Therapeutic Effect of Gegentang Granules on Mouse Model with hCoV-229E Pneumonia and Hanshi Yidu Xifei Syndrome.

Objective:To determine the therapeutic effect of Gegentang granules on a disease-syndrome mouse model combining human coronavirus 229EhCoV-229Epneumonia with Hanshi Yidu Xifei syndrome in vivo. Method(s): Mice were randomly divided into normal group,infection group,cold-dampness group,model group,chloroquine phosphate group0.18 g.kg-1,interferon-alpha2bIFN-alpha2bgroup1.83x106 U.kg-1, Gegentang granules high-dose and low-dose groups6.6,3.3 g.kg-1with 10 mice in each group. Cold-dampness environment and hCoV-229E infection were used for modeling,and the general status and lung index of mice in each group were observed. The viral load in lung tissue was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reactionReal-time PCR,the pathological changes in lung tissue were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosinHEstaining,the levels of serum gastrointestinal hormones and inflammatory factors in lung tissue were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assayELISA,and the percentage of peripheral blood lymphocytes was detected by flow cytometry. Result(s):Comparing with model group,Gegentang granules could significantly alleviate the physical signs of Hanshi Yidu Xifei syndrome,including listlessness,weakness of limbs,sticky stool,etc. Comparing with model group,Gegentang granules high-dose group significantly reduced lung index,histopathological score of interstitial lung and bronchus,and the level of serum motilinP< 0.05,P<0.01,two doses of Gegentang granules could significantly increase the level of serum gastrinP< 0.05,P<0.01,the percentage of CD4+ ,CD8+ T lymphocytes in peripheral bloodP<0.05,P<0.01,and the level of tumor necrosis factor-alphaTNF-alphain lung tissue was significantly decreasedP<0.01,and the level of interleukin-6IL-6showed decreasing tendency. Conclusion(s): Gegentang granules has therapeutic effect on model mice. It can improve the appearance and behavior characterization,regulate the level of gastrointestinal hormones,decrease lung index and histopathological score,and possibly play an immunomodulatory role by inhibiting the expression of inflammatory cytokines in lung tissue and restoring the percentage of peripheral blood lymphocytes.Copyright © 2022, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Institute of Chinese Materia Medica. All rights reserved.

What is the trend after Covid-19? A Political-Economic Analysis of the Pension Systems in Hong Kong and MACAU

The aging trend of the population in Hong Kong and Macau is evident, so the pension system is especially significant. This research paper uses document analysis and a double-case study as the research method. It uses path dependence and critical moments in historical institutionalism theory as the theoretical tools for political economy analysis. The discussion argues that "the social culture shaped by local politics," "the combination of local economic development and economic structure," and "influence from social structure" are the three main factors that influence the pension systems in Hong Kong and Macau, and are the fundamental reasons for the differences between the pension systems in Hong Kong and Macau. We also conclude that the outbreak of COVID-19 is causing the evolution of the pension systems in both regions to be converging.

Design spherical particles of potassium peroxymonosulfate compound salt with high stability and good powder properties via an agglomeration-dissolution mechanism

With the outbreak of COVID-19, disinfection protection has become a necessary measure to prevent infection. As a new type of disinfectant, potassium peroxymonosulfate compound salt (PMS) has the advantages of good bactericidal effect, non-toxicity, high safety and stability. However, the current PMS products with irregular particle shapes lead to poor flowability, high hygroscopicity, poor stability of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and serious caking problems. In this work, an agglomeration-dissolution mechanism was designed to prepare spherical PMS particles with large size (>300 mm) and high sphericity (up to 90%), effectively addressing the above problems. Shaping (dissolution and abrasion) is the key to improving sphericity, which is mainly controlled by the design of the heating mode, residence time and stirring rate. Compared with the irregular PMS particles, the large spherical particles present better flowability (angle of repose decreased by 35.80%, Carr's index decreased by 64.29%, Hausner's ratio decreased by 19.14%), lower hygroscopicity (decreased by 38.0%), lower caking ratio (decreased by 84.50%), and higher stability (the monthly loss of ROS was reduced by 61.68%). The agglomeration -dissolution mechanism demonstrates the crystallization, agglomeration, dissolution and abrasion pro-cess of inorganic salt crystals, providing an opportunity to prepare high-end inorganic crystal materials with high-quality morphologies.(c) 2022 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation Effectiveness of in Vitro Cultivation of Bezoar on Mouse Model Combining Disease with Syndrome of Coronavirus Pneumonia with Yidu Xifei Syndrome.

