A label-free H1N1 influenza virus immunosensor based on an N-LIG/Au laser induced graphene microelectrode.

A label-free immunosensor based on an N-doped laser direct graphene (N-LIG)/Au electrode was proposed for H1N1 influenza virus detection. By utilizing the instantaneous high temperature of laser irradiation, N atoms are generated by the decomposition of melamine dripped onto the surface of an LIG electrode to obtain N-LIG with higher conductivity. The doping of N atoms provides a large number of active sites for LIG microelectrodes. Combined with the electrodeposition of Au NPs, and covalently crosslinking antibodies, a simple, highly sensitive and stable immunosensing interface is constructed. The proposed H1N1 influenza virus immunosensor has a detection range of 0.01 fg mL-1 to 10 ng mL-1 with a detection limit as low as 0.004 fg mL-1. The constructed sensor has ultra-high sensitivity and good selectivity and can be used for complex biological sample analysis, with potential application prospects in preventing the large-scale spread of influenza. Taking advantage of N-LIG electrode's properties will provide opportunities for developing portable electrochemical biosensors for health and environmental applications.

SENP1-Mediated HSP90ab1 DeSUMOylation in Cardiomyocytes Prevents Myocardial Fibrosis by Paracrine Signaling.

Myocardial infarction (MI) triggers a poor ventricular remodeling response, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, the authors show that sentrin-specific protease 1 (SENP1) is downregulated in post-MI mice and in patients with severe heart failure. By generating cardiomyocyte-specific SENP1 knockout and overexpression mice to assess cardiac function and ventricular remodeling responses under physiological and pathological conditions. Increased cardiac fibrosis in the cardiomyocyte-specific SENP1 deletion mice, associated with increased fibronectin (Fn) expression and secretion in cardiomyocytes, promotes fibroblast activation in response to myocardial injury. Mechanistically, SENP1 deletion in mouse cardiomyocytes increases heat shock protein 90 alpha family class B member 1 (HSP90ab1) SUMOylation with (STAT3) activation and Fn secretion after ventricular remodeling initiated. Overexpression of SENP1 or mutation of the HSP90ab1 Lys72 ameliorates adverse ventricular remodeling and dysfunction after MI. Taken together, this study identifies SENP1 as a positive regulator of cardiac repair and a potential drug target for the treatment of MI. Inhibition of HSP90ab1 SUMOylation stabilizes STAT3 to inhibit the adverse ventricular remodeling response.

Three-year follow-up study reveals improved survival rate in NSCLC patients underwent guideline-concordant diagnosis and treatment.

Background: No studies in China have assessed the guideline-concordance level of the first-course of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) diagnosis and treatment and its relationship with survival. This study comprehensively assesses the current status of guideline-concordant diagnosis (GCD) and guideline-concordant treatment (GCT) of NSCLC in China and explores its impact on survival. Methods: First course diagnosis and treatment data for NSCLC patients in Liaoning, China in 2017 and 2018 (n=1828) were used and classified by whether they underwent GCD and GCT according to Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) guidelines. Pearson's chi-squared test was used to determine unadjusted associations between categorical variables of interest. Logistic models were constructed to identify variables associated with GCD and GCT. Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank tests were used to estimate and compare 3-year survival rates. Multivariate Cox proportional risk models were constructed to assess the risk of cancer mortality associated with guideline-concordant diagnosis and treatment. Results: Of the 1828 patients we studied, 48.1% underwent GCD, and 70.1% underwent GCT. The proportions of patients who underwent both GCD and GCT, GCD alone, GCT alone and neither GCD nor GCT were 36.7%, 11.4%, 33.5% and 18.4%, respectively. Patients in advanced stage and non-oncology hospitals were significantly less likely to undergo GCD and GCT. Compared with those who underwent neither GCD nor GCT, patients who underwent both GCD and GCT, GCD alone and GCT alone had 35.2%, 26.7% and 35.7% higher 3-year survival rates; the adjusted lung cancer mortality risk significantly decreased by 29% (adjusted hazard ratio[aHR], 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53-0.95), 29% (aHR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.50-1.00) and 32% (aHR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.51-0.90). Conclusion: The 3-year risk of death is expected to be reduced by 29% if patients with NSCLC undergo both GCD and GCT. There is a need to establish an oncology diagnosis and treatment data management platform in China to monitor, evaluate, and promote the use of clinical practice guidelines in healthcare settings.

