Nonlinear health evaluation for lithium-ion battery within full-lifespan

Lithium-ion batteries(LIBs), as the first choice for green batteries, have been widely used in energy storage, electric vehicles, 3C devices, and other related fields, and will have greater application prospects in the future. However, one of the obstacles hindering the future development of battery technology is how to accurately evaluate and monitor battery health, which affects the entire lifespan of battery use. It is not enough to assess battery health comprehensively through the state of health(SoH) alone, especially when nonlinear aging occurs in onboard applications. Here, for the first time, we propose a brand-new health evaluation indicator—state of nonlinear aging(SoNA) to explain the nonlinear aging phenomenon that occurs during the battery use, and also design a knee-point identification method and two SoNA quantitative methods. We apply our health evaluation indicator to build a complete LIB full-lifespan grading evaluation system and a ground-to-cloud service framework, which integrates multi-scenario data collection, multi-dimensional data-based grading evaluation, and cloud management functions. Our works fill the gap in the LIBs’ health evaluation of nonlinear aging, which is of great significance for the health and safety evaluation of LIBs in the field of echelon utilization such as vehicles and energy storage. In addition, this comprehensive evaluation system and service framework are expected to be extended to other battery material systems other than LIBs, yet guiding the design of new energy ecosystem.

Evaluation indices of sour flavor for apple fruit and grading standards

In order to establish grading standards of evaluation indices for sour flavor of apples, 10 indices of samples from 106 apple cultivars were tested, including： malic acid（Mal）, oxalic acid（Oxa）, citric acid（Cit）, lactic acid（Lac）, succinic acid（Suc）, fumaric acid（Fum）, total organic acids（To A, the sum of the six organic acids tested）, titratable acid（TiA）, acidity value（AcV）, and pH value. For most of the cultivars studied（85.8%）, the order of the organic acid contents in apples was Mal〉Oxa〉Cit〉Lac〉Suc〉Fum. Mal was the dominant organic acid, on average, accounting for 94.5% of To A. Among the 10 indices, the dispersion of pH value was the smallest with a coefficient of variation of only 8.2%, while the coefficients of variation of the other nine indices were larger, ranging between 31 and 66%. There were significant linear relationships between Mal and two indices（ToA and AcV） as well as between ToA and AcV. There were significant logarithmic relationships between pH value and four indices： Mal, TiA, ToA, and AcV. All the equations had very high fitting accuracy and can be used to accurately predict related indices. According to this study, Mal, ToA, and AcV of apple were normally distributed, TiA was close to normally distributed, whereas pH value had a skewed distribution. Using the fitted normal distribution curves, the grading standards of Mal, TiA, ToA, and AcV were established. The grading node values of pH value were obtained using the logarithmic relationship between pH value and Mal. The grading standards of these five indices can be used to evaluate the sour flavor of apple. This study provides a scientific basis for evaluating apple flavor and selecting apple cultivars.

A Virtual Puncture Surgery System Based on Multi-Layer Soft Tissue and Force Mesh

Puncture is a common operation in surgery,which involves all kinds of tissue materials with different geometry and mechanical properties.As a new cross-disciplinary research area,Virtual Surgery(VS)makes simulation of soft tissue in puncture operation possible in virtual environment.In this paper,we introduce a VS-based puncture system composed by three-layer soft tissue,simulated with spherical harmonic function(SHF),which is covered with a force mesh,constructed by mass spring model(MSM).The two models are combined together with a parameter of SHF named surface radius,which provides MSM with real-time deformation data needed in force calculation.Meanwhile,force calculation,divided into the surface spring force and the puncture damping force,makes the force presentation better accord to the corresponding tissue characteristics.Moreover,a deformation resumption algorithm is leveraged to simulate the resumption phenomenon of the broken tissue surface.In evaluation experiment,several residents are invited to grades our model along with other four mainstream soft tissue models in terms of 7 different indicators.After the evaluation,the scores are analyzed by a comprehensive weighted grading method.Experiment results show that the proposed model has better performance during puncture operation than other models,and can well simulate surface resumption phenomenon when tissue surface is broken.

Tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil as second-line treatment in autoimmune hepatitis:Is the evidence of sufficient quality to develop recommendations?

BACKGROUND The standard management of autoimmune hepatitis(AIH)is based on corticosteroids,alone or in combination with azathioprine.Second-line treatments are needed for patients who have refractory disease.However,high-quality data on the alternative management of AIH are scarce.AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil(MMF)and the quality of evidence by using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment,Development and Evaluation approach(GRADE).METHODS A systematic review and meta-analysis of the available data were performed.We calculated pooled event rates for three outcome measures:Biochemical remission,adverse events,and mortality,with their corresponding 95%confidence intervals(CI).RESULTS The pooled biochemical remission rate was 68.9%(95%CI:60.4-76.2)for tacrolimus,and 59.6%(95%CI:54.8-64.2)for MMF,and rates of adverse events were 25.5%(95%CI:12.4-45.3)for tacrolimus and 24.1%(95%CI:15.4-35.7)for MMF.The pooled mortality rate was estimated at 11.5%(95%CI:7.1-18.1)for tacrolimus and 9.01%(95%CI:6.2-12.8)for MMF.Pooled biochemical remission rates for tacrolimus and MMF in patients with intolerance to standard therapy were 56.6%(CI:43.4-56.6)vs 73.5%(CI:58.1-84.7),and among non-responders were 59.1%(CI:48.7-68.8)vs 40.8%(CI:32.3-50.0),respectively.Moreover,the overall quality assessments using GRADE proved to be very low for all our outcomes in both treatment groups.CONCLUSION Tacrolimus and MMF are in practice considered effective for patients with AIH who are non-responders or intolerant to first-line treatment,but we found no high-quality evidence to support this statement.

Chinese medicine formulas for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: Overview of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)affects more than one-quarter of the global population.Due to the lack of approved chemical agents,many patients seek treatment from traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)formulas.A variety of systematic reviews have been published regarding the effectiveness and safety of TCM formulas for NAFLD.AIM To critically appraise available systematic reviews and sort out the high-quality evidence on TCM formulas for the management of NAFLD.METHODS Seven databases were systematically searched from their inception to 28 February 2020.The search terms included“non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,”“Chinese medicines,”“systematic review,”and their synonyms.Systematic reviews involving TCM formulas alone or in combination with conventional medications were included.The methodological quality and risk of bias of eligible systematic reviews were evaluated by using A Measure Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2(AMSTAR 2)and Risk of Bias in Systematic Review(ROBIS).The quality of outcomes was assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment,Development and Evaluation(GRADE)system.RESULTS Seven systematic reviews were ultimately included.All systematic reviews were conducted based on randomized controlled trials and published in the last decade.According to the AMSTAR 2 tool,one systematic review was judged as having a moderate confidence level,whereas the other studies were rated as having a low or extremely low level of confidence.The ROBIS tool showed that the included systematic reviews all had a high risk of bias due to insufficient consideration of identified concerns.According to the GRADE system,only two outcomes were determined as high quality;namely,TCM formulas with the HuoXueHuaYu principle were better than conventional medications in ultrasound improvement,and TCM formulas were superior to antioxidants in alanine aminotransferase normalization.Other outcomes were downgraded to lower levels,mainly because of heterogeneity among studies,not meeting optimal information sample size,and inclusion of excessive numbers of small sample studies.Nevertheless,the evidence quality of extracted outcomes should be further downgraded when applying to clinical practice due to indirectness.CONCLUSION The quality of available systematic reviews was not satisfactory.Researchers should avoid repeatedly conducting systematic reviews in this area and focus on designing rigorous randomized controlled trials to support TCM formula applications.

A Protocol for Developing a Clinical Practice Guideline for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Vancomycin

This study aimed to develop a guideline for therapeutic drug monitoring（TDM） of vancomycin. We adopted the new guideline definition from the Institute of Medicine（IOM）, adhered closely to the six domains of the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research ＆ Evaluation Ⅱ（AGREE Ⅱ）, and made recommendations based on systematic reviews. We established a Guideline Steering Group and a Guideline Development Group, formulated 12 questions in the form of Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome（PICO） and completed a literature search. As far as we know, we will develop the first evidenced-based guideline for vancomycin TDM under the framework of the Grade of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation（GRADE）.

