Optimizing extraction methods by a comprehensive experimental approach and characterizing polyphenol compositions of Ecklonia radiata.

Brown seaweed Ecklonia radiata harbors valuable polyphenols, notably phlorotannins, prized for their health benefits. This study optimized phlorotannin extraction via conventional solvent extraction and ultrasound-assisted extraction methods, utilizing variable concentrations of ethanol. Employing fractional factorial designs, key variables were identified. Steepest ascent/descent method and central composite rotatable designs refined optimal conditions, enhancing phlorotannin and polyphenol yields, and antioxidant capacities. Under optimized conditions, phlorotannin contents reached 2.366 ± 0.01 and 2.596 ± 0.04 PGE mg/g, total polyphenol contents peaked at 10.223 ± 0.03 and 10.836 ± 0.02 GAE mg/g. Robust antioxidant activity was observed: DPPH and OH radical scavenging capacities measured 27.891 ± 0.06 and 17.441 ± 0.08 TE mg/g, and 37.498 ± 1.12 and 49.391 ± 0.82 TE mg/g, respectively. Reducing power capacities surged to 9.016 ± 0.02 and 28.110 ± 0.10 TE mg/g. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses revealed enriched antioxidant compounds. Variations in polyphenol profiles were noted, potentially influencing antioxidant capacity nuances. This study illuminated the potential of E. radiata potential as a polyphenol source and offers optimized extraction methods poised to benefit various industries.

3.05 kW, 13.7 GHz linewidth fiber amplifier based on PRBS phase modulation for SBS suppression.

In this paper, we establish a multi-stage fiber amplifier with pseudo-random binary sequence (PRBS) phase modulation. The stimulated Brillouin gain spectra of the main amplifier with both the unmodulated and pseudo-random binary sequence phase modulated configuration are measured (with corresponding output power), and the stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) threshold is investigated experimentally and theoretically. The pseudo-random binary sequence phase modulation parameters are optimized by theoretical simulation. With a two-stage preamplifier chain and a counter-pumping main amplifier stage, a maximum 3.05 kW output power with a slope efficiency of 85.9% is obtained experimentally. The central wavelength of the fiber amplifier is 1050 nm, associated with a full-width at half-maximum linewidth of 13.7 GHz. The stimulated Brillouin scattering reflectivity is below 0.01% at 3.05 kW at 13.7 GHz, which indicates that stimulated Brillouin scattering can be suppressed efficiently at this power and linewidth level.

CELF2 Deficiency Demonstrates Autism-Like Behaviors and Interferes with Late Development of Cortical Neurons in Mice.

CELF2 variants have been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. We generated Celf2 Nestin-Cre knockout mice.Our findings revealed that Celf2 Nestin-Cre heterozygous knockout mice exhibited social impairment and anxiety, an autism-like behavior, though no manifestations of repetitive stereotyped behavior, learning cognitive impairment, or depression were observed. Immunofluorescence assay showed an underdeveloped cerebral cortex with significantly reduced cortical thickness, albeit without abnormal cell density. Further in vitro neuronal culture demonstrated a significant reduction in dendritic spine density and affected synaptic maturation in Celf2 deficient mice, with no notable abnormalities in total neurite and axon length. RNA-seq and RIP-seq analysis of the cerebral cortex revealed differentially expressed genes post Celf2 gene knockout compared with the control group. Enrichment analysis highlighted significant enrichment in dendrite and synapse-related biological processes and pathways. Our study delineated the behavioral and neurodevelopmental phenotypes of Celf2, suggesting its potential involvement in autism through the regulation of target genes associated with dendritic spines and synapse development. Further research is needed to elucidate the specific mechanisms involved.

Adenosine monophosphate boosts the cryoprotection of ultrasound-assisted freezing to frozen surimi: Insights into protein structures and gelling behaviors.

