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BackgroundKeratoconus is a diseased corneal dilation of unknown etiology. Studies have shown that inflammation may play a role in keratoconus. Inflammatory enteritis (IBD), including ulcerative colitis (UC), is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disease. We used Mendelian randomization to assess the causal relationship among IBD, UC and keratoconus.MethodsThe instrumental variable of IBD and UC was selected, the information of the instrumental variable in keratoconus outcome was extracted, and the causal relationship was assessed by the inverse variance weighted method by primary analysis, and its relevant sensitivity analysis.ResultsA causal relationship between IBD and keratoconus was observed significantly (P = 0.017, OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.03–1.41), and same as to UC and keratoconus (P = 0.038, OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.01–1.54).ConclusionIBD may play a causal role in the development of keratoconus, but the mechanism needs to be further elucidated.

Carbon felt is widely used due to its lightweight and conductive nature. However, limited research has been conducted regarding the tension applied during its preparation. This study aims to explore the influence of different loading tensions during the carbonization process on the properties of acrylic-based carbon felts. Enhanced flexibility, lower shrinkage and improved mechanical and electrical properties were found for the samples obtained in the edge loading mode. Subsequently, the performance of carbon felts in electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and resistive heating was studied. The carbon felts achieved a notable EMI shielding effectiveness of 55 dB. The specific shielding effectiveness values are significantly higher than other reported materials due to their low density and high porosity. Moreover, the carbon felts displayed commendable electrical heating performance through high heating rates and superior heating efficiency. Lastly, the structural stability was assessed via self-designed bending experiments. Good stability of the resistance and heating behavior of the carbon felts across multiple bending cycles was observed. With low manufacturing costs, good stability and air permeability, the flexible carbon felt is expected to be widely used for barrier applications and wearable electronics.

Experimental test campaigns have begun to demonstrate the potential of methanol as an alternative fuel for heavy-duty spark-ignited engines. However, there is no consensus yet on the scope of this solution in terms of maximum power and engine size. A zero-dimensional combustion model is therefore being developed outside the scope of this work. Its main objective will be to predict key performance parameters such as power and efficiency as function of engine size. Due to the high loads typically encountered in heavy-duty engines, knock will be the main constraint to maximize the engine's potential. This work therefore aims to find an accurate knock model that can be implemented in the modelling framework. The Livengood–Wu knock integral model is being considered as a good candidate, as it is computationally inexpensive and thus allows for a large number of engine configurations to be modelled within a reasonable time. Due to a lack of autoignition delay times of methanol at conditions relevant to heavy-duty engines, a large database was created using chemical kinetics calculations. A neural network model was trained with the tabulated data for fast data retrieval. To validate whether the knock integral approach is robust enough to be applied to a wide range of engine sizes, a calibration constant was added to match the knock predictions to experimental data. Its value was calculated for three different engines, a light and heavy-duty SI engine and a large-bore dual-fuel engine. They highlight a remarkable difference in calibration constant across the different engines investigated.

Polyglycolic acid (PGA) is a biologically friendly material with a wide range of applications. The production of dimethyl oxalate using coal-based syngas and the hydrogenation of dimethyl oxalate can produce the polymerization raw material of PGA, glycolide, which requires a methyl glycolate polymerization and depolymerization process. The intermediate products of the production process were analyzed using gas chromatogram-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Orbitrap mass spectrometry (Orbitrap MS), which revealed the presence of cyclic and linear PGAs with different capped ends. The impurities present in the oligomer were mostly methyl-capped PGA and were retained in the subsequent depolymerization process to glycolide, solvent washing can be used to remove this part of the impurity and ultimately obtain a refined glycolide product. Furthermore, it is proposed that the use of the specialized Kendrick Mass Defect (KMD) to plot and analyze PGA compounds obtained using mass spectrometry can enable the direct classification of PGAs without the need for exact molecular formula assignment.

The mechanics of capillary force in biological systems have critical roles in the formation of the intra- and inter-cellular structures, which may mediate the organization, morphogenesis, and homeostasis of biomolecular condensates. Current techniques may not allow direct and precise measurements of the capillary forces at the intra- and inter-cellular scales. By preserving liquid droplets at the liquid–liquid interface, we have discovered and studied ideal models, i.e., interfacial liquids and marbles, for understanding general capillary mechanics that existed in liquid-in-liquid systems, e.g., biomolecular condensates. The unexpectedly long coalescence time of the interfacial liquids revealed that the Stokes equation does not hold as the radius of the liquid bridge approaches zero, evidencing the existence of a third inertially limited viscous regime. Moreover, liquid transport from a liquid droplet to a liquid reservoir can be prohibited by coating the droplet surface with hydrophobic or amphiphilic particles, forming interfacial liquid marbles. Unique characteristics, including high stability, transparency, gas permeability, and self-assembly, are observed for the interfacial liquid marbles. Phase transition and separation induced by the formation of nanostructured materials can be directly observed within the interfacial liquid marbles without the need for surfactants and agitation, making them useful tools to research the interfacial mechanics.

