Search

With the large-scale development of renewable energy power, China has faced with the challenges of the reverse regional distribution of wind and solar resources and power load, as well as the intermittency and randomness of renewable energy power. Therefore, China is vigorously developing ultra-high voltage direct current (UHVDC) transmission technology to solve the problem of insufficient flexibility caused by the uncertainty of renewable energy and the fluctuation of multi-energy loads in integrated community energy systems. UHVDC plays an increasingly pivotal role in the west-east transmission system in China’s power system due to its high transmission capacity and long transmission distance. Once the fault occurs in the ultra-high voltage direct (UHVD) transmission line, quick and accurate fault location identification is of great significance. Hence, this paper proposes a UHVDC transmission line diagnosis method based on wavelet analysis for integrated community energy systems. Wavelet transform (WT) is used to decompose the transient signal on a multi-scale, and then power systems computer-aided design (PSCAD) software is utilized for simulation calculation to obtain the singular spectrum entropy of each layer and facilitate wavelet transformations for signal denoising with advanced tools such as MATLAB. The prediction results can distinguish outside the rectification side fault, within the rectification side fault, and outside the inverter fault with an accuracy of 100%. A large number of simulations demonstrate that combining singular spectrum entropy with support vector machines (SVM) has emerged as a robust technique for integrated community energy systems, suggesting its potential as a standard method in UHVDC transmission line diagnosis. This study is of significant reference for realizing the complementarity of multiple types of power supply and ensuring a reliable power supply.

Abstract It is widely known that some soils have strong levels of disease suppression and prevent the establishment of pathogens in the rhizosphere of plants. However, what soils are better suppressing disease, and how management can help us to boost disease suppression remain unclear. Here, we used field, greenhouse and laboratory experiments to investigate the effect of management (monocropping and rotation) on the capacity of rhizosphere microbiomes in suppressing peanut root rot disease. Compared with crop rotations, monocropping resulted in microbial assemblies that were less effective in suppressing root rot diseases. Further, the depletion of key rhizosphere taxa in monocropping, which were at a disadvantage in the competition for limited exudates resources, reduced capacity to protect plants against pathogen invasion. However, the supplementation of depleted strains restored rhizosphere resistance to pathogen. Taken together, our findings highlight the role of native soil microbes in fighting disease and supporting plant health, and indicate the potential of using microbial inocula to regenerate the natural capacity of soil to fight disease.

The thermal management of a driving motor is related to the performance and economy of the vehicle. The lumped-parameter thermal network (LPTN) method can provide a model basis for motor temperature-rise control and effectively shorten the development cycle of motor thermal performance design. In this study, an 80 kw water-cooled permanent magnet synchronous motor was used and the accurate thermal model of a motor was built using the LPTN. On the basis of the accurate thermal model, the simplified thermal model of a motor was obtained by reducing the complexity of the model. The temperature-rise test of the end winding and magnetic steel of the motor was carried out under some working conditions. The test conditions were selected according to continuous external characteristics and operating characteristics of the motor. Compared with the experimental results, the temperature-rise error of the two thermal models was less than 5%. The temperature-rise error of the simplified thermal model was less than 3% compared with the accurate thermal model. Therefore, the simplified thermal model can be used to quickly predict the temperature rise of the motor.

