Changes In Morphology Structure Research Articles

Unraveling the lithium iodide-mediated interfacial process in lithium-sulfur batteries: An in situ AFM study

Among various energy storage devices, lithium-sulfur batteries have attracted widespread attention due to their high theoretical energy density and specific capacity. To improve the performance and realize practical applications of lithium-sulfur batteries, it is crucial to unravel the dynamic evolution and reaction mechanism at the electrode/electrolyte interfaces during cycling. Nevertheless, the details are still not well known despite generous efforts, which need more in situ and non-destructive imaging characterizations. Herein, we have combined AFM with an electrochemical workstation to dynamically visualize the morphological evolution and structural changes of the interfacial process, which reveals the lithium iodide-mediated interfacial reactions in lithium-sulfur batteries. In situ measurements showed that the electrode surface was coated by a reticular layer consists of elemental iodine and polyether with lithium iodide additive during charging, which could effectively prevent insolube sulfides from gathering on the surface and improve the cycling performances of lithium-sulfur batteries. These findings shed new light on the interfacial mechanism and establish design ideas for the future development of better electrolytes for lithium-sulfur batteries.

OCT and OCTA evaluation of vascular and morphological structures in the retina in recovered pediatric patients with COVID-19

BackgroundUsing OCT and OCTA imaging, we aimed to determine whether COVID-19 induces pathological changes in vascular and morphological structures in the pediatric retina. MethodsThe current prospective, cross-sectional, observational clinical study included recovered pediatric patients with COVID-19 evaluated between May 2020 and June 2020. Retinal vascular (radial peripapillary, superficial, and deep capillary plexus vessel densities) and morphological (peripapillary retinal nerve fiber, ganglion cell layer, retinal, and choroidal thickness) in the optic disk and macula regions were quantitively assessed using OCT and OCTA. Data were compared between COVID-19 patients and age-matched controls. ResultsThe COVID-19 group included 32 eyes of 16 patients and the control group included 32 eyes of 16 cases. Fundus and biomicroscopic examinations revealed no signs of pathology in the COVID-19 group. Mean peripapillary retinal nerve fiber, ganglion cell layer, and choroidal thickness values were significantly greater in the COVID-19 group than in the control group (p<0.05). OCTA indicated that mean superficial and deep capillary plexus vessel densities, and choriocapillaris flow area values were significantly lower in the COVID-19 group than in the control group, whereas mean radial peripapillary capillary plexus vessel density values were significantly higher (p<0.05). ConclusionsEven if fundus examination results appear normal in pediatric patients with COVID-19, vascular and morphological changes may be observed in the retina. Further studies with larger numbers of patients are needed to elucidate the clinical significance of vascular and morphological changes in this population.

Transformation trend of nitrogen and phosphorus in the sediment of the sewage pipeline and their distribution along the pipeline

Microorganisms transform nitrogen and phosphorus in the sediment of sewage pipelines. When the sediment was scoured by water flow, these elements migrate. This work studied the changes in biofilm morphology and microbial community structure, and focused on the differences in the transformation of nitrogen and phosphorus along the pipeline. The results showed that the nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations varied systematically with time and space (the front, middle, and posterior segments of the pipe). With time, amino acid nitrogen (AAN) concentration in the sediment gradually decreased, NH4+-N concentration slowly increased, NO3−-N concentration began to increase after 25 days, and TP concentration continued to increase after 9 days. The AAN, NH4+-N, and TP concentrations were highest in the posterior segment of the pipe and lowest in the front segment. However, NO3−-N showed two stages: its concentration was highest in the front segment and lowest in the posterior segment during the first 17 days, after which the opposite was observed. Changes in the nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were related to the microbial communities in the sediments. The abundances of Rhodobacter (0.001 <p ≤ 0.01), Trichococcus (p ≤ 0.001), Nakamurella (0.01 <p ≤ 0.05), and norank_f__norank_o__PeM15 (0.001 <p ≤ 0.01) in the terminal sediments were significantly higher than those in the initial sediments. Meanwhile, the abundances of Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Rhodobacter, norank_f__norank_o__PeM15, and Brevundimonas were different in the front, middle, and posterior segments. Furthermore, nitrogen and phosphorus were easily adsorbed on the small particles and were scoured and re-deposited on the posterior segment of the pipe, resulting in enrichment. The temporal variation in nitrogen and phosphorus and its spatial distribution along the pipeline were due to the combination of biotransformation and migration.

