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Advancing electronic devices requires not just new ideas but also the scalable and industry-friendly synthesis of innovative materials. As copper interconnects continue to shrink to the nanoscale, their resistivity rises sharply due to surface and grain boundary scattering, pushing the need for alternative solutions. Quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) transition metal trichalcogenides, with their promising metallic properties, stand out as potential replacements. In our previous research, we successfully grew TaSe₃ nanowires with cross-sectional areas as small as 7 nm, and notably, their resistivity did not increase at these small scales. These nanowires also showed an electromigration activation energy twice that of copper and could handle current densities far beyond what copper can endure. These promising results highlight TaSe₃ as a viable candidate for downscaled electronic devices, a topic explored in detail in Chapter 1 as the driving motivation for this study.Chapter 2 dives into the history of the materials relevant to this research, focusing on transition metal trichalcogenides and elemental tellurium. It explores their unique electronic properties, which make them attractive alternatives to conventional interconnect materials. Chapter 3 shifts to the experimental side, describing the techniques used in this study, with a particular emphasis on the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. This process was adapted to grow ZrTe₃ and Te nanowires, overcoming specific challenges related to the activation properties of selenium and tellurium. The fine-tuning of CVD parameters led to the successful deposition of high-quality nanowires on SiO₂ substrates.Chapter 4 presents the results from these optimized processes, comparing the performance of ZrTe₃ and Te nanowires, and highlighting their impressive current-carrying capabilities and stability under varying conditions. These findings reinforce the potential of quasi-1D van der Waals materials for next-generation microelectronic applications, providing a promising route to address the scaling challenges that traditional interconnect materials like copper currently face.Chapter 5 explores the impact of ion implantation on the electrical properties of CVD-grown Te nanowires, focusing on the enhancement of conductivity through ion beam-induced modifications. The chapter details the fabrication of multi-terminal devices and examines the effects of varying ion fluence on the current-voltage characteristics of Te nanowires. The findings demonstrate that ion implantation significantly improves the nanowires' electrical performance by introducing defects that enhance charge carrier mobility. These results underscore the potential of ion implantation as a precise doping method to tailor the electronic properties of quasi-1D materials, paving the way for their integration into advanced semiconductor devices.Chapter 6 investigates the patterned growth of TaSe₃ nanowires on lithographically prepared substrates, employing techniques such as UV optical photolithography and electron-beam lithography to direct the growth and alignment of nanowires. By designing specific patterns and creating artificial defects, the chapter showcases the controlled nucleation and guided growth of TaSe₃, achieving desired orientations and interconnections. The study highlights the scalability of these methods for microelectronic applications and sets the foundation for future work on device fabrication, comparing the electrical properties of pre-patterned nanowires to single nanowire counterparts. This approach aims to establish TaSe₃ nanowires as viable alternatives for on-chip interconnections, addressing the limitations of traditional materials.

Glycoprotein VI (GPVI) plays an important role in platelet aggregation, and inhibition of GPVI may block thrombosis with a low bleeding risk, thus making GPVI a promising antithrombotic target. In this paper, the binding mode of losartan, a known GPVI inhibitor, was investigated using molecular docking and molecular dynamics methods as well. Docking results can determine the location site of the phenyl tetrazole group of losartan, but the direction of the two substitute groups on imidazole ring is uncertain. Therefore, two sample conformations were selected, and long-time molecular dynamics simulations were carried out. The rotatable bond of C–N connecting the imidazole ring and the middle benzene ring was monitored during the simulation. The results showed that this dihedral angle is mostly distributed at about [Formula: see text] for both systems, implying that this conformation is the dominant conformation. The switchable conformation may be the reason for low activity of losartan to GPVI. Losartan1 system was well equilibrated and selected as the receptor to perform drug repurposing screening, and several drugs with a similar binding mode as losartan were identified. Our study may enhance the mechanism understanding of GPVI receptor, giving insights into the design and discovery of novel GPVI inhibitors.

Previous studies have only focused on the bioaccessibility of single pesticide/metal without considering the potential impact of post-uptake interactions on bioaccessibility of pesticides/metals in the human digestive system. Hence, the influences of chromium (Cr) speciation on neonicotinoids bioaccessibility were investigated and the potential health risk based on the oral bioaccessibility was evaluated. Bioaccessibility of four neonicotinoids in apple and pear was measured using three common in vitro methods (SBRC, PBET, and IVG). Bioaccessibility of neonicotinoids in apple and pear varied between in vitro methods, which may reflect the difference of determination parameters (i.e., pH values, incubation time, and constituents). The neonicotinoids bioaccessibility was remarkably reduced by 17.21–81.21% and 11.61–73.70% with the addition of Cr(III) and Cr(VI), respectively. Risk assessment based on the hazard quotient (HQ) with bioaccessibility revealed that exposure to pesticide residues in the tested fruits were all below levels that might pose a health risk. These findings are of theoretical value for the safety evaluation of pesticide residues on food.

Simultaneous catalytic removal of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission at low temperature is of great significance to solve the multiple air pollution problem caused during waste incineration. A novel catalyst with excellent low-temperature activity towards PCDD/Fs catalytic decomposition, as well as selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with NH3 is urgently needed to simultaneously control PCDD/Fs and NO emissions. Manganese-cerium composite oxides supported on titanium dioxide (MnOx-CeO2/TiO2) or TiO2 and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) composite carrier (MnOx-CeO2/TiO2-CNTs) were prepared using sol–gel method, and their catalytic activity towards simultaneous abatement of ortho-dichlorobenzene (o-DCBz, model molecular to simulate PCDD/Fs) and NO was investigated. In comparison with their removal, the simultaneous removal efficiencies of o-DCBz and NO over MnOx-CeO2/TiO2 catalyst are lowered to 27.9% and 51.3% at 150 °C under the gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) of 15,000 h−1, due to the competition between the reactants for the limited surface acid sites and surface reactive oxygen species. CNTs addition improves the catalytic activity for their simultaneous removal. The optimum condition occurs on MnOx-CeO2/TiO2 combined with 20 wt.% CNTs that above 70% of o-DCBz and NO are removed simultaneously. Characterization results reveal that MnOx-CeO2/TiO2-CNTs catalyst with proper CNTs content has larger Brunauer–Emmet–Teller surface area and greatly improved surface acidity property, which are beneficial to both o-DCBz and NO adsorption. Moreover, the relatively higher surface atomic concentration of Mn4+ as well as the existence of abundant surface Ce3+ atom accelerates the redox cycle of the catalyst and enriches the surface reactive oxygen species. All the above factors alleviate the competition effect between o-DCBz catalytic oxidation and NH3-SCR reaction and are conducive to the simultaneous abatement of o-DCBz and NO. However, excess CNTs make less contribution on enhancing the interaction between Mn atom and Ce atom, thereby resulting in less improvement in the catalytic activity.

