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Cavitation erosion is a general phenomenon in the fields of aviation, navigation, hydraulic machinery, and so on, causing great damage to fluid machinery. With the vast requirements in deep ocean applications, it is urgent to study the mechanism of cavitation erosion and the cavitation erosion resistance of different materials under high hydrostatic pressure to predict and avoid the effect of cavitation erosion. In this work, the spatially confined cavitation bubble cloud associated with Gaussian-like intensity distribution sonoluminescence (SL) was produced by a spherically focused ultrasound transducer with two opening ends near metallic plates under different hydrostatic pressures (0.1, 3, 6, and 10 MPa). The cavitation erosion effects on copper, 17-4PH stainless steel and tungsten plates were studied. Through coupling analysis towards the SL intensity distribution, the macro/micro morphology of cavitation erosion, and the physical parameters of different metallic materials (hardness, yield strength, and melting point), it is found that with increasing hydrostatic pressure, the erosion effect is intensified, the depth of cavitation pits increases, the phenomenon of melting can be observed on materials with relatively low melting points, and the cavitation erosion experienced an evolution process from high-temperature creep to fracture. This work has also established a method for the evaluation of materials’ cavitation erosion resistance with measurable SL intensity distribution, which is promising to promote the designing and selection of anti-cavitation materials in deep-sea applications.

Abstract Lithofacies form the basis for evaluating shale gas fields and play an important role in gas reservoir enrichment. The accurate identification of shale lithofacies is key for exploration and development. Based on well‐logged data, the accuracy of mineral content prediction using machine‐learning regression models is not ideal. Therefore, feature derivation was introduced to enhance the correlation between minerals and lithofacies and improve the data expression ability. Four machine‐learning models for mineral regression were established based on feature‐derived data sets: LightGBM, XGBoost, artificial neural network, and support vector machine. By calculating the evaluation metrics of each model, we found that LightGBM had the best prediction performance. To compare and confirm the accuracy of the model in identifying lithofacies, this study established a new method, MT‐LightGBM, which combines the LightGBM mineral content regression model with mineral ternary diagrams to identify lithofacies. By using the MT‐LightGBM model and LightGBM classification models to identify the target lithofacies, it was found that the accuracy of lithofacies identification of MT‐LightGBM reached 94%. This accuracy is high and is of great significance for understanding and evaluating underground shale reservoirs.

Donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) has emerged as a promising biomarker for detecting graft rejection. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and clinical value of applying it to kidney transplant rejection. Relevant literature on dd-cfDNA diagnostics in kidney transplant rejection was reviewed from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases up to 2023. Data and study characteristics were extracted independently by two researchers, and disagreements were resolved through discussion. Diagnostic accuracy data for any rejection (AR) and antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) were analyzed separately. Potential heterogeneity was analyzed by subgroup analysis or meta-regression. Funnel plots were used to clarify the presence or absence of publication bias. Nine publications provided data on dd-cfDNA accuracy in diagnosing patients with AR. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were 0.59 (95% CI, 0.48-0.69), 0.83 (95% CI, 0.76-0.88), and 0.80 (95% CI, 0.76-0.83), respectively. Additionally, 12 studies focused on the diagnostic accuracy of dd-cfDNA for ABMR, showing pooled sensitivity, specificity, and the AUROC curve with 95% CI of 0.81 (95% CI, 0.72–0.88), 0.80 (95% CI, 0.73–0.86), and 0.87 (95% CI, 0.84-0.90), respectively. Study type, age group, and sample size contributed to heterogeneity. In summary, our findings indicate that while plasma dd-cfDNA accuracy in diagnosing patients with AR is limited by significant heterogeneity, it is a valuable biomarker for diagnosing ABMR.

Microplastics are detrimental to the environment. However, the combined effects of microplastics and arsenic (As) remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the combined effects of polystyrene (PS) microplastics and As on HepG2 cells. The results showed that PS microplastics 20, 50, 200, and 500 nm in size were taken up by HepG2 cells, causing a decrease in cellular mitochondrial membrane potential. The results of lactate dehydrogenase release and flow cytometry showed that PS microplastics, especially those of 50 nm, enhanced As-induced apoptosis. In addition, transcriptome analysis revealed that TP53, AKT1, CASP3, ACTB, BCL2L1, CASP8, XIAP, MCL1, NFKBIA, and CASP7 were the top 10 hub genes for PS that enhanced the role of As in HepG2 cell apoptosis. Our results suggest that nano-PS enhances As-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, this study is important for a better understanding of the role of microplastics in As-induced hepatotoxicity.

