Simulation of the Clustering Phenomenon in a Fast Fluidized Bed: The Importance of Drag Correlation

Drag force is a key parameter in the numerical modeling of gas-particle flow in circulating fluidized beds. The reliability of current drag force correlations over the regime of fast fluidization has, however, not been thoroughly investigated. In this article, a drag force correlation accounting for the clustering effects for Geldart A particles is used to simulate the behaviors typical of fast fluidization, including dynamic evolution of clusters as well as time- averaged axial and lateral voidage profiles. Diverse images of clusters are captured and the time-averaged profiles of voidage are shown to be in quantitative agreement with the present empirical correlation. The results based on different constitutive correlations of drag force show the importance of the choice of drag force in modeling fast-fluidized beds. This drag force correlation, based on a simple averaging assumption, could give some basic insights about the magnitude of the drag reduction.

THE MASSIVE NEUTRINO AND THE CLUSTERING PHENOMENA IN THE UNIVERSE

Neutrinos are rather abundant in the universe, nearly as abundant as photons. The non-vanishing of neutrino’s rest mass should certainly induce many interesting astrophysical effects. in this paper, we shall discuss mainly the influence of massive neutrinos on the clustering phenomena in the universe.

Silk-based nerve guidance conduits with macroscopic holes modulate the vascularization of regenerating rat sciatic nerve

Peripheral nerve injuries induce a severe motor and sensory deficit. Since the availability of autologous nerve transplants for nerve repair is very limited, alternative treatment strategies are sought, including the use of tubular nerve guidance conduits(tNGCs). However, the use of tNGCs results in poor functional recovery and central necrosis of the regenerating tissue, which limits their application to short nerve lesion defects(typically shorter than 3 cm). Given the importance of vascularization in nerve regeneration, we hypothesized that enabling the growth of blood vessels from the surrounding tissue into the regenerating nerve within the tNGC would help eliminate necrotic processes and lead to improved regeneration. In this study, we reported the application of macroscopic holes into the tubular walls of silk-based tNGCs and compared the various features of these improved silk^(+) tNGCs with the tubes without holes(silk^(–) tNGCs) and autologous nerve transplants in an 8-mm sciatic nerve defect in rats. Using a combination of micro-computed tomography and histological analyses, we were able to prove that the use of silk^(+) tNGCs induced the growth of blood vessels from the adjacent tissue to the intraluminal neovascular formation. A significantly higher number of blood vessels in the silk^(+) group was found compared with autologous nerve transplants and silk^(–), accompanied by improved axon regeneration at the distal coaptation point compared with the silk^(–) tNGCs at 7 weeks postoperatively. In the 15-mm(critical size) sciatic nerve defect model, we again observed a distinct ingrowth of blood vessels through the tubular walls of silk^(+) tNGCs, but without improved functional recovery at 12 weeks postoperatively. Our data proves that macroporous tNGCs increase the vascular supply of regenerating nerves and facilitate improved axonal regeneration in a short-defect model but not in a critical-size defect model. This study suggests that further optimization of the macroscopic holes silk^(+) tNGC approach containing macroscopic holes might result in improved grafting technology suitable for future clinical use.

Improving Entity Linking in Chinese Domain by Sense Embedding Based on Graph Clustering

Entity linking refers to linking a string in a text to corresponding entities in a knowledge base through candidate entity generation and candidate entity ranking.It is of great significance to some NLP(natural language processing)tasks,such as question answering.Unlike English entity linking,Chinese entity linking requires more consideration due to the lack of spacing and capitalization in text sequences and the ambiguity of characters and words,which is more evident in certain scenarios.In Chinese domains,such as industry,the generated candidate entities are usually composed of long strings and are heavily nested.In addition,the meanings of the words that make up industrial entities are sometimes ambiguous.Their semantic space is a subspace of the general word embedding space,and thus each entity word needs to get its exact meanings.Therefore,we propose two schemes to achieve better Chinese entity linking.First,we implement an ngram based candidate entity generation method to increase the recall rate and reduce the nesting noise.Then,we enhance the corresponding candidate entity ranking mechanism by introducing sense embedding.Considering the contradiction between the ambiguity of word vectors and the single sense of the industrial domain,we design a sense embedding model based on graph clustering,which adopts an unsupervised approach for word sense induction and learns sense representation in conjunction with context.We test the embedding quality of our approach on classical datasets and demonstrate its disambiguation ability in general scenarios.We confirm that our method can better learn candidate entities’fundamental laws in the industrial domain and achieve better performance on entity linking through experiments.