Corrosion inhibition of sulphate-reducing bacterial by Ag/Cu bimetallic nanoparticles synthesised from ginger extract

The growth of sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in oilfield produced water and resistance to antibiotics has become an important issue for safe and clean production. Bimetallic nanomaterials with antibacterial effects are a potential candidate to confront microbial resistance. Environmentally friendly methods for the synthesis of bimetallic nanomaterials are an important factor to be considered in production. This study proposed a green method to synthesise Ag/Cu bimetallic nanoparticles (BNPs) as novel corrosion inhibitors and biocides using ginger rhizome extracts.The results showed that 6.25 μg mL−1 BNPs synthesised from ginger extract could disrupt the integrity of SRB cells and reduce adhesion on the surface of carbon steel over 65%. The corrosion rate of BNPs-treated SRB cultures on carbon steel was verified by weight tests, decreasing from 0.453 mm·a−1 to 0.05 mm·a−1. The changes of carbon steel surface morphology and SRB cell structure after BNPs treatment were observed in order to illustrate the inhibition mechanism of BNPs. The corrosive inhibitors prepared by this method have potential in inhibiting the corrosion behaviour of SRBs and are expected for applications in oilfield production for pipeline corrosion protection.

Oxidation of DJ-1 Cysteines in Retinal Pigment Epithelium Function.

The retina and RPE cells are regularly exposed to chronic oxidative stress as a tissue with high metabolic demand and ROS generation. DJ-1 is a multifunctional protein in the retina and RPE that has been shown to protect cells from oxidative stress in several cell types robustly. Oxidation of DJ-1 cysteine (C) residues is important for its function under oxidative conditions. The present study was conducted to analyze the impact of DJ-1 expression changes and oxidation of its C residues on RPE function. Monolayers of the ARPE-19 cell line and primary human fetal RPE (hfRPE) cultures were infected with replication-deficient adenoviruses to investigate the effects of increased levels of DJ-1 in these monolayers. Adenoviruses carried the full-length human DJ-1 cDNA (hDJ) and mutant constructs of DJ-1, which had all or each of its three C residues individually mutated to serine (S). Alternatively, endogenous DJ-1 levels were decreased by transfection and transduction with shPARK7 lentivirus. These monolayers were then assayed under baseline and low oxidative stress conditions. The results were analyzed by immunofluorescence, Western blot, RT-PCR, mitochondrial membrane potential, and viability assays. We determined that decreased levels of endogenous DJ-1 levels resulted in increased levels of ROS. Furthermore, we observed morphological changes in the mitochondria structure of all the RPE monolayers transduced with all the DJ-1 constructs. The mitochondrial membrane potential of ARPE-19 monolayers overexpressing all DJ-1 constructs displayed a significant decrease, while hfRPE monolayers only displayed a significant decrease in their ΔΨm when overexpressing the C2S mutation. Viability significantly decreased in ARPE-19 cells transduced with the C53S construct. Our data suggest that the oxidation of C53 is crucial for regulating endogenous levels of ROS and viability in RPE cells.

Cerebral mechanism of Tuina analgesia in management of knee osteoarthritis using multimodal MRI: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BackgroundThe chronic pain of patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) seriously affects their quality of life and leads to heavy social and economic burden. As a nondrug therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Tuina is generally recognised as safe and effective for reducing the chronic pain of KOA. However, the underlying central mechanisms of Tuina for improving the pain of KOA are not fully understood.Methods/designThis study will be a randomised controlled trial with a parallel-group design. A total of 60 eligible participants will be assigned to the Tuina group or healthcare education group (Education group) at 1:1 ratio using stratified randomisation with gender and age as factors. The interventions of both groups will last for 30 min per session and be conducted twice each week for 12 weeks. This study will primarily focus on pain evaluation assessed by detecting the changes in brain grey matter (GM) structure, white matter (WM) structure, and the cerebral functional connectivity (FC) elicited by Tuina treatment, e.g., thalamus, hippocampus, anterior cingulate gyrus, S1, insula, and periaqueductal grey subregions (PAG). The two groups of patients will be evaluated by clinical assessments and multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to observe the alterations in the GM, WM, and FC of participants at the baseline and the end of 6 and 12 weeks’ treatment and still be evaluated by clinical assessments but not MRI for 48 weeks of follow-up. The visual analogue scale of current pain is the primary outcome. The Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, Hamilton Depression Scale, and Hamilton Anxiety Scale will be used to evaluate the pain intensity, pain feeling, pain emotion, clinical symptoms, and quality of life, respectively. MRI assessments, clinical data evaluators, data managers, and statisticians will be blinded to the group allocation in the outcome evaluation procedure and data analysis to reduce the risk of bias. The repeated measures analysis of variance (2 groups × 6 time points ANOVA) will be used to analyse numerical variables of the clinical and neuroimaging data obtained in the study. P<0.05 will be the statistical significance level.DiscussionThe results of this randomised controlled trial with clinical assessments and multimodal MRI will help reveal the influence of Tuina treatment on the potential morphological changes in cortical and subcortical brain structures, the white matter integrity, and the functional activities and connectivity of brain regions of patients with KOA, which may provide scientific evidence for the clinical application of Tuina in the management of KOA.Trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2000037966. Registered on Sep. 8, 2020.DisseminationThe results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated through the study’s website, and conferences.

