Search

Aquaponics is a novel ecological agricultural strategy that combines aquaculture and hydroponic cultivation. The relationships between fish immunological and digestive functions, water quality, and bacterial populations were not well understood. This study aims to investigate the effects of aquaponics on aquaculture water quality, fish growth performance, and fish health, as well as exploring the roles of microbial taxa in these processes. In the present study, three aquaponics systems were established, and three same sized recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) were constructed to act as controls. To evaluate bacterial community diversity and compositions across different microhabitats in the two systems, we used amplicon-based high-throughput sequencing technique targeting the 16S rRNA gene. In aquaponics, fish had a much greater nitrogen utilization rate, weight gain rate (WGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and specific growth rate (SGR) than in controls. The activities of alkaline phosphatase (AKP), acid phosphatase (ACP), lysozyme (LYS), lipase (LPS), and trypsin (TRP) in tissues, all of which are indicators of fish health, were significantly greater in aquaponics than in controls. Aquaponics effectively lowered chlorophyll-a levels while having little effect on other water quality metrics, indicating their potential for better algae control. Water quality measures such as dissolved organic carbon, chlorophyll-a, dissolved oxygen, and ammonia nitrogen had a substantial impact on the fish's immunological and digestive capabilities. In terms of microbial influence, particular gut bacteria—such as the bacterial orders Pseudomonadales, Caulobacterales, Defluviicoccales, Exiguobacterales, and Gemmatales—have been identified as influencing various functions in fish. Among these bacterial orders, we found that Pseudomonadales and Exiguobacterales were more abundant in aquaponics than control systems. This study demonstrated that aquaponics can increase fish health and productivity through the management of water quality and certain microorganisms, particularly gut microbiota.

Understanding the collapse mechanisms of shallow, multi-layered, weakly cemented overburden is key to safe and efficient coal mining in central and western China. Hence, we conducted a meter-scale similar physical model experiment using high-resolution digital speckle technology to replicate the deformation and failure patterns of shallowly buried, weakly cemented overburden under mining activities, and to determine the initiation, development, and stability of water-conducting fractures. Additionally, a site-scale numerical model was developed to allow for the examination of the stress-displacement evolution within the weakly cemented overburden. The results indicate that the maximum vertical displacements at key locations such as the basic roof, the weakly cemented critical layer, and the surface were 8.9 m, 8.65 m, and 8.2 m, respectively. The collapse step distance of the basic roof was 22.4 m, and the maximum collapse height reached 48 m. After the weakly cemented critical layer failed, the overlying strata collapsed accordingly, with the actual water-conducting fracture zone reaching a maximum height of 96.3 m. After the completion of coal mining, the overburden experienced four periodic collapses. As the working face advanced, the overburden in the center of the mined-out area showed a state of stress release, while the overburden on both sides exhibited stress concentration. The maximum vertical stresses in the siltstone and sandstone were 6.7 MPa and 1.9 MPa, with stress concentration factors of 2.2 and 0.6, respectively. This study provides valuable insights into the safety management of weakly cemented overburden.

Abstract Macrophages play a pivotal role in the healing of diabetic ulcers. The sustained elevation of glucose levels damages the insulin signaling pathway in macrophages, leading to dysfunctional macrophages that struggle to transition from pro-inflammatory (M1) to reparative (M2) states. Therefore, modulating macrophage inflammatory responses via the insulin pathway holds promise for diabetic ulcer treatment. Additionally, the presence of biofilm impedes drug penetration, and the resulting immunosuppressive microenvironment exacerbates the persistent infiltration of pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages. Therefore, we designed an array of dissolvable microneedle (denoted as NPF@MN) loaded with self-assembled nanoparticles that could deliver NPF nanoparticles, acid-sensitive NPF-releasing Protocatechualdehyde (PA) with hypoglycemic and insulin-like effects, regulating macrophage polarization to an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype. Additionally, this study extensively examined the mechanism by which NPF@MN accelerates the healing of diabetic ulcers through the activation of the insulin signaling pathway. Through RNA-seq and GSEA analysis, we identified a reduction in the expression of pathway-related factors such as IR, IRS-1, IRS-2, and SHC. Our work presents an innovative therapeutic approach targeting the insulin pathway in diabetic ulcers and underscores its translational potential for clinical management.

Abstract Background Diabetic atherosclerosis is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, but its therapeutic options are limited. Liraglutide (LIR), a synthetic analog of GLP-1 approved as an anti-obesity drug by the FDA, has been reported as a promising drug for diabetic atherosclerosis. However, the main problem with LIR is its use that requires regular parenteral injections, which necessitates the improvement of drug delivery for increased efficiency and minimization of injection numbers. Results The objective of our present study was to prepare and characterize nanoparticles (BSA@LIR-PMF) for targeted drug delivery using LIR-encapsulated platelet membrane fragments (PMF) coated bovine serum albumin (BSA). We used various methods to characterize the prepared nanoparticles and evaluated their efficiency on diabetes-induced atherosclerosis in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that the nanoparticles were spherical and had good stability and uniform size with intact membrane protein structure. The loading and encapsulation rates (LR and ER) of BSA@LIR-PMF were respectively 8.29% and 90.39%, while the cumulative release rate was around 77.06% after 24 h. Besides, we also examined the impact of BSA@LIR-PMF on the proliferation, migration, phagocytosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis, lactate and ATP levels, and lipid deposition in the aortas. The results indicated that BSA@LIR-PMF could effectively inhibit ox-LDL-stimulated abnormal cell proliferation and migration, reduce the level of ROS and lactate concentration, and enhance the level of ATP, thereby improving oxidative phosphorylation in ox-LDL-treated cells. Conclusion BSA@LIR-PMF significantly inhibited diabetes-induced atherosclerosis. It was anticipated that the BSA@LIR-PMF nanoparticles might be used for treating diabetes-associated cardiovascular complications.

