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Abstract This study aimed to investigate the association between serum chloride levels and all-cause mortality in critically ill patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database were extracted for analysis. Demographic information, laboratory results, medical histories, vital signs, and prognosis-related data were collected. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the relationship between serum chloride levels and 90-day and 365-day mortality. Subgroup analyses were conducted to explore potential interactions between serum chloride levels and various factors. The study included patients with a median age of 72.00 years, of whom 52.39% were male. Higher quartiles of serum chloride levels were associated with significantly lower levels of weight, RBC, platelet, hemoglobin, and other variables (P

Quartz tuning fork (QTF)-based techniques of photoacoustic spectroscopy and thermoelastic spectroscopy play a significant role in trace gas sensing due to unique high sensitivity and compactness. However, the stability of both techniques remains plagued by the inevitable and unpredictable laser power variation and demodulation phase variation. Herein, we investigate the phase change of a QTF when integrating both techniques for enhanced gas sensing. By demonstrating harmonic phase-sensitive methane detection as an example, we achieve stable gas measurement at varying laser power (2.4–9.4 mW) and varying demodulation phase (−90–90°). Besides, this method shows more tolerance to resonant frequency drift, contributing to a small signal fluctuation of ≤ 6.4 % over a wide modulation range (>10 times of the QTF bandwidth). The realization of harmonic-phase detection allows strengthening the stability of QTF-based sensors in a simple manner, especially when stable parameters, such as laser power, demodulation phase, even resonant frequency, cannot always be maintained.

Wolfberry, known as Goji berry, is the fruit of Lycium barbarum L. (LB). As a famous functional food and TCM, the cost and efficacy of LB are closely linked to its geographical origin. The present study aimed to establish an effective method for distinguishing LB from different geographical origins. By employing UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS combined with multivariate analysis, the metabolite profiling of LB (199 batches) obtained from Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang, was evaluated. The results demonstrated that the method effectively distinguished LB from the four regions, with a total of 148 different metabolites being detected. Subsequent assessment using heat maps, Venn analysis, receiver operating characteristics curves and dot plots revealed 21 of these metabolites exhibited exceptional sensitivity and specificity, with under-curve values approaching 1, thus indicating their potential as biomarkers for LB. These findings strongly support the suitability of UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS-based metabolomics as an effective approach to identify the source of LB.

Asphalt cores in embankment dams are subject to loading and temperature changes during construction and reservoir impounding. Asphalt samples were drilled out from the Quxue Dam and Laojiaoxi Dam cores during construction. The diameter of the samples was 100 mm, and the length was about 450 mm. The samples were cut into specimens measuring 200 mm in length. Long-term triaxial creep tests were conducted on the specimens. The tests were run systematically at different radial confining stresses in the range of 0.5–1.5 MPa and at different temperatures in the range of 5–30 °C. More than 3.5 years were required to complete the tests. Based on the systematic test results and the application of the viscoelastic theory, a material stress–strain–time–temperature creep model (SSTTC) is proposed. The performance of asphalt cores in dams is discussed. The proposed SSTTC model may be applied in the numerical analysis of asphalt cores in dams during dam construction and reservoir impounding.

Infrared multispectral imaging technology can achieve the long-distance, wide-ranging and fast detection of target gas, and has been widely used in the fields of dangerous-gas detection and environmental monitoring. However, due to the difficulty in acquiring background radiation as well as atmospheric disturbance and noise interference in the detection process, the quantitative detection of gas concentration has become a difficult problem to solve. Therefore, this paper proposes an inversion method for gas column concentration based on infrared multispectral imaging technology. Firstly, infrared background radiation images of the non-target gas absorption spectrum band were collected and converted into background radiation images of the target gas absorption spectrum band according to the dual-channel mapping relationship. Then, combined with the gas radiation images of the target gas absorption spectrum band, the column concentration distribution of the gas was obtained by using the measured calibration relationship between absorbance and column concentration. Experiments of gas detection in different environments were carried out, and the column concentration distribution of the target gas was inverted using this method; the results showed that the average relative error of the inversion of the gas column concentration was 4.84%, which enables the quantitative detection of gas column concentration in a complex environment.

