Index System Research Articles

Evaluating the capacity of tertiary general hospitals in Beijing to prevent and treat respiratory infectious diseases: a delphi study

BackgroundThe capacity of tertiary general hospitals to prevent and treat respiratory infectious diseases plays a key role in effectively containing the spread of major epidemics within hospitals and ensuring early treatment for patients. This, in turn, helps control the transmission of diseases at the societal level and safeguard public health. However, there is a lack of detailed indicators for assessing hospitals’ capacity in this area, which makes it difficult to evaluate and manage practices. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a comprehensive evaluation index system to assess the capabilities of tertiary general hospitals in preventing and treating respiratory infectious diseases.MethodsThis study utilizes a three-dimensional evaluation model, “Structure-Process-Outcome” as the theoretical basis and first-level index of the indicator system for evaluating the abilities of tertiary general hospitals in preventing and treating respiratory infectious disease. A combination of literature review, semi-structured interviews, and Delphi expert consultation was employed to ensure comprehensive and reliable indicators. The hierarchical analysis method (AHP) was used to determine the weights of the indicators.ResultsThe effective response rates for the two rounds of the Delphi survey were 95.2% and 100%, respectively. The expert authority coefficients were 0.905 and 0.923, respectively. Kendall’s W for the importance of all the indicators increased from 0.274 to 0.327 (P < 0.001), and for feasibility, it increased from 0.198 to 0.240 (P < 0.001). After two rounds of expert consultation, a final evaluation indicator system was established, including 3 first-level indicators, 12 s-level indicators, and 41 third-level indicators, with assigned weights.ConclusionThis study establishes a comprehensive evaluation index system, providing a scientific basis for evaluating the capacity of tertiary general hospitals to prevent and treat respiratory infectious diseases. The system provides valuable reference for improving hospital preparedness and response strategies, and for evaluating the infectious disease prevention and treatment system in Beijing, China.

Green development in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic zone: evolution and drivers from a “production-living-ecology” perspective

Green development is key to promoting regional sustainable development. We construct an evaluation index system for green development levels based on the “sansheng” dimensions—production, living, and ecology. We rely on the “sansheng” (production, living, and ecology) dimensions, combined with the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the entropy weight method to analyze indicator weights, to construct an evaluation index system for green development levels. This system enables the identification of the evolution patterns of green development and the analysis of driving factors in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic zone from the “sansheng” perspective. The results indicate that: (1) The green development level in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Zone has been continuously rising, with the average index increasing from 0.197 to 0.254. Yuzhong District and Chengdu City have shown particularly high green development levels; in 2020, the green development level index for Yuzhong District reached 0.568, while Chengdu City’s index reached 0.522. (2) The spatial clustering of green development levels in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic zone exhibited a trend of first strengthening and then weakening, with the highest clustering degree observed in 2015. (3) National strategies have significantly promoted the improvement of regional green development levels. The average green development index during the pre-establishment, initial development, and rapid development stages of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Zone increased from 0.205 to 0.229, and then to 0.254. (4) The Theil index results show an increase in the disparity of green development levels among different regions within the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Zone.The results of the optimal scaling regression model show that the driving factors with a significant impact on the level of green development include the Number of physicians per million people, Public library book collections Per 100 people, Per capita regional GDP, and Number of secondary schools Per million people, each contributing over 15% to the impact. These findings provide valuable data support for formulating regional economic development strategies and are conducive to advancing sustainable development.

Research on the evaluation index system for happy rivers and lakes: a case study of Xinchang County in Zhejiang Province, China

The “Happy Rivers and Lakes” initiative is an important measure to systematically address the complex water issues in China. It further highlights the effectiveness of constructing happy rivers and lakes based on river health assessments. This approach aims to identify typical practices and the effectiveness of river and lake management and protection at the local level, guiding for river and lake management and conservation work in the new era. This study focuses on county-level administrative units and develops a research framework for the evaluation index system of happy rivers and lakes. A total of 11 primary indicators and 22 secondary indicators are selected from aspects such as river and lake safety, water resources, water environment, biodiversity, and social services. The evaluation and analysis are conducted around the Chengtan River, Huangze River, and Xinchang River, as well as two large reservoirs in Xinchang County. The results show that the comprehensive evaluation score of happy rivers and lakes in Xinchang County is 92.66, categorizing it as a model of happy rivers and lakes. The evaluation results aim to provide references and guidance for similar regions inside and outside Zhejiang Province in their research and practical applications related to happy rivers and lakes.

