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Abstract Background Chylothorax is a postoperative complication in patients with lung cancer. Diet-control approaches have been the mainstay for managing this condition. However, a surgical intervention is needed for the patients if conservative treatment is ineffective. Because of the lack of accurate indicators to assess the prognosis of the postoperative complication at an early stage, the criteria of surgical treatment were not consistent. Methods We reviewed 2942 patients who underwent pulmonary resection and lymph node dissection for primary lung cancer at our hospital between March 2021 and December 2022. The prognostic implications of clinical indicators were assessed in patients with postoperative chylothorax who were managed with a low-fat diet. Binary logistic regression was used to explore the predictive value of these indicators for patient prognosis. Results Postoperative chylothorax occurred in 108 patients and 79 patients were treated with a low-fat diet management while 29 patients were managed with TPN. In contrast to drainage volume, the pleural effusion triglyceride level after 2 days of low-fat diet exhibited enhanced predictive efficacy in predicting patient prognosis. When the pleural fluid triglyceride level of 1.33 mmol/L was used as the diagnostic threshold for prognosis, the sensitivity and specificity reached 100% and 80.6%, respectively. Conclusions The pleural effusion triglyceride level after 2 days of low-fat diet can serve as a valuable prognostic indicator in patients undergoing lung surgery and experiencing chylothorax. This predictive approach will help thoracic surgeons to identify patients with poor prognosis in a timely manner and make decision to perform necessary surgical interventions.

Abstract Background Acute pancreatitis (AP) has become a significant global health concern, and a high body mass index (BMI) has been identified as a key risk factor exacerbating this condition. Within this context, lipid metabolism assumes a critical role. The complex relationship between elevated BMI and AP, mediated by lipid metabolism, markedly increases the risk of complications and mortality. This study aimed to accurately define the correlation between BMI and AP, incorporating a comprehensive analysis of the interactions between individuals with high BMI and AP. Methods Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was first applied to determine the causal relationship between BMI and the risk of AP. Subsequently, three microarray datasets were obtained from the GEO database. This was followed by an analysis of differentially expressed genes and the application of weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify key modular genes associated with AP and elevated BMI. Functional enrichment analysis was then performed to shed light on disease pathogenesis. To identify the most informative genes, machine learning algorithms, including Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine-Recursive Feature Elimination (SVM-RFE), and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), were employed. Subsequent analysis focused on the colocalization of the Quantitative Trait Loci (eQTL) data associated with the selected genes and Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) data related to the disease. Preliminary verification of gene expression trends was conducted using external GEO datasets. Ultimately, the diagnostic potential of these genes was further confirmed through the development of an AP model in mice with a high BMI. Results A total of 21 intersecting genes related to BMI>30, AP, and lipid metabolism were identified from the datasets. These genes were primarily enriched in pathways related to cytosolic DNA sensing, cytokine‒cytokine receptor interactions, and various immune and inflammatory responses. Next, three machine learning techniques were utilized to identify HADH as the most prevalent diagnostic gene. Colocalization analysis revealed that HADH significantly influenced the risk factors associated with BMI and AP. Furthermore, the trend in HADH expression within the external validation dataset aligned with the trend in the experimental data, thus providing a preliminary validation of the experimental findings.The changes in its expression were further validated using external datasets and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Conclusion This study systematically identified HADH as a potential lipid metabolism-grounded biomarker for AP in patients with a BMI>30.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) represents a malignancy involving early-stage differentiated lymphoid cells that invade the bone marrow, blood, and extramedullary sites. First-line treatment spans 2–3 years with induction, consolidation, intensification, and long-term maintenance phases. Relapsed/refractory (R/R) ALL typically carries an adverse prognosis, and there is currently no standard of care for this disease. Here, we present a case of R/R ALL that responded effectively to liposomal mitoxantrone-based multidrug chemotherapy, resulting in a rapid complete response after 35 days of therapy. Subsequently, the patient was successfully treated with allo-HSCT. At 5 months follow-up, the patient was alive and leukemia-free. Additionally, no severe adverse events were recorded during liposomal mitoxantrone treatment or hospitalization for allo-HSCT. Given the encouraging efficacy and the manageable adverse events observed in our case, liposomal mitoxantrone-based multidrug chemotherapy should be further explored as a bridge to allo-HSCT in patients with R/R ALL.

In this paper, a hybrid shoulder friction stir welding (HS-FSW) process was developed combining the advantages of rotational shoulder friction stir welding (RS-FSW) and non-rotational shoulder friction stir welding (NRS-FSW). Both static and fatigue performance of the HS-FSW Al–Mg–Si alloy joints were examined and compared with those of the RS-FSW and NRS-FSW joints. The ultimate tensile strengths of the joints welded by HS-FSW are increased by 17.3 % and 6.7 %, compared with those of RS and NRS FSW, respectively. Besides, fatigue strengths of HS-FSW joints grow by respective 25.4 % and 1.8 %. For a better understanding of the significant improvements, the fatigue crack propagation (FCP) test and residual stress measurement were carried out. FCP test indicates that the advancing side (AS) is the most sensitive zone for FCP. The residual stress measurements suggest that the HS-FSW joint has the lowest distribution amplitude of residual stress compared with that of the RS-FSW and NRS-FSW joints. Based on above evolution, an assessment is firstly conducted, which reveals that the axial force and the lower heat input to mitigate the amplitude and the peak value of tensile stress during welding, jointly contribute to the superior imprisonment of the tensile strength and fatigue strength of the HS-FSW joints.

