Reduction Ratio Research Articles

Design of battery shell stamping parameters for vehicles based on fusion of various artificial neural network models

The application of neural network model in engineering prediction is frequent. The BPE shell material was optimized, and the reliability of the new material was verified by modal simulation. The accuracy of finite element modeling was ensured by constrained mode experiments, and all variables were preprocessed by Latin hypercube sampling. The design parameters were determined by Monte Carlo simulation. Four different neural networks, including back propagation (BP), radial basis function (RBF), extreme learning machine (ELM) and wavelet neural network (WNN), are used to train and learn the dataset. The BPE weight reduction ratio was 14.3%, the stress was reduced by 18.6%, deformation displacement was reduced by 14.2%, and the first-order mode was increased by 29.1%.

Magnetic-optical dual-modality imaging monitoring chemotherapy efficacy of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma with a low-dose fibronectin-targeting Gd-based contrast agent.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal hypovascular tumor surrounded by dense fibrosis. Albumin-bound paclitaxel and gemcitabine (AG) chemotherapy is the mainstay of PDAC treatment through depleting peritumoral fibrosis and killing tumor cells; however, it remains challenging due to the lack of a noninvasive imaging method evaluating fibrotic changes during AG chemotherapy. In this study, we developed a dual-modality imaging platform that enables noninvasive, dynamic, and quantitative assessment of chemotherapy-induced fibrotic changes through near-infrared fluorescence molecular imaging (FMI) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using an extradomain B fibronectin (EDB-FN)-targeted imaging probe (ZD2-Gd-DOTA-Cy7). The ZD2-Gd-DOTA-Cy7 probe was constructed by conjugating a peptide (Cys-TVRTSAD) to Gd-DOTA and the near-infrared dye Cy7. PDAC murine xenograft models were intravenously injected with ZD2-Gd-DOTA-Cy7 at a Gd concentration of 0.05 mmol/kg or free Cy7 and Gd-DOTA as control. The normalized tumor background ratio (TBR) on FMI and the T1 reduction ratio on MRI were quantitatively analyzed. For models receiving AG chemotherapy or saline, MRI/FMI was performed before and after treatment. Histological analyses were performed for validation. The ZD2-Gd-DOTA-Cy7 concentration showed a linear correlation with the fluorescence intensity and T1 relaxation time in vitro. The optimal imaging time was 30min after injection of the ZD2-Gd-DOTA-Cy7 (0.05 mmol/kg), only half of the clinic dosage of gadolinium. Additionally, ZD2-Gd-DOTA-Cy7 generated a 1.44-fold and 1.90-fold robust contrast enhancement compared with Cy7 (P < 0.05) and Gd-DOTA (P < 0.05), respectively. For AG chemotherapy monitoring, the T1 reduction ratio and normalized TBR in the fibrotic tumor areas were significantly increased by 1.99-fold (P < 0.05) and 1.78-fold (P < 0.05), respectively, in the control group compared with those in the AG group. MRI/FMI with a low dose of ZD2-Gd-DOTA-Cy7 enables sensitive imaging of PDAC and the quantitative assessment of fibrotic changes during AG chemotherapy, which shows potential clinical applications for precise diagnosis, post-treatment monitoring, and disease management.

Investigation of geotechnical and microstructure characteristics of gypsum soil using ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS), fly ash, and lime

This study investigates the synergistic effects of Ground Granulated Blast-furnace Slag (GGBS), lime, and fly ash on improving the geotechnical properties of gypsum soil. Gypsum soil samples, constituting 84% of the mixture, were blended with lime and GGBS in proportions ranging from 0% to 16%. These mixtures underwent curing for 1, 7, 14, 28, 56, and 90 days. Tests and analytical techniques elucidated mechanisms responsible for strength improvements. Findings revealed that when fly ash was used alone, there was no significant increase in Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS). However, fly ash expedited essential pozzolanic reactions for silicate gel formation. The most substantial increase in UCS occurred in the 28-day samples, contrasting with lower gains in the 7, 14, 56, and 90-day periods. Enhanced strength in lime-GGBS-gypsum soil mixtures before 28 days was attributed to cation exchange and initial flocculation. In the 28-day specimens, increased strength was linked to ettringite crystal and silica gel growth. Microstructural analysis confirmed Ettringite (E) crystal growth within inter-crystalline and pore spaces. Cementitious compounds like CH, CSHH, CHS, CAH, and CASH displayed growth. The rearrangement of the clay mineral matrix, coupled with added sulfate, contributed to enhanced gypsum soil strength. Interestingly, decreased UCS in 56-day samples indicated increased ettringite crystal growth, resulting in reduced strength. Elemental analysis through Energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) revealed shifts in Al: Si, Ca: Si, and Al: Ca ratios. The Al: Si ratio reduction confirmed the formation of more cementitious compounds in 90-day samples. Additionally, the Al: Si ratio in 28-day cured samples exhibited a significant decrease, signifying accelerated initial strength in lime and GGBS mixtures. The presence of sulfur (S) confirmed ettringite crystal formation, underscoring the intricate interplay between additives and curing durations, shedding light on mechanisms enhancing gypsum soil's geotechnical properties.

