A STUDY OF STORAGE AND UTILIZATION OF ELASTIC ENERGY IN HUMAN LOWER LIMB MUSCLES

INTRODUCTION: In order to reveal how load, length of muscles, velocity of stretch and other factors affect the storage and the utilization of the elastic energy, lower limb muscular eccentric contraction in take-off phase of jumping were studied. In the past, Many studies about this topic was based on muscles in vitro, but this paper was based on muscles in vivo and from the perspective of movement structure

Systematic study on propulsive performance of tandem hydrofoils for a wave glider

This paper presents the propulsive performance optimization of tandem hydrofoils equipped in a wave glider in head sea conditions with the aid of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) method by using a commercial CFD code, STAR-CCM+. Firstly, this work performs a systematic study on a single 2D hydrofoil to study the effect of varying the pivot position and the torsional spring stiffness to seek for the optimum propulsive performance within a range of velocity. Secondly, parametric studies on the propulsive performance of 2D and 3D six tandem hydrofoils are conducted by varying the oscillation amplitude and the torsional spring stiffness. The result reports: The results show that the torsional springs play a critical role in propulsive performance, comparing to the pivot position. The propulsive performance of the middle hydrofoil is greater than the others in the fore and after positions. When 2D and 3D six tandem hydrofoils achieve the optimum propulsive performance, the frequency ratio is chosen to be around 25 (torsional spring stiffness (k S =0.8N⋅m/rad)) and 17 (torsional spring stiffness (k S =11.8N⋅m/rad)), respectively. Comparing to previous study, the propulsive performance of each hydrofoil in six tandem hydrofoil configuration is greatly improved and none of hydrofoil produce negative thrust

Numerical investigation of a wave glider in head seas

A wave glider comprises a surface boat, which harvests energy from wave and solar power, a submerged glider containing six pairs of tandem hydrofoils and a tether connecting them in between. This paper presents a numerical simulation to predict the wave glider dynamic performance in head seas with the aid of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) method. The simulation involves two commercial CFD software packages, FINE/Marine and STAR-CCM+. Firstly, unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) simulation was built in FINE/Marine with volume of fluid (VOF) model to simulate the flow around the surface boat and the tandem hydrofoils as a system, followed by the high-fidelity simulation of the passive eccentric rotation of the underwater tandem hydrofoils in STAR-CCM + using overset mesh. By taking the advantages of both softwares, manual iteration was conducted to achieve a converged result. Consequently, by analyzing these results, the surge force acting on the surface boat and the passive eccentric rotation law of the hydrofoils have been achieved which are proved to be the main factors affecting the propulsion efficiency of the wave glider

The complete mitochondrial genome of Xizicus (Haploxizicus) maculatus revealed by Next-Generation Sequencing and phylogenetic implication (Orthoptera, Meconematinae)

Xizicus Gorochov, 1993, the quiet-calling katydid, is a diverse genus with 68 species in world, which includes more than 45 species in China, has undergone numerous taxonomic revisions with contradicting conclusions. In this study the complete mitochondrial genome of Xizicus (Haploxizicus) maculatus collected from Hainan for the first time was sequenced using the Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology. The length of whole mitogenome is 16,358 bp and contains the typical gene arrangement, base composition, and codon usage found in other related species. The overall base composition of the mitochondrial genome is 37.0 % A, 32.2 % T, 20.2 % C, and 10.6 % G. All 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) began with typical ATN initiation codon. Nine of the 13 PCGs have a complete termination codon, but the remaining four genes (COI, COIII, ND5, and ND4) terminate with an incomplete T. Phylogenetic analyses are carried out based on the concatenated dataset of 13 PCGs and two rRNAs of Tettigoniidae species available in GenBank. Both Bayesian inference and Maximum Likelihood analyses recovered each subfamily as a monophyletic group. Regardless of the position of Lipotactinae, the relationships among the subfamilies of Tettigoniidae were as follows: ((((Tettigoniinae, Bradyporinae) Meconematinae) Conocephalinae) Hexacentrinae). The topological structure of the phylogeny trees showed that the Xizicus (Haploxizicus) maculatus is closer to Xizicus (Xizicus) fascipes than Xizicus (Eoxizicus) howardi

