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Thermochemical interactions of Yb 2 SiO 5 block, a potential environmental barrier coating (EBC) material and a synthetic CMAS with the composition of 33CaO–9MgO–13AlO 1.5 -45SiO 2 at 1400 °C and 1500 °C have been investigated. Corrosion tests showed that CMAS dissolved Yb 2 SiO 5 and caused precipitation of Ca 2 Yb 8 (SiO 4)6O 2 crystalline phase. At 1400 °C, Ca 2 Yb 8 (SiO 4) 6 O 2 tended to form a continuous reaction layer at the CMAS/Yb 2 SiO 5 interface. This reaction layer became thicker and denser with increasing time, which effectively inhibited molten CMAS penetration into Yb 2 SiO 5. However, at 1500 °C, a dense and continuous layer could hardly form. Due to the low viscosity of the CMAS, it quickly infiltrated Ca 2 Yb 8 (SiO 4) 6 O 2 along grain boundaries, and Ca 2 Yb 8 (SiO 4) 6 O 2 dissolved in molten CMAS followed by re-precipitation in the form of tiny Ca 2 Yb 8 (SiO 4) 6 O 2 crystals during cooling. The results show that Yb 2 SiO 5 has good CMAS corrosion resistance at 1400 °C, but its protective capabilities are limited at temperatures above this threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen production is of significance in solving urgent energy and environmental issues, so it is necessary to develop superior electrocatalysts to catalyze the sustainable hydrogen evolution process efficiently. This study reports the synthesis of the Ni modified ultrafine Mo x C (x = 1, 2) wrapped by nitrogen-doped carbon through a facile one-pot strategy, which can be applied for catalyzing the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in both acid and alkaline conditions. Benefiting from the regulating effect of Ni towards Mo x C (x = 1, 2) and the synergistic mechanism among Ni, Mo 2 C and MoC, Ni/Mo x C-NC exhibits superior electrocatalytic activity, displaying a low overpotential of 141 mV in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 and 110 mV in 1 M KOH at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 for HER, as well as long-term durability for 20 h. Image 1 • The synergistic mechanism exists among Ni, Mo 2 C and MoC. • Ni modifies the hybrid composition and surface electronic configuration. • Ni/Mo x C-NC exhibits high HER activities in both acid and alkaline electrolytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• AA altered proteins linked to biological regulation, cell metabolism and development. • Oxidative damage and immune response activation were core functions affected by AA. • Compared with astrocytes, AA toxicity effected cell communication in co-cultural cell. • ATOX1 was identified to act as a novel target for AA neurotoxicity. • Acrylamide (AA) is a common food contaminant known to detrimentally affect the nervous system. Homeostasis of the nervous system is dependent on glial cells, namely astrocytes and microglia, which actively participate in neuronal survival signaling pathways. Although the differential responses of monocultured astrocytes compared to co-cultured astrocytes and microglia to AA exposure have been investigated, the global effects and potential molecular mechanism involved in AA-induced neurotoxicity remain unknown. In this study, the impacts of AA on primary monocultured astrocytes and co-cultured astrocytes with microglia were determined using Orbitrap-based proteomic analysis. The results showed that AA exposure mainly caused disruption of cellular and metabolic processes, biological regulation, and cell development. Furthermore, oxidative stress-related pathways and immune responses were the main regulatory functions influenced by AA-induced neurotoxicity. Additionally, Nrf2 and other downstream proteins in the oxidative stress-related pathway were up-regulated. There were significant differences between the protein changes in the monocultured astrocytes and co-cultured astrocytes with microglia, indicating that AA affected cell-cell communication between astrocytes and microglia. Overall, these findings illustrate the global effects of AA-induced functionality and pathway alteration and their involvement in the development of neurological deficits in primary glial cell cultures. These findings may provide new insights for the development of a pathway approach suitable for the risk assessment of AA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Both UAOS and SAOS improved high-fat induced hepatic steatosis. • The lipid-lowering effect of AOS is independent on its unsaturated double bond. • AOS activated lipophagy and fatty acid β-oxidation both in vivo and in vitro. • PGC-1α-mediated lipophagy-FFA β-oxidation enrolled in AOS intervention mechanism. This study explored the lipid-lowering effect and intervention mechanism of alginate oligosaccharides (AOS) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Results showed that both unsaturated (UAOS) and saturated (SAOS) AOS improved the hepatic steatosis of NAFLD mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). AOS promoted lipid catabolism in vivo and in vitro by activating the lipophagy and free fatty acid (FFA) β-oxidation pathways. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) represented the up-stream target of the FFA β-oxidation pathway and upregulated both in in vivo and in vitro, suggesting it might be the AOS intervention target. By activating or inhibiting PGC-1α, AOS modulated the PGC-1α activity to reduce hepatic lipid accumulation. Therefore, the results indicated that AOS exhibited a lipid-lowering effect via the PGC-1α-mediated lipophagy-FFA β-oxidation transduction signal axis. These findings provided insight into using food-derived ingredients to intervene and treat chronic diseases involving lipid metabolism disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• (GlcN) 2-3 alleviates the hepatic steatosis in high fat diet-fed mice. • (GlcN) 2-3 suppressed triglyceride synthesis and free fatty acids uptake pathway in vivo. • (GlcN) 2-3 blocked the core cavity and inhibited FFAs translocation in CD36. • The molecular size and steric hindrance effect play crucial roles in the deactivation of CD36. The effects of (GlcN) 2-3 on the development of high fat diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in