Construction of Fu brick tea polysaccharide-cold plasma modified alginate microgels for probiotic delivery: Enhancing viability and colonization.

Emerging food processing technologies provide broader avenues for enhancing probiotic delivery systems. In this study, the new Fu brick tea polysaccharide (FBTP) was extracted and combined with cold plasma-modified alginate nano-montmorillonite (AMT) to prepare microgels by ionic gelation to improve the viability of encapsulated Lactobacillus kefiranofaciens JKSP109. Results showed that cold plasma treatment for 3 min changed the surface charge of AMT biopolymer solution, and FBTP addition reduced the particle size to the lowest of 223 ± 5.50 nm. Morphological analysis showed that the AMT treated with cold plasma for 3 min and FBTP (C3AMT + FBTP) formed a dense microgel through electrostatic interaction, and the probiotics were randomly distributed in their internal polysaccharide network, as well as the interlayer and surrounding of nanoparticles. The probiotics immobilized in C3AMT + FBTP microgel exhibited the highest viability (8.48 ± 0.03 log CFU/g) and colonic colonization after exposure to simulated gastrointestinal conditions. In addition, the good antioxidant activity of FBTP reduced the loss of probiotic viability during storage, with only 2.58 log CFU/g decreased after 4 weeks. Therefore, such probiotic products enriched with natural bioactive ingredients can be developed as a potential functional food additive.

Image2InChI: Automated Molecular Optical Image Recognition.

The accurate identification and analysis of chemical structures in molecular images are prerequisites of artificial intelligence for drug discovery. It is important to efficiently and automatically convert molecular images into machine-readable representations. Therefore, in this paper, we propose an automated molecular optical image recognition model based on deep learning, called Image2InChI. Additionally, the proposed Image2InChI introduces a novel feature fusion network with attention to integrate image patch and InChI prediction. The improved SwinTransformer as an encoder and the Transformer Decoder as a decoder with patch embedding are applied to predict the image features for the corresponding InChI. The experimental results showed that the Image2InChI model achieves an accuracy of InChI (InChI acc) of 99.8%, a Morgan FP of 94.1%, an accuracy of maximum common structures (MCS acc) of 94.8%, and an accuracy of longest common subsequence (LCS acc) of 96.2%. The experiments demonstrated that the proposed Image2InChI model improves the accuracy and efficiency of molecular image recognition and provided a valuable reference about optical chemical structure recognition for InChI.

The development of variable system-based internet of things for the solar greenhouse and its application in lettuce.

The east-west ridge orientation has recently become an important agronomic method to improve mechanization in solar greenhouses. However, these ridge orientation changes shape differences between different ridges in crop water consumption, and there is a lack of research on the regulation and adaptation of water consumption. Therefore, this study introduces a variable irrigation decision-making method based on the Internet of Things management and control system for an east-west ridge orientation. To replenish water on demand, this study seting the variable irrigation decision-making (VRI) methods and traditional average irrigation decision-making (URI) methods in the system, and lettuce cultivation experiments were conducted to verify the effectiveness of the model and system. The results show that the difference of accumulated photosynthetically active radiation is the most significant between different ridges of the east-west ridge orientation, and the coefficient of variation is 43.77 %, which can be used as an activating factor for VRI methods. The irrigation water consumption, yield, water-use efficiencies, and irrigation water utilization of lettuce at different levels of irrigation were 307.12 L/m2, 5854.07 kg·ha-1, 1391.47 kg·ha-1·mm-1, and 7.63 kg·cm-3, respectively. Compared with the URI methods, the VRI method saved 10.02 % of water, increased yield by 9 %, and enhanced water use efficiency and irrigation water use efficiency by 12 % and 21.32 %, respectively. This study provides a new approach for improving crop production efficiency under an east-west ridge orientation.

Robustly uncovering the heterogeneity of neurodegenerative disease by using data-driven subtyping in neuroimaging: A review.

Neurodegenerative diseases are associated with heterogeneity in genetics, pathology, and clinical manifestation. Understanding this heterogeneity is particularly relevant for clinical prognosis and stratifying patients for disease modifying treatments. Recently, data-driven methods based on neuroimaging have been applied to investigate the subtyping of neurodegenerative disease, helping to disentangle this heterogeneity. We reviewed brain-based subtyping studies in aging and representative neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, frontotemporal dementia, and Lewy body dementia, from January 2000 to November 2022. We summarized clustering methods, validation, robustness, reproducibility, and clinical relevance of 71 eligible studies in the present study. We found vast variations in approaches between studies, including ten neuroimaging modalities, 24 cluster algorithms, and 41 methods of cluster number determination. The clinical relevance of subtyping studies was evaluated by summarizing the analysis method of clinical measurements, showing a relatively low clinical utility in the current studies. Finally, we conclude that future studies of heterogeneity in neurodegenerative disease should focus on validation, comparison between subtyping approaches, and prioritise clinical utility.

