•Inulin, a fructan-type plant polysaccharide with average MW 5600−6300 g mol−1.•Inulin has functions of prebiotics, antioxidant, reglualting lipid metabolism, etc.•Inulin can be a carrier for ...colon/tumor-targeting drug delivery.
Inulin (IN), a fructan-type plant polysaccharide, is widely found in nature. The major plant sources of IN include chicory, Jerusalem artichoke, dahlia etc. Studies have found that IN possessed a wide array of biological activities, e.g. as a prebiotic to improve the intestinal microbe environment, regulating blood sugar, regulating blood lipids, antioxidant, anticancer, immune regulation and so on. Currently, IN is widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. IN can be used as thickener, fat replacer, sweetener and water retaining agent in the food industry. IN also can be applied in the pharmaceutics as stabilizer, drug carrier, and auxiliary therapeutic agent for certain diseases such as constipation and diabetes. This paper reviews the physiological functions of IN and its applications in the field of pharmaceutics, analyzes its present research status and future research direction. This review will serve as a one-in-all resource for the researchers who are interested to work on IN.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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•Temperature threshold affect the final factors included in the predictive model.•The increase of trace elements could be the key factor causing cyanobacterial blooms.•Accurate ...long-term prediction can be achieved with less field data by using our model.
Harmful cyanobacterial blooms damage aquatic ecosystems and pose a threat to human health. To identify key factors causing cyanobacterial blooms in eutrophic shallow lakes, we analyzed cyanobacterial and physicochemical water samples of 12 sites collected monthly from December 2012 to December 2019 in Dianshan Lake. We found that the rapid growth of cyanobacteria was limited by a temperature threshold. When the air temperature was below 18 °C, the sampled physicochemical factors could not make difference in cyanobacterial abundance regardless the values of these parameters. However, when the air temperature was above 18 °C, the measured physicochemical factors played important roles in influencing cyanobacterial abundance. We developed a data-driven predictive model for cyanobacterial blooms based on seven-year data from Dianshan Lake using multiple logistic regression. Such a model could be easily used to predict cyanobacterial blooms. Our weight analysis of model parameters indicated that dissolved substances other than TN and TP are the key factor determining cyanobacterial blooms in nitrogen and phosphorus rich shallow freshwater lakes once air temperature is above 18 °C. Eutrophic shallow lakes are prone to cyanobacterial blooms, and unwashed data analysis may mask key factors determining cyanobacterial blooms, which obscures the prediction of cyanobacteria blooms. Our results are helpful to uncover the real causes of the blooms of eutrophic shallow lakes in China and elsewhere, and hence improve the understanding and management in controlling cyanobacterial blooms.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
•A new scheme is presented to improve pressure calculation in projection-based particle methods.•The scheme applies a background mesh to enhance spatial continuity and accuracy of source term of ...Poisson Pressure Equation.•The background mesh facilitates node-based source term calculation based on information on a fixed and regular lattice.•Source terms at moving particles are obtained through extrapolation of information at their four nearby nodes.•Due to utilization of background mesh calculated pressure field is less sensitive to non-uniformity of particles.
Particle methods, or Lagrangian mesh-free methods, are well known as potentially robust computational methods for a wide range of applications in science and engineering, including ocean engineering. Despite their potential robustness, a challenge in the application of particle methods corresponds to the presence of unphysical pressure noise. This study presents a simple and straightforward approach for enhancement of pressure calculation in projection-based particle methods, in the context of MPS (Moving Particle Semi-implicit) method. One of the causes for the presence of unphysical pressure noise in projection-based particle methods corresponds to the use of Eulerian kernels (with a fixed radius of influence or smoothing length) with a purely Lagrangian description of motions in the presence of particle perturbations, leading to spatial discontinuities in the source term of Poisson Pressure Equation (PPE). To enhance continuity, accuracy and smoothness of calculated source term of PPE, a so-called Background Mesh (BM) scheme is proposed to provide spatial connectivity and continuity in between calculated source terms at moving particle positions. The scheme is validated through several benchmark tests including a simple uniform flow, a dam-breaking flow and violent sloshing flows. Incorporation of BM scheme is shown to be effective in enhancing the pressure calculation in projection-based particle methods with only a slight increase in computational cost.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Contemporary biological assemblage composition and biodiversity are often shaped by a range of natural environmental factors, human disturbances, and their interactions. It is critical to disentangle ...the effects of individual natural variables and human stressors in data analysis to support management decision-making. Many statistical approaches have been proposed and used to estimate the biological effects of individual predictors, which often correlated and interacted with one another. In this article, we review nine of those approaches in terms of their strengths, limitations, and related r packages. Among those are hierarchical partitioning, propensity score, the sum of AIC weights, structural equation modeling, and tree-based machine learning algorithms. As no approach is perfect, we offer two suggestions: (1) reducing the number of predictors as low as possible by carefully screening all candidate predictors based on biological and statistical considerations; (2) selecting two or more approaches based on the characteristics of the given dataset and specific research goals of a study, and using them in parallel or sequence. Our review could help ecologists to navigate through this challenging process.
