Directional separation of hydrogen-containing gas mixture by hydrate-membrane coupling method

Recovery of hydrogen (H₂) from H₂-containing gas mixtures has great significance for energy conservation, cost reduction and benefit increase. However, the common separation methods have the ubiquitous problem due to phase equilibrium principle and results in the conflict between H₂ concentration and H₂ recovery rate in the product gas. Consequently, an innovative conception of hydrate-membrane coupling approach is proposed in this work. In the separation process, hydration and membrane permeation two separation driving forces coexist to achieve the aim of strengthening mass transfer kinetics. H₂ and non-H₂ components (hydrocarbons) are synchronously and directionally selected by membrane and hydrate to improve different phase compositions. Therefore, the gas in feed side could keep relatively high two separation driving forces (H₂ fugacity and hydrocarbons fugacity). The results show that the coupling method could synchronously increase both the concentration and the recovery rate of H₂ in the product gas. At the same time, the volume and concentration of the hydrocarbons in hydrate both increases effectively. It indicates that hydrate and membrane separation methods support each other in the separation process. The hydrate-membrane coupling method fundamentally solves the issue of the decreasing driving force resulting from single separation method and phase equilibrium relationship.     

Breeding schemes with optimum-contribution selection or truncation selection for beef cattle destined for use on dairy females

We tested the hypothesis that the size of a beef cattle population destined for use on dairy females is smaller under optimum-contribution selection (OCS) than under truncation selection (TRS) at the same genetic gain (ΔG) and the same rate of inbreeding (ΔF). We used stochastic simulation to estimate true ΔG realized at a 0.005 ΔF in breeding schemes with OCS or TRS. The schemes for the beef cattle population also differed in the number of purebred offspring per dam and the total number of purebred offspring per generation. Dams of the next generation were exclusively selected among the one-year-old heifers. All dams were donors for embryo transfer and produced a maximum of 5 or 10 offspring. The total number of purebred offspring per generation was: 400, 800, 1,600 or 4,000 calves, and it was used as a measure of population size. Rate of inbreeding was predicted and controlled using pedigree relationships. Each OCS (TRS) scheme was simulated for 10 discrete generations and replicated 100 (200) times. The OCS scheme and the TRS scheme with a maximum of 10 offspring per dam required approximately 783 and 1,257 purebred offspring per generation to realize a true ΔG of €14 and a ΔF of 0.005 per generation. Schemes with a maximum of 5 offspring per dam required more purebred offspring per generation to realize a similar true ΔG and a similar ΔF. Our results show that OCS and multiple ovulation and embryo transfer act on selection intensity through different mechanisms to achieve fewer selection candidates and fewer selected sires and dams than under TRS at the same ΔG and a fixed ΔF. Therefore, we advocate the use of a breeding scheme with OCS and multiple ovulation and embryo transfer for beef cattle destined for use on dairy females because it is favorable both from an economic perspective and a carbon footprint perspective.     

Sofosbuvir Selects for Drug-Resistant Amino Acid Variants in the Zika Virus RNA-Dependent RNA-Polymerase Complex In Vitro

The nucleotide analog sofosbuvir, licensed for the treatment of hepatitis C, recently revealed activity against the Zika virus (ZIKV) in vitro and in animal models. However, the ZIKV genetic barrier to sofosbuvir has not yet been characterized. In this study, in vitro selection experiments were performed in infected human hepatoma cell lines. Increasing drug pressure significantly delayed viral breakthrough (p = 0.029). A double mutant in the NS5 gene (V360L/V607I) emerged in 3 independent experiments at 40–80 µM sofosbuvir resulting in a 3.9 ± 0.9-fold half- maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) shift with respect to the wild type (WT) virus. A triple mutant (C269Y/V360L/V607I), detected in one experiment at 80 µM, conferred a 6.8-fold IC₅₀ shift with respect to the WT. Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that the double mutant V360L/V607I impacts the binding mode of sofosbuvir, supporting its role in sofosbuvir resistance. Due to the distance from the catalytic site and to the lack of reliable structural data, the contribution of C269Y was not investigated in silico. By a combination of sequence analysis, phenotypic susceptibility testing, and molecular modeling, we characterized a double ZIKV NS5 mutant with decreased sofosbuvir susceptibility. These data add important information to the profile of sofosbuvir as a possible lead for anti-ZIKV drug development.     

