Lithium Superionic Conductive Nanofiber-Reinforcing High-Performance Polymer Electrolytes for Solid-State Batteries.

Although composite solid-state electrolytes (CSEs) are considered promising ionic conductors for high-energy lithium metal batteries, their unsatisfactory ionic conductivity, low mechanical strength, poor thermal stability, and narrow voltage window limit their practical applications. We have prepared a new lithium superionic conductor (Li-HA-F) with an ultralong nanofiber structure and ultrahigh room-temperature ionic conductivity (12.6 mS cm-1). When it is directly coupled with a typical poly(ethylene oxide)-based solid electrolyte, the Li-HA-F nanofibers endow the resulting CSE with high ionic conductivity (4.0 × 10-4 S cm-1 at 30 °C), large Li+ transference number (0.66), and wide voltage window (5.2 V). Detailed experiments and theoretical calculations reveal that Li-HA-F supplies continuous dual-conductive pathways and results in stable LiF-rich interfaces, leading to its excellent performance. Moreover, the Li-HA-F nanofiber-reinforced CSE exhibits good heat/flame resistance and flexibility, with a high breaking strength (9.66 MPa). As a result, the Li/Li half cells fabricated with the Li-HA-F CSE exhibit good stability over 2000 h with a high critical current density of 1.4 mA cm-2. Furthermore, the LiFePO4/Li-HA-F CSE/Li and LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2/Li-HA-F CSE/Li solid-state batteries deliver high reversible capacities over a wide temperature range with a good cycling performance.

Impact of social-psychological factors on low-carbon travel intention: Merging theory of planned behavior and value-belief-norm theory.

Low-carbon travel assumes paramount significance in energy conservation and the establishment of an eco-friendly transportation ecosystem. This paper endeavors to explore the relationship between low-carbon travel intention, latent psychological variables, and sociodemographic attributes, drawing insights from responses of 602 residents in Hangzhou, China by structural equation model and multi-group model. In particular, we synthesize the theory of planned behavior, value-belief-norm theory, and view of incentive, a reflection of the public support for incentive policies. Results reveals that the primary determinants influencing the low-carbon travel intention encompass the view of incentive, attitude, and subjective norms. Individuals with diverse sociodemographic attributes manifest varying sensitivities, with males and elders exhibiting heightened responsiveness to incentive, while the presence of children decrease the attraction of incentive. These findings demonstrate that low-carbon travel intention can be increased by three ways, one is by the strong attraction of incentive especially tailor incentive policy, another is by making family-friendly policies to facilitate travel for groups with children, and the last is by improving the quality of low-carbon travel services thus increasing the attitude and other determinants.

Versican accumulation drives Nos2 induction and aortic disease in Marfan syndrome via Akt activation.

Thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (TAAD) is a life-threatening condition associated with Marfan syndrome (MFS), a disease caused by fibrillin-1 gene mutations. While various conditions causing TAAD exhibit aortic accumulation of the proteoglycans versican (Vcan) and aggrecan (Acan), it is unclear whether these ECM proteins are involved in aortic disease. Here, we find that Vcan, but not Acan, accumulated in Fbn1C1041G/+ aortas, a mouse model of MFS. Vcan haploinsufficiency protected MFS mice against aortic dilation, and its silencing reverted aortic disease by reducing Nos2 protein expression. Our results suggest that Acan is not an essential contributor to MFS aortopathy. We further demonstrate that Vcan triggers Akt activation and that pharmacological Akt pathway inhibition rapidly regresses aortic dilation and Nos2 expression in MFS mice. Analysis of aortic tissue from MFS human patients revealed accumulation of VCAN and elevated pAKT-S473 staining. Together, these findings reveal that Vcan plays a causative role in MFS aortic disease in vivo by inducing Nos2 via Akt activation and identify Akt signaling pathway components as candidate therapeutic targets.

Recent advances in the bovine ß-casein gene mutants on functional characteristics and nutritional health of dairy products: Status, challenges, and prospects.

