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Purpose: Diet-related diseases are advancing as the leading cause of death globally. As self-reporting of diet by patients can be associated with errors, stable isotopes of human tissues can be used to diagnose diseases, understand physiology, and detect change in diet. This study investigates the effect of type and amount of food on the nitrogen and carbon concentration (Nconc and Cconc) and isotopic composition (δ15N and δ13C) in human scalp hair and fingernails. Methods: A total of 100 residents participated in the study whereas only 74 individuals provided complete diet history. Sixty-six food items majorly available to them were also collected. The Nconc, Cconc, δ15N and δ13C values of human hair, nails and food items were determined. Results: The Nconc, Cconc, δ15N and δ13C values between plant-sourced and animal-sourced food items, as well as human hair and nail tissue were significantly different (p < 0.05). The δ15N value of human tissues was distinct between lacto-vegetarians and omnivores by 0.9‰. The δ15N and δ13C values of human tissues increased by 0.4–0.5‰ with every 5% increase in the consumption of animal protein. Conclusions: The study helps to demarcate lacto-vegetarians from omnivores, and estimate the percentage of animal protein in diet based on the dual isotope values of human tissues. It also acts as a reference to determine isotopic composition of hair tissue provided the isotope value of nail tissue is known and vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The so-called man-eating wolves of Turku, a pack of three wolves, reportedly killed 22 children in South-Western Finland in 1880–1881. Enormous efforts were carried out to eradicate them. In January 1882 the last remaining wolf was killed. Since then, there has been considerable debate regarding the validity and extent of the man-eating behaviour. This study aims to clarify whether man-eating behaviour can be observed from the remains of these wolves. One of the wolves was mounted in 1882 and is on display at St. Olaf's school in Turku, enabling us to collect hair keratin samples. Additionally, hair keratin was collected from two other suspected man-eaters. We analysed carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope values to study the wolf's diet during the last months of its life. Samples from seven temporally concurrent wolves were used to construct reference values. Our analyses indicated that δ15N values of suspected man-eaters were relatively low compared to the reference sample. We could not detect clear trends in isotope ratios associated with potential man-eating behavior. We believe that this lack of distinctive patterns can be explained by the relatively minor role that man-eating played in their overall diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study focused on litter processing efficiency of the sesarmid crab, Parasesarma plicatum under experimental conditions and its possible role in carbon structuring in the mangrove habitats. The feeding experiment of crab with different stages of leaves of diverse mangrove species revealed that senescent brown leaves were preferred the most, due to their lesser tannin content. The leaf consumption differed significantly with leaf state as well as mangrove species and highest was for Avicennia officinalis brown leaves. The ingestion-egestion assay of P. plicatum revealed that it assimilated an average of 65.75 ± 10.30% of mangrove litter. The experimental study also revealed that rather than already reported C/N ratio, the inhibiting factors such as tannin and lignin like substances control the palatability of leaves by the crab species. The analysis of carbon and nitrogen variants in the experimental water indicated that handling of leaves by the crab helps in leaching of nutrients to the substratum. Therefore, the findings of litter processing efficiency of this sesarmid crab from the present study highlights its significance in structuring the carbon in natural mangrove habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we analyze the changes in food consumption patterns throughout the lives of five individuals (n=5), one subadult and four adults, found in archaeological sites of El Remate, Bajo los Cardones and Finca Cruz. All of them are associated with the Formative period (ca. 2500 - 1000 years B. P.) and are located in the Quebrada de Amaicha (Tucumán, Argentina). We propose an analysis of the carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition in the dentin of different sections of the same tooth and in different teeth of the five individuals. This approach sheds light on the way in which the characteristics of children's diets affect their adulthood, as well as providing a more inclusive perspective on consumption patterns in the agropastoralist societies of the study area by integrating young individuals into the analysis. Little intravariation and intervariation was found, with a predominance of food resources framed in the C4 photosynthetic pattern. The exception is an individual, probably female, whose diet was based on C3 resources during the first period of life. This could be the result of the existence of a "childhood diet" or of a change in geographic residence, with both areas being isotopically distinguishable. Finally, we illustrate the methodological steps required to reconstruct life histories through the serial study of human dental pieces. This is a novel approach, which has been applied to human remains from the Argentine Northwest for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sebacate (SB) molecules were incorporated into Ca Al layered double hydroxides (CaAL-LDH) using a hydrothermal method. The resulting products underwent characterization through X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. To investigate the release kinetics and thermodynamics of the corrosion inhibitor, total organic carbon analysis (TOC) was employed. A comparison was made with CaAl-LDH prepared without corrosion inhibitors, in which nitrates were the primary anions within the layered clay structure. An assessment of anion exchange between nitrates and chlorides was conducted using total nitrogen analysis (TN). The SB anion comprised approximately 49.2% of the total dried powder synthesized, with a maximum release efficiency of around 86.7% fitting a Langmuir model. For the evaluation of the corrosion inhibition effect on steel surfaces, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, potentiodynamic polarization, and scanning vibrating electrode technique were employed. The corrosion inhibition impact was ascribed to the liberation of SB anions from the CaAl-LDH pigments, accompanied by alkalinization stemming from partial particle dissolution. Additionally, the incorporation