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Understanding and controlling hydrate formation are of vital importance for the storage and transportation of natural gas. In this work, the influence of a solid surface on the stability of a hydra...

In this work, port crank angles strategies for maximizing engine volumetric efficiency of a commercial rotary engine are studied. The internal combustion engines computer program, which simulates an actual working processes, has been used. Overall performance characteristics such as the cycle efficiency, engine power are calculated by a mathematical model. The model is calibrated with data obtain from a measured in-cylinder pressure, and validated against the experimental data. In-take opening and closing time, exhaust opening and closing time are chosen as optimization variables when volumetric efficiency was taken as the objective function. First, the intake opening time is the only optimization variable and it can be found that intake opening time is in advance as engine speed is increased. Second, four variables including intake opening and closing, exhaust opening and closing have been taken as the optimization variables, a further increase in volumetric efficiency was obtained, with the highest gain being of 1.03% at 17000 rpm. But opening the exhaust opening very late will reduce the power.

The structure and stability of two-dimensional hydrogen hydrate were investigated in this work using density functional theory. The results are in line with expectations that the occupied cages are more stable after their confinement between two parallel hydrophobic sheets. The four two-dimensional hydrogen hydrate crystals - BLHH-I, BLHH-II, BLHH-III and BLHH-IV - that we predicted were much more stable in a restricted environment than in a free environment, even close to or exceeding conventional hydrogen hydrates. Besides, we found that the stability of two-dimensional hydrates is inversely related to the increase in temperature. Our work highlights that two-dimensional hydrates provide a new research idea in the field of hydrogen storage.

Opsins play important roles in the image-forming visual pathways and numerous biological systems such as the biological clock and circadian rhythm. However, the nonvisual opsins involved in nonimage forming process are not clear to date. The aim of this study was to characterize nonvisual opsins in Paralichthys olivaceus. A total of 24 nonvisual opsin genes were identified. Expressions of these genes in eye, brain, heart, testis, and fin were investigated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Testis contained a surprisingly large number of nonvisual opsins including Opn4m2, Tmt2a, Tmt3b, Opn3, RRH, Opn7a, and Opn7b. Syntenic and phylogenetic analyses confirmed that the RGRa and RGRb originated from the teleost-specific genome duplication (TSGD). qRT-PCR results demonstrated high RGRa and RGRb expression in the eye, while the expression levels in the brain, heart, testis, and fin were relatively weak. In situ hybridization results presented here revealed the presence of both RGRa and RGRb mRNA-positive signals in the ganglion cell layer but absence in the intracellular compartment of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and Müller glial cells. Therefore, we hypothesized that RGRa and RGRb had undergone subfunctionalization in P. olivaceus after TSGD. In conclusion, this study provides novel insights into the evolutionary fates of the RGR genes, still, further studies need to be done to explore the mechanism about the lack of RGR genes' expression in RPE.

Ti doped DLC coating was deposited on ductile iron disk commonly used material in small Wankel rotary engine. The friction coefficient under the working condition of apex seal was investigated. The results show that the Ti doped DLC coating is of low friction coefficient. In addition, the surface hardness and the morphology were improved by Ti doped DLC coating. After that, the Ti doped DLC coating was deposited on the housing. A performance testing platform for small Wankel rotary engine was built. The effect of Ti doped DLC coating under motored and working conditions were measured. The results show that when the operation speed varies from 7 000 to 17 000 r/min, the friction loss between apex seal and Ti doped DLC coating ranges 15~38 W under motored condition. It is only 68% of the friction loss between apex seal and ductile iron. Under working condition, the coating increases 23~78 W of the engine output power, which can improve the output power of small Wankel rotary engine by 24%~43%.

