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Crayfish, carp, and crab threaten the consumer’s health due to the enrichment of the toxic elements. The concentration of the toxic elements (As, Cr, Cd, and Pb) in these aquatics was less investigated simultaneously in situ. In this study, the toxic elements in these aquatics from the same site of Hanchuan, Hubei Province, China were measured by ICP-MS to assess the enrichment of the four toxic elements in them and the health risk to the consumer. The results showed that the concentrations of these elements in muscle were lower than those in hepatopancreas/ liver, except for Cr in crayfish. Furthermore, the concentrations of Cd in the hepatopancreas of crayfish and crab exceeded the standards of China and the European Union. Accordingly, the hepatopancreas of crayfish and crab are not recommended for consumption. The estimated daily intake of these elements in the muscle of crayfish, carp, and crab did not exceed the provisional tolerable daily intakes, the corresponding target hazard quotient (THQ), and the cancer risk (CR) values for As were lower than 1 and 1 × 10–6, respectively. However, the accumulated consumption of the muscle of the three freshwater catches could result in a significant increase in the total THQ value. The total ingestion of the muscle of these catches should be limited. Collectively, these findings may renew interest in food safety and the health risk to humans owing to the consumption of freshwater catches.

The natural polysaccharide/hydroxyapatite hydrogels are of great interest to bone tissue engineering, but the interfacial mismatch between rigid hydroxyapatite and soft polysaccharide phase in these hydrogels remains unsolved, which is unfavorable to achieving uniform dispersion of hydroxyapatite particles in the hydrogel matrices. Herein, hyaluronic acid (Hya), an extracellular matrix constituent, was chosen as the template for biological mineralization to synthesize Hya/hydroxyapatite hybrid particles (HAHs). The oxidized Hya/hydroxyapatite hybrid particles (OHAHs) were obtained by oxidating the Hya in the HAHs. These OHAHs were the ball-flower particles hybridized with ca. 22 % oxidized Hya. Then, different concentrations of OHAHs were introduced to prepare hydroxyapatite composite hydrogels (HCH) via Schiff-base reaction of oxidized Hya and carboxymethyl chitosan. The injectability and self-healing of HCH were evaluated and the introduction of OHAHs significantly increased the storage modulus. The gelation time of HCH showed a negative relation with the concentration of OHAHs while the storage modulus presented a positive correlation. MTT assays and live/dead staining of L929 cells co-cultured with HCH confirmed that the hydrogels had excellent cytocompatibility, and supported the adhesion and proliferation of cells under the three-dimension culture conditions. These injectable self-healing hydrogels suitable for cell encapsulation were potentially useful for bone defect repair.

Red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) is an important aquaculture species in China. With increasing crayfish culture, a number of outbreaks of various diseases have been identified in crayfish. Despite this, there are no reports on the application of disease resistance genes in the molecular breeding of crayfish. In this study, transcriptome analysis was performed to explore the disease resistance genes in crayfish, with a focus on investigating the genetic variations in the open reading frames of these genes, for subsequent haplotype analysis. Furthermore, pathogen-challenge experiments were carried out in the crayfish, to identify the favoured haplotypes. A novel disease resistance gene, R (Resistance), was identified by means of transcriptome analysis. In total, two, four, and five haplotypes of the three disease resistance genes, ALF, R, and crustin2, respectively, were detected. ALF1, R1, and Cru1 were the favoured haplotypes of ALF, R, and crustin2, respectively. Subsequently, the favoured haplotype combinations of the different genes were obtained, and a series of molecular markers were developed to identify them. Finally, we propose a molecular breeding strategy to enhance the disease resistance of crayfish, and thus, improve its production.

Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and long-term inflammation can delay wound healing and cause tissue damage, while bacterial infection aggravates the wound environment further. It is impossible to resolve all these thorny problems simultaneously with a wound dressing that has only one function. The antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties of resveratrol (Res) have been proven. However, the effect of Res is non-selective, and high levels of Res can inhibit cell growth and promote oxidation. Res is also difficult to dissolve and possesses insufficient antibacterial properties, so its role is limited. In this study, Res was assembled

The stress and strain analysis is indispensable for the design and development of high field superconducting magnet. In this paper, a stress analysis with elastic and plastic theory for high magnetic field split superconducting magnet was introduced. By the stress analysis theory, the stress of 13 T split superconducting magnet for neutron scattering was simulated and discussed. Based on the analysis results, the structure of coils was modified by three ways including reduce the maximum magnetic field, applied pre-stress and increased thermal stress. After modified, the peak stress is 165 MPa appeared on the third Nb3Sn coils when the magnet is charged to operating current of 114 A. The peak value of radial stress on superconducting coils is 11.4 MPa appeared on the inner Nb3Sn coils reduced from 21.3 MPa. The stress along axis on the coils is less than 80.7 MPa reduced from 90.6 MPa. The hoop stress on the superconducting coils is 154 MPa which effected on the inner side of the third Nb3Sn coils reduced from 171 MPa. The developing risk of 13 T split superconducting magnet for neutron scattering is reduced significantly.

A supervisory control for neutron scattering superconducting magnet is proposed in this paper, which adopts hierarchical control strategy. In the field layer, programmable logic controller (PLC) based on monitoring control and data acquisition system is used for automatic control of various working conditions. PLC and upper monitoring computer are independent of each other in the equipment control layer, and independent operation is not dependent on the upper computer, which ensures the independence and safety of the process. The running parameters of superconducting magnet can be detected in real-time with the coverage of local area network (LAN), and the significant equipment of neutron scattering superconducting magnet can be controlled by using real-time control method in the mobile environment. In case of abnormal situation, the backfeed control will be used to realize remote alarm and other functions, which ensures the normal running of neutron scattering superconducting magnet safely and reliably.

The red swamp crayfish, as a typical crustacean, grows by moulting periodically. Thus, the exoskeletons of this species, including inter-moult (IME), pre-moult (PME) and the discarded fully moulted exoskeletons (ME), respectively, could be collected from different sites in China in order to assess the nutritional condition and the level of toxic elements. The mean concentration of Na (3650 mg/kg) and K (2420 mg/kg) in IME were significantly higher than those in PME (). Furthermore, the concentrations of the five toxic elements analysed, Al (176 mg/kg), Ti (4.75 mg/kg), Cr (0.38 mg/kg), Ni (0.42 mg/kg) and As (0.80 mg/kg) in ME were significantly higher than those in IME (), whereas the opposite was true for the nutrition elements, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe, Cu, Zn and Se. Together, these results suggest that the eight nutritional elements monitored could metabolically be retained, but the five toxic elements could be excreted through the series of moulting events during the lifespan of an individual.

Recently, the collagen-keratin (CK) composites have received much attention for the purpose of biomedical applications due to the intrinsic biocompatibility and biodegradability of these two proteins. However, few studies have reported the CK composites developed by the self-assembly approach and the influence of the keratin on the collagen self-assembly in vitro was still unknown. In this study, the keratin nanoparticles (KNPs) were successfully prepared by the reduction method, and we focused on investigating the effect of the varying concentrations of KNPs on the mechanism of the fibrillogenesis process of collagen. The intermolecular interaction between the two proteins revealed by the ultraviolet spectroscopy, Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and circular dichromatic (CD) spectroscopy showed that KNPs would interact with the collagen, and keratin significantly influenced the hydrogen bonding interaction existed in collagen molecules. The SEM images exhibited the formation of exquisite fibrillar networks after incorporating the KNPs into collagen, and it was conspicuous that the KNPs could uniformly distribute on the surface of collagen fibrils via electrostatic interaction, for both of the two proteins possessed many charged moieties. In addition, the AFM images confirmed the presence of the characteristic D-periodicity of collagen fibrils, indicating that the introduction of KNPs did not disrupt the self-assembly nature of the native collagen. The cell adhesion, proliferation and migration experiments on the CK fibrils were also performed in this study. The results demonstrated that the CK composites showed a better cellular affinity compared with the collagen, thus it might be a promising candidate for the biomedical applications.

