Seasonal Applicability of Refrigerant Release Technology in Room Air Conditioner

The room air conditioner is widely used in residential and office buildings for both cooling and heating. However, the operation condition of the room air conditioner changes largely due to the variations of the cooling/heating load of the room, the indoor temperature and the outdoor one, which always decreases the efficiency of the compressor and eventually the seasonal energy efficiency of the air conditioner. The refrigerant release technology relieves even eliminates the over-compression loss of scroll compressor by bypassing the refrigerant in the compression chamber to the suction pipe under small system pressure ratio conditions, By using it, the efficiency of the air conditioner can be increased. The effect of refrigerant-releasing on the annual energy performance of the room air conditioner is analyzed and the applicability is evaluated in this paper. The typical residential and office building models are built in a building load simulation software, DeST. The annual cooling and heating loads of these buildings located in different climate zones are calculated. The numerical models of the fixed speed and inverter room air conditioners with and without refrigerant-releasing function are built and verified. For the air conditioner with refrigerant-releasing, a control strategy to activate the refrigerant release is determined to keep the efficiency as well as satisfy the indoor load. Based on the calculated cooling/heating load and the models of the air conditioners, the energy consumptions of all four kinds of air conditioner during each hour can be calculated. Finally, the performance of variable and fixed speed air conditioner with and without refrigerant release in the cooling period and heating period is obtained and the contribution of refrigerant-releasing is evaluated. The results show that the variable speed air conditioner with refrigerant-releasing saves 24.2~25.5% and 18.9~25.3% energy compared to the one without refrigerant release for the office and residential buildings, respectively. For the fixed speed air conditioner, the refrigerant-releasing technology decreases 20.2~23.0% and 17.1~23.6% energy consumption for residential and office building, respectively. Variable speed air conditioner with refrigerant release saves more energy than fixed speed one. The refrigerant-releasing technology has good applicability for the room air conditioner and should be considered as an effective method to enhance the seasonal performance for it

Therapeutic potential of garlic chive-derived vesicle-like nanoparticles in NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammatory diseases

Aberrant activation of the nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat related (NLR) family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome drives the development of many complex inflammatory diseases, such as obesity, Alzheimer\u27s disease, and atherosclerosis. However, no medications specifically targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome have become clinically available. Therefore, we aim to identify new inhibitors of the NLRP3 inflammasome in this study. Methods: Vesicle-like nanoparticles (VLNs) were extracted from garlic chives and other Allium vegetables and their effects on the NLRP3 inflammasome were evaluated in primary macrophages. After garlic chive-derived VLNs (GC-VLNs) were found to exhibit potent anti-NLRP3 inflammasome activity in cell culture, such function was further assessed in a murine acute liver injury disease model, as well as in diet-induced obesity. Finally, GC-VLNs were subjected to omics analysis to identify the active components with anti-NLRP3 inflammasome function. Results: GC-VLNs are membrane-enclosed nanoparticles containing lipids, proteins, and RNAs. They dose-dependently inhibit pathways downstream of NLRP3 inflammasome activation, including caspase-1 autocleavage, cytokine release, and pyroptotic cell death in primary macrophages. The inhibitory effects of GC-VLNs on the NLRP3 inflammasome are specific, considering their marginal impact on activation of other inflammasomes. Local administration of GC-VLNs in mice alleviates NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammation in chemical-induced acute liver injury. When administered orally or intravenously, GC-VLNs accumulate in specific tissues and suppress activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and chronic inflammation in diet-induced obese mice. The phospholipid 1,2-dilinoleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DLPC) in GC-VLNs has been identified to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Conclusions: Identification of GC-VLNs and their active component DLPC as potent inflammasome inhibitors provides new therapeutic candidates in the treatment of NLRP3 inflammasome-driven diseases

Critical contributions of protein cargos to the functions of macrophage‑derived extracellular vesicles

