N-acetylserotonin alleviates retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury via HMGB1/RAGE/NF-κB pathway in rats

AIM:To observe the effects of N-acetylserotonin(NAS)administration on retinal ischemia-reperfusion(RIR)injury in rats and explore the underlying mechanisms involving the high mobility group box 1(HMGB1)/receptor for advanced glycation end-products(RAGE)/nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB)signaling pathway.METHODS:A rat model of RIR was developed by increasing the pressure of the anterior chamber of the eye.Eighty male Sprague Dawley were randomly divided into five groups:sham group(n=8),RIR group(n=28),RIR+NAS group(n=28),RIR+FPS-ZM1 group(n=8)and RIR+NAS+FPS-ZM1 group(n=8).The therapeutic effects of NAS were examined by hematoxylin-eosin(H&E)staining,and retinal ganglion cells(RGCs)counting.The expression of interleukin 1 beta(IL-1β),HMGB1,RAGE,and nod-like receptor 3(NLRP3)proteins and the phosphorylation of nuclear factorkappa B(p-NF-κB)were analyzed by immunohistochemistry staining and Western blot analysis.The expression of HMGB1 protein was also detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).RESULTS:H&E staining results showed that NAS significantly reduced retinal edema and increased the number of RGCs in RIR rats.With NAS therapy,the HMGB1 and RAGE expression decreased significantly,and the activation of the NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway was antagonized along with the inhibition of p-NF-κB and NLRP3 protein expression.Additionally,NAS exhibited an anti-inflammatory effect by reducing IL-1βexpression.The inhibitory of RAGE binding to HMGB1 by RAGE inhibitor FPS-ZM1 led to a significant decrease of p-NF-κB and NLRP3 expression,so as to the IL-1βexpression and retinal edema,accompanied by an increase of RGCs in RIR rats.CONCLUSION:NAS may exhibit a neuroprotective effect against RIR via the HMGB1/RAGE/NF-κB signaling pathway,which may be a useful therapeutic target for retinal disease.

Recent Progress in Atmospheric Chemistry Research in China: Establishing a Theoretical Framework for the “Air Pollution Complex”

Atmospheric chemistry research has been growing rapidly in China in the last 25 years since the concept of the“air pollution complex”was first proposed by Professor Xiaoyan TANG in 1997.For papers published in 2021 on air pollution(only papers included in the Web of Science Core Collection database were considered),more than 24000 papers were authored or co-authored by scientists working in China.In this paper,we review a limited number of representative and significant studies on atmospheric chemistry in China in the last few years,including studies on(1)sources and emission inventories,(2)atmospheric chemical processes,(3)interactions of air pollution with meteorology,weather and climate,(4)interactions between the biosphere and atmosphere,and(5)data assimilation.The intention was not to provide a complete review of all progress made in the last few years,but rather to serve as a starting point for learning more about atmospheric chemistry research in China.The advances reviewed in this paper have enabled a theoretical framework for the air pollution complex to be established,provided robust scientific support to highly successful air pollution control policies in China,and created great opportunities in education,training,and career development for many graduate students and young scientists.This paper further highlights that developing and low-income countries that are heavily affected by air pollution can benefit from these research advances,whilst at the same time acknowledging that many challenges and opportunities still remain in atmospheric chemistry research in China,to hopefully be addressed over the next few decades.

Single-cell analysis of cellular heterogeneity and interactions in the ischemia-reperfusion injured mouse intestine

Nine major cell populations among 46,716 cells were identified in mouse intestinal ischemia‒reperfusion(II/R)injury by single-cell RNA sequencing.For enterocyte cells,11 subclusters were found,in which enterocyte cluster 1(EC1),enterocyte cluster 3(EC3),and enterocyte cluster 8(EC8)were newly discovered cells in ischemia 45 min/reperfusion 720 min(I 45 min/R 720 min)group.EC1 and EC3 played roles in digestion and absorption,and EC8 played a role in cell junctions.For TA cells,after ischemia 45 min/reperfusion 90 min(I 45 min/R 90 min),many TA cells at the stage of proliferation were identified.For Paneth cells,Paneth cluster 3 was observed in the resting state of normal jejunum.After I 45 min/R 90 min,three new subsets were found,in which Paneth cluster 1 had good antigen presentation activity.The main functions of goblet cells were to synthesize and secrete mucus,and a novel subcluster(goblet cluster 5)with highly proliferative ability was discovered in I 45 min/R 90 min group.As a major part of immune system,the changes in T cells with important roles were clarified.Notably,enterocyte cells secreted Guca2b to interact with Gucy2c receptor on the membranes of stem cells,TA cells,Paneth cells,and goblet cells to elicit intercellular communication.One marker known as glutathione S-transferase mu 3(GSTM3)affected intestinal mucosal barrier function by adjusting mitogen-activated protein kinases(MAPK)signaling during II/R injury.The data on the heterogeneity of intestinal cells,cellular communication and the mechanism of GSTM3 provide a cellular basis for treating II/R injury.

