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Recovering compression waste heat using latent thermal energy storage (LTES) is a promising method to enhance the round-trip efficiency of compressed air energy storage (CAES) systems. In this study, a systematic thermodynamic model coupled with a concentric diffusion heat transfer model of the cylindrical packed-bed LTES is established for a CAES system, and the numerical simulation model is validated by experimental data in the reference. Based on the numerical model, the charging–discharging performance of LTES and CAES systems is evaluated under different layouts of phase change materials (PCMs) in LTES, and the optimal layout of PCM is specified as a three-stage layout, since the exergy efficiency of LTES and round-trip efficiency are improved by 8.2% and 6.9% compared with a one-stage layout. Then, the proportion of three PCMs is optimized using response surface methods. The optimization results indicate that the exergy efficiency of LTES and round-trip efficiency of the CAES system are expected to be 80.9% and 73.3% under the PCM proportion of 0.48:0.3:0.22 for three stages, which are 7.0% and 13.1% higher than the original three-stage PCMs with equal proportions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the existence of nontrivial solutions for a class of poly‐Laplacian nonlinear system with mixed nonlinearity term on a locally finite graph or a finite graph. By using the mountain pass theorem, we obtain some sufficient conditions about existence of a nontrivial solution. Our results are different from some known results even for the scalar equation on graph. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal blue carbon (C) ecosystems are recognized as efficient natural C sinks and play key roles in mitigating global climate change. Microbially driven C, nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) cycles are crucial for ecosystem functioning, but how microorganisms drive C sink formation and C sequestration in coastal sediments remains unclear.In this study, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of amino sugars, C, N and S cycling genes/pathways and their associated taxa in coastal sediments of native (Cyperus malaccensis and Kandelia obovata) and alien (Spartina alterniflora and Sonneratia apetala) vegetation.Compared to the alien‐vegetated coastal sediment, the native‐vegetated coastal sediment had significantly (p < 0.05) higher microbial necromass C and higher functional potentials of chemoautotrophic C fixation, C degradation, methane cycling, N2 fixation, S oxidation and sulphate reduction. Also, our analysis of coastal sediment microbiomes showed that S oxidation could be coupled with C fixation and/or nitrate/nitrite reduction. S oxidation, C degradation and C fixation were found to be key functional pathways for predicting sediment microbial necromass C. Additionally, the sulphur‐oxidizing Burkholderiales metagenome‐assembled genomes (MAGs) were a key functional group that dominated chemoautotrophic C fixation in coastal sediments.These results suggested that chemoautotrophic S oxidizers, in particular Burkholderiales with a novel lineage, might be the key microbial group that dominates microbial necromass C formation in coastal sediments through microbial anabolism (C fixation);the coupling of microbially driven C, N and S cycling processes; and the deposition of microbially derived C. This study provides novel insights into the importance of chemoautotrophic S oxidizers for microbial necromass formation and shed new light on the microbial mechanism of C sink formation in coastal ecosystems, which also has important implications for enhancing C sequestration in coastal wetlands. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastomas (GBM) are a devastating disease with extremely poor clinical outcomes. Resident (microglia) and infiltrating macrophages are a substantial component of the tumor environment. In GBM and other cancers, tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) suppress macrophage inflammatory responses, impairing their ability to identify and phagocytose cancerous tissues. Furthermore, these macrophages then begin to produce EVs that support tumor growth and migration. This cross-talk between macrophages/microglia and gliomas is a significant contributor to GBM pathophysiology. Here, we review the mechanisms through which GBM-derived EVs impair macrophage function, how subsequent macrophage-derived EVs support tumor growth, and the current therapeutic approaches to target GBM/macrophage EV crosstalk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initiation of meiosis is the most difficult aspect of inducing competent oocytes differentiation from human stem cells in vitro. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and embryonic stem cells (hESCs) were cultured with follicle fluid, cytokines and small molecule to induced oocyte-like cells (OLCs) formation through a three-step induction procedure. Expression of surface markers and differentiation potential of germ cells were analyzed in vitro by flow cytometry, gene expression, immunocytochemistry, western blotting and RNA Sequencing. To induce the differentiation of hiPSCs into OLCs, cells were firstly cultured with a primordial germ cell medium for 10 days. The cells exhibited similar morphological features to primordial germ cells (PGCs), high expressing of germ cell markers and primordial follicle development associated genes. The induced PGCs were then cultured with the primordial follicle-like cell medium for 5 days to form the induced follicle-like structures (iFLs), which retained both primordial oocytes-like cells and granulosa-like cells. In the third step, the detached iFLs were harvested and transferred to the OLC-medium for additional 10 days. The cultured cells developed cumulus-oocyte-complexes (COCs) structures and OLCs with different sizes (50–150 μm diameter) and a zona pellucida. The in vitro matured OLCs had polar bodies and were arrested at metaphase II (MII) stage. Some OLCs were self-activated and spontaneously developed into multiple-cell structures similar to preimplantation embryos, indicating that OLCs were parthenogenetically activated though in vitro fertilization potential of OLCs are yet to be proved. in vitro maturation of OLCs derived from hiPSCs provides a new means to study human germ cell formation and oogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overuse of antibiotics has led to the emergency of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), considered one of the leading causes of severe diseases and even death. The phototherapy strategy of combined photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) has achieved considerable attention since it could effectively enhance synergistic efficacy and avoid new drug resistance. In this paper, a kind of hybrid nanocomposite was fabricated and applied in the phototherapy-based combination strategy against VRE pathogens, in which graphene oxide (GO) not only covalent conjugated with vancomycin (Van) but also loaded photosensitizer phthalocyanine (Pc) via π–π stacking interaction. Outstanding PTT and PDT effects were observed in the as-prepared nanocomposite (GO@Van@Pc), giving almost 2–3 logs of bacterial reduction in vitro. Similar data were also obtained when GO@Van@Pc was used to treat VRE-infected BALB/C mice, exhibiting obvious infection regression and accelerated wound healing with negligible damage to normal cells and major organs. Therefore, the as-prepared GO@Van@Pc integrating PTT and PDT has great potential in the phototherapy of drug-resistant pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Complete Rhodomyrtus tomentosa mitochondrial genome (400,482 bp) unveiled. • Nanopore ONT reads and PCR reveal repeat-mediated recombination in the genome. • PCR amplification confirms existence of sequences from intracellular gene transfer. • R. tomentosa consistently clusters with Myrtaceae species in Myrtales phylogeny based on mitochondrial genome sequences. Plant mitochondrial genomes participate in encoding proteins crucial to the major producers of ATP in the cell and replication and heredity of their own DNA. The sequences and structure of the plant mitochondrial genomes profoundly impact these fundamental processes, and studies of plant mitochondrial genomes are needed. We reported the complete sequences of the Rhodomyrtus tomentosa mitochondrial genome here, totaling 400,482 bp. Nanopore ONT reads and PCR amplification provided evidence for recombination mediated by the eight repeat pairs for the R. tomentosa mitochondrial genome. Thirty-eight genes were identified in the R. tomentosa mitochondrial genome. Comparative analyses of the mitochondrial genome and plastome and PCR amplification suggest that five fragments of mitochondrial plastid DNA were unfunctional sequences resulting from intracellular gene transfer. Phylogenetic analysis based on each and