levomekol” ointment.

Objective: To evaluate the affective responses to running with imposed velocity or self-selected time trials in runners, as well as the effects on volume load (VL) and training impulse (TRIMP). Anxiety was also determined. We establish the level of association between the dependent variables. Methods: Three visits were carried out. 1st visit consisted of a maximum running effort test (VO₂Max). 2nd and 3rd visits, participants were divided between the time limit (T_Lim) or time trial 1000m running at self-selected intensity (T₁₀₀₀). Participant responded to felt arousal, feeling and anxiety SUDS scale, before, during and after T_Lim and T₁₀₀₀. Results: T_Lim vs. T₁₀₀₀ (p<0.001), V_Peak x V₁₀₀₀ (p=0.013), showed differences, but did not influence VL_TLim vs. VL₁₀₀₀ (3181.34 ± 872.22 vs. 3570.60 ± 323.3; p=0.062). TRIMP showed no differences (p=0.068). Arousal did not differ between the pre-exercise (p=0.772) and post-exercise (p=0.083) groups, but was different during (p=0.035). There were differences between groups in the pre-exercise (p=0.012), during (p<0.001) and post-exercise (p<0.001) for feeling and anxiety scores. The correlation between TRIMP and affective scores showed association for T_Lim (r=0.46; p=0.043). Conclusion: The self-selected exercise generated positive affective responses, but the same did not occur for the imposed T_Lim. VL and TRIMP presented equality. There was association TRIMP and T_Lim feeling scale. T_Lim significantly increased anxiety scores.

Recently, research on ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) with the characteristics of ultra-high strength, high toughness, and high durability has been actively conducted from materials to actual structural applications. However, research on experimental methods that reflect the unique characteristics of UHPC, which are different from those of normal concrete, is insufficient. To solve the difficulties in applying the compressive creep test method for normal concrete to UHPC and to verify the validity of the recently proposed ASTM C 1856 standard test method, this study performed compressive creep tests on UHPC with variables of specimen size, sustained load intensity, fiber length, and strain measuring method. Two types of cylindrical specimens of ϕ100 × 200 mm and ϕ75 × 150 mm were used for a specimen size variable. The sustained load intensities of 10% to 40% based on the specified compressive strength of 150 MPa were applied. Two types of steel fiber lengths of 13 mm and 19.5 mm in the UHPC mix were used as a variable, and three strain measuring methods of the embedded strain gauge method, the attached strain gauge method, and the strain meter with stud measured the change in length of the UHPC specimens. The experimental results showed that the strain meter method using the standard rod had limitations due to the error in the verification process using the standard rod and the observation error of the measurer, and the sustained load intensity is preferable to 15% to 40% of the actual compressive strength. It was found that it is possible to perform a compressive creep test for UHPC using a specimen with a size of ϕ75 mm or more, and the fiber length did not affect the creep behavior of UHPC up to 19.5 mm. As a result of comparing the UHPC creep test results with the creep prediction model, the B3 model was found to most accurately predict the UHPC creep behavior. The creep coefficient pattern of the B3 model was very similar to the measured results, and well reflected the effects of the mixing ratio and compressive strength of UHPC.

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common causes of foot pain; in a significant percentage it is also associated with bone edema of the heel. A prospective randomized clinical trial was designed, in which 48 patients suffering from plantar fasciitis, with or without bone edema, were treated with temperature controlled high energy adjustable multi-mode emission laser and exercises (laser group) or with exercises only (control group). Patients were evaluated at recruitment (T0), at 2 (T1) and 6 months (T2), monitoring pain (with Visual Analogue Scale), functionality (with Foot Function Index) and perception of improvement (with Roles and Maudsley Score) and fascia thickness (with ultrasound examination). In both groups there was a significant improvement in pain, functional recovery, perception of remission and a reduction in plantar fascia thickness at T1 and T2. The laser group presented statistically better values at T2 for the Roles and Maudsley Score (z: 2.21; 0.027). Regression analysis showed that a greater reduction in fascia thickness occurred in the laser group (p-value: 0.047). In conclusion, the two conservative treatments were effective in patients suffering from plantar fasciitis, even in the presence of bone edema, but with lesser results.

Obesity and overweight are associated with many metabolic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia, which are closely related to a sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise. Aerobic exercise effectively increases the high-density lipoproteins-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and decreases the triglyceride (TG) levels. The consumption of Cuban policosanol (Raydel®) is also effective in enhancing the HDL-C quantity and HDL functionality to treat dyslipidemia and hypertension. On the other hand, no study has examined the effects of a combination of high-intensity exercise and policosanol consumption in obese subjects to improve metabolic disorders. In the current study, 17 obese subjects (average BMI 30.0±1.1 kg/m2, eight male and nine female) were recruited to participate in a program combining exercise and policosanol (20 mg) consumption for 12 weeks. After completion, their BMI, waist circumference, total fat mass, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) decreased by approximately 15% (p=0.022), 12.7% (p=0.008), 33% (p=0.006), 11% (p<0.046), and 13% (p=0.007), respectively. In the serum lipid profile, at week 12, they showed a remarkable decrease in the total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels, up to 17% (p<0.019) and 54% (p<0.002) from the baseline, respectively. Although the serum HDL-C was increased by approximately +12% from the baseline, the percentage of HDL-C in TC, HDL-C/TC (%), was increased by up to +32% (p=0.007) at week 12. The serum coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) level was increased 1.2-fold in all participants at week 12 from the baseline. In particular, the male participants showed a 1.4-fold increase (p=0.027) from the baseline. The larger increase in serum CoQ10 was correlated with the larger increase in the serum HDL-C during 12 weeks. The hepatic function parameters were improved; the serum -glutamyl transferase decreased at week 12 by up to 55% (p<0.007), while the aspartate aminotransferase and alanine transaminase levels decreased within the normal range. In the lipoprotein level, the extent of oxidation and glycation were reduced significantly in VLDL and LDL, with a remarkable decrease in the TG content in particles. The antioxidant abilities of HDL2 and HDL3, such as paraoxonase (PON) and ferric ion reduction ability (FRA), were enhanced significantly by up to 1.8-fold (p<0.001) and 1.6-fold (p<0.001) at week 12. The particle size and number of HDL2 were increased up to +10% during the 12 weeks with a remarkable decrease in the TG content, glycation extent, oxidation up to 32% (p=0.032), 18% (p=0.043), and 11% (p=0.023), respectively. The particle number and diameter of HDL3 were increased by up to +9% with a remarkable increase in the PON activity, FRA activity, and TC content of +82% (p<0.001), +56% (p<0.001), and +32% (p=0.009), respectively. Expression of apolipoproteinA-I in HDL2 and HDL3 were significantly elevated more in both gender around 30~48% with more distinct band intensity and less glycation at week 12. These improvements in HDL quality and functionality were linked to the higher survivability of adult zebrafish and their embryos. Under the co-presence of carboxymethyllysine (CML), a microinjection of HDL2 to zebrafish embryo from week 0 resulted in approximately 47% survivability with developmental defects and attenuated speed. On the other hand, the HDL2 microinjection from week 12 resulted in remarkably higher survivability (~ 70%). In conclusion, 12 weeks of Cuban policosanol (Raydel®, 20 mg) consumption with high-intensity exercise showed significant improvement in blood pressure, body fat mass, blood lipid profile without liver damage, CoQ10 metabolism, and renal impairment. At week 12, all participants showed a remarkable decrease in oxidation and glycation extent in the VLDL and LDL with a decrease in the TC and TG content. Significant enhancement of the qualities and functionalities in HDL2 and HDL3 by the policosanol consumption were also detected: increase in apoA-I content, TC content, particle size, and particle numbers along with antioxidant abilities, such as PON and FRA.

The comprehensive analysis of cross-country skiing races is a pivotal step in establishing effective training objectives and tactical strategies. This study aimed to establish a method for the classifi-cation of sub-techniques and analyzing skiing characteristics during cross-country skiing skating style timed races on snow using high-precision kinematic GNSS devices. The study involved at-taching GNSS devices to the heads of two athletes during skating style timed races on cross-country ski courses. These devices provided precise positional data and recorded vertical and hor-izontal head movements and ground over velocity (VOG). Sub-techniques were classified by de-fining waveform patterns for G2, G3, G4, and G6 based on these data. The validity of classifica-tion was verified by comparing GNSS data with video analysis, a process that yielded classifica-tion accuracies ranging from 94.0% to 99.3% for G2, G3, G4, and G6. Notably, G4 emerged as the fastest technique, with sub-technique selection varying among skiers and being influenced by skiing velocity and course inclination. The study's findings have practical implications for ath-letes and coaches, as they demonstrate that high-precision kinematic GNSS devices can accurate-ly classify sub-techniques and detect skiing characteristics during skate-style cross-country skiing races, thereby providing valuable insights for training and strategy development.

High dimensional statistical analysis for the yield of large-scale circuits is quite difficult due to expensive simulations, especially for the memory circuits with high sigma requirement (e.g., SRAM). In this paper, we developed an efficient sparse additive model to substitute simulations. To fit high sigma region accurately, the modeling center is moved to near failure boundary searched by scaling the shape of sampling function. To solve the model efficiently, the process variables are grouped by standard cells so that the model can be solved by our developed blockwise greedy algorithm. The experiments on the 28nm memory circuits validate that our method achieves high accuracy and efficiency compared with other state-of-art works.

Multi-board electronic cases with high density and high power modules are widely used in industrial power supply management. With the improvement of case performance and miniaturization requirements, heat dissipation becomes one of the important factors to be considered in the design process. First,The existing small electronic thermal design methods focus on heat dissipation structure or heat source layout optimization,and ignores on-load test for modeling analysis. Second,The selected power module has on-load power consumption, resulting in relatively low calorific value and the effectiveness of thermal design cannot be verified. Third, The thermal lacks Intelligent monitoring and feedback control mechanism. In order to solve these problems, this paper designs a kind of heat dissipation case with intelligent temperature control based on high-power and high-density power supply array. Based on the extremely miniaturization design principle, we adopt the composite heat dissipation mode based on conduction and supplemented by forced air cooling . The case is made of magnesium and aluminum alloy with a perforated design. Finally, we compare and analyze with the existing cooling design. The results show that the case is smaller in volume, and the cooling performance parameters are slightly better than the existing case. Under the condition of high-density and high-power design, The output power of the whole system is not less than 10kw and the lowest packing-level density is not less than 47w/cm2 with high reliability, portability and practicability. It also provides technical support and prototype support for the standardized design of similar power arrays.

