•Developed a spatially explicit approach to mapping supply and demand of CESs.•The approach integrated the SolVES model and social media comments.•Almost 70% of the study area, including protected ...areas, supply exceeded demand.•Protected areas internal Supply and demand exceeded the external.•Areas surrounding protected areas should also be considered.
The construction of protected areas (PAs) is not only the most effective way to preserve biodiversity resources and the natural heritage, but also provides important cultural ecosystem services (CESs) for satisfying human psychological and spiritual needs and improving human well-being. Knowledge of CESs at the county level is vital for the bottom-up promotion of the overall work of China’s PAs. The assessment and mapping of the spatial pattern of CESs, and their supply and demand relationship in PAs and their surrounding areas, are of great significance for high-quality development planning at the county scale. In our study, we developed an integrated approach to mapping the supply and demand of CESs, and then integrated the SolVES model with social media comments to explore the matching relationship between CESs’ (aesthetic inspiration, education humanities, and recreation and ecotourism) supply and demand using Wuyishan City, China, with its abundant PAs, as a case study. The results showed that the supply of three types of CESs accounting for approximately 70% of the study area was greater than the demand, and thus these CESs have significant future development prospects. The distribution of the three high-supply CESs and tourist destinations showed roughly the same spatial patterns, in which the high-demand hot spots were identified in the south of Wuyishan City. And the total supply and demand levels inside the PAs were much greater than those outside. Therefore, clarifying the matching relationship between supply and demand of CESs at the county level is not only conducive to promoting the sustainable development of natural resources, but also provides a reference for the planning of county-level protection of PAs under each county’s jurisdiction.
Compared to traditional air freezing, immersion chilling and freezing shows an improvement in the freezing effect on meat quality, but it is not known whether this advantage persists over longer ...storage periods. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to compare the effects of immersion chilling and freezing (ICF) and traditional air freezing (TAF) on the physical and chemical indexes in beef longissimus muscle during a storage period of 150 days. In the current study, the longissimus muscle from Luxi cattle (aged 20–24 months) was analyzed, with samples independently frozen by ICF and TAF. After the core temperature was frozen to below −18 degrees by the two chilling methods, samples were transferred to a −18 degrees cold room for further storage. During the storage period, physical and chemical indexes, mainly including color and texture qualities, total volatile base nitrogen (TVB‐N) and peroxide value (POV) were measured and comparatively analyzed at several fixed time points. A higher freezing rate was observed in ICF (5.124 cm/h) than in TAF (0.194 cm/h), and better microstructure was observed in ICF treatment. Besides, peak force values and total energy values were significantly lower in the TAF group than in the ICF group during the first 45 days of freezing storage time (p < .05). ICF also showed better color quality due to higher L* values than TAF samples during the first 75 days of frozen storage (p < .05). In addition, the thawing loss (after 75 days of storage), total volatile base nitrogen, and peroxide value (in the 30 to 75 days of storage period) were lower in the ICF than in the TAF group. In conclusion, the immersion chilling and freezing is more conducive to the quality of beef during storage at −18 degrees compared to traditional air freezing.
Freezing is one of the most effective ways to preserve the quality of beef and is used to minimize the product loss. Many studies have demonstrated that the immersion chilling and freezing shows good improvement on the freezing effect of meat quality; however, it is not known whether this advantage will still exist in a longer storage period. The aim of current study was to explore the effects of different freezing methods, including the immersion chilling and freezing (ICF) and traditional air freezing (TAF), on the physical and chemical indexes in beef longissimus muscle during a period of 150‐day storage.
Recent advances in sensor technology have facilitated the development and use of personalized sensors in monitoring environmental factors and the associated health effects. No studies have reviewed ...the research advancement in examining population-based health responses to environmental exposure via portable sensors/instruments. This study aims to review studies that use portable sensors to measure environmental factors and health responses while exploring the environmental effects on health. With a thorough literature review using two major English databases (Web of Science and PubMed), 24 eligible studies were included and analyzed out of 16,751 total records. The 24 studies include 5 on physical factors, 19 on chemical factors, and none on biological factors. The results show that particles were the most considered environmental factor among all of the physical, chemical, and biological factors, followed by total volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide. Heart rate and heart rate variability were the most considered health indicators among all cardiopulmonary outcomes, followed by respiratory function. The studies mostly had a sample size of fewer than 100 participants and a study period of less than a week due to the challenges in accessing low-cost, small, and light wearable sensors. This review guides future sensor-based environmental health studies on project design and sensor selection.
