Incorporating empirical knowledge into data-driven variable selection for quantitative analysis of coal ash content by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy(LIBS)has become a widely used atomic spectroscopic technique for rapid coal analysis.However,the vast amount of spectral information in LIBS contains signal uncertainty,which can affect its quantification performance.In this work,we propose a hybrid variable selection method to improve the performance of LIBS quantification.Important variables are first identified using Pearson's correlation coefficient,mutual information,least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)and random forest,and then filtered and combined with empirical variables related to fingerprint elements of coal ash content.Subsequently,these variables are fed into a partial least squares regression(PLSR).Additionally,in some models,certain variables unrelated to ash content are removed manually to study the impact of variable deselection on model performance.The proposed hybrid strategy was tested on three LIBS datasets for quantitative analysis of coal ash content and compared with the corresponding data-driven baseline method.It is significantly better than the variable selection only method based on empirical knowledge and in most cases outperforms the baseline method.The results showed that on all three datasets the hybrid strategy for variable selection combining empirical knowledge and data-driven algorithms achieved the lowest root mean square error of prediction(RMSEP)values of 1.605,3.478 and 1.647,respectively,which were significantly lower than those obtained from multiple linear regression using only 12 empirical variables,which are 1.959,3.718 and 2.181,respectively.The LASSO-PLSR model with empirical support and 20 selected variables exhibited a significantly improved performance after variable deselection,with RMSEP values dropping from 1.635,3.962 and 1.647 to 1.483,3.086 and 1.567,respectively.Such results demonstrate that using empirical knowledge as a support for datadriven variable selection can be a viable approach to improve the accuracy and reliability of LIBS quantification.

Evaluation of Phytochemical Analysis and Total Phenol Content of Proso Millet and Barnyard Millet

Whole grains of proso and barnyard millets were sequentially extracted using different solvents(hexane,chloroform,ethyl acetate,and methanol).Phytochemical analysis was performed qualitatively,and the total phenolic content in the extracts of proso and barnyard millets was quantified.Alkaloids and cardiac glycosides were identified in all solvent extracts of both millets.Anthraquinone and glycosides yielded negative results in all solvent extracts of both millets.Among all the solvent extracts,methanol extracts of proso and barnyard millets showed the presence of major compounds such as flavonoids,terpenoids,amino acids,tannins,and phenolics compounds.The maximum amount of phenols was found in methanolic extracts of proso and barnyard millets(0.669±0.003 and 0.625±0.003),followed by the chloroform extract of proso and barnyard millets(0.284±0.002 and 0.257±0.003).The minimum amount of phenolics was found in the acetone extract of proso and barnyard millets.The methanol extract of both millets showed the presence of major compounds with high phenolic content.

Overview of Precious Metal Content Analysis Methods in Automotive Catalytic Converter

With the increasing awareness of environmental protection, people’s concern of pollution issues arising. Vehicles, as the most important means of transportation, its exhaust emission has received considerable attention. The catalytic converter is able to purify harmful substances in exhaust gas. The absolute content of precious metals in the catalytic converter dominates the exhaust gas purification effect. Accurate detection of precious metal content is of great significance for controlling the cost of catalysts, ensuring catalytic performance and recovering precious metals from spent catalysts. We herein summarized several instruments for precious metals content exploration, such as X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF), atomic absorption spectrometer (AAS), inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometer (ICP) and spectrophotometer. In this thesis, the feasibility of using various devices for characterizing precious metal content in catalytic converters is analyzed and their strengths or weaknesses are elaborated.

Analysis of the Conditional Correlations from Different Genetic Systems Between the Protein Content and the Appearance Quality Traits of Indica Rice

