Evaluation of acetic acid treatment of fresh-cut water chestnuts using gray-correlation analysis based on the variation-coefficient weight.

Introduction: The demand for fresh-cut water chestnuts, a convenient and nutritive vegetable, is increasing in market. However, the slicing of water chestnuts can cause mechanical damage to tissue, which results in quality deterioration. We aimed to select the optimal treatment through a comprehensive comparison of the preservation effect of acetic acid, which could prolong the shelf life of fresh-cut water chestnuts and improve their storage quality. Methods: A comprehensive evaluation was conducted using the gray-correlation method based on the variation-coefficient weight to observe the treatment of 0, 2 and 5% acetic acid. Their effects on color, weight loss rate, and the content of ascorbic acid, total sugar, reducing sugar, soluble protein, and free amino acid were determined. Results: The color, weight loss rate, and nutritional content of fresh-cut chestnuts varied under different processing and storage times. When stored for more than 4 days, the b* value, and the content of total sugar and soluble protein in CK were higher than those in 2% or 5% acetic acid, but the weight loss rate, and the content of ascorbic acid and free amino acid in CK were less than those in acetic acid treatments. Considering various indicators, it was difficult to determine which treatment to choose for fresh-cut water chestnut preservation. The gray-correlation analysis results indicated that when stored for 8, 12, or 16 days, the gray-correlation degree of 5% acetic acid was the highest, while that of the control was the lowest. It could be directly concluded by the gray-correlation degree that when the storage time exceeded 4 days, acetic acid could be used to improve storage quality, and 5% acetic acid had a better preservation effect than 2%. Fresh-cut water chestnuts can be stored for 4 days without the need for acetic acid treatment. Conclusion: These findings could provide information and comprehensive evaluation methods for the preservation of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. The next step is to evaluate the preservation effect of acetic acid by measuring its effects on other indicators of fresh-cut water chestnuts (e.g., flavonoids, and microorganisms), providing ideas for the research of preservatives.

Study on the Attenuation of Long-Term Skid Resistance of Asphalt Mixtures under Aeolian Sand Conditions.

In this work, the long-term skid resistance attenuation law of asphalt mixtures in the presence of aeolian sand was studied. Four types of asphalt mixtures underwent skid resistance abrasion tests using an accelerated loading tester. The pendulum value (BPN) and structure depth (MTD) of these four mixtures were determined under various conditions of sand density and abrasion times. The correlation between the BPN and density and the number of times of abrasion were investigated, respectively, to analyze the skid resistance attenuation law at the microscopic and macroscopic levels. Our results indicate that the skid resistance of the four types of asphalt mixtures initially decreased and subsequently reached a stable state. Sand density primarily influences skid resistance during the initial stage, while the number of abrasions becomes the dominant factor affecting skid resistance in the later stages.

Performance Analysis and Admixture Optimization of GBFS-HPMC/Fiber Pervious Concrete.

Permeable pavements can decrease the volume of stormwater, thereby mitigating the risk of flooding and reducing the urban heat island effect. This study investigated the influence of incorporating granulated blast-furnace slag (GBFS), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), and polypropylene plastic textile fiber (PPTF) on the mechanical properties and water permeability of pervious concrete. Orthogonal tests were employed to conduct the analysis. The findings indicate that the pervious concrete with GBFS, HPMC, and PPTF (termed GBFS-HPMC/fiber pervious concrete) exhibited the highest cubic compressive strength, ultimate tensile strength, and flexural strength. These values were 25.22 MPa, 3.36 MPa, and 5.39 MPa, respectively. The standard deviations for cubic compressive strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength, water permeability coefficient, and porosity, as calculated using SPSS, were 1.57, 0.1, 1.17, 0.35, and 0.4, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were used to analyze the microstructure and compositional combinations of the pervious concrete. The analyses revealed that the calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) gel, produced by GBFS hydration, enhanced the bonding within the interfacial transition zone (ITZ) and between the fibers and aggregates. Additionally, the anchoring and supporting effects of the PPTF in the matrix contributed to stabilizing the overall matrix structure. Lastly, a gray correlation analysis was applied to optimize the admixture. The findings indicate that following the optimization, the cubic compressive strength increased by 7.2%, splitting tensile strength by 2.1%, and flexural strength by 2.5%. In summary, the mechanical properties of pervious concrete improved after optimizing the admixture.