Cross-sectional study of the association between burnout and work overload and work-life imbalance among medical personnel in Liaoning, China: role of specialty.

OBJECTIVES: Burnout is common among medical personnel in China and may be related to excessive and persistent work-related stressors by different specialties. The aims of this study were to assess the prevalence of burnout, work overload and work-life imbalance according to different specialties and to explore the effect of specialty, work overload and work-life imbalance on burnout among medical personnel. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: This study was conducted in 1 tertiary general public hospital, 2 secondary general hospitals and 10 community health service stations in Liaoning, China. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 3299 medical personnel participated in the study. METHODS: We used the 15-item Chinese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey (MBI-GS) to measure burnout. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to explore the association between medical specialty, work overload, work-life imbalance and burnout. RESULTS: 3299 medical personnel were included in this study. The prevalence of burnout, severe burnout, work overload and work-life imbalance were 88.7%, 13.6%, 23.4% and 23.2%, respectively. Compared with medical personnel in internal medicine, working in obstetrics and gynaecology (OR=0.61, 95% CI 0.38, 0.99) and management (OR=0.45, 95% CI 0.28, 0.72) was significantly associated with burnout, and working in ICU （Intensive Care Unit）(OR=2.48, 95% CI 1.07, 5.73), surgery (OR=1.66, 95% CI 1.18, 2.35) and paediatrics (OR=0.24, 95% CI 0.07, 0.81) was significantly associated with severe burnout. Work overload and work-life imbalance were associated with higher ORs for burnout (OR=1.64, 95% CI 1.16, 2.32; OR=2.79, 95% CI 1.84, 4.24) and severe burnout (OR=4.33, 95% CI 3.43, 5.46; OR=3.35, 95% CI 2.64, 4.24). CONCLUSIONS: Burnout, work overload and work-life imbalance were prevalent among Chinese medical personnel but varied considerably by clinical specialty. Burnout may be reduced by decreasing work overload and promoting work-life balance across different specialties.

Study on the extraction, purification, stability, free radical scavenging kinetics, polymerization degree and characterization of proanthocyanidins from Pinus koraiensis seed scales.

To efficiently harness resources from Pinus koraiensis seed scales, a type of forestry waste, rigorous studies on the extraction, purification, stability, and free radical scavenging capacity of the proanthocyanidins derived from these seed scales were conducted. Kinetic models showed that under ultrasonic conditions, the proanthocyanidins content reached 2.66 mg/g within 0.5 h. The optimal storage parameters include darkness, 4 °C, and pH 4. The degrees of polymerization of the mixture and the high- and low-polymer components were 4.89, 7.42 and 3.07, respectively, with the low-polymer component exhibiting the highest radical scavenging activity. Through HPLC-QE-MS/MS, 1H NMR, and FT-IR analyses, we identified proanthocyanidin B1, proanthocyanidin B2, (-)-epicatechin, and polymeric trimer esters. The Pinus koraiensis proanthocyanidins exhibited a high molecular weight, a complex internal molecular structure, and commendable stability, with crystallization requiring elevated temperatures. Therefore, the proanthocyanidins from Pinus koraiensis seed scales have emerged as highly promising novel natural antioxidants.

Half of global islands have reached critical area thresholds for undergoing rapid increases in biological invasions.

Biological invasions are among the threats to global biodiversity and social sustainability, especially on islands. Identifying the threshold of area at which non-native species begin to increase abruptly is crucial for early prevention strategies. The small-island effect (SIE) was proposed to quantify the nonlinear relationship between native species richness and area but has not yet been applied to non-native species and thus to predict the key breakpoints at which established non-native species start to increase rapidly. Based on an extensive global dataset, including 769 species of non-native birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles established on 4277 islands across 54 archipelagos, we detected a high prevalence of SIEs across 66.7% of archipelagos. Approximately 50% of islands have reached the threshold area and thus may be undergoing a rapid increase in biological invasions. SIEs were more likely to occur in those archipelagos with more non-native species introduction events, more established historical non-native species, lower habitat diversity and larger archipelago area range. Our findings may have important implications not only for targeted surveillance of biological invasions on global islands but also for predicting the responses of both non-native and native species to ongoing habitat fragmentation under sustained land-use modification and climate change.

