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Bigelovin, a sesquiterpene lactone, has been demonstrated to induce apoptosis, inhibit inflammation and angiogenesis in vitro , but its potential anti-metastatic activity remains unclear. In the present study, two colon cancer mouse models, orthotopic tumor allografts and experimental metastatic models were utilized to investigate the progression and metastatic spread of colorectal cancer after bigelovin treatments. Results showed that bigelovin (intravenous injection; 0.3–3 mg/kg) significantly suppressed tumor growth and inhibited liver/lung metastasis with modulation of tumor microenvironment (e.g. increased populations of T lymphocytes and macrophages) in orthotopic colon tumor allograft-bearing mice. Furthermore, the inhibitory activities were also validated in the experimental human colon cancer metastatic mouse model. The underlying mechanisms involved in the anti-metastatic effects of bigelovin were then revealed in murine colon tumor cells colon 26-M01 and human colon cancer cells HCT116. Results showed that bigelovin induced cytotoxicity, inhibition of cell proliferation, motility and migration in both cell lines, which were through interfering IL6/STAT3 and cofilin pathways. Alternations of the key molecules including Rock, FAK, RhoA, Rac1/2/3 and N-cadherin, which were detected in bigelovin-treated cancer cells, were also observed in the tumor allografts of bigelovin-treated mice. These findings strongly indicated that bigelovin has potential to be developed as anti-tumor and anti-metastatic agent for colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-contamination from both organic and inorganic pollutants is widely distributed in soils and is more difficult to remediate compared to single-type pollution. The co-planting pattern is an ideal phytoremediation strategy to remediate contaminated soils owing to their incomparable benefits originating from plant-plant interactions, but how to choose the best plant combinations and which factors affect the final remediating efficiency are still unclear. In this study, phytoremediation with different planting strategies of three herbaceous species, namely ryegrass (Lolium perenne), Dahurian wildrye (Elymus dahuricus), and Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera), was conducted to remediate soils contaminated with both copper (Cu) and phenanthrene (PHE). The residual PHE content of all planting patterns was significantly lower compared to the unplanted bulk soil. More than 99% of total PHE losses were related to plant-stimulated microbial degradation, and plant intake was a minor pathway for PHE removal (accounting for less than 1%). The phytoextraction was the main Cu removal process by plants and the root uptake ability of Cu was the highest in Creeping bentgrass (an average of 708.9 mg kg−1) compared to the other two plants of ryegrass (an average of 269.9 mg kg−1) and Dahurian wildrye (an average of 268.0 mg kg−1). Two species co-planting combinations (ranging from an average of 264.4–302.3 mg m−2) greatly increased the total accumulated Cu content compared to single planting patterns (ranging from an average of 163.0–263.3 mg m−2). Combing the PHE removal results, the combination of Ryegrass x Creeping bentgrass, or Creeping bentgrass x Dahurian wildrye, where one species had a high biomass and the other species had a high uptake capacity, was a successful co-planting mode for the phytoremediation of multi-contaminated soils. Furthermore, microbes e.g. Massilia affiliated to Oxalobacteraceae, Sphingomonas affiliated to Sphingomonadaceae and Burkholderiaceae that can potentially degrade PAHs, as well as Rhizobium affiliated to Rhizobiaceae, Mucilaginibacter affiliated to Sphingobacteriaceae, and Caulobacter affiliated to Caulobacteraceae that can tolerate Cu stress were enriched in the rhizosphere. Overall, our study emphasizes the plant-plant interaction and the plant-microbe association, that both regulate phytoremediation effects on co-contaminated soils. [Display omitted] • Most of PHE losses were related to plant-stimulated microbial degradation. • Two species co-planting combinations increased the total accumulated Cu content. • Two plant species co-planting pattern was a successful phytoremediation strategy. • Microbes that can degrade PAHs or improve plant resistance were enriched. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to better understand, and ultimately improve, the interlaminar shear performance of CLT, this paper explores the influence of three different laminates—larch, poplar and OSB—as transverse layers on the interlaminar shear performance of CLT. The results showed that, although larch, poplar and OSB have little difference in overall density, the interlaminar shear strength of CLT was significantly affected with the use of each as the transverse layer. The interlaminar shear strength in the major direction of CLT prepared with three different materials as transverse layers is: 4.18 MPa (Larch - Poplar - Larch), 3.52 MPa (Larch - Larch - Larch) and 2.71 MPa (Larch - OSB - Larch). The interlaminar shear strength in the minor direction of CLT prepared with three different transverse layers is: 0.91 MPa (Larch - Poplar - Larch), 1.11 MPa (Larch - Larch - Larch) and 0.22 MPa (Larch - OSB - Larch). The interlaminar shear failure modes of the three CLT specimens are different: in the major strength direction, when larch was used as the transverse layer, the interlaminar shear failure mode was rolling shear failure of the transverse layer. When poplar was used as the transverse layer, the interlaminar shear failure modes of CLT were transverse layer shear failure and surface layer shear failure. When OSB was used as a transverse layer, the interlaminar shear failure mode of CLT was the internal shear failure of OSB. In the minor strength direction, the interlaminar shear failure mode of each of the three CLT specimens starts from the unsized gap on the side of the bottom laminate element, and the typical bending failure mode occurs in the transverse layer. CLT prepared with poplar as the transverse layer has lower density, but better interlaminar shear performance in the major strength direction. The interlaminar shear strength in the strong axial direction is affected by the structure of the transverse laminates, and as such homogeneous laminates are more suitable for use as transverse laminates. • The interlaminar shear strength of CLT is affected by transverse laminates. • Profile density is the main factor affecting interlaminar shear strength. • The laminate with uniform structure is more suitable for transverse lamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are a class of emerging contaminants widely distributed in the wastewater treatment system. The simultaneous analysis of multiple PPCPs in the sludge, which is a complex matrix, is still not fully studied. In this study, a procedure based on matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD) for the extraction of PPCPs from the sludge with determination by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was investigated. Forty-five PPCPs, including antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, β-blockers, antidepressants, antimicrobial agents, preservatives, UV filters, and so on, were studied. MSPD parameters, including the sorbent materials, the ratio of sample to sorbent, the eluent composition, and the elution volumes, were sequentially optimized. Best results were achieved by 0.1 g of sludge homogenized with 0.4 g of C18-bonded silica sorbent and elution by 6 mL methanol and 10 mL acetonitrile/5 % oxalic acid (8/2, v/ v). The method quantification limits for the 45 PPCPs ranged 0.117-5.55 μg/kg. The PPCP recoveries ranged from 50.3 to 107 % with relative standard deviation lower than 15 %. The proposed method was applied to analyze PPCPs in the sludge collected from a domestic wastewater treatment plant over 1 year. Thirteen PPCPs were detected, with the concentrations of ofloxacin and triclocarban more than 1000 μg/kg. Temporal variations of the PPCP levels were observed. Thus, MSPD-LC-MS/MS method could achieve good sensitivity and recovery for the target PPCP analysis in the sludge samples, while MSPD provided one-step sample preparation which was easier and faster to perform compared to the commonly used methods. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epoxy asphalt mixture with the epoxy system (EPS) and basalt has excellent road performance, but due to its high price, epoxy asphalt mixture is limited in its applications in conventional pavement. In addition, the basalt aggregate commonly used in epoxy asphalt mixture has shortages of high cost and insufficient reserves. This paper tries to reduce the EPS content and select suitable aggregates to prepare epoxy asphalt mixture with good road performance for conventional pavement. Basalt epoxy asphalt mixture (BEAM) and limestone epoxy asphalt mixture (LEAM) were designed based on the Bailey method. The road performance of BEAM and LEAM was evaluated by the Marshall test, rutting test, low-temperature bending test, water stability test, and fatigue test. Meanwhile, the mechanism of the EPS on the road performance of the mixture was revealed by the laser scanning confocal microscopy test. The results showed that the high-temperature deformation resistance, water damage resistance, and fatigue resistance of BEAM and LEAM were improved with the increase of EPS content, but the low-temperature crack resistance of the two mixtures was slightly decreased. Especially when the EPS content was 35 wt%, the performance change of BEAM and LEAM was more significant, which was caused by the phase transition in epoxy asphalt (EA). Therefore, 35 wt% EPS was recommended in EA. In addition, compared with BEAM, LEAM had better low-temperature crack resistance, less favorable high-temperature deformation, and fatigue