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To investigate the effects of a low-pressure electrostatic field combined with low temperature and high humidity on beef tenderness, this study utilized bovine longissimus dorsi muscle as the experimental material. The analysis included low-pressure electrostatic field thawing (at a temperature of 4 ℃ and relative humidity of 50%), low temperature and high humidity thawing (at a temperature of 4 ℃ and relative humidity of 98%), low-pressure electrostatic field combined with low temperature and high humidity thawing (temperature 4 ℃ and relative humidity 98%), and low temperature thawing (temperature 4 ℃ and relative humidity 50%). The parameters examined encompassed shear force, texture, water distribution, water content, water holding capacity, and sensory evaluation of frozen beef. The findings revealed that low-voltage electrostatic field combined with low-temperature and high-humidity thawing exhibited the shortest thawing time (804 min) compared to the other three thawing methods. The thawing loss (2.06%), cooking loss (26.09%), and centrifugation loss (15.00%) were significantly lower than the other three thawing methods (P

With the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, heavy rainfall and flooding pose significant pressure on the flood discharge systems of tailings dams. Simple discharge systems are insufficient to meet the flood discharge requirements of tailings dams, while complex discharge systems, with their greater flood discharge capacity, are gradually being promoted. Although complex discharge systems can increase the flood discharge capacity of tailings dams, the flow patterns within the discharge systems become more complex. As a new type of discharge system layout, existing research lacks systematic analysis, and its complex flow characteristics are not clear. This paper relies on the flood discharge system of a large tailings dam to carry out theoretical calculations and derivations of the hydraulic characteristics of the complex flood discharge system. Hydraulic characteristics are observed through hydraulic model tests and verified using numerical simulations. Based on these three methods, a basis for further research on the hydraulic characteristics of complex flood discharge systems is provided. The main results are as follows: (1) The formulas for calculating the discharge flow rate Q under different flow states in the tailings dam design manual are not applicable to complex discharge systems; (2) Formulas for calculating the discharge flow rate Q under different flow states in complex discharge systems are proposed; by comparing model test values and numerical simulation values, the accuracy of the formulas for calculating the discharge flow rate Q in complex discharge systems is verified; (3) If the traditional mode is used to calculate the discharge flow rate Q in complex discharge systems, it is recommended to take the reduction coefficient as 0.55–0.56, and the model test values should also be referred to during flow state transitions.

In order to predict rib spalling depth in fully-mechanized mining faces, taking the coal wall as the research object, the coal wall is regarded as a tri-linear strain softening material. Then the direct roof and main roof are taken as macro roof, and the bearing mechanical model for the interaction between macro roof, coal seam, and support is established. Combined with the boundary conditions, the analytical solution of rib spalling depth in fully mechanized mining faces is derived in this paper. The analytical solution was used to investigate the situation of coal wall spalling in the 12401 working face of Shangwan Coal Mine, and the factors and laws influencing coal wall spalling were researched. The results show that: ① The analytical solution of rib spalling depth in the fully mechanized working face in this paper is reliable and reasonable, and can quantitatively investigate the effects of roof characteristics and support parameters. ② Increasing the initial support force can reduce rib spalling depth. Increasing the stiffness of the support can reduce rib spalling depth, however the effect is poor. The supporting strength of the support protective plate, and the rib spalling depth decreases approximately linearly. ③ With the thickness and tensile strength of the roof macroscopic increasing, the rib spalling depth increases. However its growth rate gradually slows down. The main reasons are that the periodic fracture length increases with increment of the thickness and tensile strength of the roof, which leads to increment of the angle of rotation and sinking towards the goaf. ④ The mining height has a significant effect on the rib spalling depth. The rib spalling depth linearly increases with the mining height. ⑤ With uniaxial compressive strength of coal increasing, the rib spalling depth decreases. With the interface friction coefficient between the roof and the coal increasing, the rib spalling depth decreases. ⑥ With the dynamic loading coefficient of the roof increasing, the rib spalling depth increases linearly.

ObjectiveThis paper aims to analyzes the shock response characteristics of a large-scale floating shock platform (LFSP) subjected to underwater explosion. MethodsThe acoustic-solid coupling approach is used as the basis for the numerical simulation. The validity of the calculation method used in this paper is verified by comparing the experimental data with simulation, and the shock response characteristics of the location of interest in the LFSP's inner bottm plating is investigated in terms of its longitudinal section distribution as well as the effects of changes in the horizontal distance to the blast source on the whole shock environment of LFSP's inner bottom structure, thereby the LFSP's shock response prediction formula is obtained by fitting method.ResultsThe results indicate that the shock response characteristics of the locations (i.e. outer and inner plates, longitudinal section in centre plane) distributed along the longitudinal section of the inner bottom structure are basically the same. The shock response amplitude of the front and back sides of the floating platform are small, while that of the middle is large. The shock responses of the outer and inner plates differ, and the spectral velocity of the inner plate is greater than that of the outer plate, while the spectral displacement of the outer plate is greater than that of the inner plate.ConclusionsThe measurement points within the inner bottom plating are excited so spikes appear in the shock spectral lines, resulting in the spectral velocity of the inner plate is higher than that of the outer plate. The horizontal distance of bottom plate to the blast source is smaller so the shock response is stronger, bringing about a greater spectral displacement of the outer plate than that of the inner plate.

Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) serve as calcium ion sensors and play crucial roles in all aspects of plant life cycle. While CDPK gene family has been extensively studied in various plants, there is limited information available for CDPK members in oat, an important cereal crop worldwide. Totally, 60 AsCDPK genes were identified in oat genome and were classified into four subfamilies based on their phylogenetic relationship. The members within each subfamily shared similar gene structure and conserved motifs. Collinearity analysis revealed that AsCDPK gene amplification was attributed to segmental duplication events and underwent strong purifying selection. AsCDPK promoters were predicted to contain cis-acting elements associated with hormones, biotic and abiotic stresses. AsCDPK gene expressions were induced by different salt stresses, exhibiting stress-specific under different salt treatments. Moreover, overexpression of AsCDPK26 gene enhanced salt resistance in C. reinhardtii, a single-cell photoautotrophic model plants. Further analysis revealed a significant correlation between AsCDPK26 and Na+/H+ antiporter 1 (p

The key odorants contributing to the warmed-over flavor (WOF) of reheated precooked stewed beef were characterized using a sensomics approach. Overall, 36 odorants were identified, and based on flavor dilution factors, odor activity values, aroma recombination, and omission test, 11 compounds mainly derived from lipid oxidation were characterized as the key odorants contributing to the formation of WOF. In particular, 3-(methylthio)propanal, which was positively correlated with meaty aroma, was implicated in an overall increase in WOF. Thus, these odorants were elected as potential markers of WOF in the reheated precooked stewed beef. In summary, the WOF of the precooked stewed beef could be attributed to an overall increase in lipid oxidation products and a decrease in the odorants with desirable aromas. The characterization of WOF in precooked stewed beef will aid in the flavor quality control of precooked stewed beef dishes.

