Background: This study assessed the effect of a nutrition education intervention. This intervention aimed to improve the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of mothers on food safety in the peri-urban areas of Bobo-Di...Background: This study assessed the effect of a nutrition education intervention. This intervention aimed to improve the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of mothers on food safety in the peri-urban areas of Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso. Methods: A total of 243 mothers of children under 5 years in the peri-urban of Bobo-Dioulasso were administered the FAO questionnaire for food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices assessment during two cross-sectional surveys, before and after the intervention, in January and October 2017. The intervention included two components consisting of a theoretical phase (counselling and discussion) and cooking demonstrations implemented for ten months. To account for the before-and-after design of the study, the McNemar’s test was used to assess the effect of the intervention on food safety KAP of mothers of children under 5 years. Results: The mean age of mothers was 29 ± 6.2 years and 50.6% of them were between 20 and 29 years old. One for knowledge (cooking thoroughly with, p-value = 0.0001) and another for attitudes (perceived benefits of reheating leftovers before eating them, p-value = 0.0001), significantly increased after the intervention. In terms of food safety practices, all the indicators (cleaning of dirty surfaces, plates and utensils and storage of perishable foods) significantly increased (all p = 0.0001 Conclusion: This study provided some evidence of an effective nutrition education intervention for improving maternal KAP on food safety for their child’s feeding.展开更多
By combining machine learning with the design of experiments,thereby achieving so-called active machine learning,more efficient and cheaper research can be conducted.Machine learning algorithms are more flexible and a...By combining machine learning with the design of experiments,thereby achieving so-called active machine learning,more efficient and cheaper research can be conducted.Machine learning algorithms are more flexible and are better than traditional design of experiment algorithms at investigating processes spanning all length scales of chemical engineering.While active machine learning algorithms are maturing,their applications are falling behind.In this article,three types of challenges presented by active machine learning—namely,convincing the experimental researcher,the flexibility of data creation,and the robustness of active machine learning algorithms—are identified,and ways to overcome them are discussed.A bright future lies ahead for active machine learning in chemical engineering,thanks to increasing automation and more efficient algorithms that can drive novel discoveries.展开更多
The shrinkage of the Aral Sea,which is closely related to the Amu Darya River,strongly affects the sustainability of the local natural ecosystem,agricultural production,and human well-being.In this study,we used the B...The shrinkage of the Aral Sea,which is closely related to the Amu Darya River,strongly affects the sustainability of the local natural ecosystem,agricultural production,and human well-being.In this study,we used the Bayesian Estimator of Abrupt change,Seasonal change,and Trend(BEAST)model to detect the historical change points in the variation of the Aral Sea and the Amu Darya River and analyse the causes of the Aral Sea shrinkage during the 1950–2016 period.Further,we applied multifractal detrend cross-correlation analysis(MF-DCCA)and quantitative analysis to investigate the responses of the Aral Sea to the runoff in the Amu Darya River,which is the main source of recharge to the Aral Sea.Our results showed that two significant trend change points in the water volume change of the Aral Sea occurred,in 1961 and 1974.Before 1961,the water volume in the Aral Sea was stable,after which it began to shrink,with a shrinkage rate fluctuating around 15.21 km3/a.After 1974,the water volume of the Aral Sea decreased substantially at a rate of up to 48.97 km3/a,which was the highest value recorded in this study.In addition,although the response of the Aral Sea's water volume to its recharge runoff demonstrated a complex non-linear relationship,the replenishment of the Aral Sea by the runoff in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya River was identified as the dominant factor affecting the Aral Sea shrinkage.Based on the scenario analyses,we concluded that it is possible to slow down the retreat of the Aral Sea and restore its ecosystem by increasing the efficiency of agricultural water use,decreasing agricultural water use in the middle and lower reaches,reducing ineffective evaporation from reservoirs and wetlands,and increasing the water coming from the lower reaches of the Amu Darya River to the 1961–1973 level.These measures would maintain and stabilise the water area and water volume of the Aral Sea in a state of ecological restoration.Therefore,this study focuses on how human consumption of recharge runoff affects the Aral Sea and provides scientific perspective on its ecological conservation and sustainable development.展开更多
This paper reports an experimental study of the mechanical response to tensile and compressive force of large scale steel to composite joints adhesively bonded with a thin layer of vinylester resin.In one specimen,the...This paper reports an experimental study of the mechanical response to tensile and compressive force of large scale steel to composite joints adhesively bonded with a thin layer of vinylester resin.In one specimen,the length of the reinforcing fibres in contact with the steel substrate has been reduced by saw cutting at both ends of the joint.This damaged specimen and four intact specimens were subjected to quasi-static tensile testing;six specimens were used for compression testing.The strain distribution at the composite surface and at the steel to hardwood connection of the specimen was monitored by digital image correlation(DIC).DIC allowed identifying the onset of damage in the tensile tested joints near the interface of the composite layer and the steel-hardwood connection.Both tensile and compression tested specimens failed due to significant peel strain concentration at the composite near the connection of steel and hardwood.The average strength of a specimen tested in compression was about 66%higher than the average strength of a specimen tested in tension.The strain concentration zone in the damaged specimen was away from the introduced saw cuts.As a result the damaged and intact tensile specimens showed the same failure strength and stiffness.All specimens failed by adhesive failure between the composite-hardwood interface.展开更多