Casein and α-lactalbumin (α-LA) are the main allergens in cow's milk, which can affect the skin, respiratory system, and gastrointestinal tract, even cause anaphylactic shock. Developing a rapid and sensitive detection method of casein and α-LA is still pursued. Herein, a surface-enhanced Raman scattering based lateral flow assay (SERS-LFA) method for rapid and highly sensitive detection of milk allergens in food was established for effectively preventing allergic symptoms. Gold@silver nanoparticles (Au@Ag NPs) were synthesized as SERS active substrate to prepare the antibody-modified SERS Probe and SERS-LFA strips toward casein and α-LA were assembled according to the sandwich mode. The detection results were calculated according to colorimetric and Raman signal. The introduction of SRES signal significantly increased the sensitivity of detection with the limit of detection (LOD) of 0.19 ng/mL and 1.74 pg/mL, and exhibited an excellent linear relationship within the range of 0.55–791.50 ng/mL and 0.1 pg/mL–100.0 ng/mL for casein and α-LA, respectively. Furthermore, SERS-LFA strips was highly specific with the recovery rates for corresponding 80.36 %–105.12 % and 85.73 %–118.22 % for casein and α-LA, respectively. Therefore, the SERS-LFA could be in great potential to develop a unique allergen detection method.

Textile-based electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials with good flexibility and high EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) are highly desirable. Still, the poor mechanical properties of textile-based EMI shielding materials limit their application. The carbon filaments (CF) combine superior mechanical properties and conductivity. Therefore, we demonstrate the CF-reinforced material, which was laminated with two types of copper-coated nonwoven polyester (CuPET10 and CuPET20) for EMI shielding. Compared to the traditional lamination method, this process was more convenient by ironing with adhesive lining. The developed laminate (CuPET/CF) performs superior EMI shielding property with an average SE value of 88.6 dB in the frequency range of 30 MHz to 3 GHz. The mechanical properties were improved from 12.7 to 39.9 MPa and from 13.46 MPa to 35.78 MPa for CuPET10/CF and CuPET20/CF, respectively. The newly developed material also demonstrated exceptional lightweight, flexibility, and thermal resistance. The laminated CuPET/CF material provides enhanced mechanical properties and easy lamination capability, allowing it to shield surfaces of electromagnetic radiation-sensitive equipment while providing a certain degree of protection and extremely high EMI shielding efficiency.

Abstract Owing to the lightweight, flexibility, and molecular diversity, organic photothermal materials are considered promising solar absorbent materials for water‐evaporating purification. Herein, we utilize the blend of two organic conjugated photothermal materials, PM6 and Y6, with broadband solar absorption from 350 to 1000 nm and high‐efficiency photothermal properties to fabricate a Janus water evaporator on cellulose paper. Similar to the asymmetric wetting behavior on the lotus leaf, the evaporator shows efficient water adhesion on the bottom surface and water repellency on the top surface for a desirable self‐floating capability and salt resistance. With a mass of only 0.5 mg per 3.14 cm2, the PM6:Y6 blend‐based water evaporator achieves 88.9% of solar thermal conversion efficiency (η) and 1.52 kg m−2 h−1 of solar water evaporation rate (m) under 1.0 kW m−2 solar irradiation. These properties are almost the best performance among purely organic water evaporators especially with such a premise of material saving. The concentrations of primary ions are significantly decreased by 4–6 orders after desalination, accompanied by excellent performance for wastewater treatment. This evaporator realizes a m of 1.21 kg m−2 h−1, a η of 75.7%, and a voltage of 61 mV under one sun irradiation by assembling with a thermoelectric equipment. This study demonstrates that the blending of PM6 and Y6 achieves photothermal synergism, which improves the photothermal property and water evaporation rate, providing a valuable prospect for their application in water purification and thermoelectric power generation.

