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The escalating thermal power density in electronic devices necessitates advanced thermal management technologies. Polymer-based materials, prized for their electrical insulation, flexibility, light weight, and strength, are extensively used in this field. However, the inherent low thermal conductivity of polymers requires enhancement for effective heat dissipation. This work proposes a novel paradigm, emphasizing ordered structures with functional units, to create triple-level, ordered, low-filler loading of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA) nanofibrous films. By addressing interfacial thermal resistance through –OH groups, the coupling between polymer and MWCNT is strengthened. The triple-level ordered structure comprises aligned PVA chains, aligned MWCNTs, and aligned MWCNT/PVA composite fibers. Focusing on the filler's impact on thermal conductivity and chain orientation, the thermal transport mechanisms have been elucidated level by level. Our MWCNT/PVA composite, with lower filler loadings (10 wt.%), achieves a remarkable TC exceeding 35.4 W/(m·K), surpassing other PVA composites with filler loading below 50 wt.%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal infection has become a major threat to crop loss and affects food safety. The waste water from agar processing industries extraction has a number of active substances, which could be further transformed by microorganisms to synthesize antifungal active substances. In this study, Bacillus subtilis was used to ferment the waste water from agar processing industries extraction to analyze the antifungal activity of the fermentation broth on Alternaria alternata and Alternaria spp. Results showed that 25% of the fermentation broth was the most effective in inhibited A. alternata and Alternaria spp., with fungal inhibition rates of 99.9% and 96.1%, respectively, and a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 0.156 μg/mL. Metabolomic analysis showed that flavonoid polyphenols such as coniferyl aldehyde, glycycoumarin, glycitin, and procyanidin A1 may enhance the inhibitory activity against the two pathogenic fungal strains. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that polyphenols involved in the biosynthesis pathways of isoflavonoid and phenylpropanoid were upregulated after fermentation. The laser confocal microscopy analyses and cell conductivity showed that the cytoplasm of fungi treated with fermentation broth was destroyed. This study provides a research basis for the development of new natural antifungal agents and rational use of seaweed agar waste. Key points: • Bacillus subtilis fermented waste water has antifungal activity • Bacillus subtilis could transform active substances in waste water • Waste water is a potential raw material for producing antifungal agents [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal infection has become a major threat to crop loss and affects food safety. The waste water from agar processing industries extraction has a number of active substances, which could be further transformed by microorganisms to synthesize antifungal active substances. In this study, Bacillus subtilis was used to ferment the waste water from agar processing industries extraction to analyze the antifungal activity of the fermentation broth on Alternaria alternata and Alternaria spp. Results showed that 25% of the fermentation broth was the most effective in inhibited A. alternata and Alternaria spp., with fungal inhibition rates of 99.9% and 96.1%, respectively, and a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 0.156 μg/mL. Metabolomic analysis showed that flavonoid polyphenols such as coniferyl aldehyde, glycycoumarin, glycitin, and procyanidin A1 may enhance the inhibitory activity against the two pathogenic fungal strains. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis showed that polyphenols involved in the biosynthesis pathways of isoflavonoid and phenylpropanoid were upregulated after fermentation. The laser confocal microscopy analyses and cell conductivity showed that the cytoplasm of fungi treated with fermentation broth was destroyed. This study provides a research basis for the development of new natural antifungal agents and rational use of seaweed agar waste. Key points: • Bacillus subtilis fermented waste water has antifungal activity • Bacillus subtilis could transform active substances in waste water • Waste water is a potential raw material for producing antifungal agents [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hippocampus has been implicated in the pathogenesis of insomnia disorder (ID) and the purpose of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective mechanism of the natural flavone Kurarinone (Kur) on hippocampal neurotoxicity as a potential treatment of ID. The effect of Kur on hippocampal neuronal cell (HNC) viability and apoptosis were assessed by Cell counting kit‐8 (CCK‐8) assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Then, the effect of Kur on β‐site amyloid precursor protein‐cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1), brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and phosphatidylinositol‐3‐kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) phosphorylation level were measured by Western blot. Further, SwissTargetPrediction analysis and molecular docking experiments were used to detect a potential target of Kur. Then, the p‐chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) model was established in vivo to further study the effect of BACE1 expression on Kur and HNC. As a result, HNC viability was only significantly decreased by 2 μM of Kur. Kur reversed the impacts of corticosterone upon inhibiting viability (0.25–1 μM), PI3K (0.5–1 μM)/AKT phosphorylation, and BDNF (1 μM) level, and enhancing the apoptosis (0.25–1 μM) and BACE1 expression (1 μM) in HNCs. BACE1 was a potential target of Kur. Notably, Kur (150 mg/kg) attenuated PCPA‐induced upregulation of BACE1 expression in rat hippocampal tissues as ZRAS (0.8 g/kg). The effects of Kur (1 μM) on corticosterone‐treated HNCs were reversed by BACE1 overexpression. Collectively, Kur downregulates BACE1 level to activate PI3K/AKT, thereby attenuating corticosterone‐induced toxicity in HNCs, indicating that Kur possibly exerted a neuroprotective effect, which providing a new perspective for the treatment of insomnia disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycobacterium kansasii infections predominantly manifest in immunocompromised people and are primarily responsible for lung disease and systemic disseminated infection. Osteopathy is a rare consequence of M. kansasii infection. Here, we present imaging data from a 44-year-old immunocompetent Chinese woman diagnosed with multiple bone destruction, particularly of the spine, secondary to M. kansasii pulmonary disease, which is easily misdiagnosed. The patient underwent an emergency operation after experiencing unexpected incomplete paraplegia during hospitalization, indicating an aggravation of bone destruction. Preoperative sputum testing and next-generation sequencing of DNA and RNA of intraoperative samples confirmed the diagnosis of M. kansasii infection. Treatment with anti-tuberculosis therapy and the subsequent patient response supported our diagnosis. Given the rarity of osteopathy secondary to M. kansasii infection in immunocompetent individuals, our case offers some insight into this diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Huangguan' pear (Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd) fruit is susceptible to cold, characterized by developing peel browning spots (PBS) during cold storage. Additionally, ethylene pretreatment reduces chilling injury (CI) and inhibits PBS occurrence, but the mechanism of CI remains unclear. Here, we deciphered the dynamic transcriptional changes during the PBS occurrence with and without ethylene pretreatment via time-series transcriptome. We found that ethylene suppressed the cold-signaling gene expression, thereby decreasing the cold sensitivity of the 'Huangguan' fruit. Moreover, the "Yellow" module closely correlated with PBS occurrence was identified via weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and this module was related to plant defense via Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis. Local motif enrichment analysis suggested that the "Yellow" module genes were regulated by ERF and WRKY transcription factors. Functional studies demonstrated that PbWRKY31 has a conserved WRKY domain, lacks transactivation activity, and localizes in the nucleus. PbWRKY31-overexpressed Arabidopsis were hypersensitive to cold, with higher expression levels of cold signaling and defense genes, suggesting that PbWRKY31 participates in regulating plant cold sensitivity. Collectively, our findings provide a comprehensive transcriptional overview of PBS occurrence and elucidate the molecular mechanism by which ethylene reduces the cold sensitivity of 'Huangguan' fruit as well as the potential role of PbWRKY31 in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regions near the Tropic of Cancer are a latitudinal geographical zone with typical climatic, topographic, and human landscape features. It is necessary to explore the region's net primary productivity (NPP) dynamics as it combines complex topography, various vegetation