all of the 27 mitochondrial protein-coding genes of nine Myrtales species revealed that R. tomentosa always clustered with other species of Myrtaceae. This study uncovered the enormous complexity of the R. tomentosa mitochondrial genome, the active repeat-mediated recombinations, the presence of mitochondrial plastid DNAs, and the topological incongruence of Myrtales among the single-gene trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane is a critical greenhouse gas with significant impacts on environmental and global change. However, CH4 cycling processes and coupling mechanisms with the biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and metals in the environment remain elusive. To fill such knowledge gaps, we constructed a manually curated methane cycling database (MCycDB) for comprehensive and accurate analysis of methane cycling microbial communities. MCycDB contains 298 methane cycling gene families covering 10 methane metabolism pathways with 610,208 representative sequences, and associated reference sequences from the NCBI RefSeq database with 48 phyla and 2,197 genera, and five phyla and 100 genera for bacteria and archaea, respectively. Also, homologous groups from public orthology databases were identified and included in MCycDB to reduce false positive assignments. We applied MCycDB to profile methane cycling gene families and associated taxonomic groups from various environments. Gene families involved in methanogenesis were abundant in hot spring sediment and less abundant in freshwater, whereas the ones involved in aerobic oxidation of methane were abundant in permafrost and peatland. This study demonstrates that MCycDB is a useful tool for studying microbially‐driven methane cycling processes with high specificity, coverage and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With an increase in mining depth, the problem of heat damage in metal mine working face has become increasingly prominent. In order to effectively reduce the temperature of the working face and provide a comfortable working environment for the miners, based on the concept of "cooling on demand", a mobile refrigeration system for high-temperature working face was designed, and a field test was carried out in Dahongshan Copper Mine, Yunnan Province. At the same time, based on the experimental conditions, the parameter optimization research of the mobile refrigeration system was carried out. The results showed that: (1) The mobile refrigeration system could reduce the wet bulb temperature of the working face at the test site to below 30 °C, which is in line with the "Safety Regulations for Metal and Non-Metallic Mines" (GB16423-2020); (2) when the diameter of the air supply pipe was 600 mm and the air supply velocity was 12 m/s, the target cooling area could meet the continuous operation requirements stipulated in the "Safety Regulations for Metal and Non-metallic Mines" in China; (3) for every 2 °C decrease in supply air temperature, the average wet bulb temperature in the target cooling area decreased by 0.9 °C; (4) for every 10% decrease in supply air humidity, the wet bulb temperature and relative humidity in the target cooling area decreased by 0.76 °C and 4.38% on average, respectively. The research results provide new ideas and methods for the prevention and control of heat damage in metal mines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, we depicted the complete mitochondrial genome of a valuable medicinal plant, Vitex rotundifolia. The mitochondrial genome of V. rotundifolia, mapped as a circular molecule, spanned 380,980 bp in length and had a GC content of 45.54%. The complete genome contained 38 protein-coding genes, 19 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), and 3 ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs). We found that there were only 38.73% (147.54 kb), 36.28% (138.23 kb), and 52.22% (198.96 kb) of the homologous sequences in the mitochondrial genome of V. rotundifolia, as compared with the mitochondrial genomes of Scutellaria tsinyunensis, Boea hygrometrica, and Erythranthe lutea, respectively. A multipartite structure mediated by the homologous recombinations of the three direct repeats was found in the V. rotundifolia mitochondrial genome. The phylogenetic tree was built based on 10 species of Lamiales, using the maximum likelihood method. Moreover, this phylogenetic analysis is the first to present the evolutionary relationship of V. rotundifolia with the other species in Lamiales, based on the complete mitochondrial genome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Polyolefin (PO) cables used in confined spaces need to have low smoke, low heat release, low toxic gas release and excellent physical properties. In this work, a series of rare earth stannates Re 2 Sn 2 O 7 (RES, Re = Nd, Sm, Gd) with high temperature catalytic performance were prepared by hydrothermal method for synergistic flame retardant PO/IFR. The flame retardancy, heat release, smoke density, toxic gas release and physical properties of PO composites were thoroughly studied in detail. The RES could enhance the vertical burning rating and the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of PO/IFR composites. Moreover, the residual char of the thermogravimetric analysis increased from 9.7% to 11.4 wt% after the RES added in PO/IFR system. Interestingly, the PO/IFR system containing Gd 2 Sn 2 O 7 exhibits the lowest peak heat release rate of 233.7 kW/m2. Excellent flame resistance due to the formation of a complete and compact protective char layer. In addition, the toxic release of PO during combustion is also effectively reduced by introducing the RES. The tube furnace combustion test shows that the emission of carbon oxide (CO) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) of PO/IFR/Gd 2 Sn 2 O 7 are the lowest. It can be attributed to the catalytic effect of rare earth elements and the blocking effect of the dense char layer. In addition, compared with the PO/IFR composites, the PO/IFR/RES system demonstrate higher mechanical properties and volume resistivity. Therefore, the addition of RES has a positive effect on improving the physical properties and fire safety properties of the PO/IFR cable composites, especially suitable for using in confined spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The absence of pharmaceutical interventions made it particularly difficult to mitigate the first outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The current study investigated how economic freedom and equality influenced the pandemic control process.Methods: In Study 1, we assessed the effect of economic freedom and equality on COVID-19 pandemic control from nations worldwide. We collected the cumulative number of confirmed cases over time to perform logistic curve fitting and obtain the speed at which the first wave of the pandemic was controlled, and partial correlation analysis and representational similarity analysis (RSA) were performed to assess the similarity between economic freedom and the speed of pandemic control. In Study 2, an evolutionary game model in which economic freedom affects the speed of pandemic control through optimization of the allocation of available resources was developed. In Study 3, we used experimental manipulation to elucidate the psychological mechanism relating economic freedom and resource allocation.Results: The economic freedom of nation could be used to positively predict the speed of pandemic control and the related similarity pattern. Equality was found to moderate the correlation and representational similarity between economic freedom and the speed of pandemic control. The evolutionary game model revealed a mechanism whereby economic freedom influences the speed of pandemic control through high resource availability. Furthermore, cooperation was found to be a possible psychological mechanism explaining how economic freedom increases resource availability.Conclusions: Economic freedom has a positive effect on the control of the COVID-19 pandemic only among highly egalitarian nations. New interventions are needed to help countries heighten economic freedom and equality as they continue to battle COVID-19 and other collective threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background : Diabetes patients often suffer from diabetes keratopathy in the course of their illness. The examination of corneal endothelium in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients has important clinical significance. Here, we investigated the effect of PDR on corneal endothelial parameters.To analyze the associations between corneal endothelial cell parameters and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).We analyzed endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation in cell size (CV), hexagonality, and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with PDR and compared them with age-matched controls. The influences of duration of diabetes