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Introduced mangroves are widely used to restore mangrove ecosystems in South China. Results of potential impacts on indicative benthic macroinvertebrates are divergent. We explored the community structure of benthic macroinvertebrates in the mangrove ecosystem of northern Beibu Gulf, China across four habitats: native Avicennia marina mangrove, introduced Laguncularia racemosa mangrove, native-introduced mixed mangrove, and unvegetated intertidal flat. Based on the Hill number, community structure was estimated from the dimensions of estimated species richness, diversity, evenness, and species composition similarity. Benthic macroinvertebrates in the unvegetated flat significantly differed from the other three assemblages in mangroves; introduced L. racemosa mangrove had relatively distinct benthic macroinvertebrate assemblage from the native A. marina and the mixed mangroves, with lower species richness and similarity but higher diversity and evenness. Considering the lack of unanimous conclusion of potential impact on benthic macroinvertebrates under complex species interactions, native mangroves should be of top priority in ecosystem restoration. • Community structure of benthic macroinvertebrates among distinct habitats is shown. • The Hill number based estimates for taxonomic diversity are presented. • Introduced mangroves had lower species richness, but higher diversity and evenness. • Unvegetated flat had lower species richness, diversity, evenness, and similarity. • Native mangroves should be used under unknown species interactions in communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

R3577 --> 614.9 --> Bile acids are critical for the digestion and absorption of dietary fats and have important roles as signaling molecules. Bile acids are normally restricted to the enterohepatic circulation, but can be elevated in the blood and urine of patients with advanced liver diseases. The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) mediates Na+ transport in the biliary epithelium, where it regulates bile viscosity, and in the aldosterone‐sensitive distal nephron, where it regulates extracellular fluid volume. We previously showed that bile acid regulation of ENaC depends on the position and stereochemistry of specific functional groups, but not on their chemico‐physical properties. To determine whether bile acids regulate ENaC in ex vivo native tissues, we performed patch clamp experiments on isolated split open renal tubules from mice, using recording pipettes backfilled with taurocholic acid (t‐CA) or taurohyodeoxycholic acid (t‐HDCA). Consistent with in vitro experiments, t‐CA increased ENaC open probability (PO) by 2‐fold while t‐HDCA decreased ENaC PO by nearly two‐thirds. To determine whether bile acids regulate ENaC through direct binding, we performed photoaffinity labeling experiments. We employed a bile acid derivative (p‐DCA) with diazirine and terminal alkyne groups that facilitate uv‐crosslinking and affinity purification, respectively. Using cultured Fisher Rat Thyroid cells transfected with ENaC, we found that the deoxycholic acid derivative (p‐DCA) crosslinked to the α, β, and γ subunits. To determine whether crosslinking was specific, we performed experiments in the presence of competing bile acids. Crosslinking to the β subunit was significantly reduced in the presence of deoxycholic acid (DCA). Crosslinking to the γ subunit was significantly reduced by taurocholic acid (t‐CA). These data suggest direct binding and multiple sites. To determine the effect of subunit composition on regulation, we measured the effect of t‐CA on Li+ currents in Xenopusoocytes expressing different functional ENaC subunit combinations. Channels composed of α subunits alone were strongly activated by t‐CA, followed by αβγ‐ and αβ‐ channels, suggesting that the α subunit is sufficient for ENaC sensitivity to t‐CA. Our data are consistent with bile acids directly binding all three ENaC subunits at multiple sites. Bile acid moieties provide for selective preferences for each of the sites, resulting in distinct effects for each bile acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) is an essential vasomotor center responsible for regulating the development of stress‐induced hypertension (SIH). Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in various physiopathology processes, but existing research on the functions of RVLM lncRNAs on SIH has been lacking. In this study, we investigated the roles of RVLM lncRNAs in SIH. Methods: Genome‐wide lncRNA profiles in RVLM were determined by RNA sequencing in a SIH rat model established using electric foot shocks plus noises. The hypotensive effect of lncRNA INPP5F and the underlying mechanisms of lncRNA INPP5F on SIH were explored through in vivo and in vitro experiments, such as intra‐RVLM microinjection and immunofluorescence. Results: We discovered 10,179 lncRNA transcripts, among which the lncRNA INPP5F expression level was significantly decreased in SIH rats. Overexpression of lncRNA INPP5F in RVLM dramatically reduced the blood pressure, sympathetic nerve activity, and neuronal excitability of SIH rats. LncRNA INPP5F overexpression markedly increased Cttn expression and reduced neural apoptosis by activating the PI3K‐AKT pathway, and its inhibition had opposite effects. Mechanistically, lncRNA INPP5F acted as a sponge of miR‐335, which further regulated the Cttn expression. Conclusion: LncRNA INPP5F was a key factor that inhibited SIH progression, and the identified lncRNA INPP5F/miR‐335/Cttn/PI3K‐AKT/apoptosis axis represented one of the possible mechanisms. LncRNA INPP5F could serve as a therapeutic target for SIH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neuroinflammation in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) has been associated with the pathogenesis of stress-induced hypertension (SIH). Neuronal mitochondrial dysfunction is involved in many pathological and physiological processes. However, the impact of neuroinflammation on neuronal mitochondrial homeostasis and the involved signaling pathway in the RVLM during SIH are largely unknown. Methods: The