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Abstract Shared‐energy storage (SES) can break the energy interaction barrier between the demand side and the supply side, which is becoming an option for improving the flexibility of energy systems. This study designed a novel structure for the shared‐energy aggregator (SEA), incorporating a microgrid (MG), prosumer and SES. Then, a two‐level market transaction optimization model for SEA, considering the robust stochastic optimization method, is proposed; namely, at the day‐ahead stage, a robust stochastic operation optimization model is constructed to achieve the dispatching plan from the demand side under the objective of achieving the minimum energy consumption cost for the prosumer, and at the real‐time market stage, a robust stochastic operation optimization model from the supply side is constructed to arrange the optimal dispatching strategy under the objective of the maximum aggregator benefits of MG and SES. Finally, an industrial park micro‐grid in Qinghai Province, China, is selected as an example for analysis.

Preparing bulk metallic glass composites (BMGCs) is an effective way to improve the plasticity of bulk metallic glasses (BMGs). However, the enhancement of plasticity is usually at the cost of deterioration in strength. In this study, a series of BMGCs with the nominal composition of Zr48Cu48Al4 was prepared. Finely dispersed B2 CuZr crystals are embedded in a glassy matrix and subsequently, these composites were cryogenically cycled in liquid nitrogen followed by heating to various temperatures below the glass transition temperature. It was found that the samples after cryogenic thermal cycling (CTC) treated at an intermediate upper temperature shown a simultaneous improvement of yielding strength from 1680 MPa to 1832 MPa and plasticity from 5.6% to 9.1%. The enhancement of yielding strength is ascribed to the existence of the B19′ phase resulted from the partial martensitic transformation during the CTC treatment, while the improvement of plasticity is attributed to the higher free volume content and the larger “blocking effect” from the B19’ after the samples were treated by CTC. The combination of CTC treatment and precipitation of crystals provides a new strategy for improving the mechanical properties of the BMGs.

Abstract Background Liensinine and neferine are the main bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids obtained from the seeds of Nelumbo nucifera, which commonly used as edible food and traditional medicine in Asia. It was reported that liensinine and neferine could inhibit the activities of acetylcholinesterase and cross the blood-brain barriers, suggesting their therapeutic potential for the management of Alzheimer’s disease. Methods Here, we employed SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells stably transfected with the human Swedish amyloid precursor protein (APP) mutation APP695 (APP695swe SH-SY5Y) as an in vitro model and transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans as an in vivo model to investigate the neuroprotective effects and underlying mechanism of liensinine and neferine. Results We found that liensinine and neferine could significantly improve the viability and reduce ROS levels in APP695swe SH-SY5Y cells, inhibit β-amyloid and tau-induced toxicity, and enhance stress resistance in nematodes. Moreover, liensinine and neferine had obviously neuroprotective effects by assaying chemotaxis, 5-hydroxytryptamine sensitivity and the integrity of injured neurons in nematodes. Preliminary mechanism studies revealed that liensinine and neferine could upregulate the expression of autophagy related genes (lgg-1, unc-51, pha-4, atg-9 and ced-9) and reduce the accumulation of β-amyloid induced autophagosomes, which suggested autophagy pathway played a key role in neuroprotective effects of these two alkaloids. Conclusions Altogether, our findings provided a certain working foundation for the use of liensinine and neferine to treat Alzheimer’s disease based on neuroprotective effects.

Embracing sustainable strategies that consider Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) has become a rapidly growing trend in urban development. Continued uncertainty on the sustainability assessment of design could drive a series of indecisive decision-making among design alternatives, further disrupting the potential opportunities toward sustainable DfMA. However, there is a lack of research on sustainable design assessments for DfMA and establishing a sustainable index. This research establishes an integrated value model for the sustainability assessment framework and DfMA sustainability index to address this challenge. This model integrates Building Information Modelling (BIM) with MIVES, a customisable Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) tool. The pilot case of this framework is the retrofit of a commercial building’s façade system, which demonstrated the capability of the proposed framework. Data collection and analysis include the comparisons between five design alternatives. This research furthers previous studies and has three-fold significance: 1) Establishing reasonable multi-criteria for the sustainable DfMA indices; 2) Adapting the MIVES approach for comparative analysis across three building phases to make it compatible with DfMA; 3) developing a quantitative analysis method for sustainable design assessment of DfMA in the construction industry.

The aim of this study was to screen potential susceptibility genes using whole-exome sequencing (WES) in 15 Han Chinese patients with stage III or IV periodontitis and to evaluate the quantity and quality of genomic DNA extracted from saliva. DNA was extracted from saliva epithelial cells, quality-tested, and then subjected to WES and bioinformatics analyses. All variation loci were analyzed and interpreted following the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) criteria. Candidate pathogenic variation loci were identified and verified using Sanger sequencing. Correlation and functional analyses of the candidate genes were used to identify potential susceptibility genes in patients with severe periodontitis. LFNG, LENG8, NPHS1, HFE, ILDR1, and DMXL2 genes were identified in over two cases each with shared mutations. Following these analyses, the DMXL2 gene was identified as being associated with stage III and IV periodontitis. These results suggest a potential pathophysiological risk mechanism for periodontitis, but need to be verified through larger clinical studies and mechanistic experiments to determine the pathogenicity of these gene mutations and their generalizability to a wider population of periodontitis patients. By screening candidate pathogenic variation loci using WES in 15 Han Chinese patients with stage III or IV periodontitis, our study could provide a pipeline and feasibility support for the identification of susceptibility genes in patients with stage III and IV periodontitis.