Measurement of Ultrasonic Nonlinear Parameter by Using Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducer

The nonlinear ultrasonic technology is generally known as an effective method for the microcrack detection. However, most of the previous experimental studies were limited by a contact nonlinearity method. since measurement by the contact method is affected by the coupling conditions, additional nonlinear coefficient are lead into the measurement. This research presents a novel technique for nonlinear ultrasonic wave measurements that uses a non-contact, electromagnetic ultrasonic transducer (EMAT); and is much more efficient than piezoelectric-based detection. And for a better understanding and a more in-depth analysis of the macroscopic nonlinear behavior of microcrack, the developed FEM modeling approach is built to simulate microcrack induced nonlinearities manifested in ultrasonic waves and analyzed experimentally. The 2D finite element simulation is implemented in the multi-physics module of COMSOL, and the performance between Rayleigh wave EMAT and microcrack includes transduction process that the electromagnetic field and mechanical field are coupled together by electromagnetic force, wave propagation process, nonlinear acoustic response process as shown in Figure.1.This study has yielded a quantitative characterization strategy for microcrack using EMAT, facilitating deployment of structural health monitoring by noncontact electromagnetic nondestructive testing

Finite Element Analysis for the Inhibition of EMAT Lamb Waves Multimode

The guided waves, especially Lamb waves, due to its longer propagation, lower loss and higher efficiency and sensitivity, are widely used in various kinds of thin layer structure test-ing (for example plates, pipelines and tanks). Electromagnetic ultrasonic Lamb waves testing combining the characteristics of Electromagnetic ultrasonic testing and guided waves, which has a better application prospect. Unfortunately, Lamb waves possess the multi-modes char-acteristic: several different modes propagate in the specimen simultaneous. Moreover, all of the modes of lamb waves are dispersive. Both make the received signals so complex and messy that the echo signals of the flaws might be difficult or even impossible to interpret in the practical application. In this paper, according to the characteristics of electromagnetic ul-trasonic excitation and combining with the structure of the double transducer and the method of phase cancellation [1,2], the characteristics of single lamb waves were studied by theory and simulation methods. The simulation results show that the structure of the double transducers can completely eliminates a mode and enhances another to excite single-mode. The single-mode exciting re-duces the difficulty of the subsequent signal analysis and processing, which provides reliable information for the practical application of detecting flaws. This work is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (51077036, 51207105, 51307043) and Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (E2016202260)

Growth and New Directions: CALA Academic Resources and Repository System

The Chinese American Librarians Association’s Academic Resources & Repository System (CALASYS) was established in 2013 and has been growing gradually ever since. To seek sustainable and greater growth in the future, the CALASYS 2019-2020 Committee reviewed previous efforts and explored new potentials in the repository’s content development, interface and functionality improvement and community engagement. This presentation will cover several issues that the Committee has addressed since its forming: developing new content for CALASYS such as a new top-level collection called ”Chinese Culture Heritage & Chinese Studies” and its children collections including the CALA Best Book Award Collection; starting or resuming testing on several Omeka plugins whose implementation would enhance the system’s functionality and performance significantly, such as Exhibit Builder, User Profile, Search by Metadata, CSS Editor and Geolocation; exploring other Omeka instances’ interfaces and improving the CALASYS’ appearance and presentation. This poster will also cover the continuing development of the CALA Archives, CALA Chapter Collections and CALA Member Scholarly Achievements collection, metadata editing and enhancement, statistics and usage of the repository, as well as involving students and CALA members in working with the repository. To develop an organization’s institutional repository is a long-term task, this presentation will conclude with a discussion of the lessons learned and strategies and tips on working with the repository for the committee members and the community

Opening CALASYS to All Members

Since the Chinese American Librarians Association’s Academic Resources and Repository System (CALASYS, https://ir.cala-web.org/) was initiated in 2013, its collections have grown gradually by way of the Committee’s curation and entries with occasional help from LIS students. In order to resolve the bottleneck problems, promote CALASYS and expand its content, the 2020-2021 CALASYS Committee has strongly pursued the idea of opening CALASYS to all of the CALA members. The Committee began to implement the author self-contribution plug-in in the CALASYS’ Omeka platform in 2020. This poster will focus on the implementation of the self-contribution plug-in. It will cover the main steps and tasks of the implementation, including making metadata contribution templates, selecting copyright options, establishing contributor verification, testing workflow and developing end-user guide and back-end management documentations. It will also address the Committee’s work on creating training materials on workflow and metadata and plans on providing training sessions online to the CALA community. It will include the CALASYS’ history, its main features, collections, and usage statistics as well. By opening CALASYS to all members, it is hoped that it will better achieve the CALA’s strategic plan of 2020-2025, “Make CALA’s impact on local, state, national, and international levels.” Meanwhile, the bottleneck problems will be resolved and CALASYS will continue to grow at a faster pace in a more inclusive direction. The accompanying video is also available at: https://youtu.be/q9g4SXsnuO0