Ecosystem services(ES)are the connection between nature and society,and are essential for the well-being of local communities that depend on them.In Ethiopia,church forests and the surrounding agricultural matrix supp...Ecosystem services(ES)are the connection between nature and society,and are essential for the well-being of local communities that depend on them.In Ethiopia,church forests and the surrounding agricultural matrix supply numerous ES.However,the ES delivered by both land use types have not yet been assessed simultaneously.Here we surveyed both church forests and their agricultural matrices,aiming to quantify,compare and unravel the drivers underlying tree-based ES supply,density and multifunctionality.We found that almost all church forests and half of the agricultural matrices provided high ES densities.ES multifunctionality was higher in the agricultural matrices,suggesting that people deliberately conserve or plant multifunctional tree species.Furthermore,the supply of all categories of ES was positively correlated with church forest age(p-value<0.001)in the agricultural matrix,while the extent of church forest was positively correlated with the density of all categories ecosystem services score in the church forests(p-value<0.001).Our results can be used to prioritize conservation efforts at sites that provide high levels of ES supply,ES density and ES multifunctionality,and to prioritize restoration efforts at sites with low levels thereof.展开更多
Potato propagation through tubers and seed is an inefficient way of propagation thus we propose an alternative method in this study which is in vitro propagation.Plantlets were raised from True Potato Seeds(TPS)in test...Potato propagation through tubers and seed is an inefficient way of propagation thus we propose an alternative method in this study which is in vitro propagation.Plantlets were raised from True Potato Seeds(TPS)in test tubes containing 10 mL of Murashige Skoog(MS)medium.Subculturing was done after every 21 days and after four subsequent subculturing,when there was an adequate quantity of stock material,uninodal cuttings of about 3-4 mm in length were prepared from in vitro proliferated potato plants by excising leaves of 1-2 mm on each side of the node.Prepared uninodal cuttings were cultured on 1/2 strength MS medium for root primordia development.The selected uninodal cuttings with root primordia were encapsulated with sodium alginate solution(3.5%(w/v)),mixed with 1.25%charcoal and different concentration of fungicide(thiophanate methyl,sigma)to enhance the viability percentage of synthetic seed.Furthermore,these encapsulated uninodal cuttings were subjected to different storage intervals to check maximum storage.Results showed that optimum dose for fungicide is 150 mg/L as it resulted in good viability percentage,shoot number,shoot length,rooting percentage,root number,root length and ideal for bead formation with sodium alginate.Similarly,results revealed that encapsulated uninodal cuttings can be stored at a temperature of 4℃ up to 45 days with a survival rate of 63.33%.Encapsulated uninodal cutting stored for 60 days showed a poor viability percentage of about 43.03%.It can be concluded that optimum dose of 150 mg/L with storage time of 45 days should be used to get a better outcome for synthetic potato seed production.展开更多
BACKGROUND Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)is the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorder in developed countries and reduces patients’quality of life,hinders their ability to work,and increases health care costs.A grow...BACKGROUND Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)is the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorder in developed countries and reduces patients’quality of life,hinders their ability to work,and increases health care costs.A growing number of trials have demonstrated an aberrant gut microbiota composition in IBS,also known as‘gut dysbiosis’.Fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT)has been suggested as a treatment for IBS.AIM To assess the efficacy and safety of FMT for the treatment of IBS.METHODS We searched Cochrane Central,MEDLINE,EMBASE and Web of Science up to 24 October 2022 for randomised controlled trials(RCTs)investigating the effectiveness of FMT compared to placebo(including autologous FMT)in treating IBS.The primary outcome was the number of patients with improvements of symptoms measured using a validated,global IBS symptoms score.Secondary outcomes were changes in quality-of-life scores,non-serious and serious adverse events.Risk ratios(RR)and corresponding 95%CI were calculated for dichotomous outcomes,as were the mean differences(MD)and 95%CI for continuous outcomes.The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the quality of the trials.GRADE criteria were used to assess the overall quality of the evidence.RESULTS Eight RCTs(484 participants)were included in the review.FMT resulted in no significant benefit in IBS symptoms three months after treatment compared to placebo(RR 1.19,95%CI:0.68-2.10).Adverse events were reported in 97 participants in the FMT group and in 45 participants in the placebo group(RR 1.17,95%CI:0.63-2.15).One serious adverse event occurred in the FMT group and two in the placebo group(RR 0.42,95%CI:0.07-2.60).Endoscopic FMT delivery resulted in a significant improvement in symptoms,while capsules did not.FMT did not improve the quality of life of IBS patients but,instead,appeared to reduce it,albeit non significantly(MD-6.30,95%CI:-13.39-0.79).The overall quality of the evidence was low due to moderate-high inconsistency,the small number of patients in the studies,and imprecision.CONCLUSION We found insufficient evidence to support or refute the use of FMT for IBS.Larger trials are needed.展开更多
Most unsupervised or semisupervised hyperspectral anomaly detection(HAD)methods train background reconstruction models in the original spectral domain.However,due to the noise and spatial resolution limitations,there ...Most unsupervised or semisupervised hyperspectral anomaly detection(HAD)methods train background reconstruction models in the original spectral domain.However,due to the noise and spatial resolution limitations,there may be a lack of discrimination between backgrounds and anomalies.This makes it easy for the autoencoder to capture the lowlevel features shared between the two,thereby increasing the difficulty of separating anomalies from the backgrounds,which runs counter to the purpose of HAD.To this end,the authors map the original spectrums to the fractional Fourier domain(FrFD)and reformulate it as a mapping task in which restoration errors are employed to distinguish background and anomaly.This study proposes a novel frequency‐to‐spectrum mapping generative adversarial network for HAD.Specifically,the depth separable features of backgrounds and anomalies are enhanced in the FrFD.Due to the semisupervised approach,FTSGAN needs to learn the embedded features of the backgrounds,thus mapping and restoring them from the FrFD to the original spectral domain.This strategy effectively prevents the model from focussing on the numerical equivalence of input and output,and restricts the ability of FTSGAN to restore anomalies.The comparison and analysis of the experiments verify that the proposed method is competitive.展开更多
