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Abstract Background With the fast pace of modern life, people have less time for meals, but few studies have examined the association between the habit of fast eating and metabolic diseases. Objective Combining the results of the current study and the prior ones, we aimed to investigate the possible relationship between fast eating and the risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Methods This is a sub-analysis of a multicenter cross-sectional study of 1965 participants investigated the association between fast eating and MASLD in Chinese. Fast eating was defined as meal time less than five minutes and participants were divided into three categories based on their self-reported frequency of fast eating: ≤1 time/month, ≤1 time/week and ≥2 times/week. We further conducted a literature search for available studies published before November, 2023 as well as a meta-analysis to investigate the association between fast eating and MASLD. Results The proportion of MASLD was 59.3%, 50.5%, and 46.2% in participants with fast eating ≥2 times/week, ≤1 time/week and ≤1 time/month, respectively (P for trend

To investigate the optimal processing of maize porridge, the volatile compounds and texture under different cooking methods and time have been studied. A total of 51 volatile compounds were identified in maize porridge. Notably, the major volatiles, aldehydes and esters exhibited a relatively high content in electric pressure cooker (EPC), and esters tend to significantly increase after cooking. Among aldehydes, nonanal and hexanal played a great role in flavor due to their relatively high content. Volatile compounds of maize porridge in different cooking methods could be clearly distinguished by multiple chemometrics. Furthermore, texture analysis revealed that almost all the indicators in the EPC can reach the lowest value at 60 min. To summarize, different cooking methods had a more significant influence on the volatile compounds and texture compared to time. This study helps to improve the sensory attributes of maize porridge, and thus contributes to healthier and more sustainable production.

The concept of human-centric lighting is gradually emerging. People no longer only consider the lighting function of light, but also begin to pay attention to the comfort and health of light. In this article, we perform an investigation on the circadian regulation of four-primary light-emitting diode (LED) based displays for the people with various ages from 1 year old to 100 years old. The double-Gaussian function is used to mimic the spectral power distribution of monochromatic LED. The main figures of merit of LED display performance are color gamut of Rec. 2020, luminous efficacy of radiation, correlated color temperature (CCT), and also non-visual parameters, such as circadian stimulus and melanopic efficacy of luminous radiation provided by Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) standard. Then, the genetic algorithm is adopted for performing the spectral optimization of four-primary LED display while many constraint conditions are set, such as CCT values (2700 K and 6500 K), CCT tolerance, and color distance (Duv < 0.01) in the CIE 1960 UCS color space. Related results of visual and non-visual characteristics are also compared with those of three-primary LED displays. This work would pave a way for the development of healthy four-primary LED display in consideration of various ages of people.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a pathological condition. Oxidative stress is intricately linked to MetS, and may be reflected by composite dietary antioxidant index (CDAI). We aimed to explore the association between CDAI and MetS. Methods: 12,580 participants aged over 20 years were involved. The relationship between CDAI and MetS was examined through binary logistic regression. Subgroup analysis and interaction tests were employed. Results: The negative association between high scores on CDAI and the prevalence of MetS were found. Notably, an interaction between CDAI and physical activity in relation to MetS was observed. High scores on CDAI were significantly and negatively linked to MetS prevalence within the active physical activity groups. Conclusion: Higher scores on CDAI was significantly associated with lower odds of MetS. An interaction existed between CDAI and physical activity. It is advisable for individuals to enhance their personal scores on CDAI.

This paper investigates the impact of health investment on household income distribution, drawing from data spanning over 10 years from the China Nutrition and Health Survey. The study aims to contribute to the literature by examining the nuanced pathways through which health investment influences income distribution. Utilizing a rich dataset, rigorous empirical methods including quantile regression and cross-sectional data modeling are employed to explore the relationship between health investment and income distribution. The analysis reveals a robust positive association between health investment and both absolute and relative income levels across various demographic and occupational groups. Additionally, the study elucidates the pathways through which health investment influences income, including its effects on illness duration, employment opportunities, effective working time, and educational attainment. The findings demonstrate the dynamic nature of the relationship, indicating that as income levels rise, the impact of health investment on income becomes more pronounced. Moreover, the analysis highlights the role of health investment in facilitating upward income mobility, particularly for low-income households. Overall, these findings provide valuable insights for policymakers, suggesting that strategic health investment initiatives can contribute to achieving more equitable income distribution.

The physicochemical properties, fatty acid composition and volatile aroma compounds of cold-pressed passion fruit seed oils were analyzed. The oils were rich in linoleic acid, oleic acid and volatile compounds. A total of 108 volatile compounds including 17 aldehydes, 23 alcohols, 21 esters, 19 ketones, 6 acids, 9 alkenes, 5 pyrazines and 8 others were identified using HS-GC-IMS. The significant differences of volatile compounds in the purple and yellow passion fruit seed oils were observed via the GalleryPlot graph and distinguished by principal component analysis. The results showed that acids, alcohols, esters and ketones were major aromatic compounds in purple passion fruit seed oils, which contribute to flavors such as flowery, fruity, creamy, yogurt. Whereas the contents of aldehydes, pyrazines, alkenes were higher in yellow passion fruit seed oils, which contributes to fatty and nutty odors. The findings filled in our understanding of volatilization characteristics in passion fruit seed oils.

The global prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection remains high, indicating a persistent presence of this pathogenic bacterium capable of infecting humans. This review summarizes the population demographics, transmission routes, as well as conventional and novel therapeutic approaches for H. pylori infection. The prevalence of H. pylori infection exceeds 30% in numerous countries worldwide and can be transmitted through interpersonal and zoonotic routes. Cytotoxin-related gene A (CagA) and vacuolar cytotoxin A (VacA) are the main virulence factors of H. pylori, contributing to its steep global infection rate. Preventative measures should be taken from people’s living habits and dietary factors to reduce H. pylori infection. Phytotherapy, probiotics therapies and some emerging therapies have emerged as alternative treatments for H. pylori infection, addressing the issue of elevated antibiotic resistance rates. Plant extracts primarily target urease activity and adhesion activity to treat H. pylori, while probiotics prevent H. pylori infection through both immune and non-immune pathways. In the future, the primary research focus will be on combining multiple treatment methods to effectively eradicate H. pylori infection.

The road passenger transportation enterprise is a complex system, requiring a clear understanding of their active safety situation (ASS), trends, and influencing factors. This facilitates transportation authorities to promptly receive signals and take effective measures. Through exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, we delved into potential factors for evaluating ASS and extracted an ASS index. To predict obtaining a higher ASS information rate, we compared multiple time series models, including GRU (gated recurrent unit), LSTM (long short-term memory), ARIMA, Prophet, Conv_LSTM, and TCN (temporal convolutional network). This paper proposed the WDA-DBN (water drop algorithm-Deep Belief Network) model and employed DEEPSHAP to identify factors with higher ASS information content. TCN and GRU performed well in the prediction. Compared to the other models, WDA-DBN exhibited the best performance in terms of MSE and MAE. Overall, deep learning models outperform econometric models in terms of information processing. The total time spent processing alarms positively influences ASS, while variables such as fatigue driving occurrences, abnormal driving occurrences, and nighttime driving alarm occurrences have a negative impact on ASS.