ß-casein is the second most abundant form of casein in milk. Changes in amino acid sequence at specific positions in the primary structure of ß-casein in milk will produce gene mutations that affect the physicochemical properties of dairy products and the hydrolysis site of digestive enzymes. The screening method of ß-casein allele frequency detection in dairy products also has attracted the extensive attention of scientists and farmers. The A1 and A2 ß-casein is the two usual mutation types, distinguished by histidine and proline at position 67 in the peptide chain. This paper summarizes the effects of A1 and A2 ß-casein on the physicochemical properties of dairy products and evaluates the effects on human health, and the genotyping methods were also concluded. Impressively, this review presents possible future opportunities and challenges for the promising field of A2 ß-casein, providing a valuable reference for the development of the functional dairy market.

Chinese Sumac (Rhus chinensis Mill.) Fruits Prevent Hyperuricemia and Uric Acid Nephropathy in Mice Fed a High-Purine Yeast Diet.

Hyperuricemia (HUA) is a prevalent chronic disease, characterized by excessive blood uric acid levels, that poses a significant health risk. In this study, the preventive effects and potential mechanisms of ethanol extracts from Chinese sumac (Rhus chinensis Mill.) fruits on HUA and uric acid nephropathy were comprehensively investigated. The results demonstrated a significant reduction in uric acid levels in hyperuricemia mice after treatment with Chinese sumac fruit extract, especially in the high-dose group, where the blood uric acid level decreased by 39.56%. Visual diagrams of the kidneys and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained sections showed the extract's effectiveness in protecting against kidney damage caused by excessive uric acid. Further investigation into its mechanism revealed that the extract prevents and treats hyperuricemia by decreasing uric acid production, enhancing uric acid excretion, and mitigating the oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions induced by excessive uric acid in the kidneys. Specifically, the extract markedly decreased xanthine oxidase (XOD) levels and expression in the liver, elevated the expression of uric acid transporters ABCG2, and lowered the expression of uric acid reabsorption proteins URAT1 and SLC2A9. Simultaneously, it significantly elevated the levels of endogenous antioxidant enzymes (SOD and GSH) while reducing the level of malondialdehyde (MDA). Furthermore, the expression of uric-acid-related proteins NLRP3, ACS, and Caspase-3 and the levels of IL-1ß and IL-6 were significantly reduced. The experimental results confirm that Chinese sumac fruit extract can improve HUA and uric acid nephropathy in mice fed a high-purine yeast diet. This finding establishes a theoretical foundation for developing Chinese sumac fruit as a functional food or medicine for preventing and treating HUA.

Probing the Strain Direction-Dependent Nonmonotonic Optical Bandgap Modulation of Layered Violet Phosphorus.

Recent theoretical investigations have well-predicted strain-induced nonmonotonic optical band gap variations in low-dimensional materials. However, few two-dimensional (2D) materials are experimentally confirmed to exhibit nonmonotonic optical band gap variation under varying strain. Here, a strain-induced nonmonotonic optical bandgap variation in violet phosphorus (VP) nanosheets is observed, as evidenced by photoluminescence spectroscopy, which is reported in a few other 2D materials in knowledge. The optical bandgap variations are characterized to show the modulation rates of 41 and -24 meV/% with compression and tensile strains, respectively. Remarkably, first-principle calculations predict and clarify the nonmonotonic modulation accurately, highlighting its relationship with the strain direction-dependent asymmetric distribution of conduction band minimum wavefunctions, demonstrating that this unique nonmonotonic optical bandgap modulation is determined by the distinctive crystal structure of VP. This work provides a deep insight into the design of 2D materials toward optoelectronic and photoelectrochemical applications via strain engineering.

The Protective Effect and Mechanism of a Phytochemical Extract from the Wild Vegetable Shutou (Crateva unilocularis Buch.) against Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury in Mice.