In subtropical volcanic environments, there are often few accessible outcrops. These are often highly weathered and of very poor quality. Soil development is rapid (1 cm/y) and small eruptions are unlikely to be prese...In subtropical volcanic environments, there are often few accessible outcrops. These are often highly weathered and of very poor quality. Soil development is rapid (1 cm/y) and small eruptions are unlikely to be preserved in the geological record. Reconstructing past eruptions and assessing hazards is a challenge. Here, we studied a poorly outcropping tuff ring (very poor, incomplete sections) with the best outcrop observed at a beach cliff (up to ca. 5 - 10 m high) at Batoke, to the south of Mt Cameroon volcano. Mt Cameroon has a few tuff rings, currently of unknown ages, near the SW coast of Cameroon. In the Batoke case, the sequence is dominated by gently dipping tuff beds varying in the proportion of lithics, juvenile clasts, and accretionary lapilli (acc-laps). Several beds are close-packed with acc-laps of up to 10 - 15 mm diameter. Part of the section is gullied by mud flow deposits. The rocks are highly weathered but differential weathering enhances relationships. Quantitative data can be extracted from a detailed study of outcrops’ external surfaces. The preserved section is close to where the deposits were initially thickest and where acc-laps were most abundant and largest. There is an empirical correlation between maximum acc-lap size in the thickest outcrop and eruption column height. This and the deposit features suggest that the Batoke eruption was pulsating but dominated by fallout, with a water and ice-rich eruption column reaching 10 - 15 km high. Recycling of water drops and ice-coated fine ash accumulated during eruption. At switch off, wholesale gravitational collapse of this material produced the mud flows, which gullied the previously-laid down deposits. Such ash fall and mud flows can represent a substantial hazard, e.g. they can gully down through towns and roads and cut evacuation routes. This study illustrates how, at subtropical tuff rings, it is possible to extract key data needed for hazard assessment from only 1 - 2 poor outcrops.展开更多
Abnormal subchondral bone remodeling leading to sclerosis is a main feature of osteoarthritis(OA), and osteomodulin(OMD), a proteoglycan involved in extracellular matrix mineralization, is associated with the scleroti...Abnormal subchondral bone remodeling leading to sclerosis is a main feature of osteoarthritis(OA), and osteomodulin(OMD), a proteoglycan involved in extracellular matrix mineralization, is associated with the sclerotic phenotype. However, the functions of OMD remain poorly understood, specifically in vivo. We used Omd knockout and overexpressing male mice and mutant zebrafish to study its roles in bone and cartilage metabolism and in the development of OA. The expression of Omd is deeply correlated with bone and cartilage microarchitectures affecting the bone volume and the onset of subchondral bone sclerosis and spontaneous cartilage lesions. Mechanistically, OMD binds to RANKL and inhibits osteoclastogenesis, thus controlling the balance of bone remodeling. In conclusion, OMD is a key factor in subchondral bone sclerosis associated with OA. It participates in bone and cartilage homeostasis by acting on the regulation of osteoclastogenesis. Targeting OMD may be a promising new and personalized approach for OA.展开更多
Most olefins （e.g., ethylene and propylene） will continue to be produced through steam cracking （SC） ofhydrocarbons in the coming decade. In an uncertain commodity market, the chemical industry is investingvery li...Most olefins （e.g., ethylene and propylene） will continue to be produced through steam cracking （SC） ofhydrocarbons in the coming decade. In an uncertain commodity market, the chemical industry is investingvery little in alternative technologies and feedstocks because of their current lack of economic viability,despite decreasing crude oil reserves and the recognition of global warming. In this perspective, some of themost promising alternatives are compared with the conventional SC process, and the major bottlenecks ofeach of the competing processes are highlighted. These technologies emerge especially from the abundanceof cheap propane, ethane, and methane from shale gas and stranded gas. From an economic point of view,methane is an interesting starting material, if chemicals can be produced from it. The huge availability ofcrude oil and the expected substantial decline in the demand for fuels imply that the future for proventechnologies such as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis （FFS） or methanol to gasoline is not bright. The abundance ofcheap ethane and the large availability of crude oil, on the other hand, have caused the SC industry to shiftto these two extremes, making room for the on-purpose production of light olefins, such as by the catalyticdehydrogenation of orooane.展开更多
Ever since the ureteral stent design was fitted with a curl on both sides to prevent it from migrating up or down the ureter some 40 years ago,its use has gained tremendous momentum,aiding in the rise and evolution of...Ever since the ureteral stent design was fitted with a curl on both sides to prevent it from migrating up or down the ureter some 40 years ago,its use has gained tremendous momentum,aiding in the rise and evolution of endourology and has confidently kept its place in modern time urology.Over the past four decades,several designs,coating and biomaterials have been developed,trying to reduce infection,encrustation and other stent related symptoms.As the ideal stent has not yet been discovered,different ways of helping patients with their complaints have been researched.This review will cover these aspects of stent use in urolithiasis.展开更多
Fermented liquid feed is feed that has been mixed with water at a ratio ranging from 1：1.5 to 1：4. By mixing with water lactic acid bacteria and yeasts naturally occurring in the feed proliferate and produce lactic ...Fermented liquid feed is feed that has been mixed with water at a ratio ranging from 1：1.5 to 1：4. By mixing with water lactic acid bacteria and yeasts naturally occurring in the feed proliferate and produce lactic acid, acetic acid and ethano which reduces the pH of the mixture. This reduction in pH inhibits pathogenic organisms from developing in the feed. In addition, when this low pH mixture is fed, it reduces the pH in the stomach of pigs and prevents the proliferation of pathogens such as coliforms and Salmonella in the gastrointestinal tract. For piglets, the use of fermented liquid feed offers the possibility of simultaneously providing feed and water, which may facilitate an easier transition from sow＇s milk to solid feed. Secondly, offering properly produced fermented liquid feed may strengthen the role of the stomach as the first line of defense against possible pathogenic infections by lowering the pH in the gastrointestinal tract thereby helping to exclude enteropathogens. Finally, feeding fermented liquid feed to pigs has been shown to improve the performance of suckling pigs, weaner pigs and growing-finishing pigs. In this review, current knowledge about the use of fermented liquid feed in pig diets will be discussed. This will include a discussion of the desirable properties of fermented liquid feed and factors affecting fermentation. In addition, advantages and disadvantages of fermented liquid feed will be discussed including its effects on gastrointestinal health, intestinal pH and the types of bacteria found in the gastrointestinal tract as well as the effects of fermented liquid feeds on pig performance.展开更多
