Smart farming with outdoor monitoring systems is critical to address food shortages and sustainability challenges.These systems facilitate informed decisions that enhance efficiency in broader environmental management...Smart farming with outdoor monitoring systems is critical to address food shortages and sustainability challenges.These systems facilitate informed decisions that enhance efficiency in broader environmental management.Existing outdoor systems equipped with energy harvesters and self-powered sensors often struggle with fluctuating energy sources,low durability under harsh conditions,non-transparent or non-biocompatible materials,and complex structures.Herein,a multifunctional hydrogel is developed,which can fulfill all the above requirements and build selfsustainable outdoor monitoring systems solely by it.It can serve as a stable energy harvester that continuously generates direct current output with an average power density of 1.9 W m^(-3)for nearly 60 days of operation in normal environments(24℃,60%RH),with an energy density of around 1.36×10^(7)J m^(-3).It also shows good self-recoverability in severe environments(45℃,30%RH)in nearly 40 days of continuous operation.Moreover,this hydrogel enables noninvasive and self-powered monitoring of leaf relative water content,providing critical data on evaluating plant health,previously obtainable only through invasive or high-power consumption methods.Its potential extends to acting as other self-powered environmental sensors.This multifunctional hydrogel enables self-sustainable outdoor systems with scalable and low-cost production,paving the way for future agriculture.展开更多
The rise of large-scale artificial intelligence(AI)models,such as ChatGPT,Deep-Seek,and autonomous vehicle systems,has significantly advanced the boundaries of AI,enabling highly complex tasks in natural language proc...The rise of large-scale artificial intelligence(AI)models,such as ChatGPT,Deep-Seek,and autonomous vehicle systems,has significantly advanced the boundaries of AI,enabling highly complex tasks in natural language processing,image recognition,and real-time decisionmaking.However,these models demand immense computational power and are often centralized,relying on cloud-based architectures with inherent limitations in latency,privacy,and energy efficiency.To address these challenges and bring AI closer to real-world applications,such as wearable health monitoring,robotics,and immersive virtual environments,innovative hardware solutions are urgently needed.This work introduces a near-sensor edge computing(NSEC)system,built on a bilayer AlN/Si waveguide platform,to provide real-time,energy-efficient AI capabilities at the edge.Leveraging the electro-optic properties of AlN microring resonators for photonic feature extraction,coupled with Si-based thermo-optic Mach-Zehnder interferometers for neural network computations,the system represents a transformative approach to AI hardware design.Demonstrated through multimodal gesture and gait analysis,the NSEC system achieves high classification accuracies of 96.77%for gestures and 98.31%for gaits,ultra-low latency(<10 ns),and minimal energy consumption(<0.34 pJ).This groundbreaking system bridges the gap between AI models and real-world applications,enabling efficient,privacy-preserving AI solutions for healthcare,robotics,and next-generation human-machine interfaces,marking a pivotal advancement in edge computing and AI deployment.展开更多
Background: There are links between physical exercise, fine particles and the prevalence of exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB). Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of exercise-induced bronch...Background: There are links between physical exercise, fine particles and the prevalence of exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB). Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of exercise-induced bronchospasm in students of sciences and techniques of physical activities and sports (STAPS) exercising in a hot, humid and relatively polluted environment. Methods: Twenty-two first-year undergraduate students, including 11 in PE and 11 in SPORT, aged 21.64 ± 1.80 years, participated in a football match. Resting spirometry was performed before and 5 minutes after the match. During the match, particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) was measured every 10 minutes around the football pitch. Ambient temperature and relative humidity were recorded. The diagnosis of EIB was based on a decrease in FEV1 of at least 10% after the match. If there was a decrease, the participant was considered susceptible to EIB. Results: Five subjects were positive for exercise-induced bronchospasm, a percentage of 22%. Ambient temperature and relative humidity were 34.22˚C ± 1.38˚C and 52.2% ± 4.97%, respectively. Concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 were between 53.3 - 115.5 µg/m3 and 75.5 - 168.2 µg/m3, respectively, exceeding WHO limits. Conclusion: These results show a high incidence of exercise-induced bronchospasm in students without a history of asthma but exercising in a hot, humid and environment polluted by fine particles.展开更多
The machining process remains relevant for manufacturing high-quality and high-precision parts,which can be found in industries such as aerospace and aeronautical,with many produced by turning,drilling,and milling pro...The machining process remains relevant for manufacturing high-quality and high-precision parts,which can be found in industries such as aerospace and aeronautical,with many produced by turning,drilling,and milling processes.Monitoring and analyzing tool wear during these processes is crucial to assess the tool’s life and optimize the tool’s performance under study;as such,standards detail procedures to measure and assess tool wear for various tools.Measuring wear in machining tools can be time-consuming,as the process is usually manual,requiring human interaction and judgment.In the present work,an automated offline flank wear measurement algorithm was developed in Python.The algorithm measures the flank wear of coated end-mills and slot drills from Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM)images,according to the ISO 8688 standard,following the same wear measurement procedure.SEM images acquired with different magnifications and tools with varying machining parameters were analyzed using the developed algorithm.The flank wear measurements were then compared to the manually obtained,achieving relative errors for the most common magnifications of around 2.5%.Higher magnifications were also tested,yielding a maximum relative error of 13.4%.The algorithm can measure batches of images quickly on an ordinary personal computer,analyzing and measuring a 10-image batch in around 30 s,a process that would require around 30 min when performed manually by a skilled operator.Therefore,it can be a reliable alternative to measuring flank wear on many tools from SEM images,with the possibility of being adjusted for other wear measurements on different kinds of tools and different image types,for example,on images obtained by optical microscopy.展开更多
