Surface water samples collected from various sites in the Densu delta wetland, Ghana, were analyzed for pH, temperature, TDS, EC, turbidity, TSS, alkalinity, HCO3-, BOD, COD, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Cl, SO42-, PO4-P, NO3-N, Cr...Surface water samples collected from various sites in the Densu delta wetland, Ghana, were analyzed for pH, temperature, TDS, EC, turbidity, TSS, alkalinity, HCO3-, BOD, COD, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Cl, SO42-, PO4-P, NO3-N, Cr, Pb, Cd, Cu, Co and Fe using titration and Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS). Multivariate statistical analyses such as cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to identify heavy metal pollution in the wetland area. Results from CA and PCA suggest positive relationships between the two analyses. Linear correlation analysis done also suggests similar relationships. Heavy metals were identified as originating from a common source in all the analyses. The hydrochemistry of the area appears to have been influenced, to a large extent, by dissolution/precipitation as well as numerous but subsistence small-scale agricultural activities that take place in the wetland environment.展开更多
This study examined public attitudes concerning the value of outdoor spaces which people use daily. Two successive analyses were performed based on data from common residents and college students in the city of Hangzh...This study examined public attitudes concerning the value of outdoor spaces which people use daily. Two successive analyses were performed based on data from common residents and college students in the city of Hangzhou, China. First, citizens registered various items constituting desirable values of residential outdoor spaces through a preliminary questionnaire. The result proposed three general attributes (functional, aesthetic and ecological) and ten specific qualities of residential outdoor spaces. An analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to an interview survey in order to clarify the weights among these attributes and qualities. Second, principal factors were extracted from the ten specific qualities with principal component analysis (PCA) for both the common case and the campus case. In addition, the variations of respondents’ groups were classified with cluster analysis (CA) using the results of the PCA. The results of the AHP application found that the public prefers the functional attribute, rather than the aesthetic attribute. The latter is always viewed as the core value of open spaces in the eyes of architects and designers. Fur-thermore, comparisons of ten specific qualities showed that the public prefers the open spaces that can be utilized conveniently and easily for group activities, because such spaces keep an active lifestyle of neighborhood communication, which is also seen to protect human-regarding residential environments. Moreover, different groups of respondents diverge largely in terms of gender, age, behavior and preference.展开更多
The thermal decompositions of Ca-bentonites (CaB) from Santai ,Shichuan Province, China over the temperature rage of 30-1100℃ were investigated by simultaneous thermal analyzer. Non-isothermal Kinetic analysis were e...The thermal decompositions of Ca-bentonites (CaB) from Santai ,Shichuan Province, China over the temperature rage of 30-1100℃ were investigated by simultaneous thermal analyzer. Non-isothermal Kinetic analysis were employed to study the thermal decomposition mechanism by using Netzsch Thermokinetics software. The dependence of the activation energy on conversion degree were evaluated by isoconversional methods. The probably mechanism and the corresponding kinetic parameters were determined by multivariate non-linear regression program.展开更多
Background: Hypertension is a universal risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and is thus the leading cause of death worldwide. The identification of novel prognostic and pathogenesis biomarkers plays a key role in ...Background: Hypertension is a universal risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and is thus the leading cause of death worldwide. The identification of novel prognostic and pathogenesis biomarkers plays a key role in disease management. Methods: The GSE145854 and GSE164494 datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and used for screening and validating hypertension signature genes, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis was performed on the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to calcium ion metabolism in patients with hypertension. The core genes related to immune infiltration were analyzed and screened, and the activity of the signature genes and related pathways was quantified using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). The infiltration of immune cells in the blood samples was analyzed, and the DEGs that were abnormally expressed in the clinical blood samples of patients with hypertension were verified via RT-qPCR. Results: A total of 176 DEGs were screened. GO showed that DEGs was involved in the regulation of calcium ion metabolism in biological processes (BP), actin mediated cell contraction, negative regulation of cell movement, and calcium ion transmembrane transport, and in the regulation of protease activity in molecular functions (MF). KEGG analysis revealed that the DEGs were involved mainly in the cGMP-PKG signaling pathway, ubiquitin-protein transferase, tight junction-associated proteins, and the regulation of myocardial cells. MF analysis revealed the immune infiltration function of the cells. RT-qPCR revealed that the expression of Cacna1d, Serpine1, Slc8a3, and Trpc4 was up regulated in hypertension, the expression of Myoz2 and Slc25a23 was down regulated. Conclusion: Cacna1d, Serpine1, Slc8a3, Trpc4, Myoz2 and Slc25a23 may be involved in the regulation of calcium metabolism pathways and play key roles in hypertension. These differentially expressed calcium metabolism-related genes may serve as prognostic markers of hypertension.展开更多