resistance. The addition of EPS availably decreased the difference in road performance between LEAM and BEAM. Meanwhile, LEAM showed obvious cost advantages over BEAM. The research results of this paper had positive significance for expanding the engineering application of epoxy asphalt mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low cycle performance and low Coulomb efficiency of tin-based materials confine their large–scale commercial application for lithium–ion batteries. To overcome the shortage of volume expansion of pristine tin, Sn–Co alloy/rGO composites have been successfully synthesized by chemical reduction and sintering methods. The effects of sintering temperature on the composition, structure and electrochemical properties of Sn–Co alloy/rGO composites were investigated by experimental study and first-principles calculation. The results show that Sn–Co alloys are composed of a large number of CoSn and trace CoSn2 intermetallics, which are uniformly anchored on graphene nanosheets. The sintering treatment effectively improves the electrochemical performance, especially for the first Coulomb efficiency. The first charge capacity of Sn–Co alloy/rGO composites sintered at 450 °C is 675 mAh·g−1, and the corresponding Coulomb efficiency reaches 80.4%. This strategy provides a convenient approach to synthesizing tin-based materials for high-performance lithium–ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• NO 2 − and NO 3 − concentrations were the key factors affecting the N removal. • NO 3 − could inhibit denitrification and anammox by influencing the production of NO 2 −. • The availability of electron acceptors (NO 2 − and NO 3 −) influenced the denitrifiers. The anaerobic microbial nitrogen (N) removal in lake sediments is one of the most important processes driving the nitrogen cycling in lake ecosystems. However, the N removal and its underlying mechanisms regulated by denitrifying and anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) bacteria in lake sediments remain poorly understood. With the field sediments collected from different areas of Lake Donghu (a shallow eutrophic lake), we examined the denitrifying and anammox bacterial communities by sequencing the nirS/K and hzsB genes, respectively. The results indicated that denitrifiers in sediments were affiliated to nine clusters, which are involved in both heterotrophic and autotrophic denitrification. However, anammox bacteria were only dominated by Candidatus Brocadia. We found that NO 3 − and NO 2 − concentrations, as well as Nar enzyme activity were the key factors affecting denitrifying and anammox communities in this eutrophic lake. The enrichment experiments in bioreactors confirmed the divergence of denitrification and anammox rates with an additional complement of NO 2 −, especially under a condition low nitrate reductase activity. The coupled denitrification and anammox may play significant roles in N removal, and the availability of electronic acceptors (i.e., NO 2 − and NO 3 −) strongly influenced the N loss in lake sediments. Further path analysis indicated that NO 2 −, NO 3 − and some N-related enzymes were the key factors affecting microbial N removal in lake sediments. This study advances our understanding of the mechanisms driving the of denitrification and anammox in lake sediments, which also provides new insights into coupled denitrification-anammox N removal in eutrophic lake ecosystems. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular dynamics simulation technology was introduced into the characterization of epoxy asphalt performance, to display the reaction process between the epoxy resin and curing agent in epoxy asphalt clearly and explore the influence of epoxy resin content and conversion rate on the epoxy asphalt performance containing thermodynamic, compatibility, component distribution and diffusion. The reaction between the epoxy resin and curing agent was realized through Perl script, and epoxy asphalt molecular dynamics models with different resin content (25%, 45%, and 65%), and various conversion rates were prepared. Results demonstrated that the addition of epoxy resin enhanced the low-temperature performance of epoxy asphalt, but the increase in conversion rate played a negative impact on low-temperature performance. The CED and solubility parameter were synergistically affected by the epoxy resin content and conversion rate. Furthermore, the raise in the content of epoxy resin was the main reason for enhancing the compatibility between epoxy resin and asphalt. Therefore, the reasonable control of the resin content and conversion rate was beneficial to enhance the stability of the epoxy asphalt system and improve the compatibility between the resin phase and the asphalt phase. 25%-EA and 45%-EA were considered as asphalt phase materials. Aggregation behaviors exhibited between asphaltenes, and adsorption behaviors presented between epoxy resin and asphaltene. With the increase of conversion rate, the adsorption behavior gradually disappeared. 65%-EA belonged to the resin phase material, and the aggregation between asphaltenes was diminished. In addition, the epoxy resin without conversion reaction had the smooth diffusion behavior in epoxy asphalt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The freshwater leech Whitmania pigra (W. pigra) Whitman (Annelida phylum) is a model organism for neurodevelopmental studies. However, molecular biology research on its embryonic development is still scarce. Here, we described a series of developmental stages of the W. pigra embryos and defined five broad stages of embryogenesis: cleavage stages, blastocyst stage, gastrula stage, organogenesis and refinement, juvenile. We obtained a total of 239.64 Gb transcriptome data of eight representative developmental phases of embryos (from blastocyst stage to maturity), which was then assembled into 21,482 unigenes according to our reference genome sequenced by single-molecule real-time (SMRT) long-read sequencing. We found 3114 genes differentially expressed during the eight phases with phase-specific expression pattern. Using a comprehensive transcriptome dataset, we demonstrated that 57, 49 and 77 DEGs were respectively related to morphogenesis, signal pathways and neurogenesis. 49 DEGs related to signal pathways included 30 wnt genes, 14 notch genes, and 5 hedgehog genes. In particular, we found a cluster consisting of 7 genes related to signal pathways as well as synapses, which were essential for regulating embryonic development. Eight genes cooperatively participated in regulating neurogenesis. Our results reveal the whole picture of W. pigra development mechanism from the perspective of transcriptome and provide new clues for organogenesis and neurodevelopmental studies of Annelida species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The repair of white matter injury is of significant importance for functional recovery after ischemic stroke, and the up-regulation of triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) after ischemic stroke is neuroprotective and implicated in remyelination. However, the lack of effective therapies calls for the need to investigate the regenerative process of remyelination and the role of rehabilitation therapy. This study sought to investigate whether and how moderate physical exercise (PE) promotes oligodendrogenesis and remyelination in rats with transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). Methods: Male Sprague–Dawley rats (weighing 250–280 g) were subjected to tMCAO. AAV-shRNA was injected into the lateral ventricle to silence the Trem2 gene before the operation. The rats in the physical exercise group started electric running cage training at 48 h after the operation. The Morris water maze and novel object recognition test were used to evaluate cognitive function. Luxol fast blue staining, diffusion tensor imaging, and electron microscopy were used to observe myelin injury and repair. Immunofluorescence staining was applied to observe the proliferation and differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). Expression of key molecules were detected using immunofluorescence staining, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Results: PE exerted neuroprotective efects by modulating microglial state, promoting remyelination and recovery of neurological function of rats over 35 d after stroke, while silencing Trem2 expression in rats suppressed the aforementioned effects promoted by PE. In addition, by leveraging the activin-A neutralizing antibody, we found a direct beneficial effect of PE on microglia-derived activin-A and its subsequent role on oligodendrocyte differentiation and remyelination mediated by the activin-A/Acvr axis. Conclusions: The present study reveals a novel regenerative role of PE in white matter injury after stroke, which is mediated by upregulation of TREM2 and microglia-derived factor for oligodendrocytes regeneration. PE is an effective therapeutic approach for improving white matter integrity and alleviating neurological function deficits after ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Cr/Zr substitution increases the activity of the Mg2Ni (010) surface. [•] Cr/Zr atoms, especially Zr, are good candidates for improving hydrogen storage capacity of Mg2Ni. [•] Ni–M (M=Ni, Zr, Cr) bridge site is the most stable hydrogen adsorption site. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The introduction of a precise and effective production efficiency evaluative model has vital theoretical importance. It can promote the improvement of production efficiency in energy companies and the enhancement of China’s energy supply. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a nonparametric method to evaluate the relative effectiveness of decision-making units (DMU). While DEA has many theoretical advantages, it is also very sensitive to the number of decision-making units being evaluated as well as the accuracy of the data. Super-efficiency DEA can make up this limitation. However, this model has several shortcomings, like the possible exaggeration of the efficiency value and the variety of the evaluating benchmarks. Integrating the measurement of undesirable outputs, this paper combined the traditional CCR model, super-efficiency DEA model and ideal-DMU-based benchmark sorting model to get an improved super-efficiency DEA model. Then, we applied this method to 10 subsidiaries of a well-known domestic energy corporation to testify to the feasibility of it. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A new polyoxometalate based organic-inorganic hybrid [Ni 6 (trz) 2 (Htrz) 13 ][H 4 P 4 Mo 11 O 50 ]·7H 2 O was synthesized and exhibited high activity and selectivity for photoreduction of CO 2 under visible light. [Display omitted] • A new polyoxometalate named [Ni 6 (trz) 2 (Htrz) 13 ][H 4 P 4 Mo 11 O 50 ]·7H 2 O. • [Ni 6 (trz) 2 (Htrz) 13 ][H 4 P 4 Mo 11 O 50 ]·7H 2 O was synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. • [Ni 6 (trz) 2 (Htrz) 13 ][H 4 P 4 Mo 11 O 50 ]·7H 2 O form a binodal (4, 8)−connected gsp2 network. • [Ni 6 (trz) 2 (Htrz) 13 ][H 4 P 4 Mo 11 O 50 ]·7H 2 O has photocatalytic reduction of CO 2. A new polyoxometalate based organic-inorganic hybrid [Ni 6 (trz) 2 (Htrz) 13 ][H 4 P 4 Mo 11 O 50 ]·7H 2 O (1), constructed from a hexanuclear [Ni 6 (trz) 2 (Htrz) 13 ] building block and a new polyoxometalate [H 4 P 4 Mo 11 O 50 ] cluster, was synthesized under a hydrothermal condition. In this 3D structure, each [Ni 6 (trz) 2 (Htrz) 13 ] secondary building unit (SBU) connects with four neighbored [Ni 6 (trz) 2 (Htrz) 13 ] and four [H 4 P 4 Mo 11 O 50 ] clusters, forming an eight-connected node. While each [H 4 P 4 Mo 11 O 50 ] cluster bridges four [Ni 6 (trz) 2 (Htrz) 13 ] SBUs as a four-connected node. So the 3D framework of 1 can be simplified to a binodal (4, 8)–connected gsp2 topology with point symbol [44·62][416·612]. The photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 under visible light reveals that the highest yield of CO was 689.86 μmol g−1 when 1 is used as catalyst, Ru(bpy) 3 Cl 2 as a photosensitizer and TEOA as a sacrificial agent. The mechanism of the photoreduction of CO 2 is confirmed by Mott-Schottky, photocurrent, and fluorescence quenching experiments. This research provides a new strategy for the design of cheap and efficient POM-based photocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A method based on electrochemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (ECRET) between luminol as the donor and CdSe/ZnS quantum dot (QD) for evaluation of the interactions between DNAs and measurement of the conformational changes of DNAs was developed. When a positive potential was applied to the conjugates consisting luminol, DNA and QD, ECRET between luminol molecules and QDs could be detected in 0.2mol/L Na2CO3–NaHCO3 buffer (pH 10) containing 1.0×10−2 mol/L H2O2. In this case, luminol molecules emitted a light with a maximum emission (λ m) of 460nm or transferred energy to proximal ground-state QDs. The excited state QDs relaxed to their ground state by emitting a light with a λ m of 655nm. The ECRET between luminol and QD was used to evaluate interactions between DNAs and to measure conformational changes of DNAs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The operational stability under continuous illumination and the shelf stability in air are all important for the real application of the organic solar cells (OSCs). In this work, we investigated the influence of the commonly used electron transporting layer (ETL), i. e. ZnO and polyethyleneimine (PEI) on the shelf and operational stability of the PM6:Y6 OSCs. Due to the photocatalysis effect of ZnO, the operational stability of ZnO ETL-based device is worse than the PEI ETL-based device. Due to the hygroscopicity of PEI, the shelf stability of the PEI ETL-based device is worse than the ZnO ETL-based device. By using a ZnO:PEI composite ETL, a balanced shelf and operational stability was obtained. For the inverted PM6: Y6 solar cells, the device could remain 80% and 60% of the initial efficiency after 1200 h continuous illumination, and storage in air for 1500 h, respectively. [Display omitted] • The influence of ETL on the shelf and operational stability of OSCs. • A strategy to achieve balanced shelf and operational stability of the PM6:Y6 device. • ZnO:PEI composite electron transporting layer was reported for high stable OSCs. • The poor and highly humidity -sensitive of the PEI-based device was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A mitochondrial protein-lipid complex regulates lipid peroxidation in apoptosis. • Peroxidase-active lipid-cytochrome c complexes are reconstituted in vitro. • Phosphatidylglycerol lipids are less effective activators than cardiolipin. • Activity correlates to protein dynamics that are distinct from full denaturation. • A dynamic interplay of cytochrome c foldons and anionic lipids regulate activity. Cardiolipin (CL) is a mitochondrial anionic lipid that plays important roles in the regulation and signaling of mitochondrial apoptosis. CL peroxidation catalyzed by the assembly of CL-cytochrome c (cyt c) complexes at the inner mitochondrial membrane is a critical checkpoint. The structural changes in the protein, associated with peroxidase activation by CL and different anionic lipids, are not known at a molecular level. To better understand these peripheral protein-lipid interactions, we compare how phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and CL lipids trigger cyt c peroxidase activation, and correlate functional differences to structural and motional changes in membrane-associated cyt c. Structural and motional studies of the bound protein are enabled by magic angle spinning solid state NMR spectroscopy, while lipid peroxidase activity is assayed by mass spectrometry. PG binding results in a surface-bound state that preserves a nativelike fold, which nonetheless allows for significant peroxidase activity, though at a lower level than binding its native substrate CL. Lipid-specific differences in peroxidase activation are found to correlate to corresponding differences in lipid-induced protein mobility, affecting specific protein segments. The dynamics of omega loops C and D are upregulated by CL binding, in a way that is remarkably controlled by the protein:lipid stoichiometry. In contrast to complete chemical denaturation, membrane-induced protein destabilization reflects a destabilization of select cyt c foldons, while the energetically most stable helices are preserved. Our studies illuminate the interplay of protein and lipid dynamics in the creation of lipid peroxidase-active proteolipid complexes implicated in early stages of mitochondrial apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbially-driven sulfur cycling is a vital biogeochemical process in the sulfur-rich mangrove ecosystem. It is critical to evaluate the potential impact of sulfur transformation in mangrove ecosystems. To reveal the diversity, composition, and structure of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and underlying mechanisms, we analyzed the physicochemical properties and sediment microbial communities from an introduced mangrove species (Sonneratia apetala), a native mangrove species (Kandelia obovata) and the mudflat in Hanjiang River Estuary in Guangdong (23.27°N, 116.52°E), China. The results indicated that SOB was dominated by autotrophic Thiohalophilus and chemoautotrophy Chromatium in S. apetala and K. obovata , respectively, while Desulfatibacillum was the dominant genus of SRB in K. obovata sediments. Also, the redundancy analysis indicated that temperature, redox potential (ORP), and SO 4 2− were the significant factors influencing the sulfur cycling microbial communities with elemental sulfur (ES) as the key factor driver for SOB and total carbon (TC) for SRB in mangrove sediments. Additionally, the morphological transformation of ES, acid volatile sulfide (AVS) and SO 4 2− explained the variation of sulfur cycling microbial communities under sulfur-rich conditions, and we found mangrove species-specific dominant Thiohalobacter , Chromatium and Desulfatibacillum, which could well use ES and SO 4 2−, thus promoting the sulfur cycling in mangrove sediments. Meanwhile, the change of nutrient substances (TN, TC) explained why SOB were more susceptible to environmental changes than SRB. Sulfate reducing bacteria produces sulfide in anoxic sediments at depth that then migrate upward, toward fewer reducing conditions, where it's oxidized by sulfur oxidizing bacteria. This study indicates the high ability of SOB and SRB in ES, SO 4 2− , S 2 − and S2− generation and transformation in sulfur-rich mangrove ecosystems, and provides novel insights into sulfur cycling in other wetland ecosystems from a microbial perspective. • S. apetala and K. obovata sediments had higher TC, ES and AVS. • The elemental sulfur was the key factor driving SOB, total carbon was the driving force for SRB in mangrove sediments. • SOB was more susceptible to environmental changes than SRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cherries are rich in bioactive phenolic compounds and are often fermented into cherry wines. The degradation of anthocyanins during storage will cause color deterioration. The study aimed to utilize sinapic acid and grape tannins in cherry wine to maintain a high fraction in the colored forms of anthocyanins, in order to maximize the color intensity, the latter being associated with good product quality. The effects on the anthocyanin profile and on color parameters of copigments, utilizing spectral measurement combined with UPLC-MS quantitative analysis, have been evaluated in sweet cherry wines. The copigmentation effect of sinapic acid and grape tannin was accompanied by the bathochromic shift