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Immunosenescence increases the risk and severity of diseases in elderly individuals and leads to impaired vaccine-induced immunity. With aging of the global population and the emerging risk of epidemics, developing adjuvants and vaccines for elderly individuals to improve their immune protection is pivotal for healthy aging worldwide. Deepening our understanding of the role of immunosenescence in vaccine efficacy could accelerate research focused on optimizing vaccine delivery for elderly individuals. In this review, we analyzed the characteristics of immunosenescence at the cellular and molecular levels. Strategies to improve vaccination potency in elderly individuals are summarized, including increasing the antigen dose, preparing multivalent antigen vaccines, adding appropriate adjuvants, inhibiting chronic inflammation, and inhibiting immunosenescence. We hope that this review can provide a review of new findings with regards to the impacts of immunosenescence on vaccine-mediated protection and inspire the development of individualized vaccines for elderly individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The FKM-g-SiR macromolecular compatibilizer was produced by using a high-temperature thermomechanical grafting process to graft long-chain vinyl silicone oils (SiR, terminal vinyl dimethicone) with varying vinyl contents (0.09%,0.21%, and 0.63%) onto fluoroelastomer (FKM). The impact of initiator dosage, silicone oil dosage and vinyl content on the mechanical characteristics of FKM/MVQ (Methyl vinyl silicone rubber) blends was probed using a three-level orthogonal design experiment with a three-factor range analysis. Optimal conditions for the preparation of the compatibilizer were obtained accordingly. The findings indicated that the vulcanization properties, mechanical properties, and resistance to oil of the FKM/MVQ blends that were rendered compatible were optimized when the quantity of initiator Dicumyl Peroxide (DCP) was 0.25 parts, the volume of silicone oil was 9 parts, and the vinyl content was 0.63%. The composites exhibited the following specifications: the maximum torque difference can reach up to 12.56 dN.m, while the tensile strength and elongation at break can reach up to 8.39 MPa and 348.04%, respectively. Additionally, the rate of change in oil volume and mass can be reduced by 25.2% and 14.37%, correspondingly. The blended rubber's structure and performance were characterized using several methods, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Rubber processing analyzer (RPA), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). The results indicated that the compatibilizer significantly improved the compatibility of the FKM/MVQ blend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogenic volatile organic compounds have promising applications in controlling fungal spoilage of postharvest agro-products and perishable foods. In a previous study, we discovered that the plant volatile 1-octanol showed considerable potential for controlling Aspergillus flavus growth. In this study, the inhibitory effects of 1-octanol on the germination of A. flavus spores were investigated. A. flavus spores did not germinate when exposed to 1.5 µL/mL 1-octanol, and 3.5 µL/mL 1-octanol caused spore death. Biochemical analysis showed that 1-octanol caused a decrease in ergosterol and ATP content, and an increase in hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion content in a dose-dependent manner. Transcriptomic analysis demonstrated that there were 4117 differentially-expressed genes in A. flavus spores exposed to 1.5 µL/mL 1-octanol, mainly enriched in metabolic pathways, steroid biosynthesis, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, ribosomes, glutathione metabolism, the mitogen-activated protein kinases signaling pathway, and pyruvate metabolism. Flow cytometry results showed that 1-octanol treatment resulted in hyperpolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential, accumulation of reactive oxygen species, and apoptosis. TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling/4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole double staining and monodansylcadaverine staining results indicated that 1-octanol treatment resulted in DNA fragmentation and induced autophagy, respectively. These results provide new insights into the inhibitory mechanism of 1-octanol on A. flavus spore gemination and would facilitate the application of 1-octanol for the protection of postharvest agricultural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unsaturated polyester resins (UPR) are broadly applied in chemical, construction, transportation and electrical fields, etc. However, UPR materials are extremely flammable. Through radiation, conduction and convection, the released heat brings serious thermal hazards to surrounding life and the environment. Meanwhile, the combustion of UPR also releases a vast of toxic pyrolysis gases and smoke, causing extremely serious non-thermal hazards, endangering life and health, reducing fire visibility and hindering escape and rescue efforts. Therefore, the flame retardant modification of UPR materials is an inevitable measure to reduce its flammability and broaden its application breadth. In this review, the flammability of UPR materials is firstly analyzed from the perspective of their compositions and structures. Meanwhile, based on the differences in preparation methods of flame retardant UPR (FR-UPR) in literature research, it is divided into additive flame retardant, intrinsic flame retardant and interfacial flame retardant methods. The relationship between the highly efficient flame retardant structures and the properties, and the gaseous-phase flame retardant and condensed-phase mechanisms in FR-UPR composites are analyzed. Compared with traditional additive flame retardants, polymeric flame retardants, nanosheet flame retardants and intrinsic flame retardant method are important directions for the future development of FR-UPR composites. In addition, the interfacial flame retardant method can effectively improve the interfacial adhesion and flame retardant properties of fiber-reinforced UPR composites, and also has application prospects. This review analyzes the current challenges faced by FR-UPR, and looks forward to its possible future development directions to guide the preparation and application of high-performance FR-UPR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The search for more effective and safe treatment methods for cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR) has led to the rapid development and increasing popularity of minimally invasive posterior cervical foraminotomy (MI-PCF). This study aims to compare two important approaches for MI-PCF surgery: the channel-assisted cervical key hole technology combined with ultrasonic bone osteotome (CKH-UBO) and posterior percutaneous endoscopic cervical foraminotomy (PPECF). Methods: Data from patients treated with single-level CKH-UBO (n = 35) or PPECF (n = 40) were analyzed. Clinical outcomes, including visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for neck and arm pain, Neck Disability Index (NDI), and modified Macnab criteria, were assessed preoperatively, as well as at three days, three months, and one year postoperatively. Results: The percentages of patients with excellent and good outcomes were 97.14% and 92.5%, respectively. The average surgical time in the CKH-UBO group was significantly shorter than in the PPECF group (p < 0.001), while the average incision length in the PPECF group was significantly smaller than in the CKH-UBO group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of blood loss, hospital stay, and clinical outcomes at three days, three months, and 12 months postoperatively. Conclusion: CKH-UBO can achieve the same surgical outcomes as PPECF for the treatment of CSR. However, CKH-UBO saves more time but requires patients to undergo larger incisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant volatile compounds have great potential for preventing and controlling fungal spoilage in post-harvest grains. Recently, we have reported the antifungal effects of trans-anethole, the main volatile constituent of the Illicium verum fruit, on Aspergillus flavus. In this study, the inhibitory mechanisms of trans-anethole against the growth of A. flavus mycelia were investigated using transcriptomic and biochemical analyses. Biochemical and transcriptomic changes in A. flavus mycelia were evaluated after exposure to 0.2 μL/mL trans-anethole. Scanning electron microscopy showed that trans-anethole treatment resulted in the surface wrinkling of A. flavus mycelia, and calcofluor white staining confirmed that trans-anethole treatment disrupted the mycelial cell wall structure. Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide double staining suggested that trans-anethole induced apoptosis in A. flavus mycelia. Reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and DNA damage were observed in trans-anethole-treated A. flavus mycelia using 5,5′,6,6′-tetrachloro-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethyl-imidacarbocyanine and 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining, respectively. 