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The global emphasis on achieving sustainable development goals necessitates the involvement of researchers and regulators worldwide. In light of this, recent research has examined the effect of human capital, renewable energy, population growth, economic growth, and environmental protection on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in a developed economy like Pakistan, which is the most important country in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region. This study analyzed secondary data from 1990 to 2019, using the World Development Indicators as the secondary data source. Using the augmented Dickey-Fuller test to investigate stationarity and the autoregressive distributed lag model to evaluate the nexus between variables, the researchers analyzed the relationship between the variables. The findings indicate that all predictors, such as the human capital index (HCI), renewable energy consumption, and renewable energy, exhibit a negative correlation with carbon emissions and a positive correlation with the SDGs. In this study, sustainability and the HCI are positively correlated. Reducing carbon emissions requires competent and dependable employees. As Pakistan transitions to renewable energy and strives for 30% green electricity by 2030, the report highlights the ecological benefits of controlled population growth. According to the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), effective climate policies advance the environmental objectives of a nation. Economic and population growth have a positive correlation with carbon emissions as well. These results facilitate Pakistani policymakers' creation of effective SDG-related initiatives for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) is a crucial enzyme that causes carbapenem resistance in Enterobacterales, and infections by these "superbugs" are extremely challenging to treat. Therefore, there is a pressing need for a rapid and accurate KPC detection test to control the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CREs). In this study, we established a novel method for detection of blaKPC, the gene responsible for encoding KPC, based on a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) and a CRISPR/Cas13a reaction coupled to fluorophore activation (termed RPA-Cas13a assay). We carefully selected a pair of optimal amplification primers for blaKPC and achieved a lower limit of detection of approximately 2.5 copies/μL by repeatedly amplifying a recombinant plasmid containing blaKPC. The RPA-Cas13a assay demonstrated a sensitivity of 96.5% and specificity of 100% when tested on 57 blaKPC-positive CRE strains, which were confirmed by DNA sequencing. Moreover, in 311 sputum samples, the theoretical antibiotic resistance characteristics of blaKPC-positive strains obtained by the RPA-Cas13a assay were highly consistent with the results of antibiotic susceptibility test (Kappa = 0.978 > 0.81, P < 0.01). In conclusion, the RPA-Cas13a system is a simple and one-hour efficient technology for the detection of a potentially fatal antibiotic resistance gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates an e-commerce supply chain comprising a supplier and an online retailer, wherein the supplier determines the quality improvement of products and the online retailer decides whether or not to acquire information on consumer preference. Consumer preference is ex-ante unknown to both the supplier and online retailer but can be resolved by the online retailer's information acquisition behavior. We consider two widely adopted information acquisition strategies, namely, the committed acquisition strategy and contingent acquisition strategy, which differ in whether the online retailer's information acquisition decision is made prior to or after the supplier's quality improvement decision. We find that, under either strategy, the online retailer acquires information only when the cost of information acquisition is relatively small. Moreover, compared with the contingent one, the committed acquisition scheme boosts the online retailer's motivation to gain information. Additionally, by comparing firms' equilibrium profits under these two acquisition strategies, we uncover that the supplier always prefers the committed acquisition scheme. However, the online retailer's preference toward these two information acquisition strategies is not unidirectional, that is, the online retailer prefers either the committed or the contingent strategy. Specifically, the online retailer is indifferent between these two acquisition strategies when the acquisition cost is either sufficiently low or high; otherwise, when the cost of information acquisition is moderate, the online retailer will shift her strategy from the contingent strategy to the committed strategy as the acquisition cost increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) presents with an aggressive clinical presentation and high lethality rate. Early prediction of the severity of acute pancreatitis will help physicians to further precise treatment and improve intervention. This study aims to construct a composite model that can predict SAP using inflammatory markers. 