Implications of fine water mist environment on the post-detonation processes of a PE4 explosive charge in a semi-confined blast chamber

The effects of a fine water mist environment in a semi-confined blast chamber on the chemical and thermodynamic processes following detonation of a 20 g PE4 explosive charge have been investigated.The effects were quantified by the analysis of pressure profiles recorded where several parameters including arrival time of the shock at the sensors, peak overpressures, specific impulse of the positive phase, period of the negative phase and the specific impulse of the multiple reflections were quantified.The effect of the fine water mist on the arrival time, peak pressures and the specific impulse of the positive phase agrees with previous findings in literature. In this paper, the focus is on the implications of the fine water mist on the negative phase and the impulse of multiple pressure reflections. The period of the negative phase was found to have increased by 40% and with higher negative peak pressure in the mist condition compared to the atmospheric condition. The activities of the multiple pressure reflections were found to have decreased considerably, both in number and in amplitude leading to lower impulses(by about 60%) for the water mist conditions.

FINED AND FLEXIBLE EXCHANGE RATE(Summary)

Ⅰ. Exchange Rates Excharge rates are the rates at which currency conversion takes place. They themselves tell us nothing about the relative strength of the currencies involved or economics behind them, It simply reflects the difference between the denominations into which the two countries have chosen to divide their respective currencies. A currency is considered externally weak if the government is having difficulty maintaining the predetermined exchange rates under

Microstructure Features with Ultrafined and Purified Grains for Si-Mn Hot-rolling TRIP Steel

The advanced hot-rolled transformation induced plasticity （TRIP） steel with high tensile strength of 775 MPa, high elongation of 29% and low ductile-brittle transmission temperature less than -80℃ has been developed in laboratory based on the common silicon and manganese chemical composition. The experimental results showed that the microstructures were featured with ultra fine grain size less than 5μm, appropriate retained austenite volume fraction around 11.8% and purified ferrite grain, which may result in well balanced mechanical properties for the steel.

Refined acoustic holography via nonlocal metasurfaces

Holography can provide the desired wavefront phase and/or amplitude for imaging,particle manipulation,bacteria trapping,and cell patterning in optics and acoustics.However,previous work on acoustic holography is mostly based on local design optimization,either using active control of the sound source or relying on the structural design to provide the desired wavefront.Achieving precise control over the acoustic field remains a significant challenge.Here,we realize refined single-plane symmetric binary amplitude,asymmetric intensity gradient amplitude,and bi-objective hologram through the non-local holographic imaging theory that considers the acoustic coupling of structural units in detail.By taking into account the self-radiation and mutual radiation between many small units on a plate of well-designed thickness,as well as the transmission through the plate's apertures,we can effectively regulate the sound field behind the plate.We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach through numerical simulations and experiments,showcasing a circle,a black hole,and a bi-objective with a circle and a square hologram.Notably,the acoustic black hole hologram precisely reconstructs the intensity gradient distribution at two bright spots.This non-local holographic imaging theory is valuable for the fine-intensity regulation of the sound field and is expected to be applied in ultrasound diagnosis and treatment,medical imaging,and other fields.

Structural properties of residual carbon in coal gasification fine slag and their influence on flotation separation and resource utilization:A review