Disease burden of mental disorders among children and adolescents considering both co-morbidities and suicide in Northeastern China.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have assessed the burden of mental disorders among children and adolescents considering the impact of co-morbidities and suicide on disability adjusted life years (DALYs). METHODS: This was a multicenter cross-sectional study. Our survey data in Liaoning Province (LN) were used to estimate the burden of six mental disorders, supplemented with data from other investigative studies conducted in China to assess four other disorders. DALYs were derived from the sum of years lived with a disability (YLDs) adjusted for co-morbidities, and the years of life lost (YLLs) adjusted for suicide. The changes in DALYs, YLDs, and YLLs were compared with and without adjustment for co-morbidities and suicide. RESULTS: The DALYs rate of mental disorders among children and adolescents in LN decreased from 1579.6/105 to 1391.4/105, after adjusting for both co-morbidities and suicide (-11.9%). The DALYs rate for major depression, anxiety disorder, and conduct disorder (-80.8/105, -75.0/105 and -30.2/105, respectively) were the top three contributors to the DALYs reduction (-188.2/105). The YLDs decreased from 72724.8 to 62478.5 after co-morbidity adjustment (-17.8%), mainly due to the reduction by major depression (-35.3%) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD] (-34.2%). The YLLs increased from 130 to 1697.8 after adjusting for suicides (+ 56.9% of all suicide YLLs), mainly due to the contribution of major depression (+ 32.4%) and anxiety disorder (+ 10.4%). Compared to GBD 2010, the estimated DALY rate for mental disorders in LN was to be about 80%, with the proportion of DALYs and DALY rates explained by major depressive disorder accounted for only approximately one-third (14.6% vs. 41.9% and 202.6 vs. 759.9, respectively). But the proportion and absolute level of DALY rates explained by anxiety disorders were approximately 2-fold higher (39.7% vs. 19.6% and 552.2 vs. 323.3, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The DALYs of mental disorders among Chinese children and adolescents were approximately 80% of the global level, with anxiety disorders imposing about 2 times the global level. Co-morbidity and suicide must be adjusted when calculating DALYs.

Disruption of TIGAR-TAK1 alleviates immunopathology in a murine model of sepsis.

Macrophage-orchestrated inflammation contributes to multiple diseases including sepsis. However, the underlying mechanisms remain to be defined clearly. Here, we show that macrophage TP53-induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator (TIGAR) is up-regulated in murine sepsis models. When myeloid Tigar is ablated, sepsis induced by either lipopolysaccharide treatment or cecal ligation puncture in male mice is attenuated via inflammation inhibition. Mechanistic characterizations indicate that TIGAR directly binds to transforming growth factor ß-activated kinase (TAK1) and promotes tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6-mediated ubiquitination and auto-phosphorylation of TAK1, in which residues 152-161 of TIGAR constitute crucial motif independent of its phosphatase activity. Interference with the binding of TIGAR to TAK1 by 5Z-7-oxozeaenol exhibits therapeutic effects in male murine model of sepsis. These findings demonstrate a non-canonical function of macrophage TIGAR in promoting inflammation, and confer a potential therapeutic target for sepsis by disruption of TIGAR-TAK1 interaction.

A facile and intelligent detection method for diclazuril based on a stable dual emissive Eu3+-dopped metal-organic framework.

