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Since a planar periodic transmission line can suppress drastically the electromagnetic coupling, it would be advantageous to use such a kind of transmission lines in solving the problem of miniaturization of circuit area. By adjusting the lattice constants and geometric parameters of periodic microstrip lines, a time domain characteristic impedance that is the same as that of conventional microstrip lines (CMLs) can be achieved. Such periodic microstrip lines can therefore be used to trick high-speed digital signals, causing a digital signal to misjudge the time domain characteristic impedance of the transmission lines. The theoretical analysis has been verified by our experimental measurement results. Besides, a specific expression for the characteristic impedance of lossless periodic artificial materials is deduced by a circuit model and a standard of misidentification for the characteristic impedance of periodic microstrip lines is given for the digital signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic cholecystitis, characterized by persistent inflammation of the gallbladder, predominantly stems from the prolonged presence of gallstones. Calculous cholecystitis has demonstrated a consistent escalation in its incidence over time.Gallbladder stones have been recognized as a predisposing factor for the development of biliary tract infections.Concomitantly, there have been substantial shifts in the distribution and resistance profiles of pathogenic microorganisms responsible for biliary tract infections. The timely acquisition of bile samples for pathogen analysis is of paramount importance, given its critical role in guiding judicious clinical pharmacotherapy and enhancing patient prognosis. Case Presentation: We present a case involving a 66-year-old female patient who had previously undergone subtotal gastrectomy due to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The patient was admitted to our institution with complaints of abdominal pain. Subsequent diagnostic evaluation revealed concurrent choledocholithiasis and cholecystolithiasis. The patient underwent surgical cholecystectomy as the therapeutic approach. Histopathological examination of the excised gallbladder disclosed characteristic features indicative of chronic cholecystitis. Subsequent laboratory analysis of the patient's bile specimen yielded Gram-positive cocci, subsequently identified through biochemical assays, mass spectrometry, and 16 S rRNA analysis as Vagococcus fluvialis. Further in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing using disk diffusion and microfluidic dilution showed that this strain exhibited inhibition zone diameters ranging from 12.0 to 32.0 mm in response to 26 antibiotics, including ampicillin, cefazolin, cefuroxime, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, cefepime, ampicillin/sulbactam, piperacillin, ciprofloxacin, cefoperazone/sulbactam, imipenem, meropenem, piperacillin/tazobarb, penicillin, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, vancomycin, methotrexate/sulfamethoxazole, teicoplanin, linezolid, tigecycline, cefoxitin, ceftazidime, levofloxacin, minocycline and tobramycin. However, the inhibition zone diameters were 6.0 mm for amikacin, oxacillin, clindamycin, and tetracycline. The patient received ceftazidime anti-infective therapy both preoperatively and within 24 h postoperatively and was discharged successfully one week after surgery. Conclusion: In this study, we present the inaugural isolation and identification of Vagococcus fluvialis from bile specimens of patients afflicted with calculous cholecystitis. This novel finding lays a substantial experimental groundwork for guiding clinically rational antimicrobial therapy and advancing the exploration of relevant pathogenic mechanisms pertaining to Vagococcus fluvialis infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared detectors have broad application prospects in the fields of detection and communication. Using ideal materials and good device structure is crucial for achieving high-performance infrared detectors. Here, we utilized black phosphorus (BP) and single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) films to construct a vertical van der Waals heterostructure, resulting in high-performance photovoltaic infrared detectors. In the device, a strong built-in electric field was formed in the heterojunction with a favored energy-band matching between the BP and the SWCNT, which caused a good photovoltaic effect. The fabricated devices exhibited a diode-like rectification behavior in the dark, which had a high rectification ratio up to a magnitude of 104 and a low ideal factor of 1.4. Under 1550 nm wavelength illumination, the 2D BP/SWCNT film photodetector demonstrated an open-circuit voltage of 0.34 V, a large external power conversion efficiency (η) of 7.5% and a high specific detectivity (D*) of 3.1 × 109 Jones. This external η was the highest among those for the photovoltaic devices fabricated with the SWCNTs or the heterostructures based on 2D materials and the obtained D* was also higher than those for most of the infrared detectors based on 2D materials or carbon materials. This work showcases the application potential of BP and SWCNTs in the detection