BaLa5V2O3N7: a novel anti-perovskite oxynitride for electrode applications.

The exploration of transition metal oxynitrides has garnered significant interest due to their intriguing property diversity. Herein, we present a promising new transition metal oxynitride BaLa5V2O3N7, which features an anti-perovskite structure type. This unique structural configuration endows the material with remarkable conductivity, particularly at low temperatures, paving the way for the material to be used in a wide range of technological applications.

Spatio-temporal heterogeneity in the international trade resilience during COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have created immeasurable health and economic crises, leading to unprecedented disruptions to world trade. The COVID-19 pandemic shows diverse impacts on different economies that suffer and recover at different rates and degrees. This research aims to evaluate the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of international trade network vulnerabilities in the current crisis to understand the global production resilience and prepare for the future crisis. We applied a series of complex network analysis approaches to the monthly international trade networks at the world, regional, and country scales for the pre- and post- COVID-19 outbreak period. The spatio-temporal patterns indicate that countries and regions with an effective COVID-19 containment such as East Asia show the strongest resilience, especially Mainland China, followed by high-income countries with fast vaccine roll-out (e.g., U.S.), whereas low-income countries (e.g., Africa) show high vulnerability. Our results encourage a comprehensive strategy to enhance international trade resilience when facing future pandemic threats including effective non-pharmaceutical measures, timely development and rollout of vaccines, strong governance capacity, robust healthcare systems, and equality via international cooperation. The overall findings elicit the hidden global trading disruption, recovery, and growth due to the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Characterization of Pore Structures with Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry after Electrochemical Modification: A Case Study of Jincheng Anthracite.

Quantitative characterization of the change in the cleat and pore structures and fractal dimensions in anthracite after electrochemical modification is crucial for better understanding of the modification effect. Thus, lump anthracite samples were electrochemically modified in our manufactured device with 0, 0.5, 1, and 2 V/cm potential gradients. The changes in heterogeneity and porosity after modification were tested and analyzed by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and fractal theory. The results indicated that the total volume of the pores increased after electrochemical treatment and continuously increased with increasing potential gradient during the treatment process. After modification, the number of pores or fractures with a pore size between 6 and 20 µm in coal after modification increases significantly. According to the intrusion pressure, three stages were defined as lower (P M < 0.1 MPa), intermediate (0.1 ≤ P M < 10 MPa), and higher regions (P M ≥ 10 MPa), which are characterized by fractal dimensions D 1, D 2, and compression stages, respectively. After modification, the fractal dimension D 1 showed an increasing trend, while the fractal dimension D 2 showed a decreasing trend, indicating that the fracture system became more complicated and that the pore system became more regular after electrochemical treatment. The evolution mechanism of heterogeneity and porosity and their fractal dimensions were explained by the dissolution of minerals, change in pH values, and dynamics of temperatures during the process of modification. The results obtained in this work are of important guiding significance for coalbed methane (CBM) extraction via in situ modification by electrochemical treatment.

Synthesis and luminescence properties of new nitridolithosilicate phosphor La4Ba3Li3Si9N19:Pr3+ grown in Li flux.

Flux synthesis is an effective method to discover large crystals of new compounds. In this paper, a solid-state reaction in Li flux produced a new nitridolithosilicate La4Ba3Li3Si9N19 in the orthorhombic space group Cmcm (No. 63) with lattice parameters of a = 9.7263(1), b = 18.2746(2), c = 11.2929(1) Å, and Z = 4. The La4Ba3Li3Si9N19 exhibits a 3-D framework based on triangular clusters (3-rings) formed by vertex-sharing SiN4 tetrahedra. The rare earth Pr3+-doped La4Ba3Li3Si9N19 emits a narrow-band red emission peaking at approximately 640 nm with a full width at half-maximum of 50 nm when excited under ultraviolet light.

Novel charm of 2D materials engineering in memristor: when electronics encounter layered morphology.

