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Traditional epoxy resins are of technological significance for structural adhesives and composite materials, as well as many others. However, brittleness limits its further development, and achieving a combination of toughness and rigidity in epoxy networks remains a great challenge. In this work, we designed and synthesized low-temperature curable, tough and repairable epoxy networks via hindered urea bond (HUB) crosslinking strategies. Mechanical testing revealed that the material exhibited simultaneously improved toughness and stiffness, and specifically, tensile strength, elongation at break, and toughness were able to reach 78.2 MPa, 8.61%, and 4.63 MJ · m−3, respectively. More importantly, the dynamic exchange of HUB dispersed between polymer chains enables HUB crosslinked epoxy with thermal-triggered reparability and recyclability. In addition, thermal properties, chemical stability and water resistance of toughened epoxy samples were also characterized. This work provides a practical guidance for the exploration of high-performance epoxy with the potential to be extended to other polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in eye-tracking technology afford the possibility to collect rich data on attentional focus in a wide variety of settings outside the lab. However, apart from anecdotal reports, it is not clear how to maximize the validity of these data and prevent data loss from tracking failures. Particularly helpful in developing these techniques would be to describe the prevalence and causes of tracking failures in authentic environments. To meet this goal, we analyzed video records aligned with eye-tracking data collected from screen-mounted eye trackers employed in a middle-school classroom. Our sample includes records from 35 students recorded during multiple eye-tracking sessions. We compared student head position, body posture, attentiveness, and social interactions for time periods associated with successful and unsuccessful eye tracking. Overall, we observed substantial data loss and found that student inattentiveness, movements toward the eye tracker, and head rotations were the most prevalent factors inducing data loss. In addition, we observed a substantial relationship between data loss and apparent low involvement in the learning task. These data suggest that eye-tracking data loss is an important problem and that it can present a threat to validity because it can bias datasets to overrepresent high involvement behaviors. Based on these findings, we present several recommendations for increasing the proportion of usable data and to counter possible biases that data loss may introduce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the purpose of degrading tetracycline (TC), a three-dimensional electro-oxidation (3D EO) system using particle electrodes of carbon black (CB) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was developed. The CB-PTFE particles fabricated at a CB/PTFE mass ratio of 3:2 and calcination time of 60 min exhibited the high performance for TC removal, as well as low energy consumption and high mechanical strength. TC removal efficiency reached 95% within 15 minutes, driven by a pseudo-first-order reaction with a rate constant of 0.20 min−1. The process incurred an energy consumption of 20.31 kWh/m3. The surface characterizations indicated that the CB-PTFE particles possessed excellent catalytic properties for H 2 O 2 production. Despite the substantial influence of voltage and particle dosage on performance, the system demonstrated consistently high efficiency in TC removal regardless of solution pH within the range of 3–11. Quenching experiments and probe experiments using benzoate suggested that the surface-bound hydroxyl radicals (•OH (ads)) dominated (64.7%) the oxidation of TC in the 3D CB-PTFE EO system. The •OH (ads) was produced by the reduction of H 2 O 2 on the particle surface. Products examination by LC-MS-MS confirmed a degradation pathway of TC by •OH attacking. These findings indicate that the CB-PTFE EO system has unique advantages and potentials in treating antibiotics due to its high oxidizing capacity, a wide range of applicable pH, no chemical adding, and self-cleaning. [Display omitted] ● Particle electrodes made of carbon black could efficiently remove tetracycline. ● No chemicals required except oxygen during the oxidation process. ● •OH (ads) was produced by the electrochemical activation of in-situ generated H 2 O 2. ● The proposed system shows good performance at a wide pH range of 3 11. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An eight weeks feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary lipid levels on growth performance, lipid metabolism and immune response of Japanese seabass (Lateolabrax japonicus). Five diets were formulated with gradient dietary lipid levels (79.6, 104.4, 129.1, 154.9 and 178.6 g kg−1). Results revealed that growth and feed utilization of fish were significantly lower in group L178.6 than other groups (p < 0.05). Lipid accumulation in whole body, muscle and intraperitoneal were increased with increasing dietary lipid levels. The mRNA levels of adipose triglyceride lipase, carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1, acetyl CoA carboxylase, cholesterol 7 alpha‐hydroxylase and retinoid X receptor in liver were also increased with increasing dietary lipid levels (p < 0.05). The mRNA levels of apolipoprotein A1 and peroxisome proliferator activating receptor α were higher in fish fed L178.6 than those fed other diets. Oxidative stress in plasma and liver were induced when dietary lipid exceed 154.9 g kg−1. L154.9 and L178.6 significantly increased the inflammatory related gene expression of fish. These results suggested that high‐fat diet impaired the growth performance and induced lipid accumulation, inflammation and apoptosis of Japanese seabass. The suitable dietary lipid level of Japanese seabass may not exceed 129.1 g kg−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 60‐day experiment was carried out to investigate dietary starch levels on growth performance, hepatic glucose metabolism and liver histology of largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides. Fish (initial weight 22.00 ± 0.02 g) were fed five graded levels of dietary corn starch (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 g/kg). Fish fed low (0 and 50 g/kg) dietary starch showed significantly higher weight gain than other groups (p <.05). Liver lipid and glycogen accumulations were induced when dietary starch higher than 100 g/kg. After 20 days of feeding, hexokinase activity and mRNA expression were decreased in fish fed dietary starch higher than 150 g/kg (p <.05) and the pyruvate kinase showed the opposite tendency. Insulin receptor 1 (irs1), glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor and glucose transport protein 2 (glut2) mRNA expression were decreased with the increasing dietary starch after 10 days of feeding (p <.05). These results indicated gluconeogenesis was depressed and β‐oxidation was enhanced in response to high dietary starch, while the glycolysis was inhibited and endocrine system was impaired when fish fed high dietary starch; then, glucose homeostasis was disturbed and finally led to the glucose intolerance of largemouth bass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present trials tested the efficiency of surplus spermine to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress following LPS‐induced stress using an in vitro model of head kidney and liver cells isolated from Atlantic salmon. Spermine did not protect cells from LPS‐induced inflammatory response at either 0.3, 0.6 or 0.9 mM. However, as the gene expression of spermidine/spermine N1‐acetyltransferase (SSAT) increased with increasing spermine concentration, we addressed possible oxidative effects of the increased SSAT using its activator DENSPM or inhibitor of polyamine oxidation of the acetylated polyamines using MDL72527 at a spermine concentration of 0.6 mM. There was no significant effect of DENSPM, but MDL72527 decreased gene expression of GPX‐3 (p =.04), while gene expression of catalase and MnSOD was unaffected by treatment (p =.30 and p =.48, respectively). In conclusion, spermine did not protect cells from LPS‐provoked inflammation. The higher the spermine concentration, the more SSAT producing acetylated spermine occurred. Inhibiting the acetylated polyamine oxidases by MDL72527 improved oxidation status as expected due to a lower endogenous production of H2O2 by polyamine and acetylated polyamine oxidases. Probably care should be taken using polyamines or arginine as functional ingredients to avoid any increased oxidation within cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 25‐day experiment was conducted to evaluate the optimal lipid level for postlarval Litopenaeus vannamei. Shrimp (1.7 mg) were fed five isonitrogenous diets containing grade levels of lipid (96.6, 114.3, 128.5, 136.5 and 154.5 g/kg diet, respectively). Each diet was assigned to four tanks (500 shrimp), and shrimp were fed six times a day. Weight gain was increased with the increasing dietary lipid levels, and the highest weight gain was observed in shrimp fed diet with 154.5 g/kg lipid (p < 0.05). On the contrary, the survival was lowest in shrimp fed the L15.45 and highest in shrimp fed the L11.43. Triglyceride in hepatopancreas was increased, and cholesterol was decreased with the increasing dietary lipid. Pyruvate kinase and AMPK mRNA expression were highest in shrimp fed the L12.85. Malondialdehyde in whole body was positively correlated with the dietary lipid levels. The mRNA expression of SOD and Caspase 3 was highest in shrimp fed the L12.85. After hypoxia stress, shrimp fed the L12.85 showed highest survival. The mRNA expression of superoxide dismutase and Akirin was highest in shrimp fed the L11.43 and L15.45, respectively. Based on the survival after 25‐day feeding trail and after the hypoxia stress, the optimal dietary lipid for postlarval L. vannamei should be 118–124 g/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following study aimed to develop a fatty liver model in primary hepatocytes isolated from Atlantic salmon. In order to induce the fatty liver, oleic acid (OA) at 0.2 or 0.4 mM was used. Metformin, known to prevent and cure fatty liver in mammalian cells, was used at 1 or 10 mM for 24 hr before addition of OA to test possible prevention effect of metformin on the OA‐induced fatty liver phenotype. Cells grown in 0.2 mM OA did not increase the mean number of lipid droplets, while cells grown in 0.4 mM OA increased the number of lipid droplets within the liver cells (p < 0.0001). Metformin pretreatment prior to OA supplementation reduced the mean number of lipid droplets. Gene expression of ApoB100, CD36 and PPARa increased in cells treated with metformin and most so at 10 mM. On the other hand, gene expression of LXR, SREBP2 and CPT‐1 decreased at both concentrations of metformin, while OA treatment did not affect these genes. Gene expression of IL‐8 increased by 0.4 mM OA (p = 0.002). Metformin reduced the gene expression of IL‐8. Thus, metformin efficiently enhanced the expression of genes related to transport and oxidation of lipids in hepatic cells of salmon, but required higher concentrations of OA and metformin than those required in rodent models to increase and prevent lipid accumulation, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 3‐hr experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary myo‐inositol (MI) supplementation on survival, immune response and antioxidant abilities in Litopenaeus vannamei under acute hypoxia stress. Six practical diets were formulated with supplementation of graded levels (control group 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 and 1.6 g/kg dry diet) of MI and were randomly assigned to triplicate groups of L. vannamei (mean weight 0.40 ± 0.00 g) for 8 weeks. Ten