Using non-destructive sampling to evaluate the population genomic status of captive Brown Eared Pheasants

Evaluating the genetic status of threatened species is an essential task in conservation genetics.However,the genetic status of threatened species has been mostly evaluated through techniques that fail to estimate genetic diversity at the whole genomic level.Next generation sequencing can meet this demand,but high quality samples such as blood or muscle tissues are required.However,it is difficult to collect such samples from threatened species because sampling work may impact their health.Therefore,it is essential to design a workflow to evaluate the whole genomic status of threatened species using non-destructive sampling.Even though non-destructive sampling has been used in traditional barcoding technique,the barcoding technique cannot evaluate the whole genomic status.Brown Eared Pheasant(Crossoptilon mantchuricum)is an endangered species,with captive populations maintained in Taiyuan Zoo,China,and Europe.However,the genetic diversity,inbreeding pattern,and mutation load of these two populations are unclear.To uncover the genetic status of these two captive populations,we applied 2b-RAD technology to evaluate the genomic status of these populations using feathers as samples.The feathers could be collected by non-destructive sampling.The results indicate that the Taiyuan Zoo population has a lower genetic diversity and higher inbreeding coefficient than the European population.The Taiyuan Zoo population has lethal mutations when homozygous.The current project uses a non-destructive sampling technique to evaluate the whole genomic status of the two captive populations,providing a paradigm for conservation genetics,which will facilitate the development of conservation biology.

Ultraviolet metalens and metalens array of focused vortex beams

The solar-blind ultraviolet(UV)wavelength is particularly interesting within the range of 200 nm–300 nm.Here,we propose a focusing metalens,focusing vortex beam(VB)metalens and metalens array that specifically work in the UV band to focus a beam or VB.Firstly,a high numerical aperture(NA)focusing metalens working at a wavelength of 214.2 nm was designed,and the NA reached 0.83.The corresponding conversion efficiency of the unit structure reached as high as 94%,and the full width at half maximum was only 117.2 nm.Metalenses with large NA can act as optical tweezers and can be applied to trap ultracold atoms and molecules.Secondly,a focused VB metalens in the wavelength range of200 nm–300 nm was also designed,which can convert polarized light into a VB and focus the VB simultaneously.Finally,a metalens array was developed to focus VBs with different topological charges on the same focal plane.This series of UV metalenses could be widely used in UV microscopy,photolithography,photonics communication,etc.

Optimal Configuration Method for the Installed Capacity of the Solar-Thermal Power Stations

Because of the randomness of wind power and photovoltaic(PV)output of new energy bases,the problem of peak regulation capability and voltage stability of ultra-high voltage direct current(UHVDC)transmission lines,we proposed an optimum allocation method of installed capacity of the solar-thermal power station based on chance constrained programming in this work.Firstly,we established the uncertainty model of wind power and PV based on the chance constrained planning theory.Then we used the K-medoids clusteringmethod to cluster the scenarios considering the actual operation scenarios throughout the year.Secondly,we established the optimal configuration model based on the objective function of the strongest transient voltage stability and the lowest overall cost of operation.Finally,by quantitative analysis of actual wind power and photovoltaic new energy base,this work verified the feasibility of the proposed method.As a result of the simulations,we found that using the optimal configuration method of solar-thermal power stations could ensure an accurate allocation of installed capacity.When the installed capacity of the solar-thermal power station is 1×106 kW,the transient voltage recovery index(TVRI)is 0.359,which has a strong voltage support capacity for the system.Based on the results of this work,the optimal configuration of the installed capacity of the solar-thermal power plant can improve peak shaving performance,transient voltage support capability,and new energy consumption while satisfying the Direct Current(DC)outgoing transmission premise.

Two-Stage Optimal Dispatching of Wind Power-Photovoltaic-Solar Thermal Combined System Considering Economic Optimality and Fairness

Aiming at the problems of large-scale wind and solar grid connection,how to ensure the economy of system operation and how to realize fair scheduling between new energy power stations,a two-stage optimal dispatching model of wind power-photovoltaic-solar thermal combined system considering economic optimality and fairness is proposed.Firstly,the first stage dispatching model takes the overall economy optimization of the system as the goal and the principle of maximizing the consumption of wind and solar output,obtains the optimal output value under the economic conditions of each new energy station,and then obtains the maximum consumption space of the new energy station.Secondly,based on the optimization results of the first stage,the second stage dispatching model uses the dispatching method of fuzzy comprehensive ranking priority to prioritize the new energy stations,and then makes a fair allocation to the dispatching of the wind and solar stations.Finally,the analysis of a specific example shows that themodel can take into account the fairness of active power distribution of new energy stations on the basis of ensuring the economy of system operation,make full use of the consumption space,and realize the medium and long-term fairness distribution of dispatching plan.

