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Abstract Programmed necrosis/necroptosis greatly contributes to the pathogenesis of cardiac disorders including myocardial infarction, ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and heart failure. However, the fundamental mechanism underlying myocardial necroptosis, especially the mitochondria-dependent death pathway, is poorly understood. Synaptotagmin-1 (Syt1), a Ca2+ sensor, is originally identified in nervous system and mediates synchronous neurotransmitter release. The later findings of Syt1 expressions in many non-neuronal tissues including muscles suggest that Syt1 may exert important functions beyond regulation of neurotransmitter release. Syt1 is highly expressed in cardiomyocytes and has been used as an extracellular molecular probe for SPECT imaging of cardiac cell death in acute myocardial infarction. However, whether Syt1 functions in the pathogenesis of cardiac disorders and what is the molecular etiology have not yet been clarified. We showed here that Syt1 expression was significantly down-regulated in mice I/R injured heart tissues, H2O2-challenged cardiomyocytes and hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-damaged cardiomyocytes. Enforced expression of Syt1 significantly inhibited myocardial necrotic cell death and interstitial fibrosis, and improved cardiac function in mice subjected to I/R operation. In exploring the underlying mechanisms, we found that Syt1 interacted with Parkin and promoted Parkin-catalyzed CypD ubiquitination, thus inhibited mitochondrial membrane permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening and ultimately suppressed cardiomyocyte necrosis. We further found that Syt1 expression was negatively regulated by miR-193b-3p. MiR-193b-3p regulated cardiomyocyte necrosis and mPTP opening by targeting Syt1. Our present work revealed a novel regulatory model of myocardial necrosis composed of miR-193b-3p, Syt1, Parkin, and CypD, which may provide potential therapeutic targets and strategies for heart protection.

Abstract Background Vernicia montana and V. fordii are economically important woody oil species in the Euphorbiaceae that have great industrial oil and ornamental greening properties, however, the wild resources of Vernicia trees have been reduced because of their habitat destruction. Considering the diverse economic and ecological importance of Vernicia species, it is important to collect more molecular data to determine the genetic differences between V. montana and V. fordii. Results We sequenced, assembled, and annotated the complete chloroplast (CP) genome of two tung trees based on the genome skimming approach. The whole CP genomes of V. montana and V. fordii were 163,518 bp and 161,495 bp in length, both including a pair of inverted repeats separated by a large single-copy and a small single-copy region. We detected a total number of 311 tandem repeats, 100 dispersed repeats, and 255 simple repeats from V. montana and V. fordii CP genomes. The mean value of nucleotide diversity between the two species was 0.0122, and the average Ka/Ks ratio across all coding genes was 0.3483. Comparative chloroplast genome analysis showed that the coding regions were more conserved than the non-coding regions. The phylogenetic relationships yielded by the complete genome sequences showed that V. montana was closely related to V. fordii and is considered as a sister group. Conclusions We sequenced, assembled, annotated, and analyzed the CP genome of two tung trees, which will be useful in investigating the conservation genetics and potential breeding applications of this oil shrub.

To solve the problem of poor thermal stability of the current D-allulose 3-epimerase (DAEase), the ancestor sequences of DAEase with different catalytic domains were reconstructed by big data mining, reasonable modification and ancestor sequence reconstruction (ASR) strategy under the guidance of phylogenetic information. The expression vectors of the ancestor sequences were constructed, and DAEase A13 with significantly enhanced thermal stability was screened by recombinant expression and molecular docking, and its enzymatic properties were characterized. In addition, the molecular mechanism of thermal stability enhancement of DAEase A13 was revealed based on structural analysis and molecular dynamics. The results showed that the half-life of A13 constructed based on ASR strategy could reach 8.4 h at 70 ℃, indicating that its thermal stability was significantly enhanced compared with that of wild-type (WT) enzyme. The maximum conversion rate of A13 reached 31%, indicating that the catalytic activity of A13 was slightly higher than that of WT enzyme. The structural and molecular dynamics analysis revealed that the increase in hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction in ASR A13 was the main factor responsible for maintaining the stability of the enzyme's molecular structure at high temperatures. The results showed that ASR strategy could modify DAEases to enhance the stability, activity or hybridity, which could provide superior biocatalyst sources for various industrial applications of functional sugars.

