Evaluation of Interferon-Gamma Release Assay Testing and Tuberculin Skin Test for Early Diagnosis of Tuberculosis in Children and Adolescents

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of interferon-γ release assay (IGRA), a sensitive microbiological diagnostic method, in children and adolescents with suspected tuberculosis in a country with a high burden of tuberculosis. Method: This study included 581 children and adolescents aged 4 - 19 years who were suspected of having tuberculosis, were latently infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and had received at least one dose of BCG vaccine between April 17, 2019, and February 24, 2021. The study evaluated the TST results of 106 patients who had a positive Quantiferon test and were suspected of having tuberculosis. Results: The study included 581 patients aged between 4 and 19 years. Of these, 106 patients tested positive for the Quantiferon test, while 19 were indeterminate and 456 were negative. The Quantiferon test positivity rate was 18.24%. Among the 106 QFT-Plus-positive cases, 23 patients also tested positive for TST. The difference in distribution was found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: The QFT-Plus test is considered an alternative to TST and other microbiological diagnostic methods for early tuberculosis diagnosis, particularly in children and adolescents.

Performance and Safety Improvement of Induction Motors based on Testing and Evaluation Standards

The induction motor,which converts electrical energy into mechanical energy,has been recognized as the cornerstone of industrialization.The rotor of an induction motor can be either a squirrel cage rotor or a wound-type rotor,both existing as magnetless topologies.Three-phase squirrel cage induction motors are frequently utilized in industrial drives because they are dependable,have high starting torque,are selfstarting and affordable.Single-phase induction motors,on the other hand,are commonly used for small loads such as domestic appliances in form of modest fans,pumps and electric power tools.In South Africa,there have been reports of fires and explosions resulting in live and property loss because of induction motors that have not been thoroughly tested or are incorrectly labelled in terms of ratings,electrical safety and performance.The goal of this study is targeted at preventing end-user injuries and failures caused by non-compliant induction motors,by evaluating locally manufactured/imported induction motors based on tests and evaluation from standards(IEC and SANS).The study is conducted using experimental procedures at the Explosion Prevention Technology and Rotating Machines(EPT and RM)laboratory,South African Bureau of Standards(SABS),South Africa.The main finding from the study shows differences in the nameplate characteristics of various induction motors which could have detrimental effects such as production and operational downtime in their end-use industries,at later stages.

Pulsed Eddy Current Non-destructive Testing and Evaluation:A Review

Pulsed eddy current （PEC） non-destructive test- ing and evaluation （NDT＆E） has been around for some time and it is still attracting extensive attention from researchers around the globe, which can be witnessed through the reports reviewed in this paper. Thanks to its richness of spectral components, various applications of this technique have been proposed and reported in the lit- erature covering both structural integrity inspection and material characterization in various industrial sectors. To support its development and for better understanding of the phenomena around the transient induced eddy currents, attempts for its modelling both analytically and numeri- cally have been made by researchers around the world. This review is an attempt to capture the state-of-the-art development and applications of PEC, especially in the last 15 years and it is not intended to be exhaustive. Future challenges and opportunities for PEC NDT＆E are also presented.

Research on a TOPSIS energy efficiency evaluation system for crude oil gathering and transportation systems based on a GA-BP neural network

As the main link of ground engineering,crude oil gathering and transportation systems require huge energy consumption and complex structures.It is necessary to establish an energy efficiency evaluation system for crude oil gathering and transportation systems and identify the energy efficiency gaps.In this paper,the energy efficiency evaluation system of the crude oil gathering and transportation system in an oilfield in western China is established.Combined with the big data analysis method,the GA-BP neural network is used to establish the energy efficiency index prediction model for crude oil gathering and transportation systems.The comprehensive energy consumption,gas consumption,power consumption,energy utilization rate,heat utilization rate,and power utilization rate of crude oil gathering and transportation systems are predicted.Considering the efficiency and unit consumption index of the crude oil gathering and transportation system,the energy efficiency evaluation system of the crude oil gathering and transportation system is established based on a game theory combined weighting method and TOPSIS evaluation method,and the subjective weight is determined by the triangular fuzzy analytic hierarchy process.The entropy weight method determines the objective weight,and the combined weight of game theory combines subjectivity with objectivity to comprehensively evaluate the comprehensive energy efficiency of crude oil gathering and transportation systems and their subsystems.Finally,the weak links in energy utilization are identified,and energy conservation and consumption reduction are improved.The above research provides technical support for the green,efficient and intelligent development of crude oil gathering and transportation systems.