Intelligent Segmentation and Measurement Model for Asphalt Road Cracks Based on Modified Mask R-CNN Algorithm

Nowadays, asphalt road has dominated highways around the world. Among various defects of asphalt road, crackshave been paid more attention, since cracks often cause major engineering and personnel safety incidents. Currentmanual crack inspection methods are time-consuming and labor-intensive, and most segmentation methods cannot detect cracks at the pixel level. This paper proposes an intelligent segmentation and measurement model basedon the modified Mask R-CNN algorithm to automatically and accurately detect asphalt road cracks. The modelproposed in this paper mainly includes a convolutional neural network (CNN), an optimized region proposalnetwork (RPN), a region of interest (RoI) Align layer, a candidate area classification network and a Mask branch offully convolutional network (FCN). The ratio and size of anchors in the RPN are adjusted to improve the accuracyand efficiency of segmentation. Soft non-maximum suppression (Soft-NMS) algorithm is developed to improvethe segmentation accuracy. A dataset including 8,689 images (512× 512 pixels) of asphalt cracks is established andthe road crack is manually marked. Transfer learning is used to initialize the model parameters in the trainingprocess. To optimize the model training parameters, multiple comparison experiments are performed, and the testresults show that the mean average precision (mAP) value and F1-score of the optimal trained model are 0.952 and0.949. Subsequently, the robustness verification test and comparative test of the trained model are conducted andthe topological features of the crack are extracted. Then, the damage area, length and average width of the crackare measured automatically and accurately at pixel level. More importantly, this paper develops an automatic crackdetection platform for asphalt roads to automatically extract the number, area, length and average width of cracks,which can significantly improve the crack detection efficiency for the road maintenance industry.

Study on the Improvement of the Application of Complete Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition with Adaptive Noise in Hydrology Based on RBFNN Data Extension Technology

The complex nonlinear and non-stationary features exhibited in hydrologic sequences make hydrological analysis and forecasting difficult.Currently,some hydrologists employ the complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise(CEEMDAN)method,a new time-frequency analysis method based on the empirical mode decomposition(EMD)algorithm,to decompose non-stationary raw data in order to obtain relatively stationary components for further study.However,the endpoint effect in CEEMDAN is often neglected,which can lead to decomposition errors that reduce the accuracy of the research results.In this study,we processed an original runoff sequence using the radial basis function neural network(RBFNN)technique to obtain the extension sequence before utilizing CEEMDAN decomposition.Then,we compared the decomposition results of the original sequence,RBFNN extension sequence,and standard sequence to investigate the influence of the endpoint effect and RBFNN extension on the CEEMDAN method.The results indicated that the RBFNN extension technique effectively reduced the error of medium and low frequency components caused by the endpoint effect.At both ends of the components,the extension sequence more accurately reflected the true fluctuation characteristics and variation trends.These advances are of great significance to the subsequent study of hydrology.Therefore,the CEEMDAN method,combined with an appropriate extension of the original runoff series,can more precisely determine multi-time scale characteristics,and provide a credible basis for the analysis of hydrologic time series and hydrological forecasting.

Isolation of Total Saponins from <i>Sapindus mukorossi</i>Gaerth

The study has been carried out to investigate the effects of single factors such as solvents extraction temperature, times, solid-liquid ration, and the time of extractions on the yields of saponins present in the pulp of Sapindus mukorossi Gaerth. On this basis, an L9 orthogonal design of experiment was adopted to determine the optimal conditions for the extraction of saponins. The factors that influence the extraction of saponins are put in the order of extraction times, extraction time, solid-liquid ration, and the best combination is that the powder of the pulp is extracted with EtOH (solid-to-solvent ratio = 1:8, w/v) for three times at 60°C for 3 hours. Under these conditions, about 1.63 g saponins will be extracted from 10 g raw material. The stability test showed that the Sapindus mukuross saponins can maintain surface activity at water temperature (25°C - 40°C), pH (6.3 - 7.7) and water hardness (50 - 250 mg.L-1). It is proved that Sapindus mukuross saponins are quality non-ionic active agent.

