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Inflammation is much more intrinsic to hernia then is what is generally appreciated. The occurrence of hernias is associated with swelling, stress and inflammation. Surgery remains an important intervention to treat hernias and for many years, post-surgical levels of inflammatory cytokines have been evaluated to compare the different strategies for their comparative advantages. All surgical procedures elicit some sort of inflammatory response and moreover the meshes used for hernia repair are also associated with elevated inflammatory response, although some favor predominantly a pro-inflammatory response while the other meshes favor anti-inflammatory response. An estimated more than 90% of hernia repairs involve some meshes with polypropylene considered as the gold standard. Efforts are underway to modulate polypropylene meshes associated inflammation through use of alternative materials as well as modifications to polypropylene meshes themselves. In the last one decade, miRNAs have entered hernia research and the data on a role of miRNAs in different hernias is slowly emerging, providing the first evidence of epigenetics in hernia. Some reports are connecting miRNAs with inflammation in hernia. All these aspects, such as, surgery-related to mesh-related inflammation as well as miRNA-related inflammation, are discussed in this article to present an up-to-date information on the topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Immobilizing catalyst system faces the challenge of balancing catalysts stability and exposure of active site in water treatment. In this study, a novel in-situ synthesis of monoclinic phase of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 (B)) in cellulose-derived carbon aerogel (TCA) is proposed for processing multi-task in water treatment. The homogeneous gelation reaction supported the high dispersion of TiO 2 (B) in carbon skeleton. Meanwhile, TiO 2 acts as crosslinker to reinforce cellulose network, then the grain refinement of amorphous TiO 2 is limited to obtain TiO 2 (B) during carbonization. Benefiting from the reinforced structure, TCA remains the porous structure after carbonization and exposes more adsorption site than carbon aerogel blended with anatase particles (ACA). The adsorption performance of TCA are 837.3 mg/g, 1156.2 mg/g and 512.6 mg/g on methylene blue, malachite green and crystal violet, respectively. Compared with ACA, the superior interaction between TiO 2 and graphite-like carbon improves the degradation rate of tetracycline from 1.3 × 10–3 min−1 to 8.6 × 10–3 min−1, and maintains the degradation efficiency in 3 rounds cyclic test. Besides, TCA also exhibits nearly twice to ACA on absorption capacity of different oil. This facile in-situ synthesis method offers a new insight in fabricating carbon aerogel immobilized photocatalysts system for multi-task in water treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, attapulgite (ATP) was modified by Zr-based metal organic framework (UiO-66-NH 2) and poly(hexamethylenediamine-tannic acid) (HTA), an amino material named UiO-66-NH 2 /HTA/ATP (UHA) was prepared to efficiently remove Cr(VI). The morphology and structure of UHA were analyzed through various characterization methods. The conditions and influencing factors of UHA preparation and Cr(VI) adsorption were studied. The material had a maximum adsorption capacity of 270.3 mg/g for Cr(VI) when pH was 2.0, temperature was 298 K, adsorption time was 300 min, and ionic strength was 0.01 mol/L, which was obtained by the Langmuir fitting model. The adsorption process conforms to the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isothermal models, indicating that the adsorption process is mainly based on the chemical adsorption of monolayers. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis shows that UHA mainly removes Cr(VI) by hydrogen bonding, electrostatic attraction, reduction, and complexation. Thermodynamic investigation suggested a disordered, endothermic and spontaneous adsorption process. After UHA treatment, the simulated wastewater containing Cr(VI) met the discharge standard, and the results of cycling experiments showed that UHA has good renewable performance and offers potential prospects for Cr(VI) removal in water. The graphical abstract shows the preparation process of UHA composite material and the adsorption removal mechanism of Cr(Ⅵ) by UHA. As shown in the Graphical abstract, UHA composite materials was prepared by a two-step process. And UHA can remove Cr(Ⅵ) by adsorption through electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding as well as reduction and coordination. [Display omitted] • Amounts of Cr(Ⅵ) adsorbed onto UHA were highly enhanced by HTA and MOFs. • UHA has excellent adsorption performance and high selectivity for Cr(VI). • UHA has good regenerative properties. • UHA can not only adsorb fixed Cr(Ⅵ), but also partially reduce it to low-toxicity Cr(Ⅲ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex dynamical systems are notoriously difficult to model because some degrees of freedom (e.g., small scales) may be computationally unresolvable or are incompletely understood, yet they are dynamically important. For example, the small scales of cloud dynamics and droplet formation are crucial for controlling climate, yet are unresolvable in global climate models. Semi-empirical closure models for the effects of unresolved degrees of freedom often exist and encode important domain-specific knowledge. Building on such closure models and correcting them through learning the structural errors can be an effective way of fusing data with domain knowledge. Here we describe a general approach, principles, and algorithms for learning about structural errors. Key to our approach is to include structural error models inside the models of complex systems, for example, in closure models for unresolved scales. The structural errors then map, usually nonlinearly, to observable data. As a result, however, mismatches between model output and data are only indirectly informative about structural errors, due to a lack of labeled pairs of inputs and outputs of structural error models. Additionally, derivatives of the model may not exist or be readily available. We discuss how structural error models can be learned from indirect data with derivative-free Kalman inversion algorithms and variants, how sparsity constraints enforce a "do no harm" principle, and various ways of modeling structural errors. We also discuss the merits of using non-local and/or stochastic error models. In addition, we demonstrate how data assimilation techniques can assist the learning about structural errors in non-ergodic systems. The concepts and algorithms are illustrated in two numerical examples based on the Lorenz-96 system and a human glucose-insulin model. • Summarizing the internal model error approach and comparing and contrasting it with the external model error approach. • Presenting a study of the internal model error approach for various model forms, including non-local and stochastic generalizations. • Demonstrating the calibration of the model error via indirect data (e.g., moments for ergodic systems) with ensemble Kalman inversion (EKI). • Demonstrating the calibration of the model error via learning from the time series of non-ergodic systems and using EKI for data assimilation. • Illustrating the importance of sparsity and physics constraints for improved generalization of the calibrated internal model error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effect of external agricultural phytohormones (mixed phytohormones) addition (1.0, 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 mg L−1) on the growth performance, lipid productivity, and sedimentation efficiency of Chlorella pyrenoidosa cultivated in saline wastewater was investigated. Among the different concentrations evaluated, the highest biomass (1.00 g L−1) and lipid productivity (11.11 mg L−1 d−1) of microalgae were obtained at 10.0 mg L−1 agricultural phytohormones addition. Moreover, exogenous agricultural phytohormones also improved the sedimentation performance of C. pyrenoidosa , which was conducive to the harvest of microalgae resources, and the improvement of sedimentation performance was positively correlated with the amount of agricultural phytohormones used. The promotion of extracellular polymeric substances synthesis by phytohormones in microalgal cells could be considered as the reason for its promotion of microalgal sedimentation. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the addition of phytohormones upregulated the expression of genes related to the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-mediated phytohormone signaling pathway and lipid synthesis, thereby improving salinity tolerance and lipid production in C. pyrenoidosa. Overall, agricultural phytohormones provide an effective and inexpensive strategy for increasing the lipid productivity and sedimentation efficiency of microalgae cultured in saline wastewater. [Display omitted] • Agricultural phytohormone promote efficient and inexpensive culture of microalgae. • Agricultural phytohormone of 10 mg L−1 resulted in the highest lipid productivity. • Agricultural phytohormone effectively improved the sedimentation of microalgae. • The mechanism of phytohormone promoting microalgae sedimentation is related to EPS. • Hormones upregulate the genes related to lipid synthesis and antioxidant stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultivating microalgae in wastewater offers various advantages, but it still faces limitations such as bacteria and other impurities in wastewater affecting the growth and purity of microalgae, difficulty in microalgae harvesting, and extracellular products of microalgae affecting effluent quality. In this study, a novel dialysis bag-microalgae photobioreactor (Db-PBR) was developed to achieve wastewater purification and purer bioresource recovery by culturing microalgae in a dialysis bag. The dialysis bag in the Db-PBR effectively captured the microalgae cells and promoted their lipid accumulation, leading to higher biomass (1.53 times of the control) and lipid production (2.50 times of the control). During the stable operation stage of Db-PBR, the average soluble microbial products (SMP) content outside the dialysis bag was 25.83 mg L−1, which was significantly lower than that inside the dialysis bag (185.63 mg L−1), indicating that the dialysis bag effectively intercepted the SMP secreted by microalgae. As a result, the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in Db-PBR effluent was significantly lower than that of traditional photobioreactor. Furthermore, benefiting from the dialysis bag in the reactor effectively intercepted the microorganisms in wastewater, significantly improving the purity of the cultured microalgae biomass, which is beneficial for the development of high-value microalgae products. [Display omitted] • More algal biomass was recovered in dialysis bag-microalgae photobioreactor. • The dialysis bag effectively intercepted soluble microbial products of microalgae. • Microalgae in dialysis bag obtained higher content of lipid, protein, and pigment. • Dialysis bag protected microalgae and improved the purity of recovered resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The granulosa cells (GCs) of birds are essential for the reproduction and maintenance of populations in nature. Atrazine (ATR) is a potent endocrine disruptor that can interfere with reproductive function in females and Diaminochlorotriazine (DACT) is the primary metabolite of ATR in the organism. Melatonin (MT) is an endogenous hormone with antioxidant properties that plays a crucial role in development of animal germ cells. However, how ATR causes mitochondrial dysfunction, abnormal secretion of steroid hormones, and whether MT prevents ATR-induced female reproductive toxicity remains unclear. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the protective effect of MT against ATR-induced female reproduction. In the present study, the GCs of quail were divided into 6 groups, as follows: C (Serum-free medium), MT (10 µM MT), A250 (250 µM ATR), MA250 (10 µM MT+250 µM ATR), D200 (200 µM DACT) and MD200 (10 µM MT+200 µM DACT), and were cultured for 24 h. The results revealed that ATR prevented GCs proliferation and decreased cell differentiation. ATR caused oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to disruption of steroid synthesis, which posed a severe risk to GC's function. However, MT supplements reversed these changes. Mechanistically, our study exhibited that the ROS/SIRT1/STAR axis as a target for MT to ameliorate ATR-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and steroid disorders in GCs, which provides new insights into the role of MT in ATR-induced reproductive capacity and species conservation in birds. [Display omitted] • ATR caused oxidative damage in GCs. • ATR led to mitochondrial dysfunction via the SIRT1-mediated pathway. • ATR induced hormonal disruption through the STAR-mediated steroid pathway. • MT alleviated ATR-induced endocrine disruption via the ROS/SIRT1/STAR axis in GCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the wide use of atrazine (ATR), the concern has increased regarding the negative impact of ATR on reproduction. Nevertheless, the reproductive effects caused by different exposure concentrations and the severity of toxic damage are poorly understood. In organisms, ATR is metabolized and degraded through phase II enzyme systems, and changes in cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes may have a regulatory role in the harm of ATR. However, less information is available on the induction of CYPs by ATR in avian organisms, and even less on its effects on the testis. Birds are exposed to ATR mainly through food residues and contaminated water, the purpose of this study was to examine reproductive toxicity by different exposure concentrations and elaborate metabolic disorders caused by ATR in European quail (Coturnix coturnix). In this study, the quail were given ATR at 50 mg/kg, 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg by oral gavage for 45 days, and the testicular weight coefficients, histopathology and ultrastructure of testes, primary biochemical functions, sex steroid hormones, critical protein levels in the testosterone synthesis pathway, the expression of genes involved CYPs, gonad axis and nuclear receptors expression were investigated. Altogether, testicular coefficient decreased significantly in the high-dose group (1.22%) compared with the control group (3.03%) after 45 days of ATR exposure, and ATR is a potent CYP disruptor that acts through the NXRs and steroid receptor subfamily (APND, CAR, ERND and ERα) without a dose-dependent manner. Notably, ATR interfered with the homeostasis of hormones by triggering the expression of hormones on the gonad axis (LH and E 2). These results suggest that exposure to ATR can cause testicular toxicity involving accommodative disorder of phase II enzyme and testosterone synthesis in European quail. [Display omitted] • Atrazine induced oxidative stress leads to testicular damage altering testicular structure and function. • Atrazine causes mitochondrial swelling, cristae breakage, malformation and vacuolization. • Atrazine can lead to disruption of the phase II enzyme system. • Atrazine inhibits testosterone synthesis and is reproductively toxic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) was more tolerance to Cs than some sensitive plants, such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Vicia faba , and may have a special detoxification mechanism. In this study, the effects on reactive oxygen species (ROS) content, the antioxidant enzyme system and chelation system in Indian mustard were studied by observing different plant physiological responses. In addition, we focused on the analysis of gene regulatory networks related to ROS formation, ROS scavenging system, and other stress-response genes to Cs exposure using a transcriptome-sequencing database. The results showed that ROS and malonaldehyde content in seedlings increased significantly in Cs-treatment groups. The enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase were increased, and the synthesis of antioxidants glutathione, phytochelatin and metallothionein also increased under Cs treatment. Further analysis showed that ROS formation pathways were primarily the photosynthetic electron transport chain process and photorespiration process in the peroxisome. Antioxidant enzyme systems and the respiratory burst oxidase homolog protein-mediated signal transduction pathway played a key role in ROS scavenging. In summary, one of the mechanisms of tolerance and detoxification of Indian mustard to Cs was that it enhanced the scavenging ability of antioxidant enzymes to ROS, chelated free Cs ions in cells and regulated the expression of related disease-resistant genes. • Cs induced the synthesis of sulfhydryl peptides, which might combine with Cs to form chelating peptide complexes. • The antioxidant enzyme system (SOD, POD, CAT, and APX) in Indian mustard was enhanced under Cs-induced conditions. • Indian mustard quickly turned on stress-related genes and alleviated the Cs toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the differences between high- and low-accumulation plants in cesium (Cs) uptake and its related mechanism, Brassica juncea (a hyperaccumulation plant for Cs) and Vicia faba (a low-accumulation plant for Cs) were selected as comparative experimental materials. The contributions to Cs uptake of a K-transporter-mediated high-affinity transport system and a K-channel-mediated low-affinity transport system in the two plants were compared and analyzed. The difference between the two plants in the mechanism of Cs uptake was further analyzed using transcription sequence technology. The results show that the transfer characteristics of Cs in the two plants had a similar distribution relationship with K. The contribution rate of the K-channel pathway to Cs uptake was 32.00% in the V. faba seedling roots, which was significantly higher than for B. juncea (9.81%) (P < 0.01); the contribution rate of the K-transporter pathway to Cs uptake of the B. juncea seedlings was 32.08%, which was significantly higher than that of the V. faba seedlings (17.13%)(P < 0.05). Other uptake pathways also mediated the uptake of Cs by roots in B. juncea and V. faba (contribution rate: 54.92–60.09% and 42.18–59.73%, respectively). The transcriptome sequencing results confirmed that Cs-induced treatment significantly inhibited the expression of the K-transporter protein and K-channel protein-related genes in the V. faba roots, but it had no significant effect on the expression of related genes in the B. juncea roots. Thus, one reason for the significant difference between the two plant in the accumulation of Cs is that Cs inhibited the expression of related transporter protein genes in the V. faba roots. • K transporters and channels are the main pathways of Cs uptake in plant roots. • The difference of Cs uptake pathway is one of the reasons affecting the Cs accumulation. • 1822 DEGs were identified in B. juncea and 6732 DEGs were identified in V. faba. • Cs inhibited the expression of transporters and ion channel genes in V. faba , compared with B. juncea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hollow-core fiber based on Bragg structure can effectively enhance its confinement capacity. • The total transmission loss can still be reduced by an order of magnitude by the introduction of additional dielectric layers. • The bending loss caused by mode coupling can be suppressed by the introduced antiresonant unit. An anti-resonant hollow-core terahertz fiber applying Bragg structure as the basic unit is presented, the basic unit is composed of two or three concentric tubes which is cut and connected by an outer ring. Simulations results show that the proposed fiber has the transmission characteristics of both conventional anti-resonant structure and Bragg fiber, and its confinement loss could be 2–3 orders of magnitude lower than that of an anti-resonant hollow-core terahertz fiber composed of only a single semi-tube as the anti-resonant unit, and the total transmission loss is one order of magnitude lower, which can achieve a low transmission loss of 0.5 dB/m or less with the bandwidth of 0.15 THz. In addition, the appropriated choice of the outer ring diameter can effectively suppress the mode coupling between the core and cladding, thereby reducing its confinement loss and bending loss. The proposed fibers show great potential for applications in terahertz wave communication and the fabrication of terahertz sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical investigation of the roots of Croton crassifolius led to the isolation of five pyran-2-one derivatives, including two brand new compounds ( 1 – 2 ), one new natural product ( 3 ) and two known compounds ( 4 – 5 ). Their structures and absolute configurations were established by spectroscopic analyses as