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The golden apple snail (GAS, Pomacea canaliculata) has invaded mangrove forests. The effect of water contaminated by metabolic activity of GAS feeding on Acanthus ilicifolius (T1), Sonneratia apetala (T2), and without food (CK) on the native mangrove black helmet snail (BHS, Neritina pulligera) was investigated under salinity conditions. The GAS deteriorated saline water quality (2.5‰). DO contents in T1 and T2 approached zero at 9 d. Compared to CK, the contents of COD, total N, NH4+, NO3−, and total P of the contaminated water in T1 increased by 297%, 205%, 262%, 210%, and 518% after 9 d, while these indicators in T2 increased by 74%, 31%, 57%, 326%, and 154%, respectively. The LC50 of the contaminated water in T1 against the BHS reached 22.72%. The weight of the BHS exposed to the 100% contaminated water in T1 and T2 significantly decreased after exposure. The content of GPT of the BHS exposed to the 100%-contaminated water in T1 and T2 increased by 55% and 26%, while the MDA content increased by 38% and 34%. The 100%-contaminated water in T1 led to cell degeneration and incomplete structure in the hepatopancreas tissue of the BHS. The GAS feeding on holly mangroves can compete against native mangrove snails through water deterioration.

Whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) has been shown to have a variety of bioactivities. This study aimed to investigate the preventive effect of WPH on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in C57BL/6J mice. The results indicated that WPH intervention for 37 days was effective in delaying the development of colonic inflammation, and high doses of WPH significantly inhibited weight loss (9.16%, n = 8, p < 0.05), protected the colonic mucosal layer, and significantly reduced the levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in mice with colitis (n = 8, p < 0.05). In addition, WPH intervention was able to up-regulate the short-chain fatty acids secretion and restore the gut microbiome imbalance in mice with colitis. Notably, high-dose WPH intervention increased the relative abundance of norank_f_Muribaculaceae by 1.52-fold and decreased the relative abundance of Romboutsia and Enterobacter by 3.77-fold and 2.45-fold, respectively, compared with the Model group. WPH intervention protected colitis mice mainly by reversing the microbiome imbalance and regulating the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I pathway. This study showed that WPH has anti-inflammatory activity and a promising colitis management future.

The Lianhua Qingwen (LHQW) capsule is a popular traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of viral respiratory diseases. In particular, it has been recently prescribed to treat infections caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, due to its complex composition, little attention has been directed toward the analysis of chemical constituents present in the LHQW capsule. This study presents a reliable and comprehensive approach to characterizing the chemical constituents present in LHQW by high-performance liquid chromatography-Q Exactive-Orbitrap mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q Exactive-Orbitrap-MS) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). An automated library alignment method with a high mass accuracy (within 5 ppm) was used for the rapid identification of compounds. A total of 104 compounds, consisting of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, phenolic acids, phenylpropanoids, quinones, terpenoids, and other phytochemicals, were successfully characterized. In addition, the fragmentation pathways and characteristic fragments of some representative compounds were elucidated. GC-MS analysis was conducted to characterize the volatile compounds present in LHQW. In total, 17 compounds were putatively characterized by comparing the acquired data with that from the NIST library. The major constituent was menthol, and all the other compounds were terpenoids. This is the first comprehensive report on the identification of the major chemical constituents present in the LHQW capsule by HPLC-Q Exactive-Orbitrap-MS, coupled with GC-MS, and the results of this study can be used for the quality control and standardization of LHQW capsules. [Display omitted] •The chemical components of LHQW capsule were revealed using HPLC-Q Exactive-Orbitrap-MS and GC-MS.•The approach combined HPLC-Q Exactive-Orbitrap-MS and GC-MS methods.•A library alignment method was used for the rapid identification of the chemical components.•In total, 120 compounds were putatively identified.

Enzymatic reactions in living cells are highly dynamic but simultaneously tightly regulated. Enzyme engineers seek to construct multienzyme complexes to prevent intermediate diffusion, to improve product yield, and to control the flux of metabolites. Here we choose a pair of short peptide tags (RIAD and RIDD) to create scaffold-free enzyme assemblies to achieve these goals. In vitro, assembling enzymes in the menaquinone biosynthetic pathway through RIAD–RIDD interaction yields protein nanoparticles with varying stoichiometries, sizes, geometries, and catalytic efficiency. In Escherichia coli , assembling the last enzyme of the upstream mevalonate pathway with the first enzyme of the downstream carotenoid pathway leads to the formation of a pathway node, which increases carotenoid production by 5.7 folds. The same strategy results in a 58% increase in lycopene production in engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae . This work presents a simple strategy to impose metabolic control in biosynthetic microbe factories. Metabolic enzymes often form supramolecular complexes to improve product yield. Here the authors use short peptide tags to create scaffold-free assemblies and synthetic metabolic nodes.