Chemical engineers rely on models for design,research,and daily decision-making,often with potentially large financial and safety implications.Previous efforts a few decades ago to combine artificial intelligence and ...Chemical engineers rely on models for design,research,and daily decision-making,often with potentially large financial and safety implications.Previous efforts a few decades ago to combine artificial intelligence and chemical engineering for modeling were unable to fulfill the expectations.In the last five years,the increasing availability of data and computational resources has led to a resurgence in machine learning-based research.Many recent efforts have facilitated the roll-out of machine learning techniques in the research field by developing large databases,benchmarks,and representations for chemical applications and new machine learning frameworks.Machine learning has significant advantages over traditional modeling techniques,including flexibility,accuracy,and execution speed.These strengths also come with weaknesses,such as the lack of interpretability of these black-box models.The greatest opportunities involve using machine learning in time-limited applications such as real-time optimization and planning that require high accuracy and that can build on models with a self-learning ability to recognize patterns,learn from data,and become more intelligent over time.The greatest threat in artificial intelligence research today is inappropriate use because most chemical engineers have had limited training in computer science and data analysis.Nevertheless,machine learning will definitely become a trustworthy element in the modeling toolbox of chemical engineers.展开更多
Objective:To investigate the effect of osteoporosis and intervertebral disc degeneration on the endplate cartilage injury in rats.Methods:A total of 48 female Sprague Dawley rats(3 months)were randomly divided into Gr...Objective:To investigate the effect of osteoporosis and intervertebral disc degeneration on the endplate cartilage injury in rats.Methods:A total of 48 female Sprague Dawley rats(3 months)were randomly divided into Groups A,B,C and D with 12 rats in each group.Osteoporosis and intervertebral disc degeneration composite model,simple degeneration model and simple osteoporosis model were prepared in Groups A,B and C respectively.After modeling,four rats of each group at 12th.18th and 24th week were sacrificed,Intervertebral height of cervical vertebra C6/C7 was measured.Micro-CT was used to image the endplate of cephalic and caudal cartilage at C6/C7 intervertebral disc.Abraded area rate of C6 caudal and C7 cephalic cartilage endplate was calculated,and then C6/C7 intervertebral disc was routinely embedded and sectioned.stained with safranin O to observe histological changes microscopically.Results:At 12,18 and24 weeks,intervertebral disc height of C6/C7 were(0.58±0.09)mm,(0.53±0.04)mm and(0.04±0.06)mm in Group A rats,(0.55±0.05)mm,(0.52±0.07)mm and(0.07±0.05)mm in Group B rats.At 24th week.intervertebral disc height of Group A rats was significantly lower than that of Group B rats(P<0.05);intervertebral disc height of Groups A and B rats at each time point were significantly lower than that of Groups C and D(P<0.05).There was no significantly statistical difference of intervertebral disc height between Groups C and D(P>0.05).At 12 and 18 weeks,the abraded rate of C6 caudal and C7 cephalic cartilage endplate in Group A rats were significantly higher than that in Groups B.C and D rats(P<0.05);the abraded rate in Group B was significantly higher than that in Groups C and D(P>0.05).Microscopic observation of CT showed that ventral defects in C6caudal or C7 cephalic cartilage endplate in Groups A and B appeared after 12 weeks of modeling;obvious cracks were found in front of the C6 and C7 vertebral body,and cartilage defect shown the trend of"repairing"at 18 and 24 weeks after modeling.Conclusions:Intervertebral disc degeneration and osteoporosis can cause damage to the cartilage endplate.Co-existence of these two factors can induce more serious damage to the endplate.which has possitive correlation with intervertebral disc degeneration.Osteoporosis plays a certain role in intervertebral disc degeneration process,and accelerates the degeneration of intervertebral disc in a specific time window.展开更多
Confluences play a major role in the dynamics of networks of natural and man-made open channels, and field measurements on river confluences reveal that discordance in bed elevation is common.Studies of schematized co...Confluences play a major role in the dynamics of networks of natural and man-made open channels, and field measurements on river confluences reveal that discordance in bed elevation is common.Studies of schematized confluences with a step at the interface between the tributary and the main channel bed reveal that bed elevation discordance is an important additional control for the confluence hydrodynamics.This study aimed to improve understanding of the influence of bed elevation discordance on the flow patterns and head losses in a right-angled confluence of an open channel with rectangular cross-sections.A large eddy simulation (LES)-based numerical model was set up and validated with experiments by others.Four configurations with different bed discordance ratios were investigated.The results confirm that, with increasing bed elevation discordance, the tributary streamlines at the confluence interface deviate less from the geometrical confluence angle, the extent of the recirculation zone (RZ) gets smaller, the ratio of the water depth upstream to that downstream of the confluence decreases, and the water level depression reduces.The bed elevation discordance also leads to the development of a large-scale structure in the lee of the step.Despite the appearance of the large-scale structure, the reduced extent of the RZ and associated changes in flow deflection/contraction reduce total head losses experienced by the main channel with an increase of the bed discordance ratio.It turns out that bed elevation discordance converts the lateral momentum from the tributary to streamwise momentum in the main channel more efficiently.展开更多
文摘Background: This study assessed the effect of a nutrition education intervention. This intervention aimed to improve the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of mothers on food safety in the peri-urban areas of Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso. Methods: A total of 243 mothers of children under 5 years in the peri-urban of Bobo-Dioulasso were administered the FAO questionnaire for food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices assessment during two cross-sectional surveys, before and after the intervention, in January and October 2017. The intervention included two components consisting of a theoretical phase (counselling and discussion) and cooking demonstrations implemented for ten months. To account for the before-and-after design of the study, the McNemar’s test was used to assess the effect of the intervention on food safety KAP of mothers of children under 5 years. Results: The mean age of mothers was 29 ± 6.2 years and 50.6% of them were between 20 and 29 years old. One for knowledge (cooking thoroughly with, p-value = 0.0001) and another for attitudes (perceived benefits of reheating leftovers before eating them, p-value = 0.0001), significantly increased after the intervention. In terms of food safety practices, all the indicators (cleaning of dirty surfaces, plates and utensils and storage of perishable foods) significantly increased (all p = 0.0001 Conclusion: This study provided some evidence of an effective nutrition education intervention for improving maternal KAP on food safety for their child’s feeding.
