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Green financing has been proposed to stimulate and promote environment-friendly products such as low-carbon building and renewable energy to mitigate climate change since 2013; however, Taiwan's energy security is fragile and vulnerable to fluctuations of fossil prices. This study investigates how the promotion of green bonds benefits Taiwan's bioenergy production and emission reduction, as well as the development efficiency under various green-bond rates and volumes. We propose a price-endogenous, mathematical programming framework that incorporates the entire agricultural sector to simulate net bioenergy production, emission reduction, and overall profitability in the face of alternative bioenergy technologies and market conditions. The results show that if biopower and biofuel are eligible for low-cost bond financing, bioenergy production would be more stable. An increase in the emission trade price is favored to biopower technology, but this advantage will be partly recovered by a low borrowing rate because biofuel production will also be at a low production cost. In the face of energy price changes, we estimate that with an increase in green volume of US$0.61 to US$1.02 billion, a meaningful transition to bioenergy technology could occur.

The utilization of plant-based diets in fishes could be affected by their genetic backgrounds. To examine this, three strains of one-year-old gibel carp, Dongting (strain DT: 30.42 +/- 0.05 g), CAS III (strain A: 43.34 +/- 0.08 g) and CAS & (strain F: 61.78 +/- 0.10 g), were fed fishmeal (FM), soybean meal (SBM) and rapeseed meal (RM) diets for 8 weeks. The present results showed that growth performances, feed utilization, body composition, postprandial kinetics of plasma metabolites and gene expression of lipid metabolism markers in the three strains were affected by diets and strains (p 0.05). Strain A had higher SGR than strain DT and F (A > F > DT) with the three diets, whereas strain F had higher FE than the other two strains with FM and RM diets (p 0.05). Compared to FM diet, plant protein-based diets resulted in poor growth, feed use and nutrient retention in all the three strains, and different strains showed differing changes in fatty acid synthesis and oxidation to different dietary proteins. Overall, strain A showed better growth performances than the other two strains irrespective of diet, and all the three strains could utilize RM diet better than SBM diet.

Many fish species experience natural periods of starvation; however, mobilization of energy sources may vary. To elucidate the mechanism underlying energy utilization and metabolic adaptation to food deprivation in gibel carp (Carassis auratus gibelio var. CAS III), fish (initial body weight: 111.13 ± 0.65 g) were starved for 0 d, 1 d, 2 d, 7 d, and 21 d, respectively. After seven days of food deprivation, plasma glucose levels significantly decreased, whereas plasma free fatty acids levels significantly increased. Liver glycogen levels in the group starved for 7 d significantly decreased, whereas muscle glycogen levels decreased in the group starved for 21 d, suggesting that glycogen in the liver is first utilized to provide energy than glycogen in the muscle. The transcriptional levels of glucose transporter type 2 (GLUT2) in the liver were upregulated during starvation. No changes in the mRNA levels of glycolytic enzymes such as glucokinase (GK) and 6-phosphofructokinase (6PFK) were observed in the liver. Gluconeogenic potential increased with starvation, possibly for blood glucose homeostasis, as indicated by the enhanced mRNA levels of gluconeogenic enzymes, including glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase), and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK). The observation of a decrease in liver triglycerides content and the enhanced expression of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) suggests the mobilization of lipid reserve in the liver. Enhanced fatty acid oxidation as indicated by the upregulated mRNA carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 isoform a (CPT1a) and acyl-CoA oxidase 3 (ACO3) levels in the liver suggests that fatty acids are catabolized to provide energy during starvation. Sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1), ATP citrate lyase (ACLY), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), and fatty acid synthase (FAS) were downregulated during starvation in both liver and muscle, indicating suppressed lipogenesis.

Gas is adsorbed in the pores of coal matrix and during gas production gas is desorbed from the pore surface and diffuses through the matrix pore structure and flows in the fracture/cleat system to the production well or boreholes. However, coal is highly heterogeneous and anisotropic. How heterogeneity and anisotropy affect the gas storage and especially the diffusion behaviour is not well studied. In this work, a series of measurements were performed on three dry cubic coal samples cut from the same coal block from the Bowen Basin, Australia, using an adsorbing gas, methane. For each sample, gas adsorption experiments with gas flowing from three principal directions were performed. The diffusion data was fitted with a bidisperse diffusion model to obtain diffusion coefficient. The three samples, although from the same coal block, showed difference in adsorption amount and significant difference in effective diffusivity. It was found that the effective macropore diffusivity increased with gas pressure and effective micropore coefficient decreased with gas pressure. The effective diffusivity showed difference among samples and directions, demonstrating coal heterogeneity and anisotropy both have a significant impact on gas diffusion behaviour. However, no generalisation can be obtained with any single pore structure parameter, such as pore size or surface area, as it may be related to all pore and fracture structures at various scales.

