Association between serum vitamin E and bacterial vaginitis in women: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Bacterial vaginitis (BV) is a common vaginal disease. Vitamin E has been shown to reduce BV by enhancing immune function, but no studies have analyzed the relationship between vitamin E and BV at different BMIs and ages. METHOD: This study used 2242 participants from four cycles of NHANES 1999-2006 in American. Participants' vitamin E levels were divided into four groups, and analyses such as study population description, stratified analysis, multiple logistic regression analysis, and curve fitting were performed. To perform data processing, the researchers used the statistical package R (The R Foundation; http://www.r-project.org ; version 3.6.3) and Empower Stats software ( www.empowerstats.net , X&Y solutions, Inc. Boston, Massachusetts). RESULT: The concentrations of serum vitamin E were negatively correlated with the risk of BV, especially when vitamin E were at 1198-5459ug/dL with (OR = -0.443, 95%CI = 0.447-0.923, P = 0.032) or without (OR = -0.521, 95%CI = 0.421-0.837, P = 0.006) adjustment for variables. At the same time, at lower levels, there was no significant association. Vitamin E supplementation may significantly reduce the risk of BV (p < 0.001). In addition, the risk of having BV decreased and then increased with increasing vitamin E concentrations at high BMI levels (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Vitamin E at moderate to high concentrations may significantly reduce BV risk, says the study, providing clinical evidence for the prevention and the treatment of BV.

CCL2 regulated by the CTBP1-AS2/miR-335-5p axis promotes hemangioma progression and angiogenesis.

CONTEXT: Hemangioma (HA) is a benign vascular neoplasm that can lead to permanent scarring. C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) plays a crucial role in facilitating growth and angiogenesis during HA progression. However, the mechanism regulating CCL2 in HA remains poorly elucidated. OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the mechanism regulating CCL2 in HA. METHODS: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was employed to determine the expression levels of CCL2, long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) CTBP1 divergent transcript (CTBP1-AS2), and microRNAs (miRNAs). Proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenic abilities of human HA endothelial cells (HemECs) were assessed using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, flow cytometry, transwell, and tube formation assays. Bioinformatics analysis, RNA pull-down, and luciferase reporter assays were conducted to investigate whether CCL2 targets miR-335-5p. Additionally, rescue experiments were performed in this study. RESULTS: CCL2 expression was markedly upregulated in HemECs. CCL2 promoted HA cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis while inhibiting apoptosis. CCL2 was directly targeted by miR-335-5p. Additionally, we found that CTBP1-AS2 could function as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to sponge miR-335-5p, thereby upregulating CCL2. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that targeting the CTBP1-AS2/miR-335-5p/CCL2 axis may hold promise as a therapeutic strategy for HA.

Effect of Reduced Graphene Oxide on Microwave Absorbing Properties of Al1.5Co4Fe2Cr High-Entropy Alloys.

The microwave absorption performance of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) can be improved by reducing the reflection coefficient of electromagnetic waves and broadening the absorption frequency band. The present work prepared flaky irregular-shaped Al1.5Co4Fe2Cr and Al1.5Co4Fe2Cr@rGO alloy powders by mechanical alloying (MA) at different rotational speeds. It was found that the addition of trace amounts of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) had a favorable effect on the impedance matching, reflection loss (RL), and effective absorbing bandwidth (EAB) of the Al1.5Co4Fe2Cr@rGO HEA composite powders. The EAB of the alloy powders prepared at 300 rpm increased from 2.58 GHz to 4.62 GHz with the additive, and the RL increased by 2.56 dB. The results showed that the presence of rGO modified the complex dielectric constant of HEA powders, thereby enhancing their dielectric loss capability. Additionally, the presence of lamellar rGO intensified the interfacial reflections within the absorber, facilitating the dissipation of electromagnetic waves. The effect of the ball milling speed on the defect concentration of the alloy powders also affected its wave absorption performance. The samples prepared at 350 rpm had the best wave absorption performance, with an RL of -16.23 and -17.28 dB for a thickness of 1.6 mm and EAB of 5.77 GHz and 5.43 GHz, respectively.