基金financial support from the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders(FWO Flanders)through the doctoral fellowship grants(1185822N,1S45522N,and 3F018119)funding from the European Research Council(ERC)under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme(818607)。
文摘By combining machine learning with the design of experiments,thereby achieving so-called active machine learning,more efficient and cheaper research can be conducted.Machine learning algorithms are more flexible and are better than traditional design of experiment algorithms at investigating processes spanning all length scales of chemical engineering.While active machine learning algorithms are maturing,their applications are falling behind.In this article,three types of challenges presented by active machine learning—namely,convincing the experimental researcher,the flexibility of data creation,and the robustness of active machine learning algorithms—are identified,and ways to overcome them are discussed.A bright future lies ahead for active machine learning in chemical engineering,thanks to increasing automation and more efficient algorithms that can drive novel discoveries.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42230708)the Joint CAS (Chinese Academy of Sciences) & MPG (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft) Research Project (HZXM20225001MI)the Tianshan Talent Project of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China (2022TSYCLJ0056)。
文摘The shrinkage of the Aral Sea,which is closely related to the Amu Darya River,strongly affects the sustainability of the local natural ecosystem,agricultural production,and human well-being.In this study,we used the Bayesian Estimator of Abrupt change,Seasonal change,and Trend(BEAST)model to detect the historical change points in the variation of the Aral Sea and the Amu Darya River and analyse the causes of the Aral Sea shrinkage during the 1950–2016 period.Further,we applied multifractal detrend cross-correlation analysis(MF-DCCA)and quantitative analysis to investigate the responses of the Aral Sea to the runoff in the Amu Darya River,which is the main source of recharge to the Aral Sea.Our results showed that two significant trend change points in the water volume change of the Aral Sea occurred,in 1961 and 1974.Before 1961,the water volume in the Aral Sea was stable,after which it began to shrink,with a shrinkage rate fluctuating around 15.21 km3/a.After 1974,the water volume of the Aral Sea decreased substantially at a rate of up to 48.97 km3/a,which was the highest value recorded in this study.In addition,although the response of the Aral Sea's water volume to its recharge runoff demonstrated a complex non-linear relationship,the replenishment of the Aral Sea by the runoff in the lower reaches of the Amu Darya River was identified as the dominant factor affecting the Aral Sea shrinkage.Based on the scenario analyses,we concluded that it is possible to slow down the retreat of the Aral Sea and restore its ecosystem by increasing the efficiency of agricultural water use,decreasing agricultural water use in the middle and lower reaches,reducing ineffective evaporation from reservoirs and wetlands,and increasing the water coming from the lower reaches of the Amu Darya River to the 1961–1973 level.These measures would maintain and stabilise the water area and water volume of the Aral Sea in a state of ecological restoration.Therefore,this study focuses on how human consumption of recharge runoff affects the Aral Sea and provides scientific perspective on its ecological conservation and sustainable development.
基金the project “QUALIFY–Enabling Qualification of Hybrid Joints for Lightweight and Safe Maritime Transport”This project received funding from the Interreg2Seas Mers Zeeen programme 2014-2020 co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund under subsidy contract No 03-051 and the province of East-Flanders
文摘This paper reports an experimental study of the mechanical response to tensile and compressive force of large scale steel to composite joints adhesively bonded with a thin layer of vinylester resin.In one specimen,the length of the reinforcing fibres in contact with the steel substrate has been reduced by saw cutting at both ends of the joint.This damaged specimen and four intact specimens were subjected to quasi-static tensile testing;six specimens were used for compression testing.The strain distribution at the composite surface and at the steel to hardwood connection of the specimen was monitored by digital image correlation(DIC).DIC allowed identifying the onset of damage in the tensile tested joints near the interface of the composite layer and the steel-hardwood connection.Both tensile and compression tested specimens failed due to significant peel strain concentration at the composite near the connection of steel and hardwood.The average strength of a specimen tested in compression was about 66%higher than the average strength of a specimen tested in tension.The strain concentration zone in the damaged specimen was away from the introduced saw cuts.As a result the damaged and intact tensile specimens showed the same failure strength and stiffness.All specimens failed by adhesive failure between the composite-hardwood interface.
