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In this work, cobalt Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) catalyst supported on various carbon materials, i.e., carbon nanotube (CNT), activated carbon (AC), graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and carbon nanofiber (CNF), were prepared via impregnation method. Based on TGA, nitrogen physisorption, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, H2-TPR, NH3-TPD, ICP, SEM, and TEM characterization, it is confirmed that Co3O4 particles are dispersed uniformly on the supports of carbon nanotube, activated carbon and carbon nanofiber. Furthermore, the FT catalyst performance for as-prepared catalysts was evaluated in a fixed-bed reactor under the condition of H2:CO = 2:1, 5 SL·h−1·g−1, 2.5 MPa, and 210 °C. Interestingly, the defined three types of carbon materials exhibit superior performance and dispersion compared with graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide. The thermal stability and pore structure of the five carbon materials vary markedly, and H2-TPR result shows that the metal–support interaction is in the order of Co/GO &gt, Co/CNT &gt, Co/AC &gt, Co/CNF &gt, Co/rGO. In brief, the carbon nanofiber-supported cobalt catalyst showed the best dispersion, the highest CO conversion, and the lowest gas product but the highest heavy hydrocarbons (C5+) selectivity, which can be attributed to the intrinsic property of CNF material that can affect the catalytic performance in a complicated way. This work will open up a new gateway for cobalt support catalysts on various carbon-based materials for Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis.

Remote ischemic perconditioning (RIPerC) could improve neuronal damage and inhibit inflammation and apoptosis. We conducted an in-depth exploration of the protective mechanism of RIPerC in cerebral ischaemia injury. In this study, a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mouse model was built. According to whether to undergo RIPerC treatment and the duration of cerebral infarction, mice were divided into 5 groups: Sham group, MCAO 3.0 h group, MCAO 4.5 h group, MCAO 3.0 h + RIPerC group, and MCAO 4.5 h + RIPerC group. Overexpressed or silenced miR-153-5p was transfected into the cells to analyse the effects of oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) treatment on Neuro-2a cell viability, apoptosis, and related gene expressions by performing quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), MTT assay, flow cytometry, and Western blot. Bioinformatics analysis, qRT-PCR, dual-luciferase experiment, and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) were used to screen and verify the miRNA and downstream mRNA-targeted Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). The rescue test further verified the effects of the above target genes and miR-153-5p on the apoptosis of OGD-injured cells, apoptosis-related proteins, and the p65/IkBa pathway. The plasma levels of miR-153-5p in 68 patients with ischaemic stroke were detected within 6 hours of onset, and the patients were followed up for 3 months. We found that, in in vivo studies, RIPerC treatment inhibits cerebral infarction volume and neurological damage, and promotes the expression of miR-153-5p in the MCAO animal model. The expression of miR-153-5p in OGD cells was inhibited, and its upregulation protected Neuro-2a cells. TLR4 was predicted to be the target gene of miR-153-5p and could offset the effect of miR-153-5p mimic on OGD cell protection after up-regulating TLR4. TLR4 overexpression promoted the activation of OGD on the p65/IkBa pathway. Compared with the high plasma miR-153-5p group, the 3-month overall survival rate of patients with ischaemic stroke in the low plasma miR-153-5p group was significantly lower (c2 = 5.095, p = 0.024). In conclusion, RIPerC intervention inhibits the damage caused by cerebral ischaemia partially through the miR-153-5p/TLR4/p65/IkBa signalling pathway.

Cisplatin (CDDP) is widely used in clinical settings for the treatment of various cancers. However, ototoxicity is a major side effect of CDDP, and there is an associated risk of irreversible hearing loss. We previously demonstrated that CDDP could induce ototoxicity via activation of the transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1) pathway and subsequent induction of oxidative stress. The present study investigated whether ursolic acid (UA) treatment could protect against CDDP‑induced ototoxicity. UA is a triterpenoid with strong antioxidant activity widely used in China for the treatment of liver diseases. This traditional Chinese medicine is mainly isolated from bearberry, a Chinese herb. The present results showed that CDDP increased auditory brainstem response threshold shifts in frequencies associated with observed damage to the outer hair cells. Moreover, CDDP increased the expression of TRPV1, calpain 2 and caspase‑3 in the cochlea, and the levels of Ca2+ and 4‑hydroxynonenal. UA co‑treatment significantly attenuated CDDP‑induced hearing loss and inhibited TRPV1 pathway activation. In addition, UA enhanced CDDP‑induced growth inhibition in the human ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3, suggesting that UA synergizes with CDDP in vitro. Collectively, the present data suggested that UA could effectively attenuate CDDP‑induced hearing loss by inhibiting the TRPV1/Ca²+/calpain‑oxidative stress pathway without impairing the antitumor effects of CDDP.

