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In order to maintain the battery SOC, the fuel cell power will fluctuate dramatically, as well as frequent start-stop, which will greatly increase the life attenuation of the fuel cell and reduce the durability. An optimization-based energy management strategy with a real-time model predictive control and pontryagin's maximum principle for FCHEV is proposed in this paper, both the fuel economy and the fuel cell durability are considered in the optimization. A novel model predictive control is studied to achieve energy distribution. After the calculation of predicted speed sequence through back propagation neural network, pontryagin's maximum principle is introduced to solve the optimal control problem in each prediction horizon and obtain the ideal control strategy. In addition, the fuel cell degradation model is introduced in the modeling process, the minimum power point of the fuel cell system is designed to improve the fuel economy and durability of the fuel cell. Compared with the rule-based strategy, the proposed MPC strategy has better performance to reduce the total equivalent hydrogen consumption, which can save up to 8.44% in the test case of the mid-size fuel cell passenger car while maintaining the stability of the battery's state of charge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute liver injury (ALI) is characterized by apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress, and pathogenic mechanism of ALI is poorly understood. Apoptosis-stimulating of p53 protein 1 (ASPP1) is involved in environmental responses, tumor growth, and NF-KB activity, which is of critical importance to ALI. However, the role of ASPP1 in ALI remains largely unexplored. The current study aimed to determine the role of ASPP1 in ALI induced by CCl4 and the underlying mechanism. ASPP1 expression was detected in wild type (WT) mice with ALI induced by CCl4. The function of ASPP1 in ALI induced by CCl4 was investigated using conventional knockout ASPP1 mice. ASPP1 expression significantly increased in ALI mice at 24 hours after CCl4 injection. Deletion of ASSP1 ameliorated apoptosis, inflammation, and necrosis in ALI relative to WT mice. In addition, deficiency of ASPP1 improved liver flood flow as well as ALT and AST levels. The levels of phosphorylated p65 and phosphorylated IκBα were lower in ASPP1-/- mice than in WT mice with ALI. These results implicate that deletion of ASPP1 may act via inhibition of the NF-κB pathway and protect mice from ALI, which may be a new potential therapeutic target for the treatment of ALI.

Cetaceans (dolphins, whales, and porpoises) have large and anatomically sophisticated brains. To expand our understanding of the cellular makeup of cetacean brains and the similarities and divergence between the brains of cetaceans and terrestrial mammals, we report a short‐finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) single‐nucleus transcriptome atlas. To achieve this goal, we assembled a chromosome‐scale reference genome spanning 2.25 Gb on 22 chromosomes and profiled the gene expression of five major anatomical cortical regions of the short‐finned pilot whale by single‐nucleus RNA‐sequencing (snRNA‐seq). We identified six major cell lineages in the cerebral cortex (excitatory neurons, inhibitory neurons, oligodendrocytes, oligodendrocyte precursor cells, astrocytes, and endothelial cells), eight molecularly distinct subclusters of excitatory neurons, and four subclusters of inhibitory neurons. Finally, a comparison of snRNA‐seq data from the short‐finned pilot whale, human, and rhesus macaque revealed a broadly conserved cellular makeup of brain cell types. Our study provides genomic resources and molecular insights into cetacean brain evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 16, 470 bp nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of an assassin bug from the reduviid subfamily Harpactorinae, Agriosphodrus dohrni, has been revealed. The entire genome encodes for two ribosomal RNA genes (rrnL and rrnS), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, 13 protein-coding genes, and a control region. The nucleotide composition is biased toward adenine and thymine (A+T = 72.2%). Comparative analysis with two other reduviid species Triatoma dimidiata and Valentia hoffmanni, exhibited highly conserved genome architectures including genome contents, gene order, nucleotide composition, codon usage, amino acid composition, as well as genome asymmetry. All protein-coding genes use standard mitochondrial initiation codons (methionine and isoleucine), except that nad1 starts with GTG. All tRNAs have the classic clover-leaf structure, except that the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm of tRNASer(AGN) forms a simple loop. Secondary structure comparisons of the two mitochondrial ribosomal subunits among sequenced assassin bugs show that the sequence and structure of rrnL is more conservative than that of rrnS. The presence of structural elements in the control region is also discussed, with emphasis on their implications in the regulation of replication and/or transcription of the reduviid mitogenome. The phylogenetic analyses indicated that within Reduviidae, Harpactorinae is a sister group to the Salyavatinae + Triatominae clade.

The rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis), the single extant species of the genus Steno, inhabits tropical and subtropical oceans. It is an attractive species for studying aquatic adaptation and evolution. The latest advances in high-throughput sequencing are transforming the study of marine mammals and contributing to understanding various phenomena at the species and population level by determining high-quality genomes. Here, to comprehensively understand the genetic features and explore the molecular basis of aquatic adaption, the chromosome-level genome assembly and comparative genomics analyses of S. bredanensis were performed. The 2.30 Gb final genome assembly of S. bredanensis (scaffold N50 length of 105.53 Mb) was obtained using single-tube long fragment read (stLFR) and Hi-C technologies. The genome assembly clearly revealed the preservation of large chromosomal fragments between S. bredanensis and the melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra). The S. bredanensis genome contained 19,451 predicted protein-coding genes, of which about 92.33% have functional annotations. The genome assembly and gene sets showed high completeness, with a BUSCO score of 90.6% and 97.3%, respectively. We also identified several positively selected genes specific to S. bredanensis, which may be related to fat cell differentiation, tooth morphogenesis, and immunoregulatory activity. Finally, the demographic dynamics of S. bredanensis were estimated by the pairwise sequentially Markovian coalescent (PSMC) model and found that the population was affected by the climate at the time. We demonstrated that improved continuity and accuracy of the assembled sequence warranted the adoption of this chromosome-level genome as the reference genome and advanced the understanding of genetic features of the rough-toothed dolphin, which will be essential for future evolutionary studies and the protection of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy management strategy (EMS) is a key technology to improve the economy and durability of fuel cells. To overcome the shortcomings of most existing strategies, a novel EMS based on game theory is proposed. The power flow modes are mainly divided into four modes, and the power flow distribution problem is modeled as a noncooperative game problem. Different preferences of the power sources are quantified through their individual utility functions. The Nash equilibrium is used to balance the different preferences of the independent power sources. The proposed EMS contributes to better performance in three areas: energy economy, maintaining ultracapacitor state of charge (SOC), and durability of fuel cell. According to the results, compared with the fuzzy control strategy and the power follow strategy, the equivalent hydrogen consumption of the proposed strategy is reduced by 7% and 4.57%, respectively, and the durability of the fuel cell is improved by 125% and 21.8% under the WLTP driving cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pharmacokinetic profiles of florfenicol in the spotted halibut (Verasper variegatus) were investigated at 15 and 20°C water temperatures, respectively. Florfenicol content in plasma samples was analyzed using an HPLC method. Drug concentration versus time data were best fitted to a three‐compartment model after a single intravenous administration (15 mg/kg BW), and fitted to a two‐compartment model after an oral administration (30 mg/kg BW) at 15 and 20°C. The florfenicol concentration in the blood increased slowly during the 12 hr following an oral administration at 15°C, with a peak concentration (Cmax) of 9.1 mg/L, and then declined gradually. The half‐lives of absorption, distribution, and elimination phase were 2.18, 5.66 and 14.25 hr, respectively. The bioavailability (F) was calculated to be 24.14%. After an oral administration at 20°C, shorter half‐lives of absorption (1.33 hr), distribution (2.51 hr) and elimination (9.71 hr), a higher Cmax (12.2 mg/L), and a similar F (23.98%) were found. Based on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, an oral dose of 30 mg/kg BW was suggested to be efficacious for bacterial disease control in spotted halibut farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of fuel cell vehicle technology, an effective testing method that can be applied to develop and verify the fuel cell vehicle powertrain system is urgently required. This paper presents the X-in-the-Loop (XiL) testing method in the fuel cell vehicle (FCV) hybrid degree test to resolve the first and key issues for the powertrain system design, and the test process and scenarios were designed. The hybrid degree is redefined into the static hybrid degree for system architecture design and the dynamic hybrid degree for vehicle control strategy design, and an integrated testing platform was introduced and a testing application was implemented by following the designed testing flowchart with two loops. Experimental validations show that the sizing of the FCE (Fuel Cell Engine), battery pack, and traction motor with the powertrain architecture can