Forward Transport Research Articles

Heightened mitochondrial respiration in CF cells is normalised by triple CFTR modulator therapy through mechanisms involving calcium

BackgroundCystic fibrosis (CF) is associated with increased resting energy expenditure. However, the introduction of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) has resulted in a paradigm shift in nutritional status for many people with CF, with increase body mass index and reduction in the need for nutritional support. While these changes are likely to reflect improved clinical status and an associated downregulation of energy expenditure, they may also reflect drug-induced alterations in metabolic perturbations within CF cells. We hypothesise that some of these changes relate to normalisation of mitochondrial respiration in CF. MethodsUsing wild-type (WT) and F508del/F508del CFTR human bronchial epithelial cell lines (HBE cell lines) and baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells we examined the impact of ETI on cellular metabolism. We monitored mitochondrial respiration, using Seahorse extracellular flux assays and monitored mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mROS) and intracellular calcium levels by flow cytometry. ResultsIncreased mitochondrial respiration was found in HBE cell lines and BHK cells expressing CFTR F508del/F508del when assessing basal, maximal, spare respiratory capacities and ATP production, as well as increased mitochondrial ROS generated via forward electron transport. ETI significantly decreased basal, maximal, spare respiratory capacity and ATP production to WT levels or below. Calcium blocker, BAPTA-AM normalised mitochondrial respiration, suggesting a calcium-mediated mechanism. ETI decreased intracellular calcium levels in CF cells to the same extent as BAPTA-AM, highlighting the importance of calcium and chloride in mitochondrial respiration in CF. ConclusionsCF cell lines exhibit increased mitochondrial respiration, which can be downregulated by ETI therapy through mechanisms involving calcium.

Forward and inverse river contaminant transport modeling using group preserving scheme

Environmental concerns have necessitated the development of computational models predicting pollutant dispersion in natural water systems. Due to the ill-posed nature of the inverse contaminant transport equation, solving this equation using all stable and convergent inverse methods is impossible. Factors such as river geometry, unsteady and non-uniform flow, and tidal influences add to the complexity of the inverse problem. These factors have prompted the evaluation of Group Preserving Scheme for environmental applications. The inverse solution method derives a general equation for solving ordinary differential equations by addressing a dynamical system at negative time steps, ensuring convergence. Three test cases have been presented to evaluate Backward Group Preserving Scheme (BGPS). These have included validation using observational data from Missouri River, inverse simulation in a tidal river, and sensitivity analysis of parameters such as pollutant patterns, advection, dispersion, and decay coefficients. The dataset includes calibrated data from Missouri River, which demonstrated high accuracy, with Mean Relative Error (MRE) ranging from 2.8% to 5.0% for the inverse model. Under tidal conditions, accuracy decreases over time but remains robust, with a Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency of 0.77–0.96 and an MRE of 0.9%–5.9%. Sensitivity analysis revealed optimal model performance for Péclet numbers greater than 500. The model performed best with gradual, wide-peaked pollutant patterns and moderate decay rates (Damköhler number between 5 and 10). BGPS proves effective for transport simulation and concentration history reconstruction in complex rivers, including those with tidal influences, offering a robust tool for water contamination analysis in various flow conditions.

Inhibition of forward and reverse transport of Ca2+ via Na+/Ca2+ exchangers (NCX) prevents sperm capacitation