As an isoform of Rho family GTPases, RhoB plays a pivotal role in cytoskeletal organization, cell proliferation, apoptosis and immune response. However, the regulatory mechanisms of RhoB expression in aquatic animals are still unknown. In the present study, we first construct Vibrio anguillarum infection model in S. maximus, including susceptible and resistant individuals. Then the temporal expression of RhoB was detected after V. anguillarum challenge using qRT-PCR and found that RhoB transcripts were significantly induced in the liver, gill and blood despite of differential expression levels and responsive time points. In addition, the mRNA levels of RhoB in resistant individuals were significantly higher than in susceptible ones. The length of 2083 bp sequences of RhoB promoter was cloned and characterized. Moreover, DNA methylation of the RhoB promoter was measured by bisulfite sequencing (BSP) and hypo-methylated was detected in the CpG islands. Three SNPs (−1590, −1575 and −1449) and two haplotypes in the promoter region of RhoB were identified to be associated with V. anguillarum resistance in turbot by association analysis in group 17-R and 17-S. Deletion analysis indicated that these SNPs could negatively mediate the activity of RhoB promoter. Site-directed mutagenesis and qRT-PCR of individuals with different genotypes demonstrated that −1575 T/A polymorphism affected promoter activity. Further study showed that this mutation altered the binding site of the transcription factor CREB. Co-transfection of SmCREB and RhoB promoter was performed in HEK293T cells which confirmed the −1575 allelic differences on transcriptional activity, with the susceptibility allele showing reduced activity. Taken together, our findings implicate that losing of binding of CREB to SmRhoB promoter due to −1575T/A polymorphisms enhances SmRhoB expression in resistant turbot, which provide insights into the effect of SmRhoB expression in response to V. anguillarum infection.

This study attempts to analyze the residual stress redistribution under fretting loading by using FEM. The FE analysis model used in this study considers the variation of surface yield strength, the evolution of contact surface profile and the variable friction coefficient. The initial residual stress of shot-peened specimen is measured by X-ray diffraction method. Nano-indentation experiment is conducted to measure the yield strength of material surface layer. Pin-on-plate wear experiment is used to measure the wear coefficient of shot-peened aluminum 7075-T6. A fretting experiment is designed to measure the friction coefficient and verify the FE analysis model. The results show that the relaxation of residual stress is more likely to occur near the trailing edge of contact area, and the specimen with higher shot peening intensity undergoes the larger residual stress relaxation. In addition, the residual stress near the contact center region increases with the increase of loading cycles due to the fretting wear.

Polyaniline/oxidation etching g-C3N4 composites (PANI/OCN) were synthesized through an oxidative polymerization method and applied to remove U(VI)from aqueous solution as an adsorbent. The PANI/OCN showed high maximum adsorption capacity (qm = 312.5 mg g−1, T = 293 K, pH = 5), which was higher than OCN and many other adsorbents,and extremely fast adsorption rate (in 10 min). The adsorption process was fitted well to the pseudo-second-order kinetic equation and Langmuir model. Adsorption–desorption experiment revealed the good reusability of PANI/OCN. This study provides a potential composite with excellent performance for U(VI) removal.

GATA5 is a member of the GATA transcription factor family, which serves essential roles in varieties of cellular functions and biological processes. In this study, we have accomplished the molecular cloning, bioinformatic analysis and preliminary function study of C. semilaevis GATA5. The full-length cDNA nucleotide sequence is 1955 bp, with a coding sequence of 1167 bp, which encodes a polypeptide of 388 amino acids. Homology, phylogenetic, gene structure and synteny analysis showed that C. semilaevis GATA5 was highly conserved among vertebrates. Tissue distribution pattern exhibited that C. semilaevis GATA5 was significantly expressed in heart, intestine, liver, kidney and gonad, with a sexual dimorphic feature observed in testis and ovary. Embryonic development expression profiles showed that C. semilaevis GATA5 transcripts increased at the blastula stage, and peaked at the heat-beating period. Strong signals were detected at spermatids of male testis and stage III oocytes of female ovary by ISH. The expression of C. semilaevis GATA5 was regulated by 17α-MT and E2 after hormone stimulation to the ovary. Together, all the results pointed out that GATA5 might play a vital role during gonadal maturation and the reproductive cycle of C. semilaevis. This study lays the foundation for further researches on the sex control breeding in tongue sole.

Black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) is a teleost species where eggs are fertilized internally and retained in the maternal reproductive system, where they undergo development until live birth (termed viviparity). In the present study, we report a chromosome-level black rockfish genome assembly. High-throughput transcriptome analysis (RNA-seq and ATAC-seq), coupled with in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunofluorescence, identify several candidate genes for maternal preparation, sperm storage and release, and hatching. We propose that zona pellucida (ZP) genes retain sperm at the oocyte envelope, while genes in two distinct astacin metalloproteinase subfamilies serve to release sperm from the ZP and free the embryo from chorion at pre-hatching stage. Finally, we present a model of black rockfish reproduction, and propose that the rockfish ovarian wall has a similar function to uterus of mammals. Taken together, these genomic data reveal unprecedented insights into the evolution of an unusual teleost life history strategy, and provide a sound foundation for studying viviparity in non-mammalian vertebrates and an invaluable resource for rockfish ecology and evolution research.