In order to solve the problems of a low target recognition rate and poor real-time performance brought about by conventional infrared imaging spectral detection technology under complex background conditions or in the detection of targets of weak radiation or long distance, a kind of infrared polarization snapshot spectral imaging system (PSIFTIS) and a spectrum information processing method based on micro-optical devices are proposed in this paper, where the synchronous acquisition of polarization spectrum information is realized through the spatial modulation of phase with a rooftop-shaped multi-stage micro-mirror and the modulation of the polarization state of light with a micro-nanowire array. For the polarization interference image information obtained, the infrared polarization spectrum decoupling is realized by image segmentation, optical path difference matching, and image registration methods, the infrared polarization spectrum reconstruction is realized by Fourier transform spectral demodulation, and the infrared polarization image fusion is realized by decomposing and reconstructing the high- and low-frequency components of the polarization image based on the Haar wavelet transform. The maximum spectral peak wavenumber error of the four polarization channels of the polarization spectrum reconstruction is less than 2 cm−1, and the polarization angle error is within 1°. Ultimately, compared with the unprocessed polarization image unit, the peak signal-to-noise ratio is improved by 45.67%, the average gradient is improved by 8.03%, and the information entropy is improved by 56.98%.

MASM, a structurally modified derivative of matrine, exhibits superior efficacy in reducing inflammation and liver injury in rats when compared to matrine. This study aims to investigate the pharmacokinetic profile and acute toxicity of MASM. Pharmacokinetic results revealed that MASM exhibited rapid absorption, with a Tmax ranging from 0.21 ± 0.04 h to 1.31 ± 0.53 h, and was eliminated slowly, with a t1/2 of approximately 10 h regardless of the route of administration (intravenous, intraperitoneal, or intragastric). The absolute intragastric bioavailability of MASM in rats was determined to be 44.50%, which was significantly higher than that of matrine (18.5%). MASM was detected in all rat tissues including the brain, and through the utilization of stable isotope-labeled compounds and standard references, ten metabolites of MASM, namely sophocarpine, oxysophocarpine, and oxymatrine, were tentatively identified. The LD50 of MASM in mice was determined to be 94.25 mg/kg, surpassing that of matrine (83.21 mg/kg) based on acute toxicity results. Histopathological and biochemical analysis indicated no significant alterations in the primary organs of the low- to medium-dosage groups of MASM. These findings provide valuable insights into the efficacy and toxicity profile of MASM.

The use of a dual-interference channels static Fourier transform imaging spectrometer based on stepped micro-mirror (D-SIFTS) for environmental gas monitoring has the advantages of high throughput, a compact structure, and a stable performance. It also has the characteristics of both a broad spectral range and high spectral resolution. However, its unique structural features also bring many problems for subsequent data processing, mainly including the complex distribution of the interference data, the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of infrared scene images, and a unique inversion process of material information. To this end, this paper proposes a method of image and spectra information processing and gas concentration inversion. A multiscale enhancement algorithm for infrared images incorporating wavelet denoising is used to obtain high-quality remote sensing scene images, and spectral reconstruction optimization algorithms, such as interference intensity sequence resampling, are used to obtain accurate spectral information; the quantitative calibration model of the detected gas concentration is established to achieve high-precision inversion of gas concentration, and its distribution is visualized in combination with the scene image. Finally, the effectiveness and accuracy of the data processing algorithm are verified through the use of several experiments, which provide essential theoretical guidance and technical support for the practical applications of D-SIFTS.

To improve the low responsivity of the silicon avalanche photodiode in the near-ultraviolet wavelength range, we designed a near-ultraviolet highly responsive Si-APD basic structure with a multiplication layer neighboring the photosensitive surface through the analysis of the optical absorption characteristics, junction breakdown characteristics, and avalanche multiplication characteristics. The dark current and electric field distribution of the device were investigated. Meanwhile, the structural parameters of the surface non-depleted layer, multiplication layer, and absorption layer were optimized. It was found that the breakdown voltage of the device is 21.07 V. At an applied bias voltage of 20.02 V, the device exhibits a responsivity of 6.79–14.51 A/W in the wavelength range of 300–400 nm. These results provide valuable insights for the design of silicon avalanche photodiode with high responsivity in the near-ultraviolet range.

Visible light communication has attracted significant attention due to advantages such as high transmission speed, good security, high confidentiality, environmental protection, and lack of need for spectrum authorization. Herein, the problem of absorption of light in the visible band in thin silicon films is examined, and a dual composite nanostructure array based on nanoholes of two sizes is proposed to increase visible light absorption. Light absorptivity was determined to be greater than 80% at wavelengths between 400 and 678 nm. Moreover, using finite-difference time-domain numerical simulations, the distributions of the electric field at specific wavelengths were obtained, the propagation modes at these wavelengths were examined, and the effect of these modes was analyzed according to the electric field distributions. The proposed dual composite nanostructured silicon film can be used in photovoltaic devices to improve visible light absorption.

