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Abstract Background & Aims Capsaicin, a functional component of chili pepper, possesses anti‐inflammatory, analgesic, and anti‐cancer properties. This study aimed to determine the property of capsaicin against hepatocarcinogenesis in vivo and investigate the role of the SIRT1/SOX2 pathway in the mode of action of capsaicin in hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs), which is related to hepatocarcinogenesis. Materials & Methods We prepared a diethylnitrosamine‐induced liver cancer model in rats to examine hepatocarcinogenesis, and delivered liposomal capsaicin through the subcutaneous transposition of the spleen to the liver. Liver sections from rats and hepatocarcinoma patients were stained for the markers of HPCs or SIRT1/SOX2 signaling. SIRT1/SOX2 signalling expression was measured using immunoprecipitation and western blot. Results We found that capsaicin significantly inhibited hepatocarcinogenesis. Notably, capsaicin inhibited HPCs activation in vivo but did not induce apoptosis in the normal hepatic progenitor cell line in rats in vitro. This suggests that capsaicin suppresses hepatocarcinogenesis by inhibiting the stemness of HPCs. Moreover, capsaicin can induce this inhibition by reducing the stability of SOX2. SIRT1 is overexpressed in liver cancer and acts as a tumor promoter via SOX2 deacetylation. Using immunoprecipitation, we identified direct binding between SIRT1 and SOX2. The capsaicin treatment resulted in SIRT1 downregulation which reduced deacetylation, and increased nuclear export as well as subsequent ubiquitous degradation of SOX2. Conclusions Altogether, we report that capsaicin suppresses hepatocarcinogenesis by inhibiting the stemness of HPCs via SIRT1/SOX2 signaling. It may serve as a promising therapeutic candidate for liver cancer.

The expansion of the industrial economy has resulted in high carbon emissions (CE) from the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region. Industrial CE reduction is a non-negligible way to achieve green and low-carbon development. In this paper, we aim to study the decoupling effect of industrial CE and its socio-economic influencing factors in the YRD region from 2005 to 2020. First, the decoupling relationship between industrial CE and industrial output in the YRD region is measured. Then, using the LMDI method, the variation of industrial CE is decomposed into six factors: energy structure ($\Delta {c_s}$ Δ c s ), energy intensity ($\Delta {c_i}$ Δ c i ), economic scale ($\Delta {c_e}$ Δ c e ), labor structure ($\Delta {c_l}$ Δ c l ), urbanization rate ($\Delta {c_u}$ Δ c u ) and population size ($\Delta {c_p}$ Δ c p ) effect. Subsequently, by combining with the decoupling and LMDI models, the contribution of each factor to the decoupling of industrial CE is studied, and the elasticity of each factor is expressed by ${\eta _s}$ η s , ${\eta _i}$ η i , ${\eta _e}$ η e , ${\eta _l}$ η l , ${\eta _u}$ η u , and ${\eta _p}$ η p . The main findings show that: (1) There are two states of weak and strong decoupling between industrial CE and the industrial economy in the YRD. (2) $\Delta {c_e}$ Δ c e is the most powerful factor in promoting industrial CE, while $\Delta {c_i}$ Δ c i and $\Delta {c_l}$ Δ c l are the factors that inhibit industrial CE in the YRD. (3) ${\eta _i}$ η i and ${\eta _l}$ η l have promoted the decoupling of industrial CE from economic advancement in the YRD and its three provinces and one city, while ${\eta _e}$ η e has consistently been the largest obstacle to the decoupling process. Finally, the policy recommendations proposed in this paper aim to help policy-makers and practitioners in the YRD region achieve a win-win balance between industrial CE and industrial output, and inspire further research on the decoupling and decomposition of industrial CE from an academic perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrological models serve as essential tools in hydrological research, allowing us to address practical hydrological issues. This study focuses on the Xunhe Watershed in Shandong Province, China, constructing a distributed Xin'anjiang hydrological model. Furthermore, traditional manual calibration and automatic calibration using the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm were employed to determine model parameters, followed by hydrological simulations, with the aim of investigating the applicability of the distributed Xin'anjiang model in this watershed. The research findings indicate that the distributed Xin'anjiang model accurately simulates the hydrological processes in the Xunhe Watershed. There is a high level of agreement between the observed data and the simulated results, including key indicators such as peak discharge, runoff volume, and peak time. After optimizing the model parameters using the PSO algorithm, the distributed Xin'anjiang model demonstrates improved simulation performance in the Xunhe Watershed. During the calibration period, the mean relative peak discharge error (RPE) is 4.1%, the mean relative runoff error (RRE) is 4.34%, and the average Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) for simulating the flood events is 0.89. During the validation period, the mean RPE is 3.82%, the mean RRE is 6.1%, and the average NSE for the process is 0.83. This indicates that the distributed Xin'anjiang model has good applicability in this watershed, providing a reliable reference for flood control and disaster reduction in the Xunhe Watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to avoid the occurrence of unstable phenomena in the Power Grid (PG), it is necessary to have a thorough understanding of the current operating status of the PG. Research on voltage stability evaluation indicators and algorithms in the power system can assist power system operators in making effective decisions. In this paper, an improved continuous power flow scheme based on Lagrange quadratic interpolation was adopted. Secant method and Lagrange quadratic interpolation method were used for prediction comparison, and Newton method was used to correct the predicted results. This article utilized an online voltage safety assessment and warning model to ensure the safe operation of the PG and reduce the occurrence of faults. To ensure the integrity and accuracy of network dynamic information, a least squares fitting method based on orthogonal functions was adopted to improve the fitting accuracy without increasing communication volume. As the step size increases from 2 to 3, the number of power flow solutions decreased and the solution time increased. The effectiveness of the voltage stability evaluation algorithm in this paper was verified through simulation of two node systems: New England 39 and IEEE118. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regarding the monitoring and control technology of pumped storage power stations, the monitoring methods for the operating parameters of the turbines in pumped storage power stations were first analyzed, including the monitoring locations and methods for pressure and vibration, as well as the analysis of the reasons for special operating conditions; Secondly, the operation monitoring and fault diagnosis system of pumped storage power stations was summarized and introduced, including the commonly used monitoring systems, fault diagnosis principles, and application situations. Finally, the development trend of turbine monitoring technology and fault diagnosis was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current pandemic of SARS-Cov-2 (formally known as novel coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19), the cancer treatment is particularly a challenge that must be overcome as soon as possible. Currently, the clinical data on the prevalence of SARS-Cov-2 in cancer patients is very limited, alone with constant evolving situations. To obtain existing evidence, we reviewed a wide range of medical literature and relevant websites including the National Health Commission of China. With the actual situation of Hubei Cancer Hospital, we formulated the interim guideline which was developed by all contributors from different disciplines after fully discussion, to provide the reference for treatment options on cancer patients, especially the cancer patients recovered from COVID-19 infection. This guideline highlighted the multidisciplinary team (MDT) diagnostic model, the assessment between risks and benefits prior to treatment, individualized service for patients' medical needs, and the acceptability in ethics and patients' socio-economic conditions.

Sustainable development is one of the most significant issues of concern around the world today. Sustainable development goals cover natural resources, the environment, and human well‐being. It follows that eco‐efficiency (EE) and eco‐well‐being performance (EWP) are valid tools for measuring the level of different stages of sustainable development. This study uses a two‐stage super‐SBM model to gauge the EE and EWP of 281 cities in China from 2011 to 2019. The results show the following: (1) The national EE average is low, with M‐shaped "rising‐declining‐rising‐declining" fluctuation. The national EWP average is low, but there is a clear upward trend. (2) From a regional perspective, the best EE is in the eastern region, followed by the central and western regions, and the worst is in the northeastern region. The best EWP is in the western region, followed by the eastern and northeastern regions, and the worst is in the central region. (3) Among the 281 sample cities, approximately 12.8% are in the high EE‐high EWP development mode, 25.6% are in the high EE‐low EWP development mode, 18.2% are in the low EE‐high EWP development mode, and 43.4% are in the low EE‐low EWP development mode. Collectively, the three cities with the strongest sustainability are Shenzhen, Beijing, and Haikou, and the three weakest are Baise, Jinchang, and Baiyin. In addition, cities with larger populations tend to exhibit greater sustainability. These results provide the necessary reference for Chinese cities and cities worldwide in similar situations to formulate policies to improve sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In large-scale wind farms, the voltage fluctuations caused by the uncertainty of wind speed at the turbine terminals pose a pressing challenge. This article presents a localized voltage control strategy tailored toward rapid adjustments in turbine terminal voltage in wind turbine generators. Based on relative voltage observation, this strategy achieves voltage coordination between the high and low ends of the transformer in wind turbine generators. Firstly, the overall structure of the wind farm and the characteristics of terminal voltage are analyzed. Secondly, the principles and feasibility of the relative voltage control strategy are examined. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy is validated through simulation results from a specific wind farm. The results demonstrate its capability to achieve a fast and stable voltage dynamic response within the wind farm based on local information, thus mitigating the risk of voltage out of limit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the structure and properties of two surface-roughened films of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) before and after oil immersion were investigated. The roughening morphology of BOPP was characterized by optical microscopy, the crystal structure and crystallographic behavior were inspected by DSC and WAXD, and the orientation structure was evaluated by polarized infrared technology. The tensile mechanics, thermal oxidation stability and breakdown strength of the films were tested. The results show that the crystal structure of BOPP films prepared by two kinds of polypropylene with different chain characteristics does not change significantly before and after oil immersion. The orientation parameters θj and fj suggest that the orientation of the amorphous chains is decreased by oil immersion. In addition, the oil immersion improved the breakdown strength of the film. For example, the breakdown strengths of the high tacticity and narrow distribution films are 737 V/µm (before oil immersion) and 863 V/µm (after oil immersion). These results indicate that soaking in the insulating oil medium for a long time, the orientation relaxation in the amorphous region can eliminate the structural defects caused by internal stress and increase the breakdown strength of BOPP films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]