Reaction heat effect and change characteristics of key groups in coal-oxygen intrinsic reaction path.

The intrinsic reaction of coal with oxygen in the process of low-temperature oxidation is the main reaction path leading to self-heating and spontaneous combustion of coal. Most of the existing studies regard the coal oxidation as an overall reaction, ignoring the multi-path characteristics of coal low-temperature oxidation, and it is difficult to accurately explore the intrinsic reaction characteristics between coal with oxygen. Therefore, the low-temperature oxidation process of coal was studied by using a C80 microcalorimeter and in situ FTIR technology from the macro and micro levels. The "profile subtraction method" was used to study the coal-oxygen intrinsic reaction process, and the reaction heat effect and the change characteristics of key functional groups in the process were analyzed. Furthermore, the gray correlation analysis method was used to study the relevant characteristic parameters in the reaction process and grasp the essential structure-activity relationship. The experimental results show that, compared with the overall reaction process in air atmosphere, the change in the heat release of the coal-oxygen intrinsic reaction path has changed to different degrees, and the change in the slow oxidation stage is the most significant (the heat absorption decreases by 70.1-90.9%). In addition, the characteristic temperature points show different degrees of advance, of which the initial exothermic temperature point is the largest (about 21-46 °C), which directly leads to a significant shortening of the slow oxidation stage (30.1-47.4%). The changes of functional groups in the intrinsic reaction path are more regular. With the increase of temperature, the oxygen-containing functional groups -C=O and the aliphatic hydrocarbon functional groups -CH2- and -CH3 showed a fluctuating trend of increasing and decreasing, respectively. The oxidation heat-contributing functional groups of coal are mainly related to the degree of metamorphism and the functional group reaction characteristics during the reaction. With the deepening of coalification degree, the main heat-contributing functional groups as a whole showed the change rule of oxygen-containing functional groups → aliphatic hydrocarbon functional groups → aromatic hydrocarbon functional groups. In addition, the change of -OH content in the three coal samples has a high correlation with the change of the total heat release of coal.

15 N labeling technology reveals enhancement of nitrogen uptake and transfer by root interaction in cotton/soybean intercropping.

BACKGROUND: Biological nitrogen fixation in legumes and their transfer of nitrogen to non-legumes in legume/non-legume intercropping systems are considered to be important for the improvement of productivity. However, research on interspecific interaction and root nitrogen transfer in cotton/soybean intercropping systems has rarely been undertaken. In this study, the roots of cotton and soybean were separated with either complete root barriers (CB), using plastic film, or semi-root barriers (SB), using nylon net. No root barrier (NB) was used as the control. RESULTS: The results showed that cotton produced more above-ground dry matter (DM) than soybean. The above-ground DM and nitrogen uptake of cotton was greatest with the NB treatment. The above-ground DM and nitrogen uptake of soybean was greatest with the CB treatment. At the harvest stage, the nitrogen transfer rate from soybean to cotton was 22.47% with the SB treatment and 40.41% with the NB treatment. Interspecific root interaction increased the nitrogen transfer amount, especially for the cotton roots in the 0-15 cm soil layer and for the soybean roots in the 0-30 cm soil layer. The root distribution of soybean was the key factor affecting nitrogen transfer amount, and nitrogen transfer amount was the key factor affecting nitrogen uptake of cotton in the cotton/soybean intercropping system. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that nitrogen transfer from soybean to cotton through root interaction improved cotton above-ground DM and nitrogen uptake. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