Photocathode-assisted redox flow desalination

Desalination techniques, such as reverse osmosis, distillation, capacitive deionization, and battery desalination, require lots of electrical or thermal energy consumption. Herein, we propose a consumption-free electrochemical desalination method based on a light-driven photocathode with a Pt/CdS/Cu2ZnSnS4(CZTS)/Mo architecture. Modification of a CdS layer on CZTS can improve the desalination performance due to the formation of inner p–n junction between CdS and CZTS which enhances the separation of the photoexcited carriers without recombination. This photocathode-assisted electrodialysis desalination plays the dual functions of both energy conversion and ion removal with the blocking of ion exchange membranes. The [Fe(CN)6]3−/4− redox couples are recirculated between the anode and photo-cathode as the electrolyte while the salt streams are fed into the middle compartment. Under light illumination, this architecture produces photo-generated electrons to the redox couples with the conversion of [Fe(CN)6]3− to [Fe(CN)6]4− at the positive chamber, causing cation capture in the presence of an ion-exchange membrane. At the same time, [Fe(CN)6]4− is oxidized at the negative reservoir. The light-driven electrochemical reaction of electrolyte redox couples can result in a continuous desalination process. This work will be significant for consumption-free photoelectrochemical desalination research

Whole exome sequencing identifies frequent somatic mutations in cell-cell adhesion genes in chinese patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (SQCC) accounts for about 30% of all lung cancer cases. Understanding of mutational landscape for this subtype of lung cancer in Chinese patients is currently limited. We performed whole exome sequencing in samples from 100 patients with lung SQCCs to search for somatic mutations and the subsequent target capture sequencing in another 98 samples for validation. We identified 20 significantly mutated genes, including TP53, CDH10, NFE2L2 and PTEN. Pathways with frequently mutated genes included those of cell-cell adhesion/Wnt/Hippo in 76%, oxidative stress response in 21%, and phosphatidylinositol-3-OH kinase in 36% of the tested tumor samples. Mutations of Chromatin regulatory factor genes were identified at a lower frequency. In functional assays, we observed that knockdown of CDH10 promoted cell proliferation, soft-agar colony formation, cell migration and cell invasion, and overexpression of CDH10 inhibited cell proliferation. This mutational landscape of lung SQCC in Chinese patients improves our current understanding of lung carcinogenesis, early diagnosis and personalized therapy

Rhaphidophora xishuang Gorochov 2012

<i>Rhaphidophora xishuang</i> Gorochov, 2012 <p>(Fig. 10, Map 2)</p> <p>http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera.speciesfile.org:TaxonName:462862</p> <p> <i>Rhaphidophora xishuang</i> Gorochov, 2012. <i>Entomological Review</i>, 92(7): 762.</p> <p>Type specimen: male; type locality: Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China; location of type specimen: Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg (ZIN)?</p> <p> <b>Material examined.</b> No examined. <b>Distribution.</b> China (Yunnan).</p>Published as part of <i>Shi, Fuming, 2017, Contribution to the Chinese Rhaphidophorinae Walker, 1869 (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae: Rhaphidophorinae): New species of Rhaphidophora Serville, 1838 from China, pp. 261-278 in Zootaxa 4317 (2)</i> on page 275, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4317.2.4, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/884270">http://zenodo.org/record/884270</a&gt

Doicholobosa rotundata Shi 2017, sp. nov.

