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• A distributed method for DAS of IEGS is proposed. • The two-stage mixed-integer nonlinear DAS model can be effectively solved. • Limited information is shared between electricity and gas system operators. • A high-quality DAS solution can be obtained. • The security of IEGS against uncertainties can be strictly guaranteed. The urgency to address the uncertainty in the day-ahead scheduling (DAS) of integrated electricity and natural gas systems (IEGSs) has been highlighted, and the robust optimization has been proven to be an effective method. However, the gas system and electricity system are generally operated by different utilities in practice, i.e., gas system operator (GSO) and electricity system operator (ESO), which poses a considerable challenge to solve this two-stage mixed-integer nonlinear DAS model due to the limit on information sharing. In this paper, a novel distributed calculation method is proposed to solve the robust DAS model of IEGSs in a decentralized way. First, a mixed-integer master problem and a non-convex max–min subproblem can be obtained from the original DAS model by employing the column and constraint generation (CCG) method. Afterwards, based on the limited information exchange between ESO and GSO, an innovative decomposition method is proposed for the master problem to obtain the optimal DAS solution, and then a novel inner CCG algorithm is presented for the subproblem to guarantee the security of IEGSs. By doing so, the robust DAS of IEGS is decomposed into several mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) problems, and GSO and ESO can coordinately solve these MILPs with limited information sharing. Last, numerical tests on two IEGSs verify the superiority of the proposed method in hedging against the wind uncertainty and achieving the solution optimality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Tin doping significantly improves the energy storage performance of PbHfO 3 ceramics. • PbHf 0.925 Sn 0.075 O 3 ceramics achieve high recoverable energy density of 10.1 J/cm3. • The outstanding charge–discharge performance is closer to the practical application. • The discharge energy density and rate(t 0.9) were 7.81 J/cm3 and 360 ns, respectively. • The discharge current and power density were 1556A/cm2 and 233 MW/cm3, respectively. Dielectric capacitors with high energy density, high power density, fast charging-discharge rate and good thermal stability have potential applications in advanced electronics and electric power systems. In this work, the PbHf 1- x Sn x O 3 (PHS) antiferroelectric (AFE) ceramics are prepared via solid-state method. The field-induced AFE to ferroelectric transitions are observed in polarization–electric field (P-E) hysteresis loops. The energy storage capacity increases due to the increase of AFE-ferroelectric switching field despite the field-induced ferroelectric polarization decreases. A high recoverable energy storage density of 10.2 ± 0.4 J/cm3 with high energy efficiency of 78.9% is achieved at 320 kV/cm for x = 0.075 (PHS-0.075) ceramic, which is superior to other systems reported recently. Furthermore, the sample also exhibits excellent stability against testing temperature and frequency. The pulsed charge–discharge process is measured to elucidate the actual operation performance in the PHS ceramic. The PHS-0.075 ceramic possesses a high current density of 1556 A/cm2, a giant power density of 233 MW/cm3 and a fast discharge rate (t 0.9 < 360 ns). Delightfully, a remarkable discharge energy density of 7.81 J/cm3 is obtained at 300 kV/cm, which is closer to the actual result for the capacitors operating. This great improvement gives a guideline to further promote the commercialization of AFE materials for energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A risk-averse deep learning method for real-time emergency load shedding. • Deep learning algorithm to enhance prediction accuracy on load shedding strategy. • A shedding amount inference model to speculate the stability after load shedding. • A risk-averse loss function to minimize the risk of load under-cutting events. • Experiments on multiple power systems to verify the practical values of the method. Emergency load shedding is an effective and frequently used emergency control action for power system transient stability. Solving the full optimization models for load shedding is computational burdensome and thus slow react to the intense system variations from the increasing renewable energy sources and the more active demand-side behavior. Other sensitivity-based methods impair the control accuracy and may not guarantee global optimality. Artificial intelligence methods, as the data-driven approaches, have recently been well-recognized for its real-time decision-making capability to tackle the system variations. The existing artificial intelligence methods for emergency load shedding are based on shallow learning algorithms and can lead to both load under-cutting and over-cutting events. However, when the loads are under-cut, the power system will be exposed to a high risk of post-control instability that can propagate into cascading events, which incurs significantly higher cost than an over-cutting event. Being aware of such unbalanced control costs, this paper proposes a risk-averse deep learning method for real-time emergency load shedding, which trains deep neural network towards the reluctance to load under-cutting events, so as to avoid the huge control cost incurred by control failure. The case studies on two renewable power systems demonstrate that, compared to the state-of-the-art methods, the proposed risk-averse method can significantly improve the control success rate with negligible increase in prediction error, ending up with lower overall control cost. The results verify the enhanced control performance and the practical values of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A phenology-based method was developed for rice-crayfish field (RCF) mapping. • The RCF mapping method showed high accuracy and generalization ability over years. • DNDC model was used to assess the impact of RCF expansion on regional CH 4 emission. • RCF generated the least CH 4 flux in comparison to traditional rice cropping systems. • Evaluation results provided valuable insights for agricultural land use planning. The rice-crayfish field (i.e., RCF), a recently emerged rice cultivation pattern, has experienced remarkable growth in China over the last decade due to its significant socioeconomic advantages. However, the impacts of expanding RCF areas on the regional-scale ecological environment, particularly concerning methane (CH 4) emissions, remain unclear. A major obstacle in addressing this knowledge gap is the absence of accurate and up-to-date spatial distribution information on RCF across years. Here, we selected Jianghan Plain which has the largest RCF area in China as the study area. First, we developed a phenology-based identification algorithm using Landsat-7/8 satellite data, which considered the distinctive flooding signatures of RCF during the rice fallow periods, to identify RCF at the regional scale. Second, we employed the DeNitrification–DeComposition (DNDC) model to simulate the CH 4 fluxes of various rice cropping systems, including RCF, rice monoculture (RM), rice-rapeseed rotation (RR), and rice-wheat rotation (RW). Finally, the effects of RCF expansion during 2014–2019 on regional CH 4 emissions were analyzed by comparing six scenarios that simulated the conversion of different rice cropping systems to RCF. Results showed the phenology-based algorithm performed well in extracting RCFs, achieving an overall accuracy >92 % for all years based on 1025 RCF and 2096 non-RCF validation samples. RCF generated the least CH 4 flux, followed by RM, RR, and RW. Moreover, shifting from traditional rice cropping systems to RCF reduced CH 4 emissions across all cases, with mitigation rates ranging from 4.82 % to 21.85 %, indicating RCF's substantial CH 4 mitigation potential. These findings significantly improve our understanding of the ecological effects of RCF cultivation, which is critical for advancing land use planning and decision-making for sustainable agricultural development in China. Our presented evaluation method of integrating the remote sensing mapping algorithm and DNDC model can be easily generalized for other crop types in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • In WT mice, 24 h of Db11 infection induced severe acute pneumonia, characterized by severe acute lung injury and high bacterial load. Nlrp3 deletion provided protection against acute Sm pneumonia. • Deletion of Nlrp3 suppressesed NLRP3 inflammasome activation, subsequently reduced pyroptosis of macrophages, and decreased PD-1 and PD-L1 expression in these cells. • The frequency of PD-1+ interstitial macrophage and MARCO+ alveolar macrophages was notably correlated with bacterial load, while IL-1β level was significantly associated with acute lung injury. Antibiotic-resistant Serratia marcescens (Sm) is known to cause bloodstream infections, pneumonia, etc. The nod-like receptor family, pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3), has been implicated in various lung infections. Yet, its role in Sm -induced pneumonia was not well understood. In our study, we discovered that deletion of Nlrp3 in mice significantly improved Sm -induced survival rates, reduced bacterial loads in the lungs, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and bloodstream, and mitigated the severity of acute lung injury (ALI) compared to wild-type (WT) mice. Mechanistically, we