Inadequate invasion and excessive apoptosis of trophoblast cells are associated with the development of preeclampsia. Vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women may lead to an increased risk of preeclampsia. However, the underlying mechanisms by which vitamin D is effective in preventing preeclampsia are not fully understood. The objectives of this study were to investigate the role of lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein 3 (LAMP3) in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and to evaluate whether vitamin D supplementation would protect against the development of preeclampsia by regulating LAMP3 expression. Firstly, the mRNA and protein levels of LAMP3 were significantly upregulated in the placentas of preeclampsia patients compared to normal placentas, especially in trophoblast cells (a key component of the human placenta). In the hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-exposed HTR-8/Svneo trophoblast cells, LAMP3 expression was also upregulated. H/R exposure repressed cell viability and invasion and increased apoptosis of trophoblast cells. siRNA-mediated knockdown of LAMP3 increased cell viability and invasion and suppressed apoptosis of H/R-exposed trophoblast cells. We further found that 1,25(OH)2D3 (the hormonally active form of vitamin D) treatment reduced LAMP3 expression in H/R exposed trophoblast cells. In addition, 1,25(OH)2D3 treatment promoted cell viability and invasion and inhibited apoptosis of H/R-exposed trophoblast cells. Notably, overexpression of LAMP3 abrogated the protective effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 on H/R-exposed trophoblast cells. Collectively, we demonstrated trophoblast cytoprotection by vitamin D, a process mediated via LAMP3.

Abstract Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been reported to be related to the initiation and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by affecting the function of human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs). Here, we aimed to investigate the function and mechanism of circ_0006872 in regulating COPD process using cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced 16HBEC in vitro. The results showed that circ_0006872 was increased in smokers without or with COPD, especially in smokers with COPD. Also, its expression was dose-dependently up-regulated by CSE exposure in 16HBECs. Functionally, circ_0006872 knockdown dramatically attenuated CSE-evoked proliferation arrest, apoptosis, inflammatory response and oxidative stress in 16HBECs. Mechanistically, circ_0006872/miR-485-3p/cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B (CDKN1B) formed a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network. CDKN1B was increased and miR-485-3p was decreased in COPD patients and CSE-induced 16HBECs. MiR-485-3p overexpression or CDKN1B knockdown protected 16HBEC against CSE-induced 16HBEC injury mentioned above. Moreover, rescue experiments showed that circ_0006872 regulated CSE-induced 16HBEC injury via miR-485-3p/CDKN1B axis. Circ_0006872 silencing protected against CSE-induced bronchial epithelial cell injury via miR-485-3p/CDKN1B axis, suggesting the potential application of circ_0006872 in preventing cigarette smoke-induced COPD.

Abstract Ischemic stroke leads to white matter damage and neurological deficits. However, the characteristics of white matter injury and repair after stroke are unclear. Additionally, the precise molecular communications between microglia and white matter repair during the stroke rehabilitation phase remain elusive. In this current study, MRI DTI scan and immunofluorescence staining were performed to trace white matter and microglia in the mouse transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) stroke model. We found that the most serious white matter damage was on Day 7 after the ischemic stroke, then it recovered gradually from Day 7 to Day 30. Parallel to white matter recovery, we observed that microglia centered around the damaged myelin sheath and swallowed myelin debris in the ischemic areas. Then, microglia of the ischemic hemisphere were sorted by flow cytometry for RNA sequencing and subpopulation analysis. We found that CD11c+ microglia increased from Day 7 to Day 30, demonstrating high phagocytotic capabilities, myelin-supportive genes, and lipid metabolism associated genes. CD11c+ microglia population was partly depleted by the stereotactic injecting of rAAV2/6M-taCasp3 (rAAV2/6M-CMV-DIO-taCasp3-TEVp) into CD11c-cre mice. Selective depletion of CD11c+ microglia disrupted white matter repair, oligodendrocyte maturation, and functional recovery after stroke by Rotarod test, Adhesive Removal test, and Morris Water Maze test. These findings suggest that spontaneous white matter repair occurs after ischemic stroke, while CD11c+ microglia play critical roles in this white matter restorative progress.

Cr2O3 scale growth and volatilization are the main cause of the performance degradation of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) with an Fe-based ferritic stainless steel (FSS) interconnect. In this work, an amorphous Ti(Nb)-Si-C coating is prepared on the pre-oxidized SUS430 with D.C. magnetron sputtering as the protective coating. The amorphous Ti(Nb)-Si-C coated alloy exhibits significantly enhanced oxidation resistance, and the oxidation kinetics obey the parabolic law with a low parabolic rate of 9.36 × 10−15 g2·cm−4·s−1. A dual-layer oxide scale is formed composed of an inner layer rich in Cr2O3 and an outer layer rich in rutile TiO2 and amorphous SiO2. MnCr2O4 appears at the interface between the inner and outer oxide layers. Meanwhile, the amorphous Ti(Nb)-Si-C coating also effectively blocks the outward diffusion of Cr. In addition, the coated steel presents good electrical properties with an area-specific resistance (ASR) of 13.57 mΩ·cm2 at 800 °C after oxidation at 800 °C in air for 500 h.

In order to provide urban freight vehicles with navigation routes that better align with their travel preferences, it is necessary to analyze the patterns and characteristics of their route choices. This paper focuses on freight vehicles traveling within the city and examines their route selection behavior. Through an analysis of the GPS data collected from freight truck journeys in Changchun, China, this study outlines the characteristics of freight vehicle travel within the city. Variables that may influence their route selection behavior are defined as feature factors. The study employs the DBSCAN algorithm to identify the hotspots in origin–destination pairs for freight truck travel in Changchun. It also utilizes Breadth First Search Link Elimination to generate a set of route choices and constructs route selection behavior models based on Multinomial Logit and Path Size Logit. Based on the research findings, during navigation within the city road network, these vehicles exhibit a preference for side roads, a tendency to favor right turns at intersections, and a propensity to choose routes with lower duplication compared to alternative options. The study’s conclusions offer theoretical support for guiding urban freight vehicle routes and planning and managing freight traffic within the city.