Flood risk assessment combining the historical disaster statistics method with the index system method

ABSTRACT Flood risk assessment is an important aspect of flood management, and we combined the historical disaster statistics method with the index system method to assess the flood risk in Hubei Province, China. Our methodology includes collecting historical flood disaster data to assess the flood hazard by calculating degree and trend of disaster from flood disasters in each geographical unit. Meanwhile, we selected relevant indicators such as elevation difference, distance to the water body, gross domestic product (GDP), population, and proportion of the construction land to measure flood susceptibility, and the weights for these indicators are determined combining the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the entropy weight method (AHP_entropy). Then, a risk assessment model is developed by integrating the hazard and susceptibility at a high-resolution grid scale of 1 km×1 km. The results show that about 55.6% of the area of Hubei Province falls into the medium-high risk category.

New Infrastructure Construction and Coordinated Development of the Regional Economy: The Empirical Evidence from the Yangtze River Delta Region in China

This study explores the “gap reduction effect” of new infrastructure on regional economic disparities, investigating both its impact and underlying mechanisms in narrowing these gaps. Focusing on 41 prefecture-level cities within the Yangtze River Delta, this paper constructs an evaluation index system for new infrastructure and quantitatively measures its development. The results reveal that while the overall level of new infrastructure in the region is relatively advanced, there are notable disparities between cities. The benchmark analysis demonstrates a significant positive relationship between the development of new infrastructure and the promotion of coordinated regional economic growth. New infrastructure fosters industrial and spatial integration through three primary pathways: enhancing the efficiency of the resource allocation within regions, driving industrial upgrades, and facilitating the diffusion of technological innovations. These factors collectively contribute to the balanced and coordinated development of regional economies. Further investigation uncovers a threshold effect, suggesting that the level of digitalization plays a crucial role in facilitating the regional economic integration catalyzed by new infrastructure.

Risk Assessment of Small-Diameter Shield Construction in a Deep Drainage Tunnel Based on an ISM–CRITIC–Cloud Model

The deep drainage tunnel project is an important measure to alleviate urban waterlogging. The construction of a deep drainage tunnel is a complicated process, involving many influencing factors, and there are correlations among these influencing factors, so the risk assessment is difficult. In this study, the ISM method, CRITIC method and cloud model are combined to build a risk assessment model for the small-diameter shield construction of a deep drainage tunnel. Firstly, the risk index system of small-diameter shield construction in a deep drainage tunnel is put forward. Secondly, the ISM method is used to divide the risk indicators and extract the key risk factors. Then, these key risk factors are weighted with the CRITIC method, and the cloud model is used to evaluate the construction risk of a small-diameter shield of a deep drainage tunnel. Finally, the feasibility and accuracy of the proposed method are verified by a practical case. It was found that the risk assessment method proposed in this study can not only effectively assess the level of security risk, but also identify the key risk factors and rank the importance of these factors. The results of this study can reduce the interference items and workload of risk assessment to a certain extent, and help provide managers with an accurate decision-making basis.

A Comprehensive Evaluation of Water-Saving Society Construction in Xinxiang, Henan Province, China

