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Garlic peels are frequently disposed of as agro‐waste; their bioactivity and physiological activity for health benefits and disease protection are neglected. This study aims to examine the potential inhibitory effects of garlic peel extract as an antioxidant on 4 T1 triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) tumors in mice. The bioactive constituents of garlic peel were identified through HPLC‐MS/MS analysis, while the antioxidant properties of garlic peel extract were assessed using peroxyl radical scavenging capacity (PSC) and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) assays. Subsequently, the inhibitory effects of garlic peel extract on 4T1 tumor growth were evaluated using a 4T1 model. The results showed that 433 polyphenol compounds were found in garlic peel extract; among them, flavonoids and phenolic acid are the primary polyphenols with natural antioxidant activity, and both high and low concentrations of the extract exhibited tumor‐suppressive effects. Immunohistochemistry was employed to assess the expression levels of COX‐2, CD31, VEGFA, MMP2, and MMP9 in tumor tissues in order to investigate the antioxidant properties of garlic peel extract, specifically its ability to suppress COX‐2 expression. The findings of this study offer a foundation for the advancement of garlic peel‐based functional products and contribute to the identification of potential anti‐cancer agents and therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southern corn leaf blight (SCLB) caused by Cochliobolus heterostrophus is a destructive disease that threatens global maize (Zea mays) production. Despite many studies being conducted, very little is known about molecular processes employed by the pathogen during infection. There is a need to understand the fungal arms strategy and identify novel functional genes as targets for fungicide development. Transcriptome analysis based on RNA sequencing was carried out across conidia germination and host infection by C. heterostrophus. The present study revealed major changes in C. heterostrophus gene expression during host infection. Several differentially expressed genes (DEGs) induced during C. heterostrophus infection could be involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, peroxisome, energy metabolism, amino acid degradation and oxidative phosphorylation. In addition, histone acetyltransferase, secreted proteins, peroxisomal proteins, NADPH oxidase and transcription factors were selected for further functional validation. Here, we demonstrated that histone acetyltransferases (Hat2 and Rtt109), secreted proteins (Cel61A and Mep1), peroxisomal proteins (Pex11A and Pex14), NADPH oxidases (NoxA, NoxD and NoxR) and transcription factors (Crz1 and MtfA) play essential roles in C. heterostrophus conidiation, stress adaption and virulence. Taken together, our study revealed major changes in gene expression associated with C. heterostrophus infection and identified a diverse repertoire of genes critical for successful infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ginseng, an important traditional Chinese medicine and a new resource food, has two production modes: farmland ginseng and forestland ginseng. Ginseng faces many problems such as high soil bulk density, easy hardening, low nutrient content, reduced porosity and increased soil acidification because of continuous cropping. Increasing studies indicate that plant rhizosphere symbiotic bacteria have an important effect on plant growth and development. We speculate that differences in microbial community may play an important role in promoting ginseng growth, development and health. To reveal the differences between farmland and forestland ginseng cultivation, and to address problems associated with continuous ginseng cropping, we investigated the effects of differences in plant rhizosphere symbiotic bacterial communities in promoting ginseng growth, development, and health. Result: In the present study, the microbial communities in the rhizosphere of different genotypes and ecological environments were analyzed using the high-throughput sequencing platform Illumina, phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt), and other technologies. The organic matter, total nitrogen, available nitrogen, and available phosphorus contents in forestland soil were significantly different from those in farmland. The bacterial communities of ginseng in forestland, farmland, and greenhouse environments have specific dominant groups at the phylum and genus levels. There were differences in the gene functions of ginseng root-related bacterial communities between forestland and farmland. There were significant differences in the abundance distribution of rhizosphere bacteria among the different genotypes at the phylum and genus levels. Conclusions: There is a close relationship between the ecological environment and bacterial population structure, and the ecological environment of forestland is more conducive to the formation of rich rhizosphere bacterial populations; additionally, the genetic diversity is richer than that of farmland. The rhizosphere bacterial community structure of ginseng was influenced by genotype, and there was a correlation between the distance between ginseng genotypes and the stratified clustering of its rhizosphere bacterial community structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method of ratiometric fluorescence detection of moxifloxacin (MOX) was developed based on carbon quantum dots (CQDs). Through a one-step hydrothermal method using soluble starch and acetic acid buffer solution as precursors, blue fluorescent CQDs with excitation wavelength-dependence