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The distribution pattern of cracks in rock masses, known as the geometric distribution, holds significant significance in understanding the progressive failure mechanism and stress concentration can lead to instability and even failure of the specimens. However, the macroscopic and microscopic mechanisms of crack coalescence and the failure of the sample are not yet clear. Thus, the discrete element method was used to investigate the influence of stress distribution on the fracture coalescence and failure of dual-crack specimens with different arrangements under uni-axial compression in this study. The obtained results were compared and analyzed with laboratory test results. The results show: When the double-crack specimens are under overlapping arrangement, the stress concentration area only appears at the end of the crack, which is conducive to crack propagation, resulting in no coalescence. However, if the two preexisting cracks were arranged in a co-planar or non-overlapping manner, the stress concentration of the sample would not only occur at the end of the cracks, but also between the cracks. As the stress increases, the cracks will gradually expand and connect, forming shear coalescence and mixed mode coalescence (shear and tensile) respectively. In addition, the arrangement of cracks greatly changes the influence of stress concentration on the failure mode of the specimen, leading to the possibility that the coalescence of the specimen may occur in three periods: before, during, and after the peak stress. The findings of this research hold immense importance in comprehending the mechanisms behind the coalescence and failure of rock fractures. Moreover, they provide valuable insights for the analysis and design of rock engineering projects, offering practical guidance for ensuring stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractDuring seasonal rainfall periods, natural rocks typically undergo repeated wetting-drying cycles, which directly affects the micro-structure of the rock samples and consequently leads to the deterioration of their mechanical properties, especially in mudstone. Therefore, this paper investigated the degradation pattern of strength parameters and failure pattern of mudstone samples under wetting-drying cycles through a series of laboratory tests and quantitatively characterized the micro-structural changes in the samples. Additionally, numerical simulations were utilized to delve deeper into the degradation mechanism of the samples. The results indicate that with an increasing number of wetting-drying cycles, the degradation of peak strength and elastic modulus becomes more pronounced. Moreover, there is a continuous increase in micro-porosity within the samples, accompanied by changes in pore structure and morphology. According to the simulation results, the wetting-drying cycles change how the samples fail, transitioning from mixed tensile-shear failure to predominantly shear failure. This study not only deepens the theoretical understanding of the deterioration mechanisms in mudstone but also provides important guidance for practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convolutional neural network (CNN) has shown its superpower in image denoising in recent years. However, most CNN models suffer from a large number of model parameters and the effect of image denoising still needs to be improved. To cope with these issues, we propose a recursive lightweight CNN approach that can make the noisy images purer and purer, namely PPNets, in this paper. The PPNets mainly consist of four parts: separable convolution–batch normalization–ReLU (SCBR) blocks to extract coarse features, bottlenecks with skip connection to integrate coarse features and refined features to enhance expression ability of model, noise proposal network with an attention mechanism to predict noise level and recursive strategies to stack the denoising model to make the noisy images purer and purer. Since SCBR uses depthwise convolution and pointwise convolution to replace traditional convolution operations, the proposed PPNets have fewer weight parameters. We conduct extensive experiments on two gray image datasets and three color image datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that the PPNets are significantly superior to the traditional models in denoising effectiveness. At the same time, the PPNets outperform the compared state-of-the-art CNN models in terms of both denoising effectiveness and the number of model parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral perhydroindoles are found in a number of natural products and biologically active compounds. Therefore, the development of new asymmetric methodology for rapid access to this core is of high importance. Herein, we reported a highly regio‐ and diastereo‐selective palladium/PC‐Phos‐catalyzed asymmetric Heck/Tsuji–Trost reactions of readily available amino tethered 1,3‐cyclohexadienes with aryl and alkenyl halides, delivering various functionalized chiral hexahydroindoles in good yields with high enantioselectivity. The application of this reaction to the concise synthesis of (−)‐α‐Lycorane was demonstrated. DFT computation results indicate that the difference in ΔEdis of two migration insertion transition states determines the enantioselectivity of the reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiral perhydroindoles are found in a number of natural products and biologically active compounds. Therefore, the development of new asymmetric methodology for rapid access to this core is of high importance. Herein, we reported a highly regio‐ and diastereo‐selective palladium/PC‐Phos‐catalyzed asymmetric Heck/Tsuji–Trost reactions of readily available amino tethered 1,3‐cyclohexadienes with aryl and alkenyl halides, delivering various functionalized chiral hexahydroindoles in good yields with high enantioselectivity. The application of this reaction to the concise synthesis of (−)‐α‐Lycorane was demonstrated. DFT computation results indicate that the difference in ΔEdis of two migration insertion transition states determines the enantioselectivity of the reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liver fibrosis is a progressive liver injury response. Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) is oversecreted during liver fibrosis and promotes the development of liver fibrosis. Therapeutic approaches targeting TGF-β1 and its downstream pathways are essential to inhibit liver fibrosis. The N-terminal latency-associated peptide (LAP) blocks the binding of TGF-β1 to its receptor. Removal of LAP is critical for the activation of TGF-β1. Therefore, inhibition of TGF-β1 and its downstream pathways by LAP may be a potential approach to affect liver fibrosis. Methods: Truncated LAP (tLAP) plasmids were constructed. Recombinant proteins were purified by Ni affinity chromatography. The effects of LAP and tLAP on liver fibrosis were investigated in TGF-β1-induced HSC-T6 cells, AML12 cells and CCl4-induced liver fibrosis mice by real time cellular analysis (RTCA), western blot, real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), immunofluorescence and pathological staining. Results: LAP and tLAP could inhibit TGF-β1-induced AML12 cells inflammation, apoptosis and EMT, and could inhibit TGF-β1-induced HSC-T6 cells proliferation and fibrosis. LAP and tLAP could attenuate the pathological changes of liver fibrosis and inhibit the expression of fibrosis-related proteins and mRNAs in CCl4-induced liver fibrosis mice. Conclusion: LAP and tLAP could alleviate liver fibrosis in vitro and in vivo via inhibition of TGF-β/Smad pathway. TLAP has higher expression level and more effective anti-fibrosis activity compared to LAP. This study may provide new ideas for the treatment of liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the physicochemical properties and stability of ultrasonic assisted flaxseed protein isolates (FPI) emulsions containing medium chain triglycerides (MCT), soybean oil, flaxseed oil, or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) algae oil were investigated. The particle size distribution, zeta-potential, turbiscan stability index (TSI), and backscattering profiles were determined. The results showed that the emulsions containing flaxseed oil had the smallest droplet size and the lowest TSI value after 30 min ultrasonic treatment. Flaxseed oil emulsions showed the best storage stability with minimum clarified layer and cream layer after 10 days storage. MCT emulsions were more sensitive to salt, and less stable than other oil emulsions. Soybean oil, flaxseed oil, and DHA oil emulsions had good stability under low ionic strengths (0–50 mM NaCl), and became unstable under high ionic strengths (150 and 300 mM). Thermal treatment had great influence on the particle size distribution of emulsions. The particle size of the four oils emulsions increased after heating at 90 °C for 30 min. However, the particle size of DHA oil and flaxseed oil emulsions decreased after heating at 50 °C for 30 min. In conclusion, ultrasonic treatment is one of the effective ways to improve stability of FPI-stabilized emulsions, which are based on the oil type and ultrasound intensity. The effects of oil type and chain length on particle size and stability of FPI-stabilized emulsions could be further studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liver fibrosis is a progressive liver injury response. Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) is oversecreted during liver fibrosis and promotes the development of liver fibrosis. Therapeutic approaches targeting TGF-β1 and its downstream pathways are essential to inhibit liver fibrosis. The N-terminal latency-associated peptide (LAP) blocks the binding of TGF-β1 to its receptor. Removal of LAP is critical for the activation of TGF-β1. Therefore, inhibition of TGF-β1 and its downstream pathways by LAP may be a potential approach to affect liver fibrosis. Methods: Truncated LAP (tLAP) plasmids were constructed. Recombinant proteins were purified by Ni affinity chromatography. The effects of LAP and tLAP on liver fibrosis were investigated in TGF-β1-induced HSC-T6 cells, AML12 cells and CCl4-induced liver fibrosis mice by real time cellular analysis (RTCA), western blot, real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), immunofluorescence and pathological staining. Results: LAP and tLAP could inhibit TGF-β1-induced AML12 cells inflammation, apoptosis and EMT, and could inhibit TGF-β1-induced HSC-T6 cells proliferation and fibrosis. LAP and tLAP could attenuate the pathological changes of liver fibrosis and inhibit the expression of fibrosis-related proteins and mRNAs in CCl4-induced liver fibrosis mice. Conclusion: LAP and tLAP could alleviate liver fibrosis in vitro and in vivo via inhibition of TGF-β/Smad pathway. TLAP has higher expression level and more effective anti-fibrosis activity compared to LAP. This study may provide new ideas for the treatment of liver fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diesel exhaust particle (DEP) exposure induces a variety of toxicological effects through oxidative stress and inflammation responses. This research investigated the mechanisms underlying DEP-induced GC-1spg cells oxidative stress by examining ROS accumulation, antioxidant defense systems activation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and the Nrf2/Keap1/HO-1 pathway response. Subsequently, we further evaluated the ATP levels, ATP5α synthase activity and ATP5α synthase S-sulfhydrated modification in DEP-exposed GC-1 spg cells. The results showed that DEP exposure significantly inhibited cell proliferation and viability, increased intracellular ROS production, decreased MMP, down-regulated antioxidant capacity, activated the Nrf2/Keap1/HO-1 pathway. However, DEP-induced oxidative stress was partially alleviated by GSH and exogenous H 2 S. In addition, DEP exposure induced ATP depletion and ATP5α synthase inactivity in GC-1 spg cells, accompanied by ATP5α synthase S-sulfhydrated modification. In conclusion, our research showed that DEP may incapacitate mitochondria through oxidative stress injury, leading to GC-1 spg cells oxidative stress. This process may be associated with the reduction of ATP5α1 S-sulfhydrated modification. It provides a new perspective for the research of the mechanism related to male reproductive toxicity due to air pollution. [Display omitted] • We assessed oxidative stress levels and mitochondrial function of DEP-treated GC-1 spg cells. • DEP exposure increases oxidative stress and activates Nrf2/Keap1/HO-1 pathway in a dose-dependent manner. • DEP exposure induces mitochondrial dysfunction and decreases ATP production, ATP synthase activity, S-sulfhydration of ATP5α1. • GSH and GYY4137 alleviate oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage, following the up-regulation of ATP5α1 S-sulfhydration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural middle school students often experience significant educational disparities compared to their urban peers, particularly in developing computer skills and computer and information literacy (CIL). However, there has been insufficient research on the impact of poverty stigma on their CIL development. To address this literature gap, this research examines the influence of poverty stigma and self-efficacy on CIL performance among rural eighth graders in two studies. Guided by the social cognitive theory and labeling theory, Study 1 (n1 = 2,783) analyzes the mediating effects of family socioeconomic status and self-efficacy on CIL, while Study 2 (n2 = 2,153) investigates the mediating effects of perceived poverty stigma at the dimensions of social stigma and self-stigma on CIL. The results suggest that poverty, family socioeconomic status, and computer use at school positively affect CIL, with self-efficacy mediating the relationship between them. While students from low-resourced families do not perceive social stigma as directly impacting their CIL, self-stigma plays a mediating role between perceived social stigma and CIL. These findings have significant implications for educators seeking to improve CIL in the digital age, emphasizing the importance of increasing computer access at school for better educational outcomes. • Rural students' computer literacy is hindered by relative poverty and self-stigma. • Poverty stigma directly affects students' computer and information literacy. • Self-stigma mediates the ties between social stigma and computer and information literacy. • This study calls for addressing stigma in fostering computer and information literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The content of total polar material (TPM) is considered as a comprehensive indicator to evaluate the quality of edible oils which should be discarded and no longer be used when TPM content exceeding 27 %. Nevertheless, there is currently a lack of a convenient and efficient TPM detection method, which is a meaningful challenge. With the increase of TPM content, the viscosity of frying oil grows, and the two maintain a satisfactory positive correlation. Consequently, an "off-on" fluorescence probe TCF-PR method based on viscosity-response has been developed. There exists a good linear relationship between the fluorescence intensity of the probe and the TPM content of soybean oil ((R2 = 0.9936) and salad oil (R2 = 0.9878), accompanying with the advantage of fast response (3 s), which means the rapid detection of TPM can be realized to determine the quality of frying oil in the field of food safety. [Display omitted] • A viscosity responsive fluorescent probe for detecting TPM of frying oils was fabricated. • The positive correlation between TPM content and viscosity in frying oils were determined. • The red fluorescence of the probe could perfectly avoid the blue-green fluorescence of the frying oil itself. • A fast-convenient quantitative detection method for the analysis of TPM in edible oil was developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell surface markers are most widely used in the study of cancer stem cells (CSCs). However, cell surface markers that are safely and stably expressed in CSCs have yet to be identified. Colonic CSCs express leukocyte CD14. CD14 binding to the ligand lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is involved in the inflammatory response via the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) signaling pathway. TLR4 and MyD88 have been reported to promote the proliferation, metastasis and tumorigenicity of colon cancer cells, which is consistent with the characteristics of CSCs. In the present study, the proposed experimental method to detect cell proliferation, metastasis and tumorigenesis was used to confirm that, under LPS stimulation, CD14 promoted the proliferation, migration and tumorigenesis of colonic CSCs via the TLR4/MyD88 signaling pathway. Cell Counting Kit-8 and 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine assays were used to assess the proliferation and migration of the cells. Colony formation and nude mouse xenograft assays were used to assess the capacity of cells to form tumors. Using western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, the mRNA and protein levels of CD14, TLR4 and MyD88 were examined. It was confirmed that CD14 promoted the proliferation, metastasis and tumorigenesis of colon CSCs in response to LPS stimulation via the TLR4/MyD88 signaling pathway, and CD14+ colon cancer cells were successfully isolated and sorted. According to the results of proliferation assay, it was determined that CD14 regulated the LPS-induced proliferation of colon CSCs. CD14, TLR4 and MyD88 protein and mRNA expression was upregulated in colon CSCs in response to LPS stimulation. This indicates a potential novel target for colon CSC-related studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, based on a simplified dermis model of cylinder-birefringence, the variation of polarization properties of human skin with its structural parameters was studied. To the best of our knowledge, for the first time, the birefringence parameters of human skin measured by polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography system was used to analyze the changes of birefringence, dichroism and depolarization with the change of structural parameters. The results of this study are important for interpreting the results of polarization experiments, diagnosing human skin diseases and monitoring the effects of treatment in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining the advantage of Contourlet transform with adaptive fuzzy Markov random field (MRF) model, a novel segmentation algorithm is proposed in this study to achieve precise and continuous division for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image. The classical MRF model is modified to obtain the edge and process adaptive label factor. The adaptive fuzzy MRF (AFMRF) model is proposed to equilibrate the smooth regions segmentation with texture regions segmentation. At the same time, Contourlet domain hidden Markov tree (HMT) model is introduced to perform multi‐scale directional filtering and intra‐scale training on the coefficients of SAR images to achieve precise texture segmentation at each scale. Finally, the AFMRF model is integrated into inter‐scale and intra‐scale HMT training results and the segmented image can be obtained. To verify the validity of the proposed algorithm, several SAR images are experimented and compared with the state‐of‐the‐art algorithms. The experimental results and analysis show that the proposed algorithm can achieve better results on noise suppression, smoothness of target regions, precise and continuous segmentation of fuzzy texture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gliadin and glutelin are major rice storage proteins. In this study, we evaluated changes in these proteins to determine the influence of pasting properties on rice storage. Notably, the physical and chemical properties of these proteins changed steadily. We analyzed protein oxidation indexes and determined correlations between the protein oxidation index and gelatinization property index. The results showed that significant oxidation of gliadin and glutelin occurred during the process of rice storage ( P < 0.05). Protein oxidation had a significant impact on pasting properties. For glutelin, changes in the structure and function of the protein during rice storage had a significant impact on the five rice pasting property indexes, including peak viscosity (PV), holding strength (HS), breakdown, final viscosity (FV), and setback (SB; P < 0.05). In particular, the levels of carbonyl compounds and active sulfur and the surface hydrophobicity of glutelin were significantly correlated with rice pasting property indexes ( P < 0.05). However, gliadin only significantly affected three indexes, i.e., PV, HS, and FV ( P < 0.05). Thus, these findings suggested that the carbonyl compounds, active sulfur, and surface hydrophobicity of glutelin could be used as sensitive indexes for changes in rice quality evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the International Computer and Information Literacy (CIL) was introduced to assess school children's