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Algae play critical roles in the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) exchange between the water bodies and the atmosphere. However, the effects of prokaryotic and eukaryotic algae on carbon utilization, CO 2 flux, and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Therefore, this study investigated the differences in carbon preferences and CO 2 fluxes under different algal dominance days. Our research revealed that dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration fluctuations had a limited effect on the relative abundance of algae. However, shifts in dominant algal phyla induced changes in DIC, with Cyanobacteria preferring HCO 3 - and Chlorophyta preferring CO 2 . Analysis of the water chemistry balance indicated that the growth of Chlorophyta had a 15.59 times greater effect on CO 2 sinks compared with that of Cyanobacteria. During the Cyanobacteria dominance days, the lower DIC concentration did not result in a reduction in CO 2 emissions. However, increases in the dissolved organic carbon concentration provided a favorable environment for Cyanobacteria, which promoted CO 2 emissions. The CCM model indicated that the growth of Chlorophyta resulted in CO 2 uptake rates at least 3.57 times higher and CO 2 leakage rates up to 0.97 times lower compared to Cyanobacteria, accelerating CO 2 transport into the cell. Overall, CO 2 sink was stronger on Chlorophyta dominance days than on Cyanobacteria dominance days. This study emphasized the influence of algal phyla on CO 2 fluxes, revealing the significant CO 2 sink associated with Chlorophyta. Further research should investigate how to manipulate environmental factors to favor Chlorophyta growth and effectively reduce CO 2 emissions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Elemental sulfur-based denitrification (ESDeN) technology is known as a cost-saving alternative to its heterotrophic counterpart for nutrient removal from organic-deficient water. However, the traditional fixed-bed reactor (FixBR), as an extensively used process, suffers from a low denitrification rate and even performance deterioration during long-term operation. Herein, we proposed a novel elemental sulfur-based denitrifying moving-bed reactor (ESDeN-MovBR), in which a screw rotator was employed to drive the filled sulfur particles to be microfluidized vertically (a state of vertical-loop movement). Our results showed that the ESDeN-MovBR realized much superior and more stable denitrification performance compared to the ESDeN-FixBR, as indicated by 3.09-fold higher denitrification rate and over one order of magnitude lower intermediates (NO 2 - and N 2 O) yield, which could last for over 100 days. Further research revealed that the microfluidization of sulfur particles facilitated the expelling of nitrogen bubbles and excessive biomass, resulting in the prolongation of actual hydraulic retention time by over 80 % and could partially explain the higher denitrification rate in ESDeN-MovBR. The remaining contribution to the improvement of denitrification rate was suggested to be result from changes in biofilm properties, in which the biofilm thickness of ESDeN-MovBR was found to be 3.29 times thinner yet enriched with 2.52 times more autotrophic denitrifiers. This study offered a completely new solution to boost up the denitrification performance of ESDeN technology and provided in-depth evidence for the necessity of biofilm thickness control in such technology., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To reveal the core mechanism of berberine (BBR) in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy (DR), by using Four-dimensional independent data acquisition (4D-DIA) proteomics combined bioinformatics analysis with experimental validation., Methods: DR injury model was established by injecting streptozotocin intraperitoneally. At 8 weeks after BBR administration, optical coherence tomography (OTC) photos and Hematoxylin-eosin staining from retina in each group were performed, then the retina was collected for 4D-DIA quantitative proteomics detection. Moreover, difference protein analysis, Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, as well as molecular docking was performed, respectively. In the part of experiment, Western blot (WB) and immunofluorescent staining was used to confirm the change and distribution of carbonic anhydrase 1 (CA1), one of the most important molecules from quantitative PCR detection. Lastly, RNA knockdown was used to determine the crucial role of CA1 in retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPEs) administrated with berberine., Results: OCT detection showed that the outer nucleus, inner layer and outer accessory layer of RPEs were thinned in DR group, compared with in sham one, while they were thickened after berberine administration, when compared with in DR group. 10 proteins were screened out by using proteomic analysis and Venny cross plot, in which, denn domain containing 1A (DENND1A) and UTP6 small subunit processome component (UTP6) was down-regulated, while ATPase copper transporting alpha (ATP7A), periplakin (PPL), osteoglycin (OGN), nse1 Homolog (NSMCE1), membrane metalloendopeptidase (MME), lim domain only 4 (LMO4), CA1 and fibronectin 1 (FN1) was up-regulated in DR group, and the BBR treatment can effectively reverse their expressions. PPI results showed that 10 proteins shared interactions with each other, but only ATP7A, FN1 and OGN exhibited directly associated with each other. Moreover, we enlarged the linked relation up to 15 genes in network, based on 10 proteins found from proteomics detection, so as to perform deep GO and KEGG analysis. As a result, the most important biological process is involving rRNA processing; the most important cell component is small subunit processor; the most important molecular function is Phospholipid binding; the KEGG pathway was Ribosome biogenesis in eukaryotes. Moreover, molecular docking showed that LMO4, ATP7A, PPL, NSMCE1, MME, CA1 could form a stable molecular binding pattern with BBR. Of these, the mRNA expression of CA1, PPL and ATP7A and the protein level of CA1 was increased in DR, and decreased in BBR group. Lastly, CA1 RNA knockdown confirmed the crucial role of CA1 in RPE administered with BBR., Conclusion: The present findings confirmed the role of BBR in DR treatment and explained associated molecular network mechanism, in which, CA1 could be considered as a crucial candidate in the protection of RPEs with berberine treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest There is no conflict interest in this study., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Reactive fillers consisting of reduced sulfur and iron species (SFe-ReFs) have received increasing attention in tertiary wastewater treatment for nitrate and phosphate coremoval. However, the existing SFe-ReFs suffer from either low performance (e.g., pyrrhotite and pyrite) or unsatisfactory use in terms of combustible risk and residual nonreactive impurities (e.g., sulfur mixing with natural iron ores). Here, we developed a new type of sulfur-siderite composite ReF (SSCReF) with a structure of natural siderite powders eventually embedded into sulfur. SSCReFs exhibited many excellent properties, including higher mechanical strengths and hardness and especially much poorer ignitability compared to pure sulfur. By using SSCReF to construct packed-bed reactors, the highest denitrification and dephosphorization rates reached 829.70 gN/m 3 /d (25 wt % siderite) and 36.70 gP/m 3 /d (75 wt % siderite), respectively. Dephosphorization was demonstrated to be dependent on sulfur-driven denitrification, in which the acid produced from the later process promoted Fe (II) dissolution, which then directly combined with phosphate to form vivianite or further converted into phosphate adsorbents (ferrihydrite, a green rust-like compound). Water flush was an effective way to finally wash out these surface deposited Fe-P compounds, as well as those nonreactive impurities (Si and Al-bearing compounds) detached from SSCReF. Such a highly efficient and safe SSCReF holds considerable application potential in secondary effluent polishing.