212 patients with acute pancreatitis enrolled from January 2018 to June 2020 were included in this study, basic parameters at admission and 24 h after hospitalization, and laboratory results such as inflammatory markers were collected. Pearson's test was used to analyze the correlation between heparin-binding protein (HBP), procalcitonin (PCT), and C-reactive protein (CRP). Risk factors affecting SAP were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression, inflammatory marker models were constructed, and subject operating curves were used to verify the discrimination of individual as well as inflammatory marker models and to find the optimal cut-off value based on the maximum Youden index. In the SAP group, the plasma levels of HBP, CRP, and PCT were 139.1 ± 74.8 ng/mL, 190.7 ± 106.3 mg/L and 46.3 ± 22.3 ng/mL, and 25.3 ± 16.0 ng/mL, 145.4 ± 67.9 mg/L and 27.9 ± 22.4 ng/mL in non-SAP patients, with a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.001), The Pearson correlation analysis showed a positive correlation between the three values of HBP, CRP, and PCT. The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that HBP (OR = 1.070 [1.044–1.098], P < 0.001), CRP (OR = 1.010 [1.004–1.016], P = 0.001), and PCT (OR = 1.030[1.007–1.053], P < 0.001) were risk factors for SAP, and the area under the curve of the HBP-CRP-PCT model was 0.963 (0.936–0.990). The HCP model, consisting of HBP, CRP, and PCT; is well differentiated and easy to use and can predict the risk of SAP in advance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve China's "double carbon" goal, it is necessary to make quantitative evaluation of the power grid enterprises' contribution to carbon emission reduction. This paper analyzes the contribution of power grid enterprises to carbon emission reduction from three points: power generation side, power grid side, and user side. Then, PLS-VIP method is used to screen the key influencing factors of carbon emission reduction contribution of power grid enterprises from three aspects: consumption of clean energy emission reduction, reduction of line loss emission reduction, and substitution of electric energy. Based on GA-ELM combined machine learning algorithm, we establish an intelligent evaluation model of power grid enterprises' carbon emission reduction contribution. Furthermore, according to the distribution law of key influencing factors, this paper uses Monte Carlo simulation method to calculate the contribution of power grid enterprises to carbon emission reduction by scenario, so as to evaluate the contribution of power grid enterprises to carbon emission reduction. Finally, combined with the relevant data of power grid enterprises from 2003 to 2019, this paper makes an empirical study on the completion of carbon emission reduction contribution and the promotion path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The skin of the 'Dangshansuli' pear is yellow–green, while that of the 'Dangshansuli' mutant (called 'Dangshanjinsu') is russet. Studies have shown that the formation of russet fruit exocarp is caused by the accumulation of suberin, an opaque layer composed of aliphatic polyester of modified fatty acids. In this study, pebulate, cerulenin, and vitamin K3, which are inhibitors of fatty acid synthesis (FAS), were used to assess their effect on russet skin formation in 'Dangshanjinsu' pear. The chromatism and structure of pear exocarp were observed, hardness and suberin monomer content were measured, the expression profile of FAS-related genes was monitored, and RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) was conducted to determine the molecular regulatory mechanisms of pebulate treatment on russet pear skin formation. The results showed that the skin chromatism between 'Dangshansuli' and 'Dangshanjinsu' reflects the accumulation of suberin as the accumulation of suberization cells in the exocarps of the pear fruits was visible in safranin O-Fast green staining. The application of FAS inhibitors reduced the accumulation of the suberin layer in the exocarp of 'Dangshanjinsu'. Among them, pebulate and cerulenin had the greatest effect on inhibiting the formation of suberin layer in 'Dangshanjinsu' by reducing the biosynthesis of fatty acids, especially long-chain fatty acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article titled "Assessing the impact of human capital, renewable energy, population growth, economic growth, and climate change policies on achieving the sustainable development goals" has been retracted by the publisher due to concerns about the integrity of the peer review process, inappropriate references and citations, and other issues. The publisher, in consultation with the Editor-in-Chief, no longer has confidence in the results and conclusions of the article. The authors of the article have not responded to correspondence regarding this retraction. Springer Nature, the publisher, remains neutral regarding jurisdictional claims and institutional affiliations. [Extracted from the article]

