According to non-stationary characteristic of the acoustic emission signal of rolling element bearings, a novel fault diagnosis method based on empirical wavelet transform (EWT) and ambiguity correlation classification (ACC) is proposed. In the proposed method, the acoustic emission signal acquired from a one-channel sensor is firstly decomposed using the EWT method, and then the mutual information of decomposed components and the original signal is computed and used to extract the noiseless component in order to obtain the reconstructed signal. Afterwards, the ambiguity correlation classifier, which has the advantages of ambiguity functions in the processing of the non-stationary signal, and the combining of correlation coefficients, is applied. Finally, multiple datasets of reconstructed signals for different operative conditions are fed to the ambiguity correlation classifier for training and testing. The proposed method was verified by experiments, and experimental results have shown that the proposed method can effectively diagnose three different operative conditions of rolling element bearings with higher detection rates than support vector machine and back-propagation (BP) neural network algorithms. Full article

Wetlands are some of the most important ecosystems on Earth. They play a key role in alleviating floods and filtering polluted water and also provide habitats for many plants and animals. Wetlands also interact with climate change. Over the past 50 years, wetlands have been polluted and declined dramatically as land cover has changed in some regions. Remote sensing has been the most useful tool to acquire spatial and temporal information about wetlands. In this paper, seven types of sensors were reviewed: aerial photos coarse-resolution, medium-resolution, high-resolution, hyperspectral imagery, radar, and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data. This study also discusses the advantage of each sensor for wetland research. Wetland research themes reviewed in this paper include wetland classification, habitat or biodiversity, biomass estimation, plant leaf chemistry, water quality, mangrove forest, and sea level rise. This study also gives an overview of the methods used in wetland research such as supervised and unsupervised classification and decision tree and object-based classification. Finally, this paper provides some advice on future wetland remote sensing. To our knowledge, this paper is the most comprehensive and detailed review of wetland remote sensing and it will be a good reference for wetland researchers. Full article

Fusarium mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) are the most common contaminants in cereals worldwide, causing a wide range of adverse health effects on animals and humans. Many environmental factors can affect the production of these mycotoxins. Here, we have used response surface methodology (RSM) to optimize the Fusarium graminearum strain 29 culture conditions for maximal toxin production. Three factors, medium pH, incubation temperature and time, were optimized using a Box-Behnken design (BBD). The optimized conditions for DON production were pH 4.91 and an incubation temperature of 23.75 °C for 28 days, while maximal ZEN production required pH 9.00 and an incubation temperature of 15.05 °C for 28 days. The maximum levels of DON and ZEN production were 2811.17 ng/mL and 23789.70 ng/mL, respectively. Considering the total level of DON and ZEN, desirable yields of the mycotoxins were still obtained with medium pH of 6.86, an incubation temperature of 17.76 °C and a time of 28 days. The corresponding experimental values, from the validation experiments, fitted well with these predictions. This suggests that RSM could be used to optimize Fusarium mycotoxin levels, which are further purified for use as potential mycotoxin standards. Furthermore, it shows that acidic pH is a determinant for DON production, while an alkaline environment and lower temperature (approximately 15 °C) are favorable for ZEN accumulation. After extraction, separation and purification processes, the isolated mycotoxins were obtained through a simple purification process, with desirable yields, and acceptable purity. The mycotoxins could be used as potential analytical standards or chemical reagents for routine analysis. Full article

Microwaves have been widely used in the treatment of materials, such as heating, drying, and sterilization. However, the heating in the commonly used microwave applicators is usually uneven. In this paper, a novel multi-material turntable structure is creatively proposed to improve the temperature uniformity in microwave ovens. Three customized turntables consisting of polyethylene (PE) and alumina, PE and aluminum, and alumina and aluminum are, respectively, utilized in a domestic microwave oven in simulation. During the heating process, the processed material is placed on a fixed Teflon bracket which covers the constantly rotating turntable. Experiments are conducted to measure the surface and point temperatures using an infrared thermal imaging camera and optical fibers. Simulated results are compared qualitatively with the measured ones, which verifies the simulated models. Compared with the turntables consisting of a single material, a 26%–47% increase in temperature uniformity from adapting the multi-material turntable can be observed for the microwave-processed materials. Full article