Estimation of economic burden throughout course of cervical squamous intraepithelial lesion and cervical cancer in China:A nationwide multicenter cross-sectional study

Objective: Cervical squamous intraepithelial lesion(SIL) and cervical cancer are major threats to females' health and life in China, and we aimed to estimate the economic burden associated with their diagnosis and treatment.Methods: A nationwide multicenter, cross-sectional, hospital-based survey was conducted in 26 qualified hospitals across seven administrative regions of China. We investigated females who had been pathologically diagnosed with SIL and cervical cancer, and included five disease courses(“diagnosis”, “initial treatment”,“chemoradiotherapy”, “follow-up” and “recurrence/progression/metastasis”) to estimate the total costs. The median and interquartile range(IQR) of total costs(including direct medical, direct non-medical, and indirect costs), reimbursement rate by medical insurance, and catastrophic health expenditures in every clinical stage were calculated.Results: A total of 3,471 patients in different clinical stages were analyzed, including low-grade SIL(LSIL)(n=549), high-grade SIL(HSIL)(n=803), cervical cancer stage ⅠA(n=226), ⅠB(n=610), ⅡA(n=487), ⅡB(n=282), Ⅲ(n=452) and Ⅳ(n=62). In urban areas, the estimated total costs of LSIL and HSIL were $1,637.7(IQR:$956.4-$2,669.2) and $2,467.1(IQR:$1,579.1-$3,762.3), while in rural areas the costs were $459.0(IQR:$167.7-$1,330.3) and $1,230.5(IQR:$560.6-$2,104.5), respectively. For patients with cervical cancer stage ⅠA,ⅠB, ⅡA, ⅡB, and Ⅲ-Ⅳ, the total costs were $15,034.9(IQR:$11,083.4-$21,632.4), $19,438.6(IQR:$14,060.0-$26,505.9), $22,968.8(IQR:$16,068.8-$34,615.9), $26,936.0(IQR:$18,176.6-$41,386.0) and $27,332.6(IQR:$17,538.7-$44,897.0), respectively. Medical insurance covered 43%-55% of direct medical costs for cervical cancer patients, while the coverage for SIL patients was 19%-43%. For most cervical cancer patients, the expense was catastrophic, and the extent of catastrophic health expenditure was about twice large for rural patients than that for urban patients in each stage.Conclusions: The economic burden of SIL and cervical cancer in China is substantial, with a significant proportion of the costs being avoidable for patients with LSIL. Even for those with medical insurance, catastrophic health expenditures are also a major concern for patients with cervical cancer, particularly for those living in rural areas.

面向实施的全过程城市设计策略探索——以西安全运新城城市设计为例

伴随第十四届全运会的召开,位于西安国际港务区的全运新城应运而生,设计旨在营造一座创新、协调、绿色、开放、共享的城市新区。为确保城市设计上位规划与实施管理的有效衔接,项目引入全过程城市设计策略,追求有效地层层聚焦,自上而下地传递设计概念,力求区域城市设计精准落地。本文通过分析全运新城城市设计,梳理片区总体规划设计、核心区域城市设计、重点项目落地三级传导,提出城市公共空间、建筑风貌、慢行系统等控制要素,以期推动片区成为集生态性、开放性、功能型、文化性于一体的新城市建设典范,为我国全过程城市设计的实施提供借鉴。

Synthesis, characteristics of hierarchical EU-1 zeolite for xylene isomerization probe reaction

