Auricular Acupressure in Relieving PONV and Promoting Gastrointestinal Function Recovery in Females After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The role of current pharmacological treatment after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is limited. The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after LSG remains high. Auricular acupressure (AA) is believed to relieve PONV after laparoscopic surgeries, but its role in patients with obesity after LSG has yet to be confirmed. METHODS: Ninety-five female patients who underwent LSG were randomized into two groups: AA combined with conventional anti-nausea medication (AA group, 47 patients) or conventional anti-nausea medication group (control group, 48 patients). Index of nausea and vomiting and retching (INVR) scores, postoperative anti-vomiting medication use, time of first anus exhausting, time of first fluid intake, and time of first to get out of bed were collected within 48 h after surgery. RESULTS: Demographic data of patients in both groups were balanced and comparable. INVR score (F = 7.505, P = 0.007), vomiting score (F = 11.903, P = 0.001), and retching score (F = 12.098, P = 0.001) were significantly lower in the AA group than that in the control group within 48 h postoperatively. Use of metoclopramide was significantly less in the AA group than in the control group (4.7 [5.5]) vs. 8.8 [7.6], P = 0.004); time to first anus exhausting was significantly less in the AA group than in the control group (17.50 [6.00] vs. 20.42 [8.62], P = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: AA combined with conventional anti-vomiting agents can alleviate PONV in female patients after LSG, and AA can promote gastrointestinal exhaustion. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial has been registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR) with the registration no. ChiCTR2100047381 on June 13, 2021.

Encoding CsPbX3 perovskite quantum dots with different colors in molecularly imprinted polymers as fluorescent probes for the quantitative detection of Sudan I in food matrices.

All-inorganic cesium lead halides (CsPbX3, X  = Cl, Br, I) perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) have attracted extensive research attention due to their unique optical properties. However, their instability and sensitivity to air and moisture hinder further use in fluorescent sensing applications. In this work, the construction and application of PQDs encoded molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs-CsPbX3) for Sudan I detection were proposed. After being encoded the PQDs, the obtained MIPs-CsPbX3 microspheres exhibited high stability for the external environment, remarkable bright fluorescence, and specific recognition for Sudan I. The fluorescent intensity of the MIPs-CsPbX3 microspheres was obviously quenched upon loading Sudan I, and good linear responses in the range of 0.5-150 µg L-1, limit of detection of 0.3 µg L-1, and good recoveries of 95.27 % to 105.96 % in spiked samples were obtained. The developed fluorescent probe provided a selective and sensitive quantified method for Sudan I detection in food matrices.

Effect of epicatechin on inflammatory cytokines and MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway in lipopolysaccharideinduced acute lung injury of BALB/c mice.

This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of epicatechin (EC) on acute lung injury (ALI) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of tracheal installation in BALB/c mice. It was observed that EC could alleviate not only the histopathological changes but also decrease the wet/dry weight (W/D) ratio of lung tissues. It also suppressed the release of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α in serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and lung tissues, respectively. A quantitative realtime PCR-based study further indicated that EC also inhibited the levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA in lung tissues. In addition, the Western blot report suggested that EC was closely involved in the inhibition of phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, p38, p65, and IκB in mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. These results provide an experimental and theoretical basis for treating pulmonary inflammation by EC.

Enhanced photo-Fenton degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride by 2, 5-dioxido-1, 4-benzenedicarboxylate-functionalized MIL-100(Fe).

Heterogeneous photo-Fenton technology has drawn tremendous attention for removal of recalcitrant pollutants. Fe-based metal-organic frameworks (Fe-MOFs) are regarded to be superior candidates in wastewater treatment technology. However, the central metal sites of the MOFs are coordinated with the linkers, which reduces active site exposure and decelerates H2O2 activation. In this study, a series of 2, 5-dioxido-1, 4-benzenedicarboxylate (H2DOBDC)-functionalized MIL-100(Fe) with enhanced degradation performance was successfully constructed via solvothermal strategy. The modified MIL-100(Fe) displayed an improvement in photo-Fenton behaviors. The photocatalytic rate constant of optimized MIL-100(Fe)-1/2/3 are 2.3, 3.6 and 4.4 times higher compared with the original MIL-100(Fe). The introduced H2DOBDC accelerates the separation and transfer in photo-induced charges and promotes Fe(II)/Fe(III) cycle, thus improving the performance. •OH and •O2- are main reactive radicals in tetracycline (TCH) degradation. Dealkylation, hydroxylation, dehydration and dealdehyding are the main pathways for TCH degradation.

