BACKGROUND Insulin resistance(IR)was reported in most polycystic ovarian syndrome(PCOS)cases.Metformin,a biguanide drug,successfully reduced IR.Homeostatic Model Assessment for IR(HOMA-IR)and Doppler parameters assess...BACKGROUND Insulin resistance(IR)was reported in most polycystic ovarian syndrome(PCOS)cases.Metformin,a biguanide drug,successfully reduced IR.Homeostatic Model Assessment for IR(HOMA-IR)and Doppler parameters assessed metformin's effectiveness.AIM To verify whether the area under the curve of the internal carotid artery(AUC-ICA)Doppler wave can be a useful marker for assessing IR among PCOS cases who presented with menstrual irregularity and were treated with metformin over 6 mo.METHODS An observational,cross-sectional study recruited 54 eligible PCOS women;the anthropometrics were as follows:age,body mass index(BMI),menstrual cycle days,biochemical serum cholesterol,low and high-density lipoprotein,sex hormone-binding globulin,fasting blood glucose,and HOMA-IR,hormonal testosterone,luteinizing hormone over follicle-stimulating hormone ratio,and ultrasonic pulsatility index(PI)and resistance index(RI),carotid artery intima-media thickness(CIMT)and(AUC-ICA)parameters were initially recorded and repeated 3 mo and 6 mo later with metformin tab 500 mg;three times/day for 6 mo.In addition,AUC-ICA was assessed by taking repeated systolic and diastolic wave height measurements.RESULTS Metformin caused a progressive reduction in BMI,menstrual cycle days,biochemical hormonal,and Doppler parameters(CIMT,PI,RI,and AUC-ICA).AUC-ICA correlated strongly to all PCOS parameters.AUC-ICA correlated inversely with treatment time(r=-0.98,P<0.001)and positively with HOMA-IR(r=0.98,P<0.0001).Via the best subset regression model,the AUC-ICA had the highest predictive value for HOMA-IR.CONCLUSION AUC-ICA preceded PI,RI,and CIMT with a strong,meaningful correlation to all PCOS parameters,making it a reliable marker for the assessment of IR,especially during metformin therapy.Further studies are recommended to promote the application in practice.展开更多
Based on the optimization of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) photoelectrodes pretreated with different methods such as electrodeposition,spin-coating and TiCl_(4) pretreatment,theoretical calculations are carried out ...Based on the optimization of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) photoelectrodes pretreated with different methods such as electrodeposition,spin-coating and TiCl_(4) pretreatment,theoretical calculations are carried out to interpret the internal electric mechanism.The numerical values,including the series resistance R_(s) and the shunt resistance R_(sh) corresponding to the equivalent circuit model,are well evaluated and confirm that the DSC has good performance with a high R_(sh) and a low R_(s) due to good electrical contact and a low charge recombination after the different modifications.The Ⅰ-Ⅴ curves are fifted in the case without series resistance,and account for the role of R_(s) in the output characteristics.It is found that when R_(s) tends to the infinitesimal,the short-circuit current Isc,the open-circuit voltage V_(oc) and the fill factor can be improved by almost 0.8-1.4,2.9 and 2.1-6.8%,respectively.展开更多
This paper presents failure mechanisms of the soil at the caisson-tip with fillet during suction-assisted penetration of suction caissons in undrained clay.Theoretical solutions of resistance factor N_c of the caisson...This paper presents failure mechanisms of the soil at the caisson-tip with fillet during suction-assisted penetration of suction caissons in undrained clay.Theoretical solutions of resistance factor N_c of the caisson-tip are obtained in terms of the caisson-tip geometry ratio of the flat section of the caisson-tip to the caisson wall thickness m/t and adhesion factorsα_i along inside of caisson wall andα_b at the base of the caisson-tip.It is indicated that the factor N_c increases with the increase of m/t,α_i and a_b.The resistance factors N_c for the rough base(α_b=1)are larger by 0.57than that for the smooth base(α_b=0).Besides,the factors N_c of caisson-tip with flat base(m=t)are larger by 1.14 than that with full internal fillet(m=0).The required suction to penetrate suction caissons with various fillets is obtained in terms of the force equilibrium in vertical direction.The finite element limit analysis and centrifuge model test results are used to verify the rationality of the presented failure mechanisms and theoretical predictions.展开更多