Ultrasound-assisted freezing (UAF) is a clean technique for meat cryoprotections; however, its effectiveness is still limited compared to conventional cryoprotectants, e.g., sugars, polyols, especially at high dosages. To resolve this problem, a synergistic cryoprotection strategy was developed in this study. Adenosine monophosphate (AMP), an adenosine-type food additive, was introduced into frozen surimi at a considerably reduced content (0.08%), yet substantially enhanced the efficiency of UAF to comparable levels of commercial cryoprotectant (4% sucrose with 4% sorbitol). Specifically, UAF/AMP treatment retarded denaturation of surimi myofibrillar protein (MP) during 60-day frozen storage, as evidenced by its increased solubility, Ca2+-ATPase activity, sulfhydryl content, declined surface hydrophobicity, particle size, and stabilized protein conformation. Gels of UAF/AMP-treated surimi also demonstrated more stabilized microstructures, uniform water distributions, enhanced mechanical properties and water-holding capacities. This study provided a feasible approach to boost the cryoprotective performance of UAF, thus expanding its potential applications in frozen food industry.

Optimization of Ultrasonic Extraction Parameters for the Recovery of Phenolic Compounds in Brown Seaweed: Comparison with Conventional Techniques.

Seaweed, in particular, brown seaweed, has gained research interest in the past few years due to its distinctive phenolic profile that has a multitude of bioactive properties. In order to obtain the maximum extraction efficiency of brown seaweed phenolic compounds, Response Surface Methodology was utilized to optimize the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) conditions such as the amplitude, time, solvent:solid ratio, and NaOH concentration. Under optimal conditions, UAE had a higher extraction efficiency of free and bound phenolic compounds compared to conventional extraction (stirred 16 h at 4 °C). This led to higher antioxidant activity in the seaweed extract obtained under UAE conditions. The profiling of phenolic compounds using LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS identified a total of 25 phenolics with more phenolics extracted from the free phenolic extraction compared to the bound phenolic extracts. Among them, peonidin 3-O-diglucodise-5-O-glucoside and hesperidin 5,7-O-diglucuronide are unique compounds that were identified in P. comosa, E. radiata and D. potatorum, which are not reported in plants. Overall, our findings provided optimal phenolic extraction from brown seaweed for research into employing brown seaweed as a functional food.

The Contribution of the Underlying Factors to Socioeconomic Inequalities in Obesity: A Life Course Perspective.

Objectives: Socioeconomic disparities in obesity have been observed in both childhood and adulthood. However, it remains unclear how the role of risk factors influencing these inequalities has evolved over time. Methods: Longitudinal data on 2,866 children and adolescents (6-17 years old) from the China Health and Nutrition Survey were used to track their BMI during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Concentration Index was utilized to measure socioeconomic inequalities in obesity, while Oaxaca decomposition was employed to determine the share of different determinants of inequality. Results: The concentration index for obesity during childhood and adulthood were 0.107 (95% CI: 0.023, 0.211) and 0.279 (95% CI: 0.203, 0.355), respectively. Changes in baseline BMI (24.6%), parental BMI (10.4%) and socioeconomic factors (6.7%) were found to be largely responsible for the increasing inequality in obesity between childhood and adulthood. Additionally, mother's education (-7.4%) was found to contribute the most to reducing these inequalities. Conclusion: Inequalities in obesity during childhood and adulthood are significant and growing. Interventions targeting individuals with higher BMI, especially those who are wealthy, can significantly reduce the gap.

Selective breeding of cold-tolerant black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae: Gut microbial shifts and transcriptional patterns.

