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Power conditioning system (PCS) is the crucial component of superconducting magnetic storage system (SMES), which determines its power control performance and ability. This paper investigates the feasibility of applying Z source converter (ZSC) as the PCS for SMES. A ZSC-based PCS (ZSC-PCS) for SMES is presented, parameter design methods are analyzed, and a novel minimum power losses control scheme is proposed. By dynamically regulating open zero vector duty ratio to its minimum required level, the ZSC-PCS can enlarge both active and reactive power capability of SMES with lowest power losses. The feasibility of the proposed approach is verified by the experimental results on a kVA scale prototype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the polysaccharide from Panax Notoginseng (SPNP), a traditional herb in China, was used as an outstanding Pickering stabilizer to fabricate Pickering emulsions. The SPNP was characterized to be a porous network structure with a rough surface surrounded by some nanoparticles. Rheological measurement of the obtained Pickering emulsions demonstrated the formation of emulsion gels. Moreover, the emulsions exhibited excellent storage (14 days), pH (1.0–11.0), ionic strength (0–500 mM), and temperature (4–50 °C) stabilities. In addition, the Pickering emulsions showed a freeze-thaw stability, which is beneficial in food, cosmetic or biomedical applications when they may require freezing for storage and melting before use. Confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) and cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) results showed that SPNPs effectively adsorbed at the oil–water interface by forming a compact three-dimensional (3D) network structure and multilayer anchoring on the surface of the emulsion droplets, thus inhibiting the droplet coalescence and flocculation. This study provides a kind of Pickering emulsions applicable in food, biomedical and cosmetic industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, melatonin (MT) promoted lipid accumulation in Monoraphidium sp. QLY-1 under nitrogen deficiency conditions. The lipid accumulation increased 1.22- and 1.36-fold compared with a nitrogen-starved medium and a normal BG-11 medium, respectively. The maximum lipid content was 51.38%. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in the presence of melatonin was lower than that in the control group, likely because of the high antioxidant activities. The application of melatonin upregulated the gibberellin acid (GA) production and rbcL and accD expression levels but downregulated the abscisic acid (ABA) content and pepc expression levels. These findings demonstrated that exogenous melatonin could further improve the lipid production in Monoraphidium sp. QLY-1 by regulating antioxidant systems, signalling molecules, and lipid biosynthesis-related gene expression under nitrogen deficiency conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae lipids are potential candidates for the production of renewable biodiesel. The combination of plant hormones and two-step cultivation regulates lipid production in microalgae. A strategy for promoting lipid accumulation in Monoraphidium sp. QLY-1 by combining exogenous melatonin (MT) and photoinduction was developed. The effects of melatonin on the lipid content, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and activities of three key fatty acid biosynthetic enzyme in Monoraphidium sp. QLY-1 were investigated. The lipid content increased by 1.32-fold under 1 μM melatonin treatment. The maximum lipid content achieved was 49.6%. However, the protein and carbohydrate contents decreased rapidly from 57.21% to 47.96% and from 53.4% to 37.71%, respectively. Biochemical and physiological analyses suggested that the ROS and lipid biosynthesis-related enzyme activities correlated with increased lipid accumulation under photo-melatonin induction conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-step strategy comprising heterotrophic cultivation and photo-chemical modulator induction was developed to enhance biomass and lipid accumulation in the oleaginous Monoraphidium sp. QLY-1, which was isolated from Qilu Lake in Yunnan Plateau. The algae were first cultivated heterotrophically to achieve high biomass concentration (5.54 g L −1 ) with a lipid content of 22.47%. The cultivated algae were diluted, transferred to light environment, and treated with different chemical elicitors. Results showed that the lipid content increased to 36.68% after 3-day of photoinduction. The lipid content was further enhanced by 1.21, 1.32, and 1.29 folds in algal cells treated with nitrogen deficiency, 20 g L −1 NaCl, and 5 mM glycine betaine, respectively. The maximum lipid content (48.54%) and lipid productivity (121.27 mg L −1 d −1 ) were obtained in treatments with 20 g L −1 NaCl and 5 mM GB, respectively. This study proposes a strategy to efficiently produce lipids by using microalgae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kaili Red Sour Soup (RSS) is a traditional fermented vegetable sauce made from red chili pepper and tomato, through special two-round anaerobic fermentations in southwest China, however, its physicochemical, microbial and flavor characteristics remain unclear. The pH value, total titratable acidity, amino acid nitrogen and nitrite of repined Kaili RSS were determined to be 3.26, 27.34 g/kg, 3.04 mg/kg and3.04 mg/kg, respectively. HPLC spectra showed 7 organic acids in RSS, and lactic acid (24.71 g/kg) and acetic acid (6.41 g/kg) mainly contribute to sour tastes. 15 Amino acids were found in RSS, and alanine (73.19 mg/100g) directly contributed to RSS's umami. The results of GC-MS illustrated totally 76 volatile organic compounds including alcohols, acids, esters, hydrocarbons, phenols, aldehydes, ketone and heterocycles, while alcohols (41.14%), acids (17.92%) and esters (29.37%) were dominant. Colony count number assay and rDNA amplicon-based high-throughput sequencing revealed 66 bacteria genera and 139 fungi during RSS fermentation, and Lactobacillus accounted for 94.81% in the first-round fermentation, while Pichia (49.71%), Dekkera (30.00%) and Saccharomyces (14.96%) were the dominant fungi in second-round fermentation. The Pearson correlation coefficient suggested that L. acetotolerans , Pichia , Dekkera and S accharomyces could contribute mainly to the special flavors of Kaili RSS. • Ripened Kaili Red Sour Soup (RSS) showed low nitrite risk. • Lactic acid, acetic acid and alanine contributed most to the specific taste of Kaili RSS. • Alcohols, acids and esters were dominant volatile compounds in Ripened Kaili RSS. • Kaili RSS experienced lacto-fermentation and