1.Introduction Layered van der Waals materials have emerged as a new class of materials with fascinating properties for versatile potential ap-plications owing to their unique atomic structures and ultrathin thickness...1.Introduction Layered van der Waals materials have emerged as a new class of materials with fascinating properties for versatile potential ap-plications owing to their unique atomic structures and ultrathin thickness[1-7].As a subcategory of layered van der Waals mate-rials,group IV monochalcogenides,including Ge(S,Se,Te)and Sn(S,Se,Te),possess similar atomic structures and comparable elec-tronic structures,rendering them becoming promising alternatives for applications in thermoelectric[8],ferroelectric[9-11],photo-catalytic[12],optoelectronic[13-16],and memory devices[17-19].展开更多
Objective:To develop a novel diagnostic modality to identify and diagnose stroke in daily life scenarios for improving the therapeutic effects and prognoses of patients.Methods:In this study,16 stroke patients and 24 ...Objective:To develop a novel diagnostic modality to identify and diagnose stroke in daily life scenarios for improving the therapeutic effects and prognoses of patients.Methods:In this study,16 stroke patients and 24 age-matched healthy participants as controls were recruited for comparative analysis.Leveraging a portable eye-tracking device and integrating traditional Chinese medicine theory with modern color psychology principles,we recorded the eye movement signals and calculated eye movement features.Meanwhile,the stroke recognition models based on eye movement features were further trained by using random forest(RF),k-nearest neighbors(KNN),decision tree(DT),gradient boosting classifier(GBC),XGBoost,and CatBoost.Results:The stroke group and the healthy group showed significant differences in some eye movement features(P<.05).The models trained based on eye movement characteristics had good performances in recognizing stroke individuals,with accuracies ranging from 77.40%to 88.45%.Under the red stimulus,the eye movement model trained by RF became the best machine learning model with a recall of 84.65%,a precision of 86.48%,a F1 score of 85.47%.Among the six algorithms,RF and CatBoost performed better in classification.Conclusion:This study pioneers the application of traditional Chinese medicine's five-color stimuli to visual observation tasks.On the basis of the combined design,the eye-movement models can accurately identify stroke,and the developed high-performance models may be used in daily life scenarios.展开更多
In the last decades,vanadium alloyed coatings have been introduced as potential candidates for self-lubrication due to their perfect tribological properties.In this work,the influence of V incorporation on the wear pe...In the last decades,vanadium alloyed coatings have been introduced as potential candidates for self-lubrication due to their perfect tribological properties.In this work,the influence of V incorporation on the wear performance and oxidation resistance of TiSiN/CrN film coatings deposited by direct current(DC)reactive magnetron sputtering is investigated.The results show that vanadium incorporation significantly decreases the oxidation resistance of the coatings.In general,two layers are formed during the oxidation process:i)Ti(V)O_(2) on top,followed by a protective layer,which is subdivided into two layers,Cr_(2)O_(3) and Si-O.ii)The diffusion of V controls the oxidation of V-containing coatings.The addition of vanadium improves the wear resistance of coatings,and the wear rate decreases with increasing V content in the coatings;however,the friction coefficient is independent of the chemical composition of the coatings.The wear of the V-containing coatings is driven by polishing wear.展开更多
Optical immersion clearing is a technique that has been widely studied for more than two decades and that is used to originate a temporary transparency effect in biological tissues.If applied in cooperation with clini...Optical immersion clearing is a technique that has been widely studied for more than two decades and that is used to originate a temporary transparency effect in biological tissues.If applied in cooperation with clinical methods it provides optimization of diagnosis and treatment procedures.This technique turns biological tissues more transparent through two main mechanisms-tissue dehydration and refractive index(RI)matching between tissue compo-nents.Such matching is obtained by partial replacement of interstit ial water by a biocompat ible agent that presents higher RI and it can be completely rever sible by natural rehydration in vrivo or by assisted rehydration in ex vivo tissues.Experimental data to characterize and discriminate between the two mechanisms and to find new ones are necessary.Using a simple method,based on collimated transmittance and thickness measurements made from muscle samples under treatment,we have estimated the diffusion properties of glucose,ethylene glycol(EG)and water that were used to perform such char acterization and discrimination.Comparing these properties with data from literature that characterize their diffusion in water we have observed that musde cell membrane permeability limits agent and water diffusion in the muscle.The same experi-mental data has allowed to calculate the optical dearing(OC)eficiency and make an inter-pretation of the internal changes that occurred in muscle during the treatments.The same methodology can now be used to perform similar studies with other agents and in other tissues in order to solve engineering problems at design of inexpensive and robust technologies for a consider.able improvement of optical tomogr aphic techmiques with better contrast and in depth imaging.展开更多
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "=""><strong>Background:</strong></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "=""> T...<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "=""><strong>Background:</strong></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "=""> The prevalence of obesity is increasing dramatically around the <span>world and it is reasonable to assume that young people attending school in</span> <span>Brazzaville are not spared. The objective of this study was to determine the pre</span>valence, as well as the factors associated with obesity and overweight among <span>students in Brazzaville. <b>Methods:</b> This is a cross-sectional study, conducted</span> as a questionnaire survey with 2052 pupils (869 boys and 1183 girls, aged 14 to 18). Obesity and overweight were determined from the body mass index and <span>reference curves of the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), the associated factors, by performing </span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "="">the</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "=""> logistic regression. <b>Results:</b> The preva</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "="">lence of over<span>weight in private and public institutions was 15.6% versus 5.5% (p < 0.001) </span><span>and obesity prevalence was 4.0% versus 1.5% (p < 0.001), respectively. The main factors associated with obesity and overweight were: parents’</span> monthly income (OR = 1.73), car as a means of transportation (OR = 2.75) and family history <span>of obesity (OR = 7.73). On the other hand, attending a public school,</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "=""> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "="">walk</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "="">ing and high levels of physical activity had a protective effect against obesity in this population. <b>Conclusion: </b>The prevalence of obesity was higher in private institutions and require</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "="">d</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "=""> management and prevention strategies.</span>展开更多
