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Background: The thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) is an important regulator in the balance between blood clot formation (coagulation) and dissolution (fibrinolysis), which is mainly activated by thrombin bonded with thrombomodulin (TM). Methods: In this study, the investigation focused on the unique target TAFI of fungi fibrinolytic compound 1 (FGFC1), a novel fibrinolytic compound sourced from the deep sea. In this sense, the regulation of TAFI by FGFC1, in comparison to established TAFI inhibitors such as DS-1040 and PCTI in hPPP, was investigated, which was validated through the molecular docking of FGFC1 to TAFI. The inhibitory effect of FGFC1 on TAFI-mediating coagulation (ex vivo and in vitro) and its fibrinolytic effect (ex vivo) were investigated in hPPP and hCMEC/D3 cells, respectively, followed by SEM. Results: FGFC1 solutions ranging from 0.023 to 0.736 mM effectively inhibited TAFI activation. Notably, the 0.023 mM concentration demonstrated significant suppression, comparable to DS-1040 and PCTI. These inhibitory effects of FGFC1 (0.023–0.368 mM) were further validated through the enhancement in TAFI (TAFIa) activation by fibrins in the coagulum prior to proteolysis, resulting in the cleavage of TAFIa from 33 kDa to 28 kDa. Furthermore, these regulatory effects of FGFC1 on TAFI were demonstrated to have minimal association with TM-mediated control, as confirmed through a molecular docking analysis. FGFC1 (0.023–0.092 mM) was suggested to have obstructive effects on TAFI-mediated coagulation in the hPPP, which was demonstrated by the inhibition of clot aggregation, protein crystallization, and platelet anchoring, as observed through SEM. Simultaneously, FGFC1 (0.023 to 0.368 mM) significantly enhanced TAFI-mediated fibrinolysis, which was also supported by increased levels of t-PA, u-PA, and plasmin. Conclusions: From the above findings, FGFC1 is identified as a novel dual-target bioactive compound participating in blood formation/dissolution that demonstrates anti-coagulation and fibrinolytic effects by regulating TAFI activation, inhibiting TAFIa–fibrin combination, and initiating proteolysis. It also provided convincing evidence that TAFI plays a critical role in thrombolysis as a molecular link between coagulation and fibrinolysis. Furthermore, the application of FGFC1 was indicated as a potential therapeutic strategy in thromboembolic and hemorrhagic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, we pioneered a coordinated self-assembly approach aimed at fabricating carrier-free hybrid nanoparticles to address the inherent challenges of the anaerobic microenvironment and the oxidative resistance induced by reductive glutathione (GSH) in photodynamic therapy (PDT). In these nanoparticles, protoporphyrin IX (PP), HIF-1α inhibitor of N, Nʹ-(2,5-Dichlorosulfonyl) cystamine KC7F2 (KC), and the cofactor Fe3+ present hydrogen bond and coordination interaction. The nanoparticles exhibited efficient cellular uptake by CAL-27 cells, facilitating their accumulation in tumors by enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. Under irradiation at 650 nm, the formation of cytotoxic singlet oxygen (1O2) would be enhanced by the synergy effect on the Fenton reaction of Fe3+ ion and the downregulation of the HIF-1α, leading to the improved PDT efficacy both in vitro and in vivo biological studies. Our work opens a new supramolecular approach to prepare hybrid nanoparticles for effective synergy therapy with PDT against cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous cropping (CC) stress severely limits the growth and industrial development of Pinellia ternata. Epihomobrassinolide (EBR) is a natural product that widely participates in many the physiological activities of many plants. Thiamethoxam·flutolanil·azoxystrobin (TFA) has been registered as a seed coating agent in crop production. In this work, the effects of seeds soaked with EBR, seeds coated with TFA, and their co-application on the plant growth, electrophysiological information (as physiological activities related to plant electrical signals), leaf photosynthesis, plant resistance, bulb quality, and yield of CC P. ternata were evaluated. The aim of this work is to excogitate a practicable agronomic measure for ameliorating the growth of CC P. ternata. The results show that soaking the seeds with EBR or coating the seeds with TFA could effectively enhance the plant height, leaf area, and stem diameter of CC P. ternata, promote its emergence seedling ratio, and decrease its inverted seedling ratio, and their associated application was found to be more efficient. Additionally, their associated application effectively enhanced the intrinsic capacitance (IC), intracellular water metabolism, nutrient transport, and metabolic activity and decreased the intrinsic resistance (IR), impedance (IZ), capacitive reactance (IXc), and inductive reactance (IXL). Meanwhile, their associated application could reliably enhance the photosynthetic capacity and stress resistance, and effectively improve the bulb quality and yield. This study emphasizes that the associated application of seeds soaked with a 0.004% aqueous EBR solution diluted 1000 times and seeds coated with a 24% TFA flowable concentrate at 1.6 mL kg−1 seed can be used as a novel and practicable technology for alleviating the CC stress of P. ternata and ameliorating its growth, electrophysiological information, resistance, quality, and yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both pandemic and seasonal influenza are major health concerns, causing significant mortality and morbidity. Current influenza drugs primarily target viral neuraminidase and RNA polymerase, which are prone to drug resistance. Polyoxometalates (POMs) are metal cation clusters bridged by oxide anions. They have exhibited potent anti-tumor, antiviral, and antibacterial effects. They have remarkable activity against various DNA and RNA viruses, including human immunodeficiency virus, herpes simplex virus, hepatitis B and C viruses, dengue virus, and influenza virus. In this study, we have identified sodium polyoxotungstate (POM-1) from an ion channel inhibitor library. In vitro, POM-1 has been demonstrated to have potent antiviral activity against H1N1, H3N2, and oseltamivir-resistant H1N1 strains. POM-1 can cause virion aggregation during adsorption, as well as endocytosis. However, the aggregation is reversible; it does not interfere with virus adsorption and endocytosis. Our results suggest that POM-1 exerts its antiviral activity by inhibiting the nuclear import of viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP). This distinct mechanism of action, combined with its wide range of efficacy, positions POM-1 as a promising therapeutic candidate for influenza treatment and warrants further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, silver sintering has gained increasing attention in high-power density electronic packaging due to its characteristics such as a high melting point and excellent thermal and electrical conductivity. Micron-sized silver sintering offers a lower cost, but requires a longer processing time and additional pressure, which constrains its application. This paper presents a low-cost sintering process using infrared radiation (IR) as a heat source. By leveraging the unique properties of IR, the process achieves selective heating. The thermal energy can be mainly absorbed by the specific areas requiring sintering. This innovative approach eliminates the need for external pressure during the sintering process. This feature not only simplifies the overall process but also reduces the processing time required for sintering. The silver joints obtained from IR sintering process for 45 min achieved an average chip shear strength of 38 MPa at a temperature of 225 °C, which is higher than the strength of silver joints obtained from a traditional sintering process for 2 h. Additionally, the IR-sintered silver joints have a resistivity of 9.83 × 10−5 Ω·cm and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the joints reveal that the sintered joints obtained through the IR sintering process exhibit less porosity compared to joints obtained through a traditional sintering process. The porosity of the IR silver joints at 225 °C is 6.4% and does not change even after 3000 cycles of thermal shock testing, showing outstanding reliability. A GaN power device using IR silver joint also performed better in thermal and electrical performance testing, showing promising potential for the application of micro-silver paste in power electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of low-carbon development and carbon reduction has become an issue of general concern. When local governments adopt carbon reduction measures, they inevitably have a negative impact on the economic development of enterprises and the daily lives of residents. However, the resolution of conflicts of interest between local governments, enterprises, and residents will have a direct impact on the motivation and effectiveness of local governments in implementing carbon reduction measures. This study takes China as an example, conducts a case review of the actual situation of the Zhejiang power restriction incident, and studies and constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model