C57BL/6J mice and the potential structural-functional relationship between different singular degrees of polymerization (DPs) COSs and CD36 activity were investigated. (GlcN) 2-3 was found to significantly inhibit the levels of triglyceride, low density lipid protein and total cholesterol in the serum and liver, thus reducing hepatic steatosis and, ultimately, altering lipid accumulation. This phenomenon was associated with a decrease in the mRNA and protein expressions of CD36, PXR, DGAT2, LXRα and PPARγ, which subsequently decreased the uptake of FFAs and triglyceride synthesis. Using structural analysis, (GlcN) 2-3 blocked the core cavity and inhibited the translocation of FFAs in CD36. Furthermore, the molecular size and steric hindrance effect play crucial roles in the deactivation of CD36. These findings will provide a better understanding of the modulating actions of specific singular-DPs COS in high fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the ameliorative effect of crude chitooligosaccharide (COS) and five specific COSs ((GlcN) 2-6 ) on lipid accumulation and, therein, characterizes the inhibition mechanism of chitobiose ((GlcN) 2 ). After treatment with oleic acid (OA), the triglyceride (TG), LDL-c content, lipogenesis-signaling genes and protein in HepG2 cells increased, while lipid accumulation was suppressed by COS and five single COSs both in co-treatment and after-treatment. In addition, we observed that 4 mg/mL (GlcN) 2 had a significant inhibitory effect on hepatic lipid accumulation and decreased the mRNA and protein expressions of diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2), liver X receptor α (LXRα), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), pregnenolone X receptor (PXR) and cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36). These results collectively indicate that, among all (GlcN) 2-6 studied, (GlcN) 2 provides the best active effect on anti-hyperlipidemia and steatosis regulation via decreasing fatty acid uptake and TG synthesis in HepG2 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neo-formed compounds (NFCs) are commonly found in all kinds of foods due to the complex reaction between components during processing. Acrylamide, benzo(a)pyrene and heterocyclic aromatic amines are the main types of NFCs in foods enriched with carbohydrate, fats and proteins, respectively. They have exhibited diverse toxicity, such as neurotoxicity, genotoxicity, potentially carcinogenic and reproductive toxicity. In recent years, various phytochemicals have been found to be effective in alleviation of their related toxicities both in vitro and in vivo . This review provides evidences on the protection roles of phytochemicals against the diverse toxicity induced by three NFCs. Moreover, the prevention mechanisms of phytochemicals are summarized. Three potential aspects involving excellent antioxidant activity, DNA protection and enzyme induction contribute to the successful protection mechanism. Meanwhile, the limitations from existing knowledge have been illustrated and the possible perspectives for the further study have also been considered. The information from this review would be useful to provide an easier and better way to improve human health when considering the possibility of using foods enriched with phytochemicals for prevention of the toxicity of exogenous pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acrylamide (AA) is a common food contaminant formed during food heat processing that has neurotoxic effects. We hypothesize that AA induces oxidative stress in astrocytes and microglia, leading to neurotoxicity. Oxidative status, translocation of Nrf2 and NF-κB, and related down-stream targets were measured in primary astrocytes and microglia obtained from BALB/c mice. The results showed that AA increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and reduced glutathione levels, causing successive events associated with oxidative stress, including 4-hydroxynonenal and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine adduct formation, in both cell types. Both Nrf2 and NF-κB pathways were activated, but Nrf2 and its downstream antioxidative genes acted at earlier stages in both cell types before NF-κB activation. After NF-κB activation, related cytokines, including IL-6, TNF-α, G-CSF, and IL-1β, were released and cell viability decreased. Greater ROS generation, faster glutathione reduction, and increased oxidative adduct formation were observed in microglia compared with astrocytes. Moreover, Nrf2/NF-κB and its downstream genes were up-regulated much faster and to greater degrees in microglia than astrocytes. These results clarify the roles of the Nrf2 and NF-κB pathways in AA-induced neurotoxicity. These cellular responses may provide new insights for the development of adverse outcome pathway approaches for risk assessments of AA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acrylamide (AA), is a common food contaminant generated by heat processing. Astrocytes and microglia are the two major glial cell types in the brain that play pivotal but different roles in maintaining optimal brain function. The objective of this study is to investigate the neurotoxicity of AA, using a primary astrocytes/microglia co-culture model. Co-cultural cells obtained from Balb/c mice were cultured and treated with 0–1.0 mM AA for 24–96 h. Cell viability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, oxidative end produces formation and glutathione (GSH) levels were measured. The expression of nuclear-E2-related factor 2(Nrf2), and nuclear factor kappa-beta (NF-κB) and selected down-stream genes were measured. Results showed that AA treatment led toa dose-dependent toxicity. Oxidative stress was induced as indicated by an increase of ROS, a decrease of GSH levels, and an increase in the formation of 4-hydroxynonenal-adduct and 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine-adduct. Both Nrf2 and NF-κB pathway contributed to the initiation of oxidative stress but the timing of two factors was different. Nrf2 and its related downstream genes were activated earlier than that in NF-κB pathway. In conclusion, AA-induced neurotoxicity