The family of two-dimensional (2D) materials composed of atomically thin layers connected via van der Waals interactions has attracted much curiosity due to a variety of intriguing physical, optical, and electrical characteristics. The significance of analyzing statistics on electrical devices and circuits based on 2D materials is seldom underestimated. Certain requirements must be met to deliver scientific knowledge that is beneficial in the field of 2D electronics: synthesis and fabrication must occur at the wafer level, variations in morphology and lattice alterations must be visible and statistically verified, and device dimensions must be appropriate. The authors discussed the most recent significant concerns of 2D materials in the provided prose and attempted to highlight the prerequisites for synthesis, yield, and mechanism behind device-to-device variability, reliability, and durability benchmarking under memristors characteristics; they also indexed some useful approaches that have already been reported to be advantageous in large-scale production. Commercial applications, on the other hand, will necessitate further effort.

Investigation of Damage Evolution in Heterogeneous Rock Based on the Grain-Based Finite-Discrete Element Model.

Granite exhibits obvious meso-geometric heterogeneity. To study the influence of grain size and preferred grain orientation on the damage evolution and mechanical properties of granite, as well as to reveal the inner link between grain size' preferred orientation, uniaxial tensile strength (UTS) and damage evolution, a series of Brazilian splitting tests were carried out based on the combined finite-discrete element method (FDEM), grain-based model (GBM) and inverse Monte Carlo (IMC) algorithm. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) Mineral grain significantly influences the crack propagation paths, and the GBM can capture the location of fracture section more accurately than the conventional model. (2) Shear cracks occur near the loading area, while tensile and tensile-shear mixed cracks occur far from the loading area. The applied stress must overcome the tensile strength of the grain interface contacts. (3) The UTS and the ratio of the number of intergrain tensile cracks to the number of intragrain tensile cracks are negatively related to the grain size. (4) With the increase of the preferred grain orientation, the UTS presents a "V-shaped" characteristic distribution. (5) During the whole process of splitting simulation, shear microcracks play the dominant role in energy release; particularly, they occur in later stage. This novel framework, which can reveal the control mechanism of brittle rock heterogeneity on continuous-discontinuous trans-scale fracture process and microscopic rock behaviour, provides an effective technology and numerical analysis method for characterizing rock meso-structure. Accordingly, the research results can provide a useful reference for the prediction of heterogeneous rock mechanical properties and the stability control of engineering rock masses.

[Aerobic Granular Sludge Operation and Nutrient Removal Mechanism from Domestic Sewage in an Anaerobic/Aerobic Alternating Continuous Flow System].

Mature aerobic granular sludge was inoculated at room temperature in an anaerobic/aerobic alternating continuous flow system. The system consisted of two independent anaerobic and aerobic tanks. Actual domestic sewage was used as the influent to explore the influence of the gas intensity and hydraulic residence time on the continuous flow system. The results revealed that the conditions of a reflux ratio of 2, lower aeration intensity (0.6 mL·min-1), and proper hydraulic residence time (9 h) were more conducive to the removal of pollutants. Under such conditions, the average removal rate of TP was 80.43%, the average removal rate of TN was 83.6%, the average removal rate of COD was 90.39%, the sludge concentration was approximately 2100 mg·L-1, the sludge volume index was maintained below 50 mL·g-1, and the particle size was 700-800 nm. The EEM-PARAFAC model was used to characterize and analyze the EPS at different stages. The results revealed that changing the parameters could change the composition of EPS. The hydraulic residence time had a greater impact on the continuous flow system than the aeration intensity. In addition, a preliminary conceptual reaction process model in the anaerobic/aerobic alternating continuous flow system was built using high-throughput pyrosequencing and phylogenetic assignment. Eleven major functional bacteria related to nitrogen and phosphorus removal were found in the system.

Crystal structure, theoretical studies and luminescent properties of a new borate Na3GdB8O15 with one-dimensional broad-banded anionic framework.

Inorganic borate compounds exhibit significant diversity in their structure types, which are associated with interesting optical and magnetic properties. In our work, a new rare-earth polyborate Na3GdB8O15 was prepared with an infinite one-dimensional (1D) broad-banded framework of [B8O15]∞ running along the a-axis, in which large Gd3+ and Na+ ions reside to ensure cohesion and neutrality of the structure. The basic fundamental building block (FBB) of [B8O15]∞ is B16O32, which is composed of five BO3 and three BO4 groups and can be written as 5Δ3□: 〈2Δ□〉-〈Δ2□〉〈2Δ□〉. First principle studies reveal that Na3GdB8O15 is an indirect bandgap semiconductor and the optical absorption at 280 nm originates from the O2-→ Gd3+ transition. Solid solutions of Na3Gd1-xCexB8O15 and Na3Gd0.98-yYyCe0.02B8O15 were prepared and exhibited a bluish violet emissive luminescence by near-UV excitation due to the 5d1→ 4f1 transition of Ce3+. Substitution of Gd3+ by Y3+ enhanced the luminescence efficiency and significantly improved the thermal stability. At 423 K, the luminescence intensity of Na3Gd0.58Y0.4Ce0.02B8O15 remained 77% of that at 298 K. We hypothesize that Na3GdB8O15 is a potential inorganic luminescent host matrix.

