Unveiling hotspots and trends in hip arthroscopy research: A bibliometric and visualized analysis (1900-2022).

Over the past 10 years, hip arthroscopy has been increasingly employed to effectively diagnose and safely treat a range of hip pathologies. With research related to hip arthroscopy continually expanding, the number of articles connected with hip arthroscopy has also consistently grown. We aimed to investigate trends and hotspots in hip arthroscopy-related research, and analyze the top 100 most-cited articles on hip arthroscopy. We searched for ("hip arthroscopy") AND ("article" OR "review") AND "English" in the Web of Science database from 1900 to 2022, which was used to obtain all publications relating to hip arthroscopy. Distribution of country, affiliated institution, journal, authors, citation frequency and keywords were analyzed using VOSviewer. A total of 1094 articles were selected from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) from 1900 to 2022. The number of publications concerning hip arthroscopy displayed an ascending trend over time. Among the countries, the United States emerged as the largest contributor to the number of articles. The highest prolific institution was American Hip Institute. Among the journals, the highest-ranking journal was "Arthroscopy-the Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery," with 8316 citation counts and 262 articles. The area of greatest research interest was diagnosis and therapy in the field. The scientific articles on the subject of hip arthroscopy have risen continuously in recent years. The United States was the most influential country and made the most significant contributions to this field globally. We identified the research direction and trend for the first time and provided the most recent bibliometric analysis on hip arthroscopy, which may assist researchers in conducting studies on hip arthroscopy.

Rapid Non-Destructive Detection Technology in the Field of Meat Tenderness: A Review.

Traditionally, tenderness has been assessed through shear force testing, which is inherently destructive, the accuracy is easily affected, and it results in considerable sample wastage. Although this technology has some drawbacks, it is still the most effective detection method currently available. In light of these drawbacks, non-destructive testing techniques have emerged as a preferred alternative, promising greater accuracy, efficiency, and convenience without compromising the integrity of the samples. This paper delves into applying five advanced non-destructive testing technologies in the realm of meat tenderness assessment. These include near-infrared spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging, Raman spectroscopy, airflow optical fusion detection, and nuclear magnetic resonance detection. Each technology is scrutinized for its respective strengths and limitations, providing a comprehensive overview of their current utility and potential for future development. Moreover, the integration of these techniques with the latest advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology is explored. The fusion of AI with non-destructive testing offers a promising avenue for the development of more sophisticated, rapid, and intelligent systems for meat tenderness evaluation. This integration is anticipated to significantly enhance the efficiency and accuracy of the quality assessment in the meat industry, ensuring a higher standard of safety and nutritional value for consumers. The paper concludes with a set of technical recommendations to guide the future direction of non-destructive, AI-enhanced meat tenderness detection.

Isolated Langerhans cell histiocytosis in the stomach of adults: four-case series and literature review.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) of the stomach is rare. Moreover, it is usually found in pediatric patients with systemic diseases and may be associated with a poor prognosis. Solitary gastric LCH in adults is extremely rare and is often misdiagnosed or missed. The aim of our study was to review cases of gastric LCH and explore the characteristics of the disease further. A retrospective study of all patients admitted with solitary gastric LCH was conducted between 2013 and 2023. Clinical manifestations, endoscopic and pathological features, immunophenotypes, and molecular changes were collected from medical records. We examined four cases (one female, three males) of gastric LCH. The affected patients were between 33 and 70 years of age. Endoscopically, three patients presented with a solitary polyp or elevated lesions, whereas one patient showed no abnormalities. Under a microscope, all cases showed abnormal proliferation of histiocytoid cells infiltrating in a nested or sheet-like fashion. The tumor cells were medium-sized, with a slightly eosinophilic cytoplasm, irregular or renal-shaped nuclei, folded nuclear membranes, visible nuclear grooves, and the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the background. Immunohistochemically, all lesions expressed CD1a, S-100, langerin, and cyclinD1. One case showed diffuse BRAF V600E positivity. Follow-up data were available for all patients from 4 to 36 months, and all patients were alive without recurrence or progress at the time of manuscript preparation. Combined with previously reported data, solitary adult gastric LCH is more common in male patients, most of whom are asymptomatic or exhibit only mild gastrointestinal symptoms, with a good prognosis. Endoscopy often reveals solitary polyps or protruding lesions; rare cases may progress to multifocal/multisystem lesions, necessitating long-term close follow-up.

