The synthesis of Co 3 O 4 /C composite with aloe juice as the carbon aerogel substrate for asymmetric supercapacitors

Abstract(#br)Transition metal oxide (TMO)-based 3D hollow nanocomposites with a high loading capacity, large specific surface area, and good dispersity have gained considerable attention for energy-related applications. The controllable fabrication of TMO-based hollow nanostructures with adequate mass transfer channels through a simple and eco-friendly method is highly desirable. Herein, 3D net-like Co 3 O 4 /C composites were solvothermally fabricated and calcined using aloe juice as a novel carbon substrate. The as-prepared material showed a specific capacitance of 1345.2 F g −1 at 1 A g −1 and excellent charge–discharge stability with capacitance retention of 92.7% after 10000 cycles. Moreover, an asymmetric supercapacitor composed of an ALC-700 positive electrode and an active-carbon negative electrode exhibited a high energy density of 68.17 Wh⋅kg −1 at 549 W kg −1 and excellent cycling performance. We report the first use of carbonized aloe juice as a carbon matrix to obtain a 3D hierarchical porous structure for energy devices. The proposed method of aerogel can be generalized to utilize the juices of other fruits, sugarcane, and various plants

The fungicide triadimefon affects beer flavor and composition by influencing Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolism

Despite the fact that beer is produced on a large scale, the effects of pesticide residues on beer have been rarely investigated. In this study, we used micro-brewing settings to determine the effect of triadimefon on the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and beer flavor. The yeast growth in medium was significantly inhibited (45%) at concentrations higher than 5 mg L(−1), reaching 80% and 100% inhibition at 10 mg L(−1) and 50 mg L(−1), respectively. There were significant differences in sensory quality between beer samples fermented with and without triadimefon based on data obtained with an electronic tongue and nose. Such an effect was most likely underlain by changes in yeast fermentation activity, including decreased utilization of maltotriose and most amino acids, reduced production of isobutyl and isoamyl alcohols, and increased ethyl acetate content in the fungicide treated samples. Furthermore, yeast metabolic profiling by phenotype microarray and UPLC/TOF-MS showed that triadimefon caused significant changes in the metabolism of glutathione, phenylalanine and sphingolipids, and in sterol biosynthesis. Thus, triadimefon negatively affects beer sensory qualities by influencing the metabolic activity of S. cerevisiae during fermentation, emphasizing the necessity of stricter control over fungicide residues in brewing by the food industry

Integrated Profiles of Transcriptome and mRNA m6A Modification Reveal the Intestinal Cytotoxicity of Aflatoxin B1 on HCT116 Cells

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is widely prevalent in foods and animal feeds and is one of the most toxic and carcinogenic aflatoxin subtypes. Existing studies have proved that the intestine is targeted by AFB1, and adverse organic effects have been observed. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between AFB1-induced intestinal toxicity and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation, which involves the post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA expression. The transcriptome-wide m6A methylome and transcriptome profiles in human intestinal cells treated with AFB1 are presented. Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing and mRNA sequencing were carried out to determine the distinctions in m6A methylation and different genes expressed in AFB1-induced intestinal toxicity. The results showed that there were 2289 overlapping genes of the differentially expressed mRNAs and differentially m6A-methylation-modified mRNAs. After enrichment of the signaling pathways and biological processes, these genes participated in the terms of the cell cycle, endoplasmic reticulum, tight junction, and mitophagy. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that AFB1-induced HCT116 injury was related to the disruptions to the levels of m6A methylation modifications of target genes and the abnormal expression of m6A regulators

AlphaMat: a material informatics hub connecting data, features, models and applications

Abstract The development of modern civil industry, energy and information technology is inseparable from the rapid explorations of new materials. However, only a small fraction of materials being experimentally/computationally studied in a vast chemical space. Artificial intelligence (AI) is promising to address this gap, but faces many challenges, such as data scarcity and inaccurate material descriptors. Here, we develop an AI platform, AlphaMat, that can complete data preprocessing and downstream AI models. With high efficiency and accuracy, AlphaMat exhibits strong powers to model typical 12 material attributes (formation energy, band gap, ionic conductivity, magnetism, bulk modulus, etc.). AlphaMat’s capabilities are further demonstrated to discover thousands of new materials for use in specific domains. AlphaMat does not require users to have strong programming experience, and its effective use will facilitate the development of materials informatics, which is of great significance for the implementation of AI for Science (AI4S)

Effects of Nitrogen Supply on Dry Matter Accumulation, Water-Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Grain Yield of Soybean (<i>Glycine max</i> L.) under Different Mulching Methods

In dryland agriculture, mulching methods and nitrogen application have been extensively adopted to improve water and nitrogen use efficiency and increase crop yield. However, there has been a scarcity of research on the combined effects of mulching types and nitrogen application on the growth and yield of soybean (Glycine max L.). In the present study, four nitrogen levels (N0: 0 kg N ha−1, N1: 60 kg N ha−1, N2: 120 kg N ha−1, N3: 180 kg N ha−1) and four mulching methods (NM: no mulching, SM: straw mulching, FM: film mulching, SFM: straw and film mulching) were set so as to evaluate the effects of mulching methods and nitrogen application on dry matter accumulation, grain yield, water-nitrogen use efficiency, and economic benefits of soybean in Northwest China from 2021 to 2022. The results show that the dry matter accumulation, yield formation, water and nitrogen use efficiency, and economic benefits of soybean were improved under different mulching methods (SM, FM, and SFM) and nitrogen applications (N1-N3), and that the effect is the best when the nitrogen application rate is N2 and the mulching method is FM. As such, a conclusion could be drawn that suitable nitrogen application (120 kg ha−1) combined with film mulching was beneficial for the utilization of rainwater resources and soybean production in the dryland of Northwest China

