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A composited BiOI@Li anode is fabricated by cold-pressing processes with in-situ generation of Li 3 Bi/Li 2 O/LiI fillers, in which the lithiophilic Bi-based skeleton in bulk phase can minimize the formation of Li dendrites and the dissolved LiI in liquid phase can provide I−/I 3 − electron pairs to polish the generated Li dendrites. [Display omitted] Li metal is a potential anode material for the next generation high-energy–density batteries because of its high theoretical specific capacity. However, the inhomogeneous lithium dendrite growth restrains corresponding electrochemical performance and brings safety concerns. In this contribution, the Li 3 Bi/Li 2 O/LiI fillers are generated by the in-situ reaction between Li and BiOI nanoflakes, which promises corresponding Li anodes (BiOI@Li) showing favorable electrochemical performance. This can be attributed to the bulk/liquid dual modulations: (1) The three-dimensional Bi-based framework in the bulk-phase lowers the local current density and accommodates the volume variation; (2) The LiI dispersed within Li metal is slowly released and dissolved into the electrolyte with the consumption of Li, which will form I−/I 3 − electron pair and further reactivate the inactive Li species. Specifically, the BiOI@Li//BiOI@Li symmetrical cell shows small overpotential and enhanced cycle stability over 600 h at 1 mA cm−2. Matched with an S-based cathode, the full Li-S battery demonstrates desirable rate performance and cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-altitude de-acclimatization (HADA) significantly impacts physiological functions when individuals acclimatize to high altitudes return to lower altitudes. This study investigates HADA's effects on renal function and structure in rats, focusing on oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress as potential mechanisms of renal injury. To elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms of renal damage in HADA and evaluate the efficacy of antioxidants Vitamin C (Vit C) and tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) in mitigating these effects. 88 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group, a high-altitude (HA) group, a high-altitude de-acclimatization (HADA) group, and a treatment group. The control group was housed in a sea level environment (500 m), while the HA, HADA, and treatment groups were placed in a simulated high-altitude chamber (5000 m) for 90 days. After this period, the HA group completed the modeling phase; the HADA group was further subdivided into four subgroups, each continuing to be housed in a sea level environment for 3, 7, 14, and 30 days, respectively. The treatment group was split into the Vit C group, the TUDCA group, and two placebo groups, receiving medication for 3 consecutive days, once daily upon return to the sea level. The Vit C group received 100 mg/kg Vit C solution via intravenous injection, the TUDCA group received 250 mg/kg TUDCA solution via intraperitoneal injection, and the placebo groups received an equivalent volume of saline similarly. Serum, urine, and kidney tissues were collected immediately after the modeling phase. Renal function and oxidative stress levels were assessed using biochemical and ELISA methods. Renal histopathology was observed with H&E, Masson's trichrome, PAS, and PASM staining. Transmission electron microscopy was used to examine the ultrastructure of glomeruli and filtration barrier. TUNEL staining assessed cortical apoptosis in the kidneys. Metabolomics was employed for differential metabolite screening and pathway enrichment analysis. Compared to the control and HA groups, the HADA 3-day group (HADA-3D) exhibited elevated renal function indicators, significant pathological damage, observable ultrastructural alterations including endoplasmic reticulum expansion and apoptosis. TUNEL-positive cells significantly increased, indicating heightened oxidative stress levels. Various differential metabolites were enriched in pathways related to oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Early intervention with Vit C and TUDCA markedly alleviated renal injury in HADA rats, significantly reducing the number of apoptotic cells, mitigating endoplasmic reticulum stress, and substantially lowering oxidative stress levels. This study elucidates the pivotal roles of oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress in the early-stage renal injury in rats undergoing HADA. Early intervention with the Vit C and TUDCA significantly mitigates renal damage caused by HADA. These findings provide insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of HADA and suggest potential therapeutic strategies for its future management. • Study on renal effects of high-altitude de-acclimatization (HADA) in rats. • Vitamin C and TUDCA reduce oxidative stress and kidney damage from HADA. • Identifies key metabolites and pathways in HADA-related kidney damage. • Advances understanding of physiological impacts in high-altitude medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For an integral self-affine spectral measure, if the zeros of its Fourier transform are all integral vectors, it is proven that any its spectrum has a tree structure. For any subset with such tree structure, a sufficient condition and a necessary condition for the subset to be a spectrum are given, respectively. Applications are given to some known results as special cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of disinfection materials and instruments is an important part of surgical operation. Hospital environment and surgical equipment need comprehensive sterilization treatment. This process is the key to the success of the operation, and it is also one of the first ways to control the hospital to avoid infection during the operation. The selection of scientific and reasonable sterilization methods for infection will directly affect the safety of medical treatment. In order to improve the antibacterial properties of medical non-woven fabrics, this paper combines two antibacterial methods of sterilization and antibacterial adhesion, and uses the principle of nanotechnology to design that the non-woven fabrics have good blood compatibility in the sterilization process. Then, a new composite antibacterial nanoparticle antibacterial solution is prepared from the synthesized nano‑silver solution, and the antibacterial solution is attached to the non-woven fabric, so that the nano‑silver particles with antibacterial effect are fixed on the surface of the fabric, and its antibacterial effect is measured through the antibacterial test, and excellent hospital infection sterilization technology is prepared and applied to the non-woven fabric products. The fusion experiment of platelets and red blood cells shows that the prepared surface technology combined with antibacterial adhesion and sterilization can effectively fuse with platelets and red blood cells, and can also effectively prevent the adhesion of platelets and red blood cells, and shows good blood compatibility, which is applicable to the sterilization process of hospital infection. • The use of disinfection materials and instruments is an important part of surgical operation. • uses the principle of nanotechnology to design that the non-woven fabrics. • the prepared surface technology can effectively fuse with platelets and red blood cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let D n = { 0 , a n , b n } = { 0 , 1 , 2 } ( m o d 3 ) , p n ∈ 3 Z + , n ≥ 1 , satisfy sup n ≥ 1 ⁡ max ⁡ { | a n | , | b n | } p n < ∞ . It is well-known that there exists a unique Borel probability measure μ { p n } , { D n } generated by the following infinite convolution product μ { p n } , { D n } = δ p 1 − 1 D 1 ⁎ δ ( p 1 p 2 ) − 1 D 2 ⁎ ⋯ in the weak convergence. In this paper, we give some conditions to ensure that there exists a discrete set Λ such that the exponential function system { e 2 π i λ x } λ ∈ Λ forms an orthonormal basis for L 2 ( μ { p n } , { D n } ) . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the non-spectral problem for the planar self-affine measures μ M , D generated by an expanding integer matrix M ∈ M 2 ( Z ) and a finite digit set D ⊂ Z 2 . Let p ≥ 2 be a positive integer, E p 2 : = 1 p { ( i , j ) t : 0 ≤ i , j ≤ p − 1 } and Z D 2 : = { x ∈ [ 0 , 1 ) 2 : ∑ d ∈ D e 2 π i 〈 d , x 〉 = 0 } . We show that if ∅ ≠ Z D 2 ⊂ E p 2 ∖ { 0 } and gcd ⁡ ( det ⁡ ( M ) , p ) = 1 , then there exist at most p 2 mutually orthogonal exponential functions in L 2 ( μ M , D ) . In particular, if p is a prime, then the number p 2 is the best. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the spectral property of a class of Sierpinski-type self-affine measures μ M , D (⋅) = 1 3 ∑ d ∈ D μ M , D (M (⋅) − d) on R 2 , where M = [ ρ 1 − 1 a 0 ρ 2 − 1 ] is a real upper triangular expanding matrix and D = { ( 0 0 ) , ( d 1 0 ) , ( d 2 d 3 ) } is a three-element real digit set with d 1 d 3 ≠ 0. A necessary and sufficient condition for μ M , D to be a spectral measure is established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: For an analytic function on the open unit disk and continuous on , the Cantor boundary behavior (CBB) is used to describe the curve that forms infinitely many fractal-look loops everywhere. The class of analytic functions with the CBB was formulated and investigated in Dong et al. [6]. In this note, our main objective is to give further discuss of the criteria of CBB in Dong et al. [6]. We show that the two major criteria, the accumulation of the zeros of near the boundary and the fast mean growth rate of near the boundary, do not imply each other. Also we make an improvement of another criterion, which allows us to have more examples of CBB. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Let be the space of analytic functions on the open disk and continuous on . Let be the boundary of , we are interested in the class of such that the image is a curve that forms loops everywhere. This fractal behavior was first raised by Lund et al. (1998) [21] in the study of the Cauchy transform of the Hausdorff measure on the Sierpinski gasket. We formulate the property as the Cantor boundary behavior (CBB) and establish two sufficient conditions through the distribution of zeros of and the mean growth rate of near the boundary. For the specific cases we carry out a detailed investigation on the gap series and the complex Weierstrass functions; the CBB for the Cauchy transform on the Sierpinski gasket will appear elsewhere. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cronobacter sakazakii (C. sakazakii) is an opportunistic pathogen that causes sepsis and meningitis in neonate. The molecular mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of C. sakazakii meningitis remains unclear. In this study, we found that C. sakazakii invasion was significantly decreased in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) treated with cytosolic phospholipases A2α (cPLA2α) inhibitor. Increased phosphorylation of cPLA2α was observed in HBMEC infected with C. sakazakii, which was prevented by treatment with cPLA2α inhibitor. cPLA2α knockdown in HBMEC significantly attenuated C. sakazakii invasion into HBMEC. Immunofluorescence demonstrated that the rearrangements of actin filaments in HBMEC induced by C. sakazakii were effectively blocked by either treatment with cPLA2α inhibitor or transfection with cPLA2α siRNA. Interestingly, we found that C. sakazakii infection promoted the aggregation of phosphorylated cPLA2α, which was associated with depolymerized actin filaments in HBMEC. Furthermore, our data revealed that cPLA2α acts downstream of Akt signaling pathway in HBMEC stimulated with C. sakazakii. Taken together, our results illustrated that cPLA2α-mediated actin filament rearrangements downstream of Akt activation is required for C. sakazakii invasion into brain endothelial cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction: Severe acute pancreatitis is a life threatening disease with a high rate of mortality, and its treatments are still controversial. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential effects of proteasome inhibitor PS-341 on severe acute pancreatitis induced by cerulein and lipopolysaccharide in mice. Materials and Methods: Severe acute pancreatitis was induced by seven intraperitoneal injections of 50 ug/kg cerulein at hourly intervals and one injection of 10mg/kg lipopolysaccharide in mice. Thirty min before the administration of lipopolysaccharide, mice were treated either with PS-341 or vehicle. The severity of acute pancreatitis was then evaluated by serum and pancreatic biochemical assays as well as histologic examination. Positron emission tomography (PET) was used for the first time to determine the therapeutic effects of interventions in situ. Results: PS-341 significantly inhibited NF-κB activation, while the pancreatic cell apoptosis was significantly enhanced, resulting in the improved parameters such as serum amylase, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and pancreatic myeloperoxidase activity. Accordingly, pancreatic damage, including inflammatory cell infiltration, hemorrhage, and necrosis, was markedly reduced. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography demonstrated that PS-341 significantly reduced the uptake of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose within the pancreas. Conclusions: These observations demonstrate that PS-341 was able to significantly reduce the severity of acute pancreatitis induced by cerulein and lipopolysaccharide in mice. The potential effect is associated with the inhibition of NF-κB activation and increased pancreatic cell apoptosis within the pancreas. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography could be a sensitive and promising means in evaluating the therapeutic effect and adjusting medical interventions for pancreatitis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Novel isopolymolybdates [MoO 3 ] n (1), Na 8 (Et 4 N) 2 [Mo 12 O 30 (SO 3) 2 (HSO 3) 6 ]·8H 2 O (2), Na 6 (Et 4 N) 5 [Mo 12 O 30 (SO 4) 2 (SO 3)(HSO 3) 5 ]·14H 2 O (3) and [Mo 16 O 52 ]·10NH(CH 3) 2 (4) were obtained and well-characterized with different configurations of hexagram, double dish and triangular dodecahedron. The hexagram-type units Mo 12 O 36 in 1 are connected in a 3D structure with 5.7 ​Å diameter tunnels, which can adsorb a small amount of O 2 (11.00 ​mg/g) at 29.9 ​bar, while no adsorption was found for H 2 /CH 4 /CO 2 /N 2. The two coplanar {Mo 6 } rings in polyoxomolybdenum sulfites 2 and 3 are linked by central sodium atom to form a "double dish type" fashion. The triangular dodecahedron type of isopolymolybdate 4 consists of mixed valence [MoV 3 O 7 ] 4 and [MoVIO 6 ] 4 units, which are spatially arranged in the position of the vertices of the tetrahedron. Novel isopolymolybdates with different configurations of hexagram, double dish, and triangular dodecahedron. Novel isopolymolybdates [MoO 3 ] n (1), Na 8 (Et 4 N) 2 [Mo 12 O 30 (SO 3) 2 (HSO 3) 6 ]·8H 2 O (2), Na 6 (Et 4 N) 5 [Mo 12 O 30 (SO 4) 2 (SO 3)(HSO 3) 5 ]·14H 2 O (3) and [Mo 16 O 52 ]·10NH(CH 3) 2 (4) were obtained with different configurations, in which 1 with a 3D structure and 5.7 ​Å diameter tunnels can selectively adsorb a small amount of O 2 (11.00 ​mg/g) at 29.9 ​bar. [Display omitted] • Novel isopolymolybdates were obtained with different configurations of hexagram, double dish and triangular dodecahedron. • 1 with a 3D structure and 5.7 diameter tunnels can selectively adsorb a small amount of O 2 (11.00 ​mg/g) at 29.9 ​bar. • Triangular dodecahedron type of isopolymolybdate 4 consists of mixed valence [MoV 3 O 7 ] 4 and [MoVIO 6 ] 4 units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: ZNF191, a new human zinc finger protein, probably relates to some hereditary diseases and cancers. To obtain structural information of zinc finger domain a convenient method for obtaining milligram quantities of each zinc finger peptide of ZNF191 is necessary. Here, we report an Escherichia coli expression system for rapid and high-level expression of zinc finger 3 and zinc finger 4 of ZNF191. The gene of zinc finger 3 or zinc finger 4 was cloned into pET31b vector to allow expression of single zinc finger peptide as a ketosteroid isomerase (KSI) fusion protein. The KSI–single zinc finger fusion protein was overexpressed in the form of inclusion body, which can be purified by washing several times using buffer solutions, and then be cleaved directly by cyanogen bromide to release single zinc finger peptide. The more than 20mg/L yield of single zinc finger peptide was achieved with more than 95% purity by using YM ultrafiltration membranes. Circular dichroism spectra of these two single zinc finger peptides titrated with Zn2+ ions demonstrate that they have different secondary structures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Both spontaneous and chemically induced rodent models of autoimmune nephritis and autoantibody production have been explored to understand mechanisms involved in human systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). While it has been known for decades that women are more susceptible than men to SLE, mechanisms underlying this female preponderance remain unclear. One chemically induced model involves injection of hydrocarbon oils such as pristane into otherwise normal mouse strains, which results in the development of autoantibodies and inflammation in organs such as kidney and liver. It is unknown whether lupus-like disease induced by chemicals would exhibit a sex bias in disease susceptibility. Here, we show that SJL/J female mice injected with pristane display greater mortality, kidney disease, serum anti-nuclear and anti-dsDNA antibodies than their male siblings. This is the first evidence that a female sex bias exists in a chemically induced lupus model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The gene coding for the lipase-solubilized bovine liver microsomal cytochrome b 5 (cyt b 5) was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 cells as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein (GST-cyt b 5) using the constructed expression vector pGEX-cyt b 5. The GST-cyt b 5 fusion protein can be matured in vivo as a holoprotein with heme incorporated into cyt b 5 during the fermentation, and the purification procedures were simplified by using a one-step affinity column chromatography with glutathione–agarose gel. The fusion protein was characterized by its spectroscopic and electrochemical properties, the interaction between GST-cyt b 5 and cyt c was also investigated. The results show that GST-cyt b 5 fusion protein shares similar properties and functions to that of isolated cyt b 5. Although cyt b 5 and GST were fused together, the two partners have not made significant structural and functional alterations of their counterparts, the protein–protein interactions between them are apparently very weak. To our knowledge, the present study is the first report to express cyt b 5 as a GST-cyt b 5 fusion protein, which provides a good example for the in vivo maturation of a hemoprotein as a GST fusion protein and sheds new light on the protein–protein interactions within the GST fusion protein. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Let U(p,k) denote the class of functions f which are areally mean p-valent and have k maximal growth directions in Δ={z: &z.sfnc;z&z.sfnc;<1}. In this paper we give an asymptotic formula of the mean square of the logarithmic derivative f′/f for f∈U(p,k) with some restricted condition. This generalizes the corresponding result in [J. Anal. Math. 36 (1979) 36–43]. Also we construct a function f∈U(p,k) which does not satisfy this asymptotic formula. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Cauchy transform of a measure has been used to study the analytic capacity and uniform rectifiability of subsets in C. Recently, Lund et al. (Experiment. Math. 7 (1998) 177) have initiated the study of such transform F of self-similar measure. In this and the forecoming papers (Starlikeness and the Cauchy transform of some self-similar measures, in preparation; The Cauchy transform on the Sierpinski gasket, in preparation), we study the analytic and geometric behavior as well as the fractal behavior of the transform F. The main concentration here is on the Laurent coefficients {an}n=0∞ of F. We give asymptotic formulas for {an}n=0∞ and for F(k)(z) near the support of μ, hence the precise growth rates on |an| and |F(k)| are determined. These formulas are connected with some multiplicative periodic functions, which reflect the self-similarity of μ and K. As a by-product, we also discover new identities of certain infinite products and series. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Let q be even, F be the Cauchy transform of the self-similar measure μ = 1 q ∑ j = 0 q − 1 μ ∘ S j where S j (z) = e 2 j π i / q + ρ (z − e 2 j π i / q) with ρ ∈ (0 , 1) , and K be the attractor of { S j } j = 0 q − 1 and R q = dist (0 , K). As a follow-up of [8] , we not only study the asymptotic formula for the Taylor coefficients { b q k − 1 } k = 1 ∞ of F in | z | < R q , but also the chaotic behavior of F (n) near the attractor K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suppose that q = 2 m + 1 ≥ 5. Let F be the Cauchy transform of the self-similar measure μ = 1 q ∑ j = 0 q − 1 μ ∘ S j where S j (z) = e 2 j π i / q + ρ (z − e 2 j π i / q) with ρ ∈ (0 , 1). Let K be the attractor of { S j } j = 0 q − 1 and R q = dist (0 , K). The Laurent coefficients of F in | z | > 1 was studied in [18] and [2]. In this paper, we study the asymptotic formula of the Taylor coefficients { b q k − 1 } k = 1 ∞ of F in | z | < R q. We prove that the supremum of β satisfying { (q k) β R q q k b q k − 1 } k = 1 ∞ ∈ l ∞ is the Hausdorff dimension α of K , and that the accumulation points set of { (q k) α R q q k b q k − 1 } k = 1 ∞ is a union of some non-degenerate line segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Active components of Hawthorn were metabolized by electrochemical micro reactor. • Electrochemistry conducts phase I metabolism studies on target compounds. • Electrochemistry can be a useful technique for simulation metabolism. • In vitro microsomes analysis confirmed the possibility of simulated metabolism. In the present study, an electrochemical microreactor (EM) technique was developed for the analysis of natural flavonoids and organic acids in edible fruit. The EM connected to quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (MS) was applied to study the oxidation fate of hyperoside, isoquercitrin, chlorogenic acid and epicatechin in hawthorn. Simulation of the oxidative phase I and phase II metabolism was accomplished in a reactor cell equipped with a glassy carbon working electrode. The structures of the electrochemistry system-generated products were clarified on the basis of MS full scanning. The results obtained by EM-MS were compared with previously reported conventional metabolism in rats and humans. In addition, a method for incubating the target compounds in vitro with liver microsomes was established, and then, the target analytes and their metabolites were analyzed using a sensitive and fast ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-MS procedure. The results of the in vitro incubation with liver microsomes are in good agreement with the electrochemical simulated oxidation. Consequently, the combination of EM and MS is a suitable method to simulate the oxidative metabolism of active compounds in food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The SGWTs is first developed for one-dimensional time series signal denoising. • The selection criterion of decomposition level J is established based on DFA. • The one-dimensional time series signal can be defined on the path graph. • The effect of the developed denoising technique is validated by various experiments. A novel non-iterative denoising technique combining spectral graph wavelet transform and detrended fluctuation analysis is proposed to solve the filtering problem of non-linear and non-stationary mechanical vibration signals. The vibration signal is firstly converted to a graph signal defined on the path graph. Then, the graph signal is decomposed into scaling function coefficients and spectral graph wavelet coefficients by spectral graph wavelet transform. Finally, the threshold is adopted to shrink the spectral graph wavelet coefficients, and the denoised signal is obtained via the inverse transform. Besides, an efficient criterion based on detrended fluctuation analysis is designed to select the decomposition level of spectral graph wavelet transform. The denoising performance of the presented approach for mechanical vibration signal has been thoroughly evaluated through analog signals compared with five conventional methods. The developed technique is then applied to denoise the vibration signal collected in hob fault experiments, and the influence of different optional parameters on the denoising performance is analyzed by single factor experiments. Experimental results indicate that the proposed approach can remove noise well and retain the fine signatures of signal as much as possible, and Euclidean weight function and Minimax threshold can achieve desired denoising capability when combined with soft threshold function or hard threshold function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, low impact development (LID) has been deemed as an effective strategy for better storm water management. Among tremendous literature concerning the effectiveness of LID facilities to improve urban drainage system (UDS) performance, the scale, location, variety, and parameters of LIDs are fully discussed while the role of urban drainage network is rarely considered. Since LIDs and drainage network work together to realize the function of UDS, this research aims to explore their synergistic effects on the social, environmental, and technological performance of UDS. To represent different synergistic effects, a case area in Kunming, China is divided into upstream, midstream, and downstream sections. The hydraulic and topological characteristics of the drainage network in different sections are varied and 4 LID siting strategies are designed to distribute LID facilities in one of the 3 sections or in the total catchment evenly. Uncertainties from rainfall intensity and LID distribution are discussed as well. Based on the modeling results, the existence of synergistic effect is confirmed. Different spatial relationships between LIDs and the drainage network lead to disparate UDS performance. The synergistic effect may appear as the aggravation or mitigation of the conflicts among various functions of UDS, such as the reduction of urban flooding, combined sewer overflow, and shock loadings to wastewater treatment plant. The synergistic effect is sensitive to the rainfall intensity, suggesting the necessity of system performance investigation under non-design conditions. Due to the complicated synergistic effect, even distribution of LIDs in the target area can be a regretless and simplified solution. The discoveries reveal the significance of the synergistic effect and its implications for the LID planning. • The synergistic effect between LID facility and drainage network is confirmed. • The characteristics of drainage network should be considered in LID planning. • Rainfall intensity has significant influence on the synergistic effect. • Synergistic effect can change the game relationships among multiple UDS functions. • Even distribution of LID facilities is a simple and regretless planning strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The widespread use of antibiotics has resulted in pollution associated with antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in urban water systems, threatening the public health and the ecological security. In this study, the patterns of the diversity and abundance of the antibiotics and ARGs in a typical city (Kunming, China) were analyzed by monitoring their presence in the tap water, the land block sewage discharge units, the sewage pipes, the influent of WWTP, the effluent of WWTP, and the urban river channel. The results showed that although the average concentration of total antibiotics in tap water was 10 ng/L, the concentrations reached hundreds or even thousands of ng/L in all the other sections, indicating antibiotics entering water system through human or pets discharge. The relative abundances of ARG copies to 16S rRNA gene copies in the effluent of WWTP, the urban river channel which was the downstream of WWTP were higher than those of the sewage pipes, increasing risk of ARG transfer after treatment by WWTP. In general, the relative abundance of ARGs in spring was higher than that in winter. There was no significant correlation between antibiotics concentrations and their corresponding ARGs, except for a correlation between tetracyclines and tet -resistance genes. Due to the existence of transposases, the urban water system is exposed to a widespread risk of horizontal transfer of ARGs. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Investigate the abundance of antibiotics and ARGs in urban water systems in China. • Concentrations reached hundreds or even thousands of ng/L in urban drainage system. • Abundance of ARGs in sewage was increased after the treatment. • Urban water system is exposed to a widespread risk of horizontal transfer of ARGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suppose that 0 < | ρ | < 1 and m ≥ 2 is an integer. Let μ ρ , m be the self-similar measure defined by μ ρ , m ( ⋅ ) = 1 m ∑ j = 0 m − 1 μ ρ , m ( ρ − 1 ( ⋅ ) − j ) . In this paper, we prove that L 2 ( μ ρ , m ) contains an infinite orthonormal set of exponential functions if and only if ρ = ± ( q / p ) 1 / r for some p , q , r ∈ N + with gcd ( p , q ) = 1 and gcd ( p , m ) > 1 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a tangential slit, the behavior of the driving function in the Loewner differential equation is less clear. In this paper, we investigate the tangential slit φ ( Γ ) , where φ is a univalent real analytic function near the origin, and where Γ is a circular arc tangent at the origin. Our main aim is to give an interesting way to prove the asymptotic property of the driving function which generates the tangential slit φ ( Γ ) . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcification is common in atherosclerotic plaque and can induce vulnerability, which further leads to myocardial infarction, plaque rupture and stroke. The mechanisms of atherosclerotic calcification are poorly characterized. Interleukin enhancer binding factor 3 (ILF3) has been identified as a novel factor affecting dyslipidemia and stroke subtypes. However, the precise role of ILF3 in atherosclerotic calcification remains unclear. In this study, we used smooth muscle-conditional ILF3 knockout (ILF3 SM-KO ) and transgenic mice (ILF3 SM-Tg ) and macrophage-conditional ILF3 knockout (ILF3 M-KO ) and transgenic (ILF3 M-Tg ) mice respectively. Here we showed that ILF3 expression is increased in calcified human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (HAVSMCs) and calcified atherosclerotic plaque in humans and mice. We then found that hyperlipidemia increases ILF3 expression and exacerbates calcification of VSMCs and macrophages by regulating bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) transcription. We further explored the molecular mechanisms of ILF3 in atherosclerotic calcification and revealed that ILF3 acts on the promoter regions of BMP2 and STAT1 and mediates BMP2 upregulation and STAT1 downregulation, which promotes atherosclerotic calcification. Our results demonstrate the effect of ILF3 in atherosclerotic calcification. Inhibition of ILF3 may be a useful therapy for preventing and even reversing atherosclerotic calcification. Our findings illustrate the working schematic that hyperlipidemia-induced ILF3 activation mediates acceleration of atherosclerotic calcification. Hyperlipidemia-increased ILF3 expression mediates BMP2 and STAT1 transcription by directly binding to their promoter regions. ILF3 upregulates BMP2 level and activates Smads signaling to elevate Runx2 transcription. Meanwhile, ILF3 suppresses STAT1 transcription, which promotes Runx2 nuclear translocation and regulates osteogenic differentiation. In addition, ILF3-mediated hyperlipidemia induces a phenotypic switch of VSMCs from contractile to a dedifferentiated synthetic phenotype and macrophages to a pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype, which in turn aggravates VSMC calcification to promote atherosclerotic calcification. [Display omitted] • ILF3 promotes the osteogenic switch of VSMCs and macrophages in atherosclerotic calcification. • ILF3 regulates BMP2 and STAT1 transcription by targeting their promoter regions. • ILF3 mediates upregulation of BMP2 and suppression of STAT1 expression in atherosclerotic calcification. • Inhibition of ILF3 may be a potential therapeutic target for preventing atherosclerotic calcification and lesion rupture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Non-receptor protein tyrosine kinases (NRPTKs)-dependent inflammatory signal transduction cascades play key roles in immunoregulation. However, drug intervention through NRPTKs-involved immunoregulation mechanism in microglia (the major immune cells of the central nervous system) has not been widely investigated. A main aim of the present study is to elucidate the contribution of two major NRPTKs (Syk and Jak2) in neuroinflammation suppression by a bioactive sesquiterpene dimmer (DSF-27). We found that LPS-stimulated BV-2 cells activated Syk and further initiated Akt/NF-κB inflammatory pathway. This Syk-dependent Akt/NF-κB inflammatory pathway can be effectively ameliorated by DSF-27. Moreover, Jak2 was activated by LPS, which was followed by transcriptional factor Stat3 activation. The Jak2/Stat3 signal was suppressed by DSF-27 through inhibition of Jak2 and Stat3 phosphorylation, promotion of Jak/Stat3 inhibitory factors PIAS3 expression, and down-regulation of ERK and p38 MAPK phosphorylation. Furthermore, DSF-27 protected cortical and mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons against neuroinflammatory injury. Taken together, our findings indicate NRPTK signaling pathways including Syk/NF-κB and Jak2/Stat3 cascades are potential anti-neuroinflammatory targets in microglia, and may also set the basis for the use of sesquiterpene dimmer as a therapeutic approach for neuroinflammation via interruption of these pathways. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Aldose reductase (AR) has a key role in several inflammatory diseases: diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, AR inhibition seems to be a useful strategy for anti-inflammation therapy. In the central nervous system (CNS), microglial over-activation is considered to be a central event in neuroinflammation. However, the effects of AR inhibition in CNS inflammation and its underlying mechanism of action remain unknown. In the present study, we found that FMHM (a naturally derived AR inhibitor from the roots of Polygala tricornis Gagnep.) showed potent anti-neuroinflammatory effects in vivo and in vitro by inhibiting microglial activation and expression of inflammatory mediators. Mechanistic studies showed that FMHM suppressed the activity of AR-dependent phospholipase C/protein kinase C signaling, which further resulted in downstream inactivation of the IκB kinase/IκB/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) inflammatory pathway. Therefore, AR inhibition-dependent NF-κB inactivation negatively regulated the transcription and expression of various inflammatory genes. AR