ObjectiveThis review aims to provide a quantitative and qualitative bibliometric analysis of literature from 2013 to 2023 on the role of exosomes in PC, with the goal of identifying current trends and predicting future hotspots.MethodsWe retrieved relevant publications concerning exosomes in PC, published between 2013 and 2023, from the Web of Science Core Collection. Bibliometric analyses were conducted using VOSviewer(1.6.19), CiteSpace(6.2.R4), and Microsoft Excel (2019).ResultsA total of 624 papers were analyzed, authored by 4017 researchers from 55 countries/regions and 855 institutions, published in 258 academic journals. China (n=285, 34.42%) and the United States (n=183, 24.87%) were the most frequent contributors and collaborated closely. However, publications from China had a relatively low average number of citations (41.45 times per paper). The output of Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranked first, with 28 papers (accounting for 4.5% of the total publications). Cancers (n=31, 4.9%); published the most papers in this field. Researcher Margot Zoeller published the most papers (n=12) on this topic. Research hotspots mainly focused on the mechanisms of exosomes in PC onset and progression, the role of exosomes in PC early diagnosis and prognosis, exosomes promote the development of PC chemoresistance, and potential applications of exosomes as drug carriers for PC therapies. We observed a shift in research trends, from mechanistic studies toward clinical trials, suggesting that clinical applications will be the focus of future attention. Emerging topics were pancreatic stellate cells, diagnostic biomarkers, mesenchymal stem cells, extracellular vesicles.ConclusionOur scientometric and visual analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the literature on the role of exosomes in PC published during 2013–2023. This review identifies the frontiers and future directions in this area over the past decade, and is expected to provide a useful reference for researchers in this field.

Many research studies focus on intestinal microbiota-related depression induced by the usage of antibiotics, but the use of antibiotics is fairly different. To construct an effective antibiotic-induced depression mice model and explore the effect of intestinal microbiota in antibiotic-induced depression, we used several kinds of antibiotic mixtures to induce mice depression and used depression-related behavioral tests and neurobiological factors to evaluate the construction of the antibiotic-induced depression mice model. SPSS statistical software was used to analyze the above data, and the optimal model was selected according to the stability of the results and the simplicity of the modeling methods. Metagenomic analysis and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) of intestinal microbiota from antibiotic-induced depression mice were performed to analyze the effect of intestinal microbiota. The results showed that antibiotic mixture A (1.25 μg/mL natamycin, 5 mg/mL neomycin sulfate, and 5 mg/mL bacitracin), antibiotic mixture B (24 mg/mL bacitracin, 24 mg/mL neomycin sulfate, 9.6 mg/mL ampicillin, 4.8 mg/mL meropenem, and 1.47 mg/mL vancomycin), and antibiotic solution D (only containing 5 mg/mL neomycin sulfate) could induce depression-like behavior in mice. By using these antibiotics, the concentrations of norepinephrine (NE), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in mice hippocampus and prefrontal cortex tissues were significantly decreased. All the above results were consistent with those of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) depression mice. The FMT results showed that fecal microbiota from antibiotic-induced depressed mice transplanted into normal mice (8 weeks-old male C57BL/6J SPF mice) also could induce depression-like behavior and cause similar changes in neurobiological factors. Metagenomic analysis showed that the community structure of microbiota in the intestinal tract of antibiotic-induced depression mice was significantly different from that in control mice, the intestinal microbiota species diversity in antibiotic-induced depression mice was lower, the lipoic acid metabolism pathway was significantly activated, and the abundance of functional gene lipA was explicitly increased. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) further verified the abundance of enriched bacteria in the intestinal microbiota of antibiotic-induced depression mice. In summary, the specific antibiotic mixtures can induce depression by causing changes in intestinal microbiota in mice. Antibiotic-induced depressed mice show differences in intestinal microbiota abundance, high enrichment of the unique metabolic pathway, and the functional gene.

With the continuous development of the social economy, the depth of foundation pit excavation of proposed construction projects in various places gradually increases, which is closer to the building red line, and the surrounding environment is relatively complex; therefore, there are few supporting schemes for foundation pit selection. Based on the Vanke B-6 plot of a real estate development project, the project has close neighboring buildings. If we use a normal anchor cable, underground cut line problems are possible, and so we choose the hot melt-type recoverable anchor; with three element dispersion pressure, the anchor cable can minimize broken sections of brush slope excavation and has advantages of a simplified construction process and good seismic performance. Except for the cable barrel, the other parts and all steel strands can be recycled, and recycled parts can be reused. The recyclable bolt (cable) overcomes the disadvantages of the conventional bolt (cable) as a temporary support, such as pollution of the underground environment, encroachment on the underground space of adjacent buildings, and becoming an underground obstacle in follow-up projects. It accords with the characteristics of the times of environmental protection and sustainable development, and has achieved good economic and social benefits.