and the hyperchromic effect, which lead to an increase in color intensity (lower L*, higher a* and b*). During the aging process, sinapic and grape tannin increased the content of pyranoanthocyanins in cherry wine, especially the addition of sinapic acid makes the cherry wine generate 10-syringyl-pyranocyanidin-3-rutinoside. These results demonstrate that sinapic acid is suitable for adding before alcohol fermentation, while grape tannins can be added before aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the shortage of water resources becoming a global concern, the water conservation function has become one of the most important service functions and the key factor in the sustainable development of watershed ecosystem. The Danjiang River Basin as an important source of water for the middle route of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project, its water conservation function has attracted extensive public attention under global climate change. In this study, InVEST water yield model based on Budyko hydrological method was employed to analyze the spatio-temporal dynamics of water conservation, and the response of water conservation to climate, land use and soil changes for the period from 2000 to 2019. The results show that the water conservation of Danjiang River Basin tends to decrease under the comprehensive influence of various factors. The spatial analysis of the importance of water conservation identified Shangnan County, the southern part of Danfeng County and the northern part of Shanyang County as important water conservation areas in the study area, which should be regarded as the key and priority protection areas in the regional water resource and ecological protection. The study provides insights for sustainable water management and ecological protection policies, and the InVEST model with localized parameters can also be applied to other areas lacking climate, hydrological and geological data. [Display omitted] • Two decades of climate and water conservation in the Danjiang River Basin have been analyzed. • The spatial distribution of water conservation in the study area showed a decreasing trend from south to north. • The new parameter suggested enables the accurate simulation of water yield. • Water conservation in grassland accounted for more than half of the total water conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anhydride-cured epoxy asphalt (AC-EA) is an asphalt/resin two-phase system, the properties of which are affected by the asphalt and resin contents. This study aims to investigate the effect of asphalt content on the tensile properties, hardness, dynamic mechanical parameters, chemical components, and microscopic structure of AC-EA through experimental methods. Thermal aging resistance and mechanism of AC-EA with the asphalt content of 25%, 35%, 45%, 55%, and 65% were also investigated. The results show that as the asphalt content increased from 25% to 65%, the tensile strength and hardness of AC-EA binder increased first and then decreased, the elongation decreased, the glass transition temperature (Tg) rose, and the carbonyl absorption band changed from a single peak to double peak. The absorption bands of aromatic ether and sulfoxide in AC-EA binder overlapped with each other. The carbonyl ester index (CEI) and sulfoxide index (SI) showed a good linear correlation with the asphalt content. Besides, phase inversion occurred in the AC-EA system when the asphalt content was between 45% and 55%. AC-EA binder with an asphalt content less than 45% is a resin-based composite, and that with the asphalt content higher than 45% is an asphalt-based composite. At the thermal aging process, AC-EA binders with asphalt content higher than 45% were more likely to cause significant changes in the tensile parameters, hardness, and modulus than those with asphalt content less than 45%, indicating that the existence of the resin network can reduce the sensitivity of AC-EA to oxidation. After aging, Tg of resin-based composites increased, whereas that of asphalt-based composites decreased. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses indicated that the AC-EA binder had both postcuring and oxidative degradation during thermal aging. The postcuring was dominant in the resin-based AC-EA composite, whereas the oxidative degradation was dominant in the asphalt-based composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, conductive polymer composites have been widely studied for their electrical conductivity and electromagnetic shielding effects due to their advantages of light weight, simple preparation methods, and structural design versatility. In this study, oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes/waterborne polyurethane composites (OCNT/WPU) were prepared by grafting oxidized carbon nanotubes onto polyurethane molecular chains through in situ polymerization, using environmentally friendly waterborne polyurethane as the polymer matrix. Then, the OCNT/WPU structure was broken by high shear force, and the loading of CNTs was increased by adsorption, and a new composite structure was designed (denoted by OCWPU). The structure and morphology of OCNT/WPU and OCWPU were characterized by FT-IR and SEM. The structure and morphology of OCWPU with different multi-walled carbon nanotube loadings (CNTs/OCWPU) were characterized by SEM, Raman. Finally, the electrical conductivity and the electromagnetic shielding properties of the composites were investigated. It was found that after application of high shear force, the structure of OCWPU was disrupted and the surface activity of the material increased. With the increase in CNTs content, CNTs formed a rosette structure in the polyurethane matrix and covered the surface, and its electromagnetic shielding effect in X-bond (8.2–12.4 Ghz) would be able to reach 23 dB at 5% CNTs/OCWPU and 66.5 dB at 50% CNTs/OCWPU to meet the commercial needs. With 50% CNTs/OCWPU, an electrical conductivity of 5.1 S/cm could be achieved. This work provides a novel idea for the structural design of conductive polymer composites, which can achieve greater performance with the same carbon nanotube content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND RESULTS CONCLUSION Garlic is a promising source of antimicrobial peptide separation, and chemical modification is an effective method for activity improvement. The present study aimed to improve the antifungal activity of a peptide extracted from garlic. Chemical modifications were conducted, and the structure–activity relationship and antifungal mechanism were investigated.The results indicated that the cationic charge induced by Lys residue at the N‐terminal was important for the antimicrobial activity, and the modified sequence exhibited significant antifungal activity with low mammalian toxicity and a low tendency of drug resistance (p < 0.05). The structure–activity relationship analysis revealed that the modified active peptide had a predominant α‐helical structure and an inner cyclic correlation. Transcriptomic analysis showed that peptide KMLKKLFR (Lys‐Met‐Leu‐Lys‐Lyse‐Leu‐Phe‐Arg) affected the rRNA processing and carbon metabolism process of Candida albicans. In addition, the membrane potential study indicated a non‐membrane destruction mechanism, and molecular docking analysis and a DNA interaction assay suggested promising inner targets.The results of the present study indicate that chemical modification by amino acid substitution was effective for antimicrobial activity improvement. The present study would benefit future antimicrobial peptide development and suggests that garlic is a great source of antibacterial peptides and peptide template separations for coping with antibiotic resistance. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a cytokine in the immune system, participated in both innate and adaptive immune responses. Except from immune cells, MIF is also secreted by a variety of non-immune cells, including hematopoietic cells, endothelial cells (ECs), and neurons. MIF plays a crucial role in various diseases, such as sepsis, rheumatoid arthritis, acute kidney injury, and neurodegenerative diseases. The role of MIF in the neuropathogenesis of cognitive impairment disorders is emphasized, as it recruits multiple inflammatory mediators, leading to activating microglia or astrocyte-derived neuroinflammation. Furthermore, it contributes to the cell death of neurons and ECs with the binding of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) through parthanatos-associated apoptosis-inducing factor nuclease (PAAN) / MIF pathway. This review comprehensively delves into the relationship between MIF and the neuropathogenesis of cognitive impairment disorders, providing a series of emerging MIF-targeted pharmaceuticals as potential treatments for cognitive impairment disorders. [Display omitted] • MIF modulates neuronal and glial function in brain. • MIF-induced neuroinflammation and cell death contributed to cognitive impairment. • MIF inhibitors are promising to prevent cognitive impairment disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have proved that Larix kaempferi is a good material for preparing cross-laminated timber (CLT), but under bending shear stress, CLT made by Larix kaempferi is prone to the phenomenon of bonding face cracking, which seriously affects the shear performance of CLT. To solve this problem, this paper took Larix kaempferi as raw material, conducted experiments on the surface sanding conditions, gluing pressure and adhesive types of sawing timber, and explored the influence of these three factors on the bonding quality of CLT. The microscopic characteristics of the bonding layer were further studied. The results showed that for Larix kaempferi with a density of 0.68 g/cm3 used in this experiment, a high bonding pressure is required. Among the three cold curing adhesives selected in the experiment, emulsion polymer