Helicobacter pylori infection may result in poor gastric cleanliness in magnetically controlled capsule gastroscopy examination: A singlecenter retrospective study

Objective:Magnetically controlled capsule gastroscopy(MCCG)is an effective method for screening gastric diseases;however,its performance may be affected by gastric cleanliness.We aimed to explore the correlation between Helicobacter pylori infection and the degree of gastric cleanliness in the MCCG.Methods:This retrospective study enrolled 297 participants from October 2020 to April 2024 at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital,Zhejiang University School of Medicine.Participant characteristics,MCCG examination results,and(13)C-urea breath test(C13-UBT)results were collected.The gastric cleanliness in MCCG examinations was assessed using a gastric cleanliness score.Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the relationships among participant characteristics,H.pylori infection,and gastric cleanliness.Chi-square tests and Fisher's exact tests were used to analyze the relationships among gastric lesions,H.pylori infection,and gastric cleanliness.Results:Among the participants,24.2%had H.pylori infection,and 17.5%had poor gastric cleanliness.Hypertension(odds ratio[OR]:2.63;95%confidence interval[CI]:1.36e5.09;p?0.004)was associated with a greater likelihood of H.pylori infection.H.pylori infection(OR:3.76;95%CI:1.99e7.09;p<0.001)was an independent risk factor for poor gastric cleanliness in the MCCG.A significant disparity was noted in the prevalence of focal erosions(p<0.001),gastric ulcers(p?0.001),and positive gastric lesions(p?0.027)between the 2 groups with and without H.pylori infection.The proportion of positive gastric lesions was not significantly different between the good gastric cleanliness group and the poor gastric cleanliness group(25.7%vs.21.2%;p?0.490).Conclusion:The findings of this study revealed that H.pylori infection was associated with hypertension.H.pylori infection may lead to poor gastric cleanliness.Institutions are advised to perform C13-UBT before MCCG,and participants should be informed of the risk of poor gastric cleanliness if the results are positive.The decision to perform H.pylori eradication before MCCG should take into account patient willingness and the benefit-to-risk ratio.

Cleanliness of Ti-bearing Al-killed ultra-low-carbon steel during different heating processes

During the production of Ti-bearing Al-killed ultra-low-carbon(ULC) steel, two different heating processes were used when the converter tapping temperature or the molten steel temperature in the Ruhrstahl–Heraeus(RH) process was low: heating by Al addition during the RH decarburization process and final deoxidation at the end of the RH decarburization process(process-Ⅰ), and increasing the oxygen content at the end of RH decarburization, heating and final deoxidation by one-time Al addition(process-Ⅱ). Temperature increases of 10°C by different processes were studied; the results showed that the two heating processes could achieve the same heating effect. The T.[O] content in the slab and the refining process was better controlled by process-Ⅰ than by process-Ⅱ. Statistical analysis of inclusions showed that the numbers of inclusions in the slab obtained by process-Ⅰ were substantially less than those in the slab obtained by process-Ⅱ. For process-Ⅰ, the Al_2O_3 inclusions produced by Al added to induce heating were substantially removed at the end of decarburization. The amounts of inclusions were substantially greater for process-Ⅱ than for process-Ⅰ at different refining stages because of the higher dissolved oxygen concentration in process-Ⅱ. Industrial test results showed that process-Ⅰ was more beneficial for improving the cleanliness of molten steel.

Relationship between Oxygen Chemical Potential and Steel Cleanliness

To investigate inclusion formation in each step during steel making process, several samples were taken in different steps of the production of steel at Mobarakeh Steel Co of Esfahan to measure the oxygen chemical potential of the molten steel in each stage. The chemical compositions of the inclusions in samples were investigated by scanning electron microscope. The chemical composition of the slag was analyzed. With the use of thermodnamic calculations and chemical analysis of the melt, at the working temperature, the relationship between dissolved oxygen and other elements were determined. Finally, it was found that there is a close relationship between inclusions formed in each step with the oxygen partial pressure.

Effect of slag composition on the cleanliness of 28MnCr5 gear steel in the refining processes

The equilibrium reaction between CaO-Al2O3-SiO2-MgO slag and 28MnCr5 molten steel was calculated to obtain the suitable slag composition which is effective for decreasing the oxygen content in molten steel. The dissolved oxygen content [O] in molten steel un- der different top slag conditions was calculated using a thermodynamic model and was measured using an electromotive force method in slag-steel equilibrium experiments at 1873 K. The relations among [O], the total oxygen content （T.O）, and the composition of the slag were investigated. The experimental results show that both [O] and T.O decrease with decreasing SiO2 content of the slag and exhibit different trends with the changes in the CaO/Al2O3 mass ratio of the slag. Increasing the CaO/Al2O3 mass ratio results in a decrease in [O] and an in- crease in T.O. To ensure that T.O ≤ 20 ppm and [O] ≤ 10 ppm, the SiO2 content should be controlled to 〈5wt%, and the CaO/AI203 mass ratio should be in the range from 1.2 to 1.6.

