Reconfigurability Analysis Method for Spacecraft Autonomous Control

As a critical requirement for spacecraft autonomous control, reconfigurability should be considered in design stage of spacecrafts by involving effective reconfigurability analysis method in guiding system designs. In this paper, a novel reconfigurability analysis method is proposed for spacecraft design. First, some basic definitions regarding spacecraft reconfigurability are given. Then, based on function tree theory, a reconfigurability modeling approach is established to properly describe system’s reconfigurability characteristics, and corresponding analysis procedure based on minimal cut set and minimal path set is further presented. In addition, indexes of fault reconfigurable degree and system reconfigurable rate for evaluating reconfigurability are defined, and the methodology for analyzing system’s week links is also constructed. Finally, the method is verified by a spacecraft attitude measuring system, and the results show that the presented method cannot only implement the quantitative reconfigurability evaluations but also find the weak links, and therefore provides significant improvements for spacecraft reconfigurability design

Assessing the impacts of phosphorus inactive clay on phosphorus release control and phytoplankton community structure in eutrophic lakes

Addressing the challenge that phosphorus is the key factor and cause for eutrophication, we evaluated the phosphorus release control performance of a new phosphorus inactive clay (PIC) and compared with Phoslock(®). Meanwhile, the impacts of PIC and Phoslock(®) on phytoplankton abundance and community structure in eutrophic water were also discussed. With the dosage of 40 mg/L, PIC effectively removed 97.7% of total phosphorus (TP) and 98.3% of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) in eutrophic waters. In sediments, Fe/Al-phosphorus and organic phosphorus remained stable whereas Ca-phosphorus had a significant increase of 13.1%. The results indicated that PIC may form the active overlay at water-sediment interface and decrease the bioavailability of phosphorus. The phytoplankton abundance was significantly reduced by PIC and decreased from (1.0-2.4) × 10(7) cells/L to (1.3-4.3) × 10(6) cells/L after 15 d simultaneous experiment. The phytoplankton community structure was also altered, where Cyanobacteria and Bacillariophyceae were the most inhibited and less dominant due to their sensitivity to phosphorus. After PIC treatment, the residual lanthanum concentration in water was 1.44-3.79 μg/L, and the residual aluminium concentration was low as 101.26-103.72 μg/L, which was much less than the recommended concentration of 200 μg/L. This study suggests that PIC is an appropriate material for phosphorus inactivation and algal bloom control, meaning its huge potential application in eutrophication restoration and management

Association between High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide in Patients with Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Background. Prior study showed HCV-infected patients have increased serum N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP) and a possible left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. The objectives of the present paper were to investigate the characteristics of hs-CRP and its correlation with clinical profiles including NT-proBNP and echocardiographic variables in HCV-infected patients. Methods and Results. A total of 106 HCV-infected patients and 106 control healthy individuals were enrolled. The level of serum hs-CRP (median 1.023 mg/L, range 0.03∼5.379 mg/L) was significantly lower in all 106 patients than that in controls (median 3.147 mg/L, range 0.08~7.36 mg/L, P = 0.012). Although hs-CRP did not correlate significantly with NT-proBNP when all patients and controls were included (r = 0.169, P = 0.121), simple regression analysis demonstrated a statistically significant linear correlation between hs-CRP and NT-proBNP in HCV-infected patients group (r = 0.392, P = 0.017). Independent correlates of hs-CRP levels (R2 = 0.13) were older age (β′ = 0.031, P = 0.025) and NT proBNP (β′ = 0.024, P = 0.017). Conclusions. Although the level of serum hs-CRP decreased significantly, there was a significant association between hs-CRP and NT-proBNP in HCV-infected patients

Exposure to Chinese famine and the risk of hyperuricemia in later life: a population-based cross-sectional study

BackgroundLimited studies have investigated the relationship between famine exposure and the risk of hyperuricemia in later life. Consequently, the primary purpose of the current study was to examine the potential association between exposure to Chinese famine and hyperuricemia, as well as any gender disparities in this relationship.MethodThe data were obtained from the China PEACE (China Patient-Centered Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events) Million Persons Project in Rongchang. The study participants were enrolled into different cohorts based on their birthdates: the fetal-exposed cohort (born between 1959 and 1962), the childhood-exposed cohort (born between 1949 and 1958), the adolescence-exposed cohort (born between 1941 and 1948), and the non-exposed cohorts (born between 1963 and 1974). The potential association between famine exposure and hyperuricemia was assessed using binary logistic regression models.ResultsA total of 6,916 individuals were enrolled in the current study with an average age of 60.11 ± 9.22 years, out of which 3,544 were women. After adjusting for confounding factors, fetal (OR = 0.530, 95% CI: 0.411–0.0.683), childhood (OR = 0.642, 95% CI: 0.494–0.833) exposure to the Chinese famine for men was negatively associated with hyperuricemia. Conversely, exposure to the Chinese famine during fetal (OR = 2.144, 95% CI: 1.622–2.834), childhood (OR = 1.485, 95% CI: 1.105–1.997), and adolescence (OR = 1.967, 95% CI: 1.465–2.641) for women was positively associated with hyperuricemia. Furthermore, the impact of famine on hyperuricemia that has been observed in exposed women might be intensified by the presence of dyslipidemia, abdominal obesity, and overweight/obesity.ConclusionWomen exposed to the Chinese famine during fetal, childhood, and adolescence were positively associated with hyperuricemia, while men exhibited a negative association during fetal and childhood. Additionally, the effect of famine on hyperuricemia in exposed women appears to be intensified by the presence of dyslipidemia, abdominal obesity, and overweight/obesity