The effect of wear on the crack propagation behavior for short cracks under fretting conditions is investigated by using numerical method. The numerical simulation effectively combines the remeshing technology with the adaptive meshing technology, and the evolution of contact force and crack length caused by wear can be considered in this study. The critical distortional elastic energy criterion is used to determine the threshold condition of short crack propagation, and the Archard equation is employed for wear simulation. The results show that wear reduces the short crack propagation rate. Furthermore, the effect of wear on the short crack propagation rate is more obvious for the shorter initial crack length.

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a form of chronic vasculitis that mainly affects the aorta and its main branches, most commonly in young female patients. The pathogenesis of the disease remains unclear, and the clinical manifestations are nonspecific. Therefore, misdiagnosis of the disease is considered to be common. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, TA affecting veins has not been reported. Here we report a case of an adolescent with TA affecting the femoral vein as diagnosed by ultrasound.

The structure and stability of the two-dimensional methane hydrate confined within two graphene sheets are examined with density functional theory. Our calculations suggest that the confined methane hydrate has two distinct patterns, namely, the stable “plum-pudding” structure and the less stable “sandwich” structure. Further, our results indicate that the initial formation process of two-dimensional methane hydrate is that water molecules arrange around the methane molecule to create tetragonal rings that are vertical to the graphene sheet, which will further result in the formation of an intact cage.

Myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) links members of the toll-like receptor (TLR) and interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R) superfamily to the downstream activation of NF-κB as a “bridge” molecular in response to exogenous pathogen, but the function in spotted knifejaw (Oplegnathus. punctatus), a commercial fish in China, is still unknown. We present a functional analysis of spotted knifejaw MyD88 (OppMyD88) with a typical death domain (DD) at the N-terminus and a conservative Toll/IL-1R (TIR) domain at the C-terminus and suggest that MyD88 is important for the activation of TLR-mediated NF-κB with the synergy between domains. Subcellular localization showed that OppMyD88 was distributed in the cytoplasm in a condensed form. Tissues expression profiling analysis showed that OppMyD88 ubiquitously expressed in all tested tissues with the highest expression in the liver, as determined by real-time PCR. The expression of OppMyD88 significantly upregulated in the liver, spleen, kidney and gills within 120 h post Vibrio anguillarum infection. Moreover, we further confirmed that over-expressed OppMyD88 could also induce apoptosis. These results indicate that OppMyD88 might possess important roles in defense against microbial infection and other biological processes in spotted knifejaw similar to those in mammals, which will deepen our understandings in innate immunity of spotted knifejaw.

The aim of this paper is to study effect of DLC coating on the friction power loss caused by apex seal in small Wankel rotary engine. A numerical model which is capable of evaluating the lubrication state under mixed lubrication is built. The involved parameters of DLC coating are obtained through experiment. Then, the effect of DLC coating is numerically investigated and validated by experimental result. Results show that the friction power loss for DLC coated surface is about 55% of that for uncoated surface. It is partly attributed to the low friction coefficient of DLC coating. Besides, the normal force of asperity is decreased by DLC coating. It is also conducive to the reduction of the power loss.

Maldistribution of underfloor airflow rate causes the nonuniform cooling power distribution of server racks in large-scale data center. In this regard, the constructal theory improves the uniformity and efficiency of airflow distribution by optimizing the geometric design of fluid distribution network. Thus, the design of a T-shaped underfloor air duct network based on the constructal theory was proposed for airflow uniformity optimization, and the concept of modular data center based on the constructal duct system was introduced in this study. The optimal air structure for the supply terminal was analyzed among 8 configurations by using CFD simulations. And then the optimal terminal was employed in an expanded modular data center with four rack modules and the constructal air ducts system. Finally, the rectifiers and ceiling vents were deployed in the model for improving the airflow uniformity in further. By designing the constructal T-shaped underfloor air duct network with the optimal structure and associated models, the airflow uniformity in the modular data center with 4 modules was improved, and the standard deviations of overall inlet and outlet air temperature of each rack were only 0.98 and 0.56.