ability of using computers and other information and communications technologies (ICT) for educational purposes, considerable work has been devoted to investigating the ICT-related determinants of students' computer and information literacy. However, there is scant literature on how rural students' CIL could be affected by learning other subjects like arts or sciences. Guided by the theory of learning transfer, this study explores possible learning transfer effects of arts and science literacies on CIL and ICT skills among eighth graders (N = 2821) in China's rural areas. The findings show that arts literacy is positively associated with CIL and ICT skills, while science literacy is positively associated with basic ICT skills but negatively related to advanced ICT skills. Rural students who had a higher family socioeconomic status and better educated parents were more likely to have higher CIL, suggesting the presence of digital disparities. This study provides timely perspectives that help students to master ICT skills and improve computer literacy, including insights for revealing digital disparities among rural students in low-resource settings. • Learning transfer effects are found on computer and information literacy (CIL) among rural students. • Arts literacy is positively related to CIL and information and communications technology (ICT) skills. • Science literacy is positively related to CIL and basic ICT skills but negatively to advanced ICT skills. • Learning transfer effects are mediated by students' family socioeconomic status. • It is the first effort of assessing student achievement based on three international assessment tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-energy density lithium sulfur battery containing highly active materials is more prone to safety hazards. Besides, the infamous shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and listless redox kinetic limit its practical applications. Here, a "one-for-all" design concept for separator enabled by interfacial engineering is proposed to relieve the bottlenecks. For one thing, porous bacterial cellulose (PBC) membrane with high thermostability (no shrinking at 200 °C) and puncture resistance was employed to ensure the battery's safety. For another, a difunctional Ti 3 C 2 T x -SnS 2 modified layer could capture LiPSs through lewis-acid interaction and promoted the redox kinetics by catalytically active sites. The symmetric cell with anchoring-electrocatalysis Ti 3 C 2 T x -SnS 2 -PBC separator infiltrated with the electrolyte delivered an ionic conductivity of 2.171 mS/cm at a high temperature of 180 °C. And a capacity retention is improved by 71.2% compared with PP separator. This work furnishes a facial engineering strategy for manufacturing a multifunctional separator for lithium sulfur batteries. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theoretical model is built for a micrometer size cylindrical shell adhering to a rigid surface in the presence of an electrolyte. In the presence of surface electrostatic double layers and van der Waals attraction according to the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory, the shell deforms and settles in either the primary (lmin) or secondary (2min) energy minimum depending on whether it has sufficient energy to overcome the repulsive energy barrier. The adhesion-detachment mechanics are constructed and solved computationally, yielding the relations between applied load, deformed profile, and mechanical stress distribution in the shell. The critical compressive load needed for transition from 2min to lmin is found for several repulsive barrier heights. At a critical pull-off tensile force, shell in the lmin detaches spontaneously at a nonzero contact area, but the one in the 2min detaches smoothly with the contact shrinking to a line contact. The model is relevant to bacterial adhesion in environmental engineering and microelectromechanical systems for microfluidics applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical deformation of an ideal thin-walled cylindrical shell is investigated in the presence of intersurface interactions with a planar rigid substrate. A Dugdale- Barenblatt-Maugis (DBM) cohesive zone approximation is introduced to simulate the convoluted surface force potential. Without loss of generality, the repulsive component of the surface forces is approximated by a linear soft-repulsion, and the attractive component is described by two essential variables, namely, surface force range and magnitude, which are allowed to vary. The nonlinear problem is solved numerically to generate the pressure distribution within the contact, the deformed membrane profiles, and the adhesion-delamination mechanics, which are distinctly different from the classical solid cylinder adhesion models. The model has wide applications in cell adhesion and nanostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Adolescents with siblings had significantly higher academic achievement, parents' academic expectation, desk ownership, and kindergarten level than the only children. • Kindergarten level, eyesight, and parents' academic expectations were significant predictors of rural adolescents' academic achievement. • Singleton status could predict math but could not predict reading and science in rural adolescents. The impact of the one-child policy on urban children's development has been widely studied, leaving those from rural areas unexplored. This study investigated the sibling effects (only-child or not) on adolescents' academic achievement in rural China. Altogether 156 pairs of only children and their peers with siblings (Female = 145, 46.5%; aged from 13 to 17; M age = 14.83) were sampled and matched from rural schools; then they completed the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) Math, Reading, and Science tests and parental questionnaires. The descriptive and hierarchical regression results indicated that the adolescents with siblings had significantly higher academic achievement, parents' academic expectation, desk ownership, and kindergarten level than the only children. In addition, kindergarten level, eyesight, and parents' academic expectations were significant predictors of rural adolescents' academic achievement. These findings suggested that: (1) the educational authorities should build an equitable preschool learning situation; (2) teachers should lead only children to set and make progress on educational goals; (3) parents should raise the awareness of protecting children's eyesight in those remote and rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium‑sulfur battery has attracted immense attention because of its extraordinary high energy density and theoretical capacity. However, its practical application has been seriously hindered by the rapid capacity degradation associated with the "shuttle effect" and unstable electrodes. Such negative issues during charge-discharge process could be alleviated by modification of the separator, which is demonstrated in this paper. Here, we report a sandwich-type vanadium nitride/polyvinylidene fluoride-polymethylmethacrylate/hexagonal boron nitride separator (VN/PVDF-PMMA/hBN) by electrospinning of PVDF-PMMA nanofiber membrane, followed by magnetron sputtering of VN and hBN layer at the opposite size of the membrane. Compared to conventional coating method, magnetron sputtering led to an ultrathin coating layer of 200 nm. The sputtered VN/PVDF-PMMA/hBN separator showed higher porosity (68.7%) than commercial polypropylene (PP) separator (44.5%), and significantly high electrolyte uptake (335.8% s. 175.9%), which can lead to rapid transportation of lithium ions. In the meantime, the membrane showed clear benefit in inhibiting polysulfide diffusion and lithium metal electrode stabilization due to the presence of polar C O groups that interact with the polysulfides. As a result, the Li S battery with VN/PVDF-PMMA/hBN separator showed a high initial discharge capacity of 1077.4 mAh g−1 at 0.2C, which only slightly decreased to 905.1 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles. Significantly higher than the battery with commercial PP separator. Unlabelled Image • Rather than conventional paint-coating system, magnetron sputtering method shorten the production cycle and the cost. • Magnetron sputtering can significantly reduce the thickness of the prepared ceramic film compared to the 20 micron film prepared by conventional paint-coating. • The separator had a strong advantage in inhibiting polysulfide diffusion and stabilizing the lithium metal electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image encryption plays an essential role in the community of image security. Most existing image encryption approaches adopt a permutation–diffusion scheme to permute pixel positions and change pixel values separately. One limitation of this scheme is that it has a high risk of being cracked. To solve this problem, we propose an approach that jointly permutates and diffuses (JPD) the pixels in a color image for encryption. First, a 4D hyperchaotic system with two positive Lyapunov exponents is used to generate a sequence for almost all encryption procedures. To enhance security, the plain image's information is introduced to the hyperchaotic system's initial parameters. Then, the hyperchaotic sequence is used to permute and diffuse the pixels in images jointly. More specifically, two index matrices that determine which pixels will be permuted and diffused and one mask matrix that determines how the pixels will be diffused are generated by the hyperchaotic sequence. We test the proposed JPD with several popular images. Experimental results and security analysis demonstrate that the JPD is capable of resisting various types of attacks. Moreover, the JPD can accelerate the encryption process. All these indicate that the JPD is effective and efficient for color image encryption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A visual method for 3D attitude measurement of air float turntable based on space vector is proposed. By installing a laser pointer on the surface of the air float turntable, the projection line and the reference plane generate intersection points (light spots) to construct feature points, and use a high-speed camera to achieve the spot's displacement at different times, the three-dimensional attitude of the air float turntable can be calculated at any time. The turntable's rotation attitudes are measured by projection method, and the measurement baseline is increased to avoid the adverse influence on the measurement result caused by the nearer feature points distance. A global calibration