The crucial significance of proper management of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems in energy-efficient buildings were the main reason for dedicating this study to test a novel ...approach for this task. Shuffled complex evolution (SCE) is an efficient metaheuristic technique that is used to optimize the performance of a multi-layer perceptron neural network (MLP) for accurate prediction of cooling load (CL). The CL information of 768 residential buildings, obtained from a vast computer simulation in the published literature, is used to train and validate the performance of the proposed model. The results showed that the SCE could properly surmount the computational drawbacks of the MLP, as its learning and prediction accuracies are enhanced by 19.52 and 22.84%, respectively. Also, the SCE outperformed two benchmark optimizers of moth–flame optimization and optics inspired optimization in both training and testing phases. Another advantage of the tested SCE-MLP was the considerably simpler structure, and consequently, shorter computation time (722 vs. 1050 and 46,192 s). Therefore, the proposed model can be promisingly used in practice for the early prediction of CL in energy-efficient buildings.
•Simulates the impact of trees, shrub and lawn on outdoor thermal environment.•A model of three-dimensional green is developed and its accuracy is confirmed.•For different standards and areas, the ...improvement of these species is different.•For different areas, the impact of trees on wind speed and pressure is different.•Suggestions are provided to guide the arrangement of these species in design stage.
Rational layout of vegetation can significantly alleviate the urban heat-island effect and improve outdoor thermal environment. However, quantitative researches about the impact of different vegetation species on the outdoor thermal environment are still scarce and the actual engineering problem that what’s the best choice, grass, shrub or trees cannot be responded. Meanwhile, a three-dimensional model which can accurately predict the effect of green on thermal environment and guide the green design is urgently needed. Thus, a finite volume method with unstructured mesh is used to simulate the impact of vegetation on the outdoor thermal environment for three common vegetation species, namely: trees, shrub and lawn. Special attention is paid on the variation of air temperature at 1.5m, surface temperature, PET, WBGT, wind speed and pressure with these species. The study could be described as follows: A simulation method including the model of three-dimensional vegetation is developed for predicting and evaluating the outdoor thermal environment and its accuracy is confirmed by comparing simulation results and field measured data; For different evaluation standards and areas, the sequence of the improvement of different species on outdoor thermal environment is quite different: For air temperature at 1.5m and thermal comfort and safety (PET and WBGT), the sequence is trees>lawn>shrubs, but for surface temperature, the sequence is lawn>shrubs>trees; For these areas located in the downstream of planting area, trees and shrub can reduce the wind speed and decrease the pressure of the building. But for these areas located in the downstream of without planting area, they can increase the wind speed and the pressure; Suggestions are provided to guide the arrangement of these species in planning stage to achieve the purpose of optimizing outdoor thermal environment in summer and outdoor wind environment in winter.
Urban trees can significantly improve the outdoor thermal environment, especially in subtropical zones. However, due to the lack of fundamental evaluations of numerical simulation models, design and ...modification strategies for optimizing the thermal environment in subtropical hot-humid climate zones cannot be proposed accurately. To resolve this issue, this study investigated the physiological parameters (leaf surface temperature and vapor flux) and thermal effects (solar radiation, air temperature, and humidity) of four common tree species (Michelia alba, Mangifera indica, Ficus microcarpa, and Bauhinia blakeana) in both spring and summer in Guangzhou, China. A comprehensive comparison of the observed and modeled data from ENVI-met (v4.2 Science, a three-dimensional microclimate model) was performed. The results show that the most fundamental weakness of ENVI-met is the limitation of input solar radiation, which cannot be input hourly in the current version and may impact the thermal environment in simulation. For the tree model, the discrepancy between modeled and observed microclimate parameters was acceptable. However, for the physiological parameters, ENVI-met tended to overestimate the leaf surface temperature and underestimate the vapor flux, especially at midday in summer. The simplified calculation of the tree model may be one of the main reasons. Furthermore, the thermal effect of trees, meaning the differences between nearby treeless sites and shaded areas, were all underestimated in ENVI-met for each microclimate variable. This study shows that the tree model is suitable in subtropical hot-humid climates, but also needs some improvement.
