The impact of the Rural Minimum Living Standard Guarantee(Rural Dibao)Program on child nutrition outcomes

The Rural Minimum Living Standard Guarantee(Rural Dibao)is an important unconditional cash transfer program to alleviate poverty in rural China.Despite the importance of children’s nutrition in breaking poverty cycles,little is known about the impact of Rural Dibao on child nutrition outcomes.Using China Family Panel Studies(CFPS),this paper examines the effects of Rural Dibao on child nutrition outcomes and investigates potential pathways and heterogeneous effects.We exploit propensity score matching and difference-in-differences techniques to evaluate the effects of the Rural Dibao program on child nutrition outcomes.Our results suggest that Rural Dibao significantly impacts the nutrition outcomes of children up to 15 years of age.Specifically,our results suggest that Rural Dibao improves child height-to-age z-scores by 1.05 standard deviations and lowers the probability of stunting by 11.9 percentage points.Additional analyses suggest that increased protein intake is the main pathway through which Rural Dibao participation contributes to better nutrition outcomes.We also find that the effect of the program is more pronounced among girls,children who are non-left-behind or live with highly educated mothers,and those from low-income families and poor areas.Our findings suggest that Rural Dibao participation helps improve child nutrition outcomes through improving diet quality.

Nonlinear empirical failure criterion for rocks under triaxial compression

Based on existing triaxial compression experimental data,a new empirical failure criterion with wide applicability was proposed considering hydrostatic pressure,second stress invariance,and maximum shear stress.Four fitting evaluation indicators were used to verify the consistency of the new failure criterion,and the differences with the other 6 failure criteria were discussed.The characteristics of the new failure criteria in the principal stress space were finally analyzed.The results indicate that(1)the new failure criterion exhibits strong predictive ability for triaxial experiments and has good applicability for both intact and jointed rocks;(2)the influence of hydrostatic pressure on the failure surface exhibits a non-linear trend,and different hydrostatic pressure also exhibits different distribution patterns on the deviatoric stress plane,with a distribution characteristic pattern of hexagonal snowflake-regular hexagon.The maximum shear stress has a torsional effect on the new criterion,in the three-dimensional failure surface.The parameters a and b of the rock have an impact on the failure surface morphology of the new criterion function on the offset surface.

Rockburst criterion and evaluation method for potential rockburst pit depth considering excavation damage effect

Excavation-induced disturbances in deep tunnels will lead to deterioration of rock properties and formation of excavation damaged zone(EDZ).This excavation damage effect may affect the potential rockburst pit depth.Taking two diversion tunnels of Jinping II hydropower station for example,the relationship between rockburst pit depth and excavation damage effect is first surveyed.The results indicate that the rockburst pit depth in tunnels with severe damage to rock masses is relatively large.Subsequently,the excavation-induced damage effect is characterized by disturbance factor D based on the Hoek-Brown criterion and wave velocity method.It is found that the EDZ could be further divided into a high-damage zone(HDZ)with D=1 and weak-damage zone(WDZ),and D decays from one to zero linearly.For this,a quantitative evaluation method for potential rockburst pit depth is established by presenting a three-element rockburst criterion considering rock strength,geostress and disturbance factor.The evaluation results obtained by this method match well with actual observations.In addition,the weakening of rock mass strength promotes the formation and expansion of potential rockburst pits.The potential rockburst pit depth is positively correlated with HDZ and WDZ depths,and the HDZ depth has a significant contribution to the potential rockburst pit depth.