Simultaneous removal of SO2, NOx and Hg0 using O3 and corn stalk bio-charcoal (CR)/coconut shell activated carbon (CS) was compared in a fixed bed. The effects of temperature, adsorption time and ratio of O3/NO on the removal efficiency of NO, Hg0 and SO2 by CR/CS were studied, and the CR and CS was characterized and analyzed. The results indicated that the oxidation rate of NO and Hg0 increased with the increase of O3/NO ratio, while the oxidation rate of SO2 first increased and then decreased slightly. The increase of temperature inhibits the oxidation of NO but promotes the oxidation of Hg0 and SO2. At 140°C and O3/NO ratio was 1.4, the oxidation rate of NO, Hg0 and SO2 is 99%, 78.6% and 3.5%, respectively. As O3/NO ratio increased from 0.4 to 1.4, the removal efficiency of CR for NOx increased from 4.6% to 93%, and CS increases from 4.5% to 79%. CR and CS can reduce part of NO2 and increase NO concentration at the outlet. NOx adsorption performance on CR is relatively better, while those of Hg0 and SO2 on CS are relatively stronger. CS has stronger physical adsorption capacity than CR. The relative content of oxygen-containing functional groups C-O and C=O on the surface of CR is higher than that of CS, while its relative content of COOH and O=C-O is lower.

Acute lung injury (ALI) and the subsequent acute respiratory distress syndrome remain devastating diseases with high mortality rates and poor prognoses among patients in intensive care units. The present study is aimed at investigating the role and underlying mechanisms of microRNA-31-5p (miR-31-5p) on lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced ALI. Mice were pretreated with miR-31-5p agomir, antagomir, and their negative controls at indicated doses for 3 consecutive days, and then they received a single intratracheal injection of LPS (5 mg/kg) for 12 h to induce ALI. MH-S murine alveolar macrophage cell lines were cultured to further verify the role of miR-31-5p in vitro. For AMP-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα) and calcium-binding protein 39 (Cab39) inhibition, compound C or lentiviral vectors were used in vivo and in vitro. We observed an upregulation of miR-31-5p in lung tissue upon LPS injection. miR-31-5p antagomir alleviated, while miR-31-5p agomir exacerbated LPS-induced inflammation, oxidative damage, and pulmonary dysfunction in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, miR-31-5p antagomir activated AMPKα to exert the protective effects that were abrogated by AMPKα inhibition. Further studies revealed that Cab39 was required for AMPKα activation and pulmonary protection by miR-31-5p antagomir. We provide the evidence that endogenous miR-31-5p is a key pathogenic factor for inflammation and oxidative damage during LPS-induced ALI, which is related to Cab39-dependent inhibition of AMPKα.

Aims/Introduction The role of irisin in maternal glucose metabolism and how it would respond to dietary n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n‐3 PUFA) intake remains unclear. This study aimed to explore whether maternal plasma irisin is associated with glucose metabolism and whether this association is modified by dietary n‐3 PUFA. Materials and Methods A total of 932 pregnant women (20–28 weeks’ gestation) aged 20–45 years were recruited. Dietary n‐3 PUFA was estimated using a validated quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Plasma irisin and insulin were tested by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, and insulin resistance (IR) was estimated using the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA). Gestational diabetes mellitus was diagnosed with a 75‐g oral glucose tolerance test. Adjusted multivariable linear regression and logistic regression were carried out to examine the associations between plasma irisin and glucose metabolism. The moderating effect of dietary n‐3 PUFA intake was determined by fully multiplicative models by including the interaction term. Results Maternal plasma irisin was negatively associated with HOMA‐IR and oral glucose tolerance test 0 h glucose level (β −0.250, −0.067; corrected P‐value for false discovery rate = 0.012, 0.018, respectively), positively associated with HOMA of insulin sensitivity (β 0.028; corrected P‐value for false discovery rate = 0.012), but not associated with postprandial glucose or the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, we found a moderating effect of dietary n‐3 PUFA on the relationships of plasma irisin with HOMA‐IR and HOMA of insulin sensitivity; these associations were strengthened with increased n‐3 PUFA intake (β −0.037, 0.004; P = 0.014, 0.041, respectively). Conclusions Plasma irisin was negatively associated with HOMA‐IR and fasting glucose, whereas it was positively associated with HOMA of insulin sensitivity in pregnant women. We first showed that these associations were modified by dietary n‐3 PUFA intake., Plasma irisin was negatively associated with HOMA‐IR while positively associated with HOMA‐IS in pregnant women, and we first demonstrated these associations were modified by dietary n‐3 PUFA intake.

Background As the most common biliary malignancy, gallbladder cancer (GC) is an elderly-biased disease. Although extensive studies have elucidated the molecular mechanism of microRNA 182 (miR-182) and reversion-inducing-cysteine-rich protein with kazal motifs (RECK) in various cancers, the specific role of exosomal miR-182 and RECK in GC remains poorly understood. Aim To explore the relationship between exosomal miR-182/RECK and metastasis of GC. Methods Paired GC and adjacent normal tissues were collected from 78 patients. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was employed to detect miR-182 and exosomal miR-182 expression, and Western blotting was conducted to determine RECK expression. In addition, the effects of exosomal miR-182/RECK on the biological function of human GC cells were observed. Moreover, the double luciferase reporter gene assay was applied to validate the targeting relationship between miR-182 and RECK. Results Compared with normal gallbladder epithelial cells, miR-182 was highly expressed in GC cells, while RECK had low expression. Exosomal miR-182 could be absorbed and transferred by cells. Exosomal miR-182 inhibited RECK expression and promoted the migration and invasion of GC cells. Conclusion Exosomal miR-182 can significantly promote the migration and invasion of GC cells by inhibiting RECK; thus miR-182 can be used as a therapeutic target for GC.

Background MicroRNA 34c (miR-34c) has been reported to be associated with malignant types of cancer, however, it remains unknown whether miR-34c is involved in chemoresistance in gastric cancer (GC). Aim To investigate the effect of miR-34c and its upstream transcription factor E2F1 on paclitaxel combined with cisplatin resistance in GC cells. Methods Paired GC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were randomly sampled from 74 GC patients. miR-34c and E2F1 were detected by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Western blot. In addition, the drug resistance of GC cells to paclitaxel and cisplatin was induced by concentration gradient increasing methods, and changes in miR-34c and E2F1 during this process were measured. Furthermore, E2F1 and miR-34c overexpression or underexpression vectors were constructed and transfected into drug-resistant GC cells. MTT was employed to test the sensitivity of cells to paclitaxel combined with cisplatin, qPCR was adopted to detect the expression of miR-34c, Western blot was applied to detect the expression levels of E2F1, drug resistance-related proteins and apoptosis-related proteins, and flow cytometry was used for the determination of cell apoptosis and cell cycle status. Results E2F1 was overexpressed while miR-34c was underexpressed in GC. After inducing GC cells to be resistant to paclitaxel and cisplatin, E2F1 expression increased while miR-34c expression decreased. Both silencing E2F1 and over-expressing miR-34c could increase the sensitivity of drug-resistant GC cells to paclitaxel combined with cisplatin, promote cell apoptosis and inhibit cell proliferation. Among which, silencing E2F1 could reduce the expression of drug resistance-related proteins and apoptosis-related proteins, while over-expression of miR-34c could upregulate the expression of apoptosis-related proteins without affecting the expression of MDR-1, MRP and other drug resistance-related proteins. Rescue experiments demonstrated that inhibiting miR-34c could significantly weaken the sensitization of drug resistant cells, and Si E2F1 to paclitaxel combined with cisplatin. Conclusion E2F1 inhibits miR-34c to promote the proliferation of GC cells and enhance the resistance to paclitaxel combined with cisplatin, and silencing E2F1 is conducive to improving the efficacy of paclitaxel combined with cisplatin in GC cells.