observed that 24 h post- Sm infection, NLRP3 inflammasome activation occurred, leading to gasdermin D NH2-terminal (GSDMD-NT)-induced pyroptosis in macrophages and IL-1β secretion. The NLRP3 or NLRP3 inflammasome influenced the expression PD-L1 and PD-1, as well as the count of PD-L1 or PD-1-expressing macrophages, alveolar macrophages, interstitial macrophages, PD-L1-expressing neutrophils, and the count of macrophage receptors with collagenous structure (MARCO)-expressing macrophages, particularly MARCO+ alveolar macrophages. The frequency of MARCO+ alveolar macrophages, PD-1 expression, particularly PD-1+ interstitial macrophages were negatively or positively correlated with the Sm load, respectively. Additionally, IL-1β levels in BALF correlated with three features of acute lung injury: histologic score, protein concentration and neutrophil count in BALF. Consequently, our findings suggest that Nlrp3 deletion offers protection agaisnt acute Sm pneumonia in mice by inhibiting inflammasome activation and reducing Sm infection-induced PD-L1/PD-1 or MARCO expression, particularly in macrophages. This highlights potential therapeutic targets for Sm and other gram-negative bacteria-induced acute pneumonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Varieties of plant species may affect the composition and structures of the polysaccharides, thus have an impact on their chemical properties and biological activities. Herein, the present study comparatively evaluated the differences in the chemical composition, morphological structures, antioxidant activity, and anti-inflammatory activity of the stem and peel polysaccharides from different varieties of pitaya. The FT-IR and NMR spectra indicated that the six polysaccharides had similar structural features, whereas the physicochemical characterization showed that they differed significantly in terms of the monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, and surface morphology. In addition, different varieties of pitaya polysaccharides exhibited different antioxidant activities and similar anti-inflammatory activities. These data suggested that varietal differences resulted in pitaya stem and peel polysaccharides with different monosaccharide compositions and molecular weights, thus led to different antioxidant activities and protection against oxidative damage, while similar structural features were closely related to their similar anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, the study of the stem and peel polysaccharides from different varieties of pitaya can help us to better understand the relationship between their composition and structure and their biological activities. In addition, pitaya stem and peel polysaccharides have the potential to act as antioxidants or to treat inflammatory damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Demands for substrate and film surface planarizations significantly increase as the feature sizes of Integrated Circuit (IC) components continue to shrink. Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP), incorporating chemical and mechanical interactions to planarize chemically modified surface layers, has been one of the major manufacturing processes to provide global and local surface planarizations in IC fabrications. Not only is the material removal rate a concern, the qualities of the CMP produced surface are critical as well, such as surface finish, defects and surface stresses. This paper is to examine the CMP produced surface roughness on tungsten or W thin films based on the CMP process conditions. The W thin films with thickness below 1000 nm on silicon wafer were chemical–mechanical polished at different down pressures and platen speeds to produce different surface roughness. The surface roughness measurements were performed by an atomic force microscope (DI D3100). Results show that the quality of surface finish (R a value) is determined by the combined effects of down pressures and platen speeds. An optimal polishing condition is, then, possible for selecting the down pressures and platen speeds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Deregulation of the retail electricity market has led to the emergence of an increasing number of electricity plans with competitive rates. Electricity customers now have more flexibility in choosing an electricity provider and electricity plan based on individual consumption needs. In this paper, a feature engineering hybrid collaborative filtering-based electricity plan recommender system (FECF-EPRS) is proposed for helping the customer get the right electricity plan. This system is composed of three-segment models for missing feature estimation, feature crosses construction, and electricity plan recommendation. It only takes easy-to-obtain household appliance usage features as inputs and outputs ratings for different plans. Through the test of real electricity market data, the FECF-EPRS shows a greater improvement in terms of recommendation accuracy, which can provide more accurate recommendations to customers and more reasonable pricing references for retailers. • Developing an electricity tariff recommender system for customers with different household energy consumption patterns. • Proposing a missing feature value filling method based the link between different appliances. • Introducing a Feature Crosses method to enhance recommendation accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanometer Diamond (ND) was synthesized by using the detonation method. It was a kind of materials with properties of diamond and nanometer particle. The Ni–P–ND composite coating was prepared from a suspension of diamond nanoparticles in electroless bath. The tribological properties, hardness and corrosion behaviours of the composite coating on medium carbon steels were investigated. The Ni–P–ND composite coating exhibits not only high wear resistance but also low friction coefficient compared with the Ni–P composite coating. The highest microhardness of the Ni–P–ND composite coating was obtained by heat treated at 673 K. The corrosion resistance of Ni–P–ND composite coating is superior to that of Ni–P coating. The mechanisms of improvement of the tribological and electrochemical properties of the electroless composite coating are also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ni/P/single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) composite coatings as well as Ni/P coating have been prepared successfully by electroless plating technique. The tribological properties of the composite coatings were investigated by a friction and wear tester. Comparing with Ni/P coating, Ni/P/SWNTs composite coatings showed not only higher wear resistance but also lower friction coefficient. The electrochemical properties of the composite coatings were studied using electrochemical workstation system. The corrosion behavior of the composite coatings was evaluated by polarization curves in 0.1 M NaCl solution at room temperature. It was noted that the amorphous Ni/P/SWNTs composite coatings provided higher corrosion resistance than the amorphous Ni/P coating. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To alleviate the von Neumann architecture bottleneck, scholars have proposed neuromorphic computing consisting of artificial synapses and neural network algorithms, in which the ability to well simulate biological synaptic functions is considered a key step in building neuromorphic computing. In this work, the artificial synapse based on Al-doped SrTiO 3 (STAO) thin film is fabricated by a low-cost sol-gel method. It effectively emulated a diverse array of significant synaptic functions, including spike-time-dependent plasticity and short/long plasticity. We constructed a convolutional neural network (CNN) to perform the training/recognition task of handwritten digit images and demonstrated the applicability of the memristor device in neuromorphic computing. We compared STAO with SrTiO 3 (STO) and found that the Al-doped devices had better stability, higher linearity, and higher image recognition accuracy from 84.5% to 96.2%. We have studied the main influencing factors for these improving performances, which may be due to the generation of more oxygen vacancies by Al doping. The x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) test showed an increase in the oxygen vacancy content of the sample from 23.59% to 37.91%, which supports our hypothesis. This has positive ramifications for building artificial neural networks capable of processing vast quantities of data. [Display omitted] • The device implements important synaptic learning and memory functions like spike-time-dependent plasticity. • CNN architecture was built and the device achieves a preferable handwritten digit recognition accuracy of 96.2%. • The introduction of Al increases oxygen vacancies from 23.59% to 37.91%, promoting device performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy resources and transport electrification have become essential components of modern and future distribution planning. Despite the impetus of economic and environmental benefits, the uncertainty brought in poses challenges. In this paper, we propose an integrated expansion planning framework based on a multiobjective mixed-integer nonlinear program. The aim is to minimize the net present value of investments considering feeder routing, substation alterations and construction while maximizing the utilization of proposed charging stations. Distributed generation and load uncertainties, recast in two-stage stochastic programming, are tackled with a scenario generation and reduction technique using a probabilistic approach