Formation of self-assembled fibril aggregates of trypsin-controllably hydrolyzed soy protein and its regulation on stability of high internal phase Pickering emulsions.

The mechanisms of trypsin hydrolysis time on the structure of soy protein hydrolysate fibril aggregates (SPHFAs) and the stability of SPHFAs-high internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPPEs) were investigated. SPHFAs were prepared using soy protein hydrolysate (SPH) with different trypsin hydrolysis time (0 min-120 min) to stabilize SPHFAs-HIPPEs. The results showed that moderate trypsin hydrolysis (30 min, hydrolysis degree of 2.31 %) induced SPH unfolding and increased the surface hydrophobicity of SPH, thereby promoting the formation of flexible SPHFAs with maximal thioflavin T intensity and ζ-potential. Moreover, moderate trypsin hydrolysis improved the viscoelasticity of SPHFAs-HIPPEs, and SPHFAs-HIPPEs remained stable after storage at 25 °C for 80 d and heating at 100 °C for 1 h. Excessive trypsin hydrolysis (> 30 min) decreased the stability of SPHFAs-HIPPEs. In conclusion, moderate trypsin hydrolysis promoted the formation of flexible SPHFAs with high surface charge by inducing SPH unfolding, thereby promoting the stability of SPHFAs-HIPPEs.

Natural protein-polysaccharide-phenol complex particles from rice bran as novel food-grade Pickering emulsion stabilizers.

To develop novel food-grade Pickering emulsion stabilizers, insoluble rice bran protein-polysaccharide-phenol natural complex (IRBPPP) was prepared into Pickering emulsion stabilizers after different mechanical pretreatments (shear, high-pressure homogenization, ultrasonic, and combined mechanical pretreatment). With the increase in mechanical pretreatment types, the covalent binding of proteins and polysaccharides in IRBPPP gradually enhanced, the breakage efficiency of IRBPPP gradually increased (IRBPPP particle size decreased from 220.54 to 67.89 µm, the specific surface area of IRBPPP particle increased from 993.47 to 2033.86 cm-1/g), and the microstructure of IRBPPP gradually showed an orderly network structure, which enhanced the IRBPPP dispersion stability and the Pickering emulsion stability. Pickering emulsion stability was highly correlated (P < 0.01) with the breakage efficiency of IRBPPP particles. Overall, the combined mechanical pretreatment improved the stability of the IRBPPP-stabilized Pickering emulsion. The study added value to rice bran products and offered a new way to create stable food-grade Pickering emulsions for functional foods using natural protein-polysaccharide-phenol complex particles.

Leukocyte-based delivery systems for enhanced nanotheranostics of inflammation and cancer.

As a part of the immune system, leukocytes (LEs) have the features of circumvention of immunogenicity as well as recruitment to sites of inflammation during infection and tumorigenesis. Utilizing LEs as vehicles to carry theranostic agents is a promising strategy for highly efficient targeted delivery and treatment for inflammation and cancer. Specifically, the LEs, similar to 'Trojan horses', can bypass the immune system and thus enhance the therapeutic effects on inflammation and cancer. In this context, the latest progress of LEs-based delivery systems for improving theranostics of inflammations and cancers is summarized, includingin vitroincubation andin vivointernalization strategy. Although the therapeutic efficacy of LEs-based delivery systems has been achieved, the system construction is complex and the effect is not fulfilling demand completely. Encouragingly, a most recent work reported that the supramolecular arrangement of proteins on the nanocarriers would drive them to be selectively uptaken by neutrophils, opening a new avenue for diagnosis and treatment of inflammation. Moreover, enucleated cells are considered as the biomimetic drug delivery vehicle to retain the organelles for a range of diseases in a safe, controllable and effective manner. These novel findings provide more opportunities for researchers to rethink and redesign the LEs-based delivery systems to overcome existing limitations and broaden their usage, especially in clinical medicine.

Advancements of prodrug technologies for enhanced drug selectivity in pharmacotherapies.

The therapeutic effects of many pharmacotherapies have been explored, but disadvantages such as low drug specificity, drug resistance and side effects makes their effective delivery to target sites a great challenge. Consequently, a distinctive prodrug-based technology have emerged as an effective treatments because of their distinctive advantages, such as high drug loading capacity, precise targeting, reduced side effects and spatial and temporal controllability. In particular, the use of gamma/X-ray-mediated strategies in radiotherapy is a new strategy that could enable the precise drug release from implanted devices. This review presents readers with the current state of prodrug therapy and reports the design protocols of rational and effective prodrugs for clinical use.

