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[Display omitted] • Nutritional profile of meat and plant-based meat analogues have certain differences. • Bioavailability of some nutrients are lower in plant-based meat analogues. • There is insufficient evidence that plant-based meat analogues are healthier. • Providing comprehensive nutrition information on plant-based meat analogues is necessary. In order to fully understand the nutritional heterogeneity of plant-based meat analogues and real meat, this review summarized their similarities and differences in terms of ingredients, nutrient contents, bioavailability and health impacts. Plant-based meat analogues have some similarities to real meat. However, plant-based meat analogues are lower in protein, cholesterol and VB 12 but higher in dietary fiber, carbohydrates, sugar, salt and various food additives than real meat. Moreover, some nutrients in plant-based meat analogues, such as protein and iron, are less bioavailable. There is insufficient evidence that plant-based meat analogues are healthier, which may be related to the specific attributes of these products such as formulation and degree of processing. As things stand, it is necessary to provide comprehensive nutrition information on plant-based meat products so that consumers can make informed choices based on their nutritional needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical exercise refers to various physical exercises carried out through certain means and methods. Physical exercise can not only achieve the purpose of strengthening the body and health but also make people face challenges in physical and mental sports, and the resulting psychological satisfaction and excitement make exercisers happy physically and mentally. Physical activity has a certain appeal that makes it one of the most effective ways for modern people to alleviate mental illnesses. The human brain's reaction time is linked to its thinking speed and intelligence. Regular physical activity can increase human brain cell reaction time and completely utilize human brain capacity, which is beneficial to the healthy development of human attention, memory, imagination, and thinking ability. Scientific and reasonable physical exercise is also an important means to improve people's intelligence levels. Everyone's physical health level is closely related to their mental health. A healthy mind comes from a healthy body. A large number of scientific studies have confirmed that reasonably arranging the contents and methods of physical exercise according to their own health level and psychological state cannot only enhance the physique of college students but also cultivate their excellent personality. Firstly, this paper summarizes the influence of physical exercise on mental health. The ways of employing physical exercise to improve and improve the mental health of college students are presented in this study. Then, this paper proposes a physical exercise intervention based on an improved neural network (NN), which has an impact on the mental health level of college students, and the effectiveness of this model is verified by simulation experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electromigration (EM) of metal interconnects is the continuous reliability concern for high-density integration beyond 5-nm technology, especially for the buried power rails in vertically stacked device structure. In this work, EM reliability of alternative metal interconnects based on complementary FET (CFET) is investigated by kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) method. The microscopic evolutions of void formation in power rails can be well reproduced by considering the coupled effects of thermal and stress distribution during the EM simulation. The influences of grain boundary in different metal materials on EM lifetime are analyzed to provide the optimal strategy of process integration. Thermal-aware EM reliability is further predicted, indicating the importance of self-heating on EM evaluation of power rails in CFET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we investigate the self-heating effect (SHE) of the Complementary FET (CFET) device and propose a cross-coupled thermal network model. For the investigation of thermal behavior, the intra- and inter-device crosstalk of CFET is evaluated qualitatively through the defined crosstalk coefficient. The results indicate that CFETs have more severe intra-device thermal crosstalk, almost twice that of CMOS. Moreover, the vertical structure makes the heat dissipation path of CFET devices significantly different in the two transition states (inputs “1” and “0”). Based on the thermal behavior characteristics of CFET and the necessity of high-precision and rapid prediction of thermal characteristics of the devices, a thermal network model is proposed, which can quickly respond to the heat source and be extended at the array level. In the last part, we analyze the influence of load capacitance and operating frequency on the self-heating of CFET, and SHE-related reliability lifetime is predicted based on the lattice temperature obtained from the thermal network. The prediction results show that the bias temperature instability (BTI) lifetime of CFET degrades by 84% compared with standard CMOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Plant-based meat analogues enhanced the function of gastrointestinal motility. • Meat analogues altered the balance between appetite-regulating hormones. • Meat analogues affected the diet intake through regulating the appetite factors. • Meat analogues affected the diet intake through regulating the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway. • Digestive peptides may affect eating behavior by exerting hormone-like effects or influencing endocrine cell secretion. Eating behavior is critical for maintaining energy homeostasis. Previous studies have found that plant-based meat analogues increased diet intake in mice compared with animal meat under a free feeding mode, however the reasons were unclear. To explore the underlying mechanisms of plant-based meat analogues increasing diet intake, mice were fed animal or plant-based pork and beef analogue diets, respectively. Biochemical and histological analyses were performed to evaluate appetite-regulating hormones and gastrointestinal motility function. Peptiomics and GC-IMS were applied to identify key substances. We found that the intake of plant-based meat analogues significantly enhanced the gastrointestinal motility function of mice. The long-term intake (68 days) of plant-based meat analogues significantly increased the muscle layer thickness of the duodenum and jejunum of mice; the activity of gastrointestinal cells of Cajal were also promoted by upregulating the expression of c-kit related signals as compared to animal meat; plant-based meat analogues intake markedly enhanced the signal intensity of the intestinal neurotransmitter 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) by upregulating the expression of 5-HT synthase and receptors but downregulating its transporter and catabolic enzyme in the intestine. Moreover, plant-based meat analogues intake significantly increased levels of appetite-stimulating factors in the peripheral or hypothalamus but reduced levels of appetite-suppressing factors compared with animal meat. Specific volatile compounds were significantly associated with appetite regulating factors. Among them, 7 substances such as linalool have a potential promoting effect on food intake. Besides, different digestive peptides in gastrointestinal tract may affect eating behavior mainly through the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway, exerting hormone-like effects or influencing endocrine cell secretion. These findings preliminarily clarified the mechanism of plant-based meat analogues promoting diet intake and provided a theoretical basis for a reasonable diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Independent back bias in the ultrathin body and Box (UTBB) fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FDSOI) serves as the critical knob for exploiting the performance and power tradeoffs and process/aging compensation. The effectiveness of back bias is one of the major metrics in the stages of circuit design and runtime feedback. In this article, new closed-form expressions accounting for the interface traps and short channel effects-dependent back gate capability in the UTBB FDSOI device are proposed. The developed model allows the accurate assessment of body factor (γ) with the dependence of front/back interface trap density in the ultrascaled FDSOI device, taking the impact of gate area