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The Sichuan Basin is one of the most severely air-polluted regions in China. To study the scavenging effect of precipitation on PM2.5 and PM10 in Sichuan Basin, the PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentration data from 90 environmental monitoring stations and observation data from 17 ground meteorological stations in Sichuan Basin from 2016 to 2021 were used. First, the effects of precipitation on the spatial distribution of PM2.5 and PM10 in the Sichuan Basin were analyzed. Then, the influence of precipitation intensity and duration on PM2.5 and PM10 removal effects was revealed based on the removal rates of aerosol particle mass concentration changes before and after precipitation. Finally, by calculating the removal coefficients using the raindrop spectral distribution, raindrop sizes, and end-of-fall velocities, the removal effects of precipitation on four PM2.5 and PM10 pollution events in the Sichuan Basin were investigated. The results are as follows: (1) In the Sichuan Basin, precipitation affects the spatial distribution of PM2.5 and PM10. The greater the precipitation amounts and the longer the duration of precipitation, the greater the removal rates and the more significant the scavenging effect. (2) In cases of heavy rainfall, removal rates are not sensitive to increases in precipitation duration when it exceeds 6 hours. (3) When the raindrop diameter, the total number of raindrops, and the minute rain intensity peak, and the raindrop spectra broaden and intensify, rapid decreases of PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentrations occur. (4) The removal coefficients are indicative of variations in PM2.5 and PM10 mass concentrations. When the peak removal coefficients are above 10 h-1, the scavenging effect of precipitation on PM2.5 and PM10 is significant.

Micro-alloyed low carbon MnCrNiCuMo steels were proposed to produce heavy plates with a maximum thickness of 100 mm. An integrated industrial route including a thermo-mechanical control process (TMCP) based on a study on continuous cooling transformation was applied in industrial production. Comprehensive mechanical properties tests including the measurement on resistance against crack initiation using crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) approach were conducted. Large scale wide-plate temperature gradient double tension (DT) technique was employed to evaluate the crack arrest toughness Kca in the heavy plates under different conditions. Nil-ductility transition temperature (NDTT) was also tested across the entire thickness section of the plates. The results showed that heavy steel plates were qualified being brittle crack arrest (BCA) products at EH47 grade with yield strength high than 460 MPa. High crack initiation toughness was exhibited by both Charpy-V notch impact property and CTOD values. Crack arrest toughness at −10 °C greater than 253 MPa √m was achieved in a plate even with thickness of 100 mm. The mean value of crack arrest toughness at different temperature measured by the DT approach can be indexed by the highest NDTT in the interior section of the heavy plates leading to an empirical prediction model. Further, fracture mechanics based master curve approach was used to statistically predict crack arrest toughness distribution over a wide range of temperatures showing improved predictability over the empirical model and an existing model in the literature.

Effective risk assessment of potential landslide disasters is crucial for informed decision-making in engineering projects. In practical engineering, the risk assessment of individual landslide disasters still relies mainly on qualitative evaluation methods. The qualitative risk level is obtained through the risk matrix based on danger and loss, which poses problems of multiple and discontinuous risk standards. This makes it difficult to compare and classify risks in actual engineering, and may also lead to errors in risk assessment results, misleading risk management. To address these issues, a probability model is employed to quantitatively describe the stability of landslide disasters, considering the size of losses to the element at risk. A quantified risk index for individual landslide disasters is obtained, introducing the concept of landslide disaster risk surface and risk contour. Corresponding evaluation and calculation software are developed to form a quantified risk assessment method for landslide disasters, eliminating the multiplicity and discontinuity of risk standards brought about by traditional landslide risk matrices. The accuracy of the evaluation is improved. By conducting quantitative risk assessment on six individual landslides in Fengjie County, Chongqing, the correctness and reliability of the quantitative risk assessment method were verified, providing a new approach for landslide disaster risk assessment.

The advancement of intelligent monitoring technologies has created innovative pathways in the health sector. Leveraging sensors within smart devices, data can be seamlessly harvested by network systems. Triboelectric Nanogenerators (TENGs), acting as self-powered sensors, show promise for green, sustainable sensing and health-focused human–machine interactions. This Review Article delves into the four operational mechanisms of TENGs, providing a comprehensive review of their monitoring capabilities across varied environments. Specific applications include tracking human motion parameters, such as angles, frequencies, and trajectories, utilizing diverse materials to measure vital signs, such as heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, and respiration under changing conditions, in rehabilitation settings, employing both composite and standalone TENGs for targeted monitoring. This study also addresses challenges faced by TENGs, focusing on material flexibility, sustainability, washability, elasticity, and biocompatibility. The findings underscore the transformative potential of TENGs in health monitoring, offering valuable insights for fields such as smart sports, rehabilitation, and healthcare sensing.

Sediments are important heavy metal sinks in lakes, crucial for ensuring water environment safety. Existing studies mainly focused on well-studied lakes, leaving gaps in understanding pollution patterns in specific basins and influencing factors.We compiled comprehensive sediment contamination data from literature and public datasets, including hydro-geomorphological, climatic, soil, landscape, and anthropogenic factors. Using advanced machine learning, we analyzed typical pollution factors to infer potential sources and migration pathways of pollutants and predicted pollution levels in basins with limited data availability. Our analysis of pollutant distribution data revealed that Cd had the most extensive pollution range, with the most severe pollution occurring in the Huaihe and Yangtze River basins. Furthermore, we identified distinct groups of driving factors influencing various heavy metals. Cd, Cr, and Pb were primarily influenced by human activities, while Cu and Ni were affected by both anthropogenic and natural factors, and Zn tended more towards natural sources. Our predictions indicated that, in addition to the typical highly polluted areas, the potential risk of Cd, Cu and Ni is higher in Xinjiang, and in Tibet and Qinghai, the potential risk of Cd, Cr, Cu and Ni is higher. Pb and Zn presented lower risks, except in the Huaihe and Yangtze River Basins. Temperature, wind, precipitation, precipitation rate, and the cation exchange capacity of soil significantly impacted the predictions of heavy metal pollution in sediments, suggesting that particulate migration, rainfall runoff, and soil erosion are likely the main pathways for pollutant migration into sediments. Considering the migration, pathways, and sources of pollutants, we propose strategies such as low-impact development and promoting sustainable transportation to mitigate pollution. This study provides the latest insights into heavy metal pollution in Chinese lake sediments, offering references for policy-making and water resource management.

The utilization of high-strength and tough petroleum casing steel has become the focus of various research groups worldwide, particularly in the past decade. However, defining its forming behavior presents several challenges, stemming from the complexity of enhancing strength and toughness on the steel's characteristics. To address this issue, this study employed a low-carbon microalloyed steel and introduced V and Nb elements sequentially, resulting in three groups of steels under investigation. Subsequently, mechanical properties and microstructure characteristics were examined. Interestingly, the addition of V and Nb elements resulted in both tensile and yield strengths above 1200 MPa and 1173 MPa, respectively, satisfying the criteria for the V170 oil casing. Furthermore, after adding V, V(C,N) precipitates uniformly in the steel. Still, the Nb element is not completely precipitated as there is a significant amount of Nb in solid solution. The effective grain size of the investigated steel increases from 0.92 μm to 0.98 μm after adding V and Nb elements, accompanied by a reduction in the fraction of HAGB from 47.4 % to 42.4 %. Therefore, V element plays a vital and positive role in improving the mechanical properties of the experimental steel, while Nb element has only a minor effect.

