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The efficiency of sludge dewatering is limited by extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) during biodrying. This study investigated the effect of photocatalysis-mediated EPS degradation on sludge dewatering performance during the sludge biodrying process. The photocatalysis of municipal sludge was first carried out to choose a cost-efficient catalyst. Then sludge biodrying tests were performed using TiO 2 -coated amendment (T CA) and uncoated amendment (T UCA) as the control. Municipal sludge photocatalysis results showed that using TiO 2 could efficiently degrade carbohydrates and proteins in the EPS within 60 min. After 20-day biodrying, photocatalysis significantly promoted a reduction in the moisture content and EPS by 17.64% and 6.88%, respectively. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) intensities of the C–C–O symmetric stretching vibration peak of D-lactose and the C–S stretching vibration peak of cysteine were significantly decreased by approximately 33.19% and 44.76%, respectively, indicating that photocatalysis indeed promoted the reduction of polysaccharides and cysteine in the EPS, especially after the thermophilic phase. The hydrophilic amino acid content decreased by 23.02%, verifying that photocatalysis could improve EPS hydrophobicity. Consequently, municipal sludge biodrying coupled with photocatalysis promotes sludge EPS degradation and enhances sludge dewaterability, improving the efficiency of sludge biodrying. [Display omitted] • TiO 2 coated amendment was used during sludge biodrying with photocatalysis. • Polysaccharide in extracellular polymeric substance degraded after thermophilic phase. • Cysteine C–S stretching vibration intensity reduced 29.44% after thermophilic phase. • Significant degradation of hydrophilic lysine and cysteine promoted sludge dewatering. • Using TiO 2 coated amendment biodrying showed high humification and low biotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sesame seed hulls are rich in lignin. Sesame oil extracted from roasted sesame seeds has a high oxidation stability. To investigate the influence of roasting on lignin and the oxidation stability of sesame oil, the degradation products (L190, L220, and L250) and solid residues were obtained from sesame seed hull lignin heated at three temperatures (190 °C, 220 °C, and 250 °C). The results showed that roasting caused partial degradation of lignin. The degree of lignin degradation became more severe with increasing roasting temperature. This degradation leads to the production of low-molecular-weight phenolic compounds, such as vanillin and 1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)butan-1-one. As the roasting temperature increased, the kinds and amounts of phenolic compounds produced increased. These compounds were high in antioxidants, the increasing of roasting temperature correlated significantly with the decrease in peroxide value (r POV = −0.977, p < 0.05) and p -anisidine value (r p-AnV = −0.988, p < 0.05) of sesame oils with added products of lignin degradation. The products of lignin degradation inhibited sesame oil oxidation, with L250 showing the strongest ability to improve the oxidative stability of sesame oil, similar to sesamol. This study demonstrated that the thermal degradation of lignin during roasting of sesame seed hulls enhanced the oxidative stability of sesame oil. [Display omitted] • Roasting caused partial degradation of sesame seed lignin. • The degradation of lignin produced low-molecular-weight phenolic compounds. • Thermal degradation of lignin enhanced the oxidative stability of sesame oil. • L250 had the strongest ability to improve the oxidative stability of sesame oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pyrolysis of metal-organic frameworks has emerged as a promising route to synthesize metal oxides with diverse phase compositions, morphologies, sizes and surface areas. The BiOBr/Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 /TiO 2 (BBT) heterostructures have been achieved for the first time by calcining BiOBr/MIL-125(Ti) composite at 500 °C in air. The BBT-2 composite exhibited the highest photocatalytic performance for degradation of RhB under visible light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity is attributed to narrower band-gaps and synergistic effect originating from the well-aligned straddling band-structures between BiOBr, Bi 24 O 31 Br 10 and TiO 2 , also result in an faster interfacial charge transfer during the photocatalytic reaction. This work could be conductive to the design of heterostructured photocatalysts contained metal oxide by pyrolytic conversion of metal-organic frameworks for significantly improved photocatalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic mulch films and biofertilizers (processed sewage sludge, compost or manure) have helped to increase crop yields. However, there is increasing evidence