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The FUS::DDIT3 fusion protein, formed by the chromosomal translocation t (12;16) (q13;p11), is found in over 90% of myxoid liposarcoma (MLS) cases and is a crucial protein in its development. Many studies have explored the role of FUS::DDIT3 in MLS, and the prevailing view is that FUS::DDIT3 inhibits adipocyte differentiation and promotes MLS growth and invasive migration by functioning as an aberrant transcription factor that affects gene expression and regulates its downstream molecules. As fusion proteins are gradually showing their potential as targets for precision cancer therapy, FUS::DDIT3 has also been investigated as a therapeutic target. Drugs that target FUS::DDIT3 and its downstream molecules for treating MLS are widely utilized in both clinical practice and experimental studies, and some of them have demonstrated promising results. This article reviews the findings of relevant research, providing an overview of the oncogenic mechanisms of the FUS::DDIT3 fusion protein in MLS, as well as recent advancements in its therapy.

Compared to conventional spoofing, emerging spoofing attacks pose a heightened threat to security applications within the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) due to their subtly designed signal structures. In response, a novel spoofing detection method entitled aggregated correlation residue likelihood analysis (A-CoRLiAn) is proposed in this study. Requiring only the addition of a pair of supplementary correlators, A-CoRLiAn harnesses correlation residues to formulate a likelihood metric, subsequently aggregating weighted decisions from all tracked satellites to ascertain the presence of spoofing. Evaluated under six diverse spoofing scenarios (including emerging challenges) in the Texas Spoofing Test Battery (TEXBAT) via Monte Carlo simulations, A-CoRLiAn yields a detection rate of 99.71%, demonstrating sensitivity, robustness, autonomy, and a lightweight architecture conducive to real-time implementation against spoofing threats.

To achieve cost-effective micro-/nano-displacement adjustment, this paper integrates the advantages of flexible hinge micro-/nano-displacement transmission. A linear stepper motor is utilized as the driving component to design and develop a high-precision, low-cost micro-/nano-positioning system. The structure, design, and working principles of the micro-/nano-positioning platform are introduced. The scaling factor model between micro-positioning platforms and nano-positioning platforms is analyzed. Static and dynamic models of flexible mechanisms have been established. The dimensions of the mechanical structure and the selection of motors are determined. The mechanical characteristics of the micro-/nano-positioning platform are validated through finite element analysis. To address the characteristic of increasing loads during the transmission process, an intelligent control system based on current feedback is designed and developed. The integration of drive and control provides a high level of system integration. Finally, experimental calibration was conducted to test the motion characteristics of the linear stepper motor-driven micro-/nano-positioning platform. It achieved a minimum displacement control resolution of 100 nm and demonstrated a certain level of stability.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) stands as a prevalent subtype of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, leading to disease recurrence and low survival rates. PPARγ, a ligand-dependent nuclear transcription factor, holds significance in tumor development. However, the role of PPARγ in the development of OSCC has not been fully elucidated. Through transcriptome sequencing analysis, we discovered a notable enrichment of ferroptosis-related molecules upon treatment with PPARγ antagonist. We subsequently confirmed the occurrence of ferroptosis through transmission electron microscopy, iron detection, etc. Notably, ferroptosis inhibitors could not completely rescue the cell death caused by PPARγ inhibitors, and the rescue effect was the greatest when disulfidptosis and ferroptosis inhibitors coexisted. We confirmed that the disulfidptosis phenotype indeed existed. Mechanistically, through qPCR and Western blotting, we observed that the inhibition of PPARγ resulted in the upregulation of heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), thereby promoting ferroptosis, while solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) was also upregulated to promote disulfidptosis in OSCC. Finally, a flow cytometry analysis of flight and multiplex immunohistochemical staining was used to characterize the immune status of PPARγ antagonist-treated OSCC tissues in a mouse tongue orthotopic transplantation tumor model, and the results showed that the inhibition of PPARγ led to ferroptosis and disulfidptosis, promoted the aggregation of cDCs and CD8+ T cells, and inhibited the progression of OSCC. Overall, our findings reveal that PPARγ plays a key role in regulating cell death in OSCC and that targeting PPARγ may be a potential therapeutic approach for OSCC.