Objective:To determine the therapeutic effect of in vitro cultivation of bezoar on a mouse model adding disease with syndrome of coronavirus pneumonia with Yidu Xifei syndrome. Method: BALB/c mice were randomly divided into six groups according to their weight grade:normal group,HCoV-229E infection group,cold and damp group,a mouse model combining disease with syndrome of coronavirus pneumonia with Yidu Xifei syndrome,and high and low dose group of in vitro cultivation of bezoar. The combination model of human coronavirus pneumonia with Yidu Xifei syndrome mice was established by the method of cold dampness condition stimulation+coronavirus HCoV-229E infection. In vitro cultivation of bezoar (0.128,0.064 g.kg-1 )was administrated by gavage for 3 days from the day of infection. The observation indexes included:general state observation of mice,inhibition rate of lung index and lung index of mice. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(Real-time PCR)was used to detect the viral load in the lung tissues of mice. Serum levels of motilin(MTL),gastrin(GAS),and cytokines interleukin(IL)-10,IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-alpha)and interferon-gamma(IFN-gamma)in lung tissue of mice were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The percentages of CD4+ T lymphocytes,CD8+ T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes in the blood of mice were determined by flow cytometry. Result:The high and low dose group of in vitro cultivation of bezoar can significantly improve the general condition of model mice. Compared with blank group, model group mice lung index increased significantly(P<0.01), nucleic acids significantly increased expression of lung tissue in mice(P<0.01),significantly higher serum MTL content in mice,GAS content significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01),lung tissue cells in the immune factor TNF-alpha,IL-10 and IL-6 were significantly increased(P<0.01),peripheral blood lymphocyte CD4+ T cells in mice,The percentages of CD8+ T cells and B cells were significantly decreased(P<0.01). Compared with model group, in vitro cultivation bezoar mice lung index of high and low dose group were significantly lower(P<0.01),the lung tissue of mice express nucleic acid decreased significantly(P<0.01),MTL content decreased significantly(P< 0.01),the lung tissue of mice in the IL-6,IL-10,the TNF-alpha,IFN-gamma levels were significantly lower(P<0.01), in vitro cultivation bezoar high dose group can significantly increase the CD4+ T cell percentage(P<0.05),in vitro cultivation bezoar can to a certain extent reduce model mice lung inflammatory exudation,pulmonary interstitial edema,as well as blood stasis symptoms. Conclusion:In vitro cultivation of bezoar has a significant therapeutic effect on a mice model adding disease with syndrome of coronavirus pneumonia with Yidu Xifei syndrome. It can be treated by reducing the lung index of the model mice,improving the pathological damage of the lung tissue,adjusting the immune effective and inhibiting the clearing of inflammatory factors,and to provide a laboratory basis for clinical medication.Copyright © 2021, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Institute of Chinese Materia Medica. All rights reserved.

Global Justice Index Report 2022

The Global Justice Index is a multiyear research project based at Fudan Institute for Advanced Study in Social Sciences that assesses the contributions made by each country to achieving greater global justice. We have published results from 2010 to 2019 in Global Justice Index Report, Global Justice Index Report 2020, Global Justice Index Report 2021, and we are now presenting our fourth-year results for 2020 in Global Justice Index Report 2022, which is an updated version of previous years' reports. This year, we take into account changes to global justice influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The report consists of four sections: introduction, findings, main results, and conclusion. In the introduction, we discuss the development of the conceptual framework and evaluative principles to justify our selection of the dimensions and indicators for measurement. Next, in the findings section, we report the data, indicators, and our results for each country for each of the 10 issues we identify, and provide regional comparisons for Asia, Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, and Oceania. In the following section, we present the main results for the global justice indices, and report the ranking of each country's contribution to achieving greater global justice. In the final section, we discuss the applications and limitations of the index and potential further research trajectories. © 2023, The Author(s).

Evaluation Effectiveness of in Vitro Cultivation of Bezoar on Mouse Model Combining Disease with Syndrome of Coronavirus Pneumonia with Yidu Xifei Syndrome.