A three-dimensional transient computational fluid dynamics model is developed to analyze the influence of rotational/non-rotational shoulder and pin characteristics on the thermal and material flow behavior in friction stir welded (FSW) aluminum alloy joints. Four tool designs with rotational/non-rotational shoulder and the pin with/without triple facets are considered. The heat cycle of the rotational and non-rotational shoulder friction stir welded joint (RS-FSW and NRS-FSW) is simulated and experimentally verified, and the welding temperature fields are analyzed. The welding peak temperature of the RS-FSWed joint is the highest, and the non-rotational shoulder significantly reduces the welding peak temperature and the range of the heat-affected zone (HAZ). The rotational shoulder promotes material flow and enhances flow velocity, whereas the non-rotational shoulder reduces both. An increase in the triple facets on the pin facilitates the material flow during NRS-FSW. Viscosity is a physical quantity associated with the welding temperature and strain rate, which is affected by the tool characteristics. The deformation zone caused by the tool is related to the viscosity of the material, the closer the tool, the lower the viscosity of the material. The viscosity of the material gradually increases with an increase in the distance from the tool surface.

BackgroundAlthough the increase of perioperative complications in the elderly undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) surgery has been recognized, the definition of the “old patient” of PD in the studies is different and there is no accepted cut-off value at present.Methods279 consecutive patients who have undergone PD in our center between January 2012 and May 2020 were analyzed. Demographic features, clinical-pathological data and short-term outcomes were collected. The patients were divided into two groups, and the cut-off value (62.5 years) is picked based on the highest Youden Index. Primary endpoints were perioperative morbidity and mortality, and complications were classified according to the Clavien-Dindo Score.ResultsA total of 260 patients with PD were included in this study. Postoperative pathology confirmed pancreatic tumors in 62 patients, bile duct tumor in 105, duodenal tumor in 90, and others in 3. Age (OR = 1.09, P

Abstract Pancreatic diseases, a serious threat to human health, have garnered considerable research interest, as they are associated with a high mortality rate. However, owing to the uncertain etiology and complex pathophysiology, the treatment of pancreatic diseases is a challenge for clinicians and researchers. Exosomes, carriers of intercellular communication signals, play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic diseases. Exosomes are involved in multiple stages of pancreatic disease development, including apoptosis, immune regulation, angiogenesis, cell migration, and cell proliferation. Thus, extensive alterations in the quantity and variety of exosomes may be indicative of abnormal biological behaviors of pancreatic cells. This phenomenon could be exploited for the development of exosomes as a new biomarker or target of new treatment strategies. Several studies have demonstrated the diagnostic and therapeutic effects of exosomes in cancer and inflammatory pancreatic diseases. Herein, we introduce the roles of exosomes in the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic diseases and discuss directions for future research and perspectives of their applications.

Selenium (Se) is a trace element that plays a crucial role in metabolism; a lack of selenium reduces the body’s resistance and immunity, as well as causes other physiological problems. In this study, we aim to identify favorable conditions for improving organic selenium production. The functional microbe Monascus purpureus, which is widely used in food production, was employed to optimize selenium-enriched culture conditions, and its growth mode and selenium-enriched features were investigated. Spectrophotometry, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) were used to determine the effects of various doses of sodium selenite on the selenium content, growth, and metabolism of M. purpureus, as well as the conversion rate of organic selenium. The best culture parameters for selenium-rich M. purpureus included 7.5 mg/100 mL of selenium content in the culture medium, a pH value of 6.8, a culture temperature of 30 °C, and a rotation speed of 180 rpm. Under ideal circumstances, the mycelia had a maximum selenium concentration of approximately 239.17 mg/kg, with organic selenium accounting for 93.45%, monacoline K production reaching 70.264 mg/L, and a secondary utilization rate of external selenium of 22.99%. This study revealed a novel biological route—selenium-rich M. purpureus fermentation—for converting inorganic selenium into organic selenium.

Carbon nanotube fibers (CNTFs) have many desirable properties such as lightweight, high strength, high conductivity, and long lifetimes. Coiled CNTF is an ideal material for preparing electrochemically driven artificial muscles. While previous studies focused mainly on the actuation performance of artificial muscles made of CNTF, this study focuses on an actuator that mimics human finger movements (flexion). More specifically, the preparation of CNTF muscles were optimized by twisting with weight. Then, actuators are designed and assembled by combining all-solid-state CNTF muscles with polypropylene (PP) sheets. Moreover, a dual-electrode system, which is infiltrated by a gel electrolyte, is built into the muscle actuator. In addition, a robotic gripper is fabricated, which uses these actuators. This study can help improve the design of CNTF-based muscle-actuators and future applications in robotics.

