Search

Segmentation of medical images is a necessity for the development of healthcare systems, particularly for illness diagnosis and treatment planning. Recently, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have gained amazing success in automatically segmenting medical images to identify organs or lesions. However, the majority of these approaches are incapable of segmenting objects of varying sizes and training on tiny, skewed datasets, both of which are typical in biomedical applications. Existing solutions use multi-scale fusion strategies to handle the difficulties posed by varying sizes, but they often employ complicated models more suited to broad semantic segmentation computer vision issues. In this research, we present an end-to-end dual-branch split architecture RGN-Net that takes the benefits of the two networks into greater account. Our technique may successfully create long-term functional relationships and collect global context data. Experiments on Lung, MoNuSeg, and DRIVE reveal that our technique reaches state-of-the-art benchmarks in order to evaluate the performance of RGN-Net.

Backgrounds and objectives: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a multifactorial disease under genetic control. We present a meta-analysis to examine the associations of vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) gene rs7041 polymorphism with the risk of COPD and changes in circulating 25OHD concentrations.Methods: A literature search, quality assessment, and data extraction were conducted independently by two investigators. Data are expressed as odds ratio (OR) or weighted mean difference (WMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The inverse variance weighted method (IVW) in R (version 1.1.456) was applied to calculate the Mendelian randomization coefficient.Results: A total of 13 articles with 3,667 participants were meta-analyzed. The rs7041-GT genotype was associated with a 49% reduced COPD risk (OR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.30 to 0.88, p = 0.014) compared to the rs7041-TT genotype. Carriers of the rs7041-GT genotype had significantly higher concentrations of circulating 25OHD than those with the rs7041-TT genotype (WMD: 0.32 ng/ml, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.55, p = 0.006). Under the assumptions of Mendelian randomization, and assuming a linear logistic relationship between circulating 25OHD and COPD, an inverse association was noted after using VDBP gene rs7041 polymorphism as an instrument (WMD: −2.07, 95% CI: −3.72 to −0.41, p = 0.015). There was a low probability of publication bias.Conclusion: We observed significant associations of VDBP gene rs7041 polymorphism with the risk of COPD and changes in circulating 25OHD concentrations. Importantly, we found a causal relationship between genetically regulated 25OHD concentrations and COPD risk.

IntroductionUsing real-world data, we compared the quality of bowel preparation instructed by the digestive and non-digestive physicians in outpatients for colonoscopy and identified potential risk factors.MethodsThis was a retrospective study based on real-world data, which were collected from the Ningbo First Hospital in China from December 2019 to October 2020. Outpatients included were classified into the digestive and the non-digestive physician groups according to the referring physician. The primary outcome was adequate bowel preparation measured by the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS), namely, a BBPS score of 2 or higher in any colonic segment and a total score ≥ 6. Secondary outcomes included the total mean BBPS scores and possible risk factors associated with poor bowel preparation.ResultsThere were 671 outpatients included, with 392 in the digestive physician group and 279 in the non-digestive physician group. Adequate bowel preparation was 84.2% in the digestive physician group and 71.0% in the non-digestive physician group (odds ratio [OR]: 1.50, p < 0.001), and the latter had lower total mean BBPS scores (6.12 ± 1.33 vs. 6.66 ± 1.29, p < 0.001). The non-digestive physician was an independent risk factor according to the multivariate logistic regression analysis (OR: 0.45, p < 0.001).ConclusionThe quality of bowel preparations instructed by non-digestive physicians was inferior to digestive physicians, which was a factor potentially associated with poor bowel preparation (ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT04738578).

The zinc injection process has been widely used in the primary coolant of PWR nuclear power plants. This study explored its effect in the water coolant of fusion reactors. The research uses the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) water-cooled experimental simulation circuit, with Fe3O4 particles as corrosion products. The deposition thickness of Fe3O4 on the wall of the stainless steel tube at temperatures from 80 °C to 150 °C was measured by a non-destructive online magnetic thickness measurement. The experimental results show that zinc injection has a significant inhibitory effect on the deposition of corrosion products on the tube wall, especially at the elbow. After adjusting the pH to the optimal value of 9, adding zinc can continue to reduce the thickness of the deposition layer. The results of the microscopic analysis indicated that the Zn injection formed a new dense surface oxide film and inhibited the deposition of Fe3O4 particles on the tube wall. The research results indicate that the chemical process of zinc injection water can be applied to the operation of the water-cooled fusion reactor in future.

