Supplementary Functions Research Articles

Testing of the oil‐immersed sensible heat storage unit with circular channel solid heat body under charging modes with different heat transfer temperature difference

Heat storage technology can enrich and store dispersed and discontinuous heat and significantly improve energy efficiency. This paper reports a pilot-scale sensible heat storage unit, which uses circular channel solid made of castables as the heat storage bodies and heat transfer oil as the working fluid. When performing, the heat transfer oil passes through the flow channel of the heat storage body and is in direct contact with the heat storage body for heat exchange. The experiment explores the unit's thermal performance, including heat, power, and charge energy efficiency under different charging temperature difference modes. At the same time, the normalized charge energy efficiency is used to evaluate the heat-storage unit's heat absorption capacity during the charging process. The results show that the average heat storage capacity of the heat storage body is about 1.10 × 106 kJ, accounting for 89% of the heat storage capacity of the unit, and the remaining 11% is the heat stored in the oil inside the unit. In addition, the charging mode with step temperature rise used in the experiment can make the heat stored by the regenerator increase linearly with time. The charging mode with a more considerable temperature difference can significantly enhance the charging power and shorten the charging time, but the increase in the temperature difference reduces the efficiency of the charging process. The efficiency in the experimental range is reduced from 64.5% in the minimum temperature difference mode to 34.8% in the maximum temperature difference mode. This paper has a certain supplementary function for the design and application of heat storage and the evaluation of the thermal performance of the heat storage unit.

Non-homogeneous cross section variation enhanced flexoelectric coupling in semiconductor beams and its application in charge carrier redistribution

A pure bending semiconductor beam that exhibits a non-homogeneous cross section variation enhanced flexoelectric coupling effect is investigated in this paper from the point of view of theoretical analysis and numerical calculations. According to the macroscopic theory of flexoelectric semiconductors, a one-dimensional bending model for a simple-supported beam with variable cross section is developed. The semi-analytical method, which is composed of cosine series and supplementary functions, is introduced to solve the partial differential equations with variable coefficients. Before the analysis, the convergence and correctness of the semi-analytical method are demonstrated systematically. The calculated results show that both the electric potential and the charge carrier distribute non-homogeneously in the entire beam under a pair of symmetric bending moments. It is revealed that more carriers, a larger electric potential, and more charges tend to concentrate in the zone near the ends. After introducing a dimensionless carrier density, this paper systematically investigates the non-homogeneous cross section variation effect on the flexoelectric coupling for charge carrier redistribution. It is indicated that more perturbation carriers in a non-uniform beam are produced by the enhanced flexoelectric coupling. The demonstration of this concept could be potential guidance for designing new semiconductor devices.

SYNTHESIS OF THIOESTERS AND THIOAMIDES USING POTASSIUM THIOCYANATE UNDER MICROWAVE IRRADIATION

Microwave-assisted synthesis provides more time for chemists to expand their creativeness, develop new processes and new theories. Recent developments in chemical sciences created microwave energy a new proficient way of heating the reaction.1 Microwave energy bids abundant benefits for the execution of synthesis comprising enhanced reaction rates, improved yield and cleaner chemistries. Using this technique, reactions can be performed in minutes, instead of spending hours to days in a conventional manner. The difficulty accompanying effluent disposal is overcome by executing the reactions without the use of solvent under microwave irradiation. Microwave irradiation reaction under solvent-free conditions, mineralsupported catalyzed reactions etc. provides better chemical methods with higher reaction rate, improved yield, good selectivity.2 Chemical reactions that took an hour to days the completion can be performed in minutes. The microwave region is positioned between IR and radio waves in the electromagnetic spectrum. The wavelength of microwave radiation is 1 mm-1 m with the frequencies 0.3-300 GHz. Dielectric heating in microwaves utilizes the capability of various solids and liquids to convert electromagnetic energy into heat to progress the reactions. The microwave technique has been applied in various research technologies like drug release/targeting,3 polymer technology,4 waste treatment,5 ceramics,6 alkane decomposition,7 etc. Consequently, microwave technology entertains as a potential method in green chemistry.8 This technology unlocks new openings as a new heating technique which is very difficult by the regular heating method.9 Organosulfur compounds are versatile intermediates in synthetic chemistry, possess many imperative biological properties.10 The applications and choice of organo-sulfur compounds have augmented enormously as sulfur comprising groups continue to function as an imperative supplementary function in synthetic arrangements.11 Thiocarbonyl comprising compounds are useful synthetic intermediates, that find numerous uses in the preparation of natural products.12 Although various reagents are accessible for the preparation of thioesters or thioamides, there are some drawbacks. Some of the important reagents used for thionation comprises lawessons reagent,13 H2S,14 phosphorous pentasulfide,15 hexamethyldisilathine,16 R3OBF4/NaSH,17 R2PSX,18 (Et2Al)2S,19 bis(tricyclcohexylstannyl) sulfide/BCl3, 20 thiourea,21 etc. Many of these reagents involve high temperatures, prolonged reaction times, or harsh conditions for reaction execution and frequently require problematic column chromatography to separate and remove the unwanted products. Batool A. et al. described a green procedure for the synthesis of thieranes from oxiranes by using ammonium thiocyanate.22 Encouraged by this, and in persistence to our work on the development of biologically active heterocycles,23-26 we thought of using simple and commercially available reagent potassium thiocyanate for the transformation of esters into thioesters by making use of microwave irradiation.