Agronomic performance of high oleic,low linolenic soybean in Tennessee

Soybean oil hydrogenation alters the linolenic acid molecule to prevent the oil from becoming rancid, however, health reports have indicated trans-fat caused by hydrogenation, is not generally regarded as safe. Typical soybeans contain approximately 80 g kg⁻¹ to 120 g kg⁻¹ linolenic acid and 240 g kg⁻¹ of oleic acid. In an effort to accommodate the need for high-quality oil, the United Soybean Board introduced an industry standard for a high oleic acid greater than 750 g kg⁻¹ and linolenic acid less than 30 g kg⁻¹ oil. By combing mutations in the soybean plant at four loci, FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B, oleate desaturase genes and FAD3A and FAD3C, linoleate desaturase genes, and seed oil will not require hydrogenation to prevent oxidation and produce high-quality oil. In 2017 and 2018, a study comparing four near-isogenic lines across multiple Tennessee locations was performed to identify agronomic traits associated with mutations in FAD3A and FAD3C loci, while holding FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B constant in the mutant (high oleic) state. Soybean lines were assessed for yield and oil quality based on mutations at FAD2-1 and FAD3 loci. Variations of wild-type and mutant genotypes were compared at FAD3A and FAD3C loci. Analysis using a generalized linear mixed model in SAS 9.4, indicated no yield drag or other negative agronomic traits associated with the high oleic and low linolenic acid genotype. All four mutations of fad2-1A, fad2-1B, fad3A, and fad3C were determined as necessary to produce a soybean with the new industry standard (>750 g kg⁻¹ oleic and <30 g kg⁻¹ linolenic acid) in a maturity group-IV-Late cultivar for Tennessee growers.     

关于加快推动广西甘蔗产业绿色发展路径选择的研究

在国际食糖市场严峻的新形势下,笔者认为加快构建广西甘蔗产业绿色发展技术体系,是加快推动甘蔗产业绿色发展,提高广西乃至我国甘蔗产业质量效益竞争力的必由之路,本文提出6点对策措施,即:"必须抓好甘蔗生产保护区的划定与建设"、"必须转变甘蔗生产经营方式"、"必须加大甘蔗优良新品种的推广力度"、"必须加快推广甘蔗生产全程机械化技术"、"必须加大各项轻简高效农业绿色技术推广力度"、"必须进一步创新政策和服务措施"。笔者提出上述措施,以期为加快推进广西甘蔗产业绿色发展提供参考建议。     

4组鱼类DNA条形码引物的筛选与优化

目的通过对DNA条形码氧化酶亚基I基因(cytochrome oxidase subunit I,COI)的4组常用引物进行比较筛选,选择适于舟山鱼类鉴定的最佳引物。方法以舟山主产大黄鱼、小黄鱼、带鱼和乌贼样品DNA为模板,对4组常用DNA条形码引物进行PCR体系优化。通过比较PCR产物量、特异性、灵敏度和测序成功率,综合分析筛选最佳引物组。结果 4组引物均能扩增大黄鱼、小黄鱼和带鱼的DNA,对于乌贼DNA的扩增具有明显差异。COI优化引物具有易于扩增、测序简单等优势,更适于作为海产品鉴定的DNA条形码引物。结论本研究为舟山海产品的市场监管和实验室大量样品检测提供了技术参考。     

An improved iterative stochastic multi-objective acceptability analysis method for robust alternative selection in new product development

