The tension cable-supported power transmission structure (TC-PTS) is a new type of power transmission structure suitable for mountainous terrain, which is sensitive to wind load. In this regard, a nonlinear finite element analysis model of wind-induced vibration is proposed for the TC-PTS, and the wind-induced vibration response of the structure is analyzed. Firstly, the tangent stiffness matrix of the three-dimensional truss element for the supporting suspension cable and transmission line, considering the geometric nonlinearity of structures, is derived through the relationship between the element elastic energy and its displacement. Subsequently, the element mass matrix and damping matrix of the supporting suspension cable and transmission line, as well as the element nodal load vector obtained from wind load equivalence are given. Then, based on the nonlinear finite element theory, the nonlinear dynamic equation of wind-induced vibration is established for the TC-PTS and solved by Newmark-β method combined with Newton-Raphson iterative method. Furthermore, the rain-flow counting method and Miner's linear fatigue cumulative damage theory were used for wind induced fatigue damage assessment. Finally, a two-span TC-PTS is selected as an example, and the wind-induced nonlinear vibration and fatigue damage assessment are analyzed through the proposed model. The results show that the proposed model has high computational accuracy and efficiency. With the increase of wind speed and wind direction angle, the maximum lateral displacement and tension of the supporting suspension cable and transmission line increase, and their degree of increase shows a nonlinear trend. In terms of the wind-induced fatigue analysis results of TC-PTS, the fatigue damage at the end of the supporting-conductor suspension cable is greater than the fatigue damage at its midpoint. Compared to the fatigue damage at the midpoint of the conductor, the fatigue damage at the end of the conductor is less affected by wind direction angle, and both are more significantly affected by the wind speed.

Objective: This research was aimed to estimate the anti-fatigue effects of arecoline and elucidate its underlying mechanisms using a murine model of central fatigue precipitated by sleep deprivation (SD). Methods: Seventy-two male C57BL/6 mice were randomly allocated into six groups: a control group, a SD-induced fatigue model group, a group receiving Rhodiola Rosea capsules (2.5 mg/kg), and arecoline groups administered low, medium, and high doses (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg, respectively). Following 28 days of continuous administrations, the effects of arecoline on the mouse fatigue-related behaviors was assessed by the behavioral tests, including grip strength, rotarod performance, and weight-bearing swimming endurance. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were utilized to measure the levels of the relevant biochemical markers. Western blotting was employed to quantify the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2), Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), sequestosome-1 (p62), and NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) in the gastrocnemius muscle. Results: Arecoline administration notably enhanced grip strength, delayed the onset of fatigue as evidenced by extended latencies in rotarod tests, and increased the duration of weight-bearing swimming in mice. In the elevated plus maze, arecoline significantly reduced both the number of entries and the total distance traveled in the open arms. Arecoline markedly decreased serum levels of creatine kinase, blood urea nitrogen, lactate dehydrogenase, triglycerides, and cholesterol, while elevated total testosterone, lactate dehydrogenase, and immunoglobulin G levels. Furthermore, it significantly increased superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase(CAT), and glutathione peroxidase activity in the gastrocnemius muscle, reduced malondialdehyde levels, augmented hippocampal SOD and CAT activity, and elevated glycogen stores in both liver and muscle tissues. Neurotransmitter levels were significantly increased, cytokine levels were markedly reduced, and the expression of Nrf2, Keap1, NQO1, p62, and HO-1 in brain tissue was significantly upregulated. Conclusion: The current study for the first time demonstrated that arecoline has significant anti-fatigue activity, and its mechanism of action is related to elevate the levels of glucose and lipid metabolism, relieve oxidative stress damage, inhibit neuroinflammatory response, regulate neurotransmitter levels and Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. The current study provides a new insight into the potential of arecoline in prevention and improvement of fatigue.

To gain insight into riser motions and associated fatigue damage due to vortex-induced vibration (VIV), data loggers such as strain sensors and/or accelerometers are sometimes deployed on risers to monitor their motion in different current velocity conditions. Accurate reconstruction of the riser response and empirical estimation of fatigue damage rates over the entire riser length using measurements from a limited number of sensors can help in efficient utilization of the costly measurements recorded. Several different empirical procedures are described here for analysis of the VIV response of a long flexible cylinder subjected to uniform and sheared current profiles. The methods include weighted waveform analysis (WWA), proper orthogonal decomposition (POD), modal phase reconstruction (MPR), a modified WWA procedure, and a hybrid method which combines MPR and the modified WWA method. Fatigue damage rates estimated using these different empirical methods are compared and cross-validated against measurements. Detailed formulations for each method are presented and discussed with examples. Results suggest that all the empirical methods, despite different underlying assumptions in each of them, can be employed to estimate fatigue damage rates quite well from limited strain measurements.

Analysis of Fatigue Strain, Fatigue Modulus and Fatigue Damage for the modeling of concrete plays a vital role in the evolution material behaviour which is heterogeneous and anisotropic in nature. In this paper, the Level-S nonlinear fatigue strain curve, fatigue modulus curve, residual strain curve of concrete in compression, tension, flexure and torsional fatigue loading were proposed using strain life approach. The parameters such as physical meaning, the ranges, and the impact on the shape of the curve were discussed. Then, the evolution model of fatigue modulus was established based on the fatigue strain evolution model, fatigue modulus evaluation model, residual strain evaluation model, secondary strain evaluation model. The hypothesis of fatigue modulus is inversely related with the fatigue strain amplitude. The fatigue evolution of concrete damages the bond between material grains, changed the orientation of structure of molecules and affects the elastic properties resulting in the reduction of material stiffness and modulus by utilizing strain life analysis, regarding stiffness degradation and inelastic deformation by formation of microcracking, macro cracking, cracking which is heterogeneous and anisotropic in nature . This paper presents the Fatigue Strain Life Model and analyses of fatigue strain, fatigue modulus and damage parameters of concrete which is capable of predicting stiffness degradation, inelastic deformation, strength reduction under fatigue loading. Hence, the obtainable results were compared with experimental results for the validation of the proposed model.

The use of high strength to weight ratio laminated composites is emerging in marine industry and applications as a very efficient solution for improving productivity. Nevertheless, delamination between the layers is a limiting factor for the wider application of laminated composites, as it reduces the stiffness and strengths of the structure. Interleaving nanofibrous mats between layers of composite laminates has been proved to be an effective method for improving composites delamination resistance. This paper aims to characterize the effect of interleaved nanofiber on mode I interlaminar properties and failure mechanisms when subjected to static and fatigue loadings. For this purpose, virgin and nanomodified woven laminates were subjected to Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) specimens. Static and fatigue tests were performed and the tests were monitored by acoustic emission technique. The mechanical results showed a 130% increase of delamination toughness for nanomodified specimens in the static loadings and more crack growth resistance in the fatigue loading. The AE results revealed that different type of failure mechanisms was the cause of these improvements for the modified specimens compared with the virgin ones.

The month of May 2024 was characterized by solar energetic particles events directed towards the Earth, especially the big event causing a strong terrestrial geomagnetic storm during the night from 10 to 11 May 2024, with auroras observed everywhere in Europe. This was the strongest storm for the last 20 years with a Dst < -400 nT. In the present work, we show with observations of GOES, PROBA-V/EPT and MetOP/MEPED that this exceptional event was associated with the injection of energetic protons in the proton radiation belt, with important consequences for the South part of the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA). In addition, the geomagnetic storm caused by the solar eruption has had tremendous impacts on the electron radiation belts. Indeed, we show that for 0.3 to 1 MeV electrons, the storm led to a long lasting four belts configuration which was not observed before with EPT launched in 2013, until a smaller geomagnetic storm on June 15 took place. Moreover, for the first time since its launch, observations of the EPT show that ultra-relativistic electrons with E>2 MeV have been injected into the inner belt until L=2.4, violating the impenetrable barrier previously estimated to be located at L=2.8.

In this paper, the technical aspects of a multi-lidar instrument, the long-range WindScanner system, will be presented accompanied by an overview of the results from several field campaigns. The long-range WindScanner system consists of three spatially separated coherent Doppler scanning lidars and a remote master computer that coordinates them. The lidars were carefully engineered to perform arbitrary and time controlled scanning trajectories. Their wireless coordination via the master computer allows achieving and maintaining lidars’ synchronization within ten milliseconds. As a whole, the long-range WindScanner system can measure an entire wind field by emitting and directing three laser beams to intersect, and then by moving the beam intersection over the points of interest. The long-range WindScanner system was developed to tackle the need for high-quality observations of wind fields from scales of modern wind turbine and wind farms. It has been in operation since 2013.

The fatigue delamination damage is one of the most important fatigue failure modes of laminated composite structures. However, the developments of the theoretical framework, mathematical/physical model and numerical simulation of fatigue delamination are still challenging issues, and there is a lack of systematic classification. This article reviews the experimental phenomena of the onset and propagation stage of delamination under fatigue loading, and summarizes the commonly used phenomenological models for laminated composite structures. The research methods, general modeling formulas and development prospects of the phenomenological models are presented in detail. In the light of the analysis of finite element model (FEM) for the laminated composite structures, a number of simulation methods of fatigue delamination crack propagation damage model are carefully classified. Furthermore, within the theoretical framework of strength theory model (SM), fracture mechanics model (FM), damage mechanics model (DM) and hybrid model (HM), the complete procedure, application, capability assessment, advantages and limitations of the models are also discussed in detail. Finally, several valuable suggestions are given for the research interests, and challenging technical problems that need to be overcome on the fatigue delamination prediction of laminated composite structures in the future.

This paper aims to provide an overall review of degradation, damage evolution and fatigue models in the literature of various engineering materials, mostly metals, and composites.

The concept of Design Fatigue Factors (DFFs) was introduced for providing desired level of safety in structural fatigue design, often associated with damage calculated from S-N curves. Calculation of fatigue damage from S-N curves can be affected by multiple factors, e.g. types of weld class, corrosion condition, loading conditions, stress concentration on different geometries etc. Each of them can be subject to different level of uncertainties. This study intends to recalibrate the DFFs from a detailed reliability analysis by investigating the probabilistic models derived from the database of S-N curves that has been most frequently used in offshore wind industry. The results of such study indicate that the DFFs can be reduced substantially for the corrosive environmental fatigue models from current standards to the same level of target reliability.

Installation of offshore wind farms is rising, driven by the goal of changing the global energy matrix. However, many of its possible impacts are still unknown. Increased noise levels, disruptions to food chains, pollution due to traffic, and impacts on fishing communities and tourism are all potential effects to consider. Marine habitats are essential carbon dioxide sinks. Therefore, losing marine biodiversity due to offshore wind farms can be counterproductive in mitigating climate change. Balancing biodiversity conservation, wind potential, and political interests is challenging. Today, Uruguay has practically decarbonized its electrical matrix, incorporating wind, solar, and biomass energy alongside hydroelectricity. In line with this, the country's Hydrogen Roadmap highlights green hydrogen as relevant, potentially serving as a transportation fuel for both domestic consumption and export. Combining the country's strong base of wind experience with its sustainable policy, it plans to implement offshore wind farms to produce green hydrogen, making studies of its impacts crucial. This paper reviews the current social and environmental information on the Uruguayan coastal habitat, analyzes onshore wind farms' ecological studies, and examines offshore wind farms' global environmental and social impacts. Finally, it proposes suggested studies for environmental approval for offshore wind farms.

Aspalathin (ASP) can protect H9c2 cardiomyocytes against high glucose (HG)-induced shifts in myocardial substrate preference, oxidative stress and apoptosis. While the protective mechanism of aspalathin remains unknown, nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) has emerged as a key factor for intracellular responses against oxidative stress. Therefore, we hypothesized that aspalathin protects the myocardium against hyperglycemia-induced oxidative damage by up-regulating Nrf2 expression in H9c2 cardiomyocytes and diabetic (db/db) mice. Using an oxidative stress RT2 Profiler PCR array, ASP at a dose of 1 µM was demonstrated to protect H9c2 cardiomyocytes against HG-induced oxidative stress, but silencing of Nrf2 abolished this protective response of ASP and exacerbated cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Db/db mice and their non-diabetic (db/+) littermate controls were subsequently treated daily for 6 weeks with either a low (13 mg/kg) or high (130 mg/kg) ASP dose. Compared to nondiabetic mice the db/db mice presented increased cardiac remodeling and enlarged left ventricular wall that occurred concomitant to enhanced oxidative stress. Daily treatment of mice with ASP at a dose of 130 mg/kg for 6 weeks was more effective at reversing complications than both a low dose ASP or metformin, eliciting enhanced expression of Nrf2 and its downstream antioxidant genes. These results indicate that ASP maintains cellular homeostasis and protects the myocardium against hyperglycemia-induced stress through activation of Nrf2 and its downstream target genes.

The liver diseases are posing serious threat to human health associated with abusive use of allopathy medicines, especially in developing economies like Pakistan. The strengthening of detoxification system using natural products might be a suitable option to minimize the liver problems. In this current research, Zingiber officinale and Azadirachta indica were evaluated for their hepatoprotective role. For the purpose, 20 Sprague Dawley rats were equally divided into four groups i.e., negative control, paracetamol positive control, 2.5% ginger and 2% neem powder, respectively. During 42 days study, the levels of bilirubin and liver enzymes significantly elevated due to liver damage. Although, the values dropped (20-25%) in treatment group. Serum glucose and serum lipid profile increased in positive control group, but reduced (5-10%) in both ginger and neem groups. The serum protein profile declined in liver damage group, however, improved (~5%) in treatment groups. The hematological parameters slightly declined in liver damage group, but increased in ginger and neem groups. Moreover, the white blood cells differential count and renal parameters showed abnormal values in liver damage group, but improved after treatment. This study is promising and highlighted the hepato-protective role of neem and ginger that may open several avenues of research.

