Structural Reassignment of Covalent Organic Framework-Supported Palladium Species: Heterogenized Palladacycles as Efficient Catalysts for Sustainable C-H Activation.

Recent decades have witnessed remarkable progress in ligand-promoted C-H activation with palladium catalysts. While a number of transformations have been achieved with a fairly broad substrate scope, the general requirements for high palladium loadings and enormous challenges in catalyst recycling severely limit the practical applications of C-H activation methodologies in organic synthesis. Herein, we incorporate N,C-ligand-chelated palladacycles into rigid, porous, and crystalline covalent organic frameworks for the C-H arylation of indole and pyrrole derivatives. These heterogeneous palladium catalysts exhibit superior stability and recyclability compared to their homogeneous counterparts. We not only produce several highly reactive palladacycles embedded on new framework supports to facilitate C-H activation/C-C bond-forming reactions but also reassign heterogenized palladium species on frameworks containing a benzaldehyde-derived imine moiety as imine-based palladacycles via comprehensive characterization. Our findings provide guidance for the rational design of framework-supported metallacycles in the development of heterogeneous transition-metal catalysis.

TransCell: In Silico Characterization of Genomic Landscape and Cellular Responses by Deep Transfer Learning.

Gene expression profiling of new or modified cell lines becomes routine today; however, obtaining comprehensive molecular characterization and cellular responses for a variety of cell lines, including those derived from underrepresented groups, is not trivial when resources are minimal. Using gene expression to predict other measurements has been actively explored; however, systematic investigation of its predictive power in various measurements has not been well studied. Here, we evaluated commonly used machine learning methods and presented TransCell, a two-step deep transfer learning framework that utilized the knowledge derived from pan-cancer tumor samples to predict molecular features and responses. Among these models, TransCell had the best performance in predicting metabolite, gene effect score (or genetic dependency), and drug sensitivity, and had comparable performance in predicting mutation, copy number variation, and protein expression. Notably, TransCell improved the performance by over 50% in drug sensitivity prediction and achieved a correlation of 0.7 in gene effect score prediction. Furthermore, predicted drug sensitivities revealed potential repurposing candidates for new 100 pediatric cancer cell lines, and predicted gene effect scores reflected BRAF resistance in melanoma cell lines. Together, we investigated the predictive power of gene expression in six molecular measurement types and developed a web portal (http://apps.octad.org/transcell/) that enables the prediction of 352,000 genomic and cellular response features solely from gene expression profiles.

The role of calcium channels in osteoporosis and their therapeutic potential.

Osteoporosis, a systemic skeletal disorder marked by diminished bone mass and compromised bone microarchitecture, is becoming increasingly prevalent due to an aging population. The underlying pathophysiology of osteoporosis is attributed to an imbalance between osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and osteoblast-mediated bone formation. Osteoclasts play a crucial role in the development of osteoporosis through various molecular pathways, including the RANK/RANKL/OPG signaling axis, cytokines, and integrins. Notably, the calcium signaling pathway is pivotal in regulating osteoclast activation and function, influencing bone resorption activity. Disruption in calcium signaling can lead to increased osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, contributing to the progression of osteoporosis. Emerging research indicates that calcium-permeable channels on the cellular membrane play a critical role in bone metabolism by modulating these intracellular calcium pathways. Here, we provide an overview of current literature on the regulation of plasma membrane calcium channels in relation to bone metabolism with particular emphasis on their dysregulation during the progression of osteoporosis. Targeting these calcium channels may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for treating osteoporosis.

Perspectives and needs for fertility preservation decision-making in childbearing-age patients with breast cancer: A qualitative study.