Ternary cobalt–iron–manganese layered double hydroxides with 1D/2D hierarchical nanostructure for oxygen evolution reaction and urea oxidation reaction

Developing high-efficient and stable electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is crucial for water splitting and metal-air batteries. Herein, ternary CoFe1−XMnX (0 <X < 1) layered double hydroxides (LDHs) grown on nickel form (NF) with nanosheet-nanowires (1D/2D) hierarchical nanostructure are synthesized. The introduction of Mn causes the change of crystal phase, morphology, and electronic structure of CoFe-LDH through electron transfer from Co/Fe to Mn, which provides the whole merit structural features and synergistic effect. Further experimental results exhibit that CoFe0.75Mn0.25-LDH possesses superior OER performance, which only requires overpotentials of 243 and 298 mV to reach 20 and 100 mA cm−2. The remodeling of LDHs in the OER process is also discussed to further explore the OER catalytic mechanism. In addition, CoFe0.75Mn0.25-LDH can also be utilized to the urea oxidation reaction (UOR), which requests a low potential of 1.367 V to reach 10 mA cm−2. A solar driven water splitting system is assembled and acquires the current density of 10 mA cm−2 at the low cell voltage of 1.58 V. This work offers an effective approach to boost the OER and UOR performance of CoFe-LDH based bifunctional electrocatalysts.

Revealing the Adverse Effects of Trace Amount Broad‐Spectrum Antimicrobial: a Direct and Sensitive Visualization Method Based on Carbon Nanoprobe

AbstractThe widespread use of broad‐spectrum antimicrobials has accelerated their entry into aquatic environment, which in turn can adversely affect aquatic organisms and humans, especially in the COVID‐19 outbreak and the post‐pandemic era. For early detection and intervention of adverse effects, this study develops a new carbon nanoprobe (CNP) that can reveal the adverse effects of trace amount triclosan (TCS), a commonly used broad‐spectrum antimicrobial (BSA), through a direct visualization method. CNP has excellent fluorescent properties and strong positive charges, which can be applied as fluorescent indicator and trapped in mitochondria by electrostatic attraction. The highly sensitive responsiveness of CNP to mitochondrial membrane potential ensures the visualization method can be used for monitoring the adverse effects of TCS. The trace amount TCS monitoring is achieved according to the decrease of fluorescence signal in mitochondria and the change of mitochondrial morphological structure from lines to dots. Moreover, monitoring TCS level in aquatic organisms of zebrafish is further realized. Compared with the morphological toxicity test, this visualizing strategy reveals the adverse effects in organisms under low‐dose TCS exposure more sensitively. This developed highly sensitive nanoprobe is cruical for direct BSA monitoring and thus prevents the harm of BSA to aquatic organisms and humans.

Studies on the influence of high-shear granulation process on the compressibility of microcrystalline cellulose

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is a diluent for oral solid dosage forms. The wet granulation process was selected to prepare losartan potassium tablets using MCC as a model for a predictive study. It was found that the hardness of the tablets could not satisfy the quality standards. In this study, the effect of the high-shear granulation process on the compressibility of MCC was characterized by plotting the compression characteristics curve, as well as the mechanism of the effect from the perspectives of mechanical properties, powder properties. The solid-state properties were also analyzed. Combined with the Heckel equation, the Ryshkewitch-Duckworth equation, the energy method, PXRD, SEM, and other evaluation methods, the results suggest that the high-shear granulation process reduced the compressibility of MCC, which may be caused by the reduced plastic deformation capacity of MCC and the change of the particle morphology structure. The method applied in this study can also be applied to other excipients, which is an important guideline for solving possible problems and process selections during the preparation stage of solid formulations.