Allelopathy is prevalent in agricultural ecosystems and mediated by plant-derived secondary metabolites (allelochemicals). Allelochemicals are released by donor plants and affect the root growth and development of receptor plants. Allelopathy is responsible for the continuous cropping obstacles in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). p-Hydroxybenzoic acid (pHBA), an autotoxin from root exudates of cucumber, has been proposed to be an important allelopathic chemical. However, the molecular mechanism by which pHBA affect root growth and development in cucumber is unknown. Here, we found that pHBA treatment suppressed root growth of cucumber by reducing the meristem activity and cell length. This root growth defect is caused by reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in root tips. After pHBA treatment, the expression levels of several ROS-scavenging-related genes were increased, including peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and metallothionein (MT). Moreover, exogenously application of salicylhydroxamate (SHAM), a peroxidase inhibitor, can partially restore the pHBA treatment induced root growth inhibition. Furthermore, we found that there is natural variation for the inhibitory effect of pHBA on root growth. We also showed that pHBA treatment could maintain higher level of ROS accumulated in the pHBA less sensitive cucumber than that in the pHBA-sensitive cucumber. These results suggest that pHBA inhibits root growth by reducing root tip ROS level in cucumber.

The checkerboard broth method based on the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute M38-A3 document was used in this study to evaluate the in vitro activity of allicin alone and in combination with the antifungal drugs (griseofulvin, fluconazole, itraconazole and terbinafine) against Microsporum canis isolated from patients with tinea capitis. When allicin was used alone, only weak anti-M. canis effects were found. The MIC50, MIC90 and geometric mean (GM) of terbinafine were the lowest among the compounds tested. Synergism was observed for the combinations of allicin with itraconazole and terbinafine. Only indifference was observed for the combinations of allicin with griseofulvin and fluconazole. Our study illustrated the synergism of allicin in combination with itraconazole and terbinafine, which could be a reference for the treatment of tinea capitis due to M. canis.

Geogrid-reinforced structures are extensively adopted in various engineering fields. At present, the influence of boundary conditions was not considered in design methods, bringing hidden dangers to the safety of the structure. In the current study, a series of pullout tests were carried out on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geogrid-reinforced coarse sand. The magnitude and growth pattern of pullout resistance and the variation laws of interfacial shear strength indexes under four types of boundary conditions were analyzed. Additionally, the boundary reduction coefficient (BRC) was introduced to establish the relationship between rigid and flexible boundary for the design of the structure. The tests results showed that the boundary conditions cannot be ignored in the design of structures, especially in the front. When the normal loading was up to 120 kPa, the BRC-top and BRC-positive could be taken as 0.9 and 0.5, respectively, and verified by fitting results. The boundary conditions affected the pullout resistance, while the vertical loading corresponding to the maximum pullout resistance was not related to boundary conditions. Investigating the interaction of the geogrid–soil under different boundary conditions can help to improve the understanding of the behavior of reinforced soil structure, and to achieve a more efficient and economical design.

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) as emerging contaminants are ubiquitously present in the aquatic environment. Using in vivo and in silico techniques, this study aims to elucidate tissue distribution and endocrine disruption effects of chronic exposure (120 days) to PPCP mixture at environmentally relevant concentrations (ERCs) in adult zebrafish. Results from UHPLC-MS/MS analyses showed elevated distribution of PPCPs in zebrafish tissues in the order of liver > gonad > brain. Upregulation of steroid hormone receptors, both gonadotropin, and steroidogenic genes perturb the HPG axis pathway in females, while male fish exhibited significantly downregulated expressions of vtg, cyp17, and 17βhsd genes with inhibited fecundity. The Spearman correlation indicated a significant positive relationship between PPCPs bioaccumulation and mRNA levels of HPG axis genes. In silico molecular docking (MD) revealed specific amino acid residues of PPCPs binding with zebrafish estrogen receptors. Furthermore, the strongest binding energies of sulfamethoxazole, carbamazepine, and triclosan were discovered in erα and erβ estrogen receptors, confirming PPCPs' xenoestrogenic behavior. To summarize, chronic exposure to ERCs resulted in a high accumulation of PPCPs in the liver and gonad tissues of adult zebrafish, as well as associated perturbed genetic responses. As a result, strict environmental regulations for the disposal of PPCPs should be ensured to protect ecological and public health.

The adsorption and recovery of crude-oil from oily water using oil-selective adsorbents is a highly promising solution for the increasing worldwide oil pollution, but remain a challenge. Herein, we reported a carbon foam (CF) with switchable wettability as smart materials for fast oil adsorption and recovery. By grafting poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) onto the surface of CF, the obtained smart foam presented a pH responsiveness and could change superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic surface according to the pH value. Thus, the smart responsive carbon foam could fast adsorb the oil in neutral solution (pH = 7) with high oil adsorption capacity of 62–120 g g−1 and desorb all the adsorbed oil in acidic solution (pH = 1) within 1.5 min. In addition, only 3% loss was observed for oil (chloroform) adsorption and recovery after successive reuses of up to 15 cycles, which demonstrated great recyclability of the materials.

