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Remote sensing images are frequently contaminated by clouds that often degrade the performance of subsequent applications. Cloud removal, therefore, is a standard step in remote sensing image preprocessing, and single-image-based thin cloud removal is a well-established area of research. Existing single-image-based thin cloud removal methods however, lack the capacity for simultaneous executions of efficient long-range modeling and physical attribute consideration. To extend this work and fill this gap, a novel blind single-image-based thin cloud removal method, called cloud perception integrated fast Fourier convolutional network (CP-FFCN), was designed and implemented. The CP-FFCN consists of two modules: the cloud perception module (CPM) and a fast Fourier convolution (FFC)-conducted reconstruction module (FFCN). The CPM uses a frequency spatial attention mechanism to realize long-range modeling of clouds, globally detect them in the cloudy image. It helps the CP-FFCN remove the clouds without external prior knowledge of the cloud distribution. The reconstruction module was designed with an FFC-conducted U-Net architecture to recover the clean images from cloudy scenarios, guided by the locations of clouds as detected by the CPM. In addition, the FFC blocks deployed in the encoder and decoder components in the U-Net architecture selectively learn the attributes of clouds and fogs from the frequency spectrograms to remove the clouds and reconstruct the underlying ground objects. The CP-FFCN selectively learns the frequency features for adequate cloud separation and at the same time efficiently models the long-range information for comprehensive scenario reconstruction with the help of these two modules. We adopted the Google Earth data and Landsat-8 imagery to train the CP-FFCN model and evaluate it on simulated and naturally occurring cloudy scenarios. The visual outcomes illustrate that the proposed CP-FFCN successfully removes thin and small-scale thick clouds with complex ground object scenarios, without external cloud masks and additional reference data. The quantitative analyses further demonstrate the higher effectiveness of the CP-FFCN when compared with several other state-of-the-art thin cloud removal methods, yielding a PSNR value over 39.24 and a SSIM value over 0.98 on the Landsat 8 images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to elucidate the reaction mechanism of ionic liquid-catalyzed CO2 with 2-aminobenzonitrile, [P4442]2[Hy] with two N− sites is designed for the efficient preparation of quinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-diones. The results show that [Hy]2− can activate 2-aminobenzonitrile by hydrogen bonding with –NH2 in addition to activating CO2, and the key intermediate is revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Correlate silicone rubber aging with hyperspectral lines via static contact angle. • Enhancing hyperspectral technology for insulator aging detection and evaluation. • Providing a technical reference for non-contact insulator aging states evaluation. Silicone rubber insulators' long-term operation in complex environments can lead to accelerated aging, causing the risk of flashovers and grid outages. Timely detection of the insulators' aging status is crucial to ensure the stable operation of grid. Therefore, this paper proposes a pixel-level fast, non-contact detection method based on hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology for insulators' aging state. Firstly, the hyperspectral spectral line of the samples' six aging levels was extracted, and 14 features were extracted using pre-processing methods like segmented principal component analysis (SPCA) to reduce irrelevant information interference. Secondly, the aging state classification model was established, and through comparison using overall accuracy, F 1 score, Precision, and Recall, the random forest (RF) model demonstrated optimal performance with a classification accuracy of 96.81%. Finally, this study utilized HSI technology to achieve a pixel-level evaluation of composite insulators' aging status, and the technique's feasibility was verified through specific parameters such as roughness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowing more about insulator pollution is of guiding significance to the development of anti-pollution strategies. Traditional methods can be used to determine only the pollution degree of insulators. However, the pollution distribution also has a substantial influence on the flashover voltage of insulators even under the same equivalent salt deposit densities (ESDD). In this article, an ESDD spectral density method and a visualization method based on hyperspectral technology are proposed. The proposed method presents the ESDD distribution using hyperspectral images. A detection model based on characteristic wavelengths is established with partial least squares regression to detect the insulator ESDDs. Based on the ESDD detection results, the features of the ESDD spectral density process, including the building of the ESDD probability graph, the overall ESDD, and visualization of the ESDD, are presented. Example analyses of field-operating insulators were conducted, revealing that the ESDD spectral density can be used to track the pollution distribution of insulators and that the pollution degree can be calculated from the overall ESDD. The error of the overall ESDD calculated by this method is within 10%. In addition, visualization of the pollution distribution can more intuitively record the degree of pollution and the nonuniform distribution