Search

The hydrochemical characteristics of groundwater in coal mining areas and its formation are of great significance to groundwater protection in mining areas and the identification of mine water inrush water sources. This paper takes the Quaternary aquifer, Cretaceous Luohe Formation, Jurassic Anding Formation and Zhiluo Formation aquifer groundwater as research objects in the Yushenfu Mining Area in northern Shaanxi. The chemical characteristics and formation of groundwater were analyzed by comprehensive use of statistical analysis, Piper's three-line diagram, isotope, Gibbs diagram and ion ratio relationship. The results show that the groundwater in this mining area is weakly alkaline fresh water. In the groundwater of quaternary, cretaceous Luohe Formation and Jurassic Zhiluo Formation （weathered bedrock）, the cation is mainly Ca2+, and the anion is mainly HCO3 −. In the groundwater of Jurassic Anding Formation, the cation is mainly K++Na+, and the anion is HCO3 −. In the groundwater of Jurassic Zhiluo Formation （normal bedrock）, the cation is mainly K++Na+, and the anion is mainly SO4 2−. TDS in the groundwater of each aquifer is significantly correlated with major ions. In the normal bedrock groundwater of the Luohe Formation and the Jurassic Zhiluo Formation, the spatial distribution of ions was quite different. Through isotope analysis and dissolution analysis, there is a hydraulic connection between the fourth series and the weathered bedrock aquifer of the Zhiluo Formation. The formation of main ions in groundwater in the study area is controlled by rock weathering, and the main ions are derived from the dissolution of carbonate, silicate, and sulfate minerals, and are affected by the alternating adsorption of K+, Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ cations. The results of this study can provide some reference for the protection and rational development and utilization of groundwater resources in the Yushenfu Mining Area.

Background: Diabetic atherosclerosis is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, but its therapeutic options are limited. Liraglutide (LIR), a synthetic analog of GLP-1 approved as an anti-obesity drug by the FDA, has been reported as a promising drug for diabetic atherosclerosis. However, the main problem with LIR is its use that requires regular parenteral injections, which necessitates the improvement of drug delivery for increased efficiency and minimization of injection numbers. Results: The objective of our present study was to prepare and characterize nanoparticles (BSA@LIR-PMF) for targeted drug delivery using LIR-encapsulated platelet membrane fragments (PMF) coated bovine serum albumin (BSA). We used various methods to characterize the prepared nanoparticles and evaluated their efficiency on diabetes-induced atherosclerosis in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that the nanoparticles were spherical and had good stability and uniform size with intact membrane protein structure. The loading and encapsulation rates (LR and ER) of BSA@LIR-PMF were respectively 7.96% and 85.56%, while the cumulative release rate was around 77.06% after 24 h. Besides, we also examined the impact of BSA@LIR-PMF on the proliferation, migration, phagocytosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis, lactate and ATP levels, and lipid deposition in the aortas. The results indicated that BSA@LIR-PMF could effectively inhibit ox-LDL-stimulated abnormal cell proliferation and migration, reduce the level of ROS and lactate concentration, and enhance the level of ATP, thereby improving oxidative phosphorylation in ox-LDL-treated cells. Conclusion: BSA@LIR-PMF significantly inhibited diabetes-induced atherosclerosis. It was anticipated that the BSA@LIR-PMF nanoparticles might be used for treating diabetes-associated cardiovascular complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrophages play a pivotal role in the healing of diabetic ulcers. The sustained elevation of glucose levels damages the insulin signaling pathway in macrophages, leading to dysfunctional macrophages that struggle to transition from pro-inflammatory (M1) to reparative (M2) states. Therefore, modulating macrophage inflammatory responses via the insulin pathway holds promise for diabetic ulcer treatment. Additionally, the presence of biofilm impedes drug penetration, and the resulting immunosuppressive microenvironment exacerbates the persistent infiltration of pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages. Therefore, we designed an array of dissolvable microneedle (denoted as NPF@MN) loaded with self-assembled nanoparticles that could deliver NPF nanoparticles, acid-sensitive NPF-releasing Protocatechualdehyde (PA) with hypoglycemic and insulin-like effects, regulating macrophage polarization to