Objective: To explore the perspectives and needs related to fertility preservation decision-making in patients of childbearing age with breast cancer. Methods: Semistructured face-to-face interviews were conducted in a tertiary hospital in Baoding, China from July to October 2023. Purposive sampling was used to ensure the diversity of samples. The interview guide is based on the literature review and the discussions within the research team. A traditional content analysis approach was used for data analysis. Results: A total of 18 participants were interviewed. Three themes emerged from the data: conflicts between subjective desires and concerns, coexistence of objective benefits and challenges, and decision-making support needs. The conflicts between subjective desires and concerns included five sub-themes, the coexistence of objective benefits and challenges also included five sub-themes, and the decision-making support needs included two sub-themes. Conclusions: Patients faced a difficult trade-off between desires and concerns, benefits, and challenges regarding fertility preservation decisions, with numerous unmet needs. Healthcare professionals should prioritize patients' fertility desires, providing timely fertility preservation information and adequate counseling after a cancer diagnosis. This approach can help alleviate unnecessary concerns, facilitate satisfactory decision-making, and improve patients' quality of life.

T cell responses in immune-mediated IgA nephropathy.

Immunoglobulin A nephropathy is a complex autoimmune disease with various underlying causes and significant clinical heterogeneity. There are large individual differences in its development, and the etiology and pathogenesis are still poorly understood. While it is known that immunobiological factors play a significant role in the pathophysiology of immunoglobulin A nephropathy, the specific nature of these factors has yet to be fully elucidated. Numerous investigations have verified that CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes are involved in the immunopathogenesis of immunoglobulin A nephropathy. Furthermore, certain data also point to γδT cells' involvement in the pathophysiology of immunoglobulin A nephropathy. By thoroughly examining the mechanisms of action of these T cells in the context of immunoglobulin A nephropathy, this review sheds light on the immunopathogenesis of the disease and its associated factors. The review is intended to provide reference value for the future research in this field and promising treatment clues for clinical patients.

Oral Administration of Fermented Milk from Co-Starter Containing Lactobacillus plantarum Y44 Shows an Ameliorating Effect on Hypertension in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats.

Fermented dairy foods such as yogurt exhibit some beneficial effects on consumers, including relieving the symptoms of hypertension. This study aims to obtain fermented dairy products from a co-starter that have a great flavor and the auxiliary function of reducing blood pressure after longtime consumption. Commercial starter cultures composed of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus CICC 6047 and Streptococcus thermophilus CICC 6038 were combined with Lactobacillus plantarum strains Y44, Y12, and Y16, respectively, as a combined starter culture to ferment the mixed milk of skim milk and soybean milk. The fermented milk produced using the combined starter culture mixed with L. plantarum Y44 showed an angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity (53.56 ± 0.69%). Some peptides that regulate blood pressure were released in the fermented milk, such as AMKPWIQPK, GPVRGPFPII, LNVPGEIVE, NIPPLTQTPV, and YQEPVL. In spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) oral-administration experiments compared with the gavage unfermented milk group, the gavage feeding of SHRs with the fermented milk produced using the combined starter culture mixed with L. plantarum Y44 significantly reduced the blood pressure of the SHRs after long-term intragastric administration, shown with the systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) decreasing by 23.67 ± 2.49 mmHg and 15.22 ± 2.62 mmHg, respectively. Moreover, the abundance of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), bacterial diversity in the gut microbiota, and SCFA levels including acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid in the feces of the SHRs were increased via oral administration of the fermented milk produced using the combined starter culture containing L. plantarum Y44. Furthermore, the ACE-angiotensin II (Ang II)-angiotensin type 1 (AT 1) axis was downregulated, the angiotensin-converting-enzyme 2 (ACE 2)-angiotensin(1-7) (Ang1-7)-Mas receptor axis of the SHRs was upregulated, and then the RAS signal was rebalanced. The fermented milk obtained from the combined starter culture shows the potential to be a functional food with antihypertension properties.

Cloning and characterization of heat shock transcription factor 1 and its functional role for Hsp70 production in the sea slug Onchidium reevesii.

