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In smart grid era, electric load is becoming more stochastic and less predictable in short horizons with more intermittent energy and competitive electricity market transactions. As a result, short-term probabilistic load forecasting (STPLF) is becoming essential for energy utilities because it helps quantify the risks of decision-making for power systems operation. Currently, probabilistic load forecasts (PLF) are commonly produced from three single components, namely input, model and output. Nevertheless, whether integrating two components to represent dual uncertainties of electric load is practical and able to improve STPLF attracts little regards. To address this issue, this paper proposes three integrated methods by pairwise combination of single representative component, i.e. uniform-biased temperature scenarios (UBTS), quantile regression (QR) and logarithmic residual empirical simulation (LRES). Case study on real utility data demonstrates the superiority of the integrated methods and excavates the relationship between predictive model class and specific integrated method.

A novel Fe–RGO/TiO2/PTFE photocatalytic composite membrane was developed for the purification of MB wastewater. The properties of the prepared membranes were characterized using XRD, SEM, FT-IR spectroscopy, the BET method, and water contact angle, membrane flux, and BSA adsorption measurements. The photocatalytic properties of the surface-modified membranes were investigated in filtration experiments using MB as a representative organic contaminant. The results of the experiments showed that the Fe–RGO/TiO2 particles were securely loaded onto the surface of the PTFE membrane, demonstrating excellent chemical stability of the composite membrane. The incorporation of Fe3+ inhibited the agglomeration of TiO2 particles and enhanced the photocatalytic reaction rate. The introduction of RGO could broaden the photoresponsive range of TiO2, increase the specific surface area of the photocatalyst, introduce a large number of hydrophilic groups to enhance the hydrophilicity of the composite membrane, and subsequently increase the membrane flux. The MB wastewater was treated with the Fe–RGO/TiO2/PTFE composite membrane system for 3 h and the removal rate of MB reached 95.8% and 60.1% under UV and visible light, respectively. Reaction kinetic analysis indicated that the removal process of MB wastewater by Fe–RGO/TiO2/PTFE involves an adsorption–degradation–filtration synergy mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species belonging to the Rhododendron genus are well-known for their colorful corolla. Molecular marker systems have the potential to elucidate genetic diversity as well as to assess genetic fidelity in rhododendrons. In the present study, the reverse transcription domains of long terminal repeat retrotransposons were cloned from rhododendrons and used to develop an inter-retrotransposon amplified polymorphism (IRAP) marker system. Subsequently, 198 polymorphic loci were generated from the IRAP and inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers, of which 119 were derived from the IRAP markers. It was shown that in rhododendrons, IRAP markers were superior to the ISSRs in some polymorphic parameters, such as the average number of polymorphic loci (14.88 versus 13.17). The combination of the IRAP and ISSR systems was more discriminative for detecting 46 rhododendron accessions than each of the systems on their own. Furthermore, IRAP markers demonstrated more efficiency in genetic fidelity detection of in-vitro-grown R. bailiense Y.P.Ma, C.Q.Zhang and D.F.Chamb, an endangered species recently recorded in Guizhzhou Province, China. The available evidence revealed the distinct properties of IRAP and ISSR markers in the rhododendron-associated applications, and highlighted the availability of highly informative ISSR and IRAP markers in the evaluation of genetic diversity and genetic fidelity of rhododendrons, which may facilitate preservation and genetic breeding of rhododendron plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic viability of corn biorefineries depends heavily on the sale of coproducts as animal feeds, but elevated phosphorus (P) contents can exacerbate manure management issues. Phosphorus removal from light steep water and thin stillage, two concentrated in‐process aqueous streams at wet milling and dry‐grind corn biorefineries, could simultaneously generate concentrated fertilizer and low‐P animal feeds, but little is known regarding how differences in stream composition affect removal. To address this data gap, we show that the solubility of P in light steep filtrate (LSF) and thin stillage filtrate (TSF) exhibits distinct sensitivity to calcium (Ca) and base addition due to differences in P fractionation and protein abundance. In LSF, P was primarily organic, and near‐complete removal of P (96%) was observed at pH 8 and a Ca/total P (TP) ratio of 2. In TSF, TP removal was lower (81%), and there was more equal distribution of organic and orthophosphate, indicating that the Ca requirements of inorganic P precipitation were a limiting factor. The C/H/N ratio, elemental characterization, and crude protein analysis of the precipitated solids indicated that coprecipitation of amorphous solids containing Ca, Mg, and K with soluble proteins facilitated removal of P, particularly in LSF. Although the removal mechanisms and solubility limits differed, these results highlighted the magnitude (40–70 mM) and efficacy (80–96%) of P recovery from two biorefinery streams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ubiquitin‐specific protease 18 (USP18) is an important inhibitor of interferon (IFN) antiviral activity, and the aim of this study was to investigate the association between the USP18 mRNA level change in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) when stimulated with IFN in vitro before initiating treatment and the treatment outcomes in HBeAg‐positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients treated with IFN. A total of 44 patients who received standard IFN‐based anti‐HBV therapy and follow‐up were enrolled in the study. The in vitro IFN‐induced USP18 mRNA change (USP18IFN‐N) was measured via comparison of quantitative PCR‐determined USP18 transcription levels of BPMCs cultured with and without IFN stimulation. Either for virological (VR) or serological response (SR), the baseline USP18IFN‐N was significantly higher (P = 0.018 for VR, P = 0.008 for SR) among nonresponders (n = 23 for VR, n = 33 for SR) than that of responders (n = 21 for VR, n = 11 for SR). Multivariate analyses revealed baseline USP18IFN‐N was a novel independent predictor for either VR (OR = 0.292, 95% CI = 0.102‐0.835, P = 0.022) or SR (OR = 0.173, 95% CI = 0.035‐0.849, P = 0.031) in our cohort. In addition, baseline USP18IFN‐N in combination with HBV DNA loads or HBeAg levels showed improved accuracy of pretreatment prediction for VR or SR responders, respectively. Baseline USP18IFN‐N levels are associated with both virological and serological response, and have the potential to become a clinical predictor for treatment outcomes in HBeAg‐positive CHB patients before initiating IFN‐α therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved photocatalytic microfiltration membrane was successfully prepared by the impregnation method with nitrogen-doped TiO2/graphene oxide (GO) (NTG). By utilizing the unique role of N and GO, the photocatalytic activity of the membrane in UV and sunlight was improved. Compared with the Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) microfiltration membrane which was modified by TiO2, N-TiO2 (NT) and TiO2-GO (TG), the NTG/PVDF membrane exhibited high photocatalytic efficiency and significantly improved photodegradation power to the methylene blue (MB) solution under ultraviolet light and sunlight, with the photocatalytic efficiency reaching 86.5% and 80.6%, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used to analyze the morphology, crystal structure and chemical bonds of the membrane surface. The hydrophilicity of the modified PVDF microfiltration membrane was significantly improved, the flux of the pure water membrane reached 1672 Lm−2h−1, the flux of the MB solution was also significantly improved due to photodegradation. Therefore, the nitrogen-doped titanium dioxide graphene oxide PVDF microfiltration membrane (NTG/PVDF membrane) has great development prospects in sustainable water treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofouling is still a major obstacle hindering wider application of thin-film composite (TFC) nanofiltration membranes in the water industry. One of the practical strategies to reduce biofouling is to develop novel antibiofouling membrane materials. Well-dispersed biogenic silver nanoparticles with a diameter of ~6 nm (Bio-Ag0-6) were first immobilized in the selective layer of TFC nanofiltration membranes. Different dosages of Bio-Ag0-6 were added in the aqueous solution during the interfacial polymerization of tetraethylenepentamine and 1,3,5-benzenetricarbonyl trichloride (TMC). Improved properties of Bio-Ag0-6 /TFC membranes were systematically investigated. When the concentration of Bio-Ag0-6 increased from 0 to 0.05 wt.