State-of-the-Art of Non-Radiative, Non-Visual Spine Sensing with a Focus on Sensing Forces, Vibrations and Bioelectrical Properties: A Systematic Review.

In the research field of robotic spine surgery, there is a big upcoming momentum for surgeon-like autonomous behaviour and surgical accuracy in robotics which goes beyond the standard engineering notions such as geometric precision. The objective of this review is to present an overview of the state of the art in non-visual, non-radiative spine sensing for the enhancement of surgical techniques in robotic automation. It provides a vantage point that facilitates experimentation and guides new research projects to what has not been investigated or integrated in surgical robotics. Studies were identified, selected and processed according to the PRISMA guidelines. Relevant study characteristics that were searched for include the sensor type and measured feature, the surgical action, the tested sample, the method for data analysis and the system's accuracy of state identification. The 6DOF f/t sensor, the microphone and the electromyography probe were the most commonly used sensors in each category, respectively. The performance of the electromyography probe is unsatisfactory in terms of preventing nerve damage as it can only signal after the nerve is disturbed. Feature thresholding and artificial neural networks were the most common decision algorithms for state identification. The fusion of different sensor data in the decision algorithm improved the accuracy of state identification.

Sow-Offspring Diets Supplemented with Probiotics and Synbiotics Are Associated with Offspring's Growth Performance and Meat Quality.

Probiotics and synbiotics supplementation have been shown to play potential roles in animal production. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary probiotics and synbiotics supplementation to sows during gestation and lactation and to offspring pigs (sow-offspring) on offspring pigs' growth performance and meat quality. Sixty-four healthy Bama mini-pigs were selected and randomly allocated into four groups after mating: the control, antibiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics groups. After weaning, two offspring pigs per litter were selected, and four offspring pigs from two litters were merged into one pen. The offspring pigs were fed a basal diet and the same feed additive according to their corresponding sows, representing the control group (Con group), sow-offspring antibiotics group (S-OA group), sow-offspring probiotics group (S-OP group), and sow-offspring synbiotics group (S-OS group). Eight pigs per group were euthanized and sampled at 65, 95, and 125 d old for further analyses. Our findings showed that probiotics supplementation in sow-offspring diets promoted growth and feed intake of offspring pigs during 95-125 d old. Moreover, sow-offspring diets supplemented with probiotics and synbiotics altered meat quality (meat color, pH45min, pH24h, drip loss, cooking yield, and shear force), plasma UN and AMM levels, and gene expressions associated with muscle-fiber types (MyHCI, MyHCIIa, MyHCIIx, and MyHCIIb) and muscle growth and development (Myf5, Myf6, MyoD, and MyoG). This study provides a theoretical basis for the maternal-offspring integration regulation of meat quality by dietary probiotics and synbiotics supplementation.

Acute effects of antimony exposure on adult zebrafish (Danio rerio): From an oxidative stress and intestinal microbiota perspective.

The rapid development of the textile industry has resulted in a large influx of wastewater production. The "national discharge standards of water pollutants for dyeing and finishing of textile industry (GB4287-2012)" stipulates that the discharge of total Sb from textile industry effluent must be < 0.10 mg/L, but it is difficult to meet the standard at present. Antimony is potentially carcinogenic, and the pathogenic mechanism of antimony is poorly understood. In this study, the acute toxic effects of various concentrations of antimony on adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) were investigated, including effects on oxidative stress, neurotransmitters and intestinal microbiota. The activities of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were measured in zebrafish muscle and intestine tissue samples. In addition, intestinal microbial community composition and diversity of zebrafish were also analyzed. The results demonstrated that SOD, CAT and GSH-Px activities in the zebrafish gut showed a decreasing and then increasing trend with antimony concentration increasing. SOD, CAT and MDA in zebrafish muscle decreased with increasing exposure time. GSH-Px activities increased with increasing exposure time. T-AOC increased and then decreased. In addition, antimony exposure was neurotoxic to zebrafish, and a significant decrease in AChE activity was found in the intestine with increased exposure time. The neurotoxicity caused by antimony in the high concentration group (40 mg/L) was stronger than that in low concentration groups (10 mg/L and 20 mg/L). Notably, antimony exposure caused increases in the relative abundance of phyla Fusobacteriota and Actinomycetes, but decreases in the relative abundance of the phyla Firmicutes and Proteobacteria in zebrafish intestine. These outcomes will advance our understanding of antimony-induced biotoxicity, environmental problems, and health hazards. In conclusion, this study shows that acute exposure of antimony to zebrafish induces host oxidative stress and neurotoxicity, dysregulates the intestinal microbiota, showing adverse effects on the health and gut microbiota of zebrafish.

