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Background: Biological phenotypes are important characteristics of microorganisms, and often reflect their genotype and genotype changes. Traditionally, Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum) phenotypes were detected using carbon source assimilation tests, during which the types of tested substances are limited. In addition, the operation is complicated, and only one substance can be tested at once. To observe the changes of the metabolic phenotype of T. rubrum after laser irradiation, a high-throughput phenotype microarray system was used to analyze the metabolism of different carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur source substrates in a Biolog metabolic phenotyping system. Results: The strain of T. rubrum used in this study can effectively utilize 33 carbon, 20 nitrogen, 16 phosphorus, and 13 sulfur source substrates prior to laser irradiation. After laser irradiation, the strain was able to utilize 10 carbon, 12 nitrogen, 12 phosphorus, and 8 sulfur source substrates. The degree of utilization was significantly decreased compared with the control. Both groups efficiently utilized saccharides and organic acids as carbon sources as well as some amino acids as nitrogen sources for growth. The number of substrates utilized by T. rubrum after laser irradiation were significantly reduced, especially carbon substrates. Some substrates utilization degree in the laser treated group was higher than control, such as D-glucosamine, L-glutamine, D-2-Phospho-Glyceric Acid, D-glucosamine-6-phosphate, and D-methionine. Conclusion: Laser irradiation of T. rubrum may lead to changes in the metabolic substrate and metabolic pathway, thus weakening the activity of the strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human milk, which contains various nutrients, is the "gold standard" for infant nutrition. Healthy human milk meets all the nutritional needs of early infant development. Polar lipids mainly exist in the milk fat globule membrane, accounting for approximately 1–2% of human milk lipids; sphingomyelin (SM) accounts for approximately 21–24% of polar lipids. SM plays an important role in promoting the development of the brain and nervous system, regulating intestinal flora, and improving skin barriers. Though SM could be synthesized de novo , SM nutrition from dietary is also important for infants. The content and composition of SM in human milk has been reported, however, the molecular mechanisms of nutritional functions of SM for infants required further research. This review summarizes the functional mechanisms, metabolic pathways, and compositional, influencing factors, and mimicking of SM in human milk, and highlights the challenges of improving maternal and infant early/long-term nutrition. • Sphingomyelin (SM), main polar lipid in human milk, often forms lipid raft micro-domain. • SM are important for nervous system, intestinal flora, lipids metabolism, and skin barrier. • SM synthesize de novo could not meet infant requirement, exogenous supplementation is necessary. • SM content was influenced by maternal lactation stage ("U-shaped" changes), age, diet, and region. • The main molecular species in human milk are SM 40:1;2, SM 42:2;2 and SM 38:1;2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Infant gut microbiota which plays an important role in long-term health is mainly shaped by early life nutrition. However, the effect of nutrients on infants gut microbiota is less researched. Here, we present a study aiming to investigate in vitro a modified formula that is supplemented with milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) that were missing in common formulas when compared with human milk and to assess the impact of feeding scheme on microbiota and metabolism. Methods: A total of 44 infants including 16 from breast milk feeding, 13 from common formula feeding and 15 from modified formula feeding were analyzed, and A cross-sectional sampling of fecal and urine was done at 1 month-of-age. Stool microbiota composition was characterized using high-throughput DNA sequencing, and urinary metabolome was profiled by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In vitro growth experiment of Bifidobacterium with key components from MFGM was performed and analyzed by both DNA and RNA. Results: Stool samples from the infants who were breastfed had a higher relative abundance of Bifidobacterium and a lower relative abundance of Escherichia than the formula-fed infants. The stool microbiome shifts were associated with urine metabolites changes. Three substances including lactadherin, sialic acid and phospholipid, key components of MFGM were significantly positively correlated to Bifidobacterium of stool samples from infants, and stimulated the growth rate of Bifidobacterium significantly by provided energy in vitro growth experiment with RNA analysis. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the key components from MFGM could improve infants' health by modulating the gut microbiome, and possibly supporting the growth of Bifidobacterium. Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02658500 (registered on January 20, 2016). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phospholipid (PL) composition and milk fat globule (MFG) structure are important for MFG membrane function. However, the effects of various processing methods on these factors remain unclear. In the present study, we compared the effects of different processing methods for infant formula (IF) production on PLs and MFGs. Homogenization and heat sterilization significantly decreased the number of PL species in raw milk (RM, 104). Heat sterilization and spray drying significantly reduced PL content in RM (160.3 ± 12.2 mg/L; p < 0.05). During processing, the average volume diameter (5.67 ± 0.81 μm) and zeta potential (−7.37 ± 0.27 mV) of RM were significantly reduced (p < 0.05). After homogenization, PLs were distributed in a circular and dotted manner around the MFGs. After spray drying, PL fluorescent rings lost structural integrity. Therefore, the tested processing methods substantially damaged the PL composition and MFG structure. These results may provide a scientific basis for future IF development. • Homogenization, heat sterilization, and spray drying for infant formula were studied. • HTST better maintained the phospholipid species number of RM than UHT. • During processing, the zeta potential of raw milk was significantly reduced. • Phospholipids on milk globule membranes were labeled with a fluorescent probe. • The structure