The research on the activity of selenium (Se)-enriched agricultural products is receiving increasing attention since Se was recognized for its antioxidant activities and for its enhancement of immunity in trace elements. In this study, antioxidant Se-containing peptides, namely, Se-TAPepI-1 and Se-TAPepI-2, were optimally separated and prepared from Se-enriched tea protein hydrolysates by ultrafiltration and Sephadex G-25 purification, and subsequently, their physicochemical properties, oligopeptide sequence, and potential antioxidant mechanism were analyzed. Through the optimization of enzymatic hydrolysis conditions, the Se-enriched tea protein hydrolyzed by papain exhibited a better free radical scavenging activity. After separation and purification of hydrolysates, the two peptide fractions obtained showed significant differences in selenium content, amino acid composition, apparent morphology, peptide sequence, and free radical scavenging activity. Therein, two peptides from Se-TAPepI-1 included LPMFG (563.27 Da) and YPQSFIR (909.47 Da), and three peptides from Se-TAPepI-2 included GVNVPYK (775.42 Da), KGGPGG (552.24 Da), and GDEPPIVK (853.45 Da). Se-TAPepI-1 and Se-TAPepI-2 could ameliorate the cell peroxidation damage and inflammation by regulating NRF2/ARE pathway expression. Comparably, Se-TAPepI-1 showed a better regulatory effect than Se-TAPepI-2 due to their higher Se content, typical amino acid composition and sequence, higher surface roughness, and a looser arrangement in their apparent morphology. These results expanded the functional activities of tea peptide and provided the theoretical basis for the development of Se-containing peptides from Se-enriched tea as a potential natural source of antioxidant dietary supplements.

High-salt diet is well recognized as a risk factor for hypertension, and dietary intervention plays a critical role in the prevention of hypertension. The current study investigated the effects of selenium-enriched green tea (Se-GT) and ordinary green tea (GT) on prevention of hypertension of rats induced by high-salt diet, as well as their potential regulatory and mechanism. Our results showed that GT and Se-GT supplementations significantly prevented the increase of blood pressure (BP), activated the phosphoinosmde-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway, and regulated the gene expression related to BP, as well as improved the tissue damage like heart, liver, and kidneys. Besides, the key parameters associated with oxidative stress, inflammation and endothelial dysfunction were also altered by GT and Se-GT treatments. Importantly, GT or Se-GT administration adjusted the diversity and composition of the intestinal flora. Moreover, GT and Se-GT supplementations increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria and reduced the abundance of harmful or conditional pathogenic bacteria. More specifically, GT intake specifically and significantly enriched the relative abundance of Paraprevotella and Bacteroides, whereas Se-GT was characterized by specific and significant enrichment for Allobaculum and Bifidobacterium. Our results proved that dietary supplement of GT and Se-GT remarkably improved the vascular functions and effectively prevented tissue damage by regulation of intestinal flora, and thus preventing hypertension induced by high-salt diet.

Abstract Biomimetic light‐harvesting architecture has been proposed as an alternative for existing solar conversion systems. Chlorophyll‐sensitized TiO2 have been identified as promising catalyst for photocatalytic reduction system, but it is largely limited to complicated process for purification of chlorophyll and adding extra hole scavenger in system. In sharp contrast to conventional photosensitization methods in which the organic dyes were often adsorbed after photosensitization, herein mesoporous TiO2 incorporated with chlorophyll extract was synthesized in situ (TiO2/Chl). Interestingly, TiO2 incorporated with chlorophyll exhibited two distinct absorption bands around 407 and 668 nm which are closed to the characteristic absorption peak of chlorophyll. TiO2 incorporated with chlorophyll kept at 185°C for 1.5 hours (TiO2/Chl‐185) achieved a high photoreduction rate of 86.1% for the photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI), which was approximately 29 and 20 times higher than that of TiO2 and TiO2 adsorbing chlorophyll (TiO2/ads Chl), respectively. The significant enhancement was due to the confinement of chlorophyll. This demonstrates that mesoporous TiO2 templated and confined with chlorophyll could offer a new approach for synergistic photoreduction of Cr(VI).