types, and intense human activities. The study sets the transect near the Tropic of Cancer (TCT) and uses the Carnegie–Ames–Stanford (CASA) model to estimate the NPP from 2000 to 2020. After using the RESTREND method, the paper calculates and compares the relative contributions of climate variability and anthropogenic activities to NPP changes. Finally, the geographical detector (Geodetector) model is applied to evaluate how anthropogenic and natural factors affect spatial distribution patterns and NPP changes. The results indicated that the average annual NPP is 820.39 gC·m−2·yr−1 during the 21 years. In addition, when the NPP varies, it increases over the entire study area, with a slope of 4.81 gC·m−2·yr−1, particularly in the western region. Across the entire research area, 63.39% and 77.44% of the total pixels positively contribute to climate variability and human activities in NPP, with a contribution of 0.90 and 3.91 gC·m−2·yr−1, respectively. Within the western, central, and eastern regions, anthropogenic activities have a stronger impact on NPP than climate variability, particularly pronounced in the eastern region. Furthermore, vegetation cover is the dominant factor in the spatial patterns and NPP trends across the TCT and the three regions. In contrast, climate factors are shown to be less influential in NPP distribution than in the western region. The results also demonstrated that the effect of population density and the GDP on NPP gradually rises. Two-factor interaction is much larger than any individual factor, with the dominant interaction factor being vegetation cover with climatic factors. Lastly, the findings revealed that anthropogenic activities positively promote NPP accumulation across the TCT, thus highlighting the importance of human activity-led ecological restoration and ecological protection measures that contribute to regional carbon sequestration and carbon balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional watershed algorithm has the disadvantage of over-segmentation and interference with an image by reflected light. We propose an improved watershed color image segmentation algorithm. It is based on a morphological gradient. This method obtains the component gradient of a color image in a new color space is not disturbed by the reflected light. The gradient image is reconstructed by opening and closing. Therefore, the final gradient image is obtained. The maximum inter-class variance algorithm is used to obtain the threshold automatically for the final gradient image. The original gradient image is forcibly calibrated with the obtained binary labeled image, and the modified gradient image is segmented by watershed. Experimental results show that the proposed method can obtain an accurate and continuous target contour. It will achieve the minimum number of segmentation regions following human vision. Compared with similar algorithms, this way can suppress the meaningless area generated by the reflected light. It will maintain the edge information of the object well. It will improve the robustness and applicability. From the experimental results, it can be seen that compared with the region-growing method and the automatic threshold method; the proposed algorithm has a great improvement in operation efficiency, which increased by 10%. The accuracy and recall rate of the proposed algorithm is more than 0.98. Through the experimental comparison, the advantages of the proposed algorithm in object segmentation can be more intuitively illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the light field image saliency detection task, redundant cues are introduced due to computational methods. Inevitably, it leads to the inaccurate boundary segmentation of detection results and the problem of the chain block effect. To tackle this issue, we propose a method for salient object detection (SOD) in light field images that fuses focus and GrabCut. The method improves the light field focus calculation based on the spatial domain by performing secondary blurring processing on the focus image and effectively suppresses the focus information of out-of-focus areas in different focus images. Aiming at the redundancy of focus cues generated by multiple foreground images, we use the optimal single foreground image to generate focus cues. In addition, aiming at the fusion of various cues in the light field in complex scenes, the GrabCut algorithm is combined with the focus cue to guide the generation of color cues, which realizes the automatic saliency target segmentation of the image foreground. Extensive experiments are conducted on the light field dataset to demonstrate that our algorithm can effectively segment the salient target area and background area under the light field image, and the outline of the salient object is clear. Compared with the traditional GrabCut algorithm, the focus degree is used instead of artificial Interactively initialize GrabCut to achieve automatic saliency segmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the gradual development of digital information and software computing capabilities, the use of computers in dance-assisted choreography is becoming more and more widespread. But although the level of computers is now in rapid development, the technical level of using computers in dance choreography is not yet very mature, technical support is not in place, dance-assisted choreography is not effective, and the existing technical level is not yet able to meet the new needs of dance choreography. In order to improve the dance-assisted choreography technology and provide a more complete educational user interface for dance-assisted choreography, the content similarity algorithm of user clustering has a wide range of operations and a strong ability to calculate the amount of data, combined with the computer to apply the content similarity algorithm of user clustering in dance-assisted choreography technology to build a dance-assisted choreography system based on user clustering. The article proposes three major methods based on collaborative filtering algorithm of user clustering, collaborative filtering algorithm based on similarity class and user preference, and fuzzy cluster analysis of users and analyses their principles. In the experimental part, the performance of IBCF algorithm and collaborative filtering algorithm in dance-assisted choreography system is compared and analysed to observe the change of MAE value under the change of user similarity with number under different k values of cluster classes. The experimental results found that the MAE values of the IBCF algorithm and the collaborative filtering algorithm in the system were at 0.84 and 0.76, respectively, with a difference of about 8% between the two MAE values. The smaller the MAE value, the higher the effectiveness in the dance-assisted choreography technique. Applying the clustering algorithm to the system to make local adjustments and analysis of dance movement paths, it can grasp the choreography rules more precisely and innovate the choreography techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) has received extensive attention as an advanced binary radiotherapy method. However, BNCT still faces poor selectivity of boron agent and is insufficient boron content in tumor tissues. To improve the tumor-targeted ability and boron content, this research aims to design, synthesize and preliminary evaluate a new borane agent Carborane-FAPI, which coupling the o -carborane to the compound skeleton of a mature fibroblast activating protein (FAP) inhibitor (FAPI). FAP is a tumor-associated antigen. FAP expressed lowly in normal organs and highly expressed in tumors, so it is a potential target for diagnosis and treatment. Boronophenylalanine (BPA) is the most widely investigated BNCT drug in present. Compared with BPA, the boron content of a single molecule is increased and drug targeting is enhanced. The results show that Carboaren-FAPI has low toxicity to normal cells, and selective enrichment in tumor tissues. It is a promising boron drug that has the potential to be used in BNCT. • Carborane-FAPI increase the boron content of a single molecule by containing o -carborane. • FAPI has strong affinity with tumor tissue, which increases the targeting ability of carborane-FAPI to tumor. • The boron content in the tumor tissue reached 35 μ/g after 5 h. Within 5–15 h, the boron content in the tumor tissue exceeds 20 μg/g, T/B > 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fabrication of supramolecular prodrug of SN38 based on endogenous albumin and SN38 prodrug modified with semaglutide side chain, and their enhanced drug distribution in tumor and tumor growth inhibition. [Display omitted] • SI-Gly-SN38 prodrug which could be noncovalently bound to albumin was successfully synthesized. • The prodrug showed enhanced stability and significantly increased toxicity to tumor cells. • The prodrug of SI-Gly-SN38 showed prolonged circulation half-time in vivo. • Compared with Irinotecan, SI-Gly-SN38 prodrug showed improved distribution in tumor in vivo and essentially increased tumor growth inhibition activity. To improve the biodistribution of the drug in the tumor, a supramolecular prodrug of SN38 was fabricated in situ between endogenous albumin and SN38 prodrug modified with semaglutide side chain. Firstly, SN38 was conjugated with semaglutide side chain and