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Abstract Ovarian cancer is one of the common tumors of the female reproductive organs. It has a high mortality rate, is highly heterogeneous, and early detection and primary prevention are very complex. Autophagy is a cellular process in which cytoplasmic substrates are targeted for degradation in lysosomes through membrane structures called autophagosomes. The periodic elimination of damaged, aged, and redundant cellular molecules or organelles through the sequential translation between amino acids and proteins by two biological processes, protein synthesis, and autophagic protein degradation, helps maintain cellular homeostasis. A growing number of studies have found that autophagy plays a key regulatory role in ovarian cancer. Interestingly, microRNAs regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level and thus can regulate the development and progression of ovarian cancer through the regulation of autophagy in ovarian cancer. Certain miRNAs have recently emerged as important regulators of autophagy-related gene expression in cancer cells. Moreover, miRNA analysis studies have now identified a sea of aberrantly expressed miRNAs in ovarian cancer tissues that can affect autophagy in ovarian cancer cells. In addition, miRNAs in plasma and stromal cells in tumor patients can affect the expression of autophagy-related genes and can be used as biomarkers of ovarian cancer progression. This review focuses on the potential significance of miRNA-regulated autophagy in the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer.

Objective Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a common but complex endocrine disorder widely linked to infertility and miscarriage. This study assessed the correlation between PCOS and infertility.Methods Using the latest data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 database, we conducted an in-depth assessment of the disease burden attributed to PCOS in China. This analysis was performed using the joinpoint regression, age-period-cohort, and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models.Results Between 1990–2019, an upward trend was observed in the age-standardized prevalence of PCOS-related female infertility in China. Joinpoint regression analysis revealed an increasing trend in the age-standardized prevalence of PCOS-related female infertility burden indicators as well as the average annual percentage change and annual percentage change across all age groups in China. In terms of the cohort effect, the period rate ratios associated with the age-standardized prevalence of PCOS-related infertility increased steadily over time. The ARIMA model predicted a relatively swift upward trend in the age-standardized prevalence of PCOS-related infertility in China from 2020–2030.Conclusion The age-standardized prevalence of PCOS-related female infertility in China has increased between 1990–2019. The ARIMA model predicted that the age-standardized prevalence of this disease may continue to increase over the next decade. This study can increase the public’s attention, improve women’s health awareness, and have a certain significance for reducing female infertility related to PCOS.

Background: At present, acupuncture-related practices have been widely used to treat psoriasis. In our study, we investigated the effect and explored the mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) on acupoints Baihui (DU20) and Xuehai (SP10) for the treatment of psoriasis. Methods: Imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like mouse model was used in this study. Mice were treated with electroacupuncture at DU20 and SP10 (depth of 2–3 mm, frequency of 2/15 Hz, intensity of 0.5–1.0 mA, 10 min/day). The severity of psoriasis-like lesions for each group was assessed. In addition, histological analysis of the lesions were performed. The levels of inflammatory cytokines were determined using Elisa. The expression levels of Substance P (SP) and NK1R were measured using Western blotting. In addition, NK1R inhibitor was administrated to evaluate the target of electroacupuncture in our mouse model. Results: Electroacupuncture significantly alleviated IMQ-induced skin lesions and epidermal thickness, accompanied with reduced keratinocyte proliferation, CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells infiltration. The reduced levels of inflammatory cytokines was observed after electroacupuncture treatment. In addition, electroacupuncture inhibited the expression levels of SP and NK1R. NK1R inhibitor could ameliorate lesional symptoms and suppress epidermal thickening and CD3+, CD4+, and CD8 + T cell infiltration. Conclusions: Electroacupuncture relieved psoriasis-like inflammation and T cell infiltration. This therapeutic action was likely mediated by the modulation of Substance P and its receptor NK1R.