The larvae of black soldier fly (BSFL) convert organic waste into insect proteins used as feedstuff for livestock and aquaculture. BSFL production performance is considerably reduced during winter season. Herein, the intraspecific diversity of ten commercial BSF colonies collected in China was evaluated. The Bioforte colony was subjected to selective breeding at 12 °C and 16 °C to develop cold-tolerant BSF with improved production performance. After breeding for nine generations, the weight of larvae, survival rate, and the dry matter conversion rate significantly increased. Subsequently, intestinal microbiota in the cold-tolerant strain showed that bacteria belonging to Morganella, Dysgonomonas, Salmonella, Pseudochrobactrum, and Klebsiella genera were highly represented in the 12 °C bred, while those of Acinetobacter, Pseudochrobactrum, Enterococcus, Comamonas, and Leucobacter genera were significantly represented in the 16 °C bred group. Metagenomic revealed that several animal probiotics of the Enterococcus and Vagococcus genera were greatly enriched in the gut of larvae bred at 16 °C. Moreover, bacterial metabolic pathways including carbohydrate, lipid, amino acids, and cofactors and vitamins, were significantly increased, while organismal systems and human diseases was decreased in the 16 °C bred group. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the upregulated differentially expressed genes in the 16 °C bred groups mainly participated in Autophagy-animal, AMPK signaling pathway, mTOR signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, Hippo signaling pathway at day 34 under 16 °C conditions, suggesting their significant role in the survival of BSFL. Taken together, these results shed lights on the role of intestinal microflora and gene pathways in the adaptation of BSF larvae to cold stress.

Extraction and Characterization of Bioactive Compounds from Diverse Marine Microalgae and Their Potential Antioxidant Activities.

This study compared free and bound phenolic compounds in various marine microalgae species. It assessed total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and total condensed tannin content (TCT) and their antioxidant capacities using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS⋅+ ) radical cation-based assay and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power assay. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was also employed to characterize the phenolic profiling. Results showed that free phenolic compounds ranged from 1.83-6.45 mg GAE/g d. w., while bound phenolic compounds ranged from 4.03-26.03 mg GAE/g d. w., indicating significant differences. These variations were consistent across assays, highlining unique profiles in different species. A total 10 phenolics were found in these seven microalgae, including 1 phenolic acid, 6 flavonoids, 1 other polyphenol and 2 lignans. 4'-O-methyl-(-)-epigallocatechin 7-O-glucuronide and chrysoeriol 7-O-glucoside in microalgae were firstly reported in microalgal samples. These findings have implications for future applications in industries.

Life-course social disparities in body mass index trajectories across adulthood: cohort study evidence from China health and nutrition survey.

BACKGROUND: The social disparities in obesity may originate in early life or in adulthood, and the associations of socioeconomic position (SEP) with obesity could alter over time. It is unclear how lifetime-specific and life-course SEP influence adult obesity development in China. METHODS: Based on the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS), three SEP-related indicators, including the father's occupational position and the participant's education and occupational position, were obtained. The life-course socioeconomic changes and a cumulative SEP score were established to represent the life-course SEP of the participants in the study. The growth mixture modeling was used to identify BMI trajectories in adulthood. Multinomial logistic regression was adopted to assess the associations between SEP and adult BMI trajectories. RESULTS: A total of 3,138 participants were included in the study. A positive correlation was found between the paternal occupational position, the participants' occupational position, education, and obesity in males, whereas an inverse correlation was observed among females. Males who experienced social upward mobility or remained stable high SEP during the follow-up had 2.31 and 2.52-fold risks of progressive obesity compared to those with a stable-low SEP. Among females, stable high SEP in both childhood and adulthood was associated with lower risks of progressive obesity (OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.43-0.94). Higher risks of obesity were associated with the life-course cumulative SEP score among males, while the opposite relationship was observed among females. CONCLUSIONS: The associations between life-course SEP and BMI development trajectories differed significantly by gender. Special emphasis should be placed on males experiencing upward and stable high socioeconomic change.

Evaluation of the antioxidant potential of brown seaweeds extracted by different solvents and characterization of their phenolic compounds by LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS.

