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Under the background of “dual carbon”, new energy sources have begun to be connected to the grid on a large scale. However, the randomness and volatility of new energy generation significantly impact the power grid, making it urgent to build a new power system. As the cornerstone of the power system, traditional thermal power will transform into a basic security and system regulatory power supply, providing reliable capacity, peak regulation and frequency modulation and other auxiliary services. The flexible transformation of thermal power units has become an inevitable choice. The phased objectives, difficulties, and challenges of building a new power system were analyzed, along with the problems encountered in the flexible transformation of thermal power units at the present stage. Combined with thermal power operation data, the technical ways of configuring energy storage equipment for thermal power units were analyzed. The research shows that there are several issues in building a new power system, such as power system instability, difficulties in transforming traditional thermal power, high energy consumption, and environmental pressures. The flexibility transformation of thermal power units faces challenges such as insufficient peak regulation capacity, high operation costs, slow load response, high operation energy consumption, safety concerns, etc. The integration of thermal power and energy storage will bring better economic and environmental benefits.

AIM:To investigate the influencing factors of abnormal telangiectasia secondary to diabetic retinopathy(DR).METHODS: Prospective studies. A total of 153 cases(240 eyes)with DR treated in our hospital from January 2021 to January 2023 were selected to analyze the risk factors of abnormal telangiectasia secondary to DR and its predictive efficacy.RESULTS: The patients were divided into dilated group(77 eyes of 40 cases)and non-dilated group(163 eyes of 113 cases)according to whether they had secondary abnormal telangiectasia. There were significant differences in diabetic macular edema, hard exudates grade and fasting blood glucose level between the two groups(P

The recycling of industrially emitted CO2 is an urgent environmental task. The electrochemical reduction of CO2 into valuable chemical products presents an attractive approach. However, due to the inherent high chemical stability of CO2 molecules and the complex sequence of multiple electron and proton transfer steps involved in the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR), current electrocatalytic systems commonly face challenges such as low CO2 conversion rates and energy utilization efficiency, limited current density, and short electrode lifespan. Herein, we adopt a simple three-step process involving in situ chemical etching, thermal oxidation, and electrochemical reduction to construct bismuth nanosheets (Bi NSs) with abundant lattice dislocations on copper foam, and introduce nanobubble technology to enhance the CO2RR process. In an H-type cell with flowing electrolyte, our Bi NSs/CF electrode achieved a remarkable formate Faradaic efficiency (FEformate) of 95.36% at a low applied potential of −1.08 V vs. RHE (reversible hydrogen electrode), along with a significant formate partial current density (Jformate) of ∼38 mA cm−2 and an energy efficiency of ∼60%. Even within a wider operating window (−0.78 to −1.18 V), the FEformate remained at a high level (>91%). Importantly, the application of nanobubble technology increased the CO2 conversion rate by nearly fivefold. Further density functional theory calculations confirmed that the Bi NSs with lattice dislocations on the Bi NSs/CF surface can effectively stabilize the *OCHO intermediate, thereby achieving high activity and selectivity for the CO2RR. This work highlights the significant roles of nanobubble technology, size-dependent catalysis, and crystal defect engineering strategies in the field of electrocatalysis, elucidating the activity sources of the developed catalyst in the electrochemical CO2 reduction process, and providing valuable insights for the design and development of high-performance electrocatalytic systems for the CO2RR and other applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the effects of Bi2O3 doping on the mechanical properties of PbO ceramic pellets were studied. Different ratios of Bi2O3/PbO (i.e., xBi2O3-(1−x) PbO, where x is 0, 1, 3, 5, or 7 wt.%) were fabricated and sintered at 570, 620, and 670 °C. Mechanical properties including density, hardness, flexural strength, and sintering of PbO were studied for each of the aforementioned compositions. Phase composition, microstructure, and the worn surfaces of the composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD analysis revealed that a solid solution formed in the composite ceramic. The best suited conditions of temperature and doping of Bi2O3 for optimal sintering were found to be 620 °C and 3 wt.%, respectively. The hardness of the 3 wt.% Bi2O3-97 wt.% PbO ceramic was found to be 717 MPa, which is about four times higher than the hardness of pure PbO. In addition, the strength of the composites was found to be 43 MPa, which is two times higher than that of pure PbO. The integrity of the composites was verified using the lead–bismuth eutectic alloy flushing experiment. The results of this research paper are important for future studies of oxygen control in the lead–bismuth eutectic alloy of lead-cooled fast reactors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate wind speed forecasting (WSF) plays a pivotal role in anticipating the power output of wind farms. Nevertheless, the stochastic and variable nature of wind speed presents a significant challenge in achieving accurate WSF. Hence, this study proposes a novel 4D high-resolution system, Windformer, for wind speed vector forecasting (WSVF). Windformer combines the ability of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for feature extraction and transformers based on attention mechanisms for information fusion. In the Windformer, the input and output layers are mainly composed of 3D CNNs. The input layer is employed for feature extraction and information compression, while the output layer is tasked with recovering the WSV field. The key components of the model consist of encoders and decoders built upon temporal shifted window multi-head self-attention. This architecture is capable of effectively integrating spatio-temporal information. Trained on 39 years of regional reanalysis data, Windformer obtains the most accurate forecast results compared to 5 WSF baseline models. Most importantly, within the next 6 hours, Windformer demonstrates higher accuracy compared to the High-Resolution Deterministic Forecast (HRES) from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). • Windformer enables high-resolution regional-level wind speed vector predictions. • Windformer surpasses baseline models in forecasting wind speeds for the upcoming 1 to 48 h. • Training Windformer only requires two RTX4090 GPUs. • Windformer shows an MAE about 0.05–0.2 m/s lower than HRES within the next 6-hour wind speed forecast. • Windformer efficiently handles spatio-temporal information using temporal shifted window multi-head self-attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Neointimal hyperplasia is the primary mechanism underlying atherosclerosis and restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention. Ketogenic diet (KD) exerts beneficial effects in various diseases, but whether it could serve as non-drug therapy for neointimal hyperplasia remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effect of KD on neointimal hyperplasia and the potential mechanisms., Methods and Results: Carotid artery balloon-injury model was employed in adult Sprague-Dawley rats to induce neointimal hyperplasia. Then, animals were subjected to either standard rodent chow or KD. For in-vitro experiment, impacts of β-hydroxybutyrate (β-HB), the main mediator of KD effects, on platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) induced vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) migration and proliferation were determined. Balloon injury induced event intimal hyperplasia and upregulation of protein expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and these changes were significantly ameliorated by KD. In addition, β-HB could markedly inhibit PDGF-BB induced VMSC migration and proliferation, as well as inhibiting expressions of PCNA and α-SMC. Furthermore, KD inhibited balloon-injury induced oxidative stress in carotid artery, indicated by reduced ROS level, malondialdehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities, and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. We also found balloon-injury induced inflammation in carotid artery was suppressed by KD, indicated by decreased expressions of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α, and increased expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10., Conclusion: KD attenuates neointimal hyperplasia through suppressing oxidative stress and inflammation to inhibit VSMC proliferation and migration. KD may represent a promising non-drug therapy for neointimal hyperplasia associated diseases.