A reasonable material hysteretic constitutive model has a significant influence on the seismic simulation results of structures. To better describe the hysteresis seismic performance of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP)-constrained concrete, a new modified hysteresis constitutive model is proposed based on the existing model and with sufficient consideration of the drop section of the skeleton curve. The validity of the proposed model is verified by comparing with quasi-static experimental data of FRP-confined reinforced concrete (FRP-C RC) columns in the literature. Subsequently, the compressive strength of concrete is selected as a major variable, and a quasi-Monte Carlo method is utilized to generate random samples, which are substituted into the proposed modified model and some comparison models. Finally, the hysteretic behavior of FRP-C RC columns is analyzed from the perspective of the material strength variability. The results demonstrate that (1) The proposed hysteretic constitutive model is able to provide rational predictions of the hysteretic behavior of FRP-C RC columns, and the mean relative error of each specimen is less than 6%. It can be applied to carbon FRPs (CFRPs) and glass FRPs (GFRPs), as well as different cross-sectional forms such as cylindrical and square columns. (2) A large number of hysteretic behavior cases of FRP-C RC columns can be successfully analyzed from the perspective of concrete material variability combined with finite element software. The average and variation coefficient of the maximum horizontal force of FRP-C reinforced C30 concrete columns are 76.77 kN and 0.0488, respectively, while the average and variation coefficient of the maximum horizontal force of FRP-C reinforced C50 concrete columns are 91.14 kN and 0.0454, respectively. (3) The average value and variation coefficient of the maximum horizontal force and equivalent damping ratio of FRP-C RC columns are affected by the compressive strength, axial compression ratio and reinforcement ratio, which show a certain regularity.

In order to improve the detection performance of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), a low-cost Au@Ag nanorods (Au@Ag NRs) substrate with a good SERS enhancement effect was developed and applied to the detection of malachite green (MG) in aquaculture water and crayfish. By comparing the SERS signal enhancement effect of five kinds of Au@Ag NRs substrates with different silver layer thickness on 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (4-MBA) solution, it was found that the substrate prepared with 100 µL AgNO3 had the smallest aspect ratio (3.27) and the thickest Ag layer (4.1 nm). However, it showed a good signal enhancement effect, and achieved a detection of 4-MBA as low as 1 × 10−11 M, which was 8.7 times higher than that of the AuNRs substrate. In addition, the Au@Ag NRs substrate developed in this study was used for SRES detection of MG in crayfish; its detection limit was 1.58 × 10−9 M. The developed Au@Ag NRs sensor had the advantages of stable SERS signal, uniform size and low cost, which provided a new tool for SERS signal enhancement and highly sensitive SERS detection method development.

The stretchable conductive polymers were fabricated by adding conductive activated carbon fillers to the silicon elastomers and subsequently silver electroplating was performed. To solve the ecological and economical footprint issues the waste of Kevlar fibers were converted into activated carbon particles. The microstructure and porous activated carbon particles were prepared by chemical and physical activation process. The conductive elastomers were prepared into two steps. At first prepared carbon particles were mixed in polymeric silicon elastomer to make it conductive. Hence, the absorbance/adherence of carbon particles was confirmed into elastomer to develop the continuous network to facilitate the electrical conduction. Secondly, further electroplating of silver was performed to make the compact layer on carbon filled polymer. The surface morphology, element analysis and size of activated particles, carbon filled silicon elastomer and electroplated silicon elastomer was observed by SEM, EDX and Zeta size analysis. The FIR analysis was done to analyse the functional groups after the activation of Kevlar web before and after carbonization. Furthermore, the existence of carbon and silver was confirmed by XRD. The electrical resistivity and EMI shielding of elastomer samples was evaluated at different stages (after carbon filling, after silver plating, at stretching state and multiple stretching cycles). The minimum resistivity (12 Ω mm) and maximum EMI shielding (74 dB) was recorded at 0% stretch. While resistivity was increased up to 156 Ω mm at 60% stretch. Furthermore, the thermal stability of develop elastomeric sensors was checked through TGA and Ohmic heating process. At the end, the durability against moisture regain and mechanical action (tensile and hardness) was checked. The prepared elastomers can be used in number of applications including sensors (thermal, humidity control, insulation and electrical conduction). They can also be used as a flexible electrode adjusted with medical devices EMG, ECG and TENs machine.