attribute to oxidative stress via Nrf2 and NF-κB pathway. Moreover, the co-culture cell model was proven to be a viable model to study AA neurotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Four new degradation products of Mv-3-glu and Mv-3,5-diglu under microwave were found. [•] Microwave caused faster degradation of anthocyanins than conventional thermal treatment. [•] Oxidation degradation pathway of anthocyanins under microwave treatment was postulated. [•] The thermal degradation of anthocyanins was accelerated under microwave treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Cy-3-glu significantly inhibited AA-induced cytotoxicity in MDA-MB-231 cells. [•] Cy-3-glu remarkably prevented AA-induced ROS overproduction and GSH depletion. [•] Cy-3-glu decreased GPx and GST activities exposed to AA in MDA-MB-231 cells. [•] Cy-3-glu enhanced the protein expression of GPx1, GSTP1 and γ-GCS exposed to AA. [•] 50-100μM Cy-3-glu significantly inhibited protein expression of CYP2E1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The effect of COS on the microecology of NAFLD patients were evaluated. • Treated with COS, the microbial beta diversity of NAFLD patients was shifted. • The target microorganisms of COS were determined. • The differential metabolites of COS were related to the changes of microorganisms. Chitobiose (OC)and chitotriose (TOC)were used to simulate the in vitro fermentation of feces samples from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients to evaluate their effects on gut microorganisms and metabolites. The results indicated that OC and TOC shifted the gut microbial community of NAFLD patients to that of healthy volunteers. Specifically, OC and TOC increased the relative abundance of Fusobacteria, while reducing Actinobacteria and the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes. OC's targeted bacteria were Fusobacterium , Clostridium sensu stricto 13 and Parabacteroides , while TOC's targeted bacteria were Clostridium sensu stricto 1 , Enterococcus. The content of total short-chain fatty acids, propionic acid and butyric acid in the OC and TOC groups increased significantly, which was closely related to the increase in the abundance of the targeted flora. Although the non-targeted metabolites of OC and TOC had a high degree of similarity in the positive ion mode and a large difference in the negative ion mode. The up-regulated metabolites of the OC and TOC groups include bile acids (7-ketodeoxycholic acid, docosahexaenoic acid ethyl ester, deoxycholic acid, cholic acid), amino acids (succinyl proline, cys-tyr, L-β-leucine), antibiotics (fortimicin FU-10, kanoamine), and down-regulated metabolites include xanthine, hypoxanthine, L-glutamic acid, acetophenone, etc. The biomarker metabolites of OC and TOC may reveal the probiotic effect on gut microecological health on the biosynthesis of amino acids, butyric and bile acid metabolism pathways. The results can be helpful for the further development of COS as a functional food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High-degree-polymerized COS were obtained by enzyme-membrane coupling reactor. • COS treatment of C33A cells induced ROS production and decreased the MMP. • COS treatment induced cell apoptosis and regulated apoptotic-related proteins. • COS treatment increased the levels of autophagy markers. Gynecological cancers are the most commonly diagnosed forms of cancer among the female population. Chitooligosaccharides (COS)—hydrolysis products from chitosan—display high bioavailability, high water solubility, and low molecular weight properties. Here, we investigated the influence of COS on 11 gynecological tumor cell types, and subsequently elucidated molecular mechanisms through which the observed inhibition occurred. Initially, we used a controllable enzyme-membrane coupling reactor system to obtain COS with a high degree of polymerization; the yield of high-degree-polymerized COS (DP 5–12) obtained with this reactor system accounted for ∼75% yields (w/w). Using these COS materials, cell line assays showed that COS elicited the most significant anti-tumor activity against C33A cells, with anti-tumor mechanisms related to oxidative stress, as well as activation of intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis and autophagic signaling. Thus, we provide experimental evidence to demonstrate how the enzyme-membrane coupling reactor system can generate COS that exert bioactivity against gynecological cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal stability and migration resistance of light stabilizers are vital for their applications in plastics. Herein, a novel nano organic–inorganic hybrid light stabilizer with high thermal stability and low solubility was prepared by intercalating a synthesized hindered amine light stabilizer (HALS) with UV absorption capability into the interlayer galleries of MgAl layered double hydroxides (LDH) through co-precipitation method. The prepared HALS–LDH was characterized by XRD, FT–IR, SEM, TG–DTA and UV–vis, and was incorporated into the matrix of polypropylene (PP) via solvent casting method to prepare LDH/PP composite for light stability test. It was found that the synthesized HALS was successfully intercalated into the interlayer galleries of MgAl–LDH, forming an organic–inorganic hybrid material HALS–LDH with a mean size of 63 nm. HALS–LDH nanosheets were evenly dispersed in the matrix of PP, and the addition of HALS–LDH can retard the thermal decomposition of PP. Moreover, the incorporation of HALS–LDH significantly improved the light stability of PP and reduced the photo degradation of PP by about 83.2%. Therefore, the prepared novel HALS–LDH has potential application in the field of PP as an efficient and promising light stabilizer. Unlabelled Image • A hindered amine light stabilizer (HALS) with UV absorption ability was synthesized. • HALS-LDH was prepared by intercalating HALS into LDH via co-precipitation method. • HALS-LDH has moderate UV absorption ability and high thermal stability. • HALS-LDH markedly improved both the thermal stability and light stability of PP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Carbon foam (CF) with hierarchical