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[Display omitted] • MFGM reduces inflammation: MFGM lowers colonic and systemic cytokines, reducing inflammation. • Enhances gut barrier: MFGM upregulates tight junctions proteins, improving gut integrity and reducing permeability. • Modulates immune cells: MFGM reduces activated innate and adaptive immune cells (TLR-4, T cell) in MLN. • Protects organs: MFGM alleviates spleen and liver injuries by lowering organ indices and bacterial translocation. Research investigating the effects of milk fat globule membranes (MFGM) on Salmonella typhimurium -induced colitis, intestinal barrier integrity, and gut-associated immune responses remains scarce. This study aimed to investigate the potential of dietary MFGM to alleviate S. typhimurium -induced colitis in mice. Male C57BL/6J mice were administered S. typhimurium to induce colitis and were then subjected to dietary interventions with either bovine MFGM (BMFGM) or goat MFGM (GMFGM). Both BMFGM and GMFGM mitigated S. typhimurium -induced colitis, as evidenced by increased body weight, decreased mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-6) in the colon, reduced intestinal permeability, and increased mRNA expression of tight junction-associated genes (Claudin-1 and ZO-1). Additionally, there was a reduction in the number of S. typhimurium in the mesenteric lymph nodes and an improvement in CD4 T cell activation status. Furthermore, liver and spleen injury was reduced, and serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-α) were decreased by both type of MFGM. Overall, BMFGM and GMFGM effectively alleviated S. typhimurium -induced colitis and associated hepatic and splenic injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem services (ESs) bridge the gap between human wellbeing and ecosystem processes. Land use and land cover change (LUCC) affect ecosystem services by altering the structure and function of ecosystems. Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH), one of the most developed urban agglomerations in China, is subject to intense LUCC that affects ESs while increasing the regional ecological risk (ER). Therefore, to achieve the coordinated development of socioeconomic and ecological quality, there is an urgent need to establish a regional ecological risk assessment (ERA). ESs were introduced into the ERA to clarify their ecological significance and to compensate for the deficiencies of the traditional ERA. In this study, the ERA utilizes key ESs as endpoints to assess potential ER through a new framework by multiplying the probability of LUCC by the resultant loss of key ESs. We found that cultivated land was the most dominant outflow type and built-up land was the predominant inflow type. From 2020 to 2030, there is a greater possibility of changes in cultivated land, forest, grassland, and built-up land as well as in relatively stable water bodies and unused land. Overall, ESs show a positive trend. The overall potential ER was relatively minimal, with a significant northwestern spatially concentrated characteristic of high values. This study helps understand the potential development process of ERs and provides a scientific basis for risk management. • This study establishes a new framework to evaluate potential ecological risks. • Cultivated land is the most dominant outflow type and built-up land is the predominant inflow type. • Ecosystem services present a positive direction in the Beijing Tianjin Hebei region. • Overall potential ecological risk is relatively minimal with significant spatial variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The analysis effect is most effective at the scale of 90 km × 90 km. • Landscape pattern exhibits increasing fragmentation, a decrease in the degree of aggregation and an increase in the heterogeneity of distribution. • Most of the landscape ecological risk levels have shifted from higher to lower levels. • The landscape ecological risk of the Yellow River Basin is in a better state. Rapid urbanization is a global phenomenon that has altered many ecosystems and created ecological risks. Landscape ecological risk (LER) reflects the extent to which ecosystems are threatened by human activities and environmental change. LER can be also employed to effectively monitor and assess environmental quality. A large number of studies have been conducted to explore the LER in the basin from the perspective of Land Use and Land Cover (LUCC). Ecological environmental issues such as land degradation have seriously hindered the sustainable development of the Yellow River Basin (YRB). Based on the LUCC data of the YRB in the four periods of 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020, this study aims to determine the most suitable spatial analysis scale using the coefficient of variation and semi-variogram, and analyzes the landscape pattern and LER of the YRB. We found that the landscape pattern of the YRB exhibits obvious scale dependence, and the analysis effect is most effective at the scale of 90 km × 90 km. Throughout the study period, the landscape pattern exhibited increasing fragmentation, a decrease in the degree of aggregation