Abstract Background Low levels of the essential amino acid lysine in maize endosperm is considered to be a major problem regarding the nutritional quality of food and feed. Increasing the lysine content of maize is important to improve the quality of food and feed nutrition. Although the genetic basis of quality protein maize (QPM) has been studied, the further exploration of the quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying lysine content variation still needs more attention. Results Eight maize inbred lines with increased lysine content were used to construct four double haploid (DH) populations for identification of QTLs related to lysine content. The lysine content in the four DH populations exhibited continuous and normal distribution. A total of 12 QTLs were identified in a range of 4.42–12.66% in term of individual phenotypic variation explained (PVE) which suggested the quantitative control of lysine content in maize. Five main genes involved in maize lysine biosynthesis pathways in the QTL regions were identified in this study. Conclusions The information presented will allow the exploration of candidate genes regulating lysine biosynthesis pathways and be useful for marker-assisted selection and gene pyramiding in high-lysine maize breeding programs.

Abstract Circularly polarized light (CPL) is inherently chiral and is regarded as one possible source for the origin of homochirality. Coincidentally, chiral metal nanoparticles have great prospects in asymmetric photochemical reactions since they can enhance the chiral light‐matter interactions. Nonetheless, little is known about how the spin angular momentum of light competes with the chiral electromagnetic field in the vicinity of a chiral nanoparticle during the chiral induction and amplification process. Here, an asymmetric photo‐polymerization system is presented where the chiral bias can be selectively regulated by the combination of chiral fields CPL and Ag nanoparticles, either constructively or destructively. Synergistic chiral amplification effect is observed when the handedness of both are matched, while the opposite‐handed CPL can overrule the polymer helicity during the chain propagation process when the chiral near‐field is weak. There is a bifurcation point in the chiral bias for the orthogonal control of the polymer helicity during the asymmetric photo‐polymerization process, favoring for programmable chiroptical micropatterns and multi‐channel independent information encoding. This work not only highlights opportunities for selectively regulating the asymmetric photopolymerization but also is highly valuable for fundamental understanding of the symmetry breaking in photochemical reactions.

The high energy consumption characteristic of multi-span glass greenhouses significantly limits their widespread adoption. Optimizing energy strategies and implementing predictive models for energy consumption are essential for more efficient management and reduction of greenhouse operational energy costs. Existing methods rely on single-element approaches to predict energy consumption, but this reliance often results in severe performance limitations. Therefore, energy consumption prediction methods that incorporate multi-source data are necessary. To overcome the challenges concerning heterogeneity, redundancy, and interdependence among different data sources, this paper proposed a novel energy consumption method that integrates multi-source data through feature engineering and machine learning techniques, which significantly enhances the efficiency of data utilization and improves prediction accuracy. The final experimental results indicated that the proposed energy consumption prediction method demonstrates excellent performance with high prediction accuracy (R² = 0.9388) and low computational resource consumption (runtime = 926.91s), outperforming other models. Finally, the model was interpreted using SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) values, and ablation experiments were conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method in greenhouse energy consumption prediction, thereby providing strong support for greenhouse management.

In order to improve the economic value of Panax quinquefolius L., this study used Panax quinquefolius L. as raw material to solid state ferment Panax quinquefolius L. by Schizophyllum commune, increased the content of active components in Panax quinquefolius L., and optimized the fermentation technology. In this study, the total ginsenoside content of Panax quinquefolius L. was used as the indicator. First, strain 2 was selected from three strains of Streptomyces as the solid state fermentation strain for Panax quinquefolius L.. Then single factor experiment was conducted on four factors affecting total ginsenoside content. The four factors included: fermentation temperature, inoculation amount of Schizophyllum commune, pH value and fermentation time. On the basis of these results, the technology of solid state fermentation of Panax quinquefolius L. by Schizophyllum commune was further optimized by response surface Box Behnken experimental design. The optimized process conditions were determined as follows: inoculation amount of Schizophyllum commune 10.90%, fermentation temperature 31 ℃, fermentation time 10 d, pH value 5.9. Under the above conditions, the total ginsenoside content of Panax quinquefolius L. fermented by Schizophyllum commune was 10.28%, the content of crude polysaccharide was 12.85%, and the content of total flavonoids was 0.67%, which were higher than that of unfermented Panax quinquefolius L., and the contents of macromolecules ginsenoside Rb1, Rg2 and Re decreased, while the contents of micromolecules ginsenoside Rg1, Rc, Rb2, Rd, Rg3, s-Rh2, r-Rh2 and pseudo-ginsenoside CK increased. Among them, rare ginsenoside Rg3, s-Rh2, r-Rh2, and pseudo-ginsenoside CK were new saponins. In vitro antioxidant tests showed that the IC50 values of DPPH and ABTS+ free radicals scavenging ability of the fermented products of Panax quinquefolius L. by Schizophyllum commune were 3165 and 10910 μg/mL, respectively, which were stronger than those of unfermented Panax quinquefolius L.. This study proved that the solid state fermentation of Panax quinquefolius L. by Schizophyllum commune increased the contents of total ginsenoside, crude polysaccharide, total flavone and rare ginsenoside, and enhanced the antioxidant capacity, which provided data support for the development and utilization of Panax quinquefolius L..

