Auxiliary Devices Research Articles

Biomechanical effects of anew crimpable gate spring combined with conventional rectangular archwires for torque adjustment of individual anterior teeth : Acomparative finite element study.

Precise root torque adjustment of anterior teeth is indispensable for optimizing dental esthetics and occlusal stability in orthodontics. The efficiency of traditional rectangular archwire manipulation within bracket slots seems to be limited. The crimpable gate spring, anovel device, has emerged as apromising alternative. Yet, there is apaucity of guidelines for its optimal clinical application. This study used finite element analysis (FEA) to investigate the biomechanical impact of the gate spring on torque adjustment of individual anterior teeth and to elucidate the most effective application strategy. AFEA model was constructed by amaxillary central incisor affixed with an edgewise bracket featuring a0.022 × 0.028 inch (in) slot. Arange of stainless steel rectangular archwires, in conjunction with agate spring, were modeled and simulated within the bracket slots. Acontrol group utilized aconventional rectangular wire devoid of agate spring. Palatal root moments were standardized to 9, 18, and 36 Nmm for both experimental and control groups. The gate spring significantly amplified palatal root movement, notably with the 0.019 × 0.025 in archwire. However, this was accompanied by an increase in stress on the tooth and periodontal ligament, particularly in the cervical regions. The synergistic use of a0.019 × 0.025 in rectangular archwire with agate spring in a0.022 × 0.028 in bracket slot was identified as most efficacious for torque control of individual anterior teeth. The gate spring is aviable auxiliary device for enhancing torque adjustment on individual teeth. However, caution is advised as excessive initial stress may concentrate in the cervical and apical regions of the periodontal ligament and tooth.

A Direct Current Self-Sustained Moisture-Electric Generator with 1D/2D Hierarchical Nanostructure for Continuous Operation of Off-Grid Electronics.

Ubiquitous moisture is a colossal reservoir of clean energy, and the emergence of moisture-electric generators (MEGs) is expected to provide direct power support for off-grid electronic devices anytime and anywhere. However, most MEGs rely on auxiliary energy storage devices and rectifier circuits to drive small electronic devices, which hinder scalability and widespread deployment, and the development of direct current (DC) MEGs with high power output that can directly drive off-grid electronic devices is highly promising but challenging. Herein, a self-sustained moisture-electric generator (SMEG) with a hierarchical nanostructure based on one-dimensional (1D) negatively charged nanofibers and two-dimensional (2D) conductive nanosheets was demonstrated to generate continuous DC electricity from atmospheric humidity. Sulfation of bacterial cellulose nanofibers lowers the surface potential and increases the surface charge energy, and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) provides a conduction pathway for electrons. The hierarchical nanostructures constructed by the combination of 1D nanofibers and 2D nanosheets endow the SMEG with self-sustained moisture gradients and structural anisotropy, which force the generation of a pseudocurrent. This combination also constructs microcapacitors that further enhance the moisture-electric power output. The SMEG can generate a continuous voltage in excess of 0.54 V for over 2160 h, with a power density of about 822 μW cm-3, demonstrating excellent operational durability. This research provides a feasible solution for the development of sustainable, versatile, and efficient power supplies for off-grid self-powered devices.

Impact of scanning strategies on the accuracy of virtual interocclusal records in partially edentulous arch using intraoral scanner: an in vitro study

PurposeTo evaluate the scanning strategies affecting the accuracy of virtual interocclusal records (VIR) in partially edentulous arches using an intraoral scanner in vitro.MethodsA reference model of a partially edentulous arch with implant analogs in positions 45,46 and 47 was constructed. Six pairs of 1-mm diameter metal beads were placed on the gingival tissue as markers for measurement. Four scanning strategies were tested: Quadrant-arch Scan (group 1), Quadrant-arch Scan with Auxiliary occlusal devices (AOD) (group 2), Full-arch Scan (group 3), Full-arch Scan with AOD (group 4). The model was digitalized with a lab scanner as a reference and 15 scans were obtained for each group. The accuracy of VIR was assessed by comparing the experiment data to the reference digital model.ResultsThe mean surface deviations of VIR for Groups 1–4 were 89.4 ± 105.2 μm,95.6 ± 132.8 μm,152.3 ± 159.7 μm and 107.6 ± 138.2 μm respectively. Quadrant-arch scans resulted in lower errors of VIR than full-arch scan (P < 0.001). There was a significant interaction between the AOD and scanning span (P = 0.017). The Quadrant-arch scan with AOD (group 2) produced the least error in the distally extended edentulous area.ConclusionsQuadrant-arch scans showed better accuracy of VIR than full-arch scans across all tooth positions. The combination of AOD and quadrant-arch scan further enhances VIR accuracy in distally extended edentulous areas.