healthy shrimp (final mean weight approximately 11–14 g) randomly selected from each tank were exposed to hypoxia stress after feeding trial. After 3‐hr acute hypoxia stress, survival of shrimp fed MI‐supplemented diets (except 0.1 and 0.4 g/kg diets) was significantly increased compared with the control group. Shrimp fed control diet had lower activities of alkaline phosphatase (AKP), acid phosphatase (ACP), total antioxidant capacity (T‐AOC) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and higher malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PC) contents in hepatopancreas than those fed the MI‐supplemented diets. In addition, mRNA expression levels of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), catalase (CAT) and penaeidin were significantly differentially regulated in hepatopancreas. In summary, dietary MI supplementation may have a positive effect on improving resistance to acute hypoxia stress of L. vannamei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Four isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets containing fresh fish oil (peroxide value, POV: 7.2 meq kg−1, diet FR) and three degrees of oxidized fish oil (POV: 155, 275 and 564 meq kg−1, diet OX155, OX275 and OX564, respectively) were formulated to investigate the effects of dietary oxidized fish oil on growth performance, body composition, antioxidant defense system and mitochondrial function of juvenile largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides. After a 12-week feeding trial, fish fed the OX155 obtained significantly higher (P <.05) weight gain, final body weight and specific growth rate than the FR because of their remarkable higher feed intake. Malonaldehyde (MDA) levels were markedly increased in plasma, liver and mitochondria of largemouth bass fed diet OX564 than those fed FR. Fish fed the OX564 also obtained the highest levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO) than other groups. Antioxidant enzyme activities and mRNA levels were stimulated after 12 weeks of feeding. The highest activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) in liver and plasma were obtained in group OX564. The relative expression of TNF-α was decreased with the increasing oxidative degree of dietary fish oil, while the relative expression of Caspase 8, 9 and 10 were increased with the increasing oxidative degree of dietary fish oil. The relative expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL were lower in fish fed the OX275 and OX564. The lowest activities of malate dehydrogenase (MDH), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and citrate synthase in liver were found in group OX564, in which the ATP level also lower than other groups. Liver mitochondria of fish fed the FR were more resistant to the calcium-induced mitochondrial swelling. More reactive oxygen species (ROS) were produced in fish fed the OX564 compared with those fed the FR after the 12-week trial. Membrane potential and Ca2+ induced swelling of mitochondria also affected by dietary oxidized fish oil. The present study indicated that dietary oxidized fish oil increased oxidative stress, influenced antioxidant system and induced apoptosis of largemouth bass, hepatic mitochondrial function and energy metabolism also were impaired by dietary oxidized fish oil. Highlights • Dietary oxidized fish oil disordered the function of mitochondria and impaired the energy metabolism of largemouth bass. • Dietary oxidized fish oil increased the lipid peroxidation, impaired the antioxidant system of Largemouth bass. • Dietary oxidized fish oil induced the apoptosis of Largemouth bass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of fish-meal replacement on growth performance, protein synthesis and immune response of juvenile Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei reared at low salinity (7‰). Five isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were formulated to contain graded levels (25, 20, 15, 10 and 5%) of fish-meal. High quality alternative solutions were performed, crystalline amino acids, phytase, mannan oligosaccharides and some micro-nutrients were supplemented in the low fish-meal diets. Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate tanks, each tank with 30 shrimp (mean weight 0.3 g), the shrimp were fed 3 times a day. Weight gain and survival were decreased with the decreasing dietary fish meal levels. When dietary fish-meal decreased, the gene expression of TOR, Raptor and eIF4E2 in hepatopancreas were decreased with the decreasing fish meal levels, eIF4E2 in intestine was decreased while 4E-BP was increased with the decreasing fish meal levels. The mRNA level of SOD in hepatopancreas decreased, and the expression of GPx and CAT increased with the decreasing FM levels. The Toll pathway was affected by dietary FM levels, the expression of Toll2, TNFSF, MyD88, Rho and p38 in intestine were increased with the decreasing FM levels. The results indicated that at low salinity condition, fish meal level lower than 15% would inhibit the protein synthesis and harm to the health of shrimp. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Reduced the fish meal content in the diet would significantly affected the survival of white shrimp reared at low salinity. • The protein synthesis of white shrimp might be affected by the dietary fish meal levels. • Immune response, especially for Toll pathway, might be affected by dietary fish meal levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Subsurface arsenic (As) removal has been proposed for in situ immobilizing As in aquifers at a low cost and without post-disposal of As-containing wastes. However, the results reported for field tests are very limited, particularly when high As, phosphate (P) and iron (Fe) coexist in the groundwater. Herein the performance of single- and multiple-well operations was evaluated for in situ removing groundwater As in Jianghan Plain, central China. To enhance groundwater oxygenation, in-well electrolysis was employed in both operation modes. The groundwater in confined aquifer in Jianghan Plain contains elevated concentrations of As (272–606 μg/L), Fe2+ (4.7–14.3 mg/L) and P (0.90–1.58 mg/L). In the single-well operation with cycles of injection and abstraction, groundwater Fe2+ was completely removed but As cannot be reduced to below the World Health Organization guideline (10 μg/L) due to the high concentration and the competition of coexisting P. In-well electrolysis is cost-effective for boosting dissolved oxygen (DO) and Fe2+ removal in single-well operations. In the multiple-well operation with one abstraction well surrounded by 6 in-well electrolysis wells, removals of groundwater As, Fe, P and Mn were not sufficient because of clogging of treatment wells and incomplete capture of groundwater flowing to the abstraction well. In comparison, single-well operation is more simple and efficient for in situ treatment of groundwater As and Fe than multiple-well operation. This study provides a field example of in situ removing high As in groundwater by both single- and multiple-well operations, and underscores the difficulty in treating the groundwater with coexistence of elevated As and P. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Both single- and multiple-well operations were performed in the Jianghan Plain. • In-well electrolysis was applied in multiple-well operation for oxygenation. • Single-well operation enabled the aquifer to remove Fe effectively. • Multiple-well operation removed groundwater As by about 58% before clogging. • Clogging occurred likely on the well screen rather than in the surrounding aquifer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A 5-weeks experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of deoxynivalenol on growth performance, histological morphology, anti-oxidative ability and immune capacity of Litopenaeus vannamei. White shrimp (mean initial weight 1.02 g) were fed seven isonitrogenous diets, Diet 1 as the control, Diet 2–4 was supplemented with grade levels (250, 500 and 1000 μg kg−1) of deoxynivalenol (DON), Diet 5–7 were formulated to contain graded levels of contaminated wheat flour. Each diet was assigned to four tanks (30 shrimp). The weight gain was decreased with the increasing dietary DON levels, survival was lower in shrimp fed high levels of DON-contaminated wheat flour (P < 0.05). Feed intake and feed conversion ratio did not show any difference among all the groups. After 4 h hypoxia stress, survival of shrimp was decreased in shrimp fed high levels of DON-contaminated wheat flour (P < 0.05). Total antioxidant capacity in hepatopancreas was higher in shrimp fed the control diet, glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity were higher in shrimp fed the Diet 3 and Diet 6, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was higher in shrimp fed the highest dietary DON (Diet 4), while the gene expression of SOD and GPx were lower in shrimp fed the Diet 3–7. The expression of HSP70, Toll 1 and Dorsal were higher in shrimp fed the Diet 2, the expression of AKT were higher in shrimp fed the Diet 1 and Diet 2. The expression of proPO, LGBP and PPAF were higher in shrimp fed the Diet 4 and Diet 7. The H&E stain indicated intestinal mucosal folds were impaired in shrimp fed the Diet 3–7, and B cells number and diameters of the hepatopancreas tubules were affected by DON levels, and transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis indicated the apopotosis occurs in intestinal epithelial cell of shrimp fed the Diet 2–7. Based on the present results, the safety level of DON for white shrimp should below 0.5 ppm, which was much less than the European Communities recommendation values for aquatic animals (5 ppm). High level of DON would damage the cell structural and affect the NF-κB pathway and proPO system of shrimp. Highlights • Weight gain and survival of shrimp were impaired by the dietary DON. • Intestinal mucosal and the microstructural of intestinal epithelial cell were harmed by dietary DON. • NF-kB pathway and proPO system were affected by dietary DON. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 25-days experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary Haematococcus pluvialis on growth, survival, immune response and stress tolerance ability of post-larval Litopenaeus vannamei . Post-larval white shrimp (mean initial weight 2.1 mg) were fed five isoenergic and isonitrogenous diets containing grade levels of Haematococcus pluvialis (0, 1.7, 3.3, 6.7 and 13.3 g kg −1 diet, respectively). Results indicated that 3.3 g Haematococcus pluvialis kg −1 diet increased the survival rate of post-larval white shrimp. Specific growth rate (SGR) and weight gain (WG) showed no difference among each groups. After the acute salinity stress (salinity decreased rapidly from 28‰ to 5‰), survival of shrimp fed 6.7 g Haematococcus pluvialis kg −1 diet significant higher than the control ( P  < 0.05), and the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) was increased with the increasing dietary Haematococcus pluvialis levels. The malonaldehyde (MDA) contents in whole body decreased with the increasing dietary Haematococcus pluvialis levels before and after the salinity stress. Before the salinity stress, relative mRNA levels of Caspase 3, Rho and Janus kinase (JAK) decreased in shrimp fed diets contain Haematococcus pluvialis . After the salinity stress, relative mRNA levels of anti-oxidative related genes and immune related genes decreased with the dietary Haematococcus pluvialis level increased to 3.3 g kg −1 . Based on the effect of Haematococcus pluvialis on survival, salinity stress tolerance ability and the immune response of post-larval L. vannamei , the optimal level of Haematococcus pluvialis was 3.3–6.7 g kg −1 diet (100–200 mg astaxanthin kg −1 diet). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel multi-objective model of active distribution network planning based on stochastic programming and uncertain random network (URN) theory. The planning model is proposed to find the final scheme with optimal alternative, location, size and operational strategy for the candidate distribution lines, transformer substations (TSs), distribution generations (DGs), static var compensators (SVCs) and on-load tap changers (OLTCs). Firstly, a scenario-based approach is developed to analyse the uncertainties in network system, such as the demand and intermittency of renewable sources. Since the impact of multiple uncertain factors on network cannot be ignored, a network frame is then modelled by uncertain and random weights of spanning tree (ST) instead of fixed value. In order to achieve the minimization of total cost, and further the selection of a minimum spanning tree (MST) with the uncertain and random weight, a 3-dimensional uncertain space is constructed based on the combination of the previous two targets. In addition, a second-order cone programming (SOCP) is applied to cope with the multi-objective, mixed-integer nonlinear nature of the proposed planning model. Simulation is performed on a modified Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) 69-bus distribution system, and the results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary macro-algae in diet of juvenile Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. The five macro-algae ingredients, including Saccharina japonica, Porphyra dioica, Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis, Ulva lactuca, and Undaria pinnatifida, were used for test diets, named SJD, PDD, GLD, ULD, and UPD, respectively. A reference diet (RD) and five test diets (30% test ingredients and 70% RD) were formulated. Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups of 40 shrimp (initial body weight, 2.00 ± 0.01 g) and the shrimp were hand fed four times a day to apparent satiation. During the last 2 weeks, the fecal samples were collected by siphoning. The results showed that among five test diets, shrimp fed the SJD had the highest weight gain and the lowest feed coefficient, shrimp fed the SJD and GLD shared the same survival ratio and were significantly higher than shrimp fed the PDD and UPD (p < 0.05). For the composition of whole body, shrimp fed the SJD had the highest protein and lipid content compared with the shrimp fed other test diets. Apparent dry matter digestibility from high to low was: P. dioica, S. japonica, G. lemaneiformis, U. lactuca, and U. pinnatifida. Apparent protein digestibility of five macro-algae was highest in U. pinnatifida and lowest in G. lemaneiformis. Additionally, the highest apparent digestibility of gross energy was found in P. dioica. Apparent digestibility of total phosphorous in five ingredients was generally low and highest in S. japonica which was significantly higher than other ingredients (p < 0.05). These results indicated that S. japonica is more suitable for feed ingredient than other four kinds of macro-algae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For latent heat thermal energy storage applications with phase change material (PCM) in restricted space, the factors such as container shape and heating surface must be considered. In this paper, a 2D square cavity PCM is taken as the research object, and the melting process of PCM with different square cavity aspect ratio (AR) was simulated under the condition of constant heat flux (60 W) at the left wall/bottom wall. An innovative and effective indicator, i.e., differential liquid fraction curve along with solid-liquid interface evolution is proposed to reveal the melting rate and typical phase change characteristics. The results show that the complete melting time increases with the increase of AR for both left wall and bottom wall heating conditions. For general applications, the bottom wall heating has a higher melting rate compared with left wall, especially for the cavity with AR >1. During the phase change process, the melting rate can reach its maximum value at the peak of differential liquid fraction curve with an observation of the longest solid-liquid interface. In addition, the melting pattern of high AR cavity during the latter part of the left wall heating process would become similar to the low AR case under the "scouring effect" of natural convection on the solid-liquid interface. For bottom wall cases, the natural convection waveform presents Rayleigh-Benard convection cells, and with the increase of AR, the irregularity of the vortex structure becomes more obvious. The results can provide useful guidance for accurately evaluating phase change characteristics and designing thermal energy storage system. • A typical 2D square cavity PCM is taken as the research object. • Effect of aspect ratio and heating surface on PCM melting behavior is investigated. • Differential liquid fraction is proposed to reveal the phase change characteristics. • The solid-liquid interface length is an effective indicator for thermal performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe-based replacement and precipitation are promising methods for removal of copper ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (Cu(II)-EDTA) but are limited by the necessity of controlling pH and dissolved oxygen. The details of the decomplexation mechanism also remain unclear. The present work investigated an anoxic iron electrocoagulation process capable of automatically modulating anoxic conditions and solution pH during exposure to air and thus promoting the rapid and thorough decomplexation of Cu(II)-EDTA. Dissolved Fe (II), rather than Fe(II)-bearing minerals, was found to be primarily responsible for the reduction of Cu(II)-EDTA to Cu(I)-EDTA and for the subsequent replacement reaction to generate free Cu(I) ions within the initial pH range of 2–7. The Cu(I) was primarily precipitated as Cu 2 O on the surface of green rust and magnetite as the pH was increased. The aeration of these Fe-containing precipitates released free Cu(I) ions instead of chelated Cu into solution, allowing for recycling of the Cu. This release of Cu(I) was likely induced by the pH decrease during aeration. This study provides important insights regarding the reductive decomplexation of chelated Cu(II) and the recovery of Cu via anoxic iron electrocoagulation, which is a promising green approach to recycling Cu from wastewater. [Display omitted] • Anoxic condition and pH were regulated by current in anoxic iron electrocoagulation. • Dissolved Fe(II) dominated reduction and decomplexation of Cu(II)-EDTA. • Cu life cycle was studied by multiple measurements and characterizations. • Cu release was induced by proton increase during aeration of the precipitates. • Anoxic iron electrocoagulation is a green approach of recycling Cu from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of N -acetyl cysteine (NAC) and glycine supplementation on growth performance, glutathione (GSH) synthesis, anti-oxidative and immune ability of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus . Four practical diets were formulated, control, control +0.2% NAC, control +0.5% glycine, control +0.2% NAC +0.5% glycine. Each diet was randomly assigned to quadruplicate groups of 30 fish (approximately 9.5 g). The weight gain and specific growth rate were significantly increased with the supplementation of NAC and glycine. While they had no effect on feed efficiency feed intake and survival. Glutathion peroxidase (GPx) was increased by NAC and γ-glutamine cysteine synthase (γ-GCS) in plasma were increased by glycine. After the feeding trail, fish were challenged by Streptococcus iniae , fish fed the diet supplemented with NAC obtained significantly higher survival rate after 72 h challenge test. NAC also decreased malonaldehyde (MDA) in liver, increased glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity in plasma, up-regulated mRNA expression of Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and GPx in liver and headkidney. Dietary supplementation of glycine increased the anti-oxidative ability of tilapia through increase anti-oxidative enzyme activity (SOD, glutathione reductase, myeloperoxidase) and up-regulate anti-oxidative gene expression (SOD). Immune ability only enhanced by the supplementation of NAC through increased interleukin-1β (IL-1β) mRNA expression. These results clearly indicated that the supplementation of NAC and glycine can significantly improve the growth performance of tilapia, and NAC also enhance the anti-oxidative and immune capacity of tilapia, glycine could only enhance the anti-oxidative ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 10-week experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary lysine levels on growth performance, lipid metabolism, anti-oxidant capacity, mitochondrial biogenesis and immune response of grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella. Fish (mean initial weight 51.01 ± 0.17 g) were fed seven diets containing graded levels of lysine (1.69 %, 1.79 %, 1.91 %, 2.01 %, 2.11 %, 2.24 % and 2.31 %). Results showed that fish fed the control diet (1.69 %) showed lower weight gain (WG) and higher feed conversion rate FCR than those fed 2.01–2.31 % lysine (P < 0.05). Viscerosomatic index decreased when dietary lysine increasing from 1.69 % to 2.11 % (P < 0.05). Suitable dietary lysine levels enhanced the lipolysis and mitochondrial biogenesis of grass carp. Total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in the liver was higher in fish fed 2.24 % dietary lysine than those fed diets containing 1.69 % and 1.79 % lysine (P < 0.05). The malonaldehyde (MDA) contents in liver decreased when dietary lysine increased from 1.69 % to 2.01 % (P < 0.05). Relative mRNA levels of glutathione peroxidase and catalase in liver and intestine were affected by dietary lysine levels (P < 0.05). B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) mRNA level in liver was up-regulated and inhibitor kappa B kinase β (IKKβ) mRNA level in the intestine was down-regulated by increasing dietary lysine levels (P < 0.05). Second-order regression based on WG indicated the suitable level of lysine in feed of grass carp was 2.24 % (6.19 % protein). • Dietary deficiency of lysine would impair the growth performance and feed utilization of grass carp. • The protein synthesis, lipolysis and mitochondrial biogenesis of grass carp might be enhanced by lysine. • Immune response and anti-oxidant defense system of grass carp might be affected by dietary fish lysine levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Miniaturization and high integration are important issues for developments of lab-on-a-chip devices. Benefitting from the advantages of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) sensors in field of biological and chemical detection, many novel applications can be brought by integrating the sensors into small size microfluidic chips. A variety of fabrication methods integrating a LSPR sensor into a chip have been reported, nevertheless, it remains a challenge to assemble regular metallic nanoparticle (NP) array in subtle microchannels economically. In this paper, a low-cost and high-efficiency fabrication method is proposed to assemble LSPR sensing regions into a microfluidic chip. Combining efficient traditional lithography, nanosphere lithography and mask deposition techniques, inerratic triangular metal NPs can be developed at specified and localized regions in microgrooves of a substrate to form different and separate LSPR sensors. Two specified local regions of silver NPs in glass substrate were successfully fabricated: one in the middle of a line-shape microchannel and the other in the cross regions of two crossed microchannels. Sensitivity test of a packaged sensor chip demonstrates that LSPR characteristics of the silver NPs in the channel have been well preserved. All the experimental results manifest that our fabrication method is an effective and economical way for integrating metal NP arrays into multichannel microfluidic chips, which can prompt