Background: Low physical activity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). This study aimed to estimate the global, regional, national, and sex-age-specific burden of CVDs attributed to low physical activity from 1990 to 2019. Methods: We leveraged data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 to compute the number of fatalities, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), age-adjusted mortality rates (ASMR), and age-adjusted DALY rates (ASDR) attributed to CVDs resulting from low physical activity. Furthermore, we scrutinized the trends and correlations of these metrics in connection with the socio-demographic index (SDI) across 21 regions and 204 countries and territories. Results: The global deaths and DALYs due to CVDs caused by low physical activity increased from 371,042.96 [95 % UI: 147,621.82–740,490] and 6,282,524.95 [95 % UI: 2,334,970.61–13,255,090.08] in 1990 to 639,174.92 [95 % UI: 272,011.34–1,216,528.4] and 9,996,080.17 [95 % UI: 4,130,111.16–20,323,339.89] in 2019, respectively. The corresponding ASMR and ASDR decreased from 12.55 [95 % UI: 5.12–24.23] and 181.64 [95 % UI: 71.59–374.01] in 1990 to 8.6 [95 % UI: 3.68–16.28] and 127.52 [95 % UI: 53.07–256.55] in 2019, respectively. Deaths and DALYs attributed to low physical activity were initially higher in males but shifted to females after 70–74 age group. Both genders had increasing death rates, peaking at 80–84 age group. Most CVDs deaths and DALYs number are caused by ischemic heart disease. The highest burden of CVDs attributed to low physical activity was observed in North Africa and the Middle East. The lowest burden was observed in Oceania and High-income Asia Pacific. There was a distinctive 'n-shape' relationship between the regional SDI and the ASDR of CVDs attributed to low physical activity from 1990 to 2019. Conclusion: The global impact of CVDs stemming from low physical activity remains substantial and demonstrates substantial regional disparities. As individuals age, this burden becomes more prominent, particularly among females. Efficacious interventions are imperative to promote physical activity and mitigate the risk of CVDs across diverse populations and regions.

β-catenin is an important regulator of malignant progression. 17β-Estradiol (E2), an important sex hormone in women, promotes the growth and metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, whether β-catenin is involved in E2-induced metastasis of TNBC remains unknown. In this study, we show that E2 induces the proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis of TNBC cells. E2 induces β-catenin protein expression and nuclear translocation, thereby regulating the expression of target genes such as Cyclin D1 and MMP-9. The inhibition of β-catenin reversed the E2-induced cell malignant behaviors. Additionally, E2 activated Calpain by increasing intracellular Ca2+ levels and reducing calpastatin levels. When Calpain was inhibited, E2 did not induce the proliferation, migration, invasion, or metastasis of TNBC cells. In addition, E2 promoted translocation of YAP into the nucleus by inhibiting its phosphorylation. Calpain inhibition reversed the E2-induced YAP dephosphorylation. Inhibition of YAP transcriptional activity reversed the effects of E2 on the proliferation, migration, invasion, and β-catenin of TNBC cells. In conclusion, we demonstrated that E2 induced metastasis-related behaviors in TNBC cells and this effect was mediated through the Calpain/YAP/β-catenin signaling pathway.

In this paper, the effect of solid fermented bran on dough as well as noodle quality was investigated by using lactic acid bacteria and yeast to ferment bran, through paste characteristics, dynamic rheology, noodle texture and in vitro digestion. The results showed that the insoluble dietary fibre content of the fermented bran was significantly lower (P

Abstract Background Hypertension is known as a major factor for global mortality. We aimed to investigate the role of Cullin3 (CUL3) in the regulation of hypertension. Material and methods Human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were treated with Angiotensin II (Ang II) to establish a hypertension in vitro model. Cell viability was detected by a cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was evaluated by kit. Transwell assay and TUNEL staining were, respectively, used to assess cell migration and apoptosis. Additionally, the expression of sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling-related proteins (SHH, smoothened homolog (Smo) and glioblastoma (Gli)) and CUL3 was tested with western blotting. Following treatment with Cyclopamine (Cycl), an inhibitor of SHH signaling, in Ang II-induced VSMCs, cell viability, migration, apoptosis and ROS content were determined again. Then, VSMCs were transfected with CUL3 plasmid or/and treated with sonic hedgehog signaling agonist (SAG) to explore the impacts on Ang II-induced VSMCs damage. In vivo, a hypertensive mouse model was established. Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were determined. The histopathologic changes of abdominal aortic tissues were examined using H&E staining. The expression of SHH, Smo, Gli and CUL3 was tested with western blotting. Results Significantly increased proliferation, migration and apoptosis of VSMCs were observed after Ang II exposure. Moreover, Ang II induced upregulated SHH, Smo and Gli expression, whereas limited increase in CUL3 expression was observed. The content of ROS in Ang II-stimulated VSMCs presented the same results. Following Cycl treatment, the high levels of proliferation and migration in Ang II-treated VSMCs were notably remedied while the apoptosis and ROS concentration were further increased. Moreover, Cycl downregulated SHH, Smo, Gli and CUL3 expression. Above-mentioned changes caused by Ang II were reversed following SAG addition. Indeed, SAG treatment combined with restoration of CUL3 expression inhibited proliferation, migration, apoptosis and ROS level in Ang II-stimulated VSMCs. In vivo, SAG aggravated the histopathological changes of the aorta and with a worse tendency after both SAG intervention and CUL3 silencing. By contrast, SAG treatment and rebound in CUL3 expression alleviated the vascular damage. Conclusions Collectively, restoration of CUL3 gene expression protected against hypertension through enhancing the effects of SHH activation in inhibition of apoptosis and oxidative stress for hypertension and alleviating the dysfunction of VSMCs.

