Diagnostic Value of Nutritional Risk Index and Other Indices for Predicting Sarcopenia in the Middle-Aged and Elderly Population of China Without Cancer: A ROC Curve Analysis.

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that systemic inflammatory and nutritional biomarkers, along with derived indices, could serve as predictors for sarcopenia in cancer population. This study aimed to compare these predictors, focusing on the nutritional risk index (NRI) and evaluate its diagnostic value, for sarcopenic patients without cancer. Methods: This cross-sectional retrospective study included 1674 participants. Sarcopenia is defined by skeletal muscle mass index (SMI). Laboratory data reflected the values of systemic inflammatory and nutritional biomarkers, from which the derived indices were calculated. Multiple logistic regression analysis, ROC curve analysis, and the Youden index were utilized to assess the association between these markers and sarcopenia and determine the cutoff value for predicting sarcopenia. Results: Among all participants (1110 men and 564 women, mean age 61.97 ± 9.83 years), 398 individuals were diagnosed with sarcopenia, indicating a prevalence of 23.78% in China's middle-aged and elderly population without cancer. Logistic regression analysis revealed significant associations between all biomarkers and derived indices with sarcopenia. Following adjustment for potential confounders, lower NRI values were significantly associated with a higher incidence of sarcopenia. For sarcopenia diagnosis, the area under the curve (AUC) for NRI was 0.769 ([95% CI, 0.742, 0.796], P < 0.001), with a cutoff value of 106.016, sensitivity of 75.6% and specificity of 66.1%. NRI demonstrated greater predictive advantage for sarcopenia incidence in men compared to women. Conclusion: A lower NRI value was associated with a higher prevalence of sarcopenia. NRI shows promise for early, rapid, and effective sarcopenia screening, particularly in China's middle-aged and elderly male population without cancer.

Impact of frailty on short-term postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is a major global health challenge that predominantly affects older people. Surgical management, despite advancements, requires careful consideration of preoperative patient status for optimal outcomes. AIM: To summarize existing evidence on the association of frailty with short-term postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery. METHODS: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, EMBASE and Scopus databases for observational studies in adult patients aged ≥ 18 years undergoing planned or elective colorectal surgery for primary carcinoma and/or secondary metastasis. Only studies that conducted frailty assessment using recognized frailty assessment tools and had a comparator group, comprising nonfrail patients, were included. Pooled effect sizes were reported as weighted mean difference or relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: A total of 24 studies were included. Compared with nonfrail patients, frailty was associated with an increased risk of mortality at 30 d (RR: 1.99, 95%CI: 1.47-2.69), at 90 d (RR: 4.76, 95%CI: 1.56-14.6) and at 1 year (RR: 5.73, 95%CI: 2.74-12.0) of follow up. Frail patients had an increased risk of any complications (RR: 1.81, 95%CI: 1.57-2.10) as well as major complications (Clavien-Dindo classification grade ≥ III) (RR: 2.87, 95%CI: 1.65-4.99) compared with the control group. The risk of reoperation (RR: 1.18, 95%CI: 1.07-1.31), readmission (RR: 1.70, 95%CI: 1.36-2.12), need for blood transfusion (RR: 1.67, 95%CI: 1.52-1.85), wound complications (RR: 1.49, 95%CI: 1.11-1.99), delirium (RR: 4.60, 95%CI: 2.31-9.16), risk of prolonged hospitalization (RR: 2.09, 95%CI: 1.22-3.60) and discharge to a skilled nursing facility or rehabilitation center (RR: 3.19, 95%CI: 2.0-5.08) was all higher in frail patients. CONCLUSION: Frailty in colorectal cancer surgery patients was associated with more complications, longer hospital stays, higher reoperation risk, and increased mortality. Integrating frailty assessment appears crucial for tailored surgical management.

Erratum: [Corrigendum] Hydrogen gas post­conditioning alleviates cognitive dysfunction and anxiety­like behavior in a rat model of subarachnoid hemorrhage.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10555.].