inhibition by FMHM exerted neuroprotective effects in lipopolysaccharide-induced neuron–microglia co-cultures. These findings suggested that AR is a potential target for neuroinflammation inhibition and that FMHM could be an effective agent for treating or preventing neuroinflammatory diseases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and ephrin ligands participate in the regulation of a wide variety of biological processes, such as axon guidance, synaptic plasticity, angiogenesis, and tumorigenesis. The role of Eph receptors and ephrin ligands in brain endothelial cells remains unknown. Here, we examined the expression profile of EphA receptors and ephrin-A ligands in human brain microvascular endothelial cell line (HBMEC). Our results showed that multiple EphA receptors and ephrin-A ligands are expressed in HBMEC. We found that the phosphorylation of EphA2, but not other EphA receptors, was significantly increased in HBMEC treated with recombinant ephrin-A1/Fc. Meanwhile, elevated EphA2 phosphorylation was accompanied by disassembly of tight junctions in HBMEC. Furthermore, EphA2 RNAi in HBMEC could promote tight junction formation and prevent the ephrin-A1-induced tight junction disruption. Also, when a kinase-inactive mutant of EphA2 (EphA2-K646M) was expressed in HBMEC, the tight junction was enhanced and the ephrin-A1-induced tight junction disruption was blocked. In addition, EphA2 RNAi and expression of EphA2-K646M in HBMEC inhibited in vitro cell migration and angiogenesis of HBMEC. These data indicated an important role of EphA2 in regulating both tight junction formation and angiogenesis in brain endothelial cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• NOS3 G894T (rs1799983) and G10T (rs7830) gene polymorphisms have a significant effect on cardiovascular developmental processes. • The NOS3 T-786C (rs2070744) SNP in the promoter region was associated with the risk of developing CHD (P＞0.05). • Investigating the association between NOS3 and CHD and providing appropriate health care during pregnancy is important to reduce the incidence of CHD and improve public health. Endothelial nitric oxide (NO) produced by endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase (eNOS) can promote the expression of pro-angiogenic cytokines and is favorable for angiogenesis. However, the relationship between NOS3 gene polymorphisms and genetic susceptibility to congenital heart disease (CHD) was still unclear. We searched five databases including Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wan Fang, to find all studies on NOS3 gene polymorphisms and CHD. Rstudio was used to merge the data included in the study to obtain OR, 95%CI, and forest plots. Five relevant literatures were included, including three sites of NOS3 gene, rs1799983 (G894T), rs2070744 (T-786C), and rs7830 (G10T). Several models including the homozygous model of rs1799983 (G894T) gene polymorphism (TT VS GG: OR = 1.602, 95%CI: 1.098 ∼ 2.337, P = 0.027), rs7830 (G10T) gene polymorphism allele model (A VS C: OR = 1.171, 95%CI: 1.029 ∼ 1.333, P = 0.017), homozygous model (AA VS CC: OR = 1.474, 95%CI: 1.122 ∼ 1.936, P = 0.005) and implicit model (AA VS CC + AC: OR = 1.451, 95%CI: 1.133 ∼ 1.859, P = 0.003) indicated that there was a correlation. The results of the combined analysis of each gene model of rs2070744 (T-786C) gene polymorphism sites were not statistically significant, and their P values were all>0.05. rs1799983 (G894T) and rs7830 (G10T) polymorphic sites might play a role in the susceptibility of sporadic congenital heart disease and increase the risk of CHD. Yet, it is still necessary to expand the sample size and conduct more prospective/retrospective studies to confirm whether the rs2070744 (T-786C) polymorphism tended to increase the incidence of CHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization, one of the predominant trends of the 21st century, places great stress on urban water supply networks. This paper aimed to identify the most important variables driving urban water supply patterns in China, a region which has seen rapid urban growth in the last few decades. In addition, a principal component analysis-informed urban water sustainability index was developed in order to benchmark cities. The research involved applying statistical learning and other analytical methods to 12 years of urban water supply data for 627 cities across China. The findings were as follows: (1) PCA showed that approximately 46.8% of variability in the data could be explained by two principal components. Component 1 (37.26%) was more closely associated with variables related to water supply and sale, supply pipelines, and water supply finance. C2 (9.51%) was clearly related to urban water prices and average per capita water use. (2) Random forest and XGBoost algorithms were effective in classifying cities according to their region, with model testing accuracies of 87.69% and 88.32% respectively. (3) Chinese cities have consistently suffered water loss/leakage rates above 20% since 2001, and water prices are closely associated with leakage. (4) China's urban water sustainability has increased by just 3.56% between 2001 and 2013; Southwest China saw the highest growth rate in urban water supply sustainability. The implications of our research effort will be useful for decision makers in water-stressed urban areas around the world who are seeking novel insights in how to leverage statistical learning techniques to gain insights into urban drinking water supply patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous study has reported that the proactive secretion and role of central high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) in lipopolysaccharide-induced depressive behavior. Here, the potential mechanism of HMGB1 mediating chronic-stress-induced depression through the kynurenine pathway (KP) was further explored both in vivo and in vitro. Depression model was established with the 4-week chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Sucrose preference and Barnes maze test were performed to reflect depressive behaviors. The ratio of kynurenine (KYN)/tryptophan (Trp) represented the enzyme activity of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). Gene transcription and protein expression were assayed by real-time RT-PCR and western-blot or ELISA kit respectively. Along with depressive behaviors, HMGB1 concentrations in the hippocampus and serum substantially increased post 4-week CUMS exposure. Concurrent with the upregulated HMGB1 protein, the regulator of translocation of HMGB1, sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) concentration in the hippocampus remarkably increased. In addition to HMGB1 and SIRT1, IDO, the rate limiting enzyme of KP, was upregulated at the level of mRNA expression and enzyme activity in stressed hippocampi and LPS/HMGB1-treated hippocampal slices. The gene transcription of kynurenine monooxygenase (KMO) and kynureninase (KYNU) in the downstream of KP also increased both in vivo and in vitro. Mice treated with ethyl pyruvate (EP), the inhibitor of HMGB1 releasing, were observed with lower tendency of developing depressive behaviors