Plant viral vectors have become a promising tool for the rapid and cost-effective production of recombinant proteins in plants. Among the numerous genera of viruses that have been used for heterologous expression, potyviruses offer several advantages, such as polyprotein expression strategy or a broad host range. In our work, the expression vectors pAD/pAD-agro based on the plum pox virus (PPV) genome were used for the heterologous expression of different foreign polypeptides: alfalfa mosaic virus capsid protein (AMV CP), zucchini yellow mosaic virus capsid protein (ZYMV CP), the small heat-shock protein of Cronobacter sakazakii fused with hexahistidine (sHSP-his), a fragment of influenza A virus hemagglutinin (HA2-2), influenza A virus protein PB1-F2, SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (CoN2-his), and its N- and C-terminal fragments (CoN-1-his and CoN3-his, respectively), each fused with a hexahistidine anchor. Particular proteins differed in their accumulation, tissue localization, stab... [more]

A thermal behavior study of lipid-extracted Nannochloropsis gaditana (LEA) was performed in a thermogravimetric analyzer. The study was performed by heating the sample under different heating rates (5, 10, and 15 °C/min) from room temperature to 1000 °C using N2 gas as the medium. This is crucial for thermal stability studies in a kinetic control regime. The following three stages of chemical decompositions were found: (1) moisture removal (2) devolatilization (3) fixed carbon decomposition; maximum decomposition was observed at the second stage. Activation energies of the LEA were studied using the Flynn−Wall−Ozawa model and Kissinger−Akahira−Sunose model. Main sample decomposition was observed from 100−700 °C during volatile matter evaporation. The thermal behavior study findings were used for the gasification of the sample with air to study the effect of varying reaction parameters on the compositions of the synthesis gas yield. Maximum H2 yield was found at 700 °C and 0.7 g, which... [more]

The study of the performance of dynamic hydraulic throttling under the condition of stable fluid is of great significance. The effect of a step change in pressure differences on the throttling performance of a hydraulic valve is studied. This paper studies the dynamic and static performance of a hydraulic-valve-outlet throttling-speed regulation system, builds a more accurate mathematical model, considers the linear factors of the flow of hydraulic-valve throttling, analyzes the influence of the step-load change in pressure difference on the stability of the hydraulic-valve movement speed, and constructs a nonlinear mathematical model of the speed-regulation system of the outlet throttling. A pressure sensor is used to measure the change in pressure overshoot, and the effect of a pressure-difference step change on the throttling performance of the hydraulic valve is studied under steady-fluid conditions. The theory is analyzed and verified by experiment, and the parameters of hydraulic... [more]

In promoting the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), increasing attention has been given to environmental pollution and abnormal climate issues. In particular, a large number of products made of plastic materials have caused harm to the environment. Secondly, with the improvement of average spending power, many parents are more willing to buy toys for their children. However, the lifespan of kid’s toys is often short, and most materials are made of plastic, which also causes issues as they are not easy to break down and are difficult to recycle. This study investigates the concept of the product life cycle in kid’s toys and explores the decision-making factors of green design. First, analysis and induction were conducted through literature collection. Through semi-structured interviews with experts, the design dimensions related to the green design of kid’s toys and the elements that affect the willingness of consumption by consumption values and behavior were obtained. After the que... [more]

Flame holders are widely used in ramjet combustors. We propose using surface nanosecond-pulsed surface-dielectric-barrier-discharge (NS-DBD) to manipulate the flame-holder flow field experimentally. The electrical characteristics, induced flow performance, and temperature distribution of NS-DBD were investigated via the electrical and optical measurement system. In the filamentary discharge mode, the discharge energy rose with decrease of the ambient pressure. The discharge pattern of NS-DBD changed from filamentous to uniform around 5 kPa. Starting-vortex intensity and jet-flow angle relative to the wall increased at low pressure. The recirculation zone was asymmetrical at pressures above 60 kPa. The recirculation zone’s area and length were smaller at lower pressures, but when the actuator was operating, the recirculation zone was nearly 11.8% longer. The vorticity increased with pressure. When the pulse width was 300 ns, the actuator had the greatest effect, and the low velocity reg... [more]

Bionanotechnology is the combination of biotechnology and nanotechnology for the development of biosynthetic and environmentally friendly nanomaterial synthesis technology. The presented research work adopted a reliable and environmentally sustainable approach to manufacturing silver nanoparticles from Brachychiton populneus (BP-AgNPs) leaf extract in aqueous medium. The Brachychiton populneus-derived silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV−Vis spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). In addition, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and cytotoxic activities of AgNPs were brought to light. The synthesis of BP-AgNPs was verified at 453 nm wavelength by UV−Vis spectrum. FTIR analysis revealed that synthesis, stability, and capping of AgNPs depend on functional groups such as alkane, alkene, nitro, flouro, phenol, alcoholic, and flavones, present in plant extract. The SE... [more]