well as comparison between the calculated optical rotation (OR) values with the experimental data. Interestingly, the new compound 1 showed an unusual negative chemical shift at H-11. It is well known that negative chemical shift values of 1 H NMR spectrum are extremely rare in natural products. Such a negative chemical shift of 1 H NMR spectrum was reproduced by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and explained by the shielding effect from the pyran-2-one ring over the hydrogen atom in the 3D conformations. Then, MTT assay was applied to evaluate the cytotoxicity of the isolated compounds ( 1 – 5 ) against two liver cancer cell lines (HepG2 and MHCC97H). The results suggested that compound 1 displayed the highest cytotoxicity with an IC 50 value of 9.8 μM against HepG2 cells. Moreover, there was no obvious cytotoxicity of compounds 1 – 5 on normal liver cell line LO2. Furthermore, the mechanism of apoptosis induction in compound 1 -treated HepG2 cells was investigated. The results showed that compound 1 could induce apoptosis via p53-mediated Ras/Raf/ERK suppression in HepG2 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) is widespread globally in the environment as a toxic metal. Although it is well known to induce hepatotoxicity in the cells, defense mechanisms against the detrimental effects of Cd are still unknown. We examined the role of autophagy (a cellular defense mechanism) on Cd-induced cytotoxicity in bird hepatocytes. Primary chicken hepatocytes were cultured with different concentrations (0, 1, 2.5, 5, and 10 μM) of cadmium chloride (CdCl 2) for 12 h. We assessed the effects of CdCl 2 on the cell viability, antioxidant status, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, autophagy response and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Further, it is also evaluated that insight into underling molecular mechanisms involved in the study. In this study, CdCl 2 -induce hepatotoxicity was caused by drastically increased ROS generation as well as a reduction level of antioxidant enzymes. It was also demonstrated that marked activation of ER stress markers (GRP78 , IRE1 , PERK , ATF4 , ATF6 and XBP-1 s) was observed. Simultaneously, increased activation of autophagy in low-dose CdCl 2 (1 μM) exposed group was observed, but high-dose CdCl 2 (10 μM) inhibited autophagy and significantly promoted apoptosis, as indicated by the expression of the autophagy related genes for P62 , Beclin-1 , ATG3 , ATG5 , ATG9 , and the detection of autophagic vacuoles. Pretreatment with autophagy agonist Rapamycin (RAP) has successfully reduced ROS production, attenuated ER stress and enhanced hepatocytes viability, while the autophagy inhibitor 3-Methyladenine (3-MA) had the opposite effect. Hence, these findings stipulate that Cd could inhibit viability of hepatocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Autophagy relieves hepatotoxicity of Cd via reducing ROS generation and regulating ER stress. We identified autophagy as a novel protective mechanism involved in Cd-mediated chicken hepatotoxicity. [Display omitted] • Cadmium indued autophagy and apoptosis in chicken hepatocytes. • Redox homeostasis disruption and ER stress was involved toxicity of Cadmium. • Autophagy relieves hepatotoxicity of Cadmium by relieving oxidative stress and ER stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bioaccumulation and environmental persistence of atrazine (ATZ) poses a severe hazard to animal ecosystem. Quail has strong sensitivity to environmental pollutant, thus it is one of the most important ecological pollution indicator. However, true proof for the effects of ATZ exposure on the liver of quails is lacking. To evaluate the liver injury and the role of Nrf2-mediated defense responses during ATZ exposure, male quails were treated with ATZ (0, 50, 250 and 500 mg/kg) by oral gavage for 45 days. Histopathological and ultrastructural changes, oxidative stress indices, apoptosis-related factors and Nrf2 pathway were detected. ATZ caused irreparable mitochondrial damage and destroyed morphophysiological integrity of the quail liver. Lower level ATZ (<250 mg/kg) activated Nrf2 signaling pathway to protect liver against oxidative stress and apoptosis via enhancing antioxidative activity. Higher level ATZ (>500 mg/kg) induced oxidative stress and apoptosis through decrease of non-enzymatic antioxidant, antioxidant enzymes and anti-apoptosis factors and increase of apoptosis factors expressions. Taken together, our results suggested that ATZ-induced hepatotoxicity in quails was associated with blocking Nrf2-mediated defense response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • An AIRE-active hydrazone-based fluorescent probe with endoplasmic reticulum-targeting ability has been developed. • The probe could act as a fluorescent ratiometric chemsensor for ClO− detection. • The probe responded to ClO− with a short response time (within 20 s) and a lower detection limit (15.4 μM). • The probe has been successfully applied to the imaging of ClO− in the endoplasmic reticulum of living cells and zebrafish. Hypochlorite (ClO−) plays an important role in the human immune defense system, but high concentrations of ClO− in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) damage cellular proteins, causing ER stress, cell death, and various diseases. Herein, we developed a simple hydrazone probe (1) featuring aggregation-induced ratiometric emission, which would quickly (within 20 s) and sensitively (detection limit of 15.4 μM) respond to ClO− in an almost pure aqueous solution via a fluorescent ratiometric output. Furthermore, the probe was employed to track the level of ClO− in the ER of HeLa cells and zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Patchouli alcohol (PA), a natural compound isolated from Pogostemon cablin, has been reported to possess anti-inflammatory activity. However, the effects of PA on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) have not yet been studied. In the present study, we investigated in vivo the effect of PA on ALI induced by LPS. Methods Mice were administrated intranasally with LPS to induce lung injury. PA was administrated intraperitoneally 1 h before or after the LPS challenge. Results The results showed that PA significantly decreased the wet-to-dry weight ratio of lungs and the number of total cells, neutrophils, and macrophages in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid at 7 h after the LPS challenge. In addition, PA also suppressed the production of inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-6 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Furthermore, Western blot analysis showed that PA inhibited the phosphorylation of IκB-α and p65 nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) induced by LPS. Conclusions Our results suggest that the anti-inflammatory effects of PA against LPS-induced ALI may be due to its ability to inhibit NF-κB signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd), a potent hepatotoxin, has been reported to induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in various cell types. However, whether such effect exists in bird is still unclear. To delineate the effects of Cd exposure on ER stress response, we examined the expression of 78-kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78) and alteration in calcium homeostasis in primary chicken hepatocytes treated with 2–22µM Cd for 24h. A significant decrease of cell viability was observed in chicken hepatocytes following Cd administration. In cells treated with Cd, GRP78 protein levels increased in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, GRP78 and GRP94mRNA levels were elevated in response to Cd exposure. The increase of the intracellular Ca2+ concentration in chicken hepatocytes was found during Cd exposure. Cd significantly decreased the CaM mRNA levels in hepatocytes. These results show that Cd regulates the expression of GRP78 and calcium homeostasis in chicken hepatocytes, suggesting that ER stress induced by Cd plays an important role in the mechanisms of Cd cytotoxicity to the bird hepatocytes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most toxic metal compounds released into the environment. It was well known that Cd induced hepatotoxicity in animal models. However, little is known about the negative effects of Cd toxicity in the liver of birds. To investigate the Cd hepatotoxicity in birds and the protective effects of selenium (Se) against subchronic exposure to dietary Cd, 100-day-old cocks received either Se (as 10mg Na2SeO3 per kg of diet), Cd (as 150mg CdCl2 per kg of diet) or Cd+Se in their diets for 60 days. Histological and ultrastructural changes in the liver, the concentrations of Cd and Se, the lipid peroxidation (LPO) and nitric oxide (NO) production, the activities of the antioxidants superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activities and apoptosis were determined. Exposure to Cd significantly reduced SOD and GPx activity, Se content in the liver tissue. It increased the LPO and NO production, the numbers of apoptotic cells and Cd concentration and caused obvious histopathological changes in the liver. Concurrent treatment with Se reduced the Cd-induced liver histopathological changes, oxidative stress, overexpression of NO and apoptosis, suggesting that the toxic effects of Cd on the liver is partly ameliorated by inorganic Se. Se supplementation also modified the distribution of Cd in the liver. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), an extensively used plasticizer, can cause environmental pollution and organ injury. Lycopene (LYC) is a natural carotene that has the potential to prevent chronic diseases. To reveal the effect of DEHP and/or LYC on the kidney, male mice were treated with LYC (5 mg/kg) and/or DEHP (500 mg/kg or 1000 mg/kg) by gavage for 28 days. The study indicated that DEHP caused glomerular atrophy, tubular expansion, disappearance of the mitochondrial membrane, and cristae rupture. DEHP exposure can increase the expression of aquaporin (AQP) subunits and the activity of Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase and decrease the activity of Na+-K+-ATPase, which results in ion disorder. However, LYC can relieve kidney injury by regulating the activity of ATPase, the expression of ATPase subunits, and AQP subunit expression. The results indicated that AQP was a target for LYC in antagonizing the disturbance of DEHP-induced renal damage. The present results indicated that AQP was a target for LYC to antagonize the disturbance of DEHP-induced renal ion homeostasis and renal injury. This research might provide a feasible molecular mechanism for LYC cotreatment of renal toxicity caused by DEHP. [Display omitted] • DEHP exposure induced nephrotoxicity. • DEHP can cause the ions homeostasis imbalance. • DEHP caused the expression of AQP and ATPase activity disorder. • LYC can protect the organism from DEHP-induced nephrotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Global gene expression profiling of the soybean after glyphosate treatment was performed. [•] Glyphosate inhibits tryptophan biosynthesis pathway in soybean apical bud. [•] Glyphosate inhibits the expression of most of the target herbicide site genes. [•] Light responsive elements were important regulators in glyphosate induction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Knowledge of thermophilic mechanisms about some organisms whose optimum growth temperature (OGT) ranges from 50 to 80 degree plays a major role in helping design stable proteins. How to predict a DNA sequence to be thermophilic is a long but not fairly resolved problem. Chaos game representation (CGR) can investigate the patterns hiding in DNA sequences, and can visually reveal previously unknown structure. Fractal dimensions are good tools to measure sizes of complex, highly irregular geometric objects. In this paper, we convert every DNA sequence into a high dimensional vector by CGR algorithm and fractal dimension, and then predict the DNA sequence thermostability by these fractal features and support vector machine (SVM). We have conducted experiments on three groups: 17-dimensional vector, 65-dimensional vector, and 257-dimensional vector. Each group is evaluated by the 10-fold cross-validation test. For the results, the group of 257-dimensional vector gets the best results: the average accuracy is 0.9456 and average MCC is 0.8878. The results are also compared with the previous work with single CGR features. The comparison shows the high effectiveness of the new hybrid fractal algorithm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in women worldwide, and despite multiple chemotherapeutic approaches, effective treatment strategies for advanced metastatic breast cancer are still lacking. Metabolic reprogramming is essential for tumor cell growth and propagation, and most cancers, including breast cancer, are accompanied by abnormalities in energy metabolism. Here, we confirmed that sodium cantharidate inhibited cell viability using the Cell Counting Kit-8, clonogenic assay, and Transwell assay. The cell cycle and apoptosis assays indicated that sodium cantharidate induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in breast cancer cells. Additionally, proteomic assays, western blots, and metabolic assays revealed that sodium cantharidate converted the metabolic phenotype of breast cancer cells from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis identified possible roles for p53 with respect to the effects of sodium cantharidate on breast cancer cells. Western blot, docking, and phosphatase assays revealed that the regulation of p53 activity by sodium cantharidate was related to its inhibition of protein phosphatase 5 activity. Moreover, sodium cantharidate significantly inhibited tumor growth in tumor-bearing nude mice. In summary, our study provides evidence for the use of sodium cantharidate as an effective and new therapeutic candidate for the treatment of human breast cancer in clinical trials. [Display omitted] • Sodium cantharidate (SCA) inhibits the viability of breast cancer cells. • SCA induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest and inhibits tumor growth. • Regulation of energy by SCA in breast cancer cells is related to p53. • p53 regulation by SCA is dependent on inhibition of protein phosphatase 5 activity. • SCA exerts anti-breast cancer effects by inhibiting protein phosphatase 5 activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the framework of the effective-mass and adiabatic approximations, by setting the effective-mass of electron in the quantum disks (QDs) different from that in the potential barrier material, we make some improvements in the calculation of the electronic energy levels of vertically stacked self-assembled InAs QD. Comparing with the results when an empirical value was adopted as the effective-mass of electron of the system, we can see that the higher levels become heightened. Furthermore, the Stark shifts of the system of different methods are compared. The Stark shifts of holes are also studied. The vertical electric field changes the splitting between the symmetric level and the antisymmetric one for the same angular momentum. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study aims to reveal the biodegradation and interaction mechanism of cyclotetramethylenete-tranitramine (HMX) by a newly isolated bacteria. In this study, a bacterial strain (Bacillus aryabhattai) with high efficiency for HMX degradation was used as the test organism to analyze the changes in growth status, cell function, and mineral metabolism following exposure to different stress concentrations (0 and 5 mg L−1) of HMX. Non-targeted metabonomics was used to reveal the metabolic response of this strain to HMX stress. The results showed that when the HMX concentration was 5 mg L−1, the removal rate of HMX within 24 h of inoculation with Bacillus aryabhatta was as high as 90.5%, the OD 600 turbidity was 1.024, and the BOD 5 was 225 mg L−1. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that the morphology of bacteria was not obvious Variety, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that the cell surface –OH functional groups drifted, and ICP-MS showed that the cell mineral element metabolism was disturbed. Non-targeted metabonomics showed that HMX induced the differential expression of 254 metabolites (133 upregulated and 221 downregulated). The main differentially expressed metabolites during HMX stress were lipids and lipid-like molecules, and the most significantly affected metabolic pathway was purine metabolism. At the same time, the primary metabolic network of bacteria was disordered. These results confirmed that Bacillus aryabhattai has a high tolerance to HMX and can efficiently degrade HMX. The degradation mechanism involves the extracellular decomposition of HMX and transformation of the degradation products into intracellular purines, amino sugars, and nucleoside sugars that then participate in cell metabolism. [Display omitted] • Bacillus aryabhatta were found to have the ability to efficiently degrade HMX. • HMX is biotransformed outside the cell and does not directly enter the cell to participate in metabolism. • HMX induces metabolic imbalance of lipids and lipid-like molecules in cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, which mainly input to the aquatic environment through discharge of industrial and agricultural waste, can be a threat to human and animal health. Selenium (Se) possesses a beneficial role in protecting animals and ameliorating the toxic effects of Cd. However, the comparative antagonistic effects of different Se sources such as inorganic, organic Se and nano-form Se on Cd toxicity are still under-investigated. Hence, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the comparative of Se sources antagonism on Cd-induced nephrotoxicity via oxidative stress and selenoproteome transcription. In the present study, Cd-diet disturbed in the system balance of 5 trace elements (Zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Se, Cd) and impaired renal function. Se sources, including nano- Se (NS), Se- yeast (SY), sodium selenite (SS) and mixed selenium (MS) significantly recovered the balance of 4 trace elements (Zn, Cu, Cd, Se) and renal impaired indexes (blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (CREA)). Histological appearance of Cd-treated kidney indicated renal tubular epithelial vacuoles, particle degeneration and enlarged capsular space. Ultrastructure observation results illustrated that Cd-induced mitochondrial cristae reduction, membrane disappearance, and nuclear deformation. Treatment with Se sources, NS appeared a better impact on improving kidney tissues against the pathological alterations resulting from Cd administration. Meanwhile, NS reflected a significant impact on relieving Cd-induced kidney oxidative damage, and significantly restored the antioxidant defense system of the body. Our findings also showed NS ameliorated the Cd-induced downtrends expression of selenoproteome and selenoprotein synthesis related transcription factors. Overall, NS was the most effective Se source in avoiding of Cd cumulative toxicity, improving antioxidant capacity and regulating of selenoproteome transcriptome and selenoprotein synthesis related transcription factors expression, which contributes to ameliorate Cd-induced nephrotoxicity in chickens. These results demonstrated diet supplement with NS may prove to be an effective approach for alleviating Cd toxicity and minimizing Cd -induced health risk. [Display omitted] • Cd exposure caused nephrotoxicity. • Nano-Se obviously mitigated imbalance of metallic elements homeostasis. • Nano-Se relieved renal pathology alterations and improved antioxidant capacity. • Nano-Se was more bioactive in selenoprotein expression enhancement. • Nano-Se was superior to inorganic and organic Se in alleviating Cd toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fenton reaction is recognized as an effective technique for degrading persistent organic pollutants, such as the emerging pollutant trimethoprim (TMP). Recently, due to the excellent reducibility of active hydrogen ([H]), Pd–H 2 has been preferred for Fenton-like reactions and the specific H 2 activation of Pd-based catalysts. Herein, a heterogeneous Fenton catalyst named the hydrogen-accelerated oxygen reduction Fenton (MHORF@UiO-66(Zr)) system was prepared through the strategy of building ships in the bottle. The [H] has been used for the acceleration of the reduction of Fe(III) and self-generate H 2 O 2. The systematic characterization demonstrated that the nano Pd0 particle was highly dispersed into the UiO-66(Zr). The results found that 20 mg L−1 of TMP was thoroughly degraded within 90 min in the MHORF@UiO-66(Zr) system under conditions of initial pH 3, 30 mL min−1 H 2 , 2 g L−1 Pd@UiO-66(Zr) and 25 μM Fe2+. The hydroxyl radical as well as the singlet oxygen were evidenced to be the main reactive oxygen species by scavenging experiments and electron spin resonance. In addition, both reducing Fe(III) and