The site for the high Quxue Dam has a narrow canyon with very steep abutments and complex geology in Sichuan Province, China. Various types of embankment and concrete dams were considered and an asphalt-core embankment dam (ACED), 174 m high, was selected. The asphalt core is a slender impervious element in an embankment dam and some concerns have been raised about the reliability and safety of the asphalt-core type of dams (ACEDs). This paper presents the case study of the highest asphalt core dam ever built and presents measured and numerical analyses of the core deformations. A 3D non-linear FE analysis has been performed for the Quxue Dam, and the results have been compared with those computed by a 2D analysis to study the effects of the narrow canyon. The computed results are compared with the monitoring data from dam construction and first impoundment. The maximum settlement measured inside the embankment during construction was only about 0.7 m due to the good basaltic rockfill used and the heavy compaction in layers of only 1.0 – 1.2 m thickness. The results of the 3D analysis agree well with the measured downstream displacements and the deflected shape of the thin asphalt core during impoundment, while the 2D analysis overpredicted the maximum displacement by a factor of about two. At a reservoir level 3 m below full supply level, the maximum measured downstream core displacement was only about 80 mm due to the stiff rockfill and the restraining effects of the abutments in the narrow valley.The rockfill behaviour was modelled by the constitutive relationship proposed by Duncan and Chang (1970). The rockfill parameters were determined by laboratory tests prior to construction and were adjusted to better match field observations of vertical settlements during construction. As asphalt concrete exhibits pronounced visco-elastoplastic behaviour, the material modelling was based on long-term triaxial creep tests on samples drilled out of the dam core. The performance monitoring and numerical analysis results for the record-high Quxue ACED document that the concerns expressed about the asphalt core safety and behaviour is not warranted. The asphalt core type of dam is suitable even for high ACEDs in narrow valleys with steep abutments.

Bai-Mi-Decoction (BMD), which is composed of Eugenia caryophyllata, Myristica fragrans, Moschus berezovskii, and Crocus sativu, is a characteristic TCM multi-herb formula for brain disease. However, the mechanism of protective effects of BMD on ischemic stroke (IS) still has not been clarified. Our study is designed to elucidate the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of BMD on IS by employing pharmacodynamic and serum and brain metabolomic methods. In this experiment, 90 adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into the sham operation group (SHAM, vehicle), middle cerebral artery occlusion–reperfusion injury model group (MCAO/R, vehicle), positive control group (NMDP, 36 mg/kg/day nimodipine), and low (BMDL, 0.805 g/kg/day), moderate (BMDM, 1.61 g/kg/day), and high (BMDH, 3.22 g/kg/day) dosage of BMD prophylactic administration groups. The drugs were dissolved in 0.5% CMC-Na and orally administered to rats with equal volumes (100 g/ml body weight) once a day for 14 consecutive days. Neurological deficit score, cerebral infarct volume, change in body weight, and serum NO, SOD, MDA, GSH, and GSSG levels were determined. Pathological abnormalities using hematoxylin and eosin staining and the expression of VEGF, caspase-3, and NF-κB were analyzed. Furthermore, serum and brain metabolic profiles were explored to reveal the underlying mechanism using UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS technology. BMD exhibited significant neuroprotective effects on MCAO/R rats. As compared to the MCAO/R model group, it could reduce the neurological deficit score and cerebral infarct volume, increase body weight, enhance GSH, SOD, and GSSG activities, and decrease NO and MDA contents of MCAO/R rats. Meanwhile, BMD could ameliorate pathological abnormalities of MCAO/R rats through reducing neuronal loss, vacuolated spaces, shrunken neurons, and destructed neuron structure, as well as regulating the expression of VEGF, caspase-3, and NF-κB. UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS-based serum and brain metabolomics analysis found a total of 53 differential metabolites between MCAO/R and SHAM groups, of which 30 were significantly regulated by BMD intervention, and further metabolic pathway analysis implied that the protective effects were mainly associated with amino acid and glycerophospholipid metabolisms. Our pharmacodynamic and metabolomic results revealed the neuroprotective effects of BMD on MCAO/R rats, and the underlying mechanisms were probably related to amino acid and glycerophospholipid metabolisms.