Seaweeds, serving as valuable natural sources of phenolic compounds (PCs), offer various health benefits like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties, and potential anticancer effects. The efficient extraction of PCs from seaweed is essential to harness their further applications. This study compares the effectiveness of different solvents (ethanol, methanol, water, acetone, and ethyl acetate) for extracting PCs from four seaweed species: Ascophyllum sp., Fucus sp., Ecklonia sp., and Sargassum sp. Among them, the ethanol extract of Sargassum sp. had the highest content of total phenolics (25.33 ± 1.45 mg GAE/g) and demonstrated potent scavenging activity against the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (33.65 ± 0.03 mg TE/g) and phosphomolybdate reduction (52.98 ± 0.47 mg TE/g). Ecklonia sp. had the highest content of total flavonoids (0.40 ± 0.02 mg QE/g) in its methanol extract, whereas its ethyl acetate extract contained the highest content of total condensed tannins (8.09 ± 0.12 mg CE/g). Fucus sp. demonstrated relatively strong antioxidant activity, with methanolic extracts exhibiting a scavenging ability against 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical (54.41 ± 0.24 mg TE/g) and water extracts showing ferric-reducing antioxidant power of 36.24 ± 0.06 mg TE/g. Likewise, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry identified 61 individual PCs, including 17 phenolic acids, 32 flavonoids, and 12 other polyphenols. Ecklonia sp., particularly in the ethanol extract, exhibited the most diverse composition. These findings underscore the importance of selecting appropriate solvents based on the specific seaweed species and desired compounds, further providing valuable guidance in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The PCs, which are secondary metabolites present in terrestrial plants and marine organisms, have garnered considerable attention due to their potential health advantages and diverse biological effects. Using various organic/inorganic solvents during the extraction process makes it possible to selectively isolate different types of PCs from seaweed species. The distinct polarity and solubility properties of each solvent enable the extraction of specific compounds, facilitating a comprehensive assessment of the phenolic composition found in the seaweed samples and guiding industrial production.

Personalized functional imaging-guided rTMS on the superior frontal gyrus for post-stroke aphasia: A randomized sham-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Aphasia affects approximately one-third of stroke patients and yet its rehabilitation outcomes are often unsatisfactory. More effective strategies are needed to promote recovery. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the efficacy and safety of the theta-burst stimulation (TBS) on the language area in the superior frontal gyrus (SFG) localized by personalized functional imaging, in facilitating post-stroke aphasia recovery. METHODS: This randomized sham-controlled trial uses a parallel design (intermittent TBS [iTBS] in ipsilesional hemisphere vs. continuous TBS [cTBS] in contralesional hemisphere vs. sham group). Participants had aphasia symptoms resulting from their first stroke in the left hemisphere at least one month prior. Participants received three-week speech-language therapy coupled with either active or sham stimulation applied to the left or right SFG. The primary outcome was the change in Western Aphasia Battery-Revised (WAB-R) aphasia quotient after the three-week treatment. The secondary outcome was WAB-R aphasia quotient improvement after one week of treatment. RESULTS: Ninety-seven patients were screened between January 2021 and January 2022, 45 of whom were randomized and 44 received intervention (15 in each active group, 14 in sham). Both iTBS (estimated difference = 14.75, p < 0.001) and cTBS (estimated difference = 13.43, p < 0.001) groups showed significantly greater improvement than sham stimulation after the 3-week intervention and immediately after one week of treatment (p's < 0.001). The adverse events observed were similar across groups. A seizure was recorded three days after the termination of the treatment in the iTBS group. CONCLUSION: The stimulation showed high efficacy and SFG is a promising stimulation target for post-stroke language recovery.

Application of NANDA-I nursing diagnoses, nursing interventions classification, and nursing outcomes classification in research and practice of cardiac rehabilitation nursing: A scoping review.