Wet cupping with rehabilitation training for upper-limb poststroke spasticity: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Upper-limb poststroke spasticity (PSS) negatively impacts on patients' quality of life. An increasing number of clinical trials have indicated that wet cupping with rehabilitation training is conductive to alleviate spastic muscle tone, thereby to improve upper-limb function. However, related evidence base is insufficient. This study systematically investigates the efficacy and safety of wet cupping with rehabilitation training on stroke patients with upper-limb spasticity. Methods: Eight separate databases and two clinical trial registries were searched from their inception to December 6, 2022. Two reviewers extracted the data and assessed the quality of the literature, independently. The mean difference (MD) or risk ratio (RR) were used as measure of effect size in meta-analysis. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) was used for the certainty of evidence. Results: Eight randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were quantified for meta-analysis. The results indicated that in comparison with the control group, wet cupping with rehabilitation training was more effective in reducing modified Ashworth scale score (MD = -0.60, 95% CI: -0.74, -0.46; P < 0.00001) and the integral electromyography value of biceps muscle (MD = -4.71, 95% CI: -6.74, -2.67; P < 0.00001), but improving effective rate (RR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.41; P < 0.00001), Fugl-Myer Assessment score (MD = 4.84, 95% CI: 3.05, 6.64; P < 0.00001) as well as Barthel Index score (MD = 6.38, 95% CI: 2.20, 10.57; P = 0.003). However, no significant difference was found regarding the integral electromyography value of triceps muscle between groups (MD = 1.72, 95% CI: -2.05, 5.48; P = 0.37). Conclusion: Wet cupping with rehabilitation training should be included in a comprehensive therapeutic regimen for stroke patients with upper-limb spasticity. However, these results need to be further verified by more RCTs with rigorous design and large sample size.

Evaluation of the ovarian reserve in women and adolescent girls with Hashimoto's thyroiditis by serum anti-Müllerian hormone level: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Several researchers performed case-control studies to explore the relationship between Hashimoto's thyroiditis(HT) and ovarian reserve using anti-Müllerian hormone(AMH) in adolescent girls and women. But the results among these studies are inconsistent and the relationship between HT and ovarian reserve is still controversial. The study aimed to conduct the meta analysis of case-control studies to confirm the relationship between HT and ovarian reserve using AMH. Methods: 6 electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Internet(CNKI), SinoMed and Wanfang were searched from inception to December 2021. Endnote X7.0 software was applied to managing all the relevant records. Then data extraction and evaluation of methodological quality of included studies were conducted after two-step selection.Review manager 5.4 version software and Stata 12.0 version software were used to perform all statistical analyses. Results: 10 case-control studies involving 1202 individuals were included in the present study. The preliminary results revealed AMH values were significantly higher in adolescent girls with euthyroid HT compared with healthy adolescent girls(MD = 1.97; 95%CI, 1.43-2.51; P < 0.001; I2 = 0%). The pooled results in the subgroup of female adults with euthyroid HT showed AMH values were not significantly different between patients with HT and healthy women(MD = -0.21; 95%CI, -0.51-0.09; P = 0.18; I2 = 38%). The pooled results in the two subgroups of female adults with subclinical hypothyroidism and overt hypothyroidism both showed AMH values were significantly lower in the HT group compared with healthy women [(MD = -0.60; 95%CI, -0.86 to -0.34; P < 0.001; I2 = 0%), (MD = -1.34; 95%CI, -1.94 to -0.74; P < 0.001; I2 = 65%)]. Conclusions: Ovarian reserve evaluated by serum AMH concentration is affected by female adults with subclinical hypothyroidism and overt hypothyroidism. The AMH level was significantly higher in euthyroid adolescent girls.