Water is a crucial and fundamental resource. It is well known that agricultural cultivation, industrial production, and human daily life are not possible without water. Efficiently utilizing water resources is of great significance for achieving global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In order to improve water use efficiency in various industries and promote water-saving development, China has been implementing water-saving society construction since 2002. Henan Province is the main grain-producing area in China, with wheat production accounting for a quarter of the country’s total. As the core area of “Central Plains Agricultural Valley” in Henan Province, Xinxiang City plays an important role in agricultural technology innovation and agricultural production. However, Xinxiang City is facing problems of water scarcity and pollution, which constrain the sustainability of agricultural production. Therefore, building a water-saving society can solve the current water problems faced by Xinxiang City and ensure the sustainable development of the economy and society. This study built an evaluation index system for water-saving society construction in Xinxiang, Henan Province, China. The proposed evaluation index system includes 20 evaluation indices from six aspects—integrated, agricultural water, industrial water, domestic water, water ecology and environment, and water-saving management—and then divides its development level into several stages. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was adopted to calculate the index weight. Then, a comprehensive evaluation model for water-saving society construction in Xinxiang City was established by combining it with grey relative analysis (GRA). The results showed that the overall level of water-saving society construction in Xinxiang City is in the excellent stage, whereas water consumption per CNY 10,000 of GDP, the effective utilization coefficient of irrigation water, the reuse rate of industrial water, and the leakage rate of urban water supply network are all in the good stage. However, the urban recycled water utilization rate is still in the poor stage. These research results can effectively and reasonably reflect the development level of water-saving society construction in Xinxiang City and guide the continued implementation of water-saving society construction. At the same time, the comprehensive evaluation of water-saving society construction helps to formulate and adjust water resource management policies and measures; it also holds significant value for sustainable water management and combating water scarcity.

Research on Safe-Economic Dispatch Strategy for Renewable Energy Power Stations Based on Game-Fairness Empowerment

The optimal dispatching of renewable energy power stations is particularly crucial in scenarios where the stations face energy rationing due to the large proportion of renewable energy integrated into the power system. In order to achieve safe, economical, and fair scheduling of renewable energy power stations, this paper proposes a two-stage scheduling framework. Specifically, in the initial stage, the maximum consumption space of renewable energy for the system can be optimized by optimizing the formulated safe-economic dispatch model. In the second stage, the fair allocation mechanism of renewable energy power stations is proposed based on the game-fairness empowerment approach. In order to obtain a comprehensive evaluation of renewable energy power stations, an evaluation index system is constructed considering equipment performance, output characteristics, reliability, flexibility, and economy. Subsequently, the cooperative game weighting method is proposed to rank the performance of renewable energy power stations as the basis for fair dispatching. Simulation results show that the proposed scheduling strategy can effectively ensure the priority of renewable energy power stations based on their comprehensive ranking, and improve the safety, economy, and fairness of power station participation in scheduling.

Evaluating Scientific Tourism of Geoheritage: An Empirical Study of Fangshan Global Geopark in Beijing

Scientific tourism (ScT) of geoheritage serves as a crucial approach to ensuring the protection of natural heritage. Establishing a comprehensive evaluation system to guide the exploration of ScT in geoheritage is essential. This study adheres to principles of comprehensiveness by integrating both qualitative and quantitative methods, ensuring operability, authenticity, and scientific rigor. It employs the analytic hierarchy process, expert consultation method, and fuzzy mathematical evaluation method to construct an evaluation index system. This system encompasses four dimensions: ScT of geoheritage resources, practices and construction related to ScT, auxiliary conditions for exploration, and ecological environment construction. The study uses Fangshan Global Geopark in Beijing as a case study for empirical analysis. The findings indicate that the constructed evaluation system effectively captures key factors influencing the exploration of the ScT of geoheritage. Fangshan Global Geopark demonstrates commendable performance in terms of its ScT of geoheritage resources as well as practices and construction. But it has limitations regarding auxiliary conditions for exploration and ecological environment construction. This study provides theoretical underpinnings and policy recommendations for the exploration of the ScT of geoheritage.

Research on optimal scheduling of minor and moderate floods for cascade reservoirs in the lower reaches of the jinsha river considering power generation

The comprehensive cascade reservoir system is extensively used for flood control and power generation. Traditional reservoir scheduling often treats these tasks as competing objectives, prioritizing flood control during the flood season and neglecting power generation benefits. This approach, primarily applied to large floods, leads to hydraulic resource wastage and power generation loss during minor and moderate floods. The lower Jinsha River cascade reservoirs have significant flood control storage capacity, allowing part of the capacity to be used for maintaining higher water levels without compromising safety under minor and moderate floods within a 20-year return period. This paper proposes an optimal scheduling model that considers both flood control and power generation tasks for the lower Jinsha River cascade reservoirs. The Multi-objective Particle Swarm Optimization (MOPSO) algorithm was used to find non-inferior solution sets. An evaluation index system was developed to select optimal solutions under different flood frequencies, using the Minimum Discriminant Information Principle and VIKOR model. The results indicate that the optimal scheduling scheme under 20-year, 10-year, and 5-year return period floods can enhance power generation by 1.64, 1.71, and 1.35 billion kWh, respectively, compared to conventional scheduling. This approach supports coordinated flood control and power generation scheduling, contributing to the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