A coagulation-anaerobic hydrolysis-aeration process was used to treat the waste cutting fluid, which was discharged from a metalworking plant, and the operating conditions of each unit were optimized in this paper. The results showed that 9 g/L polyaluminum chloride and 0.3 g/L cationic polyacrylamide were added in the coagulation stage, the TOC was removed by 78.94% and the BOD5/COD of the waste cutting fluid increased from 0.046 to 0.312 before and after coagulation. The coagulation effluent was further treated by anaerobic hydrolysis-aeration, and the TOC removal efficiencies of the biological process and the whole chemical-biological process were 92.77% and 98.48% respectively. Adding glucose as a cosubstrate into the anaerobic hydrolysis can improve the TOC removal efficiency; when the TOC content ratio of coagulation effluent to glucose solution was 7:3, the TOC removal efficiencies of the biological process and the chemical-biological process reached 97.16% and 99.40%, and the total oil removal efficiency of the whole process reached 99.99%. The effluent quality parameters of the coagulation-anaerobic hydrolysis (with cosubstrate glucose)-aeration process met the Class C limits specified in the Wastewater Quality Standards for Discharge to Municipal Sewers (GB/T 31962-2015); that is, the effluent COD, TN, TP and total oil were below 300 mg/L, 25 mg/L, 5 mg/L and 110 mg/L, respectively, and the effluent pH was between 6.5–9.5. HIGHLIGHTS The waste cutting fluid could be well treated by the coagulation-anaerobic hydrolysis-aeration process.; The influence of coagulant and coagulant aid on the biodegradability of waste cutting fluid was analyzed.; The removal efficiency of the treatment system was further improved by adding some glucose into the anaerobic hydrolysis unit.; The traditional method had low cost and high treatment efficiency.;

Dried jujube is a characteristic fruit of Xinjiang. Aspergillus is one of the main pathogens that causes mold on dried jujube, and A. flavus is a toxin-producing species, the aflatoxin produced by A. flavus is extremely toxic and carcinogenic. In this study, the growth kinetic models of A. flavus isolated from red jujube at different temperatures and times were fitted to Huang model and linear equation respectively, the Cardinal model was used to describe the growth rate and lag time of A. flavus on dried jujube agar. It turned out that 30–35 °C was the optimal temperature for growing A. flavus, so dried jujube should avoid storing in this temperature range. The kinetic model established in this study will help to understand the growth characteristics of A. flavus, and lay a foundation for evaluating the quality of stored dried jujube and predictions of shelf life, which are conducive to optimizing storage methods for dried jujube. It can be judged according to the value of Af and Bf, the Huang model had a better fitting effect than the Baranyi model, The two models all had the highest growth rate at 35 °C, and A. flavus grew more vigorously and the lag period shortened as the temperature was increased. The secondary Cardinal model had a good fitting effect on the growth rate and lag time, and the secondary Ratkowsky model had a good fitting effect on the growth rate. This study may have theoretical and application value to strengthen the safety of jujube storage in the future.

Kazakh cheese is a traditional dairy product in Xinjiang, China. The function and potential probiotic characteristics of Saccharomyces cerevisiae DL6–20 and Kluyveromyces marxianus B13–5 in Kazakh cheese and its contribution to cheese fermentation was studied. In this study, the effect of the addition ratio of gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)-producing S. cerevisiae DL6–20 and K. marxianus B13–5 on cheese quality was investigated. Cheeses were prepared by fermentations with a total of six treatments: comercial culture alone as control (CS), a combination with one yeast, either; K. marxianus B13–5 (CSM); S. cerevisiae DL6–20 (CSS); and three different proportions of this two yeasts (CSM:CSS 1:1, 1:2, 2:1). We measured the GABA content of cheese, as well as basic physical and chemical indicators, microbial content, free amino acid (FAA) content, texture, and flavor compound content. The total FAA content of mixed bacteria fermentation was higher than that of the single bacteria alone. The GABA content CSM:CSS 1:2 GABA content was 0.114 g/100 g, CSM:CSS 2:1 GABA content was 0.12 g/100 g, CSM:CSS1:1 content of GABA produced in the late ripening period of cheese was the highest, reaching 0.189 g/100 g and the number of LAB and yeasts in CSM:CSS 1:1 was higher than that of other cheeses. The mixed-strain fermentation generally produced cheeses with a higher protein content than that of the single-strain fermentation in the late stage of the maturation process, especially the protein content of CSM:CSS 1:1 during the ripening period, when the protein content was highest at day 50. CSM:CSS 1:1 had a low moisture content, making it easy to store. With the exception of water and protein content, there is no significant difference in other physical and chemical indicators. CSM:CSS 1:1 contributed to the formation of cheese texture. In addition, multivariate statistical analysis indicated that mixed-strain fermentation was beneficial to the production of cheese aroma, with the aroma production performance of CSM:CSS 1:2 and CSM:CSS 2:1 found to be better than that of CSM: CSS 1:1.