A cloud method for generating percentile engineering demand parameter versus intensity measure(EDP-IM) curves of a structure subjected to a set of synthetic ground motions is presented. To this end, an ensemble of syn...A cloud method for generating percentile engineering demand parameter versus intensity measure(EDP-IM) curves of a structure subjected to a set of synthetic ground motions is presented. To this end, an ensemble of synthetic ground motions based on available real ones is generated. This is done by using attenuation relationships, duration and suitable Gutenberg-Richter relations attributed to the considered seismic hazard at a given site by estimating a suitable distribution of magnitude and site to source distance. The study aims to clarify the significance of the duration and frequency content on the seismic performance of structures, which were not considered in developing percentile incremental dynamic analysis(IDA) curves. The collapse probabilities of two steel moment-resisting frames with different ductility levels generated by IDA and the proposed cloud method are compared at different intensity levels. When compared with conventional IDA, the suggested cloud analysis(SCA) methodology with the same run number of dynamic analyses was able to develop response hazard curves that were more consistent with site-specific seismic hazards. Eliminating the need to find many real records by generating synthetic records consistent with site-specific seismic hazards from a few available recorded ground motions is another advantage of using this scheme over the IDA method..展开更多
The effects of addition of minor amount of(0.5 wt.%) antimony(Sb) or gadolinium(Gd) and combined addition of Sb and Gd(0.5 wt.%,respectively) on the hot tearing susceptibility(HTS) of Mg-5Al-3Ca alloy were investigate...The effects of addition of minor amount of(0.5 wt.%) antimony(Sb) or gadolinium(Gd) and combined addition of Sb and Gd(0.5 wt.%,respectively) on the hot tearing susceptibility(HTS) of Mg-5Al-3Ca alloy were investigated experimentally using a “T-shaped” hot tearing measuring system. Various solidification parameters of the alloys were measured and calculated through thermal analysis experiments. The microstructure, grain size, and morphology of the crack zone were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction, and the crystal phases of the alloys were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The results showed that the addition of 0.5 wt.% Gd resulted in the increase in the vulnerable temperature range(Tv) and reduced the eutectic structure content that could participate in feeding, thereby improving the HTS of the alloy. However, addition of 0.5 wt.% Sb or combined addition of Gd and Sb(0.5 wt.%, respectively) to the Mg-5Al-3Ca alloy shortened the Tvand improved the skeleton strength of the alloy, thereby reducing HTS. Moreover, significantly refined structure of Mg-5Al-3Ca-0.5Gd-0.5Sb alloy improved the feeding ability of the eutectic structure, thus the alloy exhibited the lowest HTS.展开更多
Hybrid Power-line/Visible-light Communication(HPVC)network has been one of the most promising Cooperative Communication(CC)technologies for constructing Smart Home due to its superior communication reliability and har...Hybrid Power-line/Visible-light Communication(HPVC)network has been one of the most promising Cooperative Communication(CC)technologies for constructing Smart Home due to its superior communication reliability and hardware efficiency.Current research on HPVC networks focuses on the performance analysis and optimization of the Physical(PHY)layer,where the Power Line Communication(PLC)component only serves as the backbone to provide power to light Emitting Diode(LED)devices.So designing a Media Access Control(MAC)protocol remains a great challenge because it allows both PLC and Visible Light Communication(VLC)components to operate data transmission,i.e.,to achieve a true HPVC network CC.To solve this problem,we propose a new HPC network MAC protocol(HPVC MAC)based on Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance(CSMA/CA)by combining IEEE 802.15.7 and IEEE 1901 standards.Firstly,we add an Additional Assistance(AA)layer to provide the channel selection strategies for sensor stations,so that they can complete data transmission on the selected channel via the specified CSMA/CA mechanism,respectively.Based on this,we give a detailed working principle of the HPVC MAC,followed by the construction of a joint analytical model for mathematicalmathematical validation of the HPVC MAC.In the modeling process,the impacts of PHY layer settings(including channel fading types and additive noise feature),CSMA/CA mechanisms of 802.15.7 and 1901,and practical configurations(such as traffic rate,transit buffer size)are comprehensively taken into consideration.Moreover,we prove the proposed analytical model has the solvability.Finally,through extensive simulations,we characterize the HPVC MAC performance under different system parameters and verify the correctness of the corresponding analytical model with an average error rate of 4.62%between the simulation and analytical results.展开更多
文摘Surface water samples collected from various sites in the Densu delta wetland, Ghana, were analyzed for pH, temperature, TDS, EC, turbidity, TSS, alkalinity, HCO3-, BOD, COD, Na, K, Mg, Ca, Cl, SO42-, PO4-P, NO3-N, Cr, Pb, Cd, Cu, Co and Fe using titration and Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS). Multivariate statistical analyses such as cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to identify heavy metal pollution in the wetland area. Results from CA and PCA suggest positive relationships between the two analyses. Linear correlation analysis done also suggests similar relationships. Heavy metals were identified as originating from a common source in all the analyses. The hydrochemistry of the area appears to have been influenced, to a large extent, by dissolution/precipitation as well as numerous but subsistence small-scale agricultural activities that take place in the wetland environment.