In this paper, the design of an atmospheric turbulence simulation system for free-space optical (FSO) communication is proposed. The system can accurately simulate repeatable atmospheric turbulent fading channels. It has a dynamic execution range of 30 dB with an execution rate of 1 MHz. The execution accuracy of the system is higher than 0.1 dB. In addition, the reliable TCP/IP protocol is used for communication, which ensures the convenience and versatility of the system. Experiments are carried out to investigate the performance of the system, and the results prove its superiority. Hence, the atmospheric turbulence simulation system can effectively simulate the influence of atmospheric turbulence channels on FSO communication systems.

In pulpitis, dentinal restorative processes are considerably associated with undifferentiated mesenchymal cells in the pulp. This study aimed to investigate strategies to improve the odonto/osteogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) in an inflammatory environment. After pretreatment of DPSCs with 20 ng/mL tumor necrosis factor-induced protein-6 (TSG-6), DPSCs were cultured in an inflammation-inducing solution. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were performed to measure the expression levels of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and odonto/osteogenic differentiation markers, respectively. Cell Counting Kit-8 and 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine assays were used to assess cell proliferation and activity. Subcutaneous ectopic osteogenesis and mandibular bone cultures were performed to assess the effects of TSG-6 in vivo. The expression levels of odonto/osteogenic markers were higher in TSG-6-pre-treated DPSCs than nontreated DPSCs, whereas NF-κB-related proteins were lower after the induction of inflammation. An anti-CD44 antibody counteracted the rescue effect of TSG-6 on DPSC activity and mineralization in an inflammatory environment. Exogenous administration of TSG-6 enhanced the anti-inflammatory properties of DPSCs and partially restored their mineralization function by inhibiting NF-κB signaling. The mechanism of action of TSG-6 was attributed to its interaction with CD44. These findings reveal novel mechanisms by which DPSCs counter inflammation and provide a basis for the treatment of pulpitis.

The increasing uncertainty of wind power brings greater challenges to the control for mitigation of cascading failures. In order to minimize the risk of cascading failures in large-scale wind power systems at a lower economic cost, a multi-stage blocking control model is proposed based on sensitivity analysis. Firstly, the propagation mechanism of cascading failures in power systems with wind power integration is analyzed, and the propagation path of such failures is predicted. Subsequently, sensitive lines that are prone to failure are identified using the power sensitivity matrix, taking into account the effects of blocking control on the propagation path. By constraining the power flow of these sensitive lines, a multi-stage blocking control model for the predicted cascading failure path is proposed with the objective of minimizing the control cost and cascading failure probability. Based on probabilistic optimal power flow calculations, the constraints related to wind power uncertainty are transformed into opportunity constraints. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed model, the IEEE 39-node system is used as an example, and the results show that the obtained control method is able to balance economy and safety. In addition, the control costs for the same initial failure are higher as the wind power penetration rates and confidence levels increase.

Chinese cherries, with their delightful blend of sourness and sweetness, are highly favored for their taste and nutritional benefits. However, they mature in conditions of high temperatures and rainfall, making them vulnerable to fungal infections which compromise their post-harvest quality. Our research aimed to study the effects of pre-harvest spraying with salicylic acid (SA) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) on the pathogenic fungi in Manaohong cherries and their subsequent storage quality. We discovered that using SA and SNP at varying fruit development stages preserved fruit hardness, texture, appearance, and respiratory rate during storage, although it did not significantly alter the fruit’s dimensions. Furthermore, this pre-harvest treatment preserved levels of titratable acids, total phenols, and other antioxidants in the cherries, bolstered the activities of certain antioxidant enzymes (SOD, APX), and inhibited the activity of PPO and POD enzymes.Notably, the SA treatment alone demonstrated superior storage performance compared to combined treatments. Our research also identified Alternaria alternata and Colletotrichum godetiae as the primary pathogens in Manaohong cherries. In in vitro experiments, neither SA nor SNP inhibited these fungi’s growth. Consequently, we evaluated 12 pesticides and determined that 5% hexaconazole and 50% benomyl were most effective against these pathogens. Thus, to enhance the shelf life of Manaohong cherries and ensure their post-harvest quality, we recommend a pre-harvest spray of a SA, and combined with 5% hexaconazole and 50% benomyl. This approach not only promises enhanced cherry longevity but also lays a foundational strategy for the flourishing Manaohong Cherry industry.