large diameter internal thread of high-strength steel(LDITHSS) manufactured by traditional methods always has the problems of low accuracy and short life. Compared with traditional methods, the cold extrusion proces...large diameter internal thread of high-strength steel(LDITHSS) manufactured by traditional methods always has the problems of low accuracy and short life. Compared with traditional methods, the cold extrusion process is an effective means to realize higher accuracy and longer life. The low-cycle fatigue properties of LDITHSS are obtained by experiments, and the initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks are observed by scanning electron microscope(SEM). Based on the mechanical properties, surface microstructure and residual stress, the strengthening mechanism of cold extruded large diameter internal thread(LDIT) is discussed. The results show that new grains or sub-grains can be formed on the surface of LDIT due to grain segmentation and grain refinement during cold extrusion. The fibrous structures appear as elongated and streamlined along the normal direction of the tooth surface which leads to residual compressive stress on the extruded surface. The maximum tension stress of LDIT after cold extrusion is found to be 192.55 k N. Under low stress cycling, the yield stress on thread increases, the propagation rate of crack reduces, the fatigue life is thus improved significantly with decreasing surface grain diameter and the average fatigue life increases to 45.539×10~3 cycle when the maximum applied load decreases to 120 k N. The low cycle fatigue and strengthening mechanism of cold extruded LDIT revealed by this research has significant importance to promote application of internal thread by cold extrusion processing.展开更多
As an important high-energy chemical power source, lithium-ion power batteries come up to application problems of thermal performance, such as extended temperature range and high power charge & discharge. LiFeP04 bat...As an important high-energy chemical power source, lithium-ion power batteries come up to application problems of thermal performance, such as extended temperature range and high power charge & discharge. LiFeP04 battery is applied and developed well recently, its charge and discharge experiment at different temperatures and hybrid pulse power characterization (HPPC) test are analyzed, and the optimal temperature range of LiFeP04 battery is put forward. In order to provide experimental suggestion of power battery application and its thermal management, internal resistance, influencing factor of electromotive force and entropy change state of charge (SOC), battery thermal characteristic of different charge & discharge rates are summarized.展开更多
Application of thermal electrochemical equation to metal-hydride half-cell system was investigated, and the influence of state of charge on the thermal electrochemical performance of hydrogen storage materials was stu...Application of thermal electrochemical equation to metal-hydride half-cell system was investigated, and the influence of state of charge on the thermal electrochemical performance of hydrogen storage materials was studied. The results show that both the absolute value of the molar enthalpy change and the internal resistance of evolution hydrogen reaction are less than that of absorption hydrogen reaction at the same state of charge. The molar reaction enthalpy change of absorption and evolution of hydride electrode change contrarily with the enhancement of filling degree of hydrogen in hydride electrode. The relation curve of molar reaction enthslpy change to state of charge, both absorption and evolution hydrogen reaction, is close to a constant when the state of charge is 10%- 60%, and during state of charge below 10% or state of charge above 60%, the molar reaction enthalpy change varies sharply. Meanwhile, the internal resistance of electrode reaction has an ascending trend with the enhancement on filling degree of hydrogen in hydride electrode in both absorption and evolution hydrogen reaction.展开更多
SETTING: Millions of pilgrims visit Makkah (Mecca), Saudi Arabia, from regions of endemic tuberculosis. Little consideration has been given to the potential impact of this disease on the local population. OBJECTIVES: ...SETTING: Millions of pilgrims visit Makkah (Mecca), Saudi Arabia, from regions of endemic tuberculosis. Little consideration has been given to the potential impact of this disease on the local population. OBJECTIVES: To assess knowledge about TB among residents of Makkah and Jeddah (Makkah’s principal travel gateway). METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 1004 residents. Data were analyzed by gender. RESULTS: Spread of TB by coughing was a transmission route known by 44.2% of males and 59.6% of females (P < 0.001);20.0% of participants knew that TB is caused by bacteria;71.6% of females and 52.3% of males knew TB is infectious (P < 0.001). Regarding approaches to TB prevention, 48.0% of respondents answered patient isolation and 15.2% vaccination. Overall, 50.6% of males and 38.3% of females (P < 0.001) would seek modern medical treatment if hemoptysis occurred. With a persistent cough, 65.4% of respondents would do nothing or wait before consulting a healthcare provider. High numbers of “don’t know” responses were recorded throughout the survey. CONCLUSIONS: Within the population across pilgrimage areas in Saudi Arabia, knowledge is lacking concerning TB transmission, the cause of the disease, means of prevention and the success of treatment, highlighting an urge need for better public education.展开更多
