Durable and Robust Antibacterial Polypropylene Hernia Mesh for Abdominal Wall Defect Repair.

Polypropylene (PP) mesh is commonly used in repairing abdominal wall hernia (AWH). However, the use of synthetic prosthesis comes with the risk of developing a prosthetic infection, resulting in delayed healing, secondary surgery, and potentially increased mortality. To address these issues, a facile surface functionalization strategy for PP mesh based on phytic acid (PA) and polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG) was constructed through a one-step co-deposition process, referred to as the PA/PHMG coating. The development of PA/PHMG coating is mainly attributed to the surface affinity of PA and the electrostatic interactions between PA and PHMG. The PA/PHMG coating could be completed within 4 h under mild conditions. The prepared PA/PHMG coatings on PP mesh surfaces exhibited desirable biocompatibility toward mammalian cells and excellent antibacterial properties against the notorious "superbug" methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and tetracycline-resistant Escherichia coli (TRE). The PA/PHMG-coated PP meshes showed killing ratios of over 99% against MRSA in an infected abdominal wall hernia repair model. Furthermore, histological and immunohistochemical analysis revealed a significantly attenuated degree of neutrophil infiltration in the PA/PHMG coating group, attributed to the decreased bacterial numbers alleviating the inflammatory response at the implant sites. Meanwhile, the pristine PP and PA/PHMG-coated meshes showed effective tissue repair, with the PA/PHMG coating group exhibiting enhanced angiogenesis compared with pristine PP meshes, suggesting superior tissue restoration. Additionally, PP meshes with the highest PHMG weight ratio (PA/PHMG(3)) exhibited excellent long-term robustness under phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) immersion with a killing ratio against MRSA still exceeding 95% after 60 days of PBS immersion. The present work provides a facile and promising approach for developing antibacterial implants.

Comparative Transcriptomics Analysis Reveals Rusty Grain Beetle's Aggregation Pheromone Biosynthesis Mechanism in Response to Starvation.

Pheromones are the basis of insect aggregation, mating, and other behaviors. Cucujoid grain beetles produce macrocyclic lactones as aggregation pheromones, yet research on their biosynthesis at the molecular level remains limited. The rusty grain beetle, C. ferrugineus, is an important economic species in China. Although two aggregation pheromone components have been identified, their suspected biosynthesis via the MVA pathway and the FAS pathway lacks molecular elucidation. Previous evidence supports that starvation affects the production of aggregation pheromones. Therefore, we constructed comparative transcriptome libraries of pheromone production sites in C. ferrugineus under starvation stress and identified genes related to pheromone biosynthesis and hormone regulation. A total of 2665 genes were significantly differentially expressed, of which 2029 genes were down-regulated in starved beetles. Putative C. ferrugineus genes directly involved in pheromone biosynthesis were identified, as well as some genes related to the juvenile hormone (JH) pathway and the insulin pathway, both of which were depressed in the starved beetles, suggesting possible functions in pheromone biosynthesis and regulation. The identification of genes involved in macrolide lactone biosynthesis in vivo holds great significance, aiding in the elucidation of the synthesis and regulatory mechanisms of cucujoid grain beetle pheromones.

Improving grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency of direct-seeded rice with simplified and nitrogen-reduced practices under a double-cropping system in South China.

BACKGROUND: Enhancing grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of rice is of great importance for sustainable agricultural development. Little effort has been made to increase grain yield and NUE of direct-seeded rice under the double-cropping system in South China. Field trials were conducted during 2018-2020 with four treatments, including nitrogen-free, farmers' fertilization practice (FP), 'three controls' nutrient management (TC), and simplified and nitrogen-reduced practice (SNRP). RESULTS: Grain yield under SNRP averaged 6.46 t ha-1 during the three years and was 23.0% higher than that of FP but comparable to that of TC. Recovery efficiency (REN ), agronomic efficiency (AEN ), and partial factor productivity (PFPN ) of nitrogen under SNRP increased by 12.0-22.7%, 159.3-295.0% and 94.6-112.5% respectively compared with FP. Harvest index and sink capacity increased by 7.3-10.8% and 14.9-21.3% respectively. Percentage of productive tillers (PPT) and biomass after heading increased by 24.0% and 104.5% respectively. Leaf nitrogen concentration at heading and nitrogen accumulation after heading increased by 16.3% and 842.0% respectively. Grain yield was positively correlated with PPT, sink capacity, harvest index, biomass and nitrogen accumulation after heading, REN , AEN , and PFPN . CONCLUSION: Grain yield and NUE under SNRP were superior to those under FP and comparable to those under TC. Increase in sink capacity, higher PPT, more biomass and nitrogen accumulation after heading, and greater harvest index were responsible for high grain yield and NUE in SNRP with reduced nitrogen fertilizer and labor input. SNRP is a feasible approach for direct-seeded rice under a double-cropping system in South China. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