Developing a new interface for Qibla direction application based on MATLAB GUI

In this study, a MATLAB GUI-based interface has been developed that can be integrated with GNSS receivers. Through this interface developed for calculation and querying purposes, Qibla direction application with geodetic precision can be achieved using coordinate information of a corner of the mosque and its facade length, without the need for auxiliary geodetic measurement devices and computational burden. Furthermore, interface allows users to query the Qibla directions in mosques for inspection. It has been found that 2% of the mosques are outside the Qibla direction, 51% are outside the Miqat boundaries, and 8% are within the Haram boundaries.

Evaluating anchorage and torque control in adolescent patients with Class II Division 1 malocclusion among 3 appliances

The objective of this study was to compare the differences in anchorage and torque control among the Tweed edgewise, Roth, and physiological anchorage Spee-wire systems (PASS) appliances (Zhejiang Xinya Technology Co, Ltd, Hangzhou, China). A sample of 90 adolescent patients with Angle Class II Division 1 malocclusion (30 Tweed edgewise appliances, 30 Roth appliances, and 30 PASS appliances) with maximum anchorage requirements in the maxilla were collected for this study. The pretreatment baseline levels of the 3 groups were compared initially, and then the differences between the 3 appliances in anchorage and torque control were analyzed after superimposing the pretreatment and posttreatment lateral cephalograms and maxillary 3-dimensional (3D) digital models, respectively. There was no statistical difference in the pretreatment baseline levels of 3 groups, including gender, age, sagittal skeletal types (ANB), vertical skeletal types (SN-GoGn), anchorage requirements, and occlusal plane inclination (SN-OP). After superimposing the pretreatment and posttreatment lateral cephalograms and 3D digital models, respectively, no statistical differences were observed between the measurement results obtained from lateral cephalograms and 3D digital models. Among the measurement variables assessed in this study, statistical differences were observed in the mesial displacement of maxillary first molars, the incisor retraction, and the torque variation of maxillary central incisors among the 3 groups. Specifically, the Tweed group exhibited lower mesial displacement of maxillary first molars compared with the PASS and Roth groups. Furthermore, the Tweed group exhibited the greatest amount of incisor retraction and torque variation of maxillary central incisors, followed by the Roth group and then the PASS group. The remaining measurement variables for the 3 groups showed no statistical differences, including vertical variation of maxillary first molars and central incisors, torque variation of maxillary first molars and canines, mesiodistal inclination variation of maxillary first molars and canines, width variation between maxillary first molars, and width variation between maxillary canines. Compared with contemporary preadjusted straight wire appliances, the Tweed edgewise appliance has superiority in molar anchorage control. In contrast, compared with the Roth appliances, the PASS appliances without any auxiliary anchorage devices could make full use of physiological anchorage to achieve adequate control of molar anchorage. Clinical orthodontists may need to pay extra attention to physiological anchorage. The difference in torque control varies depending on the respective characteristics of bracket designs.

Effect of prefabricated auxiliary devices in different optical properties and shapes on the accuracy of intraoral scanning of the edentulous arch with multiple implants: an in-vitro study

ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the impact of prefabricated auxiliary devices (PADs) in different optical properties and shapes on the accuracy of digital implant impressions. MethodsAn edentulous maxillary all-on-4 master model was fabricated. PADs were 3D-printed in different resin materials (Grey, Translucent, White, Yellow) and shapes (Cuboid, Cylinder, Sphere) using a 3D printer (AccuFab-C1s, 3DShining, Hangzhou, China). The master model was digitalized using a dental laboratory scanner (D2000, 3Shape, Copenhagen, Denmark) 4 times as the reference models. Test models were obtained without (control group) or with PADs by an intraoral scanner (Aoralscan 3, Shining3D, Hangzhou, China) for ten repetitions of each group using the scanning pattern recommended by the manufacturer. The related files were imported into inspection software to assess Root Mean Square (RMS), linear and angular accuracy. Aligned Ranks Transformation ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were used to evaluate the differences in these values. The level of significance was set at α=0.05. ResultsPADs in different optical properties and shapes demonstrated accuracy enhancement to different extents depending on their combinations. The PADs in combinations of white-cuboid, grey-sphere and yellow-sphere demonstrated the optimal trueness enhancement. The Aligned Ranks Transformation ANOVA indicated that the optical properties of the PADs significantly influenced the RMS, linear and angular accuracy. The main effect of optical properties indicated that translucent PADs generally generated more deviations than the others. The shapes of the PADs significantly influenced the angular accuracy. The main effect of shapes indicated that cylinder resulted in lower angular trueness on YZ plane than cuboid (p = 0.006) and sphere (p < 0.001). ConclusionThe optical properties and shapes of the PADs significantly influenced the scanning accuracy. Translucent PADs demonstrated more deviations than the others. Lower angular trueness on the YZ plane was seen in cylinder design compared to the others. Clinical significanceThe optical properties and shapes of prefabricated auxiliary devices should be critically considered to optimize the scanning accuracy. Prefabricated auxiliary devices in translucent optical properties and cylinder shape should be avoided.

초등학생들의 뉴스 댓글 수용 양상과 뉴스 리터러시 교육의 시사점

This study is a qualitative study that presents the role and meaning of news comments and implications for elementary school news literacy education by deeply analyzing elementary school students’ acceptance of news comments. For elementary school students, news comments are a mechanism that stimulates interest and interest in news and social issues, and are an auxiliary device that helps them understand news. In addition, news comments frequently expose the context of free communication between people so that they can indirectly participate in social and political conversations and contact various disagreements. And for elementary school students, news comments are a role model for learning the competencies necessary as citizens, such as the attitude of being interested in and participating in social problems and how to express opinions on social problems. According to the results of the study, elementary school students are exposed to negative communication such as criticism and slander by encountering news in the online world, but even in them, they have screened jade stones and showed the possibility of accepting sound social discourse. Therefore, this study demanded serious reflection and reflection on the online news comments and comment spaces currently being produced, and suggested that it is necessary to find ways to use news comments educationally to foster healthy citizenship for future generations. In order to increase the effectiveness of news literacy education for elementary school students in the future, it is necessary to actively utilize news comments in the form of pros and cons and provide educational materials applying various news comment frames to supplement the cognitive abilities of elementary school students. And concrete educational measures should be prepared for practical use and critical acceptance of social approval clues.

A 28/56 Gb/s NRZ/PAM-4 Dual-Mode Transmitter with Eye-Opening Enhancement in 28 nm CMOS

This paper presents a non-return-to-zero (NRZ)/4-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-4) dual-mode wireline transmitter with an eye-opening enhancement technique to improve horizontal eye-opening. With the eye-enhancement pulse generator and the auxiliary pull-up device in the tail-less current-mode driver, the worst-case horizontal eye-opening increased by 30% in the PAM-4 eye diagram. The power efficiency of the NRZ mode was also improved by completely turning off the LSB path in the differential data path, resulting in only a 31% power efficiency degradation, which is far lower than that of the prior dual-mode transmitters. Fabricated in 28 nm CMOS, the transmitter achieves power efficiency of 1.4 pJ/bit at 56 Gb/s in PAM-4 mode and 1.84 pJ/bit at 28 Gb/s in NRZ mode, respectively.

Effects of a low, medium, and high-intensity aquatic physiotherapy protocol on functional and biochemical parameters in individuals with knee osteoarthritis: protocol for a crossover randomized controlled trial.

Knee osteoarthritis affects the performance of daily activities, independence, and quality of life. The etiopathogenesis of this condition considers the mechanisms of activation of metalloproteinase and reactive oxygen species production pathways. Metalloproteinases-3 (MMP-3) and Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) may be responsible for cartilage destruction. Aquatic physiotherapy promotes a positive impact on the clinical picture of osteoarthritis, and this study presents an intervention protocol that aims to evaluate the effects of a single session of different aquatic physiotherapy modalities on the biochemical and functional behavior of patients with knee osteoarthritis. This will be a crossover randomized controlled trial in which 15 individuals will be submitted to three aquatic physiotherapy modalities with a minimum 15-day wash-out period in patients over 50 years old and diagnosed with OA in at least one knee, presence of pain and at least one functional dysfunction for at least 6 months, absence of physical limitation that prevents the exercise protocol from being performed, Kellgren and Lawrence ranking between I and IV, walk independently and without auxiliary device. Variations in the concentrations of MMP-3 and GPx in peripheral blood, pain, edema, and flexibility resulting from the three aquatic physiotherapeutic interventions will be evaluated both pre- and immediate post-intervention. The reference group will be submitted to the same aquatic physiotherapy protocols, however, only the biochemical parameters and the self-perception questionnaires will be evaluated. ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT05610696, 18/01/2023).

