Modulating the Amine-CO2 Interaction Strength: Toward Efficient Carbon Capture.

This study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between CO2 and amines at the molecular level by exploring the rotational spectra of binary complexes between CO2 and eight different amines through pulsed-jet Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. The findings reveal a consistent pattern in which CO2 is bonded to the amino group, primarily through a C···N tetrel bond, while being supported by C-H···O/C hydrogen bonds. Notably, the binding energies increase from primary through tertiary amines and with increasing chain length of the alkyl groups. These groups are found to enhance the electron density at the amino group significantly, thereby facilitating the formation of stronger C···N tetrel bonds. The insights provided into how the interaction strength is modulated by the geometries of amines are deemed essential for the design of more effective CO2 adsorption materials, thus advancing carbon capture technologies.

Enhanced peroxidase-like activity based on electron transfer between platinum nanoparticles and Ti3C2TX MXene nanoribbons coupled smartphone-assisted hydrogel platform for detecting mercury ions.

BACKGROUND: Heavy metal pollution poses a serious threat to the ecological environment. Mercury ion (Hg2+) is a class of highly toxic heavy metal ions, which is bioaccumulative, difficult to breakdown, and has a significant affinity with sulfur and thiol-containing proteins, which seriously affects environmental safety and human health. Nanozyme-based sensing methods are expected to be used to detect toxic heavy metal ions. However, the application of precious metal nanozymes to develop portable sensors with simplicity, high stability, and high sensitivity has not been explored to a large extent. RESULTS: In this paper, based on MXene's unique adsorption capacity for certain precious metal ions, PtNPs/Ti3C2TXNR composites were successfully prepared by in-situ growth of Pt nanoparticles (PtNPs) on the surface of Ti3C2TX MXene nanoribbons (Ti3C2TXNR) using the hydrothermal technique. Experimental data revealed PtNPs/Ti3C2TXNR exhibited superior peroxidase-like activity, attributed to the synergistic effect of well-dispersed ultrasmall PtNPs and electron transfer effect. Hg2+ can significantly inhibit enzyme-like activity of PtNPs/Ti3C2TXNR due to specific capture and partial in-situ reduction of PtNPs, so a colorimetric sensor was constructed for ultra-trace detection of Hg2+ with a linear range of 0.2 nM and 400 nM. Furthermore, using the portable detecting capabilities of smartphones and hydrogel, a smartphone-assisted hydrogel sensing platform of Hg2+ was constructed. Notably, the two-mode sensing platforms exhibited outstanding detection performance with LOD values as low as 15 pM (colorimetric) and 26 pM (hydrogel), respectively, superior to recently reported nanozyme-based Hg2+ sensors. SIGNIFICANCE: Compared with other methods, the PtNPs/Ti3C2TXNR-based dual-mode sensor designed in this paper has superior sensitivity, high selectivity, simple operation and portability. In particular, the dual-output sensing strategy enables self-confirmation of detection results, greatly improving the reliability of the sensor, and is expected to be used for the on-site determination of trace mercury ions.

Synthesis, Surface Activity, Emulsifiability and Bactericidal Performance of Zwitterionic Tetrameric Surfactants.