Assessing spatiotemporal variation in global soil erosion is essential for identifying areas that require greater attention and management under the effects of anthropogenic activities and climate change. Soil erosion can be modelled using the universal soil loss equation (USLE), which includes rainfall erosivity (R-factor), vegetation cover (C-factor), topography (LS-factor), soil erodibility (K-factor), and management practices (P-factor). However, global soil erosion modeling faces numerous challenges, including data acquisition, calculation processes, and parameter calibration under different climatic and topographic backgrounds. Thus, we presented an improved USLE-based model using highly distributed parameters. The R-, C-, and P-factors were modified by the climate zone, country, and topography. This distributed model was applied to estimate the intensity and variations in global soil erosion from 1992 to 2015. We validated the accuracy of this model by comparing simulations with measurements from 11,439 plot years of erosion data. The results showed that i) the average global erosion rate was 5.78 t ha−1 year−1, with an increase rate of 4.26 × 10−3 t ha−1 year−1; ii) areas with significantly increasing erosion accounted for 16% of the land with water erosion, whereas those with significantly decreasing erosion accounted for 7%; and iii) areas with severe erosion included the western Ghats, Abyssinian Plateau, Brazilian Plateau, south and east of the Himalayas, and western coast of South America. Intensified erosion occurred mainly on the Amazon Plain and the northern coast of the Mediterranean. This study provides an improved water erosion prediction model and accurate information for researchers and policymakers to identify the drivers underlying changes in water erosion in different regions.

Abstract Individual actions can mitigate the consequences of extreme heat. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of protective behaviours against extreme heat is critical. Although extreme heat protective behaviours have been widely mentioned, the roles of psychological risk perception and public restraint are poorly understood. In this study, we developed a physical-measure-psychosocial model (PMP) to reveal the intrinsic motivation for protective behaviours during extreme heat based on a nationwide survey in China (n = 1791). The results showed that (1) high levels of physical risk perception promote outdoor, indoor, and traffic protective behaviours. Psychological risk perception is positively associated with outdoor and indoor protective behaviours but is not significantly associated with traffic protective behaviour. (2) There are differences in the main paths from heat exposure to outdoor, indoor, and traffic protective behaviours. The indirect effect controlled by physical risk is the main path from exposure to outdoor and traffic protective behaviours, while the direct effect of heat exposure is the strongest pathway for indoor protective behaviour. (3) Enhanced facility conditions are linked to reduced physical risk and psychological risk perception. Subsidies have a significant effect on traffic protective behaviour, and warnings significantly affect outdoor protective behaviour. The direct effect of warning systems on outdoor protective behaviour is greater than the indirect effect mediated by psychological risk perception. (4) Multigroup analysis based on structural equation models revealed a certain degree of robustness among the different gender, age, education level, and income level groups. This study enables us to understand the underlying mechanisms of extreme heat behaviours and support policy-makers in effective mitigation practices.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reaction mechanism of wulfenite with an aqueous sodium sulfide solution and thereby provide guidance for the sulfidization flotation and sodium sulfide leaching of wulfenite. For this purpose, dissolution/leaching behavior analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) were performed. The dissolution/leaching analysis indicated that sodium sulfide can induce the dissolution of PbMoO4. The XRD and Raman spectra results demonstrated that PbMoO4 was replaced by PbS at the wulfenite–sodium sulfide solution interface, and the sulfidized wulfenite particles had a PbMoO4/PbS core–shell structure. The XPS results also indicated the transformation of PbMoO4 to PbS. The FESEM images showed the growth of PbS nanoparticles on the surface of wulfenite and the dissolution pits after treatment with sodium sulfide solution. These findings showed that wulfenite sulfidization proceeds through an interface-coupled dissolution–precipitation mechanism. In the presence of sodium sulfide solution, the less stable PbMoO4 dissolves, and the more stable PbS phase precipitates, both of which are coupled at the wulfenite–sodium sulfide aqueous solution interface.