Standardized ileal digestibility of amino acids in soybean meal fed to non-pregnant and pregnant sows

Background Two studies were designed to determine standard ileal crude protein(CP)and amino acid(AA)digestibility of soybean meal(SBM)from different origins fed to non-pregnant and pregnant sows.Seven solvent-extracted SBMs from soybeans produced in the USA,Brazil,and China were selected.In Exp.1,eight different diets were created:a nitrogen(N)-free diet and 7 experimental diets containing SBM from different origins as the only N source.Eight non-pregnant,multiparous sows were arranged in an 8×8 Latin square design(8 periods and 8 diets).In Exp.2,the diet formula was the same as in Exp.1.Eight gestating sows(parity 3)were assigned to 4 different diets in a replicated 4×3 Youden square design(three periods and four diets)in mid-gestation and again in late-gestation stages.Results When fed to non-pregnant and late-gestating sows,the standardized ileal digestibility(SID)of CP and most AAs from different SBM were not significantly different(P>0.05).When fed to mid-gestating sows,the SID values for Arg,His,Lys,Phe,Cys,Gly,Ser,and Tyr in SBM 1 were lower than in SBM 4 and 5(P<0.05),whereas SID for Leu from SBM 5 was higher than in SBM 1 and 4(P<0.05).SID values for Ile,Ala,and Asp from SBM 4 were lower than in SBM 1 and 5(P<0.05).Sows had significantly greater SID values for Lys,Ala,and Asp during mid-gestation when compared with late-gestation stages(P<0.05).Mid-gestating sows had greater SID value for Val and lower SID value for Tyr when compared with non-pregnant and late-gestating sows(P<0.01),whereas non-pregnant sows had significantly greater SID value for Met when compared with gestating sows(P<0.01).Conclusions When fed to mid-gestating sows,the SID values for most AAs varied among SBM samples.The SID values for Lys,Met,Val,Ala,Asp,and Tyr in SBM were affected by sow gestation stages.Our findings provide a cornerstone for accurate SBM use in sow diets.

Enhanced Hoek-Brown(H-B)criterion for rocks exposed to chemical corrosion

Underground constructions often encounter water environments,where water–rock interaction can increase porosity,thereby weakening engineering rocks.Correspondingly,the failure criterion for chemically corroded rocks becomes essential in the stability analysis and design of such structures.This study enhances the applicability of the Hoek-Brown(H-B)criterion for engineering structures operating in chemically corrosive conditions by introducing a kinetic porosity-dependent instantaneous mi(KPIM).A multiscale experimental investigation,including nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR),X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM),pH and ion chromatography analysis,and triaxial compression tests,is employed to quantify pore structural changes and their linkage with the strength responses of limestone under coupled chemical-mechanical(C-M)conditions.By employing ion chromatography and NMR analysis,along with incorporating the principles of free-face dissolution theory accounting for both congruent and incongruent dissolution,a kinetic chemical corrosion model is developed.This model aims to calculate the kinetic porosity alterations within rocks exposed to varying H+concentrations and durations.Subsequently,utilizing the generalized mixture rule(GMR),the kinetic porositydependent mi is formulated.Evaluation of the KPIM-enhanced H-B criterion using compression test data from 5 types of rocks demonstrated a high level of consistency between the criterion and the experimental results,with a coefficient of determination greater than 0.96,a mean absolute percentage error less than 4.84%,and a root-mean-square deviation less than 5.95 MPa.Finally,the physical significance of the porosity-dependent instantaneous mi is clarified:it serves as an indicator of a rock’s capacity to leverage the confining pressure effect.

Maximum Correntropy Criterion-Based UKF for Loosely Coupling INS and UWB in Indoor Localization

Indoor positioning is a key technology in today’s intelligent environments,and it plays a crucial role in many application areas.This paper proposed an unscented Kalman filter(UKF)based on the maximum correntropy criterion(MCC)instead of the minimummean square error criterion(MMSE).This innovative approach is applied to the loose coupling of the Inertial Navigation System(INS)and Ultra-Wideband(UWB).By introducing the maximum correntropy criterion,the MCCUKF algorithm dynamically adjusts the covariance matrices of the system noise and the measurement noise,thus enhancing its adaptability to diverse environmental localization requirements.Particularly in the presence of non-Gaussian noise,especially heavy-tailed noise,the MCCUKF exhibits superior accuracy and robustness compared to the traditional UKF.The method initially generates an estimate of the predicted state and covariance matrix through the unscented transform(UT)and then recharacterizes the measurement information using a nonlinear regression method at the cost of theMCC.Subsequently,the state and covariance matrices of the filter are updated by employing the unscented transformation on the measurement equations.Moreover,to mitigate the influence of non-line-of-sight(NLOS)errors positioning accuracy,this paper proposes a k-medoid clustering algorithm based on bisection k-means(Bikmeans).This algorithm preprocesses the UWB distance measurements to yield a more precise position estimation.Simulation results demonstrate that MCCUKF is robust to the uncertainty of UWB and realizes stable integration of INS and UWB systems.

