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Supplementing carbon sources in sewage treatment plants with organic matter from food waste is crucial for resource recycling in coal mining areas. In this study, a moderate-temperature H 2 O 2 method was used to pretreat food waste from a coal mining area. The changes in the properties of the pretreated food waste and their influence on volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production during anaerobic fermentation were investigated. Additionally, the nitrogen and phosphorus removal rates obtained when glucose and fermentation slurry of food waste (FSFW) were used as carbon sources in the sewage treatment system were compared. Compared with untreated food waste, the soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) increased by 58 % after pretreatment with 0.25 % H 2 O 2 at 60 ℃, and the viscosity and oil content decreased significantly, which caused VFAs production to increase from 15,267 mg COD/L to 50,774 mg COD/L. When the H 2 O 2 concentration increased to 2.0 %, the SCOD increased to 153 %, and the viscosity and oil content further decreased, but the VFAs production decreased to 7477 mg COD/L. This occurred because large quantities of ammonia nitrogen was formed at higher H 2 O 2 doses, which inhibited VFAs formation. Moreover, the nitrogen removal rate was higher when FSFW was used as a carbon source than when glucose was used as a carbon source. [Display omitted] • The properties of food waste changed sharply after pretreatment with H 2 O 2 at 60 ℃. • The VFAs yield changed substantially with the change in food waste properties. • VFAs yield increased from 15.3 to 50.8 g COD/L after pretreating by 0.25 % H 2 O 2 -60 ℃. • Fermentation slurry of food waste from mining areas is an effective carbon source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian coccidiosis, caused by Eimeria parasites, continues to devastate the poultry industry and results in significant economic losses. Ionophore coccidiostats, such as maduramycin and monensin, are widely used for prophylaxis of coccidiosis in poultry. Nevertheless, their efficacy has been challenged by widespread drug resistance. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been revealed. Understanding the targets and resistance mechanisms to anticoccidials is critical to combat this major parasitic disease. In the present study, maduramycin-resistant (MRR) and drug-sensitive (DS) sporozoites of Eimeria tenella were purified for transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis. The transcriptome analysis revealed 5016 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in MRR compared to DS, and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated that DEGs were involved in spliceosome, carbon metabolism, glycolysis, and biosynthesis of amino acids. In the untargeted metabolomics assay, 297 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) were identified in MRR compared to DS, and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated that these DEMs were involved in 10 pathways, including fructose and mannose metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, and glutathione metabolism. Targeted metabolomic analysis revealed 14 DEMs in MRR compared to DS, and KEGG pathway analysis indicated that these DEMs were involved in 20 pathways, including fructose and mannose metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and carbon metabolism. Compared to DS, energy homeostasis and amino acid metabolism were differentially regulated in MRR. Our results provide gene and metabolite expression landscapes of E. tenella following maduramycin induction. This study is the first work involving integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to identify the key pathways to understand the molecular and metabolic mechanisms underlying drug resistance to polyether ionophores in coccidia. [Display omitted] • Transcriptomics and metabolomics were applied to analyze the mechanism of resistance of E. tenella to maduramycin. • The sporozoites resistant to maduramycin consumed more energy in response to drug stress. • The sporozoites resistant to maduramycin exhibited high glycolysis activity. • The sporozoites resistant to maduramycin exhibited high hexosamine metabolism ability. • The sporozoites resistant to maduramycin possessed high antioxidant capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (CRP) and Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viride (CRPV) possess a rich medicinal heritage. While both belonging to the Rutaceae family, they exhibit distinct traditional Chinese medicinal properties, chemical constituents, and pharmacological effects. This study utilizes UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS in conjunction with metabolic amalgamation and multivariate statistical analysis to elucidate the molecular disparities in chemical composition between CRP and CRPV. A comprehensive total of 367 compounds have been delineated, including 147 flavonoids, 110 alkaloids, 25 organic acids, 21 coumarins, 19 glycolides, 17 hydroxyzable tannins, 13 phenols, 11 terpenoids, and 4 anisors. The majority of these constituents are documented here for the first time. The outcomes of non-targeted metabolomics analysis revealed noteworthy disparities in chemical attributes between CRP and CRPV, particularly in flavonoids, phenols, glycosides, and terpenoids. Furthermore, variations in the relative compound content under diverse solvent extractions were elucidated. Notably, the extraction