Acetaminophen (APAP) abuse is a common public health problem which can cause severe liver damage. However, strategies for dealing with this situation safely and effectively are very limited. The goal of the current work was to evaluate the protection and potential molecular mechanisms of an ethanol extract from shoots of the wild vegetable shutou (Crateva unilocularis Buch.) (ECS) against APAP-induced liver damage in mice. Mice orally received ECS for seven days (300 or 600 mg/kg b.w. per day) before being intraperitoneally injected with APAP (250 mg/kg). Results exhibited that ECS obviously decreased the content of alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase, and malondialdehyde (p < 0.05). Catalase and superoxide dismutase were notably restored (p < 0.05), and the content of reduced glutathione was obviously increased (p < 0.05). Moreover, ECS significantly inhibited the secretion of interleukin-1ß and tumor necrosis factor-α (p < 0.05). Further analyses of the mechanisms showed that ECS may alleviate oxidative stress in the liver by increasing the expression of the nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 and NADH quinone oxidoreductase 1 proteins, and may suppress liver inflammation by inhibiting the expression of the phosphorylated-inhibitor kappa B alpha/inhibitor kappa B alpha, phosphorylated-nuclear factor κB/nuclear factor κB, and cyclooxygenase-2 proteins. Meanwhile, ECS inhibited hepatocyte apoptosis by enhancing B-cell lymphoma gene 2 and suppressing Bcl-2-associated X protein. In summary, ECS may be used as a dietary supplement to prevent the liver damage caused by APAP abuse.

Land use and habitat quality change in the Yellow River Basin: A perspective with different CMIP6-based scenarios and multiple scales.

Studying the spatial distribution of land use/land cover (LULC) and habitat quality (HQ), influenced by both climate change and socio-economic factors, holds immense importance for fostering ecological sustainability. The previous scale setting was based on changes in granularity and division of spatial ranges, without considering the differences in land quantity structure and spatial expansion under different spatial ranges. Therefore, this study is based on climate and economic data at different spatial scales to determine the various land demands of provinces (YRB-P) and integration of provinces (YRB-I) in the Yellow River Basin, and to limit the expansion of LULC in corresponding regions. At the same time, we have also established three future scenarios representing different development speeds based on the latest path of shared socio-economic development in CMIP6. We found exhibit significant characteristics in ecological responses under combinations of different scales and scenarios. Shandong and Henan Provinces are the main gathering (38.7-41.7%, 24.1-26.5%) and expansion (68.54-85.99 × 102km2, 18.89-34.12 × 102km2) provinces of built-up land under the YRB-P scale, and their HQ (0.260-0.397) are significantly lower than the average HQ (0.619-0.654). Forest land, grassland, and high value regions of HQ show "45°" distribution at two scales, with high and low values clearly clustered (Moran's I is 0.5440-0.580). The HQ evolution region is larger and more dispersed at the YRB-P scale, but accumulates in local areas at the YRB-I scale. In addition, the highest and lowest HQ mean values appear under the low speed development scenario at the YRB-P scale (0.721) and the rapid development scenario at the YRB-I scale (0.689), respectively. This study helps decision-makers control different scales and development scenarios to improve the ecological level of the study area.

Ferroelectric-Gated All 2D Field-Effect Transistors with Sub-60 mV/dec Subthreshold Swing.

With the continuous scaling down of the modern integrated circuits, conventional metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors are becoming inefficient due to various nonideal effects such as enhanced short-channel effects. Recently, emerging two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectrics have demonstrated their ability to maintain ferroelectricity at the nanoscale and have shown superior properties compared to three-dimensional ferroelectrics. Here, we report a ferroelectric field effect transistor composed of all 2D van der Waals (vdWs) heterostructures and provide a comprehensive study of the modulation of ferroelectric polarization on the carrier transport properties. Remarkably, the ferroelectric polarization allowed for achieving an ultralow subthreshold swing of just 26 mV/dec and a high carrier mobility of up to 72.3 cm2/(V s) at a smaller drain voltage of 10 mV. These impressive characteristics offer new insights into evaluating the regulatory effect of ferroelectric polarization on the electrical properties of all 2D vdWs heterostructures.

