Evaluating effects of climate change on the spatial distribution of an atypical cavefish Onychostoma macrolepis.

Comprehending endangered species' spatial distribution in response to global climate change (GCC) is of great importance for formulating adaptive management, conservation, and restoration plans. However, it is regrettable that previous studies mainly focused on geoclimatic species, while neglected climate-sensitive subterranean taxa to a large extent, which clearly hampered the discovery of universal principles. In view of this, taking the endemic troglophile riverine fish Onychostoma macrolepis (Bleeker, 1871) as an example, we constructed a MaxEnt (maximum-entropy) model to predict how the spatial distribution of this endangered fish would respond to future climate changes (three Global Climate Models × two Shared Socio-economic Pathways × three future time nodes) based on painstakingly collected species occurrence data and a set of bioclimatic variables, including WorldClim and ENVIREM. Model results showed that variables related to temperature rather than precipitation were more important in determining the geographic distribution of this rare and endemic fish. In addition, the suitable areas and their distribution centroids of O. macrolepis would shrink (average: 20,901.75 km2) and move toward the northeast or northwest within the study area (i.e. China). Linking our results with this species' limited dispersion potential and unique habitat requirements (i.e. karst landform is essential), we thus recommended in situ conservation to protect this relict.

Coupling Nano and Atomic Electric Field Confinement for Robust Alkaline Oxygen Evolution.

The alkaline oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a promising avenue for producing clean fuels and storing intermittent energy. However, challenges such as excessive OH- consumption and strong adsorption of oxygen-containing intermediates hinder the development of alkaline OER. In this study, we propose a cooperative strategy by leveraging both nano-scale and atomically local electric fields for alkaline OER, demonstrated through the synthesis of Mn single atom doped CoP nanoneedles (Mn SA-CoP NNs). Finite element method simulations and density functional theory calculations predict that the nano-scale local electric field enriches OH- around the catalyst surface, while the atomically local electric field improves *O desorption. Experimental validation using in situ attenuated total reflection infrared and Raman spectroscopy confirms the effectiveness of the nano-scale and atomically electric fields. Mn SA-CoP NNs exhibit an ultra-low overpotential of 189 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and stable operation over 100 hours at ~100 mA cm-2 during alkaline OER. This innovative strategy provides new insights for enhancing catalyst performance in energy conversion reactions.

Biomimetic Photodegradation of Glyphosate in Carborane-Functionalized Nanoconfined Spaces.

The removal of organophosphorus (OP) herbicides from water has been studied using adsorptive removal, chemical oxidation, electrooxidation, enzymatic degradation, and photodegradation. The OP herbicide glyphosate (GP) is one of the most used herbicides worldwide, leading to excess GP in wastewater and soil. GP is commonly broken down in environmental conditions to compounds such as aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) or sarcosine, with AMPA having a longer half-life and similar toxicity to GP. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are excellent materials for purifying OP herbicides from water due to their ability to combine adsorption and photoactivity within one material. Herein, we report the use of a robust Zr-based MOF with a meta-carborane carboxylate ligand (mCB-MOF-2) to examine the adsorption and photodegradation of GP. The maximum adsorption capacity of mCB-MOF-2 for GP was determined to be 11.4 mmol/g. Non-covalent intermolecular forces between the carborane-based ligand and GP within the micropores of mCB-MOF-2 are thought to be responsible for strong binding affinity and capture of GP. After 24 h of irradiation with ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) light, mCB-MOF-2 selectively converts 69% of GP to sarcosine and orthophosphate, following the C-P lyase enzymatic pathway and biomimetically photodegrading GP. Circumventing the production of AMPA is desirable, as it has a longer half-life and similar toxicity to GP. The exceptional adsorption capacity of GP by mCB-MOF-2 and its biomimetic photodegradation to non-toxic sarcosine make it a promising material for removing OP herbicides from water.

Cost-effectiveness of adding ezetimibe and/or PCSK9 inhibitors to high-dose statins for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in Chinese adults.