Recycling solar-grade silicon from end-of-life photovoltaic modules by Al-Si solvent refining.

The development of the solar market has been fast in the past decades, and the number of photovoltaic module installations is large. The photovoltaic modules have a lifetime of about 25 years and need recovery after that. The aluminium-back surface field (Al-BSF) module is the first kind of large-scale installed module and will come to its end of life in the next few years. The recycling of silicon material in the Al-BSF module is investigated in this work. The components of the module are separated, and the silicon material in the module is collected and then purified by (aluminium-silicon) Al-Si solvent refining for reuse. It is found that Al-Si solvent refining removed key impurity elements, namely boron and phosphorus, in the collected silicon. Kinetics has a great effect on boron and phosphorus removal, and boron and phosphorus contents in purified silicon decrease with decreasing cooling rate. The boron and phosphorus contents in silicon are lowered to 0.28 and 0.03 ppmw, respectively, after two times of Al-Si solvent refining with the cooling rate of 5.55 * 10-4 K second-1, and it meets the requirement of solar-grade silicon.

Prevalence and clinical correlates of hyperhomocysteinemia in Chinese urban population with hypertension.

Context: The coexistence of hypertension and elevated homocysteine (Hcy) levels has a mutually reinforcing impact on the susceptibility to cardio-cerebrovascular disease. Objective: The aim was to assess the prevalence, clinical correlation, and demographic characteristics of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) within the Chinese urban population with hypertension. Methods: A cohort of 473 individuals with hypertension were selected from four communities in Shenzhen, China. Demographic attributes, clinical profiles, and lifestyle behaviors were gathered and compared between individuals with and without HHcy. A logistic regression model was employed to examine potential factors associated with the prevalence of HHcy. Correlation between Hcy levels and clinical characteristics was assessed through multiple linear regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of HHcy in the population with hypertension was 31.3%. In comparison to individuals without HHcy, those with HHcy exhibited a higher proportion of males, a higher prevalence of smoking and alcohol consumption, and a higher proportion of cases with the homozygous (TT) genotype at the MTHFR C677T polymorphism. Moreover, individuals with HHcy had lower levels of folic acid (FA), and lower fruit and vitamin B12 intake. Furthermore, the risk factors for HHcy were male (B = 1.430, OR = 4.179) and MTHFR (TT) (B = 1.086, OR = 2.961). In addition, the multiple linear regression analysis revealed a significant association between Hcy levels and gender (B = -2.784, P = 0.004), MTHFR genotypes (B = 1.410, P = 0.005), and FA levels (B = -0.136, P = 0.030). Conclusion: The high prevalence of HHcy among hypertensive patients in this Chinese urban population underscores the necessity for interventions targeting modifiable risk factors such as dietary choices and lifestyle practices.

Epidemiological Survey of Congenital Heart Disease Among Children Aged from 2 to 18 in Suo County, Nagqu, Tibet.

