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The intercropping of peanuts and sugarcane is a sustainable planting model that deserves in-depth research. For this study, two variables, i.e., intercropping status (peanut monocropping or sugarcane/peanut intercropping) and the level of nitrogen fertilization (low, medium, or high), were evaluated to analyze the effects of intercropping and nitrogen application on soil fertility and microbial communities in peanut rhizosphere soil. These analyses revealed that higher nitrogen application led to increased total nitrogen (TN), available nitrogen (AN), and soil organic matter (OM) levels in rhizosphere soil for both monocropped and intercropped peanuts, with a decrease in pH. Monocropped peanuts had higher TN, total phosphorus (TP), and total potassium (TK) levels compared to intercropped peanuts at the same nitrogen level but lower AN content and pH levels. The diversity of microbial communities in the rhizosphere soil of intercropped peanuts was significantly higher than that of monocropped peanuts under high levels of nitrogen fertilizer application. Higher levels of Gemmatimonadetes abundance were observed in intercropping rhizosphere soil, compared to that associated with peanut monocropping under low, middle, and high levels of nitrogen fertilizer application, whereas the opposite trend was observed for Chloroflexi abundance. Nitrospira abundance levels rose gradually in the monocropping treatment group, whereas the opposite trend was evident under intercropping conditions. Further analyses of nitrogen cycle-related genes demonstrated higher levels of nitrogen conversion cycle activity in intercropping peanut rhizosphere soil under low nitrogen levels, whereas nitrogen transformation cycle activity levels were higher in monocropping peanut rhizosphere soil under high levels of nitrogen amendment. It can be concluded that intercropping and nitrogen fertilizer application change the physical and chemical properties of soil, thus affecting the diversity and function of soil microbial communities in the peanut rhizosphere. These results offer a theoretical foundation for more efficient sugarcane/peanut intercropping systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We aimed to explore the changes in post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) after gastrointestinal endoscopic treatment using detailed neuropsychological assessments. Patients hospitalized for gastrointestinal endoscopic polypectomy were recruited for neuropsychological evaluations, which included the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Auditory-Verbal Learning Test, Digit Span Test (DST), Trail Making Task (TMT), Verbal Fluency Test, Clock Drawing Test, and Stroop test. Cognitive assessments were performed twice: one day before and 24 h after treatment. Healthy control subjects participated in the neuropsychological assessment during the same intervals. Detailed cognitive assessments were performed for 40 patients and 60 control subjects. Based on the Z scores, the incidence of POCD 24 h after gastrointestinal endoscopic treatment was 20%. Patients with POCD had significant impairment in the post-operative MMSE, forward DST, TMT, and Stroop interference effect correct count tests (all p < 0.05). Our preliminary results showed that patients were not fully recovered, and 20% had impairment in multiple cognitive assessments 24 h after a gastrointestinal endoscopy. As attention was affected, safety while discharging those patients should be a concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with primary brain abscess often present with atypical symptoms, and the outcome varies. We investigated the demographic, laboratory, and neuroimaging features of patients with brain abscess at our hospital and identified factors associated with their outcomes.Methods: We retrospectively collected the data of patients diagnosed with primary brain abscess at our hospital between January 2011 and December 2020. Their clinical characteristics, predisposing factors, laboratory and neuroimaging findings, treatment, and outcome were analyzed.Results: Of the 57 patients diagnosed with primary abscess, 51 (89.47%) were older than 40 years, and 42 (73.68%) were male. Only eight patients (14.04%) showed the classical triad of headache, fever, and focal neurological deficit. Fifteen patients (26.31%) had comorbidities, of which diabetes mellitus was the most common. Positive intracranial purulent material cultures were obtained in 46.15% of the patients, and gram-negative enteric bacteria were found in 33.33% of them, with Klebsiella pneumoniae being the most frequently observed. Surgical treatment, most commonly in the form of stereotactic drainage, was received by 54.39% of the patients. Good outcomes were achieved in 75.44% of the patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that patients with headaches were more likely to have a poor outcome (odds ratio 6.010, 95% confidence interval 1.114-32.407, p = 0.037).Conclusions: Male patients and those older than 40 years were more susceptible to brain abscess than female patients and those younger than 40 years, respectively. Only a few patients showed the classical triad of clinical symptoms. Diabetes mellitus was the most common comorbidity. Positive intracranial specimens' culture results were uncommon, with gram-negative enteric bacteria, especially Klebsiella pneumoniae, being the main organisms found. Most patients had a good outcome, and the presence of headache may influence the outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic pollutants in water have been threatening public and environmental health. Developing efficient and