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As complex and difficult-to-degrade persistent organic pollutants (POPs), antibiotics have caous damage to the ecological enused serivironment. Because of the difficult degradation of antibiotics, sewage and sludge discharged by hospitals and pharmaceutical enterprises often contain a large number of antibiotic residues. Therefore, the harmless and resourceful treatment of antibiotic sludge is very meaningful. In this paper, amoxicillin was selected as a model compound for antibiotic sludge. Acidified red mud (ARM) was used to degrade antibiotic sludge and produce hydrogen energy carrier formic acid in catalytic wet peroxidation system (CWPO). Based on various characterization analyses, the reaction catalytic mechanism was demonstrated to be the result of the non-homogeneous Fanton reaction interaction between Fe 3 O 4 on the ARM surface and H 2 O 2 in solution. Formic acid is the product of the decarboxylation reaction of amoxicillin and its degradation of various organic acids. The formic acid was produced up to 792.38 mg L−1, under the optimal conditions of reaction temperature of 90 °C, reaction time of 30 min, H 2 O 2 concentration of 20 mL L−1, ARM addition of 0.8 g L−1, pH = 7, and rotor speed of 500 rpm. This research aims to provide some references for promoting red mud utilization in antibiotic sludge degradation. Because of the difficult degradation of antibiotics, sewage and sludge discharged by hospitals and pharmaceutical enterprises often contain a large number of antibiotic residues. Red mud (RM) is a kind of solid waste generated from alumina industry, after acidification modification, Fe3+ and Fe2+ in RM were leached out, and after a series of reactions, ferric tetraoxide was generated, which was attached to the surface of acidified modified red mud (ARM). ARM acted as a catalyst in a catalytic wet peroxidation system to catalyze the degradation of amoxicillin antibiotic sludge (AAS) to formic acid under non-homogeneous Fenton reaction conditions. The non-homogeneous Fenton reaction of ferric tetraoxide with hydrogen peroxide on the ARM surface produces sufficient quantities of strongly oxidized •OH and HO2• to lead to the dehydroxylation of AAS and AAS-degraded small-molecule organic acids to produce formic acid. Optimization of the reaction conditions was carried out and the maximum concentration of formic acid produced was 792.38 mg L-1, which is a higher yield of formic acid as compared to other existing studies. [Display omitted] • The non-homogeneous Fenton reaction combined with CWPO. • The catalytic mechanism for ARM-catalyzed degradation of AAS to produce formic acid were proposed. • The reactive degradation process of AAS was described. • The primary and side reactions for the production of formic acid were analyzed. • Formic acid yield is superior to most other studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Pt 78 Ru 22 /C is six times more active than Pt/C at 0.1 V vs. RHE. • Pt x Ru y have 93–98% faradaic efficiencies towards NH 3 production at 0.1 V vs. RHE. • DFT calculations predict maximum activity at 25 at% Ru, consistent with experiments. • Maximum activity is due to a change in the rate determining step. Nitrate produced from industrial and agricultural processes has imbalanced the global nitrogen cycle. Electrocatalytic reduction is a sustainable route to remediate nitrate while generating products such as ammonia or N 2. Here we report the surface-area normalized activity of platinum-ruthenium (Pt x Ru y /C) catalysts of different compositions (x = 48–100%) for electrocatalytic nitrate reduction, chosen based on screening using a computational activity volcano plot. The Pt x Ru y /C alloys are more active than Pt/C, with Pt 78 Ru 22 /C six times more active than Pt/C at 0.1 V vs. RHE, and ammonia faradaic efficiencies of 93–98%. Density functional theory calculations predict maximum activity at 25 at% Ru, consistent with experiments. This maximum is due to a transition from nitrate dissociation as the rate determining step to a new rate-determining step at higher Ru content. This study demonstrates how electrocatalyst performance is tunable by changing the adsorption strength of reacting species through alloying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the uniquely close relationship between fish and aquatic environments, fish mucosal tissues are constantly exposed to a wide array of pathogenic microorganisms in the surrounding water. To maintain mucosal homeostasis, fish have evolved a distinct mucosal immune system known as mucosal-associated lymphoid tissues (MALTs). These MALTs consist of key effector cells and molecules from the adaptive immune system, such as B cells and immunoglobulins (Igs), which play crucial roles in maintaining mucosal homeostasis and defending against external pathogen infections. Until recently, three primary Ig isotypes, IgM, IgD, and IgT, have been identified in varying proportions within the mucosal secretions of teleost fish. Similar to the role of mucosal IgA in mammals and birds, teleost IgT plays a predominant role in mucosal immunity. Following the identification of the IgT gene in 2005, significant advances have been made in researching the origin, evolution, structure, and function of teleost