OBJECTIVES: The latest international guideline recommended the add-on therapy of ezetimibe and PCSK9 inhibitors in selected people for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). However, it remains unclear whether these regimens fit the Chinese healthcare system economically. METHODS: Based on the Chinese context, this simulation study evaluated four therapeutic strategies including the high-dose statin-only group, ezetimibe plus statin group, PCSK9 inhibitors plus statin group, and PCSK9 inhibitors plus ezetimibe plus statin group. The team developed a Markov model to estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). With each 1-yr cycle, the simulation subjects could have nonfatal cardiovascular events (stroke and/or myocardial infarction) or death (vascular or nonvascular death event) with a follow-up duration of 20 yr. Cardiovascular risk reduction was gathered from a network meta-analysis, and cost and utility data were gathered from hospital databases and published research. RESULTS: For Chinese adults receiving high-dose statins for secondary prevention of CVDs, the ICER was US$68,910 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) for adding PCSK9 inhibitors, US$20,242 per QALY for adding ezetimibe, US$51,552 per QALY for adding both drugs. Given a threshold of US$37,655 (three times of Chinese GDP), the probability of cost-effectiveness is 2.9 percent for adding PCSK9 inhibitors, 53.1 percent for adding ezetimibe, and 16.8 percent for adding both drugs. To meet the cost-effectiveness, an acquisition price reduction of PCSK9 inhibitors of 33.6 percent is necessary. CONCLUSION: In Chinese adults receiving high-dose statins for the secondary prevention of CVDs, adding ezetimibe is cost-effective compared to adding PCSK9 inhibitors and adding both drugs.

Exposure to Di-(2-Ethylhexyl) phthalate drives ovarian dysfunction by inducing granulosa cell pyroptosis via the SLC39A5/NF-κB/NLRP3 axis.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have been reported to affect populations by disrupting the human endocrine system. Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is an EDC that is present in various consumer products. Exposure to DEHP could contribute to reproductive system dysfunction, with subsequent adverse female reproductive outcomes. Granulosa cells (GCs) play essential roles in ovarian function and fertility. To further reveal the underlying mechanism by which DEHP impairs female fertility and affects the normal function of GCs, in vivo and in vitro experiments were performed. Transcript sequencing was used to identify genes that were differentially expressed in GCs after DEHP treatment. SLC39A5 was shown to be overexpressed in the DEHP group compared to the normal control group. DEHP treatment and overexpression of SLC39A5 activated NF-κB-related factors, followed by an increase in the transcript expression level of NLRP3. NLRP3 inflammasomes play crucial roles in pyroptosis by acting as sensors. Pyroptosis is a type of inflammation-related cell death associated with various diseases, including ovarian cancer and polycystic ovary syndrome. Activation of NF-κB contributed to the upregulation of pyroptosis in GCs, while pyroptosis factors were downregulated after the inhibition of NF-κB with JSH-23. The same phenomenon was also observed in a mouse model in which DEHP-treated mice had higher expression levels of NF-κB and pyroptosis markers in GCs. Moreover, this phenomenon could be partially reversed by the NF-κB inhibitor JSH-23. DEHP treatment also disrupted the normal expression of ovarian function-related genes and inhibited the proliferation of GCs. Reproductive system impairment was observed in mice exposed to DEHP. DEHP-treated mice had a lower body weight, smaller reproductive organs, fewer healthy follicles, and diminished ovarian reserve. Thus, DEHP contributes to ovarian dysfunction by inducing pyroptosis via the SLC39A5/NF-κB/NLRP3 axis in GCs.

Effect of Vacancy, As, and Sb Dopants on the Gold-Capturing Ability of Cu2S during Gold Collection in Matte Processes.

