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Lithium-ion batteries are widely applied in the form of new energy electric vehicles and large-scale battery energy storage systems to improve the cleanliness and greenness of energy supply systems. Accurately estimating the state of power (SOP) of lithium-ion batteries ensures long-term, efficient, safe and reliable battery operation. Considering the influence of the parameter identification accuracy on the results of state of power estimation, this paper presents a systematic review of model parameter identification and state of power estimation methods for lithium-ion batteries. The parameter identification methods include the voltage response curve analysis method, the least squares method and so on. On this basis, the methods used for modeling and estimating the SOP of battery cells and battery packs are classified and elaborated, focusing on summarizing the research progress observed regarding the joint estimation method for multiple states of battery cells. In conclusion, future methods for estimating the SOP of lithium-ion batteries and their improvement targets are envisioned based on the application requirements for the safe management of lithium-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP), responsible for acute lung injury (ALI) and inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, is a zoonotic pathogen that poses a threat to livestock farming worldwide. Nevertheless, there is currently no validated vaccine to prevent KP infection. The development of mucosal vaccines against KP using Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) is an effective strategy. Results: Firstly, the L. plantarum strains NC8-pSIP409-aCD11c' and NC8-pLc23-aCD11c were constructed via homologous recombination to express the aCD11c protein either inducibly or constitutively. Both NC8-pSIP409-aCD11c' and NC8-pLc23-aCD11c strains could enhance the adhesion and invasion of L. plantarum on bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs), and stimulate the activation of BMDCs compared to the control strain NC8-pSIP409 in vitro. Following oral immunization of mice with NC8-pSIP409-aCD11c' and NC8-pLc23-aCD11c, the cellular, humoral, and mucosal immunity were significantly improved, as evidenced by the increased expression of CD4+ IL-4+ T cells in the spleen, IgG in serum, and secretory IgA (sIgA) in the intestinal lavage fluid (ILF). Furthermore, the protective effects of L. plantarum against inflammatory damage caused by KP infection were confirmed by assessing the bacterial loads in various tissues, lung wet/dry ratio (W/D), levels of inflammatory cytokines, and histological evaluation, which influenced T helper 17 (Th17) and regulatory T (Treg) cells in peripheral blood and lung. Conclusions: Both the inducible and constitutive L. plantarum strains NC8-pSIP409-aCD11c' and NC8-pLc23-aCD11c have been found to stimulate cellular and humoral immunity levels and alleviate the inflammatory response caused by KP infection. These findings have provided a basis for the development of a novel vaccine against KP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the diffusion depth and green light corneal cross-linking efficacy of different rose bengal (Rb) infiltration times in rabbit eyes. Methods: Twenty-eight fresh rabbit eyes were deepithelialized and infiltrated in 0.1% Rb solution for 2 to 30 minutes. Corneal frozen sections were cut and Rb diffusion depth was observed under the confocal microscope. A further 36 rabbits were randomly divided into eight groups according to the type of treatment (control, Rb infiltration only without irradiation, rose bengal/green light [RGX] for different infiltration times, or riboflavin/ultraviolet radiation [UVX]). The corneas' resistance to keratolysis and biomechanical properties were measured after treatment. Results: After 2, 10, 20, and 30 minutes of infiltration, Rb penetration depths in the corneal stroma were 100, 150, 200, and 270 µm, respectively. The times for complete digestion of the RGX 10 minutes (14.0 ± 1.4 hours), RGX 20 minutes (18.8 ± 1.1 hours), and UVX (51.2 ± 7.2 hours) groups were statistically greater than that of the control group (7.2 ± 1.1 hours). At 10% extension, the Young's modulus of the RGX 20 minutes (36.59 ± 4.90 MPa) and UVX (40.89 ± 2.57 MPa) groups was statistically greater than that of the control group (21.76 ± 5.69 MPa). Conclusions: The diffusion depth of Rb in corneal stroma increased by prolonging the infiltration time. The longer the infiltration time, the better the RGX effect. RGX for 20 minutes showed the best cross-linking efficacy among all RGX groups, albeit not as good as UVX. [J Refract Surg. 2023;39(9):620–626.