Acoustic emission (AE) has proven to be a very useful technique for determining damage in ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). CMCs rely on various cracking mechanisms which enable non-linear stress-strain behavior with ultimate failure of the composite due to fiber failure. Since these damage mechanisms are all micro-fracture mechanisms, they emit stress waves ideal for AE monitoring. These are typically plate waves since for most specimens or applications one dimension is significantly smaller than the wavelength of the sound waves emitted. By utilizing the information of the sound waveforms captured on multiple channels from individual events, the location and identity of the sources can often be elucidated. The keys to the technique are the use of wide-band frequency sensors, digitization of the waveforms (modal AE), strategic placement of sensors to sort the data and acquire important contents of the waveforms pertinent for identification, and familiarity with the material as to the damage mechanisms occurring at prescribed points of the stress history. The AE information informs the damage progression in a unique way which adds to the understanding of the process of failure for these composites. The AE methodology was applied to composites tested in fatigue at different frequencies where identification of when and where AE occurred coupled with waveform analysis leads to source identification and failure progression.

Colistin is used in treatment against gram-negative bacteria. It causes toxic effects due to oxidative stress in a dose-dependent manner. Naringin is a flavonoid with strong antioxidant properties found naturally in many plants, especially citrus fruits. This study aimed to determine the protective effects of NRG in CLS-induced sciatic nerve injury. Thirty-five male Spraque rats were randomly divided into five groups: control, NRG, CLS, CLS+NRG50, and CLS+NRG100. CLS was administered orally at a 15mg/kg for seven days. NRG was administered orally at 50 or 100 mg/kg for seven days. CLS caused toxic damage in sciatic nerve tissue by increasing MDA and decreasing antioxidant capacity (SOD, CAT, GPx, and GSH); increasing NF-κB, TNF-α, nNOS release; increasing apoptotic factor (Caspase-3); decreasing HO-1 and nCAM; and inducing 8-OHdG, MAPK and GFAP. NRG, on the other hand, reversed all these changes in sciatic nerve tissue and reduced CLS-induced oxidative stress damage, inflammatory damage and apoptotic damage. These effects were more effective at the 100mg/kg dose of NRG than at the 50mg/kg dose. In sciatic nerve tissue, CLS-induced sciatic nerve toxicity with increased oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptotic damage. NRG showed a protective effect against CLS-induced sciatic nerve toxicity.

The present study analyses the influence of scratches and fatigue on the mechanical characteristics of aluminium alloys commonly used in the aviation industry: 2024-T4, 6061-T4, 6061-T4 uncoated, 6061-T6 uncoated, 7075-T0, and 7076-T6. 120 specimens were used for the study. Out of these, 60 samples were scratched, and the other 60 samples were also scratched under the same circumstances and then subjected to low-cycle fatigue (LCF) before undergoing the tensile test. Based on the statistical examination of the measured data, mathematical prediction models have been established. Compared to their unscratched counterparts, the results indicate a significant decrease in the mechanical properties of both scratched and scratched-fatigued sample sets. The LCF pre-treatment contributes to the negative impacts of scratches, resulting in a reduced value for the ultimate tensile strength and elongation at break. The results conclude that surface integrity plays an essential role in preserving aircraft components' structural strength.

This study investigates the power production and blade fatigue of a three-turbine array subjected to active yaw control (AYC) in full-wake and partial-wake configurations. A framework of two-way coupled large-eddy simulation (LES) and aeroelastic blade simulation is applied to simulate the atmospheric boundary-layer (ABL) flow through the turbine array and the structural responses of the turbine blades. Mean power outputs and blade fatigue loads are extracted from the simulation results. By exploring the feasible AYC decision space, we find that (a) in the full-wake configuration, the local power-optimal AYC strategy with positive yaw angles endures less flapwise blade fatigue and more edgewise blade fatigue than the global power-optimal strategy; (b) in the partial-wake configuration, applying positive AYC in certain inflow wind directions achieves higher optimal power gains than that in the full-wake scenario and reduces the blade fatigue from the non-yawed benchmark. Through a theoretical analysis based on the blade element momentum theory, we reveal that the aforementioned differences in flapwise blade fatigue between the positively and negatively yawed turbine are due to the differences in the azimuthal distributions of the local relative velocity on blade sections, resulting from the combined effects of vertical wind shear and blade rotation. Furthermore, the difference in the blade force between the positively and negatively yawed front-row turbine induces different wake velocity and turbulence distributions, causing different fatigue loads on the downwind turbine exposed to the wake.

In this paper, the mechanism of combined process of ion beam sputtering (IBS) and HF acid etching on the chemical structure defects of fused silica and its laser damage resistance perfor-mance were investigated. During the removal process of surface material, the sputtering effect causes lattice atoms to detach from their original positions, forming a large number of unsaturated structures on silica surface, which improves the chemical activity of Si and O atoms, accelerates the chemical reaction process between surface atoms and water molecules, increases the content of hydroxyl (OH-) groups in the shallow layer, and enhances the photothermal weak absorption intensity. However, the presence of OH- groups reduces the bonding strength of Si-O, destroys the spatial network structure of silica bulk, and reduces the mechanical strength of silica surface, resulting in a decrease in its laser damage resistance performance. The paper reveals for the first time the mechanism of IBS to change the structure characteristics of silica material, accelerate the surface hydroxylation process, and thereby reduces the laser damage resistance performance. This work provides technical guidance for effectively suppressing chemical structure defects on silica surface and improving laser damage resistance performance of optical components under high-flux laser irradiation.

The work is devoted to the study of the mechanisms of damage accumulation in a polymer composite material (PCM) during fatigue loading. Mechanical testing of a fiberglass sample was carried out by cyclic tension accompanied by registration of acoustic emission (AE). For the recorded AE signals, the Fourier spectra were calculated and used for clustering with Kohonen self-organizing map. Relations between clusters and types of damage in the PCM structure were established. The analysis of the peak frequencies of the Daubechies D14-wavelet components of AE signals was carried out. Obtained results has allows one to describe the processes of destruction in the PCM sample. It has been established that, on the base of local formation of microdamages in the matrix and the fracture of the fibers detected during recording of the AE data, it is possible to predict the destruction of the polymer composite material, while the beginning of a material destruction can be registered if the damage identified as an adhesion failure is observed. Perspectives of application of adaptive fiber-optic AE sensors for structural monitoring of PCMs on the base of preliminary experimental results are considered and discussed.

The effect of low cycle fatigue (LCF) pre-damage on the subsequent very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) behavior is investigated in TC21 titanium alloy. LCF pre-damage is applied under 1.8% strain amplitude up to various fractions of the expected life and subsequent VHCF properties are determined using ultrasonic fatigue tests. Results show that 5% of LCF pre-damage insignificantly affects the VHCF limit due to the absent of pre-crack, but decreases the subsequent fatigue crack initiation life estimated by Pairs’ law. Pre-cracks introduced by 10% and 20% of LCF pre-damage significantly reduce the subsequent VHCF limits. The crack initiation site shifts from subsurface-induced fracture for undamaged and 5% of LCF pre-damage specimens to surface pre-crack for 10% and 20% of LCF pre-damage specimens in very high cycle region. The fracture mechanism analysis indicate that LCF pre-crack will re-start to propagate under subsequently low stress amplitude when stress intensity factor of pre-crack is larger than its threshold. Furthermore, the predicted fatigue limits based on EI Haddad model for the LCF pre-damage specimens well agree with the experimental results.

Smoking is a pervasive global health concern associated with a myriad of diseases, but its impact on cellular aging, particularly in relation to telomeres, is increasingly recognized. Telomeres, protective caps at the ends of chromosomes, play a crucial role in maintaining genomic integrity. This review critically examines the existing evidence on the association between smoking and telomere atrophy, exploring the molecular mechanisms involved and the implications for accelerated aging and heightened disease risk. The comprehensive analysis encompasses both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, elucidating potential gender and age disparities. Insights into the molecular pathways linking smoking to telomere shortening are discussed, along with the broader implications for public health. The review concludes by outlining potential interventions and suggesting future research directions in this critical area.

Cardiac hypertrophy typically follows myocardial damage, a process known to involve members of the Krüppel-Like Factors (KLFs) which have pro-hypertrophic and anti-hypertrophic roles. Our study delved into the molecular mechanisms underlying KLFs-cardiac hypertrophy interplay post myocardial infraction. We induced myocardial dam-age in rats using isoproterenol. Total RNA was extracted from the left ventricle and Quantitative Real Time RT-PCR was conducted to assess the expression of KLFs, cardiac commitment genes, inflammatory markers, and certain conduction-related genes. We devel-oped a computational approach to construct a proteomic network centered on KLFs. Initial results revealed early expression (2-3 days post-induction) of KLF3, KLF4 and KLF6, followed by the subsequent expression of KLF11 and KLF15 (5-8 days after induction). In the maturation stage, KLF12 and KLF13 regulators were found upregulated. IL-6 was gradually found to be upregulated through. Interaction analysis revealed KLF3, KLF8 and KLF12 interacted with cardiac electrical functions. RT-PCR confirmed up-regulation in cardiac genes linked to electrical function and scar maturation. Our findings underscore the central role of KLFs during the modulation of the cardiac hypertrophic response. Dysregulation of KLF expression resulted in damaged myocardium, participating in the progression of abnormal hypertrophy, highlighting their potential as therapeutic targets for heart diseases.

A micromechanical model is implemented to indicate the progressive fatigue problem of a laminated composite with a central circular hole under fatigue loading based on a finite element model. The mechanical properties of the composite lamina are represented based on the characteristics of the fiber and the matrix through a micromechanics model. An appropriate algorithm is then adopted to simulate fatigue damage development in the composite lamina. According to this algorithm, the stress field of the composite subjected to fatigue load is initially obtained using the finite element method. Finally, the predicted results of the stresses in the constituents i.e. fiber and matrix are determined according to the micromechanical bridging model. Finally applying proper damage driving relations leads to damage degree in each element. The proposed model is proven to be successful in the observation of the fatigue behavior with stiffness degradation in each element of the composite in each cycle. Results are reported and validated using those micromechanical models and experimental data available in the literature.

Bone injury is a common side effect of radiotherapy to tumors, which is a long-term response after damage to osteoblasts, especially reducing osteoblasts proliferation and differentiation. Currently, there are few studies on radiation-induced bone injury, the molecules involved in the ionizing radiation (IR) induced osteoblasts damage remain need to be excavated. In this study, the optimal IR damage conditions (8Gy, 2.22Gy/min) were firstly determined by measuring cell proliferation, cell cycle, cell apoptosis and further cell differentiation and mineralization abilities and the related genes (p-AKT, p-ERK1/2, cyclinB, BAX, BCL2, ALP, OPN, RUNX2, Collagen1) expression level changes in radiation-induced osteoblast injury model. Then, we screened 26 differentially expressed genes after the RNA-sequencing of the 8 Gy-irradiated MC3T3-E1 cells, and they were mainly involved in DNA damage and repair, cell apoptotic progress and cell cycle regulation, meanwhile, participated in several main pathway including PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway and signaling pathway involved in cell cycle and cell senescence. We focused on verifying the differential expression genes and confirmed the MDM2, NOTCH1, CDKN1A and GCLC were upregulated after IR treatment, suggesting the key roles in the response of the IR. In addition, regarding on our sequencing results, the DNA damage and repair were also verified and the results suggested that IR induced DNA damage and repair in MC3T3-E1 cells. In summary, IR damaged MC3T3-E1 cells by inhibiting cell proliferation, impacting cell cycle process, inducing cell apoptosis and affecting the osteoblasts differentiation, which maybe due to the DNA damage and the differential expression of the key genes (MDM2, NOTCH1, CDKN1A and GCLC ).

Imbalance in the oxidative status in neurons, along with mitochondrial damage, are common characteristics in some neurodegenerative diseases. The maintenance in energy production is crucial to face and recover from the oxidative damage and the coexistence of different sources of energy production, such as mitochondrial and glycolytic ATP, allows faster adaptative mechanisms to situations of high energy demand and may help in the maintenance of neuronal function in stress situations. Fingolimod phosphate is a drug with neuroprotective and antioxidant actions, used in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis. This work has been performed in a model of oxidative damage on neuronal cell cultures exposed to menadione, in presence or absence of fingolimod phosphate. We have studied the mitochondrial function and several pathways related with glucose metabolism, including oxidative, glycolytic and pentose phosphate in neuronal cells cultures. Our results showed a beneficial effect on neuronal survival probably based in the recovery of all, oxidative balance, glycolysis and pentose phosphate, promoted by fingolimod phosphate. These effects are mediated, at least in part by the interaction with its specific receptor. These actions would make this drug a potential tool to the treatment of neurodegenerative processes, either to slow progression or alleviate symptoms.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) form the basis of tumor microenvironment and possess immunomodulatory functions by interacting with other cells surrounding tumor, including T lymphocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells and natural killer cells. Ionizing radiation is a broadly-used method in radiotherapy to target tumors. In mammalian cells, ionizing radiation induces various types of DNA damages and DNA damage response. Being unspecific, radiotherapy affects all the cells in tumor microenvironment, including the tumor itself, CAFs and immune cells. CAFs are extremely radio-resistant and do not initiate apoptosis even at high doses of radiation. However, following radiation, CAFs become senescent and produce a distinct combination of immunoregulatory molecules. Radiosensitivity of immune cells varies depending on the cell type due to inefficient DNA repair in, for example, monocytes and granulocytes. In this minireview, we are summarizing recent findings on the interaction between CAF, ionizing radiation and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment.