practical applications of multifunctional lab-on-a-chip devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water electrolysis has been employed for in situ supplying H 2 to Pd-catalytic treatment of groundwater, but the treatment efficiency is greatly inhibited by the concomitant production of O 2 . In this study, a new dual-anode system is proposed to improve the efficiency. An inert anode and an iron anode are used simultaneously to produce O 2 and Fe(II), respectively. The quick oxidative precipitation of Fe(II) by O 2 removes both Fe(II) and O 2 , improving the utilization of cathodic H 2 for the subsequent Pd-catalytic hydrodechlorination. Feasibility tests in the lab show that Pd-catalytic hydrodechlorination of trichloroethylene (TCE) was considerably increased by the addition of an iron anode to the conventional two-electrode system. Scale-up tests at an abandoned chemical site demonstrated that chlorobenzenes in the groundwater were largely hydrodechlorinated to benzene, showing a maximum efficiency with the currents of 0.24 and 0.16 A applied to the inert and iron anodes, respectively, at the flow rate of 6 L/h. In a 3-month intermittent field test, Pd normalized rate constants of hydrodechlorinating three chlorobenzenes are comparable to the conventional means of H 2 supply, while the cost for hydrodechlorination normalized by one mole [H] is much lower. The dual-anode system is an effective means to supplying H 2 in situ for Pd-catalytic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• •OH induced contaminant oxidation by iron EC in bicarbonate electrolyte. • High yield of •OH occurred at pH 8.5 in bicarbonate electrolyte. • Formation of adsorbed Fe(II)-carbonate complexes favored high •OH yields. • A new kinetic model can describe •OH production and contaminant oxidation. • Results highlighted the •OH-based advanced oxidation process in iron EC. Iron electrocoagulation is designed for sustainable high-efficiency and high-flexibility water purification applications. Recent advances reported that hydroxyl radicals (•OH)-based oxidative transformation of organic contaminants can occur in iron electrocoagulation. However, there is still a lack of mechanistic understanding the production of •OH in bicarbonate electrolyte, which presents a critical knowledge gap in the optimization of iron electrocoagulation technology towards practical application. Combined with contaminant degradation, radical quenching experiments, and spectroscopic techniques, we found that •OH was produced at rate of 16.1 μM∙ h −1 during 30-mA iron electrocoagulation in bicarbonate electrolyte through activation of O 2 by Fe(II) under pH-neutral conditions. High yield of •OH occurred at pH 8.5, likely due to high adsorbed Fe(II) that can activate O 2 to enhance •OH production. Mössbauer and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements substantiated that Fe(II)-adsorbed lepidocrocite was the dominant solid Fe(II) species at pH 8.5. A process-based kinetic modeling was developed to describe the dynamic of •OH production, Fe(II) oxidation, and contaminant degradation processes in iron electrocoagulation. Findings of this study extend the functionality of electrocoagulation from phase separation to •OH-based advanced oxidation process, which provides a new perspective for the development of electrocoagulation-based next generation sustainable water purification technology. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary fish meal (FM) and fish oil (FO) replacement are crucial for the sustainable development of aquaculture. An eight weeks feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the potential replacing FM with soy protein concentrate, and the suitable FO level for a low FM diet of Penaeus monodon. A diet containing 25% FM was used as the control (C diet), and three other diets were formulated to contain 15% FM, and supplemented with 3%, 2%, 1% FO [high FO (HF), medium FO (MF) and low FO (LF), respectively]. The experiment was conducted in quadruplicates (30 shrimp per replicate, average weight 1.00 ± 0.01 g). The results indicated that besides the final body weight, there were no differences in weight gain, feed efficiency and survival rate observed among the four groups. The results of the acute salinity stress showed that shrimp fed the C and MF diets showed a similar survival rate, which was significantly higher than those fed a LF diet. Shrimp that were fed HF, MF and LF diets showed a lower level of fatty acid transport-related mRNA expression in the hepatopancreas, compared with those fed the C diet. Shrimp fed HF, MF and LF diets showed lower expression levels of superoxide dismutase, endoplasmic reticulum protein 57 and immune deficiency (IMD) in the hepatopancreas than those fed the C diet. Shrimp that were fed a LF diet showed the lowest expression levels of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins, Toll and tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF6) in the hepatopancreas, as well as the highest expression levels of Toll, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, Relish and TRAF6 in the intestine among four groups. Intestinal microstructure damage was observed in shrimp that were fed a LF diet, and intestinal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) swelling was observed in shrimp fed MF and LF diets. In conclusion, these results indicated that the growth performance of shrimp was not affected when the FM and FO contents decreased, whereas a low content of FM negatively influenced the immune response in shrimp by modulating IMD and ER stress related gene expression. Under low FM conditions, a suitable dietary FO level would benefit to the lipid transport, hepatopancreas and intestine health, as well as the immune response of shrimp. • Reduce the dietary FM level from 25% to 15% had no negative effect on growth performance of P. monodon. • Low dietary fish oil reduced the acute salinity stress resistance of P. monodon fed low FM diet. • Low dietary fish oil impaired the immune response of shrimp through the IMD and Toll signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing aquaculture production brought about the extensive use of high-lipid diets and antibiotics as effective means to spare costly protein and treat diseases, respectively. However dietary antibiotics and high-lipid diets both influence the gut microbiome. We hypothesized that antibiotics could affect the lipid metabolism by altering the composition of intestinal microbiota in fish at medium- and high-lipid diets. We explored this hypothesis by a 6-day administration of antibiotics mixtures to the diet of hybrid grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus ♀ × E. lanceolatus ♂). Four diet groups were designed: medium-lipid (control diet, CD, 8.27% lipids), CD supplemented with antibiotics (vancomycin, neomycin sulfate, metronidazole; ACD), high-lipid diet (HD, 15.32% lipids), and HD with antibiotics (AHD). The ACD and AHD groups exhibited significantly decreased crude lipids, lipid droplets, triglycerides, and total cholesterol contents of the liver (compared to CD and HD). The antibiotics treatment mainly upregulated the expressions of genes associated with lipolysis at the medium-lipid diet and downregulated the expression of lipogenesis-associated genes at the high-lipid diet. The antibiotics treatment mainly inhibited the expression of lipogenesis-associated proteins in the high-lipid diet, and mainly facilitated lipolysis in the medium-lipid diet. The antibiotics treatment significantly reduced the abundance and diversity of microbes, the abundance of Firmicutes , and Firmicutes / Bacteroidetes ratio. In addition, antibiotics homogenized the intestinal microbiota, which in turn caused analogous effects in medium- and high-lipid diets in grouper. In conclusion, short-term dietary antibiotics treatment improved the accumulation of lipids and lipid metabolism by inhibiting lipogenesis at the high-lipid level and facilitating lipolysis at the medium-lipid level via affecting the composition, diversity and functional pathways of gut microbiota. [Display omitted] • 6 days antibiotics application may improve the lipid metabolism of farmed fish. • Antibiotics inhibited lipogenesis in the high-lipid diet group. • Antibiotics enhanced lipolysis in the medium-lipid diet group. • Antibiotics homogenized the composition of gut microbes across different diet groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an effective means to improve the efficient use of energy, multi-energy coupled systems have indicated the important direction for the development of Energy Internet in the foreseeable future. However, the uncertainties that exist in various energy networks present severe challenges to the implementation of this innovative system. In this regard, this paper proposed a multi-stage robust optimization model for the coordinated operation of an electricity-gas-transportation coupled system, which simultaneously considered the uncertainties of traffic demands, wind power, and gas fuel consumption by gas-fired units. To conform to the non-anticipative sequential decision-making process for power system scheduling, the multi-stage robust unit commitment (UC) problem was established and considered as the master problem, which was solved by introducing a linear affine rule and the robust counterpart method. The gas network operation feasibility checks in each period were then addressed as the subproblems, and the generalized benders decomposition-based decoupling-coordination strategy was developed to solve the above master-subproblems iteratively. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed multi-stage robust UC model can achieve a scheduling solution with superior economic performance and reduced conservativeness compared to the two-stage robust UC model. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the decoupling-coordination solving strategy was verified for the multi-energy coupled system. • A multi-stage robust optimization model for a multi-energy coupled system is proposed. • The uncertainties of wind power, gas demand, and traffic demand are considered. • Robust counterpart and a linear affine rule are introduced to solve the proposed model. • A decoupling-coordination strategy is used to achieve a synergetic optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Air diffusion cathode is fabricated with Black Pearls 2000a by rolling method. • The catalyst layer contain abundant surface C C=O groups. • Current efficiency of >90% achieved at current density of up to 151 mA cm−2. • The cathode exhibits good applicability at the pH range of 1–13. H 2 O 2 production through electrochemical 2-electron reduction of oxygen (O 2) is a promising route whereas the faradaic efficiency is generally limited under high current density. In this work, a three-layer air diffusion cathode (ADC) is fabricated with carbon black (CB, black pearls 2000) and PTFE by rolling method. On account of the porous surface with dominant meso and micro pores, high hydrophobic and abundant surface C O groups, the ADC exhibits H 2 O 2 yield of 85.2 ± 0.5 mg cm-2h−1, and current efficiency (CE) of 90.6 ± 0.4 % at 151 mA cm−2 during a 20-cycle operation. Further elevating the current density to 301 mA cm−2 results in H 2 O 2 yield of up to 119.4 mg cm-2h−1 while CE dropped to 62.3 %. In addition, efficient H 2 O 2 yields are achieved at wide pH range of 1.0–13.0. The applicability and stability of the ADC indicate its great potential for electrosynthesis of H 2 O 2 and electrochemical advanced oxidation processes at practical scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-fat diets (HFD) is widely applied in aquaculture to achieve a protein-saving effect, whereas long-term intake of high-fat feed will negatively affect the health of fish. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is an effective antioxidant and anti-obesity substance. However, whether CGA can address a series of adverse effects caused by fish's high lipid diet is unclear. Four diets were formulated: a control diet (C) with approximate 11% lipid; HFD with 18% lipid (HF) and HFD supplemented with 300 and 600 mg/kg CGA (HFC1 and HFC2, respectively) and a nine-week feeding trial was conducted of largemouth bass. Here we show that dietary CGA improves health of largemouth bass by regulating expression of gene responsible for lipid metabolism, inflammation, and antioxidant enzymes. We found that dietary CGA decreases total triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) in plasma and nonestesterified fatty acid (NEFA) in liver of largemouth bass, and 600 mg/kg CGA increased mRNA expression levels of lipolysis such as hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) and adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), and apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1) in the liver. In addition, we found CGA downregulates mRNA expression levels of interleukin 8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Furthermore, we found that CGA decreases malondialdehyde (MDA) level of liver of largemouth bass, while increased mRNA expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT). Our results indicate that CGA plays a role in lipid metabolism, inflammation and antioxidant capacity of largemouth bass fed HFD. • Chlorogenic acid (CGA) could not improve growth performance of largemouth bassfed high-fat diets (HFD). • Dietary GCA upregulated gene expression of lipolysis and lipid transport genes of liver of largemouth bass fed HFD. • Dietary CGA improved antioxidant capacity and alleviate inflammation of liver of largemouth bass fed HFD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bile acid (BA) has been reported to improve growth performance and play an important role in lipid metabolism of fish. Five diets were formulated to investigate the effects of dietary bile acid (chenodeoxycholic acid) supplementation on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, lipid metabolism and intestinal health of juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Fish (18.35 ± 0.05 g) were randomly fed five diets: the positive control diet (10.87% lipid, C), high fat diet (18.08% lipid, HF), and HF diets supplemented with 300, 600 and 900 mg/kg chenodeoxycholic acid (HFC1, HFC2 and HFC3, respectively). After 9 weeks of feeding experiment, the weight gain (WG) and special growth rate (SGR) were significantly lower in the fish fed diet HF compared with those fed diet C (P < 0.05). Compared with the group C, there were no significant differences in WG and SGR of fish fed high fat diet with 900 mg/kg chenodeoxycholic acid (P > 0.05). Viscerosomatic index (VSI) and intraperitoneal fat ratio (IPF) were significantly higher in fish fed high fat diets than those fed the control diet (P < 0.05). The crude lipid and protein contents in muscle showed no significant differences among fish fed diets with high dietary lipid (P > 0.05), while the crude lipid of muscle significantly decreased in HFC2 group (P < 0.05). Triglyceride (TG), malondialdehyde (MDA) in plasma and MDA in liver were higher in HF group than control group, addition of BA could decrease those contents effectively and increase the gene expression of SOD and GSH-Px. Lipidprotein transport and cholesterol synthesis related mRNA levels were significantly increased in fish fed high fat diets containing BA. The supplementation of 900 mg/kg BA significantly increased the gene expression of apolipoprotein B (ApoB-100), sterol 26-hydroxylase (CYP27α) and liver X receptor (LXR) (P < 0.05). High-fat diet significantly increased the pro-apoptotic gene expression, while anti-apoptotic gene B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and B-cell lymphoma-xl (Bcl-xl) mRNA levels were significantly increased with the increasing dietary BA (P < 0.05). In addition, supplemental BA in high-fat diet increased the height of intestinal fold and decreased lipid accumulation in liver. These results suggested that dietary BA supplementation could improve the digestion and absorption of lipids, antioxidant capacity and intestinal health, thereby attenuating the adverse effect induced by high fat diet of largemouth bass. • Dietary bile acid could attenuate the adverse effects induced by high-fat diet on growth performance of largemouth bass. • Dietary bile acid could enhance lipid metabolism and reduce the oxidative stress induced by high fat diet in largemouth bass. • Bile acid supplementation could decrease hepatic apoptosis induced by high fat diet and improve intestinal morphology of largemouth bass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An 8-week feeding trial was proceeded to assess the effects of yeast and yeast extract on growth performance, anti-oxidant ability and intestinal microbiota of Litopenaeus vannamei. Five diets supplemented with 0% (Control), 3% beer yeast (Y), 0.5% yeast extract (YE0.5), 1% yeast extract (YE1) and 2% yeast extract (YE2) respectively were assigned to L. vannamei (four replicates per diet, 30 shrimp in each replicate, initial body weight 1.38 ± 0.01 g). The results showed higher weight gain and specific growth rate in shrimp fed diet YE2 compared with those fed the Control (P <.05). Both dietary yeast and yeast extract increased condition factor of shrimp (P <.05). Whole body moisture was significantly lower in shrimp fed yeast and yeast extract than those fed diet Control (P <.05). Shrimp fed yeast extract showed higher total antioxidant capacity compared to Control group (P <.05). Shrimp fed diet YE2 obtained higher catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities than those fed diet Control, YE0.5 and YE1 (P <.05). The main phyla in intestine of shrimp were Tenericutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. With the increasing dietary yeast extract supplementation, the relative abundances of Ruegeria , and its belonging Rhodobacteraceae, Rhodobacterales, Alphaproteobacteria, Proteobacteria in intestine increased gradually, which were significantly higher than those fed diet Control and Y (P <.05). Moreover, yeast and yeast extract significantly increased the Shannon indexes of intestinal microbiota (P <.05). Overall, dietary 2.0% yeast extract supplementation significantly increased growth performance and antioxidant ability of shrimp, also enhanced microbial diversity and microbiota structure in intestine of L. vannamei. • The first time to reveal the effect of yeast extract on intestinal microbiota of L. vannamei. • 2% yeast extract supplemented improved growth performance and anti-oxidative ability of L. vannamei significantly. • Both yeast and yeast extract enhanced the stability of bacterial community in intestine of shrimp. • Yeast extract optimized microbiota structure by the increase of beneficial bacteria and decrease of pathogenic bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Legal aquaculture dose of SMX increased weight gain of Micropterus salmoides. • SMX increased the malformation rate of Micropterus salmoides. • SMX increased oxidative stress and inflammation of Micropterus salmoides. Antibiotics have been widely used (mainly mixed with feed) in aquaculture, while few studies have evaluated the interactions between feed composition and antibiotics. Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is a fat-soluble antibiotic, an eight weeks feeding trial was conducted to investigate the interactions between dietary lipid levels and chronic exposure of legal aquaculture dose of sulfamethoxazole in juvenile largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides , and evaluated the possible human health risk. Six practical diets were formulated to three levels of crude lipid (11, 14.5, 18 %) and two levels of SMX (0 and 0.3 %), namely low fat (LF), moderate fat (MF), high fat (HF), low fat and SMX (LFS), moderate fat and SMX (MFS), high fat and SMX (HFS), respectively. Each diet was assigned to three tanks (20 fish per tank, average weight 30.65 ± 0.02 g). Growth and organ indices were increased by SMX. Higher malformation rate and lower hypoxia stress resistance were found in fish exposed to SMX than those not exposed. Cholesterol and bile acid synthesis related gene expressions were down-regulated by SMX exposure. Oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis were increased in fish exposed to SMX. Significant interactions between dietary lipid levels and SMX on renal immune response of fish were observed. Remarkable damage of intestinal histology was observed in fish fed the diet HFS. In addition, dietary SMX exposure increased pathogen susceptibility of largemouth bass and induced dysbiosis of gut microbiota. The concentrations of SMX in muscle of fish fed diets containing SMX were higher than those fed other diets, and close to the maximum residue limit (MRL) in China and international organizations. Although chronic legal aquaculture dose of dietary SMX also increased the target hazard quotient (THQ) and estimated daily intake (EDI), there is no health risk in adults and children consuming fish filet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel expansion planning model for urban integrated energy system is proposed. • The transportation network is incorporated into the model, in which fast and slow charging modes are considered. • A layered-based framework for the optimization model of the urban integrated energy system is proposed. • A two-layer optimization algorithm is designed to solve the proposed model. • Simulation results based on a real case in China indicate the superiority of the proposed approach. In the modern metropolitan regions, the coupling among distribution networks (DNs), gas networks (GNs), and transportation networks (TNs) is increasingly intensified, which gives rise to the urgent demand for efficient modeling and solving methods. In this context, a mathematical model for the configuration planning of integrated energy systems is proposed in this paper. With the aim of minimizing total planning costs, the model jointly considers the investment and operation strategies for distribution lines, distributed wind power generators (DWGs), combined heat and power units (CHPs), power to gas units (P2Gs), gas furnaces (GFs), fast charging facilities (FCFs) and slow charging facilities (SCFs). Since the proposed model comes down to a non-convex and nonlinear optimization problem, a two-layer algorithm is designed to solve it. In the outer layer, a genetic algorithm (GA) is performed to obtain a set of individuals representing the investment decisions on distribution lines, DWGs, and FCFs, which will be delivered to the inner layer model. With fixed decision variables, the inner model optimizes the operating costs, charging profit coefficients, and strategies for DWGs and energy converters in a coordinated manner. A real urban area in China is employed in the numerical experiment, which corroborates the effectiveness of the proposed model and solution algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The structure of urban multi-energy network is provided. • Three energy flows are generally defined and their convex relaxations are performed. • A mixed user equilibrium is applied to describe rational route and charging choices. • A two-stage bound-tightening algorithm is proposed to strengthen convex relaxations. The ever-growing interdependence among power distribution, natural gas networks and transportation infrastructure entails efficient and coordinated optimization techniques. This paper proposes an operational optimization model of urban multi-energy networks that encompasses the synergies among the above components, energy converters and electric vehicles. The proposed model defines and encapsulates three energy flows in a convex optimization problem. In the distribution network, the conic relaxation-based branch flow equation is employed to characterize the alternating current power flow. The static characteristics of gas flow are described