Super-high (x400) magnification dermoscopy (D400) is a new non-invasive imaging technique that has been shown to add information for the differential diagnosis of melanocytic lesions in a pilot study. Our study aimed to confirm if D400 can add details for the discrimination of clinically atypical nevus and melanoma. This is a retrospective observational, multicentric study enrolling patients who received an x20 (D20) and x400 (D400) magnification dermoscopic examination of pigmented skin lesions. Dermoscopic images were retrospectively evaluated by three observers for the presence/absence of nine D20 and twenty D400 dermoscopic features defined in the previous pilot study. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to find predictors of benign and malignant behaviors. At D20 atypical pigment network, blue-whitish veil, atypical vascular pattern, regression, and homogenous pattern were more frequent in melanoma than in nevi (p&lt;0.001). At D400 melanoma showed more frequently than benign lesions melanocytes with an irregular arrangement and irregular in shape and size (p&lt;0.001). Network with edged papillae was more frequent in benign lesions than melanomas (p&lt;0.001). Our study confirms that D400 can identify melanocytes with an irregular arrangement and irregular in shape and size in melanomas, adding information to the conventional D20 examination.

Chitosan (CTS) is widely used in agriculture as a soil amendment, plant growth regulator and promoter of cold resistance. However, the effects of CTS on strawberry seedlings under the combined stress of high-temperature and high-light are unclear. In this study, Xuelixiang strawberry was used as a test material, and 100 mg·kg-1 CTS solution was sprayed onto the leaves. We measured the chlorophyll content, membrane peroxidation, reactive oxygen species content, antioxidant enzyme content, AsA-GSH cycle activity and other related indicators of strawberry seedling leaves under the combined stress of high-temperature and high-light and found that CTS can increase the contents of antioxidants, increase the contents of osmotic adjustment substances, increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes activity,; remove reactive oxygen species over time, reduce the damage of reactive oxygen species to photosynthetic organs and cell membranes, and improve the photosynthesis efficiency of leaves of strawberry plants under high-temperature and high-light stress, thereby reducing damage to strawberry seedlings caused by high-temperature and high-light.

In-situ injection of steam for heating of the subsurface is an efficient method for the recovery of oil and gas from oil shale where permeability typically evolves with temperature. We reported measurements on Jimusar oil shales(Xinjiang, China) at different temperatures to 600℃ and under recreated in situ triaxial stresses to obtain permeability evolution with temperature and stress. Permeability of tight oil shales evolves with temperature to a threshold temperature and peak temperature. The threshold temperature was subjected to triaxial stresses. For Jimusar oil shale, the threshold temperature ranges from 200℃ to 250℃ at ground stress of buried depth of 500m and from 350℃ to 400℃ at buried depth of 1000m. The peak temperature was almost not subjected to triaxial stress and the range is from 450℃ to 500℃ for all Jimusar samples. Pyrolysis plays an important role in permeability evolution and fundamentally changes permeability tendency and magnitude. At high temperature permeability exhibits a little reduction due to stress effect but still remains a high level due to pyrolysis. The above results show that oil shale mass can change from tight porous media into highly permeable media and oil & gas can easily flow through oil shale stratum.

High-strength wastewaters from a variety of sources, including the food industry, domestic septage and landfill leachate, are often hauled to municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) for co-treatment. Due to their high organic loadings, these wastewaters can cause process upsets in both the WWTP’s liquid and solids treatment trains and consume organic treatment capacity, leaving less capacity available to service customers in the catchment area. A novel pre-treatment method, the Waste Activated Sludge-High Rate (WASHR) process, is proposed to optimize the co-treatment of high-strength wastewaters. The WASHR process combines the contact stabilization and sequencing batch reactor processes. It utilizes waste activated sludge from the municipal WWTP as its biomass source, allowing rapid start-up. Bench scale treatment trials of winery wastewater confirm the WASHR process can reduce loadings on the downstream WWTP’s liquid treatment and solids treatment trains. A case study approach is used to confirm the economic viability and environmental sustainability of the WASHR process compared to direct co-treatment using life cycle cost analyses and greenhouse gas emissions estimates.

Background Although high-density lipoprotein has cardioprotective effects, the association between serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and hypertension is poorly understood. Objective We investigated whether low and high concentrations of HDL-C are associated with hypertension using a large healthcare dataset. Methods In a community-based cross-sectional study of 1,493,152 Japanese people aged 40–74 years who underwent a health checkup, blood pressures and clinical parameters, including nine HDL-C concentrations (20–110 mg/dL or over) were investigated. Results A crude U-shaped relationship was observed between the nine HDL-C concentrations and blood pressure in males (n = 830,669), while a left-to-right inverted J-shaped relationship was observed in females(n = 662,483). An age-adjusted logistic regression analysis showed J-shaped relationships (left-to-right inversion in females) between HDL-C and odds ratios for hypertension (≥140/90 mmHg), with lower limits of 60–79 mg/dL in males and 90–99 mg/dL in females, which were unchanged after adjusting for smoking, habitual exercise, alcohol consumption, and pharmacotherapy for hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. However, further adjustment for body mass index and serum triglyceride concentration revealed latent positive linear associations between HDL-C and hypertension, although the association between extremely high HDL-C (≥100 mg/dL) and hypertension was attenuated in non-alcohol drinkers. Conclusion Both low and extremely high HDL-C concentrations are associated with hypertension. The former association may be dependent on excess fat mass, which is often concomitant with low HDL-C, whereas the latter association may be dependent on frequent alcohol consumption.

With the ever-increasing rate, obesity has become an epidemiological problem throughout the globe comprising about 39% of the world population as of now. Among several reasons, disruption of the gut microbial ecosystem might contribute to the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders, including obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and other associated comorbidities. Though the mechanisms related to dysbiosis are unclear, diet might play a modulating role where different dietary approaches manipulate microbial richness and abundance as well as stability. For instance, shifting of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes ratio in the gut might have a role in association with the dietary approaches and ingestion duration. Along with altered gut microbial composition, microbial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) after ingestion of non-digestible dietary starches may have an impact on host metabolism by regulating lipogenesis, gluconeogenesis, and inflammation with potential associations to health and obesity. The dietary approaches like carbohydrates, fibre, protein, and/or fat diet at various arrangements can make a shift in the composition of gut microbiota if introduced for a short period. However, the unique pattern of the gut microbes usually remains the same along with the longer period of habitual diet. Though the short-term dietary intervention or circadian rhythm influences a transient change in gut microbes, other than habitual diet, the understanding related to long-term dietary change-induced permanent alterations is minimum. Alternatively, the usage of prebiotics, probiotics as well as postbiotics could be beneficial to overcome dysbiosis. This review highlights the current knowledge and the interaction between the human intestinal microbiota and diet as a modifying factor, in obesity allowing the scientists to uncover novel targets and tools to use as customized therapy.

The salt marshes, lying at the land-sea temperate interface, furnish a plethora of ecosystems services such as biodiversity niche support, ocean-climate change regulation, ornithology recreo-tourism or plant gathering by hand. They undergo significant worldwide losses due to their conversion into crop fields and to their spatial compression between the rising sea-level and the armoring shoreline. Their monitoring however requires to use a suite of remote sensing sensors to embrace the regional scale while capturing the plant details. This research innovatively adopts a multiscale approach using a cascading spaceborne and airborne process, from the 10-m Sentinel-2, through the 3-m Dove, to the 0.03-m unmanned airborne vehicle (UAV) imageries. The high to very high temporal resolution of the Sentinel-2 and Dove enabled to cover twenties and tens of km2 over five and four years, respectively, in the form of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) classes, associated with microphytobenthos, low, medium and high salt marsh vegetation, including the opportunistic Elyma genus. The NDVI was then modelled at the UAV scale (a few km2) using a three-layered NN prediction, providing the final near-infrared (NIR), and the intermediate red, green and blue reflectance imageries, calibrated/validated/tested with the Dove reflectance imageries (R2NIR=0.98, R2red=0.88, R2green=0.84, and R2blue=0.90). The 100fold increase in pixel size allowed to detect the decimeter-scale objects of the tidal flats and salt marshes, to enlarge the NDVI class ranges, and hold great promise to model other spectral bands at the UAV scale for further deeply enhancing the salt marsh mapping.

The cornerstone of molecular magnetism is a detailed understanding of the relationship between structure and magnetic behaviour, i.e. the development of magneto-structural correlations. Traditionally, the synthetic chemist approaches this challenge by making multiple compounds that share a similar magnetic core but differ in peripheral ligation. Changes in the ligand framework induce changes in the bond angles and distances around the metal ions which are manifested in changes to magnetic susceptibility and magnetisation data. This approach requires the synthesis of series of different ligands and assumes that the chemical/electronic nature of the ligands and their coordination to the metal, the nature and number of counter ions and how they are positioned in the crystal lattice, and the molecular and crystallographic symmetry have no effect on the measured magnetic properties. In short, the assumption is that everything outwith the magnetic core is innocent, which is a huge oversimplification. The ideal scenario would be to have the same complex available in multiple structural conformations, and this is something that can be achieved through the application of external hydrostatic pressure, correlating structural changes observed through high pressure single crystal X-ray crystallography with changes observed in high pressure magnetometry, in tandem with high pressure inelastic neutron scattering (INS), high pressure electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy and high pressure absorption/emission/Raman spectroscopy. In this review, which summarises our work in this area over the last 15 years, we show that the application of pressure to molecule-based magnets can (reversibly): (1) lead to changes in bond angles, distances and Jahn-Teller orientations; (2) break and form bonds; (3) induce polymerisation/depolymerisation; (4) enforce multiple phase transitions; (5) instigate piezochromism; (6) change the magnitude and sign of pairwise exchange interactions and magnetic anisotropy and (7) lead to significant increases in magnetic ordering temperatures.

