Cynanchum atratum Bunge(C.atratum)and Cynanchum versicolor Bunge(C.versicolor)are two related species that have been used as“Baiwei”(Cynanchi Atrati Radix Et Rhizoma)in traditional medicine in China and other Asian ...Cynanchum atratum Bunge(C.atratum)and Cynanchum versicolor Bunge(C.versicolor)are two related species that have been used as“Baiwei”(Cynanchi Atrati Radix Et Rhizoma)in traditional medicine in China and other Asian countries for a long time.However,to date,no comprehensive review of C.atratum and C.versicolor has been published.This review provides a comprehensive summary on the botany,phytochemistry,traditional uses and pharmacology of Baiwei;The authors focus especially on the revision of errors in previous articles and reviews,updating information and providing a comparison of C.atratum and C.versicolor.Furthermore,current research reveals significant disparities in the chemical composition and pharmacological effects between C.atratum and C.versicolor.Up to November 2023,178 compounds have been isolated from C.atratum and C.versicolor,including C_(21)steroids,acetophenones,alkaloids and volatile oils.These compounds and extracts have been proven to exhibit significant pharmacological activities,including anti-inflammatory,anti-tumor,anti-virus,anti-fungal,memoryenhancing and anti-pyretic action,immune modulatory effects,reducing blood lipid,inhibition of melanin production,and anti-parasitic effects.Therefore,this review presents new insights into these two herbs used as“Baiwei”and further study is warranted to enhance their clinical application.展开更多
In recent years,high-entropy alloys(HEAs)have become a research hotspot in materials community,and great progress has been made in exploring various high-performance HEAs.As a special class,the light-weight refractory...In recent years,high-entropy alloys(HEAs)have become a research hotspot in materials community,and great progress has been made in exploring various high-performance HEAs.As a special class,the light-weight refractory high-entropy alloys(RHEAs)own both excellent high-temperature comprehensive properties and low density and have accordingly attracted more and more attention.In this paper,we presented a comprehensive review of the recent progress and status in light-weight RHEAs.Based on an exhausting search of the literature reports,one strategy in terms of phase numbers after preparation was first proposed to classify the light-weight RHEAs into three categories.Then,the status on the fundamental thermodynamic and thermophysical data/databases,computational approaches for alloy designing,and preparation/fabrication techniques of light-weight RHEAs was introduced one after another.After that,the progress on mechanical properties and oxidation/corrosion/wear behaviors of light-weight RHEAs at room and high temperatures was summarized.Finally,the conclusions of this review were drawn.By pointing out the shortcomings of the current research,the follow-up development directions in the field of light-weight RHEAs were also given.展开更多
In the model of the vehicle recognition algorithm implemented by the convolutional neural network,the model needs to compute and store a lot of parameters.Too many parameters occupy a lot of computational resources ma...In the model of the vehicle recognition algorithm implemented by the convolutional neural network,the model needs to compute and store a lot of parameters.Too many parameters occupy a lot of computational resources making it difficult to run on computers with poor performance.Therefore,obtaining more efficient feature information of target image or video with better accuracy on computers with limited arithmetic power becomes the main goal of this research.In this paper,a lightweight densely connected,and deeply separable convolutional network(DCDSNet)algorithmis proposed to achieve this goal.Visual Geometry Group(VGG)model is improved by utilizing the convolution instead of the fully connected module,the deeply separable convolution module,and the densely connected network module,with the first two modules reducing the parameters and the third module allowing the algorithm to have more features in a limited number of parameters.The algorithm achieves better results in the mine vehicle recognition dataset.Experiments show that the recognition accuracy is improved by 4.41% compared to VGG19 and the amount of parameters is reduced by 71% compared to VGG19.展开更多
High-nickel ternary cathodes hold a great application prospect in solid-state lithium metal batteries to achieve high-energy density,but they still suffer from structural instability and detrimental side reactions wit...High-nickel ternary cathodes hold a great application prospect in solid-state lithium metal batteries to achieve high-energy density,but they still suffer from structural instability and detrimental side reactions with the solid-state electrolytes.To circumvent these issues,a continuous uniform layer polyacrylonitrile(PAN)was introduced on the surface of LiNi_(0.8)Mn_(0.1)Co_(0.1)O_(2) via in situ polymerization of acrylonitrile(AN).Furthermore,the partial-cyclized treatment of PAN(cPAN)coating layer presents high ionic and electron conductivity,which can accelerate interfacial Li+and electron diffusion simultaneously.And the thermodynamically stabilized cPAN coating layer cannot only effectively inhibit detrimental side reactions between cathode and solid-state electrolytes but also provide a homogeneous stress to simultaneously address the problems of bulk structural degradation,which contributes to the exceptional mechanical and electrochemical stabilities of the modified electrode.Besides,the coordination bond interaction between the cPAN and NCM811 can suppress the migration of Ni to elevate the stability of the crystal structure.Benefited from these,the In-cPAN-260@NCM811 shows excellent cycling performance with a retention of 86.8%after 300 cycles and superior rate capability.And endow the solid-state battery with thermal safety stability even at hightemperature extreme environment.This facile and scalable surface engineering represents significant progress in developing high-performance solid-state lithium metal batteries.展开更多
CrTaO_(4)has been found to play a pivotal role in the protection of refractory high-entropy alloys(RHEAs)from high-temperature oxidation and thermal attack due to its high melting point,low thermal conductivity,close ...CrTaO_(4)has been found to play a pivotal role in the protection of refractory high-entropy alloys(RHEAs)from high-temperature oxidation and thermal attack due to its high melting point,low thermal conductivity,close thermal expansion coefficient(TEC)to RHEAs.These appealing properties enable CrTaO_(4)as a new type of protective scale material for high-temperature applications such as in air breathing jet engines.For such engine applications,CaO-MgO-Al_(2)O_(3)-SiO_(2)(CMAS)corrosion is a critical issue.However,the corrosion behavior of CrTaO_(4)under CMAS attack remains unknown so far.Here,the corrosion resistance of CrTaO_(4)to molten CMAS is comprehensively studied.It is demonstrated that the CMAS corrosion resistance is significantly superior over commercial yttria-stabilized zirconia and the commonly investigated thermal barrier coating materials.Element and phase compositional analyses indicate dense and CMAS corrosion-resistant layers are established between CMAS and the CrTaO_(4)substrate.The interface reaction between the CrTaO_(4)substrate and CMAS at 1250 and 1300℃gives rise to a dense layer composed of CaTa_(2)O_(6) and Mg(Cr,Al)_(2)O_(4)spinel just beneath the molten CMAS.At 1350℃,a phase composition gradient layer,composed of crystalline phases CaTa_(2)O_(6)/CaTa_(2)O_(6)+Mg(Cr,Al)_(2)O_(4)/CaTa_(2)O_(6)+Cr2O_(3),is formed.With increased calcium consumption due to more Ca-containing crystalline phase formation upon elevating temperature,the Ca/Si ratio in CMAS melt declines,thereby increasing the viscosity of the melt and mitigating the penetration of CMAS into the CrTaO_(4)substrate.展开更多