The impact of agricultural production agglomeration on agricultural economic resilience: based on spatial spillover and threshold effect test

This study focuses on the role of agricultural production agglomeration in strengthening agricultural economic resilience, exploring the threshold effect of agricultural technological innovation level and the spatial spillover effect of agricultural production agglomeration on agricultural economic resilience. We conducted research across 31 provinces (including autonomous regions and municipalities) in China from 2007 to 2022. By constructing the evaluation index system of agricultural economic resilience, the entropy value method is used to measure the value of agricultural economic resilience, and then kernel density estimation and spatial econometrics model, threshold regression model are used to analyze the relationship between agricultural production agglomeration, agricultural technological innovation and agricultural economic resilience. (1) The analysis of the spatiotemporal evolution trend shows that the overall level of China’s agricultural economic resilience continued to rise, and presented a spatial development pattern of “high in the east and low in the west.” The overall level of agricultural production agglomeration in China shows a trend of first rising and then falling, among which the level of agricultural production agglomeration in the central region is significantly higher than that in the northwest and southeast regions. (2) The spatial Durbin model shows that agricultural production agglomeration can not only effectively improve the level of local agricultural economic resilience, but also have a positive impact on neighboring agriculture economic resilience produces positive spatial spillover effects. (3) Agricultural production agglomeration can improve the level of agricultural economic resilience by promoting agricultural social service. (4) The impact of agricultural production agglomeration on agricultural economic resilience shows great differences in different geographical regions. Among them, agricultural production agglomeration in the central region has a significant positive impact on the agricultural economic resilience of both local and adjacent areas. (5) The threshold effect model shows that the impact of agricultural production agglomeration on agricultural economic resilience has significant nonlinear characteristics, and its impact shows an increasing marginal effect as the level of agricultural technological innovation increases. To address this, policymakers should reinforce agricultural cluster construction, boost innovation capacity and treasure spillover effects between regions. These insights provide valuable direction for policymakers in crafting effective measures to enhance agricultural economic resilience.

Semantic Based Image Indexing using Deep Learning

This paper introduces a semantic-based image indexing system utilizing a custom Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) for feature extraction and semantic embedding techniques for understanding image content. Traditional image indexing methods rely heavily on low-level visual features, often resulting in inaccurate or irrelevant results. By leveraging deep learning, our proposed system bridges this gap, allowing high-level semantic features to guide indexing and retrieval. Tested on the CIFAR-10 dataset, our approach demonstrates a significant improvement in precision, recall, and overall retrieval performance, showcasing its potential in real-world applications

Research on the Establishment and Application of a Transportation Safety Supervision Evaluation System Based on Grey Analytic Hierarchy Process

Given the increasing complexity of transportation systems and the critical need for effective safety oversight, this study aims to evaluate and improve the transportation safety supervision (TSS) system in Henan Province, China. Based on questionnaire data from relevant units in Henan Province, China, a three-level index system of the effectiveness of TSS consisting of 4 criterion-level indicators and 25 factory-level indicators is established. By combining the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and grey system theory, a hierarchical grey evaluation model is constructed to evaluate the current situation of TSS in Henan Province. The results show that the evaluation index system and the weights of each index are reliable. The comprehensive evaluation value of the TSS system in Henan Province is 3.08, indicating that the effectiveness of the system is at level 2; thus, the current situation of TSS in Henan Province is good. Based on the calculated evaluation values of the first- and second-level indicators, suggestions are put forward to strengthen the management of the TSS by supervision units at all levels.