Climate controls on nitrate dynamics and gross nitrogen cycling response to nitrogen deposition in global forest soils

Understanding the patterns and controls regulating nitrogen (N) transformation and its response to N enrichment is critical to re-evaluating soil N limitation or availability and its environmental consequences. Nevertheless, how climatic conditions affect nitrate dynamics and the response of gross N cycling rates to N enrichment in forest soils is still only rudimentarily known. Through collecting and analyzing 4426-single and 769-paired observations from 231 15N labeling studies, we found that nitrification capacity [the ratio of gross autotrophic nitrification (GAN) to gross N mineralization (GNM)] was significantly lower in tropical/subtropical (19%) than in temperate (68%) forest soils, mainly due to the higher GNM and lower GAN in tropical/subtropical regions resulting from low C/N ratio and high precipitation, respectively. However, nitrate retention capacity [the ratio of dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) plus gross nitrate immobilization (INO3) to gross nitrification] was significantly higher in tropical/subtropical (86%) than in temperate (54%) forest soils, mainly due to the higher precipitation and GNM of tropical/subtropical regions, which stimulated DNRA and INO3. As a result, the ratio of GAN to ammonium immobilization (INH4) was significantly higher in temperate than in tropical/subtropical soils. Climatic rather than edaphic factors control heterotrophic nitrification rate (GHN) in forest soils. GHN significantly increased with increasing temperature in temperate regions and with decreasing precipitation in tropical/subtropical regions. In temperate forest soils, gross N transformation rates were insensitive to N enrichment. In tropical/subtropical forests, however, N enrichment significantly stimulated GNM, GAN and GAN to INH4 ratio, but inhibited INH4 and INO3 due to reduced microbial biomass and pH. We propose that temperate forest soils have higher nitrification capacity and lower nitrate retention capacity, implying a higher potential risk of N losses. However, tropical/subtropical forest systems shift from a conservative to a leaky N-cycling system in response to N enrichment.

Comprehensive evaluation of energy consumption and carbon emissions of asphalt pavement recycling technology

To assess the energy saving and emission reduction effects of recycling technology, the quantitative analysis of energy consumption and carbon emission of recycled asphalt pavement is conducted of asphalt mixture production, transportation, paving and compaction. Firstly, the calculation model for energy consumption and carbon emissions of recycled asphalt pavement is established during the construction stage. In addition, the energy consumption and carbon emission of four recycling technologies, including the HCPR, HIR, CCPR and CIR, were compared. Finally, the FCE method is used to evaluate the actual effect of energy saving and emission reduction from the perspectives of the ecological benefit and the economic benefit. The research results indicate the most serious stage of energy consumption is the new material production stage, and the most serious stage of carbon emission is the asphalt mixture production stage of recycled asphalt pavement. Taking the HCPR technology as an example are calculated in detail. The energy consumption of the HCPR technology in the four stages of the construction stage was 17.59 MJ, 344.45 MJ, 228.51 MJ and 25.85 MJ, respectively, and the emissions in the four stages of the construction stage were 1307.89 g, 5971.28 g, 19,251.24 g and 1949.82 g, respectively. For different recycling technologies in the construction stage, the energy-saving ratios of HCPR, HIR and CCPR are 13.62%, 9.61% and 19.24% respectively when compared with the typical scheme, which have a certain energy-saving effect. However, the energy consumption of CIR reduced by 43.63%, which the energy saving effect is most significant. Moreover, the emission reduction ratios of HCPR, HIR and CCPR are 2.3%, 9.23% and 1.01% respectively when compared with the typical scheme, the emission of CIR reduced by 30.76%, so the emission reduction effect of CIR is most significant. Furthermore, the comprehensive evaluation score of the CIR technology with the most significant energy saving and emission reduction effect is 0.8021 in terms of ' ecological benefits ' and 0.8074 in terms of ' economic benefits '. In summary, it is recommended to adopt CIR technology in the engineering project, which can achieve the most significant energy-saving and emission reduction effects.