A novel strategy for active compound efficacy status identification in multi-tropism Chinese herbal medicine (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi) based on multi-indexes spectrum-effect gray correlation analysis.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Bioactive substance identification is always the focal point and the main challenge in Chinese herbal medicine (CHM). Most CHM present multiple efficacies and multiple tropisms, which has improved the application accuracy of CHM, and is worthy of further study. In this article, the concept of "multi-tropism efficacy of CHM" has been proposed for the first time. In addition, it is hypothesized that the different components in CHM can be classified based on their efficacy status. AIM OF THE STUDY: The spectrum-effect relationship between the fingerprint and efficacy was established to identify the efficacy status of components. This provided a practical, efficient and accurate way to identify the bioactive substances from a complex CHM system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The network pharmacology approach was applied to preliminarily analyze the potential antibacterial compounds and mechanisms of HQ. Furthermore, its chemical fingerprint was established and the characteristic peaks were identified by LC-MS/MS. The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory bioactivities of HQ were determined to evaluate its pharmacological effect of heat-clearing and detoxification, and its anticoagulation activity was determined to evaluate its heat-clearing and tocolysis effects. The spectrum-effect relationships were assessed by gray correlation analysis to discriminate the status of active components in HQ with different efficacies. RESULTS: Network pharmacology analysis revealed apigenin, wogonin, baicalein, acacetin, ß-sitosterol, baicalin, eugenol, moslosooflavone, palmitic acid, oroxylin-A 7-O-glucuronide, and scutevulin as the potential active compounds responsible for the efficacy of HQ against both E. coli and S. aureus. The spectrum-effect relationship was utilized to reveal the orientation activities, with the results as follows: 1) The main basic-efficacy components in HQ with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anticoagulant effects were P5, P8, P9, P15, P18, P19, P20; while the general basic-efficacy components were P2, P3, P6, P7, P11, P14, P21, P22, P28. 2) The main efficacy-oriented components in HQ with antibacterial effects on E. coli were P1, P12, P17, while the general efficacy-oriented compound was P10, P24, P25, P26, P27; the main efficacy-oriented in HQ with antibacterial effects on S. aureus were P14 and the general efficacy-oriented components were P1, P12, P26, P29, P30, respectively. 3) The main efficacy-oriented components with anti-inflammatory activity were P14, P24, P25, P27, and P30, while the general efficacy-oriented components were P13, P23, P26. 4) The main efficacy-oriented compounds in HQ with effects on anticoagulation were P6 and P22; these acted by prolonging APTT through the intrinsic coagulation pathway and PT through the extrinsic coagulation pathway, respectively. 5) The pharmacodynamic status classification of Scutellaria baicalensis ingredients were confirmed by nine reference compounds exemplarily. CONCLUSION: This work established a novel strategy for active compound efficacy status identification in multi-tropism Chinese herbal medicine (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi) based on multi-indexes spectrum-effect gray correlation analysis, the method is scientific feasible and can be applied to the effective substances identification and quality control of other CHM.

A UPLC-Q-TOF-MS-Based Metabolomics Approach to Screen out Active Components in Prepared Rhubarb for Its Activity on Noxious Heat Blood Stasis Syndrome.

Background: Prepared rhubarb was obtained by steaming raw rhubarb with wine. Different from raw rhubarb with a purgative effect, prepared rhubarb shows effects of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. However, the mechanisms of its action through regulating endogenous metabolites remain unclear. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore active chemical components in prepared rhubarb for its activity on noxious heat blood stasis syndrome (NHBS) by comprehensive metabolomics profiling. Study design: Plant extracts usually show their activities in a synergistic way; therefore, integrated omics was developed as a rational way for a better understanding of their biological effects and potential active compounds. Methods: The activities of prepared rhubarb were evaluated by biochemical and metabolomic analysis; meanwhile, serum chemical profiles were sought using UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS. Gray correlation analysis (GCA) was used for calculating the underlying correlations between them. Results: The metabolomics profiles of rat plasma from model and control groups were significantly different, with 31 endogenous metabolites changed by NHBS. Then, after the administration of prepared rhubarb, 18 of them were regulated. Multiple metabolic pathways were disturbed after NHBS modeling and restored by prepared rhubarb, among which had a greater impact on sphingolipid metabolism. A total of 28 compounds from prepared rhubarb absorbed into the plasma were identified, including nine prototypes and 19 metabolites. Statistical results suggested that rhein and its metabolites accounted for half of the top 10 active compounds in prepared rhubarb for its biomedical activities. Conclusion: This study presented evidence for the therapeutic effects and active chemicals of prepared rhubarb on NHBS in the way of metabolomics.