Hydrophilic Surface Modification of TFC Reverse Osmosis Membrane Using Blends of Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose and Chitosan

ABSTRACT The present work showed a scalable protocol for anchoring hydrophilic layer over the polyamide using biodegradable polysaccharide solutions of carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (CMC) and chitosan. CMC and chitosan were blended in different concentration ratios with and without an oxidative environment. The membrane treated with CMC: Chitosan blend demonstrated upto 153.97% and 240.47% increment in water permeance without and with oxidative environment respectively as compared to the virgin thin film composite reverse osmosis membrane. The modified membranes had shown considerable decline in contact angle from 48.37° to 35.66°, changes in surface roughness, morphology and chemical structural changes of the top surface.

Structure Modification, Evolution, and Compositional Changes of Highly Conductive La:BaSnO3 Thin Films Annealed in Vacuum and Air Atmosphere.

Perovskite-type La:BaSnO3 (LBSO) has been drawing considerable attention due to its high electron mobility and optical transparency. Its thin film electrical properties, however, remain inferior to those of single crystals. This work investigates the thermal post-treatment process of films deposited using the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition method to improve the electrical properties of different stoichiometry films, and demonstrates the modification of thin film’s structural properties using short and excessive annealing durations in vacuum conditions. Using vacuum post-treatment, we demonstrate the improvement of electrical properties in Ba-rich, near-stoichiometric, and Sn-rich samples with a maximum electron mobility of 116 cm2V−1s−1 at r.t. However, the improvement of electrical properties causes surface morphology and internal structural changes, which depend on thin film composition. At temperatures of 900 °C–1400 °C the volatile nature of LBSO constituting elements is described, which reveals possible deterioration mechanisms of thin LBSO air. At higher than 1200 °C, LBSO film’s decomposition rate increases exponentially. Thin film structure evolution and previously unreported decomposition is demonstrated by Ba and La diffusion to the substrate, and by evaporation of SnO-SnOx species.

Structural Characterization and Hypoglycemic Activity of a Novel Pumpkin Peel Polysaccharide-Chromium(III) Complex.

The aim of our study was to synthesize a pumpkin peel polysaccharide (PPP)-Cr(III) complex and investigate its hypoglycemic activity. Firstly, a novel PPP-Cr(III) complex with a Cr content of 23.77 mg/g was synthesized and characterized. Physicochemical characterization indicated that PPP-Cr(III) had some changes in chemical composition, monosaccharide composition, and morphological structure compared with PPP. The molecular weights of PPP-Cr(III) and PPP were 1.398 × 106 g/mol and 3.386 × 106 g/mol, respectively, showing a lower molecular weight after the introduction of Cr(III). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that a new characteristic absorption peak of Cr-O appeared at 534 cm−1 in PPP-Cr(III), indicating that Cr(III) was successfully complexed with PPP. Secondly, the hypoglycemic activity of PPP-Cr(III) based on α-glucosidase inhibitory and insulin resistance (IR)-HepG2 cells was evaluated. Compared with PPP, PPP-Cr(III) exhibited a more significantly α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. The IR-HepG2 cells confirmed an obvious increase in glucose consumption. Western blot analysis demonstrated that the treated IR-HepG2 cells were able to increase the protein levels of p-AMPK and p-GSK-3β, indicating that IR-HepG2 cells exerted hypoglycemic activity via the AMPK/GSK-3β signaling pathway. These results suggested that PPP-Cr(III) had good hypoglycemic activity, which could provide theoretical support for the development of novel hypoglycemic products.

Eco-friendly waste water purification using brown algae

ABSTRACT Three brown algal biomasses namely, Sargassum latifolium, Padina pavonica and Dictyota dichotoma were used in the uranium biosorption from the processing effluent of Gattar pilot plant project, Eastern Desert, Egypt. Biosorption enhancement process was studied, and the uranium loading capacities were optimised at 1 h contact time, 1/1000 solid/liquid ratio, 200 ppm uranium as initial feed concentration, pH 4 and all experiments were at room temperature. The maximum capacities reached 190, 177 and 170 mg/g for Sargassum latifolium, Padina pavonica and Dictyota dichotoma, respectively. SEM examination for the three concerned algae showed different morphological and surface structural changes such as shrinking and appearance of large cavities. FTIR study revealed that, there are many functional groups contributed in uranium biosorption mechanism such as carboxylic, sulphonate, hydroxyl and amine groups. The obtained experimental data for the three concerned algal biomasses were comparable with pseudo-second-order model and best described by Langmuir isotherm model. 0.1 N HCl was used for desorption of the loaded uranium on the three algal masses. By applying the most effective alga (Sargassum latifolium) with fixing the optimum concluded conditions in the treatment of Gattar pilot plant effluent, it was clear that almost all elements and nearly uranium complete concentrations were recovered from the waste water and the water can be safely reused again. The present work concluded that the phyco-sorption is a sufficient, low costing, eco-friendly way for the recovery of variable elements and purification of waste water solutions.