2′,7′- Dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate staining and biochemical assays demonstrated that trans-anethole treatment cause the accumulation of reactive oxygen species in the A. flavus mycelia. Transcriptome results showed that 1673 genes were differentially expressed in A. flavus mycelia exposed to trans-anethole, which were mainly associated with multidrug transport, oxidative phosphorylation, citric acid cycle, ribosomes, and cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling. We propose that trans-anethole can inhibit the growth of A. flavus mycelia by disrupting the cell wall structure, blocking the multidrug transport process, disturbing the citric acid cycle, and inducing apoptosis. This study provides new insights into the inhibitory mechanism of trans-anethole on A. flavus mycelia and will be helpful for the development of natural fungicides. Key points: • Biochemical analyses of A. flavus mycelia exposed to trans-anethole were performed • Transcriptomic changes in trans-anethole-treated A. flavus mycelia were analyzed • An inhibitory mechanism of trans-anethole on the growth of A. flavus mycelia was proposed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the association between serum-related indicators (levels of inflammatory cytokines and essential trace elements) and miscarriage risk among infertile women undergoing assisted reproductive techniques (ART) on the 14th day after embryo transfer, and to develop and establish a multivariable algorithm model that might predict pregnancy outcome. According to a nested case–control study design, a total of 100 miscarriage cases and 100 live birth controls were included in this study, and women in both groups were infertile and have underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF). Pregnancy tests were performed and serum levels of five essential trace elements (vanadium (V), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se) and molybdenum (Mo)) and five inflammatory cytokines (interleukin–1β (IL–1β), IL–6, IL–8, IL–10 and tumor necrosis factor–α (TNF–α)) of the participants were measured on the 14th day after embryo transfer. The serum levels of five inflammatory cytokines were determined by multiple magnetic bead enzyme immunity analyzer; and the serum concentrations of five elements were determined simultaneously by inductively coupled plasma‒mass spectrometry (ICP ‒ MS). The logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between these serum indices and miscarriage risk among women undergoing ART, and a predictive model of pregnancy outcome based on these indices was established. The levels of IL–10, IL–1β and TNF–α of infertile women in the live birth group were significantly higher than those in the miscarriage group (p = 0.009, p < 0.001, p = 0.006), and the levels of V, Cu, Zn and Se of infertile women in the live birth group were also significantly higher than those in the miscarriage group (all p < 0.001). Through logistic regression analyses, we found that serum levels of IL–1β, TNF–α, V, Cu, Zn and Se were significantly and negatively associated with miscarriage risk. Different combination prediction models were generated according to the results of logistic regression analyses, and the combination of IL–1β, Cu and Zn had the best prediction performance. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.776, the sensitivity of the model was 60% and the specificity was 84%. In conclusion, the serum-related indicators of women undergoing ART on the 14th day after embryo transfer, including the inflammatory cytokines such as IL–1β and TNF–α and the essential trace metal elements such as V, Cu, Zn and Se, were negatively correlated with miscarriage risk. A multivariate algorithm model to predict pregnancy outcome among women undergoing ART was established, which showed that IL–1β, Cu and Zn might synergistically predict pregnancy outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CircRNAs are a member of noncoding RNAs and have been verified to play an important regulatory role in cancers. In CRC, the regulatory mechanisms of various circRNAs have not been elucidated. The expression of circPACRGL and miR-330-3p was detected with qRT-PCR. The protein expression of CDK4, MMP-9, Bcl-2, Bax, cellular nucleic acid-binding protein (CNBP) and β-actin was measured with western blot. Cell proliferation was analyzed using MTT assay, colony formation assay, and EDU assay. Cell apoptosis was detected using flow cytometry. Cell migration and invasion were measured with wound healing and transwell invasion assay. Luciferase reporter assay and RIP assay was used to determine the relationship of among miR-330-3p, circPACRGL and CNBP in CRC cells. In this study, we found that circPACRGL and CNBP expressed high and miR-330-3p expressed low in CRC tissues and cells. Functional experiments showed that inhibition of circPACRGL reduced cell proliferation, migration and invasion in CRC. In addition, knockdown of circPACRGL contributed to cell apoptosis in CRC. Dual-luciferase report assay determined that circPACRGL was a miR-330-3p sponge molecular and CNBP was a target of miR-330-3p. Reversed experiments showed that the effects of sh-circPACRGL transfection on CRC cells were rescued by up-regulating CNBP expression. In this study, we for the first time found a novel regulatory network of circPACRGL in CRC. The results manifested that circPACRGL affected tumor growth by targeting miR-330-3p/CNBP axis in CRC, highlighting the potential of circPACRGL as a therapeutic target for colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Armchair graphene nanoribbons (AGNRs) with sub-nanometer width are potential materials for the fabrication of novel nanodevices thanks to their moderate direct band gaps. AGNRs are usually synthesized by polymerizing precursor molecules on substrate surface. However, it is time-consuming and not suitable for large-scale production. AGNRs can also be grown by transforming precursor molecules inside single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) via furnace annealing, but the obtained AGNRs are normally twisted. In this work, microwave heating is applied for transforming precursor molecules into AGNRs. The fast heating process allows synthesizing the AGNRs in seconds. Several different molecules were successfully transformed into AGNRs, suggesting that it is a universal method. More importantly, as demonstrated by Raman spectroscopy, aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and theoretical calculations, less twisted AGNRs are synthesized by the microwave heating than the furnace annealing. Our results reveal a route for rapid production of AGNRs in large scale, which would benefit future applications in novel AGNRs-based semiconductor devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the limited network bandwidth and low-quality end-user devices, the images in distance education videos are transferred in low resolution. It results in low clarity, which badly affects video visibility and leads to poor learning effects. Therefore, a video-enhancing mechanism is required in distance education to ensure quality visualization. The quality is enhanced using a multi-scale Gabor filter, where a color image in the video is converted from the RGB space to the HSI space. A grey-level objective optimization function is constructed to attain a grey-scale image by the gradient conjugate solution method. The attained grey-scale image is used as the basis to obtain the grey-level change information of an image in different directions by using the multi-scale Gabor filter. The image texture is completed and enhanced by using the fractional order differential mask. The local information of the grey-scale images in educational videos is selected and a video image is obtained after the construction of the adaptive mask operator. The experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively grey-scale the images in distance education videos, which improves the sharpness and contrast, and effectively extract the local information. Moreover, the difference between the actual pixels is small, where the maximum difference is 144 and the minimum difference is 55, which shows the extraction results are more accurate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal spoilage of postharvest grains poses serious problems with respect to food safety, human health, and the economic value of grains. The protection of cereal grains from deleterious fungi is a critical aim in postharvest grain management. Considering the bulk volume of grain piles in warehouses or bins and food safety, fumigation with natural gaseous fungicides is a promising strategy to control fungal contamination on postharvest grains. Increasing research has focused on the antifungal properties of biogenic volatiles. This review summarizes the literature related to the effects of biogenic volatiles from microbes and plants on spoilage fungi on postharvest grains and highlights the underlying antifungal mechanisms. Key