This letter presents an effective method to encode the spatiotemporal information of a skeleton sequence into color texture images, referred to as skeleton optical spectra, and employs convolutional ...neural networks (ConvNets) to learn the discriminative features for action recognition. Such spectrum representation makes it possible to use a standard ConvNet architecture to learn suitable "dynamic" features from skeleton sequences without training millions of parameters afresh and it is especially valuable when there is insufficient annotated training video data. Specifically, the encoding consists of four steps: mapping of joint distribution, spectrum coding of joint trajectories, spectrum coding of body parts, and joint velocity weighted saturation and brightness. Experimental results on three widely used datasets have demonstrated the efficacy of the proposed method.
Aim
To assess turnover intention among experienced nurses and explore the effects of work environment, job characteristics and work engagement on turnover intention.
Background
The nursing shortage ...is an urgent concern in China. A high turnover rate of experienced nurses could have serious effects on the quality of care, costs and the efficiency of hospitals. It is crucial to explore the predictors of turnover intention and develop strategies tailored to experienced nurses.
Design
A descriptive, cross‐sectional survey design.
Methods
A total of 778 experienced nurses from seven hospitals was surveyed on their work engagement, job characteristics, work environment and turnover intention in March–May 2017. Structural equation modelling was used to test a theoretical model and the hypotheses.
Results
The results showed that 35.9% of experienced nurses had high‐level turnover intention. The final model explained 50% of the variance in experienced nurses' turnover intention and demonstrated that: (1) work environment was positively associated with higher work engagement and lower turnover intention and work engagement partially mediated the relationship between work environment and turnover intention; and (2) job characteristics were positively related to higher work engagement and lower turnover intention and work engagement fully mediated the relationship between job characteristics and turnover intention.
Conclusions
The study confirms the intrinsic and extrinsic motivators on work engagement posited by job demands‐resources model. Theory‐driven strategies to improve work environment, enhance job characteristics and promote wok engagement are needed to address the nursing shortage and high turnover intention among experienced nurses.
MXenes have emerged as potential antimicrobial materials. Here, the authors report on the creation of a Schottky junction to increase the charge separation between MXenes and semiconductor to ...increase photodynamic creation of reactive oxygen species under near infrared irradiation for antibacterial purposes.
Femtosecond petawatt (fs-PW) lasers, with femtosecond pulses and sub-meter-sized beams, could be easily distorted by spatiotemporal coupling (STC). In 2016, a femtosecond terawatt pulsed beam was ...experimentally reconstructed in the 3-dimensional (3D) space-time domain for the first time, and showing STC induced distortions. Referring to recently developed laser techniques, traditional first-order STCs can be controlled and then removed. However, the complex STC induced by wavefront errors in a meter-sized grating compressor, where the spatial and spectral coordinates of beams and pulses are coupled, would introduce a non-negligible and complicated distortion. Herein, we theoretically simulated this complex STC in the 3D space-time/spectrum domain and presented its evolution with various factors, which opens a new perspective to analyze CPA lasers in the 3D domain.
Many diseases are caused by aberrant accumulation of certain proteins that are misfolded and cytotoxic, and lowering the level of these proteins provides promising treatment strategies for these ...diseases. We hypothesized that compounds that interact with both the disease-causing protein and the phagophore (autophagosome precursor) protein LC3 may tether the former to phagophores for subsequent autophagic degradation. If true, this
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ophagosome-
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thering
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ompound (ATTEC) concept could be applied to many disease-causing proteins to treat diseases. We tested this hypothesis in the scenario of Huntington disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by the mutant HTT (mHTT) protein with an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) stretch. In our recent study, we designed a small-molecule microarray-based screening and identified four mHTT-lowering compounds that interact with both mHTT and LC3, but not wild-type (WT) HTT. These compounds target mHTT to phagophores for autophagic degradation without influencing the WT HTT level, and rescue HD-relevant phenotypes in HD cells and in vivo in the fly and mouse HD models. Interestingly, these compounds interact with the expanded polyQ stretch directly and are able to reduce other disease-causing proteins with expanded polyQ. In summary, our study provides the initial validation of lowering mHTT by ATTEC, providing entry points to new treatment strategies of HD and similar diseases.
The application of photothermal therapy to treat bacterial infections remains a challenge, as the high temperatures required for bacterial elimination can damage healthy tissues. Here, we develop an ...exogenous antibacterial agent consisting of zinc-doped Prussian blue (ZnPB) that kills methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in vitro and in a rat model of cutaneous wound infection. Local heat triggered by the photothermal effect accelerates the release and penetration of ions into the bacteria, resulting in alteration of intracellular metabolic pathways and bacterial killing without systemic toxicity. ZnPB treatment leads to the upregulation of genes involved in tissue remodeling, promotes collagen deposition and enhances wound repair. The efficient photothermal conversion of ZnPB allows the use of relatively few doses and low laser flux, making the platform a potential alternative to current antibiotic therapies against bacterial wound infections.