Background: Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm (EIB) is an inflammatory condition characterized by severe airway constriction following the mobilization of inflammatory cells and interleukin-6 (IL-6). When severe, EIB can ...Background: Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm (EIB) is an inflammatory condition characterized by severe airway constriction following the mobilization of inflammatory cells and interleukin-6 (IL-6). When severe, EIB can require the use of pressurized salbutamol to treat athletes. This study investigated the nature of the systemic changes in inflammatory cells and post-exercise IL-6 concentrations after salbutamol treatment in EIB-susceptible distance runners. Materials and Methods: This was an experimental study that enrolled 12 long-distance runners. In Session A, the participants completed a treadmill exercise test, and those who had a maximum expiratory volume per second (FEV1) that was decreased by at least 10% compared to their base value were placed in the EIB-susceptible group (EIB+) (n = 6). Those whose FEV1 did not meet this criterion were placed in the nonresponsive (EIB?) group (n = 6). Before the Session B exercise, athletes in the BIE+ group inhaled two puffs of salbutamol (EIB+ Salb), while their EIB? counterparts received no treatment. Spirometry was performed before and after the exercise using a Spirobank G portable spirometer. Blood samples were taken before, immediately after and 2 hours after the stress test. Results: The mean post-exercise FEV1 values were not significantly different (p > 0.05) between the EIB+ Salb group and the EIB? group. The systemic changes in inflammatory cells and IL-6 concentrations in the EIB+ runners after salbutamol treatment were similar to those observed in their EIB? counterparts. Conclusion: Salbutamol pretreatment improved the systemic immune status of EIB-susceptible athletes.展开更多
Context: Fine particles (PM2.5 and PM10) can accumulate in classrooms and in schoolyards located near urban roads. PM2.5 and PM10 can initiate, develop and exacerbate exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB). This study ai...Context: Fine particles (PM2.5 and PM10) can accumulate in classrooms and in schoolyards located near urban roads. PM2.5 and PM10 can initiate, develop and exacerbate exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB). This study aimed to assess the concentration levels of PM2.5 and PM10 in schools and to determine the rate of sensitivity to EIB among schoolchildren. Methods: A total of 128 students (67 girls and 61 boys) with an average age of 11 participated in this study. An ISAAC II questionnaire on respiratory symptoms was administered. PM2.5 and PM10 were measured. A 6-minute stress test was performed. Spirometry was performed. The ratio (I/O) of the concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 recorded inside (I) the classrooms to those obtained outside (O) the classrooms was equal to 1 (I/O = 1). Results: The concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 recorded inside the classrooms and those obtained outside the classrooms were higher than the values recommended by the WHO. 29 students out of 128 were diagnosed as sensitive to EIB [EIB (+)], i.e., a rate of sensitivity to EIB of 22.66%. A drop in postexercise PEF of 17.396% was observed among EIB (+) students. Conclusion: Schoolchildren in schools located near highways are exposed to high levels of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations. Exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 played an important role in the initiation and exacerbation of exercise-induced bronchospasm in schoolchildren from schools located near highways. Effective programs for improving air quality in schools must be put in place to reduce the effects of particulate pollution on the respiratory health of school children.展开更多
For many years finite element method(FEM)was the chosen numerical method for the analysis of composite structures.However,in the last 20 years,the scientific community has witnessed the birth and development of severa...For many years finite element method(FEM)was the chosen numerical method for the analysis of composite structures.However,in the last 20 years,the scientific community has witnessed the birth and development of several meshless methods,which are more flexible and equally accurate numerical methods.The meshless method used in this work is the natural neighbour radial point interpolation method(NNRPIM).In order to discretize the problem domain,the NNRPIM only requires an unstructured nodal distribution.Then,using the Voronoi mathematical concept,it enforces the nodal connectivity and constructs the background integration mesh.The NNRPIM shape functions are constructed using the radial point interpolation technique.In this work,the displacement field of composite laminated plates is defined by high-order shear deformation theories.In the end,several antisymmetric cross-ply laminates were analysed and the NNRPIM solutions were compared with the literature.The obtained results show the efficiency and accuracy of the NNRPIM formulation.展开更多