Dexamethasone (DEX) is a synthetic glucocorticoid widely found in a variety of aquatic environments and has potential adverse effects on aquatic organisms. This study was to assess the toxic effects of exposure to different concentrations (0, 5 and 50 μg/L) of DEX for 60 days on adult male mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis). Morphological analyses of skeleton and anal fin, histological effects of testes and livers, and transcriptional expression levels of genes related to reproductive and immune system were determined. The results showed that exposure to DEX significantly increased 14L and 14D values of hemal spines, which suggested DEX could affect skeleton development and result in more masculine characteristics in male fish. In addition, the damage to testis and liver tissue was observed after DEX treatment. It also enhanced mRNA expression of Erβ gene in the brain and Hsd11b1 gene in the testis. The findings of this study reveal physiological and transcriptional effects of DEX on male mosquitofish.

Microplastics (MPs) are widespread in the environment and can be ingested through food, water, and air, posing a threat to human health. In addition, MPs can have a potential combined effect with other toxic compounds. Polystyrene (PS) has been shown to enhance the cytotoxicity of okadaic acid (OA). However, it remains unclear whether this enhancement effect is related to the size of PS particles. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of the combined effect of PS microplastics (PS-MPs) or PS nanoplastics (PS-NPs) and OA on Caco-2 cells. The results indicated that PS-NPs enhanced the cytotoxicity of OA and induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated apoptosis in Caco-2 cells, compared to PS-MPs. Specifically, PS-NPs and OA cause more severe oxidative stress, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, and mitochondrial membrane depolarization. Furthermore, it induced intracellular calcium overload through store-operated channels (SOCs) and activated the PERK/ATF-4/CHOP pathway to cause ER stress. ER stress promoted mitochondrial damage and finally activated the caspase family to induce apoptosis. This study provided an indirect basis for the assessment of the combined toxicity of MPs or NPs with OA.

Abstract Background Large bone defects have always been a great challenge for orthopedic surgeons. The use of a good bone substitute obtained by bone tissue engineering (BTE) may be an effective treatment method. Artificial hydroxyapatite, a commonly used bone defect filler, is the main inorganic component of bones. Because of its high brittleness, fragility, and lack of osteogenic active elements, its application is limited. Therefore, its fragility should be reduced, its osteogenic activity should be improved, and a more suitable scaffold should be constructed. Methods In this study, a microhydroxyapatite whisker (mHAw) was developed, which was doped with the essential trace active elements Mg2+ and Sr2+ through a low-temperature sintering technique. After being formulated into a slurry, a bionic porous scaffold was manufactured by extrusion molding and freeze drying, and then SiO2 was used to improve the mechanical properties of the scaffold. The hydrophilicity, pore size, surface morphology, surface roughness, mechanical properties, and release rate of the osteogenic elements of the prepared scaffold were detected and analyzed. In in vitro experiments, Sprague–Dawley (SD) rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs) were cultured on the scaffold to evaluate cytotoxicity, cell proliferation, spreading, and osteogenic differentiation. Results Four types of scaffolds were obtained: mHAw-SiO2 (SHA), Mg-doped mHAw-SiO2 (SMHA), Sr-doped mHAw-SiO2 (SSHA), and Mg-Sr codoped mHAw-SiO2 (SMSHA). SHA was the most hydrophilic (WCA 5°), while SMHA was the least (WCA 8°); SMHA had the smallest pore size (247.40 ± 23.66 μm), while SSHA had the largest (286.20 ± 19.04 μm); SHA had the smallest Young's modulus (122.43 ± 28.79 MPa), while SSHA had the largest (188.44 ± 47.89 MPa); and SHA had the smallest compressive strength (1.72 ± 0.29 MPa), while SMHA had the largest (2.47 ± 0.25 MPa). The osteogenic active elements Si, Mg, and Sr were evenly distributed and could be sustainably released from the scaffolds. None of the scaffolds had cytotoxicity. SMSHA had the highest supporting cell proliferation and spreading rate, and its ability to promote osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs was also the strongest. Conclusions These composite porous scaffolds not only have acceptable physical and chemical properties suitable for BTE but also have higher osteogenic bioactivity and can possibly serve as potential bone repair materials.