were prepared. MOX could combine with CQDs to form a CQDs/MOX through hydrogen bonding. The absorption spectrum of CQDs/MOX and the fluorescence emission spectrum of CQDs overlapped to a certain extent, which allowed for fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) formation between CQDs/MOX and CQDs. For MOX detection, as the MOX concentration increased, the intensity of the fluorescence emission peak of CQDs decreased gradually, the intensity of the fluorescence emission peak of CQDs/MOX increased gradually, and the fluorescence emission peaks of CQDs and CQDs/MOX both had a red-shift. Based on the FRET system between CQDs and CQDs/MOX, a new method for ratiometric fluorescence detection of MOX was established. This method was more effective for MOX detection in the concentration range 3.3 × 10−7 to 2 × 10−6 M. Our method had high sensitivity and selectivity, and the limit of detection was 2.59 nM. The recovery rate of simulated water samples was 98.37–101.15%, which showed that this method was feasible for MOX analysis of actual water samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The kiwi berry (Actinidia arguta) is a new product on the market that expanding worldwide acceptance and consumption. This widespread interest has created an increasing demand to identify the nutritional and health benefits of kiwi berry. Many studies are being actively conducted to investigate the composition and health‐promoting effects of kiwi berry. In this study, the phytochemical content of free and bound fractions of eight kiwi berry varieties were systematically investigated in order to better understand the potential of this superfood crop. Nine phenolic monomers were identified and quantified by ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry and ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography‐PAD. Antioxidant activity was further determined via peroxyl radical scavenging capacity and cellular antioxidant activity assays. The free extracts had higher phytochemical contents and antioxidant activities than the corresponding bound extracts among the eight kiwi berry varieties. Bivariate Pearson's and multivariate correlation analyses showed that antioxidant activities were most related to the total phenolic, flavonoid, vitamin C, and phenolic acids contents. The results provide a theoretical basis for the selection of kiwi berry varieties and the utilization of functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mix‐dimensional heterojunctions (MDHJs) photodetectors (PDs) built from bulk and 2D materials are the research focus to develop hetero‐integrated and multifunctional optoelectronic sensor systems. However, it is still an open issue for achieving multiple effects synergistic characteristics to boost sensitivity and enrich the prospect in artificial bionic systems. Herein, electrically tunable Te/WSe2 MDHJs phototransistors are constructed, and an ultralow dark current below 0.1 pA and a large on/off rectification ratio of 106 is achieved. Photoconductive, photovoltaic, and photo‐thermoelectric conversions are simultaneously demonstrated by tuning the gate and bias. By these synergistic effects, responsivity and detectivity respectively reach 13.9 A W−1 and 1.37 × 1012 Jones with 400 times increment. The Te/WSe2 MDHJs PDs can function as artificial bionic visual systems due to the comparable response time to those of the human visual system and the presence of transient positive and negative response signals. This work offers an available strategy for intelligent optoelectronic devices with hetero‐integration and multifunctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Resource products are formed by carbene, formaldehyde and glyoxal pathway. • TiO 2 -, carbon nitride-, metal organic framework-, covalent organic framework-, Cu- and sulfide-based catalysts show good photocatalytic CO 2 RR performance. • Optimization of catalyst structure and function is a necessary solution to the low efficiency and selectivity. • Achieving the synergistic catalytic conversion of CO 2 with other substances is a direction worthy of future research and attention. Photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 technology has become one of the potential technologies for CO 2 recycling due to advantages of mild reaction conditions, green and clean. Currently, photocatalytic CO 2 reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) has limitations of low conversion rate and poor product selectivity. Therefore, the optimization of reaction process and the improvement of catalyst performance are the current research priorities. This review introduces the principle and process of photocatalytic CO 2 RR, summarizes the effects of the key influencing factors (photo-excitation, separation/transfer of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, adsorption/activation of CO 2 , etc.), possible adverse processes/competitive reactions (photo-corrosion, hydrogen evolution competition, product oxidation, etc.) and the types of reactors on catalytic performance, puts forward the corresponding optimization measures (element doping, defect engineering, co-catalyst loading, heterojunction structure etc.), and combs possible reaction pathways of carbene pathway and formaldehyde pathway from C 1 products (CH 4 , CO, CH 3 OH, etc.), and the coupling of CH 2 or CH 3 intermediate to ethylene (C 2 H 4) or ethane (C 2 H 6) based on C 1 pathway and glyoxal pathway of the formation of CH 3 COOH based on formyl dimerization in the photocatalytic CO 2 RR. Based on the above-mentioned reduction products, this review respectively summarizes the research progress of dominant catalysts (TiO 2 -, carbon nitride-, metal organic framework-, covalent