Stability Improvement of Methylammonium Lead Iodide Perovskite Thin Films by Bismuth Doping

Perovskites have been in the spotlight in the field of solar cells due to their high efficiency and their low cost of materials and fabrication processes. Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have shown an efficiency of up to 25%. Nevertheless, PSCs have some drawbacks such as rapid degradation in ambient conditions. To improve PSC stability, lead is usually replaced with bismuth. In this article, we report the results when doping the methylammonium lead iodide (CH3NH3)PbI3, aka MAPbI3, with different bismuth quantities. The incorporation of bismuth into the lattice leads to a remarkable change in optoelectronics and morphological structure. Substituting lead atoms with 2% bismuth improves some characteristics of MAPbI3 layers, such as removing pinholes and increasing crystallite size and optical absorption. Furthermore, bismuth doping improves the stability of pure MAPbI3 layers, which after 4 weeks exhibits higher degradation compared to bismuth-doped MAPbI3 samples, which remain stable after that period.

Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells ameliorate aging-associated skeletal muscle atrophy and dysfunction by modulating apoptosis and mitochondrial damage in SAMP10 mice

BackgroundSkeletal muscle mass and function losses in aging individuals are associated with quality of life deterioration and disability. Mesenchymal stromal cells exert immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects and could yield beneficial effects in aging-related degenerative disease.Methods and resultsWe investigated the efficacy of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (UC-MSCs) on sarcopenia-related skeletal muscle atrophy and dysfunction in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 10 (SAMP10) mice. We randomly assigned 24-week-old male SAMP10 mice to a UC-MSC treatment group and control group. At 12 weeks post-injection, the UC-MSC treatment had ameliorated sarcopenia-related muscle changes in performance, morphological structures, and mitochondria biogenesis, and it enhanced the amounts of proteins or mRNAs for myosin heavy chain, phospho-AMP-activated protein kinase, phospho-mammalian target of rapamycin, phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator, GLUT-4, COX-IV, and hepatocyte growth factor in both gastrocnemius and soleus muscles, and it reduced the levels of proteins or mRNAs for cathepsin K, cleaved caspase-3/-8, tumor necrosis factor-α, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and gp91phox mRNAs. The UC-MSC treatment retarded mitochondria damage, cell apoptosis, and macrophage infiltrations, and it enhanced desmin/laminin expression and proliferating and CD34+/Integrin α7+ cells in both types of skeletal muscle of the SAMP10 mice. In vitro, we observed increased levels of HGF, PAX-7, and MoyD mRNAs at the 4th passage of UC-MSCs.ConclusionsOur results suggest that UC-MSCs can improve sarcopenia-related skeletal muscle atrophy and dysfunction via anti-apoptosis, anti-inflammatory, and mitochondrial biogenesis mechanisms that might be mediated by an AMPK-PGC1-α axis, indicating that UC-MSCs may provide a promising treatment for sarcopenia/muscle diseases.

Functionalized Alkaline Lignin for Removal of Lead in Aqueous Solution

Lignin, the second most abundant natural polymeric globally, is considered the source of the renewable aromatic compound. It serves as an alternative feedstock for the elaboration of chemicals and polymers. However, even until now, it is still primarily used as a low-value fuel for boilers. In the current research, alkaline lignin was modified and used as an adsorbent for removing lead (Pb) in an aqueous solution. The functionalized alkaline lignin (FAL) was prepared by a Mannich reaction with formaldehyde and dimethylamine, followed by esterification of carbon disulfide. The FAL was characterized using CHN elemental analysis, X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) to observe the changes in composition, morphology, and chemical structure. The analysis revealed that alkaline lignin was successfully modified using amine and carbon disulfide. The adsorption study shows that the lead concentration reduced to 93.7% after 2 hours in contact with FAL. The FAL adsorption capacity could obtain 0.44 mmol/g of lead.

Subcortical brain structures and the risk of dementia in the Rotterdam Study.