Exploration in the Beetaloo Sub-basin in Australia's Northern Territory has indicated gas-saturated, quartz-rich source rocks that are gas mature and laterally continuous over large areas. In the Sub-basin shale targets have been identified within the Velkerri Formation and the Kyalla Formation. These shales are of Mesoproterozoic age and thus significantly older than any of the North American shale plays and most other shales currently under investigation for their gas production potential. In this work, we characterise two sets of drill cutting samples from the Beetaloo Sub-basin for their composition, pore structure, and CH4 adsorption capacity. The objective of this study is to assess the adsorption potential of these shales and investigate the properties controlling this. Measurements from other researchers are included in the analysis to determine to what degree commonly characterised properties such as bulk clay and total organic carbon (TOC) content control gas adsorption capacity on a larger scale and thus provide an indication of the range of adsorption behaviours that may be expected. The adsorption measurements are carried out at reservoir conditions - that is high pressures (up to 30 MPa) and high temperatures (up to 110 °C). The results show that the organic-rich (TOC: 3.7–6.2%) middle Velkerri shale samples have a significantly higher adsorption capacity (expressed by the Langmuir volume) than the clay-rich, organic-lean (TOC: 0.85–1.8%) lower Kyalla shale samples: 2.89–3.38 m3/t compared to 1.88–2.81 m3/t. This is in agreement with the higher average micropore volume of the middle Velkerri shale samples. Results of our analysis demonstrate that, depending on a shale's composition, different properties control gas adsorption in shale, though in the organic-rich middle Velkerri B shale samples the controlling paramters cannot be clearly determined. A positive correlation between TOC and CH4 adsorption capacity is observed, but only up to a TOC of 4.5%. Above this point the adsorption capacity appears to decrease again. The lack of a strictly positive correlation between TOC and adsorption capacity is likely caused by other parameters affecting sorption behaviour, in particular variations in organic matter type and thermal maturity. However, analysis of a global adsorption data set of marine shales of non-differentiated maturity nevertheless indicates that, on a larger scale, the TOC content can provide a reasonable first estimate of a shale's CH4 adsorption capacity. In the organic-lean lower Kyalla shale samples clay minerals control microporosity and CH4 adsorption. It is the high illite/muscovite content (30–40%) in particular that is indicated to be the main contributor to microporosity and gas adsorption capacity. Results from the analysis of the global shale adsorption data set are in agreement with these findings, showing that for organic-lean shales with a TOC

Metal-binding proteins play an important role in maintaining intracellular metal homeostasis and eliminating heavy metal toxification. Many metallothioneins (MTs) have been isolated from mammalian sources, which are a family of low molecular weight metal-binding proteins that are rich in cysteine. However, plants contain a different type of cadmium-binding protein that contain fewer cysteine residues. In this study, cadmium affinity chromatography coupled with laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) has been used to separate and identify cadmium-binding proteins from different parts (root, stem, leaf and grain) of rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivated under cadmium stress conditions. Seven cadmium-binding proteins with low isoelectric points containing relatively few cysteine residues were chosen for expression in Escherichia coli. The cadmium removal efficiency of protein A3AGZ4 (OsJ_10480) from Escherichia coli △zntA-BL21 was the highest (57.35%), which compares favorably with the cadmium removal efficiency of metallothionein MT (48.99%, mt from mouse,) and SMT (55.84%, smt from Sinopotamon honanense). In addition, for the strain A3AGZ4-△zntA-BL21, most of the bound cadmium was found to accumulate in the cytoplasm and not the cell wall. These results indicate that these plant proteins can bind cadmium to reduce heavy metal toxicity, thus contributing towards bioremediation of cadmium in the environment.

In view of extensive application of silver (Ag) paste metallization in the manufacture of electronic devices, it is of great significance to accurately grasp the factors affecting the Ag paste electrode conductivity and the relevant mechanism. Although so far many progresses have been made in the improvement of Ag paste technology, there is still a lack of comprehensive understanding of the microscopic mechanism about Ag paste sintering. Herein, this article tries to relate the conductivity of Ag paste electrodes sintered at different temperatures to those factors, including the morphology, grain size and aggregation state of Ag powder used, as well as the glass frit additive by investigating the microstructure evolution of silver powder (paste) in the sintering process. The results show that these factors determine the grain growth rate and the structure densification during the Ag paste sintering, and thus make an important influence on the electrode conductivity. In general, the larger the grain size and the denser the structure, the greater the electrode conductivity. Therefore, the high electrode conductivity can be achieved by using the flake shaped or spherical Ag powder with a nano-assembly structure. According to the microscopic observations, we suggest that the sintering process should include three stages at temperatures from 300 to 800 °C, i.e. the merging of nanocrystallites in assemblies, interconnection of separated particles, and sintering completion. The influence of glass frit additive on Ag powder sintering is attributed to the dissolution of Ag grain surface by glass melt. This effect may help to increase the grain growth rate and structure densification degree. However, the entry of glass phase matter into Ag grain boundaries would impede the electron transport between grains. Therefore, with increasing the amount of glass phase additive in the Ag paste, the electrode conductivity increased first and then decreased rapidly.

A fluorescent chemodosimeter (TPAII-2) for Hg2+ was designed with four sulphur atoms in its trigger based on a multisulphite strategy and a control sensor (TPAII-1) was synthesized according to the common design with the deprotection of dithiol. Compared to TPAII-1, TPAII-2 displayed optimizing selectivity towards Hg2+ over Ag+, one of the most interference species with strong sulphophile affinity. Further studies indicated the TPAII-2 still maintained the fast detection rate (

The present study investigated differences in the utilization of fishmeal (FM) and rapeseed meal (RM) by gibel carp (Carassius gibelio) and explored the effects of protein sources on the responses of different genotypes. Gibel carp strains A (4.12 ± 0.03 g) and F (3.47 ± 0.00 g) were fed FM diet or RM diet for 56 days, and after which, growth performance, body composition, hematologic indices, and hepatic transcriptomes were measured. The effects of strain and diet on growth performance, body composition, and hematologic indices were analyzed by two-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The results revealed that total replacement of FM with RM caused poor growth and feed utilization in both strains as well as the existence of genotype-diet interactions. Strain A showed better growth performance than strain F in the FM group, while the strain F grew better than strain A in the RM group. Transcriptomic analysis showed that the three main biological processes affected by the RM diet were amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, and digestive system. The different responses to the RM diet between strains were involved in amino acid metabolism, immune responses, and lipid metabolism. Identifying the underlying mechanisms by which different strains differently respond to meal sources might be the basis to develop a selective breeding program towards strains accepting alternative meal sources.