PURPOSE: To describe the current application status of NANDA-I nursing diagnoses, Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC), and Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) in cardiac rehabilitation nursing and identify useful NANDA-I, NIC, and NOC (NNN) linkages for clinical nursing practitioners. METHODS: This scoping review was performed in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institut guidelines. We systematically searched eight databases, and the literature search took place between June and July 2023. The characteristics and results of the studies were synthesized and analyzed in a narrative way. FINDINGS: The application of NANDA-I nursing diagnosis, NIC and NOC in cardiac rehabilitation nursing can be divided into three topics: the content, value and effect of NANDA-I nursing diagnosis, NIC and NOC. CONCLUSION: The application of NANDA-I, NIC, and NOC in the field of cardiac rehabilitation nursing shows positive effects on the whole, which can provide more standardized theoretical guidance, improve nursing outcomes in clinical settings, and enhance nursing quality. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: This experience report will guide nurses to use NANDA-I, NIC, and NOC for better cardiac rehabilitation care.

Geographical specific association between lifestyles and multimorbidity among adults in China.

The relationship between lifestyles and multimorbidity is well established, but previous studies have often neglected the role of spatial heterogeneity. Thus, this study is the first to explore this association in Chinese adults from a spatial perspective using a geographically weighted logistic regression (GWLR) model and describe the geographical characteristics across different regions. According to 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) database, a total of 7101 subjects were finally included, with 124 prefecture-level administrative regions in China. Non-spatial and GWLR model were used for analysis, and gender stratification analysis was also performed. Data were visualized through ArcGIS 10.7. The results showed that a total prevalence of approximately 5.13% of multimorbidity, and among participants with multimorbidity, the separate prevalence of hypertension, diabetes or high blood sugar, heart disease, and stroke were 4.45%, 2.32%, 3.02%, and 1.41%, respectively. The GWLR model indicated that current (OR: 1.202-1.220) and former smokers (OR: 1.168-1.206) may be important risk factors for multimorbidity in adults, especially in north and west among male. Past drinkers (OR: 1.233-1.240), especially in eastern China, contribute to the development of the multimorbidity in men but not in women. Vigorous-intensity activities (OR: 0.761-0.799) were negatively associated with multimorbidity in the west, with no gender difference. Depression (OR: 1.266-1.293) appeared to increase the risk for multimorbidity, with the weakest effects in central China and no gender difference. There was an interaction between light activities and gender (P = 0.024). The prevalence of multimorbidity differed across various areas of the province. The role of geographical variations in lifestyles and multimorbidity may provide valuable information for developing site-specific intervention strategies.

Photoenzymatic Hydrosulfonylation for the Stereoselective Synthesis of Chiral Sulfones.

Chiral sulfones are recurrent motifs in pharmaceuticals and bioactive molecules. Although chemical methods have been developed to afford α- or ß- chiral sulfones, these protocols rely heavily on the pre-synthesis of structurally complicated starting materials and chiral metal complexes. Herein, we described a photoenzymatic approach for the radical-mediated stereoselective hydrosulfonylation. Engineered variants of ene reductases provide efficient biocatalysts for this transformation, enabling to achieve a series of ß-chiral sulfonyl compounds with high yields (up to 92 %) and excellent e.r. values (up to 99 : 1).

Plastidial engineering with coupled farnesyl diphosphate pool reconstitution and enhancement for sesquiterpene biosynthesis in tomato fruit.

Sesquiterpenes represent a large class of terpene compounds found in plants with broad applications such as pharmaceuticals and biofuels. The plastidial MEP pathway in ripening tomato fruit is naturally optimized to provide the 5-carbon isoprene building blocks of all terpenes for production of the tetraterpene pigment lycopene and other carotenoids, making it an excellent plant system to be engineered for production of high-value terpenoids. We reconstituted and enhanced the pool of sesquiterpene precursor farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) in plastids of tomato fruit by overexpressing the fusion gene DXS-FPPS encoding a fusion protein of 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase (DXS) linked with farnesyl diphosphate synthase (originally called farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase, and abbreviated as FPPS) under the control of fruit-ripening specific polygalacturonase (PG) promoter concomitant with substantial reduction in lycopene content and large production of FPP-derived squalene. The supply of precursors achieved by the fusion gene expression can be harnessed by an engineered sesquiterpene synthase that is retargeted to plastid to engineer high-yield sesquiterpene production in tomato fruit, offering an effective production system for high-value sesquiterpene ingredients.

