This study performed statistical analysis and risk assessment of five heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb) in crayfish samples collected from six provinces in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze ...River during 2015–2017. The Spearman correlation test and the results of hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) indicated that As, Pb, and Cd in crayfish were significantly correlated, and the results of HCA showed that Jiangxi, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang were clustered into one group; Hubei, Hunan, and Anhui were clustered into another group; and provinces in the same group had spatial similarities in heavy metals. The pollution index (PI) values of five heavy metals in all provinces were below 1, implying that crayfish samples in this area were not highly contaminated. The target hazard quotient (THQ) values of five heavy metals were mainly below 1 except Hg in Anhui (2.9709), which was far beyond 1, indicating that the health risk posed by Hg exposure should not be ignored in Anhui.
Carbon/carbon composites doped with zirconium carbide were prepared by a three-step process. Carbon fiber felts were first immersed in a zirconium oxychloride solution, followed by rapid ...densification using thermal gradient chemical vapor infiltration. The densified carbon/carbon composites were then graphitized at 2500
°C. The phase composition and morphology of the composites were investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The ablation properties were tested in an oxyacetylene torch. The results show that the linear and mass ablation rates of the composites after doping with 4.14
wt.% zirconium carbide decreased by 83.0% and 77.0%, respectively. The ablated surface of the carbon matrix for pure carbon/carbon composites was very smooth and glossy, while that for doped carbon/carbon composites was honeycombed and dim. The bonding between carbon fibers and matrix decreased because of the formation of more zirconium dioxide, resulting in carbon fibers peeling off the matrix and the ablation resistance of carbon fibers could not be brought into play when the zirconium carbide contents achieved 4.14
wt.%. Although mechanical denudation does not seem to play a dominant role, the ablation was mainly controlled by heterogeneous mass transfer.
There are many polyphenols used for the preservation of fish, but the interaction mechanism between polyphenols and fish protein is rarely reported. In the present study, the interactions between two ...kinds of polyphenols (chlorogenic acid (CGA) and rosmarinic acid (RA)) and the myosin of grass carp (
Ctenopharyngodon idella
) were explored using multi-spectroscopic techniques. Both CGA and RA were found to be involved in reducing the intrinsic fluorescence and surface hydrophobicity of myosin and increasing the UV absorption intensity. This indicates that interactions between CGA, RA, and myosin ultimately result in the formation of polyphenol-myosin complexes. The binding process of CGA and RA for the formation of the complex was spontaneous. The main binding forces between RA and myosin are hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces, whereas hydrophobic interactions were observed between CGA and myosin. The results of circular dichroism (CD) showed that the presence of CGA and RA increased the content of myosin alpha-helix. CGA and RA caused myosin aggregation which reduced the corresponding solution dispersibility. CGA and RA protected the myosin sulfhydryl groups and reduced the degree of their oxidation. Furthermore, the complexes formed by the combination of myosin, CGA, and RA exhibited the strongest synergistic antioxidant properties than any one of them. The findings of the present study provide insights into our understanding of the mechanism of interactions between myosin and polyphenols which could provide information on the application of polyphenols in preserving aquatic products.
This research focuses on providing a detailed characteristic of non-metallic inclusions (NMIs) in 316L stainless steels with and without Ca treatment after machining using different cutting speeds. ...The electrolytic extraction (EE) technique was used for three-dimensional determinations of the inclusion characteristics. Quantitative data from the fragile non-metallic inclusions (such as size, surface area, number) in chips obtained from different cutting speeds and materials were determined. The morphologies of NMIs in the chip samples were quite different compared to the original inclusions in the stainless steel samples before machining. It was proved that the deformation degree of soft inclusions such as MnS and CaO–SiO2–Al2O3–MgO–TiOx is dependent on the cutting speed as well as the temperatures and deformation degrees of the metal matrix during machining. The total surface areas of MnS inclusions increase from 2.8 to 3.8 times compared to the original total areas with an increased cutting speed. The total surface areas of soft oxide inclusions also increase from 1.1 to 3.5 times compared to the original total areas. In addition, the tool-chip contact lengths were also measured on the rake face of the tool, and the results were compared to the determined characteristics of the observed inclusions. It was found that the modification of NMIs by Ca treatment in 316L stainless steels is preferred for high cutting speeds.