Simulation Model of a Steelmaking-Continuous Casting Process Based on Dynamic-Operation Rules.

The steelmaking-continuous casting process (SCCP) is a complex manufacturing process which exhibits the distinct features of process manufacturing. The SCCP involves a variety of production elements, such as multiple process routes, a wide array of smelting and auxiliary devices, and a variety of raw and auxiliary materials. The production-simulation of SCCP holds a natural advantage in being able to accurately depict the intricate production behavior involved, and this serves as a crucial tool for optimizing the production operation of the SCCP. This paper thoroughly considers the various production elements involved in the SCCP, such as the fluctuation of the converter smelting cycle, fluctuation of heat weight, and ladle operation. Based on the Plant Simulation software platform, a dynamic simulation model of the SCCP is established and detailed descriptions are provided regarding the design of an SCCP using dynamic-operation rules. Additionally, a dynamic operational control program for the SCCP is developed using the SimTalk language, one which ensures the continuous operation of the caster in the SCCP, using the discrete simulation platform. The effectiveness of the proposed dynamic simulation model is verified by the total completion time of the production plan, the transfer time of the heat among the different processes, and the frequency of ladle turnover. The simulation's results indicate that the dynamic simulation model has a satisfactory effect in simulating the actual production process. On this basis, the application effects of different schedules are compared and analyzed. Compared with a heuristic schedule, the optimized schedule based on the "furnace-machine coordinating" mode reduces the weighted value of total completion time by 8.7 min, reduces the weighted value of transfer waiting time by 45.5 min, and the number of rescheduling times is also reduced, demonstrating a better application effect and verifying the optimizing effect of the "furnace-machine coordinating" mode on the schedule.

Towards Reducing Continuous Emotion Annotation Effort During Video Consumption: A Physiological Response Profiling Approach

Emotion-aware video applications (e.g., gaming, online meetings, online tutoring) strive to moderate the content presentations for a more engaging and improved user experience. These services typically deploy a machine-learning model that continuously infers the user's emotion (based on different physiological signals, facial expressions, etc.) to adapt the content delivery. Therefore, to train such models, the emotion ground truth labels also need to be collected continuously. Typically, those are collated as emotion self-reports from users in a continuous manner (using an auxiliary device such as a joystick) when they watch some videos. This process of continuous emotion annotation not only increases the cognitive load and survey fatigue but also significantly deteriorates the viewing experience. To address this problem, we propose a framework, PResUP that probes a user for emotion self-reports opportunistically based on the physiological response variations of the user. Specifically, the framework implements a sequence of phases - (a) user profile construction based on physiological responses, (b) similar user clustering based on the user profile, and (c) training a parameterized activation-guided LSTM (Long short-term memory) model by sharing data among similar users to detect the opportune self-report collection moments. All these steps together help to reduce the continuous emotion annotation overhead by probing at the opportune moments without compromising the annotation quality. We evaluated PResUP by conducting a user study (N=36) during which the participants watched eight videos, and their physiological responses and continuous emotion self-reports were recorded. The key results from this evaluation reveal that PResUP reduces the annotation overhead by reducing the probing rate by an average of 34.80% and detects the opportune probing moments with an average TPR of 80.07% without compromising the annotation quality. Motivated by these findings, we deployed PResUP by performing a follow-up user study (N=18). In this deployment scenario, we also obtained similar performance in terms of the probing rate reduction (average reduction of 38.05%), and opportune moment detection performance (average TPR of 82.26%). These findings underscore the utility of PResUP in reducing the continuous emotion annotation effort during video consumption.