Diclazuril (DIC) is a broad-spectrum anti-coccidiosis drug of the triazine class, widely used in poultry farming. The overuse of DIC may lead to its accumulation in animal bodies, which may enter the food chain and threaten human health. In this work, we fabricated a stable Eu3+-doped UiO-66 fluorescence sensor (EuUHIPA-30) for the sensitive detection of DIC. Among 20 veterinary drugs, the fluorescence of EuUHIPA-30 selectively responds to DIC, with a low detection limit (0.19 µM) and fast response (10 s). EuUHIPA-30 is recyclable and can detect DIC in chicken and eggs with good recoveries. Moreover, a smartphone-integrated paper-based sensor enables the instrument-free, rapid, visual, and intelligent detection of DIC in chickens and eggs. This work provides a promising candidate for practical fluorescent DIC sensing in animal-derived food to promote food safety.

Double-nylon purse-string suture in closing postoperative wounds following endoscopic resection of large (≥ 3 cm) gastric submucosal tumors.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) of gastric submucosal tumors (SMTs) is safe and effective; however, postoperative wound management is equally important. Literature on suturing following EFTR for large (≥ 3 cm) SMTs is scarce and limited. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and clinical value of double-nylon purse-string suture in closing postoperative wounds following EFTR of large (≥ 3 cm) SMTs. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 85 patients with gastric SMTs in the fundus of the stomach or in the lesser curvature of the gastric body whose wounds were treated with double-nylon purse-string sutures after successful tumor resection at the Endoscopy Center of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University. The operative, postoperative, and follow-up conditions of the patients were evaluated. RESULTS: All tumors were completely resected using EFTR. 36 (42.35%) patients had tumors located in the fundus of the stomach, and 49 (57.65%) had tumors located in the body of the stomach. All patients underwent suturing with double-nylon sutures after EFTR without laparoscopic assistance or further surgical treatment. Postoperative fever and stomach pain were reported in 13 (15.29%) and 14 (16.47%) patients, respectively. No serious adverse events occurred during the intraoperative or postoperative periods. A postoperative review of all patients revealed no residual or recurrent lesions. CONCLUSION: Double-nylon purse-string sutures can be used to successfully close wounds that cannot be completely closed with a single nylon suture, especially for large (≥ 3 cm) EFTR wounds in SMTs.

Numerical Simulation Study on Impact Initiation on Shielded Charge Using Hypervelocity Composite-Structure Reactive Fragments.

In order to study the impact initiation process and mechanism of hypervelocity PTFE/Al composite structure reactive fragments on a shielded charge, first, an existing PTFE/Al reactive fragment hypervelocity collision experiment was numerically simulated using the SPH algorithm in ANSYS/AUTODYN 17.0 software. Then, the Lee-Tarver model was verified to describe the detonation reaction behavior and explosion damage effect of reactive materials. A numerical simulation analysis of the impact of two kinds of ultra-high-speed PTFE/Al composite-structure reactive fragments on a shielded charge was carried out using the SPH algorithm. These were steel-coated PTFE/Al and steel-semi-coated PTFE/Al fragments, and they were compared with the impact of steel fragments. The results indicate that the threshold velocities of the impact initiation of the two composite-structure reactive fragments on the shielded charge were both 2.6 km/s, while the threshold velocity of the steel fragment was 2.7 km/s. Under the threshold velocity condition, the two composite-structure reactive fragments increase the time and intensity of the compressed shock wave pulse in the explosive due to the impact energy release effect of the reactive materials, causing the shielded charge to detonate under the continuous long-term pulse loads. However, the mechanism of the steel fragment on the shielded charge belongs to the shock-detonation transition. The research results can provide scientific references for the design of hypervelocity reactive fragments and the study of their damage mechanism.

Physicochemical changes and in vitro digestibility of three banana starches at different maturity stages.

This study aimed to compare the changes in physicochemical properties of the starch isolated from three banana cultivars (Musa AAA group, Cavendish subgroup; Musa ABB group, Pisang Awak subgroup; Musa AA group, Huangdijiao subgroup) at five different maturity stages. The results revealed both similarities and significant differences in micromorphology and physicochemical characteristics of the three banana varieties during different growth stages. Apparent amylose content and particle size of the three starches increased with the ripeness of banana. Light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed that starch particles of the three starches had different microscopic characteristics, and that banana starch morphology was basically unchanged at various growth stages. Moreover, the pasting and thermal properties of the banana starches were significantly different at various growth stages. The resistant starch content of the three banana cultivars was about 80% at all growth stages. Musa AAA group, Cavendish subgroup had the highest resistant starch content at stage Ⅴ. This study provides insights into the starch changes of three banana cultivars during ripening.