Introduction: Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a skin fragility disorder that is caused by molecular aberrations in the epidermal basement membrane zone. Based primarily on the cleavage plane within the skin, EB is classified into four major subtypes: EB simplex; junctional EB (JEB); dystrophic EB; and Kindler EB. The junctional form (JEB) can lead to blistering and a variety of extracutaneous complications, including genitourinary tract involvement. Despite therapeutic progress, treatment modalities for urological complications of JEB are currently limited.Results: We present the case of a Chinese male with intermediate JEB and profound urinary tract stenosis. Due to the progression of the urinary tract stenosis, he presented with repeated urological symptoms, such as high frequency of urination, painful urination, and difficult voiding. After birth, multiple blisters on the fingers, feet, and limbs, as well as nail dystrophies and spare hair were noted. Mutation analysis revealed that the patient carried a homozygous frameshift mutation in the LAMB3 gene [c.1172_1179delinsTGTGTGTGCAAGGAG/p. (P391Lfs*23)]. After receiving treatment for urethral dilatation, lingual mucosa for anterior urethroplasty, and repair of urethral stricture using a ventral onlay penile skin flap, the patient still experienced a relapse of urinary tract stenosis. Finally, the patient underwent perineal urethrostomy. In contrast, his older brother with similar urological symptoms received regular urethral dilatation, and the curative effect was positive.Conclusion: Here we report on a case with a novel LAMB3 mutation that led to JEB with profound urinary tract stenosis, which has expanded our experience in the treatment of EB urological complications.

The phenomenon of pipeline erosion dominated by sulfur particles has become a key research target for sulfur-containing gas-gathering pipelines. Gas-solid two-phase flow of sulfur-containing gases is simulated with a coupled CFD-DPM model in this paper. The Realizable k-ε turbulence model was used to determine the changes in the complex flow field and the Euler-Lagrange method was used to describe the specific trajectory of sulfur particles in the complex flow field. The main erosion trace distribution and the effect of secondary flow effects at the elbow were analyzed and the erosion distribution pattern was investigated for different curvature ratios, particle sizes, and pipe diameters. The results show that the formation of erosion along the tip of the V-shaped erosion trace on the outlet sidewall of the elbow may be related to secondary flow effects. The increase of the curvature ratio RD reduces the erosion intensity of the maximum erosion area, but subsequent increase will result in new secondary erosion trace near the outlet of the elbow and reach the maximum when RD = 8. Variations in particle size will have a significant effect on the extent of the erosion distribution, causing the main erosion distribution of the elbow to vary between 48.2° and 84.2°, while variations in pipeline diameter will have a lesser effect. The Stokes number can also be reduced by controlling the variation in particle size and pipe diameter to alter the force profile on the particles and reduce the erosion effect.

Abstract With the rapid development of hydraulic fracturing technology, shale gas has become a significant natural gas resource in China. At present, SRV (stimulated reservoir volume) fracturing technology is widely used to exploit shale gas reservoirs. To evaluate the shale gas reserves and design a development plan, a simple and rapid method is needed to predict the production and performance of the multistage fractured horizontal wells with stimulated reservoir volume in shale gas reservoirs. Network fractures with different lengths and widths are not symmetrical to the horizontal well. To account for the complexity of the fracture system and desorption characteristics of shale gas, a semianalytical multiregion seepage model has been established to analyze the performance of multiple fractured horizontal wells. In this paper, a triple‐porosity dual‐permeability model is developed for simulating the flow mechanism of shale gas. Different lengths and widths of network fractures, different fracture intervals, and asymmetry distribution are considered in this model. By employing the principle of Poisson's superposition and Bessel transformation, the fundamental solution of instantaneous point source function has been derived to calculate the pressure response of each hydraulic fracture. Then, the mathematical model for unsteady performance evaluation in multiple fractured horizontal wells has been obtained to simultaneously solve the pressure response of every hydraulic fracture. The sensitivity analysis in terms of the lengths and widths of network fractures, fracture intervals, and the asymmetry distribution of a complex fracture system is presented. The research results show that the SRV morphology will exert a great influence on the performance of multiple fractured horizontal wells.