Hydration heat and thermal induced cracking have always been a fatal problem for massive concrete structures. In order to study a massive reinforced concrete wall of a storage tank for liquefied natural gas (LNG) during its construction, two mock-ups of 0.8 m×0.8 m×0.8 m without and with metal corrugated pipes were designed based on the actual wall construction plan. Temperature distribution and strain development of both mock-ups were measured and compared inside and on the surface of them. Meanwhile, time-dependent thermal and mechanical properties of the concrete were tested standardly and introduced into the finite-element (FE) software with a proposed hydration degree model. According to the comparison results, the FE simulation of temperature field agreed well with the measured data. Besides, the maximum temperature rise was slightly higher and the shrinkage was generally larger in the mock-up without pipes, indicating that corrugated pipes could reduce concrete temperature and decrease shrinkage of surrounding concrete. In addition, the cooling rate decreased approximately linearly with the reduction of heat transfer coefficient h, implying that a target cooling curve can be achieved by calculating a desired coefficient h. Moreover, the maximum cooling rate did not necessarily decrease with the extension of demoulding time. It is better to remove the formwork at least after 116 hours after concrete casting, which promises lower risk of thermal cracking of early-age concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The maize inbred line A188 is an attractive model for elucidation of gene function and improvement due to its high embryogenic capacity and many contrasting traits to the first maize reference genome, B73, and other elite lines. The lack of a genome assembly of A188 limits its use as a model for functional studies. Results Here, we present a chromosome-level genome assembly of A188 using long reads and optical maps. Comparison of A188 with B73 using both whole-genome alignments and read depths from sequencing reads identify approximately 1.1 Gb of syntenic sequences as well as extensive structural variation, including a 1.8-Mb duplication containing the Gametophyte factor1 locus for unilateral cross-incompatibility, and six inversions of 0.7 Mb or greater. Increased copy number of carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 1 (ccd1) in A188 is associated with elevated expression during seed development. High ccd1 expression in seeds together with low expression of yellow endosperm 1 (y1) reduces carotenoid accumulation, accounting for the white seed phenotype of A188. Furthermore, transcriptome and epigenome analyses reveal enhanced expression of defense pathways and altered DNA methylation patterns of the embryonic callus. Conclusions The A188 genome assembly provides a high-resolution sequence for a complex genome species and a foundational resource for analyses of genome variation and gene function in maize. The genome, in comparison to B73, contains extensive intra-species structural variations and other genetic differences. Expression and network analyses identify discrete profiles for embryonic callus and other tissues.

Objective: To determine the extent to which identified nutrient inadequacies in the dietary intakes of a sample of food-insecure women could be ameliorated by increasing their access to the 'healthy' foods they typically eat.Design: Merged datasets of 226 food-insecure women who provided at least three 24-hour dietary intake recalls over the course of a month. Dietary modelling, with energy adjustment for severe food insecurity, explored the effect of adding a serving of the woman's own, and the group's typically chosen, nutrient-rich foods on the estimated prevalence of nutrient inadequacy.Setting and Subjects: One study included participants residing in 22 diverse community clusters from the Atlantic Provinces of Canada, and the second study included food bank attendees in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Of the 226 participants, 78% lived alone with their children.Results: While nutritional vulnerability remained after modelling, adding a single serving of either typically chosen 'healthy' foods from women's own diets or healthy food choices normative to the population reduced the prevalence of inadequacy by at least half for most nutrients. Correction for energy deficits resulting from severe food insecurity contributed a mean additional 20% improvement in nutrient intakes.Conclusions: Food-insecure women would sustain substantive nutritional gains if they had greater access to their personal healthy food preferences and if the dietary compromises associated with severe food insecurity were abated. Increased resources to access such choices should be a priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated effects of triterpenoids derived from Ganoderma lucidum (GLT) on the ability to attenuate cognitive impairment and reduce oxidative stress and inflammation induced by D-galactose using an aged rats model. The data revealed that dietary GLT intervention improved the memory of aged rats in a water maze experiment. A reduction in inflammation was also achieved as GLT decreased the levels of MDA, AGEs, NO, TNF-α and AChE activity, and increased the activity of T-AOC, GSH-Px, T-SOD, CAT and IL-2 level in serum. The GLT intervention revised hepatocyte cellular arrangement and binucleation of the liver status, and even hippocampal neurons morphology. GLT upregulated the expression of FOXO4, SIRT1, and downregulated the expression of GFAP, iNOS, PI3K, AKT, mTOR and IL-6 with activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. The current study highlights a promising dietary approach for prevention or alleviation of oxidative stress, inflammation and cognitive impairment induced by age-related conditions.