Constructing ferroptosis-related competing endogenous RNA networks and exploring potential biomarkers correlated with immune infiltration cells in asthma using combinative bioinformatics strategy.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease worldwide. Recent studies have revealed the critical effects of the ceRNA network and ferroptosis on patients with asthma. Thus, this study aimed to explore the potential ferroptosis-related ceRNA network, investigate the immune cell infiltration level in asthma through integrated analysis of public asthma microarray datasets, and find suitable diagnostic biomarkers for asthma. METHODS: First, three asthma-related datasets which were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were integrated into one pooled dataset after correcting for batch effects. Next, we screened differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) between patients and healthy subjects, constructed a ceRNA network using the StarBase database and screened ferroptosis-related genes from the predicted target mRNAs for Disease Ontology (DO), Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. We also performed Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) on the batch effect-corrected mRNA expression profile. Then, Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression was used to screen potential diagnostic biomarkers, and the diagnostic efficacy was assessed using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Finally, we determined the proportion of 22 immune cells in patients with asthma using CIBERSORT and investigated the correlation between key RNAs and immune cells. RESULTS: We obtained 19 DElncRNAs, of which only LUCAT1 and MIR222HG had corresponding target miRNAs. The differentially expressed ferroptosis-related genes were involved in multiple programmed cell death-related pathways. We also found that the mRNA expression profile was primarily enriched in innate immune system responses. We screened seven candidate diagnostic biomarkers for asthma using LASSO regression (namely, BCL10, CD300E, IER2, MMP13, OAF, TBC1D3, and TMEM151A), among which the area under the curve (AUC) value for CD300E and IER2 were 0.722 and 0.856, respectively. Finally, we revealed the infiltration ratio of different immune cells in asthma and found a correlation between LUCAT1, MIR222HG, CD300E, and IER2 with some immune cells. CONCLUSION: This study explored a potential lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network and its underlying diagnostic biomarkers (CD300E and IER2) in asthma and identified the immune cells most associated with them, providing possible diagnostic markers and immunotherapeutic targets for asthma.

Influence of RRM, RGG and Potential Phosphorylated Sites in Cold-Inducible Protein RBM3 on its Subcellular Localization and Neuroprotective Effects.

BACKGROUND: As a potent mediator of hypothermic neuroprotection, the cold-inducible protein RBM3 is characterized with one RNA-recognition motifs (RRM) and one arginine-glycine-rich (RGG) domain. It is known that these conserved domains are required for nuclear localization in some RNA-binding proteins. However, little is known about the actual role of RRM and RGG domains in subcellular localization of RBM3. METHODS: To clarify it, various mutants of human Rbm3 gene were constructed. Plasmids were transfected into cells and the localization of RBM3 protein and its varias mutants in cells and role in neuroprotection. RESULTS: In human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells, either a truncation of RRM domain (aa 1-86) or RGG domain (aa 87-157) led to an obvious cytoplasmic distribution, compared to a predominant nuclear localization of whole RBM3 protein (aa 1-157). In contrast, mutants in several potential phosphorylated sites of RBM3, including Ser102, Tyr129, Ser147, and Tyr155, did not alter the nuclear localization of RBM3. Similarly, mutants in two Di-RGG motif sites also did not affect the subcellular distribution of RBM3. Lastly, the role of Di-RGG motif in RGG domains was further investigated. The mutant of double arginines in either Di-RGG motif-1 (Arg87/90) or -2 (Arg99/105) exhibited a higher cytoplasmic localization, indicating that both Di-RGG motifs are required for nucleic localization of RBM3. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that RRM and RGG domains are both required for the nuclear localization of RBM3, with two Di-RGG domain being crucial for nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of RBM3.

Changes in gene expression and enzyme activity related to glucose metabolism in the livers of Brandt's voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) exposed to hypoxia.