Outer Membrane Protein F Is Involved in Biofilm Formation, Virulence and Antibiotic Resistance in Cronobacter sakazakii.

In some Gram-negative bacteria, ompF encodes outer membrane protein F (OmpF), which is a cation-selective porin and is responsible for the passive transport of small molecules across the outer membrane. However, there are few reports about the functions of this gene in Cronobacter sakazakii. To investigate the role of ompF in detail, an ompF disruption strain (ΔompF) and a complementation strain (cpompF) were successfully obtained. We find that OmpF can affect the ability of biofilm formation in C. sakazakii. In addition, the variations in biofilm composition of C. sakazakii were examined using Raman spectroscopy analyses caused by knocking out ompF, and the result indicated that the levels of certain biofilm components, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS), were significantly decreased in the mutant (ΔompF). Then, SDS-PAGE was used to further analyze the LPS content, and the result showed that the LPS levels were significantly reduced in the absence of ompF. Therefore, we conclude that OmpF affects biofilm formation in C. sakazakii by reducing the amount of LPS. Furthermore, the ΔompF mutant showed decreased (2.7-fold) adhesion to and invasion of HCT-8 cells. In an antibiotic susceptibility analysis, the ΔompF mutant showed significantly smaller inhibition zones than the WT, indicating that OmpF had a positive effect on the influx of antibiotics into the cells. In summary, ompF plays a positive regulatory role in the biofilm formation and adhesion/invasion, which is achieved by regulating the amount of LPS, but is a negative regulator of antibiotic resistance in C. sakazakii.

Alkylpolyglycoside modified MnFe2O4 with abundant oxygen vacancies boosting singlet oxygen dominated peroxymonosulfate activation for organic pollutants degradation.

A novel alkylpolyglycoside (APG)-modified MnFe2O4 nanocomposite (APG@MnFe2O4) enriched with oxygen vacancies (VOs) was developed via co-precipitation and characterized as a peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activator to degrade 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) as the model contaminant. The APG effectively promoted the in situ formation of VOs on MnFe2O4 and subsequently enhanced the production of singlet oxygen (1O2). Furthermore, the APG@MnFe2O4 initialized an even more efficient non-radical pathway and dominated the degradation of 2,4-DCP. The constructed APG@MnFe2O4 exhibited a much higher reaction rate constant (0.0522) by ~12.73 times of that of the bare MnFe2O4 (0.0041). The degradation efficiency of 2,4-DCP in the APG@MnFe2O4/PMS system approached 93% within 90 min, a rate significantly higher than that in the MnFe2O4/PMS system (32%) given the same condition. The reasonable catalytic mechanism can be attributed to the Fe/Mn/VOs species. The APG@MnFe2O4 also exhibits universally high removal activity for various pollutants and excellent cyclic stability. Thus, the APG@MnFe2O4 is a promising PMS activator, and its utilization offers a useful strategy for developing VOs-enriched MnFe2O4 catalysts as a means of eliminating organic pollutants from wastewater.

Simultaneously Mitigation of Acrylamide, 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural, and Oil Content in Fried Dough Twist via Different Ingredients Combination and Infrared-Assisted Deep-Frying.

The effect of main ingredients (wheat flours, polyol sweeteners, and frying oil) and infrared-assisted deep-frying on the acrylamide, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), oil content, and physicochemical characteristics of fried dough twist (FDT) were investigated. The amount of acrylamide and HMF produced in FDT made with low-gluten flour is significantly lower than that of flour with high gluten content. Among polyol sweeteners, maltitol causes the greatest reduction in acrylamide and HMF in FDT. Moreover, the oil content of FDT was significantly reduced by optimizing the infrared-assisted deep-frying process. At last, compared with deep-frying FDT made of sucrose, infrared-assisted deep-frying FDT made of maltitol reduced acrylamide, HMF, and oil content by 61.8%, 63.4%, and 27.5%, respectively. This study clearly showed that the ingredients, flour and polyol sweeteners used to process FDT are the two major determinants of the formation of acrylamide and HMF in FDT, and infrared-assisted deep-frying can significantly affect the oil content in FDT. Simultaneously, the mitigation of the acrylamide, HMF, and oil content in FDT can be achieved by using low-gluten flour and maltitol in the ingredients, combined with infrared-assisted deep-frying.