Introduced a method of synthesizing hierarchical EU-1 zeolite with organosilanes as additive, and studied the influences of following different kinds of organosilanes on the synthesis of hierarchical EU-1 zeolite: γ-glycidoxy propyl trimethoxy silane(GPTMS), N-β-(aminoethyl)-γ-aminopropyl methyl dimethoxyl silane(APAEDMS),and N-(β-aminoethyl)-γ-aminopropyl dimethoxyl(ethyoxyl) silane(TMPED). The hierarchical EU-1 samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, N_2 adsorption, FT-IR and NH_3-TPD to analyze the crystallinity, morphology, surface area, pore size distribution and acidity. The results showed that hierarchical EU-1 zeolites were successfully synthesized; organosilanes have great influence on crystal morphology of EU-1 zeolites; the exterior surface area of hierarchical EU-1 zeolite, which synthesized with organosilanes(APAEDMS) adding into synthesis system, increased by 62.1% and mesopore volume increased by 129.1% compared with conventional EU-1 zeolites, thus can reduce the diffusional restriction markedly in catalytic reaction. The catalytic performance of hierarchical EU-1zeolites were evaluated in m-xylene isomerization on fixed bed reactor. The catalytic data showed that the isomerization activity PX/X of the hierarchical EU-1 zeolites reached around 24.09% in theoretical thermodynamic equilibrium from 23.83%, and the selectivity of C_8 aromatic hydrocarbon increased from 75.16% to 84.87%. The conversion of p-xylene increased from 16.30% to 18.41%.

The optic nerve head perfusion and its correlation with the macular blood perfusion in unilateral idiopathic macular hole： an optical coherence tomography angiography study

AIM： To compare the optic nerve head （ONH） perfusion in both eyes of unilateral idiopathic macular hole （IMH） with normal control group by using optical coherence tomography angiography （OCTA） and investigate its correlationship with the macular blood perfusion. METHODS： We performed a prospective and cross- sectional study that included 19 patients with full-thickness unilateral IMH and 24 age- and sex-matched controls. All participants received OCTA test. The ONH perfusion was evaluated by the regions of peripapillary and whole en face （the sum of peripapillary and optic disc）. The potential correlationship between ONH and parafovea were implied. All the data were performed using the nonparametric test. RESULTS： The mean values of ONH presented that normal control 〉IMH 〉unaffected eyes. A statistical variation was found between three groups in the region of temporal （P=-0.007）, Vessel density notablely decreased on the layers of superficial, deep and choroid of parafovea region in IMH group. The correlative coefficients showed that respectively whole en face and deep retina： r=0.528, peripapillary and deep retina： r=0.525, whole en face and choriocapillaries： r=0.569, peripapillary and choriocapillaries： t=0.504. CONCLUSION： Our study demonstrate a reduced ONH vessel density in both eyes of IMH patients and the vessel density of ONH in IMH eyes are positively correlated with both the retina capillary and choriocapillary in parafoveal. The reduction of vessel densities may indicate the hypoperfusion in IMH eyes,

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablationfor small liver cancers adjacent to large vessels：long-term outcomes and strategies

Objective The aim of the study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of percutaneous microwave ablation(MWA) for small hepatic cancers adjacent to large vessels and to investigate the treatment strategies.Methods From March 2009 to July 2015,a total of 86 patients with 94 tumors underwent ultrasound(US)-guided percutaneous MWA,with pathologically proven or clinically diagnosed liver cancers measuring ≤ 3 cm in diameter and located ≤ 10 mm from a major vessel(n = 94).Regular follow-up after MWA was performed to assess treatment efficacy and perioperative complications.Results The complete ablation rate at 1 month after MWA was 93.3%(84/90).The 6-,9-,12-,24-,36-,48-,60-,72-,and 84-month local recurrence rates were 2.4%,2.4%,3.7%,6.6%,8.4%,8.4%,8.4%,8.4%,and 8.4%,respectively.There were no major complications.The perioperative special complication rate was 5.32%(5/94),including 3 cases of moderate liver function damage and 2 cases of limited sub-capsular hematoma.Conclusion Percutaneous MWA for small hepatic cancers adjacent to large vessels is feasible,effective,and safe with an acceptable rate of complications.The key point is to strictly follow operative indications and adopt proper treatment strategies.