Alternative selection in new product development (NPD) is a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. It usually starts with incomplete, imprecise or even partially missing information. Currently, most existing methods in dealing with this problem cannot work well if required information is incomplete or missing. It is acknowledged that stochastic multi-objective acceptability analysis (SMAA) can be applied to address MCDM problem with incomplete preference information and uncertain criteria measurements. In SMAA, alternatives are evaluated based on SMAA measurements (acceptability index, central weight vector and confidence factor). The discriminability of SMAA for the optimum alternative heavily depends on differences of SMAA measurements among different alternatives. Usually, a large number of alternatives and high level of uncertainty are involved in alternative selection in NPD. In this situation, the differences among SMAA measurements are not obvious, and therefore SMAA cannot deal with such problem very well. To this end, this paper proposes an improved SMAA method called Iterative-SMAA (I-SMAA) for alternative selection in NPD. In the I-SMAA, an iterative multi-step decision-making process is suggested to improve differences of SMAA measurements among different alternatives, and thus assist decision makers (DMs) to positively discern from the most preferred alternative. To enhance the decision-making efficiency, sensitive criteria are acquired in each iteration by ranking sensitivity analysis. DMs are guided to provide partial preference information and give more accurate criteria measurements for sensitive criteria rather than all criteria. Eventually, to verify the proposed method, a numerical example of the existing literature is solved with the method, and the results are compared. And then, a practical example of a preparation equipment for coal samples is further employed to verify the practicability of the proposed I-SMAA.     

异质性环境规制对绿色全要素生产率的影响机制——基于能源消费结构的调节作用

为探讨能源消费结构调节下异质性环境规制对绿色全要素生产率的影响机制，论文利用SBM方向距离函数测得全国各省市“经济-资源-环境-社会”四位一体的绿色全要素生产率，并将环境规制工具分为命令控制型、经济激励型、治理投入型和公众参与型4类，构建了空间杜宾模型以及门槛效应模型，进而得出在能源消费结构调节下，异质性环境规制对绿色全要素生产率的直接作用、间接作用以及空间溢出效应。研究结果表明：1）经济激励型和公众参与型环境规制通过调节能源消费结构对当地和邻地的绿色全要素生产率产生影响；2）在门槛检验方面，能源消费结构对命令控制型、经济激励型和公众参与型环境规制影响绿色全要素生产率存在门槛效应，同时在能源消费结构调节下，命令控制型和经济激励型环境规制对其本身对绿色全要素生产率的间接作用存在门槛效应。建议政府在制定环境规制时要考虑到其与能源消费结构的交互作用，并且在不同能源消费水平地区采用适宜的规制方法和强度，以更好地发挥环境规制作用。     

低渗透油藏中不同压裂注采井网非稳态产量计算分析

在井网压裂基础上进行注水，可以有效改善流场，增大泄油面积，是开发低渗透油藏的重要手段。快速准确预测低渗透油藏注水开发产量可以为开发优化设计奠定基础，但低渗透油藏注水开发呈现非稳态、非线性渗流特征，基于达西定律形成的油藏工程方法并不适用。本次研究通过流场分析，来划分等效流动单元，并在此基础上考虑了油水两相渗流启动压力梯度，采用流线积分法建立了不同压裂注采井网的水驱非稳态产量解析计算方法。与物理模拟及数值模拟相比，计算方法更简单，计算速度更快，可以为低渗透油藏压裂注采方式优选及注水开发对策制定提供手段。采用本方法计算并剖析了启动压力梯度、压裂注采方式及裂缝长度对油井生产动态的影响，结果表明：启动压力梯度增大了渗流阻力，与不考虑启动压力梯度相比，油井产量更低；受流动单元控制，不同压裂注采方式的增产效果及见水时间完全不同，同时压裂注采方式的增产效果最好，能够增产3.1倍，但见水时间仅为24个月；随着压裂缝长增加，油井产量越高，但当缝长超过最佳长度，增油效果不明显。     

Selection of risk response actions with consideration of secondary risks

Secondary risk in project risk management refers to the risk that arises as a direct result of implementing a risk response action (RRA). It is important for project managers (PMs) to consider the effects caused by the secondary risks in the process of RRA selection. The purpose of this paper is to propose an optimization method to address the problem of selecting risk response actions (RRAs) with consideration of secondary risk which is seldom considered in the existing studies. The optimization model aims to minimize the total risk costs with time constraint being placed on the project makespan. By solving the model, an optimal set of RRAs along with the earliest start time for each activity can both be obtained. The results show that secondary risk plays an important role in the process of RRA selection. Project managers should allocate more budget for responding the project risk when the secondary risk is considered, and consider all factors relating to both time and cost so as to select appropriate RRAs to mitigate primary risk and secondary risk.