pores was prepared by carbonization of bread. • Bread was prepared from mechanical activation (MA)-damaged starch and gluten protein. • CF30 (30 wt% of gluten protein) with desired properties was used for supporting HPW. • HPW/CF30 effectively catalyzed the hydrolysis of MA-pretreated cellulose to glucose. • An efficient and green heterogeneous catalyst with good reusability was developed. To develop an efficient heterogeneous catalyst with good stability and reusability for catalytic conversion of cellulose to platform compounds, carbon foam (CF) was used to immobilize phosphotungstic acid (HPW) to prepare CF-supported HPW (HPW/CF) catalyst. Three-dimensional CF was prepared by carbonization of bread (precursor of CF) with mechanical activation (MA)-damaged starch, gluten protein, and yeast as materials. CF30 (30 wt% of gluten protein) exhibited good mechanical strength, relatively high specific surface area, and desired hierarchical porous structure. HPW was successfully anchored onto CF30 by grafting to prepare HPW/CF30 catalyst, which could effectively catalyze the hydrolysis of cellulose to produce glucose, especially for the hydrolysis of MA-pretreated cellulose with small granules and amorphous structure. The affinity between free hydroxyl groups of MA-pretreated cellulose and oxygen-containing groups of CF30 enhanced the catalytic efficiency of HPW/CF30. In addition, HPW/CF30 catalyst exhibited good reusability and was easily separated from reaction system for recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral administration of chitooligosaccharides (COS) has been reported to alleviate colitis in mice. However, the mechanism of action of COS with specific polymerization degree on gut inflammation and metabolism remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of chitobiose (COS2), chitotetraose (COS4), and chitohexaose (COS6) on colitis, and to elucidate their underlying mechanisms. COS2, COS4, and COS6 were able to significantly alleviate colonic injury and inflammation levels. COS6 has the best anti-inflammatory effect. Furthermore, COS6 could down-regulate the level of indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase1 (IDO1) and restore the levels of indole, indoleacetic-3-acid (IAA), and indole-3-carbaldehyde (I3A) in the cecum of chronic colitis mice (p < 0.05), thereby regulating tryptophan metabolism. In the aromatic hydrocarbon receptor-IL-22 (AHR-IL-22) pathway, although there were differences between chronic colitis and acute colitis mice, COS intervention could restore the AHR-IL-22 pathway to normal, promote the expression of MUC2, and repair the intestinal mucosal barrier. In conclusion, the results of this study suggested that COS had a good inhibitory effect on IDO1 under inflammation and the changes of AHR and IL-22 levels at different stages of disease development. This provides new insights into the potential use of COS as a functional food for improving intestinal inflammation and metabolism. [Display omitted] • Dosage and polymerization of chitooligosaccharides affect its activity in colitis. • Colonic aryl hydrocarbon receptor during acute colitis and remission periods varied. • Chitohexaose exhibited the most potent anti-inflammatory effect. • Chitohexaose significantly enhanced the production of intestinal indole-3-carbaldehyde. • The correlation between chitooligosaccharides dosage and polymerization-gut metabolism-colitis was established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • NIR spectroscopy technique could predict 5-HMF content in roasted coffee effectively. • RF performed better than OLS and SVM in the prediction. • It provides a reference for the large-scale detection of 5-HMF in the coffee production industry. Since 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) is carcinogenic to humans, its detection in foods is essential. This study performed near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy (11998–4000 cm−1) to determine the 5-HMF content in roasted coffee. The random forest (RF) was used to extract important wavenumbers, after which three machine learning models (ordinary least square (OLS), support vector machine (SVM), and RF) were established for the prediction. RF obtained the best prediction results (R c 2 = 0.98 and R p 2 = 0.92) compared with OLS and SVM and effectively extracted the important wavenumbers (11667 cm−1, 11666 cm−1, 10905 cm−1, 7096 cm−1, 7095 cm−1, 7094 cm−1, 7093 cm−1, 7092 cm−1, 5054 cm−1, 5026 cm−1, 5025 cm−1, and 5024 cm−1). The results demonstrated that machine learning models based on NIR spectroscopy could provide a non-destructive approach for determining 5-HMF content in roasted coffee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a minimal or noninvasive therapeutic method for tumors, photodynamic therapy (PDT) induced by the external laser irradiations has attracted great attentions. However, the UV–visible responsive property with low tissue penetration and photothermal effect from the prolonged irradiation impedes their further applications. Herein, a near-infrared (NIR) rechargeable “optical battery” for irradiation-free PDT is fabricated by embedding upconversion materials, persistent luminescence materials, photosensitizer into biocompatible polydimethylsiloxane. After 5 s quickly charged by 980-nm NIR laser, the PDT “optical battery” can generate green persistent luminescence and produce cytotoxic singlet oxygen for continuous irradiation-free PDT (∼30 min) without external irradiation. Due to deep tissue penetration and discontinuous short exposure of NIR light charging source, the “optical battery” can still be charged to continuously generate singlet oxygen in deep tissue (∼4 mm) with low photothermal effect. The PDT implant can be easily optimized in size and shape aiming at different nidus sites and achieved different functions by adding other functional components ( e.g. CaO 2 for oxygen envolving to overcome hypoxia tumor). The effective tumor proliferation inhibiting capability of this NIR rechargeable “optical battery” may give rise to next generation of intelligent stimuli-responsive nanomedicine and noninvasive photo bio-stimulation research for future clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the interactions between graphene nanomaterials (GNMs) and antibiotics in aqueous solution is critical to both the engineering applications of GNMs and the assessment of their potential impact on the fate and transport of antibiotics in the aquatic environment. In this study, adsorption of one common antibiotic, tetracycline, by graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (RGO) was examined with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and graphite as comparison. The results showed that the tetracycline adsorption capacity by the four selected carbonaceous materials on the unit mass basis followed an order of GO > RGO > MWCNTs > graphite. Upon normalization by surface area, graphite, RGO and MWCNTs had almost the same high tetracycline adsorption affinity while GO exhibited the lowest. We proposed π-electron-property dependent interaction mechanisms to explain the observed different adsorption behaviors. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggested that the oxygen-containing functional groups on GO surface reduced its π-electron-donating ability, and thus decreased the π-based interactions between tetracycline and GO surface. Comparison of adsorption efficiency at different pH indicated that electrostatic interaction also played an important role in tetracycline-GO interactions. Site energy analysis confirmed a highly heterogeneous distribution of the binding sites and strong tetracycline binding affinity of GO surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motion, as a feature of video that changes in temporal sequences, is crucial to visual understanding. The powerful video representation and extraction models are typically able to focus attention on motion features in challenging dynamic environments to complete more complex video understanding tasks. However, previous approaches discriminate mainly based on similar features in the spatial or temporal domain, ignoring the interdependence of consecutive video frames. In this paper, we propose the motion sensitive self-supervised collaborative network, a video representation learning framework that exploits a pretext task to assist feature comparison and strengthen the spatiotemporal discrimination power of the model. Specifically, we first propose the motion-aware module, which extracts consecutive motion features from the spatial regions by frame difference. The global–local contrastive module is then introduced, with context and enhanced video snippets being defined as appropriate positive samples for a broader feature similarity comparison. Finally, we introduce the snippet operation prediction module, which further assists contrastive learning to obtain more reliable global semantics by sensing changes in continuous frame features. Experimental results demonstrate that our work can effectively extract robust motion features and achieve competitive performance compared with other state-of-the-art self-supervised methods on downstream action recognition and video retrieval tasks. • Accurate extraction of continuous motion features in complex environments. • Acquire global and local spatio-temporal features via correlation of sequences. • Obtain supervised information for feature discrimination in continuous clips. • Achieve competitive performance with limited data pre-training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AZD9291 can prolong the survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Unfortunately, resistance to AZD9291 is inevitable and hinders effectiveness. Studies showed the combination of Cyclosporin A (CsA) and AZD9291 could increase the efficacy of AZD9291, but the delivery efficiency of free drugs was limited. A chitooligosaccharide (COS) -based nanoparticle with enhanced delivery efficiency and endocytosis was constructed in this study. The results showed that this pH/redox cascade responsive nanoparticles improved therapeutic effect. The system is small and the surface charge changed from negative to positive according to the weakly acidic tumor microenvironment. After endocytosis, the nanoparticles decomposed and released AZD9291 and CsA in redox-rich cytoplasm. Experiments in vitro and in vivo proved that the nanoparticles overcame the biological barrier and significantly enhanced the anti-tumor effect of AZD9291. The novel multifunctional nanoparticle provides a way to overcome the drug resistance and the possibility of clinical application. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fu Brick Tea (FBT) is characterized by Fungus Aroma (FA), which determines the quality of FBT products. However, the aroma constituents and their interactive mechanism for FA remain unclear. In this study, the FBT sample with the optimal FA characteristics was selected from 29 FBTs. Then, 19 components with OAV ≥ 1 were identified as the odorants involved in the FA formation. The aroma recombination test suggested that the FA was potentially produced by the synergistic interplay among the 15 key odorants, including (E,E)-2,4-heptadienal, (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal, (E)-2-nonenal, (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal, (E)-2-octenal, (E)- β -ionone, 4-ketoisophorone, dihydroactinidiolide, (E)- β -damascenone, 1-octen-3-ol, linalool, geraniol, heptanal, hexanal, and phenylacetaldehyde. And, the synergistic effects between them were preliminarily studied by aroma omissions, such as modulatory effects, masking effects, compensatory effects, and novelty effects, ultimately contributing to the FA. In all, this work helps us better understand the formation of the FA and provides a basis for the improvement of FBT production technology. [Display omitted] • Using two sensory methods to cross-validate and screen characteristic aroma sample. • Confirmed the role of 15 key odorants in the formation of the Fungus Aroma. • The synergies of key odorants include masking, compensatory, and novelty effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Damaged cassava starch (DCS) was prepared by mechanical activation. • Model dough based on the pure DCS could form with appropriate damage level. • Most of texture properties of DCS dough were