Design, synthesis, crystal structure and luminescent properties introduced by Eu3+ of a new type of rare-earth borophosphate CsNa2REE2(BO3)(PO4)2 (REE = Y, Gd).

The rich compositional and structural diversity of borophosphates provides a wide variety of host lattices for luminescent materials. Herein, we report a borophosphate, CsNa2REE2(BO3)(PO4)2 (REE = Y, Gd), with a new type of three-dimensional (3D) anionic framework of [REE2(BO3)(PO4)2]∞. In this structure, REE3+ ions are in a linear array and the nearest intraline REE-REE distance is above 6.9 Å. Surprisingly, the Eu3+ activated phosphors CsNa2REE2(1-x)Eu2x(BO3)(PO4)2 show an insignificant concentration quenching effect; the higher the Eu3+ concentration, the larger the absolute luminescent external quantum yield. The 100% Eu3+ phosphor CsNa2Eu2(BO3)(PO4)2 possesses an IQY of 59% under 394 nm excitation. Moreover, CsNa2Eu2(BO3)(PO4)2 phosphor possesses superior thermal stability in the range 30-200 °C, retaining more than 96% of its initial intensity at 200 °C. We believe the prepared phosphor has potential application as a red phosphor for NUV excited LEDs.

Thermally Stable Phosphor KBa2(PO3)5:Eu2+ with Broad-Band Cyan Emission Caused by Multisite Occupancy of Eu2.

The relationship between the structure and properties is always a hot topic in the luminescent material field. In this work, a new phosphor KBa2(PO3)5:Eu2+ (KBP:Eu) was prepared by a high-temperature solid-state reaction method and characterized by X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL), and electroluminescence studies. The polyphosphate host KBP offers three lattice environments (K1, Ba1, and Ba2) for Eu2+ ions to realize broad-band emission from 380 to 700 nm under 345 nm excitation. The distributions of Eu2+ in the three lattice sites can be proven by low-temperature PL and transient fluorescence spectroscopy. Furthermore, temperature-dependent luminescence studies for phosphor KBP:0.02Eu reveal that its luminescence intensity at 150 °C retains about 97% of the initial value at 25 °C. By composing a 365 nm UV chip and KBP:0.02Eu, CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ phosphors, a warm white-light-emitting diode (WLED) was obtained with a correlated color temperature of 5146 K and chromaticity coordinates (0.3404, 0.3384). Therefore, KBP:Eu phosphor is a potential cyan-emitting phosphor used for high-power WLEDs.

Using 3-Isocyanatopropyltrimethoxysilane to Decorate Graphene Oxide with Nano-Titanium Dioxide for Enhancing the Anti-Corrosion Properties of Epoxy Coating.

In this paper, the graphene oxide loaded with nano titanium dioxide (TiO2-GO) was synthesized through 3-isocyanatopropyltrimethoxysilane (IPTMS) and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and dispersion test. The results illustrated our modification was successful and TiO2-GO was transferred from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. That greatly enhanced the dispersity of TiO2-GO in epoxy through the observation of the coating morphology test. Moreover, the impact of TiO2-GO on anti-corrosion property in epoxy was investigated by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). Comparing to pristine particles including GO and TiO2, TiO2-GO could more significantly improve the resistance of corrosion with the help of IPTMS. Furthermore, the anti-corrosion mechanism of TiO2-GO in epoxy was tentatively proposed and discussed.

A UV damage-sensing nociceptive device for bionic applications.

Artificial limbs have been widely investigated in the past several decades, and multifuncional bionic limbs have already been constructed. However, due the lack of nociceptive systems, amputees still cannot feel ubiquitous noxious stimuli through bionic limbs. The construction of artificial nociceptors can bring bionic limbs closer to real flesh and bone. In daily life, UV irradiation is an invisible potential noxious stimulus to human skin and eyes. Furthermore, it is well known that the synthetic polymers widely used in bionic limbs can be degraded by UV radiation, accelerating their aging. Based on the above, UV damage-sensing nociceptors could be a feasible strategy to solve these existing problems. Here, azobenzene-functionalized gold nanoparticles (Azo-Au NPs) are embedded in insulating poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) to construct a two-terminal memristor. With UV irradiation as a light damage medium, major nociceptive behaviors such as "threshold", "relaxation" and "sensitization" are successfully emulated, demonstrating its potential application as a nociceptive system.