Collective behavior of identical Stuart-Landau oscillators in a star network with coupling asymmetry effects.

In this study, we investigated the impact of the asymmetry of a coupling scheme on oscillator dynamics in a star network. We obtained stability conditions for the collective behavior of the systems, ranging from an equilibrium point over complete synchronization (CS) and quenched hub incoherence to remote synchronization states using both numerical and analytical methods. The coupling asymmetry factor α significantly influences and determines the stable parameter region of each state. For α ≠ 1, the equilibrium point can emerge when the Hopf bifurcation parameter a is positive, which is impossible for diffusive coupling. However, CS can occur even if a is negative under α < 1. Unlike diffusive coupling, we observe more behavior when α ≠ 1, including additional in-phase remote synchronization. These results are supported by theoretical analysis and validated through numerical simulations and independent of network size. The findings may offer practical methods for controlling, restoring, or obstructing specific collective behavior.

Rhus chinensis Mill. fruits alleviate liver injury induced by isoniazid and rifampicin through regulating oxidative stress, apoptosis, and bile acid transport.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Rhus chinensis Mill. is a species of the genus Rhus belonging to the family Anacardiaceae. Its fruits used to treat/prevent liver related diseases (e.g., jaundice and hepatitis) in folk medicine. Otherwise, the effects and underlying mechanisms of the fruits on the prevention of isoniazid and rifampicin-caused liver injury have not been investigated. AIM OF THE STUDY: To study the preventive effects and mechanisms of the Rhus chinensis Mill. fruits on isoniazid and rifampicin-caused liver injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This experiment was based on rifampicin (75 mg/kg/day) and isoniazid (75 mg/kg/day)-induced liver damage model to explain the pharmacological effects of Rhus chinensis Mill. fruits. The prevention of the extract from Rhus chinensis Mill. fruits on isoniazid and rifampicin-caused liver injury were evaluated using biochemical parameters, histopathological analysis, and immunofluorescence technique. Apart from that, the potential molecular mechanisms were elucidated by analyzing the expression of such crucial proteins participated in oxidative stress, apoptosis, and bile acid transport. RESULTS: The extract from Rhus chinensis Mill. fruits significantly reduced the levels of ALT, AST, TBIL, ALP and MDA. Besides, the extract, especially 800 mg/kg b.w., was remarkably decreased the content of TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1ß, restored the levels of GSH and SOD. The results of Western blot also presented that the extract could activate the Nrf2 protein pathway and inhibit the expression of CYP2E1 to reduce oxidative stress. Meanwhile, the extract significantly up-regulated the expressions of BSEP and Mrp2 to regulate the transport of bile acid, and alleviated the cellular apoptosis via adjusting the expression of Bax and Bcl-2 proteins. CONCLUSIONS: Rhus chinensis Mill. fruits can prevent the liver injury induced by isoniazid and rifampicin in mice through adjusting the expressions of multiple proteins in oxidative stress, apoptosis, and bile acid transport pathways. This paper may provide scientific basis for the fruits as a Chinese medicine to prevent/cure liver injury.

Early detection of the impact of combined taxane and carboplatin treatment on autonomic nerves in patients with cervical cancer: Measurement of heart rate variability.