The technique of gold collection in matte can effectively improve the trapping efficiency of precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum. However, the underlying mechanism of gold collection from high-temperature molten matte is complex and not well understood. In this work, the first-principle calculations were utilized to investigate the adsorption behavior of gold atoms on a Cu2S surface. The effects of vacancies and As and Sb doping on the gold-trapping ability of Cu2S were also explored, and the electronic properties of each adsorption system, including the charge density difference, density of states, and charge transfer, were systematically analyzed. The results show that the Cu-terminated Cu2S(111) surface has the lowest surface energy, and the Au atom is chemically adsorbed on the Cu2S(111) with an adsorption energy of -1.99 eV. The large adsorption strength is primarily ascribed to the strong hybridizations between Au-5d and Cu-3d orbitals. Additionally, the Cu vacancy can significantly weaken the adsorption strength of Cu2S(111) towards Au atoms, while the S vacancy can notably enhance it. Moreover, due to the formation of strong covalent As-Au/Sb-Au bonds, doping As and Sb into Cu2S(111) can enhance the gold-trapping capability of Cu2S, and the Sb doping exhibits superior effectiveness. Our studied results can provide theoretical guidance for improving the gold collection efficiency of Cu2S.

Ammonia induces changes in carbamoyl phosphate synthetase I and its regulation of glutamine synthesis and urea cycle in yellow catfish Pelteobagrus fulvidraco.

Fishes can adapt to certain levels of environmental ammonia in water, but the strategies utilized to defend against ammonia toxicity are not exactly the same. The carbamyl phosphate synthase I (CPS I) plays an important role in the regulation of glutamine synthesis and urea cycle, which are the most common strategies for ammonia detoxification. In this study, CPS I was cloned from the yellow catfish. The full-length cDNAs of the CPS I was 5 034 bp, with open reading frames of 4 461 bp. Primary amino acid sequence alignment of CPS I revealed conserved similarity between the functional domains of the yellow catfish CPS I protein with CPS I proteins of other animals. The mRNA expression of CPS I was significantly up-regulated in liver and kidney tissues after acute ammonia stress. The CPS I RNA interference (RNAi) down-regulated the mRNA expressions of CPS I and ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC), but up-regulated glutamine synthetase (GS) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) expressions in primary culture of liver cell after acute ammonia stress. Similarly, the activity of enzymes related to urea cycle decreased significantly, while the activity of enzymes related to glutamine synthesis increased significantly. The results of RNAi in vitro suggested that when the urea cycle is disturbed, the glutamine synthesis will be activated to cope with ammonia toxicity.

Genome-wide characterization and expression analysis of geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase genes in cotton (Gossypium spp.) in plant development and abiotic stresses.

BACKGROUND: GGPP (geranylgeranyl diphosphate) is produced in the isoprenoid pathway and mediates the function of various plant metabolites, which is synthesized by GGPPS (GGPP synthases) in plants. GGPPS characterization has not been performed in any plant species except Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we performed a complete computational and bioinformatics analysis of GGPPS and detected their transcription expression pattern in Gossypium hirsutum for the first time so that to explore their evolutionary relationship and potential functions. Finally, we unravelled evolutionary relationship, conserved sequence logos, gene duplication and potential involvement in plant development and abiotic stresses tolerance of GGPPS genes in G. hirsutum and other plant species. RESULTS: A total of 159 GGPPS genes from 18 plant species were identified and evolutionary analysis divided these GGPPS genes into five groups to indicate their divergence from a common ancestor. Further, GGPPS family genes were conserved during evolution and underwent segmental duplication. The identified 25 GhGGPPS genes showed diverse expression pattern particularly in ovule and fiber development indicating their vital and divers roles in the fiber development. Additionally, GhGGPPS genes exhibited wide range of responses when subjected to abiotic (heat, cold, NaCl and PEG) stresses and hormonal (BL, GA, IAA, SA and MeJA) treatments, indicating their potential roles in various biotic and abiotic stresses tolerance. CONCLUSIONS: The GGPPS genes are evolutionary conserved and might be involve in different developmental stages and stress response. Some potential key genes (e.g. GhGGPP4, GhGGPP9, and GhGGPP15) were suggested for further study and provided valuable source for cotton breeding to improve fiber quality and resistant to various stresses.

A Highly Water-Stable meta-Carborane-Based Copper Metal-Organic Framework for Efficient High-Temperature Butanol Separation.