and an increase in the heterogeneity of distribution. In terms of LER, it is in a better state as most of the LER levels have shifted from higher to lower levels, and the proportion of lower and lowest risk is constantly increasing. This study improves the precision of spatial scale investigations and offers valuable insights for future studies on landscape pattern and LER in the basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression is a mood disorder that is related to neuroinflammation and cognition loss. This study is aimed to determine the potential antidepressant effects of (+)-sesamin, a lignan component of sesame, in a mild stress-induced depression mouse model. CD-1 mice were treated with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) process and orally administrated with sesamin (50 mg/kg/d) for 6 weeks. Behavioral tests including forced swimming test, tail suspension test, open field test, and elevated plus maze test demonstrated that sesamin treatment inhibited CUMS-induced mice depressant-like behaviors and anxiety, without changing immobility. It was found that sesamin prevented stress-induced decease levels of 5-HT and NE in striatum and serum. Cognitive deficits were assessed using Y-maze and Morris water maze test. Sesamin treatment also prevented stressed-induced memory impairments and neuronal damages. Consistently, sesamin also enhanced synapse ultrastructure and improved expressions of PSD-95 in stressed mice hippocampus with improving neurotrophic factors expression including BDNF and NT3. Moreover, sesamin treatment significantly prevented CUMS-induced neuroinflammation by inhibiting over-activation of microglia and expressions of inflammatory mediators including iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α and IL-1β in stressed mice hippocampus and cortex. These results illustrated that sesamin markedly improved CUMS-induced depression and memory loss via inhibiting neuroinflammation, which indicate that as food component, sesamin might be also a novel potential therapeutic for depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Controllable perfect infrared absorber based on multilayer ENZ materials is proposed. Multifrequency or broadband absorption can be obtained by controlling the layer number and carrier concentration of the ENZ material. • The gradient ENZ material is established to analyze the broadband absorption mechanism. And the dielectric function fitting of it is constructed. Moreover, the accuracy and application range of the fitting formula are verified. • The broadband infrared absorber is polarization-insensitive and incident angle-insensitive in the range of 0° - 60°. Perfect infrared absorber with controllable working bandwidth is proposed, consisting of a continuous Au film, a FR-4 spacer, multilayer Dysprosium-doped cadmium oxide (CdO:Dy) film and a gold ring array from bottom to top. In multilayer CdO:Dy materials, multiple ENZ modes are excited by the surface plasmon mode of the gold ring. The ENZ resonance wavelengths, which are controlled by the doping concentration and the layer number of CdO:Dy material, determine the multifrequency or broadband absorption effect of the infrared absorber. In the absorption structure with three ENZ layers, multifrequency absorption occurs depending on the adjustment of coupling strength between localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) and ENZ resonance by parameter optimization and the guarantee of the independence of each ENZ mode by doping concentration gradient expansion. Four narrowband peaks with absorptance more than 92.6 % is produced at 1311 nm, 1560 nm, 1732 nm and 1870 nm, respectively. Increasing the number of CdO:Dy layers to six and controlling the carrier concentration strictly can ensure that the resonance band of ENZ mode is effectively splintered, and broadband response can be generated. The six-ENZ layer absorber exhibits high absorptance (>90 %) between 1556 nm and 1836 nm over an incident angle range of 0–60°. We further illustrate the absorption mechanism by fitting the dielectric function of ENZ material under a six-layer stack. Additionally, via verification, it is shown that the broadband absorber is polarization insensitive. The combination of lithography and deposition makes our absorbers highly practical. This work has great potential in nanophotonics, plasmonics, and physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Edge-expansion is the dominant mode of built-up land expansion. • Built-up land expansion is a key factor in the fragmentation, agglomeration and complexity of the landscape pattern. • Scale effects have a strong influence on the "expansion-breakdown" relationship. • Differentiated development policies between regions contribute to the spatial stability of the landscape pattern. Quantifying the relationship between land use change and landscape pattern (LP) is crucial in responding global challenges such as climate change, food security, and even biodiversity loss. Here, we used multi-period land data to quantify the spatiotemporal trends in built-up land expansion (BLE) and LP in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) during 