Yuanhuacine was found to have significant inhibitory activity against A-549 human lung cancer cells. However, there would be serious adverse toxicity effects after systemic administration of yuanhuacine, such as by oral and intravenous ways. In order to achieve better curative effect and to alleviate the adverse toxicity effects, we tried to deliver yuanhuacine directly into the lungs. Ultra high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS) was used to detect the analyte and IS. After extraction (ether:dichloromethane = 8:1), the analyte and IS were separated on a Waters BEH-C₁₈ column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm) under a 5 min gradient elution using a mixture of acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution as mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. ESI positive mode was chosen for detection. The method was fully validated for its selectivity, accuracy, precision, stability, matrix effect, and extraction recovery. This new method for yuanhuacine concentration determination in rat plasma was reliable and could be applied for its preclinical and clinical monitoring purpose. Full article

A method based on the QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) purification combined with ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS), was optimized for the simultaneous quantification of 25 mycotoxins in cereals. Samples were extracted with a solution containing 80% acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid, and purified with QuEChERS before being separated by a C18 column. The mass spectrometry was conducted by using positive electrospray ionization (ESI+) and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) models. The method gave good linear relations with regression coefficients ranging from 0.9950 to 0.9999. The detection limits ranged from 0.03 to 15.0 µg·kg⁻¹, and the average recovery at three different concentrations ranged from 60.2% to 115.8%, with relative standard deviations (RSD%) varying from 0.7% to 19.6% for the 25 mycotoxins. The method is simple, rapid, accurate, and an improvement compared with the existing methods published so far. Full article

In this paper, a thermo-mechanical coupling analysis model of the spindle-bearing system based on Hertz’s contact theory and a point contact non-Newtonian thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) theory are developed. In this model, the effect of preload, centrifugal force, the gyroscopic moment, and the lubrication state of the spindle-bearing system are considered. According to the heat transfer theory, the mathematical model for the temperature field of the spindle system is developed and the effect of the spindle cooling system on the spindle temperature distribution is analyzed. The theoretical simulations and the experimental results indicate that the bearing preload has great effect on the frictional heat generation; the cooling fluid has great effect on the heat balance of the spindle system. If a steady-state heat balance between the friction heat generation and the cooling system cannot be reached, thermally-induced preload will lead to a further increase of the frictional heat generation and then cause the thermal failure of the spindle. Full article

This study was conducted to determine the positive effects of dietary supplementation with l-arginine (Arg) on piglets fed a deoxynivalenol (DON)-contaminated diet. A total of eighteen, 28-day-old healthy weanling pigs were randomly assigned into one of three groups: uncontaminated basal diet (control group), 6 mg/kg DON-contaminated diet (DON group) and 6 mg/kg DON + 1% l-arginine (DON + ARG group). After 21 days of Arg supplementation, piglets in the DON and DON + ARG groups were challenged by feeding 6 mg/kg DON-contaminated diet for seven days. The results showed that DON resulted in damage to piglets. However, clinical parameters, including jejunal morphology, amino acid concentrations in the serum, jejunum and ileum, were improved by Arg (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the mRNA levels for sodium-glucose transporter-1 (SGLT-1), glucose transporter type-2 (GLUT-2) and y⁺l-type amino acid transporter-1 (y⁺LAT-1) were downregulated in the DON group, but the values were increased in the DON + ARG group (p < 0.05). Collectively, these results indicate that dietary supplementation with Arg exerts a protective role in pigs fed DON-contaminated diets. Full article

The retrovirus restriction factor TRIM5α blocks post-entry infection of retroviruses in a species-specific manner. As a cellular E3 ubiquitin ligase, TRIM5α binds to the retroviral capsid lattice in the cytoplasm of an infected cell and accelerates the uncoating process of retroviral capsid, thus providing a potent restriction to HIV-1 and other retrovirus infections. The precise mechanism by which this restriction is imposed remains under scrutiny, and evidence is lacking to link the E3 ubiquitin ligase activity of TRIM5α to its ability to restrict retrovirus infection. In a recent study, Pertel and colleagues have uncovered the link between the two, providing compelling evidence to suggest that following the interaction with the retroviral capsid, TRIM5 triggers an antiviral innate immune response by functioning as a pattern recognition receptor [1]. This unique function of TRIM5 is dependent on its association with the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme complex UBC13-UEV1A and subsequent activation of the TAK1 kinase complex and downstream genes involved in innate immune responses. These findings have defined a novel function for TRIM5 as a pattern recognition receptor in innate immune recognition and provided valuable mechanistic insight into its role as a retroviral restriction factor. Here we discuss the significance of these new findings in understanding TRIM5-mediated HIV restriction. Full article