To investigate the regulatory role of heat shock transcription factor 1 of sea slug Onchidium reevesii (OrHSF1) on Hsp70 expression in the sea slug under stress , the OrHSF1 gene was cloned and bioinformatics analysis was performed, then the gene and protein expressions by RNA interference (RNAi) mediated knockdown of OrHSF1 expression were measured to clarify the regulatory relationship between OrHSF1 and Hsp70 under low-frequency noise (LFN) stress. Our study was the first to clone a 1572 bp sequence of the OrHSF1 gene, with the sequence coding for amino acids (CDS) being 729 bp, encoding 243 amino acids. O. reevesii shared a close evolutionary relationship with mollusks such as the Aplysia californica. OrHSF1 gene is widely expressed in different tissues of sea slugs, with the highest expression in the intestine and the lowest in the reproductive glands. Furthermore, we used RNA interference (RNAi) as a tool to silence the OrHSF1 gene in the central nervous system (CNS) and the results indicated that gene silencing was occurring systematically in the CNS and the suppression of OrHSF1 expression by RNAi-mediated gene silencing altered the expression of Hsp70; besides, the expression trends of OrHSF1 gene and Hsp70 were consistent in the 3 and 5-day RNAi experiment. Moreover, in sea slugs injected with siHSF1 and exposed to LFN, the mRNA expression and protein expression of Hsp70 in the CNS were significantly decreased compared to the low-frequency noise group (P < 0.05). This study demonstrated that OrHSF1 regulates Hsp70 expression in marine mollusks under low-frequency noise, and HSF1-Hsp70 axis plays a key role in stress response.

Exopolysaccharide secreted by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Y12 showed inhibitory effect on the pathogenicity of Shigella flexneri in vitro and in vivo.

Shigella flexneri is a prevalent foodborne and waterborne pathogen that threatens human health. Our previous research indicated that the Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Y12 exopolysaccharide (L-EPS) potentially inhibited the pathogenicity of S. flexneri. The in vitro results of this study demonstrated that L-EPS effectively mitigated the symptoms induced by S. flexneri in HT-29 cells, including inhibited gene expression levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, TLR 2/4, and NOD1/2; decreased apoptosis ratio; and alleviated damage degree of intestinal barrier function (Zona occludens 1, Occludin, and Claudin-1). The in vivo results demonstrated that S. flexneri treated with L-EPS elicited mild adverse physiological manifestations, an inflammatory response, and tissue damage. The infection of S. flexneri caused significant alterations in the abundance of phylum (Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, Actinobacteriota, and Proteobacteria), family (Lachnospiraceae, Muribaculaceae, Rikenellaceae, Prevotellaceaea, Ruminococcaceae, and Lactobaillaceae), and genus (Escherichia Shigella and Lachnospirillaceae NK4A136 group) within the cecal microbiota. These changes were accompanied by perturbations in taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle activity, arginine biosynthesis, and histidine metabolic pathways. However, intervention with L-EPS attenuated the dysbiosis of cecal microbiota and metabolic disturbances. In summary, our research suggested a potential application of L-EPS as a functional food additive for mitigating S. flexneri infection.

Deciphering roles of protein post-translational modifications in IgA nephropathy progression and potential therapy.

Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), one type of glomerulonephritis, displays the accumulation of glycosylated IgA in the mesangium. Studies have demonstrated that both genetics and epigenetics play a pivotal role in the occurrence and progression of IgAN. Post-translational modification (PTM) has been revealed to critically participate in IgAN development and progression because PTM dysregulation results in impaired degradation of proteins that regulate IgAN pathogenesis. A growing number of studies identify that PTMs, including sialylation, o-glycosylation, galactosylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitination and deubiquitination, modulate the initiation and progression of IgAN. Hence, in this review, we discuss the functions and mechanisms of PTMs in regulation of IgAN. Moreover, we outline numerous compounds that govern PTMs and attenuate IgAN progression. Targeting PTMs might be a useful strategy to ameliorate IgAN.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DLPT4 Protects Against Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppression in Mice by Regulating Immune Response and Intestinal Flora.