areas for additional research on fumigation with biogenic volatiles in postharvest grains are noted. The research described in this review supports the protective effects of biogenic volatiles against grain spoilage by fungi, providing a basis for their expanded application in the management of postharvest grains. Key points: • Biogenic volatile compounds with inhibitory effects against fungi on postharvest grains are reviewed. • Mechanisms underlying antifungal effects of biogenic volatiles are discussed. • Biogenic volatiles have promising applications for the prevention of postharvest grain spoilage by fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a complex group decision-making (GDM) process, decision makers (DMs) usually encounter some uncertainties. The uncertainty experienced by DMs could be characterized by the non-reciprocal property of pairwise comparisons. In this paper, the concept of non-reciprocal pairwise comparison matrices (NrPCMs) is introduced to generally capture the situation with the breaking of reciprocal property. The transformation relation between NrPCMs and interval multiplicative reciprocal matrices (IMRMs) is addressed. It is identified that NrPCMs together with IMRMs are inconsistent in nature. Then a consistency index of NrPCMs is constructed according to cosine similarity measures of two row/column vectors. An optimization-based method for eliciting priorities from NrPCMs is proposed. The properties of the proposed consistency index and prioritization method are investigated. Furthermore, a model of building consensus in GDM with NrPCMs is formed, where an optimization model is constructed and solved using a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. Some comparisons with the existing methods are reported by carrying out numerical examples. The obtained results reveal that NrPCMs provide a new yet effective way to capture the uncertainty experienced by DMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) is a unique component of the ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS), which has multiple activities in maintaining intracellular ubiquitin levels. We previously reported the aberrant low expression of UCHL1 in podocytes of non-immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis, and recent studies indicate that anti-UCHL1 antibody was responsible for the refractory minimal change disease (MCD), but the specific effect of UCHL1 to the podocytopathy has not been determined. Therefore, we generated podocyte-specific UCHL1 gene knockout (UCHL1cre/cre) rats model. Podocyte-specific UCHL1 knockout rats exhibited severe kidney damage, including segmental/global glomerulosclerosis, kidney function damage and severe proteinuria, compared with littermate control. Subsequently, by carrying out mass spectrometry analysis of isolated glomeruli of rats, abnormal protein accumulation of ECM-receptor Interaction was found in UCHL1cre/cre rats. Mechanistic studies in vivo and in vitro revealed that aberrant protein accumulation after UCHL1 deficiency induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, unfolded protein reaction (UPR) to reduce the protein level of podocyte skeleton proteins, and CHOP mediated apoptosis as well, which related to the dysfunction of the ubiquitin–proteasome system with decreased free monomeric ubiquitin level, thereby affecting protein ubiquitination and degradation. In addition, inhibition of ER stress by 4-PBA could attenuate the degree of ER stress and podocyte dysfunction. Our study indicates that UCHL1 is a potential target for preventing podocytes injury in some non-immune complex-mediated glomerulopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The technique of paired comparisons is commonly used for finding an optimal solution to multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems. The process of comparing alternatives is worth investigations due to the limitation and complexity of human cognition. In this paper, we propose a cyclic sequential process of pairwise comparisons to produce a real-valued preference relation without reciprocal property. The non-reciprocal property characterizes the uncertainty experienced by the decision maker (DM). The concepts of consistency and approximate consistency are defined by considering the inherent property of the derived uncertain preference relation. An optimization model is given to elicit the priority vector from uncertain preference relations. A novel yet effective possibility degree formula is established to rank interval numbers. A new decision making model is constructed and illustrated by carrying out numerical examples. As compared to the existing works, a novel process of pairwise comparisons is proposed to generate an uncertain preference relation and cope with the uncertainty in a decision making problem. The proposed model can be used to reduce the workload of providing pairwise comparisons for the DM and reach an acceptable decision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the spatial–temporal variability of rainstorms becoming more diversified, it is urgent to summarize how the spatial–temporal variability of rainstorm affects the flash flood discharge process and to explore its internal mechanism. This work proposes a research framework based on the rainstorm spatial–temporal structure design method and the quantitative analysis of flash flood discharge process modeling. This framework generates rainstorm data with different spatial–temporal variability through the rainstorm spatial–temporal structure design method, and further simulates discharge process under different rainstorm scenarios through the hydrodynamic model. Based on the analysis of simulated results, the error correction coefficient is generated to improve the accuracy of simulation. In this study, the Baogaisi watershed was used for simulation. The results show that when the rainstorm center is at the upstream watershed, the peak discharge increases, and the flood peak time is advanced because of the transformation of gravitational potential energy into kinetic energy. When the rainstorm center is fixed at a position, the total flood volume and the peak discharge are about 2 ~ 10 times that of uniform spatial distributed scenario, the flood peak time can be advanced to 55 min. In the mobile rainstorm, the peak discharge and the total flood volume are significantly reduced and the flood peak time is lagged, the flood peak discharge can be reduced by up to 30% of the uniform spatial distributed scenario. Strengthening the understanding of the impact can help to improve the accuracy of discharge process simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the empirical assumptions, the widely-used two-temperature models for hypersonic nonequilibrium flow include considerable uncertainties. To overcome the limitations and shortcomings of two-temperature models, the modified Macheret-Fridman model is developed based on the correction method of the modified Marrone-Treanor model. Some typical test cases are employed to assess the accuracy of the modified and widely-used two-temperature models. Furthermore, the reason for improving the accuracy of modified two-temperature models is analyzed and discussed. This work indicates that the correction method based on the modified Marrone-Treanor model is easily applied and extended to the other widely-used two-temperature models, significantly improving their accuracy. In addition, modeling highly nonequilibrium dissociating flows requires considering three critical respects, i.e., the dissociation rates, the vibration-dissociation coupling effect, and the non-Boltzmann effect. The non-Boltzmann effect reduces the dissociation rates and vibrational energy per dissociation. Comparatively, the dissociation rates have more influence than changing the value of the non-Boltzmann factor for vibrational energy loss per dissociation. Future work can focus on enhancing the accuracy of the dissociation rates to improve the accuracy of widely-used two-temperature models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water resources matters considerably in maintaining the biological survival and sustainable socio-economic development of a region. Affected by a combination of factors such as geographic characteristics of the basin and climate change, runoff variability is non-linear and non-stationary. Runoff forecasting is one of the important engineering measures to prevent flood disasters. The improvement of its accuracy is also a difficult problem in the research of water resources management. To this end, an ensemble deep learning model was hereby developed to forecast daily river runoff. First, variational mode decomposition (VMD) was used to decompose the original daily runoff series data set into discrete internal model function (IMF) and distinguish signals with different frequencies. Then, for each IMF, a convolutional neural network (CNN) was introduced to extract the features of each IMF component. Subsequently, a bi-directional long short-term memory network (BiLSTM) based on an attention mechanism (AM) was used for prediction. A Bayesian optimization