Coal gasification fine slag(FS)is a typical solid waste generated in coal gasification.Its current disposal methods of stockpil-ing and landfilling have caused serious soil and ecological hazards.Separation recovery and the high-value utilization of residual carbon(RC)in FS are the keys to realizing the win-win situation of the coal chemical industry in terms of economic and environmental benefits.The structural properties,such as pore,surface functional group,and microcrystalline structures,of RC in FS(FS-RC)not only affect the flotation recovery efficiency of FS-RC but also form the basis for the high-value utilization of FS-RC.In this paper,the characteristics of FS-RC in terms of pore structure,surface functional groups,and microcrystalline structure are sorted out in accordance with gasification type and FS particle size.The reasons for the formation of the special structural properties of FS-RC are analyzed,and their influence on the flotation separation and high-value utilization of FS-RC is summarized.Separation methods based on the pore structural characterist-ics of FS-RC,such as ultrasonic pretreatment-pore-blocking flotation and pore breaking-flocculation flotation,are proposed to be the key development technologies for improving FS-RC recovery in the future.The design of low-cost,low-dose collectors containing polar bonds based on the surface and microcrystalline structures of FS-RC is proposed to be an important breakthrough point for strengthening the flotation efficiency of FS-RC in the future.The high-value utilization of FS should be based on the physicochemical structural proper-ties of FS-RC and should focus on the environmental impact of hazardous elements and the recyclability of chemical waste liquid to es-tablish an environmentally friendly utilization method.This review is of great theoretical importance for the comprehensive understand-ing of the unique structural properties of FS-RC,the breakthrough of the technological bottleneck in the efficient flotation separation of FS,and the expansion of the field of the high value-added utilization of FS-RC.

Diagnostic and therapeutic role of endoscopic ultrasound in liver diseases:A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND In hepatology,the clinical use of endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)has experienced a notable increase in recent times.These applications range from the diagnosis to the treatment of various liver diseases.Therefore,this systematic review summarizes the evidence for the diagnostic and therapeutic roles of EUS in liver diseases.AIM To examine and summarize the current available evidence of the possible roles of the EUS in making a suitable diagnosis in liver diseases as well as the therapeutic accuracy and efficacy.METHODS PubMed,Medline,Cochrane Library,Web of Science,and Google Scholar databases were extensively searched until October 2023.The methodological quality of the eligible articles was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale or Cochrane Risk of Bias tool.In addition,statistical analyses were performed using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software.RESULTS Overall,45 articles on EUS were included(28 on diagnostic role and 17 on therapeutic role).Pooled analysis demonstrated that EUS diagnostic tests had an accuracy of 92.4%for focal liver lesions(FLL)and 96.6%for parenchymal liver diseases.EUS-guided liver biopsies with either fine needle aspiration or fine needle biopsy had low complication rates when sampling FLL and parenchymal liver diseases(3.1%and 8.7%,respectively).Analysis of data from four studies showed that EUS-guided liver abscess had high clinical(90.7%)and technical success(90.7%)without significant complications.Similarly,EUS-guided interventions for the treatment of gastric varices(GV)have high technical success(98%)and GV obliteration rate(84%)with few complications(15%)and rebleeding events(17%).CONCLUSION EUS in liver diseases is a promising technique with the potential to be considered a first-line therapeutic and diagnostic option in selected cases.

Contrast-enhanced guided endoscopic ultrasound procedures

Contrast-enhanced endoscopic ultrasound(CH-EUS)can overcome the limi-tations of endoscopic ultrasound-guided acquisition by identifying microvessels inside inhomogeneous tumours and improving the characterization of these tumours.Despite the initial enthusiasm that oriented needle sampling under CH-EUS guidance could provide better diagnostic yield in pancreatic solid lesions,further studies did not confirm the supplementary values in cases of tissue acquisition guided by CH-EUS.This review details the knowledge based on the available data on contrast-guided procedures.The indications for CH-EUS tissue acquisition include isoechoic EUS lesions with poor visible delineation where CH-EUS can differentiate the lesion vascularisation from the surrounding parenchyma and also the mural nodules within biliopancreatic cystic lesions,which occur in select cases.Additionally,the roles of CH-EUS-guided therapy in patients whose pancreatic fluid collections or bile ducts that have an echogenic content have indications for drainage,and patients who have nonvisualized vessels that need to be highlighted via Doppler EUS are presented.Another indication is represented if there is a need for an immediate assessment of the post-radiofrequency ablation of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours,in which case CH-EUS can be used to reveal the incomplete tumour destruction.