Ultraconformable Integrated Wireless Charging Micro-Supercapacitor Skin

Conformable and wire-less charging energy storage devices play important roles in enabling the fast development of wearable,non-contact soft electronics.However,current wire-less charging power sources are still restricted by limited flexural angles and fragile connection of components,resulting in the failure expression of performance and constraining their fur-ther applications in health monitoring wearables and moveable artificial limbs.Herein,we present an ultracompatible skin-like integrated wireless charging micro-supercapacitor,which building blocks(including electrolyte,electrode and substrate)are all evaporated by liquid precursor.Owing to the infiltration and permeation of the liquid,each part of the integrated device attached firmly with each other,forming a compact and all-in-one configuration.In addition,benefitting from the controllable volume of electrode solution precursor,the electrode thickness is easily regulated varying from 11.7 to 112.5μm.This prepared thin IWC-MSC skin can fit well with curving human body,and could be wireless charged to store electricity into high capacitive micro-supercapacitors(11.39 F cm-3)of the integrated device.We believe this work will shed light on the construction of skin-attachable electronics and irregular sensing microrobots.

Synthesis and Modulation of Low-Dimensional Transition Metal Chalcogenide Materials via Atomic Substitution

In recent years,low-dimensional transition metal chalcogenide(TMC)materials have garnered growing research attention due to their superior electronic,optical,and catalytic properties compared to their bulk counterparts.The controllable synthesis and manipulation of these materials are crucial for tailoring their properties and unlocking their full potential in various applications.In this context,the atomic substitution method has emerged as a favorable approach.It involves the replacement of specific atoms within TMC structures with other elements and possesses the capability to regulate the compositions finely,crystal structures,and inherent properties of the resulting materials.In this review,we present a comprehensive overview on various strategies of atomic substitution employed in the synthesis of zero-dimensional,one-dimensional and two-dimensional TMC materials.The effects of substituting elements,substitution ratios,and substitution positions on the structures and morphologies of resulting material are discussed.The enhanced electrocatalytic performance and photovoltaic properties of the obtained materials are also provided,emphasizing the role of atomic substitution in achieving these advancements.Finally,challenges and future prospects in the field of atomic substitution for fabricating low-dimensional TMC materials are summarized.

Edge enhanced depth perception with binocular meta-lens

The increasing popularity of the metaverse has led to a growing interest and market size in spatial computing from both academia and industry.Developing portable and accurate imaging and depth sensing systems is crucial for advancing next-generation virtual reality devices.This work demonstrates an intelligent,lightweight,and compact edge-enhanced depth perception system that utilizes a binocular meta-lens for spatial computing.The miniaturized system comprises a binocular meta-lens,a 532 nm filter,and a CMOS sensor.For disparity computation,we propose a stereo-matching neural network with a novel H-Module.The H-Module incorporates an attention mechanism into the Siamese network.The symmetric architecture,with cross-pixel interaction and cross-view interaction,enables a more comprehensive analysis of contextual information in stereo images.Based on spatial intensity discontinuity,the edge enhancement eliminates illposed regions in the image where ambiguous depth predictions may occur due to a lack of texture.With the assistance of deep learning,our edge-enhanced system provides prompt responses in less than 0.15 seconds.This edge-enhanced depth perception meta-lens imaging system will significantly contribute to accurate 3D scene modeling,machine vision,autonomous driving,and robotics development.