Introduction: A previous study has shown that Ala–Thr–Pro–Gly–Asp–Glu–Gly (ATPGDEG) peptide identified from boiled abalone by-products has high antioxidant activities and antihypertensive effect. Objective: In this study, we further investigated its antiphotoaging activities by ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced HaCaT cells. Result: UVB irradiation significantly increased the content of intercellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in HaCaT cells and decreased its content of collagen. First, the generation of intercellular ROS was reduced by abalone peptide in UVB-induced HaCaT cells. And activities of MMP-1 and MMP-9 were reduced by abalone peptide in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, western blot analysis demonstrated that abalone peptide downregulated the expression of p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinases, and extracellular signal-regulated kinases via mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and NF-κB signaling to protect type I pro collagen and DNA damage. Molecular docking simulation confirms that abalone peptide inhibited activities of MMP-1 and MMP-9 by docking their active site, among them N-terminal Ala, C-terminal Gly, and Pro at the third position of N-terminal made a great contribution. Conclusion and recommendation: Abalone peptide could protect type I procollagen synthesis in UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells, and it is a potential peptide for the treatment of skin photoaging in the future.

The coexistence of nanoplastics (NPs) and pollutants such as arsenic (As) has become an unignorable environmental problem. However, there is still a considerable knowledge gap about the impact of NPs and pollutants on human health risks. In this study, the human gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) cells were used as a model to investigate the toxicity of NPs with different particle sizes and As by MTT assay, western blotting, immunofluorescence and so on. The results showed that 20 nm (8 μg/mL), 50 nm (128 μg/mL), 200 nm (128 μg/mL), 500 nm (128 μg/mL), 1000 nm (128 μg/mL) polystyrene (PS) did not affect cell viability, ROS, intracellular calcium and activate apoptosis pathway in AGS cells. However, noncytotoxic concentration of NPs enhanced the cytotoxicity and intracellular accumulation of As. NPs destroys the fluidity of cell membrane and cytoskeleton, inhibits the activity of ABC transporter, and leads to the accumulation of As in cells. This work highlights that the damage caused by NPs, especially at the level of noncytotoxicity, joint with As cannot be ignored and provides a specific toxicological mechanism of NPs accompanied by exposure to As.

Androstenedione (AED) is a naturally occurring androgen that is released into the environment through human and animal excretion. Several studies have shown that AED can interfere with the normal growth, development, and reproduction of organisms. However, studies examining the thyroid system, an important part of endocrine system of fish, are still lacking. This study examines thyroid hormone levels including T3 and T4, and transcriptional expression levels of genes associated with the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis (HPT axis) in adult zebrafish. Fish were exposed to a solvent control and three other concentrations of AED (0.2, 2.3, and 23.7 μg/L) for 60 days. Results indicated that AED significantly increased T4 levels but inhibited transcription of some HPT axis-related genes (nis, tpo, tg, dio1, dio2, sult1 st5, pax8, and nkx2.1) in female zebrafish. The adverse effects of AED on the thyroid system in males were very low, only affecting down-regulation of the tshb gene and up-regulation of the thrb gene. The overall results demonstrated that AED interferes with the thyroid endocrine system in fish.

Microplastic pollution in marine environments has increased rapidly in recent years, with negative influences on the health of marine organisms. Scleractinian coral, one of the most important species in the coral ecosystems, is highly sensitive to microplastic. However, whether microplastic causes physiological disruption of the coral, via oxidative stress, immunity, and energy metabolism, is unclear. In the present study, the physiological responses of the coral Acropora sp. were determined after exposure to polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide 66 (PA66), and polyethylene (PE) microplastic for 96 h. The results showed that there were approximately 4–22 items/nubbin on the surface of the coral skeleton and 2–10 items/nubbin on the inside of the skeleton in the MPs exposure groups. The density of endosymbiont decreased (1.12 × 105–1.24 × 105 cell/cm2) in MPs exposure groups compared with the control group. Meanwhile, the chlorophyll content was reduced (0.11–0.76 μg/cm2) after MPs exposure. Further analysis revealed that the antioxidant enzymes in coral tissues were up-regulated (Total antioxidant capacity T-AOC 2.35 × 10–3–1.05 × 10–2 mmol/mg prot, Total superoxide dismutase T-SOD 3.71–28.67 U/mg prot, glutathione GSH 10.21–10.51 U/mg prot). The alkaline phosphatase (AKP) was inhibited (1.44–4.29 U/mg prot), while nitric oxide (NO) increased (0.69–2.26 μmol/g prot) for cell signal. Moreover, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was down-regulated in the whole experiment period (0.19–0.22 U/mg prot), and Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) for cell the phosphate pentoses pathway was also reduced (0.01–0.04 U/mg port). Results showed that the endosymbiont was released and chlorophyll was decreased. In addition, a disruption could occur under MPs exposure, which was related to anti-oxidant, immune, and energy metabolism.

