External characteristic analysis and stator parameter optimization for a torque converter

The performance of a flattened hydraulic torque converter is optimized with orthogonal experiment and response surface method, considering parameters of its stator blade, defined with nonuniform rotational B-splines. The optimization model, with maximum of the stalling torque ratio as an objective, is determined through an external characteristic statistical analysis under the new European Driving Cycle condition. The optimization results show that the stall torque ratio is increased by 10.83%, while the highest efficiency is above 84%

Targeted antimicrobial therapy against Streptococcus mutans establishes protective non-cariogenic oral biofilms and reduces subsequent infection.

AimDental biofilms are complex communities composed largely of harmless bacteria. Certain pathogenic species including Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) can become predominant when host factors such as dietary sucrose intake imbalance the biofilm ecology. Current approaches to control S. mutans infection are not pathogen-specific and eliminate the entire oral community along with any protective benefits provided. Here, we tested the hypothesis that removal of S. mutans from the oral community through targeted antimicrobial therapy achieves protection against subsequent S. mutans colonization.MethodologyControlled amounts of S. mutans were mixed with S. mutans-free saliva, grown into biofilms and visualized by antibody staining and cfu quantization. Two specifically-targeted antimicrobial peptides (STAMPs) against S. mutans were tested for their ability to reduce S. mutans biofilm incorporation upon treatment of the inocula. The resulting biofilms were also evaluated for their ability to resist subsequent exogenous S. mutans colonization.ResultsS. mutans colonization was considerably reduced ( +/- 0.4 fold reduction, P=0.01) when the surface was preoccupied with saliva-derived biofilms. Furthermore, treatment with S. mutans-specific STAMPs yielded S. mutans-deficient biofilms with significant protection against further S. mutans colonization (5 minutes treatment: 38 +/- 13 fold reduction P=0.01; 16 hours treatment: 96 +/- 28 fold reduction P=0.07).ConclusionS. mutans infection is reduced by the presence of existing biofilms. Thus maintaining a healthy or "normal" biofilm through targeted antimicrobial therapy (such as the STAMPs) could represent an effective strategy for the treatment and prevention of S. mutans colonization in the oral cavity and caries progression

Feedback noncausal model predictive control of wave energy converters

In this paper, a novel feedback noncausal model predictive control (MPC) strategy for sea wave energy converters (WECs) is proposed, where the wave prediction information can be explicitly incorporated into the MPC strategy to improve the WEC control performance. The main novelties of the MPC strategy proposed in this paper include: (i) the recursive feasibility and robust constraints satisfaction are guaranteed without a significant increase in the computational burden; (ii) the information of short-term wave prediction is incorporated into the feedback noncausal MPC method to maximise the potential energy output; (iii) the sea condition for the WEC to safely operate in can be explicitly calculated. The proposed feedback noncausal MPC algorithm can also be extended to a wide class of control design problems, especially to the energy maximisation problems with constraints to be satisfied and subject to persistent but predictable disturbances. Numerical simulations are provided to show the efficacy of the proposed feedback noncausal MPC

Fish oil alleviated high-fat diet–induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease via regulating hepatic lipids metabolism and metaflammation: a transcriptomic study

Table S1. The nutrient composition, energy ratio and fatty acid profiles of experimental diets. Table S2. Primers used in this study. Figure S3. The weekly body weight change of experiment animals. Table S4. Differentially expressed genes between WD group and CON group. Table S5. Differentially expressed genes between FOH group and WD group. Table S6. Upregulated DEGs (FOH vs. WD) implicated in the enrichedgene ontology processes. Table S7. Downregulated DEGs (FOH vs. WD) implicated in the enrichedgene ontology processes. (ZIP 236 kb

Effects of flavonoids extracted from the whole plant of Patrinia Villosa (Thunb) Juss in a rat model of chronic pelvic inflammation

Purpose: To investigate the effects of total flavonoids (PLV) extracted from the  whole plant of Patrinia Villosa (Thunb.) Juss (PTJ) in a rat model of chronic pelvic inflammation.Methods: An orthogonal test design was employed to optimize the extraction  conditions of PLV via reflux extraction by ethanol. Rats were randomly divided into control group, model group and PLV groups. An absorbable gelatin sponge with  pathogens was inserted into the cervix of the rat to establish a pelvic inflammatory model. The PLV groups were orally administered PLV at doses of 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg for eight days. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used for the determination of inflammatory cytokines in rat serum and the culture  supernatant of RAW264.7 cells. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) was employed to determine mRNA levels.Results: The optimum extraction conditions for PLV by orthogonal test were  obtained: extraction time (120 min), ratio of liquid to raw material (20 mL/g) and ethanol concentration (50 %). By treating with PLV, the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β significantly decreased (p < 0.01), while IL-10 level significantly increased (p < 0.01) in the serum of chronic pelvic inflammatory rats and LPS-stimulated  macrophages. In addition, a similar trend was observed in the mRNA levels of LPS-stimulated macrophages treated with PLV.Conclusion: PLV showes significant anti-inflammatory effects on chronic pelvic inflammation. The potential mechanism is related to regulating the expression of inflammatory factorsKeywords: Patrinia Villosa (Thunb.) Juss, Total flavonoids, Chronic pelvic  inflammation, Inflammatory cytokine