IgT. Multiple IgT variants have been identified in various species of teleost fish, underscoring the remarkable complexity of IgT in fish. Therefore, this study provides a comprehensive review of the recent advances in various aspects of teleost IgT, including its genomic and structural features, the diverse distribution patterns within various fish mucosal tissues (the skin, gills, gut, nasal, buccal, pharyngeal, and swim bladder mucosa), its interaction with mucosal symbiotic microorganisms, and its immune responses towards diverse pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites. We also highlight the existing research gaps in the study of teleost IgT, suggesting the need for further investigation into the functional aspects of IgT and IgT+ B cells. This research is aimed at providing valuable insights into the immune functions of IgT and the mechanisms underlying the immune responses of fish against infections. • Summary of teleost IgT in genomic, molecular, and structural aspects. • The immune functions of IgT in response to pathogens infection. • Specialization of teleost IgT in mucosal microbiota homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, nitrogen and silver doped carbon dots (NAg-CDs) were synthesized via a simple and environmentally friendly hydrothermal one-pot method and were utilized in combination with formaldehyde to enhance potassium permanganate-induced chemiluminescence (CL). Remarkably, a chemiluminescent enhancement of approximately 448-fold was observed in the NAg-CDs-KMnO 4 -HCHO system than in the KMnO 4 -HCHO system. The enhanced CL intensity of the NAg-CDs-KMnO 4 -HCHO system can be significantly quenched by tannin. On this basis, we developed a simple, rapid, sensitive, and selective flow injection CL method for the detection of tannin, featuring a linear range of 0.4–10.0 μM and a detection limit of 43.0 nM. Furthermore, we effectively applied this method to the detection of tannin in red wine and tea samples, and the standard recoveries were 98.6 % 104.9 %. [Display omitted] • NAg-CDs were synthesized by a simple and environmentally friendly hydrothermal method. • NAg-CDs were used in combination with HCHO to enhance KMnO 4 -induced CL. • CL intensity of NAg-CDs-KMnO 4 -HCHO system was significantly quenched by tannic acid. • The proposed CL method was used for the determination of tannin in red wine and tea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Designing heterojunction catalysts with energy effects at the interface, particularly combining the surface structure advantages of super-hydrophilic interfaces with the high activity advantages of bimetal synergistic optimisation, is the key to developing economical and efficient industrial electrocatalytic water-splitting catalysts. In this study, a coupled nanoflower-like NiFe(OH) x /(Ni, Fe)Se heterostructure catalyst supported on Ni foam (NF) (NFSe@NFOH/NF) was designed and successfully prepared using hydrothermal and electrodeposition strategies. Owing to the electron interaction at the heterogeneous amorphous (NFOH)/crystalline (NFSe) interface and the bimetallic synergistic effect of Ni and Fe, the prepared NFSe@NFOH/NF exhibited excellent and stable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalytic properties, with low overpotentials of 214/276 mV at 100 mA⋅cm−2 and 262/340 mV at 500 mA⋅cm−2. The assembled water electrolyser comprising NFSe@NFOH/NF || NFSe@NFOH/NF needed only small voltages of 1.73 and 1.85 V to yield current densities of 100 and 500 mA⋅cm−2, respectively. This study offers an innovative design idea for the rational adoption of interface engineering and amorphous–crystalline engineering techniques to construct catalysts with excellent catalytic activity and stability for electrocatalytic overall water splitting (EOWS) at a high current density, which further facilitates the advancement of sustainable energy technology in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress is associated with obesity and may be accompanied by liver insulin resistance and mitochondrial dysfunction. Decreased mitochondrial respiratory chain enzymatic activities and decreased insulin metabolic signaling may promote these maladaptive changes. In this context, exenatide has been reported to reduce hepatic lipid deposition, improve insulin sensitivity and improve mitochondrial dysfunction. We hypothesized that exenatide would attenuate mitochondrial dysfunction by reducing hepatic lipid deposition, blunting oxidant stress and promoting insulin metabolic signaling in a high fat diet-induced model of obesity and insulin resistance. Sixteen-week-old male C57BL/6 diet-induced obese (DIO) mices and age-matched standard diet (STD) mices were treated with exenatide (10 μg/kg twice a day) for 28 days. Compared with untreated STD mice, untreated DIO mice exhibited deposited excessive lipid in liver and produced the oxidative stress in conjunction with insulin resistance, abnormal hepatic cells and mitochondrial histoarchitecture, mitochondrial dysfunction and reduced organism metabolism. Exenatide reduced hepatic steatosis, decreased oxidative stress, and improved insulin resistance in DIO mice, in concert with improvements in the insulin metabolic signaling, mitochondrial respiratory chain enzymatic activation, adenine nucleotide