Three-dimensional cross-linked network deep eutectic gel polymer electrolyte with the self-healing ability enable by hydrogen bonds and dynamic disulfide bonds.

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are effective solutions for the development of high-performance and flexible lithium metal batteries (LMBs). However, the key problems of SPEs including low ionic conductivity and inability to repair damage have hindered their industrialization process. In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) cross-linked network gel polymer electrolyte (CNGPE) is designed. The addition of deep eutectic solvent (DES) improves the ionic conductivity of CNGPE. The hydrogen bonds and dynamic disulfide bonds in the 3D cross-linked network endow CNGPE rapid self-healing ability at ambient temperature. In addition, the addition of lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate (LiDFOB) and lithium nitrate (LiNO3) helps to form a stable solid electrolyte interface (SEI). Due to the ingenious design, the Li/CNGPE/Li symmetrical cell exhibits excellent interface stability and no short circuit occurs for more than 800 h. The assembled LiFePO4/CNGPE/Li cell exhibits a discharge specific capacity of 126 mAh g-1 after 960 cycles at 0.5C. This work has shown that the self-healing gel polymer electrolyte containing DES provides an effective and feasible method for the development of high-performance LMBs.

Comparison of lipidome profiles in human milk from Chinese Han and Korean ethnic groups based on UPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS.

The composition of milk lipids varies across different ethnic sources. The lipidome profiles of Chinese Han human milk (HHM) and Chinese Korean human milk (KHM) were investigated in this study. A total of 741 lipids were identified in HHM and KHM. Twenty-eight differentially expressed lipids (DELs) were screened between the 2 milk groups; among these, 6 triacylglycerols (TGs), 13 diacylglycerols (DGs), 7 free fatty acids (FFAs), and 1 monoglyceride (MG) were upregulated in KHM. Carnitine (CAR) was upregulated in HHM. Most DELs showed a single peak distribution in both groups. The correlations, related pathways and diseases of these DELs were further analyzed. The results demonstrated that DG, MG, and FFAs showed highly positive correlations with each other (r >0.8). The most enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Human Metabolome Database (HMDB) pathways were inositol phosphate metabolism, and α-linolenic acid and linolenic acid metabolism, respectively. Major depressive disorder-related FFA (20:5) and FFA (22:6) were more abundant in KHM, while HHM showed more obesity-related CAR. These data potentially provide lipidome information regarding human milk from different ethnicities in China.

Borate-containing triblock copolymer electrolytes for improved lithium-ion transference number and interface stability.

The electrolytes with high lithium-ion transference number (tLi+) can reduce the formation of concentration polarization during charge/discharge process and improve the electrochemical performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Herein, we report triblock copolymer electrolytes (PBOEE) containing borate. The sp2 hybridized boron atoms acting as Lewis acids can anchor the anions of lithium salts, enabling PBOEE to achieve high tLi+ of up to 0.53. Also, the borate groups can promote the formation of stable organic-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film, which enables the Li symmetric cell to cycle stably at 0.1 mA cm-2/0.1 mAh cm-2 for more than 3100 h with a low overpotential of 0.08 V under 50 °C. The optimized PBOEE_24 has an ionic conductivity of 1.41 × 10-4 S cm-1 and electrochemical stability window of 4.8 V vs. Li+/Li at 50 °C. Combining these advantages, the LiFePO4/PBOEE_24/Li cell exhibits an initial discharge specific capacity of 157.3 mA h g-1 at 0.5C with a capacity retention of 85 % after 600 cycles under 50 °C. At a higher current density of 1C, the discharge capacity maintains at 128.0 mA h g-1 after 400 cycles with a capacity retention of 84.88 %. These results suggest that block copolymer containing sp2 hybridized boron atoms is a promising all-solid-state polymer electrolyte.

Effect of different salts on the foaming properties of model protein systems for infant formula.

