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【Objective】With the continuous emergence of information-based bandwidth-consuming services such as 5th Generation Mobile Communication Technology (5G), the Internet of Things, and cloud computing, people’s demand for high-speed information transmission has increased dramatically. However, due to the inherent nonlinear effects, the transmission capacity of single-mode optical fiber has approached the Shannon limit, and it will no longer be able to meet people’s needs for ultra-high-speed and large-capacity transmission. Solving the transmission capacity problem has become a top priority. In order to solve the needs of large-capacity communication systems and long-distance high-speed transmission problems, we have built a two-mode single-channel C-band Few Mode Fiber (FMF) transmission system.【Methods】At the transmitting end, an arbitrary waveform generator is used to convert the digital signal into an electrical signal and drive the In-phase and Quadrature (IQ) modulator to modulate the optical carrier. The modulated signal is transmitted simultaneously using two multiplexing technologies: Mode Division Multiplexing (MDM) and Polarization Division Multiplexing (PDM). In order to achieve long-distance transmission of dual-mode signals of 1 000 km, we construct a dual-circulation loop system. Each time the signal passes through the loop, it will pass through a 50 km FMF. After being transmitted to the target distance, the coupler outputs the signal to the demultiplexing module, and the coherent optical receiver performs homodyne detection on the demultiplexed modulated signal. Finally, the transmitted signal is stored in an oscilloscope for offline Digital Signal Processing (DSP). The signal is sequentially subjected to frequency domain dispersion compensation, downsampling, clock recovery, and least mean square algorithm to restore the original signal.【Results】It was found that within the range of Optical Signal-to-Noise Ratio (OSNR) of each channel in the experiment, the Bit Error Rate (BER) under low Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) is close to the theoretical channel result. Under high SNR condition, the BER is 1×10-2, which is 2.5 dB away from the theoretical value. We test the BER of LP11a and LP11b modes at Back-To-Back (BTB) and 250, 500, 750 and 1 000 km transmission cases respectively. The BER at all distances are lower than the Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) soft decision threshold with 28% redundancy (5.2×10-2 Soft Decision - Forward Error Correction (SD-FEC)). The BER after 1 000 km transmission in the two modes are 1.7×10-2 and 1.8×10-2 respectively, and the total net transmission rate is 400 Gbit/s.【Conclusion】This article demonstrates the transmission of a 32 Gbaud MDM-PDM-16 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) C-band signal in a 1 000 km two-mode single-channel FMF system. At the receiving end, the advanced Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO)-DSP algorithm is used for channel equalization, and the obtained two-mode BER of 1.7×10-2 and 1.8×10-2 are both lower than the LDPC SD-FEC threshold with 28% redundancy. The result reachs a domestic record of 400 Gbit/s net transmission rate based on FMF transmission, and highlight the potential of FMF in large-capacity long-distance transmission.

Creep characterization of different diameter silica bar core during directional solidification of the single crystal superalloy was investigated by suspension method. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) was employed to observe the microstructure of the surface and transversal section of crept silica bar. The energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction technology were used to analyse and determine the composition of the reaction product. The experimental results show that the crept deformation amount increases with prolonging of creep time and decreasing of the diameter of the silica bar. When the creep time is 60 min, the diameter 0.5 mm silica bar has the largest creep deformation, and the average deformation is 30 mm, while the 2 mm silica bar is 24 mm. The interfacial reaction of SiO2 with C and Al, which are deposited on the silica bar surface due to the elevated temperature and low vacuum, induces the formation of porous layer. The volume fraction of the porous reaction products leads to the different crept deformation amount of different diameter silica bars. The creep deformation amount of silica bars has a linear relationship with the volume fraction of surface reaction products.