ABSTRACTPurpose Hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy (HDCP) is a serious clinical disorder syndrome during pregnancy. This study aims at finding novel targets for HDCP therapy.Methods HDCP-related mRNAs were firstly screened out and subjected to gene enrichment analysis. We chose protein kinase AMP-activated catalytic subunit alpha 2 (PRKAA2) as the research object. Thirty-nine HDCP patients at 32 to 40 weeks of gestation were selected as the HDCP group, and 39 normal controls who received cesarean section delivery at 37–42 weeks of pregnancy were enrolled in this study. Chorionic villi samples were collected within 30 min of delivery. The apoptosis of isolated placental trophoblasts was monitored to investigate the regulatory role of PRKAA2.Results PRKAA2 expression was further proven to be enhanced in the placental tissues of HDCP patients compared with that of normal puerpera. Subsequently, the results of flow cytometry analysis and western blot indicated that PRKAA2 overexpression accelerated primary placental cell apoptosis, while its knockdown attenuated cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, we determined that the level of PRKAA2 succinylation was elevated in the placental tissue of HDCP patients. Through in vitro succinylation assay and mutagenesis, we confirmed that sirtuin 5 (SIRT5) interacts with PRKAA2 at K69 and K260 to induce PRKAA2 desuccinylation. SIRT5 regulated primary HDCP cell apoptosis through PRKAA2. Finally, the animal study revealed that PRKAA2 elevates the systolic blood pressure of HDCP rat model.Conclusion Our findings indicated that SIRT5-mediated PRKAA2 succinylation modulates placental cell apoptosis in HDCP, suggesting that PRKAA2 is a potential therapeutic target for HDCP treatment.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the clinical and molecular biology of a patient with a type of diabetes mellitus caused by a mutation in the POC1A (OMIM number: 614783) gene and explore its pathogenesis and related characteristics.Methods: The patient was interviewed about his medical history and subjected to relevant examinations. Blood DNA samples were collected from the patient and his family members (parents) for trio whole-exome sequencing. Whole-exome sequencing was performed using the IDT xGen Exome Research Panel v1.0 whole-exome capture chip and sequenced using an Illumina NovaSeq 6,000 series sequencer (PE150); the sequencing coverage of the target sequence was not less than 99%. After systematic analysis and screening of the cloud platform for accurate diagnosis of genetic diseases, which integrated molecular biology annotation, biology, genetics, and clinical feature analysis, combined with a pathogenic mutation database, normal human genome database, and clinical feature database of 4,000 known genetic diseases, hundreds of thousands of gene variants were graded using the gene data analysis algorithm, a three-element grading system, and the American Society of Medical Genetics gene variant grading system. After polymerase chain reaction testing, the target sequence was verified by Sanger sequencing using an ABI3730 sequencer, and the verification result was obtained using sequence analysis software.Results: The patient had a peculiar face, a thin body, and a body mass index of 16.0 kg/m2. His fasting connecting peptide was 10.2 ug/L, his fasting insulin was 44 mIU/L, his fasting blood glucose was 10.5 mmol/L, and his glycosylated haemoglobin was 12.5%. After hospitalisation, the patient was given 0.75 g/d metformin tablets and 15 mg/d pioglitazone dispersible tablets, and his fasting blood glucose reduced to 9.2 mmol/L. After 48 U/L insulin treatment, the patient’s fasting blood glucose was reduced to 8.5 mmol/L. Genetic screening revealed that there was a pathogenic variant at the POC1A gene locus and a cytosine-to-thymine mutation at the G81 locus, turning the Arg to a termination codon and shortening the POC1A protein from 359 amino acids (aa) to 80 aa. No mutation was detected in the patient’s parents’ POC1A gene loci.Conclusion: The patient’s diabetes was caused by a POC1A gene mutation at the G81 locus, which is rarely reported in the clinic. The specific manifestations of this mutation need to be further investigated.

Background: Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL) are rare neuroendocrine tumors arising from chromaffin cells in the adrenal medulla and extra-adrenal ganglia, respectively. The study was aimed to investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of 22 individuals from six families.Methods: The medical records of six PPGL probands who presented to our hospital between 2016 and 2021 were retrospectively studied. DNA isolated from the probands was analyzed using whole exome sequencing. The identified genetic variants were confirmed by Sanger sequencing and undergone bioinformatic analysis.Results: Six different genetic variants in the six probands were identified, respectively, of which three were novel. A novel von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) variant, c.602T>C (p.L201P), in exon 3 was found. Two novel genetic variants in SDHB (succinate dehydrogenases subunit B), c.423 + 1 G>T and c.662A>G (p.D221G), were identified. Two recurrent genetic variants of VHL, c.C284G (p.P95R) and c.558_560AGAdel (p.186Edel), and one in RET (ret proto-oncogene), c.1901G>A (p.C634Y), were also found. The ClinVar accession number for the present variants are SCV002028348, and SCV002028352 to SCV002028361.Conclusion: Genetic variants in VHL, SDHB and RET were identified in Chinese PPGL patients, which contributed to the knowledge of the genetic etiology and clinical outcome of these tumors.

Bischofia polycarpa seed oil is rich in nutrition and positively affects on human health. We analyzed and compared the chemical compositions, antioxidant activities, and quality characteristics of Bischofia polycarpa seed oils using different solvents and cold-pressing. Hx: Iso (n-hexane/isopropanol, 3:2 v/v) had the highest lipid yield (35.13 %), while Folch (chloroform/methanol, 2:1 v/v) had the highest linolenic acid (50.79 %), LnLnLn (43.42 %), and LnLnL (23.43 %). Tocopherols (2108.99 mg/kg) were extracted most efficiently with Folch, whereas phytosterols (3852.97 mg/kg) and squalene (55.21 mg/kg) were extracted most efficiently with petroleum ether. Although the lower phytosterol was obtained using isopropanol, the polyphenol content (271.34 mg GAE/kg) was significantly higher than other solvents, showing the best antioxidant ability. Additionally, polyphenols were observed to be the most significant factor predicting antioxidant activity from the correlation analysis. The above information can provide a useful reference for manufacturers to obtain satisfactory Bischofia polycarpa seed oil.

Abstract Background Vascular dementia (VAD) is the second most common type of dementia lacking effective treatments. Pentoxifylline (PTX), a nonselective phosphodiesterase inhibitor, displays protective effects in multiple cerebral diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects and potential mechanisms of PTX in VAD. Methods Bilateral common carotid artery stenosis (BCAS) mouse model was established to mimic VAD. Mouse behavior was tested by open field test, novel object recognition test, Y-maze and Morris water maze (MWM) tests. Histological staining, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electron microscopy were used to define white matter integrity. The impact of PTX on microglia phagocytosis, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors-γ (PPAR-γ) activation and Mer receptor tyrosine kinase (Mertk) expression was assessed by immunofluorescence, western blotting and flow cytometry with the application of microglia-specific Mertk knockout mice, Mertk inhibitor and PPAR-γ inhibitor. Results Here, we found that PTX treatment alleviated cognitive impairment in novel object recognition test, Y-maze and Morris water maze tests. Furthermore, PTX alleviated white matter injury in corpus callosum (CC) and internal capsule (IC) areas as shown by histological staining and MRI analysis. PTX-treatment group presented thicker myelin sheath than vehicle group by electron microscopy. Mechanistically, PTX facilitated microglial phagocytosis of myelin debris by up-regulating the expression of Mertk in BCAS model and primary cultured microglia. Importantly, microglia-specific Mertk knockout blocked the therapeutic effects of PTX in BCAS model. Moreover, Mertk expression was regulated by the nuclear translocation of PPAR-γ. Through modulating PPAR-γ, PTX enhanced Mertk expression. Conclusions Collectively, our results demonstrated that PTX showed therapeutic potentials in VAD and alleviated ischemic white matter injury via modulating Mertk-mediated myelin clearance in microglia.