A factorial mating design in two environments was conducted using 7 cytoplasmic male sterile lines （A） and 5 restorer lines （R） along with their F1 （A × R） and F2 populations. The unconditional and conditional analyses of genetic models and the corresponding statistic methods, including endospermic, cytoplasmic, and maternal plant genetic systems, were used to analyze the genetic relationships between protein content （PC） and the appearance quality traits of indica rice （Oryza sativa L.）. The results from unconditional analysis indicated that PC was significantly correlated with the appearance quality traits of rice, except for the brown rice thickness （BRT）. Only the genetic covariance between PC and the brown rice width （BRW） was positively correlative, whereas all the other pairwise traits were negatively correlative. The results from conditional analysis revealed that the weight of brown rice （WBR） or the amylose content （AC） could significantly affect the relationships between PC and the appearance quality traits of indica rice. The conditional analysis showed that WBR might negatively affect the relationships between PC and the brown rice length （BRL）, BRW, or BRT through the geuotype x environmental （GE） interaction effects, but positively affected the relationships between PC and the ratio of brown rice length to width （RLW） or the ratio of brown rice length to thickness （RLT）. The amylase content could positively affect the relationships between PC and BRL, RLW, RLT through the cytoplasmic effects and maternal additive effects, but negatively affected the relationships between PC and BRW.

Correlation Analysis of SPAD Value with Chlorophyll Content and Economic Yield Traits of Brassica napus L.

[Objective] The aim was to compare differences of SPAD value, chloro- phyll content, agronomic characters, economic characters and yield traits to analyze correlation of SPAD value with other indices and establish regression functions. [Method] Based on 34 Brassica napus L. varieties, SPAD value, chlorophyll content, agronomic characters, economic characters and yield traits were measured and re- gression functions were established according to correlations. [Result] SPAD value, chlorophyll content, agronomic and economic characters and yield traits all achieved significant level in differences among 34 varieties. Specifically, SPAD value was of extremely significant correlation with chlorophyll a and b, total chlorophyll and carotenoid, and the correlation from high to low was chl-b〉chl-z〉chl-a〉chl-x. SPAD value was of significantly positive correlation with total pod number per plant, plant height, seed number per pod, yield per plant and harvest yield, and of insignificant correlation with branch point height, effective branch number, pod density of main stem, and pod length. [Conclusion] It is simple and rapid to predict chlorophyll con- tent, economic characters and yields of Brassica napus L. with SPAD value and re- gression functions.

Correlation Analysis of Characters of Indica Hybrid Rice with High Content of Amylose

[Objective] The aim was to research and analyze characters and related correlation of indica hybrid rice containing high amylose. [Method] In the research, major characters of 16 species of groups of {ndica hybrid rice and the correlation were explored in rice belts in Sichuan in 2011. [Result] The variation of chalkiness degree was the highest at 26.8%, followed by rate of head rice at 22.89%; varia- tions of head rice rate and chalkiness degree were lower at 0.72% and 2.61%. In addition, rate of unpolished rice was of significantly negative correlation with chalki- ness degree; rate of chalky rice was of extremely positive correlation with chalkiness degree and gel consistency; chalkiness degree was of significantly positive correla- tion with gel consistency; gel consistency was of significantly negative correlation with protein content; amylose content was of insignificant correlation with gel consis- tency （r=0.166 9） of the 16 hybrid groups. These indicated that gel consistency would be still high as the content of amylose grows （AC≥25%）. For example, when the content of anylose in Chuanxiang 29A/Luhui 37, Kangfeng AJ6684, and Lefeng A/SR536 exceeded 27%, the gel consistency was over 80 mm in the research. [Conclusion] The research provides references for improvement of amylose content in breeding hybrid rice.

Multiscale analysis of the contents of palmatine in the Nature populations of Phellodendron amurense in Northeast China

Palmatine is a valuable ingredient in Chinese medicine that is produced by Phellodendron amurense Rupr. The contents of palmatine content in root bark, trunk bark, perennial branch bark, annual branches, and leaves of the trees with different ages and geographies in Northeast China were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. The contents of palmatine in the barks of root, trunk, and perennial branch were significantly higher than those in annual branches and leaves. The contents of palmatine in trunk bark and root bark from Lesser Khingan Mountains increased with age, which is significantly opposite to other three vegetation types. The contents of palmatine in perennial branch bark, annual bark and leaves had no significant reg- ularity. Moreover, the contents of palmatine in samples of root bark, trunk bark, perennial branch bark and annual bark varied significantly with latitude. The nature populations of P. amurense growing at low latitude contained significantly more palmatine than those growing at high latitude. These results provide a scientific basis for the reasonable cultivation and efficient utilization of P. amurense.