Multiscale analysis of fine slag from pulverized coal gasification in entrained-flow bed

Fine slag(FS)is an unavoidable by-product of coal gasification.FS,which is a simple heap of solid waste left in the open air,easily causes environmental pollution and has a low resource utilization rate,thereby restricting the development of energy-saving coal gasification technologies.The multiscale analysis of FS performed in this study indicates typical grain size distribution,composition,crystalline structure,and chemical bonding characteristics.The FS primarily contained inorganic and carbon components(dry bases)and exhibited a"three-peak distribution"of the grain size and regular spheroidal as well as irregular shapes.The irregular particles were mainly adsorbed onto the structure and had a dense distribution and multiple pores and folds.The carbon constituents were primarily amorphous in structure,with a certain degree of order and active sites.C 1s XPS spectrum indicated the presence of C–C and C–H bonds and numerous aromatic structures.The inorganic components,constituting 90%of the total sample,were primarily silicon,aluminum,iron,and calcium.The inorganic components contained Si–O-Si,Si–O–Al,Si–O,SO_(4)^(2−),and Fe–O bonds.Fe 2p XPS spectrum could be deconvoluted into Fe 2p_(1/2) and Fe 2p_(3/2) peaks and satellite peaks,while Fe existed mainly in the form of Fe(III).The findings of this study will be beneficial in resource utilization and formation mechanism of fine slag in future.

Mechanical Behavior Based on Aggregates Microstructure of Ultra-high Performance Concrete

We developed ultra-high performance concrete(UHPC)incorporating mullite sand and brown corundum sand(BCS),and the quartz sand UHPC was utilized to prepare for comparison.The properties of compressive strength,elastic modulus,ultrasonic pulse velocity,flexural strength,and toughness were investigated.Scanning electron microscopy and nanoindentation were also conducted to reveal the underlying mechanisms affecting macroscopic performance.Due to the superior interface bonding properties between mullite sand and matrix,the compressive strength and flexural toughness of UHPC have been significantly improved.Mullite sand and BCS aggregates have higher stiffness than quartz sand,contributing to the excellent elastic modulus exhibited by UHPC.The stiffness and volume of aggregates have a more significant impact on the elastic modulus of UHPC than interface performance,and the latter contributes more to the strength of UHPC.This study will provide a reference for developing UHPC with superior elastic modulus for structural engineering.

Fine mapping of two recessive genes TaFLA1 and TaSPL8 controlling flag leaf angle in bread wheat

Flag leaf angle is one of the key target traits in high yield wheat breeding.A smaller flag leaf angle reduces shading and enables plants to grow at a higher density,which increases yield.Here we identified a mutant,je0407,with an 84.34%-89.35%smaller flag leaf angle compared with the wild type.The mutant also had an abnormal lamina joint and no ligule or auricle.Genetic analysis indicated that the ligule was controlled by two recessive genes,which were mapped to chromosomes 2AS and 2DL.The mutant allele on chromosome 2AS was named Tafla1b,and it was fine mapped to a 1 Mb physical interval.The mutant allele on chr.2DL was identified as Taspl8b,a novel allele of TaSPL8 with a missense mutation in the second exon,which was used to develop a cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence marker.F3 and F4 lines derived from crosses between Jing411 and je0407 were genotyped to investigate interactions between the Tafla1b and Taspl8b alleles.Plants with the Tafla1b/Taspl8a genotype had 58.41%-82.76%smaller flag leaf angles,6.4%-24.9%shorter spikes,and a greater spikelet density(0.382 more spikelets per cm)compared with the wild type.Plants with the Tafla1a/Taspl8b genotype had 52.62%-82.24%smaller flag leaf angles and no differences in plant height or spikelet density compared with the wild type.Tafla1b/Taspl8b plants produced erect leaves with an abnormal lamina joint.The two alleles had dosage effects on ligule formation and flag leaf angle,but no significant effect on thousand-grain weight.The mutant alleles provide novel resources for improvement of wheat plant architecture.