Estimating shear strength of high-level pillars supported with cemented backfilling using the HoekeBrown strength criterion

Deep metal mines are often mined using the high-level pillars with subsequent cementation backfilling(HLSCB)mining method.At the design stage,it is therefore important to have a reasonable method for determining the shear strength of the high-level pillars(i.e.cohesion and internal friction angle)when they are supported by cemented backfilling.In this study,a formula was derived for the upper limit of the confining pressure σ3max on a high-level pillar supported by cemented backfilling in a deep metal mine.A new method of estimating the shear strength of such pillars was then proposed based on the Hoek eBrown failure criterion.Our analysis indicates that the horizontal stress σhh acting on the cemented backfill pillar can be simplified by expressing it as a constant value.A reasonable and effective value for σ3max can then be determined.The value of s3max predicted using the proposed method is generally less than 3 MPa.Within this range,the shear strength of the high-level pillar is accurately calculated using the equivalent MohreCoulomb theory.The proposed method can effectively avoid the calculation of inaccurate shear strength values for the high-level pillars when the original HoekeBrown criterion is used in the presence of large confining pressures,i.e.the situation in which the cohesion value is too large and the friction angle is too small can effectively be avoided.The proposed method is applied to a deep metal mine in China that is being excavated using the HLSCB method.The shear strength parameters of the high-level pillars obtained using the proposed method were input in the numerical simulations.The numerical results show that the recommended level heights and sizes of the high-level pillars and rooms in the mine are rational.

Standardization of meibomian gland dysfunction in an Egyptian population sample using a non-contact meibography technique

AIM:To develop normative data for meibomian gland dysfunction(MGD)parameters,using non-contact meibography technique of Sirius Costruzione Strumenti Oftalmici(CSO)machine,in an Egyptian population sample.METHODS:Observational,cross-sectional,analytic study,in which 104 Egyptian volunteers were included.Both upper lids were examined,using“Sirius CSO”machine.Each eyelid was given a degree of meibomian gland loss(MGL),which was calculated by the software of the machine.RESULTS:Mean percentage MGL in right upper lid was of 30.9%±12.6%,and that of left upper lid was 32.6%±11.8%.Thirty-four volunteers(32.7%)had first-degree MGL in their right upper lid,and 67.3%had second-degree loss.One volunteer(1%)had zero-degree MGL in left upper lid,28(26.9%)had first-degree loss,and 75(72.1%)had second-degree loss.Degree of MGL in right upper eyelid was not related to age,but degree of MGL in left upper eyelid increased with age.There was statistically significant difference between both genders for degree of MGL in right eye(P=0.036)and in left eye(P=0.027).CONCLUSION:Noncontact meibography is a useful non-invasive tool for diagnosing MGL.MGL is diagnosed in 100%of apparently normal individuals;26.9%-32.7%of which have first-degree MGL,and 67.3%-72.1%have second-degree MGL.

PDE Standardization Analysis and Solution of TypicalMechanics Problems

A numerical approach is an effective means of solving boundary value problems(BVPs).This study focuses on physical problems with general partial differential equations(PDEs).It investigates the solution approach through the standard forms of the PDE module in COMSOL.Two typical mechanics problems are exemplified:The deflection of a thin plate,which can be addressed with the dedicated finite element module,and the stress of a pure bending beamthat cannot be tackled.The procedure for the two problems regarding the three standard forms required by the PDE module is detailed.The results were in good agreement with the literature,indicating that the PDE module provides a promising means to solve complex PDEs,especially for those a dedicated finite element module has yet to be developed.