A new active bone-conduction implant: surgical experiences and audiological outcomes in patients with bilateral congenital microtia.

First-generation bone bridges (BBs) have demonstrated favorable safety and audiological benefits in patients with conductive hearing loss. However, studies on the effects of second-generation BBs are limited, especially among children. In this study, we aimed to explore the surgical and audiological effects of second-generation BBs in patients with bilateral congenital microtia. This single-center prospective study included nine Mandarin-speaking patients with bilateral microtia. All the patients underwent BCI Generation 602 (BCI602; MED-EL, Innsbruck, Austria) implant surgery between September 2021 and June 2023. Audiological and sound localization tests were performed under unaided and BB-aided conditions. The transmastoid and retrosigmoid sinus approaches were implemented in three and six patients, respectively. No patient underwent preoperative planning, lifts were unnecessary, and no sigmoid sinus or dural compression occurred. The mean function gain at 0.5-4.0kHz was 28.06 ± 4.55-dB HL. The word recognition scores improved significantly in quiet under the BB aided condition. Signal-to-noise ratio reduction by 10.56 ± 2.30dB improved the speech reception threshold in noise. Patients fitted with a unilateral BB demonstrated inferior sound source localization after the initial activation. Second-generation BBs are safe and effective for patients with bilateral congenital microtia and may be suitable for children with mastoid hypoplasia without preoperative three-dimensional reconstruction.

Microbial Precipitation of Calcium Carbonate for Crack Healing and Stabilization of Sandy Soils

Microbially induced calcium carbonate (CaCO3) precipitation (MICP) can improve the shear strength of soil via biocementation while reducing its porosity and hydraulic conductivity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the addition of bacterial metabolites and montmorillonite on the crack healing and biocementation of sandy soil during the MICP process. Cracks were generated by drying wet soil samples in Petri dishes, after which they were sprayed with one of four treatments: deionized water, a cementation solution, bacteria mixed with the cementation solution, and bacterial metabolites mixed with the cementation solution. After five cycles of this spray treatment, the surface crack ratio was observed to decrease by about 71% when living cells were used and by about 80% when microbial metabolites were added. However, the crack reduction ratio was relatively low when treated with water (28%) and the cementation solution alone (48%). To investigate the effect of adding a phyllosilicate to improve the strength of sandy soil, MICP was induced in sand mixed with 0–30% montmorillonite (MMT). As a result, the soil strength increased with higher levels of MMT, indicating that MMT contributed to soil stabilization as a colloid for CaCO3 precipitation and via adhesion between sand grains. Therefore, for the crack healing and stabilization of sandy soil, the addition of bacterial metabolites and montmorillonite may enhance the effectiveness of the MICP process.

Hybridizing genetic algorithm and harmony search for higher-order mutation testing

Mutation testing can evaluate the quality of the test inputs, generate test data, and simulate any test coverage criterion. Genetic algorithms and harmony search have been applied to reduce the cost of generating test inputs. Although hybridizing search algorithms enhances the efficiency of searching the solution domain, there is a shortage of applying the hybrid search techniques in mutation testing. This paper merges the genetic and harmony search algorithms to effectively generate test data to kill higher-order mutants. In addition, the performance of the proposed technique will be evaluated and compared with a stand-alone genetic algorithm and a stand-alone harmony search algorithm through an empirical study using a set of benchmark programs. The experimental study shows that the proposed technique outperformed the compared algorithms, reaching a higher killing ratio, where the proposed approach kills 92.8% of higher-order mutants for all tested programs. In comparison, GA kills 88.7%, and HA kills 86.6%. Besides, the proposed algorithm overcame the compared algorithm in reaching a targeted killing ratio faster than the compared algorithms. HGA reduced the execution time for each program with a reduction ratio ranging from 58.9% to 89.8%.