Objectives: This study aimed to assess efficacy of intramuscular methotrexate 8-day protocol in the treatment of low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia and also identify prognostic factors associated with treatm...Objectives: This study aimed to assess efficacy of intramuscular methotrexate 8-day protocol in the treatment of low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia and also identify prognostic factors associated with treatment failure, necessitating second line chemotherapy. Methods: This study was performed at Gynaecologic and Obstetric Clinic of Dakar Teaching Hospital, the reference Centre of Gestational Trophoblastic Disease in Senegal. At the beginning of 2011, patients were followed according to FIGO’s recommendations. From 2011 to 2014, we diagnosed 88 low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) patients (WHO score < 7). Low-risk patients started their treatment with methotrexate (MTX) based on the 8-day protocol consisting of 1 mg/kg MTX in combination with 0.1 mg/kg folinic acid (FA) every other day. Resistance to treatment was the main outcome. We studied the association of different prognostic factors included in the World Health Organisation (WHO) scoring system and resistance to the initial single agent chemotherapy. Results: Eighty-eight patients were diagnosed for GTN during the study period. Average age was 31 years. The antecedent pregnancy was molar in 98.1% of cases. Seventy-four patients underwent remission after single agent-chemotherapy. Resistance rate to single-agent chemotherapy was 15.9% (14 patients). Nine of them achieved remission after second line chemotherapy. WHO score was significantly associated with the risk of resistance to single-agent chemotherapy. Other variables included in the WHO as age, antecedent pregnancy, pre-treatment hCG, tumour size and FIGO stage were not significantly associated with resistance. We report five fatal cases. Conclusion: The 8-day protocol consisting of 1 mg/kg MTX in combination with 0.1 mg/kg folinic acid (FA) every other day is effective for women with LRGTN. The only significant prognostic factor for failure is pretreatment WHO score. We highly recommend the use of this protocol particularly in developing countries where methotrexate is available, affordable and relatively safe.展开更多
The reported discrepancy between theory and experiment for external combustion Stirling engines is explained by the addition of thermal resistance of the combustion gasses to the standard Carnot model. In these cases,...The reported discrepancy between theory and experiment for external combustion Stirling engines is explained by the addition of thermal resistance of the combustion gasses to the standard Carnot model. In these cases, the Stirling engine ideal efficiency is not as is normally reported equal to the Carnot cycle efficiency but is significantly lower. A new equation for ideal Stirling engine efficiency when the heat is obtained through external combustion without pre-heating the air, is presented and results for various fuels tabulated. The results show that petrol and diesel, internal combustion engines (Otto cycle) have a higher ideal efficiency than the Stirling engine. When comparing thermoacoustic engines heated by wood, efficiency should not be quoted as a percentage of the Carnot efficiency, but against a figure 48% lower than Carnot. The effect is not seen with electrically heated rigs, solar or nuclear fission heated engines.展开更多
The borehole and total internal thermal resistance are both significant parameters in evaluating the thermal performance of the ground source heat pump.This study aimed to obtain the accurate correlation of the 3D bor...The borehole and total internal thermal resistance are both significant parameters in evaluating the thermal performance of the ground source heat pump.This study aimed to obtain the accurate correlation of the 3D borehole and total internal thermal resistance(R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D))and analyze the impacts of parameters on the R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D).Firstly,eight parameters affecting the R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D),including the borehole diameter,pipe diameter,pipe-pipe distance,borehole depth,soil thermal conductivity,grout thermal conductivity,pipe thermal conductivity,and fluid velocity inside the pipe,were considered and an L-54 design matrix was generated.Then,the 3D numerical model,coupling with the four-resistance model,was proposed to calculate R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D)for each case.After that,the response surface methodology was employed to obtain and verify the correlation of R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D),which were compared with the existing resistance calculation methods.Lastly,analysis of variance was carried out to reveal parameters that have statistically significant impacts on the R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D).Results show that the rationality and accuracy of the correlation of R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D)can be verified by the determination coefficient and P value of regression model,as well as the P value of lack-of-fit.The existing resistance calculation methods are more or less inaccurate and the discrepancies in some cases can be up to 86.74%and 111.35%for the borehole and total internal thermal resistance.The pipe and grout thermal conductivity,pipe and borehole diameter,and the pipe-pipe distance can be seen as the significant contributory factors to the variation of R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D).展开更多