The present study examined the effect of dietary spirulina, Arthrospira platensis on growth performance, blood physiological indices, immune-related gene expressions and resistance of juvenile gibel carp against Aeromonas hydrophila infection. Four isonitrogenous (360 g kg−1) and isolipidic (90 g kg−1) diets were formulated with containing different levels of spirulina powder of 0 g (SP0, the control diet), 3.38 g (SP3.38), 6.76 g (SP6.76) and 13.52 g (SP13.52) per 100 g diet to replace 0%, 25%, 50% and 100% of fishmeal protein, respectively. And each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate tanks (150-L capacity per each) and each tank was stocked with 22 fish (15.37 ± 0.06 g). Fish were fed one of the tested diets up to satiation twice a day for 46 days. A challenge test was carried out after the feeding trial by injecting Aeromonas hydrophila intraperitoneally for 7 days. The results showed that fish growth, feeding rate in groups SP3.38 and SP6.76 were significantly higher than those of groups SP0 and SP13.52 (P

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the impacts of dietary leucine on growth, hepatopancreas and muscle protein content and relative expressions of protein synthesis-related genes in juvenile gibel carp (5.2 g). Triplicate tanks of fish (22 fish per tank) were fed with a low (0.82%), middle (1.90%) or high (2.99%) leucine diet to apparent satiation three times a day. The results showed that the weight gain (WG) and feed efficiency (FE) of the fish fed with the 1.90% leucine diet had the highest values compared to those of other two groups (p < .05). Dietary leucine significantly affected the protein and lipid contents of the hepatopancreas (p < .05), but not muscle or the whole body composition of the fish. The amino acid contents (Arginine, Leucine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Alanine, Aspartic acid, Glutamic acid and Proline) of the dorsal muscles of fish fed with a 1.90% leucine diet were significantly higher than those fed with a 0.82% leucine diet. Moreover, transcriptional levels of target genes of rapamycin (TOR), ribosomal protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1), eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) and leucyl-tRNA synthetase (LARS) in the hepatopancreas were significantly up-regulated (p < .05), but eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 2 (4E-BP2) was significantly down-regulated (p < .05) with the increasing dietary leucine levels. However, dietary leucine had no effects on the gene expressions of 4E-BP2 and S6K1 in the muscle of gibel carp. The present results indicate that dietary leucine led to a marked tissue-specific response on protein content in the muscle and hepatopancreas of gibel carp that is related to the TOR signalling pathway.

Circular transmission line model (CTLM) measurements were applied to study the contact formation mechanism of the silver paste metallization on n-type emitter of crystalline silicon solar cells. The electrical performance parameters ρ c , R sk , and L t , which are related to the physical and chemical states of the multiphase materials at the interface, were extracted from the CTLM measurements, and were found to be sensitive to sintering temperature. As the temperature increased from 585 °C to 780 °C, initially the ρ c value decreased rapidly, then flattened out and increased slightly. The order of resistivity magnitude was restricted by the SiNx passivation layer in the early sintering stages, and relied on the carrier tunneling probability affected by the precipitated silver crystallites or colloids, emitter doping concentration and molten glass layer. Based on the calculations that the sheet resistance underneath the electrode was reduced form 110 Ω / □ to 0.186 Ω / □ , it could be inferred that there was formation of a highly conductive layer of silver crystallites and colloids contained glass on the emitter. The transfer length L t exhibited a U-shaped variation along with the temperature, reflecting the variation of the interfacial electrical properties. Overall, this article shows that the CTLM method can become a new powerful tool for researchers to meet the challenges of silver paste metallization innovation for manufacturing high-efficiency silicon solar cells.

A fluorescent probe 4-amino-7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole NBD–NH2 for critical sensing hypochlorous (ClO−) has been developed in this paper. Probe NBD–NH2 exhibited excellent sensitivity and high selectivity toward detection of ClO− in CH3CH2OH/HEPES solution (1:4, v/v, 10 mM, pH 7.4), where the detection limit as low as 40 nM. The green fluorescence of NBD–NH2 was distinctly quenched by addition of ClO−. In addition, the new probe was also applied for bioimaging using HeLa cells and exist a critical detection of ClO− in living cells.

An 88-day experiment was conducted in a flowing system to evaluate the effects of dietary vitamin C on growth, body composition, antioxidant and gonad development of on-growing gibel carp. Triplicate tanks of gibel carp (77.2 +/- 0.1g) were randomly fed with one of seven experimental diets containing l-ascorbic acid of 0, 101.1, 188.5, 313.1, 444.1, 582.1 and 747.0mg/kg, respectively. The results showed that specific growth rate (SGR) and feed efficiency (FE) of fish were not affected by dietary l-ascorbic acid. Dietary l-ascorbic acid of 444.1mg/kg diet led to low levels (p

Er 3+ singly doped and Er 3+ /Yb 3+ co-doped bulk La 2 O 2 CN 2 phosphors were prepared by a classical solid-state reaction of Li 2 CO 3 , Er 2 O 3 , Yb 2 O 3 and LaF 3 under NH 3 gas flow in the presence of graphite at low firing temperature. The crystal structures of La 2 O 2 CN 2 : Er 3+ and La 2 O 2 CN 2 : Er 3+ /Yb 3+ were confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and all the samples crystallize in a tetragonal structure with space group I4/mmm. FE-SEM was applied to investigate the particle sizes and morphologies. Upconversion luminescence characteristics have been studied in detail by varying Er 3+ and Yb 3+ contents. Under 980 nm light excitation, Er 3+ doped La 2 O 2 CN 2 samples exhibited weak blue and strong green emission peaks which are corresponding to the 4 F 7/2→ 4 I 15/2 and 2 H 11/2 → 4 I 15/2 transitions of Er 3+ . While, Er 3+ /Yb 3+ doped La 2 O 2 CN 2 samples exhibited blue, green and red emission peaks which are respectively corresponding to the 4 F 7/2→ 4 I 15/2 , 2 H 11/2 → 4 I 15/2 , 4 S 3/2 → 4 I 15/2 and 4 F 9/2 → 4 I 15/2 transitions of Er 3+ and also the emission intensity are enhanced due to the energy transfer from Yb 3+ to Er 3+ .