self-generating H 2 O 2 could be achieved due to the strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) between the nano Pd0 particles and UiO-66(Zr) confirmed by the correlation results of XPS and calculation of density functional theory. Finally, the working mechanism of the MHORF@UiO-66(Zr) system and the possible degradation pathway of the TMP have been proposed. The novel system exhibited excellent reusability and stability after six cyclic reaction processes. • A novel Fenton system was constructed based on Pd@UiO-66(Zr), H 2 and Fe(II). • 100% of TMP could be degraded in 90 min by the MHORF@UiO-66(Zr) system. • Self-generated H 2 O 2 and regeneration of Fe(II) were successfully achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ecotoxic effect of high concentration cesium (Cs) exposure on plant root growth and its toxicological mechanism. The radicle of broad bean (Vicia faba) was selected as experimental material. The cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of plants exposed to different Cs levels (0.19–1.5 mM) for 48 h were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis, single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assays. The results showed that radicle elongation decreased clearly after 48 h of exposure treatment with different concentrations of Cs solution. The root cell structure was obviously damaged in the Cs treatment groups (0.19–1.5 mM). At a Cs concentration of 1.5 mM, the percentages of viable non-apoptotic cells, viable apoptotic cells, non-viable apoptotic cells, and non-viable cells were 40.09%, 20.67%, 28.73%, and 10.52%, respectively. SCGE showed DNA damage in radicle cells 48 h after Cs exposure. Compared with the control group, the percentage of tail DNA in Cs exposed group (0.38–1.5 mM) increased by 0.56–1.12 times (P < 0.05). RAPD results showed that the genomic stability of V. faba radicles decreased by 4.44%–15.56%. This study confirmed that high concentration Cs exposure had cytotoxicity and genotoxicity effects on plants. Image 1 • Cesium-133 caused apoptosis and death of V. faba root border cells. • Cesium-133 induced DNA double-strand breaks and base mutations. • Cesium-133 exposure had cytotoxicity and genotoxicity effects on plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Confirmed statistics-conforming property of GANs for modeling dynamical systems. • Highlighted the lack of robustness of GANs and need of explicit physical constraints. • Improved training robustness of GANs by explicitly enforcing statistical constraints. • Demonstrated merits of statistics-informed GANs on modeling Rayleigh-Bénard convection. Simulating complex physical systems often involves solving partial differential equations (PDEs) with some closures due to the presence of multi-scale physics that cannot be fully resolved. Although the advancement of high performance computing has made resolving small-scale physics possible, such simulations are still very expensive. Therefore, reliable and accurate closure models for the unresolved physics remains an important requirement for many computational physics problems, e.g., turbulence simulation. Recently, several researchers have adopted generative adversarial networks (GANs), a novel paradigm of training machine learning models, to generate solutions of PDEs-governed complex systems without having to numerically solve these PDEs. However, GANs are known to be difficult in training and likely to converge to local minima, where the generated samples do not capture the true statistics of the training data. In this work, we present a statistical constrained generative adversarial network by enforcing constraints of covariance from the training data, which results in an improved machine-learning-based emulator to capture the statistics of the training data generated by solving fully resolved PDEs. We show that such a statistical regularization leads to better performance compared to standard GANs, measured by (1) the constrained model's ability to more faithfully emulate certain physical properties of the system and (2) the significantly reduced (by up to 80%) training time to reach the solution. We exemplify this approach on the Rayleigh-Bénard convection, a turbulent flow system that is an idealized model of the Earth's atmosphere. With the growth of high-fidelity simulation databases of physical systems, this work suggests great potential for being an alternative to the explicit modeling of closures or parameterizations for unresolved physics, which are known to be a major source of uncertainty in simulating multi-scale physical systems, e.g., turbulence or Earth's climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abamectin, as a broad-spectrum bioinsecticide, has been widely used for the control of Lepidoptera insects, resulting in different levels of resistance to abamectin in Spodoptera litura. Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) are known for their important roles in insecticide detoxification. In this study, the expression of SlCYP6B40 , SlCYP4L12 and SlCYP9A32 in the fat body, and SlCYP4S9 , SlCYP6AB12 , SlCYP6AB58 , SlCYP9A75a and SlCYP9A75b in Malpighian tubules was found to be significantly upregulated after abamectin exposure. SlCYP6AE44 and SlCYP6AN4 were simultaneously upregulated in these two tissues after abamectin exposure. Ectopically overexpressed SlCYP6AE44 , SlCYP9A32 and SlCYP4S9 in transgenic Drosophila conferred tolerance to abamectin. In addition, homology modeling and molecular docking results suggested that SlCYP6AE44 , SlCYP9A32 and SlCYP4S9 may be capable of binding with abamectin. These results demonstrate that upregulation of CYP3 and CYP4 genes may contribute to abamectin detoxification in S. litura and provide information for evidence-based insecticide resistance management strategies. [Display omitted] • Spodoptera litura P450s were upregulated in the fat body and Malpighian tubule after abamectin exposure. • Overexpressed P450s in transgenic Drosophila confer abamectin tolerance. • Several P450s may be capable to bind with abamectin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soil microbial diversity in the gangue accumulation area is severely stressed by a variety of heavy metals, while the influence of long-term recovery of herbaceous plants on the ecological structure of gangue-contaminated soil is to be explored. Therefore, we analysed the differences in physicochemical properties, elemental changes, microbial community structure, metabolites and expression of related pathways in soils in the 10- and 20-year herbaceous remediation areas of coal gangue. Our results showed that phosphatase, soil urease, and sucrase activities of gangue soils significantly increased in the shallow layer after herbaceous remediation. However, in zone T 1 (10-year remediation zone), the contents of harmful elements, such as Thorium (Th; 1.08-fold), Arsenic (As; 0.78-fold), lead (Pb; 0.99-fold), and uranium (U; 0.77-fold), increased significantly, whereas the soil microbial abundance and diversity also showed a significant decreasing trend. Conversely, in zone T 2 (20-year restoration zone), the soil pH significantly increased by 1.03- to 1.06-fold and soil acidity significantly improved. Moreover, the abundance and diversity of soil microorganisms increased significantly, the expression of carbohydrates in soil was significantly downregulated, and sucrose content was significantly negatively correlated with the abundance of microorganisms, such as Streptomyces. A significant decrease in heavy metals was observed in the soil, such as U (1.01- to 1.09-fold) and Pb (1.13- to 1.25-fold). Additionally, the thiamin synthesis pathway was inhibited in the soil of the T 1 zone; the expression level of sulfur (S)-containing histidine derivatives (Ergothioneine) was significantly up-regulated by 0.56-fold in the shallow soil of the T 2 zone; and the S content in the soil significantly reduced. Aromatic compounds were significantly up-regulated in the soil after 20 years of herbaceous plant remediation in coal gangue soil, and microorganisms (Sphingomonas) with significant positive correlations with benzene ring-containing metabolites, such as Sulfaphenazole, were identified. [Display omitted] • Heavy metal contamination of coal gangue affects microbial diversity and inhibits thiamine synthesis pathway. • Sulfur-containing histidine derivatives in soil and S content in soil are negatively correlated. • Microbial diversity in plant restoration areas may contribute to the degradation of PAHs. • Significant positive correlation between Sphingomonas and sulfathiazole in gangue soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ultrafine Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles are successfully prepared by a novel solvothermal–precipitation approach which exploits the supernatant liquid of Co 3 O 4 nanoflake micropheres synthesized by solvothermal method before. Interestingly, the water is only employed to obtain the ultrafine nanoparticles in supernatant liquid which was usually thrown away before. The microstructure measurement results of the as-grown samples present the homogeneous disperse ultrafine Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles with the size of around 5–10 nm. The corresponding synthesis mechanism of the ultrafine Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles is proposed. More importantly, these ultrafine Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles obtained at 250 °C show the highest specific capacitance of 523.0 F g −1 at 0.5 A g −1 , 2.6 times that of Co 3 O 4 nanoflake micropheres due to the quantum size effect. Meanwhile, the sample annealed under 350 °C possesses the best cycling stability with capacitance retention of 104.9% after 1500 cycles. These results unambiguously demonstrate that this work not only provides a novel, facile, and eco-friendly approach to prepare high-performance Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles electrode materials for supercapacitors but also develops a widely used method for the preparation of other materials on a large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enforcing sparse structure within learning has led to significant advances in the field of data-driven discovery of dynamical systems. However, such methods require access not only to timeseries of the state of the dynamical system, but also to the time derivative. In many applications, the data are available only in the form of time-averages such as moments and autocorrelation functions. We propose a sparse learning methodology to