We aim to explore the pharmacological efficacy and molecular network mechanism of Shexiang Huayu Xingnao granules (SX granules) in the treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) based on experiments and network pharmacology. After the ICH model establishment, the behavioral functions of rats were assessed by the modified neurological severity score (mNSS), the wire suspension test, and the rotarod test. Brain histomorphological changes were observed using 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC), hematoxylin-eosin (HE), Nissl, and TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) combined with neuronal nuclear (NEUN) immunofluorescence staining. The cross-targets of SX granules and ICH were obtained using network pharmacology, gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) signaling pathway analysis were performed. Then, the obtained Hub genes were verified using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The mNSS score was reduced and the duration to remain wire suspended increased in the SX group. In the morphological experiment, SX granules reduced brain tissue damage, neuronal apoptosis, and the number of astrocytes in the ICH rats. Moreover, 607 targets of drug-disease intersection were obtained by network pharmacology, and 10 Hub genes were found. SX granules regulated the expression of HRAS, MAPK3, and STAT3 in ICH condition. In conclusion, SX granules improved behavioral dysfunction, abnormal alterations in brain tissue, and cell morphology in ICH rats, and potential molecular mechanism was linked with the expression of multiple genes., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Authors. Ibrain published by Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University (AHZMU) and Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Identifying the thresholds for the positive responses of total net primary productivity (NPP) to nitrogen (N) enrichment is an essential prerequisite for predicting the benefits of N deposition on ecosystem carbon sequestration. However, the responses of below-ground NPP (BNPP) to N enrichment are unknown in many ecosystems, which limits our ability to understand the carbon cycling under the scenario of increasing N availability. We examined the changes in above-ground NPP (ANPP), BNPP, and NPP of a temperate meadow steppe across a wide-ranging N addition gradient (0, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 g N m -2  year -1 ) during 5 years. Both ANPP and NPP increased nonlinearly with N addition rates. The N saturation threshold for ANPP (T A ) and NPP (T N ) was at the rate of 13.11 and 6.70 g N m -2  year -1 , respectively. BNPP decreased with increasing N addition when N addition rates ˃5 g N m -2  year -1 , resulting in much lower T N than T A . Soil N enrichment played a key role in driving the negative impacts of high N addition rates on BNPP, and consequently on the earlier occurrence of N saturation threshold for NPP. Our results highlight the negative effects of soil N enrichment on NPP in natural grasslands super-saturated with N. Furthermore, by considering ANPP and BNPP simultaneously, our results indicate that previous findings from above-ground might have over-estimated the positive effects of N deposition on primary productivity., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Nutrient resorption is a fundamental physiological process in plants, with important ecological controls over numerous ecosystem functions. However, the role of community assembly in driving responses of nutrient resorption to perturbation remains largely unknown. Following the Price equation framework and the Community Assembly and Ecosystem Function framework, we quantified the contribution of species loss, species gain, and shared species to the reduction of community-level nutrient resorption efficiency in response to multi-level nitrogen (N) addition in a temperate steppe, after continuous N addition for seven years. Reductions of both N and phosphorus (P) resorption efficiency (NRE and PRE, respectively) were positively correlated with N addition levels. The dissimilarities in species composition between N-enriched and control communities increased with N addition levels, and N-enriched plots showed substantial species losses and gains. Interestingly, the reduction of community-scale NRE and PRE mostly resulted from N-induced decreases in resorption efficiency for the shared species in the control and N-enriched communities. There were negative correlations between the contributions of species richness effect and species identity effect and between the number and identity of species gained for the changes in both NRE and PRE following N enrichment. By simultaneously considering N-induced changes in species composition and in species-level resorption, our work presents a more complete picture of how different community assembly processes contribute to N-induced changes in community-level resorption., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Developing the lignin-based functional materials for uranium uptake is extremely attractive, but challenging due to the complex structure, poor solubility and reactivity of lignin. Herein, a novel phosphorylated lignin (LP)/sodium alginate/ carboxylated carbon nanotube (CCNT) composite aerogel (LP@AC) with vertically oriented lamellar configuration was created for efficient uranium uptake from acidic wastewater. The successful phosphorylation of lignin by a facile solvent-free mechanochemical method achieved more than six-times enhancement in U(VI) uptake capacity of lignin. While, the incorporation of CCNT not only increased the specific surface area of LP@AC, but also improved its mechanical strength as a reinforcing phase. More importantly, the synergies between LP and CCNT components endowed LP@AC with an excellent photothermal performance, resulting in a local heat environment on LP@AC and further boosting the U(VI) uptake. Consequently, the light irradiated LP@AC exhibited an ultrahigh U(VI) uptake capacity (1308.87 mg g -1 ), 61.26% higher than that under dark condition, excellent adsorptive selectivity and reusability. After exposure to 10 L of simulated wastewater, above 98.21% of U(VI) ions could be rapidly captured by LP@AC under light irradiation, revealing the tremendous feasibility in industrial application. The electrostatic attraction and coordination interaction were considered as the main mechanism for U(VI) uptake., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A novel multi-layered reticular polyamidoxime (PAO)-functionalized holocellulose bundles (ML-r-PAO@HB) with abundant oriented micro-channels and high mechanical strength was created via a facile solvent-exchange strategy and used for the first time to capture uranium from seawater. Due to the hydrophobic interaction of PAO chains induced by the solvent-exchange, multi-layered reticular PAO was successfully self-assembled onto the oriented micro-channels of the HB, which greatly improved the accessibility to the adsorption sites by increasing the exposed surface of PAO. The ML-r-PAO@HB exhibited high uptake capacity (851.42 mg g -1 PAO) and excellent adsorptive selectivity for U(VI) ions. After exposure to 500-L natural seawater for 28 days, an ultra-high uranium extraction capacity (9.74 mg g -1 PAO) was achieved by ML-r-PAO@HB. The N and O atoms in the -C(NH 2 )N-OH group were the main coordination sites for U(VI) uptake. These wonderful performances render the ML-r-PAO@HB highly desirable for the large-scale uranium extraction from seawater., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The precise characteristics of deep parasternal intercostal plane block (DPIP), which is useful for providing analgesia during open heart surgery, have not yet been thoroughly elucidated. In this study, we aimed to establish the efficacy, define the cutaneous sensory block area, and determine the duration of preemptive DPIP block at the T3-4 or T4-5 intercostal spaces in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) via sternotomy., Design: A prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled trial., Setting: Patients were randomly divided into three cohorts, each containing thirty patients., Participants: Ninety patients who underwent elective CABG via sternotomy were included in this study., Interventions: The T3-4 and T4-5 groups received a preoperative single-shot DPIP block at the respective intercostal spaces. The principal objective of the study was to ascertain the optimal dosage of sufentanil administered during surgical procedures involving either a DPIP block or its absence, and to conduct a comparative analysis thereof across distinct injection sites, specifically T3-4 and T4-5. Secondary factors considered were the dosage of postoperative analgesics, the extent of sensory block on the skin, pain levels after extubation, time of recovery from anesthesia (time to extubation), duration of the block, and the occurrence of nausea and vomiting., Measurements & Main Results: Preemptive DPIP block significantly reduced intraoperative sufentanil requirement compared to the control group (T3-4:0.38 ± 0.1, T4-5:0.32 ± 0.10, vs. Control:0.88 ± 0.3 μg/kg/h, p  < 0.001). It also resulted in decreased analgesic consumption and numeric rating scale scores on the day of surgery ( p  < 0.01 compared to the control group). The DPIP block provided accurate anesthetic coverage of the dermatomes in the sternal region and reduced the time to extubation and postoperative nausea. However, the injection point (either via the T3-4 intercostal or the T4-5 intercostal) did not affect the efficacy. Preoperative DPIP block failed to provide adequate analgesia beyond 24 h post-surgery., Conclusion: Preemptive bilateral DPIP block provided effective analgesia in patients undergoing CABG during surgery and in the early postoperative period. The analgesic effects of the DPIP block in the T3-4 and T4-5 intercostal spaces were comparable.