of the milk globule membrane loses integrity after processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, kinds of Schrödinger type equations with slowly decaying linear potential and power type or convolution type nonlinearities are considered. By using the concentration compactness principle, the sharp Gagliardo–Nirenberg inequality and a refined estimate of the linear operator, the existence and orbital stability of standing waves in L 2 -subcritical and L 2 -critical cases are established in a systematic way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of blindness and visual impairment. The role of microRNA (miRNA) in DR remains largely unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the role of miR-219-5p in the progression of DR. Human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells were treated with a high concentration of glucose (50 mM D-glucose) for 24 h and the miR-219-5p level was detected using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results revealed that miR-219-5p was significantly upregulated by high glucose (HG) treatment. To explore the role and mechanism of miR-219-5p in DR progression, miR-219-5p was downregulated in ARPE-19 cells. An MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to determine the level of viability and apoptosis of ARPE-19 cells, respectively. MicroRNA.org was used to predict the targets of miR-219-5p and the prediction was investigated using a dual-luciferase reporter assay. In addition, the level of associated proteins were measured using western blot analysis. It was observed that liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1) was a direct target of miR-219-5p. LRH-1 was significantly downregulated in ARPE-19 cells following HG treatment and negatively regulated by miR-219-5p in ARPE-19 cells. MiR-219-5p inhibitor significantly prevented ARPE-19 cell apoptosis induced by HG treatment and cell viability was markedly promoted. The results also suggested that the LRH-1/Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway was activated by miR-219-5p inhibition. In addition, it was revealed that LRH-1 inhibition eliminated the effects of miR-219-5p inhibitor on ARPE-19 cells. In conclusion, the results indicated that miR-219-5p was involved in the progression of DR through regulating human RPE cell apoptosis by modulation of the LRH-1/Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Qualitative and quantitative LC-MS detection and analysis technologies are reviewed. • Concentrations, compositions and distributions of milk lipids differ between mammals. • Forms, compositions and structures of lipids affect digestion, absorption and function. • Molecular level and entire structure of lipids are important when mimicking human milk lipids. Human milk lipids differ from the milk lipids of other mammals in composition and positional distribution of fatty acids. Analysis and detection technology of lipids is key to understanding milk lipids, and thus the concentrations, compositions and distribution characteristics of milk lipids are discussed. Differences between human milk lipids and their substitutes in form, composition and structure affect their digestion, absorption and function in infants. Characteristics and mimicking of human milk lipids have been intensively studied with the objective of narrowing the gap between human milk and infant formulae. Based on the existing achievements, further progress may be made by improving detection techniques, deepening knowledge of metabolic pathways and perfecting fat substitutes. This review detailed the characteristics of human milk lipids and related detection technologies with a view towards providing a clear direction for research on mimicking human milk lipids in formulae to further improve infant nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mechanical and structural properties of Ettringite and AFm phases were analyzed. • Atomic occupancy and coordinates of all the structures are refined. • Non-bonding electrons are found in the O- p orbitals of CO 3 2– in Monocarbonate. • Friedel's salt formation from Monocarbonate can increase the solid volume by 12.5% • Monocarbonate possesses the highest mechanical properties and structural stability. The aluminate containing hydration products of Portland cement, mainly referring to ettringite and AFm phases (AFm, Mc, Hc and Friedel's salt), are important for chloride chemical binding and microstructure development of cement pastes since they are easily transformed with different additives and solutions. First principles calculations are employed to find their thermodynamic equilibrium crystal structures. Various equivalent hydrostatic pressures are applied onto these structures to study their volume change, thermodynamic and elastic moduli. Among them, Mc shows the smallest interlayer space, highest volume stability, density, elastic modulus, and stiffness property. The volume of hydrated phase can increase by 12.5 % due to the conversion from Mc to Friedel's salt. Electronic properties suggest that there are non-bonding electrons in the O- p orbitals of CO 3 2– in the Mc and charge transfer from CO 3 2– to the Ca2+ made the bonding states between O- p of CO 3 2– and Ca- d stronger. This could provide a theoretical basis for improving the mechanical and durability properties of concrete by adding supplementary cementitious materials, such as limestone powders appropriately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • TAG, PE and SM accounted for 79.78% of the total molecular species number (132 ± 30). • The energy supply, PUFA-containing PLs and choline were low from the lipids of Tibetan human milk. • The comparison of lipid contents was OPO > OPL, PC34:2 > PC36:2 and SM34:1:2 > SM42:2:2. • Tibetan human milk possessed high contents of OCFAs-containing TAGs. • The contents of TAGs and DAGs with PUFAs were low in Tibetan human milk. The unique geographical characteristics and food culture of Tibet can affect the nutrition of human milk lipids. But little has been done in the comparison of the lipids between Tibet and other areas. This study gives in-depth analysis of the species, concentration and composition of lipid subclasses at the molecular level of the Tibetan human milk. There were averagely 132 ± 30 species of lipids, among which triglycerides (TAGs), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and sphingomyelin (SM) accounted for 79.78% of the total species number in the Tibetan human milk samples. The contents of TAG, SM, phosphatidylcholine (PC), and PE in the Tibetan human milk were 85.84%, 17.79%, 25.94% and 