基金flnancial support from VLIR-UOS,Belgium through the VLIR-IUC Interuniversity cooperation with Bahir Dar University,Ethiopia (BDU-IUC)
文摘Ecosystem services(ES)are the connection between nature and society,and are essential for the well-being of local communities that depend on them.In Ethiopia,church forests and the surrounding agricultural matrix supply numerous ES.However,the ES delivered by both land use types have not yet been assessed simultaneously.Here we surveyed both church forests and their agricultural matrices,aiming to quantify,compare and unravel the drivers underlying tree-based ES supply,density and multifunctionality.We found that almost all church forests and half of the agricultural matrices provided high ES densities.ES multifunctionality was higher in the agricultural matrices,suggesting that people deliberately conserve or plant multifunctional tree species.Furthermore,the supply of all categories of ES was positively correlated with church forest age(p-value<0.001)in the agricultural matrix,while the extent of church forest was positively correlated with the density of all categories ecosystem services score in the church forests(p-value<0.001).Our results can be used to prioritize conservation efforts at sites that provide high levels of ES supply,ES density and ES multifunctionality,and to prioritize restoration efforts at sites with low levels thereof.
文摘Potato propagation through tubers and seed is an inefficient way of propagation thus we propose an alternative method in this study which is in vitro propagation.Plantlets were raised from True Potato Seeds(TPS)in test tubes containing 10 mL of Murashige Skoog(MS)medium.Subculturing was done after every 21 days and after four subsequent subculturing,when there was an adequate quantity of stock material,uninodal cuttings of about 3-4 mm in length were prepared from in vitro proliferated potato plants by excising leaves of 1-2 mm on each side of the node.Prepared uninodal cuttings were cultured on 1/2 strength MS medium for root primordia development.The selected uninodal cuttings with root primordia were encapsulated with sodium alginate solution(3.5%(w/v)),mixed with 1.25%charcoal and different concentration of fungicide(thiophanate methyl,sigma)to enhance the viability percentage of synthetic seed.Furthermore,these encapsulated uninodal cuttings were subjected to different storage intervals to check maximum storage.Results showed that optimum dose for fungicide is 150 mg/L as it resulted in good viability percentage,shoot number,shoot length,rooting percentage,root number,root length and ideal for bead formation with sodium alginate.Similarly,results revealed that encapsulated uninodal cuttings can be stored at a temperature of 4℃ up to 45 days with a survival rate of 63.33%.Encapsulated uninodal cutting stored for 60 days showed a poor viability percentage of about 43.03%.It can be concluded that optimum dose of 150 mg/L with storage time of 45 days should be used to get a better outcome for synthetic potato seed production.
文摘BACKGROUND Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)is the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorder in developed countries and reduces patients’quality of life,hinders their ability to work,and increases health care costs.A growing number of trials have demonstrated an aberrant gut microbiota composition in IBS,also known as‘gut dysbiosis’.Fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT)has been suggested as a treatment for IBS.AIM To assess the efficacy and safety of FMT for the treatment of IBS.METHODS We searched Cochrane Central,MEDLINE,EMBASE and Web of Science up to 24 October 2022 for randomised controlled trials(RCTs)investigating the effectiveness of FMT compared to placebo(including autologous FMT)in treating IBS.The primary outcome was the number of patients with improvements of symptoms measured using a validated,global IBS symptoms score.Secondary outcomes were changes in quality-of-life scores,non-serious and serious adverse events.Risk ratios(RR)and corresponding 95%CI were calculated for dichotomous outcomes,as were the mean differences(MD)and 95%CI for continuous outcomes.The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the quality of the trials.GRADE criteria were used to assess the overall quality of the evidence.RESULTS Eight RCTs(484 participants)were included in the review.FMT resulted in no significant benefit in IBS symptoms three months after treatment compared to placebo(RR 1.19,95%CI:0.68-2.10).Adverse events were reported in 97 participants in the FMT group and in 45 participants in the placebo group(RR 1.17,95%CI:0.63-2.15).One serious adverse event occurred in the FMT group and two in the placebo group(RR 0.42,95%CI:0.07-2.60).Endoscopic FMT delivery resulted in a significant improvement in symptoms,while capsules did not.FMT did not improve the quality of life of IBS patients but,instead,appeared to reduce it,albeit non significantly(MD-6.30,95%CI:-13.39-0.79).The overall quality of the evidence was low due to moderate-high inconsistency,the small number of patients in the studies,and imprecision.CONCLUSION We found insufficient evidence to support or refute the use of FMT for IBS.Larger trials are needed.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 62161160336Grant 41871245in part by the Belgium Vlaio project(AI ICON‐2021‐0599:Smart industrial spectral cameras via artificial intelligence).
文摘Most unsupervised or semisupervised hyperspectral anomaly detection(HAD)methods train background reconstruction models in the original spectral domain.However,due to the noise and spatial resolution limitations,there may be a lack of discrimination between backgrounds and anomalies.This makes it easy for the autoencoder to capture the lowlevel features shared between the two,thereby increasing the difficulty of separating anomalies from the backgrounds,which runs counter to the purpose of HAD.To this end,the authors map the original spectrums to the fractional Fourier domain(FrFD)and reformulate it as a mapping task in which restoration errors are employed to distinguish background and anomaly.This study proposes a novel frequency‐to‐spectrum mapping generative adversarial network for HAD.Specifically,the depth separable features of backgrounds and anomalies are enhanced in the FrFD.Due to the semisupervised approach,FTSGAN needs to learn the embedded features of the backgrounds,thus mapping and restoring them from the FrFD to the original spectral domain.This strategy effectively prevents the model from focussing on the numerical equivalence of input and output,and restricts the ability of FTSGAN to restore anomalies.The comparison and analysis of the experiments verify that the proposed method is competitive.
