Contribution of Drugs Interfering with Protein and Cell Wall Synthesis to the Persistence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms: An In Vitro Model

The occurrence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) persisters, including viable but non-culturable (VBNC) forms, subpopulations of tolerant cells that can survive high antibiotic doses, is the main reason for PA lung infections failed eradication and recurrence in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients, subjected to life-long, cyclic antibiotic treatments. In this paper, we investigated the role of subinhibitory concentrations of different anti-pseudomonas antibiotics in the maintenance of persistent (including VBNC) PA cells in in vitro biofilms. Persisters were firstly selected by exposure to high doses of antibiotics and their abundance over time evaluated, using a combination of cultural, qPCR and flow cytometry assays. Two engineered GFP-producing PA strains were used. The obtained results demonstrated a major involvement of tobramycin and bacterial cell wall-targeting antibiotics in the resilience to starvation of VBNC forms, while the presence of ciprofloxacin and ceftazidime/avibactam lead to their complete loss. Moreover, a positive correlation between tobramycin exposure, biofilm production and c-di-GMP levels was observed. The presented data could allow a deeper understanding of bacterial population dynamics during the treatment of recurrent PA infections and provide a reliable evaluation of the real efficacy of the antibiotic treatments against the bacterial population within the CF lung.     

High-Efficiency Organic Solar Cells Based on a Low-Cost Fully Non-Fused Electron Acceptor

A series of tetrathiophene-based fully non-fused ring acceptors (4T-1, 4T-2, 4T-3, and 4T-4), which can be paired with the star donor polymer PBDB-T to fabricate highly efficient organic solar cells are developed. Tailoring the size of lateral chains can tune the solubility and packing mode of acceptor molecules in neat and blend films. It is found that the incorporation of 2-ethylhexyl chains can effectively change the compatibility with the donor polymer PBDB-T, and an encouraging power conversion efficiency of 10.15% is accomplished by 4T-3-based organic solar cells. It also presents good compatibility with the other polymer donor and an even higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 12.04% is achieved based on D18:4T-3 blend, which is the champion PCE for the fully non-fused acceptors. Importantly, these inexpensive tetrathiophene fully non-fused ring acceptors provide cost-effective photovoltaic performance. The results demonstrate a high photovoltaic performance from synthetically inexpensive materials could be achieved by the rational design of non-fused ring acceptor molecules.     

Experimental study on prediction model of wet gas pressure drop across single-orifice plate in horizontal pipes in the low gas phase Froude number region

The pressure drop prediction of wet gas across single-orifice plate in horizontal pipes had been solved satisfactorily under an annular-mist flow in the upstream of orifice plates. However, this pressure drop prediction is still not clearly determined when the upstream is in an intermittent flow or stratified flow, which is corresponding to a region of low Fr_G (gas phase Froude number) in the flow pattern map of wet gases. In this study, the wet gas pressure drop across a single-orifice plate was experimentally investigated in the low Fr_G region. By the experiment, the flow pattern transition in the downstream of single-orifice plates, as well as the effects of Fr_G and Fr_L (liquid phase Froude number) on Φ_G (gas phase multiplier), were determined and compared when the upstream is in the flow pattern transition and the stratified flow region, respectively. Prediction performances were examined on the available pressure drop models. It was found that no model could be capable of jointly predicting the wet gas pressure drop in the low Fr_G region with an acceptable accuracy. With a new method of correlating Fr_G and Fr_L simultaneously, new correlations were proposed for the low Fr_G region. Among which the modified Chisholm model shows the best prediction accuracies, with the prediction deviations of Φ_G being within 7% and 3% when the upstream is in flow pattern transition and stratified flow region, respectively.     

Growth mechanism and gas-sensing characteristics of organic-additive-free zinc oxide of various shapes

Zinc oxide is widely used in gas sensors, solar cells, and photocatalysts because of its wide bandgap and exciton binding energy of 60 meV in various metal oxides. To use ZnO as a gas sensor, it is necessary to synthesize it with surface defects and a large specific surface area. In this study, hydrothermal synthesis without surfactants was employed to obtain organic-additive-free ZnO. For morphology control, we varied the ratio of the hydroxide ion concentration to the zinc ion concentration. To confirm the growth mechanism of ZnO, we performed X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy analyses. Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence measurements were performed to analyze the surface properties. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method and probe stations were used to measure the specific surface area and sensitivity of the gas sensor, respectively. The results confirmed that flower-shaped ZnO is the most suitable gas-sensing material.     

