Search

Abstract Background Endometritis seriously affects the health of women, and it is important to identify new targets for its treatment. Objective This study aimed to explore the role of TNFAIP3 interacting protein 2 (TNIP2) in endometritis through human endometrial epithelial cells (hEECs) stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Methods hEECs were induced with LPS to build a cellular model of endometritis. Cell growth and apoptosis were detected by cell counting kit‐8 and flow cytometry. The TNIP2 mRNA and protein levels were measured using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) and western blot analysis, respectively. The caspase3 activity was calculated using a Caspase3 activity kit. Interleukin (IL)−1β, IL‐6, and tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) levels were determined by enzyme‐linked‐immunosorbent‐assay. The reactive oxygen species (ROS), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were determined using the corresponding kits. Nuclear factor‐kappaB (NF‐κB) pathway was determined by western blot assay. Results TNIP2 was downregulated in the LPS‐induced endometritis cell model. Cell viability was reduced, apoptosis was enhanced, and IL‐6, IL‐1β, and TNF‐α levels increased in LPS‐induced hEECs. Additionally, LDH activity and ROS concentration were upregulated, whereas CAT and SOD activities were downregulated in LPS‐induced hEECs. These results were reversed by TNIP2 overexpression. Moreover, the results hinted that NF‐κB was involved in the effects of TNIP2 on the LPS‐induced endometritis cell model. Conclusion TNIP2 alleviated endometritis by inhibiting the NF‐κB pathway, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for endometritis.

Fujian province is located at the forefront of the South China continental margin, situated on the edge of the Circum-Pacific seismic belt, and it is one of the regions with the most active neotectonic and geothermal activities in Chinese mainland. To explore the geochemical signals of hot spring gases to tectonic activity and earthquakes, a collection of geothermal gas samples was collected from 29 locations in Fujian from January 2021 to December 2022 (many of which were multiply collected at several sites quarterly). The gas samples were tested for their gas composition, helium, neon, carbon isotopes, radon contents, and gas flow rates. The results show that the dominant component of the hot spring outgassing is N2, and the increase in CO2 content is often associated with the increasing 13C. The variation range of the helium isotope ratio (3He/4He) in the hot spring gases is between 0.06 and 2.20Ra, and Rc/Ra varies between 0.06 and 1.58, with peak values occurring at the intersections of deep faults. Radon contents range from 18 to 2000 Bq/L. Calculations revealed that the maximum proportion of mantle-derived helium is 30.2%, and the mantle-derived heat contribution ranges from 37.6% to 63.4%. These data indicate a significant mantle degassing process in Fujian, with a high degree of mantle-crust connectivity, and mantle-derived heat as the main source of geothermal activity in the area. Comparative analysis with regional seismic activity indicates that areas with relatively strong upwelling of deep fluids are the main regions of regional seismic activity, and seismic intensity is positively correlated with mantle-derived heat flow. Thus, deep thermal fluid actives are closely genetically correlated to regional seismic activity. Additionally, the correlation analysis with the Taiwan ML6.0 earthquake suggests that high 3He/4He, δ13CCO2 values of hot spring gas and gas flow velocity in Nancheng Hot Spring (QZ6) indicate significant short-term and imminent anomaly indications preceding ML6.0 earthquakes in the Taiwan region.

The consistency problem of multiagent systems with the output feedback and state delay was considered in this paper. First, the reduced-order observer based on the consensus protocol of state delay is designed, and the consensus protocol is proposed by the output information of neighboring agents. Then, by constructing the Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional and combining matrix inequality and the Schur complement lemma, the asymptotic stability of the system can be obtained, and the consistency of state-delay multiagent systems is derived. Finally, the theoretical results are verified by a simulation example.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is the most common form of traumatic brain injury; however, it is the most difficult to be accurately identified in the early stage because it lacks more reliable biomarkers and detection methods. This study proposes a highly efficient system to detect a molecular biomarker for the early diagnosis of mTBI. The system was prepared by a lower cytotoxic peptide-modified fluorescent nanoprobe based on carbon polymer dots (pep-CPDs) with outstanding imaging capabilities. In vitro and in vivo tests were explored to the efficiency of pep-CPDs, inferring the good performances of cellular fluorescence imaging and in vivo imaging of mice. Moreover, an application of the versatile pep-CPDs on detecting the mTBI biomarker S100-β detection in a novel improved weight-drop mTBI mouse model and human blood samples has been successfully established. Overall, all these results indicate that the pep-CPD system is sensitive, rapid, non-toxic, and reliable for mTBI diagnosis compared with traditional detection methods. It shows a great potential in clinical and translational research and practical applications.

The spread of rumors has a great impact on social order, people’s psychology, and life. In recent years, the application of rumor-spreading models in complex networks has received extensive attention. Taking the management and control of rumors by relevant departments in real life into account, the SIDRQ rumor-spreading model that combines forgetting mechanism, immune mechanism, and suspicion mechanism and guides on a uniform network is established in this paper. Then, the basic reproductive number of the system and the unique existence of the solution are discussed, and the stability of the system is analyzed using the basic reproductive number, Lyapunov function, and Lienard and Chipart theorem; furthermore, the basic reproductive number may not be able to deduce the stability of the system and a counterexample is given. Finally, the influence of different parameters on the spread of rumors is studied, and the validity of the theoretical results is verified.

The European grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is one of the world’s most widely cultivated and economically important fruit crops. Seedless fruits are particularly desired for table grapes, with seedlessness resulting from stenospermocarpy being an important goal for cultivar improvement. The establishment of an RNA in situ hybridisation (ISH) system for grape berries and ovules is, therefore, important for understanding the molecular mechanisms of ovule abortion in stenospermocarpic seedless cultivars. We improved RNA in situ hybridisation procedures for developing berries and ovules by targeting two transcription factor genes, VvHB63 and VvTAU, using two seeded varieties, ‘Red Globe’ and ‘Pinot Noir’, and two seedless cultivars, ‘Flame Seedless’ and ‘Thompson Seedless’. Optimisation focused on the time of proteinase K treatment, probe length, probe concentration, hybridisation temperature and post-hybridisation washing conditions. The objectives were to maximise hybridisation signals and minimise background interference, while still preserving tissue integrity. For the target genes and samples tested, the best results were obtained with a pre-hybridisation proteinase K treatment of 30 min, probe length of 150 bp and concentration of 100 ng/mL, hybridisation temperature of 50 °C, three washes with 0.2× saline sodium citrate (SSC) solution and blocking with 1% blocking reagent for 45 min during the subsequent hybridisation. The improved ISH system was used to study the spatiotemporal expression patterns of genes related to ovule development at a microscopic level.