The nutrient supply to the freshwater system may be changed by rainfall, which also encourages the cyclic succession of microorganisms. However, in a highly dynamic land-water reservoir, the microbial metabolic changes brought on by the changes of water nutrients following rainfall are not clearly documented. The study selected the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) backwater region during algal bloom seasons as the study area and time, and used the Biolog-EcoPlates technique to examine the heterotrophic metabolism conditions of the water before and after rain. The field monitoring assessed how biotic and abiotic variables affected CO 2 flux at the water-air interface. The tests conducted in the laboratory investigated the water-integrated metabolic process was affected by post-rainfall environmental changes. The results showed that the average flux of CO 2 at the water-air interface before rainfall was -489.17 ± 506.66 mg·(m 2 ·d) -1 , while the average CO 2 flux reached 393.35 ± 793.49 mg·(m 2 ·d) -1 after rainfall. This is mostly explained by the heterotrophic metabolic variability of plankton in response to changes in the aqueous environment brought on by precipitation. These discoveries help us better understand how biological metabolisms after rain affect the CO 2 flux at the water-air interface and reservoir greenhouse gas (GHG) emission equivalents can be evaluated more accurately., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the prevalence and distribution of mental disorders in the elderly population 5 years after the Lushan earthquake in Ya'an, China., Methods: A multi-stage, group-matching random sampling method was adopted with 2579 elderly participants (≥ 60 years old) who were interviewed from January to May 2019. Preliminary screening was conducted using the scale by trained psychiatric nurses, followed by a diagnostic interview during the second stage using Chinese Version of the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder by trained psychiatrists., Results: A total of 2561 participants were included in this study with complete data. The weighted lifetime prevalence of all mental disorders in the elderly was 16.2% (95% CI 15.3-17.1), and the weighted 12-month prevalence was 15.2% (95% CI 13.4-17.0). Depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, substance-related and addictive disorders were the most common mental disorders. The 12-month prevalence of all mental disorders were significantly higher in the elderly living alone, with chronic somatic disease, and being poor (P < 0.05). The 12-month prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was significantly higher in the elderly in extremely severely earthquake-affected areas (P < 0.001)., Conclusion: The results of this study show that mental health status of the elderly in Ya'an area differ by socio-economic development, geographical location, and natural disasters. The social and economic development characteristics, the impact of major natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes), and population characteristics should be combined to formulate strategies and interventions to promote the mental health of the elderly., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.)

This study aimed to decipher the effect of glycoprotein nonmetastatic melanoma protein B ( GPNMB ) on neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (NHIE) and its potential molecular mechanism. The hypoxic-ischemic (HI) model was established in 7-day-old rats, and then, Zea-Longa scores and Nissl staining were performed to measure brain damage post-HI. In addition, gene sequencing was used to detect the differential expression genes (DEGs), and then, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes databases were used to determine the function of DEGs. Furthermore, an oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) model was developed in SY5Y cells and human fetal neurons, and then, the level of GPNMB was verified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. In addition, methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium and cell counting kit-8 assays were applied after GPNMB interference. Finally, the alternative splicing of GPNMB expression was analyzed using Splice Grapher software. The results indicated that HI induced marked neurological impairment and neuron injury in rats. Also, GPNMB was the most obviously upregulated gene in DEGs. Additionally, GPNMB was upregulated significantly in SY5Y and fetal neurons after OGD, and GPNMB-si promoted an increase in cell viability and number. Moreover, we found that the GPNMB alternative splicing type was the Alternative 3' splice site, with the alternative splicing site in 143382985:143404102. Herein, GPNMB promotes a crucial regulatory mechanism with alternative splicing for neuronal survival after NHIE., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2022 The Authors. Ibrain published by Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University and Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

The development of functional biomass-based carbon aerogels (CAs) with excellent mechanical flexibility and ultra-high phosphate capture capacity is crucial for capture and recovery of phosphate from waste water. Herein, a functional biomass-derived CA (MgO@SL/CMC CA) with an ordered wave-shaped layered structure and excellent compressibility was fabricated with the aim of creating a material with efficient phosphate capture performance. The incorporation of sulfonomethylated lignin (SL) significantly improves the mechanical flexibility of MgO@SL/CMC CA. Numerous MgO nano-particles (NPs), which act as principal adsorption sites, were uniformly anchored on the MgO@SL/CMC CA. The prepared MgO@SL/CMC CA with high Mg content (20.34 wt%) exhibited an ultra-high phosphate capture capacity (218.51 mg P g -1 for adsorbent or 644.58 mg P g -1 for MgO), excellent adsorptive selectivity for phosphate and a wide pH range of application (2-8). Notably, more than 81.95% of the phosphate capture capacity was retained after six cyclic adsorption-desorption tests. A considerable effective treatment volume (468 BV) of actual wastewater (1.7 mg P L -1 ) could be achieved by the MgO@SL/CMC CA in the fixed-bed adsorption column. Research into the adsorption mechanism reveals that monolayer chemisorption of phosphate occurs on the MgO@SL/CMC CA through a ligand exchange process. The combination of favorable flexibility, green raw materials and superior phosphate capture performance endows MgO@SL/CMC CA with great application potential in the practical treatment of wastewater., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder. Emerging evidence suggests that synaptic dysfunction is associated with the onset and progression of AD. Interestingly, Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb) is one of the most frequently investigated herbal medicines for enhancing cognition and alleviating neurodegenerative dementia. This study aimed to investigate the effect and the mechanism of EGb on AD-like synaptic disorders., Methods: Scopolamine (SCO)-induced rats were used to mimic AD-like memory deficits. Morris water maze test and fear conditioning test were conducted to evaluate the memory status of rats in response to different treatments. Then, the synapse alterations were assessed by Golgi staining, and Western blotting was conducted to assess the protein expression of PSD95, GluN2B, synapsin-1, and synaptophysin. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction was applied to detect the mRNA expression of PSD95 and the levels of miR-1-3p/miR-206-3p., Results: EGb supplement alleviated the learning and memory deficits induced by SCO in behavioral experiments. Moreover, EGb treatment attenuated synaptic damage elicited by SCO, manifested as increased dendritic spine density and the proportion of mushroom-type spines in hippocampal neurons. Further investigation indicated that EGb rescued the expression of synaptic-related proteins, especially PSD95, and decreased the levels of miR-1-3p/miR-206-3p in the rat hippocampus., Conclusion: The application of EGb effectively treats SCO-induced memory impairments probably by suppressing miR-1-3p/miR-206-3p and elevating the expression of PSD95., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Asterquanzhouensis sp. nov. (Asteraceae) from Fujian, eastern China, is described and illustrated. It grows on rocks in the riparian zone. Morphological, cytological and molecular investigations of A.quanzhouensis were carried out. The morphological data and phylogenetic analysis based on combined ITS, ETS and trnL-F dataset suggest that A.quanzhouensis is a separate species closely related to A.tonglingensis . The new species differs from the latter by the shorter stem length, leaf morphology, colour of phyllaries, number of ray florets, and achene shape. The cytological observation shows that the new species is diploid with a karyotype of 2n = 18., (Jia-Wei Xiao, Guo-Jiao Yan, Wei-Ping Li, Ming Tang.)