Experimental Study on the Properties of Mortar and Concrete Made with Tunnel Slag Machine-Made Sand.

Machine-made sand is gradually replacing natural sand to achieve sustainable development. Experimental studies and gray-correlation analysis were used to study the properties of tunnel slag machine-made mortar and concrete. The properties of machine-made mortar with different stone powder content were analyzed through experiments. By analyzing the performance of machine-made sand concrete with equal amounts of cement replaced by stone powder, the optimum replacement ratio is obtained. Gray-correlation analysis was used to compare the degree of influence of fineness modulus and stone powder content on the performance of concrete. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD) were used to analyze the microstructure of tunnel slag sand concrete. The test results showed that the flexural and compressive strengths of the machine-made sand concrete were greater than the standard sand with the same stone powder content. The 28-day flexural and compressive strengths had a maximum difference of more than 30%. The best stone powder content of the machine-made mortar is in the range of 5% to 8%. When the replacement cement content of stone powder is about 6%, the mechanical and working properties of machine-made sand concrete achieve the optimal state. The lower the stone powder content, the closer the mechanical and working properties of machine-made sand concrete and river sand concrete. The correlation between the performance of machine-made sand concrete and fineness modulus is the largest. When the stone powder content is low, it has almost no effect on the compressive strength of concrete. The results point out the direction for the quality control of tunnel slag machine-made sand concrete.

[Composition changes reveal relationship between color and enzymatic reaction of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex during "sweating" process].

In this study, we employed Q Exactive to determine the main differential metabolites of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex du-ring the "sweating" process. Further, we quantified the color parameters and determined the activities of polyphenol oxidase(PPO), peroxidase(POD), and tyrosinase of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex during the "sweating" process. Gray correlation analysis was performed for the color, chemical composition, and enzyme activity to reveal the effect of enzymatic reaction on the color of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex during the "sweating" process. Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex sweating in different manners showed similar metabolite changes. The primary metabolites that changed significantly included amino acids, nucleotides, and sugars, and the secondary metabolites with significant changes were phenols and phenylpropanoids. Despite the different sweating methods, eleven compounds were commonly up-regulated, including L-glutamic acid, acetylarginine, hypoxanthine, and xanthine; six compounds were commonly down-re-gulated, including L-arginine, L-aspartic acid, and phenylalanine. The brightness value(L~*), red-green value(a~*), and yellow-blue value(b~*) of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex kept decreasing during the "sweating" process. The changes in the activities of PPO and POD during sweating were consistent with those in the color parameter values. The gray correlation analysis demonstrated that the main differential metabolites such as amino acids and phenols were closely related to the color parameters L~*, a~* and b~*; POD was correlated with amino acids and phenols; PPO had strong correlation with phenols. The results indicated that the color change of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex during "sweating" was closely related to the reactions of enzymes dominated by PPO and POD. The study analyzed the correlations among the main differential metabolites, color parameters, and enzyme activities of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex in the "sweating" process. It reveals the common law of material changes and ascertains the relationship between color changes and enzymatic reactions of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex during "sweating". Therefore, this study provides a reference for studying the "sweating" mechanism of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex and is of great significance to guarantee the quality of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex.

[Contributions of flavonoids from citri reticulatae pericarpium to gastric hormones, CD3~+ and TFF3 mRNA expression in rats with spleen deficiency intervened by Liujunzi Decoction].