isocyanate (EPI) adhesive needs 1.5 MPa bonding pressure to ensure the bonding quality, while for polyurethane (PUR) and phenol resorcinol formaldehyde (PRF), 1.2 MPa can meet the need of adhesive pressure. This is concerned with the permeability of different adhesives under different pressures. The microscopic results of the bonding layer show that EPI adhesives have poor permeability, so it requires high bonding pressure. The influence of sanding surface of different sand-belt on block shear strength (BSS) and wood failure percentage (WFP) is not obvious, while the durability of bonding layer is better when sanding mesh number is 100. Hence, a high pressure should be used for CLT industrial production when the laminate density is higher, especially when the adhesive has poor permeability. Reasonable sanding surface treatment can be used in laminate surface treatment to improve the durability of CLT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• CRM with and without diesel pre-swelling was radiated by microwave. • Composition of compound activated CRM were different from untreated sample. • Binders modified with compound activated CRM showed improving performance. • Microwave radiation could improve thermal storage stability of CRM modified binders. Some novel methods are introduced to improve thermal storage stability and pavement performance of crumb rubber modified binder. In this paper, the objective was to investigate the effects of compound activation on the molecular structure and physical properties of crumb rubber, as well as rheological properties and thermal storage stability of crumb rubber modified binders. Two activation methods, with and without diesel pre-swelling, and six microwave radiation intensities were designed in this study. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) test, swelling equilibrium test and dynamic mechanical thermal analyzer (DMA) test were performed to evaluate the characteristic functional groups and physical properties of crumb rubbers before and after activation. Additionally, rheological properties test at various service temperatures and thermal storage stability test were carried out on the crumb rubber modified binders. The results show that certain microwave radiation intensity would break the C-S and C=S bonds and reduces the cross-linking density of crumb rubber. Activation mode was the main factor affecting high temperature stability, fatigue life and low temperature relaxation property rather than microwave radiation intensity compared with control one. In addition, thermal storage stabilities of activated crumb rubber modified binders were better than control one. The more radiation intensity, the improvement effect of thermal storage stability is. Synthesizes each kind of property, diesel pre-swelling and microwave radiation intensity of 1.2 kJ/g was a preferable combination in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid-state NMR (ssNMR) spectroscopy analyzes a wide range of pharmaceutical materials in a non-disruptive and non-invasive manner. The obtained molecular properties at macroscopic and microscopic scales offer critical knowledge on the physiochemical stability of drug substances and drug products. ssNMR is well suited to characterize multicomponent solids, providing insight into the formulation process and composition, as well as investigating structural attributes for drug delivery. Compared to other solid-state analysis techniques, ssNMR offers unique and comprehensive perspectives for its inherently quantitative nature, high sensitivity to differentiate individual chemicals, the atomic resolution to elucidate local structures and intricate interactions, the capability to probe molecular packings of amorphous materials, and its ability to study molecular motions at different timescales. This review will introduce the advancement and application of ssNMR in pharmaceutical sciences to overcome challenges in material characterizations. We aim to include examples of molecular investigation on primary structural behaviors and physicochemical attributes of drug substances, excipients and solid dosages. • Analysis of pharmaceutical solids presents challenges due to polymorphic forms, multiple components, and low drug loading. • Solid-state NMR offers a quantitative and high-resolution tool to characterize drug substance and drug product. • Multinuclear and multidimensional ssNMR can probe polymorphism, phase conversion, drug-polymer miscibility and interactions. • Fast magic angle spinning and dynamic nuclear polarization can enhance ssNMR sensitivity in pharmaceutical charaterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biogeography of active microbial communities and the underlying mechanisms in marine sediments are important in microbial ecology but remain unclear. Here, using qPCR and high-throughput sequencing, we investigated bacterial and archaeal community abundances and activities by quantifying the abundance and expression of the 16S rRNA gene respectively, RNA-derived bacterial and archaeal community biogeography, assembly mechanisms and co-occurrence relationships in surface sediment samples from the Bohai Sea (BS), South Yellow Sea (SYS) and the north East China Sea (NECS) of the eastern Chinese marginal seas. The results revealed a higher heterogeneity of bacterial and archaeal community activities than of abundances and heterogeneous ecological functions among areas reflected by community compositions. Furthermore, clear geographic groups (i.e., the BS, SYS and NECS groups) were observed for all, abundant and rare active bacterial and archaeal communities, accompanied by significant distance-decay patterns. However, the abundant and rare taxa showed inconsistent geographic patterns. More importantly, deterministic processes played a greater role than stochastic processes in active bacterial and archaeal community assembly. The rare taxa had weaker abilities to disperse and/or adapt and more complex ecological processes than the abundant taxa. In addition, this study also showed that intertaxa competition was the dominant interaction between active bacterial and archaeal members, which could greatly contribute to dispersal limitation. Moreover, active bacterial and archaeal co-occurrence patterns showed significant distance-decay patterns, which were consistent with the community compositions. Unlabelled Image • A higher heterogeneity of bacterial and archaeal community activities than of abundances was observed. • Significant distance-decay patterns and clear geographic groups were observed for active microbial communities. • Deterministic processes played a greater role than stochastic processes in active microbial community assembly. • The rare taxa had weaker abilities to disperse and/or adapt and more complex ecological processes than abundant taxa. • Intertaxa competition was the dominant interaction between active microbial members, contributing to dispersal limitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of increasingly tight resource and environmental constraints, understanding why and how farmers were willing to engage in agricultural green production (AGP) had become a major practical issue that needed to be answered to promote sustainable development of agricultural economy. This study collected first-hand data of 645 grain growers and used structural equation model (SEM) to explore the impacts of farmers' perceptions on AGP willingness focusing on perceived value and its antecedent factors, namely perceived benefits and perceived risks. Results showed that perceived value and perceived benefits had significantly positive impacts on AGP willingness, while the impacts of perceived risks was significantly negative. Furthermore, it was found that although the direct effect from perceived value (0.364) on farmers' AGP willingness was greater than perceived benefits and perceived risks, the decisive factor that ultimately played a key role in AGP willingness was farmers' perceived benefits (0.501). This was because perceived value played an actively mediating role of 23.1% in the path from perceived benefits to green production willingness. Besides, the multi-group analysis (MGA) found that the variable 'whether to join a cooperative or not' had a positively moderating effect on the relationship between farmers' AGP perceived value and willingness. Meanwhile, the variable 'joining cooperative group' (0.552) had a greater impact on the perceived value-green production willingness path of farmers' AGP than the variable 'non-joining cooperative group' (0.251), which indicated that farmers' AGP willingness could be enhanced by joining a cooperative. This study provides some enlightenment and reference for policy makers and practitioners to design or adjust programs related to reducing rural environmental pollution and implementing AGP. Unlabelled Image • Determinants of farmers' willingness of agricultural green production were studied. • Perceived benefits were the key factor of farmers' green production willingness. • Farmers' perceived value played an actively mediating role of 23.1% in the path. • Negative impact of perceived risks on the willingness was relatively minimal. • Farmers' green production willingness could be enhanced by joining a cooperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Asphalt binders modified with microwave preprocessed GTR were studied. • Two particle size GTR, and five radiation intensities were used to produce binders. • Engineering and rheological properties of binders were investigated. • Microwave radiation showed positive effects on the composite viscosity reduction and hot storage stability improvement. • Engineering and rheological properties of binders is dependent on GTR size, and microwave radiation intensity. Many researches and field applications have proven that binders modified with ground tire rubber (GTR) can significantly improve rutting