based on the local government, enterprises, and residents. By exploring the factors that influence the behavioral strategies of each stakeholder, this study finds the equilibrium conditions that the tripartite governance target model must satisfy. It is suggested that interactive feedback from enterprises and residents should be incorporated into the performance management of local governments and that performance assessment should be used to establish an effective responsibility and pressure transmission mechanism to help the government's internal control to better implement carbon reduction policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural, mechanical, and electronic properties of cubic Cr0.5-xAl0.5TMxN, doped with TM (transition metal) elements (TM = Ti, V, Y, Zr, Hf, and Ta) at low concentrations (x = 0.03 and 0.06), was investigated by first-principles calculations. The results of the structural properties calculations reveal that the addition of Ti, Y, Hf, Zr, and Ta expand the volume, while V has the opposite effect. All doped compounds are thermodynamically stable, and Cr0.5-xAl0.5TMxN with TM = Ti is energetically more favorable than other doped compounds. At the same doping concentration, Cr0.5-xAl0.5VxN possesses the highest stiffness, hardness, and resistance to external forces due to its greatest mechanical properties, and Cr0.5-xAl0.5TaxN possesses the highest elastic anisotropy and the lowest Young's modulus. Substituting Cr atoms with TM atoms in a stepwise manner results in a decrease in the bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young's modulus, and theoretical hardness of Cr0.5-xAl0.5TMxN, while increasing its toughness. Based on the calculation results of the total and partial density of states of Cr0.5Al0.5N and Cr0.47Al0.5TM0.03N, all compounds exhibit metallic behavior as indicated by the finite density of states at the Fermi level. The contribution of Ti-3d, V-3d, and Ta-3d orbitals at Fermi level is significantly higher than that of other TM atoms, resulting in a more pronounced metallic character for Cr0.47Al0.5Ti0.03N, Cr0.47Al0.5V0.03N, and Cr0.47Al0.5Ta0.03N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high risk of collapse is a key issue affecting the construction safety of karst tunnels. A risk assessment method for karst tunnel collapse based on data-driven Bayesian Network (BN) self-learning is proposed in this study. The finite element calculation is used to analyze the distribution law of the plastic zone of the tunnel and the karst cave surrounding rock under different combinations of parameters, and a four-factor three-level data case database is established. Through the self-learning of the BN database, a Bayesian Network model of karst tunnel collapse risk assessment with nodes of four types of karst cave parameters is established. The specific probability distribution state and sensitivity of the parameters of different types of karst caves under the condition of whether the tunnel and the karst cave plastic zone are connected or not are studied. The research results show that the distance and angle of the karst cave are the main influencing parameters of the tunnel collapse probability, and the diameter and number of the karst cave are the secondary influencing parameters. Among them, the distance, diameter, and number of karst caves are proportional to the probability of tunnel collapse, and the most unfavorable orientation of karst caves is 45° above the tunnel. When the tunnel passes through the karst area, it should avoid the radial intersection with the karst cave at the arch waist while staying away from the karst cave. The results of this work can provide a reference for the construction safety of karst tunnels under similar conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Excessive abdominal fat deposition significantly impacts feed efficiency and meat yield of chicken, which is closely associated with adipocyte differentiation (adipogenesis). Adipogenesis is regulated by various transcription factors and signaling molecules. Our previous transcriptome study found that the NOTCH signaling pathway is significantly enriched during avian adipocyte differentiation. However, in previous studies, NOTCH1 exerts both positive and negative effects on adipogenesis. Here, we perturbed NOTCH1 expression in chicken adipocytes using different strategies and investigated the effects of NOTCH1 on gene expression and adipogenesis. This study demonstrated that NOTCH1 is a key regulator of avian adipogenesis and provides a potential target for molecular breeding to reduce abdominal fat deposition in chicken. The NOTCH signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in diverse developmental processes, including cell proliferation and differentiation. In this study, we investigated whether this signaling molecules also contribute to avian adipogenesis. Using previous mRNA-seq datasets, we examined the expression of 11 signaling members during avian adipocyte differentiation. We found most members are down-regulated throughout differentiation (p < 0.05). As a representative, NOTCH1 was decreased in cultured chicken abdominal adipocytes during adipogenesis at mRNA and protein levels (p < 0.05). Moreover, using an overexpression plasmid for NOTCH1's intracellular domain (NICD1), as well as siRNA and DAPT to activate or deplete NOTCH1 in cells, we investigated the role of NOTCH1 in avian adipogenesis. Our findings illuminate that NOTCH1 activates the expression of HES1 and SOCS3 while it decreases NR2F2 and NUMB (p < 0.05), as well as inhibits oleic acid-induced adipocyte differentiation (p < 0.01). We further demonstrate that HES1, a downstream transcription factor activated by NOTCH1, also significantly inhibits adipogenesis by suppressing PPARγ and C/EBPα (p < 0.01). Collectively, these findings establish NOTCH1 as a negative regulator of avian adipocyte differentiation, unveiling NOTCH signaling as a potential target for regulating avian fat deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orogenic antimony-gold deposits contribute significantly to the global antimony resource base. China's orogenic antimony-gold deposits are primarily in southern Tibet. Investigations indicate that antimony combines and migrates with sulfur hydroxides in ore-forming fluids. Previous research on fluid inclusions in orogenic antimony-gold ores with sedimentary rock accommodation revealed the presence of organic inclusions, including liquid hydrocarbons, alongside common components such as CO2, H2O, CH4, and NaCl. However, the impact of liquid hydrocarbons on antimony migration and mineralization is still debatable. To investigate the transportability of antimony by liquid hydrocarbons in orogenic antimony ores, we selected n-dodecanethiol and n-dodecane as the subjects. We measured the solubility and occurrence form of antimony in these compounds at various temperatures and durations. The results indicate that after 5 and 10 days of reaction at 100 °C, the antimony concentrations in the n-dodecanethiol and n-dodecane groups were 67.44 ± 7.62 ppm, 75.15 ± 16.74 ppm, 1.40 ± 1.02 ppm, and 3.02 ± 3.09 ppm, respectively. At 150 °C for 5 and 10 days, the respective concentrations were 50.58 ± 5.39 ppm, 77.26 ± 45.20 ppm, 2.66 ± 3.08 ppm, and 2.41 ± 2.03 ppm. At 200 °C for 5 and 10 days, the corresponding concentrations were 339.76 ± 71.94 ppm, 218.97 ± 25.03 ppm and 6.53 ± 7.17 ppm, 2.27 ± 0.82 ppm (n = 3). The measured solubility of antimony in the n-dodecanethiol group increased gradually with rising temperature. The solubility of antimony in the n-dodecane group was low and notably inferior to that observed in the n-dodecanethiol group. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis demonstrated a distinct thiol (R-SH) peak at 163.31 eV and compound peaks of antimony reacting with thiols at 162.06 and 160.87 eV. This suggests that antimony predominantly forms complexes with thiols for migration. Our findings suggest that specific liquid hydrocarbon components, predominantly thiols, can interact with antimony at metallogenic temperatures and persist in ore-forming fluids, facilitating migration and mineral enrichment. Earlier experimental studies on gold and crude oil have indicated that liquid hydrocarbons also play an essential role in the transportation and enrichment of gold during the formation of gold deposits, thus indicating that liquid hydrocarbons possess the considerable potential to act as an ore-forming fluid during orogenic antimony-gold deposit formation in southern Tibet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudostellaria heterophylla (or Taizishen in Chinese), a medicinal, edible, and ornamental Chinese herb, is seriously affected by leaf spot disease (LSD). Oligochitosan is a natural agricultural antibiotic that is produced via the degradation of chitosan, which is deacetylated from chitin; pyraclostrobin is a broad-spectrum and efficient strobilurin fungicide. In this work, the ability of pyraclostrobin, oligochitosan, and their formula to manage P. heterophylla leaf spot disease and their role in its resistance, leaf photosynthesis, agronomic plant traits, root growth, and root quality were studied. The results show that the joint application of oligochitosan and low-dosage pyraclostrobin could control LSD more efficiently, with control effects of 85.75–87.49% compared