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Single white-emitting polymers have been reported by incorporating the second-generation carbazole dendron into the side chain of a red-emitting thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) polymer. Due to the prevented hole trap effect, in this case, excitons can be generated simultaneously on the polymeric host and the red TADF dopant to give a dual emission. Consequently, a bright white electroluminescence is achieved even at a dopant loading as high as 5 mol.%, revealing a maximum luminous efficiency of 16.1 cd/A (12.0 lm/W, 8.2%) and Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.42, 0.32). The results clearly indicate that the delicate tuning of charge trap is a promising strategy to develop efficient single white-emitting polymers, whose low-band-gap chromophore content can be up to a centesimal level.

Background. Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common degenerative disease associated with joint dysfunction and pain. Ultrasound-guided radiofrequency (RF) may be a promising therapy in the treatment of chronic pain for KOA patients. Objective. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided RF treatment for chronic pain in patients with KOA. Design. A systematic review was conducted, and a meta-analysis was carried out when possible. Setting. We examined the studies evaluating the clinical efficiency of ultrasound-guided RF on chronic pain in KOA population. Method. A systematic review for the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided RF treatment for pain management of KOA patients was carried out in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Wanfang Data, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) from the date of inception to February 2020, and a meta-analysis was conducted. The primary outcomes of pain intensity (visual analogue scale or numerical rating scale) and knee function [the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC)] were evaluated from baseline to various follow-up times by random-effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed by I2 statistic and the potential sources of heterogeneity by subgroup and metaregression analyses, respectively. Results. Eight publications with 256 patients were included in the meta-analysis. RF could relieve pain with −4.196 of pooled mean difference and improve knee function by decreasing 23.155 points in WOMAC. Three patients had ecchymosis, two with hypoesthesia and one with numbness after the procedure, and improved within 6 months. Furthermore, study design and treatment target were the sources of heterogeneity by subgroup and metaregression analyses, accounting for 37% and 74% of variances, respectively. Target of genicular nerve achieved better pain relief than intra-articular or sciatic nerve. Sensitivity analysis showed that removal of any single study was unlikely to overturn the findings. Limitations. There were some limitations in the study. Firstly, the small number of relevant studies limited the confidence level of the meta-analysis. Also, the significant heterogeneity may not be explained due to the limited data. Secondly, the direct comparison of two different guidance methods (ultrasound vs. fluoroscopy) for RF therapy is lacking. In addition, the outcomes were blindly assessed in the meta-analysis from all studies according to evaluation of bias, which could affect the reality of the data. Finally, most of the studies only provided short follow-up times, so we could not analyze the long-term effectiveness of ultrasound-guided RF in the treatment of patients with KOA. Conclusions. Ultrasonography is an effective, safe, nonradiative, and easily applicable guidance method for RF in pain relief and functional improvement in KOA patients.

Electric multiple unit is a modern transportation tool with high efficiency and large carrying capacity. Regarding its high speed, reliability requirement of the train is very important. As the main load bearing component of a train, the wheel is subjected to harsh working condition. Rolling contact between wheel and rail leads to wheel fatigue failure so that the fatigue reliability of wheel becomes one of the most attractive fields in electric multiple unit reliability study. This article proposed a fatigue reliability assessment method. It could obtain critical parts’ stress distribution efficiently through the force–stress relationship received by numerical simulation, so that it could assess wheel fatigue reliability under measured force–time spectrum. Also, multiaxial fatigue is considered in the method and the equivalent stress can be obtained by multiaxial model and fatigue experiment. Result of the case study shows that fatigue reliability of China Railway High-speed 5 wheel at 60,000 km mileage is 68%.

The urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon caused by rapid urbanization has become an important global ecological and environmental problem that cannot be ignored. In this study, the UHI effect was quantified using Landsat 8 image inversion land surface temperatures (LSTs). With the spatial scale of street units in Fuzhou City, China, using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, geographically weighted regression (GWR) models, and multi-scale geographically weighted regression (MGWR), we explored the spatial heterogeneities of the influencing factors and LST. The results indicated that, compared with traditional OLS models, GWR improved the model fit by considering spatial heterogeneity, whereas MGWR outperformed OLS and GWR in terms of goodness of fit by considering the effects of different bandwidths on LST. Building density (BD), normalized difference impervious surface index (NDISI), and the sky view factor (SVF) were important influences on elevated LST, while building height (BH), forest land percentage (Forest_per), and waterbody percentage (Water_per) were negatively correlated with LST. In addition, built-up percentage (Built_per) and population density (Pop_Den) showed significant spatial non-stationary characteristics. These findings suggest the need to consider spatial heterogeneity in analyses of impact factors. This study can be used to provide guidance on mitigation strategies for UHIs in different regions.