We extended our model of the S1 tubular segment to address the mechanisms by which SGLT1 interacts with lateral Na/K pumps and tight junctional complexes to generate isosmotic fluid reabsorption via tubular segment S3. The strategy applied allowed simulation of laboratory experiments. Reproducing known experimental results constrained the range of acceptable model outputs and contributed to minimizing the free parameter space. 1. In experimental conditions, published Na and K concentrations of proximal kidney cells were found to deviate substantially from their normal physiological levels. Analysis of the mechanisms involved suggested insufficient oxygen supply as the cause and indirectly, that a main function of the Na/H exchanger (NHE3) is to extrude protons stemming from mitochondrial energy metabolism. 2. The water path from the lumen to the peritubular space is through aquaporins on the cell membrane and claudin-2 at paracellular tight junctions, with a smaller additional contribution to water transport by the coupling of 1 glucose:2 Na:200 H2O in SGLT1. 3. A Na+-uptake component passed through paracellular junctions by solvent drag in Na- and water-permeable claudin-2, thus bypassing the Na/K-pump, in agreement with the findings of early studies. 4. Electrical cross talk between apical rheogenic SGLT1 and lateral rheogenic Na/K pumps results in tight coupling of luminal glucose uptake and transepithelial water flow. 5. Isosmotic transport is achieved by Na-mediated ion recirculation at the peritubular membrane.

This paper presents the concept of applying incremental capacity analysis (ICA) on the OCV curve in the SoC space. The OCV curve can be obtained from any sequence of discharge or charge current or power pulse with a necessary rest period to allow the cell to reach a pseudo-OCV after each pulse. With a higher resolution (>100 pulses) in the full SoC window, an OCV vs SoC curve can be obtained with sufficient accuracy to perform an ICA on the obtained OCV curve. ICA as a diagnostic technique has commonly been applied on Li-ion cells with a constant charge and discharge at slow currents. However, a slow controlled constant current charge or discharge is normally not feasible and cannot be easily applied to a battery in an application. Here we revisit pulse-based ICA to supplement the conventional constant-current-based technique. Conventional ICA performed on ageing data with constant current is directly compared to ICA performed on a selection of higher resolution OCV curves. The main advantage of OCV-ICA is that it can be applied to most cells and systems without significant interruption of normal cell operation. OCV-ICA provides valuable insights into ageing mechanisms as well as detailed information on changes in internal resistance.

Background and Purpose: Oxidative stress is an important factor in the pathogenesis of neurological problems. One of the compounds causing oxidative stress is diazinon. In the present project, the protective role of gallic acid compound in reducing oxidative stress in brain tissue of mice exposed to diazinon was investigated. Method: In this study, eight groups of six series of mice including the first group (control) of normal saline, the second group of diazinon (40 kg/mg) as IP, three groups of diazinon with gallic acid (50, 100, 200 kg/mg), was prescribed as a single dose and for 24 hours. The atropine + pralidoxime group was also evaluated as a standard treatment group. At 24 hours after the last dose, the animals were sacrificed and brain tissue was examined to assess oxidative stress parameters, including glutathione content, protein carbonyl content, lipid peroxidation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial function in mitochondria isolated from brain tissue. Results: The results of this research showed that oxidative stress biomarkers increased significantly (P<0.001) in the diazinon group compared to the control group. Oxidative stress was significantly reduced in the groups receiving gallic acid at a dose of 200 and 100 kg/mg of diazinon compared to the diazinon group. Conclusion: The results of the present study show that diazinon causes damage to brain tissue by inducing oxidative stress. Therefore, according to the reduction of oxidative stress by gallic acid compound, it can be concluded that this compound can protect against brain toxicity caused by diazinon in animal model by stimulating antioxidant and radical scavenging pathways.

In order to solve the problem of structure damage location and degree identification, the weighted mean of vectors algorithm (INFO), a high-performance optimization one, was first introduced to identify structure damage. The genetic algorithm (GA) are improved to obtain a refined genetic algorithm (RGA). An objective function is constructed by combining the dynamic response transfer-ratio without modal analysis. INFO and RGA algorithms are used to optimize the objective function for damage identification. Though simulations, the INFO, RGA, GA algorithms were used to identify the damage on a simply supported beam and cantilevered plate with different levels of noise and different frequency spacing of pickup points. The simulations verify the effectiveness of the three damage identification methods, and the INFO algorithm has the highest damage identification accuracy, the RGA is second and the GA is the worst.

In this paper, based on the cumulated damage generated by the cyclical application of the testing vibration profile, a methodology to determine the reliability index of the analyzed component is given. In the analysis, the testing time, component geometry, applied weight, and material resonant frequency are all of them considered by using a dynamic, and amplitude factor. Then, from the generated vibration response data of the analysis, the corresponding bending stress is determined for each one of the rows of the testing profile. And by the cyclical application of the whole testing profile, the corresponding damage is cumulated to each profile cycle until the cumulated damage is D=1. Finally, the reliability that each one of the cumulated blocks (cyclical profile application) is determined by considering, the random vibration is a stress variable. Thus, we use the cumulative damage model with the inverse power law stress/life relationship to determine the two parameter Weibull distribution used to estimate the reliability index of each cumulated block. As a numerical application, we analyze a cantilever aluminum beam Al 6061-T6.

This study investigated the neuroprotective effects of methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate (MDHB) against t-butylhydroperoxide(TBHP) induced oxidative damage in SH-SY5Y (human neuroblastoma cells) and the underlying mechanisms. SH-SY5Y were cultured in DMEM+10% FBS for 24 hours and pretreated with different concentrations of MDHB or N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) for 4 hours prior to the addition of 40 μM TBHP for 24 hours. Cell viability was analyzed using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays. An annexin V-FITC assay was used to detect cell apoptosis rate. The 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay was used to determine intracellular ROS levels. The activities of antioxidative enzymes (GSH-Px and SOD) were measured using commercially available kits. The oxidative DNA damage marker 8-OHdG was detected using ELISA. Western blotting was used to determine the expression of Bcl-2, Bax, caspase 3, p-Akt and Akt proteins in treated SH-SY5Y cells. Our results showed that MDHB is an effective neuroprotective compound that can mitigate oxidative stress and inhibit apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells

The aim of work is to derive an explicit expression for a function of vertical mixing induced by wind-waves. To this end, in the Navier-Stokes equations, a current is decomposed into four constituents: the mean flow, the wave-orbital motion, the wave-induced turbulent and the background turbulent currents. This decomposition allows separating the wave-induced Reynolds stress, Rw, from the background one, Rb. To make a statistical closure for Rw, the Prandtl approach for the background turbulent fluctuations is used that results in an implicit expression for the wave-induced vertical mixing function, Bv. Expression for Bv is specified based on the author’s results for the eddy viscosity found earlier in the frame of the three-layer concept for a wavy air–sea interface, used for modelling wind-drift currents [1]. Finally, the explicit parameterization for Bv(a, u*, z) is found as a linear function in both the wave amplitude at depth z, a(z), and the friction velocity in the air, u*. The linear dependence of function Bv(a) on the wave amplitude provides the enhanced vertical mixing induced by wind–waves in comparison with function Bv(a) having the cubic dependence found in [2], as far as the wind-wave amplitude a(z) decays exponentially with depth.

Nonlinear catastrophes caused by geological fluids are a fundamental issue in rock mechanics and the geoengineering hazard field. For the consideration of hydrodynamic force on red-bed mudstone softening damage, X-ray visualization test on the fissure flow in mudstone block failure under hydrodynamic force was performed in this study based on block scale and the physical phenomena of fissure seepage and nonlinear diffusion were further explored. A new method for evaluating the hydro-damage degrees of rocks using an X-ray image analysis was proposed, and the quantitative relation of diffusion coefficients of hydro-damage and seepage was established. The research results revealed that the hydrodynamic force promoted the fluid-filled fissure behavior in mudstone specimen failure. Also, the seepage and diffusion phenomena of fluid in rocks during failures were indicated using X-ray imaging. A dual mechanical behavior was presented in the nonlinear seepage and abnormal diffusion of a red mudstone geological body under hydrodynamic conditions. The damaged degree of mudstone was aggravated by the effect of hydrodynamic force, and the initial seepage–diffusion coefficient with respect to lower hydro-damage was larger than the final seepage–diffusion coefficient with respect to higher hydro-damage of rocks with a decreasing nonlinear trend.

Ubiquitin-specific protease 2 (USP2) maintains mitochondrial integrity in culture myoblasts. In this study, we investigated molecular mechanisms underlying the protective role of USP2 on mitochondria. Knockout (KO) of the Usp2 gene or chemical inhibition of USP2 induced robust accumulation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), accompanied by defects in mitochondrial membrane potential, in C2C12 myoblasts. ROS removal by N-acetyl-L-cysteine restored the mitochondrial dysfunction induced by USP2 deficiency. Comprehensive RT-qPCR screening and following protein analysis indicated that both genetic and chemical inhibition of USP2 elicited a decrease of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) at mRNA and protein levels. Accordingly, the introduction of a Ucp2-expressing construct effectively recovered mitochondrial membrane potentials, entailing an increment of the intracellular ATP level in Usp2KO C2C12 cells. In contrast, USP2 deficiency also decreased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor  coactivator 1 (PGC1 protein in C2C12 cells, while it upregulated Ppargc1a mRNA. Overexpression studies indicate that USP2 potentially stabilizes PGC1 in an isopeptidase-dependent manner. Given that PGC1 is an inducer of UCP2 in C2C12 cells, USP2 might ameliorate mitochondrial ROS by maintaining the PGC1–UCP2 axis in myoblasts.

Securing the structural safety of blades has become crucial, owing to the increasing size and weight of blades resulting from the recent development of large wind turbines. Composites are primarily used for blade manufacturing because of their high specific strength and specific stiff-ness. However, in composite blades, joints may experience fractures from the loads generated during wind turbine operation, leading to deformation caused by changes in the structural stiff-ness. In this study, 7,132 debonding damage data, classified by damage type, position, and size, are selected to predict debonding damage based on natural frequency. The change in the natural frequency caused by debonding damage is acquired through finite element (FE) modeling and modal analysis. Synchronization between the FE analysis model and manufactured blades is achieved through modal testing and data analysis. Finally, the relationship between the debond-ing damage and the change in natural frequency is examined using artificial neural network techniques

Taiwan developing offshore wind power to promote green energy and self-electricity production. In this study, a Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) was set up at Chang-Hua development zone one on the sea and 10km away from the seashore. At Lidar location, WRF (3.33km & 2km grid lengths) model and WAsP were used to simulate the wind speed at various elevations. Three days mean wind speed of simulated results were compared with Lidar data. From the four wind data sets, developed five different comparisons to find an error% and R-Squared values. Comparison between WAsP and Floating Lidar was shown good consistency. Lukang meteorological station 10 years wind observations at 5m height were used for wind farm energy predictions. The yearly variation of energy predictions of traditional and TGC wind farm layouts are compared under purely neutral and stable condition. The one-year cycle average surface heat flux over the Taiwan Strait is negative (-72.5 (W/m2) and 157.13 STD), which represents stable condition. At stable condition TGC (92.39%) and 600(92.44%), wind farms were shown higher efficiency. The Fuhai met mast wind data was used to estimate roughness length and power law exponent. The average roughness lengths are very small and unstable atmosphere.

(1) Background: The severity of malaria is associated with low bioavailability of antioxidants and high concentration of free radicals that induce oxidative damage in cerebral and pulmonary microcirculation. This can be prevented by the action of consumable antioxidants present in foods. Therefore, we investigated the protective role of lycopene (LYC) on the oxidative changes induced by Plasmodium berghei (Pb); (2) Methods: Mice were infected by intraperitoneal injection of 106 parasitized red blood cells and treated via gavage with LYC (3.11 mg/kg bw/day) or NAC (62 mg/kg bw/day). They were then evaluated for 1, 4, 8 or 12 days after infection. Levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), antioxidant capacity by inhibition of ABTS radicals (AC-ABTS) and DPPH (AC-DPPH), uric acid (UA), and nitric oxide (NO) were measured in brain and lung tissues; (3) Results: The infection caused oxidative stress confirmed by increased levels of TBARS, AC-ABTS, AC-DPPH, UA, and NO in the tissues leading to the death of the animals. LYC prevented the increase in TBARS, AU, and NO levels compared to Pb (p&lt; 0.0001) and NAC+Pb groups (p&lt;0.0001), reaching values similar to those of Sham animals; (4) Conclusions: These results are striking evidence of the beneficial effect of lycopene supplementation on oxidative stress in experimental malaria in vivo and emphasize the importance of antioxidant supplementation in the treatment of the disease.

Background and objectives: The hepatoprotective activity of vitamin E and C is evident due to their ability of modulating the antioxidant pathway. In this study, we have evaluated the effects of α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid on paracetamol induced liver damage with offsetting various levels of drug treatment following an in vivo experimental protocol on Wistar albino male rats. Materials and Methods: The level of lipid peroxidation as well as histological examination of liver tissues were observed among 50 Wistar albino male rats to evaluate hepatoprotective effect of α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid on hepatocytes. The experiment was divided into 5 groups (10 rats in each group)- Basal control group (Group-I, with propylene glycol), Paracetamol treated control group (Group –II), α-tocopherol pretreated & paracetamol treated group (Group –III), Ascorbic acid pretreated & paracetamol treated group (Group –IV) and Ascorbic acid pretreated & paracetamol treated group (Group –IV). Results: The mean (± SD) Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration were significantly reduced in α-tocopherol pretreated and paracetamol treated group (P<0.001), Ascorbic acid pretreated and paracetamol treated group (P≤0.05) and combined α-tocopherol with ascorbic acid pretreated & paracetamol treated group (P<0.001). Statistically significant differences in histological findings of rat liver were observed in paracetamol treated control group (P<0.001), ascorbic acid pretreated and paracetamol treated group (P<0.001). The serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level was also significantly higher in paracetamol treated group (P<0.001), α-tocopherol pretreated plus paracetamol treated group (P≤0.05) and in ascorbic acid pretreated plus paracetamol treated group (P<0.001). Conclusion: The combined pretreatment of α-tocopherol & ascorbic acid have better hepatoprotective effects than α-tocopherol or ascorbic acid alone against paracetamol induced liver damage. The decrement of free radicals produced by vitamin E could be a better hepatoprotective antioxidant than vitamin C in paracetamol induced toxicity.