Acanthopanax senticosus (AS) is a geo-authentic crude medicinal plant that grows in China, Korea, Russia, and Japan. AS contains bioactive compounds such as eleutherosides, polysaccharides, and flavonoids. It is also a key traditional herb in the Red List of Chinese Species. AS is mainly distributed in Northeast China, specifically in Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces. Its active compounds contribute to significant biological activities, including neuroprotective, antioxidant, anti-fatigue, and antitumor effects. However, the extraction methods of active compounds are complex, the extraction efficiency is poor, and the structure–activity relationship is unclear. This study focused on the nutrients in AS, including protein, carbohydrates, and lipids. Particularly, the active ingredients (eleutherosides, polysaccharides, and flavonoids) in AS and their extraction and purification methods were analyzed and summarized. The biological activities of extracts have been reviewed, and the mechanisms of anti-oxidation, antitumor, anti-inflammation, and other activities are introduced in detail. The applications of AS in various domains, such as health foods, medicines, and animal dietary supplements, are then reported. Compared with other extraction methods, ultrasonic or microwave extraction improves efficiency, yet they can damage structures. Challenges arise in the recovery of solvents and in achieving extraction efficiency when using green solvents, such as deep eutectic solvents. Improvements can be made by combining extraction methods and controlling conditions (power, temperature, and time). Bioactive molecules and related activities are exposited clearly. The applications of AS have not been widely popularized, and the corresponding functions require further development.

Recently, extensive research has been conducted to explore the utilization of machine learning (ML) algorithms in various direct-detected and (self)-coherent short-reach communication applications. These applications encompass a wide range of tasks, including bandwidth request prediction, signal quality monitoring, fault detection, traffic prediction, and digital signal processing (DSP)-based equalization. As a versatile approach, ML demonstrates the ability to address stochastic phenomena in optical systems networks where deterministic methods may fall short. However, when it comes to DSP equalization algorithms such as feed-forward/decision-feedback equalizers (FFEs/DFEs) and Volterra-based nonlinear equalizers, their performance improvements are often marginal, and their complexity is prohibitively high, especially in cost-sensitive short-reach communications scenarios such as passive optical networks (PONs). Time-series ML models offer distinct advantages over frequency-domain models in specific contexts. They excel in capturing temporal dependencies, handling irregular or nonlinear patterns effectively, and accommodating variable time intervals. Within this survey, we outline the application of ML techniques in short-reach communications, specifically emphasizing their utilization in high-bandwidth demanding PONs. We introduce a novel taxonomy for time-series methods employed in ML signal processing, providing a structured classification framework. Our taxonomy categorizes current time-series methods into four distinct groups: traditional methods, Fourier convolution-based methods, transformer-based models, and time-series convolutional networks. Finally, we highlight prospective research directions within this rapidly evolving field and outline specific solutions to mitigate the complexity associated with hardware implementations. We aim to pave the way for more practical and efficient deployment of ML approaches in short-reach optical communication systems by addressing complexity concerns.

D-Allulose has become a promising alternative sweetener due to its unique properties of low caloric content, moderate sweetness, and physiological effects. D-Allulose 3-epimerase (DAEase) is a promising enzyme for D-Allulose production. However, the low catalytic efficiency limited its large-scale industrial applications. To obtain a more effective biocatalyst, a putative DAEase from Christensenellaceae bacterium (CbDAE) was identified and characterized. The recombinant CbDAE exhibited optimum activity at pH 7.5°C and 55°C, retaining more than 60% relative activity from 40°C to 70°C, and the catalytic activity could be significantly increased by Co2+ supplementation. These enzymatic properties of purified CbDAE were compared with other DAEases. CbDAE was also found to possess desirable thermal stability at 55°C with a half-life of 12.4 h. CbDAE performed the highest relative activity towards D-allulose and strong affinity for D-fructose but relatively low catalytic efficiency towards D-fructose. Based on the structure-guided design, the best double-mutation variant G36N/W112E was obtained which reached up to 4.21-fold enhancement of catalytic activity compared with wild-type (WT) CbDAE. The catalytic production of G36N/W112E with 500 g/L D-fructose was at a medium to a higher level among the DAEases in 3.5 h, reducing 40% catalytic reaction time compared to the WT CbDAE. In addition, the G36N/W112E variant was also applied in honey and apple juice for D-allulose conversion. Our research offers an extra biocatalyst for D-allulose production, and the comprehensive report of this enzyme makes it potentially interesting for industrial applications and will aid the development of industrial biocatalysts for D-allulose.

Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton is an annual herb plant of the Perilla genus in the Labiatae family, which is commonly utilized as an edible and medicinal resource. Polysaccharides are among the major components and essential bioactive compounds of P. frutescens, which exhibit a multitude of biological activities, including antioxidant, antitumor, anti-fatigue, immunoregulation, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and lipid-lowering effects. As a natural carbohydrate, P. frutescens polysaccharide has the potential to be utilized in the development of drugs and functional materials. In this paper, we provide an overview of progress made on the extraction, purification, structural characterization, and bioactivity of polysaccharides from different parts of P. frutescens. The challenges and opportunities for research are discussed, along with the potential development prospects and future areas of focus in the study of P. frutescens polysaccharides.