Seedling is a crucial stage in the growth and development of plants, and the expansion and persistence of plant populations can be achieved through seed regeneration. Sheep grazing, fertilization, light, soil moisture, vegetation diversity and biomass, and litter all have potential impacts on species regeneration. We measured vegetation diversity, annual net primary productivity (ANPP), litter, ground photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and soil moisture of alpine meadows under sheep grazing and nitrogen addition treatments, and studied their effects on the dicotyledonous seedling abundance and diversity using linear regression models (LMs) and structural equation models (SEMs). We found that sheep grazing reduced ANPP, increased vegetation diversity and PAR, and decreased soil moisture. Fertilization increased ANPP and litter, decreased vegetation diversity and PAR, but had no effect on soil moisture. Sheep grazing and fertilization both reduced the abundance of dicotyledonous seedlings, and simultaneously fertilization can reduce the diversity of dicotyledonous seedlings, while sheep grazing had no effect on the diversity of dicotyledonous seedlings. LMs showed that vegetation diversity, ANPP, and litter, rather than light and soil moisture, affected dicotyledonous seedling abundance and diversity. SEMs revealed that sheep grazing and fertilization indirectly influenced seedling regeneration through vegetation diversity rather than ANPP and litter. Our research will increase our understanding of the dicotyledonous plant regeneration process in alpine grasslands and facilitate the development of strategies for management and protection of alpine grassland.

The Huangshui River Basin is one of the most important water sources in the Qinghai Province and is of great importance for ecological protection measures, agricultural irrigation and tourism. Based on previous studies and fieldwork related to plant species in China, this study presents comprehensive data on vascular plants distributed in the Huangshui River Basin of Qinghai Province.Ethical Compliance: All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.Data Access Statement: Research data supporting this publication are available from the repository at located at https://www.scidb.cn/en/anonymous/QUpuZVEz.Conflict of Interest declaration: The authors declare that they have NO affiliations with or involvement in any organisation or entity with any financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.The checklist of plants includes ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms, covering three phyla, five classes, 49 orders, 139 families, 709 genera and 2,382 species. It includes numerous Asteraceae, Gramineae, Rosaceae and Fabaceae along with statistical data on the number of species distributed in different regions. The dataset presented in this article provides important background information on vascular plants in the Huangshui River Basin and, therefore, plays a crucial role in the protection and management of plant resources in this region.

The ends of deep-sea submarine pipelines are usually connected to wellheads, suspended chain line risers, pipeline end manifolds, etc. , and the boundary conditions at the end of the pipelines are complicated. In order to investigate the influence of different pipeline boundary conditions on pipeline walking behaviour, the boundary conditions at the end of the submarine pipelines were simplified into three types: type Ⅰ is horizontal force at both ends, type Ⅱ is horizontal force at one end and inclined force at the other end, and Type Ⅲ is elastic boundary at one end and horizontal force at the other end; Numerical models of submarine pipeline walking were set up with different boundary conditions, and the behaviour of submarine pipeline walking was comparatively analyzed with the different types of boundary conditions. The results indicate that: compared with type Ⅰ, with the increase of pipeline end tension inclination angle, the pipeline axial tension decreases, and the amount of pipeline walking also decreases in type Ⅱ boundary conditions; With the pipeline tension inclination angle increased from 0° to 60°, the maximum axial tension decreases by 6.73%, and the pipeline walking rate decreases by 50%. This means that the change of the riser shape of the suspension chain line leads to the direction of the tension force acting on the submarine pipeline changes, and the amount of submarine pipeline walking also corresponding change. The comparison between type Ⅲ and type Ⅰ boundary conditions shows that the submarine pipeline walking rate under type Ⅰ boundary conditions is a constant value, with the number of heating and cooling cycles increase, the submarine pipeline walking rate is approximately linear growth; the submarine pipeline walking rate under type Ⅲ boundary conditions is influenced by the pipeline end manifolds elastic stiffness, the greater the elastic stiffness, the greater the walking rate of the pipe line in the first temperature cycle; with the number of heating and cooling cycles increase, the walking rate decreases rapidly until it reaches 0. The amount of pipeline walking under type Ⅲ boundary conditions is usually smaller than that of type Ⅰ. The walking behaviour of submarine pipelines varies greatly under the three types of boundary conditions, which provides some reference for analyzing the types of boundary conditions at the end of submarine pipelines and selecting appropriate boundary condition in actual project.

To diminish the browning and tissue softening issues of green pepper dishes in the freezing/thawing processes, salt, trehalose and calcium chloride were used to treat thawed green peppers, and the hardness, drip loss rate, chlorophyll content, sensory evaluation and microstructure of thawed green peppers were measured to verify the effect of process green protection and hard preservation. A single factor experiment was used to screen the optimum range of each factor and response surface methodology was chosen to obtain the optimum process parameter combination. Results showed that the optimum process for protecting green and hardness properties of green pepper was as follows: Blanching green pepper at 100 ℃ for 5 s, the mass fraction of salt in the blanching solution was 0.50%, immersed in cold water for 15 min, the mass fraction of trehalose was 0.51%, and the mass fraction of calcium chloride was 0.25%. Under this process condition, compared with the control group, the color difference of green pepper in the treatment group was reduced by 3.98, the hardness was increased by 20.37%, the juice loss rate was decreased by 40.29%, the chlorophyll content and sensory score were increased by 102.70% and 88%, respectively. Through the scanning electron microscopy, it was found that the treated green pepper cell wall was more complete and maintained a better cell structure. This process can effectively maintain the color and taste of green pepper after thawing, which can provide data support for the research of green and hardness preservation technology of frozen green pepper prefabricated vegetables.

To explore the changes in water status and protein characteristics of Tibetan pork (TP) under modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) with different oxygen concentrations compared to Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire pork (DLY), the water holding capacity (WHC), water distribution, protein oxidation, and conformation of both types were determined. Results indicate that under MAP, TP pork and DLY pork exhibited higher water retention and lower protein oxidation compared to air packaging. However, with increased oxygen concentration in the MAP, protein oxidation intensified, leading to reduced WHC in the pork. Compared to DLY pork, TP pork in different packaging conditions maintained the integrity of protein secondary and tertiary structures, reducing protein cross-linking aggregation. The lower content of P3 in the two-dimensional relaxation spectra, shorter T1 and T2 relaxation times, and higher proton density suggest better water retention properties in Tibetan pork. These findings support the development of long-distance preservation and transportation technologies for TP pork.

The unique aromas of mutton stem from the chemical reactions between the characteristic precursors during cooking. This study aimed to establish the relationship of volatile compounds and aroma precursors (protein, fat, free amino acids and fatty acids) in lamb from different breeds and muscle types. Hong lamb was characterized by greater tenderness and water holding capacity, higher polyunsaturated fatty acids and higher essential/non-essential amino acids in comparison with Hu lamb. Aldehydes, such as heptanal, hexanal, octanal and nonanal were higher in Hong-ST compared with Hu-ST. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that aroma precursors were closely related to volatile components of cooked lamb. Discriminant analysis results showed that precursors and volatile compounds could be used to identify the breeds and muscle types of lamb. These findings revealed the contributors of lamb aroma and might help understand the regulatory mechanism of aroma in lamb from different breeds and muscle types.

The mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) occupies a noteworthy position in the regulation of mitochondrial calcium uptake. This study investigated the effects of MCU modulator-mediated mitochondrial calcium on mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, endogenous enzyme activities, and tenderness during postmortem aging. Spermine, as an activator of MCU, resulted in an increase in mitochondrial calcium levels, not only disrupting mitochondrial morphology but also triggering mitochondrial oxidative stress and downregulation of antioxidant factors. Additionally, the spermine group underwent later activation of calpain and earlier activation of caspases, as well as the myofibril fragmentation index was initially lower and then higher compared with control group, indicating that endogenous enzymes played an indispensable role in different aging periods. Interestingly, the results of the Ru360 (an inhibitor of MCU) group were opposite to those aforementioned findings. Our data provide a novel perspective on the regulatory mechanism of mitochondrial calcium homeostasis mediated by MCU on tenderness.

As a typical strongly correlated transition oxide, vanadium dioxide (VO2) based nanomaterials have drawn many research attentions these years due to the giant metal-to-insulator phase transition (MIPT) at around 68 °C. However, due to the complexities of the V–O system and interplays between various vanadium oxide phases, the synthesis of high-quality VO2 nanopowders is still fraught with many challenges, especially in air atmosphere. In this paper, we report a novel air atmosphere available liquid-shielding synthesis method for thermochromic VO2 nanoparticles, by using low-eutectic molten-salt (LiCl–KCl) as the liquid-state air-insulation medium at elevated temperature and high-pressure pressed VOSO4–KCl pillars immersed in these liquid salts as the precursor. Small amounts of glucose are added to introduce a slight reductive environment, and well dispersed VO2 nanoparticles with excellent thermochromic properties can be directly synthesized at an ultra-low temperature of 375 °C. This feasible and atmosphere-available mass-production method is rarely reported in the related fields, which may provide a novel protocol strategy for the synthesis of high performance thermochromic VO2 and other functional oxide powders.

Soil cadmium contamination is a global environmental issue, threatening ecosystem health and human safety. Common remediation strategies, including phytoremediation and soil replacement, are typically hampered by their lengthy processes or high costs. The aim of this review is to explore and evaluate innovative physical and chemical remediation techniques to address cadmium pollution effectively. This review focuses on three promising approaches: the co-application of phosphate fertilizers and sepiolite, CaAl-layered double hydroxide (LDH) immobilization, and hydrochar treatments. The primary methodologies involved evaluating the adsorption capacity, ion exchange mechanisms, and remediation efficiency under varying environmental conditions. Results indicate that these techniques significantly enhance cadmium immobilization, with the co-application of phosphate fertilizers and sepiolite demonstrating up to 72.6% removal of HCl-extractable cadmium. The review concludes that these techniques offer superior cost-effectiveness and scalability for large-scale applications and recommends future research to optimize amendment formulations and develop renewable adsorbents to further improve sustainability.

This review examines the technological bottlenecks, potential solutions, and future development directions in the treatment and resource utilization of semi-coking wastewater (SCOW) in China. By comprehensively investigating the semi-coking industry and analyzing wastewater treatment research hotspots and existing projects, this study systematically explores the current status and challenges of each treatment unit, emphasizing the necessity for innovative wastewater treatment technologies that offer high efficiency, engineering feasibility, environmental friendliness, and effective resource recovery. This review highlights prospects and recommendations, including the development of novel extractants for phenol and ammonia recovery, a deeper understanding of biological enhancement mechanisms, exogenous bio-enhancement materials, and the creation of cost-effective advanced oxidation process (AOP)-based combined processes. Additionally, it underscores the potential for repurposing SCOW as a valuable resource through appropriate treatment, whether recycling for production or other applications.

In this paper, we developed a paper-based fluorescent sensor using functional composite materials composed of graphene quantum dots (GQDs) coated with molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for the selective detection of tetracycline (TC) in water. GQDs, as eco-friendly fluorophores, were chemically grafted onto the surface of paper fibers. MIPs, serving as the recognition element, were then wrapped around the GQDs via precipitation polymerization using 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) as the functional monomer. Optimal parameters such as quantum dot concentration, grafting time, and elution time were examined to assess the sensor’s detection performance. The results revealed that the sensor exhibited a linear response to TC concentrations in the range of 1 to 40 µmol/L, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.87 µmol/L. When applied to spiked detection in actual water samples, recoveries ranged from 103.3% to 109.4%. Overall, this paper-based fluorescent sensor (MIPs@GQDs@PAD) shows great potential for portable, multi-channel, and rapid detection of TC in water samples in the future.

Abstract Plants can adapt to environmental changes by adjusting their functional traits and biomass allocation. The size and number of flowers are functional traits related to plant reproduction. Life history theory predicts that there is a trade‐off between flower size and number, and the trade‐off can potentially explain the adaptability of plants. Elevation gradients in mountains provide a unique opportunity to test how plants will respond to climate change. In this study, we tried to better explain the adaptability of the alpine plant Gentiana lawrencei var. farreri in response to climate change. We measured the flower size and number, individual size, and reproductive allocation of G. lawrencei var. farreri during the flowering period along an elevation gradient from 3200 to 4000 m, and explored their relationships using linear mixed‐effect models and the structural equation model. We found that with elevation increasing, individual size and flower number decreased and flower size increased, while reproductive allocation remained unchanged. Individual size positively affected flower number, but was not related to flower size; reproductive allocation positively affected flower size, but was not related to flower number; there is a clear trade‐off between flower size and number. We also found that elevation decreased flower number indirectly via directly reducing individual size. In sum, this study suggests that G. lawrencei var. farreri can adapt to alpine environments by the synergies or trade‐offs among individual size, reproductive allocation, flower size, and flower number. This study increases our understanding of the adaptation mechanisms of alpine plants to climate change in alpine environments.

This study aimed to analyze the quality differences of sauced beef with aged brine and quantitative marinating methods by evaluating sensory characteristics, color, shear force, texture, moisture distribution, taste nucleotides, and free amino acids. Results showed that quantitative marinated beef received a higher score in sensory evaluation than aged brine marinated beef. Additionally, quantitative marinated beef had better color, lower shear force and hardness compared to aged brine marinated beef (P

In order to predict the damage of submarine pipeline on saturated clay seabed by falling objects, a dynamic finite element model of interaction between saturated clay seabed and submarine pipeline under the impact of falling objects was established. The influence of six parameters, namely, energy of falling objects, diameter of the pipeline, wall thickness, grade of the steel material, internal pressure, and undrained shear strength of seabed soil on the damage of the submarine pipeline was analyzed by combining with the range of changes of the actual working conditions of the submarine pipeline. Taking the six parameters as input parameters, the damage of pipeline as output parameters, and the numerical simulation results as training samples, a BP neural network model for submarine pipeline damage prediction was constructed through learning and training. The results show that the larger the impact energy of the falling object is, the larger the pipeline damage is, and the pipeline damage growth rate tends to slow down with the increase in the impact energy of the falling object. The increase in pipeline diameter, wall thickness, internal pressure, and the pipeline yield strength leads to a decrease in the pipeline damage. The saturated soil undrained shear strength increases, while pipe damage increases. The established BP neural network prediction model for submarine pipe damage needs only six parameters, namely, falling object impact energy, pipe diameter, wall thickness, steel grade, internal pressure and undrained shear strength of seabed soil. It is simple and convenient, and can better predict the damage of submarine pipeline impacted by falling objects in saturated clay seabed. The numerical examples cover the working conditions of common saturated clay seabed submarine pipelines, so the model has good applicability, which provides new ideas for the prediction of submarine pipeline damage.