Due to the complex operation conditions in a power transformer, an oil-impregnated pressboard (OIP) simultaneously suffers from thermal, electrical, and mechanical stress. Since most research studies have paid much attention to thermal or electrical aging of OIPs, this paper analyzes the effects of long-term mechanical vibrations on cellulose degradation in OIPs under simultaneous multi-stress. The aging experiments were firstly conducted at 130 °C, with a DC electric voltage of +6 kV, vibration amplitude of 10–50 μm, and vibration frequency of 100–300 Hz. The finite element analysis (FEA) of the pressboard vibration model was then performed on Abaqus to investigate the time–frequency domain characteristic parameters of compressive stress on the pressboard under varied vibration frequencies and amplitudes. The FEA results reveal that compressive stress on the pressboard in a multi-stress aging experiment coincided with the axial compressive stress on the insulation spacers in an SZ-50000/110 transformer. Moreover, combined with the degree of polymerization (DP) of cellulose, the effects of long-term vibration on cellulose degradation are reflected in two ways: the increase in compressive stress on the pressboard generates more links available for degradation, while more high frequency harmonic components in compressive stress accelerate the reaction rate in cellulose degradation.

Island ecosystems have distinct and unique vulnerabilities that place them at risk from threats to their ecology and socioeconomics. Spatially exhibiting the fragmentation process of island landscapes and identifying their driving factors are the fundamental prerequisites for the maintenance of island ecosystems and the rational utilization of islands. Haitan Island was chosen as a case study for understanding landscape fragmentation on urbanizing Islands. Based on remote sensing technology, three Landsat images from 2000 to 2020, landscape pattern index, transect gradient analysis, and moving window method were used in this study. The results showed that from 2000 to 2020, impervious land increased by 462.57%. In 2000, the predominant landscape was cropland (46.34%), which shifted to impervious land (35.20%) and forest (32.90%) in 2020. Combining the moving window method and Semivariogram, 1050 m was considered to be the best scale to reflect the landscape fragmentation of Haitan Island. Under this scale, it was found that the landscape fragmentation of Haitan Island generally increased with time and had obvious spatial heterogeneity. We set up sampling bands along the coastline and found that the degree of landscape fragmentation, advancing from the coast inland, was decreasing. Transects analysis showed the fragmentation intensity of the coastal zone: the north-western and southern wooded zones decreased, while the concentration of urban farmland in the north-central and southern areas increased. The implementation of a comprehensive experimental area plan on Haitan Island has disturbed the landscape considerably. In 2000, landscape fragmentation was mainly influenced by topography and agricultural production. The critical infrastructure construction, reclamation and development of landscape resources have greatly contributed to the urbanisation and tourism of Haitan Island, and landscape fragmentation in 2013 was at its highest. Due to China’s “Grain for Green Project” and the Comprehensive Territorial Spatial Planning policy (especially the protection of ecological control lines), the fragmentation of Haitan Island was slowing. This study investigated the optimal spatial scale for analyzing spatiotemporal changes in landscape fragmentation on Haitan Island from 2000 to 2020, and the essential influencing factors in urban islands from the perspective of natural environment and social development, which could provide a basis for land use management and ecological planning on the island.