Brandt's vole (Lasiopodomys brandtii) is a hypoxia-tolerant species, and the metabolic characteristics of hypoxia-tolerant species have become a focus of recent research. However, insights into the anaerobic and aerobic metabolism of the livers of Brandt's voles under hypoxia remain limited. In this study, Brandt's voles and hypoxia-intolerant Kunming mice (Mus musculus, control species) were exposed to hypoxia conditions (Brandt's voles, 10% and 7.5% O2; Kunming mice, 10% O2) for 24 h, and changes in gene expression and enzyme activity related to anaerobic and aerobic metabolism in the livers were evaluated. Phosphofructokinase 1 (PFK1), phosphofructokinase 2 (PFK2), pyruvate kinase muscle (PKM), hexokinase 2 (HK2), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) related to anaerobic metabolism in the livers of Brandt's voles were increased under 7.5% O2. Regarding gene expression and enzyme activity for aerobic metabolism in Brandt's voles under 7.5% and 10% O2, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) expression was up-regulated, and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity was decreased. In the livers of Kunming mice, gene expression related to anaerobic and aerobic metabolism was increased at the late stage of 10% O2, and SDH activity was enhanced at 6 h and reduced at 18 h. In addition, PFK1,PKM, PDK1 expression and SDH activity in Brandt's voles were significantly correlated with HIF-1a expression. PFK1, PKM, LDHand PDK1 expression in Kunming mice were significantly correlated with HIF-1a expression. These findings indicate that the livers of Brandt's voles have a certain tolerance to hypoxia, and metabolic changes play important roles in hypoxia tolerance.

Characteristics and antioxidant properties of Harpadon nehereus protein hydrolysate-xylose conjugates obtained from the Maillard reaction by ultrasound-assisted wet heating in a natural deep eutectic solvents system.

BACKGROUND: Harpadon nehereus is a high-protein marine fish. A valuable way to add value to H. nehereus is to convert it into protein hydrolysate. The Maillard reaction is an effective way to improve the functional properties of peptides and proteins, which are affected by many factors such as reactant concentration, water activity, pH, temperature, and heating time. However, the traditional Maillard reaction method is inefficient. The purpose of this study was therefore to explore the effect of the ultrasound-assisted wet heating method on the Maillard reaction of H. nehereus protein hydrolysate (HNPH) in a new-type green solvent - a natural hypereutectic solvent (NADES). RESULTS: Harpadon nehereus protein hydrolysate-xylose (Xy) conjugates were prepared via a Maillard reaction in a NADES system using an ultrasound-assisted wet heating method. The effects of different treatment conditions on the Maillard reaction were studied. The optimized glycation degree (DG) of HNPH-Xy conjugates was obtained with a water content of 10%, a reaction temperature of 80 °C, a reaction time of 35 min, and an ultrasonic power level of 300 W. Compared with HNPH, the structure of HNPH-Xy conjugates were significantly changed. Moreover, the functional properties and antioxidant activity of HNPH-Xy were all superior to the HNPH. CONCLUSIONS: An ultrasound-assisted wet-heating Maillard reaction between HNPH and Xy in the NADES system could be a promising way to improve the functional properties of HNPH. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

iHypoxia: An Integrative Database of Protein Expression Dynamics in Response to Hypoxia in Animals.

Mammals have evolved mechanisms to sense hypoxia and induce hypoxic responses. Recently, high-throughput techniques have greatly promoted global studies of protein expression changes during hypoxia and the identification of candidate genes associated with hypoxia-adaptive evolution, which have contributed to the understanding of the complex regulatory networks of hypoxia. In this study, we developed an integrated resource for the expression dynamics of proteins in response to hypoxia (iHypoxia), and this database contains 2589 expression events of 1944 proteins identified by low-throughput experiments (LTEs) and 422,553 quantitative expression events of 33,559 proteins identified by high-throughput experiments from five mammals that exhibit a response to hypoxia. Various experimental details, such as the hypoxic experimental conditions, expression patterns, and sample types, were carefully collected and integrated. Furthermore, 8788 candidate genes from diverse species inhabiting low-oxygen environments were also integrated. In addition, we conducted an orthologous search and computationally identified 394,141 proteins that may respond to hypoxia among 48 animals. An enrichment analysis of human proteins identified from LTEs shows that these proteins are enriched in certain drug targets and cancer genes. Annotation of known posttranslational modification (PTM) sites in the proteins identified by LTEs reveals that these proteins undergo extensive PTMs, particularly phosphorylation, ubiquitination, and acetylation. iHypoxia provides a convenient and user-friendly method for users to obtain hypoxia-related information of interest. We anticipate that iHypoxia, which is freely accessible at https://ihypoxia.omicsbio.info, will advance the understanding of hypoxia and serve as a valuable data resource.

Inhibitory effects of ultrasonic and rosmarinic acid on lipid oxidation and lipoxygenase in large yellow croaker during cold storage.

