Impact of Pesticide Type and Emulsion Fat Content on the Bioaccessibility of Pesticides in Natural Products

There is interest in incorporating nanoemulsions into certain foods and beverages, including dips, dressings, drinks, spreads, and sauces, due to their potentially beneficial attributes. In particular, excipient nanoemulsions can enhance the bioavailability of nutraceuticals in fruit- and vegetable-containing products consumed with them. There is, however, potential for them to also raise the bioavailability of undesirable substances found in these products, such as pesticides. In this research, we studied the impact of excipient nanoemulsions on the bioaccessibility of pesticide-treated tomatoes. We hypothesized that the propensity for nanoemulsions to raise pesticide bioaccessibility would depend on the polarity of the pesticide molecules. Bendiocarb, parathion, and chlorpyrifos were therefore selected because they have Log P values of 1.7, 3.8, and 5.3, respectively. Nanoemulsions with different oil contents (0%, 4%, and 8%) were fabricated to study their impact on pesticide uptake. In the absence of oil, the bioaccessibility increased with increasing pesticide polarity (decreasing Log P): bendiocarb (92.9%) \u3e parathion (16.4%) \u3e chlorpyrifos (2.8%). Bendiocarb bioaccessibility did not depend on the oil content of the nanoemulsions, which was attributed to its relatively high water-solubility. Conversely, the bioaccessibility of the more hydrophobic pesticides (parathion and chlorpyrifos) increased with increasing oil content. For instance, for chlorpyrifos, the bioaccessibility was 2.8%, 47.0%, and 70.7% at 0%, 4%, and 8% oil content, respectively. Our findings have repercussions for the utilization of nanoemulsions as excipient foods in products that may have high levels of undesirable non-polar substances, such as pesticides

Differentiation in stem and leaf traits among sympatric lianas, scandent shrubs and trees in a subalpine cold temperate forest

The scandent shrub plant form is a variant of liana that has upright and self-supporting stems when young but later becomes a climber. We aimed to explore the associations of stem and leaf traits among sympatric lianas, scandent shrubs and trees, and the effects of growth form and leaf habit on variation in stem or leaf traits. We measured 16 functional traits related to stem xylem anatomy, leaf morphology and nutrient stoichiometry in eight liana, eight scandent shrub and 21 tree species co-occurring in a subalpine cold temperate forest at an elevation of 2600–3200 m in Southwest China. Overall, lianas, scandent shrubs and trees were ordered along a fast-slow continuum of stem and leaf functional traits, with some traits overlapping. We found a consistent pattern of lianas > scandent shrubs > trees for hydraulically weighted vessel diameter, maximum vessel diameter and theoretical hydraulic conductivity. Vessel density and sapwood density showed a pattern of lianas = scandent shrubs < trees, and lianas < scandent shrubs = trees, respectively. Lianas had significantly higher specific leaf area and lower carbon concentration than co-occurring trees, with scandent shrubs showing intermediate values that overlapped with lianas and trees. The differentiation among lianas, scandent shrubs and trees was mainly explained by variation in stem traits. Additionally, deciduous lianas were positioned at the fast end of the trait spectrum, and evergreen trees at the slow end of the spectrum. Our results showed for the first time clear differentiation in stem and leaf traits among sympatric liana, scandent shrub and tree species in a subalpine cold temperate forest. This work will contribute to understanding the mechanisms responsible for variation in ecological strategies of different growth forms of woody plants

A thrombin-triggered self-regulating anticoagulant strategy combined with anti-inflammatory capacity for blood-contacting implants

Interrelated coagulation and inflammation are impediments to endothelialization, a prerequisite for the longterm function of cardiovascular materials. Here, we proposed a self-regulating anticoagulant coating strategy combined with anti-inflammatory capacity, which consisted of thrombin-responsive nanogels with anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory components. As an anticoagulant, rivaroxaban was encapsulated in nanogels cross-linked by thrombin-cleavable peptide and released upon the trigger of environmental thrombin, blocking the further coagulation cascade. The superoxide dismutase mimetic Tempol imparted the antioxidant property. Polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), in addition to its anti-inflammatory function in synergy with Tempol, also acted as a weak cross-linker to stabilize the coating. The effectiveness and versatility of this coating were validated using two typical cardiovascular devices as models, biological valves and vascular stents. It was demonstrated that the coating worked as a precise strategy to resist coagulation and inflammation, escorted reendothelialization on the cardiovascular devices, and provided a new perspective for designing endothelium-like functional coatings

A review of the development of interventional devices for mitral valve repair with the implantation of artificial chords

Mitral regurgitation (MR) was the most common heart valve disease. Surgical repair with artificial chordal replacement had become one of the standard treatments for mitral regurgitation. Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) was currently the most commonly used artificial chordae material due to its unique physicochemical and biocompatible properties. Interventional artificial chordal implantation techniques had emerged as an alternative treatment option for physicians and patients in treating mitral regurgitation. Using either a transapical or a transcatheter approach with interventional devices, a chordal replacement could be performed transcatheter in the beating heart without cardiopulmonary bypass, and the acute effect on the resolution of mitral regurgitation could be monitored in real-time by transesophageal echo imaging during the procedure. Despite the in vitro durability of the expanded polytetrafluoroethylene material, artificial chordal rupture occasionally occurred. In this article, we reviewed the development and therapeutic results of interventional devices for chordal implantation and discuss the possible clinical factors responsible for the rupture of the artificial chordal material