Abstract Soil conservation service (SC) is defined as the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to control soil erosion and protect soil function. A long-term and high-resolution estimation of SC is urgent for ecological assessment and land management on a large scale. Here, a 300-m resolution Chinese soil conservation dataset (CSCD) from 1992 to 2019, for the first time, is established based on the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model. The RUSLE modelling was conducted based on five key parameters, including the rainfall erosivity (interpolation of daily rainfall), land cover management (provincial data), conservation practices (weighted by terrain and crop types), topography (30 m), and soil properties (250 m). The dataset agrees with previous measurements in all basins (R2 > 0.5) and other regional simulations. Compared with current studies, the dataset has long-term, large-scale, and relatively high-resolution characteristics. This dataset will serve as a base to open out the mechanism of SC variations in China and could help assess the ecological effects of land management policies.

In order to improve the economic value of industrial hemp, an active ingredient cannabinoid (CBD) with medicinal value from industrial hemp leaves was extracted by ionic liquid assisted ultrasonic method and the extraction process was optimized. In this study, [C8mim]NTF2 was selected as the best extraction solvent from 16 kinds of imidazole ionic liquids based on the yield of CBD. Then single factor experiment was conducted on six factors affecting the yield of CBD extraction by ionic liquid assisted ultrasonic method. The six factors included: Ultrasonic power, ultrasonic temperature, ultrasonic time, ethanol concentration, molar concentration of ionic liquid and liquid material ratio. And the ethanol concentration was 65%. The ionic liquid molar concentration was 0.3 mol/L (65% ethanol solution preparation). On the basis of these results, four significant factors (ultrasonic power, ultrasonic temperature, ultrasonic time and liquid material ratio) were screened out by Plackett-Burman experimental design. The extraction process was further optimized by response surface Box-Behnken experimental design. The optimum extraction process conditions of CBD significant factors were as follows: Ultrasonic power 280 W, ultrasonic temperature 50 ℃, ultrasonic time 62.5 min, liquid material ratio 25 mL/g. Under the above conditions, the yield of CBD extracted by ionic liquid [C8mim]NTF2 was 7.66%±0.2%, the yield of CBD extracted by methanol was 6.42%±0.3%, and the yield of CBD extracted by 65% ethanol solution was 5.81%±0.2%. The extraction ability of CBD was ionic liquid [C8mim]NTF2>methanol>65% ethanol solution. The CBD degradation experiment showed that the CBD degradation rate of ionic liquid [C8mim]NTF2 was 16.40%±0.3%, which was smaller than that of methanol (24.65%±0.6%) and 65% ethanol solution (32.88%±0.5%). The results showed that adding 65% ethanol solution into ionic liquid [C8mim]NTF2 could not only reduce the degradation rate of CBD, but also increase the yield of CBD. This study proved that ionic liquid was not only a protective agent for CBD, but also an excellent solvent for CBD extraction. The technology of extracting CBD by ionic liquid assisted ultrasonic method was developed, which provided data support for the development and utilization of industrial hemp CBD.

Drought stress, which often occurs repeatedly across the world, can cause multiple and long-term effects on plant growth. However, the repeated drought–rewatering effects on plant growth remain uncertain. This study was conducted to determine the effects of drought–rewatering cycles on aboveground growth and explore the underlying mechanisms. Perennial ryegrass plants were subjected to three watering regimes: well-watered control (W), two cycles of drought–rewatering (D2R), and one cycle of drought–rewatering (D1R). The results indicated that the D2R treatment increased the tiller number by 40.9% and accumulated 28.3% more aboveground biomass compared with W; whereas the D1R treatment reduced the tiller number by 23.9% and biomass by 42.2% compared to the W treatment. A time-course transcriptome analysis was performed using crown tissues obtained from plants under D2R and W treatments at 14, 17, 30, and 33 days (d). A total number of 2272 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. In addition, an in-depth weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was carried out to investigate the relationship between RNA-seq data and tiller number. The results indicated that DEGs were enriched in photosynthesis-related pathways and were further supported by chlorophyll content measurements. Moreover, tiller-development-related hub genes were identified in the D2R treatment, including F-box/LRR-repeat MAX2 homolog (D3), homeobox-leucine zipper protein HOX12-like (HOX12), and putative laccase-17 (LAC17). The consistency of RNA-seq and qRT-PCR data were validated by high Pearson’s correlation coefficients ranging from 0.899 to 0.998. This study can provide a new irrigation management strategy that might increase plant biomass with less water consumption. In addition, candidate photosynthesis and hub genes in regulating tiller growth may provide new insights for drought-resistant breeding.