Subpopulations of regulatory T cells are associated with subclinical atherosclerotic plaques,levels of LDL,and cardiorespiratory fitness in the elderly

Background:Atherosclerosis forms the pathological basis for the development of cardiovascular disease.Since pathological processes initially develop without clinically relevant symptoms,the identification of early markers in the subclinical stage plays an important role for initiating early interventions.There is evidence that regulatory T cells(Tregs)are involved in the development of atherosclerosis.Therefore,the present study aimed to identify and investigate associations with Tregs and their subsets in a cohort of healthy elderly individuals with and without subclinical atherosclerotic plaques(SAP).In addition,various lifestyle and risk factors,such as cardiorespiratory fitness,were investigated as associated signatures.Methods:A cross-sectional study was performed in 79 participants(male:n=50;age=63.6±3.7 years;body mass index=24.9±3.1 kg/m2;mean±SD)who had no previous diagnosis of chronic disease and were not taking medication.Ultrasound of the carotids to identify SAP,cardiovascular function measurement for vascular assessment and a cardiorespiratory fitness test to determine peak oxygen uptake were performed.Additionally,tests were conducted to assess blood lipids and determine glucose levels.Immunophenotyping of Tregs and their subtypes(resting(rTregs)and effector/memory(mTregs))was performed by 8-chanel flow cytometry.Participants were categorized according to atherosclerotic plaque status.Linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze associations between parameters.Results:SAP was detected in a total of 29 participants.The participants with plaque were older(64.8±3.6 years vs.62.9±3.5 years)and had higher peripheral systolic blood pressure(133.8±14.7 mmHg vs.125.8±10.9 mmHg).The participants with SAP were characterized by a lower percentage of rTregs(28.8%±10.7%vs.34.6%±10.7%)and a higher percentage of mTregs(40.3%±14.7%vs.30.0%±11.9%).Multiple logistic regression identified age(odds ratio(OR)=1.20(95%confidence interval(95%CI):1.011.42))and mTregs(OR=1.05(95%CI:1.021.10))as independent risk factors for SAP.Stepwise linear regression could reveal an association of peak oxygen uptake(β=0.441),low-density lipoprotein(LDL)(β=0.096),and SAP(β=6.733)with mTregs and LDL(β=0.104)with rTregs.Conclusion:While at an early stage of SAP,the total proportion of Tregs gives no indication of vascular changes,this is indicated by a shift in the Treg subgroups.Factors such as serum LDL or cardiopulmonary fitness may be associated with this shift and may also be additional diagnostic indicators.This could be used to initiate lifestyle-based preventive measures at an early stage,which may have a protective effect against disease progression.

Impact of T_(i)/T_(e )ratio on ion transport based on EAST H-mode plasmas

At the EAST tokamak, the ion temperature(T_(i)) is observed to be clamped around 1.25 keV in electron cyclotron resonance(ECR)-heated plasmas, even at core electron temperatures up to 10 keV(depending on the ECR heating power and the plasma density). This clamping results from the lack of direct ion heating and high levels of turbulence-driven transport. Turbulent transport analysis shows that trapped electron mode and electron temperature gradient-driven modes are the most unstable modes in the core of ECR-heated H-mode plasmas. Nevertheless, recently it was found that the T_(i)/T_(e)ratio can increase further with the fraction of the neutral beam injection(NBI) power, which leads to a higher core ion temperature(Ti0). In NBI heating-dominant H-mode plasmas, the ion temperature gradient-driven modes become the most unstable modes.Furthermore, a strong and broad internal transport barrier(ITB) can form at the plasma core in high-power NBI-heated H-mode plasmas when the T_(i)/T_(e)ratio approaches ~1, which results in steep core Teand Tiprofiles, as well as a peaked neprofile. Power balance analysis shows a weaker Teprofile stiffness after the formation of ITBs in the core plasma region, where Ticlamping is broken,and the core Tican increase further above 2 keV, which is 80% higher than the value of Ticlamping in ECR-heated plasmas. This finding proposes a possible solution to the problem of Ticlamping on EAST and demonstrates an advanced operational regime with the formation of a strong and broad ITB for future fusion plasmas dominated by electron heating.