Background The brain–gut–microbiota axis plays a crucial role in the bidirectional interactions between the brain and the gut. Soluble epoxide hydrolase (coded by the Ephx2 gene) plays an important role in inflammation, which has been implicated in stress-related depression. Ephx2 knock-out (KO) mice exposed to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) did not show depression-like behaviors, indicating stress resilience. Here we examined whether the brain–gut–microbiota axis influences the resilience in Ephx2 KO mice. Methods Effects of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from CSDS-susceptible (or control) mice in wild-type (WT) mice and Ephx2 KO mice treated with an antibiotic cocktail (ABX) were investigated. Behavioral, biochemical tests and 16S ribosome RNA analysis were performed. Results FMT from CSDS-susceptible mice produced anhedonia-like behavior in ABX-treated WT and Ephx2 KO mice. The 16S ribosome RNA analysis showed that Faecalibaculum rodentium (F. rodentium) may be responsible for the observed anhedonia-like behavior following FMT from CSDS-susceptible mice. Ingestion of F. rodentium for 14 days produced depression- and anhedonia-like behaviors, higher blood levels of interleukin-6, and reduced expression of synaptic proteins in the prefrontal cortex of ABX-treated Ephx2 KO mice. Furthermore, subdiaphragmatic vagotomy blocked the development of these behavioral abnormalities after ingestion of F. rodentium. Limitations Detailed mechanisms are unclear. Conclusions These findings suggest that F. rodentium might contribute to the conversion of resilient Ephx2 KO mice into KO mice with depression-like phenotypes. The brain–gut–microbiota axis via the subdiaphragmatic vagus nerve plays a crucial role in susceptibility and resilience to stress.

Silk fibroin (SF) from Bombyx mori is a natural polymer with exceptional biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, and ease of processability. SF-based hydrogels have been identified as one of the most...

The α7 subtype of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR: coded by Chrna7) regulates the cholinergic ascending anti-inflammatory pathway involved in depression. We previously reported that Chrna7 knock-out (KO) mice show depression-like phenotypes through systemic inflammation. In this study, we investigated whether fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from Chrna7 KO mice causes depression-like phenotypes in mice treated with an antibiotic cocktail (ABX). Chrna7 KO mice with depression-like phenotypes show an abnormal gut microbiota composition, although the alpha diversity and beta diversity were not altered. FMT from Chrna7 KO mice caused depression-like phenotypes, systemic inflammation, and downregulation of synaptic proteins in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in the ABX-treated mice compared to FMT from the control mice. The Principal component analysis based on the OTU level showed that the FMT group from the KO mice were different from the FMT group from the control mice. We found differences in abundance for several bacteria in the FMT group from the KO mice at the taxonomic level when compared with the other group. Interestingly, subdiaphragmatic vagotomy significantly blocked the development of depression-like phenotypes in the ABX-treated mice after FMT from Chrna7 KO mice. These data suggest that FMT from Chrna7 KO mice produce depression-like phenotypes in ABX-treated mice via the subdiaphragmatic vagus nerve. The brain-gut-microbiota axis association with the subdiaphragmatic vagus nerve plays an important role in the development of depression.

A 13-T superconducting magnet for neutron scattering experiments was being developed at the High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, which will provide a high magnetic field environment to research condensed matter physics. It is made up of 6 Nb3Sn coils and 8 NbTi coils to provide a 13-T central magnetic field with 0.5% field inhomogeneity in the sample region of O10 mm×10 mm cylinder. Due to the horizontal opening angle of 320° and the vertical opening angle of ±8°, there is a very limited space for the support structure, which is expected to withstand an electromagnetic force of approximately 200 tons; as a result, the design of the support structure is crucial in order to avoid any harmful plastic deformation. In this paper, the electromagnetic solution, structure design, and mechanical analysis are mainly presented.