Effects of the <i>Camellia oleifera </i>Shell Substrate on the Yield and Nutritional Composition of <i>Pleurotus geesteranus</i>

Pleurotus geesteranus was cultivated on the substrates blended with different ratios of treated and untreated Camellia oleifera shells using cottonseed hull as the control substrate. The mycelial growth rate, yield, nutritional composition, ash and heavy metals of the Pleurotus geesteranus cultivated on these substrates were compared. The results suggest that the Camellia oleifera shell in substrate can accelerate the mycelial growth and increase the yield, nutrients and the contents of protein, ash, crude fiber and amino acid of Pleurotus geesteranus. It was found that the contents of tannin and saponin in Camellia oleifera shell affected the mycelial growth rate. The optimal C/N of the substrate for the growth of Pleurotus geesteranus was determined to be 27 ± 0.7. The C/N ratios higher than 30 reduced the protein, fat and soluble sugar contents of the cultivated Pleurotus geesteranus. The contents of heavy metals including Hg, As, Cd and Pb were found in Pleurotus geesteranus cultivated on the substrates containing Camellia oleifera shell complex.

Effect of <i>Carya cathayensis Sarg</i>Shell Substrate on Yield and Nutrient Amount of <i>Pleurotus geesteranus</i>

Using cottonseed hull as the control substrate, different proportions of the untreated and treated Carya cathayensis Sarg shells were added to cultivation of Pleurotus geesteranus. The mycelial growth rate, yield, nutritional composition and contents of heavy metals of the Pleurotus geesteranus cultivated on these substrates were determined. The results suggest that added to treated Carya cathayensis Sarg shell promoted the mycelial growth and increased the yield, biological efficiency and the contents of crude fiber, ash, amino acids and essential amino acids of Pleurotus geesteranus. In addition, the fat content and soluble sugar contents of Pleurotus geesteranus were decreased with the increase of the Carya cathayensis Sarg shell content in substrate, but their contents of heavy metals including mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) were higher than that obtained on control substrate.

Application Status and Prospect of <i>Pinus massoniana</i>Sawdust as the Substrate for the Cultivation of Edible Fungi

In this paper, the research status of using Pinus massoniana sawdust for the cultivation of edible fungi was analyzed and discussed. It was found that Pinus massoniana sawdust contained the material base of edible fungi with sufficient cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin and a small amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, other mineral salts, and some vitamins for the growth of edible fungi. However, the Pinus massoniana wood contained a significant amount of terpenoids, which are detrimental to the growth of edible fungus and mycelial. The major and current detoxification methods for Pinus massoniana sawdust were analyzed, such as steaming method, distillation method, lime water immersion method, outdoor piling fermentation method, and chemical method. Their advantages and disadvantages were discussed and reviewed. Finally, the major issues in the application of Pinus massoniana sawdust as the cultivation substrate of edible fungi were analyzed, and the application prospect of Pinus massoniana sawdust as the substrate for the cultivation of edible fungi was also reviewed.

Effects of the <i>Castanea mollissima Blume</i>Shell Cultivation Substrate on the Yield and Nutritional Composition of <i>Pleurotus geesteranus</i>

Cottonseed hull substrates blended with different ratios of Castanea mollissima Blume shell were prepared and used for the cultivation of Pleurotus geesteranus. The effects of the chestnut shell content on the mycelial growth rate, yield, nutritional composition and contents of heavy metals of the cultivated Pleurotus geesteranus were investigated. The results suggest that the Castanea mollissima Blume shell in substrate can increase the mycelial growth rate, yield, biological efficiency and the contents of protein, crude fiber, amino acids and essential amino acids of Pleurotus geesteranus. Further investigation suggests that the tannin and saponin in Castanea mollissima Blume shell and the C/N ratio of substrate significantly influence the mycelial growth rate. The crude fat content of Pleurotus geesteranus decreased, while the contents of heavy metals including mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) increased with the increase of the Castanea mollissima Blume shell content in substrate. Based on these results, the content of Castanea mollissima Blume shell was optimized to be less than 30% for the cultivation of Pleurotus geesteranus.

Hemicellulose-Based Hydrogels Present Status and Application Prospects: A Brief Review

Hemicellulose is one of the most abundant natural resources, which extensively exist in the pant tissues as the compositions of the cell wall filling between lignin and cellulose. In this review, the hemicellulose based hydrogels was illustrated in details including the hemicellulose derivatives (such as precursor of hemicellulose based hydrogel), hydrogels fabrication methods, origin of hemicellulose, composite hydrogels, and so on. In addition, the authors as well overviewed the new methods for fabrication of hemicellulose based hydrogels and special functional hemicellulose based hydrogels.

FTIR and Thermogravimetric Analysis of Three Kinds of Nutshells

The main components and pyrolysis characteristics of Camellia oleifera Abel hells, Castanea mollissima Blume shells, and Castanea mollissima Blume shells were analyzed by using FTIR and thermogravimetric methods. The experimental results indicated that the main components of the three kinds of raw materials consisted of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. The highest contents of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin were in Camellia oleiferaAbel shells (49.34% ± 0.07%), Castanea mollissima Blume shells (27.34% ± 0.01%), and Carya cathayensis Sarg shells (49.78% ± 0.01%), respectively. The pyrolysis processes of three kinds of shells generally included three stages, namely dehydration, pyrolysis, and carbonization. The peak values and the appearance times of their pyrolysis rates were closely related to their compositions.

