Zika virus(ZIKV)is a mosquito-borne virus belonging to the genus Orthoflavivirus,and the family Flaviviridae.It commonly presents with febrile-like symptoms,neurological issues,and pregnancy complications in humans.Cu...Zika virus(ZIKV)is a mosquito-borne virus belonging to the genus Orthoflavivirus,and the family Flaviviridae.It commonly presents with febrile-like symptoms,neurological issues,and pregnancy complications in humans.Currently,there is no commercial vaccine or specific treatment available to prevent ZIKV infection.Therefore,controlling the epidemic's spread relies on preventing mosquitoes from transmitting the virus.Although various studies have explored the transmission of ZIKV between mosquitoes and vertebrate hosts,comprehensive research on potential mosquito-to-mosquito transmission of ZIKV remains limited.In this study,we conducted systematic laboratory investigations to assess the ability of ZIKV to spread among mosquitoes,and to evaluate the impact of ZIKV infection on mosquito development.Our findings revealed that ZIKV can be transmitted between Aedes aegypti mosquitoes both vertically and horizontally,through oviposition and contact between mosquitoes of the same or opposite sex.Additionally,we observed that ZIKV infection resulted in a reduction in the number of mosquito eggs but an increase in their size.The widespread distribution of ZIKV in infected mosquitoes and the altered levels of hormone related genes following viral infection were noted,which may contribute to viral transmission among mosquitoes and affect mosquito development.This research provides systematic experimental evidence of ZIKV transmission among mosquitoes,which is crucial for developing novel strategies to disrupt the spread of orthoflaviviruses and other mosquitoborne pathogens.展开更多
The fatigue life and reliability of wrought carbon steel castings produced with an optimized mold design are predicted using a finite element method integrated with reliability calculations.The optimization of the mol...The fatigue life and reliability of wrought carbon steel castings produced with an optimized mold design are predicted using a finite element method integrated with reliability calculations.The optimization of the mold is carried out using MAGMASoft mainly based on porosity reduction as a response.After validating the initial mold design with experimental data,a spring flap,a common component of an automotive suspension system is designed and optimized followed by fatigue life prediction based on simulation using Fe-safe.By taking into consideration the variation in both stress and strength,the stress-strength model is used to predict the reliability of the component under fatigue loading.Under typical loading conditions of 70 kN,the analysis showed that 95%of the steel spring flaps achieve infinite life.However,under maximum loading conditions of 90 kN,reliability declined significantly,with only 65%of the spring flaps expected to withstand the stress without failure.The study also identified a safe load-induced stress of 95 MPa on the spring flap.The findings suggest that transitioning from forged to cast spring flaps is a promising option,particularly if further improvements in casting design reduce porosity to negligible levels,potentially achieving 100%reliability under typical loading conditions.This integrated approach of mold optimization coupled with reliability estimation under realistic service loading conditions offers significant potential for the casting industry to produce robust,cost-effective products.展开更多
In the re-entry phase of a ballistic missile,decoys can be deployed as a mean to overburden enemy defenses.This results in a single track being split into multiple track-lets.Tracking of these track-lets is a critical...In the re-entry phase of a ballistic missile,decoys can be deployed as a mean to overburden enemy defenses.This results in a single track being split into multiple track-lets.Tracking of these track-lets is a critical task as any miss in the tracking procedure can become a cause of a major threat.The tracking process becomes more complicated in the presence of clutter.The low detection rate is one of the factors that may contribute to increasing the difficulty level in terms of tracking in the cluttered environment.This work introduces a new algorithm for the split event detection and target tracking under the framework of the joint integrated probabilistic data association(JIPDA)algorithm.The proposed algorithm is termed as split event-JIPDA(SE-JIPDA).This work establishes the mathematical foundation for the split target detection and tracking mechanism.The performance analysis is made under different simulation conditions to provide a clear insight into the merits of the proposed algorithm.The performance parameters in these simulations are the root mean square error(RMSE),confirmed true track rate(CTTR)and confirmed split true track rate(CSTTR).展开更多
