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The closed pores play a critical role in improving the sodium storage capacity of hard carbon (HC) anode, however, their formation mechanism as well as the efficient modulation strategy at molecular level in the polymer‐derived HCs is still lacking. In this work, the steric hindrance effect has been proposed to create closed pores in the polymer‐derived HCs for the first time through grafting the aromatic rings within and between the main chains in the precursor. The experimental data and theoretical calculation demonstrate that steric‐hindrance effect from the aromatic ring side group can increase backbone rigidity and the internal free volumes in the polymer precursor, which can prevent the over graphitization and facilitate the formation of closed pores during the carbonization process. As a result, the as‐prepared HC anode exhibits a remarkably enhanced discharge capacity of 340.3 mAh/g at 0.1 C, improved rate performance (210.7 mAh/g at 5 C) as well as boosted cycling stability (86.4 % over 1000 cycles at 2 C). This work provides a new insight into the formation mechanisms of closed pores via steric hindrance engineering, which can shed light on the development of high‐performance polymer‐derived HC anode for sodium‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The closed pores play a critical role in improving the sodium storage capacity of hard carbon (HC) anode, however, their formation mechanism as well as the efficient modulation strategy at molecular level in the polymer‐derived HCs is still lacking. In this work, the steric hindrance effect has been proposed to create closed pores in the polymer‐derived HCs for the first time through grafting the aromatic rings within and between the main chains in the precursor. The experimental data and theoretical calculation demonstrate that steric‐hindrance effect from the aromatic ring side group can increase backbone rigidity and the internal free volumes in the polymer precursor, which can prevent the over graphitization and facilitate the formation of closed pores during the carbonization process. As a result, the as‐prepared HC anode exhibits a remarkably enhanced discharge capacity of 340.3 mAh/g at 0.1 C, improved rate performance (210.7 mAh/g at 5 C) as well as boosted cycling stability (86.4 % over 1000 cycles at 2 C). This work provides a new insight into the formation mechanisms of closed pores via steric hindrance engineering, which can shed light on the development of high‐performance polymer‐derived HC anode for sodium‐ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slow charging speed has been a serious constraint to the promotion of electric vehicles (EVs), and therefore the development of advanced lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) with fast-charging capability has become an urgent task. Thanks to its low price and excellent overall electrochemical performance, graphite has dominated the anode market for the past 30 years. However, it is difficult to meet the development needs of fast-charging batteries using graphite anodes due to their fast capacity degradation and safety hazards under high-current charging processes. This feature article describes the failure mechanism of graphite anodes under fast charging, and then summarizes the basic principles, current research progress, advanced strategies and challenges of fast-charging anodes represented by graphite, lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O12) and niobium-based oxides. Moreover, we look forward to the development prospects of fast-charging anodes and provide some guidance for future research in the field of fast-charging batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithium nitrate has been widely used to improve the interfacial stability of Li metal anode in ether electrolyte. However, the low solubility limits its application in carbonate electrolytes for high‐voltage Li metal batteries. Herein, nitrated polycaprolactone (PCL‐ONO2), which is prepared via the acylation of polycaprolactone diol (PCL‐diol) followed by the grafting of nitrate group, has been proposed as an electrolyte additive to introduce high‐concentration NO3− into carbonate electrolytes for the first time. The theoretical calculations and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling demonstrate that the PCL‐ONO2 additive preferentially reacts with Li metal and in situ constructs a stable dual‐layered solid electrolyte interphase film, presenting an inner nitride‐rich layer and an outer flexible PCL‐based layer on the surface of Li metal anode. As a result, the Li metal anode delivers an impressive long‐term cycling performance over 1400 h at an elevated area capacity of 10.0 mAh cm−2 and an ultrahigh current density of 10.0 mA cm−2 in the Li symmetrical cells. Moreover, the PCL‐ONO2 additive enables the full cells constructed by coupling high‐loading LiFePO4 (20.0 mg cm−2) or LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3 (16.5 mg cm−2) cathode and thin Li metal anode (≈50 µm) to demonstrate greatly improved cycling stability and rate capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are rounded vesicles enclosed by a lipid bilayer membrane, released by eukaryotic cells and by bacteria. They carry various types of bioactive substances, including nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids. Depending on their cargo, EVs have a variety of well‐studied functions in mammalian systems, including cell‐to‐cell communication, cancer progression, and pathogenesis. In contrast, EVs in plant cells (which have rigid walls) have received very little research attention for many decades. Increasing evidence during the past decade indicates that both plant cells and plant pathogens are able to produce and secrete EVs, and that such EVs play key roles in plant–pathogen interactions. Plant EVs contains small RNAs (sRNAs) and defence‐related proteins, and may be taken up by pathogenic fungi, resulting in reduced virulence. On the other hand, EVs released by gram‐negative bacteria contain a wide variety of effectors and small molecules capable of activating plant immune responses via pattern‐recognition receptor‐ and BRI1‐ASSOCIATED RECEPTOR KINASE‐ and SUPPRESSOR OF BIR1‐mediated signalling pathways, and salicylic acid‐dependent and ‐independent processes. The roles of EVs in plant–pathogen interactions are summarized in this review, with emphasis on important molecules (sRNAs, proteins) present in plant EVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes the roasting of amblygonite with calcium sulfate followed by water leaching to extract lithium and phosphorus. Various roasting parameters including roasting temperature, the mass ratio CaSO 4 /ore, roasting time as well as leaching parameters, such as the liquid/solid ratio, temperature and time, have been carefully investigated. The lithium extraction efficiency can be as high as 99.8% with a mass ratio of CaSO 4 /ore of 0.85 after roasting at 775 °C for 1 h and water leaching at a liquid/solid ratio of 3 mL/g at 100 °C for 2 h. The XRD analysis demonstrates that the fluoride in the amblygonite can be converted into Ca 5 (PO 4) 3 F and CaF 2. Lithium in the leach liquor can be recovered as Li 2 CO 3. Meanwhile, the phosphorus in the water leach residue can be recovered as FePO 4 with a high recovery of 96.6% after acid dissolution and precipitation, which can be further treated to produce LiFePO 4. • Sulfation roasting was proposed to extract lithium from amblygonite. • Under the most suitable conditions, the recovery of Li can achieve 99.76%. • The CaSO 4 can effectively fix the fluorine in the amblygonite in the roasting. • The phosphorus in amblygonite was recovered as FePO 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bicycle scheduling is the essential strategy for balancing the demand for the public bicycle system (PBS). Existing literature pays more attention to bike scheduling models and their solutions, but seldom discusses the dispatch area and depot center. Reasonable dockless public bicycle dispatch area and optimal dockless bike dispatch depot location in the service area were discussed from the existing shared bicycle operation data in this paper. We proposed a feasible framework including bike trip network segmentation, mean-shift clustering based on the point position, VRP model, genetic algorithm, and TOPSIS evaluation method. The effectiveness and superiority of the division of the dispatch area are verified. The main evidence for this article is (1) although the cycling networks of bicycles are different at different times of the day, the results of community division are relatively stable and have great similarities. (2) The plan of the dispatch area has impacted on the operation efficiency of the PBS. For a scheduling area, the target value of the optimal scheduling strategy corresponding to different dispatch centers is obviously different. Therefore, the location of the dispatch center has a great impact on the quality of the scheduling strategy. The dispatch area determined by bike trip OD community detection has stable characteristics of scheduling costs. (3) This work is an attempt to combine big data and model technology to assist city management. We build a feasible framework to serve a balanced strategy for FFBS which can provide reasonable dispatch area, optimal dispatch depot location, dispatch truck's route length, load action, and time window. Our proposed framework provides new ideas for regional traffic dispatching for the traffic management department and FFBS operator, which has certain practical reference significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, a two-dimensional (2D) moving