algorithm (BOA) was also introduced to optimize the hyperparameters of the BiLSTM, thereby further improving the estimation precision of the VMD-CNN-AM-BOA-BiLSTM model. The model was applied to the daily runoff data from January 1, 2010 to November 30, 2021 at the Wushan and Weijiabao Hydrological Stations in the Wei River Basin, and the RMSEs of 3.54 and 15.23 were obtained for the test set data at the two stations respectively, which were much better than those of EEMD-VMD-SVM and CNN-BiLSTM-AM models. Additionally, the hereby proposed model is proven to have better peak flood prediction capability and adaptability under different hydrological environments. Based on this sound performance, the model becomes an effective data-driven tool in hydrological forecasting practice, and can also provide some reference and practical application guidance for water resources management and flood warning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevention of fungal proliferation in postharvest grains is critical for maintaining grain quality and reducing mycotoxin contamination. Fumigation with natural gaseous fungicides is a promising and sustainable approach to protect grains from fungal spoilage. In this study, the antifungal activities of (E)-2-alkenals (C5-C10) on Aspergillus flavus were tested in the vapor phase, and (E)-2-heptenal showed the highest antifungal activity against A. flavus. (E)-2-Heptenal completely inhibited A. flavus growth at 0.0125 µL/mL and 0.2 µL/mL in the vapor phase and liquid contact, respectively. (E)-2-Heptenal can disrupt the plasma membrane integrity of A. flavus via leakage of intracellular electrolytes. Scanning electron microscopy indicated that the mycelial morphology of A. flavus was remarkably affected by (E)-2-heptenal. Metabolomic analyses indicated that 49 metabolites were significantly differentially expressed in A. flavus mycelia exposed to 0.2 µL/mL (E)-2-heptenal; these metabolites were mainly involved in galactose metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism, the phosphotransferase system, and ATP-binding cassette transporters. ATP production was reduced in (E)-2-heptenal-treated A. flavus, and Janus Green B staining showed reduced cytochrome c oxidase activity. (E)-2-Heptenal treatment induced oxidative stress in A. flavus mycelia with an accumulation of superoxide anions and hydrogen peroxide and increased activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase. Simulated storage experiments showed that fumigation with 400 µL/L of (E)-2-heptenal vapor could completely inhibit A. flavus growth in wheat grains with 20% moisture; this demonstrates its potential use in preventing grain spoilage. This study provides valuable insights into understanding the antifungal effects of (E)-2-heptenal on A. flavus. Key points : • (E)-2-Heptenal vapor showed the highest antifungal activity against A. flavus among (C5-C10) (E)-2-alkenals. • The antifungal effects of (E)-2-heptenal against A. flavus were determined. • The antifungal actions of (E)-2-heptenal on A. flavus were revealed by metabolomics and biochemical analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, Global Navigation Satellite System-Interferometric Reflectometry (GNSS-IR), a new remote sensing technique, has been widely used to monitor surface signature parameters. In the classical GNSS-IR technology, poor signal separation will seriously affect the accuracy of the inversion results. In order to better separate the signal-to-noise ratio trend item, the variational mode decomposition (VMD) algorithm is introduced. We use the GNSS data of P351 station in 2013–2014 and AB33 station in 2017 in the Earthscope Plate Boundary Observatory network to carry out snow depth inversion experiments. The measured snow depths provided by the Snowpack Telemetry network were used for the validation of the inversion accuracy. The feasibility and superiority of the VMD algorithm in GNSS-IR snow depth inversion experiments were verified by analyzing the experimental results. The root-mean-square error (RMSE) and correlation coefficient of the inversion results of P351 station in 2013–2014 were 13.41 cm and 0.99, respectively, which improved the inversion accuracy by about 54%. Moreover, the number of inversion points during the experimental period increased from 19,997 to about 26,958, which is an increase of about 35%. Similarly, the RMSE and correlation coefficient of the inversion results of AB33 station in 2017 reached 8.55 cm and 0.97. Compared with the traditional algorithm, the accuracy and the number of inversion points increased by about 15% and 22%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling municipal sewage sludge in fired bricks not only contributes to environmental protection, but is also an alternative to natural clay resource. The complex compositions of sludge have a great influence on the brick property. This work presents a systematical investigation on fired bricks made only with sludge and shale. The physicochemical properties of the raw mixtures, macroscopic performance, microstructure, and its evolution were quantitatively determined. The coordination between shale and sludge enables the blend of raw materials to achieve the desired gradation and plasticity. Although a reduction in compressive strength was observed, the open porosity was increased to 31.6% and thermal conductivity was reduced to 0.51 W·(m·K)−1, indicating the benefit to the performance of lightweight thermal insulation bricks. The fitting results confirm the pore-forming effect induced by the organic matter in the sludge. The obtained bricks possess good performance, especially in thermal insulation properties, and environmental and economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the pollution level and health risk of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), seawater, sediments, and aquatic organisms were sampled from the southern sea area of Zhejiang Province (Yangtze River Delta, China) between 2017 and 2019. TPH was widely present in the aquatic environment and products, and its concentration was highly variable. The average value of pollution index (PI) exceeded 1 from 2017 to 2018, and 45.46–69.19% of seawater samples and 56.87–50.00% of sediment samples were polluted. The results showed significant differences in the TPH concentration in various species of aquatic organisms. The average TPH value in aquatic organisms could be ranked in the order as follows: bivalve > shrimp > crab > fish, further reflecting that the ability to accumulate and metabolize TPH existed differently among aquatic organisms within the same pond aquaculture environment. It was relatively safe to eat aquatic products since the exposure risk index was found to be far below the threshold value in this study. Therefore, it would be prudent to undertake regular monitoring of TPH to ensure effective ecosystem functioning and seafood safety in the southern Zhejiang ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogenic volatile organic compounds hold remarkable potential for controlling fungal decay in agro- and food products. Recently, we reported that linalool, the major volatile component of the Zanthoxylum schinifolium pericarp, showed great potential as a biofumigant to control Aspergillus flavus growth in postharvest grains. In this study, the inhibitory effects of linalool on A. flavus growth in stored grains and its underlying mechanism were investigated through transcriptomic and biochemical analyses. Linalool vapor at 800 μL/L can effectively prevent A. flavus growth in 22% moisture wheat grains. Linalool at 2 μL/mL completely inhibited the germination of A. flavus spores, and 10 μL/mL caused spore death. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that linalool treatment caused wrinkling and spore breakage. Transcriptomics showed that 3806 genes were significantly differentially expressed in A. flavus spores exposed to 2 μL/mL linalool, predominantly showing enrichment regarding the ribosome, DNA replication, glutathione metabolism, peroxisome, and MAPK signaling pathways. Flow cytometry showed that linalool treatment caused hyperpolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential. 