sustainable photocatalysts working for degradation of organic pollutants under visible light becomes a big challenge. In this paper, high-efficiency visible light driven catalyst ordered mesoporous graphite nitride carbon (mpg-C3N4) was prepared by using SBA-15 as template and dicyandiamide (C2H4N4) as precursor. The specific surface area of mpg-C3N4 can be increased remarkably as compared to that of the bulk graphite nitrite carbon (g-C3N4) by adjusting the ratio of SBA-15 to dicyandiamide. Photocatalytic performance of mpg-C3N4 were evaluated systematically by degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB), malachite green (MG) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) under visible light irradiation. The results showed that the mpg-C3N4 (1:0.5) has the highest photocatalytic activity and stability and the degradation rate is for RhB, MG and TC are all more than seven times that of bulk g-C3N4. After five recycling runs, the mpg-C3N4 (1:0.5) remains high photocatalytic activities for the degradation of MG (94%) and TC (81%), respectively. Additionally, radical trapping experiments certified that the main active species are • O 2 − and h + , while the role of • OH is irrelevant in the reaction processes. This work provides a promising pathway to prepare metal-free photocatalyst for degradation of organic pollutants under visible light irradiation. The sustainable mpg-C3N4 photocatalysts were successfully prepared via hard template method. The photocatalytic performance of mpg-C3N4 was systematically evaluated by the degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB), malachite green (MG) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) under visible light irradiation. This work provides a promising pathway to prepare metal-free photocatalyst for the degradation of organic pollutants under visible light irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. In recent years, the abnormal expression of circRNAs has been identified to be strongly associated with tumor tissues. In this study, we focused on circACVR2A with a remarkably upregulated expression in gastric tissues and further explored its role in the pathogenic progression of gastric cancer (GC). Methods. The differentially expressed circACVR2A in GC tissues and four cell lines (MKN-45, SNU-1, HGC-27, and SGC-7901) was identified by qRT-PCR method. Then, the effect of circACVR2A and miR-1290 on HGC-27 cell proliferation was measured by CCK8 and the colony formation methods. The effect of circACVR2A and miR-1290 on HGC-27 cell metastasis was estimated by transwell assay. The interaction of circACVR2A and miR-1290 was further detected. Results. The relative level of circACVR2A in GC tissues and cell lines is remarkably upregulated. The downregulation of circACVR2A promotes GC cell proliferation and metastasis and suppressed the expression level of E-cadherin and Vimentin. The miR-1290 inhibitor reversed the effect of circACVR2A on cell progression in GC cell. Conclusion. circACVR2A competitively sponged miR-1290 and was exerted as a tumor suppressor gene oncogene via a circACVR2A/miR-1290 axis, suggesting it as a possible biomarker for GC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing the challenge of promoting directional axonal regeneration in a hostile astrocytic scar, which often impedes recovery following spinal cord injury (SCI), remains a daunting task. Cell transplantation is a promising strategy to facilitate nerve restoration in SCI. In this research, a pro‐regeneration system is developed, namely miR‐26a@SPIONs‐OECs, for olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs), a preferred choice for promoting nerve regeneration in SCI patients. These entities show high responsiveness to external magnetic fields (MF), leading to synergistic multimodal cues to enhance nerve regeneration. First, an MF stimulates miR‐26a@SPIONs‐OECs to release extracellular vesicles (EVs) rich in miR‐26a. This encourages axon growth by inhibiting PTEN and GSK‐3β signaling pathways in neurons. Second, miR‐26a@SPIONs‐OECs exhibit a tendency to migrate and orientate along the direction of the MF, thereby potentially facilitating neuronal reconnection through directional neurite elongation. Third, miR‐26a‐enriched EVs from miR‐26a@SPIONs‐OECs can interact with host astrocytes, thereby diminishing inhibitory cues for neurite growth. In a rat model of SCI, the miR‐26a@SPIONs‐OECs system led to significantly improved morphological and motor function recovery. In summary, the miR‐26a@SPIONS‐OECs pro‐regeneration system offers innovative insights into engineering exogenous cells with multiple additional cues, augmenting their efficacy for stimulating and guiding nerve regeneration within a hostile astrocytic scar in SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphitic carbon nitride loaded with MoSx nanodots (MoSx/g‐C3N4) was synthesized through a sonochemical method. MoSx nanodots (3∼20 nm) are shown to have the same excellent co‐catalytic H2 evolution performance as that of Pt. Nevertheless, the photocatalytic activity of MoSx/g‐C3N4 decreased with time. To overcome this instability, we show that co‐incorporation of Ni can significantly reduce the photo‐corrosion. The rate of H2 evolution of Ni−MoSx/g‐C3N4 photocatalyst reaches a maximum of 5968 μmol h−1 g−1, which is 89 % higher than that of Pt/g‐C3N4. The element mapping images show that Ni is deposited on the surface of MoSx. The co‐presence of Ni and MoSx not only enhance optical light absorption by g‐C3N4, but also significantly improve the separation efficiency of photocarriers and thus the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild peanut species Arachis correntina (A. correntina) had a higher continuous cropping tolerance than peanut cultivars, closely correlating with the regulatory effects of its root exudates on soil microorganisms. To reveal the resistance mechanism of A. correntina to pathogens, we adopted transcriptomic and metabolomics approaches to analyze differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) between A. correntina and peanut cultivar Guihua85 (GH85) under hydroponic conditions. Interaction experiments of peanut root exudates with Ralstonia solanacearum (R. solanacearum) and Fusarium moniliforme (F. moniliforme) were carried out in this study. The result of transcriptome and metabolomics association analysis showed that there were fewer up-regulated DEGs and DEMs in A. correntina compared with GH85, which were closely associated with the metabolism of amino acids and phenolic acids. Root exudates of GH85 had stronger effects on promoting the growth of R. solanacearum and F. moniliforme than those of A. correntina under 1 and 5 percent volume (1% and 5%) of root exudates treatments. Thirty percent volume (30%) of A. correntina and GH85 root exudates significantly inhibited the growth of two pathogens. The exogenous amino acids and phenolic acids influenced R. solanacearum and F. moniliforme showing concentration effects from growth promotion to inhibition as with the root exudates. In conclusion, the greater resilience of A. correntina) to changes in metabolic pathways for amino acids and phenolic acids might aid in the repression of pathogenic bacteria and fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Multistage channel structures are prepared by the phase separation method. • The ionic conductivity of the DPH250 electrolyte is 2.49 × 10-3 S cm−1(RT). • DPH250 electrolyte was polarized at 40 mV, lithium symmetrical cycling for 2000 h. • Multistage channel structures and β phase synergy to anti-lithium dendrite growth. Safety concerns such as lithium dendrite growth, leakage and volatilization regularly plague conventional liquid lithium metal batteries. However, solid polymer electrolytes can mitigate these issues due to their chemical and electrochemical stability. In this paper, we show that the construction of porous structures gives PVDF-HFP based polymers excellent solution retention, quick Li+ transport channels, and ultra-long Li-symmetric cycle stability. PVDF-HFP based electrolyte membrane with porous structure exhibits excellent electrolyte retention (129.5 %) and superior ionic conductivity (2.4 × 10-3 S cm−1 at 20 ℃). In addition, Lithium-symmetric half battery uses the DPH250 porous electrolyte film to stably last more than 2000 h during the lithium plating/stripping process. DI regulation of PVDF-HFP electrolyte membrane is beneficial to achieve uniform lithium deposition, and better solve the interface problems existing in solid state batteries. LiFePO 4 /DPH250-LiPF 6 /Li batteries exhibit stable cycling performance and reversible specific discharge capacity, suggesting a potential strategy for stabilizing lithium metal batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to focus on finding the optimal maintenance interval and the minimum maintenance cost for redundant system, considering environment factors. Design/methodology/approach: The authors propose a decision model with environment-based preventive maintenance for the repairable redundant system. Referring to the k-out-of-n model and Proportional Hazard Model, the reliability analysis is completed for the redundant system affected by internal and external issues. Meanwhile, the maintenance cost for the redundant system is divided into two categories: the fixed maintenance cost involving whole system replacement at the time of system failure, and the cost to replace failure components when the system still functions. Findings: Upon the required reliability analysis, an optimal maintenance interval that minimizes the average maintenance cost per unit time is identified. The simulation results indicate that the optimal maintenance interval with consideration of environmental factors is significantly shorter than that without consideration of these factors, with the maintenance cost increase within 10 percent. Practical implications: The redundant systems have widely been used in industries including the aero craft control system and warship power system. The model could be applied in the more real case considering the types of components and the operation environment, and help production managers better maintain machines by increasing the safety and reliability of the redundant model with the more frequent inspection. Originality/value: Previous research of redundant system always focuses on internal degradation, while ignoring the reliability analysis for a redundant system with various multiple components under the influence of environment. However, this work could fill the theoretical gap, i.e. simultaneously consider both environmental and internal factors for a redundant system with non-homogeneous components. Meanwhile, the proposed superior model increases the reliability and safety of the k-out-of-n model with reasonable cost. Production managers could benefit a lot from this as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal pollution has become an important issue threatening human health and the liver is a very important metabolic organ. Here, we use label-free Raman confocal imaging to study the alterations of the liver tissue after cadmium pollution. Raman imaging has been performed on 100μmx100μm liver tissues to study the distribution of important macromolecules and the average Raman spectrum of the entire region has been used to characterize and quantize the change