Wear and Hardness Characterisation of Hot Forged Tungsten Carbide reinforced Aluminium 6061 Composite Materials

The current study intends to examine how forging under hot conditions affects wear characteristics of tungsten carbide (WC) particles reinforced aluminum alloy 6061 composites. The reduction ratios of 20%, 40%, and 60% were employed during forging, and the percentages of reinforcement used were 0, 2, 4, and 6 (weight fractions). The investigation clearly showed that the forged composites had a substantially lower wear rate than the unforged composites. It was discovered that the wear behavior of the composite improved due to the higher content of WC particles present in the matrix. Enhanced wear rate was observed as the weight and sliding distance increased.

Enlargement of the hepatic artery is present in dogs with a congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt and is independent of shunt insertion into the systemic circulation.

The accurate diagnosis of portovascular anomalies has been facilitated by improvements in diagnostic imaging technology. In humans, hepatic arterial blood flow changes in response to the reduction in portal blood flow. The hepatic arterial buffer response characterizes an intrinsic regulatory mechanism in response to reduced portal venous blood flow, which results in hepatic arterial enlargement. At the authors' institution, enlargement of the hepatic artery has been anecdotally observed in a population of dogs with extrahepatic portosystemic shunting, consistent with previous literature that documents variability in hepatic arterial size. In this retrospective, blinded, analytical study, a hepatic artery:aorta (Ha:Ao) ratio was assessed on CT studies from 112 dogs, with (n=43) and without (n=69) an extrahepatic congenital portosystemic shunt in order to compare the hepatic artery size independent of body weight between the two populations. A significant increase in the Ha:Ao ratio was documented in dogs with an extrahepatic portosystemic shunt (EHPSS) compared with those dogs with no EHPSS independent of the location of shunt insertion into the systemic circulation (P<.001). Three cases had repeat CT after surgery, and all had Ha:Ao ratio reductions following treatment. The authors propose that this may be an additional imaging feature observed in dogs with an EHPSS.

Review on the application of stainless-clad bimetallic steel in the marine environment

PurposeStainless-clad bimetallic steels (SCBS) are widely investigated in some extremely environmental applications areas, such as polar sailing area and tropical oil and gas platforms areas, because of their excellent anticorrosion performance and relatively lower production costs. However, the properties of SCBS, including the mechanical strength, weldability and the anticorrosion behavior, have a direct relation with the manufacturing process and can affect their practical applications. This paper aims to review the application and the properties requirements of SCBS in marine environments to promote the application of this new material in more fields.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, the manufacturing process, welding and corrosion-resistant properties of SCBS were introduced systematically by reviewing the related literatures, and some results of the authors’ research group were also introduced briefly.FindingsDifferent preparation methods, such as rolling composite, casting rolling composite, explosive composite, laser cladding and plasma arc cladding, as well as the process parameters, including the vacuum degree, rolling temperature, rolling reduction ratio, volume ratios of liquid to solid, explosive ratio and the heat treatment, influenced a lot on the properties of the SCBS through changing the interface microstructures. Otherwise, the variations in rolling temperature, pass, reduction and the grain size of clad steel also brought the dissimilarities of the mechanical properties, microhardness, bonding strength and toughness. Another two new processes, clad teeming method and interlayer explosive welding, deserve more attention because of their excellent microstructure control ability. The superior corrosion resistance of SCBS can alleviate the corrosion problem in the marine environment and prolong the service life of the equipment, but the phenomenon of galvanic corrosion should be noted as much as possible. The high dilution rate, welding process specifications and heat treatment can weaken the intergranular corrosion resistance in the weld area.Originality/valueThis paper summarizes the application of SCBS in marine environments and provides an overview and reference for the research of stainless-clad bimetallic steel.

Transient anoxic conditions boost N2O emissions by stimulating denitrification capacity and decreasing N2O reduction ratio in soils with different carbon substrates

Quantitative identification of the dominant N2O production and consumption processes following sudden shifts in soil aeration in well-aerated soils is limited, lagging the development of N2O mitigation strategies. Nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural soils, the largest source of anthropogenic N2O, are strongly influenced by low-molecular-weight organic carbons from root exudates (RootEx). In this study, we conducted a laboratory incubation experiment to investigate the mechanisms of N2O emissions regulated by transient anoxic conditions under the effects of different carbon substrates. Three common components in RootEx, oxalic acid, serine, and glucose were individually added as carbon sources every 24 h to the sandy loam soil. The contribution of microbial processes to N2O production (fungal denitrification, nitrification, bacterial denitrification) and consumption (N2O reduction) was evaluated using a dual isotope mapping approach (SP/δ18O MAP). The result indicated that transient anoxic conditions stimulated N2O production primarily through bacterial denitrification process facilitated by carbon substrates, and diminished the proportion of N2O reduction compared to oxic conditions. Among the three components of RootEx, serine and glucose induced higher N2O emissions and N2O reduction rates than oxalic acid during incubation. The differential effects of these three components on N2O emissions imply that the regulatory effect of carbon substrates on N2O reduction could not counterbalance the influence of transient anoxic conditions on N2O stimulation. Our findings provide a fundamental understanding of the effects of transient anoxic conditions and RootEx on N2O stimulation, facilitating the study of the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of N2O emissions in response to soil aeration changes in various upland soils.