to high-dosage pyraclostrobin or oligochitosan alone. Concurrently, the application of this formula could more effectively improve the resistance, leaf photosynthesis, agronomic plant traits, root yield, and medicinal quality of P. heterophylla, as well as reduce the application of pyraclostrobin. This finding suggests that 30% pyraclostrobin suspension concentrate (SC) 1500-time + 5% oligosaccharin aqueous solutions (AS) 500-time diluent can be recommended for use as a feasible formula to manage LSD and reduce the application of chemical pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine organisms are a rich source of enzymes that exhibit excellent biological activity and a wide range of applications. However, there has been limited research on the proteases found in marine mudflat organisms. Based on this background, the marine fibrinolytic enzyme FELP, which was isolated and purified from clamworm (Perinereis aibuhitensis), has exhibited excellent fibrinolytic activity. We demonstrated the FELP with a purification of 10.61-fold by precipitation with ammonium sulfate, ion-exchange chromatography, and gel-filtration chromatography. SDS-PAGE, fibrin plate method, and LC–MS/MS indicated that the molecular weight of FELP is 28.9 kDa and identified FELP as a fibrinolytic enzyme-like protease. FELP displayed the maximum fibrinolytic activity at pH 9 (407 ± 16 mm2) and 50 °C (724 ± 27 mm2) and had excellent stability at pH 7–11 (50%) or 30–60 °C (60%), respectively. The three-dimensional structure of some amino acid residues of FELP was predicted with the SWISS-MODEL. The fibrinolytic and fibrinogenolytic assays showed that the enzyme possessed direct fibrinolytic activity and indirect fibrinolysis via the activation of plasminogen; it could preferentially degrade Aα-chains of fibrinogen, followed by Bβ- and γ-chains. Overall, the fibrinolytic enzyme was successfully purified from Perinereis aibuhitensis, a marine Annelida (phylum), with favorable stability that has strong fibrinolysis activity in vitro. Therefore, FELP appears to be a potent fibrinolytic enzyme with an application that deserves further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycolipid metabolic disorders (GLMD) refer to a series of metabolic disorders caused by abnormal processes of glucose and lipid synthesis, decomposition, and absorption in the body, leading to glucose and lipid excess, insulin resistance, and obesity. Probiotic intervention is a new strategy to alleviate metabolic syndrome. Lactobacillus paracasei JY062 (L. paracasei JY062) was separated from the Tibet-fermented dairy products. The results demonstrated a strong ability to relieve blood glucose disorders, blood lipid disorders, and tissue damage. The LPH group had the best effect, significantly decreasing the total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), leptin, insulin, and free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations and increasing the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, adiponectin, and GLP-1 level compared to HFD-group mice. L. paracasei JY062 could activate the APN-AMPK pathway, increased AdipoQ, AMPK GLUT-4, and PGC-1α mRNA expression and decreased SREBP-1c, ACC, and FAS mRNA expression. L. paracasei JY062 intervention decreased the relative abundance of harmful bacteria, increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria, and restored the imbalance of gut microbiota homeostasis caused by a high-glucose-fat diet. L. paracasei JY062 alleviated glucolipid metabolism disorders via the adipoinsular axis and gut microbiota. This study provided a theoretical basis for probiotics to ameliorate glucolipid metabolism disorders by regulating the adipoinsular axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid analysis and characterization of compounds using mass spectrometry (MS) may overlook trace compounds. Although targeted analysis methods can significantly improve detection sensitivity, it is hard to discover novel scaffold compounds in the trace. This study developed a strategy for discovering trace compounds in the aging process of traditional Chinese medicine based on MS fragmentation and known metabolic pathways. Specifically, we found that the characteristic component of C. reticulata 'Chachi', methyl N-methyl anthranilate (MMA), fragmented in electrospray ionization coupled with collision-induced dissociation (CID) to produce the rearrangement ion 3-hydroxyindole, which was proven to exist in trace amounts in C. reticulata 'Chachi' based on comparison with the reference substance using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Combining the known metabolic pathways of 3-hydroxyindole and the possible methylation reactions that may occur during aging, a total of 10 possible indole derivatives were untargeted predicted. These compounds were confirmed to originate from MMA using purchased or synthesized reference substances, all of which were detected in C. reticulata 'Chachi' through LC–MS/MS, achieving trace compound analysis from untargeted to targeted. These results may contribute to explaining the aging mechanism of C. reticulata 'Chachi', and the strategy of using the CID-induced special rearrangement ion-binding metabolic pathway has potential application value for discovering trace compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In marine structural engineering, the impact resistance of concrete holds high significance. The determination of whether the combined use of expansion agent (EA) and glass fiber (GF) has a synergistic effect on the impact resistance of seawater–sea-sand concrete (SSC) and plays a role in its performance and application. In this study, the dynamic Brazilian disc test at various strain rates was carried out with an SHPB device to investigate the effect of mixing 0% and 6% EA with 0% and 1% GF on the dynamic splitting tensile properties of SSC. The results show that strain rate effect on EA and GF-reinforced SSC during dynamic splitting tensile tests at higher strain rates, indicating strong strain rate sensitivity. The synergistic reinforcement of EA and GF consumed more energy under impact loading, thus maintaining the morphological integrity of concrete. However, the dynamic splitting tensile strength obtained in the Brazilian disc test had a significant overload effect which cannot be ignored. EA doped at 6% and GF doped at 1% showed a synergistic enhancement of SSC's dynamic splitting tensile properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Van der Waals (vdW) interfaces can be formed via layer stacking regardless of the lattice constant or symmetry of the individual building blocks. Herein, we constructed a vdW interface of layered Ta2NiS5 and CrOCl, which exhibited remarkably enhanced in-plane anisotropy via polarized Raman spectroscopy and electrical transport measurements. Compared with pristine Ta2NiS5, the anisotropy ratio of the Raman intensities for the B2g, 2Ag, and 3Ag modes increased in the heterostructure. More importantly, the anisotropy ratios of conductivity and mobility in the heterostructure increased by one order of magnitude. Specifically speaking, the conductivity ratio changed from ~2.1 (Ta2NiS5) to ~15 (Ta2NiS5/CrOCl), while the mobility ratio changed from ~2.7 (Ta2NiS5) to ~32 (Ta2NiS5/CrOCl). Such prominent enhancement may be attributed to the symmetry reduction caused by lattice mismatch at the heterostructure interface and the introduction of strain into the Ta2NiS5. Our research provides a new perspective for enhancing artificial anisotropy physics and offers feasible guidance for future functionalized electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CEP55, a member of the centrosomal protein family, affects cell mitosis and promotes the progression of several malignancies. However, the relationship between CEP55 expression levels and prognosis, as well as their role in cancer progression and immune infiltration in different cancer types, remains unclear. We used a combined form of several databases to validate the expression of CEP55 in pan-cancer and its association with immune infiltration, and we further screened its targeted inhibitors with CEP55. Our results showed the expression of CEP55 was significantly higher in most tumors than in the corresponding normal tissues, and it correlated with the pathological grade and age of the patients and affected the prognosis. In breast cancer cells, CEP55 knockdown significantly decreased cell survival, proliferation, and migration, while overexpression of CEP55 significantly promoted breast cancer cell proliferation and migration. Moreover, CEP55 expression was positively correlated with immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoints, and immune-related genes in the tumor microenvironment. CD-437 was screened as a potential CEP55-targeted small-molecule compound inhibitor. In conclusion, our study highlights the prognostic value of CEP55 in cancer and further provides a potential target selection for CEP55 as a potential target for intervention in tumor immune infiltration and related immune genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudostellaria heterophylla (Miq.) Pax is a popular clinical herb and nutritious health food. However, leaf spot disease caused by fungal pathogens frequently occurs and seriously influences the growth, quality, and yield of P. heterophylla. In