55.81% of those in the comparative human milk of China, respectively. The contents of TAGs and diglycerides (DAGs) with PUFAs in Tibetan human milk were significantly lower than those in the comparative group. However, the content and percentage of TAGs and DAGs with odd-chain saturated fatty acids were both higher in the Tibetan human milk than those in the comparative human milk. In total, 18 molecular species of lipids were downregulated and 5 ones were upregulated in the Tibetan human milk compared with those in the comparative human milk of China. The profile of lipids in the Tibetan human milk at the molecular level provided the scientific basis for maternal diet and supplemented the Chinese human milk lipids database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-arsenic groundwater in inland basins usually contains high concentrations of fluoride. In the present study, the effects of fluoride on arsenic uptake byPteris vittataand on arsenic transformation in growth media were investigated under greenhouse conditions. AfterP. vittatawas hydroponically exposed to 66.8 μM As (V) in the presence of 1.05 mM F−in the form of NaF, KF, or NaF+KF for 10 d, no visible toxicity symptoms were observed, and there were not significant differences in the dry biomass among the four treatments. The results showed thatP. vittatatolerated F−concentrations as high as 1.05 mM but did not accumulate fluoride in their own tissues. Arsenic uptake was inhibited in the presence of 1.05 mM F−. However, in hydroponic batches with 60 μM As (III) or 65 μM As (V), it was found that 210.6 and 316.0 μM F−promoted arsenic uptake. As(III) was oxidized to As(V) in the growth media in the presence and absence of plants, and F−had no effect on the rate of As(III) transformation. These experiments demonstrated thatP. vittatawas a good candidate to remediate arsenic-contaminated groundwater in the presence of fluoride. Our results can be used to develop strategies to remediate As-F-contaminated water usingP. vittata. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Establishing the relationships between intrinsic structure and enzymatic hydrolysis of plant biomass is critical for understanding the process of enzymatic hydrolysis. This manuscript aims to explore the relationships between porous structure and enzymatic hydrolysis by examining the pore size distribution and the parameters of mass transfer in steam exploded corn stover. Results indicated that the pore size distribution and other parameters of porous structure of corn stover were altered by steam explosion pretreatment. These structural changes enhanced the percolation probability and permeability, reduced the threshold pressure, and subsequently improved the enzymatic hydrolysis yield of steam exploded corn stover. Multiple factors regression analysis demonstrated that threshold pressure was a significant factor of enzymatic hydrolysis with a correlation coefficient of −0.885. It revealed that the changes of porous structure could reduce threshold pressure and subsequently improve enzymatic hydrolysis. Based on these results, we have proposed the concept of seepage recalcitrance which provides a key index for pretreatment technology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A total of 411 species of lipids were identified. • The content of OPL in Chinese human milk was generally higher than that of OPO. • TAG56:7, TAG56:8, TAG58:8 and TAG58:9 were the main sources of AA and DHA among triglycerides. • PE was an important source of AA and DHA among polar lipids. • The contents of LA and DHA were high in the PUFA sourced from both glycerides and PLs. Human milk lipids are an important energy source and essential nutrients for the growth and development of infants. The UPLC/Q-TOF-MS was used to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze human milk lipids. Totally, 411 species of lipids were identified, in which the content of OPL was generally higher than that of OPO; SM (75.38 mg/L, 40.39%), PE (51.12 mg/L, 27.39%) and PC (40.10 mg/L, 21.49%) had the highest contents among polar lipids, mainly including SM42:2:2 (22.24 mg/L), PE36:2 (C18:0-C18:2, 21.39 mg/L) and PC36:2 (C18:0-C18:2, 19.80 mg/L). In human milk, TAG56:7 (137.14 mg/L), TAG56:8 (59.49 mg/L), TAG58:8 (65.90 mg/L) and TAG58:9 (49.99 mg/L) were the main sources of AA and DHA; PE was an important source of AA and DHA in polar lipids; and linoleic acyl in glycerides and phospholipids had higher contents than other polyunsaturated fatty acyls. These results provided the scientific basis for the simulation of human milk at molecular level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Application of structured illumination microscopy to examine milk ultrastructure. • Pasteurization significantly impacts PC and SM in the outer membrane. • Heat treatment reduces glycerolipids with AA/DHA and glycerophospholipids. • Addition of phospholipids and freeze-drying enhance polar lipid content. • SIM effectively displays nanoscale changes in fat globules during processing. The introduction of exogenous lipids in the production of infant formula induces significant alterations in milk lipid composition, content, and membrane structure, thus affecting the lipid digestion, absorption, and utilization. This study meticulously tracks these changes throughout the manufacturing process. Pasteurization has a significant effect on phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin in the outer membrane, decreasing their relative contents to total polar lipids from 12.52% and 17.34% to 7.72% and 12.59%, respectively. Subsequent processes, including bactericidal-concentration and spray-drying, demonstrate the thermal stability of sphingomyelin and ceramides, while glycerolipids with arachidonic acid/docosahexaenoic acid and glycerophospholipids, particularly phosphatidylethanolamine, diminish significantly. Polar lipids addition and freeze-drying technology significantly enhance the polar lipid content and improve microscopic morphology of infant formula. These findings reveal the diverse effects of technological processes on glycerolipid and polar lipid compositions, concentration, and ultrastructure in infant formulas, thus offering crucial insights for optimizing lipid content and structure within infant formula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separator-lithium anode interface featured with uniform lithium-ion plating/stripping is of paramount importance for the safe operation of batteries. Lithium anode paired with traditional polyolefin separator is considerably challenged with uncontrolled