Modern technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and physical systems used as navigation systems play an important role in locating a specific location in an unfamiliar environment. Due to recent technological developments, users can now incorporate these systems into mobile devices, which has a positive impact on the acceptance of navigational systems and the number of users who use them. The system that is used to find a specific location within a building is known as an indoor navigation system. In this study, we present a novel approach to adaptable and changeable multistory navigation systems that can be implemented in different environments such as libraries, grocery stores, shopping malls, and official buildings using facial and speech recognition with the help of voice broadcasting. We chose a library building for the experiment to help registered users find a specific book on different building floors. In the proposed system, to help the users, robots are placed on each floor of the building, communicating with each other, and with the person who needs navigational help. The proposed system uses an Android platform that consists of two separate applications: one for administration to add or remove settings and data, which in turn builds an environment map, while the second application is deployed on robots that interact with the users. The developed system was tested using two methods, namely system evaluation, and user evaluation. The evaluation of the system is based on the results of voice and face recognition by the user, and the model’s performance relies on accuracy values obtained by testing out various values for the neural network parameters. The evaluation method adopted by the proposed system achieved an accuracy of 97.92% and 97.88% for both of the tasks. The user evaluation method using the developed Android applications was tested on multi-story libraries, and the results were obtained by gathering responses from users who interacted with the applications for navigation, such as to find a specific book. Almost all the users find it useful to have robots placed on each floor of the building for giving specific directions with automatic recognition and recall of what a person is searching for. The evaluation results show that the proposed system can be implemented in different environments, which shows its effectiveness.

As a life-threatening multiple organ dysfunction attributable to maladjusted host immune responses to infection, sepsis is usually the common pathway to serious prognosis and death for numerous infectious diseases all over the world. Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is frequently complicated by septic conditions, and is one of the most important reasons for increased mortality and poor outcomes in septic patients which is still an urgent clinical problem need to be solved. In this research, a conspicuously discovery of treatment-related translational use for berberine was elaborated. The results revealed that berberine treatment significantly restored cognitive impairment in sepsis mice. Reduced expression levels of TNF-α, IL-1α, and C1qA were exhibited in the hippocampus of the berberine treatment group, and attenuated effect of declining neo-neuron, activation of microglia and astrocytes in the hippocampus of mice with sepsis were also found. Moreover, berberine inhibits microglia-stressed A1 astrocytes by inhibiting HMGB1 signaling was revealed, then the molecular mechanism of HMGB1/RAGE signaling inhibition leads to the better outcome of SAE was elucidated. To summarize, this research indicated that berberine targets HMGB1/RAGE signaling to inhibit microglia-stressed A1 astrocyte and neo-neuron decline, which consequently alleviates sepsis-induced cognitive impairment. Collectively, berberine may serve as potential therapeutic drug and HMGB1/RAGE signaling would be a novel target for medicine development for treating SAE.

Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is an evolutionary algorithm that is well known for its simplicity and effectiveness. It usually has strong global search capability but has the drawback of being easily trapped by local optima. A scaling mutation strategy and an elitist learning strategy are presented in this paper. Based on these strategies, an improved PSO variant (LSERPSO) is developed through a local search and ring topology strategy. The new scaling mutation strategy involved an exploration and exploitation balance focusing on mutation operation. A collection of elite individuals is maintained such that an array of current particles can learn from them. A ring topology-based neighborhood structure is adopted to maintain the population diversity and to reduce the possibility of particles being trapped in local optima. Finally, a quasi-Newton-based local search is incorporated to enhance the fine-grained capability. The effects of these proposed strategies and their cooperation are verified step by step. The performance of LSERPSO is comprehensively studied using IEEE CEC2015 benchmark functions.

Postmortem changes in the biochemical constituents of the vitreous humor have been widely used to estimate the postmortem interval (PMI) over the past several decades. However, few reviews have summarized the relationship between the postmortem vitreous biochemical constituents and time of death. Herein, the relationship between PMI and single biochemical components, including vitreous potassium, hypoxanthine, and amino acids, as well as comparisons of each statistical parameter in the formula, is summarized. We also discuss other compounds such as urea and uric acid, which have no direct relationship with PMI. Utility of multiple constituent simultaneous analysis for estimating PMI is being increasingly investigated. The promising idea of using simultaneous analysis of multiple constituents to determine PMI is proposed as a future research direction.

Abstract Estimation of postmortem interval (PMI) is a central role in medico-legal identification. Analysis of vitreous potassium ions (K+) concentration is frequently used by forensic workers to estimate PMI. This paper describes interdisciplinary research to introduce fluorescence sensing techniques into forensic medicine. On the basis of silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) probe stabilized by DNA, a simple and highly sensitive fluorescence aptasensor has been proposed to selectively detect K+ ions. The linear range for K+ ions was found to be 0.1 nM-1 mM, with limit of detection of 0.06 nM. Moreover, 63 vitreous humour cases within 36 h after death were further studied to verify the utility of K+ ions in estimating the PMI. By the fluorescence aptasensor method, a new formula was built to determine the postmortem interval based on K+ ions concentration: PMI(h) = −0.55 + 1.66 × CK +(r = 0.791). And the real significance of this research was demonstrated by additional 6 cases with known PMIs. In comparison with the conventional method, the presented aptasensor strategy is cost-effective and easy in measuring vitreous K+, which may be potentially a better way for estimation of PMI in medico-legal practice.

This research develops two new models for project portfolio selection, in which the candidate projects are composed of multiple repetitive units. To reflect some real situations, the learning effect is considered in the project portfolio selection problem for the first time. The mathematical representations of the relationship between learning experience and investment cost are provided. One numerical example under different scenarios is demonstrated and the impact of considering learning effect is then discussed.

In this study, we proposed an adaptive sparse constrained least squares linear spectral mixture model (SCLS-LSMM) to map wetlands in a sophisticated scene. It includes three procedures: (1) estimating the abundance based on sparse constrained least squares method with all endmembers in the spectral library, (2) selecting “active” endmember combinations for each pixel based on the estimated abundances and (3) estimating abundances based on the linear spectral unmixing algorithm only with the adaptively selected endmember combinations. The performances of the proposed SCLS-LSMM on wetland vegetation communities mapping were compared with the traditional full constrained least squares linear spectral mixture model (FCLS-LSMM) using HJ-1A/B hyperspectral images. The accuracy assessment results showed that the proposed SCLS-LSMM obtained a significantly better performance with a systematic error (SE) of –0.014 and a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 0.087 for Reed marsh, and a SE of 0.004 and a RMSE of 0.059 for Weedy meadow, compared with the traditional FCLS-LSMM. The proposed methods improved the unmixing accuracies of wetlands’ vegetation communities and have the potential to understand the process of wetlands’ degradation under the impacts of climate changes and permafrost degradation.