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS) is induced by thiamine deficiency (TD) and mainly related to alcohol consumption. Frontal cortex dysfunction has been associated to impulsivity and disinhibition in WKS patients. The pathophysiology involves oxidative stress, excitotoxicity and inflammatory responses leading to neuronal death, but the relative contributions of each factor (alcohol and TD, isolate or in interaction) to these phenomena are still poorly understood. A rat model was used by forced consumption of 20% (w/v) alcohol for 9 months (CA), TD hit (TD diet + pyrithiamine 0.25 mg/kg, i.p. daily injections the last 12 days of experimentation; TDD), and both combined treatments (CA+TDD). Motor and cognitive performance and cortical damage were examined. CA caused hyperlocomotion as a possible sensitization of ethanol-induced excitatory effects and recognition memory deficits. In addition, CA+TDD animals showed a disinhibited-like behavior, which appears to be dependent on TDD. Also, combined treatment led to more pronounced alterations in nitrosative stress, lipid peroxidation, apoptosis and cell damage markers. Correlations between injury signals and disinhibition suggest that CA+TDD disrupts behaviors dependent on the frontal cortex. Our study sheds light on the potential disease-specific mechanisms, reinforcing the need for neuroprotective therapeutic approaches along with preventive treatments for the nutritional deficiency in WKS.

A frequent co-morbidity of cerebrovascular pathology and Alzheimer's disease pathology has been observed over past decades. Accordingly, much evidence has been reported which indicates that microvascular endothelial dysfunction, due to cerebrovascular risk factors (e.g., atherosclerosis, obesity, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, aging), precedes cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease and contributes to its pathogenesis. By incorporating appropriate drug(s) into biomimetic (lipid cubic phase) nanocarriers, one obtains a multitasking combination therapeutic which targets certain cell-surface scavenger receptors, mainly class B type I (i.e., SR-BI), and crosses the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Such targeting allows for various Alzheimer's-related cell types to be simultaneously searched out, in vivo, for localized drug treatment. This in vivo targeting advantage may be particularly important for repurposing an FDA-approved drug, especially one which has shown the added ability to restore some cognitive functions in certain animal models of Alzheimer's disease (e.g., the anticancer drug bexarotene); this (candidate repurposing) drug up to now, by itself (i.e, without nanocarrier), displayed poor CNS penetration in human subjects.

After decades of studies, the pathogenesis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) remains unclear and there still lackseffective treatment strategies for core symptoms. Our recent work, combined with others’ research in a diversity ofmodels and clinical trials, suggested a concise, but potentially rational theory that can illustrate the key of the pathogenesis and treatment of ASD from the aspect of damage control.

Our previous study demonstrated that the acute high-dose rate (3.3 Gy/minute) gamma irradiation of postnatal day 3 (P3) mice with 5Gy induced depression and drastic neuropathological changes in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus of the adult mice. The present study investigated the effects of chronic low-dose-rate (1.2mGy/h) gamma irradiation from P30 to P180 with a cumulative dose of 5Gy on animal behaviour, hippocampal cellular change, miRNA and mRNA expression in the hippocampus and blood in female mice. The radiation exposure did not significantly affect the animal's body weight and neuropsychiatric changes such as anxiety and depression examined by neurobehavioural tests including open field, light-dark box, elevated plus maze, tail suspension test and forced swim test. Immunohistochemical staining did not detect any obvious loss of mature and immature neurons (NeuN and DCX) or any inflammatory glial response (IBA1, GFAP, and PDGFR1). Nevertheless, r-H2AX foci in the stratum granulosum of the dentate gyrus were significantly increased, suggesting the chronic low dose rate irradiation induced persistent DNA damage foci in mice. miRNA sequencing and qRT-PCR indicated an increased expression of miR-448-3p and miR-361-5p, but decreased expression of miR-193a-3p in the mouse hippocampus. Meanwhile, mRNA sequencing and qRT-PCR showed a reduced expression of Ccn1, Fli1, Fosb, Ets1, Hs3st5, and Eif4ebp1, but enhanced expression of Cort, Foxh1, and Opalin. Database searching by miRDB and TargetScan predicted that FLI1 and HS3ST5 are the targets of miR-448-3p, and Eif4ebp2 is the target of miR-361-5p. miRNA/mRNA sequencing and qRT-PCR results in blood showed the increased expression of miR-6967-3p and the decreased expression of its target S1pr5. The interactions of these miRNAs and mRNAs may contribute to the chronic low dose rate radiation-induced persistent DNA damage.

Quantitative determination of the critical size of inclined coal pillar in old goaf water affected area is of great significance for water damage prevention and safe mining. The critical size of inclined waterproof coal pillar is derived by using theoretical analysis, numerical calculation and field engineering practice for the stability of the waterproof coal pillar in old goaf water affected area of 1303 working face of Dananhu I mine in Xinjiang region. Firstly, a force model of inclined waterproof coal pillar was established to reveal the law that the critical size of the coal pillar increases with the increase of coal seam inclination under the action of asymmetric load. Then, numerical simulation was applied to reveal the dynamic evolution process of plastic deformation-destabilization-destruction of section coal pillar under the influence of mining and single-side water pressure, and the critical size of waterproof coal pillar in study area was determined to be 19.09m. Finally, measures such as pumping and pressure relief and slurry reinforcement were adopted to reduce the deformation rate of the roadway on side of waterproof coal pillar, which ensured the stability of the coal pillar and roadway and the safe recovery of the working face.

Laser Direct Writing (LDW), also known as 3D multi-photon laser lithography of resins, is a promising technique for fabricating complex free-form elements, including micro-optical functional components. Regular organic or hybrid (organic-inorganic) resins are often used, with latter exhibiting better optical characteristics, as well as having the option to be heat-treated into inorganic glass-like structures, particularly useful for resilient micro-optics. While this work is a continuation of SZ2080™ calcination development , the Laser-Induced Damage Threshold (LIDT) of such sol-gel-derived glass micro-structures, particularly those that undergo heat treatment, has not been well-characterized. In this pilot study, we investigated the LIDT using the Series-on-One (S-on-1) protocol of functional micro-lenses produced via LDW and subsequently calcinated. Our results demonstrate that the LIDT can be significantly increased, even multiple times, by this approach, thus enhancing the resilience and usefulness of these free-form micro-optics. This work represents the first investigation in terms of LIDT into the impact of calcination on LDW produced sol-gel-derived glass micro-structures, and provides important insights for the development of robust micro-optical devices.

Unavoidable exposure to radiosensitive normal tissues around cancerous tumor during the radiotherapy can cause side effects such as self-limited acute toxicities, mild chronic symptoms, or severe organ dysfunction. Nevertheless, clinical use of currently available radiation protective agents is limited because of their generic cytotoxicity. A study on radiation protective effect of delphinidin was conducted with proton-beam-exposed human colon cells (CCD-18Co). The measurement in changes of survival fractions of CCD-18Co with/without delphinidin administration at different radiation doses were measured by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The changes in expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and in activities of antioxidant enzymes were measured by colorimetric assays using pertinent assay kits. The measurement of pro-apoptosis/pro-survival protein expressions using Western blot assay and the measurement of DNA damage using comet assay were also fulfilled to evaluate the molecular level of radiation damages in CCD-18Co cells. The experimental results revealed that the pre-administration of delphinidin regulated antioxidant enzymes, reduced ROS, decreased DNA damage, regulated pro-apoptosis/pro-survival proteins, and eventually reduced apoptosis of CCD-18Co cells. In conclusion, it is claimed that delphinidin is nontoxic natural radiation protective compound, and thus delphinidin can be used to protect normal colon tissues during the proton beam therapy.

The Atmospheric Dynamics Mission ADM-Aeolus was successfully launched in August 2018 by the European Space Agency (ESA). The Aeolus mission carried a single instrument, the first-ever Doppler Wind Lidar (DWL) in space, called Atmospheric LAser Doppler INstrument (ALADIN). Aeolus circled the Earth in a polar sun-synchronous orbit at about 320 km altitude with a repeat cycle of 7 days, providing vertical profiles of horizontal line-of-sight (HLOS) winds on a global scale. Exceeding scientific expectations, Aeolus, initially designed for a 3-year lifetime, provided global coverage of wind profiles for almost five years. In this long-term validation study, we assessed the accuracy of the Level 2B (L2B) Rayleigh-clear and Mie-cloudy wind products by collecting radiosonde data from three stations in the Brazilian Amazon: Cruzeiro do Sul (7.62° S, 72.67° W), Porto Velho (8.76° S, 63.91° W), and Rio Branco (10.00° S, 67.80° W). Statistical validation was conducted by comparing Aeolus L2B wind products and radiosonde data, launched daily at 12:00 UTC from October 2018 to March 2023. Considering all data collected during the mission period, Pearson’s coefficient (R) of 0.73 was observed in Rayleigh-clear and 0.85 in Mie-cloudy, revealing a strong correlation between Aeolus and radiosonde winds. No significant biases were detected, with values of -0.14 m/s for Rayleigh-clear and -0.40 m/s for Mie-cloud, fulfilling the mission requirement of having absolute biases below 0.7 m/s. However, when analyzed annually, in 2022, the bias for Rayleigh-clear was -0.95 m/s, exceeding the mission requirements.

The elderly population is particularly susceptible to myocardial damage caused by heat stress (HS). With the continuous increase in global temperatures, this poses an undeniable challenge to human health. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of Shikimic Acid (SA) in treating HS-induced myocardial damage through network pharmacology, molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and in vitro experiments. Network pharmacology analysis revealed that SA alleviates the inflammatory response in the heart muscle associated with HS by targeting 60 disease-related targets, such as TP53, TNF, and IL-6. The tumor proteoglycan, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and hepatitis B were identified as the primary therapeutic pathways. Molecular docking and MD simulation results confirmed that SA can stably bind to both TNF (-6.642 kcal/mol) and IL-6 (-7.261 kcal/mol), and the complexes of Shikimic Acid-IL-6 and Shikimic Acid-TNF did not undergo significant changes within 100 ns. In addition, the in vitro experiment showed that 250 μM SA significantly increased the survival rate of HL-1 cells exposed to 43°C for 2 h by 71.1% and promoted the proliferation of HL-1 cells by 30.7%. Overall, these findings provide substantial evidence for the therapeutic potential of SA in HS-induced myocardial damage.

Furazolidone (FZD) is a synthetic nitrofuran with the antiprotozoal and antibacterial activity. The proper mechanism of FZD induced toxicity is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of curcumin on FZD induced oxidative stress, DNA injury and apoptosis in human hepatocyte L02 cells. The results showed that curcumin treatment significantly ameliorated FZD induced cytotoxicity, characterized by decreasing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde, as well as increasing superoxide dismutase, catalase activities and glutathione contents. Moreover, curcumin pretreatment significantly inhibited FZD induced the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, the activation caspase-9 and -3 and apoptosis. Comet assay showed that curcumin attenuated FZD induced DNA injury in a dose-dependent manner. Correspondingly, curcumin markedly reversed the up-regulation of p53, Bax, caspase-9 and -3 mRNA expressions and the down-regulation of Bcl-2 mRNA (all p<0.05 or 0.01). These results reveal that curcumin protects against FZD induced oxidative stress, DNA injury and cell apoptosis via inhibiting oxidative stress and mitochondrial pathway, which may be attributed to ROS scavenging and anti-oxidative ability of curcumin. Importantly, our study highlights that curcumin may be a potential way to prevent FZD-mediated oxidative DNA injury and apoptosis in human or animals.

This paper performs a comprehensive analysis of the wind energy potential of onshore regions in Greece with emphasis on quantifying the volume risk and the spatial covariance structure. Optimization techniques are employed to derive efficient wind capacity allocation plans (also known as generation portfolios) incorporating different yield aspirations. The generation profile of minimum variance and other optimal portfolios along the efficient frontier are subject to rigorous evaluation using a fusion of descriptive and statistical methods. In particular, principal component analysis is employed to estimate factor models and investigate the spatiotemporal properties of wind power generation, providing valuable insights into the persistence of volume risk. The overarching goal of the study is to employ a set of statistical and mathematical programming tools guiding investors, aggregators and policy makers in their selection of wind energy generating assets. The findings of this research challenge the effectiveness of current policies and industry practices, offering a new perspective on wind energy harvesting with a focus on the management of volume risk.

Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), is a family member of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and a widespread environmental pollutant and neurotoxicant that contribute to the development of cancer. Microtubules are polymers of tubulin that form part of the cytoskeleton and target for anticancer drugs. Furthermore, NPY significantly increased the percentage of cells in S and G2/M phases. However, little is known about the specific role of NPY in proliferation and the underlying protective mechanism remains unclear. Hence, the aim of this work was to investigate the effect of B[a]P on SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells and to explore the potential mechanism for alteration of tubulin-microtubule equilibrium causing mitotic arrest and NPY expression. The present findings showed B[a]P treatment significantly increase number of SH-SY5Y cells in S and G2/M phase as compared to G1 phase and provokes cell cycle arrest that correlated with significant decrease in G0/G1 cells. Immunofluorescence study showed significantly distorted tubulin arrangement from metaphasic plate in formation of bipolar mitotic spindle apparatus. Further, higher doses of B[a]P treatment lead to chromosomal abnormalities accompanied by DNA damage due ROS causing oxidative stress showing significant decrease in tubulin protein around spindle. The results of present study demonstrated that NPY exerts a proliferative and protective effect on B[a]P-induced oxidative stress in a dose-dependent manner in vitro and importantly, these effects may be mediated via mitotic arrest and involved in spindle arrangement during cell division. Our findings addresses a novel pathological outcomes of B[a]P-induced NPY expression by oxidative stress through spindle abnormalities leading to microtubule disruption.