Efflux pumps play a crucial role in the development of antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between efflux pump gene expression and resistance gene mutations in Helicobacter pylori. Twenty-six clinical strains with varying resistance characteristics were selected for further experiment. Seven susceptible strains were induced to become resistant, and the expression of efflux pump genes and point mutations were recorded. Four susceptible strains were selected to undergo candidate mutation construction, and changes in efflux pump gene expression were detected. Efflux pump knockout strains were constructed, and their effects on preventing and reversing antibiotic resistance gene mutations were assessed. Results showed that the expression of efflux pump genes hefA and hefD was significantly higher in the multidrug-resistant group compared to other groups. During the process of antibiotic-induced resistance, efflux pump gene expression did not exhibit a steady increase or decrease. Strains with the A2143G or A2142G point mutations in 23S rRNA exhibited lower hefA gene expression. Strains with mutations at 87K/91N, 87N/91 G, 87K/91D, or 87N/91Y in gyrA and the 194insertA mutation in rdxA showed higher hefA gene expression compared to the wild-type strain. During the process of antibiotic-induced resistance, the strain with the knockout of the efflux pump gene hefA developed mutations in the 23S rRNA, gyrA, or rdxA genes later compared to the wild-type strain. Knockout of the efflux pump gene could reverse the phenotypic resistance to clarithromycin or metronidazole in some strains but had no effect on reverse resistance gene mutation. This study suggested that different resistance gene point mutations may have varying effects on efflux pump gene expression. Knockout of the efflux pump gene can delay or prevent antibiotic resistance gene mutations to some extent and can reverse phenotypic resistance to clarithromycin and metronidazole in certain strains.

Cadmium could induce various degrees of harm to aquatic organisms. A 30-day feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of cadmium on growth, muscle composition, digestive enzyme activity, gene expression of antioxidants and lipid metabolism in juvenile genetic improvement of farmed tilapia (GIFT, Oreochromis niloticus, Initial weight: 21.36 ± 0.24 g). Four cadmium concentrations of aquaculture water were designed: 0, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 mg/L Cd2+. The main results are as follows: Compared with the control group (0 mg/L Cd2+), the weight gain rate (WGR), specific growth rate (SGR), daily growth index (DGI), and spleen index (SI) of juvenile GIFT under cadmium stress were significantly decreased (p< 0.05). The contents of crude protein and crude lipid in muscle were significantly decreased (p< 0.05), and the ash was significantly increased (p< 0.05). The activities of trypsin, lipase, and α-amylase in the intestinal were significantly decreased (p< 0.05). The relative expression levels of carnitine palmityl transferase 1 (cpt-1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (pparα), pparγ, hormone-sensitive lipase (hsl), lipoprotein lipase (lpl), malate dehydrogenase (mdh), leptin (lep), fatty acid synthetase (fas), cholesterol response element binding protein 1 (srebp1), squalene cyclooxygenase (sqle), and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (scd) genes in liver were significantly decreased (p< 0.05). The relative expression levels of catalase (cat), superoxide dismutase (sod), glutathione S-transferase (gst), and glutathione peroxidase (gsh-px) genes in the liver were significantly decreased (p< 0.05). In conclusion, exposure to cadmium stress could impact growth, muscle composition, digestive enzyme activity, gene expression of antioxidant and lipid metabolism in juvenile GIFT.

To expedite the achievement of the ''30–60 double carbon'' goal, it is imperative to create a novel, low-carbon, cost-effective, and sustainable backfill material for mining purposes. Against this background, this paper investigates the workability, carbonation performance and carbon sequestration capacity of coal gangue (CG), magnesium slag (MS) and fly ash (FA) as magnesium coal slag solid waste backfill material. The results of the study show that: (1) The rheological properties of the CFM fresh slurry conform to the Herschel-Balkley (H-B) model, and its flowability meets the requirements of mine backfill transport. With increasing MS content, the yield stress, apparent viscosity, thixotropy and shear thickening of CFM fresh slurry increase, and the micro-slump and diffusion diameter decrease. (2) Carbonation curing can effectively improve the early UCS of CFM. The highest UCS of CFM was 8.854 MPa after 7 days of carbonation curing, which was 27.84 times higher than that of standard curing. In addition, the UCS of CFM increased with the increase of curing age and MS content. (3) CFM produces a large number of carbonation products such as calcium carbonate after carbonation curing, which makes its microstructure denser. (4) CFM can absorb up to 14.55 % of CO2 after carbonation. (5) The volume stability of CFM is significantly improved after carbonation curing. In summary, CFM is not only a new type of low-cost, low-carbon and sustainable solid waste backfill material, but its practical application in the field of mine backfilling also has great potential for the realization of magnesium coal slag solid waste resource utilization and CO2 sequestration.

Marine red yeast is a good feed additive for the aquaculture industry that can promote the growth of aquatic animals, and significantly improve their antioxidant capacity, survival rate, and nonspecific immune ability of the body. Our hypothesis is that dietary supplementation with marine red yeast could affect the serum biochemistry, muscle composition, muscle fatty acid composition, lipid metabolism enzyme activity, and expression of antioxidant and inflammatory genes in juvenile genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT, Oreochromis niloticus). Five diets with different levels of marine red yeast (0 %, 0.25 %, 0.50 %, 0.75 %, and 1.00 %) were used to feed juvenile GIFT (initial weight: 21.12 ± 0.86 g) for 60 days. The main results are as follows: Compared with the control group (0 % marine red yeast), the contents of total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and free fatty acid (FFA) in the serum of juvenile GIFT tilapia significantly increased (P < 0.05), while the contents of glucose (GLU), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (T-CHO), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The contents of crude protein, crude fat, and docosahexaenoic acid + eicosapentaenoic acid (DHA+EPA) in the muscle significantly increased (P < 0.05), while the contents of moisture and monounsaturated fatty acids (∑MUFAs) significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The activities of acetyl CoA carboxylase α (ACCα), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) in the liver significantly increased (P < 0.05). The expression levels of catalase (cat), alkaline phosphatase (alp), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (nrf2), lysozyme (lyz), glutathione S-transferase (gst), glutathione peroxidase (gsh-px), and superoxide dismutase (sod) genes in the liver significantly increased (P < 0.05). The expression levels of tumor necrosis factor α (tnf-α), interferon-γ (inf-γ), interleukin 6 (il-6), interleukin 8 (il-8), interleukin 1β (il-1β), and transforming growth factor-β (tgf-β1) genes in the liver, spleens, and head kidney significantly increased (P < 0.05), while the expression level of interleukin 10 (il-10) gene significantly decreased (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the addition of different levels of marine red yeast could significantly affect the serum biochemistry, muscle composition, muscle fatty acid composition, lipid metabolism enzyme activity, and expression of antioxidant and inflammatory genes in juvenile GIFT tilapia. Based on the results, the optimal dietary marine red yeast level was 0.50 %.