octadecanedioic acid via glycine linkers to obtain SI-Gly-SN38 and OA-Gly-SN38 prodrugs, respectively. Both SI-Gly-SN38 and OA-Gly-SN38 exhibited excellent stability in PBS for over 24 h. Due to the strong binding affinity of the semaglutide side chain with albumin, the plasma half-life of SI-Gly-SN38 was 2.7 times higher than that of OA-Gly-SN38. Furthermore, with addition of HSA, the fluorescence intensity of SI-Gly-SN38 was 4 times higher than that of OA-Gly-SN38, confirming its strong binding capability with HSA. MTT assay showed that the cytotoxicity of SI-Gly-SN38 and OA-Gly-SN38 was higher than that of Irinotecan. Even incubated with HSA, the SI-Gly-SN38 and OA-Gly-SN38 still maintained high cytotoxicity, indicating minimal influence of HSA on their cytotoxicity. In vivo pharmacokinetic studies demonstrated that the circulation half-life of SI-Gly-SN38 was twice that of OA-Gly-SN38. SI-Gly-SN38 exhibited significantly reduced accumulation in the lungs, being only 0.23 times that of OA-Gly-SN38. The release of free SN38 in the lungs from SI-Gly-SN38 was only 0.4 times that from OA-Gly-SN38 and Irinotecan. The SI-Gly-SN38 showed the highest accumulation in tumors. The tumor inhibition rate of SI-Gly-SN38 was 6.42% higher than that of OA-Gly-SN38, and 8.67% higher than that of Irinotecan, respectively. These results indicate that the supramolecular prodrug delivery system can be constructed between SI-Gly-SN38 and endogenous albumin, which improves drug biodistribution in vivo , enhances tumor accumulation, and plays a crucial role in tumor growth inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Co doping accelerates the formation of highly active Ni(Co)OOH species during OER at low oxidation potential. • Various in-situ analysis tools are conducted to track the dynamic surface reconstruction process. • The self-reconstructed product displays superior alkaline OER activity with robust stability at high current density. Development non-precious electrocatalysts in oxygen evolution reactions (OER) with excellent activity and durability is of great significance but challenging for electrochemical water splitting. Herein, under the guidance of theoretical calculation, we report that in-situ Co-doped NiFe (NiFeCo) LDH is an excellent catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and its activity and durability are superior to NiFe layered double hydroxide (LDH). The dynamic evolution of its structure/composition is uncovered by in-situ Raman and UV–vis spectroscopies, in which Co doping reduces the Ni oxidation potential and accelerates the formation of highly active Ni(Co) 1- x Fe x OOH species during OER. The reconstructed product catalyzes the OER with low overpotential of 261 and 318 mV at 100 and 500 mA cm−2, respectively, and maintains outstanding stability for at least 300 h at 500 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M KOH. Our findings not only deepen the basic understanding of the OER process of this material, but also provide theoretical basis and practical guidance for the further development of new low-cost electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bisphenol-A (BPA) has estrogenic activity and adversely affects humans and animals' reproductive systems and functions. There has been a disagreement with the safety of BPA exposure at Tolerable daily intake (TDI) (0.05 mg/kg/d) value and non-observed adverse effect level (5 mg/kg/d). The current study investigated the effects of BPA exposure at various doses starting from Tolerable daily intake (0.05 mg/kg/d) to the lowest observed adverse effect level (50 mg/kg/d) on the testis development in male mice offspring. The BPA exposure lasted for 63 days from pregnancy day 0 of the dams to post-natal day (PND) 45 of the offspring. Results: The results showed that BPA exposure significantly increased testis (BPA ≥ 20 mg/kg/d) and serum (BPA ≥ 10 mg/kg/d) BPA contents of PND 45 mice. The spermatogenic cells became loose, and the lumen of seminiferous tubules enlarged when BPA exposure at 0.05 mg/kg/d TDI. BPA exposure at a low dose (0.05 mg/kg/d) significantly reduced the expression of Scp3 proteins and elevated sperm abnormality. The significant decrease in Scp3 suggested that BPA inhibits the transformation of spermatogonia into spermatozoa in the testis. The RNA-seq proved that the spliceosome was significantly inhibited in the testes of mice exposed to BPA. According to the RT-qPCR, BPA exposure significantly reduced the expression of Snrpc (BPA ≥ 20 mg/kg/d) and Hnrnpu (BPA ≥ 0.5 mg/kg/d). Conclusions: This study indicated that long-term BPA exposure at Tolerable daily intake (0.05 mg/kg/d) is not safe because low-dose long-term exposure to BPA inhibits spermatogonial meiosis in mice testis impairs reproductive function in male offspring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As two main drivers of vegetation dynamics, climate variability and human activities greatly influence net primary productivity (NPP) variability by altering the hydrothermal conditions and biogeochemical cycles. Therefore, studying NPP variability and its drivers is crucial to understanding the patterns and mechanisms that sustain regional ecosystem structures and functions under ongoing climate variability and human activities. In this study, three indexes, namely the potential NPP (NPPp), actual NPP (NPPa), and human-induced NPP (NPPh), and their variability from 2000 to 2020 in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) were estimated and analyzed. Six main scenarios were generated based on change trends in the three indexes over the past 21 years, and the different relative impacts of climate variability and human activities on NPPa variability were quantitatively analyzed and identified. The results showed that the NPPp, NPPa, and NPPh had heterogeneous spatial distributions, and the average NPPp and NPPa values over the whole study area increased at rates of 3.63 and 6.94 gC·m−2·yr−1 from 2000 to 2020, respectively, while the NPPh decreased at a rate of −4.43 gC·m−2·yr−1. Climate variability and the combined effects of climate variability and human activities were the major driving factors of the NPPa increases, accounting for more than 72% of the total pixels, while the combined effects of the two factors caused the NPPa values to increase by 32–54% of the area in all cities expect Macao and across all vegetation ecosystems. Human activities often led to decreases in NPPa over more than 16% of the total pixels, and were mainly concentrated in the central cities of the GBA. The results can provide a reference for understanding NPP changes and can offer a theoretical basis for implementing ecosystem restoration, ecological construction, and conservation practices in the GBA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Umami peptides originating from fermented sea bass impart a distinctive flavor to food. Nevertheless, large-scale and rapid screening for umami peptides using conventional techniques is challenging because of problems such as prolonged duration and complicated operation. Therefore, we aimed to screen fermented sea bass using peptidomics and machine learning approaches. The taste presentation mechanism of umami peptides was assessed by molecular docking of T1R1/T1R3. Seventy umami peptides identified in fermented sea bass predominantly originated from 28 precursor proteins, including troponin, myosin, motor protein, and creatine kinase. Six umami peptides with the lowest energies formed stable complexes by binding to T1R3. SER170, SER147, GLN389, and HIS145 are critical binding sites for T1R1/T1R3. Four dominant interacting surface forces were identified: aromatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, hydrophilic bonds, and solvent-accessible surfaces. Our study unveils a method to screen umami peptides efficiently, providing a basis for further exploration of their flavor in fermented sea bass. • A peptidomics and machine-learning approach was used to screen umami peptides. • Sixteen umami peptides were obtained from traditionally fermented sea bass. • All 16 umami peptides were capable of binding to the cavity of T1R3. • This screening method is a rapid and efficient approach for screening umami peptides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we aimed to investigate the influence of lysine-assisted ultrasonic treatment on the conformation, and interfacial and emulsification properties of sea bass myofibrillar proteins at the oil–water interface. It was observed that the modification treatment with lysine (1 g/L) combined with low-intensity ultrasound (200 W) enhanced the interfacial pressure and penetration rate. This enhancement could be attributed to the significant structural unfolding of myofibrillar proteins located at the oil–water interface (increase in β-sheets and reduction in α-helices), which exposed the hydrophobic groups. The rate of interfacial protein adsorption subsequently increased, owing to the strengthening of protein–protein and protein–oil phase interactions. Additionally, the interfacial swelling rheology experiment showed an enhancement in the ordered structure of interfacial proteins, aiding in the development of a protein gel network structure. Consequently, the elastic modulus of the oil–water interface was larger, and the droplet interfacial structure was tight, which facilitated uniform distribution and improved