Research on road safety has focused on analyzing the factors that affect crashes. However, previous studies have often neglected differences in crash causation among heterogeneous clusters of drivers. In particular, the differences in the combined effect mechanisms of the factors in the risk scenarios have not been completely explained. Therefore, this study used the K-means algorithm to perform multidimensional feature homogeneous clustering for drivers involved in crashes and near-crashes. Structural equation modeling involving mediating effects was introduced to explore the direct and indirect effects of each influencing factor on vehicle crashes under risk scenarios and compare the differences in crash causation among different driver clusters. The results indicate that the drivers who experienced the risk scenarios can be classified into two homogeneous driver clusters. Significant differences exist in the demographic characteristics, intrinsic driving characteristics, and crash rates between them. In the risk scenario, traffic factors, distraction state, crash avoidance reaction, and maneuver judgment directly affect the crash outcomes of the two cluster drivers. Demographic characteristics and environmental factors have fewer direct influence on the crash outcomes of two-cluster drivers, but produce more complex mediating effects. Analysis of the differences in the influence of factors between clusters indicates that the fundamental cause of crashes for cluster 1 drivers includes poor driving skills. In contrast, cluster 2 drivers' crashes were more influenced by traffic conditions and their safety awareness. The analysis method of this study can be used to develop more targeted road safety policies to reduce the occurrence of vehicle crashes.

In this article, we experimentally and quantitatively investigate the luminance attenuation for red, green, and blue mini light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and the optical crosstalk in the RGB mini-LED array under different working currents via the microscopic hyperspectral imaging technique. The evaluation metrics of luminance attenuation for one single mini-LED subpixel and luminance influence among all three colored mini-LEDs are well defined to quantitatively describe the optical crosstalk among three mini-LED subpixels in the array. We also compare the size-dependent behaviors of luminance attenuation for blue and green mini-LEDs with an emission peak of about 465 nm and 529 nm, respectively. The minimum pixel pitch of blue and green mini-LEDs with different chip sizes is obtained through optical simulation based on LightTools software, so that the optical crosstalk can be reduced. Finally, we believe that this study could provide a useful guidance for selecting suitable working current conditions while driving the mini-LED display with suitable pixel size and pixel pitch to reduce both the optical and color crosstalk in the mini-LED display.

Volatile compounds (VOCs) present in the oil extracted from yellow horn seeds were first analyzed using GC-IMS and GC-O-MS at varying roasting temperatures. A total of 97 VOCs were detected using GC-IMS, while 77 were tentatively identified using GC-O-MS. Moreover, both methods allowed the identification of 24 VOCs, of which the type of aldehydes is the most abundant. Combining the results of GC-IMS, GC-O-MS, OAVs, and VIP, it was concluded that hexanal, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, heptanal, 2-pentylfuran, 1-hexanol, and 1-octen-3-ol were the key aroma compounds. The PLS-DA and OPLS-DA models have demonstrated the ability to discriminate between different oil roasting temperatures with high accuracy. The roasting temperature of 160 °C was found to yield the highest content of main aroma substances, indicating its optimality for yellow horn seed oil production. These findings will prove beneficial for optimizing industrial production and enhancing oil aroma control.

Studying the interspecific association and stability of herbaceous communities in different developmental stages of tiankeng is helpful to understand the relationship between tiankeng vegetation and the environment, and can provide an important theoretical basis for the protection and restoration of the karst tiankeng ecosystem. In this study, the herbaceous community of the Dashiwei Tiankeng Group in Guangxi was studied to analyze the interspecific relationships and community stability of herbaceous plants in four different habitats (the earlier stage, middle stage, late stage and the external forest of tiankeng), and to explore whether the herbaceous community structure gradually stabilized with the development of tiankeng. The variance ratio (VR), X2 test, association coefficient (JI) and the Spearman rank correlation coefficient test were used to analyze the interspecific association of the main herbaceous plants in different developmental stages of tiankeng. The stability of the herbaceous community was analyzed by the stability measurement method of M. Godron. The results showed that: (1) the logarithm of the middle stage of tiankeng negatively correlated species was the highest (56.7%), and the logarithm of the later stage of tiankeng positively correlated species was the highest (57.2%). The positive and negative correlation ratio of main herbs decreased first and then increased, indicating that the middle stage of development was the period of high competition among herbs and the biggest difference in resource utilization. The ecological habits of herbaceous plants will be changed from sciophiles to hygrophytes to heliophiles and drought-enduring plants. (2) The earlier stage and middle stage of tiankeng overall relevance had a significant negative correlation, the later stage and external forest of tiankeng overall correlation were not significant positive correlation, and the X2 test and the Spearman rank correlation coefficient of different developmental stages of tiankeng most major herbaceous species were not significant correlation, suggesting that the major herbs in tiankengs had weak association and strong independence. (3) The distance from the intersection point to the stable point (20, 80) was 19.799, 17.867, 18.922 and 17.706, respectively, of the four regression models of tiankengs herb community, which further indicated that the forest herb layers were in an unstable state. The forest outside is relatively more stable than the herbaceous community inside the tiankeng.

Phenolics have been used to suppress the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in food; however, enhancing their thermostability and photostability in foods remains a key issue. Ferulic acid (FA), quercetin (QT), and vanillic acid (VA), which reduce production of AGEs, were embedded in bovine β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) and their interaction mechanism was investigated. Fluorescence experiments demonstrated that FA and QT displayed typical static quenching, while VA caused fluorescence sensitization of β-LG. Furthermore, phenolics changed the secondary structure of β-LG by inducing the transformation from α-helices to β-structures, with Van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds as the primary underlying forces. The thermal and photostability of FA/QT/VA was significantly improved upon binding to β-LG. Furthermore, QT, FA and VA demonstrated good AGEs inhibitory abilities in BSA-fructose, BSA-MGO, arginine-MGO models. These results reveal that β-LG embedding effectively improves the thermostability and photostability of dietary phenolics in food.