Straw return has been strongly recommended in China, whereas applying biochar into soil is considered to provide more benefits for agriculture as well as the environment. In this study, a five-year (2011–2015) field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of uncharred maize straw amendment (MS) and charred maize straw amendment (charred MS) on organic carbon (C) contents in bulk soil and in various soil aggregate-size and density fractions. Compared to no amendment (CK), the bulk soil organic C content significantly improved by 9.30% for MS and by 23.4% for charred MS. Uncharred and charred maize straw applied annually at a consistent equal-C dosage resulted in 19.7 and 58.2% organic C sequestration efficiency in soil, respectively, after the five years of the field experiment. The percentages of macroaggregates (>0.25 mm) and occluded microaggregates (0.25–0.053 mm) obviously increased by 7.73 and 18.1% for MS and by 10.7 and 19.6% for charred MS, respectively. Moreover, significant incremental increases of 19.4 and 35.0% in macroaggregate-associated organic C occurred in MS and charred MS, respectively. The occluded microaggregates associated organic C significantly increased by 21.7% for MS and 25.1% for charred MS. Mineral-associated organic C (

In agricultural ecosystems, one optimized crop residue management practice, i.e., incorporating biochar produced from crop residues via pyrolysis to the soil, is considered a promising technology for mitigating climate change and improving soil quality. However, the potential mechanisms are still not well known. In this study, a five-year (2011–2015) field experiment in a Mollisol of Northeast China that included four treatments, i.e., CK (no fertilizer), NPK (mineral nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers), NPKS (NPK plus maize straw) and NPKB (NPK plus maize straw-derived biochar), was conducted to evaluate the effects of maize straw and its derived biochar application on the following: 1) the size distribution and water stability of soil aggregates; 2) the concentrations of organic and humic carbon (C) in bulk soil and water-stable aggregate fractions; and 3) the chemical compositions of organic and humic C in water-stable aggregate fractions. Compared with the CK and NPK treatments, the proportion of macroaggregates (>0.25 mm) [mainly large macroaggregates (>2 mm)] increased whereas the proportions of microaggregates (0.25–0.053 mm) and silt + clay fractions (

The safety of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is of concern worldwide. Herein, Paeoniae Radix Alba, Chaenomelis Fructus and Moutan Cortex, representing three medicinal components, were subjected to toxicological analysis to investigate possible pesticide contamination. Exposure using a point estimate model identified 47 residues that were simultaneously validated by the QuEChERS-UPLC-MS/MS method, which is sufficiently reliable for measuring residue concentrations. Of the 313 samples tested, 94.57% contained pesticide residues, with concentrations ranging from 0.10 to 1199.84 μg kg−1, of which >83.17% contained 4–15 different residues. Carbendazim was the most frequently detected pesticide (>85%), and procymidone, pendimethalin and phoxim were also abundant (median concentration = 15.33–623.12 μg kg−1). Risk assessment based on the hazard quotient/hazard index (HQ/HI) approach revealed that exposure to pesticide residues in all three TCMs (95th percentile) were far below levels that might pose a health risk. However, insecticides contributed to cumulative exposure, especially phoxim, and worryingly, several banned pesticides were detected. The results are of theoretical and practical value for evaluating the safety TCMs, and could improve their quality and safety.

The accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) lowers anaerobic digestion (AD) performance. In this study, electrodialysis (ED) was coupled with AD to remove VFAs. The results show that acetate and propionate were removed once the current was applied during ED even in the presence of medium. However, current efficiency was

Humans are frequently exposed to the residues of various neonicotinoids, highlighting the need to understand human exposure through oral ingestion of contaminated foods. In this study, the effects of different food matrices (tomato, cucumber, and carrot) and their interaction with dietary component additives, including proteins and dietary fiber, was investigated. The results showed that the presence of a food matrix had a significant effect on the bioaccessibility of neonicotinoids (imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, acetamiprid, and thiacloprid) in both the gastric and intestinal environments. Neonicotinoids in tomato presented relatively low bioaccessibility, indicating that the daily intake of the tomato can be regarded as being relatively safer. Moreover, the addition of protein or dietary fiber to fruit and vegetables had a marked influence on neonicotinoid bioaccessibility and the effects varied between the different matrices. In particular, the addition of 2.0% dietary fiber significantly reduced the bioaccessibility (18.38-67.91%). Therefore, we recommend that consuming an increased intake of dietary fiber could improve the safety of fruit and vegetables in daily life. The present results can support the identification of suitable food intake conditions for the significant reduction of pesticide residue levels.

Arsenic (As) is a type of highly toxic substance, which is widely distributed in environment due to both natural and anthropogenic sources. For health concerns, the allowable arsenic level must be strictly regulated. In this study, an ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor for arsenic contamination is developed with signal amplification mediated by hybridization chain reaction (HCR) and RecJf exonuclease catalyzed reaction. DNA assembly is firstly achieved on the surface of gold electrode prior to the analysis, which generates tremendous charge-transfer resistance (Rct). In the presence of As3+, aptamer sequence specifically binds As3+ and DNA dissociation occurs. The release of HCR product significantly decreases Rct, which could be further enhanced by RecJf exonuclease catalyzed digestion. Superior analytical performance for As3+ detection is obtained including the limit of detection (LOD) as low as 0.02 ppb and a wide linear range from 0.1 to 200 ppb, which complies with WHO regulation. It can be envisioned that in combination with a portable electrochemical instrumentation, the sensing strategy is suitable for field application of arsenic contamination monitoring.

A new Zn(II)-bearing metal-organic framework (MOF), namely, {[Zn2(L)2(H2O)]·8H2O·DMF}n (1) has been generated via applying 4,4'-([2,3'-bipyridine]-4,6-diyl) dibenzoic acid (H2L), a pyridine-carboxylic acid ligand under the solvothermal reaction conditions. In the aqueous solution, complex 1 could be utilized as the fluorescent sensor for the simultaneous detection of Cr2O72- ion and CrO42- ion with low limits of detection and high sensitivity. It is important that this luminescent material can be regenerated quickly and the sensing ability of this luminescent material can be reused for three times. Furthermore, the assessment of the compound's application values against the Tuberculosis care was carried out and simultaneously its relevant mechanism was investigated. First of all, the bacterial burden in the lung macrophages was measured with plate micro-dilution method. Besides, the signaling pathway of JAK/STAT activation was evaluated with real time RT-PCR. Molecular docking simulation reveals that the polar oxygens are the active sites that could form binding interactions the protein.

Background: Sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction (SIMD), which is one of the features of multiple organ dysfunction in sepsis with extremely high mortality, is characterized by impaired myocardial compliance. To date, there are few effective treatment options to cure sepsis. Tannic acid (TA) is reportedly protective during sepsis. However, the underlying mechanisms by which TA protects against septic heart injury remains elusive. Methods: We investigated the potential effects and underlying mechanisms of TA in alleviating lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced H9C2 cardiomyocyte cell apoptosis. H9C2 cells were treated with LPS (15 μg/mL), TA (10 μM) and TA+LPS. Control cells were treated with media only. Apoptosis was measured using flow cytometry, RT-PCR, and Western blotting analysis. Additionally, laser confocal immunofluorescence analysis detected the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Western blot and RT-PCR were employed to detect ER stress-associated functional proteins. Results: The results demonstrated that TA reduced the degree of LPS-induced H9C2 cells injury, including the inhibition of ROS production and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-associated apoptosis. ER stress-associated functional proteins, including ATF6, PERK, IRE1, XBP1s, and CHOP were suppressed in response to TA treatment. Furthermore, the expression levels of ER stress-associated apoptotic proteins, including JNK, Bax, Cyt, Caspase3, Caspase12, and Caspase9 were reduced following treatment with TA. Additionally, the protective effects of TA on LPS-induced H9C2 cells were strengthened following treatment with the ROS inhibitor, N-Acetylcysteine (NAC), which demonstrated that ROS-mediated ER stress-associated apoptosis and TA decreased ROS-mediated ER stress-associated apoptosis. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated that the protective effects of TA against LPS-induced H9C2 cells apoptosis may be associated with the amelioration of ROS-mediated ER stress. These findings may assist the development of potential novel therapeutic methods to inhibit the progression of myocardial cell injury. (TA alleviates LPS-induced H9C2 cell apoptosis.)