The formation of hazardous substances, heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) and two representative advanced glycation end products (AGEs), Nε-carboxymethyl-lysine (CML) and Nε-carboxyethyl-lysine (CEL) in five kinds of fish with different fat contents during thermal processing was investigated. The results indicated that HAAs, AGEs produced is related to the lipids in varying degrees. The variation of key precursors were examined to explain the relationship between fat oxidation and molecular pathway of HAAs and AGEs formation. The current research may help us better understand the overall generation of hazardous substances in food systems, and provide new ideas for formulating prevention in future production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of grape seed extract (GSE), acerola cherry extract (ACE), and blueberry extract (BBE) on the physicochemical properties and structure of the yellow croaker surimi gel. In addition, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation were utilized to study the binding mechanism of yellow croaker's fibrillin and fruit extracts. Surimi gel with 1.5% GSE, ACE, and BBE had the highest water holding capacity, hardness, chewability, cohesion, breaking force, breaking distance, gel strength, and densest 3D network structure, according to the experiment's findings. Nevertheless, the cross‐linking of proteins in surimi was blocked with the further increase of fruit extract (1.5%–2.0%), and the existing network of surimi was weakened or even destroyed. Three fruit extracts had little effect on the secondary structure of the surimi gel. Besides, hydrophobic and disulfide bonds are the main chemical bonds of croaker surimi. Molecular docking showed that B‐type procyanidine (BP) interacted with ASN‐183, SER‐571, ASP‐525, ARG‐350, LYS‐188, GLU‐349, CYS‐353, and other active amino acids in croaker protein. Moreover, it can form strong hydrogen bond interaction with ASN‐183, SER‐571, ASP‐525, and ARG‐350 at the active sites of protein. The BP‐Larimichthys crocea protein system's MD simulation was carried out, and calculations for the simulation's root mean square deviation, root mean square fluctuation, radius of gyration, solvent accessible surface area, and hydrogen bonds were made. It was found that these indices can demonstrate that the BP binding contributes to the stability of the yellow croaker structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose In the present work, we intended to explore the function of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) in modulated anesthetic reagent bupivacaine-induced neuronal apoptosis in spinal cord dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Methods Murine DRG explant was treated with 5 mM bupivacaine in vitro to induce neuronal apoptosis, which was examined by a TUNEL assay. Protein and mRNA expressions of EZH2 in bupivacaine-treated DRG were examined by western blot and qRT-PCR assays. EZH2 was downregulated by siRNA in bupivacaine-treated DRG. Its functional role in protecting bupivacaine-induced neuronal apoptosis was examined. In addition, apoptotic protein caspase-9 and EZH2-associated signaling pathway, and tropomyosin receptor kinase C (TrkC) were further investigated, by western blot assay, in EZH2-downregulated and bupivacaine-injured DRG. Results In vitro treatment of bupivacaine-induced DRG neuronal apoptosis, and upregulated EZH2 at both protein and mRNA levels. SiRNA transfection successfully downregulated EZH2, as confirmed by western blot and qRT-PCR assays. Examination of TUNEL assay showed that EZH2 downregulation rescued bupivacaine-induced DRG neuronal apoptosis. Moreover, in bupivacaine-injured DRG, EZH2 downregulation reduced caspase-9, whereas upregulated TrkC and phosphorylated-TrkC (p-TrkC). Conclusion EZH2 is upregulated, whereas inhibiting EZH2 exerted rescuing effect in anesthetics (bupivacaine)-induced spinal cord DRG. The possible downstream target of EZH2 inhibition may interact with caspase and TrkC signaling pathways., Author(s): Jinwei Zheng [sup.1] , Junping Chen [sup.1] , Guorong Wu [sup.1] , Chaoshuang Wu [sup.1] , Ruichun Wang [sup.1] , Wei Wang [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (Aff1) 0000 0004 1799 [...]

The influences of minor amounts of scandium on the microstructure and mechanical properties of as-cast ZA27 alloy have been experimentally investigated. The experimental results show that as far as the Sc addition is individually concerned, the refinement result of the as-cast ZA27 alloy with 0.5wt.%Sc addition is comparatively better. After alloying with minor amounts of Sc, the coarse dendrites of the ZA27 alloy are refined and transformed into the uniform and small equiaxed grain microstructure; also the eutectics among the grain boundaries become finer. The test results of mechanical properties show that the tensile strength and hardness of the as-cast ZA27 alloy containing 0.5wt.%Sc approach 495 MPa and 120.2 HB, increase by 28.5% and 33.1%, respectively, compared with those of the ZA27 alloy with no addition of Sc element, while the elongation of the alloy is improved to 7.6% from 2.7%. The SEM, EDAX and XRD analyses show that in the ZA27 alloy, the trace element Sc combines with Al to form the square Al3Sc phase particles, which serve as heterogeneous nuclei, facilitating the refinement of the microstructure and the improvement of the mechanical properties of the alloy.