BackgroundWhile calcium is known to play a crucial role in mammalian sperm physiology, how it flows in and out of the male gamete is not completely understood. Herein, we investigated the involvement of Na+/Ca2+ exchangers (NCX) in mammalian sperm capacitation. Using the pig as an animal model, we first confirmed the presence of NCX1 and NCX2 isoforms in the sperm midpiece. Next, we partially or totally blocked Ca2+ outflux (forward transport) via NCX1/NCX2 with different concentrations of SEA0400 (2-[4-[(2,5-difluorophenyl)methoxy]phenoxy]-5-ethoxyaniline; 0, 0.5, 5 and 50 µM) and Ca2+ influx (reverse transport) with SN6 (ethyl 2-[[4-[(4-nitrophenyl)methoxy]phenyl]methyl]-1,3-thiazolidine-4-carboxylate; 0, 0.3, 3 or 30 µM). Sperm were incubated under capacitating conditions for 180 min; after 120 min, progesterone was added to induce the acrosome reaction. At 0, 60, 120, 130, and 180 min, sperm motility, membrane lipid disorder, acrosome integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), tyrosine phosphorylation of sperm proteins, and intracellular levels of Ca2+, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and superoxides were evaluated.ResultsPartial and complete blockage of Ca2+ outflux and influx via NCX induced a significant reduction of sperm motility after progesterone addition. Early alterations on sperm kinematics were also observed, the effects being more obvious in totally blocked than in partially blocked samples. Decreased sperm motility and kinematics were related to both defective tyrosine phosphorylation and mitochondrial activity, the latter being associated to diminished MMP and ROS levels. As NCX blockage did not affect the lipid disorder of plasma membrane, the impaired acrosome integrity could result from reduced tyrosine phosphorylation.ConclusionsInhibition of outflux and influx of Ca2+ triggered similar effects, thus indicating that both forward and reverse Ca2+ transport through NCX exchangers are essential for sperm capacitation.

The detailed moisture transport structure in extreme precipitation on the Tibetan Plateau caused by storm over the Bay of Bengal

AbstractThe storms over the Bay of Bengal (BoB) often combine with the weather systems such as the South Branch Trough (SBT) and the West Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH) to transport plenty of moisture inducing extreme precipitation on the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Determining the fine moisture structures of storms helps understand mechanism of this kind of extreme precipitation. An extreme precipitation occurred on the TP influenced by storm Rashmi (2008). A Lagrangian approach is scrutinized the forward and backward moisture transport trajectories of Rashmi and the TP, respectively. The moisture source of this extreme precipitation is relatively clear, which comes from the collaborative influence of Rashmi with the southwest jet generated by the SBT and the WPSH. Utilizing a three‐dimensional K‐means clustering method devised in this study, the Rashmi's forward trajectories are classified into three categories, the particles ascending with the northward movement of Rashmi (45%), consistently below 1 km (37.5%), and rapidly ascending into the southwest jet stream (17.5%). Notably, 97.5%, 1.2%, and 91% of these categories impact the TP, respectively. The moisture transport structure of storm is verified by backward tracking of moisture over the TP. In addition, the three‐dimensional moisture trajectories classification method is recommended when trajectories suffer rapid altitude changes.

Experimental study of a low-cost reversible thermal diode for advanced heat manipulation

A low-cost reversible thermal diode was fabricated by a copper tube loop incorporating a valve in the top channel for advanced thermal management. The inner surface of one vertical tube was treated to superhydrophobic, while that of the other vertical tube was modified to superhydrophilic and further loaded with a superhydrophilic copper mesh for water wicking. Furthermore, the valve in the top channel can behave as a switch to control the hot vapor flow between the two vertical tubes. Then, different heat powers from 5 W to 15 W were applied to investigate the rectification effect of the thermal diode under low (30 %), medium (50 %), and high (70 %) filling ratios (FR) of the working fluid. The results showed that its rectification ratio could exceed 2.8 with the help of the control valve at FR = 30 %. Furthermore, the rectification effect could be reversed by the valve without flipping the thermal diode. In reversible working mode, the reversed heat transport could reach twice of the forward heat transport at FR = 50 %. Therefore, owning to the reversible heat transfer capacity, this study can guide the advanced thermal diode design for unstable waste heat recovery, solar energy harvesting, building energy management, etc.