An Innovative Digestion Method: Ultrasound-Assisted Electrochemical Oxidation for the Onsite Extraction of Heavy Metal Elements in Dairy Farm Slurry.

Dairy farm slurry is an important biomass resource that can be used as a fertilizer and in energy utilization and chemical production. This study aimed to establish an innovative ultrasound-assisted electrochemical oxidation (UAEO) digestion method for the rapid and onsite analysis of the heavy metal (HM) contamination level of dairy slurry. The effects of UAEO operating parameters on digestion efficiency were tested based on Cu and Zn concentrations in a dairy slurry sample. The results showed that Cu and Zn digestion efficiency was (96.8 ± 2.6) and (98.5 ± 2.9)%, respectively, with the optimal UAEO operating parameters (digestion time: 45 min; ultrasonic power: 400 W; NaCl concentration: 10 g/L). The digestion recovery rate experiments were then operated with spiked samples to verify the digestion effect on broad-spectrum HMs. When the digestion time reached 45 min, all digestion recovery rates exceeded 90%. Meanwhile, free chlorine concentration, particle size distribution, and micromorphology were investigated to demonstrate the digestion mechanism. It was found that 414 mg/L free chorine had theoretically enough oxidative ability, and the ultrasound intervention could deal with the blocky undissolved particles attributed to its crushing capacity. The results of particle size distribution showed that the total volume and bulky particle proportion had an obvious decline. The micromorphology demonstrated that the ultrasound intervention fragmented the bulky particles, and electrochemical oxidation made irregular blocky structures form arc edge and cellular structures. The aforementioned results indicated that UAEO was a novel and efficient method. It was fast and convenient. Additionally, it ensured digestion efficiency and thus had a good application prospect.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the edible Basidiomycete mushroom Thelephora aurantiotincta (Aphyllophorales: Thelephoraceae) from China.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Thelephora aurantiotincta, an edible Basidiomycete mushroom species with ecological and economic value is reported in this study. The whole genome is a circular molecule 50,672 bp in length and encodes 42 genes as follows: 15 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes and 25 tRNA genes. The A, T, C, G contents in the genome are 35.60%, 35.31%, 13.89%, and 15.20%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a close relationship between T. aurantiotincta and T. ganbajun. This is the first complete mitochondrial genome for T. aurantiotincta that will be useful for providing basic genetic information for this important species.

A systematic study of the dissolution and relative bioavailability of four ginsenosides in the form of ultrafine granular powder, common powder and traditional pieces of Panax quinquefolius L, in vitro and in beagles.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Panax quinquefolius L (PQ), also known as American ginseng, has been used as a medicinal herb for thousands of years in the Far East, which was wildly used actively in healing the cardiovascular, endocrine and immune systems, in supporting chemoprevention of cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An integrated, rapid, sensitive and reliable UHPLC-ESI-QQQ MS/MS method was validated and successfully applied in a pharmacokinetics study in which four representative ginsenosides were measured in beagle plasma following oral administration of Panax quinquefolius L (PQ) in the form of ultrafine granular powder, standard powder and an extract. RESULTS: Two paired ions ([M+Na](+) in the positive MS process, and two characteristic ions [Q3](+) in the positive MS/MS process) of the target compounds were optimized and selected for improved qualitative and quantitative analysis of ginsenosides in beagle plasma. The relative bioavailability of the target ginsenosides in these three formulations was measured by the pharmacokinetic parameters, including Cmax, Tmax, AUC0-∞ and so on. The ultrafine granular powder had the highest bioavailability, as well as the greatest extent of and fastest dissolution in vitro. CONCLUSION: Our results show that improved formulations of PQ could facilitate the dissolution and promote absorption of the important compounds it contains.

Dissolution difference of ginsenosides from ultrafine granular powder and common powder traditional pieces of Panacis Quinquefolii Radix in vitro.