be determined, the control strategy can be evaluated seamlessly, and a systematic powertrain testing solution can be achieved through the whole development process. This research has developed a new testing platform and proposed a novel testing method on the fuel cell vehicle powertrain system, which will be a contribution to fuel cell vehicle technology and its industrialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ridgetail white prawn Exopalaemon carinicauda is one of the major commercial mariculture species in eastern China. However, only limited molecular markers are currently available due to the lack of genome information, which hinders its genetic and breeding studies. In this study, we identified new simple sequence repeats from transcriptome sequences by Illumina Hiseq 2500 platform. A total of 14273 SSR loci were identified from 130,082 assembled transcripts, with 6590 pairs of PCR primers designed. A total of 12,155 sequences containing SSR were predicted; and 2764 (22.74%) transcripts had significant matches to the NCBI non redundant protein (Nr) database. 11,563 transcripts were assigned into gene ontology (GO) categories. A set of 200 primers selected randomly were synthesized, of which 152 (76.0%) were successfully amplified. Further test with 60 pairs of polymorphic SSR primers to evaluate the genetic diversity of 30 wild populations and 43 loci were polymorphic, which had a polymorphic information content between 0.204 and 0.911. The results enriched genomic resources of E. carinicauda and provided powerful information for future conservation and breeding researches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is a process characterized by significant disturbance of protein turnover. Cullin-associated and Neddylation-dissociated 1 (CAND1) acts as a coordinator to modulate substrate protein degradation by promoting the formation of specific cullin-based ubiquitin ligase 3 complex in response to substrate accumulation, which thereby facilitate the maintaining of normal protein homeostasis. Accumulation of calcineurin is critical in the pathogenesis of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. However, whether CAND1 titrates the degradation of hypertrophy related protein eg. calcineurin and regulates cardiac hypertrophy remains unknown. Therefore, we aim to explore the role of CAND1 in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure and the underlying molecular mechanism. Here, we found that the protein level of CAND1 was increased in cardiac tissues from heart failure (HF) patients and TAC mice, whereas the mRNA level did not change. CAND1-KO+ /- aggravated TAC-induced cardiac hypertrophic phenotypes; in contrast, CAND1-Tg attenuated the maladaptive cardiac remodeling. At the molecular level, CAND1 overexpression downregulated, whereas CAND1-KO+ /- or knockdown upregulated calcineurin expression at both in vivo and in vitro conditions. Mechanistically, CAND1 overexpression favored the assembly of Cul1/atrogin1/calcineurin complex and rendered the ubiquitination and degradation of calcineurin. Notably, CAND1 deficiency-induced hypertrophic phenotypes were partially rescued by knockdown of calcineurin, and application of exogenous CAND1 prevented TAC-induced cardiac hypertrophy. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that CAND1 exerts a protective effect against cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure partially by inducing the degradation of calcineurin. Schematic diagram depicting the proposed signaling mechanisms underlying the effects of CAND1 in the setting of cardiac hypertrophy. Cullin-associated and neddylation-dissociated 1 protein (CAND1) counteracts cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure partially through promoting the ubiquitination and degradation of calcineurin via enhancing assembly of Cul1/atrogin1/Calcineurin complex. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ridgetail white prawn Exopalaemon carinicauda is one of the major commercial mariculture species in eastern China. However, only limited molecular markers are currently available due to the lack of genome information, which hinders its genetic and breeding studies. In this study, we identified new simple sequence repeats from transcriptome sequences by Illumina Hiseq 2500 platform. A total of 14273 SSR loci were identified from 130,082 assembled transcripts, with 6590 pairs of PCR primers designed. A total of 12,155 sequences containing SSR were predicted; and 2764 (22.74%) transcripts had significant matches to the NCBI non redundant protein (Nr) database. 11,563 transcripts were assigned into gene ontology (GO) categories. A set of 200 primers selected randomly were synthesized, of which 152 (76.0%) were successfully amplified. Further test with 60 pairs of polymorphic SSR primers to evaluate the genetic diversity of 30 wild populations and 43 loci were polymorphic, which had a polymorphic information content between 0.204 and 0.911. The results enriched genomic resources of E. carinicauda and provided powerful information for future conservation and breeding researches.

