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In addressing challenges associated with behavioural decision-making in intelligent driving, a hybrid algorithm, merging fuzzy classification with neural networks (termed the FC-NN Decision-Making methodology), has been introduced. Features from the driving environment, such as vehicle speed and relative distance, were systematically extracted. Using established traffic rules and vehicular performance metrics, a database linking the driving environment to decision outcomes was formulated. Through defined classification rules, fuzzy categorisation was applied, upon which training was subsequently conducted via NNs. This led to the design of an efficient Fuzzy-NN Decision-maker. Analyses demonstrated that the introduced method yielded an accuracy rate of 94%, markedly surpassing the accuracies of both the RBF NN decision-making at 56% and the direct NN approach at 76%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current available literature, there are findings only about the effects of energetic particle precipitation (EPP) on temperature in the mesopause region. In this article, we searched for energetic particle precipitation events using the experimental data of EISCAT VHF 224 MHz radar, and found 9 events of EPP. The mean electron densities satisfying the threshold, Ne ≥ 1e11 m–3 in the ionosphere altitude of ~121–150 km is used as a proxy of the onset of EPP. The variations in electron temperature in the E-region of ionosphere were computed using standard deviation method. We investigated the effects of EPP on electron temperature variations in the E-region of ionosphere using Spearman rank correlation coefficient method. It is found that in all 9 events of EPP, there is negative correlation between mean electron density (used as a proxy of EPP) and standard deviation of electron temperature (used for computation of electron temperature variation). Moreover, the standard deviations of electron temperature during and without energetic particle precipitation were compared. It is found that in all 9 events of EPP, the standard deviation of electron temperature during EPP is smaller as compared to the time interval without EPP. The possible reason for the negative correlation may be the enhanced volume emission ratio of the 5.3 µm band of nitric oxide (NO) during the onset of energetic particle precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the relationship between simultaneously occurring energetic particle precipitation and polar mesosphere summer echoes (PMSE) observed by EISCAT UHF (930 MHz) radar. The relationship between the two phenomena is computed using Pearson linear correlation coefficient method. Both positive and negative correlations were observed between the two phenomena. The possible reason for positive and negative correlations is explained in the discussion section. Besides the simultaneous occurrence of energetic precipitating particles and PMSE, the PMSE echoes were detected in the absence of energetic precipitating particles. Moreover, there were no PMSE echoes even when energetic precipitating particles extended to altitude below 90 km. These observations indicate that energetic precipitating particle is one important but not an essential candidate for generating PMSE echoes in this particular study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitability of an exoplanet is believed to be profoundly affected by activities of the host stars, although the related coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are still rarely detected in solar-like and late-type stars. We here report an observational study on the flares of two M dwarfs triggered by the high-cadence survey performed by the Ground-based Wide Angle Camera system. In both events, the fast, time-resolved spectroscopy enables us to identify symmetric broad H α emission with not only a nearly zero bulk velocity, but also a large projected maximum velocity as high as ∼700â€"800 km sâˆ'1. This broadening could be resulted from either the Stark (pressure) effect or a flaring-associated CME at the stellar limb. In the context of the CME scenario, the CME mass is estimated to be ∼4 Ă— 1018 and 2 Ă— 1019 g. In addition, our spectral analysis reveals a temporal variation of the line center of the narrow H α emission in both events. The variation amplitudes are at tens of kilometers per second, which could be ascribed to the chromospheric evaporation in one event, and to a binary scenario in the other one. With the total flaring energy determined from our photometric monitor, we show a reinforced trend in which the larger the flaring energy, the higher the CME mass is. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activity of the I P. longum i extract was determined I in vitro i against MCF-7, HeLa, and A549 cells. Three of its isomers at a double bond, i.e., piperine, chavicine, and isochavicine, were detected in trace amounts. The chemical profile of this extract was studied by GC-MS to study further the medicinal value of I P. longum i . [Extracted from the article]

Background and purpose: Huntington's disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder with varied prevalence in different populations, which may be associated with specific haplotypes. This study aimed to explore the haplotypes encompassing the HTT gene in the Chinese population. Methods: A total of 406 individuals with HD and 59 normal relatives from 253 families with HD were enrolled. A total of 29 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) were selected and genotyped for the haplotype analysis. Results: In stage one, we used 18 tSNPs to replicate the distribution of three major haplogroups (A, B, C). We found that risk‐associated haplogroup variants A1 and A2, enriched on Caucasian HD chromosomes, were totally absent from both Chinese HD and control chromosomes, and the distributions of haplogroups between HD and control chromosomes were similar. Therefore, in stage two, we used 29 tSNPs (including the18 tSNPs) to define new haplogroups (I, II, III) and found that haplogroup I accounted for 61.4% on HD chromosomes and 34.4% on control chromosomes, indicating that haplogroup I was enriched on Chinese HD chromosomes. Conclusions: This is the first haplotype analysis encompassing HTT in the Chinese population. The results contribute to explaining the low prevalence of HD in China and provide a better understanding of genetic diversity in the HTT region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 160 crossbred weanling pigs [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc, 28 days old] with an initial bodyweight of 8.01 ± 0.74 kg were used in a 42-day trial (Phase 1: Days 1–14, Phase 2: Days 14–42). The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of the inclusion of fermented oats (FO) to a corn and soybean meal-based diet on the performance of weanling pigs fed with high nutrient-density (HD) and low nutrient-density (LD) diets. Pigs were randomly distributed into one of four dietary treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Two levels of nutrient density [LD = 3323 (Phase 1: 1–14 days) and 3269 kcal/kg (Phase 2: 14–42 days); HD = 3446 (Phase 1: 1–14 days) and 3325 kcal/kg (Phase 2: 14–42 days), the differences in dietary energy were based on differences in the content of fish meal, animal fat, corn and FO [0%, 5% (Phase 1) or 2.5% (Phase 2)] were used according to