BACKGROUND Immunotherapy that employs dendritic cells(DCs)to activate the patient’s im-mune system has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy to combat cancer;however,effective targeting agents are still limited...BACKGROUND Immunotherapy that employs dendritic cells(DCs)to activate the patient’s im-mune system has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy to combat cancer;however,effective targeting agents are still limited.Ginsenoside F4,as a rare ginsenoside found in Panax ginseng,exhibits stronger antitumor and immunomo-dulatory activities than primary ginsenosides.However,its therapeutic effects on various diseases remain limited.AIM To investigate the antitumor effect of Ginsenoside F4 and mechanism on the maturation of DCs in colorectal cancer(CRC).METHODS The changes in mature DC markers and cytokines generated after DCs were exposed to F4 were assessed using flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay,respectively.The viability of CRC CT26 cells co-cultured with T lymphocytes was monitored by cell counting kit-8 assay.Furthermore,the histopathological characteristics and immune cell infiltration in tumor tissues of CT26-bearing mice were analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin and immuno-fluorescent staining.The expressions of apoptosis-relative proteins were detected by western blot assay.RESULTS Treatment with F4 promoted the maturation of DCs,elevated the expressions of cluster of differentiation(CD)83 and CD86,increased the secretion of interleukin(IL)-2,IL-10,and IL-12 p70,and upregulated the expressions of phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase,phosphorylated protein kinase B,and nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB)phosphorylated p65 in DCs,which enhanced antigen-specific CD8+T-cell responses.However,these benefits could be reversed by the sphingosine-1-phosphate 1(S1PR1)inhibitor fingolimod hydrochloride.Furthermore,oral administration with F4 inhibited tumor growth and increased DC and CD8+T-cell infiltration in the tumor tissues of CT26-bearing mice.CONCLUSION The results demonstrated that F4 inhibited the growth of CRC by maturing DCs through activating S1PR1-mediated phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B and NF-κB pathways,which triggered the antitumor effects of CD8+T cells.Therefore,F4 could serve as an antitumor immunomodulator for CRC treatment.展开更多
Microplastics(MPs)are one of the most concerning pollutants that affects the health and growth of aquatic organisms.We characterized the MPs dispersion in the milli-Q water and seawater,and evaluated the effects of MP...Microplastics(MPs)are one of the most concerning pollutants that affects the health and growth of aquatic organisms.We characterized the MPs dispersion in the milli-Q water and seawater,and evaluated the effects of MPs on the gut epithelial cells of brine shrimp using three sizes of polystyrene(PS)microbeads(0.05,0.5,and 5μm,respectively).Results show that microbeads evenly dispersed in milli-Q water,but exhibited aggregation tendency in seawater associating with the particle size.Apart from a reduced survival rate,we observed the structure changes in the gut epithelium that the smaller size of PS microbeads resulted in an increased reactive oxygen species(ROS)and higher apoptosis-related genes expression.Moreover,exposure to all size of PS microbeads led to increased green fluorescence of J-monomer,indicating the declined mitochondrial membrane potential.Therefore,exposure to PS microbeads led to significantly size-dependent toxicity on brine shrimp.Especially,0.05-μm PS microbeads were more toxic,leading to severe oxidative stress and activation of the p53-Bax-Bcl2 pathway,ultimately resulting in cellular apoptosis and gut damage.These findings are important to understand the mechanism of MPs toxicity and its potential ecological risks to marine aquatic animals.展开更多
A modified inner-element edge-based smoothed finite element method(IES-FEM)is developed and integrated with ABAQUS using a user-defined element(UEL)in this study.Initially,the smoothing domain discretization of IES-FE...A modified inner-element edge-based smoothed finite element method(IES-FEM)is developed and integrated with ABAQUS using a user-defined element(UEL)in this study.Initially,the smoothing domain discretization of IES-FEM is described and compared with ES-FEM.A practical modification of IES-FEM is then introduced that used the technique employed by ES-FEM for the nodal strain calculation.The differences in the strain computation among ES-FEM,IES-FEM,and FEM are then discussed.The modified IES-FEM exhibited superior performance in displacement and a slight advantage in stress compared to FEM using the same mesh according to the results obtained from both the regular and irregular elements.The robustness of the IES-FEM to severely deformed meshes was also verified.展开更多
Accurate capture and presentation of the interactive feedback relationships among various objectives in multi-objective reservoir operation is essential for maximizing operational benefits.In this study,the niche theo...Accurate capture and presentation of the interactive feedback relationships among various objectives in multi-objective reservoir operation is essential for maximizing operational benefits.In this study,the niche theory of ecology was innovatively applied to the field of reservoir operation,and a novel state-relationship(S-R)measurement analysis method was developed for multi-objective reservoir operation.This method enables the study of interaction among multiple objectives.This method was used to investigate the relationship among the objectives of power generation,water supply,and ecological protection for cascade reservoir operation in the Wujiang River Basin in China.The results indicated that the ecological protection objective was the most competitive in acquiring and capturing resources like flow and water level,while the water supply objective was the weakest.Power generation competed most strongly with ecological protection and relatively weakly with water supply.These findings facilitate decision-making throughout the reservoir operation process in the region.The S-R method based on the niche theory is convenient,efficient,and intuitive,allowing for the quantification of feedback relationships among objectives without requiring the solution of the Pareto frontier of a multi-objective problem in advance.This method provides a novel and feasible idea for studying multi-objective interactions.展开更多
University students,transitioning from adolescence to adulthood,are at a critical stage where dietary habits and health behaviors are established,influencing long-term health outcomes.This study aimed to assess the di...University students,transitioning from adolescence to adulthood,are at a critical stage where dietary habits and health behaviors are established,influencing long-term health outcomes.This study aimed to assess the dietary intake and nutritional awareness of a population of Chinese university students(n=833),comparing their consumption with national dietary guidelines and reference intakes,while exploring subgroup differences.Results indicated that males had significantly higher amounts of most food categories compared to females.Except for whole grains and legumes,ethnic minorities had lower compliance with the recommended intakes for several food categories compared to Han Chinese.Han males consumed more energy,protein,and fat than their ethnic minority counterparts.Obese participants showed higher protein and fat intake compared to those with normal body mass index(BMI).Additionally,BMI-related trends in macronutrient contributions showed that protein and fat contributed more to the total energy intake of individuals with higher BMI.Han individuals also had higher energy contributions from protein and fat and lower carbohydrate contributions compared to ethnic minorities.Nutrient intake was generally below recommended levels,with low proportions of participants meeting the recommended intake for vitamin A,C,calcium and dietary fiber.High proportions of participants exceeded the tolerable upper intake levels for iron and manganese.Nutritional awareness scores were also significantly higher among Han students,as well as those with higher BMIs and higher income levels.This study highlights significant disparities in dietary intake and nutritional awareness among Chinese university students,with variations across sex,ethnicity,BMI,and income categories.展开更多