The synergistic effects of rice bran rancidity and dephenolization on digestive properties of rice bran protein.

Both rice bran (RB) rancidity and dephenolization could affect the structural characteristics and phenolics composition of rice bran protein (RBP), thereby affecting RBP digestibility. The synergistic effects of RB rancidity and dephenolization on RBP digestibility were investigated. Excessive RB rancidity (RB stored for 10 d) and non-dephenolization reduced RBP digestibility, while moderate RB rancidity (RB stored for 1 d) combined with dephenolization improved RBP digestibility to a maximum of 74.19%. Dephenolization reduced the antioxidant capacities of RBP digestive products. The digestibility of non-dephenolized RBP (NDRBP) was significantly (P < 0.05) related with its carbonyl content, surface hydrophobicity, and ζ-potential. The digestibility of dephenolized RBP (DRBP) was significantly related with its ß-sheet structure content, surface hydrophobicity, ζ-potential, and average particle size. Overall, moderate RB rancidity combined with dephenolization enhanced RBP digestibility by reducing the non-competitive inhibition of endogenous phenolics on protease and regulating the spatial structural characteristics of RBP.

Rock crack initiation triggered by energy digestion.

The critical value of rock failure is determined by irreversible deformation (inelastic deformation, damage, and other internal dissipation) processes and external conditions before rock failure. Nevertheless, a thorough explanation of the mechanism causing cracks in rock material has not yet been provided. The strain energy theory is applied in this work to assess the initiation of rock cracks and investigate the relationship between energy digestion and rock strength. Firstly, the uniaxial compression test was conducted on sandstone samples under quasi-static loading conditions and the results of energy evolution, non-linear cumulative digestion, and stored ultimate energy were obtained. Then, a novel algorithm for assessing the initiation of rock cracks has been put forth. The concept of energy digestion index (EDI), which is the ratio of digested energy over the external loading energy, has been developed to characterize the energy absorption capacity of rock material. The result shows a relationship between the maximum growth rate of energy digestion and the increasing rate of variable elasticity modulus and crack initiation. The mechanical characteristics and peak strength of the rock material are negatively correlated with the EDI. By monitoring the digested energy status, an evaluation of the residual strength is introduced based on the relationships, which will initiate further research into in-situ monitoring and failure prediction.

Preparation and sustained-release of chitosan-alginate bilayer microcapsules containing aromatic compounds with different functional groups.

This study investigated the release of aromatic compounds with distinct functional groups within bilayer microcapsules. Bilayer microcapsules of four distinctive core materials (benzyl alcohol, eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, and benzoic acid) were synthesized via freeze-drying. Chitosan (CS) and sodium alginate (ALG) were used as wall materials. CS concentration, using orthogonal experiments with the loading ratio as a metric. Under optimal conditions, three other types of microcapsules (cinnamic aldehyde, benzoic acid, and benzyl alcohol) were obtained. The four types of microcapsules were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and their sustained release characteristics were evaluated. The optimal conditions were: CS dosage, 1.2 %; CS-to-eugenol mass ratio, 1:2; and CS-to-ALG mass ratio, 1:1. By comparing the IR spectra of the four types of microcapsules, wall material, and core material, the core materials were revealed to be encapsulated within the wall material. SEM results revealed that the granular protuberances on the surface of the microcapsules were closely aligned and persistent when magnified 2000×. The TEM results indicated that all four microcapsules had a spherical and bilayer structure. The thermal stability and sustained release results showed that the four microcapsules were more resilient and less volatile than the four core materials. The release conformed to first-order kinetics, and the release ratios of the four microcapsules were as follows: benzyl alcohol microcapsules Ëƒ eugenol microcapsules Ëƒ cinnamaldehyde microcapsules Ëƒ benzoic acid microcapsules. The prepared bilayer microcapsules encapsulated four different core materials with good sustained release properties.

Effect of epigallocatechin-3-gallate modification on the structure and emulsion stability of rice bran protein in the presence of soybean protein isolate.