The effect of black plate on corrosion resistance of T5 tinplate was studied by glow discharge spectrograph, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), stress tester, roughness tester and metallographic microscope. The result show...The effect of black plate on corrosion resistance of T5 tinplate was studied by glow discharge spectrograph, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), stress tester, roughness tester and metallographic microscope. The result shows that black plate influences corrosion resistance of T5 tinplate intensely. It also indicates that the increase of content of manganese, phosphorus, silicon and aluminum in black plate would reduce the corrosion resistance of T5 tinplate and the increase of degree of crystal orientation on (200) crystal face, |X-Y| value (internal stress difference within two orientation), roughness and exposure degree of iron grain after the same acid wash of black plate would enhance the corrosion resistance of T5 tinplate and the grain number of black plate has small effect on corrosion resistance of T5 tinplate.展开更多
Research carried out to assess the impact of open-pollinated Tomato leaf curl virus(ToLCV)-resistant tomatoes and hybrids on the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers in Southern India is described and discussed.Thre...Research carried out to assess the impact of open-pollinated Tomato leaf curl virus(ToLCV)-resistant tomatoes and hybrids on the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers in Southern India is described and discussed.Three high-yielding ToLCV-resistant tomato varieties were developed initially using conventional breeding and screening techniques involving inoculation by ToLCV-viruliferous whitefly,Bemisia tabaci.In 2003 and 2004,respectively,these varieties were released officially by the Karnataka State Seed Committee and the Indian Ministry of Agriculture through notification in the Gazette of India.From 2003 to 2005,eleven seed companies bought breeder seed of the ToLCV-resistant varieties and used them to begin breeding F1 hybrids from them.Socio-economic studies carried out to assess the benefits obtained from growing the ToLCV-resistant varieties found that farmers could gain up to 10 times the profit by growing the ToLCV-resistant varieties compared to the pre-existing ToLCV-susceptible varieties.Adoption of ToLCV-resistant tomatoes was also associated with reduced pesticide use.Extra income from tomato sales was prioritised by farmers to pay for children's education,better nutrition and medicines.In a joint effort with the commercial seed sector in India,a promotional field day was organised in 2007.As well as the three ToLCV-resistant varieties,62 ToLCV-resistant hybrid tomatoes were exhibited during a farmer-field day by 17 commercial seed companies and several public institutes.Tomatoes with ToLCV-resistance are now grown widely in South India and seeds of the three open-pollinated varieties have been distributed to more than 12 countries.In 2007,a conservative estimate of the financial-benefit to cost of the research ratio was already more than 837:1.展开更多
Developing precise and fast methods for short circuit detection is crucial for preventing or mitigating the risk of safety issues of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).In this paper,we developed a Convolutional Neural Networ...Developing precise and fast methods for short circuit detection is crucial for preventing or mitigating the risk of safety issues of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).In this paper,we developed a Convolutional Neural Networks(CNN)based model that can quickly and precisely predict the short circuit resistance of LIB cells during various working conditions.Cycling tests of cells with an external short circuit(ESC)are produced to obtain the database and generate the training/testing samples.The samples are sequences of voltage,current,charging capacity,charging energy,total charging capacity,total charging energy with a length of 120 s and frequency of 1 Hz,and their corresponding short circuit resistances.A big database with~6×10^(5)samples are generated,covering various short circuit resistances(47~470Ω),current loading modes(Constant current-constant voltage(CC-CV)and drive cycle),and electrochemical states(cycle numbers from 1 to 300).Results show that the average relative absolute error of five random sample splits is 6.75%±2.8%.Further parametric analysis indicates the accuracy estimation benefits from the appropriate model setups:the optimized input sequence length(~120 s),feature selection(at least one total capacity-related variable),and rational model design,using multiple layers with different kernel sizes.This work highlights the capabilities of machine learning algorithms and data-driven methodologies in real-time safety risk prediction for batteries.展开更多
基金The ethical committee of Mustansiriyah University approved the study dated February/21/2019(IRB No.115).