Observations of marine snow and fecal pellets in a sediment trap mooring in the northern South China Sea

Sediment traps are an important tool for studying the source, composition and sedimentation processes of sinking particulate matter in the ocean. An in situ observational mooring(TJ-A-1) is located in the northern South China Sea(20.05°N, 117.42°E) at a water depth of 2 100 m and equipped with two sediment traps deployed at 500 m and 1 950 m. Samples were collected at 18-day intervals, and 20 samples were obtained at both depths from May 2014 to May 2015. Large amounts of fecal matter and marine snow were collected in the lower trap. The fluxes of marine snow and fecal pellets exhibited a fluctuating decrease between May 2014 and early August 2014 and then stabilized at a relatively low level. Scanning electron microscopy observations revealed that the main components of the marine snow and fecal pellets were diatoms, coccolithophores, radiolarians, and other debris, all of which are planktons mostly produced in photic zone. Used in conjunction with the particle collection range estimates from the lower trap and data on ocean surface chlorophyll, these marine snow and fecal pellets were related to the lateral transport of deep water and not vertical migrations from overlying water column. Moreover, the source area might be southwest of Taiwan.

Landscape changes and their ecological eff ects of Miaodao Archipelago with human disturbances and under natural conditions in the past 30 years

The modern landscape patterns of islands usually show obvious spatial heterogeneity and complex ecological effects due to the vulnerability of ecosystems with natural characteristics under increasing human activities.In this work,we studied the variation in landscape pattern of the Miaodao Archipelago in Bohai Sea,North China,from 1990 to 2019,and an evaluation index system was established to explore the impacts of natural conditions and human disturbances on the ecological effects in the pressure-state-response(PSR)framework.Empirical analysis was conducted on the natural conditions,human disturbances,and ecological effects.The results show that forest was the main component of the landscape pattern in the archipelago.Both of the areas offorest and construction land were increasing,and the areas of cropland and grassland were declining.Other landscape types changed slightly,and the landscape fragmentation was increasing.The natural condition exhibited positive effects while human disturbance showed negative effects on the local ecology.Human disturbances come mainly from shoreline use while the natural conditions were mainly from the elevation change.The ecological effects were resulted mainly from the net primary productivity and water yield.

High Mixing Entropy Enhanced Energy States in Metallic Glasses

Owing to the nonequilibrium nature,the energy state of metallic glasses(MGs)can vary a lot and has a critical influence on the physical properties.Exploring new methods to modulate the energy state of glasses and studying its relationship with properties have attracted great interests.Herein,we systematically investigate the energy state,mixing entropy and physical properties of Zr–Ti–Cu–Ni–Be multicomponent high entropy MGs by experiments and simulations.We find that the energy state increases along with the increase of mixing entropy.The yield strength and thermal stability of MGs are also enhanced by high mixing entropy.These results may open a new door on regulation of energy states and thus physical properties of MGs.

Reply to“Comment on‘High Mixing Entropy Enhanced Energy States in Metallic Glasses'”

We thank Dr.Ristic and Dr.Babic for their interests in our work and for reminding us about their works on metallic glasses.Metallic glasses are a family of materials with disordered atomic packing structure,which makes it quite challenging to design new advanced metallic glasses and makes it charming to understand the relative physical mechanisms.

Climatology of Winter Extratropical Cyclones over the Coastal Waters of China

The East China coast is one major cyclogenesis region of extratropical cyclones (ETCs) in boreal winter. In this study, the climatological characteristics of winter ETCs passing over the coastal water of China are analyzed by using clustering and composite analysis. Automated cyclone detection and tracking algorithm are used to identify the ETCs, which are further classified into subgroups according to their trajectory features by using the probabilistic clustering algorithm. Six distinct types of straight moving or recurving trajectories with different climatological characteristics are identified in the clustering analysis. Accordingly, the composite analyses also present six distinct synoptic patterns corresponding to cyclogenesis as well as the impact of ETCs on terrestrial precipitation. The spatio-temporal characteristics of winter ETCs’ origination, movement, and impact are revealed by the clustering and composite analyses.