Infrared imaging spectrometers detect and identify targets by collecting spectral and image information. However, when detecting small temperature differences and dynamic targets, the accuracy of infrared detection is reduced, the traditional scanning structure detection time is longer, the real-time performance is poor and it is easy to introduce motion artifacts. This paper proposes an infrared polarization snapshot spectral imaging system (PSIFTIS) based on a polarizer array, a lens array and a roof-shaped stepped micromirror. Polarized light can solve the problem of small-temperature-difference target recognition by characterizing the surface properties of materials. Lens arrays utilize multi-aperture imaging to achieve snapshot detection of targets. The system can obtain 4D data information, including polarization, in a single measurement cycle. This study completed the overall optical design of a PSIFTIS and an optical simulation experiment using it. Finally, a system prototype was built in the laboratory and a polarization spectrum detection experiment was carried out. The experimental results show that the PSIFTIS could accurately obtain the polarization spectrum information for the target, the spectral resolution reached 7.8 cm−1 and the Stokes measurement error was less than 5%.

We demonstrate a novel tempo-spatial mixed-modulation Fourier-transform infrared imaging spectrometer. The static interference channel based on a stepped micro-mirror contributes a compact system with high stability. The instrument functions in two spectral bands ranging between 3.7– $4.8~\mu \text{m}$ and 7.7–9.3 $\mu \text{m}$ , and the spectral resolution of the dual-interference channels achieves 51.5 and 4.1 cm−1, respectively. The instantaneous field of view is 0.15 mrad, and the working F/1.93 enables high optical throughput. The optical design and tolerance are presented with experimental investigation results, showing attractive potential in remote sensing application.

In recent years, various fields have established an urgent need for real-time online measurement of infrared spectra. To this end, reducing the weight and size of infrared spectrometers is particularly important. This paper reports a micro-optical element static Fourier transform spectrometer (MOESFTS) with a working wavelength from $3.7~\mu \text{m}$ to $4.8~\mu \text{m}$ . This spectrometer is entirely composed of micro-optical elements, and its interference system comprises stepped micromirrors and a lightweight beam splitter to realize a lightweight, miniaturized instrument capable of static real-time spectrum measurements. The micro-optical element microlens array leads to the acquisition of interferogram in the form of two-dimensional point-array in the MOESFTS. Therefore we establish a field-of-view integral model of the interference-image point intensity to analyze the influence of the field of view on the reconstructed spectrum. We complete the optical design of the micro-optical collimator (MOC) lens and the micro-optical relay (MOR) lens. And an effective processing algorithm for spectral reconstruction from two-dimensional point-array is presented. A prototype was designed and constructed, and spectral calibration was completed. The spectra of acetonitrile (CH3CN) and carbon dioxide (CO2) were measured, the experimental results show that the spectral peak drift errors were found to be less than 0.18%.

Endoscopic inspection is an important non-destructive testing method. Traditional 3D endoscopic reconstruction methods, such as polarization reconstruction and shading reconstruction, have the drawbacks of not determining the object’s actual size and positional information. The stereo vision method is limited by its operating principles and has the issue of sparse reconstructed point clouds. These drawbacks greatly restrict the applications of the endoscope. Therefore, this work proposes a joint dense 3D reconstruction method for endoscopic images of weak texture scenes. This method uses the shading reconstruction normal to correct the polarization reconstruction normal, then uses coordinate conversion and point cloud fusion to convert the polarization and shading 3D reconstruction results from the pixel coordinate system to the world coordinate system. Finally combines the reconstruction results from the world coordinate system’s polarization, shading, and stereo vision. The fusion coefficients are obtained by solving the minimum error model, and then a complete and detailed 3D reconstruction surface was obtained in the world coordinate system. This method could avoid the difficulty of obtaining real coordinates for the 3D reconstruction of polarization and shading and prevent the issue of the sparse point cloud afforded by stereo vision reconstruction for weak texture scenes. The combined dense 3D reconstruction method had an average error of < 1% for length measurement of a 3D curve, which is highly significance for industrial endoscopic inspection.

To study the size effect of AlGaInP red micro-LEDs on the silicon substrate, we fabricated five AlGaInP red micro-LEDs with different pixel sizes (160 × 160, 80 × 80, 40 × 40, 20 × 20, and 10 × 10 µm2) and studied their electrical and optical properties. Smaller micro-LEDs have smaller leakage current and larger series resistance and can withstand higher current density without the current crowding effect. Due to the larger perimeter-to-area ratio of small-sized micro-LEDs, non-radiative recombination increases, which leads to a lower EQE. But smaller micro-LEDs can alleviate the problem of the high-current efficiency droop. In addition, because of a better heat dissipation under a high injection current, smaller micro-LEDs (>80 µm) have a smaller center wavelength shift. These experimental results provide important data for designing and fabricating red micro-LEDs with different pixel sizes for diverse future applications.

