Search

Abstract A permanent magnet synchronous generator‐based wind generation system has been predominantly applied in wind farms. With the wide application of wind generation, mechanical shafting attracts wide attention as torsional vibration problems may occur in its mechanical rotational system, which can further affect the power system. The paper first intentionally designs a two‐open‐loop two‐mass shaft subsystem model to investigate the interactions among wind turbine mass, generator mass, and machine‐side converter, that is, the machine‐side dynamics. Then, a bilateral damping contribution analysis is proposed to investigate the damping mechanism of these machine‐side dynamics. The impact mechanism of one dynamic on another through the damping contribution channel can be revealed by modal analysis, indicating the coupling of different oscillation modes and the complex interactions of machine‐side dynamics. The established two‐open‐loop two‐mass shaft subsystem model and the proposed bilateral damping contribution analysis with the identified damping contribution channel of the permanent magnet synchronous generator‐based wind generation system are validated.

BackgroundMechanical stretch-mediated tissue expansion is effective for obtaining extra skin and soft tissue required for the repair of defects or reconstruction of surface organs. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms and identifying hub genes and key cell types associated with skin expansion could help predict the success of skin growth during expansion procedures.MethodsWe analyzed murine chip sequencing data and single-cell sequencing data available from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Based on the differentially expressed and epithelial–mesenchymal transition-related genes, random forest and protein-protein interaction network analysis identified hub genes for predicting skin regeneration in tissue expansion. The fate of the cell subpopulations, expression of hub genes in different cell types, and their communication were also assessed.ResultsFive genes, integrin beta 5 (Itgb5), tropomyosin 1 (Tpm1), secreted frizzled-related protein-1 (Sfrp1), Notch1, and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 (Igfbp2), were identified as having the greatest impact on prediction accuracy. These hub genes were primarily enriched in the Notch and phosphoinositide 3-kinase-AKT pathways. Immune cell infiltration analysis further revealed that mast cell infiltration was significantly higher in the expanded skin group than that in the control group. According to single-cell data, the interactions between epithelial cells, stem cells, and other cell types were higher in the expanded skin group than those in the control group. Moreover, Tpm1, Sfrp1, and Notch1 were highly expressed in all epithelial and stem cell subgroups.ConclusionsThe hub genes, Notch1, Tpm1 and Sfrp1, and their associated signaling pathways such as Notch and Wnt signaling and functions in key cell subsets highlight prospective therapeutic strategies to enhance skin growth under mechanical expansion. Moreover, mast cell activation and infiltration may trigger immune responses in the expanded skin, which requires further investigation.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to systematically assess the clinical efficacy of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) for treating post-stroke sleep disorders (PSSD).MethodsWe conducted thorough literature search across multiple databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, EmBase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, China Biology Medicine (CBM); China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI); Technology Periodical Database (VIP), and Wanfang Database, focusing on RCTs examining NIBS for PSSD. Meta-analyses were performed using RevMan 5.4 and Stata 14.ResultsEighteen articles were reviewed, including 16 on repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), one on Theta Burst Stimulation (TBS), and two on transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS). Meta-analysis results indicated that rTMS within NIBS significantly improved the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score (MD = −1.85, 95% CI [−2.99, −0.71], p