Many achievements have been made to develop quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and gene-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to facilitate practical marker-assisted selection (MAS) in aquatic animals. However, the systematic studies of SNPs associated with extreme threshold traits were poor in populations lacking of parental genomic information. Coupling next generation sequencing with bulked segregant analysis (BSA) should allow identification of numerous associated SNPs with extreme phenotypes. In the present study, using combination of SNP frequency difference and Euclidean distance, we conducted linkage analysis of SNPs located in genes involved in immune responses, and identified markers associated with Vibrio anguillarum resistance in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus). A total of 221 SNPs was found as candidate SNPs between resistant and susceptible individuals. Among these SNPs, 35 loci located in immune related genes were genotyped in verification population and 7 of them showed significant association with V. anguillarum resistance in both alleles and genotypes (P 0.05). Among these 7 genes, PIK3CA-like, CYLD, VCAM1, RhoB and RhoGEF are involved in PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and NF-κB pathway, which influence the efficiency of bacteria entering the host and inflammation. SNP-SNP interaction analysis was performed by generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR). The combination of SNP loci in RhoB, PIK3CA-like and ADCY3 showed a significant effect on V. anguillarum resistance with the verification rate in the sequencing population up to 70.8%. Taken all, our findings demonstrated the feasibility of BSA-seq approach in identifying genes responsible for the extreme phenotypes and will aid in performing MAS in turbot.

Tristeza, caused by citrus tristeza virus (CTV; Closterovirus, Closteroviridae), is of significant economic importance. Tristeza epidemics have caused severe declines in productivity, and even death, of millions of citrus trees on sour orange rootstock in many regions all over the world. In the field, CTV is most efficiently vectored by the brown citrus aphid (Toxoptera citricida (Kirkaldy)) in a semipersistent manner. The transmission efficiency of the vector is influenced by its acquisition access period (AAP) for CTV. A real-time RT-PCR assay using SYBR Green fluorescent dye was used to estimate the CTV titers in groups of 15 aphids under AAPs after 0.5 to 48 h for three CTV isolates (CT11A, CT16-2, and CTLJ). Similar trends for CTV titer in viruliferous aphids were displayed for the three isolates. The maximum CTV titer was at AAP 6 h for isolates CT11A and CT16-2, and at 4 h for isolate CTLJ. During the AAPs from 0.5 to 6 h, the mean CTV titer of CT16-2 increased from 7.8 × 104 to 1.71 × 107 copies per 15 aphids, and was correlated with an increase in transmission rate from 20 to 90.9%. This suggests that the transmission efficiency is positively correlated with viral titer in the insect from 0.5 h until 6 h AAPs. While a downward trend in CTV titer was observed after a 6-h AAP, the transmission rate remained higher than 90% up to 48 h. These results indicate that factors other than the virus titer in the vector contribute to successful transmission under long acquisition conditions. This is the first detailed quantitative analysis of CTV in its main vector species following different AAPs and its association with transmission efficiency, and should enhance our understanding of T. citricida-CTV interactions.

The U-type ground heat exchanger is a significant component of the ground source heat pump (GSHP) system, transferring heat from the soil for the air conditioning requirements. Heat accumulation becomes a common problem for the practical application of such systems in southern China. Moreover, the buried pipes containing heat exchangers are constructed in a group form, making the heat accumulation situation more severe and complex. A 3-dimensional simulation model of a 9-well buried pipe group was established and validated by a thermal response test conducted in Nanjing, China. On the basis of this model, the influence of underground seepage water temperature and flow rate on thermal distribution was investigated. Subsequently, the heat transfer capacity of single-well depth in a heat exchanger under varying conditions was calculated. It is concluded that a serious heat accumulation occurs without groundwater seepage. With seepage flow, the heat accumulation can be dissipated. Lower seepage temperature has a modestly beneficial effect on the heat dissipation. The heat accumulation can be better dissipated and the heat transfer capacity per well depth can be improved with greater seepage flow rate.

Pressure stabilizing performance of orifice plates is analyzed by the method of simulation. To guarantee the high efficiency of analysis, an orthogonal table designation L9(34) is established. Range analysis is performed by using the method of orthogonal design. In the meantime, the results show that the number of horizontal plates is the main influence factor of pressure stabilizing performance. By analyzing flow characteristics, internal flow performance of pressure stabilizing cavity is demonstrated. Simultaneously, the mechanism of optimal pressure stabilizing performance is illustrated from both global and local perspectives. Increasing the number of horizontal plates reduces flow area of the cavity and brings extra throttling loss, thus improving the performance of pressure stabilizing. The final design of orifice plates can accurately control the amount of fuel injection which in turn guarantee the reliability of the air-assisted injection system.