Lipid oxidation will lead to the deterioration of flavor, color and texture of aquatic products with high fatty acid content. The mechanism of ultrasound (US) combined with rosmarinic acid (RA) on lipid oxidation and endogenous enzyme activities of large yellow croaker during cold-storage (4 ℃) was investigated. The result showed that the US and RA have synergistic effects in delaying lipid oxidation and inhibiting endogenous lipase and lipoxygenase (LOX) activities related to oxidation. The inhibition of LOX activity by RA was dose-dependent, and US showed a negative effect on the inhibition of enzyme activity in the presence of low concentration RA. Moreover, RA changes the enzyme structure through static fluorescence quenching and interaction with enzyme molecules. Hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction are the main interaction forces between RA and LOX. This study could provide basic mechanism of US treatment cooperating with polyphenols to inhibit lipid oxidation during food preservation.

Effect of tea polyphenols on sturgeon myofibrillar protein structure in the in vitro anti-glycation model mediated by low temperature vacuum heating.

The binding mechanism between tea polyphenols and sturgeon myofibrillar protein (SMP) in the early stage (0, 2, 4 min), middle stage (6, 10 min) and late stage (15 min) of low temperature vacuum heating (LTVH) in an in vitro anti-glycation model was investigated. The result indicated that the protein cross-linking during LTVH treatment were mainly induced by tea polyphenols. The loss rate of free arginine (Arg) and free lysine (Lys) of SMP at the late stage of LTVH treatment (15 min) was 73.95 % and 83.16 %, respectively. The hydrophobic force and disulfide bond were the main force between tea polyphenols and SMP in the middle and late stage of LTVH treatment. The benzene ring and phenolic hydroxyl group of tea polyphenols can interact with the amino acid residues of SMP, which was exothermic and entropy-increasing. This study provides new insights in the interaction mechanisms between tea polyphenols-protein during heat treatment process.

AIE -active TPA modified Schiff base for successive sensing of Cu2+ and His via an on-off-on method and its application in bioimaging.

In this article, a novel triphenylamine-modified salicylaldehyde Schiff base 2-(((4-(diphenylamino)phenyl)imino)methyl)-4-(pyridine-4-yl)phenol (HL) was synthesized and structurally characterized. HL possessed D-π-A structure and exhibited typical AIE property in THF/H2O. It was applied to selectively recognize Cu2+ through an on-off mode in THF/H2O (1/9, v/v), and the fluorescence attenuation was attributed to a paramagnetic quenching effect of Cu2+ together with the abatement of HL aggregates. Hence, the detection limit achieved was as low as 1.32 × 10-7 M. The spectroscopic and ESI-HRMS results revealed a 1 : 2 complexation ratio of Cu2+ with HL. The mechanism for sensing Cu2+ was further confirmed by performing DFT calculations. Owing to the large affinity between Cu2+ and His, the resultant CuL2 system was further used to detect His via the off-on method based on the displacement of ligands. The detection limit for His reached 5.14 × 10-8 M. Furthermore, HL was available to prepare handy indicator papers for the on-site recognition of Cu2+ and His. Confocal fluorescent imaging demonstrated that HL could sequentially respond to intracellular Cu2+ and His.

Vibration mill-assisted complex enzyme hydrolysis for flavoring of freeze-dried sea cucumber powder.

