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IPIN 2019 Competition, sixth in a series of IPIN competitions, was held at the CNR Research Area of Pisa (IT), integrated into the program of the IPIN 2019 Conference. It included two on-site real-time Tracks and three off-site Tracks. The four Tracks presented in this paper were set in the same environment, made of two buildings close together for a total usable area of 1000 m2 outdoors and and 6000 m2 indoors over three floors, with a total path length exceeding 500 m. IPIN competitions, based on the EvAAL framework, have aimed at comparing the accuracy performance of personal positioning systems in fair and realistic conditions: past editions of the competition were carried in big conference settings, university campuses and a shopping mall. Positioning accuracy is computed while the person carrying the system under test walks at normal walking speed, uses lifts and goes up and down stairs or briefly stops at given points. Results presented here are a showcase of state-of-the-art systems tested side by side in real-world settings as part of the on-site real-time competition Tracks. Results for off-site Tracks allow a detailed and reproducible comparison of the most recent positioning and tracking algorithms in the same environment as the on-site Tracks., Fundación para la Ciencia y Tecnología; 10.13039/100007225-Ministry of Science and Technology; Institute for Information and communications Technology Promotion IITP grant funded by the Korea government MSIT; Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea NRF funded by the Ministry of Science; MSIT Ministry of Science and ICT Korea under the ITRC; Slovak Research and Development Agency; Strategic Priority Research Program; Korea government NFA; ICT R and D Program of MSIPIITP; 10.13039/501100004837-Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación; JSPS KAKENHI; ICT R and D Program of MSIPIITP.

In order to protect the privacy of query users and databases, a quantum private query protocol under noisy conditions is proposed and studied. It is a one-way quantum protocol that not only protects user privacy, but also prevents eavesdropping. And in the protocol initialization phase, the identity is verified by the quantum entanglement pair. Through key distribution, a user only knows a part of the key, and the accuracy of the original key needs to be considered. Channel noise directly affects the transmission result of quantum bits and reduces the transmission accuracy. In addition, the presence of eavesdropper Eve may also affect the transmission of qubits. The receiver corrects the error by using quantum error correction technology, thereby improving the efficiency of protocol communication.

A ground surface roughness measurement method is proposed to address current problems in the use of machine vision technology to measure roughness: the calculations are complex, and the measurement process is largely affected by the light source. Based on the area of diffusion regions between the virtual images formed by a light source on ground surfaces with different roughness levels are different, a reference light source containing two base color is designed. Red and green color space-based color distribution statistical matrices, as well as corresponding overlap indices, are proposed. A relationship model between overlap index and roughness is constructed. The effect of light source brightness and texture direction on the relationship model is discussed based on the experimental data. The results demonstrate that the surface roughness measurement method, which is based on the overlap degree of the color image, has relatively high accuracy and a relatively wide measurement range and is, to a certain degree, robust to the brightness of the light source and the texture direction. The surface roughness measurement method has huge potential for engineering applications.

Li 1.2-x Na x Mn 0.54 Co 0.13 Ni 0.13 O 2 with nano size is synthesized with a confinement method. Li 1.2-x Na x Mn 0.54 Co 0.13 Ni 0.13 O 2 (x = 0.05, 0.10 and 0.20) presents enhanced initial charge-discharge efficiency, rate capability and cycling stability in comparison with Li 1.2 Mn 0.54 Co 0.13 Ni 0.13 O 2 . At 0.1C (25 mA g −1 ), the initial charge-discharge efficiency is increased from 76% of Li 1.2 Mn 0.54 Co 0.13 Ni 0.13 O 2 to 90% of Li 1.1 Na 0.1 Mn 0.54 Co 0.13 Ni 0.13 O 2 ; and the capacity retention in the 20 th cycle versus the initial cycle is improved from 31% for Li 1.2 Mn 0.54 Co 0.13 Ni 0.13 O 2 to 88% for Li 1.1 Na 0.1 Mn 0.54 Co 0.13 Ni 0.13 O 2 ; at 500 mA g −1 , Li 1.1 Na 0.1 Mn 0.54 Co 0.13 Ni 0.13 O 2 has a discharge capacity of 128 mAh g −1 , while the Na-free sample Li 1.2 Mn 0.54 Co 0.13 Ni 0.13 O 2 only delivers a lower discharge capacity of 54 mAh g −1 . The superior electrochemical performance of Li 1.2-x Na x Mn 0.54 Co 0.13 Ni 0.13 O 2 (x = 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2) is mainly due to sodium doping, which can enlarge the interslab distance and stabilize the crystal structure.