Correlation Between B-Cell Activating Factor of the Tumor Necrosis Factor Family Level in Serum and Immune Inflammation in Patients with Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and its Clinical Value.

OBJECTIVE: Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) is a form of SLE associated with severe NP syndromes causing mortality and morbidity. Respecting the fundamental of BAFF in NPSLE pathophysiology, we investigated its clinical value. METHODS: Totally 105 NPSLE and 101 SLE cases without NPSLE (non-NPSLE, control) were included. Serum BAFF/TNF-α/IL-6/IL-10 levels were measured using ELISA kits. T lymphocytes were detected by flow cytometry. The independent influencing factors for NPSLE, and the auxiliary diagnostic efficacy and the ability of BAFF levels to predict adverse prognosis of NPSLE patients were analyzed by multiple factor logistic regression, and ROC curve and survival curve. RESULTS: In NPSLE patients, serum BAFF level was increased and positively correlated with SLEDAI-2k, serum proinflammatory cytokines, while negatively correlated with CD4+T/CD8+T cells, and anti-inflammatory cytokine. High serum BAFF protein level was associated with a higher risk of developing NPSLE. The AUC of serum BAFF > 301.7 assisting in NPSLE diagnosis was 0.8196. Furthermore, high levels of serum BAFF were associated with a higher risk of adverse outcomes in NPSLE patients. . CONCLUSION: Serum BAFF level in NPSLE patients was correlated with lymphocytes and high serum BAFF protein level could assist in diagnosis and to predict adverse outcomes in NPSLE patients.

The effect of incorporating domain knowledge with deep learning in identifying benign and malignant gastric whitish lesions: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Early whitish gastric neoplasms can be easily misdiagnosed; differential diagnosis of gastric whitish lesions remains a challenge. We aim to build a deep learning (DL) model to diagnose whitish gastric neoplasms and explore the effect of adding domain knowledge in model construction. METHODS: We collected 4558 images from two institutions to train and test models. We first developed two sole DL models (1 and 2) using supervised and semi-supervised algorithms. Then we selected diagnosis-related features through literature research and developed feature-extraction models to determine features including boundary, surface, roundness, depression, and location. Then predictions of the five feature-extraction models and sole DL model were combined and inputted into seven machine-learning (ML) based fitting-diagnosis models. The optimal model was selected as ENDOANGEL-WD (whitish-diagnosis) and compared with endoscopists. RESULTS: Sole DL 2 had higher sensitivity (83.12% vs 68.67%, Bonferroni adjusted P = 0.024) than sole DL 1. Adding domain knowledge, the decision tree performed best among the seven ML models, achieving higher specificity than DL 1 (84.38% vs 72.27%, Bonferroni adjusted P < 0.05) and higher accuracy than DL 2 (80.47%, Bonferroni adjusted P < 0.001) and was selected as ENDOANGEL-WD. ENDOANGEL-WD showed better accuracy compared with 10 endoscopists (75.70%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We developed a novel system ENDOANGEL-WD combining domain knowledge and traditional DL to detect gastric whitish neoplasms. Adding domain knowledge improved the performance of traditional DL, which provided a novel solution for establishing diagnostic models for other rare diseases potentially.