In recent years, formal verification has emerged as a crucial method for assessing security against Side-Channel attacks of masked implementations, owing to its remarkable versatility and high degree of automation. However, formal verification still faces technical bottlenecks in balancing accuracy and efficiency, thereby limiting its scalability. Former tools like maskVerif and CocoAlma are very efficient but they face accuracy issues when verifying schemes that utilize properties of Boolean functions. Later, SILVER addressed the accuracy issue, albeit at the cost of significantly reduced speed and scalability compared to maskVerif. Consequently, there is a pressing need to develop formal verification tools that are both efficient and accurate for designing secure schemes and evaluating implementations. This paper’s primary contribution lies in proposing several approaches to develop a more efficient and scalable formal verification tool called Prover, which is built upon SILVER. Firstly, inspired by the auxiliary data structures proposed by Eldib et al. and optimistic sampling rule of maskVerif, we introduce two reduction rules aimed at diminishing the size of observable sets and secret sets in statistical independence checks. These rules substantially decrease, or even eliminate, the need for repeated computation of probability distributions using Reduced Ordered Binary Decision Diagrams (ROBDDs), a time-intensive procedure in verification. Subsequently, we integrate one of these reduction rules into the uniformity check to mitigate its complexity. Secondly, we identify that variable ordering significantly impacts efficiency and optimize it for constructing ROBDDs, resulting in much smaller representations of investigated functions. Lastly, we present the algorithm of Prover, which efficiently verifies the security and uniformity of masked implementations in probing model with or without the presence of glitches. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed tool Prover offers a better balance between efficiency and accuracy compared to other state-of-the-art tools (IronMask, CocoAlma, maskVerif, and SILVER). In our experiments, we also found an S-box that can only be verified by Prover, as IronMask cannot verify S-boxes, and both CocoAlma and maskVerif suffer from false positive issues. Additionally, SILVER runs out of time during verification.

Abstract Osteoarthritis (OA) is marked by cartilage deterioration, subchondral bone changes, and an inflammatory microenvironment. The study introduces the Microneedle‐Delivered Polydopamine‐Exosome (PDA@Exo MN), a therapeutic that not only preserves cartilage and promotes bone regeneration but also improves localized drug delivery through enhanced penetration capabilities. PDA@Exo MN shows strong reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging abilities and high biocompatibility, fostering osteogenesis and balancing anabolic and catabolic processes in cartilage. It directs macrophage polarization from M0 to the anti‐inflammatory M2 phenotype. RNA sequencing of treated chondrocytes demonstrates restored cellular function and activated antioxidant responses, with modulated inflammatory pathways. The PI3K‐AKT‐mTOR pathway's activation, essential for PDA@Exo's effects, is confirmed via bioinformatics and Western blot. In vivo assessments robustly validate that PDA@Exo MN prevents cartilage degradation and OA progression, supported by histological assessments and micro‐CT analysis, highlighting its disease‐modifying impact. The excellent biocompatibility of PDA@Exo MN, verified through histological (H&E) and blood tests showing no organ damage, underscores its safety and efficacy for OA therapy, making it a novel and multifunctional nanomedical approach in orthopedics, characterized by organ‐friendliness and biosecurity.

Geosmin (GSM) is a ubiquitous odorant found in aquatic environments and organisms, with significant impacts on drinking water and aquaculture. However, its transfer from contaminated water to fish tissues is poorly investigated, resulting in limited information on its bioconcentration and environmental behavior. Fugacity and one-compartment models were developed to describe the fate, transformation, and transport of GSM in an air-water-fish system and analyze its uptake, distribution, and elimination kinetics in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). The results showed that the fugacity model calculations indicated that 81.3 % of GSM was found in water for all microcosm. The primary mass transfer processes from water were water-air diffusion process (T21v) and that from water to fish (T2 f), with values of 67.3 and 22.54 μg/h, respectively. The emission rate (E2) and area (A2) in water parameters are most sensitive to GSM concentration, impacting the distribution and variance of contaminant concentration. Kinetic studies in fish revealed that GSM primarily accumulate in the muscle and skin, with the earthy-odor burden of fish contributed by the former, reaching 86.59 %. The uptake rate constant (kup), depuration rate constant (kde), and half-lives (t1/2) fell within the ranges of 0.737–3.534 L/(kg·h), 0.024–0.097 1/h, and 7.1–28.9 h, respectively. Bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) for GSM in fish skin, muscle, and liver tissues were 105.79, 61.71, and 51.22 L/kg, respectively. GSM was effectively depurated by other tissues within 72 h, while 18.16 % remained in skin. The liver demonstrated the most accurate curve (R2=0.97), followed by skin and muscle, with the gill showing the worst simulation. This work offers insights into understanding the fate and mass transfer flux of trace odorants in environmental and biological phases.