In this paper, a series of tetrameric surfactants (4CnSAZs, n = 12, 14, 16) endowed with zwitterionic characteristic were synthesized by a simple and convenient method and their structures were characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR and elemental analysis. Their physicochemical properties were studied using the Wilhelmy plate method, fluorescence spectra and dynamic light scattering technique. 4CnSAZs have higher surface activities and tend to adsorb at the air/water surface rather than self-assembling in aqueous solution. The thermodynamic parameters obtained from surface tension measurements show that both processes of adsorption and micellization of 4CnSAZs are spontaneous and that the micellization processes of 4CnSAZs are entropy-driven processes. Both adsorption and micellization of 4CnSAZs are inclined to occur with the increase of alkyl chain length or temperature. For 4C12SAZs, there are only small-size aggregates (micelles), while the large aggregates (vesicles) are observed at the alkyl length of 4CnSAZs of 14 or 16. This shows that the alkyl chain length for oligomeric surfactants has a greater sensitivity for aggregate growth. The aggregate morphologies obtained from the calculated values of critical packing parameter (p) for 4C14SAZs and 4C16SAZs can be supported by the DLS measurement results. The test results obtained by the separation-water-time method show that 4CnSAZs have good emulsification performance and that the prepared emulsions appear to exit in the form of multiple emulsions. In addition, 4CnSAZs have good antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The present study reveals the unique behavior of a zwitterionic tetrameric surfactant and may give new insights into molecular design and synthesis of a high degree of surfactants with different structure characteristics for potential application in various industrial fields.

Multiple applications of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in the treatment of orthopedic diseases.

Pharmacologic treatment of orthopedic diseases is a common challenge for clinical orthopedic surgeons, and as an important step in the stepwise treatment of orthopedic diseases, it is often difficult to achieve satisfactory results with existing pharmacologic treatments. Therefore, it is increasingly important to find new ways to effectively improve the treatment pattern of orthopedic diseases as well as to enhance the therapeutic efficacy. It has been found that metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) possess the advantages of high specific surface area, high porosity, chemical stability, tunability of structure and biocompatibility. Therefore, MOFs are expected to improve the conventional traditional treatment modality for bone diseases. This manuscript reviewed the applications of MOFs in the treatment of common clinical bone diseases and look forward to its future development.

Elevated blood pressure and hyperuricemia risk: a retrospective cohort study from Wuhu, China.

Although the relationship between hypertension and hyperuricemia is widely recognized, there is still a relative lack of research on prehypertensive individuals and the individual associations of systolic and diastolic blood pressure with the risk of hyperuricemia. From 2011 to 2016, we conducted a study on 53,323 individuals at Wuhu City Hospital in China. Based on initial blood pressure readings, participants were categorized into normal, prehypertension, or hypertension groups. We used Cox regression to analyze the associations with baseline factors. In subgroup analyses, systolic and diastolic pressures were treated as continuous variables, and their relationship with the risk of hyperuricemia was examined using restricted cubic spline analysis. The risk increased in the prehypertension and hypertension groups compared to the normal blood pressure group, with hazard ratios of 1.192 and 1.350, respectively. For each unit increase in blood pressure, the risk of hyperuricemia rose by 0.8% (systolic) and 0.9% (diastolic), especially when blood pressure levels exceeded 115/78 mmHg. Additionally, we observed that factors such as gender, alcohol consumption habits, obesity, and dyslipidemia might further influence this association. These findings emphasize the importance of early risk assessment and intervention in these patient populations in clinical practice.

Ultrahigh humidity-resistance ppb-level formaldehyde sensing at room temperature induced by fluorinated dipole based "umbrella" and "bridge".

Formaldehyde (HCHO) is a major indoor pollutant that is extremely harmful to human health even at ppb-level. Meanwhile, ppb-level HCHO is also a potential disease marker in the exhalation of patients with respiratory diseases. Higher humidity resistance and lower practical limit of detection (pLOD) both have to be pursued for practical HCHO sensors. In this work, by assembling indium oxide (In2O3) and fluorinated dipole modified reduced graphene oxide (rGO), we prepared a high-performance room temperature HCHO sensor (In2O3 @ATQ-rGO). Excellent sensing properties toward HCHO under visible illumination have been achieved, including ultra-low pLOD of 3 ppb and high humidity-resistance. By control experiments and density functional theory calculation, it is indicated that the introduced fluorinated dipoles act as not only an "umbrella" to improve the humidity resistance of the composite, but also a "bridge" to accelerate the electron transport, improving the sensitivity of the material. The significant practicality and reliability of the obtained sensors were verified by in-situ simulation experiments using a 3 m3 test chamber with a humidity control system and by detection of the simulated lung disease patient's exhalation. This work provides an effective strategy of simultaneously achieving high humidity-resistance and low pLOD of room temperature formaldehyde sensing materials.