Associations between trajectories of cardiovascular risk factor change and cognitive impairment in Chinese elderly: A nationwide cohort study.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between long-term trajectories of changes in cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) and the risk of cognitive impairment among Chinese adults over 60 years old. Methods: Data were obtained from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey 2005-2018. Cognitive function was evaluated longitudinally through the Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (C-MMSE), and cognitive impairment (C-MMSE ≤23) was used as the main outcome variable. The cardiovascular risk factors, including systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), pulse pressure (PP), and body mass index (BMI), were continuously measured in the follow-up duration. The patterns of trajectories of changes in CVRFs were derived from the latent growth mixture model (LGMM). The Cox regression model was used to evaluate the cognitive impairment hazard ratio (HR) across different CVRF trajectories. Results: A total of 5,164 participants aged ≥60 years with normal cognitive function at baseline were included in the study. After a median follow-up of 8 years, 2,071 participants (40.1%) developed cognitive impairment (C-MMSE ≤ 23). The four-class trajectories of SBP and BMI were obtained by means of LGMM, and the trajectories of DBP, MAP, and PP were grouped into a three-class subgroup. In the final adjusted Cox model, the lowered SBP [adjusted HR (aHR): 1.59; 95% CI: 1.17-2.16], lowered PP (aHR: 2.64; 95% CI: 1.66-4.19), and progressively obese (aHR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.02-1.62) and stable slim (aHR: 1.13; 95% CI: 1.02-1.25) were associated with the higher risk of cognitive impairment. Low stable DBP (aHR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.66-0.96) and elevated PP (aHR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.63-0.92) decreased the risk for cognitive impairment among participants. Conclusion: Lowered SBP, lowered PP, progressive obesity, and stable slim increased the risk for cognitive impairment in the Chinese elderly. Low stable DBP and elevated PP were protective against cognitive impairment, but more DBP lowering and ≥25 mmHg growth in PP contributed to a higher risk of cognitive impairment. The findings have important implications for preventing cognitive impairment in elder adults based on the long-term trajectories of changes in CVRFs.

Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Differences between Bos indicus and Bos taurus.

Disease risk is a persistent problem in domestic cattle farming, while economic traits are the main concern. This study aimed to reveal the epigenetic basis for differences between zebu (Bos indicus) and taurine cattle (Bos taurus) in disease, disease resistance, and economic traits, and provide a theoretical basis for the genetic improvement of domestic cattle. In this study, whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) was used to analyze the whole-genome methylation of spleen and liver samples from Yunnan zebu and Holstein cattle. In the genome-wide methylation pattern analysis, it was found that the methylation pattern of all samples was dominated by the CG type, which accounted for >94.9%. The DNA methylation levels of different functional regions and transcriptional elements in the CG background varied widely. However, the methylation levels of different samples in the same functional regions or transcriptional elements did not differ significantly. In addition, we identified a large number of differentially methylation region (DMR) in both the spleen and liver groups, of which 4713 and 4663 were annotated to functional elements, and most of them were annotated to the intronic and exonic regions of genes. GO and KEGG functional analysis of the same differentially methylation region (DMG) in the spleen and liver groups revealed that significantly enriched pathways were involved in neurological, disease, and growth functions. As a result of the results of DMR localization, we screened six genes (DNM3, INPP4B, PLD, PCYT1B, KCNN2, and SLIT3) that were tissue-specific candidates for economic traits, disease, and disease resistance in Yunnan zebu. In this study, DNA methylation was used to construct links between genotypes and phenotypes in domestic cattle, providing useful information for further screening of epigenetic molecular markers in zebu and taurine cattle.

Bioaccessibility and bioactivities of phenolic compounds from microalgae during in vitro digestion and colonic fermentation.