characteristics. Both the pollution degree and distribution can be obtained by this method. Therefore, hyperspectral technology can overcome the limitations of traditional methods and convert the ESDD results into an image to determine the ESDD distribution. These research results provide theoretical instruction for guiding insulation design and anti-pollution strategies for operating transmission lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipophilic statins which are blood brain barrier (BBB) permeable are speculated to affect the cholesterol synthesis and neural functions in the central nervous system. However, whether these statins can affect cholesterol levels and synaptic plasticity in hippocampus and the in vivo consequence remain unclear. Here, we report that long-term subcutaneous treatments of simvastatin significantly impair mouse hippocampal synaptic plasticity, reflected by the attenuated long-term potentiation of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials. The simvastatin administration causes a deficiency in recognition and spatial memory but fails to affect motor ability and anxiety behaviors in the mice. Mass spectrometry imaging indicates a significant decrease in cholesterol intensity in hippocampus of the mice receiving chronic simvastatin treatments. Such effects of simvastatin are transient because drug discontinuation can restore the hippocampal cholesterol level and synaptic plasticity and the memory function. These findings may provide further clues to elucidate the mechanisms of neurological side effects, especially the brain cognitive function impairment, caused by long-term usage of BBB-permeable statins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Polyamidoamine generation 1.0 triggers aggregation of gold nanoparticles. • Fatty acids disassemble the polyamidoamine/nanoparticle aggregates. • The aggregation/disassembling process is reflected by changes in UV–Vis spectra. • The spectroscopy is employed in determining total free fatty acids in edible oils. Abstract We synthesized polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers and citrate-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), and explored the applicability of the PAMAM/AuNP assay in determining total free fatty acid (FFA) contents in edible oils based on a competitive colorimetry, in which the PAMAM-triggered AuNP aggregation was suppressed by FFAs. The generation and concentration of PAMAMs, the chain lengths of FFAs as well as the concentration and pH of the background electrolytes of the assay were optimized. The average acid values of the sunflower seed, corn and extra virgin olive oils determined by PAMAM/AuNP assay were 1.31 ± 0.07, 0.33 ± 0.02 and 1.49 ± 0.07, respectively, which were not significantly different from the corresponding 1.27 ± 0.08, 0.32 ± 0.01 and 1.61 ± 0.06 by the standard nonaqueous titration. Our results suggest that the method is promising in detecting FFAs in edible oils, and implementation of the method expands the technological scope for FFA analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Extension of laboratory hyperspectral detection models for pollution degree to outdoor applications by combining hyperspectral technology and model transfer technology. • An laboratory model for hyperspectral detection of pollution degree is established to realize the classification of surface pollution degree of insulation materials. • Elimination of indoor and outdoor spectral differences. • Provides a technical reference for the field non-contact detection of insulator pollution degree. Accurate detection of the insulator pollution degree is the premise to realize pollution flashover warning. In the laboratory, the pollution degree can be accurately evaluated by using hyperspectral imaging technology (HSI). However, laboratory model is difficult to be applied to outdoor due to the influence of natural light. Therefore, this study attempts to combine HSI and model transfer to extend the laboratory model to outdoor application. Spectra of pollution samples were collected indoor and outdoor. Multivariate scattering correction and the Savitzky–Golay filter were adopted to eliminate spectral noise. Laboratory model was established based on back propagation (BP) neural network, the direct standardization algorithm was used to model transfer and its effect was verified by principal component analysis (PCA). After the model transfer, the accuracy of outdoor detection reached 82.5% in cloudy day and 80% in sunny day, which is significative for the field non-contact detection of insulator pollution degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Investigated the water gushing failure incident, the disturbed soil properties, and the remedial measures. • The gushing channel along the waste pile without effective plugging was established by the high water pressure from deep confined aquifer to pit bottom. • Site reinvestigation and monitoring program played a crucial role in investigating either soil disturbance or zoning control. • The zoning control measures can effectively ensure the stability of the foundation pit after the incident. • The lessons learnt provides practical experience and guidance for similar foundation pit projects. A water gushing failure of foundation pit in sand layers and deep confined aquifer in Nanjing, China, is presented in this study. During foundation pit excavation, the water gushing through the waste pile hole below the pit bottom caused local collapse failure and crown beam fracture in the southeast corner of the foundation pit. A series of urgent remedial measures were adopted to prevent the gushing from further