Numerical simulation of gas–liquid flow in the bubble column using Wray–Agarwal turbulence model coupled with population balance model

In this paper,an improved computational fluid dynamic(CFD)model for gas-liquid flow in bubble column was developed using the one-equation Wary-Agarwal(WA)turbulence model coupled with the population balance model(PBM).Through 18 orthogonal test cases,the optimal combination of interfacial force models,including drag force,lift force,turbulent dispersion force.The modified wall lubrication force model was proposed to improve the predictive ability for hydrodynamic behavior near the wall of the bubble column.The values simulated by optimized CFD model were in agreement with experimental data,and the errors were within±20%.In addition,the axial velocity,turbulent kinetic energy,bubble size distribution,and the dynamic characteristic of bubble plume were analyzed at different superficial gas velocities.This research work could provide a theoretical basis for the extension of the CFD-PBM coupled model to other multiphase reactors..

Label-free quantitative proteomics analysis models in vivo and in vitro reveal key proteins and potential roles in sciatic nerve injury

Background:The underlying mechanism of sciatic nerve injury(SNI)is a common motor functional disorder,necessitates further research.Methods:A rat model of SNI was established,with the injury group subjected to compressive injury of the right sciatic nerve exposed at the midpoint of the thigh and the sham surgery group undergoing the same surgical procedure.An oxygen-glucose deprivation model was employed to simulate in vitro SNI in PC12 cells.Following data acquisition and quality control,differentially expressed proteins(DEPs)in each model were identified through differential analysis,and enrichment analysis was used to explore the potential functions and pathways of the DEPs.Venn diagrams were drawn,and DEPs from both in vivo and in vitro SNI models were imported into the STRING database to construct a protein-protein interaction network and screen for hub proteins.Results:After the peptide segments obtained from rat nerve blockade and PC12 cells met quality requirements,258 DEPs were identified in rat nerve samples,and 119 DEPs were screened in PC12 cells.Enrichment analysis revealed that DEPs in the rat model were predominantly concentrated in biological functions such as myogenic cell proliferation and signaling related to lipid and energy metabolism.DEPs in the in vitro model were mainly enriched in biological processes such as phagocytosis and were associated with lipid transport and metabolism.Two hub proteins,amyloid precursor protein(APP)and fibronectin 1(FN1),were identified through MCC,MCODE,and Degree scoring.Both PC12 cells and external validation sets showed relatively higher expression of APP and FN1 in injured samples.Results of gene set enrichment analysis indicated that these two proteins were associated with metabolic pathways,such as biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycan chondroitin sulfate and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids.Conclusion:APP and FN1 are potential key molecules involved in SNI and are associated with various metabolic pathways in nerve repair.These findings provide a theoretical basis for the development of therapeutic targets for SNI.

Discovery of Cladonema multiramosum sp.nov.(Cnidaria:Hydrozoa:Cladonematidae)using DNA barcoding and life cycle analyses

In contrast to typical planktonic hydromedusae,Cladonema medusae are mostly benthic,with specialised adhesive branches to adhere to the substrate.In this study,a Cladonema species discovered in a laboratory aquarium in Fuzhou,China,was confirmed as a new species,based on morphological and molecular analyses.The species was named Cladonema multiramosum sp.nov.Its medusa is distinct from that of congeners possessing substantially more adhesive branches(8-24,rarely 5-7),and tiny branches on the upper radial canals.The validity of C.multiramosumum sp.nov.was also supported by molecular phylogenetic analyses based on the mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequence.However,C.multiramosum sp.nov.medusa also displayed considerable phenotypic plasticity with respect to its radial canals,tentacles,stinging branches per tentacle,oral tentacles,manubrium,and gonads,hindering species identification based solely on morphology.Although some morphological characteristics of hydroids(filiform tentacles and medusa buds)and nematocysts could also be used as diagnostic characters in the genus Cladonema,this information is unavailable for some Cladonema species.Thus,the taxonomy within the genus Cladonema was re-evaluated based mainly on the morphological characteristics of the medusa.Further revision of the genus Cladonema should be made when supplementary information on the life cycle and DNA barcoding are updated.