The phenomenon of shock/shock interaction(SSI)is widely observed in high-speed flow,and the double wedge SSI represents one of the typical problems encountered.The control effect of single-pulse plasma synthetic jet(P...The phenomenon of shock/shock interaction(SSI)is widely observed in high-speed flow,and the double wedge SSI represents one of the typical problems encountered.The control effect of single-pulse plasma synthetic jet(PSJ)on double wedge type-Ⅵand type-ⅤSSI was investigated experimentally and numerically,and the influence of discharge energy was also explored.The findings indicate that the interaction between PSJ and the high-speed freestream results in the formation of a plasma layer and a jet shock,which collectively governs the control of SSI.The control mechanism of single-pulse PSJ on SSI lies in its capacity to attenuate both shock and SSI.For type-ⅥSSI,the original second-wedge oblique shock is eliminated under the control of PSJ,resulting in a new type-ⅥSSI formed by the jet shock and the first-wedge oblique shock.For type-ⅤSSI,the presence of PSJ effectively mitigates the intensity of Mach stem,supersonic jet,and reflected shocks,thereby facilitating its transition into type-ⅥSSI.The numerical results indicate that the peak pressure can be reduced by approximately 32.26%at maximum.Furthermore,the development of PSJ also extends in the Z direction.The pressure decreases in the area affected by both PSJ and jet shock due to the attenuation of the SSI zone.With increasing discharge energy,the control effect of PSJ on SSI is gradually enhanced.展开更多
Efficiency and safety are paramount concerns for commuters, operators, and designers in subway stations. This study conducted controlled experiments and developed a modified force-based model to investigate the dynami...Efficiency and safety are paramount concerns for commuters, operators, and designers in subway stations. This study conducted controlled experiments and developed a modified force-based model to investigate the dynamics of pedestrian counterflow at bottlenecks, utilizing subway passenger alighting and boarding as a case study. Specifically, the efficiency and safety of three distinct movement modes: the cooperative mode(Coop), the combination of cooperative and competitive mode(C & C), and the competitive mode(Comp), were examined and compared. The experimental findings revealed that the C & C mode exhibited a clear lane formation phenomenon and demonstrated a higher flow rate than the Comp and Coop modes. This observation suggests that a combination of cooperative and competitive behaviors among pedestrians can positively enhance traffic efficiency and safety during the alighting and boarding process. In contrast, pedestrians exhibited increased detouring in their paths and more fluctuating trajectories in the Comp mode. Additionally, a questionnaire survey assessing the level of competition and cooperation among pedestrians provided a comprehensive analysis of the psychological dynamics of passengers during the alighting and boarding activities. Lastly, the proposed force-based model was calibrated and validated, demonstrating a good performance in accurately replicating the overall characteristics of the experimental process. Overall, this study offers valuable insights into enhancing the pedestrian traffic efficiency and safety within subway systems.展开更多
Radiative cooling is a passive thermal management strategy that leverages the natural ability of materials to dissipate heat through infrared radiation.It has significant implications for energy efficiency,climate ada...Radiative cooling is a passive thermal management strategy that leverages the natural ability of materials to dissipate heat through infrared radiation.It has significant implications for energy efficiency,climate adaptation,and sustainable technology development,with applications in personal thermal management,building temperature regulation,and aerospace engineering.However,radiative cooling performance is susceptible to environmental aging and special environmental conditions,limiting its applicability in extreme environments.Herein,a critical review of extreme environmental radiative cooling is presented,focusing on enhancing environmental durability and cooling efficiency.This review first introduces the design principles of heat exchange channels,which are tailored based on the thermal flow equilibrium to optimize radiative cooling capacity in various extreme environments.Subsequently,recent advancements in radiative cooling materials and micronano structures that align with these principles are systematically discussed,with a focus on their implementation in terrestrial dwelling environments,terrestrial extreme environments,aeronautical environments,and space environments.Moreover,this review evaluates the cooling effects and anti-environmental abilities of extreme radiative cooling devices.Lastly,key challenges hindering the development of radiative cooling devices for extreme environmental applications are outlined,and potential strategies to overcome these limitations are proposed,aiming to prompt their future commercialization.展开更多
The complex flow characteristics of transverse jet in high-speed crossflow involve several separation regions and multiple shock waves,which make it difficult to capture and precisely predict the flow field state in r...The complex flow characteristics of transverse jet in high-speed crossflow involve several separation regions and multiple shock waves,which make it difficult to capture and precisely predict the flow field state in real time merely by relying on traditional approaches.With the rapid advancement of deep learning technology,its powerful data processing capability offers a fast method for the prediction of the transverse jet flow field.Consequently,a prediction model based on deep learning is established,with the aim of obtaining the flow characteristics of a transverse jet under different freestream and jet conditions.This study segments the complex grid into several individual grids and trains them independently.The trained model can successfully establish the nonlinear mapping relationship between the transverse jet flow field and the input parameters.The prediction accuracy of the established model for the wall pressure under different conditions exceeds 99%,and the established model is also capable of reproducing structures such as shock waves and recirculation zones in the overall flow field,thereby achieving highly precise and efficient prediction of the jet structure and flow information.The results suggest that in contrast to the traditional numerical simulation,this deep learning model demonstrates greater efficiency in predicting the transverse jet flow field.展开更多