The Xiaorequanzi copper–zinc deposit, located in the eastern Tianshan, is considered as a medium‐sized polymetallic deposit in Xinjiang, NW China. Understanding the structural framework and delineating the location of intrusions as well as the distribution of ore‐controlling strata in this mining area are vital for identifying new potential exploration areas. This paper aims to provide new information on the subsurface structures of the Xiaorequanzi copper–zinc deposit and to explore new target area for the ore prospecting based on comprehensive interpretation of multiple geophysical datasets. Several potential field filtering methods were used to study the spatial distribution of the geological structure. The structural lineament was delineated based on various source boundary detection results. Euler deconvolution method was used to estimate the field source depth, and the structure model was constructed from 2.5D forward gravity modelling, constrained by borehole and electromagnetic data. The results indicate that the local gravity highs may be the concentration of mineralized rocks with high density extending to depths of several hundred meters; the magnetic highs are related to mineralized rocks/intrusive rocks that are close to the surface. The tectonic framework of the whole ore bed is mainly controlled by NW‐SE, E‐W and NE‐SW structures, in which NE‐SW structures are related closely to mineralization and may provide optimum conditions for magma emplacement and fluid migration. Our research will help to study the tectonic evolution and guide further exploration of the deposit.

AimsWe employed machine-learning methods to explore data from a large survey on students, with the goal of identifying and validating a thrifty panel of important factors associated with lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI).MethodsCross-sectional cluster sampling was performed for a survey of students aged 6–14 years who attended primary or junior high school in Beijing within January, 2022. Data were collected via electronic questionnaires. Statistical analyses were completed using the PyCharm (Edition 2018.1 x64) and Python (Version 3.7.6).ResultsData from 11,308 students (5,527 girls and 5,781 boys) were analyzed, and 909 of them had LRTI with the prevalence of 8.01%. After a comprehensive evaluation, the Gaussian naive Bayes (gNB) algorithm outperformed the other machine-learning algorithms. The gNB algorithm had accuracy of 0.856, precision of 0.140, recall of 0.165, F1 score of 0.151, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.652. Using the optimal gNB algorithm, top five important factors, including age, rhinitis, sitting time, dental caries, and food or drug allergy, had decent prediction performance. In addition, the top five factors had prediction performance comparable to all factors modeled. For example, under the sequential deep-learning model, the accuracy and loss were separately gauged at 92.26 and 25.62% when incorporating the top five factors, and 92.22 and 25.52% when incorporating all factors.ConclusionsOur findings showed the top five important factors modeled by gNB algorithm can sufficiently represent all involved factors in predicting LRTI risk among Chinese students aged 6–14 years.

Reliable information on building rooftops is crucial for utilizing limited urban space effectively. In recent decades, the demand for accurate and up-to-date data on the areas of rooftops on a large-scale is increasing. However, obtaining these data is challenging due to the limited capability of conventional computer vision methods and the high cost of 3D modeling involving aerial photogrammetry. In this study, a geospatial artificial intelligence framework is presented to obtain data for rooftops using high-resolution open-access remote sensing imagery. This framework is used to generate vectorized data for rooftops in 90 cities in China. The data was validated on test samples of 180 km2 across different regions with spatial resolution, overall accuracy, and F1 score of 1 m, 97.95%, and 83.11%, respectively. In addition, the generated rooftop area conforms to the urban morphological characteristics and reflects urbanization level. These results demonstrate that the generated dataset can be used for data support and decision-making that can facilitate sustainable urban development effectively.

The compressive yielding phenomenon of titanium alloys is not as focused and sufficiently ascertain as the tensile yielding phenomenon. In the present work, the peculiar compressive yielding behavior and the different dynamic responses of three different initial microstructures (single β, clavate α and lamellar α) were investigated in an attractive metastable β titanium alloy Ti-5553 using electron microscopes/crystallographic calculation/crystal plastic finite element simulation. Results reveal that the distinct compressive yielding behavior, steep peaks of sudden drop in the initial stage (very small true strain ˜0.03) of stress loading have appeared in the compression stress-strain curves except for the lamellar α initial microstructure. Dislocation slip is the essential mechanism of the initial yielding behavior. Interlaced multiple-slip bands formed in the single β initial microstructure during the warm deformation process. A small quantity of single slip bands was observed in the deformed clavate α initial microstructure. The abundant varied nano/ultrafine αs precipitates were nucleated dynamically and dispersedly in all the three deformed initial microstructures. The multiple-slip bands formation and substantial nanoscale αs result in the highest peak of flow stress for single β initial microstructure. The compressive slip bands are formed early in the elastic – plastic deformation stage. As the increasing strain, the sample showed a significant compressive bulge, or eventually forming a strong adiabatic shear band or crack. These results are expected to provide a reference for the study of deformation behavior and mechanical properties of metastable β titanium alloys.

