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As a highly economic small fruit crop, blueberry is enjoyed by most people in terms of color, taste, and rich nutrition. To better understand its coloring mechanism on the process of ripening, an integrative analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome profiles was performed in three blueberry varieties at three developmental stages. In this study, 41 flavonoid metabolites closely related to the coloring in blueberry samples were analyzed. It turned out that the most differential metabolites in the ripening processes were delphinidin-3- O -arabinoside (dpara), peonidin-3- O -glucoside (pnglu), and delphinidin-3- O -galactoside (dpgal), while the most differential metabolites among different varieties were flavonols. Furthermore, to obtain more accurate and comprehensive transcripts of blueberry during the developmental stages, PacBio and Illumina sequencing technology were combined to obtain the transcriptome of the blueberry variety Misty, for the very first time. Finally, by applying the gene coexpression network analysis, the darkviolet and bisque4 modules related to flavonoid synthesis were determined, and the key genes related to two flavonoid 3′, 5′-hydroxylase ( F3′5′H ) genes in the darkviolet module and one bHLH transcription factor in the bisque4 module were predicted. It is believed that our findings could provide valuable information for the future study on the molecular mechanism of flavonoid metabolites and flavonoid synthesis pathways in blueberries.

Summary The development of DNA sequencing technology has provided an effective method for studying foodborne and phytopathogenic microorganisms on fruits and vegetables (F & V). DNA sequencing has successfully proceeded through three generations, including the tens of operating platforms. These advances have significantly promoted microbial whole‐genome sequencing (WGS) and DNA polymorphism research. Based on genomic and regional polymorphisms, genetic markers have been widely obtained. These molecular markers are used as targets for PCR or chip analyses to detect microbes at the genetic level. Furthermore, metagenomic analyses conducted by sequencing the hypervariable regions of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) have revealed comprehensive microbial communities in various studies on F & V. This review highlights the basic principles of three generations of DNA sequencing, and summarizes the WGS studies of and available DNA markers for major bacterial foodborne pathogens and phytopathogenic fungi found on F & V. In addition, rDNA sequencing‐based bacterial and fungal metagenomics are summarized under three topics. These findings deepen the understanding of DNA sequencing and its application in studies of foodborne and phytopathogenic microbes and shed light on strategies for the monitoring of F & V microbes and quality control. The principles of three generations DNA sequencing were depicted. Whole genome sequencing and DNA markers of foodborne and plant fungal pathogens were summarized. Bacterial and fungal metagenomics studies on fruits and vegetables were concluded.

Aroma, which plays an essential role in food perception and acceptability, depends on various mixture of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Meanwhile, as a field of metabolomics, VOC analysis is highly important for aroma improvement and discrimination purposes. In this work, VOCs in pear fruits were determined via headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to study variations among different cultivars and storage stages. In 12 cultivars of pear fruits, a total of 121 VOCs were quantified, including 40 esters, 32 alcohols, 16 aldehydes, 13 alkenes, 11 ketones, 4 acids, and 5 other compounds. The types and amounts of VOCs in different cultivars varied dramatically, which were in the range of 13–71 and 3.63–55.65 mg/kg FW (fresh weight), respectively. The Dr. Guyot cultivar showed the highest level of VOCs, both in type and amount. After 21 days storage at 4 °C, total concentration of VOCs increased from initial levels of 50.76 to 101.33 mg/kg FW. Storage at 20 °C made a larger contribution to production for VOCs than that at 4 °C, resulting in the maximum content of VOCs (117.96 mg/kg FW) in fruit after 14 days storage at 4 °C plus 7 days at 20 °C. During storage, the content of esters showed a gradual increase, while the content of alcohols and aldehydes decreased. Based on the results presented, related alcohols were recognized as the intermediates of conversion from aldehydes to esters.

E-learning provides an unprecedented flexibility and convenience for e-learners by breaking the limitations of space and time. However, the role of emotion is neglected in current e-learning systems. We focus strictly on negative emotions of e-learners, integrating emotion regulation theories with recommender technique, and present the study of learner-oriented negative emotion compensation in this paper. Inspiring from the existing emotion regulation model in the field of psychology, we design the architecture of learner-oriented negative emotion compensation in e-learning. Finding e-learner's personalized emotion regulation strategies and methods from questionnaires, we propose an approach of e-learner's negative emotion compensation based on recommender users and music. In practice, the usability of emotion compensation is verified by an e-learning platform, as a complementary demonstration, the learner satisfaction is done by a 90-e-learner survey in real e-learning. The results show that the proposed learner-oriented negative emotion compensation provides greater satisfaction for the e-learner, and is a feasible and effective method for e-learner to decrease negative emotions in e-learning.

The purpose of this study was to prepare and characterize a lipid magnetic ball modified with KRAS antibodies on the surface and to isolate circulating tumor cells of colorectal cancer with mutations. The microemulsion method was used to form lipid bilayers to encapsulate Fe3O4 nanoparticles with superparamagnetism to form lipid magnetic balls, and antibodies were formed on the surface to form immune lipid magnetic balls. Compared with traditional EpCAM antibody-modified lipid magnetic balls, it can effectively improve the capture ability of colorectal cancer circulating tumor cells with mutation, the capture rate reaches 92.9%, and the capture results are consistent with clinical diagnosis and pathology. Our results showed that antibody-modified lipid magnetic balls can be used in the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer.