this work, the field control roles of difenoconazole, chitosan, and their combination in the leaf spot disease in P. heterophylla and their effects on the disease resistance, photosynthetic capacity, medicinal quality, and root yield of P. heterophylla are investigated. The results manifest that 37% difenoconazole water-dispersible granule (WDG) with 5000-time + chitosan 500-time dilution liquid had a superior control capacity on leaf spot disease with the control effects of 91.17%~88.19% at 15~30 days after the last spraying, which significantly (p < 0.05) exceeded that of 37% difenoconazole WDG 3000-time dilution liquid and was significantly (p < 0.01) higher than that of 37% difenoconazole WDG 5000-time dilution liquid, chitosan 500-time dilution liquid, or chitosan 1000-time dilution liquid. Simultaneously, this combination could more effectively enhance the disease resistance, photosynthetic capacity, medicinal quality, and tuberous root yield of P. heterophylla compared to when these elements were applied alone, as well as effectively reduce difenoconazole application. This study emphasizes that chitosan combined with a low dosage of difenoconazole can be proposed as a green, efficient, and alternative formula for controlling leaf spot disease in P. heterophylla and enhancing its resistance, photosynthesis, quality, and yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mixed emulsion of P(St-MMA-AA) colloidal microspheres doped with black substances in three commercial inks (pen ink, wood color essence, propylene pigment) was coated on the wood surface. The dried colloidal microspheres self-assembled on the wood surface to form a three-dimensional photonic crystal coating. The influence of the coating on the optical properties of the wood surface was analyzed, and the influence of the type, concentration and drying temperature of the black substance on the structural color coating was explored. When three kinds of commercial black ink were mixed with colloidal microsphere emulsion to obtain photonic crystals on the wood surface, the transmitted light and the scattered light outside the photonic band gap were absorbed by black ink, which effectively reduced the light scattering inside the crystal and significantly enhanced the depth of the photonic crystal structure color. This study utilizes both pigment color and structural color, providing an environmentally friendly and novel method for colored coating of wood surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A scientifically accurate assessment of tunnel health is the prerequisite for the safe maintenance and sustainability of the in-service road tunnel. The changing trend of tunnel health is not considered in existing research. Most evaluation indicators are static and the ambiguities or randomness at the boundary of the health level intervals is neglected in most evaluation methods. In this paper, the evaluation index system combined with dynamic, and static is set to solve these problems. The changing trend of the health state of tunnels is analyzed through the cubic b-spline function. The weights of evaluation indicators are calculated based on the AHP-improved entropy method. The health evaluation method is proposed based on combing the extension theory and the cloud model improved by the cloud entropy optimization algorithm. Finally, the evaluation results of the proposed method are compared with the detection data of the Beilongmen Tunnel of Zhangzhuo Expressway. The results demonstrate that 80% of the evaluation results in the sample tunnel data are consistent with the standard results, and the remaining 20% show a lower level of health than the standard results. This reflects the evaluation results are impacted by the trend of tunnel health status changes. The health state can be more accurately evaluated by dynamic indicators. The improved extension cloud model is feasible and applicable in the health assessment of tunnels. This work provides innovative ideas for the evaluation of the health state of tunnels and theoretical support for the formulation of reasonable maintenance measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karst ecological stresses are harmful to plant growth, especially high bicarbonate concentrations, drought, high pH, etc. In this study, the effects of 0, 2.0, 7.0 and 12.0 mmol L−1 sodium bicarbonate concentrations on the biomass, electrophysiological properties, intracellular water metabolism, nutrient transport, photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence of Coix lacryma-jobi L. were investigated. The results show that 2.0 mmol L−1 sodium bicarbonate effectively improved the biomass formation of Coix lacryma-jobi L., notably increased its intrinsic capacitance (IC) and decreased its intrinsic resistance (IR), intrinsic impedance (IZ), intrinsic capacitive reactance (IXc) and intrinsic inductive reactance (IXL) as well as reliably enhanced its intracellular water metabolism, nutrient transport and photosynthetic capacities. However, 7.0 and 12.0 mmol L−1 sodium bicarbonate concentrations exhibited marked inhibitory effects on the plants' photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and dry weight, whereas they did not significantly change the intracellular water metabolism or the nutrient transport capacity of Coix lacryma-jobi L. This study highlights that appropriate bicarbonate levels could enhance the intracellular water metabolism, nutrient transport, photosynthesis and growth of Coix lacryma-jobi L., which can be rapidly monitored by the plant's electrophysiological properties. Importantly, plant electrophysiological measurement is significantly superior to photosynthesis measurement. In the future, plant electrophysiological measurement can be used as a means to quickly and effectively evaluate the physiological response of plants to the external environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WTe2, a low-symmetry transition metal dichalcogenide, has broad prospects in functional device applications due to its excellent physical properties. When WTe2 flake is integrated into practical device structures, its anisotropic thermal transport could be affected greatly by the substrate, which matters a lot to the energy efficiency and functional performance of the device. To investigate the effect of SiO2/Si substrate, we carried out a comparative Raman thermometry study on a 50 nm-thick supported WTe2 flake (with κzigzag = 62.17 W·m−1·K−1 and κarmchair = 32.93 W·m−1·K−1), and a suspended WTe2 flake of similar thickness (with κzigzag = 4.45 W·m−1·K−1, κarmchair = 4.10 W·m−1·K−1). The results show that the thermal anisotropy ratio of supported WTe2 flake (κzigzag/κarmchair ≈ 1.89) is about 1.7 times that of suspended WTe2 flake (κzigzag/κarmchair ≈ 1.09). Based on the low symmetry nature of the WTe2 structure, it is speculated that the factors contributing to thermal conductivity (mechanical properties and anisotropic low-frequency phonons) may have affected the thermal conductivity of WTe2 flake in an uneven manner when supported on a substrate. Our findings could contribute to the 2D anisotropy physics and thermal transport study of functional devices based on WTe2 and other low-symmetry materials, which helps solve the heat dissipation problem and optimize thermal/thermoelectric performance for practical electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanostructured Guinier–Preston (GP) zones are critical for the strength of Al-Mg-Si(-Cu) aluminum alloys. However, there are controversial reports about the structure and growth mechanism of GP zones. In this study, we construct several atomic configurations of GP zones according to the previous research. Then first-principles calculations based on density functional theory were used to investigate the relatively stable atomic structure and GP-zones growth mechanism. The results show that on the (100) plane, GP zones consist of {MgSi} atomic layers without Al atoms, and the size tends to grow up to 2 nm. Along the (100) growth direction, even numbers of {MgSi} atomic layers are more energetically favorable and there exist Al atomic layers to relieve the lattice strain. {MgSi}2Al4 is the most energetically favorable GP-zones configuration, and the substitution sequence of Cu atoms in {MgSi}2Al4 during the aging process is Al → Si → Mg. The growth of GP zones is accompanied by the increase in Mg and Si solute atoms and the decrease in Al atoms. Point defects, such as Cu atoms and vacancies, exhibit different occupation tendencies in GP zones: Cu atoms tend to segregate in the Al layer near the GP zones, while vacancies tend to be captured by the GP zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poor growth is often observed in artificial young forests due to insufficient inorganic nitrogen in karst soils. However, little is known about the assimilatory demand of the whole plant for nitrate and the partitioning of nitrate assimilation in roots and leaves in woody plants grown in karst habitats. In this study, Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) Vent (B. papyrifera) seedlings were grown under nearly hydroponic conditions. The isotope mass balance approach was employed to quantify the δ15N values of the N assimilates in plant organs and in whole plants for B. papyrifera seedlings grown at different nitrate concentrations. The δ15N values of the