Impact of Migrant Populations on Tuberculosis Rates in Saudi Arabia: Assessing How Migration Patterns Affect TB Incidence and Control Measures: A Narrative Review

This research focuses on the effects of migration on the TB infection rate and its prevention in Saudi Arabia, which has a large number of expatriates from TB-affected countries. Despite, based on the current global statistics of TB occurrence, it is evident that the national incidence of TB has reduced from 10.55 per 100,000 in 2015 to 8.36 per 100,000 in 2019;despite this, there are still some difficulties because migrants bring new strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Hindrances, including language barriers and perceived immigration status, hinder patients from seeking medical attention or doctors from diagnosing diseases. Each patient and each cultural group need special attention to public health, enhancing living circumstances, and health care support. Community participation, inclusion of TB control programs into functional healthcare facilities, and the functioning of TB programs need to be stressed to address TB issues. Considering the focus on social, economic, and cultural approaches, the country can make severe advancements in TB control and population protection. This holistic analysis is critical for a long-term effective strategy to combat TB in the Kingdom.

Improved training framework in a neural network model for disruption prediction and its application on EXL-50

A neural network model with a classical annotation method has been used on the EXL-50tokamak to predict impending disruption.However,the results revealed issues of overfitting and overconfidence in predictions caused by inaccurate labeling.To mitigate these issues,an improved training framework has been proposed.In this approach,soft labels from previous training serve as teachers to supervise the further learning process;this has lead to a significant improvement in predictive model performance.Notably,this enhancement is primarily attributed to the coupling effect of the soft labels and correction mechanism.This improved training framework introduces an instance-specific label smoothing method,which reflects a more nuanced model assessment on the likelihood of a disruption.It presents a possible solution to effectively address the challenges associated with accurate labeling across different machines.

Characteristics of the SOL ion-to-electron temperature ratio on the J-TEXT tokamak with different plasma configurations

Accurate measurement of the average plasma parameters in the edge region,including the temperature and density of electrons and ions,is critical for understanding the characteristics of the scrape-off layer(SOL) and divertor plasma transport in magnetically confined fusion research.On the J-TEXT tokamak,a multi-channel retarding field analyzer(RFA) probe has been developed to study average plasma parameters in the edge region under various poloidal divertor and island divertor configurations.The edge radial profile of the ion-to-electron temperature ratio,τ_(i/e),has been determined,which gradually decreases as the SOL ion self-collisionality,v_(SOL)*,increases.This is broadly consistent with what has been observed previously from various tokamak experiments.However,the comparison of experimental results under different configurations shows that in the poloidal divertor configuration,even under the same v_(SOL)*,τ_(i/e) in the SOL region becomes smaller as the distance from the X-point to the target plate increases.In the island divertor configuration,τ_(i/e) near the O-point is higher than that near the X-point at the same v_(SOL)*,and both are higher than those in the limiter configuration.These results suggest that the magnetic configuration plays a critical role in the energy distributions between electrons and ions at the plasma boundary.

Exploration of preschool hearing screening at primary healthcare centers in Riyadh,Saudi Arabia:A cross-sectional study

The hearing status of children should be examined throughout early childhood,even if they have passed the newborn hearing loss because hearing loss can occur at any time and may affect their ability to learn.Preschool hearing screening(PHS)is vital to continue screening throughout early childhood.The current practice of PHS in the primary healthcare centers(PHCs)in Saudi Arabia is unknown.The purpose of this study was to investigate PHS in the PHCs.This cross-sectional descriptive study used an in-person-administered questionnaire to collect data.A total of 106 out of 120 participants(male=61;female=45)representing the PHCs in Riyadh were interviewed.Most of the participants were aged 31–40 years and held a bachelor’s degree as the highest academic qualification with limited years of experience.PHS was mostly performed through subjective measures by asking the parents(71.7%)and the child(65.1%).The audiometric evaluation was conducted for preschool children in only half of the PHCs.General practitioners and nurses usually perform PHS.Substantial gaps in the practice of PHS were identified.The lack of training and appropriate instruments and the need for audiological services were the main challenges.Incorporating robust and objective protocols for PHS into the educational system is a valuable strategy for identifying hearing loss early and reducing its impact through the establishment of effective intervention plans.