DNA damage, which may arise from cellular activities or be induced by genotoxic stresses, can cause genome instability and significantly affect plant growth and productivity. In response to genotoxic stresses, plants activate the cellular DNA damage response (DDR) to sense the stresses and activate downstream processes. The transcription factor SUPPRESSOR OF GAMMA RESPONSE 1 (SOG1), a functional counterpart of mammalian p53, is a master regulator of the DDR in plants. It is activated by various types of DNA lesions and can activate the transcription of hundreds of genes to trigger downstream processes, including cell cycle arrest, DNA repair, endoreplication, and apoptosis. Since SOG1 plays a crucial role in DDR, the activity of SOG1 must be tightly regulated. A recent study published in Plant Cell (Chen et al., Plant Cell koad126, 2023) reports a novel mechanism by which the ATR-WEE1 kinase module promotes SOG1 translation to fine-tune replication stress response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fluorine-containing branched sulfonated polyimide (FbSPI) membrane is promising for use as a separator of vanadium flow battery (VFB) owing to the excellent vanadium ion blocking and proton selectivity together with reasonable cost. However, the durability of FbSPI membrane is still inferior to that of commercial Nafion membrane. To get the information of the evolution behaviors of FbSPI membrane in VFB environment, the degradation mechanism of FbSPI membrane is systemically investigated by ex situ experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. The micro-/macro-morphological results show that the destruction degree of FbSPI membrane increases and the mechanical properties of FbSPI membrane also gradually decrease with the increase of ex situ degradation time. Moreover, the chemical structure of FbSPI membrane changes after degradation. Meanwhile, the DFT is used to investigate the bond breaking process of imide rings of FbSPI membrane. According to the ex situ experimental and DFT calculated results, the degradation mechanism of FbSPI membrane is reasonably revealed. This work provides valuable guidance for proposing the scientific strategies to improve the stability of FbSPI membrane for VFB application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the Li-rich manganese layered oxide Li1.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13O2 (LMNC in short) is coated with a novel Al2O3–ZrO2 layer for lithium-ion battery application. Three modified LMNC materials including AZ1, AZ2 and AZ3 with different mass ratios between Al2O3–ZrO2 coating and LMNC are successfully prepared. Al2O3–ZrO2 coating layer inhibits the side reactions, restricts the transformation of layered structure and enhances the stability of LMNC. The coated LMNC shows the most excellent electrochemical performance for application in lithium-ion battery, when the mass ratio between Al2O3–ZrO2 coating layer and LMNC is 2 wt% (AZ2). The specific discharge capacity of AZ2 (111.0 mAh g−1) is significantly higher than that of pristine LMNC (i.e., AZ0) (85.6 mAh g−1) at the 10 C rate. Moreover, the AZ2 shows outstanding durability during the 200 times cycling charge and discharge tests at 1 C, whose capacity retention rate and voltage decay are 81.6% and 370.1 mV after 200 cycles, respectively. Specifically, the voltage decay rate of AZ2 is much lower than those of most reported Li-rich manganese layered oxides. Therefore, the as-prepared AZ2 cathode material with excellent electrochemical performance has a bright future for lithium-ion battery application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The East Kunlun orogenic belt (EKOB) is located in the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. Voluminous Silurian-Devonian granitoids were formed during the Proto-Tethys Ocean subduction and collision process. In this study, zircon U-Pb age dating, in-situ Hf isotope analyses, and whole rock major and trace element analyses have been carried out on granitoids from the central to eastern EKOB. The formation ages of granodiorite in the Bairiqili area, the granodiorite in the Wulonggou area are 410 ± 2 Ma and 396 ± 1 Ma, respectively, and the granodiorites show I-type features. The Wulonggou syenogranite with a formation age of 398 ± 2 Ma has a high differentiation index (D.I. = 89.59–92.43), and may belong to the high fractionated I-type granite. The Lalangmai tonalite with a formation age of 423 ± 2 Ma has high Sr (339–590 µg/g), εHf(t) (1.5–7.3), and low Y (3.45–6.33 µg/g), which are similar to modern adakites. The Lalangmai tonalite is the latest adakite record during the Proto-Tethys evolution in EKOB. Combined with previous studies, it is concluded that the granitoids from Cambrian to Devonian divided into four episodes. The first episode (515–436 Ma) mainly consists of I-type island arc granites and adakite, which are formed in a subduction environment. The second episode (436–427 Ma) is characterized by the S-type granites related to the collision. The third episode (427–420 Ma) is the transition period between the collision and the post-collision environment. In the fourth episodes (420–385 Ma), granitoids were formed in post-collision extensional environment, which is characterized by I-type and A-type granites. The upwelling of asthenosphere material is likely caused by the collapse of the orogenic belt. After 420 Ma, I-type and A-type granites formed at different depths but in the same environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the commercial nuclear technology rising in society nowadays, it is of paramount importance to remove uranium (VI) in radioactive wastewater through a cost-effective and efficient way. Due to simple operation, low cost and abundant adsorbents, the adsorption method has been widely used to treat the radioactive wastewater. However, unsatisfactory selectivity and potential secondary pollution of most adsorbents hamper their practical large-scale application. To overcome these limitations, an effective and green absorbent is developed by functionalizing the waste eggshell membrane (ESM) with carboxyl-rich agents. This design concept transfers waste ESM (or "trash") into a unique "treasure" absorbent for directly