For improving the emulsion stability of rice bran protein (RBP), RBP was modified by different concentrations of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in the presence of soybean protein isolate (SPI), and RBP-EGCG-SPI conjugate was prepared by alkaline pH-shifting. The results showed that the addition of EGCG led to an increase in the bound phenol content and the flexibility of the secondary structure, a decrease in the free sulfhydryl and disulfide bond content of the RBP-EGCG-SPI conjugate. EGCG covalently bound to RBP and SPI through non-disulfide bonds. When the concentration of EGCG was 10 % (w/v), the emulsifying activity index and emulsion stability index of conjugate reached the maximum value (36.61 m2/g and 255.61 min, respectively), and the conjugate had the best emulsion stability. However, an EGCG concentration above 10 % (w/v) negatively affected the emulsion stability, with increasing particle size due to protein aggregation. Summarily, the modification of EGCG improved the emulsion stability of conjugate by regulating the spatial structure of RBP-EGCG-SPI conjugate. The work provided an important guide to further improve the emulsion stability of RBP.

Effects of rice bran rancidity on the interfacial adsorption properties of rice bran protein fibril aggregates and stability of high internal phase Pickering emulsions.

The effects of rice bran rancidity-induced protein oxidation and heating time on the stability of rice bran protein fibril aggregates (RBPFA)-high internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPPEs) were investigated. The optimal conditions for RBPFA-HIPPEs were 8 mg/mL RBPFA with an oil phase volume fraction of 75 %. Moderate oxidation (rice bran stored for 3 d) and moderate heating (8 h) enhanced the wettability, flexibility, diffusion rate, and adsorption rate of RBPFA, meanwhile, the rheological properties of RBPFA-HIPPEs increased. RBPFA-HIPPEs could be stably stored for 50 d at 25 °C. Moderate oxidized and moderate heated RBPFA-stabilized HIPPEs could remain stable after heat treatment and could be re-prepared after freeze-thaw (3 cycles). Additionally, the stability of RBPFA-HIPPEs was significantly related to the structural characteristics and interfacial properties of RBPFA. Overall, moderate oxidation and moderate heating enhanced the storage, thermal, and freeze-thaw stability of RBPFA-HIPPEs by improving the interfacial properties of RBPFA.

Sp1 Regulates the M1 Polarization of Microglia Through the HuR/NF-κB Axis after Spinal Cord Injury.

The M1 polarization of microglia, followed by the production of pro-inflammatory mediators, hinders functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). Our previous study has illuminated that specificity protein 1 (Sp1) expression is increased following SCI, whereas the function and regulatory mechanism of Sp1 during M1 polarization of microglia following SCI remain unknown. RNA binding protein, HuR, has been shown to be up-regulated in the injured spinal cord through analysis of the GEO database. Further investigation using Chip-Atlas data suggests a binding between Sp1 and HuR. Emerging evidence indicates that HuR plays a pivotal role in neuroinflammation after SCI. In this research, Sp1 and HuR levels in mice with SCI and BV2 cells treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was determined by using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting techniques. A series of in vitro assays were performed to investigate the function of Sp1 during M1 polarization of microglia. The association between Sp1 and its target gene HuR was confirmed through gene transfection and luciferase reporter assay. Enhanced expression of HuR was observed in both SCI mice and LPS-treated BV2 cells, while Sp1 knockdown restrained M1 polarization of microglia and its associated inflammation by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway. Silencing Sp1 also suppressed microglia activation and its mediated inflammatory response, which could be reversed by overexpression of HuR. In conclusion, silencing Sp1 restrains M1 polarization of microglia through the HuR/NF-κB axis, leading to neuroprotection, and thus promotes functional restoration following SCI.

Effects of rice bran rancidity on the release of phenolics and antioxidative properties of rice bran dietary fiber in vitro gastrointestinal digestion products.

Rice bran (RB) as the raw material for rice bran dietary fiber (RBDF) extraction, is rapidly rancidified prior to stabilization. To enhance the RBDF utilization in food industry, effects of RB rancidity (RB was stored for 0, 1, 5, 7, and 10 d) on the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of RBDF-bound phenolics were investigated. With the increase in RB storage time, the RB rancidity degree significantly increased (the acid value of rice bran oil from 5.08 mg KOH/g to 60.59 mg KOH/g), and the endogenous phenolics content in RBDF also increased. Simultaneously, RB rancidity reduced the antioxidant activity of RBDF digestion products during the gastric digestion phase, while RB rancidity increased the antioxidant activity of RBDF digestion products during the intestinal digestion phase. In addition, in vitro gastrointestinal digestion stimulated the release of RBDF-bound phenolics. The released monomeric phenolics (especially ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid) were the major contributors to the increased antioxidant properties of RBDF digestion products. RBDF digestion products could inhibit H2O2-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis of HUVECs. In conclusion, the study found that RB rancidity could improve the antioxidant capacity of RBDF in the small intestine by promoting RB endogenous phenolics bound to RBDF release.