Changes on Stroke Burden Attributable to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter in China

Objective In recent decades,China has implemented a series of policies to address air pollution.We aimed to assess the health effects of these policies on stroke burden attributable to ambient fine particulate matter(PM_(2.5)).Methods Joinpoint regression was applied to explore the temporal tendency of stroke burden based on data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study.Results The age-standardized rates of disability-adjusted life year(DALY)for stroke attributable to ambient PM2.5 in China,increased dramatically during 1990-2012,subsequently decreased at an annual percentage change(APC)of-1.98[95% confidence interval(CI):-2.26,-1.71]during 2012-2019.For ischemic stroke(IS),the age-standardized DALY rates doubled from 1990 to 2014,and decreased at an APC of-0.83(95%CI:-1.33,-0.33)during 2014-2019.Intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH)showed a substantial increase in age-standardized DALY rates from 1990 to 2003,followed by declining trends,with APCs of-1.46(95%CI:-2.74,-0.16)during 2003-2007 and-3.33(95%CI:-3.61,-3.06)during 2011-2019,respectively.Conversely,the age-standardized DALY rates for subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH)generally declined during 1990-2019.Conclusion Our results clarified the dynamic changes of the ambient PM_(2.5)-attributable stroke burden in China during 1990-2019,highlighting the health effects of air quality improvement policies.

Fine mapping of the powdery mildew resistance gene PmXQ-0508 in bread wheat

In a wheat breeding line XQ-0508 showing consistent resistance to powdery mildew disease,a recessive gene,designated PmXQ-0508,was identified and mapped to a distal region on chromosome arm 2BS.Of three resistance-associated genes in this region,one encoding a protein kinase was selected as the primary candidate for PmXQ-0508.Ten closely linked DNA markers developed in the study could be used for marker-assisted selection for powdery-mildew resistance in breeding programs.

Effective separation of coal gasification fine slag: Role of classification and ultrasonication in enhancing flotation

Effective separation of residual carbon and ash is the basis for the resource utilization of coal gasification fine slag(CGFS).The conventional flotation process of CGFS has the bottlenecks of low carbon recovery and high collector dosage.In order to address these issues,CGFS sample taken from Shaanxi,China was used as the study object in this paper.A new process of size classification-fine grain ultrasonic pretreatment flotation(SC-FGUF)was proposed and its separation effect was compared with that of wholegrain flotation(WGF)as well as size classification-fine grain flotation(SC-FGF).The mechanism of its enhanced separation effect was revealed through flotation kinetic fitting,flotation flow foam layer stability,particle size composition,surface morphology,pore structure,and surface chemical property analysis.The results showed that compared with WGF,pre-classification could reduce the collector dosage by 84.09%and the combination of pre-classification and ultrasonic pretreatment could increase the combustible recovery by 17.29%and up to 93.46%.The SC-FGUF process allows the ineffective adsorption of coarse residual carbon to collector during flotation stage to be reduced by pre-classification,and the tightly embedded state of fine CGFS particles is disrupted and surface oxidizing functional group occupancy was reduced by ultrasonic pretreatment,thus carbon and ash is easier to be separated in the flotation process.In addition,some of the residual carbon particles were broken down to smaller sizes in the ultrasonic pretreatment,which led to an increase in the stability of flotation flow foam layer and a decrease in the probability of detachment of residual carbon particles from the bubbles.Therefore,SCFGUF could increase the residual carbon recovery and reduce the flotation collector dosage,which is an innovative method for carbon-ash separation of CGFS with good application prospect.