Abstract Background Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), caused by Naegleria fowleri, is a rare protozoan infectious disease in China. A fatality rate of over 95% had been reported due to extremely rapid disease progression in the USA and other countries. Rapid and precise identification of the causative agent is very important to clinicians for guiding their choices for administering countermeasures in the clinic. In this report, we applied the next-generation sequencing (NGS) method to rapidly show that N. fowleri was the causative agent of a fatal case involving a 42-year-old man with severe PAM disease, the first reported in mainland China. Case presentation A 42-year old male in a deep coma was admitted to Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, a special medical care unit with expertise in infectious diseases. Increased intracranial pressure was detected. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sample was found to be red and cloudy with increased leukocyte and protein levels. While bacterial cultures with CSF were negative, N. fowleri was determined to be the causative agent with NGS. Amphotericin B (AmB), a drug with anti-amoeba activity, was used immediately, but the treatment came too late and the patient died 2 days after the NGS confirmation. Conclusion In this paper, we reported a case of PAM disease for the first time in mainland China. NGS was used for rapid diagnosis and provided guidance for prescribing medications. However, the patient died due to a late admission amid advanced PAM disease. Early detection of N. fowleri is necessary in order to select effective drug treatments and control the disease progression. Despite the negative survival outcome, NGS was shown to be a promising method of rapid and precise identification of N. fowleri.

The present study was aimed to evaluate the physicochemical properties of fermented milk containing roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) extract at different levels (0, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3% (w/w)). Titratable acidity (TA) and pH, bacteria counts, syneresis value, water-holding capacity (WHC) and their sensory acceptance were evaluated afterwards. The fermented milk containing 0.2% roselle extract (RFM2) was selected for investigation of hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activity. Results showed that RFM2 decreased the fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), the level of liver glycogen, and increased serum insulin (INS) of diabetic model mice. Moreover, RFM2 treatment improved the body, spleen, pancreas, liver and kidney weights of diabetic mice to different degrees. After four weeks, TC concentrations in diabetic mice treated by metformin (DM), control fermented milk (CFM) and RFM2 (RFM) group was decreased by 52.52%, 43.56%, 49.10%, respectively, compare to diabetic control (DC) group, TG concentration was decreased by 52.61%, 26.49%, 33.96%, respectively. LDL-C concentration was decreased by 63.97%, 46.32%, 55.88%, respectively. And the level of HDL-C in DM, CFM, RFM group was increased by 49.12%, 37.72%, 42.11%, respectively. The FFA levels of DM, CFM and RFM group was decreased by 60.05%, 19.94%, 34.08%, respectively, compared to DC group. After diabetic mice fed with metformin, CFM and RFM2, compared with DC group, the expression of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the liver was increased by 50.29%, 16.93%, 41.69%, while the expression of glucose-6-phosphatase (G6P) was downregulated which decreased by 15.42%, 6.47%, 12.44%, respectively. The expression of AMPK and glucose transporter 4 (Glut4) in skeletal muscle was increased in DM, CFM and RFM groups, which was increased by 70.86%, 28.64%, 51.73% and 58.42%, 45.18%, 48.07%, respectively. The expression of peroxysome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR-γ) in adipose tissue was increased by 5.80%, 12.63%, 28.67%, respectively. In general, roselle extract addition could promote hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of fermented milk.

Glioma, one of the most common brain tumors, remains a challenge worldwide. Due to the specific biological barriers such as blood–brain barrier (BBB), cancer stem cells (CSCs), tumor associated macrophages (TAMs), and vasculogenic mimicry channels (VMs), a novel versatile targeting delivery for anti-glioma is in urgent need. Here, we designed a hyaluronic acid (HA) ion-pairing nanoparticle. Then, these nanoparticles were encapsulated in liposomes, termed as DOX-HA-LPs, which showed near-spherical morphology with an average size of 155.8 nm and uniform distribution (PDI = 0.155). HA was proven to specifically bind to CD44 receptor, which is over-expressed on the surface of tumor cells, other associated cells (such as CSCs and TAMs) and VMs. We systematically investigated anti-glioma efficacy and mechanisms in vivo and in vitro. The strong anti-glioma efficacy could attribute to the accumulation in glioma site and the regulation of tumor microenvironment with depletion of TAMs, inhibition of VMs, and elimination of CSCs.