LSD1调控颗粒细胞自噬并抑制Wt1参与FSH调节的有腔卵泡形成

In a growing follicle,the survival and maturation of the oocyte largely depend on support from somatic cells to facilitate FSH-induced mutual signaling and chemical communication.Although apoptosis and autophagy in somatic cells are involved in the process of FSH-induced follicular development,the underlying mechanisms require substantial study.According to our study,along with FSH-induced antral follicles(AFs)formation,both lysine-specific demethylase 1(LSD1)protein levels and autophagy increased simultaneously in granulosa cells(GCs)in a time-dependent manner,we therefore evaluated the importance of LSD upon facilitating the formation of AFs correlated to autophagy in GCs.Conditional knockout of Lsdl in GCs resulted in significantly decreased AF number and subfertility in females,accompanied by marked suppression of the autophagy in GCs.On the one hand,depletion of Lsd1 resulted in accumulation of Wilms tumor 1 homolog(WT1),at both the protein and mRNA levels.WT1 prevented the expression of FSH receptor(Fshr)in GCs and thus reduced the responsiveness of the secondary follicles to FSH induction.On the other hand,depletion of LSD1 resulted in suppressed level of autophagy by upregulation of ATG16L2 in GCs.We finally approved that LSD1 contributed to these sequential activities in GCs through its H3K4me2 demethylase activity.Therefore,the importance of LSD1 in GCs is attributable to its roles in both accelerating autophagy and suppressing WT1 expression to ensure the responsiveness of GCs to FSH during AFs formation.

Nationwide distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil of China and the association with bacterial community

Soil contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)has raised great environmental concerns.However,the information on national wide distribution of PAHs in soil as well as their effect on soil bacterial community are limited.In this study,16 PAHs weremeasured in 94 soil samples collected across China.The total concentration of 16 PAHs(PAHs)in soil ranged from 74.0 to 17,657 ng/g(dry weight basis),with a median value of 200 ng/g.Pyrene was themajor soil PAH,with amedian concentration of 71.3 ng/g.Soil samples from Northeast China had a higher median concentration ofPAHs(1,961 ng/g)than those from other regions.Petroleum emission and wood/grass/coal combustion were potential sources for soil PAHs based on diagnostic ratios and positive matrix factors analysis.A nonnegligible ecological risk(hazard quotients>1)was found in over 20%of soil samples analyzed and the highestmedian total HQs value(8.53)was found in soils from Northeast China.The effect of PAHs on bacterial abundance,α-diversity,andβ-diversity was limited in the soils surveyed.Nevertheless,the relative abundance of some members in genera Gaiella,Nocardioides,and Clostridium was significantly correlated with the concentrations of some PAHs.Especially,the bacterium Gaiella Occulta showed potential in indicating soil contamination by PAH,which is worth further exploration.

变分积分向量值极小点的正则性

本文讨论具有分裂结构的变分积分J(u,Ω)=∫Ωn+1∑i=1{fi(x,Du^(i))+g^(i)(x,(adj_(n)Du)^(i))}dx的向量值极小点u=(u^(1),...,u^(n+1)):Ω■R^(n)→R^(n+1)的正则性,其中fi,gi:Ω×R^(n)→R,i=1,...,n+1,是满足结构性条件的Caratheodory函数.在适当的假设条件下得到了正则性性质.

通过不同退火路径获得相同的玻璃态

本文以金基金属玻璃为模型,使用高精度闪速差示扫描量热法研究了等温退火和连续降温退火对焓弛豫和回复过程的影响.发现即使玻璃的能量(焓)一样,两种退火路径获得的玻璃的状态也可能不同.对于短时间等温退火或快速连续降温退火得到的高能量玻璃,两种退火路径获得的玻璃状态明显不同:连续降温退火得到的玻璃的弛豫峰更窄,而等温退火得到的玻璃弛豫峰更宽.但是,对于长时间等温退火或慢速连续降温退火得到的低能量玻璃,两种退火路径获得的玻璃状态趋于相同,即弛豫峰完全重合.弛豫动力学结果表明,高能量玻璃处在β弛豫阶段,具有热历史依赖性.而低能量玻璃处在α弛豫阶段,玻璃状态与热历史无关,这主要是因为α弛豫具有较强的协同性,具有各态遍历特征,使结构均一化.这些发现对精准调控玻璃性质具有重要意义.