Objective: To evaluate the effects of “strength-velocity” training on the evolution of some cardiorespiratory parameters in postpubertal judoists of the Congolese national elite. Methods: The survey, exploratory, ex...Objective: To evaluate the effects of “strength-velocity” training on the evolution of some cardiorespiratory parameters in postpubertal judoists of the Congolese national elite. Methods: The survey, exploratory, experimental and longitudinal, was about 14 boys, belonging to seven categories of weight of the International Federation of Judo. These judoists, at the level belonged to stages 3, 4 and 5 of the classification to Tanner, of pubertal maturation. Their median age was 16 years (range: 15 - 17 years). All topics have been submitted to “strength-velocity” training, focused around exercises bound to the development of the power and automatisms, from plyometric and isometric training. Three assessments have been realized in the beginning, to mid-training (3 months) and at the end of the program (6 months). The measured values were cardiorespiratory parameters. Results: The heart rate to the doorstep was decreased significantly (p = 0.048), so VO<sub>2</sub> max (p = 0.046), FVC (p = 0.0244) and ratio VEMS/FVC (p = 0.046) as function of pubertal stage. In contrast, increase was not significant for VEMS (p = 0.205) and absolute VO<sub>2</sub> to doorstep (p = 0.097). No significant effect of pubertal state on respiratory frequency was found. On the other hand, strength-velocity training improved cardiorespiratory data. To the recovery of the “strength-velocity test”, the decrease of the VO<sub>2</sub> took place more quickly that the one of the VE, the VCO2 and the HR, variations linked to the category of topic weight. Conclusion: Among high level Congolese postpubertal judoists, the cardiorespiratory modifications induce faculty to the realization of a good performance and pursue objectives of health. However, it is necessary to be heedful as for situations to put in place in sittings at the time of such of “strength-velocity” training.展开更多
Biochemical parameters are useful in the diagnosis of many health abnormalities in athletes. Some studies suggest training well and eating a balanced diet to improve performance. The modification of biochemical parame...Biochemical parameters are useful in the diagnosis of many health abnormalities in athletes. Some studies suggest training well and eating a balanced diet to improve performance. The modification of biochemical parameters during endurance races has not yet been studied in many African countries. Our objective was to evaluate the dietary profile and the effects of competition on the biochemical parameters of Congolese endurance athletes. The method used was the questionnaire for the food profile and blood samples were taken to measure the biochemical parameters of the athletes. A total of 64 athletes, i.e. 20 girls and 44 boys divided into two groups (group 1 or experimental group (EG), 32 endurance athletes and group 2 or control group (CG), 32 walkers who participated in a cross-sectional study in Brazzaville. The subjects were respectively 26.16 ± 2.79 years old for the EG and 27.44 ± 3.34 years old for the CG. The results indicated that quality foods were difficult to access. The main course was more consumed compared to the starter and dessert (60% of girls and 63.63 of boys). However, biochemical parameters showed a significantly lower serum creatinine concentration in EG subjects compared to CG subjects (0.86 ± 0.06 mg/dl vs 1.04 ± 0.16 mg/dl;t = ?5.95;p 0.05). Similarly, Total Cholesterol was significantly low (1.66 ± 0.34 g/l vs 2.09 ± 0.50 g/l;t = ?3.99;p < 0.000). Cholesterol concentrations of EG subjects (HDL-C) were significantly elevated (0.98 ± 0.49 g/l vs 0.48 ± 0.18 g/l;t = 5.34;p < 0.000). In conclusion, the biochemical data were normal but the food profile of the runners was unfavorable, inadequate and unbalanced. This is considered to be a performance limiting factor.展开更多
The special issue presents new mathematical and computational approaches,to investigate some core problems of the computational biological sciences.This topic presents a huge interest from both theoretical and applied...The special issue presents new mathematical and computational approaches,to investigate some core problems of the computational biological sciences.This topic presents a huge interest from both theoretical and applied viewpoints.The content of this special issue was focused mainly to debate a wide range of the theory and applications of integer-order and fractional-order derivatives and fractional-order integrals in different directions of mathematical biology.Several interdisciplinary groups reported their related results.展开更多
Context: Automobile pollution is becoming a potential threat to the cardiorespiratory health of the urban population of sub-Saharan Africa. The present study aims to evaluate the level of concentrations of fine partic...Context: Automobile pollution is becoming a potential threat to the cardiorespiratory health of the urban population of sub-Saharan Africa. The present study aims to evaluate the level of concentrations of fine particles (PM2.5 and PM10) near road traffic and the effects of exposure to automobile pollutants on pulmonary function and arteriolar blood oxygen saturation among sellers around road traffic. Materials and Methods: The study recruited 48 healthy people carrying out a sales activity near road traffic. PM2.5 and PM10 measurements were taken from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. using a Temtop Airing-1000 portable particle detector. Spirometric measurements were taken in the morning and in the evening from a portable Spirobank G spirometer. Oxygen saturation measurements were also taken in the morning and evening using a Pulse oxymeter CMS50D pulse oxymeter. Results: Mean values of forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of forced vital capacity (FEF25 - 75) recorded in the evening were significantly lower than those obtained in the morning in the subjects of the total group and in the men. Only the mean values of PEF and FEF25 - 75 obtained in the evening were significantly lower than those recorded in the morning in women. Minimum PM2.5 values recorded near road traffic were negatively correlated with evening PEF in men, while maximum PM10 values were negatively correlated with evening PEF in women. The blood oxygen saturation recorded in the evening was significantly lower than that obtained in the morning. Conclusion: Short-term exposure to automobile pollutants has adverse effects on lung function and oxygen saturation in people carrying out a sales activity near road traffic.展开更多
With the objective to study the variation of optical properties of rat muscle during optical clearing,we have performed a set of optical measurements from that kind of tissue.The.measurements performed were total tr a...With the objective to study the variation of optical properties of rat muscle during optical clearing,we have performed a set of optical measurements from that kind of tissue.The.measurements performed were total tr ansmittance,ollimated transmit tance,specular reflec-tance and total reflectance.This set of measurements is suficient to determine diffuse reflectance and absorbance of the sample,also necessary to est imate the optical properties.All the per formed measurements and calculated quantities will be used later in inverse Monte Carlo(IMC)simu-lations to determine the evolution of the optical properties of muscle during treatments with ethylene glycol and glucose.The results obt ained with the measurements already provide some information about the optical c learing treatments applied to the muscle and translate the mechanisms of turning the tissue more transparent and sequence of regimes of optical clearing.展开更多