N assimilates in the whole B. papyrifera seedlings showed a rising trend with increasing nitrate concentration. Increasing the supply of nitrate decreased the leaf–root difference in the δ15N values of the N assimilates for B. papyrifera seedlings. Quantifying the δ15N values of N assimilates in the whole B. papyrifera seedlings grown under different nitrate concentrations contributes to estimating the assimilatory demand of the B. papyrifera seedlings for nitrate. The leaf–root difference in the δ15N values of the N assimilates can be used to estimate the partitioning of nitrate assimilation in the roots and leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Acyrthosiphon gossypii is a sap-sucking pest that causes direct cotton damage by sucking sap and indirect damage by honeydew contamination and induced fungal growth. Chemical pesticides are widely used to combat the damage caused by A. gossypii. However, the escalating use of pesticides has had a notable impact on the resurgence and resistance of pests. In addition, microbes that live in insects as symbionts have recently been found to protect their hosts against toxins. In this study, we determined the toxicity and sublethal effects of the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid on A. gossypii and further determined the effects of imidacloprid on symbiotic bacteria. The sublethal concentrations of imidacloprid had a negative effect on the reproduction and longevity of the G0 generation of A. gossypii, increased the population growth parameters of the G1 and G2 generations, but not those of the G3 generation, and altered the abundance of symbiotic bacteria. Our results revealed the transgenerational and sublethal effects of imidacloprid on A. gossypii, which may have implications for the endosymbiont-insecticide of the major pest. Symbiotic bacteria and hormesis in aphids are the driving forces for pesticide resistance. However, the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the effects of imidacloprid on the population growth parameters and symbiotic bacterial communities of three successive generations of Acyrthosiphon gossypii were investigated. The bioassay results showed that imidacloprid had high toxicity to A. gossypii with an LC50 of 1.46 mg·L−1. The fecundity and longevity of the G0 generation of A. gossypii decreased when exposed to the LC15 of imidacloprid. The net reproductive rate (R0), intrinsic rate of increase (rm), finite rate of increase (λ), and total reproductive rate (GRR) of G1 and G2 offspring were significantly increased, but those of the control and G3 offspring were not. In addition, sequencing data showed that the symbiotic bacteria of A. gossypii mainly belonged to Proteobacteria, with a relative abundance of 98.68%. The dominant genera of the symbiotic bacterial community were Buchnera and Arsenophonus. After treatment with the LC15 of imidacloprid, the diversity and species number of bacterial communities of A. gossypii decreased for G1–G3 and the abundance of Candidatus-Hamiltonella decreased, but Buchnera increased. These results provide insight into the resistance mechanism of insecticides and the stress adaptation between symbiotic bacteria and aphids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The basin along the Yangtze River in Anhui Province is an important ecological protective screen in the Yangtze River Delta Economic Belt, with a large number of wetlands, lakes, and nature reserves in the basin. The effect of the rapid development of regional urbanization on the ecological environment quality has become an important threat source that restricts ecosystem function and biodiversity protection in the basin. Therefore, this study used InVEST model to analyze the spatial and temporal evolution of habitat quality based on remote sensing image data from 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020 in the basin along the Yangtze River in Anhui Province and revealed the spatial evolution trend of habitat quality degradation by using hot and cold spot analysis methods. The geographical detector model was used to discuss the main driving factors of habitat quality change. The study results showed that a trend of increase and decrease of construction land and paddy land in the basin from 1990 to 2020 was the opposite, that is, the area of construction land increased, and the area of paddy land decreased. Especially, the area of construction land increased from 390.18 km2 in 1990 to 1616.34 km2 in 2020. The area of increase and decrease of other land types remained around 1% to 2%. During the period from 2000 to 2020, Construction land was mainly transferred in from paddy land, accounting for over 60% of the area transferred in, which indicated the continuous increase of human activity intensity in the study area. From 1990 to 2020, the areas with a significant decline in habitat quality in the basin were mainly concentrated along the Yangtze River and in the northern part of the Chaohu Lake. The area proportion with the lowest grade of habitat quality showed a trend of increasing year by year, that is, the area proportion increased from 4.85% in 1990 to 8.47% in 2020. The hot spots of habitat quality degradation were concentrated in Hefei and its surrounding areas, while the cold spots of the degradation were mainly concentrated in the southern and western mountainous areas. Land use type was the main driving factor affecting habitat quality, and the interaction between land use and per capita GDP was the main driving factor for changes in habitat quality. The study results had important theoretical and practical value for the ecological environment protection and harmonious development of the relationship between humans and nature in the basin along the Yangtze River in Anhui Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondria (MITO) play a significant role in various physiological processes and are a key organelle associated with different human diseases including cancer, diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, etc. Thus, detecting the activity of MITO in real time is becoming more and more important. Herein, a novel class of amphiphilic aggregation-induced emission (AIE) active probe fluorescence (AC-QC nanoparticles) based on a quinoxalinone scaffold was developed for imaging MITO. AC-QC nanoparticles possess an excellent ability to monitor MITO in real-time. This probe demonstrated the following advantages: (1) lower cytotoxicity; (2) superior photostability; and (3) good performance in long-term imaging in vitro. Each result of these indicates that self-assembled AC-QC nanoparticles can be used as effective and promising MITO-targeted fluorescent probes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous cropping obstacle has become the key factor that seriously restricts the growth, yield, and quality of Pinellia ternata. In this study, the effects of chitosan on the growth, photosynthesis, resistance, yield, and quality of the continuous cropping of P. ternata were investigated by two field spraying methods. The results indicate that continuous cropping significantly (p < 0.05) raised the inverted seedling rate of P. ternata and inhibited its growth, yield, and quality. Spraying of 0.5~1.0% chitosan effectively increased the leaf area and plant height of continuous P. ternata, and reduced its inverted seedling rate. Meanwhile, 0.5~1.0% chitosan spraying could notably increase its photosynthetic rate (Pn), intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (Ci), stomatal conductance (Gs), and transpiration rate (Tr), and decrease its soluble sugar, proline (Pro), and malonaldehyde (MDA) contents, as well as promoting its superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) activities. Additionally, 0.5~1.0% chitosan spraying could also effectively enhance its yield and quality. This finding highlights that chitosan can be proposed as an alternative and practicable mitigator for alleviating the continuous cropping obstacle of P. ternata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allocryptopine (ALL) is an isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from Macleaya cordata(Willd). R. Br., which has been claimed to have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotection properties. However, the mechanism by which ALL ameliorates inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains unclear. Here, we used network pharmacology and quantitative proteomic approaches to investigate the effect of ALL on IBD pathogenesis. Network pharmacology predicted potential targets and signaling pathways of ALL's anti-IBD effects. As predicted by network pharmacology, gene ontology (GO) analysis, in terms of the proteomic results, showed that the immune response in mucosa and antimicrobial humoral response were enriched. Further study revealed that the ALL-related pathways were the chemokine signaling pathway and apoptosis in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). In addition, we identified AKT1 as a hub for the critical pathways through protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. Similar to mesalazine (MES), Western blot verified that ALL downregulated upstream chemokine CX3CL1 and GNB5 content to reduce phosphorylation of AKT and NF-κB, as well as the degree of apoptosis, to improve inflammatory response in the colon. Our research may shed light on