Biofuels are considered sustainable and renewable alternatives to conventional fossil fuels. Biobutanol has recently emerged as an attractive option compared to bioethanol and biodiesel, but a significant challenge in its production lies in the separation stage. The current industrial process for the production of biobutanol includes the ABE (acetone-butanol-ethanol) fermentation process from biomass; the resulting fermentation broth has a butanol concentration of no more than 2 wt% (the rest is essentially water). Therefore, the development of a cost-effective process for separation of butanol from dilute aqueous solutions is highly desirable. The use of porous materials for the adsorptive separation of ABE mixtures is considered a highly promising route, as these materials can potentially have high affinities for alcohols and low affinities for water. To date, zeolites have been tested toward this separation, but their hydrophilic nature makes them highly incompetent for this application. The use of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) is an apparent solution; however, their low hydrolytic stabilities hinder their implementation in this application. So far, a few nanoporous zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) have shown excellent potential for butanol separation due to their good hydrolytic and thermal stabilities. Herein, we present a novel, porous, and hydrophobic MOF based on copper ions and carborane-carboxylate ligands, mCB-MOF-1, for butanol recovery. mCB-MOF-1 exhibits excellent stability when immersed in organic solvents, water at 90 °C for at least two months, and acidic and basic aqueous solutions. We found that, like ZIF-8, mCB-MOF-1 is non-porous to water (type II isotherm), but it has higher affinity for ethanol, butanol, and acetone compared to ZIF-8, as suggested by the shape of the vapor isotherms at the crucial low-pressure region. This is reflected in the separation of a realistic ABE mixture in which mCB-MOF-1 recovers butanol more efficiently compared to ZIF-8 at 333 K.

Interleukin-20 differentially regulates bone mesenchymal stem cell activities in RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis through the OPG/RANKL/RANK axis and the NF-κB, MAPK and AKT signalling pathways.

The immune and skeletal systems share common mechanisms, and the crosstalk between the two has been termed osteoimmunology. Osteoimmunology mainly focuses on diseases between the immune and bone systems including bone loss diseases, and imbalances in osteoimmune regulation affect skeletal homeostasis between osteoclasts and osteoblasts. The immune mediator interleukin-20 (IL-20), a member of the IL-10 family, enhances inflammation, chemotaxis and angiogenesis in diseases related to bone loss. However, it is unclear how IL-20 regulates the balance between osteoclastogenesis and osteoblastogenesis; therefore, we explored the mechanisms by which IL-20 affects bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in osteoclastogenesis in primary cells during differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis and signalling. We initially found that IL-20 differentially regulated preosteoclast proliferation and apoptosis; BMSC-conditioned medium (CM) significantly enhanced osteoclast formation and bone resorption, which was dose-dependently regulated by IL-20; IL-20 inhibited OPG expression and promoted M-CSF, RANKL and RANKL/OPG expression; and IL-20 differentially regulated the expression of osteoclast-specific gene and transcription factors through the OPG/RANKL/RANK axis and the NF-kB, MAPK and AKT pathways. Therefore, IL-20 differentially regulates BMSCs in osteoclastogenesis and exerts its function by activating the OPG/RANKL/RANK axis and the NF-κB, MAPK and AKT pathways, which make targeting IL-20 a promising direction for targeted regulation in diseases related to bone loss.

A Reversible Phase Transition of 2D Coordination Layers by B-H∙∙∙Cu(II) Interactions in a Coordination Polymer.

Materials that combine flexibility and open metal sites are crucial for myriad applications. In this article, we report a 2D coordination polymer (CP) assembled from CuII ions and a flexible meta-carborane-based linker [Cu2(L1)2(Solv)2]•xSolv (1-DMA, 1-DMF, and 1-MeOH; L1: 1,7-di(4-carboxyphenyl)-1,7-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane). 1-DMF undergoes an unusual example of reversible phase transition on solvent treatment (i.e., MeOH and CH2Cl2). Solvent exchange, followed by thermal activation provided a new porous phase that exhibits an estimated Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 301 m2 g-1 and is capable of a CO2 uptake of 41 cm3 g-1. The transformation is reversible and 1-DMF is reformed on addition of DMF to the porous phase. We provide evidence for the reversible process being the result of the formation/cleavage of weak but attractive B-H∙∙∙Cu interactions by a combination of single-crystal (SCXRD), powder (PXRD) X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and DFT calculations.