基金supported by the Research Platform for biomedical and Health Technology, NUS (Suzhou) Research Institute (RP-BHT-Prof. LEE Chengkuo)RIE Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) Programmatic Grant (Grant A18A4b0055)+1 种基金RIE 2025-Industry Alignment Fund – Industry Collaboration Projects (IAF-ICP) (Grant I2301E0027)Reimagine Research Scheme projects, National University of Singapore, A-0009037-03-00 and A-0009454-01-00 and Reimagine Research Scheme projects, National University of Singapore, A-0004772-00-00 and A-0004772-01-00。
文摘Smart farming with outdoor monitoring systems is critical to address food shortages and sustainability challenges.These systems facilitate informed decisions that enhance efficiency in broader environmental management.Existing outdoor systems equipped with energy harvesters and self-powered sensors often struggle with fluctuating energy sources,low durability under harsh conditions,non-transparent or non-biocompatible materials,and complex structures.Herein,a multifunctional hydrogel is developed,which can fulfill all the above requirements and build selfsustainable outdoor monitoring systems solely by it.It can serve as a stable energy harvester that continuously generates direct current output with an average power density of 1.9 W m^(-3)for nearly 60 days of operation in normal environments(24℃,60%RH),with an energy density of around 1.36×10^(7)J m^(-3).It also shows good self-recoverability in severe environments(45℃,30%RH)in nearly 40 days of continuous operation.Moreover,this hydrogel enables noninvasive and self-powered monitoring of leaf relative water content,providing critical data on evaluating plant health,previously obtainable only through invasive or high-power consumption methods.Its potential extends to acting as other self-powered environmental sensors.This multifunctional hydrogel enables self-sustainable outdoor systems with scalable and low-cost production,paving the way for future agriculture.
基金the National Research Foundation(NRF)Singapore mid-sized center grant(NRF-MSG-2023-0002)FrontierCRP grant(NRF-F-CRP-2024-0006)+2 种基金A*STAR Singapore MTC RIE2025 project(M24W1NS005)IAF-PP project(M23M5a0069)Ministry of Education(MOE)Singapore Tier 2 project(MOE-T2EP50220-0014).
文摘The rise of large-scale artificial intelligence(AI)models,such as ChatGPT,Deep-Seek,and autonomous vehicle systems,has significantly advanced the boundaries of AI,enabling highly complex tasks in natural language processing,image recognition,and real-time decisionmaking.However,these models demand immense computational power and are often centralized,relying on cloud-based architectures with inherent limitations in latency,privacy,and energy efficiency.To address these challenges and bring AI closer to real-world applications,such as wearable health monitoring,robotics,and immersive virtual environments,innovative hardware solutions are urgently needed.This work introduces a near-sensor edge computing(NSEC)system,built on a bilayer AlN/Si waveguide platform,to provide real-time,energy-efficient AI capabilities at the edge.Leveraging the electro-optic properties of AlN microring resonators for photonic feature extraction,coupled with Si-based thermo-optic Mach-Zehnder interferometers for neural network computations,the system represents a transformative approach to AI hardware design.Demonstrated through multimodal gesture and gait analysis,the NSEC system achieves high classification accuracies of 96.77%for gestures and 98.31%for gaits,ultra-low latency(<10 ns),and minimal energy consumption(<0.34 pJ).This groundbreaking system bridges the gap between AI models and real-world applications,enabling efficient,privacy-preserving AI solutions for healthcare,robotics,and next-generation human-machine interfaces,marking a pivotal advancement in edge computing and AI deployment.
文摘Background: There are links between physical exercise, fine particles and the prevalence of exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB). Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of exercise-induced bronchospasm in students of sciences and techniques of physical activities and sports (STAPS) exercising in a hot, humid and relatively polluted environment. Methods: Twenty-two first-year undergraduate students, including 11 in PE and 11 in SPORT, aged 21.64 ± 1.80 years, participated in a football match. Resting spirometry was performed before and 5 minutes after the match. During the match, particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) was measured every 10 minutes around the football pitch. Ambient temperature and relative humidity were recorded. The diagnosis of EIB was based on a decrease in FEV1 of at least 10% after the match. If there was a decrease, the participant was considered susceptible to EIB. Results: Five subjects were positive for exercise-induced bronchospasm, a percentage of 22%. Ambient temperature and relative humidity were 34.22˚C ± 1.38˚C and 52.2% ± 4.97%, respectively. Concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 were between 53.3 - 115.5 µg/m3 and 75.5 - 168.2 µg/m3, respectively, exceeding WHO limits. Conclusion: These results show a high incidence of exercise-induced bronchospasm in students without a history of asthma but exercising in a hot, humid and environment polluted by fine particles.
文摘The machining process remains relevant for manufacturing high-quality and high-precision parts,which can be found in industries such as aerospace and aeronautical,with many produced by turning,drilling,and milling processes.Monitoring and analyzing tool wear during these processes is crucial to assess the tool’s life and optimize the tool’s performance under study;as such,standards detail procedures to measure and assess tool wear for various tools.Measuring wear in machining tools can be time-consuming,as the process is usually manual,requiring human interaction and judgment.In the present work,an automated offline flank wear measurement algorithm was developed in Python.The algorithm measures the flank wear of coated end-mills and slot drills from Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM)images,according to the ISO 8688 standard,following the same wear measurement procedure.SEM images acquired with different magnifications and tools with varying machining parameters were analyzed using the developed algorithm.The flank wear measurements were then compared to the manually obtained,achieving relative errors for the most common magnifications of around 2.5%.Higher magnifications were also tested,yielding a maximum relative error of 13.4%.The algorithm can measure batches of images quickly on an ordinary personal computer,analyzing and measuring a 10-image batch in around 30 s,a process that would require around 30 min when performed manually by a skilled operator.Therefore,it can be a reliable alternative to measuring flank wear on many tools from SEM images,with the possibility of being adjusted for other wear measurements on different kinds of tools and different image types,for example,on images obtained by optical microscopy.