an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype. Additionally, this study extensively examined the mechanism by which NPF@MN accelerates the healing of diabetic ulcers through the activation of the insulin signaling pathway. Through RNA-seq and GSEA analysis, we identified a reduction in the expression of pathway-related factors such as IR, IRS-1, IRS-2, and SHC. Our work presents an innovative therapeutic approach targeting the insulin pathway in diabetic ulcers and underscores its translational potential for clinical management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mountainous areas, high-filled subgrade often experiences significant post-construction settlement. Prematurely paving the cement-stabilized gravel layer on an unstable subgrade can easily lead to subsequent cracking. To accurately predict the settlement of high-filled subgrade and determine the appropriate timing for paving the cement-stabilized layer, this study proposes a subgrade settlement prediction method combining an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) with a Genetic Algorithm (GA). Using monitoring data from a high-filled subgrade on a highway in Hunan Province, China, a GA–ANN model was established to predict settlement curves. The predicted data from the GA–ANN model were compared with measured data and ANN predictions to validate the advantages of using GA–ANN for subgrade settlement prediction. The results indicate that the GA–ANN model significantly outperforms the ANN model due to GA's ability to provide more reasonable weight biases for ANN through global search optimization. Predictions of settlement data beyond 50 days using both ANN and GA–ANN showed that the GA–ANN prediction curve closely matched the measured curve, with a basic deviation within ±3 mm. In contrast, ANN's prediction error gradually increased to over 5 mm as the observation time increased, with predicted values lower than measured values, leading to an overly optimistic estimation of early settlement convergence. Based on the predicted data and settlement standards, the estimated timing for laying the stabilized layer was determined. During the laying process, no cracking was observed in the stabilized layer. The project has been in operation for six months, with the road surface in good condition. This study provides a valuable reference for the laying of stabilized layers on similar high-filled and ultra-high-filled subgrades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread use of carbamate pesticides has raised significant environmental and health concerns, particularly regarding water contamination and the disruption of defense systems in organisms. Despite these concerns, research on the differential impacts of pesticides on male and female organisms remains limited. This study focused on methomyl, investigating sex-specific differences in liver antioxidant defenses and inflammatory response indices in male and female zebrafish after 56 days of exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations (0, 0.05, 0.10, and 0.20 mg/L). Our findings indicate that methomyl exposure significantly increased ROS content in zebrafish livers, inducing oxidative stress and activating enzymatic antioxidant defenses such as SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px activities. Sub-chronic exposure altered the expression of apoptosis-related genes (Bax/Bcl2a and Caspases3a), resulting in liver cell apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner, with the 0.20 mg/L concentration causing the most severe damage. Additionally, methomyl exposure at environmentally relevant concentrations triggered persistent inflammatory responses in liver tissues, evidenced by increased transcription levels of inflammatory factor genes and the activation of toll-like receptors, heightening susceptibility to exogenous allergens. It is noteworthy that oxidative damage indicators (AST, ROS, MDA) and inflammatory gene expressions (IL-1β, TNF-α) were significantly higher in female livers compared to male livers at 0.10–0.20 mg/L methomyl exposure. Consequently, our study underscores the potential adverse effects of environmental methomyl exposure on aquatic organisms and highlights the need for heightened consideration of the risks posed by environmental endocrine disruptors to female health and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the activities of intestinal digestive enzymes, liver antioxidant enzymes, immunological enzymes, and glucometabolic enzymes in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) under the biofloc model, an experiment was conducted in 300-liter glass tanks. The experiment comprised a control group, which was fed a basal diet, and a biofloc group, where glucose was added to maintain a C/N ratio of 15. Each group had three parallel setups, with a stocking density of 20 fish per tank. The experiment