Diseases develop during the storage of onions. To minimize losses, new methods are needed to identify diseased bulbs early in storage. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the respiration rate, weight loss, and the dry matter content were investigated for 1-7 weeks post inoculation of bulbs with water (control) and two strains (Fox006 or Fox260) of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae. Photos, multispectral image analysis, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) showed no infection in the control onions, weak pathogenic infection in Fox006-onions, and strong pathogenic infection in Fox260-onions at week 7 post inoculation. Infected bulbs exhibited increased respiration rate, increased VOC emission rate, and increased weight loss. The control and Fox006-onions did not respond to inoculation and had similar reaction pattern. Forty-three different VOCs were measured, of which 17 compounds had sulfur in their chemical structure. 1-Propanethiol, methyl propyl sulfide, and styrene were emitted in high concentrations and were positively correlated with the extent of infection (r = 0.82 - 0.89). Therefore, these compounds were the most promising volatile markers of Fusarium basal rot infection. For the first time, we show that the extent of fungal infection determined by real-time PCR in onion bulbs is related with VOC emission.

A calibrated, coupled model of the Bohai and Yellow Seas is developed to investigate sediment transport and deposition processes around a distinct clinoform east of the Shandong Peninsula. On the clinoform, deposition patterns vary seasonally with the regional hydrography and the East Asian Monsoon. A local maximum in sediment deposition is located offshore from spring to autumn, whereas sediment deposition is greater near the coast and decreases seaward in winter. From spring to autumn, a thermal front develops around the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass and limits sediment transport seaward, enhancing sediment deposition and leading to high deposition rate in a focused region offshore. Sediment is transported to the region by the southward basin-scale cyclonic circulation, and the cross-shelf gradient in stratification, sediment resuspension, and vertical mixing at the front lead to a convergence in sediment transport and deposition. Sediment deposition over the clinoform is the greatest during the transition from summer to autumn when the thermal front persists but sediment supply increases. This results from weakened stratification and greater resuspension near the coast due to stronger winds, waves, and sea-surface cooling. A seasonal seaward shift of the frontal position toward deeper water is consistent with the decreasing heat flux, and the corresponding shift in location of maximum sediment deposition shifts seaward. In winter, the thermocline disappears and vertical mixing increases throughout the region. SSC over the clinoform increases due to active resuspension and net deposition decreases, and instead sediment is transported seaward and deposits in the South Yellow Sea. Current velocity, SSC and sediment deposition rates decrease seaward, in contrast to the focused trapping at the thermal front from spring to autumn. The deposition rates around the thermal front from spring to autumn are greater than in the winter, so the high net sediment accumulation over an annual cycle occurs in the same region as the longer-term accumulation preserved in the omega-shaped clinoform.

Pulmonary vascular remodeling is the most important pathological characteristic of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). No effective treatment for PAH is currently available because the mechanism underlying vascular remodeling is not completely clear. CD248, also known as endosialin, is a transmembrane protein that is highly expressed in pericytes and fibroblasts. Here, we evaluated the role of CD248 in pulmonary vascular remodeling and the processes of PAH pathogenesis. Activation of CD248 in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) was found to be proportional to the severity of PAH. CD248 contributed to platelet‐derived growth factor‐BB (PDGF‐BB)‐induced PASMC proliferation and migration along with the shift to more synthetic phenotypes. In contrast, treatment with Cd248 siRNA or the anti‐CD248 therapeutic antibody (ontuxizumab) significantly inhibited the PDGF signaling pathway, obstructed NF‐κB p65‐mediated transcription of Nox4, and decreased reactive oxygen species production induced by PDGF‐BB in PAMSCs. In addition, knockdown of CD248 alleviated pulmonary vascular remodeling in rat PAH models. This study provides novel insights into the dysfunction of PASMCs leading to pulmonary vascular remodeling, and provides evidence for anti‐remodeling treatment for PAH via the immediate targeting of CD248.

To investigate the role of Eclipta prostrata (E. prostrata) extract in improving spatial learning and memory deficits in D-galactose-induced aging in rats.Rats were divided into five groups, with 10 animals in each group. Aging rats were produced by treatment with 100 mg·kg-1·d-1 of D-galactose for 6 weeks. Rats in the E. prostrata treatment groups received an aqueous extract of E. prostrata orally at a concentration of 50, 100, or 200 mg·kg-1·d-1 for 3 weeks. Animals in both the normal and model groups were treated with similar volumes of saline. Spatial memory performance was measured using the Morris water maze. The mRNA levels and enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) were analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR and spectrophotometry, respectively. The levels of induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nitric oxide (NO), dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and serotonin (5-HT) were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and spectrophotometry.Compared with the normal group, rats in the D-galactose-treated model group exhibited significant memory loss. There was severe damage to the hippocampal CA1 area, and expression levels of SOD, CAT, GPx, and GR were significantly decreased in the model group compared with the normal group. In the model group, levels of iNOS and NO were significantly increased compared with the normal group. However, treatment with E. prostrata extract reversed the conditions caused by D-galactose-induced aging, especially in the groups with higher treatment concentrations. Compared with the normal group, the levels of DA, NE, and 5-HT were significantly lower in the D-galactose-treated model group. In the E. prostrata extract-treated groups, however, there was a dose-dependent upregulation of DA, NE, and 5-HT expression.Our results suggest that administration of E. prostrata extract can result in an improvement in the learning and memory impairments that are induced by D-galactose treatment in rats. This improvement may be the result of enhanced antioxidative ability, decreased iNOS and NO levels, and the induction of DA, NE, and 5-HT expression in the brain.