Pulsed magnet technology is the only way to generate ultra-strong magnetic fields higher than 45 T so far.However,the inherently fast-changing field strength(typically on the order of 1000 T/s)poses significant challe...Pulsed magnet technology is the only way to generate ultra-strong magnetic fields higher than 45 T so far.However,the inherently fast-changing field strength(typically on the order of 1000 T/s)poses significant challenges for spectroscopic measurements which rely on time integration of signals to improve spectral qualities.In this work,we report high-sensitivity spectroscopic measurements under pulsed high magnetic fields employing the long flat-top pulsed magnetic field technique.By means of a multiple-capacitor power supply,we were able to generate pulsed high magnetic fields with controllable flat-top pulse width and field stabilities.By synchronizing spectroscopic measurements with the waveform of the flattop magnetic field,the integration time of each spectrum can be increased by up to 100 times compared with that of the conventional spectroscopic measurements under pulsed magnetic fields,thus enabling high-sensitivity spectroscopic measurements under ultra-strong pulsed magnetic fields.These findings promise an efficient way to significantly improve the performance and extend the application of optical measurements under pulsed high magnetic fields.展开更多
Backgroud:Intervertebral disc degeneration(IDD)is one of the common degenerative diseases.Due to ethical constraints,it is difficult to obtain sufficient research on humans,so the use of an animal model of IDD is very...Backgroud:Intervertebral disc degeneration(IDD)is one of the common degenerative diseases.Due to ethical constraints,it is difficult to obtain sufficient research on humans,so the use of an animal model of IDD is very important to clarify the pathogenesis and treatment mechanism of the disease.Methods:In this study,thirty 2-month-old mice were selected for operation to establish a coccygeal IDD model.The distal tail portion of the tail(beyond the 17th coccygeal vertebra)and a small piece of skin above the 8th coccygeal vertebra were excised,and the two incisions were brought together after flexion,and secured with sutures.The heights and signal intensities of the intervertebral discs(IVDs)were assessed using microcomputed tomography(μCT)and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)at 0,6,12 weeks postoperatively.The overall tissue morphology,cell distribution and density,and extracellular matrix of the IVDs were also assessed using Hematoxylin and Eosin(HE),Safranin O-Fast Green and immunohistochemical staining.Results:All mice in the experimental group survived after the operation,and there were no complications such as wound infection,tail necrosis and suture shedding.The experimental results demonstrated that the suturing method can successfully initiate IDD.Different severity levels of IDD can be induced by controlling the bending angle of the IVDs within the tail loop;however,for consistency,histologic and imaging results should be obtained at the same bending angle and looping period.Conclusions:This IDD model is an effective method for studying the etiology and treatment of degenerative IVD disease.展开更多
In response to the new mechanism of direct vortex melting reduction of vanadium–titanium magnetite,the reaction control mechanism and the migration regularity of valuable components in the process of direct melting r...In response to the new mechanism of direct vortex melting reduction of vanadium–titanium magnetite,the reaction control mechanism and the migration regularity of valuable components in the process of direct melting reduction were investigated using kinetic empirical equation by fitting and combining with X-ray diffraction,X-ray fluorescence,scanning electron microscopy,energy-dispersive spectrometry,and optical microscopy.The results show that iron reduction is controlled by the mass transfer process of(FeOx)in the slag,while vanadium reduction is controlled by both the mass transfer of(VOx)in the slag and the mass transfer of[V]in the molten iron,and the slag–metal interfacial reaction is the only pathway for vanadium reduction.The reduction of iron and vanadium is an obvious first-order reaction,with activation energy of 101.6051 and 197.416 kJ mol^(−1),respectively.Increasing the vortex rate and reaction temperature is beneficial to improving the reaction rate and reduction efficiency.The mineral phase variation of iron and vanadium in the slag during the reduction process is Fe_(2)O_(3)→Fe_(3)O_(4)/FeV_(2)O_(4)→FeTiO_(3) and FeV_(2)O_(4)→MgV_(2)O_(5);titanium in slag is mainly in the form of Mg_(x)Ti_(3−x)O_(5)(0≤x≤1)and CaTiO_(3).As the reaction time went on,the molar ratio(nTi/nMg)in Mg_(x)Ti_(3−x)O_(5)(0≤x≤1)and the Ti2O_(3) content in the slag gradually went up,while the area proportion of Mg_(x)Ti_(3−x)O_(5)(0≤x≤1)went up and then down,and the porosity of the slag and the grain size of Mg_(x)Ti_(3−x)O_(5)(0≤x≤1)got smaller.展开更多
Towards virtual keyboard design and realization, the work in this paper presents a robust key input method for deployment in virtual keyboard systems. The proposed scheme harnesses the information contained within sha...Towards virtual keyboard design and realization, the work in this paper presents a robust key input method for deployment in virtual keyboard systems. The proposed scheme harnesses the information contained within shadows towards robustifying virtual key input. This scheme allows for input efficiency to be guaranteed in situations of relatively lower illumination, a core challenge associated with virtual keyboards. Contributions of the paper are two-fold. Firstly the paper pre-sents an approach towards effectively applying shadow information towards robustifying virtual key input systems;Secondly, through morphological operations, the performance of this input method is boosted by means of effectively alleviating noise and its impacts on overall algorithm performance, while highlighting the necessary features towards an efficient performance. While previous contributions have followed a similar trend, the contribution of this paper stresses on the intensification and improvement of both shadow and finger-tip feature highlighting schemes towards overall performance improvement. Experimental results presented in the paper demon-strate the efficiency and robustness of the approach. The attained results suggest that the scheme is capable of attaining high performances in terms of accuracy while being capable of addressing false touch situations.展开更多
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant no.81573585)the Innovative Practice of Undergraduate Project of Naval Medical University(No.FH2021104)。
文摘Cynanchum atratum Bunge(C.atratum)and Cynanchum versicolor Bunge(C.versicolor)are two related species that have been used as“Baiwei”(Cynanchi Atrati Radix Et Rhizoma)in traditional medicine in China and other Asian countries for a long time.However,to date,no comprehensive review of C.atratum and C.versicolor has been published.This review provides a comprehensive summary on the botany,phytochemistry,traditional uses and pharmacology of Baiwei;The authors focus especially on the revision of errors in previous articles and reviews,updating information and providing a comparison of C.atratum and C.versicolor.Furthermore,current research reveals significant disparities in the chemical composition and pharmacological effects between C.atratum and C.versicolor.Up to November 2023,178 compounds have been isolated from C.atratum and C.versicolor,including C_(21)steroids,acetophenones,alkaloids and volatile oils.These compounds and extracts have been proven to exhibit significant pharmacological activities,including anti-inflammatory,anti-tumor,anti-virus,anti-fungal,memoryenhancing and anti-pyretic action,immune modulatory effects,reducing blood lipid,inhibition of melanin production,and anti-parasitic effects.Therefore,this review presents new insights into these two herbs used as“Baiwei”and further study is warranted to enhance their clinical application.