Aiming at the performance degradation of lithium-ion batteries due to shell corrosion, the doping of alloy elements Zn, Mg and Cu on Al (111) surface and the effect on oxidation reaction of Al (111) surface were studied by the first-principles calculation method. The results show that Zn, Mg and Cu atoms stably combine with Al atoms, and the surface smoothness is slightly different due to their different radii and electronegativity. The dissociative adsorption of O2 molecules is related to the surface doping atoms and O2 coverage, while the electron tunneling of underlying metal promotes O2 adsorption on the surface. As O2 coverage increases, the O atoms adsorbed on the hcp site gradually migrate to the subsurface layer. Zn, Mg, Cu and vacancy defect hinder the migration of the surrounding O atoms to subsurface layer, resulting in different structures and thicknesses of the oxide film near the doped atoms. At the same time, Zn, Mg, and Cu atoms differ in their ability to gain or lose electrons compared with Al atoms, resulting in their different positions on the surface. In addition, the surface work function rises with the increase of O2 coverage, and Zn and Cu atoms make the work function increase faster. Finally, according to the research results, it can be inferred that Zn and Mg are the unfavorable factors for the oxidation reaction of Al surface.

Columnar jointed rock masses (CJRM) are characterized by significant anisotropy. The mechanical properties of CJRM are complicated by the presence of columnar joints. In this paper, based on the Voronoi random graph generation algorithm, the irregular CJRM numerical model is established, in which columns are simulated by solid elements while joints are simulated by contact surface elements. Uniaxial compression tests on irregular CJRM are then conducted by using FLAC3D to investigate the deformation and strength characteristics, and failure modes. Results indicate that irregular CJRM exhibit strong anisotropy under uniaxial compression, and the compressive strength varies with joint angle in a typical U-shape curve. Failure modes can be classified as three categories: splitting failure along loading direction, shear-sliding failure along columnar joint, and combined failure of column fracturing and joint splitting. The numerical results are then compared with the experimental results. It demonstrates the effectiveness and reliability of applying numerical simulation to investigations on mechanical properties and failure mechanism of irregular CJRM. The results of this study provide helpful information for the design and construction of the project involving CJRM.

Objective: To investigate how omentin-1 impacts colorectal cancer stem cell surface markers and the expression levels of tumour-suppressive micro ribonucleic acid in a colorectal cancer-associated high-glucose environment. ---Continue

Abstract Background Prediabetes is associated with a high risk of colon cancer, and abdominal obesity, which can result in the secretion of several obesity-related adipocytokines, is an independent influencing factor for colonic polyps in prediabetes subjects. However, the correlation between adipocytokine levels and colonic polyps in prediabetes subjects is unclear. This research explores the relationship between plasma adiponectin, visfatin, leptin, and resistin levels and the development of colonic polyps in prediabetes subjects. Methods A total of 468 prediabetes subjects who underwent electronic colonoscopy examinations were enrolled in this study; there were 248 cases of colonic polyps and 220 cases without colonic mucosal lesions. Then, colonic polyps patients with prediabetes were subdivided into a single-polyp group, multiple-polyps group, low-risk polyps group, or high-risk polyps group. In addition, 108 subjects with normal glucose tolerance who were frequency matched with prediabetes subjects by sex and age were selected as the control group; 46 control subjects had polyps, and 62 control subjects were polyp-free. Plasma adiponectin, visfatin, leptin, and resistin levels were measured in all the subjects, and the related risk factors of colonic polyps in prediabetes subjects were analysed. Results Plasma adiponectin levels were significantly lower in the polyps group than in the polyp-free group [normal glucose tolerance (9.8 ± 4.8 vs 13.3 ± 3.9) mg/L, P = 0.013; prediabetes (5.6 ± 3.7 vs 9.2 ± 4.4) mg/L, P = 0.007]. In prediabetes subjects, plasma adiponectin levels were decreased significantly in the multiple polyps group [(4.3 ± 2.6 vs 6.7 ± 3.9) mg/L, P = 0.031] and the high-risk polyps group [(3.7 ± 2.9 vs 7.4 ± 3.5) mg/L, P 0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that lower levels of plasma adiponectin was a risk factor for colonic polyps, multiple colonic polyps, and high-risk colonic polyps in prediabetes subjects. Conclusions Plasma adiponectin levels are inversely associated with colonic polyps, multiple colonic polyps, and high-risk colonic polyps in prediabetes subjects. And adiponectin may be involved in the development of colon tumours in prediabetes subjects.

Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) severely affect the yield and quality of vegetable crops. While some chemical pesticides can effectively eliminate RKNs, they leave behind significant pesticide residues in vegetables and soil that are potentially harmful for humans. Research suggests that dormant RKNs in the soil become active in the presence of a host, upon which they become sensitive to extreme temperature changes. Here, we tested a novel method to eliminate RKNs (Meloidogyne incognita) in a greenhouse setting. RKNs were first activated by water spinach, at which point the soil was heated by natural sunlight and suddenly cooled by the addition of dry ice. This rapid change in temperature eliminated >90% of activated RKNs. After the temperature treatment, the physical features of soil did not change; however, soil porosity, available potassium content and soil invertase activity increased markedly. The treated soil was then used for cucumber planting to test its viability. Compared with cucumber plants grown in untreated soil, plants in treated soil had higher, thicker, and stronger shoots, and higher photosynthetic ability. Cucumber plants grown in untreated soil were severely infested with nematodes while few plants grown in treated soil had root knots containing nematodes. Based on these findings, we suggest that host plant induction followed by switched temperature treatment is an effective, easy, safe, and cost-effective method for eliminating RKNs.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the main pathogens causing mastitis in dairy animals worldwide. It is an important opportunistic pathogen of raw milk, and the enterotoxin causes significant food poisoning. Monitoring the antibiotic resistance of S. aureus in raw milk is helpful for a risk assessment of S. aureus. In this study, 62 strains (43.1%) of S. aureus were isolated from 144 retail raw milk samples of different varieties from four regions in northern Xinjiang, China. Among them, the isolation rates at Shihezi, Hami, Altay, and Tacheng were 58.1% (54/93), 12.9% (4/31), 18.2% (2/11), and 22.2% (2/9), respectively. The isolation rate of positive strains in cow milk samples was the highest (61.7%, 37/60), followed by camel milk (35.9%, 23/64), and horse milk (10.0%, 2/20). The results of the classical virulence genes test showed that 12.9% (8/62) of the isolates carried at least one virulence gene. The main genotype was see (6.5%, 4/62), followed by sea+sec (3.2%, 2/62), sea (1.6%, 1/62), and sec (1.6%, 1/62). The analysis of 13 resistance genes and the susceptibility to 12 different antibiotics of 62 isolates showed that 80.6% (50/62) of the strains were resistant to at least one antibiotic, and 46.8% (29/62) were resistant to three or more antibiotics. The isolated strains had the highest resistance rate to penicillin (72.6%, 45/62), and 25.8% (16/62) of the isolates carried the blaZ resistance gene. In addition, 32 strains (51.6%, 32/62) of methicillin-resistant S. aureus were detected. All isolates had the ability to form biofilms. The pulsed-field gel electrophoresis results showed that the 47 isolates revealed 13 major pulsotypes (P1–P13) and 26 subtypes with 80% similarity, indicating the overall genetic diversity in the distribution area and sources of the samples. These findings indicate that S. aureus causes serious pollution of raw milk in northern Xinjiang, which has a negative effect on public health. Therefore, control measures and continuous monitoring should be undertaken to ensure the quality and safety of raw milk.

Abstract Image inpainting has been presented to complete missing content according to the content of the known region. This paper proposes a novel and efficient algorithm for image inpainting based on a surface fitting as the prior knowledge and an angle-aware patch matching. Meanwhile, we introduce a Jaccard similarity coefficient to advance the matching precision between patches. And to decrease the workload, we select the sizes of target patches and source patches dynamically. Instead of just selecting one source patch, we search for multiple source patches globally by the angle-aware rotation strategy to maintain the consistency of the structures and textures. We apply the proposed method to restore multiple missing blocks and large holes as well as object removal tasks. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms many current state-of-the-art methods in patch matching and structure completion.

Abstract Background Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common complication of diabetes. This study aimed to explore the beneficial effect of Danshen injection on ED in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model and the underlying mechanism. Methods The diabetic rat model was established by an intraperitoneal injection of 60 mg/kg STZ in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The diabetic rats were intraperitoneally injected with Danshen solution (0.5 or 1 mL/kg/day) or the same volume of saline for 6 weeks. Age-matched rats served as controls. After 6 weeks, erectile function and histological morphology of the corpora cavernosum were assessed. Oxidative stress indicators, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, were measured in penile tissues. The expression levels of glucose-regulated protein 78 (Grp78), growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible gene 153 (GADD153/CHOP) were determined by immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting, and RT-PCR. Apoptosis was detected by a TUNEL assay. Results The erection times of diabetic rats were significantly less than those of control rats. Danshen injection could improve erectile function via increased erection times. Danshen injection was also found to ameliorate the morphological abnormalities of the corpora cavernosum, to reduce the number of apoptotic cells, and to suppress caspase-3 activation in penile tissue, accompanied by downregulation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress biomarkers Grp78 and CHOP. Danshen injection could increase SOD activity as well as reduce ROS and MDA levels in diabetic rats, indicating suppression of oxidative stress. Conclusion Danshen injection could rescue diabetes-associated ED, possibly via suppressing the oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced apoptosis pathways.