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) is a major cause of acute kidney injury (AKI), along with delayed graft function, which can trigger chronic kidney injury by stimulating epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in the kidney canaliculus. Sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P1) is a G protein-coupled receptor that is indispensable for vessel homeostasis. This study aimed to investigate the influence of S1P1 on the mechanisms underlying I/R-induced EMT in the kidney using in vivo and in vitro models. Wild-type (WT) and S1P1-overexpressing kidney canaliculus cells were subject to hypoxic conditions followed by reoxygenation in the presence or absence of FTY720-P, a potent S1P1 agonist. In vivo, bilateral arteria renalis in wild-type mice and mice with silenced S1P1 were clamped for 30 min to obtain I/R models. We found that hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) significantly enhanced the expressions of EMT biomarkers and down-regulated S1P1 expression in wild-type canaliculus cells. In contrast, FTY720-P treatment or overexpression of S1P1 significantly suppressed EMT in wild-type canaliculus cells. Furthermore, after 48-72 h, a significant upregulation of EMT biomarker expression was triggered by I/R in mice with silenced S1P1, while the expressions of these markers did not change in wild-type mice. A kt activity was increased with H/R-induced EMT, suggesting that the protective influence of FTY720-P was due to its inhibition of PI3K/Akt. Therefore, the results of this study provide evidence that down-regulation of S1P1 expression is essential for the generation and progression of EMT triggered by I/R. S1P1 exhibits a prominent inhibitory effect on kidney I/R-induced EMT in the kidney by affecting the PI3K/Akt pathway.

This study investigates the deep circulation in the South China Sea (SCS) using oceanographic observations combined with results from a bottom layer reduced gravity model. The SCS water, 2000 m below the surface, is quite different from that in the adjacent Pacific Ocean, and it is characterized by its low dissolved oxygen (DO), high temperature and low salinity. The horizontal distribution of deep water properties indicates a basin-scale cyclonic circulation driven by the Luzon overflow. The results of the bottom layer reduced gravity model are consistent with the existence of the cyclonic circulation in the deep SCS. The circulation is stronger at the northern/western boundary. After overflowing the sill of the Luzon Strait, the deep water moves broadly southwestward, constrained by the 3500 m isobath. The broadening of the southward flow is induced by the downwelling velocity in the interior of the deep basin. The main deep circulation bifurcates into two branches after the Zhongsha Islands. The southward branch continues flowing along the 3500 m isobath, and the eastward branch forms the sub-basin scale cyclonic circulation around the seamounts in the central deep SCS. The returning flow along the east boundary is fairly weak. The numerical experiments of the bottom layer reduced gravity model reveal the important roles of topography, bottom friction, and the upwelling/downwelling pattern in controlling the spatial structure, particularly the strong, deep western boundary current.

Based on coastal tide level, satellite altimetry, and sea surface temperature (SST) data of offshore areas of China’s coast and the equatorial Pacific Ocean, the regional characteristics of the effects of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the sea level in the China Sea were investigated. Singular value decomposition results show a significant teleconnection between the sea level in the China Sea and the SST of the tropical Pacific Ocean; the correlation coefficient decreases from south to north. Data from tide gauges along China’s coast show that the seasonal sea-level variations are significantly correlated with the ENSO. In addition, China’s coast was divided into three regions based on distinctive regional characteristics. Results obtained show that the annual amplitude of sea level was low during El Nino developing years, and especially so during the El Nino year. The ENSO intensity determined the response intensity of the annual amplitude of the sea level. The response region (amplitude) was relatively large for strong ENSO intensities. Significant oscillation periods at a timescale of 4–7 years existed in the sea level of the three regions. The largest amplitude of oscillation was 1.5 cm, which was the fluctuation with the 7-year period in the South China Sea. The largest amplitude of oscillation in the East China Sea was about 1.3 cm. The amplitude of oscillation with the 6-year period in the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea was the smallest (less than 1 cm).