with Kantorovich metrics. The final number of the scenarios are validated with an alternative clustering method. A flow-based location–allocation theory with user equilibrium traffic assignment model is exploited to site charging stations. The sizing problem is determined using continuous-time Markov chain modeling. The proposed framework is solved with a multiobjective Tchebycheff decomposition-based evolutionary algorithm and tested on a modified 54 bus distribution network and 25 transportation node system. Numerical results demonstrate the capability of the proposed method. Distribution planning authorities can benefit from the presented approach to make intertemporal investment decisions while maintaining the quality of system performance. • Optimal Integrated distribution plan coupled with road electricity is identified. • Uncertainty is handled using scenario generation and reduction approach. • The final branches of scenario tree are verified by k-means clustering method. • Stochastic modeling with Markov Chain solves charging station planning problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Lightweight cellular concrete (LCC) filled with fly ash (LCCFFA) is developed. • Strengthening mechanism of LCCFFA is revealed from microstructure point of view. • 25% content of fly ash is recommended with the Si/Ca ratio as a judging criterion. Fly ash has been used to fill the lightweight cellular concrete (LCC) as the primary admixture to promote comprehensive engineering applications. However, the strengthening mechanism of LCC resulted from fly ash is not well understood. In this paper, the strengthening mechanism of LCC filled with fly ash (LCCFFA) was investigated with respect to the microstructures including porosity and skeleton characteristics. The variation rules of average pore size (PS), pore roundness value (PRV), and fractal dimension of pore distribution (FDPD) with different fly ash contents were explained. The relationship between microscopic parameters of PS, PRV, and FDPD and the overall compressive strength, along with the wet bulk density was established. Furthermore, the difference of skeleton structure evolution mechanism between LCC and LCCFFA was investigated with the results showing that the difference comes from the effects of ball and particle filling of fly ash when before 28 days. While after 28 days, the pozzolanic reaction of fly ash and hydration reaction of cement mutually promote the densification of skeleton structure. Finally, the SEM energy spectrum diagram was analyzed to further reveal the strengthening mechanism. From the perspective of characteristic pore parameters and skeleton hydration products, the recommended content of fly ash is approximately 25%. The ratio between Si and Ca (Si/Ca) can determine the degree of reaction of fly ash, and can therefore be used as a judging criterion to determine whether the content of fly ash is appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lysosomes generally maintain the weak acidic microenvironment, to ensure highly efficient activity and functions of hydrolytic enzymes and proteins. Aberrations of the lysosomal pH may result in cellular functional changes and influence human physiology, possibly causing serious diseases. Small-molecular fluorescent probes based imaging techniques capable of providing information on target locations are considerably appreciated. Herein, by reducing the size of the typical lysosome targetable group 4-(2-aminoethyl) morpholine, we rationally designed a rhodamine analogue probe Ly-HN2AM with N-Aminomorpholine as the ring-closed switch and the lysosome targetable moiety for visualizing lysosomal pH changes. With the benefit of constructing multi-pentacyclic intramolecular hydrogen bond when binding with the H+, Ly-HN2AM gives a highly sensitive response towards pH values ranging from 4.79 to 6.07, with a remarkable higher p K a 5.35 over the typical 4-(2-aminoethyl) morpholine modified probes. The new probe was successfully applied to visualize pH value changes in lysosome-associated physiological and pathological processes with excellent photostability and low cytotoxicity, indicating the potential applications of lysosome specific bioimaging. A structure optimized fluorescent probe is developed for highly sensitive monitoring drug induced lysosomal pH value changes. Image 1 • We developed efficient tools for sensitively visualizing lysosomal pH changes. • We rationally designed Ly-HN2AM with N-Aminomorpholine as the ring-closed switch and the lysosome targetable moiety. • Ly-HN2AM gives a sensitive response towards pH with a higher p K a 5.35 over typical pH probes. • The new pH probe exhibits good biological compatibility, low cytotoxicity and high resistance to photobleaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The microstructure of Ti/7YSZ composite coating is fine in the upper and lower part and thick in the middle part. • Zr element enriched in the bonding zone in the form of ZrC and solid solution.Innovation • The microhardness of the cladding zone is 2.5 times higher than that of TC4 matrix, and reaches the peak value at 7mm/s. Ti/7YSZ composite coating system was prepared on the surface of TC4 titanium alloy by laser cladding using YLS-3000 fiber laser system, The macroscopic feature, microstructure, element distribution and hardness distribution of Ti-Based Laser Cladding Ti＋7YSZ composite thermal barrier coatings were characterized by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that Ti-based composite thermal barrier coating system changes the microstructure from top to bottom at different laser scanning speeds. It is mainly composed of acicular α' martensite, martensite core, α phase bundle and residual β phase, which has the characteristics of "Fine up and down, coarse in the middle". Due to surface tension, buoyancy, molten pool agitation and self-density. Zr element is enriched in the binding zone, and its signal intensity level increases first and then decreases as the scanning speed increases. Due to the dislocation slip resistance between the martensite and the solid solution strengthening effect of the Zr forming replacement solid solution, the hardness of the cladding zone is significantly higher than that of the structure, which is 2.5 times that of the TC4 structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• GABA B receptors in SGCs are potential therapeutic targets for orofacial pain. • Baclofen mediates IL-1β and GABA B expression in SGCs to alleviate orofacial pain. • Baclofen suppressed NF- κ B and p38 MAPK activation to mediate IL-1β expression. Orofacial inflammation could activate satellite glial cells (SGCs) in the trigeminal ganglion (TG) to produce interleukin 1β (IL-1β) which plays crucial roles in the development of inflammatory pain. Recent studies have shown that gamma-amino butyric acid-B (GABA B) receptor could modulate the expression of inflammatory cytokines in microglia and astrocytes in the spinal cord. The objective of this study was to investigate whether GABA B receptors in TG SGCs attenuate inflammatory facial pain via mediating IL-1β following inflammation and its mechanisms. Complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) was injected into the whisker pad of rats to induce inflammation in vivo. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was added to culture medium to activate SGCs in vitro. Behavioral measures showed that microinjection of baclofen (a selective GABA B receptor agonist) into the TG ameliorated the mechanical allodynia of CFA-treated rats. Interestingly, baclofen pretreatment inhibited SGC activation and IL-1β production, however, preserved the decreased expression of GABA B receptors in SGCs activated by CFA in vivo and LPS in vitro. In addition, baclofen suppressed the increased expression of p-NF- κ B p65, p-I κ Bα, and p-p38 MAPK, while reversed the decreased production of I κ Bα, and further enhanced the increased expression of p-ERK(1/2) in LPS-treated SGCs in vitro. Finally, those effects of baclofen were abolished by saclofen (a specific GABA B receptor antagonist) co-administration. Altogether, these results demonstrated for the first time that activation of GABA B receptor might inhibit IL-1β production by suppressing NF- κ B and p38 MAPK signaling pathway activation and restore GABA B receptor expression in SGCs to attenuate inflammatory facial pain [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A hierarchical and fully distributed method based on ADMM is proposed. • Coupling constraints are decoupled by solving dual problem. • The proposed method can be implemented in master-slave distributed and parallel schema. Abstract The mechanism of energy supply has been greatly changed due to the liberalization of electricity, which creates major challenges in power system operations. As such, in this paper, a hierarchical alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) approach for the unit commitment (UC) problem is presented, which is proposed to solve the UC problem of each individual unit in parallel. This approach consists of two-layers ADMM. In outer layer, the x -update and v -update steps can be decoupled for each unit and executed in parallel after rearranging and grouping the variables and constraints of the UC mixed integer quadratic programming (MIQP) model according to each unit. The difficulty in this approach is the z-update steps, which couple all units because of system constraints. We used an inner consensus ADMM to solve their Lagrangian dual problems, which are decoupled for each individual unit. Then, the UC problem with a different number of units without transmission constraints