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This paper adopts the random matrix optimization fusion of Bell’s translation model to conduct in-depth research and analysis on the teaching model of English translation in colleges and universities. Bell’s translation model theory explicates the mental model of the translation process to a certain extent based on psycholinguistic research results. Using the results of random matrix theory on the eigenvalues of the sample covariance matrix, the energy of each subspace is estimated, and the estimated energy is then used to construct the subspace-weighting matrix. The statistical properties of the sample covariance matrix eigenvectors were analyzed using the first-order perturbation approximation, and then asymptotic results from random matrix theory on the projection of the sample covariance matrix signal subspaces to the real signal parametrization were used to obtain the weighting matrix based on the random matrix eigenvectors. The analysis shows that the teacher can help students understand the teaching content and master the knowledge points by using guided meta-discoursal to indicate the logical relationships inherent in linguistic expressions and make the discourse transitions natural, coherent, and organized. The use of interactive meta-discoursal attracts students’ attention and treats them as participants in the discourse, making them feel a sense of belonging and satisfying their need for psychological belonging, which is beneficial to the students’ main position in the classroom. In teaching methods, there is a principle of comprehensible input, which is to provide students with a lot of interesting and understandable listening and reading input. In the translation classroom, the translation teachers code-switched infrequently and mainly used three types of code-switching: inter-sentence code-switching, intra-sentence code-switching, and additional code-switching to carry out translation teaching. Among them, intra-sentence code-switching accounts for 57.46%, inter-sentence code-switching accounts for 41.53%, and the least frequent is additional code-switching, accounting for 1.01%.

Analytical advancement enables discoveries in water research, and challenges in the identification and determination of a wide range of trace level toxic compounds in water drives the development of new analytical platforms and tools. The identification of toxic disinfection byproducts (DBPs) in disinfected drinking water is an excellent example. Water disinfection is necessary to protect the public from waterborne disease. However, an unintentional consequence is the formation of DBPs resulting from reactions of disinfectants with natural organic matter in source water. To date, regulated DBPs do not account for the increased bladder cancer risk estimated in epidemiological studies. The majority of halogenated DBPs remain unidentified and the discovery of unknown DBPs of toxicological relevance continues to be a major focus of current water research. This review will highlight halobenzoquinones as a class of DBPs that serves as an example of analytical development and toxicological studies. We will feature recent trends and gaps in analytical technologies for identification of unknown DBPs and bioassays for evaluation of the toxicological effects of specific DBPs and their mixtures.

The low viability during gastrointestinal transit and poor mucoadhesion considerably limits the effectiveness of Ligilactobacillus salivarius Li01 (Li01) in regulating gut microbiota and alleviating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this study, a delivery system was designed through layer-by-layer (LbL) encapsulating a single Li01cell with chitosan and alginate. The layers were strengthened by cross-linking to form a firm and mucoadhesive shell (similar to 10 nm thickness) covering the bacterial cell. The LbL Li01 displayed improved viability under simulated gastrointestinal conditions and mucoadhesive function. Almost no cells could be detected among the free Li01 after 2 h incubation in digestive fluids, while for LbL Li01, the total reduction was around 3 log CFU/mL and the viable number of cells remained above 6 log CFU/mL. Besides, a 5-fold increase in the value of rupture length and a two-fold increase in the number of peaks were found in the (bacteria-mucin) adhesion curves of LbL Li01, compared to those of free Li01. Oral administration with LbL Li01 on colitis mice facilitated intestinal barrier recovery and restoration of the gut microbiota. The improved functionality of Li01 by LbL encapsulation could increase the potential for the probiotic to be used in clinical applications to treat IBD; this should be explored in future studies. Funding Agencies|National Key Research and Development Program of China [2018YFC2000500]; National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaNational Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [32001683]; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health; National Science Foundation of ChinaNational Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [81790631]