discover the vector fields defining a (possibly stochastic or partial) differential equation, using only time-averaged statistics. Such a formulation of sparse learning naturally leads to a nonlinear inverse problem to which we apply the methodology of ensemble Kalman inversion (EKI). EKI is chosen because it may be formulated in terms of the iterative solution of quadratic optimization problems; sparsity is then easily imposed. We then apply the EKI-based sparse learning methodology to various examples governed by stochastic differential equations (a noisy Lorenz 63 system), ordinary differential equations (Lorenz 96 system and coalescence equations), and a partial differential equation (the Kuramoto-Sivashinsky equation). The results demonstrate that time-averaged statistics can be used for data-driven discovery of differential equations using sparse EKI. The proposed sparse learning methodology extends the scope of data-driven discovery of differential equations to previously challenging applications and data-acquisition scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Piezoelectric semiconductor zinc oxide (ZnO) shows promising applications in many fields, however, its excellent piezoelectric performance is limited by the intrinsic screening effect. Forming p-n junction through interface engineering is an effective strategy to enhance its piezoelectric output, but the unclear regulation mechanism is a bottleneck in developing high-performance devices. In this work, the enhancement mechanism of interface engineering on the piezoelectric performance of ZnO nanorods (NRs) based devices is revealed from the perspective of carrier concentration. Both the theoretical and experimental results show that the piezoelectric output is significantly correlated with the carrier concentration, which is mainly attributed to the suppression of screening effect and the modulation of the device capacitance. After a reasonable matching design of carrier concentration, the piezoelectric potential of the ZnO NRs-based device is greatly enhanced by about 12 times. Apparently, these findings provide a fresh insight to further understand the enhancement mechanism of interface engineering on the electrical output of piezoelectric semiconductor devices, and provide effective support for the design of p-n junction piezoelectric devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Weissella genus has recently gained popularity due to its antifungal and probiotic properties. In this study, the antifungal activity of isolate KM14 of Weissella cibaria on Aspergillus fumigatus , Penicillium expansum , and P. oxalicum were evaluated by the overlay method and microplate inhibition analysis; results showed that the bacterium had a high inhibition rate against these three fungi, ranging from 99.4 to 94.3%. The evaluation of the antifungal activity of compounds (organic acid/proteins/H 2 O 2) produced by the bacterium revealed that organic acids were responsible for this activity. As observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), shrunken hyphae and pores on the cell surface were observed in cell free supernatant (CFS)-treated fungi. The predominant organic acids identified in the CFS were lactic acid and acetic acid, respectively. Furthermore, the genome of W. cibaria KM14 contained a significant number of genes (130) that were responsible for organic acid biosynthesis. Based on these data, it has been speculated that W. cibaria KM14-CFS inhibits fungal growth via two potential mechanisms: decreasing hyphal surface decoration and damaging the mycelia. • Cell free supernatant (CFS) of KM14 from Weissella cibaria KM14 culture has antifungal activity against spoilage fungi. • The organic acids of W. cibaria KM14 are the most effective fungal growth inhibitors. • W. cibaria KM14-CFS destroys fungal mycelium and reduces hyphal surface decoration. • Genomic characteristics suggest that W. cibaria KM14 could be used as food preservative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soil ecological health risks and toxic effects of coal gangue accumulation were examined after 10 years of elm/poplar phytoremediation. The changes in soil enzyme activities, ionome metabolism, and microbial community structure were analyzed at shallow (5–15 cm), intermediate (25–35 cm), and deep (45–55 cm) soil depths. Soil acid phosphatase activity in the restoration area increased significantly by 4.36–7.18 fold (p < 0.05). Soil concentrations of the metal ions Cu, Pb, Ni, Co, Bi, U, and Th were significantly reduced, as were concentrations of the non-metallic element S. The repair effect was shallow > middle > deep. The soil community structure, determined by 16S diversity results, was changed significantly in the restoration area, and the abundance of microorganisms increased at shallow soil depths. Altererythrobacter and Sphingomonas species were at the center of the microbial weight network in the restoration area. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that S and Na are important driving forces for the microbial community distributions at shallow soil depths. The KEGG function prediction indicated enhancement of the microbial function of the middle depth soil layers in the restoration area. Overall, phytoremediation enhanced the biotransformation of soil phosphorus in the coal gangue restoration area, reduced the soil content of several harmful metal elements, significantly changed the structure and function of the microbial community, and improved the overall soil ecological environment. [Display omitted] • The content of heavy metals and sulfur in the soil of the restoration area has decreased. • The microbial abundance of shallow soil in the restoration area increased the most. • Altererythrobacter and Sphingomonas occupy an important position in the soil restoration area. • The ecological function of the middle depth soils in restoration areas has been strengthened overall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Densities (ρ) for binary systems of (p-xylene or o-xylene+ethylene glycol dimethyl ether) were measured over the full mole fraction range at the temperatures of (298.15, 303.15 and 308.15)K along with the densities of the pure components. The excess molar volumes (V E) calculated from the density data show that the deviations from ideal behaviour in the two binary systems are negative, and they become more negative with the temperature increasing. Surface tensions (σ) of these binary systems were determined at the same temperatures (298.15, 303.15 and 308.15)K by the pendant drop method. The surface tension deviations (δσ) for p-xylene system are negative over the whole composition range, and become less negative with the temperature increasing, but for the o-xylene system, δσ are negative at high o-xylene concentration, and change to positive with the o-xylene concentration decreasing. The V E and δσ were fitted to the Redlich–Kister polynomial equation. Surface tensions were also used to estimate surface entropy (Sσ ) and surface enthalpy (Hσ ). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A dynamic model of bolted joint rotor system was established by considering bolted joints and pedestals. • The effect of the pedestal looseness fault on the bending stiffness of bolted joint structure was evaluated. • The feature of the pedestal looseness fault that happens in a bolted joint rotor system was investigated. • A rotor-bearing test rig with bolted joint and pedestal was set up to verify the numerical simulation results. Pedestal looseness is a common fault in rotating machines. To enhance the economy and convenience of the assembly of the aero-engine rotor system, the bolted joint structures are a useful tool for fastening multiple parts of different materials into an integrated system. To our knowledge, the time-varying bending stiffness and looseness fault at the pedestal significantly influence rotor dynamics. The present work aims to gain insight into the dynamic behaviors and mechanical behaviors of a rotor-bearing system with a bolted joint structure subjected to a pedestal looseness fault. Firstly, the dynamic model of a bolted joint rotor-bearing system supported by pedestals was set up taking into account the time-varying bending stiffness of bolted joint and the pedestal looseness fault. The feature of the pedestal looseness fault that occurs in a bolted joint rotor system was investigated by comparing the variation ranges of bending stiffness and dynamic responses. An experimental study was then performed using a rotor-bearing test rig equipped with a bolted joint and pedestals. Finally, dynamic phenomena such as offset of the equilibrium position of the vibration waveform, appearance of continuous frequency spectra, and irregular shaft orbits can be known as the dynamic features for the pedestal looseness fault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential use of Ligilactobacillus salivarius -derived bacteriocin for the control of L. monocytogenes was investigated. The purpose of the study was to explore the antibacterial action mode of crude bacteriocin C2-1 from Ligilactobacillus salivarius C2-1 against Listeria monocytogenes CICC 21633. The inhibition zone diameter of crude bacteriocin C2-1 was 27.82 ± 0.3 mm against L. monocytogenes CICC 21633, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of bacteriocin C2-1was 13.98 μg/mL. Bacteriocin C2-1 significantly inhibited the normal growth of L. monocytogenes CICC21633, is sensitive to proteinase K, trypsin, and pepsin, and has good thermal stability and acid tolerance. The antibacterial mode of bacteriocin C2-1 against L. monocytogenes CICC 21633 was discussed based on changes in cell membrane permeability, integrity, and morphological structure of L. monocytogenes CICC 21633 by measuring the conductivity, UV-absorbing substance content and the observation via scanning electron microscopy, respectively. These results demonstrated that bacteriocin C2-1 affected the cell membrane permeability and integrity of L. monocytogenes CICC 21633, resulting in intracellular material leakage. Furthermore, bacteriocin-producing genes were identified in the genome sequence using antiSMASH and BAGEL4 assays. Bacteriocin C2-1 might be a good biological food preservative to prevent L. monocytogenes infestation. • Bacteriocin C2-1 has antimicrobial activity against Listeria monocytogenes CICC 21633. • Bacteriocin C2-1 can strongly inhibit the normal growth of Listeria monocytogenes CICC 21633. • High heat stability, pH tolerance, and protease sensitivity are all characteristics