scaling as well as quantum effects into account. It also facilitates the evaluation of back bias effectiveness variability induced by interface traps and benefits the dynamic threshold voltage strategy in terms of adaptive back-biasing for performance optimization, which is consistent with 3-D device simulations and measurements. Moreover, the results confirm that γ variability follows Pelgrom’s rule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a promising new generation of nonvolatile memory, HfO2-based resistive random-access memory (RRAM) has attracted extensive research. However, the problem of data retention has prevented its industrial production as embedded memory. In this paper, from the microscopic understanding, a Monte Carlo simulator is developed to investigate the effects of an oxygen reservoir layer (ORL) on the resistance instability of HfO2-based RRAM. The evolution of conductive filaments (CF) during the retention degradation is visualized by our simulation considering the physical mechanisms of oxygen ions absorbed and released by the ORL. The simulation results are further validated with experiments to provide the prediction of retention performance of RRAMs with different ORLs and operation schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various food-related stress and intracellular regulators have been previously demonstrated the influence on enterotoxin genes expression, detail information about specific meat nutritional factors promoting enterotoxin genes expression via intracellular regulators still remain unclear. In this study, protein and vitamin B2 as representative nutrients of chicken meat were employed for this preliminary exploration, supplement of protein or vitamin B2 for TSB medium was performed as cultivation in vitro to mimic the contents of protein or vitamin B2 of chicken meat respectively, cell population, virulence regulators and enterotoxin genes expression were determined so as to seek the potential relationship. As a result, there were no significant influences of protein and vitamin B2 on cell growth for four enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus strains, however, various genetic expressing trends were observed within growth cycle, in general, with the comparison of protein and TSB groups, vitamin B2 had universally significant promotion on seb , sec and sed expression, and different strains exhibited varied regulatory preference for enterotoxin genes expression. These results indicated that vitamin B2 is a critical nutritional factor of meat promote enterotoxin genes expression, furthermore, it would provide a new insight into repressing enterotoxin genes expression on the aspect of extracellular nutritional factor. • Supplements of protein and vitamin B2 had negative effects on S. aureus growth. • Vitamin B2 had significant promotion on seb , sec and sed expression. • Different strains had various preference to regulate enterotoxin genes expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a new methodology to analyze self-heating induced variability and reliability in digital circuits during random operation. The arbitrary power waveform (APW) self-heating model is used for the self-heating evaluation with the input sequences generated by the power waveform generator (PWG). Based on the proposed method, the variability and HCI as well as BTI degradation correlated with self-heating effect (SHE) in Nanosheet-FETs based SRAM are investigated. It reveals that reducing the bit-line capacitance (C BL) and the minimum differential voltage between bit lines (Δ V BLB MIN) can suppress SHE and the temperature variation during operation of SRAM. The results also show that it is essential to take the self-heating variation into account for circuit design and reliability prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract As a novel broad-spectrum disinfectant, acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) has been widely used, but it is generated on-site for one-time used and usually not stored. but "producing once for using once" is not a convenient mode for industrial application. This study focused on modeling the degradation of the available chlorine concentration (ACC) of AEW during storage and its ability to disinfect a dual-species biofilm formed by Salmonella Enteritidis and Pseudomonas fluorescens. The results showed that temperature had no significant effect on the ACC, while the ACC gradually decreased with time. The degradation process of the ACC could be fitted very well using the Weibull model. Dual-species biofilms comprising S. Enteritidis and P. fluorescens were inactivated by 20 and 40 mg/L AEW. The number of viable cells on stainless steel gradually decreased as the treatment time increased. Immersion for 10 and 30 min led to > 2 log CFU/cm2 and 4.5 log CFU/cm2 in decrease of the cells in dual-species biofilms when treated with 20 and 40 mg/L AEW, respectively. In addition, the dual-species biofilm displayed more resistance than the single-species biofilm. The findings presented herein could provide useful information for the application of AEW in food processing environments. Highlights • Weibull model could be used to fit the degradation of ACC of AEW. • Survival rate of cells in biofilm seriously depended on treatment time and ACC. • Dual-species biofilm displayed more resistance than the single-species biofilm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was conducted to compare chemical and microbiological properties during aerobic composting (AC) and vermicomposting (VC) of green waste. Relative to AC, VC significantly decreased the pH and lignin and cellulose contents, and significantly increased the electrical conductivity and total N and available P contents. For AC, BIrii41_norank (order Myxococcales) was the major bacterial genus at 30 d and again became dominant genus from 90–150 d, with relative abundances of 2.88% and 4.77–5.19%, respectively; at 45 d and 60 d, the dominant bacterial genus was Nitrosomonadaceae_uncultured (order Nitrosomonadales) with relative abundances of 2.83–7.17%. For VC, the dominant bacterial genus was BIrii41_norank (except at 45 d), which accounted for 2.11–7.96% of the total reads. The dominant fungal class was Sordariomycetes in AC (relative abundances 39.2–80.6%) and VC (relative abundances 42.1–69.5%). The abundances of microbial taxa and therefore the bacterial and fungal community structures differed between VC and AC. The quality of the green waste compost product was higher with VC than with AC. These results will also help to achieve further composting technology breakthroughs in reducing the composting time and improving compost quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggressively scaled devices with high power density wrapped around the low thermal conductivity material in narrow space are susceptible to self-heating effect, which includes serious mutual-heating due to proximity effect in multifinger/fin FETs. Obtaining local temperature instead of equivalent lumped temperature at device/circuit level quickly is crucial for designers to accurately predict front-end-of-line reliability (i.e., hot carrier injection, bias temperature instability, and time dependent dielectric breakdown) and achieve better thermal management. In this paper, we: 1) first propose an analytical model based on multistage thermal network to address effectively the self- and mutual-heating within the device; 2) validate the multistage network and proposed analytical model by COMSOL and SPICE simulation, respectively; and 3) utilize the model to investigate local temperature rise in multifinger and multifin FETs-based inverter and ring oscillator as well as provide thermal-aware IC design guideline for self-heating and reliability optimization. The results show that the analytical multistage thermal model can predict local temperature rise and quantify nonuniform temperature difference in full-frequency range, superior to the lumped thermal model. Moreover, the model can offer quick thermal analysis at the pre-Si stage for reliability prediction and thermal-aware design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With technology node scaling down to 5 nm, the narrow device geometry confines the material thermal conductivity and further aggravates the self-heating effect in gate-all-around (GAA) transistors. In this paper, we investigate the self-heating of horizontally stacked three-layer GAA nanosheet transistors by 3-D finite-element modeling (FEM) simulation. The anisotropic thermal conductivity of nanosheets with the dependence of silicon thickness and temperature is implemented in the FEM simulator to evaluate thermal behavior accurately. The