the mechanism by which ALL inhibits the CX3CL1/GNB5/AKT2/NF-κB/apoptosis pathway and improves the intestinal barrier to reduce colitis response and act on the CX3CL1–CX3CR1 axis to achieve neuroprotection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic and recurrent inflammatory bowel disease, and the intestinal barrier is an important line of defense against intestinal disease. Herein, we investigated the effect of Lactobacillus gasseri JM1 at different doses (1 × 106, 1 × 107, 1 × 108 CFU/day) on colitis mice and explored the possible mechanism. The results showed that L. gasseri JM1 alleviated DSS-induced colitis in mice, with reductions in disease activity index (DAI), histological scores and myeloperoxidase activity as well as alleviation of colonic shortening. Furthermore, L. gasseri JM1 regulated the levels of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-10; restored the expression of Claudin-3, Occludin, ZO-1, and MUC2; and increased the number of goblet cells and acidic mucin. The 16S rDNA sequencing results indicated that intervention with L. gasseri JM1 balanced the gut microbiota structure by elevating the abundance of beneficial bacteria (Oscillospira, Clostridium and Ruminococcus) and decreasing that of harmful bacteria (Shigella and Turicibacter). Meanwhile, the contents of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) increased. In conclusion, L. gasseri JM1 could alleviate intestinal barrier damage in colitis mice by modulating the tight junction structures, intestinal mucus layer, inflammatory cytokines, gut microbiota, and SCFAs. It can be considered a potential preventive strategy to alleviate colitis injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin C was reported to be able to protect against oxidative damage due to its reducibility. 120 Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 × 2 groups, including normal iodine (NI), high iodine (HI), low vitamin C (HI + LC), and high vitamin C (HI + HC); potassium iodide (KI) and potassium iodate (KIO3) were commonly used as additives for iodized salt, so every group was also divided into KI and KIO3 groups. After 6 months' feed, the activities of antioxidant enzymes and Lipid Peroxide (MDA) content in serum, liver, kidney, brain, thyroid and lens were determined. In serum, for males, long-term excess iodine intake caused oxidative damage; in the liver, male rats in the HI + LC group had the highest MDA content, which showed that low-dose vitamin C might promote oxidative damage; in kidneys, the MDA content in the HI and HI + LC groups of females was higher; in the brain, high-dose vitamin C could increase the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), which was decreased by high iodine intake, and it also decreased MDA content; in the thyroid, for KIO3, the activity of SOD in the HI group was lower than NI and HI + LC; in the lens, the MDA content in females was lower than males. Long-term excess iodine exposure caused oxidative damage and showed sex difference, and vitamin C had a protective effect on it, especially for high-dose vitamin C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impairment in endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) functions results in dysregulation of vascular homeostasis and dysfunction of the endothelium under diabetic conditions. Improving EPC function has been considered as a promising strategy for ameliorating diabetic vascular complications. Liraglutide has been widely used as a therapeutic agent for diabetes. However, the effects and mechanisms of liraglutide on EPC dysfunction remain unclear. The capability of liraglutide in promoting blood perfusion and angiogenesis under diabetic conditions was evaluated in the hind limb ischemia model of diabetic mice. The effect of liraglutide on the angiogenic function of EPC was evaluated by cell scratch recovery assay, tube formation assay, and nitric oxide production. RNA sequencing was performed to assess the underlying mechanisms. Liraglutide enhanced blood perfusion and angiogenesis in the ischemic hindlimb of db/db mice and streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetic mice. Additionally, liraglutide improved tube formation, cell migration, and nitric oxide production of high glucose (HG)-treated EPC. Assessment of liraglutide target pathways revealed a network of genes involved in antioxidant activity. Further mechanism study showed that liraglutide decreased the production of reactive oxygen species and increased the activity of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Nrf2 deficiency attenuated the beneficial effects of liraglutide on improving EPC function and promoting ischemic angiogenesis under diabetic conditions. Moreover, liraglutide activates Nrf2 through an AKT/GSK3β/Fyn pathway, and inhibiting this pathway abolished liraglutide-induced Nrf2 activation and EPC function improvement. Overall, these results suggest that Liraglutide represents therapeutic potential in promoting EPC function and ameliorating ischemic angiogenesis under diabetic conditions, and these beneficial effects relied on Nrf2 activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional electron back-scattered diffraction (2D-EBSD) mapping has been widely used for indicating the polycrystalline plasticity through intragranular misorientation parameters KAM and GROD, based on the empirically linear relationship between their average values and the mesoscopic plastic strain, in both stretched and cyclically deformed metals. However, whether the intragranular misorientation measured on the 2D-EBSD observational plane objectively reflects the 3D polycrystalline plasticity or not is a rarely reported issue. In this research, we firstly compared the KAM and GROD values measured on 2D-EBSD observational planes with different angles to loading axis of a specimen in both undeformed clamp sections and deformed gauge section, to verify whether their average values increase isotropically or not with mesoscopic plastic strain. Then, we proposed six fundamental assumptions and developed a modified 3D polycrystalline plasticity model based on the 2D polycrystalline plasticity model in our previous work. This 3D polycrystalline plasticity model can explain the isotropic linear evolution of intragranular misorientation in deformed low alloy steel with uniform equiaxial grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is economical and efficient to use existing natural gas pipelines to transport hydrogen. The fast and accurate prediction of mixing uniformity of hydrogen injection in natural gas pipelines is important for the safety of pipeline transportation and downstream end users. In this study, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method was used to investigate the hydrogen injection process in a T-junction natural gas pipeline. The coefficient of variation (COV) of a hydrogen concentration on a pipeline cross section was used to quantitatively characterize the mixing uniformity of hydrogen and natural gas. To quickly and accurately predict the COV, a deep neural network (DNN) model was constructed based on CFD simulation data, and the main influencing factors of the COV including flow velocity, hydrogen blending ratio, gas temperature, flow distance, and pipeline diameter ratio were taken as input nodes of the DNN model. In the model training process, the effects of various parameters on the prediction accuracy of the DNN model were studied, and an accurate DNN architecture was constructed with an average error of 4.53% for predicting the COV. The computational efficiency of the established DNN model was also at least two orders of magnitude faster than that of the CFD simulations for predicting the COV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural tourism, as an emerging industry formed by the integration of various industries, has gradually become an essential method of rural economic development. However, few studies have comprehensively addressed how it develops. This paper aims to reveal the major trends and hotspots in the field of rural tourism in the past two decades. A scientometric visualization analysis was applied to the publications on this theme collected from the Web of Science database between 2000 and 2021. The results are shown as follows: (1) There was an overall increasing trend in rural tourism research globally from 2000 to 2021, with an average increase of 74 papers per year. However, the average citations for these papers are declining in recent years, dropping from 20.1 in 2016 to 13.2 in 2020. China, Spain, and the United States ranked in the top three in terms of the number of papers. (2) The most cited journals were The Journal of Agriculture and Environment, Tourism Planning and Development, and Tourism Management, with an average of 45.62, 39.15, and 29.22 citations, respectively. (3) The research hotspots showed obvious differences and characteristics in the two stages of 2000–2007 and 2007–2021. The sustainable development of rural tourism has become a hot topic, and will play an important role in achieving integrated urban and rural development and rural revitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nephrite is a high-valued gem material, whose geographical origin determination is a topic of interest to both consumers and producers since the geographic origin determines its price and