the bodyweight and sex of pigs [8 replicate pens per treatment with 5 pigs in a pen (3 gilts and 2 barrows)]. During the overall trial period (Days 1–42), the average daily gain and gain : feed ratio of pigs fed HD and FO diets were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) than those of pigs fed with LD and non-fermented oats diets respectively. On Day 14, the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter and nitrogen of the HD groups were significantly greater (P ≤ 0.05) than those of the LD groups. The apparent total tract digestibility of energy of the FO groups was significantly greater (P ≤ 0.05) than that of the non-fermented oats diet groups during the whole experimental period. Pigs fed with FO showed higher (P ≤ 0.05) ileal Lactobacillus and lower (P ≤ 0.05) Escherichia coli counts compared with those fed with the non-fermented oats diet. In conclusion, administration of FO to a LD diet demonstrated beneficial effects on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility and ileal microorganisms balance of weanling pigs. The post-weanling period is a challenging time for piglets due to low feed intake, stresses, diarrhoea and immature intestinal functions, and it is also an important phase for later growth of pigs; therefore, this study focused on evaluating the dietary fermented oats supplementation on weanling pigs. Administration of a fermented oats diet demonstrated beneficial effects on the performance and ileal microorganisms balance of weanling pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, tin dioxide (SnO2) modified F-TiO2/SiO2 catalysts (F-TiO2/SnO2/SiO2) was prepared by two steps method. The prepared powders were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer-Ernmett-Teller (BET), ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-vis), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The photocatalytic activities was evaluated by degradation ratio of acrylonitrile, which reached 74.0%, that was higher than that of F-TiO2/SiO2 catalysts 60.5 % after irradiation under simulated sunlight for 6 min. A series of characterization showed that the SnO2 modified photocatalysts had small crystal size, large specific surface area, and were easily dispersed uniformly in the reaction system. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra were also slightly weakened, implying that SnO2 modification well inhibited the recombination of electron hole pairs. A red shift of absorption edge occurred implying that the utilization of visible light was effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a kind of multi-functional polylactic acid-based membrane with adjustable aggregate thickness and properties was prepared. When the number of assembled layers was 20 bilayers, the mean thickness of every bilayer was found to be 10.75±0.25 nm, and the tensile strength was increased by 20% compared with the polylactic acid (PLA) films. The assembled layered double hydroxides (LDHs) could serve as a type of promising organic-inorganic luminescent material, and endow PLA with photoluminescent properties. Besides, the photoluminescence of the composite films was discovered to be highly tunable by simply adjusting the structural constituents of LDHs, and the fluorescence intensity was uniformly enhanced as the number of assembled layers increases, which was not eliminated by the isolation due to cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). Moreover, the composite films exhibited excellent fluorescence stability in comparison with the literature. After being repeatedly bleached 1000 times by confocal laser scanning fluorescence microscope, the fluorescence intensity of the PLA/(CNCs/Mg- Al-Eu LDHs)10 film remained 96%. It could be concluded that the immobilization of CNCs and LDHs realized the microscopic controllability of the optical functional molecular spacing. With satisfactory fluorescence, the resulting PLA-based membranes exhibited considerable application potential in optoelectronic devices and anti-counterfeiting packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Meat quality in pigs is an extremely important economic trait. The Shaziling pig is representative of good meat quality but has been scarcely utilized because of the unpleasant growth rate and lean percentage. Methods: The differences of muscle chemical composition, amino acids profile and antioxidative capacity were evaluated among [(Berkshire×Shaziling) × (Berkshire×Shaziling) (BS × (B×S)], (Berkshire×Shaziling) × Shaziling [(B×S) × S], Shaziling × (Berkshire×Shaziling) [S × (B×S)] and Shaziling (S×S) pigs. Result: Four groups had plentiful contents of mineral elements (Ca, Zn, Na, K, Cu, Mg, Mn) and abundant amino acids content and no obvious differences in diameters of myofibers and adipocytes were found among four groups. In addition, (B×S) × S pigs had the highest crude protein content, possessed comprehensive nutrient in amino acids and showed preferable antioxidative capacity, suggesting that the meat of (B×S) × S pigs has optimal shelf life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a coaxial line structure for phase-locking between magnetrons in the S-band for the first time. In this structure, two magnetrons operating in the π-mode are tightly coupled by the coaxial line. The design of a coaxial line structure, independent of physical dimensions, solves the problem of a ridge waveguide or rectangular waveguide being unsuitable for phase-locking in the compact S-band magnetron, as proposed by previous researchers. In addition, the phase relationship of the magnetron output signal in the phase-locked state can be switched between 0 and the π phase difference without changing the length of the coaxial line. Therefore, this design widens the frequency range used by mutual coupling phase-locked technology and allows switching of the phase relationship in an output signal without the need for additional equipment or physical space. After design simulation, two magnetrons achieved high-efficiency phase locking at a frequency of 2.415 GHz, with a phase-locked efficiency of 99.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an indirect method for the identification of moving vehicular parameters using the dynamic responses of the vehicle. The moving vehicle is modelled as 2-DOF system with 5 parameters and 4-DOF system with 12 parameters, respectively. Finite element method is used to establish the equation of the coupled bridge–vehicle system. The dynamic responses of the system are calculated by Newmark direct integration method. The parameter identification problem is transformed into an optimization problem by minimizing errors between the calculated dynamic responses of the moving vehicle and those of the simulated measured responses. Glowworm swarm optimization algorithm (GSO) is used to solve the objective function of the optimization problem. A local search method is introduced into the movement phase of GSO to enhance the accuracy and convergence rate of the algorithm. Several test cases are carried out to verify the efficiency of the proposed method and the results show that the vehicular parameters can be identified precisely with the present method and it is not sensitive to artificial measurement noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a distributed damage identification approach based on dynamic response sensitivity of the moving vehicle. Numerical studies are