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The urban environment is facing serious problems caused by automobile exhaust pollution, which has led to a great impact on human health and climate, and aroused widespread concern of the government and the public. Nano titanium dioxide (TiO2), as a photocatalyst, can be activated by ultraviolet irradiation and then form a strong REDOX potential on the surface of the nano TiO2 particles. The REDOX potential can degrade the automobile exhaust, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and hydrocarbons (HC). In this paper, a photocatalytic environmentally friendly pervious concrete (PEFPC) was manufactured by spraying nano TiO2 on the surface of it and the photocatalytic performance of PEFPC was researched. The nano TiO2 particle size, TiO2 dosage, TiO2 spraying amount, and dispersant dosage were selected as factors to investigate the efficiency of photocatalytic degradation of automobile exhaust by PEFPC. Moreover, the environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) was used to evaluate the distribution of nano TiO2 on the surface of the pervious concrete, the distribution area of nano TiO2 was obtained through Image-Pro Plus, and the area ratio of nano TiO2 to the surface of the pervious concrete was calculated. The results showed that the recommended nano TiO2 particle size is 25 nm. The optimum TiO2 dosage was 10% and the optimum dispersant dosage was 5.0%. The photocatalytic performance of PEFPC was best when the TiO2 spraying amount was 333.3 g/m2. The change in the photocatalytic ratio of HC and NOx is consistent with the distribution area of nano TiO2 on the surface of the pervious concrete. In addition, the photocatalytic performance of PEFPC under two light sources (ultraviolet light and sunlight) was compared. The results indicated that both light sources were able to stimulate the photocatalytic performance of PEFPC. The research provided a reference for the evaluation of automobile exhaust removal performance of PEFPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to design an explicit finite dimensional boundary feedback controller of sampled-data form for locally exponentially stabilizing the equilibrium solutions to semilinear parabolic equations. The feedback controller is expressed in terms of the eigenfunctions corresponding to unstable eigenvalues of the linearized equation. This stabilizing procedure is applicable for any sampling rate, and when the sampling period tends to zero, the feedback converges to certain feedback designed for stabilizing the parabolic equations with continuous-time boundary feedback control. • The sampled-data control is explicit and finite-dimensional. • The equation is of multi-dimension, and with polynomial-like nonlinearity. • The feedback works for arbitrarily given sampling period. • The behavior of the feedback when sampling period varies is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) and lithium ion intercalation are two crucial processes in lithium ion batteries. Given the complexity and challenges involved in investigating real batteries, a combination of model batteries comprising well-defined ultrathin graphite electrodes with surface-sensitive techniques can provide valuable information on these processes. Here, a comparative study of the performance of batteries using regular- and high-concentration electrolytes (RCE and HCE) is presented, aided by a myriad of correlative surface science techniques. It is found that the SEI formed in HCE possesses a thinner organic layer and more inorganic substances. Such an effective SEI protects the graphite electrode and facilitates the processes of Li+ intercalation/deintercalation, thereby improving the reversibility and cycling stability of the battery, superior to those with RCE. Moreover, the battery performance can be readily tuned by switching the electrolytes. The good cycling stability of the battery can still be maintained in RCE after the preformation of a robust SEI on the ultrathin graphite electrode in HCE. This work highlights the importance of electrolyte-modulated SEI formation to battery performance and provides powerful platforms to comprehensively study the SEI formation and ion intercalation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pervious concretes, as sustainable pavement materials, have great advantages in addressing a number of environmental issues. Fly ash, as the industrial by-product waste, is the most commonly used as cement substitute in concrete. The objective of this paper is to study the effects of waste fly ash on properties of pervious concrete. Fly ash was used to replace cement with equivalent volume method at different levels (3%, 6%, 9%, and 12%). The control pervious concrete and fly ash modified pervious concrete were prepared in the laboratory. The porosity, permeability, compressive strength, flexural strength, and freeze–thaw resistance of all mixtures were tested. The results indicated that the addition of fly ash decreased the early-age (28 d) compressive strength and flexural strength, but the long-term (150 d) compressive strength and flexural strength of fly ash modified pervious concrete were higher than that of the early-age. The adverse effect of fly ash on freeze–thaw resistance of pervious concrete was observed when the fly ash was added. The porosity and permeability of all pervious concrete mixtures