ALBERT

Description: Since 2008, the world’s largest blooms of the green macroalgae, Ulva prolifera, have occurred every summer in the Yellow Sea, posing the question of whether these macroalgal blooms (MABs) have changed the phytoplankton biomass due to their perturbations of nutrient dynamics. We have attempted to address this question using long-term Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) observations. A new MODIS monthly time-series of chlorophyll-a concentrations (Chl-a, an index of phytoplankton biomass) was generated after removing the macroalgae-contaminated pixels that were characterized by unexpectedly high values in the daily Chl-a products. Compared with Chl-a during July of 2002–2006 (the pre-MAB period), Chl-a during July of 2008–2012 (the MAB period) exhibited significant increases in the offshore Yellow Sea waters (rich in macroalgae), with mean Chl-a increased by 98% from 0.64 µg/L to 1.26 µg/L in the study region. In contrast, no significant Chl-a changes were observed during June between the two periods. After analyzing sea surface temperature, photosynthetically available radiation, and nutrient availability, we speculate that the observed Chl-a changes are due to nutrient competition between macroalgae and phytoplankton: during the MAB period, the fast-growing macroalgae would uptake the increased nutrients from the origin of Jiangsu Shoal; thus, the nutrients available to phytoplankton were reduced, leading to no apparent increases in biomass in the offshore Yellow Sea in June.

Description: To improve the microwave dielectric properties, CuO was doped into composite ceramics BaTi 4 O 9 – BaZn 2 Ti 4 O 11 by the solid-state reaction. CuO worked as flux former and caused the liquid-phase sintering mechanism, which effectively improved the densification process and lowered the sintering temperature by nearly 100°C. Moreover, Cu 2+ substituted for Zn 2+ sites in BaZn 2 Ti 4 O 11 phase, which led to the increase of BaZn 2 Ti 4 O 11 phase and the reduction of lattice parameters of BaZn 2 Ti 4 O 11 phase, and both these two results had the positive effect on the dielectric properties, especially the Q  ×  f value. As increasing CuO content from 0.0 to 3.0 wt%, the dielectric constant ( ε r ) increased from 35.5 to 36.5, the Q  ×  f value increased first from 49 100 GHz to the peak value 62 600 GHz (1.0 wt% CuO ) and thereafter decreased to 31 900 GHz, and the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency ( τ f ) kept in a low value as 〈2.0 wt% CuO was added. At last, 0.85 BaTi 4 O 9 –0.15 BaZn 2 Ti 4 O 11 ceramics with 1.0 wt% CuO sintered at 1150°C for 3 h showed excellent microwave dielectric properties: the high ε r  = 36.4, the high Q  ×  f = 62 600 GHz and the near-zero τ f  = +0.2 ppm/°C.

Description: Composites of ZrC – SiC with relative densities in excess of 98% were prepared by reactive hot pressing of ZrC and Si at temperature as low as 1600°C. The reaction between ZrC and Si resulted in the formation of ZrC 1− x , SiC , and ZrSi . Low-temperature densification of ZrC − SiC ceramics is attributed to the formed nonstoichiometric ZrC 1− x and Zr – Si liquid phase. Adding 5 wt% Si to ZrC , the three-point bending strength of formed ZrC 0.8 –13.4 vol% SiC ceramics reached 819 ± 102 MPa with hardness and toughness being 20.5 GPa and 3.3 MPa·m 1/2 , respectively.

Description: To improve the microwave dielectric properties, CuO was doped into composite ceramics BaTi 4 O 9 – BaZn 2 Ti 4 O 11 by the solid-state reaction. CuO worked as flux former and caused the liquid-phase sintering mechanism, which effectively improved the densification process and lowered the sintering temperature by nearly 100°C. Moreover, Cu 2+ substituted for Zn 2+ sites in BaZn 2 Ti 4 O 11 phase, which led to the increase of BaZn 2 Ti 4 O 11 phase and the reduction of lattice parameters of BaZn 2 Ti 4 O 11 phase, and both these two results had the positive effect on the dielectric properties, especially the Q  ×  f value. As increasing CuO content from 0.0 to 3.0 wt%, the dielectric constant ( ε r ) increased from 35.5 to 36.5, the Q  ×  f value increased first from 49 100 GHz to the peak value 62 600 GHz (1.0 wt% CuO ) and thereafter decreased to 31 900 GHz, and the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency ( τ f ) kept in a low value as 〈2.0 wt% CuO was added. At last, 0.85 BaTi 4 O 9 –0.15 BaZn 2 Ti 4 O 11 ceramics with 1.0 wt% CuO sintered at 1150°C for 3 h showed excellent microwave dielectric properties: the high ε r  = 36.4, the high Q  ×  f = 62 600 GHz and the near-zero τ f  = +0.2 ppm/°C.

Description: [1]  The response of tropical rainforest to environmental perturbation is of critical importance given their potential to mitigate climate change. Nevertheless, it was not well addressed to date. Therefore, related hypothesizes, i.e. CO 2 fertilization-related accelerating growth (AGH) and remote sensing-based drought resilience (DRH) was necessarily to be testified. Here, these hypothesizes were tested through ten-years of annual inventory records and half-hourly eddy flux measurements from a tropical rainforest. We show that the studied forest is highly sensitive to water variability, with low canopy photosynthesis, slow stand growth, and high mortality rate in dry years, especially in the severe drought. Ecosystem respiration was not correlated with net water balance within years, but significant correlations were found between these parameters with a time lag of 10–15 months. A boom of photosynthesis in one year post-drought was most probably a result of nutrient pulse related drought. In general, neither AGH nor DRH was supported by the study. Given predictions that tropical areas will experience increasingly dry conditions in the future, much attention should be paid to the potential fate of carbon sink in tropical rainforests.