基金This work was financially supported by the China Postdoc-toral Science Foundation(Nos.2020M673174 and2019M663688)The authors acknowledge the European Research Executive Agency(Project No.101079184-FUNLAYERS).
文摘1.Introduction Layered van der Waals materials have emerged as a new class of materials with fascinating properties for versatile potential ap-plications owing to their unique atomic structures and ultrathin thickness[1-7].As a subcategory of layered van der Waals mate-rials,group IV monochalcogenides,including Ge(S,Se,Te)and Sn(S,Se,Te),possess similar atomic structures and comparable elec-tronic structures,rendering them becoming promising alternatives for applications in thermoelectric[8],ferroelectric[9-11],photo-catalytic[12],optoelectronic[13-16],and memory devices[17-19].
基金supported by the scientific research project from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine(2022-JYB-JBZR-034)。
文摘Objective:To develop a novel diagnostic modality to identify and diagnose stroke in daily life scenarios for improving the therapeutic effects and prognoses of patients.Methods:In this study,16 stroke patients and 24 age-matched healthy participants as controls were recruited for comparative analysis.Leveraging a portable eye-tracking device and integrating traditional Chinese medicine theory with modern color psychology principles,we recorded the eye movement signals and calculated eye movement features.Meanwhile,the stroke recognition models based on eye movement features were further trained by using random forest(RF),k-nearest neighbors(KNN),decision tree(DT),gradient boosting classifier(GBC),XGBoost,and CatBoost.Results:The stroke group and the healthy group showed significant differences in some eye movement features(P<.05).The models trained based on eye movement characteristics had good performances in recognizing stroke individuals,with accuracies ranging from 77.40%to 88.45%.Under the red stimulus,the eye movement model trained by RF became the best machine learning model with a recall of 84.65%,a precision of 86.48%,a F1 score of 85.47%.Among the six algorithms,RF and CatBoost performed better in classification.Conclusion:This study pioneers the application of traditional Chinese medicine's five-color stimuli to visual observation tasks.On the basis of the combined design,the eye-movement models can accurately identify stroke,and the developed high-performance models may be used in daily life scenarios.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.51801081 and 52171071)national funds through FCT of Portugal-Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia,under a scientific contract of 2021.04115,CEMMPRE-ref.“UIDB/00285/2020”and LA/P/0112/2020 projects+2 种基金FEDER funds through the COMPETE program-Operational Program on Competitiveness Factorsnational funds through FCT-Foundation for Science and Technology,Outstanding University Young Teachers of“Qing Lan Project”of Jiangsu Province of China,Excellent Talents of“Shenlan Project”of Jiangsu University of Science and Technology of ChinaA part of this study was supported by the Directorate-General of Scientific Research and Technological Development(Algeria)。
文摘In the last decades,vanadium alloyed coatings have been introduced as potential candidates for self-lubrication due to their perfect tribological properties.In this work,the influence of V incorporation on the wear performance and oxidation resistance of TiSiN/CrN film coatings deposited by direct current(DC)reactive magnetron sputtering is investigated.The results show that vanadium incorporation significantly decreases the oxidation resistance of the coatings.In general,two layers are formed during the oxidation process:i)Ti(V)O_(2) on top,followed by a protective layer,which is subdivided into two layers,Cr_(2)O_(3) and Si-O.ii)The diffusion of V controls the oxidation of V-containing coatings.The addition of vanadium improves the wear resistance of coatings,and the wear rate decreases with increasing V content in the coatings;however,the friction coefficient is independent of the chemical composition of the coatings.The wear of the V-containing coatings is driven by polishing wear.
基金support from the Government of Russian Federation(Grant No.14.Z50.31.0004)The Tomsk State University Academic D.I.Mendeleev Fund Program.
文摘Optical immersion clearing is a technique that has been widely studied for more than two decades and that is used to originate a temporary transparency effect in biological tissues.If applied in cooperation with clinical methods it provides optimization of diagnosis and treatment procedures.This technique turns biological tissues more transparent through two main mechanisms-tissue dehydration and refractive index(RI)matching between tissue compo-nents.Such matching is obtained by partial replacement of interstit ial water by a biocompat ible agent that presents higher RI and it can be completely rever sible by natural rehydration in vrivo or by assisted rehydration in ex vivo tissues.Experimental data to characterize and discriminate between the two mechanisms and to find new ones are necessary.Using a simple method,based on collimated transmittance and thickness measurements made from muscle samples under treatment,we have estimated the diffusion properties of glucose,ethylene glycol(EG)and water that were used to perform such char acterization and discrimination.Comparing these properties with data from literature that characterize their diffusion in water we have observed that musde cell membrane permeability limits agent and water diffusion in the muscle.The same experi-mental data has allowed to calculate the optical dearing(OC)eficiency and make an inter-pretation of the internal changes that occurred in muscle during the treatments.The same methodology can now be used to perform similar studies with other agents and in other tissues in order to solve engineering problems at design of inexpensive and robust technologies for a consider.able improvement of optical tomogr aphic techmiques with better contrast and in depth imaging.