BackgroundAcupuncture is a widely practiced, convenient, and safe treatment modality within complementary and integrative medicine. Increasing studies have revealed the efficacy of acupuncture for the treatment of osteoporosis in both human and non-human subjects. The aim of the present study was to assess the improvement of osteoporosis after overall adjustment acupuncture (OA) as well as its endocrine-modulating effect in an ovariectomized rat model.MethodsIn total, 32 female Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into the sham, model, ovariectomy+estrogen (OVX+E), and OVX+OA (OVX+A) groups with eight rats in each group. The postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) rat model was induced by bilateral ovariectomy. At 12 weeks after surgery, rats in the OVX+E group received estradiol (0.2 mg/kg/i.g./qod) for 12 weeks, and rats in the OVX+A group were treated with acupuncture at Zusanli (ST36), Shenshu (BL23), and Dazhu (BL11) points (qod) for 12 weeks. At the end of the treatment, all rats were sacrificed, and the body weight, uterus index, bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC), bone trabeculae structural parameters, femoral biomechanical properties, femoral histomorphology, and several hormone levels were examined.ResultsIn OVX rats, OA abrogated the body weight gain and improved osteoporosis in terms of BMD, BMC, bone trabeculae structural parameters, bone strength, and bone tissue histomorphology. Moreover, OA modulated the serum levels of estradiol, corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and corticosterone (CORT).ConclusionsOA improves osteoporosis and exerts an endocrine-modulating effect in ovariectomized rats.

Nitrofuran antibiotics have been widely used in the prevention and treatment of animal diseases due to the bactericidal effect. However, the residual and accumulation of their metabolites in vivo can pose serious health hazards to both humans and animals. Although their usage in feeding and process of food-derived animals have been banned in many countries, their metabolic residues are still frequently detected in materials and products of animal-derived food. Many sensitive and effective detection methods have been developed to deal with the problem. In this work, we summarized various immunological methods for the detection of four nitrofuran metabolites based on different types of detection principles and signal molecules. Furthermore, the development trend of detection technology in animal-derived food is prospected.

Green tea (GT) and oolong tea (OLT) are widely consumed beverages, and their preventive and regulatory effects on hypertension have been reported. However, the interventional effects of GT and OLT on hypertension induced by a high-salt diet and its mechanism have not been fully explored. This study evaluated the anti-hypertensive effects of GT and OLT and their underlying mechanisms. The in vivo anti-hypertensive effects of GT and OLT and their capability to prevent hypertension and regulate the intestinal microbiota in Wistar rats fed with a high-salt diet were evaluated. Our results show that GT and OLT supplementations could regulate oxidative stress, inflammation, gene expression, and parameter levels related to blood pressure (BP) and prevent the increase in BP induced by a high-salt diet. Furthermore, both GT and OLT boosted the richness and diversity of intestinal microbiota, increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria and reduced the abundance of harmful bacteria and conditionally pathogenic bacteria, and regulated the intestinal microbial metabolism pathway related to BP. Among them, OLT presented better effects than GT. These findings indicate that GT and OLT can prevent hypertension caused by high-salt diets, which may be due to the regulation of intestinal flora by GT and OLT.

Fenvalerate has the advantages of a broad insecticidal spectrum, high efficiency, low toxicity and low cost, and it is widely used in agriculture, especially in tea, resulting in the accumulation of fenvalerate residues in tea and the environment, posing a serious threat to human health. Therefore, the timely monitoring of fenvalerate residue dynamics is vital for ensuring the health of humans and the ecological environment, and it is necessary for establishing a fast, reliable, accurate and on-site method for detecting fenvalerate residues. Based on the methods of immunology, biochemistry and molecular biology, mammalian spleen cells, myeloma cells and mice were used as experimental materials to establish a rapid detection method of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect the residues of fenvalerate in dark tea. Three cell lines—1B6, 2A11 and 5G2—that can stably secrete fenvalerate antibodies were obtained by McAb technology, and their sensitivities (IC50) were 36.6 ng/mL, 24.3 ng/mL and 21.7 ng/mL, respectively. The cross-reaction rates of the pyrethroid structural analogs were all below 0.6%. Six dark teas were used to detect the practical application of fenvalerate monoclonal antibodies. The sensitivity IC50 of the anti-fenvalerate McAb in PBS with 30% methanol is 29.12 ng/mL. Furthermore, a latex microsphere immunochromatographic test strip with an LOD of 10.0 ng/mL and an LDR of 18.9–357 ng/mL was preliminarily developed. A specific and sensitive monoclonal antibody for fenvalerate was successfully prepared and applied to detect fenvalerate in dark teas (Pu‘er tea, Liupao tea, Fu Brick tea, Qingzhuan tea, Enshi dark tea and selenium-enriched Enshi dark tea). A latex microsphere immunochromatographic test strip was developed for the preparation of rapid detection test strips of fenvalerate.

