Search

Rapid and accurate battery fault diagnosis and distinction is of great importance in electrical vehicles and electrochemical energy storage system. However, misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis happened occasionally. In this paper, a statistical analysis-based multi-fault diagnosis method is proposed to detect and localize short circuit faults, electrical connection faults and voltage sensor faults in LFP battery packs. This method uses non-redundant interleaved voltage measurement topology to detect battery voltages, where every voltage sensor measures the sum of two neighboring batteries and one connection resistor between them. The statistical analysis method sets detection thresholds based on the battery operating data, and captures fault characteristics by analyzing abnormal changes in battery voltage unrelated to current. Theoretical analysis and tests verified that this method can diagnose these three kinds of faults. Sensor faults of excessive error and data sticking can also be distinguished. • The proposed method can diagnose short circuit faults, electrical connection faults and sensor faults. • The non-redundant interleaved voltage measurement topology does not require additional voltage sensors, which saves costs. • The introduction of time window avoids blocking the fault diagnosis process when a fault occurs. • Sensor faults of excessive error and data sticking can be distinguished. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Convolution Neural Network and a Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory network connected architecture with a Multi-Head Attention mechanism (CNN-BiLSTM-MHA) is studied for predicting state of charge (SOC) of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Firstly, an adaptive noise based complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition (AN-CEEMD) algorithm is adopted to catch the intrinsic features of measured battery signals by adding white noises. Secondly, a CNN-BiLSTM model with the MHA mechanism is developed to learn the mapping between processed input signals and battery SOC, it has three parts: 1) the CNN extracts features of the processed data, mine the relation among input signals, and promote estimation precision; 2) the BiLSTM has memory ability to catch battery dynamics, and the Swish activation function in the BiLSTM ensures unsaturated and reduces over-fitting due to its upper unbound and lower bound; 3) The multi-head attention mechanism uses several independent self-attention layers to associate input information and variables, extracts more associate information by adding weights; it reduces the overfitting risk of a single attention head, and improves the model generalization performance through joint learning of multiple heads. Finally, experiments and simulations are implemented under four operating conditions at five different temperatures, and the presented method is verified effective. • A CNN-BiLSTM network with multi-head attention (MHA) is explored to identify SOC. • The CNN extracts features of input data, and mine the relation among input signals. • The BiLSTM with feedback structure has memory ability to catch battery dynamics. • The MHA mechanism improves model performance through joint learning of multiple heads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) stands as the predominant age-related neurodegenerative disorder, for which efficacious treatment remains elusive. An auspicious avenue for this disease lies in natural compounds sourced from tranditional medicine and plant origins. Parthenolide (PTN) is a natural product with multiple biological functionsand. Recent investigations have illuminated PTN's protective properties against neurological maladies; however, its potential therapeutic role against AD remains uncharted. This study aims to explore the role of PTN in treating AD. Our in vitro findings underscore PTN's bioactivity, as evidenced by its capacity to curtail apoptosis, reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and restore mitochondrial membrane potential in PC12 cells. Moreover, PTN treatment demonstrates a capacity to ameliorate deficits in spatial learning and memory in the 3 ×Tg-AD murine model. Notably, PTN's therapeutic efficacy surpasses that of a clinical agent, donepezil. Mechanistically, PTN's neuroprotective effects stem from its adept regulation of the AMPK/GSK3β(ser9)/Nrf2 signaling pathway and protection on neuronal cells from ROS-related apoptosis. Although the molecular target and the pre-clinical evaluations of PTN need to be further explored, this study indicates PTN as a potential agent or lead compound for the drug development against AD. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skeletal muscle, the largest organ in the human body, plays a crucial role in supporting and defending the body and is essential for movement. It also participates in regulating the processes of protein synthesis and degradation. Inhibition of protein synthesis and activation of degradation metabolism can both lead to the development of skeletal muscle atrophy, a pathological condition characterized by a decrease in muscle mass and fiber size. Many physiological and pathological conditions can cause a decline in muscle mass, but the underlying mechanisms of its pathogenesis remain incompletely understood, and the selection of treatment strategies and efficacy evaluations vary. Moreover, the early symptoms of this condition are often not apparent, making it easily overlooked in clinical practice. Therefore, it is necessary to develop and use cell models to understand the etiology and influencing factors of skeletal muscle atrophy. In this review, we summarize the methods used to construct skeletal muscle cell models, including hormone, inflammation, cachexia, genetic engineering, drug, and physicochemical models. We also analyze, compare, and evaluate the various construction and assessment methods. [Display omitted] • A summary of the current muscle atrophy cell models is provided to offer more assistance in studying muscle atrophy. • This paper highlights four cell models for skeletal muscle atrophy: C2C12, L6, primary cells and iPSCs. • We discuss factors including hormones, inflammatory factors, cachexia, drugs, genes, and physical-chemical factors. • Understanding these cell models helps grasp muscle atrophy and guides the construction of new experimental models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Gal-1 overexpression strongly inhibits PRRSV replication in multiple strains. • Gal-1 knockdown or knockout facilitates PRRSV replication. • Interaction between Gal-1 and Nsp11 might regulate IFN and ISG activation. • Gal-1 exhibits antiviral activity against EAV, PEDV, JEV, PRV, and CSFV. • Gal-1 is potentially efficacious for applications to control PRRSV infection. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes great economic losses to the swine industry globally; however, effective control measures for this virus are limited. Here, we screened a porcine alveolar macrophage (PAM) cDNA library with a yeast two-hybrid system to reveal that galectin-1 (Gal-1), an endogenous innate immune protein encoded by LGALS1 , interacts with nonstructural protein 11 (Nsp11) of PRRSV. Western blotting and viral titer assays indicated that Gal-1 overexpression suppressed replication in multiple PRRSV strains (P < 0.001), whereas Gal-1 knockdown or knockout increased viral titer and nucleocapsid protein expression. The Gal-1-specific anti-PRRSV effect was associated with the endoribonuclease domain of Nsp11 through inactivation of interferon-antagonist function and stimulation of interferon-stimulated gene expression. Additionally, Gal-1 interacted with PRRSV E protein but not with PRRSV glycoproteins, and recombinant Gal-1 treatment inhibited PRRSV in PAMs and MARC-145 cells. Furthermore, Gal-1 inhibited replication in multiple viruses, including equine arteritis virus, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, pseudorabies virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, and classical swine fever virus, suggesting its potential broad application for antiviral strategies. Our findings provide insight into the important role of Gal-1 in PRRSV pathogenesis and its potential use as a novel therapeutic target against PRRSV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safety of integrated circuit design has become a big challenge due to overbuilding, IC (Integrated Circuit) piracy, hardware Trojan, reverse engineering, and other attacks. Over the past decades, the demand for hardware security is increased continually in an integrated circuit. In this paper, we propose a new design of anti-key leakage camouflage gate for reverse engineering based on dummy vias. The design achieves the layout-level camouflage by using XOR, XNOR, buffer and inverter