carried out on a simply supported beam and a continuous two-span bridge under a vehicle with nonlinear springs for identification of distributed damage due to the cracks. Combined Newmark direct integration method and Runge-Kutta method are used to calculate the dynamic responses of the coupled bridge-vehicle system. The numerical results show that the distributed damage(s) can be identified accurately by the measured acceleration data of four virtual moving acceleration sensors and it is insensitive to the measurement noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 35 d trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary lactulose on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, meat quality, relative organ weight, and excreta microflora in broilers. A total of 816 1-day-old male Ross broilers (40.2 ± 0.4 g) were allotted to 4 dietary treatments using 12 cages with 17 chicks per cage. Treatments were: 1) CON, basal diet; 2) L05, CON + 0.05% lactulose; 3) L10, CON + 0.10% lactulose; and 4) L15, CON + 0.15% lactulose. Higher (P < 0.05) body weight gain (BWG) and lower (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) were observed in broilers fed the L15 diet compared with those fed the CON diet during d 22 to 35. During d 0 to 35, BWG was higher (P < 0.05) and FCR was lower (P < 0.05) in broilers fed lactulose diets than those fed the CON diet. Additionally, broilers fed L15 diets had the highest BWG (P < 0.05) and lowest FCR (P < 0.05). The apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of DM and nitrogen (N) was increased (P < 0.05) in broilers fed the L15 diet compared with those fed the CON diet. Drip loss was decreased (P < 0.05) in L10 and L15 treatments compared with CON treatment on d 1, d 3, and d 5. On d 3, lowest (P < 0.05) drip loss was observed in the L15 treatment. Excreta E. coli counts in the L15 treatment were decreased (P < 0.05) on d 14, but Lactobacillus counts in the L15 treatment were increased (P < 0.05) on d 14 and d 35 compared with the CON diet. A linear effect (P < 0.05) was observed on BWG (d 22 to 35), FCR (d 0 to 35), the ATTD of DM and N, drip loss, E. coli (d 14), and Lactobacillus (d 14 and d 35) counts. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of 0.15% lactulose can improve growth performance and nutrient digestibility; as well as increase the proliferation of Lactobacillus and decrease E. coli counts in excreta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new observations for the eclipsing binary EP Aurigae, which were performed by using three small telescopes in China from 2003 December to 2014 January. With the updated 2003 version of the Wilson–Devinney code, the photometric elements were deduced from three sets of light curves. Based on all available eclipsing times, the orbital period changes were investigated. It is discovered that the ( O – C ) curve may show an existence of light-time effect due to an unseen third body, which was weakly identified by the photometric solution. The modulated period and amplitude of the cyclic variation are P 3 = 71.2 ( ± 8.0 ) yr and A = 0.0101 ( ± 0.0008 ) day , respectively. In the co-planar orbit with the binary system, the mass of the third body is M 3 = 0.18 ( ± 0.02 ) M ⊙ . The photometric results imply that EP Aur is an Algol-type binary with a mass ratio of q = 0.831 ( ± 0.004 ) . Its primary component almost fills its Roche lobe. Therefore, EP Aur may consist of a normal main-sequence star and a cool Roche-lobe filling subgiant, which may be undergoing rapid mass transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the effect of kitchen waste on dry anaerobic mesophilic digestion of cattle manure is important for understanding and controlling the anaerobic co-digestion process. In this study, laboratory scale (Volume = 5 L) performance was evaluated using six different ratios of cattle manure to kitchen waste: 1:0, 11:1, 9:1, 7:1, 5:1 and 3:1. The selected conditions were: 10 % inoculum, 20 % total solids, and 35 °C temperature, optimum in the mesophilic range. The six ratios showed an initial start-up phase in the range between 1 and 4 days, and the initial methane generation began within 2 days of operation. After 22 days, 14.98 % of Volatile Solid was removed for reactor 4 (R4) at the ratio of 7:1 of cattle manure to kitchen waste, and the reactor showed higher volumetric average daily biogas generated of 10.47 mL g-1 VS day-1 and 54.51 % methane content. The methane yield for R4 reached 0.1223 L CH4 g-1 VS, followed by the other two ratios (11:1 and 5:1) with the value of 0.1213 and 0.1208 L CH4 g-1 VS, respectively. And the methane yield of cattle manure with no kitchen waste was 0.1033 L CH4 g-1 VS during 22 days of operation. The result indicated that kitchen waste could improve the digestion process for methane production provided that the total solid ratio of cattle manure to kitchen waste was no less than 5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainfall infiltration experiments were conducted on an unsaturated slope consisting of two-layer soils. The water content and the pore-water pressure in the slope were monitored. The monitored data are analysed and discussed in the paper. The analysis indicates that the water content and the pore-water pressure in the model slope change with the depth and that their change conditions are related with the physical properties of soils. These characteristics are different from single-layer slope significantly. The response time of the water content and the pore-water pressure increases with the slope depth. The water content and the pore-water pressure of the lower layer decrease faster than those of the upper layer. Under the same rainfall intensity, the water content and the pore-water pressure develop with the duration of rainfall until the steady seepage. The response time is quicker when the rainfall intensity is higher. However, the time effect is not significant near the slope surface. The pore-water pressure and water content in the upper layer of the model slope show more marked changes than those in the lower layer. Antecedent rainfall greatly affects the pore-water pressure and water content profiles before the steady seepage state, especially at early stage of rainfall infiltration in unsaturated regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multi-slice finite element model for wireless magnetic resonant energy transfer systems with circular spiral tape coils is presented. As the system is constructed using distributive capacitance, it is difficult to determine the parameters in the equivalent circuits analytically. To address the aforementioned problem, a multi-slice axisymmetric finite element method (FEM) is applied to analyze this wireless power transfer system. The merits of the proposed method are that three-dimensional FEM is not required and yet the distributive capacitances among the coils can be fully included in the proposed two-dimensional model. Compared with normal axisymmetric FEM without multi-slices, the proposed method can include the effect of distributive capacitance to produce more precise solutions. The proposed method is validated against experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) typically have a positive relationship with obesity and diabetes, which are risk factors for liver cancer. However, studies on their association with liver cancer have yielded inconsistent results. Therefore, we assessed the association of GI, GL, and carbohydrates with liver cancer risk. Patients and methods A total of 72 966 women and 60 207 men from the Shanghai Women's Health Study (SWHS) and the Shanghai Men's Health Study (SMHS) were included for analysis. Food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) data were used to calculate daily dietary GI, GL, and carbohydrate intake. These values were energy adjusted and categorized into quintiles. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated with adjustment for potential confounders. Results After a median follow-up time of 11.2 years for the SWHS and 5.3 years for the SMHS, 139 and 208 incident liver cancer cases were identified in the SWHS and SMHS, respectively. In multivariable Cox regression models, no statistically significant trends by quintile of GI, GL, or carbohydrate intake were observed. Stratification by chronic liver disease/hepatitis, diabetes, or body mass index (BMI) did not alter the findings. Conclusions There is little evidence that dietary GI, GL, or carbohydrates affect the incidence of liver cancer in this Asian population. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A novel post-assembly magnetization method of direct-start interior permanent magnet synchronous motor is presented. The squirrel cages in the rotor are ingeniously used as exciting coils for the realization of magnetization. The advantage is that no special magnetizing fixtures are required. A finite-element method, which addresses dynamic material properties of the magnets and yet can be implemented readily in the software, is presented for finding the parameters of the magnetization circuit. A numerical computation is reported to validate the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A general and precise method to model rotary machines based on transient magnetic field computation using finite-element method (FEM) is presented. The merits of the proposed method are that the nonlinear iteration on the rotor position can be avoided. Formulas to predict the rotor position and speed of the machine are deduced based on Taylor's expansion. A curvilinear element is used on the two sides of the sliding surface to reduce the numerical noises arising from mesh rotation. The proposed methods for dealing with matching boundary conditions and periodic boundary conditions are very general, accurate and flexible. Typical numerical experiment shows that the numerical error of the local magnetic potentials on the motion sliding surface is only one twentieth of that of traditional interpolation method. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aim: To evaluate the added value of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) combined with conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the detection of new, very small hepatocellular carcinoma lesions (≤1 cm) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma following interventional therapy compared to conventional MRI alone. Materials and methods: After interventional therapy, 45 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma underwent conventional MRI and DWI with a b-value of 0 and 700 s/mm2. Twenty-one new, small hepatocellular carcinoma lesions were confirmed in 16 patients at follow-up MRI. Two observers independently retrospectively analysed the two imaging sets in random order. The diagnostic performance using each imaging set was evaluated by received operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: Twenty-one new, very small hepatocellular carcinoma lesions found in 16 patients was confirmed as the final result. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the DWI/conventional MRI combination (observer 1, 0.952; observer 2, 0.976) and conventional MRI images alone (observer 1, 0.905; observer 2, 0.905) were statistically significant. The kappa value of the DWI/conventional MRI combination was 0.884, and that of conventional MRI was 0.722. Among the 21 lesions, 100% (21/21) of the lesions were both recognized by two independent reviewers on DWI, while only 76% (16/21) and 71% (15/21) of the lesions were regarded as very small hepatocellular carcinomas on conventional MRI. Conclusion: Due to the higher detection rate of new subcentimetre lesions in hepatocellular carcinoma patients following interventional therapy, DWI could be considered complementary to conventional MRI in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we shall locate Plana's summation formula à la Koshlyakov as a form of the modular relation for the Riemann zeta-function and an analytic continuation technique furnished by Lemma 1. Then by Plana's summation formula, we shall prove an important integral representation for the Hurwitz–Lerch zeta-function through confluent hypergeometric functions, which cover a wide range of integral representations attributed to famous mathematicians. We shall also locate the genesis of Mikolás’ formula and prove that the functional equations for the Hurwitz zeta-function and the Riemann zeta-function are equivalent. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A multi-stage diagonally-implicit Runge-Kutta (DIRK) algorithm is applied to discretize the time variable in transient magnetic field computation using finite element method (FEM). A formulation, which has the same format as the backward Euler (BE) algorithm for both linear and nonlinear problems, is deduced for simple and ready numerical implementation. The DIRK algorithm is compared with the BE algorithm which is an effective and popular algorithm in FEM. The merits and disadvantages of these two algorithms are highlighted. An ingeniously combined algorithm exploiting the merits of both BE and DIRK is presented and a numerical experiment shows that it can significantly improve the accuracy with no additional computing burden. For nonlinear problems, a DIRK nonlinear iteration strategy is presented and it can be shown that the total computing time of one integration time step can be shortened by about 36% without any accuracy loss in the solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Survivin overexpression is closely linked to lung oncogenesis. Silencing of survivin gene by molecular antagonists has shown promise as novel anticancer strategies. DNA methylation is a critical epigenetic modification that silences gene transcription. In this study, we used a new methylated oligonucleotide, which mediates sequence-specific DNA methylation in cell, as a strategic alternative to survivin-targeting treatment, and investigated its efficacy in suppressing survivin expression and the consequent apoptotic induction potential in NCI-H460 cells. SurKex1, a methylated sense oligonucleotide, was shown to reduce specifically survivin mRNA expression and induce cell apoptosis. In addition, it has been supposed that the methylated oligonucleotide exerts its effect of gene silencing through the activation of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT1), but the exact mechanism is still unknown. Our data suggest for the first time that the SurKex1 exerts its down-regulatory effects on survivin expression through the activation of DNMT1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound (US)-targeted microbubble (MB) destruction (UTMD)-mediated rAAV2-CMV-EGFP transfection to cultured human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells in vitro and to the rat retina in vivo. In the in vitro study, cultured human RPE cells were exposed to US under different conditions with or without MBs. Furthermore, the effect of UTMD on rAAV2-CMV-EGFP itself and on cells was evaluated. In the in vivo study, gene transfer was examined by injecting rAAV2-CMV-EGFP into the subretinal space of rats with or without MBs and then exposed to US. We investigated enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) expression in vivo by stereomicroscopy and performed quantitative analysis using Axiovision 3.1 software. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and frozen sections were used to observe tissue damage and location of the EGFP gene expression. In the in vitro study, the transfection efficiency of rAAV2-CMV-EGFP under optimal UTMD was significantly higher than that of the control group (P=0.000). Furthermore, there was almost no cytotoxicity to the cells and to rAAV2-CMV-EGFP itself. In the in vivo study, UTMD could be used safely to enhance and accelerate the transgene expression of the retina. Fluorescence expression was mainly located in the retinal layer. UTMD is a promising method for gene delivery to the retina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polar Mesosphere Summer Echoes (PMSE) are very strong radar echoes near the polar mesopause at local summer. PMSE have been approved to be associated with charged dust or aerosols in the dusty ionosphere. In the paper, the differential scattering cross section based on Born approximation in dusty plasma is derived, and the backscattering cross section per unit volume in published papers are summarized. Comparing the two results between the differential scattering cross section and the backscattering cross section per unit volume, one finds that the statistically experimental conclusion can be verified by the theoretical result. The results show that the reflectivity is inverse proportional to the fourth power of the wavenumber and charged dust grains play an important role in the occurrence of PMSE. The scattering of electromagnetic waves on charged dust particles may be a tool to explore the generation mechanism of PMSE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angiogenesis plays a pivotal role in tumor growth, tissue invasion and metastasis. Endostatin is an angiogenesis inhibitor and has been shown to reduce tumor growth in animal models. However, therapy with recombinant endostatin protein was hampered by its short half-life and very-low yield of bioactive protein. We performed a phase I dose–escalation clinical trial using intratumoral injection of an adenovirus containing human endostatin gene (Ad-rhE; E10A; 1010–1012 virus particles (vp)) in 15 patients with advanced solid tumors. We observed intratumoral injections of E10A without dose-limiting toxicity. Most frequently reported E10A-related adverse events were transient fever and local response. Distribution studies revealed that the vector was detected in the blood, throat and injection site, but rarely in the urine and stool. An increased endostatin expression was detected using enzyme immunoassay in serum in 13 of 14 treated patients throughout the period of treatment despite the presence of neutralizing antiadenovirus antibody. Median serum basic fibroblast growth factor levels decreased from 32.4 pg ml−1 at baseline to 24.9 pg ml−1 after 28 days of first treatment. Thus, direct intratumoral injection of up to 1012 vp of E10A to patients is well tolerated and further studies are necessary to define and increase clinical efficacy.Gene Therapy (2008) 15, 247–256; doi:10.1038/sj.gt.3303038; published online 20 December 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the roles and mechanism of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) in potentiating the autoreactivity of lymphoid cells specific for P2 53–78 peptide. P2 53–78-specific lymphoid cells in the presence of IL-12 or IL-18 alone passive transferred only moderate experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN) into a low percentage of recipients. However, lymphoid cells co-cultured with both cytokines transferred aggressive clinical and histological EAN into all recipients. NKR-P1+ cells (including NK and NKT cells) played an immunosuppressive function in passive transfer EAN and depletion of NKR-P1+ cells by anti-NKR-P1 Ab and complement induced a more serious form of EAN. Nevertheless, lymphoid cells co-cultured with both IL-12 and IL-18 induced high levels of interferon- γ (IFN- γ) and promoted Th1 differentiation partially through NKR-P1+ cells and to some extent, NKR-P1+ cell depletion inhibited the auto-reactivity of lymphoid cells treated with IL-12 and IL-18. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overactivation of protein kinase in the end stage of Alzheimer’s disease brain has not been established. The purpose of the present study was to explore the possible mechanism for protein kinases in leading to Alzheimer-like tau hyperphosphorylation. We found that incubation of N2a/tau441 with forskolin, a specific activator of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), induced an increased phosphorylation level of tau at both PKA and non-PKA sites in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and the hyperphosphorylation of tau was positively correlated with the elevation of PKA activity. When the cells were transitorily incubated with forskolin, a temporary activation of PKA with a sustained and almost equally graded tau hyperphosphorylation at some non-PKA sites was observed. In either case, the activity of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) was not changed. It is suggested that only transitory activation of PKA in early stage of Alzheimer disease may result in a sustained tau hyperphosphorylation at multiple sites, implying a new mechanism to Alzheimer-like tau hyperphosphorylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Samples of interstitial free (IF) steel were heated at 1600 ° C for 90 min in graphite crucibles lined with MgO based castables bonded with microsilica. The total oxygen content (TOC) of the IF steel was determined for castables with various microsilica contents, and inclusions in the steel and refractory were characterised by SEM and EDS. As the microsilica content in the MgO castable increased from 3 to 7 wt-%, the TOC of the IF steel decreased. It is proposed that this is due to the formation of a viscous liquid layer between the molten steel and the refractory. This liquid layer prevents dissolution of oxides from the refractory into the molten steel and so decreases the TOC of IF steel. In addition, the liquid layer may act as an absorber for oxide inclusions in the molten steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on a study which presented a sub-block algorithm for the time stepping finite element solution of problems in which sets of electric machines are coupled together. Basic equations of induction motors; Example of the algorithm's application; Conclusion.

Presents information on a study which proposed a two-dimensional multislice time-stepping finite element method of skewed rotor induction motors to include the interbar currents in finite-element analysis. Field equation in the iron and air-gap domains; Field equation in the stator conductor domain; Maxwell's equations in the rotor conductor domain; Global system equations; Use of the Backward Euler's method; Comparison of computed and tested results; Conclusion.