formation of Li dendrites, giving rise to undesirable rate capacity and cycle life. In this work, through an electrophoretic deposition technique, hexafluoropropylene separator embedded with atomic interlamellar lithium-channel phyllosilicate clay is realized. With large absorption with electrolyte, the separator with interlamellar spacing of 1.31 nm provides abundant active sites for Li+ and enables fast transfer of lithium ions, giving rise to an ionic conductivity of 5.66 × 10−4 S cm−1 at ambient temperature. The parallel interlayers unify the direction of Li+ flows, which leads to the uniform deposition of Li+ on the anode and effectively eliminates lithium dendrite issues in Li+ plating/stripping processes. The cell assembled with the robust polymer/clay separator is more advantageous than state-of-the-art in the literature, delivering a reversible capacity of 152 mAh g−1 with a 98.5% capacity retention after 300 cycles at 0.5C. Image 1 • Li-MMT composite separators are prepared through electrophoretic deposition. • Dendrite is suppressed with the incorporation of Li-MMT in PVDF-HFP separator. • Thermal stability of the PVDF-HFP/Li-MMT separator is enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building fires are one of the most common fire types and tend to cause heavy casualties. During the evacuation, the shortest path makes the escapees leave the accident scene faster. Meanwhile, the safety of escapees in the evacuation process cannot be ignored. Optimal path should both ensure evacuation efficiency and maximize the safety of escapees. A bi-objective path planning model, which considers both path risk and path length, is presented. Path risk is based on five risk factors that are likely to cause casualties in a fire: carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen cyanide (HCN), temperature, visibility, and crowding. The linear weighted sum method is used to convert the risk-objective model and the length-objective model into a dynamic bi-objective path planning model. The Dijkstra algorithm is modified to solve the model. The modified algorithm outperforms the traditional Dijkstra algorithm in terms of both efficiency and adjustment ability. The simulation analysis of a building fire shows that the bi-objective model and algorithm can plan a combined optimal evacuation path for escapees considering risk and path length, which avoids the area with high risk level and optimizes the evacuation path length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The complication of bioconversion starts from corn stover's structural inhomogeneity resulting in low enzymatic hydrolysis and pulping efficiency. Contrarily, higher efficacy necessitates the homogeneity of raw material, which demands a better understanding of tissue and cell modules. The proposal "Tissue Fractionation through Steam Explosion–Assisted Mechanical Carding (SEME)" can effectively fractionate corn stover into vascular and parenchyma tissues without adding chemical and water, resulting in low pollution. The result showed that the enzymatic hydrolysis yield of parenchyma tissue fraction (PTF) was 1.33 and 1.16 times higher than that of vascular tissue fraction (VTF) and the whole steam-exploded corn stover, respectively. It also revealed that each part of corn stover, namely, pith, rind, and leaf, showed higher enzymatic hydrolysis performance 1.09, 1.77, and 1.37 times, respectively, in the case of PTF than that of VTF. By characterizing with Brunauer–Emmett–Teller low-field nuclear magnetic resonance and analyzing with multiple-factor regression, it was found that the higher yield of enzymatic hydrolysis was attributed to the homogeneity improvement of interface properties instead of cellulose content. Furthermore, with the ethanol self-catalyzed pulping method, VTF was used to prepare unbleached pulp whose strength properties fulfilled the indexes of grade A corrugated medium, and the yield reached up to 57.6%, which is 1.26 times higher than that of cornstalk. This study provides a new method of tissue fractionation to improve the degree of usability of total corn stover for enzymatic hydrolysis and pulping considering the cost competitiveness in the economical stage. Graphical abstract Steam exploded corn stover fractionated through mechanical carding equipment to obtain a fraction of vascular and parenchyma tissue and analyzed in terms of morpha characterization, enzymatic hydrolysis and pulping. Image 1 Highlights • A novel and effective concept of tissue fractionation to assured total corn stover utilization. • Functional categorization of parenchyma and vascular tissue fraction. • Higher enzymatic hydrolysis yield in parenchyma 1.41 times than vascular tissue. • Homogeneity provided higher yield of enzymatic hydrolysis rather than cellulose content. • Carded vascular tissue enhanced pulping up to 57.6%, 1.26 times higher than cornstalk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Infant formulae (IF) and human milk (HM) were comparatively analyzed. • Phospholipid species number was lower in IF (159) than in HM (231). • Phosphatidylethanolamine and sphingomyelin contents were lower in IF than in HM. • Soy lecithin and milk fat globule membrane supplements are promising for IF. • The particle size and potential of milk fat globule were smaller in IF than in HM. Phospholipids play key roles in infant nutrition and cognitive development. It is hypothesized that infant formula (IF) has lower phospholipid species, content and milk fat globule (MFG) structural integrity than human milk (HM). Herein, we performed qualitative and quantitative analyses of phospholipids in six classes of IF and HM using ultra-performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry. The contents of phosphatidylethanolamine (15.81 ± 7.20 mg/L) and sphingomyelin (35.84 ± 15.56 mg/L) in IF were significantly lower than those in HM (30.74 ± 17.38 mg/L, 45.53 ± 16.04 mg/L, respectively). Among the six IF classes, cow's milk-based IF had the highest number of phospholipid species, and IF containing milk fat globular membrane had the highest phospholipid content. The size, zeta potential, and amount of MFGs in IF were significantly lower than those in HM. These results may prove useful for designing better IF that mimic HM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria within a metacommunity could be partitioned into different subcommunities ecological assemblages in light of potential importance for the community function. It is unknown how abundant and rare microbial subcommunities in urban river sediments respond to heavy metal pollutants. Using