Coal mine water disaster is the main disaster of the Jurassic coalfield in the northern Shaanxi and the groundwater of the Zhiluo Formation is one of the main water inrush sources. Using the Durov diagram, Piper three-line diagram, Gibbs diagram, Stiff diagram and principal component analysis method, the geochemical characteristics of the Zhiluo Formation groundwater in the northern Ordos Basin and its indicative significance were investigated in this study. Also, it studied the geochemical characteristics of groundwater and explains its significance for the hydraulic connection between the Zhiluo Formation and overlying aquifer and the groundwater runoff conditions. The results show that the concentrations of the pH, TDS, K+ + Na+, \begin{document}${\rm{SO}}_4^{2 - } $\end{document} and Cl− show a decreasing trend about the Zhiluo Formation groundwater from the western normal bedrock area to the eastern weathered bedrock area. And there are some differences about the Zhiluo Formation groundwater chemical types. For the deep buried area of the Zhiluo Formation in the west, the hydrochemical types of groundwater are mainly SO4−Na type, SO4·Cl−Na type and HCO3·SO4−Na type. For the bedrock weathering area of the Zhiluo Formation in the east, the groundwater type transitions to HCO3−Ca type and HCO3−Ca·Mg type. The hydrochemical formation of the Zhiluo Formation groundwater is controlled by rock weathering, alternating adsorption, desulfuration and leaching. Hydrogen isotope and oxygen isotope and hydro-chemical characteristics have obvious indicative effects on the hydraulic connection between aquifers. The analysis of hydrogen isotope and oxygen isotope, chemical ion concentration of typical borehole groundwater and regional groundwater hydro-chemical characteristics shows that there is no hydraulic connection between the normal bedrock groundwater of the Zhiluo Formation and the groundwater of the Luohe Formation and the Salawusu Formation in the western part of the study area. The weathered bedrock groundwater of the Zhiluo Formation in the eastern part is closely related to the Salawusu Formation groundwater. The halogen element (Cl−) has obvious indication effect on the runoff conditions of the Zhiluo Formation groundwater., The normal bedrock groundwater runoff of the Zhiluo Formation in the western is slow and the groundwater is mainly static reserves. For the bedrock weathering area, due to its development of pores and fissures, the water storage and permeability are significantly enhanced and there is a strong mixing effect with the Quaternary groundwater. So the groundwater runoff intensity is large and the groundwater is mainly dynamic reserves.

Drinking water quality and the commercial value of aquatic items are both significantly impacted by odor molecules like 2-methylisoborneol (2-MIB) and geosmin (GSM). Many investigations have been conducted to identify the microorganisms involved in the synthesis of 2-MIB and GSM. However, few studies have attempted to identify potential degradation factors in the natural environment. Here, pathway analysis of the relationship between water quality parameters and the distribution of odor compounds in water bodies led to a more significant connection (p < 0.05) between total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chemical oxygen demand, and salinity in water bodies for the distribution of their odor compounds. Salinity among them exhibited the strongest connection and had a direct impact. The establishment of a larger spatial scale statistical research method, mainly using the water environment with different salinities formed in different geographical areas, and the distribution of odor compounds in this water body as a research vehicle helped to find the most concise relationship between the two variables. The results show that the concentration of odor compounds is lower in waters with higher salinity, which proves the negative correlation between the two. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for solving the problem of odorous pollutants in water bodies, with the aim of improving the utilization of water resources more effectively and, secondly, leading to a new guiding direction for the conservation and exploitation of impact plains and mudflats.

In the past ten years, the coal mining operation in the northern part of the Ordos Basin has been frequently threatened by the groundwater of the Zhiluo Formation, and even some water inrush accidents have occurred. In the area, the mines with the groundwater of the Zhiluo Formation as water source are distributed continuously, and are closely related to the paleochannel sand bodies of the Zhiluo Formation. In order to explain the mine water inflow model in the distribution area of the paleochannel sand bodies of the Zhiluo Formation in the southern area of Shenfu, on the basis of the study of the spatial distribution of paleochannel sand bodies in the Zhiluo Formation and their control effect on groundwater occurrence, the relationship between the paleochannel sand bodies and the mine water inflow in the Zhiluo Formation was analyzed from the scale of the study area, the scale of the well field and the scale of the working face, and the mine water inflow model under the paleochannel sand bodies of the Zhiluo Formation was proposed. The results show that the paleochannel scouring zone of the Zhiluo Formation in the southern area of Shenfu is developed along the line of Hongyannao-Erlintu-Jinjie, and the fifth member of the Yan’an Formation in the erosion zone is almost completely eroded, and the fourth member of the Yan’an Formation is also scoured in some areas. According to the analysis of the sand dispersion system and the development characteristics of the aquifer rock group, the paleochannel sand bodies filled and deposited in the scouring zone are divided into three grades. The water-richness of the paleochannel sand bodies of the Zhiluo Formation is mainly controlled by the scale, physical characteristics and weathering of the sand body, and the water-richness of the first-order sand body (main channel) is stronger than that of the second-class sand body (branch channel) and the third-order sand body (delta bay and tributary bay), and its water richness will be further enhanced when the sand body is weathered. Based on the analysis of the relationship between sand body classification, weathered sand body thickness and mine water inflow at different scales, three water inflow modes of production mines under paleochannel sand bodies in the eastern part of the study area were proposed. The strong water inrush mode is mainly located in the distribution area of the first-class sand body, and the thickness of the weathered sand body is generally ≥ 30 m. Medium water inrush mode is mainly located at the edge of the primary sand body or secondary sand body area, the thickness of the weathered sand body is generally 10−30 m. The weak water inrush mode is mainly located in the tertiary sand body area, and the thickness of the weathered sand body is generally < 10 m.