As a highly salt-resistant mangrove, Avicennia marina can thrive in the hypersaline water. The leaves of Avicennia marina play a crucial role in salinity stress adaptability by secreting salt. Although the functions of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in leaves remain unknown, they have emerged as regulators in leaf development, aging and salt response. In this study, we employed transcriptomic data of both short-term and long-term salt treated leaves to identify salt-associated lncRNAs of leaf tissue. As a result, 687 short-term and 797 long-term salt-associated lncRNAs were identified. Notably, both short-term and long-term salt-associated lncRNAs exhibited slightly longer lengths and larger exons, but smaller introns compared with salt-non-associated lncRNAs. Furthermore, salt-associated lncRNAs also displayed higher tissue-specificity than salt-non-associated lncRNAs. Most of the salt-associated lncRNAs were common to short- and long-term salt treatments. And about one fifth of the downregulated salt-associated lncRNAs identified both in two terms were leaf tissue-specific lncRNAs. Besides, these leaf-specific lncRNAs were found to be involved in the oxidation–reduction and photosynthesis processes, as well as several metabolic processes, suggesting the noticeable functions of salt-associated lncRNAs in regulating salt responses of Avicennia marina leaves.

Neuroblastoma presents a wide variety of clinical phenotypes, demonstrating different levels of benignity and malignancy among its subtypes. Early diagnosis is essential for effective patient management. Computed tomography (CT) serves as a significant diagnostic tool for neuroblastoma, utilizing machine vision imaging, which offers advantages over traditional X-ray and ultrasound imaging modalities. However, the high degree of similarity among neuroblastoma subtypes complicates the diagnostic process. In response to these challenges, this study presents a modified version of the You Only Look Once (YOLO) algorithm, called YOLOv8-IE. This revised approach integrates feature fusion and inverse residual attention mechanisms. The aim of YOLO-IE is to improve the detection and classification of neuroblastoma tumors. In light of the image features, we have implemented the inverse residual-based attention structure (iRMB) within the detection network of YOLOv8, thereby enhancing the model’s ability to focus on significant features present in the images. Additionally, we have incorporated the centered feature pyramid EVC module. Experimental results show that the proposed detection network, named YOLO-IE, attains a mean Average Precision (mAP) 7.9% higher than the baseline model, YOLO. The individual contributions of iRMB and EVC to the performance improvement are 0.8% and 3.6% above the baseline model, respectively. This study represents a significant advancement in the field, as it not only facilitates the detection and classification of neuroblastoma but also demonstrates the considerable potential of machine learning and artificial intelligence in the realm of medical diagnosis.

The high-dimensional stochastic space caused by a large number of random variables remains a significant challenge hindering the practical application of stochastic process simulation in engineering. Although various dimension reduction techniques have been developed, their direct integration into time-domain simulation frameworks remains limited. To address this issue, this paper proposes two efficient time-domain dimension reduction methods for simulating stationary stochastic processes. The methods reduce the number of input random variables required for simulation to a single variable, while the randomness of the output stochastic process remains unchanged. The proposed methods are theoretically motivated by spectral decomposition of processes using two distinct strategies and explicitly incorporate the decay characteristics of the impulse response function associated with the stochastic process. Based on this, the random orthogonal functions can be naturally introduced to simulate the stationary stochastic process, which effectively resolves the high-dimensional random variables encountered in conventional time-domain simulations. Furthermore, the incorporation of a number-theoretic method enables uncertainty quantification of stochastic process samples. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed methods reduce the random variable dimension from 2400 to 1 (99.95% reduction). Relative error of the simulated power spectral density remains below 2%, while computational time is reduced by approximately 4% compared with the conventional time-domain methods. These results demonstrate the effectiveness and practical applicability of the proposed approach in engineering stochastic process simulation.