Electrical characteristics and trap signatures for Schottky barrier diodes on 4H-SiC, GaN-on-GaN, AlGaN/GaN epitaxial substrates

The forward and reverse current transport mechanisms, temperature dependence of Schottky barrier height (SBH) and ideality factor, barrier inhomogeneity analysis, and trap parameters for Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) fabricated on 4H-SiC, GaN-on-GaN and AlGaN/GaN epitaxial substrates are reported. High SBH is identified for Ni/4H-SiC (1.31 eV) and Ti/4H-SiC (1.18 eV) SBDs with a low leakage current density of <10−8 A cm−2 at −200 V. Thermally stimulated capacitance detects the well-known Z1/2 electron trap at E C—0.65 eV in both 4H-SiC SBDs, while an additional deep-level trap at E C—1.13 eV is found only in Ni/4H-SiC SBDs. The vertical Ni/GaN SBD exhibits a promising SBH of 0.83 eV, and two electron traps at E C—0.18 eV and E C—0.56 eV are identified from deep-level transient Fourier spectroscopy. A peculiar two-diode model behavior is detected at metal/GaN/AlGaN/GaN interface of high-electron mobility transistor (HEMT); the first diode (SBH-1 of 1.15 eV) exists at the standard Metal/GaN Schottky junction, whereas the second diode (SBH-2 of 0.72 eV) forms due to the energy difference between the AlGaN conduction band and the heterojunction Fermi level. The compensational Fe-doping-related buffer traps at E C—0.5 eV and E C—0.6 eV are determined in the AlGaN/GaN HEMT, through the drain current transient spectroscopy experiments.

Flow in temporally and spatially varying porous media: a model for transport of interstitial fluid in the brain.

Flow in a porous medium can be driven by the deformations of the boundaries of the porous domain. Such boundary deformations locally change the volume fraction accessible by the fluid, creating non-uniform porosity and permeability throughout the medium. In this work, we construct a deformation-driven porous medium transport model with spatially and temporally varying porosity and permeability that are dependent on the boundary deformations imposed on the medium. We use this model to study the transport of interstitial fluid along the basement membranes in the arterial walls of the brain. The basement membrane is modeled as a deforming annular porous channel with the compressible pore space filled with an incompressible, Newtonian fluid. The role of a forward propagating peristaltic heart pulse wave and a reverse smooth muscle contraction wave on the flow within the basement membranes is investigated. Our results identify combinations of wave amplitudes that can induce either forward or reverse transport along these transport pathways in the brain. The magnitude and direction of fluid transport predicted by our model can help in understanding the clearance of fluids and solutes along the Intramural Periarterial Drainage route and the pathology of cerebral amyloid angiopathy.

Analysis of photodiode and barrier properties of CoPc/n-Ge heterojunction under various illumination wavelengths

The present investigation reports the analysis of barrier parameters of the CoPc/n-Ge heterojunction photodiode under varied illumination wavelengths from 500 nm to 1200 nm in steps of 25 nm. The efficiency of this photodiode was also summarized using responsivity, detectivity and quantum efficiency for different illumination wavelengths. The photocurrent seems to be maximum for 850 nm and 1175 nm and shows higher responsivity of 1.72 A/W and 2.38 A/W at 775 nm and 1125 nm wavelength respectively. The quantum efficiency of the photodiode was found to be 275 % at illumination wavelength of 775 nm and 263 % at 1125 nm. For the selective illumination wavelengths (775 nm, 850 nm, 1125 nm and 1175 nm), the electrical properties of the CoPc/n-Ge photodiode were studied. Noticeable variation in the barrier parameters of the photodiode is observed with illumination than compared to dark. Significantly, the series resistance was found to be decreased and shunt resistance is increased with illumination wavelength than compared to dark. Current conduction mechanisms were also investigated in both the forward and reverse bias of the photodiode. The forward current transport processes show that at moderately high bias the current conduction might be associated with TCLC. It is also evidenced from the reverse conduction mechanism that at low reverse voltages PFE is found to be dominant whereas SE is dominant at high reverse voltages. The reduced interface state densities at the CoPc/n-Ge interface were observed under illumination than compared to dark.