resistance potential and durability of asphalt pavement. However, GTR modified asphalt binder has higher viscosity and poorer hot storage stability than base one resulting in construction troubles, such as more energy consumption, extra stirring, reduction in asphalt mixtures performance and etc. The objective of this study was to investigate the engineering and rheological properties of binders prepared with microwave preprocessed GTR at high service temperature, medium temperature, and low temperature, respectively. The experiment included two particle sizes of GTR and five microwave preprocessing radiation intensities. The dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), force ductility test (FDT) and hot storage test were performed to evaluate the effect of radiation intensities and particle sizes of GTR on the engineering and rheological characteristics from low to high temperature. The test results show that microwave preprocessed GTR modified binders presented a reduction trend in composite viscosity, as well as rutting resistance potential after exposing to microwave radiation. In addition, fatigue and low temperature tension properties were jointly affected by microwave radiation intensities and GTR particle size. Otherwise, lower phase separation tendency compared with binder modified with GTR without microwave radiation was observed in this study. Thus, comprehensive consideration of radiation intensities and GTR particles sizes were recommended to apply in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wide peritoneal metastasis is the cause of the highest lethality of ovarian cancer in gynecologic malignancies. Ascites play a key role in ovarian cancer metastasis, but involved mechanism is uncertain. Here, we performed a quantitative proteomics of ascites, and found that collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1A1) was notably elevated in ascites from epithelial ovarian cancer patients compared to normal peritoneal fluids, and verified that elevated COL1A1 was mainly originated from fibroblasts. COL1A1 promoted migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells, but such effects were partially eliminated by COL1A1 antibodies. Intraperitoneally injected COL1A1 accelerated intraperitoneal metastasis of ovarian cancer xenograft in NOD/SCID mice. Further, COL1A1 activated downstream AKT phosphorylation by binding to membrane surface receptor integrin β1 (ITGB1). Knockdown or blockage of ITGB1 reversed COL1A1 enhanced migration and invasion in ovarian cancer cells. Conversely, ovarian cancer ascites and fibrinogen promoted fibroblasts to secrete COL1A1. Elevated fibrinogen in ascites might be associated with increased vascular permeability induced by ovarian cancer. Our findings suggest that microenvironment remodeled by tumor cells and stromal cells promotes fibroblasts to secrete COL1A1 and facilitates the metastasis of ovarian cancer, which may provide a new approach for ovarian cancer therapeutics. • COL1A1 protein is elevated in ovarian cancer ascites and derived from fibroblasts. • COL1A1 promotes ovarian cancer metastasis via activating ITGB1/AKT signal pathway. • Ovarian cancer ascites and fibrinogen promote fibroblasts to secrete COL1A1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) has become a popular engineered wood product, mainly prepared from imported wood in China. More extensive research is needed to improve the local production of cross-laminated timber with fast-growing coniferous wood species. Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) and one component polyurethane (1C-PUR) adhesive were selected to prepare CLT under different process parameters. International standard methods, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical microscopy (LM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and nanoindentation (NI) were applied. The bonding performance and failure mechanism of Chinese fir CLT were investigated and clarified. The results showed that the optimal gluing parameters for preparing CLT from Chinese fir wood were 160 g/m2 of glue, 0.9 MPa of pressure, and 180 minutes of pressing time. Failure of CLT made from Chinese fir lumber was mainly due to the shear failure of the vertical layer board. Cracks often appeared in the earlywood cells near the boundary between earlywood and latewood. The impact of adhesive penetration on the mechanical properties of the wood cell wall showed that adhesive penetration increased the elastic modulus of the cell wall at earlywood and latewood cells. • The optimal gluing parameters for preparing Chinese fir CLT were revealed. • The typical failure modes and structures of Chinese fir CLT were ascertained. • Microstructure and micromechanics on the bonding interface were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rivers flowing across the Himalayas are important water resources and deliver large amounts of sediment to regional and downstream ecosystems. However, the geochemistry of Himalayan river sediments has been less studied. Surface sediment samples collected from a typical trans-Himalayan river, the Koshi River (KR), were used to investigate the distribution, pollution status and potential sources of heavy metals. Heavy metals did not show significant spatial differences between the upstream and downstream areas of the river, but Cd and Pb displayed higher values in the upstream area. The average heavy metal concentrations in the KR sediments are comparable to the natural background values and are lower than the sediment guidelines. Pollution assessment using the geo-accumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF) and pollution load index (PLI) suggested negligible anthropogenic disturbances except for slight contamination by Cd, Pb and Cu at a few sites. Principal component analysis revealed that Cr, Co, Ni and Zn were primarily from the parent rock and that Cu, Cd and Pb were derived from both natural and anthropogenic sources. Despite contrasting environmental settings and human activities in the upper and lower reaches of the river, the heavy metals concentrations in the KR sediments showed consistency with natural backgrounds and negligible contamination. The geochemistry of river sediments is a useful indicator of environmental changes, and long-term observations of the geochemistry of trans-Himalayan river sediments are needed to understand the impacts of intensified climate change and human activities on the Himalayan environment. Image 1 • First evaluation of heavy metals pollution in Koshi River sediments were conducted. • The distribution of heavy metals in the up- and downstream portions were uniform. • Only Cd, Cu and Pb indicated potential anthropogenic disturbances at a few sites. • Heavy metals in the surface sediments were mainly related to watershed lithology. • Trans-Himalayan river sediments may indicate regional environmental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telomerase activity is upregulated in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), yet its regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we identified a cancer-specific lncRNA (LINC02454) associated with poor prognosis by using LncRNA chip of our HNSCC cohorts and external datasets. Through employing negative-stain transmission electron microscopy (NS- TEM), we discovered an interaction between LINC02454 and CCT complex which would augment telomerase activity for maintaining telomere homeostasis. Supporting this, in the telomerase repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay and quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization (Q-FISH) analysis, LINC02454 depletion significantly reduced telomerase activity and shortened telomere length. Consistently, pathways related to telomerase, mitosis, and apoptosis were significantly impacted upon LINC02454 knockdown in RNAseq analysis. Functionally, LINC02454-deficient cells exhibited a more significant senescence phenotype in β-galactosidase staining, cell cycle, and apoptosis assays. We further confirmed the role of LINC02454 in HNSCC proliferation through a combination of in vitro and in vivo experiments. The therapeutic potential of targeting LINC02454 was verified by adenovirus-shRNA approach in HNSCC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. In summary, our findings provided valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of HNSCC tumorigenesis and potential targets for future treatment modalities. • Cancer-specific LINC02454 correlates with poor prognosis of HNSCC. • LINC02454 is transcriptionally activated by EGR1. • LINC02454 interacts with the CCT complex to augment telomerase activity. • LINC02454 depletion disturbs telomere homeostasis. • LINC02454 could be a novel target to hinder cancer progression by aiming at TERT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to establish a permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) model in rats to simulate the pathological process of stroke patients with no reperfusion. And screen highly sensitive items that could be used to detect long-term behavioral abilities in rat of intraluminal suture models. Method: Established the pMCAO model then tested the rats for the bilateral asymmetry, modified neurological severity score, grid-walking, cylinder, rotating, and water maze test from week 1 to week 16. Results: The infarct volume of the model rats was stable (26.72% ±1.86%). The sensorimotor test of bilateral asymmetry, grid-walking, cylinder, and mNSS test showed significant differences from week 1 to week 16 after injury. The water maze test at week 16 showed significant differences in spatial exploration and learning ability between the two groups. We confirmed that there was no significant difference between MRI and TTC staining in detecting the degree of brain injury, which facilitated the diversity of subsequent detection methods. We also confirmed that at multiple time points, grid, cylinder