A live attenuated RHΔompdcΔuprt mutant of Toxoplasma gondii induces strong protective immunity against toxoplasmosis in mice and cats

Background Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular apicomplexan parasite and is responsible for zoonotic toxoplasmosis.It is essential to develop an effective anti-T.gondii vaccine for the control of toxoplasmosis,and this study is to explore the immunoprotective effects of a live attenuated vaccine in mice and cats.Methods First,theompdc anduprt genes of T.gondii were deleted through the CRISPR-Cas9 system.Then,the intracellular proliferation and virulence of this mutant strain were evaluated.Subsequently,the immune responses induced by this mutant in mice and cats were detected,including antibody titers,cytokine levels,and subsets of T lymphocytes.Finally,the immunoprotective effects were evaluated by challenge with tachyzoites of different strains in mice or cysts of the ME49 strain in cats.Furthermore,to discover the effective immune element against toxoplasmosis,passive immunizations were carried out.GraphPad Prism software was used to conduct the log-rank(Mantel–Cox)test,Student’st test and one-way ANOVA.Results The RHΔompdcΔuprt were constructed by the CRISPR-Cas9 system.Compared with the wild-type strain,the mutant notably reduced proliferation(P<0.05).In addition,the mutant exhibited virulence attenuation in both murine(BALB/c and BALB/c-nu)and cat models.Notably,limited pathological changes were found in tissues from RHΔompdcΔuprt-injected mice.Furthermore,compared with nonimmunized group,high levels of IgG(IgG1 and IgG2a)antibodies and cytokines(IFN-γ,IL-4,IL-10,IL-2 and IL-12)in mice were detected by the mutant(P<0.05).Remarkably,all RHΔompdcΔuprt-vaccinated mice survived a lethal challenge with RHΔku80 and ME49 and WH6 strains.The immunized sera and splenocytes,especially CD8^(+)T cells,could significantly extend(P<0.05)the survival time of mice challenged with the RHΔku80 strain compared with naïve mice.In addition,compared with nonimmunized cats,cats immunized with the mutant produced high levels of antibodies and cytokines(P<0.05),and notably decreased the shedding numbers of oocysts in feces(95.3%).Conclusions The avirulent RHΔompdcΔuprt strain can provide strong anti-T.gondii immune responses,and is a promising candidate for developing a safe and effective live attenuated vaccine.

Influence of thermal history on the crystallization behavior of high-Bs Fe-based amorphous alloys

A crucial step in creating cutting-edge soft magnetic alloys is the nanocrystallization of Fe-based amorphous alloys.However,it is unclear how the thermal history affects the nanocrystallization.In this work,high-precision nanocalorimetry and in-situ hightemperature transmission electron microscopy are used to systematically examine how the pre-annealing relaxation process affects the nanocrystallization of Fe-based amorphous alloys.We discover that the glass with more thermal energy storage will crystallize into superb nanocrystalline structures with exceptionally advanced soft magnetism.The soft magnetic properties of Fe-B nanocrystalline alloys can be improved by increasing the relaxation temperature.This finding provides solid and clear evidence for the influences of thermal history on crystallization behavior for Fe-based amorphous alloys,which is helpful for designing advanced soft magnetic nanocrystalline alloys.

Thermal performance and evaluation of a novel stratified and mixed flexible transformation solar heat storage unit

It is necessary to satisfy the flexible requirements of solar heat storage systems to provide efficient heating and constant-temperature domestic hot water at different periods.A novel heat storage tank with both stratified and mixing functions is proposed,which can realize the integration of stable stratification and rapid mixing modes.In this research,a three-dimensional heat transfer model of the heat storage tank with stratified and mixed dual modes was established,and a thermal performance test system for the tank was built in the State Key Laboratory of Green Building in Western China.Moreover,a new evaluation index representing the mixing speed is proposed.The stratification effect and mixing characteristics of the tank were studied under different comprehensive conditions.The results show that the exergy efficiency of the tank with a stratified pipe can be increased by 10%–15%compared to that of a conventional tank.Additionally,the recommended optimal flow rate range for well-stratified tanks is 4–6 L/min.The mixing nozzle of the tank reduces the mixing reaction coefficient by 0.27 and significantly reduces the mixing time.This study provides critical guidance to meet the flexible thermal needs of users and implement high-performance applications using the stratified and mixing modes of heat storage tanks.