Acid-modified hydrochar for higher biodegradation rate of atrazine in various conditions by Paenarthrobacter sp. KN0901: Higher cell viability and bacterial number.

Microbial remediation is a viable and eco-friendly approach for decontaminating pollution. However, its effectiveness can be limited by the microorganisms' survival and growth in changing environments. Hydrochar materials have been utilized in this study to increase the growth and atrazine degradation capabilities of Paenarthrobacter sp. KN0901, a strain capable of atrazine biodegradation. Acid-modified hydrochars exhibited a higher carbonation rate, specific surface area, and number of defect sites compared to raw hydrochar. Following three days of incubation at 15 °C, the atrazine degradation rate increased from 90.7 % to 98.2 % when utilizing H3PO4-modified hydrochar (PHC). Additionally, the addition of PHC resulted in an increase in both bacterial concentration and cell viability of strain KN0901, by 1.6 and 1.4 times, respectively. Under various conditions, including temperatures of 4 ºC and 35 ºC, as well as pH levels of 5 and 9, and dd·H2O media, PHC exhibited a significant enhancement in atrazine degradation and cell viability of strain KN0901. Furthermore, PHC demonstrated the ability to sustain high proliferation and viability of strain KN0901 over five cycles, indicating its remarkable stability and biocompatibility. This study offers a new perspective on the development and application of bioremediation approaches in restoring atrazine-polluted environments, even under challenging conditions.

Productive chemistry induced by mechanochemically generated macroradicals.

Large or repeated mechanical loads degrade polymeric materials by accelerating chain fragmentation. This mechanochemical backbone fracture usually occurs by homolysis of otherwise inert C-C, C-O and C-S bonds, generating highly reactive macroradicals. Because backbone fracture is detrimental on its own and the resulting macroradicals can initiate damaging reaction cascades, a major thrust in contemporary polymer mechanochemistry is to suppress it, usually by mechanochemical release of "hidden length" that dissipates local molecular strain. Here we summarize an emerging complementary strategy of channelling mechanochemically generated macroradicals in reaction cascades to form new load-bearing chemical bonds, which enables local self-healing or self-strengthening, and/or to generate mechanofluorescence, which could yield detailed quantitative molecular understanding of how material-failure-inducing macroscopic mechanical loads distribute across the network. We aim to identify generalizable lessons derivable from the reported implementations of this strategy and outline the key challenges in adapting it to diverse polymeric materials and loading scenarios.

Complex Dance of Molecules in the Sky: Choreography of Intermolecular Structure and Dynamics in the Cyclopentene-CO2-H2O Hetero Ternary Cluster.

This study delves into driving forces behind the formation of a hetero ternary cluster consisting of volatile organic compounds from industrial or combustion sources, specifically cyclopentene, alongside greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, and water vapor. While substantial progress has been made in understanding binary complexes, the structural intricacies of hetero ternary clusters remain largely uncharted. Our research characterized the cyclopentene-CO2-H2O hetero ternary cluster utilizing Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. The observed isomer in the pulsed jet has CO2 and H2O aligning above the cyclopentene ring, with water undergoing an internal rotation approximately about its C2 symmetry axis. Theoretical analyses support these observations, identifying an O-H⋅⋅⋅π hydrogen bond and a secondary C⋅⋅⋅O tetrel bond within this cluster. This study marks a critical step towards comprehending the molecular dynamics and interactions of VOCs, greenhouse gases, and water in the atmosphere, paving the way for further investigations into their roles in climate dynamics and air quality.

Spotlight on pro-inflammatory chemokines: regulators of cellular communication in cognitive impairment.