% in aqueous solution, the water flux of TFC membranes increased from 7.31 to 13.76 Lm−2 h−1while maintaining the rejection of Na2SO4at a relatively high level. The addition of Bio-Ag0-6 also enhanced the hydrophilicity of Bio-Ag0-6/TFC membranes in comparison with the bare TFC membranes. All Bio-Ag0-6/TFC membranes exhibited an obvious antibacterial ability to inhibit the growth ofPseudomonas aeruginosa. Moreover, the Bio-Ag0-6/TFC membranes showed the property of a low silver leaching rate in both the static immersion and the filtration systems. It demonstrated that the embedded Bio-Ag0-6 in TFC membrane via interfacial polymerization improved the performance of the TFC nanofiltration membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To understand the mechanisms underlying the discordance between normal serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and significant alterations in liver histology of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection with persistent normal ALT (PNALT) or minimally elevated ALT. A total of 300 treatment-naive chronic HBV-infected patients with PNALT (ALT ≤ upper limit of normal [ULN, 40 U/ml]) or minimally elevated ALT (1-2×ULN) were retrospectively enrolled. All patients underwent liver biopsy and histological changes were analyzed along with biochemical and HBV markers. Among 300 participants, 177 were HBeAg-positive and 123 HBeAg-negative. Significant histologic abnormalities were found in 42.9% (76/177) and 52.8% (65/123) of HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative patients, respectively. Significant fibrosis, which is a marker of prior injury, was more frequently detected than significant necroinflammation (suggesting active liver injury) in both HBeAg-positive and -negative groups, suggesting that liver injury occurred intermittently in our cohort. No significant differences were noticed in the percentage of patients with severe fibrosis between HBeAg-positive and negative phases or between ages 30 and 40 and over 40, suggesting that the fibrosis was possibly carried over from an early phase. Finally, lowering ALT ULN (30 U/L for men, 19 U/L for women) alone was not adequate to increase the sensitivity of ALT detection of liver injury. However, the study was limited to a small sample size of 13 HBeAg-positive patients with ALT in the revised normal range. We detected significant liver pathology in almost 50% of chronic HBV infected patients with PNALT (ALT ≤ 40 U/ml) or minimally elevated ALT. We postulated that small-scale intermittent liver injury was possibly responsible for the discordance between normal serum ALT and significant liver changes in our cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofouling remains one of the most challenging issues of membrane application in water industry. One of the practical strategies to control fouling is anti-biofouling membrane. High concentration and high stable biogenic nanoparticle silver with the averaged diameter of only 6 nm (Bio-Ag 0 -6) was firstly extracted from the supernatant of Lactobacillus fermentum . The biogenic nanocomposite polyethersulfone (Bio-Ag 0 -6/PES) membranes were prepared by adding different amounts of biogenic nanoparticle silver into the dope solution. The nanocomposite membranes were systematically tested for physical properties with pure water permeability, MWCO (molecular weight cut-off), contact angle, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results demonstrated that the Bio-Ag 0 -6 nanoparticles well dispersed into PES matrix without aggregation. Bio-Ag 0 -6 slightly increased the hydrophilicity of the PES membranes, improved the water permeability and did not sacrifice the selectivity of BSA. The protein adsorption on the membrane surface decreased significantly due to the increased hydrophilicity and the improved smoothness of membrane surfaces. The evaluation of silver release from the composite membranes indicated the good stability of immobilized Bio-Ag 0 -6 in the membranes. The results of disk diffusion test revealed the excellent antibacterial activity of the nanocomposite membranes. In addition, the sludge immersion and the bacterial suspension filtration experiments showed that the Bio-Ag 0 -6/PES composite membranes not only prevent the bacteria attachment on the membrane surface but also inhibit the reproduction and development of biofims. The Bio-Ag 0 -6/PES composite membranes were considered to be an effective strategy to decrease the biofouling in the membrane process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Biofouling is a severe problem for membrane process. Incorporating biocides such as heavy metals into polymer membranes have been demonstrated for their effectiveness in anti-bacterial performance; however, the metal ion leaches due to the poor compatibility of the metal ions and the polymer. The bactericidal effect will be disappeared and the unexpected pores will be formed when all the metal ions leach out. To overcome this problem, an anti-biofouling poly(ether