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EPS (extracellular polymeric substance) production is a self-protection mechanism by which microorganisms slow or eliminate adverse effects in unfavorable environments. In this study, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Alcaligenes faecalis were selected to explore changes in EPS components, especially protein components, under stress caused by different concentrations of Cd(II). The results showed that the protein content in EPS was the highest. The two strains achieved maximum EPS production levels of 109.17 and 214.96 mg/g VSS at Cd(II) stress concentrations of 20 and 50 mg/L, which were increased by 52.07% and 409.69% compared with the levels exhibited before stress, respectively. The protein content correlated very well with data from adsorption experiments. Furthermore, FTIR, 3D-EEM, and XPS results illustrated that after Cd(II) stress, C-N, C=O/-COOH, and R-NO

The roles of panda bean protein amyloid fibrils (PDPF) in modifying the textural and rheological properties of heat-induced pea protein isolate (PPI) gels were investigated. It was found that the incorporation of PDPF significantly enhanced (p 0.05) the strength of PPI gel. This effect was PDPF concentration-dependent and was predominantly attributable to the enhanced intermolecular interactions between PDPF and PPI through hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. Synchronously, the non-network proteins content in PPI-PDPF gels decreased from 23.6 % to 6.6 % when PDPF concentration increased from 0 to 1.50 % (w/w). Cryo-scanning electron microscopy proved that PDPF was filled in the PPI gel network leading to more compact and interconnected gel structure. However, the water holding capacity and secondary structures of PPI gel were not significantly affected. The findings of this study showed that PDPF was effective in improving the PPI gel functional quality, which provided scientific support for PDPF as a promising gel ingredient in food industrial applications.

Three different Cd(II) compounds were used to regulate Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Alcaligenes faecalis EPS (extracellular polymeric substances). The purpose of this study was to improve the content of EPS protein and the adsorption capacity of Cd(II) by different Cd(II) compounds. The results showed that Cd(NO3)2 had the best stress/induction effect on the two strains. Under the best stress/induction, the protein in EPS of the two strains increased most obviously, and the adsorption capacity of Cd(II) was increased by more than 40%. Under these conditions, the kinetics of the adsorption process of Cd(II) by Cd(NO3)2-EPSA. F (EPS produced by Alcaligenes faecalis under Cd(NO3)2 stress) could be well fitted by the Langmuir isotherm model, and the theoretical maximum adsorption amount of 1111.11 mg/g EPS could be obtained. The results of 3D-EEM, FTIR and XPS indicated that proteins, especially C O, C N and N H in proteins, played a major role in the removal of Cd(II) by Cd(NO3)2-EPSA. F. The results of this study show that the addition of Cd(NO3)2 can effectively regulate the content of chemical components, especially the content of protein, and thus greatly improve the removal efficiency of heavy metals, which shows great application prospects in the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution.

In this study, novel geopolymers based on solid wastes (coal gangue and red mud) were used in the adsorption of heavy metals (Pb2+ and Cu2+) from solution. The correlations between the composition and quantity of the geopolymer gels and heavy metal adsorption were investigated under various conditions using hydrochloric acid dissolution and spectroscopic techniques. The results showed that the geopolymer gel positively correlated with the Pb2+ and Cu2+ adsorption capacities in the absence of external silica and aluminum. Moreover, external silica and aluminum sources promoted Al2O3 and SiO2 dissolution in the raw materials, which increased and decreased the specific surface areas, respectively. All of the tested geopolymers exhibited Pb2+ and Cu2+ adsorption based on the Langmuir isotherm and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, with adsorption maxima of 137.7 and 90 mg g−1, respectively. This research first determined the correlation between the geopolymer gel and its heavy metal adsorption performance, and demonstrated industrial waste-based geopolymers could be effectively applied for the removal of heavy metal which can help reduce the burden of waste management and provide new insights about the resource recovery of solid wastes.