Objective:To determine the therapeutic effect of in vitro cultivation of bezoar on a mouse model adding disease with syndrome of coronavirus pneumonia with Yidu Xifei syndrome. Method: BALB/c mice were randomly divided into six groups according to their weight grade:normal group,HCoV-229E infection group,cold and damp group,a mouse model combining disease with syndrome of coronavirus pneumonia with Yidu Xifei syndrome,and high and low dose group of in vitro cultivation of bezoar. The combination model of human coronavirus pneumonia with Yidu Xifei syndrome mice was established by the method of cold dampness condition stimulation+coronavirus HCoV-229E infection. In vitro cultivation of bezoar (0.128,0.064 g.kg-1 )was administrated by gavage for 3 days from the day of infection. The observation indexes included:general state observation of mice,inhibition rate of lung index and lung index of mice. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(Real-time PCR)was used to detect the viral load in the lung tissues of mice. Serum levels of motilin(MTL),gastrin(GAS),and cytokines interleukin(IL)-10,IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-alpha)and interferon-gamma(IFN-gamma)in lung tissue of mice were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The percentages of CD4+ T lymphocytes,CD8+ T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes in the blood of mice were determined by flow cytometry. Result:The high and low dose group of in vitro cultivation of bezoar can significantly improve the general condition of model mice. Compared with blank group, model group mice lung index increased significantly(P<0.01), nucleic acids significantly increased expression of lung tissue in mice(P<0.01),significantly higher serum MTL content in mice,GAS content significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01),lung tissue cells in the immune factor TNF-alpha,IL-10 and IL-6 were significantly increased(P<0.01),peripheral blood lymphocyte CD4+ T cells in mice,The percentages of CD8+ T cells and B cells were significantly decreased(P<0.01). Compared with model group, in vitro cultivation bezoar mice lung index of high and low dose group were significantly lower(P<0.01),the lung tissue of mice express nucleic acid decreased significantly(P<0.01),MTL content decreased significantly(P< 0.01),the lung tissue of mice in the IL-6,IL-10,the TNF-alpha,IFN-gamma levels were significantly lower(P<0.01), in vitro cultivation bezoar high dose group can significantly increase the CD4+ T cell percentage(P<0.05),in vitro cultivation bezoar can to a certain extent reduce model mice lung inflammatory exudation,pulmonary interstitial edema,as well as blood stasis symptoms. Conclusion:In vitro cultivation of bezoar has a significant therapeutic effect on a mice model adding disease with syndrome of coronavirus pneumonia with Yidu Xifei syndrome. It can be treated by reducing the lung index of the model mice,improving the pathological damage of the lung tissue,adjusting the immune effective and inhibiting the clearing of inflammatory factors,and to provide a laboratory basis for clinical medication.Copyright © 2021, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Institute of Chinese Materia Medica. All rights reserved.

Mechanism of microwave-assisted iron-based catalyst pyrolysis of discarded COVID-19 masks

Inexpensive iron-based catalysts are the most promising catalysts for microwave pyrolysis of waste plastics, especially a large number of disposable medical masks (DMMs) with biological hazards produced by spread of COVID-19. However, most synthesized iron-based catalysts have very low microwave heating efficiency due to the enrichment state of iron. Here, we prepared FeAlOx catalysts using the microwave heating method and found that the microwave heating efficiency of amorphous iron and hematite is very low, indeed, these materials can hardly initiate pyrolysis at room temperature, which limits the application of iron-based catalysts in microwave pyrolysis. By contrast, a mixture of DMMs and low-valent iron oxides produced by hydrogen reduction at 500 °C can be heated by microwaves to temperatures above 900 °C under the same conditions. When the hydrogen reduction temperature was incerased to 800 °C, the content of metallic iron in the catalyst gradually increased from 0.34 to 21.43%, which enhanced the microwave response ability of the catalyst, and decreased the gas content in the pyrolysis product from 78.91 to 70.93 wt%;corresponding hydrogen yield also decreased from 29.03 to 25.02 mmolH2·g-1DMMs. Moreover, the morphology of the deposited solid carbon gradually changed from multi-walled CNTs to bamboo-like CNTs. This study clarifies the pyrolysis mechanism of microwave-assisted iron catalysts and lays a theoretical foundation for their application in microwave pyrolysis. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd

Analysis of COVID-19 rapid antigen and PCR detection policy

After the outbreak of COVID-19, Taiwan has implemented rigorous border control and taken specific measures such as virus detection, contact tracing, and quarantine since 2020. Its epidemic prevention performance has been quite outstanding. Even in May 2021, when the epidemic situation worsens, the people in Taiwan fully cooperate with the government's control measures so as to successfully alleviate and control the epidemic in less than three months. Among them, the detection policy has played a pivotal role. We analyze and discuss the false positive and false negative problems from rapid antigen and PCR detection in the screening policy as well as the timing of using these two instruments. This paper provides theoretical verification of the appropriateness of screening policy in Taiwan, offering a few feasible suggestions for related policies in other countries or regions at different stages of this and other potential epidemics. (c) 2022 by the authors;licensee Growing Science, Canada.