high-throughput sequencing, we analyzed these response patterns in the heavliy polluted (Beijing, China). We found that this river faces substantial ecological risks, owing to high rates of Cd and Hg pollution from urban activities. Surprisingly, abundant and rare subcommunity structures showed opposite responses to heavy metals. Abundant taxa, such as Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota, are resistant to heavy metal pollution through the synergistic of ammonia nitrogen (NH 4 +-N) and total phosphorus (TP). By contrast, rare taxa, such as Verrucomicrobia, Fibrobacteres, Berkelbacteria, and Euryarchaeota, had a high synergy with NH 4 +-N and TP with high a resilience to heavy metal pollution. However, the functions of both abundant and rare subcommunities showed a similar response to heavy metal pollutants, especially in denitrification processes. The abundant taxa responded to heavy metal pollution through methanogenesis by CO 2 reduction with H 2 , human pathogens nosocomia, sulfate respiration, photoheterotrophy, and dark sulfide oxidation synergy with NH 4 +-N and TP. The rare taxa responded to heavy metals through methanogenesis by CO 2 reduction with H 2 , cellulolysis, sulfate respiration, intracellular parasites, nitrate reduction and plant pathogen. We observed distinct patterns between the structural and functional responses of microbial subcommunities to heavy metal pollutants. Our findings support the concept that denitrification processes are sensitive to but not inhibited by high levels of heavy metals pollution. We propose that the structures and functions of the abundant and rare microbial subcommunities could inform the management of pollutants in heavily polluted urban river ecosystems at fine geographical scales. [Display omitted] • Distinct structural strategies with similar functional responses of subcommunities. • Abundant subcommunity structures had significant positive correlation to heavy metals. • Rare subcommunity structures exhibited an opposite trend. • Similar functional responses to heavy metal pollutant exist in subcommunities. • Denitrification process are sensitive to heavy metal pollution but are not inhibited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beach-bar sand in lacustrine facies represents one of the most significant reservoirs. Depending on the depositional characteristics, it can be further divided into two different sedimentary microfacies, beach sand and the bar sand. Favorable reservoirs are often developed in bar sand. The lower section of the upper part of the 4th member of the Shahejie Formation in the Gao89-1 block is a typical nearshore shallow water beach-bar deposit. Oil distribution is influenced by lithofacies and physical properties. In order to better characterize the heterogeneity within beach-bar sandbodies, a modeling method based on the depositional mode and sandbody volume is proposed. Firstly, a sandbody model is established. On this basis, an algorithm for distinguishing between beach and bar sand based on vertical thickness is proposed. The model is post processed based on the sandbody volume to remove unreasonable sandbodies. The method allows for a more realistic three-dimensional geological model of the beach-bar sands in the study area than the classical two-point geostatistical, object-based, and multi-point simulation method. A facies-controlled modeling approach is used to establish a petrophysical property model on this foundation; the result shows that the property models better reflect the characteristics of the petrophysical distribution in the Gao89-1 block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • DFT calculations and experiments are combined to tunne cation types of LDHs. • CaAl-LDH has highest Cl- adsorption capacity, aligned with lowest binding energy. • CaAl-NO 3 -LDH transforms into Friedel's salt after reacted with Cl- • ZnAl-LDH retains the most Cl- after addition of SO 4 2- with crystallinity improved. • Divalent cations dominate LDHs' interlayer spacing and binding energy in some cases. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are new concrete additives that improve Cl- sorption capacity by varying their chemical composition. In this work, first-principles calculations were used to design the chemical compositions of LDHs with various cations. Accordingly, four cation types of LDHs (CaAl, MgAl, MgFe and ZnAl) were selected to be synthesized, their Cl- sorption kinetics were further measured. The objective was to establish a high-throughput screening approach to identifying the most promising cations for enhancing the sorption capacity of LDHs towards Cl-. Results revealed that the absolute value of Cl- binding energy increased as the interplanar spacing of different LDHs decreased from first-principles calculations. Particularly, CaAl exhibited the highest adsorption capacity for Cl- (3.25 mmol/g) from experiments, validating the simulation results that it has the highest absolute value of Cl- binding energy. MgFe-Cl-LDH has the smallest absolute value of Cl- binding energy with the lowest adsorption capacity for Cl- as well as the crystallinity. Moreover, multiple factors influencing the Cl- sorption ability of LDHs, such as chemical composition, crystallinity, microstructures and their synergistic effects, are discussed thoroughly based on the experimental results. This study established a connection between the simulation and experimental approaches in understanding the mechanism of Cl- adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine milk oligosaccharides (BMOs) and human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) have similar functions. In this investigation, a simple and rapid quantitative analysis method of UPLC for BMOs concentration was proposed, and the heat stability of BMOs was also revealed. BMOs were separated on an Acquity UPLC® Glycan BEH amide column (2.1 mm × 150 mm, 1.7 μm) using 100 m m ammonium formate (pH 4.5) and 100% acetonitrile as mobile phase for gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.45 mL min−1. The potential in quantification of BMOs were satisfactorily validated in terms of linearity (R2 ≥ 0.9992), repeatability and intermediate precision (RSD ≤ 4.46%), and spike recovery (≥90.27%). For all investigated oligosaccharides, LOD ranged from 1.97 to 9.38 μg L−1 and LOQ values ranged between 6.84 and 31.25 μg L−1. In addition, BMOs did not degrade after heating at 45–100 °C for 10–120 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal nutrition can influence the composition of human breastmilk by altering the components