Co-Ni-based superalloys are known for their capability to function at elevated temperatures and superior hot corrosion and thermal fatigue resistance. Therefore, these alloys show potential as crucial high-temperature structural materials for aeroengine and gas turbine hot-end components. Our previous work elucidated the influence of Ti and Ta on the high-temperature mechanical properties of alloys. However, the intricate interaction among elements considerably affects the oxidation resistance of alloys. In this paper, Co-35Ni-10Al-2W-5Cr-2Mo-1Nb- x Ti-(5– x )Ta alloys ( x = 1, 2, 3, 4) with varying Ti and Ta contents were designed and compounded, and their oxidation resistance was investigated at the temperature range from 800 to 1000° After oxidation at three test conditions, namely, 800°C for 200 h, 900°C for 200 h, and 1000°C for 50 h, the main structure of the oxide layer of the alloy consisted of spinel, Cr 2 O 3 , and Al 2 O 3 from outside to inside. Oxides consisting of Ta, W, and Mo formed below the Cr 2 O 3 layer. The interaction of Ti and Ta imparted the highest oxidation resistance to 3Ti2Ta alloy. Conversely, an excessive amount of Ti or Ta resulted in an adverse effect on the oxidation resistance of the alloys. This study reports the volatilization of W and Mo oxides during the oxidation process of Co-Ni-based cast superalloys with a high Al content for the first time and explains the formation mechanism of holes in the oxide layer. The results provide a basis for gaining insights into the effects of the interaction of alloying elements on the oxidation resistance of the alloys they form.

To construct a stable rat portal vein thrombosis (PVT) model and explore the time window of urokinase thrombolytic therapy on this basis. Constructing a rat PVT model by combining anhydrous ethanol disruption of portal endothelium with stasis of blood flow. Forty-eight rats after PVT modeling were divided into control group and experimental group, with 24 rats in each group. The experimental and control groups were given urokinase treatment and saline tail vein injection, respectively. The two groups of rats were observed and compared for PVT formation at 1, 3 and 5 days after modeling, respectively. A stable rat PVT model was successfully constructed. No significant differences were found in PVT length, portal vein wet weight, and percentage of luminal occlusion area in the control rats at 1, 3, and 5 days after successful modeling (P > 0.05). Compared with control rats 1 day after modeling, the percentage of non-organized thrombus luminal area was significantly decreased (P < 0.0001), and the percentage of organized thrombus luminal area was significantly increased (P < 0.0001) in the PVTs of control rats at 3 and 5 days after modeling. After thrombolytic treatment with urokinase, plasma fibrinogen (FBG) levels were significantly decreased in the experimental group of rats compared with the control group (P < 0.0001), and plasma D-dimer (D2D) levels were significantly increased in the experimental group of rats compared with the control group (P < 0.0001). In addition, we observed prolongation of prothrombin time (PT) in the experimental group at 1, 3 and 5 days after modeling compared to the control group (P = 0.0001). Compared with the control group, portal vein wet weight and PVT length were significantly decreased in the experimental group of rats at 1 day after modeling (P < 0.05), whereas these differences were not found in the two groups of rats at 3 and 5 days after modeling (P > 0.05). The percentage of non-organized thrombus area in the experimental group was significantly decreased compared with that in the control group at 1, 3, and 5 days after modeling (P < 0.05), whereas there was no significant difference in the percentage of lumen area of organized thrombus between the two groups (P > 0.05). The method of producing a rat PVT model by destroying the endothelium of the portal vein by anhydrous ethanol combined with blood flow stasis is feasible and reproducible. In addition, the optimal time window for thrombolysis in the treatment of PVT in rats using urokinase is the early stage of thrombosis, when the fibrin content is highest.

Coronary microvascular recovery is essential for cardiac repair post-myocardial infarction (MI), but the endogenous signals driving endothelial cell (EC) cycle reentry remain elusive. While tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is typically considered a pro-inflammatory mediator, its biological effects are profoundly influenced by protein conformation. In this study, we identify a novel pro-regenerative signaling switch where structural stabilization of TNF-α, rather than its inhibition, dictates endothelial neogenesis. A rat model of HF was established via left anterior descending coronary artery ligation. , coronary microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs) were subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation. Bioinformatics analysis, molecular docking (MD) and molecular dynamics simulations (MDs) were employed to identify potential targets. The effects of Icariin (ICA) on EC proliferation, migration, and the TNF signaling pathway were validated using EdU assays, wound healing assays, and Western blotting. Bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation identified the TNF signaling pathway as a critical regulator of EC regeneration. ICA significantly improved cardiac function and promoted CD31 /BrdU endothelial cell proliferation in the peri-infarction area of HF rats. MD and MDs revealed that ICA directly binds to the hydrophobic pocket of TNF-α, enhancing its structural stability. Mechanistically, ICA treatment upregulated the expression of cell cycle-promoting proteins by stabilizing TNF signaling, whereas TNF inhibition significantly abrogated the pro-proliferative effects of ICA. Our findings suggest that ICA may promote endothelial regeneration and alleviate HF in part by structurally stabilizing TNF-α and activating the downstream cell cycle cascade. This study provides a mechanistic basis for the ethnopharmacological use of the traditional herb by demonstrating that its primary bioactive monomer, ICA, acts as a potential candidate for revascularization therapy.