Preventing muscle wasting in certain chronic diseases including cancer is an ongoing challenge. Studies have shown that polyphenols derived from fruits and vegetables show promise in reducing muscle loss in cellular and animal models of muscle wasting. We hypothesized that polyphenols derived from plum (Prunus domestica) could have anabolic and anti-catabolic benefits on skeletal muscle. The effects of a polyphenol-enriched plum extract (PE60) were evaluated in vitro on C2C12 and Colon-26 cancer cells. Treatment of myocytes with plum extract increased the cell size by ~3-fold (p<0.05) and stimulated myoblast differentiation by ~2-fold (p<0.05). Plum extract induced total protein synthesis by ~50% (p<0.05), reduced serum deprivation- induced total protein degradation by ~30% (P<0.05), and increased expression of IGF-1 by ~2-fold (p<0.05). Plum extract also reduced TNFα-induced NFkB activation by 80% (p<0.05) in A549/NFkB-luc cells. In addition, plum extract inhibited growth of Colon-26 cancer cells, and attenuated cytotoxicity in C2C12 myoblasts induced by soluble factors released from Colon-26 cells. In conclusion, our data suggest that plum extract may have pluripotent health benefits on muscle based on its demonstrated ability to promote myogenesis, stimulate muscle protein synthesis, and inhibit protein degradation. It also appears to protect muscle cell from tumor-induced cytotoxicity.

Circadian rhythm (CR) influences various physiological functions, including physical and cognitive performance, which fluctuate throughout the day. The present study aimed to investigate the combined and separate effects of CR and physical fatigue on cognitive and physical performance. A sample of 18 amateur athletes was subjected to a series of tests at three different times of the day: morning, afternoon, and evening. Fatigue was induced following isokinetic concentric exercise combined with a 20-minute treadmill run, followed by assessments of selected physical and cognitive tasks. Repeated measures ANOVA did not reveal an interaction between CR and fatigue in cognitive performance (p &gt; 0.05). However, a significant main effect of fatigue was observed in visual reaction time (VisRT) across all three time points. Moreover, peak torque (PT) and peak torque fatigue index (PTFI) showed significant differences between the three times of the day, peaking in the evening. Although we found no interaction between CR and physical fatigue state on selected cognitive parameters at the three times of day, a separate effect of fatigue on cognitive performance was identified. Additionally, physical parameters exhibited peak values occurring in the evening hours. Future research should further explore underlying mechanisms that potentially influence cognitive performance at different times of the day.

The mechanization of agricultural activities has led to indiscriminate deposition of toxic xenobiotics, including organophosphates in the biomes, and this has led to intoxication characterized with deleterious oxidative and neuronal changes. This study investigated the consequences of oxidative and neurogenic disruptions that follow exposure to two organophosphates, chlorpyrifos (CPF) and dichlorvos (DDVP) on neuro-cognitive performance and anxiety-like behaviors in rats Thirty-two adult male Wistar rats (150 – 170g) were randomly divided into 4 groups, orally exposed to normal saline (NS), DDVP (8.8mg/kg), CPF (14.9mg/kg) and DDVP+CPF for 14 consecutive days. On day 10 of exposures, anxiety-like behaviors and amygdala dependent fear learning were assessed using Open Field and Elevated Plus Maze paradigms respectively, while spatial working memory was assessed on day 14 in the Morris water maze paradigm, following 3 training trials each on days 11, 12 and 13. On day 15, the rats were euthanized, and their brains excised, hippocampus and amygdala removed, 5 of which were homogenized and centrifuged to analyze nitric oxide (NO) metabolites, total reactive oxygen species (ROS), and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and the other three processed for histology (cresyl violet stain) and proliferative marker (Ki67 immunohistochemistry). Marked (p≤0.05) loss in body weight, AChE depletion, and overproduction of both NO and ROS were observed after repeated exposure to individual and combined doses of CPF and DDVP. Insults from DDVP exposure appeared more severe owing to the observed greater losses in the body weights of exposed rats. There was also a significant (p≤0.05) effect on the cognitive behaviors recorded from the exposed rats, and these deficits were related to the oxidative damage and neurogenic cell loss in the hippocampus and the amygdala of the exposed rats. Taken together, these results provided an insight that oxidative and neurogenic damages are central to the severity of neuro-cognitive dysfunction and increased anxiety-like behaviors that follow organophosphate poisoning.

One of the major concerns in structural health management (SHM) is the early detection of a growing crack. Using this, future damage due to crack propagation can be mitigated or eliminated by implementing proper repair and maintenance. Acoustic Emission (AE) is a non-destructive testing (NDT) method with potential applications for locating and monitoring fatigue cracks. The research presented in this paper focuses on SHM using AE. A novel AE signal analysis approach was proposed in order to detect crack initiation and assess small crack lengths. Experimental investigation indicated that initiation of a crack could be identified through the statistical analysis of the resulting features of the AE signals. A probabilistic AE-based model for small fatigue crack sizing was developed and the uncertainties of the model were estimated. In addition, a probabilistic model validation approach was implemented to confirm accurate estimation of the results. The outcome of this research can be used to evaluate the integrity of structures under fatigue loading. The proposed approach can also be applied as an approach to manage health and assess prognosis of structures.

Accurate power curve modelling is essential to continuously evaluate the performance of a wind turbine (WT). In this work, we characterize the wind power curves using SCADA data acquired at a frequency of 5 minutes in a wind farm (WF) consisting of 5 WTs. Regarding the non-parametric methods, we select artificial neural networks (ANNs) to make curve estimations. Given that, we have the curves provided by the manufacturer of the WTs given by some very precisely measured pair of wind speed and power points. We can evaluate the difference between the manufacturer characterization and the ones estimated with the data provided by the SCADA system. Before the estimation, we propose a method of filtering the anomalies based on the characteristics provided by the manufacturer. We use three-quarters of the available data for curve estimation and one-quarter for the test. One WT suffered a break in the test part, so we can check how the test estimates reflect this problem in its wind-power curve compared to the estimations obtained in the WTs that worked adequately.

With the rapid development of wind power generations, the inertial response of wind turbines (WTs) are widely concerned recently, which is important for grid frequency dynamic and stability. This paper recognizes and understands the inertial response of type-3 and type-4 WTs from the view of equivalent internal voltage, in analogy with typical synchronous generators (SGs). Due to the dynamic of the equivalent inertial voltage different from SGs, the electromechanical inertia of WTs is completely hidden. The rapid power control loop and synchronization control loop is the main reasons that the WT's inertial response is disenabled. On the basis of the equivalent internal voltage's dynamic, the existing inertia control method for WTs are reviewed and summarized as three approaches from the view of WT's control, i.e. optimizing the power control or synchronization control or both. At last, the main challenges and issues of these inertia controls are attempted to explain and address.

Laminitis is considered as an important underlying cause of lameness diseases, yet its specific pathogenesis remains unclear. Autophagy is an intracellular degradation mechanism that controls recycling of membrane-associated integrin and may aid in the progression of metabolic diseases. But the significance of autophagy for initiation and development of laminitis is unknown. The present study aimed to explore autophagy activity in the laminar tissue of dairy cows with oligofructose-induced laminitis. Twelve healthy non-pregnant Holstein cows were randomly divided to 2 groups of 6 cows each, entitled the control group and the oligofructose overload group (OF group), respectively. At 0 h, cows in OF group were gavaged with oligofructose (17 g/kg BW) dissolved in warm deionized water (20 mL/kg BW) through oral rumen tube, and dairy cows in control group were gavaged with the same volume of deionized water by the same method. At -72 h before perfusion as well as 0 h, 6 h, 12 h, 18 h, 24 h, 36 h, 48 h, 60 h, and 72 h after perfusion, clinical evaluations in both groups were monitored. After 72 h, laminar tissues of dairy cows in both groups were collected to examine genes and proteins. We found the significantly higher (P<0.05) levels of mRNA ATG5, ATG12, and Becilin1, but P62 and mTOR were extensively lower (P<0.01) in the laminar tissue of the OF group than the control group. Protein expression level of Becilin-1 was higher significantly (P<0.05), and the protein expression level of LC3II was lower significantly (P<0.05) in OF group than control group. However, the expression of P62 reduced (P>0.05) non-significantly in OF group than control group. The distribution of Beclin1 protein in laminar tissue increased (P<0.01) significantly, and distribution of P62 protein decreased (P<0.05) significantly in OF group than control group. In conclusion, laminar tissue damage occurred during the onset of laminitis, which promoted the occurrence of autophagy, and confirmed that autophagy was involved in the regulation and pathogenesis of laminitis in dairy cows.

This study investigates the interpretability of machine learning (ML) models applied to cumulative damage prediction during a sequence of earthquakes, emphasizing the use of techniques such as SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP), Partial Dependence Plots (PDPs), Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME), Accumulated Local Effects (ALE), Permutation and Impurity-based technique. The research explores the cumulative damage during seismic sequences, aiming to identify critical predictors and assess their influence on the cumulative damage. Moreover, the predictors contribution in respect with the range of final damage is evaluated. Nonlinear time history analyses are applied to extract the seismic response of an eight-story Reinforced Concrete (RC) frame. The regression problem’s input variables are divided into two distinct physical classes: pre-existing damage from the initial seismic event and seismic parameters representing the intensity of the subsequent earthquake, expressed by Park and Ang damage index (DIPA) and Intensity Measures (IMs), respectively. The study offers a comprehensive review of cutting-edge ML methods, hyperparameter tuning, and ML method comparisons. A LightGBM model emerges as the most efficient, among 15 different ML methods examined, with critical predictors for final damage being the initial damage caused by the first shock and the IMs of the subsequent shock: IFVF and SIH. The importance of these predictors is supported by feature importance analysis and local/global explanation methods, enhancing the interpretability and practical utility of the developed model.

Focal cerebral ischemia can lead to blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown, which is implicated in neuroinflammation and elevation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The role of the anti-inflammatory protein, monocyte chemotactic protein–induced protein 1 (MCPIP1) plays in the injury of BBB in stroke has not yet been reported. This study was conducted to identify and characterize the role MCPIP1 plays in BBB breakdown. Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) is induced in both wild-type and Mcpip1^-/- mice for 2 hours of occlusion periods followed by reperfusion for 24 or 48 hours. BBB permeability was measured by FITC-dextran extravasation, MMP-9/3 expression was analyzed by western blot, and claudin-5 and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and western blot. After MCAO in wild type mouse is induced, there is significantly increase in MCPIP1 mRNA and protein levels. Absence of MCPIP1 leaded to significant increase in FITC-dextran leakage in peri-infarct brain, significant upregulation of MMP-9, MMP-3 and reduced levels of tight junction components, claudin-5 and ZO-1 in the brain after MCAO. Our data demonstrate that absence of MCPIP1 exacerbates ischemia-induced blood-brain barrier disruption by enhancing the expression of matrix metalloproteinases and degradation of tight junction proteins. Overall data indicate that MCPIP1 is important protective role against BBB disruption in cerebral ischemia.

Although many attempts have been made to improve the efficacy of radiotherapy to treat cancer, radiation resistance is still an obstacle in lung cancer treatment. Oridonin is a natural compound with promising antitumor efficacy that can trigger cancer cell death; however, its direct cellular targets, efficacy as a radiosensitizer, and underlying mechanisms of activity remain unclear. Herein, we report that oridonin exhibits additive cytotoxic and antitumor activity with radiation using H460 non-small cell lung cancer cell lines. We assessed the radiosensitizing effect of oridonin by MTT, clonogenic, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, DNA damage, and apoptosis assays. In vitro, oridonin enhanced the radiation-induced inhibition of cell growth and clonogenic survival. Oridonin also facilitated radiation-induced ROS production and DNA damage and enhanced apoptotic cell death. In vivo, the combination of oridonin and radiation effectively inhibited H460 xenograft tumor growth, with higher caspase-3 activation and H2A histone family member X (H2AX) phosphorylation compared with that of radiation alone. Our findings suggest that oridonin possesses a novel mechanism to enhance radiation therapeutic responses by increasing DNA damage and apoptosis. In conclusion, oridonin may be a novel small molecule to improve radiotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer.

Nonlinear properties of zinc germanium diphosphide (ZGP) crystals enable their ap-plications in powerful mid-IR optical parametric oscillators and second-harmonic generators. This paper summarizes mechanisms of the laser induced damage (LID) in high-purity ZGP crystals under periodically pulsed nanosecond irradiation by a Ho3+:YAG laser at 2.1 μm. The ZGP samples were manufactured by “LOC” Ent., Tomsk, Russia, or Harbin Institute of Technology, China. The impact of processing techniques and the post-growing methods for polishing and anti-reflection coating on the LID threshold are discussed. The importance of the defect structure of the crystal lattice and the parameters of transparent coatings for increasing the LID threshold is discussed. The impact of the test laser parameters on the LID threshold is analyzed. The transient area near the LID threshold obtained using digital holography is ana-lyzed. Influence of the pre-damage processes on the optical parametric oscillations is reported. Prospects for improving ZGP crystals to further increase the LID threshold are discussed.