This multiscale study aimed to evaluate the effects of different salts (NaCl, KCl, MgCl2, and CaCl2) on the foaming capacity (FC) and foam stability (FS) of model protein systems (MPS) for infant formula via changes in surface and structural properties. Our results showed that the FC and FS of MPS were increased with the addition of NaCl, KCl, and MgCl2, whereas CaCl2 significantly decreased FC (79.5 ± 10.6%) and increased FS (93.2 ± 2.2%). The surface hydrophobicity was increased and the net charge and surface tension were reduced after the addition of salts. Structural analysis revealed the reduction of intensity of intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy and UV absorption, and the conversion of α-helix into ß-strand, which was attributed to protein agglomeration. Additionally, MgCl2 and CaCl2 exhibited larger size and lower net charge compared with NaCl and KCl, indicating a greater ability to bind to charged amino acids and form larger aggregates. Correlation analysis indicated that FC was positively related to adsorbed protein and ß-turn and negatively correlated with particle size. In addition, FS showed a positive correlation with ß-strand, apparent viscosity, and zeta potential. However, it exhibited a negative correlation with ß-turn, α-helix, and sulfhydryl content. These results provide a theoretical reference for further understanding of the effect of salts on the foaming properties of MPS.

pH-induced physiochemical and structural changes of milk proteins mixtures and its effect on foaming behavior.

Milk proteins are well known to produce aerated food due to the amphiphilicity. However, milk proteins are commonly added in blends for the desirable properties in food industry. In this study, the foaming properties of milk protein mixtures (MPM), a mixtures of whey protein isolated (WPI) and milk protein concentrate (MPC), was studied through foaming capacity (FC), foam stability (FS), and foam morphology at pH 3.0-9.0. Physiochemical, structural, surface properties, and Pearson correlation analysis were measured to gain insight into foaming behavior. Results indicated that MPM showed excellent FC (113.0-114.3 %) and FS (90.7-93.0 %) at pH 6.0-9.0, and foam displayed a smaller size and uniform distribution. MPM solutions showed smaller particles, higher solubility, and lower apparent viscosity at pH 6.0-9.0, which resulted in an increase in surface pressure and adsorption rate (Kdiff), facilitating more protein absorbed to interface. To further investigate structural changes, various spectral methods were used, in which the structure of MPM was changed with pH. Correlation analysis further suggests that Kdiff and solubility positively affect the formation of foam, while free sulfhydryl and ß-sheet contributed to stabilizing foams. These findings provide valuable information on MPM as ingredients for aerated foods under acidic, neutral, and alkaline conditions.

Comparison of proanthocyanidins A2 and B2 on IgE-reactivity and epitopes in Gly m 6 using multispectral, LC/MS-MS and molecular docking.

This study comparatively analyzed the changes in IgE-reactivity and epitopes in proanthocyanidins A2- (PA-Gly m 6) and B2-Gly m 6 (PB-Gly m 6) conjugates prepared by alkali treatment at 80 °C for 20 min. Similar to the western blot, ELISA also showed a higher reduced IgE-reactivity in PA-Gly m 6 (70.12 %) than PB-Gly m 6 (63.17 %). SDS-PAGE demonstrated that proanthocyanidins A2 caused more formation of >180 kDa polymers than proanthocyanidins B2. Multispectral analyses revealed that PA-Gly m 6 exhibited more structural alteration (e.g., a decrease of α-helical content and ANS fluorescence intensity) to unfold protein structure than proanthocyanidins B2, improving the accessibility to modify Gly m 6 for shielding or destroying conformational epitopes. LC/MS-MS revealed that PA-Gly m 6 conjugates had a lower abundance of allergens, peptides and linear epitopes than PB-Gly m 6 conjugates. Molecular docking showed that proanthocyanidins A2 and B2 reacted with Gln-317 and Asn-94 of epitopes, respectively. Overall, proanthocyanidins A2 is more effective than proanthocyanidins B2 to decrease the IgE-reactivity of Gly m 6 due to more shielding or destruction of conformational epitopes and lower content allergens and linear epitopes, which was attributed to more protein-crosslinks formation and structural changes in PA-Gly m 6 conjugates.

Case Report: Curative effect of OA-PICA protected bypass in severe PICA-complicated vertebral artery stenosis treatment: Results in 3 cases.

