Important Data Research Articles

Import of digital products and production fragmentation

Empowering traditional manufacturing through the digital economy can not only enhance the competitiveness of Chinese manufacturing enterprises, but also enhance the degree of specialization of enterprises by optimizing the industrial structure, thus enhancing the embeddedness of Chinese enterprises in the global value chain. Based on this background, on the one hand, this paper extracts and integrates digital product information from China Customs data. On the other hand, this paper constructs the number of production processes of enterprises as a proxy variable for production fragmentation. Finally, by matching these two databases, we get the production segmentation data of Chinese enterprises' digital product import from 2000 to 2014. We found that improving the penetration degree of digital technology by importing digital products can effectively promote the production fragmentation. In order to further clarify the mechanism, we divided the digital products into final and intermediate kinds and found that firms importing digital final goods have a larger marginal impact on their production fragmentation.

Digital economy and China's agricultural exports: based on trade cost and market competition effect

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore the effect and mechanism of the digital economy’s influence on the binary margin of agricultural exports.Design/methodology/approachBased on the theoretical analysis of the mechanism of the digital economy’s influence on the binary margin of agricultural exports, this study empirically examines the effect and mechanism of the digital economy’s influence on the binary margin of agricultural exports based on China’s customs export data from 2011 to 2016.FindingsThe relevant findings are threefold. (1) The digital economy significantly improves the binary margin of agricultural exports, and its effect on the intensive margin is stronger than that on the expansive margin. After the expansive margin is subdivided, the effects on the three sub-variables of the expansive margin are in the following order: old products exported to new markets > new products exported to old markets > new products exported to new markets. (2) The heterogeneity analysis reveals that the digital economy has a stronger role in promoting the binary margin of exports for enterprises in the eastern region, high-income countries as the destination of exports and state-owned enterprises. (3) Mechanism analysis shows that the digital economy promotes the binary margin of agricultural exports by reducing trade costs and intensifying market competition.Originality/valueFirst, in terms of research perspective, although there are some studies on the impact of the digital economy on export trade in existing literature, the research objects mainly focus on manufacturing enterprises. In fact, agricultural trade is susceptible to natural conditions and seasonal factors, and countries may impose more SPS measures and TBT measures on agricultural trade due to risk considerations. The relationship between the digital economy and agricultural trade also has its own characteristics, but there are few research studies in this area. At present, only Liu and Gao (2022), based on the data of total imports and exports of different agricultural products from 2004 to 2018, have established a vector auto-regressive model to empirically analyse the heterogeneous dynamic impact of the digital economy on the trade volume of agricultural products. In addition, Ma and Guo (2023) conducted an empirical test on the total effect, regional heterogeneity and threshold effect of the digital economy on agricultural export trade based on China’s provincial panel data from 2011 to 2020. Therefore, under the new circumstances of continuous integration of digital technology and agriculture, this study interprets the impact effect and mechanism of the digital economy on the binary margin of agricultural exports from the perspective of the digital economy, providing new research perspectives and approaches for promoting the growth of agricultural exports. Second, in terms of theoretical analysis, the above studies have not been fully analysed in terms of the specific mechanism of the impact of the digital economy on agricultural exports. Based on the positive and negative characteristics of agricultural trade, this study introduces two kinds of roles into the theoretical analysis framework to comprehensively determine the trade impact effect of the digital economy. Third, in terms of research design, this study empirically examines the impact of the digital economy on the binary margin of agricultural products, passing a series of robustness tests and investigating the mediating roles of trade cost and market competition effects, producing an empirical basis for China to leverage the digital economy to promote the binary margin of agricultural exports.

Recipes for Happiness: Conversations on Happiness and Well-being in the School Environment

Background: Since ancient times, the debate around happiness has been present in philosophical reflections. In the face of an increasingly complex society, impacted by several crisis, the need and urgency to debate conceptualizations of happiness and well-being is evident, and educational institutions may play a relevant role in this process. Objective: Considering philosophical and current psychological perspectives on well-being, this paper seeks to analyze children’s perceptions of happiness through the analysis of an anthology of recipes for happiness created by elementary school children in a public school in Brazil. Methodology: A qualitative analysis was carried out based on the content of 15 recipes for happiness, produced by 6th grade students at a federal public school in Brazil. Content analysis was conducted associating the thematic categories of the article “children’s conceptualizations of happiness” with the ingredients of the recipes for happiness. Results: Among the corpus of recipes analyzed in the study, positive feelings were present in 86.7% of the recipes, followed by positive self (66.7%), then friendship (46.7%), and leisure (33.3%). Conclusion: The results demonstrate writing recipes for happiness can be considered an effective intervention to articulate the debate about well-being in the school environment. Furthermore, understanding children's perceptions of happiness can be important data for developing well-being policies in schools.

