[The role of seminal vesicles in male sexual function].

The seminal vesicle is an important accessory gland of the male reproductive system. In the past, some scholars focused more on its role in the fertilization process and neglected its relationship with male sexual function. Researches show that the seminal vesicle is involved in multiple processes such as sexual desire, penile erection, and ejaculation. Treatment of sexual dysfunction by medication targeting the seminal vesicle has achieved certain therapeutic effects. This article discusses the relationship between the seminal vesicle and sexual function in terms of physiopathology, clinical study and basic research, hoping to provide some new ideas on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of sexual dysfunction.

Fe-Catalyzed Fluorosulfonylation of Alkenes via Sulfur Dioxide Insertion: Synthesis of Lactam-Functionalized Alkyl Sulfonyl Fluorides.

A novel Fe-catalyzed fluorosulfonylation of alkenes with Na2S2O4 and N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide (NFSI) for assembling various lactam-functionalized alkyl sulfonyl fluorides is disclosed. In this reaction, Na2S2O4 acts as both an SO2 source and a reductant. Furthermore, the resulting products can be efficiently transformed into valuable chemicals, including sulfonyl esters and sulfonamides, via the sulfur(VI) fluoride exchange (SuFEx) click reaction. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that the transformation proceeds through intramolecular radical cyclization, SO2 insertion, sulfite anion formation, and fluorination.

High sensitive Ratiometric fluorescent Aptasensor with AIE properties for Deoxynivalenol (DON) detection.

An emerging fluorescent ratiometric aptasensor based on gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties was prepared and studied for deoxynivalenol (DON) detection. The ratiometric aptasensor used red fluorescent AuNCs620 labelled with DON aptamer (Apt-AuNCs620) as an indicator and green fluorescent AuNCs519 modified by complementary DNA (cDNA) and magnetic beads (MBs) as internal reference, namely MBs-cDNA-AuNCs519. Under the optimal conditions, the aptasensor exhibited two good linear ranges of 0.1-50 and 50-5000 pg/mL for DON detection with coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.9937 and 0.9928, respectively, and the low detection limit (LOD) of 4.09 pg/mL was achieved. Furthermore, this aptasensor was feasible to detect DON in positive wheat samples, and the results were in line with those from HPLC and ELISA, thus providing a promising route to detect DON with high sensitivity in cereals, even for other mycotoxins by replacing the suitable aptamer and cDNA.

A fluorescent Aptasensor based on magnetic-separation strategy with gold nanoclusters for Deoxynivalenol (DON) detection.

A highly sensitive method based on MBs-cDNA@Apt-AuNCs519 was developed for deoxynivalenol (DON) detection in wheat. The MBs-cDNA@Apt-AuNCs519 was established using green emission gold nanoclusters (AuNCs519) with aggregation-induced emission properties as signal probes and combining amino-modified DON-aptamer (Apt), biotin-modified DNA strand (the partially complementary to Apt (cDNA)), and streptavidin-modified magnetic beads (MBs). The Apt-AuNCs519 were well connected with MBs-cDNA without DON but dissociated from MBs-cDNA@Apt-AuNCs519 with the addition of DON, leading to a noticeable reduction in the fluorescent intensity of the aptasensor. Moreover, this fluorescence aptasensor showed two linear relationships in the concentration range of 0.1-50 ng/mL and 50-5000 ng/mL with a limit of detection of 3.73 pg/mL with good stability, reproducibility and specificity. The results were consistent with high-performance liquid chromatography and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods, further indicating the potential of this method for accurate trace detection of DON in wheat.

Elevating nanomaterial optical sensor arrays through the integration of advanced machine learning techniques for enhancing visual inspection of food quality and safety.