Phosphatase, Mg2+/Mn2+ dependent 1B regulates the hematopoietic stem cells homeostasis via the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are primarily dormant in a cell-cycle quiescence state to preserve their self-renewal capacity and long-term maintenance. How HSC maintain the balance between activation and quiescence remains largely unknown. Herein, we found that phosphatase, Mg2+/Mn2+ dependent 1B (Ppm1b) is required for the expansion of phenotypic HSC in vitro. By using a conditional knockout mouse model in which Ppm1b was specifically depleted in hematopoietic cells, we demonstrated that loss of Ppm1b impaired the HSC homeostasis and hematopoietic reconstitution. Ppm1b deficiency mice also exhibited B-cell leukocytopenia, which is due to the compromised commitment and proliferation of B-biased lymphoid progenitor cells from common lymphoid progenitors. With the aid of a small molecular inhibitor, we confirmed the roles of Ppm1b in adult hematopoiesis that phenocopied the effects with loss of Ppm1b. Furthermore, transcriptome profiling of Ppm1b-deficient HSC revealed the disruptive quiescence of HSC. Mechanistically, Ppm1b interacted with ß-catenin and mediated its dephosphorylation. Loss of Ppm1b led to the decrease in the active ß-catenin (non-phosphorylated) that interrupted the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling in HSC, which consequently suppressed HSC expansion. Together, our study identified an indispensable role for Ppm1b in regulating HSC homeostasis via the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

From organic fertilizer to the soils: What happens to the microplastics? A critical review.

In recent, soil microplastic pollution arising from organic fertilizers has been of a great increasing concern. In response to this concern, this review presents a comprehensive analysis of the occurrence and evolution of microplastics in organic fertilizers, their ingress into the soil, and the subsequent impacts. Organic fertilizers are primarily derived from solid organic waste generated by anthropocentric activities including urban (daily-life, municipal wastes and sludge), agricultural (manure, straw), and industrial (like food industrial waste etc.) processes. In order to produce organic fertilizer, the organic solid wastes are generally treated by aerobic composting or anaerobic digestion. Currently, microplastics have been widely detected in the raw materials and products of organic fertilizer. During the process of converting organic solid waste materials into fertilizer, intense oxidation, hydrolysis, and microbial actions significantly alter the physical, chemical, and surface biofilm properties of the plastics. After the organic fertilizer application, the abundances of microplastics significantly increased in the soil. Additionally, the degradation of these microplastics often promotes the adsorption of organic pollutants and affects their retention time in the soil. These microplastics, covered by biofilms, also significantly alter soil ecology due to the unique properties of the biofilm. Furthermore, the biofilms also play a role in the degradation of microplastics in the soil environment. This review offers a new perspective on the soil environmental processes involving microplastics from organic fertilizer sources and highlights the challenges associated with further research on organic fertilizers and microplastics.

Transcription Factor STAT3-Activated LDHB Promotes Tumor Properties of Endometrial Cancer Cells by Inducing MDH2 Expression.

The pathogenesis of endometrial cancer (EC) involves the regulation of lactate dehydrogenases. However, the role and mechanism of lactate dehydrogenase-B (LDHB) in EC progression have not been studied. The mRNA levels of LDHB and malate dehydrogenase 2 (MDH2) were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Protein expression was checked by western blotting and immunohistochemistry assays. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion were analyzed by 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine, transwell, and flow cytometry assay, respectively. Glycolysis was investigated using Glucose Assay Kit, CheKine™ Micro Lactate Assay Kit, and ADP/ATP ratio assay kit. An in vivo tumor formation assay was conducted to disclose the effect of LDHB on tumor growth in vivo. The associations among signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), LDHB, and MDH2 were predicted through JASPAR or GeneMANIA online database and identified by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, dual-luciferase reporter assay, and co-immunoprecipitation assay. LDHB expression was increased in EC tissues and cells in comparison with normal endometrial tissues and human endometrial stromal cells. LDHB had the potential as a biomarker to predict the prognosis of EC patients. In addition, LDHB knockdown inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and glycolysis and promoted apoptosis of RL95-2 and Ishikawa cells. LDHB knockdown inhibited tumor property of Ishikawa cells in vivo. STAT3 bound to the promoter region of LDHB, and STAT3 silencing-induced effects were relieved after LDHB upregulation. LDHB interacted with and regulated MDH2 expression. Moreover, MDH2 overexpression rescued LDHB knockdown-induced effects on EC cell phenotypes. STAT3-activated LDHB promoted endometrial cancer cell malignancy by inducing MDH2 production.

LncRNA CA12-AS1 targets miR-133a to promote LPS-induced inflammatory response in bovine mammary epithelial cells.