Effect of different operational modes on the performance of granular sludge in continuous-flow systems and the successions of microbial communities.

Continuous flow reactors with time intermittent operational (TIO) mode and spatial intermittent operational (SIO) mode were operated to evaluate the effects of operational modes on the removal performances, the characteristics of granules and the dynamics of microbial communities in simultaneous nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal (SNDPR) granular system. The results showed that the removal efficiency of TP, TN were 81.3%, 86.7% under TIO mode, and 70.6%, 77.4% under SIO mode, respectively. Meanwhile, the PN and value of PN/PS in SIO were higher than those in TIO. Besides, results of high-throughput pyrosequencing illustrated that the combination of filamentous archaea (Methanothrix) and filamentous bacteria (Thiothrix) had resulted in the increase of EPS and SVI under SIO mode. Finally, functional bacterial and archaeal species, involving HMA, AMA, AOA, DPAOs etc., were identified to reveal the effects of operational modes on the mechanism of nutrients removal in granular SNDPR continuous-flow system.

Effect of aeration modes on simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal and microbial community in a continuous flow reactor with granules.

In this study, a continuous flow reactor with simultaneous nitrification, denitrification and phosphorus removal (SNDPR) granular sludge was operated in the continuous aeration (CA) and intermittent aeration (IA) modes to examine the effect of aeration on the performance of continuous-flow system. Then the experimental results showed that the IA1 mode (4 h aeration and 1 h non-aeration) could improve the simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal and the settleability of granules in continuous flow system. Results of high-throughput pyrosequencing illustrated that the methanogens, AOA, ANAMMOX, DNB, denitrifying polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (DPAOs) were the important participant of simultaneous biological nutrients removal (SBNR), meanwhile, the IA1 mode could effectively inhibit the growth of filamentous microorganisms (Thiothrix and Acinetobacter). Finally, a conceptual model of the SNDPR granular microbial ecosystem under IA1 mode was proposed as a base for analyzing the mechanism of simultaneous nutrient removal in continuous flow system.

Aerobic granular sludge operation and nutrients removal mechanism in a novel configuration reactor combined sequencing batch reactor and continuous-flow reactor.

A novel aerobic granular sludge (AGS) system called SBR (sequencing batch reactor)-CF (continuous-flow) system merging the advantages of sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) and continuous flow (CF) reactors was developed. The AGS was successfully operated in the SBR-CF system which consisted of four same SBRs (each served as settling tank/anaerobic feeding tank/aerobic reacting tank in turn). The effects of aeration intensity and hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the SBR-CF system were studied. The results showed strong aeration intensity (9.74 h-1 in this study) and appropriate HRT (9 h in this study) were more favorable to the nutrients removal. The EEM-PARAFAC analysis was applied to characterize the LB-EPS, TB-EPS and domestic wastewater, as results TB-EPS was found play an important role in the biosorption in COD removal of the SBR-CF system. In addition, a preliminary conceptual reaction process model in the SBR-CF system was built using high-throughput pyrosequencing and phylogenetic assignment.

Dual Antiplatelet Therapy after Intravenous Thrombolysis for Acute Minor Ischemic Stroke.

OBJECTIVE: To verify the efficacy and safety of dual antiplatelet therapy after intravenous thrombolysis for acute minor ischemic stroke (AMIS). METHODS: AMIS patients who received recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) intravenous thrombolysis from January to October 2018 were retrospectively analyzed and divided into the aspirin (ASP) and ASP + clopidogrel (ASP-CLO) groups based on the type of antiplatelet therapy to compare the rates of good clinical outcome, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH) after thrombolysis, and mortality in 90 days. RESULTS: A total of 207 patients were included (group ASP, 105 patients; group ASP-CLO, 102 patients). There was no significant difference in the baseline clinical data between the 2 groups. The -90-day modified Rankin scale scores (66.7 vs. 82.4%, p = 0.009) showed a statistically significant difference, but SICH (1.0 vs. 1.0%, p = 0.917) and 90-day mortality (1.9 vs. 1.0%, p = 0.585) showed no significant difference between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term (21 days) dual antiplatelet therapy after rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis for AMIS can improve the prognosis, reduce the risk of stroke recurrence, without increasing the risk of bleeding and mortality.