This study implements a multifunctional charger based on a dual-switching, bidirectional flyback converter (DSBFC). The proposed charger adopts seven charging methods, including the incremental-current charging, constant-voltage (CV) charging, constant-current (CC) charging, pulse-current (PC) charging, triangular-current (TC) charging, sinusoidal-current (SC) charging, and positive/negative pulse-current (Reflex) charging methods. The charging process of a lithium-ion battery is divided into three stages: an initial term, a mid-term, and a final term. In the initial term, the incremental-current charging method is used in the initial term of charging for a soft start and to inhibit an increase in temperature. In the mid-term, five charging methods, including CC, PC, TC, SC, and Reflex-current charging, are used for charging. The CV charging method prevents overcharging the lithium-ion battery in the final term. Based on our experimental results, this study compares the four charging m... [more]

This paper designs a new class of actuators for the downhole traction robot system to achieve high-accuracy transmission, which is realized by the planetary roller screw mechanism (PRSM). As the downhole environment is a non-structure one, which increases the difficulty of the load analyses and distributions of the downhole robot system to complete a predesigned mission. Traditional achievements about the mechanical behavior analyses of PRSM ignore the effects of radial loads and torque elastic deformation errors, which are inevitable for the downhole robot actuator, and the results of which would affect the load distribution and fatigue life of the PRSM-aided actuator. To assist the complex task, in this study the mechanical behavior analyses of PRSM for the downhole robot system are investigated by considering axial loads, torque elastic deformation errors, and radial loads. Moreover, the calculation models for contact load distribution and fatigue life are established by utilizing t... [more]

The present study reports the results obtained after the analysis of the thermal stability and decomposition kinetics of widely used synthetic derivative of estradiol, ethinylestradiol (EE), as a pure active pharmaceutical ingredient. As investigational tools, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal analysis, and decomposition kinetics modeling of EE were employed. The kinetic study was realized using three kinetic methods, namely Kissinger, Friedman, and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa. The results of the kinetic study are in good agreement, suggesting that the main decomposition process of EE that takes place in the 175−375 °C temperature range is a single-step process, invariable during the modification of heating rate of the sample.

Most studies on distributed flexible job shop scheduling problem (DFJSP) assume that both processing time and transmission time are crisp values. However, due to the complexity of the factory processing environment, the processing information is uncertain. Therefore, we consider the uncertainty of processing environment, and for the first time propose a multiobjective distributed fuzzy flexible job shop scheduling problem with transfer (MO-DFFJSPT). To solve the MO-DFFJSPT, a hybrid decomposition variable neighborhood memetic algorithm (HDVMA) is proposed with the objectives of minimizing the makespan, maximum factory load, and total workload. In the proposed HDVMA, the well-designed encoding/decoding method and four initialization rules are used to generate the initial population, and several effective evolutionary operators are designed to update populations. Additionally, a weight vector is introduced to design high quality individual selection rules and acceptance criteria. Then, t... [more]

A 2D axisymmetric computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, coupled to a 1D bed model, has been developed to capture the key processes that occur within rotary lime kilns. The model simulates the calcination reaction using a shrinking core model, and predicts the start of calcination and the degree of calcination at the end of the kiln. The model simulates heat transfer due to radiation, convection and conduction between the gas, wall, chains, and bed. The 2D gas and 1D bed models are coupled by mass and heat sinks to simulate heat transfer, evaporation, and the calcination reaction. The model is used to simulate two industrial kilns, one wet and one dry. The steady-state simulation results are compared to mill data, and good agreement is found. A sensitivity analysis is also presented, to obtain insight on how operating conditions and model variables impact the calcination location and degree of calcination.

Blank is the foundation for manufacturing enterprise production. The change of blank dimension is the fundamental purpose of product processing, and blank dimension change process dramatically affects the cost and energy consumption of blank production and use process. Therefore, the blank dimension design is of great significance for the sustainable development of enterprises. Based on the management concept of the business compass, combined with the enterprise development plan and production situation, this article established a blank dimension optimization design model, which can design the blank dimension according to enterprise demand. The model took the energy consumption and cost of the blank production and used process as the optimization objectives, and was solved by the gray wolf algorithm. The model was verified by analyzing the machining process of a fixture cavity. By comparison with standard square blank dimensions, the research results showed that the optimized square bl... [more]