Antibiotic treatment is often followed by Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), which causes severe diarrhea and other health issues. Oral administration of Pediococcus pentosaceus Li05 (Li05) has been shown to have great potential in preventing CDI. However, the viability of Li05 is greatly reduced during storage and passage through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which limits its biological activity. In this study, a gastro-responsive microgel was designed to encapsulate and protect Li05 to enhance its efficacy against CDI. The viability of Li05 encapsulated within the microgels was significantly enhanced during long-term storage and after exposure to simulated GI fluids. Moreover, this gastro-responsive microgel led to greater sustained release of the probiotic. In a mouse CDI model, we found that encapsulated Li05 was better at inhibiting C. difficile infection than nonencapsulated Li05, as demonstrated through analysis of the probiotic survival rate, spleen weight, colonic histology, and inflammatory cytokine levels. Moreover, the gut microbial diversity was enriched by treatment with encapsulated Li05. These results suggest that encapsulating Li05 within biopolymer microgels may enhance its ability to prevent and treat CDI using functional foods, supplements, or pharmaceuticals.

Lactobacillus salivarius Li01 improved TAA‐induced acute liver injury and hyperammonemia which was mediated by restoring destroyed gut microbiota and barrier function, improving TAA‐induced liver damage and systemic inflammation, and alleviating hyperammonaemia, neuro‐inflammation and damaged cognitive function., Summary The gut microbiota plays pivotal roles in liver disease onset and progression. The protective effects of Lactobacillus salivarius Li01 on liver diseases have been reported. In this study, we aimed to detect the protective effect of L. salivarius Li01 on thioacetamide (TAA)‐induced acute liver injury and hyperammonaemia. C57BL/6 mice were separated into three groups and given a gavage of L. salivarius Li01 or phosphate‐buffered saline for 7 days. Acute liver injury and hyperammonaemia were induced with an intraperitoneal TAA injection. L. salivarius Li01 decreased mortality and serum transaminase levels and improved histological liver damage caused by TAA. Serum inflammatory cytokine and chemokine and lipopolysaccharide‐binding protein (LBP) concentrations, nuclear factor κB (NFκB) pathway activation and macrophage and neutrophil infiltration into the liver were significantly alleviated by L. salivarius Li01. L. salivarius Li01 also reinforced gut barrier and reshaped the perturbed gut microbiota by upregulating Bacteroidetes and Akkermansia richness and downregulating Proteobacteria, Ruminococcaceae_UCG_014 and Helicobacter richness. Plasma and faecal ammonia levels declined noticeably in the Li01 group, accompanied by improvements in cognitive function, neuro‐inflammation and relative brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene expression. Our results indicated that L. salivarius Li01 could be considered a potential probiotic in acute liver injury and hepatic encephalopathy (HE).

Background Intestinal dysbiosis has been shown to be associated with the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD), which includes changes in the microbiota composition and bacterial overgrowth, but an effective microbe-based therapy is lacking. Pediococcus pentosaceus (P. pentosaceus) CGMCC 7049 is a newly isolated strain of probiotic that has been shown to be resistant to ethanol and bile salts. However, further studies are needed to determine whether P. pentosaceus exerts a protective effect on ALD and to elucidate the potential mechanism. Aim To evaluate the protective effect of the probiotic P. pentosaceus on ethanol-induced liver injury in mice. Methods A new ethanol-resistant strain of P. pentosaceus CGMCC 7049 was isolated from healthy adults in our laboratory. The chronic plus binge model of experimental ALD was established to evaluate the protective effects. Twenty-eight C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups: The control group received a pair-fed control diet and oral gavage with sterile phosphate buffered saline, the EtOH group received a ten-day Lieber-DeCarli diet containing 5% ethanol and oral gavage with phosphate buffered saline, and the P. pentosaceus group received a 5% ethanol Lieber-DeCarli diet but was treated with P. pentosaceus. One dose of isocaloric maltose dextrin or ethanol was administered by oral gavage on day 11, and the mice were sacrificed nine hours later. Blood and tissue samples (liver and gut) were harvested to evaluate gut barrier function and liver injury-related parameters. Fresh cecal contents were collected, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to measure short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations, and the microbiota composition was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results The P. pentosaceus treatment improved ethanol-induced liver injury, with lower alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase and triglyceride levels and decreased neutrophil infiltration. These changes were accompanied by decreased levels of endotoxin and inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-5, tumor necrosis factor-α, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, keratinocyte-derived protein chemokine, macrophage inflammatory protein-1α and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. Ethanol feeding resulted in intestinal dysbiosis and gut barrier disruption, increased relative abundance of potentially pathogenic Escherichia and Staphylococcus, and the depletion of SCFA-producing bacteria, such as Prevotella, Faecalibacterium, and Clostridium. In contrast, P. pentosaceus administration increased the microbial diversity, restored the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, Prevotella, Clostridium and Akkermansia and increased propionic acid and butyric acid production by modifying SCFA-producing bacteria. Furthermore, the levels of the tight junction protein ZO-1, mucin proteins (mucin [MUC]-1, MUC-2 and MUC-4) and the antimicrobial peptide Reg3β were increased after probiotic supplementation. Conclusion Based on these results, the new strain of P. pentosaceus alleviated ethanol-induced liver injury by reversing gut microbiota dysbiosis, regulating intestinal SCFA metabolism, improving intestinal barrier function, and reducing circulating levels of endotoxin and proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Thus, this strain is a potential probiotic treatment for ALD.