Members of the plant-specific GASA (gibberellic acid-stimulated Arabidopsis) gene family have multiple potential roles in plant growth and development, particularly in flower induction and seed development. However, limited information is available about the functions of these genes in fruit plants, particularly in grapes. We identified 14 GASA genes in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) and performed comprehensive bioinformatics and expression analyses. In the bioinformatics analysis, the locations of genes on chromosomes, physiochemical properties of proteins, protein structure, and subcellular positions were described. We evaluated GASA proteins in terms of domain structure, exon-intron distribution, motif arrangements, promoter analysis, phylogenetic, and evolutionary history. According to the results, the GASA domain is conserved in all proteins and the proteins are divided into three well-conserved subgroups. Synteny analysis proposed that segmental and tandem duplication have played a role in the expansion of the GASA gene family in grapes, and duplicated gene pairs have negative selection pressure. Most of the proteins were predicted to be in the extracellular region, chloroplasts, and the vacuole. In silico promoter analysis suggested that the GASA genes may influence different hormone signaling pathways and stress-related mechanisms. Additionally, we performed a comparison of the expression between seedless (Thompson seedless) and seeded (Red globe) cultivars in different plant parts, including the ovule during different stages of development. Furthermore, some genes were differentially expressed in different tissues, signifying their role in grapevine growth and development. Several genes (VvGASA2 and 7) showed different expression levels in later phases of seed development in Red globe and Thompson seedless, suggesting their involvement in seed development. Our study presents the first genome-wide identification and expression profiling of grapevine GASA genes and provides the basis for functional characterization of GASA genes in grapes. We surmise that this information may provide new potential resources for the molecular breeding of grapes.

Objectives: We developed a new Bakri balloon tamponade (BBT) placement technique after vaginal delivery, which aimed to be faster without balloon slippage. This study compared the new method with standard placement of BBT in women with postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) after vaginal delivery. Material and methods: This study was undertaken of women who underwent vaginal delivery at the obstetrics and gynecology departments of the Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Hospital for Women and Children, and Si Chuan JINXIN Women and Children Hospital between January 2014 and December 2020. Women who underwent BBT for PPH were grouped according to placement method into the old-BBT group and the new-BBT group. Results: Of 20487 childbirths by vaginal delivery, 512 (2.50%) had PPH, 77 women underwent BBT (old-BBT n = 28, new-BBT n = 49). Background characteristics were similar except prothrombin time (PT, p < 0.01) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT, p < 0.004) were lower in the new-BBT group than the old-BBT group. The operation time was shorter in the new-BBT group (p < 0.001) with less bleeding (p < 0.003) and saline injection (p < 0.001). A balloon slippage was less likely (p < 0.008) and postoperative bleeding (p < 0.01), transfusion rate (p < 0.03), transfusion volume (p < 0.002), and hospital stay was lower in the new-BBT group (p < 0.015). Multivariate analysis suggested PT (OR = 0.039, 95% CI: 0.002-0.730, p < 0.030), international normalized ratio (OR = 8.244, 95% CI: 3.807-17.850, p < 0.009), and BBT method (OR = 5.200, 95% CI: 1.745-15.493, p < 0.003), were associated with requiring a blood transfusion. Conclusions: This method of BBT placement reduced operation time, balloon slippage, bleeding, and hospital stay in women with PPH after vaginal delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of power dispatching automation systems has greatly improved the efficiency of power industry operations and promoted the rapid development of the power industry. However, with the convergence and increase in power data flow, the data dispatching network and the main station dispatching automation system have encountered substantial pressure. Therefore, the method of online data resolution and rapid problem identification of dispatching automation systems has been widely investigated. In this paper, we performa comprehensive review of automated dispatching of massive dispatching data from the perspective of intelligent identification, discuss unresolved research issues and outline future directions in this area. In particular, we divide intelligent identification over power big data into data acquisition and storage processes, anomaly detection and fault discrimination processes, and fault tracing for dispatching operations during communication. A detailed survey of the solutions to the challenges in intelligent identification over power big data is then presented. Moreover, opportunities and future directions are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese herbal tea is a beverage made of one or more kinds of traditional Chinese medicines or herbs, which is a branch of traditional Chinese medicine culture and a Chinese intangible cultural heritage. It has long been utilized for beneficial intentions in many national areas. Drinking herbal tea is popular in most provinces and cities in China, such as Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian, and it is also produced in Japan, the United States, Europe, Southeast Asia, and other regions, and gradually expand to the world. Herbal tea contains flavonoids, organic acids, alkaloids, polysaccharides and glycosides, etc., which supply herbal tea with anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-tumor, anti-aging and hepatoprotective effects. With the continuous expansion of the herbal tea market, the efficacy and safety of herbal tea has garnered great attention. This article reviews the research progress of chemical composition, pharmacological activity, and security of herbal tea in China.

Fluoride exposure is widespread worldwide and poses a significant threat to organisms, particularly to their gastrointestinal tracts. However, due to limited knowledge of the mechanism of fluoride induced intestinal injury, it has been challenging to develop an effective treatment. To address this issue, we used a series of molecular biology in vitro and in vivo experiments. NaF triggered m6A mediated ferroptosis to cause intestinal damage. Mechanistically, NaF exposure increased the m6A level of SLC7A11 mRNA, promoted YTHDF2 binding to m6A-modified SLC7A11 mRNA, drove the degradation of SLC7A11 mRNA, and led to a decrease in its protein expression, which eventually triggers ferroptosis. Moreover, NaF aggravated ferroptosis of the colon after antibiotics destroyed the composition of gut microbiota. 16 S rRNA sequencing and SPEC-OCCU plots, Zi-Pi relationships, and Spearman correlation coefficients verified that Lactobacillus murinus (ASV54, ASV58, and ASV82) plays a key role in the response to NaF-induced ferroptosis. Collectively, NaF-induced gut microbiota alteration mediates severe intestinal cell injury by inducing m6A modification-mediated ferroptosis. Our results highlight a key mechanism of the gut in response to NaF exposure and suggest a valuable theoretical basis for its prevention and treatment.

ABSTRACTAdherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) strain LF82, isolated from patients with Crohn’s disease, invades gut epithelial cells, and replicates in macrophages contributing to chronic inflammation. In this study, we found that RstAB contributing to the colonization of LF82 in a mouse model of chronic colitis by promoting bacterial replication in macrophages. By comparing the transcriptomes of rstAB mutant- and wild-type when infected macrophages, 83 significant differentially expressed genes in LF82 were identified. And we identified two possible RstA target genes (csgD and asr) among the differentially expressed genes. The electrophoretic mobility shift assay and quantitative real-time PCR confirmed that RstA binds to the promoters of csgD and asr and activates their expression. csgD deletion attenuated LF82 intracellular biofilm formation, and asr deletion reduced acid tolerance compared with the wild-type. Acidic pH was shown by quantitative real-time PCR to be the signal sensed by RstAB to activate the expression of csgD and asr. We uncovered a signal transduction pathway whereby LF82, in response to the acidic environment within macrophages, activates transcription of the csgD to promote biofilm formation, and activates transcription of the asr to promote acid tolerance, promoting its replication within macrophages and colonization of the intestine. This finding deepens our understanding of the LF82 replication regulation mechanism in macrophages and offers new perspectives for further studies on AIEC virulence mechanisms.