efficiency of the high-polarity solvent methanol surpasses that of the medium-polarity extractant ethyl acetate. The assessment of antioxidant activity revealed that the methanol extract of CRP exhibited an antioxidant capacity akin to that of the ascorbic acid. The extract sample was added to healthy human umbilical vein endothelial cells for cell viability testing, and no cytotoxic effect was observed. This investigation offers a novel vantage point for the thorough analysis and utilization of citrus peel across various stages of maturity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic-inorganic halide perovskite single crystals (OIHP-SCs) are promising light-emitting materials for bright electroluminescence (EL) devices due to their superior optoelectronic properties and excellent stability. However, the conventional high-temperature growth methods will inevitably disturb the ordered growth and introduce massive defects in OIHP-SCs, leading to the degradation of device performance. The preparation of thin OIHP-SCs with low trap-state densities for high-performance EL devices remains a formidable challenge. Here, we develop an efficient antisolvent-assisted confined growth (AACG) method for the room-temperature growth of formamidinium lead bromide (FAPbBr 3) perovskite SCs. An antisolvent vapour environment is intentionally introduced in the spatially confined growth process to lower the free energy barrier for nucleation, enabling the growth of high-quality FAPbBr 3 SCs at room temperature. Consequently, FAPbBr 3 SCs with ultralow trap-state density of 2.15 × 109 cm−3 and amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) threshold of 7.1 µJ cm−2 could be achieved, representing the best results ever reported for FAPbBr 3 SCs. By leveraging the high crystal quality of FAPbBr 3 SCs, SC-based perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) with a high luminance of over 26,000 cd m−2 and a peak current efficiency (CE) of 13.02 cd A−1 are demonstrated. Our work opens up new opportunities for the development of high-performance EL devices based on OIHP-SCs. [Display omitted] • An antisolvent-assisted confined growth method was developed to fabricate high-quality FAPbBr 3 SCs at room temperature. • The FAPbBr 3 SCs exhibited a low trap-state density and ASE threshold of 2.15 × 10-9 cm-3 and 7.1 µJ cm-2, respectively. • The FAPbBr 3 SC-based PeLEDs showed a maximum high luminance and CE of 26,360 cd m-2 and 13.02 cd A-1, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Rapid growth in the global economy and developments increases the energy demands and 80% of the primary energy demand satisfies by fossil fuels. Extensive utilization of fossil fuels and the paucity of precautionary measurements creates two major challenges one environmental pollution and second future energy crises. Contemplating the serious, issues we have to move our energy demands to renewable and sustainable sources, which have less impact on the environment and sustainable. This article presents optimization techniques by using MATLAB toolbox YALMIP and Interior Point Optimizer IPOPT nonlinear programming to achieve multiple objectives one minimize the operational and fuel cost of the thermal power plant. Second, maximize the benefits of solar and wind power by decreasing the discard solar and wind power. In our optimized model, we perform short-term 24-hour scheduling and operation of four-cascaded hydropower reservoirs optimally combine with three thermal power unit's one wind power plant and one solar power plant, which balance the active power generation with power demand. The result we obtained shows that a significant difference in thermal cost ($), discard power and CPU time of both tolls FMINCON and IPOPT. Discussion on renewable energy sources their impact on the environment and their tendency (2013 to 2017). In the end, calculations are perform for CO 2 emission and reduction of the proposed model and compared the results with different scenarios of case 1 to case 5. Results show eloquence contribution of renewable energy sources and their aftermath on the environment and sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes an innovative procedure to improve an initial hydropower schedule by minimizing spillages in the short-term operation of multiple reservoir systems. This procedure is named as the field levelling (FL), which tries to eliminate scheduled spillages as much as possible by pushing forward and pulling backward the spillages in turn to explore spaces so as to absorb them, emulating the flied-levelling practice that pushes and pulls the protruding dirt in turn to find valleys to take it in. Even for a large-scale reservoir system, the procedure solves the problem very fast attributable to its stage-by-stage property. The procedure has the ability to handle the water travelling time between reservoirs and the nonlinearity in the optimization, and it is very useful in locally modifying an either feasible or infeasible scheduling solution to a feasible and satisfactory one. The model and procedure are applied to deal with the Yunnan provincial hydropower system that consists of 45 reservoirs. Start with a very good initial solution derived in our previous work, the present FL improves the solution by 0.58% and 1.34% reduction in water and energy spillages respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper formulates a nonlinear and discrete hydropower unit commitment (UC) problem, which is particular useful to coordinate with the higher level operation