[Tillage Depth Regulation and the Effect of Straw Return on Soil Respiration in Farmland].

Straw return and tillage depth treatments are one of the most important agricultural management measures that affect farmland soil respiration, but the mechanism of their interaction affecting farmland soil respiration remains unclear. Therefore, 116 published research articles were used through Meta-analysis technology for dryland farmland ecosystems in China to explore the effects of straw return and tillage depth treatments and their interaction on farmland soil respiration and its regulatory factors, which will provide important data support and a theoretical basis for achieving "carbon neutrality" in farmland ecosystems. The results showed that no tillage reduced soil respiration by 8.3%, and the effects of shallow and deep tillage treatments on soil respiration were not significant, but the increase in soil respiration still showed a trend of deep tillage>shallow tillage>no tillage. However, both shallow and deep tillage had relatively small effects on soil respiration and soil organic carbon (SOC), whereas no tillage reduced soil respiration by 8.3% and increased SOC by 7.05%. Therefore, implementing no tillage measures is of great significance for soil carbon sequestration and emission reduction in farmland ecosystems. In addition, tillage depth significantly regulated the impact of straw return on soil respiration, and the increase in soil respiration showed a trend of deep tillage straw return>shallow tillage straw return>no tillage straw return, with an overall average increase of 14.51%. The increase in soil respiration under different tillage depth treatments after straw return was closely related to the change in soil bulk density, crop yield, SOC, soil temperature, and moisture, and the contribution to the increase in soil respiration showed a trend of soil bulk density>crop yield>soil organic carbon>soil moisture>soil temperature. However, SOC increased by 29.32%, 10.12%, and 23.94%, respectively, in the deep tillage straw return, shallow tillage straw return, and no tillage straw return treatments, whereas soil respiration increased by 29.32% and 18.92%, respectively, in the deep tillage straw return and shallow tillage straw return treatments, and it only increased by 1.2% in the no tillage straw return treatment. Therefore, no tillage straw return was also beneficial to soil carbon sequestration and emission reduction in farmland ecosystems. Thus, in the dryland farmland ecosystem of China, tillage depth treatments regulated the impact of straw return on soil respiration, which was mainly related to soil physical and chemical properties, especially being closely related to soil bulk density. Moreover, no tillage and no tillage straw return are important agricultural management measures that are conducive to soil carbon sequestration and emission reduction.

The segmentation and intelligent recognition of structural surfaces in borehole images based on the U2-Net network.

Structural planes decrease the strength and stability of rock masses, severely affecting their mechanical properties and deformation and failure characteristics. Therefore, investigation and analysis of structural planes are crucial tasks in mining rock mechanics. The drilling camera obtains image information of deep structural planes of rock masses through high-definition camera methods, providing important data sources for the analysis of deep structural planes of rock masses. This paper addresses the problems of high workload, low efficiency, high subjectivity, and poor accuracy brought about by manual processing based on current borehole image analysis and conducts an intelligent segmentation study of borehole image structural planes based on the U2-Net network. By collecting data from 20 different borehole images in different lithological regions, a dataset consisting of 1,013 borehole images with structural plane type, lithology, and color was established. Data augmentation methods such as image flipping, color jittering, blurring, and mixup were applied to expand the dataset to 12,421 images, meeting the requirements for deep network training data. Based on the PyTorch deep learning framework, the initial U2-Net network weights were set, the learning rate was set to 0.001, the training batch was 4, and the Adam optimizer adaptively adjusted the learning rate during the training process. A dedicated network model for segmenting structural planes was obtained, and the model achieved a maximum F-measure value of 0.749 when the confidence threshold was set to 0.7, with an accuracy rate of up to 0.85 within the range of recall rate greater than 0.5. Overall, the model has high accuracy for segmenting structural planes and very low mean absolute error, indicating good segmentation accuracy and certain generalization of the network. The research method in this paper can serve as a reference for the study of intelligent identification of structural planes in borehole images.