handling radioactive wastewater. The resultant ESM-COOH shows excellent adsorption selectivity toward uranium (VI) with the selectivity coefficient of 75%, exceeding a majority of reported adsorbents. Moreover, its adsorption capacity still maintains 84% of the initial value after six cycles, suggesting good reusability. These excellent features enable the ESM-COOH to adsorb uranium (VI) highly selectively and efficiently. This work offers a concept to transfer biological wastes into treasure for the mass remediation of water body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of highly efficient adsorbent presents an enticing prospect for U(VI)-containing radioactive wastewater treatment. In this work, a novel porous cCS/PVA/UiO-66-NH2 membrane absorbent comprising of crosslinked chitosan (cCS), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and UiO-66-NH2 is designed and prepared. The adsorption capacity of porous cCS/PVA/UiO-66-NH2 membrane achieves 316.50 mg g−1 under an optimal condition. Furthermore, the porous cCS/PVA/UiO-66-NH2 membrane exhibits a high selectivity for U(VI) adsorption in simulated radioactive wastewater treatment. The possible mechanism of U(VI) adsorption onto porous cCS/PVA/UiO-66-NH2 membrane mainly includes surface complexation and cation exchange processes. In addition, the porous cCS/PVA/UiO-66-NH2 membrane also exhibits excellent cycling adsorption-‍desorption performance. All these results demonstrate that the porous cCS/PVA/UiO-‍66-NH2 membrane is a promising candidate for application in U(VI) removal from radioactive wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baotu spring, known widely as the most famous spring in China, has experienced continuous water level drops, especially during the dry season. Artificial recharge (AR) to groundwater via the Yufu river has been conducted to maintain the required water level to keep regional springs flowing. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of recharge on groundwater. A three-dimensional numerical model was built to simulate groundwater level changes after recharge was applied to the Yufu river. The model was calibrated using hydraulic heads measured at multiple monitoring wells. The results showed that AR is an effective way to maintain the groundwater level in a region where groundwater was excessively exploited for irrigation and industry use. In the studied region, the response of groundwater level to AR near the Yufu river was faster in the west than that in the east as a result of different hydrogeologic conditions. Furthermore, different springs responded differently to AR. For example, the water level increases at the Baotu and Heihu springs were 0.06 m and 0.04 m, respectively, whereas other springs experienced decreases. This implies that a more detailed hydrogeologic characterization is necessary to determine the preferential flow paths and low permeability layers in order to maximize the effect of AR for sustainable groundwater management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inherent disadvantages of untreated carbon felt (pristine-CF) still restrict the vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) from further improving in electrochemical performances. To solve this problem, the carbon felt (CF) decorated with bismuth hydrogen edetate (Bi(HEDTA)) complex was synthesized and studied as anode for VRFB. The cyclic voltammetry curve reflects the great improvement in electrochemical reversibility by reducing the peak potential difference from 0.73 to 0.50 V. Electrochemical impedance spectrum shows the better charge transfer process by reducing the charge transfer resistance from 7.14 to 1.13 Ω. The VRFB assembled by the CF modified with Bi(HEDTA) exhibits an energy efficiency of 66.25% at a current density of 160 mA cm−2, which is 11.76% higher than that of the pristine system. Moreover, the mechanism of Bi(HEDTA) involved in the anodic half-reaction of VRFB has been put forward. The results demonstrate that not only the metal but also the ligand of the complex are significant for improving the electrochemical activity of the reaction towards V3+/V2+ redox couple. In more detail, the oxygen-containing functional groups in the ligand could increase the wettability of the CF as well as act as the active sites, and the metal could decrease the evolution of hydrogen at the same time. Therefore, the effective combination of the respective functions of ligand and metal, makes Bi(HEDTA) a feasible ornament of the CF for VRFB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underground coal mining activities are likely to cause changes in surface structure, resulting in damage to buildings, which seriously threaten the safety of life and property of the residents within the mining area. In this paper, the synthetic aperture radar time-series analysis method is combined with the building damage level empirical model to conduct a health assessment of the residential buildings in the Panji mining area of Huainan. Through the processing of 50 Sentinel-1A satellite radar images from April 2015 to May 2018, it is indicated that the residential areas in Huainan Panji Mining Area continued to be affected by underground coal mining during this period, and severe settlement occurred. Large areas of buildings in residential areas were damaged. Until May 2018, 202,000 m2 of buildings in the residential area of Panji mining have reached the Class II damage and 41,575 m2 have reached the Class III damage. After