Inclusive Public Terminal Device Design: A Self-service Ticket Vending System

As information and communication technologies continue to be integrated into every aspect of people\u27s daily lives, a wide variety of public terminal devices that provide self-service have begun to emerge in a variety of public spaces. Its rapid development covers a wide range of industries, including banking and finance, medical services, transportation, and tourism. Self-service terminals have gradually replaced manual services with their high efficiency, speed, and low cost. At first, the self-service is designed to reduce the burden on manual service and, it is efficient and can bring more benefits to the business. Under such conditions how to solve more problems in a faster way becomes the primary influence factor for self-service. Currently, Consumers’ attitudes toward consumption have gradually shifted from pragmatism to hedonism, which means consumers have higher requirements for the user experience of self-service. A more user-friendly public transportation service system needs to be designed to better serve users’ daily travel demand. This thesis project will show a new metro self-service ticket vending system designed based on the Chengdu metro. The author will design a system that allows users to complete ticket purchases without resorting to the mobile phone map app. The system has main functions such as search destination/ buy tickets/ recharge metro card. The metro ticket generated by the system will be customized according to the destination and departure station, and specific information such as station name, transfer information, and approximate time will be recorded on it. The project hopes to enable people who are familiar or unfamiliar with the city to use the subway self-service system smoothly, reduce the frustration of users in the ticket purchase process, increase the pleasure of using the Chengdu metro, and deepen the friendly impression of the city

Random Photon Absorption Model Elucidates How Early Gain Control in Fly Photoreceptors Arises from Quantal Sampling

Many diurnal photoreceptors encode vast real-world light changes effectively, but how this performance originates from photon sampling is unclear. A 4-module biophysically-realistic fly photoreceptor model, in which information capture is limited by the number of its sampling units (microvilli) and their photon-hit recovery time (refractoriness), can accurately simulate real recordings and their information content. However, sublinear summation in quantum bump production (quantum-gain-nonlinearity) may also cause adaptation by reducing the bump/photon gain when multiple photons hit the same microvillus simultaneously. Here, we use a Random Photon Absorption Model (RandPAM), which is the 1st module of the 4-module fly photoreceptor model, to quantify the contribution of quantum-gain-nonlinearity in light adaptation. We show how quantum-gain-nonlinearity already results from photon sampling alone. In the extreme case, when two or more simultaneous photon-hits reduce to a single sublinear value, quantum-gain-nonlinearity is preset before the phototransduction reactions adapt the quantum bump waveform. However, the contribution of quantum-gain-nonlinearity in light adaptation depends upon the likelihood of multi-photon-hits, which is strictly determined by the number of microvilli and light intensity. Specifically, its contribution to light-adaptation is marginal (≤1%) in fly photoreceptors with many thousands of microvilli, because the probability of simultaneous multi-photon-hits on any one microvillus is low even during daylight conditions. However, in cells with fewer sampling units, the impact of quantum-gain-nonlinearity increases with brightening light

Efficient spin–orbit torque switching in perpendicularly magnetized CoFeB facilitated by Fe2O3 underlayer

Spin–orbit torque (SOT) is recognized as an effective way to manipulate magnetization in spintronic devices. For the low-power consumption and high-endurance requirements of future computer architectures, reducing the critical SOT switching current density and improving SOT efficiency are crucial, especially in the perpendicularly magnetized structures. Here, we have conducted a comprehensive study on improving the SOT efficiency of the Ta/CoFeB structure with a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy by inserting an oxide insulating layer Fe2O3 as the bottom layer. We found that only a 1–5 nm thickness of Fe2O3 significantly reduces the SOT critical switching current by 70% and enhances the spin Hall angle of Ta. The spin Hall angle increases from 0.078 for pure Ta/CoFeB to 0.13 for Fe2O3/Ta/CoFeB, and both types of spin–orbit torques, damping-like and field-like torques, are significantly enhanced. It is suggested that the atomic diffusion of O from the Fe2O3 underlayer leads to the partial oxidization of the Ta layer as well as the Ta/CoFeB interfaces, accounting for the observed enhanced SOT efficiency. Our results provide a reliable method to improve the SOT performance in perpendicularly magnetized structures by inserting the oxide underlayer using magnetron sputtering, in favor of its potential real-world application in spintronic devices