the emulsification properties of the droplets, ultimately enhancing the ability of the emulsions to be stored at room temperature. [Display omitted] • Lysine synergistic ultrasound leads to the unfolding of interfacial MP structure. • Synergistic effect increases MP adsorption and decreases interfacial tension. • Swelling rheology shows emulsions with highly viscoelastic interfacial films. • Good interfacial behavior enhances the emulsification performance of MP. • Synergistic effects improve storage stability and rheology of emulsions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oncogenesis and progression of thyroid cancer (THCA) involve multiple pathways. Identification of potential interaction mechanisms of pathways related to the pathogenesis of THCA is key to the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment. We selected 8 FDA-approved drugs for THCA and identified 18 key genes (KGs) and 6 key pathways (KPs) by a comprehensive analysis of 116 drug-target genes and 153 disease genes. Then, bio-enrichment analysis of KGs was performed to determine dysfunction pathways mainly involved in THCA and crosstalk analysis of KPs was carried out to find the interaction of pathways. It was found that abnormal activation of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) can activate the entire pathway crosstalk mechanism, which is also the key of targeted therapy. Integrin can activate the focal adhesion and PI3K-Akt pathways, and further affect cancer migration. Activations of Ras, Rap1 and focal adhesion pathways cause over-activation of the downstream MAPK and PI3K-Akt pathways resulting in the tumor deterioration. Genetic alterations of receptors in EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance pathway over-activate downstream MAPK and PI3K-Akt pathways, which promote the proliferation and differentiation of cancer cells. The close cooperation of these pathways promotes the cancer progression and metastasis, and is also of great value for the disease diagnosis and the development of combination therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peptide drugs are generally compounds with 2–50 amino acids connected by peptide bonds and having drug effects. Because of their unique advantages such as significant activity, strong specificity, and low toxicity, some of them are applied in the treatment of various diseases. The design and development of new peptide drugs have broad prospects, and determining the molecular characteristics of disease-related peptide drugs is the key to drug design. This research takes anti-cancer peptides and anti-hypertensive peptides as the research objects, and we propose a novel method of describing peptide drugs, making use of the topological attribute values in an amino acid interaction network to represent the characteristics of peptides. In addition, peptide drugs are described from different perspectives by combining the information of the primary, secondary and tertiary structures. Three algorithms including support vector machine (SVM), K-nearest neighbor (KNN) and random forest (RF) are utilized to train the model. Then the support vector machine based on recursive feature elimination method (SVM-RFE) removes redundant features and identifies the key characteristics of different types of drugs. The added network features can more comprehensively describe peptide drugs, providing a theoretical basis for the analysis and design of new peptide drugs. The web sever of ACHP is freely available at http://118.178.58.31:9801/. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Integrated analysis of RNA molecules offers new strategies to the pathogenic factors of ccRCC. • Identify vital genes with high topological attribute values from monolayer network to three-layer network. • Hsa-mir-122 is identified as an important molecule in the progression of ccRCC. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), with an increasing incidence rate, is one of the ubiquitous cancers. Its pathogenic factors are complicated and the molecular mechanism is not clear. It is essential to analyze the potential key genes related to ccRCC carcinogenesis. In this study, the differentially expressed mRNAs, miRNAs and lncRNAs (DEmRNAs, DEmiRNAs and DElncRNAs) of ccRCC were screened from TCGA database. Then the miRNA-mRNA network, lncRNA-miRNA network and lncRNA-mRNA network were constructed by online database or WGCNA algorithm. Topology attributes of these monolayer networks showed that hsa-mir-155, hsa-mir-200c, hsa-mir-122, hsa-mir-506, hsa-mir-216b, hsa-mir-141, lncRNA AC137723.1 and AC021074.3 are the crucial genes related with the regulatory effects on the proliferation, metastasis and invasion of ccRCC cells. Subsequently, these three monolayer networks were integrated into a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA multilayer network. Considering node degree, closeness centrality and betweenness centrality, we found hsa-mir-122 is screened out as the only crucial gene in three-layer network. In order to better illustrate the effect of hsa-mir-122 on ccRCC, the lncRNA-hsa-mir-122-mRNA network was constructed with hsa-mir-122 as the center. Pathway analysis of the unique target gene GALNT3 linked to hsa-mir-122 showed that GALNT3 influenced the metabolic process of mucin type O-Glycan biosynthesis. LncRNA AC090377.1 is the unique gene that has target genes among lncRNAs with clinical significance that linked to hsa-mir-122 in the lncRNA-hsa-mir-122-mRNA network. Pathway analysis of AC090377.1 suggested that GUCY2F enriched in phototransduction pathway associated with retina. From monolayer network to three-layer network, hsa-mir-122 is identified as an important molecule in the oncogenesis and progression of ccRCC, offering new strategies to further study of the carcinogenic mechanism of ccRCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keggin-type polyoxometalates (POMs) were immobilized on poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) functionalized reduced graphene oxide (rGO) by a facile and broad-spectrum hydrothermal method. The prepared POMs@PDDA-rGO composites (POM = H3PMo12O40, H3PW12O40, H5PMo10V2O40) have been thoroughly characterized using a series of techniques. The three composites can catalyze the oxidative decontamination of a sulfur mustard simulant, 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES) in the order of PMo12@PDDA-rGO > PMo10V2@PDDA-rGO > PW12@PDDA-rGO. Notably, under ambient conditions PMo12@PDDA-rGO can convert 99% of CEES within 30 min in the presence of nearly stoichiometric aqueous H2O2 (3 wt%) and its catalytic activity is significantly higher than that of homogeneous H3PMo12O40. XPS spectral analysis and control experiments indicate that the Mo center of POM is reduced from +6 to +5 during the hydrothermal process, and the excellent catalytic performance is related to the reduction of Mo. Moreover, the PMo12@PDDA-rGO composite is stable during the decontamination process and it can be used for at least five cycles without loss of activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts with earth-abundant elements is very important for sustainable H 2 generation via electrochemical water splitting. Here we design a crystalline-amorphous Ni–Fe–Al hybrid phosphides nanosheet arrays grown on NiFe foam for efficient OER application. Dynamic surface reorganization of phosphides at anodic/cathodic polarizations is probed by in situ Raman spectroscopy. The reconstructed amorphous Ni(Fe)OOH species are determined as the active phases that facilitate the OER process. This unique electrode shows highly catalytic activity toward water oxidation, achieving the current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm−2 at 181 and 214 mV in 1 M KOH, respectively. Meanwhile, it also exhibits excellent stability at a large current density of 100 mA cm−2 for over 60 h. This work reveals the dynamic structural transformation of pre-catalyst in realistic conditions and highlights the important role of oxyhydroxides as real reactive species in OER process with high activity. [Display omitted] • Ni–Fe–Al hybrid phosphides nanosheet arrays were synthesized for OER. • Dynamic self-reconstruction was revealed by in situ Raman spectroscopy. • Amorphous Ni(Fe)OOH species act as the real active phases. • Regenerated pre-catalyst shows excellent OER activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A new MoC x microfoam with rich Mo and C alternatively stacking edges is synthesized. • The foam is synthesized by directly shaking the protonated MXene precursor in organic base. • It shows lower energy barrier for NRA than conventional fully Mo covered MoC x. • MoC x microfoam was employed for the electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia (NRA). • It shows excellent activity for NRA (130.8 mmol h−1 g-1 cat) and high Faradaic Efficiency (94.4 %). By employing a new method, we directly synthesized the first Mo 2 C nanosheet based micro-foam with rich edge-sites from the layered m-Mo 2 CT x precursor. Using this composite towards the electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia (NRA) at an optimized potential we measured an ammonia yield of 130.8 mmol h−1 g−1 cat and a Faradaic Efficiency (FE) of 94.4%, much higher than that measured over the stacked layered structure (17.3 mmol h−1 g−1 cat , 44%). This is due to both the large specific