The present study aims to determine the expression of interleukin (IL)-10 in peripheral blood of patients with sepsis, and investigate its effects on the biological function of vascular endothelial cells.Thirty-six sepsis patients and 20 healthy subjects were included. Peripheral blood was collected from all subjects. ELISA was used to determine IL-10 content in serum. A ratio of IL-10⁺ T cells was determined by flow cytometry. CCK-8 assay was used to investigate proliferation. Cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry. Western blotting was used to examine the expression of phosphorylated STAT3 protein.The content of IL-10 and the ratio of IL-10⁺ T cells were enhanced in pa-tients with sepsis. Serum from patients with sepsis inhibited the proliferation of HU-VECs, and addition of IL-10 antibody reversed this effect. IL-10 in the serum from patients with sepsis promoted the apoptosis of HUVECs. IL-10 inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of HUVECs by enhancing the phosphorylation of STAT3.The present study demonstrates that the content of IL-10 and the ratio of IL-10⁺ T cells in peripheral blood of patients with sepsis are up-regulated, and this inhibits HUVEC proliferation and promotes HUVEC apoptosis through STAT3 sig-naling pathway. The results in this study provide a new experimental basis for further understanding the molecular mechanism of sepsis-induced vascular injury.

In this study, a complex bacterial consortium was enriched from a typical Pb-Zn mine area and immobilized by sodium alginate to form biospheres, which were used for treatment of selenite (Se(IV))- and cadmium (Cd(II))-containing wastewater without external carbon source. Batch experiments showed that the maximum Se(IV) removal efficiency was 92.36% under the optimal conditions of an initial pH of 5, dosage of 5 g/L, initial Se(IV) concentration of 7.9 mg/L and reaction time of 168 h. Subsequently, more than 99% of 11.2 mg/L Cd(II) was removed by the biospheres within 10 h. Physicochemical characterization showed that reduction and adsorption were the main mechanisms for Se(IV) and Cd(II) removal, respectively. During the removal process, selenium and CdSe nanoparticles were formed. Bacterial community analysis showed the dominant bacterial genera changed after treatment of Se(IV)- and Cd(II)-containing wastewater. Additionally, 16S rRNA gene function prediction results showed that amino acid transport, carbohydrate transport, ion transport and metabolism were the dominant gene functions. The present study provides a potential way for the biological treatment of Se(IV)- and Cd(II)-containing wastewater using immobilized biospheres without external carbon source in short-term.

Objectives Previous studies have reported inconsistent results on the relationship between alcohol intake and the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to illustrate the potential role of alcohol intake on the progression of SLE. Methods An electronic search of the PubMed, EmBase, and the Cochrane library databases was conducted from their inception up to March 2020. Observational studies that investigated the role of alcohol intake on the risk of SLE were eligible for inclusion in this study. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated as an effect estimate using the random-effects model. Results Seven case-control studies (n = 3, 251) and three cohort studies (n = 322, 479) were selected for the final meta-analysis. Mild (OR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.53–1.38; p = 0.515) or heavy (OR: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.37–1.09; p = 0.102) alcohol intake were not associated with the risk of SLE, while moderate alcohol intake could protect against the risk of SLE (OR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.55–0.93; p = 0.012). Sensitivity analysis suggested that heavy alcohol intake was associated with a reduced risk of SLE (OR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.32–0.67; p Conclusions This study found that moderate alcohol intake could protect against the risk of SLE, while mild or heavy alcohol intake did not significantly affect the risk of SLE.

In this work, combining first-principles calculations with kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations, we constructed an irregular carbon bridge on the graphene surface and explored the process of H migration from the Pt catalyst to carbon bridge, and further migration to the graphene surface. The calculated reaction diagrams show that the hydrogen atoms can easily migrate from the Pt cluster to the carbon bridge with a low barrier of 0.22-0.86 eV, and KMC simulations indicate that the migration reactions can take place at intermediate temperatures (91.9-329.5 K). Our research clarified the role of the carbon bridge: (1) the close combination of Pt clusters and carbon bridges reduces H2 adsorption enthalpy, which facilitates the spillover of H atoms from the Pt cluster to the carbon bridges and (2) the unsaturated carbon atoms on the carbon bridges have radical character and tend to bind radical H atoms. The subsequent study shows that the F atoms decorated on graphene can greatly reduce the migration barrier of H atoms from the carbon bridge to graphene. With F atoms decorated, the carbon atoms are in an electron-deficient state, which have a strong ability to bind the hydrogen atoms, and it promotes the migration of H atoms to the graphene surface. The migration barrier and reaction temperature are reduced to 0.72 eV and 279 K, respectively.

Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-lup-10.1177_0961203321991918 for Association between alcohol intake and the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus: A systematic review and meta-analysis by Jinghua Wang, Jinxiang Liu, Lu Pan, Lishuang Guo, Congcong Liu and Sirui Yang in Lupus

Supplemental material, sj-pdf-2-lup-10.1177_0961203321991918 for Association between alcohol intake and the risk of systemic lupus erythematosus: A systematic review and meta-analysis by Jinghua Wang, Jinxiang Liu, Lu Pan, Lishuang Guo, Congcong Liu and Sirui Yang in Lupus

Using density functional theory, we have performed detailed calculations of the joint catalytic activity of graphene co-doped with Fe and N atoms. The Fe atom can be located on single vacancy graphene and acts as the active site. Due to the strong attraction of the Fe ion, the O-O bond length of the O2 molecule is elongated, which decreases the bonding energy between the O atoms. The energy barrier of CO oxidization is 0.84 eV. When N atoms are doped into the graphene, the interactions between the Fe ions and O2 molecules are stronger, and the O-O bond lengths are elongated further, which makes the desorption of the quasi-CO2 molecule easier. The energy barriers are reduced to 0.62 eV, 0.49 eV, and 0.33 eV for graphene doped with one, two and three N atoms, respectively. The O atom remaining on the Fe ion can form a CO2 molecule with an additional CO molecule. The produced CO2 molecule can be released with a small or even zero energy barrier by adsorbing an O2 molecule. The adsorbed O2 molecule is then involved in the next reaction process, and the material can be used as a recycled catalyst.

Objective Type 1 regulatory T (Tr1) cells are involved in the pathogenesis of numerous immune-mediated diseases. However, little is known about whether and how Tr1 cells affect the development of IgA vasculitis (IgAV). We aimed to investigate this question in IgAV patients. Methods . Tr1 cells in peripheral blood and kidney tissue of IgAV patients were analysed by multi-parametric flow cytometry and immunofluorescence techniques. An in vitro assay of suppression of T cell proliferation and cytokine release was performed to evaluate the function of Tr1 cells. Real-time PCR and cell stimulation in vitro were used to explore the roles of IL-27 and early growth response gene 2 (EGR2). Results The frequency of Tr1 cells was decreased in peripheral blood but increased in kidney tissue from IgAV patients. A defective suppressive function of Tr1 cells in IgAV was observed. The frequency of Tr1 cells and the cytokines secreted by them were up-regulated in the presence of recombinant IL-27 in vitro. Moreover, IL-27 also increased the expression of EGR2. Furthermore, lower frequency of Tr1 cells during remission had a higher recurrence rate. Conclusion Tr1 cells are involved in the pathogenesis of IgAV. The low IL-27 in IgAV is responsible for impaired frequency and function of Tr1 cells, and EGR2 may be the specific transcription factor involved in the progression. Tr1 may be a risk factor for IgAV recurrence.

The type 2 interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R2) is one of natural IL-1β singling inhibitors in mammals. We cloned and sequenced the IL-1R2 gene in V. variegatus (VvIL-1R2). The phylogenetic analysis showed that the molecular structure VvIL-1R2 is similar to that of its orthologues in other vertebrates. The expression levels of VvIL-1R2 are relatively high in the peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs), gill, and spleen. In addition, peculiar expression patterns for his molecule were detected at various developmental stages, implying that in flatfishes the IL-1R2 may have be important for embryonic development and metamorphosis. In PBLs, the treatment with pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) induced a significant and rapid up-regulation of VvIL-1R2, pointing at its involvement in the immune responses against bacterial and viral pathogens.

Kruppel-like factor 4 (Klf4) is a zinc finger protein transcription factor of the KLF family and plays an important role in various important biological process, including cell proliferation, differentiation, embryonic development, and cancer formation. In this study, the full length Klf4 cDNA sequence of Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) was analyzed. Phylogenetic, gene structure, and synteny analysis revealed that PoKlf4 was conserved to that of teleost. Transcript of PoKlf4 showed that its expression was high during early embryonic development but reduced when gastrulation began, thus indicating its possible role in embryonic development. Tissue expression pattern showed that PoKlf4 was expressed higher in ovaries than in testes. ISH revealed that PoKlf4 was also expressed in spermatogonium, oocytes, and oogonia and in high levels in epithelial and lamellar epithelial cells of gills. Functional characterization of PoKlf4 gene promoter provided valuable information in understanding the molecular regulatory mechanisms of PoKlf4 gene. PoKlf4 could up-regulate Nanog, a gene that prevents ES cells from differentiating and being up-regulated by Pou5f3 and Stat3 genes that could maintain ES cell self-renewal. These results suggested that PoKlf4 maintains the pluripotency of ES cells. This study provides valuable information in exploring the regulatory network of PoKlf4 and lays the foundation for further research on the function of this gene.