Using 3D seismic exploration to detect ground fissure

   As a kind of supergene geological phenomenon, ground fissure has brought great inconvenience to human life. In addition, it also has a close relationship with earthquake. However, it is very difficult to ascertain the extension depth of ground fissure since its concealment and uncertainty. In this paper, 3D seismic exploration is used to detect ground fissure in Shanxi Province of China. Specific parameters for seismic data acquisition, processing and interpretation are analysed. Firstly, seismic data acquisition method and its corresponding parameters are discussed. Small dose explosive sources and high frequency geophones are used. Small trace interval and appropriate fold are also adopted. Secondly, seismic data processing is processed from shot record to seismic profile. Multi-domain loop iteration de-noising is used to get high signal-to-noise ratio data. Accurate near surface model, interactive iteration and residual static correction are used to eliminate the impact of low velocity zone and the static correction problem. Large common middle point bin and small velocity analysis interval are used for high accuracy velocity spectrum analysis. The mute parameter of stretching distortion and the migration aperture are researched for shallow ground fissure detection. Thirdly, seismic data interpretation is processed to get ground fissure distribution. Fault enhanced filter is used to improve the signal-to-noise ratio effectively and the chimney cube is used to identify ground fissure automatically. Thus, the specific 3D seismic exploration method used in this paper is suitable for ground fissure detection.Cited as: Shi, S., Liu, Z., Feng, J., Feng, G., Li, M. Using 3D seismic exploration to detect ground fissure. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2020, 4(1): 13-19, doi: 10.26804/ager.2020.01.0

Research progress in ceruloplasmin regulation of lipid metabolism homeostasis

Ceruloplasmin (Cp) is a crucial protein secreted by the liver and plays a vital role in regulating the distribution and transport of copper throughout the body, thereby maintaining copper homeostasis. Additionally, Cp functions as a significant enzyme known as ferroxidase, which is involved in iron metabolism within the body. Numerous studies have suggested a close relationship between Cp and metabolic disorders, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Recent research has also shed light on the involvement of Cp in the regulation of lipid metabolism. The various activities associated with lipid metabolism, including lipid synthesis, adipose hydrolysis, fatty acid oxidation, lipid transport, and absorption, collectively contribute to maintaining lipid homeostasis. Dysregulation of lipid metabolism can lead to metabolic disorders and cardiovascular complications. Cp regulates lipid metabolism through two main mechanisms. Firstly, Cp participates in the regulation of oxidative stress by modulating iron metabolism through its ferroxidase activity and involvement in redox reaction. Secondly, copper along with copper-dependent enzymes directly participates in the processes such as cholesterol metabolism, lipoprotein metabolism, and fatty acid synthesis. As a result, the role of Cp in maintaining the homeostasis of copper and iron allows it to regulate lipid metabolism by influencing copper or iron-dependent enzymes and related pathways. Although the correlation between Cp and lipid metabolism has been identified, an in-depth exploration of the precise mechanisms by which Cp governs lipid metabolism is warranted. This article provides an overview of the role of Cp in lipid metabolism and highlights the progress in related research, with the aim of providing new insights for the development and treatment of disorders related to lipid metabolism

What are the home care needs of Chinese healthcare workers: a latent class analysis

BackgroundThe aging population has led to a surge in demand for home care, which has developed rapidly in China in recent years. However, there has been less empirical research into the needs of healthcare workers about providing home care. The purpose of this study was to explore the latent classes of healthcare workers' needs in primary health care institutions and to identify associated factors.MethodsFrom August 2021 to June 2022, a convenience sampling method was adopted to conduct a questionnaire survey on the workers of 62 primary healthcare institutions in Sichuan Province. Latent class analysis was used to categorize home care needs by Mplus 8.3. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was adopted to explore the influencing factors using SPSS 25.0.ResultsA total of 1,152 healthcare workers were included in the study. Their needs for home care were classified into four latent classes: overall high need group (18.0%); overall low need group (34.8%); high training and low support need group (29.9%), and the high security and low training need group (17.3%). The factors influencing the different need categories included working area, professional title, role of medical workers, had participated in training about home care, and feelings about home care, with Class 1 as the reference group.ConclusionOur findings indicate that primary healthcare workers have multifaceted needs for providing home care. Paying attention to their diverse needs can help optimize home care and enhance service capacity. Exploring the factors affecting needs can provide targeted support to healthcare workers to ensure the quality and continuity of home care services

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Behaviors of Monitoring to Prevent Chronic Diabetic Complications among Type 2 Diabetes Patients Involved in Community-based Management