A new nanopore array/Au electrode was fabricated and applied to the detection of microRNA. The electrode was prepared via alternating current electrodeposition of Au nanowires in the nanopores of a porous anodic alumina membrane (without the need to remove aluminum or any barrier layer). The internal surface of the nanopores was then functionalized with an electrically neutral morpholino with a specially designed sequence. The resulting electrode shows excellent sensitivity and selectivity in detection of the target miRNA-155. The detection limit is 10 aM and the linear range 10 aM–1 nM in aqueous solution and the electrode can be reused in 6 M urea solution. In addition, it shows good linearity (100 aM–0.1 nM) in a serum sample. This new biosensor is expected to enhance miRNA detection in clinical diagnosis. Keywords: Nanopores, Label-free detection, microRNA, Porous anodic alumina

Seed physical properties are stable and visualized, and believed to be reference indicators for screening high-vigor seeds. However, the detailed relationship between seed vigor and its physical properties is not fully understood in rice. To elucidate the relationship mentioned above, seed physical properties such as seed size, hardness, and water absorption rate, and seed vigor indicators including germination rate, salt-stressed germination rate, and drought-stressed germination rate were determined among different rice cultivars. Significant differences in seed vigor indicators and seed physical properties were recorded among different rice cultivars. Germination rate, salt-stressed germination rate, drought-stressed germination rate, seed hardness, and water absorption rate ranged from 32.0 ± 1.7% to 99.7 ± 0.3%, 14.4 ± 2.4% to 99.7 ± 0.3%, 3.3 ± 2.6% to 95.7 ± 2.1%, 69.15 ± 0.15 N to 74.56 ± 0.14 N, and 0.09 ± 0.00 g/h to 0.12 ± 0.00 g/h, respectively. Additionally, correlation analysis showed that seed hardness and water absorption rate were significantly positively related to seed vigor (r = 0.33 **−0.41 **, from 2014 to 2016; r = 0.45 **−0.65 **, in 2021). Moreover, principal component analysis determined that the first principal component explained 91.4%, 90.1%, and 89.9% of the variance of seed physical properties, respectively, and loaded on seed hardness and water absorption rate. These results indicate that seed hardness and water absorption rate can be recommended as efficient indicators for screening rice seeds with high vigor.

Ultraviolet radiation B cause photoaging of the skin by enhancing the high expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) to degrade collagen and inhibit the synthesis of procollagen. Trehalose (TRE), a widely occurring natural disaccharide, has been shown to play a cytoprotective role in many pathological processes. However, few studies have evaluated whether it has anti-photoaging potential. In this study, we investigated the anti-photoaging and mechanism of action of TRE using Human immortalized keratinocytes (HaCaT) cells. The results indicated that TRE pretreatment effectively scavenges reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation induced by UVB and increases the content of certain endogenous antioxidant factors in HaCaT cells. TRE suppressed UVB-induced MMP expression by blocking mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), activator protein 1 (AP-1) and NF-κB signaling. TRE treatment increased procollagen I synthesis via activating transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/Smad pathway and demonstrated that TRE may be a potential natural disaccharide for photoaging therapy in the future.