Purpose: As an important reference index for the early diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), CYFRA21-1 still lacks the detection of low equipment cost, wide linear range and high sensitivity. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a vibration spectrum technology based on the surface plasma of precious metal nanoparticles, which has been effectively applied to the detection of tumor markers. The combination of SERS technology and sensors has great potential in the ultrasensitive detection of tumor markers. The purpose of this study was to develop a sensitive method using SERS to quantitatively detect CYFRA21-1 for early diagnosis of NSCLC. Methods: A double-antibody sandwich immunoassay based on SERS was designed and tested to implement the ultrasensitive detection of CYFRA21-1 in the serum of NSCLC patients. Results: Gold @Ag nanorods (Au @Ag NRs) with higher Raman signals were prepared and used as probes, while magnetic graphene oxide was used as a magnetic substrate. The immunized probe, immune substrate and CYFRA21-1 standard substance in the buffer system formed a double-antibody sandwich structure. The standard curve displayed a liner range from 1pg mL−1 to 10 ng mL−1, and the detection limit (LOD) is 0.8943pg mL−1. The Raman intensity exhibited a wide linear relationship with the logarithm of CYFRA21-1 concentration. Conclusion: Our study successfully established a double-antibody sandwich immunoassay based on SERS. This method demonstrated high specificity and sensitivity for detecting CYFRA21-1 protein content in serum. It has the potential to be applied for early detection of lung cancer biomarkers.

This scientific undertaking meticulously inspected chlorpyrifos degradation kinetics when interacts with assorted organic water-soluble fertilizer formulations. Through rigorous field experimentation, we evaluated the modulatory effects of organic water-soluble fertilizers on the kinetics of pesticide degradation. Under specific conditions, organic water-soluble fertilizers can promote the degradation of pesticides. The integration of distinct fertilizer dilutions conspicuously enhanced degradation, alluding to intricate concentration-dependent mechanisms. In our quest to decipher the underlying mechanisms, we delved into both the biochemical and physicochemical facets. Notably, we monitored plant peroxidase activity across varying concentrations of these fertilizers throughout the investigative period. Temporal tracking displayed escalated plant peroxidase activity, mirroring bolstered detoxification. The results of the UV degradation experiment showed no significant difference in the acaricide degradation rate, regardless of the presence or absence of organic water-soluble fertilizers. However, illumination-induced degradation remained unperturbed by fertilization. Simulated rainwater cleansing was enacted on farmer’s market produce, spanning crucifers, asters, chenopods, and amaranths. Our assays pertaining to washing elucidated the capability of organic water-soluble fertilizers to curtail pesticide residues across representative vegetable taxa. Fertilizer supplementation substantially reduced chlorpyrifos residuals, especially in crucifers. This inquiry underscores the inherent botanical mechanisms of detoxification, which, when augmented by judicious fertilizer supplementation, culminate in the diminution of chlorpyrifos pesticide residues. While promising, extensive multi-crop trials are required to optimize assimilation strategies. Harnessing the intrinsic synergy between agricultural enrichment and pest mitigation, as expounded in this study, heralds a paradigm shift towards sustainable agriculture, ensuring both food security and ecological stewardship.

Abstract Background and objectives Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is the most common etiology of chronic gastric. H. pylori gastritis would gradually evolve into gastric atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia and malignant lesions. Herein, this study aimed to investigate the potential impact of H. pylori colonization density and depth on the severity of histological parameters of gastritis. Methods A prospective monocentric study was conducted from December 2019 to July 2022, enrolling patients with confirmed chronic H. pylori infection via histopathological evaluation. H. pylori colonization status was detected by immunohistochemical staining, pathological changes of gastric specimens were detected by hematoxylin eosin staining. Epidemiological, endoscopic and histopathological data were collected. Results A total of 1120 patients with a mean age of 45.8 years were included. Regardless of the previous history of H. pylori eradication treatment, significant correlations were observed between the density and depth of H. pylori colonization and the intensity of gastritis activity (all P

Background: Heart failure (HF) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are global public health concerns. The relationship between HF and IPF is widely acknowledged. However, the interaction mechanisms between these two diseases remain unclear, and early diagnosis is particularly difficult. Through the integration of bioinformatics and machine learning, our work aims to investigate common gene features, putative molecular causes, and prospective diagnostic indicators of IPF and HF. Methods: The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database provided the RNA-seq datasets for HF and IPF. Utilizing a weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), possible genes linked to HF and IPF were found. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) were then employed to analyze the genes that were shared by HF and IPF. Using the cytoHubba and iRegulon algorithms, a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network was built based on seven basic diagnostic indicators. Additionally, hub genes were identified using machine learning approaches. External datasets were used to validate the findings. Lastly, the association between the number of immune cells in tissues and the discovered genes was estimated using the CIBERSORT method. Results: In total, 63 shared genes were identified between HF- and IPF-related modules using WGCNA. Extracellular matrix (ECM)/structure organization, ECM-receptor interactions, focal, and protein digestion and absorption, were shown to be the most enrichment categories in GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of common genes. Furthermore, a total of seven fundamental genes, including COL1A1, COL3A1, THBS2, CCND1, ASPN, FAP, and S100A12, were recognized as pivotal genes implicated in the shared pathophysiological pathways of HF and IPF, and TCF12 may be the most important regulatory transcription factor. Two characteristic molecules, CCND1 and NAP1L3, were selected as potential diagnostic markers for HF and IPF, respectively, using a support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) model. Furthermore, the development of diseases and diagnostic markers may be associated with immune cells at varying degrees. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that ECM/structure organisation, ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, and protein digestion and absorption, are common pathogeneses of IPF and HF. Additionally, CCND1 and NAP1L3 were identified as potential diagnostic biomarkers for both HF and IPF. The results of our study contribute to the comprehension of the co-pathogenesis of HF and IPF at the genetic level and offer potential biological indicators for the early detection of both conditions.

Ectopic olfactory receptors, such as OR1A1, are involved in the regulation of lipid metabolism homeostasis. In this study, we investigated the effects of three monoterpenes, (+)-limonene, (−)-carvone and thymol, upon hepatic lipid deposition. Oral administration of (+)-limonene, (−)-carvone and thymol for 8 weeks in high-fat-diet (HFD)-fed mice significantly lowered the levels of fasting blood glucose, improved glucose intolerance, serum lipid parameters, adiposity, and hepatic steatosis. In LO2 cells, (+)-limonene, (−)-carvone and thymol increased the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), induced protein kinase A (PKA) activity and phosphorylation of AMPK, downregulated the expression of SREBP-1 and FASN, and eventually led to a reduction in hepatic lipid deposition. Meanwhile, these beneficial effects in cultured LO2 cells were negated by OR1A1 knockdown and the adenylyl cyclase inhibitor SQ22536, respectively, indicating that they can ameliorate disorders of lipid metabolism through activating OR1A1 and subsequent AMPK/SREBP-1/FASN pathway, indicating OR1A1 as a potential target for counteracting hepatic steatosis.