Oxidative stress is considered to be a major contributor to age-related hearing loss (ARHL). Here, we investigated whether pomegranate peel extract (PPE) protected against hearing loss by decreased oxidative stress in the cochlea of D-galactose-induced accelerated aging mice. The aging mice exhibited an increase in hearing threshold shifts and hair cells loss, which were improved in the PPE-treated aging mice. The aging mice also exhibited an increase in 4-hydroxynonenal, the expression of protein phosphatase 1 nuclear targeting subunit (PNUTS), p53 and caspase-3, and a decrease in protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) and MDM2 in the cochlea. PPE treatment reversed the changes in aforementioned molecules. Our results suggested that PPE can protect against ARHL, the underlying mechanisms may involve in the inhibition of oxidative damage of cochlea, possibly by regulating PNUTS/PP1 pathway. The results from the present study provide a new therapeutic strategy to use PPE for prevention of ARHL.

The water-sediment regulation scheme (WSRS), beginning in 2002, is an unprecedented engineering effort to manage the Yellow River with the aims to mitigate the siltation both in the lower river channel and within the Xiaolangdi Reservoir utilizing the dam-regulated flood water. Ten years after its initial implementation, multi-disciplinary indicators allow us to offer a comprehensive review of this human intervention on a river-coastal system. The WSRS generally achieved its objective, including bed erosion in the lower reaches with increasing capacity for flood discharge and the mitigation of reservoir siltation. However, the WSRS presented unexpected disturbances on the delta and coastal system. Increasing grain size of suspended sediment and decreasing suspended sediment concentration at the river mouth resulted in a regime shift of sediment transport patterns that enhanced the disequilibrium of the delta. The WSRS induced an impulse delivery of nutrients and pollutants within a short period (~ 20 days), which together with the altered hydrological cycle, impacted the estuarine and coastal ecosystem. We expect that the sediment yield from the loess region in the future will decrease due to soil-conservation practices, and the lower channel erosion will also decrease as the riverbed armors with coarser sediment. These, in combination with uncertain water discharge concomitant with climate change, increasing water demands and delta subsidence, will put the delta and coastal ocean at high environmental risks. In the context of global change, this work depicts a scenario of human impacts in the river basin that were transferred along the hydrological pathway to the coastal system and remotely transformed the different components of coastal environment. The synthesis review of the WSRS indicates that an integrated management of the river-coast continuum is crucially important for the sustainability of the entire river-delta system. The lessons learned from the WSRS in the Yellow River provide insights to the integrated management of large rivers worldwide.

The cardioprotective benefits of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) are well established, although the regulatory role of ALDH2 in vascular remodeling in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is largely unknown. ALDH2 potently regulates the metabolism of aldehydes such as 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), the endogenous product of lipid peroxidation. Thus, we hypothesized that ALDH2 ameliorates the proliferation and migration of human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (HPASMCs) by inhibiting 4-HNE accumulation and regulating downstream signaling pathways, thereby ameliorating pulmonary vascular remodeling. We found that low concentrations of 4-HNE (0.1 and 1 μM) stimulated cell proliferation by enhancing cyclin D1 and c-Myc expression in primary HPASMCs. Low 4-HNE concentrations also enhanced cell migration by activating the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway, thereby regulating matrix metalloprotein (MMP)-9 and MMP2 expression in vitro. In vivo, Alda-1, an ALDH2 agonist, significantly stimulated ALDH2 activity, reducing elevated 4-HNE and malondialdehyde levels and right ventricular systolic pressure in a monocrotaline-induced PAH animal model to the level of control animals. Our findings indicate that 4-HNE plays an important role in the abnormal proliferation and migration of HPASMCs, and that ALDH2 activation can attenuate 4-HNE-induced PASMC proliferation and migration, possibly by regulating NF-κB activation, in turn ameliorating vascular remodeling in PAH. This mechanism might reflect a new molecular target for treating PAH., Graphical abstract fx1, Highlights • Low 4-HNE concentrations stimulated pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation and enhanced cell migration. • ALDH2 activation can attenuate 4-HNE–induced PASMC proliferation and migration, ameliorating vascular remodeling in PAH. • ALDH2 inhibits 4-HNE-induced NF-κB activation.

Low performance of cathode materials has become one of the major obstacles to the application of lithium-ion battery (LIB) in advanced portable electronic devices, hybrid electric vehicles, and electric vehicles. The present work reports a versatile oxygen-deficient LiV3O8 (D-LVO) nanosheet that was synthesized successfully via a facile oxygen-deficient hydrothermal reaction followed by thermal annealing in Ar. When used as a cathode material for LIB, the prepared D-LVO nanosheets display remarkable capacity properties at various current densities (a capacity of 335, 317, 278, 246, 209, 167, and 133 mA h g–1 at 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 mA g–1, respectively) and excellent lithium-ion storage stability, maintaining more than 88% of the initial reversible capacity after 200 cycles at 1000 mA g–1. The outstanding electrochemical properties are believed to arise largely from the introduction of tetravalent V (∼15% V4+) and the attendant oxygen vacancies into LiV3O8 nanosheets, leading to intrins...