Actuator Development Step by Step: Pellet Particle Flux Control for Single- and Multiple-Source Systems

Fuel injection by means of solid cryogenic pellets is expected to provide a sound and efficient tool. Hence, the installation of a pellet launching system will be a necessity. Yet, pellets are considered as a serviceable actuator for integrated supplementary functions as, e.g., fast and efficient delivery of seeding gas, or in case needed, the pacing of edge-localized modes. Consequently, a control scheme has to be developed that is capable of mastering the simultaneous actuations covering different tasks. Our scheme relies on pellet launching by a centrifuge accelerator, providing the option for precisely predictable pellet injection sequences. In order to develop a suitable actuator control scheme, as a first step the central part was brought into service at ASDEX Upgrade. It proved operational for feedback particle flux control of a single pellet source. In a subsequent step, it is now upgraded to enable multitasked control of the JT-60SA multipellet source currently under construction. In its finally designated configuration, this control scheme provides a potential solution for a reactor-grade system.

Molecular Coevolution of Nuclear and Nucleolar Localization Signals inside the Basic Domain of HIV-1 Tat

During evolution, viruses had to adapt to an increasingly complex environment of eukaryotic cells. Viral proteins that need to enter the cell nucleus or associate with nucleoli possess nuclear localization signals (NLSs) and nucleolar localization signals (NoLSs) for nuclear and nucleolar accumulation, respectively. As viral proteins are relatively small, acquisition of novel sequences seems to be a more complicated task for viruses than for eukaryotes. Here, we carried out a comprehensive analysis of the basic domain (BD) of HIV-1 Tat to show how viral proteins might evolve with NLSs and NoLSs without an increase in protein size. The HIV-1 Tat BD is involved in several functions, the most important being the transactivation of viral transcription. The BD also functions as an NLS, although it is substantially longer than a typical NLS. It seems that different regions in the BD could function as NLSs due to its enrichment with positively charged amino acids. Additionally, the high positive net charge inevitably causes the BD to function as an NoLS through a charge-specific mechanism. The integration of NLSs and NoLSs into functional domains enriched with positively charged amino acids might be a mechanism that allows the condensation of different functional sequences in small protein regions and, as a result, reduces protein size, influencing the origin and evolution of NLSs and NoLSs in viruses. IMPORTANCE Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism of nuclear localization signal (NLS) and nucleolar localization signal (NoLS) integration into the basic domain of HIV-1 Tat (49RKKRRQRRR57) and found that these two supplementary functions (i.e., function of NLS and function of NoLS) are embedded in the basic domain amino acid sequence. The integration of NLSs and NoLSs into functional domains of viral proteins enriched with positively charged amino acids is a mechanism that allows the concentration of different functions within small protein regions. Integration of NLS and NoLS into functional protein domains might have influenced the viral evolution, as this could prevent an increase in the protein size.