sulfone)/poly(zinc acrylate) (PES/PZA) ultrafiltration composite membrane was investigated by immobilizing Zn ions onto polymer chains. The PES/PZA composite membrane has a good anti-biofouling property during a 3 months test in an aerobic bioreactor treating municipal wastewater. The higher the PZA content, the better anti-biofouling ability the membrane has. The Zn2+ content can be restored by incubating the membrane in a solution containing Zn2+ (even after the Zn2+ has been replaced by other cations during the water treatment), which secures the long time anti-biofouling properties of the membranes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Biofouling is a major challenge in the water industry and public health. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have excellent antimicrobial properties and are considered to be a promising anti-biofouling agent. A modified method was used to produce small sized and well-dispersed biogenic silver nanoparticles with a mean size of ~6 nm (Bio-Ag0-6) usingLactobacillus fermentum. The morphology, size distribution, zeta potential and oxidation state of the silver were systematically characterized. Determination of minimal inhibitory and bactericidal concentration results revealed that biogenic silver Bio-Ag0-6can effectively suppress the growth of the test bacteria. Additionally, the inhibition effects of Bio-Ag0-6on biofilm formation and on established biofilms were evaluated usingP. aeruginosa(ATCC 27853) as the model bacterium. The results from microtiter plates and confocal laser scanning microscopy demonstrated that Bio-Ag0-6not only exhibited excellent antibacterial performance but also could control biofilm formation and induce detachment of the bulk ofP. aeruginosabiofilms leaving a small residual matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Harmful and potentially harmful constituents (HPHCs) in tobacco smoke are thought to be responsible for the increased health risks. Tobacco heating products (THPs) heat tobacco instead of burning it to achieve significantly fewer toxicants than conventional cigarettes. To assess the toxicity of THP aerosols, it is often desirable to extract the main constituents using a solvent method. In this study, we developed a high-speed centrifugal method for extracting the total particulate matter (TPM) from THPs to quantitatively compare the toxicity of different THPs and conventional cigarettes. Its TPM extraction efficiency exceeded 85%, and the primary aerosol components and typical HPHCs were comparable to those of the solvent method. The TPMs extracted from five THPs were subjected to 14 in vitro toxicology assessments, and the results were compared with those of a 3R4F reference cigarette. Physical separation can improve biases from solvent selectivity and potential interactions between solvent and aerosol constituents. By eliminating solvent influence, the extraction method could achieve high-dose exposures, enabling the toxicity comparison of different THPs. The relative toxicity of the THPs differed under different dosage units, including the TPM concentration, nicotine equivalent, and puff number.

The oncogenesis of cervical cancer is a multi-factor and multi-step process, and major risk factors include oncogene activation with tumor suppressor gene inactivation, viral factors, and immune factors. For example, the human papillomavirus (HPV) has been linked to the occurrence of cervical cancer. At present, the pathogenesis of cervical cancer remains unclear. Fra-1 (Fos-related antigen 1, also known as FOSL1) is a member of the Fos family and an important nuclear transcription factor that regulates normal cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. In the present study, we found that Fra-1 inhibited the proliferation of cervical cancer cells while also promoting apoptosis and affecting cell cycle distribution. Moreover, Fra-1 up-regulated STAT1 expression and modulated p53 signal pathway activity in cervical cancer cells. Overexpression of Fra-1 inhibited cell senescence by altering sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) expression in HeLa cells, and Fra-1 overexpression restored mitochondrial disorder and suppressed metabolic reprogramming in HeLa cells. Silencing of STAT1 impaired the inhibitory effect of Fra-1 on cervical cancer cell growth, while knock-down of STAT1 reversed the effect on cell senescence and mitochondrial dysfunction caused by Fra-1 in HeLa cells. Silencing of STAT1 also recovered metabolic reprogramming in cervical cancer cells. In summary, our results show that Fra-1 inhibited cervical cancer cell growth and the Warburg effect via STAT1-mediated regulation of the p53 signaling pathway., (Copyright © 2020 Zhang, Liang, He, He, Yue, Jin, Gao, Xiao and Zhou.)