基金Q.Li acknowledges National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.U2102212)L.Zhang acknowledges the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province for Distinguished Young Scholars(No.2021JJ10062)+5 种基金S.Chen acknowledges the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of Central South University(No.2019zzts486)S.Yang acknowledges the financial support from the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of Central South University(No.2019zzts050)Postgraduate Scientific Research Innovation Project of Hunan Province(No.CX20190106)Q.Luo acknowledges the Shanghai Rising-Star Program(No.21QA1403200)W.Xie.acknowledges the financial support of National Science Foundation of China(No.52003150)Eastern Young Scholar at Shanghai Institutions of Higher Learning(No.QD2019006).
文摘In recent years,high-entropy alloys(HEAs)have become a research hotspot in materials community,and great progress has been made in exploring various high-performance HEAs.As a special class,the light-weight refractory high-entropy alloys(RHEAs)own both excellent high-temperature comprehensive properties and low density and have accordingly attracted more and more attention.In this paper,we presented a comprehensive review of the recent progress and status in light-weight RHEAs.Based on an exhausting search of the literature reports,one strategy in terms of phase numbers after preparation was first proposed to classify the light-weight RHEAs into three categories.Then,the status on the fundamental thermodynamic and thermophysical data/databases,computational approaches for alloy designing,and preparation/fabrication techniques of light-weight RHEAs was introduced one after another.After that,the progress on mechanical properties and oxidation/corrosion/wear behaviors of light-weight RHEAs at room and high temperatures was summarized.Finally,the conclusions of this review were drawn.By pointing out the shortcomings of the current research,the follow-up development directions in the field of light-weight RHEAs were also given.
基金supported by the open project of National Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Agro-Ecological Big Data Analysis and Application Technology,“Adaptive Agricultural Machinery Motion Detection and Recognition in Natural Scenes”,AE202210By the school-level key discipline of Suzhou University in China with No.2019xjzdxk12022 Anhui Province College Research Program Project of the Suzhou Vocational College of Civil Aviation,No.2022AH053155.
文摘In the model of the vehicle recognition algorithm implemented by the convolutional neural network,the model needs to compute and store a lot of parameters.Too many parameters occupy a lot of computational resources making it difficult to run on computers with poor performance.Therefore,obtaining more efficient feature information of target image or video with better accuracy on computers with limited arithmetic power becomes the main goal of this research.In this paper,a lightweight densely connected,and deeply separable convolutional network(DCDSNet)algorithmis proposed to achieve this goal.Visual Geometry Group(VGG)model is improved by utilizing the convolution instead of the fully connected module,the deeply separable convolution module,and the densely connected network module,with the first two modules reducing the parameters and the third module allowing the algorithm to have more features in a limited number of parameters.The algorithm achieves better results in the mine vehicle recognition dataset.Experiments show that the recognition accuracy is improved by 4.41% compared to VGG19 and the amount of parameters is reduced by 71% compared to VGG19.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.22102212 and 22479067).
文摘High-nickel ternary cathodes hold a great application prospect in solid-state lithium metal batteries to achieve high-energy density,but they still suffer from structural instability and detrimental side reactions with the solid-state electrolytes.To circumvent these issues,a continuous uniform layer polyacrylonitrile(PAN)was introduced on the surface of LiNi_(0.8)Mn_(0.1)Co_(0.1)O_(2) via in situ polymerization of acrylonitrile(AN).Furthermore,the partial-cyclized treatment of PAN(cPAN)coating layer presents high ionic and electron conductivity,which can accelerate interfacial Li+and electron diffusion simultaneously.And the thermodynamically stabilized cPAN coating layer cannot only effectively inhibit detrimental side reactions between cathode and solid-state electrolytes but also provide a homogeneous stress to simultaneously address the problems of bulk structural degradation,which contributes to the exceptional mechanical and electrochemical stabilities of the modified electrode.Besides,the coordination bond interaction between the cPAN and NCM811 can suppress the migration of Ni to elevate the stability of the crystal structure.Benefited from these,the In-cPAN-260@NCM811 shows excellent cycling performance with a retention of 86.8%after 300 cycles and superior rate capability.And endow the solid-state battery with thermal safety stability even at hightemperature extreme environment.This facile and scalable surface engineering represents significant progress in developing high-performance solid-state lithium metal batteries.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.U23A20562 and 52302074).