The development of mobile communication sets higher demands on high frequency surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices. The layout of interdigital transducers (IDT) in SAW devices is in plane and the traditional methods of improving frequency for SAW devices are the increase of acoustic velocity and the reduction of wavelength. However, these methods have a limit due to the limited acoustic velocity and the photolithography limit. This work proposes a new way for the development of high frequency SAW devices by redesigning the layout of IDT in three dimensions (3D). The set of IDTs is split into two layers, i.e. the ground electrodes on one layer and the signal electrodes on the other layer. This 3D layout of IDTs dramatically narrows the horizontal gap between two adjacent electrodes, which can significantly increase the frequency. The frequency and the electromechanical coupling factor (K2) of the four structures of SAW devices with the 3D layout of IDTs were studied by the finite element method (FEM). The results show that the frequency can be doubled under the same critical resolution of lithography due to the shortening of wavelength, and the 3D layout of IDTs is available for SAW devices based on piezoelectric thin film or piezoelectric single crystal. This work develops a new alternative to increase the working frequency of SAW devices.

To enhance blue light absorption, a nanohole-array was designed and fabricated on the surface of silicon. The absorptivity of the silicon/nanohole-array composite structure was simulated with the finite-difference time-domain method. The result showed that, when the air filling factor f = 0.45, the period P = 400 nm, and the hole depth d = 0.5 μm, the absorptivity of the silicon was greater than 0.85 in the blue band and the average light absorption gain was about 0.61. A nanohole-array was fabricated with these structural parameters. The experimental results showed that the blue absorptivity of the silicon was greater than 0.91 and the average light absorption gain was about 0.63. For incident light at an angle of 60°, the absorptivity was greater than 0.73 in the blue band. The research demonstrated that the blue light could be absorbed at the deeper position of Si through the nanohole-array. This research may serve as a reference for the design and fabrication of silicon optoelectronic devices with high blue light quantum efficiency.

To meet the demands of highly integrated and miniaturized radio frequency front-end (RFFE) modules, multi-passband filters which support multi-channel compounding come to the foreground. In this work, we proposed a new design of a dual-passband surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter based on a 32°YX-LiNbO3 (LN)/SiO2/SiC multilayered structure. The filter is of a standalone ladder topology and comprises dual-mode resonators, in which the shear horizontal (SH) mode and high-order SH mode are simultaneously excited through electrode thickness modulation. The impact of electrode thickness on the performance of the dual-mode resonator was systematically investigated by the finite element method (FEM), and resonators were prepared and verified the simulation results. The electromechanical coupling coefficients (K2) of the SH modes are 15.1% and 17.0%, while the maximum Bode-Q (Qmax) values are 150 and 247, respectively, for the fabricated resonators with wavelengths of 1 μm and 1.1 μm. In terms of the high-order SH modes in these resonators, the K2 values are 9.8% and 8.4%, and Qmax values are 190 and 262, respectively. The fabricated dual-band filter shows the center frequencies (fc) of 3065 MHz and 4808 MHz as two bands, with 3-dB fractional bandwidths (FBW) of 5.1% and 5.9%, respectively. Such a dual-band SAW filter based on a conventional ladder topology is meaningful in terms of its compact layout and diminished area occupancy. This work provides a promising avenue to constitute a high-performance dual-passband SAW filter for sub-6 GHz RF application.

The stepped micro-mirror imaging Fourier transform spectrometer (SIFTS) has the advantages of high throughput, compactness, and stability. However, the systematic errors in the interference core of the SIFTS have a significant impact on the interferogram and the reconstructed spectrum. In order to reduce the influence of systematic errors, a transfer error model of the systematic errors in the interference core of the SIFTS is established, and an interferogram and spectrum calibration method is presented, which combines the least squares fitting calibration and the row-by-row fast Fourier transform-inverse fast Fourier transform (FFT-IFFT) flat-field calibration. The experimental results show that the methods can sufficiently reduce the influence of systematic errors in the interference core of the SIFTS, such as the interferogram fringe tilt, the peak position shift of the reconstructed spectrum, and the error of spectral response.