The beet armyworm(BAW),Spodoptera exigua(Lepidoptera:Noctuidae)is a highly destructive pest of vegetables and field crops.Management of beet armyworm primarily relies on synthetic pesticides,which is threatening the b...The beet armyworm(BAW),Spodoptera exigua(Lepidoptera:Noctuidae)is a highly destructive pest of vegetables and field crops.Management of beet armyworm primarily relies on synthetic pesticides,which is threatening the beneficial community and environment.Most importantly,the BAW developed resistance to synthetic pesticides with making it difficult to manage.Therefore,alternative and environment-friendly pest management tactics are urgently required.The use of pesticidal plant extracts provides an effective way for a sustainable pest management program.To evaluate the use of pesticidal plant extracts against BAW,we selected six plant species(Lantana camara,Aloe vera,Azadirachta indica,Cymbopogon citratus,Nicotiana tabacum,and Ocimum basilicum)for initial screening experiment.Four out of six plant species such as A.indica,N.tabacum,C.citratus and O.basilicum showed promising mortality of more than 50%.Therefore,we selected these four plant extracts for the subsequent experiments.Through contact bioassay,A.indica showed high mortality 66.63%,followed by the N.tabacum 53.33%,at 10%w/v concentration.Similarly,N.tabacum showed the highest mortality rate,66%at 10%w/v concentration,followed by the A.indica 46%through feeding bioassay.Furthermore,the feeding deterrence assay showed that C.citratus had a high antifeedant index(−50)followed by A.indica(−39),and N.tabacum(−28).In living plant assay,the N.tabacum extract showed a low mean damage score 3.6 on living cotton plant followed by C.citratus 4.5 and A.indica 5.5.Hence,extracts of three plant species provided promising results against the BAW,which can minimize the use of synthetic chemicals,particularly for small landholding farmers.Further studies are also required to evaluate the effects of these plant extract against BAW on cotton plants under field conditions to optimize the further use.展开更多
Blast furnace slag(BFS)is a secondary material generated during the process of producing iron in blast furnaces,prompting scholars to concentrate on its efficient management and broad application for the creation of v...Blast furnace slag(BFS)is a secondary material generated during the process of producing iron in blast furnaces,prompting scholars to concentrate on its efficient management and broad application for the creation of valuable commodities.This study examines the mineral composition,adsorption character-istics,and utilization of BFS and its silica counterparts.Recent developments in the application of BFS and its functionalized materials for pollution mitigation are examined,specifically concentrating on the elimination of nitrogen,phosphorus,metal ions,pharmaceutical effluents,waste oils,and dye molecules from wastewater.Moreover,these inexpensive adsorbents exhibit significant specific surface areas,possess microporous configurations,and contain alkaline components like calcium oxide,magnesium oxide,and aluminum oxide.This review further elucidates the present state of BFS-based adsorbents in the absorption of acid gases,with a specific focus on CO_(2).The problems associated with widespread BFS usage are analyzed,and potential solutions for effective resource utilization are discussed.展开更多
基金supported by National Key Research and Development Program of China,China(2024YFD1800102,2022YFD1800105 and 2022YFD1801500)National Natural Science Foundation of China,China(32372993 and 32030107)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,China(2662023PY005).
文摘Zika virus(ZIKV)is a mosquito-borne virus belonging to the genus Orthoflavivirus,and the family Flaviviridae.It commonly presents with febrile-like symptoms,neurological issues,and pregnancy complications in humans.Currently,there is no commercial vaccine or specific treatment available to prevent ZIKV infection.Therefore,controlling the epidemic's spread relies on preventing mosquitoes from transmitting the virus.Although various studies have explored the transmission of ZIKV between mosquitoes and vertebrate hosts,comprehensive research on potential mosquito-to-mosquito transmission of ZIKV remains limited.In this study,we conducted systematic laboratory investigations to assess the ability of ZIKV to spread among mosquitoes,and to evaluate the impact of ZIKV infection on mosquito development.Our findings revealed that ZIKV can be transmitted between Aedes aegypti mosquitoes both vertically and horizontally,through oviposition and contact between mosquitoes of the same or opposite sex.Additionally,we observed that ZIKV infection resulted in a reduction in the number of mosquito eggs but an increase in their size.The widespread distribution of ZIKV in infected mosquitoes and the altered levels of hormone related genes following viral infection were noted,which may contribute to viral transmission among mosquitoes and affect mosquito development.This research provides systematic experimental evidence of ZIKV transmission among mosquitoes,which is crucial for developing novel strategies to disrupt the spread of orthoflaviviruses and other mosquitoborne pathogens.
基金funded by Interdisciplinary Research Center for Intelligent Manufacturing and Robotics at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM),Dhahran,through Project#INMR2107.