GC-MS analysis,determination of total phenolics,flavonoid content and free radical scavenging activities of various crude extracts of Moringa peregrina(Forssk.) Fiori leaves

Objective:To perform phytochemical screening,estimate total phenolics,flavonoids and to evaluate antioxidant potential of Moringa peregrina(M.peregrina) leaves.Methods:The dried powdered leaves of M.peregrina(150 g) were extracted exhaustively by Soxhlet with ethanol and then fractionated into hexane,chloroform,ethy alacetate and methanol.All the prepared extracts were also analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to identify and characterize the chemical compounds present in the crude extracts.Folin- Ciocalteu reagent and aluminium chloride colorimetric methods were used to estimate total phenolic and flavonoid content of extracts.Hydrogen peroxide and 1,1 diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl were used to determine in vitro antioxidant activity.Results:Phytochemical analysis of ethanol extract showed presence of major classes of phytochemicals.Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry results revealed presence of 19 phytoconstituents in hexane extract,6 in ethyl acetate and 7 compounds in methanolic extract.Methanol extract was found to contain the highest phenolic content and flavonoids.In vitro antioxidant activities of all crude extracts were significant and comparable with the standard ascorbic acid.Conclusions:Results of this study show that the leaves of M.peregrina are the rich source of phenolic compounds that can play an important role in preventing the progression of many diseases.

The Outcome of Midwife-Mother Relationship in Delivery Room: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Effective communication and emotional support of parturient women improve the outcome of childbirth. Reduction in Duration of labor, cesarean rate, use of anesthesia, and 5 minute Apgar Score less than 7 can achieve. This study was a part of a large mixed method study during 2013-2014. In this qualitative study, in-depth interviews were conducted with 32 participants (16 mother and 16 midwife), using semi-structured interviews. Participants were recruited by pur-posive sampling with maximum diversity in terms of age, occupation, education and etc. Educational hospital of Arak University of Medical Sciences was considered as the setting. Each interview was conducted at a private and convenient location and took about 30 to 45 minutes. Interviews were audio taped and transcribed verbatim. Conventional content analysis was done for data analysis. Interviews continued until data saturation was obtained. Data were coded in MAXQDA software (version 11). The main category emerged as “outcome” of midwife-mother relationship. Facilitating childbirth, positive experience, mental health promotion and improvement in quality of life were derived as subcategories. Good midwife-mother relationship could promote positive outcome in labour. Results could assist midwives in providing holistic quality care to mothers during labour, thus providing positive consequence in child birth. Also, results could provide a framework and guidance for policymakers to create appropriate context for the midwife-mother relationship in maternity care.

Analysis and comparison of nutrient contents in different animal manures from Beijing suburbs

Manure samples were collected by floor scrapings in animal stables from Beijing suburbs. Total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and total potassium (TK) were analyzed by conventional wet chemical methods. All manures showed a high variability in nutrient contents. Nutrients contents in different animal manures were significantly different. TN and TK contents in layer manures were higher than swine and dairy manures

Shadow banking:a bibliometric and content analysis

This study reports on our systematic review of 2008–2021 literature on shadow banking.We present an overview of the shadow banking sector,wherein we discuss the definitions,evolution,functions,and specific activities that comprise it.We conducted a bibliometric analysis using the VOSviewer bibliometric tool on articles collected from the Scopus database,after which we conducted content analysis on top articles from leading sources,and identified four major streams of shadow banking literature.Additionally,we identified gaps in the literature and proposed seven research questions to be addressed in future studies to advance knowledge of the shadow banking sector.The findings of this review may serve as a robust reference for scholars researching various aspects of shadow banking to develop our understanding of this sector.

Temperature Sensitivity of Soil Respiration Probed by Numerical Analysis of Field-Observed Data Sets