Experimental study on the surface defects of materials in bar rolling with a processing map applicable to billet-to-oval groove rolling

This paper proposes a systematic method for detecting surface defects (SDs) on specimens by performing a pilot hot (850°C–950°C) bar rolling test and suggests a processing map for billet-to-oval groove pass in bar rolling mills. Unlike previous studies, the specimens for the rolling test were prepared such that the billet surface became the surface of the specimens. A series of the rolling tests were performed at different temperature and area reduction ratios. Physical-chemical nondestructive testing was employed to detect SDs in the specimens before and after the rolling test. The depth of the SDs of the rolled specimens was measured using an optical microscope. The results revealed that the SDs depended both on the rolling parameters (temperature and reduction ratios) and the contact condition between the specimen and the roll groove during rolling, which is one of the characteristics of bar rolling that distinguishes it from flat rolling. The decrease in temperature caused an increase in the defect depth above the appropriate reduction ratio of 24.61% when the part of the specimen was in contact with the roll shoulder curve and the relief line of the oval roll groove. The proposed processing map presents a guiding path for operators in actual bar rolling mills to quickly determine a rolling condition (combination of temperature and reduction ratio), avoid SDs, and minimize defect depth within an acceptable range.

Numerical Study of Consolidation of Slurry Tailings Considering Continuous Update of Material Properties

Explicitly modelling tailings consolidation behaviour contributes to improve integrated management approaches and accurately estimate the storage capacity of tailings storage facilities (TSFs) to better predict their static and dynamic stability. However, slurry tailings demonstrate a highly non-linear evolution of stiffness and hydraulic conductivity during consolidation, thus significantly complexifying the determination of their hydromechanical properties. In this study, an approach to update Mohr Coulomb parameters and simulate the continuous evolution of hydraulic conductivity and stiffness of tailings materials with the reduction of the void ratio was proposed and embedded in a finite difference code to more realistically simulate the evolution of material properties during sequential loadings. The model was validated using laboratory column tests and various predictive functions were tested to estimate hydraulic conductivity for field applications. Finally, the developed approach was applied to a simplified model of tailings impoundment to illustrate practical applications. Results from this study indicated that the approach developed was able to capture the non-linearity properties of tailings during consolidation, and that using continuously updated stiffness and hydraulic conductivity could induce significantly different magnitude and rate of consolidation than models with constant properties. Predictive models such as Kozeny–Carman and Kozeny–Carman Modified models also gave a satisfactory estimation of tailings behaviour, at least for preliminary studies. The simple modifications to the numerical codes proposed in this paper could therefore significantly improve the numerical simulation of tailings behaviour in the short term and contribute to a better planning of deposition plans.

Does a reduction in the pension insurance contribution ratio promote firm productivity? Evidence from a quasinatural experiment in China

AbstractReducing the burden of social security contributions for firms, unleashing their vitality, and enhancing their total factor productivity (TFP) are crucial measures in China's pursuit of sustainable and high‐value‐added growth. This article utilizes three reductions in the corporate pension insurance contribution ratio in China as a quasi‐natural experiment to construct a treatment intensity DID (Difference‐in‐Differences) model. By utilizing data from listed companies between 2013 and 2020, this study empirically examines the impact of reducing the pension insurance contribution ratio on firms’ TFP while identifying the underlying mechanisms. The findings of the study are as follows: First, the policy exhibits a significant positive effect on corporate TFP in China. Second, this policy's contribution primarily stems from stimulating firms to increase their employment of highly skilled labour, elevating wages for ordinary employees, and enhancing firm investment efficiency. Lastly, the analysis of heterogeneity demonstrates that the policy's positive effect is more pronounced among non‐state‐owned enterprises, small and medium‐sized enterprises, and labour‐intensive enterprises. This study provides empirical evidence for evaluating the contribution reduction policy and serves as a policy reference for endeavours to deepen the reform of the pension insurance system and enhance pension insurance fund budget management.