Best practices for making high integrity lightweight metal castings-molten metal composition and cleanliness control

To make high integrity lightweight metal castings,best practices are required in various stages of casting and heat treatment processes,including liquid metal composition and quality control,casting and gating/riser system design,and process optimization.This paper presents best practices for liquid metal processing and quality assurance of molten metal in both melting and mold filling.Best practices for other aspects of lightweight metal casting will be published separately.

Method for evaluation of the cleanliness grade of coal resources in the Huainan Coalfield,Anhui,China:a case study

Based on analysis of a large data set and supplementary sampling and analysis for hazardous trace elements in coal samples from the Huainan Coalfield,a generalized contrast-weighted scale index method was used to establish a model to evaluate the grade of coal cleanliness and its regional distribution in the main coal seam(No.13-1)The results showed that:(1)The contents of Cr,Mn and Ni in the coal seam are relatively high and the average values are greater than 20μg/g.The contents of Se and Hg are at a high level while most other trace elements are at normal levels.(2)The cleanliness grade of the coal seam is mainly grade III-IV,which corresponds to a relatively good-medium coal cleanliness grade.However,some parts of the seam are at grade V(relatively poor coal cleanliness).(3)Coal of relatively good cleanliness grade(grade III)is distributed mainly in the regions corresponding to the Zhuji-Dingji-Gubei coal mines and in the eastern periphery of the Panji coal mine.Coal of medium cleanliness(grade IV)is distributed mainly in the regions of the Panji-Xiejiaji and Kouzidong coalmines.Relatively poor grade coal(grade V)is distributed in the southwest regions of the coalfield and the contents of Cr,As and Hg in coal collected from the relatively poor coal cleanliness regions often exceed the regulatory standards for the maximum concentration limits.

Influence of group B streptococcus and vaginal cleanliness on the vaginal microbiome of pregnant women

BACKGROUND The vaginal microbiome plays a critical role in the health of pregnant women and their newborns.Group B Streptococcus(GBS)and vaginal cleanliness significantly affect the vaginal microecosystem and are closely associated with vaginal diseases.AIM To explore the effects of GBS status and vaginal cleanliness on vaginal microecosystems.METHODS We collected 160 vaginal swabs from pregnant women and divided them into the following four groups based on GBS status and vaginal cleanliness:GBS-positive+vaginal cleanliness I–II degree,GBS-negative+vaginal cleanliness I–II degree,GBS-positive+vaginal cleanliness III–IV degree,and GBS-negative+vaginal cleanliness III–IV degree.Samples were subjected to 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing.RESULTS Alpha diversity analysis showed that the Shannon index did not significantly differ between the four groups.We identified significant variation in taxa abundance between the GBS-positive and GBS-negative groups and between the vaginal cleanliness I–II degree and III–IV degree groups.Principal coordinate analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis further confirmed the microbial diversity of the four groups.Moreover,the linear discriminant analysis demonstrated that Lactobacillus jensenii and Actinobacteria were strongly associated with GBS-positive status,and Lactobacillus iners,Lactobacillaceae,Lactobacillus,Lactobacillales,Bacilli and Firmicutes were closely correlated with GBS-negative status.CONCLUSION GBS status and vaginal cleanliness significantly affect vaginal microbiome differences in pregnant women.Our findings provide instructional information for clinical antibiotic treatment in pregnant women with different GBS statuses and vaginal cleanliness degrees.

Methods of evaluating cleanliness of ventilation ducts

A testing system for evaluating cleanliness of ventilation ducts was constructed. Comparisons of four evaluation methods for quantifying the amount of dust on the inner surface of ventilation ducts are presented. The experimental results show that the wiping by solvent method is more efficient than that by the wiping method,especially used on low cleanliness duct surface. The gravimetric tape method is an efficient method of collecting dust samples on the duct surface with low amounts of dust,particularly used to check the cleanliness level after the cleaning work. The optical method can be set up rapidly and is useful for fieldwork measurements.