field investigation, the actual damage situation of the building is in good agreement with the results of this paper. Therefore, synthetic aperture radar time-series analysis combined with building damage level empirical model can be used as an effective tool for rapid and efficient deformation monitoring and health assessment of buildings. It is of great significance for the identification, early warning and disaster prevention decision making of such disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA), as the raw polymer material of Aramid fiber-1414, has high modulus and high strength which is commonly used in the reinforced composites. However, the general blending often accompany the microphase incompatibility in polymer matrix. In this study, PPTA molecules were incorporated into poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane matrix through in situ polycondensation of p-phenylene diamine (PPD) and terephthaloyl chloride (TPC) in PVDF solution and PPTA/PVDF molecular composite membranes were prepared via the subsequent nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process. The anti-compaction properties of resulted PPTA/PVDF molecular composite membranes were systematically investigated including the variations of bursting pressure and membrane thickness, porosity, pure water flux under different pressures. The results suggested that membrane comprehensive anticompaction properties were improved with the increasing of PPTA content in PVDF membrane matrix. Combining the variation trends of membrane anti-compaction properties with morphologies, the compaction-deformation evolution processes of two membrane pore types (sponge-like and finger-like pores) were proposed at the end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three identical three-winding main step down transformers rated at 300/250/150 MVA are installed in ITER Pulsed Power Electrical Network (PPEN) to distribute power to three independent 66 kV and 22 kV busbars for feeding Coil Power Supply System (CPSS). The On-load Tap Changer (OLTC) is installed in primary side of PPEN main step down transformer to limit the voltage in required range under the control of Reactive Power Compensation and Harmonic Filter (RPC&HF) system. A comprehensive OLTC tap changer strategy has been proposed to maintain the 66 kV busbar voltage with consideration of hysteresis band to avoid strategy instability. The circuit models of OLTC tap changer transient processes have been built to analyze the terminal voltage transients quantitatively in both amplitude and phase. And the dynamic performance during OLTC tap transition has been verified to be in accordance with the analysis by simulation. And during future campaign, the most critical situation for CPSS is that the plasma operation system would give step voltage reference from minimum to maximum or vice versa to CPSS according to the operation scenarios. Hence, the converter system operation robustness has been verified by simulation on MATLAB/SIMULINK during PPEN OLTC tap changer transition in the case of this most critical situation during plasma operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) is investigated as the electrolyte additive to improve the electrochemical performance of high voltage LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cathode material. Compared to LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2/Li cells in blank electrolyte, the capacity retention of the cells with 5 wt% FEC in electrolytes after 80 times charge-discharge cycle between 3.0 and 4.5 V significantly improve from 82.0 to 89.7%. Besides, the capacity of LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2/Li only obtains 12.6 mAh g−1 at 5 C in base electrolyte, while the 5 wt% FEC in electrolyte can reach a high capacity of 71.3 mAh g−1 at the same rate. The oxidative stability of the electrolyte with 5 wt% FEC is evaluated by linear sweep voltammetry and potentiostatic data. The LSV results show that the oxidation potential of the electrolytes with FEC is higher than 4.5 V vs. Li/Li+, while the oxidation peaks begin to appear near 4.3 V in the electrolyte without FEC. In addition, the effect of FEC on surface of LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 is elucidated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The analysis result indicates that FEC facilitates the formation of a more stable surface film on the LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 cathode. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) result evidences that the stable surface film could improve cathode electrolyte interfacial resistance. These results demonstrate that the FEC can apply as an additive for 4.5 V high voltage electrolyte system in LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2/Li cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the proximal Newton method for minimizing a sum of a self-concordant function and a convex function with an inexpensive proximal operator. We present new results on the global and local convergence of the method when inexact search directions are used. The method is illustrated with an application to L1-regularized covariance selection, in which prior constraints on the sparsity pattern of the inverse covariance matrix are imposed. In the numerical experiments the proximal Newton steps are computed by an accelerated proximal gradient method, and multifrontal algorithms for positive definite matrices with chordal sparsity patterns