Objectives: We aimed to explore the results of OA-PICA-protected bypass grafting in patients with severe stenosis of the vertebral artery combined with PICA. Methods: Three patients with vertebral artery stenosis involving the posterior inferior cerebellar artery, treated by the Department of Neurosurgery of Henan Provincial People's Hospital from January 2018 to December 2021, were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients underwent Occipital Artery-Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery (OA-PICA) bypass surgery followed by elective vertebral artery stenting. Intraoperative indocyanine green fluorescence angiography (ICGA) showed patency of the bridge-vessel anastomosis. Postoperatively, the ANSYS software was used to assess the flow pressure changes and vascular shear in combination with the reviewed DSA angiogram. CTA or DSA was reviewed 1-2 years postoperatively, and the prognosis was evaluated by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) one year postoperatively. Results: OA-PICA bypass surgery was completed in all patients, with intraoperative ICGA showing a patent bridge anastomosis, followed by stenting of the vertebral artery, and a review of the DSA angiogram. We also employed ANSYS software evaluation of the bypass vessel, which showed stable pressure and low turnover angle, suggesting a low rate of long-term occlusion of the vessel. All patients had no procedure-related complications during their hospitalization, and were followed up for a mean of 24 months postoperatively, with a good prognosis (mRS score of 1) at 1 year postoperatively. Conclusion: OA-PICA-protected bypass grafting is an effective treatment for patients with severe stenosis of the vertebral artery combined with PICA.

Investigation of the differences in the effect of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate and proanthocyanidins on the functionality and allergenicity of soybean protein isolate.

In this study, the differences in effects of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and proanthocyanidins (PC) on the functionality and allergenicity of soybean protein isolate (SPI) were studied. SDS-PAGE demonstrated that SPI-PC conjugates exhibited more high-molecular-weight polymers (>180 kDa) than SPI-EGCG conjugates. Structural analysis showed that SPI-PC conjugates exhibited more disordered structures and protein-unfolding, improving the accessibility of PC to modify SPI, compared to SPI-EGCG conjugates. LC/MS-MS demonstrated that PC caused more modification of SPI and major soybean allergens than EGCG, resulting in a lower abundance of epitopes. The successful attachment of EGCG and PC to SPI significantly increased antioxidant capacity in conjugates. Furthermore, SPI-PC conjugates exhibited greater emulsifying activity and lower immunoglobulin E (IgE) binding capacity than SPI-EGCG conjugates, which was attributed to more disordered structure and protein-unfolding in SPI-PC conjugates. It is implied that proanthocyanidins may be promising compounds to interact with soybean proteins to produce functional and hypoallergenic foods.

The alteration of composition, conformation, IgE-reactivity and functional attributes in proanthocyanidins-soy protein 7S conjugates formed by alkali-heating treatment: Multi-spectroscopic and proteomic analyses.

This study assessed the alteration of IgE-reactivity and functional attribute in soy protein 7S-proanthocyanidins conjugates (7S-80PC) formed by alkali-heating treatment (pH 9.0, 80 °C, 20 min). SDS-PAGE demonstrated that 7S-80PC exhibited the formation of >180 kDa polymers, although the heated 7S (7S-80) had no changes. Multispectral experiments revealed more protein unfolding in 7S-80PC than in 7S-80. Heatmap analysis showed that 7S-80PC showed more alteration of protein, peptide and epitope profiles than 7S-80. LC/MS-MS demonstrated that the content of total dominant linear epitopes was increased by 11.4 % in 7S-80, but decreased by 47.4 % in 7S-80PC. As a result, Western-blot and ELISA showed that 7S-80PC exhibited lower IgE-reactivity than 7S-80, probably because 7S-80PC exhibited more protein-unfolding to increase the accessibility of proanthocyanidins to mask and destroy the exposed conformational epitopes and dominant linear epitopes induced by heating treatment. Furthermore, the successful attachment of PC to soy 7S protein significantly increased antioxidant activity in 7S-80PC. 7S-80PC also showed higher emulsion activity than 7S-80 owing to its high protein flexibility and protein unfolding. However, 7S-80PC exhibited lower foaming properties than 7S-80. Therefore, the addition of proanthocyanidins could decrease IgE-reactivity and alter the functional attribute of the heated soy 7S protein.