Lin, Tian, Huaping Jia, Yunming Li, Yongxing Xu, Bei Zhao, Dong Zheng, Hongfeng Yan, Meihui Zhao, Yanlei Li, Liping Xia, Fengxia Zhou, Cuiping Liu, Ke Ma, Ma Mi, and Jianwen Gu. Epidemiological survey of congenital heart disease among children aged from 2 to 18 in Suo County, Nagqu, Tibet. High Alt Med Biol. 00:000-000, 2024. Background: Studies have reported the prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD) in parts of Tibet, but relative epidemiological surveys are rare. We aimed to explore the prevalence of CHD in children and its relationship with family history in Suo County, Nagqu, Tibet, an altitude of 3,980 meters. Methods: We recruited 4,002 children aged 2-18 years. Subjects underwent a family history investigation, cardiac auscultation, and clinical manifestation examination and then received echocardiographic screening. Results: The prevalence of CHD among children in Suo County was 0.97% (39 cases), much higher than the prevalence at sea level. The most common subtype was atrial septal defect, accounting for 53.9% of CHD, followed by patent ductus arteriosus (33.3%) and ventricular septal defect (12.8%). We also found that children whose mothers had previously borne children with CHD had a higher risk of CHD than those without (p = 0.002); other factors related to CHD during pregnancy, such as smoking, drinking, drug use, and viral infection, showed no statistical differences between children with and without CHD. Conclusions: The prevalence of CHD in children in Suo County is much higher than at low altitude, consisting mostly of simple forms with left-to-right shunt, with rare complex CHD. These results support implementing diagnostic and treatment plans to prevent CHD in Suo County.

Overexpression of NDRG1 leads to poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma through mediating immune infiltration and EMT.

BACKGROUND: NDRG1, the first member of the NDRG family, is a multifunctional protein associated with carcinogenesis. Its function in human cancer is currently poorly understood. The aim of this study was to explore the importance of NDRG1 in tumor immune cell infiltration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: NDRG1 expression in various cancers was analyzed using TIMER 2.0, the Human Protein Atlas (HPA), UALCAN and PrognoScan. Wound healing, Transwell, MTT and colony formation assays were performed to confirm the effects of NDRG1 on the metastasis and proliferation of HCC cells. Western blotting was used to study the effect of NDRG1 on the expression of EMT-related proteins. Signaling networks were constructed using LinkedOmics and Metascape. TIMER2.0 and TISIDB were used for comprehensive analysis of tumor-infiltrating immune cells and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). RESULT: NDRG1 expression was higher in HCC tissue than in normal liver tissue at both the mRNA and protein levels. Overexpression of NDRG1 is associated with poor prognosis in HCC patients. Genomic analysis suggests that NDRG1 promoter hypermethylation leads to enhanced transcription, which may be one mechanism for NDRG1 upregulation in HCC. The overexpression of NDRG1 promotes the invasion, migration, and proliferation of HCC cells and induces the expression of EMT-related proteins. Immunoinfiltration analysis suggests that NDRG1 is involved in the recruitment of immune cells. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that NDRG1 may induce metastasis and invasion through EMT and immune cell infiltration. NDRG1 could be used as a biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC and could be a potential therapeutic target in HCC.

Identification of a vascular invasion-related signature based on lncRNA pairs for predicting prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: Most signatures are constructed on the basis of RNA or protein expression levels. The value of vascular invasion-related signatures based on lncRNA pairs, regardless of their specific expression level in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is not yet clear. METHODS: Vascular invasion-related differentially expressed lncRNA (DElncRNA) pairs were identified with a two-lncRNA combination strategy by using a novel modeling algorithm. Based on the optimal cutoff value of the ROC curve, patients with HCC were classified into high- and low-risk subgroups. We used KM survival analysis to evaluate the overall survival rate of patients in the high- and low-risk subgroups. The independent indicators of survival were identified using univariate and multivariate Cox analyses. RESULTS: Five pairs of vascular invasion-related DElncRNAs were selected to develop a predictive model for HCC. High-risk subgroups were closely associated with aggressive clinicopathological characteristics and genes, chemotherapeutic sensitivity, and highly expressed immune checkpoint inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: We identified a signature composed of 5 pairs of vascular invasion-related lncRNAs that does not require absolute expression levels of lncRNAs and shows promising clinical predictive value for HCC prognosis. This predictive model provides deep insight into the value of vascular invasion-related lncRNAs in prognosis.

Physical stability, microstructure and antimicrobial properties of konjac glucomannan coatings enriched with Litsea cubeba essential oil nanoemulsion and its effect on citruses preservation.