To develop functional, sustainable and eco-friendly active packaging materials as alternatives to plastic films, we successfully prepared Ginkgo biloba leaf polysaccharide-stabilized selenium ...nanomaterials (Se-GBLP). Se-GBLP with glutathione peroxidase-like activity could efficiently remove harmful reactive oxygen species. As a functional additive, Se-GBLP was incorporated into degradable chitosan (CS) to fabricate CS/Se-GBLP films. The addition of Se-GBLP improved the mechanical properties, UV–visible light barrier performance, water vapor permeability, and antioxidant activity of the films. Preservation experiments demonstrated CS/Se-GBLP film could maintain quality and prolong the storage time of bananas and cherry tomatoes. It was the first time to use selenium-based nanozyme for fruit preservation. This work offered a cost-effective solution to reduce post-harvest losses, increasing sustainability and profitability. Future research should focus on more factors affecting freshness such as variety, maturity, harvest and storage conditions to improve preservation, as well as on the material's safety concern and environmental impact.
•Ginkgo biloba polysaccharide-stabilized selenium nanoparticles were constructed.•selenium nanoparticles possessed excellent glutathione peroxidase-like activity.•Selenium nanoparticles were incorporated into chitosan to form composite film.•The composite film exhibited good mechanical properties and antioxidant activity.•The composite film could serve as active packaging for fruit preservation.
Literature reporting the effects of application of exogenous copper (Cu) on the grain yield, 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) and Cu content of fragrant rice is scarce. Pot experiments were conducted in ...early and later season in 2020 with two fragrant rice cultivars, Meixiangzhan and Yuxiangyouzhan, at heading stage using four treatments, i.e.: 0 (CK), 20 (T1), 40 (T2), and 60 mM (T3) CuSO4·5H2O to assess the effects of foliar copper application on the yield, 2-AP and Cu content. Results showed that T2 treatment improved the yield of Meixiangzhan and Yuxiangyouzhan by 6.88% and 11.35% respectively, by increased seed-setting rate. Meanwhile, T2 treatment greatly increased the grains 2-AP content by 21.95% and 10.15% in early season, and by 5.40% and 27.25% in later season, respectively, which was significant associated with the contents of proline, pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid (P5C) and pyrroline, and the activities of proline dehydrogenase (PDH), ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) and pyrroline-5-carboxylic acid synthetase (P5CS). Foliar copper application increased the grain Cu content and showed the highest values in T3 treatment. Overall, foliar copper application at heading stage had a positive effect on yield and grain 2-AP and Cu content of fragrant rice. The results from this study show that T2 treatment (moderate CuSO4 application) had the most desirable outcomes, synergistically improving the yield and aroma of fragrant rice as well as enriching the grain copper content.
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•40 mmol L−1 Cu dosing greatly increased seed-setting rate and yields.•The grains 2-AP content was showed the maximum with 40 mmol L−1 Cu treatment.•Cu treated increased the grain Cu content.
Overactivated microglia is involved in various kinds of neurodegenerative diseases. Suppression of microglial overactivation has emerged as a novel strategy for treatment of neuroinflammation-based ...neurodegeneration. In the current study, anti-inflammatory effects of oxytocin (OT), which is a highly conserved nonapeptide with hormone and neurotransmitter properties, were investigated in vitro and in vivo.
BV-2 cells and primary microglia were pre-treated with OT (0.1, 1, and 10 μM) for 2 h followed by LPS treatment (500 ng/ml); microglial activation and pro-inflammatory mediators were measured by Western blot, RT-PCR, and immunofluorescence. The MAPK and NF-κB pathway proteins were assessed by Western blot. The intracellular calcium concentration (Ca(2+)i) was determined using Fluo2-/AM assay. Intranasal application of OT was pre-treated in BALB/C mice (adult male) followed by injected intraperitoneally with LPS (5 mg/kg). The effect of OT on LPS-induced microglial activation and pro-inflammatory mediators was measured by Western blot, RT-PCR, and immunofluorescence in vivo.
Using the BV-2 microglial cell line and primary microglia, we found that OT pre-treatment significantly inhibited LPS-induced microglial activation and reduced subsequent release of pro-inflammatory factors. In addition, OT inhibited phosphorylation of ERK and p38 but not JNK MAPK in LPS-induced microglia. OT remarkably reduced the elevation of Ca(2+)i in LPS-stimulated BV-2 cells. Furthermore, a systemic LPS-treated acute inflammation murine brain model was used to study the suppressive effects of OT against neuroinflammation in vivo. We found that pre-treatment with OT showed marked attenuation of microglial activation and pro-inflammatory factor levels.