trajectory can be reconstructed using data collected from a 6-axis IMU (inertial measurement unit), which consists of a 3-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis accelerometer. Since the power consumption of a gyroscope is significantly larger than that of an accelerometer, to be energy-efficient, it is more preferable to use two gyro-free IMUs as alternatives. The existing gyro-free trajectory reconstruction approach is an angular velocity (i.e. ω) -based method. The design of an ω-free gyro-free approach remains as a research gap, which motivates this research work. In this paper, an ω-free accelerometer pair (OFAP) method is proposed, which can yield a lower accumulated error, has a lower power consumption, is more scalable, and can deliver the same trajectory reconstruction performance as the existing approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been reported recently in surgical smoke generated by gynecological operations. The objective of this study was to investigate whether gynecologists who have performed electrosurgery including loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), are at risk of acquiring HPV DNA through surgical smoke. Methods: A related questionnaire was designed and 700 gynecologist nasal swab samples were collected in 67 hospitals. In addition, the flow fluorescence hybridization technique was used to detect HPV DNA, and the Chi-square test was applied to analyze whether related risk factors including electrical surgery, were correlated with HPV infection in surgeons' nasal epithelial cells. Results: The HPV infection rate in the nasal epithelial cells of the participants who performed electrosurgery (8.96%, 42/469) or LEEP (10.11%, 36/356) was significantly higher than that in the remaining participants who did not perform electrosurgery (1.73%, 4/231) or LEEP (2.91%, 10/344), respectively. The most prevalent HPV genotype in the electrosurgery group was HPV16 (76.19%, 32/42). The HPV-positive rate was increased in the group that had a longer duration of electrosurgery (P = 0.016). Additionally, the HPV detection rate was significantly lower in electrosurgery operators who used surgical mask (7.64%, 33/432) than in those who did not use protective masks (24.32%, 9/37). Furthermore, the N95 mask (0%, 0/196) significantly reduced the risk for HPV infection compared to that with the general mask (13.98%, 33/236, P < 0.001). Furthermore, 46 participants infected with HPV were followed-up for 3–24 months, and approximately 43.48% (20/46) and 100% (41/41) became negative for HPV DNA, respectively. Conclusions: Gynecologists who performed electrosurgery including LEEP were at risk of acquiring HPV infection. Surgical masks, especially the N95 mask, significantly decreased the hazard of HPV transmission from surgical smoke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the number of bicycles is critical to the sustainable development of dockless PBS, this research practiced the introduction of a machine learning approach to quantity management using OFO bike operation data in Shenzhen. First, two clustering algorithms were used to identify the bicycle gathering area, and the available bike number and coefficient of available bike number variation were analyzed in each bicycle gathering area's type. Second, five classification algorithms were compared in the accuracy of distinguishing the type of bicycle gathering areas using 25 impact factors. Finally, the application of the knowledge gained from the existing dockless bicycle operation data to guide the number planning and management of public bicycles was explored. We found the following. (1) There were 492 OFO bicycle gathering areas that can be divided into four types: high inefficient, normal inefficient, high efficient, and normal efficient. The high inefficient and normal inefficient areas gathered about 110,000 bicycles with low usage. (2) More types of bicycle gathering area will affect the accuracy of the classification algorithm. The random forest classification had the best performance in identifying bicycle gathering area types in five classification algorithms with an accuracy of more than 75%. (3) There were obvious differences in the characteristics of 25 impact factors in four types of bicycle gathering areas. It is feasible to use these factors to predict area type to optimize the number of available bicycles, reduce operating costs, and improve utilization efficiency. This work helps operators and government understand the characteristics of dockless PBS and contributes to promoting long-term sustainable development of the system through a machine learning approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While public spaces of tourist villages (PSTVs) have increasingly gained more policy and development attention, their empirical investigations are still limited. This study aims to develop a quantitative methodological approach of assessing PSTVs through the use of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to measure tourists' satisfaction. This approach involves experts'and tourists' judgment processes, and the resultant assessment matrix is applied to suggest the strengths and weaknesses of the PSTVs using an Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA). The results from Jiaochangwei Village in Shenzhen suggest that "street spaces," "square spaces," "coastal spaces," "green spaces," "traffic facilities," "public service facilities," "culture," and "management and maintenance" are key factors to evaluate the use and quality of PSTVs. This paper offers insights into the theoretical investigation and practical development of PSTVs for tourism and village planning decision makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coccidiosis is one of the most frequently reported diseases in chickens, causing a significant economic impact on the poultry industry. However, there have been no previous studies evaluating the prevalence of this disease in broiler farms in Guangdong province. Therefore, this study aims to conduct an epidemiological investigation into the occurrence of Eimeria species and associated risk factors in intensive management conditions across four regions in Guangdong province, China. A total of 394 fecal samples were collected from 89 broiler farms in Guangdong province. The prevalence of Eimeria species infection was determined using PCR, and the occurrence of Clostridium perfringens type A was assessed using quantitative real-time PCR. Results: The results showed an overall prevalence of 98.88% (88/89) at the farm level and 87.06% (343/394) at the flock level. All seven Eimeria species were identified, with E. acervulina (72.53%; 64/89), E. tenella (68.54%; 61/89), and E. mitis (66.29%; 59/89) at the farm level, and E. acervulina (36.55%; 144/394), E. mitis (35.28%; 139/394), and E. tenella (34.01%; 134/394) at the flock level. The predominant species combination observed was a co-infection of all seven Eimeria species (6.74%; 6/89), followed by a combination of E. acervulina, E. tenella, E. mitis, E. necatrix, E. brunetti, and E. maxima (5.62%, 5/89). A combination of E. acervulina, E. tenella, E. mitis, E. necatrix, E. brunetti, and E. praecox (4.49%; 4/89) was also observed at the farm level. Furthermore, the study identified several potential risk factors associated with the prevalence of Eimeria species, including farm location, chicken age, drinking water source, control strategy, and the presence of C. perfringens type A were identified as potential risk factors associated with prevalence of Eimeria species. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed a significant association between E. necatrix infection and both grower chickens (OR = 10.86; 95% CI: 1.92–61.36; p < 0.05) and adult chickens (OR = 24.97; 95% CI: 4.29–145.15; p < 0.001) compared to starter chickens at the farm level. Additionally, farms that used groundwater (OR = 0.27; 95% CI: 0.08–0.94; p < 0.05) were less likely to have E. maxima compared to those that used running water. At the flock level, the prevalence of E. tenella was significantly higher in the Pearl River Delta (OR = 2.48; 95% CI: 1.0–6.15; p = 0.05) compared to eastern Guangdong. Interestingly, flocks with indigenous birds were less likely to have E. brunetti (OR = 0.48; 95% CI: 0.26–0.89; p < 0.05) compared to flocks with indigenous crossbred birds. Furthermore, flocks that used anticoccidial drugs (OR = 0.09; 95% CI: 0.03–0.31; p < 0.001) or a combination of vaccines and anticoccidial drugs (OR = 0.06; 95% CI: 0.01–0.25; p < 0.001) were less likely to be positive for E. tenella compared to flocks that only used vaccines. Finally, flocks with C. perfringens type A infection were significantly more likely to have E. necatrix (OR = 3.26; 95% CI: 1.96–5.43; p < 0.001), E. tenella (OR = 2.14; 95% CI: 1.36–3.36; p < 0.001), E. brunetti (OR = 2.48; 95% CI: 1.45–4.23; p < 0.001), and E. acervulina (OR = 2.62; 95% CI: 1.69–4.06; p < 0.001) compared to flocks without C. perfringens type A. Conclusions: This study conducted an investigation on the prevalence, distribution, and risk factors associated with Eimeria species infection in broiler chickens in Guangdong. The farm-level prevalence of Eimeria species was higher than the previous prevalence figures for other areas and countries. E. brunetti was identified at higher prevalence in Guangdong than previously survived prevalence in different regions in China. Farm location, chicken age, drinking water source, control strategy, and the presence of C. perfringens type A were considered as potential risk factors associated with prevalence of Eimeria species. It is imperative to underscore the necessity for further surveys to delve deeper into the occurrence of Eimeria