Effect of high hydrostatic pressure on the edible quality, health and safety attributes of plant-based foods represented by cereals and legumes: a review.

Consumers today are increasingly willing to reduce their meat consumption and adopt plant-based alternatives in their diet. As a main source of plant-based foods, cereals and legumes (CLs) together could make up for all the essential nutrients that humans consume daily. However, the consumption of CLs and their derivatives is facing many challenges, such as the poor palatability of coarse grains and vegetarian meat, the presence of anti-nutritional factors, and allergenic proteins in CLs, and the vulnerability of plant-based foods to microbial contamination. Recently, high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) technology has been used to tailor the techno-functionality of plant proteins and induce cold gelatinization of starch in CLs to improve the edible quality of plant-based products. The nutritional value (e.g., the bioavailability of vitamins and minerals, reduction of anti-nutritional factors of legume proteins) and bio-functional properties (e.g., production of bioactive peptides, increasing the content of γ-aminobutyric acid) of CLs were significantly improved as affected by HHP. Moreover, the food safety of plant-based products could be significantly improved as well. HHP lowered the risk of microbial contamination through the inactivation of numerous microorganisms, spores, and enzymes in CLs and alleviated the allergy symptoms from consumption of plant-based foods.

A review on polyphenols and their potential application to reduce food allergenicity.

This review summarized recent studies about the effects of polyphenols on the allergenicity of allergenic proteins, involving epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, proanthocyanidins, quercetin, ferulic acid and rosmarinic acid, etc. Besides, the mechanism of polyphenols for reducing allergenicity was discussed and concluded. It was found that polyphenols could noncovalently (mainly hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding) and covalently (mainly alkaline, free-radical grafting, and enzymatic method) react with allergens to induce the structural changes, resulting in the masking or/and destruction of epitopes and the reduction of allergenicity. Oral administration in murine models showed that the allergic reaction might be suppressed by regulating immune cell function, changing the levels of cytokines, suppressing of MAPK, NF-κb and allergens-presentation pathway and improving intestine function, etc. The outcome of reduced allergenicity and suppressed allergic reaction was affected by many factors such as polyphenol types, polyphenol concentration, allergen types, pH, oral timing and dosage. Moreover, the physicochemical and functional properties of allergenic proteins were improved after treatment with polyphenols. Therefore, polyphenols have the potential to produce hypoallergenic food. Further studies should focus on active concentrations and bioavailability of polyphenols, confirming optimal intake and hypoallergenic of polyphenols based on clinical trials.

Multi-spectral and proteomic insights into the impact of proanthocyanidins on IgE binding capacity and functionality in soy 11S protein during alkali-heating treatment.

This study evaluated the impact of proanthocyanidins on immunoglobulin E (IgE) binding capacity, antioxidant, foaming and emulsifying properties in soy 11S protein following alkali treatment at 80 °C for 20 min. The formation of >180 kDa polymer was observed in the combined heating and proanthocyanidins-conjugation treatment sample (11S-80PC) rather than in the heating treated sample (11S-80) using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The structural analyzes demonstrated that 11S-80PC exhibited more protein unfolding than 11S-80. Heatmap analysis revealed that 11S-80PC had more alteration of peptide and epitope profiles in 11S than in 11S-80. Molecular docking showed that PC could well react with soy protein 11S. Liquid chromatography tandem MS analysis (LC/MS-MS) demonstrated that there was a 35.6 % increase in 11S-80, but a 14.5 % decrease in 11S-80PC for the abundance of total linear epitopes. As a result, 11S-80PC exhibited more reduction in IgE binding capacities than 11S-80 owing to more obscuring and disruption of linear and conformational epitopes induced by structural changes. Moreover, 11S-80PC exhibited higher antioxidant capacities, foaming properties and emulsifying activity than 11S-80. Therefore, the addition of proanthocyanidins could decrease allergenic activity and enhance the functional properties of the heated soy 11S protein.