Molecular characterization of the ß-lactoglobulin conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate: Binding sites and structure changes as function of pH.

Protein conjugated with dyes is a method which can be used for analyzing food components. For example ß-lactoglobulin (ßlg) can be conjugated with amine-reactive dyes to form ßlg-dye conjugates. In this study, the effect of pH on the conjugation of ßlg with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) was investigated using MALDI-TOF MS, LC-MS, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results showed that the binding numbers increased with the increase in pH, which leading to a greater change in the zeta-potential and the secondary structure of ßlg after dye conjugation. In particular, the degree of labelling (DOL) was 94.9 ±â€¯7.9%, and the conjugation was mono-labelled at pH 8, indicating no significant changes in the physicochemical properties of ßlg. Furthermore, LC-MS revealed that the most probable conjugated lysine is located at position 100, 47 and 77 of ßlg.

Shockley Partial Dislocation-Induced Self-Rectified 1D Hydrogen Evolution Photocatalyst.

Photocatalytic stability and efficient charge separation are key factors to photocatalytic performance for visible-light-driven H2 evolution from water. Here, we report a whole novel self-rectified photocatalyst constructed from the Shockley partial dislocation-induced multiple faults, using a ternary chalcogenide, that is, Cd0.8Zn0.2S nanorod as a model material. The introduction of multiple faults, which are typical planar defects, constructs a nanorectifier that aligns along the axial direction and constitutes a relatively ordered superstructure. The band bending and Fermi-level flattening at the nanorectifier would cause the photogenerated charge carriers to be transferred reversely at the axial direction on account of the charge type and then realize the separation of the charge carriers.

Mitigation of 3-deoxyglucosone and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in brown fermented milk via an alternative browning process based on the hydrolysis of endogenous lactose.

During the conventional production of brown fermented milk (BFM), unhealthy substances (3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG), methylglyoxal (MGO), and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF)) are generated during the Maillard browning step. Here, an alternative browning process based on the hydrolysis of endogenous lactose was established. Compared with the conventional process, 3-DG and HMF were decreased by 5.91 mg kg-1 and 0.39 mg kg-1 in the brown milk base under the alternative browning process, and thereafter, 3-DG and HMF were decreased by 54.5% and 65.0% in BFM. Investigation into the formation of 3-DG, MGO, and HMF in different chemical models showed that different sugars lead to different Maillard reaction products and browning rates, contributing to the mitigation of 3-DG and HMF. Apart from the mitigation of unhealthy Maillard compounds, hydrolyzing lactose and avoiding the addition of external glucose make the alternative browning process a theoretical and practical basis for improving the quality and safety of BFM.

Formation and Alterations of the Potentially Harmful Maillard Reaction Products during the Production and Storage of Brown Fermented Milk.

To improve the quality and safety of brown fermented milk (BFM), the formation and alterations of potentially harmful Maillard reaction products (MRPs), including 3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG), methylglyoxal (MGO), 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furfural (HMF), acrylamide and flavour components were investigated during the browning, fermentation and commercial storage. MRPs were shown to be produced mainly during the browning stage. The levels of different substances varied during the fermentation and commercial storage stage. The proportion and type of carboxylic acids in the flavour components significantly increased during the fermentation stage. Browning index of milk during the browning stage was shown to be positively associated with the 3-DG (Pearson's r = 0.9632), MGO (Pearson's r = 0.9915), HMF (Pearson's r = 0.9772), and acrylamide (Pearson's r = 0.7910) levels and the total percentage of the flavour components from four different categories (Pearson's r = 0.7407). Changes in physicochemical properties of BFM during production not only contribute to predict the formation of potentially unhealthy MRPs, but also Lactobacillus species used for the fermentation should be carefully selected to improve the quality of this product.

Biocoordination Polymer Cross-Linking Structure to a 3D Star Topology Inorganic Photocatalyst Nanocrystal with Improved Hydrogen Evolution Performance.

An inorganic photocatalyst with a novel 3D star topology (ST) framework was obtained via multiple cross-linking of biocoordination polymers in one-step solvothermal conditions. It possessesd a large surface area (149.36 m2·g-1), among the highest value of the current reports, and represented the quantum size effect because of its 3D ST structure. The amino acid l-cysteine was introduced into the synthesis system to lead generation of the biometic coordination polymer through the amino acid dehydrate condensation and multiple cross-linking.