Puerarin, a major isoflavonoid compound from Chinese herb Kudzu roots, has been widely used for the treatment of hypertensive and cardiovascular diseases in China. Here, we investigated puerarin's beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system in angiotensin (Ang) II-induced hypertensive rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with Ang II for 5 days or with puerarin for 10 days followed by Ang II and puerarin for 5 days. Endothelium-dependent relaxation (EDR) to acetylcholine was determined using an organ chamber bath. Ang II increased the systolic blood pressure (SBP: 178 ± 5 mmHg vs. 112 ± 3 mmHg in control, p < 0.05), aortic (30%, p < 0.05), and left ventricular (LV) weight (23%); puerarin reduced SBP (160 ± 2 mmHg, p < 0.05), aortic, and left ventricular weight in Ang II-infused rats. Puerarin also reduced aortic medial thickness and myocardial cell surface area in Ang II-infused rats. Compared with control rats, Ang II infused rats exhibited an impaired EDR with reduction in the protein expression of phosphor-eNOS at Ser 1177 and an increase in the expression of gp91phox (85%), p22phox (113%), transforming growth factor β1 (145%) and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (82%). Puerarin improved EDR and reversed the changes in Ang II-induced protein expression of above molecules. Our results demonstrate that in Ang II-induced hypertensive rats, puerarin protects against endothelial dysfunction and end organ damage with a mild reduction in SBP, and that the cardiovascular beneficial effects of puerarin may be in part attributed to its anti-oxidant and upregulation of phosphor-eNOS.

Puerarin is an isoflavonoid isolated from the Chinese herb, Kudzu roots (also known as Gegen), which has been widely used for the treatment of hypertensive diseases and diabetic mellitus in traditional Chinese medicine. Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) rat is a genetic model of salt-sensitive hypertension with cardiovascular injury and vascular insulin resistance. Here, we investigated whether puerarin improved vascular insulin resistance and attenuated cardiac and aortic remodeling in salt-sensitive hypertension. DS rats were given a normal (NS) or high salt diet (HS) for five weeks. An additional group of DS rats was pretreated with puerarin and NS for 10 days, then switched to HS plus puerarin for five weeks. HS for five weeks increased systolic blood pressure (SBP), cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis, and aortic hypertrophy with increased the expression of phosphor-ERK1/2 in the aorta and heart; puerarin attenuated cardiac and aortic hypertrophy, cardiac fibrosis and phosphor-ERK1/2 with a mild reduction in SBP. Hypertensive rats also manifested impairment of acetylcholine- and insulin-mediated vasorelaxation and insulin-mediated Akt and eNOS phosphorylation associated with the activation of NF[Formula: see text]B/TNF[Formula: see text]/JNK pathway. Puerarin improved acetylcholine- and insulin-mediated vasorelaxation and insulin-stimulated Akt/NO signaling with the inhibition of the NF[Formula: see text]B inflammatory pathway. Our results demonstrated that in salt-sensitive hypertension, puerarin improved vascular insulin action with cardiovascular beneficial effects. Our results found that the underlying mechanisms may involve its inhibition of NF[Formula: see text]B/JNK and ERK1/2 pathway. These results suggest that puerarin could be used as a new antihypertensive agent to expand our armamentarium for the prevention and treatment of end-organ damage in individuals with hypertension and metabolic diseases.

The temporal variations of sea surface chlorophyll- a concentration off the Yellow River Mouth were investigated using SeaWiFS and MODIS data over the period of 1997–2012. And the complex interplay of different dominant factors (e.g. river inputs and coastal dynamics) on the phytoplankton dynamics in different seasons was discussed. High concentration of nutrients from the Yellow River inputs plays a significant role in sustaining phytoplankton growth. Approximately 59% of the interannual variations of the chlorophyll- a concentration off the Yellow River Mouth were attributed to river inputs (water discharge, sediment load and median grain size of sediment particles). On seasonal time scale, the Yellow River discharge of water and nutrients is a major factor that influences the increased chlorophyll- a concentration from August to October (summer and autumn). From February to May, the stronger winds and enhanced wave actions resuspend and vertically mix the previously deposited riverine sediment and the associated nutrient, thus possibly contributing to higher chlorophyll- a concentration.