Genotype-phenotype analysis of three Chinese families with Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome

Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is characterized by QT prolongation, syncope and sudden death. This study aims to explore the causes, clinical manifestations and therapeutic outcomes of Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome (JLNS), a rare form of LQTS with congenital sensorineural deafness, in Chinese individuals.Three JLNS kindreds from the Chinese National LQTS Registry were investigated. Mutational screening of KCNQ1 and KCNE1 genes was performed by polymerase chain reaction and direct DNA sequence analysis. LQTS phenotype and therapeutic outcomes were evaluated for all probands and family members.We identified 7 KCNQ1 mutations. c.1032_1117dup (p.Ser373TrpfsX10) and c.1319delT (p.Val440AlafsX26) were novel, causing JLNS in a 16-year-old boy with a QTc (QT interval corrected for heart rate) of 620 ms and recurrent syncope. c.605-2A>G and c.815G>A (p.Gly272Asp) caused JLNS in a 12-year-old girl and her 5-year-old brother, showing QTc of 590 to 600 ms and recurrent syncope. The fourth JLNS case, a 46-year-old man carrying c.1032G>A (p.Ala344Alasp) and c.569G>A (p.Arg190Gln) and with QTc of 460 ms, has been syncope-free since age 30. His 16-year-old daughter carries novel missense mutation c.574C>T (p.Arg192Cys) and c.1032G>A(p.Ala344Alasp) and displayed a severe phenotype of Romano-Ward syndrome (RWS) characterized by a QTc of 530 ms and recurrent syncope with normal hearing. Both the father and daughter also carried c.253G>A (p.Asp85Asn; rs1805128), a rare single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on KCNE1. Bizarre T waves were seen in 3/4 JLNS patients. Symptoms were improved and T wave abnormalities became less abnormal after appropriate treatment.This study broadens the mutation and phenotype spectrums of JLNS. Compound heterozygous KCNQ1 mutations can result in both JLNS and severe forms of RWS in Chinese individuals.SCI(E)CPCI-S(ISTP)PubMed0MEETING ABSTRACT267-75

Roles of Phosphorus Sources in Microbial Community Assembly for the Removal of Organic Matters and Ammonia in Activated Sludge

Various phosphorus sources are utilized by microbes in WWTPs, eventually affecting microbial assembly and functions. This study identified the effects of phosphorus source on microbial communities and functions in the activated sludge. By cultivation with 59 phosphorus sources, including inorganic phosphates (IP), nucleoside-monophosphates (NMP), cyclic-nucleoside-monophosphates (cNMP), and other organophosphates (OP), we evaluated the change in removal efficiencies of total organic carbon (TOC) and ammonia, microbial biomass, alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity, microbial community structure, and AKP-associated genes. TOC and ammonia removal efficiency was highest in IP (64.8%) and cNMP (52.3%) treatments. Microbial community structure changed significantly across phosphorus sources that IP and cNMP encouraged Enterobacter and Aeromonas, respectively. The abundance of phoA and phoU genes was higher in IP treatments, whereas phoD and phoX genes dominated OP treatments. Our findings suggested that the performance of WWTPs was dependent on phosphorus sources and provided new insights into effective WWTP management

Combined electro-catazone/electro-peroxone process for rapid and effective Rhodamine B degradation

An integral electro-catazone and electro-peroxone (E-cataperoxone) process was developed for quick and effective oxidation of Rhodamine B (RhB) as the model refractory organic pollutant in this study. A mesoflower-structured TiO2-coated porous Titanium gas diffuser (MFT-PTGD) acted as both the anode and the O3 gas diffuser, while carbon polytetrafluoroethylene was used as the cathode. During O3/O2 mixture flowing through the MFT-PTGD, O3 was electrochemically catalyzed simultaneously by the TiO2 mesoflower at the anode (via an electro-catazone reaction) and the in situ generated H2O2 at the cathode (via an electro-peroxone reaction) to achieve a high yield of ·OH. The individual processes show integral effects and significantly enhances the RhB degradation rate and efficacy. Additionally, owing to the unique three-dimensional porous structure and flow-through configuration of the MFT-PTGD anode, the O3 flow-through mode is superior to O3 flow-by mode for the E-cataperoxone oxidation of RhB. These results suggest that the E-cataperoxone process is an effective and promising means of degrading refractory organic pollutants in wastewater