The composite chitosan coatings were prepared and characterized to evaluate their preservation properties for silver carp fish balls, and the microstructures and physicochemical properties of the ...coatings were improved by in situ nano silicon oxide (SiOx) and zinc oxide/titania (ZnO/TiO2) nano‐particles (NPs). In the chitosan coatings, when the chitosan combines with NPs by chemical bonds, the crystal lattice is slightly changed due to the modification of NPs. The chitosan coatings modified by NPs showed few cracks, among which sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) modified ZnO/TiO2/SiOx‐chitosan (ZTS‐CS) coating is proved to be the optimal one. The change of the freshness index and the texture of the fish balls are delayed by the coatings due to their gas permeability and antibacterial properties. The preservation properties of the chitosan coatings for Silver Carp fish balls are improved by in situ SiOx, and further improved by co‐modification of ZnO/TiO2 NPs. Furthermore, the surface modification of ZnO/TiO2 NPs enhances the preservation properties of the chitosan coating.
Practical Application
In our previous study, in situ SiOx was found to improve antibacterial and preservation properties of chitosan coating, leading to extending shelf time of Sciaenops ocellatus. In order to further improve properties of chitosan coatings, we added nontoxic edible nano materials to the in situ SiOx chitosan coatings. In situ SiOx modified by ZnO/TiO2 NPs were synthesized, measured, and characterized in this study, and were applied for the preservation of silver carp fish balls. It could serve as a potential preservation material due to the increasing mechanical preservation properties. Through the results, the ZnO/TiO2/SiOx‐chitosan (ZTS‐CS) coatings have potential as application in the food industry to guarantee food quality and extend shelf life of products.
Cancers located on the right and left sides of the colon have distinct clinical and molecular characteristics. This study aimed to explore the regulatory mechanisms of location-specific long ...noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) in colon cancer and identify potential prognostic biomarkers.
Differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs), miRNAs (DEMs), and genes (DEGs) between right- and left-side colon cancers were identified by comparing RNA sequencing profiles. Functional enrichment analysis was performed for the DEGs, and a ceRNA network was constructed. Associations between DELs and patient survival were examined, and a DEL-based signature was constructed to examine the prognostic value of these differences. Clinical colon cancer tissues and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets were used to validate the results.
We identified 376 DELs, 35 DEMs, and 805 DEGs between right- and left-side colon cancers. The functional enrichment analysis revealed the functions and pathway involvement of DEGs. A ceRNA network was constructed based on 95 DEL-DEM-DEG interactions. Three DELs (LINC01555, AC015712, and FZD10-AS1) were associated with the overall survival of patients with colon cancer, and a prognostic signature was established based on these three DELs. High risk scores for this signature indicated poor survival, suggesting that the signature has prognostic value for colon cancer. Examination of clinical colon cancer tissues and GEO dataset analysis confirmed the results.
The ceRNA regulatory network suggests roles for location-specific lncRNAs in colon cancer and allowed the development of an lncRNA-based prognostic signature, which could be used to assess prognosis and determine treatment strategies in patients with colon cancer.
Based on the idea of a “Community of Human Destiny,” the Chinese government proposed the “Belt and Road” initiative, and clearly proposed to promote green development and strengthen ecological ...environmental protection. However, a considerable number of countries are resource-rich economies with serious market misallocations. Using the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) combined with the directional distance function (DDF) framework, this paper measures the green total factor productivity (GTFP) and its items (i.e., technical change and efficiency change) of 33 countries along the Belt and Road in 1995–2012, and then the impact of market misallocations on GTFP is analyzed. The following conclusions are drawn: (1) The main driving force for GTFP promotion in Asian countries came from technical change, while in European countries, it came from efficiency change. (2) Market misallocations had significantly hindered the GTFP of these economies. Countries with greater market misallocations have smaller GTFP. (3) Results based on counterfactual measures showed that GTFP could be increased by up to 4.04% and the average can be increased by 1.24% after eliminating market misallocations.
This study used computer software to design building models with selected colour parameters based on a two‐colour pattern combination, which was then presented on a standard computer screen. Further, ...the two‐colour combination pattern was adopted to prepare building simulation pictures with 153 colour combinations. A total of six hues were extracted based on the Natural Colour System, and there were also 18 colour samples with different lightness and saturation degrees. The results of the study found that hue difference, lightness difference, chroma difference, and total colour difference have a significant effect on harmony. On the other hand, hue difference, chroma difference, and total colour difference have a significant effect on preference. It is worth noting that lightness difference and architectural colour preferences were negatively related. In addition, there was a high correlation between architectural colour harmony and preference.
Two copolymers are synthesized: one (P1) has pendant azo and 5‐(1H‐1, 2, 3‐triazol‐1‐yl) pentanenitrile (TAPN) groups, and the other (P2) has pendant azo and pillar5arene groups. When the two ...copolymers are mixed in chloroform, an organogel with excellent self‐healing capability and dual‐stimulus responsiveness is formed. Reversible double noncovalent cross‐linked networks including host–guest complexation and π–π interactions are responsible for this property. A xerogel prepared from the organogel can capture iodine in aqueous media. The presence of many effective sorption sites including electron‐rich phenolic units and azo groups provides the xerogel with iodine uptake ability. The pillar5arene‐based gel can adsorb iodine and self‐heal rapidly, and therefore has potential as a long‐life adsorbent.