Real-time reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is an important tool for gene expression analysis. Suitable reference genes are the basis of accurate and reliable RT-qPCR results. Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is a commercially important tropical and subtropical fruit, but rapid pericarp browning is a substantial negative impact on its commercial use. Reference gene validation could help in the screening for genes involved in the browning mechanism. We assessed 15 new candidate reference genes from litchi transcriptome to determine stable reference genes for RT-qPCR analysis of pericarps from different cultivars, with differing postharvest storage, and under pathogenic stress. Ct values, geNorm, Normfinder, and RefFinder algorithms, were used to identify genes with the most stable transcription. GAGA-25 was the gene with the most stable transcription for comparing different varieties of the fresh pericarp. HDAC9 was the gene with the most stable transcription for postharvest pericarp. STAM was the gene with the most stable transcription for inoculated pericarp. Of the candidate reference genes, GAGA-25 was the most stable reference gene across the complete sample set. This study evaluated reference gene stability for RT-qPCR in litchi pericarp. This work provides a foundation for using qPCR to study gene function and molecular mechanism studies of litchi pericarp browning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method is proposed to suppress speckle in a digital hologram by integrating optical pre-process and digital filtering algorithm. Three optical de-noising ways are set up and analysed at first. The optimal method is adopted to smooth speckle noise and to change the statistical property of speckle in the reconstructed image. Then an adaptive filtering algorithm is designed to further de-noise. The de-noising effect of the method is quantitatively evaluated. Experimental results confirm the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. The proposed method can be applied into the fields such as three dimensional imaging, holographic measure, medical diagnosis and the like. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure evolution during a liquid-liquid phase transformation was calculated. The effect of convections on the microstructure development was investigated. The results demonstrate that the convective flow against the solidification direction causes an increase in the local nucleation rate. Convections lead to a more nonuniform distribution of the minority phase droplets (MPDs) in the melt. They cause an increase in the size of the largest MPDs and are against the obtaining of the immiscible alloys with a well dispersed microstructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The size distribution of free-volume (<~0.1 nm3) of ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer with various crystalline degrees was estimated by positronium lifetime measurement. With increasing degree of crystallinity, the size distribution significantly narrowed and the intensity of positronium decreased. This indicates that the inhomogeneity reduces with the increase of the degree of crystallinity. It is found that the free-volume fraction estimated is reflected by the fraction of the amorphous region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-time reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is an important tool for gene expression analysis. Suitable reference genes are the basis of accurate and reliable RT-qPCR results. Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is a commercially important tropical and subtropical fruit, but rapid pericarp browning is a substantial negative impact on its commercial use. Reference gene validation could help in the screening for genes involved in the browning mechanism. We assessed 15 new candidate reference genes from litchi transcriptome to determine stable reference genes for RT-qPCR analysis of pericarps from different cultivars, with differing postharvest storage, and under pathogenic stress. Ct values, geNorm, Normfinder, and RefFinder algorithms, were used to identify genes with the most stable transcription. GAGA-25 was the gene with the most stable transcription for comparing different varieties of the fresh pericarp. HDAC9 was the gene with the most stable transcription for postharvest pericarp. STAM was the gene with the most stable transcription for inoculated pericarp. Of the candidate reference genes, GAGA-25 was the most stable reference gene across the complete sample set. This study evaluated reference gene stability for RT-qPCR in litchi pericarp. This work provides a foundation for using qPCR to study gene function and molecular mechanism studies of litchi pericarp browning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ninety-six crossbred [(Landrace x Yorkshire) x Duroc] finishing pigs with an average initial body weight (B W) of 67.02 ± 1.46 kg were used in this 10-wk feeding trial to evaluate effects of dietary kapok seed meal (KSM) supplementation in finishing pigs. Pigs were randomly allotted into 3 dietary treatments (8 replicates/treatment and 4 pigs/pen). The dietary treatments were: 1) CON, basal diet; 2) K1.5, CON + 1.5% KSM; 3), K3.0, CON + 3.0% KSM. Pigs were weighed at the beginning and at the end of week 5 and 10 of experimental period while feed consumption was recorded to calculate ADG, ADFI, and G:F. At the beginning of the experiment, 2 pigs were randomly selected from each pen, and blood samples were taken by jugular venipuncture. The same pigs were again bled at the week 5 and 10. At the end of the experiment, the same 2 pigs were transported to the abattoir for slaughter and meat sample was taken for late meat quality analysis. Data were analyzed using the GLM procedure of SAS (1996, SAS Inst., Inc., Cary, NC). Polynomial contrasts were used to determine linear effect of increasing kapok seed meal levels on all measurements. Overall, ADFI linearly decreased (P < 0.05) with the increase level of dietary KSM supplementation. KSM groups elevated concentration of LDL in blood at week 10 (P < 0.05). Moreover, meat color in sensory evaluation linearly increased (P < 0.05) as dietary KSM concentration increased. Myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, linolenic aid, saturated fatty acids (SFA) and saturated fatty acids/poly-unsaturated fatty acids (SFA/PUFA) ratio linearly increased (P < 0.05) as dietary KSM concentration increased, however, palmitoleic acid and oleic acid linearly decreased (P < 0.05). Present study results indicated that fnishing pig supplemented with 3% KSM could improve meat quality and enhance the content of fatty acids of carcass fats and muscle without any adverse effects on ADG or G:F ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characteristics of microbial structure in different soil degradation stages caused by the drought processes from wetland to meadow on the Qinghai Tibet Plateau were analyzed. The composition and diversity of soil bacteria and fungi were also analyzed by using high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that Proteobacteria was the highest abundance among bacteria, and Ascomycota was the highest among fungi. The degradation transition from alpine wetland to alpine meadow had insignificantly affected on the dominant bacteria, but had significantly affected on Gracilibаcteriaе and Ignavibacteriae bacterial phyla (P < 0.05), which characterized low abundance. The relative abundance of the dominant, fungal phyla Mortierellomycota (P < 0.05) significantly increased in soils along the degradation gradient. There was no significant