The Remaining Useful Life Prediction Method of a Hydraulic Pump under Unknown Degradation Model with Limited Data.

This study proposes a remaining useful life (RUL) prediction method using limited degradation data with an unknown degradation model for hydraulic pumps with long service lives and no failure data in turbine control systems. The volumetric efficiency is calculated based on real-time monitoring signal data, and it is used as the degradation indicator. The optimal degradation curve is established using the degradation trajectory model, and the optimal probability distribution model is selected via the K-S test. The above process was repeated to optimize the degradation model and update parameters in different performance degradation stages of the hydraulic pump, providing quantification of the prediction uncertainty and enabling accurate online prediction of the hydraulic pump's RUL. Finally, an RUL test bench for hydraulic pumps is built for verification. The results show that the proposed method is convenient, efficient, and has low model complexity. The method enables online accurate prediction of the RUL of hydraulic pumps using only limited degradation data, with a prediction accuracy of over 85%, which meets practical application requirements.

Diagnostic performance and clinical feasibility of a novel one-step RT-qPCR assay for simultaneous detection of multiple severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an acute respiratory infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Other coronaviruses (CoVs) can also infect humans, although the majority cause only mild respiratory symptoms. Because early diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 is critical for preventing further transmission events and improving clinical outcomes, it is important to be able to distinguish SARS-CoV-2 from other SARS-related CoVs in respiratory samples. Therefore, we developed and evaluated a novel reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay targeting the genes encoding the spike (S) and membrane (M) proteins to enable the rapid identification of SARS-CoV-2, including several new circulating variants and other emerging SARS-like CoVs. By analysis of in vitro-transcribed mRNA, we established multiplex RT-qPCR assays capable of detecting 5 × 10° copies/reaction. Using RNA extracted from cell culture supernatants, our multiple simultaneous SARS-CoV-2 assays had a limit of detection of 1 × 10° TCID50/mL and showed no cross-reaction with human CoVs or other respiratory viruses. We also validated our method using human clinical samples from patients with COVID-19 and healthy individuals, including nasal swab and sputum samples. This novel one-step multiplex RT-qPCR assay can be used to improve the laboratory diagnosis of human-pathogenic CoVs, including SARS-CoV-2, and may be useful for the identification of other SARS-like CoVs of zoonotic origin.

Application and study on preparation of bio-asphalt by modified phenolic resin from corn straw tar.

XPS, GPC, FT-IR, and GC-MS analyses were conducted on corn straw tar and 70# petroleum asphalt. The results indicate that the sulfur content in corn straw tar is lower than that in petroleum asphalt, potentially mitigating the volatilization of harmful substances upon substituting petroleum asphalt. This finding serves as evidence for the substantial presence of phenolic substances in corn straw tar. Upon employing the BOX-Behnken response surface analysis and utilizing resin yield as the evaluation index, the significance of three factors was established as follows: reaction time > phenol molar ratio > straw tar content. Based on the secondary multiple regression model, the optimal conditions for synthetic resin production are a phenolic mole ratio of 0.8, a reaction time of 125 min, and a straw tar dosage of 10 %. An assessment of resin viscosity at different VI temperatures reveals that corn stover tar can partially replace phenol and formaldehyde in the condensation reaction. Additionally, viscosity improvement is observed at elevated temperatures. Thermal gravimetric(TG) spectroscopy indicates lower mass loss in B-PF resin at high temperatures compared to PF resin or corn stover tar. In the evaluation of biological bitumen performance, it is discerned that the mixing amount of the prepared biological bitumen should be controlled at approximately 10 % of its performance. This ensures optimal efficacy without adversely affecting the performance of petroleum bitumen.

Analysis of Influencing Factors on the Tribological Behavior of 42CrMo4/17NiCrMo6-4 under Grease Lubrication.