Aquaculture produces numerous by-products like aquatic plants, algae, and nutrient-enriched sediment annually, which are often discarded as waste, are not environmentally friendly, and are harmful to the environment. In this study, aquaculture by-products were utilized to prepare moss biochar at 500, 700, and 800 °C (BC500, BC700, and BC800, respectively); Elodea biochar (WBC800) at 800 °C; and sediment biochar (SBC800) at 800 °C. Characterization and experimental results showed that BC800 had the best adsorption effect on geosmin (GSM) under the same conditions; when using BC800 to treat GSM solution with a pH of 7, the adsorption efficiency of GSM was high (97.08%) under the conditions of dosage of 1.0 g, temperature of 25 °C, and adsorption time of 2 min. Adsorption is a multimolecular layer process that involves both physical aspects of porous adsorption and connections between chemical bonds. Biochar, derived from aquaculture by-products, is utilized to eliminate odorous substances in aquaculture environments, thereby promoting resource recycling. HIGHLIGHTS Aquaculture by-products address environmental issues in aquaculture.; The removal efficiency of BC800 for earth odorant in aqueous solution can reach 97.08%.; The adsorption process of BC800 on GSM is both physical and chemical adsorption of multimolecular layer adsorption.;

The overall water resources in ecologically fragile mining areas in our country are scarce, but in some areas, mine water inflow is exceptionally large. The identification of abnormal mine water sources in ecologically fragile mining areas is of great significance for the protection of the ecological environment in the mining areas. This study takes the Yushuwan coal mine with a water inflow exceeding 1000 m3/h as the research background. Based on the analysis of the characteristics of mine water inflow, 30 water samples were collected from the main aquifers and mine water inflow points in the study area, and high-throughput microbial sequencing of water samples was conducted. The sequencing results were analyzed using Alpha diversity analysis, Beta diversity analysis, and differential analysis of microbial composition to systematically study the characteristics of microbial communities in mine water bodies and analyze the sources of mine water filling. The research results indicate that the high-throughput test results have passed the Coverage index test, verifying its feasibility for identifying mine water filling. However, water samples that have close contact with human activities show a greater abundance of microorganisms, which need to be effectively avoided in sampling. The abundance and diversity of microorganisms in the shallow loose aquifer of Yushuwan Coal Mine are relatively high, with the highest abundance being found in genera such as Novosphingobium, Fusobacterium, and Sulfuricum. The microbial richness of the bedrock aquifer represented by the Zhiluo Formation is relatively low, but the microbial diversity is high, with the highest microbial abundance being found in genera such as Comamonas, Vermiphilaceae, and Paeniglutamicacter. The most dominant phylum among all water samples is Proteobacteria, accounting for 35.5% to 89.7%. Alpha diversity, PCoA, and NSDM analysis revealed that the water inflow in the Yushu Bay mine is mainly composed of loose layers and Zhiluo Formation. However, Beta diversity analysis found that with the release of static reserves in the Zhiluo Formation, the water source for filling the loose layer of Lishi loess further increases. Comprehensive analysis shows that the Yushuwan coal mine currently adopts a water filling mode of rapid release of bedrock aquifer and continuous release of Lishi Formation aquifer. The statistical analysis results of mine water inflow confirm this conclusion. The statistical analysis results of mine water inflow confirm this conclusion. This study provides a new method for identifying water filling in aquifers with similar chemical compositions.

To investigate the effects of biofloc mode on the water environment and intestinal microbial community structure of largemouth bass, a 60-day culture experiment was conducted without water replacement in 300-L glass tanks. The experiment included a control group and a biofloc group, each with three replicates. The results showed the following: (i) the richness and diversity of the water environment and fish intestinal microbial community increased under the biofloc model; (ii) Proteobacteria, Patescibacteria, and Bacteroidota were the dominant phyla in the water environment of largemouth bass, while Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, Patescibacteria, and Actinobacteriota were the dominant phyla in the gut of largemouth bass. However, differences in the relative abundance and community structure of microorganisms were observed between the two groups, suggesting that the biofloc system impacts both the water environment and intestinal microbial community structure in largemouth bass culture. (iii) A correlation analysis between water quality indices and enzyme activity with microbial abundance revealed that microbial community composition could effectively reflect water quality and fish physiological health. Based on the analysis of microbial community structure, this study offers a theoretical foundation for integrating largemouth bass culture with the biofloc system, and provides valuable data for future health management and water quality control in largemouth bass production.

