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BACKGROUND: Theabrownins (TBs) are one of most important quality components in dark tea, but have not been produced industrially. In this study, the aqueous extract was obtained from Pu‐erh ripe tea, one kind of dark tea. Caffeine, theaflavin, catechin and saponin were removed by trichloromethane, ethyl acetate and n‐butanol in turn to obtain a TB isolate. The TB isolate was subjected to column chromatography using a macroporous resin HPD‐750 and eluted with a gradient of 0–700 g kg−1 ethanol aqueous solution. Four fractions were obtained, and named as TBs‐FC1, TBs‐FC2, TBs‐FC3 and TBs‐FC4. RESULTS: These four fractions contained polysaccharides and no small molecules such as catechins, caffeine and theaflavins as well as average molecular weights of 123.000 kDa, 23.380 kDa, 89.870 kDa and 106.600 kDa. It was revealed that they were complexes of TBs and tea polysaccharide conjugates (TPCs). Ultraviolet‐visible (UV‐visible) and infrared (IR) spectra showed the properties of TBs and TPCs. Their zeta potentials ranged from −13.40 mV to −38.80 mV in aqueous solutions at pH 3.0–9.0. CONCLUSION: This study reveals that TBs do not exist in free state but in combined state in dark tea, which provide the theoretical basis for the industrialization of TBs. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ash blockage of the rotary air preheater is a serious problem of the coal-fired boiler that urgently needs to be solved, which is caused by the adhesive deposition of ammonium bisulfate (ABS) and the fly ash. A comprehensive experimental study was performed to investigate the adhesive ash deposition characteristics based on an experimental platform established. The influences of the gas temperature, the gas velocity, the mass ratio of the ABS to the fly ash (R), and the ash particle size on the ash deposition characteristics were mainly analyzed and discussed under different conditions. The experimental results indicate that the liquid ABS is the root cause of the ash particles adhering to the heat transfer elements of the air preheater. The experimental results indicate that when the gas temperature is in the range of 420–493 K, the ABS ash deposition intensity and the ABS adhesion rate both increase with the increase in the gas temperature. When it is 493 K, the ABS adhesion rates of the corrugated plate and the positioning plate both reach maximum values, which are 31.7% and 27.9%, respectively. With the decrease in gas velocity, the total ash deposition intensity, the ABS ash deposition intensity, the ABS adhesion rate, and the growth rate of the ABS adhesion all increase. The content of ABS in the fly ash is also an important factor. When R rises, the ash deposition intensity and the ABS adhesion rate increase significantly. The particle size of the fly ash has little influence on the total ash deposition intensity, but has a great influence on the ABS ash deposition intensity and the ABS adhesion rate. With the increase in the particle size in the range of 30.8–100 μm, the ABS ash deposition intensity decreases by nearly 50%, and the ABS adhesion rates of plates A and B decrease by about 43.9% and 49.6%, respectively. According to the study results, some effective measures can be taken to solve the ash blocking problem of the rotary air preheater, including using the steam air heater, optimizing the operation parameters of the soot blower, and inhibiting ABS formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Crosstalk between fibroblasts and cardiomyocytes (CMs) plays a critical role in cardiac remodelling during heart failure (HF); however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain obscure. Recently, a secretory protein, Integrin beta-like 1 (ITGBL1) was revealed to have detrimental effects on several diseases, such as tumours, pulmonary fibrosis, and hepatic fibrosis; whereas the effect of ITGBL1 on HF is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate its contribution to volume overload-induced remodelling. Methods and results In this study, we identified ITGBL1 was highly expressed in varied heart diseases and validated in our TAC mice model, especially in fibroblasts. To investigate the role of ITGBL1 in in vitro cell experiments, neonatal rat fibroblasts (NRCFs) and cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) were performed for further study. We found that in comparison to NRCMs, NRCFs expressed high levels of ITGBL1. Meanwhile, ITGBL1 was upregulated in NRCFs, but not in NRCMs following angiotensin-II (AngII) or phenylephrine stimulation. Furthermore, ITGBL1 overexpression promoted NRCFs activation, whereas knockdown of ITGBL1 alleviated NRCFs activation under AngII treatment. Moreover, NRCFs-secreted ITGBL1 could induce NRCMs hypertrophy. Mechanically, ITGBL1-NME/NM23 nucleoside diphosphate kinase 1 (NME1)-TGF-β-Smad2/3 and Wnt signalling pathways were identified to mediate NRCFs activation and NRCMs hypertrophy, respectively. Finally, the knockdown of ITGBL1 in mice subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery recapitulated the in vitro findings, demonstrating blunted cardiac fibrosis, hypertrophy, and improved cardiac function. Conclusions ITGBL1 is an important functional mediator between fibroblast–cardiomyocyte crosstalk and could be an effective target for cardiac remodelling in HF patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The availability of a large amount of image data and the impracticality of annotating each sample, coupled with various changes in the target class, such as lighting, posture, etc., make the performance of feature learning disappointing on unlabeled datasets. Lack of attention to hard sample pairs in network modeling and one-sided consideration of similarity measurement in the process of merging have exacerbated the huge performance gap between supervised and unsupervised feature expression. In order to alleviate these problems, we propose an unsupervised network that gradually optimizes feature expression under the guidance of similarity. It employs the deep network to train high-dimensional features and small-scale merge to generate high-quality labels to alternately execute the two steps. Feature learning is guided by gradually generating high-quality labels, thereby narrowing the huge gap between unsupervised learning and supervised learning. The proposed method has been evaluated on both general datasets and the datasets for person re-identification (person re-ID) with superior performance in comparison with existing state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Alxa Block is located in the middle part of the Central Asian orogenic belt, which is the coupling belt of the North China, Tarim, and Kazakhstan Plates. The east–west-trending deep faults control stratigraphic distribution and magmatic activity in the region. To detect the EW-trending ore-controlling deep structures, a 440 km NS section of magnetotelluric sounding was conducted from Minle to Ejinaqi. The phase tensor and electrical principal axis were analyzed based on the measured data to build the exploration model. The electrical structure model along the section was obtained using nonlinear conjugate gradient (NLCG) 2D inversion. Combined with the geological, geophysical, and deposit distribution characteristics in the area, the comprehensive study of magnetotelluric sounding profile shows that the resistivity presents as zoned along the profile. The Engelwusu ophiolite mélange belt is stacked in clumps with high and low resistivity, indicating that the northern margin of the Engelwusu Belt subducts below the high-resistivity zone, representing the passive continental margin. The southern end of the Engelwusu ophiolite belt is primarily the prospecting potential area for copper–gold deposits, whereas the northern end of the Engelwusu ophiolite belt corresponds to copper polymetallic deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the clinical and pathological features, therapy and prognosis of Castleman's disease (CD) in the head and neck. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and pathological data of 44 patients with head and neck CD who were diagnosed in the Fujian Medical University Union hospital (Fujian, China) between May 2008 and June 2021. According to the clinical classification, they were divided into two groups, the unicentric CD (UCD, n = 20) and the multicentric CD (MCD, n = 24). Their clinical features, imaging findings, laboratory examination, and treatment results were, respectively, analyzed. Results: The age of UCD patients was younger than that of MCD patients. Most of the UCD patients (80%) were female, with asymptomatic single lymphadenectasis, and the prognosis was favorable; while 70.8% of the MCD patients were male, with multiple lymph nodes throughout the body, and more prone to hepatosplenomegaly, pneumonia, serous effusion, anemia, hypoalbuminemia, elevated globulin, coagulation disorders, etc., the prognosis was bleak. Two cases of MCD patients were with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Conclusions: UCD usually manifests as asymptomatic single lymph node enlargement, complete surgical resection was the mainstay of treatment modality. MCD has relatively complicated clinical symptoms and poor prognosis, and anti-IL-6 therapy may be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kimura's disease (KD) is an eosinophilic proliferative lymphoid disease with rare incidence rate and nonspecific clinical symptoms. To investigate the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of KD. The clinical manifestations, laboratory examination, imaging examination, proposed treatment, and prognosis of 20 patients with KD treated in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. All cases showed painless masses. The proportion of peripheral blood eosinophils rose in 18 cases (90%), the eosinophil count increased in 14 cases (70%) and the serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels were significantly increased in 5 patients (100%). Pathological examination revealed follicular hyperplasia, eosinophils infiltration, and tiny vessels proliferation in KD samples. KD should be considered when the patients suffered head and neck subcutaneous painless mass, increased peripheral blood eosinophils and raised serum IgE level. Pathological examination is the golden standard for diagnosing KD. Surgical intervention, medical treatments, and radiotherapy may be effective for KD treatment. This study might shed a light on improving the diagnosis and treatment for KD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cover image is based on the Research Article Theabrownins in dark tea form complexes with tea polysaccharide conjugates by Xiaoqiang Chen et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.13431. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneous structures are an effective way to give materials excellent combined strength-ductility properties. In this study, Cu–Zn–Al–Fe alloys were prepared by homogenizing and hot rolling-annealing, and an α+β diphase brass with harmonic structure was obtained by adjusting the content of Zn. The microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu- x Zn-4Al-2.8Fe (x = 14, 20, 22.5, 24, wt%) were systematically investigated. The Cu–Zn–Al–Fe alloy has an α single-phase matrix at 14 wt% Zn and an α+β diphasic matrix at 20, 22.5, and 24 wt% Zn, all uniformly distributed with nano β(FeAl). A large amounts of twins are produced after rolling in α phase that has a low stacking fault energy. The Cu–20Zn–4Al-2.8Fe alloy exhibits a unique harmonic structure of the α-phase soft cores embedded in α+β biphasic hard shells. This alloy exhibits an excellent strength-ductility combination at room temperature, possessing an ultimate tensile strength of 473.7 MPa while maintaining a total elongation of 50.7%. Increases total elongation by 30.3% while maintaining high strength compared to homogeneous alloys (22.5 wt% Zn). While α single-phase alloy (14 wt% Zn) exhibits excellent plasticity (total elongation of 58.0%), their strength is not satisfactory (ultimate tensile strength of 419.7 MPa). In contrast, too much Zn (24 wt% Zn) produces a high proportion of β phase, which exhibits high strength (ultimate tensile strength of 507.9 MPa) and relatively poor plasticity (total elongation of 22.8%). Overall, the Cu–20Zn–4Al-2.8Fe alloy with a harmonic structure achieves excellent overall mechanical properties due to twinning, precipitation strengthening, and hetero-deformation induced (HDI) strengthening. This study provides an essential reference for designing heterogeneous structures of brass alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• gTPC-A can stabilize high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs). • The stability of gTPC-A HIPEs under pH, heat and UV irradiation was investigated. • The HIPEs loaded curcumin and protected it from UV radiation and in vitro digestion. • The bioaccessibility of curcumin reached 56.29% in the HIPEs and 8.73% in oil. Exploring the emulsification capabilities of tea polysaccharide conjugates (TPCs) in high-internal-phase emulsions (HIPEs) would further expand the utilization value of TPCs. This study aimed to prepare 0.1–0.5 wt% alkali-extracted green tea polysaccharide conjugate (gTPC-A)-stabilized HIPEs containing 75–87 wt% medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) to investigate their stability, rheology, microstructure, and loading and protective effects on curcumin. The findings revealed that only 0.1 wt% of gTPC-A could stabilize HIPEs containing 85 wt% oil for 30 days. HIPEs had better storage stability in a weakly acidic environment at pH 5.0–6.0 and at temperatures less than 70 °C. HIPEs could load curcumin and protect it from ultraviolet (UV) radiation and in vitro digestion. The half-life of curcumin loaded in HIPEs was 65 h under UV radiation. The curcumin bioaccessibility of HIPEs (56.29 %) was higher than that in MCT (8.73 %). These results provided a theoretical basis for the extensive use of TPCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Our previous study revealed that green tea polysaccharide conjugate (gTPC) has emulsion effect, but its emulsifying ability is weak. In order to improve the emulsification ability of gTPC, gTPC and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were combined to form five different mass proportions of the TPC/BSA (TB) complex: TPC/BSA: 5:1, 5:2, 5:3, 5:4, and 5:5 w /w. We observed that the 5:5 w/w TB emulsion was more hydrophobic and surface-active. Furthermore, the emulsions prepared using 50.00 wt% medium-chain triglycerides exhibited the best stability. In addition, the TB emulsion exhibited stability in adverse environments of pH, salt, and heat; in particular, under salt conditions, no significant changes were observed in zeta potential. Subsequently, in vitro simulated digestion experiments were performed to investigate the use of TB emulsions for β-carotene encapsulation. We observed that the encapsulation efficiency for β-carotene was approximately 90.0 %; it was subsequently released in the intestine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. This study aims to explore the function of metformin in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC) and the underlying mechanism. Methods. Cell viability, colony formation, cell apoptosis, and cell cycle were investigated using cell counting kit-8 assay, colony formation, and flow cytometry assay. Gene expression was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot. The target relationship was validated by dual-luciferase reporter assay or RNA immunoprecipitation assay. An animal study was implemented to clarify the effect of metformin in vivo. Results. Metformin suppressed HSCC cell viability and colony formation ability and induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and circ_0003214 overexpression weakened these effects. Circ_0003214 regulated A disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 10 (ADAM10) expression via targeting miR-489-3p. Besides, miR-489-3p restoration reversed the role of circ_0003214, and ADAM10 knockdown reversed miR-489-3p inhibition-mediated effect. Moreover, metformin blocked tumor growth via the circ_0003214-miR-489-3p-ADAM10 axis in vivo. Conclusion. Metformin inhibits HSCC progression through the circ_0003214/miR-489-3p/ADAM10 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tea polysaccharide conjugates (TPC) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) have emulsifying properties, but they have certain shortcomings when used alone as