Temperature sensitivity of soil respiration is essential to predict possible changes in terrestrial carbon budget on various scenarios about atmospheric and soil climates. Although it is often evaluated by using respiratory quotient “Q10”, Q10 values of soil respiration seem to vary depending on methods or scales of evaluation. Aiming at probing how Q10 values of soil respiration are evaluated differently for a field, this study used a model of soil respiration rate, and numerically evaluated soil respiration rates along depth by fitting the model to depth distributions of CO2 concentration measured in a field. And temperature sensitivity of soil respiration rate was evaluated by comparing the determined soil respiration rates with atmospheric and soil temperatures measured in the field. The results showed that the relation between surface CO2 emission rates and atmospheric temperatures was represented by lower Q10 values than that between soil respiration rates and soil temperatures, presumably because the top soil layers had acclimatized in more extent to the existing thermal regime than the underlying deeper layers. Thus, for evaluating effects of long-term rise in atmospheric temperature on soil respiration, it is necessary to precisely predict the long-term change in depth distribution of soil temperature as well as to quantify temperature sensitivity of soil respiration along depth. The evaluated sensitivity of surface CO2 emission rate to atmospheric temperature showed hysteresis, implying the needs for more knowledge about temperature sensitivity of soil respiration evaluated in both warming and cooling processes for better understandings and predictions about terrestrial carbon cycling.

Impacts of sample size for stomach content analysis on the estimation of ecosystem indices

This study used Ecopath model of the Jiaozhou Bay as an example to evaluate the effect of stomach sample size of three fish species on the projection of this model. The derived ecosystem indices were classified into three categories:(1) direct indices, like the trophic level of species, influenced by stomach sample size directly;(2)indirect indices, like ecology efficiency(EE) of invertebrates, influenced by the multiple prey-predator relationships;and(3) systemic indices, like total system throughout(TST), describing the status of the whole ecosystem. The influences of different stomach sample sizes on these indices were evaluated. The results suggest that systemic indices of the ecosystem model were robust to stomach sample sizes, whereas specific indices related to species were indicated to be with low accuracy and precision when stomach samples were insufficient.The indices became more uncertain when the stomach sample sizes varied for more species. This study enhances the understanding of how the quality of diet composition data influences ecosystem modeling outputs. The results can also guide the design of stomach content analysis for developing ecosystem models.

A review of Chinese NIMBY study based on literature content analysis

Chinese NIMBY movements have entered a period of intense outbreaks. To clarify the status of NIMBY study, 146 NIMBY research literatures from CNKI were selected and content analysis was adopted to classify and research the fi ve indicators including perspectives, academic norms, research methods, reasons exploring and governance mechanism. It was found that the literatures normative and the level of scientifi c research methods need to be improved and research questions need to be more refi ned. To enrich the academic achievements, there are three more detailed aspects of NIMBY: prevention mechanism, citizen participation mechanisms and mechanism of social organization.These research can provide support for local government to resolve the confl ict of NIMBY and build a harmonious society.

Charitable Donation Motives of Wealthy Chinese—A Content Analysis Based on 66 Chinese Philanthropists

Based on Chinese cultural psychology and multi-disciplinary theoretical system,this study establishes an analytical framework of wealthy people’s charitable donation motives.It takes the donation behavior of 66 philanthropists as the research object to discuss charitable donation motives of wealthy people.Through analyzing the content and text of 172 interviews and donation reports,this study verifies the unique influence of acquaintances’charitable motives in Chinese local culture,moral motives in Confucian culture,benevolent people’s love for others,self-promotion,collectivism and patriotism,and differential love on charitable donations of rich Chinese.This study concluded that the donation motives of wealthy Chinese mainly consist of 10 categories,such as expressing appreciation and gratitude,becoming a super representative of philanthropy cause,pursuit of the meaning and value of life,promoting social justice,inheriting the family wealth and family spirit,taking the social responsibility of Chinese entrepreneurs,driving more people to participate in philanthropy cause,improving the welfare of others,acquiring the exchange interests,and due to peer pressure.This research enriches the connotation of“Chinese philanthropy motivation”and discusses the characteristics of philanthropy motives in Chinese context,which can provide reference for improving the donation incentive policies and charitable organization’s fundraising activities.