Microalgae are a developing novel source of carbohydrates, phenolic compounds, carotenoids and proteins. In this study, in vitro digestion and colonic fermentation were conducted to examine the total phenolic content and potential antioxidant activity of four microalgal species (Chlorella sp., Spirulina sp., Dunaliella sp., and Isochrysis sp.). The bioaccessibility of targeted phenolic compounds and the short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production were also estimated. Particularly, Spirulina sp. exhibited the highest total phenolic content (TPC) and free radical scavenging (2,2'-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, DPPH) capacity after gastrointestinal digestion of 7.93 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE) per g and 2.35 mg Trolox equivalents (TE) per g. Meanwhile, it had the highest total flavonoid content (TFC) of 1.07 quercetin equivalents (QE) per g after 8 h of colonic fermentation. Dunaliella sp. and Isochrysis sp. showed comparable ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of 4.96 and 4.45 mg QE per g after 4 h of faecal reaction, respectively. p-hydroxybenzoic and caffeic acid almost completely decomposed after the intestine and fermented in the colon with the gut microflora. In Dunaliella sp. and Isochrysis sp., these phenolic acids were found in the colonic fermented residual, probably due to the presence of dietary fibre and the interactions with other components. All four species reached the highest values of SCFA production after 16 h, except Spirulina sp., which displayed the most increased total SCFA production after 8 h of fermentation. It is proposed that Spirulina sp. could be more beneficial to gut health.

A Photoenzymatic Strategy for Radical-Mediated Stereoselective Hydroalkylation with Diazo Compounds.

Carbene insertion reactions initiated with diazo compounds have been widely used to develop unnatural enzymatic reactions. However, alternative functionalization of diazo compounds in enzymatic processes has been unexploited. Herein, we describe a photoenzymatic strategy for radical-mediated stereoselective hydroalkylation with diazo compounds. This method generates carbon-centered radicals through an ene reductase catalyzed photoinduced electron transfer process from diazo compounds, enabling the synthesis of γ-stereogenic carbonyl compounds in good yields and stereoselectivities. This study further expands the possible reaction patterns in photo-biocatalysis and offers a new approach to solving the selectivity challenges of radical-mediated reactions.

The Association of Folic Acid, Iron Nutrition during Pregnancy and Congenital Heart Disease in Northwestern China: A Matched Case-Control Study.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between folic acid and iron nutrition during pregnancy and congenital heart disease (CHD) in the offspring. Methods: Conditional logistic regression models and nonlinear mixed-effects models were used to analyze the effects of folic acid and iron nutrition during pregnancy on CHD in offspring. Results: After adjusting for confounders, folic acid or iron supplementation during pregnancy reduced the risk for fetal CHD (OR = 0.60 (0.45, 0.82) or 0.36 (0.27, 0.48)). Similarly, dietary iron intake during pregnancy (≥29 mg/d) was associated with a reduced risk of fetal CHD (OR = 0.64 (0.46, 0.88)). Additionally, compared with women who only supplemented folic acid (OR = 0.59 (0.41, 0.84)) or iron (OR = 0.32 (0.16, 0.60)), women who supplemented both folic acid and iron had lower risk for newborns with CHD (OR = 0.22 (0.15, 0.34)). Similarly, compared with women who only supplemented folic acid (OR = 0.59 (0.41, 0.84)) or higher dietary iron intake (≥29 mg/d) (OR = 0.60 (0.33, 1.09)), women who supplemented both folic acid and higher dietary iron intake (≥29 mg/d) had lower risk for the newborn with CHD (OR = 0.41 (0.28, 0.62)). The combined effects were significant in the multiplication model (OR = 0.35 (0.26, 0.48) or 0.66 (0.50, 0.85)) but not in the additive model. Conclusions: Our study found that folic acid and iron nutrition during pregnancy were associated with a reduced risk of CHD in the offspring and confirmed a statistically significant multiplicative interaction between folic acid and iron nutrition on the reduced risk of CHD in offspring.