Food quality and safety problems caused by inefficient control in the food chain have significant implications for human health, social stability, and economic progress and optical sensor arrays (OSAs) can effectively address these challenges. This review aims to summarize the recent applications of nanomaterials-based OSA for food quality and safety visual monitoring, including colourimetric sensor array (CSA) and fluorescent sensor array (FSA). First, the fundamental properties of various advanced nanomaterials, mainly including metal nanoparticles (MNPs) and nanoclusters (MNCs), quantum dots (QDs), upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), and others, were described. Besides, the diverse machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) methods of high-dimensional data obtained from the responses between different sensing elements and analytes were presented. Moreover, the recent and representative applications in pesticide residues, heavy metal ions, bacterial contamination, antioxidants, flavor matters, and food freshness detection were comprehensively summarized. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives for nanomaterials-based OSAs are discussed. It is believed that with the advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) techniques and integrated technology, nanomaterials-based OSAs are expected to be an intelligent, effective, and rapid tool for food quality assessment and safety control.

Astragaloside IV Alleviates Podocyte Injury in Diabetic Nephropathy through Regulating IRE-1α/NF-κ B/NLRP3 Pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of astragaloside IV (AS-IV) on podocyte injury of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and reveal its potential mechanism. METHODS: In in vitro experiment, podocytes were divided into 4 groups, normal, high glucose (HG), inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE-1) α activator (HG+thapsigargin 1 µmol/L), and IRE-1α inhibitor (HG+STF-083010, 20 µmol/L) groups. Additionally, podocytes were divided into 4 groups, including normal, HG, AS-IV (HG+AS-IV 20 µmol/L), and IRE-1α inhibitor (HG+STF-083010, 20 µmol/L) groups, respectively. After 24 h treatment, the morphology of podocytes and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) was observed by electron microscopy. The expressions of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) and IRE-1α were detected by cellular immunofluorescence. In in vivo experiment, DN rat model was established via a consecutive 3-day intraperitoneal streptozotocin (STZ) injections. A total of 40 rats were assigned into the normal, DN, AS-IV [AS-IV 40 mg/(kg·d)], and IRE-1α inhibitor [STF-083010, 10 mg/(kg·d)] groups (n=10), respectively. The general condition, 24-h urine volume, random blood glucose, urinary protein excretion rate (UAER), urea nitrogen (BUN), and serum creatinine (SCr) levels of rats were measured after 8 weeks of intervention. Pathological changes in the renal tissue were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot were used to detect the expressions of GRP78, IRE-1α, nuclear factor kappa Bp65 (NF-κBp65), interleukin (IL)-1ß, NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), caspase-1, gasdermin D-N (GSDMD-N), and nephrin at the mRNA and protein levels in vivo and in vitro, respectively. RESULTS: Cytoplasmic vacuolation and ER swelling were observed in the HG and IRE-1α activator groups. Podocyte morphology and ER expansion were improved in AS-IV and IRE-1α inhibitor groups compared with HG group. Cellular immunofluorescence showed that compared with the normal group, the fluorescence intensity of GRP78 and IRE-1α in the HG and IRE-1α activator groups were significantly increased whereas decreased in AS-IV and IRE-1α inhibitor groups (P<0.05). Compared with the normal group, the mRNA and protein expressions of GRP78, IRE-1α, NF-κ Bp65, IL-1ß, NLRP3, caspase-1 and GSDMD-N in the HG group was increased (P<0.05). Compared with HG group, the expression of above indices was decreased in the AS-IV and IRE-1α inhibitor groups, and the expression in the IRE-1α activator group was increased (P<0.05). The expression of nephrin was decreased in the HG group, and increased in AS-IV and IRE-1α inhibitor groups (P<0.05). The in vivo experiment results revealed that compared to the normal group, the levels of blood glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, BUN, blood creatinine and urinary protein in the DN group were higher (P<0.05). Compared with DN group, the above indices in AS-IV and IRE-1α inhibitor groups were decreased (P<0.05). HE staining revealed glomerular hypertrophy, mesangial widening and mesangial cell proliferation in the renal tissue of the DN group. Compared with the DN group, the above pathological changes in renal tissue of AS-IV and IRE-1α inhibitor groups were alleviated. Quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot results of GRP78, IRE-1α, NF-κ Bp65, IL-1ß, NLRP3, caspase-1 and GSDMD-N were consistent with immunofluorescence analysis. CONCLUSION: AS-IV could reduce ERS and inflammation, improve podocyte pyroptosis, thus exerting a podocyte-protective effect in DN, through regulating IRE-1α/NF-κ B/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

N-glycosylation of Wnt3 regulates the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by affecting Wnt/ß-catenin signal pathway.