morphology and phenotype of microglia and the neuronal mitochondrial injury in vivo were analyzed by immunofluorescence, Western blot, RT-qPCR, transmission electron microscopy, and kit detection. The underlying mechanisms of microglia-derived tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF-α) on neuronal mitochondrial function were investigated through in vitro and in vivo experiments such as immunofluorescence and Western blot. The effect of TNF-α on blood pressure (BP) regulation was determined in vivo via intra-RVLM microinjection of TNF-α receptor antagonist R7050. Results: The results demonstrated that BP, heart rate (HR), renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), plasma norepinephrine (NE), and electroencephalogram (EEG) power increased in SIH rats. Furthermore, the branching complexity of microglia in the RVLM of SIH rats decreased and polarized into M1 phenotype, accompanied by upregulation of TNF‐α. Increased neuronal mitochondria injury was observed in the RVLM of SIH rats. Mechanistically, Sirtuin 3 (Sirt3) and p-AMPK expression were markedly downregulated in both SIH rats and TNF-α–treated N2a cells. AMPK activator A769662 upregulated AMPK–Sirt3 signaling pathway and consequently reversed TNF-α–induced mitochondrial dysfunction. Microinjection of TNF-α receptor antagonist R7050 into the RVLM of SIH rats significantly inhibited the biological activities of TNF-α, increased p‐AMPK and Sirt3 levels, and alleviated neuronal mitochondrial injury, thereby reducing c-FOS expression, RSNA, plasma NE, and BP. Conclusions: This study revealed that microglia-derived TNF-α in the RVLM impairs neuronal mitochondrial function in SIH possibly through inhibiting the AMPK–Sirt3 pathway. Therefore, microglia-derived TNF-α in the RVLM may be a possible therapeutic target for the intervention of SIH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A simple multiplexing method for relative humidity (RH) sensors based on multimode-fiber tapers (MFTs) is proposed and demonstrated. By cascading a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) coated MFT with every channel of an Arrayed-Waveguide Grating (AWG), multipoint RH measurement is achieved. Experimental results show that the proposed multipoint RH sensor system works well. The output power for every sensor head is almost linearly increased with the RH, and the average sensitivity of the proposed sensor is about 0.23nW/%RH within the measurement range of 35%RH–90%RH with the taper waist diameter of ∼22μm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The impact of land use type on the content of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the soils of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) and the associated ecological and human health risks has drawn great attention. Consequently, in this study, top- and subsurface soil samples were collected from areas with four different land uses (i.e., cropland, forest, grassland, and developed area) and the total contents of Cr, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn were determined. Geostatistical analysis, self-organizing map (SOM), and positive matrix factorization (PMF), ecological risk assessment (ERA) and human health risk assessment (HRA) were applied and used to classify and identify the contamination sources and assess the potential risk. Partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) was applied to clarify the relationship of land use with PTE contents and risk. The PTE contents in all topsoil samples surpassed the respective background concentrations of China and corresponding subsurface concentrations. However, the ecological risk of all soil samples remained at a moderate or considerable level across the four land use types. Developed area and cropland showed a higher ecological risk than the other two land use types. Industrial discharges (32.8%), agricultural inputs (22.6%), natural sources (23.7%), and traffic emissions (20.9%) were the primary PTE sources in the tested soils, which indicate that anthropogenic activities have significantly affected soil PTE contents to a greater extent than other sources. Industrial discharge was the most prominent source of non-carcinogenic health risk, contributing 37.7% for adults and 35.2% for children of the total risk. The results of PLS-PM revealed that land use change associated with intensive human activities such as industrial activities and agricultural practices distinctly affected the PTE contents in soils of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. [Display omitted] • Most samples from developed area and cropland posed a moderate ecological risk. •Industrial discharge was the prominent source of non-carcinogenic health risk. •Intensive human activities affected PTE contents in soils of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Capsule : The land use change associated with intensive human disturbance affected the soil PTEs accumulation, ecological risk and human health risk in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We have used the metaphor of ant colonies to define “the Ant system”, a class of distributed algorithms for combinatorial optimization. In this paper we analyze some properties of Ant-cycle, the up to now best performing of the ant algorithms we have tested. We report many results regarding its performance when varying the values of control parameters and we compare it with some FEM algorithms. And in accordance with treatment principles, the microstructure of the alloy is simulated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study aimed to compare the effect of hot roller (HR) drying and hot air (HA) drying on the sensory evaluation, chemical quality, antioxidant activity, and metabolic profile of Yihong Congou black tea processed from E'cha NO1. The Yihong Congou black tea dried with HA obtained higher sensory scores and better chemical qualities such as the hue of tea brew color (a and b), content of theaflavins, thearubigins, water extract, free amino acids, tea polyphenol, and the ratio of polyphenol to amino acids as well as higher antioxidant capacities compared to that dried with HR. The HA drying tea