of the world coordinates for the measurement model is performed to construct an attitudes measurement system. The experimental results show that the measurement system does not affect the functions of other systems on the air float turntable. Adopt 2 mm step calibration in the 2 m × 4 m field of view, the spots' positioning accuracy is better than 0.09 mm. The maximum standard error of the centroid extraction is 0.0095 pixels, the field of view range is up to ±15°, the yaw angle error is better than ±1.2′, the pitch angle is better than ±1.8′, and the roll angle error is better than 0.42′. The attitude's information can be transmitted in real time via UDP communication. The results show that the wide-field attitude angle visual measurement system is designed reasonably and can meet high-precision real-time measurement requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Only child had higher PEE, SEE, and science literacy than peers with siblings. • PEE had a positive effect on SEE, thereby positively impacting on science literacy. • PEE and SEE acted as the serial mediators between Singleton and science literacy. The impact of only-child policy on Chinese children's development has been widely studied, leaving those from ethnic minority groups unexplored. This study investigated the possible mediating factors in the relationship between Singleton (only-child or not) status and science literacy in Zhuang adolescents, the largest ethnic minority group in China. Altogether 527 Zhuang students (Female = 263; aged from 13 to 17) were surveyed and tested with PISA Science (2008). The path and mediation analysis have confirmed that Parental Educational Expectation (PEE) and Self-Educational Expectation (SEE) acted as the serial mediators between Singleton and Science Literacy. This model indicates that Singleton causes a higher PEE, which is associated with a higher SEE, and eventually results in a higher Science Literacy. This finding implies that the Expectancy Value Model might be cross-cultural and universal, and highlight the importance of fostering a positive educational expectation to promote science literacy in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid growth of image transmission and storage, image security has become a hot topic in the community of information security. Image encryption is a direct way to ensure image security. This paper presents a novel approach that uses a hyperchaotic system, Pixel-level Filtering with kernels of variable shapes and parameters, and DNA-level Diffusion, so-called PFDD, for image encryption. The PFDD totally consists of four stages. First, a hyperchaotic system is applied to generating hyperchaotic sequences for the purpose of subsequent operations. Second, dynamic filtering is performed on pixels to change the pixel values. To increase the diversity of filtering, kernels with variable shapes and parameters determined by the hyperchaotic sequences are used. Third, a global bit-level scrambling is conducted to change the values and positions of pixels simultaneously. The bit stream is then encoded into DNA-level data. Finally, a novel DNA-level diffusion scheme is proposed to further change the image values. We tested the proposed PFDD with 15 publicly accessible images with different sizes, and the results demonstrate that the PFDD is capable of achieving state-of-the-art results in terms of the evaluation criteria, indicating that the PFDD is very effective for image encryption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pumpkin seed proteins with desirable nutritional properties have attracted great interest as an innovative source of bioactive peptides with beneficial effects in recent years. The current study aimed to screen novel ACE inhibitory peptides from pumpkin seed proteins by in silico approach and further elucidate the underlying inhibition mechanisms. A novel tripeptide, IAF (Ile-Ala-Phe) with acceptable bioavailability properties exhibited considerable ACE inhibitory ability with an IC50 of 19.87 ± 0.50 μM. Molecular docking study showed that IAF could bound with key residues in the active site of ACE. Further molecular dynamics (MD) simulation suggested that the simulation systems reached equilibrium after 5 ns and that ACE and IAF can form complex in stabilization. Moreover, MD analysis revealed that the hydrogen bonds interactions between IAF and two key residues (His513 and Glu162) of ACE and the chelation between O3 atom of IAF and Zn2+ play more important roles in the stabilization for ACE–IAF complex, which might contribute significantly to the ACE inhibitory activity. Our study indicated that the novel and potential ACE inhibitory peptide IAF from pumpkin seed proteins can be considered as a promising candidate for controlling hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image encryption is one of the essential tasks in image security. In this paper, we propose a novel approach that integrates a hyperchaotic system, pixel-level Dynamic Filtering, DNA computing, and operations on 3D Latin Cubes, namely DFDLC, for image encryption. Specifically, the approach consists of five stages: (1) a newly proposed 5D hyperchaotic system with two positive Lyapunov exponents is applied to generate a pseudorandom sequence; (2) for each pixel in an image, a filtering operation with different templates called dynamic filtering is conducted to diffuse the image; (3) DNA encoding is applied to the diffused image and then the DNA-level image is transformed into several 3D DNA-level cubes; (4) Latin cube is operated on each DNA-level cube; and (5) all the DNA cubes are integrated and decoded to a 2D cipher image. Extensive experiments are conducted on public testing images, and the results show that the proposed DFDLC can achieve state-of-the-art results in terms of several evaluation criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Necroptosis is a pivotal contributor to the pathogenesis of various human diseases, including those affecting the nervous system, cardiovascular system, pulmonary system, and kidneys. Extensive investigations have elucidated the mechanisms and physiological ramifications of necroptosis. Among these, protein phosphorylation emerges as a paramount regulatory process, facilitating the activation or inhibition of specific proteins through the addition of phosphate groups to their corresponding amino acid residues. Currently, the targeting of kinases has gained recognition as a firmly established and efficacious therapeutic approach for diverse diseases, notably cancer. In this comprehensive review, we elucidate the intricate role of phosphorylation in governing key molecular players in the necroptotic pathway. Moreover, we provide an in-depth analysis of recent advancements in the development of kinase inhibitors aimed at modulating necroptosis. Lastly, we deliberate on the prospects and challenges associated with the utilization of kinase inhibitors to modulate necroptotic processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The main issues faced during the treatment of apical periodontitis are the management of bacterial infection and the facilitation of the repair of alveolar bone defects to shorten disease duration. Conventional root canal irrigants are limited in their efficacy and are associated with several side effects. This study introduces a synergistic therapy based on nitric oxide (NO) and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) for the treatment of apical periodontitis. Results: This research developed a multifunctional nanoparticle, CGP, utilizing guanidinylated poly (ethylene glycol)-poly (ε-Caprolactone) polymer as a carrier, internally loaded with the photosensitizer chlorin e6. During root canal irrigation, the guanidino groups on the surface of CGP enabled effective biofilm penetration. These groups undergo oxidation by hydrogen peroxide in the aPDT process, triggering the release of NO without hindering the production of singlet oxygen. The generated NO significantly enhanced the antimicrobial capability and biofilm eradication efficacy of aPDT. Furthermore, CGP not only outperforms conventional aPDT in eradicating biofilms but also effectively promotes the repair of alveolar bone defects post-eradication. Importantly, our findings reveal that CGP exhibits significantly higher biosafety compared to sodium hypochlorite, alongside superior therapeutic efficacy in a rat model of apical periodontitis. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that CGP, an effective root irrigation system based on aPDT and NO, has a promising application in root canal therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Skin fibrosis affects the normal function of the skin. TGF-β1 is a key cytokine that affects organ fibrosis. The latency-associated peptide (LAP) is essential for TGF-β1 activation. We previously constructed and prepared truncated LAP (tLAP), and confirmed that tLAP inhibited liver fibrosis by affecting TGF-β1. SPACE peptide has both transdermal and transmembrane functions. SPACE promotes the delivery of macromolecules through the stratum corneum into the dermis. This study aimed to alleviate skin fibrosis through the delivery of tLAP by SPACE. Methods: The SPACE-tLAP (SE-tLAP) recombinant plasmid was constructed. SE-tLAP was purified by nickel affinity chromatography. The effects of SE-tLAP on the proliferation, migration, and expression of fibrosis-related and inflammatory factors were evaluated in TGF-β1-induced NIH-3T3 cells. F127-SE-tLAP hydrogel was constructed by using F127 as a carrier to load SE-tLAP polypeptide. The degradation, drug release, and biocompatibility of F127-SE-tLAP were evaluated. Bleomycin was used to induce skin fibrosis in mice. HE, Masson, and immunohistochemistry were used to observe the skin histological characteristics. Results: SE-tLAP inhibited the proliferation, migration, and expression of fibrosis-related and inflammatory factors in NIH-3T3 cells. F127-SE-tLAP significantly reduced ECM production, collagen deposition, and fibrotic pathological changes, thereby alleviating skin fibrosis. Conclusion: F127-SE-tLAP could increase the transdermal delivery of LAP, reduce the production and deposition of ECM, inhibit the formation of dermal collagen fibers, and alleviate the progression of skin fibrosis. It may provide a new idea for the therapy of skin fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abnormal activation of the intestinal mucosal immune system, resulting from damage to the intestinal mucosal barrier and extensive invasion by pathogens, contributes to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Current first‐line treatments for IBD have limited efficacy and significant side effects. An innovative H2S‐releasing montmorillonite nanoformulation (DPs@MMT) capable of remodeling intestinal mucosal immune homeostasis, repairing the mucosal barrier, and modulating gut microbiota is developed by electrostatically adsorbing diallyl trisulfide‐loaded peptide dendrimer nanogels (DATS@PDNs, abbreviated as DPs) onto the montmorillonite (MMT) surface. Upon rectal administration, DPs@MMT specifically binds to and covers the damaged mucosa, promoting the accumulation and subsequent internalization of DPs by activated immune cells in the IBD site. DPs release H2S intracellularly in response to glutathione, initiating multiple therapeutic effects. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that DPs@MMT effectively alleviates colitis by eliminating reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibiting inflammation, repairing the mucosal barrier, and eradicating pathogens. RNA sequencing revealed that DPs@MMT exerts significant immunoregulatory and mucosal barrier repair effects, by activating pathways such as Nrf2/HO‐1, PI3K‐AKT, and RAS/MAPK/AP‐1, and inhibiting the p38/ERK MAPK, p65 NF‐κB, and JAK‐STAT3 pathways, as well as glycolysis. 16S rRNA sequencing demonstrated that DPs@MMT remodels the gut microbiota by eliminating pathogens and increasing probiotics. This study develops a promising nanoformulation for IBD management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zishen Huoxue Decoction (ZSHXD) is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) prescription for the treatment of vascular dementia (VD). Although the clinical effects of ZSHXD have been demonstrated, the molecular mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of ZSHXD remain unclear. To explore whether the neuroprotective effect of Zishen Huoxue Decoction (ZSHXD) treatment is associated with the PINK1/Parkin pathway-mediated mitophagy in hippocampal CA1 region of 2-VO model rats. Seventy-two male SD rats were randomly divided into the sham group, model group, Donepezil (0.45 mg/kg) group, ZSHXD low dose group (8.9 g/kg), ZSHXD medium dose group (17.8 g/kg), and ZSHXD high dose group (35.6 g/kg). Two-vessel occlusion (2-VO) rat model is established to evaluate the therapeutic effect of ZSHXD pretreatment. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining is conducted to detect the morphological changes of neurons and the number of normal neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region. Then, the mitochondrial function and structure were reflected by the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) levels and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Meanwhile, the expression of mitophagy related proteins mediated by PINK1/Parkin was detected by western blot (WB). After that, malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were measured by Elisa. At last, the apoptosis-related proteins Caspase-3、Bax、Bcl-2 were measured by WB. The results depict that ZSHXD has dose-dependently improved the cognitive function in 2-VO model rats. It has also been showed that ZSHXD can alleviate neuron damage, rescue the mitochondrial structural injury and dysfunction in hippocampal CA1 region. Besides, ZSHXD has increased the activity of SOD and decreased the activity of MDA. In addition, ZSHXD can inhibit apoptosis with Caspase-3, Bax decreasing and Bcl-2 increasing. Specially, the protection of ZSHXD showed in 2-VO model rats is along with the upregulation of PINK1, Parkin and LC3-Ⅱ/Ⅰ, and downregulation of p62 in the hippocampal CA1 region. This study reveals that ZSHXD protects the 2-VO model rats from ischemic injury by activating the PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy in the hippocampal CA1 region. [Display omitted] • This study provides a new insight into the molecular mechanism of TCM in the treatment of VD. • The hippocampus CA1 region was the focus of the present research. • The therapeutic effects of ZSHXD were associated with upregulation of PINK1/Parkin signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the kinetics, thermodynamics, and optimization of the subcritical butane extraction of Acer truncatum seed oil were investigated. The effects of experimental parameters on the extraction yield and efficiency was studied and optimized by response surface methodology, with the optimum time, temperature, and liquid/solid ratio (mL/g) of 44 min, 52 °C, and 3.4, respectively. The extraction efficiency could reach up to 94.50 % after twice extraction under optimized conditions. The extraction kinetics was determined by a modified Fick's law model and the activation energy of the effective diffusion coefficient was obtained as 23.26 kJ/mol. The enthalpy change and the entropy change were both positive with values of 20.06 kJ/mol and 70.02 J/(mol·K), respectively, while The Gibbs free energy change was negative in the temperature range. Finally, the comparisons of extraction efficiency, fatty acid composition, and properties were made for subcritical extraction and other three methods. [Display omitted] • Subcritical butane extraction shows high extraction efficiency of ATSO with 94.50 %. • Kinetics and thermodynamics were determined and verified by proposed models. • Single extraction efficiency of 78.01 % was optimized using response surface methodology. • Components of fatty acids in ATSO were confirmed with nervonic acid of 5.32–5.75 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiac fibrosis is a remodeling process of the cardiac interstitium, characterized by abnormal metabolism of the extracellular matrix, excessive accumulation of collagen fibers, and scar tissue hyperplasia. Persistent activation and transdifferentiation into myofibroblasts of cardiac fibroblasts promote the progression of fibrosis. Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is a pivotal factor in cardiac fibrosis. Latency-associated peptide (LAP) is essential for activating TGF-β1 and its binding to the receptor. Thus, interference with TGF-β1 and the signaling pathways using LAP may attenuate cardiac fibrosis. Recombinant full-length and truncated LAP were previously constructed, expressed, and purified. Their effects on cardiac fibrosis were investigated in isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) and C57BL/6 mice. The study showed that LAP and tLAP inhibited ISO-induced CF activation, inflammation, and fibrosis, improved cardiac function, and alleviated myocardial injury in ISO-induced mice. LAP and tLAP alleviated the histopathological alterations and inhibited the elevated expression of inflammatory and fibrosis-related markers in cardiac tissue. In addition, LAP and tLAP decreased the ISO-induced elevated expression of TGF-β, αvβ3, αvβ5, p-Smad2, and p-Smad3. The study indicated that LAP and tLAP attenuated ISO-induced cardiac fibrosis via suppressing TGF-β/Smad pathway. This study may provide a potential approach to alleviate cardiac fibrosis. Key points: • LAP and tLAP inhibited ISO-induced CF activation, inflammation, and fibrosis. • LAP and tLAP improved cardiac function and alleviated myocardial injury, inflammation, and fibrosis in ISO-induced mice. • LAP and tLAP attenuated cardiac fibrosis via suppressing TGF-β/Smad pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apigenin is a vital flavonoid that has attracted considerable attention in recent years due to its potent health benefits. Pumpkin seed protein (PSP) is a valuable by-product after pumpkin seed processing. However, the non-covalent interaction mechanism between apigenin and PSP remains to be explored. Here, the structural and conformational changes and molecular mechanisms underlying their interaction were investigated using multi-spectroscopic analysis integrated with molecular simulation approaches. The experimental results indicated that apigenin statically quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of PSP, indicating that the interaction between them did occur. Thermodynamic analysis and computational simulation results showed that the driving forces between apigenin and PSP were the hydrophobic interactions that predominated. The binding of apigenin resulted in changes in the conformation, microenvironment, and surface hydrophobicity of PSP. Furthermore, it was revealed by molecular docking and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations that apigenin maintained binding stability in the hydrophobic pockets of the protein through its interaction with several key residues. Additionally, it was found that the movement strength and directions of individual resides were altered after apigenin binding, which is the molecular basis of protein structural and conformational changes induced by apigenin. This study may provide theoretical evidence for the potential application of PSP and apigenin complex products in the food industry. [Display omitted] • The non-covalent binding for pumpkin seed protein (PSP) and apigenin was explored. • The fluorescence quenching of PSP by apigenin was mainly static quenching. • The binding of apigenin changed the conformation of PSP. • The dominant driving forces for PSP and apigenin were hydrophobic interactions. • Apigenin could keep stable in the binding pocket during molecular dynamic simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Plant and microbial residues are the primary drivers mediating soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation in terrestrial ecosystems. However, how plant residues and microbial residues affect SOC accumulation and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood, especially in the succession process of different vegetation types.In this study, grasslands (GL) and Robinia pseudoacacia plantations (RP) restored for 10, 20, 30, and 40 years were used as research subjects on the Loess Plateau, and farmland was used as a control. Several indicators of soil physicochemical and plant characteristics, enzyme activity, amino sugar, lignin phenols were measured.The results indicated that the contents of microbial and plant residue carbon in GL and RP increased with the increasing restoration years. However, the contribution of plant residue carbon to the SOC in GL and RP gradually decreased, while microbial residue carbon showed the opposite trend. In contrast, microbial residues were the main contributor to SOC in GL (62.8–75.1%), while plant residues were the main contributor to SOC in RP (47.2–58.3%). There was a difference in the bacterial and fungal residue carbon contribution to SOC between GL and RP. In GL, the dominant contributor to SOC changed from bacterial (47.7–37.2%) to fungal residues (15.1–37.9%). But in RP, it