Effect of Tundish Lining on Steel Cleanliness

To clarify the effect of the tundish lining on the steel cleanliness,the MgO based and Al2 O3 based gunning materials（ GM） were used as the lining of the alumina crucibles,respectively,in which about 200 g of ultra-low carbon steel was charged at 1 823 K for 2 h in pure argon atmosphere. The chemical analysis was carried out to investigate the change of chemical composition of steel in contact with GM after high temperatures holding experiments. The steel cleanliness in terms of inclusion number density,inclusion size and inclusion size distribution was evaluated by SEM and EDS. It was found that the MgO GM provided more oxygen and showed a stronger oxidizing capacity due to its higher content of reducible oxides（ 10. 5 mass% SiO2＋ 2 mass%Fe2 O3）. The use of Al2 O3 GM resulted in an improved steel cleanliness and consequently Al2 O3 GM could be a promising refractory material in the tundish lining.

Dynamic interactive bitwise meta-holography with ultra-high computational and display frame rates

Interactive holography offers unmatched levels of immersion and user engagement in the field of future display.Despite of the substantial progress has been made in dynamic meta-holography,the realization of real-time,highly smooth interactive holography remains a significant challenge due to the computational and display frame rate limitations.In this study,we introduced a dynamic interactive bitwise meta-holography with ultra-high computational and display frame rates.To our knowledge,this is the first reported practical dynamic interactive metasurface holographic system.We spa-tially divided the metasurface device into multiple distinct channels,each projecting a reconstructed sub-pattern.The switching states of these channels were mapped to bitwise operations on a set of bit values,which avoids complex holo-gram computations,enabling an ultra-high computational frame rate.Our approach achieves a computational frame rate of 800 kHz and a display frame rate of 23 kHz on a low-power Raspberry Pi computational platform.According to this methodology,we demonstrated an interactive dynamic holographic Tetris game system that allows interactive gameplay,color display,and on-the-fly hologram creation.Our technology presents an inspiration for advanced dynamic meta-holography,which is promising for a broad range of applications including advanced human-computer interaction,real-time 3D visualization,and next-generation virtual and augmented reality systems.

Advanced manufacturing technologies of large martensitic stainless steel castings with ultra low carbon and high cleanliness

The key manufacturing technologies associated with composition, microstructure, mechanical properties, casting quality and key process control for large martensitic stainless steel castings are involved in this paper. The achievements fully satisfeid the technical requirements of the large 700 MW stainless steel hydraulic turbine runner for the Three Gorges Hydropower Station, and become the major technical support for the design and manufacture of the largest 700 MW hydraulic turbine generator unit in the world developed through our own efforts. The characteristics of a new high yield to tensile strength (R p0.2/R m ) ratio and high obdurability martensitic stainless steel with ultra low carbon and high cleanliness are also described. Over the next ten years, the large martensitic stainless steel castings and advanced manufacturing technologies will see a huge demand in clean energy industry such as nuclear power, hydraulic power at home and abroad. Therefore, the new high yield o tensile strength (R p0.2/R m ) ratio and high obdurability martensitic stainless steel materials, the fast and flexible manufacturing technologies of large size castings, and new environment friendly sustainable process will face new challenges and opportunities.

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.

The Influence of Chemical Admixtures on the Fluidity,Viscosity and Rheological Properties of Ultra-High Performance Concrete

To achieve higher strength and better durability,ultra-high performance concrete(UHPC)typically employs a relatively small water-binder ratio.However,this generally leads to an undesired increase in the paste viscosity.In this study,the effects of liquid and powder polycarboxylate superplasticizers(PCE)on UHPC are compared and critically discussed.Moreover,the following influential factors are considered:air-entraining agents(AE),slump retaining agents(SA),and defoaming agents(DF)and the resulting flow characteristics,mechanical properties,and hydration properties are evaluated assuming UHPC containing 8‰powder PCE(PCE-based UHPC).It is found that the spread diameter of powder PCE is 5%higher than that of liquid PCE.Among the chemical admixtures studied,AEs have the best effect on improving UHPC workability,while DFs have the worst effect.When the addition of AE and SA is 1.25‰and 14.7%of PCE,paste viscosity reduces by 35%and 19%,respectively compared to the paste with only 8‰PCE.A low AE dosage(1.25‰)decreases compressive strength by 4.1%,while SA(8.1%)increases UHPC compressive strength by 9.1%.Both AE and SA significantly delay the UHPC hydration process,reducing the hydration heat release peaks by 76%and 27%,respectively.