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hens infected with avian leukosis virus subgroup A (ALV-A) experience stunted growth, immunosuppression, and potentially, lymphoma development. According to past research, A20 can both promote and inhibit tumor growth. In this study, DF-1 cells were infected with ALV-A rHB2015012, and Gp85 expression was measured at various time points. A recombinant plasmid encoding the chicken A20 gene and short hairpin RNA targeting chicken A20 (A20-shRNA) was constructed and transfected into DF-1 cells to determine the effect on ALV-A replication. The potential signaling pathways of A20 were explored using bioinformatics prediction, co-immunoprecipitation, and other techniques. The results demonstrate that A20 and ALV-A promoted each other after ALV-A infection of DF-1 cells, upregulated A20, inhibited TRAF6 ubiquitination, and promoted STAT3 phosphorylation. The phosphorylated-STAT3 (p-STAT3) promoted the expression of proto-oncogene c-myc, which may lead to tumorigenesis. This study will help to further understand the tumorigenic process of ALV-A and provide a reference for preventing and controlling ALV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: The DEAD (Asp‐Glu‐Ala‐Asp)‐box helicase family member DDX3x has been proven to involve in hepatic lipid disruption during HCV infection. However, the role of DDX3x in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), in which lipid homeostasis is severely disrupted, remains unclear. Here, we aimed to illustrate the potential role of DDX3x in NAFLD. Methods: DDX3x protein levels were evaluated in NAFLD patients and NAFLD models via immunohistochemistry or western blotting. In vivo ubiquitin assay was performed to identify the ubiquitination levels of DDX3x in the progression of steatosis. DDX3x protein levels in mice livers were manipulated by adeno‐associated virus‐containing DDX3x short hairpin RNA or DDX3x overexpression plasmid. Hepatic or serum triglyceride and total cholesterol were evaluated and hepatic steatosis was confirmed by haematoxylin and eosin staining and oil red o staining. Western blotting was performed to identify the underlying mechanisms of DDX3x involving in the progression of NAFLD. Results: DDX3x protein levels were significantly decreased in NAFLD patients and NAFLD models. DDX3x protein might be degraded via ubiquitin–proteasome system in the progression of steatosis. Knockdown of hepatic DDX3x exacerbated HFD‐induced hepatic steatosis in mice, while overexpression of hepatic DDX3x alleviated HFD‐induced hepatic steatosis in mice. Further explorative experiments revealed that knockdown of DDX3x could lead to the overactivation of mTORC1 signalling pathway which exacerbates NAFLD. Conclusions: DDX3x involved in the progression of NAFLD via affecting the mTORC1 signalling pathway. DDX3x might be a potential target for NAFLD treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: To examine central corneal thickness (CCT) changes during in vivo rose bengal-green light corneal cross-linking (RG-CXL) and compare the CXL efficacy of different rose bengal formulations. METHODS: After epithelium removal, the right eyes of rabbits were immersed in rose bengal solution prepared by different solvents (water, phosphate buffered saline, dextran, and hydroxypropyl methylcellulos [HPMC]) for 2 or 20 minutes, then the rose bengal distribution in the corneal stroma was analyzed by confocal fluorescence detection. During the RG-CXL process, the CCT was measured at seven time points. The left eyes served as the untreated control group. Corneal enzymatic resistance and corneal biomechanics were tested to compare the RG-CXL efficacy. RESULTS: The rose bengal infiltration depths were 120 and 200 µm for the 2- and 20-minute groups, respectively. CCT increased significantly after infiltration, then decreased significantly in the first 200 seconds of irradiation and decreased slowly for the next 400 seconds. The CCT of the 20-minute groups was significantly thicker than that of the 2-minute groups (P <.0001). All RG-CXL treatments improved the corneal enzymatic resistance and corneal biomechanics, with the effects being greater in the 20-minute groups. The inclusion of 1.1% HPMC in the rose bengal formulation helped to maintain CCT during irradiation while not affecting either the infiltration of rose bengal or the efficacy of RG-CXL. CONCLUSIONS: Within the range studied, RG-CXL efficacy increased with infiltration time. The incorporation of a 20-minute infiltration of 0.1% rose bengal-1.1% HPMC into the RG-CXL procedure may further improve the safety of the treatment and its prospects for clinical use. [J Refract Surg. 2022;38(7):450–458.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian leukosis, caused by avian leukosis virus (ALV), is an infectious tumor disease and severely hinders the development of the poultry industry. The use of Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) could effectively alleviate viremia in the early period of J subgroup ALV (ALV-J) infection. In this study, an invasive L. plantarum NC8 expressing Gp85 protein of ALV-J was constructed. After chickens were orally administered the recombinant invasive NC8, the levels of expression of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in peripheral blood and spleen by flow cytometry and the proliferation ability of splenocytes by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay were examined, and the contents of cytokines, the anti-ALV-J antibody in serum, and mucosal antibody sIgA in intestinal lavage fluid were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The immunoprotective efficiency was evaluated by monitoring the infection rate, the percent of cloacal swabs and survival, body