Background and Objective: Glucose fluctuation (GF) has been reported to induce renal injury and diabetic nephropathy (DN). However, the mechanism still remains ambiguous. Mitochondrial energy metabolism, especially aerobic glycolysis, has been a hotspot of DN research for decades. The activation of HIF-1α/miR210/ISCU/FeS axis has provided a new explanation for aerobic glycolysis. Our previous studies indicated quercetin as a potential therapeutic drug for DN. This study aims to evaluate levels of aerobic glycolysis and repressive effect of quercetin via HIF-1α/miR210/ISCU/FeS axis in a cell model of GF.Methods: The mouse glomerular mesangial cells (MCs) were exposed in high or oscillating glucose with or without quercetin treatment. Cell viability was measured by CCK8 assay. Aerobic glycolysis flux was evaluated by lactate acid, pH activity of PFK. Apoptosis level was confirmed by Annexin V-APC/7-AAD double staining and activity of caspase-3. TNF-α and IL-1β were used to evaluate inflammation levels.Results: GF deteriorated inflammation damage and apoptosis injury in MCs, while quercetin could alleviate this GF-triggered cytotoxicity. GF intensified aerobic glycolysis in MCs and quercetin could inhibit this intensification in a dose-dependent manner. Quercetin prevented activities of two FeS-dependent metabolic enzymes, aconitase, and complex I, under GF injury in MCs. The mRNA expression and protein contents of HIF-1α were increased after GF exposure, and these could be alleviated by quercetin treatment. Knockdown of ISCU by siRNA and Up-regulating of miR-210 by mimic could weaken the effects of quercetin that maintained protein levels of ISCU1/2, improved cell viability, relieved inflammation injury, decreased apoptosis, and reduced aerobic glycolysis switch in MCs.Conclusion: Quercetin antagonizes GF-induced renal injury by suppressing aerobic glycolysis via HIF-1α/miR-210/ISCU/FeS pathway in MCs cell model. Our findings contribute to a new insight into understanding the mechanism of GF-induced renal injury and protective effects of quercetin.

The volatile compounds in Rosa rugosa ���Zi Zhi���, R. rugosa ���Feng Hua���, and R. cv ���Crimson Glory��� from three regions were determined by two-dimensional gas chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry coupled with knitting aromatic polymer ��� polydopamine (KAP@PDA) solid-phase microextraction. 82 compounds were identified by peak matching and retention indices, and R. cv ���Crimson Glory��� contained the most volatile components. D-Limonene (up to 5131 ��g kg���1), benzyl alcohol (up to 16,510 ��g kg���1), benzeneacetaldehyde (up to 13,820 ��g kg���1), phenylethyl alcohol (up to 49,020 ��g kg���1) and citronellol (up to 7129 ��g kg���1) were the major constituents in all R. rugosa species. In addition, benzaldehyde was highly abundant in R. cv ���Crimson Glory��� (up to 23,130 ��g kg���1). The primary volatile components responsible for the differences among the three R. rugosa cultivars and regions were distinguished by orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis. The results suggested that phenylethyl alcohol contributed the most in distinguishing aroma quality for R. rugosa cultivars and those from different regions.

Four new different porous crystalline Cd(II)-based coordination polymers (CPs), i. e., [Cd(mdpt)2]·2H2O (1), [Cd2(mdpt)2(m-bdc)(H2O)2] (2), [Cd(Hmdpt)(p-bdc)]·2H2O (3), and [Cd3(mdpt)2(bpdc)2]·2.5NMP (4), were obtained successfully by the assembly of Cd(II) ions and bitopic 3-(3-methyl-2-pyridyl)-5-(4-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole (Hmdpt) in the presence of various benzendicarboxylate ligands, i.e., 1,3/1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid (m-H2bdc, p-H2bdc) and biphenyl-4,4′-bicarboxylate (H2bpdc). Herein, complex 1 is a porous 2-fold interpenetrated four-connected 3D NbO topological framework based on the mdpt− ligand; 2 reveals a two-dimensional (2D) hcb network. Interestingly, 3 presents a three-dimensional (3D) rare interpenetrated double-insertion supramolecular net via 2D ···ABAB··· layers and can be viewed as an fsh topological net, while complex 4 displays a 3D sqc117 framework. Then, the different gas sorption performances were carried out carefully for complexes 1 and 4, the results of which showed 4 has preferable sorption than that of 1 and can be the potential CO2 storage and separation material. Furthermore, the stability and luminescence of four complexes were performed carefully in the solid state.

Gut microbiota-involved metabolism and intestinal absorption affecting bioaccessibility of triadimefon in strawberry and grape were investigated for the first time by coupling the in vitro digestion model with the Caco-2 cell model. Results showed that the gut microbiota decreased the bioaccessibility of triadimefon in strawberry by 31.00 % but failed in grape, probably due to a negative modulation of the colon bacterial activity by dietary components in grapes. A strain of triadimefon-degrading bacteria, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, was isolated from the gut microbiota and its degradation products were profiled. This study also clarified a significant reduction in transepithelial transport (up to 32.81 %) of triadimefon as a result of the barrier effect of gut microbiota. These findings provide new insights on the function of the gut microbiota in pesticide bioaccessibility and highlight the importance of including gut microbiota in pesticide residue risk assessments.

As the most toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxin, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) biosynthesis depends on a series of enzymatic reactions and a complicated regulatory system. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) is one of stress associated phytohormones. In this study, MeJA could inhibit A. flavus growth and AFB1 production with a dose-dependent manner. SEM and TEM analysis indicated that morphological ultrastructure deteriorations were observed in A. flavus treated with MeJA. RNA-Seq indicated that the initial-steps aflatoxins (AFs) genes were no drastic difference, but the middle- and later- steps genes were significantly down-regulated, which might be due to the decreases of global regulators, especially AtfB. More importantly, two novel regulators (AFLA_085880 and AFLA_015850) were involved in the inhibition, and were recognized as the critically positive regulators for AFs productions. The two genes mutants also showed significantly decrease expressions of AFs cluster genes and AFs associated regulators, and subsequent AFB1 biosynthesis. This research partly clarified inhibitory mechanism of MeJA and made some contributions to the elimination of AFs contamination.