Accuracy and stability evaluation of different blood sampling methods in blood gas analysis in emergency patients: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the accuracy and stability of arterial blood gas (ABG) results by comparison with venous measurements from routine blood tests, and to compare the accuracy and performance of two sampling syringes, pre-heparinized syringe (PHS) and disposable arterial blood syringe (DABS), in ABG analysis. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the practical use of PHS and DABS in collecting ABG samples, involving 500 and 400 patients, respectively. For each patient, in addition to the ABG sample, a venous blood sample was also collected using a venous blood collection tube (VBCT) and used for routine blood tests. Accordingly, patients were referred to as the PHS + VBCT group and DABS + VBCT group. The correlation between arterial and venous values of each blood parameter in each group was evaluated using the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Bland-Altman was performed to evaluate the agreement between arterial and venous values and compare the performance of PHS and DABS in ABG sample collection. RESULTS: In the PHS + VBCT group, arterial K+ , Na+ , hemoglobin (Hb), and hematocrit (HCT) were 0.32 mmol/L, 2.90 mmol/L, 2.21 g/L, and 1.27% significantly lower their corresponding venous values while arterial Cl- was 7.60 mmol/L significantly higher than venous Cl- . In the DABS + VBCT group, arterial K+ and Na+ were 0.20 mmol/L and 1.19 mmol/L significantly lower while Cl- and HCT in arterial blood were 5.34 mmol/L and 0.66% significantly higher than their corresponding venous values. In both groups, arterial K+ , Na+ , Hb, and HCT values were highly consistent with their corresponding venous values, with all ICCs greater than 0.70, especially Hb and HCT. Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated that arterial K+ and Na+ were more consistent with venous counterparts in the DABS + VBCT group, with a narrower 95% limits of agreement than the PHS + VBCT group (K+ , -0.7-0.3 mmol/L vs. -1.1 to 0.5 mmol/L; Na+ , -5.8 to 3.4 mmol/L vs. -8.2 to 2.4 mmol/L). CONCLUSION: Arterial blood gas analysis of K+ , Na+ , Hb, and HCT using PHS or DABS for blood sampling is accurate and stable, especially DABS, which can provide clinicians with fast and reliable blood gas results.

Low hemoglobin levels are associated with direct antiglobulin test positivity in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure.

BACKGROUND: Multiple factors contribute to anemia in patients with Hepatitis B virus (HBV)related acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF); however, the mechanism is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of the direct antiglobulin test (DAT) in patients with HBV related ACLF. METHODS: DAT was used to detect immunoglobulins and/or complement proteins on the surface of erythrocytes. RESULTS: We recruited 78 HBV-associated ACLF patients, 30 chronic hepatitis B(CHB)patients and 40 healthy people between October 2015 and May 2016. In HBV related ACLF patients, the hemoglobin concentration, number of erythrocytes, and hematocrit value were significantly lower, while the erythrocyte distribution width was significantly higher, compared to patients with CHB and healthy controls (HCs) (P < 0.001). The rates of DAT positivity in HBV related ACLF patients, CHB patients, and HCs were 62.8 %, 13.3 %, and 0%, respectively. DAT-positive ACLF patients exhibited lower Hb levels, older average age, as well as higher total bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, and complement component 3 levels compared to DAT-negative patients. CONCLUSIONS: HBV related ACLF patients showed significant alterations in erythrocyte parameters, possibly reflecting disease development and severity. The high presence of erythrocyte autoantibodies suggested that immunologic clearance of erythrocytes contributed to multifactorial anemia in HBV related ACLF patients.