developing, however, none of them worked until artificial recharge was proposed. The reasons for the water gushing and the effect of the urgent remedial measures are analyzed and discussed in this work. The gushing channel along the waste pile without effective plugging was established by the high level of confined water head from deep confined aquifer to pit bottom, which was the main reason for the gushing. Based on site reinvestigation and monitoring results, the soil around the foundation pit was divided into three disturbed areas: mild disturbance zone (MDZ), severe disturbance zone (SDZ), and collapse zone (CZ). The reinforcement and dewatering measures were proposed for different disturbance zones after rechecking the original design scheme with the disturbed soil parameters. Finally, the lessons learnt are summarized from the incident and provides practical experience and guidance for similar foundation pit projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface pollution layer of polluted insulator absorbs fog water and gets damp in salt fog. Meanwhile, the salts in the salt fog deposit on insulator surface, which increases the surface conductivity and degrades the flashover performance of insulators. At present, the effects of fog water conductivity (γ20) and equivalent salt deposit density (ESDD) are analysed separately, which does not reveal the essence of the flashover in salt fog. In this study, a plenty of experiments on porcelain, glass and composite insulators are carried out in salt fog conditions, and the 50% flashover voltage stress, leakage current and variation of ESDD during the wetting process are studied. The concept of additional salt deposit density (ASDD) is proposed to quantitatively analyse the additional ESDD caused by salt fog. The test results indicate that the ac flashover voltage stress decreases with the increase of both ESDD and fog‐water conductivity. Both the ESDD and leakage current become larger in salt fog compared with those in clean fog. The ASDD can be applied to analyse the combined effect of ESDD and fog‐water conductivity and be expressed as ASDD = k × γ20 × ESDD. Then the flashover voltage stress is E = A × (ESDD + ASDD)−a. The values of k for the porcelain, glass and composite insulators are 0.179, 0.191 and 0.230, respectively. The flashover in salt fog environment is a special kind of pollution flashover in essence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of large‐scale haze–fog weather in some developing countries brings a new threat to the safe operation of outdoor insulation. In order to study the effect of the haze–fog on the flashover performance of insulators and the flashover mechanism, kieselguhr, calcium sulphate (CaSO-4) and ammonium sulphate ((NH4)2SO4) in different particle sizes were mixed with ultrasonic fog to simulate the haze–fog environment and quantitative ac flashover experiments on the standard suspension porcelain insulator were carried out. The test results indicate that the flashover voltage is related with the pollution degree, particle component, particle size and fog‐water conductivity, and may decrease by more than 20% under haze–fog environment. The effect of salt aerosols on flashover voltage is determined by the solubility and larger than that of non‐soluble mineral aerosols or organic carbon aerosols. The flashover voltage increases with the increase of the particle size, but decreases with the increase of fog‐water conductivity. The flashover of insulator under haze–fog condition is a special kind of pollution flashover in essence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing novel proton conductors is crucial to the electrochemical technology for energy conversion and storage. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been attracting wide attention in this regard. P-UC (UC = UiO-66-COOH) and G-UC were prepared with different methods. The structures of products were characterized by XRD and IR. Then, the proton conductivities of P-UC and G-UC at different temperatures were measured at 75% RH (RH ​= ​relative humidity) and 100% RH. The results show that the proton conductivity of G-UC is better than that of P-UC under the humidity conditions above. At 100% RH, the proton conductivity of G-UC reaches 8.53 ​× 10−2 ​S ​cm−1 ​at 353 ​K, which is 1.7 times that of P-UC. And at 303 ​K, the proton conductivity of G-UC is 4.55 ​× ​10−2 ​S ​cm−1, which is three times that of P-UC. The Ea values of G-UC and P-UC at 100% RH were lower than that at 75% RH. Under the two kinds of relative-humidity conditions above, relative to P-UC, G-UC is a better proton conductive material, with more stable high proton conductivity and lower activation energy. [Display omitted] • The proton conductivity of G-UC reaches 8.53 ​× ​10−2 ​S ​cm−1at 353 ​K, which is 1.7 times that of P-UC at 100% RH. • The proton conductivity of G-UC is higher and more stable than that of P-UC. • The proton conduction efficiencies of G-UC and P-UC are discussed from 303 K to 353 K at 75% RH and 100% RH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The grounding electrode line is an important part of the Ultra high voltage direct current (UHVDC) transmission system. It acts as the channel to conduct the unbalanced current and the grounding current.The arcing horn consists of a pair of electrodes installed in parallel at both ends of the insulator string, which provides a discharge channel for the fault current by an air gap to protect the insulators. In this paper, the voltage and current distributions of the arcing horn were studied when the grounding electrode line was struck by lightning. It is found that the current