IntroductionZicaitai (Brassica rapa var. purpuraria) is a Brassica variety renowned for its distinctive taste and rich nutritional profile. In recent years, the mitochondrial genomes of several Brassica species have been documented, but the mitogenome of Zicaitai remains unreported.MethodsIn this study, we characterized the Zicaitai mitogenome achieved through the assembly of sequencing reads derived from both the Oxford Nanopore and Illumina platforms. A detailed comparative analysis was carried out with other Brassica species to draw comparisons and contrasts. In-depth analyses of codon usage patterns, instances of RNA editing, and the prevalence of sequence repeats within the mitogenome were also conducted to gain a more nuanced understanding of its genetic architecture. A phylogenetic analysis was performed, utilizing the coding sequences (CDS) from the mitochondrial genome of Zicaitai and that of 20 closely related species/varieties to trace evolutionary connections.ResultsThe Zicaitai mitogenome is characterized by a circular structure spanning 219,779 base pairs, and it encompasses a total of 59 genes. This gene set includes 33 protein-coding genes, 23 tRNA genes, and 3 rRNA genes, providing a rich foundation for further genomic study. An analysis of the Ka/Ks ratios for 30 protein-coding genes shared by the mitogenomes of Zicaitai and seven other Brassica species revealed that most of these genes had undergone purifying selection. Additionally, the study explored the migration of genes between the chloroplast and nuclear genomes and the mitogenome, offering insights into the dynamics of genetic exchange within the Brassica genus.DiscussionThe collective results in this study will serve as a foundational resource, aiding future evolutionary studies focused on B. rapa, and contributing to a broader understanding of the complexities of plant evolution.

AbstractZicaitai (Brassica rapa var. purpuraria (L.H.Bailey) Kitam 1950) is a vegetable crop that boasts a high nutritional value and unique flavor. It originated from Central China and was formed after long-term cultivation and domestication. In this study, we obtained the complete sequence of the chloroplast genome of zicaitai, a circular molecule of 153,483 bp in length. This chloroplast genome consists of a large single-copy (LSC) region (83,282 bp), a small single-copy (SSC) region (17,775 bp), and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) (26,213 bp). By sequence annotation, 132 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes were identified in the zicaitai chloroplast. A total of 315 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were found located in LSC (197), SSC (72), and IR (46), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on chloroplast genomes indicated the relationship of zicaitai and the Brassicaceae family, which supports zicaitai as a variety of B. rapa in taxonomy. The results obtained in this study provide insight into further research on Brassica chloroplasts and their phylogeny.

Abstract Zicaitai is a seasonal vegetable known for its high anthocyanin content in both stalks and leaves, yet its reference genome has not been published to date. Here, we generated the first chromosome-level genome assembly of Zicaitai using a combination of PacBio long-reads, Illumina short-reads, and Hi-C sequencing techniques. The final genome length is 474.12 Mb with a scaffold N50 length of 43.82 Mb, a BUSCO score of 99.30% and the LAI score of 10.14. Repetitive elements accounted for 60.89% (288.72 Mb) of the genome, and Hi-C data enabled the allocation of 430.87 Mb of genome sequences to ten pseudochromosomes. A total of 42,051 protein-coding genes were successfully predicted using multiple methods, of which 99.74% were functionally annotated. Notably, comparing the genome of Zicaitai with seven other species in the Cruciferae family revealed strong conservation in terms of gene numbers and structures. Overall, the high-quality genome assembly provides a critical resource for studying the genetic basis of important agronomic traits in Zicaitai.

Abstract Background Xerostomia is a salivary gland dysfunction that negatively impacts the life quality of patients; however, there is no effective treatment for xerostomia. Bioengineered organs, generated using stem cells obtained from newborn salivary glands and ligated injury models, are a new organ transplantation strategy that could be feasible for xerostomia treatment. Reconstruction of salivary gland organoids by seed cells obtained from human minor salivary glands will offer theoretical fundaments and technology support for clinical application and organ regeneration research. Herein, we aimed to propose a new method for culturing and enriching adult human minor salivary gland stem cells in vitro in a three-dimensional (3D) environment via Wnt signaling activation. Methods Obtained and characterized human minor salivary gland stem cells (hMSGSCs) with self-organization ability were 3D-cultured to generate organoids. We examined hMSGSCs proliferation and colony formation using MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assays. Telomerase reverse transcriptase staining, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence assay, RNA isolation, RT-PCR, and qPCR were performed to assess hMSGSCs structure and the function of reconstructive organoids in vitro. Results hMSGSCs showed typical epithelial-like characteristics, such as positive for CD49f and cell KRT expression. hMSGSCs served as adult stem cells in salivary glands and could differentiate into acinar and duct cells. Upon the addition of Noggin, CHIR99021, and Wnt3A to the 3D culture system, hMSGSCs showed higher LGR5 expression and decreased AMY1B and MUC5B expression. Therefore, the Wnt and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) pathways are important in regulating hMSGSCs self-organization and differentiation. Conclusions We showed that the stem cell properties of hMSGSCs in a 3D culture system can be maintained by activating the Wnt signaling pathway and inhibiting the BMP signaling pathway. Our findings contribute new insights on salivary gland organoid generation in vitro.