Structural and Geochemistry of Air Piau Gold Mineralisation in Kelantan, North-East Peninsular Malaysia

The formation of the Air Piau Gold Deposit in North-East Peninsular Malaysia due to Permo–Triassic subduction and collision between Sibumasu and East Malaya blocks and resulted in several phases of deformation, contraction, and metamorphism. Kinematic and petrography study of quartz veins in Air Piau area observed whether following the foliation of metamorphic rock or crosscut the foliation. Early generation of veining system in Air Piau follow the host rock foliation (V1). Meanwhile the later formation of the hydrothermal vein has a cross-cutting relationship with foliation (V2). Some veins observed were sheared and brecciated (V3). Positive correlation between Au and As concentration that can be characterized these deposit formed at mesozonal zone. V3 vein type showed the brecciated texture of vein indicates the brittle structure deformation. The conceptual model of orogenic gold, this type of V3 vein can be classified as epizonal zone. Regionally, the Air Piau gold deposit shares geologically similarities (in term of tectonic setting, geological structures controlled, host rock, ore gechemistry) with many other sediment/metasediment- hosted, orogenic gold deposits in Peninsular Malaysia such as Tersang, Selinsing and Penjom. Furthermore, Air Piau gold deposit characteristics as discussed before supported the theory related with orogenic/mesothermal gold from various researchers However, a number of inferences on classified Air Piau gold deposit model as orogenic gold deposit remains speculative in the absence importance data like ore geochemistry data (Hg, Sb and Te element concentrations) and fluid inclusion data.

Responses in Plant Growth and Root Exudates of Pistia stratiotes under Zn and Cu Stress.

At present, the situation regarding heavy metal pollution in aquatic environments is becoming more and more serious. The bioaccumulation of heavy metals in aquatic plants causes obvious phytotoxicity, which can also induce secondary pollution in the aquatic environment. Zinc and copper, as indispensable elements for plant growth, are also prominent heavy metals in water pollution in China, and their concentrations play a crucial role in plant growth. In this study, we investigated the response of Pistia stratiotes (P. stratiotes) to different concentrations of Zn and Cu, and the results showed that plant growth and photosynthesis were inhibited under both Zn (1, 2, 4, and 8 mg/L) and Cu (0.2, 0.4, 0.8, and 1 mg/L) stresses. The relative growth rates of P. stratiotes under 8 mg/L Zn or 1 mg/L Cu stress were 6.33% and 6.90%, which were much lower than those in the control group (10.86%). Meanwhile, Zn and Cu stress caused insignificant change in the relative water contents of plants. The decrease in phlorophyll fluorescence parameters and chlorophyll contents suggested the significant photoinhibition of Zn and Cu stress. Chemical analysis of plant root exudates showed that the root secretion species obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) mainly included amino acids, alkanes, aldehydes, ketones, phenols, and more. Compared with the control group, the influence of Zn or Cu on the reduction in relative amounts of exudates was greater than that on the increase. The results of this study provide important data for the utilization of P. stratiotes in heavy metal-polluted water environments.

Malnutrition in emergency general surgery: a survey of National Emergency Laparotomy Audit Leads.