Cognitive impairment is a decline in people's ability to think, learn, and remember, and so forth. Cognitive impairment is a global health challenge that affects the quality of life of thousands of people. The condition covers a wide range from mild cognitive impairment to severe dementia, which includes Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), among others. While the etiology of cognitive impairment is diverse, the role of chemokines is increasingly evident, especially in the presence of chronic inflammation and neuroinflammation. Although inflammatory chemokines have been linked to cognitive impairment, cognitive impairment is usually multifactorial. Researchers are exploring the role of chemokines and other inflammatory mediators in cognitive dysfunction and trying to develop therapeutic strategies to mitigate their effects. The pathogenesis of cognitive disorders is very complex, their underlying causative mechanisms have not been clarified, and their treatment is always one of the challenges in the field of medicine. Therefore, exploring its pathogenesis and treatment has important socioeconomic value. Chemokines are a growing family of structurally and functionally related small (8-10 kDa) proteins, and there is growing evidence that pro-inflammatory chemokines are associated with many neurobiological processes that may be relevant to neurological disorders beyond their classical chemotactic function and play a crucial role in the pathogenesis and progression of cognitive disorders. In this paper, we review the roles and regulatory mechanisms of pro-inflammatory chemokines (CCL2, CCL3, CCL4, CCL5, CCL11, CCL20, and CXCL8) in cognitive impairment. We also discuss the intrinsic relationship between the two, hoping to provide some valuable references for the treatment of cognitive impairment.

Conformational equilibria in acrolein-CO2: the crucial contribution of n → π* interactions unveiled by rotational spectroscopy.

Using gas phase Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy complemented by theoretical analysis, this study delivers a comprehensive depiction of the physical origin of the 'n → π* interaction' between CO2 and acrolein, one of the most reactive aldehydes. Three distinct isomers of the acrolein-CO2 complex, linked through a C⋯O tetrel bond (or n → π* interaction) and a C-H⋯O hydrogen bond, have been unambiguously identified in the pulsed jet. Relative intensity measurements allowed estimation on the population ratio of the three isomers to be T1/T2/C1 ≈ 25/5/1. Advanced theoretical analyses were employed to elucidate the intricacies of the noncovalent interactions within the examined complex. This study not only sheds light on the molecular underpinnings of n → π* interactions but also paves the way for future exploration in carbon dioxide capture and utilization, leveraging the fundamental principles uncovered in the study of acrolein-carbon dioxide interactions.

Mutation of mpv17 results in loss of iridophores due to mitochondrial dysfunction in tilapia.

Mpv17 (mitochondrial inner membrane protein MPV17) deficiency causes severe mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome in mammals and loss of pigmentation of iridophores and a significant decrease of melanophores in zebrafish. The reasons for this are still unclear. In this study, we established an mpv17 homozygous mutant line in Nile tilapia. The developing mutants are transparent due to loss of iridophores and aggregation of pigment granules in the melanophores and disappearance of the vertical pigment bars on the side of the fish. Transcriptome analysis using skin of fish at 30 dpf (days post fertilization) revealed that the genes related to purine (especially pnp4a) and melanin synthesis were significantly downregulated. However, administration of guanine diets failed to rescue the phenotype of the mutants. In addition, no obvious apoptosis signals were observed in the iris of the mutants by TUNEL staining. Significant downregulation of genes related to iridophore differentiation was detected by qPCR. Insufficient ATP, as revealed by ATP assay, α-MSH treatment and adcy5 mutational analysis, might account for the defects of melanophores in mpv17 mutants. Several tissues displayed less mtDNA and decreased ATP levels. Taken together, these results indicated that mutation of mpv17 led to mitochondrial dTMP deficiency, followed by impaired mtDNA content and mitochondrial function, which in turn, led to loss of iridophores and a transparent body color in tilapia.

Preparation and Selective Adsorption Performance of the Carboxymethyl Salix psammophila Wood Powder-Imprinted Membrane for Tetracycline.