In this paper, we present two design methods to improve the performance of disk resonator gyroscope (DRG), including decreasing the frequency split and increasing the quality factor (Q). The structure parameters, which can affect the frequency split and Q value were concluded with the help of the FEM software. Meanwhile, devices with different parameters were designed, fabricated, and tested, and the experimental result was in accordance with the simulation. With the proposed methods, the DRG was selected with a high Q value and a low frequency split to satisfy the demand of high performance. The weakness and future works were pointed at last., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Oridonin is one of the most important antitumor active ingredients of Rabdosia rubescens. Recently published studies from our laboratory have demonstrated that oridonin was able to arrest human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells at G2/M phase. However, little is known about inducing apoptosis in gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of oridonin on antineoplastic capability of SGC-7901 cells and the detailed molecular mechanism of oridonin-mediated intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assay while apoptosis induced by oridonin was determined by Hoechst 33342 staining assay and Annexin V/PI double staining assay. Early apoptotic rate was stained by Annexin V/PI and detected by flow cytometry. Apoptosis pathway was analyzed by western blot analysis of Bcl-2, Bax, cytochrome c and caspase-3 expression. The results showed that oridonin was able to inhibit the SGC-7901 cell proliferation, the 50% growth inhibition (IC50) was 22.74 µM. Oridonin could induce cell apoptosis of SGC-7901 cells and the early apoptotic rates induced by 0, 20, 40, 80 µmol/l oridonin were 1.53±0.67, 3.33±0.29, 84.80±0.82 and 96.43±0.51%, respectively. Western blot analysis revealed that oridonin downregulated Bcl-2 protein (the anti-apoptotic factor) and upregulated Bax protein (pro-apoptotic factor), eventually leading to a reduction in the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax proteins. Furthermore, oridonin induced the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria to the cytosol and the activation of caspase-3. Taken together, the current study suggested that oridonin induced apoptosis in SGC-7901 cells via the mitochondrial signal pathway, which may represent one of the major mechanisms of oridonin-mediated apoptosis in SGC-7901 cells.

To avoid the oscillation of four unequal masses seen in previous triaxial linear gyroscopes, a modified silicon triaxial gyroscope with a rotary wheel is presented in this paper. To maintain a large sensitivity and suppress the coupling of different modes, this novel gyroscope structure is designed be perfectly symmetrical with a relatively large size of about 9.8 mm × 9.8 mm. It is available for differentially detecting three-axis angular rates simultaneously. To overcome the coupling between drive and sense modes, numerous necessary frames, beams, and anchors are delicately figured out and properly arranged. Besides, some frequency tuning and feedback mechanisms are addressed in the case of post processing after fabrication. To facilitate mode matched function, a new artificial fish swarm algorithm (AFSA) performed faster than particle swarm optimization (PSO) with a frequency split of 108 Hz. Then, by entrusting the post adjustment of the springs dimensions to the finite element method (FEM) software ANSYS, the final frequency splits can be below 3 Hz. The simulation results demonstrate that the modal frequencies in drive and different sense modes are respectively 8001.1, 8002.6, 8002.8 and 8003.3 Hz. Subsequently, different axis cross coupling effects and scale factors are also analyzed. The simulation results effectively validate the feasibility of the design and relevant theoretical calculation.

We present in this paper a novel fully decoupled silicon micromachined tri-axis linear vibratory gyroscope. The proposed gyroscope structure is highly symmetrical and can be limited to an area of about 8.5 mm × 8.5 mm. It can differentially detect three axes' angular velocities at the same time. By elaborately arranging different beams, anchors and sensing frames, the drive and sense modes are fully decoupled from each other. Moreover, the quadrature error correction and frequency tuning functions are taken into consideration in the structure design for all the sense modes. Since there exists an unwanted in-plane rotational mode, theoretical analysis is implemented to eliminate it. To accelerate the mode matching process, the particle swam optimization (PSO) algorithm is adopted and a frequency split of 149 Hz is first achieved by this method. Then, after two steps of manual adjustment of the springs' dimensions, the frequency gap is further decreased to 3 Hz. With the help of the finite element method (FEM) software ANSYS, the natural frequencies of drive, yaw, and pitch/roll modes are found to be 14,017 Hz, 14,018 Hz and 14,020 Hz, respectively. The cross-axis effect and scale factor of each mode are also simulated. All the simulation results are in good accordance with the theoretical analysis, which means the design is effective and worthy of further investigation on the integration of tri-axis accelerometers on the same single chip to form an inertial measurement unit.