Landslide hazard susceptibility evaluation based on SBAS-InSAR technology and SSA-BP neural network algorithm:A case study of Baihetan Reservoir Area

Landslide hazard susceptibility evaluation takes on critical significance in early warning and disaster prevention and reduction.In order to solve the problems of poor effectiveness of landslide data and complex calculation of weights for multiple evaluation factors in the existing landslide susceptibility evaluation models,in this study,a method of landslide hazard susceptibility evaluation is proposed by combining SBAS-InSAR(Small Baseline Subsets-Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar)and SSA-BP(Sparrow Search Algorithm-Back Propagation)neural network algorithm.The SBAS-InSAR technology is adopted to identify potential landslide hazards in the study area,update the cataloging data of landslide hazards,and 11 evaluation factors are chosen for constructing the SSA-BP model for training and validation.Baihetan Reservoir area is selected as a case study for validation.As indicated by the results,the application of SBAS-InSAR technology,combined with both ascending and descending orbit data,effectively addresses the incomplete identification of landslide hazards caused by geometric distortion of single orbit SAR data(e.g.,shadow,overlay,and perspective contraction)in deep canyon areas,thereby enabling the acquisition of up-to-date landslide hazard data.Moreover,in comparison to the conventional BP(Back Propagation)algorithm,the accuracy of the model constructed by the SSA-BP algorithm exhibits a significant increase,with mean squared error and mean absolute error reduced by 0.0142 and 0.0607,respectively.Additionally,during the process of susceptibility evaluation,the SSA-BP model effectively circumvents the issue of considerable manual interventions in calculating the weight of evaluation factors.The area under the curve of this model reaches 0.909,surpassing BP(0.835),random forest(0.792),and the information value method(0.699).The risk of landslide occurrence in the Baihetan Reservoir area is positively correlated with slope,surface temperature,and deformation rate,while it is negatively correlated with fault distance and normalized difference vegetation index.Geological lithology exerts minimal influence on the occurrence of landslides,with the risk being low in forest land and high in grassland.The method proposed in this study provides a useful reference for disaster prevention and mitigation departments to perform landslide hazard susceptibility evaluations in deep canyon areas under complex geological conditions.

Analysis of the integrated test and evaluation methods of tidal current energy generating devices in the offshore testing site

Actual sea condition testing and inspection and evaluation method research are carried out for tidal energy devices to provide scientific and effective technical support for the ocean high-tech achievement transformation and marine renewable energy development. By analyzing three core indicators, including the power output characteristics of the tidal current device, the generating capacity, energy conversion efficiency, proposed the test contents and evaluation methods of indicators are proposed in this paper; and based on the research of wind farms, power quality testing and assessment methods of offshore tidal energy device are proposed; given the security access to the test contents of tidal current energy device, tidal current energy device running conditions in the testing ground are comprehensively assessed.

Comparative evaluation of commercial Douchi by different molds:biogenic amines,non-volatile and volatile compounds

To provide new insights into the development and utilization of Douchi artificial starters,three common strains(Aspergillus oryzae,Mucor racemosus,and Rhizopus oligosporus)were used to study their influence on the fermentation of Douchi.The results showed that the biogenic amine contents of the three types of Douchi were all within the safe range and far lower than those of traditional fermented Douchi.Aspergillus-type Douchi produced more free amino acids than the other two types of Douchi,and its umami taste was more prominent in sensory evaluation(P<0.01),while Mucor-type and Rhizopus-type Douchi produced more esters and pyrazines,making the aroma,sauce,and Douchi flavor more abundant.According to the Pearson and PLS analyses results,sweetness was significantly negatively correlated with phenylalanine,cysteine,and acetic acid(P<0.05),bitterness was significantly negatively correlated with malic acid(P<0.05),the sour taste was significantly positively correlated with citric acid and most free amino acids(P<0.05),while astringency was significantly negatively correlated with glucose(P<0.001).Thirteen volatile compounds such as furfuryl alcohol,phenethyl alcohol,and benzaldehyde caused the flavor difference of three types of Douchi.This study provides theoretical basis for the selection of starting strains for commercial Douchi production.