of organic molecules notably enhanced the stability of pigments in aqueous solutions compared to similar ones hosting nitrates. These findings suggested that CaAl-LDH pigments have potential as nanocontainers for organic inhibitors, showing promising prospects in the field of corrosion research. [Display omitted] • Synthesis of CaAl-LDHs particles with sebacate intercalated. • Sebacate anionic exchange with chlorides is efficient at 86.7%. • Organic molecule intercalation gives improved stability in water. • Steel corrosion protection is provided by chloride trapping and inhibitor release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are bioplastics which are well known as intracellular energy storage compounds and are produced in a large number of prokaryotic species. These bio-based inclusions are biodegradable, biocompatible and environmental friendly. Industrial production of, short chain and medium chain length PHA, involves the use of microorganisms and their enzymes. Priestia megaterium previously known as Bacillus megaterium is a well-recognized bacterium for producing short chain length PHA. This study focuses to characterize this bacterium for the production of medium chain length PHA, and a novel blend of both types of monomers having enhanced properties and versatile applications. Statistical analyses and simulations were used to demonstrate that cell dry weight can be derived as a function of OD 600 and PHA content. Optimization of growth conditions resulted in the maximum PHA production as: 0. 05 g. g-x. H−1, where the rate of PHA production was 0.28 g L−1. H−1 and PHA concentration was 4.94 g. L−1. This study also demonstrated FTIR to be a semi quantitative tool for PHA production. Moreover, conversion of scl-PHA to mcl-PHA with reference to time intermissions using GC-FID are shown. • Priestia megaterium showed metabolic shift in PHA production by converting PHB into mcl-PHA using two different media. • Statistical analysis optimized the C/N ratio, and concentrations of growth constituents to enhance the mcl-PHA production. • Electron microscopy evaluated the size, structure and shape of PHA granules with respect to time intervals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) significantly impacts global air quality and human health due to its smaller particle size and larger specific surface area. Nitrogen and carbon aerosols, as the main components of PM 2.5 , play key roles in air pollution. This study identified the sources and seasonal variation of nitrogen and carbon aerosols in PM 2.5 in typical cities of Zhejiang. The annual average PM 2.5 concentrations of Hangzhou (HZ), Ningbo (NB), and Huzhou (HUZ) were 39.8 ± 19.1 μg m−‍3, 40.0 ± 21.5 μg m−3, and 50.1 ± 22.6 μg m−3, respectively, which exceeded the Chinese air quality limit of 35.0 μg m−3. The results showed that the concentrations of nitrogen aerosols (NO 3 − and NH 4 +) in water-soluble inorganic ions were higher at 9.6 ± 4.6 μg m−3, 9.0 ± 4.5 μg m−3 and 11.5 ± 5.4 μg m−3 in HZ, NB and HUZ, respectively, especially in winter, accounting for over 60% of the total. The annual average δ15N values of PM 2.5 were 6.2 ± 1.9‰, 6.4 ± 2.2‰ and 6.7 ± 1.9‰ in HZ, NB and HZ, respectively; the δ15N values in winter were relatively low. A Bayesian isotopic mixing model was employed to analyse the sources of nitrogen aerosols in winter; the results showed that nitrogen concentration was mainly affected by NH 3 and NO X emitted by motor vehicle exhaust, coal combustion, biomass combustion, biogenic soil emissions, animal wastes and ocean evaporation (NB). In addition, the carbon component analysis of PM 2.5 showed that the annual average mass concentration of TC accounted for 18.7%, 16.4% and 20.1% of PM 2.5 in HZ, HUZ and NB, respectively. The same isotope model was used to analyse the sources of carbon aerosols; the results showed that carbon aerosols were mainly affected by the sources of motor vehicle exhaust, coal combustion, biomass combustion and dust. In the PM 2.5 in Zhejiang, the most contributory sources of nitrogenous aerosols and carbon aerosols were motor vehicle exhaust sources. [Display omitted] • The fractionation coefficients for nitrogen aerosol conversions are different in Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Huzhou. • The NO X and NH 3 sources of aerosol NO 3 − and NH 4 + in Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Huzhou were identified. • The stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values of dust sources in Hangzhou, Ningbo and Huzhou are significantly different. • The main sources of carbon aerosol are motor vehicle exhaust in Hangzhou, Ningbo and Huzhou. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Codonopsis pilosula is a traditional Chinese herbal medicinal plant and contains various bioactive components, such as C. pilosula polysaccharides (CPPs) and lobetyolin (Lob). Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) and nitric oxide (NO) are gaseous molecule and have been well known for their ability to relieve some adverse influences on plant from abiotic stress. Endophytic fungus is non-pathogenic plant-associated fungus that could play a significant role in improving plant tolerance by signal molecule. In this work, we determined how inoculation of Trichoderma strain RHTA01 with C. pilosula changed the plant's growth, metabolite accumulation, and related enzyme activity. Results demonstrated that application of Trichoderma strain RHTA01 significantly improved the growth of C. pilosula. Moreover, it noticeably decreased antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity in C. pilosula leaves, reduced the content of H 2 O 2 and malondialdehyde (MDA), and weakened the peroxidation of cell membrane lipids, which reduced the damage of abiotic stress to C. pilosula. Research has shown that it had obvious effects on levels of nitrogen and carbon metabolic enzymes. For example, sucrose synthase (SS) and acid invertase (AI) levels in C. pilosula roots were nearly 1.43 and 1.7 times higher, respectively, than those in the control (CK) group. In addition, it was notable that the production of CPPs and Lob, the most significant secondary metabolites in C. pilosula , were influenced by Trichoderma strain RHTA01. The obtained results indicate that inoculating C. pilosula with Trichoderma stimulates the carbon and nitrogen metabolism of the plant, and helps to increase the content of CPPs and Lob in the root of the plant. [Display omitted] • Application of FG (Trichoderma) can improve the growth of C. pilosula. • With FG applied, it improved the antioxidant properties of C. pilosula. • The FG improves the content of CPPs and Lob of C. pilosula. • The possible mechanisms are explored between Trichoderma and C. pilosula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]