The aim of this study was to investigate the inhibitory effect and chemical intervention mechanism of edible oregano and clove essential oils (EOs) on heterocyclic amine (HA) formation in roasted large yellow croaker. The results indicated that all oregano and clove EOs minimize the amount of HAs, especially high‐concentration oregano EO, which can reduce Norharman by 99.97% (from 876.3333 ± 11.8462 to 0.2927 ± 0.0038 ng/g), and led other HAs below the detection limit. The addition of EOs, meanwhile, can protect the large yellow croaker against lipid and protein oxidation due to their ability to scavenge peroxyl radicals. We also examined the variation of HA precursors and attempted to explain molecular pathway of EOs inhibiting HA formation. The results provide theoretical support to develop technologies of HA inhibition during fish processing, which is important for food manufacturers and consumers for producing healthier meat products. Novelty impact statement: A novel inhibition method on heterocyclic amines based on edible oregano and clove essential oils was exploited, and the possible chemical intervention mechanism was explained, which is important for food manufacturers and consumers for producing healthier meat products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have demonstrated that neuroinflammation is the key to perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PND); however, the specific mechanism postsurgery and anesthesia has not yet been fully clarified. The present study is aimed at exploring the effects of P2X4/NLRP3 signaling pathway in neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment after surgery. 12–14-month-old male C57BL/6 mice undergoing open tibial fracture surgery by sevoflurane anesthesia were administered P2X4R inhibitor 5-BDBD or saline was intraperitoneally for 3 consecutive days after surgery. Then, the animals were subjected to Morris water maze test or sacrificed to collect the hippocampus. The level of P2X4R and NLRP3 was estimated by Western blot, the activation of microglia was detected via immunohistochemistry, and the expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. These results indicated that tibial surgery caused cognitive impairment, increased the expression of P2X4R and NLRP3, and aggravated the neuroinflammation and microglia activation. However, intraperitoneal injection of 5-BDBD attenuated these effects. In conclusion, these findings indicated that the P2X4/NLRP3 pathway might be involved in the pathophysiology of PND. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multifunctional supramolecular complex is reported for the integrated multiple magnetic resonance imaging/computed X-ray tomography (MRI/CT) imaging and photothermal therapy, wherein a gadolinium-substituted paramagnetic polyoxometalate cluster and food-borne antioxidant peptides identified from the trepang protein hydrolysates are introduced. The as-prepared complex maintained an uniform particle size and much better biocompatibility, and is an ideal candidate for the in vivo applications. The complex allows for T1-weighted MR imaging and a high Hounsfield unit value for enhanced CT imaging. Interestingly, we demonstrate that the complex possesses outstanding photothermal cancer-killing effects due to its high photothermal conversion efficiency under the exposure of an NIR laser and enhanced antibacterial activity to avoid bacterial infection from the thermal therapeutic process. These results indicate that the supramolecular complex platform exhibit potential for accurate medical diagnosis at an early stage and effective eradication of the tumor cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total lightning data assimilation (LDA) scheme is developed at the cloud‐resolving scale in this study. The LDA scheme assimilates total lightning data through the ensemble square root filter (EnSRF) method based on the relationship between the maximum vertical velocity and the instantaneous flash rate. To verify the effect of LDA, three assimilation experiments based on a convective activity on July 6, 2019 are performed. The results show that all LDA experiments can improve the forecast. LDA improves the water vapor field and provides a warm and moist environment in which convection can develop. LDA can also increase the convergence at low levels and the divergence at upper levels, which leads to intense convection development. However, the LDA experiment that does not consider vertical localization (LDA_no) shows excessive adjustments of the model variables, which leads to overestimation of precipitation. The LDA experiment which adjusts the state variables in the charge zone (LDA_CZ) underestimates the forecast. The LDA experiment using a global group filter (GGF) localization function (LDA_GGF) is optimal in theory and produces a better forecast. The results of LDA_GGF show that the interaction between the cold pool and the strong low‐level vertical wind shear in front of the cold pool is beneficial for triggering new convection in front of the convection, which leads to a rapid shifting in convective activity. In addition, the LDA_GGF scheme is evaluated further for a rainfall process on August 1, 2020 and obtains similar forecast improvements for composite reflectivity and accumulated precipitation. Key Points: This study proposed a