Analysis of the current status of tuberculosis transmission in China based on a heterogeneity model

Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease transmitted through the respiratory system. China is one of the countries with a high burden of TB. Since 2004, an average of more than 800,000 cases of active TB have been reported each year in China. Analyzing the case data from 2004-2018, we find significant differences in TB incidence by age group. Therefore, the effect of age heterogeneous structure on TB transmission needs further study. We develop a model of TB to explore the role of age heterogeneity as a factor in TB transmission. The model is fitted numerically using the nonlinear least squares method to obtain the key parameters in the model, and the basic reproduction number Rv 0.8017 is calculated and the sensitivity anal-ysis of Rv to the parameters is given. The simulation results show that reducing the number of new infections in the elderly population and increasing the recovery rate of elderly patients with the disease could significantly reduce the transmission of tuberculosis. Furthermore the feasibility of achieving the goals of the WHO End TB Strategy in China is assessed, and we obtain that with existing TB control measures it will take another 30 years for China to reach the WHO goal to reduce 90% of the number of new cases by year 2049. However, in theoretical it is feasible to reach the WHO strategic goal of ending tuberculosis by 2035 if the group contact rate in the elderly population can be reduced though it is difficulty to reduce the contact rate.Comment: We think this is a very interesting work that gives a good understanding of the current TB transmission in China and assesses the possibility of China achieving the 2035 TB control target and also explores possible ways for how to prevent and control the TB in Chin

Effect of Ga on the Inoxidizability and Wettability of Sn-0.5Ag-0.7Cu-0.05Pr Solder

The effect of trace amount of Ga on the inoxidizability and wettability of Sn-0.5Ag-0.7Cu-0.05Pr solders was investigated systematically by means of microstructure characterizations. The results indicate that the wettability and oxidation resistance properties are remarkably improved with addition of trace amount of Ga. Moreover, it is observed that the trace amount of Ga in Sn-0.5Ag-0.7Cu-0.05Pr solders refines the matrix microstructure. The relationship between wettability and oxidation resistance was put into deep study. And Ga was found to be enriched on the surface of the molten solder, which benefited the properties correspondingly. The results of this study can stimulate the use of low-silver Sn-Ag-Cu-Pr solders for various applications

Dark energy model with higher derivative of Hubble parameter

In this letter we consider a dark energy model in which the energy density is a function of the Hubble parameter $H$ and its derivative with respect to time $\rho_{de}=3\alpha \ddot{H}H^{-1}+3\beta\dot{H}+3\gamma H^2$. The behavior of the dark energy and the expansion history of the Universe depend heavily on the parameters of the model $\alpha$, $\beta$ and $\gamma$. It is very interesting that the age problem of the well-known three old objects can be alleviated in this models.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, the correct version accepted for publication in PL

Novel Au-Based Solder Alloys: A Potential Answer for Electrical Packaging Problem

With the development of electronical technology and the construction of the fifth-generation cellular networks, electronic devices with higher integrated level and power are widely applied. Hence, greater demands are being placed on electronic packaging materials. High-Pb solder alloys were widely used for low- and medium-temperature soldering for the past decades but have been prohibited due to toxicity. Au-based solder alloys with proper melting and mechanical properties show great potential to replace high-Pb solder alloys and are being emphasized recently. But in comparison with Pb-containing solder alloys, the investigation on novel Au-based solder alloys is quite insufficient, and their performance and reliability are still unclear. In this paper, the recent research studies on Au-based solder alloys with low temperature and medium temperature were reviewed and their microstructure, mechanical performance, and reliability were introduced and analyzed. Moreover, the novel processing technologies of Au-based solder alloys were discussed and compared

Efficient Hydrogenolysis of Guaiacol over Highly Dispersed Ni/MCM-41 Catalyst Combined with HZSM-5

A series of MCM-41 supported Ni catalysts with high metal dispersion was successfully synthesized by simple co-impregnation using proper ethylene glycol (EG). The acquired Ni-based catalysts performed the outstanding hydrogenolysis activity of guaiacol. The effects of the synthesis parameters including drying temperature, calcination temperature, and metal loading on the physical properties of NiO nanoparticles were investigated through the use of X-ray diffraction (XRD). The drying temperature was found to significantly influence the particle sizes of NiO supported on MCM-41, but the calcination temperature and metal loading had less influence. Interestingly, the small particle size (≤3.3 nm) and the high dispersion of NiO particles were also obtained for co-impregnation on the mixed support (MCM-41:HZSM-5 = 1:1), similar to that on the single MCM-41 support, leading to excellent hydrogenation activity at low temperature. The guaiacol conversion could reach 97.9% at 150 °C, and the catalytic activity was comparative with that of noble metal catalysts. The hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) performance was also promoted by the introduction of acidic HZSM-5 zeolite and an 84.1% yield of cyclohexane at 240 °C was achieved. These findings demonstrate potential applications for the future in promoting and improving industrial catalyst performance