Background Macrophages are highly plastic innate immune cells that play key roles in host defense, tissue repair, and homeostasis maintenance. In response to divergent stimuli, macrophages rapidly alter their functions and manifest a wide polarization spectrum with two extremes: M1 or classical activation and M2 or alternative activation. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted from differentially activated macrophages have been shown to have diverse functions, which are primarily attributed to their microRNA cargos. The role of protein cargos in these EVs remains largely unexplored. Therefore, in this study, we focused on the protein cargos in macrophage-derived EVs. Results Naïve murine bone marrow-derived macrophages were treated with lipopolysaccharide or interlukin-4 to induce M1 or M2 macrophages, respectively. The proteins of EVs and their parental macrophages were subjected to quantitative proteomics analyses, followed by bioinformatic analyses. The enriched proteins of M1-EVs were involved in proinflammatory pathways and those of M2-EVs were associated with immunomodulation and tissue remodeling. The signature proteins of EVs shared a limited subset of the proteins of their respective progenitor macrophages, but they covered many of the typical pathways and functions of their parental cells, suggesting their respective M1-like and M2-like phenotypes and functions. Experimental examination validated that protein cargos in M1- or M2-EVs induced M1 or M2 polarization, respectively. More importantly, proteins in M1-EVs promoted viability, proliferation, and activation of T lymphocytes, whereas proteins in M2-EVs potently protected the tight junction structure and barrier integrity of epithelial cells from disruption. Intravenous administration of M2-EVs in colitis mice led to their accumulation in the colon, alleviation of colonic inflammation, promotion of M2 macrophage polarization, and improvement of gut barrier functions. Protein cargos in M2-EVs played a key role in their protective function in colitis. Conclusion This study has yielded a comprehensive unbiased dataset of protein cargos in macrophage-derived EVs, provided a systemic view of their potential functions, and highlighted the important engagement of protein cargos in the pathophysiological functions of these EVs

Ecological Wisdom and Inspiration Underlying the Planning and Construction of Ancient Human Settlements: Case Study of Hongcun UNESCO World Heritage Site in China

Human settlements are social-economic-natural complex ecosystems centered on human activities and the most prominent site for the contradictions between humans and the environment. Taking Hongcun, a UNESCO World Heritage site in China, as an example, this paper analyzes the methods and effect of coupling man and nature in Hongcun, summarizes the ecological wisdom of dealing with the relationship between human and nature, and uses this wisdom to shed light on the planning, construction, and management of contemporary urban and rural settlements. Firstly, the study introduces the Human-Natural Intergraded Ecological Planning (HNIEP) model’s hypothesis, explaining its foundation and potential principles or approaches. Secondly, using the case study of Hongcun to explain, support, and validate the HNIEP model and its framework, the study found that the unique planning and construction of Hongcun has greatly promoted ecosystem services, such as local microclimate regulation, rainwater runoff regulation, water conservation, landscape aesthetic, and engagement with nature. Thirdly, Hongcun reflects the concept of harmonious coexistence between human and nature, the wisdom of rational use of ecosystem structures, processes and functions, and the wisdom of coupling human activities with the living environment and natural ecosystem. Finally, the paper summarizes the enlightenment brought by both the HNIEP model and Hongcun wisdom to contemporary urban-rural planning and construction management

Assessing the Traffic Noise Reduction Effect of Roadside Green Space Using LiDAR Point Cloud Data in Shenzhen, China

The characteristics of vegetation in urban road side green spaces affect their noise reduction capacity. How to objectively, extensively, and accurately evaluate the noise reduction effect of these complex structures is challenging. In this study, we take urban roadside green space quadrats as the research object, use knapsack LiDAR to collect point cloud data of vegetation in the quadrats, and then construct and extract factor indices that can reflect the different vegetation characteristics based on LiDAR point cloud data with LiDAR360 software. We then combine the actual collected and calculate attenuation of traffic noise using correlation analysis and ordinary least square regression analysis to clarify the characteristic factors and correlation of noise attenuation in order to explore the influence of vegetation characteristics on the effect of noise reduction. The results show that a variety of factors affect the noise reduction effect of complex vegetation structures, and the importance degree is the following: horizontal occlusion degree > width > percentage of point cloud grid > leaf area index > coverage degree. By comparing the vegetation characteristic factors at different heights, we found that coverage degree, leaf area index, horizontal occlusion degree, and the percentage of the point cloud grid have the most significant positive correlation with the actual attenuation at a height of 5 m, but the coverage degree and leaf area index at absolute height have no correlation with the actual attenuation. The amount of vegetation near the road has a greater effect on noise reduction than that on the far side. The actual noise attenuation and the vegetation characteristic factors of green space have a non-linear relationship, and the interaction has a comprehensive influence on the noise reduction effect. These findings can provide a scientific basis for the reduction of traffic noise through the structural optimization of urban green space

Mass loss and nutrient dynamics during litter decomposition in response to warming and nitrogen addition in a desert steppe

Plant litter decomposition has been studied extensively in the context of both warming and increased atmospheric nitrogen deposition. However, the temporal patterns of mass loss and nutrient release in response to warming and nitrogen addition remain unclear. A 2-year decomposition experiment aimed to examine the effects of warming and nitrogen addition on decomposition rate, and nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics. The effects of warming and nitrogen addition on decomposition of litter of Stipa breviflora, a dominant species in a desert steppe of northern China, were studied. Warming and nitrogen addition significantly enhanced litter mass loss by 10% and 16%, respectively, and moreover promoted nitrogen and phosphorus release from the litter in the first year of decomposition, followed by an immobilization period. The interactive effects of warming and nitrogen addition on mass loss, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations of litter were also found during the decomposition. This study indicates that warming and nitrogen addition increased litter mass loss through altering litter quality. These findings highlight that interactions between climate change and other global change factors could be highly important in driving decomposition responses

