Comparative analytical study of suction drum foundation penetration characteristics of guide frame platforms with real measurements.

A suction bucket foundation is a new type offering high construction efficiency, precise positioning, cost-effectiveness, and environmental friendliness. It has been extensively employed in marine resource development, particularly in offshore wind power and oil and gas extraction. It usually involves multiple suction bucket conduit rack platforms during offshore construction projects. Accurately predicting the sinking penetration resistance and determining the suction value is crucial during the construction of the suction bucket foundation, as it ensures the safe sinking of the platform foundation to the designated depth. This paper examines the feasibility of the suction bucket foundation's sinking, sinking penetration resistance, suction value, and self-weight penetration depth, using the offshore wind farm guiding frame platform foundation project in Yangjiang, Guangdong Province, as a basis of analysis. The measured data is analyzed using the API specification static equilibrium analysis method, ABAQUS finite element analysis, and data mining techniques. The suction drum base platform's sinking process was monitored for negative pressure and penetration resistance. These observed values were compared to theoretical and finite element calculations. Results demonstrated that the API specification's theoretical calculations and finite element analyses effectively predict sinking penetration resistance, the suction force value, and the penetration depth for self-gravitational penetration. On-site engineering data fit these theoretical calculations, and finite element analyses well. The findings from this study have enriched the engineering application database of the suction drum foundation, providing a valuable reference for the design and construction of similar projects and establishing the groundwork for further promotion and application.

Respiratory Depression as Antibacterial Mechanism of Linalool against Pseudomonas fragi Based on Metabolomics.

Linalool showed a broad-spectrum antibacterial effect, but few studies have elucidated the antibacterial mechanism of linalool on Pseudomonas fragi (P. fragi) to date. The present study aimed to uncover the antimicrobial activity and potential mechanism of linalool against P. fragi by determining key enzyme activities and metabolites combined with a high-throughput method and metabolomic pathway analysis. As a result, linalool had excellent inhibitory activity against P. fragi with MIC of 1.5 mL/L. In addition, the presence of linalool significantly altered the intracellular metabolic profile and a total of 346 differential metabolites were identified, of which 201 were up-regulated and 145 were down-regulated. The highlight pathways included beta-alanine metabolism, pantothenic acid and CoA metabolism, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism. Overall, linalool could cause metabolic disorders in cells, and the main metabolic pathways involved energy metabolism, amino acid metabolism and nucleic acid metabolism. In particular, the results of intracellular ATP content and related enzymatic activities (ATPase, SDH, and GOT) also highlighted that energy limitation and amino acid disturbance occurred intracellularly. Together, these findings provided new insights into the mechanism by which linalool inhibited P. fragi and theoretical guidance for its development as a natural preservative.

Antibacterial Mechanism of Linalool against Pseudomonas fragi: A Transcriptomic Study.

Pseudomonas fragi is the dominant spoilage bacterium that causes the deterioration of chilled meat. Our previous study showed that linalool has potent antibacterial activity against P. fragi, but its antibacterial mechanism is unclear. To explore the antibacterial mechanism of linalool against P. fragi, this study used RNA-seq technology to perform transcriptome analysis of P. fragi samples with or without linalool treatment (1.5 mL/L) for 2 h. The results showed that linalool treatment disrupted the extracellular lipopolysaccharide synthesis pathway in P. fragi and activated fatty acid metabolism and ribosomal function to compensate for cell membrane damage. The energy metabolism of P. fragi was severely disturbed by linalool, and multiple ATP synthases and ATP transportases were overexpressed in the cells but could not guarantee the consumption of ATP. The simultaneous overexpression of multiple ribosomal functional proteins and transporters may also place an additional burden on cells and cause them to collapse.

Severe deficiency of the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.2 elevates neuronal excitability in adult mice.