Patients who are malnourished and have emergency general surgery, such as a laparotomy, have worse outcomes than those who are not malnourished. It is paramount to identify these patients and minimise this risk. This study aimed to describe current practices in identifying malnutrition in patients undergoing a laparotomy, specifically focusing on screening, assessment, nutrition pathways and barriers encountered by clinicians. Following piloting and validity assessment, anaesthetic and surgical National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA) Leads at hospitals across England and Wales were emailed an invitation to a survey. Responses were gathered using Qualtrics. Descriptive analysis and correlation with laparotomy volume and professional role were performed in SPSSv26. University of Sheffield ethical approval was obtained (UREC 046205). The results from the survey are reported according to the CHERRIES guidelines. The survey was completed by 166/289 NELA Leads from 117/167 hospitals (57.4% and 70.1% response rates, respectively). Participants reported low rates of nutritional screening (42/166; 25.3%) and assessment (26/166; 15.7%) for malnutrition preoperatively. More than one third of respondents (40.1%) had no awareness of local screening tools; indeed, the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) was used by approximately half of respondents (56.6%). Contrary to guidelines, NELA Leads report albumin levels continue to be used to determine malnutrition risk (73.5%; 122/166). Postoperative nutrition pathways were common (71.7%; 119/166). Reported barriers to nutritional screening and assessment included a lack of time, training and education, organisational support and ownership. Participants indicated nutrition risk is inadequately identified and is an important missing data item from NELA. There was no significant correlation with hospital laparotomy volume in relation to screening or assessment for malnutrition, the use of nutritional support pathways or organisational barriers. There was interprofessional agreement across a number of domains, although some differences did exist. Wide variation exists in the current practice of identifying malnutrition risk in NELA patients. Barriers include a lack of time, knowledge and ownership. Nutrition pathways that encompass the preoperative phase and incorporation of nutrition data in NELA may support improvements in care.

Analysis on Evaporation Characteristics of Palm Oil Biodiesel using a HSDT Method

The purpose of this study is to investigate the evaporation characteristics of different types of fuels by applying the hot surface deposition test (HSDT). Generally, HSDT method is a simplified method to simulate fuel deposition in diesel engines. In this study, diesel fuel (DF) and palm oil biodiesel with different blend ratios (B10-B50) were used to evaluate the fuel droplet evaporation behavior on a heated aluminum alloy plate surface. Single fuel droplet was impinged on the heated plate at various surface temperatures (Ts). Important data from the evaporation characteristics was the maximum evaporation point (MEP), which is the temperature point where a droplet evaporates in the shortest lifetime (tlife). MEP is referred to identify the surface temperature range in which fewer deposits will be produced by the test fuel. Furthermore, MEP is also used to determine the appropriate droplet interval to create wet and dry conditions in the fuel deposition test. The obtained MEP was 360°C (DF), 365°C (B10, B50), 375°C (B20, B40), and 385°C (B30).

THE LONG-TERM RECOVERY OF VISION IN PSEUDOPHAKIC MACULA-OFF RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL DETACHMENTS.

To assess the long-term visual recovery in uncomplicated macula-off pseudophakic rhegmatogenous retinal detachment treated with pars plana vitrectomy and gas tamponade in the absence of other visual comorbidities. Single-center retrospective longitudinal study on eyes with macula-off pseudophakic rhegmatogenous retinal detachment successfully treated with pars plana vitrectomy between 2011 and 2020 and with at least 2 follow-ups (FU), first gas-free FU (first-FU) and a final-FU, were included. Patients with subsequent ocular surgery or comorbidities affecting best-corrected visual acuity were excluded. The duration between operation date and final-FU was calculated (total days FU) and split into total days quintiles-1: ≤57, 2: >57 and ≤77, 3: >77 and ≤152, 4: >152 and ≤508, and 5: >508 days. Multivariable regression was performed with logMAR gain between the first and the final-FU as the dependent variable. In 209 eyes, the authors report association with increase of logMAR gain between the first and the final-FU, with reducing clock hours of pseudophakic rhegmatogenous retinal detachment ( P = 0.041) and relative to the total days Quintile 1. Mean (SD) logMAR gain between the first and the final-FU was 0.02 (0.07) in the first quintile, increasing to 0.14 (0.13) ( P < 0.001) by the fifth quintile on multivariable regression. For patients not achieving 0.30 logMAR at the first-FU, this was attained at the final-FU with a sensitivity of 51.9% and specificity of 95.5% at a cut off ≤0.58 logMAR at the first-FU (area under the curve 0.756 [95% confidence interval 0.664-0.848], P < 0.001). The authors report a significant time-dependent visual improvement after uncomplicated pars plana vitrectomy with gas tamponade for macula-off pseudophakic rhegmatogenous retinal detachment without visual confounders and provide important quantitative data for counselling patients with macula-off repair.