and voltage gradually decrease along the direction from the converter station to the earth electrode. An active arc extinguishing method based on variable resistance for arcing horn was proposed. An electromagnetic transient simulation model of the grounding electrode line is established based on the electrical parameters of a ±800 kV UHVDC transmission system. It is found that the absorbed energy of the arc extinguishing unit needs to be at least 31.2 and 49.6 kJ when the lightning current is 20 and 50kA, respectively. According to the calculation results, the arcing horn with arc extinguishing unit was developed and tested. The test results verifies that the designed arcing horn can meet the requirements of engineering application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc indium sulfide (ZnIn2S4), as a significant visible-light-responsive photocatalyst, has become a research hotspot to tackle energy demand and environmental issues owing to its excellent properties of high stability, easy fabrication, and remarkable catalytic activity. However, its drawbacks, including low utilization of solar light and fast photoinduced charge carriers, limit its applications. Promoting the response for near-infrared (NIR) light (~52% solar light) of ZnIn2S4-based photocatalysts is the primary challenge to overcome. In this review, various modulation strategies of ZnIn2S4 have been described, which include hybrid with narrow optical gap materials, bandgap engineering, up-conversion materials, and surface plasmon materials for enhanced NIR photocatalytic performance in the applications of hydrogen evolution, pollutants purification, and CO2 reduction. In addition, the synthesis methods and mechanisms of NIR light-driven ZnIn2S4-based photocatalysts are summarized. Finally, this review presents perspectives for future development of efficient NIR photon conversion of ZnIn2S4-based photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer generation 2.5 was synthesized and evaluated as sweeping agent for in-column enrichment and as stationary phase for capillary electrochromatographic separation of heavy metal ions, viz., Pb(II), Cu(II), Hg(II), Zn(II) and Co(II), in a running buffer containing 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol (PAR) as a chromogenic reagent. During experiment, a plug of aqueous PAMAM generation 2.5 solution was first introduced to the capillary, followed by electrokinetic injection of the heavy metal ions under a positive voltage. In this step, PAMAM acted as a sweeping agent, stacking the metal ions on the analyte/PAMAM boundary by forming metal ion–PAMAM complexes. The second preconcentration process occurred when PAR, a stronger ligand, moving toward the injection end under the electric field, reached and re-swept the metal ion–PAMAM zone, forming metal ion–PAR complexes. During separation, the neutral PAMAM moved toward the detector with the electroosmotic flow, dynamically coating the capillary wall, forming stationary phases that affected the separation of the metal ions. Due to the function of PAMAM, the detection sensitivity and resolution of the heavy metal ions improved significantly. Under the optimum conditions, the detection limits were 0.299, 0.184, 0.774, 0.182 and 0.047μg/L for Pb(II), Cu(II), Hg(II), Zn(II) and Co(II), respectively. The method was successfully applied to the determination of heavy metals in snow, tap and rain water samples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Based on detailed analyses of heat exchange processes arising among the droplet, the vapor phase and the heated wall, a non-equilibrium mechanistic heat transfer model for post-dryout dispersed flow regime was developed, in which six heat transfer paths were taken into account. The model has its format that is easily applied in two-fluid analysis codes. Comparisons of the present model predictions with experimental results indicated that the present model was able to accurately reproduce the wall temperature and the vapor superheat. It is also found in the study that at lower pressure and lower mass velocity conditions, the heat to be transferred by direct droplets contact to the wall and by radiation from the wall to the vapor has an important contribution to the total heat transfer and, therefore, cannot be neglected. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A finite-difference approach with non-uniform meshes was presented for simulating magnetotelluric responses in 2D structures. We presented the calculation formula of this scheme from the boundary value problem of electric field and magnetic field, and compared finite-difference solutions with finite-element numerical results and analytical solutions of a 1D model. First, a homogeneous half-space model was tested and the finite-difference approach can provide very good accuracy for 2D magnetotelluric modeling. Then we compared them to the analytical solutions for the two-layered geo-electric model; the relative errors of the apparent resistivity and the impedance phase were both increased when the frequency was increased. To conclude, we compare our finite-difference simulation results with COMMEMI 2D-0 model with the finite-element solutions. Both results are in close agreement to each other. These comparisons can confirm the validity and reliability of our finite-difference algorithm. Moreover, a future project will extend the 2D structures to 3D, where non-uniform meshes should perform especially well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To deliver the cleaner energy, such as water, wind and solar power, from the remote mountainous areas to the power load areas, overhead