High-Throughput Sequencing Reveals Novel microRNAs Involved in the Continuous Flowering Trait of Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.)

A major determinant of fruit production in longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) is the difficulty of blossoming. In this study, high-throughput microRNA sequencing (miRNA-Seq) was carried out to compare differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) and their target genes between a continuous flowering cultivar ‘Sijimi’ (SJ), and a unique cultivar ‘Lidongben’ (LD), which blossoms only once in the season. Over the course of our study, 1662 known miRNAs and 235 novel miRNAs were identified and 13,334 genes were predicted to be the target of 1868 miRNAs. One conserved miRNA and 29 new novel miRNAs were identified as differently expressed; among them, 16 were upregulated and 14 were downregulated. Through the KEGG pathway and cluster analysis of DEmiRNA target genes, three critical regulatory pathways, plant–pathogen interaction, plant hormone signal transduction, and photosynthesis-antenna protein, were discovered to be strongly associated with the continuous flowering trait of the SJ. The integrated correlation analysis of DEmiRNAs and their target mRNAs revealed fourteen important flowering-related genes, including COP1-like, Casein kinase II, and TCP20. These fourteen flowering-related genes were targeted by five miRNAs, which were novel-miR137, novel-miR76, novel-miR101, novel-miR37, and csi-miR3954, suggesting these miRNAs might play vital regulatory roles in flower regulation in longan. Furthermore, novel-miR137 was cloned based on small RNA sequencing data analysis. The pSAK277-miR137 transgenic Arabidopsis plants showed delayed flowering phenotypes. This study provides new insight into molecular regulation mechanisms of longan flowering.     

Cytotoxic T Cell Expression of Leukocyte-Associated Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor-1 (LAIR-1) in Viral Hepatitis C-Mediated Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) pathogenesis involves liver inflammation, therefore, despite successful treatment, hepatitis C virus (HCV) may progress to HCC from initiated liver cirrhosis. Cytotoxic T cells (Tcs) are known to be involved in HCV-related cirrhotic complications and HCC pathogenesis. The inhibitory checkpoint leukocyte-associated immunoglobulin-like receptor-1 (LAIR-1) is expressed on Tcs. Therefore, we aimed to determine whether the Tc expression level of LAIR-1 is associated with HCC progression and to evaluate LAIR-1 expression as a noninvasive biomarker for HCC progression in the context of liver cirrhosis related to HCV genotype 4 (G4) in Egyptian patients’ peripheral venous blood liquid biopsy. A total of 64 patients with HCC and 37 patients with liver cirrhosis were enrolled in this case-controlled study, and their LAIR-1 expression on Tc related to the progression of liver cirrhosis was examined and compared to that of the apparently healthy control group (n = 20). LAIR-1 expression was analyzed using flow cytometry. Results: The HCC group had significantly higher LAIR-1 expression on Tc and percentage of Tc positive for LAIR-1 (LAIR-1+Tc%) than the HCV G4-related liver cirrhosis group. LAIR-1+Tc% was correlated with the HCC surrogate tumor marker AFP (r = 0.367, p = 0.001) and insulin resistance and inflammation prognostic ratios/indices. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve revealed that adding LAIR-1+Tc% to AFP can distinguish HCC transformation in the Egyptian patients’ cohort. Upregulated LAIR-1 expression on Tc could be a potential screening noninvasive molecular marker for chronic inflammatory HCV G4 related liver cirrhosis. Moreover, LAIR-1 expression on Tc may be one of the players involved in the progression of liver cirrhosis to HCC.     

Simulation of Concrete Paving Operations on Interstate-74

The objective of this paper was to study and optimize the concrete paving operations taking place in the reconstruction project of Interstate-74 using computer simulation. To achieve this objective, field data were collected during construction, and were then used to determine adequate probabilistic density functions for the activities’ duration and to test a developed simulation model. Upon testing, the developed model was used to study the impacts of resources on the flow of operations and on the cost effectiveness of the construction process. In general, application of simulation methods to concrete paving operations was successful and its accuracy was acceptable as compared to field measurements. Based on the results of a sensitivity analysis of the critical resources, multiple factors were considered in the decision-making process to ensure that all aspects of the operation are evaluated. This includes total operation time, productivity, costs of the operation, average truck delay, and idle times for the paver and the spreader. For the conditions pertinent to this construction site, ten trucks, one paver and one spreader, and three finishing and plastic-covering crews are recommended. Using this set of resources would result in a prompt and effective execution of the operation. Practical implementation and limitations of the developed model in similar construction operations is discussed.     

Constructal design of flat tubes cooled by natural convection

A set of vertical flat tubes cooled by natural convection and placed in a finite size space is designed based on the constructal law. The constraint in this design is the size of the space where the tubes are placed. The freedom inside the space is the distance between the tubes. When the constructal law is applied, the optimal distance between the tubes is determined. Rayleigh numbers are taken as (Ra = 10³, 10⁴, and 10⁵). The dimensionless tube diameter (tube diameter/tube height) is changed from (D* = 0.2) to (D* = 1) (circular tube). All the tubes are heated to the same wall temperature. The air used to cool the tubes has a Prandtl number (Pr = 0.72). The equations of conservation of mass, momentum, and energy for steady, two-dimensional, and incompressible flow are solved by the finite volume method. The result showed that the best or optimal distance at a given Rayleigh number remains constant for all tube diameters. The result also showed that the number of the small diameter tubes must be more than the number of the large-diameter tubes for the same Rayleigh number and the same size of the space to make the heat flow from the tubes to the coolant easier.     