close to that of wheat flour dough. • Desired crackers were successfully prepared with DCS at the damage level of 15.37%. • Application of DCS in developing staple foods based on the model dough was promising. Abstract This study focused on evaluating the feasibility of using damaged cassava starch (DCS) to exploit staple foods. Cassava starch was subjected to damage induced by mechanical activation to obtain DCS with various degrees of damage. The increase in damage level of cassava starch led to a slight increase in amylose content and reduction in crystallinity. Damage level exerted a major influence on the pasting properties and interaction between DCS and water. SEM analysis showed that DCS tended to cohere together to form a unique dough structure in the presence of water when damage level was not less than 11.51%. Texture properties of the starch dough with damage levels of 11.51% and 15.37% were similar with those of wheat flour dough. Cracker made of DCS had acceptable sensory qualities comparable to the wheat flour counterpart. These findings confirmed that using DCS for the development of staple foods by the starch dough was practicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore initial Maillard reaction pathways and mechanisms for maximal formation of meaty flavors in heated cysteine-xylose-glycine systems, model reactions with synthesized initial Maillard intermediates, Gly-Amadori, TTCA (2-threityl-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acids) and Cys-Amadori, were investigated. Relative relativities were characterized by spectrophotometrically monitoring the development of colorless degradation intermediates and browning reaction products. Aroma compounds formed were determined by solid-phase microextraction combined with GC–MS and GC-olfactometry. Gly-Amadori showed the fastest reaction followed by Cys-Amadori then TTCA. Free glycine accelerated reaction of TTCA, whereas cysteine inhibited that of Gly-Amadori due to association forming relatively stable thiazolidines. Cys-Amadori/Gly had the highest reactivity in development of both meaty flavors and brown products. TTCA/Gly favored yielding meaty flavors, whereas Gly-Amadori/Cys favored generation of brown products. Conclusively, initial formation of TTCA and pathway involving TTCA with glycine were more applicable to efficiently produce processed-meat flavorings in a cysteine-xylose-glycine system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective delivery of imaging agents or therapeutics to the brain has remained elusive due to the poor blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, resulting in the apparent risks of inefficient diagnosis and therapeutic agents for brain disease. Herein, we report on the surface roughness mediated BBB transportation for the first time. The lanthanide-based core/shell/shell structured NaYF 4 :Yb,Er@NaGdF 4 :Yb@NaNdF 4 :Yb nanoplates with controllable surface roughness and multi-model bioimaging features were synthesized and used to evaluate the surface roughness dependent BBB permeability without any surface bio-functionalization. By controlling the kinetics of the shell coating process, the hexagon-disc, multi-petals and six-petals nanoplates with different surface roughness can be obtained. Comparing with the NPs with less Ra and receptor-conjugated NPs, the obtained six-petals nanoplates with highest roughness exhibit excellent performance in BBB transportation and tumor targeting, which lay solid foundation for the diagnosis and the therapy of brain tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The meat-like reactions of l -cysteine and d -(+)-xylose with or without glycine were investigated. LC-MS was used to quantitatively determine the initial stage intermediates including 2-threityl-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid, Cys-Amadori, and Gly-Amadori in the reaction mixtures. The results showed that the addition of glycine was only in positive correlation with the browning feature of cyseine-xylose reaction. When excessive glycine was added, a high browning rate would be achieved, but it did not benefit the formation of meaty compounds. For a complex meat-like reaction system containing cysteine, reducing sugars and glycine, to overcome the low rate of reaction, and particularly, to minimize the inhibitive effect of cysteine in the generation of meaty flavors, selection of an appropriate ratio between cysteine and glycine is important in an effort to make amounts of the intermediates of Cys-Amadori and Gly-Amadori approximately equally consist in the reaction mixture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pork of black-pig in China is well known for its quality and preferred by consumers. However, there is a lack of research on its flavors. By solvent assisted flavor evaporation combined with GC–MS, 104 volatile compounds in the stewed pork broth of black-pig were identified with the dominant amounts of fatty acids, alcohols, and esters. By aroma extract dilution analysis-GC-O method, 27 odor-active compounds were characterized, including 2-methyl-3-furanthiol, 3-(methylthio)propanal, 2-furfurylthiol, γ-decalactone, nonanal, ( E )-2-nonenal, and ( E , E )-2,4-decadienal that had high FD factors. Compared to the common white-pig, the aroma compounds in both pork broths were almost the same, but the aroma profile of potent odorants for the black-pig pork broth showed less fatty and more roasted notes, which were partially attributed to the higher monounsaturated fatty acids and lower polyunsaturated fatty acids in meat. With aid of authentic chemicals and selected reaction monitoring mode of GC–MS/MS, 19 aroma compounds were quantitated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-existing hypoxia in tumors can result in an inadequate oxygen supply during photodynamic therapy (PDT), which in turn hampers photodynamic efficacy. To overcome this problem, we developed an orthogonal near-infrared upconversion controlled red blood cell (RBC) microcarriers to selectively deliver O 2 in hypoxia area. Moreover, this RBC microcarriers are able to overcome a series of complex biological barriers which include transporting across the inflamed