power transmission lines are widely employed around the world. It is not an easy job to guarantee the safety of the long distance power transmission with hundreds or even thousands of kilometers of lines, especially crossing heavy ice zones at mountains. In this work, a numerical model to simulate the static and dynamic responses of transmission lines undergoing heavy ice is proposed and validated. Using the model, parameter study under different line sections depending on the mountain terrains, height difference and tension in conductors is carried out. It is obtained that the ice-induced dynamic characteristics of transmission lines at mountain zones are highly different with those of traditional design standard, with more complicated and dangerous. Therefore, to assess the risk level of transmission lines at mountain zones, the numerical model is used to gather the big dataset. Then, five machine learning-based models, including three tree-based and two artificial neural network (ANN)-based models, are developed and compared to find the optimal one. It is found that the multi-layer feed-forward deep ANN (MLF-DNN)-based model behaves optimal with the best evaluation scores. Based on the models, the predominant input parameters to affect the risk level are obtained and some suggestions to improve the ice resistance for the design and operation of transmission lines at mountain zones are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the versatility of superhydrophobic materials, they have attracted a lot of attention even in power electronics, transportation, engineering, and other fields. The volume fraction of fluorinated silicon oxide nanoparticles in superhydrophobic materials is one of the most important factors. Increasing the volume fraction will decrease the stability between the coating and the hydrophobic surface. Especially, the flashover voltage of the coating gradually decreases from 10 to 35 vol.%. Meanwhile, the flashover voltage dispersion of the coating increases drastically after 30 vol.%. In order to improve the electrical properties of the superhydrophobic coating, self‐assembly of surface energy differences strategy is proposed in this work. A binary filling phase of the coating is introduced by 2D boron nitride nanosheets and silicon oxide nanoparticles. Although Hexagonal boron nitride with high surface energy and low roughness, it will be spontaneously assembled and wrapped by silicon oxide nanoparticle based on surface energy differences, which forming a low surface energy filled phase. Experiment results prove that the flashover voltage of the superhydrophobic coating is optimized by the binary filling phase coating. This method offers new ideas for the selection of filling phase and application of superhydrophobic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N -substituted oxindoles were obtained through a facile KOH/DMSO promoted intramolecular cyclization of o -bromophenylacetamides in good yields. Furthermore, isoindigo derivatives were readily synthesized through sequential intramolecular cyclization, oxidation and condensation of o -bromophenylacetamide in the presence of copper (II) acetate monohydrate, iodobenzene diacetate and KOH/DMSO. This method provides a convenient synthesis of a range of oxindoles and symmetrical biologically important ( E )-bisindole-2-ones using o -bromophenylacetamide as sole starting material. The reaction mechanism is elucidated in light of the control experiment results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under natural environment, the washing effect of rainfall has great influence on the cleaning of outdoor insulators. To study the law of natural contamination on the insulator surface in the rainy weather. The natural contamination experimental study has been carried out for four 500 kV transmission lines in hundreds of sites and stations in Hunan Province for five years. The equivalent salt deposit density (ESDD) and non‐soluble deposit density (NSDD) were measured monthly, and the meteorological data were statistically analysed. The results show that the residual ESDD and NSDD on the surface of insulators were affected by the rainfall intensity, duration and flushing angle. Meanwhile, based on the measured data of ESDD and NSDD, a cleaning model of insulators was established. The effects of splash on the bottom surface of insulators were studied by using the raindrop kinetic energy and Gaussian probability statistical distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corona discharge is one of the key factors that lead to the hydrophobicity loss of silicone rubber insulators used on the roof of high-speed trains. Based on the artificial experimental wind-tunnel platform, influences of AC corona intensity and airflow velocity on the hydrophobicity distribution of the silicone rubber surface were studied. According to the corona discharge phenomena and measured discharge current, influences of airflow velocity and voltage on the characteristics of corona discharge in a high-speed airflow environment were discussed. Results reveal that the hydrophobicity distribution on the silicone rubber surface shifts along the airflow direction in the high-speed airflow environment when the voltage is relatively high. When ionization zone develops to the needle-plate gap, the discharge path is deflected to the direction of airflow, which is responsible for the change of the hydrophobicity distribution. It is notable that the deflection distance decreases with the increase of airflow velocity. This is attributed to the fact that the electrons with variable horizontal distance from the electron to the plate