Selection of overburden surface mining method in West Virginia by analytical hierarchy process

The broad objective of this research was to improve current surface mining practices and reduce negative environmental impact of overburden removal in West Virginia(WV).The specific objectives were to(i)compare conventional surface mining method(drilling,blasting,digging,and loading)to a surface miner(SM)method,and(ii)apply the analytical hierarchy process(AHP)to help select the optimal mining method based on production,cost and environmental criteria.The design and the procedures used in this research involve five interrelated modules:(i)rock properties of overburden in WV,(ii)drilling and blasting,(iii)digging and loading,(iv)SM method,and(v)comparative analysis and selection of the optimal mining method by AHP.Results of this research indicate that application of SM method would yield higher cost of overburden removal than conventional mining methods in rocks with a high unconfined compressive strength and abrasivity.A significant advantage of SM method,where applicable,is the elimination of the negative environmental impacts associated with blasting.

护理专业国际学生短期访学教育项目的设计与实施

目的旨在描述制定及评估一项短期留学生研究和教育项目。方法研究分为项目制定与实施及评价2部分。根据1名国际学生的短期访学需求,护理学院的全球护理项目协调员和首席导师共同确定项目基本内容和团队成员。该项目学习活动考虑了该国际学生对老年人和居家临终关怀的兴趣,包括4项内容:.开展研究工作,参与教学活动,参与临床实践活动,以及特殊活动和专业发展培训课程。在为期6个月的访学结束时,对参与此次教学活动的教师、研究生及留学生进行访谈和简短问卷调查。结果通过访谈了解到3个方面的内容:通过参与该项目中获得的经验(增强了教育和研究的多样性,获得了新的全球医疗保健知识,对文化意识的自我反思和促进);项目实施的障碍和挑战(签证申请过程,英语语言障碍,缺乏公共交通设施,时间安排冲突);克服这些障碍和挑战的策略(在课程中增加文化多样性信息;与其他同学一起学习英语;使用不同的沟通技巧;在签证申请过程中与大学全球事务办公室持续合作;提供互动体验)。所有项目参与者都对该项目表示非常满意(4.67±0.50),认为对他们在科研、教学和临床实践方面的护理技能有很大影响(4.67±0.50)。结论此次项目的参与者均获得了相关经验,可用于今后的教学指导活动。国际护理专业学生需要得到帮助才能更好地适应访学环境,教师必须具有文化敏感性,了解学生的学习需求,并倡导营造适合学生学习的环境。

Implementation of Fuzzy Logic Control into an Equivalent Minimization Strategy for Adaptive Energy Management of A Parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicle

As government agencies continue to tighten emissions regulations due to the continued increase in greenhouse gas production, automotive industries are seeking to produce increasingly efficient vehicle technology. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) have been introduced to mitigate problems while improving fuel economy. HEVs have led to the demand of creating more advanced controls software to consider multiple components for propulsive power in a vehicle. A large section in the software development process is the implementation of an optimal energy management strategy meant to improve the overall fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Optimal strategies can be implemented when driving conditions are known a prior. The Equivalent Consumption Minimization Strategy (ECMS) is an optimal control strategy that uses an equivalence factor to equate electrical to mechanical power when performing torque split determination between the internal combustion engine and electric motor for propulsive and regenerative torque. This equivalence factor is determined from offline vehicle simulations using a sensitivity analysis to provide optimal fuel economy results while maintaining predetermined high voltage battery state of charge (SOC) constraints. When the control hierarchy is modified or different driving styles are applied, the analysis must be redone to update the equivalence factor. The goal of this work is to implement a fuzzy logic controller that dynamically updates the equivalence factor to improve fuel economy, maintain a strict charge sustaining window of operation for the high voltage battery, and reduce computational time required during algorithm development. The adaptive algorithm is validated against global optimum fuel economy and charge sustaining results from a sensitivity analysis performed for multiple drive cycles. Results show a maximum fuel economy improvement of 9.82% when using a mild driving style and a 95% success rate when maintaining an ending SOC within 5% of the desired SOC regardless of starting SOC.