of bacteriocin C2-1. • The antibacterial action mode of bacteriocin C2-1 was studied against Listeria monocytogenes CICC 21633. • Whole-genome sequencing analysis revealed the presence of bacteriocin biosynthetic gene clusters in Lb. salivarius C2-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sesquineolignan and neolignan enantiomers were obtained from Triadica sebifera. • Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analyses and ECD spectra. • Three compounds inhibited NO production with IC 50 values of 14.3–33.3 μM. Two pairs of new sesquineolignan enantiomers (1a/1b and 1c/1d) , two pair of new 4′,7-epoxy-8,3′-neolignan enantiomers (2a/2b and 3a / 3b) , and a pair of new 3′,7-epoxy-8,4′-oxyneolignan enantiomers (4a / 4b), along with two pairs of known 4′,7-epoxy-8,3′-neolignan enantiomers (5a / 5b and 6a / 6b), were obtained from the stems and leaves of Triadica sebifera. The structures of the enantiomers were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses, and their absolute configurations were assigned by the experimental ECD spectra. Among them, compounds 5b , 6a and 6b showed inhibitory activities against NO production in activated microglial BV-2 cells, with IC 50 values of 14.3, 23.2 and 33.3 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High temperatures and low oxygen in aquatic environments, such as intensive aquaculture or in natural watersheds, inevitably cause stress in fish. Fish are exposed to high temperatures during the summer, which exacerbates hypoxia. Hypoxia (1.2 ± 0.2 mg/L) under 20 °C (20 HG) and 26 °C (26 HG) was simulated to induce stress in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Related enzymes and genes involved in antioxidant, immune, and apoptotic responses were selected to explore the interactive effects of temperature and hypoxia on largemouth bass. The results showed that malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in plasma, gill, and liver increased in the 26 HG (p < 0.05). Liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased in the 26 HG. Peak SOD (SOD1, SOD2, SOD3a, and SOD3b), CAT , and GSH-Px mRNA levels in the gill and liver were observed at 12–24 h of stress. The levels of gill and liver total antioxidant capacity, catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities and other enzyme activities and genes in the 26 HG were higher than those in the 20 HG (p < 0.05). The gill and liver acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activities increased with time in the 26 HG (p < 0.05), while gill and liver lysozyme activities in the 26 HG were lower than those in the 20 HG (p < 0.05). Tumor necrosis factor-α mRNA level was upregulated in the gill and downregulated in the liver at 24 h in the 26 HG. Interleukin (IL)-1β and IL- 8 mRNA levels were upregulated in the gill and liver in the 26 HG at 24 h, whereas IL- 15 mRNA level was downregulated in the 26 HG at 12 h. Transforming growth factor-β1 mRNA level was upregulated in the gill in the 20 HG at 24 h, but downregulated in gill and liver in the 26 HG at 24 h. Similarly, IL-10 , Hepcidin-1 , and Hepcidin-2 showed lower expression levels in the 26 HG. Gill and liver caspase-3 activities were higher in the 26 HG (p < 0.05), and gill caspase-3 activity was higher than that in the liver. The mRNA levels of proapoptotic genes (caspase-3 , caspase-8 , and caspase-9) were higher in the 26 HG. The present study demonstrates the interactive effects of temperature and hypoxia on stress in largemouth bass gill and liver. These results will be helpful to understand the mechanisms of stress induced by temperature and hypoxia in fish and provide a theoretical basis for aquaculture management. • High temperature aggravates oxidative stress in gill and liver under acute hypoxia. • Immune response in gill and liver is inhibited under high temperature and hypoxia. • Combined effect of heat and hypoxia promotes gill and liver cell apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Compound 2h is the most potent against A549 cells with the IC 50 value of 0.27 µM; • Compound 2h inhibits A549 proliferation and arrest A549 cells at G2/M cycle; • Compound 2h can influence A549 cell migration and invasion and induce cells apoptosis; • Compound 2h can inhibit the activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in vivo ; Fangchinoline (Fan) are extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine Stephania tetrandra S. , which is a bis-benzyl isoquinoline alkaloids with anti-tumor activity. Therefore, 25 novel Fan derivatives have been synthesized and evaluated for their anti-cancer activity. In CCK-8 assay, these fangchinoline derivatives displayed higher proliferation inhibitory activity on six tumor cell lines than the parental compound. Compared to the parent Fan, compound 2h presented the anticancer activity against most cancer cells, especially A549 cells, with an IC 50 value of 0.26 μM, which was 36.38-fold, and 10.61-fold more active than Fan and HCPT, respectively. Encouragingly, compound 2h showed low biotoxicity to the human normal epithelial cell BEAS-2b with an IC 50 value of 27.05 μM. The results indicated compound 2h remarkably inhibited the cell migration by decreasing MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression and inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells by arresting the G2/M cell cycle. Meanwhile, compound 2h could also induce A549 cell apoptosis by promoting endogenous pathways of mitochondrial regulation. In nude mice presented that the growth of tumor tissues was markedly inhibited by the consumption of compound 2h in a dose-dependent manner, and it was found that compound 2h could inhibit the mTOR/PI3K/AKT pathway in vivo. In docking analysis, high affinity interaction between 2h and PI3K was responsible for drastic kinase inhibition by the compound. To conclude, this derivative compound may be useful as a potent anti-cancer agent for treatment of NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a large family of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that play a critical role in innate immunity. TLRs are activated when they recognize microbial associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) of bacteria, viruses, or fungus. In the present study, two TLRs were isolated from the mantle of the hard-shelled mussel (Mytilus coruscus) and designated McTLR2 and McTLR3 based on their sequence similarity and phylogenetic clustering with Crassostrea gigas , CgiTLR2 and CgiTLR3, respectively. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that McTLR2 and McTLR3 were constitutively expressed in many tissues but at low abundance. • Two toll-like receptors (McTLR2 and McTLR3) were identified and characterized in Mytilus coruscus. • The two TLRs had a widespread tissue distribution. • McTLR2 was the most abundant in haemocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Taking advantages of spectrum absorption theory, a novel non-contact gas flow rate detection method was proposed. • The detection method could measure the flow rate of component gas in gas mixture. • The flow rate sensor had the ability in anti-disturbance from environment, and would not destroy the flow field. Abstract To measure the flow rate of each gas component in gas mixture, a novel non-contact sensing method is proposed based on spectrum absorption theory. By using the Finite Element Analysis Method (FEAM), the process of the proposed sensing method is simulated, which proves the feasibility of the proposed method. Then, the further numerical analysis results prove that the non-contact flow rate sensing method could identify the flow rates of each gas components in gas mixture with different flow widths and rates. The maximum relative error is demonstrated to be 9.7%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effect of intravenous Vitamin C (VC) on hemorrhagic shock (HS)-associated rat renal injury and the involved mechanism. Thirty SD rats were randomly assigned to the sham surgery (sham), hemorrhagic shock (HS), HS+100 mg/kg VC (H + VL), HS+500 mg/kg VC (H + VH) and HS+100 mg/kg VC + EX527 (H + VL + E) groups. Tissue and blood samples were collected 6 h after surgery. Kidney pathological changes were scored. Creatinine (CRE), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) levels in serum and Vitamin C levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and the ability to suppress hydroxyl radical (RAFHR) in plasma were measured. The expression of Sirtuin1 (SIRT1), Acetyl-NF-κB (Ace-NF-κB), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), TNF-α, and IL-1β in tissues was analyzed by ELISA or western-blot. In the HS group, the kidney pathological score and CRE, BUN, TNF-α, and IL-1β levels in serum were significantly higher than in the Sham group ( P  < 0.05), while SOD and RAFHR were significantly decreased in the plasma ( P  < 0.05). SOD activity and SIRT1 expression were remarkably lower in the kidney in the HS group than in the Sham group ( P  < 0.05), while MDA, TNF-α, and IL-1β concentrations and Acetyl-NF-κB andHO-1 expression in the kidney showed a noteworthy increase compared to the Sham group ( P  < 0.05). Compared to the HS group, VC treatment led to a remarkable reduction in the kidney pathological score and CRE,BUN,TNF-α, and IL-1β levels ( P  < 0.05), and a significant increase in Vitamin C, SOD, and RAFHR levels in the plasma ( P  <  0.05 ). Additionally, MDA, TNF-α, IL-1β and Acetyl-NF-κB expression levels were decreased in the kidney ( P < 0.05), while SOD, SIRT1 and HO-1 levels were notably enhanced. There were no differences between the H + VL and H + VH groups aside from plasma Vitamin C levels. The effect of Vitamin C was decreased after the addition of EX527, which inhibits SIRT1. Intravenous Vitamin C might attenuate HS-related renal injury via the SIRT1 pathway, and it appears that there were no differences in the effects between the high and low doses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, data genotyping by sequence (GBS) was used to perform single step GWAS (ssGWAS) to identify SNPs associated with the litter traits in domestic pigs and search for candidate genes in the region of significant SNPs. After quality control, 167,355 high-quality SNPs from 532 pigs were obtained. Phenotypic traits on 2112 gilt litters from 532 pigs were recorded including total number born (TNB), number born alive (NBA), and litter weight born alive (LWB). A single-step genomic BLUP approach (ssGBLUP) was used to implement the genome-wide association analysis at a 5% genome-wide significance level. A