Context: The hypothalamic melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) pathway serves a critical role in regulating body weight. Loss of function (LoF) mutations in the MC4R pathway, including mutations in the pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), prohormone convertase 1 (PCSK1), leptin receptor (LEPR), or MC4R genes, have been shown to cause early-onset severe obesity., Methods: Through a comprehensive epidemiological analysis of known and predicted LoF variants in the POMC, PCSK1, and LEPR genes, we sought to estimate the number of US individuals with biallelic MC4R pathway LoF variants., Results: We predict ~650 α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH)/POMC, 8500 PCSK1, and 3600 LEPR homozygous and compound heterozygous individuals in the United States, cumulatively enumerating >12,800 MC4R pathway-deficient obese patients. Few of these variants have been genetically diagnosed to date. These estimates increase when we include a small subset of less rare variants: β-MSH/POMC,PCSK1 N221D, and a PCSK1 LoF variant (T640A). To further define the MC4R pathway and its potential impact on obesity, we tested associations between body mass index (BMI) and LoF mutation burden in the POMC, PCSK1, and LEPR genes in various populations. We show that the cumulative allele burden in individuals with two or more LoF alleles in one or more genes in the MC4R pathway are predisposed to a higher BMI than noncarriers or heterozygous LoF carriers with a defect in only one gene., Conclusions: Our analysis represents a genetically rationalized study of the hypothalamic MC4R pathway aimed at genetic patient stratification to determine which obese subpopulations should be studied to elucidate MC4R agonist (e.g., setmelanotide) treatment responsiveness.

The ability of cocaine to produce lasting neural adaptations in mesocorticolimbic brain regions is thought to promote drug seeking and facilitate addiction in humans. The Ras-controlled Raf-MEK-ERK protein kinase signaling cascade has been implicated in the behavioral and neurobiological actions of cocaine in animals. However, these pharmacological studies have not been able to determine the specific role of the two predominant isoforms of ERK (ERK1 and ERK2) in these processes. We report here that deletion of the ERK1 isoform, which leads to increased ERK2 stimulus-dependent signaling, facilitates the development of cocaine-induced psychomotor sensitization and the acquisition of a cocaine conditioned place preference. Conversely, pharmacological blockade of ERK signaling attenuates the development of psychomotor sensitization to cocaine. Finally, cocaine-evoked gene expression in mesocorticolimbic brain regions is potentiated in ERK1-deficient mice. Thus, alterations in ERK signaling influence both the neurobiological impact of cocaine and its ability to produce enduring forms of drug experience-dependent behavioral plasticity. Our results suggest that enhanced ERK2 signaling following repeated drug exposure may facilitate the development of forms of cocaine-induced plasticity that contribute to addiction.

The subthalamic nucleus (STN) is traditionally thought to be involved in motor control, and dysfunction of the STN is thought to contribute to movement disorders. Here, we show that the STN also plays an important role in motivational processes and the response to drugs of abuse. Specifically, bilateral STN lesions produced a dose-dependent increase in the psychomotor-activating effects of cocaine, the rate at which animals acquired cocaine self-administration, and the motivation for cocaine assessed using a progressive ratio schedule. Furthermore, bilateral STN lesions enhanced the ability of cocaine to induce gene expression in the nucleus accumbens and caudate-putamen, two structures known to be involved in mediating the psychomotor-activating and incentive motivational effects of drugs of abuse. These findings suggest that engagement of the STN serves to dampen the psychomotor-activating and incentive motivational effects of drugs of abuse. Thus, the STN may serve as a novel target for therapeutic interventions aimed at treating drug dependence.