In this study, the strain Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DLPT4 was investigated for the immunostimulatory activity in cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppressed BALB/c mice. L. plantarum DLPT4 was administered to BALB/c mice by oral gavage for 30 days, and CTX was injected intraperitoneally from the 25th to the 27th days. Intraperitoneal injection of CTX caused damage to the thymic cortex and intestines, and the immune dysfunction of the BALB/c mice. L. plantarum DLPT4 oral administration exerted immunoregulating effects evidenced by increasing serum immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG, and IgM) levels and reducing the genes expression of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α) of the CTX-induced immunosuppressed mice. The results of the metagenome-sequencing analysis showed that oral administration of L. plantarum DLPT4 could regulate the intestinal microbial community of the immunosuppressed mice by changing the ratio of Lactiplantibacillus and Bifidobacterium. Meanwhile, the abundance of carbohydrate enzyme (CAZyme), immune diseases metabolic pathways, and AP-1/MAPK signaling pathways were enriched in the mice administrated with L. plantarum DLPT4. In conclusion, oral administration of L. plantarum DLPT4 ameliorated symptoms of CTX-induced immunosuppressed mice by regulating gut microbiota, influencing the abundance of carbohydrate esterase in the intestinal flora, and enhancing immune metabolic activity. L. plantarum DLPT4 could be a potential probiotic to regulate the immune response.

Effects of acute hypoxia and reoxygenation on histological structure, antioxidant response, and apoptosis in razor clam Sinonovacula constricta.

Hypoxia is one of the major environmental problems limiting the healthy development of intensive aquaculture. Marine benthic shellfish are encountering heightened problems related to hypoxic stress as a result of ongoing human activities and aquaculture operations. Razor clam Sinonovacula constricta, a commercially valuable shellfish, has not yet been reported in studies on physiological changes caused by hypoxia and reoxygenation. To understand the negative effects of hypoxia and reoxygenation on the clams, we set up two low-oxygen concentration groups (DO 2.0 mg/L and DO 0.5 mg/L) and assessed multiple aspects of oxidative damage to their hepatopancreas and gills. After the hypoxic stress, the two tissues of the razor clam suffered varying degrees of damage, including cell degeneration and disruption of mitochondrial cristae. After reoxygenation, the 2.0 mg/L group recovered substantially, but the clams in the 0.5 mg/L group still unrecovered. The activities of antioxidant enzymes (MDA, T-AOC, SOD, GPX, and CAT) in clams were considerably altered by acute hypoxia and reoxygenation. Briefly, there was a growing and then declining trend in MDA, T-AOC, and SOD activities in the hepatopancreas, whereas GPX and CAT activities showed the converse trend. In the hepatopancreas and gills, the level of anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2 transcripts gradually decreased with the duration of hypoxia and increased following reoxygenation. However, changes in the transcript level of the pro-apoptotic gene Bax were in contrast to that of Bcl-2. The TUNEL assay revealed that hypoxia caused apoptosis. Furthermore, at DO 0.5 mg/L, the degree of apoptosis was more significant than at DO 2.0 mg/L, and hepatopancreatic apoptosis was more severe than gill apoptosis. Collectively, our findings imply that hypoxia induces oxidative stress, histological damage, and apoptosis in razor clams in a concentration-dependent and tissue-specific manner. These consequences serve as a reminder that prolonged recovery periods may be required for razor clams to fully recover from oxidative damage resulting from hypoxia-reoxygenation episodes.