changed little with the content of fly ash due to the use of equal volume replacement method. Although fly ash is not positive to the properties of pervious concrete, it is still feasible to apply fly ash as a substitute for cement in pervious concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of temperature on structural modal characteristics plays an important role in structural health monitoring and evaluation. Herein, the free vibration analysis of rigid-frame bridge is conducted by taking into account the effect of temperature. Firstly, the non-uniform rigid-frame bridge is divided into several members to develop the flexural and axial vibration equations for members under the effect of temperature in accordance with Hamilton's principle. Secondly, each member is further divided into several segments, and the transfer relationship between segments is established to obtain the generalized dynamic stiffness matrix of the member. Then, the generalized dynamic stiffness matrix of each member is constructed by using the numerical assembly method similar to the finite element method so as to obtain the characteristic equation of rigid-frame bridge. Furthermore, the natural frequency and mode shape of the whole rigid-frame bridge are calculated by using the algorithm of Wittrick-Williams. Finally, the dynamic characteristic test of Yong-an bridge and the numerical calculation of the rigid-frame bridge are carried out to verify the generality and accuracy of the proposed method. The results indicate that the change of temperature will lead to the secondary internal force and the change of Young's modulus, which together affect the modal characteristics of the structure, and the change of natural frequency caused by the change of Young's modulus is greater than that caused by the secondary internal forces. In addition, there is a negative correlation between temperature and natural frequency of the rigid-frame bridge, and different temperature gradient modes also have certain influence on the mode shape of rigid-frame bridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In seasonal frozen regions, freeze–thaw cycle is a weathering phenomenon which has great influence on engineering properties of soils. Material selection and its evaluation of freeze–thaw effect are important to guarantee subgrade stability. In this paper, a freeze–thaw testing apparatus is designed and manufactured. This apparatus can realize the measurement of strain, stress and temperature of samples and more realistically simulate the road structure. Silty clay modified by fly ash and crumb rubber is used as anti-freezing layer of subgrade. Experimental modulus is measured to evaluate the mechanical property of modified soil through the freeze–thaw testing apparatus. Effects of freeze–thaw cycles, temperature and dynamic load frequency on modulus are investigated and discussed. Comparative analysis is conducted with silty clay, it reveals that modified soil possesses more favorable mechanical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • ST&CCL adhesive inspired by electrostatic interactions in slug mucus. • The adhesive endows strong bonding property with a 129.6% increasing for wet shear strength. • The adhesive exhibits a long-term mildew resistance for 120 days. • The bonding strength of prepared plywood is higher than E0 level after a 30-day antifungal period. Developing strong soy protein-based adhesive (SPA) to replace harmful formaldehyde-based resins in the wood-based panel industry is a hot research. However, the lack of long-term antibacterial and antifungal properties of SPA significantly impacts its durable bonding performance and limits application. The commonly used anti-mold agents often decrease the protein compatibility and strength. Inspired by the robust and resilient dissipative matrix found in slug mucus, a green and sustainable adhesive with long-term antibacterial, antifungal properties, and excellent bonding performance was prepared using classic self-assembly and building toughened crosslinked networks. Specifically, caffeic acid and L-arginine were grafted onto tubuchitosan via acylation to prepare a chitosan with strong cationic graft modification (CCL), which combined with self-made triglycidylamine as a crosslinking agent to synergically strengthen the adhesive network. The SPA demonstrated excellent antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus (20 mm) and Escherichia coli (19 mm). The prepared plywood and liquid/cured adhesive showed effective antifungal periods of 30, 80, and 120 days, respectively. Moreover, the incorporation of CCL significantly enhanced the dry and wet shear strengths of the prepared plywood to 2.73 MPa and 1.86 MPa, respectively. And a dry shear strength of 2.10 MPa and a wet shear strength of 1.53 MPa maintained even after a 30-day antifungal observation period, which still meet the interior use plywood requirement (≥0.7 MPa). The corresponding plywood after placing 30 days (1.46 MPa) is obviously higher than E0 level (0.05 mg/m3, GB18580-2017, Climate chamber method) of melamine-urea–formaldehyde resin (0 MPa after ten days). This study provides a straightforward and effective strategy for developing high performance and durable bio-based composite material, including adhesive, film, hydrogel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ecosystem services are quantified at large scales and long time