Background: Deer antler extract (DAE) has been used for thousands of years in Asian countries for health and wellness due to its potential for immune enhancement, anti-aging, bone health, and anti-cancer. Here we reviewed previous and recent advances in deer antler extracts’ compositions and their roles in health. Methods: Databases such as the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), PubMed, and Google Scholar were used for search of literature by keywords such as “deer antler extract”, “DAE chemical compounds”, “deer antler immunomodulator”, and “DAE regeneration” and so on, and articles were selected according to their novelty, impact, and credibility by sources and then reviewed. Results: With ongoing more studies, the deer antler constituents were revealed. Recent findings indicate that deer antler extracts may be effective in anti-microbe, anti-inflammation, immune enhancing, suppressing tumor growth, and supporting wellness. Conclusion: Pharmacology research and more clinical trials result may provide more accurate information on the benefit of the antler extract and its side effects.

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of varying levels of dietary chitosan supplementation on mitigating cadmium stress and its influence on growth performance, serum biochemical indices, antioxidant capacity, immune response, inflammatory response, and the expression of related genes in juvenile Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT, Oreochromis niloticus). Five groups of juvenile tilapias (initial body weight 21.21 ± 0.24 g) were fed five diets with different levels (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0%) of chitosan supplementation for 60 days under cadmium stress (0.2 mg/L Cd2+). The findings indicated that, compared with the 0% chitosan group, dietary chitosan could significantly increase (p < 0.05) the final weight (Wf), weight gain rate (WGR), specific growth rate (SGR), daily growth index (DGI), and condition factor (CF), while the feed conversion ratio (FCR) expressed the opposite trend in juvenile GIFT. Dietary chitosan could significantly increase (p < 0.05) the activities (contents) of cholinesterase (CHE), albumin (ALB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), acid phosphatase (ACP), and lysozyme (LZM), while glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), and complement 3 (C3) in the serum of juvenile GIFT expressed the opposite trend. Dietary chitosan could significantly increase (p < 0.05) the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) and significantly decrease (p < 0.05) the activities (contents) of glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the serum of juvenile GIFT. Dietary chitosan could significantly increase (p < 0.05) the activities (contents) of CAT, GST, GSH-Px, and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and significantly decrease (p < 0.05) the contents of MDA in the liver of juvenile GIFT. Dietary chitosan could significantly increase (p < 0.05) the activities (contents) of SOD, GSH-Px, T-AOC, Na+-K+-ATPase, and Ca2+-ATPase and significantly decrease (p < 0.05) the activities (contents) of CAT, GST, and MDA in the gills of juvenile GIFT. Dietary chitosan could significantly up-regulate (p < 0.05) the gene expression of cat, sod, gst, and gsh-px in the liver of juvenile GIFT. Dietary chitosan could significantly up-regulate (p < 0.05) the gene expression of interferon-γ (inf-γ) in the gills and spleen and significantly down-regulate (p < 0.05) the gene expression of inf-γ in the liver and head kidney of juvenile GIFT. Dietary chitosan could significantly down-regulate (p < 0.05) the gene expression of interleukin-6 (il-6), il-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α (tnf-α) in the liver, gills, head kidney, and spleen of juvenile GIFT. Dietary chitosan could significantly up-regulate (p < 0.05) the gene expression of il-10 in the liver, gills, head kidney, and spleen of juvenile GIFT. Dietary chitosan could significantly up-regulate (p < 0.05) the gene expression of transforming growth factor-β (tgf-β) in the liver and significantly down-regulate (p < 0.05) the gene expression of tgf-β in the head kidney and spleen of juvenile GIFT. In conclusion, dietary chitosan could mitigate the impact of cadmium stress on growth performance, serum biochemical indices, antioxidant capacity, immune response, inflammatory response, and related gene expression in juvenile GIFT. According to the analysis of second-order polynomial regression, it was found that the optimal dietary chitosan levels in juvenile GIFT was approximately 1.42% to 1.45%, based on its impact on Wf, WGR, SGR, and DGI.

Abstract Microneme protein 2 (MIC2) and MIC2-associated protein (M2AP) play crucial roles in the gliding motility and host cell invasion of Toxoplasma gondii. Complex formation between MIC2 and M2AP is required for maturation and transport from the microneme to the parasite surface. Previous studies showed that M2AP associates with the 6th TSR domain of MIC2 (TSR6), but the detailed interaction remains unclear. In this study, we report crystal structures of M2AP alone and in complex with TSR6. TSR domains have an unusually thin, long structure with a layer of intercalated residues on one side. The non-layered side of TSR6 with hotspot residue His-620 at the center binds to M2AP. Remarkably, we show that TSR6 residue Y602 is dynamic; it equilibrates between being part of the layer (the layered state) and in a flipped-out state in the absence of M2AP. However, when bound to M2AP, Y602 shifts to the flipped-out state. Our findings provide insights into the association and stabilization of MIC2-M2AP complex, and may be used to develop new therapies to prevent infections caused by this parasite.

Abstract Neurokinin 3 receptor (NK3R) is a tachykinin receptor essential for the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. The endogenous peptide agonist neurokinin B (NKB) preferentially activates NK3R, while substance P (SP) binds preferentially to NK1R. In addition, the SP analogue senktide more potently activates NK3R than NKB and SP. However, the mechanisms of preferential binding of peptide and NK3R activation remain elusive. Herein, we determined the cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of the NK3R–Gq complex bound to NKB, SP and senktide. The three NK3R–Gq/peptide complexes utilize a class of noncanonical receptor activation mechanisms. Combining the structural analysis and functional assay illustrated that the consensus C-termini of the three peptide agonists share a conserved binding mode to NK3R, while the divergent N-termini of the peptides confer the preferential binding of the agonist to NK3R. In addition, the specific interactions between the N-terminus of senktide and the N-terminus and extracellular loops (ECL2 and ECL3) of NK3R lead to the improved activation displayed by senktide compared to SP and NKB. These findings pave the way to understand tachykinin receptor subtype selectivity and provide ideas to rationally develop drugs targeting NK3R.

Background and objectivesInitial shunt failure following ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt surgery has a significant impact on the working time of the shunt. However, there are few studies regarding factors affecting VP shunt longevity. Hence, in this study, we aimed to build a nomogram to predict the longevity of the replacement VP shunt in patients with initial shunt failure.MethodsFrom 2011 to 2021, 142 patients with initial VP failure who underwent VP shunt revision were enrolled and relevant clinical and demographic factors were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to choose predictors, and a nomogram was constructed using nine independent prognostic variables: sex, age, hydrocephalus type, intensive care unit admission, tracheostomy, decompressive craniectomy, craniotomy, lumbar cisterna drainage, and ventricular drainage. The prediction models’ discrimination, accuracy, calibration, and clinical value were evaluated using Harrell’s C-index, a calibration plot, and decision curve analysis.ResultsAt 1 month, 3 months, and 5 years, the nomogram’s C-index was 0.680, 0.708, and 0.694, respectively. The nomogram’s calibration plot provided a good fit for the overall prediction over the course of 1 year. Decision curve analysis predicted that 1–3 months after surgery will yield good net benefits between 30 and 50% probability thresholds.ConclusionA preoperative nomogram may be an effective tool for assessing VP shunt longevity after initial VP shunt placement.