is used to test the effectiveness of the algorithm. The simulation results show that the proposed hierarchical ADMM can obtain high-quality solutions in reasonable times and keep the units' information secret. It can also help to obtain a good speedup and is suitable for solving large-scale distributed unit commitment (D-UC) problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acetate is found ubiquitously in the natural environment and can be used as an exogenous carbon source by bacteria, fungi, and mammalian cells. A representative member of the acetate uptake transporter (AceTr) family named SatP (also yaaH) has been preliminarily identified as a succinate-acetate/proton symporter in Escherichia coli. However, the molecular mechanism of acetate uptake by SatP still remains elusive. Here, we report the crystal structure of SatP from E. coli at 2.8 Å resolution, determined with a molecular replacement approach using a previously developed predicted model algorithm, which revealed a hexameric UreI-like channel structure. Structural analysis identified six transmembrane (TM) helices surrounding the central channel pore in each protomer and three conserved hydrophobic residues, FLY, located in the middle of the TM region for pore constriction. According to single-channel conductance recordings, performed with purified SatP reconstituted into lipid bilayer, three conserved polar residues in the TM1 facing to the periplasmic side are closely associated with acetate translocation activity. These analyses provide critical insights into the mechanism of acetate translocation in bacteria and a first glimpse of a structure of an AceTr family transporter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Networking of microgrids has received increasing attentions in recent years, which requires the uncertainty management associated with variations in the system. In this paper, a two-stage energy management strategy is developed for networked microgrids under the presence of high renewable resources. It decomposes the microgrids energy management into two stages to counteract the intra-day stochastic variations of renewable energy resources, electricity load and electricity prices. In the first stage (hourly time scale), a hierarchical hybrid control method is employed for networked microgrids, aiming to minimize the system operation cost. The mean–variance Markowitz theory is employed to assess the risk of operation cost variability due to the presence of uncertainties. In the second stage (5-min time scale), the components in microgrids are optimally adjusted to minimize the imbalance cost between day-ahead and real-time markets. Simulation study is conducted on an uncoordinated microgrids system as well as on the proposed networked system. According to the simulation results, the proposed method can identify optimal scheduling results, reduce operation costs of risk-aversion, and mitigate the impact of uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Actinomycetes are main producers of antibiotics and targeted screening could improve the efficiency of discovering new drugs. This study describes, for the first time, the isolation of endophytic actinomycetes from the macrofungus Ganoderma applanatum . To increase the efficiency of screening, novel actinomycin D (Act D) molecularly-imprinted polymers were adsorbed to the surface of Fe 3 O 4 @SiO 2 magnetic microspheres (MMIPs) and using in the isolation. A monolithic column prepared with magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers was employed to adsorb actinomycin D and its analogues for selective analysis and identification via MS/MS spectroscopy. The MMIP-monolithic column was selective for the structural features of Act D and its analogue, and the maximum loading of the MMIPs for Act D was ∼23.5 μg/g. The recognition time of the Act D was 20–30 min and had good discriminative ability. A new analogue was identified from endophytic actinomycetes KLBMP 2541, and it was purified using MMIPs comparison with MMIPs-solid phase extraction. Structural identification analysis confirmed that the new analogue was 2-methyl-actinomycin D, which has better anti-tumor activity than Act D. The presented method combines the advantages of MMIPs and MS with popular solutions to enable high affinity and selectivity screening of specific antibiotics from endophytic actinomycetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designed alloy catalysts have shown promise in structure-controlled growth of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). However, due to the high-dimensional growth parameter space and low efficiency of the conventional trial-and-error optimizing approach, it is still challenging to explore and to establish the relations between catalyst compositions and the structure of SWCNTs. Here, we present a high-throughput strategy to investigate the statistical patterns in catalyst activity and selective growth of SWCNTs using Co/Pt/Mo ternary catalysts. Statistical analysis reveals that in the Co/Pt/Mo ternary diagram, there is an active region in the Co-rich Co–Mo corner to grow SWCNTs with high yield (≥25 tubes/μm2) and high quality (I G / I D ≥ 40). Enriched semiconducting (s-) SWCNTs with a purity higher than 90% were obtained along the boundary of the high yield region, near the Co–Pt axis. The statistical patterns of the yield, quality and selectivity are associated with the alloy composition, revealing a negative correlation between the yield and enrichment of s-SWCNTs. High-resolution transmission electron microscope characterization shows that a Co–Pt alloy catalyst with a uniform size distribution facilitates the s-SWCNT enrichment. And the separate phases of a Co–Mo/Co catalyst stabilize the active Co phase, leading to long catalyst lifetime and high yield of SWCNTs. A high-throughput strategy is developed to investigate the statistical patterns of the catalyst activity and the selective growth of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) grown from Co/Pt/Mo ternary catalysts. The structure of Co/Pt and Co/Mo catalysts linked with SWCNTs are further identified by using high-resolution transmission electron microscope. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To maximize the phocatalytic activity, semiconductor-based catalysts need to be properly modified in various methods. Here, a feasible synergistic strategy is proposed for enhancing the photocatalytic property. We firstly combine 2D ZnInS 4 –S nanosheets with amorphous CoB nanoparticles to obtain hybrid catalysts with Schottky junction and S vacancy engineering, and indicate that the CoB/ZnInS 4 –S with the synergistic effect owns efficiently improved photocatalytic antibacterial performance. Based on systematic characterization technologies and theoretical calculations, it is concluded that the wonderful photocatalytic activity of CoB/ZnIn 2 S 4 –S results from enhanced light-harvesting ability, accelerated charge-carriers separation, high specific surface area and more active sites. Moreover, the upward band bending resulted from the difference in work function between two components causes the directional electrons flow from ZnIn 2 S 4 –S to CoB, inhibiting the electron backflow and stimulating more reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. Meanwhile, S vacancy can capture electrons to boost charge-carriers separation. As a result, the optimal 2CoB/ZnIn 2 S 4 –S composite can thoroughly inactivate 6.18-log of E. coli under 100 min of visible light illumination. Furthermore, we explored the damage degree of cell membrane by various characterizations to prove the thorough death of E. coli. It is desired that this work can offer some inspiration to develop more progressive photocatalytic systems by multiple effects engineering. Combing the merits of 2D ZnIn 2 S 4 nanosheets and CoB nanoparticals, a novel photocatalyst with synergistic effect including Schottky junction and S vacancy engineering was fabricated via a simple electrostatic self-assembly method. Due to the difference in work functions between ZnIn 2 S 4 and CoB, the upward band bending results in the directional flow of the photo-generated electrons from ZnIn 2 S 4 –S to CoB, and inhibits the electrons backflow. Meanwhile, S vacancies can capture electrons to boost charge-carriers separation. The efficient charge-carriers separation stimulates the generation of more reactive oxygen species (ROS). Finally, ROS and photo-generated h+ act synergistically on the cell membrane of E. coli , leading to the irreversible death of these cells. [Display omitted] • CoB/ZIS-S photocatalyst with Schottky junction and vacancy engineering was successfully fabricated. • DFT calculation reveals the charge transfer mechanism of photocatalytic reaction. • The establishment of Schottky barrier in CB/ZIS-S can effectively inhibit the backflow of electrons. • CoB/ZIS-S displays excellent performance for photocatalytic E. coli inactivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal unit commitment (UC) problem in power systems can usually be formulated as a mixed-integer quadratic programming (MIQP) problem, which is an NP-hard problem for practical-scale systems and thus is difficult to solve efficiently. In this paper, by projecting the unit generation level onto the interval [ 0 , 1 ] and using reformulation techniques, a novel two-binary-variable (2-bin) MIQP formulation for the UC problem is proposed. The proposed 2-bin formulation is more compact than the state-of-the-art one-binary-variable (1-bin) and three-binary-variable (3-bin) formulations. Moreover, the 2-bin formulation is tighter than the 1-bin and 3-bin formulations