Effect of Liuweibuqi Capsules in Pulmonary Alveolar Epithelial Cells and COPD Through JAK/STAT Pathway.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To evaluate the effect of Liuweibuqi capsules on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) through the JAK/STAT pathway. METHODS: Lung function was measured with a spirometer. Changes in lung histology were observed using H&E staining. Cigarette smoke extract combined with lipopolysaccharide (CSE+LPS) was used to establish the cellular COPD model. Cytokine levels were determined using ELISA, and changes in the JAK/STAT pathway were evaluated using western blotting. The CCK8 method and flow cytometry were used to measure cell viability and apoptosis, respectively. RESULTS: Liuweibuqi capsules reduced the damage in the lung tissues and the loss of lung function in the COPD rats. Additionally, the levels of interleukin (IL)-1ß, interferon γ (IFNγ), IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß1 were higher, whereas IL-10 was lower in the model control (MC) and CSE+LPS groups than in the normal group. The phosphorylation levels of JAK1, JAK2, STAT1, STAT3 and STAT5 were higher and the levels of SOCS1 and SOCS3 were lower in the MC group and CSE+LPS group compared with the normal group. After Liuweibuqi capsule treatment, the expression of inflammatory cytokines and elements of the JAK/STAT pathway were lower. In addition, over-expression of STAT3 blocked the effects of the Liuweibuqi capsules on the release of inflammatory cytokines, cell viability and apoptosis. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggested that Liuweibuqi capsule might effectively ameliorate the progression of COPD via the JAK/STAT pathway.

ATF4 and N-Myc coordinate glutamine metabolism in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells through ASCT2 activation.

Amplification of the MYCN gene in human neuroblastoma predicts poor prognosis and resistance to therapy. We previously showed that MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells constantly require large amounts of glutamine to support their unabated growth. However, the identity and regulation of the transporter(s) that capture glutamine in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells and the clinical significance of the transporter(s) in neuroblastoma diagnosis remain largely unknown. Here, we performed a systemic glutamine influx analysis and identified that MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells predominantly rely on activation of ASCT2 (solute carrier family 1 member 5, SLC1A5) to maintain sufficient levels of glutamine essential for the TCA cycle anaplerosis. Consequently, ASCT2 depletion profoundly inhibited glutaminolysis, concomitant with a substantial decrease in cell proliferation and viability in vitro and inhibition of tumourigenesis in vivo. Mechanistically, we identified ATF4 as a novel regulator which coordinates with N-Myc to directly activate ASCT2 expression. Of note, ASCT2 expression, which correlates with that of N-Myc and ATF4, is markedly elevated in high-stage neuroblastoma tumour samples compared with low-stage ones. More importantly, high ASCT2 expression is significantly associated with poor prognosis and survival of neuroblastoma patients. In aggregate, these findings elucidate a novel mechanism depicting how cell autonomous insults (MYCN amplification) and microenvironmental stresses (ATF4 induction) in concert coordinate ASCT2 activation to promote aggressive neuroblastoma progression, and establish ASCT2 as a novel biomarker in patient prognosis and stratification.

Cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor celecoxib suppresses invasion and migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines through a decrease in matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 activity.