ABSTRACTMitochondrial dynamics are critical in cellular energy production, metabolism, apoptosis, and immune responses. Pathogenic bacteria have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to manipulate host cells’ mitochondrial functions, facilitating their proliferation and dissemination. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Tm), an intracellular foodborne pathogen, causes diarrhea and exploits host macrophages for survival and replication. However, S. Tm-associated mitochondrial dynamics during macrophage infection remain poorly understood. In this study, we showed that within macrophages, S. Tm remodeled mitochondrial fragmentation to facilitate intracellular proliferation mediated by Salmonella invasion protein A (SipA), a type III secretion system effector encoded by Salmonella pathogenicity island 1. SipA directly targeted mitochondria via its N-terminal mitochondrial targeting sequence, preventing excessive fragmentation and the associated increase in mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and release of mitochondrial DNA and cytochrome c into the cytosol. Macrophage replication assays and animal experiments showed that mitochondria and SipA interact to facilitate intracellular replication and pathogenicity of S. Tm. Furthermore, we showed that SipA delayed mitochondrial fragmentation by indirectly inhibiting the recruitment of cytosolic dynamin-related protein 1, which mediates mitochondrial fragmentation. This study revealed a novel mechanism through which S. Tm manipulates host mitochondrial dynamics, providing insights into the molecular interplay that facilitates S. Tm adaptation within host macrophages.

Abstract Many anthropogenic soils, often referred to as red bed or purple soils, are distributed in various areas of southern China. Purple soils typically are highly weathered and often lead to natural and engineering hazards because of their relatively poor water retention properties. Knowledge of the unsaturated soil hydraulic properties of purple soils is crucial for their optimal management and various assessment studies. In this work, the hydraulic properties of purple soils from southern China were measured in the laboratory over the full moisture range using a combination of evaporation (HYPROP) and psychrometer (WP4C) approaches. Measured data were analyzed in terms of four different unimodal and bimodal soil hydraulic models. The measurements and analyses showed that bimodality was not overly significant for most samples. The good fit of the Peters–Durner–Iden models furthermore suggested that corner and film flows were important under relative dry conditions. Existing soil pedotransfer functions were found to provide a fairly close match for the slope of water retention curves with the exception of near saturated water contents and the saturated conductivity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that unsaturated hydraulic data of purple soils are provided over the full moisture range.

Summary: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the most common causative agent of urinary tract infection (UTI). UPEC invades bladder epithelial cells (BECs) via fusiform vesicles, escapes into the cytosol, and establishes biofilm-like intracellular bacterial communities (IBCs). Nucleoside-diphosphate kinase (NDK) is secreted by pathogenic bacteria to enhance virulence. However, whether NDK is involved in UPEC pathogenesis remains unclear. Here, we find that the lack of ndk impairs the colonization of UPEC CFT073 in mouse bladders and kidneys owing to the impaired ability of UPEC to form IBCs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that NDK inhibits caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis by consuming extracellular ATP, preventing superficial BEC exfoliation, and promoting IBC formation. UPEC utilizes the reactive oxygen species (ROS) sensor OxyR to indirectly activate the regulator integration host factor, which then directly activates ndk expression in response to intracellular ROS. Here, we reveal a signaling transduction pathway that UPEC employs to inhibit superficial BEC exfoliation, thus facilitating acute UTI.

Abstract Background Whether different anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) drugs have different effects on COVID-19 is controversial. We aimed to evaluate the incidence of COVID-19 in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients receiving anti-HBV treatment, and to compare the impact of entecavir (ETV) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) on the severity of COVID-19. Methods CHB outpatients were enrolled from December 2022 to February 2023. Questionnaires were used to collect whether subjects were currently or previously had COVID-19 within the past 2 months, and the information of symptoms, duration, and severity if infected. Results Six hundred thirty CHB patients were enrolled, 64.3% (405/630) patients were currently or previously had COVID-19. No COVID-19 patient required hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, oxygen support or died. Majority of patients reported mild (32.8% [133/405]) and moderate (48.1% [195/405]) symptoms. After propensity score matching, 400 matched patients were obtained (ETV: 238; TDF: 162), among which the incidences of COVID-19 were comparable between ETV and TDF-treated patients (60.1% [143/238] vs. 64.2% [104/162], p = 0.468). The proportion of patients complicated with any symptom caused by COVID-19 were also similar (ETV vs. TDF: 90.9% [130/143] vs. 91.3% [95/104], p = 1.000). In addition, the severity of overall symptom was comparable between ETV and TDF-treated patients, in terms of proportion of patients complicated with severe symptom (9.8% vs. 8.7%, p = 0.989), symptom duration (4.3 vs. 4.3 days, p = 0.927), and symptom severity score (4.1 vs. 4.0, p = 0.758). Subgroup analysis supported these results. Conclusions During the current pandemic, the vast majority of CHB patients experienced non-severe COVID-19, and ETV and TDF did not affect COVID-19 severity differently.

We have developed an intermolecular aminothiolation of simple olefins using Bunte salt as a thiolating agent. This protocol produces thiyl free radicals under PIDA oxidation conditions, eliminating the need for transition-metal catalysts. The method has a wide range of substrate applicability and is suitable for large-scale preparation and late-stage modification of drug molecules.

IntroductionIn recent years, a large number of studies have shown that Bacillus velezensis has the potential as an animal feed additive, and its potential probiotic properties have been gradually explored.MethodsIn this study, Illumina NovaSeq PE150 and Oxford Nanopore ONT sequencing platforms were used to sequence the genome of Bacillus velezensis TS5, a fiber-degrading strain isolated from Tibetan sheep. To further investigate the potential of B. velezensis TS5 as a probiotic strain, in vivo experiments were conducted using 40 five-week-old male specific pathogen-free C57BL/6J mice. The mice were randomly divided into four groups: high fiber diet control group (H group), high fiber diet probiotics group (HT group), low fiber diet control group (L group), and low fiber diet probiotics group (LT group). The H and HT groups were fed high-fiber diet (30%), while the L and LT groups were fed low-fiber diet (5%). The total bacteria amount in the vegetative forms of B. velezensis TS5 per mouse in the HT and LT groups was 1 × 109 CFU per day, mice in the H and L groups were given the same volume of sterile physiological saline daily by gavage, and the experiment period lasted for 8 weeks.ResultsThe complete genome sequencing results of B. velezensis TS5 showed that it contained 3,929,788 nucleotides with a GC content of 46.50%. The strain encoded 3,873 genes that partially related to stress resistance, adhesion, and antioxidants, as well as the production of secondary metabolites, digestive enzymes, and other beneficial nutrients. The genes of this bacterium were mainly involved in carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, vitamin and cofactor metabolism, biological process, and molecular function, as revealed by KEGG and GO databases. The results of mouse tests showed that B. velezensis TS5 could improve intestinal digestive enzyme activity, liver antioxidant capacity, small intestine morphology, and cecum microbiota structure in mice.ConclusionThese findings confirmed the probiotic effects of B. velezensis TS5 isolated from Tibetan sheep feces and provided the theoretical basis for the clinical application and development of new feed additives.