Abstract This paper presents a hybrid scheme that integratedly uses self‐similarity prior and deep convolutional neural network (CNN) fusion for compression artifact reduction in low bit‐rate video applications. Based on the temporal correlation hypothesis, the self‐similarity prior is extended to the temporal domain by using as references not only the current decoded frame but also its neighbouring frames. Furthermore, being cognizant of that the bicubic downsampling process can typically improve the perceptual quality of a video coded at low bit‐rate, for each small patch in the current frame, we search for similar patches in down‐scaled versions of these references, and then form several self‐similarity prior based predictions by tiling these similar patches at corresponding positions. To further exploit information flow across scales, a deep CNN model is constructed that contains two sub‐networks to estimate the final output. One sub‐network takes the self‐similarity prior based predictions along with the decoded frame itself; and the other takes the down‐scaled versions of these frames as network input. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can remarkably improve, both subjectively and objectively, quality of compressed video sequences of low bit‐rates.

Abstract With the rapid development of point-of-interest (POI) recommendation services, how to utilize the multiple types of users’ information safely and effectively for a better recommendation is challenging. To solve the problems of imperfect privacy-preserving mechanism and insufficient response-ability to complex contexts, this paper proposes a hybrid POI recommendation model based on local differential privacy (LDP). Firstly, we introduce randomized response techniques k-RR and RAPPOR to disturb users’ ratings and social relationships, respectively and propose a virtual check-in time generation method to deal with the issue of missing check-in time after disturbance. Secondly, for simultaneously combining multiple types of information, we construct a hybrid model containing three sub-models. Sub-model 1 considers the effect of user preference, social relationship, forgetting feature, and check-in trajectory on similarity calculation. Sub-model 2 analyzes the geographical correlation of POIs. Sub-model 3 focuses on the categories of POIs. Finally, we generate the recommendation results. To test the performance of privacy-preserving and recommendation, we design three groups of experiments on three real-world datasets for comprehensive verifying. The experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms existing methods. Theoretically, our study contributes to the effective and safe usage of multidimensional data science and analytics for privacy-preserving POI recommender system design. Practically, our findings can be used to improve the quality of POI recommendation services.

Improper setting of phase-locked loop (PLL) control parameters is one of the key factors for the adverse dynamic interaction between wind turbine generators, resulting in the oscillation instability of wind power systems. In this study, considering the spatial distribution characteristics and dynamic heterogeneity of multiple PMSGs, the PLL-induced instability mechanism of the grid-connected PMSG wind farm is studied and a stability criterion is proposed to guide the parameter coordination of the PLL for multiple PMSGs. First, based on the dynamic equivalent modeling method of the homogeneous multi-agent system, a reduced-order model of the homogeneous wind farm dominated by PLL is proposed. The parameter region of PLL control to ensure stability was analytically examined based on the proposed stability criterion. Then, the stability of heterogeneous wind farm is analyzed by constructing an equivalent homogeneous wind farm that has the same dominant oscillation mode as the heterogeneous wind farm; that is, the stability is equivalent. Furthermore, the stability criterion of the heterogeneous wind farm is deduced, and the parameter coordination method of PLL control for multiple PMSGs is proposed. Modal analysis and nonlinear simulation were conducted to confirm the accuracy of the theoretical analysis.

For information asymmetry in e-commerce platforms, question answering system (Q&A) and online comments are used to build trust relationship. Although online reviews play a significant role in reducing information asymmetry, information overload and distortion are also not negligible. In the study, text mining was used to extract various questions from Q&A system and online comments to obtain the content that consumers are most concerned about in online shopping, and the similarities and differences of the two mining results are compared. The results show that Q&A system has a great influence on users' decision making. The Q&A system is not only complementary to online comments, but also can provide validation for the information of online comments.

Summary: Crystal and cryo-EM structures of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) and glucagon receptor (GCGR) bound with their peptide ligands have been obtained with full-length constructs, indicating that the extracellular domain (ECD) is indispensable for specific ligand binding. This article complements these data with studies of ligand recognition of the two receptors in solution. Paramagnetic NMR relaxation enhancement measurements using dual labeling with fluorine-19 probes on the receptor and nitroxide spin labels on the peptide ligands provided new insights. The glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) was found to interact with GLP-1R by selective binding to the extracellular surface. The ligand selectivity toward the extracellular surface of the receptor was preserved in the transmembrane domain (TMD) devoid of the ECD. The dual labeling approach further provided evidence of cross-reactivity of GLP-1R and GCGR with glucagon and GLP-1, respectively, which is of interest in the context of medical treatments using combinations of the two polypeptides.

Human skin, the body’s largest organ, plays a crucial role in perceiving mechanical stimulation and facilitating interaction with the external environment. Leveraging the unique attributes of human skin, electronic skin technology aimed at replicating and surpassing the capabilities of natural skin holds significant promise across various domains, including medical care, motion tracking, and intelligent robotics. In recent research, triboelectric nanogenerators have emerged as a compelling solution for addressing the energy challenge in electronic skins. Triboelectric nanogenerators harness the combination of the triboelectric effect and electrostatic induction to efficiently convert mechanical energy into electrical power, serving as self-powered sensors for electronic skins, which possess the advantages of self-powered operation, cost-effectiveness, and compatibility with a wide range of materials. This review provides an introduction to the working principles and the four operational modes of triboelectric nanogenerators, highlighting the functional features of electronic skins, such as stretchability, self-healing, and degradability. The primary focus is on the current applications of self-powered electronic skins based on triboelectric nanogenerators in medical care, motion tracking, and machine tactile recognition. This review concludes by discussing the anticipated challenges in the future development of self-powered electronic skins based on triboelectric nanogenerators. This review holds practical significance for advancing the practical use of self-powered electronic skins based on triboelectric nanogenerators and offers valuable guidance for individuals interested in pursuing scientific and healthy endeavors.