This research aims to explore the phenomenon of taking pets to tourism activities in China based on the hierarchical leisure constraints model. In-depth interview with 23 participants were conducte...

Background Despite the ongoing spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), knowledge about factors affecting prolonged viral excretion is limited. Methods In this study, we retrospectively collected data from 99 hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) between 19 January and 17 February 2020 in Zhejiang Province, China. We classified them into 2 groups based on whether the virus test results eventually became negative. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate factors associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) shedding. Results Among 99 patients, 61 patients had SARS-CoV-2 clearance (virus-negative group), but 38 patients had sustained positive results (virus-positive group). The median duration of SARS-CoV-2 excretion was 15 (interquartile range, 12–19) days among the virus-negative patients. The shedding time was significantly increased if the fecal SARS-CoV-2 RNA test result was positive. Male sex (hazard ratio [HR], 0.58 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .35–.98]), immunoglobulin use (HR, 0.42 [95% CI, .24–.76]), APACHE II score (HR, 0.89 [95% CI, .84–.96]), and lymphocyte count (HR, 1.81 [95% CI, 1.05–3.1]) were independent factors associated with a prolonged duration of SARS-CoV-2 shedding. Antiviral therapy and corticosteroid treatment were not independent factors. Conclusions SARS-CoV-2 RNA clearance time was associated with sex, disease severity, and lymphocyte function. The current antiviral protocol and low-to-moderate dosage of corticosteroid had little effect on the duration of viral excretion.

Aim: Investigation of characteristics of different duodenal microbial colonization states in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC). Materials & methods: Deep-sequencing analyses of the 16S rRNA gene V1-V3 regions were performed. Results: Both bacterial compositions and richness were different between the three-clustered LC microbiotas, in other words, Cluster_1_LC, Cluster_2_LC and Cluster_3_LC. Cluster_1_LC were more likely at severe dysbiosis status due to its lowest modified cirrhosis dysbiosis ratio. OTU12_ Prevotella and OTU10_ Comamonas were most associated with Cluster_1_LC and Cluster_3_LC, respectively, while OTU38_ Alloprevotella was vital in Cluster_2_LC. Pyruvate-ferredoxin/flavodoxin oxidoreductase, dihydroorotate dehydrogenase and branched-chain amino acid transport system substrate-binding protein were most associated with Cluster_1_LC, Cluster_2_LC and Cluster_3_LC, respectively. Conclusion: The three duodenal microbial colonization states had distinct representative characteristics, which might reflect the health status of cirrhotic patients.