surface area of micro-foam and its rich Mo edge-sites, where the Mo and C atom layers are alternatively stacked. Compared with the pure Mo atoms on the basal plane of Mo 2 C, the Mo edge-sites show a more appropriate bonding with the N atoms, which can facilitate the hydrogenation of N* sites. The MoC x can be a good catalyst for NRA by regulating the coordination environment of Mo atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing efficient and durable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts with non-noble elements is particularly urgent for electrochemical water splitting. Herein, we report heterostructural Ni3S2–Fe5Ni4S8 hybrids directly grown on redox-NiFe foams (denoted as NFS/rNF) as excellent pre-catalysts for OER in 1 M KOH media. The electrochemical performance can be tuned by amount of sulfur source, and the optimized electrode only needs low overpotentials of 199 mV and 240 mV to attain 10 mA cm−2 and 100 mA cm−2, respectively. Moreover, the overpotential is further reduced to 231 mV to deliver 100 mA cm−2 after multi-cyclic voltammogram scans, due to the exposure of abundant in situ generated Ni(Fe)OOH species. Excellent stability with continuous 40 h operation is also demonstrated. Our study provides a new strategy for direct synthesis of self-standing integrated hybrid electrodes for efficient and durable water oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ERBB2 mutations are found in about 2% of patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A recent study reported that pyrotinib (an irreversible pan ErbB inhibitor) had superior antitumor effect compared to other tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapies in patients with ERBB2 mutations. Bone marrow metastasis is rare in lung adenocarcinoma, and has been reported to be associated with poor prognosis. Here, we report the case of a 62‐year‐old female diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma and bone marrow metastasis. ERBB2 exon 20 insertion mutation was confirmed by next‐generation sequencing (NGS) of lung tissue as well as bone marrow. The patient achieved stable disease and recovery of pancytopenia after two months of pyrotinib therapy. This is the first report of homogenous mutations of ERBB2 detected in bone marrow, as well as a good response of bone marrow to pyrotinib therapy. Key points: This is the first report of a homogenous mutation of ERBB2 detected in the bone marrow of an NSCLC patient with bone marrow metastasis.Our patient with NSCLC ERBB2 mutation and bone marrow metastasis responded well to pyrotinib therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent discoveries from large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWASs) explain a larger proportion of the genetic variability to BMI and obesity. The genetic risk associated with BMI and obesity can be assessed by an obesity-specific genetic risk score (GRS) constructed from genome-wide significant genetic variants. The aim of our study is to examine whether the duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding can attenuate BMI increase during childhood and adolescence due to genetic risks. A total sample of 5,266 children (2,690 boys and 2,576 girls) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) was used for the analysis. We evaluated the role of breastfeeding (exclusivity and duration) in modulating BMI increase attributed to the GRS from birth to 18 years of age. The GRS was composed of 69 variants associated with adult BMI and 25 non-overlapping SNPs associated with pediatric BMI. In the high genetic susceptible group (upper GRS quartile), exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) to 5 months reduces BMI by 1.14 kg/m2 (95% CI, 0.37 to 1.91, p = 0.0037) in 18-year-old boys, which compensates a 3.9-decile GRS increase. In 18-year-old girls, EBF to 5 months decreases BMI by 1.53 kg/m2 (95% CI, 0.76 to 2.29, p<0.0001), which compensates a 7.0-decile GRS increase. EBF acts early in life by delaying the age at adiposity peak and at adiposity rebound. EBF to 3 months or non-exclusive breastfeeding was associated with a significantly diminished impact on reducing BMI growth during childhood. EBF influences early life growth and development and thus may play a critical role in preventing overweight and obesity among children at high-risk due to genetic factors. Author summary: Previous studies have shown that EBF is associated with lower BMI during childhood and adolescence. Moreover, a GRS based on 97 genetic variants has been derived from large GWASs and is predictive of BMI in adults and children. However, it remains unclear whether EBF can attenuate the increase in BMI attributed to the GRS in children. Our study was able to characterize the effect of the GRS in children from birth to 18 years of age. Our main results showed that EBF to 5 months has substantial effect in decreasing BMI among children at higher genetic risks. EBF to 3 months or non-exclusive breastfeeding had a significantly diminished effect on reducing BMI growth during childhood. Our study suggests that interventions aimed at reducing the risks of overweight and obesity across the lifespan should start in very early childhood to be impactful, which makes EBF a key candidate intervention. While EBF is beneficial to all children, targeting those carrying multiple BMI/obesity alleles should be a priority to reduce obesity and associated non-communicable diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article investigated the expression pattern and regulatory function of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) KCNQ1 opposite strand/antisense transcript 1 (KCNQ1OT1) in breast cancer. It discusses how long noncoding RNA KCNQ1OT1 correlated with human breast cancer cell development through inverse regulation of hsa-miR-107.

Silicone rubber is widely used as a kind of thermal interface material (TIM) in electronic devices. However few studies have been carried out on the thermal conductivity mechanism of silicone rubber. This paper investigates the thermal conductivity mechanism by non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) in three aspects: chain length, morphology, and temperature. It is found that the effect of chain length on thermal conductivity varies with morphologies. In crystalline state where the chains are aligned, the thermal conductivity increases apparently with the length of the silicone-oxygen chain, the thermal conductivity of 79 nm-long crystalline silicone rubber could reach 1.49 W/(m⋅K). The thermal conductivity of amorphous silicone rubber is less affected by the chain length. The temperature dependence of thermal conductivity of silicone rubbers with different morphologies is trivial. The phonon density of states (DOS) is calculated and analyzed. The results indicate that crystalline silicone rubber with aligned orientation has more low frequency phonons, longer phonon MFP, and shorter conducting path, which contribute to a larger thermal conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twelve categories of polar lipids (PLs) were quantified in round scad and hairtail during salt‐drying with electrospray ionization‐tandem mass spectrometry based on lipidomics. The major species were phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and ether‐linked PC (ePC), accounting for 67.8%, 11.1%, and 9.7% of total PLs in the raw round scad respectively, and 74.3%, 7.3%, and 10.9% in raw hairtail. Among the 272 and 263 kinds of PLs molecules detected in the two raw fish respectively, only 125 and 94 PLs were strongly affected by salt‐drying, including 28 PCs, 23 PEs, 21 ePCs, 9 phosphatidylinositols (PIs), 14 phosphatidylserines/phosphatidic acids/phosphatidylglycerols (PSs/PAs/PGs), 12 lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs), 5 lysophosphatidylethanolamines (LPEs), 9 ether‐linked PEs (ePEs), 4 sphingomyelins (SMs) in round scad, and 21 PCs, 17 PEs, 15 ePCs, 10 PIs, 7 PSs/PAs/PGs, 9 LPCs, 5 LPEs, 6 ePEs, 4 SMs in hairtail. Salt‐drying had a very different effect on the two fish. Ultimately, the total PLs content decreased slightly (p >.01) in salt‐dried round scad product while increased significantly in hairtail final product (p <.01). Practical applications: The change of PLs caused by salt‐drying is closely related to the flavor and quality of fish products, and is very important for fish preservation and processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that ultrasound-guided injection of glucocorticoids is superior to blind puncture methods. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate clinical efficacy of ultrasound-guided drug injection in the treatment of olecranon subcutaneous bursitis. METHODS: From June 2016 to September 2018, 45 patients diagnosed with obvious synovial effusion and treated with ultrasound-guided injection therapy for olecranon bursitis were included in this study. Under the guidance of ultrasound, the synovial effusion aspiration was performed and 2 ml of the compound betamethasone mixture was injected into the bursae and dressed under pressure. Ultrasound examination was performed 2 weeks after operation and the secondary fluid aspiration and drug injection treatment were performed. The depth of synovial effusion, the thickness of synovial hyperplasia and the blood flow signal were measured 4 weeks after operation to evaluate the therapeutic effect. RESULTS: After first treatment, the recurrence rate of the olecranon mass were 40%. After secondary treatment, recurrence of olecranon mass occurred in 6 of the 45 patients with a recurrence rate of 13.3%. After 4 weeks of follow-up, the depth of olecranon synovial effusion, the average thickness of synovial hyperplasia and the blood flow signal decreased significantly after treatment (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound-guided drug injection is safe and effective in treating olecranon subcutaneous bursitis. Although the recurrence rate is high after the first treatment, the second treatment is simple and can reduce the recurrence rate. The patients have a high acceptance rate, which is worthy of clinical promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the implications for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention and sexual health, little is known about the timing and chronological order of when same-sex male couples disclose their HIV serostatus, establish a sexual agreement, and first engage in condomless anal sex (CAS) in their relationships. Dyadic data from 357 dyads were used to describe when these respective events occurred; whether members of a couple concurred about when the events happened; and the chronological order of these events. For many, disclosure and CAS happened within the first month, whereas an agreement tended to occur much later (if at all). Couples' concordance of when disclosure and agreement formation happened differed by their serostatus, whereas there was little difference by serostatus for CAS. The chronological order of these events revealed interesting patterns and varied substantially. Although two-thirds of partners reported disclosure had occurred first, some reported events happening on the same day. These findings reveal that the first few months in a same-sex male couple's relationship is a critical time period for when information and decisions about sexual health occur. Suggestions are provided for how current and future HIV prevention efforts could assist couples with their sexual health needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal foams with high surface/volume ratio and excellent electrical conductivity are widely used in water splitting. Herein, we report a redox process sculpturing commercial NiFe foams with dual-scale porosities as high efficient catalysts for water oxidation reactions. Through the oxidation-reduction process, many pores of few micrometres in size were formed on a porous NiFe backbone with a pore size of 50–300 μm. The pore morphology can be reasonably controlled by varying the oxidation temperature. Electrochemical measurement demonstrates that redox-NiFe foam exhibits greatly enhanced activity towards oxygen evolution reaction. Specifically, the redox-NiFe foam oxidized at 900 °C yields the best catalytic activity with an overpotential of 294 ± 3 mV to achieve the current density of 100 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH, which is much lower than 402 ± 2 mV of initial NiFe foam. This work highlights the formation of highly porous microstructure in the original skeleton of NiFe foam. Furthermore, the redox sculptured NiFe foams can also function as effective skeletons for the loading of active catalysts, which thus can find wide applications in electrocatalysis and energy storage. • NiFe foams with dual-scale porosities were fabricated by a redox process. • Micropore structure can be engineered by controlling oxidation temperature. • Redox-NiFe foams exhibited greatly enhanced water oxidation activity. • Redox NiFe foam showed excellent durability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to establish a system for the functional expression, purification and identification of new subtypes of modified antioxidant peptides from Pinctada fucata muscle (named MMP). After molecular modification, MMP had a primary coil spatial conformation that resembled an α-helix and improved the functional activity of MMP. The MMP DNA sequence was modified and codon optimized based on the amino acid sequence of the natural antioxidant peptide (named MP), which was isolated and purified from Pinctada fucata muscle by enzymatic hydrolysis. Antioxidant activity assay results showed that the IC50 values for DPPH-radical scavenging activity, superoxide-radical scavenging activity and hydroxyl-radical scavenging activity of MMP were 0.056, 0.310 and 0.126 mg/ml, respectively, which were higher than the antioxidant activities of enzymatically digested or chemically synthesized MMP (p < 0.05). In addition, this protocol exhibited great advantage in purity, speed, cost, and degree of automation for preparing MMP compared with enzymatic hydrolysis or chemical synthesis. Thus, the proposed method can be used to obtain MMP with high antioxidant activity and at a high yield. In addition, this method provided test data and a theoretical basis for high-value application of polypeptides from marine sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Silicon carbide (SiC) nanoparticles with different sizes were successfully obtained by high energy ball milling. Room temperature magnetic measurements showed that the saturation magnetization of milled-SiC nanoparticles increases monotonically from 0.0006 to 0.0032 emu/g with increasing milling time, while the bulk SiC powders present diamagnetism. Besides, the high temperature hysteresis curves indicated that the Curie temperature of the milled-SiC nanoparticles was much over 800 K. Meanwhile, the results of X-ray diffraction, Raman spectrometer and scanning electron microscope suggested that the surface defects were introduced into the milled-SiC nanoparticles. Further studies via electron spin resonance and photoluminescence proved that the surface defects are responsible for the origin of ferromagnetism in milled-SiC nanoparticles. Highlights • SiC nanoparticles with different sizes were successfully prepared by simple high-energy ball milling. • The milled-SiC nanoparticles exhibit obviously high ferromagnetism. The T c was much over 800 K. • The intrinsic ferromagnetism for the milled-SiC nanoparticles is ascribed to the surface defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive proteolysis and formation of flavor substances occur during the processing of dry-salted fish due to the action of endogenous proteases. This study analyzed the evolution of the endogenous proteases and the relationship between endogenous protease levels and protein degradation during processing. Cathepsin B and L activity increased significantly during the last two stages, while cathepsin H activity decreased non-significantly (residual activity was 92.27%) compared to initial activity levels in fresh fish. Dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP I, IV) activity decreased overall. The activity of three aminopeptidases (arginine aminopeptidase; alanyl aminopeptidase; leucyl aminopeptidase) initially decreased (P < 0.05) then significantly increased (P < 0.05) during the final stage. Principal component analysis indicated that cathepsins B and L had larger influences than cathepsin H on protein degradation and flavor substance formation in dry-salted fish, but the influence of dipeptidyl peptidases and aminopeptidases on protein degradation and flavor substance formation was limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pinctada fucata muscles were hydrolysed by alcalase and filtered using ultrafiltration membranes to obtain peptides with molecular weights (MWs) less than 5 kDa. The percolate was then freeze-dried and named crude antioxidant peptides mixture from Pinctada fucata muscles (AOP). In this study, AOP was purified sequentially using sephadex gel chromatography, next reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The MW of the antioxidant peptide from P. fucata muscle was 1039.56 Da. The amino acid sequence was Gly-Ala-Gly-Leu-Pro-Gly-Lys-Arg-Glu-Arg based on matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF). The natural peptide exhibits good scavenging capacity against free radicals; the IC50 of scavenging 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and ∙OH of FC2 were closer to vitamin C and butylated hydroxytoluence; however, the IC50 values of of FC2 were a bit poor. Its antioxidant activity was attributed to the hydrophobic amino acid residues enriched in the N-terminal and electrophilic ability mediated by Glu and electron acceptors such as Lys and Arg. The synthesized peptide exhibited a reduced ability to scavenge free radicals compared to the natural peptide. The proposed method is a feasible technique to prepare antioxidant peptides from P. fucata and could be useful to obtain ingredients in nutraceutical and cosmetic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antioxidant peptides from Pinctada fucata are ubiquitous in nature and can be utilized as ingredients in cosmetics or functional foods to positively regulate oxidative species in the human body against oxidation. Here, mutated peptides and a homologous series of peptides were designed and prepared, based on the original peptide sequence of an antioxidant peptide from Pinctada fucata meat (PFMAP), to better understand the structural relationships, including primary structure, spatial conformation and activity. The results showed that the antioxidant activity factors in order of importance were spatial conformation, amino acid sequence, amino acid position, amino acid composition, peptide chain length and degree of side-chain amino acid glycosylation. Moreover, this protocol had incomparable advantages in purity, speed and cost of preparing polypeptides, relative to enzymatic hydrolysis or chemosynthesis methods. This study also supplies test data information and a theoretical basis for the higher-value application of polypeptides from marine sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium dioxide (TiO 2) is a common additive in foods, medicines, and personal care products. In recent years, nano-scale particles in TiO 2 additives have been an increasing concern due to their potential adverse effects on human health, especially gut health. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO 2 NPs, 30 nm) on beneficial gut bacteria and host response from a metabolomics perspective. In the in vitro study, four bacterial strains, including Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus gasseri, Bifidobacterium animalis, and Bifidobacterium longum were subjected to the treatment of TiO 2 NPs. The growth kinetics, cell viability, cell membrane permeability, and metabolomics response were determined. TiO 2 NPs at the concentration of 200 μg/mL showed inhibitory effects on the growth of all four strains. The confocal microscope results indicated that the growth inhibitory effects could be associated with cell membrane damage caused by TiO 2 NPs to the bacterial strains. Metabolomics analysis showed that TiO 2 NPs caused alterations in multiple metabolic pathways of gut bacteria, such as tryptophan and arginine metabolism, which were demonstrated to play crucial roles in regulating gut and host health. In the in vivo study, mice were fed with TiO 2 NPs (0.1 wt% in diet) for 8 weeks. Mouse urine was collected for metabolomics analysis and the tryptophan metabolism pathway was also significantly affected in TiO 2 NPs-fed mice. Moreover, four neuroprotective metabolites were significantly reduced in both in vitro bacteria and in vivo urine samples. Overall, this study provides insights into the potential adverse effects of TiO 2 NPs on gut bacteria and the metabolic responses of both bacteria and host. Further research is needed to understand the causality between gut bacteria composition and the metabolism pathway, which is critical to monitor the gut-microbiome mediated metabolome changes in toxicological assessment of food components. [Display omitted] • TiO2 NPs inhibited the growth of four beneficial gut bacterial strains. • The inhibitory effects of TiO2 NPs were associated with cell membrane damage. • TiO2 NPs caused alterations in multiple metabolic pathways of gut bacteria. • Diet containing TiO2 NPs affected the tryptophan metabolism in mouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon carbide (SiC) nanosheets with different sizes and thickness were synthesized by a liquid exfoliation method by varying the exfoliating time in the N, N-dimethylformamide organic solvent. During the exfoliating time increasing from 4 to 16 h, the size of the SiC nanosheets decreases gradually from 500 to 200 nm, and the thickness decreases from 9 to 3.5 nm. Results showed that all prepared SiC nanosheets show intrinsic room temperature ferromagnetism, which is greatly different to the diamagnetism nature of virgin bulk SiC. Moreover, the saturation magnetization of the SiC nanosheets increases monotonously from 0.005 to 0.018 emu/g as the size and thickness decrease. Further studies via transmission electron microscopy, superconducting quantum interference device, and electron spin resonance revealed that the origin of the ferromagnetism in SiC nanosheets might be attributed to the defects with carbon dangling bond on the surface of nanosheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To explore the cardiovascular effects of nightlong repetitive arousals (RA). Methods. Twenty healthy subjects participated in two consecutive sleep studies. The first one was free of intervention and the second study involved repetitive arousals induced by acoustical stimuli. Blood pressure, heart rate variability (HRV), arterial stiffness index (ASI), and serum markers including nitric oxide (NO), endothelin-1 (ET-1), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were studied. Results. RA led to overnight elevation in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) but not in systolic blood pressure (SBP). Regarding HRV, overnight increase in low frequency power (LF) and low frequency to high frequency ratio (LHR) and decrease in high frequency power (HF) were evident. The relative overnight differences in HF and LHR correlated with the amount of rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep. RA did not cause detectable change in either ASI or serum markers of interest. Conclusions. Nightlong RA alters the sympathovagal modulation significantly and this effect seems to be associated with the amount of REM sleep. Exposure to RA also causes an elevation in postsleep DBP. Disturbance to autonomic nervous system (ANS) may precede endothelial dysfunction and increased arterial stiffness as cardiovascular consequences of RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The saignée method was applied to Vitis vinifera L. Cabernet Sauvignon wine making to improve the phenolic component in fresh and 1-year aged wines. The physicochemical properties of the saignée-treated wine were similar to those of the control. A moderate enhancement of the total non-anthocyanin content was observed in the saignée-treated wine, but this was not significant ( p > .05). After fermentation, the anthocyanin content was increased in the treated wine compared to the control ( p ≤ .05). Anthocyanin content was reduced after aging ( p ≤ .05), while the content of the treated wine was still higher than the control ( p ≤ .05). After aging, the treated wine showed lower b* value (blue/yellow component) than the control. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that decreased anthocyanin was the major factor differentiating between aged and fresh wines. There were also significant differences in individual phenolic acid, flavonol, and anthocyanin contents between the treated and control wines from the PCA. Practical applications Saignée treatment could enhance extraction of phenolic compounds and improve wine color. This study could provide winemakers with an approach to compensate for poor color intensity and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Glutamate, alanine, and leucine were the main free amino acids identified. • Six major amino acid metabolizing microbial genera were associated with most flavor compounds. • Halobacterium and Clostridium were core microbiota and amino acid metabolizers. • This study revealed the distribution of amino acid metabolic during golden pomfret fermentation. Golden pomfret (Trachinotus ovatus) is an important farmed fish in Asia, often consumed following salting and natural microbial fermentation. Flavor development in fermented foods depends on the metabolism of fermenting microbes, especially amino acid metabolism. However, the microbes involved in golden pomfret fermentation and the mechanism by which they regulate flavor development are largely unknown. Accordingly, in this study, we investigated the microbial community and volatile and non-volatile compounds during the traditional fermentation of golden pomfret, focusing on amino acid metabolism. Thirty-five volatile compounds were detected. Glutamate, alanine, and leucine were the main amino acids responsible for the development of the characteristic taste of fermented golden pomfret. Metagenomic analyses were performed, and microbial genes for amino acid metabolism were functionally annotated, revealing the underlying mechanisms of flavor development during fish fermentation. Halobacterium , Clostridium , Natrinema , Alkalibacillus , Natrialba , and Vibrio were the dominant microbial genera with a major contribution to amino acid metabolism during fermentation and were strongly correlated with the majority of volatile compounds. The study provides a theoretical reference for the mechanism of flavor formation and important information on the microbial sources of volatile compounds derived from amino acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interfacial engineering is an effective strategy for the design of active oxygen evolution electrode. Yet the intrinsic mechanism of heterogeneous interfaces remains largely unclear for the lack of direct evidence of real active phases. Herein, operando ultraviolet-visible (UV–vis) and Raman spectroscopies were used to probe the surface reconstruction behaviors of FeOOH@NiFe layered double hydroxides (LDH) hybrid catalysts, which revealed that FeOOH@NiFe LDH was converted into highly active FeOOH@ β-Ni(Fe)OOH phases during the OER process. The FeOOH-NiFe LDH interface can promote interfacial charge transfer, delay the Ni oxidation and induce the NiFe LDH phases to highly reactive β-Ni(Fe)OOH. The FeOOH@ β-Ni(Fe)OOH exhibited excellent OER performance (252 mV at 100 mA cm−2) and a 1.6 times increase (at overpotential of 300 mV) in turnover frequency (TOF) with respect to the active phase γ-Ni(Fe)OOH of NiFe LDH. This work clarifies that ration interface engineering can regulate the generation of highly active phases in the OER process. [Display