Evaluating the axial compression behaviour of hollow concrete block masonry walls with small-size openings: Various opening positions and their influence on experimental results

Openings such as windows or channels for ventilation and heating systems are commonly encountered in masonry buildings to meet with functional needs. Although these openings are known to reduce the strength and stiffness of masonry walls, however, the relationship between the position of openings and load bearing capacity of masonry walls is not well understood. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to investigate the effect of double opening positions on the axial compressive behaviour of masonry walls constructed with hollow concrete block units. Seven one-half scale walls with different double opening positions were constructed using hollow concrete block units and subjected to a uniformly distributed axial load. The compressive performance such as the strength, stiffness, load-deformation behaviour, stress-strain response, cracking pattern and failure behaviour of the walls have been reported. The results indicate that the 50% reduction in sectional area ratio caused by introducing two small openings in the walls reduced the load bearing capacity by 36 to 50%. Measured ultimate strain values ranges between 5.5 to 38.8% reduction in walls with openings compared with the wall without opening. Vertical cracking, face spalling, and block rupture were the dominant failure modes for walls with double openings, in contrast to mainly vertical cracks observed in the solid wall. This research provides valuable insights into how the positions of double openings influence the performance and overall structural response of hollow concrete block masonry walls under compression load.

Enhancing the arch-fired low-NOx performance with a throat overfire air for lowering NOx and hopper overheating

Upon the background of China's dual-carbon energy and environment strategies and the requirements of green and sustainable development in the new era, how to gradually reduce coal consumption while at the same time enhance the efficient and clean use of coal and reduce pollutant emissions is attracting more and more attention. For a 600-MWe arch-fired furnace facing persistent challenges of high NO x output and an overheating risk in hopper as firing anthracite, a cascade-arched low-NO x and high-efficiency configuration (CLHC) was taken as an alternative to the existing multiple-injection and multiple-staging combustion technique (i.e., the MIMSCT, denoted as the reference furnace or technique in this study). In particular, along the furnace height the CLHC's overfire air (OFA) position in the burnout zone has an important influence on the low-NO x performance due to the shrunk furnace-arch space and a short upper furnace. Aiming at evaluating the OFA-location effect and confirming the CLHC in resolving the above problems, industrial-scale experiments and modeling were performed in the reference furnace and thereafter, the low-NO x characteristics with the CLHC was simulated considering three different OFA locations of the upper-furnace OFA, throat OFA, and arch OFA. In the OFA-location elevated order, the blending position of OFA and the main upward gas first lowered and then elevated, while the OFA penetration, overall combustion performance, and major low-NO x accomplishment indexes related to NO x yield and burnout loss initially improved but then deteriorated. As a result, the medium throat OFA presented the optimal low-NO x merit among the three setups, with the unburnt combustible of 5.3% in fly ash alongside NO x yield of 660 mg/m3 (O2 = 6%), respectively. By comparison to the reference technique, the CLHC gained a 30% NO x reduction ratio without affecting burnout and greatly relieved the hopper overheating issue via reducing sharply its temperatures by 400 K, thereby confirming the CLHC's viability. This study provided guidance on the safe furnace operations and reduction of pollutant emissions, benefiting the efficient and environmentally friendly usage of low-quality coals in industrial-scale furnaces.

EFFECT OF ASHGOURD JUICE ON ANTHROPOMETRIC AND BIOCHEMICAL VARIABLES AMONG HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS - A COHORT STUDY