through via's realness, followed by extracting the camouflaged circuit's feature information to generate standard physical library. They are inserted into the circuit netlist to prevent the key leakage of IP solidification. The circuit is verified by TSMC 65 nm process and tested in ISCAS benchmark circuit. The results show that the newly-designed circuit attains 99% similarity in placing and routing in the layout, suggesting that the security of the hardware circuit can be greatly improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ASFV p17 was successfully expressed in CHO cells using a suspension culture system. • 1B4 recognized a conservative linear epitope (8LLSHNLSTREGIK20) among genotype i and genotype II ASFV strains. • 1B4 effectively recognized the ectopically expressed p17 and foreign gene expression in recombinant PRRSV expressing ASFV p17. • 1B4 can be a useful tool to evaluate the expression of p17 in the recombinant virus, making it meaningful for future vaccine research on ASF. As a highly pathogenic large DNA virus, African swine fever virus (ASFV) has huge particles and numerous encoded proteins. At present, few of the existing studies on ASFV proteins have investigated the function of p17. Specific antibodies against p17 to promote the development of prevention techniques against African swine fever (ASF) are urgently needed. Herein, we successfully expressed ASFV p17 in CHO cells using a suspension culture system and generated a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against p17. The mAb recognized a novel linear epitope (8LLSHNLSTREGIK20) and exhibited specific reactivity, which was conducive to the identification of ectopically expressed p17, the recombinant porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus expressing p17, and the ASFV-SY18. The epitope was conservative among genotype I and genotype II ASFV strains. Overall, the mAb against p17 revealed efficient detection and promising application prospects, making it a useful tool for future vaccine research on ASF. Determination of the conserved linear epitope of p17 would contribute to the in-depth exploration of the biological function of ASFV antigen protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine galectin-3 (GAL3) is a 29-kDa protein encoded by a single gene, LGALS3 , located on chromosome 1. Here, using a yeast two-hybrid screen of a cDNA library from porcine alveolar macrophage cells (PAMs), we report for the first time that GAL3 interacts with nonstructural protein 12 (Nsp12) of the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). Although extensive research has focused on porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), little is known about the pathogen and host interactions involving individual nonstructural viral proteins, especially Nsp12. Here, we showed that GAL3 interacted with viral Nsp12 following co-transfection of HEK293 cells with GAL3- and Nsp12-expressing plasmids. Additionally, we observed that PPRSV infection led to reduced GAL3 levels during the late phase of infection in both MARC-145 cells and PAMs. Importantly, GAL3 overexpression significantly suppressed the replication of both type 1 and 2 PRRSV strains, whereas knockout of endogenous LGALS3 in MARC-145 cells significantly increased viral titer and expression of the nucleocapsid protein. These results strongly support a direct inhibitory effect of GAL3 on PRRSV replication, which might contribute to an overall antiviral effect. Furthermore, our findings provide insights into the molecular basis of the role Nsp12 plays in PRRSV pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose an efficient method based on orthogonal polynomial function (OPF) fitting for hyperspectral remote sensing data representation and discrimination. Given a spectral signature, it is first divided into spectral segments by a splitting strategy. Then, the extracted segments are fitted via OPF fitting. The fitting coefficients of the input spectrum are selected for data representation and discrimination. To validate the usefulness of the proposed method, laboratory spectra and real hyperspectral data were selected for experimental analysis. The results showed that our method can efficiently mine geometric structural information of spectral signatures and compress them into a few fitting parameters. These parameters can be used to sparsely represent the input spectra and effectively distinguish different spectral signatures. In terms of representation, the proposed method is superior to the traditional inverse Gaussian function (IGF) model. Moreover, the OPF sparse feature exhibits better performance than the typical wavelet-based method in terms of achieving a trade-off between feature length and reconstruction error. Furthermore, the use of an optimized nonlinear SVM classifier shows that the discriminative ability for OPF normal features generally improves as the feature length increases and become relatively stable after the length reaches 30. Also the OPF features with the length of 30 can achieve comparable overall accuracies for the original bands and the typical wavelet-based features. As our method is data dependent, the optimal parameter value may vary for different data. In addition, the proposed feature extraction method is very fast and improves the computational efficiency significantly. Overall, the proposed method has considerable potential from the perspective of hyperspectral data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in viral infections, especially by modulating the expression of cellular factors essential to viral replication or the host innate immune response to infection. To identify host miRNAs important to controlling porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection, we screened 15 miRNAs that were previously implicated in innate immunity or antiviral functions. Over-expression of the miR-26 family strongly inhibited PRRSV replication in vitro, as shown by virus titer assays, Western blotting, and qRT-PCR assays. MiR-26a inhibited the replication of both type 1 and type 2 PRRSV strains. Mutating the seed region of miR-26 restored viral titers. Luciferase reporters showed that miR-26a does not target the PRRSV genome directly but instead affects the expression of type I interferon and the IFN-stimulated genes MX1 and ISG15 during PRRSV infection. These results demonstrate the important role of miR-26a in modulating PRRSV infection and also support the possibility of using host miR-26a to achieve RNAi-mediated antiviral therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nitrogen-doped graphene is prepared by a solid microwave method with EDA (ethylenediamine) as the nitrogen source. The experimental results reveal that nitrogen atoms from the grafted EDA molecules on the surface of graphene are successfully doped into the lattices. The NGS (nitrogen-doped graphene nanosheets) sample exhibits outstanding specific capacitances of 197 and 151 F g−1 at the current densities of 0.5 and 5 A g−1 in 6.0 mol L−1 KOH aqueous electrolyte, respectively. Furthermore, the sample also displays more superior rate capacity, which can possess high specific capacitance retention of 77% and 70% at the high current densities of 5 and 40 A g−1, respectively. In addition, a capacity fading lower than 2% after 5000 cycles of charging and discharging is obtained, indicating its long-term electrochemical stability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• An unknown input observer framework is utilized to construct the interval observer to avoid the cooperativity constraint in estimation error dynamics. • The corresponding control scheme composed of upper-lower bounds of the controller is established to treat the time-varying parameter in control input channel. • Sufficient conditions are formulated as LMIs to guarantee the finite-time boundedness of error systems. The paper is concerned with the finite-time control of linear parameter-varying systems by means of the interval observer method. An unknown input observer framework is utilized to construct the interval observer to avoid the cooperativity constraint in estimation error dynamics. The corresponding control scheme composed of upper-lower bounds of the controller is established to treat the time-varying parameter in control input channel. Sufficient conditions are formulated as LMIs to guarantee the finite-time boundedness of error systems. The effectiveness of the proposed strategy is evaluated by numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) invasion of host cells is a complicated process of interaction between parasites and host cells. In the present study we investigated the alterations of free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and cytoskeletons in phagocytic and non-phagocytic host cells and arachidonic acid (AA) concentration in