MYB-type transcription factors play essential regulatory roles in seed germination and the response to seedling establishment stress. This study isolated a rice R2R3-MYB gene, OsMYBAS1, and functionally characterized its role in seed germination by generating transgenic rice plants with the overexpression and knockout of OsMYBAS1. Gene expression analysis suggested that OsMYBAS1 was highly expressed in brown rice and root, respectively. Subcellular localization analysis determined that OsMYBAS1 was localized in the nucleus. No significant differences in seed germination rate were observed among wild-type (WT) and transgenic rice plants at the 0-cm sowing depth. However, when sown at a depth of 4 cm, higher germination rates, root lengths and seedling heights were obtained in OsMYBAS1-overexpressing plants than in WT. Furthermore, the opposite results were recorded between the osmybas1 mutants and WT. Moreover, OsMYBAS1-overexpressing plants significantly enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity and suppressed the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) content at the 4-cm sowing depth. These results indicate that the MYB transcription factor OsMYBAS1 may promote rice seed germination and subsequent seedling establishment under deep-sowing conditions. These findings can provide valuable insight into rice seed-quality breeding to facilitate the development of a dry, direct-seeding production system.

Seahorse is been used as a traditional Chinese medicine and invigorant for many years. Among, the seahorse is considered to have anti-fatigue effects. However, few researches have demonstrated such an effect. This study, the anti-fatigue effect of a novel peptide purified (SH200) from the seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis) was investigated in C57BL/6 mice. The effect of SH200 on exercise performance was assessed using a Rotarod test and clinical biochemical parameters. In addition, the expression levels of muscular-associated proteins were examined by western blot and immunohistochemical analysis. The results revealed that SH200 prolonged the running time of mice, reduced the expression of creatine, CK, LDH, l-lactate, Citrate, and increased the production serum glucose and FFA, hepatic glycogen, ATP, and SDH. Addition, SH200 also improved mitochondrial function and protected muscle fibers via AMMPK/PGC-1α signal pathway. Thus, the SH200 is a potential candidate natural agent that could be used to reduce physical fatigue.

Water flooding is widely used to enhance oil recovery in the oilfield. Advanced water injection technology has proven to be an effective method of development for these low permeability reservoirs. Nevertheless, the fluid flow in a low permeability reservoir is governed by non-Darcy flow and the threshold pressure gradient effect. Several efforts have been made experimentally and numerically to design and optimize the field operation parameters. However, it is still challenging to simulate and predict the impact of various injection parameters on well performance in a computationally efficient manner. A simple and efficient semi-analytical model is developed for advanced water injection which considers non-Darcy flow and threshold pressure effects. The stimulated reservoir volume can be evaluated by calculating the pressure gradient distribution. The impact of water injection rate, total injection volume, and injection time on stimulated reservoir volume is investigated. Finally, a field-scale numerical simulation and experiment are conducted to validate the proposed model. This model provides reservoir engineers a simple and accurate tool for predicting, evaluating, and optimizing the advanced water injection operation practices.

An Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) biosensor was fabricated via an Ag nanoparticles assembly on the surface of a porous anodized aluminum (PAA) membrane. First, the Raman reporter 4-Aminothiophenol (4-ATP) and DNA (partially complementary to AFB1 aptamer) were attached to the surface of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) by chemical bonding to form a 4-ATP-AgNPs-DNA complex. Similarly, the surface of a PAA membrane was functionalized with an AFB1 aptamer. Then, the PAA surface was functionalized with 4-ATP-AgNPs-DNA through base complementary pairing to form AgNPs-PAA sensor with a strong Raman signal. When AFB1 was added, AgNPs would be detached from the PAA surface because of the specific binding between AFB1 and the aptamer, resulting in a reduction in Raman signals. The detection limit of the proposed biosensor is 0.009 ng/mL in actual walnut and the linear range is 0.01–10 ng/mL. The sensor has good selectivity and repeatability; it can be applied to the rapid qualitative and quantitative detection of AFB1.

Cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized by water phase synthesis method using 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3-MPA) as a stabilizer, and they were applied to the detection of copper ions (Cu2+). The results showed that CdSe QDs have excellent selectivity and sensitivity toward Cu2+. The fluorescence intensity of CdSe QDs decreased with the increase of Cu2+ concentration. The linear range was from 30 nM to 3 μM, and the detection limit was 30 nM. Furthermore, CdSe QDs were used for detecting the concentration of Cu2+ in oysters. The content of Cu2+ was 40.91 mg/kg, which was close to the one measured via flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), and the relative error was 1.81%. Therefore, CdSe QDs have a wide application prospect in the rapid detection of copper ions in food.