BackgroundAdherent–invasive E. coli (AIEC) LF82 is capable of adhering to and invading intestinal epithelial cells, as well as replicating within macrophages without inducing host cell death.MethodsWe compared the transcriptomics of LF82 at pH=7.5 and pH=5.8 by RNA-sequencing, and qRT-PCR verified differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The deletion mutants of DEGs in the treatment group (pH=5.8) compared to the control group (pH=7.5) were constructed by λ recombinant. The replication differences between the mutants and WT infected Raw 264.7 at 24 h.p.i were analyzed by combining LB solid plate count and confocal observation. NH4Cl and chloroquine diphosphate (CQ) were used for acid neutralization to study the effect of pH on the replication of LF82 in macrophages. Na2NO3 was added to RPMI 1640 to study the effect of nitrate on the replication of LF82 in macrophages. 0.3% solid LB was used for flagellar motility assay and Hela was used to study flagellar gene deletion mutants and WT adhesion and invasion ability.ResultsIn this study, we found that infection with LF82 results in acidification of macrophages. Subsequent experiments demonstrated that an intracellular acidic environment is necessary for LF82 replication. Transcriptome and phenotypic analysis showed that high expression of acid shock genes and acid fitness genes promotes LF82 replication in macrophages. Further, we found that the replication of LF82 in macrophages was increased under nitrate treatment, and nitrogen metabolism genes of LF82 were upregulated in acid treatment. The replication in macrophages of ΔnarK, ΔnarXL, ΔnarP, and Δhmp were decreased. In addition, we found that the expression of flagellar genes was downregulated in acidic pH and after LF82 invading macrophages. Motility assay shows that the movement of LF82 on an acidic semisolid agar plate was limited. Further results showed that ΔfliC and ΔfliD decreased in motility, adhesion ability, and invasion of host cells, but no significant effect on replication in macrophages was observed.ConclusionIn this study, we simulated the acidic environment in macrophages, combined with transcriptome technology, and explained from the genetic level that LF82 promotes replication by activating its acid shock and fitness system, enhancing nitrate utilization, and inhibiting flagellar function.

Introduction: Assembly and co-occurrence of the host co-evolved microbiota are essential ecological and evolutionary processes, which is not only crucial for managing individual plant fitness but also ecological function. However, understanding of the microbiome assembly and co-occurrence in higher plants is not well understood. The tea plant was shown to contribute the forest fitness due to the microbiome assembled in the phyllosphere; the landscape of microbiome assembly in the tea plants and its potential implication on phyllosphere homestasis still remains untangled. Objectives: This study aimed to deciphering of the microbiome networks of the tea plants at a continental scale. It would provide fundamental insights into the factors driving the microbiome assembly, with an extended focus on the resilience towards the potential pathogen in the phyllosphere. Methods: We collected 225 samples from 45 locations spanning approximately 2000-km tea growing regions across China. By integration of high-throughput sequencing data, physicochemical properties profiling and bioinformatics analyses, we investigated continental scale microbiome assembly and co-occurrence in the tea plants. Synthetic assemblages, interaction assay and RT-qPCR were further implemented to analyze the microbial interaction indexed in phyllosphere. Results: A trade-off between stochastic and deterministic processes in microbiomes community assembly was highlighted. Assembly processes were dominated by deterministic processes in bulk and rhizosphere soils, and followed by stochastic processes in roots and leaves with amino acids as critical drivers for environmental selection. Sphingobacteria and Proteobacteria ascended from soils to leaves to sustain a core leaf taxa. The core taxa formed a close association with a prevalent foliar pathogen in the co-occurrence network and significantly attenuated the expression of a set of essential virulence genes in pathogen. Conclusion: Our study unveils the mechanism underpinning microbiome assembly in the tea plants, and a potential implication of the microbiome-mediated resilience framework on the phyllosphere homeostasis.

Fluoride is a common contaminant of groundwater and agricultural commodity, which poses challenges to animal and human health. A wealth of research has demonstrated its detrimental effects on intestinal mucosal integrity; however, the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. This study aimed to investigate the role of the cytoskeleton in fluoride-induced barrier dysfunction. After sodium fluoride (NaF) treatment of the cultured Caco-2 cells, both cytotoxicity and cytomorphological changes (internal vacuoles or massive ablation) were observed. NaF lowered transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and enhanced paracellular permeation of fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran 4 (FD-4), indicating Caco-2 monolayers hyperpermeability. In the meantime, NaF treatment altered both the expression and distribution of the tight junction protein ZO-1. Fluoride exposure increased myosin light chain II (MLC2) phosphorylation and triggered actin filament (F-actin) remodeling. While inhibition of myosin II by Blebbistatin blocked NaF-induced barrier failure and ZO-1 discontinuity, the corresponding agonist Ionomycin had effects comparable to those of fluoride, suggesting that MLC2 serves as an effector. Given the mechanisms upstream of p-MLC2 regulation, further studies demonstrated that NaF activated RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway and myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), strikingly increasing the expression of both. Pharmacological inhibitors (Rhosin, Y-27632 and ML-7) reversed NaF-induced barrier breakdown and stress fiber formation. The role of intracellular calcium ions ([Ca2+]i) in NaF effects on Rho/ROCK pathway and MLCK was investigated. We found that NaF elevated [Ca2+]i, whereas chelator BAPTA-AM attenuated increased RhoA and MLCK expression as well as ZO-1 rupture, thus, restoring barrier function. Collectively, abovementioned results suggest that NaF induces barrier impairment via Ca2+-dependent RhoA/ROCK pathway and MLCK, which in turn triggers MLC2 phosphorylation and rearrangement of ZO-1 and F-actin. These results provide potential therapeutic targets for fluoride-induced intestinal injury.

The antimicrobial peptide human defensin-5 (HD-5) is found to upregulate Vibrio cholera virulence genes in a manner dependent on the two-component system, CarSR, providing insights into how the cholera pathogen responds to intestinal HD-5.

BackgroundThe immune response and safety of inactivated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines among patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), especially those with cirrhosis, are not clear. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines among CHB patients with and without cirrhosis.Patients and methodsA total of 643 CHB patients who received two doses of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines (BBIBP-CorV and CoronaVac) were enrolled. Serum samples were collected and tested for SARS-CoV-2 S-receptor-binding domain (S-RBD) immunoglobulin G (IgG) at enrollment. Data on adverse events (AEs) within 7 days after the second dose were obtained using a questionnaire.ResultsA total of 416 non-cirrhotic and 227 cirrhotic patients were included in the analysis. Cirrhotic patients had lower antibody titers than non-cirrhotic patients after adjusting for age, sex, and time interval (2.45 vs. 2.60 ng/ml, p = 0.034). Furthermore, the study revealed that cirrhotic patients demonstrated a slower rate of seropositivity increase, with the highest rate being recorded at week 4 and reaching 94.7%. On the other hand, among non-cirrhotic patients, the seropositivity rate peak was observed at week 2 and reached 96.0%. In addition, cirrhotic patients displayed a more rapid decline in the seropositivity rate, dropping to 54.5% after ≥16 weeks, while non-cirrhotic patients exhibited a decrease to 67.2% after the same time period. The overall incidence of AEs was low (18.4%), and all AEs were mild and self-limiting. In addition, 16.0% of participants had mild liver function abnormalities, and half of them returned to normality within the next 6 months without additional therapy. The participants who experienced liver function abnormalities showed a higher seropositivity rate and antibody titer than those who did not (91.6% vs. 79.5%, p = 0.005; 2.73 vs. 2.41 ng/ml, p