and water maze test were significantly positively correlated with rat brain infarct volume. Conclusion: They are suitable for the long-term observation of behaviors in the sequela stage of stroke in rat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common chronic metabolic disease worldwide. The disturbance of the gut microbiota has a complex influence on the development of DM. Polysaccharides are one type of the most important natural components with anti-diabetic effects. Gut microbiota can participate in the fermentation of polysaccharides, and through this, polysaccharides regulate the gut microbiota and improve DM. This review begins by a summary of the sources, anti-diabetic effects and the gut microbiota regulation functions of natural polysaccharides. Then, the mechanisms of polysaccharides in regulating the gut microbiota to exert anti-diabetic effects and the structure–activity relationship are summarized. It is found that polysaccharides from plants, fungi, and marine organisms show great hypoglycemic activities and the gut microbiota regulation functions. The mechanisms mainly include repairing the gut burrier, reshaping gut microbiota composition, changing the metabolites, regulating anti-inflammatory activity and immune function, and regulating the signal pathways. Structural characteristics of polysaccharides, such as monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, and type of glycosidic linkage, show great influence on the anti-diabetic activity of polysaccharides. This review provides a reference for the exploration and development of the anti-diabetic effects of polysaccharides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As far as mobile edge computing is concerned, it is necessary to ensure the data integrity of latency-sensitive applications during the process of computing. While certain research programs have demonstrated efficacy, challenges persist, including the inefficient utilization of computing resources, network backhaul issues, and the occurrence of false-negative detections. To solve these problems, an integrity protection scheme is proposed in this paper on the basis of data right confirmation (DRC). Under this scheme, a two-layer consensus algorithm is developed. The outer algorithm is applied to establish a data authorization mechanism by marking the original data source to avoid the false negative results caused by network attacks from the data source. In addition, blockchain-based mobile edge computing (BMEC) technology is applied to enable data sharing in the context of mobile edge computing while minimizing the network backhaul of edge computing. Based on the Merkle Tree algorithm, the inner layer algorithm is capable not only of accurately locating and promptly repairing damaged data but also of verifying all servers in the mobile edge computing network either regularly or on demand. Finally, our proposal is evaluated against two existing research schemes. The experimental results show that our proposed scheme is not only effective in ensuring data integrity in mobile edge computing, but it is also capable of achieving better performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a respiratory failure disease associated with high mortality rates in patients. The primary pathological damage is attributed to the excessive release of pro-inflammatory mediators in pulmonary tissue. However, specific therapy for ALI has not been developed. In this study, a series of novel ferulic acid-parthenolide (FA-PTL) and ferulic acid-micheliolide (FA-MCL) hybrid derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activities in vitro. Compounds 2, 4, and 6 showed pronounced anti-inflammatory activity against LPS-induced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in vitro. Importantly, compound 6 displayed good water solubility, and treatment of mice with compound 6 (10 mg/kg) significantly prevented weight loss and ameliorated inflammatory cell infiltration and edema in lung tissue, as well as improving the alveolar structure. These results suggest that compound 6 (((1aR,7aS,8R,10aS,10bS,E)-8-((dimethylamino)methyl)-1a-methyl-9-oxo-1a,2,3,6,7,7a,8,9,10a,10b-decahydrooxireno[2′,3′:9,10]cyclodeca[1,2-b]furan-5-yl)methyl (E)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)acrylate 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylate) might be considered as a lead compound for further evaluation as a potential anti-ALI agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roads are the fundamental elements of transportation, connecting cities and rural areas, as well as people's lives and work. They play a significant role in various areas such as map updates, economic development, tourism, and disaster management. The automatic extraction of road features from high-resolution remote sensing images has always been a hot and challenging topic in the field of remote sensing, and deep learning network models are widely used to extract roads from remote sensing images in recent years. In light of this, this paper systematically reviews and summarizes the deep-learning-based techniques for automatic road extraction from high-resolution remote sensing images. It reviews the application of deep learning network models in road extraction tasks and classifies these models into fully supervised learning, semi-supervised learning, and weakly supervised learning based on their use of labels. Finally, a summary and outlook of the current development of deep learning techniques in road extraction are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To compare the efficacy and safety of dinoprostone vaginal insert (DVI) alone versus DVI with adjunctive sweeping of membranes (ASM) for induction of labor (IOL). Methods: Single‐center, prospective, randomized controlled trial; women with singleton term pregnancies, cervical dilation ≥1 and <3 cm, intact membranes allocated to either DVI or DVI with ASM. The primary outcome was vaginal delivery within 24 h of insertion. Secondary outcomes included mean time from insertion to delivery, tachysystole, operative delivery for non‐reassuring fetal status (NRFS), tocolytics, fetal outcomes, pain information, and subject satisfaction. Results: One hundred and four received DVI (Group 1) alone and 104 DVI with ASM (Group 2). The rate of vaginal delivery within 24 h was 53% versus 56%, cesarean rate 8.7% versus 10.6% in Groups 1 and 2 respectively. Although the duration of labor was similar in both groups, about 6% of women required additional ripening with dinoprostone vaginal tablets in Group 2 compared to 11.5% in Group 1 (p‐value = 0.2). The frequency of hyperstimulation syndrome, failed induction, analgesic requirements, and fetal outcomes were comparable. The majority (83%–86%) in either cohort were satisfied with their labor experience. Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated a slightly better chance for vaginal delivery within 24 h (odds ratio [OR] 1.22 [95% confidence interval, CI 0.65–2.29]; p‐value 0.53] for DVI with ASM, although statistically insignificant. Younger maternal age and multiparity (OR 10.36 [95% CI 4.88–23.67]; p‐value <0.0001) contributed to successful IOL. Conclusion: DVI with ASM is at least as efficacious as DVI for cervical ripening with no increase in morbidity. Although DVI with ASM group less often needed additional dinoprostone tablets to complete the process of IOL (p‐value = 0.2), adjunctive sweeping has not been shown to have a significant impact on the duration of labor or mode of delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The peroxidation of cardiolipins by reactive oxygen species, which is regulated and enhanced by cytochrome c (cyt c), is a critical signaling event in mitochondrial apoptosis. We probe the molecular underpinnings of this mitochondrial death signal through structural and functional studies of horse heart cyt c binding to mixed-lipid membranes containing cardiolipin with mono- and polyunsaturated acyl chains. Lipidomics reveal the selective oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) cardiolipin (CL), while multidimensional solid-state NMR probes the structure and dynamics of the membrane and the peripherally bound protein. The hydrophilic milieu at the membrane interface stabilizes a native-like fold, but also leads to localized flexibility at the membrane-interacting protein face. PUFA CL acts as both a preferred substrate and a dynamic regulator by affecting the dynamics of the cyt c N70-I85 Ω loop, which covers the heme cavity. • Cytochrome c is a cardiolipin-selective lipid peroxidase in intrinsic apoptosis • Lipidomics probe oxygenation products of cardiolipin peroxidation in vitro • Solid-state NMR shows folded, but dynamically perturbed, protein on lipid surface • PUFA lipid-coupled dynamics of 70–85 Ω loop regulate access to heme cavity Li et al. show how cardiolipin acts as both a substrate and a dynamic regulator of cytochrome c 's pro-apoptotic lipid peroxidase functionality. Combining solid-state NMR and mass spectrometry lipidomics, they find that localized motion of the 70–85 Ω loop regulates heme cavity access in the peroxidase-active peripherally membrane-bound protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) can enzymatically transferred acetyl functional group from protein or lysine residues of histone, so they can regulate the expression of lots of genes. Now HDACs are used as drug targets and many HDAC inhibitors (HDACis) were approved for cancer therapy or in clinical trials. However, the physiological mechanisms and regulatory processes of HDACi anti-cancer effects are largely unexplored and uncompleted. Here we use the virtual screening workflow obtained 25 hit compounds and ZINC24469384 can significantly inhibit HDAC activity while arrest cell cycle at G1/S phase and significantly induced HepG2 cell apoptosis, time-course RNA-seq demonstrate that HepG2 cells transcriptionally respond