Financial inclusion, whereby all adults have effective access to financial products, including insurance, has increasingly become a global priority, particularly in low and middle income economies. This study matches the measured development level of inclusive insurance in Chinese provinces with China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data and evaluates the impact of inclusive insurance on income distribution and inclusive growth. The findings support that inclusive insurance has a positive impact on income distribution and inclusive growth. The effect is more pronounced in eastern areas, rural areas and low-income households. The policy shocks and instrumental variables introduced prove the robustness of the results. PSM-DID test indicate that the inclusive insurance policy has a significant positive effect on income distribution. Alternative measure of inclusive insurance and GMM test with instrumental variables indicate that the results are robust. Additionally, we also find that there is a threshold effect on the impact of the inclusive insurance on income. When the universal insurance index exceeds the threshold value, the promoting effect on income is enhanced.

Pregnancy complicated with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a rare condition. This case report presents an extremely rare case with the co-occurrence of HHT and congenital heart disease. In this report, a 43-year-old woman at 36 + 4 weeks of gestation experienced haemoptysis with a volume of approximately 300 ml for the first time. Uncommonly, her transthoracic echocardiogram revealed a previously unrecognized atrial septal defect (ASD) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) for the first time at 36 + 1 weeks of gestation. Chest computed tomography revealed an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in the right lower lobe of the lung. Due to concerns of rebleeding of ruptured pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs), the patient underwent a caesarean section at 36 + 6 weeks of gestation. A healthy male infant weighing 2800 g was delivered. To the best of our knowledge, there have been few reports about HHT with ASDs and PH during advanced pregnancy. This current case report highlights the necessity for clinicians to pay considerable attention to cardiac structural abnormalities, which can worsen PAVM in patients with HHT during pregnancy, for whom terminating the pregnancy in time may reduce the risk of PAVM rupture.

Extraction methods directly affect pectin extraction yield and physicochemical and structural characteristics. The effects of acid extraction (AE), ultrasonic-assisted acid extraction (UA), steam explosion pretreatment combined with acid extraction (SEA) and ultrasonic-assisted SEA (USEA) on the yield, structure, and properties of passion fruit pectin were studied. The pectin yield of UA was 6.5%, equivalent to that of AE at 60 min (5.3%), but the emulsion stability of UA pectin was poor. The pectin obtained by USEA improved emulsion stability. Compared with UA, it had higher protein content (0.62%), rhamnogalacturonan I (18.44%) and lower molecular weight (0.72 × 105 Da). In addition, SEA and USEA had high pectin extraction yields (9.9% and 10.7%) and the pectin obtained from them had lower degrees of esterification (59.3% and 68.5%), but poor thermal stability. The results showed that ultrasonic-assisted steam explosion pretreatment combined with acid extraction is a high-efficiency and high-yield method. This method obtains pectin with good emulsifying stability from passion fruit peel.

Driver distraction is one of the significant causes of traffic accidents. To improve the accuracy of accident occurrence prediction under driver distraction and to provide graded warnings, it is necessary to classify the level of driver distraction. Based on naturalistic driving study data, distraction risk levels are classified using the driver’s gaze and secondary driving tasks in this paper. The classification results are then combined with road environment factors for accident occurrence prediction. Two ways are suggested to classify driver distraction risk levels in this study: one is to divide it into three levels based on the driver’s gaze and the AttenD algorithm, and the other is to divide it into six levels based on secondary driving tasks and odds ratio. Random Forest, AdaBoost, and XGBoost are used to predict accident occurrence by combining the classification results, driver characteristics, and road environment factors. The results show that the classification of distraction risk levels helps improve the model prediction accuracy. The classification based on the driver’s gaze is better than that based on secondary driving tasks. The classification method can be applied to accident risk prediction and further driving risk warning.

ObjectiveA Rathke’s cleft cyst (RCC) is a common, benign, cystic disease that often leads to hypophyseal dysfunction or head symptoms. The relationship between RCCs and pituitary gland function is not clear. We therefore carried out a study to examine this relationship in greater detail.MethodsThe study was a retrospective, cohort design in patients diagnosed with a RCC between January 2019 to July 2021 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, China.ResultsA total of 221 patients were enrolled and then divided into study cohorts according to the diameter of the RCC, clinical manifestations, and surgical treatment received. The majority of patients were symptomatic (143/221), including 83 cases of dizziness and headache, 9 of vision loss and visual field defect, and 2 of diabetes insipidus. 52 cases had abnormal pituitary function, with 8 cases interestingly showing high adrenocorticotropic-hormone (ACTH) and cortisone levels, while 8 juvenile cases had developed central precocious puberty. Patients with larger RCCs were more likely to present with headaches and dizziness, with subjects who suffered from these symptoms having high ACTH and cortisone levels.ConclusionAlthough the size of a RCC is not an important factor influencing hypopituitary function, we consider that endocrine evaluation should be carried out in all patients with a RCC.

Microglia are the resident immune cells of the central nervous system that exert diverse roles in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. During the past decades, microglial polarization and chemotactic properties have been well-studied, whereas less attention has been paid to phagocytic phenotypes of microglia in stroke. Generally, whether phagocytosis mediated by microglia plays a beneficial or detrimental role in stroke remains controversial, which calls for further investigations. Most researchers are in favor of the former proposal currently since efficient clearance of tissue debris promotes tissue reconstruction and neuronal network reorganization in part. Other scholars propose that excessively activated microglia engulf live or stressed neuronal cells, which results in neurological deficits and brain atrophy. Upon ischemia challenge, the microglia infiltrate injured brain tissue and engulf live/dead neurons, myelin debris, apoptotic cell debris, endothelial cells, and leukocytes. Cell phagocytosis is provoked by the exposure of “eat-me” signals or the loss of “don’t eat-me” signals. We supposed that microglial phagocytosis could be initiated by the specific “eat-me” signal and its corresponding receptor on the specific cell type under pathological circumstances. In this review, we will summarize phagocytic characterizations of microglia after stroke and the potential receptors responsible for this programmed biological progress. Understanding these questions precisely may help to develop appropriate phagocytic regulatory molecules, which are promoting self-limiting inflammation without damaging functional cells.

Biochar is a low-cost adsorbent for sorptive removal of antibiotics from wastewater, but the adsorption efficiency needs to be improved. In this study, coconut-shell biochar was activated with KOH to improve the adsorption efficiency and magnetically modified with FeCl3 to enable recycling. The amount of KOH and the concentration of FeCl3 were optimized to reduce the pollution and production cost. The KOH-activated and FeCl3-magnetized biochar gave good sulfonamide antibiotic (SA) removal. The maximum adsorption capacities for sulfadiazine, sulfamethazine and sulfamethoxazole were 294.12, 400.00 and 454.55 mg g−1, respectively, i.e., five to seven times higher than those achieved with raw biochar. More than 80% of the adsorption capacity was retained after three consecutive adsorption-desorption cycles. A combination of scanning electron microscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared and Raman spectroscopies, and magnetic hysteresis analysis showed that KOH activation increased the specific surface area, porosity, and number of oxygen-rich functional groups. Iron oxide particles, which were formed by FeCl3 magnetization, covered the biochar surface. The SAs were adsorbed on the modified biochar via hydrogen bonds between SA molecules and -OH/-COOH groups in the biochar. Investigation of the adsorption kinetics and isotherms showed that the adsorption process follows a pseudo-second-order kinetic model and a monolayer adsorption mechanism. The adsorption capacity at low pH was relatively high because of a combination of π+-π electron-donor-acceptor, charge-assisted hydrogen-bonding, electrostatic, and Lewis acid-base interactions, pore filling, van der Waals forces and hydrophobic interactions. The results of this study show that magnetically modified biochar has potential applications as an effective, recyclable adsorbent for antibiotic removal during wastewater treatment.