Carboxymethyl Salix psammophila wood powder-imprinted membranes (CMSM-MIPs) were prepared by using wet spinning technology and molecular-imprinting technology for the selective removal of tetracycline from wastewater. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterizations demonstrate that CMSM-MIPs retain the membranous structure of Carboxymethyl Salix psammophila wood powder membranes, successfully encapsulate thin layers of imprinted polymers on the membrane surface, and exhibit excellent thermal stability. The adsorption results showed that CMSM-MIPs had the highest selective adsorption capacity for tetracycline, which was 253.8 mg/g. In addition, the adsorption capacities for oxytetracycline and chlortetracycline were 208.8 and 188 mg/g, respectively. It can be observed that CMSM-MIPs not only exhibit a high adsorption capacity for tetracycline but also demonstrate good adsorption capacities for oxytetracycline and chlortetracycline. The experimental results showed that CMSM-MIPs were best fitted with pseudo-second-order kinetics and most consistent with Freundlich fitting. The regeneration experiment showed that CMSM-MIPs still had good regeneration performance after 5 regeneration cycles. In conclusion, the CMSM-MIPs can not only have the natural adsorption performance of Salix psammophila wood powder but also give it higher selectivity through molecular imprinting, so as to achieve efficient removal of target organic pollutants in water.

Multi-interface interaction mechanism of pulp reject-based flocculants for the removal of antibiotics and its combined pollutants.

The efficient removal of antibiotics and its combined pollutants is essential for aquatic environment and human health. In this study, a lignin-based organic flocculant named PRL-VAc-DMC was synthesized using pulp reject as the raw material, with vinyl acetate (VAc) and methacryloxyethyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (DMC) as the grafting monomers. A series of modern characterization methods were used to confirm the successful preparation of PRL-VAc-DMC and elucidate its polymerization mechanism. It was found that the Ph-OH group and its contiguous carbon atoms of lignin served as the primary active sites to react with grafting monomers. Flocculation experiments revealed that PRL-VAc-DMC could react with tetracycline (TC) through π-π* interaction, hydrophobic interaction, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic attraction. With the coexistence of humic acid (HA) and Kaolin, the aromatic ring, hydroxyl, and amide group of TC could react with the benzene ring, hydroxyl group, and carboxyl group of HA, forming TC@HA@Kaolin complexes with Kaolin particles acting as the hydrophilic shell. The increase in particle size, electronegativity, and hydrophily of TC@HA@Kaolin complexes facilitated their interaction with PRL-VAc-DMC through strong interfacial interactions. Consequently, the presence of HA and Kaolin promoted the removal of TC. The synergistic removal mechanism of TC, HA, and Kaolin by PRL-VAc-DMC was systematically analyzed from the perspective of muti-interface interactions. This paper is of great significance for the comprehensive utilization of pulp reject and provides new insights into the flocculation mechanism at the molecular scale.

Mild heat stress promotes the differentiation of odontoblast-like MDPC-23 cells via yes-associated protein.

PURPOSE: Dentin hypersensitivity (DH) is a prevalent condition, but long-term effective treatments are scarce. Differentiation of odontoblast-like cells is promising for inducing tertiary dentinogenesis and ensuring sustained therapeutic efficacy against DH. This study examined the effects and mechanism of action of mild heat stress (MHS) on the differentiation of odontoblast-like MDPC-23 cells. METHODS: We used a heating device to accurately control the temperature and duration, mimicking the thermal microenvironment of odontoblast-like cells. Using this device, the effects of MHS on cell viability and differentiation were examined. Cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay. The expression and nucleoplasmic ratio of the yes-associated protein (YAP) were examined by western blotting and immunofluorescence. The gene expression levels of heat shock proteins (HSPs) and dentin matrix protein-1 (DMP1) were measured using qPCR. Dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) expression was evaluated using immunofluorescence and immunoblotting. Verteporfin was used to inhibit YAP activity. RESULTS: Mild heat stress (MHS) enhanced the odontoblast differentiation of MDPC-23 cells while maintaining cell viability. MHS also increased YAP activity, as well as the levels of HSP25 mRNA, HSP70 mRNA, HSP90α mRNA, DMP1 mRNA, and DSPP protein. However, after YAP inhibition, both cell viability and the levels of HSP90α mRNA, DMP1 mRNA, and DSPP protein were reduced. CONCLUSION: YAP plays a crucial role in maintaining cell viability and promoting odontoblast differentiation of MDPC-23 cells under MHS. Consequently, MHS is a potential therapeutic strategy for DH, and boosting YAP activity could be beneficial for maintaining cell viability and promoting odontoblast differentiation.