The present study established the spectrum-effect relationship model of flavonoids in Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium(CRP) from 15 batches of Liujunzi Decoction and statistically analyzed the correlation between chemical peaks and efficacy to identify the main effective components. HPLC fingerprints of flavonoids in CRP from 15 batches of Liujunzi Decoction were established. HPLC analysis was carried out on the Venusil XBP C_(18)(L) column(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 µm) at 30 ℃ with acetonitrile-water(containing 0.1% formic acid) as mobile phase for gradient elution, a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min~(-1), and detection wavelength of 300 nm to obtain chemical fingerprints. Additionally, the effects of flavonoids from CRP in 15 batches of Liujunzi Decoction on the content of GAS, MTL, and VIP, TFF3 mRNA expression, and percentage of CD3~+ T-cells of model rats with spleen deficiency were determined. The spectrum-effect relationship model was established by gray correlation analysis. The results showed that the main characteristic peaks with great contribution to the regulation of gastrointestinal tract were peak 16(vicenin-2), peak 63(sinensetin), peak 64(isosinensetin), peak 65(nobiletin), peak 67(3,5,6,7,8,3',4'-heptemthoxyflavone), peak 68(tangeretin), and peak 69(5-desmethylnobiletin). Therefore, there was a linear correlation between flavonoids from CRP in Liujunzi Decoction and the efficacy, and the medicinal effect was achieved by multi-component action. This study is expected to provide a new idea for exploring the material basis of the effect, i.e., regulating qi prior to replenishing qi, of CRP in Liujunzi Decoction.

Composition changes reveal relationship between color and enzymatic reaction of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex during "sweating" process / 中国中药杂志

In this study, we employed Q Exactive to determine the main differential metabolites of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex du-ring the "sweating" process. Further, we quantified the color parameters and determined the activities of polyphenol oxidase(PPO), peroxidase(POD), and tyrosinase of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex during the "sweating" process. Gray correlation analysis was performed for the color, chemical composition, and enzyme activity to reveal the effect of enzymatic reaction on the color of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex during the "sweating" process. Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex sweating in different manners showed similar metabolite changes. The primary metabolites that changed significantly included amino acids, nucleotides, and sugars, and the secondary metabolites with significant changes were phenols and phenylpropanoids. Despite the different sweating methods, eleven compounds were commonly up-regulated, including L-glutamic acid, acetylarginine, hypoxanthine, and xanthine; six compounds were commonly down-re-gulated, including L-arginine, L-aspartic acid, and phenylalanine. The brightness value(L~*), red-green value(a~*), and yellow-blue value(b~*) of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex kept decreasing during the "sweating" process. The changes in the activities of PPO and POD during sweating were consistent with those in the color parameter values. The gray correlation analysis demonstrated that the main differential metabolites such as amino acids and phenols were closely related to the color parameters L~*, a~* and b~*; POD was correlated with amino acids and phenols; PPO had strong correlation with phenols. The results indicated that the color change of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex during "sweating" was closely related to the reactions of enzymes dominated by PPO and POD. The study analyzed the correlations among the main differential metabolites, color parameters, and enzyme activities of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex in the "sweating" process. It reveals the common law of material changes and ascertains the relationship between color changes and enzymatic reactions of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex during "sweating". Therefore, this study provides a reference for studying the "sweating" mechanism of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex and is of great significance to guarantee the quality of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex.

Contributions of flavonoids from citri reticulatae pericarpium to gastric hormones, CD3~+ and TFF3 mRNA expression in rats with spleen deficiency intervened by Liujunzi Decoction / 中国中药杂志

The present study established the spectrum-effect relationship model of flavonoids in Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium(CRP) from 15 batches of Liujunzi Decoction and statistically analyzed the correlation between chemical peaks and efficacy to identify the main effective components. HPLC fingerprints of flavonoids in CRP from 15 batches of Liujunzi Decoction were established. HPLC analysis was carried out on the Venusil XBP C_(18)(L) column(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm) at 30 ℃ with acetonitrile-water(containing 0.1% formic acid) as mobile phase for gradient elution, a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min~(-1), and detection wavelength of 300 nm to obtain chemical fingerprints. Additionally, the effects of flavonoids from CRP in 15 batches of Liujunzi Decoction on the content of GAS, MTL, and VIP, TFF3 mRNA expression, and percentage of CD3~+ T-cells of model rats with spleen deficiency were determined. The spectrum-effect relationship model was established by gray correlation analysis. The results showed that the main characteristic peaks with great contribution to the regulation of gastrointestinal tract were peak 16(vicenin-2), peak 63(sinensetin), peak 64(isosinensetin), peak 65(nobiletin), peak 67(3,5,6,7,8,3',4'-heptemthoxyflavone), peak 68(tangeretin), and peak 69(5-desmethylnobiletin). Therefore, there was a linear correlation between flavonoids from CRP in Liujunzi Decoction and the efficacy, and the medicinal effect was achieved by multi-component action. This study is expected to provide a new idea for exploring the material basis of the effect, i.e., regulating qi prior to replenishing qi, of CRP in Liujunzi Decoction.