Coupling-Coordination Analysis of Water Resources–Social Economy–Ecological Environment in the Yellow River Golden Triangle Area

Water resources, the social economy, and the ecological environment are interrelated and interacting complex systems, and the relationship among them affects the sustainable development of a region. To explore the interactive relationship and driving factors between water resources, the social economy, and the ecological environment, the Yellow River Golden Triangle region is taken as the research object in this paper. By constructing a coupling-coordination evaluation index system of water resources, the social economy, and the ecological environment system, the coupling-coordination development of this region from 2011 to 2021 is studied using the coupling-coordination degree model, and the influencing factors of coupling-coordination development are identified by gray relational analysis. The results show that from 2011 to 2021, the comprehensive evaluation index of the water resources, social economy, and ecological environment in the Yellow River Golden Triangle region shows a trend of steady development followed by a gradual increase. The water-resources subsystem restricts the development of the coupling system. The coupling-coordination degree increased from a barely coordinated stage in 2011 to a well-coordinated stage in 2021. The social economy subsystem and water-resources subsystem are the main factors affecting the coordinated development of the coupling system.

Assessing and Optimizing the Connectivity of the Outdoor Green Recreation Network in Zhengzhou from the Perspective of Green Travel

With the increasing demand for outdoor recreation and fitness, this study aims to assess the connectivity of the outdoor green recreation (OGR) network from the perspective of green travel and propose optimization framework. The Point of Interest (POI) and Area of Interest (AOI) datasets of OGR spots in Zhengzhou were utilized as the primary research materials. A combination of GIS spatial analysis and Graph index calculation is employed to quantify and diagnose the connectivity of the OGR network based on multi-source data (land cover, topography, and road network). The index system for cost surface establishment was improved and proposed, shifting its focus from previous biological migration and ecological network to human green travel and improving the connectivity of the OGR network. The technical optimization process of the OGR network is explored and presented. The results show that: (1) The scale, number, and distribution of OGR spots and the connectivity of the OGR network are significantly different in urban and rural areas. Numerous small-scale OGR spots and short-distance recreational paths are distributed in urban areas, while a limited number of large-scale OGR spots and long-distance recreational paths are situated in rural areas with better natural resources. (2) Compared with driving travel, the connectivity of the OGR network is poor when walking and cycling. Graph indexes of Dg, BC, and dPC can be used to reflect the connection capability, bridging role, and contribution of each spot to overall network connectivity. (3) The current OGR network is optimized through 30 new spots based on the perspective of green travel and land suitability analysis. The network connectivity will improve by 4%, and the number of recreational paths suitable for green travel increased by 41. (4) The methodologies for quantifying and optimizing OGR network connectivity from the perspective of green travel will offer valuable references for future research in this field.

Building energy efficiency evaluation based on fusion weight method and grey clustering method

The renovation and evaluation of building energy-saving projects can provide important support for building an energy-saving society. The study proposes using the contract energy management model to analyze building energy-saving projects and construct an evaluation index system. We also innovatively integrated the Analytic Hierarchy Process and Entropy Weight Method to calculate the weights of indicators, in order to leverage the effective influence of subjective and objective factors. Finally, we used Grey Cluster Analysis to obtain the evaluation effect of building energy-saving projects. Through weight calculation and evaluation analysis, it was found that the energy-saving rates of year-end electricity consumption and air conditioning electricity consumption in buildings after energy-saving renovation were 59.80% and 54.95%, respectively. The overall effectiveness of energy-saving buildings was above 50%, indicating a significant energy-saving effect. In the indicator evaluation system, the weight results of energy-saving service company indicators were relatively high, with values of 0.52, 0.48, and 0.51, respectively. The transformation effect was relatively good. The building energy-saving cost and economic benefits obtained from a 65% energy-saving rate were 3 million yuan and 530,000 yuan, respectively, which were significantly better than the simulation results of other energy-saving rates. The contract energy management model based on the fusion weight method and grey clustering method has superiority, which is effective for evaluating building energy-saving projects. It also provides technical reference and scientific suggestions for building energy-saving renovation.