A long shelf life of onions (Allium cepa L.) is of high importance in the onion industry. Onions are dried and stored in large wooden boxes that are difficult to access. Monitoring temperature and relative humidity during these processes is challenging. Moreover, quality may change in storage without being noticed. Therefore, there is a need to find alternative methods for monitoring and controlling the drying and storage processes of onions and to identify early changes in quality during storage. The potential use of online measurements of temperature and relative humidity (RH) in the vicinity of onions was evaluated during drying and long-term storage of six onion batches (four cultivars and three selections of one of the cultivars) in commercial storage. The batches varied in bulb weight, dry matter content, firmness and disease incidence. The dry matter content and firmness decreased during storage, while the respiration rate and incidences of individual and total disease increased. Two of the batches had low storability with high disease incidences and high average temperatures and variations in the RH. The results showed that tracking the temperature and RH in the vicinity of the onions is a promising tool for improving the drying and storage processes in commercial storage and for identifying onion batches with reduced storability early in storage.

Wang, A. M.; Wang, H. J.; Bi, N. S., and Wu, X., 2016. Sediment transport and dispersal pattern from the Bohai Sea to the Yellow Sea. Suspended sediment flux, dispersal patterns and its possible mechanisms in the Bohai Sea were investigated based on the observational data in May and November, 2012, data retrieved from MODIS imageries and the ocean current data from HYCOM. The sediment dispersal pattern and the annual net sediment flux presented evident seasonal variability. During wintertime, the prevailing strong northerly winds and the related high wave heights resuspended the sediment along the coast of the Huanghe Delta that was transported into the Laizhou Bay along its western coast and exported to the Bohai Strait through the eastern Laizhou Bay as enhanced by the coastal current. The wintertime contributed approximately 4.84 Mt of suspended sediment flux to the Yellow Sea, as higher than the flux in summertime by one order. In summertime, the less energetic environment together with the s...

MiR-328-3p has been reported to be downregulated and serve as a tumor suppressor in several cancers. Previous studies only have reported the downregulation of miR-328-3p in CRC. However, the roles of miR-328-3p in CRC growth and metastasis were unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that miR-328-3p overexpression inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was also inactivated by miR-328-3p overexpression. MiR-328-3p knockdown showed the opposite effects. In addition, we confirmed that miR-328-3p directly bound to 3'UTR of Girdin and negatively regulated its expression. Girdin knockdown or treatment with PI3K inhibitor LY294002 blocked the effects of miR-328-3p inhibitor on cell proliferation, metastasis, and the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Moreover, pre-miR-328 decreased numbers of liver metastatic nodules, and reduced the levels of p-Akt, p-Girdin, and Girdin in metastatic tissues in liver. In conclusion, miR-328-3p may inhibit proliferation and metastasis of CRC cells by targeting Girdin and inactivating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. MiR-328-3p may be a novel target in cancer therapy.

MiR-346-5p is overexpressed in several cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the effects of miR-346-5p on CRC progression have not yet been clarified. In our study, miR-346-5p levels in four CRC cell lines and normal human colon epithelial cells were determined by real-time PCR. SW620 and HCT116 cells were selected and then transfected with miR-346-5p mimic, miR-346-5p inhibitor, or specific siRNAs targeting F-box/LRR-repeat protein 2 (FBXL2). Cell proliferation, cell cycle distribution and cell cycle regulators were examined by CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry, and western blot. The binding of miR-346-5p on 3' untranslated region (UTR) of FBXL2 were verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. CRC cells were co-transfected with miR-346-5p inhibitor and siFBXL2 to investigate the involvement of FBXL2. Interaction of FBXL2 with forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) was examined by co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay. The effect of miR-346-5p knockdown on CRC tumorigenesis in vivo was investigated. Here, we found that miR-346-5p overexpression promoted, while miR-346-5p knockdown inhibited cell proliferation and G1-S transition. Inhibition of FBXL2 showed similar effects as miR-346-5p overexpression. Moreover, we verified that FBXL2 was a direct target of miR-346-5p. FBXL2 interacted with FoxM1, and then negatively regulated both FoxM1 and nuclear β-catenin levels. Additionally, FBXL2 knockdown reversed the effects of miR-346-5p inhibitor. In xenograft models, miR-346-5p knockdown significantly inhibited tumor growth, increased FBXL2 expression, and downregulated the levels of FoxM1 and nuclear β-catenin. In conclusion, miR-346-5p may promote CRC growth by targeting FBXL2 and activating the β-catenin signaling pathway. MiR-346-5p may be a novel target in cancer therapy.

The buoy automatic observation is greatly influenced by the marine environment. The quality of buoy observation data needs to be tested before it is applied. In this paper, buoy observation data is verified with the ocean station and ocean section observation data, and the reliability of buoy observation is analyzed. On this basis, the hydrometeorological condition in the central Bohai Sea is analyzed for surface water temperature, surface salinity, sea surface air temperature and sea surface pressure. The results show: The reliability and continuity of buoy observation of sea surface water temperature, sea surface air temperature and sea surface pressure are high; the reliability of sea surface salinity, average wind speed, average wind direction, significant wave height, significant wave period, average wave height and average wave period are low. The hydrometeorological condition in the central Bohai Sea analyzed by buoy observation data is basically consistent with the existing research conclusions. The lowest water temperature in the central Bohai Sea occurs in February.