4,6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole staining indicated that linalool caused DNA fragmentation in A. flavus spores, and monodansylcadaverine staining confirmed that linalool induced autophagy in A. flavus spores. We thus propose that linalool can damage the plasma membrane, cause mitochondrial dysfunction and DNA damage, and induce autophagy in A. flavus spores. These findings considerably improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the inhibitory effects of linalool on A. flavus, which is crucial regarding the development of applications to prevent postharvest grain spoilage due to A. flavus infestations. Key points: • The inhibitory potency of linalool onA. flavus spore germination was determined. • Transcriptomic analyses were performed to identify differentially expressed genes ofA. flavus exposed to linalool. • A functional mechanism underlying the inhibitory effects of linalool onA. flavus spore germination is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal–organic frameworks are the new type of crystalline porous materials with specific properties such as appropriate catalytic activity, accessible surface area, tunable pore structure, as well as stable chemical and thermal properties. In this study, solvothermal preparation of a copper-metal organic framework (HKUST; Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) was used to load baclofen as a model drug. Baclofen-HKUST-1 was employed to increase the drug release controllability of bio-polymeric carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) hydrogel under the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Results from in vitro drug delivery and kinetic assessments revealed that CMC/baclofen-HKUST-1 bio-nanocomposite could better act against stomach pH; it also increased the releasing homogeneity and drug delivery under GIT conditions. Also, MTT assay demonstrated there was considerable cytotoxicity against human colon cells associated with CMC/baclofen-HKUST-1 bio-nanocomposite. According to the findings of CMC/baclofen-HKUST-1 bio-nanocomposite assessments, the mentioned component could be applied to drug administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose is to solve the problems of high transmission rate and low delay in the deployment of mobile edge computing network, ensure the security and effectiveness of the Internet of things (IoT), and save resources. Dynamic power management is adopted to control the working state transition of Edge Data Center (EDC) servers. A load prediction model based on long-short term memory (LSTM) is creatively proposed. The innovation of the model is to shut down the server in idle state or low utilization in EDC, consider user mobility and EDC location information, learn the global optimal dynamic timeout threshold strategy and N-policy through trial and error reinforcement learning method, reasonably control the working state switching of the server, and realize load prediction and analysis. The results show that the performance of AdaGrad optimization solver is the best when the feature dimension is 3, the number of LSTM network layers is 6, the time series length is 30–45, the batch size is 128, the training time is 788 s, the number of units is 250, and the number of times is 350. Compared with the traditional methods, the proposed load prediction model and power management mechanism improve the prediction accuracy by 4.21%. Compared with autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) load prediction, the dynamic power management method of LSTM load prediction can reduce energy consumption by 12.5% and realize the balance between EDC system performance and energy consumption. The system can effectively meet the requirements of multi-access edge computing (MEC) for low delay, high bandwidth and high reliability, reduce unnecessary energy consumption and waste, and reduce the cost of MEC service providers in actual operation. This exploration has important reference value for promoting the energy-saving development of Internet-related industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, apigenin was chosen as a raw material to synthesize a novel epoxy monomer (DGEA), while the bio-based epoxy resin was further obtained after curing with 4,4′-diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM). The control samples were prepared by curing diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) with DDM. The non-isothermal differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) method was utilized to further investigate the curing behavior and curing kinetics of the DGEA/DDM system. Despite no flame retardant active elements, the DGEA/DDM thermoset still exhibited exceptional anti-flammability. Specifically, the DGEA/DDM thermoset reached a V-0 rating in the UL-94 test and owned a high limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of 37.0%, while DGEBA/DDM resins were consumed completely in the vertical combustion test with a low LOI of 23.0%. Furthermore, the microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC) results manifested that compared with DGEBA/DDM resins, both PHRR and THR values of the DGEA/DDM resins were dropped by 84.0% and 57.6%, respectively. Additionally, the DGEA/DDM resin also presented higher storage modulus and tensile strength compared with DGEBA/DDM one. Particularly, in contrast with that of the cured DGEBA/DDM one (156 °C), the DGEA/DDM thermoset displayed an extremely high glass transition temperature (232 °C). This study breaks new ground on how to produce bio-based monomers with aromatic structures and achieve high-performance thermosetting polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus–nitrogen–silicon-containing coatings consisting of tris(hydroxymethyl)phosphine oxide (THPO), 3,5-diamino-1,2,4-triazole (guanazole), and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) were prepared via a simple spraying deposition technique and applied to the cotton fabric to impart flame retardancy and hydrophobicity. SEM image reveals that THPO/Guanazole/PDMS-coated fabric has a rough surface and XPS spectra confirm the composition of the coating on the cotton surface. Direct flame testing indicates that the as-prepared coating can protect the cotton from burning. The limiting oxygen index increased from 18.0% for the uncoated fabric to 32.0% for the THPO/Guanazole-treated sample and 27.0% for the THPO/Guanazole/PDMS-treated sample. Furthermore, with additional THPO/Guanazole, there was a gradual reduction in PHRR values, 60% (79.0 kW/m2) for C2 and 76% (48.2 kW/m2) for C3 lower than that of untreated cotton. After hydrophobic treatment of C2 with PDMS, the PHRR is reduced to 127.5 kW/m2 (35.5% for C2-PDMS). Additionally, the coated cotton displays impressive hydrophobicity with a water contact angle of 133°. This unique approach provides a facile and effective flame retardant and hydrophobic treatment for cotton fabric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paradigmatic example of a topological phase of matter, the two-dimensional Chern insulator1–5, is characterized by a topological invariant consisting of a single integer, the scalar Chern number. Extending the Chern insulator phase from two to three dimensions requires generalization of the Chern number to a three-vector6,7, similar to the three-dimensional (3D) quantum Hall effect8–13. Such Chern vectors for 3D Chern insulators have never been explored experimentally. Here we use magnetically tunable 3D photonic crystals to achieve the experimental demonstration of Chern vectors and their topological surface states. We demonstrate Chern vector magnitudes of up to six, higher than all scalar Chern numbers previously realized in topological materials. The isofrequency contours formed by the topological surface states in the surface Brillouin zone form torus knots or links, whose characteristic integers are determined by the Chern vectors. We demonstrate a sample with surface states forming a (2, 2) torus link or Hopf link in the surface Brillouin zone, which is topologically distinct from the surface states of other 3D topological phases. These results establish the Chern vector as an intrinsic bulk topological invariant in 3D topological materials, with surface states possessing unique topological characteristics.Magnetically tunable three-dimensional photonic crystals are used to achieve the experimental demonstration of Chern vectors and their topological surface states, showing the Chern vector to be an intrinsic bulk topological invariant in three-dimensional topological materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a new era in the world, also in the food safety. Up to now, there is no evidence to suggest that people can infect COVID-19 via food contaminated by SARS-CoV-2. Here, we analyzed the results of regular SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing of considerable cold-chain food practitioners, cold-chain food surfaces, and their internal or external packaging as well as their associated environments, aiming to explore the risk of cold-chain food being contaminated by SARS-CoV-2 and the probability of people infecting COVID-19 through contaminated cold-chain food in the context of COVID-19 epidemic. This study found that only two batches of cold-chain food were contaminated by SARS-CoV-2, none of the cold-chain food handler were infected due to effective regulatory measures for cold-chain food. Therefore, effective supervision and preventive methods could effectively reduce the transmission risk of SARS-CoV-2 on cold-chain food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent discovery of non-classical crystal nucleation pathways has revealed the role of fluctuations in the liquid structural order, not considered in classical nucleation theory. On the other hand, classical crystal growth theory states that crystal growth is independent of interfacial energy, but this is questionable. Here we elucidate the role of liquid structural ordering in crystal nucleation and growth using computer simulations of supercooled liquids. We