has always been dominated by fungal residue carbon (17.4–33.3%).More SOC accumulated in GL and RP in the form of microbial and plant residue carbon, respectively. In GL and RP, the contribution of carbon from fungal residues increased with the increase of recovery years. Overall, our research not only contributes to understanding the complexity of the carbon cycle in ecosystems, but also provides a valuable scientific basis for the management of soil carbon pools in different vegetation types under climate change.Methods: Plant and microbial residues are the primary drivers mediating soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation in terrestrial ecosystems. However, how plant residues and microbial residues affect SOC accumulation and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood, especially in the succession process of different vegetation types.In this study, grasslands (GL) and Robinia pseudoacacia plantations (RP) restored for 10, 20, 30, and 40 years were used as research subjects on the Loess Plateau, and farmland was used as a control. Several indicators of soil physicochemical and plant characteristics, enzyme activity, amino sugar, lignin phenols were measured.The results indicated that the contents of microbial and plant residue carbon in GL and RP increased with the increasing restoration years. However, the contribution of plant residue carbon to the SOC in GL and RP gradually decreased, while microbial residue carbon showed the opposite trend. In contrast, microbial residues were the main contributor to SOC in GL (62.8–75.1%), while plant residues were the main contributor to SOC in RP (47.2–58.3%). There was a difference in the bacterial and fungal residue carbon contribution to SOC between GL and RP. In GL, the dominant contributor to SOC changed from bacterial (47.7–37.2%) to fungal residues (15.1–37.9%). But in RP, it has always been dominated by fungal residue carbon (17.4–33.3%).More SOC accumulated in GL and RP in the form of microbial and plant residue carbon, respectively. In GL and RP, the contribution of carbon from fungal residues increased with the increase of recovery years. Overall, our research not only contributes to understanding the complexity of the carbon cycle in ecosystems, but also provides a valuable scientific basis for the management of soil carbon pools in different vegetation types under climate change.Results: Plant and microbial residues are the primary drivers mediating soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation in terrestrial ecosystems. However, how plant residues and microbial residues affect SOC accumulation and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood, especially in the succession process of different vegetation types.In this study, grasslands (GL) and Robinia pseudoacacia plantations (RP) restored for 10, 20, 30, and 40 years were used as research subjects on the Loess Plateau, and farmland was used as a control. Several indicators of soil physicochemical and plant characteristics, enzyme activity, amino sugar, lignin phenols were measured.The results indicated that the contents of microbial and plant residue carbon in GL and RP increased with the increasing restoration years. However, the contribution of plant residue carbon to the SOC in GL and RP gradually decreased, while microbial residue carbon showed the opposite trend. In contrast, microbial residues were the main contributor to SOC in GL (62.8–75.1%), while plant residues were the main contributor to SOC in RP (47.2–58.3%). There was a difference in the bacterial and fungal residue carbon contribution to SOC between GL and RP. In GL, the dominant contributor to SOC changed from bacterial (47.7–37.2%) to fungal residues (15.1–37.9%). But in RP, it has always been dominated by fungal residue carbon (17.4–33.3%).More SOC accumulated in GL and RP in the form of microbial and plant residue carbon, respectively. In GL and RP, the contribution of carbon from fungal residues increased with the increase of recovery years. Overall, our research not only contributes to understanding the complexity of the carbon cycle in ecosystems, but also provides a valuable scientific basis for the management of soil carbon pools in different vegetation types under climate change.Conclusions: Plant and microbial residues are the primary drivers mediating soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation in terrestrial ecosystems. However, how plant residues and microbial residues affect SOC accumulation and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood, especially in the succession process of different vegetation types.In this study, grasslands (GL) and Robinia pseudoacacia plantations (RP) restored for 10, 20, 30, and 40 years were used as research subjects on the Loess Plateau, and farmland was used as a control. Several indicators of soil physicochemical and plant characteristics, enzyme activity, amino sugar, lignin phenols were measured.The results indicated that the contents of microbial and plant residue carbon in GL and RP increased with the increasing restoration years. However, the contribution of plant residue carbon to the SOC in GL and RP gradually decreased, while microbial residue carbon showed the opposite trend. In contrast, microbial residues were the main contributor to SOC in GL (62.8–75.1%), while plant residues were the main contributor to SOC in RP (47.2–58.3%). There was a difference in the bacterial and fungal residue carbon contribution to SOC between GL and RP. In GL, the dominant contributor to SOC changed from bacterial (47.7–37.2%) to fungal residues (15.1–37.9%). But in RP, it has always been dominated by fungal residue carbon (17.4–33.3%).More SOC accumulated in GL and RP in the form of microbial and plant residue carbon, respectively. In GL and RP, the contribution of carbon from fungal residues increased with the increase of recovery years. Overall, our research not only contributes to understanding the complexity of the carbon cycle in ecosystems, but also provides a valuable scientific basis for the management of soil carbon pools in different vegetation types under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The antioxidant of bamboo leaves (AOB) is a kind of polyphenols-rich extract from bamboo leaves of the Phyllostachys Sieb. et Zucc. family. It has been certificated as a natural antioxidant by the Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China in 2003, which has a warrant for use in edible oil, meat product, aquatic product and puffed food as a novel food additive. For safely using AOB, it was required to systemic safety evaluation studies. As part of an extensive program of safety evaluation studies, the traditional teratogenicity test and the reproduction study were conducted in Sprague–Dawley rats. In the traditional teratogenicity test, the treatment was well tolerated and no mortality occurred at doses of 0, 1.43, 2.87 and 4.30g/kg bw per day; weight gain during gestation, food consumption, and food efficiency were similar in all groups; reproductive performance was not effected by the treatment; examination of the fetuses for external, visceral, and skeletal alterations did not reveal any fetotoxic, embryotoxic, or teratogenic effects of AOB. Therefore, a nominal dietary AOB level of 4.30g/kg bw per day (The value of intended use and potential exposure to human is 860mg/60kg bw per day dependent on the period of the study.) was considered to be the no-observed-adverse-effect level following daily oral administration of AOB. The results of our studies indicate safety of AOB and support the use of AOB as a food additive. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study investigated the molecular mechanism underlying the binding interaction between apigenin (API) and α-glucosidase (α-glu) by a combination of experimental techniques and computational simulation strategies. The spontaneously formation of stable API-α-glu complex was mainly driven by hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic forces, leading to a static fluorescence quenching of α-glu. The binding of API induced secondary structure and conformation changes of α-glu, decreasing the surface hydrophobicity of protein. Computational simulation results demonstrated that API could bind into the active cavity of α-glu via its interaction with active residues at the binding site. The important roles of key residues responsible for the binding stability and affinity between API and α-glu were further revealed by MM/PBSA results. In addition, it can be found that the entrance of active site tended to close after API binding as a result of its interaction with gate keeping residues. Furthermore, the structural basis for the binding interaction behavior of API was revealed and visualized by weak interaction analysis. The findings of our study revealed atomic-level mechanism of the interaction between API, which might shed light on the development of better inhibitors. • The binding of apigenin induced the microenvironment and conformational changes of α-glucosidase. • Hydrogen bonds and Van der Waals forces dominated the interaction process. • HOMO-LUMO and weak interaction analysis provided an in-depth insight into the structural basis for the binding interaction. • The contribution of key residues to the binding of apigenin and α-glucosidase was revealed by molecular simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Abandoned grasslands may affect soil carbon and respiration components; however, it is unclear how microorganisms are involved in this process.In this study, ten-year intervals of a 50-year sequence of restored abandoned grassland was selected on the Loess Plateau, with farmland used as a control. A total of 18 soil samples were collected. Soil samples were performed to indoor experiments and high-throughput sequencing to determine soil physicochemical properties, carbon components, enzyme activity, respiration components, and microbial community composition and diversity.The results showed that the vegetation structure and species diversity of abandoned grassland changed over time, which led to changes in soil physicochemical properties. Soil inorganic carbon (from 9.71 to 18.60 g/kg), organic carbon (from 2.05 to 9.36 g/kg), resistant organic carbon (from 0.92 to 7.22 g/kg), labile organic carbon (from 1.03 to 2.14 g/kg) and autotrophic respiration (from 0.57 to 1.93 μmol·m−2·s−1) increased with the prolonged abandonment period, but heterotrophic respiration declined in 40–50 years (reduce from 4.92 to 4.63 μmol·m−2·s−1). Meanwhile, we found a significant correlation between carbon and respiration components. As well, the