Background Probiotics are effective to rectify the imbalanced gut microbiota in the diseased cohorts. Two Bifidobacterium strains (LI09 and LI10) were found to alleviate D-galactosamine-induced liver damage (LD) in rats in our previous work. A series of bioinformatic and statistical analyses were performed to determine the vital bacteria in the gut microbiotas altered by the LI09 or LI10 in rats. Results Two groups of representative phylotypes could distinguish the gut microbiotas of LI09 or LI10 groups from the other groups. Among them, OTU170_Porphyromonadaceae acted as a gatekeeper in LI09 group, while OTU12_Bacteroides was determined with multiple correlations in the gut network of LI10 group. Multiple reduced OTUs associated with LC and increased OTUs associated with health were determined in LI09 or LI10 groups, among which, increased OTU51_Barnesiella and reduced OTU99_Barnesiella could be associated with the protective effects of both the two probiotics. The gut microbiotas in LI09, LI10 and positive control groups were clustered into three clusters, i.e., Cluster_1_Microbiota, Cluster_2_Microbiota and Cluster_3_Microbiota, by Partition Around Medoids clustering analysis. Cluster_2_Microbiota was determined at least dysbiotic status due to its greatest LD dysbiosis ratio, lowest levels of liver function variables and plasma cytokines compared with the two other clustered microbiotas, suggesting the treated rats in Cluster_2 were at better health status. Conclusion Our findings suggest that OTU170_Porphyromonadaceae and OTU12_Bacteroides are vital in the gut microbiotas altered by LI09 and LI10. Characteristics of the LD cohorts treated by LI09 or LI10 at different gut microbial colonization states could help monitor the cohorts’ health status.

Summary The gut microbiota is considered a key factor in pathogenesis and progression of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The bacterium Pediococcus pentosaceus LI05 alleviated host inflammation by maintaining the gut epithelial integrity, modulating the host immunity, gut microbiota and metabolism, but its effect on IBD remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the role and mechanisms of P. pentosaceus LI05. Mice were administered P. pentosaceus LI05 or phosphate‐buffered saline once daily by oral gavage for 14 days, and colitis was induced by providing mice 2% DSS‐containing drinking water for 7 days. P. pentosaceus LI05 ameliorated colitis in mice and reduced the body weight loss, disease activity index (DAI) scores, colon length shortening, intestinal permeability and the proinflammatory cytokine levels. Furthermore, a significantly altered gut microbiota composition with increased diversity and short‐chain fatty acid (SCFA) production was observed in mice treated with P. pentosaceus LI05. Several genera, including Akkermansia and Faecalibacterium, were differentially enriched in the P. pentosaceus LI05‐treated mice and were negatively correlated with colitis indices and positively correlated with gut barrier markers and SCFA levels. The P. pentosaceus LI05 treatment alleviated intestinal inflammation by maintaining the intestinal epithelial integrity and modulating the immunological profiles, gut microbiome and metabolite composition. Based on our findings, P. pentosaceus LI05 might be applied as potential preparation to ameliorate colitis., The P. pentosaceus LI05 treatment alleviated intestinal inflammation by maintaining the intestinal epithelial integrity and modulating the immunological profiles, gut microbiome and metabolite composition. Based on our findings, P. pentosaceus LI05 might be applied as potential preparation to ameliorate colitis.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is an endocrine hormone that exerts beneficial effects on glucose and lipid metabolic homeostasis. However, the impact of FGF21 on type 1 diabetes-associated cognitive decline (DACD) and its mechanisms of action remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of FGF21 on lactate uptake and usage in a mouse model of streptozotocin-induced DACD. Six-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were divided into the control, diabetic, and FGF21 (which received 2 mg/kg recombinant human FGF21) groups. At the end of the treatment period, learning and memory performance, nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabonomics, and expressions of various hippocampal protein were analyzed to determine the efficacy of FGF21. The results showed that, compared to the control mice, the diabetic mice had reduced long-term memory performance after the hyperglycemic insult; decreased hippocampal levels of lactate dehydrogenase-B (LDH-B) activity, bioenergy metabolites, and monocarboxylate transporter 2 (MCT2); as well as increased lactate levels. Impaired phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling was also observed in the diabetic mice. However, FGF21 treatment restored LDH-B activity, β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and ATP levels; increased MCT2 expression and PI3K signaling pathway, which in turn improved the learning and memory defects. These findings demonstrated that the effects of FGF21 in DACD were associated with its ability to improve LDH-B-mediated lactate usage and MCT2-dependent lactate uptake. Further, these beneficial effects of FGF21 in the hippocampus were mediated by the PI3K signaling pathways.