that are sensitive to maternal diet pattern. Traditional Tibetan maternal diet pattern among native rural lactating women possesses distinct characteristics due to its unique geographical environment and dietary habits. This study investigated maternal diet pattern and human breastmilk composition of Tibetan lactating women through different lactation stages during the first month postpartum in Shigatse. The results indicated that Tibetan maternal diet profile was apparently monotonous, mainly sufficient in Zanba, buttered tea, red meat, and fatty soup, yet insufficient in white meat, eggs, leafy vegetables, and fruits, leading to imperfect maternal nutritional intakes with high‐level carbohydrates and deficient proteins. Distinctions of maternal diet profiles in various degrees can be discovered upon different lactation stages, which brings multiple influences to the composition of human milk. There was significantly weak‐to‐medium correlation of protein contents between maternal diet intakes and human milk, while other macronutrients correlated insignificantly. Micronutrient constituents in human milk, involving functional unsaturated fatty acids and free essential amino acids, were also impacted by maternal diet intakes through different lactation stages. These results show that more systematic and profound research is requisite for the clarification and development of Tibetan maternal diet to offer more enhanced and individualized nutritional recommendations for Tibetan lactating women and infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subcritical hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is an efficient approach for bio-oil production from wet sewage sludge (SS). Before HTL, pretreatment of wet SS by sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) or combination of NaClO and ultrasonic treatment was implemented with different NaClO dosage or ultrasonic temperature for the first time. The results demonstrated that TOC and content of protein in EPS of SS increased after two pretreatment methods. Meanwhile, the bio-oil yield was improved and the maximum of 39.4 wt% was obtained from the bio-oil under combined pretreatment (9.39 mg NaClO/g dried SS and ultrasounds at 80 °C) when HTL was performed at 300 °C for 15 min. Additionally, the maximum energy recovery reached 58.0% with the highest carbon recovery (61.9%) and the highest hydrogen recovery (39.0%) in bio-oils obtained from HTL of combined pretreated SS. GC-MS and NMR analysis showed that the chemical compositions of bio-oil were not affected significantly by pretreatment methods but relative percentage of each compound was changed. The esters formation was favored after combined pretreatment and increased to 16.3%, while the contents of acids and N-containing compounds decreased by 8.2% and 4.0%, respectively. TGA of bio-oils revealed that both pretreatments could promote the formation of light oil components such as diesel. Finally, the main possible reaction pathways for HTL of SS have been elucidated. Overall, this research provided a theoretical foundation for utilization of wet SS from sewage treatment plant directly for bioenergy production. [Display omitted] • NaClO and ultrasonic pretreatment on sludge to produce bio-oil from HTL. • Maximum bio-oil was gained (39.4 wt%) with 9.39 mg/g DS NaClO and 80 °C ultrasounds. • Two pretreatments both notably affected the distribution and property of product. • A positive effect of combined pretreatment on esters formation was confirmed. • The reaction pathway of sludge liquefaction after combined pretreatment was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mining and smelting of lead-zinc (Pb-Zn) ores cause widespread As contamination. The fractions and colloidal distribution of As associated with Fe oxide minerals in Pb-Zn mine-contaminated soils have not been well understood. In this study, As fractions associated with Fe oxide minerals in Pb-Zn tailings- and smelter-contaminated soils were compared using sequential extraction techniques. Kinetic experiments were conducted to characterize the reactivity of Fe oxide minerals. The distribution of As and Fe oxide minerals in soil colloids were analyzed. The results show that in mining-contaminated soils (both tailings and smelter) the relatively active fraction (amorphous hydrous oxide-bound As, As F3) has a strong relationship with easily reducible Fe (Fe ox1). In smelter-contaminated soils, relatively stable fractions (crystalline hydrous oxide-bound As, As F4) were closely associated with reducible Fe (Fe ox2). Although the average proportions of specifically-bound As (As F2) and As F3 in contaminated soils were similar, high As release in tailings-contaminated soils was observed because of the high reactivity of Fe oxide minerals in those soils compared with that in smelter-contaminated soils. Some slightly polluted soils with high pH and TOC concentrations formed As-bearing colloidal suspensions. Especially in smelter-contaminated soils, many small-sized soil colloids could facilitate As migration with surface runoff or vertical transport. Image 1 • In mining-contaminated soil, As F3 has a close relationship with easily reducible Fe. • High As release in contaminated soils is due to high reactivity of Fe oxide minerals. • Arsenic-bearing colloids cause As transport in mining contaminated soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Crystal structure of a new schiff base fluorescent "turn-on" chemosensor. • Highly sensitive and selective molecule towards Zn2+ ions in aqueous medium. • "Naked-eye" detection of Zn2+ ions. • The lowest detection limit of 8.94 × 10−8 M and minimum response time for the sensing of Zn2+ ions. A novel naphthalene-based schiff base (L) was synthesized as a good "turn-on" fluorescent sensor for recognizing of Zn2+. The probe showed excellent selectivity for Zn2+ over most other competing ions in DMF/H 2 O solution, which might be attributed to the chelation enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) mechanism. The reaction stoichiometry 3:1 between L and Zn2+ was determined based on the Job's plot and 1H NMR spectra. The binding constant of the complex was calculated to be 1.07 × 105 M−3 with a detection limit of 8.94 × 10-8 M. The time-response study displayed that fluorescence intensity rapidly boosted and reached the stable value in less than 1.0 min. Meanwhile, the potential application of L in actual samples for recognizing Zn2+ was investigated. These results indicated that L could be a favorable probe for Zn2+ detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Deterministic