Mitochondrial ROS participates in Porphyromonas gingivalis-induced pyroptosis in cementoblasts.

This study aimed to investigate correlation between mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and Porphyromonas gingivalis in the process of cementoblast pyroptosis. Lactate dehydrogenase activity assay, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blotting and flow cytometry analysis were utilized to explore whether Porphyromonas gingivalis triggered pyroptosis in cementoblasts. Reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species were detected using flow cytometry and fluorescence staining. The effect of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species on the Porphyromonas gingivalis-induced pyroptosis of cementoblasts was assessed by Mito-Tempo, mitochondrion-targeted superoxide dismutase mimetic. Phosphorylation levels of p65 were measured by western blotting. SC75741, a nuclear factor-kappa B inhibitor, was added to block the nuclear factor-kappa B in the Porphyromonas gingivalis-infected cementoblasts. Porphyromonas gingivalis triggered pyroptosis of cementoblasts, and an elevation in reactive oxygen species generation in the mitochondria was observed. Inhibition of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species reduced pyroptosis and nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathway mediated the pyroptotic cell death in Porphyromonas gingivalis-infected cementoblasts. Together, our findings demonstrate that mitochondrial reactive oxygen species increased by Porphyromonas gingivalis participated in the pyroptosis of cementoblasts. Targeting mitochondrial reactive oxygen species may offer therapeutic strategies for root surface remodeling or periodontal regeneration.

Whole genome sequencing revealed the capability of Paenarthrobacter sp. KN0901 to simultaneously remove atrazine and corn straw at low temperatures: From gene identification to empirical validation.

Corn planting is often associated with serious atrazine pollution and excessive corn straw amounts, causing severe threats to environmental and ecological security, as well as to green agricultural development. In this context, a Paenarthrobacter sp. KN0901 strain was applied to simultaneously remove atrazine and straw at low temperatures. The results of whole genome sequencing indicated that KN0901 encoded over nine straw biodegradation-related enzymes. In addition, 100 % and 27.3 % of atrazine and straw were simultaneously degraded by KN0901 following an incubation period of seven days at 15 ºC and 180 rpm in darkness. The KN0901 strain maintained high atrazine and straw biodegradation rates under temperature and pH ranges of 4-25 ºC and 5-9, respectively. The simultaneous atrazine and corn straw additions improved the microbial growth and biodegradation rates by increasing the functional gene expression level, cell viability, inner membrane permeability, and extracellular polymeric substance contents of KN0901. The hydroponic experiment results demonstrated the capability of the KN0901 strain to mitigate the toxicity of atrazine to soybeans in four days under the presence of corn straw. The present study provides a new perspective on the development of bioremediation approaches and their application to restore atrazine-polluted cornfields with large straw quantities, particularly in cold areas.

The checkmark association between gamma glutamyl-transpeptidase and body mass index in a large Chinese population.