The tribological behavior of 42CrMo4/17NiCrMo6-4 under grease lubrication was explored in terms of load, speed, hardness matching, and lubrication quantity. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and a surface profilometer were used to investigate the wear mechanism. The results show that hardness matching has the greatest impact on the wear resistance and friction reduction of the friction pair, followed by the load factor, with the impacts of speed and lubricant quantity being minor. Increasing the hardness of 42CrMo4 reduces the friction coefficient and wear volume of the friction pair substantially. When the maximum surface hardness of 42CrMo4 was compared with the lowest surface hardness, the friction coefficient was reduced by 21.5%, and the wear volume was reduced by 87.2%. Abrasive wear is the sort of wear failure that was seen, and as the hardness of 42CrMo4 increased, more severe fatigue wear appeared on 17NiCrMo6-4. While the wear volume initially increases and subsequently lowers with increasing load, the friction coefficient initially decreases and then stabilizes. A synergistic combination of abrasive and adhesive wear occurs under high load, changing the wear type from abrasive wear under low load. The wear volume is decreased by the sticky layer generated under high load conditions, which achieves superior wear prevention. This study is anticipated to offer recommendations for designing gears' required hardness under various operating circumstances.

The impact of pre-existing influenza antibodies and inflammatory status on the influenza vaccine responses in older adults.

Age-associated immune changes and pre-existing influenza immunity are hypothesized to reduce influenza vaccine effectiveness in older adults, although the contribution of each factor is unknown. Here, we constructed influenza-specific IgG landscapes and determined baseline concentrations of cytokines typically associated with chronic inflammation in older adults (TNF-α, IL-10, IL-6, and IFN-γ) in 30 high and 29 low influenza vaccine responders (HR and LR, respectively). In a background of high H3 antibody titers, vaccine-specific H3, but not H1, antibody titers were boosted in LRs to titers comparable to HRs. Pre-vaccination concentrations of IL-10 were higher in LRs compared with HRs and inversely correlated with titers of pre-existing influenza antibodies. Baseline TNF-α concentrations were positively correlated with fold-increases in antibody titers in HRs. Our findings indicate that baseline inflammatory status is an important determinant for generating post-vaccination hemagglutinin-inhibition antibodies in older adults, and IgG responses can be boosted in the context of high pre-existing immunity.

The public health response to the COVID-19 outbreak in mainland China: a narrative review.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused nations to adopt unprecedented control measures in order to curb its spread. As the first nation to respond, China's aggressive control measures appeared to have been effective in suppressing the first wave and keeping new cases under control. Here, we provide the historical context and details of China's public health response to COVID-19. We highlight the lessons and impact of the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, which demonstrated the importance of transparency, surveillance and testing laboratories during an outbreak. We provide an overview of China's response strategy that was based on the principles of early detection, isolation, management and treatment and involved not only the large-scale coordination of multiple governmental bodies but also grass-root community participation throughout the country. These community-based organizations conducted active surveillance for febrile cases and provided support for those in quarantine and communities in lockdown. Importantly, these broader measures were supported by digital technology, including the extensive use of internet-based platforms and mobile applications (APPs). While there have been no significant increases in case numbers since April, there is still much concern over a second wave, considering the resumption of work and school, the lifting of travel restrictions and the outbreaks occurring globally. Control measures has since been implemented by provincial authorities, which includes continued surveillance and rapid testing. Although China's strict control measures may not suit every nation, the principles of early detection and isolation continue to hold true and have been a cornerstone of the initial and ongoing response to the COVID-19.

SARS-CoV-2 environmental contamination associated with persistently infected COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND: Severe COVID-19 patients typically test positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA for extended periods of time, even after recovery from severe disease. Due to the timeframe involved, these patients may have developed humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2 while still testing positive for viral RNA in swabs. Data are lacking on exposure risks in these situations. Here, we studied SARS-CoV-2 environmental contamination in an ICU and an isolation ward caring for such COVID-19 patients. METHODS: We collected air and surface samples in a hospital caring for critical and severe COVID-19 cases from common areas and areas proximal to patients. RESULTS: Of the 218 ICU samples, an air sample contained SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Of the 182 isolation ward samples, nine contained SARS-CoV-2 RNA. These were collected from a facemask, the floor, mobile phones, and the air in the patient room and bathroom. Serum antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were detected in these patients at the beginning of the study. CONCLUSIONS: While there is a perception of increased risk in the ICU, our study demonstrates that isolation wards may pose greater risks to healthcare workers and exposure risks remain with clinically improved patients, weeks after their initial diagnoses. As these patients had serum antibodies, further studies may be warranted to study the utility of serum antibodies as a surrogate of viral clearance in allowing people to return to work. We recommend continued vigilance even with patients who appear to have recovered from COVID-19.