omitted] • Reconstruction of FeOOH@NiFe LDH was study by operando UV–vis and Raman spectroscopies. • FeOOH induced the phase transformation of NiFe LDH to β-Ni(Fe)OOH at the interface. • The interfacial electric field of NiFe LDH and FeOOH promoted the charge transfer. • As-formed FeOOH@ β-Ni(Fe)OOH showed superior OER activity to γ-Ni(Fe)OOH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The alteration in lipid of golden pomfret during fermentation was determined. • LC–MS-based lipidomics showed a total of 998 lipids belonging to six classes. • Fermentation time was a critical variable affecting golden pomfret's lipid profile. • Glycerophospholipid metabolism is the critical metabolic pathways. • Our results provided insight into alterations in golden pomfret during fermentation. Fermented golden pomfret (a popular marine fish product) is prepared via spontaneous fermentation. However, no comprehensive analysis has been reported on its lipid composition and metabolism. Herein, UHPLC-MS/MS-based untargeted lipidomic analysis identified 998 lipids (six classes; 29 subclasses) in fermented golden pomfret, including glycerolipids (47.70%) and glycerophospholipids (32.06%). As fermentation proceeded, triglyceride and diglyceride contents increased and subsequently decreased, while that of poly-unsaturated fatty acid-containing lipids increased (including those with docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosapentaenoic acid). Pathway enrichment analysis identified seven lipid-related metabolic pathways, with the glycerophospholipid pathway found to be the most pertinent. Moreover, the decreased abundance of phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylcholines during fermentation results from their high unsaturated fatty acid (FA) content. Indeed, essential FA contents increase following fermentation, due to their occurrence as glycerolipid side chains. Collectively, the results of this study provide a theoretical reference for optimizing the quality of fermented fish products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a worldwide major ornamental flower and a edible plant, lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is also used as medicine and tea beverage. Here, transcriptome and metabolites of yellow (MLQS) and white (YGB) lotus cultivars during five key flower coloration stages were profiled. 2014 differentially expressed genes were detected with 11 carotenoids in lotus were identified for the first time. Then, regulatory networks between and within functional modules was reconstructed, and the correlation between module-metabolites and gene-metabolites was conducted within 3 core modules. 18 candidate genes related to the formation of yellow flower were screened out and a gene regulatory model for the flower color difference between MLQS and YGB were speculated as follows: The substrate competition between F3′H and F3′5′H and substrate specificity of FLS , together with differential expression of CCD4a and CCD4b were contribute to the differences in flavonoids and carotenoids. Besides, UGT73C2 , UGT91C1–2 and SGTase , and regulation of UGTs by transcription factors PLATZ , MADS , NAC031 , and MYB308 may also play a role in the upstream regulation. The following verification results indicated that functional differences existed in the coding sequences of NnCCD4b and promoters of NnCCD4a of MLQS and YGB. In all, this study preliminarily reveals the mechanism of yellow flower coloration in lotus and provides new ideas for the study of complex ornamental characters of other plants. • The transcriptome and metabolites of two lotuses at five stages were analyzed. • Regulatory networks were constructed using systems-biology approaches. • 18 flower-color-related candidate genes were identified. • Functional differences existed in NnCCD4a and NnCCD4b of yellow and white lotus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymeric gel membranes contain poly(ether- b -amide) (Pebax) and ethylene glycol monophenyl ether (EPH) was prepared via thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) method for the first time. In the membranes, EPH was used as not only diluent to form the gel structure, but also functional liquid to enhance the CO 2 permeability and CO 2 /N 2 selectivity. Comprehensive investigation was carried out to study the phase separation behaviors and membrane performances. Phase diagrams and optical microscope results indicate that the crystallizition of Pebax from a one-phase solution is responsible for the physical network structure of the gel membranes. Meantime, the gel temperature shifted to the lower region with increasing EPH content. Both the pure CO 2 permeability and CO 2 /N 2 ideal selectivity of the membranes were simultaneously increased with the increase of EPH content, which can be ascribed to the multiple synergistic effect of (a) the increased solubility of CO 2 by Lewis acid-base interactions between CO 2 and ethylene oxide groups in EPH, (b) the barrier effect of EPH on the transport of N 2 and (c) more permeable amorphous phase was formed in polymer matrix. The overall performance of gel membranes with 60 and 80 wt% EPH fall within the attractive region beyond the “Robeson Upper Bound” for CO 2 /N 2 gas pairs. The successful application of TIPS provides a new route to the structure modulation and performance enhancement of polymer gel membranes in the removal of CO 2 from gas streams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using gramineae plants as natural and accessible reaction precursors, we herein introduce a green synthetic strategy, which is efficacious for the facile production of crystalline, excitation-wavelength-dependent fluorescent and small-sized silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs). We further explore the prepared SiNPs as a novel kind of fluorescent label for anti-counterfeiting applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N–F codoped and molecularly imprinted TiO 2 (MIP-NFTs) were successfully prepared by simple ethanol–water solvothermal method using 2-nitrophenol (2NP) and 4-nitrophenol (4NP) as template molecules (target contaminants), respectively. The surface structure and properties of the catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption/desorption measurements (BET), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectra (UV–vis DRS). In comparison with non-imprinted N–F codoped TiO 2 nanocomposites (NIP-NFTs), MIP-NFTs show a higher adsorption, good selectivity and preferable degradation capacity toward the target contaminants. The adsorption amounts of 2NP and 4NP over the corresponding MIP-NFTs are about 1.78 and 2.21 times of that over NIP-NFTs, respectively. MIP-NFTs show a much higher adsorption capacity and selectivity for target contaminants in the mixed solution. Degradation selectivity experiments demonstrate that the selectivity coefficient ( R ) of degradation of 2NP relative to 4NP over 2NP/MIP-NFTs and 4NP relative to 2NP over 4NP/MIP-NFTs are 1.93 and 1.61, respectively. The enhancement about adsorption capacity and selectivity can be attributed to the chemical interaction and size matching between target contaminants and imprinted cavities. The apparent rate constants for the photodegradation of 2NP and 4NP over the corresponding MIP-NFTs are 0.05233 min −1 and 0.03734 min −1 , being 267% and 198% of that over NIP-NFTs under simulated solar light. Moreover, MIP-NFTs exhibit excellent reusability due to their inorganic framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a key step for electrochemical water splitting and understanding the surface reconstruction of OER pre-catalysts is of vital importance. Herein, hybrid Ni 5 P 4 @FeP nanosheet arrays were evaluated as promising OER pre-catalysts. The dynamic surface evolution was probed by in situ Raman spectroscopy, which revealed that Ni 5 P 4 @FeP was rapidly reconstructed to NiFe 2 O 4 during the anodic scan. The structural instability of amorphous NiFe 2 O 4 led to partial reconstitution to Ni/FeOOH at high oxidation potentials. As-formed Ni/FeOOH@NiFe 2 O 4 hybrid with high structural reversibility was established as a truly active species, which exhibited excellent alkaline OER performance with a low overpotential of 205 and 242 mV under current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm−2, respectively. This work provides a facile strategy to in situ construct an amorphous spinel/oxyhydroxide hybrid structure using electrochemical activation that holds strong promise for potential application in electrochemical water splitting and related energy devices. [Display omitted] • Surface reconstruction of Ni 5 P 4 @FeP was probed by in situ Raman spectroscopy. • Ni 5 P 4 @FeP was oxidized to NiFe 2 O 4 and further to Ni/FeOOH at high potentials. • The real active intermediate was identified as Ni/FeOOH and NiFe 2 O 4 hybrid. • High structural reversibility between NiFe 2 O 4 and Ni/FeOOH was found. • As-formed amorphous NiOOH and NiFe 2 O 4 hybrid showed superior OER activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper derives a saddlepoint based approximation for the cumulative distribution function of the Bartlett-Box M-statistic that tests the equality of covariance matrices for several samples from graphical Gaussian models Markov with respect to a decomposable graph [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]