In order to maintain the color of microwave vacuum-dried (MVD) lemon slices, the composition and its concentration of color protection liquid for lemon slices were optimized, and its effects on the quality changes of treated lemon slices were also investigated. In this work, the distilled water treatment group was used as the blank control group, the formulation of color-protected agents without sulfite was decided through the single factor and response surface tests, which included 0.60% EDTA-2Na, 0.38% L-cysteine and 0.82% citric acid, respectively. Moreover, both L* value and the color difference value of slices treated with this composite color protection liquid were the best among all the samples. Furthermore, the verification test showed that the average values of L* and color difference value of treated lemon slices were 78.52 and 11.61, respectively. And the agreement between the predicted value and the test value was 98.44% and 97.33%, respectively. On the other hand, the quality changes between lemon slices treated by the color protection liquid and control slices were analyzed. The compared results of the quality changes between treated lemon slices and control samples indicated that the amino nitrogen, ascorbic acid contents and reducing sugar of lemon slices treated with the color protection liquid were 38.61, 81.79 mg/100 g, and 14.75 g/100 g, respectively, which were all higher than that in the control samples. More importantly, 58 and 56 kinds of volatile components were detected in the color protection group and the control group, respectively. The main characteristic aroma components including α-pinene, β-pinene, myrcene, γ-terpinene and citral in the treated lemon were higher than that in the control slices. However, the content of citral was lower than that in the control simple. These results indicated that the color protection treatment could effectively inhibit the nonenzymic browning of the microwave vacuum-dried lemon slices and also retained its original nutrients and aroma components at a greater extent.

The bacterium Vibrio cholerae can colonize the human intestine and cause cholera, but spends much of its life cycle in seawater. Here, Liu et al. identify a fructose uptake system that is important for the growth of the bacteria in seawater, where fructose concentrations are low.

Abstract Background The resistance mechanism of the third generation of epidermal growth factor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) osimertinib is complex. Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a common mechanism of EGFR‐TKI acquired resistance. Snail is an important transcription factor related to EMT. Whether targeting Snail can reverse the resistance of osimertinib by downregulating Snail is unknown. Methods The presence of EMT in H1975/OR (osimertinib resistance) cells was confirmed by transwell assay. To explore the EMT role in resistance, the expression levels of EMT markers were detected in both parental cells H1975 and resistant cells H1975OR. We used RNA interference technology to knockdown the key regulator Snail in resistant cells. After the interference efficiency was confirmed, changes in EMT‐related molecules of Snail were explicitly downregulated, and changes in sensitivity and migration and invasion ability were also examined. We used CDK4/6 inhibitor to test the ability of reversing drug resistance by downregulating Snail. Results Compared with the H1975 cell line, the H1975/OR resistant cell line showed increased invasiveness, upregulated expression of vimentin and downregulation of E‐cadherin. EMT occurred in the H1975/OR resistant cell line. The expression of Snail was upregulated in the osimertinib‐resistant cell line H1975/OR. Knockdown of Snail increased the sensitivity of H1975/OR cells to osimertinib. CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib could downregulate the expression of Snail. CDK 4/6 inhibitor palbociclib combined with osimertinib could reverse the resistance of osimertinib in H1975/OR. Conclusions Snail plays an important role in the third generation of EGFR‐TKI osimertinib resistance, which may be reversed by downregulating Snail.

This study investigated the effect of edible coating (EC), modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), and edible coating + modified atmosphere packaging (EC + MAP) treatments on the quality of fresh-cut pineapples during storage at 4 °C. The quality differences were analyzed by measuring the quality, physiological indicators, and total microbial counts. After 8 d of storage, the brightness (L*) values of the EC + MAP and control samples were 72.76 and 60.83, respectively. The water loss and respiratory rate of the EC + MAP were significantly inhibited from 0% and 29.33 mg CO2 kg−1 h−1 to 4.13% and 43.84 mg CO2 kg−1 h−1, respectively. Furthermore, the fresh-cut pineapples treated with EC + MAP presented a good appearance, with lower total soluble solids (TSS) and relative conductivity and higher titratable acid (TA), ascorbic acid (AA), total phenol content, and firmness compared to the other treatment groups. At the end of storage, the EC + MAP samples exhibited the lowest polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, peroxidase (POD) activity, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content at 28.53 U, 60.37 U, and 1.47 nmol·g−1, respectively. Furthermore, the efficiency of EC + MAP treatment exceeded that of EC or MAP alone, preventing key problems involving the surface browning and microbiological safety of the fresh-cut pineapples. The results showed that EC + MAP treatment was more successful in maintaining the storage quality and extending the shelf life of fresh-cut pineapples.

In this paper, the project portfolio selection problem which considers the divisibility of projects is discussed. In a conventional method, some essential and uncertain variables, such as return, investment and set up cost, are given by estimation of experts due to lack of historical data. To better solve the problem, uncertainty theory is introduced into this study. A mean-variance model is proposed to help decision makers find an optimal portfolio and its time schedule. Specially, the situation where all the uncertain parameters are normal distribution is discussed. For efficient computation, an equivalent mixed integer linear programming representation is proposed. Another mean-variance model without considering the divisibility is also proposed to see the contrast effect of net present value (NPV). At last, a numerical example under above two scenarios is demonstrated and the effect of risk level to the maximum expected NPV is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The third‐generation EGFR‐TKI, represented by osimertinib, has been widely used in clinical practice; however, resistance eventually emerges. At present, it remains unclear whether an abnormal cell cycle is involved in acquired resistance, and whether the combination of palbociclib (CDK4/6 inhibitor) and osimertinib can overcome the third‐generation TKI resistance. Methods We established osimertinib‐resistant cells (H1975 OR) derived from EGFR‐mutant NSCLC cells H1975. Drug effects on cells were assessed with Cell Counting Kit‐8 (CCK8). Protein alterations were detected with western blot analysis. RT‐PCR was used to evaluate the differences of gene mRNA. Cell cycle distribution of H1975 S and H1975 OR cells was compared using flow cytometry. Results Compared with H1975, the sensitivity of H1975OR to the CDK4/6 inhibitor was increased and the proportion of cells in G1 phase was decreased. The mRNA level of CDK4, CDK 6 and the protein level of CDK4, pRB were increased in H1975OR. In the H1975OR cells, palbociclib significantly increased the proportion of G1 phase cells. The combination of osimertinib and palbociclib synergistically decreased the survival of H1975OR by cell cycle arrest. Combined treatment was found to inhibit the initial phosphorylation of RB by inhibiting the function of CDK4/6, significantly reducing the level of p‐RB, and blocking cell proliferation. Conclusions An osimertinib acquired resistance cell line (H1975 OR) was successfully established. The expression of cell cycle related genes was altered in H1975OR. The expression of CDK4 and the phosphorylation of Rb, the downstream molecule of CDK4/6, was increased in H1975OR cells. The combination of CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib and osimertinib could overcome the acquired resistance of osimertinib.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091834.].