Sodium sulfide (Na

The chemical composition of EPS (Extracellular Polymeric Substances) produced by Bacillus vallismortis sp. and its adsorption performance on typical heavy metal were studied under Na2S stress/induction at different concentrations. Its structure was characterized by three-dimensional fluorescence spectrogram (3D-EEM), infrared spectrum (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results showed that, when the Na2S stress/induction intensity was 20 mg/L, the protein concentration was nearly doubled compared with Control-EPS (EPS produced by Bacillus vallismortis sp. without exogenous sulfur stress); furthermore, the 3D-EEM results also demonstrated that there was an increase in the protein content, with the –SH content reaching 154.36 μmol/L, which was 48.2% higher than before stress (104.15 μmol/L). Under this condition, S-EPS (EPS produced by Bacillus vallismortis sp. stressed by exogenous sulfur) exhibited the best adsorption effect on Cu(II), with the theoretical maximum adsorption capacity reaching 1428.57 mg/g EPS. FTIR and XPS analyses revealed that the –SH, C O, N–H played a major role in the adsorption of Cu(II); among those, –SH played a key role. Moreover, the adsorption capacity of Cu(II) by S-EPS was correlated with the content of sulfhydryl protein; indeed, the exogenous sulfur stress/induction can effectively regulate the chemical composition of EPS and improve its adsorption performance, which can be crucial in the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution.

Firstly, this paper uses one-way analysis of variance to test sleep quality and two indexes of age and gender, and uses multivariate correlation analysis to test sleep quality and Eysenck’s personality. The result shows that age has a significant effect on the quality of sleep, while gender has no significant effect, and there is no strong correlation between the quality of sleep and each index of Eysenck’s personality. Based on this, we use the multiple ordinal logistic regression model to study the relationship between sleep quality and four indicators of Eysenck personality in different age groups. First of all, according to international standards, Eysenck’s personality and age are divided into 5 grades and 4 grades respectively. Then, we use the multiple logistic regression model to examine sleep quality and Eysenck personality index in different age groups. The result shows that the multiple ordinal logistic regression model can be used to examine the correlation between Eysenck personality and sleep quality effectively. In different age groups, reliability, psychoticism, nervousness and character have different effects on sleep quality. Moreover, with the increase of age, the influence of Eysenck personality on sleep quality shows a decreasing trend.

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in regulating gene expression and have been reported to be involved in various metabolic diseases, including osteoporosis. Although the transcriptional regulation of osteoblast differentiation has been well characterized, the role of circulating miRNAs in this process is poorly understood. Here we discovered that the level of circulating miR-19b was significantly lower in osteoporotic patients with vertebral compression fractures than that of healthy controls. The expression level of miR-19b was increased during osteoblastic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and MC3T3-E1 cells, and transfection with synthetic miR-19b could promote osteoblastic differentiation of hMSCs and MC3T3-E1 cells. PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome 10) was found to be directly repressed by miR-19b, with a concomitant increase in Runx2 expression and increased phosphorylation of AKT (protein kinase B, PKB). The expression level of circulating miR-19b in aged ovariectomized mice was significantly lower than in young mice. Moreover, the osteoporotic bone phenotype in aged ovariectomized mice was alleviated by the injection of chemically modified miR-19b (agomiR-19b). Taken together, our results show that circulating miR-19b plays an important role in enhancing osteoblastogenesis, possibly through regulation of the PTEN/pAKT/Runx2 pathway, and may be a useful therapeutic target in bone loss disorders, such as osteoporosis. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

It is studied that the sleep time of most people is more than a third of their lives in their lifetime, thus people’s health is closely linked to their sleep quality. Nowadays, the rate of insomnia in Chinese adults is as high as 38.2%, and the rate of insomnia in adolescents is rising gradually. With the rapid increasing number of insomnia, the number of mental disease caused by poor sleep quality also shows an increasing tendency. In this paper, Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) is taken as the criteria of sleep quality. Considering the different correlation between PSQI and diagnosis results in different age groups, the probability of relationship between the sleep quality and diagnosis results in different age groups are calculated. Based on the contrast intensity and conflict between the indexes, the CRITIC method is used to calculate the weight of each index, and establish the Bayesian weighted probability model. After building the model, the random experiment is used to test the accuracy of the model. Comparing the probability of the test value with the real value, the result indicates that the fitting effect is good..

In this study, ion-responsive hydrogen bonding strengthened hydrogels (termed as PVV) were synthesized by one-pot copolymerization of 2-vinyl-4,6-diamino-1,3,5-triazine (VDT), 1-vinylimidazole (VI), and polyethylene glycol diacrylate. The diaminotriazine-diaminotriazine (DAT-DAT) H-bonding interaction and copolymerization of VI contributed to a notable increase in comprehensive performances including tensile/compressive strength, elasticity, modulus, and fracture energy. In addition, introducing mM levels of zinc ions could further increase the mechanical properties of PVV hydrogels and fix a variety of temporary shapes due to the strong coordination of zinc with imidazole. The release of zinc ions from the hydrogel contributed to an antibacterial effect, without compromising the shape memory effect. Remarkably, a multiwalled hydrogel tube (MWHT) fixed with Zn(2+) demonstrated much higher flexural strengths and a more sustainable release of zinc ions than the solid hydrogel cylinder (SHC). A Zn(2+)-fixed MWHT was implanted subcutaneously in rats, and it was found that the Zn(2+)-fixed MWHT exhibited anti-inflammatory and wound healing efficacies. The reported high strength hydrogel with integrated functions holds potential as a tissue engineering scaffold.