Huanghe (Yellow River) is one of the largest contributors of global terrestrial materials to the sea. A large amount of the Huanghe-derived sediment are responsible for forming not only the nearshore delta depositional system, but also a distal mud patch off the Shandong Peninsula, some 350 km east of the present-day river mouth. To better understand the spatial and temporal variations of sediment dynamics in the distal mud area, two field surveys employing the phase-averaging method (PAM) were conducted in September 2017 and January 2018, respectively along a 108-km East-West transect across the mud patch. The residual currents derived from the PAM surveys were featured by the southward current in the nearshore area and the northward current in the offshore region in summer, while a unidirectional current transported from south to north across the entire transit line in winter. These patterns, which deviate from the traditional understandings of circulations in magnitude and even in direction, are believed to result from episodic wind reversals and associated strengthening and weakening sea level pressure gradients. The northerly wind episodes in summer, works hand-in-hand with sea-level tilt by preceding southerly wind, to enhance the water exchange between the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea by intensifying both the southward flow along the coast and the northward flow of the South Yellow Sea water further offshore. In winter, episodic southerly wind causes relaxation or even reversal of the prevailing winter northerly wind that created the northward sea-level tilt in the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea, effectively enhances the South Yellow Sea water transport to the North Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea. Consequently, a considerable amount of sediment previously exported out of the Bohai Sea to the mud patch actually return with these backflows. Since the synoptic time scale oscillations in the Bohai and Yellow seas are considerably frequent throughout summer and winter, the cumulative effects on the long-term sediment transport need to be further investigated. The observations in this study provide a base for new understanding of how episodic weather events impact the regional circulation and sediment dynamics on the Huanghe-derived distal mud patch.

Background: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of obesity, insulin resistance and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Impairment of insulin vascular action may represent a mechanism linking insulin resistance and CVDs. The present study tested the hypothesis that adipocyte-derived resistin inhibits insulin-stimulated endothelial NO production through the induction of ER stress. Methods and Results: Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVC) were incubated with tunicamycin (an inducer of ER stress, 1-20 μg/mL) or resistin (10-100 ng/mL) for 1 h. Either tunicamycin or resistin increased GRP78 (an ER stress marker) expression associated with the impairment of insulin-stimulated Akt/eNOS phosphorylation, which were prevented by TUDCA (an ER stress suppressor). Resistin increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, antioxidant treatment inhibited resistin-induced GRP78 expression and impairment of insulin Akt/eNOS signaling, suggesting that ROS may involve resistin-induced ER stress. Resistin also increased JNK phosphorylation, which was prevented by TUDCA. JNK inhibitor SP600125 relieved the resistin inhibitory effects on endothelial insulin Akt/eNOS signaling. In ex vivo experiments, the incubation of aortic rings with resistin impaired insulin- but not acetylcholine-induced vasodilation, which was restored by TUDCA. LNAME (a NOS inhibitor) abolished insulin-induced vasorelaxation in the control or the resistin-treated aortic rings. In addition, resistin increased the mRNA expressions of proinflammatory cytokines tumor nuclear factor (TNF)α and interleukin (IL)-1β, which were also prevented by TUDCA. Conclusion: Our results support the ideal that ER stress may play an important role for resistin impairment of vascular insulin signaling and insulin action. The mitigation of ER stress may represent a new strategy for prevention and treatment of CVDs in obesity and insulin resistant-related diseases.

The present study mainly investigates the storm surge variations at different temporal scales using hourly tide gauge data in the Bohai Sea. The seasonal variation, inter-decadal variation, long-term trend and the tide-surge interaction were analyzed separately. The results show that the storm surges in the southwest Bohai Sea are larger than those in the north. The storm surges were more serious in winter (Oct. to Mar.) than in summer half of the year. Significant inter-decadal variations exist in the Bohai Sea, and the extreme storm surge events have been intensifying since 2010. Storm surge intensities at three of the tide gauges (Qinhuangdao, Huludao and Tanggu) exhibited a decreasing trend from 1980 to 2016, with trends significant at the 95% level at Qinhuangdao and Tanggu. Significant tide-surge interactions were observed at all four tide gauges. The tide-surge interaction that results in peak surges mostly occurs during the flood and ebb tides. There is a statistically significant negative correlation between storm surge intensity and the Arctic Oscillation (AO) at Longkou and Tanggu, while there is a significantly positive correlation between storm surge intensity and the Siberian High (SH) at Huludao, Qinhuangdao and Tanggu. A linear regression analysis revealed that the variations of the AO and SH explained 19–48% of the variations in the storm surge intensity in the Bohai Sea.