An 8-week feeding trial was carried out with various lipid level (2.30 %, 6.31 %, 8.98 %, 12.93 %, 16.08 %, and 18.99 %) diets to investigate the effects on growth performance, body composition, and feed utilization of juvenile spotted knifejaw Oplegnathus punctatus. After the feeding experiment, the weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate (SGR) significantly elevated with raising the dietary lipid level to 12.93 %, and then decreased when dietary lipid further increased (p < 0.05). The tendencies of feed efficiency (FE), protein efficiency ratio (PER), nitrogen retention (NR), and energy retention (ER) were consistent with the growth performance (p < 0.05). The lipid retention (LR) significantly decreased with dietary lipid increasing (p < 0.05). The fish consuming 2.30 % and 6.31 % lipid diets had significantly elevated hepatosomatic index (HSI) (p < 0.05). The intraperitoneal fat ratio (IPF) increased with the increase of dietary lipid levels (p < 0.05). The elevation of dietary lipid levels significantly increased the lipid concentrations in the whole body, dorsal muscle, and liver (p < 0.05). The highest liver glycogen deposition was found in the 2.30 % dietary lipid treatment (p < 0.05). The fish fed the diets added with 12.93 % lipid diet had the highest serum protein concentration (p < 0.05). The lowest total cholesterol (TC) content in the serum was detected in 2.30 % dietary lipid treatment (p < 0.05). The fish fed diets with 2.30 % or 18.99 % lipid obtained elevated serum AST and ALT activities (p < 0.05). The regression analysis in second order polynomial and two slope broken-line mode based on SGR and FE indicated that diet containing 10.46–12.83 % lipids was optimal for juvenile O. punctatus to obtain best growth performance and feed efficiency.

Hepatic gluconeogenesis is the major contributor to the hyperglycemia observed in both patients and animals with type 2 diabetes. The transcription factor FOXO1 plays a dominant role in stimulating hepatic gluconeogenesis. FOXO1 is mainly regulated by insulin under physiological conditions, but liver-specific disruption of Foxo1 transcription restores normal gluconeogenesis in mice in which insulin signaling has been blocked, suggesting that additional regulatory mechanisms exist. Understanding the transcriptional regulation of Foxo1 may be conducive to the development of insulin-independent strategies for the control of hepatic gluconeogenesis. Here, we found that elevated plasma levels of adenine nucleotide in type 2 diabetes are the major regulators of Foxo1 transcription. We treated lean mice with 5'-AMP and examined their transcriptional profiles using RNA-seq. KEGG analysis revealed that the 5'-AMP treatment led to shifted profiles that were similar to db/db mice. Many of the upregulated genes were in pathways associated with the pathology of type 2 diabetes including Foxo1 signaling. As observed in diabetic db/db mice, lean mice treated with 5'-AMP displayed enhanced Foxo1 transcription, involving an increase in cellular adenosine levels and a decrease in the S-adenosylmethionine to S-adenosylhomocysteine ratio. This reduced methylation potential resulted in declining histone H3K9 methylation in the promoters of Foxo1, G6Pc, and Pepck. In mouse livers and cultured cells, 5'-AMP induced expression of more FOXO1 protein, which was found to be localized in the nucleus, where it could promote gluconeogenesis. Our results revealed that adenine nucleotide-driven Foxo1 transcription is crucial for excessive glucose production in type 2 diabetic mice.

A 56-day fish feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary Arthrospira platensis on the growth performance, body chemical composition, serum biochemical parameters and antioxidant capacity in hybrid yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco♀ ×Pelteobagrus vachelli♂). Three experimental feeds were prepared. The protein concentrations of these three experimental diets were similar; one was a commercial diet (CD). The other two diets were with (AP+) or without (AP−) 1% A. platensis. A total of 270 hybrid yellow catfish were randomly divided into nine cages (three cages per treatment, 30 fish per tank) and fed experimental diets. In order to avoid the influence of different protein sources, the proportion of protein in each feed formulation was kept the same. The results revealed that dietary supplementation of 1% A. platensis significantly increased the food intake and growth performance of hybrid yellow catfish (P

Varicocele-related sperm damages are usually caused by oxidative stresses. Growing evidence indicates that lncRNA growth arrested DNA-damage inducible gene 7 (gadd7) is involved in the regulation of the oxidative stress responses. In this study, we measured the expression level of gadd7 in the sperm and found that the expression of gadd7 was significantly up-regulated in patients with varicocele compared with the healthy control. The relative expression level of gadd7 was negatively correlated with the sperm count. Overexpression of gadd7 suppressed cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis in mouse spermatocyte-derived cell lines GC-1 and GC-2. Furthermore, the protein level of Bax was raised while Bcl2 expression was reduced after overexpression of gadd7. This work provides a potential novel insight for the varicocele-related sperm impairment and male infertility.

Cell proliferation and release from the bone marrow have been demonstrated to be controlled by circadian rhythms in both humans and mice. However, it is unclear whether local circadian clocks in the bone marrow influence physiological functions and life span of erythrocytes. Here, we report that loss of the clock gene Per2 significantly decreased erythrocyte life span. Mice deficient in Per2 were more susceptible to acute stresses in the erythrocytes, becoming severely anemic upon phenylhydrazine, osmotic, and H2O2 challenges. 1H NMR–based metabolomics analysis revealed that the Per2 depletion causes significant changes in metabolic profiles of erythrocytes, including increased lactate and decreased ATP levels compared with wild-type mice. The lower ATP levels were associated with hyperfunction of Na+/K+-ATPase activity in Per2-null erythrocytes, and inhibition of Na+/K+-ATPase activity by ouabain efficiently rescued ATP levels. Per2-null mice displayed increased levels of Na+/K+-ATPase α1 (ATP1A1) in the erythrocyte membrane, and transfection of Per2 cDNA into the erythroleukemic cell line TF-1 inhibited Atp1a1 expression. Furthermore, we observed that PER2 regulates Atp1a1 transcription through interacting with trans-acting transcription factor 1 (SP1). Our findings reveal that Per2 function in the bone marrow is required for the regulation of life span in circulating erythrocytes.