Effect of Shrinkage Reducing Agent and Steel Fiber on the Fluidity and Cracking Performance of Ultra-High Performance Concrete

Due to the low water-cement ratio of ultra-high-performance concrete(UHPC),fluidity and shrinkage cracking are key aspects determining the performance and durability of this type of concrete.In this study,the effects of different types of cementitious materials,chemical shrinkage-reducing agents(SRA)and steel fiber(SF)were assessed.Compared with M2-UHPC and M3-UHPC,M1-UHPC was found to have better fluidity and shrinkage cracking performance.Moreover,different SRA incorporation methods,dosage and different SF types and aspect ratios were implemented.The incorporation of SRA and SF led to a decrease in the fluidity of UHPC.SRA internal content of 1%(NSRA-1%),SRA external content of 1%(WSRA-1%),STS-0.22 and STE-0.7 decreased the fluidity of UHPC by 3.3%,8.3%,9.2%and 25%,respectively.However,SRA and SF improved the UHPC shrinkage cracking performance.NSRA-1%and STE-0.7 reduced the shrinkage value of UHPC by 40%and 60%,respectively,and increased the crack resistance by 338%and 175%,respectively.In addition,the addition of SF was observed to make the microstructure of UHPC more compact,and the compressive strength and flexural strength of 28 d were increased by 26.9%and 19.9%,respectively.

Remaining oil distribution characteristics in an oil reservoir with ultra-high water-cut

An accurate mapping and understanding of remaining oil distribution is very important for water control and stabilize oil production of mature oilfields in ultra-high water-cut stage.Currently,the Tuo-21 Fault Block of the Shengtuo Oilfield has entered the stage of ultra-high water cut(97.2%).Poor adaptability of the well pattern,ineffective water injection cycle and low efficiency of engineering measures(such as workover,re-perforation and utilization of high-capacity pumps)are the significant problems in the ultra-high water-cut reservoir.In order to accurately describe the oil and water flow characteristics,relative permeability curves at high water injection multiple(injected pore volume)and a semiquantitative method is applied to perform fine reservoir simulation of the Sand group 3e7 in the Block.An accurate reservoir model is built and history matching is performed.The distribution characteristics of remaining oil in lateral and vertical directions are quantitatively simulated and analyzed.The results show that the numerical simulation considering relative permeability at high injection multiple can reflect truly the remaining oil distribution characteristics after water flooding in an ultrahigh water-cut stage.The distribution of remaining oil saturation can be mapped more accurately and quantitatively by using the‘four-points and five-types’classification method,providing a basis for potential tapping of various remaining oil types of oil reservoirs in late-stage of development with high water-cut.

A universal multifunctional dual cation doping strategy towards stabilized ultra-high nickel cobalt-free lithium layered oxide cathode

Ultra-high nickel cobalt-free lithium layered oxides are promising cathode material for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)because of their relatively high capacity and low cost.Nevertheless,the high nickel content would induce bulk structure degradation and interfacial environment deterioration,and the absence of Co element reduces the lithium diffusion kinetics,severely limiting the performance liberation of this kind of cathodes.Herein,a multifunctional Ti/Zr dual cation co-doping strategy has been employed to improve the lithium storage performance of LiNi_(0.9)Mn_(0.1)O_(2)(NM91)cathode.On the one hand,the Ti/Zr co-doping weakens the Li^(+)/Ni^(2+)mixing through magnetic interactions due to the inexistence of unpaired electrons for Ti^(4+)and Zr^(4+),increasing the lithium diffusion rate and suppressing the harmful coexistence of H1 and H2 phases.On the other hand,they enhance the lattice oxygen stability because of the strong Ti-O and Zr-O bonds,inhibiting the undesired H3 phase transition and lattice oxygen loss,improving the bulk structure and cathode-electrolyte interface stability.As a result,the Ti/Zr co-doped NM91(NMTZ)exhibits a 91.2%capacity retention rate after 100 cycles,while that of NM91 is only82.9%.Also,the NMTZ displays better rate performance than NM91 with output capacities of 115 and93 mA h g^(-1)at a high current density of 5 C,respectively.Moreover,the designed NMTZ could enable the full battery to deliver an energy density up to 263 W h kg^(-1),making the ultra-high nickel cobaltfree lithium layered oxide cathode closer to practical applications.