Background: Previous studies have shown that heart rate variability (HRV) analysis is a sensitive indicator of chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity. However, most studies to date have observed long-term effects using long-term analyses. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the acute effect of chemotherapy on the cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) in patients with cervical cancer (CC) by examining short-term HRV. Methods: Fifty patients with CC admitted to the Department of Gynecology and Oncology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College were enrolled in the study. Based on their chemotherapy regimens, the patients were divided into a DC group (docetaxel + carboplatin) and a TC group (paclitaxel + carboplatin). A 5-min resting electrocardiogram (ECG) was collected before and the day after chemotherapy: the time domain (standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN) and root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD)) and frequency domain (low-frequency power (LF), high-frequency power (HF), and (LF/HF)) parameters were analyzed, and the differences before and after chemotherapy were compared. Results: The results showed that SDNN, RMSSD and HF were significantly higher in the DC and TC groups after chemotherapy than before (p < 0.05, Cohen's d > 0.5). In addition, LF was significantly higher after TC than before chemotherapy (p < 0.05, Cohen's d > 0.3), and LF/HF was significantly lower after DC than before chemotherapy (p < 0.05, Cohen's d > 0.5). Conclusion: Chemotherapy combining taxane and carboplatin can increase the HRV of CC patients in the short term, and HRV may be a sensitive tool for the early detection of chemotherapy-induced cardiac ANS perturbations.

The preventive effect of Chinese sumac fruit against monosodium urate-induced gouty arthritis in rats by regulating several inflammatory pathways.

Chinese sumac (Rhus chinensis Mill.) fruit is a traditional Chinese medicinal material that can be consumed daily. This study aimed to investigate whether the ethanol extract of sumac fruits can ameliorate monosodium urate-induced gouty arthritis in rats from the perspective of inflammation. Results showed that the extract of Chinese sumac fruits can obviously prevent monosodium urate-induced gouty arthritis in rats. Further analyses revealed that this bioactivity may be mainly achieved by modulating several inflammatory pathways, including NLRP3, NF-κB, and MAPK pathways. In addition, the extract can also improve oxidative stress by reducing the levels of malondialdehyde and myeloperoxidase, increasing the contents of superoxide dismutase and glutathione. In conclusion, this study revealed that the Chinese sumac fruit can alleviate the pathological symptoms of gouty arthritis by inhibiting inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, which can provide a theoretical basis for the use of Chinese sumac fruits as a Chinese herbal medicine and health food for the prevention and treatment of gouty arthritis.

Insight into the nonlinear effect of COVID-19 on well-being in China: Commuting, a vital ingredient.

Background: COVID-19 had a devastating impact on people's work, travel, and well-being worldwide. As one of the first countries to be affected by the virus and develop relatively well-executed pandemic control, China has witnessed a significant shift in people's well-being and habits, related to both commuting and social interaction. In this context, what factors and the extent to which they contribute to well-being are worth exploring. Methods: Through a questionnaire survey within mainland China, 688 valid sheets were collected, capturing various aspects of individuals' life, including travel, and social status. Focusing on commuting and other factors, a Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) model was developed based on 300 sheets reporting working trips, to analyze the effects on well-being. Two indicators, i.e., the Relative Importance (RI) and Partial Dependency Plot (PDP), were used to quantify and visualize the effects of the explanatory factors and the synergy among them. Results: Commuting characteristics are the most critical ingredients, followed by social interactions to explain subjective well-being. Commuting stress poses the most substantial effect. Less stressful commuting trips can solidly improve overall well-being. Better life satisfaction is linked with shorter confinement periods and increased restriction levels. Meanwhile, the switch from in-person to online social interactions had less impact on young people's life satisfaction. Older people were unsatisfied with this change, which had a significant negative impact on their life satisfaction. Conclusions: From the synergy of commuting stress and commuting time on well-being, the effect of commuting time on well-being is mediated by commuting stress in the case of China. Even if one is satisfied with online communication, the extent of enhancement on well-being is minimal, for it still cannot replace face-to-face interaction. The findings can be beneficial in improving the overall well-being of society during the pandemic and after the virus has been eradicated.

Voltage imaging reveals the dynamic electrical signatures of human breast cancer cells.