emulsifiers. This study aimed to combine TPC and BSA to form a complex for applications to achieve the complementary advantages between them. The TPC/BSA complex was physicochemically characterized, and the results showed an improvement in its surface hydrophobicity. TPC/BSA emulsions with different concentrations (0.20–1.00 wt%) were prepared using TPC/BSA complex as the emulsifier. The effects of heat treatment, pH, and metal ions on the stability of TPC/BSA and BSA emulsions were investigated, and TPC/BSA emulsion systems loaded with epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and epigallocatechin (EGC) were constructed. TPC/BSA emulsion droplets were smaller than 1.00 wt% TPC emulsion droplets, and the particle size of 0.20 wt% TPC/BSA emulsion increased slightly during storage at 25 °C. Further, 0.20 wt% TPC/BSA emulsions became less stable after heat treatment, whereas the particle size of other concentrations did not change significantly after treatment at 70 ℃–90 °C. TPC/BSA emulsions were more stable at pH 6.0–9.0. Both were less affected by Na+, weakly affected by Ca2+ than BSA emulsion, and significantly affected by Al3+. TPC/BSA emulsion had a good protection effect on EGCG and EGC. The presence of EGCG and EGC improved the stability of the emulsion system, which remained stable for 90 days. • TPC and BSA complex was prepared and characterized. • TPC and BSA plays a synergistic effect to improve emulsification. • TPC/BSA emulsion had a good protection effect on EGCG and EGC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aroma assessment remains difficult and uncertain in the present sensory assessment system. It is highly desirable to develop a new assessment method to discriminate the quality of various teas in the tea market. In the present work, based on linear discriminant analysis and principal component analysis, the aroma of dry and wet samples of different Xi‐hu Longjing and Pu‐erh teas were tested and differentiated by electronic noses (e‐nose). The results confirm that e‐nose can discriminate different priced Xi‐hu Longjing tea samples in the range of 80‐800 RMB/500 g and varying storage years of Pu‐erh tea samples. Furthermore, for the detection of both dry and wet samples of Longjing and Pu‐erh teas, the results reveal that all samples have specific aroma characteristics that e‐nose can recognize. More importantly, contribution analysis in sensors indicates that nitrogen oxides, methane and alcohols are the characteristic components that contribute to the fragrances of different priced Xi‐hu Longjing teas, while nitrogen oxides, aromatic benzene and amines make the fragrances of Pu‐erh teas with different storage years disparate. Practical Application: This work demonstrates that e‐nose can rapidly distinguish tea products with different price levels and varying storage years. With the advantages of ease of use, high portability and flexibility, e‐nose will be widely expanded and applied in refined processing and the development of flavored foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to obtain a symmetrical step-down topology with lower equivalent capacity and wider step-down range under the condition of the same output. Three new symmetrical step-down topologies of zigzag autotransformer are proposed in this paper. Taking the equivalent capacity as the main parameter, the obtained topologies are modeled and analyzed in detail. Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopts the research methods of design, modeling, analysis and simulation verification. First, the zigzag autotransformer is redesigned according to the design objective of symmetrical step-down topology. Second, the mathematical model of the designed topology is established, and the detailed theoretical analysis is carried out. Finally, the theoretical results are verified by simulation. Findings: Three symmetrical zigzag autotransformer step-down topologies are designed, the winding configurations of the corresponding topology are presented, the step-down ranges of these three topologies are calculated and the influence of step-down ratio on equivalent capacity of autotransformer is analyzed. Through analysis, the target step-down topologies are obtained when the step-down ratio is [0.969, 1.414] and [1.414, 8]. Research limitations/implications: Because the selected research object is only zigzag autotransformer, the research results may lack generality. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to further study topologies of other autotransformers. Practical implications: This paper includes the implications of step-down ratio on the equivalent capacity of autotransformer and the configuration of transformer windings. Originality/value: The topologies designed in this paper enable zigzag autotransformer to be applied in step-down circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To compare the clinical characteristics and prognoses of patients with isolated regional lymph node recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (irrNPC) who underwent surgery or re-irradiation treatment. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 124 irrNPC patients who underwent initial radiotherapy between January 2010 and December 2020. The staging of regional lymph node recurrence was as follows: 75.8% for rN1, 14.5% for rN2, and 9.7% for rN3. Fifty-five patients underwent regional lymph node surgery (Surgery group), and sixty-nine patients received salvage radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy (Re-irradiation group). The survival rate was compared using Kaplan‒Meier analysis and evaluated by the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze prognostic factors. Results: The median follow-up time was 70 months, the 5-year overall survival (OS) was 74%, and the median survival time was 60.8 months. There were no significant differences in 5-year OS (75.6% vs. 72.4%, P = 0.973), regional recurrence-free survival (RRFS, 62.7% vs. 71.1%, P = 0.330) or distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS, 4.2% vs.78.7%, P = 0.677) between the Surgery group and Re-irradiation group. Multivariate analysis revealed age at recurrence, radiologic extra-nodal extension (rENE) status, and recurrent lymph node (rN) classification as independent prognostic factors for OS. The rENE status was an independent prognostic factor for DMFS. Subgroup analysis of the Surgery group revealed that the rN3 classification was an adverse prognostic factor for OS. Age at recurrence ≥ 50 years, GTV-N dose, and induction chemotherapy were found to be independent prognostic factors for OS, RRFS, and DMFS, respectively, in the Re-irradiation group. Conclusions: For NPC patients with isolated regional lymph node recurrence after initial radiotherapy, those who underwent surgery had survival prognosis similar to those who underwent re-radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy. A prospective study is needed to validate these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboo leaf polysaccharides have a variety of biological activities, such as antioxidation and immunomodulation, but their emulsifying properties have rarely been involved. In this study, polysaccharide conjugates were extracted from bamboo leaf residue under alkaline conditions, referred to as BLPC- A. BLPC-A aqueous solution and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) were used as the raw materials to prepare oil-in-water (O/W) high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs). As a single emulsifier, BLPC-A could stabilize 80% (w/w) MCT. With the increase in the BLPC-A concentration (1.00–2.50%, w/w), the average particle size (APS) (d 3,2) of the HIPEs gradually decreased, while the viscoelasticity of the HIPEs gradually increased. Furthermore, all HIPEs had good stability during a 30-day storage period at 25 ℃. Among them, after the BLPC-A HIPEs (2.00%, w/w) underwent heat treatment at 40–90 °C, the APS (d 3,2) increased from 10.51 µm to 13.01 µm, the tightly packed structure was well maintained, and the HIPEs had good storage stability and enhanced viscoelasticity. When the BLPC-A HIPEs (2.00%, w/w) were exposed to different concentrations of Na+ (0.50–1.00 M) and Ca2+ (0.01–0.05 M), the APS (d 3,2) decreased from 8.55 µm to 7.53 µm, and increased from 10.62 µm to 36.54 µm, respectively, while the viscoelasticity was enhanced for each, though HIPEs exposed to Na+ had superior storage stability. These results show that BLPC-A can be used as a natural emulsifier with a good emulsifying effect, while further providing support for the effective utilization of bamboo leaf resources. [Display omitted] ● HIPEs were prepared at the concentrations of 1.0–2.5 wt% BLPC-A with the inner phase ratio up to 80 wt%. ● HIPEs stabilized with BLPC-A showed excellent rheological and storage (30 days) stability. ● BLPC-A HIPEs have the ability to resist high temperature (40–90 ℃) and salt ions (0.5–1.0 M Na+). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A polycrystalline Si layer is introduced to eradicate the influence of lattice misfit. • Ar Plasma treatment highly enhanced the bonding strength of InGaAs/Si bonded pair at low temperatures. • A defect-rich region near the epitaxial interface of InGaAs and InP is revealed by depth-dependent and power-dependent photoluminescence (PL) measurements. • A high-quality Si-based InGaAs film is obtained by heterogeneous bonding and wet etching techniques. We report the fabrication of high-quality InGaAs films on Si by wafer bonding at low temperatures (300 ℃). A thin polycrystalline Si (poly-Si) interlayer is introduced between InGaAs and Si to block the lattice mismatch and absorb the bubble by-products produced at the bonded interface using its disordered crystal orientation and gain boundaries. To achieve a high bonding strength, argon plasma treatment was employed on InGaAs and poly-Si surfaces before the pre-bonding process. By using post-wet etching, a defect-rich region near the surface of exfoliated InGaAs film that was initially caused by the thermal mismatch between InGaAs and InP during epitaxy growth can be removed. As a result, a Si-based InGaAs film with a 1.05 MPa bonding strength and bubble-free bonding interface was produced. The defective region is 1.2 μm-thick. After etching the defective area, a high-quality, 1.8 μm-thick Si-based InGaAs film was obtained with an XRD FWHM of 94 arcsec. The results reveal that this method is prospective for the fabrication of high-quality III-V materials on Si, proving that a prospective approach for the fabrication of low-noise InGaAs/Si PIN photodiodes and InGaAs/Si avalanche photodiodes with ultralow dark currents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In the Booster Ring (BRing) of High Intensity heavy ion Accelerator Facility (HIAF), the magnetic field with a ramping speed of 12 T/s will generate non-negligible eddy current in the magnet and the metal vacuum chamber. The eddy current effect will deteriorate the quality of beam. The attenuation and hysteresis effect of magnetic field, eddy loss and eddy-current Lorentz force are analyzed by the code OPERA 3D. Moreover, the effect of eddy-current-induced multi-pole field on the optical parameters is studied by the code MAD. In order to reduce the attenuation and hysteresis effect, the 0.3 mm thick ultra-thin vacuum chamber is selected and the varying curve of magnetic field is corrected. The results show that the maximum temperature of magnet and vacuum chamber caused by eddy loss is below 60.7 °C. The influence of eddy-current Lorentz force on the vacuum chamber is negligible. The chromaticity shift caused by eddy-current-induced sextupole field is large, and the strength of sextupole-correction magnets is modified to fulfill the requirement of chromaticity correction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) is an important greenhouse gas that can be emitted from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Such emissions are reportedly process specific and related to operational parameters. This study was conducted to clarify spatial and daily variations of N 2 O in a full-scale activated sludge anoxic/oxic process that consisted of an anoxic tank and three oxic tanks (oxic-1, oxic-2 and oxic-3), all of which except the final sedimentation tank were fully covered. Higher dissolved N 2 O (D-N 2 O) loading and gaseous N 2 O (G-N 2 O) emissions were observed for oxic-3 than for the anoxic, oxic-1, and oxic-2 tanks, implying that there was higher N 2 O production potential via nitrification in the latter stage of the oxic tank. Moreover, the sudden decrease in dissolved oxygen concentration after the peak was found to lead to abrupt production of D-N 2 O at oxic-3 in the anoxic/oxic process. The increases in AOB amoA , AOB nirK and the following AOB nor B gene transcripts at the end of the oxic-2 tank suggested that nitrifier denitrification occurred to produce N 2 O under low dissolved oxygen conditions when the N 2 O peak was observed. Additionally, the much lower transcription levels of the two nosZ genes suggested lower N 2 O consumption. The N 2 O emission factors ranged from 0.087% to 0.302%, and lower N 2 O emission factors were observed during summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfadiazine is an environmental pollutant derived from abuse of antibiotics. Its content in environmental water is closely related to human health. Thus, a novel dual‐emission surface molecularly imprinted nanosensor is designed for the specific adsorption and detection of sulfadiazine. In the system, blue emissive carbon quantum dots wrapped with silica served as the internal reference signal for eliminating background interference, while red emissive thioglycolic acid modified CdTe quantum dots (CdTe QDs), which are low dimensional semiconductor materials by the combination of cadmium and tellurium with excellent optical properties, were encapsulated in the imprinted layer to offer recognition signal. The fluorescence of CdTe quantum dots was quenched and the fluorescence quenching degree of carbon quantum dots was inconspicuous with the increase of concentration of sulfadiazine, thereby reflecting the color change. The detection of sulfadiazine was successfully achieved in a concentration range of 0.25–20 μmol/L with detection limit of 0.042 μmol/L and nanosensors had specific recognition for sulfadiazine over its analogues. Compared to single‐emission fluorescence sensors, ratiometric fluorescence nanosensors had wider linear range and higher detection accuracy. Furthermore, the nanosensors were also successfully applied for the determination of sulfadiazine in real water and milk samples with acceptable recoveries. The study provides a feasible method for the detection of sulfadiazine and a reference for the detection of sulfonamides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytosterol esters (PSE) have been shown to have cholesterol-lowering effects, but their insolubility in water limits their applications. Green tea polysaccharide conjugates (gTPC) have hypoglycemic and emulsifying effects. To address lipid dysregulation in diabetic patients, we developed PSE-loaded emulsions stabilized with gTPC and Tween-20 (gTPC-PSE emulsions) and evaluated their physicochemical properties. We subsequently investigated the lipid-regulating potential of these emulsions to in KKAy mice. The KKAy mice were randomly assigned to eight groups: the model group, the Lipitor (10 mg·kg−1)-acarbose (30 mg·kg−1) combination group, two gTPC groups, two PSE groups, and two gTPC-PSE groups with a 1:2 mass ratio of gTPC to PSE. The administered doses were 90 and 270 mg kg−1, respectively. Administration of a 270 mg·kg−1 dose of gTPC-PSE emulsions led to the most significant effects including increased levels of liver and serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-CH), reduced serum leptin and insulin, and improved liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced malondialdehyde (MDA). In general, gTPC and PSE demonstrated a synergistic effect on lipid regulation in mice. Our results indicate that gTPC-PSE emulsions hold potential as a nutritional intervention for diabetes by modulating lipid levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sediment-based reduced substances promoted hypolimnetic hypoxia in the reservoir. • Methane oxidation at the sediment–water interface dominated the oxygen depletion in the bottom water of the reservoir. • Sulfide oxidation exacerbated the hypolimnetic oxygen depletion in the mesotrophic reservoir formerly affected by acid mine drainage. Hypolimnion oxygen depletion (HOD) in lakes and reservoirs