Lycopene Ameliorates Atrazine-Induced Pyroptosis in Spleen via Suppressing the Ox-mtDNA/Nlrp3 Inflammasome Pathway

Nlrp3 is a vital integration point of diverse extracellular stimuli and cellular stress. However, inappropriate activation of Nlrp3 results in progression of autoinflammatory and metabolic disorders. Atrazine, using widely in...

A Review of Science Ground Operations for the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)

The NASA Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is a 2.5[Formula: see text]m telescope in a modified Boeing 747SP aircraft that is flown at high altitude to do unique astronomy in the infrared. SOFIA is a singular integration of aircraft operations, telescope design, and science instrumentation that delivers observational opportunities outside the capability of any other facility. The science ground operations are the transition and integration point of the science, aircraft, and telescope. We present the ground operations themselves and the tools used to prepare for mission success. Specifically, we will discuss operations from science instrument delivery to aircraft operation and mission readiness. We will also provide a discussion of instrument life cycle including maintenance and repair, both before and after acceptance by the observatory as well as retirement. Included in that will be a description of the facilities and their development, an overview of the SOFIA telescope assembly simulator, our deployment capabilities, as well as an outlook to the future of novel science instrument support for SOFIA.

How to make knowledge resources valuable

Purpose This paper aims to offer an integration point for newly acquired heterogeneous knowledge resources to be assessed if these resources qualify to be a part of a firm’s existing knowledge resource portfolio. Focus of this paper will be on the development of knowledge integration point (KIP), in addition to the factors helping in determination of this KIP, for example, manager’s judgment about the firms’ knowledge requirements, knowledge reserve a potential employee should have and firm’s existing knowledge resource portfolio. Design/methodology/approach This study includes a content analysis. Findings Firms should have only those resources which contribute to value creation for the customers and the organization. Presence of any other knowledge resource which does not have the ability to create value is a waste of value. It is the knowledge managers’ responsibility to decide whether a knowledge resource should be a part of a firm’s existing knowledge portfolio. This decision should be taken before the acquisition of that knowledge resource, i.e. at KIP, then it would be more easy for knowledge managers to handle and integrate them with the existing set of firm’s knowledge resources. Practical implications If the potential knowledge resource is evaluated at KIP to know its level of integration and configuration ability with the existing firms’ knowledge resource portfolio, then it will take less time and efforts to integrate. It will take such firms far ahead than those whose acquired resources took much time to integrate. Hence, resource’s integration and configuration ability levels affect the speed of integration, which ultimately provides opportunity to firms to perform well. Originality/value KIP may help to make speedier integration process, which eventually leads firms to perform better.

Hydrogen Co-Production From Subcritical Water-Cooled Nuclear Power Plants In Canada

Subcritical water-cooled nuclear reactors (Sub-WCR) operate in several countries including Canada providing electricity to the civilian population. The high-temperature-steam-electrolysis process (HTSEP) is a feasible and laboratory-demonstrated large-scale hydrogen-production process. The thermal and electrical integration of the HTSEP with Sub-WCR-based nuclear-power plants (NPPs) is compared for best integration point, HTSEP operating condition and hydrogen production rate based on thermal energy efficiency. Analysis on integrated thermal efficiency suggests that the Sub-WCR NPP is ideal for hydrogen co-production with a combined efficiency of 36%. HTSEP operation analysis suggests that higher product hydrogen pressure reduces hydrogen and integrated efficiencies. The best integration point for the HTSEP with Sub-WCR NPP is upstream of the high-pressure turbine.

Sensitivity of Modeling in Sheet Metal Three-Point Cyclic Bending

The aim of this paper is to examine the modeling sensitivity of the three-point bending test by using finite element method (FEM). Three-point bending test has been frequently used to determine the material hardening parameters of sheet metal. As a part of the parameter identification, three-point bending has been simulated and analyzed using FEM. To minimize the computation time, shell element was used to model the sheet metal. The analysis includes implicit and explicit procedures. In particular, this study examines the effect of FEM results by varying the element type, mesh density, and number of integration point. It is shown that the implicit procedure analyze the simulation with very less computation time compared to the explicit procedure. The results also show that only the number of integration point has significant effect on the simulation in both implicit and explicit procedures.

NEW REALIZATIONS OF VOLTAGE-MODE QUADRATURE OSCILLATORS USING CURRENT DIFFERENCING BUFFERED AMPLIFIERS

A number of sinusoidal oscillators using current differencing buffered amplifiers (CDBAs) have been reported in the literature. However, only three of them are canonic quadrature oscillators (i.e., requiring two capacitors). The aim of this letter is to present additional realizations of single/dual-resistance-controlled quadrature oscillators using CDBAs. Four voltage-mode quadrature oscillators are proposed, which provide the following advantageous features: (i) use of reduced and canonic component count, viz. two CDBAs, three/four resistors and two capacitors, (ii) all passive components are grounded or virtually grounded, which is favorable from integration point of view and (iii) independent and non-interactive resistor control of the condition of oscillation (CO) and the frequency of oscillation (FO). Simulation results verifying the workability of the proposed circuits have been included.