Thermal boron diffusion, which forms highly doped and shallow p-emitters on phosphor-doped silicon wafers, is one of the primary processes in commercial-scale production of n-type cells. Here, we report on the use of nontoxic and nonvolatile borosiloxane sols as the spin-on boron source. In comparison to the tribromide (BBr3) boron diffusion that is applied in the production of most commercial n-type cells, borosiloxane boron diffusion may have potential advantages in terms of cost, safety, operability, etc. The borosiloxane sols studied here were formed from a cross-linking reaction between boron acid and a mixture of two types of silicon alkoxides, methyltriethoxysilane (MTEOS) and dimethyldiethoxysilane (DMDEOS). The MTEOS/DMDEOS ratio was found to be the key factor determining the synthetic period, net structure, thermal transformation property, and coating behavior of the borosiloxane sols. In combination with the spin-coating method, the performance of borosiloxane boron diffusion into phosphor-doped silicon wafers (1–3 Ω·cm) was systematically investigated by varying the borosiloxane composition (boron/silicon or MTEOS/DMDEOS ratio) and the diffusion process parameters (temperature, ambience, and period of individual sub-steps), and by relating them to the resulting sheet resistance and boron doping profile. The results show that under the diffusion conditions in conventional cell production lines, the formed p-emitters can have variable sheet resistance in the range of 35–582 Ω/□ and boron doping depth of 100–300 nm.

To exploit high-quality separators for lithium ion batteries, current research activities are mainly focused on the modification of microporous polyolefin membranes by coating them with inorganic particles to achieve comprehensive improvements in their thermal stability, electrochemical compatibility, and overcharge protection. Here, we report a separator made by coating boehmite (AlOOH) particles on microporous polyethylene (PE) membranes. Compared to the commercially applied coating materials, e.g., aluminum oxide (Al2O3), AlOOH allows for a substantial reduction in the coating thickness, while ensuring excellent thermal stability of the modified PE membrane. Our study shows that this is due to the formation of an interlocking interface structure that interconnects the PE membrane and AlOOH coating layer as soon as PE melts at about 140 °C, preventing the modified PE membrane from shrinking at subsequently elevated temperatures. The modified PE membrane exhibits suitable electrolyte wettability to facilitate ion transport through it. Thus, the lithium ion batteries employing it as a separator could attain substantially improved electrochemical performance. Furthermore, the AlOOH-coated PE separator was also found to provide an excellent overcharge protection.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different phospholipids (PL) and cholesterol (CH) levels on the growth, moulting and fatty acid composition of juvenile swimming crab, Portunus trituberculatus. Six diets were designed to contain three PL levels (0, 10 and 20 g/kg) and two CH levels (2 and 8 g/kg). Juvenile swimming crabs (3.48 ± 0.02 g/crab) were reared for 8 weeks. The weight gain (WG) was significantly (p .05). The moulting frequency (MF), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and feed efficiency ratio (FCR) were not significantly (p > .05) affected by the dietary treatments. The serum total cholesterol (TCH) significantly (p > .05) increased with increasing dietary PL level. The C20:4n-6 and C20:5n-3 content of the whole body of crabs increased with the addition of PL to the diet containing 2 g/kg CH of diet. An interaction was observed between PL and CH on certain saturated and unsaturated fatty acid concentrations of body.

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to assess dietary protein and lipid levels on growth performance, feed utilization and body composition of juvenile red-spotted grouper (7.85 ± 0.03 g fish−1). Nine semi-purified diets were formulated containing varying protein levels (440–520 g kg−1, dry matter) and lipid levels (60–120 g kg−1, dry matter). The weight gain of juvenile Epinephelus akaara was affected by dietary protein (p = .005) and its interaction with dietary lipid (p = .020). Viscerosomatic index, intraperitoneal fat ratio and whole-body lipid level increased with increasing dietary lipid level (p

It is well known that most fish would prefer to use body lipid stores for energy expenditure when receiving a long-term food restriction. However, the mechanism of this is still not clear. In the present study, a growth experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of food restriction on growth performance, gene expression related in regulation of lipid metabolism and food ingestion in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus). Four rations, satiation (S), 80% S, 60% S and 40% S, were adopted in this study. Each treatment was randomly assigned to triplicate net cages of 15 fish (177.3 ± 3.3 g) per cage. The experiment lasted for 49 days at 30.0 ± 3.0 °C. The experimental results showed that a significant increase in feeding rate and weight gain was found in grass carp with the increased ration level. The body lipid and energy content of the grass carp exhibited a significant decrease when receiving food restriction. The transcriptional levels of the genes involved in lipogenesis (srebp-1c, fas, pparγ) were down-regulated at the rations of food restriction. The relative expression of hepatic fas (fatty acid synthetase) and srebp-1c (sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c) in the fish at satiation were significantly higher than the restricted-fed groups. Similarly, the expressions of hepatic pparγ (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ) in the fish at the ration of satiation and 80% S were significantly higher than the group at the low ration of 40% S. However, the expression of hepatic cpt-1a (carnitine palmitoyl transferase I) involved in fatty acid β-oxidation in fish was significantly up-regulated when receiving food restriction. Other hepatic lipolysis genes of pparα (peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor α) and hl (hepatic lipase) didn't show any significant changes in restricted-fed fish. The transcriptional levels of hepatic leptin and hypothalamus pomc (proopiomelanocortin) were significantly down-regulated in fish fed with restricted rations. But the hypothalamus npy (neuropeptide Y) and lepr (leptin receptor) had no change. The present results indicated that a long-term food restriction could cause less accumulation of lipid and could be through a way of down-regulating lipogenesis genes and up-regulating lipolysis genes. Long-term restriction could also activate the appetite of grass carp by down-regulating some anorexigenic genes. Statement of relevance Food restriction for some time could lead to a suitable lipid storage, in case of accumulation of fatty acid profile and lipid, in cultured grass carp.