The diverse fungal communities that colonize fruit surfaces are closely associated with fruit development, preservation and quality control. However, the overall fungi adhering to the fruit surface and the inference of environmental factors are still unknown. Here, we characterized the fungal signatures on apple surfaces by sequencing internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region. We collected the surface fungal communities from apple fruits cultivated in rural and peri-urban orchards. A total of 111 fungal genera belonging to 4 phyla were identified, showing remarkable fungal diversity on the apple surface. Comparative analysis of rural samples harboured higher fungal diversity than those from peri-urban orchards. In addition, fungal composition varied significantly across apple samples. At the genus level, the protective genera Coniothyrium , Paraphaeosphaeria and Periconia were enriched in rural samples. The pathogenic genera Acremonium , Aspergillus , Penicillium and Tilletiposis were enriched in peri-urban samples. Our findings indicate that rural samples maintained more diverse fungal communities on apple surfaces, whereas peri-urban-planted apple carried potential pathogenic risks. This study sheds light on ways to improve fruit cultivation and disease prevention practices.

In this study, we have successfully synthesized a forchlorfenuron (CPPU)-imprinted polymer in dimethyl sulfoxide by molecular imprinting technique. In the molecular imprinting, β-cyclodextrin was used as the monomer with 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI) as the cross-linking agent that formed a complex with forchlorfenuron by inclusion interactions. The adsorption equilibrium was attained in approximately 30 min and the maximum binding capacity was 26.79 mg/g, which indicated that the adsorption kinetics was relatively fast. The results of adsorption and selectivity experiments have shown that the imprinted polymer was able to bind forchlorfenuron specifically and reversibly. The specific recognition of the imprinted polymer for forchlorfenuron resulted from the cooperative effects of inclusion interaction and hydrophobic interaction. This imprinted polymer was also used to accurately determine forchlorfenuron residue in real fruit samples. In the standard spiked strawberry sample, the adsorption recoveries for forchlorfenuron were as high as 90.3, 84.5, and 90.8%, respectively. The binding specificity of the imprinted polymer for forchlorfenuron resulted from the imprinting effect. Therefore, as a reusable material possessing high affinity and selectivity, the imprinted polymer is promising in application to detect pesticide residues in fruit samples. In addition, because β-cyclodextrin is water soluble and can include neutral compounds, this molecularly imprinted polymer can be used to recognize pesticides in aqueous solutions. Graphical abstract Schematic demonstration of molecular imprinting and re-binding of forchlorfenuron

The presence of pesticide residues in fruit has been of extensive concern worldwide. Pesticide residues in 150 litchi samples collected in the People's Republic of China were measured, and the dietary exposure risks to consumers were evaluated. The litchi samples were screened by gas chromatography and ultraperformance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry for the possible presence of 57 pesticides. Seventeen pesticides were detected, and 70.7% of samples contained residues of one or more pesticides. The most frequently detected pesticide (36% of samples) was diflubenzuron. Carbofuran in one sample exceeded its maximum residue limit by 125%. In dietary exposure assessments, all concentrations below the limit of detection (LOD) were calculated as 0, 0.5 × the LOD, or at the LOD separately, and these assessments indicated that the chronic health risks from these dietary exposures were extremely low. For acute exposures, carbofuran was at 11.08% of the acute reference dose, and all other pesticides were <2% of the acute reference dose. The findings indicated that the presence of pesticide residues in litchis should not be considered a public health problem.

Obesity is a well‐established risk factor for numerous types of cancer, including small cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. This research explores the causal relationships between obesity, circulating metabolites, and the risk of SCLC, aiming to identify potential metabolic intermediaries. To achieve this, a two‐step Mendelian randomization (MR) approach was employed to examine metabolites mediating the effect of obesity on the risk of SCLC. In Step 1, MR identified metabolites causally associated with SCLC, confirmed with an independent SCLC genome‐wide association study (GWAS) as the outcome. In Step 2, whole‐body fat mass was examined as the exposure to assess its causal effects on the metabolites identified in Step 1, with further validation using body mass index (BMI) as an alternative exposure. Sensitivity analyses confirmed robust causal inference. The product of coefficients approach for testing mediation quantified the role of specific metabolites in linking obesity to the risk of SCLC. In the initial screening, 1400 circulating metabolites were tested for their association between obesity and the risk of SCLC, and 55 metabolites with significant causal associations were identified. Subsequent MR analyses showed that whole‐body fat mass had an effect on 12 of these metabolites, and maleate levels were associated with both obesity and increased SCLC risk. Validation using BMI as an alternative exposure confirmed the causal association between obesity and maleate levels. Further validation using independent GWAS datasets for SCLC confirmed the causal association between maleate levels and the risk of SCLC. Mediation analysis revealed that maleate partially mediated the relationship between obesity and the risk of SCLC, accounting for 14.9% of the effect when using whole‐body fat mass as the exposure and 5.23% when using BMI as the exposure. This study highlights maleate as a key metabolic mediator in the obesity–SCLC pathway, which may offer novel insights into the metabolic mechanisms underlying the increased risk of obesity‐related cancer. A Two‐Step Mendelian randomization (TSMR) framework identified maleate as a circulating metabolite that mediates the causal pathway from obesity to the risk of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Whole‐body fat mass and Body Mass Index (BMI) showed causal effects on circulating maleate levels, which in turn were associated with increased SCLC risk. Mediation analysis revealed that maleate partially explained the effect of obesity on the risk of SCLC, highlighting a potential metabolic target for intervention.