cells supernatant during T. gondii invasion. T. gondii invasion induced significant elevation of intracellular [Ca2+]i in phagocytic cells (J774A.1) but not in non-phagocytic cells (L929). Pre-treatment of J774A.1 cells with Phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor (U73122), or Ca2+ chelators (EGTA, BAPTA/AM) did not block elevations of [Ca2+]i but the elevations were lower and of shorter duration than that in untreated cells. Pre-treatment of tachyzoites with Phospholipases A (PLA) inhibitors (4-BPB and AACOCF3) resulted in a similar pattern of increasing of [Ca2+]i as that in Ca2+ chelators treated cells. Agglutinations of microfilaments were observed in J774A.1 cells but not in L929 cells. No changes of microtubules were observed in either cell. Treatment of cells with cytoskeleton inhibitors (colchicines, cytochalasin-D) resulted in reduced cell infection ratios. AA concentration in J774A.1 cells supernatant reached 8.44-fold of basal concentration after T. gondii infection and those in 4-BPB or AACOCF3 pre-treated cells reached 7.70-fold and 8.09-fold of basal concentration, respectively. However, elevation of AA concentrations induced by 4-BPB or AACOCF3 treated tachyzoites were 3.02-fold and 2.65-fold of basal AA concentration. AA concentration in L929 cells supernatant reached 5.02-fold of basal concentration after T. gondii infection and those in 4-BPB or AACOCF3 pre-treated cells reached 4.75-fold and 4.78-fold of basal concentration, respectively. However, elevation of AA concentrations induced by 4-BPB or AACOCF3 treated tachyzoites were 2.06-fold and 2.43-fold of basal AA concentration. Results indicated that elevations of [Ca2+]i and AA induced by T. gondii invasion were from both host cells and parasites. T. gondii invasion activated host cell PLC and triggered the PLC-PKC signal pathway, which resulted in the flowing of extracellular Ca2+ and the releasing of intracellular Ca2+ pool. Elevated [Ca2+]i induced reorganization of host cell microfilaments. The invasion also activated secretory PLA2 (sPLA2) and cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2) of the parasite to release AA, which increased the permeability of cell membrane. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Single junction p-i-n μc-Si:H solar cells were prepared in a low-cost, large-area single chamber radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition system. The effects of seeding processes on the growth of μc-Si:H i-layers and performance of μc-Si:H solar cells were investigated. Seeding processes, usually featured by highly hydrogen rich plasma, are effective in inducing the growth of μc-Si:H i-layers. It has been demonstrated that p-layer seeding methods are preferable to i-layer seeding. While performance of μc-Si:H solar cells produced by i-layer seeding methods was usually limited by very low fill factors, μc-Si:H solar cells with good initial and stabilized conversion efficiencies were obtained by p-layer seeding. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this study, direct structural characterization of μc-Si:H solar cells deposited by conventional RF-PECVD was conducted using Raman spectroscopy, XRD, and AFM. Strong correlations between i-layer structural properties and device performance were established. A wide variety of i-layer microstructures, from mixed-phase Si:H to highly crystalline μc-Si:H, were revealed by Raman scattering. Micro-crystallinity obtained from Raman scattering, presented as Ic/Ia, proved to be sensitive to the microstructure of μc-Si:H i-layers. Strong spatial non-uniformity of i-layer microstructure as well as variations in device performance were observed. It has been demonstrated here that stable, high performance μc-Si:H solar cells can only be obtained with i-layers being μc-Si:H, yet close to the μc-Si:H to mixed-phase Si:H transition edge where an optimum micro-crystallinity range (Ic/Ia at around 1.8) was identified. It was shown by XRD experiments that high performance, optimum μc-Si:H solar cells exhibit smaller grain sizes compared to solar cells with i-layers showing higher micro-crystallinity. Correlations among non-uniformity pattern, i-layer micro-crystallinity, and AFM surface morphologies were also observed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Lithium-ion batteries have been used in all aspects of life for environmental and resource reasons. The accurate estimation of the state of charge (SOC) ensures the proper operation of the battery. However, few methods have focused on the problem of SOC estimation at low temperatures. A hybrid method based on the CNN-BWGRU network is proposed in this paper. The method optimizes the influence of battery information on the results through a "multi-moment input" structure and the bidirectional network. The convolutional neural network (CNN) is used to learn the feature parameters in the input. The bidirectional weighted gated recurrent unit (BWGRU) can improve the fitting performance of the network at low temperatures by changing the weights. The proposed network has a strong generalization capability, estimation accuracy, and robustness. SOC estimation is performed under different conditions to verify the plausibility of the network. The experimental results show that the method has higher accuracy and stability than other networks. In addition, the proposed method can overcome the effect of different initial SOC on the estimation results. Therefore, the CNN-BWGRU network provides a new method in battery SOC estimation while providing helpful guidance for safe and stable battery operation in natural environments. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with anti-disturbance output feedback control of uncertain systems via dynamic guaranteed cost triggering mechanism. An output disturbance observer is constructed to attenuate matched disturbances and the mismatched one is attenuated by the H ∞ approach. A new dynamic event-triggered mechanism is established in terms of guaranteed cost triggering condition and triggering threshold. A composite controller is built on an observer based state feedback controller and an output disturbance compensator. By employing the Lyapunov stability method, a sufficient condition is presented in the framework of linear matrix inequality to ensure the asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system with the prescribed cost. Comparative simulation studies are supplied to verify the effectiveness of the proposed composite control scheme. • Compared with the state DOB [25] , an output DOB is established firstly to reconstruct matched disturbances in input channels. • A new dynamic ETM is put forward and contains [36] as a special case. • A composite controller is constructed by an observer-based state feedback controller and a disturbance compensator. • A structural separation technique is utilized to tackle the controller gain and the observer gains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• RNF114 exhibits significant anti-PRRSV activity. • RNF114 knockdown facilitates PRRSV replication. • PRRSV infection leads to endogenous RNF114 upregulation. • The E3 ligase RNF114 interacts with Nsp12 and promotes its proteasomal degradation. • RNF114 catalyzes K27-linked polyubiquitination of PRRSV Nsp12. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) poses a significant threat to the swine industry worldwide, and the development of effective and sustainable measures to control PRRSV transmission remains a pressing problem. The function of PRRSV nonstructural protein 12 (Nsp12), which might play essential roles in viral replication and production, remains unknown. In this study, we identified a new host-restricted factor, porcine RING finger protein 114 (RNF114), as an inhibitor of PRRSV replication through its degradation of viral Nsp12. Western blot, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and viral titer assays indicated that RNF114 overexpression suppressed PRRSV replication, whereas RNF114 knockdown increased viral titer and nucleocapsid protein levels. Additionally, we observed that PPRSV infection led to increased RNF114 levels during the middle and late phases of infection in both porcine alveolar macrophages and MARC-145 cells. Moreover, screening of PRRSV Nsps showed that RNF114 interacted with viral Nsp12, and that RNF114-specific anti-PRRSV effects were associated with its ubiquitin ligase activity, which involves K27-linked polyubiquitination and degradation of Nsp12 through a proteasome-dependent pathway. These findings identified RNF114 as a critical regulator of PRRSV replication and offer insights into the roles of Nsp12 in PRRSV pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to complex configuration of high power integrated PEMFC systems, the associated systematic condition assessment is still a promising challenge. In