field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional (2D) black phosphorus (BP) is considered an ideal building block for field-effect transistors (FETs) owing to its unique structure and intriguing properties. To achieve high-performance BP-FETs, it is essential to establish a reliable and low-resistance contact between the BP and the electrodes. In this study, we employed a localized Joule heating method to improve the contact between the 2D BP and gold electrodes, resulting in enhanced BP-FET performance. Upon applying a sufficiently large source–drain voltage, the zero-bias conductance of the device increased by approximately five orders of magnitude, and the linearity of the current–voltage curves was also enhanced. This contact improvement can be attributed to the formation of gold phosphide at the interface of the BP and the gold electrodes owing to current-generated localized Joule heat. The fabricated BP-FET demonstrated a high on/off ratio of 4850 and an on-state conductance per unit channel width of 1.25 μS μm−1, significantly surpassing those of the BP-FETs without electrical annealing. These findings offer a method to achieve a low-resistance BP/metal contact for developing high-performance BP-based electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since a planar periodic transmission line can suppress drastically the electromagnetic coupling, it would be advantageous to use such a kind of transmission lines in solving the problem of miniaturization of circuit area. By adjusting the lattice constants and geometric parameters of periodic microstrip lines, a time domain characteristic impedance that is the same as that of conventional microstrip lines (CMLs) can be achieved. Such periodic microstrip lines can therefore be used to trick high-speed digital signals, causing a digital signal to misjudge the time domain characteristic impedance of the transmission lines. The theoretical analysis has been verified by our experimental measurement results. Besides, a specific expression for the characteristic impedance of lossless periodic artificial materials is deduced by a circuit model and a standard of misidentification for the characteristic impedance of periodic microstrip lines is given for the digital signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction:W. confusa has been known to cause various human infections. It is naturally resistant to vancomycin and is difficult to identify using traditional methods, which may lead to misidentification and delay treatment.Case Presentation: We present a case of a 42-year-old male patient with gastrointestinal bleeding and coronary heart disease who developed sepsis caused by Weissella confusa. The patient's blood cultures showed the presence of gram-positive coccobacilli, later identified as W. confusa through matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that W. confusa had low minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for some drugs (eg, ampicillin) and higher MICs for others (eg, cefotaxime). Empirical treatment with vancomycin was initially started, but after obtaining the identification and susceptibility results, the treatment was switched to meropenem combined with daptomycin, resulting in a successful outcome.Conclusion:Weissella confusa bacteremia is relatively rare, and accurate pathogenic diagnosis is essential for effective clinical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three vanadium-based catalysts were used to remove high concentrations of nitrogen oxides, and the catalysts' performance of de-NOx and anti-H2O under the high concentrations of NOx were investigated. The V-Mo-W/TiO2 catalysts were tested under 1500 mL/min gas flow (GHSV = 500 h−1, 2.4% NO2, 4.78% NH3, 13% O2, 4% H2O, 5% CO2) and characterized by BET, SEM, EDS, XRD, XPS, H2-TPR, and NH3-TPD; then, their physical and chemical properties were analyzed. The results showed that under the influence of H2O, the NOx conversion of the V-Mo-W/TiO2 catalysts remained above 97% at 200–280 °C indicating that the catalysts had high catalytic activity and strong water resistance. The analysis of the characterization results showed that the larger specific surface area of the catalyst, the higher acid content, stronger redox ability, and higher V4+ and V3+ content were the reasons for the high NOx conversion. The surface area decreased and the microstructure become smoother after the reaction, which may be caused by thermal sintering, but the overall morphology did not change. Comparing the H2-TPR and NH3-TPD of V1.6Mo1.7W1.8/TiO2 before and after NH3-SCR reaction, it was found that the reduction peak and the intensity of the acid sites of the sample had not changed, which indicated that the catalyst had good anti-sintering performance and a long lifetime. This is significant for followup long-term engineering application experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of INMATEH - Agricultural Engineering is the property of INMATEH - Agricultural Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The flexible piezoresistive sensors have versatile applications for healthcare. The fabrication procedures of these sensors are generally costly, complex, and environmentally unfriendly. Herein, we use L-cystine as the green reductant and templating agent to prepare 3D reduced graphene