Effect of proanthocyanidins on protein composition, conformational structure, IgE binding capacities and functional properties in soybean protein.

This study was performed to determine the crosslinking formed by proanthocyanidins (PC) with respect to IgE binding capacities, functionality, structure and composition of soybean protein (SPI) following the alkali treatment at 60-100 °C. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed the formation of >180 kDa polymers, resulting from the formation of SPI-PC conjugates and protein cross-links. Structural analyses demonstrated that SPI-PC conjugates exhibited structural changes to unfold proteins and increase molecular flexibility. Liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS) showed a decrease in unique protein and peptide numbers as well as major allergen and dominant epitopes abundance. When SPI was treated with PC under the alkali treatment at 80 °C, it exhibited a maximum reduction (68.8 %) in the immunoglobulin E (IgE) binding capacity and a maximum increase in DPPH radical scavenging activities (6.11-fold), ABTS + radical scavenging activities (4.80-fold), foaming stability (6.1 %) and emulsifying activity (27.3 %), compared to the control SPI. Overall, this study demonstrates that alkali treatment at 60-100 °C to form SPI-PC conjugates has potential applications for producing hypoallergenic soybean products with the desired functionality, most especially from alkali treatment at 80 °C. Moreover, the addition of PC pronouncedly alleviates the undesirable functional properties in heated SPI.

Heat-induced changes in epitopes and IgE binding capacity of soybean protein isolate.

The effects of heating temperature on epitopes, IgE-binding capacity, and conformation of soybean protein isolate (SPI) were investigated in this study. Indirect ELISA demonstrated that the IgE binding capacity of SPI was increased by 13.1 %-31.6 % after being heated at 60-100 °C for 20 min. SDS-PAGE demonstrated no changes in protein profiles, and native PAGE revealed the formation of aggregates. Structural analyses demonstrated the protein unfolding, appearing temperature-dependent, thus exposing conformational epitopes. Peptide mapping analysis revealed the changes in peptide profiles of major allergens (Gly m 4, Gly m 5, Gly m 6, P28, and Kunitz trypsin inhibitor). LC/MS-MS demonstrated that heating caused the masking or exposure of linear epitopes in Gly m 4 - Gly m 6 and P28. Therefore, heating caused structural changes to expose epitopes to increase IgE binding capacity in SPI. Patients with soybean allergy should avoid the heated SPI until the results of clinical trials are confirmed.

Protein modification, IgE binding capacity, and functional properties of soybean protein upon conjugation with polyphenols.

The modification, structure, functionality and IgE binding capacity of soybean protein (SPI) upon covalent conjugation with gallic acid (GA), caffeic acid (CA), and tannic acid (TA) under alkali treatment were assessed. SDS-PAGE showed the formation of SPI-polyphenol conjugates and the cross-linking of SPI. Protein unfolding in the conjugates was observed, characterized by a reduction in α-helix and an increase in UV ultraviolet absorption, surface hydrophobicity and free sulfhydryl groups. LC/MS-MS demonstrated that the modification of protein and major allergens varied with the types of polyphenols. Western-blot and ELISA demonstrated that SPI-polyphenol conjugates exhibited a significant reduced IgE binding capacity due to the masking or destruction of epitopes among Gly m 4, Gly m 5, Gly m 6 and P28, resulting from structural changes. Additionally, antioxidant capacity and emulsifying properties were increased in SPI-polyphenol conjugates. Therefore, polyphenol treatment may be a promising method to prepare hypoallergenic soybean products with desired functionality.

Antibacterial Activity and Mechanism of Self-Assembly Spermidine-Capped Carbon Dots against Staphylococcus aureus.