Serum deprivation is a likely contributor to intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IVDD).17β-estradiol (E2) have been noted to protect nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) against apoptosis. Autophagy and apoptosis play a paramount role in maintaining the homeostasis of IVD. So far, little research has been published on whether autophagy plays a role for the E2 mediated protection of NPCs. The aim of this study is to understand whether autophagy is involved in the protective effect of E2 against serum deprivation-induced cell apoptosis and expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 and MMP-13. mCherry-GFP-LC3-adenovirus transfection is used to monitor autophagy detection. The expression levels of autophagy-related proteins were measured by Western blotting, Apoptosis and MMPs were detected by flow cytometry and Western blotting. Accordingly, Autophagy and apoptosis was detected in NP cells under serum deprivation conditions, the autophagy incidence began to reached a peak value at 48 h, the apoptosis and MMPs incidence began reached a minimum value treat with E2 (10−7 M). Whereas the combined use of E2 and 3-MA led to a dramatic decrease in autophagy, while aberrantly elevated expression levels of apoptotic and MMPs. These data suggest that serum deprivation-induced apoptosis and MMP-3, MMP-13, which was efficiently suppressed by the E2 through promoting autophagy in rat NPCs.

Compensated pulsed alternator (compulsator) is one of the most popular choices of pulsed power supplies for fusion reactors, high-power pulsed lasers, and hypervelocity electromagnetic launchers because of its high energy density and power density. In general, external excitation in the form of self-excitation or pulse-excitation is adopted in compulsators together with iron core or air core. This results in heavy, bulky components and a system that is more complicated and less reliable. In this paper, a novel compulsator that is excited using a permanent magnet (PM) and is equipped with an iron-core or air-core stator is proposed. An excitation converter or brush-slip ring system is not needed in the novel system, which consequently makes it more reliable, less massive, and less voluminous than the external excitation machines. In addition, the novel PM compulsator acts not only as a pulsed alternator capable of delivering high-power pulses but also as a brushless PM dc motor that can be employed to charge the energy storage rotor. Thus, no external driving motor or gearbox is needed in the pulsed power system, which makes the system integrated and compact. In this paper, analytical models for the air-gap magnetic distribution, the back electromotive force, and the pulsed current waveform of the machine are deduced. A PM compulsator is designed and analyzed, and a scaled prototype of the PM compensated pulsed alternator is fabricated and tested. The actual output voltage waveforms and pulsed-current waveforms are sampled and compared with the predicted ones, which clearly demonstrate that the design of the PM compulsator is feasible.

Chitosan hollow nanospheres (CHNs) with diameter of 500–1000 nm and opening of 300–500 nm are synthesized via solid–liquid phase separation. The chemical composition, crystal structure, morphology, size and pore property, and the formation condition of the nanospheres have been examined. The CHNs have a specific surface area of 101.91 m2/g and show mesopores and macropores on their interior and outer surfaces. The methyl-thiotetrazole assay proves the low cytotoxicity of the CHNs. The CHNs show the maximum 63.9 wt% of the anticancer curcumin drug loading capacity. 87% of the loaded curcumin is released from the nanospheres over 50 h. The CHNs show potential applications in drug/gene delivery for cancer therapy.

In electromagnetic launch (EML) applications, a compensated pulsed alternator is an effective form of pulsed power supply because of its high energy density and power density. The basic advantages of compensated pulsed alternators for EML applications are their higher energy density than capacitors and their export ac output that is suitable for transmission and transformation. In general, external excitation is adopted as a form of self-excitation or pulse excitation in compensated pulsed alternators with an iron core or air core. Using this form not only results in heavy and bulky components but also complicates and reduces the reliability of the system. This paper proposes a novel compensated pulsed alternator that is excited by permanent magnets (PMs) and equipped with an iron core or air-core stator. This system does not require any excitation converter or brush–slip ring, thereby making it more reliable, less massive, and less voluminous than the system with self-excitation or pulse excitation. In addition, analytical models are introduced to simulate the air-gap magnetic distribution, back-electromotive force, pulsed current wave, discharge torque, and energy exchange of this machine. A scale-model prototype of the PM-compensated pulsed alternator is designed, fabricated, and tested. The actual output voltage waveform and pulsed current waveform are sampled and compared with the predicted ones. The results show that the design of the PM compulsator is feasible and reliable.

With the development of the social economic conditions, society has a great change to the ability of the business management major students compare with the past, which requires colleges and universities to reform the teaching process. Combined with the relevant requirements of the project of training the talents of management major, we reform the management course system from the course setting to the teaching material, from the teaching content to the design of practice, from the teaching methods to the teaching method. We combined with students' own conditions and characteristics, try to explore a set of management course system which is adapted to the students by learning other colleges and universities' reform of management course system and successful practical experience, in order to make the corresponding contribution to achieve the new goals of personnel training.