difference between soil bacteria and fungi for Alpha diversity in different soil degradation stages. Beta diversity was found to be significant difference in soil bacterial structure for alpine swamp wetland and alpine meadow. Soil pH, water content, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) decreased significantly (P < 0.05) with the degradation stages. RDA analysis showed that TN and TOC achieved the highest effect on the bacteria number expressed as operational taxonomic units and their Shannon index, moreover soil water content significantly affected on fungi number and Shannon index. TN and bacterial number had a significant positive correlation (P < 0.05). The relative abundance of Gracilibаcteriaе, Ignavibacteriae and Elusimicrobiaе, which are beneficial to soil C and N contents and that Gemmatimonadetes are beneficial to N fixation, decreased in the drought processes of alpine wetland. This result could increase the relative abundance of the fungi phylum of Mortierellomycota, and might decrease the soil microbial diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature has significant effects on modal parameters of a structure. However, it is difficult to do a full-field dynamic measurement and identify modal parameters of the structure under high temperature and working conditions. In this work, three-dimensional digital image correlation combined with Bayesian operational modal analysis is used to yield a full-field non-contact thermal modal testing technique under ambient excitation. Thermal modal verification experiments are carried out on a titanium plate with free boundary conditions under ambient excitation by a low-cost high-temperature dynamic measurement system. Natural frequencies and mode shapes of the plate under different average high temperatures are studied in detail. From the experimental process, it is believed that the thermal modal testing technique proposed in this work is an effective alternative testing technique to traditional contact testing techniques, and after some improvements, one can achieve thermal modal analysis of a structure under high temperature and working conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sensitivity- and resolution-improving method for a low-frequency micro-vibration accelerometer is presented in this paper. A sensitivity model of the measurement system is derived and established. The key parameters that limit the sensitivity and the resolution of the accelerometer were identified through the sensitivity coefficient analysis method. The structural parameters and the signal process method were then optimized. Experimental results show that the sensitivity of the accelerometer has improved from 1.10 V/(m/s2) to 19.21 V/(m/s2), and the resolution has improved from 1.47 mm/s2 to 0.21 mm/s2. The lowest working frequency range has expanded from 1 Hz to 0.7 Hz. The presented method is effective and cheap and can be applied to other sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 180 growing pigs [(Yorkshire x Landrace) x Duroc] with an average BW of 26.40 ± 2.29 kg were used in this 6-wk study to evaluate the effect of dietary enzyme complex (cellulase, 12,000 units/g; amylase, 10,000 units/g, protease, 2000 units/g; xylanase, 1500 units/g; phytase, 1000 units/g; 3-glucanase, 125 units/g; mannanase, 30 units/g; pectinase, 20 units/g; lipase, 5 units/g, and galactosidase, 3 units/g) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and fecal noxious gas emission in growing pigs. Pigs were allotted to pen given abasal diet with 0 (CON), 0.05% (EC1), and 0.10% (EC2) enzyme complex. Pig B W and feed consumption were recorded on d 42 to calculate ADG, ADFI, and G:F. Pigs were fed diets mixed with chromic oxide (0.2%) for the determination of apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) for DM and N. On d 42, fecal samples were collected in each pen via rectal massage, and the urine was collected in a bucket via a funnel below the cage. Subsamples of slurry (150 g fresh feces and 150 g urine) were taken and stored in 2.6-L plastic boxes. The samples were permitted to ferment for 1 d at 25°C, after which the adhesive plasters were punctured, and a gas sampling pump was utilized for gas detection. After collection, the boxes were resealed with adhesive plaster to measure the fecal gas content at d 3, 5, and 7 as aforementioned. All data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design using the GLM procedures. Orthogonal contrasts were used to determine the effect of treatments: CON vs. EC1 + EC2 and EC1 vs. EC2, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Overall period (d 0 to 42), pigs fed with enzyme complex inclusion diets had a greater (P < 0.05) ATTD of DM and N than those fed with basal diet (CON). In conclusion, enzyme complex supplementation in corn-soybean based diets improved the ATTD of DM and N, but it neither improved growth performance nor decreased fecal noxious gas emissions in growing pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 28 multiparous sows (n = 7/treatment) and their offspring were used to determine effects of levan-type fructan supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profiles and fecal noxious gas emission. Treatments were CON (basal diet) and CON with 0.1% (FC1), 0.2% (FC2), and 0.3% (FC3) fructan, experimental diets were given to sows from 7 d before parturition until weaning. Body weight (BW) of sows was recorded 7 d before parturition, at 24 h after parturition, and at weaning. Individual piglet B W was assessed on Day 0, 7, 14, and 21 (weaning). During the lactation, feed intake of sow was recorded daily to determine the ADFI. The day before parturition and at weaning, back fat of sow was measured 6 cm off the midline at the 10th rib using a real-time ultrasound instrument. One week before farrowing and weaning, chromium oxide (0.20%) was added to experimental diet as indigestible marker to calculate digestibility. Before farrowing and at the end of lactation, fecal samples were taken from each sow to determine nutrient digestibility. Sows were bled via venipuncture before feeding on Day 110 of gestation and at weaning. In this experiment, the sow was considered the experimental unit. Data were analyzed using the ANOVA procedure of SAS (1996) suitable for a dose response, with linear and quadratic effects determined. No significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed on BW, ADFI, or back fat loss in lactating sows among treatments. Whereas, sows blood lymphocyte count were higher (P < 0.05) in levan inclusion treatments than in CON. Weaning BW and overall ADG of piglets in FC3 treatment was higher (P < 0.05) than piglets in CON. Blood lymphocyte counts and nutrient digestibility of sows, weaning BW and ADG of piglets increased linearly (P < 0.05) as concentration of levan in the diet increased. Diarrhea score of piglets and fecal gas emission of sows were decreased linearly (P < 0.05) as dietary levan increased. In conclusion levan supplementation did not affect feed intake or decrease back fat loss of lactating sows, whereas, it improved nutrient digestibility and increased lymphocyte counts, decreased fecal noxious gas emission of lactating sows, moreover, it improved growth performance and reduced diarrhea of piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted this experiment to evaluate the effects of fermented oat (FO) on performance of weanling pigs fed with different nutrient density diets. A total of 160 crossbred weanling pigs [(Landrace x Yorkshire) x Duroc), 28-d-old] with an initial B W of 8.01 ± 0.74 kg were used in this 42-d trial (phase 1: d 1 to 14, phase 2: d 15 to 