are used to evaluate gradients and matrix-vector products with the Hessian of the smooth component of the objective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a key component of ITER PF converter module, thyristor conducting large current produces a lot of power loss, therefore it is meaningful to study its heat transfer characteristic for improving the performance of PF converter. This paper presents the thermal analysis of the thyristor. A 3D finite-element model with multi material layers is built and simulated in steady state operation. A special temperature rise test scheme is designed and done to verify the analysis result. The simulation is well in compliance with the test result. The modeling method presented in this paper is proved to be practical in thyristor thermal analysis. The proposed measurement method in temperature rise test is also of valuable reference for thermal testing of power semiconductor devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isolated phase bus (IPB) is chosen as the structure of the enclosed ac busbar for ITER PF converter, which is used to connect the rectifier transformer and the converter unit of the ITER PF converter module due to its electromagnetic shielding ability. The IPB should withstand huge fault currents, of which the peak value of the current can reach 350 kA, in the worst fault condition according to the design requirement. In order to verify the dynamic stability of the IPB, a momentary current test for ITER PF IPB is necessary. In this paper, the momentary current test of the IPB applied for ITER PF converter based on ITER AC test platform is designed and carried out in detail. The effectiveness of the test scheme is verified by the results of both the simulation and the test. The test scheme presented in this paper is of great value for conducting momentary current tests of electrical equipment with large alternating currents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proper RC snubber circuit is of great importance to protect the thyristor against overvoltage during the turn-off process. This paper mainly presents the design of commutating over-voltage RC snubber circuit for ITER poloidal field (PF) converter module. Based on the reverse recovery transient model of the multi-parallel thyristors and commutating overvoltage circuit model, the RC snubber parameters of PF converter module are obtained by the detailed theoretical calculations, and then the simulation analysis and the commutating overvoltage test of the prototype are done to verify the RC snubber components selection, the simulation and test results show that the design of RC snubber circuit can meet the commutating overvoltage protection requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current sharing of bridge arm is very important for the design of external bypass, which provides protection for the ITER poloidal field converter and magnets in fault conditions. Thyristors in parallel should withstand short peak current for each arms. In this paper, the method based on inductance matrix is presented. After theoretical analysis and simulation, the prototype has been manufactured by China industry. The test results on the prototype show that the current sharing performance of the prototype can fully satisfy the design requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proper fuse selection is of great importance for the safety and reliability operation of the PF converter. This paper mainly presents the high speed fuse selection analysis of the PF converter module, combining with the characteristics of the fuse and thyristor, the normal operating condition and the possible worse fault cases of the PF converter are analysed in details, and the proper type of the high speed fuse is chosen and used in the PF converter module prototype, the relevant tests of the selected fuse are done to verify the selection. The test results indicate that the fuse selection can meet the design requirements of the PF converter module. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poloidal Field Converter Unit (PFCU) is an important part of the ITER system to supply the superconducting magnet coils with controlled voltage and current. Converter module is the key component of the PFCU and one converter module comprises four same 6-pulse converter bridges. Each bridge weighing about 6.5 tons is fixed by eight L-shaped fixed parts to the ground. This paper presents the procedure used for the simulation and seismic analysis on the ITER PF converter bridge. The response spectrum method is used and design earthquake spectrum of seismic level one for the site of Cadarache provided by ITER is applied as load. The analysis aims to study seismic response of the structure under specific seismic excitation and results are given in terms of displacements, stresses and reactive forces. This work could provide reference for the foundation design of converter module, as well as make a contribution to the follow-up seismic design work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the structure design of external bypass which provides protection for ITER poloidal field converter and magnets in fault conditions. It needs to withstand short peak current up to 350 kA within 80 ms according to the technical requirements. In order to meet the dynamic stability requirement, a special prototype design structure is presented based on the theoretical analysis and simulation. Now a full prototype has been manufactured