impact of layout design on thermal properties is investigated comprehensively from single device to device arrays with implication on electrical performance. The results indicate that the width of nanosheet is the key parameter to make the tradeoffs between self-heating and electrical characteristic. Meanwhile, the optimizations of layout design are given to suppress the thermal effects, including self-heating, nonuniformity of temperature, and thermal crosstalk at device level. This paper will provide guidelines for layout design, thermal management, device performance, and thermal-aware reliability prediction in the GAA-stacked structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Bacterial biofilms formed on equipment surfaces are potential sources of cross‐contamination and can be responsible for the spread of bacteria involved in food spoilage, such as some Enterobacteriaceae family members. In this study, the effect of chlorite‐based disinfectants, including sodium hypochlorite (SH), chlorine dioxide (CD), strongly acidic electrolyzed water (StAEW), and neutral electrolyzed water (NEW), on inactivation of mono‐biofilms of Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Citrobacter freundii was evaluated separately. All the strains were enumerated by the viable plate‐count method after disinfection for 30 min. A comparison of the surviving cells after disinfection indicated that E. cloacae biofilms were more resistant to disinfectants than the biofilms of the other two strains, and treatment with all the disinfectants improved sanitizing. SH (200 mg/L) was the most effective in the reduction of cell number in the biofilms of all strains. Considering the safety of use and environmental protection, electrolyzed oxidizing water, especially StAEW, was a good suggestion for the inactivation of cells in K. oxytoca or C. freundii biofilms. These results suggest that the cells in biofilm of E. cloacae, K. oxytoca, and C. freundii were highly sensitive to chlorite‐based disinfectants and provide insights into the efficacy of disinfectants in killing bacteria. Practical Application: The Enterobacteriaceae biofilms formed on equipment surfaces, which can cause cross‐contamination and food spoilage, are greatly challenging bacterial contaminants of food products. Electrolyzed oxidizing water is a novel, environmentally friendly disinfectant that can effectively treat Enterobacteriaceae biofilms. The results of this study may be used to design effective measures to disinfect biofilms on equipment contact surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salidroside (Sal) is a natural antioxidant that elicits cardioprotective and neuroprotective effects in vivo and in vitro; however, its impact on hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of salidroside against segmental (70%) warm hepatic I/R injury in rats. Animals were randomized into Sham, Sham+salidroside pretreatment (Sal), Sham+Sal+carboxyatractyloside (CATR), Sham+CATR, I/R, I/R+Sal, I/R+Sal+CATR and I/R+CATR groups. The hepatic artery, left portal vein and median liver lobes were occluded for 60 min and then unclamped to allow reperfusion. Pretreatment with salidroside (20 mg/kg/day for 7 days, intraperitoneally) significantly decreased serum alanine aminotransferase (sALT) and serum aspartate aminotransferase (sAST) levels after 6 h and 24 h of reperfusion and protected the liver against I/R-induced injury. However, this protective effect could be reversed by CATR, a mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) opener (5 mg/kg 30 min before I/R insult, intraperitoneally). Mechanistic studies have revealed that salidroside inhibits glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3β) activity and enhances the NF-E2-related factor (Nrf2)-dependent antioxidant response by activating the Akt signaling pathway, thereby reducing mitochondrial reactive oxygen species generation, increasing MPTP resistance and preventing apoptosis by suppressing cytochrome c release and caspase activation during reperfusion. Therefore, salidroside ameliorates hepatocyte death and apoptosis through activation of the GSK-3β/Nrf2-dependent antioxidant response and subsequent MPTP inhibition. These results provide experimental evidence supporting the clinical use of salidroside for hepatoprotection in surgical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First principles calculations are adopted to study the spin polarization properties of thiophene molecule which adsorbed at the Co, Fe, and Ni electrode surfaces. The density of states, spin-polarized density distributions as well as the differential charge density distributions are obtained. It is found that the p orbital of the thiophene molecule will interact with the d orbital of the ferromagnetic electrodes, which will generate new spin coupling states and lead to obvious spin polarization in the thiophene molecule. Different electrodes induce different spin polarization properties, and in which the Fe electrode will bring the biggest spin polarization of the thiophene molecule. People can selectively and efficiently inject spin polarized electrons into molecules by choosing suitable ferromagnetic electrodes in organic spintronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Real meat showed a higher protein digestibility than the plant-based meat analogues; • More potential bioactive peptides were released from real meat; • These were closely related to the protein structure and physicochemical properties. To explore the nutritional values of meat and meat analogues, the in vitro protein digestion of pork, beef, plant-based pork and beef were evaluated. In the gastric phase, the digestibility of pork was significantly higher than that of the plant-based pork, while the value of beef was lower than that of the plant-based beef. In the intestinal phase, both pork and beef showed higher digestibility than plant-based meat analogues. A greater number of small molecular peptides were identified from pork and beef than from plant-based meat after gastrointestinal digestion. Larger quantities of potential bioactive peptides were released from the meat than from the plant-based meat analogues during digestion. These differences were closely related to protein secondary structure, the formation of disulfide bonds and apparent viscosity of digestion solution. The findings give a new insight into the underlying mechanisms of the different phenotype responses of consumers to meat and plant-based meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to build on Dumay and Cai's (2014) prior research to provide a deeper analysis of the problems associated with using content analysis (CA) as a research methodology for investigating intellectual capital disclosure (ICD). Design/methodology/approach -- Totally, 110 articles utilising CA as a research methodology for inquiring into ICD are analysed based on Krippendorff's (2013) conceptual CA research framework and design logic, and tied into issues relating to CA as a research methodology for investigating ICD. Findings -- The authors advocate that ICD CA researchers need to go back to the drawing board and ensure that future studies rigorously apply the basic logic of CA design. In its current state, ICD CA research needs to take a few steps back, before it can move forward. If ICD CA researchers can accomplish this, then there is an opportunity to undertake rigorous research to develop reliable and valid outputs that add to new knowledge about IC. Research limitations/implications -- The main limitations of the research are the chosen sample of CA-based ICD articles and the adoption of the Krippendorff's framework. However, the authors have identified the main corpus of CA-based ICD studies and since Krippendorff is the only recognised comprehensive text on CA as a methodology, the authors use the most appropriate data and framework possible for the analysis. Originality/value -- Prior CA studies have laid the foundation for what is a popular research methodology. However, the authors argue that the popularity of CA as a research method for investigating ICD has become so great that at times the research methodology "drives the research questions" as opposed to the "research questions driving the methodology" Hence, this research examines reasons for CA limited contemporary contribution and recommends how this may be overcome rather than prescribing how to conduct ICD CA research. Paper type Literature review [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel graphene-bridged composite was prepared by a combination of in-situ precipitation and anion exchange method. • The ternary photocatalyst exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylparaben. • The