High-power lasers play an important role in modern science, industry, and medicine. A signifi-cant milestone was reached on December 5, 2022, when Inertial Confinement Nuclear Fusion (ICF) achieved scientific breakeven, releasing more energy than the input laser energy. Additionally, Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL) has enabled the development of microchips with 3 nm process nodes, marking a leap in semiconductor technology. These examples together with the recent achievement of a 10 PW (1015 W) laser output heralds remarkable advancements in technology and science soon. Laser systems are broadly classified based on their operating re-gimes into two main categories: Continuous Wave (CW) operation, where the laser is continuously pumped and emits a steady beam of light, and the pulsed regime, in which the laser pro-duces single or multiple pulses at various repetition rates. This review will primarily focus on pulsed laser systems, exploring their various types and recent technological advancements.

Rocks are materials with a wide variety of structures and properties. These can be unprocessed conglomerates of conglomerated minerals as well as crystallized outcrop or metamorphic rocks. Their processing, especially shaping, poses many technological difficulties. Therefore, it is very important to answer the question of how these natural materials yield to high-pressure water jet and abrasive water. It is equally important to determine the effect of key process parameters such as pressure, water nozzle diameter and feed rate on cutting efficiency. The first two parameters determine the water output and power of the jet, while the third determines the jet erosion time per unit volume of material. Their interdependence, using appropriate evaluation indicators, allows to determine the energy intensity of processing and directions for its minimization.

In the recent concrete industry, high fluidity concrete is being widely used for the pouring of dense reinforced concrete. Normally, in the case of high fluidity concrete, it includes high binder contents, so it is necessary to replace part of the cement through admixtures such as fly ash to procure economic feasibility and durability. This study shows the mechanical properties and field applicability of high fluidity concrete that using mass of fly ash as alternative materials of cement. The high fluidity concrete mixed with 50% fly ash was measured to manufacture concrete that applies low water/binder ratio to measure the mechanical characteristics as compressive strength and elastic modulus. Also, in order to evaluate the field applicability, high fluidity concrete containing high volume fly ash was evaluated that fluidity, compressive strength, heat of hydration and drying shrinkage of concrete.

The main objective was to analyze the influence of silicon content on high-temperature oxidation of low-alloy steels. Samples of AISI 1045, AISI 5160, and AISI 9254 steels, with different silicon contents, were oxidized at an isothermal temperature of 1000°C for times of 20 minutes, 40 minutes, and 60 minutes. The oxide layers formed mainly contain hematite, magnetite wustite, and fayalite. The average thickness of the oxide layer can decrease with an increase in silicon content below 1% but can increase for contents greater than 1% due to the difference in density between fayalite and iron oxides. Silicon tends to accumulate on the surface of steel and form a SiO2 film in the early stages of oxidation, which can control the oxidation process. The eutectic compound FeO+Fe2SiO4 forms at the oxide-steel interface, and its thickness increases with oxidation time and the silicon content present. The SiO2 film tends to decrease with oxidation time and silicon content.

Chemical flooding methods are used to recover the remaining oil after water flooding, and surfactant-polymer (SP) flooding is an important chemical flooding technology. It is of great significance to design and screen high-performance oil displacement agents in order to overcome the increasingly challenging high temperature (&gt;70 ℃) and high salinity (>10,000 mg/L) reservoirs. Based on the characteristics of high temperature (70 ℃) and high salinity (151,000 mg/L) in the Qinghai Gasi reservoir, the performance of the SP flooding system was studied. This study considered interfacial tension, emulsification, viscosity, compatibility, and oil displacement efficiency. The selected formula demonstrated high resistance to both salinity (151,000 mg/L) and temperature (70 ℃), characterized by a low oil-water interfacial tension (10-2 mN/m) and high viscosity (18.13 mPa.s). After water flooding achieved an oil recovery rate of 64.64%, the subsequent replacement rate of crude oil increased by 26.95%, confirming that SP flooding can be used as a technology for enhancing oil recovery in high-temperature, high-salinity reservoirs represented by Qinghai Gasi reservoirs.

Intended for the high voltage gain and wide-range operation of DC/DC converters for photovoltaic energy storage systems, a topology for four-phase interleaved DC/DC converters for photovoltaic power generation is proposed. This topology increases output voltage for output in series, and reduces the input current ripple by paralleling the input. Compared with traditional boost converter topology, the proposed topology reduces the output current and output voltage ripple, reduces the stress of the switching device, and reduces the withstanding voltage of the output capacitor under the premise of ensuring the boost ratio. Experimental results show that the maximum efficiency of the converter reaches 95.37%. Compared with traditional boost converters, the proposed converter offers obvious advantages in efficiency under the conditions that the output voltage and load are variable.

China is facing the development requirements of the dual carbon goal and the construction needs of resilient cities. Currently, high-strength composite structural systems are a feasible solution, but their research and application in the construction field are insufficient, especially for the combination forms of concrete above C100 and steel above Q550. In response to this issue, this paper proposes a new high-performance structural system, namely the composite frame - high-strength steel plate wall core tube resilient structure system, which includes high-strength steel plate (Q550) - ultra-high strength concrete (C100) shear walls, replaceable energy dissipation coupling beams, and composite frames. Taking a 200 meter building as an example, this paper designs and establishes calculation models for a conventional reinforced concrete frame-core tube structure and a high-performance structure based on PKPM software, and establishes elastoplastic analysis models for both based on SAUSAGE software, and then conducts dynamic elastoplastic time history analysis and seismic resilience assessment of structures under design basis earthquakes (DBEs), maximum considered earthquake (MCEs) and extremely rare earthquakes (EREs). Research has shown that compared to conventional structures, new high-performance structures can effectively reduce the size of shear walls, reduce the self-weight of the structure, and enhance the space for building use; The story drift ratio has higher redundancy than specification limits, lower plastic damage and overall stiffness degradation of the structure, and better seismic performance; The seismic resilience has significantly improved, especially in the case of casualties, which can better ensure the safety of people's lives and property.

To investigate the composition of caproic acid-producing bacterial communities in sub-high-temperature Daqu, we analyzed four different Daqu samples from Sichuan. After enriching the samples with a specialized medium, we performed high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons on the metagenomic DNA from both the Daqu samples and the enrichment cultures. Our analysis focused on identifying and characterizing the caproic acid-producing bacterial communities present in Daqu. The results revealed that enrichment increased both the diversity and abundance of potential caproic acid-producing bacteria in Daqu. The predominant caproic acid-producing bacteria, with a relative abundance greater than 1%, included Clostridium sensu stricto 18 (2.19% to 69.00%), Clostridium sensu stricto 15 (1.76% to 7.65%), as well as smaller amounts of Clostridium sensu stricto 12, Clostridium sensu stricto 1, Clostridium sensu stricto 10, Clostridium sensu stricto 7, and Caproiciproducens. Specifically, Q1 Daqu was characterized by the presence of Clostridium sensu stricto 18 and Clostridium sensu stricto 15. Q2 Daqu featured Clostridium sensu stricto 1, Caproiciproducens, and Clostridium sensu stricto 18. Q3 Daqu included Clostridium sensu stricto 18 and Caproiciproducens. Q4 Daqu contained Clostridium sensu stricto 18 and Clostridium sensu stricto 1. These findings indicate that there are variations in the composition of caproic acid-producing bacterial communities among different sub-high-temperature Daqu samples from Sichuan. This preliminary analysis provides a theoretical basis for further studies on caproic acid bacteria in Daqu and offers insights into the development of high-quality Daqu, which may enhance the quality of Nongxiangxing liquor.

The gas-water relative permeability curve plays a crucial role in reservoir simulation and development for condensate gas reservoirs. In this study, we conducted a series of high temperature and high pressure analysis experiments on real gas cores from Wells A and B in Block L of the Yinggehai Basin to investigate the effects of temperature, pressure, and different types of gas media on gas-water seepage. The experimental results demonstrate that: Temperature has a significant impact on both gas and water relative permeability, particularly on the former. As temperature increases, gas relative permeability shows a substantial increase while water relative permeability remains relatively unchanged. Under the same effective stress, increasing pressure causes downward shifts in both the gas and water relative permeability curves; however, there is a more pronounced decrease in gas relative permeability. Gas type has minimal influence on phase permeability except at higher water saturation where differences become apparent. When water saturation ranges from 80% to 50%, there is no significant variation observed in the measured relative permeability of different displacement gases; however, as water saturation exceeds 80%, distinctions gradually emerge. At bound water saturation conditions, nitrogen exhibits lower relative permeability compared to simulated gases with approximately 92% similarity between them. This investigation into the characteristics of gas-water relative permeability in high temperature and high pressure condensate reservoirs within Yinggehai Basin provides valuable insights for efficient development strategies for similar reservoirs.

This paper presents the design and experimental results of a long cavity length Nd: YAG laser with large stable zone for water jet guided laser (WJGL) applications. The design is based on the light transmission matrix and resonator stability conditions, aiming to achieve a large stable zone and a short cut-off thermal focal length (CTFL). A folded concave resonator is researched to enhance the cavity length, and the influence of the tun-able cavity arm length on the oscillating beam in the resonator and in the YAG crystal is theoretically studied. Moreover, the effects of the output mirror curvature and the cavity arm length on the range of the stable area and the cut-off thermal focal length are also investigated. Experimental results show that a stable green laser output is obtained after second harmonic generation (SHG), with a pulse width ranging from 43ns to 143ns within the laser operating frequency range of 5-20kHz. At an operation frequency of 10kHz, the output power is 21.33W, and the instability of the output power within 400 minutes is 0.88%. The laser source achieves a maximum power of 25.7W at 20kHz, and the maximum single pulse energy reaches 2.7mJ at 6kHz. Finally, this is used as the laser source to couple with a water jet with a diameter of 100 microns, achieving a lossless water conductivity transmission over 60mm length with a peak power density of 0.742GW/cm2. These results demonstrate the suitability of the designed laser source for WJGL technology research.