series in NE China. • The trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services are characterized. • Human activities are the dominant driving factors of provisioning services. • Synergistic optimization paths of production-ecological functions are proposed. In Northeast (NE) China, the largest commodity grain base and natural forest area in China, both agricultural production and ecological protection require attention. In recent years, land degradation in NE China has increased, seriously affecting the production-ecology synergy. In this paper, four key ecosystem services (ESs) in NE China are quantified: provisioning, water conservation (WC), soil conservation (SC) and sand fixation (SF), and the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics and trade-offs and synergies (T&S) of ESs are analyzed. The driving factors of provisioning services and the characteristics of T&S are considered, and the county zoning scheme and the corresponding production-ecological function synergistic optimization paths are proposed. The results show that (1) the provisioning, WC and SF services in NE China have slightly increased in the past 20 years, and the provisioning in the Greater-Khingan-Mountains-Region (GKMR) and Lesser-Khingan-Mountains-Region (LKMR), the WC in the LKMR, and the SF in the Liao-River-Plain (LRP) have more obviously increased. The SC service has slightly decreased, especially in the Changbai-Mountains-Region (CBMR). (2) The provisioning service in NE China mainly shows a synergistic relationship with WC and SF, accounting for 79.1 % and 62.9 % of the area, respectively, and a trade-off relationship with SC, accounting for 52.54 % of the area. (3) Human activities (HA) are the dominant driving factor of the provisioning service change in NE China, with an impact degree of 62.65 %. The LKMR is an exception, as climate change (CC) dominates. The LRP, Songnen-Plain (SNP) and GKMR have high degrees of HA. (4) The number of synergistic optimized (SO), light optimized (LO) and trade-off limited (TL) counties accounted for 19.0 %, 61.7 % and 19.3 %, respectively. Among them, the SO type counties should prioritize improving provision and grain production capacity, the LO type counties should protect basic farmland and decrease trade-offs between ESs, and the TL type counties should improve ecological functions and strengthen ecological protection and restoration. This paper clarifies the main contradictions of ESs in NE China and provides an important scientific basis for ecological protection and restoration, which is important for ensuring food and ecological security and realizing the ecological and efficient sustainable utilization of black soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Three pollen records from different regions of the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) show that the zonal differentiation of vegetation was not large in late MIS 3 time, all the areas were covered by warm semi-humid grass-shrub land, with some conifer-broad leaf mixed forest in the valleys. It appears that the zonal differentiation of vegetation nearly disappeared in the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), while the semi-arid steppe expanded to the southern margin of the CLP. During the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM), the zonal differentiation became complex, with warm humid forest in the southeastern part and semi-arid steppe in the northern CLP. The zonal degree of vegetation differentiation of the CLP decreased again during the late Holocene as a result of climate change and increasing human influence on the landscape. In recent centuries, the transformation of the grass communities caused by land clearance for agriculture on the loess tablelands has been significant. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, a basalt fiber surface was treated with coupling agent KH-550 and hydrochloric acid, and the basalt fiber polymer-modified active powder concrete (RPC) material was prepared. There are significant differences in material composition and properties between basalt fiber polymer-modified RPC and ordinary concrete, and the structural design calculation (cracking moment and normal section bending bearing capacity) of an ordinary reinforced concrete beam is no longer applicable. Thus, mechanical parameters such as displacement and strain of reinforcement basalt fiber polymer-modified RPC beams subjected to four-point bending were tested. The excellent compressive and tensile strengths of basalt fiber polymer-modified RPC were fully utilized. The tensile strength of basalt fiber polymer-modified RPC in the tensile zone of the beam was considered in the calculation of normal section bending bearing capacity of reinforcement basalt fiber polymer-modified RPC beams. The results showed that the measured values of the cracking moment and ultimate failure bending moment of reinforcement basalt fiber polymer-modified RPC beams were in good agreement with the calculated values. The established formulas for cracking moment and normal section bending bearing capacity can provide references for the design of reinforcement basalt fiber polymer-modified RPC simply supported beam and promote the wide application of basalt fiber polymer-modified RPC materials in practical engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Our study aims to examine stress-strain data of the four