Abstract Background Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic disease that causes excessive hepatic lipid accumulation. Reducing hepatic lipid deposition is a key issue in treatment and inhibition of NAFLD evolution. Silymarin is a potent hepatoprotective agent; however, it has low oral bioavailability due to its poor aqueous solubility and low membrane permeability. Unfortunately, few studies have addressed the development of convenient oral nanocarriers that can efficiently deliver silymarin to the liver and enhance its lipid-lowering effect. We designed silymarin-loaded lipid polymer hybrid nanoparticles containing chitosan (CS-LPNs) to improve silymarin bioavailability and evaluated their lipid-lowering effect in adiponutrin/patatin-like phospholipase-3 I148M transgenic mice, an NAFLD model. Results Compared to chitosan-free nanoparticles, CS-LPNs showed 1.92-fold higher uptake by fatty liver cells. Additionally, CS-LPNs significantly reduced TG levels in fatty liver cells in an in vitro lipid deposition assay, suggesting their potential lipid-lowering effects. The oral bioavailability of silymarin from CS-LPNs was 14.38-fold higher than that from suspensions in rats. Moreover, compared with chitosan-free nanoparticles, CS-LPNs effectively reduced blood lipid levels (TG), improved liver function (AST and ALT), and reduced lipid accumulation in the livers of mice in vivo. Reduced macrovesicular steatosis in pathological tissue after CS-LPN treatment indicated their protective effect against liver steatosis in NAFLD. Conclusions CS-LPNs enhanced oral delivery of silymarin and exhibited a desirable lipid-lowering effect in a mouse model. These findings suggest that CS-LPNs may be a promising oral nanocarrier for NAFLD therapeutics.