文摘This study examined public attitudes concerning the value of outdoor spaces which people use daily. Two successive analyses were performed based on data from common residents and college students in the city of Hangzhou, China. First, citizens registered various items constituting desirable values of residential outdoor spaces through a preliminary questionnaire. The result proposed three general attributes (functional, aesthetic and ecological) and ten specific qualities of residential outdoor spaces. An analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to an interview survey in order to clarify the weights among these attributes and qualities. Second, principal factors were extracted from the ten specific qualities with principal component analysis (PCA) for both the common case and the campus case. In addition, the variations of respondents’ groups were classified with cluster analysis (CA) using the results of the PCA. The results of the AHP application found that the public prefers the functional attribute, rather than the aesthetic attribute. The latter is always viewed as the core value of open spaces in the eyes of architects and designers. Fur-thermore, comparisons of ten specific qualities showed that the public prefers the open spaces that can be utilized conveniently and easily for group activities, because such spaces keep an active lifestyle of neighborhood communication, which is also seen to protect human-regarding residential environments. Moreover, different groups of respondents diverge largely in terms of gender, age, behavior and preference.
文摘The thermal decompositions of Ca-bentonites (CaB) from Santai ,Shichuan Province, China over the temperature rage of 30-1100℃ were investigated by simultaneous thermal analyzer. Non-isothermal Kinetic analysis were employed to study the thermal decomposition mechanism by using Netzsch Thermokinetics software. The dependence of the activation energy on conversion degree were evaluated by isoconversional methods. The probably mechanism and the corresponding kinetic parameters were determined by multivariate non-linear regression program.
文摘Background: Hypertension is a universal risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and is thus the leading cause of death worldwide. The identification of novel prognostic and pathogenesis biomarkers plays a key role in disease management. Methods: The GSE145854 and GSE164494 datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and used for screening and validating hypertension signature genes, respectively. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis was performed on the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to calcium ion metabolism in patients with hypertension. The core genes related to immune infiltration were analyzed and screened, and the activity of the signature genes and related pathways was quantified using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). The infiltration of immune cells in the blood samples was analyzed, and the DEGs that were abnormally expressed in the clinical blood samples of patients with hypertension were verified via RT-qPCR. Results: A total of 176 DEGs were screened. GO showed that DEGs was involved in the regulation of calcium ion metabolism in biological processes (BP), actin mediated cell contraction, negative regulation of cell movement, and calcium ion transmembrane transport, and in the regulation of protease activity in molecular functions (MF). KEGG analysis revealed that the DEGs were involved mainly in the cGMP-PKG signaling pathway, ubiquitin-protein transferase, tight junction-associated proteins, and the regulation of myocardial cells. MF analysis revealed the immune infiltration function of the cells. RT-qPCR revealed that the expression of Cacna1d, Serpine1, Slc8a3, and Trpc4 was up regulated in hypertension, the expression of Myoz2 and Slc25a23 was down regulated. Conclusion: Cacna1d, Serpine1, Slc8a3, Trpc4, Myoz2 and Slc25a23 may be involved in the regulation of calcium metabolism pathways and play key roles in hypertension. These differentially expressed calcium metabolism-related genes may serve as prognostic markers of hypertension.