Exploration of the profile-effect relationship of Siraitia grosvenorii aqueous extracts related to their laxative effect on the basis of gray correlation analysis.

BACKGROUND: Siraitia grosvenorii (binomial name Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey ex Lu et Z. Y. Zhang), also called Arhat Fruit or Monk's Fruit, is a dried ripe fruit belonging to the Cucurbitaceae Family. S. grosvenorii has a long history of being used for constipation treatment in folk medicine. However, there are few studies where the laxative effect, related mechanisms, and active constituents of S. grosvenorii were investigated. This research explores the relationship between the common components and the laxative effect of aqueous extracts of S. grosvenorii from different habitats in China. METHODS: The fingerprints of S. grosvenorii aqueous extracts from different habitats were established by HPLC. The constipation mice model was used to investigate the laxative effect of S. grosvenorii aqueous extracts. The motilin (MTL) level in mice serum, and the water content of the large and small intestines in mice were determined. The profile-effect relationship of S. grosvenorii aqueous extracts was preliminarily clarified using gray correlation analysis. RESULTS: Nine common peaks were identified from the fingerprint of aqueous extracts of S. grosvenorii. The aqueous extracts obviously shortened the incubation period of defecation, and significantly increased the number of defecations, and the wet and dry weight of defecation in constipated mice. The profile-effect relationship indicated that seven common peaks were highly correlated with the effect of the incubation period of defecation, the number of defecations, and the wet and dry weight of defecation in mice. CONCLUSION: This work provides a promising method for the fingerprint establishment, pharmacodynamic evaluation, and quality control of S. grosvenorii on the basis of its profile-effect relationship.

Can green credit policy improve environmental quality? Evidence from China.

There is significant interest among policymakers and academics about whether or not green credit, which is a market-oriented environmental policy tool, has achieved its intended effect in improving the environment in China. This paper addresses this question from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. Using panel data from 30 provincial administrative regions of China from 2007 to 2016, we apply the fixed effect model and the gray correlation analysis method to examine the influence and its mechanism of green credit on China's environmental quality. The results show that green credit does improve China's environmental quality overall. Green credit can reduce environmental pollution through three mechanisms: improving enterprise performance, motivating enterprise innovation, and upgrading industrial structure. However, there are regional differences in the emission-reduction effect of green credit. Green credit improves the environmental quality in resource-based regions more than non-resource-based regions; the emission-reduction effect is significant in regions with developed financial markets, but not significant elsewhere. The results indicate that green credit policies should be regionally differentiated to more effectively achieve emission-reduction targets.

Erratum: An Integrated Strategy for Rapid Discovery and Identification of Quality Markers in Gardenia Fructus Using an Omics Discrimination-Grey Correlation-Biological Verification Method.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.705498.].

An Integrated Strategy for Rapid Discovery and Identification of Quality Markers in Gardenia Fructus Using an Omics Discrimination-Grey Correlation-Biological Verification Method.