total of 8, 23 and 20 significant SNPs were associated with TNB, NBA, and LWB, respectively, and these significant SNPs accounted for 62.78%, 79.75%, and 58.79% of genetic variance. Furthermore, 1 (SSC14: 16314857), 4 (SSC1: 81986236, SSC1: 66599775, SSC1: 161999013, and SSC1: 267883107), and 5 (SSC9: 29030061, SSC2: 32368561, SSC5: 110375350, SSC13: 45619882 and SSC13: 45647829) significant SNPs for TNB, NBA, and LWB were inferred to be novel loci. At SSC1, the AIM1 and FOXO3 genes were found to be associated with NBA; these genes increase ovarian reproductive capacity and follicle number and decrease gonadotropin levels. The genes SLC36A4 and INTU are involved in cell growth, cytogenesis and development were found to be associated with LWB. These significant SNPs can be used as an indication for regions in the Sus scrofa genome for variability in litter traits, but further studies are expected to confirm causative mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress or stress-induced intestinal disturbances, especially diarrhea, are the main triggers for inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome. Diarrhea and intestinal inflammatory disease afflict patients around the world, and it has become a huge burden on the global health care system. Drinking sodium metasilicate-based alkaline mineral water (SM-based AMW) exerts a potential therapeutic effect in gastrointestinal disorders, including gut inflammation, and diarrhea, but the supportive evidence on animal studies and mechanism involved remain unreported. The maternally separated (MS) piglet (Newly weaned piglet) is an excellent model to investigate the treatment of diarrhea in infant. This study aims to determine whether drinking SM-based AMW confers diarrhea resistance in maternally separated (MS) piglets under weaning stress and what the underlying mechanisms are involved. 240 newly weaned piglets were randomly divided into the Control group and the sodium metasilicate pentahydrate (SMP) group. A decreased diarrhea incidence was observed in SMP treatment piglets. The intestine injury and activated stress hormones (COR and ACTH) induced by weaning was alleviated by SM-based AMW. This may be related to the improvement of intestinal microflora structure and function by SMP, especially the increase of s_copri abundance. Meanwhile, SMP maintained the integrity of the duodenal mucus barrier in MS piglets. Importantly, by targeting NF-κB inhibition via the microbiota-gut interaction, SM-based AMW alleviated intestinal inflammation, maintained fluid homeostasis by modulating aquaporins and fluid transporter expression, and enhanced barrier integrity by suppressing MLCK/p-MLC signaling. Therefore, drinking metasilicate-based alkaline mineral water confers diarrhea resistance in MS piglets via the microbiota-gut interaction. [Display omitted] • Drinking SM-based AMW confers diarrhea resistance in MS piglets under weaning stress. • Drinking SM-based AMW alleviates intestinal injury in MS piglets. • Drinking SM-based AMW improves the structure of gut microbiota in MS piglets. • Anti-diarrhea effect of SM-based AMW is related to microbiota-gut interaction. • s_copri is the key community of SM-based AMW mediated microbiota-gut interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytopathogenic fungi such as Rhizoctonia solani and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum caused multiple plant diseases resulting in severe loss of crop production. Increasing documents endorsed that endophytes are a striking resource pool for numerous metabolites with various bioactivities such as anti-fungal. Here we reported the characterization and anti-phytopathogenic activity of sporothriolide, a metabolite produced by Nodulisporium sp. A21—an endophytic fungus in the leaves of Ginkgo biloba . Among the total twenty-five endophytic fungi isolated from the healthy leaves of G. biloba , the fermentation broth (FB) of the strain A21 was found potently inhibitory activity against R. solani and S. sclerotiorum using mycelia growth inhibition method. A21 was then identified as Nodulisporium sp., the asexual stage of Hypoxylon sp., by microscopic examination and ITS rDNA sequence data comparison. Under the bioassay-guided fractionation, sporothriolide was isolated from the petroleum ether extract of the FB of A21, whose structure was established by integrated interpretation of HR-ESI-MS and 1 H- and 13 C-NMR. Furthermore, the crystal structure of sporothriolide was first reported. In addition, sporothriolide was validated to be potently antifungal against R. solani , S. sclerotiorum and inhibit conidium germination of Magnaporthe oryzae in vitro and in vivo, indicating that it could be used as a lead compound for new fungicide development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improvement in the survival of the edible probiotic Pediococcus pentosaceus during the preparation and storage is important. In this study, the protective effects of isomaltose oligosaccharide in a protective agent (sodium glutamate, skimmed milk, and trehalose) on P. pentosaceus during vacuum freeze-drying and low-temperature storage were evaluated. Cell damage, and texture were evaluated using fluorescence analyses, and scanning electron microscopy, respectively, and a water activity assay was performed storage after 1 month of storage (−80, −20, 4, 25 °C). The viability of P. pentosaceus agents (24444, QK-1, MQ-1, and RQ-1) were evaluated for 9 months storage. The results showed that IMO increased 11.02% survival rate of P. pentosaceus QK-1 during the freeze-drying process, which was better than that of 24444, MQ-1, and RQ-1; the texture of the protective agent was thin, with a compact and granular cross-section. Decreased water activity (18.71–34.26%) and cell damage (8.32–10.53%), also enhanced survival rate (5.98–12.85%) were observed in the IMO-containing groups in storage. The survival rates of P. pentosaceus (QK-1, MQ-1, RQ-1) direct-injection agents (9 months) exceeded 90% under gastrointestinal satiety-mimicking conditions in vitro. Our data indicate that IMO has a good protective effect on the freeze-drying and storage processes of P. pentosaceus. Isomaltose oligosaccharide has protective properties during vacuum freeze-drying and storage period of Pediococcus pentosaceus. [Display omitted] • IMO had a good protective effect on P. pentosaceuses during freeze-drying process. • IMO with P. pentosaceuses had lower water activity and cell damage during storage. • IMO was well protectively of P. pentosaceuses at various storage temperatures. • P. pentosaceus agents survival exceeded 90% under gastrointestinal satiety conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moderate enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) during early reperfusion trigger the cardioprotection against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, while the mechanism is largely unknown. Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) contributes to the cardioprotection but whether it is activated by ROS and how it regulates Ca 2 + homeostasis remain unclear. Here we investigated whether the ROS generated during early reperfusion protect the heart/cardiomyocyte against I/R-induced Ca 2 + overload and contractile dysfunction via the activation of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway by using a cardioprotective model of intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IHH) preconditioning. IHH improved the postischemic recovery of myocardial contractile performance in isolated rat I/R hearts as well as Ca 2 + homeostasis and cell contraction in simulated I/R cardiomyocytes. Meanwhile, IHH enhanced I/R-increased STAT3 phosphorylation at tyrosine 705 in the nucleus and reversed I/R-suppressed STAT3 phosphorylation at serine 727 in the nucleus and mitochondria during reperfusion. Moreover, IHH improved I/R-suppressed sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca 2 + -ATPase 2 (SERCA2) activity, enhanced I/R-increased Bcl-2 expression, and promoted the co-localization and interaction of Bcl-2 with SERCA2 during reperfusion. These effects were abolished by scavenging ROS with N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)-glycine (2-MPG) and/or by inhibiting JAK2 with AG490 during the early reperfusion. Furthermore, IHH-improved postischemic SERCA2 activity and Ca 2 + homeostasis as well as cell contraction were reversed after Bcl-2 knockdown by short hairpin RNA. In addition, the reversal of the I/R-suppressed mitochondrial membrane potential by IHH was abolished by 2-MPG and AG490. These results indicate that during early reperfusion the ROS/JAK2/STAT3 pathways play a crucial role in (i) the IHH-maintained intracellular Ca 2 + homeostasis via the improvement of postischemic SERCA2 activity through the increase of SR Bcl-2 and its interaction with SERCA2; and (ii) the IHH-improved mitochondrial function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the effects of the histone deacetylase inhibitor PXD101 (belinostat) on the preimplantation development of porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos and their expression of the epigenetic markers histone H3 acetylated at lysine 9 (AcH3K9). We compared the in vitro developmental competence of SCNT embryos treated with various concentrations of PXD101 for 24 h. Treatment with 0.5 μM PXD101 significantly increased the proportion of SCNT embryos that reached the blastocyst stage, in comparison to the control group (23.3% vs. 11.5%, P < 0.05). We tested the in vitro developmental competence of SCNT embryos treated with 0.5 μM PXD101 for various amounts of times following activation. Treatment for 24 h significantly improved the development of porcine SCNT embryos, with a significantly higher proportion of embryos reaching the blastocyst stage in comparison to the control group (25.7% vs. 10.6%, P < 0.05). PXD101-treated SCNT embryos were transferred into two surrogate sows, one of whom became pregnant and four fetuses developed. PXD101 treatment significantly increased the fluorescence intensity of immunostaining for AcH3K9 in embryos at the pseudo-pronuclear and 2-cell stages. At these stages, the fluorescence intensities of immunostaining for AcH3K9 were significantly higher in PXD101-treated embryos than in control untreated embryos. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that PXD101 can significantly improve the in vitro and in vivo developmental competence of porcine SCNT embryos and can enhance their nuclear reprogramming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]