CONSTRUCTION METHOD AND VERIFICATION OF DIGITAL TWIN MECHANISM MODEL OF PULMONARY VENTILATION

The establishment of a fully functional and accurate pulmonary ventilation mechanism model is of great significance to simulate the real respiratory states of the specified human and configure respiratory therapeutic equipment (such as ventilators and simulated lungs). This paper proposed an alternative method to establish the digital twin mechanism model of pulmonary ventilation, which is a composition of the geometric and physical model mapping to the real respiratory process of humans. Through simulation, it could more intuitively reflect respiratory states and generate reliable respiratory data. The consistency of the digital twin of pulmonary ventilation was verified by the respiratory experiments. According to the verification results, the correlation coefficient and goodness of fit were 98.4% and 96.8%, respectively, in different respiratory patterns; 98.4% and 96.2%, respectively, in different examinees. It can be concluded that the digital twin of pulmonary ventilation could well mimic various respiratory patterns of different human bodies. Then it can generate reliable data to support the parameter settings of the respiratory therapeutic devices and auxiliary respiratory devices such as simulated lungs and ventilators.

Surgical advantage of modified labial salivary gland biopsy using chalazion forceps: a prospective randomized controlled study

Labial salivary gland biopsy (LSGB) is one of the specific diagnostic criteria for primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). In traditional LSGB, there is no lower lip fixation device, the field of view is unclear due to intraoperative bleeding, and the incision is large, which is unfavourable for healing. The use of auxiliary devices to improve the shortcomings of traditional LSGB technique would be meaningful. Therefore, this case–control study aimed to assess the value of modified LSGB using chalazion forceps as compared with traditional LSGB. After obtaining written informed consent from all participating parents and patients, we randomly assigned 217 eligible participants to undergo LSGB using chalazion forceps (n = 125) or traditional LSGB (n = 92). The outcome variables were surgical time, incision length, intraoperative bleeding, pain score at 24 h after surgery, incision healing status at 7 days after surgery, gland collection, and pathological results. The final diagnostic results of the two surgical methods were compared, and the match rates between the pathological results and the final clinical diagnoses were compared between the two groups. The data were analysed using parametric and nonparametric tests. Compared with the traditional group, the modified group had a smaller incision, shorter operative time, less blood loss, lower 24 h pain score, and better Grade A incision healing at 7 days after surgery (p < 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference between the patients in the two surgical-method groups in terms of the positive biopsy results and the final diagnosis based on expert opinions (p > 0.05). By multivariable regression analysis, only a focus score (FS) of ≥ 1 (p < 0.01), dry eye disease (p < 0.05) and anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) titre ≥ 1:320 (p < 0.05) were correlated with the diagnosis of pSS. The positive biopsy results of patients in the different surgical-method groups had a biopsy accuracy of > 80.0% for the diagnosis of pSS. The positive biopsy results in the different surgical-method groups were consistent with the expert opinions and the 2016 ACR-EULAR primary SS classification criteria. The modified LSGB using an auxiliary chalazion forceps offers a good safety with a small incision, shorter operative time, less bleeding, reduced pain and a low incidence of postoperative complications.The match rate of LSGB pathological results of the proposed surgical procedure with the final diagnosis of pSS is high.

A Solar-Wind based EV Charging Station Model using MATLAB Simulink

Abstract Transportation is becoming more and more necessary every day. One such form of transportation that has been around for a century is the electric vehicle (EV). It has less of an effect on pollution, climate change, and resource depletion because it requires less resources. Many people find it challenging to charge their electric cars in off-grid locations, which lowers the uptake of EVs. In this scenario, a charging station powered by locally available renewable energy sources like solar, wind, biogas, and tidal energy would be a better option. In this paper an attempt has been made to examine a charging station model from renewable energy sources Solar and Wind. The solar-wind energy-based charging system drastically cuts down on the amount of fossil fuels used to generate electricity, which also minimizes emissions of CO2 and carbon-related pollutants. Wind and solar energy are used in conjunction and are complementary to one another. A charging controller which takes into account State of Charge (SOC), the number of linked EVs, and the arrival time of those EVs is used. The power transfer will be managed by this controller. By carefully considering each level, including the solar plant, wind plant, battery storage system, and controlling technology, the charging station is modeled in the best possible way. Simple model is used to describe each stage of the charging station, and designed with appropriate mathematical formulae. By understanding the demand for charging and pairing it with the appropriate energy storage system and auxiliary devices, this charging model can be used in off-grid locations.