Background: Gardenia Fructus (GF), a traditional Chinese medicine of Gardenia Ellis in Rubiaceae family, has the potential to clear heat and purge fire and has been widely used to treat multiple infection-related diseases. However, the quality markers (Q-Markers) of GF have not been revealed comprehensively. Methods: In this experiment, the transgenic zebrafish lines, Tg (l-fabp:EGFP) and Tg (lyz:EGFP), were used to evaluate two main kinds of traditional efficacies of GF, hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. All the GF samples from different production areas were tested their anti-liver injury and anti-inflammantory activities. High-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry method (HPLC-Q-TOF/MS) was employed for herbal metabonomic analysis of GF samples. Gray correlation analysis (GCA) was utilized to screen out the components closely associated with the activities. Finally, the zebrafish model was applied to verify the bioactivity of the crucial components to determine the Q-Markers of GF. Results: The zebrafish models were established by inducing with hydrogen peroxide or copper sulfate and applied to quickly evaluate the hepatoprotective effect and inflammation of GF samples. 27 potentially active components for liver protection and 21 potentially active components with anti-inflammatory properties were identified by herbal metabolomic analysis based on HPLC-Q-TOF/MS. The GCA result showed that five of the 27 components were highly correlated with liver protection, 15 of the 21 components were highly correlated with anti-inflammatory activity. Among them, geniposide and crocin-1 were confirmed their bioactivities on zebrafish experiment to be responsible for the protective effects of GF against liver injury, and genipin-1-ß-D-gentiobioside, quinic acid, gardenoside, d-glucuronic acid, l-malic acid, mannitol, rutin, and chlorogenic acid were confirmed to be responsible for the anti-inflammatory effects. Finally, according to the screening principles of Q-Markers, genipin-1-ß-D-gentiobioside, geniposide, and gardenoside were preliminarily identified to be the Q-Markers of GF. Conclusion: This study established an effective research strategy of "Omics Discrimination-Grey Correlation-Biological Verification," which enabled the rapid identification of key pharmacological components of GF. These markers have provided a scientific basis for constructing a modern quality evaluation system for GF.

[Spatio-temporal Variation Characteristics Monitored by Remotely Sensed Technique of PM2.5 Concentration and Its Influencing Factor Analysis in Sichuan Basin, China].

The spread of atmospheric pollutants in the Sichuan Basin is difficult because of its unique topography, static wind, high humidity, and other meteorological conditions. Owing to the acceleration of urbanization and industrialization, PM2.5 pollution in the region is becoming increasingly severe, and the Sichuan Basin has become one of the key areas of national air pollution prevention and control. In this study, based on the remote sensing inversion product of PM2.5 concentration, spatial autocorrelation and gray correlation analyses are used to evaluate the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics and influencing factors of PM2.5 concentration in the Sichuan Basin. The results show that PM2.5 concentration has significant spatial aggregation; the high-high aggregation types are concentrated, low-low aggregation types are more dispersed, and coniferous forest has a significantly higher inhibitory effect on the absorption of PM2.5 than the shrub, grassland, and other vegetation types. The main meteorological factors affecting PM2.5 concentration in the Sichuan Basin are wind speed and temperature; population density and economic scale are the main human-activity factors affecting PM2.5 concentration in the Sichuan Basin, and the change in the industrial structure and scale also has a certain influence on the PM2.5 concentration.

Regional suitability prediction of soil salinization based on remote-sensing derivatives and optimal spectral index.

Soil salinization is an extremely serious land degradation problem in arid and semi-arid regions that hinders the sustainable development of agriculture and food security. Information and research on soil salinity using remote sensing (RS) technology provide a quick and accurate assessment and solutions to address this problem. This study aims to compare the capabilities of Landsat-8 OLI and Sentinel-2A MSI in RS prediction and exploration of the potential application of derivatives to RS prediction of salinized soils. It explores the ability of derivatives to be used in the Landsat-8 OLI and Sentinel-2A MSI multispectral data, and it was used as a data source as well as to address the adaptability of salinity prediction on a regional scale. The two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) optimal spectral indices are used to screen the bands that are most sensitive to soil salinity (0-10 cm), and RS data and topographic factors are combined with machine learning to construct a comprehensive soil salinity estimation model based on gray correlation analysis. The results are as follows: (1) The optimal spectral index (2D, 3D) can effectively consider possible combinations of the bands between the interaction effects and responding to sensitive bands of soil properties to circumvent the problem of applicability of spectral indices in different regions; (2) Both the Landsat-8 OLI and Sentinel-2A MSI multispectral RS data sources, after the first-order derivative techniques are all processed, show improvements in the prediction accuracy of the model; (3) The best performance/accuracy of the predictive model is for sentinel data under first-order derivatives. This study compared the capabilities of Landsat-8 OLI and Sentinel-2A MSI in RS prediction in finding the potential application of derivatives to RS prediction of salinized soils, with the results providing some theoretical basis and technical guidance for salinized soil prediction and environmental management planning.