major knee ligaments-the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), the medial collateral ligament (MCL), and the lateral collateral ligament (LCL)-under transient impacts in various knee joint regions and directions within the static standing position of the human body. Subsequently, we will analyze the varying biomechanical properties of knee ligaments under distinct loading conditions., Methods: A 3D simulation model of the human knee joint including bone, meniscus, articular cartilage, ligaments, and other tissues, was reconstructed from MRI images. A vertical load of 300 N was applied to the femur model's top surface to mimic the static standing position, and a 134 N load was applied to the impacted area of the knee joint. Nine scenarios were created to examine the effects of anterior, posterior, and lateral external forces on the upper, middle, and lower regions of the knee joint., Results: The PCL exhibited the highest stress levels among the four ligaments when anterior loads were applied to the upper, middle, and lower parts of the knee, with maximum stresses at the PCL-fibula junction measuring 59.895 MPa, 27.481 MPa, and 28.607 MPa, respectively. Highest stresses on the PCL were observed under posterior loads on the upper, middle, and lower knee areas, with peak stresses of 57.421 MPa, 38.147 MPa, and 26.904 MPa, focusing notably on the PCL-tibia junction. When a lateral load was placed on the upper knee joint, the ACL showed the highest stress 32.102 MPa. Likewise, in a lateral impact on the middle knee joint, the ACL also had the highest stress of 29.544 MPa, with peak force at the ACL-tibia junction each time. In a lateral impact on the lower knee area, the LCL had the highest stress of 22.279 MPa, with the highest force at the LCL-fibula junction. Furthermore, the maximum stress data table indicates that stresses in the ligaments are typically higher when the upper portion of the knee is affected compared to when the middle and lower parts are impacted., Conclusions: This study recommends people avoid impacting the upper knee and use the middle and lower parts of the knee effectively against external forces to minimize ligament damage and safeguard the knee., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Freeze-thaw (F-T) cycling poses a significant challenge in seasonally frozen zones, notably affecting the mechanical properties of soil, which is a critical consideration in subgrade engineering. Consequently, a series of unconfined compressive strength tests were conducted to evaluate the influence of various factors, including fiber content, fiber length, curing time, and F-T cycles on the unconfined compression strength (UCS) of fiber-reinforced cemented silty sand. In parallel, acoustic emission (AE) testing was conducted to assess the AE characteristic parameters (e.g., cumulative ring count, cumulative energy, energy, amplitude, RA, and AF) of the same material under F-T cycles, elucidating the progression of F-T-induced damage. The findings indicated that UCS initially increased and then declined as fiber content increased, with the optimal fiber content identified at 0.2%. UCS increased with prolonged curing time, while increases in fiber length and F-T cycles led to a reduction in UCS, which then stabilized after 6 to 10 cycles. Stable F-T cycles resulted in a strength loss of approximately 30% in fiber-reinforced cemented silty sand. Furthermore, AE characteristic parameters strongly correlated with the stages of damage. F-T damage was segmented into three stages using cumulative ring count and cumulative energy. An increase in cumulative ring count to 0.02 × 10 4 times and cumulative energy to 0.03 × 10 4  mv·μs marked the emergence of critical failure points. A sudden shift in AE amplitude indicated a transition in the damage stage, with an amplitude of 67 dB after 6 F-T cycles serving as an early warning of impending failure., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The powdery mildew caused by Eeysiphe heraclei is a serious concern in Heracleum moellendorffii Hance. Therefore, exploring the mechanisms underlying sugar efflux from host cells to the fungus during the plant-fungus interaction showed great significance. The study successfully cloned HmSWEET8 and HmSTP1 genes based on RNA-seq technology. The complementation assays in yeast EBY.VW4000 found HmSWEET8 and HmSTP1 transporting hexose. Over-expressing or silencing HmSWEET8 in H. moellendorffii leaves increased or decreased powdery mildew susceptibility by changing glucose concentration in infective sites. Meanwhile, over-expressing HmSTP1 in H. moellendorffii leaves also increased powdery mildew susceptibility by elevating the glucose content of infective areas. Additionally, HmSTP1 expression was up-regulated obviously in HmSWEET8 over-expressed plants and inhibited significantly in HmSWEET8 silenced plants. Co-expressing HmSWEET8 and HmSTP1 genes significantly increased powdery mildew susceptibility compared with over-expressed HmSWEET8 or HmSTP1 plants alone. The results demonstrated that HmSTP1 may assist with HmSWEET8 to promote E. heraclei infection. Consequently, the infection caused by E. heraclei resulted in the activation of HmSWEET8 , leading to an increased transfer of glucose to the apoplasmic spaces at the sites of infection, then, HmSTP1 facilitated the transport of glucose into host cells, promoting powdery mildew infection.