This paper presents a system for identification of wind features, such as gusts and wind shear. These are of particular interest in the context of energy-efficient navigation of Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). The proposed system generates real-time wind vector estimates and a novel algorithm to generate wind field predictions. Estimations are based on the integration of an off-the-shelf navigation system and airspeed readings in a so-called direct approach. Wind predictions use atmospheric models to characterize the wind field with different statistical analyses. During the prediction stage, the system is able to incorporate, in a big-data approach, wind measurements from previous flights in order to enhance the approximations. Wind estimates are classified and fitted into a Weibull probability density function. A Genetic Algorithm (GA) is utilized to determine the shaping and scale parameters of the distribution, which are employed to determine the most probable wind speed at a certain position. The system uses this information to characterize a wind shear or a discrete gust and also utilizes a Gaussian Process regression to characterize continuous gusts. The knowledge of the wind features is crucial for computing energy-efficient trajectories with low cost and payload. Therefore, the system provides a solution that does not require any additional sensors. The system architecture presents a modular decentralized approach, in which the main parts of the system are separated in modules and the exchange of information is managed by a communication handler to enhance upgradeability and maintainability. Validation is done providing preliminary results of both simulations and Software-In-The-Loop testing. Telemetry data collected from real flights, performed in the Seville Metropolitan Area in Andalusia (Spain), was used for testing. Results show that wind estimation and predictions can be calculated at 1 Hz and a wind map can be updated at 0.4 Hz. Predictions show a convergence time with a 95% confidence interval of approximately 30 s.

In the context of the Korean building structure standard KDS2022, wind loads can be readily calculated in terms of the along-wind, across-wind, and torsional components, based on a single wind direction. However, this approach falls short in accurately and safely evaluating the impact of winds from various directions. Therefore, in this study, we developed a Wind Load Calculation Program (WCP) capable of predicting wind loads with relative precision during the preliminary design phase. First, wind tunnel tests were conducted to identify the essential factors necessary for calculating wind loads and the variables influencing these factors. The building shape considered was a square, and the wind force coefficients and power spectral density were measured by combining 4 ground roughness values, 11 side ratios (), 4 aspect ratios (), and wind directions ranging from 0° to 90°. Subsequently, a generalized formulation was devised to facilitate wind load calculations across diverse conditions and a method for calculating load combination coefficients, considering response correlation and load simultaneity, was presented. Finally, the wind loads obtained from the wind tunnel tests were compared with those predicted by the WCP using an actual project model.

The interaction between the grid network and the offshore wind power plant (WPP) network can lead to the amplification of certain harmonics and potentially resonant conditions. Offshore WPP should limit the increment of harmonic voltage distortion at the point of connection to the grid network as well as within their internal network. The harmonic distortion should be limited within the planning level limits using harmonic compensation, which is usually achieved by using static filters. In this paper an active damping compensation strategy with a STATCOM using emulation of resistance at the harmonic frequencies of concern is analysed. Such a compensation is effective for the local bus, though the performance is not guaranteed at the remote bus. This paper investigates the challenges associated with remote harmonic compensation in the offshore WPP, which is connected to the onshore grid through long high-voltage cables and transformers. First, the harmonic distortion and the compensating effects of the filter are theoretically assessed. Afterwards, they are demonstrated using harmonic propagation studies and time domain simulations in PSCAD.

To facilitate the computation of the uniaxial compressive strength value of the cemented paste backfill under the condition of high sand-cement ratio, and to analyze the size effect of the cemented paste backfill with high sand-cement ratio under varied aspect ratios, the cemented paste backfill specimens with sand-cement ratios of 8:1-24:1 and aspect ratios of 0.5, 1, and 2 were prepared. Through response surface experiments and finite element analysis, the influence of three aspect ratios on the cemented paste backfill strength was explored, and the failure characteristics and size effect mechanisms of cemented paste backfill with various aspect ratios were analyzed. The model of strength conversion between cemented paste backfill with different aspect ratios was established. The results show that the compressive strength of the cemented paste backfill decreases with the increase of the aspect ratio under the same mass concentration and sand-cement ratio. When the aspect ratio is 0.5 and 1, the splitting failure is the main factor; when the aspect ratio is 2, the shearing failure is the main factor. The three-dimensional stress caused by the end effect of the cemented paste backfill is the main reason for the high strength when the aspect ratio is 0.5. Due to the one-dimensional stress zone generated in the middle of the cemented paste backfill with an aspect ratio of 2 in the laboratory, its strength value is closer to the actual uniaxial compressive strength value of the cemented paste backfill. The strength values of the cemented paste backfill with aspect ratios of 0.5 and 1 were higher than the actual uniaxial compressive strength values in the laboratory. The rationality of the theoretical analysis was verified by the ABAQUS analysis results. According to the experimental results, a strength conversion model between different aspect ratios is established, which can provide a reference for the design of the uniaxial compressive strength of the cemented paste backfill.

This paper reassesses the detrimental effect on fatigue performance due to thicker sections based on extensive fatigue strength test database, taken from research program worldwide over the past half of a century in offshore oil &amp; gas and renewable industry. The data entries in the database have been evaluated to ensure its data integrity. Statistical analyses on these S-N data are performed with or without the thickness correction at different exposure level to corrosive environment, in order to re-evaluate the suitability of current standards in regard to the thickness effect. The study has concentrated on T-joint, transverse butt welded joint and tubular joint as these are the most commonly used joint types in the offshore wind industry. The analysis indicates general agreement of fatigue strength with the thickness effects in current standard for in air conditions but great conservatism for corrosive environment.

Enhanced oil recovery using nanoparticles is a promising method. However, when injected into a reservoir, nanoparticles can block pores and cause permeability damage. Therefore, enhancing their performance to lower the permeability damage effect is crucial. This study investigated the effect of pH alteration through carbon dioxide (CO2) injection on the permeability damage of limestone caused by the aluminum oxide (α-Al2O3) nanofluid. The methodology involved nanofluid alternating CO2 core flooding experiments by using nanofluids with pH of 4.5 and 2.8. After core flooding, permeability damage was calculated as a percentage of the reduction of the original permeability. The results revealed that the permeability damage in the case of nanofluid alternating CO2 injection was 23.23%. In only nanofluid with a pH of 4.5 injection case, permeability damage was 47.53%. In the 2.8 pH nanofluid injection case, permeability damage was 31.01%. The retention of nanoparticles was confirmed through scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Permeability damage could be attributed to a large nanoparticles’ agglomeration size, roughness of pore surfaces, and nanoparticle sedimentation. The results of the study revealed that altering pH through the α-Al2O3 nanofluid alternating CO2 injection can effectively reduce the permeability damage of limestone.

Magnetorheological processing was applied to polish the working surfaces of the ZnGeP2 single crystal, in which a non-aqueous liquid with magnetic particles of carbonyl iron with the addition of nanodiamonds was used. Samples of a single crystal ZnGeP2 with an angstrom level of surface roughness were received. the use of MRP has allowed more accurately characterizing possible structural defects that have emerged on the surface of a single crystal and have a size of ~ 0.5-1.5 μm. the LIDT value at the indicated or-ders of magnitude of the surface roughness parameters is determined not by the quality of polishing, but by the number of point depressions caused by physical limitations of the structural configuration of the crystal volume. These results are in good agreement with the assumption made about a significant effect of the concentration of dislocations in a ZnGeP2 crystal on LIDT.

In various models of chronic kidney disease, the amount and localization of Cx43 in the nephron is known to increase, but the intracellular pathways that regulate these changes have not been identified. Therefore, we proposed that: "In the model of renal damage induced by infusion of angiotensin II (AngII), a RhoA/ROCK-dependent pathway, is activated and regulates the abundance of renal Cx43”. In rats, we evaluated: 1) the time-point where the renal damage induced by AngII is no longer reversible; and 2) the involvement of a RhoA/ROCK-dependent pathway and its relationship with the amount of Cx43 in this irreversible stage. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and renal function (urinary protein/urinary creatinine: Uprot/UCrea) were evaluated as systemic and organ outcomes, respectively. In kidney tissue, we also evaluated: 1) oxidative stress (amount of thiobarbituric acid reactive species), 2) inflammation (immunoperoxidase detection of the inflammatory markers ED-1 and IL-1β), 3) fibrosis (immune detection of type III collagen; Col III) and 4) activity of RhoA/ROCK (amount of phosphorylated MYPT1; p-MYPT1). The ratio Uprot/UCrea, SBP, oxidative stress, inflammation, amount of Cx43 and p-MYPT1 remained high 2 weeks after suspending AngII treatment in rats treated for 4 weeks with AngII. These responses were not observed in rats treated with AngII for less than 4 weeks, in which all measurements returned spontaneously close to the control values after suspending AngII treatment. Rats treated with AngII for 6 weeks and co-treated for the last 4 weeks with Fasudil, an inhibitor of ROCK, showed high SBP but did not present renal damage or increased amount of renal Cx43. Therefore, renal damage induced by AngII correlates with the activation of RhoA/ROCK and the increase in Cx43 amounts and can be prevented by inhibitors of this pathway.

Oligonol is a low-molecular-weight polyphenol derived from lychee fruit. This study was conducted to examine whether oligonol has an ameliorative effect on diabetes-induced pancreatic damage via oxidative stress-induced inflammation. Oligonol was orally administered at 10 or 20 mg/kg body weight/day for 10 days to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, and changes in serum glucose, C-peptide, insulin, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) levels as well as body weight and food and water consumption were assessed. Furthermore, rat pancreases were analyzed for weight, ROS generation, TBARS level, insulin content, and protein expressions of phosphor (p)-p38, p-extracellular-signal regulated kinase 1/2, p-inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa Bα, nuclear factor-kappa Bp65, cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6. Markers of diabetes were shown to be decreased by oligonol administration and histological damage in the pancreas was also ameliorated. These results indicate that oligonol exerts antidiabetic activities, which may be mediated via antioxidative, stress-related, anti-inflammatory signaling.

The Interdisciplinary Canadian Collaborative ME Research Network (ICanCME), established in 2019, aims to foster research in Canada and contribute to finding the causes and possible treatments for myalgic encephalomyelitis /chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), thereby reducing the impact of ME/CFS on the health of Canadians. The main objectives of this paper are to suggest standards for ME/CFS research for the collection of data from participants (Recommended Data Elements) and to consider other factors, such as design, language, cultural issues, equity, and diversity. Consensus of the relevant contents of this research guideline was reached during the ICanCME working group meetings and were based on existing guidelines. Members of the working group contributed to guideline development based on their respective expertise. The proposed research guidelines could improve research quality and advance knowledge in the field of ME/CFS, and ultimately benefit ME/CFS patients.

Objective: Infliximab (IFX) concentrations are a predictive factor (PF) of pharmacokinetic (PK) origin in the treatment of Crohn’s disease (CD). We evaluated clearance, another PF of PK origin, either alone or in combination with concentrations. Methods: PF of PK origin were evaluated from two cohorts, the first received standard dosing (n=37), and the second was designed to proactively target therapeutic IFX concentrations (n=108). Concentrations were measured using homogenous mobility shift assay. Clearance was estimated using nonlinear mixed effects methods with Bayesian priors. C-reactive protein based clinical remission (<3mg/L in the absence of symptoms) was used for the disease control outcome. Longitudinal changes in disease control due to factors including time, IFX concentration, and clearance were analyzed using repeated event analysis. Change in objective function value (∆OFV) was calculated to compare concentration and clearance. Results: Lower baseline clearance and proactive dosing associated with enhanced disease control during induction (p<0.01). Higher IFX concentrations and lower Clearance measured at the second, third and fourth infusion yielded improved disease control during maintenance (p<0.032). During maintenance, the association with disease control was better with clearance than with concentrations (∆OFV= -19.2; p<0.001), and the combination of both further minimized OFV (p<0.001) with markedly improved clinical yield in the presence of both PF of PK origin. Conclusion: PF of PK origin and lower clearance during induction and maintenance yielded enhanced disease control in pediatric CD treated with IFX. The combination of IFX concentration and clearance are better predictors of therapeutic outcome compared to either one alone.

This paper designed a new type of generator, transgenerator, that integrates the wind turbine and flywheel into one system, aiming to make the flywheel distributed energy storage (FDES) more modular and scalable than the conventional FDES. The transgenerator is a three-member dual-mechanical-port (DMP) machine with two rotating members (inner and outer rotors) and one stationary member (stator). The transgenerator-flywheel system is introduced with the system configuration, transgenerator overview, flywheel operation principle and power management strategies, and control system. Simulations are performed in MATLAB/ Simulink to verify the system viability, including control system verification and the flywheel storage performance evaluation. Results show that the inner and outer rotors can be controlled independently with accurate and fast control response, and the grid-side control works properly. The flywheel performs well with considerable charging power and storage capacity.

The Sustainable Development Center of the University of Brasilia is one of the modernist buildings that make up the Darcy Ribeiro campus. The architectural project contains several recommendations for the execution of the flat roof waterproofing system, as well as details for rainwater runoff and drainage, which reveals a certain concern with watertightness. The research seeks to identify the relationship between the pathological manifestations recognized on the roof and the semicircular shape of the building, assessing the state of conservation through the use of damage maps as an analysis tool. The article is based on a field survey using aerophotogrammetry with a drone, the application of vector drawing software for graphic representation and discussion of the possible causes, agents and mechanisms of degradation at work. The results show the importance of mechanical protection for the good performance of the waterproofing system, as well as the need for correct sizing of expansion joints in order to absorb and relieve the stresses caused by hygrothermal variations. The methodology incorporated proved to be effective and economical in diagnosing and monitoring pathological manifestations, making it possible to plan maintenance actions that extend the useful life and preserve the intrinsic characteristics of building systems.

