Improved Wavelet Threshold De-noising Method Based on GNSS Deformation Monitoring Data

In the process of GNSS deformation monitoring, it is inevitable that the monitoring data are contaminated by noise. Effectively mitigating the impact of noise on the measurements and thus improving the quality of the deformation data is the objective of GNSS data processing. Wavelet analysis can analyse the signal according to different frequencies of the signal. Simulation data can be used to determine the best wavelet basis function and select the appropriate decomposition level. In this paper, an improved threshold de-noising method is proposed, based on an analysis of conventional hard threshold de-noising, soft threshold de-noising and compulsory de-noising methods. The improved method was examined through a simulation analysis and applied in an engineering case. The results show that it effectively removed the noise at high frequencies while retaining data details and mutation. The de-noising ability of the proposed technique was better than that of the conventional methods. Moreover, this method significantly improved the quality of the deformation data

Effect of regenerator on the direct steam generation solar power system characterized by prolonged thermal storage and stable power conversion

The direct steam generation (DSG) solar power system using two stage accumulators and cascade steam-organic Rankine cycle (RC-ORC) has remarkably enlarged storage capacity. It can facilitate stable power generation and address the challenges of conventional DSG systems. Regenerator is generally an issue worthy of discussion in organic Rankine cycle (ORC) systems. However, its influence on the newly proposed DSG system has not been investigated yet and is expected to be appreciable. Introducing a regenerator affects not only the ORC efficiency, RC-ORC efficiency, heat exchanger area, but also heat storage capacity, discharge duration, discharge efficiency, aperture area of collectors and the net profit (ΔP). Detailed performance comparison between the DSG systems without/with regenerator is carried out in this paper. The results indicate that at a given power output, aperture area is reduced by the regenerator especially for MM, R365mfc and pentane due to the increment in ORC, RC-ORC and discharge efficiencies, as well as the decrement in heat input. Discharge duration is shortened by 0.01–1.78 h depending on ORC fluids. R365mfc exhibits the maximum ΔP (4.19∼6.48 million USD), followed by MM and pentane. On the contrary, ΔP is negative for benzene (−5.61∼-4.31 million USD)

An innovative approach to recovery of fluctuating industrial exhaust heat sources using cascade Rankine cycle and two-stage accumulators

The fluctuating property of the heat source is a technical obstacle of waste heat recovery, which leads to part-load operation and reduced economics. This work presents a novel system to mitigate the fluctuations by using steam-organic Rankine cycles (RC-ORC) and two-stage steam accumulators. The system can switch between isothermal heat storage and discharge simply by the regulation of water mass flow (m ) from the low-temperature accumulator (LTA) to the high-temperature accumulator (HTA). In the heat charge mode, m rises when the inlet temperature or mass flow of the heat source increases. The water level of the HTA elevates. Analogously, in the heat discharge mode, m decreases and more water accumulates in the LTA. The RC-ORC operates under the rated condition consistently through the unique structural design. The fundamentals and features of the system are illustrated. Given two typical heat source conditions, the fluctuations in thermal efficiencies are minor (15.63–15.84% and 19.57–19.70%). Thermo-economic estimation of the tanks indicates that the steel cost is roughly 1306 $and 432$, respectively. Compared with the single-stage ORC using stream control, the normalized investment cost (NIC) is reduced by 888–925 $/kW. 2 2

Hepatocyte-Derived Lipotoxic Extracellular Vesicle Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Induces Macrophage Chemotaxis

Background: The pathophysiology of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis involves hepatocyte lipotoxicity due to excess saturated free fatty acids and concomitant proinflammatory macrophage effector responses. These include the infiltration of macrophages into hepatic cords in response to incompletely understood stimuli. Stressed hepatocytes release an increased number of extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are known to participate in intercellular signaling and coordination of the behavior of immune cell populations via their cargo. We hypothesized that hepatocyte-derived lipotoxic EVs that are enriched in sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) are effectors of macrophage infiltration in the hepatic microenvironment.Methods: Lipotoxic EVs were isolated from palmitate treated immortalized mouse hepatocytes and characterized by nanoparticle tracking analysis. Lipotoxic EV sphingolipids were quantified using tandem mass spectrometry. Wildtype and S1P1 receptor knockout bone marrow-derived macrophages were exposed to lipotoxic EV gradients in a microfluidic gradient generator. Macrophage migration toward EV gradients was captured by time-lapse microscopy and analyzed to determine directional migration. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting along with quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry were utilized to characterize the cell surface expression of S1P1 receptor on intrahepatic leukocytes and hepatic expression of S1P1 receptor, respectively.Results: Palmitate treatment induced the release of EVs. These EVs were enriched in S1P. Palmitate-induced S1P enriched EVs were chemoattractive to macrophages. EV S1P enrichment depended on the activity of sphingosine kinases 1 and 2, such that, pharmacological inhibition of sphingosine kinases 1 and 2 resulted in a significant reduction in EV S1P cargo without affecting the number of EVs released. When exposed to EVs derived from cells treated with palmitate in the presence of a pharmacologic inhibitor of sphingosine kinases 1 and 2, macrophages displayed diminished chemotactic behavior. To determine receptor-ligand specificity, we tested the migration responses of macrophages genetically deleted in the S1P1 receptor toward lipotoxic EVs. S1P1 receptor knockout macrophages displayed a marked reduction in their chemotactic responses toward lipotoxic palmitate-induced EVs.Conclusions:Palmitate-induced lipotoxic EVs are enriched in S1P through sphingosine kinases 1 and 2. S1P-enriched EVs activate persistent and directional macrophage chemotaxis mediated by the S1P1 receptor, a potential signaling axis for macrophage infiltration during hepatic lipotoxicity, and a potential therapeutic target for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis

NUMERICAL SOLUTION OF TWO-FLUID ELECTROOSMOTIC FLOW

ABSTRACT Two-fluid flows in microchannel are often found in biological analysis, such as during ion exchange or solvent extraction from one phase to another. In this article, a numerical scheme is presented to describe a two-fluid flow in microchannel with electroosmotic (EO) effects. In this twofluid system, the interfacial viscous force of a high EO mobility fluid drags a low EO mobility fluid; the high EO mobility fluid is driven by electroosmosis. We particularly analyze the electric double layer (EDL) regions close to the wall and the interface in the high EO mobility fluid. As the governing equation of the electrical potential is singularly perturbed, finer meshes are adopted to capture these EDL regions. In simulation, the interface between the two fluids evolves along the flow direction as the flow develops. Level set method is used to capture the interface implicitly. A localized mass preservation scheme is used to ensure mass conservation. A finite-volume method is used to solve the coupled electric potential equation, level set equations and Navier-Stokes equation. The validity of the numerical scheme is evaluated by comparing its predictions with the results of the analytical solutions in the fully developed regions. The interface positions; pressure gradients; mass flow rates and velocity profiles of the two fluids along the channels are obtained numerically