Chinese flowering cabbage is an important bolting stem vegetable widely grown in southern China, but severe losses caused by soft rot disease are very common in this crop. The MYB transcription factor (TF) family is the largest TF family in plants and plays diverse roles in response to stresses. However, the responses of MYB TFs to biotic stress in Chinese flowering cabbage have not been systematically studied. Herein, 255 R2R3-MYB genes were identified in the genome of Chinese flowering cabbage and classified into 29 subgroups based on phylogenetic comparisons with Arabidopsis thaliana. Gene duplication events involved 182 gene duplication pairs, and we found that two tandem duplication events involving R2R3-MYB genes in Chinese flowering cabbage may also affect gene family expansion. Transcriptome data analysis indicated that MYB TF genes are highly enriched in differentially expressed gene (DEG) sets. Combined with phylogenetic and transcriptome analysis, we identified 12 R2R3-MYB genes that potentially play a role in the response to soft rot stress. Our research provides a foundation for further research on the response of R2R3-MYB genes to soft rot stress in Chinese flowering cabbage.

Summary: Blepharoptosis is a symptom that is commonly observed in clinics. It presents with drooping of the upper eyelid and an asymmetric appearance of the eye. It can occur because of various causes. If left untreated, severe congenital blepharoptosis may impair visual function. The surgical approach largely depends on the severity of blepharoptosis, Bell’s phenomenon, and surgical history. However, it is intricate and difficult to achieve satisfactory symmetry and avoid complications. Owing to the complexity involved and discrepancies in treatment, we planned to arrive at a consensus on the diagnosis and correction of blepharoptosis among Chinese plastic surgeons and ophthalmologists, aiming to establish more standardized treatments and cause less harm to patients.

Unit commitment is an intractable issue aiming to reduce the overall economic cost of power system operation while maintaining the system constraints. Due to the emerging scenario of global warming, many countries are vigorously developing renewable energy to replace the traditional fossil power plant, in order to reduce the environmental and carbon emission. The increasing penetration of renewable generation significantly challenge the economic and security of power system operation. In this paper, a low carbon multi-objective objective unit commitment model considering economic cost, environmental cost and, more importantly, the carbon emission is established, integrating wind and solar power and therefore generating a multi-objective, high-dimensional, strong non-linear, multi-constraint and mixed integer optimization problem. The non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-III is tailored and adopted for solving the proposed challenging task, where the decision-making scheme is designed according to the normalization method and weighted sum function. Numerical results show that the proposed complex many-objective low carbon unit commitment model can be successfully solved by the proposed algorithm and the carbon emission is effectively reduced by the integration of renewable generations.

Alkali-activated slag (AAS) is an environmentally friendly green cementitious material that can replace ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and has attracted extensive research by scholars all over the world. However, research regarding its creep performance has been lacking, which in turn affects its further application. The creep of alkali-activated slag concrete is large, and fiber addition has been shown to improve this problem. Polypropylene (PP) fiber has good alkali resistance and is economical. This paper studies the effect of the stress–strength ratio and fiber length on the creep property of PP fiber-reinforced alkali-activated slag (FRAAS) concrete. At the stress–strength ratio of 0.15, PP fiber addition is able to greatly reduce the creep of concrete. When the stress–strength ratio increases, the shorter fiber loses the anchoring force and the holes caused by the longer fiber crack. This in turn leads to the deterioration of the inhibition effect on concrete creep. The CEB-FIP 2010 model is highly accurate, but the final value prediction is small. The early prediction value of the GL2000 model is rather large and conservative. The creep coefficient of the prediction model and the measured secant modulus of PP FRAAS concrete with different fiber lengths under different stress–strength ratios may solve the issue of creep prediction.