文摘CrTaO_(4)has been found to play a pivotal role in the protection of refractory high-entropy alloys(RHEAs)from high-temperature oxidation and thermal attack due to its high melting point,low thermal conductivity,close thermal expansion coefficient(TEC)to RHEAs.These appealing properties enable CrTaO_(4)as a new type of protective scale material for high-temperature applications such as in air breathing jet engines.For such engine applications,CaO-MgO-Al_(2)O_(3)-SiO_(2)(CMAS)corrosion is a critical issue.However,the corrosion behavior of CrTaO_(4)under CMAS attack remains unknown so far.Here,the corrosion resistance of CrTaO_(4)to molten CMAS is comprehensively studied.It is demonstrated that the CMAS corrosion resistance is significantly superior over commercial yttria-stabilized zirconia and the commonly investigated thermal barrier coating materials.Element and phase compositional analyses indicate dense and CMAS corrosion-resistant layers are established between CMAS and the CrTaO_(4)substrate.The interface reaction between the CrTaO_(4)substrate and CMAS at 1250 and 1300℃gives rise to a dense layer composed of CaTa_(2)O_(6) and Mg(Cr,Al)_(2)O_(4)spinel just beneath the molten CMAS.At 1350℃,a phase composition gradient layer,composed of crystalline phases CaTa_(2)O_(6)/CaTa_(2)O_(6)+Mg(Cr,Al)_(2)O_(4)/CaTa_(2)O_(6)+Cr2O_(3),is formed.With increased calcium consumption due to more Ca-containing crystalline phase formation upon elevating temperature,the Ca/Si ratio in CMAS melt declines,thereby increasing the viscosity of the melt and mitigating the penetration of CMAS into the CrTaO_(4)substrate.
基金Supported by the Science and Technology Project of the Zhejiang Province,No.2020Y.
文摘BACKGROUND Immunotherapy that employs dendritic cells(DCs)to activate the patient’s im-mune system has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy to combat cancer;however,effective targeting agents are still limited.Ginsenoside F4,as a rare ginsenoside found in Panax ginseng,exhibits stronger antitumor and immunomo-dulatory activities than primary ginsenosides.However,its therapeutic effects on various diseases remain limited.AIM To investigate the antitumor effect of Ginsenoside F4 and mechanism on the maturation of DCs in colorectal cancer(CRC).METHODS The changes in mature DC markers and cytokines generated after DCs were exposed to F4 were assessed using flow cytometry and enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay,respectively.The viability of CRC CT26 cells co-cultured with T lymphocytes was monitored by cell counting kit-8 assay.Furthermore,the histopathological characteristics and immune cell infiltration in tumor tissues of CT26-bearing mice were analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin and immuno-fluorescent staining.The expressions of apoptosis-relative proteins were detected by western blot assay.RESULTS Treatment with F4 promoted the maturation of DCs,elevated the expressions of cluster of differentiation(CD)83 and CD86,increased the secretion of interleukin(IL)-2,IL-10,and IL-12 p70,and upregulated the expressions of phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase,phosphorylated protein kinase B,and nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB)phosphorylated p65 in DCs,which enhanced antigen-specific CD8+T-cell responses.However,these benefits could be reversed by the sphingosine-1-phosphate 1(S1PR1)inhibitor fingolimod hydrochloride.Furthermore,oral administration with F4 inhibited tumor growth and increased DC and CD8+T-cell infiltration in the tumor tissues of CT26-bearing mice.CONCLUSION The results demonstrated that F4 inhibited the growth of CRC by maturing DCs through activating S1PR1-mediated phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B and NF-κB pathways,which triggered the antitumor effects of CD8+T cells.Therefore,F4 could serve as an antitumor immunomodulator for CRC treatment.
基金Supported by the Program of Sustainable Development and Protection of Artemia Resources in Yuncheng Salt Lake of China(No.YHYJ-2023005)。
文摘Microplastics(MPs)are one of the most concerning pollutants that affects the health and growth of aquatic organisms.We characterized the MPs dispersion in the milli-Q water and seawater,and evaluated the effects of MPs on the gut epithelial cells of brine shrimp using three sizes of polystyrene(PS)microbeads(0.05,0.5,and 5μm,respectively).Results show that microbeads evenly dispersed in milli-Q water,but exhibited aggregation tendency in seawater associating with the particle size.Apart from a reduced survival rate,we observed the structure changes in the gut epithelium that the smaller size of PS microbeads resulted in an increased reactive oxygen species(ROS)and higher apoptosis-related genes expression.Moreover,exposure to all size of PS microbeads led to increased green fluorescence of J-monomer,indicating the declined mitochondrial membrane potential.Therefore,exposure to PS microbeads led to significantly size-dependent toxicity on brine shrimp.Especially,0.05-μm PS microbeads were more toxic,leading to severe oxidative stress and activation of the p53-Bax-Bcl2 pathway,ultimately resulting in cellular apoptosis and gut damage.These findings are important to understand the mechanism of MPs toxicity and its potential ecological risks to marine aquatic animals.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.11672238)the 111 Project(No.BP0719007)the Shaanxi Province Natural Science Foundation(No.2020JZ-06)for the financial support.
文摘A modified inner-element edge-based smoothed finite element method(IES-FEM)is developed and integrated with ABAQUS using a user-defined element(UEL)in this study.Initially,the smoothing domain discretization of IES-FEM is described and compared with ES-FEM.A practical modification of IES-FEM is then introduced that used the technique employed by ES-FEM for the nodal strain calculation.The differences in the strain computation among ES-FEM,IES-FEM,and FEM are then discussed.The modified IES-FEM exhibited superior performance in displacement and a slight advantage in stress compared to FEM using the same mesh according to the results obtained from both the regular and irregular elements.The robustness of the IES-FEM to severely deformed meshes was also verified.
基金supported by the National Key Research&Development Project of China(Grant No.2016YFC0402209)and the China Scholarship Council.