A label-free electrochemical aptasensor is reported for sensitive detection of the 6-kDa early secreted antigenic target (ESAT-6). For the first time, the bimetallic organic framework (b-MOF) of Zr-MOF-on-Ce-MOF was decorated with nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) and applied as the matrix for electroactive toluidine blue (Tb) to form the NG@Zr-MOF-on-Ce-MOF@Tb nanohybrid. The prepared nanohybrid with excellent hydrophilicity, dispersibility, and large specific surface exhibited significant electrochemical response. This nanohybrid could be directly used for anchoring ESAT-6 binding aptamers (EBA) through the interaction between the 5′-phosphate group (PO43−) of EBA and Zr4+ of Zr-MOF. The signal response before and after incubating the ESAT-6 antigen has been evaluated by cyclic voltammetry at a scan rate of 100 mV s−1 from − 0.7 to 0.3 V (vs. SCE). Under optimal conditions, the proposed aptasensor displayed a wide linear range from 100 fg mL−1 to 10 ng mL−1 with a limit of detection (LOD) of 12 fg mL−1. The developed method showed good reproducibility with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 2.27%. The aptasensor showed favorable results in the analysis of the real samples. With these merits, the aptasensor has exceptional potential as a diagnostic tool for tuberculosis in clinical practice.

The potential health benefits of probiotics may not be realized because of the substantial reduction in their viability during food storage and gastrointestinal transit. Microencapsulation can be used to enhance the resistance of probiotics to unfavorable conditions. A range of oral delivery systems has been developed to increase the level of probiotics reaching the colon including embedding and coating systems. This review introduces emerging strategies for the microencapsulation of probiotics and highlights the key mechanisms of their stress-tolerance properties. Recent in vitro and in vivo models for evaluation of the efficiency of probiotic delivery systems are also reviewed. Encapsulation technologies are required to maintain the viability of probiotics during storage and within the human gut so as to increase their ability to colonize the colon. These technologies work by protecting the probiotics from harsh environmental conditions, as well as increasing their mucoadhesive properties. Typically, the probiotics are either embedded inside or coated with food-grade materials such as biopolymers or lipids. In some cases, additional components may be coencapsulated to enhance their viability such as nutrients or protective agents. The importance of having suitable in vitro and in vivo models to evaluate the efficiency of probiotic delivery systems is also emphasized.

The liver is an important digestive gland, and acute liver failure results in high mortality. Probiotics are considered potential adjuvant therapies for liver disease. This study aimed to investigate the beneficial effects of Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 on acute liver injury and the underlying mechanisms. Sprague-Dawley rats were gavaged with L. helveticus R0052 suspensions (3 × 109 CFU) for 1 week. Subsequently, acute liver injury was induced by intraperitoneal D-galactosamine injection on the eighth day. After 24 h, samples (blood, liver, ileum, faeces) were collected and assessed for histological injury, inflammation, intestinal barrier, gut microbiome and metabolome. L. helveticus R0052 alleviated aminotransferase, bilirubin and total bile acid elevation and histological hepatic injuries. Additionally, L. helveticus R0052 exhibited anti-inflammatory properties by downregulating Toll-like receptors, tumour necrosis factor-α and nuclear factor-κb transcription in liver samples and decreasing proinflammatory cytokine plasma concentrations. Additionally, L. helveticus R0052 ameliorated intestinal abnormalities and regulated Toll-like receptors, claudin2 and mucin3 gene transcription in the intestine. These effects were associated with gut microbiome and metabolome modulation by L. helveticus R0052. Probiotic pretreatment enriched Lactobacillus and Bacteroides and depleted Flavonifractor and Acetatifactor in the gut microbiome. Meanwhile, L. helveticus R0052 improved carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism and reduced lithocholic acid levels. These results indicate that L. helveticus R0052 is promising for alleviating acute liver injury and provide new insights regarding the correlations among the microbiome, the metabolome, the intestinal barrier and liver disease.