Refined model for rectangular thin plates on two-parameter foundations using an iterative procedure

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of soil heterogeneity on the mechanical responses of rectangular plates resting on elastic foundations and to determine reasonable physical model parameters. The bending problem of rectangular thin plates lying on Gibson elastic foundations is solved using an iterative procedure. First, plates and foundations are discussed as a whole system, based on the principle of minimum potential energy. Second, the governing equations and boundary conditions for plates are established. And the equation for the attenuation parameter in the mathematical model is also derived. Then an iterative procedure is used to iterate the two parameters simultaneously, which solves a key issue for the two-parameter foundation model. Third, a double Fourier series with supplementary functions is adopted, and the solution to the bending problem is obtained. The agreements between the numerical results and the literature results prove that the refined model is practical and achievable. The proposed method exhibits a certain universality in analyzing the interactions between rectangular thin plates and elastic foundations. Furthermore, Gibson soil has an influence on the structural responses of rectangular plates on elastic foundations.

Constitutional and judicial argumentation and the transformation models of normative legal regulation

This article examines the correlation between constitutional argumentation and the models of transformation of legal rules occurring under the influence of constitutional judgments. With references to the case law of the Russian Constitutional Court, the German Constitutional Court, and the United States Supreme Court, the author analyzes argumentative patterns that arise when dealing with specific options for legislative correction. This article focuses on such measures as striking down a legal provision, formulating an exception to a general rule, correcting the hypothesis, disposition, and sanction of a legal norm, clarifying the mechanisms of legal regulation in terms of time, territory, and persons affected, filling legislative gaps and providing additional safeguards. The article makes an original contribution to scholarship because it explores constitutional argumentation instrumentally. Having shown that argumentation serves a supplementary function to judicial review, the author identifies the argumentative patterns prevailing in constitutional discourse and analyzes the mechanism of constructing arguments. It is argued that constitutional reasoning reflects the critical assessment of lex lata and portrays its constitutional deficiencies with a simultaneous projection of normative models that meet constitutional requirements. The article concludes that constitutional argumentation aims to demonstrate constitutionally acceptable legislative decisions and explain why, how, and in what part a challenged law is to be amended.

Free vibration analysis of rectangular plates with arbitrary elastic boundary conditions

boundary conditions are In this paper, an improved Fourier series method is presented for the free vibration analysis of rectangular plates with arbitrary elastic conditions. The stiffness value of the restraining springs is determined as required to simulate the arbitrary elastic boundary conditions. The exact solution of plates with arbitrary elastic boundary conditions is solved by the introduced supplementary func-tions. The matrix eigenvalue equation of plates is derived by using boundary conditions and the governing equations. Compared with exist methods, the presented method can be easily applied to most of plate vibration problems with different boundary conditions. To validate the accuracy of the presented method, numerical simulations with different boundary conditions are presented.presented.

A Preliminary Single-Cell RNA-Seq Analysis of Embryonic Cells That Express Brachyury in the Amphioxus, Branchiostoma japonicum.

Among chordate taxa, the cephalochordates diverged earlier than urochordates and vertebrates; thus, they retain unique, primitive developmental features. In particular, the amphioxus notochord has muscle-like properties, a feature not seen in urochordates or vertebrates. Amphioxus contains two Brachyury genes, Bra1 and Bra2. Bra2 is reportedly expressed in the blastopore, notochord, somites, and tail bud, in contrast to a low level of Bra1 expression only in notochord. To distinguish the expression profiles of the two Brachyury genes at the single-cell level, we carried out single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) analysis using the amphioxus, Branchiostoma japonicum. This scRNA-seq analysis classified B. japonicum embryonic cells into 15 clusters at developmental stages from midgastrula to early swimming larva. Brachyury was expressed in cells of clusters 4, 5, 8, and 9. We first confirmed that cluster 8 comprises cells that form somites since this cluster specifically expresses four myogenic factor genes. Cluster 9 contains a larger number of cells with high levels of Bra2 expression and a smaller number of cells with Bra1 expression. Simultaneous expression in cluster 9 of tool-kit genes, including FoxA, Goosecoid, and hedgehog, showed that this cluster comprises cells that form the notochord. Expression of Bra2, but not Bra1, in cells of clusters 4 and 5 at the gastrula stage together with expression of Wnt1 and Caudal indicates that clusters 4 and 5 comprise cells of the blastopore, which contiguously form the tail bud. In addition, Hox1, Hox3, and Hox4 were highly expressed in Bra2-expressing clusters 4, 5, 8, and 9 in a temporally coordinated manner, suggesting roles of anterior Hox genes in specification of mesodermal organs, including somites, notochord, and tail bud. This scRNA-seq analysis therefore highlights differences between the two Brachyury genes in relation to embryonic regions in which they are expressed and their levels of expression. Bra2 is the ancestral Brachyury in amphioxus, since expression in the blastopore is shared with other deuterostomes. On the other hand, Bra1 is a duplicate copy and likely evolved a supplementary function in notochord and somite formation in the Branchiostoma lineage.