This paper investigated the antibacterial mechanism of spermidine-capped carbon dots (S-PCDs) against Staphylococcus aureus. The results showed that there were a large number of amino groups on the surface of S-PCDs and they had a high positive charge (+47.06 mV), which could be adsorbed on the negatively charged bacterial surface through electrostatic interaction and changed the permeability of the bacterial cell membrane. The extracellular protein and nucleic acid contents of S. aureus treated with S-PCDs were 5.4 and 1.2 times higher than those of the control group, respectively. The surface folds and defects of the bacterial cell membrane, and the leakage of cell contents were observed using SEM and TEM. The expression of metabolic oxidation regulatory genes dmpI, narJ and narK was upregulated and the intracellular ROS generation was induced, causing bacterial oxidative stress and eventually bacterial death. S-PCDs can effectively inhibit biofilm formation and had low cytotoxicity. The S-PCD treatment successfully inhibited microbial reproduction when pasteurized milk was stored at 25 °C and 4 °C. These results provide important insights into the antimicrobial mechanism of S-PCDs and lay the foundation for their application in the food field as a potentially novel bacteriostatic nanomaterial.

Foaming and Physicochemical Properties of Commercial Protein Ingredients Used for Infant Formula Formulation.

Protein, as one of the main ingredients for infant formula, may be closely related to the undesirable foam formed during the reconstitution of infant formula. Demineralized whey powder (D70 and D90), whey protein concentrate (WPC), and skimmed milk powder (SMP) are the four protein ingredients commonly used in infant formula formulation. The foaming and physicochemical properties of these four protein ingredients from different manufacturers were analyzed in the present study. Significant differences (p < 0.05) in foaming properties were found between the samples from different manufacturers. SMP showed a highest foaming capacity (FC) and foam stability (FS), followed by D70, D90, and WPC. Although the protein composition was similar based on reducing SDS-PAGE, the aggregates varied based on non-reducing SDS-PAGE, probably resulting in the different foaming properties. Particle size, zeta potential, and solubility of the protein ingredients were assessed. The protein structure was evaluated by circular dichroism, surface hydrophobicity, and free sulfhydryl. Pearson's correlation analysis demonstrated that FC and FS were positively correlated with random coil (0.55 and 0.74), ß-turn (0.53 and 0.73), and zeta potential (0.55 and 0.51) but negatively correlated with ß-strand (−0.56 and −0.71), free sulfhydryl (−0.56 and −0.63), particle size (−0.45 and −0.53), and fat content (−0.50 and −0.49). The results of this study could provide a theoretical guidance for reducing formation of foam of infant formula products during reconstitution.

Influence of Autologous Bone Marrow Stem Cell Therapy on the Levels of Inflammatory Factors and Conexin43 of Patients with Moyamoya Disease.

Moyamoya disease is a medical condition that shows the typical characteristics like continuous and chronic thickening of the walls and the contraction of the internal carotid artery; as a result, the internal diameter of the artery gets narrowed. There are six phases of the disease ranging from I to VI (moyamoya vessels completely disappear, followed by the complete blockage of the arteries). Surgery is a commonly recommended treatment for the moyamoya disease. Our research study identifies the effect of autologous bone marrow stem cell therapy (ABMSCT) on the levels of inflammatory factors and Conexin43 (Cx43) protein in patients suffering from moyamoya. In our study, we have selected 52 moyamoya patients admitted to our hospital from 30 July 2019 to 10 February 2020. The control group (CG) was treated with superficial temporal artery to a middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) bypass + encephalo-duro-myosinangiosis (EDMS). The experimental group (Exp. Grp) was treated with ABMSC. The cerebral vascular tissue of the patients was treated with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Immunohistochemical staining was used to identify the levels of Cx43 protein. The concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), inflammatory factor interleukin-6 (IL6), interleukin-1ß (IL1ß), tumor necrosis factor (TNFα), and anti-inflammatory factor interleukin-1ß (IL1ß) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We have found that after treatment of the expression of Cx43 protein, the proportions of grade IV (7.7%), grade III (311.5%), and grade II (3.8%) patients in the Exp. Grp were lower than those in the CG. The proportion of grade I patients in the Exp. Grp (77%) was higher than that in the CG (38.5%). After treatment, the inflammatory factors IL6 (0.97 ± 0.82 pg/mL), IL1ß (8.33 ± 1.21 pg/mL), and TNFα (1.73 ± 0.71 pg/mL) in the Exp. Grp were lower than those in the CG. The anti-inflammatory factor IL1ß (15.09 ± 4.72 pg/mL) increased in the Exp. Grp compared with the CG (11.25 ± 3.48 pg/mL) post treatment. Intracranial infection, hydrocephalus, hemiplegia, and transient neurological dysfunction in the Exp. Grp were lower than those in the CG, with statistical differences (P < 0.05). Our study suggests that the treatment of autologous bone marrow stem cells (ABMSC) was beneficial to balance the inflammatory response of disorders, reduce the damage of vascular tissue in the brain, and regulate tissue repair by co-acting with various inflammatory factors as compared to traditional surgery. We conclude that the involvement of Cx43 in the occurrence and development of moyamoya. We also have found that the risk factors of intracranial infection after ABMSCT were less as compared to those after conventional surgery.