electrode center are subjected to different electric field forces, resulting in different influences of high-speed airflow on them. These results are of engineering and theoretical significance for insulators used in high-speed railways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cytidine diphosphate diacylglycerol synthases (CDSs) gene encodes the cytidine diphosphate-diacylglycerol (CDP-DAG) synthase enzyme that catalyzes the formation of CDP-diacylglycerol from phosphatidic acid. At present, there are no reports of CDS2 in birds. Here, we identified chicken CDS2 transcripts by combining conventional RT-PCR amplification, 5′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE), and 3′ RACE, explored the spatio-temporal expression profiles of total CDS2 and the longest transcript variant CDS2 -4, and investigated the effect of exogenous insulin on the mRNA level of total CDS2 via quantitative RT-PCR. Four transcripts of chicken CDS2 (CDS2 -1, -2, -3, and -4) were identified, which were alternatively spliced at the 3′-untranslated region (UTR). Both total CDS2 and CDS2 -4 were prominently expressed in adipose tissue, and exhibited low expression in liver and pectoralis of 49-day-old chickens. Regarding the spatio-temporal expression patterns of CDS2 in chicken, total CDS2 exhibited a similar temporal expression tendency with a high level in the later period of incubation (embryonic day 19 [ E19 ] or 1-day-old) in the brain, liver, and pectoralis. While CDS2 -4 presented a distinct temporal expression pattern in these tissues, CDS2 -4 levels peaked at 21 d in the brain and pectoralis, while liver CDS2 -4 mRNA levels were highest at the early stage of hatching (E10). Total CDS2 (P < 0.001) and CDS2 -4 (P = 0.0090) mRNA levels in the liver were differentially regulated throughout the development of the chicken. Total CDS2 levels in the liver of Silky chickens were higher than that of the broiler in the basal state and after insulin stimulation. Exogenous insulin significantly down-regulated the level of total CDS2 at 240 min in the pectoralis of Silky chickens (P < 0.01). In conclusion, chicken CDS2 isoforms with variation at the 3′-UTR were identified, which was prominently expressed in adipose tissue. Total CDS2 and CDS2 -4 presented distinct spatio-temporal expression patterns, that is they were differentially regulated with age in brain, liver, and pectoralis. Insulin could regulate chicken CDS2 levels in a breed- and tissue-specific manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a surface discharge test was conducted on a silicone rubber insulating sheet, an epoxy resin insulating sheet, a porcelain insulating sheet, and a glass insulating sheet by using an independently constructed test platform of insulating media to study the discharge characteristics along the surface of insulating media under low air pressure and strong airflow environment. Experiments were conducted to obtain the variation in the discharge characteristics along the surface of the four kinds of insulation media with respect to airflow velocity at different air pressures. The discharge voltage characteristics and discharge morphology characteristics along the surface of the insulating media in a strong airflow environment at low air pressure are elucidated. This paper provides theoretical support for the selection of insulation materials and insulation protection design for a low air pressure and strong airflow environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gas–solid interface of high-voltage insulating equipment is a weaker part of insulating equipment insulation, and preventing the occurrence of discharge along the surface of insulating equipment is a critical problem for high-voltage insulation. This article investigates the discharge characteristics and charge movement characteristics of insulating media under an airflow environment. The surface discharge characteristics of the insulating medium in the airflow environment were obtained by using a high-velocity airflow test platform, and the surface discharge voltage characteristics, discharge path characteristics, and force conditions of the discharge process were analyzed. The surface charge motion characteristics of the insulating medium in the high-velocity airflow environment were also tested, and the distribution characteristics, dissipation characteristics and conduction mechanism of the surface charge of the insulating medium in the high-velocity airflow environment were revealed. The research results showed that: the discharge voltage along the insulating medium surface gradually increases with the increasing velocity of airflow; the discharge path along the surface of the insulating medium gradually shifts backward under the action of airflow; under the action of airflow, the charge on the insulating medium surface is blown away, thus reducing the charge concentration on the insulating medium surface; the trap level center of the insulating medium gradually decreases under the action of airflow, which provides the conditions for the charge blowing effect on the insulating medium surface. This investigation supplies the theory support for the protection of insulation equipment in an airflow environment and technical guidance for the insulation design of insulating equipment in an airflow environment to ensure the secure and steady running of insulating equipment in high-speed trains and high-voltage transmission lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) is one of the most common renal carcinomas worldwide, which has worse prognosis compared with other subtypes of tumors. We propose a potential RNA regulatory mechanism associated with ccRCC progression. Accordingly, we screened out clinical factors and the expression of RNAs and miRNAs of ccRCC from the TCGA database. 