Search

In this study, the fluorescence hyperspectral images of plastic packaging surfaces in the wavelength range of 421–700 nm were collected using fluorescence hyperspectral imaging (F-HSI) technique with ultraviolet (UV) light at 365 nm as the excitation light source. The characteristic fluorescence spectra of Escherichia coli contamination on the surface of various plastic packaging materials (polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyamide (PA)) were determined and the detection limit for the biofilm of E. coli was established. The results showed that the characteristic fluorescence wavelengths of E. coli on PE, PP and PA surfaces were 550, 543, and 540 nm, respectively. Based on the processed single-band images at these characteristic wavelengths, E. coli inoculation points on the surface of the three plastic packaging materials could be accurately detected, and the detection rates were all greater than 98%. The detection limits of E. coli biofilm on PE, PP and PA surfaces were 1.39, 1.39 and 1.59 (lg (CFU/cm2)), respectively. The research results provide a powerful technical means and theoretical support for microbiological detection of packaged foods and food safety monitoring.

AbstractThe wood adhesive industry’s reliance on traditional petroleum-based adhesives poses environmental and health risks, necessitating the development of sustainable, bio-based alternatives. To develop a modified sucrose-based adhesive with good water resistance, the hydrolysis products of sucrose were crosslinked with polyethyleneimine (PEI) through the Maillard reaction to form a dense crosslinked network. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed the interaction between the sucrose derivatives and PEI. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) revealed the thermal curing behavior and thermal stability of the modified sucrose-based adhesive. Additionally, the optimal preparation conditions for the modified sucrose-based adhesive were investigated. Compared to unmodified natural sucrose-based adhesives, the wet shear strength and dry shear strength of the modified sucrose-based adhesive were increased by 212% and 279%, both exceeding the Chinese national standard GB/T 9846-2015 (0.7 MPa). This process is simple and cost-effective, producing a formaldehyde-free, water-resistant sucrose-based adhesive that offers a sustainable solution for wood adhesives with significant application potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taste and odor (T/O) compounds are a global threat in drinking water, mainly produced by cyanobacteria in freshwater environments. Temperature plays a crucial role in regulating geosmin dynamics in temperate and subtropical lakes, while its influence may be lower in tropical waters. To better understand the factors affecting geosmin occurrence in tropical waters, a dataset from a field investigation conducted in a large tropical reservoir was analyzed. The water temperature varied between 16 °C and 32 °C, with geosmin concentration ranging from below the detection limit (3 ng/L) to as high as 856 ng/L. Elevated geosmin levels exceeding > 10 ng/L were observed over the whole year except for in September, suggesting that the annual temperature was suitable for geosmin production. Among the diverse cyanobacteria, Dolichospermum circinale was identified as the main producer of geosmin in the reservoir, both by correlation analysis and cells' geosmin measurements. Geosmin concentration was also significantly related to the abundance of D. circinale. None of the environmental variables (temperature, pH, transparency and nutrients) were significantly directly correlated with geosmin concentration. But the high total nitrogen significantly explained the increase in D. circinale abundance associated with geosmin elevation. Our results suggest that nutrients, particularly nitrogen, directly affected the competitive advantage and abundance of key geosmin producers and thus modified geosmin levels in this tropical reservoir. Our study thus hints at the possible management of the geosmin problem through nutrient reduction in tropical reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heart failure (HF) constitutes a major determinant of outcome in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. The main pattern of HF in CKD patients is preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is a frequent pathophysiological mechanism and specific preclinical manifestation of HFpEF. Therefore, exploring and intervention of the factors associated with risk for LVDD is of great importance in reducing the morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular disease (CVD) complications in CKD patients. We designed this retrospective cross-sectional study to collect clinical and echocardiographic data from 339 nondialysis CKD patients without obvious symptoms of HF to analyze the proportion of asymptomatic left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (ALVDD) and its related factors associated with risk by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Among the 339 nondialysis CKD patients, 92.04% had ALVDD. With the progression of CKD stage, the proportion of ALVDD gradually increased. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that increased age (OR 1.237; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.108–1.381, per year), diabetic nephropathy (DN) and hypertensive nephropathy (HTN) (OR 25.000; 95% CI 1.355–48.645, DN and HTN vs chronic interstitial nephritis), progression of CKD stage (OR 2.785; 95% CI 1.228–6.315, per stage), increased mean arterial pressure (OR 1.154; 95% CI 1.051–1.268, per mmHg), increased urinary protein (OR 2.825; 95% CI 1.484–5.405, per g/24 h), and low blood calcium (OR 0.072; 95% CI 0.006–0.859, per mmol/L) were factors associated with risk for ALVDD in nondialysis CKD patients after adjusting for other confounding factors. Therefore, dynamic monitoring of these factors associated with risk, timely diagnosis and treatment of ALVDD can delay the progression to symptomatic HF, which is of great importance for reducing CVD mortality, and improving the prognosis and quality of life in CKD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological invasions are among the most serious threats to ecosystems. The golden apple snail Pomacea canaliculata (Lamarck, 1822) is considered one of the top 100 worst invasive alien species in the world. These snails consume benthic primary producers, including submerged macrophytes, which may lead to an increase in nutrient concentration in the water, enhance growth of phytoplankton, and decrease growth of macrophytes, thereby shifting the primary production from benthic to pelagic habitats in shallow systems. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a short-term experiment with and without the invasive P. canaliculata in mesocosms with high abundance of the native submerged macrophyte Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara. Compared with snail-free control, the snail increased the concentrations of total nitrogen (TN), nitrate nitrogen (NO3−–N), total and organic suspended solids (TSS and OSS), decreased the concentrations of soluble reactive phosphorous (SRP), but had no effect on total phosphorus (TP) and the TN:TP ratio. In addition, the snails decreased the biomass, leaf length and tiller number of V. natans, and decreased light intensity. Although snail presence did not change the biomasses of nanophytoplankton and picophytoplankton, it did increase the biomass of microphytoplankton leading to an increase in total phytoplankton biomass. Our study shows that P. canaliculata shifted primary production from benthic to pelagic habitats, altered the phytoplankton community size structure, and decreased water quality. The results add further evidence of negative ecosystem impacts of this invasive apple snail and call for its control in invaded shallow lake ecosystems.