文摘A cloud method for generating percentile engineering demand parameter versus intensity measure(EDP-IM) curves of a structure subjected to a set of synthetic ground motions is presented. To this end, an ensemble of synthetic ground motions based on available real ones is generated. This is done by using attenuation relationships, duration and suitable Gutenberg-Richter relations attributed to the considered seismic hazard at a given site by estimating a suitable distribution of magnitude and site to source distance. The study aims to clarify the significance of the duration and frequency content on the seismic performance of structures, which were not considered in developing percentile incremental dynamic analysis(IDA) curves. The collapse probabilities of two steel moment-resisting frames with different ductility levels generated by IDA and the proposed cloud method are compared at different intensity levels. When compared with conventional IDA, the suggested cloud analysis(SCA) methodology with the same run number of dynamic analyses was able to develop response hazard curves that were more consistent with site-specific seismic hazards. Eliminating the need to find many real records by generating synthetic records consistent with site-specific seismic hazards from a few available recorded ground motions is another advantage of using this scheme over the IDA method..
基金financial support from Joint Research Fund Liaoning-Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science (2019JH3/30100014)Liaoning Bai Qian Wan Talents Program. Liaoning Revitalization Talents Program (Nos. XLYC1807021 and 1907007)+2 种基金High Level Innovation Team of Liaoning Province(XLYC1908006)Project of Liaoning Education Department(Nos. LQGD2019002, and LJGD2020008)Liaoning Nature Fund Guidance Plan (No. 2019-ZD-0210)。
文摘The effects of addition of minor amount of(0.5 wt.%) antimony(Sb) or gadolinium(Gd) and combined addition of Sb and Gd(0.5 wt.%,respectively) on the hot tearing susceptibility(HTS) of Mg-5Al-3Ca alloy were investigated experimentally using a “T-shaped” hot tearing measuring system. Various solidification parameters of the alloys were measured and calculated through thermal analysis experiments. The microstructure, grain size, and morphology of the crack zone were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction, and the crystal phases of the alloys were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The results showed that the addition of 0.5 wt.% Gd resulted in the increase in the vulnerable temperature range(Tv) and reduced the eutectic structure content that could participate in feeding, thereby improving the HTS of the alloy. However, addition of 0.5 wt.% Sb or combined addition of Gd and Sb(0.5 wt.%, respectively) to the Mg-5Al-3Ca alloy shortened the Tvand improved the skeleton strength of the alloy, thereby reducing HTS. Moreover, significantly refined structure of Mg-5Al-3Ca-0.5Gd-0.5Sb alloy improved the feeding ability of the eutectic structure, thus the alloy exhibited the lowest HTS.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.61772386)National Key Research and Development Project(No.2018YFB1305001)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.KJ02072021-0119).
文摘Hybrid Power-line/Visible-light Communication(HPVC)network has been one of the most promising Cooperative Communication(CC)technologies for constructing Smart Home due to its superior communication reliability and hardware efficiency.Current research on HPVC networks focuses on the performance analysis and optimization of the Physical(PHY)layer,where the Power Line Communication(PLC)component only serves as the backbone to provide power to light Emitting Diode(LED)devices.So designing a Media Access Control(MAC)protocol remains a great challenge because it allows both PLC and Visible Light Communication(VLC)components to operate data transmission,i.e.,to achieve a true HPVC network CC.To solve this problem,we propose a new HPC network MAC protocol(HPVC MAC)based on Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Avoidance(CSMA/CA)by combining IEEE 802.15.7 and IEEE 1901 standards.Firstly,we add an Additional Assistance(AA)layer to provide the channel selection strategies for sensor stations,so that they can complete data transmission on the selected channel via the specified CSMA/CA mechanism,respectively.Based on this,we give a detailed working principle of the HPVC MAC,followed by the construction of a joint analytical model for mathematicalmathematical validation of the HPVC MAC.In the modeling process,the impacts of PHY layer settings(including channel fading types and additive noise feature),CSMA/CA mechanisms of 802.15.7 and 1901,and practical configurations(such as traffic rate,transit buffer size)are comprehensively taken into consideration.Moreover,we prove the proposed analytical model has the solvability.Finally,through extensive simulations,we characterize the HPVC MAC performance under different system parameters and verify the correctness of the corresponding analytical model with an average error rate of 4.62%between the simulation and analytical results.