Analysis and Characterization of Municipal Solid Wastes Generated in Ifugao State University Potia Campus: A Basis For Planning of Waste Management

The end of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the total return of students and employees in Ifugao State University Potia Campus, a higher education institution located in Potia, Alfonso Lista, Ifugao, Philippines. However, the return of the pre-pandemic operations on campus caused problems in managing the generated municipal solid wastes. Hence, an analysis and characterization of the generated municipal solid wastes was conducted to determine important data that can be used for future waste management planning. The generated municipal solid wastes were gathered from the various waste generators within the campus for five consecutive days. The total generated municipal solid waste on the campus was about 140.10 kg.day-1, most of which was contributed by the canteens (20.86%). The generated municipal solid wastes were dominated by biodegradable waste (48.65%) and recyclable waste (37.26%). In addition, most of the generated municipal solid wastes were related to people’s food and beverage consumption behavior. The total volume of the MSW generated daily was about 5.647 m3. It is recommended that the campus create and enforce its waste management plan to specifically address the aforementioned characteristics of the generated municipal solid wastes.

Selection of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculations from soils Chapada das Mesas with potential for promotion the growth of fava beans (Phaseolus lunatus L.)

The use of AMF can contribute to plant nutrition, reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and help with the ecological balance of agricultural crops. The research aimed to investigate the diversity of AMF in the soils of the Chapada das Mesas National Park (PNCM) and select species capable of promoting the growth of faba beans. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, with six treatments and five replications. The treatments included soil without AMF inoculum (control), soil with Glomus spp., soil with Rhizophagus sp., soil from all areas collected at PNCM, soil with Roottela BR® and soil with corrected phosphorus concentration. The diversity assessment found that the pasture area presented a greater diversity of AMF species. The genus Glomus showed greater predominance in both phytophysiognomies. It was not possible to find a significant impact of AMF inoculation on the growth and productivity of faba beans. The study highlights the importance of further research to determine the time required for the establishment of AMF in faba bean roots and to evaluate the effectiveness of AMF inoculation on plant productivity in different crops and substrates, in addition to providing important data for studies of conservationists in the region.

Combination of Machine Learning and Raman Spectroscopy for Determination of the Complex of Whey Protein Isolate with Hyaluronic Acid.

Macromolecules and their complexes remain interesting topics in various fields, such as targeted drug delivery and tissue regeneration. The complex chemical structure of such substances can be studied with a combination of Raman spectroscopy and machine learning. The complex of whey protein isolate (WPI) and hyaluronic acid (HA) is beneficial in terms of drug delivery. It provides HA properties with the stability obtained from WPI. However, differences between WPI-HA and WPI solutions can be difficult to detect by Raman spectroscopy. Especially when the low HA (0.1, 0.25, 0.5% w/v) and the constant WPI (5% w/v) concentrations are used. Before applying the machine learning techniques, all the collected data were divided into training and test sets in a ratio of 3:1. The performances of two ensemble methods, random forest (RF) and gradient boosting (GB), were evaluated on the Raman data, depending on the type of problem (regression or classification). The impact of noise reduction using principal component analysis (PCA) on the performance of the two machine learning methods was assessed. This procedure allowed us to reduce the number of features while retaining 95% of the explained variance in the data. Another application of these machine learning methods was to identify the WPI Raman bands that changed the most with the addition of HA. Both the RF and GB could provide feature importance data that could be plotted in conjunction with the actual Raman spectra of the samples. The results show that the addition of HA to WPI led to changes mainly around 1003 cm-1 (correspond to ring breath of phenylalanine) and 1400 cm-1, as demonstrated by the regression and classification models. For selected Raman bands, where the feature importance was greater than 1%, a direct evaluation of the effect of the amount of HA on the Raman intensities was performed but was found not to be informative. Thus, applying the RF or GB estimators to the Raman data with feature importance evaluation could detect and highlight small differences in the spectra of substances that arose from changes in the chemical structure; using PCA to filter out noise in the Raman data could improve the performance of both the RF and GB. The demonstrated results will make it possible to analyze changes in chemical bonds during various processes, for example, conjugation, to study complex mixtures of substances, even with small additions of the components of interest.

Research on UAV Flight Parameter Identification Method Based on Launch Force and Airspeed.