composition and diversity of microorganisms are also greatly impacted. The main bacterial phyla were Actinobacteriota, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Chloroflexota. The main fungal phyla were Ascomycota, Mortierellomycota, and Basidiomycota, and the fungal diversity index increased with the prolonged abandonment period. Redundancy analyses showed that soil carbon components, enzyme activity, and respiration components were positively correlated with Acidobacteria, Mortierellomycota, fungal diversity (Ace, and Chao 1) and negatively correlated with Cyanobacteria and Glomeromycota.The process of vegetation restoration on the Loess Plateau has increased soil carbon content and enzyme activities, thereby increasing soil microbial activity and diversity. Enhanced soil microbial activity promoted soil respiration, but fungi had a greater impact on soil respiration compared to bacteria. This suggests that we should pay more attention to the role of soil fungi in the future management of soil carbon pools in grassland ecosystems.Methods: Abandoned grasslands may affect soil carbon and respiration components; however, it is unclear how microorganisms are involved in this process.In this study, ten-year intervals of a 50-year sequence of restored abandoned grassland was selected on the Loess Plateau, with farmland used as a control. A total of 18 soil samples were collected. Soil samples were performed to indoor experiments and high-throughput sequencing to determine soil physicochemical properties, carbon components, enzyme activity, respiration components, and microbial community composition and diversity.The results showed that the vegetation structure and species diversity of abandoned grassland changed over time, which led to changes in soil physicochemical properties. Soil inorganic carbon (from 9.71 to 18.60 g/kg), organic carbon (from 2.05 to 9.36 g/kg), resistant organic carbon (from 0.92 to 7.22 g/kg), labile organic carbon (from 1.03 to 2.14 g/kg) and autotrophic respiration (from 0.57 to 1.93 μmol·m−2·s−1) increased with the prolonged abandonment period, but heterotrophic respiration declined in 40–50 years (reduce from 4.92 to 4.63 μmol·m−2·s−1). Meanwhile, we found a significant correlation between carbon and respiration components. As well, the composition and diversity of microorganisms are also greatly impacted. The main bacterial phyla were Actinobacteriota, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Chloroflexota. The main fungal phyla were Ascomycota, Mortierellomycota, and Basidiomycota, and the fungal diversity index increased with the prolonged abandonment period. Redundancy analyses showed that soil carbon components, enzyme activity, and respiration components were positively correlated with Acidobacteria, Mortierellomycota, fungal diversity (Ace, and Chao 1) and negatively correlated with Cyanobacteria and Glomeromycota.The process of vegetation restoration on the Loess Plateau has increased soil carbon content and enzyme activities, thereby increasing soil microbial activity and diversity. Enhanced soil microbial activity promoted soil respiration, but fungi had a greater impact on soil respiration compared to bacteria. This suggests that we should pay more attention to the role of soil fungi in the future management of soil carbon pools in grassland ecosystems.Results: Abandoned grasslands may affect soil carbon and respiration components; however, it is unclear how microorganisms are involved in this process.In this study, ten-year intervals of a 50-year sequence of restored abandoned grassland was selected on the Loess Plateau, with farmland used as a control. A total of 18 soil samples were collected. Soil samples were performed to indoor experiments and high-throughput sequencing to determine soil physicochemical properties, carbon components, enzyme activity, respiration components, and microbial community composition and diversity.The results showed that the vegetation structure and species diversity of abandoned grassland changed over time, which led to changes in soil physicochemical properties. Soil inorganic carbon (from 9.71 to 18.60 g/kg), organic carbon (from 2.05 to 9.36 g/kg), resistant organic carbon (from 0.92 to 7.22 g/kg), labile organic carbon (from 1.03 to 2.14 g/kg) and autotrophic respiration (from 0.57 to 1.93 μmol·m−2·s−1) increased with the prolonged abandonment period, but heterotrophic respiration declined in 40–50 years (reduce from 4.92 to 4.63 μmol·m−2·s−1). Meanwhile, we found a significant correlation between carbon and respiration components. As well, the composition and diversity of microorganisms are also greatly impacted. The main bacterial phyla were Actinobacteriota, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Chloroflexota. The main fungal phyla were Ascomycota, Mortierellomycota, and Basidiomycota, and the fungal diversity index increased with the prolonged abandonment period. Redundancy analyses showed that soil carbon components, enzyme activity, and respiration components were positively correlated with Acidobacteria, Mortierellomycota, fungal diversity (Ace, and Chao 1) and negatively correlated with Cyanobacteria and Glomeromycota.The process of vegetation restoration on the Loess Plateau has increased soil carbon content and enzyme activities, thereby increasing soil microbial activity and diversity. Enhanced soil microbial activity promoted soil respiration, but fungi had a greater impact on soil respiration compared to bacteria. This suggests that we should pay more attention to the role of soil fungi in the future management of soil carbon pools in grassland ecosystems.Conclusions: Abandoned grasslands may affect soil carbon and respiration components; however, it is unclear how microorganisms are involved in this process.In this study, ten-year intervals of a 50-year sequence of restored abandoned grassland was selected on the Loess Plateau, with farmland used as a control. A total of 18 soil samples were collected. Soil samples were performed to indoor experiments and high-throughput sequencing to determine soil physicochemical properties, carbon components, enzyme activity, respiration components, and microbial community composition and diversity.The results showed that the vegetation structure and species diversity of abandoned grassland changed over time, which led to changes in soil physicochemical properties. Soil inorganic carbon (from 9.71 to 18.60 g/kg), organic carbon (from 2.05 to 9.36 g/kg), resistant organic carbon (from 0.92 to 7.22 g/kg), labile organic carbon (from 1.03 to 2.14 g/kg) and autotrophic respiration (from 0.57 to 1.93 μmol·m−2·s−1) increased with the prolonged abandonment period, but heterotrophic respiration declined in 40–50 years (reduce from 4.92 to 4.63 μmol·m−2·s−1). Meanwhile, we found a significant correlation between carbon and respiration components. As well, the composition and diversity of microorganisms are also greatly impacted. The main bacterial phyla were Actinobacteriota, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Chloroflexota. The main fungal phyla were Ascomycota, Mortierellomycota, and Basidiomycota, and the fungal diversity index increased with the prolonged abandonment period. Redundancy analyses showed that soil carbon components, enzyme activity, and respiration components were positively correlated with Acidobacteria, Mortierellomycota, fungal diversity (Ace, and Chao 1) and negatively correlated with Cyanobacteria and Glomeromycota.The process of vegetation restoration on the Loess Plateau has increased soil carbon content and enzyme activities, thereby increasing soil microbial activity and diversity. Enhanced soil microbial activity promoted soil respiration, but fungi had a greater impact on soil respiration compared to bacteria. This suggests that we should pay more attention to the role of soil fungi in the future management of soil carbon pools in grassland ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a devastating complication associated with diabetes mellitus, and it is the leading cause of end-stage renal diseases (ESRD). Over the last few decades, numerous studies have reported the beneficial effects of stem cell administration, specifically mesenchymal stem or stromal cells (MSCs), on tissue repair and regeneration. MSC therapy has been considered a promising strategy for ameliorating the progression of DN largely based on results obtained from several preclinical studies and recent Phase I/II clinical trials. This paper will review the recent literature on MSC treatment in DN. In addition, the roles and potential mechanisms involved in MSC treatment of DN will be summarized, which may present much needed new drug targets for this disease. Moreover, the potential benefits and related risks associated with the therapeutic action of MSCs are elucidated and may help in achieving a better understanding of MSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Prunus mume seeds have been used as a healthy food and traditional drug in China. The present study investigated the phenolic compounds and antimicrobial activity of ethanolic extract from seeds of P. mume. Total phenolic content was determined as gallic acid equivalents by the Folin–Ciocalteu method. The antibacterial activity was measured by a filter paper disc method. Three chlorogenic acid isomers, namely, 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid and 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid, were identified from P. mume seeds for the first time. The contents of these isolated compounds were quantified by HPLC. Results showed that 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid was of the highest level in these three isomers. The ethanolic extract exhibited inhibition activity against bacteria and fungi obviously. The isolated phenolic compounds also exhibited inhibition activity against bacteria significantly, but showed weak or no inhibition activity against yeasts and mold. The results exhibited that the antimicrobial activity of P. mume seeds may be partly due to the phenolic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Photothermy provides the pectinase with an optimum temperature to achieve maximum enzymatic activity. • Degradation of exopolysaccharides initiates the penetration of the nanosheets into biofilms. • Enzymolysis synergistic with photothermy eradication of biofilm infection. It is an effective method of eradicating biofilm infection and promoting wound healing by exopolysaccharides (EPS) degradation and penetration of antimicrobial agents into biofilms. In this study, a synergistic antimicrobial nanoplatform (Pec@PLL-MoS 2) based on