A double noncovalent cross‐linked polymer organogel is produced by host–guest complexation and π–π interactions. The gel is soft and tough. It has rapid self‐healing capability and dual‐stimulus responsiveness. A xerogel prepared from the organogel has a high capacity of up to 98.64% for capturing iodine from water. Therefore, it has potential for use as long‐life smart adsorbents.
Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-induced condition that impairs the mother's health and results in pregnancy termination or premature delivery. Elevated levels of placenta-derived extracellular vesicles ...(pcEV) in the circulation have been consistently associated with preeclampsia, but whether these vesicles induce preeclampsia or are the product of preeclampsia is not known. Guided by a small cohort study of preeclamptic patients, we examined the impact of pcEV on the pathogenesis of preeclampsia in mouse models. We detected pcEV in pregnant C56BL/6J mice with a peak level of 3.8±0.9×10
/mL at 17-18 days post-coitum. However, these pregnant mice developed hypertension and proteinuria only after being infused with vesicles purified from injured placenta. These extracellular vesicles released from injured placenta disrupted endothelial integrity and induced vasoconstriction. Enhancing the clearance of extracellular vesicles prevented the development of the extracellular vesicle-induced preeclampsia in mice. Our results demonstrate a causal role of pcEV in preeclampsia and identify microvesicle clearance as a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of this pregnancy-associated complication.
Severe retinal ischemia causes persistent visual impairments in eye diseases. Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells are located near the choroidal capillaries, and are easily affected by ischemic or ...hypoxia. Ginsenoside Rg-1 has shown significant neuroprotective effects. This study was performed to test the cytoprotective effect of ginsenoside Rg-1 in RPE cells against hypoxia and cobalt chloride (CoCl2) assaults, and to understand the underlying mechanisms. We found that Rg-1 pre-administration significantly inhibited CoCl2- and hypoxia-induced RPE cell death and apoptosis. Reactive oxygen specisis (ROS)-dependent p38 and c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinases (JNK) MAPK activation was required for CoCl2-induced RPE cell death, and Rg-1 pre-treatment significantly inhibited ROS production and following p38/JNK activation. Further, CoCl2 suppressed pro-survival mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) activation in RPE cells through activating of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), while Rg-1 restored mTORC1 activity through inhibiting AMPK activation. CoCl2-induced AMPK activation was also dependent on ROS production, and anti-oxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) prevented AMPK activation and RPE cell death by CoCl2. Our results indicated that Rg-1 could be further investigated as a novel cell-protective agent for retinal ischemia.
Aiming to address the limitations of traditional resource allocation algorithms in the Internet of Vehicles (IoV), whereby they cannot meet the stringent demands for ultra-low latency and high ...reliability in vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, this paper proposes a wireless resource allocation algorithm for V2V communication based on the multi-agent deep Q-network (MDQN). The system model utilizes 5G network slicing technology as its fundamental feature and maximizes the weighted spectrum-energy efficiency (SEE) while satisfying reliability and latency constraints. In this approach, each V2V link is treated as an agent, and the state space, action, and reward function of MDQN are specifically designed. Through centralized training, the neural network parameters of MDQN are determined, and the optimal resource allocation strategy is achieved through distributed execution. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme in significantly improving the SEE of the network while maintaining a certain success rate for V2V link load transmission.
•A back-up frequency response control based on the HVDC link is proposed.•To avoid a second frequency drop, a frequency compensation control is proposed.•A response distribution optimization strategy ...is proposed to reduce the event cost.
With the increasing penetration of wind energy into power grids, the frequency regulation capability of the system tends to deteriorate. Wind generators (WGs) could provide fast frequency response when the system suffers from disturbances. However, due to the randomness and intermittence of WG, its emergency support is not stable. The spinning reserves of the asynchronous power grids can be shared through the high voltage direct current (HVDC) links. Under a large disturbance, the HVDC link could provide fast frequency response support to maintain the operating frequency of the disturbed power grid within a secure range. In this paper, a frequency secure control strategy is proposed for the HVDC link connected to a power system with high penetration of wind energy. The proposed frequency secure control strategy has three control functions: (1) back-up frequency response control, (2) frequency compensation control, and (3) response distribution optimization. The objective of this control strategy is to improve the synthetic frequency response performance of the system under severe frequency disturbance while avoiding possible subsequent frequency drop caused by rotor speed recovery of wind turbines. Besides, the cost of ancillary service for obtaining frequency response support from interconnected power systems could be reduced. Simulation verifications are conducted on a reduced equivalent ERCOT system which is interconnected to equivalent Western and Eastern Interconnections by HVDC links. The simulation results verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed frequency secure control strategy.