Celecoxib is a selective inhibitor of COX-2, whose connection with the development and progression of human tumors has been extensively studied. So far, however, its anti-metastatic effect is poorly understood in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The current study aimed to observe the effect of celecoxib on invasion and migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines and investigate the potential mechanism in vitro. Human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines HNE1, HONE1, SUNE1-5-8F were exposed to different concentrations of celecoxib. MTT assay was used to study its anti-proliferation effect, transwell assay wound healing repair assay were performed to investigate the invasiveness and migration capability after treatment with celecoxib. The activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 was measured by gelatin zymography. MTT assay showed that celecoxib inhibited HNE1, HONE1, and SUNE1-5-8F cells growth. Wound healing repair assay and transwell assay showed that cell metastatic ability was suppressed after treatment with celecoxib. Celecoxib had a significant inhibitory effect on the activity of MMP-2/9 in a dose-dependent manner in HNE1, HONE1 and SUNE1-5-8F cell lines. These data demonstrated that celecoxib-induced suppression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity might be involved in the inhibition of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines invasion and migration.

Anticancer effects of celecoxib through inhibiton of STAT3 phosphorylation and AKT phosphorylation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines.

Previously, we showed that treatment with celecoxib obviously inhibited proliferation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of its anticancer effect on NPC have not been fully clarified. The present in vitro study was performed to investigate the mechanisms involved in the anticancer effect of celecoxib in NPC. NPC cell line HONE1 was treated with celecoxib at varying concentrations. The antiproliferation effect of celecoxib on the HONE1 cell line was assessed with methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Western blot analysis of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), phosphorylated STAT3(Y705) (pSTAT3(Y705)), Survivin, Mcl-1, Bcl-2 and Cyclin D1 was carried out at various concentration of celecoxib for 48 h in HONE1 cell line. Western blot analysis of Protein Kinase B (AKT), phosphorylated AKT (pAKT) was performed at increasing doses of celecoxib for 48 h in HNE1, CNE1-LMP1 and HONE1 cells. The results showed that celecoxib inhibited proliferation of HONE1 cell line in a dose-dependent manner. Celecoxib inhibited the activation of STAT3 phosphorylation in HONE1 cells and the downstream genes of STAT3 (Survivin, Mcl-1, Bcl-2 and Cyclin D1) were downregulated after treatment with celecoxib. Furthermore, celecoxib could inhibit AKT phosphorylation in HNE1, CNE1-LMP1 and HONE1 cell lines. These data suggested that celecoxib was a promising agent for the chemoprevention and treatment of NPC.

Pan-cancer analyses reveal genomics and clinical outcome association of the fatty acid oxidation regulators in cancer.

Background: Fatty acid oxidation (FAO) is considered to play a vital part in tumor metabolic reprogramming. But the comprehensive description of FAO dysregulation in tumors has not been unknown. Methods: We obtained FAO genes, RNA-seq data and clinical information from the Msigdb, TCGA and GTEx databases. We assessed their prognosis value using univariate cox analysis, survival analysis and Kaplan-Meier curve. We determined the function of FAO genes using gene set variation analysis. The correlation analysis was calculated by corrplot R package. Immunotherapy response was assessed through TIDE scores. The protein expression levels of FAO genes were validated using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results: The FAO scores were highest in COAD but lowest in PCPG. FAO scores were significantly associated with the prognosis of some cancers in OS, DSS, DFI and PFI. Besides, gene set variation analysis identified that FAO scores were related to immune-related pathways, and immune infiltration analysis showed FAO scores were positively related to cancer-associated fibroblasts and various immune-related genes. TIDE scores were significantly decreased in ACC, CHOL, ESCA, GBM, LAML, SARC, SKCM and THCA compared with normal samples, while it was significantly increased in BLCA, LUAD, LUSC, PCPG, PRAD and STAD. Besides, most FAO genes were downregulated in pan-cancer compared with normal samples. Moreover, we found copy number variation (CNV) of FAO genes played a positive role in their mRNA expression, while methylation was negative. We determined FAO genes were closely related to some drugs in pan-cancer. Conclusions: FAO score is a novel and promising factor for predicting outcomes.

A two-stage SCUC model for distribution networks considering uncertainty and demand response.