IntroductionGetah virus (GETV) has become a growing potential threat to the global livestock industry and public health. However, little is known about the viral pathogenesis and immune escape mechanisms, leading to ineffective control measures.MethodsIn this study, the antiviral activity of exogenous interferons (IFNs) was assessed by using western blotting (WB), real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). The comparative transcriptomics among mock- and GETV-infected (MOI = 0.1) ST cells with or without IFN-γ was performed by RNA-seq, and then the transcriptome profiling of GETV-infected ST cells and key pathways and putative factors involved in inhibitory effect of IFN-γ on GETV replication were analyzed by bioinformatics methods and RT-qPCR.ResultsThe results showed that treatment with IFN-γ could suppress GETV replication, and the inhibitory effect lasted for at least 48 h, while the exogenous IFN-α/ω and IFN-λ3 treatments failed to inhibit the viral infection and early replication in vitro. Furthermore, the blueprint of virus-host interaction was plotted by RNA-seq and RT-qPCR, showing systemic activation of inflammatory, apoptotic, and antiviral pathways in response to GETV infection, indicating viral hijacking and inhibition of innate host immunity such as IFN-I/III responses. Last and most importantly, activation of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway and complement and coagulation cascades may be a primary driver for IFN-γ-mediated inhibition of GETV replication.DiscussionThese findings revealed that GETV possessed the capability of viral immune escape and indicated that IFN-γ aided in the prevention and control of GETV, implying the potential molecular mechanism of suppression of GETV by IFN-γ, all of which warrant emphasis or further clarification.

Economic globalization has transformed many manufacturing enterprises from a single-plant production mode to a multi-plant cooperative production mode. The distributed flexible job-shop scheduling problem (DFJSP) has become a research hot topic in the field of scheduling because its production is closer to reality. The research of DFJSP is of great significance to the organization and management of actual production process. To solve the heterogeneous DFJSP with minimal completion time, a hybrid chemical reaction optimization (HCRO) algorithm is proposed in this paper. Firstly, a novel encoding-decoding method for flexible manufacturing unit (FMU) is designed. Secondly, half of initial populations are generated by scheduling rule. Combined with the new solution acceptance method of simulated annealing (SA) algorithm, an improved method of critical-FMU is designed to improve the global and local search ability of the algorithm. Finally, the elitist selection strategy and the orthogonal experimental method are introduced to the algorithm to improve the convergence speed and optimize the algorithm parameters. In the experimental part, the effectiveness of the simulated annealing algorithm and the critical-FMU refinement methods is firstly verified. Secondly, in the comparison with other existing algorithms, the proposed optimal scheduling algorithm is not only effective in homogeneous FMUs examples, but also superior to existing algorithms in heterogeneous FMUs arithmetic cases.

In order to provide a theoretical basis for the application of Acanthopanax senticosus leaves in probiotic fermented health products, the Acanthopanax senticosus leaves were used as raw materials, and the three kinds of lactic acid bacteria were used for fermentation, namely Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum. After that，the changes in the content of bioactive compounds in Acanthopanax senticosus leaves fermented by lactic acid bacteria were studied, and the effect on antioxidant and inhibitory activity of hypoglycemic related enzymes in vitro were evaluated. The results showed that the fermentation abilities of the 3 strains were different. The fermentation of Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus acidophilus significantly increased the content of total flavonoids in Acanthopanax senticosus leaves (P

Oil is one of the main components in maize kernels. Increasing the total oil content (TOC) is favorable to optimize feeding requirement by improving maize quality. To better understand the genetic basis of TOC, quantitative trait loci (QTL) in four double haploid (DH) populations were explored. TOC exhibited continuously and approximately normal distribution in the four populations. The moderate to high broad-sense heritability (67.00-86.60%) indicated that the majority of TOC variations are controlled by genetic factors. A total of 16 QTLs were identified across all chromosomes in a range of 3.49-30.84% in term of phenotypic variation explained. Among them, six QTLs were identified as the major QTLs that explained phenotypic variation larger than 10%. Especially, qOC-1-3 and qOC-2-3 on chromosome 9 were recognized as the largest effect QTLs with 30.84% and 21.74% of phenotypic variance, respectively. Seventeen well-known genes involved in fatty acid metabolic pathway located within QTL intervals. These QTLs will enhance our understanding of the genetic basis of TOC in maize and offer prospective routes to clone candidate genes regulating TOC for breeding program to cultivate maize varieties with the better grain quality.

An improved method denoted as salting out-solvent-free microwave rotary distillation (SOSFMRD) was successfully developed for the extraction of essential oils from fresh magnolia (Oyama sieboldii) leaves, in which we achieved the rotation of the reaction material by means of a rotating motor to subject the material to uniform microwave irradiation. Magnesium chloride was selected as the salting-out agent through a comparative study on the salting-out effects of different anions and cations of metal salts. The variables of SOSFMRD were systematically optimized. Under the obtained optimization conditions, the essential oil yield was 21.68 ± 1.02 mL/kgDW. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis showed that the main chemical constituent of O. sieboldii essential oil was dehydrocostuslactone, the content of which reached 30.23 ± 1.27 %. Compared with the other conventional methods, this method has a high yield and low energy consumption, which can effectively reduce impact on the environment.