文摘BACKGROUND Insulin resistance(IR)was reported in most polycystic ovarian syndrome(PCOS)cases.Metformin,a biguanide drug,successfully reduced IR.Homeostatic Model Assessment for IR(HOMA-IR)and Doppler parameters assessed metformin's effectiveness.AIM To verify whether the area under the curve of the internal carotid artery(AUC-ICA)Doppler wave can be a useful marker for assessing IR among PCOS cases who presented with menstrual irregularity and were treated with metformin over 6 mo.METHODS An observational,cross-sectional study recruited 54 eligible PCOS women;the anthropometrics were as follows:age,body mass index(BMI),menstrual cycle days,biochemical serum cholesterol,low and high-density lipoprotein,sex hormone-binding globulin,fasting blood glucose,and HOMA-IR,hormonal testosterone,luteinizing hormone over follicle-stimulating hormone ratio,and ultrasonic pulsatility index(PI)and resistance index(RI),carotid artery intima-media thickness(CIMT)and(AUC-ICA)parameters were initially recorded and repeated 3 mo and 6 mo later with metformin tab 500 mg;three times/day for 6 mo.In addition,AUC-ICA was assessed by taking repeated systolic and diastolic wave height measurements.RESULTS Metformin caused a progressive reduction in BMI,menstrual cycle days,biochemical hormonal,and Doppler parameters(CIMT,PI,RI,and AUC-ICA).AUC-ICA correlated strongly to all PCOS parameters.AUC-ICA correlated inversely with treatment time(r=-0.98,P<0.001)and positively with HOMA-IR(r=0.98,P<0.0001).Via the best subset regression model,the AUC-ICA had the highest predictive value for HOMA-IR.CONCLUSION AUC-ICA preceded PI,RI,and CIMT with a strong,meaningful correlation to all PCOS parameters,making it a reliable marker for the assessment of IR,especially during metformin therapy.Further studies are recommended to promote the application in practice.
基金Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China under Grant No 2011CBA00700the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 21173228 and 11104150+1 种基金the Foundation of Key Laboratory of Novel Thin Film Solar Cells,Chinese Academy of Sciences under Grant No KF201106the Major Program of Natural Science Basic Research of Institution of Higher Education of Jiangsu Province under Grant Nos 08KJA510002 and 10KJA140043.
文摘Based on the optimization of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) photoelectrodes pretreated with different methods such as electrodeposition,spin-coating and TiCl_(4) pretreatment,theoretical calculations are carried out to interpret the internal electric mechanism.The numerical values,including the series resistance R_(s) and the shunt resistance R_(sh) corresponding to the equivalent circuit model,are well evaluated and confirm that the DSC has good performance with a high R_(sh) and a low R_(s) due to good electrical contact and a low charge recombination after the different modifications.The Ⅰ-Ⅴ curves are fifted in the case without series resistance,and account for the role of R_(s) in the output characteristics.It is found that when R_(s) tends to the infinitesimal,the short-circuit current Isc,the open-circuit voltage V_(oc) and the fill factor can be improved by almost 0.8-1.4,2.9 and 2.1-6.8%,respectively.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.51879044)the Youth Foundation of Shandong Natural Science Foundation (Grant No.ZR2020QE258)+1 种基金Qingdao Postdoctoral Applied Research Project (Grant No.ZX20220202)SDUST Research Fund (Grant No.2015KYJH104)。
文摘This paper presents failure mechanisms of the soil at the caisson-tip with fillet during suction-assisted penetration of suction caissons in undrained clay.Theoretical solutions of resistance factor N_c of the caisson-tip are obtained in terms of the caisson-tip geometry ratio of the flat section of the caisson-tip to the caisson wall thickness m/t and adhesion factorsα_i along inside of caisson wall andα_b at the base of the caisson-tip.It is indicated that the factor N_c increases with the increase of m/t,α_i and a_b.The resistance factors N_c for the rough base(α_b=1)are larger by 0.57than that for the smooth base(α_b=0).Besides,the factors N_c of caisson-tip with flat base(m=t)are larger by 1.14 than that with full internal fillet(m=0).The required suction to penetrate suction caissons with various fillets is obtained in terms of the force equilibrium in vertical direction.The finite element limit analysis and centrifuge model test results are used to verify the rationality of the presented failure mechanisms and theoretical predictions.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51372216)Jiangsu Science and Technology Plan Project of China(Grant No.BE2015113)Natural Science Foundation of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China(Grant No.BKJB460016)