An untrained couch potato involuntarily forced to undergo a long strenuous exercise towards exhaustion will feel it at the end as a discomforting fatigue. A well-trained athlete will feel the same but after a longer time. Patients of various neurological diseases will do so much earlier. All may also finally experience muscle pain and soreness the next day.Muscle fatigue is an exercise-induced reduction in maximal voluntary muscle force. Muscle fatigability varies with muscle use, age and sex. It is commonly divided into two broad categories: peripheral and central fatigue. The first refers to the many processes in the fatiguing muscle(s), the second to subsequent processes in the central nervous system (CNS). Peripheral muscle fatigue can be caused by numerous different mechanisms, ranging from the accumulation of metabolites within muscle fibers to their damage. Central fatigue involves the inadequacy of the CNS to generate and maintain sufficiently strong motor command. There must of course be a mediator relating the two fatigue types, and this is the collection of small-diameter group III (Aδ) and IV (C) nerve fibers emanating from the muscle and distributing their activation effects throughout the CNS.Muscle fatigue develops during eventually exhausting exercise that goes along with activations of the cardio-vascular and respiratory system to supply oxygen and energy resources. While these functions are supported by a number of sensory afferents, fatigue-activated group III/IV muscle afferents have been proposed to contribute their share to cardio-vascular and ventilatory reflex responses that are mediated in the brainstem. Neural feedback from working skeletal muscle is a vital component in providing a high capacity for endurance exercise because muscle perfusion and O₂ delivery determine the fatigability of skeletal muscle (Amann 2012).The development of chronic muscle fatigue is related to muscle wasting mediated by aging, myopathies, muscle dystrophies, immobilization, insulin resistance, diseases associated with systemic inflammation (arthritis, sepsis, infections), trauma, cardio-vascular (heart failure) and respiratory disorders (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)), chronic kidney failure, multiple sclerosis (MS), and, more recently, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The limitedness of the nonrenewable local energy resources in Israel, even in background of the later gas fields’ findings, continues to force the state to devote various efforts for the ‘green’ energy development. These efforts include installations both in the solar and in the wind energy, with a purpose to improve the diversity of energy sources. While the standard discounted cash flow (DCF) method using the net present value (NPV) criterion is extensively adopted to evaluate investments, the standard DCF method is inappropriate for the rapidly changing investment climate and for the managerial flexibility in investment decisions. In recent years, the real options analysis (ROA) technique is widely applied in many studies for valuation of renewable energy investment projects. Hence, we apply in this study the real options analysis approach for the valuation of wind energy turbines and apply it to the analysis of wind energy economic potential in Israel.

In this work, we explore the ability to dynamically group the Wind Turbine (WT) of a Wind Farm (WF) based on the behaviour of some of their Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) signals to detect the turbines that exhibit abnormal behaviour. We centre this study on a small WF of five WTs. We use the fact that the same signals from different turbines in the same WF coherently evolve temporally in a time domain, describing very similar waveforms. In this contribution, we use averaged signals from the SCADA system and omit maximums, minimums and standard deviations, focusing mainly on velocities and other slowly varying signals. For the temporal analysis, sliding windows of different temporal durations and overlapings are explored. The capability to automatically identify WTs whose signals differ from the group’s behaviour can alert and program preventive maintenance operations on such WTs before a major breakdown occurs.

The increasing demand for cost-effective floating offshore wind turbines (FOWT) necessitates streamlined mass production and efficient assembly strategies. This research investigates the assembly and integration of 15 MW FOWT floaters, utilising a semi-submersible floater equipped with a 15 MW wind turbine. The infrastructure and existing port facilities of Taiwan are used as an example. The effectiveness of various assembly and integration strategies has been evaluated. The study outlines equipment and infrastructure requirements for on-quay floater and turbine assembly, comparing on-quay assembly versus construction at remote locations and subsequent towing. Detailed analyses of port operations, crane specifications, and assembly procedures are presented, emphasizing the critical role of crane selection and configuration. The findings indicate that on-quay assembly at one major port is feasible and cost-effective, provided that port infrastructure and operational logistics are optimised. This research offers insights and recommendations for implementing large-scale FOWT projects, contributing to advancing offshore wind energy deployment.

Numerical calculations of ultraviolet to near-infrared absorption spectra by cadmium selenide quantum dots (CdSe QDs) doped in anodic aluminum oxide pores were performed using a finite-difference time-domain model. The height, diameter, and periodic spacing of the pores were optimized. Light absorption by the dots was enhanced by increasing the height and decreasing the diameter of the pores. When the height was less than 1 μm, visible light absorption was enhanced as the spacing was reduced from 400 nm to 100 nm. No enhancement was observed for heights greater than 6 μm. Finally, the optical mode coupling of the aluminum oxide and the quantum dots was enhanced by decreasing the pore diameter and periodic spacing, and increasing the height. Laser ablation verified light absorption enhancement by the CdSe QDs. The experiment verified the improvement of the laser-induced damage ability with wavelength of 355-nm after aluminum alloy 6061 coated with functional films, which was fabricated based on numerical calculations.

The intentional damages to local Cultural Heritage sites carried out in recent months by the Islamic State have received wide coverage from the media worldwide. Earth Observation data provide important information to assess these damages in such non-accessible areas, and automated image processing techniques would be needed to speed up the analysis if a fast response is desired. This paper shows the first results of applying fast and robust change detection techniques to sensitive areas, based on the extraction of textural information and robust differences of brightness values related to pre- and post-disaster satellite images. A map highlighting potentially damaged buildings is derived, which could help experts at timely assessing the damages to the Cultural Heritage sites of interest. Encouraging results are obtained for two archaeological sites in Syria and Iraq.

This study aimed to investigate the fatigue performance and interfacial strengthening mechanisms of Al6061-to-Cu dissimilar lap joints via electromagnetic pulse welding (EMPW). The load-bearing capacity of the joints at discharge voltages of 14 kV and 16 kV was superior to that of 12 kV. Furthermore, the fatigue life of the 14 kV joints was one order of magnitude higher compared to the 12 kV joints. SEM observation of the fatigue fracture surface revealed the presence of typical "tire-mark" fatigue striations only in the 14 kV joint, indicating higher ductility and the ability to withstand extended plastic deformation. Notably, ultra-fine nanocrystalline Al2Cu phase, amorphous phase, and numerous dislocations hindered EBSD acquisition in the transition zone. Nevertheless, dense low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) and refined grains were examined at the bonding interface. This suggests that the high-velocity collision caused severe plastic deformation and led to the formation of substructures. The interfacial strength was attributed not only to the "wave-like" or "inverted hook-like" diffusion layer but also to the presence of refined grains along the interface and nanocrystalline Al2Cu in the transition zone. Furthermore, the hybrid nanocrystalline-amorphous microstructure strengthened the joint by regulating the balance between strength and ductility.

The new slide roller burnishing (SRB) method has been developed to produce mirror-like surfaces. Unlike conventional roller burnishing (RB), SRB is implemented through a unique device that allows the axes of the deforming roller and the rotary workpiece to cross resulting in a relative sliding velocity that can be controlled (in magnitude and direction) by varying the crossing angle. In the present work, the effect of SRB on the fatigue behavior of AISI 316 steel fatigue specimens was investigated by comparing with a conventional RB using the basic correlation in surface engineering: finishing–surface integrity (SI)–operating behavior. To obtain a more representative picture of the comparison, we implemented each method (RB and SRB) with two combinations of governing factors: (A) a radius of the roller toroidal surface of 3 mm, a burnishing force of 250 N and feed rate of 0.05 mm/rev (RB-A and SRB-A) and (B) a radius of the roller toroidal surface of 4 mm, a burnishing force of 550 N and feed rate of 0.11 mm/rev (RB-B and SRB- B). Both SRB-A (crossing angle of –45°) and SRB-B (crossing angle of –30°) achieved mirror-finish surfaces. SRB-B lead to the greatest fatigue strength and, thus, the longest fatigue life among all tested processes. SRB-B created the deepest zone (&gt;0.5 mm) with residual compressive macro-stresses and a clearly defined modified surface layer, whose thickness of more than 20 m is about twice that created by the other three processes.

Presently, Jordan confronts a double substantial challenge of enhancing energy security and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. One of the most encouraging avenues to attain the objectives of sustainable development, energy security, and environmental conservation is to enhance the integration of renewable energy into the generation of electricity. In pursuit of this goal, the Jordanian government intends to expand investments in the green energy sector, with solar and wind energy poised to play a key role in satisfying energy demands and cultivating an environmental sustainability. This paper aims to examine the distinctive dynamics, challenges, obstacles, and potential solutions corresponding to the establishment of community solar and wind farms in Jordan suburban areas. It aims to highlight the opportunities and barriers influencing the track of sustainable energy adoption in the country. Through a comprehensive analysis of the Jordanian context, the goal is to extract insights that can guide policies and practices. Additionally, the findings may serve as a valuable benchmark for other regions confronting similar challenges on their pursuit for a sustainable energy future.

Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) are receiving more and more attention as they involve simple design, cope better with turbulence and are insensitive to wind direction which has a huge impact on the cost since the yaw mechanism is not needed. However, VAWTs still suffer from low conversion efficiency. As a results tremendous efforts are exerted to improve its efficiency which mainly focus on two methods regardless of whether the study is a CFD simulation or a field test or lab test experiment. An active approach which involves the modification of the rotor itself such as the blade design, angle, trailing and leading edges, inner blades, chord thickness, contra-rotating rotor, etc. While the second approach involves passive techniques where the flow is directed to optimally face the downwind rotor by mounting a guiding vane such as a diffuser or other shapes at the upwind position of the rotor. Among all techniques undertaken, the CRWT rotor technique seems to be the most effective with an output even comparable to that of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWT), while the Savonius rotor received more attention compared to other designs of VAWTs. Apart from technological issues, it was also suggested that geographical issues such as proper site siting of the wind turbine rotor at a particular location where a uniform flow could be guaranteed is of paramount importance to ensure an effective conversion capacity of wind turbines.

This study presents a numerical analysis of rock deformation and damage behaviors induced by dynamic loadings, specifically focusing on the fracturing of tight oil reservoirs. An elastoplastic model based on finite element methods was utilized to simulate the effects of varying loading and perforation parameters. Three distinct scenarios were modeled: a single perforation, boundary loading on three sides, and multiple perforations, each providing unique insights into the mechanical responses of the rock material. The analysis revealed that dynamic effects are highly localized around perforations and loaded boundaries across all scenarios. Acceleration magnitudes are captured with rapid attenuation observed as the distance from the perforation increased. This indicated that the highest stress concentrations and deformation occurred close to the points of loading or perforation. Strain rate analysis in the x direction showed significant fluctuations near the perforations, reflecting intense stress redistributions and compressive deformation, especially prominent in the scenario with multiple perforations. Plastic strain, representing irreversible damage, was found to concentrate near perforation tips and loaded boundaries. However, the pattern of plastic strain accumulation varied: in the small domain scenario with boundary loading, plastic strain did not immediately accumulate next to the loading boundary, whereas in scenarios with single and multiple perforations, damage developed from the loading boundaries. These findings highlight the need for precise control in perforation and dynamic loading processes to manage stress and deformation effectively. It is concluded that optimizing perforation patterns and loading strategies can enhance reservoir stimulation efficiency while minimizing unintended damage to the surrounding formation.

The present study aims to elucidate the effect of melatonin (MEL) on dexamethasone (DEX)-induced reproductive impairments in rats. Rats were procured and acclimatized with adequate food and water ad libitum. Twenty-four rats were divided into four groups (six in each) of Control, DEX (70µg/100g bw), DEX plus MEL, and MEL (200µg/100g bw) for 21 days. After completion, rats were sacrificed, and testes were dissected, weighed, and processed for biochemical, and receptor expression. Serum was collected for hormonal assay. DEX-treated rats showed a significant increase in lipid peroxidation (TBARS), a decrease in weight of the body and testes, and the level of antioxidative enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione oxidase (GSH), glutathione reductase (GR), glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), glutathione S-transferase (GST)), total cellular protein content, serum testosterone, corticosterone, LH, FSH, melatonin levels, AR, MT1, and MT2 receptor expression. Marked cellular alterations were noted in the testis histology of the DEX group. Melatonin treated in DEX rats showed recovery and restoration in gravimetric, serum hormonal, biochemical parameters, receptor expression, and cellularity of testes. Therefore, findings suggest that melatonin improved defence against DEX-induced testicular damages suggesting its therapeutic potential for the management of male reproductive health.

This paper seeks to model the crack propagation in of AAs (aluminum-alloys) 2524-T3 and 7050-T7452 subjected to fatigue loading at low temperature. Fatigue crack growth tests were performed on AAs 2524-T3 and 7050-T7452 subjected to constant-amplitude and actual random-spectra loading histories at room temperature of about 25 °C and at cryogenic temperature of -70 °C, respectively, to determine their crack growth properties and residual lives. The interaction mechanisms between cryogenic temperature and the fatigue load were deduced on the basis of the results of fractographic analysis. Temperature-dependent residual lives under actual random-spectrum load history were modeled based on a modified accumulation damage rule by accounting for the load interaction. Good correlation was achieved between the predictions and actual experiments, demonstrating the practical and effective use of the proposed method.

Quantitative analysis of human gait is critical for early discovery, progressive tracking, and rehabilitation of neurological and musculoskeletal disorders, such as Parkinson’s Disease, stroke, and Cerebral Palsy. Gait analysis typically involves estimating gait characteristics, such as spatio-temporal gait parameters and gait health indicators (e.g., step time, length, symmetry, and balance). Traditional methods of gait analysis involve the use of cameras, wearables, and force plates, but are limited in operational requirements when applied in daily life - such as direct line-of-sight, carrying devices, and dense deployment. This paper introduces a novel approach for gait analysis by passively sensing footstep-induced floor vibrations during walking using vibration sensors mounted on the floor surface. Our approach is non-intrusive, scalable, and perceived as more privacy-friendly, making it suitable for continuous gait health monitoring in daily life. We developed a floor vibration-based gait analysis framework to estimate various gait parameters that are used as standard metrics in medical practices, including temporal parameters (step, stride, stance, swing, double-support, single-support time) and spatial parameters (step length, width, angle, stride length), and extracts gait health indicators (cadence/walking speed, left-right symmetry, gait balance, initial contact types). The main challenge is that floor vibrations are distinct across different floor types. To address this challenge, our approach develops floor-adaptive algorithms to extract floor-specific features and is designed to be generalizable to various settings, including homes, hospitals, and eldercare facilities. We evaluate our approach through real-world walking experiments with 20 adults with 12,231 labeled gait cycles across concrete and wooden floors. Our results show 90.5% (RMSE 0.08s), 71.3% (RMSE 0.38m), and 92.3% (RMSPE 7.7%) accuracy in estimating temporal, spatial parameters, and gait health indicators, respectively.

