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Previous work, using membrane receptor binding techniques, demonstrated an increase in hippocampal MK-801 binding sites in mice after chronic ethanol ingestion. The current studies, using quantitative autoradiography, demonstrate that chronic ethanol ingestion also produces increases in MK-801 binding in cerebral cortex, striatum and thalamus, as well as in hippocampus. The persistence of changes in MK-801 binding paralleled the time-course for ethanol withdrawal seizure susceptibility. These results support the hypothesis that an increase in the number of NMDA receptor/channel complexes in hippocampus, and possibly other brain regions, plays a role in the generation or expression of ethanol withdrawal seizures.

Among various bioreactors examined in anaerobic digestion and dark fermentation, UASB bioreactor has shown to be a promising alternative. However, mass transfer resistance and biomass washout have been the issues that reported as draw backs of the granular system in the literature. Another problem associated with such a system is its long start-up period as a result of biomass washout and long microbial granulation stage. In this paper, the results obtained from an UASFF bioreactor in methane (AD process) and hydrogen (DF process) production from POME, are presented to assess mass transfer of substrate into the granules and also study the role of internal packing used in the middle part of reactor in the process stability. The value of effectiveness factor, η, for AD and DF processes were calculated to be 0.96 and 0.94, respectively, indicating that there was no mass transfer resistance due to internal and/or external factors. The results showed that the packing material could retain biomass in the reactor and had outstanding contribution in the granulation enhancement. Its role as a supplementing treatment stage was more significant at low HRTs and up-flow velocities.

The paper comprises a systematic experimental investigation into the influence of AC test source parameters on the leakage current pulses, voltage fluctuations and flashover voltages of polluted insulators. The test techniques include both salt-and clean-fog methods, while the test insulators comprise long-rod and cap and pin strings of different lengths as well as support columns.

Both long-term and short-term alcohol consumption can cause internal homeostasis imbalance, and they have been proved to be related to the initiation and development of atrial fibrillation (AF). Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of non-apoptotic oxidative death which also regulate the cell death homeostasis, but whether it involves in AF induced by alcohol consumption remains unclear. Here, we report a study on the effect of ferroptosis on susceptibility to AF at different alcohol consumption frequencies. We divided the mice into single or frequent excessive alcohol consumption group which given sterile drinking water or alcohol by gavage at different frequencies. Meanwhile, the experimental group was given an intraperitoneal injection of ferroptosis inhibitor (Fer-1) before alcohol drinking. It was found that once exposure to 5 g/kg/d frequent excessive alcohol consumption, compared with the single excessive alcohol consumption group, the mice serum non-heme iron concentration, accumulation of iron and oxidative stress reaction in atrial tissues were increased, while the body weight, heart weight and heart weight to tibia length (HW/TL) ratio were decreased. In addition, the inducibility rate of AF increased, while RR interval, effective refractory periods (ERPs) and 90 % action potential duration (APD90) shortened, as well as QTc interval prolonged. Furthermore, the protein and mRNA expression levels of GPx4, FTL, FTH1, Kv1.5, Kv2.1, Kv4.3, Cav1.2, Serca2α, p-PLB were down-regulated, while PTGS2 was up-regulated. Most of the changes can be partially or completely reversed by Fer-1. These results suggest that frequent excessive alcohol consumption activates ferroptosis and increases the inducibility rate of AF. Nevertheless, inhibition of ferroptosis can balance iron overload disorders and reduce the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), eventually decrease the susceptibility to AF. Our results highlight the importance of guidance and warnings for unhealthy alcohol-abuse lifestyle.

Abstract This paper presented a novel method of dissipating solar photovoltaic heat based on the technology of micro-heat-pipe array and the utilization of photovoltaic-cell waste heat. This novel technology solved the problems of low PV electrical efficiency and thermal failure caused by high cell temperature, greatly increased the comprehensive utilization efficiency of solar energy, and extended the service life of photovoltaic modules. One-year experiments were conducted to investigate the electrical and thermal performance of a forced-circulation, household-type photovoltaic/thermal system based on micro-heat-pipe array in Beijing, China. Test results showed that on the four typical days in different seasons, the average electrical efficiencies were 13.76%, 11.92%, 13.71%, and 14.65%; the average thermal efficiencies were 31.62%, 33.07%, 24.99%, and 17.24%; and the average total efficiencies were 45.38%, 44.99%, 38.70%, 31.89%, respectively. The system met the demand of power supply on sunny days and the demand of hot water between March and November, except in cloudy days. These experimental results can provide basis and reference for practical applications of the system.

Abstract In a passive nuclear plant, the main control room must provide self-support functions for 72 h after an accident occurs. In this isolation mode, the heat generated by indoor occupants and equipment should be removed by using concrete walls that are 610 mm thick, and the finned ceiling made of concrete should maintain thermal habitability. However, the finned ceiling design has not been studied in normal buildings, and the cooling storage effect of plate-shaped fins is usually ignored during the design phase. In this study, a novel parametric resistance–capacitance thermal network is proposed to simulate the thermal performance of different fin-plate layout forms in the case of an accident. An experiment was conducted on a 1200 mm × 1200 mm × 610 mm fin-concrete module for 72 h to validate the model under constant air temperature conditions. Based on the model, multi-objective optimization was conducted to obtain optimal solution sets by using a radial basis function approximation model. The results show that the optimal performance indicators can be classified into unsteady and quasi-steady states, in which the dominant factors for heat transfer include the heat transfer area and the thickness of the finned plate, respectively. Further, the optimal solution sets for different convection and heating conditions obtained through an optimization process are used to design a fin layout based on actual temperature control demands and cooling storage.

Abstract Synchronous cultures of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe 972 h −1 are most sensitive to killing by 15 min, 49 °C pulses during a stage stretching from nuclear division through short G1 and S phases to a point early in G2. In this work the cell cycle position of the S phase has been altered by growing the cells in the presence of 2-phenylethanol. The heat sensitivity of these cells was greater at all stages of the cell cycle compared with the cells grown without 2-phenylethanol. However, the position of the most heat sensitive stage in the cell cycle was unaltered. This heat sensitive stage did not include S phase in the cells grown with 2-phenylethanol.