Indonesia's SUMBAGUT 150 kV transmission of High Voltage Alternating Current Network (HVAC) system has considerable power losses. These power losses are a critical problem in the transmission network system. Meanwhile, this study provides one solution to reduce power losses using a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) network system. Determining the location to convert HVAC into HVDC is very important. The authors use Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) to get the optimal location on the 150 kV SUMBAGUT HVAC transmission network system. The study results showed that before using the HVDC network system, the power losses were 122.26 MW. Meanwhile, power losses with one transmission HVDC in the "Paya Pasir-Sei Rotan" are 84.16 MW, "Porsa-P. Siantar" 90.83 MW, "Paya Pasir-Paya Geli" 104.14 MW. Then power losses with two transmission HVDC in "Paya Pasir-Sei Rattan" and "Porsa-P. Siantar" is 71.24 MW, "Paya Pasir-Sei Rotan" and "Paya Pasir-Paya Geli" 77.46 MW, "Porsa-P. Siantar" and "Paya Pasir-Paya Geli" 78.52 MW. The last result, power losses with three transmission HVDC in "Paya Pasir-Sei Rotan," "Porsa-P. Siantar," and "Paya Pasir-Paya Geli" lost 64.57 MW.

This study analyses some of the leading technologies for the construction and configuration of IT infrastructures to provide services to users. For modern applications, guaranteeing service continuity even in very high computational load or network problems is essential. Our configuration has among the main objectives of being highly available (HA) and horizontally scalable, that is, able to increase the computational resources that can be delivered when needed and reduce them when they are no longer necessary. Various architectural possibilities are analysed, and the central schemes used to tackle problems of this type are also described in terms of disaster recovery. The benefits offered by virtualisation technologies are highlighted and are bought with modern techniques for managing Docker containers that will be used to build the back-end of a sample infrastructure related to a use-case we have developed. In addition to this, an in-depth analysis is reported on the central autoscaling policies that can help manage high loads of requests from users to the services provided by the infrastructure. The results we have presented show an average response time of 21.7 milliseconds with a standard deviation of 76.3 milliseconds showing excellent responsiveness. Some peaks are associated with high-stress events for the infrastructure, but the response time does not exceed 2 seconds even in this case. The results of the considered use case studied for nine months are presented and discussed. In the study period, we improved the back-end configuration and defined the main metrics to deploy the web application efficiently.

Some time ago, Kobayashi et al. experimentally studied the so-called Lee-Naughton-Lebed's (LNL) angular effect in strong electric fields [K. Kobayashi, M. Saito, E. Omichi, and T. Osada, Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{96}, 126601 (2006)]. They found that strong electric fields split the LNL conductivity maxima in $\alpha$-(ET)$_2$-based organic conductor and hypothetically introduced the corresponding equation for conductivity. In this Letter, for the first time we suggest quantum mechanical theory of the LNL angular oscillations in moderately strong electric fields. In particular, we demonstrate that the obtained by us approximate theoretical formula coincides with the hypothetical one and well describes the above mentioned experiments.

: The stability of semiconductor catalysts is a very important property in the field of catalytic reactions. Materials necessitate resistance to mechanical abrasion and chemical erosion for better overall performance. In this work, high crystallinity BiOCl nanosheets were prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. The photocatalysts demonstrate full UV light absorption ability and excellent photocatalytic norfloxacin degradation performance. 84 % of highly toxic norfloxacin were photocatalytically eliminated within 180 min. The internal structure and surface chemical state of BiOCl were analyzed by SEM, TEM, Raman, FTIR, UV-vis, XPS, and other techniques. Such high crystallinity makes BiOCl molecules closely arranged and the molecular chains strongly connected, thus exhibiting a high level of photocatalytic stability and recyclability.

UHPC is a type of cement-based composite used in new construction and/or rehabilitation of existing buildings to extend service life. It is a novel composite material that can serve as an alternative to concrete construction in hostile climates. Following decades of study and production, a diverse variety of commercial UHPC compositions are now available globally to meet the rising number of applicants and demand for high-quality building materials. Although UHPC offers major benefits over normal concrete, its utilization is restricted due to restrictive design rules and exorbitant costs. As a result, a thorough examination of the durability properties of UHPC is required to give important information for material testing requirements and processes, as well as to broaden its practical uses. This report is aimed at increasing basic understanding of UHPC and supporting more UHPC research and applications.

The dependence of the critical temperature $T_c$ of high-temperature superconductors of various families on their composition and structure is proposed. A clear dependence of the critical temperature of high-temperature superconductors (hydrides, Hg- and Y-based cuprates) on the serial number of the constituent elements, their valence and crystal lattice structure has been revealed. For cuprates, it is shown that it is possible to obtain even higher temperatures of superconducting transitions at normal pressure by implanting mercury atoms into the crystal lattice of cuprate.

The oral cavity harbors hundreds of microbial species that are present either as planktonic cells, or incorporated into biofilms. The majority of the oral microbes are commensal organisms. Those that are pathogenic microbes can result in oral infections, and at times initiate systemic diseases. Biofilms that contain pathogens have been challenging to control. Many conventional antimicrobials have proven to be ineffective. Recent advances in science and technology are providing new approaches for pathogen control and containment and methods to characterize biofilms. This perspective provides: 1) A general understanding of biofilm development; 2) A description of emerging chemical and biological methods to control oral biofilms; 3) An overview of high-throughput analytical approaches to analyze biofilms.

Background/Objectives: Emerging data support an essential role of glucagon for lipid metabolism. However, data on the role of dietary fat intake for glucagon secretion is limited. This analysis investigated whether altering nutritional fat intake affects glucagon levels in healthy subjects. Methods: 92 twins (age: 31±14 years, BMI: 23±3 kg/m2) consumed two 6-week diets: first a low fat, high carbohydrate diet (LFD) followed by an isocaloric high fat, low carbohydrate diet (HFD). 24 twins (age: 39±15 years, BMI: 24±2 kg/m2) continued with a high protein diet (HPD). Clinical investigation days were performed after 6 weeks of LFD, after 1 and 6 weeks of HFD and after 6 weeks of HPD. Results: The LFD caused a significant decrease of fasting glucagon (-27 %, p&lt;0.001) compared to baseline. After 6 weeks of HFD glucagon increased (117 %, p&lt;0.001 vs. LFD) while free fatty acids decreased. 6 weeks of HPD further increased glucagon levels (72 %, p=0.502 vs. HFD) although fasting amino acid levels remained constant. Fasting insulin and HOMA-IR moderately increased after one week of HFD, while 6 weeks of HPD significantly decreased both. The fasting glucagon-to-insulin ratio decreased through LFD (p&lt;0.001) but increased after HFD (p&lt;0.001) and even further after HPD (p=0.018). Liver fat, triglycerides and blood glucose did not increase during the HFD. The heritability of glucagon levels was 45% with the LFD. Conclusions: A HFD increases glucagon levels and the glucagon-to-insulin ratio under isocaloric conditions compared to a LFD in healthy lean subjects. This rise in glucagon may represent a favorable metabolic response as neither glucose levels nor insulin resistance or liver fat showed clinically relevant increases.

The management of the electrical energy still raises a huge interest for end-users at the household level. Home electricity management systems (HEMS) have recently emerged both to warrant uninterruptible power and high power quality, and to decrease the cost of electricity consumption, by either shifting it in off peak time or smoothing it. Such a HEMS requires a bidirectional DC-AC converter, specifically when an energy transfer is required between a storage system and the AC-grid, and vice versa. This article points out the relevance of an innovative topology based on sinusoidal waveforms from the generation of sine half-waves. Such a topology is based on a DC-DC stage equivalent to an adjustable output voltage source and a DC-AC stage (H-bridge) which are in series. The results of a complete experimental procedure prove the feasibility to improve the power quality of the output signals in terms of total harmonic distortion (THD-values about 5%). The complexity of the proposed converter is minimized in comparison with multilevel topologies. Finally, wide band-gap semiconductor devices (SiC MOSFETs) are helpful both to warrant the compactness and the high efficiency (about 96%) of the bidirectional converter, whatever its operation mode (inverter or rectifier mode).

Ultrasonic imaging & NDE applications can greatly improve their signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) by driving each transducer (composing piezoelectric arrays) with a spike giving pulsed power of k-Watts, repetitively at a PRF = 5000 spikes/s, by using a HV capacitive-discharge generator. However very-high levels, of pulsed intensities (3-10 A) and voltages (300-700 V) must be considered for a rigorous spike modeling. Even though the consumed "average" power will be small, the intensity through each transducer achieves several amperes, so the pulsed powers delivered by each HV generator can attain levels higher than in CW high-power ultrasonic applications: e.g., up to 5 kW / spike. This is concluded here from a transient modeling of the loaded generator. Then, unforeseen phenomena rise: intense brief pulses of driving power & emitted force in transducers, and non-linearities in driver semiconductors, because their characteristic curves only include linear ranges. But fortunately, piezoelectric devices working in this intense regime do not show serious heating problems, because the average power remains being moderate. Intensity, power and voltage, driving a broadband transducer from a HV capacitive pulser, are calculated to drastically improve (in ≅ 40 dB) the ultrasonic net dynamic range available, with emitted forces ≅ 250 Newtons pp and E/R received pulses of 70 V pp.

In veterinary medicine, the significance of High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) measurements is not well-documented than it is in humans. The HDL level can be measured in dogs, and through referring to the normal range, it is possible to find out what this means for various endocrine diseases and hyperlipidemia diseases. Aim of this study is to measure the HDL levels in dogs with various conditions and to evaluate whether the Total Cholesterol (TC), HDL ratio is effective as a prognostic indicator in various hyperlipidemia and endocrine diseases. Through prospective clinical trial, sixteen client-owned dogs and cats visiting a local private practice were divided into three groups; five dogs without hyperlipidemia or metabolic disease (Group 1); eight animals with Cushing's, hypothyroidism, and gallbladder sludge (Group 2) and three diabetics, urinary disorders, and healthy cats (Group 3). In two dogs, the TC/HDL values were between 2 and 3; in two dogs, the values were between 3 and 4; in two dogs, the values were between 4 and 5. In three dogs, the TC/HDL values were between 5 and 6 and in three dogs, the ratio values were between 6 and 7. The other value was higher than 8. Except two dogs which showed lower value than 3, all dogs had concurrent endocrine disease including Cushing’s disease, hypothyroidism, gall bladder mucocele, hyperlipidemia. There was a difference in each group in terms of the TC/HDL value compared to the group with underlying disease. This means that TC/HDL values can be an excellent indicator of endocrine disease in dogs as well. In cats, although this is a very small sample, a high TC/HDL value of 9 points are shown in the cat which had diabetes mellitus. However, for more statistically significant results, a larger sample group for further investigation is needed.