9 lncRNAs (FGF12-AS2, WT1-AS, TRIM36-IT1, AC009093.1, LINC00443, TCL6, COL18A1-AS1, AC110619.1, HOTTIP), 2 miRNAs (mir-155 and mir-21), and 3 mRNAs (COL4A4, ERMP1, PRELID2) were selected from differential expression RNAs and built predictive survival models. The survival models performed very well in predicting prognosis and were found to be highly correlated with tumor stage. In addition, the survival-related lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA (ceRNA) network was constructed by 18 RNAs including 12 mRNAs, 2 miRNAs, and 4 lncRNAs. It is found that the "ECM-receptor interaction," "Pathways in cancer," and "Chemokine signaling pathway" as the main pathways in KEGG pathway analysis. Overall, we established predictive survival model and ceRNA network based on multivariate Cox regression analysis. It may open a new approach and potential biomarkers for clinical prognosis and treatment of ccRCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first purpose of this study was to reveal the distribution of the angel wing (AW) of geese. Our data showed that the total incidence of AW was 6.67% in 150-day-old White Zhedong (ZD) geese, the occurrence of AW in left wing is higher than that in right wing and bilateral wing than unilateral wing (both P < 0.01). In 70-day-old Hybrid-Wanxi (HW) geese, the total incidence of AW was 8.86%, with similar incidence rate between unilateral and bilateral. The sex has not apparently affected the incidence of AW in both ZD and HW geese. To explore the potential relationship between wing type with body weight, organ index, bone characteristic, or blood biochemical parameters in 70-day-old HW geese. We found that the body weight and organ index were similar between normal wing (NW) and AW geese. The length for the humerus, metacarpal and phalanx, and the phalanx weights, as well as the angle between the humerus and the radial ulna (HRU) in NW geese were pronounced greater than that in AW geese (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the angel wing was strongly associated with lower platelet size indicators. Collectively, AW affected the wing bone length, phalanx weight, and HRU, and the occurrence of AW may be related with dysfunctional platelet activation in geese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A model of electric dipole between aerosol groups to explain the characteristics of the pollution distribution on the surface of the DC charged insulator. • A mechanism of aerosol particles radius affected by DC electric field was revealed. • An experiment was carried out to prove the accuracy of the proposed pollution agglomeration model. To obtain the pollution agglomeration characteristics of insulators and its effect mechanism of Ultra High-Voltage DC transmission lines under natural sedimentary condition, a natural pollution accumulation system was set up and used to analyze the micro-shape features of the surface insulators on different conditions. The experimental results show that the surface pollution is respectively distributed as chain and granular shapes on the DC charged insulator and electrically neutral insulator, which indicates that the pollution agglomeration characteristics are influenced by the DC electric field significantly. Meanwhile, the radius of the pollution particles on the DC charged insulator is larger than that on the uncharged insulator. Based on the thermodynamics and electrostatics theory, this paper proposed the model of electric dipole between aerosol groups to explain the characteristics of the pollution distribution on the surface of the DC charged insulator and revealed the mechanism of aerosol particles radius affected by DC electric field. The conclusions of this paper can provide an experimental and theoretical basis for the UHV DC external insulation pollution characteristics and insulator flashover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Advanced High Temperature Reactor (AHTR) is a conceptual design of a Fluoride salt-cooled High-temperature Reactor (FHR) utilizing 7LiF-BeF 2 (66–34 mol%) as its primary coolant. To identify key phenomena that impose potential challenges on thermal hydraulics modeling and simulation of such a reactor system, a thermal hydraulics phenomena identification and ranking table (TH-PIRT) study was performed for the AHTR in a Department of Energy Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP) integrated research project led by Georgia Institute of Technology. A panel of experts from regulators, industries, national laboratories, and academia was assembled for the study. In this paper, the TH-PIRTs identified by the panel for two events, namely, station blackout and simultaneous withdrawal of all control rods, are summarized and discussed in detail. In addition, the key phenomena that warrant further study and research for AHTR analysis are identified to support the validation of thermal hydraulics system-level analysis codes and computational fluid dynamics simulation tools, as well as future FHR reactor licensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identifies the phenomena that impact the accuracy of the multiphysics analysis of fluoride salt-cooled high temperature reactors (FHR) and categorizes the level of coupling needed to model these phenomena with sufficient accuracy in the context of three scenarios, namely, normal operation, station blackout, and simultaneous withdrawal of all control rods. Such a study is a necessary step prior to developing or extending existing