Vacuum-packed sauce lamb tripe was subjected to secondary pasteurization by high-pressure processing (HPP) and heat treatment (HT), and iTRAQ technology was applied to investigate the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). The analysis revealed 484 and 398 DEPs in the HPP and HT samples, respectively, compared with no treatment. These DEPs were sorted by texture results, and it was revealed that these DEPs acted in different biological processes with many structural proteins and protein subunits related to lamb tripe texture. The results verified by Western blot were consistent with the protein expression changes observed by proteomics. The bioinformatics analysis showed that the hardness and gumminess of the sauce lamb tripe after HT might be related to changes in the expression of CNN1 and FN1. The changes in the expression of TMP, FN1, YWHAG, TTN, collagen isoforms, and ARPC3 might be related to the improved springiness and chewiness of lamb tripe after HPP.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of microencapsulated apple polyphenols (MAP) in controlling cathepsin activity and texture, as well as inhibiting protein oxidation and metmyoglobin formation in lamb meat during frozen storage at −18 °C for 40 weeks. The effects of degradation in vitro on cathepsin and the microstructure in lamb were also evaluated. Results indicated that relative to the control group, the lamb treated with MAP exhibited increased cathepsin activity and inhibited metmyoglobin production. Textural characteristics, such as hardness and springiness, significantly changed (p < 0.05). Treatment with 0.2–1.6 mg/mL of MAP effectively reduced the mean particle size, increasing the zeta potential, delaying the conversion of α-helices to random coils, and maintaining the integrity of the tissue structure. However, treatment with 3.2 mg/mL of MAP damaged the protein structure. Degradation in vitro indicated that protein oxidation hindered the effect of cathepsin and was a dominant factor affecting protein during the frozen storage. These results demonstrated that microencapsulation can potentially be used for meat preservation and replace chemical antioxidants in the meat industry.

Butt joining of Al-Mg-Si alloys with 6.0 mm in thickness was made with conventional rotational shoulder friction stir welding (RSFSW) and non-rotational shoulder friction stir welding (NRS-FSW) process, respectively, and the resultant mechanism of different shoulders affecting the microstructure and mechanical properties of joint was discussed. A new zone named “triangle zone” (TZ) in the RSFSWed joint was first clearly defined, while the shoulder and pin affected zone (SPAZ) did not exist in the NRS-FSWed joint. The distribution of average grain sizes in each zone of the joints (“M” shape) and the changes in the proportion of high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) (“W” shape) are unified with the typical “W” shape distribution of microhardness in the joints. Compared to rotational shoulder, the non-rotational shoulder significantly reduced the width of softened area. In particular, the microstructure of the joints by NRS-FSW with triple facets on the pin surface is finer, denser and more homogeneous. The tensile strength coefficient of the joint welded by NRS-FSW and NRS-FSW with the pin of triple facets increased by 2.3% and 11.6%, respectively, compared to the joint welded by RSFSW. Accordingly, the fatigue performances increased by 1.72 times and 3.19 times, respectively.

Amygdaloidal basalt is a typical rock mass in the dam foundation of the Baihetan hydropower project in southwest China. With rising and drawdown of the reservoir water level, the permeability and creep deformation characteristics of the amygdaloidal basalt are much complicated in the long-term cyclic loading processes. A cyclic loading-unloading creep test on the amygdaloidal basalt was performed to evaluate its deformation and permeability behavior. The results showed that Poisson’s ratio and elastic modulus of the rock specimen varied significantly under different loading processes with a relatively large irreversible deformation. The permeability and strain rates of rock changed in two phases under lower deviatoric stresses, while there are three typical stages of strain growth with the final stress level of 121.8 MPa. For axial stress of 128 MPa, the creep deformation and creep rate in the axial direction are smaller than these in the lateral direction. Before the sample failure, the lateral deformation accelerates earlier than the axial deformation. The results also suggested that the permeability of the rock specimens decreases considerably during each loading process and then tends to be constant with time. No apparent change in steady permeability is observed with variation of stress. For 128 MPa axial stress, the permeability first decreases, then tends to be in a stable value, and at last increases during the sample failure.

Staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) is a worldwide public health problem accounting for the majority of food poisoning which is produced by Staphylococcus aureus, threatening human health and leading to various foodborne diseases. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop a sensitive detection method for SEA to ensure food safety and prevent foodborne diseases in humans. In this study, an adaptive fluorescence biosensor for the detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) was designed and developed by combining DNA silver nanoclusters (DNA-AgNCs) with polypyrrole nanoparticles (PPyNPs). Fluorescent AgNCs, synthesized using aptamers as templates, were used as fluorescence probes, whose fluorescence was quenched by PPyNPs. In the presence of the target SEA, DNA-AgNCs were forced to desorb from the surface of PPyNPs through the binding of SEA with the aptamer-DNA-AgNCs, thereby resulting in fluorescence recovery. Under the optimized conditions, the relative fluorescence intensity (FI) showed a linear relationship with the SEA concentration in the range from 0.5 to 1000 ng/mL (Y = 1.4917X + 0.9100, R2 = 0.9948) with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.3393 ng/mL. The sensor was successfully used to evaluate the content of SEA in milk samples, and the recovery efficiency of SEA was between 87.70% and 94.65%. Thus, the sensor shows great potential for application in food analysis. In short, the proposed platform consisted of an aptamer fluorescent sensor that can be used for the ultrasensitive detection of various toxins by taking advantage of the excellent affinity and specificity of corresponding aptamers.