Effect of protein oxidation on the emulsion carrier prepared by rice bran protein for improving stability and bioavailability of ß-carotene.

The emulsion carriers which prepared by rice bran protein (RBP) with different oxidation extents were utilized to deliver ß-carotene (BC). The effects of RBP oxidation extent on stability and bioaccessibility of BC in rice bran protein emulsion (RBPE) were investigated by measuring the droplet size, microstructure, digestive stability, cellular antioxidant, and delivery property of BC-RBPE. The results showed that BC-RBPE prepared by moderately oxidized RBP (extracted from rice bran with a storage time of 5 d) presented excellent digestive stability and delivery property during gastrointestinal digestion. The particle size of initial BC-RBPE, BC-RBPE after gastric digestion, and BC-RBPE after intestinal digestion were 509.73, 2149.33, and 997.82 nm, respectively. Compared with free BC suspension, the BC retention after gastric digestion and the BC bioavailability of BC-RBPE prepared by moderately oxidized RBP increased by 23.50% and 27.54%, respectively. In addition, the BC cellular antioxidant activity and BC cellular uptake of BC-RBPE prepared by moderately oxidized RBP were significantly higher than that of free BC-suspension, which increased by 29.63% and 13.84%, respectively. In summary, the study showed that oil-in-water emulsion prepared by moderately oxidized protein is a potential delivery system of BC, which can provide a theoretical basis for improving the utilization of protein by adjusting the extent of protein oxidation.

Enhanced anticancer activity of piperine: Structural optimization and chitosan-based microgels with boosted drug delivery.

As a plant-derived drug, piperine possesses therapeutic efficacy for many diseases, but its inherent low solubility and bioavailability have greatly limited its clinical use. Herein, we extracted piperine from black pepper, optimized the structure of piperine to prepare various derivatives, and then explored the anticancer activity of these derivatives. Piperine and its derivatives have high anticancer selectivity against 4T1 cells, exhibiting obvious anticancer properties even at a low concentration of 100 µg/mL. Furthermore, the physicochemical properties of piperine and its derivatives were investigated using density functional theory, demonstrating their considerable biological activity. Moreover, the chitosan-based microgels were prepared to encapsulate the hydrophobic piperine derivative with a high loading efficiency of 81.7 % to overcome the low water solubility of the piperine derivative. It is worth noting that excessive glutathione in tumor cells triggers the degradation of microgels and realizes controllable drug release of up to 72.3 %. Due to its excellent properties, chitosan-based microgels loaded with the piperine derivative can obtain good anticancer behavior of approximately 13.14 % cell viability against 4T1 cells. Therefore, the chitosan-based microgels overcome the low water solubility of the piperine derivative through encapsulation and thus further augment their delivery efficiency and cell internalization capability to realize excellent anticancer activity. This work demonstrates the enhanced anticancer efficacy of the hydrophobic plant-derived drug by means of structural optimization of piperine and chitosan-based microgels with boosted drug delivery.

Smart chitosan-based microgels for enhanced photothermal-assisted antibacterial activity.

During recent years, antibiotic-resistant bacteria have rapidly emerged owing to the irrational use of antibiotics, rendering a global problem. Currently, few studies introduce customized antibacterial nanoplatforms to overcome antibiotic-resistance according to specific characteristic of bacteria, rather than abuse of antibiotic. Herein, with regard to personalized antibacterial nanoplatform, we design a novel antibiotic delivery nanocarrier composed of polyaniline-grafted-chitosan, presenting pH-responsive, conductive, photothermal, and biodegradable properties. After treatment with divalent anion (SO42-), the negatively charged nanocarriers are obtained for improving the loading efficacy of cationic vancomycin. Meanwhile, the controlled vancomycin release is achieved by lysozyme-triggered degradation of the nanocarrier. With the assistance of photothermal effect, the photothermal-assisted antibacterial effect of the nanocarriers have been effectively enhanced rather than that of a single antibacterial effect of vancomycin. Owing to the low heat resistance of Escherichia coli, photothermal effect can break the antibiotic-resistant bacteria membrane to render the convenient antibiotic entry, leading to the improved antibacterial efficacy. Therefore, the customization of a photothermal-assisted antibacterial on account of the characteristic of specific bacteria can definitely expand our arsenal for enhancing the antibacterial effect against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Development of preoperative prognostic models including radiological features for survival of singular nodular HCC patients.