programmed enzymolysis and photothermal therapy was developed. Pectinase (Pec) was modified onto the surface of molybdenum disulfide nanosheets (MoS 2 NSs) by ε-poly-L-lysine (PLL) linkage via electrostatic adsorption. With the 808-nm laser irradiation, the activity of Pec was regulated by the photothermal effect produced by the MoS 2 NSs. Pec efficiently degraded the EPS and destroyed the structural integrity of the biofilms, thus promoting the penetration of Pec@PLL-MoS 2 into the biofilms. With the penetration of Pec@PLL-MoS 2 , the local hyperthermia produced by the photothermy of the MoS 2 NSs further killed the bacteria inside the biofilms, eventually eradicating biofilm infections. In vitro experiments indicated that 81.1 % of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) biofilms and 89.9 % of Escherichia coli (E. coli) biofilms were eradicated within 5 min. The survival rates of the bacteria in the biofilms of S. aureus and E. coli were reduced to 5.1 % and 0.1 %, respectively. In vivo, biofilm infections in wounds were completely eradicated by Pec@PLL-MoS 2 under irradiation, thereby reducing inflammation and promoting wound healing. This study demonstrated that Pec@PLL-MoS 2 based on programmed enzymolysis and photothermia is a new synergistic treatment strategy for biofilm infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image compression and image encryption are two essential tasks in image processing. The former aims to reduce the cost for storage or transmission of images while the latter aims to change the positions or values of pixels to protect image content. Nowadays, an increasing number of researchers are focusing on the combination of these two tasks. In this paper, we propose a novel joint image compression and encryption approach that integrates a quantum chaotic system, sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) and a bit-level 3D Arnold cat map, so-called QSBLA, for such a purpose. Specifically, the QSBLA consists of 6 stages. First, a quantum chaotic system is employed to generate chaotic sequences for subsequent compression and encryption. Second, as one method of compressive sensing, SBL is used to compress images. Third, an operation of diffusion is performed on the compressed image. Fourth, the compressed and diffused image is transformed into several bit-level cubes. Fifth, 3D Arnold cat maps are used to permute each bit-level cube. Finally, all the bit-level cubes are integrated and transformed into a 2D pixel-level image, resulting in the compressed and encrypted image. Extensive experiments on 8 publicly-accessed images demonstrate that the proposed QSBLA is superior or comparable to some state-of-the-art approaches in terms of several measurement indices, indicating that the QSBLA is promising for joint image compression and encryption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Vegetation structure changes the process of rainfall redistribution. • Upper soil nitrogen increased, lower soil increased first then decreased. • Rainfall redistribution affects nitrogen components and distribution pattern. • Litter interception affects upper soil nitrogen. • Moisture entering the soil affects lower soil nitrogen. The effects of vegetation restoration on soil moisture dynamics and nutrient content have been widely studied; however, the knowledge on variation in rainfall redistribution and soil nitrogen component characteristics remain limited, particularly with respect to their relationship in restored ecosystems. Therefore, the characteristics of plant community structure, rainfall redistribution, and soil nitrogen components from farmland and Robinia pseudoacacia (RP) plantations of four restoration ages (12, 20, 30, and 45 a) were investigated and measured in the Wuliwan watershed in the Loess Plateau, China. The results showed that changes in plant community structure affected the rainfall redistribution processes. The throughfall and moisture entering the soil (MES) had the largest proportions (79.50 % and 60.25 %) in the initial and second distributions of atmospheric rainfall, respectively. With the increase in restoration age, the content of soil total nitrogen (STN), soil nitrate nitrogen (SNN), soil soluble total nitrogen (SSTN), soil soluble organic nitrogen (SSON), and soil soluble inorganic nitrogen (SSIN) all increased with restoration age in the upper soil (0–40 cm), fluctuated in the middle soil (40–100 cm), and increased and then decreased in the deeper soil (100–200 cm). In addition, the vegetation restoration process can indirectly affect soil nitrogen content and distribution patterns by affecting the rainfall redistribution process. In the upper soil, litter interception (LI) had a significant effect on STN by affecting SSIN and SSON. In the middle soil, both LI and MES had significant effects on STN through SSIN and SSON, respectively. In the deeper soil, LI had no significant effect on any nitrogen component, whereas MES had a significant effect on STN by affecting SSIN. Overall, this study indicates that RP plantation restoration has the potential to transform rainfall redistribution and soil nitrogen distribution, providing an important reference for the reciprocal feedback relationship between water and nitrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Providing a new way for green and high-value applications of tea saponin. • We used TS as raw material to synthesize novel carbon dots with AIE properties. • Stably HSA detection was ideally achieved using TS-CDs. • TS-CDs was used for ratiometric detecting pH in extremely acidic conditions. • Mitochondria-localized and HSA imaging at cellular levels can be realized. In this work, tea saponin (TS) which is indispensable in Camellia oleifera industry was used to synthesize a class of hydrophobic carbon dots (TS-CDs) with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties. A new fluorescent sensing platform based on AIE and non-modified TS-CDs for the detection of human serum albumin (HSA) and pH was developed, respectively. Interestingly, the developed platform is capable of ratiometric detecting extremely acidic pH in the range of 0.2–1.8 linearly (R2 = 0.9959) due to protonation-deprotonation. Meanwhile, TS-CDs exhibited well stability toward HSA detection over a wide linear range (0–180 μM), long-term (48 h), and wide pH range (2–13). Furthermore, TS-CDs was utilized to localize to mitochondria and detect HSA in living cells, demonstrating its promising perspective in biosensing applications. This work may pave a novel avenue for high value-added utilization in the extraction process of extracting camellia oil for food woody oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents at first time that the ultra-performance™ liquid chromatographic atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometer (UPLC-APCI–MS) was used as an efficient method for the identification and quantification of diversiform phytosterols in food materials. The sample preparation consisted of extraction by supercritical carbon dioxide fluid extraction (SCE) and saponification by refluxing with ethanolic KOH, and then the non-saponificable fraction was extracted with petroleum ether. This fraction was subjected to solid phase extraction (SPE) on silica gel cartridge and then the sterols were eluted with hexane-ethyl acetate. Sterols were separated on an Acquity UPLC™ BEH C18 column (100mm×1.0mm, 1.7μm particle size) with a gradient of methanol/water (1% acetonitrile) at a flow of 0.1mLmin−1. The determination was performed in selective ion monitoring mode. The quality parameter of the developed method was established using 6-ketocholestanol as internal standard. Limits of quantification (LOQ) were 0.1754, 0.0341, 0.0500, 0.0205, 0.0225, 0.3674, 0.0241, 0.0272, 0.0076μgL−1 and 0.1525μgmL−1 for 6-ketocholestanol, desmosterol, ergosterol, cholesterol, lanosterol, cholestanol, campesterol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, and stigmastanol, respectively. The intra- and inter-day determination precision for the 10 phytosterols were less than 5 and 6% in relative standard deviations, and their recoveries were located in the range of 94–107%. The developed approach has been applied successfully for efficient determination of diversiform phytosterols in food materials, including corn, sesame, oat and peanut. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) was doped by 3-(Cyclohexylamino)-2-hydroxy-1-propanesulfonic acid (CAPSO), leading to dramatic improvement of its conductivity and consequently efficiency enhancement in inverted perovskite solar cells (PSCs) based on PEDOT:PSS hole transport layer (HTL). Under the optimized CAPSO doping concentration, the conductivity of PEDOT:PSS film increased by about three orders of magnitude, and this is interpreted by the weakening of the coulombic attractions between PEDOT and PSS components induced by CAPSO. CAPSO doped PEDOT:PSS (PEDOT:PSS@CAPSO) was applied as HTL of PSCs devices based on CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 layers, leading to the best power conversion efficiency (PCE) of ~38% enhanced relative to those of the corresponding reference devices based on pristine PEDOT:PSS HTL. Scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM) results show that the work function of PEDOT@CAPSO matches well with the valence band of CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 absorbers. The research demonstrates that the zwitterion modified PEDOT:PSS could act as an outstanding hole transport material for fabricating high-efficient perovskite solar cells. A new zwitterion, 3-(Cyclohexylamino)-2-hydroxy-1-propanesulfonic acid (CAPSO), induced to dope PEDOT:PSS, leading to a dramatic increase of the conductivity of PEDOT:PSS film. PEDOT:PSS@CAPSO was incorporated as hole transport layer (HTL) in inverted perovskite solar cells devices based on CH3NH3PbI3, resulting in obvious efficiency enhancements, which is attributed to the conjunct factors including the increase of the crystallinity of perovskite layer and the improved conductivity of PEDOT:PSS HTL. Image 1 • A new zwitterion, CAPSO, introduced to dope PEDOT:PSS, leading to a dramatic increase of the conductivity of PEDOT:PSS film. • PEDOT:PSS@CAPSO was incorporated as hole transport layer (HTL) in inverted perovskite solar cells based on CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3. • Modified PEDOT:PSS HTL induced obvious efficiency enhancement for inverted perovskite solar cells. • Improved efficiency is due to the increased crystallinity of perovskite layer and improved conductivity of PEDOT:PSS HTL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]