The Joule heating behavior of carbon-based materials obtained by the process of carbonization of industrial para-aramid fabric wastes are investigated in the present work. Carbonization involves a process of thermally decomposing organic material, thereby altering its physical and chemical properties to obtain carbon-rich materials that are electrically conductive and display Joule heating behavior. The principle of Joule heating is based on the intrinsic electrical resistance of the material across an applied voltage. Here, para-aramid woven fabric wastes are converted into activated carbon materials through straightforward, controlled, single-step thermal treatments by three different kinds of atmosphere, i.e., in the CO2 evolved from charcoal, a mixture of gases from ammonium bicarbonate salt (NH4HCO3), and Nitrogen gas (N2), respectively, inside a high-temperature furnace. The carbonization temperatures were varied from 800 to 1100 °C. The carbonization process variables were optimized to obtain carbon-rich materials with lower electrical resistivity. The results of electrical resistivity measurements show that for all three methods, the electrical resistivity decreases with increasing carbonization temperatures. An experimental setup consisting of an infrared (IR) camera, positioned over the surface of the fabric specimen to record the surface temperature of the material connected to a DC power supply, was employed. The kinetics of Joule heating and subsequent cooling were also analyzed at a fixed voltage of 5 V by recording the changes in surface temperature with respect to time. The heating–cooling cycle is described by a simple kinetic model of first order.

Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in women in the world. Mebendazole (MBZ) has been demonstrated to have preclinical efficacy across multiple cancers, including glioblastoma multiforme, medulloblastoma, colon, breast, pancreatic, and thyroid cancers. MBZ was also well tolerated in a recent phase I clinical trial of adults diagnosed with glioma. The mechanisms of action reported so far for MBZ include tubulin disruption, inhibiting angiogenesis, promoting apoptosis, and maintaining stemness. To elucidate additional mechanisms of action for mebendazole (MBZ), we performed RNA sequencing of three different breast cancer cell lines treated with either MBZ or vehicle control. We compared the top genes downregulated upon MBZ treatment with expression profiles of cells treated with over 15,000 perturbagens using the clue.io online analysis tool. In addition to tubulin inhibitors, the gene expression profile that correlated most with MBZ treatment matched the profile of cells treated with known hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α and -2α) inhibitors. The HIF pathway is the main driver of the cellular response to hypoxia, which occurs in solid tumors. Preclinical data support using HIF inhibitors in combination with standard of care to treat solid tumors. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that MBZ could inhibit the hypoxia response. Using RNA sequencing and HIF-reporter assays, we demonstrate that MBZ inhibits the transcriptional activity of HIFs in breast cancer cell lines and in mouse models of breast cancer by preventing the induction of HIF-1α, HIF-2α, and HIF-1β protein under hypoxia. Taken together, our results suggest that MBZ treatment has additional therapeutic efficacy in the setting of hypoxia and warrants further consideration as a cancer therapy.

Protease has been widely used in biological and industrial fields. Developing efficient artificial enzyme mimics remains a major technical challenge due to the high stability of peptide bonds. Nanoenzymes with high stability, high activity and low cost, provided new opportunities to break through natural enzyme inherent limitations. However, compared with many nanomaterials with inherent peroxidase activity, the intrinsic mimic proteases properties of magnetic nanomaterials were seldom explored, let alone the interaction between magnetic nanomaterials and cellular proteins. Herein, we reported for the first time that magnetic CuFe2O4 possesses inherent protease activity to hydrolyze bovine serum albumin (BSA) and casein under physiological conditions, and the CuFe2O4 is more resistant to high temperature than the natural trypsin. It also exhibited significantly higher catalytic efficiency than other copper nanomaterials and can be recycled for many times. Protease participated in pathophysiological processes and all stages of tumor progression. Interesting, CuFe2O4 exhibited anti-proliferative effect on A549, SKOV3, HT-29, BABL-3T3 and HUVEC cells, as well as it was particularly sensitive against SKOV3 cells. CuFe2O4 was about 30 times more effective than conventional chemotherapy drugs oxaliplatin and artesunate against SKOV3 cells. In addition, CuFe2O4 also mediated the expression of intracellular proteins, such as MMP-2, MMP-9, F-actin, and NF-kB, which may be associated with global protein hydrolysis by CuFe2O4, leading to inhibition of cell migration. The merits of the high magnetic properties, good protease-mimic and antitumor activities make CuFe2O4 nanoparticles very prospective candidates for many applications such as proteomics and biotechnology.