of cascaded hydropower reservoirs. Given the outflow process, this UC problem maximizes energy production during a planning horizon, to determine the unit operating zones and allocate the release among units in one hydroplant. This work shows how the constraints on the start-up number and up/down hours can be transformed into linear equations. The objective is equivalently interpreted to sequentially minimize spillages, maximize generation efficiency, and maximize energy production, which makes it possible to handle the nonlinearity in a low-dimensional space due to the lowest priority of the third sub-objective where the nonlinearity comes. The UC problem is skillfully decomposed into a zone commitment (ZC) that determines the optimal operating zones using the mixed integer linear programming, and one-stage sub-problems that allocate the outflow among units using the hill-climbing method. The case studies that deal with quarter-hourly hydropower unit commitments during a day show that the present model and procedure turn out to be efficient for a UC problem with up to four units, becoming volatile then on, but still acceptable for up to nine units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anatase TiO 2 nanotube arrays were hydrothermally treated in Na 2 S solution, and the photoelectrochemical performances were systematically studied. Morphology, structure, elemental component and photoelectrochemical performances of TiO 2 were characterized by scanning electron microscope, high resolution transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, X-ray photoelectron spectrometer and electrochemical workstation, respectively. The influence of the sulfide treatment on the photoelectrochemical performance is discussed in detail by measuring cyclic voltammogram, chornoamperogram and chemical impedance spectrum of treated TiO 2 nanotube arrays in different conditions. TiO 2 nanotube arrays sulfide treated in 30 mM Na 2 S solution at 135 °C possess the highest photocurrent of 289 μA, which is 3.3 times that of untreated sample. High optical absorption, large electrochemical active surface area and rapid electron transfer rate due to the mesoporous structure rather than sulfide dropping play key roles in enhancing the photoelectrochemical activity of the TiO 2 nanotube arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of (BaO, Na2O)–Nb2O5–SiO2 glass–ceramics with a varying ratio of Ba/Na have been prepared via controlled-crystallization route, and the phase evolution, and dielectric properties have been investigated. The correlation between the dielectric breakdown performance and the activation energy was studied by the measurements of the dielectric breakdown strength and impedance spectroscopy. It was found that the change in the Ba/Na ratio in the glass notably modified the dielectric properties. The increase of Ba/Na ratio promoted the crystallization of Ba2NaNb5O15 from the glass matrix that has a high dielectric constant. When the ratio of Ba/Na was 2, the optimization of dielectric breakdown performance and dielectric constant was obtained. The as-devitrified (4BaO, Na2O)–Nb2O5–SiO2 glass–ceramic exhibits a large dielectric breakdown strength of 864kV/cm with a stable dielectric constant of about 150 over the temperature range of −50°C to 100°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Herein, we review mechanisms and models of solute transport relevant to nanofiltration (NF), reverse osmosis (RO), and forward osmosis (FO) membrane separation processes. We first consider state of the art polymeric NF, RO, and FO membrane properties and how these properties influence water and solute transport. Next, we critically review classical models (i.e., pore flow, solution-diffusion, and Nernst–Planck) and discuss the shortcomings of each, particularly focusing on their inability to explain fundamental relationships between water/solute transport and membrane properties, such as free volume, crystallinity, extent of swelling, and the presence of filler materials in mixed matrix/nanocomposite membranes. We then review modern structure–performance models that attempt to relate water/solute transport to quantifiable membrane structure and solute/water/polymer interactions. Finally, we consider both classical and modern mass transfer models that describe external, internal, and enhanced concentration polarization – all of which strongly influence water/solute transport through NF, RO, and FO membranes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The effects of feed solution ionic strength, pH and divalent cation content on NF/RO membrane structure and performance were elucidated experimentally and fitted with a modified solution–diffusion transport model that describes polyamide thin film free volume through an effective pore radius and structure factor. All the membranes tested became more hydrophilic and swollen with increasing feed solution ionic strength, pH, and divalent cation concentrations. Generally, water permeabilities of all three membranes decreased with ionic strength and divalent cation content, but increased with pH. For RO membranes, neutral solute rejection decreased with pH and divalent cation content, but increased with ionic strength and the salt rejection remained independent with water chemistry except for very low pH of 3; for a NF membrane, solute rejection was more sensitive to water chemistry and neutral solute rejection decreased with ionic strength and pH, but increased with divalent cation content. The results presented herein