Schizophrenia is a disorder characterized by functional dysconnectivity among distributed brain regions. However, it is unclear how causal influences among large-scale brain networks are disrupted in schizophrenia. In this study, we used dynamic causal modeling (DCM) to assess the hypothesis that there is aberrant directed (effective) connectivity within and between three key large-scale brain networks (the dorsal attention network, the salience network and the default mode network) in schizophrenia during a working memory task. Functional MRI data during an n-back task from 40 patients with schizophrenia and 62 healthy controls were analyzed. Using hierarchical modeling of between-subject effects in DCM with Parametric Empirical Bayes, we found that intrinsic (within-region) and extrinsic (between-region) effective connectivity involving prefrontal regions were abnormal in schizophrenia. Specifically, in patients (i) inhibitory self-connections in prefrontal regions of the dorsal attention network were decreased across task conditions; (ii) extrinsic connectivity between regions of the default mode network was increased; specifically, from posterior cingulate cortex to the medial prefrontal cortex; (iii) between-network extrinsic connections involving the prefrontal cortex were altered; (iv) connections within networks and between networks were correlated with the severity of clinical symptoms and impaired cognition beyond working memory. In short, this study revealed the predominance of reduced synaptic efficacy of prefrontal efferents and afferents in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Keywords: Dynamic causal modeling, Effective connectivity, Functional dysconnectivity, Schizophrenia, Working memory

Background: Urban green space (UGS) has been shown to play an important role in mitigating urban heat island (UHI) effects. In the context of accelerating urbanization, a better understanding of the landscape pattern mechanisms affecting the thermal environment is important for the improvement of the urban ecological environment. Methods: In this study, the relationship between land surface temperature (LST) and the spatial patterns of green space was analyzed using a bivariate spatial autocorrelation and spatial autoregression model in three seasons (summer, transition season (spring), and winter) with different grid scales in Fuzhou city. Results: Our results indicated that the LST in Fuzhou City has a significant spatial autocorrelation. The percentage of landscape and patch density area were negatively correlated with surface temperature. The results of our indicators differed according to the season, with population density and distance to the water indicators not being significant in the winter. The coefficient of determination was higher at the 510 m grid scale on this study’s scale. Conclusion: This study extends our understanding on the influence of UHI effects after accounting for different seasonal and spatial scale factors. It also provides a reference for urban planners to mitigate heat islands in the future.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) has been associated with oropharyngeal cancer prognosis. Traditionally the HPV status is tested through invasive lab test. Recently, the rapid development of statistical image analysis techniques has enabled precise quantitative analysis of medical images. The quantitative analysis of Computed Tomography (CT) provides a non-invasive way to assess HPV status for oropharynx cancer patients. We designed a statistical radiomics approach analyzing CT images to predict HPV status. Various radiomics features were extracted from CT scans, and analyzed using statistical feature selection and prediction methods. Our approach ranked the highest in the 2016 Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention (MICCAI) grand challenge: Oropharynx Cancer (OPC) Radiomics Challenge, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Status Prediction. Further analysis on the most relevant radiomic features distinguishing HPV positive and negative subjects suggested that HPV positive patients usually have smaller and simpler tumors. Keywords: Radiomics, CT image, HPV status, Oropharynx cancer, Statistical method

Summary: Increasing evidence has demonstrated that small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) play important roles in tumorigenesis. We systematically investigated the expression landscape and clinical relevance of snoRNAs in >10,000 samples across 31 cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas. We observed overall elevated expression of snoRNAs and their ribonucleoproteins in multiple cancer types. We showed complex regulation of snoRNA expression by their host genes, copy number variation, and DNA methylation. Unsupervised clustering revealed that the snoRNA expression subtype is highly concordant with other molecular/clinical subtypes. We further identified 46 clinically relevant snoRNAs and experimentally demonstrated functional roles of SNORD46 in promoting cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. We developed a user-friendly data portal, SNORic, to benefit the research community. Our study highlights the significant roles of snoRNAs in the development and implementation of biomarkers or therapeutic targets for cancer and provides a valuable resource for cancer research. : Gong et al. analyze snoRNA expression landscape in >10,000 samples across 31 cancer types and perform integrative analyses. They prioritize 46 significant clinically relevant snoRNAs and characterize the functional roles of SNORD46. The data portal, SNORic, allows exploration of snoRNA expression. Keywords: snoRNA, small nucleolar RNA, pan-cancer, clinical relevance, data portal