Enhancing the response to visible light and inhibiting recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes is a key point for strongly improved self-cleaning performances of TiO₂ self-cleaning films. In this work, TiO₂ thin film doping with three different ions (Fe 3+ , Al 3+ , Ce 3+ ) on glass substrate respectively by sol-gel method to explore the effect of ions on self-cleaning performance of TiO₂ thin films. All the prepared samples are characterized by XRD, SEM, UV-Vis and water contact angle tester. Moreover, the self-cleaning mechanism of doping TiO₂ thin film is discussed. The water contact angle of TiO₂ thin film doping with 9% Fe (molar ratio), 5% Ce and 5% Al are reach at 0°, respectively. In comparison with the water contact angle of pure TiO₂ thin film (2.5°), TiO₂ thin film doping with metal ions exhibit better self-cleaning property.

In this work, particles of activated carbon supported by Fe-N-TiO 2 (Fe-N-TiO 2 /AC) were synthesized and used as the three-dimensional (3D) particle electrode for folic acid wastewater treatment in the 3D electrolysis and photocatalysis coupling process. The structure, morphology, and physical and electrochemical properties of the Fe-N-TiO 2 /AC particles were characterized, and the results showed that Fe-N-TiO 2 was bound on the surface of AC particles by chemical attachment, and the Fe-N-TiO 2 /AC particles had better capability of adsorption and charge transfer as compared with the TiO 2 /AC particles. The effects of key operating parameters in the reaction process, including the current density (optimum 0.6 mA/cm 2 ), aeration (optimum 5 L/min), pH value (optimum 5) and the ratio of Fe-N-TiO 2 /AC particles to cellulose acetate film coating AC particles (optimum 4:1), were optimized regarding the total oxygen carbon (TOC) removal. Under the optimum conditions, TOC removal from folic acid wastewater reached 82.4% during 120 min photoelectrocatalysis. The kinetic analysis and mechanism study showed that the degradation process fitted to the second-order kinetic model better than to the first-order, and the system exhibited synergistic effects in inhibiting photogenic electron-hole recombination and improving electrolytic efficiency. At the same time, this system has the ability to overcome the interference of the strong ionic strength in folic acid wastewater.

Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women all over the world. However, the exact etiology of cervical cancer remains unclear. The receptor for activated protein kinase C (RACK1) is reported to be involved in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Besides, the prognostic value of RACK1 in several kinds of tumors has been identified. However, there are limited studies on the functional role of RACK1 in cervical cancer. In this study, we tested the expression level of RACK1 by immunohistochemistry and western blot technologies and find that it is upregulated in cervical cancer. Colony formation and CCK8 assays indicate that RACK1 promotes cell proliferation in CaSki cervical cancer cells. While the silence of RACK1 decreases the cell proliferation in CCK8 analysis. β-galactosidase staining suggests that RACK1 decreases cell senescence in cervical cancer cells. Invasion and migration assay show that RACK1 promotes the invasion and migration of cervical cancer cells. Also, when RACK1 was silenced, it exerts the opposite result. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of MMP‑3, MMP‑9 and MMP‑10 were upregulated in RACK1‑overexpressed CaSki cells by qPCR analysis. RACK1 also induces S phase accumulation in cell cycle analysis and suppresses cell apoptosis in cervical cancer cells. Flow cytometry analysis of mitochondria functions suggests that RACK1 increases the mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) levels to prevent mitochondrial apoptosis in cervical cancer cells. To explore the possible mechanism of RACK1, we tested and found that RACK1 upregulates the expression of NF-κB, cyclin D1 and CDK4 and downregulates the expression of p53, p38, p21 and STAT1 in cervical cancer cells. These results suggest that RACK1 promotes cell growth and invasion and inhibits the senescence and apoptosis in cervical cancer cells probably by affecting the p53 pathway.