Abstract The associations of physical activity (PA) intensity and types with CVD (cardiovascular diseases) in different population are inconsistent and remains not very clear. A total of 7854 males and 10,876 females over 15 years were selected by multistage random sampling methods. In males, moderate-intensity physical activity (MPA) had no effect, while vigorous-intensity physical activity (VPA) played a significant protective role (OR = 1.319 and 0.615). However, in females, both MPA and VPA had significant protective effects (OR = 0.593 and 0.537). VPA presented as a significant protective factor in stroke patients and combined CVDs for males in all age groups; however, in females, the results suggested that, for those aged over 60–74 years, MPA was a protective factor. Furthermore, for the middle-aged or younger participants, the area under the curves (AUCs) of work, housework, and leisure activity were generally higher than that of other types, while for patients aged over 60 years, the AUCs of sedentary time and sleep activity seemed much higher. VPA had a better protective effect for preventing cardiovascular events, while the young and female population could benefit from MPA as well. Regardless of the types of PA, leisure activities were strongly recommended, and young people were much more likely to benefit from exercise than older people.

The water quality of sources in the Huaihe River Basin significantly affects the lives and health of approximately 16.7% of China’s population. Identifying and quantifying pollution sources and risks is essential for effective water resource management. This study utilized Monte Carlo simulations and Geodetector to assess water quality and eutrophication, as well as to evaluate the sources of heavy metals and the associated health risks for both adults and children. The results showed that eutrophication of water sources in Huaihe River was severe, with an overall EI value of 37.92; 67.8% of the water sources were classified as mesotrophic and 32.2% classified as eutrophic. Water quality and eutrophication levels in the southern mountainous regions were better than those in the densely populated northern areas. Adults were found to have a higher carcinogenic risk than children, whereas children faced a higher noncarcinogenic risk than adults. Cr presented the highest carcinogenic risk, affecting more than 99.8% of both adults and children at levels above 1 × 10−6 but not exceeding 1 × 10−4. The noncarcinogenic risk from metals did not surpass a level of 1, except for Pb. As was primarily influenced by agricultural activities and transportation, whereas Cd, Cr, and Pb were mainly affected by industrial activities, particularly in local textile industries such as knitting and clothing manufacturing. The analysis demonstrated that the influence of anthropogenic factors on heavy metal distribution was significantly enhanced by indirect natural factors. For example, the explanatory power of Precipitation and Road Network Density on As was 0.362 and 0.189, respectively, whereas their interaction had an explanatory power as high as 0.673. This study indicates that the geodetector method is effective in elucidating the factors influencing heavy metal distribution in water, thereby providing valuable insights into pollution sources in global drinking water.

This study proposes a novel method for estimating the axial velocity of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) using motion blur images captured in environments where GPS signals are unavailable and lighting conditions are poor, such as underground tunnels and corridors. By correlating the length of motion blur observed in images with the UAV’s axial speed, the method addresses the limitations of traditional techniques in these challenging scenarios. We enhanced the accuracy by synthesizing motion blur images from neighboring frames, which is particularly effective at low speeds where single-frame blur is minimal. Six flight experiments conducted in the corridor of a hydropower station demonstrated the effectiveness of our approach, achieving a mean velocity error of 0.065 m/s compared to ultra-wideband (UWB) measurements and a root-mean-squared error within 0.3 m/s. The results highlight the stability and precision of the proposed velocity estimation algorithm in confined and low-light environments.

Abstract Aims To investigate the relationship between stroke survivors' perceptions of recurrence risk, coping styles and depression state, and the role coping styles play in mediating that relationship. Design A cross‐sectional descriptive study. Methods From one hospital in Huaxian, China, 320 stroke survivors were randomly selected as a convenience sample. In this research, the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 and the Stroke Recurrence Risk Perception Scale were all used. Structural equation modelling and correlation analysis were used to analyse the data. This research followed the EQUATOR and STROBE checklists. Results There were 278 valid survey responses. There were mild to severe depressive symptoms in 84.8% of stroke survivors. In stroke survivors, there was a significant negative relationship (p

Objectives To examine whether patients who had a stroke with high recurrence risk perception would have healthier behaviour and to explore whether perceived social support would function as a mediator.Design A cross-sectional study.Setting The study was conducted in a public tertiary hospital in China.Participants A total of 254 patients with stroke were invited to participate, and 250 patients with stroke completed questionnaires validly.Primary and secondary outcome measures Questionnaires were administered offline to collect data, consisting of four parts: general demographics and scales related to recurrence risk perception, perceived social support, and health behaviour. A path analysis and correlation analysis were used to analyse the data.Results Out of 250 patients with stroke, 78.4% had moderately low health behaviour. The majority (70.8%) of these patients were elderly. High recurrence risk perception and high perceived social support were significantly associated with better health behaviour (all p

Emerging contaminants, including antibiotics, threaten water safety and public health. To remove these contaminants while retaining beneficial minerals in water, such as calcium (Ca), a novel thin-film composite nanofiltration (NF) membrane was manufactured through polymerization of a barrier layer composed of polypiperazine amide onto polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hollow fiber (HF) substrate. The pore size of the PVDF surface was refined by introducing poly(vinylpyrrolidone) via a thermally induced phase separation method. Then piperazine (PIP) and trimesoyl chloride were selected to synthesize the NF membrane by interfacial polymerization with NaHCO3 as an additive. The influence of PIP concentration on the membrane morphology and separation performance was investigated. The optimized HF NF membrane (NF3) exhibited high water permeability (8.08 ​L/(m2 ​h ​bar)) due to its strong hydrophilicity. It also demonstrated a molecular weight cut-off of 378 ​Da and an enhanced negative surface charge (−43.96 ​mV), which was beneficial for the exclusion of antibiotics and passage of Ca2+. The high tetracycline rejection (98.9 ​%) enabled the NF3 membrane to achieve superior Ca2+/antibiotic selectivity (37.27) compared with most commercially available NF membranes. This study offers novel insights into tailoring the mineral/micropollutant selectivity of HF NF membranes for drinking water purification.

Roadside barriers have proven effective in preventing run-off-road accidents that occurred in mountainous areas. Nonetheless, the influence of variables impacting the severity of injuries resulting from collisions involving distinct types of roadside barriers may diverge. This study delves into the factors that influence the severity of driver’s injuries in crashes encompassing three specific varieties of roadside barriers in mountainous regions, namely, W-beam barriers, flexible barriers, and roadside trees. The evolution of these factors over time is examined through the application of a random parameters logit modeling approach with heterogeneity in means and variances (RPLHMVs). By employing injury-severity data from 2016 to 2019 for the mountainous regions of a city in Southwest China, various potential influencing factors encompassing driver-, vehicle-, road-, and environment-specific characteristics are subjected to statistical analysis. The extent of the impact of identified statistically significant factors on driver’s injury severity is assessed through the computation of pseudoelasticities. The findings reveal distinctions in the outcomes of driver’s injury severity contingent upon the type of roadside barrier encountered during vehicle impacts. To illustrate, collisions involving W-beam barriers are more prone to result in severe injuries. Moreover, the influence of variables determining driver’s injury severity displays noteworthy temporal shifts. Notably, the pseudoelasticities of numerous explanatory variables remain temporally consistent for incidents involving flexible or roadside barriers. In contrast, crashes involving W-beam barriers highlight that solely the speeding indicator demonstrates temporally stable pseudoelasticities. The insights garnered from this investigation offer the potential to contribute to the formulation of fresh guidelines for the design and selection of roadside barriers aimed at mitigating the severity of injuries incurred in crashes within mountainous regions.