In order to create a smart mine, it is necessary to digitize the existing emulsion pumping station. Existing research does not achieve this task, this paper designs and manufactures a high-pressure, high-flow, high-water-based mining digital controlled unloading valve (abbreviated as HLHMDCUV), which achieves good results in both theoretical analysis and experimental testing. In order to obtain the accurate dynamic characteristics, this valve was analyzed by simulation using AMESim. Based on the dynamic performance analysis and the flow field analysis inside the valve body, the structure has been optimized to improve the performance of HLHMDCUV. The results show that the HLHMDCUV has a better dynamic characteristics, which were also demonstrated in the experiment. At the same time, the HLHMDCUV is easy to disassemble and maintain. This paper provides a theoretical basis for the design of such valves, which is conducive to the subsequent promotion of intelligent mine transformation.

Although many policosanols from different sources, such as sugar cane, rice bran, and insects, have been marketed worldwide, there has been no comparative study of the in vivo efficacy using a hyperlipidemic animal model. This study compared the efficacy of treating dyslipidemia with four different policosanols, including one sugar cane wax alcohol from Cuba (Raydel®) and three policosanols from China (Xi’an Natural sugar cane, Xi’an Realin sugar cane, and Shaanxi rice bran) in hyperlipidemic zebrafish. After 12 weeks of consumption of each policosanol (final 0.1% in diet, wt/wt) and high cholesterol diet (HCD, final 4%, wt/wt) in a tetrabit, the Raydel policosanol group and Xi’an Natural policosanol group showed the highest survivability of approximately 81%, whereas the Xi’an Realin policosanol group and Shaanxi policosanol group showed 57% and 67% survivability, respectively. Among five HCD groups, the Raydel policosanol group showed the lowest serum total cholesterol (TC, p<0.001 versus HCD control) and triglyceride (TG, p<0.001 versus HCD control) with the highest percentage of high-density lipoproteins (HDL)-C in TC. The Raydel policosanol group also showed the lowest serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels with the least infiltration of inflammatory cells and interleukin-6 production in hepatocytes. In the ovary, the Raydel policosanol group also showed the highest contents of mature vitellogenic oocytes with the lowest production of reactive oxygen species and cellular apoptosis in ovarian cells. In the testis, the Raydel policosanol group also showed the healthiest morphology for spermatogenesis with the least interstitial area and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in testicular cells. In conclusion, 12 weeks of Raydel policosanol consumption resulted in remarkable improvement of the blood lipid profile, amelioration of inflammation in the liver, and enhancement of the cell morphology in the ovary and testis with the highest survivability under the HCD.

The poor oxidation resistance of refractory high-entropy alloys (RHEAs) is a major obstacle for their use in high-temperature engineering applications. Anti-oxidation coating technology is an effective method for improving the oxidation resistance. In this paper, the Si-20Cr-20Fe coating was prepared on MoNbTaTiW RHEA by a fused slurry method. The microstructural evolution and compositions of the silicide coating under high-temperature oxidation environment were studied. The results show that the silicide coating could effectively prevent the oxidation of the MoNbTaTiW RHEA. The initial silicide coating had a double-layer structure; a high silicon-content layer mainly composed of MSi2 as the outer layer and a low silicon-content layer mainly contained M5Si3 as the inner layer. Under high-temperature oxidation conditions, the silicon element diffused from the silicide coating to the RHEA substrate while the oxidation of the coating occurred. After oxidation, the coating was composed of an outer oxide layer and an inner silicide layer. The silicide layer moved toward the inside of the substrate, led to the increase of its thickness. Compared with the initial silicified layer, its structure did not change significantly. The structure and compositions of the oxide layer on the outer surface strongly depended on the oxidation temperature. This paper provides a strategy for protecting RHEAs from oxidation at high-temperature environments.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis that shows the influence of fiber on ultimate compressive strength and tensile strength of ultra-high performance concrete. The internet scholarly search engines and ScienceDirect article references were used to illustrate the papers concerning the experimental investigations of mechanical properties of ultra-high strength concrete with and without fiber with clearly, completely and comparative raw data. The normal concrete test results were dismissed from this search. Seven trials were identified based on the adopted inclusion and exclusion criteria above. The meta-analysis based on standardized mean difference was carried out on the basis of a fixed-effects model for the major outcomes of the ultimate compressive and tensile properties of ultra-high performance concrete. A total of 888 test specimens were enrolled in these seven trials. The combined analysis yielded a sign of a significant improvement in ultimate compressive strength and tensile strength of ultra-high strength concrete with fiber addition of 2% by concrete volume. The summary effect size of ultimate compressive strength was 2.34 while a more improvement in term of tensile strength with effect size of 2.64. By addition fiber of 2% provides a significant benefit in mechanical properties of ultra-high performance concrete.

With the existence of several programming languages such as C/C++, Java, C#, LISP, Prolog, Python, Simula, F#, Go, Haskell, Scala, Ruby, Dart, Swift, Groovy etc. and diverse paradigms like structured, object-oriented, list, aspect-oriented, service-oriented, web, mobile and logic programming, there is a need to perform an exhaustive comparative analysis of diverse compilers and environments before making a choice of implementation technology in software engineering. Optimization of compilers helps to reduce execution time by making use of high speed processor registers, thereby, eliminating redundant computation. This paper reports some series of performance analysis done with some popular programming languages including Java, C++, Python and PHP. Programs involving recursive and iterative functions like factorial of large numbers and binary search of large arrays were run on the various platforms with the execution time recorded in milliseconds and represented in a chart. This can aid in making a selection of the appropriate language to use for a given application domain.

Acute high altitude illnesses are of great concern for physicians and people traveling to high altitude. High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) can be better understood through the Oxygen Transport Triad which involves the Pneumo-Dynamic Pump (Ventilation), the Hemo-Dynamic Pump (Heart and circulation), and Hemoglobin. The two pumps are the first physiologic response upon initial exposure to hypobaric hypoxia. Hemoglobin is the balancing energy-saving time-evolving equilibrating factor. The increased hemoglobin at high altitude reduces the percentage of dissolved oxygen in the arterial oxygen content with respect to sea level. At high altitude, the acid-base balance must be adequately interpreted using the high altitude Van-Slyke correction factors. Pulse-oximetry measurements during breath-holding at high altitude allow for the evaluation of high altitude diseases. The Tolerance to Hypoxia Formula shows that, paradoxically, the higher the altitude the more tolerance to hypoxia. All organisms adapt physiologically and optimally to a high-altitude environment to survive. Reduction of pulmonary hypertension in HAPE through oxygen administration results in a favorable outcome.

The so-called controversy in elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) regarding the nature of the shear dependence of viscosity, Eyring versus Carreau, is truly a controversy regarding the pressure and temperature dependence of the low-shear viscosity. The Roelands hoax became acceptable in EHL because ignoring the universal previtreous piezoviscous response made the traction calculated with the Eyring assumption appear to be reasonable. Traction and minimum film thickness calculations sometimes require the description of viscosity at pressures up to the glass transition pressure. There have been few measurements of viscosity at pressures up to the glass pressure. Therefore, a need exists for a piezoviscous model that extrapolates accurately and the Hybrid model fills that need. Here, an improved relation for the temperature dependence of the divergence pressure is offered and extrapolation is demonstrated for a polyalphaolefin.

This article investigates and studies the current situation of implementing the credit system in ordinary high schools in Zhejiang Province, and puts forward relevant suggestions. Firstly, analyze the background and objectives of implementing the credit system in ordinary high schools in Zhejiang Province. Then, through a questionnaire survey method, a sample survey was conducted on the current status of the implementation of the credit system in ordinary high schools in Zhejiang Province. The results showed that there are some problems in the management of the credit system in schools, such as unreasonable credit course settings, inaccurate recording and statistics of credits, etc. Further analysis reveals that students and parents have biases and utilitarian motives in their understanding and evaluation of the credit system.

When water molecules or other particles collide with protein molecules in a solution, the protein molecules absorb some of the momentum and deform, forming a certain molecular potential energy. When a protein molecule in a high-energy state changes to a stable state, if there is a suitable substrate binding and the potential energy of the protein molecule is greater than the energy required to break the substrate chemical bond, catalytic action will occur. The α-helices and β-folds in protein molecules play a major role in converting the kinetic energy of water molecules into their own potential energy due to the large number of amino acids involved and their regular structure. The internal structural deformation of proteins caused by the impact of water molecules on α-helices and β-folds also has a profound impact on the structure of substrates. ‌

Yttria stabilized zirconia materials are frequently used in mechanical engineering and biomedical applications. Demanding loading conditions require materials combining a high level of strength and fracture toughness. A ready to press alumina doped 2 mol% yttria stabilized zirconia powder was shaped by axial pressing and sintering in air at 1250 - 1500 °C for 2 h. The best combination of strength and toughness value of 7.8 MPa√m. Materials sintered in the middle of the chosen temperature range combine fully density, high transformability and small grain size. Toughness measurements by direct crack length measurements delivered unrealistically high fracture toughness values.

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common multifactorial disease, but high-risk PE s a life-threatening condition associated with high mortality and morbidity and a heavy prognostic burden. Systemic thrombolysis is the first-line treatment approach for severe high-risk PE, but only few agents are indicated for use by international guidelines. Tenecteplase, a thrombolytic agent, is proven to reduce mortality and right ventricle dysfunction in high-risk PE, but is not approved yet by major recommendations. Aim: We present a series of cases of high-risk PE treated with Tenecteplase, with satisfying hemodynamic and clinical outcomes. Our goal is to encourage the usage of Tenecteplase with secure safety and efficacy in situations of unavailability of guidelines-approved fibrinolytic agents. Cases : Patients were included from January 2022 to January 2024. We report 3 cases of patients with high-risk PE treated with Tenecteplase where rtPA and other second-generations agents were not available. Clinical, biological and imaging data were detailed for each case. Conclusion: Tenecteplase was effective in our patients, without bleeding complications, and should be suggested in settings of unavailability of first-line recommended agents.