文摘The fatigue life and reliability of wrought carbon steel castings produced with an optimized mold design are predicted using a finite element method integrated with reliability calculations.The optimization of the mold is carried out using MAGMASoft mainly based on porosity reduction as a response.After validating the initial mold design with experimental data,a spring flap,a common component of an automotive suspension system is designed and optimized followed by fatigue life prediction based on simulation using Fe-safe.By taking into consideration the variation in both stress and strength,the stress-strength model is used to predict the reliability of the component under fatigue loading.Under typical loading conditions of 70 kN,the analysis showed that 95%of the steel spring flaps achieve infinite life.However,under maximum loading conditions of 90 kN,reliability declined significantly,with only 65%of the spring flaps expected to withstand the stress without failure.The study also identified a safe load-induced stress of 95 MPa on the spring flap.The findings suggest that transitioning from forged to cast spring flaps is a promising option,particularly if further improvements in casting design reduce porosity to negligible levels,potentially achieving 100%reliability under typical loading conditions.This integrated approach of mold optimization coupled with reliability estimation under realistic service loading conditions offers significant potential for the casting industry to produce robust,cost-effective products.
文摘In the re-entry phase of a ballistic missile,decoys can be deployed as a mean to overburden enemy defenses.This results in a single track being split into multiple track-lets.Tracking of these track-lets is a critical task as any miss in the tracking procedure can become a cause of a major threat.The tracking process becomes more complicated in the presence of clutter.The low detection rate is one of the factors that may contribute to increasing the difficulty level in terms of tracking in the cluttered environment.This work introduces a new algorithm for the split event detection and target tracking under the framework of the joint integrated probabilistic data association(JIPDA)algorithm.The proposed algorithm is termed as split event-JIPDA(SE-JIPDA).This work establishes the mathematical foundation for the split target detection and tracking mechanism.The performance analysis is made under different simulation conditions to provide a clear insight into the merits of the proposed algorithm.The performance parameters in these simulations are the root mean square error(RMSE),confirmed true track rate(CTTR)and confirmed split true track rate(CSTTR).
文摘The beet armyworm(BAW),Spodoptera exigua(Lepidoptera:Noctuidae)is a highly destructive pest of vegetables and field crops.Management of beet armyworm primarily relies on synthetic pesticides,which is threatening the beneficial community and environment.Most importantly,the BAW developed resistance to synthetic pesticides with making it difficult to manage.Therefore,alternative and environment-friendly pest management tactics are urgently required.The use of pesticidal plant extracts provides an effective way for a sustainable pest management program.To evaluate the use of pesticidal plant extracts against BAW,we selected six plant species(Lantana camara,Aloe vera,Azadirachta indica,Cymbopogon citratus,Nicotiana tabacum,and Ocimum basilicum)for initial screening experiment.Four out of six plant species such as A.indica,N.tabacum,C.citratus and O.basilicum showed promising mortality of more than 50%.Therefore,we selected these four plant extracts for the subsequent experiments.Through contact bioassay,A.indica showed high mortality 66.63%,followed by the N.tabacum 53.33%,at 10%w/v concentration.Similarly,N.tabacum showed the highest mortality rate,66%at 10%w/v concentration,followed by the A.indica 46%through feeding bioassay.Furthermore,the feeding deterrence assay showed that C.citratus had a high antifeedant index(−50)followed by A.indica(−39),and N.tabacum(−28).In living plant assay,the N.tabacum extract showed a low mean damage score 3.6 on living cotton plant followed by C.citratus 4.5 and A.indica 5.5.Hence,extracts of three plant species provided promising results against the BAW,which can minimize the use of synthetic chemicals,particularly for small landholding farmers.Further studies are also required to evaluate the effects of these plant extract against BAW on cotton plants under field conditions to optimize the further use.
基金support from the Postdoctoral Startup Funding of Lishui People's Hospital(Grant No.2024bsh002)Zhejiang province,China.
文摘Blast furnace slag(BFS)is a secondary material generated during the process of producing iron in blast furnaces,prompting scholars to concentrate on its efficient management and broad application for the creation of valuable commodities.This study examines the mineral composition,adsorption character-istics,and utilization of BFS and its silica counterparts.Recent developments in the application of BFS and its functionalized materials for pollution mitigation are examined,specifically concentrating on the elimination of nitrogen,phosphorus,metal ions,pharmaceutical effluents,waste oils,and dye molecules from wastewater.Moreover,these inexpensive adsorbents exhibit significant specific surface areas,possess microporous configurations,and contain alkaline components like calcium oxide,magnesium oxide,and aluminum oxide.This review further elucidates the present state of BFS-based adsorbents in the absorption of acid gases,with a specific focus on CO_(2).The problems associated with widespread BFS usage are analyzed,and potential solutions for effective resource utilization are discussed.