This study purposed to develop konjac glucomannan (KGM) based antimicrobial coatings containing Litsea cubeba essential oil nanoemulsion (LNE) for citruses preservation. Physical stability, rheological, structural and antimicrobial properties of the coating solutions were investigated, along with the release characteristics of Litsea cubeba essential oil (LCO). Results showed that the coating solutions displayed shear thinning behavior. The oil droplets were distributed homogeneously in KGM phase with good stability. The coating structure became loose with increasing LNE content due to LNE interfering with molecular interactions and entanglement of KGM. The coating solutions showed stronger antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli than against Staphylococcus aureus and were effective in inhibiting the growth of Penicillium italicum on citrus surfaces. KGM-LNE 10 negatively affected citruses due to phytotoxicity caused by high levels of LCO. LCO was released slowly and continuously from the coatings, and its release was faster in deionized water than in an ethanol-water solution. KGM-LNE 2.5 coated citruses had the least weight loss, the greatest hardness, and kept the minimum changes in total soluble solids, total acid and vitamin C content, implying that KGM-LNE 2.5 best maintained the quality of citruses. The findings suggest that KGM-based coatings containing LNE have high potential for citruses preservation.

UTP23 Functions in Breast Cancer Progression and Predicts Poor Prognosis of Luminal a Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Luminal A breast cancer is the most common molecular subtype of breast cancer. Exploring biomarkers to identify luminal A breast cancer patients at high risk of recurrence and metastasis has important clinical significance. UTP23 is a component of ribosomal small-subunit processome, which is involved in ribosome synthesis and RNA maturation. The role of UTP23 in breast cancer has not been reported. METHODS: TCGA-BRCA data, LinkedOmics, STRING, Metascape and ssGSEA were used to analyze UTP23 expression in breast cancer and evaluate prognosis. Quantitative real-time PCR, western blot and in vitro cell experiment were used to demonstrate the role of UTP23 in breast cancer. RESULTS: UTP23 showed abnormally high expression in multiple cancers and was associated with poor prognosis. UTP23 was associated with T stage, lymph node metastasis, race, histological type, molecular subtypes and survival status in breast cancer. Importantly, UTP23 was significantly associated with poor OS in luminal A or early breast cancer, not in non-luminal A or advanced breast cancer. UTP23 expression was significantly correlated with immune cells infiltration. Enrichment analysis suggested that UTP23 might regulate cell cycle and cell division. Bioinformatics analysis showed DCAF13 might be downstream factor of UTP23. UTP23 expression promoted MCF-7 cells proliferation, migration and invasion possibly through regulating DCAF13 expression. CONCLUSIONS: UTP23 may function in breast cancer progression. The elevated UTP23 may be a potential prognostic biomarker for luminal A or early breast cancer.

Cross-sectional analysis of the correlation between serum uric acid and trabecular bone score: NHANES 2005-2008.

Serum uric acid (SUA) has been discovered to be associated with bone mineral density (BMD), but its relationship with trabecular bone score (TBS) remains unclear. Thus, the aim of our study was to investigate the association between SUA levels and TBS. Our study included 5895 individuals over 20 years old (3061 men and 2834 women) from NHANES 2005-2008. To analyze the association between SUA and TBS, multivariate linear regression models with covariate adjustments were applied. Furthermore, population description, stratified analysis, single factor analysis, smooth curve fitting, interaction analysis, and threshold effect and saturation effect analysis were also conducted. After adjusting for covariates, SUA showed a strong negative relationship with total TBS (ß = 0.319; 95% CI 0.145-0.494; P < 0.001). The relationship between SUA levels and total TBS was found to be nonlinear, with inflection points at 4.8 mg/dL for the overall population, 4.2 mg/dL for women, and 5.7 mg/dL for non-Hispanic whites, indicating a saturation effect. Additionally, no interactions were found in any of the subgroups. Our study found a negative association between SUA and total TBS in adults. Maintaining SUA at a saturated level can benefit in preventing osteoporosis and fractures.

Research Progress of Rapid Non-Destructive Detection Technology in the Field of Apple Mold Heart Disease.