Advanced lithography requires highly sensitive photoresists to improve lithographic efficiency, and it is critical yet challenging to develop high-sensitivity photoresists and imaging strategies. Here, we report a novel strategy for ultra-high sensitivity using hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP)-containing fluoropolymer photoresists. The incorporation of HFIP, with its strong electrophilic property and electron-withdrawing effect of the fluorine atoms, significantly increases the acidity of the photoresist after exposure, enabling imaging without conventional photoacid generators (PAGs). The HFIP-containing photoresist has been evaluated by electron beam lithography to achieve a trench of ~40 nm at an extremely low dose of 3 μC/cm2, which shows sensitivity enhancement by ~10 times to the commercial PAGs involved system, revealing its high-sensitivity and high-resolution features. Our results demonstrate a new type of PAGs and a novel approach to higher-performance imaging beyond conventional photoresist performance tuning.

The Antarctica and High Arctic regions are extreme environments, with average maximum temperatures below 0 °C for most days of the year. Interestingly, fungi inhabit these regions. This review describes the history of fungal surveys near the Syowa Station and the fungal diversity in this region. In the High Arctic region, I summarized the changes in fungal communities in glacial retreat areas of Ny-Ålesund, Norway and Ellesmere Island, Canada in response to climate change. In addition, growth and enzyme secretion ability of Antarctic and Arctic fungi at sub-zero temperatures are presented. Finally, I have also provided the future directions of Antarctic and Arctic fungal research.

Background of the Study: We investigated the link between hypertension and cancer since it has been suggested that hypertension may raise the long-term risk of cancer. Previous large observational cohort studies found that greater blood pressure (BP) was related to a higher risk of cancer. Mendelian randomization (MR) was utilized to produce less confounded blood pressure estimates (BP) on overall and site-specific malignancies. The study aims to draw conclusions on the relationship between high blood pressure and cancer. Methods: Studies on high blood pressure and various malignancies are inconclusive, except for renal cell carcinoma. However, given that most meta-analyses only contained a limited number of trials, some relative risks had small to moderate magnitudes, and several may have been impacted by residual confounding, careful interpretation is necessary. The study was conducted using the meta-analysis technique. Cochran's Q test and I2 test were used to assess statistical heterogeneity between studies in the current investigation for research involving two or more cause and outcome combinations. Results: Positive correlations were also reported between high blood pressure and esophageal adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, liver, and squamous cell carcinoma. However, most studies lacked multivariable adjustments. Physical and numerical risk of cardiovascular disease is linked to bowel cancer but no other cancers. According to a meta-analysis, hypertensive persons could also be at increased danger of gastrointestinal and breast cancer. Most meta-analyses comprised several trials with moderate or mild hazard ratios.ConclusionDifferent types of cancers have been noted to be directly caused by hypertension. In addition, some treatments have also been associated with the side effects of cancer treatments to cause hypertension. Women facing hypertension have an increased risk of getting breast cancer. Although some cancers showed a real relationship with hypertension, others had no connection at all.

This research work studies the characteristics of wear and wear resistance of composite powder coatings, deposited by high-velocity oxygen fuel, which contain composite mixtures Ni-Cr-B-Si having different chromium concentrations – 9.9%; 13.2%; 14%; 16% and 20% , at one and the same size of the particles and the same content of the remaining elements. The coating of 20% Cr does not contain B and Si. Out of each powder, composite coatings have been prepared without any preliminary thermal treatment of the substrate and with preliminary thermal treatment of the substrate up to 650оС. The coatings have been tested under identical conditions of dry friction over a surface of solid firmly attached abrasive particles using the tribological testing device „Pin-on-disk“. Results have been obtained and the dependences of the hardness, mass wear, intensity of the wearing process, absolute and relative wear resistance on the Cr concentration under identical conditions of friction. It has been found out that for all the coatings the preliminary thermal treatment of the substrate leads to a decrease in the wear intensity. Upon increasing Cr concentration the wear intensity diminishes and it reaches minimal values at 16% Cr. In the case of coatings having 20% Cr concentration, the wear intensity is increased, which is due to the absence of the components B and Si in the composite mixture, whereupon no inter-metallic structures are formed having high hardness and wear resistance. The obtained results have no analogues in the current literature and they have not been published by the authors.

Soliton crystal micro-combs are powerful tools as sources of multiple wavelength channels for radio frequency (RF) signal processing. They offer a compact device footprint, large numbers of wavelengths, very high versatility, and wide Nyquist bandwidths. Here, we demonstrate integral order RF signal processing functions based on a soliton crystal micro-comb, including a Hilbert transformer and first- to third-order differentiators. We compare and contrast results achieved and the tradeoffs involved with varying comb spacing, tap design methods, as well as shaping methods.

Background Pregnancy is a process of maturity for women that requires adaptation to the changes in their new roles. Adjustment to a new role is not easy, especially if the pregnancy is accompanied by risks, so it is necessary to get treatment to minimize complications. Dyad models that optimize husband or family support are very important to prevent the risk of complications and adapt mothers to their new roles. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the dyad model on high-risk pregnancies. The method used with a literature review is through the collection of articles from Scopus, ebsco, ProQuest and PubMed. The results obtained were articles from Scopus 9, Ebsco 107, PubMed 214 and ProQuest 85 which carried out identification, screening and eligibility for 25 articles. Overall results mention. Journals are categorized into 4 groups, Dyad Model and social support, high-risk pregnancy, maternal role and Self Efficacy. Conclusion, there is an effect of the dyad model on care for high-risk pregnancies.

We demonstrate an RF photonic fractional Hilbert transformer based on an integrated Kerr micro-comb source featuring a record low free spectral range of 49 GHz. By programming and shaping the comb lines according to calculated tap weights for up to 39 wavelengths across the C-band, we achieve tunable bandwidths ranging from 1.2 to 15.3 GHz as well as variable center frequencies from baseband to 9.5 GHz, for both standard integral and arbitrary fractional orders. We experimentally characterize the RF amplitude and phase response of the tunable bandpass and lowpass Hilbert transformers with 90 and 45-degree phase shifts. The experimental results show good agreement with theory, confirming the effectiveness of our approach as a powerful way to implement standard and fractional order Hilbert transformers with broad and variable bandwidths and center frequencies, with high reconfigurability and greatly reduced size and complexity. Tan, and D. J. Moss are with the Optical Sciences Centre, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia. (Corresponding e-mail: dmoss@swin.edu.au). Xu is with the Electro-Photonics Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer System Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, 3800 VIC, Australia

The aim of this research is to determine the factors that may prevent high school students from participating in recreational activities and to investigate whether these factors differ within the scope of various variables. This study consisted of total 1459 (681 women and 778 men) student volunteers who educated in high school level. Sampling method was preferred for easy sampling. The face-to-face survey method was used to collect the data. The "Leisure Constraints Scale" developed by Alexandris and Carroll (1997) and adapted to Turkish by Gürbüz, Öncü, and Emir (2012) was used to determine the factors that might prevent individuals from participating in leisure activities. The data obtained for the research were first transferred to the computer and then analyzed by SPSS packet program. The error margin level in the study was taken as p<0.05. The cronbach alpha of the study was found to be 0.91. As a result, it was found that women participated in the leisure time more than men. It was also observed that the participants met with more leisure constrain in Turkey's eastern regions.

Previous studies on the prognostic impact of survivin expression in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer have yielded inconsistent results. This study was initiated to assess the relationship between survivin expression and overall survival (OS) or disease free survival (DFS) in GI cancer patients. We applied system literature searches on EMBASE, PubMed, Web of science, and the Cochrane library to conduct this up-to-date meta-analysis. Thirty studies with totally 3622 GI cancer patients were collected. The prevalence of high survivin expression in GI cancer was 0.57 (95% CI: 0.51-0.63). High survivin expression was significantly associated with shorter OS (HR 1.57, 95% CI: 1.42-1.74) and DFS (HR 1.38, 95% CI: 1.21-1.58). Subgroup analysis also showed significant association between high survivin expression and poorer OS or DFS in gastric cancer or colorectal cancer. In summary, our study indicated that high survivin expression was related to poor prognosis in GI cancer. Well-designed studies with large sample and more convincing data are needed to confirm our conclusion.

The MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov) Florian Goebel telescopes are a system of two Cherenkov telescopes located on the Canary island of La Palma (Spain), at the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory, and operating in stereo mode since 2009. Their low energy threshold (reaching 15 GeV) allows the study of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) in the very-high-energy gamma ray range with an impressive sensitivity up to the redshift limit of the existing IACT systems. MAGIC has collected many discoveries and comprehensive studies of different kinds of galaxies and their AGNs, also in a multi-wavelength context, expanding the knowledge of our Universe. Here we report the highlights which have been achieved by the MAGIC collaboration since the beginning of the operations.

Southern highbush blueberry plantations have been expanded into worldwide non-traditional growing areas with elite cultivars and improved horticultural practices. This article presents a comprehensive review of current production systems – alternatives to traditional open field production – such as production in protected environments, high-density plantings, evergreen production, and container-based production. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each system and compare their differences to the open field production. In addition, potential solutions have been provided for some of the disadvantages. We also highlight some of the gaps existing between academic studies and production in industry, providing a guide for future academic research. All these alternative systems have shown the potential to produce high yields with high quality berries. Alternative systems, compared to the field production, require higher establishment investments and thus create an entry barrier for new producers. Nevertheless, with their advantages, alternative productions have potential to be profitable.