Advancements in monitoring and operation of aquaculture environments has minimized the concentrations of some residual pollutants in cultured aquatic products. However, currently most aquatic products are “farmed”, and relationships among residual pollutants in tissues of crabs were still unclear. In this study, 64 typical pollutants, including 25 antibiotics, 15 metal, 23 organochlorine pesticides, and one dioxin-like compound inducing hydrocarbon-receptor (AHR) activity were measured in Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir Sinensis) risks of consumption assessed and ranked. The superposition of properties including severity and relative potency of effects and parameters describing persistence and exposure along with rates of usage and identification of groups most likely to be exposed were assessed in combination to rank likelihood of dietary exposure and probabilities of adverse effects for each contaminant. The results indicated that the total scores per pollutants found that Cadmium (Cd), Heptachlor epoxide (HEPE), dioxin TEQ exhibited the greatest scores and explained the severity of dietary risk, while source analysis found that the three main pollutants resulted from the ambient environment and are not due to specific aquaculture processes. In summary, environment is still the predominant source of residual pollutants in cultured Chinese mitten crab across China.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common disease affecting women of reproductive age; there is a need for interventions to address this condition. Herein, the network pharmacology approach was used to explore the potential of combining Morindae Officinalis Radix (Bajitian) and Radix Salviae (Danshen) for treating PCOS. The bioactive ingredients of the Bajitian-Danshen pair were identified and used for predicting potential therapeutic target genes. Genes related to PCOS were predicted by keyword search from various databases and intersected with the predicted targets of the active components of the Bajitian-Danshen pair to obtain key target genes, which were used for building the “active compound-target gene” pharmacological network. The TCGAbiolinks package in the R environment was used for functional enrichment analysis. In addition, in vivo and in vitro PCOS models were established to explore the effect of the key bioactive compound on the treatment of PCOS and the underlying mechanisms. Histopathological analysis was performed by hematoxylin and eosin staining, while the detection of hormone and cytokine levels was performed by conducting ELISA. Immunofluorescence and western blotting were used for protein expression analysis. Tanshinone IIA (Tan-IIA) was found to be the ingredient with the highest number of target genes. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis revealed that JUN, FOS, TP53, PTGS2, MMP9, CDKN1A, BCL2, DPP4, and CASP3 were key target genes of Tan-IIA in PCOS. The docking analysis showed the interaction of Tan-IIA with FOS. Thus, the therapeutic potential of Tan-IIA in PCOS and its effect on FOS were evaluated experimentally. A rat model of PCOS was established and subsequently treated with Tan-IIA. Tan-IIA treatment attenuated the deleterious effects associated with PCOS and downregulated TP53, FOS and JUN mRNA and protein expression levels in the ovarian tissue of PCOS rats. In addition, the activation of FOS expression was followed by the exacerbation of the deleterious effect of PCOS and increased expression levels of JUN and TP53. Thus, we concluded that the Bajitian-Danshen pair, especially the Tan-IIA ingredient, counteracts PCOS‑induced damage by possibly regulating the FOS/JUN/TP53 axis.

The widespread use of carbamate pesticides has raised significant environmental and health concerns, particularly regarding water contamination and the disruption of defense systems in organisms. Despite these concerns, research on the differential impacts of pesticides on male and female organisms remains limited. This study focused on methomyl, investigating sex-specific differences in liver antioxidant defenses and inflammatory response indices in male and female zebrafish after 56 days of exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations (0, 0.05, 0.10, and 0.20 mg/L). Our findings indicate that methomyl exposure significantly increased ROS content in zebrafish livers, inducing oxidative stress and activating enzymatic antioxidant defenses such as SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px activities. Sub-chronic exposure altered the expression of apoptosis-related genes (Bax/Bcl2a and Caspases3a), resulting in liver cell apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner, with the 0.20 mg/L concentration causing the most severe damage. Additionally, methomyl exposure at environmentally relevant concentrations triggered persistent inflammatory responses in liver tissues, evidenced by increased transcription levels of inflammatory factor genes and the activation of toll-like receptors, heightening susceptibility to exogenous allergens. It is noteworthy that oxidative damage indicators (AST, ROS, MDA) and inflammatory gene expressions (IL-1β, TNF-α) were significantly higher in female livers compared to male livers at 0.10–0.20 mg/L methomyl exposure. Consequently, our study underscores the potential adverse effects of environmental methomyl exposure on aquatic organisms and highlights the need for heightened consideration of the risks posed by environmental endocrine disruptors to female health and safety.

In mountainous areas, high-filled subgrade often experiences significant post-construction settlement. Prematurely paving the cement-stabilized gravel layer on an unstable subgrade can easily lead to subsequent cracking. To accurately predict the settlement of high-filled subgrade and determine the appropriate timing for paving the cement-stabilized layer, this study proposes a subgrade settlement prediction method combining an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) with a Genetic Algorithm (GA). Using monitoring data from a high-filled subgrade on a highway in Hunan Province, China, a GA–ANN model was established to predict settlement curves. The predicted data from the GA–ANN model were compared with measured data and ANN predictions to validate the advantages of using GA–ANN for subgrade settlement prediction. The results indicate that the GA–ANN model significantly outperforms the ANN model due to GA’s ability to provide more reasonable weight biases for ANN through global search optimization. Predictions of settlement data beyond 50 days using both ANN and GA–ANN showed that the GA–ANN prediction curve closely matched the measured curve, with a basic deviation within ±3 mm. In contrast, ANN’s prediction error gradually increased to over 5 mm as the observation time increased, with predicted values lower than measured values, leading to an overly optimistic estimation of early settlement convergence. Based on the predicted data and settlement standards, the estimated timing for laying the stabilized layer was determined. During the laying process, no cracking was observed in the stabilized layer. The project has been in operation for six months, with the road surface in good condition. This study provides a valuable reference for the laying of stabilized layers on similar high-filled and ultra-high-filled subgrades.

In order to achieve better test performance, researches on the randomness test strategies based on deep learning were conducted, including the batch average strategy proposed by EUROCRYPT 2021 and the selection strategy for data unit size.By introducing the randomness statistical test model based on deep learning methods, the statistical distribution and test power expression of two test strategies were theoretically derived, and it was pointed out that: (i) the batch average strategy could amplify the prediction accuracy of the model, but it was prone to an increase in the probability of the second type of error in statistics, instead reducing the statistical test power; (ii) the smaller data units of the deep model generally obtained the more powerful statistical tests.Based on the above understanding, a new bit-level deep learning model was proposed for randomness statistical tests, which gained the advantage of prediction with 80 times fewer parameters and 50% samples, compared with the previous work on linear congruent generator (LCG) algorithm, and achieved significant prediction advantages with 10～20 times fewer parameters by extending the model to apply to 5～7 rounds of Speck, compared with the model proposed by Gohr.