in terms of the quadratic cost function, and it is tighter than the 1-bin formulation in terms of linear constraints. The proposed model was tested on 73 instances, including 43 realistic instances and 30 8-unit-based instances, over a scheduling period of 24 h for systems ranging from 10 to 1040 generating units. The simulation results show that our proposed MIQP UC formulation is the tightest and most compact model and can be solved most efficiently. After introducing a sequence of piecewise perspective cuts to approximate the quadratic operational cost function, the three UC MIQP formulations can be approximated by three corresponding mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) formulations. Our experiments show that the proposed 2-bin MILP formulation also performs the best in terms of solution times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-purity (∼96%) isolated s-SWCNT film with narrow diameter distribution were prepared on large scale by oxygen-assisted FCCVD method. [Display omitted] • Bulk isolated s-SWCNT films with a high content of 96% were selectively prepared. • O 2 was found to play function on catalyst particle size and s-SWCNT diameter. • FET devices show good performance verifying the enrichment of s-SWCNTs. Semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) are promising for use in flexible electronics as a channel material. However, it remains a big challenge to directly grow high purity, high-quality s-SWCNTs in large scale. Here we report the synthesis of isolated s-SWCNTs by an oxygen-assisted floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition method. By controlling the density of nucleated SWCNTs, isolated or small-bundled, rather than large-bundled SWCNTs were generated in a floating state, so that the oxygen introduced could more efficiently selectively etch the metallic-SWCNTs formed. In addition, it was found that the oxygen also functions in limiting the size of Fe catalyst nanoparticles in a narrow range of 5–8 nm. As a result, isolated s-SWCNTs with a narrow diameter distribution were synthesized. The content of s-SWCNTs reached ∼96%, and the percentage of isolated tubes was estimated to be ∼83%. Thin-film transistors (TFTs) constructed using the s-SWCNT film showed high on/off ratios ranging from 2.1 × 104 to 1.2 × 106, verifying the effective enrichment of s-SWCNTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Guest Editorial of "Dynamic Modeling, Analysis and Control of Power Systems with High-penetration of Power Electronics" • Topical review of 45 papers published in the special issue. • Provides a brief review of advanced modeling, stability, and control methods published in the special issue [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric ceramic materials with high energy-storage density and excellent charge-discharge performance are desirable for use in dielectric capacitors. In this study, (Na 0.5 Bi 0.5) 0.75 Sr 0.25 TiO 3 – x Nb 2 O 5 (denoted as NBSTN x) lead-free ceramics were prepared by a solid-state reaction method. Polarization-electric field hysteresis loops (P–E loops) reflected the energy storage characteristics of the NBSTN x ceramics. Introducing Nb into a pure NBST ceramic can reduce the large remnant polarization (P r) and make the P–E loops slimmer. Through repeated trials and calculations, the maximum recoverable energy-storage density (W rec ~ 3.25 J/cm3) and energy storage efficiency (η ~ 74.5%) were achieved for the NBSTN 0.03 ceramic at 140 kV/cm. We also tested the stability performance of the NBSTN x ceramics, where the NBSTN 0.03 ceramic exhibited the highest thermal stability (30–100 °C) and frequency stability (10–1000 Hz). The NBSTN 0.03 ceramic also had a fast discharge rate (<300 ns) and a good discharge energy-storage density (W d ~ 1.80 J/cm3). Therefore, the NBSTN 0.03 ceramic with a good energy-storage density and charge-discharge performance has excellent application prospects for practical dielectric capacitors. [Display omitted] • A strategy incorporating B-site doping to enhance energy storage performance. • A relatively high W rec of 3.25 J/cm3 and η of 74.5%. • Sample with 0.03 mol Nb doping shows relatively good temperature and frequency stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A UHPLC-FLD method for N-glycan analysis based on magnetic bead extraction and 2-AB labeling was established. • Three conventional pretreatment procedures for N-glycan analysis, including solid phase extraction and acetone precipitation methods, were compared using three different antibodies. • Our pretreatment method maximizes the retention of some low abundance oligosaccharides and shows a better precision. • This pretreatment method could provide a rapid and high-throughput workflow option for N-glycan analysis in biopharmaceutical industry. N-glycosylation is one of the major post-translational modifications, with significant effects on the mechanism of action, the efficacy, and the safety of antibody drugs or glycoproteins. With the growing application of therapeutic antibodies, routinely monitoring N-glycosylation becomes increasingly important during cell culture process development and quality control. However, the current pretreatment methods for N-glycan analysis are time- and labor-consuming. The purification procedure of enzymatically released glycans could also partly affect the accuracy of results due to its complexity. In this study, a rapid ultra-high performance liquid chromatography method based on magnetic bead extraction and 2-AB fluorescent labeling was developed and compared against three popular pretreatment methods for N-glycan profiling (two were solid phase extraction and the other was acetone precipitation). The method's repeatability results showed that magnetic bead extraction has higher precision (% relative standard deviation (RSD), 0.121.06%) than solid phase extraction (SPE) (%RSD, 0.38–8.02%) and acetone precipitation (%RSD, 0.42–8.58%). This robust pretreatment method also maximized the retention of some low abundance oligosaccharides, and may thus provide a rapid and high-throughput workflow option for N-Glycan analysis in the biopharmaceutical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • GC-IMS, GC-O-MS, GC × GC-O-MS and E-nose were jointly employed for the analysis of odor from bamboo leaves, stems, and powder. • Thirteen compounds with high flavor dilution (FD) factor (≥27) were identified as key odor-active of moso bamboo leaves. • (E)-2-hexenal, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, octanal, (E, E)-2,4-heptadienal, 1-octen-3-ol and benzaldehyde may be used as potential natural food additives. The leaf of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel) is rich in odorant compounds, which is important natural materials for the production of flavor. It also contains phenolic acids, amino acids and peptides, which is a potential source of natural bioactive compounds. The study of odor-active compounds in bamboo leaves can provide a basis for the discovery of natural flavor. The leaf, stem, and powder of moso bamboo were analyzed by gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). Main odor-active compounds in moso bamboo leaf were analyzed and characterized by (1) a gas chromatography olfactory mass spectrometry (GC-O-MS), (2) two-dimensional gas chromatography olfactory mass spectrometry (GC × GC-O-MS) and (3) electronic nose (E-nose). Based on aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA), 13 key odor-active compounds with high flavor dilution (FD) factor (≥27), including 3-methyl-1-butanol, (E)-2-hexenal, ethyl hexanoate, (Z)-4-heptenenal, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, octanal, ethyl (Z)-3-hexenoate, 1-hexanol, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, (E, E)-2,4-heptadienal, (Z)-2-hexen-1-ol, 1-octen-3-ol and benzaldehyde, were further analyzed. The compounds detected by the above four methods were (E)-2-hexenal, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, octanal, (E, E)-2,4-heptadienal, 1-octen-3-ol and benzaldehyde, and all of which were the main and potential odorants of moso bamboo leaf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Glass ceramic foams were prepared using red mud and fly ash with added CaCO3 as foaming agents. The aim of the present work was to investigate the possibility of adding red mud, an alkaline leaching waste, in the raw material for the preparation of glass ceramic foams. The results of mineralogical analyses as well as the microscopic examination showed that the use of the red mud affect the mineralogical characteristics and structures of the as produced foams. The influence of amount of red mud on the bulk density and compressive strength of samples was further evaluated. The experimental results showed that relatively low bulk density foams (0.33–0.41g/cm3) could be obtained by using low sintering temperature (760–840°C) when the red mud/fly ash ratio does not exceed 40:60. The reduction of sintering temperature or, above all, the reduction of the holding time, was found to limit the coalescence and significantly improve the compressive strength of the foams (0.33–2.74MPa). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a common serious acute condition of the digestive system that remains a clinical challenge. Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in particular is characterized by high morbidity and mortality. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of Galangin (Gal), a natural flavonol obtained from lesser galangal, on L -arginine-induced SAP in mice and in AR42J cells. Amylase and lipase activities were measured and the histopathology of the pancreas, lung, and kidney was evaluated. Inflammation and oxidative stress were assessed using ELISA, western blotting, RT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry. Gal was shown to reduce proinflammatory cytokine production and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in vivo and in vitro. L -arginine treatment reduced the expression of components of the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway and the downstream protein heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in mice, whereas Gal increased their expression. Furthermore, the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway inhibitor brusatol prevented the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Gal in mice with SAP. Taken together, our results imply that Gal has protective effects in L -arginine-induced SAP that are induced by the upregulation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Thus, Gal may represent a promising treatment for SAP. [Display omitted] • Gal suppresses inflammation and oxidative stress in mice with SAP. • Gal reduces pancreatic acinar cells oxidative stress induced by L -Arginine. • Gal alleviates SAP associated lung and kidney injury in mice. • The protective effect of Gal in mice with SAP was depended on Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The high-quality phosphorus-doped ZnO nanocombs were synthesized by the simple chemical vapor deposition method without use of any catalyst. The images of field-emission scanning electron microscopy show that the phosphorus-doped ZnO nanocombs have a uniform length of 8μm with the diameter of 70nm and the cusp of the teeth of 20nm. The measurement results of selected-area electron diffraction pattern indicate that the phosphorus-doped ZnO nanocombs are single crystalline structure. The phosphorus related acceptor emission was observed in the photoluminescence spectra of phosphorus-doped ZnO nanocombs at 11K. The acceptor binding energy is estimated to be ∼127meV. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ni–P-carbon nanotube (CNT) composite coatings were fabricated successfully from a suspension of CNT in an electroless bath. The microhardness and corrosion behavior of the composite coatings were investigated. The electrochemical properties of the composite coatings were studied using electrochemical workstation system. The corrosion behavior of the amorphous Ni–P-CNT composite coatings was evaluated by polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in 0.1mol/l NaCl solution at room temperature. It was noted that the amorphous Ni–P-CNT composite coatings provided higher corrosion resistance than the amorphous Ni–P coating. The mechanism of improvement of the electrochemical properties of the electroless composite coatings was also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Endotoxin is a kind of lipopolysaccharide that exits on the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria. It can cause fever, shock or even death when is delivered into human body. So, it is necessary to control the endotoxin contamination for biopharmaceutical products that are mainly administered by intravenous route. Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL)-based tests are usually used to detect endotoxin content in biologics formulations. However, an undesirable phenomenon called "Low Endotoxin Recovery (LER)" often occurs in formulation buffers that usually contain chelating component, such as sodium citrate, and amphiphilic surfactant, such as Tween-20. The occurrence of this LER phenomenon may interfere with endotoxin detection and cause false negative results. In this study, we compared the effect of different sample treatment methods on endotoxin detection and found that the LER phenomenon was better controlled under the conditions of low pH (pH = 5.0), low temperature (2–8 °C) and in the presence of divalent cations in the solution. In addition, although the endotoxin activity was found to have decreased due to LER phenomenon, the particle size distribution of endotoxin determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS) in LER solution did not change obviously, which is different from previous hypothesis about LER phenomenon in literature that the particle size of endotoxin aggregates would decrease under LER conditions. These findings provide some insights into different sample treatment methods for endotoxin detection and give a better understanding and solution on minimizing the LER phenomenon. • The effect of different sample treatment methods on Low Endotoxin Recovery (LER) phenomenon was compared. • A hypothesis of increasing endotoxin activity and delaying the appearance of LER was proposed. • The particle size distribution of endotoxin detected by DLS showed a different result from the previous report about LER. • Our findings provide a better understanding and solution on minimizing the LER phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Micromechanics-based finite-element model of LCC is developed. • Various roles of microstructural porosity are quantified with different mixture ratio. • Effects of porosity characteristics are demonstrated on the ultrasonic pulse velocity. While nondestructive ultrasound-based methods are suitable for evaluating the physical and mechanical properties of lightweight cellular concrete (LCC) materials, the quantitative relation between porosity characteristics and acoustic parameters is not well understood. In this study, the micromechanics-based finite-element models are rebuilt using the real porous microstructure of LCC. Various roles of porosity characteristics are analyzed, including equivalent pore radius, pore sphericity value and fractal dimension of pore distribution with different mixture ratios. Effects of porosity characteristics are quantitatively demonstrated on the ultrasonic pulse velocity. It is shown that the ultrasonic pulse velocity is positively correlated with equivalent pore radius and fractal dimension of pore distribution, and negatively correlated with pore sphericity value and porosity. As the orientation of pores increases, the ultrasonic pulse velocity initially drops, followed by the increase. The quantitative understanding of porosity characteristics on ultrasonic responses helps improve the accuracy of ultrasonic detection on LCC properties. Comparisons between simulation results and experimental data of ultrasonic pulse velocities demonstrate good agreement. This study represents an effective quantitative method to explore the ultrasound propagation in LCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of microplastic pollution on terrestrial biota is an emerging research area, and this is particularly so for soil biota. In this study, we addressed this knowledge gap by examining the impact of aged low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polyester fibres (i.e. polyethylene terephthalate, PET) on a forest microbiome composition and activity. We also measured the corresponding physicochemical changes in the soil. We observed that bacteria community composition diverged in PET and LDPE treated soils from that of the control by day 42. These changes occurred at 0.2% and 0.4% (w/w) of PET and at 3% LDPE. Additionally, soil respiration was 8-fold higher in soil that received 3% LDPE compared to other treatments and control. There were no clear patterns linking these biological changes to physicochemical changes measured. Taken together, we concluded that microplastics aging in the environment may have evolutionary consequences for forest soil microbiome and there is immediate implication for climate change if the observed increase in soil respiration is reproducible in multiple ecosystems. ga1 • We investigate the response of forest soil bacteria community to microplastics. • Soil respiration increased 8-fold with 3% low-density polyethylene (LDPE). • Soil microbiome diverged in polyester fibre (PET) and LDPE treated soils. • Evolutionary and climate change effects of microplastics need further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tongmai Yangxin pill (TMYX) is derived from the Zhigancao decoction recorded in Shang han lun by Zhang Zhongjing during the Han dynasty. TMYX is used for the clinical treatment of chest pain, heartache, and qi-yin-deficiency coronary heart disease. Previous studies have confirmed that TMYX can improve vascular endothelial function in patients with coronary heart disease by upregulating nitric oxide activity and then regulating vascular tension. Whether TMYX can further improve myocardial NR by upregulating NO activity and then dilating blood vessels remains unclear. This study aimed to reveal whether TMYX can further improve myocardial NR by upregulating NO activity and then dilating blood vessels. The underlying cAMP/PKA and NO-cGMP signaling pathway-dependent mechanism is also explored. The left anterior descending coronary arteries of healthy adult male SD rats were ligated to establish the NR model. TMYX (4.0 g/kg) was orally administered throughout the experiment. Cardiac function was measured through echocardiography. Thioflavin S, Evans Blue, and TTC staining were used to evaluate the NR and ischemic areas. Pathological changes in the myocardium were assessed by hematoxylin–eosin staining. An automated biochemical analyzer and kit were used to detect the activities of myocardial enzymes and myocardial oxidants, including CK, CK-MB, LDH, reactive oxygen species, superoxide dismutase, malonaldehyde, and NO. The expression levels of genes and proteins related to the cAMP/PKA and NO/cGMP signaling pathways were detected via real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. A microvascular tension sensor was used to detect coronary artery diastolic function in vitro. TMYX elevated the EF, FS, LVOT peak, LVPWd and LVPWs values, decreased the LVIDd, LVIDs, LV-mass, IVSd, and LV Vols values, demonstrating cardio-protective effects, and reduced the NR and ischemic areas. Pathological staining showed that TMYX could significantly reduce inflammatory cell number and interstitial edema. The activities of CK, LDH, and MDA were reduced, NO activity was increased, and oxidative stress was suppressed after treatment with TMYX. TMYX not only enhanced the expression of Gs-α, AC, PKA, and eNOS but also increased the expression of sGC and PKG. Furthermore, TMYX treatment significantly decreased ROCK expression. We further showed that TMYX (25–200 mg/mL) relaxed isolated coronary microvessels. TMYX attenuates myocardial NR after ischemia and reperfusion by activating the cAMP/PKA and NO/cGMP signaling pathways, further upregulating NO activity and relaxing coronary microvessels. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The TC4 1 1 Ti6Al4V alloy microstructure surface was prepared by using femtosecond pulse laser induction. The three-dimensional topography and scanning electron microscope were used to observe the TC4 alloy surface. Relying on the icing characteristics experimental system to test the ice and frost resistance performance of the microstructure surface, and analyze the influence mechanism of the femtosecond pulse laser processing technology parameters on the surface microstructure and frost suppression properties. The results show that the depth of the grooves on the surface of the TC4 alloy increases as the the laser scanning speed increase, the size of the micro/nano structure increases, the contact angle decreases first and then increases and then decreases; the freezing time of droplets on the machined surface is delayed by 30s than that on the untreated surface; the freezing time of droplets is the longest, the frost layer mass is the lowest and the height is the lowest when scanning speed is 2000 mm/s. The micro-nano structure formed on the surface of TC4 alloy by femtosecond laser processing and the organic matter adsorbed on the surface can change the surface contact angle; the roughness and surface morphology can affect the surface freezing time and frost amount. • The hydrophobic/Ice suppression/frost suppression surface on Ti-6Ai-4V was prepared by femtosecond laser treatment. • The effect of scanning speed on surface morphology and micro-nano structure size was studied. • The effect of surface morphology and surface chemical composition on wettability was investigated. • The influence of changes in morphology and wettability caused by scanning speed on ice suppression performance is analyzed. • The influence of changes in morphology and wettability caused by scanning speed on frost suppression performance is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Static and dynamic image processing architectures are proposed for solar forecast; • Hybrid sky image-based forecasting models are effectively developed and verified; • Noticeable improvements for solar ramp event forecasting have been achieved. With the ever-increased penetration of solar energy in the power grid, solar photovoltaic forecasting has become an indispensable aspect in maintaining power system stability and economic operation. At the operating stage, the forecasting accuracy of renewables has a direct influence on energy scheduling and dispatching. In this paper, we propose a series of novel approaches based on deep whole-sky-image learning architectures for very short-term solar photovoltaic generation forecasting, of which the lookahead windows concern the scales from 4 to 20 min. In particular, multiple deep learning models with the integration of both static sky image units and dynamic sky image stream are explicitly investigated. Extensive numerical studies on various models are carried out, through which the experimental results show that the proposed hybrid static image forecaster provides superior performance as compared to the benchmarking methods (i.e. the ones without sky images), with up to 8.3% improvement in general, and up to 32.8% improvement in the cases of ramp events. In addition, case studies at multiple time scales reveal that sky-image-based models can be more robust to the ramp events in solar photovoltaic generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel energy bank model is presented based on sharing economy. • Coordination of shared BESS and individual VESS is investigated. • A two-stage planning model for the optimal allocation and dispatch is presented. Under the pressure of climate change, renewable energy development has been assisted by subsidies or preferential policies such as feed-in-tariff. However, renewable energy cannot rely on policies as before. To stimulate the further development of renewable energy, this paper proposed an energy bank system (EBS) using a sharing economy model, i.e. a trading platform for multiple microgrids with renewable distributed generation (RDG) or hybrid energy storage devices. EBS is a similar idea with a virtual bank in the financial sector. Money is electrical energy, whereas storing energy is an analogy to depositing money, RDG becomes a kind of investment. To maximize the utilization efficiency of the RDG, participants of EBS can trade electricity with each other and earn revenues. In this paper, the figure of distributed energy charging (FDEC) is proposed for the energy management and dispatch, the call-auction method with the rule of maximum transaction volume is proposed for the energy trading and calculation. In the case studies, based on the practical data in Australia, the simulation results prove advanced economic advantages and high effectiveness of EBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) is widely used to compare the cost of different electricity generation technologies. However, with the increasing penetration of variable renewable energy (VRE), it is inappropriate to use traditional equations to calculate the LCOE for non-dispatchable VRE due to its intermittent nature. Therefore, this paper reviews LCOE for renewable generation considering aspects such as improving traditional methods for evaluating and reducing the LCOE of VRE. The existing methods for improving the accuracy of the traditional LCOE have been divided into four aspects: investment-related cost, operating-related cost, expressions for plant performance and the uncertainty and risk-related costs. The review summarizes the existing studies from academic articles and technical reports and proposes suggestions for future research studies. • Comprehensive Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) methods review. • LCOE evaluation from cost, plant performance, uncertainty and risk. • Summary of existing methods for improving the LCOE estimation accuracy of variable renewable energy (VRE). • Compare and summarize the existing VRE LCOE methods in academic papers and technical reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A multi-disaster-scenario distributionally robust model is proposed. • Offensive resource uncertainty is considered with stochastic programming. • Random probability distribution of outage is considered with ambiguity sets. • Network reconfiguration and microgrid formation are considered. • An effective decomposition method is proposed. Resilience oriented network planning provides an effective solution to protect the distribution system from natural disasters by the pre-planned line hardening and backup generator allocation. In this paper, a multi-disaster-scenario based distributionally robust planning model (MDS-DRM) is proposed to hedge against two types of natural disaster-related uncertainties: random offensive resources (ORs) of various natural disasters, and random probability distribution of line outages (PDLO) that are incurred by a certain natural disaster. The OR uncertainty is represented by the defined probability-weighted scenarios with stochastic programming, and the PDLO uncertainty is modeled as the moment based ambiguity sets. Moreover, the disaster recovery strategies of network reconfiguration and microgrid formation are integrated into the pre-disaster network planning for resilience enhancement in both planning and operation stages. Then, a novel primal cut based decomposition solution method is proposed to improve the computational efficiency of the proposed model. In particular, the equivalent reformulation of the original MDS-DRM is first derived to eliminate the PDLO-related variables. Then, the reformulation problem is solved by the proposed primal cut based decomposition method and linearization techniques. Finally, Simulation results are demonstrated for IEEE 13-node, 33-node and 135-node distribution systems to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method in enhancing the disaster-induced network resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tongmai Yangxin pill (TMYX) is derived from the Zhigancao decoction recorded in Shang han lun by Zhang Zhongjing during the Han dynasty and was further improved by Professor Ruan Shiyi, a cardiovascular expert at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. TMYX is used for the clinical treatment of chest pain, heartache, and qi-yin-deficiency coronary heart disease and can improve vascular endothelial function in patients with angina pectoris or coronary heart disease by up-regulating nitric oxide activity and then regulating vascular tension. Whether TMYX can further improve myocardial no-reflow by