文摘In subtropical volcanic environments, there are often few accessible outcrops. These are often highly weathered and of very poor quality. Soil development is rapid (1 cm/y) and small eruptions are unlikely to be preserved in the geological record. Reconstructing past eruptions and assessing hazards is a challenge. Here, we studied a poorly outcropping tuff ring (very poor, incomplete sections) with the best outcrop observed at a beach cliff (up to ca. 5 - 10 m high) at Batoke, to the south of Mt Cameroon volcano. Mt Cameroon has a few tuff rings, currently of unknown ages, near the SW coast of Cameroon. In the Batoke case, the sequence is dominated by gently dipping tuff beds varying in the proportion of lithics, juvenile clasts, and accretionary lapilli (acc-laps). Several beds are close-packed with acc-laps of up to 10 - 15 mm diameter. Part of the section is gullied by mud flow deposits. The rocks are highly weathered but differential weathering enhances relationships. Quantitative data can be extracted from a detailed study of outcrops’ external surfaces. The preserved section is close to where the deposits were initially thickest and where acc-laps were most abundant and largest. There is an empirical correlation between maximum acc-lap size in the thickest outcrop and eruption column height. This and the deposit features suggest that the Batoke eruption was pulsating but dominated by fallout, with a water and ice-rich eruption column reaching 10 - 15 km high. Recycling of water drops and ice-coated fine ash accumulated during eruption. At switch off, wholesale gravitational collapse of this material produced the mud flows, which gullied the previously-laid down deposits. Such ash fall and mud flows can represent a substantial hazard, e.g. they can gully down through towns and roads and cut evacuation routes. This study illustrates how, at subtropical tuff rings, it is possible to extract key data needed for hazard assessment from only 1 - 2 poor outcrops.
基金funded by the F.R.S.-FNRS for the “EOS: The Excellence of Science-Join-t-against-Osteoarthritis”, grant number 30480119by a research grant from the Osteoarthritis Foundation and by the University of Liege (Fonds Léon Fredericq and Fonds Speciaux à la Recherche)funded by Versus Arthritis senior fellowship 21937。
文摘Abnormal subchondral bone remodeling leading to sclerosis is a main feature of osteoarthritis(OA), and osteomodulin(OMD), a proteoglycan involved in extracellular matrix mineralization, is associated with the sclerotic phenotype. However, the functions of OMD remain poorly understood, specifically in vivo. We used Omd knockout and overexpressing male mice and mutant zebrafish to study its roles in bone and cartilage metabolism and in the development of OA. The expression of Omd is deeply correlated with bone and cartilage microarchitectures affecting the bone volume and the onset of subchondral bone sclerosis and spontaneous cartilage lesions. Mechanistically, OMD binds to RANKL and inhibits osteoclastogenesis, thus controlling the balance of bone remodeling. In conclusion, OMD is a key factor in subchondral bone sclerosis associated with OA. It participates in bone and cartilage homeostasis by acting on the regulation of osteoclastogenesis. Targeting OMD may be a promising new and personalized approach for OA.
基金supported by the Long-Term Structural Methusalem Funding (BOF09/01M00409)by the Flemish Government and the European Union’s Horizon H2020 Programme (H2020SPIRE-0 4-2016) under grant agreement No. 72370 6+2 种基金financial support from SABIC Geleenfinancial support from a doctoral fellowship from the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders (FWO)
文摘Most olefins （e.g., ethylene and propylene） will continue to be produced through steam cracking （SC） ofhydrocarbons in the coming decade. In an uncertain commodity market, the chemical industry is investingvery little in alternative technologies and feedstocks because of their current lack of economic viability,despite decreasing crude oil reserves and the recognition of global warming. In this perspective, some of themost promising alternatives are compared with the conventional SC process, and the major bottlenecks ofeach of the competing processes are highlighted. These technologies emerge especially from the abundanceof cheap propane, ethane, and methane from shale gas and stranded gas. From an economic point of view,methane is an interesting starting material, if chemicals can be produced from it. The huge availability ofcrude oil and the expected substantial decline in the demand for fuels imply that the future for proventechnologies such as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis （FFS） or methanol to gasoline is not bright. The abundance ofcheap ethane and the large availability of crude oil, on the other hand, have caused the SC industry to shiftto these two extremes, making room for the on-purpose production of light olefins, such as by the catalyticdehydrogenation of orooane.
文摘Ever since the ureteral stent design was fitted with a curl on both sides to prevent it from migrating up or down the ureter some 40 years ago,its use has gained tremendous momentum,aiding in the rise and evolution of endourology and has confidently kept its place in modern time urology.Over the past four decades,several designs,coating and biomaterials have been developed,trying to reduce infection,encrustation and other stent related symptoms.As the ideal stent has not yet been discovered,different ways of helping patients with their complaints have been researched.This review will cover these aspects of stent use in urolithiasis.