oxide (rGO) aerogel, and polyvinyl chloride tape as the substrates to encapsulate the aerogel for making the piezoresistive sensor. The sensor shows good linearity of resistance to logarithmic pressure value in a wide range of 170.4 kPa to 2.4 MPa, and it is capable to monitor the wrist pulse and human motion. Sensors fabricated by this facile and economical method have great potential application in electronic skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering is the property of Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cartan hypersurfaces are minimal isoparametric hypersurfaces with 3 distinct constant principal curvatures in unit spheres. In this article, we firstly build a relationship between the focal submanifolds of Cartan hypersurfaces and the Hopf fiberations and give a new proof of the classification result on Cartan hypersurfaces. Nextly, we show that there exists a Riemannian submersion with totally geodesic fibers from each Cartan hypersurface M to the projective planes $${{\mathbb{F}}P^2}$$ ( $${{\mathbb{F}}={\mathbb{R}},{\mathbb{C}},{\mathbb{H}},{\mathbb{O}}}$$ for m = 1, 2, 4, 8, respectively) endowed with the canonical metrics. As an application, we give several interesting examples of Riemannian submersions satisfying a basic equality due to Chen (Proc Jpn Acad Ser A Math Sci 81:162-167, 2005). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focal submanifolds of isoparametric hypersurfaces in spheres are all minimal Willmore submanifolds, mostly being $${\mathcal{A}}$$ -manifolds in the sense of A.Gray but rarely Ricci-parallel, see Li et al. (Sci China Math 58, 2015), Qian et al. (Ann Glob Anal Geom 43:47-62, 2013), Tang and Yan (Isoparametric foliation and a problem of Besse on generalizations of Einstein condition , 2013). In this paper we study the geometry of the focal submanifolds via Simons formula. We show that all the focal submanifolds with g ≥ 3 are not normally flat by estimating the normal scalar curvatures. Moreover, we give a complete classification of the semiparallel submanifolds among the focal submanifolds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A-manifolds and B-manifolds, introduced by Gray (1978), are two significant classes of Einstein-like Riemannian manifolds. A Riemannian manifold is Ricci parallel if and only if it is simultaneously an A-manifold and a B-manifold. The present paper proves that both focal submanifolds of each isoparametric hypersurface in unit spheres with g = 4 distinct principal curvatures are A-manifolds. As for the focal submanifolds with g = 6, m = 1 or 2, only one is an A-manifold, and neither is a B-manifold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-performance tracking trace amounts of NO2 with gas sensors could be helpful in protecting human health since high levels of NO2 may increase the risk of developing acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Among various gas sensors, Graphene-based sensors have attracted broad attention due to their sensitivity, particularly with the addition of noble metals (e.g., Ag). Nevertheless, the internal mechanism of improving the gas sensing behavior through doping Ag is still unclear. Herein, the impact of Ag doping on the sensing properties of Graphene-based sensors is systematically analyzed via first principles. Based on the density-functional theory (DFT), the adsorption behavior of specific gases (NO2, NH3, H2O, CO2, CH4, and C2H6) on Ag-doped Graphene (Ag–Gr) is calculated and compared. It is found that NO2 shows the strongest interaction and largest Mulliken charge transfer to Ag–Gr among these studied gases, which may directly result in the highest sensitivity toward NO2 for the Ag–Gr-based gas sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To handle nonlinear filtering problems with networked sensors in a distributed manner, a novel distributed hybrid consensus–based square-root cubature quadrature information filter is proposed. The proposed hybrid consensus–based square-root cubature quadrature information filter exploits fifth-order spherical simplex-radial quadrature rule to tackle system nonlinearities and incorporates a novel measurement update strategy into the hybrid consensus filtering framework, which takes the predicted measurement error into account and hence produces more accurate estimates. In addition, the proposed hybrid consensus–based square-root cubature quadrature information filter inherits the complementary positive features of both consensus on information and consensus on measurements methods and avoids sensitive matrix operations such as square-root decompositions and inversion of covariances, which is beneficial for numerical stability. Stability analysis with respect to consensus, convergence, and consistency for the proposed hybrid consensus–based square-root cubature quadrature information filter is also developed. The effectiveness of the proposed hybrid consensus–based square-root cubature quadrature information filter is validated through a maneuvering target tracking scenario. The simulation results show that the proposed hybrid consensus–based square-root cubature quadrature information filter outperforms the existing algorithms at the expense of a slight increase in computational cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]