93 research outputs found
Container Terminal Berth-Quay Crane Capacity Planning Based on Markov Chain
This paper constructs a berth-quay crane capacity planning model with the lowest average daily cost in the container terminal, and analyzes the influence of the number of berths and quay cranes on the terminal operation. The object of berth-quay crane capacity planning is to optimize the number of berths and quay cranes to maximize the benefits of the container terminal. A steady state probability transfer model based on Markov chain for container terminal is constructed by the historical time series of the queuing process. The current minimum time operation principle (MTOP) strategy is proposed to correct the state transition probability of the Markov chain due to the characteristics of the quay crane movement to change the service capacity of a single berth. The solution error is reduced from 7.03% to 0.65% compared to the queuing theory without considering the quay crane movement, which provides a basis for the accurate solution of the berth-quay crane capacity planning model. The proposed berth-quay crane capacity planning model is validated by two container terminal examples, and the results show that the model can greatly guide the container terminal berth-quay crane planning
Yersinia pestis Interacts With SIGNR1 (CD209b) for Promoting Host Dissemination and Infection
Yersinia pestis, a Gram-negative bacterium and the etiologic agent of plague, has evolved from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, a cause of a mild enteric disease. However, the molecular and biological mechanisms of how Y pseudotuberculosis evolved to such a remarkably virulent pathogen, Y pestis, are not clear. The ability to initiate a rapid bacterial dissemination is a characteristic hallmark of Y pestis infection. A distinguishing characteristic between the two Yersinia species is that Y pseudotuberculosis strains possess an O-antigen of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) while Y pestis has lost the O-antigen during evolution and therefore exposes its core LPS. In this study, we showed that Y pestis utilizes its core LPS to interact with SIGNR1 (CD209b), a C-type lectin receptor on antigen presenting cells (APCs), leading to bacterial dissemination to lymph nodes, spleen and liver, and the initiation of a systemic infection. We therefore propose that the loss of O-antigen represents a critical step in the evolution of Y pseudotuberculosis into Y pestis in terms of hijacking APCs, promoting bacterial dissemination and causing the plague.Peer reviewe
Roadmap for Sustainable Mixed IonicâElectronic Conducting Membranes
Mixed ionicâelectronic conducting (MIEC) membranes have gained growing interest recently for various promising environmental and energy applications, such as Hâ and Oâ production, COâ reduction, Oâ and Hâ separation, COâ separation, membrane reactors for production of chemicals, cathode development for solid oxide fuel cells, solarâdriven evaporation and energyâsaving regeneration as well as electrolyzer cells for powerâtoâX technologies. The purpose of this roadmap, written by international specialists in their fields, is to present a snapshot of the stateâofâtheâart, and provide opinions on the future challenges and opportunities in this complex multidisciplinary research field. As the fundamentals of using MIEC membranes for various applications become increasingly challenging tasks, particularly in view of the growing interdisciplinary nature of this field, a better understanding of the underlying physical and chemical processes is also crucial to enable the career advancement of the next generation of researchers. As an integrated and combined article, it is hoped that this roadmap, covering all these aspects, will be informative to support further progress in academics as well as in the industryâoriented research toward commercialization of MIEC membranes for different applications
Metasurface holograms reaching 80% efficiency
Surfaces covered by ultrathin plasmonic structuresâso-called metasurfacesâhave recently been shown to be capable of completely controlling the phase of light, representing a new paradigm for the design of innovative optical elements such as ultrathin flat lenses, directional couplers for surface plasmon polaritons and wave plate vortex beam generation. Among the various types of metasurfaces, geometric metasurfaces, which consist of an array of plasmonic nanorods with spatially varying orientations, have shown superior phase control due to the geometric nature of their phase profile. Metasurfaces have recently been used to make computer-generated holograms, but the hologram efficiency remained too low at visible wavelengths for practical purposes. Here, we report the design and realization of a geometric metasurface hologram reaching diffraction efficiencies of 80% at 825 nm and a broad bandwidth between 630 nm and 1,050 nm. The 16-level-phase computer-generated hologram demonstrated here combines the advantages of a geometric metasurface for the superior control of the phase profile and of reflectarrays for achieving high polarization conversion efficiency. Specifically, the design of the hologram integrates a ground metal plane with a geometric metasurface that enhances the conversion efficiency between the two circular polarization states, leading to high diffraction efficiency without complicating the fabrication process. Because of these advantages, our strategy could be viable for various practical holographic applications