Abstract Studies on the association between depression and self-reported endometriosis are limited, and further studies are required to investigate this association. Data were collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database (2005–2006). Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 100 participants with self-reported endometriosis and 1295 participants without self-reported endometriosis were included, representing a total population of 64,989,430. Depression severity was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ9). A survey-weighted logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the association between depression and endometriosis. Subgroup analyses were conducted to explore heterogeneity. The prevalence of endometriosis was 7.17%. A significant positive association was found between the PHQ9 score and endometriosis. After adjusting for all covariates, the PHQ9 score positively correlated with endometriosis. Furthermore, compared with the participants without depression, those with moderate depression were more prone to have endometriosis both in unadjusted and fully adjusted model. However, the relationship between severe depression and endometriosis was not significant in all models (P > 0.05). Our findings highlight the influence of depression on the prevalence of self-reported endometriosis. Further studies are required to elucidate the causal relationship between depression and self-reported endometriosis.

(1) Background: Various factors, such as oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, tumors, inflammation, trauma, immune disorders, and neuronal toxicity, can cause nerve damage. Chemical nerve injury, which results from exposure to toxic chemicals, has garnered increasing research attention. The thioredoxin (Trx) system, comprising Trx, Trx reductase, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, and Trx-interacting protein (TXNIP; endogenous Trx inhibitor), helps maintain redox homeostasis in the central nervous system. The dysregulation of this system can cause dementia, cognitive impairment, nerve conduction disorders, movement disorders, and other neurological disorders. Thus, maintaining Trx system homeostasis is crucial for preventing or treating nerve damage. (2) Objective: In this review study, we explored factors influencing the homeostasis of the Trx system and the involvement of its homeostatic imbalance in chemical nerve injury. In addition, we investigated the therapeutic potential of the Trx system-targeting active substances against chemical nerve injury. (3) Conclusions: Chemicals such as morphine, metals, and methylglyoxal interfere with the activity of TXNIP, Trx, and Trx reductase, disrupting Trx system homeostasis by affecting the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and apoptotic signaling-regulated kinase 1/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, thereby leading to neurological disorders. Active substances such as resveratrol and lysergic acid sulfide mitigate the symptoms of chemical nerve injury by regulating the Ras/Raf1/extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway and the miR-146a-5p/TXNIP axis. This study may guide the development of Trx-targeting modulators for treating neurological disorders and chemical nerve injuries.

The objectives of this study were to analyze the number of microorganisms, fungal composition and the correlation between bacterial enrichment and air quality on three internal surfaces (the inner wall, shelf, and basket) of domestic refrigerators. The results showed that the inner wall had a significantly lower number of coliforms (P < 0.05), and the range was 0.2−2.5 log MPN cm−2. The total bacterial counts and psychrophilic bacterial counts on three internal surfaces in the same refrigerator tended to be consistent. Moreover, the inner wall owned a simpler bacterial community structure. At the genus level of fungi, the dominant flora of both the inner wall and shelf were Saccharomyces spp. and Candida spp., while Saccharomyces spp., Candida spp. and Fistulina spp. took superiority in the basket. Specifically, Shannon index and Simpson index, which represent the bacterial community diversity, were the lowest on the wall, and six bacterial species on the inner wall had relative abundance higher than 0.5% of the total operational taxonomic units (OTUs), while for the shelf and basket, there were 12 and 11 bacterial species respectively. Also, there was a significant negative correlation in the basket between the chao1 index and PM2.5. This study could provide guidance for the sanitation and recommend adequate packaging of foods stored in refrigerators.

Endometriosis is a common chronic inflammatory and estrogen-dependent disease that mostly affects people of childbearing age. The dietary inflammatory index (DII) is a novel instrument for assessing the overall inflammatory potential of diet. However, no studies have shown the relationship between DII and endometriosis to date. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between DII and endometriosis. Data were acquired from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2006. DII was calculated using an inbuilt function in the R package. Relevant patient information was obtained through a questionnaire containing their gynecological history. Based on an endometriosis questionnaire survey, those participants who answered yes were considered cases (with endometriosis), and participants who answered no were considered as controls (without endometriosis) group. Multivariate weighted logistic regression was applied to examine the correlation between DII and endometriosis. Subgroup analysis and smoothing curve between DII and endometriosis were conducted in a further investigation. Compared to the control group, patients were prone to having a higher DII (P = 0.014). Adjusted multivariate regression models showed that DII was positively correlated with the incidence of endometriosis (P < 0.05). Analysis of subgroups revealed no significant heterogeneity. In middle-aged and older women (age ≥ 35 years), the smoothing curve fitting analysis results demonstrated a non-linear relationship between DII and the prevalence of endometriosis. Therefore, using DII as an indicator of dietary-related inflammation may help to provide new insight into the role of diet in the prevention and management of endometriosis.