A new ECG sign for sudden death: Transient prolonged QT interval following premature contraction. / 一种新的猝死预警心电图：期前收缩后短暂QT间期延长.

Early recognition and treatment for early warning electrocardiogram (ECG) of sudden death are very important to prevent and treat malignant arrhythmia and sudden death. Previous studies have found that R-on-T and T wave alternation, and QT interval prolongation are closely related to malignant arrhythmia or sudden death, which are included in the critical value of ECG.By analyzing the ECG characteristics of 4 patients with sudden death, we found that although the causes of the patients were different, there were transient prolongation of QT interval after premature contraction in 12 lead ECG, followed by malignant arrhythmia or sudden death. Thus, we thought that the transient prolongation of QT interval after premature contraction had a high value for warning malignant arrhythmia or sudden death. This phenomenon should be paid enough attention to reduce the risk of sudden death.

Postural precursors of motion sickness in head-mounted displays: drivers and passengers, women and men.

Motion sickness is preceded by distinctive patterns of postural activity that differ between the sexes. We asked whether such postural precursors of motion sickness might exist before participants were exposed to a virtual driving game presented via a head-mounted display. Men and women either controlled a virtual vehicle (drivers), or viewed a recording of virtual vehicle motion (passengers). Before exposure to the game, we recorded standing body sway while participants performed simple visual tasks (staring at a blank page vs. counting target letters in a block of text). Following game exposure, participants were classified into Well and Sick groups. In a statistically significant interaction, the multifractality of body sway varied as a function of sex, vehicle control, and motion sickness status. The results confirm that postural precursors of motion sickness differ between the sexes, and extend these to the control of virtual vehicles in head-mounted displays. Practitioner Summary: We asked whether postural sway might predict motion sickness during exposure to a driving game via a head-mounted display. Participants drove a virtual car (drivers), or watched recorded car motion (passengers). Beforehand, we measured standing body sway. Postural precursors of motion sickness differed between the sexes and drivers and passengers. Abbreviations: M: meters; SD: standard deviation; kg: kilograms; COP: centre of pressure; AP: anterior-posterior; ML: mediolateral; cm: centimeters; s: seconds; min: minutes; MF: DFA: multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis; DFA: detrended fluctuation analysis; ANOVA: analysis of variance; CI: confidence interval; Hz: hertz; SE: standard error of the mean.

New Advances in High-Entropy Alloys.

Exploring new materials is an eternal pursuit in the development of human civilization [...].

Effect of Enhanced Gravity on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Al0.9CoCrFeNi High-Entropy Alloy.

The influence of enhanced gravity on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the Al0.9CoCrFeNi high-entropy alloy, which was solidified under normal gravity (acceleration 1 g) and enhanced gravity (acceleration 140 g, acceleration 210 g, and acceleration 360 g) conditions is reported in this paper. Its solidification under enhanced gravity fields resulted in refinement of the columnar nondendritic grain structure and an increase in the area fraction of the body-centered cubic (BCC) structure phases. The mass transfer strengthened by enhanced gravity promoted element diffusion and enrichment, which caused changes in the composition and microstructure that, in turn, affected the mechanical properties of the alloy. The compressive strength and plasticity of the sample solidified at acceleration 360 g were equal to 2845 MPa and 36.4%, respectively, which are the highest values reported to date for Al0.9CoCrFeNi alloy.

Application of PICCO During Anesthesia of Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Ventricular Isolation Plasty Due to Left Ventricular Aneurysm.