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is an important human pathogen causing severe diseases, such as hemorrhagic colitis and lethal hemolytic uremic syndrome. The signal-sensing capability of EHEC O157:H7 at specific host colonization sites via different two-component systems (TCSs) is closely related to its pathogenicity during infection. However, the types of systems involved and the regulatory mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we investigated the function of the TCS BarA/UvrY regulator UvrY in the pathogenicity regulation of EHEC O157:H7. Our results showed that UvrY acts as a positive regulator of EHEC O157:H7 for cellular adherence and mouse colonization through the transcriptional activation of the locus for enterocyte effacement (LEE) pathogenic genes. Furthermore, this regulation is mediated by the LEE island master regulator, Ler. Our results highlight the significance of UvrY in EHEC O157:H7 pathogenicity and underline the unknown importance of BarA/UvrY in colonization establishment and intestinal adaptability during infection.

This study compared the quality and storage characteristics of four pineapple varieties to select those displaying adequate storage resistance and those suitable for freshly cut processing. Four varieties of pineapple, namely Tainong No.16, Tainong No.17, Tainong No.11, and Bali, were used to analyze the quality differences in freshly cut pineapple during storage by measuring the quality, physiological indicators, and total microbial count. The results indicated that the nutritional quality and storability of freshly cut pineapples differed significantly among the varieties. During refrigeration at 4 °C, Tainong No.11 and Bali displayed the shortest storage period of 4 d, while Tainong No.17 and Tainong No.16 presented storage periods of 5 d and 6 d, respectively. A sensory evaluation indicated that the Tainong No.16 variety was superior in terms of consumer preference, while the Bali slices were generally rated lower than the other cultivars. Additionally, the sensory properties, weight loss, firmness, and ascorbic acid (AA) content of Tainong No.16 changed the least during storage, with values of 60.75%, 6.48%, 75.15%, and 20.44%, respectively. Overall, the quality order of the four varieties of freshly cut pineapples during storage was: Tainong No.16 > Tainong No.17 > Tainong No.11 > Bali. Moreover, two-way ANOVA showed that the main effect of variety and storage time on the storage quality of fresh-cut pineapple was significant (p < 0.05). The interaction effect of variety and storage time on other quality characteristics of fresh-cut pineapple was significant (p < 0.05) except for Titratable acid (TA) and AA. In conclusion, Tainong No.16 displayed higher storage potential than the other varieties. The results of this work provide application possibilities to promote the successful processing of pineapple cultivars as freshly cut produce.

Heavy metal accumulation in agriculture soils is of particular concern in China, while the status and probabilistic health risks of metal contamination in Chinese agriculture soils have been rarely studied at the national scale. In this study, we compiled a database of heavy metal concentrations in Chinese agriculture soils and selected six heavy metals for pollution assessment and risk screening: arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and Zinc (Zn). Monte Carlo simulation was employed to assess the probabilistic health risks, the associated uncertainties, as well as variations in toxicity parameters, ingestion rate and body weight. Results indicated that the concentrations of Cd were elevated above their reference standard and Cd had the highest mean geo-accumulation index (Igeo) of 1.79. Moreover, the mean hazard index (HI) through exposure to six heavy metals was 1.85E−01 and 2.87E−02 for children and adults, respectively, with 2.2% of non-cancer risks for children that exceeded the guideline value of 1. In contrast, 95.0% and 90.0% of the total cancer risks (TCR) through exposure to six heavy metals for children and adults, respectively, exceeded the guideline value of 1E−06. Six metals were ranked based on their percent of risk outputs exceeding the guideline values. Arsenic had the high exceedance of both cancer and non-cancer risks, while both Cr and Cd were metals with high concern that had high exceedance of cancer risk. Sensitivity analyses indicated that metal concentrations and ingestion rate of soil were the predominant contributors to total risk variance. Overall, the adverse health risks induced by exposure to heavy metals contaminated farmland were elevated. Results from this study may provide valuable implications for public health professionals and policy-makers to design effective strategy to manage nation-wide farmland and reduce heavy metal exposure. Keywords: Agriculture soil, Heavy metal, Probabilistic risk, Monte Carlo simulation, Risk level ranking

Heavy-metal contamination is widespread in agricultural soils worldwide, especially paddy soils contaminated by Cd. Amendment-induced immobilization of heavy metals is an attractive and effective technique, provided that cost-effective materials are used. This field experiment compared three alkaline passivators (attapulgite, processed oyster shell powder, and mixed soil conditioner) at a rate of 2.25 t ha−1 for their effectiveness in decreasing Cd bioavailability in soils and accumulation in rice plants in a paddy field contaminated by Cd (0.38 Cd mg kg−1). The utilization of attapulgite and processed oyster shell powder decreased labile fractions but increased stable fractions of Cd in soils through ion exchange, precipitation and complexation. The addition of attapulgite decreased the concentration of bioavailable Cd in both bulk and rhizosphere soils, whereas the amendment of processed oyster shell powder decreased it only in bulk soil. The Cd accumulation in rice plants correlated significantly with acid-soluble and residual Cd fractions in the rhizosphere soil but not in the bulk soil. The addition of attapulgite and processed oyster shell powder decreased Cd accumulation in rice grains from 0.26 mg kg−1 to 0.14 and 0.19 mg kg−1, respectively, meeting the National Food Safety Standard (

Arsenic (As) is a potential contaminant in sewage sludge that may affect waste treatment and limit the use of these waste materials as soil amendments. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is an important and effective process for the treatment of sewage sludge and the chemical speciation of As is particularly important in sludge AD. However, the biotransformation genes of As in sludge during AD has not been fully explored. In this study, the influent and effluent sludge of anaerobic digester in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) was collected to investigate the species transformations of As, the abundance and diversity of As biotransformation genes was explored by real-time PCR (qPCR) and metagenomic sequencing, separately. The results showed that arsenite [As(III)] and arsenate [As(V)] were predominant in the influent sludge, whereas the relative abundance of monomethylarsenic acid (MMA) increased by 25.7% after digestion. As biotransformation genes were highly abundant, and the As(III) S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferase (arsM) gene was the predominant which significantly increased after AD by qPCR analysis. Metagenomic analysis indicated that the diversity of the arsM-like sequences also increased significantly after AD. Most of the arsM-like sequences in all the influent and effluent sludge samples were related to Bacteroidetes and Alphaproteobacteria. Furthermore, co-occurrence network analysis indicated a strong correlation between the microbial communities and As. This study provides a direct and reliable reference on As biotransformation genes and microbial community in the AD of sludge. Keywords: Sludge, Anaerobic digestion, Metagenomic, qPCR, Arsenic biotransformation genes