Ethanol can directly or indirectly lead to cognitive and mental disorders. The long‐term intake of alcohol can directly affect the distribution of gut microbiota. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) is a natural bacterium isolated from healthy human intestines that has the function of preventing cytokine‐induced cell apoptosis and protecting cell barriers. However, the regulatory effect of LGG on cognitive and mental disorders caused by chronic ethanol exposure (CEE) is still unclear. In this study, we established a CEE mouse model through free alcohol consumption and added LGG or antibiotics in the later stages of the model. Sequencing analysis of the 16S rRNA gene showed that CEE resulted in a decrease in the abundance and diversity of mouse gut microbial communities accompanied by alterations in the relative abundance of multiple enterobacterial genera. The use of LGG and antibiotics alleviated the depression‐like behaviour and cognitive impairment of CEE‐induced mice, reduced expression of inflammatory factors such as interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐1β and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α in the ileum, serum and brain and increased the expression of synaptophysin (SYN), postsynaptic density protein‐95 (PSD‐95) and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus. Together, LGG can alleviate depression‐like behaviour caused by CEE in mice while also improving cognitive and memory functions through reducing peripheral and nervous system inflammation factors and balancing gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research provides mixed insights regarding social media's (SM) effect on new product advantage (NPA). We emphasise on this inconsistency by focusing on the fact SM has different effects on two kinds of NPA: new product development speed (NPD speed) and new product creativity (NPC). We suggest that SM can boost NPD speed and yet have an inverted U-shaped effect on NPC. Furthermore, we argue that top management team diversity (TMT diversity) enhances the effects of SM on NPA. We verify and provide evidence to support our hypotheses using 150 sample firms based in China. This study highlights the NPA trade-offs related to SM and provides crucial theoretical contributions and managerial implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]