The present study aimed to shed light on the effects of altitudes and three cooking methods (boiling, steaming, and roasting) on the physicochemical quality, volatile profile, and sensorial characteristics of yak meat. Composite meat samples were prepared to represent each cooking method and altitude level from the longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle of nine yaks. The techniques employed were gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and electronic nose (E-nose) along with chemometrics analysis to study the changes occurring in yak volatile profile, and TBARS measurement in lipid oxidation during cooking. Among the cooking methods, boiling and steaming exhibited higher protein and fat content while lower volatile compound contents. Additionally, roasted yak meat received the highest sensory scores, along with decreased L*-values, while elevated a*- and b*-values, and tenderness. A total of 138 volatile compounds were detected, and among them, 36 odorants were identified as odor-active compounds in cooked yak meat. It is evidenced that low-altitude yak presented more complex and richer flavor profiles than high-altitude ones. Moreover, yak meat from low- and high-altitude was classified into two groups by an electronic nose (E-nose) owing to distinct flavor characteristics. Overall, roasted yak meat originating from low altitudes tends to be more popular from a sensory perspective.

To reduce the ash content of bone collagen peptide and improve the quality of bone collagen peptide products. In this paper, the method of nanofiltration desalination was used to remove ash. The process parameters for nanofiltration desalination of bone collagen peptides were optimized through design response tests. The changes in physical and chemical indicators, amino acid content, molecular weight distribution, content of various elements, and sensory scores of samples treated with nanofiltration membranes were analyzed. Results showed that, the optimal desalination process conditions were sample concentration of 5%, cycle times of 7 times and pressure of 0.5 MPa. Under this condition, the desalination rate was 65.89%±1.25%. After nanofiltration membrane treatment, the quality of the sample was significantly improved, but the amino acid content did not change much. Through the measurement of molecular weight distribution, it was found that nanofiltration desalination had little impact on the change of molecular weight distribution, the components with molecular weight less than 3000 Da accounted for 97%, which was in line with the provisions of the national food safety standard GB 31645-2018 bone collagen peptides. ICP-MS was used to analyze the changes in the content of various elements before and after desalination, and it was found that the content of various elements in the sample decreased to varying degrees, the content of Na, K, P, Mg, Ca decreased significantly (P

Abstract Background To develop a dynamic prediction model for diabetic retinopathy (DR) using systemic risk factors. Methods This retrospective study included type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients discharged from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University between May 2020 and February 2022. The early patients (80%) were used for the training set and the late ones (20%) for the validation set. Results Finally, 1257 patients (1049 [80%] in the training set and 208 [20%] in the validation set) were included; 360 (28.6%) of them had DR. The areas under the curves (AUCs) for the multivariate regression (MR), least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression (LASSO), and backward elimination stepwise regression (BESR) models were 0.719, 0.727, and 0.728, respectively. The Delong test showed that the BESR model had a better predictive value than the MR (p = 0.04899) and LASSO (P = 0.04999) models. The DR nomogram risk model was established according to the BESR model, and it included disease duration, age at onset, treatment method, total cholesterol, urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR), and urine sugar. The AUC, kappa coefficient, sensitivity, specificity, and compliance of the nomogram risk model in the validation set were 0.79, 0.48, 71.2%, 78.9%, and 76.4%, respectively. Conclusions A relatively reliable DR nomogram risk model was established based on the BESR model.

Variations in solar insolation caused by changes in the Earth’s orbit—specifically its eccentricity, obliquity, and precession—can leave discernible marks on the geologic record. Astrochronology leverages these markers to establish a direct connection between chronological measurements and different facets of climate change as recorded in marine sediments. This approach offers a unique window into the Earth’s climate system and the construction of high-resolution, continuous time scales. Our study involves comprehensive bulk carbonate analyses of 390 discrete samples from core SCS1, which was retrieved from the deep-sea floor of the northern South China Sea. By utilizing carbonate stratigraphic data, we have developed a carbonate stratigraphic age model. This was achieved by aligning the carbonate sequence from core SCS1 with the established carbonate standard stratigraphic time scale of the South China Sea. Subsequently, we construct an astronomically tuned time scale based on this age model. Our findings indicate that sediment records in this core have been predominantly influenced by a 20,000-year cycle (precession cycle) throughout the Late Pleistocene. We have developed an astronomical time scale extending back approximately 110,000 years from the present, with a resolution of 280 years, by tuning the carbonate record to the precession curve. Time-domain spectral analysis of the tuned carbonate time series, alongside the consistent comparability of the early Holocene low-carbonate event (11–8 kyr), underscores the reliability of our astronomical time scale. Our age model exposes intricate variations in carbonate deposition, epitomizing a typical “Pacific-type” carbonate cycle. Previous research has illustrated that precession forcing predominantly influences productivity changes in the South China Sea. The pronounced precession-related cycle observed in our record suggests that changes in productivity significantly impact carbonate content in the area under study. Furthermore, the clear precession period identified in the carbonate record of core SCS1 reflects the response of low-latitude processes to orbital parameters, implying that carbonate deposition and preservation in core SCS1 are chiefly influenced by the interplay between the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and the monsoon system within the precession band. Our astronomical time scale is poised to enhance paleoceanographic, paleoclimatic, and correlation studies further. Additionally, the independent evidence we provide for using proxy records for astronomical age calibration of marine sediments lends additional support to similar methods of astronomical tuning.

This study aimed to investigate how postmortem muscle cells' mitochondria changed in morphology from three aspects: the outer membrane, cristae, and fission/fusion. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) results showed that mitochondria underwent a morphology transformation from normal to swelling and collapse. Meanwhile, the cleavage of OPA1, upregulation of OMA1, downregulation of Mic60 and transmission electron microscope micrographs revealed that mitochondrial cristae ruptured with an aging time extended. Additionally, the increased expressions of Fis1 and Drp1, and the AFM topographic images mutually confirmed mitochondrial fission. These results further proved from the perspective of mitochondrial morphology that the degree of mitochondrial damage increased with the postmortem aging time extended, which was consistent with the results of the release of cytochrome c caused by the increase of mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening and the decrease of mitochondrial membrane permeability, and further induced the apoptosis of postmortem muscle cells.