BackgroundChronic diabetic complications are highly prevalent, which may be an underlying cause of diabetes-related disability and death. Regularly and continuously self-monitoring may contribute to early detection, diagnosis and treatment of various diabetic complications, which is essential to reducing the adverse consequences of diabetes, and is a key program in community-based management that should be highly valued.ObjectiveTo investigate the prevalence and associated factors (such as diabetes prevalence and monitoring and other factors) of behaviors of monitoring (self-observation and screening tests) to prevent chronic diabetic complications among type 2 diabetes patients receiving community-based management.MethodsThe convenience sampling was used to select 785 type 2 diabetes patients from Chengdu's central urban areas who received community-based type 2 diabetic management from May to November 2019. They were invited to attend a survey for understanding their socio-demographic information and monitoring behaviors to prevent chronic diabetic complications using a questionnaire developed by us.ResultsOnly 103 (13.1%) of the patients did not suffer from any chronic complications, and 435 (55.4%) suffered from both metabolic syndrome and chronic diabetic complications. The average total score for self-observation of chronic diabetic complications in the participants was (2.58±0.86) , but the average total score of regularly self-observation of pulsations of the dorsalis pedis artery was only (1.47±0.84) . The average total score of performing screening tests for chronic diabetic complications was (2.77±0.57) . The average score of diabetic retinopathy screening, peripheral neuropathy screening, and lower extremity vascular disease screening was (1.88±0.99) , (1.46±0.84) , and (1.47±0.84) , respectively. About 78.2% (614/785) of patients underwent screening tests following the doctors' advices. But only 9.9% (78/785) took the initiative to conduct regular tests. About 17.7% (139/785) and 49.0% (385/785) of the patients could not correctly manage the abnormal results of self-observation and the screening test results. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that the duration of diabetes since diagnosis, prevalence of chronic diabetic complications, and management of self-observed abnormalities were associated with the score of self-observation of chronic diabetic complications (P<0.05) . The duration of diabetes since diagnosis, the most recently measured HbA1c value, prevalence of chronic diabetic complications, causes and results management of screening tests for chronic diabetic complications were associated with average total score of performing screening tests for chronic diabetic complications (P<0.05) .ConclusionThe prevalence of behaviors of monitoring to prevent chronic diabetic complications in community-dwelling type 2 diabetes patients was unsatisfactory, which was affected by the duration of diabetes since diagnosis, prevalence of chronic diabetic complications, the most recently measured HbA1c value, causes and results management of screening tests for chronic diabetic complications. In view of this, in the delivery of community-based management services, attentions should be paid to improving patients' initiative to actively and regularly observe their conditions and undergo relevant screening tests, thereby improving early diagnosis and treatment rates of chronic type 2 diabetic complications

Meta-analysis of effects of long-term exposure to PM2.5 on C-reactive protein levels

BackgroundFine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a serious air pollutant associated with elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory indicator.ObjectiveTo assess the potential impacts of long-term exposure to PM2.5 on CRP levels based on previous epidemiological studies.MethodsPubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang databases were searched to screen the cohort studies published from January 1, 2000 to January 1, 2022 on the effects of long-term exposure to PM2.5 on CRP levels. "Fine Particulate Matter", "PM2.5", "Particulate Air Pollutants", "Ambient Particulate Matter", "CRP", "C-reactive Protein", and "High Sensitivity C-reactive Protein" in English or Chinese were the key words used in the search. The percentage change in CRP level per 10 μg·m−3 increase in PM2.5 concentration in each study was extracted, followed by meta-analysis, subgroup analysis, and sensitivity analysis.ResultsA total of 1241 articles were retrieved, and 7 articles were included. Random-effects models were used to merge the included data, and it was found that the percentage of CRP level increased by 10.41% (95%CI: 2.24%-18.57%, P<0.05), when PM2.5 concentration increased by 10 μg·m−3, І2=84.2%. The subgroup analysis conducted with grouping based on the annual mean concentration of PM2.5 long-term exposure showed that the intra-group heterogeneity was significantly reduced in the <15 μg·m−3 and the 15- μg·m−3 groups, and the subgroup forest analysis showed differences between the two groups. The results of sensitivity analysis showed that there was a high degree of heterogeneity among the 7 studies, and the 2 papers with the highest annual average PM2.5 concentration were the sources of heterogeneity. The Egger test and the funnel plot indicated that no obvious publication bias was found.ConclusionLong-term exposure to PM2.5 can raise levels of CRP in human body

Conservation and reintroduction of the rare and endangered orchid Paphiopedilum armeniacum

Paphiopedilum armeniacum is a rare and endangered lady’s slipper orchid in China. It is distributed around the mid-elevations of the Nu Mountains in southwest China. Due to over-harvest, habitat loss, and degradation, wild populations of P. armeniacum has declined drastically. A combination of approaches involving biotechnology, habitat restoration, and interspecific relationship reconstruction was used to carry out the reintroduction of the species. Integrated conservation program for this species included in-situ protection, ex-situ conservation, and reintroduction, which helped to rebuild a harmonious relationship between local farmers and P. armeniacum. The sustainable utilization of native plant resources in poor areas can promote regional sustainable development which is compatible with species protection