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is closely involved in endothelial injury during the development of hypertension. In this study, the protective effects of the tilapia by-product oligopeptide Leu-Ser-Gly-Tyr-Gly-Pro (LSGYGP) on oxidative stress and endothelial injury in Angiotensin II (Ang II)-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were evaluated. LSGYGP dose-dependently suppressed the fluorescence intensities of nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibited the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway, and reduced inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and endothelin-1 (ET-1) expression, as shown by western blot. In addition, it attenuated the expression of gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), as well as increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) expression through the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway. Other experiments revealed that LSGYGP increased the apoptotic inhibition ratio between cleaved-caspase-3/procaspase-3, reduced expressions of pro-apoptotic ratio between Bcl-2/Bax, inhibited phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), and increased phosphorylation of the serine/threonine kinase (Akt) pathway. Furthermore, LSGYGP significantly decreased Ang II-induced DNA damage in a comet assay, and molecular docking results showed that the steady interaction between LSGYGP with NF-κB may be attributed to hydrogen bonds. These results suggest that this oligopeptide is effective in protecting against Ang II-induced HUVEC injury through the reduction of oxidative stress and alleviating endothelial damage. Thus, it has the potential for the therapeutic treatment of hypertension-associated diseases.

Micro-nano composite material was prepared to adsorb Hg(II) ions via the co-precipitation method. Oyster shell (OS), Fe3O4 nanoparticles, and humic acid (HA) were used as the raw materials. The adhesion of nanoparticles to OS displayed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the appearance of the (311) plane of standard Fe3O4 derived from X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the transformation of pore sizes to 50 nm and 20 μm by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) jointly revealed the successful grafting of HA-functionalized Fe3O4 onto the oyster shell surface. The vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) results showed superparamagnetic properties of the novel adsorbent. The adsorption mechanism was investigated based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques, which showed the process of physicochemical adsorption while mercury was adsorbed as Hg(II). The effects of pH (3−7), initial solution concentration (2.5−30 mg·L−1), and contact time (0−5 h) on the adsorption of Hg(II) ions were studied in detail. The experimental data were well fitted to the Langmuir isotherm equation (R2 = 0.991) and were shown to follow a pseudo-second-order reaction model (R2 = 0.998). The maximum adsorption capacity of Hg(II) was shown to be 141.57 mg·g−1. In addition, this new adsorbent exhibited excellent selectivity.

A method is developed for detecting the concentration of sodium thiocyanate (NaSCN) in milk based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology. A trichloroacetic acid solution can be used to enhance the SERS signal because of its function in promoting the aggregation of Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs). Meanwhile, the protein in milk would be precipitated as trichloroacetic acid added and the interference from protein could be reduced during the detection. In this work, the enhancement factor (EF) is 7. 56 × 105 for sodium thiocyanate in water and the limit of detection (LOD) is 0.002 mg/L. Meanwhile, this method can be used to detect the concentration of sodium thiocyanate in milk. Results show that SERS intensity increased as the concentration of sodium thiocyanate increase from 10 to 100 mg/L. The linear correlation coefficient is R2 = 0.998 and the detection limit is 0.04 mg/L. It is observed that the concentration of sodium thiocyanate does not exceed the standard in the three kinds of milk. The confirmed credibility of SERS detection is compared with conventional methods.

According to a previous study, YGDEY from tilapia fish skin gelatin hydrolysates has strong free radical scavenging activity. In the present study, the protective effect of YGDEY against oxidative stress induced by ethanol in HepG2 cells was investigated. First, cells were incubated with YGDEY (10, 20, 50, and 100 μM) to assess cytotoxicity, and there was no significant change in cell viability. Next, it was established that YGDEY decreased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Western blot results indicated that YGDEY increased the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) and decreased the expression of gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) in HepG2 cells. It was then revealed that YGDEY markedly reduced the expressions of bax and cleaved-caspase-3 (c-caspase-3); inhibited phosphorylation of Akt, IκB-α, p65, and p38; and increased the level of bcl-2. Moreover, the comet assay showed that YGDEY effectively decreased the amount of ethanol-induced DNA damage. Thus, YGDEY protected HepG2 cells from alcohol-induced injury by inhibiting oxidative stress, and this may be associated with the Akt/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal transduction pathways. These results demonstrate that YGDEY from tilapia fish skin gelatin hydrolysates protects HepG2 cells from oxidative stress, making it a potential functional food ingredient.