Temporal stability of net primary productivity (NPP) is important for predicting the reliable provisioning of ecosystem services under global changes. Although nitrogen (N) addition is known to affect the temporal stability of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), it is unclear how it impacts that of belowground net primary productivity (BNPP) and NPP, and whether such effects are scale dependent. Here, using experimental N addition in a grassland, we found different responses of ANPP and BNPP stability to N addition at the local scale and that these responses propagated to the larger spatial scale. That is, N addition significantly decreased the stability of ANPP but did not affect the stability of BNPP and NPP at the two scales investigated. Additionally, spatial asynchrony of both ANPP and BNPP among communities provided greater stability at the larger scale and was not affected by N addition. Our findings challenge the traditional view that N addition would reduce ecosystem stability based on results from aboveground dynamics, thus highlighting the importance of viewing ecosystem stability from a whole system perspective., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Cryotherapy is one of the most common treatments for warts; however, pain during treatment and relatively high recurrence rates limit its use. Local hyperthermia has also been used successfully in the treatment of plantar warts. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical effectiveness of local hyperthermia vs cryotherapy for the treatment of plantar warts. This multi- centre, open, 2-arm, non-randomized concurrent controlled trial included 1,027 patients, who received either cryotherapy or local hyperthermia treatment. Three months after treatment, local hyperthermia and cryotherapy achieved complete clearance rates of 50.9% and 54.3%, respectively. Recurrence rates were 0.8% and 12%, respectively. Pain scores during local hyperthermia were significantly lower than for cryotherapy. Both local hyperthermia and cryotherapy demonstrated similar efficacy for clearance of plantar warts; while local hyperthermia had a lower recurrence rate and lower pain sensation during treatment.

The novel sulfomethylated lignin-grafted-polyacrylic acid (SL-g-PAA) hydrogel was fabricated in this work via a facile and green synthetic strategy for the efficient removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater, and then successively reused for chemiluminescence (CL). The sulfomethylation of lignin was first performed to improve its water solubility and introduce numerous active sites for adsorption of heavy metal ions. The as-synthesized SL-g-PAA hydrogel with high content of lignin exhibited the highly efficient and rapid removal of various metal ions from simulated wastewater. More importantly, the spent hydrogel (M 2+ @SL-g-PAA) after adsorption was reused for the first time to develop a new CL system by an ingenious strategy, in which these metal ions adsorbed on M 2+ @SL-g-PAA act as heterogeneous catalytic sites to catalyze the CL reaction between N-(4-aminobutyl)-N-ethylisoluminol (ABEI) and H 2 O 2 . The resultant CL system displayed high CL intensity and long duration time, which could be observed by naked eye in the dark and lasted for > 24 h. The combination of facile fabrication process, renewable raw materials, and ingenious strategy for successive application in adsorption and CL endows this lignin-based composite hydrogel with a great potential for application in wastewater treatment, biological imaging and cold light sources., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays an indispensable role in ecosystem services and functions in wetlands. While most wetlands have undergone increased nitrogen (N) loading due to intensive human activities, the response of DOM characteristics to long-term N addition remains unexplored. In this study, we assessed the changes in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), NH 4 + , NO 3 - , dissolved organic N (DON), dissolved total N (DTN), and dissolved total phosphorus (DTP) in surface water and soil pore water at 15 cm depth after 10 years of N addition at four levels (0, 60, 120, and 240 kg N hm -2 year -1 ) in a freshwater marsh of Northeast China. We also examined the effect of N addition on DOM aromaticity and humification by measuring the specific UV absorbance at 254 nm (SUVA 254 ), the color per C unit (C/C ratio), and the fulvic acid/humic acid ratio (E4/E6 ratio). Our results showed that N addition significantly altered DOM properties, but the direction and magnitude of these changes generally did not vary with the N addition level. During the growing season, DOC, NH 4 + , NO 3 - , DON, and DTN concentrations in both surface water and soil pore water were increased by N addition. Accordingly, N addition increased the DOC/DTP and DTN/DTP ratios but decreased the DOC/DTN ratio in surface water and soil pore water. In addition, the SUVA 254 value and C/C ratio increased, while the E4/E6 ratio reduced after N addition in surface water and soil pore water, indicating increases in DOM aromaticity and humification. These observations suggest that long-term N addition changes DOM characteristics by causing stoichiometric imbalances and increasing recalcitrant compounds in temperate freshwater wetlands, which may then deteriorate water quality, alter microbial-mediated ecological processes, and impact downstream aquatic ecosystem structures., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

As the severe damage of phosphate enrichment in the water ecosystem and the supply shortage of phosphate rock, developing an efficient method for the removal and recycling of phosphate from wastewater is of great significance. To achieve this goal, adsorption technology has been widely investigated, and various adsorbents were developed. Among them, the biomass-derived adsorbents including biomass-derived carbon-based materials, biomass-based anion exchangers and metal-biomass composites have attracted increasing attention over the past years due to the low cost, abundant renewable raw materials and environmental friendliness. However, different adsorbents usually exhibit variable adsorption performances for phosphate, which highly depends on their design strategies, preparation methods and potential adsorption mechanisms. Thus, this review comprehensively summarizes the recent researches on the removal and recycling of phosphate from wastewater using the biomass-derived adsorbents. Especially, the design strategies, preparation methods, adsorption performances and mechanisms of these reported biomass-derived adsorbents are discussed in detail. Moreover, as the significant strategies to recover and recycling phosphate, the elution and direct use of phosphate-loaded adsorbents as fertilizers are also presented. Although the excellent adsorption performance has been obtained, some challenges are still existing, which should be given more attention in the following researches to facilitate the development and industrial application of biomass-derived adsorbents., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: This study aimed to (1) explore the prevalence and relevant influencing factors of different mental disorders 5 years after the Lushan earthquake in Ya'an, China., Methods: An epidemiological mental health survey was conducted to identify the prevalence of mental disorders in general population in Ya'an. A multi-stage, group-matching random sampling method was adopted. Face-to-face interviews were done with a two-stage design by trained interviewers and psychiatrists. The 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) was used for the diagnosis., Results: There were 8876 participants who were interviewed in this study. The total 12-month and lifetime prevalence of all mental disorders were 12.5% and 14.7%, respectively. There was a significant difference between males and females in the prevalence patterns of several mental disorders. Han ethnic group had higher prevalence of anxiety disorders (2.7%), and the Tibetan group had higher prevalence of alcohol-related disorders (5.0%). Logistic regression analysis showed that the areas severely affected by the earthquake had significantly higher prevalence of depressive disorders, and the extremely severe affected areas had significantly higher prevalence of trauma- and stressor-related disorders., Conclusion: Our findings show that the prevalence of a range of mental disorders 5 years after the earthquake in Ya'an are high, and the prevalence of depressive and trauma- and stressor-related disorders may be influenced differently by the various severity of earthquake impact. This study may be crucial for the health policy-making, cultural-specific mental health services and long-term mental recovery after the earthquake.