Scn2a encodes the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.2, a main mediator of neuronal action potential firing. The current paradigm suggests that NaV1.2 gain-of-function variants enhance neuronal excitability, resulting in epilepsy, whereas NaV1.2 deficiency impairs neuronal excitability, contributing to autism. However, this paradigm does not explain why ∼20%-30% of individuals with NaV1.2 deficiency still develop seizures. Here, we report the counterintuitive finding that severe NaV1.2 deficiency results in increased neuronal excitability. Using a NaV1.2-deficient mouse model, we show enhanced intrinsic excitability of principal neurons in the prefrontal cortex and striatum, brain regions known to be involved in Scn2a-related seizures. This increased excitability is autonomous and reversible by genetic restoration of Scn2a expression in adult mice. RNA sequencing reveals downregulation of multiple potassium channels, including KV1.1. Correspondingly, KV channel openers alleviate the hyperexcitability of NaV1.2-deficient neurons. This unexpected neuronal hyperexcitability may serve as a cellular basis underlying NaV1.2 deficiency-related seizures.

Sexually Dimorphic Neurotransmitter Release at the Neuromuscular Junction in Adult Caenorhabditis elegans.

Sexually dimorphic differentiation of sex-shared behaviors is observed across the animal world, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are not fully understood. Here we report sexual dimorphism in neurotransmitter release at the neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) of adult Caenorhabditis elegans. Studying worm locomotion confirms sex differences in spontaneous locomotion of adult animals, and quantitative fluorescence analysis shows that excitatory cholinergic synapses, but not inhibitory GABAergic synapses exhibit the adult-specific difference in synaptic vesicles between males and hermaphrodites. Electrophysiological recording from the NMJ of C. elegans not only reveals an enhanced neurotransmitter release but also demonstrates increased sensitivity of synaptic exocytosis to extracellular calcium concentration in adult males. Furthermore, the cholinergic synapses in adult males are characterized with weaker synaptic depression but faster vesicle replenishment than that in hermaphrodites. Interestingly, T-type calcium channels/CCA-1 play a male-specific role in acetylcholine release at the NMJs in adult animals. Taken together, our results demonstrate sexually dimorphic differentiation of synaptic mechanisms at the C. elegans NMJs, and thus provide a new mechanistic insight into how biological sex shapes animal behaviors through sex-shared neurons and circuits.

Efficient community detection algorithm based on higher-order structures in complex networks.

It is a challenging problem to assign communities in a complex network so that nodes in a community are tightly connected on the basis of higher-order connectivity patterns such as motifs. In this paper, we develop an efficient algorithm that detects communities based on higher-order structures. Our algorithm can also detect communities based on a signed motif, a colored motif, a weighted motif, as well as multiple motifs. We also introduce stochastic block models on the basis of higher-order structures. Then, we test our community detection algorithm on real-world networks and computer generated graphs drawn from the stochastic block models. The results of the tests indicate that our community detection algorithm is effective to identify communities on the basis of higher-order connectivity patterns.

Properties of soluble dietary fiber-polysaccharide from papaya peel obtained through alkaline or ultrasound-assisted alkaline extraction.

Soluble dietary fiber (SDF) from the peel of papaya (Carica papaya Linn.) was recovered through alkaline extraction (alkaline-extracted SDF, a-SDF) and ultrasound-assisted alkaline extraction (ultrasound-treated SDF, u-SDF) processes, and the composition, structure and properties of the extracts were compared. The optimal parameters for obtaining the maximum extraction yield of u-SDF were evaluated through response surface methodology. Under optimal conditions, the maximum yield of u-SDF was 36.99%, and u-SDF had a lower total amino acid content but a higher essential amino acid (16.18%) than a-SDF. A monosaccharide analysis indicated that the primary sugars in a-SDF and u-SDF were neutral sugars and pectic saccharides, respectively. An X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that u-SDF was less crystalline than a-SDF. Moreover, a thermal analysis indicated that u-SDF exhibited higher thermal stability. In addition, u-SDF exhibited higher water-holding, oil-holding and swelling capacities than a-SDF. These results indicate that papaya peel is a potential inexpensive source of natural dietary fiber and a potential functional food ingredient.