A degradable and antibacterial sodium alginate film containing functional Au-TiO2 nanocomposites for food packaging was successfully developed. The Au-TiO2 nanocomposites are synthesized hydrothermally and mixed with the alginate solution to form the film by a casting method. The Au-TiO2 nanocomposites enable the film with excellent visible light absorption and transfer ability with the light absorption rang covering UV⁻visible wavelength (300⁻800 nm) and induce the increase of the film water contact angle from 40° to 74°, which contributes to the film shape stability. Furthermore, compared to the TiO2 nanoparticle-incorporated film, the antibacterial ability of Au-TiO2/sodium alginate composite film is improved approximately by 60% and 50% against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli), respectively, in light conditions. The antibacterial property of the film arises from the increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by the surface plasmonic resonance of Au nanoparticles. The degradable and antibacterial properties render the composite film of great application potential in food packaging industry.

A highly sensitive nitrite (NO2−) electrochemical sensor is fabricated using glassy carbon electrode modified with Au nanoparticle and grapheme oxide. Briefly, this electrochemical sensor was prepared by drop-coating graphene oxide-chitosan mixed film on the surface of the electrode and then electrodepositing a layer of Au nanoparticle using cyclic voltammetry. The electrochemical behavior of NO2− on the sensor was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and amperometric i-t curve. The results showed that the sensor exhibited better electrocatalytic activity for NO2− in 0.1 mol/L phosphate buffer solution (PBS) (pH 5.0). The oxidation peak current was positively correlated with NO2− concentration in the ranges of 0.9 µM to 18.9 µM. The detection limit was estimated to be 0.3 µM. In addition, the interference of some common ions (e.g., NO3−, CO32−, SO42−, Cl−, Ca2+ and Mg2+) and oxidizable compound including sodium sulfite and ascorbic acid in the detection of nitrite was also studied. The results show that this sensor is more sensitive and selective to NO2−. Therefore, this electrochemical sensor provided an effective tool for the detection of NO2−.

Triple-porosity model is usually adopted to describe reservoirs with multiscaled pore spaces, including matrix pores, natural fractures, and vugs. Multiple fractures created by hydraulic fracturing can effectively improve the connectivity between existing natural fractures and thus increase well deliverability. However, little work has been done on pressure transient behavior of multistage fractured horizontal wells in triple-porosity reservoirs. Based on source/sink function method, this paper presents a triple-porosity model to investigate the transient pressure dynamics and flux distribution for multistage fractured horizontal wells in fractured-vuggy reservoirs with consideration of stress-dependent natural fracture permeability. The model is semianalytically solved by discretizing hydraulic fractures and Pedrosa’s transformation, perturbation theory, and integration transformation method. Type curves of transient pressure dynamics are generated, and flux distribution among hydraulic fractures for a fractured horizontal well with constant production rate is also discussed. Parametric study shows that major influential parameters on transient pressure responses are parameters pertinent to reservoir properties, interporosity mass transfer, and hydraulic fractures. Analysis of flux distribution indicates that flux density gradually increases from the horizontal wellbore to fracture tips, and the flux contribution of outermost fractures is higher than that of inner fractures. The model can also be extended to optimize hydraulic fracture parameters.

In order to reduce personnel and increase efficiency in the underground slurry filling system of coal mines and accelerate the intelligent process of slurry filling technology, a filling control method based on intelligent PID algorithm was proposed to realize accurate pulping. A monitoring and fault intelligent identification method for slurry pipelines has been constructed, achieving early warning of pipeline blockage and rapid fault handling. Integrated with a data-driven production management system and AI+NOSA intelligent control platform, the safety production management of the entire slurry filling system has achieved intelligent and comprehensive coverage. The application effect shows that after the system is officially put into use, it has achieved integration of system monitoring, less manual filling production, digital production management, and standardized equipment control. The efficiency of slurry filling is increased by more than 40%, and the failure shutdown rate of the filling system is reduced by more than 60%. The labor quota has been reduced from 15 to 3, resulting in a significant decrease in labor intensity and a significant improvement in production efficiency.