To investigate the activities of intestinal digestive enzymes, liver antioxidant enzymes, immunological enzymes, and glucometabolic enzymes in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) under the biofloc model, an experiment was conducted in 300-liter glass tanks. The experiment comprised a control group, which was fed a basal diet, and a biofloc group, where glucose was added to maintain a C/N ratio of 15. Each group had three parallel setups, with a stocking density of 20 fish per tank. The experiment ran for 60 days, employing a zero-water exchange aquaculture model. The results showed that at the end of the culture period, there were no significant differences between the initial weight, final weight, WGR, SGR, and SR of the biofloc group and the control group of largemouth bass (p > 0.05), whereas the lower FCR and the higher PER in the biofloc group were significant (p < 0.05); intestinal α-amylase, trypsin, and lipase activities of largemouth bass in the biofloc group were significantly increased by 37.20%, 64.11%, and 51.69%, respectively, compared with the control group (p < 0.05); liver superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, and total antioxidant capacity of largemouth bass in the biofloc group were significantly increased by 49.26%, 46.87%, and 98.94% (p < 0.05), while the malondialdehyde content was significantly reduced by 19.91% (p < 0.05); liver lysozyme, alkaline phosphatase, and acid phosphatase activities of largemouth bass in the biofloc group were significantly increased by 62.66%, 41.22%, and 29.66%, respectively (p < 0.05); liver glucokinase, pyruvate kinase, glucose-6-phosphate kinase, pyruvate kinase, glucose-6-phosphatase, and glycogen synthase activities were significantly increased by 46.29%, 99.33%, 32.54%, and 26.89%, respectively (p < 0.05). The study showed that the biofloc model of culturing largemouth bass can not only enhance digestive enzyme activities, antioxidant capacity, and immune response but can also promote the process of glucose metabolism and reduce feeding costs. This study provides data support for healthy culturing of largemouth bass in future production, provides a theoretical reference for optimizing the biofloc technology culture model, and is crucial for promoting the healthy and green development of aquaculture.

Microalgae has been widely used in aquaculture to improve both the water environment and fish growth; however, the current understanding of the effects of microalgae addition on the key players involved in regulating the water environment and fish health, such as microorganisms, remains limited. Here, a 50-day mesocosm experiment was set up to simulate the culture of Genetic Improvement of Farmed Tilapia (GIFT, Oreochromis niloticus) with an average weight of 14.18 ± 0.93 g and an average length of 82.77 ± 2.80 mm. Different amounts of Chlorella pyrenoidosa were added into these artificial systems to investigate dynamics of bacterial communities in aquaculture water, fish gill, and gut using amplicon-based high-throughput sequencing technology. Our results showed that Chlorella pyrenoidosa addition increased diversity and network complexity of gill-associated bacterial communities rather than those of the water and gut. Furthermore, more biomarkers in the gill-associated bacterial communities were detected in response to Chlorella pyrenoidosa addition than the water and fish gut samples. These findings highlighted the high sensitivity of gill-associated bacterial communities in response to the Chlorella pyrenoidosa addition, implying Chlorella pyrenoidosa addition could play important roles in regulating the fish mucosal immunity by altering the gill-associated microbiota.

Abstract Groundwater of Luohe Formation is the main water source for industrial and agricultural and residential use in Binchang mining area, which is one of the key elements to water conservation coal mining. However, few studies are available to document the enrichment characteristics and influence of underground coal mining on groundwater for the Luohe Formation. This study evaluates the changes of groundwater levels and spring flow caused by mining activities to explore the influence mechanism of coal mining on groundwater by comparatively analysing existing mining data and survey data combined with a series of mapping methods. The results show that the aquifer of Luohe Formation are gradually thinning south-eastwards, disappeared at the mining boundary. In the vertical direction, the lithological structure is distinct, due to alternative sedimentation of meandering river facies and braided river facies. According to the yielding property, the aquifer is divided into three sections, namely, strong water-rich section, medium water-rich section, and weak water-rich section, which are located in northwest and central part, southwest, and the rest part of the mining area, respectively. Mining of Tingnan Coal Mine since 2004 has caused a 3.16 to 194.87 meters drop in groundwater level of Luohe Formation. Until 2015, 70.10% of the mining area undergoes a groundwater level drop larger than 10.00 meters. Another influence of underground mining is that the total flow from 34 springs in 8 southern coal mines of the area has decreased by 286.48 L/s with a rate of decrease at 46.95% from 2007 to 2017. The areas that groundwater level falls or spring flow declines are manly located in the mine gob areas. Results also indicate that the ratio of the height of water conducted fracture zone to the mining height in Binchang mining area is between 16.85 and 27.92. This may increase ground water flow in vertical direction, causing a water level in the aquifer system to drop and ultimately decreasing the flow from the springs. The research results will provide data and theoretical support for the protection of groundwater resources and water conservation coal mining of Luohe Formation in Binchang mining area.

Chinese firms are advancing their internationalization process at a surprisingly rapid pace, which is at odds with the descriptions of mainstream theories of corporate internationalization, such as the internalization theory and the eclectic theory of international production. In this context, a large number of existing literatures have examined the learning-by-export effect but have not agreed on its advantages. In the framework of recombinatory view of innovation, we integrate the resource-based view and the institution-based view, taking Chinese industrial enterprises as the research object, taking the export intensity and the output value of new products as the main indicators. We using the fixed effect model based on the Chinese Industrial Enterprise Database construction with China’s Marketization Index. Then this study aims to examine the relationship between exports and innovation. Research results show a non-linear effect, that is U-shaped relationship between exports and innovation; furthermore, the relationships are influenced by institutional factors at the provincial level. The institutional development level is a reverse mechanism of relationship between exports and innovation; when the institutional development level is higher, the relationship between exports and innovation has an inverted U shape. The findings enhance the understanding of export innovation from the perspective of resources and institutions, and export enterprise innovation management can benefit from its significant insights.