this paper, an online systematic condition assessment architecture for high-power integrated PEMFC systems is put forward based on random matrix analysis. The proposed architecture consists of two cascaded procedures, which are the streaming formulation of random characteristic matrices and random matrix analysis based systematic condition assessment, respectively. Benefited from the signal cluster transformation by the fusion of model-driven and data-driven approaches, the residuals characterizing system abnormal can be extracted to formulate the streaming random matrices. On this basis, by recursive eigenpairs' updating of random covariance matrices, high-dimensional analysis can be conducted in real-time even with random tensor augmentation-based matrix dimension expansion, and the systematic condition assessment indicators can be derived. Taking temperature anomaly awareness as an example, detailed experiment results demonstrate that, the derived indicators are more sensitive to system anomaly than traditional threshold-based condition assessment method, and the online evaluation of the operation condition of integrated PEMFC systems can be achieved more effectively under the proposed systematic condition assessment architecture. Finally, a recommended online robust systematic condition assessment procedure with the fusion of multi-indicators is demonstrated. To our best knowledge, this paper represents the attempt to put random matrix analysis into the online systematic condition assessment of high-power integrated PEMFC systems for the first time. • Online condition assessment architecture for integrated PEMFC systems is proposed. • Cascaded two procedures for the proposed architecture are discussed in detail. • The proposed architecture applied to an integrated PEMFC system is evaluated. • The derived systematic condition assessment indicators and control limits are verified. • A robust systematic condition assessment procedure is proposed and demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The external environment in deep water is quite complicated, during the installation process of subsea cluster manifolds by the drill pipe, the safety and precise localization need to be addressed desperately. In this paper, based on small deformation theory, basic theoretical model on the drill pipe installation of subsea manifolds is proposed and OrcaFlex software is used to make a simulation on setting up the corresponding numerical model in which the installation process is divided into three main phases. Its main purpose is to make a simulation research in guiding for engineers before the practical installation. The displacement and stress state of drill pipe are simulated and their curves in the different phases are obtained. In the different phases of lowering subsea cluster manifold, three factors: current velocity, wave height and manifold weight have an evident impact on tension, bent moment, Mises stress of drill pipe and displacement of subsea manifold, which are quite useful for actual installation in deep water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) has become a major public health problem affecting the elderly population, and there is currently no effective treatment. Although the pathogenesis of AD is unclear, neurotoxicity induced by oxidative stress plays an important role in the progression of AD. Ginseng, the root and rhizome of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, is used not only as an herbal medicine but also as a functional food to support bodily functions. Ginsenoside Rk3 (Rk3), the main bioactive component in ginseng, has a strong antioxidant effect and has not been reported in AD. In this study, we showed that Rk3 improved neuronal apoptosis, decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and restored mitochondrial membrane potential in PC12 and primary neuronal cells. In vivo, we found that Rk3 improved spatial learning and memory deficit in precursor protein (APP)/presenilin 1 (PS1) double transgenic mouse model of AD. Additionally, Rk3 increases glutathione reductase (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels while inhibits malondialdehyde (MDA) production, apoptosis and activation of glial cells in APP/PS1 mice. Mechanistically, we found that the protective effect of Rk3 is in correlation with the activation of AMPK/Nrf2 signaling pathway. In conclusion, the findings of this study provide support for Rk3 as a new strategy for the treatment of AD. [Display omitted] • Ginsenoside Rk3, a bioactive component in ginseng, exhibits neuroprotective effects in PC12 cells and primary neuronal cells. • Rk3 significantly alleviates AD pathology with the therapeutic effect better than that of donepezil. • The protective effect of Rk3 is associated with the activation of AMPK/Nrf2 signaling pathway. • Ginsenoside Rk3 is expected to be a potential therapeutic drug for AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium-ion batteries have become the fastest-growing energy storage equipment available for extrinsic and intrinsic reasons. State of Charge (SOC) is one of the lithium-ion batteries' most critical performance indicators, reflecting the remaining capacity. An accurate and stable estimate of SOC is critical for any lithium-ion battery. This paper proposes a hybrid method to achieve stable and real-time battery SOC estimation at different temperatures, composed of an Improved Bidirectional Gated Recurrent Unit (IBGRU) network and Unscented Kalman filtering (UKF). The proposed method is experimentally validated using data from UDDS and US06 driving cycles. The verification results show that the method can adapt to various working conditions and obtain good estimation accuracy and robustness, with MAE and RMSE less than 0.83% and 1.12%, respectively. After transfer learning, the method can also be applied to new lithium-ion batteries and achieve good estimation performance at new temperature conditions. The maximum errors are 4.98% and 5.76% at 25 °C and −10 °C, respectively. Therefore, the IBGRU-UKF method can achieve a more accurate and stable SOC estimation with good expansion performance for different lithium-ion batteries. [Display omitted] • A new hybrid method is proposed to estimate the SOC of lithium-ion batteries. • The IBGRU is designed to improve estimation performance at different temperatures. • The UKF method is developed to smooth the IBGRU network estimation. • The proposed method can be applied to other batteries with transfer learning. • The method can hopefully estimate the battery pack SOC in practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radar absorbing materials composited of activated carbon fibers (ACF) as wave-absorber and glass fibers (GF) as impedance modifier were successfully prepared. The structure parameters of rectangular ACF felt screen, the influences of GF-piece and the reflection properties were investigated. It was observed that the effective bandwidth (the reflection loss below −10 dB) increased with the aspect ratio ( a / b ) increasing, but decreased with aperture spacing ( δ ) increasing. A double absorption peak (16.1 dB and 14.2 dB) for the optimized configuration ( a / b = 3, δ = 5 mm, a = 30 mm) appeared at 5.8 GHz and 16.9 GHz, and a wide absorption bandwidth (4–17.6 GHz) could be achieved. When a 30 mm × 15 mm rectangular aperture was filled by GF-piece of 20 mm × 10 mm, the effective bandwidth was improved to 12.1 GHz. The composites with a wide absorption bandwidth could be achieved via designing the proper element parameters and adjusting the composition of ACF and GF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of anthocyanin-rich black currant extract (BCE) on the structural properties of starch and the inhibition of glycosidases, gathering data and research evidence to support the use of low glycemic index (GI) foods. The BCE induced a change in the starch crystal structure from A-type to V-type, resulting in a drop in digestibility from 81.41 % to 65.57 %. Furthermore, the inhibitory effects of BCE on glycosidases activity (α -glucosidase: IC 50 = 0.13 ± 0.05 mg/mL and α -amylase: IC 50 = 2.67 ± 0.16 mg/mL) by inducing a change in spatial conformation were confirmed through in vitro analysis. The presence of a 5′-OH group facilitated the interaction between anthocyanins and receptors of amylose, α -amylase, and α -glucosidase. The glycosyl moiety enhanced the affinity for amylose yet lowered the inhibitory effect on α -amylase. The in vivo analysis demonstrated that BCE resulted in a reduction of 3.96 mM·h in blood glucose levels (Area Under Curve). The significant hypoglycemic activity, particularly the decrease in postprandial blood glucose levels, highlights the potential of utilizing BCE in functional foods for preventing diabetes. [Display omitted] • BCE delayed starch digestion by both structural