A Multi-Layered Defence Strategy against DDoS Attacks in SDN/NFV-Based 5G Mobile Networks

Software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualisation (NFV) are crucial technologies for integration in the fifth generation of cellular networks (5G). However, they also pose new security challenges, and a timely research subject is working on intrusion detection systems (IDSs) for 5G networks. Current IDSs suffer from several limitations, resulting in a waste of resources and some security threats. This work proposes a new three-layered solution that includes forwarding and data transport, management and control, and virtualisation layers, emphasising distributed controllers in the management and control layer. The proposed solution uses entropy detection to classify arriving packets as normal or suspicious and then forwards the suspicious packets to a centralised controller for further processing using a self-organising map (SOM). A dynamic OpenFlow switch relocation method is introduced based on deep reinforcement learning to address the unbalanced burden among controllers and the static allocation of OpenFlow switches. The proposed system is analysed using the Markov decision process, and a Double Deep Q-Network (DDQN) is used to train the system. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in mitigating DDoS attacks, efficiently balancing controller workloads, and reducing the duration of the balancing process in 5G networks.

Structural, chemical states, electrical properties and forward transport phenomena of Ti/MnO2/p-InP heterostructure with a transition metal oxide MnO2 interlayer

The study examines the surface topology, optical, structural and electrical characteristics of e-beam evaporated manganese dioxide (MnO2) films on p-InP using AFM, FESEM, UV–Vis, XRD, XPS and I–V procedures. The surface roughness of the MnO2 was smooth from AFM and FESEM analysis. The optical bandgap of MnO2 film was extracted from Tauc's plot. The outcomes endorse that the MnO2 layer deposited on InP. Then, the Ti/MnO2/p-InP heterostructure (HS) was created with an MnO2 interlayer to check the consequence of MnO2 on the electrical features of the Ti/p-InP Schottky diode (SD). The I–V results demonstrated that the higher Φb is acquired for the HS (0.90 eV) than the SD (0.84 eV), implying the MnO2 layer alters the Фb. Also, the Фb, ‘n’ and RS of the SD and HS can be determined by utilizing Cheung's and Norde's functions. The estimated Фb was almost similar, indicating the methodologies applied here are sturdy and effective. The determined NSS of the HS is lesser than the SD, implying that the MnO2 interlayer has a significant role in the decrease in NSS. The forward bias log (I)-log(V) plot of the SD and HS indicates that the ohmic behavior and space charge limited the conduction process at lower-bias and higher-bias segments, respectively. The study outcomes suggested that the transition metal oxide MnO2 layer would be favourable for creating MIS devices.

A DiffeRential Evolution Adaptive Metropolis (DREAM)-based inverse model for continuous release source identification in river pollution incidents: Quantitative evaluation and sensitivity analysis

The identification of continuous pollution sources for rivers is of great concern for emergency response. Most studies focused on instantaneous river pollution sources and associated incidents. There is a dire need to address continuous pollution sources, as pollutant discharge may impose a major impact on the water ecosystem. Therefore, in this study, a novel inverse model is proposed to identify the continuous point sources in river pollution incidents that would estimate the source strength, location, release time, and spill time. The proposed inverse model combines the advanced DiffeRential Evolution Adaptive Metropolis (DREAM) algorithm and the forward transport advection-dispersion equation to infer the posterior probability distribution of source parameters for quantifying uncertainties. In addition, the performance of the DREAM-based model is compared with those of the Metropolis-Hastings (MH)-based and genetic algorithm (GA)-based models. The results show that the DREAM-based model performs accurately for both the hypothetical and the field tracer cases. The comparative analysis shows that the DREAM-based model performs better in saving computation time, improving the accuracy of results, and reconstructing pollutant concentrations. Observation errors significantly influence the accuracy of the identification results from the DREAM-based model. In addition, a comprehensive sensitivity analysis of the DREAM-based model is conducted. The identification results from the DREAM-based model are sensitive to the dispersion coefficient and river velocity. The accuracy of the inverse model could be improved by increasing the monitoring number and by monitoring locations closer to the spill site. The findings of this study can improve decision-making during emergency responses to sudden river pollution incidents.