Demand response (DR) is one of the most effective and economical methods for power operators to improve network reliability in face of uncertainty and emergencies. In this paper, considering the uncertainty of wind power output and the failure of power system components, a two-stage security-constrained unit commitment (SCUC) model is established by optimizing the real-time pricing mechanism to indirectly adjust the DR. Firstly, the uncertainty of wind power output is modeled based on self-organizing map (SOM), and the component failure of the power system is modeled based on Monte Carlo. Then, a pricing scheme is proposed to stimulate users' electricity consumption behavior. Finally, the marine predator algorithm is used to solve the problem. Simulation results on IEEE-RTS system show that the proposed method can reduce the total operating cost by 10%, effectively stimulate the electricity consumption behavior of users, to improve the peak load shifting and valley filling capacity of the power system.

The impact mechanism of China's green finance on the transformation and innovation of high-energy-consumption enterprises.

The development of green finance and the promotion of green transformation and upgrading of high energy-consuming enterprises are of great significance for China to achieve the "double carbon" goal. This paper employs a dual fixed-effects model to examine the profound ramifications and intrinsic mechanisms of green finance development on the transformative innovation of high-energy-consumption enterprises, using a sample of 462 publicly traded high-energy-consuming corporations from the period spanning 2016 to 2020. The results show that the development of green finance promotes the transformation and innovation of energy-intensive enterprises and that market-incentivized environmental regulation plays a partially mediating role; the results of heterogeneity analysis show that green finance promotes the transformation and innovation of high energy-consuming enterprises with significant differences in different low-carbon pilot regions, company ownership, and enterprise size; the mechanism analysis shows that the development of green finance can increase government subsidies and alleviate financing constraints to promote the transformation and innovation of high energy-consuming enterprises; it is also found that the development of green finance can significantly improve the financial performance of enterprises. The research findings of this paper hold significant implications for promoting the sustainable development of green finance and high-energy consumption enterprises in China. They provide valuable insights and references for facilitating the green transformation and innovation of high-energy-consuming enterprises in China as well as other developing countries.

A New Method for Inversion of Dam Foundation Hydraulic Conductivity Using an Improved Genetic Algorithm Coupled with an Unsaturated Equivalent Continuum Model and Its Application.

Seepage is a main cause of dam failure, and its stability analysis is the focus of a dam's design, construction, and management. Because a geological survey can only determine the range of a dam foundation's hydraulic conductivity, hydraulic conductivity inversion is crucial in engineering. However, current inversion methods of dam hydraulic conductivity are either not accurate enough or too complex to be directly used in engineering. Therefore, this paper proposes a new method for the inversion of hydraulic conductivity with high application value in hydraulic engineering using an improved genetic algorithm coupled with an unsaturated equivalent continuum model (IGA-UECM). This method is implemented by a new code that fully considers engineering applicability. In addition to overcoming the premature convergence shortcomings of traditional genetic algorithms, it converges faster than Bayesian optimization and tree-structured Parzen estimator inversion algorithms. This method is verified by comparing the water head from drilling exploration and inversion. The results of the inversion are used to study the influence of a cement grouting curtain layout scheme on the seepage field of the Hami concrete-face rockfill dam in China, which is used as an engineering application case of the IGA-UECM. The law of the seepage field is reasonable, which verifies the validity of the IGA-UECM. The new inversion method of hydraulic conductivity and the proposed cement grouting curtain layout in this study offer possible strategies for the design, construction, and management of concrete-face rockfill dams.

Protein/polysaccharide-based hydrogels loaded probiotic-mediated therapeutic systems: A review.

The natural characteristics of protein/polysaccharide-based hydrogels, as a potential drug delivery platform, have attracted extensive attention. Probiotics have attracted renewed interest in drug research because of their beneficial effects on host health. The idea of using probiotics loaded on protein/polysaccharide-based hydrogels as potential drugs to treat different diseases has been put forward and shows great prospects. Based on this, in this review, we highlight the design strategy of hydrogels loaded probiotic-mediated therapy systems and review the potential diseases that have been proved to be treatable in the laboratory, including promoting wound healing and improving intestinal health and vaginal health, and discuss the challenges existing in the current design.