The Black American Church: A Reactionary and Ideological Apparatus of Slavery

This work argues that Denmark Vesey,Nat Turner,Gabriel Prosser,David Walker,Henry Highland Garnet,amongst a few others were the reactionary(dialectical)exceptions to the black church,not the norm,an(ideological)institution established to interpellate and indoctrinate blacks to accept their conditions in slavery.In other words,the aforementioned were the enslaved who used Christian dogma to(negative dialectically)respond to the barbarity of slavery by violently convicting white Christian society for not living up to its values,ideas,and ideals given the treatment of African people by so-called Christians.In the latter sense it was reactionary;in the former,it was an ideological apparatus of domination and control for the institution of slavery.The contemporary attempt to racially vindicate the black church as a sui generis revolutionary institution overflowing with Africanisms is ahistorical and ideological reaped in pseudoscientific propositions stemming from postmodern and post-structural theories.

Impact of frailty on endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography outcomes in nonagenarians:A United States national experience

BACKGROUND Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP)is an essential therapeutic tool for biliary and pancreatic diseases.Frail and elderly patients,especially those aged≥90 years are generally considered a higher-risk population for ERCP-related complications.AIM To investigate outcomes of ERCP in the Non-agenarian population(≥90 years)concerning Frailty.METHODS This is a cohort study using the 2018-2020 National Readmission Database.Patients aged≥90 were identified who underwent ERCP,using the international classification of diseases-10 code with clinical modification.Johns Hopkins’s adjusted clinical groups frailty indicator was used to classify patients as frail and non-frail.The primary outcome was mortality,and the secondary outcomes were morbidity and the 30 d readmission rate related to ERCP.We used univariate and multivariate regression models for analysis.RESULTS A total of 9448 patients were admitted for any indications of ERCP.Frail and non-frail patients were 3445(36.46%)and 6003(63.53%)respectively.Indications for ERCP were Choledocholithiasis(74.84%),Biliary pancreatitis(9.19%),Pancreatico-biliary cancer(7.6%),Biliary stricture(4.84%),and Cholangitis(1.51%).Mortality rates were higher in frail group[adjusted odds ratio(aOR)=1.68,P=0.02].The Intra-procedural complications were insigni-ficant between the two groups which included bleeding(aOR=0.72,P=0.67),accidental punctures/lacerations(aOR=0.77,P=0.5),and mechanical ventilation rates(aOR=1.19,P=0.6).Post-ERCP complication rate was similar for bleeding(aOR=0.72,P=0.41)and post-ERCP pancreatitis(aOR=1.4,P=0.44).Frail patients had a longer length of stay(6.7 d vs 5.5 d)and higher mean total charges of hospitalization($78807 vs$71392)compared to controls(P<0.001).The 30 d all-cause readmission rates between frail and non-frail patients were similar(P=0.96).CONCLUSION There was a significantly higher mortality risk and healthcare burden amongst nonagenarian frail patients undergoing ERCP compared to non-frail.Larger studies are warranted to investigate and mitigate modifiable risk factors.

Assessing stand structure in successional stages of dark coniferous forests in western Sichuan, China

Subalpine dark coniferous forests in the western Sichuan Province of China play an important role in the hydrological processes in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Second-growth forests, with different stand successional stages, have developed as a result of logging over the past 50 years. Forest cover and stand structure changed greatly with concomitant degradation of forest ecosystem functions. To understand how the stand structures of the second-growth forests change during the stand succession process, we analyzed stand structure characteristics and an old-growth state index of the bamboo and moss-forest types. We found that stand structure at the young successional stage featured one-third of the structure characteristics of the old-growth dark coniferous forests,while the structure of the medium-aged stage had reached half the structure of the old-growth state. The two forest types were similar in the rate of development at the young successional stage but differed at the medium-aged stage;the moss-forest type had more advanced development than the bamboo-forest type at the medium-aged successional stage.