Micro-Computed Tomography Applications in Dentistry

Micro-computed tomography (MCT) encompasses two primary scanning options: ex-vivo and in-vivo imaging. Ex-vivo scanning involves the examination of extracted teeth or dental specimens, allowing for detailed analyses of the microarchitecture of mineralized tissue. By analyzing the microarchitecture of dental tissues, MCT can provide valuable information about bone density, porosity, and microstructural changes, contributing to a better understanding of disease progression and treatment outcomes. Moreover, MCT facilitates the quantification of dental parameters, such as bone volume, trabecular thickness, and connectivity density, which are crucial for evaluating the efficacy of dental interventions. This present study aims to comprehensively review and explore the applications of MCT in dentistry and highlight its potential in advancing research and clinical practice. The results depicted that the quantitative approach of MCT enhances the precision and reliability of dental research. Researchers and clinicians can make evidence-based decisions regarding treatment strategies and patient management, relying on quantifiable data provided by MCT. The applications of MCT in dentistry extend beyond research, with potential clinical implications in fields such as dental implantology and endodontics. MCT is expected to play an increasingly significant role in enhancing our understanding of dental pathologies, improving treatment outcomes, and ultimately, benefiting patient care in the field of dentistry.

Solvent-Resistant Wearable Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Energy-Harvesting and Self-Powered Sensors

Wearable triboelectric nanogenerators(TENGs)have attracted attention owing to their ability to harvest energy from the surrounding environment without maintenance.Herein,polyetherimide-Al_(2)O_(3)(PAl)and polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene(PVDF-HFP,PH)nanofiber membranes were used as tribo-positive and tribo-negative materials,respectively.Phytic acid-doped polyaniline(PANI)/cotton fabric(PPCF)and ethylenediamine(EDA)-crosslinked PAl(EPAl)nanofiber membranes were used as triboelectrode and triboencapsulation materials,respectively.The result showed that when the PAl-PH-based TENG was shaped as a circle with a radius of 1 cm,under the pressure of 50 N,and the frequency of 0.5 Hz,the open-circuit voltage(V_(oc))and short-circuit current(I_(sc))reached the highest value of 66.6 V and-93.4 to 110.1 nA,respectively.Moreover,the PH-based TENG could be used as a fabric sensor to detect fabric composition and as a sensor-inductive switch for light bulbs or beeping warning devices.When the PAl-PH-based TENG was shaped as a 5×5 cm^(2)rectangle,a 33 pF capacitor could be charged to 15 V in 28 s.Interestingly,compared to PAl nanofiber membranes,EPAl nanofiber membranes exhibited good dyeing properties and excellent solvent resistance.The PPCF exhibited<5%resistance change after washing,bending,and stretching.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding Covid-19 and their relationship with Covid-19 booster vaccination status among women with infertility

Objective:To elucidate the relationship among knowledge,attitudes,and practices regarding Covid-19 and their relationship with booster vaccination status among women with infertility.Methods:This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was performed online and offline among women with infertility who visited an infertility clinic in Jakarta,Indonesia.We assessed the patient’s knowledge,attitudes,and practices regarding Covid-19 and their relationship with booster vaccination status and sociodemographic profile.Results:A total of 178 subjects participated in this study,and most participants(92.6%)had received booster Covid-19 vaccines.From the questionnaire,74.2%had good knowledge,and 99.4%had good attitudes regarding Covid-19;however,only 57.9%of patients had good practices.A weak positive correlation existed between knowledge and attitudes(r=0.11,P=0.13)and a moderate negative correlation between attitudes and practices(r=-0.44,P=0.56).Participants’knowledge about vaccines and infertility was correlated with booster vaccination status(P=0.04).Academic background(P=0.01)and attitudes(P=0.01)were also correlated with booster vaccination status.The significant determinants of hesitance of receiving Covid-19 booster vaccines were high school education or below(OR=0.08,95%CI 0.02-0.36)and poor practices(OR=0.21,95%CI 0.05-0.95).Conclusions:The majority of the participants had received the Covid-19 booster vaccine and had good knowledge and attitudes but poor practices regarding Covid-19.Most participants had poor knowledge about the relationship between infertility and the Covid-19 vaccine.The general population should be more informed and reminded about practices to prevent Covid-19 and the relationship between vaccination and fertility to increase the number of people who receive Covid-19 booster vaccines.