Flight parameters are crucial criteria for UAV control, playing a significant role in ensuring the safe and efficient completion of missions. Launch force and airspeed information are key parameters in the early and middle stages of flight, serving as important data for monitoring the UAV's flight status. In response to challenges such as weak launch force, low identification rates, small airspeed, and low recognition accuracy in UAVs, a method for identifying UAV flight parameters based on launch force and airspeed is proposed. From the aspect of launch force identification, a recognition method based on a low-g value accelerometer information source is proposed, utilizing a 'multi-level time window + threshold' approach. For airspeed identification, an optimization method for airspeed measurement under the Kalman filter architecture is introduced. A device for airspeed measurement based on pressure sensors is designed, and the recommended installation position is determined through simulation. Furthermore, the feasibility and robustness of the proposed launch force identification and airspeed measurement optimization methods are validated through simulation. Finally, the effectiveness of the design is verified through centrifuge and wind tunnel experiments. This research provides technical support for the identification of the launch force and airspeed measurement in UAVs.

Smart Billing Software

The set of solutions offered by the Business Operation Support System revolves around Smart Billing Software. Because billing is the nerve centre of the company, it oversees all the important data, including product catalogues, customers, rates, taxes, financial accounting, invoices, payments, debit and credit notes, dual ledgers, support for multiple currencies, and more. You can manage any business operation involving metered charges, recurring charges, event-based charges, and ad-hoc charges with the help of Smart Billing Software's engine, which offers unparalleled flexibility in setting up any kind of product, product packages, user-defined rating structures, tax rules, and more. With Smart Billing Software, any service model and offering can be easily integrated into a single platform. It is compatible with both pre-paid and post-paid payment systems. Due to its open API foundation, Smart Billing Software is highly compatible with other BOSS products, allowing for the construction of comprehensive solutions. Smart Billing is a pre-integrated component of Xsinfosol Solutions and is one of the BOSS solutions offered by Xsinfosol.

Dynamic Response Characteristics of Composite Concrete Structures Subjected to Reactive Jet Impact

Composite concrete structures, commonly found in urban infrastructures, such as highways and runways, are pivotal research object in the protection field. To study the dynamic response of composite concrete structures subjected to reactive jet penetration coupled with an explosive effect, a full-scale damage experiment of composite structures under the action of 150 mm caliber shaped charges was performed, to derive the dynamic damage modes of different concrete thicknesses under the combined kinetic and chemical energy damage effects. The results indicated that under aluminum jet penetration, concrete layers exhibited minor funnel craters and penetration holes. However, concrete layers displayed a variety of damage modes, including central penetration holes, funnel craters, bulges, and radial/circumferential cracks when subjected to the PTFE/Al jet. The area of the funnel crater expanded as the thickness of the concrete increased, while the height of the bulge and the number of radial cracks decreased. The diameter of penetration holes increased by 76.9% and the area of funnel crater increased by 578% in comparison to Al jet penetration damage. A modified-RHT concrete model that reflected concrete tensile failure was established, utilizing AUTODYN. Segmented numerical simulations of damage behavior were performed using the FEM-SPH algorithm and a restart approach combined with reactive jet characteristics. The spatial distribution characteristic of the reactive jet and the relationship between kinetic penetration and explosion-enhanced damage were obtained by the simulation, which showed good concordance with the experimental results. This study provides important reference data and a theoretical basis for the design of composite concrete structures to resist penetration and explosion.

Mechanical properties of poplar (NL-3412) branches

ABSTRACT The mechanical properties of poplar (NL-3412) branches are the basis for designing and optimizing the working parameters of branch pruning and crushing machinery. In this study, the tensile, compression, bending and shear properties of poplar branches were investigated by utilizing a precision microcomputer-controlled electronic universal testing machine. The test results suggested that the elastic constitutive relationship of the stress–strain curves of poplar branches under longitudinal compression, transverse compression, and bending conformed to Hooke's law, and longitudinal tensile and shear exhibited plastic damage; the anti-failure strength, anti-failure elastic modulus, and external work of poplar branches under longitudinal compression were greater than those under transverse compression. The analysis results indicated that the correlation function between the anti-failure strength and the external force work of poplar branches is positively correlated, and the external force work required to destroy poplar branches can be estimated by the established regression mathematical model. The results of the study can provide important data support for the optimal design of poplar branch pruning and shredding machinery and related simulation experimental research. HIGHLIGHTS The basic parameters of mechanical properties of poplar branches were determined. The variation law of stress–strain curve of poplar branch mechanical test was proved. The mathematical model between the strength and external force work was established. Provide reference for the optimal design of branch pruning and crushing machinery. Provide data support for the simulation cutting test of poplar branch.