Disease is the primary cause of poverty in China. Health insurance is an essential mechanism for managing health risks and addressing the risk of financial loss. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) waves from 2010 to 2016, this study develops a random forest method to assess households' vulnerability to poverty and then examines the impact of major illness insurance on vulnerability to poverty by focusing on the rollout period of a major illness insurance scheme. The research also examines the impact of increased major illness insurance coverage on poverty reduction by focusing on the change from low- to high-coverage health insurance. The findings indicate that major illness insurance and improvements in the degree of coverage significantly reduce vulnerability to poverty. In addition, major illness insurance is found to alleviate the vicious cycle of poverty and disease through the mechanism of increasing household income, and its effect has strengthened over time. Compared to other poverty reduction policies, major illness insurance has a greater influence on poverty alleviation.

Abstract Background The majority of patients with chronic fatigue have a risk of comorbidity with depression. Pinocembrin (PB) is a kind of flavonoid molecule isolated from honey and propolis and has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer function. The purpose of the current study was to determine the possible function of PB on treatment of depression. Methods A chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mouse model was established to mimic the depressive-like behaviors in vivo. The depressive-like behaviors of CUMS mice were measured by sucrose preference test (SPT), open field test (OFT), forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). The concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activity or superoxide dismutase (SOD) were detected by commercial kit. The inflammatory factor including interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β were examined. Results We found that PB alleviated the decreasing of sucrose preference and body weight. CUMS mice significantly increased the immobility time but decreased latency to abandon in FST, increased the immobility time in TST, and reduced crossing score and rearing score in OFT, whereas these changes were reversed by PB treatment. More importantly, PB decreased the concentration of ROS and MDA, but increased the SOD activity, suggesting that it could protected against oxidative stress in CUMS mice. Interestingly, PB inhibited cell apoptosis and regulated inflammatory factors expression in hippocampus of CUMS mice. Moreover, PB activated Nrf2/HO-1 signal pathway but inhibited the phosphorylation of NF-kB. Conclusions In conclusion, PB mitigated CUMS-induced depressive-like behaviors through ameliorating neuroinflammation and apoptosis. Trial registration Not Applicable.

Fiber optic taper is an important component in the CCD coupling, television imaging and night vision device. Increasing need in high-resolution picture transmission devices requires better quality of high-ratio fiber optic taper. The resulting taper shape is important as it affects transmission properties of fiber optic taper. This paper develops a physical model for analyzing the high-ratio fiber optic taper time-dependent fabricating process. Based on the physical model, the evolution of the taper's neckdown profile is analyzed. Simulation results demonstrate that viscosity of materials, furnace geometry, temperature distribution in the furnace and the external tensile force will strongly affect the drawing process. The final shape of fiber optic taper depends on material properties and heating profile. The tensile force, which will affect the evolution process, has a minor influence on the taper's final shape. Based on the understanding of the above analysis, an improved drawing design can be proposed for fabricating large radius fiber optic taper with high ratio.

With the rapid economic development, parking problems have become increasingly prominent due to the city's development model and the emergence of a large number of private cars. Parking management departments around the world focus on intelligent parking system in order to solve parking problems, but most of them are limited to upgrading the parking infrastructure. There is no effective solution from a perspective of the fundamental cause to solve the parking problem. At present, it is generally believed that parking guidance systems can effectively alleviate parking problems and provide drivers and traffic managers with real-time and accurate parking information. As one of the prerequisites of the parking guidance system, the accuracy of the short-term parking demand prediction method determines whether the implementation of the parking guidance scheme can effectively solve the parking problem in a certain area. Based on this, we have studied a short-term parking demand prediction in this paper. First, focusing on the distribution of typical parking arrivals and departures regular pattern, a parking demand prediction model was constructed utilizing the Markov birth and death process, and model parameters were calibrated utilizing curve fitting method and undetermined coefficients method. The simulation environment was set up utilizing the Markov process to verify the accuracy of the availability of parameter estimation method. Secondly, a method for determining the prediction interval based on the parking trend was given for different situations with the parking rush hours and ordinary hours which parking arrival and departure parameters were different. In order to verify the effectiveness of the model in practical applications, parking arrival and departure data from June 17 to June 23, 2019 in Jilin University of Nanling Campus was used to verify the short-term parking demand prediction method proposed in this paper. The results show that the parking demand prediction model proposed in this paper can accurately calibrate model parameters, predict parking demand quickly and effectively and provide theoretical reference and technical support for parking planning and management.

Objective: This study reviews our experiences in surgical clipping of previously coiled aneurysms, emphasizing on recurrence mechanism of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) and surgical techniques for different types of recurrent IAs.Method: We performed a retrospective study on 12 patients who underwent surgical clipping of aneurysms following endovascular treatment between January 2010 and October 2020. The indications for surgery, surgical techniques, and clinical outcomes were analyzed.Result: Twelve patients with previously coiled IAs were treated with clipping in this study, including nine females and three males. The reasons for the patients having clipping were as follows: early surgery (treatment failure in two patients, postoperative early rebleeding in one patient, and intraprocedural aneurysm rupture during embolization in one patient) and late surgery (aneurysm recurrence in five patients, SAH in one, mass effect in one, and aneurysm regrowth in one). All aneurysms were clipped directly, and coil removal was performed in four patients. One patient died (surgical mortality, 8.3%), 1 patient (8.3%) experienced permanent neurological morbidity, and the remaining 10 patients (83.4%) had good outcomes. Based on our clinical data and previous studies, we classified the recurrence mechanism of IAs into coil compaction, regrowth, coil migration, and coil loosening. Then, we elaborated the specific surgical planning and timing of surgery depending on the recurrence type of IAs.Conclusion: Surgical clipping can be a safe and effective treatment strategy for the management of recurrent coiled IAs, with acceptable morbidity and mortality in properly selected cases. Our classification of recurrent coiled aneurysms into four types helps to assess the optimal surgical approach and the associated risks in managing them.