mellitus and level of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were also analyzed.The study group included 106 eyes of 106 PDR patients and 85 eyes of 85 control subjects. Significant differences were found in ECD (2,436.11 ± 222.08 cells/mm2 in PDR, 2527.16 ± 191.64 cells/mm2 in controls; p < 0.05), CV (41.32 ± 7.40 in PDR, 37.71 ± 5.08 in controls; p < 0.05), Hex (50.07 ± 5.32 in PDR patients, 53.29 ± 5.73 in controls; p < 0.05), and NLR (2.94 ± 1.27 in PDR, 2.12 ± 0.56 in controls; p < 0.05). In the PDR group, ECD showed a decreasing trend as age increased (p trend < 0.05), and Spearman’s correlation indicated a significant positive correlation between NLR and macular thickness (p < 0.05).PDR had deleterious effects on the corneal endothelium. PDR patients should undergo a rigorous corneal assessment to analyze the status of endothelial health, to identify the optimal treatment.Objective: Diabetes patients often suffer from diabetes keratopathy in the course of their illness. The examination of corneal endothelium in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients has important clinical significance. Here, we investigated the effect of PDR on corneal endothelial parameters.To analyze the associations between corneal endothelial cell parameters and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).We analyzed endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation in cell size (CV), hexagonality, and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with PDR and compared them with age-matched controls. The influences of duration of diabetes mellitus and level of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were also analyzed.The study group included 106 eyes of 106 PDR patients and 85 eyes of 85 control subjects. Significant differences were found in ECD (2,436.11 ± 222.08 cells/mm2 in PDR, 2527.16 ± 191.64 cells/mm2 in controls; p < 0.05), CV (41.32 ± 7.40 in PDR, 37.71 ± 5.08 in controls; p < 0.05), Hex (50.07 ± 5.32 in PDR patients, 53.29 ± 5.73 in controls; p < 0.05), and NLR (2.94 ± 1.27 in PDR, 2.12 ± 0.56 in controls; p < 0.05). In the PDR group, ECD showed a decreasing trend as age increased (p trend < 0.05), and Spearman’s correlation indicated a significant positive correlation between NLR and macular thickness (p < 0.05).PDR had deleterious effects on the corneal endothelium. PDR patients should undergo a rigorous corneal assessment to analyze the status of endothelial health, to identify the optimal treatment.Methods: Diabetes patients often suffer from diabetes keratopathy in the course of their illness. The examination of corneal endothelium in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients has important clinical significance. Here, we investigated the effect of PDR on corneal endothelial parameters.To analyze the associations between corneal endothelial cell parameters and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).We analyzed endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation in cell size (CV), hexagonality, and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with PDR and compared them with age-matched controls. The influences of duration of diabetes mellitus and level of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were also analyzed.The study group included 106 eyes of 106 PDR patients and 85 eyes of 85 control subjects. Significant differences were found in ECD (2,436.11 ± 222.08 cells/mm2 in PDR, 2527.16 ± 191.64 cells/mm2 in controls; p < 0.05), CV (41.32 ± 7.40 in PDR, 37.71 ± 5.08 in controls; p < 0.05), Hex (50.07 ± 5.32 in PDR patients, 53.29 ± 5.73 in controls; p < 0.05), and NLR (2.94 ± 1.27 in PDR, 2.12 ± 0.56 in controls; p < 0.05). In the PDR group, ECD showed a decreasing trend as age increased (p trend < 0.05), and Spearman’s correlation indicated a significant positive correlation between NLR and macular thickness (p < 0.05).PDR had deleterious effects on the corneal endothelium. PDR patients should undergo a rigorous corneal assessment to analyze the status of endothelial health, to identify the optimal treatment.Results: Diabetes patients often suffer from diabetes keratopathy in the course of their illness. The examination of corneal endothelium in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients has important clinical significance. Here, we investigated the effect of PDR on corneal endothelial parameters.To analyze the associations between corneal endothelial cell parameters and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).We analyzed endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation in cell size (CV), hexagonality, and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with PDR and compared them with age-matched controls. The influences of duration of diabetes mellitus and level of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were also analyzed.The study group included 106 eyes of 106 PDR patients and 85 eyes of 85 control subjects. Significant differences were found in ECD (2,436.11 ± 222.08 cells/mm2 in PDR, 2527.16 ± 191.64 cells/mm2 in controls; p < 0.05), CV (41.32 ± 7.40 in PDR, 37.71 ± 5.08 in controls; p < 0.05), Hex (50.07 ± 5.32 in PDR patients, 53.29 ± 5.73 in controls; p < 0.05), and NLR (2.94 ± 1.27 in PDR, 2.12 ± 0.56 in controls; p < 0.05). In the PDR group, ECD showed a decreasing trend as age increased (p trend < 0.05), and Spearman’s correlation indicated a significant positive correlation between NLR and macular thickness (p < 0.05).PDR had deleterious effects on the corneal endothelium. PDR patients should undergo a rigorous corneal assessment to analyze the status of endothelial health, to identify the optimal treatment.Conclusions: Diabetes patients often suffer from diabetes keratopathy in the course of their illness. The examination of corneal endothelium in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) patients has important clinical significance. Here, we investigated the effect of PDR on corneal endothelial parameters.To analyze the associations between corneal endothelial cell parameters and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR).We analyzed endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation in cell size (CV), hexagonality, and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in patients with PDR and compared them with age-matched controls. The influences of duration of diabetes mellitus and level of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were also analyzed.The study group included 106 eyes of 106 PDR patients and 85 eyes of 85 control subjects. Significant differences were found in ECD (2,436.11 ± 222.08 cells/mm2 in PDR, 2527.16 ± 191.64 cells/mm2 in controls; p < 0.05), CV (41.32 ± 7.40 in PDR, 37.71 ± 5.08 in controls; p < 0.05), Hex (50.07 ± 5.32 in PDR patients, 53.29 ± 5.73 in controls; p < 0.05), and NLR (2.94 ± 1.27 in PDR, 2.12 ± 0.56 in controls; p < 0.05). In the PDR group, ECD showed a decreasing trend as age increased (p trend < 0.05), and Spearman’s correlation indicated a significant positive correlation between NLR and macular thickness (p < 0.05).PDR had deleterious effects on the corneal endothelium. PDR patients should undergo a rigorous corneal assessment to analyze the status of endothelial health, to identify the optimal treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effectiveness and safety of moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) in patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery (BCS) has been demonstrated in several pivotal randomized trials. However, the feasibility of applying simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) to the tumor bed and regional node irradiation (RNI) using modern radiotherapy techniques with HFRT needs further evaluation. Methods: This prospective, multi-center, randomized controlled, non-inferiority phase III trial aims to determine the non-inferiority of HFRT combined with SIB (HFRTsib) compared with conventional fractionated radiotherapy with sequential boost (CFRTseq) in terms of five-year locoregional control rate in breast cancer patients undergoing upfront BCS. A total of 2904 participants will be recruited and randomized in a 1:1 ratio into the HFRTsib and CFRTseq groups. All patients will receive whole breast irradiation, and those with positive axillary nodes will receive additional RNI, including internal mammary irradiation. The prescribed dose for the HFRTsib group will be 40 Gy in 15 fractions, combined with a SIB of 48 Gy in 15 fractions to the tumor bed. The CFRTseq group will receive 50 Gy in 25 fractions, with a sequential boost of 10 Gy in 5 fractions to the tumor bed. Discussion: This trial intends to assess the effectiveness and safety of SIB combined with HFRT in early breast cancer patients following BCS. The primary endpoint is locoregional control, and the results of this trial are expected to offer crucial evidence for utilizing HFRT in breast cancer patients after BCS. Trial registration: This trial was