BACKGROUND: Early singular nodular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an ideal surgical indication in clinical practice. However, almost half of the patients have tumor recurrence, and there is no reliable prognostic prediction tool. Besides, it is unclear whether preoperative neoadjuvant therapy is necessary for patients with early singular nodular HCC and which patient needs it. It is critical to identify the patients with high risk of recurrence and to treat these patients preoperatively with neoadjuvant therapy and thus, to improve the outcomes of these patients. The present study aimed to develop two prognostic models to preoperatively predict the recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients with singular nodular HCC by integrating the clinical data and radiological features. METHODS: We retrospective recruited 211 patients with singular nodular HCC from December 2009 to January 2019 at Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital (EHBH). They all met the surgical indications and underwent radical resection. We randomly divided the patients into the training cohort (n =132) and the validation cohort (n = 79). We established and validated multivariate Cox proportional hazard models by the preoperative clinicopathologic factors and radiological features for association with RFS and OS. By analyzing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the discrimination accuracy of the models was compared with that of the traditional predictive models. RESULTS: Our RFS model was based on HBV-DNA score, cirrhosis, tumor diameter and tumor capsule in imaging. RFS nomogram had fine calibration and discrimination capabilities, with a C-index of 0.74 (95% CI: 0.68-0.80). The OS nomogram, based on cirrhosis, tumor diameter and tumor capsule in imaging, had fine calibration and discrimination capabilities, with a C-index of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.74-0.87). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of our model was larger than that of traditional liver cancer staging system, Korea model and Nomograms in Hepatectomy Patients with Hepatitis B Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma, indicating better discrimination capability. According to the models, we fitted the linear prediction equations. These results were validated in the validation cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with previous radiography model, the new-developed predictive model was concise and applicable to predict the postoperative survival of patients with singular nodular HCC. Our models may preoperatively identify patients with high risk of recurrence. These patients may benefit from neoadjuvant therapy which may improve the patients' outcomes.

Charge-reversible and biodegradable chitosan-based microgels for lysozyme-triggered release of vancomycin.

INTRODUCTION: High-dose drug administration for the conventional treatment of inflammatory bowel disease induces cumulative toxicity and serious side effects. Currently, few reports have introduced smart carriers for intestinal inflammation targeting toward the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. OBJECTIVES: For the unique lysozyme secretory microenvironment of the inflamed intestine, vancomycin-loaded chitosan-polyaniline microgels (CH-PANI MGs) were constructed for lysozyme-triggered VM release. METHODS: Aniline was first grafted to chitosan to form polymers that were crosslinked by glutaraldehyde to achieve CH-PANI MGs using the inverse (water-in-oil) miniemulsion method. Interestingly, CH-PANI MGs exhibit polyampholyte behaviour and display charge-reversible behaviour (positive to negative charges) after treatment with a NaCl solution. RESULTS: The formed negatively charged N-CH-PANI MG aqueous solution is employed to load cationic vancomycin with a satisfactory loading efficiency of 91.3%, which is significantly higher than that of chitosan-based MGs. Moreover, N-CH-PANI MGs present lysozyme-triggered biodegradation and controllable vancomycin release upon the cleavage of glycosidic linkages of chitosan. In the simulated inflammatory intestinal microenvironment, vancomycin is rapidly released, and the cumulative release reaches approximately 76.9%. Remarkably, N-CH-PANI@VM MGs not only exhibit high resistance to harsh gastric acidity but also prevent the premature leakage of vancomycin in the healthy gastrointestinal tract. Encouragingly, the N-CH-PANI@VM MGs show obvious antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus at a relatively low concentration of 20 µg/mL. CONCLUSION: Compared to other pH-responsive carriers used to treat inflammatory bowel disease, the key advantage of lysozyme-responsive MGs is that they further specifically identify healthy and inflammatory intestines, achieving efficient inflammatory bowel disease treatment with few side effects. With this excellent performance, the developed smart MGs might be employed as a potential oral delivery system for inflammatory bowel disease treatment.

Overexpression of TRPM7 promotes the therapeutic effect of curcumin in wound healing through the STAT3/SMAD3 signaling pathway in human fibroblasts.