Measurement(s) Scientific Publication Technology Type(s) digital curation Factor Type(s) location • matrices • antibiotics Sample Characteristic - Environment solid environmental material Sample Characteristic - Location China

Supporting ecological protection and restoration has been at the heart of China’s ambitious Yangtze River conservation strategy. Knowledge of the current status of heavy metal distribution is important for planning remediation practices and allocation to waste treatment facilities. Through an extensive and systematic review of literatures, this study depicts the up-to-date spatial distribution and characteristics of typical heavy metals in soils of the Yangtze River Basin, China. A total of 7,694 geo-referenced records of heavy metal in soils of the Yangtze River Basin were compiled from the literatures published between 2000 and 2020. The results show the spatially-heterogeneous concentrations of Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, Ni, As, Hg and Cd. The degree of heavy metal pollution was relatively higher in the middle reaches, while it was relatively lower in the upstream and downstream. According to the limits set by the state to ensure agricultural production and maintain human health, the average concentration of Cd greatly exceeded its limit. Overall, a certain number of heavily polluted areas were found to occur in regions with frequent human economic activities, posing potential health risks. The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of children are 1.4 times and 1.6 times higher than those of adults, respectively, and the heavy metal with the highest risk to human health was Cr. This study provides an important basis for the field of soil pollution prevention and control in the Yangtze River Basin. It updates the current understanding of the spatial pattern of major pollutants in a large ecologically protected region in China, which is conducive to the precise prevention and control of public health risks.

Introduction: The tumor microenvironment (TME) is mainly characterized by abnormally elevated intracellular redox levels and excessive oxidative stress. However, the balance of the TME is also very fragile and susceptible to be disturbed by external factors. Therefore, several researchers are now focusing on intervening in redox processes as a therapeutic strategy to treat tumors. Here, we have developed a liposomal drug delivery platform that can load a Pt(IV) prodrug (DSCP) and cinnamaldehyde (CA) into a pH-responsive liposome to enrich more drugs in the tumor region for better therapeutic efficacy through enhanced permeability and retention effect.Methods: Using the glutathione-depleting properties of DSCP together with the ROS-generating properties of cisplatin and CA, we synergistically altered ROS levels in the tumor microenvironment to damage tumor cells and achieve anti-tumor effects in vitro.Results: A liposome loaded with DSCP and CA was successfully established, and this liposome effectively increased the level of ROS in the tumor microenvironment and achieved effective killing of tumor cells in vitro.Conclusion: In this study, novel liposomal nanodrugs loaded with DSCP and CA provided a synergistic strategy between conventional chemotherapy and disruption of TME redox homeostasis, leading to a significant increase in antitumor effects in vitro.

The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of different dietary lipid levels on the serum biochemistry, antioxidant responses, initial immunity, and mTOR pathway of juvenile genetic improvement-farmed tilapia (GIFT, Oreochromis niloticus). Six groups of the juveniles (initial body weight 20.66 ± 1.33 g) in triplicate were fed for 90 days using six iso-nitrogen diets with different lipid levels (0.35%, 3.35%, 6.35%, 9.35%, 12.35%, and 15.35%). The main results were as follows: Compared with the control group (0.35%), the diets with different lipid supplementation significantly improved (p < 0.05) the contents of total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), globulin (GLB), glucose (GLU), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (T-CHO), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), malondialdehyde (MDA), complement 3 (C3), and immunoglobulin M (IgM), the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), lysozyme (LYZ), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), the expression level of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), Akt protein kinase B (Akt), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) genes in juvenile tilapia. However, diets with different lipid supplementation significantly reduced (p < 0.05) the expression level of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) genes of juvenile tilapia. In conclusion, the with different lipid supplementation could significantly affect the serum biochemistry, antioxidant responses, initial immunity, and mTOR pathway of juvenile tilapia.

Remote sensing-based change detection (CD) is a critical technique of detecting land surface changes in earth observation. Inspired by recent success of a lightweight CD network– 3M-CDNet, we implemented 9 meaningful modifications to it, for example, the incorporation of MHSA (Multi-Head Self-Attention). This elaborately designed model is termed as 3M-CDNet-V2. Its effectiveness and advantages were demonstrated on three engineering CD datasets, and experimental results indicated that: (1) relative to other state-of-the-art algorithms, the proposed model obtained very competitive or slight better performance on both visual comparison and quantitative metrics evaluation. (2) By applying a novel transfer learning strategy, 3M-CDNet-V2 could perform well on the small dataset. (3) The incorporation of MHSA brings a substantial accuracy improvement while moderately increasing the computational complexity. (4) The late fusion framework and deep supervision contribute most to the performance gain of 3M-CDNet-V2, while the introduction of low-level features to the classifier by skip connection could guide the model to focus on detailed spatial information such as small changes, narrow shaped objects, or accurate boundaries. We hope that our 3M-CDNet-V2 model helps in improving the understanding of network architecture design for CD.

While the Chinese government has put a strong emphasis on combating climate change and pledged to strive for “carbon neutrality” in the 2060s, it is fundamental to assess the likely evolution of carbon storage in China’s terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we conducted a simulation study grounded by recent empirical evidence and advances in modeling techniques to project the spatiotemporal dynamics of carbon storage of the Yangtze River Basin (YRB)’s ecosystem from 2015 to 2050. Two sets of scenarios were developed to analyze the plausible effects of land-use change, climatic change, and carbon policy on carbon dynamics. The results show that the estimated total carbon storage of the YRB’s ecosystem was 21.75 Pg C in 2015, accounting for about a quarter of the total in China. Model simulations projected an overall increase in carbon storage of the YRB’s ecosystem. Under the combined scenarios, land-use change and climate change contributed to total carbon sequestration by 1.45 to 2.02 PgC and 1.64 to 2.00 PgC, respectively. Under the carbon tax scenario, due to an increase in the extent of forest driven by different carbon regimes, the YRB was projected to absorb 1.26 to 2.32 PgC by 2050. Several regions had been projected under threats of severe carbon losses, including a few places with high present-day carbon density in the middle reaches of the YRB. Our results could provide a more complete picture of carbon sequestration potential of the YRB’s ecosystems, which could benefit the formulation of nature-based solutions.

Delivering functional substances across the cell membrane barriers has been a great challenge in biomedicine. Among various strategies to improve cellular uptake, DNA nanostructures, with different shapes and sizes, supply as suitable platforms for delivering a wide range of functional substances to cells. With great programmability, biocompatibility, and biostability, DNA nanostructure‐based delivery systems have shown and have succeeded in anticancer therapy, antibacterial treatment, gene editing, vaccine development, and stem cell bioengineering. Herein, the development and construction of various cellular ingestible DNA nanostructures are described, the loading strategies of functional substances are summarized, current biomedical applications are overviewed, and finally the remaining challenges and opportunities are discussed.

BackgroundCuring refractory Helicobacter pylori infection is difficult. In addition, there is currently no research on the gastric microbiota of refractory H. pylori infection.MethodsWe designed a clinical retrospective study involving 32 subjects divided into three groups: 1. nAGHp.a, treatment-naïve patients with H. pylori infection; 2. nAGHp.b, H. pylori-negative patients; and 3. EFHp.a, patients with refractory H. pylori infection. Gastric mucosal samples from the biobank of our research center were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing analysis and bacterial functions were predicted via PICRUSt.ResultsThere were significant differences between the H. pylori- positive group and the H. pylori-negative group in species diversity, gastric microbiota structure, and bacterial function. The beneficial Lactobacillus in the H. pylori-positive group were significantly enriched compared with those in the refractory H. pylori infection group. The bacterial interaction network diagram suggested that the microbiota interactions in the refractory H. pylori infection group decreased. The gastric microbiota of the refractory H. pylori infection group was enriched in the pathways of metabolism and infectious diseases (energy metabolism, bacterial secretion system, glutathione metabolism, protein folding and associated processing, sulphur metabolism, membrane and intracellular structural molecules, lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, ubiquinone and other terpenoid-quinone biosynthesis, inorganic ion transport and metabolism, and metabolism of cofactors and vitamins) when compared with the H. pylori-positive group without treatment based on PICRUSt analysis.ConclusionSignificant alterations occurred in the gastric microbiota when eradication of H. pylori failed multiple times. A history of eradication of multiple H. pylori infections leads to an imbalance in the gastric mucosal microbiota to a certain extent, which was mainly reflected in the inhibition of the growth of beneficial Lactobacillus in the stomach. Patients with refractory H. pylori infection may be at a higher risk of developing gastric cancer than other H. pylori-positive patients.