increased the contents of volatile compounds that had positive correlation with sweet and flowery flavor, while the HR drying tea increased the contents of volatile compounds related to fruity flavor. Moreover, non-targeted metabolomics data indicated that the levels of most free amino acids significantly increased, while the levels of most soluble sugars reduced in the HA drying method compared to the HR drying method. The metabolic analysis was also consistent with the above results and revealed that D-ribose and gallic acid were the main characteristic metabolites of HA drying. Our results could provide a technical reference and theoretical guide to processing a high quality of Yihong Congou black tea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis-hydropericardium syndrome (HHS) is caused by fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4) and has resulted in considerable economic losses to the poultry industry globally. FAdV-4 elicits apoptosis in host cells. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as important regulatory RNAs with profound effects on various biological processes, including apoptosis. However, it remains unknown whether lncRNAs participate in FAdV-4-induced apoptosis. In this study, RNA sequencing was applied to determine the transcription of cellular lncRNA in leghorn male hepatocellular (LMH) cells infected with FAdV-4. Cellular RNA transcription analysis demonstrated that FAdV-4 infection elicited 1798 significantly differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs in infected LMH cells at 24 h post-infection (hpi) compared to mock control infection. In addition, 2873 DE mRNAs were also found. Target prediction and analyses revealed that 775 DE lncRNAs whose 671 target mRNAs were among the DE mRNAs were involved in several signaling pathways, including the AMPK signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway and insulin signaling pathway. From these 775 DE lncRNAs, we identified 71 DE lncRNAs related to apoptosis based on their target gene functions. Subsequently, lncRNA 54128 was selected from the 71 identified DE lncRNAs, and its role in FAdV-4-induced apoptosis was verified. LncRNA 54128 interference significantly suppressed the rate of apoptosis, which was accompanied by reduced BMP4 transcription levels. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to analyze host lncRNA transcription during FAdV-4 infection. Our findings provide a better understanding of host responses to FAdV-4 infection and provide new directions for understanding the potential association between lncRNAs and FAdV-4 pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE) is a common sequela after traumatic brain injury (TBI), and identifying high-risk patients with PTE is necessary for their better treatment. Although artificial neural network (ANN) prediction models have been reported and are superior to traditional models, the ANN prediction model for PTE is lacking.Objective: We aim to train and validate an ANN model to anticipate the risks of PTE.Methods: The training cohort was TBI patients registered at West China Hospital. We used a 5-fold cross-validation approach to train and test the ANN model to avoid overfitting; 21 independent variables were used as input neurons in the ANN models, using a back-propagation algorithm to minimize the loss function. Finally, we obtained sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of each ANN model from the 5 rounds of cross-validation and compared the accuracy with a nomogram prediction model built in our previous work based on the same population. In addition, we evaluated the performance of the model using patients registered at Chengdu Shang Jin Nan Fu Hospital (testing cohort 1) and Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital (testing cohort 2) between January 1, 2013, and March 1, 2015.Results: For the training cohort, we enrolled 1301 TBI patients from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2017. The prevalence of PTE was 12.8% (166/1301, 95% CI 10.9%-14.6%). Of the TBI patients registered in testing cohort 1, PTE prevalence was 10.5% (44/421, 95% CI 7.5%-13.4%). Of the TBI patients registered in testing cohort 2, PTE prevalence was 6.1% (25/413, 95% CI 3.7%-8.4%). The results of the ANN model show that, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve in the training cohort was 0.907 (95% CI 0.889-0.924), testing cohort 1 was 0.867 (95% CI 0.842-0.893), and testing cohort 2 was 0.859 (95% CI 0.826-0.890). Second, the average accuracy of the training cohort was 0.557 (95% CI 0.510-0.620), with 0.470 (95% CI 0.414-0.526) in testing cohort 1 and 0.344 (95% CI 0.287-0.401) in testing cohort 2. In addition, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values and negative predictors in the training cohort (testing cohort 1 and testing cohort 2) were 0.80 (0.83 and 0.80), 0.86 (0.80 and 0.84), 91% (85% and 78%), and 86% (80% and 83%), respectively. When calibrating this ANN model, Brier scored 0.121 in testing cohort 1 and 0.127 in testing cohort 2. Compared with the nomogram model, the ANN prediction model had a higher accuracy (P=.01).Conclusions: This study shows that the ANN model can predict the risk of PTE and is superior to the risk estimated based on traditional statistical methods. However, the calibration of the model is a bit poor, and we need to calibrate it on a large sample size set and further improve the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated skin disease classification is crucial for the timely diagnosis of skin lesions. However, accurate skin disease classification presents a challenge, given the significant intra-class variation and inter-class similarity among different kinds of skin diseases. Previous studies have attempted to address this issue by identifying the most discriminative part of a lesion, but they tend to overlook the interactions between multi-scale features. In this paper, we propose a Progressive Multi-stage Attention Network (PMANet) to enhance the learning of multi-scale discriminative features, so that the model can gradually localize from stable fine-grained to coarse-grained regions in order to