processes prevail in the subcommunity assembly of river sediments. • Rare subcommunity assembly was governed more by interspecific interactions. • Introduction and colonization processes disentangle the abundant assembly. • Metals dominate the two processes, but nutrient availability prevail in the latter. • A balance between metal filtering and species coexistence within subcommunities. It is unknown how anthropogenic pollutants released into freshwater ecosystems affect the assembly processes of microbial communities in river sediment. We used high-throughput sequencing to examine the assembly of rare and abundant subcommunities in a heavily polluted urban river: the Beiyun River in Beijing, China. Although deterministic processes overrode stochastic processes in shaping local rare and abundant subcommunities, there were distinctly different assembly mechanisms of rare and abundant subcommunities. Rare subcommunity assembly was governed more by interspecific interactions, and environmental selection and dispersal limitation explained only a small fraction of the variation. However, both factors seemed to govern the assembly of abundant subcommunities. Our results implied that microbial co-occurrence associations tended to be higher when rare subcommunities were less driven by community assembly, and that these associations tended to be lower when abundant subcommunities were more driven by community assembly. A balance between the community assembly and species coexistence was exhibited at the subcommunity level. Importantly, we tried to disentangle the assembly process of abundant subcommunities into introduction and colonization processes characterized by the presence/absence and relative abundance datasets. Interestingly, metals explained the highest percentage of spatial variation in the species introduction process. By affecting nutrient availability, metals also shaped the abundant subcommunity in the species colonization process, but this did not surpass nutrient availability. Therefore, disentangling the introduction and colonization processes enhances our understanding of the assembly mechanisms of microbial communities in heavily polluted running water ecosystems at fine geographical scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multi-scale analysis is an important method for detecting nonlinear systems. In this study, we carry out experiments and measure the fluctuation signals from a rotating electric field conductance sensor with eight electrodes. We first use a recurrence plot to recognise flow patterns in vertical upward gas-liquid two-phase pipe flow from measured signals. Then we apply a multi-scale morphological analysis based on the first-order difference scatter plot to investigate the signals captured from the vertical upward gas-liquid two-phase flow loop test. We find that the invariant scaling exponent extracted from the multi-scale first-order difference scatter plot with the bisector of the second-fourth quadrant as the reference line is sensitive to the inhomogeneous distribution characteristics of the flow structure, and the variation trend of the exponent is helpful to understand the process of breakup and coalescence of the gas phase. In addition, we explore the dynamic mechanism influencing the inhomogeneous distribution of the gas phase in terms of adaptive optimal kernel time-frequency representation. The research indicates that the system energy is a factor influencing the distribution of the gas phase and the multi-scale morphological analysis based on the first-order difference scatter plot is an effective method for indicating the inhomogeneous distribution of the gas phase in gas-liquid two-phase flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is an efficient method for converting lignocellulosic biomass into biocrude oil (BO). This study investigated the effects of temperature, reaction time, catalyst (K 2 CO 3 or Ru/C), heating rate on product yields, quality and chemical composition of BO. Meanwhile, a comprehensive comparison of fast HTL with conventional HTL was conducted to explore the difference in reaction pathways. Higher BO yield was obtained at lower temperature (from 260 to 320 °C) and short reaction time (less than 15 min) via fast HTL of barley straw. In particularly, the catalytic HTL with K 2 CO 3 was favorable for BO production, and the highest BO yield of 36.73% was obtained at 300 °C. As regard to the deoxygenation, the lowest O/C of 0.16 and 0.18 were observed at 380 °C with K 2 CO 3 or Ru/C, respectively. GC/MS and NMR analysis showed that BO from fast HTL of barley straw was featured by phenols and phenolic derivatives, carboxylic acids, hydrocarbons and oxygenates. Higher temperature and fast heating rate were particularly beneficial for hydrocarbons, which accounted for 15.39% of total peak area under fast HTL condition with temperature increasing to 380 °C. Meanwhile, fast heating rate dramatically increased the phenols contents (33.15% and 29.96%) at low temperature below 300 °C, which has potential for the production of phenolic resins in BO application. • First application of fast HTL of barley straw and comparative comparisons. • Fast heating rate improved bio-oil yield more obviously when T higher than 320 °C. • Fast HTL of barley straw produced BO with lower O/C ratios and higher HHV. • High hydrocarbon content of 15.39% was obtained at 380 °C with fast heating rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously reported that major bovine milk oligosaccharides (BMO) can qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed using ultra high liquid chromatography on a high sensitivity fluorescence detection instrument; the method does not require the removal of lactose and uses small (only 100 μL) samples. In this study, we extended our strategy to fractionation and purification of BMO using membrane separation and chromatography techniques. The effects of membrane molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) and diafiltration the efficiency of the overall process were evaluated, with process optimization leading to suitable MWCOs for microfiltration (ceramic, 0.1 μm), ultrafiltration (spiral wound organic membrane, 30 kDa), and nanofiltration (spiral wound organic membrane, 500–700 Da). Total BMO recoveries of 97.36, 95.58, and 98.30% were observed for the microfiltration, ultrafiltration, and nanofiltration stages, respectively, with corresponding membrane fluxes of 75.74, 76.90, and 81.68 L/(m2·h), respectively. In addition, the crude BMOs were further purified using size-exclusion chromatography, activated