Development of lignin-derived carbon adsorbents with ultrahigh phosphate adsorption activity and rapid adsorption kinetics is of great importance, yet limited success has been achieved. Herein, we develop a CeO 2 functionalized N-doped lignin-derived biochar (Ce@NLC) via a cooperative modification strategy for effective and fast phosphate capture. The novel modification strategy not only contributes greatly to the loading of well-dispersed CeO 2 nanoparticles with a smaller size, but also significantly increases the relative concentration of Ce(III) species on Ce@NLC. Consequently, an enhanced capture capacity for phosphate (196.85 mg g -1 ) as well as extremely rapid adsorption kinetics were achieved in a wide operating pH range (2-10). Interestingly, Ce@NLC exhibited a strong phosphate adsorption activity at even low-concentration phosphorus-containing water. The removal efficiency and final P concentration reached 99.87% and 2.59 μg P L -1 within 1 min at the phosphate concentration of 2 mg P L -1 . Experiments and characterization indicated that Ce(III) species plays a predominant role for the phosphate capture, and ligand exchange, together with electrostatic attraction, are the main adsorption mechanism. This work develops not only an efficient carbon-based adsorbent for phosphate capture, but also promotes the high-value application of industrial lignin., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Design of carbon-based adsorbents derived from industrial lignin with superior phosphate adsorption performance is of great significance, yet limited researches have been reported. Here, we report a MgO-functionalized lignin-based bio-charcoal (MFLC) as an efficient adsorbent for phosphate removal. The obtained MgO nanoparticles were dispersed homogeneously on MFLC with particle size of 50-100 nm and higher loading content (28.41%). Benefiting from the favorable morphology of MgO nanoparticles, the MFLC exhibits excellent regeneration ability for phosphate adsorption, which can be applied in a wide range of pH values (2-10). The maximum adsorption capacity could reach to 906.82 mg g -1 for phosphate. Interestingly, the MFLC shows extremely high adsorption activity in the low concentration of phosphate (2 mg P L -1 ), and its phosphate removal efficiency achieves 99.76%. Furthermore, the results also indicated that the higher loading content of MgO together with smaller particle size can effectively enhance the phosphate adsorption activity of MFLC. The adsorption mechanism revealed that the adsorption of phosphate on the surface of MFLC belongs to single-layer chemisorption, and ligand exchange plays a crucial role during adsorption/desorption. This work not only develops a new strategy for the preparation of high-efficiency carbon-based adsorbents, but also facilitates the value-added utilization of industrial lignin., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We propose a dual-view integral imaging display using a polarizer. It consists of a display panel, a polarizer, a microlens array, and two pairs of polarizer glasses. The polarizer comprises the left and right subpolarizers whose polarization directions are orthogonal. Two kinds of elemental images are captured from different three-dimensional scenes and located on the left and right half of the display panel. The lights emitting from two kinds of elemental images are polarized by the left and right subpolarizers. The polarization directions of the two pairs of polarizer glasses used in the left and right viewing zones are the same as those of the right and left subpolarizers, respectively. Two different three-dimensional images are simultaneously viewed in the left and right viewing directions by wearing two pairs of polarizer glasses. A prototype of the proposed dual-view integral imaging display is developed, and the experimental results verify the hypothesis.

Long-term overuse of grasslands results in quantitative and qualitative decline of forage yield. Nutrient supplementation is a key strategy to improve forage yield. While mounting evidence showed that nitrogen (N) supplementation can increase forage yield, little is known about its impacts on forage quality. To understand the effects of N supplementation on forage quality at the community level, we carried out a field experiment in the meadow steppe of Hulunbuir. Our results showed that N supplementation significantly increased forage yield by 23%, which was mainly due to positive responses of perennial rhizomatous grass. The yield of other plant functional groups showed neutral response to N supplementation. The concentrations of crude protein, crude fat, and crude fiber varied significantly among different plant functional groups. Nitrogen supplementation significantly enhanced the concentration of crude protein in rhizomatous grass, bunchgrass, legume, and sedge. It enhanced the content of crude fat in rhizomatous grass but with no effect on other functional groups. Nitrogen supplementation had no effect on the concentration of crude fibre in all functional groups. At the community level, N supplementation significantly increased the concentrations of crude protein and crude fat. Our results are important for understanding the responses of forage production in meadow steppe under the scenarios of N enrichment.

Dendrobium devonianum has been used as herbal medicines and nutraceutical products since ancient time in China. However, its chemical composition and pharmacological mechanisms are not fully known. In present studies, by chemical purification and characteristic identification, we discovered a novel polysaccharide from D. devonianum, which was designated as DvP-1 with molecular weights of 9.52 × 10 4  Da. DvP-1 is a homogeneous heteropolysaccharide consisting of D-mannose and d-glucose in the molar ration of 10.11: 1. The main glycosidic linkages were β-1, 4-Manp, which were substituted with acetyl groups at the O-2, O-3 and/or O-6 positions. DvP-1 was found to directly stimulate the activation of macrophages in vitro, as evidenced by inducing morphologic change, thereby promoting the production of cytokines TNF-α, IL-6 and NO, and enhancing the pinocytic activity of macrophages. By establishing a zebrafish model, we also found that DvP-1 could alleviate vinorelbine-induced decrease of macrophages in vivo. Further findings indicated that DvP-1 activated macrophages through several toll-like receptors (TLRs), but mainly through TLR4. DvP-1 served as a TLR4 agonist and induced ERK, JNK, p38, and IκB-α phosphorylation, suggesting the activation of MAPK and NFκB signaling pathways downstream of TLR4. These findings could help us further understand the immunomodulating effects of D. devonianum in Chinese medicines or health foods for immunocompromised persons. They also show the medicinal value of DvP-1 for the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases caused by TLR4 dysfunction., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aims: The stoichiometric characteristics of plant communities are important controller for several fundamental ecological processes. The effects of environmental changes on community stoichiometric characteristics are driven by intra- and inter-specific variation. However, the relative importance of both pathways has seldom been empirically examined., Methods: We quantified the relative contribution of intra- and inter-specific variation to the changes of community nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations after seven-year factorial N addition and mowing treatments in a semi-arid grassland of northern China., Results: Nitrogen addition significantly increased community N and P concentrations and N:P ratio. Mowing significantly increased community N concentration and N:P. Intra-specific variation contributed more than inter-specific variation to the total variability of all the nutritional and stoichiometric characteristics, with intra-specific variation accounting for 68%, 70%, and 75% of the total variation in community-level N, P, and N:P, respectively. Negative covariations between the contribution of intra- and inter-specific variation occurred for community N and P concentrations. Further, N addition and mowing interacted to affect the impacts of intra- and inter-specific variation on community N concentration and N:P stoichiometry., Conclusions: Our results highlight different ways of trait selection for N addition and mowing treatments. Interactions between those two factors make it more difficult to accurately predict the responses of plant-mediated biogeochemical cycles under co-occurrence of environmental changes., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