Different kinds of freshwater fish soups show a diverse range of health functions, due to their different nutritional substances and corresponding bioactivities. In the current study, in order to ...learn the theoretical basis of the potential role fish soup plays in diet therapy functions, the changes of nutrient profiles and antioxidant activities in crucian carp soup and snakehead soup (before and after simulated gastrointestinal digestion) were investigated, such as chemical composition, free amino acids, mineral and fatty acid contents, DPPH radical scavenging activity, ferrous ion chelating activity, hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity and the reducing power effect. Results show that the content of mineral elements in snakehead fish soup was significantly higher than that of crucian carp soup, especially for the contents of Ca, Zn, Fe. The content of total amino acid (TAA) of crucian carp soup (82.51 mg/100 mL) was much higher than that of snakehead fish soup (47.54 mg/100 mL) (
< 0.05). Furthermore, the antioxidant capacity of crucian carp soup was stronger than that of snakehead soup. The intensive profiles of nutritional composition and antioxidant activities of these two kinds of fish soups were expected to partly provide the theoretical basis of therapeutic effects.
Heart failure (HF) is a cardiovascular disease with high morbidity and mortality. Guanxinning injection (GXNI) is clinically used for the treatment of coronary heart disease, but its therapeutic ...efficacy and potential mechanism for HF are poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic potential of GXNI on HF, with a special focus on its role in myocardial remodeling.
3D cardiac organoids and transverse aortic constriction (TAC) mouse models were established and utilized. Heart function and pathology were evaluated by echocardiography, hemodynamic examination, tail-cuff blood pressure and histopathology. Key targets and pathways regulated by GXNI in HF mouse heart were revealed via RNA-seq and network pharmacology analysis, and were verified by RT-PCR, Western blot, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.
GXNI significantly inhibited cardiac hypertrophy and cells death. It protected mitochondrial function in cardiac hypertrophic organoids and markedly improved cardiac function in HF mice. Analysis of GXNI-regulated genes in HF mouse hearts revealed that IL-17A signaling in fibroblasts and the corresponding p38/c-Fos/Mmp1 pathway prominently mediated cardiac. Altered expressions of c-Fos, p38 and Mmp1 by GXNI in heart tissues and in cardiac organoids were validated by RT-PCR, WB, IHC, and IF. H&E and Masson staining confirmed that GXNI substantially ameliorated myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis in HF mice and in 3D organoids.
GXNI inhibited cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy mainly via down-regulating p38/c-Fos/Mmp1 pathway, thereby ameliorating cardiac remodeling in HF mice. Findings in this study provide a new strategy for the clinical application of GXNI in the treatment of heart failure.
Environmental accumulation of nano- and microplastics pose serious risks to human health. Polystyrene (PS) is a polymer commonly used in the production of plastics. However, PS can adsorb cadmium ...(Cd), thereby influencing bioavailability and toxicity in vivo. Moreover, PS and Cd can accumulate in the mammalian kidney. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the effects of combined exposure to PS and Cd in the kidney. Kidney damage was evaluated in male mice gavaged with PS (diameter, 100 nm and/or 1 μm) and Cd for 25 days.The results showed that PS at 100 nm caused more severe oxidative damage and cell apoptosis than PS at 1 μm. Combined exposure to PS at both 100 nm and 1 μm caused more severe kidney damage than the single administration groups. The extent of kidney toxicity caused by Cd differed with the combination of PS particles at 100 nm vs. 1 μm. The degree of damage to kidney function, pathological changes, and cell apoptosis induced by Cd+100 nm PS+1μm PS was the most severe. An increase in the Bax/Bcl2 ratio and overexpression of p53 and caspase-3 revealed that renal cell apoptosis might be induced via the mitochondrial pathway. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that the size of PS particles dictates the combined effects of PS and Cd in kidney tissues. Kidney damage caused by the combination of different sizes of PS particle and Cd is more complicated under actual environmental conditions.