photocatalyst shows efficient disinfection activity under visible light in neutral and/or acidic environment. • The possible photocatalytic mechanisms of AgCl/Ag3PO4/rGO photocatalyst were proposed. A novel graphene-bridged AgCl/Ag 3 PO 4 /rGO photocatalyst with admirable visible-light-driven photocatalytic performance was prepared through a combination of in-situ precipitation and anion-exchange method. The photocatalyst was revealed a well-defined heterostructure in which few-layers rGO sheets are decorated by AgCl and Ag 3 PO 4 nanoparticles. The ternary photocatalyst exhibits excellent photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylparaben (MPB) and the inactivation of Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) due to the synergistic effects of AgCl, Ag 3 PO 4 and rGO. Results show that 20 mg•L−1 of MPB or 107 CFU•mL−1 of E. coli can be eliminated in AgCl/Ag 3 PO 4 /rGO system within 40 min under visible-light irradiation. Moreover, great stability and reusability were also observed for the ternary photocatalyst. Trapping experiments further confirm that h+ is the most important active specie, which indicates the importance of rGO due to its high electron transfer ability. And the possible photocatalytic mechanisms of AgCl/Ag 3 PO 4 /rGO in visible light system were finally proposed. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we completely study bifurcations of an epidemic model with five parameters introduced by Hilker et al. (Am Nat 173:72-88, ), which describes the joint interplay of a strong Allee effect and infectious diseases in a single population. Existence of multiple positive equilibria and all kinds of bifurcation are examined as well as related dynamical behavior. It is shown that the model undergoes a series of bifurcations such as saddle-node bifurcation, pitchfork bifurcation, Bogdanov-Takens bifurcation, degenerate Hopf bifurcation of codimension two and degenerate elliptic type Bogdanov-Takens bifurcation of codimension three. Respective bifurcation surfaces in five-dimensional parameter spaces and related dynamical behavior are obtained. These theoretical conclusions confirm their numerical simulations and conjectures by Hilker et al., and reveal some new bifurcation phenomena which are not observed in Hilker et al. (Am Nat 173:72-88, ). The rich and complicated dynamics exhibit that the model is very sensitive to parameter perturbations, which has important implications for disease control of endangered species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild birds play an important role in the emergence, evolution, and spread of zoonotic avian influenza viruses (AIVs). However, there are few studies on the cross-species transmission of the H3N8 AIV originating from wild birds. In this study, we investigated the transmissibility and pathogenicity of two H3N8 low pathogenic avian influenza viruses (LPAIVs) isolated from wild birds, GZA1 and XJ47, to mammals. The HA genes of both strains belonged to Eurasian isolates, while the other genes were derived from a variety of other subtypes of AIVs. Both strains can infect specific-pathogen-free (SPF) chickens, BALB/c mice, and guinea pigs. The XJ47 strain spread horizontally in SPF chickens and guinea pigs. The GZA1 strain did not spread horizontally but caused higher weight loss and mild lung inflammation in mice. P12-GZA1- and P12-XJ47-adapted strains obtained after 12 passages in the lung of mice showed enhanced pathogenicity in mice, which led to obvious clinical symptoms, lung inflammation, and 100% death. Both adapted strains have the reported mutation T97I in the PA, and the reported mutation D701N in PB2 has been found in the P12-GZA1-adapted strain. This study provides an important scientific basis for the continuous monitoring of wild AIVs and the mechanism underlying AIV cross-species transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences of the quality characteristics and bacterial communities in meat products with or without blown pack spoilage (BPS) were not well illustrated. The objectives of this study were to investigate the quality characteristics and bacteria of meatballs with or without BPS, to explain the possible cause of meat products with BPS. The results revealed a 12.5% BPS ratio with meatballs and the pack volumes in the BPS samples were nearly two-fold larger than those of the normal samples after storage for 28 days. Compared with the normal group, the meatballs in the BPS group had a higher CO 2 abundance (78.53%) and a lower pH (5.09). Besides, the relative concentrations of some spoilage-related compounds (such as acetic acid) were significantly higher in BPS meatballs (P < 0.05). Principal component analysis provided evidence of clear differences in the bacterial communities between the BPS and normal groups. Pseudomonas (30.46%), Enterobacter (20.76%), Pantoea (13.38%), Serratia (12.63%), and Rahnella (10.15%) were dominant in the BPS group, whereas Pseudomonas (42.51%), Carnobacterium (18.74%), Pantoea (17.56%), and Enterobacter (14.80%) were dominant in the normal group. The findings of this study may provide a theoretical basis for understanding potential mechanisms underlying BPS. • The BPS rate was 12.5% and the pack volumes increased ~2-fold after 4 weeks. • The CO 2 level (78.53%) in blown packs decreased the pH (5.09) in BPS meat balls. • Gas-forming bacteria affected the VOCs and bacterial communities of meatballs. • Some spoilage-related compounds were significantly more abundant in BPS meatballs. • The predominant genera in the BPS and normal meatball groups were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The self-heating aware electromigration (EM) reliability of back end of line (BEOL) is investigated by a developed kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulator with consideration of the microscopic physical mechanisms including the migration of metal ions. The developed simulator can reproduce the void morphology and the evolution of metal wires resistance during EM simulation, which is validated by experimental results. The self-heating from the nanosheet MOSFETs is evaluated, adding the extra heat for interconnects. The EM degradation in different layers of metal wires is analyzed by utilizing KMC simulator. The impacts of power density and aspect ratio of metal wires on EM lifetime are discussed with the coupling effects of self-heating and Joule heat. • A kinetic Monte Carlo method to investigate self-heating aware electromigration • Physical mechanisms including the effects of electron wind, stress and temperature • Reproduce the void morphology and the evolution of metal wires resistance • Self-heating simulation in advanced technology node • Self-heating aware electromigration shortens the lifetime of interconnects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthesis of a novel Fe 3 O 4 /GO/PG ternary composite and application to electrochemical sensor. • A novel ternary composite Fe 3 O 4 /GO/PG is successfully prepared by a simple method. • The Fe 3 O 4 /GO/PG is used to fabricate electrochemical sensor for rapid detection of dopamine and hydrogen peroxide. • The electrochemical sensor based on Fe 3 O 4 /GO/PG exhibits remarkable detection performance. In this work, a new Fe 3 O 4 /graphene oxide (GO)/pristine graphene (PG) ternary composite (Fe 3 O 4 /GO/PG) was successfully synthesized. The structure of Fe 3 O 4 /GO/PG was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The TEM result shows that the small PG sheets are attached to the larger GO sheets and the Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles are anchored on the surface of GO/PG composite. A sensor based on this Fe 3 O 4 /GO/PG has been fabricated successfully to detect dopamine (DA) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2). The linear detection ranges for DA and H 2 O 2 are 0.30–30 μM and 0.50–277 μM, respectively, with detection limits of 0.18 and 0.09 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cement emulsified asphalt mixture (CEAM) is widely used in asphalt pavement for its environmental virtues. However, a CEAM layer can influence fatigue performance of asphalt pavement because of higher air voids of CEAM in contrast to hot mix asphalt (HMA). Therefore, it is common to use HMA and CEAM structure combinations for improving the fatigue performance. In this work, three different thickness structure combinations of HMA (AC-10) and CEAM (AC-16) were designed, in which HMA and CEAM were used as top layer and bottom layer, respectively. The fatigue performance of the three combinations was studied. The fatigue equations of the combinations were established and the rational combination