The dissolution of Panacis Quinquefolii Radix ultrafine granular powder and common powder, traditional pieces in water and simulated gastric juice in vitro was compared, and the effect of particles size of Panacis Quinquefolii Radix on the dissolution was studied. HPLC method was used for determination of five ginsenosides including Rg1, Re, Rb1, Rc and Rd from ultrafine granular powder and common powder, traditional pieces of Panacis Quinquefolii Radix at different points in time, furthermore, the dissolution curves of Panacis Quinquefolii Radix ultrafine granular powder and common powder, traditional pieces were obtained. The dissolution characteristics of the three Panacis Quinquefolii Radix forms were also compared in this study. According to the results, the dissolution rates of ginsenosides from ultrafine granular powder exceeded 90% of the total content with 5 min, significantly higher than that of the other two forms in water in vitro. At the same time, the dissolved amount of the ultrafine granular powder was fourteen percent higher than that of the traditional pieces and eight percent higher than that of the common powder. Under the condition of simulated gastric juice in vitro, the dissolution rates of ginsenosides from ultrafine granular powder were little lower than that of the other two, but the maximum dissolved amount of the former was fourteen percent higher than that of the common powder and five percent higher than that of the extracts. Therefore the conclusion is that micronization of Panacis Quinquefolii Radix contributed to dissolution of effective components.

Discovery and confirmation of O-GlcNAcylated proteins in rat liver mitochondria by combination of mass spectrometry and immunological methods.

O-linked ß-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is an important post-translational modification (PTM) consisting of a single N-acetylglucosamine moiety attached via an O-ß-glycosidic linkage to serine and threonine residues. Glycosylation with O-GlcNAc occurs on myriad nuclear and cytosolic proteins from almost all functional classes. However, with respect to O-GlcNAcylated proteins special in mitochondria, little attention has been paid. In this study, we combined mass spectrometry and immunological methods to perform global exploration of O-GlcNAcylated proteins specific in mitochondria of rat liver. First, highly purified mitochondrial proteins were obviously shown to be O-GlcNAcylated by immunoblot profiling. Then, ß-elimination followed by Michael Addition with Dithiothreitol (BEMAD) treatment and LC-MS/MS were performed to enrich and identify O-GlcNAcylated mitochondrial proteins, resulting in an unambiguous assignment of 14 O-GlcNAcylation sites, mapping to 11 O-GlcNAcylated proteins. Furthermore, the identified O-GlcNAcylated mitochondrial proteins were fully validated by both electron transfer dissociation tandem mass spectrometry (ETD/MS/MS) and western blot. Thus, for the first time, our study definitely not only identified but also validated that some mitochondrial proteins in rat liver are O-GlcNAcylated. Interestingly, all of these O-GlcNAcylated mitochondrial proteins are enzymes, the majority of which are involved in a wide variety of biological processes, such as urea cycle, tricarboxylic acid cycle and lipid metabolism, indicating a role for protein O-GlcNAcylation in mitochondrial function.

Enhanced N-glycosylation site exploitation of sialoglycopeptides by peptide IPG-IEF assisted TiO2 chromatography.

Playing an important role in a broad range of biological and pathological processes, sialylation has been drawing wide interest. The efficient sialoglycopeptides enrichment methods are therefore attracting considerable attention. In this paper, we first compared two conventional enrichment methods, lectin and TiO(2), and analyzed their characteristics. Furthermore, considering the highly negatively charged nature of sialic acids, we developed a new strategy, peptide immobilized pH gradient isoelectric focusing (IPG-IEF) assisted TiO(2) chromatography (PIAT), for the highly efficient enrichment of sialoglycopeptides. In this method, peptides were first separated into 24 fractions using peptide IPG-IEF. Sialoglycopeptides were relatively concentrated in low-pH fractions of the immobilized pH strips and were captured using TiO(2) chromatography. As a result, 614 N-glycosylation sites were identified in 582 sialoglycopeptides within 322 sialoglycoproteins from rat liver using PIAT. To our knowledge, this work represents one of the most comprehensive sialoglycoproteomic analyses in general and exhibits the largest database of sialoglycoproteome in rat liver currently. So the new strategy introduced here exhibits high efficiency and universality in the sialoglycopeptide enrichment, and is a powerful tool for sialoglycoproteome exploration.