Selenium-enriched mung bean (Se-MB) is a combination of mung bean (MB) and selenium (Se), which have a variety of potential biological activities. However, little is known about the skincare activity of Se-MB. The chemical composition of Se-MB fermentation broth (Se-MBFB) was analyzed to investigate the whitening, moisturizing, and anti-aging activities of Se-MBFB. The tyrosinase inhibition, anti-melanogenic in melanocytes (B16F10 cells), and moisturizing effect in human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) were analyzed. Besides, the free radical scavenging activity of Se-MBFB was assessed in vitro. To verify the in vivo effects and the potential of practical applications of Se-MBFB, a clinical trial was conducted on the participants: 31 Chinese women aged 25–60 years, with no pigmentation disorder, no illness, no history of hypersensitivity reaction, and no use of skincare product on the face. The participants used an Se-MBFB masque for 15-20 min after cleaning the face. The measurement points were Week 0, 2, and 4 (W0, W2, and W4) after using the masque, and target sites were cheek and canthus. The following parameters were recorded on the target sites at each visit: melanin index, skin color, cuticle moisture content, transepidermal water loss, and crow's feet. The results demonstrated that Se-MBFB was rich in polyphenols, peptides, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), displayed significant free radical scavenging and tyrosinase inhibiting activities, decreased the synthesis of melanin, and upregulated the aquaporin-3 (AQP3) expression. The test of the Se-MBFB mask showed that after 4 weeks of using the Se-MBFB facemask, the faces of the participants became whiter with reduced wrinkles and increased moisture content. Se-MB possessed the excellent whitening, moisturizing, and antioxidant efficacy, which could lay a scientific foundation for utilization and development of skincare products of Se-MB and its related industrial cosmetics products.

The development of stimuli-responsive controlled release formulations is a potential method of improving pesticide utilization efficiency and alleviating current pesticide-related environmental pollution. In this study, a self-destruction redox-responsive pesticide delivery system using biodegradable disulfide-bond-bridged mesoporous organosilica (DMON) nanoparticles as the porous carriers and coordination complexes of gallic acid (GA) and Fe(III) ions as the capping agents were established for controlling prochloraz (PRO) release. The GA–Fe(III) complexes deposited onto the surface of DMON nanoparticles could effectively improve the light stability of prochloraz. Due to the decomposition of GA–Fe(III) complexes, the nano-vehicles had excellent redox-responsive performance under the reducing environments generated by the fungus. The spreadability of PRO@DMON–GA–Fe(III) nanoparticles on the rice leaves was increased due to the hydrogen bonds between GA and rice leaves. Compared with prochloraz emulsifiable concentrate, PRO@DMON–GA–Fe(III) nanoparticles showed better fungicidal activity against Magnaporthe oryzae with a longer duration under the same concentration of prochloraz. More importantly, DMON–GA–Fe(III) nanocarriers did not observe obvious toxicity to the growth of rice seedlings. Considering non-toxic organic solvents and excellent antifungal activity, redox-responsive pesticide controlled release systems with self-destruction properties have great application prospects in the field of plant disease management.

Although dark tea is a unique microbial-fermented tea with a high reputation for having an antiobesity effect, little is known about the effect of microbial fermentation on tea leaves’ antiobesity properties. This study compared the antiobesity effects of microbial-fermented Qingzhuan tea (QZT) and unfermented Qingmao tea (QMT), providing insight into their underlying mechanisms associated with gut microbiota. Our results indicated that the supplementation of QMT extract (QMTe) and QZT extract (QZTe) displayed similar antiobesity effects in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice, but the hypolipidemic effect of QZTe was significantly stronger than that of QMTe. The microbiomic analysis indicated that QZTe was more effective than QMTe at regulating HFD-caused gut microbiota dysbiosis. Akkermansiaceae and Bifidobacteriaceae, which have negative correlations with obesity, were enhanced notably by QZTe, whereas Faecalibaculum and Erysipelotrichaceae, which are positively correlated with obesity, were decreased dramatically by QMTe and QZTe. A Tax4Fun analysis of QMTe/QZTe-mediated gut microbiota revealed that QMTe supplementation drastically reversed the HFD-induced upregulation of glycolysis and energy metabolism, whereas QZTe supplementation significantly restored the HFD-caused downregulation of pyruvate metabolism. Our findings suggested that microbial fermentation showed a limited effect on tea leaves’ antiobesity, but enhanced their hypolipidemic activity, and QZT could attenuate obesity and associated metabolic disorders by favorably modulating gut microbiota.