Design principle and engineering practice of rock bolting to prevent coal bump from rib coal massive slippage

Rock burst is one of the disasters that seriously affect the safe and effective mining of coal in mine mining. It is of great significance and value to study the principle and technology of bolt anti-impact support to prevent and control the rock burst disaster in roadway. Through the summary and analysis of the geological conditions and failure characteristics of the rock burst of the whole coal body in the roadway, it is considered that the hard roof and hard coal seam are the important geological characteristics of this type of rock burst, and the overall slippage of the coal body in the roadway is the main impact failure characteristics. On this basis, taking the sliding coal body of roadway side as the research object, the mechanical model of roof-roadway-floor composite structure is established, and the limit equilibrium equation of horizontal sliding of roadway side coal body is established, and each parameter is analyzed. The results show that due to the rebound of the roof, the vertical pressure of the roadway side coal body is reduced, and the roadway side coal body is pushed into the roadway by the tectonic stress to cause rock burst. Based on the occurrence mechanism model, it is considered that the current bolt support design system has some shortcomings in preventing and controlling the rock burst of the coal body in the roadway. Based on its occurrence and failure characteristics, the design principle of bolt anti-impact support for the overall slippage type rock burst of the coal body in the roadway is established, that is, the anchoring ends of the roof and bottom bolts are respectively penetrated into the stable roof and floor, and the long anchor cable is used to replace the middle side bolt to provide the anti-impact effect of bolt support. Based on the newly established design method of bolt anti-scour support, taking the anti-scour support of 7305 working face of Kongzhuang Coal Mine in Datun Mining Area as the engineering background, the anti-scour design is adopted in the bolt support of roadway side in the wide coal pillar section. The roof and bottom bolts and reinforcing anchor cables are anchored inside the roof and floor, which can effectively absorb the sliding kinetic energy of the coal body and improve the safety

Grazing intensity enhances spatial aggregation of dominant species in a desert steppe

Abstract Understanding how grazing activity drives plant community structure or the distribution of specific species in a community remains a major challenge in community ecology. The patchiness or spatial aggregation of specific species can be quantified by analyzing their relative coordinates in the community. Using variance and geostatistical analysis methods, we examined the quantitative characteristics and spatial distribution of Stipa breviflora in a desert steppe in northern China under four different grazing intensities (no grazing, NG, light grazing, LG, moderate grazing, MG, and heavy grazing, HG) at three small spatial scales (10 × 10 cm, 20 × 20 cm, 25 × 25 cm). We found that grazing significantly increased cover, density, and proportion in standing crop of S. breviflora, but decreased height. The spatial distribution of S. breviflora was strongly dependent upon the sampling unit and grazing intensity. The patchiness of S. breviflora reduced with sampling scale, and spatial distribution of S. breviflora was mainly determined by structural factors. The intact clusters of S. breviflora were more fragmented with increasing grazing intensity and offspring clusters spread out from the center of the parent plant. These findings suggest that spatial aggregation can enhance the ability of S. breviflora to tolerate grazing and that smaller isolated clusters are beneficial to the survival of this dominant species under heavy grazing

Tuning nanoscale heterogeneity by non-affine thermal strain to modulate defect activation and maximize magnetocaloric effect of metallic glass

The effects of non-affine thermal strain on the structure, defect activation and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) have been investigated in Gd55Co20Al24.5Si0.5 metallic glass (MG). Maxwell-Voigt models are utilized to analyze the impact of cryogenic thermal cycling (CTC) on the evolution of heterogeneous structure in term of the activated defects during creep deformation. Two kinds of flow defects with different relaxation times are observed from the relaxation spectrum, which show different responses to CTC. A power law between the maximum magnetic entropy change and its peak temperature is uncovered for Gd-based MGs above 85 K, which breaks down below 85 K for the low Gd content MGs including the high-entropy MGs. Through adjusting the CTC number, the maximum magnetic entropy of the present MG is improved to 10.7 JKg-1K−1 under 5 T, which is the largest among the Gd-based MGs with Curie temperature above 85 K. The enhancement of MCE is related to the increased fraction of solid-like zones in the amorphous matrix and nanocrystallization rendered by CTC treatment. This work sheds new insights into the correlation of MCE and nanoscale creep deformation with structural heterogeneity of MGs