Molten Salt Research Reactor (MSRR) shielding analysis using SCALE/MAVRIC sequence with continuous energy and multigroup cross sections

It is necessary to verify (and validate when experimental data are available) shielding codes and methodologies for Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs). This paper examines the impact of using a fine and coarse multigroup cross section library vs. the reference continuous energy data. Molten Salt Research Reactor (MSRR) being developed by the NEXT Research Alliance (NEXTRA) is used as a testbed. Shielding analyses are performed in support of MSRR development using the MAVRIC sequence of the SCALE 6.2.4 code package. The sequence uses deterministic forward and adjoint radiation transport calculations with FW-CADIS methodology to generate variance reduction parameters that are used by MONACO, a fixed source Monte Carlo code. Originally, MONACO was developed as a multigroup code, and a 200-group and 27-group neutron shielding-focused libraries were provided as part of the package. While the 200-group library provides adequate accuracy for many applications, it is highly desirable to confirm this for any specific analysis. In SCALE 6.2, continuous energy capability was implemented in MONACO, thus enabling direct and consistent evaluation and quantification of the impact of using a multigroup rather than the reference continuous energy library. This paper examines the impact of multigroup approximation on main radiation environment parameters in MSRR shielding analysis, including the fast flux and dpa.

Solubility-permeability interplay of a supersaturated lutein delivery system constructed by glycosylated stevioside and hydroxypropyl-methylcellulose

This study investigated the solubilizing capacity of glycosylated stevioside/hydroxypropyl-methylcellulose (stevia-G-HPMC) complexes with varying mass ratios on lutein. The impact on the steady-state flux and permeability coefficient of intracellular lutein was also explored through the construction of a Caco-2 cellular transport model. The results indicated that the equilibrium solubility of lutein linearly increased with an increase in stevia-G amount. The stability constants of the ternary system surpassed those of the binary system. Molecular dynamics simulation revealed a tight and stable structure in lutein supersaturated complexes. Meanwhile, lutein-stevia-G-HPMC complexes demonstrated superior cumulative penetrations, with the peak Papp (AP → BL) value being (3.24 ± 0.89) × 10−5 cm·s−1. There was a slight decrease in Papp (BL → AP), which improved the forward transport of lutein. Highly soluble lutein in aqueous environments saturated the extracellular transport proteins on the AP side of cell membranes, thereby maintaining the high permeability transport. Notably, the permeability trend of lutein in Caco-2 cells negatively correlated with the equilibrium solubility and matched the single exponential growth model. When the mass ratio of lutein, stevia-G and HPMC was 1:21:5, the solubility-permeability trade-off of lutein was effectively maintained.

Assessing dynamic metabolic heterogeneity in prostate cancer patients via total-body [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT imaging: quantitative analysis of [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 uptake in pathological lesions and normal organs.

This study aimed to quantitatively assess [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 uptake in pathological lesions and normal organs in prostate cancer using the total-body [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT and to characterize the dynamic metabolic heterogeneity of prostate cancer. Dynamic total-body [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT scans were performed on ten prostate cancer patients. Manual delineation of volume-of-interests (VOIs) was performed on multiple normal organs displaying high [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 uptake, as well as pathological lesions. Time-to-activity curves (TACs) were generated, and the four compartment models including one-tissue compartmental model (1T1k), reversible one-tissue compartmental model (1T2k), irreversible two-tissue compartment model (2T3k) and reversible two-tissue compartmental model (2T4k) were fitted to each tissue TAC. Various rate constants, including K1 (forward transport rate from plasma to the reversible compartment), k2 (reverse transport rate from the reversible compartment to plasma), k3 (tracer binding on the PSMA-receptor and its internalization), k4 (the externalization rate of the tracer) and Ki (net influx rate), were obtained. The selection of the optimal model for describing the uptake of both lesions and normal organs was determined using the Akaike information criteria (AIC). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the cut-off values for differentiating physiological and pathological [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 uptake. Both 1T1k and 1T2k models showed relatively high AIC values compared to the 2T3k and 2T4k models in both pathological lesions and normal organs. The kinetic behavior of pathological lesions was better described by the 2T3k model compared to the 2T4k model, while the normal organs were better described by the 2T4k model. Significant variations in kinetic metrics, such as K1, k2, and k3, and Ki, were observed among normal organs with high [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 uptake and pathological lesions. The high Ki value in normal organs was primarily determined by elevated K1 and low k3, rather than k2. Conversely, the high Ki value in pathological lesions, ranking second to the kidney and similar to salivary glands and spleen, was predominantly determined by the highest k3 value. Notably, k3 exhibited the highest performance in distinguishing between physiological and pathological [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 uptake, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.844 (95% CI, 0.773-0.915), sensitivity of 82.9%, and specificity of 74.1%. The k3 values showed better performance than SUVmean (AUC, 0.659), SUVmax (AUC, 0.637), and other kinetic parameter including K1 (AUC, 0.604), k2 (AUC, 0.634), and Ki (AUC, 0.651). Significant discrepancies in kinetic metrics were detected between pathological lesions and normal organs, despite their shared high uptake of [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11. Notably, the k3 value exhibits a noteworthy capability to distinguish between pathological lesions and normal organs with elevated [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 uptake. This discovery implies that k3 holds promise as a prospective imaging biomarker for distinguishing between pathologic and non-specific [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 uptake in patients with prostate cancer.