Design and feasible verification of the round high-temperature superconducting (HTS) strand with REBCO tapes is the key technology for future fusion magnet application such as China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR). Flat tape configuration of REBCO tapes and incompatibility with cable design based on round low-temperature superconducting (LTS) strand lead to the development of new cable technology. In this article, a HTS strand variant with soldered multilayer copper tapes as filler and tube called SaMiT is developed following the technology path of twisted stacked-tape cable (TSTC). Due to the use of a milling process to form the round strand, the probability of REBCO tapes damage is reduced greatly in the manufacturing process. Meanwhile, the tapes delamination problem and solution is also discussed. The bending and twisting test of the samples are performed to verify the electromechanical characteristics. The measurement result shows the SaMiT has great potential in HTS cable application. Future tests at transverse load and high field are needed for fusion magnet application.

Various strand concept for high-temperature superconductor (HTS) flat tapes have been developed in the past few years for fusion magnet applications. We developed a round HTS strand with soldered multilayer copper tapes as filler and support called SaMiT following the technic path of twisted stacked-tape cable. DC tests performed under bending and twisting condition demonstrated that the proposed design of the HTS strand is promising in the high current cable and magnet application, but the study on electromechanical properties against the transverse and cyclic load is still needed. A press device was designed to measure the critical current of SaMiT sample at 77 K and self-field as a function of transverse and cyclic load to simulate the electromagnetic force load during the magnet operation. Transverse load amplitudes have been applied up to 40 MPa and cyclic load up to 1000 cycles at certain load amplitude. The experimental results are presented and structural optimization suggestions are discussed with visual inspection and analysis.

The transcription nuclear factor-erythroid factor 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) plays a key role in inflammation that is involved in depression. We previously reported that Nrf2 knock-out (KO) mice exhibit depression-like phenotypes through systemic inflammation. (R)-ketamine, an enantiomer of ketamine, has rapid-acting and long-lasting antidepressant-like effects in rodents. We investigated whether (R)-ketamine can produce antidepressant-like effects in Nrf2 KO mice. Effects of (R)-ketamine on the depression-like phenotypes in Nrf2 KO mice were examined. Furthermore, the role of TrkB in the antidepressant-like actions of (R)-ketamine was also examined. In the tail-suspension test (TST) and forced swimming test (FST), (R)-ketamine (10 mg/kg) significantly attenuated the increased immobility times of TST and FST in the Nrf2 KO mice. In the sucrose preference test (SPT), (R)-ketamine significantly ameliorated the reduced preference of SPT in Nrf2 KO mice. Decreased expression of synaptic proteins (i.e., GluA1 and PSD-95) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of Nrf2 KO mice was significantly ameliorated after a single injection of (R)-ketamine. Furthermore, the pre-treatment with the TrkB antagonist ANA-12 (0.5 mg/kg) significantly blocked the rapid and long-lasting antidepressant-like effects of (R)-ketamine in Nrf2 KO mice. Furthermore, ANA-12 significantly antagonized the beneficial effects of (R)-ketamine on decreased expression of synaptic proteins in the mPFC of Nrf2 KO mice. These findings suggest that (R)-ketamine can produce rapid and long-lasting antidepressant-like actions in Nrf2 KO mice via TrkB signaling.

Let H be a Hilbert $$C^*$$ -module, and let $$H_M$$ be the indefinite inner space induced by a self-adjointable and invertible operator M on H. Given weighted projections P and Q on $$H_M$$ , let $$S_{\lambda ,k}=(PQ)^k-\lambda (QP)^k$$ for a pair $$(k, \lambda )$$ , where k is a natural number and $$\lambda $$ is a complex number. It is proved that $$PQ-QP$$ is weighted Moore–Penrose invertible if and only if $$S_{\lambda ,k}$$ is weighted Moore–Penrose invertible for every pair $$(k, \lambda )$$ .