Background &amp; Objective: Ash gourd has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiasthmatic, diuretic, nephroprotective, antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, and antimicrobial effects. Flavonoids, glycosides, saccharides, proteins, carotenes, β-sitosterol were the main components. Chemical analysis showed that the main sugars in the Benincasa hispida peels were galactose, glucose, xylose, and sorbose and the edible portion contains 96.3% moisture,0.12% acidity, and 0.5% minerals. The mineral content in ash gourd follows the order: Na&gt;Ca&gt;Fe&gt;Zn&gt;K&gt;Mn, which are important for maintaining homeostatic balance. Drinking ash gourd juice also aids in weight loss. Hence the present study is to evaluate the effect of ash gourd on anthropometric and biochemical variables of healthy individuals. Methods: In this study, 60 subjects were advised to drink 200ml of ash gourd juice for 4 days in a week. Baseline data for Anthropometric measurement, Biochemical variables, and Depression Anxiety Stress Score, were taken before the study and after 3 months of the study. Data was analyzed using appropriate statistical tests. Results: The result showed significant impact of ash gourd juice on anthropometric variables. There was reduction in weight, BMI, waist-hip ratio, Triceps-SKF, and Subscapular-SKF measures. On analysis, Total cholesterol, Triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, Urine pH and NLR showed significant reduction p &lt; 0.05. A significant change in DASS21 adds value to psychological well-being. There was no change in Lymphocytes, Neutrophils, and VLDL cholesterol parameters. Conclusion: There was significant impact of ash gourd juice on parameters like Anthropometry height, weight, waist circumference, hip circumference, BMI, skinfold thickness and biochemical variables, Total cholesterol, Triglyceride, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, Urine pH and NLR. The result of the DASS21 questionnaire in the study shows evidence to enhance mental health and well-being. Hence, Ash gourd juice may be beneficial in metabolic disorders and inflammatory conditions.

Construction and optimization of representative actual driving cycles based on the improved autoencoder

In this study, much work has been performed to accurately and efficiently develop representative actual driving cycles. Electric vehicle road tests were conducted and the associated data were gathered based on the manual driving method, and the Changsha Driving Cycle Construction (CS-DCC) method was proposed to achieve systematical construction of a representative driving cycle from the original data. The results show that the refined data exhibit greater stability and a smoother pattern in contrast to the original data after noise reduction by five-scale wavelet analysis. The Gaussian Kernel Principal Component Analysis (KPCA) algorithm is chosen to reduce the dimensionality of the characteristic matrix, and the number of principal components is selected as 5 with a cumulative contribution rate of 85.99%. The average error of the characteristic parameters between the optimized drive cycle and the total data is further reduced from 13.6 to 6.1%, with a reduction ratio of 55.1%. Meanwhile, the constructed driving cycle has prominent local characteristics compared with four standard driving cycles, demonstrating the necessity of constructing an actual driving cycle that reflects localized driving patterns. The findings present a powerful application of artificial intelligence in advancing engineering technologies.

Stagnation of maternal mortality decline in Bangladesh between 2010 and 2016 in spite of an increase in health services utilisation: Examining data from three large cross-sectional surveys.

After a 40% reduction in maternal mortality ratio (MMR) during 2001-2010 in Bangladesh, the MMR level stagnated between 2010 and 2016 despite a steady increase in maternal health services use and improvements in overall socioeconomic status. We revisited the factors that contributed to MMR decline during 2001-2010 and examined the changes in these factors between 2010 and 2016 to explain the MMR stagnation in Bangladesh. We used data from the 2001, 2010, and 2016 Bangladesh Maternal Mortality Surveys, which sampled 566 115 households in total, to estimate the changes in the risk of dying of maternal causes associated with a pregnancy or birth between 2001-2010 and 2010-2016. We carried out Poisson regression analyses with random effects at the sub-district level to explore the relationship between the change in risk of maternal death from 2001 to 2016 and a range of demographic, socioeconomic, and health care factors. Between 2001 and 2016, the proportion of high-risk pregnancies decreased, except for teenage pregnancies. Meanwhile, there were notable improvements in socioeconomic status, access to health services, and the utilisation of maternal health services. A comparison of factors affecting the risk of maternal death between 2001-2010 and 2010-2016 indicated that first pregnancies continued to offer significant protection against maternal deaths. However, subsequent pregnancies among girls under 20 years became a significant risk factor during 2010-2016, increasing the risk of maternal deaths by nearly 3-fold. Among the key maternal health services, only skilled birth attendants (SBA) were identified as a key contributor to MMR reduction during 2001-2010. However, SBA is no longer significantly associated with reducing mortality risk during 2010-2016. Despite continued improvements in the overall socioeconomic status and access to maternal health services in Bangladesh, the stagnation of MMR decline between 2010 and 2016 is associated with multiple teenage pregnancies and the lack of capacity in health facilities to provide quality delivery services, as SBA has been primarily driven by facility delivery. The findings provide a strong rationale for targeting at-risk mothers and strengthening reproductive health services, including family planning, to further reduce maternal mortality in Bangladesh.