improve the accuracy of disease classification. Specifically, we utilize a progressive multi-stage network to supervise feature and classification, thereby fostering multi-scale information and improving the model's ability to learn intra-class consistent information. Additionally, we propose an enhanced region proposal block that highlights key discriminative features and suppresses background noise of lesions, reinforcing the learning of inter-class discriminative features. Furthermore, we propose a multi-branch feature fusion block that effectively fuses multi-scale lesion features from different stages. Comprehensive experiments conducted on two datasets substantiate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method in accurately classifying skin disease. • Progressive training strategy optimizes model for multi-scale feature interactions. • Proposed supervised constraint model learn intra-class semantic feature efficiently. • Enhanced Region Proposal block learn key feature while suppressing background noise. • The Multi-Branch Feature Fusion block fuses features from different stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) mRNA modification is crucial for plant development and stress responses. In rice, the male sterility resulting from the deficiency of OsFIP37, a core component of m6A methyltransferase complex, emphasizes the significant role of m6A in male fertility. m6A is reversible and can be removed by m6A demethylases. However, whether mRNA m6A demethylase regulates male fertility in rice has remained unknown. Here, we identify the mRNA m6A demethylase OsALKBH9 and demonstrate its involvement in male fertility regulation. Knockout of OsALKBH9 causes male sterility, dependent on its m6A demethylation activity. Cytological analysis reveals defective tapetal programmed cell death (PCD) and excessive accumulation of microspores exine in Osalkbh9‐1. Transcriptome analysis of anthers shows up‐regulation of genes involved in tapetum development, sporopollenin synthesis, and transport pathways in Osalkbh9‐1. Additionally, we demonstrate that OsALKBH9 demethylates the m6A modification in TDR and GAMYB transcripts, which affects the stability of these mRNAs and ultimately leads to excessive accumulation of pollen exine. Our findings highlight the precise control of mRNA m6A modification and reveal the pivotal roles played by OsALKBH9‐mediated m6A demethylation in tapetal PCD and pollen exine accumulation in rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

R2607 --> Bile acids are abundant in the biliary tree and intestinal tract, and can be elevated in the urine of patients with advanced liver disease. Our previous work showed that bile acids carrying specific moieties regulate the epithelia Na+ channel (ENaC). ENaC mediates Na+ transport in several epithelia, including the biliary epithelium and aldosterone‐sensitive distal nephron and colon. Based on our work showing no dependence on bile acid physicochemical properties or membrane permeability, we hypothesize that bile acids regulate ENaC through direct binding. To test this, we performed crosslinking experiments using bile acid derivatives that facilitate uv‐crosslinking and affinity purification. Using ENaC heterologously expressed in Fisher Rat Thyroid cells, we found that the deoxycholic acid derivative (p‐DCA) crosslinked to the α, β, and γ subunits. To determine whether crosslinking was specific, we performed experiments in the presence of different competing bile acids. We found that crosslinking to the β subunit was significantly reduced in the presence of deoxycholic acid (DCA). We also found that crosslinking to the γ subunit was significantly reduced by taurocholic acid (t‐CA). These data suggest that bile acids directly bind ENaC, with different bile acids preferentially binding different sites. We also examined the effect of subunit composition on bile acid regulation. Using Xenopus oocytes, we measured the effect of t‐CA on Li+ currents conducted by different functional ENaC subunit combinations. We found that α‐only channels were greatly activated by t‐CA, followed by αβγ‐ and αβ‐ channels, suggesting that the α subunit is sufficient for ENaC sensitivity to t‐CA. To determine whether bile acid regulation is voltage‐sensitive, we measured the effect of different doses of t‐CA on ENaC activation while varying voltage from ‐140 mV to 40 mV. We found that t‐CA activated ENaC in a voltage‐dependent manner, with greater activation at less negative potentials. Models of regulation having a single t‐CA binding site fit the data poorly. Hypothesizing multiple binding sites, our data fit well to an allosteric model with at least two binding sites, one of which is voltage‐sensitive. Our data are consistent with bile acids directly binding all three ENaC subunits at multiple sites, with one site associated with the transmembrane domains. Bile acid moieties provide for selective preferences for each of the sites, resulting in distinct effects for each bile acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is currently one of the most reliable and improved tools for analyzing gene expression. Various studies have shown that housekeeping genes vary with cultivars, tissues and treatment. Reliable and stable reference genes were necessarily identified and evaluated according to different experimental requirements. In this study, 10 candidate reference genes were initially screened based on transcriptome sequencing data of four pear fruit development stages for three pear cultivars, including a candidate housekeeping gene PbrTUB. Furthermore, we ranked the expression stability of 10 candidate reference genes using GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and ReFinder algorithms. The results showed that Pbr028511, Pbr038418 and Pbr041114 were the most stable reference genes in Cuiguan, Housui and Xueqing fruit, respectively. Taken together, these results serve as a useful reference for gene function investigations and molecular mechanism studies in fruit development and ripening for various pear cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The melting crystallization is a crucial way to isolate