Taken together, the present study demonstrated that OT possesses anti-neuroinflammatory activity and might serve as a potential therapeutic agent for treating neuroinflammatory diseases.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐X protein (HBx) plays critical role in inducing the malignant transformation of liver cells. Alpha fetoprotein (AFP) expression is closely related to hepatocarcinogenesis. We ...report that Oct4, Klf4, Sox2 and c‐myc expression positively associated with AFP(+)/HBV(+) hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) tissues, and the expression of the stemness markers CD44, CD133 and EpCAM was significantly higher in AFP(+)/HBV(+) HCC tissues compared to normal liver tissues or AFP (−)/HBV(−) HCC tissues. AFP expression turned on prior to expression of Oct4, Klf4, Sox2 and c‐myc, and the stemness markers CD44, CD133 and EpCAM in the normal human liver L‐02 cell line or CHL cell lines upon transfection with MCV‐HBx vectors. Stem‐like cells generated more tumour colonies compared to primary cells, and xenografts induced tumourigenesis in nude mice. Expression of reprogramming‐related proteins was significantly enhanced in HLE cells while transfected with pcDNA3.1‐afp vectors. The specific PI3K inhibitor Ly294002 inhibited the effects of pcDNA3.1‐afp vectors. AFP‐siRNA vectors were able to inhibit tumour colony formation and reprogramming‐related gene expression. Altogether, HBx stimulates AFP expression to induce natural reprogramming of liver cells, and AFP plays a critical role in promoting the initiation of HCC progenitor/stem cells. AFP may be a potential novel biotarget for combating HBV‐induced hepatocarcinogenesis.
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Although the relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐induced chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development is widely accepted, the molecular mechanism of HBV‐induced hepatocarcinogenesis remains unclear. The early HCC biomarker alpha fetoprotein (AFP) has been suggested to promote generation of HCC stem cells. Here, expression of reprogramming factors Oct4, Klf4, Sox2 and c‐myc was positively associated with AFP(+)/HBV(+) HCC tissues, with stemness markers CD44, CD133 and EpCAM expression being significantly higher in those tissues. AFP could stimulate expression of reprogramming‐related genes in normal liver cells through PI3K/AKT signalling, suggesting a pivotal role in promoting initiation of HCC stem cells.
The purpose of this study was to permit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to reach their full potential in the treatment of chronic wounds. A biocompatible multifunctional crosslinker based ...temperature sensitive hydrogel was developed to deliver BMSCs, which improve the chronic inflammation microenvironments of wounds. A detailed in vitro investigation found that the hydrogel is suitable for BMSC encapsulation and can promote BMSC secretion of TGF-β1 and bFGF. In vivo, full-thickness skin defects were made on the backs of db/db mice to mimic diabetic ulcers. It was revealed that the hydrogel can inhibit pro-inflammatory M1 macrophage expression. After hydrogel association with BMSCs treated the wound, significantly greater wound contraction was observed in the hydrogel + BMSCs group. Histology and immunohistochemistry results confirmed that this treatment contributed to the rapid healing of diabetic skin wounds by promoting granulation tissue formation, angiogenesis, extracellular matrix secretion, wound contraction, and re-epithelialization. These results show that a hydrogel laden with BMSCs may be a promising therapeutic strategy for the management of diabetic ulcers.
Skin wound healing is a complicated process that involves a variety of cells and cytokines. Fibroblasts play an important role in this process and participate in transformation into myofibroblasts, ...the synthesis of extracellular matrix (ECM) and fibers, and the secretion of a variety of growth factors. This study assessed the effects of peptide Ser-Ile-Lys-Val-Ala-Val (SIKVAV)--modified chitosan hydrogels on skin wound healing. We investigated the capability of peptide SIKVAV to promote cell proliferation and migration, the synthesis of collagen, and the secretion of a variety of growth factors using fibroblasts in vitro. We also treated skin wounds established in mice using peptide SIKVAV-modified chitosan hydrogels. Hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that peptide-modified chitosan hydrogels enhanced the reepithelialization of wounds compared with negative and positive controls. Masson’s trichrome staining demonstrated that more collagen fibers were deposited in the wounds treated with peptide-modified chitosan hydrogels compared with the negative and positive controls. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the peptide-modified chitosan hydrogels promoted angiogenesis in the skin wound. Taken together, these results suggest that peptide SIKVAV-modified chitosan hydrogels may be useful in wound dressing and the treatment of skin wounds.
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