Influence of ground heat exchanger zoning operation on the GSHP system long-term operation performance

To alleviate the ground heat accumulation after long term running of ground source heat pumps (GSHP), ground heat exchanger (GHE) zoning operation can be adopted. Two GHE operation modes - zoning operation and full running - are compared in a case where heat release to the ground in summer is larger than the heat extraction from the ground in winter. In this study the soil thermal conductivity, volumetric specific heat capacity, borehole depth and spacing are 2.0 W(mK)-1, 5.0x106 J(m3K)-1, 100m and 5m respectively with the boreholes arranged in a square 20x20 array. Under the given conditions the simulation results show that GHE zoning operation depresses the increase in amplitude of GHE outlet water temperature and so that the GSHP systems operate normally throughout the whole service life. By adopting GHE zoning operation, the energy consumption of the GSHP system is found to be reduced compared with that of a GHE operated without zoning. Operation without zoning shows that the GHE summer outlet water temperature increases faster than that with zoning operation and power demands are increased for the given GSHP load. Furthermore, in this case, the GSHP would not be able to run normally in the last several years due to the condensing temperature exceeding its upper limit

Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of ursolic acid: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: There is currently evidence suggesting that ursolic acid may exert a favorable influence on both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant impact. Nevertheless, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of ursolic acid have not been systematically evaluated. Consequently, this study aims to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis regarding the impact of ursolic acid on markers of inflammatory and antioxidant activity in both animal models and in vitro systems.Methods: The search encompassed databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect, up until May 2023. All eligible articles in English were included in the analysis. Standard mean difference (SMD) was pooled using a random-effects model, and the included studies underwent a thorough assessment for potential bias.Results: The final review comprised 31 articles. In disease-model related studies, animal experiments have consistently shown that ursolic acid significantly reduced the levels of inflammatory parameters IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in mouse tissues. In vitro studies have similarly showed that ursolic acid significantly reduced the levels of inflammatory parameters IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α. Our results showed that ursolic acid could significantly elevate SOD and GSH levels, while significantly reducing MDA levels in animal tissues. The results of in vitro studies shown that ursolic acid significantly increased the level of GSH and decreased the level of MDA.Discussion: Findings from both animal and in vitro studies suggest that ursolic acid decreases inflammatory cytokine levels, elevates antioxidant enzyme levels, and reduces oxidative stress levels (graphical abstract). This meta-analysis furnishes compelling evidence for the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of ursolic acid

Leaf anatomy and ultrastructure in senescing ancient tree, Platycladus orientalis L. (Cupressaceae)

Platycladus orientalis L. (Cupressaceae) has a lifespan of thousands of years. Ancient trees have very high scientific, economic and cultural values. The senescence of ancient trees is a new research area but is poorly understood. Leaves are the primary and the most sensitive organ of a tree. To understand leaf structural response to tree senescence in ancient trees, experiments investigating the morphology, anatomy and ultrastructure were conducted with one-year leaves of ancient P. orientalis (ancient tree >2,000 years) at three different tree senescent levels (healthy, sub-healthy and senescent) at the world’s largest planted pure forest in the Mausoleum of Yellow Emperor, Shaanxi Province, China. Observations showed that leaf structure significantly changed with the senescence of trees. The chloroplast, mitochondria, vacuole and cell wall of mesophyll cells were the most significant markers of cellular ultrastructure during tree senescence. Leaf ultrastructure clearly reflected the senescence degree of ancient trees, confirming the visual evaluation from above-ground parts of trees. Understanding the relationships between leaf structure and tree senescence can support decision makers in planning the protection of ancient trees more promptly and effectively by adopting the timely rejuvenation techniques before the whole tree irreversibly recesses

GWASpro: A High-Performance Genome-Wide Association Analysis Server

We present GWASpro, a high-performance web server for the analyses of large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS). GWASpro was developed to provide data analyses for large-scale molecular genetic data, coupled with complex replicated experimental designs such as found in plant science investigations, and to overcome the steep learning curves of existing GWAS software tools. GWASpro supports building complex design matrices, by which complex experimental designs that may include replications, treatments, locations and times, can be accounted for in the linear mixed model (LMM). GWASpro is optimized to handle GWAS data that may consist of up to 10 million markers and 10,000 samples from replicable lines or hybrids. GWASpro provides an interface that significantly reduces the learning curve for new GWAS investigators

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

Funder: NCI U24CA211006Abstract: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts

Electromagnetic Bloch-like oscillations in planar quasiperiodic metal-dielectric waveguide arrays

We investigate the spatial Bloch-like oscillations in planar double-period silver waveguide arrays. Three types of oscillation modes are obtained in the sixth-generation double-period structure at different incident position, namely positive oscillation mode, negative oscillation mode and breathing-wave–like oscillation mode. The period of the three types of oscillation modes increases when the incident wavelength is redshifted, while the period of the up-oscillation and down-oscillation of the breathing-wave–like oscillation mode decreases and increases, respectively, in the gradient sixth-generation double-period system

Bamboosiella caudibruna Zhao & Wang & Tong 2018, sp. n.