Sepsis‑induced myocardial dysfunction is one of the features of multiple organ dysfunction in sepsis, which is associated with extremely high mortality and is characterized by impaired myocardial compliance. To date, there are few effective treatment options available to cure sepsis. Tannic acid (TA) is reportedly protective during sepsis; however, the underlying mechanisms by which TA protects against septic heart injury remain elusive. The present study investigated the potential effects and underlying mechanisms of TA in alleviating lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‑induced H9C2 cardiomyocyte cell apoptosis. H9C2 cells were treated with LPS (15 µg/ml), TA (10 µM) and TA + LPS; control cells were treated with medium only. Apoptosis was measured using flow cytometry, reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR (RT‑qPCR) and western blot analysis. Additionally, the levels of cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate were evaluated. Western blotting and RT‑qPCR were also employed to detect the expression levels of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress‑associated functional proteins. The present findings demonstrated that TA reduced the degree of LPS‑induced H9C2 cell injury, including inhibition of ROS production and ER stress (ERS)‑associated apoptosis. ERS‑associated functional proteins, including activating transcription factor 6, protein kinase‑like ER kinase, inositol‑requiring enzyme 1, spliced X box‑binding protein 1 and C/EBP‑homologous protein were suppressed in response to TA treatment. Furthermore, the expression levels of ERS‑associated apoptotic proteins, including c‑Jun N‑terminal kinase, Bax, cytochrome c, caspase‑3, caspase‑12 and caspase‑9 were reduced following treatment with TA. Additionally, the protective effects of TA on LPS‑induced H9C2 cells were partially inhibited following treatment with the ROS inhibitor N‑acetylcysteine, which demonstrated that ROS mediated ERS‑associated apoptosis and TA was able to decrease ROS‑mediated ERS‑associated apoptosis. Collectively, the present findings demonstrated that the protective effects of TA against LPS‑induced H9C2 cell apoptosis may be associated with the amelioration of ROS‑mediated ERS. These findings may assist the development of potential novel therapeutic methods to inhibit the progression of myocardial cell injury.

Production of minor crop varieties often requires intensive pesticide use, which raises serious concerns over food safety and human health. Chaenomeles speciosa (Sweet) Nakai as one of the representative of this kind of crops is therefore used for investigating the residue behavior of fenpropathrin and emamectin benzoate, a synthetic pyrethroid and macrocyclic lactone widely used as an insecticide, respectively, from cultivation to C. speciosa postharvest processing. Results showed that the degradation trends of those selected insecticides in C. speciosa followed first-order kinetics with an average half-life (t1/2) of 3.7–4.1 days and a dissipation rate of 97% over 14 days. The terminal residues of fenpropathrin and emamectin benzoate at 120 and 3 g a.i./ha were below the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (FAD, 1.00 mg/kg) and European Union (EU, 0.01 mg/kg) maximum residue limits (MRLs) in papaya species, respectively, when measured 14 days after the final application, which suggested that the use of these insecticides was safe for humans. Postharvest processing procedure resulted in a |90% reduction of the insecticides. Moreover, the hazard quotient (HQ) for C. speciosa decoction (with processing factors) indicated an acceptable risk for human consumption. These findings provide the scientific evidence of reasonable application and risk assessment of the selected pesticide residues in C. speciosa.

Background Current reference values for pediatric dyslipidemia used in China were not developed based on local population studies and did not consider age and sex differences. Objective In this study, we aimed to determine suitable reference values for total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG), and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (nonHDL-C) for Chinese children and adolescents using a national multicenter school-based study. Methods A total of 15,830 students aged 6–17 years were recruited from seven provinces of China. Age- and sex-specific percentile values for each lipid indicator were derived based on levels measured in the fasting state, and percentile curves of each indicator were plotted using the LMS method. Results Serum lipid levels varied considerably with age in both sexes. Among boys, the cut-off value for high TC, nonHDL-C, LDL-C, and TG, based on the value of the 95th percentiles, ranged from 4.58 to 5.39, 3.34 to 3.99, 2.69 to 3.31, and 1.22 to 1.83 mmol/L, respectively; among girls, the cut-off value for high TC, nonHDL-C, LDL-C, and TC ranged from 5.01 to 5.39, 3.66 to 3.97, 2.97 to 3.32, and 1.41 to 1.93 mmol/L, respectively. The cut-point for low HDL-C ranged from 0.84 to 1.08 mmol/L in boys and from 0.89 to 1.04 mmol/L in girls. Conclusion These findings may help to determine age- and sex-specific reference values for serum lipids among Chinese children and adolescents and provide valuable guidance for screening of dyslipidemia.

Numerous natural preparations in traditional Chinese medicine are prepared as decoctions. Processing factors (PFs) comparing the levels of pesticide residues in decoctions to those in the corresponding unprocessed products should be considered in exposure assessments. Thus, this study determined the residue levels of six pesticides (chlorpyrifos, phoxim, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, fenpropathrin, and emamectin benzoate), as well as 3,5,6-trichloropyridinol, the primary metabolite of chlorpyrifos, and clothianidin, the main metabolite of thiamethoxam in Baishao, Paeoniae radix lactiflora (Fam. Ranunculaceae). The results showed that significant time-response effects were present for the release of pesticides from P. radix. The PFs calculated were < 1, indicating a significant reduction in pesticide residues after TCM processing. The water solubility and partition coefficient values of the pesticides may have played a basic role in the dissipation of the residues during the TCM decocting process. A risk assessment based on the hazard quotient with PFs revealed that exposure to pesticide residues in P. radix was far below the levels that might pose a health risk. In conclusion, the results presented here are of theoretical and practical value for the safety evaluation of TCMs.

Degradation of the prothioconazole by three strains of microorganisms isolated from activated sludge obtained from a pesticide factory was assessed, and an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QqTOF-MS) method for the determination of prothioconazole and its metabolites was established. The optimal conditions for the degradation of prothioconazole were determined by single factor optimization experiments. A degradation rate of 93.32% is achieved when the prothioconazole is co-cultured with the strain W313 at a cultivation time of 60 h, a cultivation temperature of 30 °C, a pH of 6.33, a prothioconazole concentration of 50 mg L−1, a microorganism volume of 10%, and a dextrose volume of 4%. The three effective microorganism strains were identified by morphological and molecular biology to be Candida tropicalis, Enterobacter cloacae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. UPLC-QqTOF-MS analysis allowed the identification of 62 different prothioconazole degradation products produced by the strain cultures, with prothioconazole-desthio, prothioconazole-dechloropropyl, and oxidizing prothioconazole being the main products. In addition, degradation products from different strains and conditions were compared. The results of scatter plot (S-Plot) analysis indicated that C9H7NO, C10H17N7, and C12H13ClN2O were only detected in the products incubated with Enterobacter cloacae. Thus, this study demonstrates that Enterobacter cloacae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa possesses high potential for bioremediation of prothioconazole-contaminated environments.