Apples are rich in vitamins and dietary fiber and are one of the essential fruits in people's daily diet. China has always been a big apple consumer, and with the improvement of people's life quality, nutrition, and health requirements, the demand for high-quality apples has increased year by year. Apple mold heart disease is one of the main diseases affecting apple quality. However, this disease cannot be easily detected from the surface, so it is difficult to detect mold heart disease. Therefore, this paper focuses on the analysis of seven non-destructive detection technologies, including near infrared spectroscopy technology, hyperspectral technology, Raman spectroscopy technology, electronic nose technology, acoustic technology, electrical technology, and magnetic technology, summarizes their application status in the detection of apple mold heart disease, and then analyzes their advantages and disadvantages. Combined with the current rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, this paper proposes the future development trends of using non-destructive technologies to detect apple mold heart disease. It is expected to provide basic theory and application references for the intelligent detection of apple mold heart disease.

Modulating in vitro fecal fermentation behavior of sodium alginate by Ca2+ cross-linking.

Slow fermentable dietary fibers can be utilized by human gut microbiota in the distal region of the colon and thus exert a sufficient short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) supplement in the distal region of the human colon. Alginate (Alg) based microgels are widely fabricated and used to control their digestion by digestive enzymes releasing active substances site-specifically. Herein, sodium alginate microgels with gradient calcium-ion (Ca2+) cross-linking densities were developed, restricting their degradation by gut microbiota. Alg microgels were prepared using high-speed shearing after Alg was cross-linked with 10, 40, and 60 mmol/L Ca2+, respectively (named 10-Alg, 40-Alg, and 60-Alg). The fluorescence and atomic force microscopic results showed that the 40-Alg particle has the densest structure among the three cross-linked Alg. In vitro human fecal fermentation results revealed that the Ca2+ cross-linking exerted more restricting effects than delaying effects on the fermentation of Alg, and the 40-Alg exhibited the slowest fermentation rate and the least fermentation extent, by characterizing the residual total carbohydrate content, residual monosaccharide content, pH, and total short-chain fatty acids. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing results indicated that cross-linking structures shaped a high specifical Bacteroides-type microbial community and that OTU205 (Bacteroides_xylanisolvens) highly correlated to the cross-linking density (R = 0.65, p = 0.047). In sum, Ca2+ cross-linking generated a dense and compact structure of sodium alginate that facilitated a more restricted fermentation property and specificity-targeting microbial community structure in comparison to the original sodium alginate.

Emulsifying performance of the hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) complexed alginate microgels: Effects from their deformability on oil-water interface.

Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide complexed alginate-Ca2+ microgels (C/AMGs) were developed as emulsifiers, which shown remarkably improved emulsifying performance than non-complexed alginate-Ca2+ microgels (AMGs) in previous study. This work focus on the impact of deformability on the emulsifying performance of C/AMGs. By regulating alginate concentration (1.0-4.0 wt%), microgels with different deformability were prepared. Deformability was proved to have great influence on the emulsifying performance of C/AMGs, which was evaluated by Langmuir trough measurements, emulsion appearance, centrifugation stability, digestive behavior, and oxidative stability. Particle size and SEM images indicated microgels prepared with lower alginate concentration are more deformable. C/AMGs (2.0 wt%) exhibits the best emulsifying performance, which could be ascribed to the appreciated deformability and mechanical strength. Digestive behavior and oxidative stability of alginate-Ca2+ microgel (2.0 wt%) stabilized emulsions were further investigated. Compared with alginate-Ca2+ microgel (2.0 wt%) stabilized emulsions, C/AMGs (2.0 wt%) stabilized emulsions shown delayed lipid digestion and lower POV. Results of this work supporting that Mickering mechanism have potential in fabricating functional emulsions based on natural polysaccharides.

Global trends and frontiers of research on total disc replacement: A bibliometric analysis.