lactobacillus -yeast co-fermentation. • L. acetotolerans , Pichia , Dekkera and Saccharomyces contributed mainly to Kaili RSS's flavor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of the newly emerging concept that involves "shifting" the tinnitus pitch and loudness in relation to the efficacy of precision sound therapy. In the case of children, the prevalence rate of tinnitus is difficult to estimate because even if children have tinnitus symptoms that are similar to those of adults, they may not be able to perceive them or to adequately express how they feel.5,6 Since the mechanisms of tinnitus are different, the related treatment should also vary in differently affected participants. The follow-up treatment should continue to retest the tinnitus matching including tinnitus frequency, tinnitus loudness. After treatment, the tinnitus intensity did not change, but the tinnitus frequency changed to the frequency that would make the tinnitus less unbearable, and the THI score decreased. [Extracted from the article]

In cross-ply laminates, the shape of delamination areas, which form due to low velocity impact, have two subtle features, which have been observed consistently in numerous experiments. Those are the pointed delamination tips and the intact zone between the lobes of delamination. However, there have not been any account available in the literature how they can be consistently captured through numerical modelling, and hence these features in published modelling results were often absent. It is the objective of this paper to identify the underlying modelling considerations so that these features can be captured with confidence. A key and unique reason has been identified in each case. Namely, inclusion of intra-laminar damage allows to reproduce the pointed delamination tips, while the gap between the lobes of delamination can be captured by models with sufficiently refined mesh, where friction between the laminas is taken into account. The capability of capturing these subtle features helps to raise the level of fidelity on the simulation of delamination due to impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is a devastating disease of flue-cured tobacco production. Amendments of biochar in soil suppress the incidence of bacterial wilt disease by improving soil health and functional diversity of rhizosphere microbes. In this study, we observed the effect of 0–5% application rate of tobacco stem biochar on soil health and the occurrence of tobacco bacterial wilt disease. Results demonstrated that the application of 2% tobacco stem biochar significantly improves soil physicochemical properties, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, and the functional diversity of microbes in the rhizosphere. The ability of rhizosphere microorganisms to utilize six types of carbon sources was significantly improved under the 2% application rate of tobacco stem biochar, which reduced the incidence of bacterial wilt disease and R. solanacearum population in the rhizosphere of tobacco plants. Biochar also increases the accumulation of dry matter contents in the roots, stems, and leaves of tobacco plant. We conclude that tobacco stem biochar at a certain level improves the soil physicochemical properties, functional diversity of rhizosphere microorganisms, mitigates the pathogen population, and reduces disease incidence. This study highlights the potential use of tobacco stem biochar to manage the bacterial wilt disease. • Soil health and microbial diversity plays an important role in disease development • Application of biochar in soil improves soil physicochemical properties • Amendments of biochar in soil suppress the incidence of tobacco bacterial wilt • Microbial diversity is potentially improved in the presence of biochar [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Childhood obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is underdiagnosed. The aim of this study was to assess the awareness level of OSA among parents in the general population of Guangdong province of South China.Methods: This descriptive epidemiological study was conducted from July to November 2019 using an anonymous questionnaire that evaluated the knowledge of OSA-related symptoms and complications. Exclusion criteria included age under 18 years, refusal to fill out the questionnaire, and a linguistic barrier.Results: A total of 1123 respondents participated in the survey. Among them, 530 (47.2%) respondents were aware of childhood OSA. The most common source of information about childhood OSA was the internet (49.9%). On multivariate analysis, the respondents obtained higher scores if they were mothers (B: -0.105, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.153,-0.057), lived in an urban area (B: -0.077, 95% CI: -0.125,-0.28), and knew about childhood OSA previously (B: -0.55, 95% CI:-0.598,-0.502).Conclusion: Parents demonstrated limited awareness of OSA complications. Innovative educational campaigns must be organized to inform medical practitioners and the general public about this disease and raise awareness about its complications. The effectiveness of the ongoing health education campaigns to increase awareness should be monitored by examining the temporal trends in public knowledge of childhood sleep apnea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corn defense systems against insect herbivory involve activation of genes that lead to metabolic reconfigurations to produce toxic compounds, proteinase inhibitors, oxidative enzymes, and behavior-modifying volatiles. Similar responses occur when the plant is exposed to methyl jasmonate (MeJA). To compare the defense responses between stalk borer feeding and exogenous MeJA on a transcriptional level, we employed deep transcriptome sequencing methods following Ostrinia furnacalis leaf feeding and MeJA leaf treatment. 39,636 genes were found to be differentially expressed with O. furnacalis feeding, MeJA application, and O. furnacalis feeding and MeJA application. Following Gene Ontology enrichment analysis of the up- or down- regulated genes, many were implicated in metabolic processes, stimuli-responsive catalytic activity, and transfer activity. Fifteen genes that indicated significant changes in the O. furnacalis feeding group: LOX1, ASN1, eIF3, DXS, AOS, TIM, LOX5, BBTI2, BBTI11, BBTI12, BBTI13, Cl-1B, TPS10, DOX, and A20/AN1 were found to almost all be involved in jasmonate defense signaling pathways. All of the data demonstrate that the jasmonate defense signal pathway is a major defense signaling pathways of Asian corn borer's defense against insect herbivory. The transcriptome data are publically available at NCBI SRA: SRS965087. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]