organic framework-, Cu- and sulfide-based catalysts, etc.) and their catalytic performances, which provide the basis design and also advanced ideas for improving CO 2 RR catalysts with outstanding performance and selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature‐dependent Raman scattering spectra of NiAs‐type MnTe epitaxial films were measured to explore the temperature evolution of phonon modes and especially the spin‐phonon coupling across Néel temperature (TN). A significant deviation from an anharmonic mode below TN strongly supports the existence of spin‐phonon interaction, and its coupling strength is calculated to be approximately −0.16 cm−1 from the E2g phonon. Two‐magnons (2M) scattering is found, which is proposed to closely relate to the nearest neighbor (NN) exchange interaction. These data elucidate the nature of the spin‐phonon coupling in antiferromagnetic (AFM) MnTe and can avail to develop MnTe‐based AFM spintronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional GaGeTe flakes with different thicknesses from 80 to 2.2 nm (bilayer) were exfoliated and transferred to a SiO2/Si substrate. A series of samples with different thicknesses were prepared and identified by optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Raman spectrum. Raman modes strongly dependent on the layer thickness and characteristic Raman-active modes for few-layer (FL) GaGeTe flakes are demonstrated. These vibration modes of FL GaGeTe show a linear red-shift phenomenon with increasing temperature and their full width at half maximum of the Raman mode exhibits a weak temperature dependence below 200 K, and then, a linear increase with temperature. The electrical conductivity is 96.48 S/cm for 74 nm flakes and drops exponentially to 2.27 × 10−7 S/cm for 7 nm ones because of the bandgap widening with the decrease of layer thickness, which is evidenced by the work function increase from 4.4 to 4.96 eV, when the thickness decreases from 80 to 2.2 nm. Moreover, the electrical conductivity performs two different temperature dependence behaviors on the thickness, indicating a transition from semimetal for bulk to semiconductor for FL GaGeTe, which agrees well with that of the theoretical calculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • ZB-MnTe thin films are epitaxially grown by MBE in spite of the metastable nature. • High-crystalline quality, atomic surface flatness and sharp interface are yielded. • PL emissions of 4 T 1g (4 G) and 4 T 1 (4 G) related to Mn2+ d - d multiplets are observed. • Two extra PL transitions attributed to STE states are demonstrated below T N. • Dynamics of photoexcited d -electrons are strongly correlated to the AFM transition. Single-crystalline γ -MnTe thin films with zinc-blende structure were grown epitaxially on InP(1 1 1) by molecular beam epitaxy. Two-dimensional growth regime and atomic surface flatness are achieved, and appearance of Laue's oscillation peaks illustrates the superior crystalline quality and interface of γ -MnTe films. A pseudocrystal buffer layer is formed at interface releasing the strain led by the large lattice mismatch between γ -MnTe and InP, and then growth of γ -MnTe films with a perfect lattice evidences the high-quality crystallinity in a fully relaxed state. Photoluminescence (PL) emissions from 4 T 1g (4 G) and 4 T 1 (4 G) related to Mn2+ ions d - d multiplets are observed with their respective activation energies of ∼142.5 meV and ∼323.5 meV. Such high potentials reflecting the nonradiative recombination indicate the thermal stability of these PL. Moreover, two extra PL transitions assigned to be the emissions from self-trapped exciton (STE) states are found below T N. Time-resolved PL (TRPL) spectra at various temperatures indicate that the relaxation dynamics of photoexcited d -electrons is strongly correlated to the antiferromagnetic ordering transition due to the synergy of magnon, phonon and STE states. These findings suggest that introduction of STE states in a material by controlling its magnetic ordering qualifies the competition in optoelectronics devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The polysaccharide and polyphenol in kiwi berry can alleviate constipation. • Intestinal motility and neurotransmitters were adjusted by kiwi berry extracts. • Kiwi berry extracts increase the SCF/c-kit signaling pathway expression. • The diversity of microbial community was increased by kiwi berry extracts. • The ratio of Firmicutes / Bacteroides was reduced in kiwi berry extracts. Kiwi berry (Actinidia arguta) is beneficial for relieving constipation, but the mechanism of easing constipation is still unknown. The alleviating effects of kiwi berry polysaccharide and polyphenol extracts on loperamide induced constipation were studied. Administration with polysaccharide extract of kiwi berry in loperamide-induced constipation mice distinctly decreased the body weight gain by 124.0%, the number and the water content of feces was decreased by 152.4% and 107.0% respectively, gastrointestinal (GI) transit rate was decreased by 39.5% and the time to the first dark stool was largen by 56.2% as compared with those in the loperamide group, respectively. The levels of excitability neurotransmitters were increased, and the inhibitory neurotransmitter was decreased in the kiwi berry extracts groups compared with the loperamide group. The levels of aquaporins were decreased to ameliorate constipation. Moreover, kiwi berry extracts can protect colon smooth muscle cells from apoptosis and help to restore colon health. Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) and animal experiments suggested that kiwi berry extracts can up-regulate the expression levels of stem cell factors (SCF)/c-kit protein. Kiwi berry can remodel the structure of microbial communities. All findings suggest that kiwi berry polysaccharide and polyphenol especially its polysaccharide extract, can effectively alleviate constipation induced by loperamide. Kiwi berry is a promising food supplement that can be used to relieve constipation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photodetectors with molecular beam epitaxial CdTe single-crystalline films on SrTiO 3 were fabricated by varying the channel length to optimize the response performance. Optoelectric properties were characterized by semiconductor characterization system and high-speed oscilloscope. Crucial detecting parameters were extracted and their dependences on channel length were summarized. The responsivity, detectivity and gain increased exponentially with contracting the channel length while the response time and photo-to-dark current ratio exhibited a linear dependence. Ultrafast response speed with the ultrashort response time of ≈1.7 ms and high on/off ratio of ≈7.3 were achieved in the 3 μm channel size photodetector. Pole figure of CdTe/SrTiO 3 epitaxial system was performed to explain the low response properties and the trade-off among these response parameters was also discussed. • Photodetectors with MBE CdTe single-crystalline films on SrTiO 3 are fabricated. • The effect of the channel size on photoresponse performance was studied. • The R , D* and G show exponential dependence on contracting the channel size. • The response time and photo-to-dark current ratio depend linearly on the channel size. • Ultrafast response speed with the ultrashort response time of ≈1.7 ms is achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • N-doped into TiO 2 lattice with the form of O-Ti-N effectively reduces the band gap. • N-TiO 2 (1) promotes the transfer of e- and suppresses recombination. • OH is the dominated active radical to maintain the stability of reaction. • Photocatalytic oxidation mechanisms of NH 3 over N-TiO 2 (1) are proposed. Nitrogen modified TiO 2 catalysts (N-TiO 2 (1)) with high photocatalytic activity and non-deactivating stability were prepared by using urea as nitrogen source. Its efficiency of photocatalytic oxidation of NH 3 (NH 3 -PCO) remained above 80 %, peaking at 88 % at room temperature over 72 h, while N 2 selectivity also improved noticeably, stabilizing at approximately 87.1 %. Conversely, the NH 3 conversion on pure TiO 2 plateaued at approximately 67 % within 72 h, peaking at only 72.8 %, with nitrogen selectivity not exceeding 55 %. N element was successfully doped into TiO 2 lattice system in the form of O-Ti-N, which reduced the band gap energy from 3.18 eV to 3.07 eV and improved the light utilization rate. The water molecules formed during the reaction contribute to the in-situ reaction to continually generate hydroxyl radicals (·OH), thereby conferring greater reaction stability. By-products NO x - and NO x are formed during the reaction process, while NO x will be also converted to N 2 by initial selective catalytic reduction (i-SCR) mechanism. These findings present a novel perspective for enhancing the stability of NH 3 -PCO active agents and have substantial applications within the parameters of air pollution control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcome of testicular spermatozoon versus ejaculated spermatozoon in the treatment of infertile males with high sperm DNA damage, referred as sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI), that attending intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) programme in terms of clinical pregnancy, births delivered as the primary and pregnancy loss and embryo fertilisation as the secondary outcome. A total of 102 males fulfilling the inclusion criteria were enrolled in the present study. Of the 102 males, 61 infertile males underwent testicular spermatozoon combined with ICSI while the remaining 41 males applied ejaculated spermatozoa in their first ICSI cycles, and the data of them were collected and analysed. In a 18‐month follow‐up, testicular spermatozoon achieved higher pregnancy rate and deliver rate than those in ejaculated sperm group (pregnancy rate, 36% vs. 14.6%, p = 0.017; deliver rate, 38.5% vs. 9.8%, p = 0.001). Nevertheless, there were no significant differences in the number of oocytes aspirated and number of embryos transferred between the two groups. Additionally, the fertilisation rate in the testicular sperm study cohort (70.4%) was also similar to that in the ejaculated sperm group (75.0%). Based on the current data, we conclude that testicular spermatozoon is the prior option in the treatment of infertile males with high sperm DFI in ICSI programme. More high‐quality studies with larger samples size are needed in the future due to the relative small size and the nonrandomized design of the present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tribbles homolog 2 (TRIB2) plays an important role in the follicular development of female mammals. However, its expression and function in the yak (Bos grunniens) are still unclear. In this study, we predicted the molecular characteristics of TRIB2, and revealed its expression pattern in yak (Bos grunniens) tissues and ovarian granulosa cells. We cloned the full length of the yak TRIB2 gene obtained by RT-PCR was 1368 bp and the coding sequence (CDS) was 624 bp, encoding 207 amino acids (AA). Homology analysis showed that the yak TRIB2 is highly conserved among species. TRIB2 was detected to be extensively expressed in seven tissues of the yak liver, spleen, lung, kidney, ovary, oviduct and uterus by qPCR. The expression of TRIB2 mRNA in the ovary during gestation was significantly lower than