We developed a new optical method to detect the variation of the surface tension in this work. The distribution of laser scattering from Ag nanofluids droplet on the inclined plate was collected experimentally, and the Airy structures were found in the scattering distribution. The relationship between the scattering field distribution and the liquid surface tension was derived theoretically, and the dependence of the Airy peak of the laser scattering on the surface tension was provided. Based on the relationship between the scattering field distribution and the surface tension, an optical method for the relative measurement of surface tension is established. The surface tensions of Ag nanofluids at different concentrations were measured by this optical means, and it is easy to detect the variation of Airy peak gap vs the Ag particle concentration. The results show that the surface tension of Ag nanofluids decreases with the particle concentration increase when the concentration is less than 3.16 wt. %. This work provides a new idea for surface tension measurement of nanofluids, and it has applications in the field of nanofluids wetting.

Orally administered probiotics encounter various challenges on their journey through the mouth, stomach, intestine and colon. The health benefits of probiotics are diminished mainly due to the substantial reduction of viable probiotic bacteria under the harsh conditions in the gastrointestinal tract and the colonization resistance caused by commensal bacteria. In this review, we illustrate the factors affecting probiotic viability and their mucoadhesive properties through their journey in the gastrointestinal tract, including a discussion on various mucosadhesion-related proteins on the probiotic cell surface which facilitate colonization. Funding Agencies|National Key Research and Development Program of China [2018YFC2000500]; National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaNational Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) [32001683]

The aim of this research was to develop a quantitative method for clinicians to predict the probability of improved prognosis in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Data on 104 patients admitted to hospital with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection from 10 January 2020 to 26 February 2020 were collected. Clinical information and laboratory findings were collected and compared between the outcomes of improved patients and non-improved patients. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistics regression model and two-way stepwise strategy in the multivariate logistics regression model were used to select prognostic factors for predicting clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients. The concordance index (C-index) was used to assess the discrimination of the model, and internal validation was performed through bootstrap resampling. A novel predictive nomogram was constructed by incorporating these features. Of the 104 patients included in the study (median age 55 years), 75 (72.1%) had improved short-term outcomes, while 29 (27.9%) showed no signs of improvement. There were numerous differences in clinical characteristics and laboratory findings between patients with improved outcomes and patients without improved outcomes. After a multi-step screening process, prognostic factors were selected and incorporated into the nomogram construction, including immunoglobulin A (IgA), C-reactive protein (CRP), creatine kinase (CK), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II), and interaction between CK and APACHE II. The C-index of our model was 0.962 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.931-0.993) and still reached a high value of 0.948 through bootstrapping validation. A predictive nomogram we further established showed close performance compared with the ideal model on the calibration plot and was clinically practical according to the decision curve and clinical impact curve. The nomogram we constructed is useful for clinicians to predict improved clinical outcome probability for each COVID-19 patient, which may facilitate personalized counselling and treatment.

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have a long history of playing a vital role in disease prevention, symptom alleviation, and health improvement. However, their complex ingredients and as-yet-unknown mechanisms restrict their application. With increasing evidence indicating that the gut microbiota is important in host health and may be associated with the therapeutic activity of TCM components, it may now be possible to assess the effects of TCMs from the perspective of the gut microbiota. The gut microbiota functions within four major physiological pathways as follows: It participates in host metabolism, forms global immunity, maintains homeostasis of the gastrointestinal tract, and affects brain function and host behavior. This article reviews the reported correlations between TCMs and certain diseases, such as chronic liver disease, ulcerative colitis, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, and elucidates the underlying mechanisms, with a focus on changes in the gut microbiota. In future, further studies are required with more advanced experimental design in order to reveal the interactions between TCMs and the gut microbiota, and provide new insight into and guidance for TCM-based drug discovery. Keywords: Traditional Chinese medicines, Gut microbiome, Fatty liver disease, Ulcerative colitis, Obesity, Diabetes

This study explores the effect of flooding on the vegetation and soil of the water level fluctuation zone (WLFZ) in the Jiangjin section of the Yangtze River. The vegetation community and physical and chemical soil properties at water level elevations of 188–200 m above mean sea level (a.m.s.l) were studied using the belt transect method and the quadrat method when the section was at its lowest water level, with the nonfluctuating zone above 200 m a.m.s.l as a control. Perennial and flood-resistant species, such as Phalaris arundinacea, were dominant in the herbaceous community from 193 to 200 m, and the apparent lowest elevation of plant growth was from 188 to 193 m. From 193 to 206 m, soil bulk density decreased with increasing elevation but increased with soil layer depth. The soil nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in the nonfluctuating zone were higher than those in the WLFZ zone. However, the soil organic matter from 193 to 200 m was higher than that in the nonfluctuating zone. The soil N, P and K from 188.06 to 188.09 m were higher than those from 188.3 to 189 m, except for hydrolysable N. The lowest elevation of plant growth did not result from a lack of soil fertility due to long-term submergence.