Abstract Background Using paradigms from game theory, researchers have reported abnormal decision-making in social context in patients with schizophrenia. However, less is known about the underpinnings of the impairment. This study aimed to test whether theory of mind (ToM) deficits and/or neurocognitive dysfunctions mediate impaired social decision-making in patients with schizophrenia. Methods We compared thirty-five patients with schizophrenia to thirty-eight matched healthy controls with regard to social decision-making using the mini Ultimatum Game (mini UG), a paradigm from game theory. Additionally, we assessed ToM using the Theory of Mind Picture Stories Task, a mental state attribution task, and assessed neurocognition using the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia. Mediation analyses were performed on the data. Results In contrast to the behavioral pattern of healthy controls in the mini UG, the patients with schizophrenia significantly accepted more disadvantageous offers and rejected more advantageous offers, and showed reduced sensitivity to the fairness-related context changes in the mini UG. Impaired ToM and neurocognition were also found in the patients. Mediation analyses indicated that ToM but not neurocognition partially mediated the group differences on the disadvantageous and advantageous offers in the mini UG. Conclusions Patients with schizophrenia exhibited impaired social decision-making. This impairment can be partly explained by their ToM deficits rather than neurocognitive deficits. However, the exact nature of the ToM deficits that mediate impaired social decision-making needs to be identified in future.

To cope with the ongoing trend in data traffic asymmetry of uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) transmissions, bidirectional dynamic networks (BDNs) have been proposed to facilitate simultaneous UL and DL communications. Moreover, the large-scale distributed antenna system (L-DAS) is considered to improve the spectral efficiency (SE). Aiming at maximizing the SE in the BDN with the L-DAS, in this paper, we propose a novel distributed antenna (DA) clustering strategy named flexible antenna clustering (FAC) to allow each user to choose the most effective DAs. This also provides a low-complexity solution to solve the antenna clustering problem in the L-DAS. In FAC, the operation mode (UL or DL transmission) of the DAs can be flexibly changed, which is determined by the baseband processor units. By taking both the homogeneous and heterogeneous interferences into consideration, we propose two novel metrics for the user and DA selection orders. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the user selection order is considered in solving the antenna clustering problem. Compared with the time division duplex system, our FAC strategy used in the BDN is verified to have improved efficiency in achieving better SE performance. Therefore, the BDN with the L-DAS is suitable in practical communication systems thanks to its SE gain. Based on these results, we further provide some specific suggestions for the practical network configuration.

Abstract Introduction The growing public threat of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has raised the urgency to quantify the degree of cognitive decline during the conversion process of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to AD and its underlying genetic pathway. The aim of this article was to test genetic common variants associated with accelerated cognitive decline after the conversion of MCI to AD. Methods In 583 subjects with MCI enrolled in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI; ADNI‐1, ADNI‐Go, and ADNI‐2), 245 MCI participants converted to AD at follow‐up. We tested the interaction effects between individual single‐nucleotide polymorphisms and AD diagnosis trajectory on the longitudinal Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale‐Cognition scores. Results Our findings reveal six genes, including BDH1, ST6GAL1, RAB20, PDS5B, ADARB2, and SPSB1, which are directly or indirectly related to MCI conversion to AD. Discussion This genome‐wide association study sheds light on a genetic mechanism of longitudinal cognitive changes during the transition period from MCI to AD.

Abstract Formic acid (HCOOH), as a promising hydrogen carrier, is renewable, safe, and nontoxic. However, the catalytic dehydrogenation of HCOOH is typically conducted at elevated temperature. Here, HCOOH decomposition is successfully achieved for hydrogen production on the developed Pt single atoms modified Te nanowires with the Pt mass loading of 1.1% (1.1%Pt/Te) at room temperature via a plasmon‐enhanced catalytic process. Impressively, 1.1%Pt/Te delivers 100% selectivity for hydrogen and the highest turnover frequency number of 3070 h−1 at 25 °C, which is significantly higher than that of Pt single atoms and Pt nanoclusters coloaded Te nanowires, Pt nanocrystals decorated Te nanowires, and commercial Pt/C. A plasmonic hot‐electron driven mechanism rather than photothermal effect domains the enhancement of catalytic activity for 1.1%Pt/Te under light. The transformation of HCOO* to CO2δ −* on Pt atoms is proved to be the rate‐determining step by further mechanistic studies. 1.1%Pt/Te exhibits tremendous catalytic activity toward the decomposition of HCOOH owing to its plasmonic hot‐electron driven mechanism, which efficiently stimulates the rate‐determining step. In addition, hot electrons generated by the Te atoms nearby Pt single atoms are regarded to directly inject into the reactants adsorbed and activated on Pt single atoms.