Effects of Physical Activity on Quality of Life, Anxiety and Depression in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Anxiety, depression, and poor quality of life (QOL) were considered important concerns that hindered the rehabilitation of breast cancer survivors. A number of studies have investigated the effects of physical activity, but they have not reached the same conclusions. This review aimed to identify the effects of physical activity on QOL, anxiety, and depression in breast cancer survivors. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, SinoMed, CNKI, Vip, and WanFang databases were searched for the time period between January 1, 2012, and April 30, 2022. Studies were included if they were randomized controlled trials of the effects of physical activity on QOL, anxiety, or depression in breast cancer survivors. The tools of the Joanna Briggs Institute were used to assess the quality of the included studies. R software version 4.3.1 was used for meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 26 studies, involving 2105 participants, were included in the systematic review. Among these, 20 studies involving 1228 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with the control group, the results indicated that physical activity can significantly improve QOL(Hedges' g = 0.67; 95% CI 0.41-0.92) and reduce anxiety (Hedges' g = -0.28; 95% CI -0.46 to -0.10) in breast cancer survivors. However, the effect of physical activity on depression (Hedges' g = -0.46; 95% CI -0.99 to 0.06) was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity was an effective intervention to improve QOL and reduce anxiety in breast cancer survivors, as well as showed positive trends in depression, although without statistical significance. More well-designed studies are required to clarify the effects of different types of physical activities on the QOL, anxiety, and depression among breast cancer survivors. REGISTERED NUMBER ON PROSPERO: CRD42022363094. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=363094.

Exopolysaccharide produced by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Y12 exhibits inhibitory effect on the Shigella flexneri genes expression related to biofilm formation.

Shigella is a specific enteric pathogen in humans, causing symptoms of bacterial dysentery. The biofilm formation of S. flexneri contributes to the emergence of multidrug resistance and facilitates the establishment of persistent chronic infections. This study investigated the regulatory effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Y12 exopolysaccharide (L-EPS) on gene expression and its spatial hindrance effects in inhibiting the biofilm formation of S. flexneri. The transcriptome analysis revealed a significant impact of L-EPS on the gene expression profile of S. flexneri, with a total of 968 genes showing significant changes (507 up-regulated and 461 down-regulated). The significantly down-regulated KEGG metabolic pathway enriched in phosphotransferase system, Embden-Meyerhf-Parnas, Citrate cycle, Lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, Cationic antimicrobial peptide resistance, Two-component system. Moreover, L-EPS significantly down-regulated the gene expression levels of fimbriae synthesis (fimF), lipopolysaccharide synthesis (lptE, lptB), anchor protein repeat domain (arpA), virulence factor (lpp, yqgB), antibiotic resistance (marR, cusB, mdtL, mdlB), heavy metal resistance (zraP), and polysaccharide synthesis (mtgA, mdoB, mdoC). The expression of biofilm regulator factor (bssS) and two-component system suppressor factor (mgrB) were significantly up-regulated. The RT-qPCR results indicated that a major component of L-EPS (L-EPS 2-1) exhibited the gene regulatory effect on the S. flexneri biofilm formation. Furthermore, electrophoresis and isothermal microtitration calorimetry demonstrated that the interaction between L-EPS 2-1 and eDNA is electrostatic dependent on the change in environmental pH, disrupting the stable spatial structure of S. flexneri biofilm. In conclusion, L-EPS inhibited the biofilm formation of S. flexneri through gene regulation and spatial obstruction effects.

Experiences of breast cancer survivors with exercise rehabilitation: qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to synthesize and evaluate the available qualitative literature on posttreatment participation in exercise rehabilitation among breast cancer survivors. METHODS: This systematic review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) meta-aggregation approach guided by ENTREQ, graded according to the ConQual approach, and evaluated using the JBI Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-QARI). We searched qualitative or mixed methods studies related to the experiences of exercise rehabilitation among breast cancer survivors conducted until April 13, 2023, in nine English and Chinese databases. The selected studies were reviewed independently, and the data were collaboratively synthesized into core themes. RESULTS: A total of 24 studies were included, and 88 findings resulted in five synthesis findings: (a) benefits of participating in exercise rehabilitation, (b) facilitators of participation in exercise rehabilitation, (c) obstacle factors for participating in exercise rehabilitation, (d) evaluation of the exercise program, and (e) recommendations. CONCLUSION: Breast cancer survivors need exercise to recover physically and mentally and to transition from cancer treatment to a normal life. The factors affecting exercise participation in breast cancer survivors are complex. Breast cancer survivors require timely and continuous effective exercise intervention forms, including online, offline, instrumental, and emotional support from others, especially healthcare providers and family members. Moreover, multidisciplinary collaboration is required to develop more effective and convenient exercise interventions.