Hydraulic asphalt concrete is virtually impervious. Hydraulic fracturing due to the generation of pore water pressure can be generally excluded for asphalt facings and asphalt cores in embankment dams. However, when some cracks and/or large voids exist in the asphalt core in dams, hydraulic fracturing could take place during reservoir impounding. Cracks and/or large voids may be caused by either earthquake shaking, large differential settlements during construction and operation, or poor construction quality. Therefore, asphalt specimens with either cracks of different depths or large air porosity were prepared, and a model test apparatus was developed to investigate the possibility of hydraulic fracturing. Model tests were conducted on cylindrical asphalt concrete specimens of 100 mm in diameter and 180 mm in height. The top boundary of the specimens was either prevented (restrained) from moving in the vertical direction or free to move (unrestrained). The model test results for asphalt concrete with cracks under unrestraint conditions were numerically back-analysed. The model test results indicated that the cracks in the asphalt concrete under the restraint conditions could experience an “open–close” progress with increasing water pressure. That suggested that if the asphalt concrete were long, low water pressure would trigger a fracturing through the cracks. Under the unrestraint conditions, low water pressure could cause the asphalt specimens with either cracks or large air porosity to fail. The extensional strains at failure were reduced, and the reductions depended on the magnitude of the crack depth or air porosity. Suggestions are given for designing the asphalt core dams to reduce the possibility of the occurrence of cracks and/or dilations in the core, especially for dams in unfavourable geological and topographical conditions. A specialty contractor is preferable to do the asphalt core job to rule out the possibility of a weak bond between the layers and an air porosity larger than 3.0% in the core.

This article presents a general-purpose model that enables efficient and accurate calculation of third-order nonlinear signals in surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices. This model is based on piezoelectric constitutive equations combined with perturbation theory, which can be analyzed by full finite element method (FEM). For validation, third-order harmonic (H3) responses and intermodulation distortions (IMD3) in SAW resonators are simulated, and their calculation results fit well to experimental data in the literature. Then, the generation mechanisms of the third-order nonlinearity in SAW resonators are discussed. The dominant generation mechanisms for different nonlinear signals and the relation between electrode materials and H3 peak magnitude are revealed, which provides an important guideline for further nonlinear suppression.

Traditional construction practices showed that asphalt core construction rate was commonly 2 layers/day (0.4 m/day) before the year 2000. More than 2 layers/day has been concerned as it would be difficult to compact the third layer to reach the required density (void content of maximum 3%) as the sublayers are soft. However, the Zhaobishan embankment dam was located at a very special dam site and high construction rate was required. Based on reviewing successfully high construction rates of asphalt core test section with 0.8 m/day (4 layers/day) and 0.9 m/day (3 layers/day) extensive laboratory tests and 4 trial test sections near the Zhaobishan dam site were carried out to gain asphalt mix parameters and construction techniques before constructing the asphalt core. The 63.6 m high asphalt core for the 71 m high dam was completed in 159 days with intensively quality control during construction. The maximum construction rate was 0.92 m/day (4 layers/day). The dam with asphalt core has performed well since the completion year 2005. The dam case study has documented that asphalt core dam can be constructed in a high rate without compromising core quality. Based on practical experience, field observations, and investigations in recent years, one can now build asphalt core dams faster and more economically than before. The fact that one can significantly reduce the probability of overtopping during construction by increasing the construction rate, may be an important point in many situations.

Asphalt concrete is widely used in road and airport pavements and more recently also in the construction of impervious facings and central cores in dams and dykes. Asphalt concrete may be subjected to strongly acidic water when used in connection with storage of mine tailings (tailings dams). Acidic water reacts with bitumen and mineral materials and may cause deterioration of the behavior of asphalt concrete with time. The present study investigated effects of acidic water with time on aggregate-bitumen adhesion, bitumen penetration value, softening point and ductility, mass change of asphalt materials, and change in tensile strength for porous and impervious asphalt concrete. The test results show that impervious, hydraulic asphalt concrete is very resistant to acidic water and show insignificant deterioration of properties during the 3-year testing period used in the experiments.

To cope with ubiquitous wireless connectivity and the increased and faster data delivery in 5G communication, surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters are progressively requiring wider bandwidths. Conventional bulk 15°YX-LiNbO3 substrates with a large coupling coefficient (K2) are attractive for the low-cost mass production of wideband SAW filters, but these generally suffer from spurious responses, limiting their practical application. In this work, a novel and simple SAW configuration is proposed that uses thickness-modulated interdigital transducer (IDT) structures to overcome the limitations set by spurious responses. Different from the conventional design where the thicknesses of the IDT electrodes in the series and parallel resonators generally kept the same, the proposed configuration adopts IDT electrodes of different thicknesses in the series and shunt resonators to suppress or remove unwanted spurious Rayleigh modes from the filter passband. Two different ultra-wideband SAW filter designs employing thickness-modulated IDTs were designed and fabricated to validate the effective suppression of spurious modes. The SAW filters experimentally featured spurious-free responses in the passband as well as a large 3 dB fractional bandwidth (FBW) in the 18.0% and 24.1% ranges and low insertion losses below 1 dB. This work can significantly broaden the range of applications for SAW devices and can open a pathway to commercialize ultra-wideband SAW filters in 5G communication systems.