文摘large diameter internal thread of high-strength steel(LDITHSS) manufactured by traditional methods always has the problems of low accuracy and short life. Compared with traditional methods, the cold extrusion process is an effective means to realize higher accuracy and longer life. The low-cycle fatigue properties of LDITHSS are obtained by experiments, and the initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks are observed by scanning electron microscope(SEM). Based on the mechanical properties, surface microstructure and residual stress, the strengthening mechanism of cold extruded large diameter internal thread(LDIT) is discussed. The results show that new grains or sub-grains can be formed on the surface of LDIT due to grain segmentation and grain refinement during cold extrusion. The fibrous structures appear as elongated and streamlined along the normal direction of the tooth surface which leads to residual compressive stress on the extruded surface. The maximum tension stress of LDIT after cold extrusion is found to be 192.55 k N. Under low stress cycling, the yield stress on thread increases, the propagation rate of crack reduces, the fatigue life is thus improved significantly with decreasing surface grain diameter and the average fatigue life increases to 45.539×10~3 cycle when the maximum applied load decreases to 120 k N. The low cycle fatigue and strengthening mechanism of cold extruded LDIT revealed by this research has significant importance to promote application of internal thread by cold extrusion processing.
基金Supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Programme of China (No. 2006AA11A192)
文摘As an important high-energy chemical power source, lithium-ion power batteries come up to application problems of thermal performance, such as extended temperature range and high power charge & discharge. LiFeP04 battery is applied and developed well recently, its charge and discharge experiment at different temperatures and hybrid pulse power characterization (HPPC) test are analyzed, and the optimal temperature range of LiFeP04 battery is put forward. In order to provide experimental suggestion of power battery application and its thermal management, internal resistance, influencing factor of electromotive force and entropy change state of charge (SOC), battery thermal characteristic of different charge & discharge rates are summarized.
基金Project(2001AA501433) supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Programof China
文摘Application of thermal electrochemical equation to metal-hydride half-cell system was investigated, and the influence of state of charge on the thermal electrochemical performance of hydrogen storage materials was studied. The results show that both the absolute value of the molar enthalpy change and the internal resistance of evolution hydrogen reaction are less than that of absorption hydrogen reaction at the same state of charge. The molar reaction enthalpy change of absorption and evolution of hydride electrode change contrarily with the enhancement of filling degree of hydrogen in hydride electrode. The relation curve of molar reaction enthslpy change to state of charge, both absorption and evolution hydrogen reaction, is close to a constant when the state of charge is 10%- 60%, and during state of charge below 10% or state of charge above 60%, the molar reaction enthalpy change varies sharply. Meanwhile, the internal resistance of electrode reaction has an ascending trend with the enhancement on filling degree of hydrogen in hydride electrode in both absorption and evolution hydrogen reaction.