production, organism metabolism and weight gain. Results support the hypothesis that exenatide reduces hepatic cells and mitochondrial structural anomaly and improves insulin resistance in concert with improvements in insulin sensitivity and mitochondrial function activation, concomitantly with reductions in oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared the multiscale structure of ten chestnut starches in cultivars of different origins and further investigated the correlation between amylose content, amylopectin chain length distribution (CLD), Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR) characteristics, Raman spectra, X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and thermal properties. The amylose content ranged from 20.9 % to 29.5 %. Amylopectin chain length showed a bimodal distribution, and the proportion of A, B 1 , B 2 and B 3 chains was 25.8–28.2 %, 42.6–45.1 %, 18.2–25.3 % and 6.4–10.3 %, respectively. Most samples exhibited a C-type crystal structure, while the relative crystallinity ranged from 56.9 % to 62.3 %. Significant differences were observed in structural parameters of short-range molecular order and double helical structure of infrared spectra, full width of half-maximum at 480 cm−1 and relative area (480/865 cm−1) of Raman spectra. Amylose content was positively correlated with gelatinization temperature. Reduced amylose content and presence of long chains of amylopectin enhanced crystallization. However, no correlation was found between amylopectin CLD and thermal properties. The results provide useful information for understanding the structure-property correlation of starch. • The regional distribution of chestnut affects the structure and properties of starch. • Amylose content was positively correlated with gelatinization temperature. • Short-branched chains were negatively correlated with short-range molecular order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper constitutes our initial effort in developing sparse grid discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods for high-dimensional partial differential equations (PDEs). Over the past few decades, DG methods have gained popularity in many applications due to their distinctive features. However, they are often deemed too costly because of the large degrees of freedom of the approximation space, which are the main bottleneck for simulations in high dimensions. In this paper, we develop sparse grid DG methods for elliptic equations with the aim of breaking the curse of dimensionality . Using a hierarchical basis representation, we construct a sparse finite element approximation space, reducing the degrees of freedom from the standard O ( h − d ) to O ( h − 1 | log 2 ⁡ h | d − 1 ) for d -dimensional problems, where h is the uniform mesh size in each dimension. Our method, based on the interior penalty (IP) DG framework, can achieve accuracy of O ( h k | log 2 ⁡ h | d − 1 ) in the energy norm, where k is the degree of polynomials used. Error estimates are provided and confirmed by numerical tests in multi-dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inheritance of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is predominantly uniparental in most sexual eukaryotes. In this study, we examined the mitochondrial inheritance pattern of Cryptococcus gattii , a basidiomycetous yeast responsible for the recent and ongoing outbreak of cryptococcal infections in the US Pacific Northwest and British Columbia (especially Vancouver Island) in Canada. Using molecular markers, we analyzed the inheritance of mtDNA in 14 crosses between strains within and between divergent lineages in C. gattii . Consistent with results from recent studies, our analyses identified significant variations in mtDNA inheritance patterns among strains and crosses, ranging from strictly uniparental to biparental. For two of the crosses that showed uniparental mitochondrial inheritance in standard laboratory conditions, we further investigated the effects of the following environmental variables on mtDNA inheritance: UV exposure, temperature, and treatments with the methylation inhibitor 5-aza-2′-deoxycytidine and with the ubiquitination inhibitor ammonium chloride. Interestingly, one of these crosses showed no response to these environmental variables while the other exhibited diverse patterns ranging from complete uniparental inheritance of the MAT a parent mtDNA, to biparental inheritance, and to a significant bias toward inheritance of the MAT α parental mtDNA. Our results indicate that mtDNA inheritance in C. gattii differs from that in its closely related species Cryptococcus neoformans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer prognosis prediction and analysis can help patients understand expected life and help clinicians provide correct therapeutic guidance. Thanks to the development of sequencing technology, multi-omics data, and biological networks have been used for cancer prognosis prediction. Besides, graph neural networks can simultaneously consider multi-omics features and molecular interactions in biological networks, becoming mainstream in cancer prognosis prediction and analysis. However, the limited number of neighboring genes in biological networks restricts the accuracy of graph neural networks. To solve this