Background Soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) in the metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids might play a role in the pathogenesis of major psychiatric disorders. Here we studied whether expression of sEH protein is altered in the postmortem samples (parietal cortex, and liver) from patients with major psychiatric disorders. Methods Protein expression of sEH in the parietal cortex and liver from control, major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), and schizophrenia (SZ) groups was measured. Results Levels of sEH in the parietal cortex and liver from MDD, BD, and SZ groups were significantly higher than the control group. Interestingly, there was a positive correlation between sEH protein in the parietal cortex and sEH protein the liver in all groups. Limitations The small number in each group may limit our interpretation. Conclusions This study shows that the increased expression of sEH in the brain and liver might play a role in the pathogenesis of major psychiatric disorders, suggesting a role of brain – liver axis in major psychiatric disorders.

Epoxy resins was used to impregnate the HTS coils for mechanical reinforcement and insulation. Nevertheless, as impacted by the different thermal expansion coefficients between epoxy resin and HTS tape, the performance of epoxy impregnated HTS coils will be inevitably degraded. Given this, the ice impregnation technique of pulsed magnets was employed to HTS coils for the first time. However, the mechanical strength of ice is weak, voids or cracks are easy to form during the cooling down process. In this study we try to eliminate the crack by mixing water-soluble materials into water. The mechanical strength of ice itself was enhanced by the combination ice and fiberglass. Since ice was used for the insulating material, the electric insulation property of ice cannot be affected by the added substance, the D.C. breakdown voltage of specimen was tested.

The 25 T all superconducting magnet designed as a combination of 14 T low temperature superconductor (LTS) background field magnet and a 11 T YBCO insert coil has been developed at Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP). The prototype insert coil with no-insulation winding technique has the inner and outer diameters of 16 mm and 54 mm, respectively, and consists of ten single pancakes wound with about 220 m of YBCO conductors produced by Shanghai Superconducting Technologies Co., Ltd (SSTC). The preliminary tests were carried out at 77 K and 4.2 K. The test results show that the performance of coil did not degrade during the manufacturing and impregnation process, and it can generate a steady-state central magnetic field of 9.7 T in the 14.3 T background field, and 10.6 T in self-field. The detailed design, construction, and preliminary test results of the YBCO insert coil will be fully introduced in this paper.

Epoxy resins are commonly used to impregnate the High temperature superconducting (HTS) coils for mechanical reinforcement. However, performance degradation of the epoxy impregnated HTS coils is inevitable due to the different thermal expansion coefficients between the epoxy resin and the HTS tape. The ice impregnation technique of pulsed magnets was applied to HTS coils for the first time. But cracks were easily formed in ice during cooling process and the mechanical strength of ice was rarely studied at 77 K. To solve this problem, we introduced the technique of ice impregnation under confining pressure into HTS coils. In this paper, uniaxial tension test, compression test and crack detection test of ice were conducted in liquid nitrogen. And critical current of the HTS coil was also measured under confining pressure at 77 K. The experimental results showed that ice impregnated HTS coil under confining pressure did not have performance decay in critical current and the mechanical strength was significantly improved.

We report a comprehensive study on the elastic properties of a hexanary high-entropy alloy superconductor (ScZrNbTa)$_{0.685}$[RhPd]$_{0.315}$ at room and cryogenic temperatures, by Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy experiments. The derived elastic constants are bulk modulus $K=132.7$ GPa, Young's modulus $E=121.0$ GPa, shear modulus $G=44.9$ GPa, and Poisson's ratio $\nu$=0.348 for room temperature. The Young's and shear moduli are $\sim 10\%$ larger than those in NbTi superconductor with similar $T_c$, while the ductility is comparable. Moreover, the mechanical performance is further enhanced at cryogenic temperature. Our work confirms the advantageous mechanical properties of high-entropy alloy superconductors and suggests the application prospects., Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, 1 table

Owing to its simple properties, the application of injectable hydrogel in wound repair is limited. Therefore, the multi-functionalization of injectable hydrogel to improve the therapeutic effect is imperative. Here, keratin nanoparticles (Ker NPs) with facilitating epithelization capability and nanosized-EGCG covered with Ag nanoparticles (AE NPs) with radicals scavenging capability were used to functionalize injectable oxidized alginate/carboxylmethyl chitosan hydrogel (KA hydrogel). The radical scavenging experiments proved the anti-oxidative capacity of AE NPs. Rheological test exhibited that the gelation time and storage modulus of KA hydrogel were about 216 s and 403 Pa. Additionally, wound healing experiment in vivo showed that KA hydrogel could accelerated wound healing, especially in the early stage, and improved the thickness of renascent epidermis by 21 %. In this work, Ker NPs and AE NPs functionalization endowed injectable hydrogels with the capabilities of scavenging radicals and facilitating epithelization, which is promising for the applications in wound repair.