weight gain, the organ indexes, and relative virus loads after challenge with ALV-J. The results showed that the recombinant invasive strain (FnBPA-gp85) could promote the expression levels of the CD8+T cells in peripheral blood and spleen, the proliferation of splenocytes, the secretions of cytokines interleukin 2 (IL-2) and γ-interferon (IFN-γ), and the production of IgG and sIgA compared with the PBS and FnBPA control groups in chickens. The FnBPA-gp85 group was exhibited the highest immune protection against ALV-J infection. The above results indicated that the recombinant invasive NC8 could promote the cellular immunity, humoral immunity, and mucosal immunity responses in chicken and provide a new method for exploring the live vaccine against ALV-J. Key points • The FnBPA-gp85 strain could enhance cellular immunity response. • The FnBPA-gp85 strain could improve the immune protection against ALV-J infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyroptosis is a caspase-1/3/4/5/8/11-mediated form of programmed cell death. It is primarily induced through two pathways - the canonical and noncanonical pathways. Following enzymatic cleavage, gasdermin D, a key substrate for pyroptosis, releases N-terminal fragments that form pores on the plasma membrane, triggering osmotic lysis, and eventually releases cytosolic material to trigger inflammatory responses. Various pyroptotic pathway mediators are involved in lung cancer initiation, proliferation, migration, and invasion, and an increasing number of anticancer compounds have been developed by regulating the pyroptotic pathway. This review aims to summarize recent progress in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of pyroptosis and the association between pyroptotic-related molecules and lung cancer. Moreover, we discussed more than 10 compounds that exerted antitumor properties by inducing pyroptosis of lung cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Insulin‐like growth factor binding protein 1 (IGFBP1) is recently proved to be associated with glucose regulation and insulin resistance. However, little is known about its direct impact on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aims to investigate the effect and potential mechanism of IGFBP1 in NAFLD. Methods: We first measured the expression level of IGFBP1 in NAFLD patients, mice, and cells. Then in in vivo study, C57BL/6 mice were fed with a methionine/choline‐deficient (MCD) diet for 4 weeks to establish the model of NAFLD. And for the last 2 weeks, the mice were injected intraperitoneally with vehicle or recombinant mouse IGFBP1 0.015 mg/kg/d. The L02 cells were treated with free fatty acids (FFA) or palmitate acids (PA) and recombinant IGFBP1 for 48 h. Integrin‐linked kinase (ILK) inhibitor and small interfering RNA were used to explore the potential interactions between IGFBP1 and integrin β1 (ITGB1). Results: The expression of IGFBP1 was increased in NAFLD patients, mice, and cells. IGFBP1 treatment significantly ameliorated lipid accumulation and hepatic injury in MCD‐fed mice. IGFBP1 downregulated hepatic lipogenesis and upregulated lipid β‐oxidation. In addition, IGFBP1 attenuated the nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) and extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) signaling pathways. In vitro, we proved that IGFBP1 relieved FFA‐induced lipid accumulation via interacting with ITGB1 and alleviated inflammation by inhibiting NF‐κB and ERK signaling pathways. Conclusions: IGFBP1 treatment significantly ameliorated hepatic steatosis by interacting with ITGB1 and suppressed inflammation by inhibiting NF‐κB and ERK signaling pathways. Therefore, IGFBP1 might be a potential therapeutic target for NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic materials display attractive properties for a wide range of applications. More recently, interest has turned to significantly enhancing their behaviour for advanced technologies, by exploiting the remarkable advantages that nanoscale materials offer over their bulk counterparts. Electrospinning is a high-throughput method that can continuously produce nanoscale fibres, providing a versatile way to prepare novel magnetic nanomaterials. This article reviews 20 years of magnetic nanomaterials fabricated via electrospinning and introduces their two primary production methods: electrospinning polymer-based magnetic fibres directly from solution and electrospinning fibrous templates for post-treatment. Continual advances in electrospinning have enabled access to a variety of morphologies, which has led to magnetic materials having desirable flexibility, anisotropy and high specific surface area. Post-treatment methods, such as surface deposition, carbonization and calcination, further improve or even create unique magnetic properties in the materials. This renders them useful in broad ranging applications, including electromagnetic interference shielding (EMS), magnetic separation, tissue engineering scaffolding, hyperthermia treatment, drug delivery, nanogenerators and data storage. The processing methods of electrospun magnetic nanofibres, their properties and related applications are discussed throughout this review. Key areas for future research