Cancer cells feature a resting membrane potential (Vm) that is depolarized compared to normal cells, and express active ionic conductances, which factor directly in their pathophysiological behavior. Despite similarities to 'excitable' tissues, relatively little is known about cancer cell Vm dynamics. Here high-throughput, cellular-resolution Vm imaging reveals that Vm fluctuates dynamically in several breast cancer cell lines compared to non-cancerous MCF-10A cells. We characterize Vm fluctuations of hundreds of human triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. By quantifying their Dynamic Electrical Signatures (DESs) through an unsupervised machine-learning protocol, we identify four classes ranging from "noisy" to "blinking/waving". The Vm of MDA-MB-231 cells exhibits spontaneous, transient hyperpolarizations inhibited by the voltage-gated sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin, and by calcium-activated potassium channel inhibitors apamin and iberiotoxin. The Vm of MCF-10A cells is comparatively static, but fluctuations increase following treatment with transforming growth factor-ß1, a canonical inducer of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. These data suggest that the ability to generate Vm fluctuations may be a property of hybrid epithelial-mesenchymal cells or those originated from luminal progenitors.

Protective Effect of Rhus chinensis Mill. Fruits on 3,5-Diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-Dihydrocollidine-Induced Cholestasis in Mice via Ameliorating Oxidative Stress and Inflammation.

This study focused on the preventive effects of the extracts of Rhus chinensis Mill. (RCM) fruits on cholestasis induced by 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC) in mice. The results showed that RCM extracts could significantly ameliorate DDC-induced cholestasis via multiple mechanisms, including (1) alleviating liver damage via enhancing antioxidant capacity, such as increasing the contents of glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase and inhibiting the levels of malondialdehyde; (2) preventing liver inflammation by suppressing NF-κB pathway and reducing proinflammatory cytokines secretion (e.g., tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß, and interleukin-6); (3) inhibiting liver fibrosis and collagen deposition by regulating the expression of transforming growth factor-ß and α-smooth muscle actin; (4) modulating abnormal bile acid metabolism through increasing the expression of bile salt export pump and multidrug resistance-associated protein 2. This study was the first to elucidate the potential preventive effect of RCM extracts on DDC-induced cholestasis in mice from multiple pathways, which suggested that RCM fruits could be considered as a potential dietary supplement to prevent cholestasis.

Differences in the Impact of Heart Rate Variability on the Surgical Approach in Patients With Early Cervical Cancer: Laparoscopic versus Open Surgery.

Background: Evidence suggests that the risk of recurrence and death in patients with early cervical cancer (ECC) undergoing minimally invasive surgery is significantly higher than that in patients undergoing open surgery. However, the mechanisms underlying such a difference remain unclear. Heart rate variability (HRV) represents autonomic nerve activity, which is related to tumorgenesis and can be used as a prognostic indicator for various cancers. The main purpose of this study was to explore the difference in the effects of laparoscopic and open surgery on HRV in ECC patients. Methods: A total of 68 ECC (FIGO IA1 with lymphovascular space invasion -IIA2) patients undergoing radical hysterectomy for the first time (84% open group vs. 16% laparoscopic group) were included. A single-lead micro-ECG recorder was used to collect 5 min electrocardiograms 1 day before the operation and 3 days after the operation, and then HRV time domain and frequency domain indices were analyzed, including mean heart rate (MeanHR), maximum heart rate (MaxHR), minimum heart rate (MinHR), the standard deviation of all normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), the root mean square of successive interval differences (RMSSD), very low-frequency power (VLF), low-frequency power (LF), high-frequency power (HF), total power (TP), and the ratio of LF to HF (LF/HF). Results: Heart rate (i.e., MeanHR, MaxHR, and MinHR) were significantly higher, and HRV (i.e., SDNN, RMSSD, LF, HF, and TP) were significantly lower after the operation than before the operation in both the laparoscopic and open groups (P < 0.05). The postoperative reduction in RMSSD and HF was significantly higher in the laparoscopic group than in the open group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: These data suggest that radical hysterectomy can lead to increased heart rate and decreased HRV in patients with ECC, which can negatively affect cardiac autonomic regulation. Compared with open surgery, laparoscopic surgery has a greater negative impact on the HRV of ECC patients.