registered at ClincalTrials.gov (NCT04025164) on July 18, 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microorganisms play important roles in the biogeochemical cycling of sulphur (S), an essential element in the Earth's biosphere. Shotgun metagenome sequencing has opened a new avenue to advance our understanding of S cycling microbial communities. However, accurate metagenomic profiling of S cycling microbial communities remains technically challenging, mainly due to low coverage and inaccurate definition of S cycling gene families in public orthology databases. Here we developed a manually curated S cycling database (SCycDB) to profile S cycling functional genes and taxonomic groups for shotgun metagenomes. The developed SCycDB contains 207 gene families and 585,055 representative sequences affiliated with 52 phyla and 2684 genera of bacteria/archaea, and 20,761 homologous orthology groups were also included to reduce false positive sequence assignments. SCycDB was applied for functional and taxonomic analysis of S cycling microbial communities from four habitats (freshwater, hot spring, marine sediment and soil). Gene families and microorganisms involved in S reduction were abundant in the marine sediment, while those of S oxidation and dimethylsulphoniopropionate transformation were abundant in the soil. SCycDB is expected to be a useful tool for fast and accurate metagenomic analysis of S cycling microbial communities in the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Trichoderma asperellum FJ035 has good biocontrol effect on cucumber Fusarium wilt. • Spatiotemporal competition between FJ035 and FOC was described. • Spatiotemporal competition between FJ035 and FOC affects cucumber health. Fusarium wilt is one of the major constraints of cucumber production worldwide and is difficult to control in production. This study selected a strain of Trichoderma asperellum FJ035 with a good antagonistic effect against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerinum Owen (FOC) by plate confrontation test and secondary metabolites (volatile substances and non-volatile substances) antagonism tests. T. asperellum FJ035 inhibited spore germination of FOC and improved the germination potential of cucumber seeds. The spatiotemporal competition dynamics of T. sperellum FJ035 green fluorescence-labeled strain and FOC red fluorescence-labeled strain in the cucumber rhizosphere were monitored under a laser confocal microscope. The results showed that the vitality of FOC in the cucumber rhizosphere exceeded that of T. asperellum FJ035, but T. asperellum FJ035 exerted some inhibitory effects on FOC. When inoculation of T. asperellum FJ035 24 h before inoculation of FOC could significantly reduce the accumulation of FOC on the roots of cucumber, corresponding to the highest control efficiency against cucumber Fusarium wilt were 69.79% and 75.96% under hydroponic and potted conditions, respectively. T. asperellum FJ035 also significantly improved the root length, plant height, stem thickness, fresh weight, and area index of the first true leaves of cucumber seedlings, and effectively mitigating the adverse effects of FOC on cucumber growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Adaptive unscented Kalman filter (AUKF) has been widely used for state of charge (SOC) estimation of lithium‐ion battery. The noise covariance of the conventional AUKF method is updated based on the innovation covariance matrix (ICM), which is estimated using the error innovation sequence (EIS). However, the distribution of EIS changes due to the time‐varying noise, load current dynamics and modelling error, which will lead to inaccurate ICM estimation. Therefore, an intelligent adaptive unscented Kalman filter (IAUKF) method is proposed to detect the distribution change of EIS. Then, the ICM is estimated based on the EIS after the distribution change. Results show that the IAUKF method can improve SOC estimation accuracy significantly. Compared with that of the AUKF method, the root mean squared error and the mean absolute error of SOC based on the IAUKF method decrease by 43.70% and 72.37% under random walk discharge condition, respectively. In addition, the computation time of the IAUKF method slightly increases by 6.27% compared with that of AUKF method. Finally, the effect of initial parameters on the SOC estimation accuracy was analysed. The results indicate that proper algorithm tuning, such as initial window length of EIS for ICM update and the threshold value, can further improve the SOC accuracy based on the proposed IAUKF method. The proposed IAUKF method also shows high robustness against initial measurement noise covariance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Adaptive unscented Kalman filter (AUKF) has been widely used for state of charge (SOC) estimation of lithium‐ion battery. The noise covariance of the conventional AUKF method is updated based on the innovation covariance matrix (ICM), which is estimated using the error innovation sequence (EIS). However, the distribution of EIS changes due to the time‐varying noise, load current dynamics and modelling error, which will lead to inaccurate ICM estimation. Therefore, an intelligent adaptive unscented Kalman filter (IAUKF) method is proposed to detect the distribution change of EIS. Then, the ICM is estimated based on the EIS after the distribution change. Results show that the IAUKF method can improve SOC estimation accuracy significantly. Compared with that of the AUKF method, the root mean squared error and the mean absolute error of SOC based on the IAUKF method decrease by 43.70% and 72.37% under random walk discharge condition, respectively. In addition, the computation time of the IAUKF method slightly increases by 6.27% compared with that of AUKF method. Finally, the effect of initial parameters on the SOC estimation accuracy was analysed. The results indicate that proper algorithm tuning, such as initial window length of EIS for ICM update and the threshold value, can further improve the SOC accuracy based on the proposed IAUKF method. The proposed IAUKF method also shows high robustness against initial measurement noise covariance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the role of radiotherapy (RT) in the treatment of localized primary adult rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS). Methods: This retrospective study identified 62 consecutive adult patients with localized primary RMS from January 2000 and July 2016. Local failure‐free survival (LFFS), distant metastasis‐free survival (DMFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed by the Kaplan–Meier method. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were fit to assess the ability of patient characteristics to predict survival. Results: With a median follow‐up of 33 months (range, 6–195 months), the 5‐year LFFS, DMFS and OS of all patients were 64.0%, 50.0% and 45.0%, respectively. RT was administered to 28 patients (45.2%). Patients who received RT had a higher 5‐year LFFS (81.7% vs 47.2%), 5‐year DMFS (59.4% vs 43.1%) and 5‐year OS (57.1% vs 34.8%) compared with patients who did not received RT. In mulitvariate analysis, RT retained significance as an independent predictor of improved LFFS [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.282; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.095–0.838; P = 0.023], DMFS (HR = 0.289; 95% CI, 0.125–0.991; P = 0.004) and OS (HR = 0.334; 95% CI, 0.153–0.727; P = 0.006). Conclusions: RT significantly reduced local recurrence, distant metastasis and tumor mortality compared with no radiotherapy for localized primary adult RMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Bacterial vectors, as microscopic living 'robotic factories', can be reprogrammed into microscopic living 'robotic factories', using a top‐down bioengineering approach to produce and deliver anticancer agents. Most of the current research has focused on bacterial species such as Salmonella typhimurium or Clostridium novyi. However, Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) is another promising candidate with probiotic properties. EcN offers increased applicability for cancer treatment with the development of new molecular biology and complete genome sequencing techniques. In this review, we discuss the genetics and physical properties of EcN. We also summarize and analyse recent studies regarding tumour therapy mediated by EcN. Many challenges remain in the development of more promising strategies for combatting cancer with EcN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A two-phase flow visualisation and heat transfer experiment bench was established. • Flow patterns at various crank angles in an open cooling gallery were captured. • The effects of motor speed and heating on flow patterns were discussed. • The temperature distribution was obtained and the effect of speed was discussed. • Transition from laminar flow to turbulent flow has been