Antioxidant Properties of Ergosterol and Its Role in Yeast Resistance to Oxidation.

Although the functions and structural roles of sterols have been the subject of numerous studies, the reasons for the diversity of sterols in the different eukaryotic kingdoms remain unclear. It is thought that the specificity of sterols is linked to unidentified supplementary functions that could enable organisms to be better adapted to their environment. Ergosterol is accumulated by late branching fungi that encounter oxidative perturbations in their interfacial habitats. Here, we investigated the antioxidant properties of ergosterol using in vivo, in vitro, and in silico approaches. The results showed that ergosterol is involved in yeast resistance to tert-butyl hydroperoxide and protects lipids against oxidation in liposomes. A computational study based on quantum chemistry revealed that this protection could be related to its antioxidant properties operating through an electron transfer followed by a proton transfer mechanism. This study demonstrates the antioxidant role of ergosterol and proposes knowledge elements to explain the specific accumulation of this sterol in late branching fungi. Ergosterol, as a natural antioxidant molecule, could also play a role in the incompletely understood beneficial effects of some mushrooms on health.

Optimized MALDI-TOF MS Strategy for Characterizing Polymers.

In recent years, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) plays an essential role in the analysis of polymers. To acquire a more reliable strategy for polymer profiling, we characterized four representative polymers including polyethylene glycol 6000, polyvinylpyrrolidone K12, polymer polyol KPOP-5040, and polyether polyol DL-4000. The preparation methods of these four polymer samples have been optimized from six aspects, including matrix, cationization reagent, solvent, mixing ratio of cationization reagent to polymer, mixing ratio of matrix to polymer, and laser intensity. After investigating the effects of seven commonly used matrices on the ionization efficiency of four polymers, trans-2-[3-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-2-methyl-2-propenylidene] malononitrile (DCTB) was found to be the only matrix suitable for the analysis of all the four polymers. Our experimental results suggested that different polymers showed a certain preference for different cationization reagents. For example, the polymer polyol KPOP-5040 was suitable for sodium iodide as the cationization reagent, while polyvinylpyrrolidone K12 was more suitable for silver trifluoroacetate (AgTFA). For the choice of solvent, tetrahydrofuran is a reagent with rapid evaporation and a wide range of dissolution which can achieve the best results for the analysis of four polymers. The optimized method was successfully applied to the identification of DSPE-PEG-NH2 with different polymerized degrees. This MALDI-TOF strategy potentially provided the supplementary function through the polymer’s application in biomedical and visible probing.

In-Plane Vibration Analysis of Square Plate with Multiple Cutouts

A theoretical solution method for the in-plane vibration characteristics of the plate with cutouts is proposed in this paper. The energy principle in conjunction with the Rayleigh–Ritz solution technique is adopted for the theoretical modeling of the in-plane vibration of the structure. The energy functions for the plate with cutouts are established by subtracting the energies of the cutout domains from the total energies of the whole plate. To ensure continuity over the entire solution domain, the in-plane displacements are composed of two-dimensional standard Fourier series and supplementary functions. The in-plane eigenmodes of the plates with different square cutouts are compared with the results obtained from the finite element method (FEM), with good agreements. The influences of the cutouts on the in-plane vibration characteristics of the plates with cutouts are investigated by varying the number, size, and position of the cutouts.