via the Weymouth equation with convex envelop relaxations. In the transportation network, the traffic flow patterns associated with the interplay among routing and charging behaviors are studied. Since these behaviors are amenable to the Wardrop principle such that the travel cost cannot be reduced by unilaterally altering travel choice, a mixed user equilibrium model is established to describe the related traffic flows. Although the relaxation quality has been improved by deriving the tighter bounds of the variables, to date, bound-tightening approaches have not yet been effectively applied to multi-energy network problems. To strengthen convex relaxations, we enhance the proposed model with a two-stage approach. The first stage improves the variable bounds through sequential optimality-based bound contraction. The second stage iteratively and successively solves the model with a dynamic bound-tightening algorithm. Based on case studies, the interdependence among energy networks is discussed. In addition, the numerical experiments corroborate the solution quality and computational efficiency benefits of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The uncertainty of wind power brings security and economic issues in active distribution networks. As an effective solution to these problems, the active/reactive optimization aims at minimizing the total operation cost and network loss by controlling multiple resources. This paper proposes a two-stage data-adaptive robust optimization model for the dynamic active-reactive power flow. The dynamic correlation between the uncertainties of active and reactive power is analyzed at two kinds of power factor modes of wind turbines and then is described by a linear affine decision rule. To characterize these uncertainties, a data-adaptive multi-band uncertainty set is constructed based on historical data, which allows the number of bands and the corresponding weight coefficients to be adjusted under different confidence levels. Subsequently, the conic relaxation and linearization techniques are performed to reformulate the robust optimization model as a mixed-integer second-order cone programming problem. A two-level solution framework, consisting of a column-and-constraint generation algorithm and an outer approximation algorithm, is employed to solve this problem. Simulation results on a modified IEEE 33-bus system indicate that the variable power factor mode is more suitable for describing the dynamic correlation than the constant power factor mode. Besides, the proposed model and method also show better practicality and solution efficiency than the existing ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel structure of the smart multi-energy system is proposed. • Transportation, natural gas, and active distribution networks are jointly considered. • Integrated energy stations are served to achieve the synergies of various energies. • A mixed user equilibrium is developed to obtain both routing and charging guidance. As the energy demand for multiple purposes increases, smart multi-energy systems have become the trend in the development of cities. In such an intelligent environment, it is possible and imperative to consider the traffic flow guidance for electric and non-electric vehicles in the urban transportation network. However, this has not yet been considered in the challenges of planning multi-energy systems. Based on these considerations, a novel optimal planning framework is proposed in the present study, that takes into account the coupling of transportation, natural gas and active distribution networks. Firstly, a novel structure of integrated energy stations is proposed, which serves as coupling components where various sources of energy can be converted, distributed, and stored. The model optimizes the investment and operational strategies of renewable energy generation, energy converters, storage devices and charging facilities in a coordinated way. To capture the impact of traffic flow, a mixed user equilibrium state was established. Thus, the route selections for non-electric vehicles and the navigations of electric vehicles to charging facilities could both be incorporated into the model. Since the proposed planning model is a mixed-integer nonlinear program problem, convex relaxation was conducted to transform the model formulations into a mixed-integer second order cone program version. Finally, four cases were designed and tested in a practical urban area. The quantitative comparison revealed that unguided traffic flow will increase the traffic costs by more than 23%. Moreover, when both charging and routing guidance are considered the energy losses will decrease by at least 5.6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Anoxic Fe-EC was efficient for Cu(II)-EDTA transformation to Fe(III)-EDTA. • Hydroxyl radical was responsible for Fe(III)-EDTA degradation during oxic Fe-EC. • Transformation of Fe(III)/Fe(II)-EDTA was mainly mediated by O 2 −. • Fe(III)-EDTA was degraded by a stepwise breakage of N C bonds. • The removal of EDTA was favorable in near natural water by the method. The widely usage of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) arises environmental concerns on toxic metal mobilization, and challenges the conventional processes in water treatment. In the study Cu(II)-EDTA in near natural water was efficiently removed during a two-step electrocoagulation using Fe(0) anode (Fe-EC), including a transformation to Fe(III)-EDTA induced mainly by structural Fe(II) in anoxic Fe-EC and further degradation in oxic Fe-EC. The degradation of Fe(III)-EDTA was mostly attributed to an oxygen activation mechanism that involving O 2 − and hydroxyl radical (OH) generation, as validated by the quenching experiments and electron spin resonance. Furthermore, O 2 − generated during Fe(II) oxidation took a dominant role on Fe(III)/Fe(II)-EDTA transformation instead of electrochemical reduction. Six intermediates during the Fe(III)-EDTA degradation were identified by LC-Q-TOF, indicating a pathway of stepwise breakage of N C bonds. The results revealed in this work is helpful to understand the contribution and fate of EDTA during Fe-EC treatment of metal-EDTA polluted water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the storage, fish oil is susceptible to peroxidation to form toxic lipid derivatives, dietary intake of oxidized fish oil would induce oxidative stress and inflammation in animals, but it was not clear about the relation between oxidized fish oil intake, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. Four isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets containing fresh fish oil (peroxide value, POV: 7.2 meq kg−1, diet FR) and oxidized fish oil (POV: 155, 275 and 564 meq kg−1, diet OX155, OX275 and OX564, respectively) were formulated to investigate the effects of dietary oxidized fish oil on growth performance, plasma metabolomics and lipid metabolism of juvenile largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides. After the 12-week feeding trial, fish fed the OX155 obtained significantly higher (P <.05) weight gain than fish fed FR because of their higher feed intake. Malonaldehyde (MDA) levels were increased in plasma and liver of largemouth bass fed OX564 diet than those fed FR. Untargeted metabolomics ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS) was performed to invest the differences of plasma metabolites in fish fed different oxidative degrees of fish oil. Lipid metabolism, especially phospholipids and sterol metabolism in largemouth bass were significantly affected by oxidized fish oil. Dietary oxidized fish oil decreased membrane phospholipids unsaturated degree and increased plasma lysophospholipid contents in largemouth bass. Several bile acids were decreased, while many cholesterols and vitamin D3 related metabolites were increased with the increasing oxidative degree of fish oil. Lipoprotein transport related genes and lipid oxidation related genes mRNA levels were increased in fish fed highly oxidized fish oil. Cholesterol synthesis related gene 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR7) mRNA level was increased with the increasing oxidative degree of fish oil. Bile acid metabolism related gene 12a-hydroxylase (CYP8B1) was higher in fish fed OX275 diet. The increased vitamin D3 related metabolites in fish fed oxidized oil may associate with the decreased mRNA levels of RXRα and 24 - hydroxylase (CYP24A1). In conclusion, dietary oxidized fish oil may affect the health of fish through decrease the unsaturated degree of phospholipids and fatty acids, increase the contents of oxidized cholesterol and lysophospholipid in plasma, and repress the bile acid synthesis. • MDA levels in plasma and liver of largemouth bass were increased fed highly oxidized fish oil. • Dietary oxidized fish oil decreased unsaturated degree of phospholipids and increased the contents of lysoPC in plasma. • Sterol metabolism of largemouth bass was significantly affected by oxidized fish oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Based on survival, the optimal dietary protein level for post larval white shrimp was 49.58 %. • Shrimp fed the optimal dietary protein obtained the highest expression of TOR gene. • Shrimp fed the optimal dietary protein obtained the highest expression of two important initiation factors: eIF4E and eIF3k. A 25-days experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary protein levels on growth, survival, digestive enzymes and protein synthesis of post-larval Litopenaeus vannamei. Post-larval white shrimp (mean initial weight 2.1 mg) were fed five isoenergic diets containing gradient levels of protein (456, 469.9, 484.6, 501.4, 512.9 g/kg). Results indicated that 501.4 g/kg dietary protein increased the survival of post-larval white shrimp. Special growth rate (SGR) and weight gain (WG) showed no difference among each group. Whole body protein contents increased with the dietary protein increased to 484.6 g/kg. The relative mRNA levels of trypsin and chymotrypsin also increased with the dietary protein increased to 484.6 g/kg. Target of Rapamycin (TOR) and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein (4EBP) mRNA expressions were significantly higher in shrimp fed the 484.6 g/kg dietary protein than other groups. The mRNA expression of two important translation initiation factors eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3k (eIF3k) were increased with the increasing dietary protein levels. Three endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress related genes (eIF2α, XBP1 and ATF4) expression also increased with the dietary protein increased to 484.6 g/kg. These results clearly indicated that proper dietary protein improved the survival, and enhanced the protein synthesis of post larval white shrimp. Quadratic regression analysis based on survival indicated that the optimal dietary protein level of post-larval white shrimp was 495.8 g/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A two-stage robust planning model for the coupled system is proposed. • The uncertainty of renewable energy, load and traffic demand are jointly considered. • The interactions between transportation and active distribution system are explored. • A two-level method is used to solve the proposed robust optimization model. Widespread utilization of electric vehicles has incurred more uncertainties and led to profound interdependencies across the power grid and transportation network. This creates an urgent demand for uncertainty modelling tools. Under this context, this paper proposes a two-stage robust optimization model for expansion planning of coupled active distribution and transportation. This model identifies the best type, location and capacity for roads, distribution lines, distributed generations, static VAR compensators, on-load tap changers, energy storage systems and charging facilities. From a system-level perspective, the steady-state pattern