identified. Abstract The demand of increasing power density of the Internal Combustion Engine promotes the technology development using internal cooling gallery of the piston. The oil flow and heat transfer performance of the piston internal cooling gallery have great influence on the cooling performance, which affects the thermal conditions of the piston and of the entire engine. The experimental study using visualising method is therefore critical and important to observe the flow patterns inside the piston gallery. In this paper, we presented the visualised study of two-phase flow patterns within an open cooling gallery by using a high-speed camera at various crank angles. The effects of motor speed both on the flow patterns and temperature distribution were investigated and the heat transfer mechanisms in gas-liquid two-phase flow during reciprocating motion were explored. Based on the study, the period-doubling phenomenon, which represented the transition from laminar flow to turbulent flow, was observed when the speed was around 400–500 rpm. Results indicated the increase of motor speed can effectively improve the cooling performance. Results also showed when the speed was higher than 600 rpm, the reduction of temperatures was quite close, which proven the existence of optimal or minimum requirement of motor speed to achieve good quality cooling performance. The results obtained in this study could be used as a critical reference for numerical studies and important experimental reference to further investigate the design and optimisation of engine cooling gallery for vehicle application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this work, organic Rankine cycle (ORC) integrated with Latent Thermal Energy Storage (LTES) system for engine waste heat recovery has been proposed and investigated to potentially overcome the intermittent and fluctuating operational conditions for vehicle applications. A melting-solidification model has been established to investigate and compare the performance of twelve Phase Change Materials (PCMs) under different heat source conditions. Among the twelve PCMs, LiNO 3 -KCl-NaNO 3 is identified as the optimal PCM for engine exhaust heat recovery. The performance of the ORC system integrating with different volume of LTES using LiNO 3 -KCl-NaNO 3 under dynamic heat source simulating vehicle conditions is studied. Results illustrate the fluctuation of engine exhaust heat can be potentially overcome by using the proposed solution. The condition of 100 L LTES provides 30.4% larger total output work than that of 50 L LTES, while it is merely 1.5% larger than that of 90 L LTES. The performance of three different LTES-ORC scenarios are compared and results show ORC combining with double LTES delivers 17.2% larger total power output than that of single LTES (100 L) under the same operational conditions. Highlights • ORC integrated with double LTES for engine waste heat recovery is proposed. • Twelve inorganic-salt PCMs are screened and the optimal one has been identified. • System output performance under different LTES volume is studied. • Three different scenarios integrated with single or double LTES are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The handling of sewage sludge (SS) and urban plant litter (UPL) has become an important concern. Immobilizing heavy metals (HMs) is regarded as a necessary process for recycling SS in agriculture and forestry. Here, HM removal and HM phytotoxicity in SS during vermicomposting with different additive UPLs was investigated. The results show that vermicomposting with additive UPL significantly reduced the content of HMs, and increased organic carbon content and the proportion of macroaggregates in SS. This process also significantly immobilized HMs by mainly transforming extractable and reducible HMs into residual products. The litters of Dracontomelon duperreanum and Bauhinia purpurea increased oxidizable HMs in SS and the accumulation capacity of HMs of earthworms during vermicomposting. The Cd content in vermicomposts with the B . purpurea litter addition was decreased by 31% relative to the initial SS. Maize in vermicomposts with UPL additions, especially with B . purpurea litter, exhibited significan5tly higher seed germination rates, seedling biomass, root activity, and a lower accumulation of HMs than in SS compost without UPL additions. These results suggest that vermicomposting with additive UPL can alleviate the phytotoxicity of HMs in SS and provides a new method for simultaneously recycling SS and UPL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrathecal immunoglobulin G (IgG) and oligoclonal bands (OCBs) detected in both the brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are seminal features of multiple sclerosis (MS). The presence of OCBs correlates with elevated disease burden and severity and supports the diagnosis of MS. Despite numerous investigations into the potential viral and autoantigen targets, the precise antigenic specificity of OCBs has remained elusive. We have little knowledge of the nature regarding these oligoclonal IgG bands. Here, we present compelling evidence highlighting the key findings that both OCBs and intrathecal IgG antibodies are under genetic control and that OCBs originate from clonal B-cells in both the periphery and CNS. We propose that MS OCBs are IgG immune complexes composed of IgG1 and IgG3 antibodies and that the pathological role of OCB stems from the IgG effector functions of these complexes, leading to demyelination and axonal injuries. We present additional evidence regarding the nature of MS OCBs: (1) disease-modifying therapies have been shown to affect CSF OCB; (2) OCBs have also been detected in several neuroinfectious diseases; (3) Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) has been particularly linked with MS pathogenesis, and its association with OCB is an important area of study. Although OCBs are closely associated with MS, more meticulously planned research is necessary to clarify the precise role of OCB in MS, both in terms of disease pathogenesis and diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A BINAP-Cu system supported by hydrotalcite has been developed and proved to be a highly efficient catalyst for the atom-efficient and green borrowing hydrogen reaction and dehydrogenative cyclization. This BINAP-Cu complex supported by hydrotalcite is highly air-stable and can be recycled at least five times under solvent-free conditions. Notably, 1-benzyl-2-aryl-1H-benzo[d]imidazole derivatives could be synthesized from alcohols in only one step with water as the solvent for the first time. This provided a much greener and efficient catalytic method towards the synthesis of functionalized amines, ketones and 1-benzyl-2-aryl-1H-benzo[d]imidazole derivatives with high yields under water or solvent-free conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antibiotic pyrrolnitrin (PRN) is a tryptophan-derived secondary metabolite that plays an important role in the biocontrol of plant diseases due to its broad-spectrum of antimicrobial activities. The PRN biosynthetic gene cluster remains to be characterised in Serratia plymuthica, though it is highly conserved in PRN-producing bacteria. To better understand PRN biosynthesis and its regulation in Serratia, the prnABCD operon from S. plymuthica G3 was cloned, sequenced and expressed in Escherichia coli DH5α. Furthermore, an engineered strain prnind which is a conditional mutant of G3 prnABCD under the control of the Ptac promoter was constructed. This mutant was able to overproduce PRN with isopropylthiogalactoside (IPTG) induction by overexpressing prnABCD, whilst behaving as a conditional mutant of G3 prnABCD in the absence of IPTG. These results confirmed that prnABCD is responsible for PRN biosynthesis in strain G3. Further experiments involving lux-/dsRed-based promoter fusions, combined with site-directed mutagenesis of the putative σS extended -10 region in the prnA promoter, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis extended our previous knowledge about G3, revealing that quorum sensing (QS) regulates PRN biosynthesis through cross talk with RpoS, which may directly activated prnABCD transcription. These findings suggest that PRN in S. plymuthica G3 is produced in a tightly controlled manner, and has diverse functions, such as modulation of cell motility, in addition to antimicrobial activities. Meanwhile, the construction of inducible mutants could be a powerful tool to improve PRN production, beyond its potential use for the investigation of the biological function of PRN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of local recurrence on overall survival in patients with intermediate high‐grade localized primary soft tissue sarcoma (STS) of extremity and abdominothoracic wall. Methods: This retrospective study identified 133 consecutive patients with intermediate high‐grade localized primary STS of extremity and abdominothoracic wall from January 2000 to July 2010. Survival curves were constructed by the Kaplan–Meier method and log‐rank test was used to assess statistical significance. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated based on multivariable Cox logistic regression method. Results: The 5‐year cumulative incidence of local recurrence was 26.0% with a median follow‐up of 68 months (range, 5–127 months). The univariate analysis showed that local recurrence was associated with decreased overall survival, with 5‐year overall survival of 80.5% and 53.6% in the no local recurrence patients and local recurrence patients, respectively (P = 0.001). The multivariate analysis demonstrated that local recurrence was a negative prognostic factor for overall survival (HR = 2.115, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.036–4.319, P = 0.040). Radiotherapy significantly reduced local recurrence compared with surgery alone (HR = 0.387, 95% CI 0.180–0.877, P = 0.019), while larger tumor size (HR = 3.184, 95% CI 1.351–7.506 P = 0.008) was correlated with higher rate of local recurrence. Conclusion: Local recurrence in patients with intermediate high‐grade localized primary STS is associated with decreased overall survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By taking account of double-wishbone independent suspension with two unequal-length arms, the coordinate values of articulated geometry are based on structural limitations and constraint equations of alignment parameters. The sensitivities of front wheel alignment parameters are analyzed using the space analytic geometry method with insight module in ADAMS® software. The multiobjective optimization functions are designed to calculate the coordinate values of hardpoints with front suspension since the effect of time delay due to wheelbase can be easily obtained by vehicle speed. The K&C characteristics have been investigated using GA solutions in the simulation environment. The camber angle decreases from 1.152° to 1.05° and toe-in angle reduces from 1.036° to 0.944°. The simulation results demonstrate that the suggested optimization method is able to satisfy the suspension motion to enhance ride comfort. Experimental results, obtained by K&C test bench, also indicate that the optimized suspension can track the desired trajectory while keeping the vehicle performance in various road conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hexagonal ultrathin nanoplates of basic lead carbonates were synthesized in aqueous lead acetate solution under ambient conditions. The sizes of the nanoplates were found to reach several hundreds of nanometers to micrometers, whereas the plate thickness was only several nanometers, corresponding to 3, 4, or 5 stacking layers along the c-axis. These nanoplates exhibited effective catalytic properties for the hydrogenation of nitroarenes, such as nitrobenzene, 4-nitroaniline, and 4-nitrophenol, and other organic dyes, such as methylene blue and methyl orange in aqueous solutions in the presence of KBH4. Pb nanoclusters were generated in situ during the catalytic process and were well dispersed on the surface of the nanoplates, leading to the formation of a zero-dimensional/two-dimensional (0D/2D) heterostructure. It was also found that the heterostructure exhibited different catalytic behaviors for the hydrogenation of the compounds mentioned above due to the different molecular structures and different adsorption and desorption abilities of the reactants and products. Such a heterostructure can be also anticipated to be an effective photocatalyst due to its strong UV-light absorption, the ultrathin characteristics of the highly crystalline nanoplates and the transfer abilities of the Pb nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the critical engine parts such as the crankshaft, the fatigue limit load is one of the most important parameters involved the design and manufacture stage. In previous engineering applications, this parameter has always been obtained by experiment, which is expensive and time-consuming. This paper, based on the theory of critical distance (TCD), first analyzes the stress distribution of a crankshaft under its limit load. In this way, the length of the critical distance can be obtained. Then a certain load is applied to a new crankshaft made of the same material and the effective stress is calculated based on the critical distance above. Finally, the fatigue limit load of the new crankshaft can be obtained by comparing the effective stress and the fatigue limit of the material. Comparison between the prediction and the corresponding experimental data shows that the traditional TCD may result in bigger errors on some occasions, while the modified TCD proposed in this paper can provide a more satisfactory result in terms of the fatigue limit for a quick engineering prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A convenient and simple method for copper-catalyzed synthesis of 2-(arylthio)phenols through C–H functionalization of arylthiols and aryl iodides was developed under ligand-free conditions without nitrogen protection. In addition, arylthioquinone derivatives were very easily prepared for one more step of oxidation with moderate to good yields. This provide an alternative and efficient way to 2-(arylthio)phenols and arylthioquinone derivatives smoothly without using ligands and nitrogen protection or expensive arylboronic acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA), the committed intermediate of the heme biosynthetic pathway, attracts close attention among researchers because of its potential applications to cancer treatment and agriculture. Overexpression of heterologous hemA and hemL , which encode glutamyl-tRNA reductase and glutamate-1-semialdehyde aminotransferase, respectively, in Corynebacterium glutamicum produces ALA, although whether ALA accumulation causes unintended effects on the host is unknown. Here we used an integrated systems approach to compare global transcriptional changes induced by the expression of hemA and hemL . Metabolic pathway such as glycolysis was inhibited, but tricarboxylic acid cycle, pentose phosphate pathway, and respiratory metabolism were stimulated. Moreover, the transcriptional levels of certain genes involved in heme biosynthesis were up-regulated, and the data implicate the two-component system (TCS) HrrSA was involved in the regulation of heme synthesis. With these understandings, it is proposed that ALA accumulation stimulates heme synthesis pathway and respiratory metabolism. Our study illuminates the physiological effects of overexpressing hemA and hemL on the phenotype of C. glutamicum and contributes important insights into the regulatory mechanisms of the heme biosynthetic pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C H bond activation is an important issue. The Pd-catalyzed and non-coordinating anion improved C H bond activation was realized through the oxidative coupling reaction of anilides with olefins under non-acidic conditions. Additionally, the catalytic activity of palladium catalysts is enhanced by non-coordinating anions, further proving that non-coordinating anion can be used in palladium-involved reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient synthesis of secondary amines has been described through alanine triazole iridium-catalyzed C–N bond formation of an aromatic amine and an alkyl amine using the borrowing hydrogen strategy. In addition, it was observed that alanine triazole iridium is also an efficient catalyst to promote C–N bond formation of an aromatic amine and alcohols with good to excellent yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In dose–response studies, experiments are often carried out according to optimal designs for the purpose of accurately determining a specific effective dose (ED) level. If the interest is in the dose–response relationship over a range of ED levels, the existing optimal designs is misaligned. In this paper, we propose a two-stage sequential ED-design for this purpose. We use a small number of trials to provide a tentative estimation of the parameters. The dose levels of the subsequent trials are then selected sequentially, based on the latest model information, to maximize the efficiency of the ED estimation over several ED levels. Simulations indicate that the proposed design compares favorably with existing designs under various scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new Vehicle-to-Micro-Grid (V2μG) network is studied in this paper. • The degradation of BEV batteries can be reduced by introducing FCEVs to the system. • System configuration, capacity and working modes are optimized using NSGA-II. • The proposed V2 μ G network can contribute to 516 t CO 2 emission reduction annually. To fully exploit the potential of decarburization in the transport sector (e.g., electric vehicles (EV)) and energy sector (e.g., building energy system), this paper proposes a new concept