Identification and evaluation of shale oil micromigration and its petroleum geological significance

Taking the Lower Permian Fengcheng Formation shale in Mahu Sag of Junggar Basin,NW China,as an example,core observation,test analysis,geological analysis and numerical simulation were applied to identify the shale oil micro-migration phenomenon.The hydrocarbon micro-migration in shale oil was quantitatively evaluated and verified by a self-created hydrocarbon expulsion potential method,and the petroleum geological significance of shale oil micro-migration evaluation was determined.Results show that significant micro-migration can be recognized between the organic-rich lamina and organic-poor lamina.The organic-rich lamina has strong hydrocarbon generation ability.The heavy components of hydrocarbon preferentially retained by kerogen swelling or adsorption,while the light components of hydrocarbon were migrated and accumulated to the interbedded felsic or carbonate organic-poor laminae as free oil.About 69% of the Fengcheng Formation shale samples in Well MY1 exhibit hydrocarbon charging phenomenon,while 31% of those exhibit hydrocarbon expulsion phenomenon.The reliability of the micro-migration evaluation results was verified by combining the group components based on the geochromatography effect,two-dimension nuclear magnetic resonance analysis,and the geochemical behavior of inorganic manganese elements in the process of hydrocarbon migration.Micro-migration is a bridge connecting the hydrocarbon accumulation elements in shale formations,which reflects the whole process of shale oil generation,expulsion and accumulation,and controls the content and composition of shale oil.The identification and evaluation of shale oil micro-migration will provide new perspectives for dynamically differential enrichment mechanism of shale oil and establishing a“multi-peak model in oil generation”of shale.

Micromechanical testing and property upscaling of planetary rocks:A critical review

Knowledge of the mechanical behavior of planetary rocks is indispensable for space explorations.The scarcity of pristine samples and the irregular shapes of planetary meteorites make it difficult to obtain representative samples for conventional macroscale rock mechanics experiments(macro-RMEs).This critical review discusses recent advances in microscale RMEs(micro-RMEs)techniques and the upscaling methods for extracting mechanical parameters.Methods of mineralogical and microstructural analyses,along with non-destructive mechanical techniques,have provided new opportunities for studying planetary rocks with unprecedented precision and capabilities.First,we summarize several mainstream methods for obtaining the mineralogy and microstructure of planetary rocks.Then,nondestructive micromechanical testing methods,nanoindentation and atomic force microscopy(AFM),are detailed reviewed,illustrating the principles,advantages,influencing factors,and available testing results from literature.Subsequently,several feasible upscaling methods that bridge the micro-measurements of meteorite pieces to the strength of the intact body are introduced.Finally,the potential applications of planetary rock mechanics research to guiding the design and execution of space missions are environed,ranging from sample return missions and planetary defense to extraterrestrial construction.These discussions are expected to broaden the understanding of the microscale mechanical properties of planetary rocks and their significant role in deep space exploration.

Testing and Evaluation for Web Usability Based on Extended Markov Chain Model

As the increasing popularity and complexity of Web applications and the emergence of their new characteristics, the testing and maintenance of large, complex Web applications are becoming more complex and difficult. Web applications generally contain lots of pages and are used by enormous users. Statistical testing is an effective way of ensuring their quality. Web usage can be accurately described by Markov chain which has been proved to be an ideal model for software statistical testing. The results of unit testing can be utilized in the latter stages, which is an important strategy for bottom-to-top integration testing, and the other improvement of extended Markov chain model (EMM) is to present the error type vector which is treated as a part of page node. this paper also proposes the algorithm for generating test cases of usage paths. Finally, optional usage reliability evaluation methods and an incremental usability regression testing model for testing and evaluation are presented. Key words statistical testing - evaluation for Web usability - extended Markov chain model (EMM) - Web log mining - reliability evaluation CLC number TP311. 5 Foundation item: Supported by the National Defence Research Project (No. 41315. 9. 2) and National Science and Technology Plan (2001BA102A04-02-03)Biography: MAO Cheng-ying (1978-), male, Ph.D. candidate, research direction: software testing. Research direction: advanced database system, software testing, component technology and data mining.

Correction to: Recent developments in photoacoustic imaging and sensing for nondestructive testing and evaluation

Following publication of the original article[1],the authors identified an error in the article title.The first word ‘Review’ is added mistakenly by the typesetter.

Recent developments in photoacoustic imaging and sensing for nondestructive testing and evaluation

Photoacoustic(PA)imaging has been widely used in biomedical research and preclinical studies during the past two decades.It has also been explored for nondestructive testing and evaluation(NDT/E)and for industrial applications.This paper describes the basic principles of PA technology for NDT/E and its applications in recent years.PA technology for NDT/E includes the use of a modulated continuous-wave laser and a pulsed laser for PA wave excitation,PA-generated ultrasonic waves,and all-optical PA wave excitation and detection.PA technology for NDT/E has demonstrated broad applications,including the imaging of railway cracks and defects,the imaging of Li metal batteries,the measurements of the porosity and Young’s modulus,the detection of defects and damage in silicon wafers,and a visualization of underdrawings in paintings.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Flower Border Application Value of New and Superior Plants in Hefei Area