This article provides a nonlinear controller for waveriders with input saturation to improve transient performances. First, the exact linearization is applied to change an affine nonlinear model to a linear time-invariant model for waveriders. Then, the linear and nonlinear feedback control law is applied for the obtained linearized model for waveriders, and system stability of the presented control law is proved accordingly. Furthermore, the system robustness and improving transient performances are discussed for waveriders. Finally, an example is given for a longitudinal model of the waverider, and the results demonstrate that the closed-loop systems can track the anticipated commands, while guaranteeing the expected integrated performances for waveriders.

This paper presents a nonlinear trajectory controller with improved performances for a general model of the waverider based on feedback linearization theory and composite nonlinear feedback (CNF) technique. First, a nonlinear controller is presented using the dynamic inversion and CNF technique for the MIMO Model, and the robust stability of the proposed controller is proved. Then, the nonlinear model is established on the basis of hypersonic aerodynamic principle, and the dynamic characteristics are analyzed accordingly, and the periodic trajectory is designed and optimized in combination with a fuel optimization problem. Furthermore, the nonlinear controller is applied to the trajectory tracking of the waverider model, and the general design steps are provided the flight controller using this nonlinear control method. Finally, an illustrative example is given to verify the effectiveness of the nonlinear controller of the waverider, and the flight performances are improved accordingly, including system stability, robustness, and tracking ability.

Objectives: We aimed to (1) assess parental hesitancy about category A (Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI)) and B (non-EPI) vaccines, (2) assess parental willingness for COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations, and (3) explore the association of vaccination hesitancy of parents and healthcare workers (HCWs). Methods: The study was performed in Wuxi, eastern China between 21 September 2020 and 17 October 2020. Parents of children aged p = 0.000). Overall, 59.3% and 52.4% of parents reported willingness to avail COVID-19 and influenza vaccination for their children, respectively; 51.2% of the HCWs wanted to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Parental category B VHS scores were associated with HCW category B VHS scores (r = 0.928, p = 0.008). Conclusions: In China, parents are more hesitant about category B vaccines than category A vaccines. More than 40% of parents showed hesitancy and a refusal to use COVID-19 and influenza vaccines.

Stability and reliability are of the most important concern for isolated microgrid systems that have no support from the utility grid. Interval predictions are often applied to ensure the system stability of isolated microgrids as they cover more uncertainties and robust control can be achieved based on more sufficient information. In this paper, we propose a probabilistic microgrid energy exchange method based on the Model Predictive Control (MPC) approach to make better use of the prediction intervals so that the system stability and cost efficiency of isolated microgrids are improved simultaneously. Appropriate scenarios are selected from the predictions according to the evaluation of future trends and system capacity. In the meantime, a two-stage adaptive reserve strategy is adopted to further utilize the potential of interval predictions and maintain the system security adaptively. Reserves are determined at the optimization stage to prepare some extra capacity for the fluctuations in the renewable generation and load demand at the operation stage based on the aggressive and conservative level of the system, which is automatically updated at each step. The optimal dispatch problem is finally formulated using the mixed-integer linear programming model and the MPC is formulated as an optimization problem with a discount factor introduced to adjust the weights. Case studies show that the proposed method could effectively guarantee the stability of the system and improve economic performance.

Genes normally expressed in the testis but aberrantly expressed in cancer are termed cancer testis antigens. In this study, the authors catalogue the expression of these genes in 19 different cancer types and correlate expression with some somatically mutated oncogenes.

Island ecosystems are particularly susceptible to climate change and human activities. The change of land use and land cover (LULC) has considerable impacts on island ecosystems, and there is a critical need for a free and open-source tool for detecting land cover fluctuations and spatial distribution. This study used Google Earth Engine (GEE) to explore land cover classification and the spatial pattern of major land cover change from 1990 to 2019 on Haitan Island, China. The land cover classification was performed using multiple spectral bands (RGB, NIR, SWIR), vegetation indices (NDVI, NDBI, MNDWI), and tasseled cap transformation of Landsat images based on the random forest supervised algorithm. The major land cover conversion processes (transfer to and from) between 1990 and 2019 were analyzed in detail for the years of 1990, 2000, 2007, and 2019, and the overall accuracies ranged from 88.43% to 91.08%, while the Kappa coefficients varied from 0.86 to 0.90. During 1990–2019, other land, cultivated land, sandy land, and water area decreased by 30.70%, 13.63%, 3.76%, and 0.95%, respectively, while forest and built-up land increased by 30.94% and 16.20% of the study area, respectively. The predominant land cover was other land (34.49%) and cultivated land (26.80%) in 1990, which transitioned to forest land (53.57%) and built-up land (23.07%) in 2019. Reforestation, cultivated land reduction, and built-up land expansion were the major land cover change processes on Haitan Island. The spatial pattern of forest, cultivated land, and built-up land change is mainly explained by the implementation of a ‘Grain for Green Project’ and ‘Comprehensive Pilot Zone’ policy on Haitan Island. Policy and human activities are the major drivers for land use change, including reforestation, population growth, and economic development. This study is unique because it demonstrates the use of GEE for continuous monitoring of the impact of reforestation efforts and urbanization in an island environment.