This article is dedicated to providing a detailed review concerning the SPH-based hydrodynamic simulations for ocean energy devices (OEDs). Attention is particularly focused on three topics that are tightly related to the concerning field, covering (1) SPH-based numerical fluid tanks, (2) multi-physics SPH techniques towards simulating OEDs, and finally (3) computational efficiency and capacity. In addition, the striking challenges of the SPH method with respect to simulating OEDs are elaborated, and the future prospects of the SPH method for the concerning topics are also provided.

The kiwifruit industry is booming worldwide. As a result, a great deal of kiwifruit waste residue (KWR) containing monosaccharides is produced and discarded. This material shows great potential for the production of platform chemicals. In this study, a series of Nb/Al oxide catalysts were synthesized via a facile and low-cost coprecipitation method, and their structures were characterized using: thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), XRD, FESEM, TEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), NH3-TPD, N2 adsorption-desorption, and FTIR-Pyridine adsorption. Experimental results of sugar-to-levulinic acid (LA) conversion revealed that the 20%Nb/Al oxide catalyst provided the highest catalytic performance and durability in terms of LA yield from fructose (74.2%) at 463 K after 10 min and from glucose (47.5%) at 473 K after 15 min. Notably, the 20% Nb/Al oxide catalyst with a 10% dosage is capable of converting kiwifruit waste residue to LA at 473 K after 10 min. In conclusion, the enhanced catalytic performance was obtained due to the high acidity, and large surface areaof Nb/Al oxide catalyst.

P-glycoprotein (P-gp), which is encoded by the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1) gene, is one of the most pivotal ABC transporters that transport its substrates across the cell membrane. Its overexpression is one of the confirmed causes of multidrug resistance (MDR), which results in the failure of cancer treatment. Here, we report that checkpoint kinase (Chk) 1 inhibitor MK-8776, a drug candidate in clinical trial, can restore the sensitivity of chemotherapeutics that are substrates of P-gp in KB-C2, SW620/Ad300 cells and human embryonic kidney (HEK)293/ABCB1 cells that overexpress P-gp. MK-8776 remarkably enhanced the cellular [3H]-paclitaxel accumulation and suppressed the efflux function of P-gp without reducing its expression and affecting its cellular localization in cancer cells. Furthermore, MK-8776 (0−40 μM) stimulated the activity of ATPase in P-gp, which was 4.1-fold greater than the control. In addition, MK-8776 formed a cation−π bond and π−π interaction with key residues of the substrate-binding site in P-gp, as indicated by computer-aided molecular docking study. Our study indicated that MK-8776 may significantly enhance the sensitivity of chemotherapeutics that are substrates of P-gp, providing important information for its application in the reversal of MDR.

Gait event detection is a crucial step towards the effective assessment and rehabilitation of motor dysfunctions. Recently, the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) based methods have been increasingly proposed for gait event detection due to their robustness. However, few investigations on determining the appropriate mother wavelet with proper selection criteria have been performed, especially for hemiplegic patients. In this study, the performances of commonly used mother wavelets in detecting gait events were systematically investigated. The acceleration signals from the tibialis anterior muscle of both healthy and hemiplegic subjects were recorded during ground walking and the two core gait events of heel strike (HS) and toe off (TO) were detected from the signal recordings by a CWT algorithm with different mother wavelets. Our results showed that the overall performance of the CWT algorithm in detecting the two gait events was significantly different when using various mother wavelets. By using different wavelet selection criteria, we also found that the accuracy criteria based on time-error minimization and F1-score maximization could provide the appropriate mother wavelet for gait event detection. The findings from this study will provide an insight on the selection of an appropriate mother wavelet for gait event detection and facilitate the development of adequate rehabilitation aids.

Alisol B 23-acetate (AB23A), a natural triterpenoid, has been reported to exert hepatoprotective and antitumor activities. Aiming to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity, this study examined the effect of AB23A on mast cells and allergic reaction. AB23A inhibited the degranulation of mast cells stimulated by immunoglobulin E/antigen (IgE/Ag), and also decreased the synthesis of leukotriene C4 (LTC4), production of interlukin-6 (IL-6), and expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in a concentration-dependent manner with no significant cytotoxicity in bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs). AB23A inhibited spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) and the downstream signaling molecules including phospholipase Cγ (PLCγ), serine-threonine protein kinase/inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase/nuclear factor kappa-B (Akt/IKK/NF-κB), and mitogen-activated protein kinases/cytosolic phospholipase A2 (MAPK/cPLA2). Furthermore, AB23A blocked mobilization of Ca2+. Similar results were obtained in other mast cell lines Rat basophilic leukemia (RBL)-2H3 cells and a human mast cell line (HMC-1). In addition, AB23A attenuated allergic responses in an acute allergy animal model, passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA). Taken together, this study suggests that AB23A inhibits the activation of mast cells and ameliorates allergic reaction, and may become a lead compound for the treatment of mast cell-mediated allergic diseases.