High pressure crystallization technique has been successfully used to prepare an elusive form II of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Mefenamic acid. Single crystal of form II was grown at 0.3 GPa from an 4:1 methanol/ ethanol mixture as a solvent using Diamond Anvil Cell. Comparison of crystal structures show that the efficient packing of MA molecules in Form II results from the structural flexibility of MA acid molecules. Compression studies performed on the single crystal of form I resulted in 14 % decrease of unit cell volume up to 2.5 GPa. No phase transition was observed up to this pressure. A reconstructive phase transition is required to induce conformational changes in the structure, which is confirmed by crystallization at high pressure results.

High-grade advanced ovarian, fallopian tube and primary peritoneal (HGAOC) cancer are malignancies in which, apart from surgical treatment, systemic treatment plays an important role. The improvement in treatment results is associated with the introduction of polyADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors (PARPis). The aim of this study is to present a cross-section of patients treated for HGAOC, in one center, including the distribution of treatment principles following the most up-to-date guidelines. We observed patients who reported to the Department of Gyneacological Oncology between January 2018 and December 2023. We analyzed 437 women with a first diag-nosis of HGAOC, who had not been treated before. The introduction of combined treatment with bevacizumab and PARPi into the first line of treatment, regardless of any remnants left during cytoreductive surgery, was introduced in November 2022. Since then, 30% (18/60) of patients (14 with olaparib and 4 with niraparib) have used the above regimen. Previously, in May 2021 - Oc-tober 2022, it was 27% of patients (13/81 with olaparib and 9/81 with niraparib). Among patients starting treatment in January 2018 - April 2021, only 4.7% (5/106) received the platinum + paclitaxel + olaparib regimen. In both groups – with and without BRCA1/2 pathogenic or likely- pathogenic variant, significantly more patients used PC + PARPi or PC + BEV + PARPi in periods II and III than in period I (p<0.01). The introduction of modern treatment in our center very quickly changed the structure of patient treatment. Carriers of BRCA1/2 pathogenic or likely-pathogenic variant had previously received only chemotherapy, disappeared after the introduction of PARPi, in favor of new therapies. Most patients with no BRCA1/2 pathogenic or likely-pathogenic variant, who used PARPi in therapy in our center – received niraparib and therefore they are beneficiaries of mo-lecular diagnostics in the field of HRD.

The safety and reliability of structures operating in cold regions are seriously threatened by icing. This has attracted researchers to explore de-icing/anti-icing methods. In this work, a bubble de-icing system was established and investigated for the removal of ice from frozen structures using bubble pulsation energy. Traditional de-icing method face high energy consumption, environmental pollution, and secondary icing issues. To avoid this and promote the development of de-icing techniques, the massive amount of energy generated by bubble pulsation can be used for de-icing. In the present work, experimental methods have been adopted to demonstrate the possibilities of de-icing using cavitation energy. Many test cases, in which the bubble distance from the target and thickness of ice layer were varied 5 - 35 mm, were examined to determine the mechanism of ice removal by the bubble energy. This research demonstrated that bubble energy can be used effectively for de-icing. Bubble energy should be further explored for de-icing techniques and engineering application prospects.

Current paper is aiming to show the obtained results in manufacturing and characterization of graphite-based and metal composite materials suitable to be used in high voltage application of automotive field. Thus, 4 types of materials have been processed and tested in order to assess their suitability to be used as current collector material for trolleybus. The novelty of this work is the new innovative technological process for obtaining the carbon/metal composite material used in the manufacture of sliding contacts for electrical current collector heads, as well as the character-istics obtained for this material. All 4 obtained materials have been characterized from structural (by optical microscopy), mechanical (density, electrical resistivity, hardness) and functional point of view (wear after 1000 working hours, electric discharge and electric load) and it was determined that the material which uses chemically copper covered graphite is the most suitable of them and has been chosen to be further developed by the end beneficiary.

Software quantum simulators are the most accessible tools for designing and testing quantum algorithms. This paper presents a comprehensive approach to building a software-based quantum simulator based on classical computing architectures. We explore fundamental quantum computing concepts, including state vector representations, quantum gates, and memory management techniques. The simulator prototype implements various memory optimization strategies, such as full-state representation, dynamic state pruning, and shared memory parallelization with OpenMP and distributed memory models using MPI. Additionally, data compression techniques, like ZFP, are explored to enhance simulation performance by reducing memory footprint. The results are validated through performance comparisons with leading open-source quantum simulators, such as Intel-QS, QuEST, and qsim. Our findings highlight the trade-offs between computational overhead and memory efficiency. This demonstrates that a hybrid approach using distributed memory and compression offers the best scalability for simulating large quantum systems. This work provides a foundation for developing efficient quantum simulators supporting more complex quantum algorithms on classical hardware.

Current paper is aiming to show the obtained results in manufacturing and characterization of graphite-based and metal composite materials suitable to be used in high voltage applications of automotive and/or aviation field. Thus, 4 types of materials have been processed and tested in order to assess their suitability to be used as current collector material for electric engines. The novelty of this work is the presentation of the new innovative technological process for obtaining the carbon/metal composite material used in the manufacture of sliding contacts for current collector heads, as well as the characteristics obtained for this material. All 4 obtained materials have been characterized from structural, mechanical and functional point of view and the most suitable of them has been chosen to be further developed by the end beneficiary.

Measuring cell confluence in high-throughput screening of pharmaceutics, cell culture monitoring, cancer research, and industrial applications requires quantitative and standardizable measures to minimize subjective observations and increase throughput1-12 . Over the past half-century, non-invasive specialized programs have been created to quantitatively assess cell confluence, and some software tools exist to meet these needs1,4,5,6,7,8,9 . However, many of these tools are expensive, computationally-demanding, or inaccessible to non-experts1,6. With the assistance of generative artificial intelligence, we have developed the Confluence Analysis Program (CAP), a modern tool designed to be precise, interactive, and user-friendly. CAP is written entirely in Python and runs in any command-line interface (CLI), including Terminal (OS) and Command Prompt (Windows). In addition to fetching all necessary external libraries automatically and prompting drag-and-drop image retrieval, CAP features live visual comparison of cell mass identification to the original image assay. Our results demonstrate robust performance of CAP on fluorescent micrographs of varying confluences ranging from low to high. CAP is provided as a free resource, accessible in the Supplementary Materials.

Glioblastoma is a highly aggressive brain tumor and is considered to be the most common primary one. Recurrence after treatment is a major problem. The recurrence of GBM is related to different cellular mechanisms and molecular signaling. Therapies to prolong survival are not completely effective. Epigenetics and non-coding genetic elements play a crucial role in gliomagenesis. Non-coding RNAs are novel regulatory RNAs that play key roles in different physiological processes such as gene regulation, cell differentiation, and proliferation. Interestingly, some LncRNAs have a tumor suppressor role while others are oncogenic. In this review article, we are going to illustrate the role of a well-known lncRNA HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) in glioma and highlight the possible functions in glioma in both pre-clinical and clinically evident studies.

In this letter, we propose a pattern-diversity antenna with different radiation patterns at two different frequency bands (f1 and f2) (f1: broadside radiation pattern, f2: conical radiation pattern). The proposed structure consists of a central circular antenna and two annular ring antennas; each of the three antennas has individual ports. Two of the ports exhibit orthogonal broadside radiation patterns; the other two ports exhibit orthogonal conical radiation patterns. Thus, they have polarization diversity characteristics. To improve isolation between ports, the inner part of the annular ring antennas is shorted via array, and the outermost port is positioned orthogonal to the other ports. Using this configuration, the isolation between ports was measured as -26.7 dB and -30.1 dB at the two frequency bands, respectively. Experimental results based on the fabricated prototype show that the proposed antenna achieves -10 dB bandwidths of 240 MHz (5.71~5.95 GHz) and 210 MHz (7.69~7.9 GHz) at f1 and f2, respectively.

Background: Glioma surgery was remarkably renewed in the past 2 decades, with improved safety and limited but yet improved life expectations. Fluorescence-guided resection of high-grade gliomas (HGG) plays a central role in this sense, by allowing higher degrees of extent of resection (EOR). The introduction of the exoscopic guided surgery may be considered an implementation for fluorescence techniques over the traditional microscopes. We present the application and the advantages of the exoscopic guided surgery compared to the microscopic surgery in tumor resection guided by 5-ALA fluorescence in patients with HGG. Methods: ten consecutive patients underwent a surgery for HGG resection. The surgery was performed via an exoscopic-guided procedure (Olympus Orbeye) and after oral administration of Gliolan 5 hours before the procedure. During surgery, the procedure was shifted to microscope (Kinevo 900, Zeiss) view. The intensity of the fluorescence under the two different was subjectively measured in different picture samples during the surgery in a 1 to 5 (from minimum to maximum) scale. The brightness of the surgical field and the detailing of the anatomy were also analyzed comparatively. Results: among the ten patients the histopathological diagnosis was an high grade glioma in all cases. In 9 cases was possible to achieve the gross total resection. There was no perioperative mortality. The median fluorescence intensity, on a scale of 1–5, was 4.5 in the exoscope group and 3.5 in the microscope group (p<0.01). Conclusions: The exoscopic guided surgery adds advantages to the traditional fluorescence- guided surgery with 5-aminolevulinic acid. Beyond the important advantage of low cost and the possibility to perform collaborative surgeries, it adds a plain and continuous visualization of the tumor and the surgical field in the fluorescence guided glioma surgery compared to the microscopic guided one.

Since the implementation of the Materials Genome Project by the Obama administration in the United States, the development of various computational materials databases has fundamentally expanded the choices of industries such as materials and energy. In the field of thermoelectric materials, the thermoelectric figure of merit ZT quantifies the performance of the material. From the viewpoint of calculations for vast materials, the ZT values are not easily obtained due to their computational complexity. Here, we show how to build a database of thermoelectric materials based on first-principles calculations for the electronic and heat transport of materials. Firstly, the initial structures are classified according to the values of bandgap and other basic properties using the clustering algorithm K-means in machine learning, and high-throughput first principles calculations are carried out for narrow-bandgap semiconductors which exhibiting potential thermoelectric application. The present framework of calculations mainly includes deformation potential module, electrical transport performance module, mechanical and thermodynamic properties module. We have also set up a search webpage for the calculated database of thermoelectric materials, providing searching and viewing the related physical properties of materials. Our work may inspire the construction of more computational databases of first-principle thermoelectric materials and accelerate research progress in the field of thermoelectrics.