As tube-like natural nanomaterials, halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) have potential applications in wound healing due to their high mechanical strength, good biocompatibility, hemostatic property, and wound healing ability. Here, we have developed flexible 3D porous chitosan composite sponges via the addition of HNTs. Morphological observation, mechanical property, porosity, swelling ability, and degradation behavior in phosphate buffer of the chitosan–HNTs composite sponges were investigated by various physicochemical methods. Compared to pure chitosan sponge, the composite sponges exhibit a similar porous morphology with a maximum of 8.8-fold increase in compression mechanical properties. The elastic modulus, compressive strength, and toughness of the composite sponges were simultaneously increased by HNTs. The whole-blood clotting experiment suggests that HNTs can increase the blood clotting rates of chitosan. The composite sponges with 67% HNTs shows an 89.0% increase in the clotting ability compared with pure chitosan. Cytocompatibility of the composite sponges is confirmed by cell attachment and infiltration of fibroblast and vascular endothelial cells. In vivo evaluation on full-thickness excision wounds in experimental Sprague-Dawley rats reveal that these composite sponges enhance the wound healing property especially at the early stage. The composite sponges show a 3.4–21-fold increase in wound closure ratio compared to that of pure chitosan after one week. The addition of HNTs helps in faster re-epithelialization and collagen deposition. All these data demonstrate the potential applications of the chitosan–HNTs composite sponges for burn wounds, chronic wounds, and diabetic foot ulcers.

Permanent magnet bias hybrid magnetic bearing (HMB) which combines active and passive actuators in one unit is very suitable for rotational applications in spacecraft. In the past, numerous studies focusing on the active actuator have been widely reported. However, few have addressed on the passive unit which is essential to the suspension system. In this paper, a sufficiently precise and concise analytical method which is based on the conformal transformation is proposed for the analysis and design of the HMB with specific axial load capacity. With this approach, important parameters used for optimal MB designing, such as magnetic leakage coefficient, as well as the flux density of main flux and fringing flux are given as simple formulas, which educe the axial restoring magnetic force and the axial passive stiffness. The coupling effect of these two units of the HMB is analyzed. The torque generated by the control current of the radial bearing is educed. Experimental investigation via an experimental apparatus to measure the axial specific capacity is introduced. Flywheel prototypes suspended by this kind of HMB system are tested, and the consequence is compared with the analytical data and the finite-element method data to get a final conclusion, which demonstrates the specific load capacity and the conciseness and accuracy of the analytical method.

Aging is one of the most prominent risk factors for the pathological progression of osteoarthritis (OA). One feature of age-related changes in OA is advanced glycation end products (AGEs) accumulation in articular cartilage. Autophagy plays a cellular housekeeping role by removing dysfunctional cellular organelles and proteins. However, the relationship between autophagy and AGE-associated OA is unknown. The aim of this study is to determine whether autophagy participates in the pathology of AGE-treated chondrocytes and to investigate the exact role of autophagy in AGE-induced cell apoptosis and expression of matrix metalloproteinase- (MMP-) 3 and MMP-13. AGEs induced notable apoptosis that was detected by Annexin V/PI double-staining, and the upregulation of MMP-3 and MMP-13 was confirmed by Western blotting. Autophagy-related proteins were also determined by Western blotting, and chondrocytes were transfected with mCherry-GFP-LC3B-adenovirus to monitor autophagic flux. As a result, autophagy significantly increased in chondrocytes and peaked at 6 h. Furthermore, rapamycin (RA) attenuated AGE-induced apoptosis and expression of MMP-3 and MMP-13 by autophagy activation. In contrast, pretreatment with autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) enhanced the abovementioned effects of AGEs. We therefore demonstrated that autophagy is linked with AGE-related pathology in rat chondrocytes and plays a protective role in AGE-induced apoptosis and expression of MMP-3 and MMP-13.

In the conventional water flooding process of Daqing Oilfield in China, the occurrence of abundant sulfate-reducing bacterial populations has substantially affected the industrial production. This study was conducted from the perspective of ecological suppression by operating anaerobic ABR reactors and dosing ecological inhibitors in a continuous-flow experiment. The practical operating efficacy was investigated and associated dynamic bacterial population succession was analyzed. Results showed that the sulfate removal rate decreased upon the addition of eco-inhibitor, leading to a low concentration of sulfide products (