Bovine mastitis seriously affects milk production and quality and causes huge economic losses in the dairy industry. Recent studies have shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) may regulate bovine mastitis. In this study, the expression of lncRNA CA12-AS1 was significantly upregulated in LPS-induced bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs) but negatively correlated with the expression of miR-133a, suggesting that it may be related to the inflammatory response in bMECs. Dual luciferase reporter gene assay revealed that miR-133a is a downstream target gene of lncRNA CA12-AS1. Furthermore, lncRNA CA12-AS1 silencing negatively regulated the expression of miR-133a inhibited the secretion of inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-8 and IL-1ß) and decreased the mRNA expression levels of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) (p65/p50) and apoptosis-related genes (BAX, caspase3 and caspase9). LncRNA CA12-AS1 silencing also promoted the mRNA expression levels of the Tight junction (TJ) signaling pathway-related genes (Claudin-1, Occludin and ZO-1), apoptotic gene BCL2, proliferation-related genes (CDK2, CDK4 and PCNA) and the viability of bMECs. However, overexpression of lncRNA CA12-AS1 reversed the above effects. These results revealed that lncRNA CA12-AS1 is a pro-inflammatory regulator, and its silencing can alleviate bovine mastitis by targeting miR-133a, providing a novel strategy for molecular therapy of cow mastitis.

Comparison of structures and properties of gels formed by corn starch with fresh or dried Mesona chinensis polysaccharide.

Starch is a major dietary carbohydrate, but its digestion properties need to be improved. Mesona chinensis polysaccharides (MCPs) had a unique function in improving the flocculation performance of starch. This study investigated the effects of adding Mesona chinensis polysaccharide extracted from wet fresh and dry plants with one-year storage, namely WMCP and DMCP, on the physicochemical properties and digestion kinetics of corn starch(CS). The composition analysis showed both WMCP and DMCP were an acidic heteropolysaccharide rich in galacturonic acid and galactose, whereas showed different average main fraction molecular weights (Mw) of 47.36 kDa and 42.98 kDa, respectively. In addition, WMCP showed higher yield, purity and better physicochemical properties to CS than DWCP. Thermal analysis showed WMCP decreased more gelatinization temperatures and enthalpy of CS, and increased more freeze-thaw stability, water holding capacity, and textural parameters of CS gels than DMCP. Structural analysis revealed WMCP induced more changes in crystallinity, short-range order, and microstructure of CS, which inhibited retrogradation than DMCP. In vitro digestion assays demonstrated WMCP addition significantly increased higher resistant starch content by altering starch-starch and starch-MCP interactions than DWCP. Overall, MCPs addition beneficially modulated CS properties and digestion kinetics, providing a novel way to improve starch functionalities. Moreover, WMCP had more advantages to be chosen to form hydrocolloid with CS than DMCP.

Dual-emissive Eu(III)-functionalized metal-organic frameworks for visual, rapid, and intelligent sensing of albendazole and albendazole sulfoxide in animal-origin food.

Albendazole (ABZ), a benzimidazole-based anthelmintic, is widely used to treat helminth infections. The extensive and improper use of ABZ may cause drug residues in animal-origin food and anthelmintics resistance, which potentially threaten human health. Meanwhile, albendazole sulfoxide (ABZSO), a metabolite of ABZ, also exhibits toxic effects. Therefore, the detection of ABZ and ABZSO in animal-derived food is significantly necessary. Herein, a dual-emission europium fluorescent sensor (EuUHC-30) was rationally designed and constructed. EuUHC-30 exhibits high selectivity and sensitivity towards ABZ and ABZSO with a detection limit of 0.10 and 0.13 µM, respectively. Furthermore, EuUHC-30 was successfully applied for quantification of ABZ and ABZSO in milk and pig kidney, which were verified by HPLC analysis. Moreover, a smartphone-assisted EuUHC-30 fluorescent paper sensor was fabricated for the practical determination of ABZ and ABZSO in real food. Overall, this work provides a visual, rapid, and intelligent method for the detection of ABZ and ABZSO in animal-origin food.