文摘<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "=""><strong>Background:</strong></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "=""> The prevalence of obesity is increasing dramatically around the <span>world and it is reasonable to assume that young people attending school in</span> <span>Brazzaville are not spared. The objective of this study was to determine the pre</span>valence, as well as the factors associated with obesity and overweight among <span>students in Brazzaville. <b>Methods:</b> This is a cross-sectional study, conducted</span> as a questionnaire survey with 2052 pupils (869 boys and 1183 girls, aged 14 to 18). Obesity and overweight were determined from the body mass index and <span>reference curves of the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF), the associated factors, by performing </span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "="">the</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "=""> logistic regression. <b>Results:</b> The preva</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "="">lence of over<span>weight in private and public institutions was 15.6% versus 5.5% (p < 0.001) </span><span>and obesity prevalence was 4.0% versus 1.5% (p < 0.001), respectively. The main factors associated with obesity and overweight were: parents’</span> monthly income (OR = 1.73), car as a means of transportation (OR = 2.75) and family history <span>of obesity (OR = 7.73). On the other hand, attending a public school,</span></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "=""> </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "="">walk</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "="">ing and high levels of physical activity had a protective effect against obesity in this population. <b>Conclusion: </b>The prevalence of obesity was higher in private institutions and require</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "="">d</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:;" "=""> management and prevention strategies.</span>
文摘Background: Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm (EIB) is an inflammatory condition characterized by severe airway constriction following the mobilization of inflammatory cells and interleukin-6 (IL-6). When severe, EIB can require the use of pressurized salbutamol to treat athletes. This study investigated the nature of the systemic changes in inflammatory cells and post-exercise IL-6 concentrations after salbutamol treatment in EIB-susceptible distance runners. Materials and Methods: This was an experimental study that enrolled 12 long-distance runners. In Session A, the participants completed a treadmill exercise test, and those who had a maximum expiratory volume per second (FEV1) that was decreased by at least 10% compared to their base value were placed in the EIB-susceptible group (EIB+) (n = 6). Those whose FEV1 did not meet this criterion were placed in the nonresponsive (EIB?) group (n = 6). Before the Session B exercise, athletes in the BIE+ group inhaled two puffs of salbutamol (EIB+ Salb), while their EIB? counterparts received no treatment. Spirometry was performed before and after the exercise using a Spirobank G portable spirometer. Blood samples were taken before, immediately after and 2 hours after the stress test. Results: The mean post-exercise FEV1 values were not significantly different (p > 0.05) between the EIB+ Salb group and the EIB? group. The systemic changes in inflammatory cells and IL-6 concentrations in the EIB+ runners after salbutamol treatment were similar to those observed in their EIB? counterparts. Conclusion: Salbutamol pretreatment improved the systemic immune status of EIB-susceptible athletes.
文摘Context: Fine particles (PM2.5 and PM10) can accumulate in classrooms and in schoolyards located near urban roads. PM2.5 and PM10 can initiate, develop and exacerbate exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB). This study aimed to assess the concentration levels of PM2.5 and PM10 in schools and to determine the rate of sensitivity to EIB among schoolchildren. Methods: A total of 128 students (67 girls and 61 boys) with an average age of 11 participated in this study. An ISAAC II questionnaire on respiratory symptoms was administered. PM2.5 and PM10 were measured. A 6-minute stress test was performed. Spirometry was performed. The ratio (I/O) of the concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 recorded inside (I) the classrooms to those obtained outside (O) the classrooms was equal to 1 (I/O = 1). Results: The concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 recorded inside the classrooms and those obtained outside the classrooms were higher than the values recommended by the WHO. 29 students out of 128 were diagnosed as sensitive to EIB [EIB (+)], i.e., a rate of sensitivity to EIB of 22.66%. A drop in postexercise PEF of 17.396% was observed among EIB (+) students. Conclusion: Schoolchildren in schools located near highways are exposed to high levels of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations. Exposure to PM2.5 and PM10 played an important role in the initiation and exacerbation of exercise-induced bronchospasm in schoolchildren from schools located near highways. Effective programs for improving air quality in schools must be put in place to reduce the effects of particulate pollution on the respiratory health of school children.
文摘For many years finite element method(FEM)was the chosen numerical method for the analysis of composite structures.However,in the last 20 years,the scientific community has witnessed the birth and development of several meshless methods,which are more flexible and equally accurate numerical methods.The meshless method used in this work is the natural neighbour radial point interpolation method(NNRPIM).In order to discretize the problem domain,the NNRPIM only requires an unstructured nodal distribution.Then,using the Voronoi mathematical concept,it enforces the nodal connectivity and constructs the background integration mesh.The NNRPIM shape functions are constructed using the radial point interpolation technique.In this work,the displacement field of composite laminated plates is defined by high-order shear deformation theories.In the end,several antisymmetric cross-ply laminates were analysed and the NNRPIM solutions were compared with the literature.The obtained results show the efficiency and accuracy of the NNRPIM formulation.