Background: Powdery mildew, caused by Eeysiphe heraclei, seriously threatens Heracleum moellendorffii Hance. Plant secondary metabolites are essential to many activities and are necessary for defense against biotic stress. In order to clarify the functions of these metabolites in response to the pathogen, our work concentrated on the variations in the accumulation of secondary metabolites in H. moellendorffii during E. heraclei infection., Results: Following E. heraclei infection, a significant upregulation of coumarin metabolites-particularly simple coumarins and associated genes was detected by RNA-seq and UPLC-MS/MS association analysis. Identifying HmF6'H1, a Feruloyl CoA 6'-hydroxylase pivotal in the biosynthesis of the coumarin basic skeleton through ortho-hydroxylation, was a significant outcome. The cytoplasmic HmF6'H1 protein was shown to be able to catalyze the ortho-hydroxylation of p-coumaroyl-CoA and caffeoyl-CoA, resulting in the formation of umbelliferone and esculetin, respectively. Over-expression of the HmF6'H1 gene resulted in increased levels of simple coumarins, inhibiting the biosynthesis of furanocoumarins and pyranocoumarins by suppressing PT gene expression, enhancing H. moellendorffii resistance to powdery mildew., Conclusions: These results established HmF6'H1 as a resistance gene aiding H. moellendorffii in combatting E. heraclei infection, offering additional evidence of feruloyl-CoA 6'-hydroxylase role in catalyzing various types of simple coumarins. Therefore, this work contributes to our understanding of the function of simple coumarins in plants' defense against powdery mildew infection., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Concrete is a versatile material widely used in modern construction. However, concrete is also subject to freeze-thaw damage, which can significantly reduce its mechanical properties and lead to premature failure. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the laboratory performance and freeze-thaw damage characteristics of a common mix proportion of concrete based on compressive mechanical tests and acoustic technologies. Freeze-thaw damage characteristics of the concrete were evaluated via compressive mechanical testing, mass loss analysis, and ultrasonic pulse velocity testing. Acoustic emission (AE) technology was utilized to assess the damage development status of the concrete. The outcomes indicated that the relationships between cumulative mass loss, compressive strength, and ultrasonic wave velocity and freeze-thaw cycles during the freezing-thawing process follow a parabola fitting pattern. As the freeze-thaw damage degree increased, the surface presented a trend of "smooth intact surface" to "surface with dense pores" to "cement mortar peeling" to "coarse aggregates exposed on a large area". Therefore, there was a rapid decrease in the mass loss after a certain number of freeze-thaw cycles. According to the three stages divided by the stress-AE parameter curve, the linear growth stage shortens, the damage accumulation stage increases, and the failure stage appears earlier with the increase in freeze-thaw cycles. In conclusion, the application of a comprehensive understanding of freeze-thaw damage characteristics of concrete based on compressive properties and acoustic parameters would enhance the evaluation of the performance degradation and damage status for concrete structures.