new scheme on assimilating total lightning data through the ensemble square root filter methodThe maximum vertical velocity assimilation experiment using a global group filter vertical localization function produces a better forecastLightning data assimilation improves the dynamic field and the thermodynamic field, leading to improvements in convection forecast [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observation impact studies have received increasing amounts of research attention. The impacts of observations on numerical weather prediction (NWP) are highly dependent on assimilation algorithm, prediction system, and observation source. Therefore, the major NWP centers worldwide have each developed their own diagnostic techniques to assess observation impacts. However, similar diagnostic techniques have not yet been developed in China. In this study, a diagnostic technique was exploited with the randomized perturbation method in the Global/Regional Assimilation and Prediction System (GRAPES) 3DVAR system, and then applied to evaluate observation impacts for various regions of the world. It was found that a reasonable and stable estimation could be obtained when the number of perturbations was greater than 15. Because of differences in observations in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, refractivity data from GNSS radio occultation (GNSS-RO), satellite radiance, and atmospheric motion vector data had more impact in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere. However, radiosonde data, aircraft, and surface data were more important in the Northern Hemisphere. Low-impact observation points were located in data-rich areas, whereas high-impact observation points were located in data-poor areas. In the equatorial region, the contributions of observations to the analysis were smaller than those in the nonequatorial regions because of the lack of proper mass–wind balance relationship. Radiosondes contributed the largest impact in China and its surrounding regions, with contributions of radiosondes and GNSS-RO data exceeding 60% of the total contributions, except for wind speed below 700 hPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A reverse dispersion fiber (RDF) with depressed core-index profile has been developed successfully by using plasma chemical vapor deposition (PCVD) process. The fabricated RDF has a core-effective-area of 45μm2, a dispersion of −19.65ps/nm/km and a dispersion slope of −0.132ps/nm2/km while maintaining the low bending induced attenuation and low PMD value. The dispersion-managed pairs, which consisted of RDF and non-zero dispersion shifted fiber with ultra large effective core-area (ULAF), have the ultra low dispersion slope of less than 0.006ps/nm2/km at the wavelength range of 1530–1625nm, and the largest dispersion value is lower than 0.2ps/nm/km. Moreover, the attenuation characteristic also shows a remarkable flatness over the broadband wavelength, the attenuation at 1550nm is only 0.224dB/km. The dispersion-managed pairs are suitable for large capacity, high bit-rate long-haul wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) transmission system without using dispersion compensation mode. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Based on the biomimetic route the metal material with tree-like fractal structure was prepared, which showed a rough surface observed by scanning electron microscopy. According to the electrochemical experiments, the formed material exhibited the strong catalytic capability as an electrode in hydrogen evolution reaction, comparing with other conventional structure materials under comparable scales. We suggested this promotion of property arose from the contribution of the great surface area and the excellent connectivity offered from the fractal structure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A non-zero dispersion-shifted fiber based on a depressed core-index for the large capacities and high bit-rate transmission system is designed and fabricated. The fiber with this structure has the effective-core-area (Aeff) of more than 100 μm2 and dispersion slope of less than 0.065 ps/nm2/km at 1.55 μm wavelength simultaneously while maintaining the good bending loss. The zero-dispersion wavelength is shifted to lower than 1430 nm, so this fiber can be used on not only the conventional C-band (1530–1565 nm), but also S-band (1460–1530 nm) and L-band (1565–1625 nm) for dense wavelength division multiplexing. In addition, the designed fiber has a low polarization mode dispersion of about 0.04 ps/√ of km and an attenuation of around 0.21 dB/km at 1550 nm, the splice loss with conventional single mode fiber is less than 0.11 dB. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ultra-low-loss and large-effective-area fiber has been successfully applied in transoceanic transmission, which is considered as a promising candidate for 100 Gbit/s and beyond 100 Gbit/s coherent long-haul terrestrial optical networks. Several theoretical and experimental investigations have been reported, including provincial terrestrial field trial. To support long-haul terrestrial application, it is urgent to prove that the ultra-low-loss and large-effective-area fiber after terrestrial deployment can significantly enhance the performance of long-haul transmission over 1000 km compared with the conventional single mode fiber. In this paper, we extended our previous work and summarized design methods for complex terrestrial environment. To verify the fiber characteristics in long-haul terrestrial transmission, we installed the longest terrestrial ultra-low-loss and large-effective-area fiber link in the world with a total length of 1539.6 km. The results show that the transmission performances of wavelength-division-multiplexed signals with per-channel data rates of 100 Gbit/s, 200 Gbit/s, and 400 Gbit/s over the ultra-low-loss and large-effective-area fiber are all obviously improved, demonstrating that this fiber is more suitable for ultrahigh-speed long-haul terrestrial transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) is one of the most commercially important marine fish in China and is a fixture at Chinese tables. Herein, we determined the formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) in roasted yellow croaker and evaluated the inhibitory effect of natural fruits extracts (blueberry extract, acerola cherry extract and grape seed extract) on the formation of HAAs in roast yellow croaker. All the three fruit extracts treatments minimize the amount of HAAs and the addition of blueberries extracts is the most effective approach on reducing the total HAAs content, which caused a signification reduction of 94.85% and 71.15% of the Norhaman and PhIP content, respectively, led IQ, 8-MeIQX, 4,8-DiMeIQX below the detected limitation, compared to the control group. Furthermore, antioxidant index of fruits extracts, precursors (free amino acids, creatine, creatinine and glucose) of HAAs, lipid and protein oxidation, flavor changes are evaluated to determine the mechanism and physical/chemical changes of fruit extracts on the formation of HAAs. This research develops a new method to minimize the amount of HAAs, which is helpful to food manufacturers for the production of healthier yellow croaker products and may be applicable to various meat systems. • The formation of HAAs in roasted large yellow croaker was determined. • Various fruits extracts could inhibit HAAs in roast large yellow croaker. • Fruits extracts positively affected lipid/protein oxidation and content of precursors. • Flavor changes are introduced to determine the possible mechanism involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the mechanism by which Newcastle disease virus (NDV) affects eggshell quality. Thirty-week-old specific pathogen free (SPF) egg-laying hens were inoculated with the velogenic genotype VIId NDV strain (infected group) or with inoculating media without virus (control group) by combined intraocular and intranasal routes. The levels of CaBP-D28k mRNA expression in the uterus, a gene related to eggshell quality, were examined by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The quality of eggshells was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The infected group showed a marked decline in egg production when compared to the control group. The NDV antigen was found more abundantly in the glandular epithelium of the infected hens' uteri from 1 to 15 d post-inoculation (dpi). The levels of CaBP-D28k mRNA expression in the uteri of infected hens were significantly lower than in the control hens from 3 to 15 dpi ( P < 0.05). The changes in the Ca concentrations in the eggshells were consistent with the expression of CaBP-D28k mRNA in the infected hens. Ultrastructural examination of eggshells showed significantly reduced shell thickness in the infected hens from 1 to 15 dpi ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, obvious changes in the structure of the external shell surface and shell membrane were detected in the infected hens compared with the control hens. In conclusion, the current study confirmed that velogenic genotype VIId NDV infection is associated with the deterioration of the eggshell quality of the laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Boston naming test (BNT), as a simple, fast, and easily administered neuropsychological test, was demonstrated to be useful in detecting language function. In this study, BNT was investigated whether it could be a screening tool for early postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD)., Methods: This prospective observational cohort study included 132 major noncardiac surgery patients and 81 nonsurgical controls. All participants underwent a mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and BNT 1 day before and 7 days after surgery. Early POCD was assessed by reliable change index and control group results., Results: Seven days after surgery, among 132 patients, POCD was detected in 30 (22.7%) patients (95% CI, 15.5%-30.0%) based on MMSE, and 45 (34.1%) patients (95% CI, 26.3%-41.9%) were found with postoperative language function decline based on BNT and MMSE. Agreement between the BNT spontaneous naming and MMSE total scoring was moderate (Kappa .523), and the sensitivity of BNT spontaneous naming for detecting early POCD was .767. Further analysis showed that areas under receiver operating characteristics curves (AUC) did not show statistically significant differences when BNT spontaneous naming (AUC .862) was compared with MMSE language functional subtests (AUC .889), or non-language functional subtests (AUC .933)., Conclusion: This study indicates the