change and glycosidases inhibition. • The 5′-OH of anthocyanin enhanced the ability to bind amylose and glycosidases. • Starch containing BCE attenuated postprandial hyperglycemia in vivo efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A full- length infectious clone of NADC30-like strain was constructed successfully. • The rescued virus, rZJqz, was indistinguishable from their parental virus vZJqz21 in virological characteristics. • rZJqz retained the similar pathogenicity and the typical clinical symptoms. • These findings represent a useful tool for the further development of a new broad-spectrum vaccine. NADC30-like porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), which is highly homologous to the NADC30 strain isolated in the United States. The NADC30-like PRRSV was first reported in 2014 in China, where it spread and gradually caused an epidemic. Currently, growing research has shown that NADC30-like strains have greater propensity to recombine with other PRRSV strains, particularly the PPRSV vaccine virus used clinically, making the prevention and control of PRRSV highly complex. To carry out an in-depth molecular biology and virulence analysis, a full-length infectious clone of the NADC30-like strain was successfully constructed and rescued by reverse genetic manipulation. The rescued virus, rZJqz, was indistinguishable from its parental virus, ZJqz21, based on virological characteristics. Further animal experiments demonstrated that rZJqz retained similar pathogenicity and induced the typical clinical symptoms and viral shedding observed in the ZJqz21 challenge model. Together, these results provide a useful tool for further study of the biological characteristics and pathogenicity of NADC30-like strains. Moreover, these findings also provide a solid foundation for studying the recombination of different PRRSVs and developing new and effective universal vaccines in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tin bronze- x Cr 3 C 2 -graphite composites (x = 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt%) were fabricated by mechanical alloying and spark plasma sintering. Fine-scale uniform distribution of composites was achieved. The Cr 3 C 2 particles enhanced the mechanical properties and wear resistance of copper-based composites. The as-sintered tin bronze-20Cr 3 C 2 -graphite showed a hardness of 109 HV, a compressive strength of 333 MPa, and a yield strength of 219 MPa. In addition, the wear rate of as-sintered tin bronze-20Cr 3 C 2 -graphite was maintained in the order of 10−5 at 30 N, 50 N, and 70 N. The wear mechanism of the studied composites varied from surface fatigue and adhesion wear to abrasive wear with the increase of Cr 3 C 2 content during dry sliding. These findings provide a new method for developing copper-based composites with enhanced mechanical properties and wear resistance. • The tin bronze-Cr 3 C 2 -graphite composites were fabricated by powder metallurgy. • The Cr 3 C 2 particles enhanced the mechanical properties and wear resistance of copper-based composites. • The wear mechanism of the studied composites varied with the increase of Cr 3 C 2 content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the ancient book "Shen Nong's Herbal Classic," Panax ginseng CA Mey was believed to have multiple benefits, including calming nerves, improving cognitive function, and promoting longevity. Ginsenosides are the main active ingredients of ginseng. Ginsenoside RK3 (RK3), a rare ginsenoside extracted from ginseng, displays strong pharmacological potential. However, its effect on neurogenesis remains insufficiently investigated. This study aims to investigate whether RK3 improves learning and memory by promoting neurogenesis, and to explore the mechanism of RK3 action. The therapeutic effect of RK3 on learning and memory was determined by the Morris water maze (MWM) and novel object recognition test (NORT). The pathogenesis and protective effect of RK3 on primary neurons and animal models were detected by immunofluorescence and western blotting. Protein expression of cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB)/brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling pathway was detected by western blotting. Our results showed that RK3 treatment significantly improved cognitive function in APPswe/PSEN1dE9 (APP/PS1) mice and C57BL/6 (C57) mice. RK3 promotes neurogenesis and synaptogenesis in the mouse hippocampus. In vitro , RK3 prevents Aβ-induced injury in primary cultured neurons and promotes the proliferation of PC12 as well as the expression of synapse-associated proteins. Mechanically, the positve role of RK3 on neurogenesis was combined with the activation of CREB/BDNF pathway. Inhibition of CREB/BDNF pathway attenuated the effect of RK3. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that RK3 promotes learning and cognition in APP/PS1 and C57 mice by promoting neurogenesis and synaptogenesis through the CREB/BDNF signaling pathway. Therefore, RK3 is expected to be further developed into a potential drug candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). [Display omitted] • RK3 improves cognitive impairment in APP/PS1 mice. • RK3 improves the learning and memory ability of C57 mice. • RK3 promotes neurogenesis and synaptogenesis. • The effect of RK3 is associated with activation of the CREB/BDNF signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The urokinase receptor (uPAR) serves as a docking site to the serine protease urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) to promote extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and tumor invasion and metastasis. Previously, we had reported a small molecule inhibitor of the uPAR·uPA interaction that emerged from structure-based virtual screening. Here, we measure the affinity of a large number of derivatives from commercial sources. Synthesis of additional compounds was carried out to probe the role of various groups on the parent compound. Extensive structure-based computational studies suggested a binding mode for these compounds that led to a structure–activity relationship study. Cellular studies in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines that include A549, H460 and H1299 showed that compounds blocked invasion, migration and adhesion. The effects on invasion of active compounds were consistent with their inhibition of uPA and MMP proteolytic activity. These compounds showed weak cytotoxicity consistent with the confined role of uPAR to metastasis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is one of the major drivers of economic loss in the swine industry worldwide. In commercial pig production, vaccination is the first option in an attempt to control infectious diseases. Pigs are therefore often immunized with different vaccines, and almost all of them are delivered via the intramuscular (IM) route. However, the IM injection may result in physical damage, stress reactions, and is labor demanding. An alternative route is urgently needed to reduce the disadvantages of conventional vaccination. In this study, a needle-free intradermal (ID) delivery system was evaluated for delivering a live PRRS vaccine as compared with the traditional needle-syringe method. Fifty-two 4-week-old piglets were divided into six groups: piglets in groups A-C were immunized using ID delivery system with 104, 105 and 106 TCID 50 of PRRS candidate vaccine strain rHN-NP49, respectively; piglets in group D were immunized IM with 105 TCID 50 of rHN-NP49; and group E and F were used as challenge and control groups, respectively. At 28 days post vaccination, piglets in group A to E were challenged with a lethal dose of highly-pathogenic PRRSV. Similar results were found in viremia and antibody response among the ID and IM groups during the immunization stage. After challenge, similar results were found in average body weight gain, viral shedding, serum viral load, and clinical score among the immunization groups, with a higher protection ratio in the ID group compared with IM group with the same immunization dose. These results demonstrated that the ID delivery system could provide similar or even better protection compared with IM route, and could be an effective route for PRRS vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• rPRRSV-E2 immunized piglets developed high levels of antibodies against HP-PRRSV and CSFV. • Immunized pigs were well protected from the challenge of HP-PRRSV or CSFV at 20 weeks and 24 weeks post vaccination. • The immune duration of rPRRSV-E2 is at least 5 months against both HP-PRRSV and CSFV. Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) and Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) are both important pathogens which seriously harm the economic swine industry worldwide. We have previously demonstrated that rPRRSV-E2 is a promising live, virus-vectored vaccine that provides 100% protection against highly pathogenic PRRSV (HP-PRRSV) and CSFV. Here, we evaluated the duration of immunity (DOI) of the vaccine strain, rPRRSV-E2. Vaccine or cell culture medium was administered to piglets at 4 weeks of age. All immunized piglets developed high levels of antibodies, which could maintain for up to 23 weeks, against PRRSV and CSFV. All immunized pigs were well protected from the challenge of HP-PRRSV or CSFV at 20 weeks and 24 weeks post vaccination. The vaccine protection rate was still 100% at 24 weeks after immunization. The immune efficacy results showed that the immune duration of rPRRSV-E2 could be up to 5 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Gd and Mn dopants show enhanced activity for coke gasification and oxidation due to presence of oxygen vacancies. • Catalytic activity in a steam–air mixture is primarily governed by air. • Mn doped ceria is the favored catalyst for steam gasification due to its high activity and low cost. A series of α-alumina supported doped (Mn, Gd, Sr) ceria catalysts is investigated for the gasification (steam) and oxidation (air) of industrial coke that was generated during ethane pyrolysis. The catalytic activity is evaluated in the presence of pure steam, air and steam–air mixtures. Gd, Mn and Sr dopants reduce the coke gasification temperature in pure steam by 65 °C compared to the un-catalyzed coke gasification. Gd and Mn also decrease the coke oxidation temperature in air and help the dilute oxidation of coke in the presence of steam + air mixtures by decreasing the diluted oxidation temperature of coke by ∼125 °C. The Mn doped ceria catalyst is able to resist coke formation, during in-situ coking experiments. Structural characterization of the α-alumina supported doped (Gd and Mn) ceria catalysts by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and Raman spectroscopy shows the presence of Ce3+ species and oxygen vacancies, respectively, in the ceria catalysts. The catalytic activity of the Gd-doped sample appears to be related to the presence of increased oxygen vacancies, the smaller crystallite size and a higher catalyst surface area compared to catalysts with other dopants. For the Mn-doped ceria catalyst, the presence of increased oxygen vacancies is suggested to be the main reason for its improved activity. Exposure to steam at high temperatures imparts a negligible effect on the crystallite sizes of the doped ceria catalysts, as evidenced from X-ray diffraction, indicating negligible sintering and good thermal stability of these catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Bone marrow stromal cell antigen 2 (BST2) can inhibit viral replication. • BST2 exhibits significant anti-PRRSV activity. • BST2 expression is up-regulated during the early phase of infection. • BST2 restricts the expression of viral proteins. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has seriously affected the viability of swine industries worldwide, and effective measures to control PRRSV are urgently required. Understanding the mechanisms of action of antiviral proteins is crucial for developing antiviral strategies. Interferon-induced bone marrow stromal cell antigen 2 (BST2) can inhibit the replication of various viruses via different pathways. However, little is known about the effects of BST2 on PRRSV. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate whether the interferon-induced BST2 can inhibit PRRSV replication. We used western blotting and RT-qPCR techniques to analyze the effect of BST2 overexpression and knockdown on PRRSV replication. Overexpression of BST2 inhibited the replication of PRRSV, whereas knockdown of BST2 by small interfering RNA promoted PRRSV replication. Additionally, the expression of BST2 was upregulated during the early phase of PRRSV infection in porcine alveolar macrophages. Analysis of PRRSV proteins showed that BST2 restricted the expression of several non-structural viral proteins. BST2 downregulated the expression of Nsp12 through a proteasome-dependent pathway and downregulated the expression and transcription of E protein. These findings demonstrate the potential of BST2 as a critical regulator of PRRSV replication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since late 2011, a pseudorabies virus (PRV) variant with increased virulence in old pigs had caused major disease outbreaks and great economic losses to the pig industry in China. The gene mutations that contributed to the increased virulence were unclear. To study the basis of the enhanced pathogenicity, an infectious bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone consisting of the complete genome of the PRV variant was developed. Using homologous recombination and Cre/LoxP recombination, the recombinant virus rJS-2012-BAC carrying a BAC insertion downstream of the open reading frame (ORF) of gG was constructed. The circular genome of rJS-2012-BAC was extracted from infected Vero cells and transformed into Escherichia coli DH10B, generating the BAC clone pBAC-JS2012. The loxP sites flanking the BAC vector were used to excise the BAC sequences using Cre recombinase. The reconstituted BAC-excision virus, vJS2012 L, from pBAC-JS2012 exhibited similar biological properties to the wild-type virulent strain JS-2012. To manipulate the BAC clone pBAC-JS2012, the galK selection system was adopted to delete the gI/gE gene from pBAC-JS2012 in E. coli and to generate the gI/gE-deleted virus vJS2012-ΔgE/gI. The BAC clone, pBAC-JS2012, retained the same level of virulence as its parent strain and was easily manipulated using a galK system which would facilitate the study of the enhanced pathogenicity of the PRV variant as well as other studies on PRV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) and classical swine fever (CSF) are economically significant diseases that affect the swine industry worldwide. However, the current vaccination strategy, which uses two single live attenuated vaccines, can result in interference for each other. In addition, the universally used CSFV vaccine C-strain does not allow for differentiation of infected and vaccinated animals. In this study, rPRRSV-E2, PRRS virus (PRRSV) expressing CSF virus (CSFV) E2, was constructed by reverse genetics. The E2 gene of CSFV was inserted between ORF1b and ORF2 in the genome of the PRRS vaccine virus, HuN4-F112. A copy of transcriptional regulatory sequence 6 was inserted at the 3′ terminal of the exogenous gene to produce CSFV E2 as a unique subgenomic mRNA transcript. The rPRRSV-E2 was stable for at least 25 serial cell passages. Single-shot intramuscular immunization of rPRRSV-E2 into pigs induced PRRSV-specific and CSFV-specific antibodies and fully protected pigs from lethal challenge with highly-pathogenic PRRSV and CSFV. These results demonstrate that a novel strategy for recombinant PRRSV production is effective, and suggest that rPRRSV-E2 is a promising live, virus-vectored vaccine against PRRS and a marker vaccine against CSF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of thermally stable α-alumina supported and unsupported ceria catalysts with varying composition is systematically investigated under realistic coke – catalyst contact conditions for the oxidation of in-situ generated coke during ethylene pyrolysis. These catalysts have been designed for use in high temperature applications of steam cracking. The textural and structural characterization of α-alumina supported ceria catalysts show the absence of solid oxide solutions, with the supported catalysts having distinct ceria domains on the alumina support. For comparison, two types of coke – catalyst contacting are explored: (i) tight contact by grinding industrial coke with catalyst and (ii) realistic in-situ contact, where coke is deposited on the catalytic support. During in-situ coke deposition, ceria-containing catalysts demonstrate resistance to coking as compared to the bare α-alumina support. Ceria and ceria – alumina composites also enabled coke oxidation at lower temperatures than the un-catalyzed coke oxidation. The presence of both Ce 3+ and Ce 4+ is confirmed by X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), consistent with the well-known redox capability of ceria catalysts. Kinetic studies revealed 50–80 mol% Ce as the best compositions for oxidation activity towards both industrial and in-situ coke. The catalytic activity correlates with the presence of reactive lattice oxygen atoms on ceria for both types of contact, indicating a similar mechanism of carbon oxidation under in-situ contact and tight contact conditions. A mechanism of reaction involving lattice oxygen of ceria is proposed for the oxidation of coke as well as for retardation of coke deposition on ceria domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of cerium-zirconium mixed oxides doped with alkaline earth metals was prepared by calcining a mixture of Ce 0.8 Zr 0.2 O 2 and the nitrate salt of alkaline earth metals at 1173 K. The results from X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and analytical electron microscopy indicated the alkaline earth compounds were dispersed on the surface of Ce 0.8 Zr 0.2 O 2 . The doped mixed oxides were evaluated in the catalytic reaction of solid coke under tight contact conditions with 10 vol.