To develop a novel lignin-based highly efficient nitrogen fertilizer, the amination of the biorefinery technical lignin was conducted by Mannich reaction synergy with phenolation pretreatment. Subsequently, the structural transformations of lignin samples and the reaction mechanism were investigated in detail. The soil column leaching experiment was also performed to research the nitrogen release behavior of aminated lignin in soil. The results indicated that the amounts of active sites in lignin were significantly increased to 8.26 mmol/g from the original 2.91 mmol/g by phenolation. In addition, the Mannich reaction was highly selective for occurring at ortho- and para-positions of phenolic hydroxyl groups in the phenolated lignin, in which the latter was favored. Moreover, the nitrogen content in the aminated lignin was highly depended on the types of amination reagent instead of the proportion of reactants in this study. Under an optimal condition, aminated lignin with a high nitrogen content (10.13%) and low C/N ratio (6.08) could be obtained. Besides, it was especially noteworthy that the prepared APL in this study has a favorable nitrogen release behavior in soil. Thus, it is believed that these aminated lignin derivatives could be used for the preparation of various lignin-based highly efficient nitrogen fertilizer., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Fatty acid oxidation (FAO) disorder is involved in the pathogenesis of some cases of preeclampsia (PE). Several studies show that mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is related to FAO. Pravastatin (Pra) can promote FAO in Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) PE-like mouse model in our previous study. This study aimed to investigate the effect of mTOR signaling pathway in PE-like model treated with Pra., Methods: Pregnant mice were randomly injected with L-NAME as PE-like model group or saline as control group respectively, from gestational 7th to 18th day. Giving Pra (L-NAME + Pra, Control + Pra, n = 8) or normal saline (NS; L-NAME + NS, Control + NS, n = 8) from gestational 8th to 18th day, the mice were sacrificed on day 18 and their liver and placental tissues were collected. Then the activation of mTOR and its substrates in the liver and placenta were detected. And the association between mTOR activation and serum free fatty acid (FFA) levels and the expression of long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase (LCHAD) were evaluated using Pearson correlation test. Differences between groups were analyzed using independent t-test or one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA)., Results: Both in the maternal liver and placenta, the activation of mTOR protein and its effect on substrates increased significantly in the L-NAME + NS group and decreased significantly in the L-NAME + Pra group. The p-mTOR/mTOR protein ratio decreased in the L-NAME + Pra group significantly than that in the L-NAME + NS group both in liver and placenta (liver: 0.74 ± 0.08 vs. 0.85 ± 0.06, t = 2.95, P < 0.05; placenta: 0.63 ± 0.06 vs. 0.77 ± 0.06, t = 4.64, P < 0.05). The activation of mTOR protein in the liver and placenta negatively correlated with the expression of LCHAD in the L-NAME + NS group (liver: r = -0.745, P < 0.05; placenta: r = -0.833, P < 0.05) and that in the maternal liver negatively correlated with the expression of LCHAD (r = -0.733, P < 0.05) and positively with the serum FFA levels (r = 0.841, P < 0.05) in the L-NAME + Pra group., Conclusion: The inhibition of mTOR signaling pathway might be involved in the regulation of FAO in mouse model treated with Pra.

Increasing availability of reactive nitrogen (N) threatens plant diversity in diverse ecosystems. While there is mounting evidence for the negative impacts of N deposition on one component of diversity, species richness, we know little about its effects on another one, species evenness. It is suspected that ecosystem management practice that removes nitrogen from the ecosystem, such as hay-harvesting by mowing in grasslands, would mitigate the negative impacts of N deposition on plant diversity. However, empirical evidence is scarce. Here, we reported the main and interactive effects of N deposition and mowing on plant diversity in a temperate meadow steppe with 4-year data from a field experiment within which multi-level N addition rates and multiple N compounds are considered. Across all the types of N compounds, species richness and evenness significantly decreased with the increases of N addition rate, which was mainly caused by the growth of a tall rhizomatous grass, Leymus chinensis. Such negative impacts of N addition were accumulating with time. Mowing significantly reduced the dominance of L. chinensis, and mitigated the negative impacts of N deposition on species evenness. We present robust evidence that N deposition threatened biodiversity by reducing both species richness and evenness, a process which could be alleviated by mowing. Our results highlight the changes of species evenness in driving the negative impacts of N deposition on plant diversity and the role of mowing in mediating such negative impacts of N deposition.

Osteosarcoma is the most common non-hematological primary bony malignancy in children and young adults with tumor metastasis being a common event at diagnosis. Understanding the pathogenesis of metastatic osteosarcoma may help identify potential therapeutic targets. In this study, we found that the level of microRNA-645 (miR-645) in osteosarcoma tumor tissues was significantly increased compared with their paired non-tumorous tissues, and was associated with histologic grade, TNM staging, lymph metastasis and distant metastasis. Knockdown of miR-645 caused a remarkable inhibition of migration of osteosarcoma U2OS cells. Furthermore, miR-645 inhibited NME2 (nucleoside diphosphate kinase 2) expression through directly binding to its 3' untranslated region. In human osteosarcoma tissues, we also found that NME2 was significantly decreased in tumor tissues, and its level was negatively correlated with miR-645. In addition, silencing NME2 attenuated the decreased cell migration by knockdown of miR-645, suggesting that it was involved in the miR-645 induced cell migration of osteosarcoma cells. Taken together, we found that miR-645 was up-regulated in osteosarcoma tissues and could promote osteosarcoma cell migration through directly inhibiting the tumor suppressor NME2. Our data provide novel insight into the role of miR-645 in osteosarcoma and indicate that miR-645 might be a potential therapeutic target of osteosarcoma., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Lactobacillus fermentum KP-3 was isolated from Korean pickle and used to ferment ginseng. The changes in the minor ginsenosides in the fermented ginseng were analyzed and the material was evaluated in high fat diet-fed mice. Total ginsenosides increased from 0.746 mg g-1 to 0.939 mg g-1 after fermentation, and the levels of minor ginsenosides (Rg2, Rg3, Rh1, Rh2, F2, and Ro) increased from 0.186 mg g-1 to 0.704 mg g-1. In an animal study, the serum TC and LDL levels in the HFD group were significantly higher than those of the control group. Compared with the HFD group, the probiotic-fermented ginseng significantly decreased the serum TC and LDL levels. In addition, the serum and liver ALT and AST levels were dramatically increased in the HFD group, but these increases were significantly inhibited by treatment with the probiotic-fermented ginseng. Furthermore, fermented ginseng reduced high fat diet-induced liver lipid accumulation. Overall, fermentation with L. fermentum KP-3 enhanced minor ginsenosides in ginseng and this probiotic-fermented ginseng ameliorated hyperlipidemia and liver injury induced by a high fat diet.

Background: miRNAs are confirmed to play essential roles in tumorigenesis and progression of cancers, including Ewing's sarcoma. miR-185 has been reported to be downregulated in some tumors, whereas the role of miR-185 in Ewing's sarcoma remains unclear., Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the role of miR-185 in the progression and metastasis of Ewing's sarcoma and explore the associated mechanism., Materials and Methods: Ewing's sarcoma cell line RD-ES was transfected with pCMV-MIR-miR185 vector to upregulate the expression of miR-185. Cell Counting Kit 8 and colony formation assays were used to assess the effect of miR-185 on cell proliferation. The effect of miR-185 on cell migration and invasion was detected by transwell assay. Flow cytometry assay was performed to detect apoptosis rate of RD-ES cells. The protein levels of apoptosis-related proteins was determined using Western blot assay or immunohistochemistry assay. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to validate the regulation between miR-185 and its target gene., Results: Upregulation of miR-185 caused significant inhibition on cell growth capacity, migration and invasion of Ewing's sarcoma cell RD-ES. Besides, upregulation of miR-185 was observed to accelerate cell apoptosis in a mitochondrial pathway through regulating Bcl-2/Bax, Caspase 3, and Caspase 9 in Ewing's sarcoma in vitro . Moreover, upregulation of miR-185 was found to suppress the PI3K/Akt/mTOR and Wnt/β-catenin pathways in RD-ES cells. Furthermore, we identified that E2F6 was a target gene for miR-185, and the suppression on cell proliferation caused by overexpression of miR-185 was significantly rescued by the upregulation of E2F6 in RD-ES cells., Conclusion: miR-185 is involved in cell growth, motility and survival of Ewing's sarcoma as a tumor suppressor via suppressing PI3K/Akt/mTOR and Wnt/β-catenin pathways and targeting E2F6., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Nitrogen (N) enrichment has great consequences on several fundamental ecological processes through its impacts on plant nutrition traits (i.e. nutrient concentration and stoichiometric ratios); however, the extent to which the effects of N enrichment depend on phosphorus (P) availability are less well understood. While there is mounting evidence for the species-specific responses of plant nutrition traits to nutrient enrichment, we know little about the changes at the community-level. Here, we measured community-level biomass weighted (CWM) and non-weighted (CM) plant N and P concentrations and N:P ratio in a temperate meadow steppe after four years factorial N and P addition, with biomass and nutrition traits of each species in each plot being recorded. Nitrogen addition significantly increased community-level N concentration, decreased P concentration, and enhanced community N:P ratio. Phosphorus addition had no impacts on community-level N concentration, significantly increased P concentration, and reduced community N:P ratio. The impacts of N addition on community nutrition traits were not dependent on P addition and the community-level nutrition trait responses to N and P additions were primarily driven by intraspecific trait variation (ITV) rather than by species turnover. Community-level nutrition traits in the temperate meadow steppe were sensitive to the projected N and P enrichment. While nutrient enrichment had substantially changed community composition, its impacts on community nutrition traits were driven by ITV. Nitrogen deposition would result in imbalance of N and P in plant community, as indicated by the substantial increase in community-level N:P, which was not affected by increased P availability., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