INTRODUCTION: Left ventricular aneurysm is a common complication type of myocardial infarction. Percutaneous ventricular restoration (PVR) is a new and minimally invasive surgical method for left ventricular aneurysm. Due to its complication and high demand on the surgeon, careful cooperation of anesthesia work is of great significance for the successful implementation of the operation. CASE PRESENTATION: During anesthesia, Pulse Index Continuous Cardiac Output (PICCO) not only monitors general hemodynamic parameters, but also displays parameters such as cardiac output, myocardial contractility, pre-cardiac load, etc., which provides important guidance for the anesthetic procedures. CONCLUSIONS: This study aimed to explore the application of PICCO in the anesthesia of patients by analyzing the clinical anesthesia management of 3 cases of patients undergoing transcatheter ventricular partitioning restoration (TVPR) due to left ventricular aneurysm in the case of analysis.

Postural time-to-contact as a precursor of visually induced motion sickness.

The postural instability theory of motion sickness predicts that subjective symptoms of motion sickness will be preceded by unstable control of posture. In previous studies, this prediction has been confirmed with measures of the spatial magnitude and the temporal dynamics of postural activity. In the present study, we examine whether precursors of visually induced motion sickness might exist in postural time-to-contact, a measure of postural activity that is related to the risk of falling. Standing participants were exposed to oscillating visual motion stimuli in a standard laboratory protocol. Both before and during exposure to visual motion stimuli, we monitored the kinematics of the body's center of pressure. We predicted that postural activity would differ between participants who reported motion sickness and those who did not, and that these differences would exist before participants experienced subjective symptoms of motion sickness. During exposure to visual motion stimuli, the multifractality of sway differed between the Well and Sick groups. Postural time-to-contact differed between the Well and Sick groups during exposure to visual motion stimuli, but also before exposure to any motion stimuli. The results provide a qualitatively new type of support for the postural instability theory of motion sickness.

Renalase mediates macrophage-to-fibroblast crosstalk to attenuate pressure overload-induced pathological myocardial fibrosis.

A potential antifibrotic mechanism in pathological myocardial remodeling is the recruitment of beneficial functional subpopulations of macrophages or the transformation of their phenotype. Macrophages are required to activate molecular cascades that regulate fibroblast behavior. Identifying mediators that activate the antifibrotic macrophage phenotype is tantamount to identifying the button that retards pathological remodeling of the myocardium; however, relevant studies are inadequate. Circulating renalase (RNLS) is mainly of renal origin, and cardiac myocytes also secrete it autonomously. Our previous studies revealed that RNLS delivers cell signaling to exert multiple cardiovascular protective effects, including the improvement of myocardial ischemia, and heart failure. Here, we further investigated the potential mechanism by which macrophage phenotypic transformation is targeted by RNLS to mediate stress load-induced myocardial fibrosis. Mice subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) were used as a model of myocardial fibrosis. The co-incubation of macrophages and cardiac fibroblasts was used to study intercellular signaling. The results showed that RNLS co-localized with macrophages and reduced protein expression after cardiac pressure overload. TAC mice exhibited improved cardiac function and alleviated left ventricular fibrosis when exogenous RNLS was administered. Flow sorting showed that RNLS is essential for macrophage polarization towards a restorative phenotype (M2-like), thereby inhibiting myofibroblast activation, as proven by both mouse RAW264.7 and bone marrow-derived macrophage models. Mechanistically, we found that activated protein kinase B is a major pathway by which RNLS promotes M2 polarization in macrophages. RNLS may serve as a prognostic biomarker and a potential clinical candidate for the treatment of myocardial fibrosis.

Dietary probiotic and synbiotic supplementation starting from maternal gestation improves muscular lipid metabolism in offspring piglets by reshaping colonic microbiota and metabolites.