Effect of cold atmospheric plasma on the physicochemical and functional properties of myofibrillar protein from Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma)

This study aimed to investigate the effect of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) on the physicochemical and functional properties of myofibrillar protein isolated from Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) muscle. Free sulfhydryl content, surface hydrophobicity, turbidity, differential scanning calorimetry, SDS-PAGE, heat-induced myofibrillar protein gel properties and water holding capacity were determined to evaluate the effect of CAP treatment on protein properties. CAP treatment from 10 to 60 kV for 10 min significantly (P < 0.05) increased the water holding capacity, textural properties and colour properties of heat-induced myofibrillar protein gel. As treatment voltage increased, free sulfhydryl content decreased significantly, while the turbidity and surface hydrophobicity of myofibrillar protein were increased. DSC data showed enhancement of thermal stability of the treated samples; however, the electrophoretic profile displayed a significant reduction in the band's intensity of protein at a higher voltage. These results suggest that cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) treatment could be used as an alternative approach to enhance the gelling properties of myofibrillar protein from Alaska pollock.     

Friction and wear of copper/lead and aluminium/tin filled polyamide coatings

The friction and wear of steel pins coated with filled polyamides and loaded against a rotating cylinder of bearing steel were tested under dry, lubricated, and abrasive contaminated conditions. The filler materials were copper/lead and aluminium/tin powders. The test results show a significant reduction in friction with the Cu/Pb filled polyamides (8 wt.% Cu, 12 wt.% Pb, and 80 wt.% PA6). The Al/Sn filled polyamides (3 wt.% Al, 2 wt.% Sn, and 95 wt.% PA6) showed the best wear resistance, accompanied by an increase in the coefficient of friction.     

Maximization of heat transfer density rate from a single row of rhombic tubes cooled by forced convection based on constructal design

The heat transfer density rate from a row of rhombic tubes cooled by forced convection is maximized based on constructal design. A row of parallel rhombic tubes are placed in a fixed volume, the horizontal axis of the tubes is kept constant while the vertical axis of the tubes and the spacing between the tubes are changed to facilitate the heat flow from the tubes to the coolant. The tubes are kept at constant temperature and the incoming free‐stream flow is induced by constant pressure drop. For steady, two‐dimensional, incompressible, and laminar forced convection, the governing equations are solved numerically by finite volume method with SIMPLE algorithm. The dimensionless pressure drop (Bejan number, Be) ranging from 10 ³ to 10 ⁵, the range of the vertical axis of the tube is 0.2 ≤ B ≤ 2, and the working fluid is air ( Pr = 0.71). The results show that the optimal spacing decreases and the maximum heat transfer density increases as the Bejan number increases for all vertical axes of the tube. Bejan number and the bluntness of the tube have a significant effect of the flow structure (separation and vortex formation) around the tubes at the optimal spacings.     

Low Energy Plasma Focus as an Intense X-ray Source for Radiography

Study on X-ray emission from a low energy (1.8 kJ) plasma focus device powered by a 9 μF capacitor bank, charged at 20 kV and giving peak discharge current of about 175 kA by using a lead-inserted copper-tapered anode is reported. The X-ray yield in different energy windows is measured as a function of hydrogen filling pressure. The maximum yield in 4π-geometry is found to be (27.3±1.1) J and corresponding wall plug efficiency for X-ray generation is 1.52±.06%. X-ray emission, presumably due to bombarding activity of electrons in current sheath at the anode tip was dominant, which is confirmed by the pinhole images. The feasibility of the device as an intense X-ray source for radiography is demonstrated.     

Maximization of heat transfer density from a vertical array of flat tubes in cross flow under fixed pressure drop using constructal design

The density of heat transfer rate from a vertical array of flat tubes in cross flow is maximized under fixed pressure drop using constructal design. With the constructal design, the tube arrangement is found such that the heat currents from the tubes to the coolant flow easily. The constraint in the present constructal design is the volume where the tubes are arranged inside it. The two degrees of freedom available inside the volume are the tube‐to‐tube spacing and the length of the flat part of the tubes (tube flatness). The tubes are heated with constant surface temperature. The equations of continuity, momentums, and energy for steady, two‐dimensional, and laminar forced convection are solved by means of a finite‐volume method. The ranges of the present study are Bejan number (dimensionless pressure drop) (10³ ≤ Be ≤ 10⁵) and tube flatness (dimensionless length of the tube flat part) (0 ≤ F ≤ 0.8). The coolant used is air with Prandtl number (Pr = 0.72). The results reveal that the maximum heat transfer density decreases when the tube flatness decreases at constant Bejan number. At constant tube flatness, the heat transfer density increases as the dimensionless pressure drop (Bejan number) increases. Also, the optimal tube‐to‐tube spacing is constant, irrespective of the tube flatness at constant Bejan number.