Microbial diversity and dynamic changes play an important role in the production of fermented peppers. In this study, the relationship between fungal communities and the volatile flavor compounds of traditional Chinese fermented peppers was investigated by high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that Hanseniaspora was a dominant fungus during the whole fermentation course and accounted for 82.22% of the fungal community on average (ranging from 50.44% to 98.15%). Bidirectional orthogonal partial least squares (O2PLS) analysis between fungal community and volatile flavor compounds showed that Pichia, Hanseniaspora, Cryptococcus, Debarvomvces, and Trichosporon were closely correlated with the concentrations of the volatile flavor components such as α-terpineol, trans-3-tetradecene, 4-methylpentyl 3-methylbutanoate, and 11 other volatile flavor compounds. This study elucidated the dynamics of fungal communities and volatile flavor compounds during pepper fermentation and... [more]

The over-enrichment of phosphorus in waste streams can lead to eutrophication and oxygen limitations for aquatic life. To understand the release of phosphorus from a soybean processing facility, it is imperative to track the flow of phosphorus in different streams during the processing of soybeans. The objective of the study is to develop process simulation models to study the flow of phosphorus in the soy-biodiesel process and evaluate strategies to mitigate phosphorus release by recovering phosphorous from soapstock and wastewater. Since most of the P is found in soybean meal, the processing of which releases phosphorus, a third case of lecithin recovery was also studied to reduce the amount of phosphorous in soybean meal. It was observed that phosphorus can be economically recovered from the soapstock, as well as the wastewater stream, with an estimated operating cost of USD 1.65 and 3.62 per kg of phosphorous recovered, respectively. The phosphorus recovered from both streams can b... [more]

Underground salt cavern gas storage is the best choice for the production peak adjustment and storage of natural gas, and is a basic means to ensure the safe supply of natural gas. However, in the process of these caverns dissolving due to water injection, argillaceous insoluble sediments in the salt layer will fall to the bottom of the cavity and expand, occupying a large amount of the storage capacity and resulting in the reduction of the actual gas storage space. Effectively reducing the volume of sediments at the bottom of the cavity is a potential way to expand the storage capacity of the cavity. In this study, a method to reduce the volume of argillaceous insoluble sediments with particle sizes ranging from 10 mesh to 140 mesh, via a chemical shrinkage agent, has been proposed. Firstly, the inorganic polymer shrinkage agent PAC30 was synthesized, and then a set of dynamic shrinkage evaluation methods was established to evaluate the influence of temperature, particle size, concent... [more]

The bend pipe with a circular section, which is widely used in hydropower, chemical industry and other fields, is a common form in pipeline systems. However, secondary flow occurs when the fluid flows through the bend pipe, thereby affecting the stability of the pipeline system. Different bending angles have various effects. Therefore, this paper establishes 3D models of a circular bend pipe with different bending angles. The influence of bending angle on flow field distribution and downstream flow is analyzed numerically. The larger the bending angle is, the more obvious the flow distribution and even the unevenness at the elbow will be, hence resulting in poor stability. The distance required to restore flow uniformity also increases. The pressure energy loss of the bend pipe with different bending angles is investigated. Results show that with the increase in bending angle, the global pressure loss presents a trend of “increase-decrease-increase.” The closer the bending angle is to... [more]

Particle coating is one of the oldest pharmaceutical processes that is still in existence. It is the process of applying a thin polymer-based film to a particle or granule containing the active pharmaceutical ingredient. The widely used methods for particle coating are sugar coating, film coating, and enteric coating and the techniques are pan coating, fluidized bed coating, and compression coating. Sugar coating was the earlier coating method, and it was gradually replaced by film coating because it required skilled manipulation. With the technology developing, enteric coating draws more attention. Pan coating is the most classic coating technique, which is applied to sugar coating, film coating and enteric coating. Fluid bed coating is used for a mixture of multiple materials and medicines and keeps the bioavailability high. Compression coating can avoid the harmful effects of moisture and high temperature, while it requires highly accurate machinery.

Polymers are a vast class of materials that are highly tailorable to a wide variety of applications and can be modified in numerous ways [...]

Less precipitation, high temperature, and minimal natural vegetation are characteristic of regions having an arid climate. The harsh environment massively destructs the soil structure of that area by burning soil organic carbon, leading to deteriorated soil nutritional quality, creating a significant threat to agricultural production and food security. Direct application of organic wastes not only substitutes lost organic carbon but also restores soil structure and fertility. This study was conducted to assess the impact of organic amendments, i.e., farm manure (FM), poultry manure (PM), molasses (MO), and Exo-Poly Saccharides (EPS) producing rhizobacterial strains i.e., M2, M19, M22 amalgams as treatments. To assess the impact of treatments on soil carbon and structure restoration to hold more water and nutrients, a 42-day incubation experiment using a completely randomized design (CRD) under the two-factor factorial arrangement was conducted. Macro aggregation (0.25 to >1 mm), carbon... [more]