Additional file 3.

Additional file 2: Supplementary Table 1. Sequences ofreal-time PCR primers. Supplementary Table 2. Primary Antibodies. Supplementary Table 3. Second Antibodies. Supplementary Table 4. ShRNA or siRNA Oligonucleotides. Supplementary Table 5. Tumorigenicityof knockdown AQP5 and control group. Supplementary Table 6. Tumorigenicity of knockdown AQP5 and control group. Supplementary Table 7. Tumorigenicityof knockdown AQP5 and LGR5. Supplementary Table 8. Differentially expressed genes between exogenousoverexpression of AQP5 and control group. Supplementary Table 9. Differentially expressed genes between exogenousoverexpression of AQP5 and control group. Supplementary Table 10. Identification of the AQP5 protein complex by mass spectrometry.

Additional file 1: Figure S1. Expression of marker genes in gastric cancer tissue epithelial/stem cellsand cultured adherent/spheroid cells. Figure S2. AQP5 expression in AGS/HGC-27/GES-1 spheroids and adherent cells. Figure S3. AQP5 promotes gastric cancer development in vitro and in vivo. Figure S4. Expression of AQP5 in GC-CSCs. Figure S5. AQP5 promotes the stemness of GC-CSCs. Figure S6. Effect of AQP5 on LGR5 expression.Figure S7. Cellular pathways affected by AQP5. Figure S8. ATG7 is the key regulator of GC cell autophagy. Figure S9. AQP5 affects key autophagy proteins.Figure S10. AQP5 promotes malignant behaviors of GC-CSCs by regulatingK63-mediated ubiquitination of ULK1.Figure S11. Interaction of AQP5, TRIM21 and ULK1. Figure S12. AQP5 promotes self-renewal via TRIM21 in GC-CSCs.

With the increase of endurance mileage, 70MPa hydrogen supply systems are used more and more widely, in which pressure reducing valves are the key component. The flow field and the key parameters of 70MPa two-stage pressure reducing valve for hydrogen are studied in this paper. The two-stage pressure reducing valve with cone and flat valves is simplified to two-dimensional model, which is used in condition of high pressure difference with medium of hydrogen gas. Based on NIST real gas model and state equation of modefied Bennedict-Webb-Rubin (BWR), flow field simulation model is developed. A stepwise initialization method for convergence of calculation is proposed in the paper. The numerical simulations for the flow in two-stage pressure reducing valve are carried out. A set of structural parameters is obtained, which is reasonable for 500km hydrogen fuel cell electric bus.

Underground salt caverns are used globally for large-scale energy storage. In the thinly bedded rock salt in China, two butted-well horizontal (TWH) caverns, as alternatives for energy storage, are regarded as having better suitability and economy than vertical caverns. However, understandings of the cavern shape development and control methods of TWH-caverns remain insufficient. To overcome these shortcomings with respect to TWH-caverns, we conducted physical simulations of TWH-cavern construction using a high strength steel mold and molded large rock salt specimens. We established a platform for physical simulation of TWH-cavern water-solution construction using the large molded rock salt specimens, so that the construction process is visible and easily observed. Six groups of physical simulations of TWH-cavern construction were designed and implemented. The variables which affect the cavern outline expansion were investigated and compared, including water injection rate, transferring of injection well, oil blanket, and retreating position of the water outlet. Finally the expansion rules of the cavern outline, and different effects when injecting from an inclined well vs. From a vertical well were explored, as well as an attempt of retreating water outlet. This study provides significant guidance for constructing horizontal caverns for energy storage in thinly bedded rock salt.