Fracture Network Characterization in Reservoirs by Joint Inversion of Microseismicity and Thermal Breakthrough Data: Method Development and Verification

AbstractThe spatial configuration of fractures often regulates flow and transport in the subsurface. However, the characterization of fracture networks is a challenging task, especially in deep reservoirs, because here only a limited number of boreholes is available to perform downhole logs and cross‐well hydraulic and tracer tests. In this study, we develop a joint inversion procedure to infer fracture number, geometry, and aperture based on Bayesian principles, utilizing microseismic (MS) events and thermal breakthrough data; both are typically available in enhanced geothermal systems and unconventional gas/oil reservoirs. A basic discrete fracture geometry, including orientations, lengths and positions of fractures, is generated from an MS events cloud by minimizing the distance between fractures and MS events. This geometric configuration, together with the aperture, is then further adjusted, based on the reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm, to minimize the misfit between observed and calculated thermal breakthrough curves by iterative forward flow and heat transport modeling. The inversion model is applied to two synthetic test cases. Following the sensitivity analysis of temperatures to fracture parameters, and the robustness analysis on the model performance under supportive data featuring good and poor quality, it is confirmed that the probabilistic joint inversion procedure approximates the fracture geometry and aperture well, and errors in predicting temperatures based on realizations of fracture networks are well below 5%. The methodology provides a new way to characterize fracture networks in the subsurface, without restrictions on predetermined fracture sizes or the number of fractures.

Constructing biocatalytic nanochannel membranes for unidirectional isomer conversion and separation

AbstractIsomer conversion and separation are crucial in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and food industries. However, this process remains challenging due to the reversed conversion of isomers and their similar boiling points and kinetic diameters. Herein, an enzyme‐catalyzed nanochannel membrane with a hierarchical structure is fabricated for selective and directional isomeric conversion and separation. The enzyme is embedded in a confined polymer network that shows high stability and retains 95% of its initial activity after 50 reaction cycles. Studying the transport mechanisms between isomers through the membrane shows that the hierarchical layers of the membrane impose unequal energy barriers to the forward and backward transport of products, promoting unidirectional diffusion of products and interrupting the equilibrium of the isomerization reaction to increase the conversion rate by 43%. Overall, this work opens a new avenue for the design of biocatalytic nanochannel membranes and the directional production and in situ separation of isomers.

Identifying the source settings of deep brine leakage from CO2 geological repositories using observations from shallow overlying formations

Shallow groundwater resources overlaying deep saline formations used in carbon storage applications are subjected to a potential contamination threat by CO2/brine leakage via natural or anthropogenically-induced conductive pathways in the confining caprock. Identifying the leakage source location and rate is critical for developing remediation plans and designing corrective actions. Owing to limited information about the flow and transport characteristics of deep regimes and high cost of obtaining data on their response to CO2 injection operation, estimating accurate source settings (i.e., location and rate) can be extremely challenging. Under such conditions, Bayesian inverse frameworks become useful tools to help identify potential leakage patterns. This study tests and validates an ensemble-based data-assimilation approach that reduces the uncertainty in the prior knowledge about source settings through conditioning forward transport models using relatively inexpensive easy-to-acquire shallow zone data. The approach incorporates the newly developed ensemble smoother tool in the inversion code “PEST++” with the transport code “FEFLOW” to perform history matching and uncertainty analysis. A novel parameterization method that allows the disposition of potential source was used to search the leakage location during calibration process. In the absence of field data, the approach was validated using experimental data generated in ∼8 m long soil tank simulating leakage from storage zone migrating to the shallow aquifer. The results show that source location uncertainty can be reasonably reduced using shallow zone data collected from near-surface aquifers. However, more prior information about the system and deeper data are essential to estimate a practical probability range for the leakage rate.