The degree of ore rock fragmentation of mine blasting is an important index for evaluating the effect of engineering blasting. In order to study the effect of millisecond delayed blasting on the internal fragmentation of the ore rock, LS-DYNA numerical simulation software was used to obtain the damage characteristics of the ore rock in the blasting area using the RHT model. The Mohr-Coulomb strength damage criterion was applied to analyze the internal stress state of the ore rock, and the effects of 25ms, 50ms and 75ms delay time conditions on ore rock fragmentation were studied. The results show that, within a certain range of delay time, the degree of rock fragmentation increases with the increase of delay time. The stress state in the ore rock due to blasting is strengthened with the increase of delay time in the direction of the blast hole, which shows that the stress concentration is strengthened from the excavation face to the interior of the ore rock. The damage and the degree of fragmentation show a characteristic relationship of 25ms＜50ms＜75ms, which is verified by carrying out blasting experiments on site.

Technical components should be produced sustainably and are subject to growing demands in terms of durability and reliability. To meet these expectations, the development of thermochemical processes is auspicious. Titanium alloys, which have a comparatively high gas solubility, allow temporary hydrogen (H) loading, often called thermo hydrogen treatment (THT). THT causes lattice deformation and reduces the β transformation temperature. These effects enable an adjustment of the microstructure, which improves the mechanical properties as compared to those produced conventionally. Furthermore, the process is applicable to complex geometries that cannot be surface hardened by mechanical surface treatment techniques. The investigation presented intends to realize a local microstructure gradient in additively via laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) manufactured cylindrical Ti–6Al–4V specimens by changing the distribution and morphology of strengthening precipitates as well as the β grain size depending on the distance to the surface, which should improve the material fatigue properties. To evaluate the mechanical properties of such THT-induced microstructure gradients, the resulting change in fatigue life in the LCF and HCF range was determined by stress-controlled cyclic deformation tests. Besides, the resulting microstructure was characterized by means of XRD and TEM. In addition to the additively manufactured and thermo hydrogen treated cylindrical specimens, conventionally produced tube-like specimens were thermo hydrogen treated and examined. For the THT-induced microstructure gradients, numerically simulated H concentration profiles as well as experimentally determined hardness profiles were used for the evaluation of the THT process. The study shows that H-loading at 500°C and H-degassing at 750°C, followed by aging at 550°C, allows the establishment of a microstructure gradient that shows an 8% improvement in fatigue properties compared to a reference condition without THT. The reason for this improvement is an increased volume fraction secondary alpha phase in the near-surface area of the specimens. Moreover, the results show that the process is applicable a tube-like specimen with varying wall thicknesses.

The main purpose of this work was to tests of form and size of fatigue wear of the top layer of oil gear pump wheel (3PW-BPF-24). The object of tests was operated during a determined number of hours at strictly controlled operational and environmental parameters. A microscope of focal differentiation by Alicona InfiniteFocus G4 (with Focus-Variation optical measuring technology) was used for an identification, measurement and description of noticed superficial defects, which resulted from the fatigue process of the top layer and an earlier thermochemical treatment. The work was finished with an analysis of obtained results (based on the analysis of 3D scans) and conclusions concerning about optimization of the thermal treatment. Taking into consideration the presented results (suggestions) in the technology of improving strength properties of gear wheels (of this type oil pumps) may render it possible to obtain an appropriate fatigue endurance of the top layer, i.e. a minimization of observed superficial defects.

In this paper, the feasibility and potential assessment (PA) of wind power in six different areas MehalMeda, Eneware, DebreBerhan, AlemKetema, GundoMekel, and Majet are investigated. The data is collected from the National Metrological Agency (NMA) in Addis Ababa and from the districts of the case study areas and analyzed using MATLAB and HOMER software. Using the data collected at 10 meter height, wind direction using a wind rose, the wind frequency distribution, and wind turbine characteristics have been analyzed. Moreover, to obtain a more realistic wind potential study, the wind speed at a 10 meter height is extrapolated to a height of 50 meter in order to determine wind speed, wind power density, and wind energy density. The average wind speed of the zone at 10m and 50m heights are 1.58 m/s and 1.99 m/s, 3.06 m/s and 3.85 m/s, 4.75 m/s and 5.98 m/s, 2.29 m/s and 2.88 m/s, 1.01 m/s and 1.27 m/s and 4.07 and 5.12m/s at Alemketema, Debreberhan, Eneware, Gundemeskel, Majete and Mehalmeda respectively. The extrapolated result shows that the maximum wind speed and power densities at a height of 50 meter for Eneware, MehalMeda and Debre Berhan are 10.4 m/s, 689 W/m2, 8.9m/s, 429 W/m2 and 6.3m/s, 152.2 W/m2 respectively. The energy densities at a height of 50 meter for AlemKetema, DebreBerhan, Eneware, GundoMekel, Majete, and MehalMeda are 181.06 kWh/m2*yr , 1332.83 kWh/ m2*yr, 6078.91 kWh/ m2*yr, 857.76 kWh/ m2*yr, 58.78 kWh/ m2*yr, and 3939.42 kWh/ m2*yr respectively. As per the international standard for wind power and wind speed classification, considering the extrapolated height, Eneware, MehalMeda, and DebreBerhan have feasible wind potential for both small-scale and large-scale wind farm implementation, whereas Majete, AlemKetema, and GundoMeskel of the North Shewa Zone in the Amhara region have poor wind potential.

The quiet-time solar wind electrons feature non-thermal characteristics when viewed from the perspective of their velocity distribution functions. They typically have an appearance of being composed of a denser thermal “core” population plus a tenuous energetic “halo” population. At first, such a feature was empirically fitted with the Kappa velocity space distribution function, but ever since the ground-breaking work by Tsallis, the space physics community has embraced the potential implication of the Kappa distribution as reflecting the non-extensive nature of the space plasma. From the viewpoint of microscopic plasma theory, the formation of non-thermal electron velocity distribution function can be interpreted in terms of the plasma being in a state of turbulent quasi equilibrium. Such a finding brings forth the possible existence of a profound inter-relationship between the non-extensive statistical state and the turbulent quasi-equilibrium state. The present paper further develops the idea of solar wind electrons being in the turbulent equilibrium, but unlike the previous model, which involves the electrostatic turbulence near the plasma oscillation frequency (i.e., Langmuir turbulence), the present paper considers the impact of transverse electromagnetic turbulence, particularly, the turbulence in the whistler-mode frequency range. It is found that the coupling of spontaneously-emitted thermal fluctuations and the background turbulence leads to the formation of non-thermal electron velocity distribution function of the type observed in the solar wind during quiet times. This demonstrates that the whistler-range turbulence represents an alternative mechanism for producing the Kappa-like non-thermal distribution, especially close to the Sun and in the near-Earth space environment.

Despite being extremely potent against malignancies, cisplatin (CIS) has limited practical applicability due to its adverse effects such as testicular damage. Consequently, it becomes necessary to reduce its toxicity. In this study, cilostazol, a selective phosphodiesterase-3 inhibitor that is frequently used in the treatment of intermittent claudication, was examined for its ability to abrogate CIS-induces testicular toxicity and its ameliorative effect was compared with two phosphodiesterase inhibitors, tadalafil and pentoxifylline. The study also focused on the possible mechanisms involved in the proposed protective effect. Ten groups of rats were included; Group (1): control, Groups (2-4): 5 mg/kg tadalafil or 75 mg/kg pentoxifylline or 20 mg/kg cilostazol respectively), Group (5):7 mg/kg CIS, Group (6&7): CIS + 5 mg/kg tadalafil or 75 mg/kg pentoxifylline, Group (8-10) CIS+ 5, 10 or 20 mg/kg cilostazol respectively. CIS treated rats showed a significant decrease in testicular function, serum testosterone and reduced glutathione levels, and significant elevation in malondialdehyde, total nitrite levels, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and nuclear factor-kappa β alongside caspase-3. These outcomes were confirmed by marked testicular architecture deterioration. Contrary, Cilostazol in a dose-dependent manner showed potential protection against testicular toxicity, reversion of the disrupted testicular function and improvement of the histological alterations through rebalancing of oxidative stress, inflammatory and apoptotic biomarkers. In addition, cilostazol exerted more pronounced protective effect in comparison to tadalafil and pentoxifylline. In conclusion, administrations of cilostazol might ameliorate cisplatin-induced testicular impairment through alteration of oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptotic pathway, offering a promising treatment for cisplatin -intoxication in the testes.

Floods are among the most serious natural disasters worldwide; they cause enormous crop losses every year and threaten world food security. There are many studies focused on flood impact assessments for administrative districts but fewer on postdisaster impact assessments for specific crops. Therefore, this study used remote sensing data, including the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), elevation data, slope data, and rainfall data, combined with crop growing season data to construct a crop flood damage assessment index (CFAI). First, an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to assign weights to the impact factors; then, the weighted composite score method was used to calculate the CFAI; and finally, the impact was classified as slight, moderate, or severe based on the magnitude of the CFAI . This method was used for the Missouri River floods of 2019 in the U.S. Due to the lack of measured data, the disaster vegetation damage index (DVDI) was used to validate the results. The combined approach achieved a high degree of consistency in spatial distribution. The CFAI can respond well to the degree of crop impact after flooding, providing new ideas and reference standards for agriculture-related departments.

The spectra and global distributions of the X-ray emissions generated by the solar wind charge-exchange (SWCX) process in the terrestrial magnetosheath are investigated based on a global hybrid model and a global geocoronal hydrogen model. The solar wind O6+ ions which are the primary charge state for oxygen ions in solar wind are considered. The line emissivity of the charge-exchange born O5+ ions are calculated by Spectral Analysis System for Astrophysical and Lab oratory (SASAL). It is found that the emission lines from the O5+ ranges from 105.607 to 118.291 eV with the strong line at 107.047 eV. We then simulated the magnetosheath X-ray emission intensity distributions with a virtual camera at two positions of north pole and dusk at six stages during the passing of a perpendicular interplanetary shock combined with a tangential discontinuity structure through the Earth’s magnetosphere. During this process, the X-ray emission intensity increases with time, and the maximum value is 27.11 keV cm-2 s-1 sr-1 on the dayside, which is 4.5 times that before the solar wind structure reaches the Earth. A clear shock structure can be seen in the magnetosheath and moves earthward. The maximum emission intensity seen at dusk is always higher than that seen at north pole.

With the increasing use of data-driven modeling methods new approaches to complex problems in the field of wind energy can be addressed. Topics reviewed through literature include wake modeling, performance monitoring and controls applications, condition monitoring and fault detection, and other data-driven research. Literature shows the advantages of data-driven methods reduce computational expense or complexity, particularly in the cases of wake modeling and controls, as well as various data-driven methodologies’ aptitude for predictive modeling and classification, as in the cases of fault detection and diagnosis. Significant work exists for fault detection while less work is found for controls applications. A methodology for creating data-driven wind turbine models for arbitrary performance parameters is proposed. Results are presented utilizing the methodology to create wind turbine models relating active adaptive twist to steady-state rotor thrust as a performance parameter of interest. Resulting models are evaluated by comparing root-mean-square-error (RMSE) on both the training and validation data sets, with Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), deemed an accurate model for this application. The resulting model undergoes particle swarm optimization to determine the optimal aerostructure twist shape at a given wind speed with respect to the modeled performance parameter, aerodynamic thrust load. The optimization process shows an improvement of 3.15% in thrust loading for the 10 MW reference turbine, and 2.66% for the 15 MW reference turbine.

Vertical wind speed extrapolation is a commonly used method that involves estimating wind speeds at various heights based on measurements taken at a specific height. In this study, we compared the short-and long-term extrapolation methods of wind parameters using data collected on site by anemometers at two different heights. We assessed the accuracy of these methods by calculating the statistical indicators for performance evaluation, and then determined the most appropriate model for the two types of vertical extrapolation. Additionally, we evaluated energy potential characteristics, as well as the statistical analysis of wind speed distribution and wind power density based on the Weibull and Rayleigh distribution. Our results indicated that the power law is the most suitable model for the short-term method, while the modified Mikhail model is the most appropriate for long-term extrapolation. We also found that the wind potential of this area is favorable for wind turbine integration.

In this research, the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) approach that has been used in wind power generation field was applied for the solution of the problems of local strong wind areas in railway fields, and the mechanism of wind generation was discussed. At the same time, the affectivity of the application of computational fluid dynamic approach to railway field was discussed. The problem of local wind that occurs on the railway line in winter was taken up in this research. A computational simulation for the prediction of wind conditions by LES was implemented and it was clarified that the local strong wind area is mainly caused by separated flows originating from the small‐scale terrain positioned at its upstream (at approximately 180.0 m above sea level). Meanwhile, the effects of the size of calculation area and spatial grid resolution on the result of calculation and the effect of atmospheric stability were also discussed. It was clarified that when the air flow characteristic of the separated flow originating from the small‐scale terrain (at altitude of approximately 180.0 m) targeted in this research is reproduced at high accuracy by computational simulation of wind conditions, approximately 10.0 m of spatial resolution of computational grid in horizontal direction is required. As a result of the computational simulation of wind conditions of stably stratified flow (Fr = 1.0), lee waves were excited at the downstream of the terrain over time. As a result, the reverse‐flow region lying behind the terrain that had been observed at a neutral time was inhibited. Consequently, local strong wind area was generated at the downstream of the terrain and the strong wind area passing through the observation mast was observed. By investigating the speed increasing rate of local strong wind area induced at the time of stable stratification, it was found that the wind was approximately 1.2 times stronger than what was generated at a neutral time.