2,3,5,4'-Tetrahydroxy-stilbene-2-O-β-d-glucoside (THSG) is a bioactive polyhydroxystilbene compound obtained from Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. Although it has broad therapeutic potential, the application of THSG is limited due to its poor stability in vitro, poor absorption in the intestine, and short-term storage in tissues. Polysaccharides from herbal medicines have been proven to be functional foods and potential natural plant derived drugs. However, the effects of polysaccharides when co-administered with other active ingredients are currently unknown. The present study investigated the influences of Ophiopogon japonicus polysaccharides (OJPs) on THSG. Results showed that OJPs notably enhanced aqueous solubility, and stability of THSG, but slightly decreased the permeability of THSG. In addition, T max , C max , and AUC (0-tn) of THSG were 3.5 fold, 1.45 fold and 2.32 fold higher for THSG-OJP. Thus, OJPs could potentially be used to improve the biopharmaceutical properties and prolong the pharmacological effects of THSG. This finding could provide a reference point for further applications of polysaccharides from herbal medicines., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We propose a dual-view integral imaging (DVII) three-dimensional (3D) display using polarized glasses. The DVII 3D display consists of a display panel, a polarized parallax barrier, a microlens array, and two pairs of polarized glasses. Two kinds of elemental images, which are captured from two different 3D scenes, are alternately arranged on the display panel. The polarized parallax barrier is attached to the display panel and composed of two kinds of units that are also alternately arranged. The polarization directions between adjacent units are perpendicular. The polarization directions of the two pairs of polarized glasses are the same as those of the two kinds of units of the polarized parallax barrier, respectively. The lights emitted from the two kinds of elemental images are modulated by the corresponding polarizer units and microlenses, respectively. Two different 3D images are reconstructed in the viewing zone and separated by using two pairs of polarized glasses. A prototype of the DVII 3D display is developed and two 3D images can be presented simultaneously, verifying the hypothesis.

Background: Pravastatin (Pra) exerts protective effects on preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a multifactorial and pathogenic pathway syndrome. The present study compared the effects of Pra on clinical manifestations of preeclampsia in different pathogenic pathways., Methods: Two different preeclampsia-like mouse models used in this study were generated with Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and used lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from day 7 of gestation, respectively. Pra treatment was administered on day 2 after the models were established in each group (L-NAME + Pra, LPS + Pra, and Control + Pra, n = 8) or normal saline (NS) for the control group (L-NAME + NS, LPS + NS, and Control + NS, n = 8). Maternal weight, serum lipids, the histopathological changes, and lipid deposition in the liver and placenta were observed. The pregnancy outcomes were compared. The blood pressure analysis was carried out on repeated measurements of variance. Student's t-test was used for comparing the two groups. The enumeration data were compared by Chi-square test., Results: The mean arterial pressure (MAP) and 24-h urinary protein in the L-NAME + NS and LPS + NS groups were significantly higher than the Control + NS group (F = 211.05 and 309.92 for MAP, t = 6.63 and 8.63 for 24-h urinary protein; all P < 0.05) and reduced in the L-NAME + Pra group as compared to the L-NAME + NS group (F = 208.60 for MAP, t = 6.77 for urinary protein; both P < 0.05). Urinary protein was decreased in the LPS + Pra group as compared to the LPS + NS group (t = 5.33; P < 0.05), whereas MAP had no statistical significance (F = 3.37; P > 0.05). Compared to the Control + NS group, the placental efficiency in the L-NAME + NS and LPS + NS groups decreased significantly (t = 3.09 and 2.89, respectively; both P < 0.05); however, no significant difference was observed in L-NAME + Pra and LPS + Pra groups (t = 1.37 and 0.58, respectively; both P > 0.05). Free fatty acid was elevated in the L-NAME + NS group as compared to the Control + NS group (t = 3.99; P < 0.05) at day 18 of pregnancy and decreased in the L-NAME + Pra group as compared to the L-NAME + NS group (t = 3.28; P < 0.05); however, no significant change was observed in the LPS model (F = 0.32; P > 0.05)., Conclusion: This study suggested that Pra affected the clinical manifestations differently in preeclampsia-like mouse models generated in various pathogenic pathways., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of miR-138 in osteoporosis and its underlying mechanism. Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) was used to induce osteoporotic injury of osteoblasts. The cell viability and apoptosis of MC3T3-E1 cells was assessed using MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The cell transfection was carried out to modulate the expression levels of miR-138 and TIMP-1 in MC3T3-E1 cells. Luciferase reporter gene assay was performed to determine the interaction between miR-138 and TIMP-1 3'UTR. In the present study, H 2 O 2 inhibited osteoblasts growth and induced intracellular endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress accompanied by high expression of miR-138. We also confirmed that miR-138 promoted osteoblasts apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. MiR-138 was further indicated to inhibit osteoblast survival via negative regulating TIMP-1 expression. Moreover, the downregulated TIMP-1 also mediated the ER stress-induced apoptosis of osteoblasts. We confirmed that miR-138 and ER stress were induced in osteoporosis and then promoted the apoptosis of osteoblasts, at least in part, through TIMP-1.

Objective: The aim of the study was to estimate breast cancer risk conferred by individual single-nucleotide polymorphisms of breast cancer susceptibility genes., Methods: We analyzed the 48 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms of 8 breast cancer susceptibility genes involved in the monoubiquitinated FANCD2-DNA damage repair pathway in 734 Chinese women with breast cancer and 672 age-matched healthy controls., Results: Forty-five tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms were successfully genotyped by SNPscan, and the call rates for each tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms were above 98.9%. We found that 13 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms of 5 genes ( Parter and localizer of Breast cancer gene2 ( PALB2), Tumour protein 53 ( TP53), Nijmegen breakage syndrome 1, Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome 10 ( PTEN), and Breast cancer gene 1 ( BRCA1-interacting protein 1)) were significantly associated with breast cancer risk. A total of 5 tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs2299941 of PTEN, rs2735385, rs6999227, rs1805812, and rs1061302 of Nijmegen breakage syndrome 1) were tightly associated with breast cancer risk in sporadic cases, and 5 other tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs1042522 of TP53, rs2735343 of PTEN, rs7220719, rs16945628, and rs11871753 of BRCA1-interacting protein 1) were tightly associated with breast cancer risk in familial and early-onset cases., Conclusions: Some of the tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms of 5 genes ( PALB2, TP53, Nijmegen breakage syndrome 1, PTEN, and BRCA1-interacting protein 1) involved in the monoubiquitinated FANCD2-DNA damage repair pathway were significantly associated with breast cancer risk.