Moisture‑Electric–Moisture‑Sensitive Heterostructure Triggered Proton Hopping for Quality‑Enhancing Moist‑Electric Generator

Moisture-enabled electricity(ME)is a method of converting the potential energy of water in the external environment into electrical energy through the interaction of functional materials with water molecules and can be directly applied to energy harvesting and signal expression.However,ME can be unreliable in numerous applications due to its sluggish response to moisture,thus sacrificing the value of fast energy harvesting and highly accurate information representation.Here,by constructing a moisture-electric-moisture-sensitive(ME-MS)heterostructure,we develop an efficient ME generator with ultra-fast electric response to moisture achieved by triggering Grotthuss protons hopping in the sensitized ZnO,which modulates the heterostructure built-in interfacial potential,enables quick response(0.435 s),an unprecedented ultra-fast response rate of 972.4 mV s^(−1),and a durable electrical signal output for 8 h without any attenuation.Our research provides an efficient way to generate electricity and important insight for a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of moisture-generated carrier migration in ME generator,which has a more comprehensive working scene and can serve as a typical model for human health monitoring and smart medical electronics design.

Characteristics of divertor heat flux distribution with an island divertor configuration on the J-TEXT tokamak

On J-TEXT,the temporal evolution of heat flux distribution on the high-field side(HFS)divertor plate has been measured by an infrared(IR)camera during the plasma operation with an island divertor configuration.In experiments,the island divertor configuration is an edge magnetic island chain structure surrounded by stochastic layers,which can be induced by resonant magnetic perturbations(RMPs).The experimental results show that the heat flux distribution on the HFS target plate depends significantly on the edge magnetic topology.Furthermore,the impact of hydrogen fueling using supersonic molecular beam injection(SMBI)on the divertor heat flux distributions is studied on J-TEXT with an island divertor configuration.It has been observed that power detachment can be achieved when the radiation front approaches the last closed flux surface(LCFS)after each SMBI pulse.This result may provide a method of access for divertor detachment on a fusion device with a three-dimensional(3D)boundary magnetic structure.

Effect of Biochar Type and Bradyrhizobium japonicum Seed Inoculation on Soybean Growth, Nodulation and Yield in a Tropical Ferric Acrisol

In tropical environments, most soybean growth studies have utilized rice husk biochar (RHB) in soil, even though it is low in nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous. This may not give short-term agronomic performance relative to enriched biochar. Moreover, the impact of inoculating soybean seeds with atmospheric nitrogen-fixing bacterium Bradyrhizobium japonicum on nodulation and grain yield has produced inconclusive findings in the literature. This research therefore aims to assess the effect of poultry manure (PM), poultry manure biochar (PMB) and RHB alone and in combinations on grain yield, dry shoot and root biomass of soybeans in the semi-deciduous agro-ecological zone. In addition, the effect of B. japonicum inoculated and non-inoculated soybean seeds on nodulation and grain yield was also investigated. The treatments followed a split plot design studying inoculation and non-inoculation, soil amendments (eight), and control subplot factors, respectively. The results show that the amendment of a ferric acrisol with 4 Mg∙ha−1 PM, 10 Mg∙ha−1 RHB + 2 Mg∙ha−1 PM, and 5 Mg∙ha−1 RHB + 4 Mg∙ha−1 PMB with B. japonicum inoculated seed produced significantly greater grain yield (p = 0.05). PM treatment had a significant (p B. japonicum-inoculated soybean seeds significantly (p = 0.014) increased soybean nodulation. This study suggests that RHB combined with PM or PMB provides a beneficial source of N, P, and K, resulting in improved soybean yield and nodulation in a tropical ferric acrisol.

MWCNT Doped Reverse-Mode Polymer Network Liquid Crystals with Frequency Response Property

Polymer-liquid crystals(PLCs)are common materials for smart windows.However,PLC smart windows usually require high driving voltage to maintain transparency.We synthesized a novel PLC smart film by doping multi-wall carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)into a reverse-mode polymer network liquid crystal(R-PNLC).