Ping pong : an exergame for cognitive inhibition training

Cognitive inhibition, a key constituent of healthy cognition, has been shown to be susceptible to age-related cognitive declines. Research has shown that cognitive rehabilitation training can facilitate older adults to maintain healthy cognitive functions. Compared to cognitive rehabilitation alone, the combination of physical and cognitive exercises is more effective to train older adults’ cognitive functions. Focusing on the training of older adults’ cognitive inhibition, we design the Ping Pong exergame in this work, which incorporates the traditional cognitive task with physical exercises in the game environment to improve older adults’ cognitive inhibition. A longitudinal study was conducted to evaluate the usability of Ping Pong exergame and its effectiveness on training older adults’ cognitive inhibition. The results show that the Ping Pong exergame received a good usability score and players presented significantly better performance in cognitive tasks after playing the exergame.AI SingaporeMinistry of Health (MOH)National Research Foundation (NRF)Accepted versionThis research is supported, in part, by the Singapore Ministry of Health under its National Innovation Challenge on Active and Confident Ageing (NIC Project No. MOH/NIC/COG04/2017), and also by the National Research Foundation, Singapore, under its AI Singapore Programme (AISG Award No: AISG–GC–2019–003)

Influence of void ratio on phase change of thermal energy storage for heat pipe receiver

In this paper, influence of void ratio on phase change of thermal storage unit for heat pipe receiver under microgravity is numerically simulated. Accordingly, mathematical model is set up. A solidification-melting model upon the enthalpy-porosity method is specially provided to deal with phase changes. The liquid fraction distribution of thermal storage unit of heat pipe receiver is shown. The fluctuation of melting ratio in PCM canister is indicated. Numerical results are compared with experimental ones in Japan. The results show that void cavity prevents the process of phase change greatly. PCM melts slowly during sunlight periods and freezes slowly during eclipse periods as void ratio increases. The utility ratio of PCM during both sunlight periods and eclipse periods decreases obviously with the improvement of void ratio. The thermal resistance of void cavity is much higher than that of PCM canister wall. Void cavity prevents the heat transfer between PCM zone and canister wall

Migration Monitoring and Route Analysis of the Oriental Armyworm <i>Mythimna separata</i> (Walker) in Northeast China

The oriental armyworm Mythimna separata (Walker) is a worldwide migratory pest that threatens food security in China. Previous studies have clarified the general migration regularity of M. separata in East Asia, but knowledge of migration routes over northeast China, especially in autumn as well as the impact by climate change in recent years, is still limited. From 2017 to 2020, we monitored the migration of M. separata in northeast China by searchlight traps and simulated moth trajectories by the HYSPLIT model. The M. separata moths had three main migration periods in northeast China, and there were obvious seasonal differences at different latitudes. The spring and summer migrants (late May to early-mid June and late July to early August) came from the southern Shandong Province and migrated to the north via Hebei/Shandong-Liaoning-Jilin-Heilongjiang. Moreover, more than half of the autumn trapped insects from late August to mid-late September migrated in the provinces where the sites are located, southward via Heilongjiang-Jilin-Liaoning. These results clarified the migration route of M. separata in northeast China and their relationship with the insect source in north China, thereby providing a theoretical basis for regional monitoring, early warning, and management of the pest

Dynamic and Comparative Transcriptome Analyses Reveal Key Factors Contributing to Cadmium Tolerance in Broomcorn Millet

Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) has great potential in Cd phytoextraction, but its mechanisms are largely unknown. Two contrasting broomcorn millet varieties, ‘Ningmi6’ (Cd-sensitive variety) and ‘4452’ (Cd-tolerant variety), were investigated through morphological, physiological, and transcriptomic analyses to determine the factors responsible for their differential Cd tolerance and translocation. The Cd-tolerant variety can accumulate more Cd, and its cell wall and vacuole component Cd proportions were higher compared with the Cd-sensitive variety. Under Cd stress, the glutathione content and peroxidase activity of the Cd-tolerant variety were significantly higher than those of the Cd-sensitive variety. Additionally, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed hub modules that were associated with Cd stress and/or variety. Notably, genes involved in these hub modules were significantly enriched for roles in glutathione metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, ABC transport, and metal ion transport process. These results suggested that regulation of genes associated with cell wall precipitation and vacuole compartmentalization may increase Cd tolerance and reduce Cd translocation in the Cd-tolerant variety, although it can absorb more Cd. This study provides a foundation for exploring molecular mechanisms of Cd tolerance and transport in broomcorn millet and new insights into improving Cd phytoremediation with this crop through genetic engineering