Bamboosiella caudibruna sp. n. (Figs 3–8, 31, 32) Female macroptera (Fig. 31). Body bicolored; head, thorax and abdominal tube brown with extreme base paler; antennal segments (Fig. 8) I–III yellow with I–II faintly shaded, IV–VIII brown except IV with basal 1/3 and V with basal 1/4 yellow; all legs yellow except for fore femora tinged with light brown on basal half; abdominal segments I–IX yellow; wings transparent. Head (Fig. 3) approximately 0.8 times as long as broad, dorsal surface smooth but sculptured posteriorly; ocelli and eyes developed, postocellar setae minute and pointed apically, slightly longer than diameter of hind ocellus; cheeks weakly constricted towards base; postocular setae shorter than eyes, expanded at apex. Antennae 8- segmented (Fig. 8), approximately 2.5 times as long as head; segments III and IV with 1+1 and 1+2 sense cones respectively, segment VIII without pedicel broadly joined to VII. Pronotum surface smooth, pronotal am setae reduced to minute, other 4 major setae well developed with expanded apically (Fig. 4), notopleural sutures complete. Basantra absent; mesopresternum complete and boatshaped, narrowed at middle. Metanotum weakly sculptured with polygonal reticulation (Fig. 6). Fore tarsal tooth absent; fore wing slightly constricted at middle, with 4–5 duplicated cilia, subbasal wing setae well developed, S1 as long as S2, expanded apically, S3 the longest with blunt apex, approximately 2.0 times as long as S1. Pelta (Fig. 7) hat-shaped and eroded laterally, with slender lateral lobes and a pair of campaniform sensilla; abdominal tergites II–VII each with two pairs of wing retaining setae; tergite IX setae S1 expanded at apex and shorter than S2, S2 subequal to S 3 in length and both blunt apically; tube shorter than head and slightly longer than S2 and S3; anal setae slightly shorter than tube. Measurements (holotype female in microns). Distended body length 1420. Head length 150, width 165; eyes length 65; postocular setae length 40; diameter of hind ocellus 15; postocellar setae length 10. Antennae length 300, segments I–VIII length (width) as follows: 23(30); 40(25); 44(25); 46(25); 44(23); 44(23); 35(20); 24(11). Pronotum median length 220, width across median part 110; length of major setae: am 10, aa 24, ml 32, pa 32, epim 41. Fore wing length 570, sub-basal setae S1–S3 length: 24, 25, 45. Metanotum median setae 20. Abdominal tergite IX S1 setae length 80, S2 and S3 setae length 95. Tube length 106, width at base 54, at apex 27; anal setae length 100. Male macroptera (Fig. 32). Similar in colour and structure to female, but body smaller, all legs yellow, fore tarsus with a tooth (Fig. 5), tergite IX setae S2 short and stout, approximately 1/2 of S1, setae S3 longest, slightly longer than tube. Measurements (paratype male in microns). Distended body length 1280. Head length 145, width 155; eyes length 65; postocular setae length 40; diameter of hind ocellus 15; postocellar setae length 7. Antennae length 280, segments I–VIII length (width) as follows: 20(30); 33(25); 41(23); 43(24); 40(21); 40(20); 31(17); 24(10). Pronotum median length 200, width across median part 120; length of major setae: am 5, aa 20, ml 25, pa 25, epim 30. Fore wing length 520, sub-basal setae S1–S3 length: 20, 20, 38. Metanotum median setae 10. Abdominal tergite IX S1 setae length 65, S2 setae 30, S3 setae 110. Tube length 95, width at base 46, at apex 25; anal setae length 115. Material examined. Holotype female, Guangdong: Guangning County, Bamboo Park (23°34'N, 112°24'E), in leaf litter of bamboo, 21.xi.2010 (Tao Song). Paratypes. 1 female and 3 males, collected with holotype. Guangdong: Guangzhou City, Longdong Forest Park (23°14'N, 113°24'E), 1 female, in bamboo leaf-litter, 17.iv.2015 (Zhaohong Wang). Jiangxi: Chongyi County, Yangling National Forest Park (25°37'50''N, 114°18'16''E, alt. 940m), 2 females, on living leaves of bamboo, 22.viii.2015 (Chao Zhao). Etymology. The specific epithet, caudibruna, is derived from two Latin words, caud- meaning tail and brunus meaning brown, in reference to the new species with brown tube. Distribution. China (Jiangxi, Guangdong). Remarks. This new species is most closely related to B. graminella by sharing the following characters: short head, colour pattern, reduced pronotal am and tergite IX S1 setae expanded apically (Pitkin 1976), but it can be readily distinguished from the latter by the following combination of characters: (1) in the species, antennal segment I light yellowish brown, segment II yellow, segments V–VIII uniformly brown, while in graminella, antennal segments I–II pale brown, V–VI yellow tinged with pale brown in apical 1/2 to 2/3; (2) abdominal segments VIII–IX yellow, while those in graminella are brown; (3) fore tarsal tooth present in male, but it is absent in both sexes of graminella.Published as part of Zhao, Chao, Wang, Zhaohong & Tong, Xiaoli, 2018, Three new species and three new records of the genus Bamboosiella from China (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae), pp. 167-180 in Zootaxa 4514 (2) on pages 169-171, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4514.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/260787