up-regulating NO activity and then dilating blood vessels remains unclear. This study aimed to reveal whether TMYX can further improve myocardial NR by up-regulating NO activity and then dilating blood vessels. The mechanism underlying PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway activation and apoptosis regulation is also explored. The left anterior descending coronary arteries of healthy adult male SD rats were ligated to establish a NR model. The rats were assigned to 14 groups: control, sham, NR, TMYX (4.0 g/kg), sodium nitroprusside (SNP), Tongxinluo capsule (TXL), PI3K blocker (LY), TMYX + LY, SNP + LY, TXL + LY, eNOS blocker (L-NAME), TMYX + L-NAME, SNP + L-NAME, and TXL + L-NAME groups. Cardiac function was measured through echocardiography. Thioflavin S, Evans Blue, and TTC staining were adopted to evaluate NR and ischemic areas. Cell inflammation degree and edema were assessed by hematoxylin–eosin staining. Automated biochemical analyzer and kit were used to detect the activities of myocardial oxidants, including reactive oxygen species, super oxide dismutase, malonaldehyde, and NO. The expression levels of genes and proteins in the PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway and apoptosis were detected via real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. A microvascular tension sensor was adopted to detect coronary artery diastolic function in vitro. TMYX reduced NR and ischemic areas; suppressed LV-mass; enhanced EF, FS, LVOT peak, and LVSV; and improved cardiac structure and function. Moreover, it decreased creatine kinase (CK), CK-MB, and lactic dehydrogenase activities. TMYX increased NO and super oxide dismutase activities; inhibited malonaldehyde activity; reduced muscle fiber swelling and inflammatory cell infiltration; and improved vasodilation in vitro. In the NR myocardium, TMYX stimulated myocardial PI3K activities and PI3K (Tyr458) phosphorylation and enhanced Akt activities and Akt phosphorylation at Tyr315. TMYX increased the activities of eNOS and the phosphorylation of eNOS at Ser1177 in the NR myocardium and attenuated cardiomyocyte apoptosis by increasing the expression of Bcl-2 and decreasing that of caspase-3 and Bax. All these effects of TMYX were abolished by the specific inhibitors of PI3K (LY) and eNOS (L-NAME). TMYX attenuates myocardial NR after ischemia and reperfusion by activating the PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway and regulating apoptosis, further up-regulating NO activity and relaxing coronary microvessels. Image 1 • TMYX improved the area of no-reflow and ischemia, and increased the content of NO, SOD activity and vasodilating function. • TMYX enhanced PI3K activities , stimulated Akt activities and increased eNOS activities. • TMYX increased the expression of Bcl-2, decreased Caspase-3 and Bax expression. • TMYX improved no-reflow by activating PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway and regulating apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding an economical amendment, available in a steady supply, is needed to support the biodrying industrialization. This research developed a recyclable biodrying amendment (RBA) to condition the biodrying of sewage sludge. The pilot-scale treatment (T R), which included the addition of equivalent weights of RBA and sawdust as amendments, resulted in a higher pile temperature and longer thermophilic phase compared to the control (T C), which used only sawdust as an amendment. The final moisture content levels were below 50% with both T R and T C. The heat use efficiency for water evaporation was 72.2% and 73.0% in T R and T C , respectively. The activity of α-amylase and cellulose 1,4-β-cellobiosidase increased during the thermophilic phase, while the activity of endo-1,4-β-glucanase and endo-1,4-β-xylanase decreased during the thermophilic phase with both T R and T C. The fourier-transform infrared spectra indicated that adding the RBA resulted in good biodegradability of the lipids, proteins, and polysaccharides. The humic acid to fulvic acid ratio in T R and T C increased from 0.33 (T R) and 0.35 (T C) on day 0–0.46 (T R) and 0.45 (T C) on day 21, indicating the humification process. The RBA recovery rate was 95.6% and can be reused. These findings highlight that adding RBA showed satisfactory biodrying performance, reduced the amendment cost, and the biodrying product could be incinerated without energy deficit. Image 1 • The experiment developed a recyclable biodrying amendment to condition the biodrying. • Biodrying did not attenuate the carboxyl and Si–O–Si bonding intensity in the RBA. • Adding the RBA resulted good heating, active enzymes, and satisfactory drying. • Adding the RBA did not weaken lipid, protein, and polysaccharide degradation. • RBA reduced cost and biodrying product could be incinerated without energy deficit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several electricity tariffs have emerged for Demand Side Management (DSM) and residential customers are faced with challenges to choose the plan satisfying their personal needs. Electricity Plan Recommender System (EPRS) can alleviate the problem. This paper proposes a novel EPRS model named EPRS with Electrical Instruction-based Recovery (EPRS-EI), which is a dual-stage model consisting of feature formulation stage and recommender stage. In the feature formulation stage, matrix recovery with electrical instructions is applied to recover appliance usages, and the recovered data is set as features representing customers' living patterns. In the recommender stage, Collaborative Filtering Recommender System (CFRS) based on K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN) and adjusted similarity is applied to recommend personal electricity plans to customers based on the above features. Different from other EPRS models, EPRS-EI is the first model utilizing matrix recovery methods and similarity computation with electrical instructions. With these electrical instructions, the proposed model is able to utilize more explicit features and recommend more personalized plans. We then apply EPRS-EI to predict the testing customers' preference for electricity plans. Simulation results on recovering electricity data and their applications in EPRS confirm the effectiveness of the proposed methods in comparison to state-of-the-art methods, with 93.56%–94.85% customers correctly recommended. • Proposing an electricity plan recommender system (EPRS) with matrix recovery. • Appliance classification avoids trivial changes in recovering appliance usages. • Total electricity usages are set as a recovery instruction in recovering data. • Novel matrix recovery could recover up to 38.15% more data. • 93.56%–94.85% of users can obtain effective electricity plans with novel EPRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Density-graded aluminum foams provide the possibility to further improve performance under static and dynamic loading. Tailoring and precise manipulating the graded structure is highly desired. Herein, we successfully prepared density-graded aluminum foam and investigated the effects of experimental parameters, i.e. cooling rate, growth rate, holding time, on the eventual density gradient. Microstructures of cell walls were found to vary with the distance away from cooling end. A numerical model coupling the foam melt growth and solidification was developed to predict the density gradient. Once the foaming agent content was high or the holding time was limited, the model predictions were highly accurate. Mechanical properties of density-graded aluminum foam were studied by quasi-static compressive tests. The relationship between compressive stress/strain curves and density distribution was established, which made the mechanical properties of density-graded aluminum foam more tailorable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P2Y purinergic receptors expressed in neurons and satellite glial cells (SGCs) of the trigeminal ganglion (TG) contribute to inflammatory and neuropathic pain. P2Y 14 receptor expression is reported in the spinal cord, dorsal root ganglion (DRG), and TG. In present study, the role of P2Y 14 receptor in the TG in inflammatory orofacial pain of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats was investigated. Peripheral injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) induced mechanical hyperalgesia with the rapid upregulation of P2Y 14 receptor, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), C–C chemokine CCL2, phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (p-ERK1/2), and phosphorylated p38 (p-p38) proteins in the TG. Furthermore, immunofluorescence staining confirmed the CFA-induced upregulation of P2Y 14 receptor. Double immunostaining showed that P2Y 14 receptor colocalized with glutamine synthetase (GS) and neuronal nuclei (NeuN). Finally, trigeminal injection of a selective antagonist (PPTN) of P2Y 14 receptor attenuated CFA-induced mechanical hyperalgesia. PPTN also decreased the upregulation of the GFAP, IL-1β, TNF-α, CCL2, p-ERK1/2, and p-p38 proteins. Our findings showed that P2Y 14 receptor in TG may contribute to orofacial inflammatory pain via regulating SGCs activation, releasing cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, and CCL2), and phosphorylating ERK1/2 and p38. • The P2Y 14 receptor is functionally expressed in TG and upregulated in CFA-induced oral inflammatory pain. • The P2Y 14 receptor inhibitor (PPTN) attenuates CFA-induced mechanical hyperalgesia. • P2Y 14 receptor inhibition decreases CFA-induced SGCs activation, cytokines expression, and phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]