Three dimensionally printed nitrocellulose-based microfluidic platform for investigating the effect of oxygen gradient on cells

In this article, we present a novel nitrocellulose-based microfluidic chip with 3-dimensional (3D) printing technology to study the effect of oxygen gradient on cells. Compared with conventional polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips of oxygen gradient for cell cultures that can only rely on fluorescence microscope analysis, this hybrid nitrocellulose-based microfluidic platform can provide a variety of analysis methods for cells, including flow cytometry, western blot and RT-PCR, because the nitrocellulose-based chips with cells can be taken out from the growth chambers of 3D printed microfluidic chip and then used for cell collection or lysis. These advantages allow researchers to acquire more information and data on the basic biochemical and physiological processes of cell life. The effect of oxygen gradient on the zebrafish cells (ZF4) was used as a model to show the performance and application of our platform. Hypoxia caused the increase of intercellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and accumulation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha). Hypoxia stimulated the transcription of hypoxia-responsive genes vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and induced cell cycle arrest of ZF4 cells. The established platform is able to obtain more information from cells in response to different oxygen concentration, which has potential for analyzing the cells under a variety of pathological conditions

Conventional and unconventional petroleum “orderly accumulation”: Concept and practical significance

Based on the latest global conventional-unconventional petroleum development situation and the conclusion of petroleum geology theory and technology innovation in recent 10 years, the connotation of conventional and unconventional petroleum “orderly accumulation” connotation is formulated. This concept indicates that, unconventional petroleum occurs in the hydrocarbon supply direction of conventional petroleum, and conventional petroleum may appear in the outer space of unconventional petroleum. Proper evaluation methods and engineering technology are important to push the conventional-unconventional petroleum co-development, and the petroleum finding thought from outer-source into inner-source. Unconventional petroleum evaluation focuses on source rocks characteristics, lithology, physical property, brittleness, oil-gas possibility and stress anisotropy. Taking shale gas for examples, in China, these six properties are TOC>2%, laminated silicious calcareous shale or calcareous silicious shale, porosity 3%-8%, brittle minerals content 50%-80%, gas content 2.3-4.1 m3/t, pressure coefficient 1.0-2.3, natural fractures; in north America, these six properties are TOC>4%, silicious shale or calcareous shale or marl, porosity 4%-9%, brittle minerals content 40%-70%, gas content 2.8-9.9 m3/t, pressure coefficient 1.3-1.85, natural fractures. “Sweet spot area” assessment, “factory-like” operation pattern and other core evaluation methods and technologies are discussed. And 8 key elements of unconventional “sweet spot area” are proposed, 3 of them are TOC>2% (for shale oil S1>2 mg/g), higher porosity (for tight oil & gas >10%, shale oil & gas >3%), and microfractures. Multiple wells “factory-like” operation pattern is elaborated, and its implementation needs 4 elements, i.e. batch well spacing, standard design, flow process, and reutilization. Through horizontal well volume fractures in directions, “man-made reservoirs” with large-scale fracture systems can be formed underground. For “shale oil revolution” in future, non-water “gas in critical state” and etc. fracturing fluid and matching technology should be stressed to be industrially tested and encouraged to be low cost developed. Key words: unconventional petroleum, “orderly accumulation”, co-development, “sweet spot area” assessment, “factory-like” operation pattern, “man-made reservoir”, tight oil, shale oil, shale gas, tight gas, petroleum exploration into source rock