Aromatic compounds biodegradation under anaerobic conditions and their QSBR models.

Anaerobic biodegradability of 46 kinds of aromatic compounds was tested and assessed in integrate. These aromatic compounds were classified into readily, partially and poorly biodegradable compounds after their integrated assessment indices (IAI) were calculated. Some rules of anaerobic biodegradation of them were drawn. Stepwise regression and backpropagation artificial neural network (BP-ANN) methods were applied to establish quantitative structure biodegradability relationship (QSBR) based on the assessment results. In QSBR models, five molecular structure descriptors, energy of the highest occupied molecular orbital (EHOMO), total energy (TolE), molar refractivity (MR), the logarithm of the partition coefficient for n-octanol/water (LogP), and standard Gibbs free energy (G), were included. After analyzing the sensitivity of variables in QSBR models, it was found that the key molecular structure descriptors affecting anaerobic biodegradability of aromatic compounds were TolE and MR, which were in direct proportion to the anaerobic biodegradability of aromatic compounds.

Pretreatment of apramycin wastewater by catalytic wet air oxidation.

The pretreatment technology of wet air oxidation (WAO) and coagulation and acidic hydrolysis for apramycin wastewater was investigated in this paper. The COD, apramycin, NH4+ concentration, and the ratio of BOD5/COD were analyzed, and the color and odor of the effluent were observed. WAO of apramycin wastewater, without catalyst and with RuO2/Al2O3 and RuO2-CeO2/Al2O3 catalysts, was carried out at degradation temperature of 200 degrees C and the total pressure of 4 MPa in a 1 L batch reactor. The result showed that the apramycin removals were respectively 50.2% and 55.0%, COD removals were 40.0% and 46.0%, and the ratio of BOD5/COD was increased to 0.49 and 0.54 with RuO2/Al2O3 and RuO2-CeO2/Al2O3 catalysts in catylytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) after the reaction of 150 min. With the pretreatment of coagulation and acidic hydrolysis, COD and apramycin removals were slight decreased, and the ratio of BOD5/COD was increased to 0.45, and the effluents was not suitable to biological treatment. The color and odor of the wastewater were effectively controlled and the reaction time was obviously shortened with WAO. HO2 may promote organic compounds oxidized in WAO of the apramycin wastewater. The addition of CeO2 could promote the activity and stability of RuO2/Al2O3 in WAO of apramycin wastewater.

Identification of Chemical Toxicity Using Ontology Information of Chemicals.

With the advance of the combinatorial chemistry, a large number of synthetic compounds have surged. However, we have limited knowledge about them. On the other hand, the speed of designing new drugs is very slow. One of the key causes is the unacceptable toxicities of chemicals. If one can correctly identify the toxicity of chemicals, the unsuitable chemicals can be discarded in early stage, thereby accelerating the study of new drugs and reducing the R&D costs. In this study, a new prediction method was built for identification of chemical toxicities, which was based on ontology information of chemicals. By comparing to a previous method, our method is quite effective. We hope that the proposed method may give new insights to study chemical toxicity and other attributes of chemicals.

Application of catalytic wet air oxidation for the treatment of H-acid manufacturing process wastewater.

Four types of powder catalysts whose main active components are copper (Cu), cerium (Ce), cadmium (Cd) and cobalt-bismuthide (Co-Bi) are prepared with the method of the co-deposition and are evaluated through the catalytic wet air oxidation (CWAO) treatment of H-acid solution. The comparison of the efficiencies of different catalysts shows that Ce3Cu1 (3:1) catalyst is the best one. When the reaction temperature is 200 degrees C, oxygen partial pressure is 3 MPa, pH value is 12, and reaction time is 30 min, the COD removal rate is over 90%. All the H-acid is decomposed in 5 min and is oxidized into NH4+, SO4(2-) formic acid, acetic acid and other end products. The pH value can greatly affect the COD removal and the production of organic acid. CWAO process not only can get a high reaction rate, but also can oxidize the short-chain organic acid.