<i>Doicholobosa rotundata</i> sp. nov. <p>Figs. 3–4, Map 1</p> <p>http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera.speciesfile.org:TaxonName:498202</p> <p> <b>Description.</b> Male. Body small. Pronotum short, anterior margin straight, posterior margin obtusely rounded (Fig. 3 A–B). Fore tibiae with 5 pairs of spines on ventral surface. Ventral surface of middle tibiae with 4 spines on internal margin and 5 spines on external margin. Dorsal surface of hind tibiae with 24–26 pairs of spines, ventral surface with 1 internal spine and 3 external spines. Posterior margin of tenth abdominal tergite protruding backwards, triangular concave in the middle, lateral lobes triangular (Fig. 3 C–E). Cerci cylindrical, slightly narrowing, subapical area slightly concave on inner margin, apical area curved intro-dorsad, apices obtuse (Fig. 3 E–I). Genitalia obviously sclerotized, strongly elevated, forming median carina, dorsal part with a spine-shaped process, its apex curved downwards, ventral area stout, its dorsal surface slightly concave, the middle with a cluster of thin spines (Fig. 3 C, F, H, J–K). Subgenital plate nearly trapezoidal in ventral view, basal margin arc-shaped concave, gradually narrowing, posterior margin U-shaped concave, lateral lobes narrow, curved dorsally, the apical area depressed; without styli (Fig. 3 L–M).</p> <p> <b>Female.</b> Tegmina short, locating laterally. The middle of posterior margin of tenth abdominal tergite arcshaped concave, lateral lobes nearly triangular (Fig. 4 C). Cerci slender, conical, apices obtuse (Fig. 4 C–D). Subgenital plate nearly trapezoid, basal margin angle-shaped concave, lateral margin of apical area circular arcshaped, posterior margin straight, the middle slightly concave (Fig. 4 E).</p> <p> <b>Coloration.</b> Body yellowish green. Flagellum with light brown rings. Disc of pronotum with a pair of brown longitudinal stripes, area between them light brown, lateral margin of prozona with a pair of light yellow longitudinal stripes. Dorsal surface of abdomen with a longitudinal brown band in the midline, the outer margin with a light yellow longitudinal stripe.</p> <p> <b>Measurements (mm).</b> Body: ♂ 9.7–9.9, ♀ 12.8; pronotum: ♂ 3.7–3.9, ♀ 3.6; tegmina: ♂ 1.4–2.0, ♀ 1.2; hind femora: ♂ 8.7–8.9, ♀ 9.3; ovipositor: 6.1.</p> <p> <b>Material examined.</b> Holotype: male, Suiyang, Guizhou, 16 August, 2011, coll. Lehong Zhao. Paratypes: 1 male, Suiyang, Guizhou, 11 August, 2011, coll. Lehong Zhao; 1 male, Suiyang, Guizhou, 12 August, 2011, coll. Liying Guo; 1 male, Suiyang, Guizhou, 12 August, 2011, coll. Lehong Zhao; 2 males and 1 female, Dashahe, Daozhen, Guizhou, 16 August, 2011, coll. Lehong Zhao.</p> <p> <b>Distribution.</b> Guizhou (Daozhen, Suiyang).</p> <p> <b>Discussion.</b> The new species differs from <i>Doicholobosa nigrovittata</i> (Liu <i>&</i> Bi, 1994) by: female subgenital plate nearly rectangular, posterior margin almost straight. In contrast, the subgenital plate of <i>Doicholobosa nigrovittata</i> (Liu <i>&</i> Bi, 1994) is nearly trapezoid with posterior margin rounded bearing an unconspicuous concavity.</p> <p> <b>Etymology.</b> The name of the new species is derived from apices of male cerci obtuse.</p>Published as part of <i>Shi, Fuming, 2017, New genus to science of Meconematinae (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) from China with description of two new species and proposal of one new combination, pp. 165-173 in Zootaxa 4317 (1)</i> on pages 170-172, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4317.1.8, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/880274">http://zenodo.org/record/880274</a&gt

Rhaphidophora quadrula Shi 2017, sp. nov.