Abstract Temporary ectopic implantation has been performed in clinical practice to salvage devascularized amputated tissues for delayed replantation purpose. In this study, we established a series of segmental forelimb ectopic implantation models in rats, including forelimb, forearm, forepaw, digit, and double forelimbs, to mimic the clinical context. Time of amputated limbs harvesting in donors and ectopic implantation process in recipients were recorded. Survival time and mortalities of recipients were also recorded. Sixty days after ectopic implantation, a full-field laser perfusion imager (FLPI) was used to detect the blood flow of amputated limbs and micro-CT imaging was used to examine bone morphological changes. Histological sections of amputated limbs were stained with hematoxylin and eosin to evaluate pathological changes. Implanted amputated limbs in all models achieved long term survival and there were no obvious morphological and histological changes were found according to results of micro-CT and histology study. Thus, a series of rat segmental forelimb temporary ectopic implantation models have been well established. To our knowledge, this is the first rodent animal model related to forelimb temporary ectopic implantation. These models might facilitate further research related to salvage, reconstruction and better aesthetic and functional outcome of upper extremity/digit in temporary ectopic implantation scenario.

Whale optimization algorithm (WOA), known as a novel nature-inspired swarm optimization algorithm, demonstrates superiority in handling global continuous optimization problems. However, its performance deteriorates when applied to large-scale complex problems due to rapidly increasing execution time required for huge computational tasks. Based on interactions within the population, WOA is naturally amenable to parallelism, prompting an effective approach to mitigate the drawbacks of sequential WOA. In this paper, field programmable gate array (FPGA) is used as an accelerator, of which the high-level synthesis utilizes open computing language (OpenCL) as a general programming paradigm for heterogeneous System-on-Chip. With above platform, a novel parallel framework of WOA named PWOA is presented. The proposed framework comprises two feasible parallel models called partial parallel and all-FPGA parallel, respectively. Experiments are conducted by performing WOA on CPU and PWOA on OpenCL-based FPGA heterogeneous platform, to solve ten well-known benchmark functions. Meanwhile, other two classic algorithms including particle swarm optimization (PSO) and competitive swarm optimizer (CSO) are adopted for comparison. Numerical results show that the proposed approach achieves a promising computational performance coupled with efficient optimization on relatively large-scale complex problems.

Background. Since the first report on the immunomodulatory and immunosuppressive properties of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells (ADSCs), many studies have elucidated the underlying molecular mechanism of their suppressive activity on mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). However, a gap exists in our understanding of the molecular mechanism of ADSC-conditioned medium (ADSC-CM) on MLR. Methods. ADSCs were isolated from Human Adipose Tissues, and Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was used to identify the concentration of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) in ADSC-CM. The transcript abundance of TGF-β1, as well as that of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGF-BP3), was evaluated using qRT-PCR on Jurkat cells cultured in ADSC-CM for 24 hours. The proliferation of the Jurkat cells was assessed using cell cycle assay. Western blotting was performed to identify potential signaling molecules involved in the ADSC-CM-induced inhibition of Jurkat cell proliferation. Results. The findings confirm that the isolated ADSCs demonstrate classic ADSC characteristics. The level of TGF-β1 was found to be low in ADSC-CM, as assessed by ELISA. Jurkat cells grown in ADSC-CM show reduced gene expression of TGF-β1 and IGF-BP3 compared with that of the control group. Furthermore, western blotting of ADSC-CM grown Jurkat cells that were blocked at the G0/G1 stage indicates that ADSC-CM decreases the protein expression of pP38 in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion. ADSC-CM can inhibit Jurkat cell proliferation through the TGF-β1-p38 signaling pathway.