Probiotics and synbiotics have been intensively used in animal husbandry due to their advantageous roles in animals' health. However, there is a paucity of research on probiotic and synbiotic supplementation from maternal gestation to the postnatal growing phases of offspring piglets. Thus, we assessed the effects of dietary supplementation of these two additives to sows and offspring piglets on skeletal muscle and body metabolism, colonic microbiota composition, and metabolite profiles of offspring piglets. Pregnant Bama mini-pigs and their offspring piglets (after weaning) were fed either a basal diet or a basal diet supplemented with antibiotics, probiotics, or synbiotics. At 65, 95, and 125 days old, eight pigs per group were euthanized and sampled for analyses. Probiotics increased the intramuscular fat content in the psoas major muscle (PMM) at 95 days old, polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and n-3 PUFA levels in the longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM) at 65 days old, C16:1 level in the LDM at 125 days old, and upregulated ATGL, CPT-1, and HSL expressions in the PMM at 65 days old. Synbiotics increased the plasma HDL-C level at 65 days old and TC level at 65 and 125 days old and upregulated the CPT-1 expression in the PMM at 125 days old. In addition, probiotics and synbiotics increased the plasma levels of HDL-C at 65 days old, CHE at 95 days old, and LDL-C at 125 days old, while decreasing the C18:1n9t level in the PMM at 65 days old and the plasma levels of GLU, LDH, and TG at 95 days old. Microbiome analysis showed that probiotic and synbiotic supplementation increased colonic Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Verrucomicrobia, Faecalibacterium, Pseudobutyrivibrio, and Turicibacter abundances. However, antibiotic supplementation decreased colonic Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Prevotella, and Unclassified_Lachnospiraceae abundances. Furthermore, probiotic and synbiotic supplementation was associated with alterations in 8, 7, and 10 differential metabolites at three different age stages. Both microbiome and metabolome analyses showed that the differential metabolic pathways were associated with carbohydrate, amino acid, and lipid metabolism. However, antibiotic supplementation increased the C18:1n9t level in the PMM at 65 days old and xenobiotic biodegradation and metabolism at 125 days old. In conclusion, sow-offspring's diets supplemented with these two additives showed conducive effects on meat flavor, nutritional composition of skeletal muscles, and body metabolism, which may be associated with the reshaping of colonic microbiota and metabolites. However, antibiotic supplementation has negative effects on colonic microbiota composition and fatty acid composition in the PMM. IMPORTANCE: The integral sow-offspring probiotic and synbiotic supplementation improves the meat flavor and the fatty acid composition of the LDM to some extent. Sow-offspring probiotic and synbiotic supplementation increases the colonic beneficial bacteria (including Firmicutes, Verrucomicrobia, Actinobacteria, Faecalibacterium, Turicibacter, and Pseudobutyrivibrio) and alters the colonic metabolite profiles, such as guanidoacetic acid, beta-sitosterol, inosine, cellobiose, indole, and polyamine. Antibiotic supplementation in sow-offspring's diets decreases several beneficial bacteria (including Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Unclassified_Lachnospiraceae, and Prevotella) and has a favorable effect on improving the fatty acid composition of the LDM to some extent, while presenting the opposite effect on the PMM.

Highly efficient and aberration-free off-plane grating spectrometer and monochromator for EUV-soft X-ray applications.

We demonstrate a novel flat-field, dual-optic imaging EUV-soft X-ray spectrometer and monochromator that attains an unprecedented throughput efficiency exceeding 60% by design, along with a superb spectral resolution of λ/Δλ > 200 accomplished without employing variable line spacing gratings. Exploiting the benefits of the conical diffraction geometry, the optical system is globally optimized in multidimensional parameter space to guarantee optimal imaging performance over a broad spectral range while maintaining circular and elliptical polarization states at the first, second, and third diffraction orders. Moreover, our analysis indicates minimal temporal dispersion, with pulse broadening confined within 80 fs tail-to-tail and an FWHM value of 29 fs, which enables ultrafast spectroscopic and pump-probe studies with femtosecond accuracy. Furthermore, the spectrometer can be effortlessly transformed into a monochromator spanning the EUV-soft X-ray spectral region using a single grating with an aberration-free spatial profile. Such capability allows coherent diffractive imaging applications to be conducted with highly monochromatic light in a broad spectral range and extended to the soft X-ray region with minimal photon loss, thus facilitating state-of-the-art imaging of intricate nano- and bio-systems, with a significantly enhanced spatiotemporal resolution, down to the nanometer-femtosecond level.

Toxic effect of chronic exposure to polyethylene nano/microplastics on oxidative stress, neurotoxicity and gut microbiota of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio).