BACKGROUND: Wnt/FZD-mediated signaling pathways are activated in more than 90% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines. As a well-known secretory glycoprotein, Wnt3 can interact with FZD receptors on the cell surface, thereby activating the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. However, the N-glycosylation modification site of Wnt3 and the effect of this modification on the biological function of the protein are still unclear. AIM: To investigate the effect of Wnt3 N-glycosylation on the biological function of HCC cells. METHODS: Site-directed mutagenesis was used to verify the Wnt3 N-glycosylation sites, actinomycin D treatment was used to detect the stability of Wnt3 after site-directed mutation, the binding of the N-glycosylation site-directed mutant Wnt3 to FZD7 was observed by laser confocal microscopy, and the effects of the N-glycosylation site-directed mutation of Wnt3 on the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway and the progression of HCC cells were detected by western blot and cell function experiments. RESULTS: Wnt3 has two N-glycosylation-modified sites (Asn90 and Asn301); when a single site at amino acid 301 is mutated, the stability of Wnt3 is weakened; the binding ability of Wnt3 to FZD7 decreases when both sites are mutated simultaneously; and the level of proteins related to the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway is downregulated. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion are also weakened in the case of single 301 site and double-site mutations. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that by inhibiting the N-glycosylation of Wnt3, the proliferation, migration, invasion and colony formation abilities of liver cancer cells can be weakened, which might provide new therapeutic strategies for clinical liver cancer in the future.

In situ investigation of ice fractions and water states during partial freezing of pork loins and shrimps.

Ice fractions and water states in partially frozen muscle foods greatly affect their quality. In the study, a variable temperature nuclear magnetic resonance (VT-NMR) with a liquid nitrogen temperature control system was employed to in situ investigate the relationship between ice fractions and temperatures and changes in water states during partial freezing and thawing of pork and shrimp. Results indicated that changes in ice fractions ranging from -2 âˆ¼ -20 °C could be divided into 3 stages including slow increase, random leap and remarkable leap. More serious damages to the structures related to immobile water occurred in shrimp than in pork, and partial freezing also caused deterioration in muscle fibres related to free water. Additionally, -2 âˆ¼ -3 °C and - 3.5 °C were the appropriate partial freezing temperatures for pork and shrimp, respectively. Therefore, the VT-NMR method possessed great potential for fundamental studies and applications of partial freezing of muscle foods.

Quality Evaluation of Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Liver Failure.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to systematically assess the methodological quality and key recommendations of the guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of liver failure (LF), furnishing constructive insights for guideline developers and equipping clinicians with evidence-based information to facilitate informed decision-making. DATA SOURCES: Electronic databases and manual searches from January 2011 to August 2023. STUDY SELECTION: Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts, then full texts for eligibility. Fourteen guidelines were included. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two reviewers extracted data and checked by two others. Methodological quality of the guidelines was appraised using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II tool. Of the 14 guidelines, only the guidelines established by the Society of Critical Care Medicine and the American College of Gastroenterology (2023) achieved an aggregate quality score exceeding 60%, thereby meriting clinical recommendations. It emerged that there remains ample room for enhancement in the quality of the guidelines, particularly within the domains of stakeholder engagement, rigor, and applicability. Furthermore, an in-depth scrutiny of common recommendations and supporting evidence drawn from the 10 adult LF guidelines unveiled several key issues: controversy exists in the recommendation, the absence of supporting evidence and confusing use of evidence for recommendations, and a preference in evidence selection. CONCLUSIONS: There are high differences in methodological quality and recommendations among LF guidelines. Improving these existing problems and controversies will benefit existing clinical practice and will be an effective way for developers to upgrade the guidelines.