species under intensive management conditions for different flock purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Herein, the 2D NiCl(OH) nanosheets and 2D V-doped NiCl(OH) nanoplates assembled by 3D nanosheet arrays supported on nickel foam have been successfully synthesized by a facile one-pot hydrothermal reaction. The dependences of the microstructure and electrochemical performance on hydrothermal reaction time and reactant concentration were investigated, and the electrochemical performance was optimized at 12 h and C Ni 2+ = 0.15 mM. A series of characterization results reveal that the as-prepared V-doped NiCl(OH) nanoplate arrays are successfully grown on nickel foam, and these nanoplates are composed of interconnected ultrathin nanosheets. The thickness of the as-obtained nanosheets increases with increasing reaction time, and the thickness of the optimized nanosheets is about ~20 nm. Vanadium dopant is used as the template agent to alter the morphology of NiCl(OH) nanosheet arrays and form the V-doped NiCl(OH) nanoplate arrays, then leading to a higher specific surface area and lower charge transfer resistance. The cost-effective, binder-free and optimized V-doped NiCl(OH) delivers the high specific capacitances of 2753.3 and 1470.0 F g−1 at the current densities of 1 and 30 mA cm−2, respectively. Meanwhile, an asymmetric supercapacitor is constructed with the optimized V-doped NiCl(OH) sample as the positive electrode and activated carbon as the negative electrode. The fabricated device can exhibit a high energy densities of 45.5 W h kg−1 at the power density of 799.5 W kg−1 in the voltage window of 0–1.6 V. The efficient electrochemical performance of 3D V-doped NiCl(OH) nanoplate arrays makes it a favorable candidate for supercapacitor electrode material. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • 2D vanadium-doped NiCl(OH) nanoplate arrays on NF are synthesized by a one-pot hydrothermal method. • Doping V efficiently tailors the morphology of NiCl(OH) and increases the specific surface area. • The optimized electrode shows a high specific capacitance of 2753.3 F g−1 at 1 mA cm−2. • The assembled ASC supercapacitor delivers a high energy density of 45.5 W h kg−1 at 799.5 W kg−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficiency and equity have always been the two points of focus of transport projects. Compared with efficiency, equity is easily overlooked in the evaluation of transport projects. Many studies emphasize that defining and operationalizing costs and benefits and the distributive principle are critical parts in the assessment of transportation equity. However, the scope and time frame of the assessment target are also critical. In this paper, we took China’s fastest urbanizing city, Shenzhen, as a case study to assess transport equity by comparing accessibility among groups. First, the public transport system was divided into bus and subway, and the residents were divided into two groups: urban village and nonurban village. Second, we adopted an enhanced potential opportunity model to measure residents’ bus and subway accessibility and summarized them as transit opportunity. Third, we used the Dagum Gini coefficient decomposition and kernel density estimation method to explore the fair distribution of transit opportunity among groups and districts from 2011 to 2020. Decade-long changes in disparity and distribution of transit opportunity gave us a clear picture. On the one hand, the development of Shenzhen public transport system had a positive effect. All populations are benefiting, and their accessibility is increasing. On the other hand, it also had a negative effect to exacerbate inequality between populations. For the absolute value of the opportunity, Shenzhen’s urban village populations do have fewer transportation opportunities than nonurban villages, and this gap between them will be wider more and more. The public transport system is more inclined to improve the population with high initial opportunity and make them higher. The results illustrated the importance of examining transportation equity over an extended period and could provide information on urban development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two chromite spinel-based composite materials, Mn II Cr III 2 O 4 /Mn II Mn III 2 O 4 /C and CoCr 2 O 4 /C are successfully synthesized by a solid-state conversion process via annealing Mn Cr-coordination compound and Co Cr-coordination compound at 350 °C in air for 1 h, respectively. The two composite materials both show the morphology of nanoparticles, in which the spinels are embedded in carbon matrix into a continuous phase. The as-prepared composite materials are used as supercapacitor electrodes in basic electrolyte. The Mn II Cr III 2 O 4 /Mn II Mn III 2 O 4 /C composite material possesses a high specific capacity of 184.0 mAh g −1 at a current density of 0.5 A g −1 with a superior rate capability of 138.3 mAh g −1 (75.2% retention) at 20 A g −1 . Meanwhile, CoCr 2 O 4 /C nanoparticles also deliver a high specific capacity of 158.8 mAh g −1 at a current density of 0.5 A g −1 with a superior rate capability of 125.0 mAh g −1 (78.7% retention) at 20 A g −1 . The good supercapacitive behaviors of the two composite materials are probably attributed to the characteristics of bimetallic compound and the presence of multiple valence states in the samples, giving rise to obvious redox responses. And the Mn II Cr III 2 O 4 /Mn II Mn III 2 O 4 /C and CoCr 2 O 4 /C composites possess reversible electrochromism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NiV 2 O 6 /C composites are prepared via a solid-state conversion process by low temperature (150 °C) annealing nickel‑vanadium-based coordination polymer, [Ni(phen)H 2 O][V 2 O 6 ]. The obtained NiV 2 O 6 /C nanoribbons are interconnected to form a sponge-like morphology, when the composites are first used as supercapacitor electrode, it exhibits a specific capacitance of 745.6 F g −1 at 0.5 A g −1 with a good rate capability of 520.0 F g −1 (69.7% retention) at 10 A g −1 (20-folds). The NiV 2 O 6 /C composite exhibits good cycling performance, the capacitance retentions at 6000th and 12000th charging/discharging cycles at 2 A g −1 are 81.5% and 77.8% relative to the original capacitances, respectively. The morphological and compositional changes of the NiV 2 O 6 /C composite electrode before and after 12,000 GCD cycles (two-electrode system) are carefully elaborated through a series of characterization (SEM, EDS, and XPS). Furthermore, the NiV 2 O 6 /C nanoribbons possess reversible electrochromism, which is probably related to the intervalence charge transfer (IVCT, V IV  → V V ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, Ni 2+ -doped (NH 4 ) 2 V 3 O 8 nanoflakes are in situ grown on Ni foam through a facile one-pot hydrothermal technique in a NH 4 VO 3 aqueous solution. The Ni 2+ -doped (NH 4 ) 2 V 3 O 8 @Ni foam composite material can be used as binder- and conductivity agent-free electrode in supercapacitor, it manifests a large specific capacitance of 465.5 F g −1 at a current density of 0.2 A g −1 and a superior rate capability of 317.5 F g −1 at 10 A g −1 , which is beneficial from its three-dimensional porous architecture cross-linked by the ultrathin Ni 2+ -doped (NH 4 ) 2 V 3 O 8 nanoflakes on Ni foam. Meanwhile, the Ni 2+ -doped (NH 4 ) 2 V 3 O 8 @Ni foam//Activated carbon asymmetric supercapacitor can deliver a maximum energy density of 20.1 W h kg −1 at a power density of 752.0 W kg −1 . Significantly, the Ni 2+ -doped (NH 4 ) 2 V 3 O 8 @Ni foam electrode possesses reversible electrochromic behavior, and it shows obvious visible light-driven photoresponse with much higher specific capacitance (645.3 F g −1 at 0.5 A g −1 ) under illumination (650 nm > λ > 350 nm, 100 mW cm −2 ), which is probably associated with the semiconducting characteristics of the spin-polarized (NH 4 ) 2 V 3 O 8 and the quantum confinement effect of the nanoflakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sono-photo-Fenton, sono-Fenton and photo-Fenton methods combined with heterogeneous TiO 2 nanoparticles are adopted to investigate the degradation of sodium alginate (NaAlg), and the kinetics mechanism is also explored. Experimental results suggest that the reaction order of NaAlg degradation ( n ) is 0.51 and the extent of photocatalytic degradation can increase with the loading of TiO 2 nanoparticles. Meanwhile, as the catalyst concentration increases from 0.05 to 0.5 gL −1 , the degradation rate constant ( k ) is decreased. In addition, the structure of degraded NaAlg is characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), 1 H NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses. The FT-IR and 1 H NMR spectra results indicate that the C2-C3 bond in the structure of NaAlg is broken and intra-molecular esters are formed during the degradation process due to the strong oxidization of the Fenton system. In general, the sono-photo-Fenton process with TiO 2 nanoparticles could provide an efficient way to degrade the NaAlg to low-molecular-weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, commercial Ni foams are directly oxidized into Ni@Ni(OH) 2 foams in a mild NH 4 NO 3 solution at 80 °C. When used as binder-free electrodes, these Ni@Ni(OH) 2 electrodes demonstrate a high areal capacitance of 6.4 F/cm 2 at a current density of 2.5 mA/cm 2 , or 1.62 F/cm 2 at a high current density of 30 mA/cm 2 . Nevertheless, they show a poor cycling ability with 70.4% (or 42%) capacitance retention after 2000 (or 5000) cycles at 30 mA/cm 2 . This kind of electrodes has a promising application in low-cost, high-performance supercapacitor, if an effective strategy is found to improve their cycling ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Daqu is a traditional Chinese baijiu starter. To investigate the composition of the microbial community of daqu starters, high-throughput sequencing (HTS) combined with culture-dependent method was used to analyze the fungal diversity of thirty starters made at three temperatures (low-, medium- and high-temperature). In the study, we isolated 420 isolates of fungal strains through the plate culture method. Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Wickerhamomyces anomalus and Saccharomycopsis fibuligera were the most common yeasts encountered in these daqu starters, accounting for 79% of the relative abundance. HTS showed that the dominant genera in low-temperature daqu were distinct from those of medium- and high-temperature. The genera, Thermomyces and Thermoascus , exhibited a higher relative abundance and were considered to be the dominant flora in high-(75%) and medium-(47%) temperature starters, respectively. These two genera were thermotolerant fungi. Saccharomycetaceae was the predominant microflora in low-temperature daqu with a relative abundance of 68%. The present study suggests that the effect of the daqu processing temperature on the fungal community was important and that a knowledge of microbial composition should help to screen fermentation strains thus improving the quality of baijiu liquor. • Analyzed the fungal composition of three representative Chinese baijiu daqu starters. • Effective high-throughput sequencing (HTS) and culture-dependent method resolving the species abundance. • Daqu microbial diversity correlated with processing temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Swine acute diarrhoea syndrome coronavirus (SADS‐CoV) is a newly identified swine enteropathogenic coronavirus that causes watery diarrhoea in neonatal piglets, leading to significant economic losses to the swine industry. Currently, there are no suitable serological methods to assess the infection of SADS‐CoV and effectiveness of vaccines, making an urgent need to exploit effective enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to compensate for this deficiency. Here, a recombinant plasmid that expresses the spike (S) protein of SADS‐CoV fused to the Fc domain of human IgG was constructed to generate recombinant baculovirus and expressed in HEK 293F cells. The S‐Fc protein was purified with protein G Resin, which retained reactivity with anti‐human Fc and anti‐SADS‐CoV antibodies. The S‐Fc protein was then used to develop an indirect ELISA (S‐iELISA) and the reaction conditions of S‐iELISA were optimized. As a result, the cut‐off value was determined as 0.3711 by analyzing OD450nm values of 40 SADS‐CoV‐negative sera confirmed by immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and western blot. The coefficient of variation (CV) of 6 SADS‐CoV‐positive sera within and between runs of S‐iELISA were both less than 10%. The cross‐reactivity assays demonstrated that S‐iELISA was non‐cross‐reactive with other swine viruses' sera. Furthermore, the overall coincidence rate between IFA and S‐iELISA was 97.3% based on testing 111 clinical serum samples. Virus neutralization test with seven different OD450nm values of the sera showed that the OD450nm values tested by S‐iELISA are positively correlated with the virus neutralization assay. Finally, a total of 300 pig field serum samples were tested by S‐iELISA and commercial kits of other swine enteroviruses showed that the IgG‐positive for SADS‐CoV, TGEV, PDCoV and PEDV was 81.7, 54, 65.3 and 6%, respectively. The results suggest that this S‐iELISA is specific, sensitive, repeatable and can be applied for the detection of the SADS‐CoV infection in the swine industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recombinant fusion protein BVN-Tβ4 is successfully expressed in Escherichia coli , purified in the laboratory and applied onto the wounds of diabetic mice to investigate its effects on diabetic wound healing. Our results show that the recombinant protein BVN-Tβ4 can promote diabetic wound healing in the murine model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In pest control field, the sustained release of pesticides plays significant roles in effectiveness and environment friendly. In this study, the sodium alginate (SA), polyacrylamide (PAM) and montmorillonite (MMT) were utilized to fabricate the stretchable double-network nanocomposite hydrogel, which apply in a sustained release system of acetamiprid. These nanocomposite hydrogels were fully characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicate that adding MMT could significantly improve the sustained release performances of the hydrogels. The swelling behavior of all the hydrogels well fits into the Fickian diffusion model. The hydrogel with 5.0% MMT content shows the maximum pesticides loading rate of 13.32% and minimum pesticides release rate of 76.11%. The nanocomposite hydrogels take advantages of both the gelation property of alginate and the adsorption capacity of clays, has great potential in the application of pesticides carrier to improve the utilization efficiency of water-insoluble pesticides. Unlabelled Image • Stretchable double-network PAM/SA/MMT/Ca2+ gels were prepared and characterized. • PAM/SA/MMT/Ca2+ gels used for pesticide sustained release system. • MMT enhances the sustained release performances of the hydrogels. • The hydrogels can improve the utilization efficiency of water-insoluble pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Binary metal compounds have higher conductivity and richer redox reactions due to the co-existence and synergism of different transition metals. Besides, carbon in composite materials has the advantage of enhancing electronic conductivity to promote fast electron transmission. Herein, a series of Ni m P n /C, Ni 2 P/C, Co 2 P/C and Ni x Co 2-x P/C nanohybrids with different Ni/Co molar ratios were synthesized by in-situ calcination/phosphorization of MOF precursors. These nanohybrid materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometer and electrochemical tests. The NiCoP/C material possesses a granular structure with NiCoP nanoparticles anchored in a large number of carbon. Taking advantage of the bimetallic synergism and carbon anchoring effect, the as-prepared NiCoP/C sample delivers the most prominent specific capacities of 775.7C g−1 at 1 A g−1, and 582.4C g−1 at 20 A g−1 (20-fold) with a superior rate capability of 75.1% retention, much superior to those of the corresponding Ni m P n /C, Ni 2 P/C, Co 2 P/C, other Ni x Co 2-x P/C samples and various reported metal phosphide nanostructures/nanocomposites. Furthermore, the constructed NiCoP/C//activated carbon asymmetric supercapacitor can exhibit a high energy density of 47.6 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 798.9 W kg−1, which was superior to those previously reported of Ni/Co phosphide nanomaterials. Image 1 • Ni m P n /C and Ni x Co 2-x P/C nanohybrids have been synthetised by in-situ calcination/phosphorization of the corresponding MOF. • Synergistic effect of Ni and Co significantly enhanced the electrochemical performance of Ni 2 P and Co 2 P. • NiCoP/C possesses high specific capacity and superior rate performance. • High energy density of 47.6 W h kg−1 at 798.9 W kg−1 can be obtained in ASC device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, mechanical performance testing of 45# carbon steel samples with Ni/Co alloy plasma cladding was conducted through a combination of experiments and numerical simulations. The thickness of the coating of the Ni and Co base has two types of working conditions: 1mm and 0.5mm thick. The differences of the mechanical properties under different cladding thickness of the samples were experimental tested by metallographic analysis, hardness testing, abrasion resistance testing and impact resistance, by which the samples preparation has been confirmed to be essentially qualified. Then, in order to examine the improvement effect of plasma cladding technology on the sand shovel mechanical properties, the two materials were used to simulate the sand collection process of straight blade and bent blade. By analyzing mechanical representation such as stress, strain and fatigue damage, it is found that with the cladding thickness and the shovel shape difference, the force performance of the shovel is relatively different. Therefore, these factors should be comprehensively considered when selecting an appropriate cladding thickness and shovel curve to enhance the performance of the sand shovel during the sand collection process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disease and clinically manifests with cognitive decline and behavioral disabilities. Over the past years, mounting studies have demonstrated that the inflammatory response plays a key role in the onset and development of AD, and neuroinflammation has been proposed as the third major pathological driving factor of AD, ranking after the two well-known core pathologies, amyloid β (Aβ) deposits and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Epigenetic mechanisms, referring to heritable changes in gene expression independent of DNA sequence alterations, are crucial regulators of neuroinflammation which have emerged as potential therapeutic targets for AD. Upon regulation of transcriptional repression or activation, epigenetic modification profiles are closely involved in inflammatory gene expression and signaling pathways of neuronal differentiation and cognitive function in central nervous system disorders. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about epigenetic control mechanisms with a focus on DNA and histone modifications involved in the regulation of inflammatory genes and signaling pathways in AD, and the inhibitors under clinical assessment are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Riparian areas produce a variety of ecosystem service (ES) functions and play an important role in the coupled nature-human systems. Taking account of riparian ES in riparian greenspace planning framework and balancing the ecological and social aspects of ES can help to achieve the composite goals for urban-rural sustainability. However, there is still a lack of research on the integration thinking and quantification approach for riparian ES to support riparian greenspace planning and decision-making. This research mainly discusses the possible way of incorporating the ES into riparian greenspace planning and presents an integrated framework of the interaction between riparian ES and riparian greenspace planning, including evaluating riparian ES supply-demand budget to support multi-scales (region, urban, and street) riparian greenspace planning. Taking the Nanchuan District of Chongqing in China as a case study, we aim to achieve the following three results: first, recognizing the relationship and building a link between riparian ES and riparian greenspace planning; second, establishing a multi-scale scoring system of two ES supply-demand indicators for mapping on three spatial scales; third, applying riparian ES supply-demand mapping into riparian greenspace planning from three aspects of balancing planning goals, multi-scale planning tasks, and planning strategies and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has caused enormous economic losses to the global pig industry. Currently available PEDV vaccine strains have limited protective effects against PEDV variant strains. Methods: In this study, the highly virulent epidemic virus strain CT was serially passaged in Vero cells for up to 120 generations (P120). Characterization of the different passages revealed that compared with P10 and P64, P120 had a higher viral titer and more obvious cytopathic effects, thereby demonstrating better cell adaptability. Results: Pathogenicity experiments using P120 in piglets revealed significant reductions in clinical symptoms, histopathological lesions, and intestinal PEDV antigen distribution; the piglet survival rate in the P120 group was 100%. Furthermore, whole-genome sequencing identified 13 amino acid changes in P120, which might be responsible for the attenuated virulence of P120. Conclusions: Thus, an attenuated strain was obtained via cell passaging and that this strain could be used in preparing attenuated vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological protection of the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) is one part of China's national strategy, and to identify the spatiotemporal variation of ecosystem service values (ESV) and examine the YREB policies performances can provide effective knowledge and supports for making ecological protection policies. In this paper, the ESV of YREB's 11 units were measured based on equivalent factor value method. Panal data and regression discontinuity model were used to discuss the impact of the ecological protection policies issued 2012 and 2014 on the ESVs. The results showed that: (1) From 2009 to 2016, the total ESVs of the YREB increased from 617.49 billion USD to 844.84 billion USD, showing a pattern of slow increase (2009–2012), substantial growth (2012–2014) and stability of high level (2014–2016). Forestland and water body were the key types of land to ecological protection. For the average of all measured years, the two lands accounted for 43.24% of total ecological land and provided 82.36% of total ESVs;(2) Generally, all the units were closely related to the ecological protection policy and were positively affected. In the first period (2009–2012), the ESVs of 11 units had three statuses: declined, kept steady and moderately increased. After strong policy implementation, all units rose sharply (2012–2014) and maintained a steady increase at a high level (2014–2016); (3) Ecological protection policies have a significant positive effect on the ESVs. The policy in 2012 suppressed the downward trend of ESVs increase and the policy in 2014 had a positive impact to increase ESVs. This study proved that possible to achieve a win-win situation of urban development and ecological environmental protection by implementing ecological protection policies. Unlabelled Image • Unit value coefficients of ecosystem service value (ESV) were adjusted to fit YREB. • Forestland and waters were two key land categories to provide the ESV in YREB. • The spatiotemporal variation characteristics of ESVs in YREB were analyzed. • Appropriate ecological protection policies can promote the rapid growth of the ESVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Coated PEDV-loaded microspheres were developed by centrifugal granulation-fluidized bed coating. • Coated PEDV-loaded microspheres could protect PEDV antigens against the complex gastrointestinal environment in vitro and in vivo. • Oral vaccination with coated PEDV-loaded microspherescould induce higher levels of PEDV-specific antibodies in weaned piglets than the orally delivered PEDV only group. Abstract Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) infects pigs of all ages by invading villous epithelial cells of the small intestine causing severe diarrhea with high mortality rate in suckling piglets. Mucosal immunity is believed to play an important role in PEDV control and mucosal delivery of vaccines induces mucosal immunity more efficiently than parenteral vaccination. In this study, coated PEDV-loaded microspheres with the size range of 700–900 μm in diameter were developed by centrifugal granulation-fluidized bed coating and demonstrated as an effective oral delivery system to protect PEDV antigens against the complex gastrointestinal environment by detecting the live virus particles in microspheres after the simulated gastric fluid treatment and the PEDV RNA in fecal swabs collected from all weaned piglets (100%) orally inoculated with coated PEDV-loaded microspheres. Weaned piglets orally immunized with coated PEDV-loaded microspheres developed higher levels of PEDV-specific antibodies (IgG and IgA) in their sera and saliva than those negative control groups (p < 0.001 or p < 0.01). Furthermore, neutralization assays demonstrated that serum antibodies in coated PEDV-loaded microspheres groups could significantly inhibit virus infection in Vero cells, compared to PEDV only group (p < 0.05). Overall, our results indicate that the coated PEDV-loaded microspheres might serve as an effective way to induce PEDV-specific mucosal immunity in pigs against PEDV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Co-Mo-O (Co 1.2 MoO 4.2 ·1.3H 2 O)/Ni 3 S 2 nanosheet arrays were in-situ grown directly on Ni foam (NF) by a facile two-step hydrothermal reaction, in which the untrathin Co-Mo-O nanosheets are connected to each other into a three-dimensional (3D) porous hierarchical architecture with Ni 3 S 2 entrapped on the underneath Ni support. The resulting Co-Mo-O/Ni 3 S 2 /NF exhibits an excellent electrocatalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in KOH solution, which yields a 50 mA cm−2 of OER current density at an overpotential of 0.29 V, outperforming the state-of-the-art noble RuO 2 (η 50 = 0.42 V), Co-Mo-O/NF (η 50 = 0.33 V) and Ni 3 S 2 /NF (η 50 = 0.31 V). And it demonstrates a high specific capacity of 340 mAh g−1 at 2 mA cm−2 with good capability (82.1% of the retention at 32 mA cm−2) in basic solution when used as supercapacitor electrode, which is superior to those of Co-Mo-O/NF (183 mAh g−1) and Ni 3 S 2 /NF (70 mAh g−1). The outstanding electrochemical performance of Co-Mo-O/Ni 3 S 2 /NF is associated with the synergistic effect of the individual components as well as the nanosheets directly grown on Ni conducting support with more active sites exposed. Furthermore, Co-Mo-O/Ni 3 S 2 /NF displays good durability in 12 h-electrolysis experiment for OER and 10000 charge-discharge cycles. It is expected to benefit from Ni 3 S 2 entrapped by the protective layer of 3D porous Co-Mo-O nanosheet arrays, which not only can provide channel for electrolyte ion to pass through, but also improve the stability of Ni 3 S 2. In addition, the fabricated Co-Mo-O/Ni 3 S 2 /NF//Activated carbon (AC) asymmetrical supercapacitor shows an ultra-high energy density of 57.9 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 1.1 kW kg−1. Graphical abstract Ultrathin Co-Mo-O nanosheet arrays were in-situ grown on Ni foam into 3D porous architecture with Ni 3 S 2 entrapped on Ni support, which exhibits electrocatalytic activity for OER (η 50 = 0.29 V), and demonstrates a specific capacity of 340 mAh g−1 at 2 mA cm−2 with good capability (82.1% of the retention at 32 mA cm−2) in KOH solution with good durability in 12 h-electrolysis experiment and 10000 charge-discharge cycles. Image 1 Highlights • The Ni 3 S 2 warped by Co-Mo-O (Co 1.2 MoO 4.2 · 1.3H 2 O) fabricated by hydrothermal method. • Co-Mo-O/Ni 3 S 2 /NF exhibits an excellent performance for oxygen evolution reaction and supercapacitor. • The asymmetric supercapacitor device obtains high energy density and power density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coccidiosis, a prominent intestinal protozoan disease, carries significant economic implications for the poultry industry. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Fengqiang Shengtai (BLES), a probiotics product, and coccidiosis vaccine in modulating the intestinal microbiome and providing insight into mitigating the occurrence and management of avian coccidiosis. Methods: Broilers included in the study were divided into four pre-treatment groups: the Pre-Con group (commercial diet), Pre-BLES group (BLES supplement), Pre-Vac group (coccidiosis vaccination) and Pre-Vac-BLES group (combined vaccination and BLES). Body weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion ratio were monitored from age 25 to 55 days. Cecum contents were collected at 8 and 15 days of age for comparative analysis of intestinal microbiomes. In the Pre-BLES and Pre-Vac-BLES groups, probiotics were administered at a dose of 0.01 g per chicken between ages 3 to 6 days and 10–13 days. At 3 days of age, chickens in the Pre-Vac and Pre-Vac-BLES groups were vaccinated with 1700 sporulated oocysts of the live coccidiosis vaccine per chicken. At the age of 25 days, Eimeria spp. challenge experiments were performed based on the aforementioned immunization strategy, and the oocysts per gram (OPG) in the feces, intestinal lesion score and intestinal pathological characteristics were evaluated. Specifically, 30 chickens were randomly selected from each group and orally administered 34,000 sporulated oocysts of Eimeria spp. per chicken, re-defined as Eimeria group, BLES-Eimeria group, Vac-Eimeria group and Vac-BLES-Eimeria group, respectively. Additionally, 30 chickens were randomly selected from the Pre-Con group and included as negative control without Eimeria spp. challenge. Intestinal microbiota was sequenced and analyzed when the broilers were 32 days old. Results: A significant improvement was observed in body weight gain of the broilers in the Pre-BLES and Pre-Vac-BLES group at 45 days of age. Analysis of the intestinal microbiota revealed a positive correlation between the experimental groups receiving BLES and coccidiosis vaccines at 8 and 15 days of age with the Enterococcus genus and Lachnospiraceae NK4A136 group, respectively. In addition to the reduced lesion score and OPG values, the combination of coccidiosis vaccine and BLES also reduced the intestinal epithelial abscission induced by coccidiosis vaccines. The results of intestinal microbial function prediction demonstrated that N-glycan biosynthesis and ferroptosis were the prominent signal pathways in the Vac-BLES-Eimeria group. Conclusions: Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that supplementation of BLES with coccidiosis vaccine represents a promising strategy for improving growth performance, alleviating clinical manifestations and inducing favorable alterations to the intestinal microbiota in broiler chickens affected by coccidiosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since a novel hyper-virulent fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4) infection occurred in 2015, the novel FAdV-4 has been widely spreading across China, causing significant economic losses to the poultry industry. As the urgency of the issue calls for effective and efficient solutions, the present study investigated the possibility of the fiber-2 protein of the FAdV-4 to serve as a vaccine candidate against the novel FAdV-4. In the research, fiber-2 proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli , and then purified. To evaluate the immunogenicity of the recombinant fiber-2 protein, we investigated both the humoral and cellular immune responses in chickens immunized with fiber-2. The humoral immunity was assessed by detecting IgY antibodies and virus-neutralizing antibodies in chicken serum at 7, 14, 21 days post-immunization (dpi). We examined cellular immune responses by detecting CD3+CD4+ and CD3+CD8+ changes in chickens’ peripheral blood through using flow cytometry at 7, 14, 21 dpi. The cytokine production in the serum of the immunized chickens was detected by ELISA at 7, 14, 21 dpi to further explore the impact of the recombinant protein on the regulation of cytokines. The protective efficacy was determined by the survival rate of the immunized chickens challenged with the novel FAdV-4. The results show that the level of IgY antibodies of the chickens immunized with fiber-2 protein was significantly higher than that of the chickens immunized with an inactivated vaccine against FAdV-4. Moreover, 7 days after immunization, the CD4+ T-cell proliferative response of the chickens immunized with fiber-2 was significantly higher than that of the chickens immunized with the inactivated vaccine. Challenge experiment showed that the fiber-2 protein could provide full protection and the inactivated vaccine could provide 90 percent protection against the FAdV-4. These results suggest that the recombinant fiber-2 protein can be an ideal candidate for subunit vaccines against the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chicken infectious anaemia virus (CIAV) has been identified as the causative agent of chicken infectious anaemia (CIA), causing huge economic losses to the poultry industry globally. In this study, a total of 573 clinical samples were collected from 197 broiler farms in 17 provinces of China during 2020-2021. Among them, 375 samples (375/573, 65.4%) were positive for CIAV by real-time PCR. The positive rate of CIAV detection between different regions of China ranged from 46.67% (North China) to 81.25% (Central China). The nucleotide sequences of the VP1 gene were obtained for 91 CIAV strains, whole genome sequencing was successful for 72 out of 91 strains. Phylogenetic analysis based on the VP1 gene revealed that 91 CIAV strains currently circulating in China belong to three genotypes (II, IIIa and IIIb), and most of the CIAV strains belong to genotype IIIa. Phylogenetic analysis of the whole genome showed that 71 CIAV strains belong to genotype IIIa, and one strain belongs to genotype II. Sequence analysis showed several amino acid substitutions in both the VP1, VP2 and VP3 proteins. Our results enhance the understanding of the molecular characterization of CIAV infection in China. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS A molecular systematic survey of CIAV in China during 2020-2021. CIAV genotype IIIa is the predominant genotype in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine orthoreoviruses belong to the family Reoviridae and cause mainly mild enteritis in piglets. We present here the complete genome sequence of a novel porcine orthoreovirus strain (GD-1) isolated from a piglet in southern China. Our data will facilitate future investigations of the molecular characteristics and epidemiology of porcine orthoreoviruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Necrotic enteritis (NE) is an infectious intestinal disease caused by Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) that is now re-emerging and causing concern within the poultry industry. Previously, the supplementation of antibiotics in feed was the most popular control strategy against C. perfringens. However, with the ban on supplementing growth-promoting antibiotics in livestock feed, alternatives to antibiotics will be essential in order to control necrotic enteritis. A possible alternative to antibiotics could be the medium or long chain fatty acids (MCFA or LCFA) as these are able to destroy cell membranes which in turn results in the death of bacteria. In this study, the in vitro antimicrobial activity of different combinations with microencapsulated caprylic acid (C8: 0), capric acid (C10: 0), lauric acid (C12: 0) and myristic acid (C14: 0) against C. perfringens and in vivo control the NE-inducing C. perfringens in broiler chicken were analyzed. Results: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assay results revealed that three different combinations of medium/long chain fatty acids varied in antimicrobial activities against C. perfringens type A strain (CVCC52, quality control), C. perfringens type A strain (C8-1), C. perfringens type G strain (D25) and C. perfringens type G strain (MZ1). Specifically, combination of C12: 0 and C14: 0 (C12–14) showed the highest antimicrobial activity against the four strains of C. perfringens (MIC ≤ 12.5 μg/mL, MBC = 50 μg/mL), followed by the combination of C10: 0 and C12: 0 (C10–12) (MIC, MBC ≤ 50 μg/mL). The in vivo study, 189 of 818-crossbred chickens that were fed a wheat-based diet and randomly divided into nine groups, with six treatment groups supplemented with either a high dose (1 g/kg) or low dose (0.5 g/kg) of three combinations respectively. The remaining three groups comsisted of a positive group supplement with avilamycin (0.01 g/kg), an infected control and an uninfected control. All chickens were challenged with C. perfringens from day 14 to day 17, except those in the uninfected control group. On day 20, the duodenum and jejunum necrotic lesions scores were calculated and the results showed that there was significant decrease in the C12–C14 high dose group (1.43 ± 0.23, 0.48 ± 0.13) and the C10–12 high dose group (1.52 ± 0.19, 0.48 ± 0.11) compared to the infected group (2.86 ± 0.21, 1.20 ± 0.28). Conclusions: This finding indicated that dietary microencapsulated C12–C14 and C10–C12 could inhibit the growth of C. perfringens in chickens, which proves is viability to serve as an alternative to antibiotics used for necrotic enteritis caused by C. perfringens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian coccidiosis is the most serious parasitic disease in the poultry industry. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to explore the effects of B. subtilis and live coccidiosis vaccine alone or in combination on the production performance and anticoccidiosis, as well as the dynamic changes of intestinal microbial community. Nine hundred ninty Mahuang chickens were randomized into 4 preimmune groups including control group, coccidiosis vaccine immunization group; B. subtilis administration group and a group that was administrated a combination of live coccidiosis vaccine and B. subtilis group. Intestinal mucosal scraps collected from all these experimental groups at the age of 8 d and 15 d for microbial community 16S rRNA gene sequencing. At the age of 25 d, 30 broilers from each preimmune group were randomly assigned to a subgroup infected with Eimeria spp. and renamed as CI, V-CI BS-CI, and VBS-CI group. The production performance was monitored at the age of 25 d, 35 d, 45 d, and 55 d for the rest broilers from each pre-immune group. Otherwise, in the Eimeria spp. challenge stage, intestinal mucosal scraps collected for microbial community sequencing, while duodenum, jejunum, and cecum collected for pathological examination after sacrifice at the age of 32 d. In addition, the oocysts per gram of feces (OPG) and intestinal lesion score of broilers after Eimeria spp. challenge were also counted. Overall, the probiotics and coccidiosis vaccine resulted in the significantly improvement of the production performance. Otherwise, the intestinal lesion score and OPG after Eimeria spp. infection was significantly decreased in the VBS-CI group (P < 0.05). Moreover, these protective effects may also be closely related to genus such as Romboutsia, Blautia , and Butyricococcus , as well as microbiota functions like the quorum sensing pathway. According to these results, a combination of B. subtilis and coccidiosis vaccines can improve performance and provide additional protection against Eimeria spp. infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ag or Au nanoparticles were deposited on ZnIn 2 S 4 via in situ sulfur vacancy induced metal precursor reduction approach. • ZIS/Ag(Au)/FeTCPP system was applied for CO 2 photoreduction. • Ag function as a promoter for interfacial charge transfer from ZnIn 2 S 4 to the FeTCPP and greatly facilitates the CO production. • The loaded Au is beneficial to H 2 generation. The construction of hybrid catalysts composed of inorganic semiconductors and molecular catalysts shows great potential for achieving high photocatalytic carbon dioxide (CO 2) conversion efficiency. In this study, ZnIn 2 S 4 was first synthesized via a solvothermal route. Gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles were then deposited on ZnIn 2 S 4 via the reduction of noble metal precursor by sulfur vacancy defects. The obtained composite was further combined with tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin iron(III) chloride (FeTCPP) molecular catalyst for efficient photocatalytic CO 2 conversion. The roles of different noble metal nanoparticles in charge separation and interfacial electron transfer have been comprehensively studied. The photocatalytic performance and photoelectrochemical characterizations demonstrate that the introduction of Ag or Au nanoparticles is beneficial for charge separation. More importantly, the presence of Ag nanoparticles plays a crucial role in promoting the interfacial charge transfer between ZnIn 2 S 4 and FeTCPP, whereas, Au nanoparticles function as active sites for the water reduction reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ag or Au nanoparticles were deposited on ZnIn 2 S 4 via in situ sulfur vacancy induced metal precursor reduction approach. • ZIS/Ag(Au)/FeTCPP system was applied for CO 2 photoreduction. • Ag function as a promoter for interfacial charge transfer from ZnIn 2 S 4 to the FeTCPP and greatly facilitates the CO production. • The loaded Au is beneficial to H 2 generation. The construction of hybrid catalysts composed of inorganic semiconductors and molecular catalysts shows great potential for achieving high photocatalytic carbon dioxide (CO 2) conversion efficiency. In this study, ZnIn 2 S 4 was first synthesized via a solvothermal route. Gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles were then deposited on ZnIn 2 S 4 via the reduction of noble metal precursor by sulfur vacancy defects. The obtained composite was further combined with tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin iron(III) chloride (FeTCPP) molecular catalyst for efficient photocatalytic CO 2 conversion. The roles of different noble metal nanoparticles in charge separation and interfacial electron transfer have been comprehensively studied. The photocatalytic performance and photoelectrochemical characterizations demonstrate that the introduction of Ag or Au nanoparticles is beneficial for charge separation. More importantly, the presence of Ag nanoparticles plays a crucial role in promoting the interfacial charge transfer between ZnIn 2 S 4 and FeTCPP, whereas, Au nanoparticles function as active sites for the water reduction reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonspecific lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) are small, cysteine‐rich proteins that play numerous functional roles in plant growth and development, including cutin wax formation, pollen tube adhesion, cell expansion, seed development, germination, and adaptation to changing environmental conditions. LTPs contain eight conserved cysteine residues and a hydrophobic cavity that provides a wide variety of lipid‐binding specificities. As members of the pathogenesis‐related protein 14 family (PR14), many LTPs inhibit fungal or bacterial growth, and act as positive regulators in plant disease resistance. Over the past decade, these essential immunity‐related roles of LTPs in plant immune processes have been documented in a growing body of literature. In this review, we summarize the roles of LTPs in plant–pathogen interactions, emphasizing the underlying molecular mechanisms in plant immune responses and specific LTP functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pigeon farming for meat has developed into an important economic industry in most countries, especially in China. Trichomoniasis, caused by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas gallinae, is a worldwide disease in pigeons. However, studies of the prevalence and distribution of T. gallinae lineages in domestic pigeons in southern China are limited. In this study, a total of 636 pigeon throat swabs samples from four regions in Guangdong Province were screened for T. gallinae by in vitro culture assays and microscopy. The results revealed an overall prevalence of T. gallinae infection in southern China of 26.6% (169/636). There were significant differences in the infection rate of T. gallinae between the four regions (χ2 = 117.948, df = 4, P = 0.000), with up to 44.6% in the Pearl River Delta region. The infection rate of young pigeons was as high as 70.8%. The rDNA sequences (18S rRNA/ITS1-5.8S rRNA-ITS2) of 153 positive samples were amplified and sequenced. Results identified 58.2% (89/153) overall as ITS-A (18S-VI) (also known as ITS-OBT-Tg-1) and 41.8% (64/153) as ITS-B (18S-IV) (also known as ITS-OBT-Tg-2). Thus, ITS-A (18S-VI) was the dominant T. gallinae genotype in southern China, especially in young pigeon (97.0%, 32/33). In conclusion, a high prevalence of T. gallinae infection in domestic pigeons was identified in southern China, particularly in the Pearl River Delta region. The ITS-A (18S-VI) was the dominant genotype highly pathogenic, which may weaken the immune system of pigeons, and cause a negative impact on the development of the pigeon industry in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome viruses (PRRSVs) pose a serious threat to the swine industry in China, which has caused great difficulties for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) immune prevention and control, due to its easily mutable and recombinant nature. In this study, two novel PRRSV strains, which were named GD-H1 and GD-F1, were isolated and fully sequenced from pig farms in Guangdong province, China. The phylogenetic analysis and recombination analysis revealed that the GD-H1 and GD-F1 were generated by the recombination of NADC30-like and NADC34-like strains which were different from the previously prevalent strain. Further pathogenic studies on piglets and sows found that the recombinant strains could cause piglets high fever, loss of appetite and lung lesions, but no piglets died. However, the recombinant strains could cause acute death and abortion in pregnant sow infection models together with average survival rates of 62.5% and 37.5% abortion rates, respectively. These findings indicated that the recombinant strains were extremely pathogenic to sows. Therefore, we report two clinical novel recombinant strains of PRRSV that are different from the traditional epidemic strains in China, which may provide early warning and support for PRRS immune prevention and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