The gut microbiota plays an important role in colorectal cancer (CRC), and the use of probiotics might be a promising intervention method. The aim of our study was to investigate the beneficial effect of Bifidobacterium bifidum CGMCC 15068 on an azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sulphate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis-associated CRC (CAC) mouse model. CAC was induced by an intra-peritoneal injection of AOM (10 mg/kg) and three 7-day cycles of 2% DSS in drinking water with a 14-day recovery period between two consecutive DSS administrations. B. bifidum CGMCC 15068 (3 × 109 CFU/mL) was gavaged once daily during the recovery period. Then, the faecal microbial composition and metabolome were profiled using the 16S rRNA sequencing technology and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), respectively. The administration of B. bifidum CGMCC 15068 attenuated tumourigenesis in the CAC mouse model. In addition, B. bifidum CGMCC 15068 pre-treatment increased the relative abundance of Akkermansia, Desulfovibrionaceae, Romboutsia, Turicibacter, Verrucomicrobiaceae, Ruminococcaceae_UCG_013, Lachnospiraceae_UCG_004, and Lactobacillus. Meanwhile, B. bifidum CGMCC 15068 altered metabolites involved in the citrate cycle (TCA cycle), glycolysis, butyrate metabolism, fatty acid biosynthesis, and galactose metabolism. Several significant correlations were identified between the differentially abundant microbes and metabolites. These findings supported the beneficial role of B. bifidum CGMCC 15068 in intestinal health by modulating dysbiosis and the gut metabolic profile. The manipulation of the gut microbial composition using probiotics might be a promising prevention strategy for CRC. Long-term and large-scale clinical trials are warranted for the potential clinical applications of this strategy in the future.

Background Metabolism is critical for sustaining life, immunity and infection, but its role in COVID-19 is not fully understood. Methods Seventy-nine COVID-19 patients, 78 healthy controls (HCs) and 30 COVID-19-like patients were recruited in a prospective cohort study. Samples were collected from COVID-19 patients with mild or severe symptoms on admission, patients who progressed from mild to severe symptoms, and patients who were followed from hospital admission to discharge. The metabolome was assayed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Results Serum butyric acid, 2-hydroxybutyric acid, l -glutamic acid, l -phenylalanine, l -serine, l -lactic acid, and cholesterol were enriched in COVID-19 and COVID-19-like patients versus HCs. Notably, d -fructose and succinic acid were enriched, and citric acid and 2-palmitoyl-glycerol were depleted in COVID-19 patients compared to COVID-19-like patients and HCs, and these four metabolites were not differentially distributed in non-COVID-19 groups. COVID-19 patients had enriched 4-deoxythreonic acid and depleted 1,5-anhydroglucitol compared to HCs and enriched oxalic acid and depleted phosphoric acid compared to COVID-19-like patients. A combination of d -fructose, citric acid and 2-palmitoyl-glycerol distinguished COVID-19 patients from HCs and COVID-19-like patients, with an area under the curve (AUC) > 0.92 after validation. The combination of 2-hydroxy-3-methylbutyric acid, 3-hydroxybutyric acid, cholesterol, succinic acid, L-ornithine, oleic acid and palmitelaidic acid predicted patients who progressed from mild to severe COVID-19, with an AUC of 0.969. After discharge, nearly one-third of metabolites were recovered in COVID-19 patients. Conclusions The serum metabolome of COVID-19 patients is distinctive and has important value in investigating pathogenesis, determining a diagnosis, predicting severe cases, and improving treatment.