Background: Annual influenza epidemics are a serious public health problem, causing particularly severe morbidity and mortality in high-risk groups. The study aimed to understand Poles' attitudes and beliefs towards influenza vaccinations in the flu season of 2022–2023, analyze preferences and unmet needs regarding influenza vaccinations, and examine the perception and acceptance of the influenza vaccine among individuals at risk of flu complications. Methods: A cross-sectional survey-based study was carried out on a sample of 1446 respondents. The Google Forms questionnaire was created and disseminated electronically using social media and e-mail. The pre-test was performed at the beginning of the project. Results: The majority of respondents (71%) could identify "high-risk groups" recommended for influenza vaccination. Furthermore, it was observed that individuals aged 21 to 59 demonstrated a higher level of knowledge in this regard compared to those below 20 and above 65 years old, and individuals with higher and medium education levels were much better at identifying risk groups for influenza virus infection. The majority of respondents (52.01%) reported receiving influenza vaccination at some point in the past, with 32.12% receiving it in the 2022–2023 flu season and 41.09% in the 2021–2022 season. The majority of respondents declaring acceptance of the vaccine for the 2022-2023 season were in the high-risk group. Only 17.28% of respondents declared receiving both influenza and SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in the 2022-2023 season, with the vast majority being respondents from the "high-risk group" (p

Abstract:High-pressure water jet technology has received extensive attention and application due to its high efficiency and environmental protection characteristics. The high-pressure water jet nozzle is its core component, and the research on the high-pressure water jet nozzle is conducive to improving the jet performance and improving the jet efficiency. This paper introduces the characteristics of water jet and the working principle of pure water jet, abrasive water jet, pulsed water jet and cavitation water jet, reviews the theoretical analysis and experiment of the predecessor's nozzle, briefly explains the application of high-pressure water jet and looks forward to the development trend of this technology.

A two element Multiple Input Multiple Output UWB (Ultra-wide band) antenna is presented in this paper. The antenna is backed by the FR-4 substrate with a thickness of 1.6 mm and dielectric constant of 4.3 covering an area of 52.8 × 29 mm2. The proposed MIMO antenna consists of two single UWB antennas and a stub placed between the two antennas to reduce the mutual coupling. The proposed antenna achieves the voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) of less than 2 and more than 86% radiation efficiency over the whole band of interest. Performance of the antenna is examined using both simulation and experiment. The design exhibits good performance characteristics in terms of bandwidth, gain, efficiency, return loss and VSWR. The proposed antenna is analyzed using the CST Microwave Studio software. The prototype model of the antenna is fabricated, tested, and measured to validate the simulation return loss results. There is acceptable agreement between the measured and simulated results.

Although cancer care is often contextualized in terms of survival, there are other important cancer care outcomes, such as quality of life and cost of care. The ASCO Value Framework assesses the value of cancer therapies not only in terms of survival but with consideration of quality of life and financial cost. Early palliative care for patients with advanced cancer is associated with improved quality of life, mood, symptoms, overall survival, and cost savings. While palliative care has been shown to have numerous benefits, the impact of real-world implementation of outpatient embedded palliative care on value-based metrics is not fully understood. We sought to describe the association of outpatient embedded palliative care in a multidisciplinary thoracic oncology clinic on inpatient value-based metrics. We performed a retrospective cohort study of 215 patients being treated for advanced thoracic malignancies with non-curative intent. We evaluated the association of outpatient embedded palliative care with inpatient clinical outcomes including emergency room visits, hospitalizations, intensive care unit admissions, hospital charges, as well as hospital quality metrics including 30-day readmissions, admissions within 30 days of death, inpatient mortality, and inpatient hospital charges. Outpatient embedded palliative care was associated with lower hospital charges per day ($3,807 versus $4,695, p=0.024). Furthermore, patients who received outpatient embedded palliative care had decreased hospital admissions within 30 days of death (O.R. 0.50; 95% CI 0.34, 0.74; P<0.001) and decreased inpatient mortality (O.R. 0.46; 95%CI 0.23, 0.94; p=0.032). Our study further supports that outpatient palliative care is a high-value intervention and alternative models of palliative care, including one embedded into a multidisciplinary thoracic oncology clinic, is associated with improved value-based metrics.

Under the influence of various factors, the bronze ware unearthed by archaeology has various diseases of different degrees, and the mineralization problem is more prominent. The physical properties of mineralized bronzes have been destroyed, and the whole is loose and fragile, which is in urgent need of reinforcement and protection. Common reinforcement and protection materials mainly consider surface sealing, matrix bonding reinforcement and penetration reinforcement. Considering the low matrix strength and complex disease types of fragile bronzeware, it is difficult to achieve targeted protection with commonly used reinforcement and protection materials. In view of the problems such as poor permeability and easy discoloration of commonly used protection materials, this paper uses self-developed reinforcement and protection material AMC to compare its reinforcement and protection performance with B72, which has a high comprehensive evaluation on the performance of commonly used reinforcement and protection materials. The matrix strength was increased, and the appearance intervention degree was less than B72.

In this paper, a dual-band WiFi antenna and its Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) system application is designed, fabricated, and measured based on the Chinese characters “Men” and “Wei”. The antenna uses a 40×40×1.6 mm3 Fr4 substrate to analyze the combinatorial structure of Chinese characters using the theory of characteristic modes (TCM), to optimize the antenna dimensions by analyzing the mode current distribution, and to broaden the antenna bandwidth by etching rectangular slots on the ground. The measured and simulated results show that the four-element MIMO antenna covers 5.68-8.01 GHz, the isolation between the antennas is higher than 20 dB in the working band, the Envelope Correlation Coefficient (ECC) and the channel capacity losses (CCLs)of the simulation is lower than 0.001 and 0.18 bits/s/HZ, respectively. The efficiency of the antenna is higher than 90%, and it can be used for WiFi communication band (5.8 GHz and 6 GHz).

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have been a research hot topic in the passed decades due to their unique and fascinating properties. Among them, mechanical properties plays an important role for their application. However, there lacks an effective tool for high-throughput calculating, analysing and visualizing the mechanical properties of 2D materials. In this work, we present, mech2d package, a highly automated toolkit for calculating and analysing second-order elastic constants (SOECs) tensor and relevant properties of 2D materials with considering their symmetry. In the mech2d, the SOECs can be fitted by both strain-energy and stress-strain approach, where the energy or strain can be calculated by first-principles engine, such as VASP. As a key feature, the mech2d package can automatically submit and collect the tasks from local or remote machine with robust fault-tolerant ability, make it suitable for high-throughput calculation. The present code has been validated by several common 2D materials, including graphene, black phosphorene, GeSe2 and so on.

Conventional phenotyping breeding approaches for vegetable crops like Solanaceae, Bulb, Root crops, have made a significant contribution by developing many varieties. Despite this, conventional phenotyping approaches are not sufficient due to the longer time taken to develop a variety, low genetic gain, environmental factors and some other externalities that affect the phenotype-based selection. To address the challenges of conventional phenotype, a new recent method of high throughput phenotyping (HTP) is considered a promising tool. The development of high-throughput phenotyping technology began in the preceding decade as advancements in sensor, computer vision, automation, and advanced machine learning technologies. HTP platforms are being utilized to undertake non-destructive assessments of the complete plant system in a range of crops. HTP provides the precise measurements and suggests the collection of high-quality and accurate data which is necessary for standardizing phenotyping for the collection of genetic dissection and genomic assisted breeding such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS), linkage mapping, marker-assisted selection (MAS), genomic selection (GS). The remainder of this chapter discusses how high-throughput phenotyping technologies can be used in genomic-assisted breeding for vegetable crops

In the process of deflagration of energetic materials, strong electromagnetic radiation is to be generated, which causes the surrounding electronic equipment to fail to work normally. To solve this problem, it is necessary to clarify the mechanism of electromagnetic radiation generated by energetic materials. The mechanism of plasma changed by the deflagration of energetic materials is an important topic in the aerospace and geophysics fields. The academic community holds two main viewpoints on the mechanism of electromagnetic radiation generated by energetic materials: one is that the solid material is squeezed and deformed during the deflagration of energetic materials, and the charges of different polarities rub in space to form effective electric dipoles, which eventually generate electromagnetic radiation. Another view is that the deflagration of energetic materials causes the temperature of the medium to rise sharply, and bremsstrahlung is formed during the compression and diffusion of the high-temperature wave front, resulting in the generation of electromagnetic radiation. This paper, based on theoretical analysis and experimental data, holds the view that electromagnetic radiation is generated by the high-temperature thermal effect. It studies the relationship between temperature and electromagnetic radiation and obtains quantitative analysis conclusions.

The giant challenge breeding flood-irrigated rice is to identify superior genotypes that present high-yielding with specific grain qualities, resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses, excellent adaptation to the target environment. Thus, the objectives of this study were to propose a bayesian multi-trait model, estimate genetic parameters, and select flood-irrigated rice genotypes with better genetic potentials in different evaluation environments. For this, twenty-five rice genotypes belonging to the flood-irrigated rice improvement program were evaluated. The grain yields, grain length, width and thickness, grain length, and grain width and weight of 100 grains in the agricultural year 2016/2017. The experimental design used in all experiments was a randomized block design with three replications. The Monte Carlo Markov Chain algorithm estimated genetic parameters and genetic values. The grain thickness trait was considered highly heritable, with a credibility interval ranging from: h^2: 0.9480; 0.9440; 0.8610, in environments 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The grain yields showed a low correlation estimate between grain thickness and 100-grain weight, in all environments, with a credibility interval ranging from (ρ= 0.5477; 0.5762; 0.5618 and 0.5973; 0.5247; 0.5632, grain thickness and 100-grain weight, in environments 1, 2, and 3, respectively). The Bayesian multi-trait model proved to be an adequate strategy for the genetic improvement of flood-irrigated. Genotypes 2 and 15 had similar potential in the three environments, they should be selected as high-performance multi-trait genotypes for the genetic breeding of flood-irrigated rice in the program.