The optimal power flow (OPF) problem plays an important role in power system operation and control. The problem is nonconvex and NP-hard, hence global optimality is not guaranteed and the complexity grows exponentially with the size of the system. Therefore, centralized optimization techniques are not suitable for large-scale systems and an efficient decomposed implementation of OPF is highly demanded. In this paper, we propose a novel and efficient method to decompose the entire system into multiple sub-systems based on automatic regionalization and acquire the OPF solution across sub-systems via a modified MATPOWER solver. The proposed method is implemented in a modified solver and tested on several IEEE Power System Test Cases. The performance is shown to be more appealing compared with the original solver.

In this study, a novel type of swarm intelligence algorithm referred as the anas platyrhynchos optimizer is proposed by simulating the cluster action of the anas platyrhynchos. Starting from the core of swarm intelligence algorithm, on the premise of the use of few parameters and ease in implementation, the mathematical model and algorithm flow of the anas platyrhynchos optimizer are given, and the balance between global search and local development in the algorithm is ensured. The algorithm was applied to a benchmark function and a cooperative path planning solution for multi-UAVs as a means of testing the performance of the algorithm. The optimization results showed that the anas platyrhynchos optimizer is more superior in solving optimization problems compared with the mainstream intelligent algorithm. This study provides a new idea for solving more engineering problems.

In this paper, we consider a probabilistic microgrid dispatch problem where the predictions of the load and the Renewable Energy Source (RES) generation are given in the form of intervals. A hybrid method combining scenario-selected optimization and reserve strategy using the Model Predictive Control (MPC) framework is proposed. Specifically, first of all, an appropriate scenario is selected by the optimizer at each optimization stage, and then the optimal scheduling and reservation of system capacity are determined based on the selected scenario and possible variations in the future as provided by the predictors. In addition, a new reserve strategy is introduced to adaptively maintain system reliability and respond to variations in the hierarchical microgrid control. Simulations are conducted to compare our proposed method with the existing robust method and the deterministic dispatch with perfect information. Results show that our proposed method significantly improves the system efficiency while maintaining system reliability.

The integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) introduces a non-conventional two-way power flow which cannot be captured well by traditional model-based techniques. This brings an unprecedented challenge in terms of the accurate localization of faults and proper actions of the protection system. In this paper, we propose a data-driven fault localization strategy based on multi-level system regionalization and the quantification of fault detection results in all subsystems/subregions. This strategy relies on the tree segmentation criterion to divide the entire system under study into several subregions, and then combines Support Vector Data Description (SVDD) and Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) to find the confidence level of fault detection in each subregion in terms of their corresponding p-values. By comparing the p-values, one can accurately localize the faults. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed data-driven fault localization can greatly improve the accuracy of fault localization for distribution systems with high DER penetration.

Objective:To systematically review the effect of Tai Chi exercise on glucolipid metabolism and life quality of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Methods:We searched PubMed, FMRS, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, WanFang and VIP databases to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before February 2017 about Tai Chi exercise on glucolipid metabolism and life quality of T2DM. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. Meta-analysis was performed through RevMan 5.3 software.Results:A total of ten RCTs were included. The results of Metaanalysis demonstrated that Tai Chi exercise had positive effect on the levels of FBG [SMD=-0.39, 95%CI (-0.54, -0.24), PCI (-0.73, -0.44), PCI (-0.85, -0.19), PCI (0.14, 0.47), PCI (-0.59, -0.05), PCI (-0.58, 0.10), P>0.05], physical function and body pain.Conclusion:Tai Chi exercise is effective to improve the levels of glucolipid metabolism and life quality of T2DM. Tai Chi exercise is recommendable as an essential measure in diabetes management.