文摘SETTING: Millions of pilgrims visit Makkah (Mecca), Saudi Arabia, from regions of endemic tuberculosis. Little consideration has been given to the potential impact of this disease on the local population. OBJECTIVES: To assess knowledge about TB among residents of Makkah and Jeddah (Makkah’s principal travel gateway). METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 1004 residents. Data were analyzed by gender. RESULTS: Spread of TB by coughing was a transmission route known by 44.2% of males and 59.6% of females (P < 0.001);20.0% of participants knew that TB is caused by bacteria;71.6% of females and 52.3% of males knew TB is infectious (P < 0.001). Regarding approaches to TB prevention, 48.0% of respondents answered patient isolation and 15.2% vaccination. Overall, 50.6% of males and 38.3% of females (P < 0.001) would seek modern medical treatment if hemoptysis occurred. With a persistent cough, 65.4% of respondents would do nothing or wait before consulting a healthcare provider. High numbers of “don’t know” responses were recorded throughout the survey. CONCLUSIONS: Within the population across pilgrimage areas in Saudi Arabia, knowledge is lacking concerning TB transmission, the cause of the disease, means of prevention and the success of treatment, highlighting an urge need for better public education.
文摘Objectives: This study aimed to assess efficacy of intramuscular methotrexate 8-day protocol in the treatment of low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia and also identify prognostic factors associated with treatment failure, necessitating second line chemotherapy. Methods: This study was performed at Gynaecologic and Obstetric Clinic of Dakar Teaching Hospital, the reference Centre of Gestational Trophoblastic Disease in Senegal. At the beginning of 2011, patients were followed according to FIGO’s recommendations. From 2011 to 2014, we diagnosed 88 low-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) patients (WHO score < 7). Low-risk patients started their treatment with methotrexate (MTX) based on the 8-day protocol consisting of 1 mg/kg MTX in combination with 0.1 mg/kg folinic acid (FA) every other day. Resistance to treatment was the main outcome. We studied the association of different prognostic factors included in the World Health Organisation (WHO) scoring system and resistance to the initial single agent chemotherapy. Results: Eighty-eight patients were diagnosed for GTN during the study period. Average age was 31 years. The antecedent pregnancy was molar in 98.1% of cases. Seventy-four patients underwent remission after single agent-chemotherapy. Resistance rate to single-agent chemotherapy was 15.9% (14 patients). Nine of them achieved remission after second line chemotherapy. WHO score was significantly associated with the risk of resistance to single-agent chemotherapy. Other variables included in the WHO as age, antecedent pregnancy, pre-treatment hCG, tumour size and FIGO stage were not significantly associated with resistance. We report five fatal cases. Conclusion: The 8-day protocol consisting of 1 mg/kg MTX in combination with 0.1 mg/kg folinic acid (FA) every other day is effective for women with LRGTN. The only significant prognostic factor for failure is pretreatment WHO score. We highly recommend the use of this protocol particularly in developing countries where methotrexate is available, affordable and relatively safe.
文摘The reported discrepancy between theory and experiment for external combustion Stirling engines is explained by the addition of thermal resistance of the combustion gasses to the standard Carnot model. In these cases, the Stirling engine ideal efficiency is not as is normally reported equal to the Carnot cycle efficiency but is significantly lower. A new equation for ideal Stirling engine efficiency when the heat is obtained through external combustion without pre-heating the air, is presented and results for various fuels tabulated. The results show that petrol and diesel, internal combustion engines (Otto cycle) have a higher ideal efficiency than the Stirling engine. When comparing thermoacoustic engines heated by wood, efficiency should not be quoted as a percentage of the Carnot efficiency, but against a figure 48% lower than Carnot. The effect is not seen with electrically heated rigs, solar or nuclear fission heated engines.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51708551).
文摘The borehole and total internal thermal resistance are both significant parameters in evaluating the thermal performance of the ground source heat pump.This study aimed to obtain the accurate correlation of the 3D borehole and total internal thermal resistance(R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D))and analyze the impacts of parameters on the R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D).Firstly,eight parameters affecting the R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D),including the borehole diameter,pipe diameter,pipe-pipe distance,borehole depth,soil thermal conductivity,grout thermal conductivity,pipe thermal conductivity,and fluid velocity inside the pipe,were considered and an L-54 design matrix was generated.Then,the 3D numerical model,coupling with the four-resistance model,was proposed to calculate R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D)for each case.After that,the response surface methodology was employed to obtain and verify the correlation of R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D),which were compared with the existing resistance calculation methods.Lastly,analysis of variance was carried out to reveal parameters that have statistically significant impacts on the R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D).Results show that the rationality and accuracy of the correlation of R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D)can be verified by the determination coefficient and P value of regression model,as well as the P value of lack-of-fit.The existing resistance calculation methods are more or less inaccurate and the discrepancies in some cases can be up to 86.74%and 111.35%for the borehole and total internal thermal resistance.The pipe and grout thermal conductivity,pipe and borehole diameter,and the pipe-pipe distance can be seen as the significant contributory factors to the variation of R_(b,3D)and R_(a,3D).