of biochemical compositions in liver tissue. The poisoned livers displayed a significant decrease in the intensity of 748 cm−1, 1128 cm−1 and 1585 cm−1 bands of cytochrome C, in comparison to the control. The collagen peak at 1082 cm−1 is significantly higher than that of control, suggesting the increasing fibrosis of Cd liver tissues. To confirm the results, we selected a 30μmx15μm liver cell area for high-resolution Raman imaging. We observed a substantial increase of lipids and proteins at specific points of hepatocytes. The confocal Raman imaging of liver tissues provided a unique tool to better understand disease-induced changes in the biochemical phenotype of primary liver tissues. Our study provides valuable references as in vitro models for studying Cd accumulation and toxicity in human liver. We use label-free Raman confocal imaging to study the alterations of the liver tissue after cadmium pollution. The average Raman spectrum of 100μmx100μm liver tissues has been used to characterize and quantize changes of the biochemical composition of liver tissue. The poisoned livers displayed a significant decrease in the intensity of 748 cm−1, 1128 cm−1 and 1585 cm−1 bands of cytochrome C, in comparison to the control. The collagen peak at 1082 cm−1 is significantly higher than that of control, suggesting the increasing fibrosis of Cd liver tissues. Unlabelled Image • Label-free Raman imaging for characterization of the biochemical composition changes of liver tissue after cadmium pollution. • Characterization and quantization changes of the biochemical composition of liver tissue. • The poisoned livers displayed a significant change in the intensity of 748cm-1, 1082cm-1 1128cm-1 and 1585cm-1 bands of cytochrome C, in comparison to the control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intercropping, an essential cultivation pattern in modern agricultural systems, increases crop yields and soil quality. Cassava and peanut intercropping systems exhibit advantages in solar utilization and cadmium absorption, etc. However, the inner mechanisms need to be elucidated. In this study, Illumina MiSeq platform was used to reveal the rhizospheric microbes and soil quality in cassava/peanut intercropping systems, and the results provided a reference for the application of this method in studying other intercropping systems. Results: Both intercropping cassava/peanut (IP) and intercropping peanut/cassava (IC) systems significantly increased available N, available K, pH value, and urease activity, comparing with that in monocropping cassava (MC) and monocropping peanut (MP) system. However, there were few effects on the total N, total P, total K, available P, organic matter, protease activity, catalase activity, sucrase activity, and acid phosphatase activity. Both IP and MP soils contained more bacteria and fungi than those in the IC and MC soils, which were mainly made of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. Intercropping remarkably increased the number of Nitrospirae in IP and IC soils comparing those in MC and MP soils. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that the abundances of DA101, Pilimelia, and Ramlibacter were positively correlated to the soil quality. These results suggest that intercropping enhances the available nitrogen content of soil through increasing the quantity of rhizospheric microbes, especially that of DA101 and Pilimelia. Conclusions: The cassava/peanut intercropping system improves soil quality through increasing the available nitrogen content and abundance of DA101, Pilimelia, and Ramlibacter in the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lanzhou lily is a famous lily variety in China, which has many advantages different from other lily varieties. It is rich in nutrients and can be used as medicine or food. The present study is performed to evaluate the quality of Lanzhou lily by Raman spectroscopy. Here, Raman spectra of lily bulbs were collected by confocal Raman microscopy. Through study of a variety of samples, we found that Raman peaks of several important nutrients including starch, sucrose and amino acids were clearly observed from scales of lily bulb, while strong characteristic peaks of ferulic acid were observed at the epidermis of the same scale due to the stimulation of the external environment. We also compared lily bulbs with various sizes and shapes using an average Raman spectrum of selected area. Then, changes of nutrients were quantitively analyzed in different storage period. The results show that the nutrient components including starch, sucrose, amino acids and ferulic acid can be evaluated by Raman spectroscopy. Then the quality of Lanzhou lily can be evaluated by Raman spectroscopy. This is valuable for quality evaluation of lily using non-destructive methods. Our study is performed to evaluate the quality of Lanzhou lily by Raman spectroscopy. We found that Raman peaks of several important nutrients including starch, sucrose and amino acids were clearly observed from scales of lily bulb, while strong characteristic peaks of ferulic acid were observed at the epidermis. We also investigated the distribution of starch and protein using confocal Raman imaging, and the results were consistent with previous reports. Unlabelled Image • Raman spectroscopy are used to analyze the compositions of Lanzhou lily. • The sample preparation process is simple and nondestructive to biological tissue. • A series of samples with different sizes, storage time and harvest time show significant differences in Raman spectra. • The starch grains are clearly imprinted by Raman imaging, with the birefringence reflected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]