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Neuroinflammation is a key mediator to the pathogenic cascades induced by cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. IKZF3, a key zinc finger transcription factor in the Ikaros family, has already been shown to modulate a wide range of cell functions and the production of inflammatory mediators. However, the effects of IKZF3 on inflammation and the potential mechanism after cerebral I/R injury remain unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effect of IKZF3 on HT-22 cells under oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R) in vitro and in mice with MACO in vivo. We found that IKZF3 expression peaked at 12 h after MCAO and OGD/R, and there was high expression of IKZF3 in brain tissues and HT-22 cells. IKZF3 knockdown exacerbated the damage by OGD-induced HT-22 cells injury and MCAO-induced brain injury in mice by regulating the production of inflammatory factors, which promoted the phosphorylation and nuclear transfer of NF-ĸB and may bind with NF-ĸB-p65 in vivo and in vitro. Our results suggested that IKZF3 may provide a new target in improve neurological recovery and reducing neuroinflammation after cerebral I/R injury.

NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 6 (NLRP6), a novel member of the NLR family, has been confirmed to have an inflammasome-dependent proinflammatory effect in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. NLRP6 assembles a multimeric inflammasome complex comprising the adaptor ASC and the effector pro-caspase-1 to mediate the activation of caspase-1. The molecular mechanism regulating activation of the NLRP6 inflammasome remains unclear. Previous studies have shown that BRCA1-BRCA2-containing complex subunit 3 (BRCC3), a JAMM domain-containing Zn2+ metalloprotease deubiquitinating enzyme, participates in a variety of cellular activities. In this study, we found that BRCC3 expression was increased in the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model. BRCC3 siRNA could reduce nerve damage and inflammation. Interestingly, the result of co-immunoprecipitation showed that the interaction between BRCC3 and NLRP6 was enhanced after model, and the result of immunofluorescence showed that the co-localization of BRCC3 and NLRP6 was increased. At the same time, the expression of NLRP6, cleavated-caspase-1 and IL-1β was decreased after BRCC3 interference. These results illustrate a regulatory mechanism involving the BRCC3-NLRP6 pathway and highlight NLRP6 as a potential therapeutic target for inflammatory diseases.

Solar control films are designed to absorb or reflect the incident solar radiation, in order to reduce solar transmission through window glass. In the present study, the glass surface temperatures were measured for selected solar window films on various applications, and compared to the cases of the same window glass types without solar window films. Dynamic simulation models are also developed with the aid of the building energy simulation program EnergyPlus. After experimental validations, the computer models are used to evaluate the energy saving potentials of the subject samples of solar window films as applied onto glazing of three different function rooms in Hong Kong, namely office, shopping mall and hotel guest room. The results show that the thermal performance of the film applications on clear glass is better than on tinted or laminated glass windows. Solar films have very good energy saving potential when applied to all three functional areas in commercial buildings, and the best results are found in office applications.

Aim of the paper is to present a theoretical investigation into the energy performance of a novel PV/T module that employs the MPCM (Micro-encapsulated Phase Change Material) slurry as the working fluid. This involved (1) development of a dedicated mathematical model and computer program; (2) validation of the model by using the published data; (3) prediction of the energy performance of the MPCM (Microencapsulated Phase Change Material) slurry based PV/T module; and (4) investigation of the impacts of the slurry flow state, concentration ratio, Reynolds number and slurry serpentine size onto the energy performance of the PV/T module. It was found that the established model, based on the Hottel–Whillier assumption, is able to predict the energy performance of the MPCM slurry based PV/T system at a very good accuracy, with 0.3–0.4% difference compared to a validated model. Analyses of the simulation results indicated that laminar flow is not a favorite flow state in terms of the energy efficiency of the PV/T module. Instead, turbulent flow is a desired flow state that has potential to enhance the energy performance of PV/T module. Under the turbulent flow condition, increasing the slurry concentration ratio led to the reduced PV cells' temperature and increased thermal, electrical and overall efficiency of the PV/T module, as well as increased flow resistance. As a result, the net efficiency of the PV/T module reached the peak level at the concentration ratio of 5% at a specified Reynolds number of 3,350. Remaining all other parameters fixed, increasing the diameter of the serpentine piping led to the increased slurry mass flow rate, decreased PV cells' temperature and consequently, increased thermal, electrical, overall and net efficiencies of the PV/T module. In overall, the MPCM slurry based PV/T module is a new, highly efficient solar thermal and power configuration, which has potential to help reduce fossil fuel consumption and carbon emission to the environment.

Aim of the paper is to report the experimental study of a novel liquid–vapour separator incorporated gravity-assisted loop heat pipe (GALHP) (T1), against the conventional GALHP (T2) and a gravitat ...