that these practices significantly contribute to microplastic contamination in agricultural soils, affecting biodiversity and soil health. Here, we draw attention to the use of hydrolase enzymes that depolymerize polyester-based plastics as a bioremediation technique for agricultural soils (in situ), biofertilizers and irrigation water (ex situ), and discuss the need for fully biodegradable plastic mulches. We also highlight the need for ecotoxicological assessment of the proposed approach and its effects on different soil organisms. Enzymes should be optimized to work effectively and efficiently under the conditions found in natural soils (typically, moist solids at an ambient temperature with low salinity). Such optimization is also necessary to ensure that already distressed ecosystems are not disrupted any further. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blue light with a wavelength of 400–470 nm is the composition of the visible light. However, in recent years, blue light contributed the most significance to light pollution due to the artificial light at night. Previously, we have demonstrated that the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri , an important pest in citrus production, has significant positive phototaxis with a light-emitting diode light of 400 nm. In this study, ACP with positive phototactic behavior to 400 nm light (PH) and non-phototactic behavior to 400 nm light (NP) were collected, individually. Transcriptome dynamics of head tissues of PH and NP groups were captured by using RNA-sequencing technology, respectively. Forty-three to 46 million clean reads with high-quality values were obtained, and 1773 differential expressed genes (DEGs) were detected. Compared with the NP group, there were 841 up-regulated DEGs and 932 down-regulated DEGs in the PH group. Eight pathways were significantly enriched in the PH group in the KEGG database, while 43 up-regulated pathways and 25 down-regulated pathways were significantly enriched in the PH group in the GO database. The DGE approach was reliable validated by real time quantitative PCR. Results indicated that the blue light acted as an abiotic stress causing physiological and biochemical responses such as oxidative stress, protein denaturation, inflammation and tumor development in ACPs. Additionally, the light was absorbed by photoreceptors of ACPs, and converted into electrical signal to regulate neuromodulation. This study provides basic information for understanding the molecular mechanisms of ACP in response to blue light and provides a reference for further studies to elucidate phototactic behavior. [Display omitted] • Head transcriptome responses to blue light of Diaphorina citri were examined. • The high-energy visible blue-violet light was considered as abiotic stress. • Blue light impacts visual and nervous transduction. • There is connection between stress and phototactic behavior induced by blue light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cucumber Fusarium wilt (CFW), caused by the soil-borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumerium , is a serious disease in cucumber ( Cucumis sativus ) production worldwide. For the efficient control of the pathogenic fungi, a better understanding of its interaction and associated resistance mechanisms at the molecular level is required. Here, we report a comparative proteomics analysis of total root protein isolated from infected cucumber root of susceptible bulk (SB) and resistant bulk (RB) of cucumber generation F2. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) coupled with MS/MS approaches identified 15 over-accumulated proteins from the RB plants. Identified proteins are mainly involved in defense and stress responses, oxidation reduction, metabolism and transport and other process. These proteins are likely to be a part of resistance-related protein network, playing different roles in cucumber disease resistance. Three vital clues regarding wilt resistance of C. sativus are gained from this study. First, jasmonic acid and redox signaling components were found in response to F. oxysporum infection in resistant plants. Second, the LRR family protein may play an important role in the defense reaction against CFW. Third, biotic and abiotic stress-related proteins were induced by the CFW fungus F. oxysporum , indicating the activation of common stress pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pure chicken powder (PCP) is a reliable source of mellow chicken soup flavor in seasoning, but it has some unstable compounds and is prone to lipid oxidation, which leads to unpleasant odor. Adding yeast extract (YE) can reduce the off-odor intensity of PCP. Based on the results of gas chromatography–olfactometry–mass spectrometry (GC–O-MS), two-dimensional comprehensive gas chromatography–olfactometry–mass spectrometry (GC×GC–O–MS) and combined aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA), 14 key odor-active compounds