Additional file 1: Section S1. The preparation of demineralized dentin disks, dentin samples for TEM and nanoindentation test, the mineralizing film samples for cryo-TEM, The preparation of Cell isolation and culture of L929 and human gingival fibroblasts for CCK-8. The preparation of buccal mucosa samples for microscopic histological observations; The preparation of transparent custom trays; the swelling experiments. Table S1. Grading system for oral and penile reactions. Table S2. Grading system for microscopic examination for oral, penile, rectal and vaginal tissue reaction. Figure S1 The photos of the mineralizing film in artificial saliva for 0, 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 24 h at 37 ��C. Figure S2. The splitting function (SF) of PAsp-ACP nanoparticles and the mineralizing film. Figure S3. The results of the histologic examination. Figure S4. TEM images of demineralized dentin (control group). Figure S5. TEM images of demineralized dentin treated with HPMC film (control group). Figure S6. TEM images of the demineralized dentin of rabbits treated with mineralizing film (control group). Figure S7. FTIR spectra of pure PAsp, PAsp-ACP, the pure HPMC film, the HPMC-PAsp-ACP film, a HPMC-CaCl2 film and a HPMC- Na2HPO4 film. Figure S8 SEM images of HPMC gel and swelling ratios of HPMC and the mineralizing film. Figure S9. FTIR spectra of ACP in different systems.

The traditional image recognition technology can transform some expression form of image into the data which can be processed by computer, and recognize the image with decision function. However, in actual applications, incomplete 3D images will be encountered. In order to screen the required image information from a large amount of images, it is necessary to recognize and match the image, and so the research has long-term application value. In this paper, SIFT algorithm was used to extract the feature vectors for incomplete 3D information recognition. Then, the modeling method of circular matching pattern was proposed, and the pattern of mathematical recognition was adopted in the process of image recognition. After that, on the basis of a large number of domestic and foreign research literatures, the process of “image hypothesis” converted to “image recognition” was completed. Finally, the system simulation was carried out by using Microsoft Visual Studio. For the incomplete 3D information image, the image feature recognition system was completed.

In the thinly bedded salt formations, due to the limited thickness of the salt strata along with the fast upward dissolution, the collapse of the non-salt roof of the cavern often occurs, leading to the leakage of brine and instability of the cavern as well as other undesirable geological consequences. To investigate the gypsum-salt interbedded roof collapse, the failure mechanism and the control methods of Dainan siltstone, which is the indirect roof of the horizontal salt caverns in Zhaoji Salt Mine, were thoroughly investigated. Through the drilled cores from this mine, a series of contrast tests such as SEM, EDS, XRD, soaking, and nuclear magnetic properties were carried out to study the physical properties of the salt layer and non-salt layer of the cavern roof and to determine the cavern roof collapse and leakage mechanism. Using the Comsol software, the model of a horizontal cavern roof leakage was established, and the leakage range and leakage of brine at different time were analyzed, as well as the safety problems caused by it. Finally, some suggestions have been provided for the leakage control of the cavern roof in bedded salt cavern.

General detectors follow the pipeline that feature maps extracted from ConvNets are shared between classification and regression tasks. However, there exists obvious conflicting requirements in multi-orientation object detection that classification is insensitive to orientations, while regression is quite sensitive. To address this issue, we provide an Encoder-Decoder architecture, called Rotated Feature Network (RFN), which produces rotation-sensitive feature maps (RS) for regression and rotation-invariant feature maps (RI) for classification. Specifically, the Encoder unit assigns weights for rotated feature maps. The Decoder unit extracts RS and RI by performing resuming operator on rotated and reweighed feature maps, respectively. To make the rotation-invariant characteristics more reliable, we adopt a metric to quantitatively evaluate the rotation-invariance by adding a constrain item in the loss, yielding a promising detection performance. Compared with the state-of-the-art methods, our method can achieve significant improvement on NWPU VHR-10 and RSOD datasets. We further evaluate the RFN on the scene classification in remote sensing images and object detection in natural images, demonstrating its good generalization ability. The proposed RFN can be integrated into an existing framework, leading to great performance with only a slight increase in model complexity., Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures

The salt rock formations in China all contain a certain amount of impurities. It is necessary to study the mechanical performances of salt rock that contains impurities. However, to obtain the salt rock samples that have different types and contents of impurities is difficult. Therefore, man-made salt rock samples containing impurities (sodium sulfate salt rock-SSR and gypsum salt rock-GSR) were prepared to replace the natural salt rock for study. The results show that the density of man-made salt rock was slightly lower than natural ones. And the compactness of SSR samples was suitable while GSR samples were differed slightly, which might be related to the particle size and water absorption of the impurities. Laboratory compression tests were conducted to investigate the influence of impurities on the mechanical performances of the salt rock. The strengths of both SSR and GSR samples decreased with the increase in impurity content. The peak strength of the SSR samples fell straightly, while that of the GSR samples show a parabola-like dropping trend. The elastic modulus of SSR samples beavered enhanced effect and was increased with the increasing content of impurity. And the elastic modulus of GSR samples behaved a parabola-trend decreasing with the impurity content increased. On the evaluation of brittleness characteristics, when the impurity content was at a low level, it had almost no significant effect on the sample's whole ductility. Only at the higher impurity content, the brittleness was increased dramatically, resulting in a rapid rupture of the sample after the peak strength. At last, some discussions about the geological properties of salt mine pointed out the direction of future research. This study revealed the influence of impurities on the mechanical characteristics of salt rocks and could provide a reference for the stability evaluation of natural gas storage caverns in salt formations.

Conversion of low-carbon olefins to higher alcohols or olefins via the formation of C–C bonds is an increasingly important topic. We herein report an example of converting isobutene and formaldehyde (38 wt % aqueous solution) to 3-methyl-1,3-butanediol (MBD), a precursor for isoprene. The reaction occurs through a Prins condensation–hydrolysis reaction over a praseodymium (Pr)-doped CeO2 catalyst. The best MBD yield (70%) is achieved over the Pr-doped CeO2 catalyst. Catalyst characterizations with high-angle annular dark field transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-TEM), pyridine adsorption infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the doped Pr is uniformly and highly dispersed in the CeO2 crystalline phase. In addition, the Pr doping creates more oxygen vacancy sites on CeO2 and thus enhances the Lewis acidity of the catalyst, which is responsible for the catalytic performance of the Pr-CeO2 catalyst.

Seasonal variations in the biochemical composition of Rapana venosa in relation to reproductive cycle and environment on the northern coast of China were investigated from March 2012 to February 2013. The results indicated that R. venosa has an annual reproductive cycle with synchronized gonad development in both females and males. Gametogenesis was initiated in September and gametes developed slowly during the winter, followed by rapid gonad development during spring and summer. Most individuals from this study were sexually mature between May and June, and gamete release occurred mainly between May and August. The peak of spawning was found in July and the recovery of the gonad was observed between August and November. The key biochemical components including glycogen, protein and lipid were analysed in four tissues, specifically the gonad, digestive gland, mantle and foot. The declining glycogen content in the gonad, digestive gland and mantle during maturation suggested that glycogen was consu...

Seasonal variation of biochemical components in clam (Saxidomus purpuratus Sowerby 1852) was investigated from March 2012 to February 2013 in relation to environmental condition of Sanggou Bay and the reproductive cycle of clam. According to the histological analysis, the reproductive cycle of S. purpuratus includes two distinctive phases: a total spent and inactive stage from November to January, and a gametogenesis stage, including ripeness and spawning, during the rest of the year. Gametes were generated at a low temperature (2.1°C) in February. Spawning took place once a year from June to October. The massive spawning occurred in August when the highest water temperature and chlorophyll a level could be observed. The key biochemical components (glycogen, protein and lipid) in five tissues (gonad, foot, mantle, siphon and adductor muscle) were analyzed. The glycogen content was high before gametogenesis, and decreased significantly during the gonad development in the gonad, mantle and foot of both females and males, suggesting that glycogen was an important energy source for gonad development. The protein and lipid contents increased in the ovary during the gonad development, demonstrating that they are the major organic components of oocytes. The lipid and protein contents decreased in the testis, implying that they can provide energy and material for spermatogenesis. The results also showed that protein stored in the mantle and foot could support the reproduction after the glycogen was depleted.

We herein report the oxidative C–C coupling of ketones and primary alcohols to produce α,β-unsaturated ketones in the absence of base additives. This cascade synthetic reaction was conducted at 150 °C in 12 h using a heterogeneous CeO2 catalyst. The conversion of acetophenone reached 74% with 89% selectivity to chalcone. A correlation between the CeO2 crystal plane and catalytic performance is established as the catalytic activities decrease in the sequence of (110) > (111) > (100). Characterization using Raman spectroscopy, CO2 temperature-programmed desorption (CO2-TPD), and in situ active site-capping tests has shown that the unusual catalysis of the CeO2 catalyst is attributed to the coexistence of basic and redox active sites. These sites synergistically catalyze the oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes and the aldol condensation to ketones. Moreover, the CeO2 catalyst can be reused several times after calcination to remove the surface-adsorbed substances.