problem, a local augmented graph convolutional network named LAGProg is proposed in this paper for cancer prognosis prediction and analysis. The process follows: first, given a patient's multi-omics data features and biological network, the corresponding augmented conditional variational autoencoder generates features. Then, the generated augmented features and the original features are fed into a cancer prognosis prediction model to complete the cancer prognosis prediction task. The conditional variational autoencoder consists of two parts: encoder-decoder. In the encoding phase, an encoder learns the conditional distribution of the multi-omics data. As a generative model, a decoder takes the conditional distribution and the original feature as inputs to generate the enhanced features. The cancer prognosis prediction model consists of a two-layer graph convolutional neural network and a Cox proportional risk network. The Cox proportional risk network consists of fully connected layers. Extensive experiments on 15 real-world datasets from TCGA demonstrated the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method in predicting cancer prognosis. LAGProg improved the C-index values by an average of 8.5% over the state-of-the-art graph neural network method. Moreover, we confirmed that the local augmentation technique could enhance the model's ability to represent multi-omics features, improve the model's robustness to missing multi-omics features, and prevent the model's over-smoothing during training. Finally, based on genes identified through differential expression analysis, we discovered 13 prognostic markers highly associated with breast cancer, among which ten genes have been proved by literature review. • Prediction cancer prognosis based on graph neural network. • Adopting a local augmentation strategy to represent genes' features. • Outperforming the competing methods and mining novel prognostic biomarkers for breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, we improve upon the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method for Hamilton–Jacobi (HJ) equation with convex Hamiltonians in [5] and develop a new DG method for directly solving the general HJ equations. The new method avoids the reconstruction of the solution across elements by utilizing the Roe speed at the cell interface. Besides, we propose an entropy fix by adding penalty terms proportional to the jump of the normal derivative of the numerical solution. The particular form of the entropy fix was inspired by Harten and Hyman's entropy fix [12] for Roe scheme for the conservation laws. The resulting scheme is compact, simple to implement even on unstructured meshes, and is demonstrated to work for nonconvex Hamiltonians. Benchmark numerical experiments in one dimension and two dimensions are provided to validate the performance of the method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: KiSS1 was discovered as a metastasis suppressor gene and subsequently found to encode kisspeptins (KP), ligands for a G protein coupled receptor (GPCR), GPR54. This ligand-receptor pair was later shown to play a critical role in the neuro-endocrine regulation of puberty. The C-terminal cytoplasmic (C-ter) domain of GPR54 contains a segment rich in proline and arginine residues that corresponds to the primary structure of four overlapping SH3 binding motifs. Yeast two hybrid experiments identified the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A-C) as an interacting protein. Pull-down experiments with GST fusion proteins containing the GPR54 C-ter confirmed binding to PP2A-C in cell lysates and these complexes contained phosphatase activity. The proline arginine rich segment is necessary for these interactions. The GPR54 C-ter bound directly to purified recombinant PP2A-C, indicating the GPR54 C-ter may form complexes involving the catalytic subunit of PP2A that regulate phosphorylation of critical signaling intermediates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • We screened the active ingredients which have anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects in known prescriptions. • We found several anti-inflammatory and antiviral targets for the treatment of the COVID-19 through reverse target finding. • The targets corresponding to the active ingredients were mainly: rep, TTR, AKT1, FYN, TP53. • TP53 is highly related to COVID-19. • Our results will contribute to the design of the new COVID-19 drugs and the treatment of human diseases. Traditional Chinese herbal compound prescription in Xuanfei Baidu Tang (XBT) has obvious effects in the treatment of COVID-19. However, its effective compounds and targets for the treatment of COVID-19 remain unclear. Computer-Aided Drug Design is used to virtually screen out the anti-inflammatory or anti-viral compounds in XBT, and predict the potential targets by Discovery Studio 2020. Then, we searched for COVID-19 targets using Genecards databases and Protein Data Bank (PDB) databases and compared them to identify targets that were common to both. Finally, the target we screened out is: TP53 (Tumor Protein P53). This article also shows that XBT in the treatment of COVID-19 works in a multi-link and overall synergistic manner. Our results will help to design the new drugs for COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The solubilities of benzoic acid were measured. • The determined solubilities were correlated by three thermodynamic models. • Thermodynamic properties of benzoic acid were calculated. The solubility of benzoic acid in 1,2-ethanediol, 3,6-dioxa-1-decanol, octane, 3-oxa-1,5-pentanediol, N,N-dimethylacetamide, 1,4-dimethylbenzene, 1,3-dimethylbenzene, 1,2-dimethylbenzene, propanoic acid, cyclohexanone, decahydronaphthalene, thiacyclopentane dioxide were measured by the laser dynamic method. The experimental temperature ranged from 286.15 K to 354.15 K. The results show that within the temperature range studied, the solubility of benzoic acid would increase with the gradually increasing of temperature. Meanwhile, three thermodynamic models (Apelblat model, λh model, the modified non-random two liquid (NRTL) activity coefficient model) were used to correlate the experimental data, and the calculated solubility agreed satisfactorily with the measured results. The result of Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) analysis showed that the Apelblat model was the best model to correlate the solubility of benzoic acid in N,N-dimethylacetamide, the λh model was the best model to correlate the solubility of benzoic acid in octane, and the modified NRTL model was the best model to correlate the solubility of benzoic acid in 1,2-ethanediol, 3,6-dioxa-1-decanol, 3-oxa-1,5-pentanediol, 1,4-dimethylbenzene, 1,3-dimethylbenzene, 1,2-dimethylbenzene, propanoic acid, cyclohexanone, decahydronaphthalene and thiacyclopentane dioxide. Furthermore, the thermodynamic functions (dissolution enthalpy, entropy, Gibbs energy) were obtained from the SLE data by using the van't Hoff equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grape pomace (GP) management has been a challenge worldwide. We have previously demonstrated a biorefinery process to recover oil and polyphenols, and produce biofuels from GP sequentially, although over 50% of GP solid waste remains post-processing. To approach zero solid waste during GP processing, herein a pyrolysis process was designed for converting GP and its secondary processing wastes to biochars, which were then evaluated for lead (Pb) adsorption from water. GP lignin pyrolyzed at 700 °C (GPL2 700 biochar) with specific surface area of 485 m2/g showed the highest Pb adsorption capacity, and achieved 66.5% of Pb removal from an initially high concentration of 300 mg/L within 30 min. At low initial Pb concentrations (50–3000 μ g/L), GPL2 700 biochar could reduce Pb concentrations to 0.208–77.2 μ g / L. In addition, experimental and modeling results revealed that both physisorption and chemisorption mechanisms were involved in the adsorption process of GPL2 700 biochar. • Grape pomace (GP) and its secondary waste were used for biochar production. • GP lignin derived biochar (GPL2 700) showed the highest Pb adsorption capacity. • GPL2 700 showed good adsorption at a low Pb level in contaminated drinking water. • Chemisorption and physisorption mechanisms accounted for Pb removal of GPL2 700. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The bifunctional catalyst (V-NiSe) is successfully synthesized by introducing V atoms into NiSe. • The electron structure of NiSe can be optimized by introducing V to interfere with the electronic environment around Ni atoms. • The V-NiSe nanorods exhibit distinguished catalytic activity and cyclic stability for overall water splitting. Adjusting the electronic structure and intrinsic activity of the active site of the catalyst based on atomic implantation is the crucial to realizing efficient electrochemical water splitting in alkaline media. Thus, we introduce vanadium (V) atoms with abundant vacant d orbitals as dopants into nickel selenides (NiSe), which has abundant variable valence states, and successfully synthesise three-dimensional bi-functional catalysts self-supported on Ni foam (NF). The electron structure characterisation reveals that, compared with the pure NiSe phase, the oxidation states of Ni cations and electron concentration at the Se site in V–NiSe increase due to the V doping. These changes are accompanied by changes in the electronic structure and active sites in V–NiSe. The as-generated V–NiSe nanorods exhibit an optimised electronic structure, high number of active sites and highly rough nanorod array structure with large electrochemically active surface area and in situ growth characteristics of conductive NF. Thus, the as-generated V–NiSe nanorods catalysts exhibit excellent bi-functional catalytic activity, with 50 mA⋅cm−2 at an overpotential of 270.2 and 251.2 mV for oxygen evolution reactions (OER) and hydrogen evolution reactions (HER), respectively, in KOH (1 M). Water electrolysis using V–NiSe as both the anode and cathode requires a cell voltage of 1.76 V to drive 50 mA⋅cm−2, continuously operating for 80 h. This study provides a systematic understanding of the design of transition-metal catalysts using heteroatomic doping to control their electronic structure and catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IL-20 is a pleiotropic cytokine that belongs to the IL-10 family and plays an important biological role in tissue homeostasis and regulation of host immune defenses. IL-20 homologues have recently been discovered