文摘Fermented liquid feed is feed that has been mixed with water at a ratio ranging from 1：1.5 to 1：4. By mixing with water lactic acid bacteria and yeasts naturally occurring in the feed proliferate and produce lactic acid, acetic acid and ethano which reduces the pH of the mixture. This reduction in pH inhibits pathogenic organisms from developing in the feed. In addition, when this low pH mixture is fed, it reduces the pH in the stomach of pigs and prevents the proliferation of pathogens such as coliforms and Salmonella in the gastrointestinal tract. For piglets, the use of fermented liquid feed offers the possibility of simultaneously providing feed and water, which may facilitate an easier transition from sow＇s milk to solid feed. Secondly, offering properly produced fermented liquid feed may strengthen the role of the stomach as the first line of defense against possible pathogenic infections by lowering the pH in the gastrointestinal tract thereby helping to exclude enteropathogens. Finally, feeding fermented liquid feed to pigs has been shown to improve the performance of suckling pigs, weaner pigs and growing-finishing pigs. In this review, current knowledge about the use of fermented liquid feed in pig diets will be discussed. This will include a discussion of the desirable properties of fermented liquid feed and factors affecting fermentation. In addition, advantages and disadvantages of fermented liquid feed will be discussed including its effects on gastrointestinal health, intestinal pH and the types of bacteria found in the gastrointestinal tract as well as the effects of fermented liquid feeds on pig performance.
基金The authors acknowledge funding from the European Research Council(ERC)under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation(818607)Pieter P.Plehiers and Ruben Van de Vijver acknowledge financial support,respectively,from a doctoral(1150817N)a postdoctoral(3E013419)fellowship from the Research Foundation-Flanders(FWO).
文摘Chemical engineers rely on models for design,research,and daily decision-making,often with potentially large financial and safety implications.Previous efforts a few decades ago to combine artificial intelligence and chemical engineering for modeling were unable to fulfill the expectations.In the last five years,the increasing availability of data and computational resources has led to a resurgence in machine learning-based research.Many recent efforts have facilitated the roll-out of machine learning techniques in the research field by developing large databases,benchmarks,and representations for chemical applications and new machine learning frameworks.Machine learning has significant advantages over traditional modeling techniques,including flexibility,accuracy,and execution speed.These strengths also come with weaknesses,such as the lack of interpretability of these black-box models.The greatest opportunities involve using machine learning in time-limited applications such as real-time optimization and planning that require high accuracy and that can build on models with a self-learning ability to recognize patterns,learn from data,and become more intelligent over time.The greatest threat in artificial intelligence research today is inappropriate use because most chemical engineers have had limited training in computer science and data analysis.Nevertheless,machine learning will definitely become a trustworthy element in the modeling toolbox of chemical engineers.
基金supported by National Science Foundation.Grant No.81171764
文摘Objective:To investigate the effect of osteoporosis and intervertebral disc degeneration on the endplate cartilage injury in rats.Methods:A total of 48 female Sprague Dawley rats(3 months)were randomly divided into Groups A,B,C and D with 12 rats in each group.Osteoporosis and intervertebral disc degeneration composite model,simple degeneration model and simple osteoporosis model were prepared in Groups A,B and C respectively.After modeling,four rats of each group at 12th.18th and 24th week were sacrificed,Intervertebral height of cervical vertebra C6/C7 was measured.Micro-CT was used to image the endplate of cephalic and caudal cartilage at C6/C7 intervertebral disc.Abraded area rate of C6 caudal and C7 cephalic cartilage endplate was calculated,and then C6/C7 intervertebral disc was routinely embedded and sectioned.stained with safranin O to observe histological changes microscopically.Results:At 12,18 and24 weeks,intervertebral disc height of C6/C7 were(0.58±0.09)mm,(0.53±0.04)mm and(0.04±0.06)mm in Group A rats,(0.55±0.05)mm,(0.52±0.07)mm and(0.07±0.05)mm in Group B rats.At 24th week.intervertebral disc height of Group A rats was significantly lower than that of Group B rats(P<0.05);intervertebral disc height of Groups A and B rats at each time point were significantly lower than that of Groups C and D(P<0.05).There was no significantly statistical difference of intervertebral disc height between Groups C and D(P>0.05).At 12 and 18 weeks,the abraded rate of C6 caudal and C7 cephalic cartilage endplate in Group A rats were significantly higher than that in Groups B.C and D rats(P<0.05);the abraded rate in Group B was significantly higher than that in Groups C and D(P>0.05).Microscopic observation of CT showed that ventral defects in C6caudal or C7 cephalic cartilage endplate in Groups A and B appeared after 12 weeks of modeling;obvious cracks were found in front of the C6 and C7 vertebral body,and cartilage defect shown the trend of"repairing"at 18 and 24 weeks after modeling.Conclusions:Intervertebral disc degeneration and osteoporosis can cause damage to the cartilage endplate.Co-existence of these two factors can induce more serious damage to the endplate.which has possitive correlation with intervertebral disc degeneration.Osteoporosis plays a certain role in intervertebral disc degeneration process,and accelerates the degeneration of intervertebral disc in a specific time window.
文摘Confluences play a major role in the dynamics of networks of natural and man-made open channels, and field measurements on river confluences reveal that discordance in bed elevation is common.Studies of schematized confluences with a step at the interface between the tributary and the main channel bed reveal that bed elevation discordance is an important additional control for the confluence hydrodynamics.This study aimed to improve understanding of the influence of bed elevation discordance on the flow patterns and head losses in a right-angled confluence of an open channel with rectangular cross-sections.A large eddy simulation (LES)-based numerical model was set up and validated with experiments by others.Four configurations with different bed discordance ratios were investigated.The results confirm that, with increasing bed elevation discordance, the tributary streamlines at the confluence interface deviate less from the geometrical confluence angle, the extent of the recirculation zone (RZ) gets smaller, the ratio of the water depth upstream to that downstream of the confluence decreases, and the water level depression reduces.The bed elevation discordance also leads to the development of a large-scale structure in the lee of the step.Despite the appearance of the large-scale structure, the reduced extent of the RZ and associated changes in flow deflection/contraction reduce total head losses experienced by the main channel with an increase of the bed discordance ratio.It turns out that bed elevation discordance converts the lateral momentum from the tributary to streamwise momentum in the main channel more efficiently.