The effects of social networks on the relationship between internationalization and firm performance have been well documented in the international literature, and two dimensions of social networks have also been identified: business ties and political ties. However, few efforts have been made to examine whether there are different mechanisms of business ties and political ties. Based on social network theory and boundary spanning theory, we build a model of a dual mechanism of social networks, and the business ties and political ties of social networks that correspond with information processing and the external representation of boundary spanning theory. Using the data of Chinese listed companies in 2005-2013 and 2013-2017 to test the model, the results indicate that (1) in the relationship between internationalization and firm performance, the role of social networks has a dual mechanism. (2) Business ties play a mediating role in the relationship between internationalization and firm performance. Business ties are conducive to a company's information acquisition and knowledge sharing and play the role of information processing. (3) Political ties play a U-shaped moderating role in the relationship between internationalization and firm performance and assume the role of external representation.

The structure and function of intestinal microorganisms are closely related to host metabolism, development, physiology, and health. The red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii, is an important farmed aquatic species in China, which is grown in aquaculture ponds and rice paddy fields. Since these are two distinct cultivation environments with important differences in nutrient input and ecological community composition, we hypothesized that they may have different effects on the gut microbiota of the crayfish. Here, we sought to examine this hypothesis. To that aim, metagenomics analyses were applied to unveil the taxonomic composition and functional diversity of the microbiota in the intestines of red swamp crayfish grown in aquaculture ponds and rice-crayfish cultivation environments. The results showed that Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the two most abundant microbial components. In addition, the relative abundance of bacterial and archaeal communities, but not that of fungal and viral communities, significantly differed between the two environments. The abundance of genes involved in pathways related to genetic information processing and human diseases was lower in the guts of red swamp crayfish grown in rice-crayfish cultivation environments. In particular, the abundance of two gene sets, K13730 and K08303, which are related to epithelial cell invasion by Listeria monocytogenes and Helicobacter pylori, respectively, decreased in this culture environment. In addition, the samples from rice-crayfish cultivation environments tended to have lower relative abundance of glycosyltransferases (GTs), which were the most abundant carbohydrate-active enzymes in the samples from both groups, higher abundance of glycoside hydrolases, and lower abundance of GT2.

Abstract Water-conserving mining is an effective way to alleviate the contradiction between fragile ecological environment and high-intensity coal mining in the arid and semi-arid region of northwest China. It needs to consider the engineering and geological conditions, hydrogeological conditions and mining methods of coal seams. From the three aspects, this paper systematically analyzes the influencing factors and establishes an identification model with multi-level structures. The model includes three primary factors (including the engineering and geological conditions, hydrogeological conditions and mining methods), nine secondary factors (including overlying strata thickness, aquiclude, mining parameters and etc.), sixteen third-tier factors (including the faults, aquiclude thickness and effective mining height and etc.) and twelve fourth-tier factors (including the fault throw exponent, aquiclude permeability and coal pillar sizes and etc.). On the basis, the analytic hierarchy process is used to build the judgment matrix and obtain the weight of each influencing factor. The results indicate that the overlying strata thickness, aquiclude and effective mining height are the most important factors among the primary factors of engineering and geological conditions, hydrogeological conditions and mining methods, respectively. The research results could provide theoretical references for the water-conserving mining of coal resources in northwest China.

Abstract Yushenfu mining area is located in an ecological fragile area in western China, the coal seam of which is the Jurassic Yan’an Formation. The Jurassic Yan’an Formation contains five minable coal seams, the top layer of which is thick, covered by shallow overburden and located under aquifers. Therefore, the mining induced water flowing fractured zone can easily extend to the aquifers of both the Quaternary Sarahu and Jurassic Zhiluo Formation. This would result in a series of negative hydrological and ecological effects, including groundwater leakage, groundwater lowering, furtherly causing surface vegetation withering and dying, surface water body reduction, spring drying out, and water flow of river being decreased substantially. To solve these environmental problems, several technologies have been carried out by Chinese scientists, one of which is water-preserved coal mining. This paper presents a review of the origin, definition and development of water-preserved coal mining, and its applications in Yushenfu mining area. The applicable conditions, research contents, research methodology, and technical foundation of water-preserved coal mining are addressed in this paper. The future research focuses regarding water-preserved coal mining in China are also discussed in this paper. Its results serve as a guide for selecting the methods to be preferred for mining in case the geological conditions, roof overburden structure and coal mining process are similar to Yushenfu mining area.

This study investigated ammonia-oxidizing bacterial communities in water and surface sediments of three tilapia ponds and their relationship with differences in the ponds, monthly variations in the water, and the physico-chemical parameters. Samples were collected from ponds with different stocking densities, after which DNA was extracted, 16S rRNA genes were amplified, the Illumina high-throughput sequencing was performed, and then the Silva and FunGene databases were used to investigate the ammonia-oxidizing bacterial communities. In total, 308,488 valid reads (144,931 in water and 163,517 in sediment) and 240 operational taxonomic units (207 in water and 225 in sediment) were obtained. Further analysis showed that the five genera of Nitrosospira, Nitrosococcus, Nitrosomonas, Proteobacteria_unclassified, and Nitrosomonadaceae_unclassified were distributed not only in the water, but also in surface sediments of all three ponds. Further, not only the abundance of these five genera, but also their diversities were affected by monthly variations in the water and by sediment differences among the ponds. Moreover, the total nitrogen (TN), nitrate, total phosphorus (TP), and sulphate were the main factors influencing the ammonia-oxidizing bacterial communities in the water, whereas TP was the main influencing factor in the sediments. Moreover, the parameter changes, especially those caused by differences in the ponds, were closely related to the cultivation management (stocking density and feed coefficients).