Ultrasonic treatment combined with resveratrol modification was used to improve banana starch’s solubility, thermal stability, and digestion resistance. The solubility and freeze-thaw stability of the modified starch complex significantly increased. The oil-absorption capacity increased by 20.52%, and the gelatinization temperatures increased from 64.10–73.92 °C to 70.77–75.83 °C. The storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″) increased after ultrasound and resveratrol treatment, and the proportion of viscosity was increased after composition with resveratrol. Additionally, the in vitro digestibility decreased from 44.12% to 40.25%. The modified complexes had release-control ability for resveratrol. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy demonstrated that complex structures became more compact and organized, whereas crystalline patterns were unchanged. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the resveratrol modification caused physical change on the granular surface by creating pores and fissures. The findings can help develop antioxidant functional foods using banana starch.

Previous studies have shown that bus drivers are a major contributing factor to bus accidents. The aim of this study is to explore the factors that contribute to the presence of accident propensity among bus drivers, as well as the relative importance of each influencing factor and the mechanism of influence. To this end, a C5.0 decision tree model was developed to determine the relative importance as well as rank the importance of the impact of poor driving records and demographic factors on accident propensity, and a binary logistic regression model was developed to analyze the relationship between accident propensity and the different values of each essential influencing factor. Based on our results, we found that: (1) the number of violations had the most significant effect on bus drivers’ accident propensity, followed by age, driving age, and number of alarms; (2) violations and alarms are positively related to bus driver accident propensity; age and driving age are inversely related to bus driver accident propensity; and (3) men have a higher accident risk probability than women. This study’s findings will help bus companies and traffic management authorities to implement more targeted improvements to their bus driver management programs.

Abstract Diabetes is a metabolic disorder disease associated with advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and protein glycation. The effect of polygonum cuspidatum extract (PE) on AGEs and Nε‐(Carboxymethyl)‐L‐lysine formation, protein glycation, and diabetes was investigated. Six primary phenolics in a range of 12.36 mg/g for ellagic acid to 0.01 mg/g for piceid were determined in PE. In an intermediate‐moisture‐foods model, inhibition rate of PE was as high as 54.2% for AGEs and 78.9% for CML under aw 0.75. The protein glycation was also inhibited by PE. In a diabetic rat model, the levels of blood glucose, serum malondialdehyde, cholesterol, triglycerides, and low‐density lipoproteins were effectively reduced by PE treatment. The antioxidation capacity (T‐AOC) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were also mediated by PE. Additionally, the activates of liver function‐related enzymes including alkaline phosphatase (ALP), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), and glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) in diabetic rat were improved by PE.

Real-time city distribution strategies are highly dependent on dynamic environments, requiring timely responses to real-time changes due to various dynamic events that take place in the distribution system. Considering the influence of four kinds of real-time information on vehicle routing and vehicle scheduling, including new requests arriving gradually, old requests being modified or canceled, traffic congestion and vehicle breakdowns, a dynamic vehicle routing model based on a dynamic pick-up and delivery problem considering multiple dynamic events in a real-world environment (DPDP-MDE) is established. A dynamic algorithm framework is designed to solve the problem, the tabu search (TS) algorithm and the adaptive large neighborhood search (ALNS) algorithm are adopted to improve the quality of the initial solution, and the dynamic insertion method is adopted to solve the synchronization problem of unfixed requests (that is, unaccepted customer requests and modified requests) and new requests. The experimental results show that the model and dynamic algorithm framework proposed in this paper can effectively solve the dynamic pick-up and delivery problem with time windows (DPDP-TW). At different scheduling time horizons T, the TS algorithm improves the initial solution by an average of 3.11% and the ALNS algorithm by an average of 9.98%. Under different degrees of urgency, compared to the ALNS algorithm, the quality of the solution produced by the TS algorithm is not high, but the computation time is very small and it is relatively stable. Under different request sizes, the TS algorithm can obtain optimization results in 60s under four request levels, which gives it a significant advantage over the ALNS algorithm.

In this paper, we carry out the theoretical spectral optimization and perform experiments by varying temperature and electrical current primarily on one-phosphor-coated three-hump white light-emitting diode (LED) for healthy indoor or outdoor lighting by using the genetic algorithm (GA). White light with low circadian action factor (CAF) is propitious for bedroom lighting to help people relax and to promote sleep, whereas high CAF white light is beneficial for increasing working efficiency in the working place. We obtain low CAF or high CAF according to different application occasions (such as bedroom lighting or office lighting), good Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage color rendering index (Ra) or Illumination Engineering Society of North America color fidelity index (Rf), and color gamut index (Rg) or other color performances, and possibly high luminous efficacy of radiation (LER, K) at various correlated color temperatures (CCTs) from 2700 to 6500 K. For instance, in the case of one-phosphor-coated three-hump white LEDs at CCT = 3000 K, the low CAF as 0.264 (Ra = 80, Rf = 77, Rg = 103, and K = 350.0 lm/W) can be achieved, whereas that of standard light at the same CCT is 0.407. In addition, we also compare four types of three-hump white LEDs in performances of circadian action, luminous efficacy of radiation (LER), and color rendering. This paper can help both industry and academia understand the application of three-hump white LEDs in the healthy indoor or outdoor lighting.

The non-visual effects of blue light in displays mean that excessive use of smartphones can disturb the human circadian rhythm. Thus, the impact of virtual reality (VR) headsets, which are worn closer to the human eye, may be even more serious. In this paper, based on non-visual parameters, such as the circadian action factor (CAF) and circadian illuminance, the circadian performance of smartphone-based VR displays is quantitatively evaluated by an evaluation system we designed. Moreover, we investigate the improvements in the circadian performance of VR headsets resulting from three practical methods for reducing the blue light content. Finally, a theoretical method of shifting the green-light wavelength of the screen close to 555 nm to optimize the CAF of VR headsets is proposed. Overall, the results of this paper are of significant value in quantifying the effects of VR displays on circadian rhythms and improving the safety of VR headsets with regard to human health.

Inconsistencies in a monomer battery pack can lead to the over-discharge of a single battery. Although deep over-discharge can be avoided by optimizing the battery control system, slight over-discharge still often occurs in the battery pack. The aging behavior of cylindrical NCM811 batteries under high-rate aging and over-discharge was studied. By setting the end-of-discharge of 1 V, the battery capacity rapidly decayed after 130 cycles. Additionally, the temperature sharply increased in the over-discharge stage. The micro short-circuit was found by the discharge voltage curve and impedance spectrum. Batteries with 100%, 79.6% and 50.9% SOH (state of health = Q_now/Q_new × 100%) as a result of high-rate aging and over-discharging were subjected to thermal testing in an adiabatic environment. The battery without high-rate aging and over-discharge did not experience thermal runaway. However, severe thermal runaway occurred in the 79.6% and 50.9% SOH batteries. Regarding the cyclic aging of the 50.9% SOH battery, the fusion temperature of the separator decreased by 22.3 °C, indicating a substantial degradation of the separator and thus reducing battery safety. Moreover, the results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analyses revealed that the particles of the positive material were broken and detached, and that large-area cracks and delamination had formed on the negative material. Furthermore, Ni deposition and the uneven deposition of P and F on the negative surface were observed, which increased the risk of short-circuit in the battery. Positive and negative materials were attached on both sides of the separator, which reduced the effective area of ionic transportation.

