Interfacial Current Distribution Between Helium Plasma Jet and Water Solution

The plasma-liquid interaction holds great importance for a number of emerging applications such as plasma biomedicine, yet a main fundamental question remains about the nature of the physiochemical processes occurring at the plasma-liquid interface. In this paper, the interfacial current distribution between helium plasma jet and water solution was measured for the first time by means of the splitting electrode method, which was borrowed from the field of arc plasma. For a plasma plume in continuous mode, it was found that the mean absolute current distribution at the plasma-liquid interface typically had an annular shape. This shape could be affected by regulating the air doping from the surrounding atmosphere, the gas flow rate, the applied voltage and the conductivity of the water solution. However, only the air doping fraction and the water conductivity could fundamentally change the interfacial current distribution from the annular shape to the central maximum shape. It was deduced that a certain amount of ambient air doping (mainly N2 and O2) and a low conductivity (typically \u3c 300 μS/cm) of the treated water were essential for the formation of the annular current distribution at the plasma-liquid interface

Machine learning model to project the impact of COVID-19 on US motor gasoline demand

Owing to the global lockdowns that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, fuel demand plummeted and the price of oil futures went negative in April 2020. Robust fuel demand projections are crucial to economic and energy planning and policy discussions. Here we incorporate pandemic projections and people’s resulting travel and trip activities and fuel usage in a machine-learning-based model to project the US medium-term gasoline demand and study the impact of government intervention. We found that under the reference infection scenario, the US gasoline demand grows slowly after a quick rebound in May, and is unlikely to fully recover prior to October 2020. Under the reference and pessimistic scenario, continual lockdown (no reopening) could worsen the motor gasoline demand temporarily, but it helps the demand recover to a normal level quicker. Under the optimistic infection scenario, gasoline demand will recover close to the non-pandemic level by October 2020

Troxerutin Attenuates Enhancement of Hepatic Gluconeogenesis by Inhibiting NOD Activation-Mediated Inflammation in High-Fat Diet-Treated Mice

Recent evidence suggests that troxerutin, a trihydroxyethylated derivative of natural bioflavonoid rutin, exhibits beneficial effects on diabetes-related symptoms. Here we investigated the effects of troxerutin on the enhancement of hepatic gluconeogenesis in high-fat diet (HFD)-treated mice and the mechanisms underlying these effects. Mice were divided into four groups: Control group, HFD group, HFD + Troxerutin group, and Troxerutin group. Troxerutin was treated by daily oral administration at doses of 150 mg/kg/day for 20 weeks. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) was used to inhibit endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress). Our results showed that troxerutin effectively improved obesity and related metabolic parameters, and liver injuries in HFD-treated mouse. Furthermore, troxerutin significantly attenuated enhancement of hepatic gluconeogenesis in HFD-fed mouse. Moreover, troxerutin notably suppressed nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 transcriptional activation and release of inflammatory cytokines in HFD-treated mouse livers. Mechanismly, troxerutin dramatically decreased Nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD) expression, as well as interaction between NOD1/2 with interacting protein-2 (RIP2), by abating oxidative stress-induced ER stress in HFD-treated mouse livers, which was confirmed by TUDCA treatment. These improvement effects of troxerutin on hepatic glucose disorders might be mediated by its anti-obesity effect. In conclusion, troxerutin markedly diminished HFD-induced enhancement of hepatic gluconeogenesis via its inhibitory effects on ER stress-mediated NOD activation and consequent inflammation, which might be mediated by its anti-obesity effect

Greenhouse gas consequences of the China dual credit policy

China issued the Dual Credit policy to improve vehicle efficiency and accelerate new energy vehicle adoption. Here the authors show that the total Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) of the Chinese passenger vehicle fleet are expected to peak in 2032 and a significant reduction in GHG emissions is possible by optimizing the Dual Credit policy

Full-Scale Demonstration of Enzyme-Treated Coal Combustion for Improved Energy Efficiency and Reduced Air Pollution

The application of a new biochemical combustion technology, using a nanoenzyme (3EC) product, was studied in a 450 MW power plant. The enzyme changes the structure of the coal during the treatment process. The boiler performance and amount of air pollution were measured and analyzed. There was a clear decrease in the slagging observed on the heat-exchanger tubes. This is attributed to the formation of a softer, more porous iron-containing aluminosilicate slag structure. As a result, the slag does not cling to the heat-exchange tubes as tightly. Burning the enzyme-treated coal resulted in a decrease in NO_<i>x</i> emissions by 16.72–21.43% during the entire test period and a decrease in SO₂ emissions by 5.42–7.31% during the 85% load condition compared to emissions from the raw coal tests. In addition, sub-micrometer particles and mercury distribution were also influenced by the enzyme