and reduced activation of enzymes in KP. All of these experiments demonstrate that the role of HMGB1 on the induction of depressive behavior is mediated by KP activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data scarcity has caused enormous problems in non-point pollution predictions and the related source apportionment. In this study, a new framework was developed to undertake the source apportionment at a large-scale and ungauged catchment, by integrating the physically-based model and a surrogate model. The improvements were made, in terms of the application of a physically-based model in an ungauged area for the transfer process and the parametric transplantation process. The new framework was then tested in the Chaohu Lake basin, China. The result suggested that there has been a good match between simulated and observed data. Although the planting industry was the largest emission source with 48.16% of nitrogen (N), itonly contributed 12.61% of N flux to the Chaohu Lake. The ungauged catchments surrounding the Chaohu Lake were identified as non-negligible sources with 8.46% of phosphorus (P) contribution. The rainfall conditions could have great impacts on source apportionment results; e.g., the planting industry contributed from 68.17t of P in dry year to 436.02t in wet year. The new framework could be extended to other large-scale watersheds for source apportionment with data limitations. [Display omitted] • A new source apportionment method was proposed by combining SWAT and a surrogate model. • Data limitation was solved by transferring and modifying calibrated parameters. • Uncertainty of source apportionment results were quantified. • Planting industry discharged 48% of N, but contributed 13% to the flux of Chaohu Lake. • The source contribution changed from 10% to 28% in different hydrological conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-time control (RTC) is a recognized technology to enhance the efficiency of urban drainage systems (UDS). Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) has recently provided a new solution for RTC. However, the practice of DRL-based RTC has been impeded by different sources of uncertainties. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact caused by the uncertainties on DRL-based RTC to promote its application. The impact of uncertainties in the measurement of water level signals was evaluated through large-scale simulation experiments and quantified using measures of statistical dispersion of control performance distribution and relative change of control performance compared to the baseline scenario with no uncertainty. Results show that the statistical dispersion of DRL-based RTC was reduced by 15.48%–81.93% concerning random and systematic uncertainties compared to the conventional rule-based control (RBC) strategy. The findings indicated that DRL-based RTC is robust and could be reliably applied to safety-critical real-world UDS. • A framework was developed to evaluate uncertainty in the control of drainage systems. • A Dueling Double Deep Q-learning (D3QN) based strategy was studied. • D3QN strategy can reduce flooding risk more than the rule-based strategy. • D3QN strategy is more robust to systematic and random uncertainty in monitoring signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanization puts a lot of pressure on urban water pollution from point and non-point sources, calling for the practical, specific, and integrated management of urban drainage systems (UDS). The structural design of an integrated UDS is essential for highly complex and uncertain urban water management. In this study, we developed a multi-objective robust optimization model to explore the optimal structures of UDS considering system uncertainty. We applied this model to City B, northern China, to illustrate its effectiveness. The results show that the model can produce optimal designs with a more robust performance in terms of structural uncertainty. When the uncertainty degree ranges from 5% to 20%, a considerable extra cost (increased by 1.10–2.68 times) is required to improve the robustness of UDS. With the increase in structural uncertainty, the fraction of the cost invested in the stormwater subsystem increased from 10.2% to 27.2%. The findings showed that stormwater management is efficient in coping with system uncertainty. The research results promote an understanding of robust urban drainage systems. • A robust design tool for integrated urban drainage systems is developed. • The effect of uncertainty on structural design is studied. • Robust optimization favors different structures under different disturbance levels. • A considerable extra cost is required to improve robustness. • The stormwater sub-system is more important for improving the overall robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water soluble coordination polymer of potassium lead 1,3-propylenediaminetetraacetate {K 4 [Pb 2 (1,3-pdta) 2 ]·6H 2 O} n ( 1 ) and its insoluble products {[Pb(1,3-H 2 pdta)(H 2 O)]·2H 2 O} n ( 2 ), {[Pb 2 (1,3-pdta)(H 2 O) 4 ]·4H 2 O} n ( 3 ) and [Pb 2 (1,3-pdta)(H 2 O) 2 ] n ( 4 ) were obtained from the direct reactions of lead nitrate with 1,3-propylenediaminetetraacetic acid in different conditions (1,3-H 4 pdta=1,3-propylenediaminetetraacetic acid). The former 1 could be converted to the insoluble products of {[Pb 2 (1,3-pdta)(H 2 O) 4 ]·4H 2 O} n ( 3 ) and [Pb 2 (1,3-pdta)(H 2 O) 2 ] n ( 4 ) in weak acidic solution. The complexes have been full characterized by EA, FT-IR, solution and solid state 13 C NMR spectra, thermogravimetric and structural analyses. Interestingly, 3 contains a unique (H 2 O) 26 cluster and a 5.2 Å pore after eliminating the guest water molecules, which exhibits reversible adsorption for methanol. This is confirmed by PXRD and solid state 13 C NMR analyses. Nano-confined methanol in microporous structure has been observed based on the large downfield shift of 13 C NMR signal (Δ δ 9.72 ppm), attributing to the methyl group in methanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) from personal care and cosmetic products (PCCPs) pose a threat to aquatic environment due to the small size and the complexity of composition. Although the habits of personal care behaviors (PCBs) vary from individuals affecting MPs emissions, quantitative research is not sufficient to support high-precision emission estimates and targeted management decisions. Based on a questionnaire survey about PCBs and laboratory experiments on corresponding PCCPs utilization, this study proposed a bottom-up micro-simulation method to quantify MPs emissions combining multinomial logit model and categorized emission coefficients, and identified the impact of individual attributes on the emissions. The results show that the annual PCBs-derived MPs emissions amounted to 2931.8 trillion particles in China, of which teeth brushing, face washing, and bathing behavior accounted for 29%, 36% and 35%, respectively. The residents discharged an average of 2.18 million particles per capita per year with 95% confidence interval of 0.58–4.34 million particles. Gender, age and living region had greater impacts on PCBs-derived