Several studies suggest a link between micronutrients and constipation. However, the relationship between constipation and phosphorus has rarely been examined. The main aim of this study was to ...investigate the association between changes in the prevalence of chronic constipation and dietary phosphorus intake among adult respondents of the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES).
Data were extracted from the NHANES database for the years 2005-2010. A total of 13,948 people were included in the analysis. Dietary information was collected using the respondents' 24-h dietary records. We conducted multiple logistic regression analyses to examine the correlation between phosphorus intake and poor bowel movement. The primary and secondary outcomes was constipation defined by stool consistency and stool frequency, respectively.
Following multi-variate adjustment in model III, a significant association between chronic constipation and each additional 0.1-g intake of dietary phosphorus (odds ratio OR, 0.97; 95% confidence interval CI, 0.95, 1.00; P = 0.034 for stool consistency vs. OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.90, 0.99; P = 0.027 for stool frequency) was observed. Following multi-variate adjustment in model III, OR values and 95% CI from the second to fourth quartiles compared to the first quartile (reference group) were 0.92 (0.66, 1.27), 0.73 (0.47, 1.13), and 0.39 (0.20, 0.76), respectively, using the stool frequency definition.
This study revealed a negative correlation between phosphorus intake and chronic constipation. This may be due to the fact that dietary phosphorus intake is associated with softer stools and increased stool frequency. Further studies in different settings should be considered to verify these findings.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
•Partitioning the universe of discourse into intervals with unequal length.•Determining intervals by information granule.•These intervals carry well-defined semantics.•The proposed method is very ...robust and stable to forecast in fuzzy time series.
Partitioning the universe of discourse and determining effective intervals are critical for forecasting in fuzzy time series. Equal length intervals used in most existing literatures are convenient but subjective to partition the universe of discourse. In this paper, we study how to partition the universe of discourse into intervals with unequal length to improve forecasting quality. First, we calculate the prototypes of data using fuzzy clustering, then form some subsets according to the prototypes. An unequal length partitioning method is proposed. We show that these intervals carry well-defined semantics. To verify the suitability and effectiveness of the approach, we apply the proposed method to forecast enrollment of students of Alabama University and Germany’s DAX stock index monthly values. Empirical results show that the unequal length partitioning can greatly improve forecast accuracy. Further more, the proposed method is very robust and stable for forecasting in fuzzy time series.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Block copolymers based on poly(styrene) having pendent trimethyl styrenylbutyl ammonium (with four carbon ring-ionic group alkyl linkers) or benzyltrimethyl ammonium groups with a methylene bridge ...between the ring and ionic group were synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation radical (RAFT) polymerization as anion exchange membranes (AEMs). The C4 side chain polymer showed a 17% increase in Cl(-) conductivity of 33.7 mS cm(-1) compared to the benzyltrimethyl ammonium sample (28.9 mS cm(-1)) under the same conditions (IEC = 3.20 meq. g(-1), hydration number, λ = ∼7.0, cast from DMF/1-propanol (v/v = 3 : 1), relative humidity = 95%). As confirmed by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), the side chain block copolymers with tethered ammonium cations showed well-defined lamellar morphologies and a significant reduction in interdomain spacing compared to benzyltrimethyl ammonium containing block copolymers. The chemical stabilities of the block copolymers were evaluated under severe, accelerated conditions, and degradation was observed by (1)H NMR. The block copolymer with C4 side chain trimethyl styrenylbutyl ammonium motifs displayed slightly improved stability compared to that of a benzyltrimethyl ammonium-based AEM at 80 °C in 1 M NaOD aqueous solution for 30 days.