The response of synthetic substrates of sex steroid hormones—cholesterol (CHO), pregnenolone (PREG), and progesterone (PROG)—in the serum and testes of male tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) to the environmental estrogen pesticide methomyl (0.2, 2, 20, and 200 μg·L−1) was evaluated using static-water contact toxicity tests. The results showed that low methomyl concentrations (0.2 and 2 μg·L−1) had no significant effects on the contents of CHO, PREG, and PROG in the serum and testes of male tilapia (p > 0.05). Consequently, the concentration of 2 μg·L−1 could be used as a preliminary reference threshold for the non-effective dose of methomyl in male tilapia. Exposure to high methomyl concentrations (20 and 200 μg·L−1) significantly inhibited the levels of CHO, PREG, and PROG in the serum and testes of male tilapia (p < 0.05) and showed a dose–response relationship. Sex steroid hormone synthesis substrate damage to male tilapia caused by less than 20 μg·L−1 methomyl was reversible, while the damage caused by equal to or greater than 200 μg·L−1 methomyl was irreversible when tilapia were transferred to methomyl-free water for 18 days. Thus, a concentration of 200 μg·L−1 could be used as a reference threshold for irreversible damage caused by methomyl in male tilapia.

The chronic effect of environmental methomyl on the antioxidant system in testis of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and its recovery pattern was investigated. Tilapia were exposed to sublethal concentrations of 0.2, 2, 20 and 200 μgL−1 methomyl for 30 days and thereafter moved to methomyl-free water for 18 days. Antioxidant levels in testis, including glutathione peroxidase, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione, oxidized glutathione were measured every 6 days during the period of exposure, and at 18 days after being transferred to methomyl-free water. The results showed that lower methomyl concentration (0.2 μgL−1) had no effect on the above antioxidants, thus 0.2 μgL−1 could be seen as NOAEL for methomyl to tilapia. However, higher methomyl concentration of 2, 20 and 200 μgL−1 could significantly influence the above antioxidants. Glutathione peroxidase and oxidized glutathione increased significantly. On the contrary, reduced glutathione decreased significantly. Catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, glutathione-S-transferase increased at lower methomyl (2 and 20 μgL−1), but decreased at higher methomyl (200 μgL−1). The recovery test showed that oxidative damage caused by lower methomyl of 2 and 20 μgL−1 was reversible, and oxidative damage caused by higher methomyl of 200 μgL−1 was irreversible within 18 days of recovery period.

BACKGROUND:Intercropping systems could increase crop diversity and avoid vulnerability to biotic stresses. Most studies have shown that intercropping can provide relief to crops against wind-dispersed pathogens. However, there was limited data on how the practice of intercropping help crops against soil-borne Phytophthora disease. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Compared to pepper monoculture, a large scale intercropping study of maize grown between pepper rows reduced disease levels of the soil-borne pepper Phytophthora blight. These reduced disease levels of Phytophthora in the intercropping system were correlated with the ability of maize plants to form a "root wall" that restricted the movement of Phytophthora capsici across rows. Experimentally, it was found that maize roots attracted the zoospores of P. capsici and then inhibited their growth. When maize plants were grown in close proximity to each other, the roots produced and secreted larger quantities of 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-2H-1,4-benzoxazin-3(4H)-one (DIMBOA) and 6-methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone (MBOA). Furthermore, MBOA, benzothiazole (BZO), and 2-(methylthio)-benzothiazole (MBZO) were identified in root exudates of maize and showed antimicrobial activity against P. capsici. CONCLUSIONS:Maize could form a "root wall" to restrict the spread of P. capsici across rows in maize and pepper intercropping systems. Antimicrobe compounds secreted by maize root were one of the factors that resulted in the inhibition of P. capsici. These results provide new insights into plant-plant-microbe mechanisms involved in intercropping systems.

The study aims to investigate the anti-aging effect of Silybum marianum extract (SME) on skin aging mice induced by D-galactose (D-gal). The mice were divided into 6 groups. The mouse model of skin aging was induced by subcutaneous injection of D-gal (1 g/ (kg·d)) on the back for 6 weeks. Body weight, skin water content, skin oxidative stress index, HYP and HA levels of mice in each group were measured. HE staining was used to evaluate the skin injury. The relative mRNA expressions of collagen I, collagen III, MMP-1 and MMP-3 in skin were detected by RT-qPCR. The relative expressions of Nrf2 (nucleus), Keap1 and HO-1 in skin were detected by Western blotting. The results show that percutaneous application of all three doses of SME increase the skin water content, alleviate the skin injury, increase the levels of SOD, CAT and GSH-Px, decrease the level of MDA, increased the levels of HYP and HA, increase the relative expression of collagen I and collagen III mRNA, decrease the relative expression of MMP-1 and MMP-3 mRNA, increase the relative expression of Nrf2 (nucleus) and HO-1 protein, and decrease the relative expression of Keap1 protein in D-gal-induced aging mice (P<0.05). ML385 inhibits the activation of Nrf2 pathway and weakens the anti-aging effect of SME (P<0.05). This study shows that percutaneous application of SME has a good anti-aging effect on skin aging mice induced by D-gal, and Nrf2 pathway mediates the anti-aging effect of SME. SME may be a kind of anti-aging daily skin care material with high development value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]