The therapeutic effect of apigenin (APG) on hyperlipidemia was investigated using network pharmacology combined with molecular docking strategy, and the potential targets of APG in the treatment of hyperlipidemia were explored. Genetic Ontology Biological Process (GOBP) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) Pathway enrichment analysis of common targets were performed. Then, molecular docking was used to predict the binding mode of APG to the target. Finally, Sprague Dawley rats were used to establish a hyperlipidemia model. The expression levels of insulin (INS) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) mRNA in each group were detected by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Network pharmacological studies revealed that the role of APG in the treatment of hyperlipidemia was through the regulation of INS, VEGFA, tumor necrosis factor, epidermal growth factor receptor, matrix metalloprotein 9, and other targets, as well as through the regulation of the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) signaling pathway, fluid shear stress, and atherosclerosis signaling pathways, vascular permeability; APG also participated in the regulation of glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism, and acted on vascular endothelial cells, and regulated vascular tone. Molecular docking showed that APG binds to the target with good efficiency. Experiments showed that after APG treatment, the expression levels of INS and VEGFA mRNA in the model group were significantly decreased (p<0.01). In conclusion, APG has multiple targets and affects pathways involved in the treatment of hyperlipidemia by regulating the HIF-1 signaling pathway, fluid shear stress, and the atherosclerosis pathway., (© 2023 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Background: When administered transdermally, desonide is ineffective due to its poor solubility. As a new transdermal delivery system, nanoemulsion gel has demonstrated significant advantages for drug delivery over conventional formulations. We have established desonide nanoemulsion gel (DES NE gel) for better transdermal absorption, but its efficacy and safety still need to be evaluated. This study aims to provide additional evidence demonstrating the improved pharmacodynamics and safety of transdermal delivery of Desonide via nanoemulsion gel., Methods: Pharmacodynamics and safety of Desonide nanoemulsion gel were evaluated using Desonate ® as the reference formulation. To assess the difference in curative effect between DES NE gel and Desonate ® and to ensure safety, atopic dermatitis (AD) models in KM mice were developed using 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB). The degree of ear swelling, ear mass difference, thymus, spleen index, and HE conventional pathology of mice were used as pharmacodynamic evaluation indexes, and the irritation was predicted by the New Zealand rabbit epidermal stimulation assay., Results: Nanoemulsion gels may facilitate transdermal penetration of drugs by influencing the skin condition. Medium and high doses of DES NE gel significantly ameliorated the inflammation and swelling of the ear caused by dermatitis/eczema in mice. In addition, compared with DES gel, skin irritation extent did not increase., Conclusion: Nanoemulsion gel can be applied to improve the efficacy of drugs with low potency or poor solubility. DES NE gel provides a higher transdermal potential than other delivery systems. In this study, it was found that nanoemulsion gel is a promising percutaneous carrier of DES. DES NE-GEL has a significant curative effect on dermatitis/eczema in a mouse model and is expected to provide a new, efficient, and low toxic preparation for clinical treatment of dermatitis/eczema through the percutaneous system., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

What Is Known and Objectives: Ademetionine 1,4-Butanedisulfonate (SAMe) enteric-coated tablets are widely used for treatment of pre-cirrhotic and cirrhotic intrahepatic cholestasis, as well as intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), but incomplete clinical data and interference from endogenous substances pose numerous challenges for clinical trial of ademetionine. The objective of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic profile of SAMe enteric-coated tablets and to assess its food impact and safety in healthy Chinese subjects., Methods: A randomized, open-label, single-dose study was carried out to determine the pharmacokinetics of SAMe enteric-coated tablets administered in both fasted and postprandial conditions. Baseline collection and data adjustment were required to reduce the effect of endogenous substances. Relevant pharmacokinetic data from subjects administered the reference formulation will be disclosed and utilized in this thesis., Results: Twenty-four subjects with a body mass index (BMI) of 19-24 kg/m 2 were enrolled in the study and all completed the trial. The impact of food on the drug was noticeable, with faster absorption in the fasting group (T max , 4.50 ± 1.07 and 7.50 ± 1.58 for the fasting and postprandial groups, respectively) but higher exposure in the postprandial group (AUC 0-inf , 4021.02 ± 3377.13 and 5087.28 ± 3539.26 for the fasting and postprandial groups, respectively). No serious adverse effects were observed in the fasted and postprandial conditions., What