provide new insight into the fundamental relationship between changes in NF/RO membrane structure and performance. Ultimately, these new insights may be useful in selection of already commercial or design of new NF/RO membranes for removal of chemicals of emerging concern in water treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A series of Ba0.4Sr0.6TiO3 (BST)-based glass ceramics with different content of BST additive was prepared via sintering and crystallization route, and the subsequent phase evolution, microstructure and dielectric properties were investigated. Results showed that the BST additive obviously improved the dielectric constant of the BST-based glass ceramics. In addition, BST additive can modify the microstructure and reduce the activation energy of grain boundary, which led to an improvement in the dielectric breakdown strengths. The estimated energy density of BST-based glass ceramics with optimized composition reached up to 2.81J/cm3, which was improved by 8.5 times as compared with that of the pure glass ceramics (0.33J/cm3). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: ORF109 (Ac109) of Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) is a highly conserved gene in all sequenced baculovirus genomes, but its function is not known. This paper describes generation of an ac109 knockout virus (Ac-ac109-KO-GP) and analyses of the influence of ac109 deletion on the virus replication in Sf-9 cells so as to investigate the role of ac109 in the viral life cycle. Results revealed that budded virus (BV) yields and occlusion body synthesis were completely blocked in cells infected with the mutant virus. Electron microscopy demonstrated that ac109 deletion blocked nucleocapsid formation, though infection was initiated and electron-dense bodies associated with the virogenic stroma appeared. The mutant phenotype was rescued by an ac109 rescue virus. On the other hand, real-time PCR analysis indicated that ac109 is not required for viral DNA replication. Thus, these results suggested that ac109 plays an important role in AcMNPV nucleocapsid formation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Fujian hydropower system (FHS) is one of the provincial hydropower systems with the most complicated hydraulic topology in China. This paper describes an optimization program that is required by Fujian Electric Power Company Ltd. (FEPCL) to aid the shift engineers in making decisions with the short-term hydropower scheduling such that the generation benefit can be maximal. The problem involves 27 reservoirs and is formulated as a nonlinear and discrete programming. It is a very challenging task to solve such a large-scale problem. In this paper, the Lagrangian multipliers are introduced to decompose the primal problem into a hydro subproblem and many individual plant-based subproblems, which are respectively solved by the improved simplex-like method (SLM) and the dynamic programming (DP). A numerical example is given and the derived solution is very close to the optimal one, with the distance in benefit less than 0.004%. All the data needed for the numerical example are presented in detail for further tests and studies from more experts and researchers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Construct projectiles fast in-flight alignment model with K. • Define noise evaluation index to judge the abnormal degree of measurement noise. • Propose two sets of online adjustment measurement variance matrix schemes. Initial in-flight alignment is the basis of accurate navigation for projectiles strap-down inertial navigation system (SINS). Due to complex and highly dynamic flight environment of projectiles, inertial sensors and GNSS are susceptible to interference, which causes measurement noise appear as non-Gaussian noise, resulting in low alignment accuracy and long alignment time. Thus, this paper proposes statistical confidence domain data driven based fast in-flight alignment method. Firstly, the K matrix is used as state variables to construct projectiles initial in-flight alignment filter model. The noise evaluation indexes are defined according to measurement information and estimation results to judge abnormal degree of measurement noise. Based on this, we propose an adaptive robust matrix Kalman filter (ARMKF) method. The measurement variance matrix formulas are derived based on additive noise, which provides theoretical support for parameter selection in practical applications. Simulation and test results show that alignment accuracy and alignment time of the proposed method are better than traditional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The RecA-mediated homologous recombination method was improved and used to direct gene replacement in baculoviruses. With this method, the p74 gene in the Autographa californica multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) genome was substituted precisely by the p74 gene of Spodoptera litura multicapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (SpltMNPV). In the recombinant bacmid, the AcMNPV p74 gene promoter controlled directly the expression of SpltMNPV p74 gene. Results of RT-PCR showed transcription of SpltMNPV p74 gene in the recombinant, implying the potential use of this easy and efficient method in baculovirus gene function research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: ZnCl2-activated cellulose on fiberglass mats (ACFMs) were prepared by immersing fiberglass mat in a viscous aqueous solution containing cellulose and ZnCl2, thermally