Few studies have explored the links of air pollution and childhood lipid profiles and dyslipidemias. We aimed to explore this topic in Chinese children and adolescents. This study included 12,814 children aged 7–18 years who participated in a national survey in 2013. Satellite-based spatial-temporal model was used to predict 3-y (2011–2013) average particles with diameters ≤ 1.0 μm (PM1), ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5), ≤10 μm (PM10), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations. Generalized linear mixed models were employed to evaluate the relationships of air pollution and total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and dyslipidemias. Every 10 μg/m3 increase in PM1, PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 was related to increases of 6.20% [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.44, 10.10], 5.31% (95%CI: 0.41, 10.44), 3.49% (95%CI: 0.97, 6.08), and 5.25% (95%CI: 1.56, 9.07) in TC, respectively. The odds ratio of hypercholesterolemia associated with a 10 μg/m3 increase in PM1, PM2.5, and NO2 was 2.15 (95%CI: 1.27, 3.65), 1.70 (95%CI: 1.12, 2.60), and 1.43 (95%CI: 1.05, 1.93), respectively. No associations were found for air pollution and other blood lipids. Long-term PM1, PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 exposures were positively associated with TC levels and risk of hypercholesterolemia in children and adolescents.

Background Terpinen-4-ol has high insecticidal activity towards the stored-grain pest Sitophilus zeamais, a key pest of cereals worldwide. Comparative proteomic analysis can identify proteins related to the response to terpinen-4-ol fumigation in S. zeamais, improving our understanding of the mechanisms behind the insecticidal activity and the detoxification of terpinen-4-ol in insects. Results Using an isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ)-based strategy, 2761 proteins were obtained from S. zeamais adults. Comparative proteomic analysis showed that 215 proteins were upregulated and 129 were downregulated after exposure to terpinen-4-ol. Based on functional classifications, differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were enriched in the carbohydrate, energy and xenobiotics metabolism pathways. DEPs associated with lactose, sucrose and starch metabolism were identified, including alcohol dehydrogenase, aldose reductase, β-galactosidase, maltase, and myrosinase. Among detoxification-related proteins, the levels of 14 cytochrome P450s, seven glutathione S-transferases, and three UDP-glucuronosyltransferases were altered, most of which were upregulated after exposure to terpinen-4-ol. Conclusion Metabolic changes indicated that terpinen-4-ol could affect the energy supply and potentially be metabolized and detoxified by various enzymes in S. zeamais. The results provide a foundation for further functional studies of key proteins mediated by terpinen-4-ol. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Terpinen-4-ol has high fumigating activity to stored-grain pests including Tribolium confusum. To understand the detoxification of terpinen-4-ol in insects, proteomic analysis was performed to identify related proteins and pathways in response to terpinen-4-ol fumigation in T. confusum. By using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based strategy, 4,618 proteins were obtained from T. confusum adults in the present study. Comparative proteomic analysis showed that 148 proteins were upregulated and 137 proteins were downregulated in beetles under the LC50 of terpinen-4-ol treatment for 24 hr. According to functional classifications, differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were enriched in xenobiotic metabolism pathways. In the detoxification pathway, the levels of 25 cytochrome P450s, 5 glutathione S-transferases, and 2 uridine diphosphate (UDP)-glucuronosyltransferases were changed, most of which were upregulated in T. confusum exposed to terpinen-4-ol. The results indicated that terpinen-4-ol was potentially metabolized and detoxified by enzymes like P450s in T. confusum.

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is currently the gold standard for anticoagulant coatings. Up to now, most researchers focused on the impact of chain length and grafting density of PEG on protein adsorption, but few concerned about the effect of PEG conformation. Gold surfaces of quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) with looped (SH-PEG-SH) and linear (SH-PEG) PEGs with different molecular weights ( M W=1000 and M W=5000) are prepared. Subsequently, fibrinogen adsorption and anticoagulant properties are measured as well. The compositions and phase structures of PEG modified surfaces are characterized by XPS and AFM. Compared with linear PEG surface, we find that looped PEG surface more efficiently prohibits fibrinogen adsorption, and then has superior antiplatelet and anti-erythrocytes adhesions properties. Fibrinogen adsorption results suggest that when the molecular weight of PEG is low ( M W=1000), the main reason for the fibrinogen resistance of looped PEG is the large surface coverage; when the molecular weight of PEG is high ( M W=5000), the fibrinogen resistance mechanism of looped PEG is a combination of the high viscoelasticity and the large surface coverage. This article provides valuable evidence and guidance for anticoagulant coating and application of high-performance biomaterials.

Background Notch signaling is mainly regulated by Notch1 during development of chicken germ stem cells; however, the molecular mechanisms that contribute to generation of these germ stem cells have not been thoroughly investigated. Results In our studies, Overexpression of the Notch1 NICD promoted development of the reproductive ridge, but inhibited the formation of seminiferous tubules. The formation efficiency of PGCs in the reproductive ridge following overexpression of NICD (7.5% ± 0.11) was significantly higher than that (4.9% ± 0.17, p

The rational design of advanced nanostructures for catalysts to fully expose the edge or corner sites is highly desirable to optimize their electrocatalytic performance. In this work, we report an edge-enriched (EE) NiFe-layer double hydroxide (LDH) nanoarray with abundant coordinatively unsaturated sites, which was synthesized by a structure inheritance strategy using metal-organic framework (MOF) nanosheet array as a structure-directing template. Impressively, the obtained EE-NiFe-LDH nanosheet array offers high electrocatalytic activity in oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with an overpotential of only 205 mV to reach a current density of 10 mA cm−2, outperforming all reported NiFe-LDH nanostructures. X-ray absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations demonstrate that the exposed edges in EE-NiFe-LDH contain abundant iron and oxygen vacancies, which optimized the electronic state of the NiFe-LDH and enhanced the adsorption of oxygenated intermediates, resulting in the high catalytic activity for OER.

A synchronous increase in crop productivity, nutrient use efficiency, and soil carbon (C) sequestration is important from the point of view of food security and environmental protection. In recent years, integrated soil-crop system management (ISSM), which uses crop models and advanced nutrient management to redesign cropping systems, has been successfully demonstrated to achieve both high crop productivity and high nutrient use efficiency in China, but the effects of ISSM on soil organic C (SOC) characteristics remain unknown. In this study, the effects of current farmers' practice (FP), high-yielding practice (HY), which maximizes yields without considering costs, and ISSM on the content and chemical composition of SOC were studied in a 4-year (2009–2013) field plot experiment with maize (Zea mays L.) monoculture in an Alluvic Primosol in Northeast China. The ISSM resulted in higher soil total organic C (TOC), water-soluble organic C, easily-oxidizable organic C, particulate organic C, and humic acid C compared with HY and FP in the region. The SOC contents in aggregate size fractions generally followed a similar pattern to TOC. Compared with FP, HY decreased the mean weight diameter, geometric mean diameter, percentage of > 0.25-mm water-stable aggregates, and the stability ratio of water-stable aggregates, and increased the structure-deterioration rate and index of unstable aggregates. The opposite trend was observed between ISSM and HY. Solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of bulk soil showed that ISSM had higher O-alkyl C and aliphatic C/aromatic C ratio, but lower aromatic C, carbonyl C, and alkyl C/O-alkyl C and hydrophobic C/hydrophilic C ratios than HY and FP. Our results suggest that ISSM improves the quantity and quality of SOC and has a positive effect on soil aggregation and aggregate stability.