Abstract Background Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) refers to a decrease in the number and quality of oocytes in the ovary, which results in a lack of sex hormones and a decline of fertility in women. DOR can potentially progress to premature ovarian failure (POF), which has a negative impact on women's quality of life and is a major cause of female infertility. Oxidative stress is a major contributor to fertility decrease in DOR patients, affecting the follicular microenvironment, oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryo development. Understanding intracellular signal transduction can be achieved by defining specific oxidized lipid components in follicular fluid (FF) of DOR infertile patients. Methods The oxylipins metabolic signatures in the FF of DOR patients and females with normal ovarian reserve (NOR) enrolled for the in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle were analyzed using UHPLC-MS-MS technology. Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal projections to latent structure discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were used to analyze the derived metabolomic profiles. Pathway enrichment analysis was carried out using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and MetaboAnalyst databases. Furthermore, the Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used to determine the correlation between age, FSH, AMH, AFC, oocytes retrieved, MII oocytes, fertilization, high-quality embryos, and the concentration of differential oxidized lipid metabolites in FF. Results Fifteen oxylipins metabolites were found to be lower in the FF of DOR patients than those in the NOR group, including ±20-HDoHE, ±5-iso PGF2α-VI, 12S-HHTrE, 15-deoxy-Δ12,14-PGJ2, 1a,1b-dihomo PGE2, 1a,1b-dihomo PGF2α, 20-COOH-AA, 20-HETE, 8S,15S-DiHETE, PGA2, PGD2, PGE1, PGF1α, PGF2α, and PGJ2. The pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the 15 differentially oxidized lipid metabolites were closely related to the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway. Correlation analysis revealed that the concentration of 8 different oxidized lipid metabolites in FF was negatively correlated to FSH and positively correlated with AFC. AMH, the number of oocytes retrieved, MII oocytes and fertilization, were all positively correlated with 9 different oxidized lipid metabolites, but only one metabolite was positively correlated with the number of high-quality embryos. Conclusions Metabolomic analysis of FF revealed that oxylipins metabolism disorders were closely related to ovarian reserve function. Among these oxylipins metabolites, arachidonic acid metabolism undergoes significant changes that may be related to oocyte development, resulting in decreased fertility in DOR patients. Trial registration ChiCTR, ChiCTR2000038182 , Registered 12 September 2020-Retrospectively registered

Understanding the oxidation reaction mechanism of asphalt is critical to improving its aging resistance. Here, quantum chemistry (QC) was used to study the oxidation reaction mechanism of 12 typical asphalt molecules. On this basis, the molecular models of aged asphalt were established, and the aging resistance optimization strategies of asphalt were proposed. The results show that the oxidation sites for oxygen-containing or heteroatoms-free molecules are on aromatic carbons (I molecules). Reducing hydrogen and hydroxyl radicals can improve its aging resistance. The oxidation sites for sulfur- or nitrogen-containing molecules are on heteroatoms (II molecules). Reducing oxygen free radicals content can improve its aging resistance. The molecules containing sulfur and cata-condensed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (such as R5) have the strongest oxidation reactivity. Reducing its content can improve asphalt aging resistance. Combining the QC and experiment results, LH90 contains more I molecules, while UP70 and MM70 contain more II molecules (especially As3 and R5). The aging resistance of UP70 and MM70 is poor than LH90. Reducing the content of As3 or R5 molecules or the content of oxygen radicals can improve the aging resistance of UP70 and MM70. These findings lay a foundation for designing and preparing asphalt with excellent aging resistance.