Ventricular remodelling leads to cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, myocardial fibrosis, endothelial vasoactive substance changes and endothelial dysfunction. Our purpose was to research the effect of an aqueous extract of Averrhoa carambola L. (AEA) on endothelial function in rats with ventricular remodelling induced by isoprenaline. Rats were subjected to injection of isoprenaline and administration of various drugs. Vasoactive substances were measured, and the ventricular remodelling index was detected by the weighing method. Immunohistochemical analysis, pathological examination, Western blot and Masson’s trichrome staining were performed. After AEA administration, the levels of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), angiotensin II (AngII), inducible NO synthase (iNOS), endothelin-converting enzyme (ECE), and endothelin 1 (ET-1); the ventricular remodelling index; and the collagen volume fraction were decreased, while the levels of total NO synthase (tNOS) and endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) were increased. The pathological examination results showed that apoptosis, fibrosis, necrosis and inflammatory infiltration of myocardial tissue were attenuated by AEA treatment. AEA might alleviate ventricular remodelling in rats by maintaining the balance of vasoactive substances and the function of the vascular endothelium.

The development of non-precious metal catalysts with excellent bifunctional activities is significant for air–metal batteries. ABO3-type perovskite oxides can improve their catalytic activity and electronic conductivity by doping transition metal elements at B sites. Here, we develop a novel Sm0.5Sr0.5Co1−xNixO3−δ (SSCN) nanofiber-structured electrocatalyst. In 0.1 M KOH electrolyte solution, Sm0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Ni0.2O3−δ (SSCN82) with the optimal Co: Ni molar ratio exhibits good electrocatalytic activity for OER/ORR, affording a low onset potential of 1.39 V, a slight Tafel slope of 123.8 mV dec−1, and a current density of 6.01 mA cm−2 at 1.8 V, and the ORR reaction process was four-electron reaction pathway. Combining the morphological characteristic of SSCN nanofibers with the synergistic effect of cobalt and nickel with a suitable molar ratio is beneficial to improving the catalytic activity of SSCN perovskite oxides. SSCN82 exhibits good bi-functional catalytic performance and electrochemical double-layer capacitance.

Farmland contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has drawn increasing attention across China with enhanced regulations and environmental policies proposed by government to protect soil environment safety. As the informal electronic waste (e-waste) dismantling activities were forbidden under recent environmental regulation, this study compared levels, compositions, spatial distributions, human health risks of PAHs in paddy soil within the vicinity of an e-waste recycling area in southeastern China, with 129 and 150 soil samples collected in 2011 and 2016, respectively. The soil contamination was dominated with high molecular weight PAHs. The mean concentration of EPA 16 PAHs decreased from 590.4 ± 337.2 μg kg−1 in 2011 to 407.3 ± 232.2 μg kg−1 in 2016. Distribution maps of soil PAHs concentration displayed the temporal change in spatial. Principal component analysis together with diagnostic ratios revealed the combustion of biomass and coal in industrial and unregulated e-waste dismantling were the main sources of PAHs in the study area. Both deterministic and probabilistic assessments demonstrated reduced exposure risk for farmers from 2011 to 2016. Sensitivity analysis revealed that exposure frequency (EF) is the most influential parameter for the total variance in the risk assessment model. This study implied that the more stringent environmental policy and regulation can lead reductions in soil contamination with PAHs. Keywords: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), Electronic-waste, Paddy field, Excess lifetime cancer risks, Monte Carlo simulation

Conducting integrated analysis of the source, exposure and health risk of heavy metals is critical for developing mitigation strategies of soil contamination. Taking the former electronic waste (e-waste) dismantling center in China as an example this study quantitatively apportioned source contribution of soil heavy metals in this area by statistical analysis and positive matrix factorization (PMF) model. Furthermore, the human health risk of identified sources were quantified by combining source profiles and exposure risk assessment. The seven heavy metals investigated were arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and Zinc (Zn). Results indicated that agricultural soils were mainly contaminated with Cd and Cu. Parent material and pesticide, fertilizer application, industrial discharge, and vehicle emission accounted for 46.6, 22.2, and 31.2%, respectively, of the accumulation of metals in the soil. Moreover, these sources contributed 52.9, 19.0, and 28.1%, respectively of the total non-cancer risk. For the total cancer risk, the contribution of these three sources was 39.2, 45.3, and 15.5%, respectively. Despite that industrial discharge contributed the least to the accumulation of metals (22.2%), it contributed the most to the total cancer risk (45.3%). Reducing industrial emission was crucial for minimizing the heavy metal input to agricultural soils and preventing potential health hazard. These findings could provide support for environmental protection authority to improve the management and risk prevention of contaminated farmland. Keywords: Exposure, E-waste, Health risk, Heavy metal, Source apportionment, Source contribution

The green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from biological waste, as well as their excellent antibacterial properties, is currently attracting significant research attention. This study synthesized AgNPs from different mango peel extract concentrations while investigating their characteristics and antibacterial properties. The results showed that the AgNPs were irregular with rod-like, spherical shapes and were detected in a range of 25 nm to 75 nm. The AgNPs displayed antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), showing a more significant impact when synthesized with 0.20 g/mL of mango peel extract. Therefore, the antibacterial effect of different diluted AgNP concentrations on the growth kinetic curves of E. coli and S. aureus after synthesis with 0.20 g/mL mango peel extract was analyzed. The results indicated that the AgNP antibacterial activity was higher against S. aureus than against E. coli, while the AgNP IC50 in these two strains was approximately 1.557 mg/mL and 2.335 mg/L, respectively. This research provides new insights regarding the use of postharvest mango byproducts and the potential for developing additional AgNP composite antibacterial materials for fruit and vegetable preservation.

Postharvest pathogens such as C. gloeosporioides (MA), C.oxysporum (ME) and P. steckii (MF) are the causal agents of disease in mangoes. This paper presents an in vitro investigation into the antifungal effect of a chitosan (CTS)/nano-titanium dioxide (TiO2) composite coating against MA, ME and MF. The results indicated that, the rates of MA, ME and MF mortality following the single chitosan treatment were 63.3%, 84.8% and 43.5%, respectively, while the rates of mycelial inhibition were 84.0%, 100% and 25.8%, respectively. However, following the addition of 0.5% nano-TiO2 into the CTS, both the mortality and mycelial inhibition rates for MA and ME reached 100%, and the mortality and mycelial inhibition rate for MF also increased significantly, reaching 75.4% and 57.3%, respectively. In the MA, the dry weight of mycelia after the CTS/0.5% nano-TiO2 treatment decreased by 36.3% in comparison with the untreated group, while the conductivity value was about 1.7 times that of the untreated group, and the protein dissolution rate and extravasation degree of nucleic acids also increased significantly. Thus, this research revealed the potential of CTS/nano-TiO2 composite coatings in the development of new antimicrobial materials.