<i>Rhaphidophora quadrula</i> sp. nov. <p>(Fig. 7, Map 2)</p> <p>http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera.speciesfile.org:TaxonName:498210</p> <p> <b>Description. Male.</b> Body medium sized. Fastigium verticis elongate, dorsal surface with a deep furrow dividing the rostrum into two rostral tubercles, which depressed and not connecting with each other (Fig. 7 A). Eyes nearly triangular in dorso-lateral view. Lateral ocelli oval, occupying two sides of rostral tubercles (Fig. 7 B); median ocellus large locating under the antennal socket (Fig. 7 B). Apical segment of maxillary palpi subequal to subapical one. Lateral lobes of pronotum slightly concave on ventral margin (Fig. 7 C); posterior margin of mesonotum projecting (Fig. 7 C). Fore coxae distinctly inflated, with a small spine; femora with an internal apical spine on ventral surface; tibia of left fore leg with an internal spine at subapical area and an external spine in the middle ventrally, right one armed ventrally with 1 pair of spines in the middle area and 1 large external spine; apices of fore tibiae with a pair of spines, the internal ones slightly longer. Middle femora with 1 large apical spine on ventral surface; tibiae with 2 pairs of spines and 1 pair of apical spines on dorsal surface, ventral surface with 1 internal spine, 2–3 external spines and 1 pair of dorsal apical spines, dorso-apical spines obviously longer than ventroapical ones. Hind femora unarmed on ventral surface, genicular lobes obtuse; tibiae with 20 internal spines and 18– 21 external spines on dorsal surface, apices with 1 pair of long dorsal spines and 2 pairs of short ventral spines, the internal spines slightly longer than the external ones. Dorsal surface of hind basitari with 5 small spines and 1 large apical spine along the middle carina. Abdominal tergite without processes, posterior margin of tenth abdominal tergite slightly concave. Epiproct subrectangular in dorsal view, dorsal surface with a distinct longitudinal furrow in the midline, the lateral margin obviously raised; the lateral margins of epiproct right-angular curved ventrad, posterior margin nearly truncate (Fig. 7 D–E). Cerci slender, conical, apices acute (Fig. 7 F). Subgenital plate longer than broad, basal margin almost straight, posterior margin slightly protruding; styli nearly as long as subgenital plate, cylindrical, ventral surface with a longitudinal furrow at apical two-thirds area (Fig. 7 G).</p> <p> <b>Female.</b> Unknown.</p> <p> <b>Coloration.</b> Body brown, sternites and all legs yellowish-brown.</p> <p> <b>Measurements (mm).</b> BL: ♂ 19.0; PL: ♂ 6.8; FFL: ♂ 8.0; HFL: ♂ 16.2; HTL: ♂ 15.6; HBL: ♂ 4.0.</p> <p> <b>Material examined.</b> Holotype: male, Damingshan, Wuming, Guangxi, 5 August, 2010, coll. by Xun Bian and Xuping Yan.</p> <p> <b>Distribution.</b> China (Guangxi).</p> <p> <b>Discussion.</b> The species is very similar to <i>Rhaphidophora longa</i> Gorochov, 1999, but it can be easily distinguished from the latter in: male epiproct as long as wide, dorsal surface with 1 longitudinal furrow along the midline. While in <i>Rhaphidophora longa</i> Gorochov, 1999, male epiproct rectangular, longer than wide, dorsal surface with 1 longitudinal carina in the midline.</p> <p> <b>Etymology.</b> Name derived from Latin “ <i>quadrul</i> ” meaning the shape of male epiproct.</p>Published as part of <i>Shi, Fuming, 2017, Contribution to the Chinese Rhaphidophorinae Walker, 1869 (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae: Rhaphidophorinae): New species of Rhaphidophora Serville, 1838 from China, pp. 261-278 in Zootaxa 4317 (2)</i> on pages 272-274, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4317.2.4, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/884270">http://zenodo.org/record/884270</a&gt

Rhaphidophora sichuanensis Liu & Zhang 2002

<i>Rhaphidophora sichuanensis</i> Liu & Zhang, 2002 <p>(Fig. 8, Map 2)</p> <p>http://lsid.speciesfile.org/urn:lsid: Orthoptera.speciesfile.org:TaxonName:23479</p> <p> <i>Rhaphidophora sichuanensis</i> Liu <i>&</i> Zhang, 2002. <i>Entomotaxonomia</i>, 24(3): 157.</p> <p>Type specimen: male; type locality: Dujiangyan, Sichuan; location of type specimen: Shanghai Entomological Museum, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China (SEMCAS).</p> <p> <b>Material examined.</b> No examined. <b>Distribution.</b> China (Sichuan).</p>Published as part of <i>Shi, Fuming, 2017, Contribution to the Chinese Rhaphidophorinae Walker, 1869 (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae: Rhaphidophorinae): New species of Rhaphidophora Serville, 1838 from China, pp. 261-278 in Zootaxa 4317 (2)</i> on page 274, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4317.2.4, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/884270">http://zenodo.org/record/884270</a&gt