in fish, but their functions have not been studied. In this study, an IL-20 like (IL-20L) cytokine was cloned in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) and its bioactivities were investigated. Expression analysis showed that the Ci IL-20L gene was constitutively expressed in tissues with the highest expression detected in the head kidney. It was upregulated in the head kidney after infection with Flavobactrium columnare (F. cloumnare) and grass carp reovirus II (GCRV II). The recombinant Ci IL-20L produced in E. coli cells was shown to be effective in inducing the expression of Th cytokine genes (IFN-γ, IL-4/13A, IL-4/13B and IL-10), macrophage marker genes (arginase 2, IRF4, KLF4 and SOCS3) and inflammatory genes (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and TNFα) in the head kidney leukocytes when stimulated at 12 h. Long term culture (6 days) of head kidney macrophages in the presence of Ci IL-20L leads to high expression of IRF4, TGFβ1 and arginase 2. Our data suggest that IL-20 may play regulatory roles in promoting Th responses, macrophage differentiation and inflammation. • An IL-20 like (IL-20L) cytokine was characterized in grass carp. • Ci IL-20L was upregulated during infection with Flavobactrium columnare and grass carp reovirus II. • Ci IL-20L transiently induced the expression of genes associated with Th response and inflammation. • Long term exposure of Ci IL-20L promotes M2 macrophage polarization in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed at optimizing explosion puffing drying (EPD) method for browning control in muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) using Taguchi design approach. Results of the pre-study of the EPD process showed that the following steps including color fixation, pre-drying temperature, and drying temperature/time of puffed samples, have the most effects on browning. According to the Taguchi orthogonal experiments design, 0.6% sodium chloride, 0.15% calcium chloride, 0.10% l -cysteine and 0.6% citric acid for color fixative solution, 65 °C for pre-drying and 70 °C during 150 min for drying of puffed samples considered as the optimized condition (OP) to minimize browning during the EPD process. Results of related indexes to browning indicated that OP condition can significantly protect protein, reducing sugars, and phenolic compounds degradation; maintain the pH stability; prevent polyphenol oxidases and peroxidase enzymes activities, control of 5-HMF formation and control of changes in color related parameters (L* , a* , b and Δ E∗). This work provides promising results for developing effective drying of muskmelon using EPD. • Browning discoloration is a limitation of EPD for Muskmelon. • Some EPD steps has more effect on browning discoloration. • Optimization of EPD could protect Muskmelon against browning discoloration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micropterus salmoides rhabdovirus (MSRV) is a significant viral pathogen in largemouth bass aquaculture, causing substantial annual economic losses. However, effective prevention methods remain elusive for various reasons. Medicinal plant extracts have emerged as valuable tools in preventing and managing aquatic animal diseases. Thus, the search for immunomodulators with straightforward, safe structures in plant extracts is imperative to ensure the continued health and growth of the largemouth bass industry. In our research, we employed epithelioma papulosum cyprinid (EPC) cells and largemouth bass as models to assess the anti-MSRV properties and immunomodulatory effects of ten plant-derived bioactive compounds. Among them, rhein demonstrated noteworthy potential, exhibiting a 75 % reduction in viral replication in vitro at a concentration of 50 mg/L. Furthermore, rhein pre-treatment significantly inhibited MSRV genome replication in EPC cells, with the highest inhibition rate reaching 64.8 % after 24 h, underscoring rhein's preventive impact against MSRV. Likewise, rhein displayed remarkable therapeutic effects on EPC cells during the early stages of MSRV infection, achieving a maximum inhibition rate of 85.6 % in viral replication. Subsequent investigations unveiled that rhein, with its consistent activity, effectively mitigated cytopathic effects (CPE) and nuclear damage induced by MSRV infection. Moreover, it restrained mitochondrial membrane depolarization and reduced the apoptosis rate by 38.8 %. In vivo experiments reinforced these findings, demonstrating that intraperitoneal injection of rhein enhanced the expression levels of immune related genes in multiple organs, hindered virus replication, and curtailed the mortality rate of MSRV-infected largemouth bass by 29 %. Collectively, our study endorses the utility of rhein as an immunomodulator to combat MSRV infections in largemouth bass. This not only underscores the potential of rhein as a broad-spectrum antiviral and means to bolster the immune response but also highlights the role of apoptosis as an immunological marker, making it an invaluable addition to the armamentarium against aquatic viral pathogens. • Rhein inhibits MSRV genome replication in vivo and in vitro , and has broad-spectrum antiviral potential. • Rhein reversed nuclear damage, mitochondrial membrane depolarization and apoptosis caused by MSRV infection. • Rhein could prevent MSRV infection and has a therapeutic effect in the early stage of viral infection. • Rhein activates the innate immune system and improves the survival rate of MSRV-infected fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soy protein isolate (SPI) can be used as a carrier for essential oils in active packaging with the purpose of inhibiting the growth of spoilage microorganisms on food and extending food storage time. This study assessed the effect of adding thyme essential oil (TEO) on the physical properties, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial properties of thyme essential oil films (TEOF) using SPI as the film-forming matrix. The results indicated that the property of the composite film is improved after adding TEO. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to analyze the better compatibility of the film matrix. Antibacterial experiments showed that the addition of TEO resulted in a stronger inhibitory effect of the composite film on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Furthermore, the results of the cherry tomato packaging test demonstrated that the film with concentration of 2.4 g/100 g TEO had the best preservation effect during storage, which could delay the decay, providing a reference for its application in food packaging. • The physical properties of soy protein isolate films were improved by loading thyme essential oil. • Thyme essential oil films had strong antibacterial activity, and the ROS level of bacterial cells was investigated. • Thyme essential oil films can prolong the shelf life of cherry tomatoes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory structures are crucial for vertebrate survival, as they serve not only to perform gas-exchange processes but also as entry points for opportunistic pathogens. Previous studies have demonstrated that fish contain gill mucosal-associated lymphoid tissue, and harbor a large number of commensal bacteria on their surface and contribute to maintaining fish health. However, by far, very limited information is known regarding the effects of viral infection on gill mucosal immunity and microbiota homeostasis. In this study, we conducted an infection model by bath with infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) and revealed a 27 % mortality rate among rainbow trout in the first two weeks after infection. Moreover, we found that diseased fish with the highest IHNV loads in gills exhibiting severe damage, as well as increased goblet cell counts in both primary lamellae (PL) and secondary lamellae (SL). Additionally, RT-qPCR and RNA-seq analyses revealed that IHNV infection induced a strong innate and adaptive antiviral immune responses. Interestingly, an antibacterial immune response was also observed, suggesting that a secondary bacterial infection occurred in trout gills after viral infection. Furthermore, 16S rRNA analysis of trout gills revealed a profound dysbiosis marked by a loss of beneficial taxa and expansion of pathobionts following IHNV infection. Overall, our finding demonstrates that IHNV infection induces significant changes of the microbial community in the fish respiratory surface, thus triggering local antiviral and bacterial mucosal immunity. • IHNV cause severe pathological changes in trout gills by bath infection. • IHNV triggers strong mucosal immunity responses in trout gills. • Microbial community structure changes in trout gills after being infected with IHNV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes hemorrhagic fever in domestic and wild pigs. The continued spread of the virus in Africa, Europe and Asia threatens the global pig industry. The lack of an effective vaccine limits disease control. ASFV has evolved a variety of encoded immune escape proteins and can evade host adaptive immunity, inducing cellular inflammation, autophagy, or apoptosis in host cells. Frequent persistent infections hinder the development of a viral vaccine and impose technical barriers. Currently, knowledge of the virulence-related genes, main pathogenic genes and immunoregulatory mechanism of ASFV is not comprehensive. We explain that ASFV invades the host to regulate its inflammatory response, interferon production, antigen presentation and cellular immunity. Furthermore, we propose potential ideas for ASFV vaccine target design, such as knocking out high-virulence genes in ASFV and performing data mining to identify the main genes that induce antiviral responses. To support a rational strategy for vaccine development, a better understanding of how ASFV interacts with the host and regulates the host's response to infection is needed. We review the current knowledge about ASFV targeting of host innate and adaptive immunity and the mechanisms by which the affected immune pathways are suppressed. • Characteristics of the innate and adaptive immune system in pigs. • ASFV inhibits IFN production to escape from innate immunity and CD4+ and CD8+ to escape from adaptive immunity. • Prospects and directions for multiple forms of ASFV vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) [Fe(L) 2 (SCN) 2 ] ∝ (L1: 4-bpdh=2,5-bis(4-pyridyl)-3,4-diaza-2,4-hexadiene for 1Fe ; and L2: 3-bpdh=2,5-bis(3-pyridyl)-3,4-diaza-2,4-hexadiene for 2Fe ) were assembled in a MeOH–H 2 O solvent system. 