Monocyte/macrophage recruitment is closely associated with the degree of hypertensive renal injury. Here we investigated the direct role of macrophage using Liposome encapsulated clodronate (LEC) to deplete monocyte/macrophage in Ang II-induced hypertensive renal injury. C57BL/6 mice were treated with a pressor dose of angiotensin II (Ang, 1.4 mg/kg/day by mini-pump) plus LEC or the PBS-liposome for two weeks. Ang II mice developed hypertension (186 ± 5 vs. 110 ± 4 mmHg in control, p+ cells) and the protein expression of renal tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin β1, which were significantly reduced in Ang II mice treated with LEC. Ang II increased renal oxidative stress (as demonstrated by increased oxidative fluorescence densities, NADPH oxidative activity and the protein expression of NADPH oxidase subunits gp91phox and p22phox) and the expression of profibrotic factors transform growth factor β1 and fibronectin. Ang II also inhibited the phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthesis (eNOS, ser1177). LEC revised most of the changes in the Ang II-induced molecules as mentioned above. Our results suggest that renal macrophage is a main mediator to contribute to Ang II-induced hypertensive renal injury and fibrosis, the underlying mechanisms may involve reduction in macrophage-drove renal inflammation and restoration of the balance between renal oxidative stress and eNOS. These findings may lead us to develop a novel therapy directed at targeting the infiltration of macrophages or the macrophages-derived cytokines for treatment of hypertensive renal diseases.

Obesity and cigarette smoke are major cardiovascular (CV) risk factors and, when coexisting in the same individuals, have additive/synergistic effects upon CVD. We studied the mechanisms involved in nicotine enhancement of CVD in Sprague Dawley rats with diet-induced obesity . The rats were fed either a high fat (HFD) or normal rat chow (NFD) diet with or without nicotine (100 mg/L in drinking water) for 20 weeks. HFD rats developed central obesity, increased systolic blood pressure (SBP 146 ± 3 vs. 130 ± 5 mmHg in NFD , p2 - 1357 ± 142 vs. 847 ± 102 counts/min/mg in NFD, p2 - (1689 ± 87 counts/min/mg, p

Basal rot is a common onion disease and is mainly caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae and Fusarium proliferatum. To study the possibility of using volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as biomarkers for these fungi, pathogenic isolates of F. oxysporum and F. proliferatum from onions were cultivated in onion medium and VOCs were measured by solid phase microextraction (SPME). Forty-two compounds were detected, and thirty of these compounds were highly related to fungal metabolic activity. Allyl mercaptan was specific to F. oxysporum isolate Fox006. Analysis of the VOCs showed significant differences between the two species and among different isolates within the same species. Sixteen of the VOCs showed were highly positively correlated with the fungal biomass estimated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Ethanol, ethyl formate, ethyl acetate, 2-methyl-1-propanol, methyl thioacetate, n-propyl acetate and 3-methyl-1-butanol are volatile metabolites that were potential indicators of Fusarium growth on onions.

Distribution of suspended sediment in the Bohai Sea and its seasonal variability were investigated based on the datasets obtained from four cruises carried out in different seasons in 2010 and 2012. The results indicate that the spatial distribution of suspended sediment in the Bohai Sea was dominated by the river input and coastal resuspension that depends on the type of local surface sediment and hydrodynamics. The suspended sediment was mostly concentrated in the southern Bohai Sea particularly around the Yellow River Delta in the summer season as impacted by the river plume but confined within a very limited area near the river mouth, whereas in winter–spring seasons sediment concentration became much higher as a result of active coastal resuspension induced by energetic wave actions in the shallow water. High sediment concentration was found in Liaodong Bay in winter–spring seasons when dynamics become strong but decrease significantly in summer seasons. The sediment concentration in the southern Bohai Strait was much higher than that in the northern part, suggesting evident sediment export to the Yellow Sea particularly in the winter–spring seasons. Strong seasonal variability of suspended sediment distribution in the Bohai Sea was consistent with the monsoon activity and associated wave actions and coastal currents that are varying seasonally. The dominance of seasonal monsoon signal and associated wave dynamics make the subaqueous Yellow River delta to be a major sink for the terrestrial sediment in the summer seasons, but transiting to a primary source in winter–spring seasons for sediment redistribution in the Bohai Sea and sediment export to the Yellow Sea. The seasonal patterns of suspended sediment distribution in the Bohai Sea and the dominance of monsoon activities may provide a good reference to understanding the sediment transport in the China Shelf Seas where sediment resuspension and coastal circulation are evidently driven by monsoon.