Development of a new cerebral ischemia reperfusion model of Mongolian gerbils and standardized evaluation system

Background:The Mongolian gerbil is an excellent laboratory animal for preparing the cerebral ischemia model due to its inherent deficiency in the circle of Willis.However,the low incidence and unpredictability of symptoms are caused by numerous complex variant types of the circle.Additionally,the lack of an evaluation system for the cer-ebral ischemia/reperfusion(I/R)model of gerbils has shackled the application of this model.Methods:We created a symptom-oriented principle and detailed neurobehavioral scoring criteria.At different time points of reperfusion,we analyzed the alteration in locomotion by rotarod test and grip force score,infarct volume by triphenyltetrazo-lium chloride(TTC)staining,neuron loss using Nissl staining,and histological charac-teristics using hematoxylin-eosin(H&E)straining.Results:With a successful model rate of 56%,32 of the 57 gerbils operated by our method harbored typical features of cerebral I/R injury,and the mortality rate in the male gerbils was significantly higher than that in the female gerbils.The suc-cessfully prepared I/R gerbils demonstrated a significant reduction in motility and grip strength at 1 day after reperfusion;formed obvious infarction;exhibited typi-cal pathological features,such as tissue edema,neuronal atrophy and death,and vacuolated structures;and were partially recovered with the extension of reperfu-sion time.Conclusion:This study developed a new method for the unilateral common carotid artery ligation I/R model of gerbil and established a standardized evaluation system for this model,which could provide a new cerebral I/R model of gerbils with more practical applications.

Three-dimensional limit variation analysis on the ultimate pullout capacity of the anchor cables based on the Hoek-Brown failure criterion

Only simplified two-dimensional model and a single failure mode are adopted to calculate the ultimate pullout capacity(UPC)of anchor cables in most previous research.This study focuses on a more comprehensive combination failure mode that consists of bond failure of an anchorage body and failure of an anchored rock mass.The three-dimensional ultimate pullout capacity of the anchor cables is calculated based on the Hoek-Brown failure criterion and variation analysis method.The numerical solution for the curvilinear function in fracture plane is obtained based on the finite difference theory,which more accurately reflects the failure state of the anchor cable,as opposed to that being assumed in advance.The results reveal that relying solely on a single failure mode for UPC calculations has limitations,as changes in parameter values not only directly impact the UPC value but also can alter the failure model and thus the calculation method.

Parallel session on marine standardization

The session on marine standardization was successfully held on May 22.Yu Xinli,President of China Association for Standardization(CAS),was invited to deliver a keynote speech.The highlight of her speech is presented as follows。

Workshop on driving inclusiveness in standardization

With the support of the Belgian FPS Economy,SBS and CEN-CENELEC are co-organizing the workshop,under the High-Level Forum on European standardization(HLF)and its workstream on inclusiveness in national standardization,to tackle issues of access and participation in standardization at the national level and discuss and promote best practices.

China and Sri Lanka sign a MoU on standardization

Witnessed by Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Sri Lanka Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena,Luo Wen,Minister of SAMR,and Anura Dissanayake,Secretary to the Prime Minster of Sri Lanka,signed a MoU on the standardization area on March 26.

Review on the Development of Cosmetic Industry from the Perspective of Group Standards

From the perspective of group standards, the dynamics of the cosmetic industry in the past few years were briefly reviewed and analyzed, including the number of group standards published, types of group standards, groups, and geographical distribution of the groups. The large number of participating groups and the wide range of geographical distribution indicated that group standards could play a positive role in the sustained and positive development of cosmetic industry. The future development of cosmetic industry was also prospected。

Field Load Test Based SHM System Safety Standard Determination for Rigid Frame Bridge

The deteriorated continuous rigid frame bridge is strengthened by external prestressing. Static loading tests wereconducted before and after the bridge rehabilitation to verify the effectiveness of the rehabilitation process. Thestiffness of the repaired bridge is improved, and the maximum deflection of the load test is reduced from 37.9 to27.6 mm. A bridge health monitoring system is installed after the bridge is reinforced. To achieve an easy assessmentof the bridge’s safety status by directly using transferred data, a real-time safety warning system is createdbased on a five-level safety standard. The threshold for each safety level will be determined by theoretical calculationsand the outcomes of static loading tests. The highest risk threshold will be set at the ultimate limit statevalue. The remaining levels, namely middle risk, low risk, and very low risk, will be determined usingreduction coefficients of 0.95, 0.9, and 0.8, respectively.