Real-time detection of gait events can be applied as a reliable input to control drop foot correction devices and lower-limb prostheses. Among the different sensors used to acquire the signals associated with walking for gait event detection, the accelerometer is considered as a preferable sensor due to its convenience of use, small size, low cost, reliability, and low power consumption. Based on the acceleration signals, different algorithms have been proposed to detect toe off (TO) and heel strike (HS) gait events in previous studies. While these algorithms could achieve a relatively reasonable performance in gait event detection, they suffer from limitations such as poor real-time performance and are less reliable in the cases of up stair and down stair terrains. In this study, a new algorithm is proposed to detect the gait events on three walking terrains in real-time based on the analysis of acceleration jerk signals with a time-frequency method to obtain gait parameters, and then the determination of the peaks of jerk signals using peak heuristics. The performance of the newly proposed algorithm was evaluated with eight healthy subjects when they were walking on level ground, up stairs, and down stairs. Our experimental results showed that the mean F1 scores of the proposed algorithm were above 0.98 for HS event detection and 0.95 for TO event detection on the three terrains. This indicates that the current algorithm would be robust and accurate for gait event detection on different terrains. Findings from the current study suggest that the proposed method may be a preferable option in some applications such as drop foot correction devices and leg prostheses.

The comprehensive exploration and thorough understanding of the physicochemical characteristics of “Crystal” grapes in the Karst area of Southwest China can not only produce edible table grapes, but also offer significant theoretical backing for the management of rocky desertification in the Karst area and consequently generate enhanced social and ecological benefits. This study explored the regulatory effect of 1-MCP fumigation on the postharvest storage quality of "Crystal” grapes, aiming to provide some technical support for the development of the grape industry in the Karst mountainous areas. The results indicate that compared with the control group, both the 10.0 and 50.0 μL/L 1-MCP treatment groups effectively inhibited the increase in decay rate, browning rate, shedding rate, and color change of the grapes, significantly inhibited the enhancement of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), and lipoxygenases (LOX) browning-related enzyme activities, improved the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of the fruits, hindered the decrease of ascorbic acid (AsA) and polyphenols, delayed the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and significantly postponed the peak period of polygalacturonase (PG) activity in the fruits and the degradation of protopectin to soluble pectin, thereby maintaining desirable texture characteristics. The utilization of 1-MCP for fruit fumigation yielded a heightened overall fragrance, thereby facilitating the emission of terpenes, alcohols, aldehydes, ketone aromatic compounds, and methyl aromatic substances within the fruit. Overall, both the M10 and M50 treatments are equally effective in preserving the storage quality of “Crystal” grapes. Under the condition of ensuring the excellent edible quality of crystal grapes, M2 can extend the shelf life of crystal grapes by about 5 days, and M10 and M50 can extend the storage period of crystal grapes by 10~15 days. Considering the cost, it is recommended that the industry employs a concentration of 10.0 μL/L of 1-MCP for “Crystal” grapes. Simultaneously, this study also provides theoretical support for the ecologically high-quality development of cultivated land in the Karst mountainous area of Guizhou and tree selection.

Soft rot is a severe postharvest disease of kiwifruit that causes enormous economic losses annually. In this study, we aimed to explore an effective pullulan-based active coating, incorporating food additives to reduce soft rot and extend the shelf life of cold-stored kiwifruit. The results showed that 1 g/L potassium metabisulfite could completely inhibit the mycelial growth of Diaporthe sp., Botryosphaeria dothidea, Phomopsis sp. and Alternaria sp., which were the primary pathogens of kiwifruit soft rot. Furthermore, the pullulan coating, combined with a 10 g/L potassium metabisulfite group, had a decay rate 46% lower than the control (CK) group and maintained fruit quality at the end of shelf life. The retention of physicochemical properties such as soluble solid content (SSC), firmness, weight loss and respiration rate also confirmed the efficacy of the treatment. In addition, at the end of shelf life, pullulan coating, combined with potassium metabisulfite, increased the accumulation of total phenolic content (37.59%) and flavonoid content (9.28%), maintained a high energy charge (51.36%), and enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) (6.27%), peroxidase (POD) (62.50%), catalase (CAT) (84.62%) and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) (24.61%) enzyme activities as well as initiating the upregulation of their gene expression levels. As a result, the disease resistance of fruit was improved, and the occurrence of soft rot was delayed. Overall, this study demonstrated that using the pullulan-based active coating incorporating potassium metabisulfite treatment effectively controlled soft rot and retarded the senescence of postharvest kiwifruit.