% O 2 in He at 693 K and with 100 vol.% H 2 O at 993 K using thermogravimetric analysis. For coke oxidation with O 2 , the weight loss was first order in coke, and the measured first order rate constant was proportional to the total surface area of catalyst at low catalyst loadings. For coke gasification with H 2 O, the weight loss was nearly zero order in coke, and the measured areal reaction rate was independent of the total surface area of catalyst at low catalyst loadings. The addition of alkaline earth metals inhibited coke oxidation with dioxygen but promoted coke gasification with steam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an effective design solution for current-shunt monitor (CSM) adapting to both positive and negative power supply applications, where the supply voltage is input common-mode voltage (CMV) of CSM ranged from − 16 to 60 V. The proposed CSM mainly consists of a high-voltage low-drop output (HVLDO) regulator, a CSM core, and a 2nd-stage gain generator. The HVLDO regulator converts the independent supply voltage (5-16 V) to a stable internal output supply voltage of 5 V for other consequent circuits. The proposed CSM core adopts a fully-differential amplifier, a single-ended output amplifier, current-mirror transistors, and several resistors to constitute a stable negative feedback system. Due to its stable operation, the CSM core with both positive and negative CMV can successfully detect drops across the shunt resistor. The 2nd-stage generator is used to achieve a higher gain. By selecting proper transistor and resistor size in both CSM core and 2nd-stage gain generator, a total scaled gain of 100 V/V is achieved in this study. The proposed CSM architecture has been successfully implemented in a 0. 25 μ m Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (BCD) technology, and the area is around 1.44 mm 2. Measurements show that the proposed CSM with an input CM voltage ranged from -16–60 V can sense an input voltage difference 4–16 mV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the need for renewable and high-performance alternative elastomer grows, efforts have been made to develop bio-based elastic polymers for engineering applications. Herein, bio-based elastomers poly(dimethyl itaconate- co -butadiene)s (PDMIBs) were successfully synthesized by emulsion copolymerization of renewable monomer dimethyl itaconate (DMI) with partially petroleum-derived butadiene under mild conditions. It is an effective strategy to tailor PDMIB properties by comonomers with different feed ratios and to adjust the compositions and sequence distributions. The structure and thermal stability were investigated by FTIR, NMR, DSC analyses, etc. In terms of properties: (1) the vulcanizates showed excellent tensile strength (10.2 MPa), elongation at break (1146%) and toughness (37.6 MJ m−3) without filler reinforcement, which were obviously superior to the mechanical properties of most traditional petroleum-based synthetic rubbers; (2) Nanosilica-filled PDMIBs exhibited good mechanical properties, excellent abrasion resistance and oil resistance due to strong polarity in molecular chains; (3) Epoxy-functionalized poly(dimethyl itaconate- co -butadiene- co -glycidyl methacrylate) PDMIBG showed better silica dispersion and excellent dynamic mechanical properties. In summary, this new kind of bio-based elastomer PDMIBs can be used in multiple engineering applications, such as bio-based gloves, conveying belts, oil-resistant products and high-performance tire tread materials, etc. This study opens the door to the use of emulsion copolymerization and functionalization modification technology in the synthesis of new high-performance bio-based elastomer nanocomposites for the rubber industry. Novel sustainable elastomers nanocomposites with versatile properties are constructed based on bio-based dimethyl itaconate. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The OC/EC online monitoring campaign was carried out in Tianjin of China from 8th February to 15th March 2015 during the Chinese Spring Festival period (CSFP). The concentrations of OC, EC, BC and other ambient pollutants (e.g. SO 2 , NO 2 and PM 2.5 , etc.) in high time resolution were measured with related online-monitoring instruments. During the CSFP, according to the peaks of PM 2.5 concentrations and number concentrations (NC) of aerosol particles with aerodynamic diameters between 0.3 and 2.5 μm, five pollution-events were generally identified and displayed. These pollution-events were closely associated with large-scale fireworks displaying, combustion activities such as heating for winter, and the stable meteorological conditions, etc. During the CSFP, EC and OC concentrations showed variations up to one order of magnitude. The uncertainty of instrument itself and the difference for measured methods, further caused the differences between thermal OC (measured OC by thermal method) and optical OC (measured OC by optical method) concentrations, as well as between thermal EC (measured EC by thermal method) and optical EC (measured EC by optical method) concentrations. The high-concentration carbonaceous aerosols could enlarge the uncertainty of measuring instrument, reducing the correlations between OC and EC, and enhance the differences among thermal EC, optical BC and optical EC. The OC/EC ratios and the percentages of SOC/OC would be declined, when the pollution-events formed during the CSFP. Due to the different sources for thermal POC and thermal SOC, the correlation of the two was relatively lower (R 2 = 0.39). Thermal POC dominated over thermal OC during the CSFP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) are important regulator of neuronal signal transduction and a growing number of PTPs have been implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In the brains of patients with AD, there are a variety of abnormally phosphorylated proteins, which are closely related to the abnormal expression and activity of PTPs. β-Amyloid plaques (Aβ) and hyperphosphorylated tau protein are two pathological hallmarks of AD, and their accumulation ultimately leads to neurodegeneration. Studies have shown that protein phosphorylation signaling pathways mediates intracellular accumulation of Aβ and tau during AD development and are involved in synaptic plasticity and other stress responses. Here, we summarized the roles of PTPs related to the pathogenesis of AD and analyzed their therapeutic potential in AD. [Display omitted] • Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) are important regulator of neuronal signal transduction. • PTPs related to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). • Compounds targeting PTPs alleviated pathological features of brain disease. • PTPs is expected to be an important direction and a potential breakthrough for AD research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cubic boron nitride (cBN) composites, using Al and HfC as the additives, were sintered under static high pressure of 5.0 GPa and at temperatures of 700 °C–1500 °C for 80 s. By analyzing the phase components of the sintered samples through the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, we found that when the temperature increased from 700 °C to 900 °C, cBN reacted with Al and HfC, and produced AlN, AlB 2 , HfB 2 and B 2 C 5 N 2 . Above 1000 °C, AlB 2 was not stable. It decomposed and finally generated AlB 12 . At the meantime, the content of AlN, AlB 12 , HfB 2 and B 2 C 5 N 2 increased with Al disappearing. The Vickers hardness of the sintered samples increased with increasing the cBN content. The SEM and the abrasion ratio tests revealed that the well-sintered samples with homogeneous microstructure and the best wear resistance could be obtained at 5.0 GPa, 1300 °C for 80 s with the cBN content of 80 wt.