文摘Accurate capture and presentation of the interactive feedback relationships among various objectives in multi-objective reservoir operation is essential for maximizing operational benefits.In this study,the niche theory of ecology was innovatively applied to the field of reservoir operation,and a novel state-relationship(S-R)measurement analysis method was developed for multi-objective reservoir operation.This method enables the study of interaction among multiple objectives.This method was used to investigate the relationship among the objectives of power generation,water supply,and ecological protection for cascade reservoir operation in the Wujiang River Basin in China.The results indicated that the ecological protection objective was the most competitive in acquiring and capturing resources like flow and water level,while the water supply objective was the weakest.Power generation competed most strongly with ecological protection and relatively weakly with water supply.These findings facilitate decision-making throughout the reservoir operation process in the region.The S-R method based on the niche theory is convenient,efficient,and intuitive,allowing for the quantification of feedback relationships among objectives without requiring the solution of the Pareto frontier of a multi-objective problem in advance.This method provides a novel and feasible idea for studying multi-objective interactions.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82204030)the Fellowship of China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2024T170134,2022M710675)。
文摘University students,transitioning from adolescence to adulthood,are at a critical stage where dietary habits and health behaviors are established,influencing long-term health outcomes.This study aimed to assess the dietary intake and nutritional awareness of a population of Chinese university students(n=833),comparing their consumption with national dietary guidelines and reference intakes,while exploring subgroup differences.Results indicated that males had significantly higher amounts of most food categories compared to females.Except for whole grains and legumes,ethnic minorities had lower compliance with the recommended intakes for several food categories compared to Han Chinese.Han males consumed more energy,protein,and fat than their ethnic minority counterparts.Obese participants showed higher protein and fat intake compared to those with normal body mass index(BMI).Additionally,BMI-related trends in macronutrient contributions showed that protein and fat contributed more to the total energy intake of individuals with higher BMI.Han individuals also had higher energy contributions from protein and fat and lower carbohydrate contributions compared to ethnic minorities.Nutrient intake was generally below recommended levels,with low proportions of participants meeting the recommended intake for vitamin A,C,calcium and dietary fiber.High proportions of participants exceeded the tolerable upper intake levels for iron and manganese.Nutritional awareness scores were also significantly higher among Han students,as well as those with higher BMIs and higher income levels.This study highlights significant disparities in dietary intake and nutritional awareness among Chinese university students,with variations across sex,ethnicity,BMI,and income categories.
基金supported by the Independent Innovation Science Fund of National University of Defense Technology(No.24-ZZCX-BC-05)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.92271110 and 12202488)+2 种基金the Major National Science and Technology Project(No.J2019-Ⅲ0010-0054)the National Postdoctoral Researcher Program of China(No.GZB20230985)the Natural Science Program of National University of Defense Technology(No.ZK22-30)。
文摘The phenomenon of shock/shock interaction(SSI)is widely observed in high-speed flow,and the double wedge SSI represents one of the typical problems encountered.The control effect of single-pulse plasma synthetic jet(PSJ)on double wedge type-Ⅵand type-ⅤSSI was investigated experimentally and numerically,and the influence of discharge energy was also explored.The findings indicate that the interaction between PSJ and the high-speed freestream results in the formation of a plasma layer and a jet shock,which collectively governs the control of SSI.The control mechanism of single-pulse PSJ on SSI lies in its capacity to attenuate both shock and SSI.For type-ⅥSSI,the original second-wedge oblique shock is eliminated under the control of PSJ,resulting in a new type-ⅥSSI formed by the jet shock and the first-wedge oblique shock.For type-ⅤSSI,the presence of PSJ effectively mitigates the intensity of Mach stem,supersonic jet,and reflected shocks,thereby facilitating its transition into type-ⅥSSI.The numerical results indicate that the peak pressure can be reduced by approximately 32.26%at maximum.Furthermore,the development of PSJ also extends in the Z direction.The pressure decreases in the area affected by both PSJ and jet shock due to the attenuation of the SSI zone.With increasing discharge energy,the control effect of PSJ on SSI is gradually enhanced.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 72301184)the Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province of China (Grant No. 2024NSFSC1073)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. YJ202329)。
文摘Efficiency and safety are paramount concerns for commuters, operators, and designers in subway stations. This study conducted controlled experiments and developed a modified force-based model to investigate the dynamics of pedestrian counterflow at bottlenecks, utilizing subway passenger alighting and boarding as a case study. Specifically, the efficiency and safety of three distinct movement modes: the cooperative mode(Coop), the combination of cooperative and competitive mode(C & C), and the competitive mode(Comp), were examined and compared. The experimental findings revealed that the C & C mode exhibited a clear lane formation phenomenon and demonstrated a higher flow rate than the Comp and Coop modes. This observation suggests that a combination of cooperative and competitive behaviors among pedestrians can positively enhance traffic efficiency and safety during the alighting and boarding process. In contrast, pedestrians exhibited increased detouring in their paths and more fluctuating trajectories in the Comp mode. Additionally, a questionnaire survey assessing the level of competition and cooperation among pedestrians provided a comprehensive analysis of the psychological dynamics of passengers during the alighting and boarding activities. Lastly, the proposed force-based model was calibrated and validated, demonstrating a good performance in accurately replicating the overall characteristics of the experimental process. Overall, this study offers valuable insights into enhancing the pedestrian traffic efficiency and safety within subway systems.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52172120)Shanghai Science and Technology Development Funds(No.24CL2900500).
文摘Radiative cooling is a passive thermal management strategy that leverages the natural ability of materials to dissipate heat through infrared radiation.It has significant implications for energy efficiency,climate adaptation,and sustainable technology development,with applications in personal thermal management,building temperature regulation,and aerospace engineering.However,radiative cooling performance is susceptible to environmental aging and special environmental conditions,limiting its applicability in extreme environments.Herein,a critical review of extreme environmental radiative cooling is presented,focusing on enhancing environmental durability and cooling efficiency.This review first introduces the design principles of heat exchange channels,which are tailored based on the thermal flow equilibrium to optimize radiative cooling capacity in various extreme environments.Subsequently,recent advancements in radiative cooling materials and micronano structures that align with these principles are systematically discussed,with a focus on their implementation in terrestrial dwelling environments,terrestrial extreme environments,aeronautical environments,and space environments.Moreover,this review evaluates the cooling effects and anti-environmental abilities of extreme radiative cooling devices.Lastly,key challenges hindering the development of radiative cooling devices for extreme environmental applications are outlined,and potential strategies to overcome these limitations are proposed,aiming to prompt their future commercialization.