In this article, red and green perovskite quantum dots are incorporated into the pixels of a flexible color-conversion layer assembly using microfluidics. The flexible color-conversion layer is then integrated with a blue micro-LED to realize a full-color display with a pixel pitch of 200 μm. Perovskite quantum dots feature a high quantum yield, a tunable wavelength, and high stability. The flexible color-conversion layer using perovskite quantum dots shows good luminous and display performance under different bending conditions; is easy to manufacture, economical, and applicable; and has important potential applications in the development of flexible micro-displays.

Edge detection is the basis of image analysis and image processing. The wavelet modulus maxima algorithm is a widely used edge-detection algorithm. The algorithm has the advantages of strong anti-noise ability and high precision of edge location, but it still cannot accurately obtain edge information for low-contrast images. Therefore, this paper proposes an improved wavelet mode maximum edge algorithm for the fusion of light intensity and degree of polarization. The improved wavelet mode maximum algorithm was used to extract the edges of a light intensity image and degree of polarization image, and then refine and fuse the two edges to obtain the final edge information. Simulation experiments showed that the edge image obtained by the edge-detection algorithm in this paper had a clearer outline and better connectivity.

Infrared imaging spectrometry is utilized to detect and identify targets by collecting spectral images. In some cases, the infrared spectral images of dynamic targets need to be detected accurately, such as during remote sensing target tracking and engine tail flame detection applications. However, it is difficult to obtain reliable measurement results when using a traditional infrared imaging spectrometer with a scanning structure because of motion artifacts. This work proposes a snapshot infrared imaging Fourier transform spectrometer (SIIFTS) based on stepped micromirrors and a lens array. Two micromirrors sample the spectral information, and the lens array can realize multi-aperture snapshot imaging. The spectrometer is capable of collecting three-dimensional (3D) datasets during a single measurement period, and its absence of motion artifacts and its ability to work without moving parts is very important for dynamic target detection. The achromatic optical design of the SIIFTS is completed, and two front imaging systems for remote sensing and tail flame detection applications are designed for selection. A SIIFTS prototype was built, and flame detection tests were conducted in a laboratory environment. The experimental results show that the SIIFTS developed here can accurately and stably obtain real-time image and spectral information from dynamic targets.

The asphalt core itself is a no-joint water barrier in embankment dams and is connected to the concrete plinth on the bottom of the core. A reliable asphalt core-plinth connection is crucial and must remain watertight when the core deforms due to deformations in the embankment and foundation and due to reservoir water pressure. A large number of tension tests were conducted to determine the best ratios, joint thickness and suitable additives for the sandy asphalt mastic (SAM) mix used for the connection. With the ratios of bitumen to filler to sand of 20%:35%:45% and by adding 4% SBS in the bitumen, one got a very suitable composition for the asphalt core-plinth connection in tensile conditions. Model tests were conducted to study the connection behavior when subjected to large shear displacements and high water pressure. The joint model test results indicate that the plane-surface plinth, curved-surface plinth, and plinth with or without copper water-stop showed no significant difference for the connection in the joint shear behavior. However, plinth with copper water-stop is suggested to enhance its tensile and shear behavior.

The turbine blade is a key component in an aeroengine. Currently, measuring the turbine blade radiation temperature always requires obtaining the emissivity of the target surface in advance. However, changes in the emissivity and the reflected ambient radiation cause large errors in measurement results. In this paper, a three-wavelength radiation temperature measurement method was developed, without known emissivity, for reflection correction. Firstly, a three-dimensional dynamic reflection model of the turbine blade was established to describe the ambient radiation of the target blade based on the real surface of the engine turbine blade. Secondly, based on the reflection correction model, a three-wavelength radiation temperature measurement algorithm, independent of surface emissivity, was proposed to improve the measurement accuracy of the turbine blade radiation temperature in the engine. Finally, an experimental platform was built to verify the temperature measurement method. Compared with three conventional colorimetric methods, this method achieved an improved performance on blade temperature measurement, demonstrating a decline in the maximum error from 6.09% to 2.13% and in the average error from 2.82% to 1.20%. The proposed method would benefit the accuracy in the high-temperature measurement of turbine blades.