42). Pigs were distributed into 4 dietary treatments in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with 2 levels of nutrient density (high or low nutrient density) and FO [0% or 5% (phase 1), 2.5% (phase 2)] according to their BW and sex [8 pens/treatment and 5 pigs (3 gilts and 2 barrows)/pen]. During the experimental period, individual body weight and feed consumption per pen were measured on d 1,14, and 42 to monitor ADG, ADFI and G/F ratio. Fecal samples collected from 2 pigs (BW approximate the pen average) per pen by rectal massage (d 14 and 42) to analyze the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) by using chromic oxide (0.2%). The same 2 pigs were sacrificed to collect ileal ingest. E. coli and Lactobacillus content of ileal ingest were then analyzed. During the overall trial period (d 1-42), ADG of pigs fed FO diet was higher (P < 0.05) than pigs fed non-FO diet. During phase 1 (d 1 to 14), ATTD of dry matter and nitrogen in high-nutrient-density diet groups were significantly greater (P < 0.05) than low-nutrient-density diet groups. During phase 2 (d 15 to 42), FOt and high-nutrient-density diets interactively improved digestibility of energy and dry matter. ATTD of energy inFO groups was significant greater (P < 0.05) than non-FO groups during the whole experimental period. Pigs fed with FO had higher (P < 0.05) ileal Lactobacillus and lower (P < 0.05) E. coftcounts compared with those fed with non-FO. In conclusion, high-nutrient-density diet mixed with FO could improve growth performance, nutrient digestibility and ileal microorganisms balance in wealning pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted this experiment to evaluate the effects of fermented corn (FC) on performance of growing pigs fed with different nutrient density diets. A total of 128 crossbred growing pigs [(Landrace x Yorkshire) x Duroc)] with an initial BW of 29.59 ± 1.34 kg were used in this 42-d trial. Pigs were distributed into 1 of 4 dietary treatments in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with 2 levels of nutrient density (high or low energy and crude protein density) and FC (0 or 20%) according to their BW and sex (8 pens/treatment and 4 pigs with 2 gilts and 2 barrows/pen). During the experimental period, individual body weight and feed consumption per pen were measured on Day 1 and 42 to monitor the ADG, ADFI and G:F Apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) was determined by adding chromic oxide (0.2%) as an indigestible marker in the diet 7 d before taking samples (during d 35 to 42). Fresh fecal samples collected from 2 pigs (BW approximate the pen average) per pen by rectal massage on Day 42 for nutrient digestibility and fecal gas emission analysis. The same 2 pigs were sacrificed to get the ileal digesta for microbial analysis (E. coli and Lactobacillus). All data were analyzed as a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments by using the MIXED procedure of SAS (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC). The final model included the main effects of FC and nutrient density, and their interaction. During the overall trial period, pigs fed with FC had a higher (P < 0.05) ADG than those without FC. The ATTD of dry matter, gross energy, and nitrogen in FC inclusion groups were significantly greater (P < 0.05) than those non-FC groups. Both low-nutrient-density and FC supplementation led to lower (P < 0.05) fecal NH3 and H2S emission content. Increased ileal Lactobacillus concentration and decreased E. co//'concentration were observed with FC supplementation. An interactive effect between nutrient density diet and FC was observed on the ADG, ileal microorganisms, nutrient digestibility and fecal noxious gas content. In conclusion, both high-nutrient-density diet and FC supplementation could improve growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and ileal microorganisms balance in growing pigs. The beneficial effect of FC supplementation in growing pigs could be enhanced with the high-nutrient-density diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a common misconception that tighter coupling leads to higher power transfer in designing an IPT (inductive power transfer) system. It has been found that there is an optimal coupling condition that corresponds to the maximum power transfer for a series-tuned IPT system. Both theoretical and experimental studies have proven this finding, and the results obtained are very important for future IPT system analysis and design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on a study to evaluate effect of dietary anise flavor (AF) on lactating sows and their litters at various weaning ages on average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), and bodyweight (BW) by measuring Parturition back fat, weaning back fat, and back fat loss.

The implementation of green mining (GM) can improve the quality of economic growth. Based on uncertainty measurement theory (UMT), we aim to develop a reasonable method of green mining (GM) evaluation for building material (BM) mines via comparative analysis. At first, establish UMT evaluating model for GM. The linear uncertainty (LU) measurement function was employed to solve single indicator measure values. Then, based on the entropy weight method (EWM), the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and a method that couples AHP and EWM (EWM-AHP), and the weights of the evaluating indicator were determined. At last, based on UMT, a total of 6 coupled methods are developed to evaluate the GM grades. The GM grades of two building material mines in China were evaluated by applying the 6 methods. Future suggestions were given to the enterprises to improve the GM grades. According to the actual situations of GM in the two building material (BM) mines, it can be speculated that UMT-EWM-AHP-CDRT is the most reasonable method. The reasonable method can not only evaluate the GM grades for BM but also provide guidance to the development of GM for BM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The observation of the transient sky through a multitude of astrophysical messengers has led to several scientific breakthroughs in the last two decades, thanks to the fast evolution of the observational techniques and strategies employed by the astronomers. Now, it requires to be able to coordinate multiwavelength and multimessenger follow-up campaigns with instruments both in space and on ground jointly capable of scanning a large fraction of the sky with a high-imaging cadency and duty cycle. In the optical domain, the key challenge of the wide field-of-view telescopes covering tens to hundreds of square degrees is to deal with the detection, identification, and classification of hundreds to thousands of optical transient (OT) candidates every night in a reasonable amount of time. In the last decade, new automated tools based on machine learning approaches have been developed to perform those tasks with a low computing time and a high classification efficiency. In this paper, we present an efficient classification method using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to discard many common types of bogus falsely detected in astrophysical images in the optical domain. We designed this tool to improve the performances of the OT detection pipeline of the Ground Wide field Angle Cameras (GWAC) telescopes, a network of robotic telescopes aiming at monitoring the OT sky down to R  = 16 with a 15 s imaging cadency. We applied our trained CNN classifier on a sample of 1472 GWAC OT candidates detected by the real-time detection pipeline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]