charcoal, lactase digestion, dialysis, crystallization, and anion-exchange chromatography. Anion-exchange chromatography with Q Sepharose Fast Flow anion-exchange resin was found to be more suited to industrial BMO production than other methods; it not only effectively separates lactose and oligosaccharides, but also exhibits dynamic adsorption capacity of 1.20 mg BMOs /mL gel. [Display omitted] • Crude bovine milk Oligosaccharides (BMO) were successfully enriched by integrated membrane technology. • Low molecular weight lactose and BMO cannot be effectively separated by nanofiltration. • Q sepharose fast flow anion exchange resin is most suitable for further industrial purification of BMO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Quartz microcombustors with and without porous medium were fabricated. [•] Absence of the porous medium leads to temperature oscillation of droplet combustion. [•] Heat transfer characteristics of one-layer and two-layer vacuum outer tubes were examined. [•] Positions of porous medium affect the flame stability. [•] Reynolds and fuel flow rate affect flame positions and heat loss of the burners. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The production and degradation of plastic remains can result in nanoplastics (NPs) formation. However, insufficient information regarding the environmental behaviors of NPs impedes comprehensive assessment of their significant threats. In this study, the transport behavior of unmodified NPs (PSNPs), carboxyl-modified NPs (PSNPs−COOH), and amino-modified NPs (PSNPs−NH 2) was investigated using column experiments in the presence and absence of goethite (GT) and diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). Quantum chemical computation was performed to reveal the transport mechanisms. The results showed that GT decreased the transport of NPs and the presence of DEHP decreased it further. Van der Waals forces and small electrostatic interactions coexisted between the PSNPs and GT and caused deposition. Ligand exchange caused greater deposition of PSNPs−COOH on GT-coated sand than that of PSNPs. Although hydrogen bonding existed between the DEHP and NPs with functional groups, an increase in the positive charge and chemical heterogeneity of the collector was the main reason for DEHP promoting the deposition of NPs. Because of low absolute negative zeta potential values, PSNPs−NH 2 was sensitive to chemical heterogeneity, and thus fully deposited (over 96.9%) in GT and GT-DEHP-coated columns. Generally, the deposition of NPs due to chemical heterogeneity was more significant than that due to the formation of chemical bonds and van der Waals, electrostatic, and hydrogen interactions. Our results highlight that the surface charge and functional groups significantly influence the transport behaviors of NPs and elucidate the fate of NPs in the terrestrial environment. [Display omitted] • PSNPs−NH 2 transport was hindered in GT and GT-DEHP-coated columns. • GT and GT-DEHP decelerated the transport of PSNPs−COOH more than that of PSNPs. • Deposition of PSNPs−NH 2 was largely due to its sensitivity to chemical heterogeneity. • Quantum chemical computation was applied to study NPs transport for the first time. • Ligand exchange caused greater deposition of PSNPs−COOH than that of PSNPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tang, W.G.; Hao, N.; Wang, Y., and Xhao, J.Y., 2020. Green product design with dynamic control model. In: Bai, X. and Zhou, H. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources, Environmental Protection, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 115, pp. 349-353. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The paper presents a dynamic environmentally friendly and resource saving model that considers the production and inventory decisions of one manufacturer who produces the green product. We investigate the nature of price, green level, production and inventory optimal decisions in the light of a pattern of seasonal demand, which focus on the dynamic issues, by using the optimal control theory. Finally, we use the numerical examples for simulations and systematically simulate the optimal dynamic decisions of the manufacturer and analyze the trend of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tang, W.G.; Hao, N.; Wang, Y., and Xhao, J.Y., 2020. Green product design with dynamic control model. In: Bai, X. and Zhou, H. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources, Environmental Protection, and Sustainable Development. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 115, pp. 349-353. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The paper presents a dynamic environmentally friendly and resource saving model that considers the production and inventory decisions of one manufacturer who produces the green product. We investigate the nature of price, green level, production and inventory optimal decisions in the light of a pattern of seasonal demand, which focus on the dynamic issues, by using the optimal control theory. Finally, we use the numerical examples for simulations and systematically simulate the optimal dynamic decisions of the manufacturer and analyze the trend of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This article proposes an algorithm of polarimetric color image recovery in underwater environment based on compensating the crosstalk effect during estimating the transmittances of RGB channels. • Due to the proper estimation of the transmittances in RGB channels by jointly processing the information in RGB channels, the performance of image recovery is further improved. • The experimental results in turbid water with different colors (blue, green and yellow) demonstrate that our method can simultaneously enhance the image contrast and reduce the color distortion to realize the clear underwater vision in practice. In underwater color imaging, the scattering media could cause image blurring and color distortion, which are the two main problems of image degradation. In this paper, we propose a color image recovery method to solve these two problems by considering the crosstalk effects between the RGB channels during estimating the transmittances in RGB channels. The experimental results in turbid water with different colors (blue, green and yellow) show that our method can simultaneously enhance the image contrast and reduce the color distortion to realize the clear underwater vision, which is attributed to the proper estimation of the transmittances in RGB channels by compensating the crosstalk effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]