With the increased risk of complications associated with traditional spinal fusion for the treatment of degenerative disc disease, total disc replacement (TDR) has received increasing attention in recent years. Despite the rapid development of its related research fields, its research status and the hotspot analysis are still unclear. Our goal was to identify and analyze the global research trends on TDR using bibliometric tools. All TDR data were obtained from the WoSCC. The information of research field was collected, including title, author, institutions, journals, countries, references, total citations, and years of publication for further analysis. From 1993 to 2022, a total of 1167 articles and 11,348 references were included in this field. These publications are mainly from 53 countries/regions and 174 journals, led by the United States and China. According to the citation report, the US was absolutely in the leading position in this research field. The most contribution institution and author were Sichuan University and Liu H. Spine and European Spine Journal were the most active journal on TDR research, with 205 and 118 articles. Meanwhile, they were also the most frequently cited journals. The "bone loss," "cervical arthroplasty," "hybrid surgery" were the most frequently cited areas of TDR research. Meanwhile, the latest research hotspots and directions were "cervical disc arthroplasty," "7 year follow up," "heterotopic ossification." The scientific research on TDR has increased considerably in recent years. This study clarifies the current research status and future development trends in order to guide clinicians and researchers in the field of TDR. It can be inferred that cervical disc arthroplasty and bone loss will be the research focus in the future.

Structuring meat analogs by citrus fiber with reduced salt intake.

In this study, we investigated the effect of addition of citrus fiber (CF; 5% and 10%, which consists mainly of soluble pectin and insoluble cellulose) on physical properties and microstructure of meat analogs based on soy protein isolate and wheat gluten using high-moisture extrusion. Layered structure or microstructure of meat analogs was observed by scanning electron microscope and confocal laser scanning microscope. Compared to the control (without CF), meat analogs with CF addition showed disorder layered microstructure, which was interconnected with smaller fibers. Rheological measurements (strain sweep and frequency sweep) show that the incorporation of CF resulted in meat analogs with softer texture. The moisture content of meat analogs increased significantly upon the addition of CF, which was also correlated with juiciness. Sensory evaluation and dynamic salt release results confirm that the saltiness of meat analogs with CF addition was enhanced due to the structural changes of phase-separated structures, achieving salt reduction by 20% and showing a saltiness similar to the control sample. This research provides a novel approach to modulate the saltiness perception of meat analogs by modifying the phase separation of protein/polysaccharides. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Citrus fiber is added to the plant protein matrix to prepare meat analogs with high moisture content and enhanced saltiness perception via modifying the phase separation of protein/polysaccharides. This work provided a potential target for the meat industry to produce the meat analogs with less salt intake. Further research can be conducted using modified fibrous or inner structure of meat analogs to improve its quality.

Influence of interfacial properties/structure on oxygen diffusion in oil-in-water emulsions.

Oxygen diffusion played an important role in the lipid oxidation of food emulsions. In this study, a simple method was developed to quantitatively observe the oxygen diffusion in the oil-water biphasic system, and it was further applied to investigate the relationship between the oxygen diffusion and lipid oxidation in O/W emulsions. Various factors that related to the emulsion oxidation were considered, from their influence on the oxygen diffusion and lipid oxidation in the emulsions. Results showed that there was obvious correlation between the oxygen diffusion and lipid oxidation in O/W emulsions, which reveals the inhibition of oxygen diffusion could apparently slow down the lipid oxidation. Moreover, the changes of oil phase, water phase and interfacial layer of the emulsions, which were related to the oxygen diffusion, could improve the oxidative stability of the emulsions effectively. Our findings are helpful for deep understanding the mechanisms of the lipid oxidation in food emulsions.

Androgen dihydrotestosterone promotes bladder cancer cell proliferation and invasion via EPPK1-mediated MAPK/JUP signalling.