treating the materials, and then washing and drying. It was found that the pretreatment in air at a temperature between 120 and 280°C can effectively control the pore size distribution of the resultant ACFMs. Lower temperature (120–160°C) and longer time (360min) pretreatment in air will significantly increase mesoporosity. High percentage of mesopore volume provides the ACFMs with high adsorption amount of humic acid in water. The ACFM with well developed mesoporosity shows higher humic acid removal than the commercial products GACs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Clean energy technologies are playing a vital role in energy transition, realization of Net-Zero emission goals, and satisfying increasing energy demands. The objective of this work is to investigate the potentials of renewable energy sources and propose a state-of-the-art new grid connected energy system model, which increases the penetration of renewable energies in the medium-size Municipality of Perugia, Central Italy. The presented energy system model integrates and optimises renewable energy sources mainly consisting of hydro, solar, and biomass, by implementing new dispatch strategies and advanced mathematical model. The developed model maximises the power generation of each source based on the least Net Present Cost and the lowest Levelized Cost of Energy and balances the fluctuating load demand by using combined dispatch strategies. Furthermore, demand-side load management strategies are implemented for efficient energy management. An economic and environmental analysis has been performed to evaluate the impact of the proposed system. The results show that a significant amount of clean energy (33.2 GWh/year) is produced at the lowest Levelized Cost of Energy of 0.067 €/kWh. Moreover, up to 78% of the energy demand of the selected community is covered by renewable energies, which evades 13,452 tons of CO 2 emission yearly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] BiOCl were deposited on TiO2 NTAs by sequential chemical bath deposition. [•] BiOCl can decrease background photocurrent and increase current response. [•] High sensitivity BiOCl/TiO2 is due to the direct oxidation of organics on BiOCl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: TiO2 nanotube arrays (NTAs) modified with Ag (Ag/TiO2) and Pt (Pt/TiO2) nanoparticles were fabricated by anodic oxidation combined with photoreduction and hydrothermal methods, respectively. Structures, element components and morphologies of TiO2, Ag/TiO2 and Pt/TiO2 NTAs were measured by X-ray diffraction diffractometer, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. The photoeletrochemical performances of TiO2, Pt/TiO2 and Ag/TiO2 NTAs were characterized by cyclic voltammetry and amperometry in phosphate buffer solution in absence and presence of glucose. Modifications of Ag and Pt nanoparticles play different roles in the photoelectrochemical process and have different potential applications. Ag nanoparticles decrease the photocurrent in buffer solution but increase the photocurrent response to organic compounds, which is fit for electrochemical detection of organic compounds due to the low background photocurrent and high photocurrent response. Ag/TiO2 NTAs achieve the best detection performance with sensitivity of 0.152μA/μM and detection limit of 0.53μM. On the contrary, Pt nanoparticles can enhance the photocurrent of TiO2 NTAs in buffer solution but decrease the photocurrent response to organic compounds, which are benefit for photocatalytic water splitting but not for photoelectrochemical detection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Batch and flow-through experiments were conducted to investigate the removal and inactivation of rotavirus (RV) and bacteriophage MS2 using glass fiber coated with hematite nanoparticles. Batch tests showed a high removal of MS2 (2.49×1011 plaque forming unit/g) and RV (8.9×106 focal forming unit/g) at a low concentration of hematite nanoparticles in solution (0.043g/L and 0.26g/L, respectively). Virus adsorption was, however, decreased in the presence of bicarbonate ions and natural organic matter (NOM) in solution, suggesting a great affinity of iron oxide nanoparticles for these competitors. Adsorption on hematite nanoparticles by MS2 and RV was also tested with aquifer groundwater under saturated flow conditions to mimic environmental conditions with promising results (8×108 plaque forming unit/g and 3×104 focal forming unit/g, respectively). Desorption of up to 63% of infectious MS2 and only 2% of infectious RV from hematite nanoparticles were achieved when an eluant solution containing beef extract and glycine was used. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed evidence of electrostatic adsorption of apparently intact MS2 and structurally damaged RV particles to hematite nanoparticles. Results from this research suggest that a cartridge made of glass fiber coated with hematite nanoparticles could be used as a point-of-use device for virus removal for drinking water treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Horizontal gene transfers, where a significant proportion of the coding DNA is contributed by external sources, might give rise to extremely dynamic genomes, which brings impact on the ecological and pathogenic characters of the recipient organisms. Therefore it is important to computationally discriminate between horizontal transferred genes and normal genes. In this paper, we introduce a novel method for identifying horizontal transferred