RIS-Aided Proactive Mobile Network Downlink Interference Suppression: A Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach.

A proactive mobile network (PMN) is a novel architecture enabling extremely low-latency communication. This architecture employs an open-loop transmission mode that prohibits all real-time control feedback processes and employs virtual cell technology to allocate resources non-exclusively to users. However, such a design also results in significant potential user interference and worsens the communication's reliability. In this paper, we propose introducing multi-reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) technology into the downlink process of the PMN to increase the network's capacity against interference. Since the PMN environment is complex and time varying and accurate channel state information cannot be acquired in real time, it is challenging to manage RISs to service the PMN effectively. We begin by formulating an optimization problem for RIS phase shifts and reflection coefficients. Furthermore, motivated by recent developments in deep reinforcement learning (DRL), we propose an asynchronous advantage actor-critic (A3C)-based method for solving the problem by appropriately designing the action space, state space, and reward function. Simulation results indicate that deploying RISs within a region can significantly facilitate interference suppression. The proposed A3C-based scheme can achieve a higher capacity than baseline schemes and approach the upper limit as the number of RISs increases.

Phosphine-Triggered Structural Defects in Au44 Homologues Boost Electrocatalytic CO2 Reduction.

The systematic induction of structural defects at the atomic level is crucial to metal nanocluster research because it endows cluster-based catalysts with highly reactive centers and allows for a comprehensive investigation of viable reaction pathways. Herein, by substituting neutral phosphine ligands for surface anionic thiolate ligands, we establish that one or two Au3 triangular units can be successfully introduced into the double-stranded helical kernel of Au44 (TBBT)28 , where TBBT=4-tert-butylbenzenethiolate, resulting in the formation of two atomically precise defective Au44 nanoclusters. Along with the regular face-centered-cubic (fcc) nanocluster, the first series of mixed-ligand cluster homologues is identified, with a unified formula of Au44 (PPh3 )n (TBBT)28-2n (n=0-2). The Au44 (PPh3 )(TBBT)26 nanocluster having major structural defects at the bottom of the fcc lattice demonstrates superior electrocatalytic performance in the CO2 reduction to CO. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the active site near the defects significantly lowers the free energy for the *COOH formation, the rate-determining step in the whole catalytic process.

Risk prediction models for breast cancer-related lymphedema: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To review and critically evaluate currently available risk prediction models for breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). METHODS: PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, SinoMed, WangFang Data, VIP Database were searched from inception to April 1, 2022, and updated on November 8, 2022. Study selection, data extraction and quality assessment were conducted by two independent reviewers. The Prediction Model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool was used to assess the risk of bias and applicability. Meta-analysis of AUC values of model external validations was performed using Stata 17.0. RESULTS: Twenty-one studies were included, reporting twenty-two prediction models, with the AUC or C-index ranging from 0.601 to 0.965. Only two models were externally validated, with the pooled AUC of 0.70 (n = 3, 95%CI: 0.67 to 0.74), and 0.80 (n = 3, 95%CI: 0.75 to 0.86), respectively. Most models were developed using classical regression methods, with two studies using machine learning. Predictors most frequently used in included models were radiotherapy, body mass index before surgery, number of lymph nodes dissected, and chemotherapy. All studies were judged as high overall risk of bias and poorly reported. CONCLUSIONS: Current models for predicting BCRL showed moderate to good predictive performance. However, all models were at high risk of bias and poorly reported, and their performance is probably optimistic. None of these models is suitable for recommendation in clinical practice. Future research should focus on validating, optimizing, or developing new models in well-designed and reported studies, following the methodology guidance and reporting guidelines.

Milk fermented by combined starter cultures comprising three Lactobacillus strains exerts an alleviating effect on loperamide-induced constipation in BALB/c mice.