by China industry, and the dynamic stability test of the prototype has also been accomplished successfully. It shows that the structure can fully satisfy the design requirement and the reliability has been improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy is a major intracellular degradative process by which cytoplasmic materials are sequestered in double-membraned vesicles and degraded upon fusion with lysosomes. Under normal circumstances, basal autophagy is necessary to maintain cellular homeostasis by scavenging dysfunctional or damaged organelles or proteins. In addition to its vital homeostatic role, this degradation pathway has been implicated in many different cellular processes such as cell apoptosis, inflammation, pathogen clearance, and antigen presentation and thereby has been linked to a variety of human disorders, including metabolic conditions, neurodegenerative diseases, cancers, and infectious diseases. The skin, the largest organ of the body, serves as the first line of defense against many different environmental insults; however, only a few studies have examined the effect of autophagy on the pathogenesis of skin diseases. This review provides an overview of the mechanisms of autophagy and highlights recent findings relevant to the role of autophagy in skin diseases and strategies for therapeutic modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of sulfonated polyimide (SPI)/boehmite (AlOOH) (5.0, 10.0, 15.0, 20.0 wt.%) composite membranes are fabricated by blending for vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) application. SEM images illustrate the compatibility between SPI and AlOOH. Both EDS and XRD results verify the existence of AlOOH in the SPI/AlOOH composite membrane, and FT-IR spectrums show the interaction between SPI and AlOOH. The SPI/AlOOH membranes have improved stability in 0.1 mol L VO + 3.0 mol L HSO solutions at 40 °C than pure SPI membrane. The SPI/AlOOH-10 % membrane possesses the highest proton selectivity among all SPI/AlOOH membranes. The VRFB with the SPI/AlOOH-10 % membrane presents a higher coulombic efficiency (94.30-97.60 %) and energy efficiency (83.10-64.78 %) at the current density ranged from 20 to 80 mA cm than that with Nafion 117 membrane. The open circuit voltage tests show that the SPI/AlOOH-10 % membrane has longer self-discharge time (117 h) compared with Nafion 117 (72 h). Furthermore, the cycling charge-discharge tests indicate that the SPI/AlOOH-10 % membrane has good operation stability in VRFB system. Therefore, the low-cost SPI/AlOOH membrane with excellent battery performance exhibits a great potential for application in VRFB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sulfonated polyimide (SPI)/TiO composite membrane was fabricated by a blend way to improve its performance in vanadium redox flow battery (VRB). Both EDS and XRD results verify the successful preparation of the SPI/TiO composite membrane. The surface SEM image shows its homogeneous structure. TG analysis identifies its thermal stability. The SPI/TiO composite membrane possesses much lower permeability of VO ions (2.02 × 10 cm min) and favorable proton conductivity (3.12 × 10 S cm). The VRB single cell with SPI/TiO composite membrane shows higher coulombic efficiency (93.80-98.00 %) and energy efficiency (83.20-67.61 %) at the current density ranged from 20 to 80 mA cm compared with that with Nafion 117 membrane. And the operational stability of the as-prepared composite membrane is good after 50 times of cycling tests. Therefore, the low-cost SPI/TiO composite membrane with excellent battery performance exhibits a great potential for application in VRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs. Without treatment, inflammation leads to cartilage damage, bone erosions, joint destruction, and impaired movement. Because of the limited success of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, the exploration of new anti-rheumatic drugs with high efficacy and less toxicity is eagerly needed. Genistein, the major active compound from soybean, has received much attention due to its potential beneficial effects on some of the degenerative diseases. It has been found that genistein has anti-inflammatory, antiangiogenesis, antiproliferative, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, pain relief, and joint protection properties. Hence, significant advances have been made, both by in vitro and in vivo studies showing that genistein is a promising agent for RA treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is considered a type of autoimmune disease. Its pathology is not certain, and effective drugs with less toxicity have not been established. The establishment and application of animal models are effective methods for RA research, especially using animal models similar to humans. Arthritis is more heterogeneous, and this is an important starting point when discussing animal models for arthritis. Animal models are instrumental in understanding the etiology and pathogenetic mechanisms of RA. Appropriate animal models should be selected according to experiments because they have different traits. Various methods have been applied to induce arthritis in animal experimental models, which have provided important insights into the etiopathogenetic mechanisms of human RA. This review was written to give a broad introduction of the current stage of RA model and hope to offer beneficial help for RA-related research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency (AGHD) is correlated to many adverse effects on metabolism and increased cardiovascular risk. Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) is a protease that promotes IGF-I availability in vascular tissues in recent study, and PAPP-A levels have been proposed as an early predictor of cardiac events. The aim of our study was to compare PAPP-A levels in AGHD patients with that of healthy adult subjects to determine if there is a relationship between serum PAPP-A and glucose and lipid metabolism. Twenty AGHD patients and 20 healthy, age-matched and weight-matched persons were chosen for the study. Their weight, height, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, waist and hip circumference, and waist-hips ratio were assessed. An oral glucose tolerance test was performed and venous blood was collected from the each patient's cubital vein for biochemical analysis. Serum PAPP-A level in AGHD patients was significantly higher than that of the control group [(7.62 ± 1.62 vs. 6.54 ± 1.31) p < 0.05], and PAPP-A was positively correlated to age, BMI, waist circumference and so on. After adjusting for the waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, 2 h postprandial blood glucose, triglycerides, the serum PAPP-A in AGHD patients was positively correlated to the BMI ( r = 0.728, p < 0.05) and fasting insulin ( r = 0.433, p < 0.05). In a multiple step-wise regression analysis, BMI, 2 h postprandial glucose, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR were independently associated with serum PAPP-A in AGHD patients. The increase in serum PAPP-A levels is associated with abnormal glucose metabolism and increased risk of atherosclerosis in AGHD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of metastatic melanomas are resistant to different chemotherapeutic agents, consequently, the search for novel anti-melanoma agents and adjuvant is urgent. Here, we found that 1-phenyl-2-decanoylamino-3-morpholino-1-propanol (PDMP), an inhibitor of glycosphingolipid biosynthesis, enhanced curcumin-induced cell growth inhibition and apoptosis in two melanoma cell lines (WM-115 and B16). PDMP facilitated curcumin-induced ceramide accumulation; the latter contributed to melanoma cell apoptosis. PDMP also dramatically enhanced curcumin-induced c- Jun N-terminal kinase activation, which was important to melanoma cell apoptosis. Meanwhile, curcumin plus PDMP treatment largely inhibited the activation of pro-survival PI3K/AKT signal pathway. In conclusion, PDMP-sensitized curcumin-induced melanoma cell growth inhibition and apoptosis in vitro due to changes of multiple signal events. Combining PDMP with curcumin may represent a new therapeutic intervention against melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TCF7L2 and SLC30A8 have been found to be associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) as well as with impaired proinsulin processing recently, enzymes encoded by PCSK1 and PCSK2 are reported to play an important role in the process of proinsulin conversion. To investigate whether the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of TCF7L2, SLC30A8, PCSK1 and PCSK2 were associated with T2DM as well as with proinsulin conversion in a Han Chinese population from Chongqing. A case-control study was performed in Han Chinese subjects with normal control ( n = 152) and T2DM ( n = 227), we genotyped rs7903146 and rs11196218 at TCF7L2, rs13266634 at SLC30A8, rs3811951 at PCSK1 and rs2021785 at PCSK2. Plasma levels of proinsulin were measured with an Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Genotype distribution and associations with T2DM and fasting levels of proinsulin and proinsulin/insulin ratios were analyzed. We confirmed the association of risk allele of rs2021785 at PCSK2 with type 2 diabetes also existed in Han Chinese population [OR = 1.4489 with 95% CI (1.0285, 2.0412), P = 0.0335]. Rs13266634 at SLC30A8 had a tendency to be associated with fasting plasma levels of proinsulin ( P = 0.0639 in additive model). We did not find the significant association between other SNPs and T2DM or fasting levels of proinsulin or proinsulin/insulin ratios. Our results provide evidence that the association of PCSK2 and T2DM was also existed in Han Chinese population in Chongqing. We were underpowered to detect the association between other SNPs and T2DM or proinsulin conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparison has been made of the occurrences of aromatic series in the chloroform fractions between immaturr and mature sedimentary rocks from Well Han-2 in the Qaidam Basin. According to the general formula CH (p=6,8,10, ..., 20), the molecular ion distributions of 11 series have been studies by capillary gas chromatography and GC-MS. It is found that the evolution of aromatic homologues from immature to mature obeys the thermodynamic rule and can be summarized as: (1) The alkyl side chains decrease and become shorter in the compounds of each series; (2) Alkyl and cycloalkane aromatics (1−3 rings) increase, but cycloalkane aromatics with more (4-5) rings decrease; (3) Aromatization is observed in alkyl benzene, alkyl naphthalene and alkyl phenanthrene series; and (4) The bimodal distribution of carbon number curves changes into unimodal distribution. It seems that the variation in aromatic homologue distribution can be used as an effective indicator of maturation or as fingerprints for oil/source-rock correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]