BACKGROUND: Obesity has long been regarded as a risk factor for abnormal liver function, although the quantitative relationship between them is not clear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) in different gender populations. METHODS: The cross-sectional study included 221,934 people aged over 18 years and under 90 years who underwent physical examinations at Yijishan Hospital in Wuhu City from 2011 to 2016. t-test and Chi-square test were used to compare the differences in demographic characteristics and biochemical indexes between men and women. Linear regression model and smooth curve method were used to investigate the relationship between BMI and GGT. RESULTS: The smooth curve shows a checkmark association between GGT and BMI. After adjusting for confounders, the cut-off BMI for the whole population was 19.5 kg/m2. When BMI was less than 19.5 kg/m2, GGT levels decreased with increasing BMI, and when BMI was greater than 19.5 kg/m2, GGT levels increased with increasing BMI. After gender stratification, there was a checkmark association between male and female GGT levels and BMI, but the trend of male GGT levels changing with BMI was more obvious than that of females. CONCLUSIONS: Our investigation demonstrated that the GGT level in obese Chinese people is significantly higher than that in non-obese people living in Wuhu City. BMI level can be considered as an early warning index for diseases related to liver function injury in the clinic, although the influence of gender difference should be specifically considered.

Dietary apidaecin Api-PR19 addition enhances growth performance by regulating gut health and microbiota in broilers.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effects of Apidaecin Api-PR19 as feed additive on growth performance, intestinal health, and small intestinal microbiota of broilers. METHODS: A total of 360 1-d-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly assigned to 3 groups with 6 replicates including control group with basal diet (CON), antibiotic growth promotor group with basal plus 10 mg/kg colistin sulfate and 50 mg/kg roxarsone (AGP), and antibacterial peptide group with basal diet plus 330 mg/kg Apidaecin Api-PR19 (ABP). The trial lasted 35 d. RESULTS: Results showed that dietary Api-PR19 addition increased (p<0.05) the average daily feed intake, average daily gain and decreased (p<0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) during 1 to 21 d compared with the CON group. The digestibility of dry matter and crude protein were higher in AGP and ABP groups (p<0.05) where greater trypsin activity was detected in duodenum (p<0.05). The ratio of villus height to crypt depth (V/C) in duodenum and jejunum was increased at 35 d when broilers were given diets with ABP or AGP (p<0.05). Besides, ABP treatments up-regulated (p<0.05) the mRNA expression of EAAT3, GLUT2, ZO-1, and Claudin-1 in duodenum of broilers at 35 d of age. The results of immunohistochemistry showed that ABP treatment significantly increased (p<0.05) duodenal secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) content. In addition, 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that there were differences in the intestinal microbiota diversity and composition among three groups. Notably, the linear discriminant analysis effect size showed that p_Firmicutes, g_Enterococcus, g_Carnobacterium, g_Kitasatospora, and g_Acidaminococcus were dominant in ABP group. Redundancy analysis showed that these changes in gut microbiota in ABP group had correlation with growth performance, intestinal morphology, and content of sIgA. CONCLUSION: In general, these results indicated that dietary 330 mg/kg Apidaecin Api-PR19 supplementation promoted growth performance of broilers by improving intestinal development, nutrients absorption, immune function and modulating intestinal microbiota.

A Geomagnetic/Odometry Integrated Localization Method for Differential Robot Using Real-Time Sequential Particle Filter.

Geomagnetic matching navigation is extensively utilized for localization and navigation of autonomous robots and vehicles owing to its advantages such as low cost, wide-area coverage, and no cumulative errors. However, due to the influence of magnetometer measurement noise, geomagnetic localization algorithms based on single-point particle filters may encounter mismatches during continuous operation, consequently limiting their long-range localization performance. To address this issue, this paper proposes a real-time sequential particle filter-based geomagnetic localization method. Firstly, this method mitigates the impact of noise during continuous operation while ensuring real-time performance by performing real-time sequential particle filtering. Then, it enhances the long-range positioning accuracy of the method by rectifying the trajectory shape of the odometry through odometry calibration parameters. Finally, by performing secondary matching on the preliminary matching results via the MAGCOM algorithm, the positioning error of the method is further minimized. Experimental results show that the proposed method has higher positioning accuracy compared to related algorithms, resulting in reductions of over 28.58%, 37.11%, and 0.77% in RMSE, max error, and error at the end, respectively.