reputation. In the present study, we suggest a two-step method for discriminating geographical origins of nephrite based on the rare earth element (REE) contents combined with chemometrics. In the first step, the REE contents of nephrite samples were determined by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), combined with previously reported data—the chondrite-normalized REE distribution pattern; the REE parameters of nephrite samples from six origins, namely Xinjiang, Qinghai, Russia, Guangxi, Guizhou, and Liaoning were then compared. In the second step, origin discriminant models were established by linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and the accuracy of the model was evaluated by leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV). The results showed that the REE contents were significantly different among the six nephrite origins with regional characteristics, which makes it possible to trace the origin. Using chondrite-normalized REE distribution patterns, the six nephrite origins can be divided into three separate groups: Xinjiang−Qinghai−Russia, Luodian−Dahua, and Xiuyan. Xiuyan nephrite can be directly distinguished from the other origins due to its unique REE distribution pattern. In the second step, the LDA discrimination models were performed on the remaining two groups. For the Luodian−Dahua group, the accuracy of the original classification and LOOCV were 97.9% and 85.4%, which indicated REE combined with LDA could effectively identify Luodian nephrite and Dahua nephrite. For the Xinjiang−Qinghai−Russia group, the accuracy of the original classification and LOOCV was 74.1% and 63.9%, respectively. Overall, this work proves that a combination of REE analysis and chemometrics has a certain feasibility and broad application prospects for geographical origin, and the same methodology can be applied to study the origin of other gem materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichoderma is known worldwide as biocontrol agents of plant diseases, producers of enzymes and antibiotics, and competitive contaminants of edible fungi. In this investigation of contaminated substrates of edible fungi from North China, 39 strains belonging to 10 Trichoderma species isolated from four kinds of edible fungi were obtained, and three novel species belonging to the Harzianum clade were isolated from the contaminated substrates of Auricularia heimuer and Pholiota adipose. They were recognized based on integrated studies of phenotypic features, culture characteristics, and molecular analyses of RNA polymerase II subunit B and translation elongation factor 1-α genes. Trichoderma auriculariae was strongly supported as a separate lineage and differed from T. vermifimicola due to its larger conidia. Trichoderma miyunense was closely related to T. ganodermatigerum but differed due to its smaller conidia and higher optimum mycelial growth temperature. As a separate lineage, T. pholiotae was distinct from T. guizhouense and T. pseudoasiaticum due to its higher optimum mycelial growth temperature and larger conidia. This study extends the understanding of Trichoderma spp. contaminating substrates of edible fungi and updates knowledge of species diversity in the group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying urban production–living–ecological spaces and their interactive relationships is conducive to better understanding and optimizing urban space development. This paper took the main urban area of Hangzhou city as an example, and a two-level scoring evaluation model was constructed to accurately identify urban production–living–ecological spaces using point of interest (POI) data. Then, kernel density analysis, a spatial transfer matrix, and a bivariate spatial autocorrelation model were used to reveal the spatial patterns of urban production–living–ecological spaces and their interactive relationships during 2010 and 2019. The results showed that the proposed two-level scoring evaluation model combining both the physical area and density of POIs was effective in accurately identifying urban production–living–ecological spaces using POI data, with an identification accuracy of 88.9%. Urban production space was concentrated on the south bank of the Qiantang River and around the north of Hangzhou. Urban living space had the highest proportion, mainly distributed within the ring highway of Hangzhou in a contiguous distribution pattern, and urban ecological space was concentrated around West Lake and Xiang Lake. During 2010 and 2019, the expansion of urban production–living–ecological spaces had obvious spatial differences. Additionally, the mutual transformation between production and living spaces was more frequent during the study period and was mainly distributed within the ring highway of Hangzhou. There were significant positive spatial correlations between production and living and between living and ecological spaces, while a significant negative spatial correlation occurred between production and ecological spaces. The spatial correlations of urban production–living–ecological spaces revealed obvious spatial heterogeneity. This study proposed a two-level scoring evaluation model to accurately identify the spatial patterns of urban production–living–ecological spaces and their interactive relationships using POI data, which can provide detailed information and scientific references for urban spatial planning and management in rapidly urbanizing cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously found that neurocritically ill patients are prone to refeeding syndrome (RFS), a potentially life-threatening complication. However, there is no unified or validated consensus on the screening tool for RFS so far. We aimed to validate and compare the performance of four screening tools for RFS in neurocritically ill patients. We conducted a single-center, observational, retrospective cohort study among neurocritically ill adult patients who were admitted to the neurocritical care unit (NCU), and who received enteral nutrition for 72 h or longer. They were scored on the Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire (SNAQ), the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM), the modified criteria of the Britain's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (mNICE), and ASPEN Consensus Recommendations for Refeeding Syndrome (ASPEN) scales to predict RFS risk via admission data. The performance of each scale in predicting RFS was evaluated. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent risk factors for RFS, and they were added to the above scales to strengthen the identification of RFS. Of the 478 patients included, 84 (17.57%) developed RFS. The sensitivity of the SNAQ and GLIM was only 20.2% (12.6–30.7%), although they had excellent specificities of 84.8% (80.8–88.1%) and 86.0% (82.1–89.2%), respectively; mNICE predicted RFS with a sensitivity of 48.8% (37.8–59.9%) and a specificity of 65.0% (60.0–69.9%); ASPEN had the highest Youden index, with a sensitivity and specificity of 53.6% (42.4–64.4%) and 64.7% (59.8–69.4%), respectively. The Area Under the receiver operating characteristic Curves (AUC) of SNAQ, GLIM, mNICE, and ASPEN to predict RFS were 0.516 (0.470–0.561), 0.533 (0.487–0.579), 0.568 (0.522–0.613), and 0.597 (0.551–0.641), respectively. We identified age, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA), and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score as independent risk factors of RFS, and the combination of GCS and age can improve the AUC of ASPEN to 0.664 (0.620–0.706) for predicting RFS. SNAQ, GLIM, mNICE, and ASPEN do not perform well in identifying neurocritically ill patients at high risk of RFS, although ASPEN appears to have relatively a good validity among them. Combining GCS and age with ASPEN slightly improves RFS recognition, but it still leaves a lot of room for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of manufacturing component suppliers is focused on economic indicators, with insufficient emphasis on green indicators and no consideration of the correlation between indicators. Firstly, indicators related to green production are incorporated into the supplier evaluation system. Then, for the problem that attributes in decision making can be divided into different categories and there are interrelationships between attributes of the same category, a multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) method based on the partitioned Maclaurin symmetric mean operator (PMSM) is proposed. Finally, the proposed MADM method was applied to the evaluation of component suppliers considering green production. Comparing popular decision methods with the newly proposed method for validation, it was demonstrated that the proposed multi-attribute decision method is highly flexible and versatile. Furthermore, the newly proposed aggregation operator can not only handle the correlation between multiple attributes, but also be converted to other general aggregation operators through parameter adjustment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a biocompatible biomaterial, bagasse xylan (BX) has been widely used in the biomedical field. The low biological activity of andrographolide (AD) restricts its development, so AD with certain anticancer activity is introduced. We use chemical modification methods such as grafting and esterification