The incidence of bladder cancer (BLCA) in men is higher than that in women. Differences in androgen levels between men and women are considered the main causes of incidence rate differences. In this study, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) significantly increased the proliferation and invasion of BLCA cells. In addition, BLCA formation and metastatic rates were higher in N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (BBN)-treated male mice than in female and castrated male mice in vivo. However, immunohistochemistry showed that androgen receptor (AR) was expressed at low levels in normal and BLCA tissues of men and women. The classical AR pathway considers that DHT binds to AR and induces it to enter the nucleus, where it functions as a transcription factor. Here, a non-AR combination pathway of androgen that promoted BLCA development was investigated. The EPPK1 protein was bombarded with DHT, as determined by biotinylated DHT-binding pull-down experiments. EPPK1 was highly expressed in BLCA tissues, and EPPK1 knockdown significantly inhibited BLCA cell proliferation and invasion promoted by DHT. Moreover, JUP expression was elevated in DHT-treated high-EPPK1 expressing cells, and JUP knockdown inhibited cell proliferation and invasion. EPPK1 overexpression increased tumour growth and JUP expression in nude mice. Furthermore, DHT increased the expression of the MAPK signals p38, p-p38, and c-Jun, and c-Jun could bind to the JUP promoter. However, the promotion of p38, p-p38, and c-Jun expression by DHT was not observed in EPPK1 knockdown cells, and a p38 inhibitor suppressed the DHT-induced effects, indicating that p38 MAPK may be involved in the regulation of DHT-dependent EPPK1-JUP-promoted BLCA cell proliferation and invasion. The growth of bladder tumours in BBN-treated mice was inhibited by the addition of the hormone inhibitor goserelin. Our findings indicated the potential oncogenic role and mechanism of DHT in BLCA pathogenesis through a non-AR pathway, which may serve as a novel therapeutic target for BLCA.

pH Effect on the Structure, Rheology, and Electrospinning of Maize Zein.

As a simple and convenient technology to fabricate micron-to-nanoscale fibers with controllable structure, electrostatic spinning has produced fiber films with many natural advantages, including a large specific surface area and high porosity. Maize zein, as a major storage protein in corn, showed high hydrophobicity and has been successfully applied as a promising carrier for encapsulation and controlled release in the pharmaceutical and food areas. Proteins exhibit different physical and chemical properties at different pH values, and it is worth investigating whether this change in physical and chemical properties affects the properties of electrospun fiber films. We studied the pH effects on zein solution rheology, fiber morphology, and film properties. Rotational rheometers were used to test the rheology of the solutions and establish a correlation between solution concentration and fiber morphology. The critical concentrations calculated by the cross-equation fitting model were 17.6%, 20.1%, 20.1%, 17.1%, and 19.5% (w/v) for pH 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively. The secondary structure of zein changed with the variation in solution pH. Furthermore, we analyzed the physical properties of the zein films. The contact angles of the fiber membranes prepared with different pH spinning solutions were all above 100, while zein films formed by solvent evaporation showed hydrophilic properties. The results indicated that the rheological properties of zein solutions and the surface properties of the film were affected by the pH value. This study showed that zein solutions can be stabilized to form electrospun fibers at a variety of pH levels and offered new opportunities to further enhance the encapsulation activity of zein films for bioactive materials.

Fabrication, characterization and emulsifying properties of agarose microgel.

Agarose microgels were prepared with bottom-up approach, and emulsifying properties of agarose microgels were investigated. Physical properties of microgels are varied with agarose concentration, and further affect the emulsifying performance of microgels. Enhanced surface hydrophobicity index and decreased particle size of microgels were recorded with the increasing of agarose concentration, which were conducive to emulsifying properties of microgels. Improved interfacial adsorption of microgels was evidenced by Dynamic surface tension and SEM. However, microscopic morphology of microgel at O/W interface indicated that increasing agarose concentration could weaken the deformability of microgels. The influence of external conditions (pH and NaCl) on the physical properties of microgels were investigated, and their effects on emulsion stability were evaluated. Compared with acidification, NaCl was appeared to be more destructive to emulsion stability. Results indicated acidification and NaCl could decrease surface hydrophobicity index of microgels, but there was differentiation in the variation of particle size. It was inferred that deformability of microgels could make contribution to the stability of emulsion. This study verified that microgelation was a feasible scheme to improve the interfacial properties of agarose, and the influence of agarose concentration, pH, and NaCl on the emulsifying performance of microgels was investigated.