Phenylboronic acid functionalized dextran loading curcumin as nano-therapeutics for promoting the bacteria-infected diabetic wound healing.

Chronic bacterial infections, excessive inflammation, and oxidative stress significantly hinder diabetic wound healing by prolonging the inflammatory phase and complicating the healing process. In this study, phenylboronic acid functionalized dextran (PODP) was developed to encapsulate curcumin, referred to as PODP@Cur. Experimental results indicate that PODP significantly improves the water solubility of curcumin and exhibits synergistic biological activity both in vitro and in vivo. PODP@Cur is capable of accelerating drug release under the pathological microenvironment with ROS accumulation. Furthermore, phenylboronic acid (PBA) has demonstrated potential for targeted bacterial drug delivery, enhancing antibacterial efficacy and trapping free LPS/PGN from dead bacteria to reduce undesirable inflammation. In a diabetic mouse model, PODP@Cur exhibits an excellent antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities to ultimately promote the efficient and safe wound healing. Due to the specific interaction between PBA and LPS, PODP@Cur could enhance antibacterial activity against bacteria, reduce toxic side effects on normal cells, and alleviate the LPS-mediated pro-inflammatory pathological microenvironment. Therefore, PODP@Cur is capable of being exploited as an efficient and safe candidate for promoting the bacteria-infected diabetic wound healing.

Tunable thermoresponsive hydrogels for temperature regulation and warning in fruit and vegetables preservation.

Fresh fruit and vegetables usually suffer from quality deterioration when exposed to inappropriate temperatures. Common energy-input temperature regulation is widely applied but there remain challenges of increasing energy consumption. Passive temperature management regulates the heat transfer without energy consumption, showing a sustainable strategy for food preservation. Here, thermoresponsive hydrogels were constructed by incorporating NaCl and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles into a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide) (P(NIPAM-co-AM)) network. Due to the excellent mechanical properties and reversible thermochromism at 14 °C and 37 °C, Gel-8 wt%-NaCl could inhibit temperature rise and avoid sunburn damage to peppers under direct sunlight by blocking the input of solar energy and accelerating moisture evaporation. Additionally, hydrogels could act as a feasible sensor by providing real-time visual warnings for inappropriate temperatures during banana storage. Based on the self-adaptive thermoresponsive behaviour, the prepared hydrogels showed effective performance of temperature regulation and quality preservation of fruit and vegetables.

Prediction of freezing point and moisture distribution of beef with dual freeze-thaw cycles using hyperspectral imaging.

The freezing point (FP) is an important quality indicator of the superchilled meat. Currently, the potential of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) for predicting beef FP as affected by multiple freeze-thaw (F-T) cycles was explored. Correlation analysis revealed that the FP had a negative correlation with the proportion of bound water (P21) and a positive correlation with the proportion of immobilized water (P22). Moreover, the optimal wavelengths were selected by principal component analysis (PCA). Principal component regression (PCR) and partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were successfully developed based on the optimal wavelengths for predicting FP with determination coefficient in prediction (RP2) of 0.76, 0.76 and root mean square errors in prediction (RMSEP) of 0.12, 0.12, respectively. Additionally, PLSR based on full wavelengths was established for predicting P21 with RP2 of 0.80 and RMSEP of 0.67, and PLSR based on the optimal wavelengths was established for predicting P22 with RP2 of 0.87 and RMSEP of 0.66. The results show the potential of hyperspectral technology to predict the FP and moisture distribution of meat as a nondestructive method.

Comparative mathematical modeling of causal association between metal exposure and development of chronic kidney disease.