Background Emerging evidence indicates a correlation between imbalances in intestinal microbiota and changes in plasma metabolites in the progression of asthma. However, the causal link between these ...factors remains unclear. Methods A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was employed to evaluate the potential causal connection between gut microbiota, plasma metabolites, and asthma susceptibility. Gut microbiota data from expansive genome-wide genotype studies and 16S fecal microbiome datasets were examined by the MiBioGen Alliance. Asthma data were procured from the FinnGen biobank analysis, while comprehensive Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) summary statistics for plasma metabolites were derived from the NHGRI-EBI GWAS Catalog. Fluctuations in intestinal flora and plasma metabolites in asthma patients were evaluated using the weighted mode method. Additionally, pleiotropic and heterogeneity analyses were performed to ascertain the reliability of the findings. Results Upon examining the gut microbiota through MR with the IVW method, alongside tests for heterogeneity and pleiotropy, findings reveal a negative association between the abundance of the Christensenellaceae R.7 group and asthma risk. In contrast, the Bifidobacterium and Prevotella 7 genera exhibit a positive association with asthma risk, indicating they may be potential risk factors ( p < 0.05). Furthermore, MR analysis of 1,400 metabolites employing Weighted median, IVW, and Weighted mode methods resulted in p -values below 0.05. Subsequent tests for pleiotropy and heterogeneity showed that the levels of 3,5-dichloro-2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid have a negative correlation with asthma, whereas the phenylalanine to phosphate ratio has a positive correlation, suggesting their potential as risk factors for asthma ( p < 0.05). Conclusion The current Mendelian randomization study provides evidence supporting a potential causal link between specific gut microbiota taxa, plasma metabolites, and asthma. These findings offer novel perspectives for future research and the development of treatment and prevention strategies for asthma.
•Cyanobacteria impacted plankton bio-diversity and resource use efficiency.•No clear relation between cyanobacteria and phytoplankton absolute abundances.•Cyanobacteria had opposite relation with ...phytoplankton and zooplankton bio-diversities.•Cyanobacteria increased total algae and cladocerans RUEs.•Cyanobacteria decreased phytoplankton and rotifers RUEs.
Cyanobacterial blooms are global threats to freshwater ecosystem functioning, human health, and ecoservices. We assessed impacts of cyanobacterial bloom intensity on plankton ecosystem functioning using eukaryotic phytoplankton and zooplankton indicators and associated key physicochemical data collected from four seasons of two years at 24 evenly distributed sites in Lake Taihu that has year-around cyanobacterial blooms. Our analyses involved comparison of four site-groups with different bloom intensities and analyzing all sampling sites together using comparison, hierarchical partitioning analysis, generalized additive mixed model, and structural equation model. We found that cyanobacterial abundance positively associated with TP and temperature (negatively with TN:TP), while phytoplankton positively associated with TN. There was an inverse relation trend between relative abundances of phytoplankton and cyanobacteria, but there was no clear trend between absolute abundances of phytoplankton and cyanobacteria. Rotifers were most dominant when cyanobacteria were unabundant, while cladocerans presented higher abundance when cyanobacteria were in high abundance. Phytoplankton functional richness and species richness negatively and zooplankton functional richness and species richness positively associated with cyanobacterial bloom intensity. Cyanobacterial bloom intensity negatively associated with resource use efficiencies (RUEs) of phytoplankton and rotifers, and positively associated with RUE of cladocerans. Our analytical approach of integrating comparison of site-groups and analyzing all sites together uncovered how cyanobacterial bloom intensity shifted and altered physicochemical and biological conditions and plankton ecosystem functioning, and identified the mechanism and strength of the interactive linkages among physicochemical and biological indicators. Although our results may be different from oligotrophic lakes or reservoirs, our findings provide new insights in understanding the impacts of cyanobacterial bloom intensity on the dynamics of plankton communities and ecosystem functioning for polymictic eutrophic lakes, which may have broad application in enhancing the knowledge of this subject and provides the science base for managing polymictic eutrophic lake water quality and ecosystem functioning.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