A New Cross-Domain Motor Fault Diagnosis Method Based on Bimodal Inputs

Electric motors are indispensable electrical equipment in ships, with a wide range of applications. They can serve as auxiliary devices for propulsion, such as air compressors, anchor winches, and pumps, and are also used in propulsion systems; ensuring the safe and reliable operation of motors is crucial for ships. Existing deep learning methods typically target motors under a specific operating state and are susceptible to noise during feature extraction. To address these issues, this paper proposes a Resformer model based on bimodal input. First, vibration signals are transformed into time–frequency diagrams using continuous wavelet transform (CWT), and three-phase current signals are converted into Park vector modulus (PVM) signals through Park transformation. The time–frequency diagrams and PVM signals are then aligned in the time sequence to be used as bimodal input samples. The analysis of time–frequency images and PVM signals indicates that the same fault condition under different loads but at the same speed exhibits certain similarities. Therefore, data from the same fault condition under different loads but at the same speed are combined for cross-domain motor fault diagnosis. The proposed Resformer model combines the powerful spatial feature extraction capabilities of the Swin-t model with the excellent fine feature extraction and efficient training performance of the ResNet model. Experimental results show that the Resformer model can effectively diagnose cross-domain motor faults and maintains performance even under different noise conditions. Compared with single-modal models (VGG-11, ResNet, ResNeXt, and Swin-t), dual-modal models (MLP-Transformer and LSTM-Transformer), and other large models (Swin-s, Swin-b, and VGG-19), the Resformer model exhibits superior overall performance. This validates the method’s effectiveness and accuracy in the intelligent recognition of common cross-domain motor faults.

The Impact of Utilizing an Auxiliary Device During Muscle Stretching Exercises on the Performance of Para Powerlifting, Positive Mechanical Work, and Torso Flexibility

This study is to identify the impact of utilizing an auxiliary device during muscle stretching exercises on the performance of Para powerlifting, positive mechanical work, and torso flexibility. The experimental method in a one-group manner with a pre- and post-test has been used. The research community is the weightlifting team athletes in the Iraqi National Paralympic Committee. They are (8) athletes, from various weight categories, and aged (20-35) years. The average calculation of their weight and deviations was (68.92 ± 16.12), and the average calculation of their length and deviations was (71.22 ± 9.47). As for field research procedures, muscle stretching exercises have been conducted with an auxiliary device. The device will help by giving high flexibility to the torso, which in turn enables the athlete to increase the height of the chest while performing the lift. The training took place over a (6) week period, with (4) training units per week. The most important conclusions reached by the Researcher are: muscle stretching exercises are done using an auxiliary device have improved performance by reducing the lifting distance as a result of increasing torso flexibility and reducing positive mechanical work.

Functional ventilation building envelope integrated photovoltaic modules and phrase change material in subtropical climate: An in-depth numerical investigation

Most of existing solar ventilation envelope systems adopt a single structure including a glass cover a massive wall, which possesses the drawbacks of low thermal efficiency and poor stability. In recent decades, auxiliary power generation devices, led by photovoltaic (PV), have made epochal achievements in integrated building applications, while the superior thermal regulation capability of thermal storage materials, represented by phrase change materials (PCM), has further helped to improve the thermal environment of buildings, and the above two technologies have demonstrated great energy conservation potential. In order to explore the application and synergistic effect of the above two energy-conservation technologies in passive ventilation envelopes, a novel functional ventilation building envelope (FVBE) integrated with PV panel and PCM is proposed in this paper. A comprehensive exploration of the influence of various key parameters on the thermal performance of the FVBE-PV/PCM system. The electrical and thermal performance of the system is explored based on different seasonal climates. Specifically, effects of thickness as well as the melting temperature of PCM and the air channel width has been provided in this study. Taking the inner wall surface temperature (Tinner_wall), equivalent indoor load (Qload) and electrical efficiency (ηe) as evaluation indexes, the thermal efficiency, electrical performance and the coupling mechanism was assessed. Specifically, the coupling mechanism between the thermal performance and electrical performance of the FVBE-PV/PCM system was analyzed from the perspective of combined heat and power, revealing the functional characteristics of the system. Meanwhile, the article conducted a comparative study on the thermal and electrical performance of a typical building integrated PV (BIPV), FVBE-PV system FVBE-PV/PCM system. In particular, energy and exergy analysis is carried out to characterize the energy utilization of the FVBE-PV/PCM system in different structural systems. The research found that increasing the thickness of both the PCM and air channel leads to lower indoor temperature and heat flux, with different optimal phase transition temperatures for summer and winter. Although the FVBE-PV system exhibited a maximum 3.12 % reduction in power generation efficiency compared to the BIPV system due to increased PV temperature caused by air layer insulation, incorporating PCM can reduce exergy losses by an average of 31.731 % to mitigate this drawback and improve energy efficiency. Additionally, the analysis revealed varying coupling correlations between thermal performance and power generation based on two key parameters. This study could contribute to the functional improvement of the building envelope and simultaneous indoor thermal regulation.