An autostereoscopic 3D display with high brightness and low crosstalk is proposed. This display consists of a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, a reflective light source (RLS), and a parallax barrier or lenticular lens. The RLS behind the LCD panel consists of a light source, a light guide plate, and a reflection cavity. The RLS can make light reflect continuously in the reflection cavity and exit from the slits on the cavity surface. The widths of these slits are narrower than those of the subpixels, so they can provide a low aperture ratio, which is helpful in obtaining low crosstalk. Because of the reflection cavity, the optical efficiency is higher than that using a single barrier. The parallax barrier or lenticular lens can project parallax images on the LCD panel into different directions. Then 3D images are formed. A prototype of the proposed 3D display having high brightness 3D images and low crosstalk is developed. The experimental results agree well with the theory.

A reflected-light-source (RLS)-based 3D display is proposed. This display consists of an RLS and a 2D display panel. The 2D display panel is located in front of the RLS. The RLS consists of a light source, a light guide plate (LGP), and a reflection cavity. The light source and the LGP are located in the reflection cavity. Light from the light source can enter into the LGP and reflect continuously in the reflection cavity. The reflection cavity has a series of slits, and light can exit only from these slits. These slits can work as a postpositional parallax barrier, so when they modulate the parallax images on the 2D display, 3D images are formed. Different from the conventional 3D display based on a parallax barrier, this RLS has less optical loss, so it can provide higher brightness. A prototype of this display is developed. Experimental results show that this RLS-based 3D display can provide higher brightness than the conventional one.

Organic-inorganic halide perovskite solar cells have enormous potential to impact the existing photovoltaic industry. As realizing a higher conversion efficiency of the solar cell is still the most crucial task, a great number of schemes were proposed to minimize the carrier loss by optimizing the electrical properties of the perovskite solar cells. Here, we focus on another significant aspect that is to minimize the light loss by optimizing the light management to gain a high efficiency for perovskite solar cells. In our scheme, the slotted and inverted prism structured SiO2 layers are adopted to trap more light into the solar cells, and a better transparent conducting oxide layer is employed to reduce the parasitic absorption. For such an implementation, the efficiency and the serviceable angle of the perovskite solar cell can be promoted impressively. This proposal would shed new light on developing the high-performance perovskite solar cells.

Two Gram-stain-negative, rod-shaped bacterial strains, cai42T and b45, were isolated from oil-production water taken from Xinjiang Oilfield, China. Optimum growth was observed at 30 °C, at pH 8 and with 1-3% (w/v) NaCl. According to phylogenetic analyses, the two strains were members of the genus Defluviimonas, with 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 95.5-96.3 % with the type strains of species of the genus. The major cellular fatty acids of strains cai42T and b45 were C10 : 0 3-OH, C16 : 0 and summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c/C18 : 1ω6c), and the predominant ubiquinone was Q-10, all of these data being typical for the genus Defluviimonas. The polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, glycolipid, phosphatidylcholine, two unidentified aminolipids, an unidentified phospholipid and two unidentified lipids. The mean genomic DNA G+C contents of strains cai42T and b45 were 60.8±1.1 and 60.4±1.0 mol%, respectively. On the basis of phylogenetic, physiological and chemotaxonomic analyses, strains cai42T and b45 represent a novel species of the genus Defluviimonas, for which the name Defluviimonas alba sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is cai42T ( = CGMCC 1.12518T = LMG 27406T).

A special subpixel arrangement-based 3D display is proposed. This display consists of a 2D display panel and a parallax barrier. On the 2D display panel, subpixels have a special arrangement, so they can redefine the formation of color pixels. This subpixel arrangement can bring about triple horizontal resolution for a conventional 2D display panel. Therefore, when these pixels are modulated by the parallax barrier, the 3D images formed also have triple horizontal resolution. A prototype of this display is developed. Experimental results show that this display with triple horizontal resolution can produce a better display effect than the conventional one.

An orthogonal-polarized directional backlight-based three-dimensional (3D) display is proposed. This backlight consists of an orthogonal-polarized backlight and a parallax barrier, so it can project light with different polarized directions to different spatial directions. The backlight can project the pixels with different polarized directions on the two-dimensional display in different directions and form 3D images. With this backlight, the proposed display can provide double horizontal resolution. A prototype of this display is developed. Experiment results show that this display with double horizontal resolution can provide a better display effect than the conventional one, and it can decrease crosstalk to a low level.

A 3D display based on a parallax barrier with multiview zones is proposed. This display consists of a 2D display panel and a parallax barrier. The basic element of the parallax barrier has three narrow slits. They can show three columns of subpixels on the 2D display panel and form 3D pixels. The parallax barrier can provide multiview zones. In these multiview zones, the proposed 3D display can use a small number of views to achieve a high density of views. Therefore, the distance between views is the same as the conventional ones with more views. Considering the proposed display has fewer views, which bring more 3D pixels in the 3D images, the resolution and brightness will be higher than the conventional ones. A 12-view prototype of the proposed 3D display is developed, and it provides the same density of views as a conventional one with 28 views. Experimental results show the proposed display has higher resolution and brightness than the conventional one. The cross talk is also limited at a low level.

Multipotent human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) potentially serve as a source for cell-based therapy in regenerative medicine. However, in vitro expansion was inescapably accompanied with cell senescence, characterized by inhibited proliferation and compromised pluripotency. We have previously demonstrated that this aging process is closely associated with reduced 20S proteasomal activity, with down-regulation of rate-limiting catalytic β-subunits particularly evident. In the present study, we confirmed that proteasomal activity directly contributes to senescence of hBMSCs, which could be reversed by overexpression of the β5-subunit (PSMB5). Knocking down PSMB5 led to decreased proteasomal activity concurrent with reduced cell proliferation in early-stage hBMSCs, which is similar to the senescent phenotype observed in late-stage cells. In contrast, overexpressing PSMB5 in late-stage cells efficiently restored the normal activity of 20S proteasomes and promoted cell growth, possibly via upregulating the Cyclin D1/CDK4 complex. Additionally, PSMB5 could enhance cell resistance to oxidative stress, as evidenced by the increased cell survival upon exposing senescent hBMSCs to hydrogen peroxide. Furthermore, PSMB5 overexpression retained the pluripotency of late-stage hBMSCs by facilitating their neural differentiation both in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, our work reveals a critical role of PSMB5 in 20S proteasome-mediated protection against replicative senescence, pointing to a possible strategy for maintaining the integrity of culture-expanded hBMSCs by manipulating the expression of PSMB5., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To study the chemical constituents of Pattra Medicine Euodia lepta in Xishuangbanna of Yunnan Province., Methods: The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by chromatographic techniques, and identified by NMR, MS and other spectral methods., Results: In 60% ethanol extract from the stems,and 95% ethanol extract from the leaves, six compounds and two compounds were isolated and identified as pachypodol( 1) ,3-(3-methyl-but-2-enyl )umbelliferone(2),7-demethylsuberosin (3),beta-sitosterol (4),3,7-dimethoxy kaempferol(5), euolitrine(6), sesamin(7) and p-O-geranyl coumaric acid(8), respectively., Conclusion: Compound 7 is obtained from Euodia genus for the first time,and compound 8 is obtained from domestic Euodia lepta for the first time.