The deficiency of traditional calcium preparation will gradually be replaced by the new type of calcium preparation. Rosa roxburghii fruit (R. roxburghii) is popular for its rich nutrients and functional ingredients. The fermentation broth of R. roxburghii, involving amino acids, flavonoids, triterpenes, polysaccharides, and other compounds, is favorable for calcium chelation. Thus, this study fabricated calcium-incorporated R. roxburghii (FECa) and further illustrated its efficacy on bone mineral density (BMD) in rats. The calcium holding capacity of FECa was identified and confirmed using AAS. Ion complexation of FECa was characterized using 1H-NMR, UV, SEM and EDS, and FTIR. The calcium contents of femurs were increased by 36%, and the bone trabeculae of femurs were significantly increased. Net calcium balance was enhanced to further improve BMD by oral administration of FECa. The above results indicate that FECa can be a potential and efficient calcium supplementation agent.

The deficiency of traditional calcium preparation will gradually be replaced by the new type of calcium preparation.

Maternal immune activation (MIA) plays a role in the etiology of schizophrenia. MIA by prenatal exposure of polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid [poly(I:C)] in rodents caused behavioral and neurobiological changes relevant to schizophrenia in adult offspring. We investigated whether the novel antidepressant (R)-ketamine could prevent the development of psychosis-like phenotypes in adult offspring after MIA. We examined the effects of (R)-ketamine (10 mg/kg/day, twice weekly for 4 weeks) during juvenile and adolescent stages (P28–P56) on the development of cognitive deficits, loss of parvalbumin (PV)-immunoreactivity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and decreased dendritic spine density in the mPFC and hippocampus from adult offspring after prenatal poly(I:C) exposure. Furthermore, we examined the role of TrkB in the prophylactic effects of (R)-ketamine. Repeated intermittent administration of (R)-ketamine during juvenile and adolescent stages significantly blocked the development of cognitive deficits, reduced PV-immunoreactivity in the prelimbic (PrL) of mPFC, and decreased dendritic spine density in the PrL of mPFC, CA3 and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus from adult offspring after prenatal poly(I:C) exposure. Furthermore, pretreatment with ANA-12 (TrkB antagonist: twice weekly for 4 weeks) significantly blocked the beneficial effects of (R)-ketamine on cognitive deficits of adult offspring after prenatal poly(I:C) exposure. These data suggest that repeated intermittent administration of (R)-ketamine during juvenile and adolescent stages could prevent the development of psychosis in adult offspring after MIA. Therefore, (R)-ketamine would be a potential prophylactic drug for young subjects with high-risk for psychosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated neurological disease that attacks the central nervous system, including spinal cord and brain. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is the most commonly used model for MS. Depression is the most prevalent comorbidity in MS patients. We previously demonstrated that (R)-ketamine would be a novel antidepressant without side effects of ketamine. This study was undertaken to investigate whether (R)-ketamine could attenuate disease progression in EAE mouse model. (R)-ketamine (10 mg/kg/day for 15 days) significantly attenuated the reduction of body weight in EAE model mice compared to saline-treated mice. Furthermore, (R)-ketamine ameliorated the clinical EAE scores compared to saline-treated mice. Moreover, (R)-ketamine significantly attenuated the marked increases in the pathological scores, microglial activation, and blood-brain barrier integrity in the spinal cord compared to saline-treated mice. In conclusion, the current study suggests that (R)-ketamine could ameliorate EAE clinical scores and pathological changes in the spinal cord of EAE mice. Therefore, it is likely that (R)-ketamine would be a new potential prophylactic drug for MS.