15-Deoxy- γ

Objective. 15-Deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) reduces inflammation and has been identified as an anti-inflammatory prostaglandin in numerous animal models. In this study, we investigated both effects of 15d-PGJ2 and its protection mechanism in concanavalin A- (ConA-) induced autoimmune hepatitis in mice. Materials and Methods. In vivo, Balb/C mice were injected with ConA (25 mg/kg) to induce acute autoimmune hepatitis, and 15d-PGJ2 (10 μg or 25 μg) was administered 1 h before the ConA injection. The histological grade, proinflammatory cytokine levels, and NF-κB and PPARγ activity were determined 6, 12, and 24 h after the ConA injection. In vitro, LO2 cells and RAW264.7 cells were pretreated with 15d-PGJ2 (2 μM) 1 h before the stimulation with ConA (30 μg/mL). The NF-κB and PPARγ activity were determined 30 min after the ConA administration. Results. Pretreatment with 15d-PGJ2 reduced the pathological effects of ConA-induced autoimmune hepatitis and significantly reduced the levels of cytokines after injection. 15d-PGJ2 activated PPARγ, blocked the degradation of IκBα, and inhibited the translocation of NF-κB into the nucleus. Conclusion. These results indicate that 15d-PGJ2 protects against ConA-induced autoimmune hepatitis by reducing proinflammatory cytokines. This reduction in inflammation may correlate with the activation of PPARγ and the reduction in NF-κB activity

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Multiscale 'whole-cell' models to study neural information processing - new insights from fly photoreceptor studies

Understanding a neuron's input-output relationship is a longstanding challenge. Arguably, these signalling dynamics can be better understood if studied at three levels of analysis: computational, algorithmic and implementational (Marr, 1982). But it is difficult to integrate such analyses into a single platform that can realistically simulate neural information processing. Multiscale dynamical "whole-cell" modelling, a recent systems biology approach, makes this possible. Dynamical "whole-cell" models are computational models that aim to account for the integrated function of numerous genes or molecules to behave like virtual cells in silico. However, because constructing such models is laborious, only a couple of examples have emerged since the first one, built for Mycoplasma genitalium bacterium, was reported in 2012. Here, we review dynamic "whole-cell" neuron models for fly photoreceptors and how these have been used to study neural information processing. Specifically, we review how the models have helped uncover the mechanisms and evolutionary rules of quantal light information sampling and integration, which underlie light adaptation and further improve our understanding of insect vision. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Projected Losses of Ecosystem Services Incurred by Reserve Resources of Cultivated Land Development and Development Priority: A Case Study of Linzhou City in Henan Province, China

The development of reserve resources of cultivated land (RRCL) is a vital way of supplementing cultivated land, and plays a crucial role in ensuring food security. However, if we blindly pursue the quantity of development while ignoring the conservation of the ecosystem, we are likely to waste land resources and destroy the ecological environment. Therefore, it is necessary to address the urgent issue of preventing ecological risks resulting from the development of RRCL and to enhance the actual effect of supplementing cultivated land. Taking Linzhou City in Henan Province as an example, this paper first assessed the tillability of RRCL and estimated the functionality of ecosystem services. Then it projected the losses of ecosystem services incurred by RRCL development, based on which it determined the development priority. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) The total area of RRCL in Linzhou City amounts to 8845 hectares. (2) According to the research forecast, the total annual losses of ecosystem services incurred by RRCL development in Linzhou City include: water conservation of 776,200 m3, soil retention of 340.84 t, and carbon sequestration and oxygen release of 2311.12 t. Moreover, the total value of losses amounts to RMB 15.7754 million. (3) The ecological losses incurred by RRCL development vary with the different types of land. Overall, the ecological loss derived from reclaimable land is inferior to that of cultivable land, with the average value of ecological loss amounting to RMB 600 and RMB 5300 per hectare, respectively. The ecological loss from the development of class II land is: pond < garden land < artificial grassland < artificial forest land < natural grassland < bare land. Moreover, land development should be postponed when the quantity of ecological losses reaches level III or higher. (4) Corrections are made based on the ecological coefficient of the economic potential of RRCL development so as to determine the priority of development. The research findings indicate that the priority of development of eastern towns is higher than that of central and western towns in Linzhou City, with Donggang and Hengshui topping the priority list and Shibanyan, Lingyang, and Chengguan having the lowest priority

Oxygen isotope data of Changjiang Estuary sediment oxygen consumption

This dataset are oxygen isotope compositions and the fractionation factors associated with sediment oxygen consumption. We carried out dark incubations using sediments from the Changjiang Estuary and measured the oxygen isotope variations during the course of respiration. The dataset includes: (1) Table 1, isotopic and O2 concentration data during incubations; (2) Table 2, total organic carbon content, respiration rate and oxygen isotopic fractionation factor during sediment oxygen consumption. (3) Model data based on a two-layer model proposed in Brandes and Devol (1997).</p