H9N2 avian influenza virus causes significant economic losses to the poultry industry, due to its wide-spread prevalence and propensity to induce secondary and mixed infections. Antigenic drift limits vaccine efficacy. New anti-viral therapies are needed to complement existing control measures. At the maximum non-cytotoxic concentration (25 mg/mL), cedar pine needle extract inhibited H9N2 avian influenza virus proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Cedar pine needle extract reduced the haemagglutinin titre, inhibited H9N2 avian influenza virus nucleocapsid protein expression, and indirectly regulate type I and II interferon expression. Interleukin-6 expression increased during the pre-infection period but decreased during the mid-to-late stages of infection. Cedar pine needle extract may inhibit the proliferation of pathogens, regulate the immune response, and reduce host tissue damage and may serve as a potential target for drug development against H9N2 avian influenza virus. • New drugs are needed to combat H9N2 AIV infection. • CPNE (25 mg/mL) inhibited H9N2 AIV proliferation in vitro and in vivo. • CPNE reduced the haemagglutinin titre and nucleocapsid protein expression. • CPNE increased interferon levels in vitro and in vivo , enhancing immunity. • CPNE may effectively prevent and treat H9N2 AIV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-glycosylation, an important post-translational modification of proteins in all eukaryotes, has been clearly shown to be involved in numerous diseases in mammalian systems. In contrast, little is known regarding the role of protein N-glycosylation in plant defensive responses to pathogen infection. We identified, for the first time, glycoproteins related to systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in an Arabidopsis thaliana model, using a glycoproteomics platform based on high-resolution mass spectrometry. 407 glycosylation sites corresponding to 378 glycopeptides and 273 unique glycoproteins were identified. 65 significantly changed glycoproteins with 80 N-glycosylation sites were detected in systemic leaves of SAR-induced plants, including numerous GDSL-like lipases, thioglucoside glucohydrolases, kinases, and glycosidases. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that significantly changed glycoproteins were involved mainly in N-glycan biosynthesis and degradation, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, cutin and wax biosynthesis, and plant-pathogen interactions. Comparative analysis of glycoproteomics and proteomics data indicated that glycoproteomics analysis is an efficient method for screening proteins associated with SAR. The present findings clarify glycosylation status and sites of A. thaliana proteins, and will facilitate further research on roles of glycoproteins in SAR induction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Duck adenovirus 3 (DAdV-3) has been identified as the causative agent of a disease characterized by swelling and haemorrhages in liver and kidney of Muscovy ducks, causing huge economic losses to the waterfowl industry in China. In this study, a total of 54 DAdV-3 outbreaks from 2018 to 2020 in China were monitored with samples being collected and analyzed. The hexon amino acid sequences of the 54 DAdV-3 outbreaks and the DAdV-3 reference strains from GenBank were 98.7% to 100% identical. Epidemiological analysis showed that DAdV-3 circulated in meat-type and egg-laying Muscovy ducks, and co-infections with other viral and bacterial pathogens, such as Muscovy duck parvovirus (MDPV), Muscovy duck-origin goose parvovirus (MDGPV), adeno-associated virus (AAV), duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV), R. anatipestifer, and E. coli were identified. In addition, 12 out of the 23 (52.2%) DAdV-3 strains were isolated on LMH cells and identified by DAdV-3 real-time PCR. The whole-genome sequence analysis demonstrated that 12 new DAdV-3 isolates share 99.8–100% identity with the DAdV-3 reference strains, and nine new DAdV-3 isolates exhibit a truncated ORF67 gene. Our results enhance the understanding of the epidemiology and molecular characterization associated with DAdV-3 infection in China. First report of the epidemiology of duck adenovirus 3 infection in China. Mutant DAdV-3 strains (truncated ORF67) became predominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] A 5′ conjugated minor groove binder (MGB) probe real-time PCR assay was developed in this study for porcine sapelovirus (PSV) detection and quantitation. [•] The developed assay was capable of detecting about 103 copies/μl of standard template per reaction. [•] The coefficients of variation of intra- and inter-assay reproducibility were both lower than 2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistance to cisplatin presents a major obstacle in managing advanced-stage cervical cancer. Cuproptosis, a newly identified form of cell death induced by copper ions, has potential in overcoming chemoresistance. But the application of cuproptosis in cervical cancer resistant to cisplatin has not yet been reported. In this study, treatment with Elsm-Cu in cervical cancer cells induced cuproptosis, affecting cell proliferation and apoptosis was found. Moreover, cuproptosis in cervical cancer cells was significantly induced by baicalein. The combination of baicalein and cisplatin exhibited a synergistic effect on cervical cancer cells by promoting apoptosis and inhibiting cell viability via the induction of cuproptosis. Animal experiments demonstrated that this combination significantly suppressed tumor growth. Upon treating cells with SC79 (Akt agonist), a significant inhibition of the expression of cuproptosis-related proteins SDHB and FDX1 were observed, indicating that baicalein induced cuproptosis through the Akt pathway. These results indicated that baicalein, mediated through the Akt pathway to induce cuproptosis, had the potential to improve the sensitivity of cervical cancer cells to cisplatin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An outbreak of duck astrovirus (DAstV) has occurred in duck farming regions of China, causing substantial economic setbacks in the duck industry. This investigation aimed to examine the variations in DAstV pathogenicity among ducks at different age intervals. Infections were induced in ducks at distinct age groups (1, 7, 14, 21, and 28 d) utilizing the DAstv-1-GDB-2022 strain. The results indicate increased pathogenicity of the DAstv-1-GDB-2022 strain in ducklings aged 21 to 28 d, manifesting as liver and kidney enlargement, severe bleeding, and potential fatalities. Conversely, ducklings aged 1 and 14 d displayed milder symptoms postinfection. Notably, viral shedding continued in ducks of diverse age groups even 21 d postinfection (Dpi). Moreover, DAstV replicates in various tissues, predominantly affecting the liver. Immunohistochemical tests using rabbit anti-DAstV antibodies revealed robust positive signals in both the liver and kidneys, which correlated with the clinical symptom severity observed through macroscopic and microscopic examinations. Serum biochemical assays and indirect ELISA demonstrated a consistent response to DAstV infection across different age groups, with older ducklings exhibiting increased sensitivity. In conclusion, this study successfully replicated clinical symptoms similar to those of natural DAstV infection using the DAstv-1-GDB-2022 strain. Importantly, we systematically delineated the differences in susceptibility to DAstV among ducks at various ages, laying the foundation for further research into the pathogenic mechanisms of DAstV and potential vaccine development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-enclosed nanoparticles that have a crucial role in mediating intercellular communication in mammals by facilitating the transport of proteins and small RNAs. However, the study of plant EVs has been limited for a long time due to insufficient isolation and detection methods. Recent research has shown that both plants and plant pathogens can release EVs, which contain various bioactive molecules like proteins, metabolites, lipids, and small RNAs. These EVs play essential roles in plant-microbe interactions by transferring these bioactive molecules across different kingdoms. Additionally, it has been discovered that EVs may contribute to symbiotic communication between plants and pathogens. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the pivotal roles played by EVs in mediating interactions between plants and microbes, including pathogenic fungi, bacteria, viruses, and symbiotic pathogens. We highlight the potential of EVs in transferring immune signals between plant cells and facilitating the exchange of active substances between different species. ● Plant EVs exert inhibitory effects on fungal growth and induce cell death through the delivery of small RNA molecules that specifically target fungal virulence genes. ● Fungal EVs possess the ability to suppress plant immunity by manipulating host RNA interference pathways. ● Bacterial EVs can trigger multiple immune responses in the host cells. ● EVs may also have functional roles in facilitating the symbiotic interaction between plants and pathogens through the transfer of their cargo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian nephritis virus infections of chicken flocks cause enteric and kidney disease, uneven growth, and runting stunting syndrome, leading to economic losses in the poultry industry. In this study, one ANV strain, designated as AH202017, was isolated from a diseased broiler flock in Anhui province, China, in 2020. Virus production in LMH cell culture was confirmed by real-time RT–PCR and immunofluorescence assay. The complete genome sequencing analysis indicated that AH202017 shares 77.5–85.5% identity with 12 reference strains in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis of the capsid protein revealed that AH202017 is more closely related to VIC-6a/Australia/2014 belonging to ANV genotype 2. However, the phylogenetic tree, based on the ORF1a protein and ORF1b protein, indicated that AH202017 manifests a close relationship with GXJL815/China/2017 belonging to genotype 8. In infection experiments, four infected chickens showed depression and one chicken died at 6 days post-infection, corresponding to 5% mortality. The virus was shed daily in the faeces of infected chickens, and was found distributed in multiple organs. Macroscopic and microscopic lesions in the kidneys were observed. This is the first paper that describes the genomic characteristics and pathogenicity of a novel ANV strain in China. A novel ANV strain was isolated for the first time from diseased broilers in China. The ANV strain caused nephritis and 5% mortality rate in 1-day-old SPF chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]