Because the participants are not limited by age-, gender-, race-, or geography-related barriers, recently, massive open online courses (MOOC) have witnessed remarkable growth in number of online self-learners, courses providers and online platforms. MOOC learners usually share some learning experiences and release millions of course-related comments in discussion forum. On the one hand, these comments could reflect the learners’ attitudes toward the online courses. On the other hand, semantic knowledge hidden in these comments would assist other learners to choose the appropriate courses and help instructors to improve their courses’ attraction. Recently, few research works focus on evaluating the courses through reviews mining. Thus, this paper constructs a curriculum evaluation system based on MOOC reviews, which quantifies the curriculum from different topics. Firstly, we employ latent dirichlet allocation (LDA) to mine the reviews generated by students, and obtain a topic-word distribution matrix and a comment-topic distribution matrix which can describe the topics of the course comments. Next, the emotion values of the comments in each topic are calculated by the auto-encoder and Bi-LSTM text classification model. We utilize the emotions and the quantified scores of the courses on different topics to establish a comprehensive curriculum evaluation system. The experimental results show that there are five main indicators abstracted from students’ reviews, which are instructor, course content, course assessment, MOOC platform, and hot courses. Moreover, comment texts of each course under different evaluation indicators are objectively and accurately converted into numerical marks, which can provide the students and educators with reliable references.

Compatibility and mechanical performance of crumb rubber (CR)-modified asphalt and mixtures prepared by the dry method are poor at present, which limits the application of dry-mixed asphalt rubber in paving engineering. To solve this problem, various activated treatments for CR were performed, and the modified asphalt binder was prepared by the dry process in this study, aiming to activate the CR as the modifier and improve the compatibility of CR-asphalt blends. The effects of pre-treating methods of high temperature, pre-swelling, and microwave treatment on rutting resistance and compatibility of the asphalt binder and asphalt mixture were evaluated. Furthermore, the dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) of temperature sweep, Brookfield rotary viscosity, physical properties, rutting resistance, and microstructure of modified asphalt were measured. The results indicated that the three treatments have a pronounced effect on the high temperature performance of the crumb rubber-modified asphalt (CRMA) binder in the dry process and modified asphalt storage stability improvement. The high-temperature and microwave pre-treatment for CR lead to the largest complex modulus, viscosity, and rutting factor. Moreover, high-temperature, pre-swelling, and microwave treatment for CR significantly increases the dynamic stability of dry-mixed asphalt mixtures, which indicates the enhanced resistance to permanent deformation. In microscopy, homogeneous and compatible states were obtained for asphalt modified by high temperature-treated CR and pre-swelled CR, in which the strong interaction occurs among rubber molecules and the asphalt component. The microstructure of dry CR-asphalt blends sheds light on the mechanical performance. Consequently, activated CR modification for the asphalt binder by the dry process in this study is a promising technology, and other properties need to be verified in the future.

In this study, the effects of incorporating of SiO2 nanoparticles into the ethylene glycol on the viscosity were examined. Many samples were prepared by two-step method to investigate the effects of temperature (5–65 ℃), mass fraction (0.005−5 wt.%), shear rate (3–110 1s) and sonication time (15−60 min) on viscosity. Rheological analysis revealed that despite the EG Newtonian behavior, it was found that SiO2/EG conforms to the non-Newtonian shear-thinning model. However, as the shear rate raised, the behavior tends to Newtonian. For all samples, the viscosity of SiO2/EG was higher than EG viscosity. At higher temperature as well as mass fraction and the lowest shear rate, the maximum intensification in viscosity was reported to be 133.7%. The sonication energy diminishes clustering length and consequently reduces the viscosity. It was found that the increase in sonication time from 15 min to 60 min, diminished the viscosity up to 14%.

As electronic components continue to be miniaturized, the heat flux density continues to increase. Scholars have proposed the use of microchannel heat sinks (MCHS) to dissipate heat from devices with high heat flux density, and have pointed out that the heat dissipation capability of MCHS can be improved in two ways: using nanofluids with high thermal conductivity and optimizing the structure of MCHS. In this paper, the thermophysical parameters and thermo-hydraulic performance of nanofluids in microchannels are reviewed. Improving the heat dissipation of MCHS is analyzed and discussed in terms of both thermal properties and flow properties, respectively.