L-Arginine Levels among Hypertensive Patients in Sokoto, North Western Nigeria

Hypertension is a major public health problem that adversely affects the health status of individuals, families and communities. L-arginine levels of a total of 90 consecutively-recruited hypertensive subjects and 50 age-matched non-hypertensive controls were studied. Plasma from subjects and control participants were analyzed for L-arginine. The mean values of L-arginine level were significantly lower among the hypertensive subjects which are (174.33 ± 78.31 μmol/L) compared to those of the 50 non-hypertensive controls (237.82 ± 261.16 μmol/L) (p = 0.04). There was no statistically significant difference in the L-arginine levels of hypertensive subjects based on gender, age and ethnici-ty (p = 0.87, 0.23 and 0.57) respectively. The L-arginine level was significantly higher among married hypertensive subjects (181.71 ± 78.17 μmol/L) compared to single or unmarried subjects (130.62 ± 65.99 μmol/L) (p = 0.03). The mean value of L-arginine level was significantly higher among hypertensive subjects with mild blood pressure (187.63 ± 77.93 μmol/L) compared to those with high blood pressure (156.93 ± 76.31 μmol/L). The difference however was not statistically significant (p = 0.05). The findings from this study confirm that the level of L-arginine is lower among hypertensive subjects compared to non-hypertensive controls. Age, gender and ethnicity did not have a significant effect on the L-arginine levels of hypertensive subjects. L-arginine level was significantly lower among single hypertensive patients and those with markedly raised blood pressure. It is recommended the L-arginine supplement be prescribed to hypertensive patient as a prophylactic measure. There is a need to enlighten hypertensive patients in the area on the need to maintain a balanced diet containing sufficient level of L-arginine.

Correlations between mineral composition and mechanical properties of granite using digital image processing and discrete element method

This study investigated the correlations between mechanical properties and mineralogy of granite using the digital image processing(DIP) and discrete element method(DEM). The results showed that the X-ray diffraction(XRD)-based DIP method effectively analyzed the mineral composition contents and spatial distributions of granite. During the particle flow code(PFC2D) model calibration phase, the numerical simulation exhibited that the uniaxial compressive strength(UCS) value, elastic modulus(E), and failure pattern of the granite specimen in the UCS test were comparable to the experiment. By establishing 351 sets of numerical models and exploring the impacts of mineral composition on the mechanical properties of granite, it indicated that there was no negative correlation between quartz and feldspar for UCS, tensile strength(σ_(t)), and E. In contrast, mica had a significant negative correlation for UCS, σ_(t), and E. The presence of quartz increased the brittleness of granite, whereas the presence of mica and feldspar increased its ductility in UCS and direct tensile strength(DTS) tests. Varying contents of major mineral compositions in granite showed minor influence on the number of cracks in both UCS and DTS tests.

Analysis of sex pheromone production and field trapping of the Asian corn borer(Ostrinia furnacalis Guenée)in Xinjiang,China

Identifying the sex pheromone systems of local pest populations facilitates their management,especially for moth species that show significant geographic variation in sex pheromone communication.We investigated the pheromone production and behavioral responses of the Asian corn borer(Ostrinia furnacalis Guenée;ACB)in Xinjiang,China.The ACB produces three compounds:(Z)-12-tetradecenyl acetate(Z12-14:Ac)and(E)-12-tetradecenyl acetate(E12-14:Ac)which are two sex pheromone compounds,and n-tetradecyl acetate(14:Ac)which has variable roles in mediating behavioral responses.The ratios of these three compounds produced in female gland are geographically distinct among different populations.Quantitative analysis of pheromone production showed that the proportions of Z12-14:Ac in the E/Z isomers(i.e.,Z and E12-14:Ac)and the proportions of 14:Ac in the ternary blend respectively averaged 60.46%(SD=5.26)and 25.00%(SD=7.37),with their probabilities normally or near-normally distributed.Trapping experiments in a cornfield indicated that deploying the E/Z isomers and the three compounds in rubber septa close to their gland ratios yielded the most captured males,while other ratios that deviated from the gland ratios showed reduced field captures.The ternary blend was significantly more attractive to males than the E/Z isomers in the field,indicating a functional role of 14:Ac as the third pheromone component used by the local population.Additionally,the dose-response test demonstrated that the application of the three compounds at dosages between 200 and 350μg attracted significantly more males compared to other dosages.Therefore,the characterization of this local ACB pheromone system provides additional information about its geographic variation and serves as a basis for optimizing the pheromone-mediated control of this pest in Xinjiang.