In the thinly bedded salt rocks, the roofs of salt cavern gas storage may have different lithology, some cavern roofs of these caverns may be damaged and lose tightness. Thus it is significant to study the characteristic of the gas leakage through the cavern roof of the gas storage cavern in bedded salt rocks. To approach such a goal, the gas leakage through a cavern roof and the induced collapse are investigated in this study. At first, the salt cavern of ZJ-block of Huai'an salt mine is selected as the potential gas storage site, which has a roof consisting of salt rock, a thin gypsum layer, and thick argillaceous siltstone. And then, the porosity and permeability of rock samples of the roof strata are measured in the laboratory. Thirdly, a numerical simulation model is established based on the geo-conditions of the ZJ-block. The gas seepage and cavern tightness under three different cavern roof conditions are simulated and analyzed. The results show that, if the cavern roof is integral, the main gas seepage channels of the cavern are the interlayers, and the tightness of gas storage salt cavern is satisfactory once the permeability of interlayers is around 10−17 m2 or lower. After the salt rock layer of the roof is damaged and a partial gypsum layer is exposed, the gas leakage amount can increase about one order of magnitude. But the seepage rate and pore pressure both change slowly in the roof. Thus the operators have sufficient time to survey the accidents and transfer the gas away. However, after the thin gypsum layer is damaged and results in the exposure of argillaceous siltstone, the gas seepage sharply increases. Including the leakage amount, the seepage range, and the pore pressure are all increased much than that of the above two conditions. Due to the serious consequence of storage safety, this condition should be absolutely avoided. To ensure the roof safety and tightness of gas storage, it is suggested that the reasonable construction of a cavern roof is the prerequisite, and the internal pressure monitoring, as well as sonar measuring, should be engaged regularly during the operation period.

Taking Jiangsu province of China as an example, large-scale underground hydrogen storage (UHS) in salt caverns is proposed to realize peak shaving for wind power. A bedded salt rock, Jintan salt mine in Jiangsu, is selected as the potential site for UHS. And the feasibility of UHS in bedded salt rocks is evaluated. Firstly, the regional geological conditions of Jintan salt mine are analyzed. It shows that this mine has good stratigraphic trapping and meets the site-selection requirements for UHS. Then, a numerical simulation model is established to analyze the stability and applicability of the proposed UHS caverns. The tightness of the UHS salt caverns is also investigated. It is indicated that gas tightness can be favorable once the permeability of interlayers is around 10−18 m2 or lower. Finally, it is estimated that the salt caverns for 36.9 TWh-scale UHS of Jiangsu can be mainly provided by salt mine enterprises, but more attention should be paid to the usability of caverns during extraction. This study provides a feasible and economical solution for fulfilling the large-scale UHS in the Jiangsu, as well as for the regions that are rich in both renewable energy and salt resources.

We herein report the effects of CeO2 crystal planes on the oxidative coupling of alcohols and amines to form imines. CeO2 exhibits significant catalytic activity under mild reaction conditions (60 °C) during the synthesis of 13 different imines, giving >89% conversions and >90% selectivities. The crystal planes of CeO2 greatly affect the catalytic performance. Among the crystal planes investigated (the (110), (100) and (111) planes), the (110) plane shows the strongest redox ability and thus the best catalytic activity, generating a 97% yield of the imine at 60 °C in 2 h, because it contains the highest concentration of oxygen vacancies.

The dynamic strain and vibration acceleration are two key parameters in the monitoring of vibrations that can damage track and affect the safety of railway traffic. This paper presents a remote measurement system for the online monitoring of train-induced vibration responses in rail tracks. A precision data acquisition node is designed for the conditioning and monitoring of the vibration signals generated by trains traveling at full speed. The monitored data is remotely acquired using a wireless sensor network. Furthermore, the use of solar power significantly increases the long-term service life of the system. The system is validated using both laboratory tests and a field deployment over a period of several months on an in-service high-speed railway. The obtained results indicate that the remote measurement system can accurately collect dynamic strain and vibration acceleration signals in a rail; these signals can be processed and analyzed to allow timely maintenance actions.

Heterogeneously catalyzed synthesis of quinazolinones or quinazolines is reported in this study. An α-MnO2 catalyst is found to be highly active and selective in the oxidative cyclization of anthranilamides or aminobenzylamines with alcohols using TBHP as an oxidant. This protocol exhibits a broad substrate scope, and is operationally simple without an additive.