Sesame allergy: mechanisms, prevalence, allergens, residue detection, effects of processing and cross-reactivity.

Sesame allergy is a serious public health problem and is mainly induced by IgE-mediated reactions, whose prevalence is distributed all over the world. Sesame has been included on the priority allergic food list in many countries. This review summarizes the mechanism and prevalence of sesame allergy. The characteristics, structures and epitopes of sesame allergens (Ses i 1 to Ses i 7) are included. Moreover, the detection methods for sesame allergens are evaluated, including nucleic-acid, immunoassays, mass spectrometry, and biosensors. Various processing techniques for reducing sesame allergenicity are discussed. Additionally, the potential cross-reactivity of sesame with other plant foods is assessed. It is found that the allergenicity of sesame is related to the structures and epitopes of sesame allergens. Immunoassays and mass spectrometry are the major analytical tools for detecting and quantifying sesame allergens in food. Limited technologies have been successfully used to reduce the antigenicity of sesame, involving microwave heating, high hydrostatic pressure, salt and pH treatment. More technologies for reducing the allergenicity of sesame should be widely investigated in future studies. The reduction of allergenicity in processed sesames should be ultimately confirmed by clinical studies. What's more, sesame may exhibit cross-reactivity with peanut and tree nuts.

Establishment of a human cell line with a surface display system for screening and optimizing Na+-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide-binding peptides.

One of the most desirable targets for HBV medications is the sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP), an entry receptor for the hepatitis B virus (HBV). N-myristoylated preS1 2-48 (Myrcludex B or Hepcludex), an NTCP-binding peptide from the large surface protein of HBV, has been developed as the first-in-class entry inhibitor. However, its relatively large molecular weight contributes to increased immunogenicity and antibody production. As a result, it is preferable to look for an NTCP-binding peptide with a smaller size. To do this, we developed a human cell surface display strategy and screened peptides based on preS1-21. PreS1-21 (genotype D) was extended by 7 random amino acids and fused with mCherry and FasL transmembrane domain. The pooled constructs were transfected into HEK293 cells by using the transposon/transposase system to create a library displaying various peptides on the cell surface with red fluorescence. On the other hand, we expressed NTCP protein fused with EGFP on HEK293 and used the membrane lysate containing NTCP-GFP as the bait protein to select peptides with increased NTCP affinity. After 7 cycles of selection, the deep sequencing results revealed that some polypeptides were more than 1,000 times enriched. Further screening of the mostly enriched 10 peptides yields the peptide preS1-21-pep3. Replacing the preS1-21 sequence of preS1-21-pep3 with those from different genotypes demonstrated that the consensus sequence of genotype A-F had the best performance. The peptide (Myr-preS1-21-pep3) was synthesized and tested on the HepG2-NTCP cell model. The results showed that Myr-preS1-21-pep3 is approximately 10 times more potent than the initial peptide Myr-preS1-21 in preventing HBV infection. In conclusion, we developed a new strategy for screening peptides binding to membrane proteins and identified a new NTCP-binding peptide with a much smaller size than Hepcludex.