Risk of pancreatic cancer in individuals with celiac disease in the United States:A population-based matched cohort study

BACKGROUND Celiac disease(CD)has been associated with gastrointestinal malignancies.However,the magnitude of the risk of pancreatic cancer(PC)associated with CD is much less clear,and risks have not been estimated from large populations.AIM To assess the risk of PC in CD patients.METHODS We conducted a population-based,multicenter,propensity score-matched cohort study with consecutive patients diagnosed with CD using the TriNeTx research network platform.We examined the incidence of PC in patients with CD compared with a matched cohort of patients without CD(non-CD,controls).Each patient in the main group(CD)was matched to a patient in the control group using 1:1 propensity score matching to reduce confounding effects.The incidence of PC was estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model with a hazard ratio(HR)and 95%confidence interval(CI).RESULTS A total of 389980 patients were included in this study.Among them,155877 patients had a diagnosis of CD,and the remaining 234103 individuals without CD were considered a control cohort.The mean duration of follow-up for patients in the CD and control cohorts was 5.8±1.8 and 5.9±1.1 years,respectively.During the follow-up,309 patients with CD developed PC,whereas 240 patients developed PC in the control group(HR=1.29;95%CI:1.09-1.53).In the secondary analyses in the first year after diagnosis of CD,patients with CD were at a significant increase in risk for PC;151 patients with CD had an incidence of PC compared with 96 incidences of PC among the patients in the non-CD control group(HR=1.56;95%CI:1.20-2.01)and sensitivity analysis showed similar magnitude to the one generated in the primary and secondary analysis.CONCLUSION Patients with CD are at increased risk of PC.Risk elevation persists beyond the first year after diagnosis to reference individuals without CD from the general population.

Determination of Effectiveness of Energy Management System in Buildings

Building Energy Management Systems(BEMS)are computer-based systems that aid in managing,controlling,and monitoring the building technical services and energy consumption by equipment used in the building.The effectiveness of BEMS is dependent upon numerous factors,among which the operational characteristics of the building and the BEMS control parameters also play an essential role.This research develops a user-driven simulation tool where users can input the building parameters and BEMS controls to determine the effectiveness of their BEMS.The simulation tool gives the user the flexibility to understand the potential energy savings by employing specific BEMS control and help in making intelligent decisions.The simulation is developed using Visual Basic Application(VBA)in Microsoft Excel,based on discrete-event Monte Carlo Simulation(MCS).The simulation works by initially calculating the energy required for space cooling and heating based on current building parameters input by the user in the model.Further,during the second simulation,the user selects all the BEMS controls and improved building envelope to determine the energy required for space cooling and heating during that case.The model compares the energy consumption from the first simulation and the second simulation.Then the simulation model will provide the rating of the effectiveness of BEMS on a continuous scale of 1 to 5(1 being poor effectiveness and 5 being excellent effectiveness of BEMS).This work is intended to facilitate building owner/energy managers to analyze the building energy performance concerning the efficacy of their energy management system.

Evaluation of Process and Economic Feasibility of Implementing a Topping Cycle Cogeneration

Industrial applications that require steam for their end-use generally utilize steam boilers that are typically oversized,citing operations flexibility.Similarly,gas turbine-based power plants corroborate a gas turbine system that may eventually relieve the usable exhaust into the atmosphere.This study explores the economic and technical feasibility of a topping cycle combined heat and power(CHP)system.It does so by leveraging a partially loaded boiler or gas turbine by increasing its unused load to generate steam and heat for subsequent usage.To this end,a decision support tool(COGENTEC)was developed,which emulates a given facility’s boiler or gas-turbine system,and its operational parameters with the application of steam turbines.The tool provides necessary insights into the most appropriate parameters that enable a CHP system to be technically and economically advantageous.Based on input variables such as boiler-rated capacity,steam pressure,steam temperature,and existing boiler load,among others,COGENTEC designs a topping cycle CHP system to inform a user whether this system is feasible in their facility or not.If applicable,the tool assists the user to realize the point of break-even(fuel cost incurred and cost savings)at the desired steam flow rate.It also conducts sensitivity analyses between energy usage,cost savings,and payback on the investment of the operating parameters to understand the relationship between relevant variables.By utilizing parameters from a pulp and paper manufacturing facility,the research determines that the fuel cost,electricity cost,and steam flow rate are the most important parameters for the feasibility of the system with a desirable payback on the investment.