Alkali-activated materials have attracted increasing interest owing to their excellent properties and environmental protection. However, there have been few studies on their creep properties. The aim of this article is to investigate the effect of the stress−strength ratio on the creep property of sodium silicate−based alkali-activated slag (AAS) concrete. For this reason, five groups of AAS concrete with different stress−strength ratios (0.15, 0.3, 0.45, 0.6, and 0.75) were tested. The results indicate that the creep of AAS concrete has a convergent nonlinear stage and a non-convergent stage but not an obvious linear stage. The AAS concrete basically has a consistent creep coefficient and diverse specific creep under a stress−strength ratio of 0.15−0.6. The elasticity modulus of AAS is much smaller than that of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete, which is the reason for the greater creep compared to that in OPC concrete, and the inaccuracy of the model prediction. By applying the actual elastic modulus, the models can predict the specific creep and stress-dependent strain of AAS concrete with a 0.3 stress−strength ratio, except for the B3 model. The secant modulus of AAS concrete decreases linearly with an increase in the stress−strength ratio. Finally, we propose an improved creep model for AAS concrete with a wide stress−strength ratio based on the GL2000 model.

In this paper, a parametric experimental study developing the alkali-activated slag concrete hollow block (AASCHB) is discussed. Fourteen trial mixes of alkali-activated slag concrete containing pottery sand and ceramsite with different water-to-slag ratios, sand ratios, silicate moduli, and Na2O contents were evaluated to determine the optimal mix for high compressive strength and low drying shrinkage. All four factors evaluated were found to be significant for the desired properties. A series of 390 × 190 × 190 mm3 AASCHBs were prepared using the optimal mix with a water-to-slag ratio of 0.35, sand ratio of 0.64, silicate modulus of 1.2, and Na2O content of 8%. The compressive strength, flexural strength, water absorption, and moisture content tests of these blocks indicate that the resulting AASCHB can be classified under the strength grade of MU15 as a load-bearing hollow concrete block. The proposed AASCHBs appear to provide a viable solution to the environmental problems of industrial waste and cement production emissions, leading to more sustainable buildings without compromising structural performance.

Severe cervical contracture after burns causes obvious impairment of neck movement and the aesthetic silhouette. Although various surgical techniques for treatment have been described, there is not a definitive strategy to guide treatment. Over the past 6 years, we have been utilizing a region-oriented and staged treatment strategy to guide reconstruction of severe cervical contracture. Satisfactory results have been achieved with this strategy.The first stage of treatment focuses on the anterior cervical region and submental region. Procedures include cicatrix resection, contracture release, division and elevation of the platysma to form two platysma flaps, and skin grafting. Three to six months later, the second stage treatment is performed, which localize to the mental region. This includes scar resection, correction of the lower lip eversion, and reconstruction with free (para)scapular skin flap. Three subtypes of cervicomental angle that we proposed were measured as quantitative tool for evaluation of the reconstruction.24 patients who completed the treatment were reviewed. By the 3rd postoperative month, their CM angles changed significantly: the soft tissue CM angle was reduced from 135.0° ± 17.3° to 111.1° ± 11.3°, the osseous CM angle increased from 67.1° ± 9.0° to 90.5° ± 11.6° and the dynamic CM angle increased from 21.9° ± 8.7° to 67.4° ± 13.1°. 22 in 24 (91.7%) of these patients gained notable improvement of cervical motion and aesthetic contour.Our results suggest that the region-oriented and staged treatment strategy can achieve satisfactory functional and aesthetic results, combining usage of both skin graft and skin flap while minimizing the donor site morbidity.

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is the dominating pathogen of tomato yellow leaf curl disease that caused severe loss to tomato production in China. In this study, we found that a TYLCV-resistant tomato line drastically reduced the accumulation of viral complementary-sense strand mRNAs but just moderately inhibited that of viral DNA and virion-sense strand mRNAs. However, two other resistant lines did not have such virus inhibition pattern. Analysis of differential expressed genes showed that the potential host defense-relevant processes varied in different resistant tomatoes, as compared to the susceptible line, suggesting a di-versity of tomato TYLCV-resistance mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]