Reliability of SnPbSb/Cu Solder Joint in the High-Temperature Application

With the continuous miniaturization and increase in functionality of the electronic devices used in the aerospace and national defense industries, the requirements for reliability of the solder joints in these devices keep increasing. In this study, a SnPbSb solder with excellent wettability was used as the research object, and the effects of high-temperature aging at 150 °C on the microstructure and mechanical properties of SnPbSb/Cu solder joints were investigated according to the relevant industry standards. It was found that high-temperature aging does not change the eutectic structure of the SnPbSb solder, but it does significantly coarsen the Sn-rich phase and the Pb-rich phase in the solder. In addition, the interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) layer in the SnPbSb/Cu solder joint changes from a Cu6Sn5 single layer to a Cu6Sn5/Cu3Sn double layer after the aging, and the thickness of the IMC layer increases greatly. High-temperature aging significantly deteriorates the mechanical properties of the solder joints. After aging at 150 °C for 1000 h, the shear strength of the SnPbSb/Cu solder joints decreased by 45.39%, while the ductile fracture mode did not change

Effects of In and Ga on Spreading Performance of Ag10CuZnSn Brazing Filler Metal and Mechanical Properties of the Brazed Joints

Ag-based brazing filler metals are preferred in many industries, but the high price of Ag restricts their wider application. Therefore, developing novel low-Ag brazing filler metals has aroused extensive interest. In this study, the effects of the In and Ga elements on the melting behavior and spreading property of Ag10CuZnSn filler metal and the microstructure and strength of the brazed joints were investigated. The results show that both In and Ga can significantly decrease the solidus and liquidus temperatures of the filler metal. The In element can dissolve into the liquid filler metal and the Ga element can decrease the surface tension of the melted filler metal, which, in turn, improves the spreading area. The In element prefers to dissolve into the Ag-rich phase, and the Ga element prefers to dissolve into the Cu-rich phase; both improve the strength of the filler metal through solid-solution strengthening. The shear strength of the 304 stainless-steel brazed joint reached a peak value of 396 MPa when the Ag10CuZnSn-1.5In-2Ga (wt%) filler metal was used. However, the excessive addition of In and Ga forms brittle intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in the brazing seam, which decreases the strength of the brazed joint

Oxidation thermodynamics and oxidation kinetics analysis of Au-20Sn solder

In this paper, the oxidation thermodynamics and oxidation kinetics of Au-20Sn solder at various temperatures were analyzed. The results indicated that the critical oxygen partial pressure to form SnO and SnO2 in Au-20Sn solder could be 1 × 10−44 Pascal (Pa) and 1 × 10−91 Pa at the temperature of 298 K, respectively. The oxidation kinetics analysis results indicated that the oxide on the surface of Au-20Sn solder consists mainly SnO2, while the major constituent of internal oxide is SnO. The reliability test results under salt spray environment have showed that the hermeticity of the package device gradually decreased with the increasing oxygen content in Au-20Sn solder. Meanwhile, the measured leakage rate of the packaging device could be lowered than 5 × 10−9 Pa·m–3·s–1 when the oxygen content in Au-20Sn solder is less than 28 ppm after high temperature aging

High-precision Frequency Drift Compensation Study of High-performance Rubidium Atomic Clock

With their high reliability, small size and low power consumption, rubidium atomic clocks are widely used in the fields of navigation, communication, etc. In particular, rubidium atomic clocks for navigation satellites have developed excellent stability. However, their inherent frequency drift characteristics (about E-12 to E-13/day) will deteriorate their long-term performance and affect the autonomous punctual timing of satellites. In this paper, we fully analyzed the frequency data of high-performance rubidium atomic clocks, aiming to figure out the physical mechanism behind the frequency drift. A high-precision frequency drift compensation scheme is proposed and experimentally verified. The results show that the drift rate of high-performance rubidium clock can be maintained in the order of E-15/day within 60 days without external taming, and the day stability can reach the order of E-15 (Allan variance), which greatly improves the autonomous punctual timing ability of rubidium atomic clock

Emerging Roles of miRNA, lncRNA, circRNA, and Their Cross-Talk in Pituitary Adenoma

Pituitary adenoma (PA) is a common intracranial tumor without specific biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNA), long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), and circular RNA (circRNA), regulate a variety of cellular processes, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Increasing studies have shown that the dysregulation of ncRNAs, especially the cross-talk between lncRNA/circRNA and miRNA, is related to the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prognosis of PA. Therefore, ncRNAs can be considered as promising biomarkers for PA. In this review, we summarize the roles of ncRNAs from different specimens (i.e., tissues, biofluids, cells, and exosomes) in multiple subtypes of PA and highlight important advances in understanding the contribution of the cross-talk between ncRNAs (e.g., competing endogenous RNAs) to PA disease