To optimize the bamboo heat treatment process, the corresponding evolution rules under various heat treatment conditions must be determined. When the heat treatment time and temperature remained constant, the effects of different heat treatment pressures on the equilibrium moisture content, dimensional stability, mechanical properties, and chemical composition of bamboo were systematically investigated. In this experiment, bamboo without heat treatment was used as the control group. The experimental findings demonstrate the following: (1) The equilibrium moisture content of heat-treated bamboo gradually decreases with increasing treatment pressure. When the heat treatment pressure was set at 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, and 0.25 MPa, the bamboo’s equilibrium water content decreased to 12.1%, 11.7%, 9.9%, and 8.6%, respectively, while that of the control group was 13.8%. (2) The dimensional stability of bamboo was enhanced with increasing heat treatment pressure. At pressures of 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, and 0.25 MPa, the radial air-dry shrinkage rates of the heat-treated bamboo decreased to 3.4%, 3.4%, 2.6%, and 2.3%, respectively, while the tangential air-dry shrinkage rates reduced to 5.6%, 5.1%, 3.3%, and 3.0%. In comparison, the radial and tangential air-dry shrinkage rates of the control group were measured as 3.6% and 5.8%, respectively. Similarly, the radial and tangential full-dry shrinkage of bamboo exhibited a similar trend. (3) With the increase in heat treatment pressure, the bending strength and longitudinal compressive strength of bamboo exhibited an initial rise followed by a decline. When it was at heat treatment pressures of 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, and 0.25 MPa, the corresponding bending strengths of the heat-treated bamboo were measured as 41.2, 26.7, 22.4, and 20.4 MPa, respectively; while the longitudinal compressive strengths were recorded as 42.6, 38.1, 29.1, and 25.3 MPa. In comparison, the bending and longitudinal compressive strengths of the control group were measured as 39.8 and 38.5 MPa, respectively. It is evident that the optimal heat treatment pressure for bamboo is 0.1 MPa, resulting in a significant increase of 3.5% and 10.6% in bending strength and longitudinal compressive strength, respectively, compared to the control group. (4) Based on the FTIR and XRD patterns of bamboo samples, a range of physical and chemical transformations were observed during the heat treatment process, including cellulose adsorb water evaporation, hemicellulose and cellulose degradation, as well as acetyl group hydrolysis on the molecular chain of hemicellulose. These changes collectively impacted the physical and mechanical properties of bamboo.

A distinctive feature of modern Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals is that they transmit multiple signal components at the same carrier frequencies. The idea of joints across the signal channels from the same carrier frequency and even across different frequencies has been presented in many studies for tracking purposes. Carrier joint tracking is required on the premise that the frequency and phase relationship between signals are nominal values, and the bias of carrier characteristics between signals is drowned in noise as the signal reaches the ground, which requires high-gain receiving equipment to restore the original signal. The space signal-quality monitoring and evaluation system built by the National Timing Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is based on a 40 m dish antenna, which can automatically track a single satellite and achieve a high-fidelity reception of navigation signals to a certain extent, realizing fine signal quality monitoring (SQM) of GNSS satellites. Based on this platform, we discuss four types of time distributions of the combined signals among different signal components and provide a method to estimate the carrier characteristic bias between GNSS signals. We derived the correction method of carrier characteristic bias in the joint reception by the joint tracking mathematical model. Under the conditions of narrow correlation and unobstructed case, the carrier characteristic deviation does not vary significantly with the correlator interval and the satellite elevation angle. Based on the results of stability analysis, it is recommended that the receivers should update the carrier frequency bias correction number of the intra-frequency signal and carrier phase bias correction number of the intra-frequency signal monthly. The carrier phase deviation correction number of the inter-frequency signal is performed daily. The measured data from satellites show that the phase accumulation error of the joint tracking carrier loop can be eliminated to achieve long-term stable tracking after frequency bias correction. After the carrier phase bias correction, the joint positioning accuracy of the B2a and B2b signals was improved by 0.81%, and those of the B1C, L1C, E1C, and B2a signals were improved by 0.35%, 0.04%, 0.20%, and 0.11%, respectively. The positioning accuracy improvement effect of inter-frequency signals was greater than that of intra-frequency signals after carrier phase correction.