Fermented dairy food, such as yogurt, exhibits some beneficial effects on consumers, including alleviating constipation. In this study, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus DPUL-36, Lactobacillus paracasei DPUL-40 and Lactobacillus paracasei DPUL-44 were used as combined starter cultures at a bacterial cell ratio of 1 : 1 : 1 for reconstituted skim milk fermentation. The milk fermented with the combined starter culture showed good sensory properties. During the storage period, the yogurt showed high lactic acid bacteria vitality and quality stability. Constipated BALB/c mice induced by loperamide (Lop) were orally administered with the combined starter culture fermented milk for 14 days. The results clearly showed that oral administration of the fermented milk relieved Lop-induced constipation in the mice, as evidenced by the significantly increased fecal water content, reduced first black stool time, improved gastrointestinal transmission rate, recovered colon tissue damage, increased level of excitatory neurotransmitters (motilin, gastrin, and substance P) and reduced level of inhibitory neurotransmitters (vasoactive intestinal peptide, somatostatin and endothelin-1) of the mice. Compared with the mice in the Lop group, oral administration of the fermented milk significantly increased the concentrations of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, isovaleric acid and valeric acid in the feces of the mice, and furthermore, exerted a regulatory effect on the gut microbiota of the mice by up-regulating the abundance of Lactobacillus and Bacteroides, and decreasing the abundance of Helicobacter, Pseudomonas and Porphyromonas. Our results indicated that the combined starter culture fermented milk can effectively alleviate Lop-induced-constipation in BALB/c mice. The relationship between the nutrient profiles and the health promoting function of the yogurt should be further illustrated.

Highly Boosting Circularly Polarized Luminescence of Chiral Metal-Imidazolate Frameworks.

To develop a simple and general method for improving the circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) performances of materials is of great significance. In this work, two pairs of CPL-active homochiral metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) P/M-Et and P/M-Et(Cd) with eta topology are reported. In comparison to the reported isomorphic Zn-imidazolate MOFs P-Me and M-Me, both luminescence dissymmetry factor (glum ) and photoluminescence quantum yields (ΦPL ) of P-Et and M-Et are largely improved by simply changing the methyl group to an ethyl group of ligands in P-Et and M-Et. Furthermore, the |glum | values are significantly amplified up to 0.015 from 0.0057 by introducing the non-luminescent halogenated aromatics, while an enhanced fluorescence efficiency is observed simultaneously (from 27.2% to 47.3%). The figure of merit value is about 40 times larger than that of P-Me and M-Me. Similarly, the CPL performances of P/M-Et(Cd) are improved by about five times after encapsulating fluorobenzene molecules. This work represents a new and simple method for developing CPL-active MOF materials.

Low Prealbumin Levels Were Associated with Increased Frequency of Hepatic Encephalopathy in Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)-Related Decompensated Cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND The role of nutritional parameter prealbumin in predicting the incidence of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) remains unclear. This study was designed to assess the diagnostic performance of prealbumin in predicting the incidence of HE in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related decompensated liver cirrhosis patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective cohort of 262 patients with HBV-related decompensated liver cirrhosis was involved in this study. Prealbumin, albumin, and other indicators were collected at admission, and independent factors were identified by logistic regression analysis. The Mann-Whitney U test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to compare the groups and indicators. RESULTS A total of 262 patients were enrolled in the study, including 197 men and 65 women. In patients with HBV-related decompensated liver cirrhosis accompanied by HE, the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores, and prothrombin time (PT) and international normalized ratio (INR) values were significantly increased, while prealbumin and albumin levels were significantly decreased. Multivariate analysis showed that only serum prealbumin level (P=0.014) was independently related to the incidence of HE. Moreover, prealbumin level was negatively correlated with MELD (r=-0.63, P<0.001) and Child-Turcotte-Pugh (r=-0.35, P<0.001) scores. ROC curves were performed, and prealbumin showed the highest area under the ROC curve (0.781) compared with MELD and Child-Turcotte-Pugh scores. CONCLUSIONS Low prealbumin levels were associated with increased frequency of hepatic encephalopathy in HBV-related decompensated cirrhosis, which showed better performance than traditional models.