Cu-Al-Nishape memory alloys (SMAs) are widely known for their better properties in comparison to other SMAs (lower production costs, increased ductility, enhanced machinability, reduced liquidus temperature, and decreased hysteresis), but there is still controversy in terms of the biological properties of these materials. The aim of this study was to evaluate biofunctional performances of Cu-Al-Ni alloy produced by continuous casting. The micro-chemical analysis was investigated by SEM/EDX. Immersion tests performed for seven days were used to estimate the quantity of Cu, Al, and Ni ions released in neutral pH and slightly acidic artificial saliva. To assess the biocompatibility of the Cu-Al-Ni alloy samples, MTT assay on fibroblasts and dental pulp cells was performed in indirect and direct contact with samples after 1,3, and 7 days.The study revealed that continuous casting enables the primary fabrication of Cu-Al-Ni rods with a shape memory effect. Samples immersed in artificial sal... [more]

In order to suppress the irregular diffusion of dust in the unloading process of grab ship unloaders, an air curtain soft-sealing system was designed that can effectively block the air flow and restrict the diffusion of pollutants and reduce the average mass fraction of pollutants outside the air curtain plane by 70.02%. The grab unloading model was constructed using the Computational Fluid Dynamics−Discrete Element Method (CFD-DEM) coupling method, and the diffusion law of the gas−solid two-phase flow field of the falling bulk material was studied. Moreover, the motion trajectory and velocity distribution of the particle flow field and air flow field were obtained, as well as the maximum air flow field velocity of five planes above the hopper. The three-dimensional model of the air curtain jet was used and simplified, and the air curtain parameters were set based on the maximum air flow field velocity. The barrier performance of the air curtain under different air curtain jet modes, j... [more]

This study considers a multi-stage sleeve control valve with different opening degrees. The flow capacity of the numerical model is calculated using the actual working conditions of the control valve in a nuclear power plant as a baseline. A flow resistance test bench is then used to measure the flow capacity under each opening degree, and the flow characteristic curve is plotted to verify the accuracy of the numerical model. Based on CFX software simulations of different opening speeds, pressures, turbulent kinetic energy clouds, and set detection curves, analysis of the flow characteristics of the multi-stage sleeve valve with high parameters shows that, with an increase in the degree of opening, the valve speed will also increase. However, the speed at the socket orifice is slightly different, exhibiting a higher opening in the middle and lower openings on both sides. A maximum speed of 792.4 m/s is found in the 40% valve orifice. A maximum value of the turbulent kinetic energy of 1... [more]

Recycling of waste plastics has become vital due to the threat to the environment the huge piles of those wastes represent, with research revealing High-Density Polyethylene (HDPEs) as the most dominant waste plastics. Because of their dominance and significant environmental impact, this paper reports the economic potential of recycling HDPE waste plastic into liquid fuels via pyrolysis. A risk and benefit assessment are presented to highlight whether the process has reasonable potential prior to the analysis of its corresponding finances. Aspen HYSYS simulation models were used as the basis for the analysis. From this, preliminary cost estimations for the net present value (NPV) of the process, its economic viability, were determined. It is shown that 100 kg/h of waste is not financially sustainable. Retailing the fuel product at a competitive price of £60/barrel would ultimately bankrupt the business. This is a consequence of the extremely high production cost of £198.40/barrel induc... [more]

Biodiesel, which possesses the dominant advantages of low emissions and environmental friendliness, is a competitive alternative fuel to petroleum-derived diesel. The cetane number, which indicates ignition delay characteristics, is considered the most significant fuel property of biodiesel. Determining the cetane number for biodiesel by general testing equipment is time-consuming and costly; hence, a simple and convenient predictive formula for the cetane number of biodiesel is a significant task to be carried out. A reliable and convenient predictive method for determining the cetane number is proposed in this study. The key parameters for the cetane number of biodiesel were first screened out. The analysis of multiple linear regressions using the available software SPSS for statistical analysis was carried out to obtain the regression coefficients of those key parameters and intercepts to establish the predictive model. Other available experimental data verified the validity of the... [more]

PPM1D, a protein Ser/Thr phosphatase, is overexpressed in various cancers and functions as an oncogenic protein by inactivating the p53 pathway. Therefore, molecules that bind PPM1D are expected to be useful anti-cancer agents. In this study, we constructed a phage display library based on the antibody-like small molecule protein adnectin and screened for PPM1D-specific binding molecules. We identified two adnectins, PMDB-1 and PMD-24, that bind PPM1D specific B-loop and PPM1D430 as targets, respectively. Specificity analyses of these recombinant proteins using other Ser/Thr protein phosphatases showed that these molecules bind to only PPM1D. Expression of PMDB-1 in breast cancer-derived MCF-7 cells overexpressing endogenous PPM1D stabilized p53, indicating that PMDB-1 functions as an inhibitor of PPM1D. Furthermore, MTT assay exhibited that MCF-7 cells expressing PMDB-1 showed inhibition of cell proliferation. These data suggest that the adnectin PMDB-1 identified in this study can be... [more]