Doping effect of non-metal group in porous ultrathin g-C3N4 nanosheets towards synergistically improved photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Searching for effective approaches of accelerating charge separation and broadening optical absorption is critical for designing a high-performance photocatalytic system. Herein, a photocatalyst based on the non-metal group doped porous ultrathin g-C3N4 nanosheets (CNB NS) was prepared through a combined methodology of precursor reforming and thermal condensation. The synergistic effect of non-metal group doping and porous ultrathin nanosheet-architecture not only endow the material with improved light harvesting and regulated band structure, but also facilitate the electron-hole pair separation, supplying numerous active reactive sites and electron diffusion channels. As a result, the CNB NS photocatalyst exhibits a highly efficient photocatalytic H2 performance (the apparent quantum efficiency is 7.45% at 420 nm) and stability in water under the visible light, which is approximately 13 times higher than that of pure g-C3N4. This study may open a new perspective for designing the non-metal group doped g-C3N4 photocatalyst and further fabricate other advanced photocatalytic materials.

Inhibition effects of flavonoids on 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline and 2-amino-3,7,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline formation and alkoxy radical scavenging capabilities of flavonoids in a model system.

BACKGROUND: Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) have been considered as carcinogenic and mutagenic chemicals generated during thermal processing of protein-rich foods that can be inhibited by some flavonoids. Free radical scavenging is a major characteristic of flavonoids. RESULTS: The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50 ) values of nine flavonoids were determined by evaluating their capacity to inhibit 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx) and 2-amino-3,7,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (7,8-DiMeIQx) formation in a model system. The results of the 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) test validated that MeIQx and 7,8-DiMeIQx formed via a free radical pathway. Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopic analysis with spin trapping (α-(4-pyridyl N-oxide)-N-tert-butylnitrone (POBN) spin adduct, aN = 15.2 G and aH = 2.7 G) revealed that an alkoxy radical was the generated intermediate. The scavenging capacities of the nine flavonoids on alkoxy radicals were then evaluated based on the ESR spectra of the POBN spin adducts. CONCLUSION: The weak correlation between the alkoxy radical scavenging capacities and IC50 of the flavonoids suggested that their inhibitory activity against MeIQx and 7,8-DiMeIQx formation operates by a more complex mechanism than simply scavenging alkoxy radicals. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

A Negative Regulator of Cellulose Biosynthesis, bcsR, Affects Biofilm Formation, and Adhesion/Invasion Ability of Cronobacter sakazakii.

Cronobacter sakazakii is an important foodborne pathogen that causes neonatal meningitis and sepsis, with high mortality in neonates. However, very little information is available regarding the pathogenesis of C. sakazakii at the genetic level. In our previous study, a cellulose biosynthesis-related gene (bcsR) was shown to be involved in C. sakazakii adhesion/invasion into epithelial cells. In this study, the detailed functions of this gene were investigated using a gene knockout technique. A bcsR knockout mutant (ΔbcsR) of C. sakazakii ATCC BAA-894 showed decreased adhesion/invasion (3.9-fold) in human epithelial cell line HCT-8. Biofilm formation by the mutant was reduced to 50% of that exhibited by the wild-type (WT) strain. Raman spectrometry was used to detect variations in biofilm components caused by bcsR knockout, and certain components, including carotenoids, fatty acids, and amides, were significantly reduced. However, another biofilm component, cellulose, was increased in ΔbcsR, suggesting that bcsR negatively affects cellulose biosynthesis. This result was also verified via RT-PCR, which demonstrated up-regulation of five crucial cellulose synthesis genes (bcsA, B, C, E, Q) in ΔbcsR. Furthermore, the expression of other virulence or biofilm-related genes, including flagellar assembly genes (fliA, C, D) and toxicity-related genes (ompA, ompX, hfq), was studied. The expression of fliC and ompA in the ΔbcsR mutant was found to be remarkably reduced compared with that in the wild-type and the others were also affected excepted ompX. In summary, bcsR is a negative regulator of cellulose biosynthesis but positively regulates biofilm formation and the adhesion/invasion ability of C. sakazakii.

Role of α-Dicarbonyl Compounds in the Inhibition Effect of Reducing Sugars on the Formation of 2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine.