that in the non-pregnant (p < 0.05). At each stage of follicle development, the TRIB2 mRNA in granulosa cells showed a significant upward trend with the development of follicles. The expression of TRIB2 gradually decreased with the increase of the culture time of the granulosa cells in vitro. In conclusion, these results suggest that TRIB2 may play an important role in the follicular development of yaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanism of "Society-Ecology-Policy" Ternary System for People's Livelihood and Well-being. [Display omitted] • Innovative integration of policy elements into coupling coordinated development. • Discussion on the impact of economy and ecology on people's livelihood and well-being. • Social development & ecological protection have negative effect in current period. • Efficient response-implement of policy is key to people's livelihood & well-being. • Shandong has the highest level of comprehensive development. Since 2008, people's livelihoods and well-being has undergone profound changes, especially the Yellow River basin in China. Under the background of coordinated development, it is of great significance to research the temporal-spatial variation mechanism of people's livelihoods and well-being. This study establishes a "society-ecology-policy" ternary system to analyze the coordinated development in nine provinces situated along the Yellow River from 2009 to 2018. Furthermore, it explores the system's coordinated development mechanism with respect to people's livelihoods and well-being in different regions based on the geographically and temporally weighted regression theory(GTWR). The results were as follows. First, the impacts of social development (SD i), watershed ecological protection (WEP i), and policy support (PS i) in the middle and lower reaches are generally stronger than those in other regions. Shandong showed the highest average comprehensive benefit. Second, from the perspective of coupling coordinated development, Qinghai and Shanxi were classified as slightly uncoordinated; Sichuan, Ningxia, Gansu, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Henan were basically coordinated; and Inner Mongolia and Shandong were moderately coordinated. Third, clear temporal-spatial differences existed in the impact of degrees of coordinated development on people's livelihoods and well-being. Social development provided a driving force for the economy, yet excessive use of natural resources had a significant negative impact. While ecological debt and long payback periods of environmental protection investment may negatively impact people's livelihoods and well-being, the rapid response and precise execution of policies are key guarantees for improving the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sperm cryopreservation is one of the most effective methods for the conservation of germplasm resources and used of superior sires widely. However, the motility of yak (Bos grunniens) sperm was low after thawing and the proteomics changes in sperm cryopreservation remain unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the differences between fresh sperm and frozen sperm of yak through the proteomic analysis and thus improve the understanding of sperm cryodamage. The Tandem Mass Tags (TMT) technology was used to screen differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) before and after freezing. Then, GO and KEGG analysis were conducted to analyze the DEPs enriched signaling pathways. Finally, the DEPs, including superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) and NADH ubiquinone oxidoreductase core subunit S8 (NDUFS8) were verified by the immunofluorescence technique. The results showed that there were 229 DEPs between fresh and frozen-thawed yak sperm. Compared with the fresh sperm, 120 proteins were up-regulated and 109 proteins were down-regulated in frozen-thawed sperm. The GO annotation showed that the up-regulated proteins enriched in metabolic and cytoskeleton-related processes, including lipoprotein metabolic process, lipid transport, extracellular region and intermediate filament cytoskeleton organization. In contrast, the down-regulated proteins enriched in biological processes including single fertilization, sperm capacitation and response to unfolded protein. KEGG pathway analysis indicated that freezing and thawing affected the oxidative phosphorylation pathway, the fructose and mannose metabolic pathway and the glycerolipid metabolic pathway of yak sperm. Immunofluorescence results showed that the protein expression level of SOD1 protein in the frozen group was significantly lower than that in the fresh group (P < 0.01), and the protein expression level of NDUFS8 protein was significantly higher in frozen group (P < 0.01). This study revealed the DEPs between fresh and frozen-thawed sperm and provides a theoretical basis to further explore the exertion of normal biological functions of yak sperm after freezing and thawing. • The differential protein profiles were established between fresh and frozen-thawed sperm of yak Bos grunniens. • SOD1 is a representative down-regulated DEP. • NDUFS8 is a representative up-regulated DEP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, rhodamine 6G (Rh 6G) was modified on the surface of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) synthesized by a hydrothermal method via a microwave reaction and Rh 6G-CQDs (R-CQDs) with obvious double emission peaks were obtained. UV-visible (UV-vis), fluorescence, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra showed that Rh 6G was successfully modified on the surface of CQDs. Rh 6G modification on the surface of CQDs is more stable than simple mixing dependent on electrostatic adsorption, avoids desorption and degradation of the dye, and further improves the quantum yield of CQDs. The broader emission spectrum of R-CQDs effectively increases the overlap with the absorption spectrum, R-CQDs with ratio fluorescence properties achieve selective detection of doxorubicin (DOX) by the inner filter effect (IFE) and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), and it has a good linear response in the range of 8 × 10−7–4.28 × 10−5 M with a recovery of 93.29–109.51% and a minimum detection limit of 5.31 × 10−7 M. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a commonly used food preservative, glycerol monocaprylate (GMC) has limited information and lacked a comprehensive risk assessment. In this study, we conducted in vitro genotoxicity tests, a 90-day subchronic toxicity study, and dietary exposure assessment in China. Rats (n = 10/sex/group) were orally administered GMC at doses of 1.02, 2.04, and 4.08 g/kg BW/day along with a water and corn oil for 90 days, including satellite groups (n = 5/sex/group) in the control groups and 4.08 g/kg BW dose group for observation after 90 days. Body weight, food consumption, hematology, serum biochemistry, urinalysis, endocrine hormone level and other metrics were examined. GMC did not exhibit genotoxicity based on the genotoxicity tests results, and an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 40.8 mg/kg BW/day was established based on the 90-day subchronic toxicity study. Estimated daily intake of GMC for general population and consumer population in China were 0.99 mg/kg BW/day and 3.19 mg/kg BW/day respectively, which were significantly lower than the ADI. Our findings suggest that GMC does not pose a known health risk to Chinese consumers at the current usage level. • The dietary exposure assessment of GMC in China was conducted. • No significant toxicity was detected after 90 days of GMC exposure. • The current dietary exposure of GMC in China is safe for consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elemental doping is an effective strategy to overcome the degradation of the rate performance of cobalt-free layered cathode materials, which is attributable to the absence of cobalt. This study focuses on the implementation of a modified doping strategy, which entails in-situ coprecipitation to introduce 0.3 mol% Zr4+ as a dopant to these cathode materials. This approach enabled us to confirm that in-situ Zr4+ doping significantly impacted the crystallization behavior and electrochemical properties of these materials and this effect is not negligible. In particular, in-situ Zr4+ doping increased the crystallization temperature of the materials and broadened the spacing between the lithium layers while maintaining the original crystal configuration. The doped sample had the best cycling stability at the crystallization temperature of 800 °C (capacity retention of 80.03% after 200 cycles at the 1 C rate) and rate performance (discharge specific capacity of up to 161.6 mAh g−1 at the 5 C rate), whereas the original (undoped) sample delivered the best electrochemical performance at 780 °C (capacity retention of 74.29% after 200 cycles at the 1 C rate and discharge capacity at the 5 C rate of 154.57 mAh g−1). • The in-situ method successfully achieved uniform Zr–doping in the bulk phase of NM. • In-situ Zr4+ doping has a significant influence on the crystallization process behavior. • In-situ Zr4+ doping further enhanced the cyclic stability and rate performance of NM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new carrier for loading piperine was prepared using pepper starch, and its interaction mechanism was investigated. The porous pepper starch-piperine complex (PPS-PIP) showed higher loading efficiency (76.15 %) compared to the porous corn starch-piperine complex (PCS-PIP (52.34 %)). This may be ascribed to the hemispherical shell structure of porous pepper starch (PPS) compared to the porous structure of porous corn starch (PCS) based on the SEM result. PPS-PIP had smaller particle size (10.53 μm), higher relative crystallinity (38.95 %), and better thermal stability (87.45 °C) than PCS-PIP (17.37 μm, 32.17 %, 74.35 °C). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results implied that piperine not only forms a complex with amylose but may also be physically present in porous starch. This was demonstrated by the short-range order and X-ray type. Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that hydrogen bonding is the primary interaction between amylose and piperine. Besides the formation of the amylose-piperine complex, some of the piperine is also present in physical form. [Display omitted] • The interaction mechanism was studied by piperine (core) and pepper starch (carrier). • The porous pepper starch (PPS) showed a higher loading efficiency for piperine. • Compared porous corn starch (PCS), hemispherical shell structure was found in PPS. • As carrier, the PPS showed better thermal stability for piperine than that of PCS. • MD confirmed the piperine is physical format except for forming the amylose complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hydrothermal method for preparing water‐soluble carbon quantum dots (CQDs) was studied using the citric acid and thiourea. The CQDs have high fluorescence Intensity, high photoluminescence stability and uniform size. Their average size is 5 nm. Their maximum excitation and emission wavelengths are 364 and 452 nm, respectively. divalent copper ions can quench the fluorescence of CQDs and captopril can interact with divalent copper ions to form complexes, the complexes can further reduce the fluorescence of CQDs due to self‐absorption, and there was a linear relationship between