Paclitaxel-lipid prodrug liposomes for improved drug delivery and breast carcinoma therapy

Paclitaxel(PTX)is widely applied for the treatment of unresectable and metastasis breast carcinoma as well as other cancers,whereas its efficacy is always impeded by poor solubility.Liposomes are one kind of the most successful drug carriers which are capable of solubilizing PTX and improving patients’tolerance owing to excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability.However,poor compatibility between PTX and liposomes compromises the stability,drug loading and anti-tumor capacity of liposomal formulations.To address this issue,three lipids with various chain lengths,namely,myristic acid(MA,14C),palmitic acid(PA,16C)and stearic acid(SA,18C),were conjugated to PTX via ester bonds and the synthesized prodrugs with high lipophilicity were further formulated into liposomes,respectively.All liposomes show high stability and drug loadings,as well as sustained drug release.The chain lengths of lipids are negatively correlated with drug release and enzymatic conversion rates,which further impact the pharmacokinetics,tumor accumulation,and anti-tumor efficacy of liposomal PTX.Neither rapid nor slow drug release facilitates high tumor accumulation as well as anti-tumor efficacy of PTX.Among all liposomes,PTX-PA-loaded liposomes show the longest circulation and highest tumor accumulation of PTX and exert the most potent anti-tumor capacities in vivo,owing to its moderate drug release and enzymatic conversion rate.Witnessing its superior safety,PTX-PA liposomes hold potential for further clinical translation.

Optimizing protein and lipid levels in practical diet for juvenile northern snakehead fish(Channa argus)

A 3×3 factorial feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the production response of juvenile northern snakehead fish(Channa argus). Nine diets containing 3 protein levels(45%, 48% and 51%) and 3 lipid levels(9%,12% and 15%) were formulated and fed to triplicate groups of juvenile northern snakehead(15.78 ± 0.09 g/fish) for 8 weeks. The formulated diets were named as P45 L9, P45 L12, P45 L15, P48 L9,P48 L12, P48 L15, P51 L9, P51 L12 and P51 L15(P-Protein, L-Lipid), respectively. Fish fed diets with the lowest protein and lipid combination(P45 L9) had the lowest growth performance. Weight gains(WG) of fish fed the 4 diets P48 L12, P48 L15, P51 L9, and P51 L12 were not significantly different(P> 0.05), but significantly higher(P < 0.05) than those of fish fed the other diets. Fish fed diets P48 L12 and P48 L15 had significantly lower(P < 0.05) feed conversion ratios(FCR) than the rest of the treatments. Protein retentions(PR) among fish fed the diets P45 L12, P45 L15, P48 L12, P48 L15, P51 L9, and P51 L12 were similar and significantly higher(P < 0.05) than those of fish fed the remaining diets. Protein sparing effect was observed in the treatments when fish was fed diets containing 45% or 48% dietary protein levels with dietary lipid increased from 9% to12%. Fish fed diets with 9% lipid tended to have lower viscerosomatic index(VSI), hepatosomatic index(HSI),and whole-body lipid. Increasing dietary protein level significantly increased(P < 0.05) liver moisture and lipid while dietary lipid level increased liver lipid. Intestinal lipase activity increased significantly(P < 0.05)with increasing dietary lipid and protein levels while intestinal a-amylase and protease activities were not significantly influenced(P > 0.05) by dietary treatments. Based on these results, the diet containing 48%protein with either 12% or 15% lipid is the optimal for supporting growth and feed utilization of juvenile northern snakehead under the current testing conditions.

Two-Dimensional Borophene:Properties,Fabrication,and Promising Applications

Monoelemental two-dimensional(2D)materials(Xenes)aroused a tremendous attention in 2D science owing to their unique properties and extensive applications.Borophene,one emerging and typical Xene,has been regarded as a promising agent for energy,sensor,and biomedical applications.However,the production of borophene is still a challenge because bulk boron has rather intricate spatial structures and multiple chemical properties.In this review,we describe its excellent properties including the optical,electronic,metallic,semiconducting,photoacoustic,and photothermal properties.The fabrication methods of borophene are also presented including the bottom-up fabrication and the top-down fabrication.In the end,the challenges of borophene in the latest applications are presented and perspectives are discussed.

Deep Learning in Nuclear Industry:A Survey

As a high-tech strategic emerging comprehensive industry,the nuclear industry is committed to the research,production,and processing of nuclear fuel,as well as the development and utilization of nuclear energy.Nowadays,the nuclear industry has made remarkable progress in the application fields of nuclear weapons,nuclear power,nuclear medical treatment,radiation processing,and so on.With the development of artificial intelligence and the proposal of“Industry 4.0”,more and more artificial intelligence technologies are introduced into the nuclear industry chain to improve production efficiency,reduce operation cost,improve operation safety,and realize risk avoidance.Meanwhile,deep learning,as an important technology of artificial intelligence,has made amazing progress in theoretical and applied research in the nuclear industry,which vigorously promotes the development of informatization,digitization,and intelligence of the nuclear industry.In this paper,we first simply comb and analyze the intelligent demand scenarios in the whole industrial chain of the nuclear industry.Then,we discuss the data types involved in the nuclear industry chain.After that,we investigate the research status of deep learning in the application fields corresponding to different data types in the nuclear industry.Finally,we discuss the limitation and unique challenges of deep learning in the nuclear industry and the future direction of the intelligent nuclear industry.