The excessive use and disposal of plastic packaging materials have drawn increasing concerns from the society because of the detrimental effect on environment and ecosystems. As the most widely used fruit packing material, polyethylene (PE) film is not suitable for long-term preservation of some tropical fruits, such as mangos, due to its inferior gas permeability. Cellulose based film can be made from renewable resources and is biodegradable and environmental-friendly, which makes it a promising alternative to PE as a packaging material. In this study, cellulose film synthesized from delignified banana stem fibers via an ionic liquid 1-Allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([AMIm][Cl]) were evaluated as packing material for mangos preservation. The moisture vapor transmission rate and gas transmission rate of the synthesized cellulose film were 1,969.1 g/(m2⋅24 h) and 10,015.4 ml/(m2⋅24 h), respectively, which are significantly higher than those of commercial PE films. The high permeability is beneficial to the release of ethylene so that contribute to extend fruit ripening period. As a result, cellulose film packaging significantly decreased the disease and color indexes of mangos, while prolonged the storage and shelf life of marketable fruits. In addition, the cellulose film was decomposed in soils in 4 weeks, indicating an excellent biodegradability as compared to the PE plastic film.

Summary: Proteins of all living cells undergo a myriad of post-translational modifications (PTMs) that are critical to multifarious life processes. In this study, we describe the first comprehensive multiple PTM-omics atlas in parallel with quantitative proteome analyses of two representative species of African trypanosomes, Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma evansi. Ten PTM types with approximately 40,000 modified sites and 150 histone marks with a fine map on each protein of the two African trypanosomes were accomplished. The two biologically different trypanosomal species displayed distinct PTM-omic features, regulation pathways, and networks. Modifications in the proteins involved in the redox system were mainly upregulated in T. brucei, whereas proteins associated with motility were predominantly modified in T. evansi. The establishment of a database of multiple PTMs in the two parasites provides us with a deep insight into the biological mechanisms that underpin life processes in trypanosomes with different life cycles.

Introduction Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a global health problem with high geographic heterogeneity. We aimed to investigate regional-specific concomitant rate of NAFLD and quantitative relationship between liver fat content (LFC) and glucose metabolism parameters in representative clinical populations from six provinces/municipalities of China.Research design and methods A total of 2420 eligible Han Chinese were enrolled consecutively from 10 clinics of obesity, diabetes and metabolic diseases located at six provinces/municipalities of China, and divided into North (Tianjin, Shandong and Heilongjiang) and South (Shanghai, Jiangsu and Henan) groups according to their geographical latitude and proximity of NAFLD concomitant rate. LFC was assessed by a quantitative ultrasound method. Multivariate regression models and analysis of covariance were used to assess the regional difference in the risk of NAFLD.Results The concomitant rate of NAFLD was 23.3%, 44.0% and 55.3% in individuals with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), pre-diabetes and diabetes, respectively. A higher concomitant rate of NAFLD was found in the participants from the North comparing with the South group, regardless of glucose metabolism status (34.7% vs 16.2% in NGT, 61.5% vs 34.7% in pre-diabetes and 67.1% vs 48.1% in diabetes). This regional difference remained significant after adjustment for age, gender, alcohol drinking, cigarette smoking, confounding metabolic parameters and liver enzymes. For any given blood glucose, participants from the North had higher LFC than those from the South group.Conclusions Half of Han Chinese with pre-diabetes/type 2 diabetes had NAFLD, and the individuals from the North cities were more susceptible to NAFLD.

OBJECTIVES: Cerebral ischemia seriously threatens human health and is characterized by high rates of incidence, disability and death. Developing an ideal animal model of cerebral ischemia that reflects the human clinical features is critical for pathological studies and clinical research. The goal of this study is to establish a local cerebral ischemia model in rhesus macaque, thereby providing an optimal animal model to study cerebral ischemia. METHODS: Eight healthy rhesus monkeys were selected for this study. CT scans were performed before the operation to exclude cerebral vascular and intracranial lesions. Under guidance and monitoring with digital subtraction angiography (DSA), a microcatheter was inserted into the M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) via the femoral artery. Then, autologous white thrombi were introduced to block blood flow. Immediately following embolization, multisequence MRI was used to monitor cerebrovascular and brain parenchymal conditions. Twenty-four hours after embolization, 2 monkeys were sacrificed and subjected to perfusion, fixation and pathological examination. RESULTS: The cerebral ischemia model was established in 7 rhesus monkeys; one animal died during intubation. DSA and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) indicated the presence of an arterial occlusion. MRI showed acute local cerebral ischemia. HE staining revealed infarct lesions formed in the brain tissues, and thrombi were present in the cerebral artery. CONCLUSION: We established a rhesus macaque model of local cerebral ischemia by autologous thrombus placement. This model has important implications for basic and clinical research on cerebral ischemia. MRI and DSA can evaluate the models to ensure accuracy and effectiveness.

In order to increase the stability of fresh agricultural product supply chain, farmers and enterprises need to evolve into a symbiotic system of supply chain. At the present stage, symbiotic relations and evolutionary trends in a symbiotic system for fresh agricultural product supply chains lack quantitative methods for determining symbiotic criteria. In the sense of quantification -oriented criteria, symbiotic systems for fresh agricultural product supply chains are defined, and an improved stationary state analysis method is proposed. Three key steps in this method are quantifying a symbiotic energy model with an evaluation model of ecological carrying capacity, setting up a system evolution model based on the logistic growth function, and verifying the symbiotic system's singularity and phase transition boundary by Lyapunov indirect method. MATLAB numerical simulation shows that types of singularity and the phase transition boundary of symbiotic system are divided effectively. And in both conditions, infinite exponential growth and convergence to steady state, the mutualism mode is the optimal choice for the symbiotic system we defined, symbiotic relations between farmers and cooperative companies are stable and long-term at this time. Those conclusions provide a reference approach to enhance the overall prospective benefits to the fresh agricultural products supply chain.

Network-wide maintenance lacks strong theoretical support and practical cases. However, research on this topic has entered an extensive exploratory stage; for example, new network design methods are being sought, and successful practices from traditional maintenance by line and by profession are being incorporated. This paper proposes a novel set-covering model with the variable coverage radius for the maintenance network of urban rail transit systems in the context of network-wide maintenance. The concepts of network-wide maintenance follow principles that are similar to those of bio-geography-based optimization (BBO), i.e., patterns of migration, variation, and extinction of different populations in different habitats. Therefore, a BBO algorithm is implemented with combinatorial optimization programming. Experiments from Changchun city in China show that the proposed model and algorithm are effective in fulfilling network-wide requirements through a direct tradeoff between the coverage radius and maintenance response time. In addition, the maintenance capacity and variable coverage radius of each maintenance point influence both the maintenance timeliness and resource utilization of maintenance units.