Amine-functionalized metal organic framework@graphene oxide as filler in PAEK-containing carboxyl group membrane for ultrafiltration with ultra-high permeability and strong fouling resistance

Achieving high fouling resistance and permeability using membrane separation technology in water treatment processes remains a challenge.In this work,a novel mixed-matrix membrane(MMM)(poly(arylene ether ketone)[PAEK]-containing carboxyl groups[PAEK-COOH]/UiO-66-NH_(2)@graphene oxide[GO])with superb fouling resistance and high permeability was prepared by the nonsolvent-induced phase separation method,by in-situ growth of UiO-66-NH_(2) on the GO layer,and by preparing hydrophilic PAEK-COOH.On the basis of the structure and performance analysis of the MMM,the maximum water flux reached 591.25 L·m^(-2)·h^(-1) for PAEK-COOH/UiO-66-NH_(2)@GO,whereas the retention rate for bovine serum albumin increased from 85.40%to 94.87%.As the loading gradually increased,the hydrophilicity of the MMMs increased,significantly enhancing their fouling resistance.The strongest anti-fouling ability observed was 94.74%,which was 2.02 times greater than that of the pure membrane.At the same time,the MMMs contained internal amide and hydrogen bonds during the preparation process,forming a cross-linked structure,which further enhanced the mechanical strength and chemical stability.In summary,the MMMs with high retention rate,strong permeability,and anti-fouling ability were successfully prepared.

Ultra‑High Sensitivity Anisotropic Piezoelectric Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring and Robotic Perception

Monitoring minuscule mechanical signals,both in magnitude and direction,is imperative in many application scenarios,e.g.,structural health monitoring and robotic sensing systems.However,the piezoelectric sensor struggles to satisfy the requirements for directional recognition due to the limited piezoelectric coefficient matrix,and achieving sensitivity for detecting micrometer-scale deformations is also challenging.Herein,we develop a vector sensor composed of lead zirconate titanate-electronic grade glass fiber composite filaments with oriented arrangement,capable of detecting minute anisotropic deformations.The as-prepared vector sensor can identify the deformation directions even when subjected to an unprecedented nominal strain of 0.06%,thereby enabling its utility in accurately discerning the 5μm-height wrinkles in thin films and in monitoring human pulse waves.The ultra-high sensitivity is attributed to the formation of porous ferroelectret and the efficient load transfer efficiency of continuous lead zirconate titanate phase.Additionally,when integrated with machine learning techniques,the sensor’s capability to recognize multi-signals enables it to differentiate between 10 types of fine textures with 100%accuracy.The structural design in piezoelectric devices enables a more comprehensive perception of mechanical stimuli,offering a novel perspective for enhancing recognition accuracy.

DIRECTIONALLY SOLIDIFIED MICROSTRUCTURE OF AN ULTRA-HIGH TEMPERATURE Nb-Si-Ti-Hf-Cr-Al ALLOY

The directionally solidified samples of an ultra-high temperature Nb-Si-Ti-Hf-Cr-Al alloy have been prepared with the use of an electron beam floating zone melting (EBFZM) furnace, and their microstructural characteristics have been analyzed. All the primary dendrites of Nb solid solution (Nbss), eutectic colonies of Nba, plus (Nb, Ti)3 Si/(Nb, Ti)5 Si3 and chains of (Nb, Ti)3 Si/(Nb, Ti)5 Si3 plates align along the growth direction of the samples. With increasing of the withdrawing rate, the microstructure is refined, and the amounts of Nbss+ (Nb, Ti)3 Si/(Nb, Ti)5 Si3 eutectic colonies and (Nb, Ti)3 Si/(Nb, Ti)5 Si3 plates increase. There appear nodes in the (Nb, Ti)3 Si/(Nb, Ti)5 Si3 plates.

The microstructure evolution and deformation mechanism in a casting AM80 magnesium alloy under ultra-high strain rate loading

Ultra-high strain rate impact tests were conducted by Split-Hopkinson pressure bar to investigate the microstructure evolution and impact deformation mechanism of a solution treated casting AM80 Mg alloy at 25, 150 and 250 ℃ with a strain rate of 5000 s^(-1). The microcrack and dynamic recrystallization(DRX) preferentially nucleate at grain boundary(GB) and twin boundary(TB), especially at the intersections between GBs and TBs, and then propagate along twin direction. In contrast, the adiabatic shear bands preferentially occur at high-density twined regions. At 25 ℃, the dominated deformation mechanisms are basal slip and twinning. As deformation temperature increases to 150and 250℃, the deformation gradually shifts to be dominated by a coordinated mechanism among non-basal slip, twinning and DRX. The flow stress behavior and deformation mechanism indicate that the degree of decrease in flow stress with temperature is associated with the change of deformation mode.