This paper studies the factors affecting injury severities involving motorcyclists of different age groups (under 25, 25-55, 55 and above) based on the random parameter logit model. Data collected from motorcycle crashes in the UK between 2017 and 2020 are utilized. The motorcyclist injury severity outcomes are categorized as follows: minor injury, severe injury, and fatal injury. The results of the likelihood ratio tests showed that transferability in multi-vehicle motorcycle crash injury severity involving motorcyclists of different age groups. The results of the modeling revealed significant variations in the factors that impact motorcycle crashes among three different age groups, including rider characteristics (such as male riders), motorcycle and non-motorcycle characteristics (such as vehicle running status preceding collision, age of the vehicle, and non-motorcycle vehicle type), roadway and environmental conditions (such as weather condition, speed limit, and road type), temporal-related characteristics (such as day of the week), and crash-related characteristics (such as crash types). The models demonstrate the existence of unobserved heterogeneity for three statistically significant variables, including the truck-involved, rear-end collision, and morning off-peak hours indicator in the under 25 age group crash model, and vehicle straight movement in the 25–55 age group crash model, and passenger car and sideswipe in the 55 and above age group crash model. Further, there are substantial differences in injury severity probabilities involving motorcyclists of different age groups by comparing prediction results based on out-of-sample prediction simulation. This paper emphasized the importance of revealing different age groups’ crash transferability and heterogeneity. The statistically significant differences involving age group crash injury severity models highlight the importance of age-targeted policies for motorcycle safety.

When metro systems need to be temporarily closed due to an unexpected disruption, the metro operators have to arrange shuttle buses as alternative transport for trains, while passengers have to find new routes to complete their journeys. However, the additional shuttle bus lines might be redundant if the well-known phenomenon of the “Braesss Paradox” exists. To address this issue, this paper proposes a bi-level programming model in which the objective of the upper-level model is to minimize the number of shuttle bus lines, while the lower-level model is a UE (User Equilibrium) model that simulates the route choice of passengers. To solve this bi-level programming model, the Overload Arc-oriented Heuristics (OAH) algorithm is developed to find an initial solution, and then we develop a BS (Bi-direction Search) algorithm to obtain the optimal solution to our model. Numerical cases of the partial Beijing Metro network have proved the efficiency and effectiveness of our method, and the result shows that: (1) compared with the standard bus bridging routes, the additional shuttle bus lines can significantly reduce the number of stranded passengers; (2) the number of stranded passengers at each station can be controlled by two strategies: adjust the departure frequency of each shuttle bus line and control the passenger flow at each station.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different salting methods (wet salting, dry salting, ultrasonic assisted wet salting) on quality traits (color, texture, water retention capacity), histomorphology and protein structure of cooked pork steaks. Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscles of pork were selected as experimental material, and the meat samples were salted by different methods and then cooked. Meat quality, water distribution, histomorphology, protein surface hydrophobicity and protein secondary structure of cooked meat were determined. The results showed that different salting methods had significant influences on the quality traits of cooked pork steaks. In comparison with the other two salting methods, the sample salted by ultrasonic had the lowest cooking loss, the highest redness value, and the highest viscosity and tenderness. The results of water distribution showed that the longitudinal (T1) and transverse (T2) relaxation intensity were the highest in samples of ultrasonic assisted salting. Meanwhile, the transverse relaxation time was the longest in cooked samples of ultrasonic-assisted salting, the proportion of immobilized water was the highest, and the proportion of free water was the lowest. Ultrasonic assisted salting increased muscle fiber swelling, and individual myofibers in the salted tissue could be discerned, perhaps due to the degradation of connective tissue during salting. Additionally, the cooked meat samples of ultrasonic assisted salting had the strongest protein hydrophobicity ability. Protein secondary structure analyses showed that the meat samples in ultrasonic assisted salting group exhibited the lowest content of α-helix and β-turn, and the highest content of β-sheet and random coil, indicating the highest degree of protein unfolding. Moreover, protein structural changes in cooked meat were significantly correlated with meat quality traits.

In order to explore the quality status of tomato stewed beef brisket dishes of different brands on the market, five brands of tomato stewed beef brisket dishes were selected to determine the color, texture, shear force, electronic nose, electronic tongue, sensory evaluation, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value, sulfhydryl content, carbonyl content and other indicators, and study the causes of quality differences from sensory evaluation, objective evaluation and fatty protein oxidation. The results showed that there were significant differences in the senses of the five brands of tomato stewed beef brisket dishes, among which the sensory score of sample HK was the highest and that of sample FY was the lowest, and there was a significant correlation between product quality and price. The overall acceptable score was 79.15, the product price was (55.28 yuan/500 g), and the commercially available tomato stewed beef brisket dishes were basically high quality and good price. The appearance of tomatoes in different brands of tomato stewed beef brisket dishes was seriously damaged, and the L* value, a* value and b* value of beef were significantly different, among which the change rate of L* value and b* value was large. The hardness, cohesion and chewiness in the texture index were the biggest difference between sample NF and sample FY, while the elasticity was the biggest difference between sample HK and sample FY. The correlation between the changes of objective indexes such as color and texture and sensory indexes was not significant. The overall presentation of quality characteristics might be more complex due to the combination of meat and vegetables. Principal components analysis (PCA) based on the results of electronic nose and electronic tongue could clearly distinguish the taste and smell of five commercial brands of tomato stewed sirloin dishes, and could be effectively used to evaluate and study the flavor quality of tomato stewed sirloin dishes. The pH, TBARS value, sulfhydryl content and carbonyl content of beef in different products were also significantly different, and were significantly related to color, texture and flavor. In addition to different raw and auxiliary materials, the oxidation of protein and fat was also an important factor affecting the quality of beef from different products. This would not only provide guidance for the optimization of processing technology and improvement of product quality of tomato stewed beef brisket, but also provide data support for improving the industrialization level and quality fidelity of tomato stewed beef brisket dishes.

The perennial alpine herb Ranunculus membranaceus (Ranunculaceae) has significant medicinal value. The complete chloroplast genome of R. membranaceus was sequenced by high-throughput Illumina sequencing Platform Illumina NovaSeq 6000. The circular genome is 156,028 bp in size, including two inverted repeats (IRs) of 25,361 bp, a large single-copy (LSC) region of 85,491 bp, and a small single-copy (SSC) region of 19,815 bp. A total of 128 genes were annotated, namely 84 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 36 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Two phylogenetic trees of 18 species of the tribe Ranunculeae species were constructed with Meconopsis punicea as the outgroup based on the whole chloroplast genomes and the concatenated sequence of PCGs, respectively. Phylogeny showed that R. membranaceus was closely related to R. yunnanensis. These data enrich knowledge of Ranunculaceae genetics and will contribute to further studies of R. membranaceus in molecular breeding, genetic transformation, species identification, genetic engineering and phylogenetic research.

In hydrogen evolution reaction, inefficient mass transfer caused by bubble adhesion on electrode, bubble dispersion in electrolyte and slow H2 diffusion, has greatly impeded the reaction process. Existing techniques can only resolve bubble adhesion or bubble dispersion problems. Strategy that simultaneously solve bubble adhesion, bubble dispersion and poor hydrogen diffusion problems is rarely reported. Recently, an article reported a new electrode with special wettability design, which can efficiently promote bubble transfer and dissolved H2 diffusion. This design can simultaneously solve above mentioned three mass transfer issues and improve electrode efficiency. We summarize the remaining challenges of this work and outlook potential approaches to promote mass transfer in gas-evolution reactions.