18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid alleviates demyelination by modulating the microglial M1/M2 phenotype in a mouse model of cuprizone-induced demyelination

This research aimed to examine the nutritious supplementary function of 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid (18β-GA) in moderating the myelin sheath destruction and behavioral impairments observed in the cuprizone model of demyelination. Mice were fed daily on food containing cuprizone (0.3 %) and given doses of 18β-GA (5 or 1 mg/kg) for a period of five weeks. The groups treated with 18β-GA exhibited improvements in exploratory behavior, locomotive activity, and weight. As assessed using luxol-fast blue and myelin basic protein (MBP) staining, which were used to detect demyelination in the brain, 18β-GA both reduced and prevented instances of cuprizone-induced demyelinating lesions; treatment with 18β-GA also caused the MBP level in the corpus callosum to increase. Furthermore, alongside these positive results following 18β-GA treatment, microglial polarisation was also observed to shift towards the beneficial M2 phenotype. The results of this research thus indicate the potential clinical application of 18β-GA for the prevention of myelin damage and behavioral dysfunction.

3-D nonlinear magnetic field analysis with a novel adaptive finite element method

In this paper, an adaptive degrees-of-freedom finite element method is extended to three-dimensional (3-D) nonlinear magnetic field analysis. The error distribution of the discrete solution changes along with the iterative process, and mesh coarsening or other operations with the same effect is needed to keep the scale of the problem small. In this proposed adaptive method, dispensable degrees of freedom (DoFs) are eliminated from the unknown list by constraining them with supplementary interpolation functions, which are formulated with master DoFs. Compared with mesh coarsening, the administration of DoFs and geometric data are no longer required, while the topology of the mesh is maintained. To extend to 3-D problems, a novel constraint, which produces accurate coefficients for an alterable number of master DoFs, is presented. The constraint is integrated into the element algebraic equation, followed by a conventional assembly. Other techniques for the adaptive algorithm are also included in this method. Several numerical examples are tested to showcase the effectiveness of this method in 3-D problems.

Thresholds and the species–area relationship: a set of functions for fitting, evaluating and plotting a range of commonly used piecewise models in R

An increasing number of studies have focused on identifying thresholds in the species–area relationship (SAR). The most common approach in such studies is to use piecewise regression models. While a few software packages are available for fitting piecewise models, these resources are general regression packages (i.e., they are not specifically designed for the analysis of SAR data) and tend to only provide functions for fitting a subset of the piecewise models proposed in the SAR literature. Given the large number of SAR studies now fitting piecewise models, there is a need for a software package that provides functions for fitting a range of piecewise models, including continuous, left-horizontal and discontinuous models in addition to supplementary functions for analysing model fits, in the context of SAR data. To this end, we provide a set of functions for fitting six piecewise regression models to SAR data, calculating confidence intervals around the breakpoint estimates (for certain models), comparing the models using various information criteria, and plotting the resultant model fits. Here, we present these functions and illustrate them using a selection of empirical datasets. These functions are implemented in the freely available and open-source R package ‘sars.’

Chromatin Modifiers in Transcriptional Regulation: New Findings and Prospects.

Histone-modifying and remodeling complexes are considered the main coregulators that affect transcription by changing the chromatin structure. Coordinated action by these complexes is essential for the transcriptional activation of any eukaryotic gene. In this review, we discuss current trends in the study of histone modifiers and chromatin remodelers, including the functional impact of transcriptional proteins/ complexes i.e., “pioneers”; remodeling and modification of non-histone proteins by transcriptional complexes; the supplementary functions of the non-catalytic subunits of remodelers, and the participation of histone modifiers in the “pause” of RNA polymerase II. The review also includes a scheme illustrating the mechanisms of recruitment of the main classes of remodelers and chromatin modifiers to various sites in the genome and their functional activities.

Constructing chaotic repellors

Abstract The introduction of surfaces of equilibria in a dynamical system is a useful tool for constructing a chaotic repellor. To transform an attractor to a repellor, there are infinitely many available functions for introducing a surface of equilibria. Chaotic repellors can be constructed thereafter from a single chaotic attractor, a symmetric pair of chaotic attractors or even from those systems with attractor doubling and self-reproducing. Offset boosting of a variable driven by an embedded function or extra supplementary functions shows a flexible control on system attractors along with those coexisting repellors, which also rescales the frequency of oscillation even without destroying the amplitude of them.