A new type of octadecyl-bonded SiO2/SiO2 (ODSS) core–shell monodisperse silica spheres was prepared as a high performance liquid chromatography stationary phase. The chromatographic performance was evaluated and compared with totally porous octadecyl-bonded SiO2. Various methods were used for characterization of the two column packings for reversed-phase chromatography in terms of permeability, hydrophobic selectivity, sensitivity, stability and hydrophobicity. The results showed that the ODSS-based stationary phase has enhanced permeability, good hydrophobic selectivity, high chemical stability and sensitivity. Acidic, basic and neutral aromatic compounds were separated on the two types of stationary phases. The ODSS-based stationary phase has good selectivity and gives symmetrical narrow peaks under reversed-phase conditions.

Chemotherapies for brain diseases have been hampered due to the inability of transport of drug across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In order to overcome the barrier, p-hydroxybenzoic acid (p-HA), a small molecule of benzamide analogue, was used as a ligand for brain-targeted drug delivery. The p-HA was conjugated to PEG-DSPE to form p-HA-PEG-DSPE. Docetaxel-loaded polymeric micelles were prepared by a thin-film hydration method using methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)-distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine (mPEG2000-DSPE) as a carrier and the p-HA-PEG-DSPE as a brain targeted material. The prepared micelles showed spherical with a mean diameter of (18±3) nm. Encapsulation efficiency and drug loading were (83.49±1.3)%, (7.7±1.2)% for unmodified micelles and (80.65±1.6)%, (7.47±1.8)% for p-HA-modified micelles, respectively. In vitro cellular uptake experiments showed that the p-HA-modified micelles increased BCECs cellular uptake by 1.2 times compared to the unmodified micelles. Ex vivo near-infrared fluorescence imaging showed that brain uptake of the p-HA-modified micelles was 1.3–1.8 times higher than that of the unmodified micelles. In vitro cytotoxicity assay against glioblastoma cell U87 MG showed that inhibition rate of the p-HA-modified micelles increased by 1.2 times compared to that of the unmodified micelles and 1.7 times compared to that of DTX. Survival time of nude mice bearing intracranial glioblastoma showed that the lifetime of saline group, Taxotere group, mPEG-DSPE/DTX micelles group and p-HA-PEG-DSPE/DTX micelles group was 22, 27, 32 and 45.8 d, representively, which indicated that anti-glioblastoma activity of DTX could be significantly enhanced by the p-HA-modified polymeric micelles. These results demonstrated that the p-HA-modified micelles could be a promising brain-targeted drug delivery system for hydrophobic drugs against glioblastoma.

This paper compares various methods of measuring the equilibrium exchange rate. We believe that it should be considered the three aspects of essential attribute of the exchange rate, the economic situation and regulating needs of policies when it comes to the measure of RMB equilibrium exchange rate. The paper points out that the extended PPP method is more appropriate than the FEER approach and it is a “second-best” choice. Then we make a systematic review of the literatures and commentary on how to measure equilibrium exchange rate properly with the application of PPP. We believe that the extended PPP approach would be better suited to measure RMB equilibrium exchange rate than the other relative PPP methods. According to the PPP data published in 2005 by the World Bank, we have successfully countered and interpret a series of statement which were suspected overvaluation of Chinese PPP, accordingly it is very difficult to reach the conclusion that RMB exchange rate has been seriously underestimated, which mean that the current price level in China is compatible with the economic level and the ratio of prices with other countries is basically normal.

The relationship between energy consumption and economic growth has long been the focus at home and abroad. The general view is: energy consumption promotes economic growth; economic growth affects energy consumption on the other hand. In sight of the original theory, this paper adopts the statistical data of Shandong Province from 1980 to 2008, which include Gross Domestic Products (GDP), energy consumption, fixed asset investment and employees. Using unit root, co-integration and Granger causality test, we examined the relationship between energy consumption and economic growth in Shandong Province. The results show that energy consumption and economic growth have long-term trend relation, and there is two-way causality between them. The econometric model is estimated using Generalized Least Square (GLS) method. The conclusions are as follows: energy consumption and economic growth is positively correlated in Shandong province, and economic growth has highly depended on energy consumption.