Hyperhomocysteinaemia Promotes Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Mice

Doxorubicin, a widely used chemotherapeutic drug in clinical oncology, causes a series of cardiac side effects referred to as doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Hyperhomocysteinaemia is an independent risk factor for multiple cardiovascular diseases. However, whether hyperhomocysteinaemia contributes to doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity is currently unknown. In this study, we explored the pathogenic effects of hyperhomocysteinaemia induced by dietary methionine supplementation (2% wt/wt in rodent chow) in a mouse model of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. Our data showed that methionine supplementation doubled serum homocysteine levels, inducing mild hyperhomocysteinaemia. Doxorubicin at a cumulative dosage of 25 mg/kg body weight led to significant weight loss and severe cardiac dysfunction, which were further exacerbated by methionine-induced mild hyperhomocysteinaemia. Doxorubicin-induced cardiac atrophy, cytoplasmic vacuolisation, myofibrillar disarray and loss, as well as cardiac fibrosis, were also exacerbated by methionine-induced mild hyperhomocysteinaemia. Additional folic acid supplementation (0.006% wt/wt) prevented methionine-induced hyperhomocysteinaemia and inhibited hyperhomocysteinaemia-aggravated cardiac dysfunction and cardiomyopathy. In particular, hyperhomocysteinaemia increased both serum and cardiac oxidative stress, which could all be inhibited by folic acid supplementation. Therefore, we demonstrated for the first time that hyperhomocysteinaemia could exacerbate doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in mice, and the pathogenic effects of hyperhomocysteinaemia might at least partially correlate with increased oxidative stress and could be prevented by folic acid supplementation. Our study provides preliminary experimental evidence for the assessment of hyperhomocysteinaemia as a potential risk factor for chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity in cancer patients

Metabolic (Dysfunction)-Associated Fatty Liver Disease in Chinese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes from a Subcenter of the National Metabolic Management Center

Background. Few studies have investigated the epidemiological metabolic (dysfunction) associated with fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in China, especially among those with type 2 diabetes. Methods. We recruited 3553 patients aged 18-75 years with type 2 diabetes who underwent abdominal ultrasound and serum biochemical analyses. Patient information including demographic and anthropometric parameters was also collected. Results. Overall, 63.2% of type 2 diabetic patients had MAFLD. Among the MAFLD patients, the proportions of lean, nonobese, and obese MAFLD were 23.1%, 75.7%, and 24.3%, respectively, and the percentage of previously undiagnosed MAFLD was 42.2%. MAFLD patients were younger, had shorter diabetic duration, and had greater BMI, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), fasting insulin, postprandial insulin, total cholesterol, and insulin resistance levels (HOMA-IR and TyG index). Liver fibrosis diagnostic panels revealed that the proportions of elevated AST (≥40 U/L) and ALT (≥40 U/L) were 7.3% and 18.5%, respectively. The distributions of AST-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score (NFS) per stage were as follows: APRI—low 55.1%, indeterminate 35.3%, and high 9.5%; FIB-4—low 48.2%, indeterminate 45.3%, and high 6.5%; and NFS—low 15.0%, indeterminate 70.0%, and high 13.0%. Conclusions. MAFLD is a very common condition and generally had greater frequency of metabolic characteristics among type 2 diabetics in China. Many MAFLD patients were in the “indeterminate” or “high” stage when APRI, FIB-4, and NFS were assessed. Assessment of MAFLD should be included in the management of type 2 diabetes

Effects of Earthworms and Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria on Carbon Sequestration in Soils Amended with Manure and Slurry: A 4-Year Field Study

The application of organisms as part of soil remediation can accelerate the decomposition of organic matter and the carbon cycle. To explore the synergistic effects of earthworms and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria on C accumulation in artificially improved soils of manure and in slurry-amended soil, a dry slope of land was established on the hillside of a large pig farm. Experiments involving six treatments were performed, including control (CK), pig manure (Pm), and pig manure + slurry (Pm + S) treatments, as well as manure + slurry + earthworms (Te), manure + slurry + phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (Tb), and manure + slurry + earthworms + bacteria (T(e + b)). Compared with the CK, both the Pm + S and T(e + b) treatments significantly increased the SOC content. In particular, the T(e + b) treatment increased the SOC by 196%. The synergistic effect of T(e + b) on the increase in organic carbon was consistent with the results of soil-carbon sequestration. After comprehensive fertilization, soil-carbon sequestration reached 2.87 Mg C hm−2, while stable organic carbon increased to 1.88 Mg C hm−2. It was also consistent with the result of PCA analysis in which applying earthworms promoted an increase in insoluble organic carbon. Therefore, in the future, earthworms and organic fertilizers can be applied to promote organic carbon sequestration on dry sloping land