文摘Objective: To evaluate the effects of “strength-velocity” training on the evolution of some cardiorespiratory parameters in postpubertal judoists of the Congolese national elite. Methods: The survey, exploratory, experimental and longitudinal, was about 14 boys, belonging to seven categories of weight of the International Federation of Judo. These judoists, at the level belonged to stages 3, 4 and 5 of the classification to Tanner, of pubertal maturation. Their median age was 16 years (range: 15 - 17 years). All topics have been submitted to “strength-velocity” training, focused around exercises bound to the development of the power and automatisms, from plyometric and isometric training. Three assessments have been realized in the beginning, to mid-training (3 months) and at the end of the program (6 months). The measured values were cardiorespiratory parameters. Results: The heart rate to the doorstep was decreased significantly (p = 0.048), so VO<sub>2</sub> max (p = 0.046), FVC (p = 0.0244) and ratio VEMS/FVC (p = 0.046) as function of pubertal stage. In contrast, increase was not significant for VEMS (p = 0.205) and absolute VO<sub>2</sub> to doorstep (p = 0.097). No significant effect of pubertal state on respiratory frequency was found. On the other hand, strength-velocity training improved cardiorespiratory data. To the recovery of the “strength-velocity test”, the decrease of the VO<sub>2</sub> took place more quickly that the one of the VE, the VCO2 and the HR, variations linked to the category of topic weight. Conclusion: Among high level Congolese postpubertal judoists, the cardiorespiratory modifications induce faculty to the realization of a good performance and pursue objectives of health. However, it is necessary to be heedful as for situations to put in place in sittings at the time of such of “strength-velocity” training.
文摘Biochemical parameters are useful in the diagnosis of many health abnormalities in athletes. Some studies suggest training well and eating a balanced diet to improve performance. The modification of biochemical parameters during endurance races has not yet been studied in many African countries. Our objective was to evaluate the dietary profile and the effects of competition on the biochemical parameters of Congolese endurance athletes. The method used was the questionnaire for the food profile and blood samples were taken to measure the biochemical parameters of the athletes. A total of 64 athletes, i.e. 20 girls and 44 boys divided into two groups (group 1 or experimental group (EG), 32 endurance athletes and group 2 or control group (CG), 32 walkers who participated in a cross-sectional study in Brazzaville. The subjects were respectively 26.16 ± 2.79 years old for the EG and 27.44 ± 3.34 years old for the CG. The results indicated that quality foods were difficult to access. The main course was more consumed compared to the starter and dessert (60% of girls and 63.63 of boys). However, biochemical parameters showed a significantly lower serum creatinine concentration in EG subjects compared to CG subjects (0.86 ± 0.06 mg/dl vs 1.04 ± 0.16 mg/dl;t = ?5.95;p 0.05). Similarly, Total Cholesterol was significantly low (1.66 ± 0.34 g/l vs 2.09 ± 0.50 g/l;t = ?3.99;p < 0.000). Cholesterol concentrations of EG subjects (HDL-C) were significantly elevated (0.98 ± 0.49 g/l vs 0.48 ± 0.18 g/l;t = 5.34;p < 0.000). In conclusion, the biochemical data were normal but the food profile of the runners was unfavorable, inadequate and unbalanced. This is considered to be a performance limiting factor.
文摘The special issue presents new mathematical and computational approaches,to investigate some core problems of the computational biological sciences.This topic presents a huge interest from both theoretical and applied viewpoints.The content of this special issue was focused mainly to debate a wide range of the theory and applications of integer-order and fractional-order derivatives and fractional-order integrals in different directions of mathematical biology.Several interdisciplinary groups reported their related results.
文摘Context: Automobile pollution is becoming a potential threat to the cardiorespiratory health of the urban population of sub-Saharan Africa. The present study aims to evaluate the level of concentrations of fine particles (PM2.5 and PM10) near road traffic and the effects of exposure to automobile pollutants on pulmonary function and arteriolar blood oxygen saturation among sellers around road traffic. Materials and Methods: The study recruited 48 healthy people carrying out a sales activity near road traffic. PM2.5 and PM10 measurements were taken from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. using a Temtop Airing-1000 portable particle detector. Spirometric measurements were taken in the morning and in the evening from a portable Spirobank G spirometer. Oxygen saturation measurements were also taken in the morning and evening using a Pulse oxymeter CMS50D pulse oxymeter. Results: Mean values of forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of forced vital capacity (FEF25 - 75) recorded in the evening were significantly lower than those obtained in the morning in the subjects of the total group and in the men. Only the mean values of PEF and FEF25 - 75 obtained in the evening were significantly lower than those recorded in the morning in women. Minimum PM2.5 values recorded near road traffic were negatively correlated with evening PEF in men, while maximum PM10 values were negatively correlated with evening PEF in women. The blood oxygen saturation recorded in the evening was significantly lower than that obtained in the morning. Conclusion: Short-term exposure to automobile pollutants has adverse effects on lung function and oxygen saturation in people carrying out a sales activity near road traffic.
基金supported in part by grants:RF Governmental contracts 11.519.11.2035,14.B37.21.0728,and 14.B37.11.0563FiDiPro,TEKES Program(40111/11),Finland+1 种基金SCOPES EC,Uzb/Switz/RF,Swiss NSF,IZ74ZO 137423/1RF President's grant"Scientific Schools",1177.2012.2.
文摘With the objective to study the variation of optical properties of rat muscle during optical clearing,we have performed a set of optical measurements from that kind of tissue.The.measurements performed were total tr ansmittance,ollimated transmit tance,specular reflec-tance and total reflectance.This set of measurements is suficient to determine diffuse reflectance and absorbance of the sample,also necessary to est imate the optical properties.All the per formed measurements and calculated quantities will be used later in inverse Monte Carlo(IMC)simu-lations to determine the evolution of the optical properties of muscle during treatments with ethylene glycol and glucose.The results obt ained with the measurements already provide some information about the optical c learing treatments applied to the muscle and translate the mechanisms of turning the tissue more transparent and sequence of regimes of optical clearing.