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•The kidney damage induced by 100 nm PS was more severe than that induced by 1 μm PS.•The 100 nm PS+1 μm PS group caused more severe kidney damage than the single group.•The kidney toxicity differed between group at Cd + 100 nm PS and Cd + 1 μm PS.•The combined effects of Cd + 100 nm PS + 1 μm PS on mouse kidney were the strongest.
The focus of this study is to investigate non-metallic inclusions (NMIs) in stainless steels before (in steel samples) and after machining (in steel chips). In this study, the electrolytic extraction ...(EE) technique was used to extract non-metallic inclusions from steel samples. This makes it possible to investigate NMIs on film filters as three-dimensional objects by using SEM. The characteristics of NMIs in steel and chips have been systematically investigated and compared. Based on the results, it was found that the morphology of NMIs was significantly changed after machining. Overall, three different main shapes of NMIs were found: 1) a similar shape, 2) a stretched shape, and 3) a brittlely fractured shape. Furthermore, the degree of deformation of MnS and soft oxide NMIs in different zones of the chips depends on the distances from the contact zone of the tool and the chip. The total areas of MnS and soft oxides in the secondary deformation zone were increased by up to 2–3 times compared to that of the reference steel sample. This study also shows the advantages of the EE method in investigating NMIs in chips compared to using the conventional two-dimensional investigations of NMIs on the polished metal surface.
The misuse of animal-derived stimulants in food is becoming increasingly common, and mass spectrometry (MS) is used extensively for their detection and analysis. There is a growing demand for ...abused-substances detection, highlighting the need for systematic studies on the advantages of MS-based methods in detecting animal-derived stimulants.
We reviewed the application of chromatography-mass spectrometry to the screening and detection of food stimulants of animal origin. Specifically, we analyzed four common animal sources of synthetic steroids, β-receptor agonists, zearalenol (ZAL), and glucocorticoids. We also explored the potential of using chromatography-mass spectrometry to detect and analyze animal-derived foods.
We searched and screened the Web of Science and Google Scholar databases until April 2023. Our inclusion criteria included a publication year within the last 5 years, publication language of English, and the research fields of food analysis, environmental chemistry, and polymer science. Our keywords were "mass spectrometry," "anabolic androgenic steroids," "β-2agonists," "glucocorticoids," "zearalenone," and "doping."
Although traditional techniques such as thin-layer chromatography and enzyme-linked immunoassays are simple, fast, and suitable for the initial screening of bulk products, they are limited by their relatively high detection limits. Among the methods based on MS, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry are the most widely used for detecting food doping agents of animal origin. However, a sensitive method with high repeatability and a short analysis time for a large number of samples is still required. Advances in MS have enabled the detection of extremely low concentrations of these substances. Combining different techniques, such as high-resolution mass spectrometry, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry, and two-dimensional chromatography, offers significant advantages for detecting trace illicit drugs in animal-derived foods. Due to advances in assay technology and sample preparation methods, sample collection and storage methods such as dried blood spots, dried urine spots, and volumetric absorptive microsampling are increasingly accepted because of their increased stability and cost-effectiveness.
MS significantly improves the efficiency of detecting doping agents of animal origin. With the continuous development of MS technology, its application in the fields of doping detection and the analysis of doping agents of animal origin is expected to become more extensive.
Silver carp is a one of the most important freshwater fish species in China, and is popular when making soup in the Chinese dietary culture. In order to investigate the profile of fish soup tastes ...and flavours cooked using different regions of the same fish, the silver carp was cut into four different regions: head, back, abdomen, and tail. The differences in taste and flavour of the four kinds of homemade fish soup were investigated by an electronic nose and electronic tongue. The basic chemical components of the different fish regions and the SDS-PAGE profile of the fish soup samples were investigated. Two chemometrics methods (principal component analysis and discriminant factor analysis) were used to classify the odour and taste of the fish soup samples. The results showed that the electronic tongue and nose performed outstandingly in discriminating the four fish soups even though the samples were made from different regions of the same fish. The taste and flavour information of different regions of the silver carp fish could provide the theoretical basis for food intensive processing.
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