to ZINC24469384. Pathway analysis of DEGs and DASGs reveal that NR1H4 may play an important role in ZINC24469384-induced anti-proliferation effect and is dramatically alleviated by down-regulating the SOCS2 expression and promoting STAT3 phosphorylation in knockdown NR1H4 HepG2 cells. Analysis based on TCGA database indicated that NR1H4 and SOCS2 were downregulated in liver cancer, this suggest NR1H4 and SOCS2 may play an important role in tumorigenesis. These results indicated that ZINC24469384 is a novel benzamine lead compound of HDACi and provides a novel mechanism for HDACi to inhibit cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: CFLARL, also known as c-FLIPL, is a critical anti-apoptotic protein that inhibits activation of caspase 8 in mammalian cells. Previous studies have shown that arginine 122 of CFLARL can be mono-methylated. However, the precise role of arginine methyltransferase of CFLARL remains unknown. PRMT5 and PRMT1, which are important members of the PRMT family, catalyze the transfer of methyl groups to the arginine of substrate proteins. PRMT5 can monomethylate or symmetrically dimethylate arginine residues, while PRMT1 can monomethylate or asymmetrically dimethylate arginine residues. Methods: Lung cancer cells were cultured following the standard protocol and the cell lysates were prepared to detect the given proteins by Western Blot analysis, and the protein interaction was assayed by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) or GST pull-down assay. CFLARL ubiquitination level was evaluated by proteasomal inhibitor treatment combined with HA-Ub transfection and WB assay. PRMT1 and PRMT5 genes were knocked down by siRNA technique. Results: We show that PRMT5 up-regulated the protein levels of CFLARL by decreasing the ubiquitination and increasing its protein level. Additionally, PRMT1 down-regulated the protein level of CFLARL by increasing the ubiquitination and degradation. The overexpression of PRMT5 can inhibit the interaction between CFLARL and ITCH, which has been identified as an E3 ubiquitin ligase of CFLARL, while overexpressed PRMT1 enhances the interaction between CFLARL and ITCH. Furthermore, we verified that dead mutations of PRMT5 or PRMT1 have the same effects on CFLARL as the wild-type ones have, suggesting it is the physical interaction between CFLAR and PRMT1/5 that regulates CFLARL degradation other than its enzymatic activity. Finally, we showed that PRMT5 and PRMT1 could suppress or facilitate apoptosis induced by doxorubicin or pemetrexed by affecting CFLARL in NSCLC cells. Conclusions: PRMT5 and PRMT1 mediate the distinct effects on CFLARL degradation by regulating the binding of E3 ligase ITCH in NSCLC cells. This study identifies a cell death mechanism that is fine-tuned by PRMT1/5 that modulate CFLARL degradation in human NSCLC cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Searchable symmetric encryption(SSE) schemes allow clients to search encrypted data stored on remote servers but ensure efficient retrieval by revealing specific information about the queries, such as access patterns. Honest but curious servers can then use these leakages to infer keywords queried by users. However, most attack schemes can only achieve considerable recovery accuracy(over 30%) under favorable conditions. When the auxiliary information is weak, the inference attack schemes using statistical information can achieve the same or even better recovery accuracy. In this paper, an attack based on statistical information is proposed. Our attack iteratively solves the quadratic recovery query problem using a linear optimization solver. With a tiny number of known queries(which can be deleted by the server), the query recovery accuracy can reach about 95% without knowing the exact background knowledge of the documents stored by the client. This process not only makes our scheme outperforms other attack schemes in accuracy but also makes our attack execution more efficient than other schemes, up to a maximum difference of 1000 seconds. The attack can still achieve considerable accuracy even when the defense is applied to the SSE scheme; defenses can help the SSE scheme obfuscate the pattern leakages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research focused on the stabilisation of anhydride-cured epoxy asphalt (EA) over thermal-oxidative aging. EA binders with graduated Irganox 1010 antioxidant contents at 0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2 wt% were prepared and then subjected to accelerated oven-conditioning aging at 85 and 100°C. The thermal stability, viscosity, mechanical parameters, and chemical structure of EA containing Irganox 1010 were evaluated during aging. The results showed that Irganox 1010 contributed to enhanced thermal stability, higher initial viscosity, and longer allowable construction time for EA. The 0.3–0.9 wt% Irganox 1010 had good compatibility with EA without weakening performance. During aging, Irganox 1010 effectively restrained degradation of the EA binder's mechanical properties and the EA mixture's low-temperature deformation. The variations of functional groups indicate that Irganox 1010 prominently restrained the oxidation of the asphalt phase and lightly affected the post-curing of the resin phase. There was a strong correlation between decreasing rate of bending strain of the mixture and increasing rate of sulfoxide in the binder. The mutual synergistic effect of resin and antioxidant improves the oxidation resistance of asphalt. Considering the aging improvement and economic cost, it is recommended to use 0.6 wt% Irganox 1010 as an antioxidant for anhydride-cured EA. Highlights Epoxy asphalt (EA) binder and mixtures incorporating antioxidant Irganox 1010 were analysed. Irganox 1010 plays a crucial role in aging protection effect of EA binder and mixture. Irganox 1010 antioxidant prominently restrains the oxidation of the asphalt phase and lightly affects the post-curing of the resin phase. There was a strong correlation between the bending strain of mixture and sulfoxide of binder. Addition of 0.6 wt% Irganox 1010 is recommended as an antioxidant for EA materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research focused on the stabilisation of anhydride-cured epoxy asphalt (EA) over thermal-oxidative aging. EA binders with graduated Irganox 1010 antioxidant contents at 0, 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2 wt% were prepared and then subjected to accelerated oven-conditioning aging at 85 and 100°C. The thermal stability, viscosity, mechanical parameters, and chemical structure of EA containing Irganox 1010 were evaluated during aging. The results showed that Irganox 1010 contributed to enhanced thermal stability, higher initial viscosity, and longer allowable construction time for EA. The 0.3–0.9 wt% Irganox 1010 had good compatibility with EA without weakening performance. During aging, Irganox 1010 effectively restrained degradation of the EA binder's mechanical properties and the EA mixture's low-temperature deformation. The variations of functional groups indicate that Irganox 1010 prominently restrained the oxidation of the asphalt phase and lightly affected the post-curing of the resin phase. There was a strong correlation between decreasing rate of bending strain of the mixture and increasing rate of sulfoxide in the binder. The mutual synergistic effect of resin and antioxidant improves the oxidation resistance of asphalt. Considering the aging improvement and economic cost, it is recommended to use 0.6 wt% Irganox 1010 as an antioxidant for anhydride-cured EA. Highlights Epoxy asphalt (EA) binder and mixtures incorporating antioxidant Irganox 1010 were analysed. Irganox 1010 plays a crucial role in aging protection effect of EA binder and mixture. Irganox 1010 antioxidant prominently restrains the oxidation of the asphalt phase and lightly affects the post-curing of the resin phase. There was a strong correlation between the bending strain of mixture and sulfoxide of binder. Addition of 0.6 wt% Irganox 1010 is recommended as an antioxidant for EA materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An outbreak of pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus (COVID‐19) began in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and quickly spread throughout the country and world. An efficient and convenient method based on clinical characteristics was needed to evaluate the potential deterioration in patients. We aimed to develop a simple and practical risk scoring system to predict the severity of COVID‐19 patients on admission. We retrospectively investigated the clinical information of confirmed COVID‐19 patients from 10 February 2020 to 29 February 2020 in Wuhan Union Hospital. Predictors of severity were identified by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. A total of 147 patients with confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 infection were grouped into non‐severe (94 patients) and severe (53 patients) groups. We found that an increased level of white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils, D‐dimer, fibrinogen (FIB), IL‐6, C‐reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), α‐hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBDH), serum amyloid A (SAA) and a decreased level of lymphocytes were important risk factors associated with severity. Furthermore, three variables were used to formulate a clinical risk scoring system named COVID‐19 index = 3 × D‐dimer (µg/L) + 2 × lgESR (mm/hr) − 4 × lymphocyte (×109/L) + 8. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.843 (95% CI, 0.771–0.914). We propose an effective scoring system to predict the severity of COVID‐19 patients. This simple prediction model may provide healthcare workers with a practical method and could positively impact decision‐making with regard to deteriorating patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]