基于归一化水体指数及其阈值自适应算法的水体遥感反演效果分析

归一化水体指数（NDWI）是水体遥感反演的一种重要指标，其阈值及修正直接影响反演结果的精度。基于Landsat-8与GF-1光学多光谱影像，使用归一化水体指数法阈值0（TH₀）、最大类间方差法（OTSU）自适应阈值（TH_otsu）与均值漂移聚类算法（Mean-Shift）自适应阈值（TH_MS）分别对典型正常水体、云雾覆盖水体、富营养化水体、高含泥沙水体进行水体遥感提取与效果分析，结果表明：正常水体以TH₀为阈值提取精度最高，THMS提取精度次之，TH_otsu提取精度最差；而云雾覆盖水体、富营养化水体以及含泥沙水体使用THMS提取精度最高，尤其少量云雾覆盖下的水体，TH_MS具有更明显的优势，TH₀提取精度次之，TH_otsu提取精度最差；对于不同的阈值，Land?sat-8比GF-1总体表现出更高的水体提取精度。Mean-Shift算法应用于NDWI阈值修正与水体遥感反演具有快速、水质适应性强、效果稳定的优势，对尤其是复杂条件下的水体信息遥感反演具有较好的提取效果。     

基于光流法的固体内部声传播方向测量

目前采用光弹设备测量超声传播方向多为人眼主观观测,其误差较大,难以实现精确的定量测量。将Farneback光流法应用于光弹图像的处理,并根据帧与帧之间的光流图来计算光弹图像中的超声传播方向,可以捕捉图像中的动态声场。在实验中对不同传播方向的超声进行了测量,其绝对偏差度数最大值为2.85°,测量结果较为准确。因此,Farneback光流法可用于光弹图像中声波传播方向的判断,且具有快速、准确和直观等特点。     

基于SAOR的Massive MIMO系统信号检测算法

大规模多输入多输出(Massive multiple input multiple output, Massive MIMO)系统采用最小均方误差(Minimum mean square error, MMSE)接收检测方法时存在矩阵求逆复杂度高的问题，已有较多降低复杂度的研究。在降低检测算法复杂度的同时，如何提高算法收敛速度和检测性能一直是人们关注的焦点。本文将对称加速超松弛(Symmetric accelerated over-relaxation， SAOR)迭代算法应用于Massive MIMO系统信号检测中，避免了复杂的矩阵求逆计算，实现了复杂度较最小均方误差算法降低了一个数量级。仿真结果表明，基于SAOR的检测方法通过较少的迭代次数就能逼近最小均方误差（Minimum mean square error, MMSE）算法的检测性能，为Massive MIMO系统中接收信号的快速检测提供了较好的实现方法。     

活性焦法烧结烟气脱硫率影响因素统计解析

摘要：为明确影响活性焦烧结烟气脱硫的主要因素，通过模拟试验和生产数据统计分析探究脱硫塔自上至下脱硫率变化趋势和各运行参数对脱硫率的影响。模拟试验表明，循环使用后的活性焦孔隙结构更加发达，表面含氧官能团含量增加，进而其初期脱硫性能低于新鲜活性焦，后期优于新鲜活性焦。错流式脱硫塔自上至下脱硫率先后经历100%、快速降低、缓慢降低等过程。生产数据统计分析表明，脱硫率与SO2质量浓度、O2体积分数、H2O体积分数、NH3与NOx物质的量之比、解析温度呈正相关，与活性焦床温度、体积空速呈负相关。其中，SO2质量浓度、体积空速、活性焦床温度对脱硫率影响最大。运行参数之间存在多重共线性现象，烧结漏风率升高或空气补加量增加将引起诸多运行参数的变化，但总体上有利于脱硫率的提高。     

大涡模拟Smagorinsky模型用于磨粒流精密加工喷嘴的质量控制研究

为研究固液两相磨粒流加工喷嘴小孔过程中的流场分布、涡旋形成规律及涡旋的存在对磨粒流加工的影响机制，采用Smagorinsky亚格子模型对磨粒流加工喷嘴小孔的流道进行大涡数值模拟，并使用磨粒流对变直径喷嘴工件进行加工试验。数值模拟发现磨粒流流体中磨粒与壁面的碰撞与剪切作用随流体的速度增大而增大，同一截面的速度存在速度差，其中还伴随涡旋的存在；通过试验研究发现：经固液两相磨粒流加工后的喷嘴小孔表面质量得到明显提高，喷嘴经过四次不同入口速度的磨粒流加工后大孔处表面粗糙度Ra由1.24 μm降至0.542 μm，小孔处表面粗糙度Ra由1.21 μm降至0.437 μm。结论显示固液两相磨粒流加工技术可有效提高被加工喷嘴工件的内表面质量，加工时同一截面的速度存在速度差，速度差的存在利于涡旋的形成，涡旋的存在利于提高磨粒流加工过程的剪切作用，有助于获得高质量的喷嘴小孔内通道表面。