Traction spoofing is an important component of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) intermediate attacks, and the traction scheme directly determines the concealment of spoofing. However, spoofing via conventional traction strategies can be easily detected using Time of Arrival (TOA) and power detection. Based on a BPSK-modulated signal, a novel traction strategy using traction code is proposed to suppress part of the authentication signal and form an ideal correlation peak. This strategy was modeled and simulated to verify its theoretical feasibility. Effective spoofing data were generated based on the signal generation software to verify the spoofing effect with the reception of the software receiver. It can be inferred that no significant distortion occurred throughout the traction process, and the value range of the traction speed was expanded. The received results in different scenarios demonstrated that the observations’ Root-Mean-Square Error (RMSE) percentage change in the proposed strategy is significantly better than those of conventional strategies. A Ratio Test was also performed, verifying that the strategy can bypass Signal Quality Monitoring (SQM) detection. Meanwhile, the proposed strategy remained effective when the C/N0 increased to 60 dBHz. In summary, the proposed strategy exhibits destructiveness, concealment, and adaptability on the battlefield.

In order to study a short-term and efficient technology by 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) in blueberry, the fruit was treated with 0, 0.5, 1 and 3 μL/L 1-MCP for 2 h then stored at 25 ± 1 °C with 40–50% relative humidity (RH) for 9 d. The weight loss, decay incidence, respiration rate, firmness, soluble solid content (SSC), titratable acid (TA), Brix-acid ratio (BAR), sensory evaluation, content of cell wall polysaccharide, activities of cell wall composition-related enzymes and energy metabolism in blueberry were determined during shelf life. The results showed that the weight loss, decay incidence and respiration rate were reduced by 3 μL/L 1-MCP treatment. Compared to other groups, the firmness, the content of TA and anthocyanins were maintained in 3 μL/L 1-MCP-treated blueberry. In contrast, the SSC and BAR were lower compared to those untreated. However, the sensory evaluation of “taste” and “aroma” value showed no differences in all fruits. The content of protopectin, cellulose and hemicellulose was higher in 1-MCP-treated blueberry, accompanied by a decrease in polygalacturonase (PG) and pectin methyl esterase (PME) activity. The content of water-soluble pectin (WSP) was lower in 1-MCP-treated blueberry than untreated ones. The activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), peroxidase (POD), cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) and 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL) was higher in 1-MCP-treated blueberry than the untreated, which induced more serious lignification. The results of energy metabolism also showed that the 1-MCP treatment could ensure sufficient intracellular energy supply. The 3 μL/L 1-MCP treatment could maintain the shelf quality and retard decomposition of cell wall polysaccharide by ensuring sufficient intracellular energy supply and inhibiting cell wall-degrading enzymes activity. Taken together, this study highlighted an efficient and short-term 1-MCP treatment technique.

We determined whether a town-level comprehensive intervention program could lower the salt intake of a population. The parallel, cluster randomized controlled trial was carried out between October 2018 and January 2020 in 48 towns from 12 counties across 6 provinces in China. All participants were asked to complete the 24 h urine collections, anthropometric measurements and questionnaires at the baseline and one-year post-intervention survey. A total of 2693 participants aged 18 to 75 years were recruited at the baseline. A total of 1347 individuals in 24 towns were allocated to the intervention group and the others were allocated to the control group. Valid information from 2335 respondents was collected in the follow-up survey. The 24-h urinary sodium excretion was 189.7 mmol/24 h for the intervention group and 196.1 mmol/24 h for the control group at baseline. At a one-year follow-up, the mean effect of salt intake did not show a significant change (p = 0.31) in the intervention group compared to the control group. However, the mean result of potassium excretion in the intervention group increased by 2.18 mmol/24 h (85.03 mg/24 h) (p = 0.004) and systolic blood pressure decreased by 2.95 mmHg (p < 0.001). The salt-related knowledge and attitude toward salt reduction improved significantly in the intervention group (p < 0.05). A longer period of intervention and follow-up assessment might be needed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of the program on salt reduction.