unsaturated fatty acids from peony seed oil, mainly composed of oleic acid (OA), linoleic acid (LA), and α-linolenic acid (ALA). The solid-liquid phase behaviors of oleic/linoleic acid (OA-LA), oleic/α-linolenic acid (OA-ALA), and linoleic/α-linolenic acid (LA-ALA) binary systems at the cooling and melting stage were investigated by employing differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The solid-liquid melting phase diagrams of the three binary systems were constructed by the thermal analysis and ideal liquidus lines simulated with thermodynamic models, which interpreted the eutectic behaviors, polymorphic transition, and intermolecular interaction in different binary systems. The eutectic behavior appeared in the OA-LA and OA-ALA binary systems at the OA concentration less than 40% and 20%, respectively, and in LA-ALA binary systems at any proportion. Based on the enthalpy of the three binary systems, the enthalpy plots and the melting Gibbs free energy were provided and predicted, respectively. This work provided insights into the separation of peony seed oil or other plants oil-based fatty acid mixtures, hence suggesting great potential for the optimization of crystallization technology. • The eutectic behaviors and polymorphic transition of the three binary systems were probed. • Solid-liquid melting phase diagrams were constructed. • The ideal liquidus lines were simulated with thermodynamic models. • The enthalpy plots of the three binary systems were depicted. • The melting Gibbs free energy was predicted with thermodynamic models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Microemulsion based on α-linolenic acid from peony seed oil was developed. • Industrial rheological parameters for microemulsion were obtained. • The storage stability of microemulsion products was investigated. • The α-linolenic acid-loaded microemulsion showed good thermal stability. Peony (Paeonia suffruticosa Andr.) seed oil (PSO) has been identified as novel resources of α-linolenic acid (ALA) in China. In this study, fatty acid mixture (FAM) and ALA were obtained during the extraction of ALA from PSO by freezing crystallization and column chromatography. The oil-in-water microemulsion (ME) was selected as the delivery system to strengthen the stability of unsaturated bonds and improve the solubility of those lipophilic fatty acids. The ME samples were characterized by particle size measurement, transmission electron microscope (TEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and rheological measurement, and their stability was evaluated and compared by 60 days of storage and pasteurization heat treatment methods. The stability of the three ME samples was found to be ALA-ME > FAM-ME > PSO-ME due to the increased molecular weight and complex structure of the load. The ALA-ME system sustained a stable particle size (< 20 nm) and an optically transparent appearance irrespective of different experimental storage conditions (4℃, 25℃, and 37℃) or sterilization heat treatments, indicating its potential industrial application in cosmetics, medicine, food, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetable consumption is a potential toxin exposure pathway for humans. Studies have recognized that vegetables can uptake organic contaminants via roots and translocate pollutants to their aerial parts. However, the aerial parts might also directly uptake polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from contaminated soils. This has not been extensively studied. The aim of this study was to explore the uptake and translocation of PAHs in contaminated soil-air-vegetable systems. Sixteen individual PAHs in contaminated soils, vegetable roots, and leaves were identified using GC-MS. The results showed that the average PAH concentrations both in roots and leaves from the reference soil, the moderately contaminated soil, and the heavily polluted soil increased as expected. PAHs with log K OW < 5 accumulated more easily in roots and leaves. Using a Pearson correlation analysis, isomer ratios, and a principal component analysis (PCA), it was found that the contaminated soil not only caused PAH accumulation in roots, but also increased the PAH concentration in leaves. Quantitatively, the absorption of PAHs in roots in the moderately contaminated soil (70.3 ng m−3) was approximately twice that of the reference soil (40.8 ng m−3). The PAHs absorbed by vegetable roots in the heavily polluted soil (74.7 ng m−3) was only slightly higher than that of the moderately polluted soil. In addition, the PAH dose volatilized into the air from the reference soil, the moderately contaminated soil, and the heavily polluted soil also showed an increasing trend. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) indicated that adult females had a higher cancer risk via vegetable consumption than other groups. Although vegetable consumption had a slight effect on cancer risk for some groups in the present study, the cancer risk of PAHs caused by eating vegetables grown in heavily contaminated soil still requires attention. Image 1 • Contaminated soil could promote the accumulation of PAHs in vegetable roots and leaves. • The absorption of PAHs in roots in moderately polluted soil was about twice of the reference soil. • The PAHs volatilized into the air from experiment soils ranged from 5.5 g m−3 to 10.1 g m−3. • Female adult had a higher cancer risk via vegetable consumption than other groups. • Contaminated soil had a slight effect on cancer risk through vegetable consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we have performed a series of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to explore structure, dynamics, and hydrogen bonds (HBs) of the imidazolium-based ionic liquid (IL) mixture containing [Emim][BF 4 ] x [NTF 2 ] (1−x) , where the molar fraction x is 0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0, respectively. Our simulation results demonstrate that the association extent between cations and both anions become weaker and weaker as the concentration of [BF 4 ]− anion increases due to the weakened interactions between them. Meanwhile, all ions in the IL mixture are found