Is New and Conclusions: The pharmacokinetic profile of SAMe enteric-coated tablets in healthy Chinese subjects was partially complemented in this study. SAMe enteric-coated tablets showed promising safety in fasted and postprandial conditions. However, the impact of food on the drug was significant and might access to the absorption site and affect biochemical reactions., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Hierarchical diagnosis and treatment has been gradually implemented throughout the China. Primary physicians are the main force in primary-level medical and health services, which means that standardized training of primary-level doctors is indispensable., Objectives: Evaluation of the effect of primary physician training on standardized management of diabetes, and comparison of the effects of different training models., Method: The study selected 24 community health service centers from 4 cities in Liaoning Province, and consisted of two groups: primary physicians (n = 2083) who received training; and patients with diabetes (n = 585) in community health service centers. Short-term training effects on primary physicians were assessed through diabetes knowledge tests at baseline and at the end of training; the long-term effects of training on patients with diabetes were assessed by questionnaires at baseline and 1 year after training. The differences in training effects between different training models were compared. Complication screening results were also assessed., Results: After training, the primary physicians' knowledge of diabetes diagnosis and treatment improved (p < 0.05). The complication screening rate of local diabetes patients increased from 22.2% before training to 27.7% 1 year after training (p = 0.033). There were significant differences in the training effect between different training models (p = 0.038). The short-term intensive training group demonstrated the greatest training effect, primary physicians under this training model are more likely to conduct standardized screenings for patients (OR = 1.806, 95%CI 1.008-3.233), and the complication screening rate was the highest (37.6%)., Conclusion: This study shows that training of primary physicians is an effective way to improve the standardized management of diabetes, by improving the ability of primary physicians to manage diabetes in a standardized manner, so that patients in primary hospitals receive more comprehensive diagnosis and treatment services. Compared with scattered training throughout the year, short-term intensive training was found to be more effective., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a major public health problem with high mortality and morbidity worldwide. Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill (STDP) is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine preparation for coronary heart disease and growing evidence proves that STDP exerts beneficial effects on CHF in the clinic. However, the molecular mechanism of the therapeutic effects of STDP on CHF remains largely unknown. Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism of action of STDP against CHF by integrating network pharmacology analysis and whole-transcriptome sequencing. Methods: First, the mouse model of CHF was established by the transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery, and the efficacy of STDP against CHF was evaluated by assessing the alterations in cardiac function, myocardial fibrosis, and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy with echocardiography, Masson's trichrome staining, and wheat germ agglutinin staining. Next, a CHF disease network was constructed by integrating cardiovascular disease-related genes and the transcriptome sequencing data, which was used to explore the underlying mechanism of action of STDP. Then, the key targets involved in the effects of STDP on CHF were determined by network analysis algorithms, and pathway enrichment analysis was performed to these key genes. Finally, important targets in critical pathway were verified in vivo . Results: STDP administration obviously improved cardiac function, relieved cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, and ameliorated myocardial fibrosis in CHF mice. Moreover, STDP significantly reversed the imbalanced genes that belong to the disease network of CHF in mice with TAC, and the number of genes with the reverse effect was 395. Pathway analysis of the crucial genes with recovery efficiency revealed that pathways related to fibrosis and energy metabolism were highly enriched, while TGF-β pathway and ERK/MAPK pathway were predicted to be significantly affected. Consistently, validation experiments confirmed that inhibiting ERK/MAPK and TGF-β signaling pathways via reduction of the phosphorylation level of Smad3 and ERK1/2 is the important mechanism of STDP against CHF. Conclusion: Our data demonstrated that STDP can recover the imbalanced CHF network disturbed by the modeling of TAC through the multi-target and multi-pathway manner in mice, and the mechanisms are mainly related to inhibition of ERK/MAPK and TGF-β signaling pathways., Competing Interests: Author QF is employed by the Inner Mongolia Conba Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. HH is employed by the Zhejiang Conba Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Zhang, Liu, Fang, He, Lu, Wang and Fan.)