To reveal the changes in the flavor quality of chicken osteopontin (CO) before and after enzymatic hydrolysis and a thermal reaction, the present study was carried out to evaluate the volatile compounds and non-volatile compounds in CO. The results show that the chicken boneset enzymatic solution (CBES) presented a notably richer aroma after the enzymatic hydrolysis treatment. At the same time, the concentrations of the total free amino acids (FAAs) and 5′-nucleotides in the CBES increased dramatically. The ERP (enzymatic reaction paste) scores and the ORC (osteopontin reactive cream) scores were exceptionally high in terms of the umami and salty flavor profiles. As precursors, FAAs and 5′-nucleotides also boosted the Maillard reaction, leading to the generation of wide volatile compounds. Compared to CO, CBES, and ORC, the sensory evaluation showed that ERP scored the highest. In summary, the enzymatic hydrolysis treatment coupled with the Maillard reaction significantly enhanced the flavor profile of CO. These findings offer valuable insights into the high-value utilization of bone by-products, making a significant advancement in the field.

Infection of pigs with the pseudorabies virus (PRV) causes significant economic losses in the pig industry. Immunization with live vaccines is a crucial aspect in the prevention of pseudorabies in swine. The TK/gE/gI/11k/28k deleted pseudorabies vaccine is a promising alternative for the eradication of epidemic pseudorabies mutant strains. This study optimized the lyophilization of a heat-resistant PRV vaccine to enhance the quality of a live vaccine against the recombinant PRV rHN1201TK−/gE−/gI−/11k−/28k−. The A4 freeze-dried protective formulation against PRV was developed by comparing the reduction in virus titer after lyophilization and after seven days of storage at 37 °C. The formulation contains 1% gelatin, 5% trehalose, 0.5% poly-vinylpyrimidine (PVP), 0.5% thiourea, and 1% sorbitol. The A4 freeze-dried vaccine demonstrated superior protection and thermal stability. It experienced a freeze-dried loss of 0.31 Lg post-freeze-drying and a heat loss of 0.42 Lg after being stored at a temperature of 37 °C for 7 consecutive days. The A4 freeze-dried vaccine was characterized through XRD, FTIR, and SEM analyses, which showed that it possessed an amorphous structure with a consistent porous interior. The trehalose component of the vaccine formed stable hydrogen bonds with the virus. Long-term and accelerated stability studies were also conducted. The A4 vaccine maintained viral titer losses of less than 1.0 Lg when exposed to 25 °C for 90 days, 37 °C for 28 days, and 45 °C for 7 days. The A4 vaccine had a titer loss of 0.3 Lg after storage at 2–8 °C for 24 months, and a predicted shelf life of 6.61 years at 2–8 °C using the Arrhenius equation. The A4 freeze-dried vaccine elicited no side effects when used to immunize piglets and produced specific antibodies. This study provides theoretical references and technical support to improve the thermal stability of recombinant PRV rHN1201TK−/gE−/gI−/11k−/28k− vaccines.

To conduct a precise shock assessment of marine diesel engines, a 200 t floating shock platform was utilized to simulate realistic testing conditions. The testing generated the acceleration time curve and the shock response spectrum for the diesel engine. According to the applicable standards, the spectral velocity was chosen as the evaluation index, and an evaluation of the longitudinal, transverse, and vertical shock environment of the diesel engine was conducted. The shock factor interpolation method was corrected using the confidence interval based on normal distribution, and the interpolated confidence interval of the shock factor was determined. The findings reveal that shock waves were identified as the primary external force, and it was found that the influence of bubble pulsation can be disregarded when assessing a floating shock platform. This paper proposes the use of normal-distribution-based shock factor confidence intervals, which can accurately predict multidirectional shock factors and offer improved shock safety compared to the traditional method of unidirectional shock factor interpolation. The results and methods obtained in this study can provide valuable guidance and assistance for predicting the shock environment of large shipboard machinery on significant floating shock platforms.

In order to predict the penetration depth of submarine pipeline on sandy seabed,a coupled Eulerian-Lagranginan finite element model of submarine pipeline penetration on sandy seabed was established under ABAQUS to simulate the process of submarine pipeline penetration into sandy seabed under the loads such as wind,wave,current and self-weight.The effect of the friction coefficient of the pipe-soil interface,the internal friction angle,the dilation angle,and the elastic modulus of sand on the penetration depth of the pipeline was studied.The results show that,during the penetration of the submarine pipeline,the seabed on both sides of the pipeline is uplifted,and the seabed soil forms a continuous sliding surface extending from the bottom of the pipeline to the surface of the seabed.The soil failure is in the form of general shear failure.The friction coefficient of the pipe-soil interface,the internal friction angle and the dilation angle of the sand all affect the penetration depth of submarine pipeline on sandy seabed.The internal friction angle of sand has the greatest impact on the penetration depth of the submarine pipeline,while the elastic modulus of sand has no significant effect on the penetration depth of the submarine pipeline.The penetration resistance of the submarine pipeline increases as a power function with the increase of the friction coefficient of the pipe-soil interface,the internal friction angle and the dilatation angle of the sand.The proposed prediction formula can accurately predict the penetration depth of pipelines on the sandy seabed by considering the effects of pipe-soil interaction and sand mechanical properties, and the calculation results provide basic data for in-situ stability evaluation of submarine pipelines on the sandy seabed.

Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewater is characterized by low pH, high content of hardness ions and COD. In this work, chemical precipitation and ultrafiltration (UF) membrane separation were corporately coupled to treat the FGD wastewater on a lab scale to remove the hardness as well as some organic compounds for further advanced treatment. Firstly, influential factors for precipitation to deal with the simulated wastewater, including reaction time, stirring speed, and dosage, were investigated by batch tests, while CaO and Na2CO3 were used as the first and second precipitants. The batch results showed that the removal rates of Mg2+ and Ca2+ could be both higher than 98% under the optimal reaction condition. Then a polyvinylidene fluoride tubular UF membrane was used to remove the precipitates without adding flocculants. Thirdly, the coupled process with the optimal operation parameters was adopted to treat real FGD wastewater. Almost all the hardness ions and most COD could be removed, while rapid permeability decline was observed in the UF process due to the high COD, which could be recovered by a simple cleaning. In summary, when the mass ratios of [CaO]/[Mg2+] and [Na2CO3]/[Ca2+] were 2.5 and 2.7, the flow velocity was around 5 m/s, the removal rates of the hardness ions can be above 98% and the membrane flux can be recovered by 98% with a backwash with pure water and an HCl solution of pH = 2. This work proved that the coupled process is a technically feasible technology for treating FGD wastewater to realize the ZLD.