of 'Vehicle-to-Micro-Grid (V2 μ G) network' that incorporates the off-grid building energy system with flexible power storage/supply provided by battery EVs (BEVs) and fuel cell EVs (FCEVs). The work is conducted with three main contributions: 1) a rule-based energy management strategy is proposed to study the impact of the V2 μ G interactions on the EV battery degradation; 2) a scenario analysis based on four working modes is conducted to evaluate the energy efficiency, costing, environmental impacts, and component ageing of the proposed V2 μ G network; 3) the optimum settings for system configuration, capacity, and operation strategy of the V2 μ G network are obtained by the NSGA-II algorithm. The study suggested that the degradation of lithium-ion batteries in BEV can be reduced by 13% compared to the network without FCEVs. In a community with 160 households and 200 EVs, the optimal V2 μ G network can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 515.56 tons annually compared to the conventional off-grid building energy system powered by internal combustion engines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insertion/deletion (InDel) markers are valuable for genetic applications in plant species, and the public databases of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) have facilitated the development of genic InDel markers. In this study, we developed a novel set of 144 InDel markers in an important tree genus Eucalyptus L’Hérit. using the ESTs of GenBank. Amplicon sequencing against two parents of a mapping population (Eucalyptusurophylla S. T. Blake × E. tereticornis Smith) revealed that the InDel size ranged from 2 to 44 bases, and the dinucleotide type was the most abundant (37.3 %). The cross-species/subgenus amplification rate ranged from 62.5 % in E. tessellaris F. Muell. (subgenus Blakella) to 99.3 % in E. grandis Hill ex Maiden (subgenus Symphyomyrtus) with an average of 85.4 %. There were 121 EST-InDels (84.0 %) polymorphic among 12 individuals of E. grandis, and the mean number of alleles per polymorphic locus (Na), observed heterozygosity (Ho), expected heterozygosity (He) and polymorphic information content (PIC) were 4.0, 0.278, 0.538 and 0.465, respectively. Physical positions of 143 EST-InDels were predicted on the E. grandis genome sequence. A total of 81 EST-InDels were incorporated into prior dense genetic maps of E. urophylla and E. tereticonis, and extensive synteny and colinearity were observed between E. grandis genome sequence and the mapped EST-InDel markers. These EST-InDels will provide a valuable resource of functional markers for genetic diversity evaluation, genome comparison, QTL mapping and marker-assisted breeding in Eucalyptus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Rh-catalyzed selective C−H bond activation of diaryl-substituted anilides is described. In an attempt to achieve C−H activation of C-aryl rings, we unexpectedly obtained an N-aryl ring product under non-coordinating anion conditions, whereas the C-aryl ring product was obtained in the absence of a non-coordinating anion. This methodology has proved to be an excellent means of tuning and adjusting selective C−H bond activation of C-aryl and N-aryl rings. The approach has been rationalized by mechanistic studies and theoretical calculations. In addition, it has been found and verified that the catalytic activity of the rhodium catalyst is obviously improved by non-coordinating anions, which provides an efficient strategy for obtaining a highly chemoselective catalyst. Mechanistic experiments also unequivocally ruled out the possibility of a so-called 'silver effect' in this transformation involving silver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal effects such as conduction, convection and viscous dissipation are important to lubrication performance, and they vary with the friction conditions. These variations have caused some inconsistencies in the conclusions of different researchers regarding the relative contributions of these thermal effects. To reveal the relationship between the contributions of the thermal effects and the friction conditions, a steady-state THD analysis model was presented. The results indicate that the contribution of each thermal effect sharply varies with the Reynolds number and temperature. Convective effect could be dominant under certain conditions. Additionally, the accuracy of some simplified methods of thermo-hydrodynamic analysis is further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] A rational experiment method for crankshaft test and the corresponding device are developed. [•] The suitability of eight commonly used hypothesis distributions are investigated. [•] It is confirmed that the three-parameter Weibull distribution fits best for the crankshaft test data. [•] Results can shed some light on the study of crankshaft fatigue problem. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • A novel hydrogen generation system driven by hybrid renewable energies is proposed. • Effects of crucial parameters on system techno-economic performance are analyzed. • System performance is comprehensively optimized based on actual weather conditions. • Energy efficiency and hydrogen cost can be 62.48% and 4.16 ($ kg−1) simultaneously. • Carbon dioxide reduction rate is 835.55 (t year−1) under optimal system parameters. With the rapid development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, efficient and convenient production of green hydrogen is important to reduce carbon emissions. Considering the potential of hydrogen permeation membrane reactor to improve the conversion rate of hydrogen production reactions and convert the intermittent solar heat into chemical energy with high efficiency, a novel hydrogen production system via membrane reactor collaborative utilizing solar, wind and biomass energy is proposed for hydrogen refueling station in this study. In the proposed system, the membrane reactor separates hydrogen and shifts the ethanol steam reforming equilibrium forward for a high conversion rate in a single step. Trough solar collector collects thermal energy to meet the thermal requirement of reactions; wind turbine converts wind energy into electricity for driving hydrogen separation; and energy storage equipment stores excess heat and electricity. A detailed techno-economic model for the system is established to evaluate the effects of crucial parameters on the system performance. Then the crucial parameters are optimized through the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II taking highest energy efficiency and minimum levelized cost of hydrogen as objectives, and the optimal energy efficiency and levelized cost of hydrogen can be 62.48% and 4.16 ($ kg−1) simultaneously. The solar-wind-to-hydrogen efficiency can be 24.53%. The novel system can achieve a relative balance between energy efficiency and cost, and has the potential to be applied for distributed green hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have widely transformed teaching and learning of higher education worldwide. Based on Biber's (1988) multi-dimensional analysis framework, this study uncovers linguistic features of English-medium MOOC video lectures in China and reveals linguistic variation across different disciplinary areas. The results suggest that the video lecture language in English-medium MOOCs provided by Chinese universities tends to be highly informational, non-narrative, explicitly referential, low in persuasion, abstract, and formally planned. Different from traditional university lectures, the closest registers to the target MOOC video lectures in China include academic prose, official documents, and press reportage. Significant differences also exist across disciplinary areas regarding all six functional linguistic dimensions. Findings of this study may provide insights into how language is used in the emerging spoken register, which may further be taken into consideration by instructional designers and instructors of MOOCs. For countries where English is used as a second or additional language, such as China, the results may be of particular interest when designing English-medium MOOC video lectures. • MOOC lectures in China present similarities to written academic or formal discourse. • Linguistic variation exists across video lectures in different academic disciplines. • MOOC lectures in China show fewer involved features than traditional lectures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The objective of this study was to evaluate and identify patterns of failure and prognostic factors for locoregional recurrence (LRR) that could justify postmastectomy radiotherapy after modified radical mastectomy in patients with early stage triple-negative breast cancer. METHODS Between January 2000 and July 2007, the authors retrospectively analyzed 390 patients who had triple-negative breast cancer with T1/T2 tumors and from zero to 3 positive lymph nodes (pathologic