Photocatalysis enhancement by electric field: TiO2 thin film for degradation of dye X-3B.

According to the theory of photocatalysis, the efficiency of photocatalysis decreases mostly due to the recombination of photo-generated electron-hole pairs. An electric field across a photocatalyst can promote the separation of photo-generated electrons and holes and prevent them from recombination so as to enhance the efficiency of photocatalysis. And the synergetic decomposition efficiency of photocatalysis and an electric field is greater than that of the simple combine of their single efficiency. The performance of photocatalysis enhanced by electric field (PEEF) and operating conditions such as the direction of the electric field, the voltages between the two electrodes, the material of the electrodes, which may affect the efficiency of PEEF, were investigated in this paper. The results indicate that the system of PEEF abides the established theory of photocatalysis.

Integrated assessment for aerobic biodegradability of organic substances.

In this paper, the amount of oxygen consumption, end products and activities of microorganisms are considered as the three factors which affect the biodegradability of organic substances in water. Two integrated assessment methods for biodegradability of organic substances, fuzzy clustering integrated assessment and weighted integrated assessment, have been developed. Simultaneously, the detail steps for assessing a new organic substance biodegradability with these two integrated assessment methods are proposed.

[Distribution model of aluminum species in drinking water basing on the reaction kinetics].

The effects of excess aluminum on water distribution system and human health were mainly attributable to the presences of some aluminum species in drinking water. A prediction model for the concentrations of aluminum species was developed using three-layer front feedback artificial neural network method. Results showed that the reaction rates of both inorganic monomeric aluminum and soluble aluminum varied with reaction time and water quality parameters, such as water temperature, pH, total aluminum, fluoride, phosphate and silicate. Their reaction orders were both three. The reaction kinetic parameters of inorganic monomeric aluminum and soluble aluminum could be predicted effectively applying artificial neural network; the correlation coefficients of k and 1/C0(2) between calculated value and predicted value were both greater than 0.999. Aluminum species prediction results in the drinking water of City M showed that when the concentration of total aluminum was less than 0.05 mg x L(-1), the relative prediction error was large for inorganic monomeric aluminum. When the concentration of total aluminum was above 0.05 mg x L(-1), the model could predict inorganic monomeric aluminum and soluble aluminum concentrations effectively, with relative prediction errors of +/- 15% and +/- 10% respectively.

[Effects of temperature and pH on the distribution of aluminum species in drinking water].

The effects of aluminum on water distribution system and human health are mainly attributable to their presence in drinking water. Laboratory experiments were performed to investigate the influence of temperature and pH on the distribution of aluminum species applying alum synthetic water. Aluminum species studied in the experiments included monomeric aluminum, soluble aluminum, suspended aluminum, and polymeric aluminum, which were determined by fluorescence spectrophotometry method. Results indicated that suspended aluminum was the major species at pH 6.5, occupied about 62.2% in the total aluminum mass concentration. While at pH above 7.0, monomeric aluminum was the major species; and varied little as reaction time increased. Polymeric aluminum mass concentration was low at studied water quality condition and also varied little as reaction time increased. The influence of temperature on aluminum species distribution was similar to solution pH; and both could be explained by pOH. Aluminum species in drinking water could be controlled by adjusting the pOH value, which provided theoretical guidance for the operation of the water distribution system and aluminum toxicity control.

[Research on growth characteristic of Scirpus yagara Ohw and its decomposition on the riparian zone].