Nowadays, ride-hailing services have been established as a part of the urban transportation. Their arrival has remade the profit structure and resulted in the unbalance of interest in taxi market. Here, we establish the service models of taxis, carpooling, and car-hailing under “Internet +” from the perspective of profit margins, to perform a comparative analysis among the different services. Results: First, Profit margins are generally higher for short trips than for long trips, though empty cruise fee to a certain degree make up for the driver’s decreased profit margins. Second, the profit margin for carpooling is roughly 1.85 times that of ride-hailing, and 1.75 times that of taxis. This shows that the sharing economy has a certain advantage. Third, Profit margins are higher and fluctuations are lower on non-work days than on work days. At last, Profit margins are roughly 1.3 times higher on non-congested roads than on congested roads. The reduced profitability on congested roads makes it even harder to catch a ride during rush hours and on congested roads. We suggest that the relevant departments make appropriate efforts to make it more attractive for drivers to take on passengers during rush hours and on congested roads, and promote the sharing in the taxi market.

Sodium sulfide (Na2S) was used as an inducer to regulate the components of Bacillus vallismortis sp. EPS (Extracellular Polymeric Substances). The main objective of this study was to improve the content of sulfhydryl protein and the adsorption property of EPS to Zn (Ⅱ) that as an typical heavy metal. The results showed that the maximum EPS production of 105.58 mg/g VSS coupling with doubled increase in protein in which the contant of -SH increased by 48.2% from 104.15 to 154.36 μmol/L were recorded in the presence of 20 mg/L Na2S. Under this condition, the adsorption capacity of S-EPS (EPS with added exogenous Na2S) for Zn (Ⅱ) was highest. The kinetics of the adsorption process of Zn (Ⅱ) by the S-EPS can be well fitted by the Langmuir isotherm model and the theoretical maximum adsorption amount of 979.09 mg/g EPS could be obtained. The results of 3D-EEM and FTIR analyses, illustrated that -SH, C O, and N-H/C-N played major roles in the removal of Zn (Ⅱ) by S-EPS. The results obtained in this study demonstrated that the addition of sulfur source could increase the content of sulfhydryl protein, and effectively regulate the content of chemical composition, expecially for the sulfhydryl of EPS, and thereby greatly improving the removal efficiency of heavy metals, which showed a great application prospect in the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution.

Female sex workers (FSWs) represent a high-risk population for HIV infection and transmission. In general, their fellow FSWs (peers) also play a role in their level of susceptibility to HIV/AIDS. This paper draws from interview data of 93 FSWs to construct a multi-layer FSW social network model based on their knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP). Statistical analyses of the correlation among the three dimensions of KAP as well as their social interactions indicated that FSWs had basic knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention but demonstrated little enthusiasm in acquiring relevant information. Their knowledge, attitude, and practice were highly positively correlated. Their attitude was more likely to be negatively influenced by their companions, while their practice was more likely to be positively affected. Besides, FSWs exhibited high homophily in KAP with their neighbors. Thus, during HIV/AIDS interventions, FSWs should receive individualized education based on their specific KAP. Considering the high level of homophily among FSWs, their propensity to be positive or negative in their KAP are significantly influenced by their companions. Making full use of peer education and social interaction-based interventions may help prevent and control the spread of HIV/AIDS.

MicroRNAs are involved in many cellular and molecular activities and played important roles in many biological and pathological processes, such as tissue formation, cancer development, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Recently, it has been reported that microRNAs can modulate the differentiation and activities of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, the key cells that are involved in bone remodeling process. Meanwhile, the results from our and other research groups showed that the expression profiles of microRNAs in the serum and bone tissues are significantly different in postmenopausal women with or without fractures compared to the control. Therefore, it can be postulated that microRNAs might play important roles in bone remodeling and that they are very likely to be involved in the pathological process of postmenopausal osteoporosis. In this review, we will present the updated research on the regulatory roles of microRNAs in osteoblasts and osteoclasts and the expression profiles of microRNAs in osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture patients. The perspective of serum microRNAs as novel biomarkers in bone loss disorders such as osteoporosis has also been discussed.