The rapid development of aquaculture industry has provided a large amount of high-quality animal protein, while the food safety caused by microplastics and nanoplastics (MP/NPs) has become a major concern. In addition, recent evidence has shown the potential toxic effect of PE-MP/NPs, highlighting the need for further research into their environmental and health impacts. Chronic exposure of polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) and nanoplastics (PE-NPs) on adult zebrafish were conducted in the present study for 21 d. Organ-dependent oxidative damage induced by MP/NPs was observed. Insignificant differences in neurotoxicity and dysbiosis of gut microbiota were found between MPs and NPs. Changes in glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), lipid peroxidation (LPO), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) showed that MP/NPs induced oxidative damage in gill and intestinal cells of zebrafish. The inhibited AChE activity suggested the potential neurotoxicity of microplastics and nanoplastics (MP/NPs). In addition, chronic exposure increased the alpha-diversity of intestinal microbiota. At the phylum level, the average relative abundance of Proteobacteria increased from 29.73% (control group) to 66.10% (microplastics), 54.84% (nanoplastics) and 60.03% (combined exposure), respectively. Tenericutes decreased from 55.43% (control group) to 20.02% (microplastics), 22.44% (nanoplastics) and 31.77% (combined exposure), respectively. Overall, this study provides new insights and objective evidence for the toxicity assessment of PE-MPs.

An integrated method with adaptive decomposition and machine learning for renewable energy power generation forecasting.

In recent years, traditional energy sources have caused a variety of negative impacts on the environment, and reducing carbon emissions is a top priority. The development of renewable energy technology is the key to transform the energy structure. Renewable energy represented by wind energy and photovoltaics has abundant reserves so they are connected to the grid system on a large scale. However, because of natural energy's randomness, renewable energy power generation poses potential risks to energy production and grid security. By making short-term forecasts of renewable energy generation power, the uncertainty of energy generation can be reduced, and it is crucial to study renewable energy forecasting techniques. This paper proposes an integrated forecasting system for renewable energy sources. Firstly, ensemble empirical mode decomposition is used for data preprocessing, and stationarity analysis is used for modal identification; then, support vector regression optimized by sparrow search algorithm and statistical methods are combined to make forecast according to different characteristics of the series respectively; finally, the feasibility of this method in renewable energy time series prediction is verified by experiments. The experiments prove that the proposed model effectively improves the accuracy and prediction performance on ultra-short-term renewable energy forecasting; and it has good applicability and competitiveness with different forecasting scenarios and characteristics, which satisfy the actual forecasting requirements in terms of operational efficiency and accuracy, thus providing a technical basis for the effective utilization of renewable energy.

Effect of long-term exposure to dyeing wastewater treatment plant effluent on growth and gut microbiota of adult zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Strict standards have been put forward for the treatment and discharge of dyeing wastewater worldwide. However, there are still traces amount of pollutants, especially emerging pollutants in dyeing wastewater treatment plant (DWTP) effluent. Few studies have focused on the chronic biological toxicity effect and mechanism of DWTP effluent. In this study, 3-month chronic compound toxic effects were investigated by the exposure of DWTP effluent using adult zebrafish. Significantly higher mortality and fatness and significantly lower body weight and body length were found in the treatment group. In addition, long-term exposure to DWTP effluent also obviously reduced liver-body weight ratio of zebrafish, causing abnormal liver development of zebrafish. Moreover, DWTP effluent led to obvious changes in the gut microbiota and microbial diversity of zebrafish. At phylum level, significantly higher of Verrucomicrobia but lower Tenericutes, Actinobacteria, and Chloroflexi were found in the control group. At genus level, the treatment group had significantly higher abundance of Lactobacillus, but significantly lower abundance of Akkermansia, Prevotella, Bacteroides, and Sutterella. These results suggested that long-term exposure to DWTP effluent led to imbalance of gut microbiota in zebrafish. In general, this research indicated that DWTP effluent pollutants could result in negative health outcomes to aquatic organisms.