Adaptive Articulation Angle Preview-Based Path-Following Algorithm for Tractor-Semitrailer Using Optimal Control

Most existing Path-Following Algorithms (PFAs) are developed for single-unit vehicles (SUVs) and rarely for articulated vehicles (AVs). Since these PFAs ignore the motion of the trailer, they may cause large tracking deviations and ride stability issues when cornering. To this end, an Adaptive Articulation Angle Preview-based Path-Following Algorithm (AAAP-PFA) is proposed for AVs. Different from previous PFAs, in this model, a simple linear vehicle dynamics model is used as the prediction model, and an offset distance calculated by an articulation angle is used as part of the preview distance. An adaptive posture control strategy is designed to trade off the trajectory tracking performance and lateral stability performance during the path-following process. Considering a large prediction mismatch caused by using a linear vehicle dynamics model, a feedback correction method is proposed to improve the robustness of the steering control. In the comparison simulation experiment with SUV-PFA, it is confirmed that the novel PFA has better adaptability to the contradictory relationship between tracking performance and lateral stability and has strong steering control robustness

Research on Automatic Emergency Braking System Based on Target Recognition and Fusion Control Strategy in Curved Road

To address the issue of incorrect recognition in the automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems on curved roads, a target recognition model is proposed to obtain the road curvature and to calculate the relative lateral distance. Based on the information from the ego vehicle and the preceding vehicles, the accurate selection of the hazardous target is accomplished. After identifying the dangerous target, a control strategy based on the fusion algorithm is proposed, because the safety distance model and the Time-to-Collision (TTC) model both have their limitations and cannot ensure driving safety and comfort simultaneously. The TTC model is optimized according to the actual relative distance between two vehicles on curved roads, the graded warning strategy and braking intervention time are established by the TTC model. And then the graded braking strategy is designed according to the safety distance model. The simulation platform is built based on Carsim and Simulink for verification and analysis. The results demonstrate that the proposed AEB control strategy on curved roads can accurately and efficiently identify the target vehicles on curved roads, avoid false triggering issues, and improve the AEB system’s reliability. And effectively avoid collisions with target vehicles that are in the same lane, improving driving safety and comfort

An Efficient Graph-based Method for Long-term Land-use Change Statistics

Statistical analysis of land-use change plays an important role in sustainable land management and has received increasing attention from scholars and administrative departments. However, the statistical process involving spatial overlay analysis remains difficult and needs improvement to deal with mass land-use data. In this paper, we introduce a spatio-temporal flow network model to reveal the hidden relational information among spatio-temporal entities. Based on graph theory, the constant condition of saturated multi-commodity flow is derived. A new method based on a network partition technique of spatio-temporal flow network are proposed to optimize the transition statistical process. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method is verified through experiments using land-use data in Hunan from 2009 to 2014. In the comparison among three different land-use change statistical methods, the proposed method exhibits remarkable superiority in efficiency

DESIGN OF PLANT ECO-PHYSIOLOGY MONITORING SYSTEM BASED ON EMBEDDED TECHNOLOGY

Abstract: A real time system has been developed to collect plant&apos;s growth information comprehensively. Plant eco-physiological signals can be collected and analyzed effectively. The system adopted embedded technology: wireless sensors network collect the eco-physiological information. Touch screen and ARM microprocessor make the system work independently without PC. The system is versatile and all parameters can be set by the touch screen. Sensors&apos; intelligent compensation can be realized in this system. Information can be displayed by either graphically or in table mode. The ARM microprocessor provides the interface to connect with the internet, so the system support remote monitoring and controlling. The system has advantages of friendly interface, flexible construction and extension. It&apos;s a good tool for plant&apos;s management

Study on the Preparation and Hydration Properties of a New Cementitious Material for Tailings Discharge

Blast furnace slag (BFS) is often used as a cement-based raw material for underground filling and surface cemented paste discharge of tailings during mining processes. This paper studied a new cement-based material (NCM) with BFS to replace ordinary Portland cement (OPC). A uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) experiment was used to test the mechanical strength of samples; X-ray diffraction and thermal gravity experiments were used to test the crystalline phases and amount of hydration products by samples; a scanning electron microscope experiment was used to observe the influence of the hydration products morphology by samples; mercury intrusion porosimetry experiment was used to analyze the pore size distribution of samples. The samples with NCM had an optimum UCS; the crystalline phases of the hydration products were similar in OPC and NCM. However, the amount of product formed in OPC was less than that in NCM at the same curing time; more ettringite and calcium silicate hydrate were produced in samples with NCM, which filled the pores and enhanced the UCS of the samples. The final mercury intrusion volume of the samples with NCM were lower than the samples with OPC at the same curing time, which showed that samples with NCM had lower porosities. For the samples with NCM and OPC cured from 7 days to 28 days, the mercury intrusion volume was reduced by 18% and 13%, and the most common pore size of the samples reduced by 53% and 29%, respectively. This showed after 21 days curing time, the pores of all the samples getting smaller; however, the samples with NCM were more compact. The main ingredients of the NCM were clinker, lime, gypsum and BFS, and its ratio was 14:6:10:70. The content of additives to NCM was 0.4%, and the ratio of sodium sulfate: alum: sodium fluorosilicate was 2:1:1