On Differentiation Among Pilot Signals of Multiple Mobile Targets in Retro-Reflective Beamforming for Wireless Power Transmission

An experimental study is conducted on several retro-reflective beamforming schemes for wireless power transmission to multiple wireless power receivers(referred to herein as“targets”).The experimental results demonstrate that,when multiple targets broadcast continuous-wave pilot signals at respective frequencies,a retro-reflective wireless power transmitter is capable of generating multiple wireless power beams aiming at the respective targets as long as the multiple pilot signals are explicitly separated from one another by the wireless power transmitter.However,various practical complications are identified when the pilot signals of multiple targets are not appropriately differentiated from each other by the wireless power transmitter.Specifically,when multiple pilot signals are considered to be carried by the same frequency,the wireless power transmission performance becomes heavily dependent on the interaction among the pilot signals,which is highly undesirable in practice.In conclusion,it is essential for a retro-reflective wireless power transmitter to explicitly discriminate multiple targets’pilot signals among each other.

Analysis of Emissions Profiles of Hydraulic Fracturing Engine Technologies

Today, the oil and gas industry, and in particular hydraulic fracturing operations, have come under increasing pressure from regulators and the public to reduce emissions. As the industry evolves, oil and gas producers are in the position of evaluating alternative technologies which will support their objectives of reducing their overall emissions profile and carbon footprint. As a response, the deployment of technology and solutions to reduce emissions related to hydraulic fracturing applications has recently accelerated, creating various options to address these industry challenges. BJ Energy Solutions and West Virginia University have been working on the application and emissions characterization of various hydraulic fracturing technologies. A study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency and resultant emissions from various technologies, including natural gas reciprocating engines, diesel-natural gas dual-fuel engines, large (>24 MW) gas turbines, and direct drive turbines. The study involved the development of an emissions model with the purpose of estimating total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and exhaust methane (CH4) slip, all Greenhouse Gases (GHGs), and converted to tons of CO2 equivalent emissions per day of operation. The model inputs are the required Hydraulic Horsepower (HHP) based on pumping rate and pressure for various shale play scenarios. The model calculates emissions from the TITAN, which is a direct-drive turbine model fielded by BJ, using data collected following U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) testing protocols. The model also calculates and compares other hydraulic fracturing technologies utilizing published Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) data. Relevant EPA-regulated criteria emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Particulate Matter (PM) are also reported. Modeling results demonstrated that in most cases, the TITAN gas turbine system has lower total GHG emissions than conventional diesel and other next-generation technologies, and also has lower criteria emissions. The benefits of the TITAN gas turbine system compared to the other technologies stems from significantly lower methane slip, and the high-power transfer efficiency resulting from directly connecting a turbine to a reciprocating pump, despite the comparatively lower thermal efficiency.

Multi-criteria comparative analysis of the pressure drop on coal gangue fly-ash slurry at different parts along an L-shaped pipeline

Disposing of coal gangue and fly-ash on the surface is a risky method with tremendous potential catastrophic consequences for the environment.Backfill mining is a promising practice for turning those hazardous wastes into functional backfill materi-als.Unfortunately,how to efficiently deliver the slurry to the desired places remains under-researched.To address this issue,the computational fluid dynamics software Fluent was used in the current study in addition to a laboratory rheological test to simulate the impact of various parameters on the evolution of pressure at a particular section of the pipeline.Furthermore,the response surface method was employed to investigate how the various components and their corresponding influencing weights interact to affect the pressure drop.This study demonstrates that the pressure drop of the slurry is highly influenced by slurry concentration,speed,and pipe diameter.While conveying speed is the main component in the bend section,pipe diameter takes over in the horizontal and vertical pipe sections.