Background: Members of the cytochrome P450 (CYP450) and UDP-glycosyltransferase (UGT) gene superfamily have been shown to play essential roles in regulating secondary metabolite biosynthesis. However, the systematic identification of CYP450s and UGTs has not been reported in Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem, a highly valued medicinal plant., Results: In the present study, we conducted the RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of the leaves, stems, and roots of A. elata, yielding 66,713 total unigenes. Following annotation and KEGG pathway analysis, we were able to identify 64 unigenes related to triterpenoid skeleton biosynthesis, 254 CYP450s and 122 UGTs, respectively. A total of 150 CYP450s and 92 UGTs encoding > 300 amino acid proteins were utilized for phylogenetic and tissue-specific expression analyses. This allowed us to cluster 150 CYP450s into 9 clans and 40 families, and then these CYP450 proteins were further grouped into two primary branches: A-type (53%) and non-A-type (47%). A phylogenetic analysis of 92 UGTs and other plant UGTs led to clustering into 16 groups (A-P). We further assessed the expression patterns of these CYP450 and UGT genes across A. elata tissues, with 23 CYP450 and 16 UGT members being selected for qRT-PCR validation, respectively. From these data, we identified CYP716A295 and CYP716A296 as the candidate genes most likely to be associated with oleanolic acid synthesis, while CYP72A763 and CYP72A776 were identified as being the most likely to play roles in hederagenin biosynthesis. We also selected five unigenes as the best candidates for oleanolic acid 3-O-glucosyltransferase. Finally, we assessed the subcellular localization of three CYP450 proteins within Arabidopsis protoplasts, highlighting the fact that they localize to the endoplasmic reticulum., Conclusions: This study presents a systematic analysis of the CYP450 and UGT gene family in A. elata and provides a foundation for further functional characterization of these two multigene families.

A highly efficient and economic method for the simultaneous determination of six common antibiotics (two tetracyclines, two quinolones, and two sulfonamides) in chicken manure was developed by using solid-phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography (SPE-HPLC). The samples were extracted by using a mixture of the EDTA-McIlvaine buffer and a mixed organic extractant (methanol-acetonitrile-acetone, 2:2:1, v/v/v), cleaned by a hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLB) cartridge, eluted by methanol-dichloromethane (7:3, v/v), and separated by HPLC with an acetonitrile-0.7% (v/v) H 3 PO 4 aqueous solution as the mobile phase. The detection wavelength and temperature of the chromatographic column were 270 nm and 32℃, respectively. All antibiotics showed great linear relationships in the range of 0.5-100 mg/L; the correlation coefficients ( r 2 ) of the standard curves were between 0.9999 and 1; the recoveries of antibiotics were between 70.0% and 116.3%; and the relative standard deviations were between 1.2% and 16.6%. The limits of detection were 1.3-6.7 μg/kg; and the limits of quantity were 3.5-9.2 μg/kg. This method was used to detect antibiotics in chicken manure from a hennery in Fushun, Liaoning Province. The contents of norfloxacin and enrofloxacin (quinolones) were from not detected to 9.23 mg/kg and 1.57-7.69 mg/kg, respectively, that of sulfamethazine (sulfonamides) were 2.02-13.05 mg/kg, while sulfamethoxazole, oxytetracycline, and tetracycline were undetectable.

Performance evaluation of a bridge is critical for determining the optimal maintenance strategy. An unsupervised bridge superstructure state assessment method is proposed in this paper based on fuzzy clustering and bridge field measured data. Firstly, the evaluation index system of bridge is constructed. Secondly, a certain number of bridge health monitoring data are selected as clustering samples to obtain the fuzzy similarity matrix and fuzzy equivalent matrix. Finally, different thresholds are selected to form dynamic clustering maps and determine the best classification based on statistic analysis. The clustering result is regarded as a sample base, and the bridge state can be evaluated by calculating the fuzzy nearness between the unknown bridge state data and the sample base. Nanping Bridge in Jilin Province is selected as the engineering project to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.