Health risks caused by heavy metal (HM) exposure in road dust has attracted extensive attention, but few studies have focused on the health risks of residents living in small- and medium-sized cities with rapid industrialization and urbanization. Thus, 140 road dust samples were collected across Anyang, a typical fourth-tier industrial city in central China, which were analysed for 10 different HMs (Mn, Zn, Pb, V, Cr, As, Cd, Ni, Cu and Co). Monte Carlo simulation and bioaccessibility were used to quantify the health risks of heavy metals comprehensively in road dust. Results revealed a remarkable accumulation of Mn, Zn, Pb, Cd and Cu. According to the Geo-accumulation index and potential ecological risk index, Cd was priority control pollutant. Moreover, 55.0% of the road dust samples reached heavily polluted level, and 52.86% of the samples were at high ecological risk levels. These results illustrated that HM contamination was serious and universal in the road dust of Anyang. The occurrences of HMs were allocated to traffic emissions, natural sources, industrial activities and agricultural activities with contribution rates of 35.4%, 6.0%, 41.6% and 17.0%, respectively. Except for Zn in the gastric phase, all other HMs had relatively low bioaccessibilities in the gastrointestinal system, usually less than 20%. The bioaccessibilities of most HMs were higher in the gastric phase, except for Cr, Ni and Cu, which remained higher in the intestinal phase. The non-carcinogenic risk and carcinogenic risk were remarkably reduced when considering the HM bioaccessibilities in the gastrointestinal system, especially for adults. The outcomes of this paper are valuable for understanding HM contamination in road dust and highlight the importance of risk assessment for populations living in the fourth- and fifth-tier cities.

Mitophagy has distinct functions, which can lead to either protection or damage of tissues. Though current evidence indicated that NaF triggers mitophagy, the role and regulation of mitophagy in sodium fluoride (NaF)-induced liver injury still remain unclear. Therefore, we exployed the cell and mouse models and confirmed that NaF treatment activates mitophagy. Knocking down PTEN-induced putative kinase protein 1 (PINK1) expression attenuated mitophagy and increased the degree of mitochondrial impairment, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in NaF-treated HepG2 cells. In vivo experiments indicated that PINK1 deficiency weakened NaF-induced mitophagy. Moreover, PINK1-deficient mices aggravated NaF-induced hepatic mitochondrial injury, oxidative stress, and inflammation in livers, evidenced by the increased number of abnormal mitochondria, decreased adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and glutathione (GSH) levels, elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content, enhanced hepatic macrophage infiltration and inflammatory cytokine levels. Notably, NaF exposure activated Nrf2 signaling both in vitro and in vivo. Nrf2 siRNA transfection blocked the upregulation of PINK1 expression and the induction of mitophagy in NaF-treated HepG2 cells. Also, ML385 (Nrf2 inhibitor) partially blocked the upregulation of PINK1 expression caused by NaF in mice livers. To sum up, the present study provided the demonstration that Nrf2/PINK1-mediated mitophagy activation offers a hepatoprotective effect by inhibiting NaF-induced mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammation.

Atrazine (ATR) is a widely applied herbicide which was named an environmental endocrine disrupting chemical (EDC). Increasing evidence indicates ATR causes neurotoxic effects resulting in central nervous system (CNS) disease. As the primary immunocytes in the CNS, microglia cells carry out their phagocytosis to maintain the CNS microenvironment by preventing damage from healthy cells. However, the mechanism in which ATR affects the phagocytic function of microglia remains unclear. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of ATR on the phagocytosis of microglia. BV-2 cells and primary microglia selected as microglial models in which BV-2 cells were administrated by ATR at different concentrations (0, 4, 8, 16 μM) for 24 h. Results demonstrated ATR dose-dependently increased the expression of ionized calcium binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba-1), indicating that microglia were activated. Microglial phagocytotic activity induced by ATR fluctuated at the different time points, accompanied by fluctuations in membrane receptor MERTK and cytoplasmic lysosomal marker LAMP1 (two markers related to cell phagocytosis). In this period, the expression of iNOS gradually increased. A mechanistic study further demonstrated that the translocation of High Mobility Group Protein-B1 (HMGB1) from nucleus to cytoplasm in the BV-2 and primary microglial cells induced by ATR, and the process showed a positive correlation with phagocytosis activity of BV-2 cells induced by ATR (r = 0.8030, P = 0.05; α = 0.1). ATR was also shown to spur the acetylation of HMGB1 by breaking the balance between acetylase P300 and deacetylase SIRT1. Unexpectedly, the inhibition of acetylating HMGB1 by resveratrol (Res) was effectively retained by HMGB1 in the nucleus, reversed the SIRT1 and MERTK expression, and enhanced the phagocytosis activity in BV-2 cells. Our results suggested that ATR exposure influenced microglial phagocytosis by acetylating HMGB1 further translocated it in the nucleoplasm.

Abstract Background Aimed to corroborate students' and faculty's experiences with e-learning during the current pandemic. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from February to June 2020. Seven surveys were distributed electronically to all undergraduate students and the faculty (4 to students and 3 to teachers) at the Southern Medical University (China). Descriptive statistics and t-tests were used to analyze the data. Statistical significance was set at p

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) is a natural macromolecule polysaccharide that is extensively distributed in a wide variety of organisms. CS is of great interest to researchers due to its many in vitro and in vivo functions. CS production derives from a diverse number of sources, including but not limited to extraction from various animals or fish, bio-synthesis, and fermentation, and its purity and homogeneity can vary greatly. The structural diversity of CS with respect to sulfation and saccharide content endows this molecule with distinct complexity, allowing for functional modification. These multiple functions contribute to the application of CS in medicines, biomaterials, and functional foods. In this article, we discuss the preparation of CS from different sources, the structure of various forms of CS, and its binding to other relevant molecules. Moreover, for the creation of this article, the functions and applications of CS were reviewed, with an emphasis on drug discovery, hydrogel formation, delivery systems, and food supplements. We conclude that analyzing some perspectives on structural modifications and preparation methods could potentially influence future applications of CS in medical and biomaterial research.

Chicken feather (CF) has been deemed as one of the main poultry byproducts with a large amount produced globally. However, the robust chemical nature of chicken feathers has been limiting in its wide-scale utilization and valorization. The study proposed a strategy of keratin regeneration from chicken feather combining ultrasound and Cysteine (Cys)-reduction for keratin regeneration. First, the ultrasonic effect on feather degradation and keratin properties was systematically explored based on Cys-reduction. Results showed that the feather dissolution was significantly improved by increasing both ultrasonic time and power, and the former had a greater impact on keratin yield. However, the treatment time over 4 h led to a decrease of keratin yield, producing more soluble peptides, > 9.7 % of which were

With the successful development of shale gas in the United States, shale gas has become an effective way to solve the energy crisis. Among a series of environmental problems caused by shale gas exploitation, the most hidden and the most difficult part to control and recover is groundwater pollution in the development zone, which has been paid more and more attention by the government and the public. Starting from the shale gas exploitation process, this paper discusses the research status and problems of shale gas exploitation on groundwater pollution prevention and control from both international and domestic Chinese directions, and considers the future development of groundwater prevention and control work: to strengthen the supervision and management of wastewater treatment; to explore and evaluate shale gas resources and to plan regional water resources; to update and improve relevant environmental laws to strengthen the support for shale gas development; to make public supervision and development transparent; and to optimize the whole development process. HIGHLIGHTS Overview of shale gas exploitation.; Current situation and problems of groundwater pollution prevention and control in international and domestic Chinese shale gas exploitation.; Future prospects for groundwater pollution control in international and Chinese shale gas exploitation.;