Quality Standard of Tibetan Medicine Nardostachys jatamansi Herba Based on"An Integrated Plant but Multi-purpose"

[Objectives]To establish the quality standard of Nardostachys jatamansi Herba.[Methods]The characters and microscopical identification of N.jatamansi Herba were carried out.The contents of moisture,total ash,acid-insoluble ash and extract were determined according to the relevant methods of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition).Using chlorogenic acid and 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid as quality control indexes,TLC and HPLC methods were established for qualitative and quantitative determination,and HPLC fingerprints were established.[Results]The characteristics of character identification,microscopic identification and thin layer identification were obvious.The moisture content ranged from 2.7%to 7.8%,with an average value of 5.4%.The total ash content ranged from 6.7%to 16.2%,with an average of 11.0%.The acid-insoluble ash content ranged from 0.7%to 8.5%,with an average of 3.6%.Extractives content ranged from 20.9%to 34.4%,with an average of 29.7%.Chlorogenic acid content was between 0.45%and 1.30%,with an average value of 0.77%.The content of 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid ranged from 0.18%to 0.58%,with an average of 0.31%.The similarity of each batch was between 0.930 and 0.994,indicating that the quality of medicinal materials from different producing areas was stable.[Conclusions]The quality standard of N.jatamansi Herba was established,which could provide quality control basis for rational,comprehensive and efficient utilization of N.jatamansi DC.resources and clinical use.

Formulation of Work-Study Combined and Result-Oriented Integrated Curriculum Standards

According to the Annex Technical Regulations for Integrated Curriculum Development(Trial)in Document No.30 of the General Office of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security(2012),this paper studies the formulation of the curriculum standards for the integration of Chinese medicinal materials production.We focus on the formulation ideas of the curriculum standards for the integration of Chinese medicinal materials production,the formulation process of the curriculum standards for the integration of Chinese medicinal materials production,including the description of typical work tasks,the determination of curriculum objectives,the analysis of study content,the description of referential study tasks,teaching implementation suggestions,assessment and evaluation suggestions,which can provide a reference for the development and research of other related integrated courses.

Analysis of Standards and Effects of Police Indirect Court of Human Rights——Taking“Akbay and Others v.Germany”as an Example

The European Court of Human Rights(ECtHR)has ruled that illegal indirect entrapment must meet three criteria simultaneously.This mixed standard requires that the previous direct entrapment violates the“essentially passive,”subsequent indirect entrapment satisfies the“reasonable foreseeability,”and police entrapment of secondary defendants to commit crimes is considered“decisive.”The legal consequences of indirect entrapment are distinguished between general indirect entrapment and illegal indirect entrapment.The basic position of the ECtHR on the consequences of illegal indirect entrapment has shifted from supporting mitigating penalties to recognizing procedural dismissal,and general indirect entrapment is considered a mitigating factor in sentencing.Against the backdrop of increasing internationalization of criminal justice standards,the above criteria and positions have strong implications for the improvement of relevant rules in China.

Calculation of Particle Decay Times in the Standard Model

We present here a two-step method of classification and calculation for decay rates in the Standard Model. The first step is a phenomenological classification method, which is an extended and improved schematic experimental formula for decay width originally introduced by Chang. This schematic formula separates decays into seven classes. Furthermore, from it is derived a process-specific interaction energy mX. The second step is a numerical calculation method, which calculates this interaction energy mX numerically by minimization of action from the Lagrangian of the process, from which follows the decay width via the phenomenological formula. The Lagrangian is based on an extension of the Standard Model, the extended SU(4)-preon-model. A comparison of numerically calculated and observed decay widths for a large selection of decays shows a good agreement.