A nine-week feeding experiment was conducted in flow-through system with gibel carp (43.8 +/- 0.2g) to study the effects of dietary available phosphorus (P) on growth, phosphorous digestibility and intestinal enzyme activities. Seven semipurified diets were formulated to contain 0.8 (the basal), 2.4, 3.6, 6.1, 7.4, 10.1 and 15.8g available phosphorus kg(-1) diet. The results showed that specific growth rate and feed efficiency increased with increasing dietary available P from 0.8 to 7.4g P kg(-1). Fish body ash increased with increasing dietary available P, while moisture, protein content or energy content had no difference. Total phosphorus waste discharging (TPW) increased with increased dietary phosphorous. Plasma glucose was higher in the fish fed with 7.4g kg(-1) P. Plasma triglycerides was lower in fish fed diets containing 6.1-10.1g kg(-1) P. No significant effects were observed in plasma P and Ca (p>.05). The activities of intestinal amylase, lipase and trypsin showed no difference, while AKP and Na+, K+-ATPase activities decreased with increasing dietary available P. In conclusion, based on the regression between specific growth rate (SGR), P retention efficiency, feed efficiency (FE) and dietary available P, the available P requirements for on-growing gibel carp were 10.69, 8.22 and 6.72g kg(-1), respectively.

Up to now the topography of thick film silver paste metallization is still a great challenge to the crystalline silicon solar cell manufacturers due to lack of overall understanding about the dependence of screen-printed morphology on paste rheology. In this article, we demonstrate that both the shear thixotropy and wall slip are primary rheological behaviors of pastes affecting screen-printed morphology. By comparison among three different commercial pastes, the association of screen-printed morphology with apparent viscosity and slip velocity of pastes were investigated. The results from printing finger lines with designed width of 45 μm show clearly that the widening degree of lines is associated with the paste viscosity, and the height and cross-sectional profile of lines mainly rely on the wall slip velocity of paste passing through screen meshes. Briefly, the lower the apparent viscosity, the wider the lines; and the greater the wall slip velocity, the less the line height and more likely the formation of trapezoidal cross-sectional profile with larger area. Our study shows for the first time that the wall slip of pastes may produce significant influence on cell efficiency, since its influence on screen-printed morphology is considerably remarkable and vital.

Separation of minor hydrocarbon components in natural gas is necessary prior to liquefaction to avoid operational (plugging of equipment) and product specification issues. While there have been many studies describing adsorption of gases on solid materials there have been relatively few focused on decreasing concentrations of light hydrocarbons in methane in non-equilibrium experimental configurations. In order to best understand the chemistry of competitive adsorption of saturated hydrocarbons for gas processing applications we investigated light hydrocarbon dynamic adsorption properties on 16 solid adsorbents of different structures and chemistries. The best adsorbents, as determined by adsorption capacity, were tested for their ability to separate higher molecular weight hydrocarbons from methane. It is found that for charged frameworks, the induced dipole moment between the adsorbent and adsorbate plays the most important role in adsorption capacity. For uncharged frameworks, pore size plays the critical role in adsorption: micropores are more effective than mesopores. For separation of mixtures of methane, ethane, propane and butane, the kinetics of adsorption must also be considered. Of the materials tested, a carbon derived from coal and activated with steam (carbon #5 (37771)), zeolite KX and zeolite 5A were the best in terms of adsorption and separation capability. These materials show promise for separating light hydrocarbons of similar chemical nature.