have been highlighted with the aim of stimulating advances in the development of electrospun magnetic nanomaterials for a wide range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is prevalent chronic liver diseases with unknown mechanism and no curative treatment. Hepatokines have demonstrated importance in NAFLD but, role of selenoprotein P (SeP) in NAFLD is unknown. A total of 79 patients with NAFLD and 79 healthy controls were included in this case–control study. SeP is elevated in patients with NAFLD. With elevating level of SeP, NAFLD prevalence, and detecting rate increases. As NAFLD aggravated, serum SeP increases. Correlation analysis demonstrates that SeP is positively associated with NAFLD risk factors including body mass index, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma‐glutamyltransferase, and serum uric acid. Both NAFLD in vivo and in vitro models, SeP protein level is higher in liver. Small interfering RNA of SEPP1 inhibited TG accumulation by activating adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase/acetyl‐CoA carboxylase (AMPK/ACC), and overexpression of SEPP1 aggravated lipid accumulation and inhibited AMPK/ACC phosphorylation. SeP expression is activated in NAFLD and exacerbated NAFLD through AMPK/ACC, providing insight into new diagnostic, therapeutic target in NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent years, evidence that aldosteronism is a risk factor for metabolic disorders has increased. This study was designed to investigate the role of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and hypokalemia in primary aldosteronism (PA). Methods: A total of 222 patients diagnosed with PA and 222 non-PA patients were included in our study. Demographic data, medical histories, clinical evaluations, complete blood counts, serum biochemical analyses, aldosterone and potassium levels were obtained. Data are presented as the means ± standard deviation (SD). To compare the parameters between cases and controls, Student's t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests were used for continuous variables, and χ2 tests were used for categorical variables. Pearson correlation analysis was used to define relationships between pairs of parameters. A two-sided P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to assess the independent effects of potassium and other metabolic variables on NAFLD in PA patients. Results: The diagnosis of NAFLD was more common in PA patients (n=222, 35.1%) than in non-PA subjects (29.7%). PA patients with and without NAFLD had similar metabolic imbalance characteristics. In PA patients with hypokalemia, relatively higher prevalences of NAFLD (44% vs. 27%, P < 0.05) and diabetes mellitus (19.8% vs. 9.9%, P < 0.05) were observed. Hypokalemic PA patients had a worse metabolic status than PA patients without hypokalemia, including higher body mass index (BMI) (25.4 ± 3.4 vs. 24.1 ± 3.9 kg/m2, P < 0.05), more severe dyslipidemia as well as insulin resistance, higher serum uric acid levels (354 ± 95 vs. 319 ± 87 μmol/L, P < 0.01) and aggravated inflammation. Conclusion: The prevalence of NAFLD was higher in PA patients than in non-PA patients, although the patterns of obesity, dyslipidemia and insulin resistance were similar. Hypokalemic PA patients had a worse metabolic status than normokalemic PA patients. This study provides new insights that can inform further mechanistic studies about metabolic imbalance in patients with aldosteronism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Previous studies have revealed the association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and diabetes mellitus, but conflicts still exist. The present study tried to investigate the underlying link between these two diseases by making comprehensive analyses of the impact of diabetes on H. pylori eradication and the influence of H. pylori eradication on diabetes. Methods: We systematically searched relevant studies from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase updated to April 23, 2020. Studies examining the association between H. pylori eradication and diabetes were included. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and weighted mean differences (WMD) were calculated for different results. Results: Among the 2125 retrieved studies, 36 studies were included. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have higher risk of H. pylori eradication failure than the non‐diabetic one (OR = 2.59, 95% CI 1.82–3.70). Body mass index (BMI) was identified as a major factor affecting the efficacy of H. pylori eradication in diabetics, and better glycemic control was also found in eradication succeed patients (WMD: 0.51, 95% CI 0.20–0.81). Moreover, after eradication of H. pylori, improvement of HbA1c was proved (WMD = −0.33, 95% CI −0.65 to −0.02) in T2DM. Conclusion: A higher risk of H. pylori eradication failure in T2DM was confirmed, and it was associated with BMI and glycemic control. Moreover, we also provided evidence that H. pylori eradication could improve glycemic control in patients with T2DM, which indirectly reflect the interaction between H. pylori and the diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital tufting enteropathy (CTE), also named