the ratio of the fluorescence intensities before and after adding captopril and the captopril concentration. A novel, simple, and environmentally friendly fluorescence detection method for captopril was established. It has been successfully used for captopril detection in captopril tablets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Free fractions of different blackberry varieties' extracts are high in phenolic compounds with antioxidant activities. However, the phenolic profiles and antioxidant activities against peroxyl radicals of bound fractions of different blackberry varieties' extracts have not been previously reported. In addition, what the key antioxidant phenolic compounds are in free and bound fractions of blackberry extracts remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the phenolic profiles and antioxidant activities of free and bound fractions of eight blackberry varieties' extracts and reveal the key antioxidant phenolic compounds by boosted regression trees. RESULTS: Fifteen phenolics (three anthocyanins, four flavonols, three phenolic acids, two proanthocyanidins, and three ellagitannins) were identified in blackberry by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. Ferulic acid, ellagic acid, procyanidin C1, kaempferol‐O‐hexoside, ellagitannins hex, and gallic acid were major bound phenolics. Bound fractions of eight blackberry varieties' extracts were high in phenolics and showed great antioxidant activity. Boosted regression trees analysis showed that cyanidin‐3‐O‐glucoside and chlorogenic acid were the most significant compounds, contributing 48.4% and 15.9% respectively to the antioxidant activity of free fraction. Ferulic acid was the most significant antioxidant compound in bound fraction, with a contribution of 61.5%. Principal component analysis showed that Kiowa was the best among the eight varieties due to its phenolic profile and antioxidant activity. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that blackberry varieties contained high amounts of bound phenolics, which confer health benefits through reducing oxidative stress. Ferulic acid was the key compound to explain the antioxidant activities of bound fractions. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Schistosomiasis japonica is a severe zoonosis. Domestic animals are the primary source of infection and play an important role in disease transmission. Surveillance and diagnosis play key roles in schistosomiasis control; however, current techniques for the surveillance and diagnosis of the disease have limitations. In this study, we developed a novel fluorescence immunochromatographic assay (FICA) strip to detect anti-Schistosoma japonicum antibodies in host serum. Methods: A FICA strip was developed for the diagnosis of Schistosoma japonicum in domestic animals. Streptococcus protein G (SPG) and soluble egg antigen (SEA) were transferred onto a nitrocellulose (NC) membrane to form the control line (C) and the test line (T), respectively. With fluorescence activity as well as binding activity to multispecies IgG, the recombinant protein rSPG-RFP was expressed and employed as an antibody indicator in the FICA strips. Results: The dual gene fusion plasmid was verified by PCR and restriction enzyme digestion. The expressed recombinant protein was 39.72 kDa in size, which was consistent with the predicted molecular weight. The western blot results showed binding activity between rSPG-RFP and IgGs from different hosts. Fluorescence microscopy also showed the fluorescence activity of the protein present. The affinity constant (Ka) values of rSPG-RFP with rabbit, donkey, mouse and goat IgG were 1.9 × 105, 4.1 × 105, 1.7 × 105 and 5.4 × 105, respectively. Moreover, based on the recombinant protein, the test strip for detecting S. japonicum in buffaloes could distinguish positive from negative serum. The lower limit of detection of the FICA strip was 1:10,000. Compared with ELISA, the FICA strips exhibited similar results in the diagnosis of infection in clinical bovine serum samples, with a kappa value of 0.9660 and P < 0.01. The cross-reactivities of the FICA strips with Haemonchus contortus and Schistosoma turkestanicum (30.15% and 91.66%, respectively) were higher than those of ELISA (26.98% and 87.5%, respectively). Conclusions: Based on the rSPG-RFP protein that we developed, strip detection can be completed within 15 min. Heightened sensitivity allows the strip to accurately identify schistosome antibodies in serum. In conclusion, this method is convenient, feasible, rapid and effective for detecting S. japonicum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Schistosomiasis japonica is a severe zoonosis. Domestic animals are the primary source of infection and play an important role in disease transmission. Surveillance and diagnosis play key roles in schistosomiasis control; however, current techniques for the surveillance and diagnosis of the disease have limitations. In this study, we developed a novel fluorescence immunochromatographic assay (FICA) strip to detect anti-Schistosoma japonicum antibodies in host serum. Methods: A FICA strip was developed for the diagnosis of Schistosoma japonicum in domestic animals. Streptococcus protein G (SPG) and soluble egg antigen (SEA) were transferred onto a nitrocellulose (NC) membrane to form the control line (C) and the test line (T), respectively. With fluorescence activity as well as binding activity to multispecies IgG, the recombinant protein rSPG-RFP was expressed and employed as an antibody indicator in the FICA strips. Results: The dual gene fusion plasmid was verified by PCR and restriction enzyme digestion. The expressed recombinant protein was 39.72 kDa in size, which was