We demonstrate a laser far field scattering method to detect droplets efficiently. The scattering from droplet include transmission and reflection patterns, and the relation between the intensity distributions of scattering and the surface tension, refractive index of the liquid droplet were derived out theoretically. In our experiment, the stable transmission and reflection patterns from droplets were collected clearly, and surface tension, the refractive index of the droplet were measured simultaneously. A new optical method for detecting the droplet was developed, and the correlation of the scattering patterns to the droplet shape was also established experimentally. Our work has potential applications in the field of interfacial phenomena.

In this paper, the extinction and near-field properties of Au–Au, Ag–Ag nanosphere homo-dimer and Au–Ag nanosphere hetero-dimer were studied by using the discrete dipole approximation method. The relation between extinction and interparticle spacing was investigated under y- polarization (perpendicular to dimer axis) and z-polarization (parallel to dimer axis) incidence. The results show that the both extinction peak position and enhancement factor of electric field are sensitive to interparticle spacing when the dimer is illuminated by z-polarization incidence. For Au–Ag hetero-dimer, double same-intensity extinction peaks in visible band were found by regulating interparticle space under z-polarization incidence, and the experience forum was obtained for realizing the double same-intensity peaks.

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of TGF-β 1/Smad3 signaling pathway and its downstream factor CTGF in collagen deposition and its molecular mechanism. And then it explored further the effect of exercise on the TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway and collagen deposition in skeletal muscle. Therefore, it is expected to provide alternative exercise intervention approaches for skeletal muscle diseases, which are caused by age-related changes of collagen, and to provide new research perspectives for skeletal muscle satellite cell activation and skeletal muscle regeneration. Methods 21 male BALB/c mice were normally raised from 4 weeks to 36 weeks under standard conditions. The mice was divided randomly into three groups, including: group C, the quiet control group; Group A, the aerobics training group, received nine weeks of treadmill training without loading; And the group R, the resistance training group, received nine weeks of climbing training with loading. The body weight and limb grip of the mice were measured on regularly during the experiment. After 24 hours of the last intervention experiment, the mice were weighed and then executed by dislocating the cervical spine. The quadriceps were taken. Real-time PCR technology was used to detect the mRNA levels of TGF-β1, TβR I, Smad 3, CTGF, Pax7, COL1 and COL3. Western blotting technique was used to detect the protein levels of TGF-β1, Smad3, P-Smad3 , CTGF, COL1, COL3, Pax7 and MyoD . The deposition of collagen in the quadriceps muscle tissue of mice was detected by Sirius red staining. And the localization and expressions of COL1 and Pax7 in the quadriceps of mice were demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence technology respectively. Results (1) Compared with group C, the weight of mice in group A was significantly increased (P

Based on the discrete dipole approximation (DDA) algorithm, the absorption spectra and near electric field of ZnO nanospheres with the radius of 10−30 nm in the infrared band were calculated. The position of absorption peak is slight blue-shift when the particle radius increases, and it is red-shift with the ambient refractive index. The near-field enhancement was calculated at the resonance wavelength, the results show that it increases with the particle radius, but it decreases with the ambient refractive index. The spatial distribution of temperature was analyzed when ZnO nanoparticle was incident by infrared light, and it was found that the maximum of temperature rising inside the particle increases with the absorption cross-section of the particle.

Based on the security problem of traditional video encryption algorithm, the compound chaotic map model is used as pseudo-random sequence generator in this paper to generate pseudo-random sequence. A video encryption algorithm based on H.264 standard is designed. First, a new compound chaotic equation is constructed in this paper to generate pseudo-random sequence as the key of this paper. Then, some sensitive data are selected, such as the motion vector difference (MVD), the symbol of MVD and the intra prediction mode. In this paper, the encryption key is analyzed in terms of approximate entropy, information entropy, K entropy and correlation analysis. Experimental results verify that the encryption algorithm has high security.

Joint encryption and compression method not only ensure the uniformity of the algorithm but also can enhance the security of algorithm, so it have very important practical significance.This paper studies the over complete dictionary of DCT and OMP algorithm,uses the two kinds of common chaos mapping and learns China remainder theorem. Then one joint image compression and encryption algorithms using chaos map, sparse decomposition and Chinese remainder theorem is proposed to realize image compression and encryption.The experimental results show that the algorithm realizes information transmission requirements in security and efficiency, and achieves the desired requirements.