was recommended. The distributions of the internal voids in the combinations were studied with X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT); and the correlation between the fatigue life and the void ratios were analyzed. Artificial neural network (ANN) was employed to predict the fatigue life of each combination. The results show that the fatigue life of the combinations is inversely proportional to the stress ratio level and environment temperature. The optimal combination is the structure with 40 mm HMA and 40 mm CEAM. The internal void ratio of CEAM is higher than that of HMA. A thinner HMA and thicker CEAM structure can result in higher void ratios and lower fatigue life of the combinations. The prediction results of ANN are similar to the experimental results. The obtained results can potentially guide the design of cement emulsified asphalt pavement structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microorganism biofilms can form on food-contact surfaces and lead to cross-contamination of bacteria during food processing. The dynamics of biofilm formation by Pseudomonas fluorescens associated with meat spoilage and the resistance of established biofilm to four disinfectants were investigated in this study. The results indicated that more than 4.5 log CFU/cm 2 of P. fluorescens were transferred to a stainless-steel surface under short-term (5 h) scenario, and bacteria transfer occurred even after only 10 min exposure. A mature biofilm was discovered after 5 days of incubation under long-term (7 days) scenario. The biofilm was characterized by more than 9.5 log CFU/cm 2 cells, 120 μm thick and a large amount of extracellular polymeric substances. Observation of mature biofilm were further confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscopy and attenuated total reflection fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy. The established biofilm showed distinct resistance to four disinfectants, namely sodium hypochlorite (SH), chlorine dioxide (CD), slightly acidic electrolyzed water (sAEW) and acidic electrolyzed water (AEW). The cells reduction was significant dependent on the concentrations, almost 8.0 log CFU/cm 2 of biofilm cells were reduced by 40 mg/L AEW and 200 mg/L SH treatment for 30 min, below the detection limit (1.32 log CFU/cm 2 ). However, less than 3 log CFU/cm 2 reduction of biofilm cells were obtained after treatment with 40 mg/L sAEW and 20 mg/L CD for 30 min, remaining large numbers of biofilm survival. Meanwhile, the cells reduction was time-dependent, and the numbers of surviving cells rapid declined along with increasing time, but there was no additional log reduction when treatment of 20 mg/L CD was increased from 15 to 30 min. The finding suggested that AEW has great potential to be used as an environmentally friendly intervention alternative for the elimination of P. fluorescens biofilm, substituting for the traditional sodium hypochlorite in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a novel AlGaN‐based multiple quantum well (MQW) deep UV light‐emitting diode (DUV‐LED) structure with two parts linearly graded barriers is presented. The simulation result shows that at a current of 50 mA, the light output power of the DUV‐LED with two parts linearly graded barrier MQWs has significant improvement as compared to stationary barriers. The electroluminescence spectrum and radiative recombination rate of novel DUV‐LEDs are also larger more than twice that of the conventional QW structure. The reason is that the injection efficiency of holes is increased which helps improve the hole and electron concentration in the active area. Meanwhile, the electric field is also decreased by using two parts linearly graded quantum barriers, and according to reduce the electric field the quantum‐confined Stark effect and the bend of the energy band get relieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aeromonas spp. are closely associated with food spoilage, and often enter the food chain through cross-contamination during processing from biofilms on food-contacted surfaces. The attachment abilities of two high-spoilage Aeromonas salmonicida isolates were compared. The sensitivities of these isolates in biofilm to four disinfectants, namely sodium hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) and neutral electrolyzed water (NEW), were assayed. The results indicated that isolate 1425 showed higher attachment ability as compared to isolate 1435 at initial attachment (30 min) under a short-term attachment scenario (5 h), reaching more than 5 log CFU/cm 2 . Under a long-term attachment scenario (7 days), isolate 1425 formed a mature biofilm after 5 days of incubation, with the highest observed cell numbers of nearly 9 log CFU/cm 2 . The dynamics of biofilm formation of isolate 1435 were relatively stable, with cell population ranging from 6.25 to 7 log CFU/cm 2 . The composition of the extracellular polymeric substances and the morphology of the mature biofilm were identified by Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM). The mature biofilm formed by isolate 1425 showed more resistance to tested disinfectants than that of isolate 1435. Sodium hypochlorite (200 mg/L) and AEW (40 mg/L) showed greater lethal effects than the other disinfectants. Moreover, 40 mg/L of AEW was as effective as 200 mg/L of sodium hypochlorite. These findings indicated that the biofilm formed by microorganisms associated with food spoilage and safety could not be ignored during food processing and that AEW may be a promising alternative to sodium hypochlorite for the elimination of such biofilms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of salt content (0-4%) on water holding capacity ( WHC), textural characteristics, rheological properties, and microstructure of cooked normal ( NOR) and wooden breast ( WB) chicken meat batters. Results indicated with 0-2% salt addition, the WB batters had significantly lower WHC and storage modulus (G') compared with the NORs ( P < 0.05). However, these differences were eliminated when salt contents were increased to 3% or 4%. In addition, the NORs formed more regular and pored networks than the WBs (0-2%). Salt level significantly affected the textural properties of both batter types ( P < 0.05). The hardness of the WB batters was lower than NORs at all NaCl levels ( P < 0.05). Overall, compared with NORs, the WB batters showed inferior gelation properties at salt contents of 0-2%, while increasing salt content to 3-4% can improve the WHC and microstructure of gels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to elucidate the effects of indigenous strains (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CQ01107 and Staphylococcus simulans CD207) on flavor profile in fermented sausages, and to reveal the regulation mechanisms via metagenome sequencing. Notably, higher levels of free amino acids and fatty acids were detected in the inoculated group. The L. plantarum and S. simulans possessed stronger protease and lipase activities, respectively. A total of 39 volatile flavor compounds were identified, with those in the inoculated groups being more abundant, particularly in the mixed starter group. Metagenomic sequencing revealed that the indigenous strains were capable of modifying the abundance and composition of bacterial communities by inhibiting the growth of undesirable microorganisms, such as Weissella spp., and promoting the colonization of favorable strains, including Lactobacillus spp. Inoculation with L. plantarum was found to be more favorable for carbohydrate metabolism, while S. simulans contributed more to lipid metabolism. Additionally, inoculation with the above two strains had a similar effect on the abundance of genes related to amino acid metabolism in fermented sausages. The findings contribute to improve the understanding of the mechanisms of flavor formation regulated by starters. [Display omitted] • Inoculated fermentation promoted the formation of free amino acids and fatty acids. • More flavor compounds were detected in the inoculated sausages. • Regulatory mechanisms of starters on sausages flavor elucidated via metagenomes. • Inoculation with L. plantarum could be more beneficial to carbohydrate metabolism. • Inoculation with S. simulans may contribute more to lipid metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferritin light chain (FTL) reduces the free iron concentration by forming ferritin complexes with ferritin heavy chain (FTH). Thus, FTL competes with the Fenton reaction by acting as an antioxidant. In the present study, we determined that FTL influences the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response. FTL protein expression was regulated