The double evaporating temperature (DET) chiller has been considered as a credible method to realize temperature and humidity independent control (THIC). Energy performance optimization is of great significance for the extensive application of the DET chiller. In this paper, entransy method is employed to analyze heat transfer performance of heat exchangers based on the extremum principle of entransy dissipation (EPED) and the minimum entransy dissipation-based thermal resistance (EDTR). The entransy dissipation rate and EDTR are discussed in detail to indicate the impacts of tl,c, th,c (i.e., temperature of low temperature chilled water, high temperature chilled water), MC(R32): MC(R236fa) (i.e., mass concentration ratio of R32 to R236fa), and structural parameters on heat transfer performance of heat exchangers. The results indicate that the lowest entransy dissipation rate of heat exchangers are achieved when MC(R32): MC(R236fa) is 40%: 60%. The design tl,c/th,c are suggested to be set at 7/16 °C to reduce the entransy dissipation rate and EDTR of heat exchangers, which is beneficial to strengthen energy utilization of the chiller for energy saving. Considering the significant effect of heat capacity ratio of two steams on the EDTR, mr (i.e., mass flow rate of refrigerant) and ml,c/mh,c/mc (i.e., mass flow rates of low/high temperature chilled water/cooling water) should be increased and decreased, respectively.

Onshore and offshore wind turbines may have different environmental sustainability due to their own characteristics, and this information is important for future growth of wind power. The paper uses life cycle assessment (LCA) to estimate the life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of onshore and offshore wind turbines with the nominal capacity of 2 MW, to advance our understanding of onshore and offshore wind energy and to inform policy, planning, and investment decisions for future growth of wind power. Results show that the life-cycle GHG emission intensity is 0.082 kg CO2-equivalent (eq)/Megajoule (MJ) for onshore wind turbine and is 0.130 kg CO2-eq/MJ for offshore wind turbine, respectively. Offshore wind turbine has larger life-cycle GHG emissions than onshore wind turbine, owing to the floating platform fixed in sea. Onshore and offshore wind turbines have much smaller life-cycle GHG emission intensity than coal power plants. If the installed wind turbines in 2014 displace coal, the saved GHG emissions can roughly reach 5.08 × 107 t CO2-eq, accounting for 0.09% of global GHG emissions in 2012. The sensitive analysis shows that the lifetime and energy production of wind turbine have large influences on the GHG emission intensity of both onshore and offshore wind turbines, implying that it is an effective way to prolong the lifetime of wind turbine and increase the energy production of wind turbine to reduce the GHG emission intensity of wind turbine. The sensitivity analysis further shows that the distance from wind turbine factory to wind farm site has more significant influence on the life-cycle GHG emission intensities of both onshore and offshore wind turbines than that from wind farm site to the recycling and landfill locations, suggesting that the wind farm site and the wind turbine factory should be as close as possible.

As the key component of the micro power system, the thermal performance of the micro combustor is crucial to the system efficiency. In this paper, the numerical simulation of a micro combustor partially filled with porous medium was conducted. The thermal non-equilibrium model was employed in to investigate the heat transfer between the gas and porous medium. The effect of wall thermal conductivity on thermal performance, chemical reactions in porous medium, and the heat recirculation through porous medium and wall was deeply analyzed. The results show that, in stable operation range, higher wall thermal conductivity or inlet velocity enhances the heat recirculation and reduces the heat loss ratio. The enhancement effect of wall thermal conductivity on reaction rate of R179 “i-C3H7+O2=C3H6+HO2” in porous medium zone is stronger for high inlet velocity and negligible for low inlet velocity. Increasing the wall thermal conductivity can promote the heat recirculation of the micro combustion mainly through gas-to-porous heat convection, while the gas-to-wall heat convection exchange can promote the flame moving upstream, extending the stable operation range of the micro porous combustor.