consistent with the predicted molecular weight. The western blot results showed binding activity between rSPG-RFP and IgGs from different hosts. Fluorescence microscopy also showed the fluorescence activity of the protein present. The affinity constant (Ka) values of rSPG-RFP with rabbit, donkey, mouse and goat IgG were 1.9 × 105, 4.1 × 105, 1.7 × 105 and 5.4 × 105, respectively. Moreover, based on the recombinant protein, the test strip for detecting S. japonicum in buffaloes could distinguish positive from negative serum. The lower limit of detection of the FICA strip was 1:10,000. Compared with ELISA, the FICA strips exhibited similar results in the diagnosis of infection in clinical bovine serum samples, with a kappa value of 0.9660 and P < 0.01. The cross-reactivities of the FICA strips with Haemonchus contortus and Schistosoma turkestanicum (30.15% and 91.66%, respectively) were higher than those of ELISA (26.98% and 87.5%, respectively). Conclusions: Based on the rSPG-RFP protein that we developed, strip detection can be completed within 15 min. Heightened sensitivity allows the strip to accurately identify schistosome antibodies in serum. In conclusion, this method is convenient, feasible, rapid and effective for detecting S. japonicum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ozone exposure leads to inflammatory and histopathologic changes in the lungs. • Ozone exposure caused changes in gut and lung microbes. • Key microbes correlate with lung function and immune-biochemical markers. Ozone (O 3) is one of the most harmful pollutants affecting health. However, the potential effects of O 3 exposure on microbes in the gut–lung axis related to lung injuries remain elusive. In this study, female mice were exposed to 0-, 0.5- and 1-ppm O 3 for 28 days, followed by routine blood tests, lung function tests and histopathological examination of the colon, nasal cavity and lung. Mouse faeces and lungs were collected for 16s rRNA sequencing to assess the overall microbiological profile and screen for key differential enriched microbes (DEMs). The key DEMs in faecal samples were Butyricimonas , Rikenellaceae RC9 and Escherichia-Shigella , whereas those in lung samples were DNF00809 , Fluviicola , Bryobacter , Family XII AD3011 group , Sharpea , MND1 and unclassified Phycisphaeraceae. After a search in microbe–disease databases, these key DEMs were found to be associated with lung diseases such as lung neoplasms, cystic fibrosis, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory distress syndrome and bronchiectasis. Subsequently, we used transcriptomic data from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) with exposure conditions similar to those in this study to cross-reference with Comparative Toxicogenomic Database (CTD). Il-6 and Ccl2 were identified as the key causative genes and were validated. The findings of this study suggest that exposure to O 3 leads to significant changes in the microbial composition of the gut and lungs. These changes are associated with increased levels of inflammatory factors in the lungs and impaired lung function, resulting in an increased risk of lung disease. Altogether, this study provides novel insights into the role of microbes present in the gut–lung axis in O 3 exposure-induced lung injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Schistosomiasis japonica is a severe zoonosis. Domestic animals are the primary source of infection and play an important role in disease transmission. Surveillance and diagnosis play key roles in schistosomiasis control; however, current techniques for the surveillance and diagnosis of the disease have limitations. In this study, we developed a novel fluorescence immunochromatographic assay (FICA) strip to detect anti-Schistosoma japonicum antibodies in host serum. Methods: A FICA strip was developed for the diagnosis of Schistosoma japonicum in domestic animals. Streptococcus protein G (SPG) and soluble egg antigen (SEA) were transferred onto a nitrocellulose (NC) membrane to form the control line (C) and the test line (T), respectively. With fluorescence activity as well as binding activity to multispecies IgG, the recombinant protein rSPG-RFP was expressed and employed as an antibody indicator in the FICA strips. Results: The dual gene fusion plasmid was verified by PCR and restriction enzyme digestion. The expressed recombinant protein was 39.72 kDa in size, which was consistent with the predicted molecular weight. The western blot results showed binding activity between rSPG-RFP and IgGs from different hosts. Fluorescence microscopy also showed the fluorescence activity of the protein present. The affinity constant (Ka) values of rSPG-RFP with rabbit, donkey, mouse and goat IgG were 1.9 × 105, 4.1 × 105, 1.7 × 105 and 5.4 × 105, respectively. Moreover, based on the recombinant protein, the test strip for detecting S. japonicum in buffaloes could distinguish positive from negative serum. The lower limit of detection of the FICA strip was 1:10,000. Compared with ELISA, the FICA strips exhibited similar results in the diagnosis of infection in clinical bovine serum samples, with a kappa value of 0.9660 and P < 0.01. The cross-reactivities of the FICA strips with Haemonchus contortus and Schistosoma turkestanicum (30.15% and 91.66%, respectively) were higher than those of ELISA (26.98% and 87.5%, respectively). Conclusions: Based on the rSPG-RFP protein that we developed, strip detection can be completed within 15 min. Heightened sensitivity allows the strip to accurately identify schistosome antibodies in serum. In conclusion, this method is convenient, feasible, rapid and effective for detecting S. japonicum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]