Pigmented paravenous retinochoroidal atrophy with acute angle-closure glaucoma and posterior subcapsular cataract: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Pigmented paravenous retinochoroidal atrophy (PPRCA) is a rare fundus disease characterized by the presence of osteoblast-like pigment, atrophy of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), and choroid deposition along the large retinal veins. CASE PRESENTATION: A 55-year-old Chinese female presented with right eye distention and bilateral vision loss. Osteocyte-like pigmentation and retinal choroidal atrophy distributed along the large retinal veins were seen in the fundus of bilateral eyes. The atrophy in the left eye was more severe compared to the right eye. The patient also presented with bilateral acute angle-closure glaucoma (AACG) and posterior subcapsular cataract (PSC) accompanied with anterior segmental manifestations, similar to the complications of retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The patient underwent ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM), Humphrey field analyser (HFA), optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus autofluorescence (FAF), fluorescein fundus angiography (FFA), electroretinogram (ERG), and electrooculography (EOG), all of which confirmed the aforementioned diagnose. CONCLUSION: PPRCA is a rare disease of unknown etiology. The patient in this case presented with complications similar to those of RP, and the two conditions may share a genetic basis. Further studies are needed to confirm this relationship.

Identification of Moldy Peanuts under Different Varieties and Moisture Content Using Hyperspectral Imaging and Data Augmentation Technologies.

Aflatoxins in moldy peanuts are seriously toxic to humans. These kernels need to be screened in the production process. Hyperspectral imaging techniques can be used to identify moldy peanuts. However, the changes in spectral information and texture information caused by the difference in moisture content in peanuts will affect the identification accuracy. To reduce and eliminate the influence of this factor, a data augmentation method based on interpolation was proposed to improve the generalization ability and robustness of the model. Firstly, the near-infrared hyperspectral images of 5 varieties, 4 classes, and 3 moisture content gradients with 39,119 kernels were collected. Then, the data augmentation method called the difference of spectral mean (DSM) was constructed. K-nearest neighbors (KNN), support vector machines (SVM), and MobileViT-xs models were used to verify the effectiveness of the data augmentation method on data with two gradients and three gradients. The experimental results show that the data augmentation can effectively reduce the influence of the difference in moisture content on the model identification accuracy. The DSM method has the highest accuracy improvement in 5 varieties of peanut datasets. In particular, the accuracy of KNN, SVM, and MobileViT-xs using the data of two gradients was improved by 3.55%, 4.42%, and 5.9%, respectively. Furthermore, this study provides a new method for improving the identification accuracy of moldy peanuts and also provides a reference basis for the screening of related foods such as corn, orange, and mango.

Dietary Flavonoids Alleviate Inflammation and Vascular Endothelial Barrier Dysfunction Induced by Advanced Glycation End Products In Vitro.

The aim of this study was to compare the protective effects of three dietary flavonoids (apigenin-7-O-glucoside (A7G), isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside (I3R), and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G)) on advanced glycation end products (AGEs)-induced inflammation and vascular endothelial dysfunction. Furthermore, the potential mechanisms of varied effects of those three dietary flavonoids were analyzed by molecular docking analysis. Results showed that C3G (40 µM) achieved the best inhibition on inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6) in AGEs-induced RAW264.7 cells, followed by I3R, and A7G was the weakest. The molecular docking results also showed that C3G exhibited the closest binding with the receptor for AGE. However, I3R (40 µM) demonstrated the best effect in improving endothelial dysfunction in AGEs-induced EA.hy926 cells, followed by C3G, and A7G was the weakest, as evidenced by the molecular docking results of flavonoids with profilin-1. This work may provide knowledge and helpful suggestions regarding the benefits of dietary flavonoids in diabetic vascular complications.