multiphysics modeling and simulation tools. The identified multiphysics phenomena are categorized into the groups requiring “tight” and “loose” coupling. “Tight” coupling refers to phenomena that require iterative feedback between multiple physics modules/methods whereas “loose” coupling refers to phenomena that require only data from other physics that can be pre-calculated and shared in tabular or functional form. For the station blackout scenario, it was determined that no identified phenomena required tight coupling. For the rod withdrawal and normal operation scenarios, it is found that there is a large number of phenomena that require tight coupling between neutronics and thermal hydraulics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ginsenoside Rg3 weakened AngⅡ-induced myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis. • Rg3 inhibited the levels of NLRP3 inflammasome and oxidative stress in cardiomyocytes. • Rg3 regulated the SIRT1/NF-κB signaling pathway. • Rg3 attenuated the progression of myocardial hypertrophy in vivo. Ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3), one of the most potent components extracted from the roots of the traditional Chinese herb Panax ginseng , has prominent roles in anti-tumor and anti-inflammation. However, the applications of Rg3 against myocardial hypertrophy are not fully revealed. Transverse aortic constriction (TAC) was adopted to build the myocardial hypertrophy model in rats. The in vitro model of myocardial hypertrophy was induced by angiotensin II (Ang II) in the human cardiomyocyte cell line AC16 and HCM, which were then treated with different doses of Rg3. The levels of myocardial hypertrophy markers (ANP, BNP, and β-MHC) were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Western blot (WB) was conducted to verify the expressions of myocardial fibrosis-associated proteins (MyHc, Collagen Ⅰ, and TGF-β1) and oxidative stress (OS) proteins (HO-1 and Nrf2). The markers of fibrosis, hypertrophy, NLRP3 inflammasome and OS in cardiomyocytes were evaluated by qRT-PCR, western blot (WB), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and cellular immunofluorescence, respectively. Furthermore, pharmacological intervention on sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) was performed to clarify the function of SIRT1 in Rg3-mediated effects. Rg3 dose-dependently attenuated the Ang II-induced myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis. What's more, Rg3 markedly inhibited NLRP3-ASC-Caspase1 inflammasome and OS (reflected by SOD, MDA, HO-1, and Nrf2) in cardiomyocytes treated with Ang II. Mechanistically, Rg3 attenuated NF-κB activation and promoted SIRT1 expression. Inhibiting SIRT1 (by AGK2) mostly reversed Rg3-mediated effects against Ang II-induced myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis. In the TAC rat model, administration of Rg3 mitigated myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis through pressing overproduced inflammation and OS. Rg3 prevents Ang II-induced myocardial hypertrophy via inactivating NLRP3 inflammasome and oxidative stress by modulating the SIRT1/NF-κB pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cholesterol plays vital roles in many central physiological and pathological processes. As a key component in the cell membrane, cholesterol can regulate a variety of ion channels, including ligand-gated ion channels (LGICs). However, relatively little is known about the molecular detail and in vivo consequence of cholesterol-LGIC interaction. Here, we reveal that membrane cholesterol depletion significantly inhibits the potentiating effects of dehydroxylcannabidiol (DH-CBD) on glycine-activated currents (I Gly) in HEK 293T cells expressing α1/α3 glycine receptors (GlyRs). Simvastatin considerably decreases cholesterol levels and DH-CBD-induced potentiation of I Gly in the spinal cord of mice. Simvastatin also significantly decreases DH-CBD analgesia in acute and chronic pain of mice. The cholesterol levels in the dorsal horn of spinal cord, measured by mass spectrometry imaging, are specifically correlated with cannabinoid potentiation of spinal GlyRs and cannabinoid-induced analgesia. These findings suggest that spinal cholesterol is critical for the efficacy of glycinergic cannabinoid-induced analgesia. • Membrane cholesterol modulates cannabinoid potentiation of glycine receptors. • Simvastatin decreases cannabinoid analgesia in mice. • Cannabinoid analgesic effects correlate with spinal cholesterol levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Sunlight exposure is known to affect mood, learning, and cognition. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show that moderate UV exposure elevated blood urocanic acid (UCA), which then crossed the blood-brain barrier. Single-cell mass spectrometry and isotopic labeling revealed a novel intra-neuronal metabolic pathway converting UCA to glutamate (GLU) after UV exposure. This UV-triggered GLU synthesis promoted its packaging into synaptic vesicles and its release at glutamatergic terminals in the motor cortex and hippocampus. Related behaviors, like rotarod learning and object recognition memory, were enhanced after UV exposure. All UV-induced metabolic, electrophysiological, and behavioral effects could be reproduced by the intravenous injection of UCA and diminished by the application of inhibitor or short hairpin RNA (shRNA) against urocanase, an enzyme critical for the conversion of UCA to GLU. These findings reveal a new GLU biosynthetic pathway, which could contribute to some of the sunlight-induced neurobehavioral changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]