Mechanisms for differential regulation of gene expression may underlie much of the phenotypic variation and adaptability of malaria parasites. Here we describe transcriptional variation among culture-adapted field isolates of Plasmodium falciparum, the species responsible for most malarial disease. It was found that genes coding for parasite protein export into the red cell cytosol and onto its surface, and genes coding for sexual stage proteins involved in parasite transmission are upregulated in field isolates compared with long-term laboratory isolates. Much of this variability was associated with the loss of small or large chromosomal segments, or other forms of gene copy number variation that are prevalent in the P. falciparum genome (copy number variants, CNVs). Expression levels of genes inside these segments were correlated to that of genes outside and adjacent to the segment boundaries, and this association declined with distance from the CNV boundary. This observation could not be explained by copy number variation in these adjacent genes. This suggests a localacting regulatory role for CNVs in transcription of neighboring genes and helps explain the chromosomal clustering that we observed here. Transcriptional co-regulation of physical clusters of adaptive genes may provide a way for the parasite to readily adapt to its highly heterogeneous and strongly selective environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the extent to which identified nutrient inadequacies in the dietary intakes of a sample of food-insecure women could be ameliorated by increasing their access to the ?healthy? foods they typically eat.DesignMerged datasets of 226 food-insecure women who provided at least three 24-hour dietary intake recalls over the course of a month. Dietary modelling, with energy adjustment for severe food insecurity, explored the effect of adding a serving of the woman's own, and the group's typically chosen, nutrient-rich foods on the estimated prevalence of nutrient inadequacy.Setting and subjectsOne study included participants residing in 22 diverse community clusters from the Atlantic Provinces of Canada, and the second study included food bank attendees in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Of the 226 participants, 78% lived alone with their children.ResultsWhile nutritional vulnerability remained after modelling, adding a single serving of either typically chosen ?healthy? foods from women's own diets or healthy food choices normative to the population reduced the prevalence of inadequacy by at least half for most nutrients. Correction for energy deficits resulting from severe food insecurity contributed a mean additional 20% improvement in nutrient intakes.ConclusionsFood-insecure women would sustain substantive nutritional gains if they had greater access to their personal healthy food preferences and if the dietary compromises associated with severe food insecurity were abated. Increased resources to access such choices should be a priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food insecurity affects individuals' dietary intakes, but there have been few direct examinations of changes in individuals' intakes in the context of declining resources. This study examined changes in dietary intake over 30 d following the receipt of income in a sample of low-income, predominantly food-insecure women with children. Data on 182 women who received the bulk of their income in 1 monthly check were drawn from 2 Canadian studies. Equivalent 30-d measures of adult food security were constructed from participants' responses to items on the Radimer-Cornell questionnaire or the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module. Intake data from multiple 24-h dietary recalls collected over 1 mo were merged. Mixed linear models were used to examine relationships between women's energy, nutrient, and food intakes and the depletion in household resources over 30 d, as indicated by days since the receipt of the household's major source of income. Women's intakes of energy, milk products, and vegetables decreased significantly as the time since they received income increased. When their food security status was considered, women who were food secure or marginally insecure showed no significant within-month patterns, but significant declines in energy, carbohydrate, vitamin B-6, and fruit and vegetable intake were observed for women with moderate or severe adult food insecurity. The food intakes of women in deprived circumstances are sensitive to the decline in household resources following the receipt of a monthly check. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background With the continuous development of the training program of rural order-oriented medical students (referred to as publicly-funded medical students) in China, the talent team of general practice is constantly enriched, and the professional identity status and its influencing factors in rural order-oriented medical students have become the focus of current attention. Objective To analyze the influencing factors of professional identity in rural order-oriented medical students. Methods Purposive sampling method was used to interview the 30 rural order-oriented medical students from 2018 to 2022 grade of Traditional Chinese Medicine (five-year system) Beneficiary Class of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine by semi-structured interviews from December 2022 to March 2023. The interview data were coded and analyzed by using open coding, axial coding, and selective coding, following the Anselm Strauss and Juliet Corbin programmatic grounded theory approach. Results A total of 482 initial concepts and 47 basic categories were extracted by open coding, 9 main categories obtained by axial coding. A typical relationship structure was formed by selective coding, and it showed that the influencing factors of professional identity in rural order-oriented medical students were consisted with six dimensions of career cognition, career behavior, career choice, career will, career emotion, and career belief. Conclusion The influencing factors of professional identity in rural order-oriented medical students are composed of six dimensions, including career cognition, career behavior, career choice, career will, career emotion, and career belief, of which career cognition, career behavior, and career choice belong to the exogenous factors, while career will, career belief, and career emotion belong to the implicit factors.

This paper mainly studies how to divide the passing stages of the pedestrians and bicycles conglomeration at signalized intersection in Chinese urban area. The conception of pedestrians and bicycles conglomeration is defined after analyzing the two-stage characteristics of pedestrians and bicycles groups. Seven intersections were chosen in Beijing as examples. After video analysis, the real-time displacement and the real-time velocities of seven intersections in one signal cycle are extracted. It is found that the procedure of pedestrians and bicycles passing the intersection can be divided into two stages, which shows distinct characteristics. Video records taken from the observational survey are used to extract the real displacement of pedestrians and bicycles and the passing behaviors images. A new approach is presented to calculate the occupation ratio of the pedestrians and bicycles conglomeration, based on the “suppositional grids” division of the effective crosswalks. Finally, the grey relational analysis is applied to divide the mixed groups’ passing stages based on the occupation ratio of conglomeration. A signalized intersection in Beijing is presented as a case study, and the passing stages are clustered into four stages from initial five stages and the results indicate that the trend of change in different stages is obvious.