1Fe exhibits a two-dimensional extended-grid network, whereas 2Fe exhibits a stair-like double-chain; the N-position within the pyridine ring of the complexes was observed to regulate the MOF structure as layers or chains. Furthermore, selectively catalytic activity was observed for the layered MOF but not the chain-structured MOF; micro/nanoparticles of the layered MOF were therefore investigated for new potential applications of micro/nano MOFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), which is capable of selectively inducing apoptosis of cancer cells, is a potential targeted drug for cancer therapy. The TRAIL protein induces apoptosis only in trimeric form. However, the recombinant soluble TRAIL (sTRAIL) trimer has low stability and a short half-life, which is a major obstacle for its advancement into clinical trials. Moreover, a percentage of engineered sTRAIL proteins are produced as dimers which may be toxic to normal human hepatocytes. In this study, we inserted three copies of the same subunit fragment of sTRAIL with a His tag into a polycistronic expression vector (pST39) to explore whether it would increase the proportion of trimers. We also constructed a heterozygous vector containing three subunit fragments of sTRAIL each with a different tag (His, HA, and Cmyc). Hybrid sTRAIL proteins (P-dTags) mainly as heterologous trimers were obtained by elution with a low concentration of imidazole based on different binding affinities of His with a nickel column. Functional analysis demonstrated that heterotrimeric forms of sTRAIL showed more stable activity compared to the P-3H at 4 °C but not at 37 °C without alteration in the native killing capacity. In addition, the heterologous trimers showed decreased toxicity to hepatocytes. These results suggest that the polycistronic expression system may be useful for expression of recombinant sTRAIL and improving its potential in cancer therapeutic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The V3 loop of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) is the major determinant for coreceptor utilization, but the structural basis for this specificity remains to be defined. By characterizing a set of naturally occurring R5 Env variants, we demonstrate that Asp324 in the conserved IIGDIR motif of the V3 loop (CTRPN300NNTRKSIHIGP311GRAFYTTGEIIGD324IRQAHC) C-terminal segment regulates the molecular anatomy of CCR5 utilization. Whereas gp120 subunits with Asp or Asn at position 324 were fusogenic with coreceptor chimeras containing either the N-terminal domain or the body of CCR5, substitution of charged (Glu, Lys) or small hydrophobic (Gly, Ala) residues resulted in complete loss of fusogenic activity with the N terminus and markedly reduced utilization of the body of CCR5, although their ability to use wild-type CCR5 was unchanged. This phenotypic conversion was confirmed in both gain and loss of function experiments using Env from multiple subtypes. Alignment of sequences of R5 V3 loops (n=599) from the HIV database revealed that the mutation of Asp324 in the conserved IIGDIR motif is restricted to Asn324, with proportions of 71.5% and 28%, respectively. Infection of primary CD4+T cells demonstrated that Env bearing Asp324 was less sensitive to RANTES, suggesting that Asp or Asn in this position may be crucial for viral fitness. The CD4-dependent gp120 binding to CCR5 was decreased when Asp324 was replaced with a charged or hydrophobic residue, but unchanged when replaced with Asn. Molecular modeling analyses predicted that Asp/Asn324 forms a critical H-bond with Asn300. These findings indicate that Asp or Asn at position 324 of the V3 stem stabilizes the conformation of V3 loop and hence influences the intensities of interaction between CD4-activated gp120 and CCR5 which results in viral entry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Biogenetically modeled synthesis of violacin A and its analogues was introduced. • Carbonyl group at the side-chain was unnecessary for the activity. • Aliphatic amine linked to the C-7 position by oxy-acetyl could increase activities. • Aromatic ether moieties at side-chain showed comparative or superior activity. • 7a and 16d inhibited activation of NF-κB and down-regulated iNOS expression. Violacin A, a chromanone derivative, isolated from a fermentation broth of Streptomyces violaceoruber , has excellent anti-inflammatory potential. Herein, a biogenetically modeled approach to synthesize violacin A and twenty-five analogues was described, which involved the preparation of aromatic polyketide precursor through Claisen condensation and its spontaneous cyclization. The inhibitory effect on nitric oxide (NO) production of all synthetic molecules was evaluated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced Raw264.7 cells. The results revealed that introduction of aliphatic amine moieties on C-7 obviously improved the anti-inflammation effect of violacin A, and also the aromatic ether instead of ketone group at side chain was favorable to increase the activity. Among them, analogue 7a and 16d were screened as the most effective anti-inflammatory candidates. Molecular mechanism research revealed that 7a and 16d acquired anti-inflammatory ability due to the inhibition of NF-κB signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]