can degrade water quality and prevent recovery from eutrophication owing to the release of reduced metals and nutrients from sediments. However, oxygen consumption processes in the hypolimnia of reservoirs resulting from deep-water anoxia are not well understood. Here, we present the results from a mesotrophic reservoir, which had previously suffered from acid mine drainage, to demonstrate the process of hypolimnetic hypoxia. Sampling was conducted monthly from April 2021 to March 2022, and the sediment oxygen demand (SOD) and flux of reduced substances, including CH 4 , S2-, N H 4 + , and Mn2+ from the sediment core samples were analyzed intensively. Based on long-term monitoring data, we found that HOD in the reservoir began in early April and ended in early November. This led to a hypolimnetic hypoxic state in the lacustrine zone of the reservoir for eight months. The areal hypolimnetic oxidation demand (AHOD) and SOD were 0.21–1.29 gO 2 m−2 d-1 and 0.06–0.84 gO 2 m−2 d-1, respectively. This resulted in 30.45%–65.07% HOD due to oxygen depletion at the sediment–water interface. The highest fraction of SOD to AHOD occurred in the lacustrine zone samples of the reservoir. The flux of reduced substances in the sediment revealed that CH 4 oxidation at the sediment–water interface dominated oxygen depletion in the lacustrine zone of the reservoir; additionally, S2- oxidation played an important secondary role in exacerbating hypolimnetic oxygen depletion in the mesotrophic reservoir. Sediments were a source of reduced substances. Organic matter content and S O 4 2 - and N O 3 - concentrations in the pore water were the most critical drivers of spatial variation in CH 4 and S2- fluxes from the sediments. Temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration and saturation, and oxidation–reduction potential controlled temporal variations in CH 4 and S2- concentrations in the overlying water. Compared with previous reports on the flux of reduced substances from sediments in lakes and reservoirs, HOD in the studies reservoir was not only affected by nutrient conditions but was also related to the sulfur cycle. Our findings indicate a spatial various of HOD mechanism in the reservoir and emphasized the importance of the sulfate reduction process in the reservoir formerly affected by acid mine drainage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the shape memory effect of novel iron-alloyed Cu–Al-Ga shape memory single crystals were reported for the first time. The microstructure, crystal structure, martensitic transformation and shape memory effect of Cu–10Al-6Ga (master alloy), Cu–10Al-6Ga-3Fe, Cu–12Al-4Ga-3Fe and Cu–14Al-4Ga-3Fe (wt.%) were investigated. All studied alloys consist of dominant martensite and fine bcc nanoparticles with richer Fe content and poorer Cu content except master alloy. The martensitic transformation start temperatures are 241.3 °C, 251.3 °C and 71.9 °C for Cu–10Al-6Ga-3Fe, Cu–12Al-4Ga-3Fe and for Cu–14Al-4Ga-3Fe alloys, respectively. For master alloy, the martensitic transformation disappears resulted from the precipitation of a large amount of α-Cu during heating. In addition, the shape memory effects clearly increase as a result of increase of the pre-strains. The Cu–14Al-4Ga-3Fe single crystal obtains a maximum shape memory effect of 6.8% with 100% strain recovery when 10% pre-strain is applied. • Iron-alloyed Cu–Al-Ga shape memory alloys were reported for the first time. • Bulk single crystals over cm-scale were prepared through only one-step annealing cast alloys. • The Cu–14Al-4Ga-3Fe single crystal possesses maximum shape memory effect of 6.8% with a 100% strain recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the Cu–Al–Ni based shape memory austenite single crystal (Cu-13.5Al–4Ni–6Fe–4Mn) with two different orientations were prepared for the first time through simply annealing cast alloy. The single crystal contains the L2 1 matrix and rich-Fe nanoprecipitates with two structures (D0 3 and A2). The martensitic transformation temperatures and chemical compositions of two different-oriented single crystals are very close. Two different-oriented single crystals both possess complete superelasticity when deforming from 3% to 8%. The critical stress of stress-induced martensite for the [2–75] single crystal is about 500 MPa, which is more than twice that of the [−401] single crystal. The [−401] single crystal has much better cycle stability, in which it can maintain stable and prefect superelasticity during 500 cycles without fracture. [Display omitted] • Centimeter-scale Cu–Al–Ni–Fe–Mn austenite single crystals are obtained by annealing as-cast alloys. • Both of the two single crystals with different orientations possess a fully strain recovery of 8%. • When a pre-strain of 6% is applied, the single crystal still does not fracture after 500 cycles of compression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-speed railways generate a large amount of regenerative braking energy during operation but this energy is not utilized efficiently. In order to realize the recycling of regenerative braking energy of high-speed railways, the hybrid energy storage type railway power conditioner (RPC) system is proposed. The working principle and the control strategy of the system are studied. The energy management strategy consisting of a hybrid energy storage system charging and discharging strategy and variational modal decomposition (VMD) power allocation strategy is proposed. Three system operation modes are proposed: the power of the hybrid energy storage system is decomposed by VMD and an interrelationship number is proposed to determine the lithium battery and supercapacitor power. The hardware-in-the-loop test experiments are conducted by the StarSim power electronics small-step real-time simulator from Modeling Tech and the validation analysis is carried out on MATLAB/Simulink with the actual measurement data of a traction substation on the Lanzhou–Xinjiang line. The results verify that the proposed strategy can effectively recycle the regenerative braking energy, realize the peak-shaving effect on the load, and reduce the energy consumption of the train. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synaptic Zn 2+ plays an important role in neurotransmission and a neuromodulator. The development of the imaging tools for monitoring spatiotemporal changes taking place in synaptic Zn 2+ concentrations is necessary in order to understand the role of Zn 2+ in the function of many aspects of the glutamate system. In this work, two-photon probes 1 and 2 , bearing ifenprodil-like tails that have affinity for NMDA receptors of neuronal cells, were designed and prepared. The two-photon fluorescent probe 1 , which bears (N-(6-acetylnaphthalen-2-yl)-N-methylglycine) as two-photon fluorophore, enables high resolution imaging of neuronal cells. The two-photon fluorescent probe 2 , which contains the di-2-picolylamine (DPA) as a Zn 2+ -binding site, the naphthalimide unit as the two-photon fluorophore, and the ifenprodil-like tail as the NMDA receptor binding moiety, can be employed for selective detection of Zn 2+ located near the NMDA receptor and for monitoring concentration changes of Zn 2+ in live neurons and hippocampal tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of multifunctional reagents for simultaneous specific near-infrared (NIR) imaging and phototherapy of tumors is of great significance. This work describes the design of a cathepsin B-activated fluorescent probe ( CyA-P-CyB ) and its applications as an NIR imaging probe for tumor cells and as a phototherapy reagent for tumors. In vitro experiments demonstrated that CyA-P-CyB was activated via the cleavage of a peptide linker by cathepsin B in tumor cells to produce fluorescence in the NIR region based on a FRET mechanism. MTT assays showed that the phototoxicity of CyA-P-CyB toward cells depended on the activity of cathepsin B, and the probe exhibited specific phototoxicity toward tumor cells. CyA-P-CyB was also successfully applied to the in vivo imaging and phototherapy of tumors. Histological analysis indicated that CyA-P-CyB had no cytotoxic effects on seven mouse tissues (lung, liver, heart, kidney, pancreas, spleen and brain) after the CyA-P-CyB treatment and laser irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tea