feasibility of implementing the BNT spontaneous naming test to screen early POCD in elderly patients after major noncardiac surgery., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Aim: Remimazolam, known for its rapid onset, quick metabolism, and short recovery time from sedation, offers significant advantages in clinical anesthesia. Previous studies have primarily investigated its application in adult surgical anesthesia, with less focus on its utilization in pediatric patients. Therefore, we aimed to explore the 50% effective dose (ED50) and 95% effective dose (ED95) of remimazolam for laryngeal mask airway (LMA) insertion during general anesthesia in pediatric strabismus correction surgery and investigate its dose-response relationship, thereby providing valuable reference data for safer and more rational clinical use of remimazolam., Methods: This study included 32 patients aged 3-12 years undergoing strabismus correction surgery at Ningbo Aier Guangming Eye Hospital in 2024. The dosage of remimazolam was determined according to the Dixon 'up-and-down' sequential method: the starting induction dose was 0.2 mg/kg, with a step dose of 0.05 mg/kg. In cases of positive anesthetic effect, the subsequent patient received a reduced step dose, while in cases of negative anesthetic effect, the next subject received an increased step dose. The trial was terminated upon observing seven "positive-negative" crossover points. Furthermore, the ED50 and ED95, along with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated using the Probit regression analysis. Additionally, vital signs of the patients, such as peripheral oxygen (SpO2), heart rate, and blood pressure, along with the incidence of adverse events, were monitored., Results: The ED50 of remimazolam for LMA insertion in pediatric strabismus correction surgery was 0.300 mg/kg (95% CI 0.276-0.323 mg/kg), and the ED95 was 0.369 mg/kg (95% CI 0.324-0.414 mg/kg). Throughout the surgery, SpO2, heart rate, and blood pressure remained stable without any significant fluctuations., Conclusions: The ED50 and ED95 of remimazolam for LMA insertion in pediatric strabismus correction surgery are 0.300 mg/kg and 0.369 mg/kg, respectively. This study demonstrates that remimazolam is both safe and effective for LMA insertion during general anesthesia in pediatric strabismus correction surgery.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of grape seed extract (GSE), acerola cherry extract (ACE), and blueberry extract (BBE) on the physicochemical properties and structure of the yellow croaker surimi gel. In addition, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation were utilized to study the binding mechanism of yellow croaker's fibrillin and fruit extracts. Surimi gel with 1.5% GSE, ACE, and BBE had the highest water holding capacity, hardness, chewability, cohesion, breaking force, breaking distance, gel strength, and densest 3D network structure, according to the experiment's findings. Nevertheless, the cross-linking of proteins in surimi was blocked with the further increase of fruit extract (1.5%-2.0%), and the existing network of surimi was weakened or even destroyed. Three fruit extracts had little effect on the secondary structure of the surimi gel. Besides, hydrophobic and disulfide bonds are the main chemical bonds of croaker surimi. Molecular docking showed that B-type procyanidine (BP) interacted with ASN-183, SER-571, ASP-525, ARG-350, LYS-188, GLU-349, CYS-353, and other active amino acids in croaker protein. Moreover, it can form strong hydrogen bond interaction with ASN-183, SER-571, ASP-525, and ARG-350 at the active sites of protein. The BP-Larimichthys crocea protein system's MD simulation was carried out, and calculations for the simulation's root mean square deviation, root mean square fluctuation, radius of gyration, solvent accessible surface area, and hydrogen bonds were made. It was found that these indices can demonstrate that the BP binding contributes to the stability of the yellow croaker structure., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Chaotic optical communication is of great significance for secure data transmission. Despite rapid development over the decades, high-speed (>100 Gbps) and long-distance (>100 km) chaotic optical communication in a single fiber is still full of challenges. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate high-speed and long-distance chaos-based secure optical communications using mutual injection of semiconductor lasers and space-division multiplexing (SDM) techniques. The encrypted signals are transmitted through all seven core channels of the multi-core fiber (MCF), which effectively expands the aggregate transmission capacity of a single fiber. A pair of source and synchronization devices based on mutual injection of semiconductor lasers are employed to effectively encrypt and decrypt signals. Chaos-based secure optical communications with 70-Gbps on-off keying (OOK) and 140-Gbps quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) signals over a 130-km MCF are successfully demonstrated in the experiment with favorable performance. The demonstration may pave the way for future ultrahigh capacity and ultra-long distance chaotic optical communications by fully exploiting multi-dimensional resources of light waves, including the spatial dimension.