by LPS stimulation in RAW264.7 cells. To investigate the role of FTL in LPS-activated murine macrophages, we established stable FTL-expressing cells and used shRNA to silence FTL expression in RAW264.7 cells. Overexpression of FTL significantly decreased the LPS-induced production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Additionally, overexpression of FTL decreased the LPS-induced increase of the intracellular labile iron pool (LIP) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, FTL overexpression suppressed the LPS-induced activation of MAPKs and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). In contrast, knockdown of FTL by shRNA showed the reverse effects. Therefore, our results indicate that FTL plays an anti-inflammatory role in response to LPS in murine macrophages and may have therapeutic potential for treating inflammatory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] A Knowledge-based Intellectual Capital Extraction (KBICE) algorithm is presented. [•] It incorporates computational linguistics and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. [•] It aims at automatic extraction of IC-related information from unstructured data. [•] The performance was evaluated by using financial reports from the banking industry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aeromonas is a ubiquitous aquatic bacteria, and it is a significant factor contributing to meat spoilage during processing and consumption. The abilities of Aeromonas salmonicida 29 and 57, which exhibit spoilage heterogeneity, to secrete protease, lipase, hemolysin, gelatinase, amylase, and lecithinase were confirmed by plate method. A total of 3948 proteins were identified by ITRAQ in extracellular secretions of A. salmonicida , and 16 proteases were found to be potentially related to spoilage ability. The complete genome sequence of A. salmonicida 57 consists of one circular chromosome and three plasmids, while A. salmonicida 29 consists of one circular chromosome, without a plasmid. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a significant number of DEGs were up-regulated in A. salmonicida 29, which were mainly enriched in metabolic pathways (e.g., amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism), indicating that A. salmonicida 29 had better potential to decompose and utilize nutrients in meat. Six protease genes (2 pepB , hap , pepA , ftsI , and pepD) were excavated by combined ITRAQ with transcriptome analysis, which potentially contribute to bacterial spoilage ability and exhibit universality among other dominant spoilage bacteria. This investigation provides new insights and evidence for elucidating metabolic and spoilage phenotypic differences and provides candidate genes and strategies for future prevention and control technology development. • Aeromonas salmonicida is considered a widely spread bacteria in chilled meat. • Salmonicida possesses proteases related to pathogenic and spoilage. • The genome of two strains of A. salmonicida with spoilage heterogeneity was uncovered. • Transcriptomics revealed a number of DEGs that were up-regulated in A. salmonicida 29. • Six genes that contribute to meat spoilage were excavated: 2 pepB , hap , pepA , fts I, and pepD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• There is high consistency in the extent of land degradation. • There are consistent hydrothermal change characteristics in the land degradation hotspots area. Land degradation is a major impediment to achieving sustainable development. However, there is currently no harmonized global map of land degradation status and hotspots. This paper aims to obtain the status and hotspots map of global land degradation by multiple methods and indicators to give essential references for land degradation neutrality. The results show that there are significant differences in the distribution and degree of land degradation between the different methods and indicators. Validation through observation points reveals that most of the methods and indicators can reflect land degradation in arid and semi-arid areas, while there are suitable methods or indicators in tropical and high-latitude areas. The degree of degradation has a large difference after overlay analysis, which shows that there are shortcomings of different methods and indicators for monitoring the degree of land degradation. However, the overlay of land degradation extent displays a high consistency, reflecting the current state of global land degradation to a certain extent. These areas with high overlay value can be recognized as hotspots of land degradation. It is also found there are consistent water-energy change characteristics in the hotspot area, such as increased land surface temperature and air temperature and decreased soil moisture and precipitation. These results conclude that studies on the degree of land degradation need to be considered in an integrated manner about the regional background. The combination of multiple methods and indicators is recommended for land degradation extent studies in large areas. Comparison of different methods and indicators is important guidance for global land degradation research. Accelerating ecological monitoring and restoration of land degradation hotspots is the first step towards land degradation neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As technology nodes continue to shrink, the impact of aging problems on devices has become increasingly important. One significant aging problem that affects device characteristics and circuit performance is Negative Bias Temperature Instability (NBTI). Under small-size conditions, fluctuations in device parameters such as threshold voltage due to aging are not negligible. To capture these fluctuations, an improved statistical model has been proposed. The time-dependent statistical model accounts for the average change in the number of charged defects due to NBTI and enables the evaluation of degradation fluctuations over time. The model prediction of the threshold voltage degradation of devices in advanced technology is verified with different measured data. Furthermore, the model is implemented with the Open Model Interface (OMI) for the circuit-level degradation simulation, taking advantage of OMI's convenience and compatibility with different circuit simulators. The integration of the proposed model into the OMI benefits in predicting the degradations difference among the transistors in the circuits, reducing the overestimation of aging degradation compared to the methods that assume every transistor experiences the same and worst degradation. • An improved statistical model to capture device parameter fluctuations due to aging. • The average change in the number of charged defects due to Negative Bias Temperature Instability. • Integrating model into Open Model Interface for the compatibility with different simulators. • Reducing overestimation of degradation during aging evaulation at circuit level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Higher litter quality of broadleaf increased ammonification in bamboo forest soil. • Lower litter quality of bamboo promoted nitrification in broadleaf forest soil. • Litter removal of bamboo and broadleaf enhanced ammonification and nitrification. • Broadleaf litter promoted ammonification via enhancing fungal ligninolytic capacity. • Bamboo litter enhanced nitrification via altering bacterial nitrifying capacity. Plant invasion can change soil microbial function and nitrogen (N) supply through the input of litter with different qualities and quantities, among other factors. However, the underlying mechanism for litter quality to regulate soil N mineralization via microbial function with plant invasion remains unclear. We examined the effect of litterfall with contrasting chemical properties on soil net ammonification and nitrification rates, enzyme activity, and associated microbial function using reciprocal litterfall transplanting between a natural broadleaf forest and a Moso bamboo forest formed after the encroachment of a natural broadleaf forest. Our results showed that, on average, litterfall removal decreased ammonification rates by 33.6% but increased nitrification rates by 137.8%, while litterfall replacement increased nitrification rates by 55.9% in the natural broadleaf forest. Litterfall removal increased ammonification rates by 33.9%, while litterfall replacement increased ammonification rates by 42.1% at the end of the experiment in the bamboo forest. Structural equation modeling revealed that higher quality litterfall (higher cellulose content and lower lignin/N ratio) from the broadleaf forest enhanced net ammonification by altering fungal composition