to diffuse faster at the higher concentration of [BF 4 ]− anion while the order of diffusion rate is always [Emim]+ > [BF 4 ]– > [NTF 2 ]− owing to different molecular weights regardless of the composition. Furthermore, the weakened HBs between cations and anions are found to be at the higher concentration of [BF 4 ]− anion, leading to a faster rotation for all ions in the IL mixture. Compared to the diffusion rates among different ions, however, there is unexpectedly a much larger difference in their rotation rates with the fixed order of [BF 4 ]– > [Emim]+ > [NTF 2 ]−, where the rotational relaxation times of [Emim]+ and [NTF 2 ]− are much more than that of [BF 4 ]– by at least one order of magnitude. This can be attributed to that the rotational motions of spherical [BF 4 ]– anions only require the transient HB breakage with cations so that their rotations should be affected by the continuous HB strength, which is significantly different from those of both [Emim]+ and [NTF 2 ]− dominated by the intermittent HB strength. Our simulation results provide a molecular-level understanding composition-dependent structure, dynamics, and HBs in IL mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, ALA-loaded water-in-oil-in-water (w/o/w) microemulsion was synthesized as a delivery carrier. A static digestion model in vitro (oral, gastric, and intestinal phases) was utilized to simulate the digestion process of ALA-loaded w/o/w microemulsion. The results of particle size distribution and transmission electron microscope (TEM) in vitro demonstrated that there was no distinct biochemical reaction in different digestive environments, which means w/o/w microemulsion was highly resistant to the digestive phase. Notably, it was observed that high bioavailability was showed mainly in gastric and intestinal for the overt release of ALA during the gastrointestinal digestion process in vitro. Subsequently, the interaction mechanism between w/o/w microemulsion and enzyme molecules in simulated digestion phases was illustrated. In vivo determination by IVIS Spectrum Live Imaging System of C-dots (CDs) loaded w/o/w-microemulsion was to track the metabolism and biodistribution in the nude mice. The live images which showed the metabolism and biodistribution of w/o/w microemulsion in vivo depicted that w/o/w microemulsion was completely assimilated after 12 h and was metabolized through renal and fecal excretions. No obvious abnormality was observed in the nude mice throughout the study. These promising results suggested that w/o/w microemulsion has a wide range of applications for the utilization of bioactive ingredients with high efficiency as a delivery carrier. Unlabelled Image • α-Linolenic acid-loaded w/o/w microemulsion was fabricated as an effective delivery carrier. • W/O/W microemulsion is highly resistant to different digestive phases. • The release rate of α-linolenic acid loaded by w/o/w microemulsion can be controlled. • W/O/W microemulsion can be completely assimilated in vivo and metabolized through renal and fecal excretions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenolic Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) have drawn more and more interest due to their prevalence and persistence in aquatic environment. To study the adsorption of various phenolic EDCs on river sediments under natural conditions, we first sought to analyze the distribution characteristics of phenol and bisphenol A (BPA) in sediment from the Bahe River. The static adsorption experiments contained either single- or dual-contaminant of phenol and/or BPA in the system; they were conducted to characterize the adsorption of these two pollutants in the surface sediments and the main factors affecting the adsorption processes of the dual-contaminant system, including particle size, humic acid (HA) concentration, pH, and temperature. Results showed that in certain seasons, there was a significant correlation between the levels of phenol and BPA in Bahe sediments. When comparing the adsorption behaviors of phenol and BPA on sediments in single- and dual-contaminant systems, we found that the phenol adsorption behavior varied, while that of BPA remained consistent across the different systems. Moreover, different effects were observed with regards to a single factor and the interaction of multiple factors on the adsorption of pollutants. Of the four single factors, only HA concentration had a significant effect on the phenol adsorption in sediment. When considering the interaction of multiple factors, the interaction between HA concentration and temperature significantly promoted the adsorption of phenol. The influence of factors on the adsorption of BPA was in the following order: particle size > HA concentration > pH > temperature. Particle size significantly inhibited BPA adsorption in the sediment, while the interaction between particle size and pH increased BPA adsorption. • Adsorption behavior of phenol varied in single- and dual-contaminant systems. • Factors affecting the phenol and BPA in dual-contaminant system were studied. • Adsorption of phenol increased with increasing HA concentration and temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gelation is a critical property of citrus pectin. However, the roles played by neutral sugar side-chains on acid-induced pectin gelation remain poorly understood. Herein, galactan- or/and arabinan-eliminated pectins (P-G, P-A, and P-AG) were used to investigate the effects of side-chains on gelation. The gel hardness values of citrus pectin, P-G, P-A, and P-AG were 42.6, 39.9, 5.3, and 2.1 g, respectively, suggesting that arabinan contributed more to gelation than galactan. We next found that arabinan branches promoted pectin chain entanglement more effectively than arabinan backbones. Destabilizer addition experiments showed that hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interaction, and hydrophobic interaction were the main forces affecting pectin gel networks and strength, which was further validated by molecular dynamic simulations. The total number of hydrogen bonds between the arabinan branches and galactan/HG (65.7) was significantly higher than that between the arabinan backbones and galactan/HG (39.1), indicating that arabinan branches predominated in terms of such interactions. This study thus elucidated the roles played by neutral-sugar side-chains, especially the arabinan branches of acid-induced pectin gels, in term of enhancing high-methoxyl pectin gelation, and offers novel insights into the structure-gelling relationships of citrus pectin. Arabinan branches greatly facilitate pectin aggregation by forming H-bonds and engaging in electrostatic and van der Waals interactions with HG and galactan, thus enhancing 3D network structure and gel strength. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Niubiziliang Ni-(Cu) deposit is the first magmatic Ni-Cu sulfide deposit in the North Qaidam Orogenic Belt (NQOB), NW China, and plays a significant role in geological evolution, Ni-Cu mineralization, and exploration in the NQOB. Here, we report on the mineral chemistry, S-Pb-O isotopes, and S/Se ratios of the mafic-ultramafic complex, which provide insights on the parental magma, evolution, and sulfur saturation mechanism. The Niubiziliang mafic-ultramafic intrusion contains four ore blocks and about ten Ni-(Cu) ore/mineralization bodies. Olivines in Niubiziliang belong to the species of chrysolite with Fo values of 88~89, and the pyroxenes are mainly orthopyroxene (En = 79~82) and clinopyroxene (En = 44~40). The olivines and some pyroxenes likely crystallized in a magma chamber at a depth of 35.45~36.55 km at a high temperature (1289~1369 °C) and pressure (9.38~9.67 kbar), whereas the Niubiziliang complex formed at a moderate depth (8.13~8.70 km) with a temperature and pressure of 1159~1253 °C and 2.15~2.30 kbar, respectively. The parental magma was considered to be high-Mg picritic basalt with MgO and NiO contents of 14.95~16.58% and 0.053~0.068%, respectively, which indicated high-degree partial melting of the depleted mantle. The mantle-derived primary magma underwent significant fractional crystallization and crustal assimilation and contamination, which was strongly supported by S-Pb-O isotope data and S/Se ratios, resulting in sulfur saturation and sulfide immiscibility in the magma. Crustal assimilation and contamination contributed more to sulfur saturation than fractional crystallization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalysts in-situ reconstructed from transition metal sulfides for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have been regarded as potential alternatives for the noble metal catalysts. Intriguingly, it was found that the self-optimized SO 4 2−@Cu doped Co(OH) 2 catalyst was reconstructed from bimetallic sulfide of CuCo 2 S 4. During the OER process, the copper was partially leached and meantime doped into the in-situ generated Co(OH) 2 with SO 4 2− adsorption, while only oxides were discovered in counterparts of mono-metal sulfides. As a result, the SO 4 2−@Cu doped Co(OH) 2 catalyst exhibited superior OER performances, with low overpotentials of 211/272 mV to achieve the current densities of 10/100 mA cm−2, exceeding the counterparts reconstructed from mono-metal sulfides. Experimental and theoretical results suggested that the in situ generated Cu doped Co(OH) 2 possessed thin and loosely layered structure with expanded lattice spacing (lattice spacing expanded from 0.28 nm to 0.46 nm) due to the SO 4 2− adsorption, making the intermediates more accessible to the active centers. In addition, the catalyst surface changed from hydrophobicity to super hydrophilicity, which greatly accelerated the mass transfer. This work indicated that the in-situ reconstruction process was greatly influenced by the interactions between metal sites and sulfide species, directly influencing the OER performances of the reconstructed catalysts. • SO 4 2−@Cu doped Co(OH) 2 was reconstructed from CuCo 2 S 4 under electrochemical oxidative conditions. • The OER performances of the reconstructed SO 4 2−@Cu doped Co(OH) 2 catalyst were greatly enhanced. • The mechanism of enhanced OER performances was experimentally and theoretically discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Melt crystallization is typically recognized as a highly efficient and green method for oil fractionation. This work concentrated on novel layer melt crystallization for preparing desirable olein and stearin products from palm oil and the evaluation of fraction quality. Layer melt crystallization was performed at various temperatures and the effects on fractions were evaluated using iodine value (IV), solid fat content (SFC) and melting point. The lipid composition, thermal and crystallization properties, and phase behaviors of the final optimized fractions were determined using gas chromatography, high‐performance liquid chromatography–atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry and differential scanning calorimetry. RESULTS: Increasing crystallization tube temperatures under the same jacket temperature increased the melting point and SFC, while decreasing the IV of the olein product. Opposite results were observed for the stearin product. Major fatty acids in fractions were determined as palmitic acid and oleic acid. 1,2‐Dioleoyl‐3‐palmitoylglycerol and 1,3‐dipalmitoyl‐2‐oleoylglycerol were identified as the main triacylglycerols in olein and stearin fractions, respectively. A critical effect of crystallization temperature on co‐crystallization of oleins and stearins was revealed. A transition from plate‐like crystal growth to spherulitic growth with spontaneous nucleation was indicated in palm oil and stearin fractions with increasing crystallization temperature. As for olein fractions, a temperature increase resulted in heterogeneous nucleation from instantaneous nucleation. CONCLUSIONS: Novel layer melt crystallization was successfully applied and optimized for fractionating palm oil. The composition and property changes of obtained fractions were analyzed and explained at both macroscopic and microscopic levels. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Alkyl chain has a less effect on the structure and association/dissociation behavior. • Cations with longer alkyl chain have more and stronger hydrogen bonds with anions. • Longer alkyl chains lead to slower diffusion and rotation of imidazolium cations. Here we employ molecular dynamics simulation to study structures, dynamics, and hydrogen bonds of the imidazolium-based ionic liquid mixture, which consists of equimolar [Emim][BF 4 ] and [Bmim][BF 4 ]. Our simulation results demonstrate that the imidazolium rings of both different cations almost show identical structures with [BF 4 ]− anions regardless of the alkyl chain length. Meanwhile, both kinds of cations almost display the same association/dissociation dynamics with anions. By comparison, the order of diffusion speed is [Emim]+ > [Bmim]+ > [BF 4 ]− while that of rotation speed is [BF 4 ]− > [Emim]+ > [Bmim]+ in the ionic liquid mixture. By analyzing the average numbers of hydrogen bonds (HBs) and the relevant HB dynamics between cations and anions, we find that [Bmim]+ cations have more and stronger HBs with anions than [Emim]+ cations, which should be partly responsible for slower diffusion and rotation of [Bmim]+ cations than those of [Emim]+ cations. Therefore, this simulation study provides a molecular-level understanding of the role of alkyl chain and HB on the relevant structure and dynamics properties in the imidazolium-based ionic liquid mixture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with HBsAg-positive gastric cancer (GC) are a heterogeneous group, and it is not possible to accurately predict the overall survival (OS) in these patients.Methods: We developed and validated a nomogram to help improve prediction of OS in patients with HBsAg-positive GC. The nomogram was established by a development cohort (n = 245), and the validation cohort included 84 patients. Factors in the nomogram were identified by univariate and multivariate Cox hazard analysis. We tested the accuracy of the nomograms by discrimination and calibration, and plotted decision curves to assess the benefits of nomogram-assisted decisions in a clinical context. Then we evaluated the risk in the two cohort.Results: Significant predictors were age, tumor stage, distant metastases, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The proportional-hazards model (nomogram) was based on pre-treatment characteristics. The nomogram had a concordance index (C-index) of 0.812 (95% CI 0.762-0.862), which was superior than the C-index of AJCC TNM Stage (0.755, 95% CI 0.702-0.808). The calibration plot in the validation cohort based on 5 predictors suggested good agreement between actual and nomogram-predicted OS probabilities. The decision curve showed that the nomogram in predicting OS is better than that of TNM staging system in all range. Moreover, patients were divided into three distinct risk groups for OS by the nomogram: low risk group, middle risk group and high risk group, respectively.Conclusion: This nomogram, using five pre-treatment characteristics, improves prediction of OS in patients with HBsAg-positive gastric cancer. It represents an improvement in prognostication over the current TNM stage. To generalize the use of this nomogram in other groups, additional validation with data from other institutions is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the possible enhancement of berberine's (BB) hypoglycemic activity by oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) and its underlying mechanism. The hypoglycemic activity of the studied compounds was evaluated in diabetic db/db mice. The cellular uptake and efflux of BB with or without OPCs were investigated using Caco-2 intestinal cells. A pharmacokinetic study of BB and OPCs was performed in Sprague Dawley (SD) mice by oral administration of the study compounds. Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was employed to determine the cellular efflux, retention, and the serum concentrations of the compounds. The results revealed that OPCs considerably potentiated the hypoglycemic efficacy of BB in diabetic db/db mice. In the in vitro experiments, OPCs significantly inhibited the efflux and increased the uptake of the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) substrate rhodamine-123 (R123) and BB in Caco-2 intestinal cells. Moreover, OPCs substantially reduced the expression of P-gp in Caco-2 cells. The inhibition of BB efflux by OPCs was translated into the improved pharmacokinetics in vivo. When co-administered, OPCs obviously increased the average maximum concentration of BB in mice. In summary, this study demonstrated that combination of BB with OPCs could significantly improve the pharmacokinetics and hypoglycemic efficacy of BB, which is valuable for future exploration of the combination of BB and OPCs as oral hypoglycemic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domain adaptation is an important branch of transfer learning. Previous studies have always taken efforts to minimize the optimization goal, but they neglect the relative quality of features or instances. For example, a classic work treats different instances equally in a degree and chooses these instances which minimize the optimization function value. This method will discard these instances that make the data distribution in source and target data domain different and will neglect the instances' relative quality. To reduce interference between instances in the process of domain adaptation, we put forward a novel method of ODA that uses the overlapping degree to measure every feature or instance's relative quality and implement feature or instance reweighting. At the same time, we have noticed that there are many parameters with values that will influence the effect of the method. Previous studies do not have a reasonable method to determine the parameters' values. We can use the genetic algorithm to find the balance between marginal distribution adaptation and conditional distribution adaptation to find the best combination of multiple parameters. Experiments we have done verify that the ODA method outperforms by 3.26% compared with the best comparison method. We have found that our method of finding the optimal parameters can yield more accurate results than the original method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]