Eight hundred and twenty-six human G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) mediate the actions of two-thirds of the human hormones and neurotransmitters and over one-third of clinically used drugs. Studying the structure and dynamics of human GPCRs in lipid bilayer environments resembling the native cell membrane milieu is of great interest as a basis for understanding structure–function relationships and thus benefits continued drug development. Here, we incorporate the human A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR) into lipid nanodiscs, which represent a detergent-free environment for structural studies using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in solution. The [15N,1H]-TROSY correlation spectra confirmed that the complex of [u-15N, ~70% 2H]-A2AAR with an inverse agonist adopts its global fold in lipid nanodiscs in solution at physiological temperature. The global assessment led to two observations of practical interest. First, A2AAR in nanodiscs can be stored for at least one month at 4 °C in an aqueous solvent. Second, LMNG/CHS micelles are a very close mimic of the environment of A2AAR in nanodiscs. The NMR signal of five individually assigned tryptophan indole 15N–1H moieties located in different regions of the receptor structure further enabled a detailed assessment of the impact of nanodiscs and LMNG/CHS micelles on the local structure and dynamics of A2AAR. As expected, the largest effects were observed near the lipid–water interface along the intra- and extracellular surfaces, indicating possible roles of tryptophan side chains in stabilizing GPCRs in lipid bilayer membranes.

Background: As significant components of E3 ligases, the tripartite motif (TRIM) proteins participate in various biological processes and facilitate the development of several diseases. Nevertheless, the correlations of TIRMs with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-positive hepatoma carcinoma (HCC) are not well elaborated.Methods: The expression profile of TRIM genes in HBV-associated HCC and related clinical information were extracted from the Cancer Genome Atla (TCGA) database and the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) database. Dependent on the ConsensusPathDB and STRING databases, the gene ontology, Reactome pathways, and protein-protein interaction were assessed. Relied on TIMER 2.0 database, the relationship of the TRIMs with immune infiltration was investigated. Using multivariate analysis and Kaplan Meier analysis, the association between TRIM genes and the prognostic value was examined.Results: A total of 17 TRIM genes, including TRIM16, TRIM17, and TRIM31 with fold change no less than 1.5, were discovered to upregulate in HBV-associated HCC in both TCGA and ICGC cohorts. Relied on gene enrichment analysis, the identified TRIMs were observed to not only be related to the interferon and cytokine signaling but also linked to the adaptive immune system. Particularly, the co-expression patterns of identified TRIMs with other E3 ligase genes and many innate immune genes that are associated with Toll-like receptor signaling, apoptosis, and SUMOylation. Besides, some of identified TRIM expressions were also linked to the infiltration levels of T cells and B cells. Additionally, several TRIM genes were associated with various clinical factors and relevant to the poor survival of HBV-associated HCC.Conclusion: Our findings could deepen our understanding of TRIMs and their correlations with HBV-associated HCC. Furthermore, some of these TRIMs may be utilized as new prognostic markers of HBV-related HCC prognosis, or act as potential molecular targets for the disease.

Point cloud registration is an important technique for 3D environment map construction. Traditional point cloud registration algorithms rely on color features or geometric features, which leave problems such as color affected by environmental lighting. This article introduced a color point cloud registration algorithm optimized by a genetic algorithm, which has good robustness for different lighting environments. We extracted the HSV color data from the point cloud color information and made the HSV distribution of the tangent plane continuous, and we used the genetic algorithm to optimize the point cloud color information consistently. The Gauss–Newton method was utilized to realize the optimal registration of color point clouds for the joint error function of color and geometry. The contribution of this study was that the genetic algorithm was used to optimize HSV color information of the point cloud and was applied to the point cloud registration algorithm, which reduces the influence of illumination on color information and improves the accuracy of registration. The experimental results showed that the square error of color information saturation and lightness optimized by the genetic algorithm was reduced by 14.07% and 37.16%, respectively. The color point cloud registration algorithm in this article was reduced by 12.53% on average compared with the optimal result algorithm RMSE.

To enhance the compatibility of nano-SiO2 and palm oil, four different types of silane coupling agent (KH550, KH560, KH570 and KH792) were adopted to modify the surface of silica. It turns out that when using the KH792 to modify the surface of nano-SiO2, the interfacial bonding between silica and palm oil was maximum and their overlapping area was the largest, up to 12 Å. Thus, it can be concluded that the relatively optimal silane coupling agent is KH792. And when nano-SiO2, whose surface was modified with KH792, was added to the palm oil, the interaction energy between palm oil and water molecules was enhanced and the diffusibility of water molecules in oil was decreased. In addition, the addition of nano-SiO2 to the oil reduced the diffusible space of water molecules provided by oil and further restricted the diffusion of water molecules in oil. Therefore, it can be seen that the addition of nano-SiO2 to palm oil may cause the restriction of the diffusion of water molecules in it.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is associated with a variety of gastrointestinal diseases. Here, we focused on the activity of a novel nanomedicine-liposomal linolenic acid (LipoLLA) against H. pylori and its impact on human fecal bacteria in vitro. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of LipoLLA against 30 H. pylori clinical strains were determined in combination with amoxicillin (AMX), metronidazole (MTZ), levofloxacin (LVFX) and clarithromycin (CAM). Bactericidal activity was measured by generating concentration-bactericidal curves at different times and pH values. Leakage of glucose (GLU) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was detected, combined with detection of changes in morphology by electron microscopy, to study the mechanism of action of LipoLLA against H. pylori. The effect of LipoLLA on human fecal bacteria was studied by high-throughput sequencing of fecal samples. We observed a synergistic or additive effect when LipoLLA was combined with AMX, MTZ, LVFX and CAM. The concentration-sterilization curves were pH and time dependent. After treatment with LipoLLA, GLU and AST levels were increased (P

Abstract The deterioration of cement composites containing nanosilica partially exposed to sulfate attack was studied, and the microstructure change of the composites was analysed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that nanosilica–cement composites had better sulfate resistance compared to plain cement composite under partial exposure to sulfate attack, and their sulfate resistance increased as the nanosilica content increased (in the range of 0 to 5 wt% replacing cement by weight). The main sulfate products were gypsum and ettringite within the surface and inner parts, respectively in both the immersed and evaporation portions of the nanosilica–cement composites, which was consistent with the plain cement composite. Thus, the incorporation of nanosilica did not change the distribution characteristics of the sulfate products within the composites partially exposed to sulfate attack. However, the addition of nanosilica reduced the amount of sulfate products in both the immersed and evaporation portions, and their amount decreased with the increase of nanosilica content. The evaporation portions of the composites suffered chemical sulfate attack rather than sulfate salt crystallization. Nanosilica–cement composites could be applied in real partial exposure environments containing sulfate ions.