Aim of the paper is to investigate the thermal performance of a novel liquid–vapour separator incorporated gravity-assisted loop heat pipe (GALHP) (T1), against a conventional GALHP (T2) and a gravitational straight heat pipe (T3), from the conceptual and theoretical aspects. This involved a dedicated conceptual formation, thermo-fluid analyses, and computer modelling and results discussion. The innovative feature of the new GALHP lies in the integration of a dedicated liquid–vapour separator on top of its evaporator section, which removes the potential entrainment between the heat pipe liquid and vapour flows and meanwhile, resolves the inherent ‘dry-out’ problem exhibited in the conventional GALHP. Based on this recognised novelty, a dedicated steady-state thermal model covering the mass continuity, energy conservation and Darcy equations was established. The model was operated at different sets of conditions, thus generating the temperature/pressure contours of the vapour and liquid flows at the evaporator section, the overall thermal resistance, the effective thermal conductivity, and the flow resistances across entire loop. Comparison among these results led to determination of the optimum operational settings of the new GALHP and assessment of the heat-transfer enhancement rate of the new GALHP against the conventional heat pipes. It was suggested that the overall thermal resistance of the three heat pipes (T1, T2, and T3) were 0.10 °C/W, 0.49 °C/W and 0.22 °C/W, while their effective thermal conductivities were 31,365 W/°C m, 9,648 W/°C m and 5,042 W/°C m, respectively. This indicated that the novel heat pipe (T1) could achieve a significantly enhanced heat transport effect, relative to T2 and T3. Compared to a typical cooper rod, T1 has around 78 times higher effective thermal conductivity, indicating that T1 has the tremendous competence compared to other heat transfer components. It should be noted that this paper only reported the theoretical outcomes of the research and the second paper would report the follow-on experimental study and model validation. The research results could be directly used for design, optimisation and analyses of the new GALHP, thus promoting its wide applications in various situations to enable the enhanced thermal performance to be achieved.

The development of CALPHAD-type thermodynamic database for Ti or Zr based biomedical alloys has been spurred by the increased interest in efficiently tailoring an alloy composition to obtain high stability of β_bcc, low Young's modulus, and free of detrimental phases. However, the thermodynamic prediction is not adequate to be performed without the information of key sub-ternary Ti–Zr–Sn system. In present work, the thermodynamic assessment of Ti–Zr–Sn system is performed via a critical evaluation of phase equilibria and microstructure development in this ternary system. The partial isothermal sections at 1323 K and 1473 K with Sn content below 40 at. % are obtained by analyzing chemical compositions and crystal structures of individual phases in the annealed alloys. The composition homogeneity range of most phases is validated to favor a ternary extension paralleling to the Ti–Zr axis. Particularly, β_bcc and η phases (with the chemical composition (Ti, Zr)5Sn3+x) show complete solubility of Ti and Zr from Ti–Sn edge to Zr–Sn edge. With the database, negligible ternary solubility of Zr4Sn phase, microstructure development in the as-cast samples, and the controversial conclusions in literature are discussed. Most of the experimental findings, including equilibrium phase constitution, solidification sequence, DSC signals, projections of liquidus, are reproduced in a self-consistent way. The work moves towards the completeness of multi-component Ti/Zr thermodynamic database. It can be used for composition design of novel metastable β-type biomedical alloys.

Partial root zone drying (PRD) has been used as a technique in the production of many crops. However, the extent or duration of the drying treatment would change the effect and the mechanisms in terms of plant water relations are not clear enough. The aim of this research was to evaluate the PRD effect with shorter or longer drying duration in a potato crop and elucidate the mechanisms based on plant water relations. Potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. May Queen) was grown in experimental plots under plastic rainout shelters. Three treatments: (1) whole-season PRD, (2) early-season PRD for 8 weeks and then return to normal irrigation for the remainder of the season and (3) normal irrigation as control, were arranged in a Latin square design in 9 plots. Water was supplied by drip irrigation to one side of the potato row once every 5 days on average, and the other side of the row was allowed to dry for 15 days, and then the irrigation line was moved to the dry side and the wet side allowed to dry. Pressure–volume curves were used to analyze the osmotic adjustment induced by PRD and a modified mathematic equation, − Ψ − 1 = Ψ FT − 1 − π s + a − 1 [ ζ 0 − β ( 1 − ζ ) − ζ ap ] e − α ( 1 − ζ ) + π s + a − 1 [ ζ 0 − β ( 1 − ζ ) − ζ ap ] was used to compare the pressure–volume relations. As shown by the results, tuber yield and photosynthetic activity were increased by the early-season PRD treatment, but not by the whole-season PRD treatment because the whole-season PRD treatment reduced the leaf area index. By analyzing the pressure–volume curves, it was found that osmotic adjustment occurred and the turgor potential was higher in potato leaves in the PRD treatments. The fraction of water in the cell symplasm was higher and that in apoplasm was smaller in PRD-treated potato leaves. Both the osmotic potential and relative water content at the point of incipient plasmolysis were lower in potato leaves in the PRD treatments, suggesting that the plants in the PRD plots were more resistant to water stress, which was also confirmed by the analysis of transpiration declining curve of excised leaves. In conclusion, the PRD treatment was effective in improving potato tuber yield, but early-season treatment rather than the whole-season treatment should be adopted.