find that suppressing the crystal-like structural order in the supercooled liquid through a new order-killing strategy can reduce the crystallisation rate by several orders of magnitude. This indicates that crystal-like liquid preordering and the associated interfacial energy reduction play an essential role in nucleation and growth processes, forcing critical modifications of the classical crystal growth theory. Furthermore, we evaluate the importance of this additional factor for different types of liquids. These findings shed new light on the fundamental understanding of crystal growth kinetics. In classical nucleation theory, structural order in the liquid phase is not considered. But simulations of supercooled liquids now show that crystal-like liquid preordering play an essential role in nucleation and growth processes - calling for extensions of the classical theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exploitation of active ingredients from plant volatile organic compounds as natural gaseous fungicides shows remarkable potential for controlling fungal decay in postharvest agroproducts. Although 1-octanol is a common component of cereal volatiles, its antifungal potency against spoilage fungi in postharvest grains remains unclear. In this study, we studied the effectiveness of 1-octanol against Aspergillus flavus growth in postharvest grains and its mechanisms of action. 1-Octanol vapor and liquid contact dose-dependently inhibited A. flavus spore germination and mycelial growth at a low concentration. The simulated storage experiment demonstrated that 300 μL/L of 1-octanol vapor completely controlled A. flavus growth in wheat, corn, and paddy grains with 20% moisture content. 1-Octanol treatment irreversibly damaged the conidial and mycelial morphology of A. flavus and caused electrolyte leakage due to reduced plasma membrane integrity. It induced apoptosis along with morphological abnormalities, phosphatidylserine externalization, mitochondrial membrane potential depolarization, intracellular reactive oxygen species accumulation, and DNA fragmentation in A. flavus cells. Metabolomic analysis revealed that 1-octanol treatment disrupted the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, ATP-binding cassette transporters, amino acid metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. This study demonstrated the promising application potential of 1-octanol as a biofumigant for preventing fungal spoilage of postharvest cereal grains. Key points: • (1) 1-Octanol inhibits Aspergillus flavus growth in the vapor phase and liquid contact; • (2) 1-Octanol damages membrane integrity and induces apoptosis of A. flavus; • (3) Metabolomic changes in A. flavus mycelia were analyzed after 1-octanol treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are usually conducted as single trait, rather than a simultaneous analysis of the related traits. Therefore, the overlapping genetic mechanisms underlying those traits were largely unknown.This study aims to investigate the overlapping genetic mechanisms between type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome and discover the novel pleiotropic variants between those two traits.We used an established genetic pleiotropic conditional false discovery rate (cFDR) approach to discover novel loci associated with PCOS and T2D by incorporating the summary statistics from existing GWASs of these two traits. Lab experiment was also conducted to verify the identified pleiotropic loci. Mendelian randomization approach was also performed to clarify the causal relationship between those two.Both conditional Q-Q and fold enrichment plots were present to demonstrate the pleiotropic enrichment between PCOS and T2D. Using the cFDR level of 0.05, we identified 5 loci for PCOS, 1441 loci for T2D, and five of them were associated with both and were validated in the lab experiment. Significant pleiotropic enrichment was observed between PCOS and T2D. However, we did not observe any causal association between PCOS and T2D.These findings may provide novel insights into the etiology of PCOS and T2D and may further influence the disease development both individually and jointly.Objective: Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are usually conducted as single trait, rather than a simultaneous analysis of the related traits. Therefore, the overlapping genetic mechanisms underlying those traits were largely unknown.This study aims to investigate the overlapping genetic mechanisms between type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome and discover the novel pleiotropic variants between those two traits.We used an established genetic pleiotropic conditional false discovery rate (cFDR) approach to discover novel loci associated with PCOS and T2D by incorporating the summary statistics from existing GWASs of these two traits. Lab experiment was also conducted to verify the identified pleiotropic loci. Mendelian randomization approach was also performed to clarify the causal relationship between those two.Both conditional Q-Q and fold enrichment plots were present to demonstrate the pleiotropic enrichment between PCOS and T2D. Using the cFDR level of 0.05, we identified 5 loci for PCOS, 1441 loci for T2D, and five of them were associated with both and were validated in the lab experiment. Significant pleiotropic enrichment was observed between PCOS and T2D. However, we did not observe any causal association between PCOS and T2D.These findings may provide novel insights into the etiology of PCOS and T2D and may further influence the disease development both individually and jointly.Methods: Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are usually conducted as single trait, rather than a simultaneous analysis of the related traits. Therefore, the overlapping genetic mechanisms underlying those traits were largely unknown.This study aims to investigate the overlapping genetic mechanisms between type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome and discover the novel pleiotropic variants between those two traits.We used an established genetic pleiotropic conditional false discovery rate (cFDR) approach to discover novel loci associated with PCOS and T2D by incorporating the summary statistics from existing GWASs of these two traits. Lab experiment was also conducted to verify the identified pleiotropic loci. Mendelian randomization approach was also performed to clarify the causal relationship between those two.Both conditional Q-Q and fold enrichment plots were present to demonstrate the pleiotropic enrichment between PCOS and T2D. Using the cFDR level of 0.05, we identified 5 loci for PCOS, 1441 loci for T2D, and five of them were associated with both and were validated in the lab experiment. Significant pleiotropic enrichment was observed between PCOS and T2D. However, we did not observe any causal association between PCOS and T2D.These findings may provide novel insights into the etiology of PCOS and T2D and may further influence the disease development both individually and jointly.Results: Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are usually conducted as single trait, rather than a simultaneous analysis of the related traits. Therefore, the overlapping genetic mechanisms underlying those traits were largely unknown.This study aims to investigate the overlapping genetic mechanisms between type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome and discover the novel pleiotropic variants between those two traits.We used an established genetic pleiotropic conditional false discovery rate (cFDR) approach to discover novel loci associated with PCOS and T2D by incorporating the summary statistics from existing GWASs of these two traits. Lab experiment was also conducted to verify the identified pleiotropic loci. Mendelian randomization approach was also performed to clarify the causal relationship between those two.Both conditional Q-Q and fold enrichment plots were present to demonstrate the pleiotropic enrichment between PCOS and T2D. Using the cFDR level of 0.05, we identified 5 loci for PCOS, 1441 loci for T2D, and five of them were associated with both and were validated in the lab experiment. Significant pleiotropic enrichment was observed between PCOS and T2D. However, we did not observe any causal association between PCOS and T2D.These findings may provide novel insights into the etiology of PCOS and T2D and may further influence the disease development both individually and jointly.Conclusions: Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) are usually conducted as single trait, rather than a simultaneous analysis of the related traits. Therefore, the overlapping genetic mechanisms underlying those traits were largely unknown.This study aims to investigate the overlapping genetic mechanisms between type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome and discover the novel pleiotropic variants between those two traits.We used an established genetic pleiotropic conditional false discovery rate (cFDR) approach to discover novel loci associated with PCOS and T2D by incorporating the summary statistics from existing GWASs of these