T1-T2N0-N1) who underwent modified radical mastectomy without postmastectomy radiotherapy at the author's institution. The 5-year cumulative incidence for events was calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis, and subgroups were compared using the log-rank test. Multivariate analysis was performed using a Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS Overall, 86.4% of patients received chemotherapy. At a median follow-up of 60.5 months, the 5-year cumulative rates of local recurrence, regional recurrence, LRR, and distant metastasis were 5.4%, 4.7%, 8%, and 13.4%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, age <50 years, the presence of lymphovascular invasion, grade 3 tumor, and 3 involved lymph nodes were associated significantly with an increased risk of LRR. The 5-year LRR rate for patients who had 0 or 1 risk factor, 2 risk factors, and 3 or 4 risk factors was 4.2%, 25.2%, and 81% ( P < .0001), respectively. The presence of lymphovascular invasion and having 3 involved lymph nodes were statistically significant predictors of regional recurrence, and the patients who had regional recurrence had a significantly greater risk of distant metastases compared with patients who had local recurrence (59.1% vs 20.9%; P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS Several risk factors were identified in this study that correlated independently with a greater incidence of LRR in patients who had early stage triple-negative breast cancer. The current results indicated that postmastectomy radiotherapy should be considered for those patients who have 2 or more of these factors. Cancer 2013;119:2366-2374. © 2013 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro analyses of varicella zoster virus (VZV) reactivation from latency in human ganglia have been hampered by the inability to isolate virus by explantation or cocultivation techniques. Furthermore, attempts to study interaction of VZV with neurons in experimentally infected ganglion cells in vitro have been impaired by the presence of nonneuronal cells, which become productively infected and destroy the cultures. We have developed an in vitro model of VZV infection in which highly pure (>95 %) terminally differentiated human neurons derived from pluripotent stem cells were infected with VZV. At 2 weeks post-infection, infected neurons appeared healthy compared to VZV-infected human fetal lung fibroblasts (HFLs), which developed a cytopathic effect (CPE) within 1 week. Tissue culture medium from VZV-infected neurons did not produce a CPE in uninfected HFLs and did not contain PCR-amplifiable VZV DNA, but cocultivation of infected neurons with uninfected HFLs did produce a CPE. The nonproductively infected neurons contained multiple regions of the VZV genome, as well as transcripts and proteins corresponding to VZV immediate-early, early, and late genes. No markers of the apoptotic caspase cascade were detected in healthy-appearing VZV-infected neurons. VZV infection of highly pure terminally differentiated human neurons provides a unique in vitro system to study the VZV-neuronal relationship and the potential to investigate mechanisms of VZV reactivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turbocharging technology with higher compression ratio has been widely applied in engines and the strength loss of an aluminum charge air cooler becomes a problem attracting increased attention. The heat pipe charge air cooler (HPCAC) is a new type of CAC that can withstand high temperature. An experimental study of a gravity-assisted HPCAC was performed. Several configurations of heat pipe heat exchangers were constructed and tested under different operation conditions on the testing rig. The effects of tube pitch, heat pipe line, and condenser length on the performance were investigated and an optimal configuration in this study was obtained. Then effects of inlet cooling air velocity, inlet compressed air temperature, and velocity on the heat transfer and pressure drop for a fixed tube pitch and condenser length were analyzed, and the results were compared with the theoretical simulation. The experiment results showed that the HPCAC could remove the heat load efficiently to ensure that the aluminum CAC works under a safe temperature, which indicated that HPCAC is a suitable approach and effort to solve aluminum strength loss at high temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Phytophthora sojae genome encodes hundreds of RxLR effectors predicted to manipulate various plant defense responses, but the molecular mechanisms involved are largely unknown. Here we have characterized in detail the P. sojae RxLR effector Avh241., To determine the function and localization of Avh241, we transiently expressed it on different plants. Silencing of Avh241 in P. sojae, we determined its virulence during infection. Through the assay of promoting infection by Phytophthora capsici to Nicotiana benthamiana, we further confirmed this virulence role., Avh241 induced cell death in several different plants and localized to the plant plasma membrane. An N-terminal motif within Avh241 was important for membrane localization and cell death-inducing activity. Two mitogen-activated protein kinases, NbMEK2 and NbWIPK, were required for the cell death triggered by Avh241 in N. benthamiana. Avh241 was important for the pathogen's full virulence on soybean. Avh241 could also promote infection by P. capsici and the membrane localization motif was not required to promote infection., This work suggests that Avh241 interacts with the plant immune system via at least two different mechanisms, one recognized by plants dependent on subcellular localization and one promoting infection independent on membrane localization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathophysiology of renal lipid toxicity caused by excess adiposity is not well-understood. Necroptosis, a regulated form of cell death, is involved in injuring renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs). Phosphoglycerate mutase 5 (PGAM5) is a key downstream effector of necroptosis. This study investigated the underlying mechanism of PGAM5 in promoting lipid-induced necroptosis in RTECs. HK2 cells (an immortalized proximal tubule epithelial cell line) were exposed to oleic acid (OA) to mimic the lipid overload environment in vitro. We found that OA suppressed HK2 cell proliferation, triggered cytoskeleton rupture and cell death. In OA-treated cells, upregulated expression of necroptosis pathway proteins, phosphorylated receptor-interacting protein-1/3 (pRIPK1/3), phosphorylated mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (pMLKL), PGAM5, phosphorylated dynamin-related protein 1 (pDRP1S616), and downregulated pDRP1S637 expression were observed. This was accompanied by mitochondrial dysfunction (mitochondrial ROS overproduction and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential) and increased cellular necrosis, as reflected by Annexin V/ Propidium Iodide (PI) labeling. OA also induced the accumulation of LC3II and P62, blocking autophagosome fusion with lysosomes. Knockdown of PGAM5 could prevent these OA-induced changes. We propose inhibition of PGAM5 protects lipid-induced RTECs from necroptosis by reducing DRP1-mediated mitochondrial fission and improving mitophagy flux. • OA-induced lipo-toxicity triggers HK2 cell necroptosis. • PGAM5/DRP1 mediated mitochondrial fission leads to mitochondrial dysfunction in OA-treated HK2 cells. • Blocked mitophagy flux regulated by PGAM5 involves in OA-induced HK2 cell necroptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are multifunctional enzymes that are mainly involved in detoxification of endogenous and xenobiotic compounds and oxidative stress resistance in insects. In this study, we identified a sigma class GST from Apis cerana cerana (AccGSTs4). The open reading frame of cDNA was 612bp and encoded a 203 amino acid polypeptide, which exhibited the structural motif and domain organization characteristic of GST. Homology and evolutionary analysis indicated that the induced amino acid sequence of AccGSTs4 belonged to an insect sigma class group. Expression analysis indicated that AccGSTs4 was presented in all stages of development with high level in 4th instar larvae. Immunolocalization further revealed the distribution of AccGSTs4 in 4th instar larvae. RT-qPCR showed that the transcripts of AccGSTs4 from the larvae were upregulated under dietary HgCl2. The GST activity under stress was higher than the controls fed on HgCl2-free diet. Disc diffusion assay provided evidence of recAccGSTs4 resistance to long-term exposure of HgCl2 stress. Additionally, analysis of 5′-flanking region further clarified the probable expression patterns of AccGSTs4. Taken together, our findings indicate that the larvae AccGSTs4 may play a role in mercury stress response, and it will help to protect honeybees from heavy metals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]