1980–2018. We fitted the correlations between these two variables using LP Index, Landscape Expansion Indices (LEI) and the Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) model. We found that regional BLE was highly variable, BLE was the main driver of landscape fragmentation, and the relationship between BLE and LP scale varies, especially in terms of the edge BLE. Landscape fragmentation and aggregation spatially varies and temporally increases in complexity. The MGWR model effectively disclosed a scale effect between BLE and LP. The control variables differed in terms of their relative impact on LP evolution. The present study demonstrated the complexity of the relationship between BLE and LP change and highlighted the importance of variable selection, spatiotemporal scale, and spatial dimension in the quantification of these relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The land use carbon emissions (LUCE) in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) showed an increasing trend. • The results indicate that there was a general correlation between LUCE of cities in the YRB. • In 2030, the LUCE in the YRB showed an increasing trend, with the minimum increase under ecological protection scenario. Carbon dioxide emission is an important driving factor of global warming and it has threatened the ecological environment and human survival. Among them, land use has led to significant carbon emissions that profoundly affect climate system change. The Yellow River Basin (YRB) is one of the regions with the most concentrated contradictions in population, resources, and environment in China; thus, studying the current situation and land use carbon emissions (LUCE) is significant for mitigating global warming, promoting coordinated emission reduction among different regions in the basin, and achieving ecological conservation and high-quality development of the YRB. This study based on land use and socio-economic data, and is carried out from the perspective of social network analysis. The spatiotemporal variation of LUCE in the YRB was analyzed using the carbon emission coefficient method. The spatial spillover effects of LUCE were discussed using social network analysis methods. The PLUS model was used to simulate the differences in LUCE under different scenarios. The results indicate that: (1) The LUCE in the YRB showed an increasing trend during the study period, with significant differences in spatial distribution. (2) There is a significant spatial spillover effect and correlation between cities in the YRB LUCE network, and cities with superior economic had a greater impact on other cities. (3) In 2030, under the ecological protection scenario, the LUCE in the YRB were the lowest, with a reduction of 2.7 × 106 tons compared to the natural development scenario, further illustrating the importance of ecological land. Compared with previous studies, this study explores the spatial correlation between LUCE in various cities of the YRB from a new perspective of social network analysis. On the other hand, it makes land use prediction for 2030 by setting different land use development scenarios. The research results have broadened the application scope of social network analysis methods, and have important practical significance for promoting carbon reduction in major river basins and scientifically formulating land use policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the efficiency of a combined cooling, heating, and power-ground source heat pump system (CCHP-GSHP), ground source heat pump cooling and heating start factors are proposed. The start factors can control the GSHP cooling and heating start load rates. Moreover, they can reduce the operating time of GSHP with a low coefficient of performance (COP) and increase the operating time with a high COP during the absorption refrigeration. A following electric load with start factors (FEL-SF) is presented as a novel operation strategy for guiding the system operation, and is compared with a traditional FEL. In the FEL-SF model, the rated capacity of the power generation unit, seasonal start factors, and seasonal GSHP energy ratios are established as decision variables. The system's optimal objective is providing an optimal comprehensive performance in regards to energy, the environment, and the economy. The black hole (BH) algorithm is used to solve the optimization problem. A hotel building is selected as an example for analysis. The research results show that the FEL-SF operation strategy has better performance (the comprehensive performance reaches 4.0%) throughout the year. The effect of the FEL-SF strategy is superior for each index in each season. In addition, the setting of the GSHP start factors is suitable for most regions with different climates. • The GSHP cooling start factor and heating start factor are first proposed to guide the system operation. • The following electric load with start factors (FEL-SF) is presented as a novel operation strategy. • Seasonal energy distribution is compared and analyzed for two operation strategies. • Black hole algorithm is used to optimize the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]