文摘The effect of black plate on corrosion resistance of T5 tinplate was studied by glow discharge spectrograph, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), stress tester, roughness tester and metallographic microscope. The result shows that black plate influences corrosion resistance of T5 tinplate intensely. It also indicates that the increase of content of manganese, phosphorus, silicon and aluminum in black plate would reduce the corrosion resistance of T5 tinplate and the increase of degree of crystal orientation on (200) crystal face, |X-Y| value (internal stress difference within two orientation), roughness and exposure degree of iron grain after the same acid wash of black plate would enhance the corrosion resistance of T5 tinplate and the grain number of black plate has small effect on corrosion resistance of T5 tinplate.
基金funded by the Department for Interna-tional Development,UK(DFID project codes R6627,R7460,R8247(Crop Protection Programme)and Phase Ⅲ of the International Whitefly Project)
文摘Research carried out to assess the impact of open-pollinated Tomato leaf curl virus(ToLCV)-resistant tomatoes and hybrids on the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers in Southern India is described and discussed.Three high-yielding ToLCV-resistant tomato varieties were developed initially using conventional breeding and screening techniques involving inoculation by ToLCV-viruliferous whitefly,Bemisia tabaci.In 2003 and 2004,respectively,these varieties were released officially by the Karnataka State Seed Committee and the Indian Ministry of Agriculture through notification in the Gazette of India.From 2003 to 2005,eleven seed companies bought breeder seed of the ToLCV-resistant varieties and used them to begin breeding F1 hybrids from them.Socio-economic studies carried out to assess the benefits obtained from growing the ToLCV-resistant varieties found that farmers could gain up to 10 times the profit by growing the ToLCV-resistant varieties compared to the pre-existing ToLCV-susceptible varieties.Adoption of ToLCV-resistant tomatoes was also associated with reduced pesticide use.Extra income from tomato sales was prioritised by farmers to pay for children's education,better nutrition and medicines.In a joint effort with the commercial seed sector in India,a promotional field day was organised in 2007.As well as the three ToLCV-resistant varieties,62 ToLCV-resistant hybrid tomatoes were exhibited during a farmer-field day by 17 commercial seed companies and several public institutes.Tomatoes with ToLCV-resistance are now grown widely in South India and seeds of the three open-pollinated varieties have been distributed to more than 12 countries.In 2007,a conservative estimate of the financial-benefit to cost of the research ratio was already more than 837:1.
基金supported by the U.S.Department of Energy’s Office on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy(EERE)under the Advanced Manufacturing Office,award number DE-EE0009111。
文摘Developing precise and fast methods for short circuit detection is crucial for preventing or mitigating the risk of safety issues of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).In this paper,we developed a Convolutional Neural Networks(CNN)based model that can quickly and precisely predict the short circuit resistance of LIB cells during various working conditions.Cycling tests of cells with an external short circuit(ESC)are produced to obtain the database and generate the training/testing samples.The samples are sequences of voltage,current,charging capacity,charging energy,total charging capacity,total charging energy with a length of 120 s and frequency of 1 Hz,and their corresponding short circuit resistances.A big database with~6×10^(5)samples are generated,covering various short circuit resistances(47~470Ω),current loading modes(Constant current-constant voltage(CC-CV)and drive cycle),and electrochemical states(cycle numbers from 1 to 300).Results show that the average relative absolute error of five random sample splits is 6.75%±2.8%.Further parametric analysis indicates the accuracy estimation benefits from the appropriate model setups:the optimized input sequence length(~120 s),feature selection(at least one total capacity-related variable),and rational model design,using multiple layers with different kernel sizes.This work highlights the capabilities of machine learning algorithms and data-driven methodologies in real-time safety risk prediction for batteries.