It is an inevitable choice for China to change patterns of economic development, speed up industrial restructuring and develop low-carbon economy vigorously in win-win economic development and environmental protection. Based on the relevant time series data of 1996-2009, we establish a linear regression model about how adjustment of industrial structure impacts the carbon dioxide emissions. The empirical result shows that the type of industrial structure directly determine carbon dioxide emissions; the second industry is positively related to carbon emissions; whereas the development of tertiary industry reduces carbon emissions. Therefore, to develop low carbon economy, we must change the economic development mode, speed up industrial restructuring, vigorously promote the tertiary industry.

The new type of piezoelectric vibration accelerometer was studied, which sensitive element is cymbal piezocomposite transducer with 2-(0)-2 connectivity rather than conventional piezoelectric ceramic. The temperature property of output voltage of this new piezoelectric vibration accelerometer was investigated. Put the temperature sensor DS18B20 into the vibration accelerometer to detect the inner temperature properties of the vibration accelerometer. Using microcomputer to record the static output voltage values and gained the relationship between the temperature and static output voltage. Designed the artificial neural network module and compensated the output voltage error produced by temperature drift. The result showed that the relative error of static output voltage was decreased from 26.73% to 3.66% in the temperature range of −20°C to 60°C. The compensation method based on the artificial neural network can be used for compensating the temperature properties of output voltage sensitivity of vibratio...

This paper reports on the fabrication of CuOx films to be used as hole transporting layer (HTL) in CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Ultra-thin CuOx coatings were grown onto FTO substrates for the first time via aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD) of copper acetylacetonate in methanol. After incorporating into the PSCs prepared at ambient air, a highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.26% with HTL and of 3.34% without HTL were achieved. Our work represents an important step in the development of low-cost CVD technique for fabricating ultra-thin metal oxide functional layers in thin film photovoltaics.

PurposeThis paper sets out to study the corrosion of No. 20 carbon steel without film and with films of different qualities in high‐temperature boiler water with different Cl− concentrations.Design/methodology/approachThe static simulated experiment in high‐pressure autoclave and the surface analysis methods of EPMA and XRD were carried out to study the corrosion effect.FindingsUnder the following conditions: T=360±3°C, pH = 9.40±0.10, cO2Cl− content, while CCl− was > 0.2 mg/l. The film on specimens with integral films would not dissolve observably even until the CCl− concentration was as high as 0.8 mg/l. Films with corrosion pits would begin dissolving when the Cl− concentration reached 0.4 mg/l. The main constituents of the oxidative films in the gas and liquid phases both were Fe3O4.Practical implicationsIn order to prevent carbon steel from corroding in boiler water containing Cl− under conditions of low‐phosphate and low‐sodium hydroxide treatment, the concentration of Cl− should be strictly controlled.Originality/valueIt was found that the presence of excessive Cl− in boiler water accelerated the corrosion of No. 20 carbon steel and the maximum permissible concentration of Cl− under the conditions (temperature and pressure) of sub‐critical drum boilers was 0.2 mg/l. The research results can provide theoretical guidelines for preventing the facilities of power plants from corroding.

Heterogeneously catalyzed synthesis of quinazolinones or quinazolines is reported in this study. An α-MnO2 catalyst is found to be highly active and selective in the oxidative cyclization of anthranilamides or aminobenzylamines with alcohols using TBHP as an oxidant. This protocol exhibits a broad substrate scope, and is operationally simple without an additive.

The interface of metal-oxide plays pivotal roles in catalytic reactions, but its catalytic function is still not clear. In this study, we report the high activity of nanostructured Ru/ceria (Ru-clusters/ceria) in the ethylene methoxycarbonylation (EMC) reaction in the absence of acid promoter. The catalyst offers 92% yield of MP with TOF of 8666 h–1, which is about 2.5 times of homogeneous Pd catalyst (∼3500 h–1). The interfacial Lewis acid–base pair [Ru-O-Ce-Vo], which consists of acidic Ce-Vo (oxygen vacancy) site and basic interfacial oxygen of Ru-O-Ce linkage, acts as active site for the dissociation of methanol and the subsequent transfer of hydrogen to the activated ethylene, which is the key step in acid-promoter-free EMC reaction. The combination of 1H MAS NMR, pyridine-IR and DFT calculations reveals the hydrogen species derived from methanol contains Bronsted acidity. The EMC reaction mechanism under acid-promoter-free condition over Ru-clusters/ceria catalyst is discussed.