Due to their inherent natural properties, the basic physio-mechanical properties of geo-materials generally exhibit varying degrees of spatial variability. Therefore, describing and characterizing the global traits of geo-materials based on very limited analytical data pose a great challenge. Furthermore, the differences of their characteristics significantly impact the determination of geotechnical engineering stability as well as the relevant engineering design results. With a view to resolve this issue, in this study, we apply the concept of “Gene” from biology, and propose a novel approach to describe the “genetic” characteristics of geo-materials based on general attributes of the specific rock (soil) materials belongings to a certain region or zone. We propose the definition of genetic characteristics as well as the basic attributes in this paper. Our study provides the methodology of utilizing the big data theory to statistically analyze the geo-material parametric data identified in the previous projects and the framework for search of the genetic characteristics. We also developed a software system for big data management and analysis of genetic characteristics of geo-materials, which can fulfill the tasks of collecting, transmitting, classifying, screening, managing and analyzing the big data. Based on more than 80,000 sets of standard geo-material physio-mechanical data from a representative region, the genetic features of typical geo-materials are analyzed to obtain the corresponding gene maps. The findings from this study offer a reliable guidance for the determination of geo-material parameters, data support for engineering construction, and potential application in the mitigation of natural disasters.

As a small DNA virus, hepatitis B virus (HBV) plays a pivotal role in the development of various liver diseases, including hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. Among the molecules encoded by this virus, the HBV X protein (HBX) is a viral transactivator that plays a vital role in HBV replication and virus-associated diseases. Accumulating evidence so far indicates that pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) are at the front-line of the host defense responses to restrict the virus by inducing the expression of interferons and various inflammatory factors. However, depending on HBX, the virus can control PRR signaling by modulating the expression and activity of essential molecules involved in the toll-like receptor (TLR), retinoic acid inducible gene I (RIG-I)-like receptor (RLR), and NOD-like receptor (NLR) signaling pathways, to not only facilitate HBV replication, but also promote the development of viral diseases. In this review, we provide an overview of the mechanisms that are linked to the regulation of PRR signaling mediated by HBX to inhibit innate immunity, regulation of viral propagation, virus-induced inflammation, and hepatocarcinogenesis. Given the importance of PRRs in the control of HBV replication, we propose that a comprehensive understanding of the modulation of cellular factors involved in PRR signaling induced by the viral protein may open new avenues for the treatment of HBV infection.

Slanted axial-flow pump devices are widely applied in urban water supply, irrigation and drainage engineering fields. The second law of thermodynamics is applied to investigate the flow loss characteristics of the 30° slanted axial-flow pump model according to the flow loss analysis method of entropy production theory, so that the hydraulic loss characteristics can be revealed in internal flow process of the slanted axial-flow pump. The three-dimensional numerical simulation of the whole flow conduit in slanted axial-flow pump was conducted and the entropy production increased in the flow process was calculated. The location and distribution characteristics of the flow loss of the pump were qualitatively analysed. The results show that the entropy production in impeller is the highest among the pump components. With the increase of flow rate, the proportion of the entropy production in impeller in total value of the pump device increases continuously. The wall entropy production of impeller, guide vane and outlet conduit are lower than the mainstream entropy production, and the mainstream entropy production occupies the dominant position. As the flow rate grows, the proportion of turbulent dissipation entropy production decreases, and the proportion of wall dissipation entropy production increases. At 0.8Qbep, the proportion of turbulent dissipation entropy production is close to 74%, which is about 2.8 times that of wall entropy production. Under 1.2Qbep condition, the proportion of turbulent dissipation entropy production is just 5.5% higher than that of wall dissipation entropy production.

The environmental quality of the sediments in karst areas is a common concern, and it is of great significance to analyze the sources of the sediments. This study investigates the sources and its temporal variations of catchment sediments in a typical small karst watershed area. Toxic metal concentrations in the catchment area were monitored via three geochemical baseline projects in China. The sediment identification fingerprint tool (SIFT) was used to establish a geochemical model for tracing the main source contributions and its temporal variations of catchment sediments over the past 28 years (1992–2019). The catchment sediments in the small karst catchment area were mainly sourced from the background lithologies, among which limestone contributed the most, followed by dolomite, sand-shale, and mudstone; however, the anthropogenic lead–zinc tailings contributed the least. The contributions and temporal variations of each source were closely related to the lithology, topography, and landform, as well as the change in land-use and vegetation cover and the degree of rocky desertification. Moreover, the implementation of vegetation restoration and control of rocky desertification decreased the contributions of the upstream geological bodies, and the toxic metal content of the catchment sediment decreased accordingly. This study is of great significance for environmental governance in karst areas.

The Yangtze River Basin (YRB) is a region of vital economic and ecological importance in China, facing challenges of water scarcity and flooding underpinned by complex, yet underexplored, interactions between anthropogenic and biophysical changes. This study conducted a multi-scale analysis to (i) quantitatively evaluate the spatio-temporal patterns of the water yield ecosystem service of the whole of YRB from 2000 to 2015 using the InVEST model and (ii) investigate the interactive influence of climate, land-use, landscape, and socio-economic factors on the sub-watershed level water yield using the automatic linear and geographically weighted regression modelling. The results pinpointed regions of high and increasing water yield in the southeast of YRB, and that of low and decreasing water yield in the northwest. The YRB’s water yield was found to, in particular, be associated with the average annual precipitation and the extent of the urban area. We identified three interaction effects, which suggest that fostering connected patches in afforestation practices, maintaining slow-pace enhancement in compact urban development and improving the regularity of cropland’s shape in small-scale agriculture development are necessary to sustain the supply of water yield ecosystem service. Our study provides new insights into the joint effects of anthropogenic and biophysical factors underpinning the supply of YRB’s water yield ecosystem service, and sheds light on the indirect pathways of managing water resources via controlling local-level landscape metrics.

In Internet of Things (IoT)-based network systems (IoT-net), intrusion detection systems (IDS) play a significant role to maintain patient health records (PHR) in e-healthcare. IoT-net is a massive technology with security threats on the network layer, as it is considered the most common source for communication and data storage platforms. The security of data servers in all sectors (mainly healthcare) has become one of the most crucial challenges for researchers. This paper proposes an approach for effective intrusion detection in the e-healthcare environment to maintain PHR in a safe IoT-net using an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). In the proposed security model, the experiments present a security tool that helps to detect malicious network traffic. The practical implementation of the ANFIS model on the MATLAB framework with testing and training results compares the accuracy rate from the previous research in security.