Multimodal antimicrobial technology is regarded as a promising strategy for controlling plant diseases because it enhances antimicrobial efficacy by blocking multiple pesticide-resistance pathways. In this work, a pH-responsive multimodal antimicrobial system was constructed based on ZIF-90 for the controlled release of kasugamycin (KSM). A series of physicochemical characterizations confirmed the successful fabrication of ZIF-90-KSM. The results indicated that the loading capacity of ZIF-90-KSM for KSM was approximately 6.7% and that the ZIF-90 nanocarriers could protect KSM against photodegradation effectively. The acid pH at the site of disease not only decompose the Schiff base bonds between KSM and ZIF-90, but also completely dissolved the nanocarriers. The simultaneous release of KSM and Zn2+ ions was able to achieve multimodal antimicrobial functions during disease occurs. A bioactivity survey indicated that ZIF-90-KSM had superior fungicidal activity and longer duration against Magnaporthe oryzae than KSM aqueous solution. In addition, the phytotoxicity assessment of ZIF-90-KSM on rice plants did not reveal any adverse effects. Therefore, ZIF-90-KSM prepared by Schiff base reaction has great potential for achieving synergistic antifungal functions and provides an eco-friendly approach to manage rice diseases.

In this paper, the contents of four typical metals (Pb, Cd, Hg, and As) in asparagus, water, and soil from Chongming Island were quantitatively determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The contents of these metals in asparagus showed a common rule of Pb > As > Cd > Hg in different harvest seasons and regions. Significant seasonal differences were found in the contents by difference analysis, but no obvious regional differences were observed. Furthermore, the asparagus did not accumulate these four metals from the soil in Chongming Island by the assessment of bio-concentration factor. The asparagus was proved safe by the analysis of single-factor pollution index and Nemerow pollution index. Through combining the analysis of the above indexes and the geological accumulation index, we found that 51.62% of soil samples were mildly polluted by cadmium. The results of health risk analysis showed that the risk value of children was higher than that of adults under oral exposure, but the four metals in asparagus possessed no obvious risk to health. The above assessments illustrate that the daily consumption of asparagus in Chongming Island will not cause potential health impacts. It is of benefit to ensure the quality and economic interests of asparagus planting in Chongming Island through the investigation of this study.

Recently, concerns about heavy metal cadmium ion (Cd2+) residue in asparagus have been frequently reported, and there is an urgent need to develop an effective, sensitive, and rapid detection method for Cd2+. In this study, we innovatively combined molecular microbiology to carry out the comparative screening of Cd2+ chelators in a green, efficient, and specific way. The knock-out putative copper-transporter gene (pca1Δ) yeast strain with high sensitivity to Cd2+ was first used to screen the Cd2+ chelator, and the optimum chelator 1-(4-Isothiocyanatobenzyl)ethylenediamine-N,N,N,N′-tetraacetic acid (ITCBE) was obtained. Additionally, a rapid latex microsphere immunochromatographic assay (LMIA) was developed, based on the obtained monoclonal antibody (mAb) with high specificity and high affinity (affinity constant Ka = 1.83 × 1010 L/mol), to detect Cd2+ in asparagus. The 50% inhibitive concentration (IC50) of test strip was measured to be 0.2 ng/mL, and the limit of detection (IC10) for qualitative (LOD, for visual observation) and quantitative detection (LOQ, for data simulation) of the test strip was 2 ng/mL and 0.054 ng/mL, respectively. In all, the developed mAb-based LMIA shows a great potential for monitoring Cd2+ in asparagus, even in vegetable samples.

The structure and hypoglycemic activity of tea polysaccharides has been extensively studied, while there are few reports on the characterization and hypoglycemic activity of dark tea polysaccharides. The crude dark tea polysaccharide (CDTPS) was optimally extracted from Fuzhuan dark tea. Six polysaccharide fractions (namely DTPS-1, DTPS-2, DTPS-3, DTPS-4, DTPS-5, and DTPS-6) were isolated from CDTPS, and their physicochemical, structural, and biological properties were compared and analyzed. The results revealed that the compositions, structural characteristics, and biological properties of the six DTPSs were different. Therein, DTPS-4 and DTPS-6 had looser morphology, faster solubility, and a more stable structure. Additionally, DTPS-4 had the optimum in vitro antioxidant capabilities, and DTPS-6 had the strongest in vitro hypoglycemic capabilities. In addition, a correlation analysis revealed that the molecular weight and uronic acid content were significantly related to their antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities. Our results indicated that DTPS-4 and DTPS-6 could be further developed into functional foods or additives, respectively.