Clinical studies have demonstrated the anti-psoriatic effect of the LiangXueJieDu (LXJD) herbal formula. However, the systemic mechanism and the targets of the LXJD formula have not yet been elucidated. In the present study, a systems pharmacology approach, metabolomics, and experimental evaluation were employed. First, by systematic absorption-distribution-metabolism-excretion (ADME) analysis, 144 active compounds with satisfactory pharmacokinetic properties were identified from 12 herbs of LXJD formula using the TCMSP database. These active compounds could be linked to 125 target proteins involved in the pathological processes underlying psoriasis. Then, the networks constituting the active compounds, targets, and diseases were constructed to decipher the pharmacological actions of this formula, indicating its curative effects in psoriasis treatment and related complications. The psoriasis-related pathway comprising several regulatory modules demonstrated the synergistic mechanisms of LXJD formula. Furthermore, the therapeutic effect of LXJD formula was validated in a psoriasis-like mouse model. Consistent with the systems pharmacology analysis, LXJD formula ameliorated IMQ-induced psoriasis-like lesions in mice, inhibited keratinocyte proliferation, improved keratinocyte differentiation, and suppressed the infiltration of CD3+ T cells. Compared to the model group, LXJD formula treatment remarkably reduced the expression of inflammatory cytokines and factors, such as IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, Cox2, and inhibited the phosphorylation of p-P65, p-IқB, p-ERK, p-P38, p-PI3K, p-AKT, indicating that LXJD formula exerts its therapeutic effect by inhibiting the MAPK, PI3K/AKT, and NF-қB signaling pathways. The metabolic changes in the serum of psoriasis patients were evaluated by liquid chromatography coupled with orbitrap mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The LXJD formula improved two perturbed metabolic pathways of glycerophospholipid metabolism and steroid hormone biosynthesis. Overall, this study revealed the complicated anti-psoriatic mechanism of LXJD formula and also offered a reliable strategy to elucidate the complex therapeutic mechanism of this Chinese herbal formula in psoriasis from a holistic perspective.

The pathogenesis of endometriosis (EMS) is complicated, and treatment results are unsatisfactory. It has become the focus of gynecological research. Analysis targeting the pathogenesis of EMS is the key to providing more effective treatments. In recent years, the superiority of traditional Chinese medicine in treating EMS has been highlighted, so we investigated the impact of a Chinese medicinal formula (Xiao Liu Fang) on the “3A” ability, in situ, of ectopic endometrial stromal cells in patients with EMS. Primary endometrial stromal cells were isolated using a modified net filtration method, cultured, and identified in different groups. Endometrial cell attachment was measured using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetric assay, cell aggression was detected by the transwell cell-invasion assay, and angiogenesis was defined by evaluating the mRNA concentrations of intercellular cell adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), matrix metallo peptidase 9 (MMP-9), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Attachment, aggression, and angiogenesis (AAA) plays an important role in EMS, and a high dose of the Xiao Liu Fang extract can be used for the treatment of EMS owing to its inhibition of the AAA of endometrial stromal cells. Therefore, in-depth studies targeting the effective mechanisms and targets of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are of great significance for the prevention and treatment of EMS. Keywords: endometriosis, EMS, endometrial stromal cells, invigorating the kidney and promoting blood circulation, attachment, aggression, and angiogenesis, AAA

To improve CPU cooling performance, TiO2-water nanofluids with volume concentration 9% were used as the cooling mediumin. Nanofluids inlet and outlet positions play a crucial influence on the cooling performance, to further optimize the cooling property, the influence of nanofluids inlet and outlet positions (top and two side) on CPU cooling performance was numerically and experimentally studied by a two-phase lattice Boltzmann model and an experimental method respectively. The numerical simulation outcomes fit well with the experimental outcomes. Outcomes indicated that nanofluids can effectively reduce the average temperature of CPU by 4.54 °C at best in comparison with water under the identical operating conditions. CPU with inlet and outlet at top can reduce the average temperature by 8.49 °C at most compared with that at both two sides, and CPU temperature distribution is more uniform when inlet and outlet locate at top of CPU. Inlet and outlet at top are more suitable for CPU cooling. The results provide some guidance for the design of CPU cooling experiment system.

γδT cells are an unconventional population of T lymphocytes that play an indispensable role in host defense, immune surveillance, and homeostasis of the immune system. They display unique developmental, distributional, and functional patterns and rapidly respond to various insults and contribute to diverse diseases. Although γδT cells make up only a small portion of the total T cell pool, emerging evidence suggest that aberrantly activated γδT cells may play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Dermal γδT cells are the major IL-17-producing cells in the skin that respond to IL-23 stimulation. Furthermore, γδT cells exhibit memory-cell-like characteristics that mediate repeated episodes of psoriatic inflammation. This review discusses the differentiation, development, distribution, and biological function of γδT cells and the mechanisms by which they contribute to psoriasis. Potential therapeutic approaches targeting these cells in psoriasis have also been detailed.