Preliminary Study on the Construction of Evaluation Index System for Clinical Medicine Postgraduates Based on Job Competency

Objective: To evaluate the practicality of constructing multiple evaluation index systems for postgraduates in clinical medicine professional degree based on job competency. Methods: The theoretical framework of the evaluation index system was initially developed using expert consultation, literature review, and other methods. 20 survey experts were selected and consulted using the Delphi method to screen and evaluate the weights of multiple indicators. Data was then entered into a table to evaluate the practicality of the constructed indicators. Results: The questionnaire recovery rate of the first round of expert consultation was 92.50%, and the second round was 100.00%. The comparison between the two groups showed P &lt; 0.05. The authority level of the first round was 0.817, and the second round was 0.811. In the first round of coordination, the chi-square value of the first-level indicators was 0.498, and the chi-square value of the second-level indicators was 0.628. In the second round of coordination, the chi-square value of the first-level indicators was 0.573, and the chi-square value of the second-level indicators was 0.634. The comparison between the two rounds showed P &lt; 0.05. The evaluation index system included 2 first-level indicators, 5 second-level indicators, and 31 third-level indicators. Conclusion: Constructing an evaluation index system based on job competency is highly scientific, with a reasonable construction process and high practical value.

Risk classification assessment and early warning of large deformation of soft rock in tunnels based on CNN-LSTM model

Tunnels in the Western Plateau region of China often face numerous problems of high ground stress, as well as highly fractured and weak rock masses in deep sections of the tunnel, which results in an increased risk of large soft rock deformation in tunnels, posing substantial challenges to safe and efficient construction. Hence, risk assessment and establishment of an early safety warning system are essential. By examining factors affecting the large soft rock deformation in tunnels, a set of index system consisting of three primary indicators (i.e., hydrogeological conditions, design factors, and construction factors) and eight secondary indicators (i.e., strength-to-stress ratio, rock mass index, groundwater influence, groundwater influence, etc.) for assessing these risks is constructed, while the risk classification and identification criteria are also established. As an example, a tunnel on the Xicheng Railway is adopted for regression prediction of rock mass deformation and risk warning classification based on CNN-LSTM model. The results indicate that the model is effective in predicting rock mass deformation with minimal fluctuations in settlement data, a MAPE of 0.29525, and a RMSE of 6.1311. The model demonstrates a high accuracy rate of 91.67% for early risk warning prediction of soft rock deformation in the tunnel, moreover, when applied to 10 cross-sections of the Xicheng Railway Tunnel for deformation risk early warning, the model demonstrated a high prediction accuracy of 90%. which serves as a reference for the assessment and prediction of large deformation risks in similarly complex and challenging tunnels in the western region of China.

Results of the 2023 Rapid DNA Multi-Laboratory Study – I-Chip

Identical sensitivity and mixture sample sets were provided to six external laboratories to evaluate the recent enhancements to the Rapid DNA technology for crime scene-type samples. Data were returned to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology for review and analysis. Manual interpretation (modified Rapid DNA analysis) was conducted on all samples to assess the success of genotyping for both full profiles and the 20 Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) core STR loci using 18 total cellular DNA input amounts ranging from 102.4ng to 0.025ng. Two-person and three-person mixtures at varying ratios for two total DNA inputs were analyzed and observed allele percentages were compared to expected allele percentages.

Degradation of (1→3)(1→6)-α-D-dextran by ultrasound: Molecular weight, viscosity and kinetics

The (1→3)(1→6)-α-D-dextran (alternating dextran) produced by Leuconostoc citreum SK24.002 is a novel functional exopolysaccharide, and its low molecular weight derivatives have potential applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. In this work, we used sonication, a green polysaccharide disruption method, to study the degradation process of this dextran by changing the intensity and duration of the sonication treatment and the concentration of the dextran solution. The molecular weight and viscosity of the dextran products were measured with a high-performance size exclusion column chromatography–multi-angle laser light scattering–refractive index system and by rheometry, respectively. The degradation efficiency of dextran was directly affected by the duration and intensity of the ultrasonic treatment and the concentration of the dextran solution. The polydispersity index fluctuated as the duration of the sonication treatment increased. The combination of a high intensity (672 W/cm2) and long (120 min) sonication treatment and a low solution concentration (3 g dextran/100 mL) was most effective for reducing the apparent and complex viscosities of dextran. The storage modulus of dextran was always slightly larger than its loss modulus, indicating that it formed a gel-like structure. The second-order kinetic model (1/Mwt - 1/Mw0 = kt) was the best fit to explain the degradation dynamics of dextran by sonication at intensities of 168 W/cm2–834 W/cm2 and with dextran solution concentrations of 1 g/100 mL – 7 g/100 mL. Our findings show that sonication is an effective way to reduce the molecular weight of alternating dextran.