were identified. Internal standard curve method was used for quantitative analysis, and the odor activity value (OAV) was calculated. Octanal, 1-octen-3-ol and hexanal were found to be the most vital odor-active compounds in PCP. The odor-active compounds of YE were studied by the same method, and dimethyl trisulfide was identified as the most important odor-active compound of YE. Additionally, recombination and omission experiments were carried out with PCP. Finally, it was found that a low concentration of dimethyl trisulfide had masking effect on the odor of PCP. [Display omitted] • The odors of PCP and YE were examined by GC×GC–O–MS. • The key odor-active compounds of PCP and YE were accurately quantified. • Off-odor recombination and omission experiments were firstly studied. • Flavor effect of YE on PCP and its key odor-active compounds was studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No-salt bovine bone protein extract (NS-BBPE) is rich in bone collagen, peptides and amino acids and is useful in the food industry. However, NS-BBPE has a more monotonous taste than bovine bone protein extract (BBPE), so BBPE is more useful than NS-BBPE. According to the World Health Organization, adults who eat less than 6 g/d have improved health. Odor-induced saltiness (OISE) is a way to reduce the amount of NaCl in food. The multisensory interaction between aroma (meaty and roasted) and taste can be used to compensate for the saltiness perception of healthy low-salt food. In this study, the optimal Maillard conditions from response surface optimization were as follows: temperature, 105 °C; time, 20 min; reducing sugar addition, 1 g; EH-NS-BBPE, 30 g; water, 10 g; hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), 5 g; bovine tallow, 3 g; L-Cys, 0.5 g; cysteine hydrochloride, 1 g; V B1 , 0.4 g; and I+G, 0.5 g. The salt-congruent aroma was produced from the Maillard reaction products of NS-BBPE, which was detected by a new SGC/GC2-O-MS system. Electronic nose analysis of the difference in aroma and sensory evaluation proved that salt-congruent aroma was present in the samples. [Display omitted] • RSM is used to optimize the Maillard reaction products of NS-BBPE (MRP). • More key odorants were detected by SGC/GC2-O-MS. • Sensory evaluation proved salt-congruent aroma in MRP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idea of sulfidation of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has provided a prospective routing to synthesize metal sulfides, which has all kinds of shapes here. Herein, the invaginated hexagonal In 2 S 3 nanorods with hollow structure were successfully fabricated by sulfidation of In-MOF (MIL-68-In) precursor. The obtained In 2 S 3 –8h exhibits high catalytic performance for the photodegradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) and methyl orange (MO). The advantageous crystallinity and optical property have effectively promoted more an efficient separation of photo-induced electron–hole pairs, resulting in the enhanced photocatalytic activity. In this work, we put forward a new strategy, which aims to synthesize the traditional semiconductor photocatalysts by sulfidation of MOFs for eliminating environmental pollutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim: To study the effect of resveratrol (RES) on the apoptosis of lymphocytes in allograft in a rat liver transplantation model. Methods: Male Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were selected as donors and male Wistar rats as recipients for a rejection model. The recipients were divided into four groups after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx). In the RES A, B, and C groups, RES was given intraperitoneally once a day (25, 50, and 100mgkg−1, respectively) after OLTx, whereas in the control group vehicle buffer was given intraperitoneally once a day. The survival period, lymphocytes apoptosis, expressions of Bcl-2/Bax proteins in lymphocytes, and histopathological findings were then compared among these groups. Results: The mean survival period after OLTx in RES C group was significantly longer than that in control group (P <0.05). On the seventh post-transplant day, the apoptosis index (AI) of lymphocytes in portal area and the positive rate of Bax protein in lymphocytes in RES C group were significantly increased in comparison with those in control group (both P <0.05), whereas there is no obvious difference in the expression of Bcl-2 protein in lymphocytes between the control group and various drug groups (all P <0.05), and a histological examination revealed apparent difference in the severity of rejection between the RES C group and control group (P <0.05). Conclusion: RES has an immunosuppressive effect on lymphocytes under allograft rejection in rat. Inducing apoptosis of lymphocytes and upregulating the ratio of Bax/bcl-2 proteins in lymphocytes in allograft liver may be part of the mechanisms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]