Using modified asphalt binder is one of the most effective methods to solve the rutting problem of asphalt pavement, but the traditional G∗/sin δ parameter is not enough to characterize the rutting resistance of modified asphalt in field use. In order to accurately evaluate the high temperature performance of asphalt and establish the relationship between the rutting resistance of binder and mixture, two kinds of matrix asphalt and three kinds of modified asphalt were selected for DSR and MSCR tests. G∗/sin δ, nonrecoverable creep compliance Jnr, recovery rate R, and other parameters were used to characterize the permanent deformation resistance of the binder, and the correlation between these parameters and the results of rutting test was analyzed. The results show that Jnr3.2 can accurately characterize the permanent deformation resistance of asphalt, while the stress sensitivity index Jnrdiff is not applicable to all types of modified asphalt. In contrast, Jnrslope can better reflect the stress sensitivity of asphalt, and Jnrslope is significantly correlated with the results of rutting test.

A novel evaluation criterion (exergy efficiency plot) for the comprehensive performance is developed and applied in a novel heat exchanger system with built-in perforated twisted turbulator. Effect of twisted turbulator with different perforated ratios on the exergy efficiency was explored and optimized experimentally. The results exhibited that with the increase of the perforated ratio, the thermo-hydraulic performance of the system will be improved slightly at first, and then the performance begins to decline after reaching the peak, until the perforated ratio reaches 100%, which is equivalent to no twisted turbulator. Further, the influence factors such as Reynolds number and magnetic field form were introduced to regulate the thermo-hydraulic performance of the system. It was indicated that the rising Reynolds number and vertical magnetic field play a positive role in improving the performance of the system, and the change of Reynolds number will also lead to the migration of the perforated ratio corresponding to the best performance. Moreover, in this study, the exergy efficiency method was adopted to analyze the comprehensive characteristics of each experimental case, and it was found that the heat transfer efficiency of the system has been significantly improved.

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of diosgenin, an important monomer of sapogenins in yams, on ovarian reserve in a natural aging mice model. Study design This randomized controlled trial included 60 9-month-old C57 naturally aging female mice. Twenty-one mice were assigned to the dio group and were fed a single dose of diosgenin (200 mg/kg/day) suspended in 0.3% CMC. Twenty mice were assigned to the DHEA group and were fed a single dose of DHEA (1.25 mg/kg/day) suspended in 0.3% CMC. The remaining 20 mice were assigned to the old control group and were fed a single dose of 0.3% CMC. Three months later, the reproductive performance of these female mice was determined by evaluating ovarian follicles and oocyte number and quality in IVF and comparing age-matched and young controls. The impact of NOBOX, GDF9 and BMP15 mRNA expression was also evaluated. Results Diosgenin improves ovarian reserve in naturally aging mice in terms of increasing the number of primary follicles (P

Abstract The flow and heat transfer characteristics of TiO2-water nanofluids with different nanoparticle mass fractions in a spirally fluted tube and a smooth tube are experimentally investigated at different Reynolds numbers. The effects of pH values and doses of dispersant agent on the stability of TiO2-water nanofluids are discussed. The effects of nanoparticle mass fractions and Reynolds numbers on Nusselt numbers and frictional resistance coefficients in the spirally fluted tube and the smooth tube are also investigated. It is found that TiO2-water nanofluids in the spirally fluted tube have a larger enhancement than that in the smooth tube. The heat transfer enhancement and the increase in frictional resistance coefficients of TiO2-water nanofluids in the spirally fluted tube and the smooth tube for laminar flow and turbulent flow are compared. It is found that there are a larger increase in heat transfer and a smaller increase in frictional resistance coefficients for turbulent flow than that for laminar flow of TiO2-water nanofluids in the spirally fluted tube. The comprehensive evaluations for the thermo-hydraulic performance of TiO2-water nanofluids in the smooth tube and spirally fluted tube are also discussed.