基金co-supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.12202488)the National Postdoctoral Researcher Program(Grants No.GZB20230985)+1 种基金the Natural Science Program of National University of Defense Technology(No.ZK22-30)the Independent Innovation Science Fund of National University of Defense Technology(No.24-ZZCX-BC-05)。
文摘The complex flow characteristics of transverse jet in high-speed crossflow involve several separation regions and multiple shock waves,which make it difficult to capture and precisely predict the flow field state in real time merely by relying on traditional approaches.With the rapid advancement of deep learning technology,its powerful data processing capability offers a fast method for the prediction of the transverse jet flow field.Consequently,a prediction model based on deep learning is established,with the aim of obtaining the flow characteristics of a transverse jet under different freestream and jet conditions.This study segments the complex grid into several individual grids and trains them independently.The trained model can successfully establish the nonlinear mapping relationship between the transverse jet flow field and the input parameters.The prediction accuracy of the established model for the wall pressure under different conditions exceeds 99%,and the established model is also capable of reproducing structures such as shock waves and recirculation zones in the overall flow field,thereby achieving highly precise and efficient prediction of the jet structure and flow information.The results suggest that in contrast to the traditional numerical simulation,this deep learning model demonstrates greater efficiency in predicting the transverse jet flow field.
基金financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2022YFA1602700)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.12274159)。
文摘Pulsed magnet technology is the only way to generate ultra-strong magnetic fields higher than 45 T so far.However,the inherently fast-changing field strength(typically on the order of 1000 T/s)poses significant challenges for spectroscopic measurements which rely on time integration of signals to improve spectral qualities.In this work,we report high-sensitivity spectroscopic measurements under pulsed high magnetic fields employing the long flat-top pulsed magnetic field technique.By means of a multiple-capacitor power supply,we were able to generate pulsed high magnetic fields with controllable flat-top pulse width and field stabilities.By synchronizing spectroscopic measurements with the waveform of the flattop magnetic field,the integration time of each spectrum can be increased by up to 100 times compared with that of the conventional spectroscopic measurements under pulsed magnetic fields,thus enabling high-sensitivity spectroscopic measurements under ultra-strong pulsed magnetic fields.These findings promise an efficient way to significantly improve the performance and extend the application of optical measurements under pulsed high magnetic fields.
基金the Youth Foundation of The 909th Hospital of Xiamen University,Grant/Award Number:22QN001Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province,China,Grant/Award Number:2019J01144,2022J011482,2023J011839 and 2023J011844+2 种基金National Natural Science Foundation of China,Grant/Award Number:81600696 and 82172477the Fujian Medical University Union Hospital Talent Research Launch Project,Grant/Award Number:2024XH001Natural Science Foundation of Zhangzhou,China,Grant/Award Number:ZZ2024J59。
文摘Backgroud:Intervertebral disc degeneration(IDD)is one of the common degenerative diseases.Due to ethical constraints,it is difficult to obtain sufficient research on humans,so the use of an animal model of IDD is very important to clarify the pathogenesis and treatment mechanism of the disease.Methods:In this study,thirty 2-month-old mice were selected for operation to establish a coccygeal IDD model.The distal tail portion of the tail(beyond the 17th coccygeal vertebra)and a small piece of skin above the 8th coccygeal vertebra were excised,and the two incisions were brought together after flexion,and secured with sutures.The heights and signal intensities of the intervertebral discs(IVDs)were assessed using microcomputed tomography(μCT)and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)at 0,6,12 weeks postoperatively.The overall tissue morphology,cell distribution and density,and extracellular matrix of the IVDs were also assessed using Hematoxylin and Eosin(HE),Safranin O-Fast Green and immunohistochemical staining.Results:All mice in the experimental group survived after the operation,and there were no complications such as wound infection,tail necrosis and suture shedding.The experimental results demonstrated that the suturing method can successfully initiate IDD.Different severity levels of IDD can be induced by controlling the bending angle of the IVDs within the tail loop;however,for consistency,histologic and imaging results should be obtained at the same bending angle and looping period.Conclusions:This IDD model is an effective method for studying the etiology and treatment of degenerative IVD disease.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U1908225)the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities(N2225012 and N232405-06).
文摘In response to the new mechanism of direct vortex melting reduction of vanadium–titanium magnetite,the reaction control mechanism and the migration regularity of valuable components in the process of direct melting reduction were investigated using kinetic empirical equation by fitting and combining with X-ray diffraction,X-ray fluorescence,scanning electron microscopy,energy-dispersive spectrometry,and optical microscopy.The results show that iron reduction is controlled by the mass transfer process of(FeOx)in the slag,while vanadium reduction is controlled by both the mass transfer of(VOx)in the slag and the mass transfer of[V]in the molten iron,and the slag–metal interfacial reaction is the only pathway for vanadium reduction.The reduction of iron and vanadium is an obvious first-order reaction,with activation energy of 101.6051 and 197.416 kJ mol^(−1),respectively.Increasing the vortex rate and reaction temperature is beneficial to improving the reaction rate and reduction efficiency.The mineral phase variation of iron and vanadium in the slag during the reduction process is Fe_(2)O_(3)→Fe_(3)O_(4)/FeV_(2)O_(4)→FeTiO_(3) and FeV_(2)O_(4)→MgV_(2)O_(5);titanium in slag is mainly in the form of Mg_(x)Ti_(3−x)O_(5)(0≤x≤1)and CaTiO_(3).As the reaction time went on,the molar ratio(nTi/nMg)in Mg_(x)Ti_(3−x)O_(5)(0≤x≤1)and the Ti2O_(3) content in the slag gradually went up,while the area proportion of Mg_(x)Ti_(3−x)O_(5)(0≤x≤1)went up and then down,and the porosity of the slag and the grain size of Mg_(x)Ti_(3−x)O_(5)(0≤x≤1)got smaller.
文摘Towards virtual keyboard design and realization, the work in this paper presents a robust key input method for deployment in virtual keyboard systems. The proposed scheme harnesses the information contained within shadows towards robustifying virtual key input. This scheme allows for input efficiency to be guaranteed in situations of relatively lower illumination, a core challenge associated with virtual keyboards. Contributions of the paper are two-fold. Firstly the paper pre-sents an approach towards effectively applying shadow information towards robustifying virtual key input systems;Secondly, through morphological operations, the performance of this input method is boosted by means of effectively alleviating noise and its impacts on overall algorithm performance, while highlighting the necessary features towards an efficient performance. While previous contributions have followed a similar trend, the contribution of this paper stresses on the intensification and improvement of both shadow and finger-tip feature highlighting schemes towards overall performance improvement. Experimental results presented in the paper demon-strate the efficiency and robustness of the approach. The attained results suggest that the scheme is capable of attaining high performances in terms of accuracy while being capable of addressing false touch situations.