intestinal epithelial dysplasia, is a rare, autosomal recessive enteropathy with persistent and life-threatening intractable diarrhea early in life. Intractable diarrhea is present independent of breast or formula feeding. Most CTE patients require total parenteral nutrition (TPN), and in severe cases, small bowel transplantation is needed. In the last decade, we have seen remarkable progress in certain aspects, such as the pathogenesis and diagnostic methods of the disease. Rapidly developing molecular analysis techniques have improved the diagnostic methods for CTE and reduced invasive and expensive procedures. Mutations in the gene encoding human epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) were identified in the typical form of CTE, which usually exhibits isolated refractory diarrhea. Moreover, the syndromic form of CTE features anal and choanal atresias as well as ophthalmologic signs, which are associated with mutations in the gene encoding Serine Peptidase Inhibitor Kunitz Type 2 (SPINT2). This article reviews CTE disease based on its clinical and histological presentation, etiology and pathogenesis, and management and outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) from Japan will supplement the global positioning system (GPS) for more accurate and stable positioning, navigation and timing services. However, QZSS and GPS measurements are not free of inter-system bias (ISB) for various receiver brands. After estimating and clustering the receiver ISB values of GPS and QZSS for all three overlapping frequencies L1, L2 and L5, we show that the code ISB of the receivers can have at least two groups and the firmware versions of the groups may overlap with each other, making the look-up-table calibration difficult. Therefore, we propose to discriminate one code ISB value from the other for a specific receiver by the observations of a few epochs so that precise calibration can be implemented within a short time. The phase fractional ISB (F-ISB) calibration of QZSS and GPS is easier as their magnitudes are receiver-type and firmware-version related. Experiments for the code positioning show that the QZSS and GPS integration with the ISB calibrated by the looked-up values has an obviously smaller 3D distance root mean square, i.e. the root mean square of the radial distances from the true position to the calculated positions. The empirical success rate of the ambiguity fixing in precise positioning is also improved with the looked-up phase F-ISB values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common chronic liver disease worldwide, but its pathogenesis remains imprecisely understood and requires further clarification. Recently, the tumor suppressor p53 has received growing attention for its role in metabolic diseases. In this study, we performed in vivo and in vitro experiments to identify the contribution of p53–autophagy regulation to NAFLD. Methods: Livers from wild-type and p53 knockout mice as well as p53-functional HepG2 cells and p53-dysfunctional Huh7 cells were examined for autophagy status and HMGB1 translocation. In vivo and in vitro NAFLD models were established, and steatosis was detected. In the cell models, autophagy status and steatosis were examined by p53 and/or HMGB1 silencing. Results: First, the silencing of p53 could induce autophagy both in vivo and in vitro. In addition, p53 knockout attenuated high-fat diet-induced NAFLD in mice. Similarly, knockdown of p53 could alleviate palmitate-induced lipid accumulation in cell models. Furthermore, high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) was proven to contribute to the effect of silencing p53 on alleviating NAFLD in vitro as an autophagy regulator. Conclusion: The anti-NAFLD effect of functional p53 silencing is associated with the HMGB1-mediated induction of autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has gradually become one of the most common chronic liver diseases in the world. More and more evidence shows that low skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) may play a role in the development of NAFLD. Our aim was to quantify the association between SMI, sarcopenia and the presence and severity of NAFLD. Methods: We systematically searched English relevant studies from PubMed, Embase, the Web of Science and the Cochrane Library updated to December 20th, 2018. Studies in which SMI was compared between NAFLD cases and controls were included. So were studies concerning the odds ratio (OR) of NAFLD, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and significant fibrosis in sarcopenia patients. Pooled weighted mean differences and ORs were calculated. Results: Of the 1331 retrieved studies, 19 articles were included. SMI level in NAFLD patients was 1.77 (95% CI 1.15, 2.39) lower than that in normal controls. We also found a significantly higher occurrence risk of NAFLD (OR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.20 to 1.48), NASH (OR = 2.42, 95% CI 1.27 to 3.57) and NAFLD-related significant fibrosis (OR = 1.56, 95% CI 1.34, 1.78) in sarcopenia subjects. Conclusions: SMI level in patients with NAFLD was lower than healthy people, and patients with sarcopenia have higher occurrence risk of NAFLD, as well as its advanced stages including NASH or NAFLD-related significant fibrosis. Further well-designed prospective studies are required to strengthen the arguments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian leukosis virus (ALV) caused tremendous economic losses to poultry industry all over the world, especially in China. One natural recombinant ALV strain, designated as HB2015032, was isolated from indigenous chickens with neoplastic diseases in Hubei, China. The complete proviral genome of HB2015032 is 7703 bp in length. Sequence analysis showed that the Env of HB2015032 exhibited 99.3% similarity with that of a ALV subgroup K (ALV-K) isolate JS11C1 at amino acid level. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that both gp85 and gp37 of HB2015032 were clustered in the same branch with JS11C1 and other ALV-K strains isolated from Chinese indigenous chickens in recent years. However, the pol gene, the 3′ untranslated region (3′ UTR), and the 3′ long terminal repeat (3′ LTR) of HB2015032 were more closely related to ALV-J prototype HPRS-103, and clustered in the same branch with ALV-J strains. Furthermore, the pol gene of HB2015032 contained a premature stop codon that resulted in a truncated Pol protein with 22 amino acid residues missing, which was a unique feature of the pol gene of ALV-J. 3′UTR of HB2015032 containing entire DR1, E element and U3. E element of HB2015032 contained one base deletion, which resulted in a c-Ets-1 binding site. In addition, U3 region of HB2015032 contains most of the transcription regulatory elements of ALV-J, including two CAAT boxes, Y boxes, CArG boxes, PRE boxes, NFAP-1 boxes, and one TATA box. These results suggest that isolate HB2015032 was a novel recombinant ALV-K containing the ALV-K env gene and the ALV-J backbone and exhibiting high pathogenicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the repair volume of AISI H13 tool steel samples with hemisphere-shaped defects was reconstructed through reverse engineering and the samples were repaired by laser-aided direct metal deposition (DMD) using Co-based alloys powder as the filler material. Microstructure characterization and elemental distribution of deposits were analyzed using optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). Mechanical properties of repaired samples were evaluated via tensile test and microhardness measurement. The experiment showed that a gap between deposits and substrate exists if only employing the tool path generated from the reconstructed repair volume but the gap can be removed by depositing an extra layer covering that region. Microstructure and tensile test confirmed strong metallurgical bond in the interface. Defect-free columnar structure dominated the deposits near the interface while other regions of deposits consisted of dendrite structure with interdendritic eutectics. The tensile test showed that the repaired samples have a higher ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and lower ductility compared with those of base metal. Fractography from tensile test showed repaired samples fractured brittlely at the deposits section with cracking propagating along the grain boundaries. The hardness measurement showed that the deposited layers have a much higher hardness in comparison to the substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiAl alloys have become a popular choice in the aerospace and automotive industries, owing to their high specific yield strength, specific modulus, and oxidation resistance over titanium alloys and Ni-based super alloys at elevated temperatures. Although laser metal deposition (LMD) techniques have been available for manufacturing metal alloys for a decade, limited research has been focused on joining intermetallic materials with dissimilar materials using LMD. Here, LMD was used to join titanium aluminide Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb and commercially pure titanium with an innovative transition path. The theorized transition was implemented by fabricating functionally graded material (FGM). Porosity- and crack-free deposits were successfully fabricated. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analysis revealed the final composition was very close to the design composition. X-ray diffraction showed the expected phases were formed. The Vickers hardness, ultimate tensile strength, and coefficient of thermal expansion were evaluated to characterize the FGM's mechanical and physical properties. The properties of the material were comparable to those of as-cast material as reported in the literature . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper aims to achieve Ti-6Al-4V from Ti, Al and V elemental powder blends using direct laser deposition (DLD) and to understand the effects of laser transverse speed and laser power on the initial fabrication of deposit’s microstructure and Vickers hardness.Design/methodology/approach Two sets of powder blends with different weight percentage ratio for three elemental powder were used during DLD process. Five experiments with different processing parameters were performed to evaluate how microstructure and Vickers hardness change with laser power and laser transverse speed. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, optical microscopy and Vickers hardness test were used to analyze deposits’ properties.Findings This paper reveals that significant variance of elemental powder’s size and density would cause lack of weight percentage of certain elements in final part and using multiple coaxial powder nozzles design would be a solution. Also, higher laser power or slower laser transverse speed tend to benefit the formation of finer microstructures and increase Vickers hardness.Originality/value This paper demonstrates a new method to fabricate Ti-6Al-4V and gives out a possible weight percentage ratio 87:7:6 for Ti:Al:V at powder blends during DLD process. The relationship between microstructure and Vickers hardness with laser power and laser transverse speed would provide valuable reference for people working on tailoring material properties using elemental powder method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon material derived from waste biomass for supercapacitor applications has been widely investigated because of its low cost and environmental friendly. In this paper, rotten potato was selected as the precursor to prepare three-dimensional (3D) activated carbon (AC) after hydrothermal treatment, carbonization and activation of KOH. Benefiting from large specific surface area, 3D interconnected macropore framework incorporating with meso-/micropore and the intrinsic good conductivity, the rotten potato-derived AC achieves a relatively high capacitance of 269 F g (1 A g), desirable rate performance and superior cycling stability. More importantly, the assembled symmetric device delivers a high specific capacitance (48 F g) and a high energy density (4.27 Wh kg) at a current density of 1 A g. The result indicates a low-cost and facile approach for high-performance AC based on waste biomass source implying commercial potential in supercapacitor applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although sesame seed oil contains high levels of unsaturated fatty acids and even a small amount of free fatty acids in its unrefined flavored form, it shows markedly greater stability than other dietary vegetable oils. The good stability of sesame seed oil against autoxidation has been ascribed not only to its inherent lignans and tocopherols but also to browning reaction products generated when sesame seeds are roasted. Also, there is a strong synergistic effect among these components. The lignans in sesame seed oil can be categorized into two types, i.e. inherent lignans (sesamin, sesamolin) and lignans mainly formed during the oil production process (sesamol, sesamolinol, etc.). The most abundant tocopherol in sesame seed oil is γ-tocopherol. This article reviews the antioxidant activities of lignans and tocopherols as well as the browning reaction and its products in sesame seed and/or its oil. It is concluded that the composition and structure of browning reaction products and their impacts on sesame ingredients need to be further studied to better explain the remaining mysteries of sesame oil. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using CASA model, biomass within the Haihe River basin during 2002 – 2007 was estimated based on remote sensing images, corresponding data of temperature, precipitation and solar radiation, and 1:400 000 0 maps of vegetation coverage in China. Variations in the biomass with vegetation type and vegetation coverage in 2007 were analyzed. Meanwhile, its temporal and spatial changes were discussed. The results validate the applicability of CASA model in the estimation of biomass within the Haihe River basin. During the past 6 years, annual average biomass within the basin was 405.5 Tg in total; annual average biomass in the basin was high in the southeast but low in the northwest, namely plains > mountains > plateaus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To validate the HJ-1 B charge-coupled device (CCD) vegetation index (VI) products, spectral reflectance data from EO-1 Hyperion of a close date were used to simulate the band reflectance of the HJ-1 B CCD camera. Four vegetation indices (the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the ratio vegetation index (RVI), the soil adjusted vegetation index (SAVI) and the enhanced vegetation index (EVI)) were computed from both simulated and actual HJ-1 B CCD band reflectance data. Comparisons between simulated and actual HJ-1 B CCD band reflectance data, as well as that between simulated and actual HJ-1 B CCD vegetation indices were implemented to validate the VI products of the HJ-1 B CCD camera. The correlation coefficients between simulated and actual HJ-1 B CCD band reflectance data were 0.836, 0.891, 0.912 and 0.923 for the blue, green, red and near infra-red bands, and the correlation coefficients between simulated and actual HJ-1 B CCD VIs were 0.943, 0.926, 0.939 and 0.933 for SAVI, RVI, NDVI and EVI. The standard deviation of differential images between actual and simulated HJ-1 B CCD VIs are 0.052, 0.527, 0.073 and 0.133. The results show that the VI products from the HJ-1 B CCD camera are consistent with the simulated VIs from Hyperion, which proves the reliability of HJ-1 B CCD VI products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]