Weakly-coupled mode division multiplexing (MDM) techniques supporting intensity modulation and direct detection (IM/DD) transmission is a promising candidate to enhance the capacity of short-reach applications such as optical interconnections, in which low-modal-crosstalk mode multiplexers/demultiplexers (MMUX/MDEMUX) are highly desired. In this paper, we firstly propose an all-fiber low-modal-crosstalk orthogonal combine reception scheme for degenerate linearly-polarized (LP) modes, in which signals in both degenerate modes are firstly demultiplexed into the LP 01 mode of single-mode fibers, and then are multiplexed into mutually orthogonal LP 01 and LP 11 modes of a two-mode fiber for simultaneous detection. Then a pair of 4-LP-mode MMUX/MDEMUX consisting of cascaded mode-selective couplers and orthogonal combiners are fabricated with side-polishing processing, which achieve low back-to-back modal crosstalk of lower than -18.51 dB and insertion loss of lower than 3.81 dB for all the 4 modes. Finally, a stable real-time 4 modes × 4λ × 10 Gb/s MDM-wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) transmission over 20-km few-mode fiber is experimentally demonstrated. The proposed scheme is scalable to support more modes and can pave the way to practical implementation of IM/DD MDM transmission applications.

Background: Older individuals have been reported to suffer from cognitive disorders after surgery. Various types of surgical trauma have been used to establish postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) animal models in preclinical studies. However, few comparative analyses of these animal models were conducted., Methods: Tibial surgery, abdominal surgery, and extended abdominal surgery were performed on aged ICR mice to establish POCD models. Behavioral tests included open field, novel object recognition, fear conditioning, and Morris water maze tests. The Z-score methodology was adopted to obtain a comprehensive and integrated memory performance profile. The changes in hippocampal neuroinflammation were analyzed by ELISA, PCR, and immunofluorescence., Results: In this study, we found that each type of non-cardiac surgical trauma has a different effects on locomotor activity. Tibial and extended abdominal surgeries led to more significant cognitive impairment than abdominal surgery. Inflammatory cytokines peaked on postoperative day 1 and decreased to control levels on days 3 and 7. Hippocampal neuroinflammation indicators between the three surgery types on postoperative day 1 had no statistical differences., Conclusion: Overall, the type and intensity of non-cardiac surgical trauma can affect cognitive behavioral outcomes and central inflammation. The shortcomings and emerging issues of POCD animal research methods need to be further studied and solved., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Lu, Yuan, Mo, Sun, Liu, Zhou, Zhai, Wang, Chen and Meng.)

A multifunctional supramolecular complex is reported for the integrated multiple magnetic resonance imaging/computed X-ray tomography (MRI/CT) imaging and photothermal therapy, wherein a gadolinium-substituted paramagnetic polyoxometalate cluster and food-borne antioxidant peptides identified from the trepang protein hydrolysates are introduced. The as-prepared complex maintained an uniform particle size and much better biocompatibility, and is an ideal candidate for the in vivo applications. The complex allows for T1-weighted MR imaging and a high Hounsfield unit value for enhanced CT imaging. Interestingly, we demonstrate that the complex possesses outstanding photothermal cancer-killing effects due to its high photothermal conversion efficiency under the exposure of an NIR laser and enhanced antibacterial activity to avoid bacterial infection from the thermal therapeutic process. These results indicate that the supramolecular complex platform exhibit potential for accurate medical diagnosis at an early stage and effective eradication of the tumor cells.

Quantum key distribution (QKD) provides information-theoretic security based on the laws of quantum mechanics. The desire to reduce costs and increase robustness in real-world applications has motivated the study of coexistence between QKD and intense classical data traffic in a single fiber. Previous works on coexistence in metropolitan areas have used wavelength-division multiplexing, however, coexistence in backbone fiber networks remains a great experimental challenge, as Tbps data of up to 20 dBm optical power is transferred, and much more noise is generated for QKD. Here we present for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, the integration of QKD with a commercial backbone network of 3.6 Tbps classical data at 21 dBm launch power over 66 km fiber. With 20 GHz pass-band filtering and large effective core area fibers, real-time secure key rates can reach 4.5 kbps and 5.1 kbps for co-propagation and counter-propagation at the maximum launch power, respectively. This demonstrates feasibility and represents an important step towards building a quantum network that coexists with the current backbone fiber infrastructure of classical communications.