OBJECTIVE: Curcumin, a natural extract from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa, is also known as a curcuminoid. Curcumin has been studied as a therapeutic drug for wound healing because of its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-bacterial activities. However, the detailed mechanism of curcumin in wound healing is not clear. It is well-known that the skin is the largest organ in humans and prevents tissues from damage, including infection, radiation, and mechanical damage. Wound healing of the skin is a complex physiological regulation process requiring various cell types and cytokines; hence, wound healing, including surgery and care, incurs a huge expenditure each year. Transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 7 (TRPM7) regulates multiple physiological and pharmacological processes through its channel and kinase activities. In addition, TRPM7 regulates cell adhesion, migration, and anti-oxidative activity, thereby playing a regulatory role in the wound healing process. This study aimed to explore the function of curcumin in the wound healing process. METHODS: We first established TRPM7 overexpression and knockdown models in fibroblasts using lentivirus. CCK-8 and wound healing assays were used to clarify whether overexpression of TRPM7 promoted proliferation and migration in fibroblasts. Expression of target genes and proteins was detected using qPCR and western blotting. Concentrations of migration-related cytokines were measured using ELISA. RESULTS: Proliferation and migration of fibroblasts increased after curcumin treatment and was further enhanced after overexpression of TRPM7. In addition, expression of proliferation-related genes and proteins was elevated after TRPM7 overexpression. Further, the secretion of migration-related cytokines was elevated after TRPM7 overexpression. CONCLUSION: Curcumin treatment promoted proliferation and migration of fibroblasts, and these effects were mediated by the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3)/SMAD family member 3/hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit alpha signaling pathway. Thus, we conclude that overexpression of TRPM7 might contribute to wound healing.

Strategy and Mechanism of Rice Bran Protein Emulsion Stability Based on Rancidity-Induced Protein Oxidation: An Ultrasonic Case Study.

To provide a strategy for improving the stability of rice bran protein emulsion (RBPE), rice bran proteins (RBPs) with different oxidation extents were prepared from fresh rice bran (RB) stored for different times (0, 1, 3, 5, 10 d), and RBPE was prepared with ultrasonic treatment. The ultrasonic conditions were optimized according to the results of the RBPE's stability (when RB stored for 0, 1, 3, 5, 10 d, the optimal ultrasonic treatment conditions of RBPE were 500 w and 50 min, 400 w and 30 min, 400 w and 30 min, 300 w and 20 min, 500 w and 50 min, respectively). Additionally, the structural characteristics and the flexibility of RBPE interface protein were characterized, and the results showed that compared with native protein and excessive oxidized protein, the unfolded structure content and flexibility of interface protein of RBPE prepared by moderate oxidized protein under optimal ultrasonic intensity was higher. Furthermore, the correlation analysis showed that the RBPE stability was significantly correlated with the structural characteristics and flexibility of the RBPE interface protein (p < 0.05). In summary, ultrasonic treatment affected the interface protein's structural characteristics and flexibility, improving the stability of RBPE prepared from oxidized RBP.

Mask-Point: Automatic 3D Surface Defects Detection Network for Fiber-Reinforced Resin Matrix Composites.

Surface defects of fiber-reinforced resin matrix composites (FRRMCs) adversely affect their appearance and performance. To accurately and efficiently detect the three-dimensional (3D) surface defects of FRRMCs, a novel lightweight and two-stage semantic segmentation network, i.e., Mask-Point, is proposed. Stage 1 of Mask-Point is the multi-head 3D region proposal extractors (RPEs), generating several 3D regions of interest (ROIs). Stage 2 is the 3D aggregation stage composed of the shared classifier, shared filter, and non-maximum suppression (NMS). The two stages work together to detect the surface defects. To evaluate the performance of Mask-Point, a new 3D surface defects dataset of FRRMCs containing about 120 million points is produced. Training and test experiments show that the accuracy and the mean intersection of union (mIoU) increase as the number of different 3D RPEs increases in Stage 1, but the inference speed becomes slower when the number of different 3D RPEs increases. The best accuracy, mIoU, and inference speed of the Mask-Point model could reach 0.9997, 0.9402, and 320,000 points/s, respectively. Moreover, comparison experiments also show that Mask-Point offers relatively the best segmentation performance compared with several other typical 3D semantic segmentation networks. The mIoU of Mask-Point is about 30% ahead of the sub-optimal 3D semantic segmentation network PointNet. In addition, a distributed surface defects detection system based on Mask-Point is developed. The system is applied to scan real FRRMC products and detect their surface defects, and it achieves the relatively best detection performance in competition with skilled human workers. The above experiments demonstrate that the proposed Mask-Point could accurately and efficiently detect 3D surface defects of FRRMCs, and the Mask-Point also provides a new potential solution for the 3D surface defects detection of other similar materials.