ran for 60 days, employing a zero-water exchange aquaculture model. The results showed that at the end of the culture period, there were no significant differences between the initial weight, final weight, WGR, SGR, and SR of the biofloc group and the control group of largemouth bass (p > 0.05), whereas the lower FCR and the higher PER in the biofloc group were significant (p < 0.05); intestinal α-amylase, trypsin, and lipase activities of largemouth bass in the biofloc group were significantly increased by 37.20%, 64.11%, and 51.69%, respectively, compared with the control group (p < 0.05); liver superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, and total antioxidant capacity of largemouth bass in the biofloc group were significantly increased by 49.26%, 46.87%, and 98.94% (p < 0.05), while the malondialdehyde content was significantly reduced by 19.91% (p < 0.05); liver lysozyme, alkaline phosphatase, and acid phosphatase activities of largemouth bass in the biofloc group were significantly increased by 62.66%, 41.22%, and 29.66%, respectively (p < 0.05); liver glucokinase, pyruvate kinase, glucose-6-phosphate kinase, pyruvate kinase, glucose-6-phosphatase, and glycogen synthase activities were significantly increased by 46.29%, 99.33%, 32.54%, and 26.89%, respectively (p < 0.05). The study showed that the biofloc model of culturing largemouth bass can not only enhance digestive enzyme activities, antioxidant capacity, and immune response but can also promote the process of glucose metabolism and reduce feeding costs. This study provides data support for healthy culturing of largemouth bass in future production, provides a theoretical reference for optimizing the biofloc technology culture model, and is crucial for promoting the healthy and green development of aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotics have been widely used in the aquatic industry. Enrofloxacin, florfenicol and sulfamethoxazole are three typical antibiotic types of fluoroquinolone, chloramphenicol and sulfamethoxazole. Their safety reference values in aqua-culture and ecological risks in natural waters have not been clear. In this study, species sensitivity distribution (SSD) was used to determine the biological reference value of typical antibiotics for freshwater aquaculture, and SSD forward method and risk entropy value were used to evaluate the ecological risk of three antibiotics in natural rivers. The results showed that the safety reference values of enrofloxacin, florfenicol and sulfamethoxazole were 58 μg/L, 267 μg/L and 42 μg/L. Potentially affected fraction and risk entropy indicate that there is no ecological risk for the three antibiotics in natural waters. This study provides scientific basis and theoretical guidance for the scientific use of antibiotics in aquatic industry and systematic evaluation of ecological risk of antibiotics in waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epigenetic histone methylation plays a crucial role in cerebral ischemic injury, particularly in the context of ischemic stroke. However, the complete understanding of regulators involved in histone methylation, such as Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2), along with their functional effects and underlying mechanisms, remains incomplete. Methods: Here, we employed a rat model of MCAO (Middle cerebral artery occlusion) and an OGD (Oxygen‐Glucose Deprivation) model of primary cortical neurons to study the role of EZH2 and H3K27me3 in cerebral ischemia‐reperfusion injury. The infarct volume was measured through TTC staining, while cell apoptosis was detected using TUNEL staining. The mRNA expression levels were quantified through quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), whereas protein expressions were evaluated via western blotting and immunofluorescence experiments. Results: The expression levels of EZH2 and H3K27me3 were upregulated in OGD; these expression levels were further enhanced by GSK‐J4 but reduced by EPZ‐6438 and AKT inhibitor (LY294002) under OGD conditions. Similar trends were observed for mTOR, AKT, and PI3K while contrasting results were noted for UTX and JMJD3. The phosphorylation levels of mTOR, AKT, and PI3K were activated by OGD, further stimulated by GSK‐J4, but inhibited by EPZ‐6438 and AKT inhibitor. Inhibition of EZH2 or AKT effectively counteracted OGD‐/MCAO‐induced cell apoptosis. Additionally, inhibition of EZH2 or AKT mitigated MCAO‐induced infarct size and neurological deficit in vivo. Conclusions: Collectively, our results demonstrate that EZH2 inhibition exerts a protective effect against ischemic brain injury by modulating the H3K27me3/PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. The results provide novel insights into potential therapeutic mechanisms for stroke treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]