Fine mapping and cloning of the sterility gene Bra2Ms in nonheading Chinese cabbage(Brassica rapa ssp.chinensis)

The application of a male-sterile line is an ideal approach for hybrid seed production in non-heading Chinese cabbage(Brassica rapa ssp.chinensis).However,the molecular mechanisms underlying male sterility in B.rapa are still largely unclear.We previously obtained the natural male sterile line WS24-3 of non-heading Chinese cabbage and located the male sterile locus,Bra2Ms,on the A2 chromosome.Cytological observations revealed that the male sterility of WS24-3 resulted from disruption of the meiosis process during pollen formation.Fine mapping of Bra2Ms delimited the locus within a physical distance of about 129 kb on the A2 chromosome of B.rapa.The Bra039753 gene encodes a plant homeodomain(PHD)-finger protein and is considered a potential candidate gene for Bra2Ms.Bra039753 was significantly downregulated in sterile line WS24-3 compared to the fertile line at the meiotic anther stage.Sequence analysis of Bra039753 identified a 369 bp fragment insertion in the first exon in male sterile plants,which led to an amino acid insertion in the Bra039753 protein.In addition,the 369 bp fragment insertion was found to cosegregate with the male sterility trait.This study identified a novel locus related to male sterility in non-heading Chinese cabbage,and the molecular marker obtained in this study will be beneficial for the marker-assisted selection of excellent sterile lines in non-heading Chinese cabbage and other Brassica crops.

Quick-scanning X-ray absorption fine structure beamline at SSRF

The layout and characteristics of the hard X-ray spectroscopy beamline(BL11B)at the Shanghai synchrotron radiation facility are described herein.BL11B is a bending-magnet beamline dedicated to conventional and millisecond-scale quick-scanning X-ray absorption fine structures.It is equipped with a cylindrical collimating mirror,a double-crystal monochromator comprising Si(111)and Si(311),a channel-cut quick-scanning Si(111)monochromator,a toroidal focusing mirror,and a high harmonics rejection mirror.It can provide 5-30 keV of X-rays with a photon flux of~5×10^(11)photons/s and an energy resolution of~1.31×10^(-4)at 10 keV.The performance of the beamline can satisfy the demands of users in the fields of catalysis,materials,and environmental science.This paper presents an overview of the beamline design and a detailed description of its performance and capabilities.

Influence of Recycled Concrete Fine Powder on Durability of Cement Mortar

In this paper,the durability of cement mortar prepared with a recycled-concrete fine powder(RFP)was examined;including the analysis of a variety of aspects,such as the carbonization,sulfate attack and chloride ion erosion resistance.The results indicate that the influence of RFP on these three aspects is different.The carbonization depth after 30 days and the chloride diffusion coefficient of mortar containing 10%RFP decreased by 13.3%and 28.19%.With a further increase in the RFP content,interconnected pores formed between the RFP particles,leading to an acceleration of the penetration rate of CO_(2)and Cl^(−).When the RFP content was less than 50%,the corrosion resistance coefficient of the compressive strength of the mortar was 0.84-1.05 after 90 days of sulfate attack.But the expansion and cracking of the mortar was effectively alleviated due to decrease of the gypsum production.Scanning electron microscope(SEM)analysis has confirmed that 10%RFP contributes to the formation of a dense microstructure in the cement mortar.

Cortical activity in patients with high-functioning ischemic stroke during the Purdue Pegboard Test:insights into bimanual coordinated fine motor skills with functional near-infrared spectroscopy