Weakly ionized gold nanoparticles amplify immunoassays for ultrasensitive point-of-care sensors.

Gold nanoparticle-based lateral flow immunoassays (AuNP LFIAs) are widely used point-of-care (POC) sensors for in vitro diagnostics. However, the sensitivity limitation of conventional AuNP LFIAs impedes the detection of trace biomarkers. Several studies have explored the size and shape factors of AuNPs and derivative nanohybrids, showing limited improvements or enhanced sensitivity at the cost of convenience and affordability. Here, we investigated surface chemistry on the sensitivity of AuNP LFIAs. By modifying surface ligands, a surface chemistry strategy involving weakly ionized AuNPs enables ultrasensitive naked-eye LFIAs (~100-fold enhanced sensitivity). We demonstrated how this surface chemistry-amplified immunoassay approach modulates nanointerfacial bindings to promote antibody adsorption and higher activity of adsorbed antibodies. This surface chemistry design eliminates complex nanosynthesis, auxiliary devices, or additional reagents while efficiently improving sensitivity with advantages: simplified fabrication process, excellent reproducibility and reliability, and ultrasensitivity toward various biomarkers. The surface chemistry using weakly ionized AuNPs represents a versatile approach for sensitizing POC sensors.

Measurement Approach for the Pose of Flanges in Cabin Assemblies through Distributed Vision.

The relative rotation angle between two cabins should be automatically and precisely obtained during automated assembly processes for spacecraft and aircraft. This paper introduces a method to solve this problem based on distributed vision, where two groups of cameras are employed to take images of mating features, such as dowel pins and holes, in oblique directions. Then, the relative rotation between the mating flanges of two cabins is calculated. The key point is the registration of the distributed cameras; thus, a simple and practical registration process is designed. It is assumed that there are rigid and scaling transformations among the world coordinate systems (WCS) of each camera. Therefore, the rigid-correct and scaling-correct matrices are adopted to register the cameras. An auxiliary registration device with known features is designed and moved in the cameras' field of view (FOV) to obtain the matrix parameters so that each camera acquires traces of every feature. The parameters can be solved using a genetic algorithm based on the known geometric relationships between the trajectories on the registration devices. This paper designs a prototype to verify the method. The precision reaches 0.02° in the measuring space of 340 mm.

Impact of Invisalign® first system on molar width and incisor torque in malocclusion during the mixed dentition period.

In orthodontic treatment of patients during the mixed dentition period, arch expansion and opening deep overbite are one of the objectives to achieve proper alignment of the teeth and correction of sagittal and vertical discrepancies. However, the expected outcomes of most therapeutic regimens are not clear, making it impossible to standardize early treatment effects. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the impact of the Invisalign® First System on the dental arch circumference and incisor inclination in patients during the mixed dentition period. A total of 21 children during the mixed dentition period (10 females and 11 males, with an average age of 8.76 years) were included in this study. The patients received non-extraction treatment through Invisalign® First System clear aligners, and no other auxiliary devices were used except Invisalign® accessories. Subsequently, the cooperation degree of patients during treatment and the oral measurement parameters at the beginning (T1) and the end (T2) of treatment were collected. All patients showed moderate/good cooperation degree during treatment. Besides, horizontal width of the maxillary first molar increased significantly; the designed arch expansion was 4.1 mm (±1.4 mm), while the actual arch expansion was 3.0 mm (±1.7 mm). Furthermore, the torque expression rate of upper anterior teeth reached 56.53%. Invisalign® First System clear aligners can effectively correct the teeth of patients during the mixed dentition period, widen the circumference of dental arch, and control the torque of incisors.