Bioaccessibility is a crucial parameter in assessing the absorption of contaminants during the human digestive process, but few studies have involved the differences in the bioaccessibilities of pesticides. To investigate the mode of using the in vitro bioaccessibility to refine estimates of dietary exposure to pesticide residues, this study measured the bioaccessibilities of five pyrethroids in apples, and then, it modelled physicochemical predictors (gastrointestinal pH, digestive times, and the solid-liquid (S/L) ratio) of the bioaccessibilities of pyrethroids. Apple samples of gastric and intestinal phase digestive juices were obtained from an in vitro simulated digestion model. Our survey of in vitro digestion models found that the bioaccessibilities ranged from 4.42% to 31.22% and 10.58%–35.63% in the gastric and intestinal phases, respectively. A sharp trend similar to a normal distribution was observed between the bioaccessibilities and pH values. The bioaccessibility reached its highest value at a pH of 1.91 in the simulated gastric juice and did not significantly change with an increase of the digestive time. A significant negative correlation occurred between the bioaccessibility and S/L ratio, which followed a logarithmic equation. The correlation coefficients (R2) ranged from 0.9259 to 0.9831 and 0.9077 to 0.9960 in the simulated gastric and intestinal juice, respectively, suggested that both the pH value and S/L ratio were the main factors affecting the bioaccessibility. Furthermore, a combination of the acceptable daily intake (ADI) and bioaccessibility for human exposure assessments indicated the implication that traditional risk assessment using ADI may seriously overestimate the actual risk.

Summary The isomerisation reaction kinetics of heated trilinolenin was examined to better understand the mechanisms and controlling steps of the reaction. Trilinolenin was placed in glass ampoules and sealed before heating to 200, 220, 230 and 240 °C for regular time intervals. The contents were analysed using a newly established gas chromatography (GC) method that had been successfully applied to the separation of trans linolenic acid (TLNA) isomers. The kinetic studies show that the consumption of LNA is a second-order reaction while the formations of trans LNA (TLNA) isomers are zero-order reactions. The rate of the isomerisation reactions increases steadily with temperature and time, and the isomerisation mechanisms involved in the formation of TLNA isomers during heating are verified. These results suggest that controlling the formation of single TLNA isomers may be a key way to reduce TLNA isomers during heating of edible oils.

The polarities of linolenic acid isomers are very similar, and only a few studies to date have attempted to separate α-linolenic acid (ALA) isomers completely. The aim of this study was to fill this gap by developing and validating an accurate method for the analysis of ALA isomers in trilinolenin at 200, 220 and 240 °C using a gas chromatograph-flame ionization detector equipped with an SLB-IL111 capillary column.; Results: Results showed that eight ALA isomer standards were separated effectively using these optimized gas chromatographic conditions. The coefficient of determination was r2 > 0.9994 in the linear range of each ALA isomer. The obtained limits of detection and limits of quantification of the ALA isomers were 0.02-0.08 ppm and 0.05-0.22 ppm, respectively. A high degree of reproducibility and percent recoveries between 96.2% and 106.5%, with coefficients of variation ranging from 0.82% to 0.97%, were achieved.; Conclusion: The developed method has been successfully applied to the analysis of ALA isomers in heated pure trilinolenin as well as to trilinolenin in various edible oils, and the TALA isomerization pathways in heated trilinolenin were verified. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

We fabricate a novel cellulose acetate (CA) ultrafiltration membrane modified by block copolymer F127-b- PDMAEMA, which is synthesized using F127 and DMAEMA via the ARGET ATRP method. Compared to conventional ultrafiltration membranes, the incorporation of both F127 and PDMAEMA can not only readily increase the hydrophilicity of the membrane, but also exhibit stimuli-responsiveness to temperature and pH. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) are employed to analyze the structure of the F127-b-PDMAEMA. The membrane properties are evaluated via scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging, porosity test, automatic target recognition Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), water contact angle test and permeation test. The results indicate that the F127-b-PDMAEMA is an excellent pore agent, which contributes to an enhancement of the membrane in sensitivity to temperature and pH. The modified membrane also exhibits lower water contact angle (64.5°), which is attributed to the good anti-fouling performance and high water permeation.

The degradation dynamics and dietary risk assessments of thiamethoxam and thiacloprid during Lonicera japonica planting, drying, and tea brewing processes were systematically investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography. The half-lives of thiamethoxam and thiacloprid were 1.0-4.1 d in the honeysuckle flowers and leaves, with degradation rate constants k ranging from -0.169 to -0.696. The safety interval time was 7 d. The sun- and oven-drying (70 °C) percent digestions were 59.4-81.0% for the residues, which were higher than the shade- and oven-drying percentages at lower temperatures (30, 40, 50, and 60 °C, which ranged from 37.7% to 57.0%). The percent transfers of thiamethoxam and thiacloprid were 0-48.4% and 0-25.2%, respectively, for the different tea brewing conditions. On the basis of the results of this study, abiding by the safety interval time is important, and using reasonable drying methods and tea brewing conditions can reduce the transfer of thiamethoxam and thiacloprid to humans.

Traditional phosphorus–nitrogen (P–N) flame-retardant systems for polypropylene (PP) always act through joint action of the gaseous phase and condensed phase, and are accompanied with a decrease of the thermal stability and water resistance. In this work, a novel mono-component and gas-dominated flame retardant, named DPPIP, was prepared through an amidation reaction of diphenylphosphinyl chloride and piperazine, and used to flame retard PP. Experimental results confirmed that both the thermal stability and water resistance of PP/DPPIP were improved. The initial thermal decomposition temperature of PP/25 wt% DPPIP at 5 wt% weight loss was 287.5 °C under air atmosphere, which is higher than that of neat PP (266.1 °C). Besides, a water-resistance test verified that PP/25 wt% DPPIP had a weight loss of only about 0.52 wt%. More importantly, the flame retardant ability of PP/25 wt% DPPIP had been greatly improved, passing the V-0 rating (UL-94). Furthermore, after the water-resistance test, the LOI value of PP/25 wt% DPPIP exhibited nearly no difference and still passed the UL-94 V-0 rating. A cone calorimeter (CC) result indicated that DPPIP had a positive effect on inhibiting heat release of PP during combustion. All of these combustion tests displayed that there was no char left. The flame retardant mechanism of DPPIP was investigated with py-GC/MS and TG-FTIR. The results illustrated that the gaseous phase resulting from the thermal decomposition of DPPIP played the leading role in the self-extinguishing behavior of PP/DPPIP, which consisted of a large amount of inflammable gaseous products such as piperazine and its derivatives, and phosphorus-containing structures.