two traits. Lab experiment was also conducted to verify the identified pleiotropic loci. Mendelian randomization approach was also performed to clarify the causal relationship between those two.Both conditional Q-Q and fold enrichment plots were present to demonstrate the pleiotropic enrichment between PCOS and T2D. Using the cFDR level of 0.05, we identified 5 loci for PCOS, 1441 loci for T2D, and five of them were associated with both and were validated in the lab experiment. Significant pleiotropic enrichment was observed between PCOS and T2D. However, we did not observe any causal association between PCOS and T2D.These findings may provide novel insights into the etiology of PCOS and T2D and may further influence the disease development both individually and jointly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfires have been recognized as a natural incident in some forests, however, fire season is now more severe and extensive, even in tropical rainforests in which fire could have damaging impacts. A hydrogel is a 3-D polymeric structure encompassing cross-linked and hydrophilic macromolecules. In comparison with water, hydrogels have shown some superiorities in terms of water-binding, cooling, and sealing, which make them be applied in forest fire prevention programs for improving fire-extinguishing performance. In this study, an environmentally friendly phosphorus-modified methylcellulose/silica hybrid hydrogel was prepared based on the modified methylcellulose by 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide–itaconic acid (DOPO-ITA) and silica nanoparticles. In the fire prevention experiments, the grass treated with the methylcellulose@DOPO-ITA@silica hybrid hydrogel shows self-extinguishing behavior, whereas those treated with ordinary water or methylcellulose hydrogel can be easily ignited after one week. In the firefighting experiments, the methylcellulose@DOPO-ITA@silica hybrid hydrogel displays a much shorter extinguishing time and lower consumption volume than ordinary water and the methylcellulose@DOPO-ITA hydrogel. This work presents an environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and biodegradable cellulose-based hybrid hydrogel for the fire prevention and firefighting of wildfires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study is carried out on curcumin delivery, which is recognized as an anticancer drug, to cancerous cells through a bio-metal–organic framework (bioMOF). After being immersed within the drug solution, the process of curcumin encapsulation was conducted in the porous bio-MOF-11. Furthermore, both protecting and carrying curcumin encapsulated bio-MOF-11 nanohybrid (curcumin@bio-MOF-11) within the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) were carried out using pH-sensitive pectin biopolymer. There were two different approaches applied to identify the pectin-coated curcumin@bio-MOF-11bio-nanocomposite hydrogel bead (pectin/curcumin@bio-MOF-11). Using the simulated GIT conditions, in-vitro drug release tests were conducted to illustrate the pectin/curcumin@bio-MOF-11effectiveness that was applied to the process of curcumin controlled delivery as a new carrier. Consequently, results showed that there was a constant release associated with pectin/curcumin@bio-MOF-11 under GIT conditions. Moreover, considerable toxicity of pectin/curcumin@bio-MOF-11 against human colon carcinoma cells was confirmed through the MTT test. Results implied that provided bio-nanocomposite hydrogel beads could act as appropriate drug delivery systems of curcumin colonic drug release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The arsenic (As) methylation capacity is an important determinant of susceptibility to As-related diseases. Total As (TAs) or inorganic As (iAs) was reported to associated with As methylation capacity. We measured urinary concentrations of iAs, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) by using HPLC-HG-AFS and calculated the primary methylation capacity index (PMI) and secondary methylation capacity index (SMI) in 209 university students in Hefei, China, a non-As endemic area. Volunteers were given a standardized questionnaire asking about their sociodemographic characteristics. Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) analysis was used to estimate the association of lnTAs and lniAs levels with methylation indices (ln%MMA, ln%DMA, lnPMI, lnSMI). The median concentrations of iAs, MMA, and DMA were 1.22, 0.92, and 12.17 μg/L, respectively; the proportions of iAs, MMA, and DMA were 8.76%, 6.13%, and 84.84%, respectively. Females had higher %DMA and lower %MMA than males. The combined levels of lnTAs and lniAs showed a decrease in the changes in ln%DMA and lnSMI. With regard to the single exposure level, the lnTAs showed positive correlations with ln%DMA, lnPMI, and lnSMI when lniAs was set at a specific level, while lniAs showed negative correlations with ln%DMA, lnPMI, and lnSMI when lnTAs was set at a specific level; all the dose-response relationships were nonlinear. Our results suggested that combined levels of TAs and iAs play an important role in reducing As methylation capacity, especially iAs, and the reduction only occurs when TAs and iAs are present up to a certain combined level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since nanoparticle-based treatment methods could decrease the side effects of conventional therapeutics; they have been considered as important approaches. One of the main drug delivery systems associated with easy preparation, decreased cytotoxicity, appropriate biocompatibility and drug loading capacity, and reduced cost is inorganic layered zinc hydroxides (LZH) as anionic clays, which is a member of layered hydroxide salts. It is found that LZH contains a layered structure and high surface-to-volume ratio; therefore, it could lead to the treatment agent's interpolation and deliverance to the desired point and consequently, reduction of side effects. It should also be noted that the prevalence of drug release could be reduced as a result of the continuous intercalation of drug delivery. The current study investigates the promotions of LZH composition, characteristics, development manner, and drug administration. Furthermore, it represents useful data regarding LZH and drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shennongjia is one of the most important ecological function areas and ecologically vulnerable zones in the world. With the rapid development of social economies, especially tourism, the ecological environment of Shennongjia has experienced profound changes. Exploring the characteristics and changing trends of ecological environment in Shennongjia will help to analyze the causes of the damage to the ecological environment, and build a vulnerability analysis framework with multi-scale, multi-element, multi-flow, and multi-circulation characteristics, which provides an effective research paradigm and analysis tool for the study of regional ecological vulnerability. With the support of RS and GIS technology, this study uses spatial principal component analysis (SPCA) and the vulnerability scoring diagram (VSD) model to comprehensively and quantitatively analyze the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics and driving forces of ecological vulnerability in Shennongjia from 1996 to 2018. The VSD model was selected to decompose the vulnerability into three components of "exposure-sensitivity-adaptation", and 16 indicators were selected to construct an ecological vulnerability evaluation system in Shennongjia, and the evaluation data were organized in a progressive and detailed way. (1) During the study period, the overall ecological vulnerability of Shennongjia is in a mild vulnerability level, exhibiting differentiation characteristics of high in the northeast and low in the southwest. High vulnerability zones are mainly distributed in the main towns and roads. (2) The risk of ecological vulnerability of the entire region presents the characteristics of continuous decline. (3) Land-use types, population density, and vegetation coverage are the main factors driving the evolution of ecological vulnerability. (4) A high level of coupling coordination exists between ecological vulnerability and landscape patterns. Analyses of the ecological vulnerability of Shennongjia shows that the entire region is in a mild vulnerability level. The extreme vulnerability risk of the ecological environment shows polarization. The evolution of ecological environment in Shennongjia is the result of the interaction between human activities and natural environment. This study offers an effective way to assess ecological vulnerability and provides some strategies and guidance for improving ecological security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debris slopes are widely distributed across the Three Gorges Reservoir area in China, and seasonal fluctuations of the water level in the area tend to cause high-frequency microseisms that subsequently induce landslides on such debris slopes. In this study, a cumulative damage model of debris slope with varying slope characteristics under the