Objective: Postoperative Pulmonary Complications (PPCs) can contribute to increased mortality and prolonged hospital stay in surgical patients with Gastric Cancer (GC). This study aimed to investigate potential risk factors for PPCs in elderly GC patients following elective laparoscopic gastrectomy., Methods: Eligible consecutive elderly GC patients (aged over 65 years) who were scheduled to undergo elective laparoscopic gastrectomy were enrolled in this study. The demographic, clinicopathological characteristics and laboratory variables were compared in patients with or without PPCs within postoperative 30 days. Risk factors for PPCs were analyzed by multiple logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis., Results: 35 of all the 262 enrolled patients have developed PPCs with an incidence of 13.4%. Age, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure (CHF), forced expiratory volume in one second/ forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) ratio, duration of operation, hemoglobin, albumin and C-reactive protein (CRP) were potential risk factors for PPCs by univariate analysis. The preoperative albumin level was the only independent risk factor for PPCs (OR: 1.15, 95%CI: 1.06-1.28, P=0.011) by multiple logistic regression analysis. Preoperative albumin level was a predictor for PPCs with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.728 and a cut-off value of 33.8 mg/dl (specificity: 54.19%, sensitivity: 77.14%, P<0.001)., Conclusions: Preoperative albumin level was an independent risk factor for PPCs in elderly GC patients after elective laparoscopic gastrectomy., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.)

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to examine the association between serum expression of miRNA-155 and postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) after laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS We enrolled 110 patients scheduled to undergo colon tumor resection via laparotomy in Ningbo No. 2 Hospital from July 2013 to November 2015. The blood samples were collected from the participants 1 day before surgery. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used for the analysis of independent predictive biomarkers for POCD. RESULTS On the 7th postoperative day, 29 of the 110 participants developed POCD, yielding a POCD incidence of 26.4%. Age, MMSE score, duration of surgery and anesthesia, serum levels of CRP, TNF-α, urea, creatinine, and miRNA-155 were highly associated with the occurrence of POCD. Serum expression of miRNA-155 was shown by multiple logistic regression analysis to be an independent predictive indicator for POCD after surgery (OR: 2.732; 95%CI 1.415-5.233; P=0.002). CONCLUSIONS The serum expression of miRNA-155 is an independent predictive factor for POCD after laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer.

Background: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a subtle impairment of cognitive abilities and can manifest on different neuropsychological features in the early postoperative period. It has been proved that the use of mechanical ventilation (MV) increased the development of delirium and POCD. However, the impact of variable and conventional lung protective mechanical ventilation on the incidence of POCD still remains unknown, which was the aim of this study., Methods: 162 patients scheduled to undergo elective gastrointestinal tumor resection via laparotomy in Ningbo No. 2 hospital with expected duration >2 h from June, 2013 to June, 2015 were enrolled in this study. Patients included were divided into two groups according to the scheme of lung protective MV, variable ventilation group (VV group, n=79) and conventional ventilation group (CV group, n=83) by randomization performed by random block randomization. The plasma levels of inflammatory cytokines, characteristics of the surgical procedure, incidence of delirium and POCD were collected and compared., Results: Postoperative delirium was detected in 36 of 162 patients (22.2%) and 12 patients of these (16.5%) belonged to the VV group while 24 patients (28.9%) were in the CV group (P=0.036). POCD on the seventh postoperative day in CV group (26/83, 31.3%) was increased in comparison with the VV group (14/79, 17.7%) with significant statistical difference (P=0.045). The levels of inflammatory cytokines were all significantly higher in CV group than those in VV group on the 1st postoperative day (P<0.05). On 7th postoperative day, the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in CV group remained much higher compared with VV group (P<0.05)., Conclusions: Variable vs conventional lung protective MV decreased the incidence of postoperative delirium and POCD by reducing the systemic proinflammatory response.