Single-cell transcriptome analysis reveals a cellular immune response in freshwater dark sleeper (Odontobutis potamophila) after infection with Aeromonas veronii
The bacterium Aeromonas veronii is a co-pathogenic species that can negatively impact the health of both humans and aquatic animals. In this study, we used single-cell transcriptome analysis (scRNA-seq) to investigate the effects of infection with A. veronii on head kidney cells and the regulation of gene expression in the dark sleeper (Odontobutis potamophila). scRNA-seq was used to assess the effects of infection with A. veronii in O. potamophila B cells, endothelial cells, macrophages, and granulocytes, and differential enrichment analysis of gene expression in B cells and granulocytes was performed. The analyses revealed a significant increase in neutrophils and decrease in eosinophils in granulocytes infected with A. veronii. Activation of neutrophils enhanced ribosome biogenesis by up-regulating the expression of RPS12 and RPL12 to fight against invading pathogens. Crucial pro-inflammatory mediators IL1B, IGHV1-4, and the major histocompatibility class II genes MHC2A and MHC2DAB, which are involved in virulence processes, were upregulated, suggesting that A. veronii activates an immune response that presents antigens and activates immunoglobulin receptors in B cells. These cellular immune responses triggered by infection with A. veronii enriched the available scRNA-seq data for teleosts, and these results are important for understanding the evolution of cellular immune defense and functional differentiation of head kidney cells
Simulation of the fast ion instability in SSRF storage ring
Fast ion instability has been observed in the early commissioning and
operation of the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF) storage ring.
In this paper, a weak-strong code is used to simulate the fast ion instability
in SSRF storage ring. Various fill patterns and gas pressures are investigated.
The results show that the mini-train fill patterns are very effective to
suppress the growth of the fast ion instability.Comment: This paper is submitted to the proceedings of the first International
Particle Accelerator Conference (IPAC10) in Kyoto, Japa
Wekemo Bioincloud: A userâfriendly platform for metaâomics data analyses
Abstract The increasing application of metaâomics approaches to investigate the structure, function, and intercellular interactions of microbial communities has led to a surge in available data. However, this abundance of human and environmental microbiome data has exposed new scalability challenges for existing bioinformatics tools. In response, we introduce Wekemo Bioincloudâa specialized platform for âomics studies. This platform offers a comprehensive analysis solution, specifically designed to alleviate the challenges of tool selection for users in the face of expanding data sets. As of now, Wekemo Bioincloud has been regularly equipped with 22 workflows and 65 visualization tools, establishing itself as a userâfriendly and widely embraced platform for studying diverse data sets. Additionally, the platform enables the online modification of vector outputs, and the registrationâindependent personalized dashboard system ensures privacy and traceability. Wekemo Bioincloud is freely available at https://www.bioincloud.tech/
Estimating Temperature-Mortality Exposure-Response Relationships and Optimum Ambient Temperature at the Multi-City Level of China
Few studies have explored temperatureâmortality relationships in China, especially at the multi-large city level. This study was based on the data of seven typical, large Chinese cities to examine temperature-mortality relationships and optimum temperature of China. A generalized additive model (GAM) was applied to analyze the acute-effect of temperature on non-accidental mortality, and meta-analysis was used to merge data. Furthermore, the lagged effects of temperature up to 40 days on mortality and optimum temperature were analyzed using the distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM). We found that for all non-accidental mortality, high temperature could significantly increase the excess risk (ER) of death by 0.33% (95% confidence interval: 0.11%, 0.56%) with the temperature increase of 1 °C. Similar but non-significant ER of death was observed when temperature decreased. The lagged effect of temperature showed that the relative risk of non-accidental mortality was lowest at 21 °C. Our research suggests that high temperatures are more likely to cause an acute increase in mortality. There was a lagged effect of temperature on mortality, with an optimum temperature of 21 °C. Our results could provide a theoretical basis for climate-related public health policy
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