This study aims to analyze the flavor differences of freeze-dried sea cucumber powder, processed for different time intervals, under vibration mill-assisted complex enzyme hydrolysis using electronic nose (E-nose) and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). The results of principal component analysis by E-nose showed distinction among the four groups of freeze-dried sea cucumber powder (papain-neutral protease (PN) and flavorzyme-neutral protease (FN), processed for 60 and 80 min). The GC-IMS revealed 35 volatile compounds. Subsequently, based on the fingerprint and heat map results, the flavor differences among the samples were clearly distinguished. When compared to the other three groups, the 60-FN group exhibited a greater variety and quantity of volatile compounds such as octanal, heptanal, hexanal, (E, Z)-2,6-nonadienal, and nonanal. The 80-PN group exhibited high amounts of 2-propanone, ethylbenzene, ethyl acetate, and 2,5-dimethylpyrazine. In addition, the vibration mill technique was considered to be a mild enzyme-assisted method. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This study found that different enzyme types and physical technology operation time can affect the different volatile flavor compounds of freeze-dried sea cucumber powder, which can be quickly and effectively be identified by E-nose and GC-IMS technology to improve the flavor and quality of the product, while facilitating the rapid adjustment and development of the industry. Meanwhile, the results of the study could provide a reference for the deep processing and flavor improvement of the sea cucumber industry and make an important contribution to the related literature. In addition, this could also promote the development and application of non-thermal processing technologies such as vibratory mill in the freeze-dried sea cucumber powder industry.

The Novel Function of Unsymmetrical Chiral CCN Pincer Nickel Complexes as Chemotherapeutic Agents Targeting Prostate Cancer Cells.

We report that the pincer nickel complexes display prostate cancer antitumor properties through inhibition of cell proliferation. Notably, they display better antitumor properties than cisplatin. Mechanistic studies reveal that these pincer nickel complexes trigger cell apoptosis, most likely due to cell cycle arrest. Interestingly, these complexes also inhibit androgen receptor (AR) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) signaling, which are critical for prostate cancer survival and progression. Our study reveals a novel function of pincer nickel complexes as potential therapeutic drugs in prostate cancer.

G-Protein Subunit Gamma 4 as a Potential Biomarker for Predicting the Response of Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy in Bladder Cancer.

BACKGROUND: GNG4, a member of the G-protein γ family, is a marker of poor overall survival (OS) rates in some malignancies. However, the potential role of GNG4 in bladder cancer (BLCA) is unknown. It is also unclear whether GNG4 may be utilized as a marker to guide chemotherapy or immunotherapy. METHODS: Single-cell RNA sequencing data were used to explore the expression of GNG4 in tumor microenvironment of BLCA. Bulk RNA sequencing data from TCGA were used to evaluate the relationship between GNG4 expression and biological features, such as immune cell infiltrations and gene mutations. The associations between GNG4 expression and survival in BLCA patients under or not under immunotherapy were evaluated using seven BLCA cohorts. RESULTS: GNG4 was specifically expressed in exhausted CD4+ T cells. And the high expression of the GNG4 was associated with high level of immune cell infiltration. The high-GNG4-expression group displayed a better response to immunotherapy, whereas patients in the low-GNG4-expression group often benefited from chemotherapy. Moreover, the high-GNG4 group was more similar to the basal group, whereas the low-GNG4 group was similar to the luminal group. CONCLUSIONS: GNG4 may be a potential biomarker for the prediction of the response to therapy in BLCA. Higher GNG4 expression can be used as a predictor of response to immunotherapy, and lower GNG4 expression can be used as a predictor of response to chemotherapy.

Dynamic Full-Color Tuning of Organic Chromophore in a Multi-Stimuli-Responsive 2D Flexible MOF.

Developing universal stimuli-responsive materials capable of emitting a broad spectrum of colors is highly desirable. Herein, we deliberately grafted a conformation-adaptable organic chromophore into the established coordination space of a flexible metal-organic framework (MOF). In terms of the coupled structural transformations and the space confinement, the chromophore in the MOF matrix underwent well-regulated conformational changes under physical and chemical stimuli, simultaneously displaying thermo-, piezo-, and solvato-fluoro-chromism with color tunability over the visible range. Owing to the resilient nature and the reduced dimensionality of the selected coordination space, all three color modulations behaved in a sensitive and self-reversible manner, each following a linear correlation of the emission maximum with stimulus. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction of the variable-temperature structures and solvent-inclusion crystals elucidated the intricate color varying mechanisms.

Enhanced catalytic activity of recombinant transaminase by molecular modification to improve L-phosphinothricin production.