Bamboosiella Ananthakrishnan 1957

Key to Bamboosiella species from China 1. Head at least more than 1.4 times as long as wide; antennal segment IV at least 2.0 times as long as wide; fore tarsal tooth present in both sexes...................................................................................... 2 -. Head almost as long as wide, sometimes wider than long; antennal segment IV less than 2.0 times as long as wide; fore tarsal tooth present or absent................................................................................. 6 2. Body uniformly brown (Figs 41, 42); antennal segments I–VIII brown except III yellow and IV–VI bicoloured; pronotal am reduced to minute setae, other major setae developed with blunt apex; sub-basal wing setae S1 and S2 weakly blunt, S3 pointed apically................................................................................... lewisi -. Body bicoloured (Fig. 11)............................................................................... 3 3. Fore tibiae with a sub-apical tubercle (Figs 29, 30); abdominal segments II–IX uniformly yellow (Figs 43, 44).... xiphophora -. Fore tibiae without a sub-apical tubercle; abdominal segments II–IX bicoloured?brown and yellow..................... 4 4. Postocular setae longer than eye, pointed apically; antennal segments IV–VI brown with basal half yellow; sub-basal wing setae S1–S3 pointed apically....................................................................... magnus -. Postocular setae distinctly short than eye, expended apically; antennal segments IV–VI uniformly yellow; sub-basal wing setae S1–S3 expanded apically............................................................................... 5 5. Abdominal segments brown except II–III yellow (Figs 39, 40)............................................. fasciata -. Abdominal segments brown except II–VI yellow..................................................... bicoloripes 6. Pronotal am reduced to minute setae and pointed apically..................................................... 7 -. Pronotal am well-developed and expanded apically......................................................... 11 7. Postocular setae expanded at apex........................................................................ 8 -. Postocular setae pointed apically......................................................................... 9 8. Antennal segments IV–VIII brown except IV with basal 1/3 and V with basal 1/4 yellow (Fig. 8); abdominal segments uniformly yellow except the tube............................................................... caudibruna sp. n. -. Antennal segment V yellow, IV and VI brown with basal 1/4 yellow, VII–VIII brown; abdominal segments yellow except for III–IV each with a pale brown marking laterally..................................................... antennatus 9. Pronotum much paler than brown head and pterothorax; abdominal segments III–VII each with a pale brown marking anteromedially; anal setae about 2.0 times longer than the tube................................................ longisetis -. Head and thorax brown; anal setae slightly longer than the tube, much less than 2.0 times as long as tube............... 10 10. Abdominal segments III–V each with a pale brown marking anteromedially; pronotal aa, ml and pa well-developed and expanded apically; fore tarsal tooth absent in both sexes.................................................. exastis -. Abdominal segments III–VI each with a pale brown marking anteromedially; pronotal aa, ml and pa setae reduced to short and pointed apically; fore tarsal tooth present in male........................................................ brevis 11. Body uniformly brown................................................................................ 12 -. Body bicoloured..................................................................................... 13 12. Antennal segments I–VIII brown except segment III yellow; pronotum almost smooth; metanotum with polygonal reticulation................................................................................................. varia -. Antennal segments I–VIII brown except segment III yellow at basal half; pronotum covered with irregular sculpture entirely (Fig. 21); metanotum with narrow spaced longitudinal anastomosing striae (Fig. 23)...................... sculpta sp. n. 13. Fore wings without duplicated cilia; abdominal tergite IX setae S1 pointed apically.......................... cingulata -. Fore wings with duplicated cilia; abdominal tergite IX setae S1 expanded apically................................. 14 14. Head dark brown, thorax yellowish brown, much paler than head; all legs yellow............................ semiflava -. Head brown concolorous with thorax; not all legs yellow..................................................... 15 15. Antennal segments I–VIII brown except III yellow; abdominal segments I–II yellow, other segments light brown to brown.................................................................................................. nayari -. Antennal segments I–VIII brown except III yellow and IV–VI bicoloured; Abdominal segments I–VIII uniformly yellow, IX light brown with yellow markings at anterior half........................................................... 16 16. Head covered with reticulation entirely; pronotal am as long as aa; abdominal segments III–VIII each with pale brown anteromedian marking............................................................................. rugata sp. n. -. Dorsal surface of head smooth medially; pronotal am much longer than aa; abdominal segments III–VIII without pale brown anteromedian marking........................................................................... flavescensPublished as part of Zhao, Chao, Wang, Zhaohong & Tong, Xiaoli, 2018, Three new species and three new records of the genus Bamboosiella from China (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae), pp. 167-180 in Zootaxa 4514 (2) on pages 167-168, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4514.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/260787