An analytic hierarchy process(AHP)was employed to assess the applicability of 18 new and superior varieties of flowers in Hefei City flower border applications.A total of 12 indicators were selected from three distinct aspects of adaptability,ornamental characteristics and use traits,in order to establish a comprehensive evaluation model.The results demonstrate that grade I(J≥2.685)exhibits excellent application value,encompassing six species of plants,such asHydrangeamacrophylla‘Endless Summer’;grade II(2.684≤J≤2.420)is also of notable application value,encompassing five species of plants,such asCallistemonrigidus;grade III(2.419≤J≤2.615)is of average application value,including five species of plants,such asCrocosmiacrocosmiflora;grade IV(J≤2.16)is of relatively poor application value.The evaluation results may be utilized as a theoretical reference for the promotion of new and superior varieties in the flower border of Hefei.

The effect of grade entitlement attitudes on English programs in Japanese universities language testing and evaluation： Foreign language skill development

This paper deals with the effect of grade entitlement on English programs in Japanese universities. For years, teachers and administrators have noted that even though Japan is one of the highest spending countries on English education, there has not been a commensurate increase in English ability. Most research to explain this disparity has thus far focused on methodology, class size and teacher qualifications. Recent research dealing with academic entitlement at US universities may offer an alternative explanation for some of the lack of success that Japanese universities have experienced. Ellen Greenberger, one of the author＇s of Self-entitled college students： Contributions of personality, parenting and motivational factors, which appeared in 2008 in The Journal of Youth and Adolescence claims that in recent years, the number of students appealing their grades and expecting to be rewarded for effort rather than results has increased. Greenberger＇s paper motivated this study. 200 Japanese students completed a survey that presented a number of grade scenarios. The students were asked, based on test grades and completed assignments, what grade a student should receive in each hypothetical situation. Similarly, full-time and part-time teachers were asked what grade they would give in each situation. This paper explains the different situations, students＇ and teachers＇ responses to the scenarios, and then discusses the implications for English education in Japan.

Evaluation and diagnostic testing of erectile dysfunction in the era of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors

The diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction has changed dramatically since the availability of safe and effective oral therapies. Unfortunately, not all men can be adequately treated in this way, and might require more invasive testing to diagnose and treat the specific cause of their dysfunction. This review looks at the tests and strategies available for men who cannot be treated by oral therapy alone.

Machine learning in metal-ion battery research: Advancing material prediction, characterization, and status evaluation

Metal-ion batteries(MIBs),including alkali metal-ion(Li^(+),Na^(+),and K^(3)),multi-valent metal-ion(Zn^(2+),Mg^(2+),and Al^(3+)),metal-air,and metal-sulfur batteries,play an indispensable role in electrochemical energy storage.However,the performance of MIBs is significantly influenced by numerous variables,resulting in multi-dimensional and long-term challenges in the field of battery research and performance enhancement.Machine learning(ML),with its capability to solve intricate tasks and perform robust data processing,is now catalyzing a revolutionary transformation in the development of MIB materials and devices.In this review,we summarize the utilization of ML algorithms that have expedited research on MIBs over the past five years.We present an extensive overview of existing algorithms,elucidating their details,advantages,and limitations in various applications,which encompass electrode screening,material property prediction,electrolyte formulation design,electrode material characterization,manufacturing parameter optimization,and real-time battery status monitoring.Finally,we propose potential solutions and future directions for the application of ML in advancing MIB development.

Core competence evaluation standards for emergency nurse specialist: Developing and testing psychometric properties

Introduction:Nurse specialists are being cultivated and trained in China to cope with the international development of nursing discipline.However,an empirical summary and reviews of literature have shown a lack of core competence evaluation standards for emergency nurse specialists(ENSs)in China.ENS training has been conducted in several regions without any effective competence evaluation standards.This paper describes the development and psychometric testing of the Core Competence Evaluation Standards for Emergency Nurse Specialists(CCESENS)in the Chinese context.Methods:Several rigorous research methods were applied.The proposed evaluation process consisted of two phases with seven steps.First,the Core Competence Framework Model for Emergency Nurse Specialist(CCFMENS)was established,and 118 items were generated through a review of literature,theoretical analysis,and expert interviews.Drafts of the dimensions and items were evaluated by two-round Delphi methods.Analysis hierarchy process was used to determine the weight of each dimension.Second,field testing was performed among 138 senior emergency nurses.Internal consistency and correlation analysis were applied to test the reliability and validity of the model.Results:The CCESENS consisted of five first-level dimensions,16 second-level dimensions,and 55 items.Cronbach's a coefficient of overall standards was 0.972,and each dimension ranged from 0.508 to 0.972.Expert content validity index was 0.818,and the correlation coefficients of the five first-level dimensions with the overall standards CCESENS ranged from 0.701 to 0.886(P<0.05).Discussion:The CCESENS demonstrated sound internal consistency reliability,content validity,and construct validity.The proposed standard provides an objective standard and reference for assessing,training,and evaluating core competence of ENS.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Distributed PV Grid-Connected Based on Combined Weighting Weights and TOPSIS-RSR Method