Assessing the corporate green technology progress and environmental governance performance based on the panel data on industrial enterprises above designated size in Anhui Province, China.

Assessing the corporate green technology progress and environmental governance performance is essential to estimate the technological levels and environment regulation capabilities of enterprises. With the official statistics of collected panel data, we estimate and evaluate the differential levels of provincial corporate green technology and environmental governance performance of industrial enterprises above designated size (IEADSs) in Anhui Province across multiple dimensions. We firstly chose each surveyed city as the decision-making unit (DMU) in data envelopment analysis (DEA). Subsequently, we estimated the green technology efficiency of IEADSs from a static perspective by using the bootstrap DEA model and an improved super-efficiency (SE) DEA model. Secondly, we used the algorithm of Malmquist productivity index to analyze the dynamic efficiency development tendency and spatiotemporal characteristics in the DMUs. From a dynamic perspective, the evolutionary divergence and convergence characteristics of provincial green technology efficiency were brought about by the estimating algorithm of Malmquist productivity index based on the different regional divisions in Anhui Province. Furthermore, in combination with Malmquist-data envelopment analyses, we also used gray correlation analysis to analyze and evaluate the influencing factors of the industrial green technology efficiencies. This study shows many interesting findings across multiple dimensions. Among the 16 DMUs, there are only eight with the regional green technology efficiencies of IEADSs greater than the expected threshold of 0.9. Nevertheless, the green technology efficiencies of provincial industrial enterprises are still far from the national optimized goals in most of the surveyed cities. The regional green technology efficiencies of IEADSs were ranked as South Anhui > North Anhui > Middle Anhui. The overall average industrial green technology efficiency is 0.8650 in Anhui Province, but the provincial differences of sub-area distribution are relatively large and heterogeneous. The average provincial industrial green technology efficiency appeared as the overall tendency to rise, fall, and then rise, although there is an average bootstrapped Malmquist productivity indices of 1.009 in Anhui Province. Among the declined provincial Malmquist productivity indices, the effch, techch, and sech indices are vital causers of the overall decline of the provincial Malmquist productivity indices. Ultimately, based on all these quantitative estimates and findings, we put forward the following concluding remarks with policy implications and corresponding strategies.

[Grey correlation analysis and path analysis between isoflavones content in Astragali Radix and climate factors].

In this study, HPLC was used to determine the content of the four isoflavones of Astragalus membranceus var. mongholicus from different regions(calycosin-7-glucoside, ononin, calycosin and formononetin), and gray correlation analysis and path analysis were used to explore the influence of climate factors on the content of isoflavone components in A. membranceus var. mongholicus. The results showed that there were significant differences in the content of the four isoflavones in different areas(P<0.05); grey correlation analysis showed that the highest temperature in July, the lowest temperature in January and the daily average temperature had a greater impact on the content of flavonoid glycosides, meanwhile precipitation and relative humidity were the more important factors for the accumulation of flavonoid aglycones. According to the general analysis, the direct positive effects of the lowest temperature in January and altitude on the contents of four isoflavones in A. membranceus var. mongholicus were significant. High altitude and extreme temperature conditions might be more adverse to the formation and accumulation of isoflavone components. Therefore, the religions of A. membranceus var. mongholicus with high contents of isoflavones should be chosen the low altitude region with higher minimum temperature in January. This study provides a reference basis for the quality evaluation of A. membranceus var. mongholicus, and basic data for the selection of suitable habitat, construction of planting standards and directional cultivation of medicinal materials in A. membranceus var. mongholicus.