Abstract The stability and natural convection heat transfer characteristics of TiO2-water nanofluid in enclosures with different rotation angles (α = −45°, α = 0°, α = 45°, and α = 90°) are experimentally investigated. The effects of different pH values and doses (m) of dispersant agent on the stability of TiO2-water nanofluid are investigated. It is found that TiO2-water nanofluid with m = 6 wt% and pH = 8 has the lowest transmittance and has the best stability. The effects of different rotation angles (α = −45°, α = 0°, α = 45°, and α = 90°), nanoparticle mass fractions (wt% = 0.1%, wt% = 0.3%, and wt% = 0.5%) and heating powers (Q = 1 W, Q = 5 W, Q = 10 W, Q = 15 W, and Q = 20 W) on the natural convection heat transfer characteristics are also studied. It is found that the enclosure with rotation angle α = 0° has the highest Nusselt number, followed by the enclosure with rotation angles α = 45° and α = 90°, the enclosure with rotation angle α = −45° has the lowest Nusselt number. It is also found that natural convection heat transfer performance increases with the nanoparticle mass fraction and heating power, but the enhancement ratio decreases with the heating power.

Abstract The natural convection heat transfer of horizontal rectangle enclosures with different aspect ratios (A = 2:1 and A = 4:1) filled with Ag-Ga nanofluid (different nanoparticle volume fractions φ = 0.01, φ = 0.03, φ = 0.05 and radiuses r = 20 nm, r = 40 nm, r = 80 nm) at different Rayleigh numbers (Ra = 1 × 103 and Ra = 1 × 105) is investigated by a two-phase lattice Boltzmann model. It is found that the Nusselt number enhancement ratios of two enclosures (A = 2:1 and A = 4:1) filled with Ag-Ga nanofluid (r = 20 nm) are the same compared with those of the water at the corresponding aspect ratio enclosure. The more flat horizontal rectangular enclosure (A = 4:1) has the higher Nusselt number than the less flat horizontal rectangular enclosure (A = 2:1). It is also found that Nusselt number increases with the decreasing nanoparticle radius. Nusselt number enhancement ratios for every nanoparticle radius reducing by half at high Rayleigh number are higher than those at low Rayleigh number in most cases. The interaction forces between particles are also investigated in this paper. It is found that the Brownian force F B is about two magnitudes greater than that of drag force F D, and the value of driving force F S in A = 4:1 enclosure is about twice the value of driving force F S in A = 2:1 enclosure while other forces are almost the same.

As a result of transportation integration, the role of highway passenger transport hubs has changed dramatically; these nodes act as important links to construct a seamless regional comprehensive passenger transport system which reflects the coordination and symmetry of public transportation and the integrated transportation system. In order to optimise the efficiency of transportation organisation and improve the quality of passenger transport services, in this study we developed an optimisation method for the allocation of passenger transport hubs based on the analysis of passenger flow demand and spatial distribution. Configuration models of the departure sites of single-station and multi-station hub lines were established according to the service scope of the stations and the relative generalised travel cost, respectively. The overall optimisation method of the route allocation scheme was proposed by checking and optimising the passenger volume of each station. The developed methodology was successfully validated by applying it to the highway passenger transport hub system of Nanjing, China. The proposed methodology is expected to help management agencies and business operators to optimise existing highway passenger bus lines, thereby improving the quality of their services.

Quercetin, a plant-derived flavonoid in Chinese herbs, fruits and wine, displays antioxidant properties in many pathological processes associated with oxidative stress. However, the effect of quercetin on the development of preimplantation embryos under oxidative stress is unclear. The present study sought to determine the protective effect and underlying mechanism of action of quercetin against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative injury in mouse zygotes. H2O2 treatment impaired the development of mouse zygotes in vitro, decreasing the rates of blastocyst formation and hatched, and increasing the fragmentation, apoptosis and retardation in blastocysts. Quercetin strongly protected zygotes from H2O2-induced oxidative injury by decreasing the reactive oxygen species level, maintaining mitochondrial function and modulating total antioxidant capability, the activity of the enzymatic antioxidants, including glutathione peroxidase and catalase activity to keep the cellular redox environment. Additionally, quercetin had no effect on the level of glutathione, the main non-enzymatic antioxidant in embryos.