Although several studies on the effects of cadmium (Cd) on wheat have been reported, the gene expression profiles of different wheat tissues in response to gradient concentrations of Cd, and whether ...soil microorganisms are involved in the damage to wheat remain to be discovered. To gain further insight into the molecular mechanisms of Cd-resistance in wheat, we sowed bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) in artificially Cd-contaminated soil and investigated the transcriptomic response of the wheat roots, stems, and leaves to gradient concentrations of Cd, as well as the alteration of the soil microbiome. Results indicated that the root bioaccumulation factors increased with Cd when concentrations were < 10 mg/kg, but at even higher concentrations, the bioaccumulation factors decreased, which is consistent with the overexpression of metal transporters and other genes related to Cd tolerance. In the Cd-contaminated soil, the abundance of fungal pathogens increased, and the antimicrobial response in wheat root was observed. Most of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of wheat changed significantly when the Cd concentration increased above 10 mg/kg, and the transcriptional response is much greater in roots than in stems and leaves. The DEGs are mainly involved in Cd transport and chelation, antioxidative stress, antimicrobial responses, and growth regulation. COPT3 and ZnT1 were identified for the first time as the major transporters responding to Cd in wheat. Overexpression of the nicotianamine synthase and pectinesterase genes suggested that nicotianamine and pectin are the key chelators in Cd detoxification. endochitinase, chitinase, and snakin2 were involved in the anti-fungal stress caused by Cd-induced cell damage. Several phytohormone-related DEGs are involved in the root’s growth and repair. Overall, this study presents the novel Cd tolerance mechanisms in wheat and the changes in soil fungal pathogens that increase plant damage.
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•Transcriptomics and metagenomics unveil new Cd tolerance mechanisms in wheat.•Cd induced stress in wheat and increased pathogenic fungi in soil.•COPT3 and ZnT1 are key Cd-responsive transporter genes in wheat.•DEGs suggest nicotianamine and pectate as key Cd chelators in wheat.•Roots show higher bioaccumulation and stronger Cd response than stems and leaves.
Treatment with 1-methylcyclopropylene (1-MCP) is an effective technique to preserve fruits, but inappropriate treatment with 1-MCP causes a ripening disorder (rubbery texture) in papaya fruit. In ...this study, a combined metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis was conducted to reveal the possible mechanism of the ripening disorder caused by unsuitable 1-MCP in papaya. A total of 203 differential accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were identified in the metabolome analysis. Only 24 DAMs were identified in the control (CK) vs. the 1-MCP 2 h group, and they were primarily flavonoids. Ninety and 89 DAMs were identified in the CK vs. 1-MCP 16 h and 1-MCP 2 h vs. 1-MCP 16 h groups, respectively, indicating that long-term 1-MCP treatment severely altered the metabolites during fruit ripening. 1-MCP 16 h treatment severely reduced the number of metabolites, which primarily consisted of flavonoids, lipids, phenolic acids, alkaloids, and organic acids. An integrated analysis of RNA-Seq and metabolomics showed that various energy metabolites for the tricarboxylic acid cycle were reduced by long-term treatment with 1-MCP, and the glycolic acid cycle was the most significantly affected, as well as the phenylpropane pathway. These results provide valuable information for fruit quality control and new insight into the ripening disorder caused by unsuitable treatment with 1-MCP in papaya.
► Jiulong River estuary and upstream rivers have been contaminated with antibiotics. ► The antibiotics were mainly from the rivers, especially downstream watersheds. ► Antibiotic concentration was ...low in mid-stream of North River. ► Most of the bacteria from estuary show antibiotic resistance or multi-resistance. ► Resistance rates were significantly correlated with antibiotic pollution levels.
To gain insight into the antibiotic pollution in the Jiulong River estuary and the pollutant sources, we analyzed the concentration of 22 widely-used antibiotics in water samples collected from the river and estuary, 17 and 18 sampling sites, respectively. Contamination with sulfonamides, quinolones and chloramphenicols was frequently detected and the distribution pattern of antibiotics suggested that most of the pollutants are from the Jiulong River, especially from the downstream watersheds. To reveal the ecological effects, we isolated 35 bacterial strains from the estuary and analyzed their antibiotic resistance to the eight most frequently detected antibiotics. The bacteria were subsequently classified into seven different genera by 16SrDNA sequencing. Up to 97.1% of the bacteria showed resistance and 70.6% of strains showed multi-resistance to these antibiotics, especially to sulfonamides. This study demonstrated a pattern of antibiotic contamination in the Jiulong River and its estuary and illustrated high bacterial antibiotic resistance which was significantly correlated with the average antibiotics concentrations and detected frequencies in the estuary.
Modeling, validating, and simulating are three essential parts in investigating the heat mitigation benefits of urban trees (BUT). Therefore, 81 relevant studies from the last ten years are reviewed, ...analyzed, and summarized in this study. Three main ways for urban trees to adjust the environment are summarized, including shade creation and radiation modification, cooling effects of transpiration, and airflow blocking and modification effects. Research works are analyzed with regard to four categories: (1) heat and moisture exchange mechanisms and their mathematical modeling; (2) verification of modeling predictions based on measurements; (3) thermal performance simulation and prediction; and (4) environmental assessment and human thermal comfort analyses. Future research opportunities are discussed: (1) conduct real-time and in-depth measurements to analyze the mechanisms of heat and moisture transfer of trees in different areas; (2) develop tree radiation attenuation, airflow resistance, and transpiration models to accurately describe heat and moisture transfer processes in the urban environment; and (3) establish a three-dimensional numerical simulation method that can accurately simulate the urban thermal environment with trees. This review provides researchers with an overview and potential research opportunities on the thermal effects of urban trees.