Economic analysis and optimization of a renewable energy based power supply system with different energy storages for a remote island

This study investigates and compares the various combinations of renewable energies (solar, wind) and storage technologies (battery, pumped hydro storage, hybrid storage) for an off-grid power supply system. Four configurations (i.e., single RE source system, double RE source system, single storage, and double storage system) based on two scenarios (self-discharge equal to 0% and 1%) are considered, and their operational performance is compared and analyzed. The energy management strategy created for the hybrid pumped battery storage (HPBS) considers that batteries cover low energy surplus/shortages while pumped hydro storage (PHS) is the primary energy storage device for serving high-energy generations/deficits. The developed mathematical model is optimized using Particle Swarm Optimization and the performance and results of the optimizer are discussed in particular detail. The results evidence that self-discharge has a significant impact on the cost of energy (13%–50%) for all configurations due to the substantial increase in renewable energy (RE) generators size compared to the energy storage capacity. Even though solar-wind-PHS is the cost-optimal arrangement, it exhibits lower reliability when compared to solar-wind-HPBS. The study reveals the significance of HPBS in the off-grid RE environment, allowing more flexible energy management, enabling to guarantee a 100% power supply with minimum cost and reducing energy curtailment. Additionally, this study presents and discuss the results of a sensitivity analysis conducted by varying load demand and energy balance of all considered configurations is performed, which reveals the effectiveness of the supplementary functionality of both storages in hybrid mode. Overall, the role of energy storage in hybrid mode improved, and the total energy covered by hybrid storage increased (48%), which reduced the direct dependency on variable RE generation.

Ramsar sites in Nepal: Conservation, present scenario, biodiversity value and threats

Wetlands are the dynamic ecosystems with high yielding capacity which are considered very prolific from view point of biodiversity. With prime functioning of water supply, wetlands are well known for supplementary functions of providing ecosystem services viz., groundwater recharge, carbon sequestration, preventing water logging and flooding etc. Total ten wetlands sites of Nepal are included in Ramsar List till 2019, Koshi Tappu being the first listed wetland and Lake Clusters of Pokhara Valley being the latest included wetland which covers 60,561 hectares area of the total area of the country. Ramsar sites in Nepal are distributed throughout the country and are classified as high altitude wetlands, mid hill wetlands and terai wetlands. The Ramsar Site hosts endemic species of floral species some of which are endangered. It too serves as excellent habitat as water hole and corridor for numerous digits of threatened and endangered faunal diversity. Besides this, they serve as excellent habitats for migratory birds as well. Being such integral portions of biosphere, wetlands are under constant threats like eutrophication, siltation, invasion of alien species, pollution, agricultural runoff etc. This review article is based upon desk review different published and unpublished literatures from national level and provides detail information on updated wetlands of international importance of Nepal, along with present scenario, biodiversity value and threats that the wetlands are facing and is expected to help in shaping future course actions for wise use and sustainable management of wetlands in Nepal.

Vibration Characteristics and Power Flow Analyses of a Ship Propulsion Shafting System with General Support and Thrust Loading

In this paper, flexural vibration and power flow transmission of a ship propulsion shafting structure are analyzed via energy principle description in conjunction with Rayleigh–Ritz procedure, in which the shafting vibration displacement is constructed as a superposition of Fourier series and boundary-smoothing supplementary functions. Effect of the distributed bearing support and thrust loading of propulsion shafting system is considered in terms of potential energy of system Lagrangian. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the reliability and effectiveness of the established model by comparing results with those from finite element method. Results show that the current model can deal with the vibration analysis of ship propulsion shafting with thrust loading and distributed bearing very well. Influence of boundary restraints, stiffness of distributed bearings, and thrust loading on vibration characteristics of ship shafting system is studied and addressed. Numerical study on power flow analysis is also conducted to investigate the characteristics of vibrational energy transmission in such practical structure. Results show that the stiffness of spatial bearing support has significant influence on vibrational energy transmission and thrust force will greatly affect the total input power into such structure.