As an epizootic causative agent, the Getah virus (GETV) can cause moderate illness in horses, lethal disease in foxes, and reproductive disorders and fetal death in pigs. Due to the wide range of hosts and multiple routes of transmission, GETV has become a growing potential threat to the global livestock industry, and even to public health. More attention and research on GETV are urgently needed. In this study, we successfully isolated a novel GETV strain, named BJ0304, from a commercial live vaccine against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and determined its growth kinetics. Then, genetic and phylogenetic analyses were performed. The results revealed that BJ0304 was clustered into Group III, and it was most related to the GETV-V1 strain based on the complete genome sequence. Furthermore, the pathogenicity of the isolate was assessed and found to be a low virulent strain in mice relative to its closest homolog GETV-V1. Finally, mutation and glycosylation analysis showed that a unique mutation (171 T > I) at one amino acid of E2, which affected the glycosylation of E2, may be associated with viral pathogenicity. In summary, the general characteristic of a novel Group III-classified GETV-BJ0304 isolated from commercial live PRRSV vaccine was defined and then mutation/glycosylation-related potential virulence factor was discussed. This study highlights the complexity of GETV transmission routes in swine and the need for more surveillance on commercial animal vaccines, contributes to the understanding of genetic characterization of clinical isolates, provides possible virulence factors in favor of unveiling the viral pathogenesis, and eventually lays the foundation for the prevention and control of GETV.

The safety of ethanol in operations and its effects on human health are gradually being questioned. Under this premise, we attempted to use the natural surfactant tea saponin, which originates from the processing residues of camellia oil, as the additive of the extraction solvent and to extract eleutheroside B and eleutheroside E in the roots and rhizomes of E. senticosus by ultrasonic mediation. After a single-factor experiment, extraction kinetics at different powers and reaction temperatures, and Box–Behnken design optimization, the optimal conditions obtained were 0.3% tea saponin solution as the extraction solvent, 20 mL/g liquid–solid ratio, 250 W ultrasonic irradiation power (43.4 mW/g ultrasonic power density) and 40 min ultrasonic irradiation time. Under optimal conditions, satisfactory yields of eleutheroside B (1.06 ± 0.04 mg/g) and eleutheroside E (2.65 ± 0.12 mg/g) were obtained with semi pilot scale ultrasonic extraction equipment. The experiments showed that compared with the traditional thermal extraction process, the extraction time is significantly reduced at lower operating temperatures.

Tannases are a family of esterases that catalyze the hydrolysis of ester and depside bonds present in hydrolyzable tannins to release gallic acid. Here, a novel tannase from Lachnospiraceae bacterium (TanALb) was characterized. The recombinant TanALb exhibited maximal activity at pH 7.0 and 50°C, and it maintained more than 70% relative activity from 30°C to 55°C. The activity of TanALb was enhanced by Mg2+ and Ca2+, and was dramatically reduced by Cu2+ and Mn2+. TanALb is capable of degrading esters of phenolic acids with long-chain alcohols, such as lauryl gallate as well as tannic acid. The Km value and catalytic efficiency (kcat /Km) of TanALb toward five substrates showed that tannic acid (TA) was the favorite substrate. Homology modeling and structural analysis indicated that TanALb contains an insertion loop (residues 341–450). Based on the moleculer docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, this loop was observed as a flap-like lid to interact with bulk substrates such as tannic acid. TanALb is a novel bacterial tannase, and the characteristics of this enzyme make it potentially interesting for industrial use.

In this study, the structural characteristics of the attached microbial community during biofilm formation and the metabolic requirements under anaerobic conditions were evaluated. In particular, 16S rDNA sequencing technology was used to study the structural changes of the attached microbial community during biofilm formation (day 0, 10, 20, and 30) in an aquaculture system, and Biolog microplate technology was used to study metabolic characteristics under anaerobic conditions during biofilm formation. The AWCD (average well colour development), an indicator of carbon metabolism, of attached microorganisms during biofilm formation under anaerobic conditions differed significantly among time points (P < 0.05), and the carbon source utilization capacity was enhanced. Under anaerobic conditions during biofilm formation, the utilization of amines in six major carbon sources was the highest, followed by polymers, carbohydrates, amino acids, and carboxylic acids, and the utilization of phenols was the lowest. Under anaerobic conditions, the utilization rate by the attached microorganisms during biofilm formation was highest for Tween 40, followed by Tween 80, D-xylose, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, α-D-glucose-1-phosphate, L-phenylalanine, and phenylethylamine. The 16s rDNA sequencing results showed that the dominant phyla of attached microorganisms during biofilm formation were mainly Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Cyanobacteria. On the 10th and 20th days of biofilm formation, attached microorganisms were enriched for Rhodobacter of α-Proteobacteria and Janthinobacterium of β-Proteobacteria, which play important roles in biofilm denitrification. However, on the 30th day, enriched bacteria included the Burkholderiales of β-Proteobacteria, the Xanthomonadaceae and Thermomonas of γ- Proteobacteria, which function in cyanide decomposition.

Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) is a highly pathogenic disease that is classified as a World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)-listed disease. PPRV mainly infects small ruminants such as goats and sheep. In view of the global and high pathogenicity of PPRV, in this study, we proposed a novel nanoparticle vaccine strategy based on ferritin (Fe) self-assembly technology. Using Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) ferritin as an antigen delivery vector, a PPRV hemagglutinin (H) protein was fused with ferritin and then expressed and purified in both Escherichia coli (E. coli) and silkworm baculovirus expression systems. Subsequently, the nanoparticle antigens’ expression level, immunogenicity and protective immune response were evaluated. Our results showed that the PPRV hemagglutinin–ferritin (H-Fe) protein was self-assembled in silkworms, while it was difficult to observe the correctly folded nanoparticle in E. coli. Meanwhile, the expression level of the H-Fe protein was higher than that of the H protein alone. Furthermore, the immunogenicity and protective immune response of H-Fe nanoparticle antigens expressed by silkworms were improved compared with the H antigen alone. Particularly, the protective immune response of H-Fe antigens expressed in E. coli did not change, as opposed to the H antigen, which was probably due to the incomplete nanoparticle structure in E. coli. This study indicated that the use of ferritin nanoparticles as antigen delivery carriers could increase the expression of antigen proteins and improve the immunogenicity and immune effect of antigens.

This paper presents a numerical investigation on the improvement mechanism of dynamic compaction (DC) in saturated soil of a weak layer with high levels of groundwater, using an improved fluid–solid coupling method with a Drucker–Prager–Cap soil model. The numerical model is verified by comparing with published test data at first, which show that the dual-phase coupling method can approximately reflect the development law of excess pore water pressure and the improvement effect of layered saturated soil foundation under DC. Then, based on the numerical model, the influences of the thickness and depth of the weak layer as well as tamping energy on the development and dissipation of excess pore water pressure, effective stress, and the relative degree of reinforcement during DC were investigated. The results showed that the embedment depth and thickness of the weak interlayer may greatly affect the effective reinforcement depth of DC. Meanwhile, the tamping energy and the groundwater table also play a great role in the improvement of the layered saturated soil under DC. The groundwater table should be lowered by dewatering or adding a drainage layer to achieve a better compaction effect during DC.

Lipases catalyze the hydrolysis of fats and oils, and have been widely used in various industrial fields. However, bacterial lipases have a lower thermostability in industrial processes, which was a limiting factor in their industrial application. In this study, we obtained an improve variant of Pseudomonas fluorescens lipase (PFL) with enhanced thermostability using classical error-prone PCR. Wild-type PFL showed an optimal temperature and pH of 50°C and pH 7.5, respectively. Due to the low thermostability of PFL, a library containing over 3000 individual mutants as constructed using error-prone PCR. Screening for thermotolerance yielded the mutants L218P and P184C/M243C with Tm values of 62.5 and 66.0°C, which was 2.5 and 6°C higher than that of the WT, respectively. The combination of the two mutants (P184C/M243C/L218P) resulted in an approximately additive effect with a Tm value of 68.0°C. Although the increase of Tm was not substantial, the mutant also had dramatically increased methanol tolerance. Structural analysis revealed that the introduction of a disulfide bond between P184C and M243C and the substitution of Pro to reduce the flexibility of a loop increased the thermostability of PFL, which provides a theoretical foundation for improving the thermostability and methanol tolerance of lipase family I.1 to resist the harsh conditions of industrial processes.

Ultrafine resveratrol (u-Res) particles were prepared through the SAS process. The orthogonal method was used to optimize the factors of the SAS process. The size of u-Res reached 0.68 μm under the optimum conditions. The characterization of the u-Res particles was tested by many analysis methods. The chemical structure of Res was unaffected by the SAS process. The degree of crystallinity of the u-Res particles greatly reduced. The purity of the u-Res particles increased from 98.5% to 99.2% during the SAS process. The u-Res particles had greater saturation solubility and dissolution rate than the raw-Res (r-Res) particles. The radical scavenging activity and bioavailability of the u-Res in vivo were 1.9 times of the r-Res.