Description: Differences in expression of drug response-related genes contribute to inter-individual variation in drugs’ biological effects. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs emerging as new players in epigenetic regulation of gene expression at post-transcriptional level. MiRNAs regulate the expression of genes involved in drug metabolism, drug transportation, drug targets and downstream signal molecules directly or indirectly. MiRNA polymorphisms, the genetic variations affecting miRNA expression and/or miRNA-mRNA interaction, provide a new insight into the understanding of inter-individual difference in drug response. Here, we provide an overview of the recent progress in miRNAs mediated regulation of biotransformation enzymes, drug transporters, and nuclear receptors. We also describe the implications of miRNA polymorphisms in cancer chemotherapy response.

Description: Energies, Vol. 11, Pages 1287: Optimized Daily Dispatching Strategy of Building- Integrated Energy Systems Considering Vehicle to Grid Technology and Room Temperature Control Energies doi: 10.3390/en11051287 Authors: Zesen Wang Yanmei Tang Xiao Chen Xiangyang Men Jun Cao Haifeng Wang With the development of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, electric vehicles (EVs) are not only a promising transportation solution, but also can be used as mobile energy storage and spinning reserves, which play an important role in building-integrated energy systems (BIESs) and can further promote energy efficiency. Considering the space-time characteristics of EVs and the room temperature demand, this study establishes a planning model using V2G technology to minimize daily dispatch cost. Four kinds of control modes were proposed, combining the technology of the resident-owned and staff-owned EVs, in combination with the internal heating and power supply system. In this paper, the operating state of the system and the interaction of the equipment are analyzed under different charging and discharging control modes of EVs. The economics of the microgrid of the comprehensive energy building under four control modes are also discussed. Simulation results indicate that the combined control mode of residential vehicle and office vehicle is optimal for building an integrated energy microgrid, and the room temperature requirements can also be used as an important income source for building the microgrid.

Description: The hotel industry in China has experienced rapid growth in the past ten years and made a considerable contribution to the global tourism economy. This paper focuses on the energy performance of hotel buildings in Lijiang, China. Hotel characteristics, daily operational data, and energy use data were collected by carrying out a survey of 24 hotels. The average annual energy use intensity (EUI) of four-, three-, two-, and one-star rated hotels was 180.8 kWh/m2, 113.3 kWh/m2, 74.2 kWh/m2, and 70.2 kWh/m2, respectively. Electricity, as the dominant energy source, accounted for 81% of total energy consumption and was used in the operation of air conditioning, lighting, heating, etc. Pearson correlations between EUI showed that hotel star rating, number of guest rooms, room revenue, and number of workers gave a reasonably strong correlation. A regression-based benchmarking model was established to predict EUI, and a standardization process of EUI was illustrated by statistical analysis.

Description: A graphene-based long-period fiber grating (LPFG) surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor is proposed. A monolayer of graphene is coated onto the Ag film surface of the LPFG SPR sensor, which increases the intensity of the evanescent field on the surface of the fiber and thereby enhances the interaction between the SPR wave and molecules. Such features significantly improve the sensitivity of the sensor. The experimental results demonstrate that the sensitivity of the graphene-based LPFG SPR sensor can reach 0.344 nm%−1 for methane, which is improved 2.96 and 1.31 times with respect to the traditional LPFG sensor and Ag-coated LPFG SPR sensor, respectively. Meanwhile, the graphene-based LPFG SPR sensor exhibits excellent response characteristics and repeatability. Such a SPR sensing scheme offers a promising platform to achieve high sensitivity for gas-sensing applications.

Description: Forests, Vol. 9, Pages 24: Increased Vegetation Greenness Aggravates Water Conflicts during Lasting and Intensifying Drought in the Poyang Lake Watershed, China Forests doi: 10.3390/f9010024 Authors: Lin-Ling Tang Xiao-Bin Cai Wei-Shu Gong Jian-Zhong Lu Xiao-Ling Chen Qian Lei Gong-Liang Yu An increase in vegetation greenness can improve ecosystem productivity, but also reduce the water supply, creating the potential for conflicting water demands between ecosystems and humans. This problem has been well-assessed and is most evident in dry environments. However, in humid regions, the potential effects of vegetation greenness on water yields under drought conditions are not well understood. To address this gap, we focused on the Poyang Lake watershed in the humid region of southern China. Based on the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index and a satellite-derived leaf area index dataset during the growing seasons of 1984 to 2013, several typical dry growing seasons were selected as the study conditions. An existing Water Supply Stress Index model was modified to investigate how the changes in vegetation greenness affected water yield and to explore potentially conflicting water demands between ecosystems and humans under drought conditions. Our results showed that an increase of 20–80% in vegetation greenness generally resulted in a reduction of 3–27% in water yield under drought conditions. Large reductions in water yield mainly were observed in forested areas due to large increases in forest greenness. Moreover, increased vegetation greenness caused a 2 to 3 times greater reduction in water yield during continuing and intensifying droughts than during a short moderate drought period. Thus, in this study, during continuing and intensifying droughts, increased vegetation greenness can cause or aggravate water conflicts in sub-watersheds with high forest cover and high human water demands. Therefore, given the increasing frequency of extreme climatic events, afforestation with a targeted approach should be implemented as it would provide the most benefits. In addition, selective harvesting in forested areas with high density could be an effective strategy to maintain water supply in humid regions.