Enhancing Enterprise Integration: Analyzing the Impacts of the Belt and Road Initiative on High-Quality Development in the People’s Republic of China

Amid the backdrop of globalization, international trade has emerged as a crucial driver of economic development. The People’s Republic of China (PRC), as the instigator and key participant in the “Belt and Road” initiative, has garnered substantial attention for its trade collaborations with other participating countries. While numerous studies have examined the impact of the initiative on the PRC’s export trade, there has been relatively limited research on its influence on imports by Chinese enterprises. Hence, this paper aims to address this gap by utilizing the PRC’s customs import data from 2010 to 2015 and focusing on enterprises located in the PRC’s core cities along the Belt and Road route. The study seeks to analyze the initiative’s impact and the underlying mechanisms it employs to shape their import patterns. The findings of this research demonstrate that the Belt and Road initiative plays a significant role in fostering “quality growth” through two primary channels: product diversity and urban innovation capability. Notably, these effects are particularly pronounced for foreign-funded enterprises, capital goods, and enterprises situated in coastal cities. By using the Belt and Road initiative as a case study, this paper provides valuable insights that can inform efforts to further enhance the impact of international cooperation, actively expand imports, and achieve the high-quality development of foreign trade.

Health utility among people who regularly use opioids in Australia.

Studies of health utilities among people who use opioids have mostly been based on in-treatment populations. We aim to report utility-based quality of life by participants' socio-demographic, drug and treatment characteristics, and to examine the determinants of health utility among people who use opioids regularly. Cross-sectional study of participants who used opioids regularly, recruited across New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania in 2018-2019. Differences in European Quality of Life (EQ-5D-5L) heath utility scores between socio-demographic and clinical subgroups were assessed using non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test by rank. To address the unique distribution of EQ-5D-5L health utility scores in the current sample, a two-part model was applied to assess factors associated with health utility. Among 402 participants enrolled in the study, 385 (96%) completed the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire. The mean health utility of the total sample was 0.63 (SD 0.29). Participants who previously received opioid agonist treatment [OAT] (adj marginal effect (ME) -0.11; 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.20 to -0.02) and those currently in OAT (adj ME -0.13; 95% CI -0.22 to -0.06) reported lower health utility than those who had never received OAT. Participants who used both pharmaceutical opioids and benzodiazepines had lower health utility compared to no pharmaceutical opioids and no benzodiazepines use (adj ME -0.17; 95% CI -0.28 to -0.07). Findings provide important health utility data for economic evaluations, useful for guiding allocation of resources for treatment strategies among people who use opioids. Lower health utilities among those using benzodiazepines and pharmaceutical opioids suggests interventions targeting these subgroups may be beneficial.

Investigation of interfacial thermal resistance between Bi2Te3 thin films and metal electrodes via TDTR

A challenge on promoting thermoelectric application is the low energy conversion efficiency of thermoelectric devices. Reducing the contact thermal resistance of a thermoelectric device can improve efficiency effectively. However, study on interfacial thermal transport is lack due to the difficulty on contact thermal resistance measurement. Herein, a study on contact thermal resistance between thermoelectric and electrode materials was reported. We prepared various heterostructures of Bi2Te3–Cu and Bi2Te3–Ni via magnetron sputtering, and measured the contact thermal resistance using a time-domain thermoreflectance technique. Our results show that the contact thermal resistance is affected by both chemical and physical properties of interface. The chemical and physical stability of interfaces, the surface roughness and porosity of films, as well as electrical properties of Bi2Te3, are all related to the contact thermal resistance. The contact thermal resistance of Bi2Te3–Ni prepared at 400 °C can be reduced to 3.96 × 10−7 m2KW−1. Our work provides important experimental data and theoretical basis for optimizing the interlayer between thermoelectric materials and electrodes, and improving energy conversion efficiency of thermoelectric devices.