After stroke,even high-functioning individuals may experience compromised bimanual coordination and fine motor dexterity,leading to reduced functional independence.Bilateral arm training has been proposed as a promising intervention to address these deficits.However,the neural basis of the impairment of functional fine motor skills and their relationship to bimanual coordination performance in stroke patients remains unclear,limiting the development of more targeted interventions.To address this gap,our study employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy to investigate cortical responses in patients after stroke as they perform functional tasks that engage fine motor control and coordination.Twenty-four high-functioning patients with ischemic stroke(7 women,17 men;mean age 64.75±10.84 years)participated in this cross-sectional observational study and completed four subtasks from the Purdue Pegboard Test,which measures unimanual and bimanual finger and hand dexterity.We found significant bilateral activation of the sensorimotor cortices during all Purdue Pegboard Test subtasks,with bimanual tasks inducing higher cortical activation than the assembly subtask.Importantly,patients with better bimanual coordination exhibited lower cortical activation during the other three Purdue Pegboard Test subtasks.Notably,the observed neural response patterns varied depending on the specific subtask.In the unaffected hand task,the differences were primarily observed in the ipsilesional hemisphere.In contrast,the bilateral sensorimotor cortices and the contralesional hemisphere played a more prominent role in the bimanual task and assembly task,respectively.While significant correlations were found between cortical activation and unimanual tasks,no significant correlations were observed with bimanual tasks.This study provides insights into the neural basis of bimanual coordination and fine motor skills in high-functioning patients after stroke,highlighting task-dependent neural responses.The findings also suggest that patients who exhibit better bimanual performance demonstrate more efficient cortical activation.Therefore,incorporating bilateral arm training in post-stroke rehabilitation is important for better outcomes.The combination of functional near-infrared spectroscopy with functional motor paradigms is valuable for assessing skills and developing targeted interventions in stroke rehabilitation.

Is endoscopic ultrasound a promising technique in the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases?

Percutaneous ultrasound has been a longstanding method in the diagnostics and interventional procedures of liver diseases.In some countries,its use is restricted to radiologists,limiting access for other clinicians,such as gastroenterologists.Endoscopic ultrasound,as a novel technique,plays a crucial role in diagnosis and treatment of digestive diseases.However,its use is sometimes recommended for conditions where no clear advantage over percutaneous ultrasound exists,leaving the impression that clinicians sometimes resort to an endoscopic approach due to the unavailability of percutaneous options.

Efficiency-Driven Custom Chatbot Development: Unleashing LangChain, RAG, and Performance-Optimized LLM Fusion

This exploration acquaints a momentous methodology with custom chatbot improvement that focuses on pro-ficiency close by viability.We accomplish this by joining three key innovations:LangChain,Retrieval Augmented Generation(RAG),and enormous language models(LLMs)tweaked with execution proficient strategies like LoRA and QLoRA.LangChain takes into consideration fastidious fitting of chatbots to explicit purposes,guaranteeing engaged and important collaborations with clients.RAG’s web scratching capacities engage these chatbots to get to a tremendous store of data,empowering them to give exhaustive and enlightening reactions to requests.This recovered data is then decisively woven into reaction age utilizing LLMs that have been calibrated with an emphasis on execution productivity.This combination approach offers a triple advantage:further developed viability,upgraded client experience,and extended admittance to data.Chatbots become proficient at taking care of client questions precisely and productively,while instructive and logically pertinent reactions make a more regular and drawing in cooperation for clients.At last,web scratching enables chatbots to address a more extensive assortment of requests by conceding them admittance to a more extensive information base.By digging into the complexities of execution proficient LLM calibrating and underlining the basic job of web-scratched information,this examination offers a critical commitment to propelling custom chatbot plan and execution.The subsequent chatbots feature the monstrous capability of these advancements in making enlightening,easy to understand,and effective conversational specialists,eventually changing the manner in which clients cooperate with chatbots.

Theoretical characterization of the adsorption configuration of pyrrole on Si(100)surface by x-ray spectroscopy

The possible configurations of pyrrole absorbed on a Si(100)surface have been investigated by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)and near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure(NEXAFS)spectra.The C-1s XPS and NEXAFS spectra of these adsorption configurations have been calculated by using the density functional theory(DFT)method and fullcore hole(FCH)approximation to investigate the relationship between the adsorption configurations and the spectra.The result shows that the XPS and NEXAFS spectra are structurally dependent on the configurations of pyrrole absorbed on the Si(100)surface.Compared with the XPS,the NEXAFS spectra are relatively sensitive to the adsorption configurations and can accurately identify them.The NEXAFS decomposition spectra produced by non-equivalent carbon atoms have also been calculated and show that the spectral features vary with the diverse types of carbon atoms and their structural environments.