Achieving high resistance to acoustomigration and electromigration in the electrodes used in high-power and high-frequency surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters is important to mobile communications development. In this study, the effects of the Ti buffer layers on the textures and acoustomigration and electromigration resistances of the Al-Cu electrodes were studied comprehensively. The results demonstrate that both power durability and electromigration lifetime are positively correlated with the Al-Cu electrode texture quality. Ultrathin (∼2 nm) Ti can lead to the strongest Al-Cu (111) textured electrodes, with a full width at half maximum of the rocking curve of 2.09°. This represents a remarkable enhancement of the power durability of high-frequency 2.6 GHz SAW filters from 29 dBm to 35 dBm. It also produces lifetime almost 7 times longer than those of electrodes without Ti buffer layers in electromigration tests. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed that these improved acoustomigration and electromigration resistances can be attributed primarily to the reductions in overall and large-angle grain boundaries in the highly Al-Cu (111) textured electrodes. Furthermore, the growth mechanism of highly Al-Cu texture films is discussed in terms of surface-interface energy balance.

A strategy for fabricating bendable AlGaInP light emitting diode (LED) arrays is presented in this paper. Sample LED arrays with 8 × 8 pixels were fabricated and subjected to bending. Bending only weakly affected the light output power and the current–voltage characteristics of the arrays. LED arrays suffer from a thermal problem owing to the energy loss during the electrical-to-optical energy conversion. We have designed a three-dimensional heat conduction model for analyzing the effect of the polymer substrate, the configuration of pixels, and the micro-structure on heat dissipation in bendable LED arrays. Thermal conductivity of the polymer substrate critically affected the heat dissipation, suggesting that the substrate thickness should be in the 500–1000 μm range. A larger pixel distance yielded more distributed heat sources and more uniform temperature distribution. Micro-structured polymer substrates yielded lower temperature, especially for the fins array micro-structure. Based on enhancing the polymer’s thermal conductivity and distributing LED pixels, optimizing the substrate’s micro-structure is an effective method to improve heat dissipation in bendable LED arrays. Optimized heat dissipation could effectively reduce heat accumulation in LED arrays and alleviate an increase in the junction temperature, allowing to increase the output power of the device.

An array of 320 × 240 micro-light-emitting diodes (micro-LEDs) based on an AlGaInP epitaxial wafer and with a unit size of 100 µm×100 µm was designed and fabricated. The optimum width of the isolation groove between adjacent light-emitting units was determined based on a compromise between full isolation of each LED and maximization of the light emitting area, and was found to be 20 µm. The grooves were filled with a mixed Si granule-polyurethane composite medium, because this type of insulating material can reflect part of the emitted light from the sidewall to the window layer in each light-emitting unit, and could thus improve lighting output efficiency. The 10-µm-wide square-circle anode was designed to increase the light emitting area while simultaneously being simple to fabricate. The device current used was in the 0.42–1.06 mA range to guarantee internal quantum efficiency of more than 85%, with a corresponding voltage range of 2–2.3 V. The layered temperature distribution in a single unit was simulated under a drive voltage of 2.2 V, and the maximum device temperature was 341 K. The micro-opto-electro-mechanical systems (MOEMS) technology-based fabrication process, experimental images of the device and device test results are presented here.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of triple inhaled therapy, a combination of inhaled glucocorticoids, long-acting muscarinic antagonists, and long-acting β2 agonists in managing acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: Medical data of 100 patients with acute exacerbation of COPD admitted to Shaoxing Second Hospital, Shaoxing, China between January 2020 to December 2022 was collected and retrospectively analyzed. The patients were randomized into control (n = 50) and study groups (n = 50). Control group received budesonide/formoterol inhalers while the study group received triple inhaled therapy (budesonide/glycopyrronium/formoterol inhalers). Arterial blood gas, pulmonary function, immune function, adverse effects, and efficacy were evaluated. Results: The study group exhibited significantly higher pH, partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2), and lower partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) compared to control group (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the study group showed significantly higher levels of pulmonary function and immune function indices compared to control group (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (p > 0.05). The study group was associated with higher clinical efficacy compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Triple inhaled therapy significantly alleviates the clinical symptoms of patients with COPD and enhances pulmonary and immune functions. Future studies should cover a larger and more diverse group of participants for broader validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]