Design spherical particles of potassium peroxymonosulfate compound salt with high stability and good powder properties via an agglomeration-dissolution mechanism

With the outbreak of COVID-19, disinfection protection has become a necessary measure to prevent infection. As a new type of disinfectant, potassium peroxymonosulfate compound salt (PMS) has the advantages of good bactericidal effect, non-toxicity, high safety and stability. However, the current PMS products with irregular particle shapes lead to poor flowability, high hygroscopicity, poor stability of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and serious caking problems. In this work, an agglomeration-dissolution mechanism was designed to prepare spherical PMS particles with large size (>300 μm) and high sphericity (up to 90%), effectively addressing the above problems. Shaping (dissolution and abrasion) is the key to improving sphericity, which is mainly controlled by the design of the heating mode, residence time and stirring rate. Compared with the irregular PMS particles, the large spherical particles present better flowability (angle of repose decreased by 35.80%, Carr's index decreased by 64.29%, Hausner's ratio decreased by 19.14%), lower hygroscopicity (decreased by 38.0%), lower caking ratio (decreased by 84.50%), and higher stability (the monthly loss of ROS was reduced by 61.68%). The agglomeration-dissolution mechanism demonstrates the crystallization, agglomeration, dissolution and abrasion process of inorganic salt crystals, providing an opportunity to prepare high-end inorganic crystal materials with high-quality morphologies. © 2022 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Technology-Supported University Teaching Models in China During the COVID-19 Pandemic: National Survey and Future Prospects

The Ministry of Education Research Center for Online Education conducted a national survey of university administrators of learning and teaching. The survey results showed that (a) the universities in eastern China had developed and introduced more massive open online courses (MOOCs) than those in the central and western regions;(b) of the various measures for blended learning, the universities tended to focus on supporting hardware development before providing training and incentive measures to teachers;and (c) the universities had widely used hybrid learning approaches. In relation to hybrid learning, Tsinghua University explored infrastructure upgrades, teacher training, the optimal use of Rain Classroom and its Clone Class, and launched Global Hybrid Classroom and Global Open Courses. In the future, there is a need to further promote education equity in line with national policies and to provide and perfect incentives to improve the quality of blended learning and expand hybrid learning while improving interaction through technology. © The Author(s) 2022.

Mechanism of microwave-assisted iron-based catalyst pyrolysis of discarded COVID-19 masks

Inexpensive iron-based catalysts are the most promising catalysts for microwave pyrolysis of waste plastics, especially a large number of disposable medical masks (DMMs) with biological hazards produced by spread of COVID-19. However, most synthesized iron-based catalysts have very low microwave heating efficiency due to the enrichment state of iron. Here, we prepared FeAlOx catalysts using the microwave heating method and found that the microwave heating efficiency of amorphous iron and hematite is very low, indeed, these materials can hardly initiate pyrolysis at room temperature, which limits the application of iron-based catalysts in microwave pyrolysis. By contrast, a mixture of DMMs and low-valent iron oxides produced by hydrogen reduction at 500 degreeC can be heated by microwaves to temperatures above 900 degreeC under the same conditions. When the hydrogen reduction temperature was incerased to 800 degreeC, the content of metallic iron in the catalyst gradually increased from 0.34 to 21.43%, which enhanced the microwave response ability of the catalyst, and decreased the gas content in the pyrolysis product from 78.91 to 70.93 wt%;corresponding hydrogen yield also decreased from 29.03 to 25.02 mmolH2.g-1DMMs. Moreover, the morphology of the deposited solid carbon gradually changed from multi-walled CNTs to bamboo-like CNTs. This study clarifies the pyrolysis mechanism of microwave-assisted iron catalysts and lays a theoretical foundation for their application in microwave pyrolysis.

Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking of Shiwei Qingwen Decoction Reveal TNF as a Potential Target for Alleviating Mild COVID-19 Symptoms

Objective: Shiwei Qingwen decoction (SWQWD) is effective in preventing COVID-19. This study examined the active components of SWQWD and its potential targets for preventing COVID-19. The study used network pharmacology and molecular docking technology to verify the role of SWQWD targets through animal experiments and explored the mechanisms that enhance immunity to alleviate mild COVID-19 symptoms. Methods: First, SWQWD- and COVID-19-related targets were retrieved from TCMSP, GeneCards, and OMIM databases. Second, protein-protein interaction networks were established using the String database. The drug active ingredient target network was constructed in Cytoscape to identify the core target proteins. Third, Gene Ontology (GO) Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed to predict the SWQWD mechanism of action. Finally, the targets were validated by molecular docking in an acute lung injury (ALI) rat model. Results: The SWQWD compound target network contained 79 compounds and 277 targets, coinciding with the 73 targets of COVID-19. The most important gene in the core subnetwork was a tumor necrosis factor (TNF). The 3 most potent compounds, quercetin, kaempferol, and luteolin, can enter the active pockets of TNF and have potential therapeutic roles in COVID-19. Conclusion: Quercetin, kaempferol, and luteolin in SWQWD may enhance immunity by regulating multiple TNF signal pathways. After administering SWQWD, the content of tumor necrosis factor-alpha was significantly reduced in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of ALI rats in comparison to the model group. We believe SWQWD is able to prevent and control COVID-19 through the target of TNF.

Infectious Probability Analysis on COVID-19 Spreading with Wireless Edge Networks

The emergence of infectious disease COVID-19 has challenged and changed the world in an unprecedented manner. The integration of wireless networks with edge computing (namely wireless edge networks) brings opportunities to address this crisis. In this paper, we aim to investigate the prediction of the infectious probability and propose precautionary measures against COVID-19 with the assistance of wireless edge networks. Due to the availability of the recorded detention time and the density of individuals within a wireless edge network, we propose a stochastic geometry-based method to analyze the infectious probability of individuals. The proposed method can well keep the privacy of individuals in the system since it does not require to know the location or trajectory of each individual. Moreover, we also consider three types of mobility models and the static model of individuals. Numerical results show that analytical results well match with simulation results, thereby validating the accuracy of the proposed model. Moreover, numerical results also offer many insightful implications. Thereafter, we also offer a number of countermeasures against the spread of COVID-19 based on wireless edge networks. This study lays the foundation toward predicting the infectious risk in realistic environment and points out directions in mitigating the spread of infectious diseases with the aid of wireless edge networks. IEEE

Therapeutic Effect of Gegentang Granules on Mouse Model with hCoV-229E Pneumonia and Hanshi Yidu Xifei Syndrome

Objective：To determine the therapeutic effect of Gegentang granules on a disease-syndrome mouse model combining human coronavirus 229E（hCoV-229E）pneumonia with Hanshi Yidu Xifei syndrome in vivo. Method： Mice were randomly divided into normal group，infection group，cold-dampness group，model group，chloroquine phosphate group（0.18 g·kg-1），interferon-α2b（IFN-α2b）group（1.83×106 U·kg-1）， Gegentang granules high-dose and low-dose groups（6.6，3.3 g·kg-1）with 10 mice in each group. Cold-dampness environment and hCoV-229E infection were used for modeling，and the general status and lung index of mice in each group were observed. The viral load in lung tissue was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR），the pathological changes in lung tissue were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin（HE）staining，the levels of serum gastrointestinal hormones and inflammatory factors in lung tissue were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA），and the percentage of peripheral blood lymphocytes was detected by flow cytometry. Result：Comparing with model group，Gegentang granules could significantly alleviate the physical signs of Hanshi Yidu Xifei syndrome，including listlessness，weakness of limbs，sticky stool，etc. Comparing with model group，Gegentang granules high-dose group significantly reduced lung index，histopathological score of interstitial lung and bronchus，and the level of serum motilin（P< 0.05，P<0.01），two doses of Gegentang granules could significantly increase the level of serum gastrin（P< 0.05，P<0.01），the percentage of CD4+ ，CD8+ T lymphocytes in peripheral blood（P<0.05，P<0.01），and the level of tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α）in lung tissue was significantly decreased（P<0.01），and the level of interleukin-6（IL-6）showed decreasing tendency. Conclusion： Gegentang granules has therapeutic effect on model mice. It can improve the appearance and behavior characterization，regulate the level of gastrointestinal hormones，decrease lung index and histopathological score，and possibly play an immunomodulatory role by inhibiting the expression of inflammatory cytokines in lung tissue and restoring the percentage of peripheral blood lymphocytes. © 2022, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences Institute of Chinese Materia Medica. All rights reserved.