Transaminases catalyze the transfer of an amino group from a donor to a keto group of an acceptor substrate and are applicable to the asymmetric synthesis of herbicide L-phosphinothricin (L-PPT). Here, the important residue sites (C390, I22, V52, R141, Y138 and D239) of transaminase from Salmonella enterica (SeTA) were modified at the adjacency of the substrate-binding pocket to improve the enzyme activity. Among the constructed mutant library, the SeTA-Y138F mutant displayed higher activity than the wild-type enzyme. Compared to the wild-type, SeTA-Y138F showed improved catalytic efficiency with a 4.36-fold increase. The Km and kcat of SeTA -Y138F toward 4-(hydroxy(methyl) phosphoryl)-2-oxobutanoic acid (PPO) were 26.39 mM and 34.28 s-1, respectively. Subsequently, the three-enzyme co-expression system of E. coli BL21 (DE3)/pACYCDuet-SeTA-Y138F/pETDuet-AlaDH-BsGDH was developed by combining a alanine dehydrogenase (AlaDH) to recycle the byproduct of amino donor, a glucose dehydrogenase (BsGDH) for cofactor recycling. Under the optimized conditions, an excellent L-PPT yield of 90.8% was achieved by the whole-cell biotransformation with 500 mM PPO. It exhibited the tri-enzymatic coupling system was potential for effective production of target L-PPT.

Simultaneous partial nitritation, anammox, and denitrification process for the treatment of simulated municipal sewage in a single-stage biofilter reactor.

This study provides a feasible scheme for the treatment of municipal sewage through simultaneous partial nitritation, anammox, and denitrification (SNAD) process, which was realized in a single-stage biofilter reactor (BFR). First, the BFR was started up to enrich the anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB) in the upper part of the reactor through the operation mode of the top influent and bottom effluent. Then, the BFR was inoculated with activated sludge and aerated continuously at the bottom to realize the coupling of SNAD, which was accompanied by a two-point influent from the bottom and top effluent. Results indicated that the high removal efficiency of NH4+-N (93.40%), total nitrogen (TN, 89.95%), and soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD, 92.68%) were achieved with an air-water ratio of 4.29 and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 6 h. During the SNAD steady phase for the treatment of simulated municipal sewage with a soluble chemical organic demand to nitrogen (C/N) ratio of 2.31, low concentrations of NH4+-N (4.13 mg/L), TN (6.44 mg/L), and SCOD (11.29 mg/L) were attained in the effluent. High-throughput sequencing analysis indicated that the relative abundance of Nitrosomonas, Candidatus Brocadia, and Denitratisoma were 0.77%, 0.43%, and 4.07% in the biofilm at the 0-12.5 cm zone, respectively, suggesting successful implementation of the SNAD process.

Hydrogen gas post-conditioning alleviates cognitive dysfunction and anxiety-like behavior in a rat model of subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) results in high rates of mortality and lasting disability. Hydrogen gas (H2) is an antioxidant with demonstrated neuroprotective efficacy. The present study examined the therapeutic efficacy of H2 inhalation on early brain injury following experimental SAH in rats and the potential underlying molecular mechanisms. The rats were randomly separated into three groups (n=36 per group): Sham, SAH and SAH + H2. Endovascular perforation of the right internal carotid artery was used to establish SAH. After perforation, rats in the SAH + H2 group inhaled 2.9% H2 with regular oxygen for 2 h. Then, 24 h post-SAH, TUNEL staining was used to detect apoptotic neurons, and both immunostaining and western blotting were conducted to examine changes in p38 MAPK activity and the expression levels of apoptotic regulators (Bcl-2, Bax and cleaved caspase-3) in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Then, 30 day post-SAH, Nissl staining was performed to detect neuronal injury, brain MRI was conducted to detect gross changes in brain structure and metabolism, the open field test was used to assess anxiety and the novel object recognition test was performed to assess memory. H2 inhalation following experimental SAH stabilized brain metabolites, improved recognition memory and reduced anxiety-like behavior, the neuronal apoptosis rate, phosphorylated p38 MAPK expression, cleaved caspase-3 expression and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Collectively, the present results suggested that H2 inhalation can alleviate SAH-induced cognitive impairment, behavioral abnormalities and neuronal apoptosis in rats, possibly via inhibition of the p38 MAPK signal pathway.