Among the most significant solutions suggested for estimating energy consumption and cooling load, one can refer to enhancing energy efficiency in non-residential and residential buildings. A ...structure's characteristics must be considered when estimating how much heating and cooling is required. To design and develop energy-efficient buildings, it can be helpful to research the characteristics of connected structures, such as the kinds of cooling and heating systems needed to ensure sui interior air quality. As an important part of energy consumption and demand of buildings, the assessment of cooling load conditions from the envelope of large buildings has not been comprehensively understood yet. In the present paper, a new conceptual system has been developed to anticipate cooling load in the sector of residential buildings. Also, the paper briefly describes the major models of the developed system to maintain continuity and concentrate on the prediction model of the cooling load. To predict cooling load, authors have modelled two methods of artificial neural network (ANN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) in conjunction with teaching-learning-based optimization (TLBO). This article aims to illustrate how artificial intelligence (AI) approaches play an essential role in addressing the mentioned necessity and help estimate the optimal design parameters for various stations. The value of the multiple determination coefficient is also determined. The values of the training R
2
(coefficient of multiple determination) are 0.96446 and 0.97585 for TLBO-MLP and TLBO-ANFIS in the training stage and 0.95855 and 0.9721 in the testing stage, respectively, with an unknown dataset which is acceptable. The training RMSE values for TLBO-MLP and TLBO-ANFIS are 0.0685 and 0.11176 for training and 0.07074 and 0.12035 for testing, respectively, for the unknown dataset, which is acceptable. The lowest RMSE value and the higher R
2
value indicate the favourable accuracy of the TLBO-MLP technique. According to the high value of R
2
(97%) and the low value of RMSE, TLBO-MLP can predict residential buildings' cooling load.
Ecological security is gaining importance for its role in human development, as traditional risk factors are being increasingly replaced by threats such as ecological and environmental changes. ...Taking the example of Xiamen estuary, a typical estuary in southern China, our research focused on the problems related to ecological security, caused by the degradation of ecosystem service and function. We propose an evaluation index system for assessing the ecological services, and standardize ways to determine the evaluation standards and weights. The results show that the ecological security index for Xiamen estuary is 57.1, indicating a “warning” state. This implies that the ecosystem there has been damaged to some degree, and its systematic structure is deteriorating. Twelve indices showed a score below 60, four of which belong to the category of supply services. The study shows that there are some problems associated with the ecological services in Xiamen estuary. The indices that were considered as unsecure include fish density, marine trophic level, primary productivity of water bodies, alien species invasion risk, and species diversity. We conclude that these problems are mainly caused by human activities such as over-fishing, reclamations, and industrial and agricultural pollution.
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Introduction
Previous research has linked vaginal bacteria to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and obesity in women, yet the specific disparities in vaginal microbiota between these conditions remain ...unclear.
Methods
In this study, we aimed to elucidate the contribution of dysregulated vaginal microbiota to PCOS and obesity by analyzing the vaginal microbiota in reproductive-aged women with and without PCOS, as well as obese and non-obese women, using shotgun sequencing.
Results
Swab specimens were collected from four groups of subjects: PCOS and obese, PCOS and non-obese, non-PCOS and obese, and non-PCOS and non-obese. A total of 333 bacteria and 24 viruses/phages were identified to the species level. Clustering analysis revealed that non-PCOS and non-obese individuals exhibit a similar “healthy” vaginal microbiome, while both obesity and PCOS were associated with microbial dysbiosis. Significant differences in abundance were observed for 26 bacterial species and 6 phages/viruses between groups. Notably, pathobionts such as
Streptococcus pyogenes
,
Leptospira santarosai
,
Citrobacter amalonaticus
,
Listeria ivanovii
, and
Clostridium perfringens
were significantly less abundant or absent in the non-PCOS and non-obese group. Furthermore, the abundance of
Lactobacillus
,
Pseudomonas
bacteria, and their corresponding phages exhibited positive correlations.
Lactobacillus
bacteria,
lactobacillus
phage, and
pseudomonas
phage/virus were identified as indicators of a healthy vaginal microbiome. Importantly, the differentially enriched bacteria in the PCOS and obesity groups were distinct.
Discussion
This study confirms that PCOS and obesity are associated with differing enrichment of bacteria and viruses/phages, with both conditions linked to microbial dysbiosis. Moreover, our findings suggest that vaginal phage diversity is associated with a healthy vaginal microbiota, while dysbiosis is associated with a decrease in phages alongside increased bacterial diversity.
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