To effectively quantify the impact of distributed photovoltaic(PV)access on the distribution network,this paper proposes a comprehensive evaluation method of distributed PV grid connection combining subjective and objective combination of assignment and technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution(TOPSIS)—rank sum ratio(RSR)(TOPSIS-RSR)method.Based on the traditional distribution network evaluation system,a comprehensive evaluation system has been constructed.It fully considers the new development requirements of distributed PV access on the environmental friendliness and absorptive capacity of the distribution grid and comprehensively reflects the impact of distributed PV grid connection.The analytic hierarchy process(AHP)was used to determine the subjective weights of the primary indicators,and the Spearman consistency test was combined to determine the weights of the secondary indicators based on three objective assignment methods.The subjective and objective combination weights of each assessment indicator were calculated through the principle of minimum entropy.Calculate the distance between the indicators to be evaluated and the positive and negative ideal solutions,the relative closeness ranking,and qualitative binning by TOPSIS-RSR method to obtain the comprehensive evaluation results of different scenarios.By setting up different PV grid-connected scenarios and utilizing the IEEE33 node simulation algorithm,the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed subject-object combination assignment and integrated assessment method are verified.

A Systematic Review and Performance Evaluation of Open-Source Tools for Smart Contract Vulnerability Detection

With the rise of blockchain technology,the security issues of smart contracts have become increasingly critical.Despite the availability of numerous smart contract vulnerability detection tools,many face challenges such as slow updates,usability issues,and limited installation methods.These challenges hinder the adoption and practicality of these tools.This paper examines smart contract vulnerability detection tools from 2016 to 2023,sourced from the Web of Science(WOS)and Google Scholar.By systematically collecting,screening,and synthesizing relevant research,38 open-source tools that provide installation methods were selected for further investigation.From a developer’s perspective,this paper offers a comprehensive survey of these 38 open-source tools,discussing their operating principles,installation methods,environmental dependencies,update frequencies,and installation challenges.Based on this,we propose an Ethereum smart contract vulnerability detection framework.This framework enables developers to easily utilize various detection tools and accurately analyze contract security issues.To validate the framework’s stability,over 1700 h of testing were conducted.Additionally,a comprehensive performance test was performed on the mainstream detection tools integrated within the framework,assessing their hardware requirements and vulnerability detection coverage.Experimental results indicate that the Slither tool demonstrates satisfactory performance in terms of system resource consumption and vulnerability detection coverage.This study represents the first performance evaluation of testing tools in this domain,providing significant reference value.

Towards trustworthy multi-modal motion prediction:Holistic evaluation and interpretability of outputs

Predicting the motion of other road agents enables autonomous vehicles to perform safe and efficient path planning.This task is very complex,as the behaviour of road agents depends on many factors and the number of possible future trajectories can be consid-erable(multi-modal).Most prior approaches proposed to address multi-modal motion prediction are based on complex machine learning systems that have limited interpret-ability.Moreover,the metrics used in current benchmarks do not evaluate all aspects of the problem,such as the diversity and admissibility of the output.The authors aim to advance towards the design of trustworthy motion prediction systems,based on some of the re-quirements for the design of Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence.The focus is on evaluation criteria,robustness,and interpretability of outputs.First,the evaluation metrics are comprehensively analysed,the main gaps of current benchmarks are identified,and a new holistic evaluation framework is proposed.Then,a method for the assessment of spatial and temporal robustness is introduced by simulating noise in the perception system.To enhance the interpretability of the outputs and generate more balanced results in the proposed evaluation framework,an intent prediction layer that can be attached to multi-modal motion prediction models is proposed.The effectiveness of this approach is assessed through a survey that explores different elements in the visualisation of the multi-modal trajectories and intentions.The proposed approach and findings make a significant contribution to the development of trustworthy motion prediction systems for autono-mous vehicles,advancing the field towards greater safety and reliability.