The design of pH-sensitive supramolecular drug delivery systems for efficient antineoplastic drug delivery remains a huge challenge. Herein, we describe the development of pH-responsive core–shell tecto dendrimers (CSTDs) formed using benzimidazole (BM)-modified generation 3 (G3) poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers (G3.NHAc-BM) as a shell and β-cyclodextrin (CD)-modified G5 PAMAM dendrimers (G5.NHAc-CD) as a core. By virtue of the host–guest recognition and pH-responsiveness of BM/β-CD assembly, the pH-sensitive supramolecular CSTDs of G5.NHAc-CD/BM-G3.NHAc were formed and adopted to encapsulate the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) via hydrophobic interactions for pH-responsive drug delivery applications. The synthesis of dendrimer derivatives and the loading of the DOX were well characterized via different methods. We show that the encapsulated DOX can be released in a sustained manner with a rapid release speed under a slightly acidic pH condition (pH < 6), which is similar to acidic tumor microenvironment. The enhanced intracellular release of DOX and improved anticancer activity of the drug-loaded pH-responsive CSTDs were demonstrated and compared with the control CSTDs formed without pH-responsiveness through flow cytometry and viability assays of cancer cells. Furthermore, the pH-sensitive CSTDs also showed efficient drug penetration and growth inhibition of three-dimensional tumor spheroids owing to the faster DOX release in an acidic pH environment. The pH-sensitive G5.NHAc-CD/BM-G3.NHAc CSTDs may be employed as a valuable intelligent delivery system for various anticancer drugs.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary Scenedesmus ovalternus on the growth and disease resistance of gibel carp (Carassius gibelio) during overwintering. Gibel carp (initial body weight: 90.39 ± 0.33 g) were fed with diets containing 0% or 4% Scenedesmus ovalternus (DS0 and DS4) for 4 weeks during the early overwintering period, and then all fish were left unfed during the late overwintering period. A bacterial challenge test using Aeromonas hydrophila was subsequently conducted. The 4% Scenedesmus ovalternus diet had no effect on the growth of gibel carp (P 0.05), but did improve the survival rate after the challenge (P ≤ 0.05). In the DS0 group, the bacterial challenge decreased the contents of complement 3 (C3), immunoglobulin M (IgM), interleukin 2 (IL2) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) in fish (P 0.05); in the DS4 group, the challenge increased total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity but decreased IL2 and TNFα contents (P 0.05). The activities of MPO and contents of C3, IgM and TNFα were higher in the DS4 group than that fed the DS0 diet after bacterial challenge (P 0.05). Compared to pre challenge, the expression levels of toll like receptor 2 (TLR2), toll like receptor 3 (TLR3), toll like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), Toll/IL-1 receptor domain-containing adaptor protein (TIRAP), TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon β (TRIF), nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor α (IκBα), transforming growth factor β (TGFβ), interleukin 1β (IL1β), tumor necrosis factor α1 (TNFα1) and interleukin 10 (IL10) in the head kidney of gibel carp were induced after challenge (P 0.05). Gibel carp fed the DS4 diet showed lower expression of TGFβ in head kidney before the challenge and lower expression of TLR2, TLR3, TLR4, TIRAP, TRIF, IκBα, TNFα1, IL10 and TGFβ after the challenge than that fed the DS0 diet (P 0.05). Overall, Scenedesmus ovalternus supplement enhanced the resistances of gibel carp against A. hydrophila after overwintering via the TLR signaling pathway.

Among the family of mycotoxins of deoxynivalenol (DON) detected in nature, high proportions of 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15ADON) co-occur with the prototype DON and increase the combined exposure and synergistic health risks. The current study aimed to explore the mechanisms underlying the toxicity of 15ADON and compare them with those of DON. As the natural flavonoid compound quercetin (QUE) possesses antioxidant properties, we also aimed to determine the antioxidant effects of QUE on the tested mycotoxins. First, the global metabolomics approach was applied and showed that the metabolites produced from 15ADON or DON were almost identical, while QUE reversed the changes in the levels of key metabolites. Specifically, both DON and 15ADON activated the cell apoptosis pathway mediated by p38 and JNK, but inhibited the cell survival pathway mediated by ERK1/2 in GES-1 cells. Simultaneously, 15ADON induced FOXO3a nuclear translocation, similar to the results described for DON in our recent report. Furthermore, the addition of QUE appeared to counteract the detrimental effects of 15ADON and DON. We observed the effects of QUE treatment on mutant yeast strains with defects in their antioxidant system. More interestingly, QUE also substantially restored the increased ROS levels and the inhibited the growth rate following exposure to the mycotoxins DON and 15ADON. The data reported here support the hypothesis that QUE rescues the toxic effects of DON or 15ADON due to the similar mechanisms of DON and 15ADON toxicity.

Background: Hybridization in two related homoploid species can mix the genotypes which have the potential for good environmental adaptation conditions or rapid growth condition. Since hybridization technique has been used in other animals to produce more rapidly growing individuals, it may be useful in commercial fish culture. The nutritional composition and rapid growth rate of P. major, A. schlegelii and hybrid F1 had been researched. However, gene expressions of these fish are less well studied. de novo assembly RNA-Seq is a better approach to understanding transcriptomes of animals and can offer much data with better coverage and sufficient sequence depth for transcriptomes. Results: In order to facilitate molecular research in parents and hybrids F1, we characterized the whole body transcriptome for identifcation of transcripts involved in growth, metabolism and immune since several attributes were coming from different samples (Acanthopagrus schlegelii, Pagrus major and hybrid F1 Acanthopagrus schlegelii ♂× Pagrus major ♀). We analyzed the transcriptome of As, Pm and hybrid F1 AP using Illumina high throughput sequencing platform. Our results suggested that physiological index of organism development we observed is consistent to the gene express in transcriptome. We have also compared the expression levels of transcripts in parents and hybrids F1. The results showed that AP had a quickly growth and strong resistant than parents Pm and As. Conclusion: This is the first research on transcriptome of As, Pm and hybrid F1 at one month age. And it will provide an important basic molecular data for studying molecular mechanisms involved in different sample.

Increased plasma free fatty acids (FFA) level plays a central role in the development of type 2 diabetes. Our previous studies have shown that plasma 5′-adenosine monophosphate (5′-AMP) elevates and acts as a potential upstream regulator of hyperglycemia in diabetic db/db mice. The relationship between FFA and plasma adenosine nucleotides in type 2 diabetes remains unclear. Here we found that plasma 5′-AMP level was also increased in diabetic mice induced by a high-fat diet and streptozotocin (HFD-STZ), as observed in diabetic db/db mice. The metabolites of adenosine nucleotides in plasma were increased in obese mice compared to lean mice. An acute oil gavage to lean mice increased both FFA and plasma purine metabolites, accompanying with glucose intolerance. 5′-AMP administration resulted in an increase in dose-dependent purine metabolites and different levels of glucose intolerance. FFA induced a release of adenine nucleotides from cultural human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) prior to induction of their apoptosis. FFA also reduced red blood cells (RBCs) resistance to reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to hemolysis, thereby increasing plasma nucleotides. Our results suggest that plasma adenine nucleotides play an intermediary role in FFA-induced glucose intolerance and hyperglycemia in obese mice.