of the traffic flow in a transportation network is characterized by the Wardrop user equilibrium. In the active distribution system, the conic relaxation-based branch flow equations are employed, and the operating status of related devices are formulated by the linearized convex constraints. Considering the interdependency between two coupled systems, a deterministic expansion planning model is first established. Furthermore, with multiple uncertainties considered, a two-stage robust optimization model is proposed to optimize the investment and operation strategies coordinately, and thus a robust optimal solution is achieved. A two-level algorithm based on a combination of the column-and-constraint generation and outer approximation technique is developed for solving the two-stage model. The results demonstrate that the robust approach can effectively reduce the operation cost of coupled systems under the worst-case scenarios. Moreover, a comparative analysis indicates that operation costs in both systems increase linearly as the uncertainty level of traffic demand increases, while increasing that of the power load does not show an obvious change in the traffic operation cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel expansion planning model for active distribution system with multiple active network managements is proposed. • Optimal load shedding is originally proposed and shows an obvious better stability performance in case study. • A SOCP approach and some linearization means are applied to solve the MINLP model. • A two-stage optimization algorithm is developed and proved to have great ability to solve this problem. • Simulation results based on a modified 37-bus system indicate the technical and economic superiority of the proposed model. In this paper, a new expansion planning model for an active distribution system considering multiple active network management schemes is proposed, where demand management considering the optimal load-shedding direction is innovatively introduced into the planning model. This model optimizes the investment decisions of all the infrastructures as well as the corresponding operational strategies in a coordinated manner. Therefore, the final solution is identified by the optimal type, location and size of the feeders, distributed generators, capacitor banks, static var compensators, voltage regulators, energy storage systems, and transformer substations. To incorporate the optimal load reduction into active network management, the optimal load-shedding direction is first introduced, and an iterative method is developed to compute it. On this basis, the coordination planning model of an active distribution system is established, and the operational strategy of all the active management devices is integrated into the expansion planning problem of an active distribution system. By applying the second-order cone relaxation method, the original mixed-integer nonlinear model is converted into a mixed-integer second-order cone programming model that be efficiently solved. Finally, a two-stage optimization algorithm is proposed to obtain the final solutions. Simulation results based on a 37-bus system and a 122-bus system corroborate the effectiveness of the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A planning model of coupled transportation and active distribution system is proposed. • Scenario generation technique is extended to incorporate traffic demand. • Scenario-based user equilibrium constraint is derived and embedded into the model. • A three dimensional piecewise method is designed to relax the bivariate expressions. • The importance of considering interdependencies of the coupled system is verified. The widespread utilization of electric vehicles has inspired the emerging trend of coupled transportation and distribution system, which entails the systematic methodologies to model the new planning problems. This paper proposes a scenario-based comprehensive expansion planning model for a coupled transportation and active distribution system. With the aim of minimizing the investment and operation costs, this model determines the best alternatives, locations and sizes for candidate assets, including traffic roads, distribution lines, distribution generators, capacitor banks, static var compensators, voltage regulators, energy storage systems and charging facilities, as well as their operation strategies. First, a generated scenario method is extended to incorporate the uncertainty of the traffic flow demand. Based on multiple scenarios, the steady-state distribution of traffic flow is characterized by the Wardrop user equilibrium principle, and the corresponding equivalent constraints are derived and incorporated into the model. For active distribution system, we formulate the operation constraints for related infrastructures. Considering the interdependency between the two systems, an expansion planning model is proposed, which simultaneously optimizes the investment and operation strategies. Due to the nonlinear nature of the model, we have developed a three-dimensional piecewise linear approximation and applied second order cone relaxation to reformulate the model as a mixed-integer second order conic program; thus, the global optimal solution can be found in a reasonable time frame. Results on a test system reveal that the variations of both systems have some influences on each other, indicating the significance of considering the interdependencies between transportation and active distribution system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In traditional surgical procedures, significant discrepancies are often observed between the pre-planned templated implant sizes and the actual sizes used, particularly in patients with congenital hip dysplasia. These discrepancies arise not only in preoperative planning but also in the precision of implant placement, especially concerning the acetabular component. Our study aims to enhance the accuracy of implant placement during Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) by integrating AI-enhanced preoperative planning with Patient-Specific Instrumentation (PSI). We also seek to assess the accuracy and clinical outcomes of the AI-PSI (AIPSI) group in comparison to a manual control group. Methods: This study included 60 patients diagnosed with congenital hip dysplasia, randomly assigned to either the AIPSI or manual group, with 30 patients in each. No significant demographic differences between were noted the two groups. A direct anterior surgical approach was employed. Postoperative assessments included X-rays and CT scans to measure parameters such as the acetabular cup anteversion angle, acetabular cup inclination angle, femoral stem anteversion angle, femoral offset, and leg length discrepancy. Functional scores were recorded at 3 days, 1 week, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks post-surgery. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 22.0, with the significance level was set at α = 0.05. Results and conclusion: The AIPSI group demonstrated greater prosthesis placement accuracy. With the aid of PSI, AI-planned THA surgery provides surgeons with enhanced precision in prosthesis positioning. This approach potentially offers greater insights and guidelines for managing more complex anatomical variations or cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: An excessive carbohydrate content in diets can have a negative effect on fish growth. In this study, the effects of berberine supplementation in high-carbohydrate diets on the growth performance, glucose metabolism, bile acid synthesis, liver transcriptome, and intestinal flora of Nile tilapia were investigated. Conclusion: An appropriate amount of berberine can stimulate the synthesis of bile acids by changing the structure of the intestinal flora of tilapia, thus promoting glycolysis and inhibiting gluconeogenesis, then regulating the blood glucose, which is beneficial to the growth of tilapia. This provides the data to improve carbohydrate utilization in tilapia and support the development of high-carbohydrate diets in aquaculture. Berberine is an alkaloid used to treat diabetes. This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of berberine supplementation in high-carbohydrate diets on the growth performance, glucose metabolism, bile acid synthesis, liver transcriptome, and intestinal flora of Nile tilapia. The six dietary groups were the C group with 29% carbohydrate, the H group with 44% carbohydrate, and the HB1-HB4 groups supplemented with 25, 50, 75, and 100 mg/kg of berberine in group H. The results of the 8-week trial showed that compared to group C, the abundance of Bacteroidetes was increased in group HB2 (p < 0.05). The cholesterol-7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) and sterol-27-hydroxylase (CYP27A1) activities were decreased and the expression of FXR was increased in group HB4 (p < 0.05). The pyruvate carboxylase (PC) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) activities was decreased in group HB4 (p < 0.05). The liver transcriptome suggests that berberine affects carbohydrate metabolic pathways and primary bile acid synthesis pathways. In summary, berberine affects the glucose metabolism in tilapia by altering the intestinal flora structure, enriching differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the bile acid pathway to stimulate bile acid production so that it promotes glycolysis and inhibits gluconeogenesis. Therefore, 100 mg/kg of berberine supplementation in high-carbohydrate diets is beneficial to tilapia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrinsic self-healing waterborne polyurethane (WPU) is an environmentally friendly, economically viable, and practical novel intelligent material. However, the key to achieving practical applications lies in the remote activation of repair in self-healing materials and the excellent mechanical properties of the matrix. In this study, we introduce quadruple hydrogen bonding in the polyurethane backbone. We have incorporated a novel two-dimensional sheet-like material, MXene, to achieve visible light remote-driven self-healing of material hydrogen bonds while enhancing the material’s mechanical properties. By utilizing the MXene supernatant, this approach not only resolves the issues of poor stability and easy sedimentation of MXene nanosheets in water-based polymers but also helps to prevent resource wastage. Our research results demonstrate that the composite film exhibits a tensile strength of 6.55 MPa and a fracture elongation of 604%. Additionally, quadruple hydrogen bonds in the WPU chains enable rapid self-healing of microcracks under visible light irradiation at 300 mW/cm2, with complete disappearance within 80 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For Crowe IV dysplasia, the clinical efficacy and surgical technique of subtrochanteric osteotomy (SO) within the direct anterior approach total hip arthroplasty (DAA‐THA) was a subject of debate. This study aimed to describe the surgical technique and clinical outcomes in 11 cases of SO in DAA‐THA and to summarize the relevant literature on this topic. Between June 2016 and June 2023, we retrospectively evaluated patients diagnosed with Crowe IV hip dysplasia at our institution. Criteria identified 11 patients who underwent SO during DAA‐THA. Comprehensive data encompassing demographic information, radiological data, prosthetic implant type, and surgical intricacies were collected. In addition, an exhaustive review of existing case series literature was undertaken utilizing the PubMed databases. There were no revisions, deaths, dislocations, or infections. One hip (9.09%) had an intraoperative proximal split fracture, two hips (18.2%) had lower limb deep vein thrombosis, and one hip (9.09%) had symptoms of femoral nerve injury. Radiological data showed improved bilateral femoral offset, leg length discrepancy, and anatomical acetabular. During the mean