Structural Design and Analysis of a New Four-blade Biopsy Capsule Endoscope

Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 around the world, people's diet environment has also changed, and gastrointestinal diseases have become a common disease around us so far, and the prevalence is on the rise. But because traditional treatments for gastrointestinal diseases are unfriendly to patients, they often require the administration of anesthetics, which can cause side effects. Wireless capsule endoscope is a kind of medical robot that can alleviate the pain of patients, and the research on wireless capsule endoscope has been gradually mature at home and abroad, this paper designed a new four-page propeller-driven biopsy capsule robot. The optimal number of propeller pages is obtained by comparing the velocity of three different numbers of propeller blades in the pipeline. The three axis Helmholtz coil driving system and biopsy module based on CAM structure are also introduced. At the same time, the anchoring module used for precise biopsy of the robot is introduced, so as to ensure that the biopsy capsule robot can reach the specified position quickly and accurately and complete the biopsy task. Finally, we use simulation software to simulate the velocity and pressure of different propeller blades in the same liquid. © 2022 IEEE.

MYO Armband-based a Master-Slave Heterolateral Elbow Joint Rehabilitation Robot System

Recent years, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, non-contact rehabilitation medical methods gain traction. The master-slave rehabilitation robot system which meet the good isolation effect has become the equipment that rehabilitation hospitals crave. During treatment, long-term ipsilateral rehabilitation guidance will easily cause muscle fatigue in the physiothesrapist's guiding arm, while part of heterolateral control (like foot-hand control) may reduces the rehabilitation effect. In order to balance that, in this paper, a novel master-slave heterolateral elbow joint robot rehabilitation system is proposed. Physiotherapist control the patient's heterolateral elbow joint robotic arm through the MYO armband, enabling the physiotherapist to observe the patient's movements more intuitively while maintaining a safe distance from the patient face to face. The sEMG signal of the physiotherapist's upper arm are transmitted to the system through the surface electromyography (sEMG) sensor in the MYO armband, so that it can realize the motion reconstruction of the driven end, thereby helping patients with heterolateral motion rehabilitation. To confirm the effectiveness of the system, the master-end elbow joint motion angle estimated by the sEMG signal are compared with the actually grasped hetero-slave-end motion angle obtained from the IMU by us. At the moment, the control accuracy of the mechanical system and the recognition accuracy of the prediction period are analyzed by us. The experiment proves the feasibility of this master-slave heterolateral elbow rehabilitation robot system. © 2022 IEEE.

Enhance picking viability in E-commerce warehouses under pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused critical challenges for e-commerce warehouses that strive to fulfill surging customer demand while facing a high virus infection risk. Current literature on picking optimization overlooks warehouse safety under pandemic conditions. Meanwhile, scattered storage and zone-wave-batch picking have been used in parallel by many large e-commerce warehouses, these two operational policies have not been considered together in picking optimization studies. This paper fills these gaps by solving an order batching problem considering scattered storage, zone-wave-batch picking, and pickers' proximity simultaneously. We formulate and solve the mathematical model of the discussed problem and propose the Aisle-Based Constructive Batching Algorithm (ABCBA) to help warehouses pick more efficiently and safely. Experiments with extensive datasets from a major third-party logistics (3PL) company show that, compared to the current picking strategy, ABCBA can reduce the total picking time and the virus infection risk due to pickers' proximity by 46% and 72%, respectively. Compared to other heuristics like tabu + nLSA3 (Yang, Zhao, and Guo 2020), ABCBA gets better results using less computation time.

A novel transfer deep learning model with reinforcement-learning-based hyperparameter optimization for short-term load forecasting during the COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has significantly impacted the world. The sudden decline in electricity load demand caused by strict social distancing restrictions has made it difficult for traditional models to forecast the load demand during the pandemic. Therefore, in this study, a novel transfer deep learning model with reinforcement-learning-based hyperparameter optimization is proposed for short-term load forecasting during the pandemic. First, a knowledge base containing mobility data is constructed, which can reflect the changes in visitor volume in different regions and buildings based on mobile services. Therefore, the sudden decline in load can be analyzed according to the socioeconomic behavior changes during the pandemic. Furthermore, a new transfer deep learning model is proposed to address the problem of limited mobility data associated with the pandemic. Moreover, reinforcement learning is employed to optimize the hyperparameters of the proposed model automatically, which avoids the manual adjustment of the hyperparameters, thereby maximizing the forecasting accuracy. To enhance the hyperparameter optimization efficiency of the reinforcement-learning agents, a new advance forecasting method is proposed to forecast the state-action values of the state space that have not been traversed. The experimental results on 12 real-world datasets covering different countries and cities demonstrate that the proposed model achieves high forecasting accuracy during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. © 2022 - IOS Press. All rights reserved.