MPs emissions. The effect of living region was significantly related to local temperature and humidity. The estimation based on the MPs discharge characteristics of PCBs provides high-precision method regarding the MPs emission from people's daily life and contributes to further understanding the source of MPs and initiating environmental control strategies. [Display omitted] • A bottom-up emission estimation method for microplastics point source is proposed. • The microplastics emissions characteristics of personal care behaviors were analyzed. • Behavioral differences were considered for the first time in the estimation. • The impact of five individual attributes on microplastics emissions was explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the growth mechanism and the morphologies of GaSb islands grown on Si (1 0 0) by low-pressure metal–organic chemical vapor deposition have been studied. It was observed the GaSb growth mode transited from SK to VW mode with time, while the islands migrated in VW mode on the surface. As growth time prolonging, the islands were coarsening consistent with the considerations of Ostwald ripening substituting for migration. And it was the similar coalescence process in the various interruption time. The formation of giant islands reduced the surface energy with the island-induced strain fields which drive the islands distribution evenly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The HIV-1 Tat protein is released by infected cells and has numerous biological activities which might contribute either to the impairment of the immune response or to viral dissemination and pathogenesis. To date, the effects of Tat protein on metabolites remain unclear. In this study, a metabolomic study on serum of HIV-1 Tat-induced ICR mice was performed to research the pathologic mechanism of Tat protein by using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Clear separations among the HIV-1 Tat-induced mice and the inaTat-induced or control mice were observed by principal component analysis and partial least-squares discriminant analysis based on the GC/MS spectral data. Additionally, 16 significantly changed metabolites in HIV-1 Tat-induced mice were identified that are involved in multiple perturbed metabolic pathways, which contributed to the elucidation of the complex pathogenic mechanism of Tat protein and may shed new lights on future improvement of HIV-1 therapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: On the basis of a study of the adsorption of zeolite and mesoporous silica, we attempted to create a hierarchical structure in the new nitrosamines trapper. Thus, mesoporous HZSM-5 zeolite was fabricated through impregnating a structure-directing agent into the as-synthesized MCM-41 followed by dry-gel conversion to transform amorphous silica to zeolite crystal. The texture of mesoporous ZSM-5 was tailored by adjusting the Si/Al ratio in the MCM-41 source and the thermal treatment time. The resulting samples were characterized by N2 adsorption to evaluate their textural properties. One volatile nitrosamine, N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR), was used as probe molecule in instantaneous adsorption to survey the function of the resulting composites. Adsorptions of N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) in dichloromethane solution and tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA) in tobacco-extract solution were also utilized for the same purpose. As expected, mesoporous zeolite exhibits a good adsorption capacity in laboratory tests, superior to either microporous zeolite or mesoporous silica, providing a valuable candidate for controlling nitrosamines in the environment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Different isoforms of p120-catenin (p120ctn), a member of the Armadillo gene family, are variably expressed in different tissues as a result of alternative splicing and the use of multiple translation initiation codons. When expressed in cancer cells, these isoforms may confer different properties with respect to cell adhesion and invasion. We have previously reported that the p120ctn isoforms 1 and 3 were the most highly expressed isoforms in normal lung tissues, and their expression level was reduced in lung tumor cells. To precisely define their biological roles, we transfected p120ctn isoforms 1A and 3A into the lung cancer cell lines A549 and NCI-H460. Enhanced expression of p120ctn isoform 1A not only upregulated E-cadherin and β-catenin, but also downregulated the Rac1 activity, and as a result, inhibited the ability of cells to invade. In contrast, overexpression of p120ctn isoform 3A led to the inactivation of Cdc42 and the activation of RhoA, and had a smaller influence on invasion. However, we found that isoform 3A had a greater ability than isoform 1A in both inhibiting the cell cycle and reducing tumor cell proliferation. The present study revealed that p120ctn isoforms 1A and 3A differently regulated the adhesive, proliferative, and invasive properties of lung cancer cells through distinct mechanisms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Reclaimed water has been used as an alternative water resource for various economic activities, which inevitably is involved in the virtual water trade. However, the effect of reclaimed water on the virtual water trade has not been evaluated in previous studies. For the sake of sustainable water management, this study explored the benefits of reclaimed water use for balancing the water resource allocation at the interprovincial level. Multiregional input-output analysis and ecological network analysis were used to investigate the spatial and structural characteristics of the virtual reclaimed water network (VRWN) among 31 provinces in China and the potential effect of reclaimed water use. The results show that the net export flows of virtual reclaimed water have different spatial patterns from those of freshwater, some provinces that import virtual freshwater are exporters of virtual reclaimed water. Although the exploitative relationship is the dominant ecological relationship in the VRWN (72%), it is confirmed that reclaimed water use contributes to balancing the virtual water trade of China with a more competitive relationship (21%) than in the virtual freshwater network (4%). The virtual freshwater consumption change rate in developed provinces decreases by more than 10% through reclaimed water use. Due to the high food exports and low application of wastewater reclamation in less developed provinces, the effect of reclaimed water use in those provinces is not as obvious as that in developed provinces. This paper offers a new perspective for understanding the current VRWN and guidance for the optimization of the virtual water trade structure. • The virtual reclaimed water network isdistinguished from the virtual water trade. • Ecological network analysis is adopted to analyze relationships among provinces. • The spatial pattern of virtual reclaimed watertrade is identified. • Effects of reclaimed water use on alleviating uneven virtual water trade is examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]