to improve the biological activity and make a novel anticancer nanomaterial. On the basis of the esterification of a mixture of BX and AD with folic acid (FA), a novel anticancer nanoderivative of bagasse xylan/andrographolide folate-g-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA)/diethylene glycol dimethacrylate (DEGDMA) nanoparticles (FA-BX/AD-g-DMAEMA/DEGDMA NPs) was synthesized by introducing DMAEMA and DEGDMA monomers through a graft copolymerization and nanoprecipitation method. The effects of reaction temperature, reaction time, the initiator concentration and the mass ratio of FA-BX/AD to mixed monomers on the grafting rate (GR) were investigated. The structure of the obtained product was characterized by FTIR, SEM, XRD and DTG. Further, molecular docking and MTT assays were performed to understand the possible docking sites with the target proteins and the anticancer activity of the product. The results showed that the GR of the obtained product was 79% under the conditions of the initiator concentration 55 mmol/L, m (FA-BX/AD):m (mixed monomer) = 1:2, reaction temperature 50 °C and reaction time 5 h. The inhibition rate of FA-BX/AD-g-DMAEMA/DEGDMA NPs on human lung cancer cells (NCI-H460) can reach 39.77 ± 5.62%, which is about 7.6 times higher than that of BX. Therefore, this material may have potential applications in the development of anticancer drug or carriers and functional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Powdery mildew is the most serious fungal disease of Rosa roxburghii in Guizhou Province, China. In this study, the control role of chitosan-assisted pyraclostrobin against powdery mildew of R. roxburghii and its influences on the resistance, photosynthesis, yield, quality and amino acids of R. roxburghii were evaluated. The results indicate that the foliar application of 30% pyraclostrobin suspension concentrate (SC) 100 mg L−1 + chitosan 500 mg L−1 displayed a superior control potential against powdery mildew, with a control efficacy of 89.30% and 94.58% after 7 d and 14 d of spraying, respectively, which significantly (p < 0.01) exceeded those of 30% pyraclostrobin SC 150 mg L−1, 30% pyraclostrobin SC 100 mg L−1, and chitosan 500 mg L−1. Simultaneously, their co-application could effectively enhance their effect on the resistance and photosynthesis of R. roxburghii leaves compared to their application alone. Meanwhile, their co-application could also more effectively enhance the yield, quality, and amino acids of R. roxburghii fruits compared to their application alone. This work highlights that chitosan can be applied as an effective adjuvant to promote the efficacy of low-dosage pyraclostrobin against powdery mildew in R. roxburghii and improve its resistance, photosynthesis, yield, quality, and amino acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of arable land abandonment has become increasingly prominent in China as an important hidden danger of regional and national grain security. Therefore, it is necessary to fully understand its developmental mechanism in order to improve land protection policies and maintain the sustainable use of arable land. This study took Pingyang County in the Yangtze River Delta Economic Zone as an example. Based on remote sensing image data in 2000, 2010, and 2018, the landscape pattern index was used to reveal the changes in the landscape pattern of abandoned land in the study area, and the FLUS model was used to simulate the spatial and temporal distribution changes in abandoned land in the study area in 2028. The results showed that the abandoned areas in the study area spread rapidly from 2000 to 2018, the area of abandoned land increased nearly 12 times in the past 18 years, and the areas with a high abandonment rate were concentrated in the western and northwestern mountainous areas of the study area. In the view of the landscape pattern, the areas with a high fragmentation degree of abandoned land gradually shifted to the western mountainous areas from 2000 to 2018, and the areas with high landscape complexity of abandoned land gradually shifted from the middle to the northern and western areas. The simulation results of abandoned land showed that the high-value areas of abandoned land rate in the study area would be more concentrated by 2028. Among them, the abandoned land rate of arable land in the northwest would increase to 15.76~24.89%, while the landscape fragmentation and complexity of abandoned land would be slightly lower than that in 2018. Finally, some countermeasures were proposed for the protection and sustainable utilization of cultivated land resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the in-depth research that has been conducted on nanometer biomaterials, how to use the biomass resources with high activity and low toxicity to prepare nanomaterials for biomedical applications has attracted much attention. To realize efficient and comprehensive utilization of biomass, bagasse xylan/andrographolide (BX/AD) was ued as a raw material and glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) as an esterification agent to synthesize bagasse xylan/andrographolide esterified derivative (GA-BX/AD). Then, the bagasse xylan/andrographolide grafted and esterified derivative (GA-BX/AD-g-IA) was synthesized by the graft crosslinking reactions using itaconic acid (IA) as graft monomer. The better synthesis conditions were optimized by single factor experiments, the degree of esterification substitution (DS) was 0.43, and the grafting rate (G) of the product reached 42%. The structure and properties of the product were characterized by FTIR, XRD, DTG, SEM, and 1H NMR. The results showed that the product morphology was significantly changed, and the nanoparticles were spherical with a particle size of about 100 nm. The anti-cancer activity of the product was measured. The molecular docking simulations revealed that the product had good docking activity with human glucocorticoid protein (6CFN) with a binding free energy of 14.38 kcal/mol. The MTT assay showed that the product had a strong inhibitory effect on the growth of human liver cancer cells (BEL-7407) and gastric cancer cells (MGC80-3), with inhibition ratio of 38.41 ± 5.32% and 32.69 ± 4.87%. Therefore, this nanomaterial is expected to be applied to the development and utilization of drug carriers and functional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass materials are high-quality raw materials for the preparation of natural, green and highly active functional materials due to their rich active groups, wide sources and low toxicity. Bagasse xylan (BX) and resveratrol (Res) were used as raw materials to introduce ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) via grafting reaction to obtain the intermediate product BX/Res-g-EGDMA. The intermediate was esterified with 3-carboxyphenylboronic acid (3-CBA) to obtain the target product 3-CBA-BX/Res-g-EGDMA. The BX/Res-composite-modified nanoderivative with antitumor activity was synthesized with the nanoprecipitation method. The effects of the reaction conditions on the grafting rate (G) of BX/Res-g-EGDMA and the degree of substitution (DS) of 3-CBA-BX/Res-g-EGDMA were investigated using single-factor experiments. The results showed that under the optimized process conditions, G and DS reached 142.44% and 0.485, respectively. The product was characterized with FTIR, XRD, TG-FTC, 1H NMR and SEM, and its anticancer activity was simulated and tested. The results showed that 3-CBA-BX/Res-g-EGDMA had a spherical structure with an average particle size of about 100 nm and that its crystalline structure and thermal stability were different from those of the raw materials. In addition, 3-CBA-BX/Res-g-EGDMA showed the best docking activity with 2HE7 with a binding free energy of −6.3 kJ/mol. The inhibition rate of 3-CBA-BX/Res-g-EGDMA on MGC80-3 (gastric cancer cells) reached 36.71 ± 4.93%, which was 18 times higher than that of BX. Therefore, this material could be a potential candidate for biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungicides containing active ingredients of boscalid and pyraclostrobin have been widely applied in watermelon disease control. To provide data for avoiding health hazards caused by fungicides, we investigated its terminal residues and evaluated the dietary risk. In this work, watermelon samples were collected from field sites in six provinces and analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The average recoveries of boscalid and pyraclostrobin in the watermelon matrix were 97–108% and 93–103%, respectively, with the relative standard deviations (RSDs) ≤ 9.1%. The limits of quantifications (LOQs) were 0.01 and 0.005 mg/kg for boscalid and pyraclostrobin. Twenty-one days after applying the test pesticide with 270 g a.i./ha, the terminal residues of boscalid and pyraclostrobin were all below 0.05 mg/kg and below the maximum residue limits (MRLs) recommended by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). According to the national estimated daily intake (NEDI), the risk quotients (RQs) of boscalid and pyraclostrobin were 48.4% and 62.6%, respectively. That indicated the pesticide evaluated in watermelon exhibited a low dietary risk to consumers. All data provide a reference for the MRL establishment of boscalid in watermelon for China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]