endothelium, evading mononuclear phagocyte system, reducing reticuloendothelial system uptake. Based on these abilities, RBC microcarriers have efficient tumors accumulation and are capable of delivery a large amount of O 2 for PDT under near-infrared (NIR) irradiation to realize effective solid tumor eradication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the study, the structure properties of persimmon pectin (PP) affecting the interfacial performance were characterized firstly. Then, the interfacial behavior of PP at the oil-water interface was evaluated by interfacial tension and interfacial shear/dilatational rheology. Further, the emulsifying and emulsion stabilizing capability of PP were explored based on structure elucidation and interfacial characterization. Structural elucidation of PP indicated that structural characteristics, including high-methylated (71.93 ± 1.23%), lower Mw (4.789 × 104 g/mol), and abundant hydrophobic substances including acetyl-groups (1.21 ± 0.09%), protein (11.54 ± 0.75 mg/g), and ferulic-acid moieties (2.47 ± 0.13 mg/g), contributed to its rapid adsorption to the oil-water interface. Additionally, PP was rich in both homogalacturonan (62.42 ± 1.12%) and rhamnogalacturonan-I (17.75 ± 0.48%) domains, favoring i t adsorbe d at the oil-water interface. Of all tested emulsifier solutions (1.0%–3.0%, w/v), PP exhibited potent tension-lowering capacity. Additionally, a strong viscoelastic layer of PP (1.0%, w/v) was formed at the oil-water interface based on the interfacial shear (interfacial adsorption and dynamic strain sweep) and interfacial dilatational rheology (interfacial viscoelasticity, frequency and amplitude sweep). Notably, PP exhibited promising emulsifying and emulsion-stabilizing potential, as reflected by small droplet size, creaming thickness (0.68 ± 0.00 mm), and high emulsifying capacity (63.22 ± 1.58%), turbidity (0.37 ± 0.00), etc. By using multi-techniques and multi-scale analysis, the present work effectively correlated the interfacial, structural, droplet characteristics, and bulk emulsion of PP. Results suggested that PP exhibited a promising emulsification potential and could be developed as a novel polysaccharide emulsifier in the food industry. [Display omitted] • The excellent emulsifying property of persimmon pectin (PP) was confirmed. • Structural elucidation and interfacial behavior of PP was determined to reveal its emulsifying potential. • Multiscale methods involving macro, meso, micro, and molecular scales were used to confirm the emulsifying potential of PP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pu-erh ripened tea is produced through a unique microbial fermentation process from the sun-dried leaves of large-leaf tea species ( Camellia sinensis (Linn.) var. assamica (Masters) Kitamura) in Yunnan province of China. In this study, the changes of amino acid profiles during fermentation of Pu-erh tea were investigated, based on the improved HPLC–UV method with PITC pre-column derivatization for the simultaneous determination of twenty free amino acids. Results showed that aspartic acid, glutamic acid, arginine, alanine, theanine and tyrosine were the major amino acids in tea samples. Fermentation significantly influenced on the amino acid profiles. The total free amino acid contents significantly decreased during fermentation ( p < 0.05). Meanwhile, low amount of acrylamide were detected. Its concentration increased after 7-days’ fermentation and then decreased gradually. The results provided the useful information for the manipulation of fermentation process according to the changes of amino acids and acrylamide contents in Pu-erh ripened tea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Tibetan Antelope (TA), which has lived at high altitude for millions of years, was selected as the model species of high hypoxia-tolerant adaptation. Here we constructed two cDNA libraries from lung and cardiac muscle tissues, obtained EST sequences from the libraries, and acquired extensive expression data related energy metabolism genes. Comparative analyses of synonymous (Ks) and nonsynonymous (Ka) substitution rates of nucleus-encoded mitochondrial unigenes among different species revealed that many antelope genes have undergone rapid evolution. Surfactant-associated protein A (SP-A) and surfactant-associated protein B (SP-B) genes in the AT lineage experienced accelerated evolution compared to goat and sheep, and these two genes are highly expressed in the lung tissue. This study suggests that many specific genes of lung and cardiac muscle tissues showed unique expression profiles and may undergo fast adaptive evolution in TA. These data provide useful information for studying on molecular adaptation to high-altitude in humans as well as other mammals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Golgi Membrane Protein 1 (GOLM1) has been identified as a prime target for cancer therapy because it overexpresses in many solid tumors, increases tumor growth and metastasis and leads to unfavorable survival. Though various approaches including siRNA interference and antibody targeting have been attempted, GOLM1 has remained an un-targetable molecule because of its mainly intracellular location and the lack of domains that could possibly be interfered with by small molecules. Numerous natural anti-tumoral plant substances have been identified, while their possible function on GOLM1 has never been revealed. This is the first report to study the relationship between GOLM1 downregulation and natural anti-tumoral plant substances and the possible mechanism. Among three tested possible migration-inhibiting natural substances (Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), Betulinic acid (BA) and Lupeol), EGCG showed the most potent inhibition effect on GOLM1 expression and MDA-MB-231 cell migration. Knocking down GOLM1 expression further increased the EGCG treatment effect. Molecular docking prediction and following experiments suggested that EGCG may inhibit GOLM1 expression and MDA-MB-231 cells migration through HGF/HGFR/AKT/GSK-3/β-catenin/c-Myc signaling pathway. In all, EGCG is the first identified GOLM1 downregulation natural product. Silencing GOLM1 may be a novel mechanism of potentiated anti-cancer migration effects and cytotoxic effect of EGCG. In addition, this study shed a new way for cancer therapy by combination of GOLM1 silencing and EGCG treatment in the future. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arterialized venous flap (AVF) is limited in clinical application because its survival remains inconsistent and its exact survival mechanism is still unclear. Hirudin is an effective thrombin specific inhibitor, which is isolated from the salivary gland secretions of the leech. Our study evaluated the impact of hirudin on the viability of AVFs in rabbits. Thirty-six rabbits were randomly divided into three groups: sham group (physiological perfusion), control group (AVF), and hirudin group (AVF + hirudin). In hirudin group, 20 antithrombin units (ATU) hirudin (2.5 ml) were injected into each flap. In sham group and control group, the same amount of normal saline was injected into each flap. Status of flap survival, water content, vascular perfusion, histopathology, expression of CD34, VEGF, eNOS and HIF-1α were analyzed in each group. Analysis of oxidative stress was performed by measuring the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Compared with flaps in sham group with physiological perfusion mode, results of survival rate, perfusion status, SOD activity, expression of CD34, VEGF, and eNOS of AVFs in control group were significantly lower, while water content, MDA level and expression of HIF-1α were higher. The flap condition of AVFs injected with hirudin in hirudin group was improved significantly, and the results were similar to sham group. Our findings revealed that hirudin can effectively improve survival of AVF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The effects of nitrogen on drought response may vary among different water treatments. • Drought responses are more sensitive under H-PRD than that under V-PRD. • The dominant WUE i under V-PRD contributed to carbohydrate production and xylem development. • The constitutive activation of ABA signaling suppressed WUE i and stem growth under H-PRD. • Nitrogen increased IAA levels and PIPs gene expression and contributed to WUE i and xylem development under V-PRD. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to explore how nitrogen availability affects drought responses and stem development of Catalpa bungei seedlings under partial root-zone drought. A factorial design consisting of two N rates [adequate-N (AN) and low-N (LN)] and four water treatments [well-watered (WW), horizontally partial root-zone drought (H-PRD), vertically partial root-zone drought (V-PRD) and full root-zone drought (FRD)] was used. On the whole, the effects of nitrogen applications on seedling growth, physiological parameters and gene expression of key genes may vary among different water treatments. For example, A , E , g s and CO 2int were significantly increased under WW and V-PRD conditions while A and WUE i were decreased under FRD by N addition. As compared with the sharp stoma closure under FRD, stoma was moderately regulated under H-PRD and V-PRD conditions by triggering a network of signaling including phytohormones, NO and Ca2+. Despite the more sensitive drought responses under H-PRD, the intrinsic water use efficiency (WUE i) was higher under V-PRD, mainly due to the homeostasis of abscisic acid (ABA) signals. The higher WUE i and the efficient carbohydrate production contributed to the dominant xylem development under V-PRD. In contrast, the constitutive activation of ABA signaling over long-term H-PRD reduced WUE i and thus suppressed stem growth under H-PRD. The dominant WUE i under V-PRD condition contributed to the positive effect of N addition on xylem development. Moreover, N application increased IAA levels and the transcription of critical PIPs genes, which contributed to the dominant WUE i and xylem development under V-PRD conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additively manufactured porous NiTi alloys hold unprecedented promise in metallic implants due to their low elastic modulus and superelastic behavior. Such porous structures are usually topologically ordered and designed with periodically-repeating unit cells. However, the superelastic behaviors of fractal porous structures have never been studied. The Menger sponge-like fractal structures consisting of non-periodic fractal pores mimick the architectures and biomechanical properties of human bone. In this investigation, porous NiTi alloys designed with Menger sponges were fabricated by additive manufacturing using selective laser melting technology, and their superelastic behaviors were systematically characterized for the first time. Additively manufactured bulk NiTi alloys exhibit fully recoverable superelastic responses with slim stress hysteresis. The mechanical properties of bulk NiTi alloys match the properties of human cortical bones. The Menger sponges display excellent superelastic recovery strain ratios even at high porosity levels. The mechanical properties of highly fractalized Menger sponges are almost identical to the properties of human cancellous bones. The deformation mechanism undergoes a transformation from bending-dominated to stretching-dominated mode when the porous structures are highly fractalized. The unique combination of fractal topology, nanostructured microstructure, highly controllable elastic modulus and large recoverable deformation make the NiTi Menger sponge a promising candidate for metallic implants. Unlabelled Image • Nanostructured NiTi alloys with slim stress hysteresis and nearly zero remnant strain were fabricated by additive manufacturing. • Porous NiTi alloys designed with Menger sponge-like fractal structures were fabricated with precise structural morphologies. • Highly controllable mechanical properties were realized and superelastic deformation mechanisms were systematically explored. • Structural hierarchy were found to significantly influence the superelastic behaviors and deformation mechanisms. • The highly fractalized structure undergoes a bending-dominated to stretching-dominated deformation mode transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]