Volumetric and morphological changes in subcortical brain structures are present in persons with dementia, but it is unknown if these changes occur prior to diagnosis. Between 2005 and 2016, 5522 Rotterdam Study participants (mean age: 64.4) underwent cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and were followed for development of dementia until 2018. Volume and shape measures were obtained for seven subcortical structures. During 12 years of follow-up, 272 dementia cases occurred. Mean volumes of thalamus (hazard ratio [HR] per standard deviation [SD] decrease 1.94, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.55-2.43), amygdala (HR 1.66, 95% CI: 1.44-1.92), and hippocampus (HR 1.64, 95% CI: 1.43-1.88) were strongly associated with dementia risk. Associations for accumbens, pallidum, and caudate volumes were less pronounced. Shape analyses identified regional surface changes in the amygdala, limbic thalamus, and caudate. Structure of the amygdala, thalamus, hippocampus, and caudate is associated with risk of dementia in a large population-based cohort of older adults.

Preparation and characterization of modified dual network dust suppression gel based on sodium alginate and soluble starch.

Aiming at the problems of complex environment and serious dust pollution in large open-pit coal yards, a dust suppression gel with a dual network structure was prepared by modifying the soluble starch and sodium alginate with iron ions. The changes of functional groups, thermal stability, and morphology structure before and after the reaction were analyzed by FTIR, TG-DSC, and SEM, and the formation mechanism of the dual network was revealed by XPS. Furthermore, the water absorption and water retention experiments proved that the dual network structure is more conducive to water retention than the single-layer network. According to molecular dynamics simulations and contact angle experiments, gel and adsorbed water molecules can approach coal dust molecules on their own to contact, wet, and combine with coal dust. The adhesion test proved that the dust suppression gel with iron ions had better adhesion to dust. The anti-freezing test shows that the dust suppression gel has good anti-freezing performance. The antifreeze test shows that the dust suppression gel still has excellent freeze-thaw resistance at the test temperature of -20℃. The mechanical property test shows that the dust suppressant gel can prevent the product from being damaged by external force. The acid and alkali resistance experiments showed that the acid and alkali resistance of the gel was improved under the condition of iron ion modification, and the flying of coal powder was effectively prevented. This research provides a new theoretical idea for coal dust control in complex environment.

Structure and immunoreactivity of purified Siberian apricot (Prunus sibirica L.) kernel allergen under high hydrostatic pressure treatment

In the present study, the allergen in Siberian apricot (Prunus sibirica L.) kernel (SAK) was extracted, purified, and identified. The effect of high-pressure processing on the physiochemical property, structure, as well as the allergenicity of the allergen were determined. The changes in the molecular morphology and secondary structure of Siberian apricot kernels allergen (SAKA) after high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) processing were analyzed using atomic force microscopy and circular dichroism respectively. The immunoreactivity was evaluated by western blotting and indirect-binding enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Our result showed that after HHP processing, the intensity of a 40 kDa polypeptide band in SAKA was decreased. The immunoreactivity of SAKA was reduced to 72.74% ± 1.09% after high pressure processing at 500 MPa for 900 s. The results of this study may provide important implications for identification of apricot kernel allergen as well as the development of apricot kernels foods and beverages with low level of allergenicity.

Analysis of Hippocampus Evolution Patterns and Prediction of Conversion in Mild Cognitive Impairment Using Multivariate Morphometry Statistics.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is generally regarded as the prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD), is associated with morphological changes in brain structures, particularly the hippocampus. However, the indicators for characterizing the deformation of hippocampus in conventional methods are not precise enough and ignore the evolution information with the course of disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the temporal evolution pattern of MCI and predict the conversion of MCI to AD by using the multivariate morphometry statistics (MMS) as fine features. First, we extracted MMS features from MRI scans of 64 MCI converters (MCIc), 81 MCI patients who remained stable (MCIs), and 90 healthy controls (HC). To make full use of the time information, the dynamic MMS (DMMS) features were defined. Then, the areas with significant differences between pairs of the three groups were analyzed using statistical methods and the atrophy/expansion were identified by comparing the metrics. In parallel, patch selection, sparse coding, dictionary learning and maximum pooling were used for the dimensionality reduction and the ensemble classifier GentleBoost was used to classify MCIc and MCIs. The longitudinal analysis revealed that the atrophy of both MCIc and MCIs mainly distributed in dorsal CA1, then spread to subiculum and other regions gradually, while the atrophy area of MCIc was larger and more significant. And the introduction of longitudinal information promoted the accuracy to 91.76% for conversion prediction. The dynamic information of hippocampus holds a huge potential for understanding the pathology of MCI.