In order to understand growth of plant and its effect on ecological restoration of riparian zone, pilot-scale Scirpus yagara Ohw riparian zone had been studied for one year. Height and density of Scirpus yagara Ohw in different water depth showed that the water depth endurance of Scirpus yagara Ohw was not strong, and it growed and germinated better in shallow water. Contrast between harvest area and without harvest area showed that harvest was good for germination and growth of Scirpus yagara Ohw in next year. Distribution of biomass and N and P fixation between the underground and overground Scirpus yagara Ohw showed that N and P fixation of the underground was 50% and 126% more than that of the overground, respectively. Harvest of the overground Scirpus yagara Ohw can remove 40.5% of the total N and 30.6% of the total P. Dunked in water for 130 days, the overground Scirpus yagara Ohw lose 27.10% of its dry weight, 40.80% of the total N and 76.80% of tha total P. And the released pollutants have no serious cumulation in water.

[Pilot-scale study on riparian Scirpus yagara Ohw zone improving water quality of river].

In one year polluted water was treated with Scirpus yagara Ohw to investigate its impact on river water quality in pilot scale test, and COD, NH4(+) -N, TP, turbidity and water temperature were tested. The results show that the Scirpus yagara Ohw gives better water quality in summer and autumn than in winter and spring. In summer, the Scirpus yagara Ohw zone removes 44.10% of the COD, 78.66% of the ammonia, 69.44% of the phosphorous, and 99.53% of the turbidity. It also can improve water quality to some extent in winter. The Scirpus yagara Ohw can reduce effluent temperature and effluent temperature difference between evening and morning and then improve water microenvironment locally. Comparisons between the Scirpus yagara Ohw riparian zone and control zone showed that the Scirpus yagara Ohw affects importantly on removing pollutants, improving local microenvironment of water.

[Al species distribution survey in portable water distribution system in a north city of China].

The residual Al concentration and species distribution of a north Chinese city was surveyed using fluorimetry. Results showed that the highest total Al concentration was 0.078 mg x L(-1) and the mean concentration was 0.038 mg x L(-1), lower than the latest portable water standard of 0.2 mg x L(-1). Inorganic mono-aluminum and inorganic poly-aluminum, the main toxicity-leading species, were also the major existence species with the mean concentration 0.011 mg x L(-1) and 0.013 mg x L(-1) respectively. While organic combined aluminum concentration was quite low. Correlation analysis results showed that the Al concentration and species distribution in a certain pipe line was connected with the water quality. When the distribution system contained more salts and less soluble organic matter, the Al concentration would be controlled in a low level, which was important to guide the local operation.

[Pilot-scale study on riparian mixed plant zones treating polluted river water].

The polluted river water is treated with pilot-scale riparian zones of no aquatic plant, Vetiveria zizanioides + submerged plants, and weed+ Typha angustifolia L. + Phragmites communis. It is shown that the vegetation water zones are better than the no vegetation water zone and Vetiveria zizanioides + submerged plants zone is the best in improving water quality. The average removals of the Vetiveria zizanioides + submerged plant zone is 43.5% COD, 71.1% ammonia and 69.3% total phosphorus respectively. The dissolved oxygen (DO) and temperature of effluents from the three water zones are also investigated. It shows that DO of effluent from the vegetation zones are more stable than that of effluent from the no vegetation zone, and the temperature of the effluent from the vegetation zones are lower than that from the no vegetation zones. The submerged plants have special role in water quality improvement, and should be studied further.

[The catalytic wet air oxidation reaction of acetic acid with Ti-Ce series catalyst].

The influence factors and reaction mechanism during the catalytic wet air oxidation of acetic acid with Ti-Ce series catalyst was investigated in this paper. The results show that the reaction was influenced by the catalyst load, the reaction temperature, the pH of the reaction system and the partial pressure of oxygen. More than 90% removal efficiency of acetic acid (as COD) can be obtained at the reaction conditions as follow: temperature 230 degrees C, oxygen partial pressure 2-2.5 MPa, catalyst amount 5 g/L, initial pH of the system 3.0 and reaction time 1 h. With Ion Chromatography, the formic acid formed during the reaction process was detected. The formic was found during the wet air oxidation of acetic acid in the absence of catalyst, but can not be detected during the catalytic wet air oxidation process with Ti-Ce catalyst. It means that the presence of catalyst in the system not only improve the removal efficiency, but also change the oxidation pathway.