Background: Previous studies have identified several genetic and environmental risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, little is known about the relationship between serum metals and CKD risk. Methods: We investigated associations between serum metals levels and CKD risk among 100 medical examiners and 443 CKD patients in the medical center of the First Hospital Affiliated to China Medical University. Serum metal concentrations were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). We analyzed factors influencing CKD, including abnormalities in Creatine and Cystatin C, using univariate and multiple analysis such as Lasso and Logistic regression. Metal levels among CKD patients at different stages were also explored. The study utilized machine learning and Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) to assess associations and predict CKD risk based on serum metals. A chained mediation model was applied to investigate how interventions with different heavy metals influence renal function indicators (creatinine and cystatin C) and their impact on diagnosing and treating renal impairment. Results: Serum potassium (K), sodium (Na), and calcium (Ca) showed positive trends with CKD, while selenium (Se) and molybdenum (Mo) showed negative trends. Metal mixtures had a significant negative effect on CKD when concentrations were all from 30th to 45th percentiles compared to the median, but the opposite was observed for the 55th to 60th percentiles. For example, a change in serum K concentration from the 25th to the 75th percentile was associated with a significant increase in CKD risk of 5.15(1.77,8.53), 13.62(8.91,18.33) and 31.81(14.03,49.58) when other metals were fixed at the 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles, respectively. Conclusions: Cumulative metal exposures, especially double-exposure to serum K and Se may impact CKD risk. Machine learning methods validated the external relevance of the metal factors. Our study highlights the importance of employing diverse methodologies to evaluate health effects of metal mixtures.

Porous-carbon/manganese composite catalyst transformed from waste biomass as peroxymonosulfate activator for carbamazepine degradation.

Activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) with solid catalysts for organic pharmaceutical degradation still faces challenge due to the demand of inexpensive catalysts. In this study, manganese-oxidizing microalgae (MOM) and its associated biogenic manganese oxides (BMO) were employed to prepare biomass-transformed porous-carbon/manganese (B-PC/Mn) catalyst through high-temperature calcination (850 °C). Remarkably, 100 % of carbamazepine (CBZ) was degraded within 30 min in the B-PC/Mn/PMS system. The degradation kinetic constant was 0.1718 min-1, which was 44.0 times higher than that of the biomass-transformed porous carbon mixed with MnOx activated PMS system. 1O2 was generated in the B-PC/Mn/PMS system, which is responsible for CBZ degradation. The MOM-BMO-associated structure greatly increased the specific surface areas and the contents of the C = O and pyrrolic-N groups, which facilitated PMS activation. The structure also induced the generation of Mn5C2, which exhibited a strong adsorption towards PMS. This study provides a novel strategy for preparing catalysts by using waste biomass.

Rapid altitude displacement induce zebrafish appearing acute high altitude illness symptoms.

Rapid ascent to high-altitude areas above 2500 m often leads to acute high altitude illness (AHAI), posing significant health risks. Current models for AHAI research are limited in their ability to accurately simulate the high-altitude environment for drug screening. Addressing this gap, a novel static self-assembled water vacuum transparent chamber was developed to induce AHAI in zebrafish. This study identified 6000 m for 2 h as the optimal condition for AHAI induction in zebrafish. Under these conditions, notable behavioral changes including slow movement, abnormal exploration behavior and static behavior in the Novel tank test. Furthermore, this model demonstrated changes in oxidative stress-related markers included increased levels of malondialdehyde, decreased levels of glutathione, decreased activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase, and increased levels of inflammatory markers IL-6, IL-1ß and TNF-α, and inflammatory cell infiltration and mild edema in the gill tissue, mirroring the clinical pathophysiology observed in AHAI patients. This innovative zebrafish model not only offers a more accurate representation of the high-altitude environment but also provides a high-throughput platform for AHAI drug discovery and pathogenesis research.

Effects of cold plasma pretreatment combined with sodium periodate on property enhancement of dialdehyde starch prepared using native maize starch.