genes. This method, which relies on a gene''s nucleotide composition and hence obviates the need for knowledge of codon boundaries, is able to detect the horizontal transferred genes with an accuracy of higher than 90% within a reasonable length of time by using just a common PC. With this method, 141 putative transferred genes in mammalian herpesvirus were identified. Among them, 16 genes had been predicted or reported to have cellular homologues in previous papers, including those involved in immune systems and apoptosis such as GCR in EHV-2, BCL-2 (Bcelllymphoma/leukemia-2) homologue in MuHV-4, etc., and had been suggested being acquired from other organisms. Other 125 genes were identified for the first time. Twelve of the newly identified putative transferred genes had also been reported to participate in immune response, apoptosis, cell proliferation control or virulence determinant. Moreover, 42 of the 141 putative transferred genes were found to have non-virus homologues and so were convincingly revealed as transferred genes. Nine of the 42 transferred genes were phylogenetically analyzed, the origin and the relative origin time of which were discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The approaches based on different particle swarm optimization (PSO) techniques are applied to solve the short-term hydro-thermal scheduling problem. In the proposed methods, many constraints of the hydro-thermal system, such as power balance, water balance, reservoir volume limits and the operation limits of hydro and thermal plants, are considered. The feasibility of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated through an example system, and the results are compared with the results of a genetic algorithm and evolutionary programming approaches. The experimental results show that all the PSO algorithms have the ability to achieve nearly global solutions, but a local version of PSO with inertia weight appears to be the best amongst all the PSOs in terms of high quality solution. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Consensus patterns of baculovirus sequences upstream from the translational initiation sites have been analyzed and a web tool, Local Alignment Promoter Predictor (LAPP), for the prediction of baculovirus promoter sequences has also been developed. Potential consensus sequences, i.e., TCATTGT, TCTTGTA, CTCGTAA, TCCATTT and TCATT plus TCGT in approximately 30bp spacing context, have been found in baculovirus promoter regions, in addition to well-characterized late and early promoter elements G/T/ATAAG and TATAA, which is accompanied about 30-bp downstream by a transcriptional initiation sequence CAGT or CATT. Promoter prediction is performed by a dynamic programming algorithm based on maximal segment pair measure with scores above some cutoff against each sequence in a refined promoter database. The algorithm was able to discriminate between promoter and non-promoter sequences in a test set of baculovirus sequences with prediction specificity and sensitivity superior to that using five other eukaryotic promoter recognition programs available on the Internet. A web server that implements the LAPP with continually updated promoter database is freely available at http://life.zsu.edu.cn/LAPP/. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Phylogenetic Tree Reconstruction (PTreeRec) is a web-based tool for automatic phylogeny inferences from whole-genome sequences, which accepts files of DNA sequences in the FASTA format and allows users to save the output tree file, and displays the inferred tree through an applet in a web browser. PTreeRec involves three basic steps. First, regions of maximal segment pairs (MSPs) based on an all-against-all pairwise comparison of genomes are located. Second, a distance matrix is calculated from MSP scores or coverage. Finally, a phylogenetic tree is reconstructed by the neighbor-joining method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

With increasing share of renewable energy (RE) in power system, the unit commitment of hybrid power system have become more complicated due to network security demand and integration of pumped hydro energy storage (PHES). In this paper, a network-constrained unit commitment (NCUC) problem considering RE uncertainty and modulation of PHES has been raised. The NCUC model, with AC network security constraints and environmental constraints as well as traditional terms of constraints, is complicated to be solved. A novel Binary Artificial Sheep Algorithm (BASA) is used to solve the NCUC model. In the frame of BASA, the NCUC problem is decomposed as a master UC problem to determine start/stop status and economic load dispatch and a sub problem to check the AC network constraints. Based on the NCUC model and the solving method, the joint impacts of RE uncertainty and PHES have been studied. Test systems with different size have been adopted to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the BASA. It is seen that the BASA has achieve an overall competitive performance on terms of operation cost and convergence speed by comparing it with existing methods. A modified IEEE 30-bus system with wind and photovoltaic power stations has been designed to reveal the impacts of RE and PHES. The results demonstrate that uncertainty of RE affects operation cost and security of the hybrid power system, and the adverse impact would aggravate as the RE forecasting error increase. The results also confirm the significant effect of PHES in restraining the negative influence of RE uncertainty. • The NCUC problem consisting of RE uncertainty and PHES has been studied. • A decomposition method based on BASA is designed to solve the NCUC problem. • Network constraints based on AC power flow are checked. • Joint impact of RE uncertainty and PHES has been analyzed quantificationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