The multi-zone model is widely used to predict airflow and contaminant transport in large buildings under natural or mechanical ventilation. Selecting appropriate mixing factors and particle deposition velocities for the multi-zone model can compensate for the errors resulting from the model’s well-mixing assumption. However, different room types, air change rates and ventilation modes can result in different mixing factors and particle deposition velocities. This study selected three typical room types: Z-type, L-type, and rectangle type (R-type). For each room type, the mixing factors and particle deposition velocities were investigated by the CFD model under different natural ventilation rates (0.5 h−1, 1 h−1, 3 h−1, 6 h−1, 12 h−1 and 20 h−1) and modes (door-inlet, window-inlet). The results showed that the mixing factor of the Z-type room was the highest, and the mixing factors of these rooms were 1.32, 1.28 and 1.13, respectively. In addition, the mixing factors presented a V-shaped distribution as a function of the air exchange rate under the window-inlet mode. The particle deposition velocity increased as the air change rate increased, and also demonstrated that the V-shaped curves as a function of particle size (0.05 μm, 0.1 μm, 0.5 μm, 1 μm, 2.5 μm, 5 μm) varied under different air change rates and room types. The results of mixing factors and particle deposition velocities for different room types, air change rates and ventilation modes can be used to improve the accuracy of the multi-zone model.

In order to enhance the heat recirculation in micro combustors, a micro planar combustor partially filled with porous medium was developed. The objective of the present work is to study the interaction between the heat recirculation and the flame stability. The thermal non-equilibrium model was employed to investigate the heat transfer between the gas and porous medium. The results show that adding porous medium in micro combustor causes higher flame temperature and reduces the heat loss effectively. The stable operation range under different equivalence ratios was identified. The heat convection between gas and porous medium dominates the heat recirculation process. The gas-to-porous convection efficiency decreases with the increase of inlet velocity and equivalence ratio, while the gas-to-wall convection efficiency decreases first and then increases with the increase of inlet velocity. Higher wall thermal conductivity can increase the upper inlet velocity limits significantly, but it has negligible effect on the lower limits. The lower limits mainly depend on the heat loss from flame root to porous medium. The low temperature chemical reaction R179 “i-C3H7+O2=C3H6+HO2” occurs in porous medium for wall thermal conductivity of 150 W/m-K. The results above can provide guideline for the design of a high-efficiency micro porous combustor.

A recent research showed that data centers consumed about 1.3% of total worldwide electricity. Thus, energy conservation in data centers should be paid enough attention to. The impacts of server lower-side terminal baffles (SLTBs) on the thermal environment in data center are optimized by experiments and simulations. In this paper, three different sizes (4 cm × 46 cm, 8 cm × 46 cm and 12 cm × 46 cm) of baffles with six different baffle angles (0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60° and 75°) are applied to investigate the optimum airflow distribution. The simulation model was validated by on-site experiments, while the experimental results are in good agreement with numerical results. The measurements show that the use of 45° angle and 8 cm × 46 cm SLTBs can effectively eliminate the heat accumulation and improve the airflow distribution and cooling efficiency in data center. In addition, it can decrease the temperature of the rack hotspot 1.9–2.5K, that reduces significantly the risk of local hotspot and avoid catastrophic damages to the servers. Furthermore, the exhaust air temperature distribution of the upper and lower parts of rack was quite uniform and by using the optimal baffles, the maximum temperature difference reduced from 2.2K to 0.5K.

The stabilizing ability of a series of promoter molecules on sH hydrogen hydrates was investigated by ab initio calculations and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. The effect of the chemical activity of promoter molecules on the stability of the hydrogen hydrate was studied. The calculation results showed that the cohesive energy is an effective assessment indicator for the stability of the hydrate. Further, simulation results showed that the hydrogen hydrate can maintain its crystal structure for temperature ranging from 230 to 270 K, but its stability decreases with the increase of the temperature.

Cooling system has caused huge energy consumption in high-density data centers (DCs). Efficient thermal management makes a significant impact on energy saving of air conditioning system and safe operation of IT equipment. Air mixing in air flow space is an irreversible process leading to exergy loss from the view of Second-Law of Thermodynamics. In this paper, new exergetic evaluation metrics are proposed at room level and rack level respectively to reflect the causes and locations of inefficiency of cooling system in DCs. The effectiveness of new metrics is identified in a typical DC. Towards this, experimental measurement and numerical simulation are carried out to obtain the air distribution of thermal environment in a practical DC. Subsequently, the comparison with existing metrics demonstrates the applicability and advantage of new exergetic metrics. Exergy Loss Index below 50% is considered as good performance and it is suggested to be controlled below 80%. Finally, the contributions as well as the limitations of new proposed metrics are discussed when used in design and operation stages. It shows that introducing new exergetic metrics to the existing evaluation system is a more comprehensive way to evaluate the thermal management in typical DCs.