A 56-day growth trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary yeast hydrolysate on the growth performance, antioxidation, immune response and resistance against Aeromonas hydrophila in largemouth bass. Four experimental diets were prepared with yeast hydrolysate levels of 0% (Y0), 1.5% (Y1.5), 3.0% (Y3.0) and 4.5% (Y4.5). Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate 150-L tanks and each tank was stocked with 30 largemouth bass (initial body weight, IBW = 7.71 ± 0.02 g). A challenge test was carried out after the feeding trial by injecting A. hydrophila intraperitoneally for 4-day observation. The results showed that the FBW and WGR in Y1.5 group were significantly higher than those in Y0 group (P

Toxicology is a science that studies various physical and chemical and biological harmful factors, which especially on human beings. The main task is to evaluate the possible health hazards of exogenous chemicals to the contactors and ultimately to provide the basis for controlling the hazards of chemical substances and strengthening the management of chemical substances. Toxicology plays an important role in safeguarding human health, maintaining ecological balance, and improving the environment through hazard assessment of exogenous chemicals. In this chapter, we discussed the current and future plans for the toxicity evaluation using classic and new strategies in vivo and in vitro model for toxicological evaluation of specific mycotoxin contaminants arousing food safety issues.

Hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCCP) contains six easily modifiable sites which can be substituted with multi-functional groups to afford various derivatives for broad applications in diverse fields, such as materials science, chemical and biological sensing and imaging, and catalysis. Particularly, when organic dyes such as borondipyrromethene, triarylamine, subphthalocyanines, naphthalimide, fluorene, tetraarylpyrazole, and coumarin are used as substituents that connect to the cyclotriphosphazene core directly or indirectly, different fluorescent derivatives are formed which show characteristic optical features. This review summarizes the preparation and potential application of these derivatives as fluorescent dyes, and points out their future perspectives in various disciplines.

This study investigated the different adaptive metabolic strategies of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) and Chinese longsnout catfish (Leiocassis longirostris Gunther) to a high-carbohydrate diet (HCD). Two dietary carbohydrate levels were formulated for grass carp (normal-carbohydrate diet [NCD]: 30%; HCD: 50%) and Chinese longsnout catfish (NCD: 8%; HCD: 20%). Based on transcriptome data, the top twenty KEGG pathway enrichment analyses indicated that five pathways related to carbohydrate metabolism were enriched in grass carp that were fed an HCD, but were not in Chinese longsnout catfish. After 56 d, compared to the fish in the NCD group, grass carp fed an HCD exhibited significant increase in their whole-body lipid content and glucose-induced lipogenesis, including fatty acid synthase content and transcriptional levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase, sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1, and carbohydrate response element-binding protein. Raised hepatic glycogen content was observed in both grass carp and Chinese longsnout catfish that were fed an HCD. The enhanced glycogen synthesis, including induced glycogen synthase activity and upregulation of mRNA levels of glycogen synthase and serine/threonine-protein phosphatase PP1-beta catalytic subunit, led to accumulation of glycogen in grass carp. However, reduced glycogenolysis with downregulation of the transcriptional levels of phosphorylase kinase regulatory subunit alpha and glycogen phosphorylase caused accumulation of glycogen in Chinese longsnout catfish. In addition, significantly increased intestinal amylase activity and induced glycolysis of glucokinase and pyruvate kinase were observed in grass carp that were fed an HCD. The results indicated that grass carp responded effectively to an HCD by induction of glycolysis, glycogen accumulation and glucose-induced lipogenesis, while Chinese longsnout catfish did not.

Previous studies illustrated that gibel carp F strain displays better lipid mobilization and antioxidant ability and compared to the A strain. We therefore hypothesized that the F strain would exhibit superior defense to cadmium exposure. Comparative studies were conducted between A and F strains using plasma stress biomarkers, histological observations, and analysis of hepatic molecular events to examine exposure to waterborne Cd (11.9 mg L-1) for 48 h and 96 h. Waterborne Cd exposure stimulated stress response and hepatic metallothionein mRNA induction in both gibel carp strains confirming exposure. Antioxidant responses were stimulated to counteract Cd toxicity, suggested by the upregulation of mRNA levels of genes associated with nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (nrf2) signaling. Cd exposure induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, meanwhile, branches of genes in unfolded protein response (UPR) were activated. Slight time-dependent effects were implied by greater ER stress, UPR, and apoptosis signals with the duration of Cd exposure. Genotype-specific effects were identified, revealing that the F strain showed greater stress at 96 h exposure and higher antioxidant response compared to the A strain, as indicated by the mRNA levels of genes in nrf2 signaling. ER stress and UPR were also stronger in the F strain after Cd exposure. In contrast, the A strain showed higher autophagy and apoptosis response compared to the F strain. Collectively, combined autophagy and apoptosis were triggered under ER stress, which might serve as defense strategies in both gibel carp strains. The F strain showed greater antioxidant detoxification response and UPR to mitigate Cd toxicity, whereas excessive ER stress contributed to higher autophagy and apoptosis in the A strain. The present study uncovered the differential regulation and defense strategies in fish strains exposed to metal exposure.

Numerically study of the formation of the quasi-discrete supercontinuum (SC) with ultrashort pulse sequence in an optical analogue is reported in the paper. The quasi-discrete SC is produced by pumping an intense pulse and a probe on each side of the zero-dispersion wavelength (ZDW) in a fiber. The nonlinear reflection between them causes the emission of new frequencies and gives rise to the generation of ultrashort pulses. Isolated narrow-band sources occur via the spectra interference of the ultrashort pulses, forming the quasi-discrete SC. Ultrashort pulses with different width are generated by changing the central wavelength of probe. Besides, high energy conversion efficiency and maximum frequency shift caused by the soliton-DW interaction also can be manipulated by varying the central wavelength of probe and time delay of the input pulses. So wider supercontinuum and high intensity tunable ultrashort pulses sequence can be acquired.