S-scheme Bi 3 NbO 7 /Bi 2 MoO 6 (BNO/BMO) heterojunction composite photocatalysts were successfully synthesized by hydrothermal method, the photocatalytic degradation of TC by the prepared catalysts was evaluated under visible light. The supreme photocatalytic activity of the prepared samples was achieved when BMO loading is 20%, and its degradation rate is 1.8 times higher than pure BNO. BNO and BMO closely contacted each other to achieve efficient separation of photogenerated carriers under the internal electric field. The main active species and carrier lifetimes were investigated by capture experiments and time-resolved transient decay spectra, combined with other characterization techniques, suggesting possible S-scheme photocatalytic mechanism, which also provides a new way for the treatment of antibiotics in environmental remediation. • Construction of S-scheme heterojunction consumes the unnecessary electrons and holes and maintains the redox potential of the whole system at a high level. • BMO can provide more reactive sites owing to large specific surface area for the photocatalyst. • The internal electric field formed by the close contact between the semiconductors can provide the driving force for the migration of photogenerated carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most severe microangiopathies of diabetes mellitus and is a leading cause of end stage renal disease. Numerous studies suggest that podocyte injury contributes to progressive proteinuria. Podocytes are highly specialized, terminally differentiated cells that are unable to proliferate, autophagy plays a key role in maintaining the structure and function of podocytes. Autophagy impairment is involved in the pathogenesis of podocyte loss, which leads to massive proteinuria in DN. In the present study, we investigated the effects of mangiferin on nephropathy in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats; we focused on pathological factors related to autophagy in podocytes and the AMPK-mTOR-ULK1 pathway. The results showed that chronic treatment with mangiferin significantly decreased albuminuria, inhibited glomerular extracellular matrix expansion and restored the expression of nephrin, a podocyte marker, in diabetic rats; these results suggest that mangiferin delayed the process of DN and protected the podocytes. In addition, mangiferin induced autophagy, as shown by the up-regulation of LC3 II and the down-regulation of p62 in both DN rats and podocytes. Transmission electron microscope analyses showed that mangiferin increased the number of autophagosomes in the podocytes of DN rats. This underlying mechanism was associated with the up-regulation of AMPK phosphorylation, the down-regulation of mTOR phosphorylation and the up-regulation of p-ULK1. Taken together, mangiferin delayed the progression of DN and protected the podocytes by enhancing autophagy under diabetic conditions via the AMPK-mTOR-ULK1 pathway. These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the renoprotective effects of mangiferin in DN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of niobate glass ceramics with varying glass content have been prepared via controlled-crystallization route, and the dielectric properties, the breakdown characteristics and charge–discharge behaviors have been investigated. The correlation between the dielectric breakdown performance and the activation energy was studied by the measurements of the dielectric breakdown strength and impedance spectroscopy. The charge–discharge efficiency was investigated using a charge–discharge system with high-speed capacitor discharge circuit device. It was found that the dielectric breakdown strength and the discharge efficiency strongly depend on the interface polarization based on the results of complex impedance analysis. With the increase of the glass content, the breakdown strength (BDS) and the charge–discharge efficiency show a clear increasing trend, when the content of glass was 60%, the typical G60 sample shows a high BDS of 1300 kV/cm and a high charge–discharge efficiency of 92.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ba x Sr 1− x TiO 3 –(Ba–B–Al–Si–O) glass ceramics (BST–BBAS) was prepared via controlled crystallization. The effect of the crystallization temperature on the electric properties of BST–BBAS glass ceramics were investigated. The results show that the BDS first increases with the crystallization temperature rising until the maximum and then changes to decrease. In order to get higher energy storage materials, the microwave treatment was introduced to this study. It was found that microwave treatment restrain the formation of the dendritic microstructure, so that improve the dielectric breakdown strength (BDS) (increased from 1166 kV/cm to 1486 kV/cm). In addition, the relationship between the breakdown properties and activation energy of glass ceramics was investigated. In this study, due to the quite high dielectric BDS and comparatively high dielectric constant, the energy densities reach to 2.8 J/cm 3 (treated at 950 °C by microwave heat method), which is relatively high for bulk materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]