基于多层次模糊系统的贫困等级认定模型(英文)

Poverty,a permanent problem in the human society,is listed top-class global problem of social development by the UN. Grading the needy situation of impoverished families enables better aid policy. This paper applies the theories and methods of fuzzy mathematics and comprehensive evaluation. Based on fuzzy inference,its perform evaluations that are both qualitative and quantitative and contain exact and inexact factors. The paper determines the indexes of poverty grade according to maximum membership degree,and assigns their weight using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP),thus quantify the qualitative problems. The solution improves the technology and reliability of poverty grade evaluation,and is strongly

Limits and grading evaluation criteria of tight oil reservoirs in typical continental basins of China

Based on the microscopic pore-throat characterization of typical continental tight reservoirs in China,such as sandstone of Cretaceous Qingshankou and Quantou formations in Songliao Basin,NE China sandy conglomerate of Baikouquan Formation in Mahu area and hybrid rock of Lucaogou Formation in Jimusaer sag of Junggar Basin,NE China the theoretical lower limit,oil accumulation lower limit,effective flow lower limit and the upper limit of tight oil reservoirs were defined by water film thickness method,oil bearing occurrence method,oil testing productivity method and mechanical balance method,respectively.Cluster analysis method was used to compare the differences in pore-throat structure of different tight reservoirs,determine the grading criterion of tight reservoirs,and analyze its correlation with the limit of reservoir formation.The results show that the boundary between tight reservoir and conventional reservoir corresponds to the upper limit of physical properties,the boundary of classⅡand classⅢtight reservoirs corresponds to the lower limit of effective flow,the boundary of classⅢand classⅣtight reservoirs corresponds to the lower limit of reservoir forming,and the theoretical lower limit of tight reservoir corresponds to the boundary between tight reservoir and non-reservoir.Finally,the application results of the grading evaluation criterion show that the tight oil productivity is highly controlled by the type of tight reservoir,and classⅠand classⅡtight reservoirs are the favorable sections for high production of tight oil.

Can acupuncture therapy reduce preoperative anxiety?A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:Acupuncture therapy has shown promise for effectively relieving preoperative anxiety.Nevertheless,previous findings from randomized controlled trials(RCTs)are inconsistent and must be examined in detail.Objective:This study systematically evaluates the efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapy for preoperative anxiety as well as the quality of evidence supporting this application.Search strategy:The China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database,Wanfang Data Journal Database,Chinese Biomedical Literature Database,Chongqing VIP,Embase,Pub Med and Cochrane Library Databases were queried from their inception to 19,February 2020,using keywords such as“acupuncture therapy,”“preoperative”and“anxioty.”Manual searches expanded the search breadth and included conference abstracts and other reference lists.Inclusion criteria:RCTs were included in the current study if they contained a comparison between a group of anxiety patients that received acupuncture therapy and a control group that received sham acupuncture.Data extraction and analysis:Literature was reviewed,and various articles were selected using the Note Express 3.2.0 software.Two researchers independently screened and extracted data and evaluated the risk of bias in the included studies.The Rev Man 5.3 software was used for data aggregation and the Grades of Recommendation,Assessment,Development and Evaluation(GRADE)assessment was used to evaluate the quality of the study outcomes.Results:Twelve studies were included in the review,containing a total of 916 patients.Meta-analysis showed that,compared with the control group,patients who received acupuncture therapy had reduced State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Scale(STAI-S)score(mean difference[MD]=–9.07,95%confidence interval[CI][–13.19 to–4.96],P<0.0001)and Visual Analogue Scale(VAS)score(MD=–1.37,95%CI[–2.29 to–0.45],P=0.003).However,for the Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA)score,there was no difference between the two groups(MD=–3.98,95%CI[–12.89 to 4.92],P=0.38).Further,the GRADE assessment demonstrated that the STAI-S was of moderate quality,the VAS of low quality and the HAMA of very low quality.Conclusion:Acupuncture therapy may be able to decrease anxiety in preoperative patients,but the results need to be further verified due to the small sample sizes and the low quality of evidence to date.