Promoter replacement of ANT1 induces anthocyanin accumulation and triggers the shade avoidance response through developmental, physiological and metabolic reprogramming in tomato

The accumulation of anthocyanins is a well-known response to abiotic stresses in many plant species.However,the effects of anthocyanin accumulation on light absorbance and photosynthesis are unknown.Here,we addressed this question using a promoter replacement line of tomato constitutively expressing a MYB transcription factor(ANTHOCYANIN1,ANT1)that leads to anthocyanin accumulation.ANT1-overexpressing plants displayed traits associated with shade avoidance response:thinner leaves,lower seed germination rate,suppressed side branching,increased chlorophyll concentration,and lower photosynthesis rates than the wild type.Anthocyanin-rich leaves exhibited higher absorbance of light in the blue and red ends of the spectrum,while higher anthocyanin content in leaves provided photoprotection to high irradiance.Analyses of gene expression and primary metabolites content showed that anthocyanin accumulation produces a reconfiguration of transcriptional and metabolic networks that is consistent with,but not identical to those described for the shade avoidance response.Our results provide novel insights about howanthocyanins accumulation affects the trade-off between photoprotection and growth.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with autoimmune hepatitis:A population-based matched cohort study

BACKGROUND Patients with autoimmune hepatitis(AIH)require life-long immunosuppressive agents that may increase the risk of poor coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)outcomes.There is a paucity of large data at the population level to assess whether patients with AIH have an increased risk of severe diseases.AIM To evaluate the impact of pre-existing AIH on the clinical outcomes of patients with COVID-19.METHODS We conducted a population-based,multicenter,propensity score-matched cohort study with consecutive adult patients(≥18 years)diagnosed with COVID-19 using the TriNeTx research network platform.The outcomes of patients with AIH(main group)were compared to a propensity score-matched cohort of patients:(1)Without chronic liver disease(CLD);and(2)Patients with CLD except AIH(non-AIH CLD)control groups.Each patient in the main group was matched to a patient in the control group using 1:1 propensity score matching to reduce confounding effects.The primary outcome was all-cause mortality,and secondary outcomes were hospitalization rate,need for critical care,severe disease,mechanical ventilation,and acute kidney injury(AKI).For each outcome,the risk ratio(RR)and confidence intervals(CI)were calculated to compare the association of AIH with the outcome.RESULTS We identified 375 patients with AIH,1647915 patients with non-CLD,and 15790 patients with non-AIH CLD with COVID-19 infection.Compared to non-CLD patients,the AIH cohort had an increased risk of all-cause mortality(RR=2.22;95%CI:1.07-4.61),hospitalization rate(RR=1.78;95%CI:1.17-2.69),and severe disease(RR=1.98;95%CI:1.19-3.26).The AIH cohort had a lower risk of hospitalization rate(RR=0.72;95%CI:0.56-0.92),critical care(RR=0.50;95%CI:0.32-0.79),and AKI(RR=0.56;95%CI:0.35-0.88)compared to the non-AIH CLD patients.CONCLUSION Patients with AIH are associated with increased hospitalization risk,severe disease,and all-cause mortality compared to patients without pre-existing CLD from the diagnosis of COVID-19.However,patients with AIH were not at risk for worse outcomes with COVID-19 than other causes of CLD.

Gede and Homosexuality

This article argues that the Haitian Vodou spirits(lwas)of fertility and death,Gede,do not promote homosexuality or the fluidity of sexuality in Haitian culture.The latter position is a Western reading of Gede grounded in postmodern and post-structural identity theorizing.Gede in Haitian ontology and epistemology is lwas of fertility and death not sexual identity confusion or fluidity.

The Haitian Revolution:An Insignificant Revolution?

This work posits that the Haitian Revolution became an insignificant Revolution the minute that it was usurped by the Affranchis class,the mulatto elites and petit-bourgeois creole blacks,seeking equality of opportunity,recognition,and distribution with their former colonial masters,from the Africans who commenced the event on the night of August 14th,1791.Whereas the Africans,I conclude,sought total freedom from the mercantilist and liberal order of the whites,which made the Haitian Revolution significant,the vindicationism sought by the Affranchis class undermined the agential initiatives of the Africans rendering the Revolution revolutionarily insignificant.