follow‐up of 2.18(1.06‐2.46) years, patients demonstrated enhanced functional outcomes, with average changes of 25.2 in the Harris hip score and 47 in the WOMAC score. Reviewing the literature, most studies have favored S‐ROM prostheses and transverse osteotomy techniques. Intraoperative fractures were notably frequent, with rates peaking at 25%. Nonunion and nerve injury were secondary common complications. SO via DAA‐THA may offer satisfactory clinical and radiographic outcomes, but the literature review underscores the need for heightened awareness of intraoperative fracture risk. Proximal detachment of the vastus intermedius plays a pivotal role in SO exposure through the DAA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activation of peracetic acid (PAA) by Fe species is the attractive advanced oxidation processes for the removal of antibiotics. However, achieving optimal performance in many of these processes often requires acidic pH conditions, which impedes practical application. In this study, an iron electrocoagulation (EC) system was devised to for activate PAA and oxidate sulfamethoxazole (SMX). Under optimal conditions, the degradation of SMX by the EC/PAA system reached 96.2% within 15 min, with a pseudo-first order reaction constant of 0.241 min−1, but only consuming 0.044 kW·h/m3. Interestingly, the EC/PAA system showed a high buffering capacity in the initial pH range of 4–8 to maintain the final pH of around 7. The quenching experiments revealed both free radical and non-free radical pathways involved in the oxidation of SMX in the EC/PAA system. Specifically, the active species, including •OH, organic radicals (CH 3 COO• and CH 3 COOO•) and 1O 2 , contribute 86.77%, 5.53% and 7.70%, respectively. These findings suggest that the EC/PAA system has unique advantages and potential for the degradation of antibiotic organics such as SMX in aquatic environments due to its strong oxidative capacity, wide pH range and high buffering capacity. [Display omitted] • PAA was effectively activated by iron electrocoagulation at a wide pH range. • In-situ OH- production on cathode offered unique efficient buffering capacity. • OH was the major reactive oxidant for sulfamethoxazole degradation. • Organic radicals (CH 3 COO• and CH 3 COOO•) and 1O 2 also contributes to the oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An emerging definition of supercapacitors is proposed to emulate the dynamic inertia response. • A theoretical analysis of dynamic stability on two-area PV microgrid clusters is presented. • The dynamic inertia constant of supercapacitors is analyzed. • The adjustable virtual inertia control method of supercapacitors is proposed to improve the dynamic inertia response. This paper investigates a novel control strategy of supercapacitors to improve the dynamic stability of the interconnected PV-based AC microgrid clusters in standalone operation. An emerging definition of supercapacitors is proposed to emulate the dynamic inertia response. This definition establishes the dynamic connections between the state-of-charge (SOC), the frequency of the standalone AC microgrid clusters and the power of supercapacitors. Then this paper presents a theoretical analysis of dynamic stability on two-area PV microgrid clusters. According to the type of AC microgrid, the dynamic inertia constant is also analyzed. Based on the dynamic stability analysis of two-area PV microgrid clusters and the dynamic inertia constant analysis of supercapacitors, the adjustable virtual inertia control method of supercapacitors is proposed to extract the stored energy for the dynamic inertia response. The aim of the proposed control scheme is to solve the low inertia and weak damping of the standalone interconnected PV microgrid clusters. The effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is validated by Matlab/Simulink platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The ingestion of higher-lipid diets by fish could lead to excessive lipid deposition and metabolic disorders in vivo. This experiment analyzed the effects of steroidal saponins on hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism in hybrid grouper fed higher-lipid diets using a multi-omics approach. Data from grouper fed diets with 0% and 0.1% steroidal saponins show that 0.1% steroidal saponins inhibited glycogen synthesis, gluconeogenesis, and the arachidonic acid metabolism pathway and activated glycogenolysis, glycolysis, and the fatty acid β-oxidation pathway. This study provides a deeper insight into the glycolipid metabolic processes in the liver of grouper fed higher crude-lipid diets. An analysis of the extent of the effect of steroidal saponin addition on glucose and lipid metabolism in hybrid grouper liver was performed at the transcriptomic and metabolomic levels. Feeds (52% crude protein, 14% crude lipid) were prepared containing 0% (S0), 0.1% (S0.1), and 0.2% (S0.2) steroidal saponins. After eight weeks of feeding trial, compared to the S0 group, the activities of serum albumin, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate transaminase were significantly lower and the activities of lysozyme, acid phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase were significantly higher in the S0.1 group (p < 0.05). The superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities in the livers of the S0.1 group were significantly higher than those of the S0 group, while the malondialdehyde content was significantly lower than that of the S0 group (p < 0.05). There were forty-two differentially expressed genes and thirty-two differential metabolites associated with glucose and lipid metabolism enriched using KEGG and GO. In the S0 group, the expression of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 1, prostaglandin E synthase 1, and thromboxane-2 synthase mRNA was significantly higher than in the S0.1 group (p < 0.05). The expression levels of genes in the S0 group were significantly higher than those in the S0.1 group (p < 0.05), including for glycogen synthase kinase, glucose-6-phosphatase catalytic subunit 2, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, glucose transporter 4, and malate dehydrogenase. The expression of mRNA such as fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 was significantly lower in the S0.1 group than in the S0 group, while the expression of carnitine acyltransferase 1, acyl-CoA synthetase, and acyl-CoA dehydrogenase genes was significantly higher in the S0 group (p < 0.05). In summary, glycogen synthesis, gluconeogenesis, and the arachidonic acid metabolism pathway were inhibited by 0.1% steroidal saponins, and glycogenolysis, glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and the fatty acid β-oxidation pathway were activated. This study aims to provide a reference for the formulation of grouper feeds with a higher crude-lipid level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Due to the scarcity of fishmeal resources, alternatives that provide the necessary nutrients for Litopenaeus vannamei are being sought. While fishmeal has been the main nutrition source of Litopenaeus vannamei due to its rich nutrients, the search for protein sources to replace it is becoming increasingly important. The protein derived from Clostridium autoethanogenum protein shows great potential as a substitute for fishmeal owing to its exceptional nutritional value. However, previous studies have suggested that the growth of Litopenaeus vannamei may be adversely affected by the fishmeal replacement of Clostridium autoethanogenum protein. Research has demonstrated that chenodeoxycholic acid can improve the growth and intestinal health of Litopenaeus vannamei. Five diets were formulated with varying concentrations of chenodeoxycholic acid to feed Litopenaeus vannamei. The results revealed that replacing partial fishmeal with Clostridium autoethanogenum protein and adding 0.06% chenodeoxycholic acid led to significant improvements in the growth performance, lipid metabolism, and sterol metabolism. Additionally, the hepatopancreas health of the Litopenaeus vannamei was also improved. The conducted experiment has set the groundwork for further investigation into determining the most effective quantity of chenodeoxycholic acid to be utilized in low fishmeal diets. The study aimed to assess the impact of adding chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) to the diet of Litopenaeus vannamei on their growth performance, lipid and cholesterol metabolism, and hepatopancreas health while being fed a low fishmeal diet. Five diets were formulated, one of which contained 25% fishmeal (PC); fishmeal was partially replaced with Clostridium autoethanogenum protein in the remaining four diets and supplemented with 0, 0.03, 0.06, and 0.09% CDCA (NC, BA1, BA2, and BA3, respectively). In this study, four replicates of each diet were assigned and each replicate consisted of 30 shrimp with an average weight of (0.25 ± 0.03 g). The shrimp were fed four times a day for a period of 56 days. The results of this study indicate that the inclusion of CDCA in the diet had a positive impact on the growth performance of the shrimp. The final body weight (FBW), weight gain (WG), and specific growth rate (SGR) of the shrimp in the PC group were similar to those in the BA2 group, and significantly higher than those in the other three groups. The survival rate (SR) was similar among all groups. In comparison to the PC group, the low fishmeal groups exhibited a significant decrease in the crude lipid content of the whole shrimp, as well as the Total cholesterol (T-CHOL), Low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), and High-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) levels in the hemolymph. Regarding the sterol metabolism, the dietary supplementation of CDCA up-regulated the mRNA expression of intracellular cholesterol transporter 1-like (npc1), 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (7dhcr), Delta (24) sterol reductase (Δ24), HMG-CoA reductase membrane form (hmgcr), and sterol carrier protein 2 (scp). In the lipid metabolism, the mRNA expression of sterol-regulatory element binding protein (srebp) was significantly down-regulated in the shrimp fed the BA1 diet and the expression of AMP-activated protein kinase (ampk) was significantly up-regulated in the shrimp fed the BA1 and BA3 diets compared to the PC group. The mRNA expression of triacylglycerol lipase (tgl) was significantly up-regulated in the shrimp fed the BA2 diet compared to the NC group. Compared with the shrimp fed the PC diets, the dietary supplementation of CDCA significantly down-regulated the protein expression of SREBP1. The lumen damage in the BA1 group was significantly less severe than those in the NC group. The addition of 0.06% CDCA to low fishmeal diets can improve the growth performance, lipid and cholesterol metabolism, and hepatopancreas health of L. vannamei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using two definitions of the turbulent distance to characterize the laser beam propagation through atmospheric turbulence, we derive a general analytical expression for the beam spread η depending on the turbulence parameter T(α) with the generalized exponent α and on the initial second-order beam moments in the z = 0 plane. Larger values of η correspond to a larger influence of atmospheric turbulence on the laser beam. We subsequently apply the analytical expression of η to a partially coherent Hermite–Gaussian beam propagating through non-Kolmogorov turbulence and illustrate the properties of η by numerical examples. The results show that the η values first increase, reach their maximum for a generalized exponent α ≈ 3.11, and then decrease with increase in α. Also η decreases with increasing beam order and wavelength, as well as with increasing values of the generalized refractive-index structural turbulence parameter, beam waist width, and coherence parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]