Lebesgues-Stieltjes Integrals of Fuzzy Stochastic Processes with Respect to Finite Variation Processes

Let be a fuzzy stochastic process and be a real valued finite variation process. We define the Lebesgue-Stieltjes integral denoted by for each by using the selection method, which is direct, nature and different from the indirect definition appearing in some references. We shall show that this kind of integral is also measurable, continuous in time t and bounded a.s. under the Hausdorff metric.

A Study on the Driving Factors of Food Production in Huang-Huai-Hai Plain Based on Path Analysis

The effects of 14 factors on food production in Huang-Huai-Hai Plain are analyzed by path analysis in this paper,and then the linear regression models of them are established by SPSS software. The results show that electricity consumption for agriculture,growing area of crops,the affected area,annual average temperature and arable land area at the end of the year have great effects on food production. Finally some recommendations are put forward to improve the food production in Huang-Huai-Hai Plain such as improving the level of agricultural mechanization,stabilizing food production,preventing natural disasters and increasing the effective irrigation area.

Present Situation and Prospective of Camellia Nut Shells Utilization

With the rapid development of Camellia oleifera industry, more and more Camellia nut shells have been produced, leading to serious environmental pollution problem. This paper reviews the works on the characterization of the physical and chemical properties of Camellia nut shells, active ingredient extraction, its application in chemical production, growing media and animal feed and its properties as a biomass. Based on the review, we proposed a novel all-component high value application strategy to covert camellia nut shells into high value biomasses, which could realize waste recycling and environmental protection.

Infrared-Spectral Characteristics of <i>Camellia oleifera</i>Shell/Meal during Composting

The compost products of Camellia oleifera shell/meal mixed at different mass ratios were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) at different composting stages to monitor the structural changes of their components. The results showed that the amount of Camellia oleifera meal significantly affected the composting rate of the shell, but did not change the degradation order and decomposition of the related compounds. During the composting process, microorganisms used the highly decomposable carbon source materials, such as proteins and sugars, first to grow and multiply, and then decomposed hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin by oxidative cleavage after these nutrients were consumed to a certain extent. The decomposition products were then condensed into more stable humic acids. The degradation rates of the compounds were directly proportional to the amount of Camellia oleifera?meal. The compounds in Camellia oleifera shell were composted faster with higher amounts of Camellia oleifera meals, resulting in less lignocellulose in the final products.

Quantitative Analysis Method of the Tea Saponin

In this study, the detection method of tea saponin has been studied firstly. Determining the maximum absorption wavelength is 540 nm. Standard curve equation is y = 0.0015x - 0.0885. The correlation coefficient r = 0.9983 (p < 0.01). The relative standard deviation is 1.13%. Reclaimable rate of adding standard sample is 89.5% - 97.7%. Comparing vanille-sulfuric acid of gravimetric determination, the maximum deviation is 3.27%, indicating that vanille-sulfuric acid method is worth of quantitative analysis of tea saponin.

Toxicolological Test of Saponins from <i>Sapindus mukorossi</i>Gaerth

The study has been carried out to investigate acute oral toxicity, acute dermal toxicity in SPF rats and dermal irritation in rabbits. The result shows: 1) acute oral toxicity test shows that LD50 of saponins from Sapindus mukorossi is 9260 mg/kg (95% confidence interval is 6360 - 13,500 mg/kg) and 7940 mg/kg (95% confidence interval is 4890 - 12,900 mg/kg);2) acute dermal toxicity test shows that LD50 of saponins from Sapindus mukorossi is more than 5000 mg/kg in both female and male Wistar rats;3) dermal irritation test in rabbits shows that the average score of dermal irritation per day of each rabbit is zero after 14 days of continuous dermal irritation. According to the classification standard of toxicity in “Hygienic Standard for Cosmetics” (2002 version), the sample is classified as “practical nontoxic” and “non dermal irritation”. Thus, we can conclude that the saponin extraction from S. mukorossi Gaerth is safe for cosmetics.

Set-Valued Stochastic Integrals with Respect to Finite Variation Processes

In a Euclidean space Rd, the Lebesgue-Stieltjes integral of set-valued stochastic processes with respect to real valued finite variation process is defined directly by employing all integrably bounded selections instead of taking the decomposable closure appearing in some existed references. We shall show that this kind of integral is measurable, continuous in t under the Hausdorff metric and L2-bounded.