and increasing their ligninolytic capacity. However, the lower quality litterfall from the bamboo forest increased net nitrification rates through altering bacterial community and increasing urease activity. Our results indicate that the increased N supply resulting from litterfall replacement could counteract the low NH 4 + availability in the bamboo forest soil, but not in the broadleaf forest soil. The contrasting modulation effects of litterfall quality on soil mineral N production would have cascading effects on bamboo encroachment and forest succession with implications for ecosystem management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The recalcitrance of green waste, caused by its high lignocellulose content, is a technical challenge for accelerating green waste composting. However, because lignocellulose degradation in litter (similar to green waste) can be promoted during the freeze-thaw season, and the composting is difficult to implement in this period (due to the low temperature); seasonal freeze-thaw was intended to be used as a pretreatment strategy for the existing technical challenge in the winter of cold regions. In this process, green waste was pretreated with seasonal freeze-thaw to enhance its lignocellulose degradation for subsequent composting. To verify this assumption, two strategies for the pretreatment were used: the green waste was either drenched or immersed in water during the freeze-thaw season, and the effects on subsequent composting were evaluated. The results demonstrated that both strategies can significantly promote the mineralization of TOC (total organic carbon, by 2.73%–8.01% compared with the control, the following comparisons were all based on the control), TN (total nitrogen, by 0.21%–0.52%), and lignocellulose (lignin degradation was promoted by 3.52%–3.73%, cellulose degradation was promoted by 13.23%–14.26%) during composting and that the synthesis of humus was also enhanced (by 19.19%–21.43%). Furthermore, since the loss of NH 4 + N and NO 3 − N was significantly less in the drenched treatment than in the immersed treatment (by 9.15% for the loss of NH 4 + N and 7.66% for the loss of NO 3 − N), drenching the green waste during the freeze-thaw season might be a better strategy than immersing for nitrogen conservation. An additional advantage of drenching compared to immersing is water conservation. Highlights • Effect of seasonal freeze-thaw pretreatment on green waste composting was studied. • Seasonal freeze-thaw improves biodegradation during green waste composting. • Seasonal freeze-thaw increases mineral nitrogen loss during green waste composting. • Seasonal freeze-thaw promotes humification during green waste composting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Three lignocellulolytic microorganisms were isolated from compost of green waste. • Quadratic regression orthogonal design is feasible to develop composite inocula. • The composite inoculum has a considerable effect of lignocellulose degradation. Abstract The aims of this study are to determine the feasibility of applying QROD (quadratic regression orthogonal design) to optimize a combination of microorganisms and to develop a composite inoculum for promoting lignocellulose degradation during GWC (green waste composting). This feasibility was studied in a laboratory scale experiment, using three lignocellulolytic microorganisms, isolated from the mature phase of GWC by the dilution plating method. After the feasibility was confirmed, a composite inoculum was developed through the results of the optimization, whose effect was evaluated by comparing it with Phanerochaete chrysosporium and EM (Effective Microorganisms) in a pilot scale experiment of GWC. The use of QROD to finish this optimization was proven feasible, because the p value of the regression equation was less than 0.05 (0.0108), meaning that the quadratic regression model is suitable for describing the relationship between the combination of the three microorganisms and their ability to degrade lignocellulose. Additional proof of this feasibility is that the composite inoculum in the quadratic regression orthogonal experiment demonstrated lignocellulose degradation ability similar to the GWC experiment. Although the lignin degradation ability of the composite inoculum did not surpass Phanerochaete chrysosporium , it was stronger than EM. Meanwhile, cellulose degradation ability and humus synthesis ability of the composite inoculum were stronger than for Phanerochaete chrysosporium and were close to EM. It is hard to tell which inoculum is the best since each inoculum had advantages in different aspects, while the composite inoculum still showed a considerable effect of lignocellulose degradation during GWC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimizing irrigation and nitrogen (N) fertilization cooperative application to coordinate the balance between agricultural production and ecological environment is a vital challenge for sustainable agricultural production. Here, a three-year field experiment was conducted from 2018 to 2020 in the semi-arid region of north China to investigate the effects of different irrigation amounts (W 1 , 50% ETc, ETc is the crop evapotranspiration; W 2 , 75% ETc; W 3 , 100% ETc; W 4 , 125% ETc) and nitrogen fertilization rates (F 1 , 75 kg·ha−1, F 2 , 150 kg·ha−1, F 3 , 225 kg·ha−1, F 4 , 300 kg·ha−1) on growth, yield, water and fertilizer use efficiency, and soil N residue of spring wheat by drip fertigation, and explore the optimal combination of irrigation amount and N fertilization rate based on a multi-objective optimization method. The results showed that leaf area index (LAI), dry matter accumulation, yield, water use efficiency (WUE) and economic return of spring wheat increased first and then decreased with increasing irrigation at the same level of N fertilization. These parameters peaked at W 3 , with W 1 performed poorly and low irrigation amount was detrimental to the function of fertilizer. At the same level of irrigation, LAI, dry matter accumulation, yield and economic return all demonstrated significant diminishing return effects with increasing N fertilization, whereas nitrogen partial factor productivity (NPFP) reduced with increasing N fertilization. Furthermore, with the simultaneous increase of irrigation and N fertilization, the accumulation of soil nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 -N) decreased in the 0 − 40 cm soil layer and increased in the 60 − 100 cm soil layer. The partial least squares path model (PLS-PM) revealed that irrigation had a direct positive effect on spring wheat yield rather than N fertilization, and irrigation had a direct negative effect on soil N residue. Based on the multi-objective optimization model established by multiple regression analysis and the elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II), the irrigation amount of 337.3–354.9 mm combined with the N fertilization rate of 181.2–198.6 kg·ha−1 could obtain the optimal comprehensive benefits of wheat yield, economic return, water and fertilizer utilization efficiency and environmental impact. This study can provide an important scientific basis for the management and optimization of irrigation and fertilization for spring wheat in semi-arid region of China and other similar regions around the world. • Irrigation had a direct positive effect on spring wheat yield rather than N fertilizer. • Excessive irrigation and N fertilizer increased soil nitrogen residue in deeper soil. • Water and nitrogen coupling improved economic return and reduced soil N residue. • The NSGA-II was applied to the optimization of irrigation and N fertilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research evaluated green waste compost (GWC) and green waste vermicompost (GWV) as peat substitutes in growing media used for the production of geranium ( Pelargonium zonale L.) and calendula ( Calendula officinalis L.). Five growing media were prepared: 100% Peat (P), 50% Peat + 50% GWC (PC), 100% GWC (C), 50% Peat + 50% GWV (PV), and 100% GWV (V). Geranium and calendula seedlings were transplanted into each medium and were grown under commercial nursery conditions for 6 months, i.e., until they attained commercial size. The higher percentage of GWC and GWV in the growing medium could increase bulk density and air space; decrease total pore space and water-filled porosity; and increase pH, electrical conductivity, and macro- and microelement contents. The heavy metal contents of all growing media were within safe ranges. Particle-size distribution and fertility were superior in the vermicompost-based media than in the compost-based media. Geranium growth was reduced in media