The effect of reducing sugars on formation of PhIP in fried pork was investigated, and the underlying mechanisms were revealed by studying the reaction pathways between α-dicarbonyl compounds (α-DCs) and PhIP. The addition of reducing sugars (such as glucose) greatly reduced the amount of PhIP in fried pork from 15.5 ng/g to less than 1.0 ng/g. The amount of PhIP decreased significantly with an increasing level of added α-DCs in model systems. Similarly, the addition of methylglyoxal (MGO) decreased significantly the levels of phenylalanine (Phe) and creatinine (Crn) but increased significantly the level of phenylacetaldehyde (PEA). 2-Amino-1-methyl-5-(2-oxopropylidene)-imidazol-4-one and N-(1-methyl-4-oxoimidazolidin-2-ylidene) amino propionic acids were identified in MGO/Crn and MGO/Crn/Phe model systems and fried pork with glucose. These results revealed that the degradation products of reducing sugars-α-DCs-play an important role in inhibiting formation of PhIP by reacting with key precursors of PhIP and itself.

Whole-Visible-Light Absorption of a Mixed-Valence Silver Vanadate Semiconductor Stemming from an Assistant Effect of d-d Transition.

Wide-light absorption is important to semiconductors exploited in many applications such as photocatalysts, photovoltaic devices, and light-emitting diodes, which can effectively improve solar energy utilization. Especially for photocatalysts, the development and design of new semiconductors that harvest the whole-visible-light region (λ = 400-800 nm) is rarely reported, which is still a tremendous challenge up to now. Here we realize whole-visible-light absorption up to 900 nm for a semiconductor by means of construction of a mixed-valence Ag0.68V2O5, which results from an assistant effect of d-d transition. Ag0.68V2O5 serving as a photocatalyst obviously exhibits photoelectrochemical and photocatalytic properties. Our results provide a brand-new feasible design strategy to broaden the light absorption of semiconductors and highlight a route to further make the best use of the full solar spectrum.

A Novel Mesoporous Single-Crystal-Like Bi2WO6 with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity for Pollutants Degradation and Oxygen Production.

The porous single-crystal-like micro/nanomaterials exhibited splendid intrinsic performance in photocatalysts, dye-sensitized solar cells, gas sensors, lithium cells, and many other application fields. Here, a novel mesoporous single-crystal-like Bi2WO6 tetragonal architecture was first achieved in the mixed molten salt system. Its crystal construction mechanism originated from the oriented attachment of nanosheet units accompanied by Ostwald ripening process. Additionally, the synergistic effect of mixed alkali metal nitrates and electrostatic attraction caused by internal electric field in crystal played a pivotal role in oriented attachment process of nanosheet units. The obtained sample displayed superior photocatalytic activity of both organic dye degradation and O2 evolution from water under visible light. We gained an insight into this unique architecture's impact on the physical properties, light absorption, photoelectricity, and luminescent decay, etc., that significantly influenced photocatalytic activity.

Unusual prenylated phenols with antioxidant activities from Ganoderma cochlear.

Seven new prenylated phenols, five novel phenols (1-5) with polycyclic skeleton and two new phenols (6 and 7) with a carbon chain, along with one known compound (8) were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma cochlear. The structures of new compounds were elucidated by the spectroscopic technologies, X-ray crystallography analysis and chiral HPLC chromatography. All compounds showed antioxidant effect in radical scavenging assays and a plausible biosynthetic pathway for 1-8 was proposed.

An efficient method to enhance the stability of sulphide semiconductor photocatalysts: a case study of N-doped ZnS.

Reducing the oxidative capacity of holes (h(+)) in the valence band (VB) of ZnS is one of the most effective ways to prevent the photocatalyst from photocorrosion. In this work, ZnS doped only with nitrogen was prepared for the first time by nitriding ZnS powder in an NH3 atmosphere. We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally that the valence band maximum (VBM) rises obviously by N-doping in ZnS, suggesting the reduction of the oxidative capacity of holes (h(+)) in the valence band. The theoretically predicted band structures were further verified by valence band X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (VB XPS) and Mott-Schottky measurements. The as-prepared N-doped ZnS exhibited an outstanding stable capability for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water under simulated sunlight irradiation for 12 h. However, pristine ZnS showed no capability and was seriously photocorroded under the same conditions.