%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An acylhydrazone compound was designed as an anticancer candidate. • Nitryl (–NO 2) and methyl (–CH 3) were introduced to adjust the hydrophobicity. • MNB-BSA binding was an endothermal spontaneous process driven by entropy. • MNB had appropriate albumin affinity and acceptable blood toxicity. Acylhydrazone derivatives have potential antitumor activities due to their metabolic modulation effect in cancer cells. Herein, an acylhydrazone compound, p -nitrobenzaldehyde- p -methylbenzoylhydrazone (MNB), was designed, prepared and characterized. The interaction of MNB with carrier protein is systematically deciphered using spectroscopic, electrochemical and modeling techniques. Ultraviolet (UV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) indicate that MNB can couple with albumin through hydrophobic interaction. Molecular probe experiments reveal MNB is located at Sudlow's site I in albumin. Stern-Volmer equation, Langmuir adsorption isotherm, van't Hoff equation and Arrhenius equation are applied to analyze the thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics of the interaction. The results demonstrate that the interaction is a typical spontaneous process dominated by entropy, whose activation energy is ca. 26.78 kJ·mol−1. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra show that MNB has a small impact on the conformation of albumin. Molecular docking investigation simulates the structural details of the new complex, which is consistent with experimental conclusions. This study provides comprehensive information on the interaction of MNB with carrier protein, which lays the basis for its application as a new anticancer candidate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The carbon nanotube/oxygen-defective MnO 2 composite was designed as an effective sulfur host material. • The continuous carbon nanotube skeleton facilitates electron transport. • The oxygen-defective MnO 2 exhibits successful lithium polysulfides adsorption and catalysis process. • The resulting sulfur cathode delivers stable cyclic performance. The incorporation of sulfur with multifunctional conductive host material has been regarded as a promising strategy to improve the sulfur utilization and mitigate the polysulfides diffusion for high-performance Li-S battery. Herein, an oxygen-defective MnO 2 nanoparticles modified carbon nanotube composite (CNT/OD-MnO 2) has been proposed as multifunctional sulfur host materials. In the CNT/OD-MnO 2 , the continuous CNT frameworks provide abundant conduction paths of electrons, and the oxygen-defective MnO 2 nanoparticles can accelerate the adsorption and conversion process of polysulfides during the charge–discharge process. As expected, the derived sulfur cathode exhibits superior electrochemical properties with the assistance of CNT/OD-MnO 2. Compared with the CNT/MnO 2 -S (61.8%) and CNT-S (38.8%) cathodes, the CNT/OD-MnO 2 -S cathode delivers a higher capacity retention of 81.3% even after 300 cycles. These results confirm the promising application of CNT/OD-MnO 2 as an effective sulfur host material for advanced Li-S battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multi-stack fuel cell system based on proton exchange membrane fuel cell has gained increasing attraction in high-power transportation applications. However, the real-time coordinated optimization among multiple fuel cell systems still remains a promising problem. To achieve the online collaborative performance enhancement between fuel economy and durability for the parallel multi-stack architecture, an increment-oriented power distribution strategy is proposed in this paper. It is inspired by the quadratic polynomial formulation derived from the hydrogen consumption analysis of integrated fuel cell system. The quantitative correlation between the fuel economy and durability is obtained with analytical power increments. To improve the strategy applicability with fault tolerance, iterative high-order sliding-mode differentiation procedure is utilized in the initial condition determination. Besides, performance-dominated power limits are considered in the global switching sequence calculation. The effectiveness and practicability of the proposed strategy are verified by two designed scenario cases with one-cycle short-term and life-cycle long-term evaluations. Detailed simulation results demonstrate that the proposed strategy can guarantee fault tolerance operation and collaborative performance enhancement for multi-stack fuel cell systems with minimum hydrogen consumption and maximum service life compared with other advanced strategies. • The hydrogen consumption characteristics for PEM fuel cell system is analyzed. • An increment-oriented power distribution strategy for MFCS is proposed. • Coupling between fuel economy and durability for MFCS is characterized. • Fault tolerance performance of the proposed strategy are investigated. • Collaborative performance between fuel economy and durability is improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Diffusion of water and ethanol in silicalite has been studied in large crystals (70μm×30μm×15μm) synthesized via a fluoride mediated route. The near-perfect hydrophobic silicalite (F−) crystals have very few internal silanol defects and, as a result, display water and ethanol transport behavior that is uncontaminated by these defects. The transport diffusivity (Dt ) of ethanol is higher than that of water at the same sorbate activity. However, this difference is due to the difference in the shape of the isotherms. The thermodynamically corrected diffusivity (D o) of water is almost an order of magnitude higher than that of ethanol reflecting the difference in molecular size. Estimates of the permeability/permselectivity/separation factors for ethanol/water separation based on the present kinetic and equilibrium data for the fluoride synthesized crystals are compared with the values observed for traditional silicalite membranes. The present diffusivity values for fluoride synthesized silicalite are similar to the values for regular silicalite (OH−) derived from uptake rate measurements but much smaller (by more than four orders of magnitude) than the self-diffusivities derived from PFG-NMR measurements. This result is consistent with the results of other measurements of the diffusion of small molecules in silicalite which suggest that, in macroscopic measurements, the rate of intra-crystalline transport is controlled by the sub-structure (extensive twinning), rather than by diffusion in the ideal MFI micropores. In this situation microscale measurements such as PFG-NMR will lead to erroneously high estimates of transport rates and therefore of permeability and permselectivity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper reports a facile method for the preparation of nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (N-doped CNTs) that shows enhanced hydrogen storage capacity. The synthesis method involves simple pyrolysis of melamine using FeCl3 as catalyst in tube furnace. The materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, elemental analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and nitrogen adsorption–desorption analysis. The results indicated that the prepared N-doped CNTs have a bamboo-like structure with thin compartment layers. The nitrogen doping concentration, specific surface area, and total pore volume of the N-doped CNTs were determined to be 1.5 at%, 135 m2/g, and 0.38 cm3/g, respectively. The hydrogen adsorption measurements at 77 K showed that the N-doped CNTs exhibits gravimetric hydrogen uptake of 0.21 wt% at 1 bar and 1.21 wt% at 7 bar. At room temperature, hydrogen uptake as high as 0.17 wt% at 298 K and 19 bar is achieved, which is among the highest data reported for the N-doped carbon materials under the same condition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Leptospirosis, caused by different Leptospira species, is one of the most widespread zoonotic infections worldwide. Here we expressed three major leptospiral lipoproteins and examined their immunogenicity. All the pathogenic Leptospira strains tested possess the lipL21, lipL32 and lipL41 genes, but the latter two can be further divided into different gene types (lipL32-1, lipL32-2, lipL41-1, lipL41-2). Microscopic agglutination test revealed that rLipLs antisera had extensive cross-immunoagglutination among the 178 leptospiral strains in which rLipL32-1 contributed the highest agglutination titer. The rLipLs-based ELISAs established in this study demonstrated that in the sera of 385 leptospirosis patients infected with different serovars of Leptospira interrogans, rLipL32-1 had the highest positive rates for IgG and IgM (89.4–98.7%), followed by the IgG/IgM positive rates of rLipL21 (87.0–96.1%) and rLipL32-2 (86.5–96.9%), while the two rLipL41s presented the lowest IgG/IgM positive rates (69.9–83.9%). The immunoprotective levels in guinea pigs of rLipL32-1 (58.3% and 66.7%) were the highest, compared to those of the other rLipLs (25.0–58.3%). Multiple different rLipLs would increase immunoprotective levels (from 58.3% and 66.7% to 83.3% and 91.7%). The data suggest that all the rLipLs are the genus-specific superficial antigens of pathogenic Leptospira species and should be considered in designing universal vaccines against leptospirosis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]