polysaccharide conjugates (TPCs) are macromolecular polymers comprising polypeptides covalently bound to polysaccharides with a wide range of molecular weights that are found in tea leaves. We previously found that TPCs had emulsifying properties, but the difference in the emulsification stabilities between the high- and low-molecular-weight TPCs was unknown. In this study, the total polysaccharide conjugates (gTPC-T) with average molecular weight of 258,900 Da were extracted from low-grade green tea, from which two separate fractions with average molecular weights of 989,600 Da (22.43%) and 47,780 Da (77.57%), which were referred to as gTPC-1 and gTPC-2, respectively, were separated using an ultrafiltration membrane. The polypeptide chains of the three TPCs (gTPC-T, gTPC-1, and gTPC-2) contained 17 out of the 20 canonical amino acids. In addition, gTPC-1 had the highest acidic monosaccharide content. Circular dichroism (CD) an analysis showed that the secondary structures of the protein moieties of the three TPCs were dominated by α-helices. The nano-differential scanning calorimetry (Nano-DSC) results showed that the transition midpoints (T m) of the three samples were 86.69, 59.53, and 68.59 °C, respectively. The zeta potential of gTPC-T at weakly acidic or neutral pH (4.0–7.0) was the highest, followed by gTPC-1 and then gTPC-2. Of all three gTPCs, gTPC-1 had the smallest interfacial tension, the highest interfacial pressure, and the best interfacial activity. In addition, gTPC-T slightly better-stabilized the MCT oil-in-water emulsions than gTPC-1, while the emulsification stability of gTPC-2 was the worst. This trend was likely attributed to the synergistic effect between gTPC-1 and gTPC-2. [Display omitted] • Polysaccharide conjugates (gTPC-T) with average molecular weight of 258,900 Da were prepared from low-grade green tea. • gTPC-T was isolated two fractions of TPC by ultrafiltration membrane, named as gTPC-1(989,600 Da) and gTPC-2 (47,780 Da). • The physicochemical properties of gTPC-T, gTPC-1 and gTPC-2 were characterized. • gTPC-1 has stronger emulsifying ability than gTPC-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen (RNS) species cause oxidative and nitrosative stresses, respectively. These stresses are implicated not only in diverse physiological processes but also in various pathological processes, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. In addition, some ROS and RNS in the environment are pollutants that threaten human health. As a consequence of these effects, sensitive methods, which can be employed to selectively monitor ROS and RNS in live cells, tissues and organisms as well as in environmental samples, are needed so that their biological roles can be understood and their concentrations in environmental samples can be determined. In this review, fluorescent, luminescent and colorimetric ROS and RNS probes, which have been developed since 2011, are comprehensively discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the prognostic value of the number of positive lymph nodes (NPLN), the ratio of positive lymph nodes (pLNR), and the logarithmic ratio of positive lymph nodes (LODDS) in patients with parotid gland carcinoma. On this basis, establishing and validating an optimal nomogram. Methods: A total of 895 patients with T1-4N1-3M0 parotid gland carcinoma were included in our study from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Patients' data were randomly assigned to the training cohort and the validation cohort by a ratio of 7:3. Univariate and multivariate COX regression analysis were used to explore the relationship between the study factors and the prognosis of parotid gland carcinoma, including overall survival (OS) and cause-specific survival (CSS). The Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) was used to evaluate model fit. Harrell's concordance index (C-index), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), and net reclassification index (NRI) were used to evaluate the predictive ability of these models. The decision curve analysis was used to evaluate the clinical benefit of the nomograms compared with the TNM stage. Results: NPLN, pLNR, and LODDS are independent risk factors for the prognostic of PGC. According to the AIC, C index, IDI, and NRI, the models combined with NPLN and LODDS were the best. The decision curves suggested that our nomograms had good predictive abilities for the prognosis of parotid gland carcinoma. Conclusion: The two nomograms which contained NPLN and LODDS had the potential to predict OS and CSS in patients with parotid gland carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a non-camellia tea with a rich history in Chinese culture that spans several centuries, Apocynum venetum L. tea is a brewed beverage made from the leaves of the Apocynum venetum L. plant. Despite its long history, little research on the polysaccharides in Apocynum venetum L. leaves has been conducted. In this study, polysaccharide conjugates were extracted from Apocynum venetum L. tea residue under alkaline conditions, referred to as ATPC-A. The conjugates comprised polysaccharide moieties covalently bound to protein. Oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions were prepared from the mixtures of the ATPC-A in water and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). The mean particle diameter (MPD) (d 3,2) of the ATPC-A-stabilized emulsions containing 2.00 wt% and 3.00 wt% ATPC-A increased from 0.47 μm to 1.94 μm and 0.37 μm–1.48 μm after storage at 25.0 °C for 10 days. The zeta potentials of the emulsions were also stable around −40.00 mV. Compared to a 5.00 wt% gum arabic (GA)-stabilized emulsion, the ATPC-A-stabilized emulsion containing 1.00 wt% ATPC-A and higher featured smaller particle sizes and stabilities compared to at lower ATPC-A concentrations. Between pH 2.0 and 8.0, the MPD (d 3,2) of the ATPC-A emulsions ranged from 21.05 to 5.67 μm, while the zeta potentials ranged from −25.47 to −44.88 mV. Under different concentrations of metal ions (Na+ and Ca2+), the MPD (d 3,2) of the ATPC-A emulsion increased from 13.61 to 29.55 μm between 0.10 and 0.50 mol/L Na+) and from 26.60 μm to 43.72 μm between 0.01 and 0.05 mol/L Ca2+. The absolute zeta potential dropped from 35.07 to 32.53 mV (Na+) and from 33.33 mV to 17.63 mV (Ca2+). These results highlighted the utilization of polysaccharide conjugates derived from Apocynum venetum L. leaves and provided a basis for the high-value utilization of Apocynum venetum L. tea residues. [Display omitted] • Polysaccharide conjugates (ATPC-A) were alkali-extracted from Apocynum venetum tea residues. • ATPC-A contained covalently bound protein and had an emulsifying effect. • ATPC-A emulsion was stable at pH 7–8 and at Na+ and Ca2+ concentrations less than 0.20 mol/L and 0.02 mol/L, respectively. • The discovery of ATPC-A emulsification promotes sustainable utilization of tea residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a non-camellia tea with a rich history in Chinese culture that spans several centuries, Apocynum venetum L. tea is a brewed beverage made from the leaves of the Apocynum venetum L. plant. Despite its long history, little research on the polysaccharides in Apocynum venetum L. leaves has been conducted. In this study, polysaccharide conjugates were extracted from Apocynum venetum L. tea residue under alkaline conditions, referred to as ATPC-A. The conjugates comprised polysaccharide moieties covalently bound to protein. Oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions were prepared from the mixtures of the ATPC-A in water and medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). The mean particle diameter (MPD) (d 3,2) of the ATPC-A-stabilized emulsions containing 2.00 wt% and 3.00 wt% ATPC-A increased from 0.47 μm to 1.94 μm and 0.37 μm–1.48 μm after storage at 25.0 °C for 10 days. The zeta potentials of the emulsions were also stable around −40.00 mV. Compared to a 5.00 wt% gum arabic (GA)-stabilized emulsion, the ATPC-A-stabilized emulsion containing 1.00 wt% ATPC-A and higher featured smaller particle sizes and stabilities compared to at lower ATPC-A concentrations. Between pH 2.0 and 8.0, the MPD (d 3,2) of the ATPC-A emulsions ranged from 21.05 to 5.67 μm, while the zeta potentials ranged from −25.47 to −44.88 mV. Under