Seawater electrolysis under alkaline conditions presents an attractive alternative to traditional freshwater electrolysis for mass sustainable high‐purity hydrogen production. However, the lack of ...active and robust electrocatalysts severely impedes the industrial application of this technology. Herein, carbon‐doped nanoporous cobalt phosphide (C‐Co2P) prepared by electrochemical dealloying is reported as an electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The C‐Co2P achieves an overpotential of 30 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in 1 m KOH, along with impressive catalytic activity and stability at large current densities in artificial alkaline seawater electrolyte containing mixed chlorides of NaCl, MgCl2, and CaCl2. Experimental analysis and density functional theory calculations reveal that the C atom with strong electronegativity and small atomic radius can tailor the electronic structure of Co2P, leading to weakened Co–H bonding toward promoted HER kinetics. Moreover, the C doping introduces a two‐stepped H delivery pathway by forming C–Had intermediate, thus reducing the energy barrier of water dissociation. This study offers a new vision toward the development of seawater electrolysis for large‐scale hydrogen production.
Seawater electrolysis under alkaline conditions presents an attractive alternative to traditional freshwater electrolysis for mass sustainable high‐purity hydrogen production. Nanoporous carbon‐doped cobalt phosphide provides a hydrogen delivery pathway for water dissociation and optimizes desorption of hydrogen due to the electrons modulation by carbon doping, resulting in efficient catalytic activity and durability toward alkaline hydrogen evolution.
The design and control of blast furnace (BF) ironmaking must be optimized in order to be competitive and sustainable, particularly under the more and more demanding and tough economic and ...environmental conditions. To achieve this, it is necessary to understand the complex multiphase flow, heat and mass transfer, and global performance of a BF under different conditions. Mathematical modeling, often coupled with physical modeling, plays an important role in this area. This paper reviews the recent developments in this direction. The emphasis is given to mathematical models for different BF regions from the top charging system, body, and finally down to raceway and hearth. The needs for the further research and developments are also discussed.
The design and control of blast furnace (BF) ironmaking must be optimizedin order to be competitive and sustainable. Mathematical modelling, often coupled with physical modelling, plays an important role in this area. This paper reviews the recent developments in the mathematical modelling of blast furnace, covering different BF regions from the top charging system, body, and finally down to raceway and hearth.
Bone‐implant‐associated infections are common after orthopedic surgery due to impaired host immune response around the implants. In particular, when a biofilm develops, the immune system and ...antibiotic treatment find it difficult to eradicate, which sometimes requires a second operation to replace the infected implants. Most strategies have been designed to prevent biofilms from forming on the surface of bone implants, but these strategies cannot eliminate the biofilm when it has been established in vivo. To address this issue, a nonsurgical, noninvasive treatment for biofilm infection must be developed. Herein, a red‐phosphorus–IR780–arginine–glycine–aspartic‐acid–cysteine coating on titanium bone implants is prepared. The red phosphorus has great biocompatibility and exhibits efficient photothermal ability. The temperature sensitivity of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm is enhanced in the presence of singlet oxygen (1O2) produced by IR780. Without damaging the normal tissue, the biofilm can be eradicated through a safe near‐infrared (808 nm) photothermal therapy at 50 °C in vitro and in vivo. This approach reaches an antibacterial efficiency of 96.2% in vivo with 10 min of irradiation at 50 °C. Meanwhile, arginine–glycine–aspartic‐acid–cysteine decorated on the surface of the implant can improve the cell adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation.
A red‐phosphorus–IR780–arginine–glycine–aspartic‐acid–cysteine film with photothermal and photodynamic properties is prepared on a bone implant. The susceptibility of bacteria to heat is enhanced in the presence of 1O2. This study presents a practicable and noninvasive strategy for rapid in situ biofilm eradication on bone implants in vivo under near‐infrared irradiation.
The hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and wet herbal agricultural wastes for solid fuel production remains bleak economics and sustainability because of high chloride ...residual, wastewater burden and low production capacity. In this study, the HTC dechlorination was investigated using the first-order reaction kinetic analysis. We found that the co-hydrothermal carbonization (co-HTC) of PVC and the typical biomass (corncob) achieved a staggering drop of dechlorination activation energy from 189.95 kJ/mol to 110.04 kJ/mol. The co-HTC process achieved rapid dechlorination and carbonization due to synergistic effect, to suppress the chlorine content in bituminous-coal-like hydrochar less than 0.05 %. The process wastewater (process water) from co-HTC was recycled four times to evaluate the reusability and chemical evolution. The organics in co-HTC environment enhanced the carbonization which was confirmed by the improved heating value (30.06 to 32.42 MJ·kg−1), hydrochar yield (33.33 % to 36.47 %) and energy recovery efficiency (57.73 % to 68.13 %). The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) evidenced the process water recirculation maintained high chloride removal. Moreover, the possible formation pathways of two kinds of hydrochars were discussed through the chemical composition of the aqueous phase and the characteristic structures of hydrochar. The co-HTC and process water recycling strategies provide a more promising prospect to convert PVC and biomass wastes into solid fuels.
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•Co-hydrothermal dechlorination activation energy is investigated.•The synergy mechanism of PVC and corncob is revealed from the kinetic perspective.•The obtained hydrochar is chlorine free with high heating value.•The hydrochar yield and HHV step increase with successive process water recycling.•The organic matter in aqueous phase is responsible for the secondary char formation.
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