Public library services to older adults in China:An empirical study based on content analysis

Purpose:The research is undertaken to help the Chinese public libraries answer the growing needs for library services to the elderly.Based on an investigation of the current situation of the services to older adults in China and a comparative analysis of the services in the U.S.,we attempt to explore what improvements the Chinese public libraries can make to better serve the needs of older adults.Design/methodology/approach:We empirically analyzed the older adults services of 271public libraries in China from 2002 to 2011 via content analysis of both the print materials such as the regulations and policies released by these libraries and the related information on the libraries' websites and the Internet Web pages.Findings:Great strides have been made in the Chinese public libraries' services to older adults in constructing service systems,providing facilities and equipment,exploring cooperative programming,and planning diversified and regularly scheduled activities.Compared with American counterparts,however,the Chinese public libraries need to catch up in understanding the elderly people as library users,planning customized services,formulating service guidelines and evaluation systems,and working with other local agencies for cooperative programming for seniors in communities.Research limitations:It is hard to collect more data covering more geographical areas and longer periods of time.The content analysis of libraries' policies and regulations is a very rough approximation of the libraries' 'real' services.The study should be extended to visits to public libraries in the future.Practical implications:This study provides useful information for the Chinese library policymakers to formulate regulations and policies to provide services to older adults.Originality/value:To the best of our knowledge,the comprehensive survey reported in this paper is the first in-depth investigation of the current situation of public library services to older adults in China,providing the analysis framework for more in-depth surveys in the future.

Chemical Analysis Method for Magnesia and Magnesia-Alumina Refractories——Gravimetric-Molybdenum Blue Photometric Method for Determination of Silicon Dioxide Content

This standard specifies the gravimetric-molybdenum blue photometric method for determination of silicon dioxide content.

Content analysis of documents using neural networks: A study of Antarctic science research articles published in international journals

Content analysis of scientific papers emanating from Antarctic science research during the 25 years period （1980-- 2004） has been carried out using neural network based algorithm-CATPAC. A total of 10 942 research articles published in Science Citation Indexed （SCI） journals were used for the study. Normalized co-word matrix from 35 most-used significant words was used to study the semantic association between the words. Structural Equivalence blocks were constructed from these 35 most-used words. Four-block model solution was found to be optimum. The density table was dichotomized using the mean density of the table to derive the binary matrix, which was used to construct the network map. Network maps represent the thematic character of the blocks. The blocks showed preferred connection in establishing semantic relationship with the blocks, characterizing thematic composition of Antarctic science research. The analysis has provided an analytical framework for carrying out studies on the con- tent of scientific articles. The paper has shown the utility of co-word analysis in highlighting the important areas of research in Antarctic science.

Research on Marine Ecological Civilization Policies in Shandong Province Based on Content Analysis

The policies of marine ecological civilization involve multiple policy areas such as marine economy, marine environment, and marine society. This paper sorted out 54 related policies of marine ecological civilization in Shandong Province, constructed a co-word matrix of policy keywords, and used co-word analysis method to conduct quantitative analysis. Through the measurement of policy network centrality, policy theme groups and structural holes, the coordination of policy contents and the centrality of policy points were analyzed. The study has found that among the comprehensive policies for marine ecological civilization construction in Shandong Province, the marine ecological environmental protection policies have more focuses and have formed a relatively complete system, but the relevancy of the policy points of marine science and technology innovation related to marine support policies is not high, and the support for marine environmental protection technology innovation is not strong. These discoveries are also reflected in the subsequent content analysis of marine social support policies, and they also affect the coupling degree between the marine ecological environment and marine ecological society in Shandong Province to a certain extent.

Sentiment Analysis in Social Media for Competitive Environment Using Content Analysis

Education sector has witnessed several changes in the recent past.These changes have forced private universities into fierce competition with each other to get more students enrolled.This competition has resulted in the adoption of marketing practices by private universities similar to commercial brands.To get competitive gain,universities must observe and examine the students’feedback on their own social media sites along with the social media sites of their competitors.This study presents a novel framework which integrates numerous analytical approaches including statistical analysis,sentiment analysis,and text mining to accomplish a competitive analysis of social media sites of the universities.These techniques enable local universities to utilize social media for the identification of the most-discussed topics by students as well as based on the most unfavorable comments received,major areas for improvement.A comprehensive case study was conducted utilizing the proposed framework for competitive analysis of few top ranked international universities as well as local private universities in Lahore Pakistan.Experimental results show that diversity of shared content,frequency of posts,and schedule of updates,are the key areas for improvement for the local universities.Based on the competitive intelligence gained several recommendations are included in this paper that would enable local universities generally and Riphah international university(RIU)Lahore specifically to promote their brand and increase their attractiveness for potential students using social media and launch successful marketing campaigns targeting a large number of audiences at significantly reduced cost resulting in an increased number of enrolments.