different concentrations of metal ions (Na+ and Ca2+), the MPD (d 3,2) of the ATPC-A emulsion increased from 13.61 to 29.55 μm between 0.10 and 0.50 mol/L Na+) and from 26.60 μm to 43.72 μm between 0.01 and 0.05 mol/L Ca2+. The absolute zeta potential dropped from 35.07 to 32.53 mV (Na+) and from 33.33 mV to 17.63 mV (Ca2+). These results highlighted the utilization of polysaccharide conjugates derived from Apocynum venetum L. leaves and provided a basis for the high-value utilization of Apocynum venetum L. tea residues. [Display omitted] • Polysaccharide conjugates (ATPC-A) were alkali-extracted from Apocynum venetum tea residues. • ATPC-A contained covalently bound protein and had an emulsifying effect. • ATPC-A emulsion was stable at pH 7–8 and at Na+ and Ca2+ concentrations less than 0.20 mol/L and 0.02 mol/L, respectively. • The discovery of ATPC-A emulsification promotes sustainable utilization of tea residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antioxidant activities of ethanol extracts of rosemary ( Rosmarinus officinalis L.) (RE) were tested in natural sunflower oil stored at 60 °C by measuring their peroxide values ( POV), thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances ( TBARS), free fatty acid ( FFA) content and p-anisidine value ( AnV) after regular intervals compared with synthetic antioxidants. After 3 weeks of storage at 60 °C, sunflower oil containing 200 mg kg−1 rosemary extracts showed lower POVs (75.7 ± 0.47 meq kg−1), thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances ( TBARS)(0.161 ± 0.002 μg mL−1), FFA contents (0.45 ± 0.04 mg g−1) and AnV (12.4 ± 0.02) than the control sample. Sunflower oil containing 200 ppm butylated hydroxyanisole ( BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene ( BHT) and tert-butylhydroquinone ( TBHQ) showed POVs (204 ± 0.68, 159 ± 0.55, 20 ± 0.49 meq kg−1), thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances ( TBARS) (0.171 ± 0.002, 0.184 ± 0.002, 0.069 ± 0.001 μg mL−1), FFA contents (0.34 ± 0.03, 0.46 ± 0.03, 0.2 ± 0.01 mg g−1) and AnV (14.7 ± 0.03, 16.5 ± 0.04, 6.77 ± 0.01), respectively, after 3 weeks of storage at 60 °C. These results illustrate that rosemary extracts exhibited very strong antioxidant activity, almost equal to that of synthetic antioxidants ( BHA and BHT). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Stability of TPC-W and TPC-A aqueous solution treated at 300 and 500 MPa was enhanced. • CD results revealed that UHP led to the steric structure of TPC-W and TPC-A to unfold. • One component of TPC-A treated at 300 and 500 MPa was dissociate into two. • The zeta potential absolute values of UHP treated TPC-W and TPC-W were increased. Previous studies have shown that ultra-high pressure (UHP) processing technology to extract, prepare, and sterilize tea beverages (tea infusion) significantly increases the extraction rate of tea polyphenols (catechins), free amino acids, caffeine, and other small molecules in green tea, besides sterilizing and inactivating residual oxidases, such as polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase. UHP avoids the deterioration of color and aroma, as high-quality green tea infusions were obtained with nutritional value and flavor quality close to the original tea. However, the effect of UHP on polysaccharides in green tea infusions is unclear. The water-extracted tea polysaccharide conjugates (TPC-W) and alkali-extracted tea polysaccharide conjugates (TPC-A) from low-grade green tea were subjected to a UHP treatment of 100, 300, and 500 MPa for 5, 12, and 25 min. The circular dichroism (CD) spectra results showed that UHP transformed the secondary structure of the TPC-W and TPC-A from compact and ordered α-helices and β-sheets to disordered β-turns and random coils; one component of TPC-A was dissociated into two components. The absolute values of the zeta potential of TPC-W treated with 100, 300, and 500 MPa increased by 2.4–5.6, 5.3–8.0, and 5.5–9.1 mV, while those of TPC-A increased by 0.5–2.8, 3.5–5.5, and 4.8–6.9 mV, respectively. The stability of TPC-W and TPC-A aqueous solutions treated with 300 and 500 MPa was enhanced during storage at 5°C. These findings will contribute to applying UHP for tea beverage processing and in-depth investigations on the physiochemical properties of TPC, particularly the protein moiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past few decades, the development of optical probes for thiols has attracted great attention because of the biological importance of the thiol-containing molecules such as cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy), and glutathione (GSH). This tutorial review focuses on various thiol detection methods based on luminescent or colorimetric spectrophotometry published during the period 2010–2012. The discussion covers a diversity of sensing mechanisms such as Michael addition, cyclization with aldehydes, conjugate addition–cyclization, cleavage of sulfonamide and sulfonate esters, thiol–halogen nucleophilic substitution, disulfide exchange, native chemical ligation (NCL), metal complex-displace coordination, and nanomaterial-related and DNA-based chemosensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Photovoltaic performances of polymer bulk-heterojunction solar cells (PSCs) with various sized (20, 35, 50, and 75nm) Au nanoparticles (NPs) incorporated on indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrates are investigated in detail, wherein poly(3-hexylthiophene):phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT:PCBM) blend serves as active layer and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) as anode buffer layer on ITO. The optical and electrical properties of these devices incorporated with Au NPs with different space distributions in the interface of PEDOT:PSS buffer layer and P3HT:PCBM active layer are investigated. We find that, the optical property is improved as the Au NPs are large enough to penetrate into the active layer, while the performance of PSCs with small Au NPs can only benefit from the improved hole collection efficiency. Meanwhile, the exciton dissociation efficiency reduces remarkably as increasing the size of Au NPs. Finally, we demonstrated a maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) improvement of ∼23% in the PSCs by incorporating 35nm Au NPs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We reported the enhanced performance of polymer solar cells with the blend of poly (2-methoxy-5(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene-vinylene) (MEH-PPV) and [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) as active layer by incorporation of an assembled gold nanoparticle (Au NP) monolayer. The dense Au NP monolayer has been fabricated by Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) assembly and positioned between the transparent electrode ITO and the anode-modification PEDOT:PSS [poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)] layer, resulting in the device architecture of ITO/Au/PEDOT:PSS/MEH-PPV:PCBM/Al. We attribute the performance improvement to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect of Au NP films, which could lead to the increased absorption of the active layer. The parameters (nanoparticle size and interparticle distance) that govern this SPR effect have been optimized by selecting various sizes of Au NPs and controlling the LB assembly conditions. We observed ∼10–20% enhancement in power conversion efficiency for all the devices with the Au NP monolayer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This manuscript reports the solvothermal method for the fabrication of monodisperse and single-crystal Fe3O4 hollow microspheres with a diameter of 200nm in the presence of Na2CO3. The effects of reaction parameters like the reaction time and the reagent concentration on the structure of the resultant samples are investigated. The amount of water in the reaction system plays an important role during the reaction process. The formation mechanism for Fe3O4 hollow spheres is illustrated by an Ostwald ripening process. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM and scanning electron microscopy are used to characterize the as-prepared products. The Fe3O4 hollow spheres reveal a ferromagnetic behavior with a saturation magnetization of 75.3emug−1, a remnant magnetization of 2.0emug−1, and a coercivity of 31.3Oe at room temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A novel pilot-scale oxidation ditch (OD) system with an anaerobic tank and dual dissolved oxygen (DO) control technology was used to treat raw domestic wastewater during 310days of operation. Three intensive sampling sessions indicated that the dual DO control technology could create stable aerobic and anoxic zones along the main ditch, even with large influent fluctuations. Dramatic total nitrogen (TN), total COD, and total phosphorus removal efficiencies were achieved within ranges of 78–90%, 83–91%, and 69–82%, respectively. June nitrogen balance results revealed that 60% of influent TN was denitrified and that 92% denitrification occurred in the main OD, demonstrating the advantage of the dual DO controls. In addition, COD balance values showed that 67% of the mineralized COD was due to denitrification, and aerobic oxidation was minimized. With lower influent BOD/N ratios of 4.0–4.7, significant TN removal performances were obtained in this OD system. Maximizing COD for denitrification and minimizing aerobic degradation suggest that this novel OD system shows promise for highly effective sewage treatment with effective COD consumption. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Applicability of solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME) for extraction of the fruits of Schisandra chinensis essential oil was examined; the composition and antioxidant activities and antibacterial activities of the essential oil were assessed in vitro. An orthogonal experiment (L9 (3)4) was applied to optimize the extraction process. The optimum conditions were: extraction time, 45 min; microwave power, 800 W; diameter of powder particles, 0.25 mm; and proportion of water pretreatment, 30%. Under these conditions, the extraction yield was 1.75%. Thirty-five compounds, representing 91.12% of the oil, were identified, of which the major ones, ylangene (50.11%), β-himachalene (10.76%)，α-bergamotene (9.52%) and β-Chamigrene (5.41%), accounted for of 75.80% the oil. Antioxidant activity, IC50 value of the essential oil was determined as 3.87 mg/mL by DPPH assay, and the inhibition values of the essential oil at 1.8 mg/mL was 41.88% by β-Carotene–linoleic acid bleaching assay. The essential oil was screened for antibacterial activity against both Gram positive (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris) bacteria. The essential oil showed antibacterial effect against all the gram (+) bacteria and gram (−) bacteria tested. These results show that S. chinensis essential oil could be considered as a natural alternative to food antioxidants and preservatives. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Oxidative and nitrosative stress induced by ROS/RNS play crucial roles in a wide range of physiological processes and are also implicated in various diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Sensitive and selective methods for the detection of ROS/RNS based on fluorescent and luminescent probes are of great use in monitoring the in vivoproduction of these species and elucidating their biological functions. This critical reviewhighlights recent advances that have been made in the development of fluorescent and luminescent probes employed to monitor various ROS/RNS (132 references). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hot-water extracts of low-grade green tea were precipitated with ethanol, deproteinized with trichloroacetic acid, neutralized with NaOH and fractionated by DEAE-cellulose DE-52 column chromatography to yield three (3) of unexplored polysaccharide-conjugate fractions termed gTPC1, gTPC2 and gTPC3. Monosaccharide and amino acid composition, contents of total neutral sugars, proteins and moistures, HPGPC distribution and Zeta potentials of gTPC1–3 were investigated. Exposure of human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVE) cells to high glucose (33mM) for 12h significantly decreased cell viability relative to normal glucose control (p <0.001). As compared with cell injury group, gTPC1–3 at all of three dose levels (50, 150 and 300μg/mL) were found to possess remarkably protective effects on HUVE cells against impairments induced by high glucose in a dose-dependent manner (p <0.05, p <0.001). To contribute toward our understanding of the cell-based protection mechanism of gTPC1–3, the latter were subjected to self-oxidation of 1,2,3-phentriol assay, and their scavenging effects were observed as 55.1%, 47.6% and 47.9% at the concentration of 300μg/mL, respectively. On the basis of the fact that high glucose-induced endothelial dysfunction involves in the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and contributes to the vascular complications in patients with diabetes, inhibitory effects of gTPC1–3 on high glucose-mediated HUVE cell loss are, at least in part, correlated with their potential scavenging potency of ROS. Taken together, gTPC1–3 could be developed as non-cytotoxic candidates of therapeutic agent for diabetic vascular complications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A novel temperature sensor based on polydiacetylene, displayed colorimetrically reversible properties in the range of 30 °C and 70 °C in solution. PVA film embedded PDA supramolecules displayed similar temperature reversibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorescent probes have been used extensively to monitor biomolecules and biologically relevant species in vitroand in vivo. A new trend in this area that has been stimulated by the desire to obtain more detailed information about the biological effects of analytes is the change from live cell to whole animal fluorescent imaging. Zebrafish has received great attention for live vertebrate imaging due to several noticeable advantages. In this tutorial review, recent advances in live zebrafish imaging using fluorescent probes, such as fluorescent proteins, synthetic fluorescent dyes and quantum dots, are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We report a Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) approach for highly-efficient fabrication of nanoscrolls from functionalized graphene oxide single sheets. Transmission electron microscope study reveals that the scroll has a tubular structure without caps at its ends. The scrolls align parallel to the moving barriers of the LB equipment and exhibit a loose-dense pattern during the LB compression process. We find that specific solvents can unwind the scrolled structures. Electrical characterization of the well-aligned scrolls was also performed. The method demonstrated here opens up a new avenue for high-yield fabrication of carbon nanoscrolls using functionalized graphene oxide as the building blocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Water-soluble tea polysaccharide conjugates (TPC-W) and alkali-soluble tea polysaccharide conjugates (TPC-A) were extracted from green tea by hot and alkali water respectively. Physicochemical properties of TPC-W and TPC-A were analyzed. Non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice were used to evaluate antidiabetic bioactivities of TPC-W and TPC-A. The daily oral administration of 150mgkg−1 TPC-W can significantly decrease the level of blood glucose in NOD mice. The anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibody level in NOD mice treated with 150mgkg−1 TPC-W decreased 27% (P <0.05). To the end of trial, only 2 out of 10 mice in NOD groups treated with TPC-W or TPC-A exhibited diabetic symptoms compared with model control group, in which 7 of 10 mice developed diabetes. The result of organ index showed that both TPC-W and TPC-A can protect thymus from shriveling to some extent. In sum, our studies demonstrated that both TPC-W and TPC-A can suppress spontaneous diabetes mellitus in NOD mice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Absrtract: A fluorescent probe based on selenolactone displays unique fluorescence enhancement and UV–vis spectral change for mercury/methylmercury species, which were attributed to deselenation reaction. The value of this system was successfully demonstrated by its use in detecting inorganic mercury/methylmercury species in cells and zebrafish. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]