effects of frequent microseisms was established, based on the accurate definition of slope damage variables. The cumulative damage behaviour and the mechanisms of slope instability and sliding under frequent microseisms were thus systematically investigated through a series of shaking table tests and discrete element numerical simulations, and the influences of related parameters such as bedrock, dry density and stone content were discussed. The results showed that the instability mode of a debris slope can be divided into a vibration-compaction stage, a crack generation stage, a crack development stage, and an instability stage. Under the action of frequent microseisms, debris slope undergoes the last three stages cyclically, which causes the accumulation to slide out in layers under the synergistic action of tension and shear, causing the slope to become destabilised. There are two sliding surfaces as well as the parallel tensile surfaces in the final instability of the debris slope. In the process of instability, the development trend of the damage accumulation curve remains similar for debris slopes with different parameters. However, the initial vibration compaction effect in the bedrock-free model is stronger than that in the bedrock model, with the overall cumulative damage degree in the former being lower than that of the latter. The damage degree of the debris slope with high dry density also develops more slowly than that of the debris slope with low dry density. The damage development rate of the debris slope does not always decrease with the increase of stone content. The damage degree growth rate of the debris slope with the optimal stone content is the lowest, and the increase or decrease of the stone content makes the debris slope instability happen earlier. The numerical simulation study also further reveals that the damage in the debris slope mainly develops in the form of crack formation and penetration, in which, shear failure occurs more frequently in the debris slope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, developing flame retardants from bio-based resources has aroused extensive interest in recent years. In this work, we utilized furfural (biomass) and 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) to synthesize a bio-based co-curing agent (FGD) to combine with 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl methane (DDM) for obtaining a low-phosphorus loading flame-retardant epoxy thermosets. The introduction of FGD decreased the activation energy of the curing progress, enhanced the mechanical properties of the epoxy thermosets, and did not affect the glass transition temperature of the epoxy thermosets. EP-5.0 had a lower thermal degradation rate and a doubled char yield compared with EP-0. The phosphorus content of EP-5.0 was only 0.45 wt%, while EP-5.0 reached the UL-94 V-0 rating with a high LOI value of 32%. Compared with EP-0, the PHRR of EP-2.5 and EP-5.0 decreased by 22.3% and 31.3%, respectively. The SEM results showed that the addition of FGD made the char residues more uniform and denser, which could effectively prevent combustible volatiles from escaping from the degradation area to the flame area and isolate the heat transfer so that the epoxy thermosets had an excellent flame-retardant performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods of controlling Aspergillus flavus contamination in agro-products have attracted attention because of its impact on global food security. We previously reported that the natural cereal volatile heptanal could effectively inhibit A. flavus growth and showed great potential as a bio-preservative agent. In this study, the minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum fungicide concentration of heptanal could change the surface morphology of A. flavus spores, causing them to wrinkle and collapse. Transcriptomic analysis showed that heptanal treatment significantly changed the expression of several genes involved in cell wall and plasma damage, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, energy metabolism, AMPK-activated protein kinase, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, RNA degradation, and DNA replication. Heptanal-induced early apoptosis of A. flavus spores was characterized by decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, increased intracellular ROS production, and DNA fragmentation. This study provides new insight into the inhibitory mechanism of heptanal against A. flavus and points to its potential application as a bio-preservative. Key points: • Heptanal can effectively inhibit A. flavus growth in cereal grains. • The transcriptional changes in A. flavus spores exposed to heptanal were analyzed. • The antifungal mechanism of heptanal against A. flavus was elucidated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder) has high female preponderance. It has been suggested that onset in early childhood represents a distinct developmental subtype that is characterized by higher prevalence of males compared to later onset cases. However, the empirical literature is scarce. We conducted a systematic review of case reports to examine the distribution of age at onset/presentation in males and females with trichotillomania or trichobezoar (a mass of hair in the gastrointestinal tract resulting from ingesting hair). We identified 1065 individuals with trichotillomania and 1248 with trichobezoar. In both samples, males, compared to females, had earlier age at presentation and greater proportion of cases in early childhood. These sex differences remained after potential confounding variables were accounted for. The results showed similar sex differences for age at onset, which was reported in 734 and 337 of the trichotillomania and trichobezoar cases, respectively. The findings may reflect neurodevelopmental underpinnings in early childhood trichotillomania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an online capillary electrophoresis-based immobilized enzyme microreactor (CE-IMER) was developed for evaluating inhibitory activity of small-molecule compounds and tea polyphenol extracts on kallikrein (KLK). KLK was immobilized on the inner wall at the inlet of capillary to prepare the KLK-IMER with the aid of chitosan and glutaraldehyde. The immobilized KLK activity and other kinetic parameters were evaluated by measuring the peak area of hydrolysate of chromogenic substrate S-2302 (H-D-Pro-Phe-Arg-pNA). The Michaelis–Menten constant (Km) was determined to be 1.82 mM, and the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) and inhibition constant (Ki) of nicotinamide (positive control drug) were measured to be 12.07 and 4.31 mM, respectively. The negative control drug tinidazole (5.00 mM) had no inhibitory effect on KLK. Moreover, the activity of the immobilized KLK remained approximately 80.0% of the initial immobilized enzyme activity after 30 runs. The CE-IMER was applied to investigate the inhibitory activity of 10 small-molecule compounds and six tea polyphenol extracts on KLK. The results show that four small-molecule compounds (epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin, epicatechin and isochlorogenic acid C) (0.25 mM) and six polyphenol extracts (Raw Pu-erh, Mingqian Mao Feng, Fuding white tea, Dark green tea, Biluochun and Black tea) (0.25 mg mL−1) have high inhibitory activity on KLK. In addition, these four small-molecule compounds have binding energies below − 5.0 kcal mol−1 on KLK according to the molecular docking. In short, this study reports a time saving method (0.75 h) for KLK immobilization under mild conditions (25 °C). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to unprecedented merits such as high theoretical capacity, superior energy density and low cost, lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) show a bright future both in scientific and industrial areas. Whereas, the inherent issues, including highly insulating character, undesired shuttle behavior and lithium dendrites growth, are seriously impeding its practical usage. Here, a metal-organic-frameworks (MOFs) derived N, S co-doped carbon nanotube hollow architecture confining with CoS2 nanoparticles (CoS2/NSCNHF) modified separator is designed to surmount these obstacles. Compared with Celgard separator, this designed separator shows obviously enhanced flame retardancy, giving 73.1% and 53.0% reductions in peak heat release rate and total heat release, separately. Concretely, its hollow structure, conductive feature, electrocatalytic activity and Lewis acid-base interaction enable the efficient inhibition on shuttle behavior as well as boost in polysulfides conversion kinetics. The cell with modified separator delivers a high discharge capacity of 1,284.5 mAh·g−1. After running for 100 cycles, a discharge capacity of 661.3 mAh·g−1 is remained. Markedly, the suppression on lithium dendrites growth is also observed, manifesting the enhanced battery safety. Overall, this work may shed light on the effective usage of MOFs-derived hierarchical composite in achieving LSBs with high electrochemical performance as well as safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]