This study represents the inaugural investigation into the effect of cold plasma (CP) pretreatment combined with sodium periodate on the preparation of dialdehyde starch (DAS) from native maize starch and its consequent effects on the properties of DAS. The findings indicate that the maize starch underwent etching by the plasma, leading to an increase in the particle size of the starch, which in turn weakened the rigid structure of the starch and reduced its crystallinity. Concurrently, the plasma treatment induced cleavage of the starch molecular chain, resulting in a decrease in the viscosity of the starch and an enhancement of its fluidity. These alterations facilitated an increased contact area between the starch and the oxidising agent sodium periodate, thereby augmenting the efficiency of the DAS preparation reaction. Consequently, the aldehyde group content was elevated by 9.98 % compared to the conventional DAS preparation methodology. Therefore, CP could be an efficient and environmentally friendly non-thermal processing method to assist starch oxidation for DAS preparation and property enhancement.

A tailored dual core-shell magnetic SERS substrate with precise shell-thickness control for trace organophosphorus pesticides residues detection.

For addressing the challenges of strong affinity SERS substrate to organophosphorus pesticides (OPs), herein, a rapid water-assisted layer-by-layer heteronuclear growth method was investigated to grow uniform UiO-66 shell with controllable thickness outside the magnetic core and provide abundant defect sites for OPs adsorption. By further assembling the tailored Au@Ag, a highly sensitive SERS substrate Fe3O4-COOH@UiO-66/Au@Ag (FCUAA) was synthesized with a SERS enhancement factor of 2.11 × 107. The substrate's suitability for the actual vegetable samples (cowpeas and peppers) was confirmed under both destructive and non-destructive detection conditions, showing a strong SERS response to fenthion and triazophos, with limits of detection of 1.21 × 10-5 and 2.96 × 10-3 mg/kg in the vegetables under destructive conditions, and 0.13 and 1.39 ng/cm2 for non-destructive detection, respectively. The FCUAA substrate had high SERS performance, effective adsorption capability for OPs, and demonstrated good applicability, thus exhibiting great potential for rapid detection of trace OPs residues in the food industry.

In-situ investigation of supercooling behaviour during high-pressure shift freezing of pure water and sucrose solution.

Supercooling is a main controllable factor for the fundamental understanding the high-pressure shift freezing (HPSF). In the study, a self-developed device based on the diamond anvil cell (DAC) and confocal Raman microscopy was utilized to realize an in-situ investigation of supercooling behaviour during HPSF of the pure water and sucrose solution. The spectra were used to determine the freezing point which is shown as a spectral phase marker (SD). The hydrogen bond strengths of water and sucrose solution under supercooling states were estimated by peak position and peak area ratio of sub-peaks. The results showed that the OH stretching bands had redshift under supercooling states. Moreover, the addition of sucrose molecules could strengthen the hydrogen bonding strength of water molecules under supercooling states. Thus, the DAC combined with Raman spectroscopy could be considered a novel strategy for a deep understanding of the supercooling behaviour during HPSF.

Engineered Cell Membrane-Coated Nanoparticles: New Strategies in Glioma Targeted Therapy and Immune Modulation.

Gliomas, the most prevalent primary brain tumors, pose considerable challenges due to their heterogeneity, intricate tumor microenvironment (TME), and blood-brain barrier (BBB), which restrict the effectiveness of traditional treatments like surgery and chemotherapy. This review provides an overview of engineered cell membrane technologies in glioma therapy, with a specific emphasis on targeted drug delivery and modulation of the immune microenvironment. This study investigates the progress in engineered cell membranes, encompassing physical, chemical, and genetic alterations, to improve drug delivery across the BBB and effectively target gliomas. The examination focuses on the interaction of engineered cell membrane-coated nanoparticles (ECM-NPs) with the TME in gliomas, emphasizing their potential to modulate glioma cell behavior and TME to enhance therapeutic efficacy. The review further explores the involvement of ECM-NPs in immunomodulation techniques, highlighting their impact on immune reactions. While facing obstacles related to membrane stability and manufacturing scalability, the review outlines forthcoming research directions focused on enhancing membrane performance. This review underscores the promise of ECM-NPs in surpassing conventional therapeutic constraints, proposing novel approaches for efficacious glioma treatment.