containing GWC (C and PC). Calendula growth in compost-based growing media was similar to or greater than growth in pure peat. Geranium and calendula growth and flowering were superior in all vermicompost-based media (PV and V) than in the control medium (P). These results indicate that GWV is better than GVC as a partial substitute for peat in the cultivation of geranium and calendula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to prepare monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with high immunoreactivity, sensitivity, and specificity for the chelate (Cr(III)-EDTA) of trivalent chromium ion (Cr(III)) and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA). Further, the study established an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) for detecting the total chromium content in food, feed, and environmental samples. Methods: Hapten Cr(III)-iEDTA was synthesized by chelating Cr(III) with isothiocyanatebenzyl-EDTA (iEDTA). Immunogen Cr(III)-iEDTA-BSA formed by chelating Cr(III)-iEDTA with bovine serum albumin (BSA), and coating antigen Cr(III)-iEDTA-OVA formed by chelating Cr(III)-iEDTA with ovalbumin (OVA) were prepared using the isothiocyanate method and identified by ultraviolet spectra (UV) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Balb/c mice were immunized with the Cr(III)-iEDTA-BSA, and the anti Cr(III)-EDTA mAb cell lines were screened by cell fusion. The Cr(III)-EDTA mAbs were prepared by induced ascites in vivo, and their immunological characteristics were assessed. Results: The immunogen Cr(III)-iEDTA-BSA was successfully synthesized, and the molecular binding ratio of Cr(III) to BSA was 15.48:1. Three hybridoma cell lines 2A3, 2A11, and 3D9 were screened, among which 2A3 was the best cell line. The 2A3 secreted antibody was stable after six passages, the affinity constant (Ka) was 2.69 × 109 L/mol, its 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) of Cr(III)-EDTA was 8.64 μg/L, and it had no cross-reactivity (CR%) with other heavy metal ion chelates except for a slight CR with Fe(III)-EDTA (1.12%). An icELISA detection method for Cr(III)-EDTA was established, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.0 μg/L and a working range of 1.13 to 66.30 μg/L. The average spiked recovery intra-assay rates were 90% to 109.5%, while the average recovery inter-assay rates were 90.4% to 97.2%. The intra-and inter-assay coefficient of variations (CVs) were 11.5% to 12.6% and 11.1% to 12.7%, respectively. The preliminary application of the icELISA and the comparison with ICP-OES showed that the coincidence rate of the two methods was 100%, and the correlation coefficient was 0.987. Conclusions: The study successfully established an icELISA method that meets the requirements for detecting the Cr(III)-EDTA chelate content in food, feed, and environmental samples, based on Cr(III)-EDTA mAb, and carried out its preliminary practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptomyces phage φC31 integrase induces efficient site-specific recombination capable of integrating exogenous genes at pseudo attP sites in human, mouse, rat, rabbit, sheep, Drosophila, and bovine genomes. However, the φC31-mediated recombination between attB and the corresponding pseudo attP sites has not been investigated in Capra hircus. Here, we identified eight pseudo attP sites located in the intron or intergenic regions of the C. hircus genome, and demonstrated different levels of foreign gene expression after φC31 integrase-mediated integration. These pseudo attP sites share similar sequences with each other and with pseudo attP sites in other mammalian genomes, and these are associated with a neighboring consensus motif found in other genomes. The application of the φC31 integrase system in C. hircus provides a new option for genetic engineering of this economically important goat species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Taihu Basin is the most developed area in China, which economic development has resulted in pollutants being produced and discharged into rivers and the lake. Lake Taihu is located in the center of the basin, which is characterized by a complex network of rivers and channels. To assess the sources and fate of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in surface waters, we determined the components and abundance of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) within Lake Taihu and 66 of its tributaries, and 22 sites along transects from two main rivers. In Lake Taihu, there was a relative less spatial variation in CDOM absorption a CDOM(355) with a mean of 2.46±0.69m−1compared to the mean of 3.36±1.77m−1 in the rivers. Two autochthonous tryptophan-like components (C1 and C5), two humic-like components (C2 and C3), and one autochthonous tyrosine-like component (C4) were identified using the parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) model. The C2 and C3 had a direct relationship with a CDOM(355), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The separation of lake samples from river samples, on both axes of the Principal Component Analysis (PCA), showed the difference in DOM fluorophores between these various environments. Components C1 and C5 concurrently showed positive factor 1 loadings, while C4 was close to the negative factor 1 axis. Components C2 and C3 showed positive second factor loadings. The major contribution of autochthonous tryptophan-like components to lake samples is due to the autochthonous production of CDOM in the lake ecosystems. The results also showed that the differences in geology and associated land use control CDOM dynamics, such as the high levels of CDOM with terrestrial characteristics in the northwestern upstream rivers and low levels of CDOM with increased microbial characteristics in the southwestern upstream rivers. Most of river samples from the downstream regions in the eastern and southeastern plains had a similar relative abundance of humic-like fluorescence, with less of the tryptophan-like and more of the tyrosine-like contributions than did samples from upstream regions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Unique and controllable well-organized ZnO hollow cages were formed for the first time by smart assembly using novel combination of L-TA and EA, which can produce a strong synergistic effect in hydrothermal process. Meanwhile, the conformation of L-TA and D-TA shows that these ZnO cages have special spatial assembly order. The photocatalytic activity of Ag/ZnO is remarkably larger than that of pristine ZnO (S2) under UV or simulated sunlight irradiation. The MB rate constant k values of Ag/ZnO composites are larger than those of P25 under UV light illumination. Under simulated sunlight irradiation, S2-10% Ag/ZnO degrades 80% of RhB in 135 min. The PL, photocurrent and EIS results indicate enhanced photocatalytic performance due to the interfacial formation between Ag and ZnO, which facilitates the separation and transfer of photoinduced carriers and enhances the photocatalytic activity of Ag/ZnO composites. This work provided a new way to design and construct well-organized ZnO hollow cages and their derived Ag/ZnO photocatalysts. 1. Unique well-organized ZnO hollow cages can be designed, constructed and formed with synergistic effect of novel combination of L−TA and EA for the first time. The assembly of WO-ZnO-HCs exhibits regular arrangement along the edge of hexagonal bottom (the center is empty), and has special spatial stacking order. Then Ag/WO-ZnO-HC composites were further constructed for the enhancement for photocatalytic activity. 2. PL, photocurrent and EIS results show that the formation of heterostructured Ag/WO-ZnO-HCs obviously facilitates the separation and transfer of photoinduced electron-hole pairs, which leads to enhanced photocatalytic performance than that of pristine ZnO under UV and simulated solar light irradiation simultaneously. 3. The dyes of CR, MB, MO, and RhB were photodegraded quickly under the UV light illumination, especially MB rate constant K of Ag/WO-ZnO-HCs is larger than that of commercial P25. 4. WO-ZnO-HCs assembly mechanism were proposed in detailed. Unlabelled Image • Unique well-organized ZnO hollow cages were stably formed via novel combination of L-TA and EA. • Formation of Ag/ZnO composites obviously facilitate the separation and transfer of the photoinduced electron-hole pairs. • Photocatalytic activity of Ag/ZnO composites is remarkably larger than that of pristine ZnO. • MB photodegradation rate constant of Ag/ZnO composites is larger than that of commercial P25 under illumination of UV light. • Assembly and photocatalytic mechanisms were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]