Comprehensive Transportation Planning Oriented by Green TOD Mode under the Background of Dual Carbon

Since the reform and opening up, China's cities have entered a period of rapid development, and the planning and design methods that meet the needs are far behind the economic development speed. The influx of people and the development of the automobile industry have made the space of the city crowded, and the problems of urban traffic congestion have become increasingly prominent. In the era of accelerating urbanization, urban transportation design planning is more and more important, urban transportation design is a large system, this paper focuses on the green TOD model as the guide for introduction, through the analysis of the current urban transportation development challenges to put forward green transportation priority strategy, on this basis to introduce the relevant concepts of TOD mode and the combination of green transportation, and then by citing examples of Chengdu TOD development to summarize the problems solved by TOD, and finally make suggestions for urban transportation design.

Site IQ in mitochondrial complex I generates S1QEL-sensitive superoxide/hydrogen peroxide in both the reverse and forward reactions.

Superoxide/hydrogen peroxide production by site IQ in complex I of the electron transport chain is conventionally assayed during reverse electron transport (RET) from ubiquinol to NAD. However, S1QELs (specific suppressors of superoxide/hydrogen peroxide production by site IQ) have potent effects in cells and in vivo during presumed forward electron transport (FET). Therefore, we tested whether site IQ generates S1QEL-sensitive superoxide/hydrogen peroxide during FET (site IQf), or alternatively, whether RET and associated S1QEL-sensitive superoxide/hydrogen peroxide production (site IQr) occurs in cells under normal conditions. We introduce an assay to determine if electron flow through complex I is thermodynamically forward or reverse: on blocking electron flow through complex I, the endogenous matrix NAD pool will become more reduced if flow before the challenge was forward, but more oxidised if flow was reverse. Using this assay we show in the model system of isolated rat skeletal muscle mitochondria that superoxide/hydrogen peroxide production by site IQ can be equally great whether RET or FET is running. We show that sites IQr and IQf are equally sensitive to S1QELs, and to rotenone and piericidin A, inhibitors that block the Q-site of complex I. We exclude the possibility that some sub-fraction of the mitochondrial population running site IQr during FET is responsible for S1QEL-sensitive superoxide/hydrogen peroxide production by site IQ. Finally, we show that superoxide/hydrogen peroxide production by site IQ in cells occurs during FET, and is S1QEL-sensitive.

Encapsulation of oil in the high moisture extrusion of wheat gluten: Interrelation between process parameters, matrix viscosity and oil droplet size

In plant protein-based meat substitutes, such as wheat gluten, oil is often added with the aim of improving sensory properties, like juiciness. When oil is added directly in the high moisture extrusion process, it must be homogeneously distributed and finely dispersed in the protein matrix to ensure both a stable process and a high quality of the final product. To gain a better understanding of droplet formation during the extrusion process, we investigate the relationship between process parameters, material properties and oil droplet size. We showed that at all oil contents, the use of reverse transport elements (RTE) prior to oil addition results in smaller oil droplets compared to forward transport elements. We attributed this to the fact that RTE increases the material temperature and residence time in the extruder and hence the viscosity of the protein matrix, which results from increased polymerization of the wheat gluten. The increased viscosity of the matrix can cause both an enhanced droplet breakup and a reduced coalescence of the droplets. However, with increasing the oil content from 1% to 4%, we noticed a remarkable increase in droplet size, independent of the matrix viscosity, which indicates the occurrence of coalescence.