Cable-grade silicone rubber was aged thermally or by combining heat and gamma-ray radiation, and resultant changes in chemical, thermal, mechanical and electrical properties were examined. The experimental results obtained in these analyses are clearly consistent with the mechanism that silicone rubber is degraded by forming cross-linked structures via formation of abundant siloxane bonds. With further progress of degradation, decomposition becomes dominant. Reflecting these mechanisms, mechanical properties deteriorate dramatically by losing elasticity. Both the real and imaginary parts of complex permittivity decrease, which is a contrastive difference from typical ageing behaviour of organic insulating polymers. In addition, both the elongation at break and indenter modulus are good indicators of degradation of silicone rubber.

While it is well accepted that cooperative spectrum sensing will significantly improve the sensing performance, the necessity of cooperation is not sufficiently appreciated. In this paper, by analyzing the spectrum sensing problem from the system perspective, we show that without cooperation, the performance will suffer from a fundamental tradeoff between reliability and efficiency. However, if cooperation is incorporated in the spectrum sensing process and the threshold is selected appropriately, the efficiencyreliability tradeoff in the non-cooperative case can be largely overcome by exploiting the cooperative diversity. These results show that cooperation in spectrum sensing is not just a luxury but a necessity.

Staff from a Western University annually travel to China to teach social work students at a Chinese University, providing a rich opportunity to share ideas and knowledge about values and practices in social work. One common point of tension that arises each year is how to teach critical reflection whilst considering differences between Eastern and Western ways of knowing and doing. This article is based on email conversations between one Australian lecturer and one Chinese student, containing their discussions on not just critical reflection but also of various key social work topics in China such as social worker’s salary, social work as a profession and using empathy. The student questioned social work in an authentic and practical manner; while the lecturer responded with examples and reflections as a role model of critical reflective thinking and practice in the Chinese context. While such letters of exchange only reflect the particular points of view of the lecturer and the student, much can still be learned about current issues and debates in both countries. The insights given raise many questions about the implications and benefits for sensitively teaching social work across East/West contexts whilst trying to develop anti-colonial social work educational approaches.

In the present study, an improved method termed negative-pressure cavitation extraction (NPCE) followed by reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) was developed for the extraction and quantification of vindoline (VDL), catharanthine (CTR), vincristine (VCR) and vinblastine (VLB) from Catharanthus roseus leaves. The optimized method employed 60-mesh particles, 80% ethanol, a negative pressure of −0.075 MPa, a solid to liquid ratio of 1:20, 30 min of extraction and three extraction cycles. Under these optimized conditions, the extraction yields of VDL, CTR, VCR and VLB are 0.5783, 0.2843, 0.018 and 0.126 mg/g DW, respectively. These extraction yields are equivalent to those from the well-known ultrasonic extraction method and higher than the yields from maceration extraction and heating reflux extraction. Our results suggest that NPCE-RP-HPLC represents an excellent alternative for the extraction and quantification of vinca alkaloids for pilot- and industrial-scale applications.

Our previous study showed that chromium malate improved the regulation of blood glucose in mice with alloxan-induced diabetes. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of chromium malate on glycometabolism, glycometabolism-related enzymes and lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetic rats. Our results showed that fasting blood glucose, serum insulin level, insulin resistance index and C-peptide level in the high dose group had a significant downward trend when compared with the model group, chromium picolinate group and chromium trichloride group. The hepatic glycogen, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glucokinase, Glut4, phosphor-AMPKβ1 and Akt levels in the high dose group were significantly higher than those of the model, chromium picolinate and chromium trichloride groups. Chromium malate in a high dose group can significantly increase high density lipoprotein cholesterol level while decreasing the total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels when compared with chromium picolinate and chromium trichloride. The serum chromium content in chromium malate and chromium picolinate group is significantly higher than that of the chromium trichloride group. The results indicated that the curative effects of chromium malate on glycometabolism, glycometabolism-related enzymes and lipid metabolism changes are better than those of chromium picolinate and chromium trichloride. Chromium malate contributes to glucose uptake and transport in order to improved glycometabolism and glycometabolism-related enzymes.