In this paper, a kernel-based robust disturbance dictionary (KRDD) is proposed for face recognition that solves the problem in modern dictionary learning in which significant components of signal representation cannot be entirely covered. KRDD can effectively extract the principal components of the kernel by dimensionality reduction. KRDD not only performs well with occluded face data, but is also good at suppressing intraclass variation. KRDD learns the robust disturbance dictionaries by extracting and generating the diversity of comprehensive training samples generated by facial changes. In particular, a basic dictionary, a real disturbance dictionary, and a simulated disturbance dictionary are acquired to represent data from distinct subjects to fully represent commonality and disturbance. Two of the disturbance dictionaries are modeled by learning few kernel principal components of the disturbance changes, and then the corresponding dictionaries are obtained by kernel discriminant analysis (KDA) projection modeling. Finally, extended sparse representation classifier (SRC) is used for classification. In the experimental results, KRDD performance displays great advantages in recognition rate and computation time compared with many of the most advanced dictionary learning methods for face recognition.

Early experimental work, conducted at Defence R&D Canada–Suffield, measured and characterized the personal and environmental contamination associated with simulated anthrax-tainted letters under a number of different scenarios in order to obtain a better understanding of the physical and biological processes for detecting, assessing, and formulating potential mitigation strategies for managing the risks associated with opening an anthrax-tainted letter. These experimental investigations have been extended in the present study to simulate numerically the contamination from the opening of anthrax-tainted letters in an open office environment using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A quantity of 0.1 g of Bacillus atropheus (formerly referred to as Bacillus subtilis var globigii (BG)) spores in dry powder form, which was used here as a surrogate species for Bacillus anthracis (anthrax), was released from an opened letter in the experiment. The accuracy of the model for prediction of the spatial distribution of BG spores in the office from the opened letter is assessed qualitatively (and to the extent possible, quantitatively) by detailed comparison with measured BG concentrations obtained under a number of different scenarios, some involving people moving within the office. The observed discrepancy between the numerical predictions and experimental measurements of concentration was probably the result of a number of physical processes which were not accounted for in the numerical simulation. These include air flow leakage from cracks and crevices of the building shell; the dispersion of BG spores in the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system; and, the effect of deposition and re-suspension of BG spores from various surfaces in the office environment.

In this paper, the microstructure of friction stir welded between the Al–Li–Cu alloy and the Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloy was studied using optical microscope(OM), electronic backscattered diffraction (EBSD), SEM, and TEM. The hardness profile revealed that the range of heat affect zone for the Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloy was slightly wider than the Al–Li–Cu alloy when they suffered from the thermal transient. Additionally, the characterization of precipitates inside the different zones was obviously different, which corresponded to the microhardness distribution profile. At the periphery of the kissing line, the Al–Li–Cu and the Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloys mutually diffused during the weld process. The magnesium element in the Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloy diffused into the Al–Li–Cu alloy. But the copper and zinc had no change because of the low diffusion coefficient in aluminum. The heat affected zone of the Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloy showed a higher corrosion susceptibility immersed into the corrosion environment, and the Al–Li–Cu alloy did not show severe corrosion.

A photocatalytic active CdS-TiO2 heterostructure composite was prepared by hydrothermal method and its morphology and properties were characterized. Results indicate that the CdS nanoparticles deposited on the surface of a TiO2 nanoparticles, which was in anatase phase. The particle scale of both of the components reached approximately 15 nm. In comparison to pure TiO2 (410 nm), the light absorption edge of the heterostructure composite was 550 nm, which could extend the light response from UV to the visible region. Under visible light irradiation, the degradation efficiency of tetracycline hydrochloride by the CdS-TiO2 composite achieved 87.06%, significantly enhancing photocatalytic activity than the as-prepared pure TiO2 and commercial TiO2 (Degussa P25). This character is attributed to the synergetic effect of these two components in the absorption of visible light.

Amplitude and phase dynamics of silicon nanowires were measured using time-resolved spectroscopy. Time shifts of the maximum phase change and minimum amplitude as a function of pump power due to saturation of the free-carrier density were observed. A phenomenological impulse response model used to fit the experimental data indicated that the free-carrier lifetime was between 7.5 ≤ τfc ≤ 16.2 ns, and the two-photon absorption coefficient and the Kerr coefficient were 3 × 10-12 m.W-1 and 4 ×10-18 m-18.W-1, respectively, for silicon nanowires with lengths varying from 3.6 to 14.9 mm.