Effects of miR-29c on proliferation and adipogenic differentiation of porcine bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells.

microRNAs (miRNAs), a subclass of noncoding short RNAs, direct cells fate decisions that are important for cell proliferation and cell lineage decisions. Adipogenic differentiation contributes greatly to the development of white adipose tissue, involving of highly organized regulation by miRNAs. In the present study, we screened and identified 78 differently expressed miRNAs of porcine BMSCs during adipogenic differentiation. Of which, the role of miR-29c in regulating the proliferation and adipogenic differentiation was proved and detailed. Specifically, over-expression miR-29c inhibits the proliferation and adipogenic differentiation of BMSCs, which were reversed upon miR-29c inhibitor. Interference of IGF1 inhibits the proliferation and adipogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Mechanistically, miR-29c regulates the proliferation and adipogenic differentiation of BMSCs by targeting IGF1 and further regulating the MAPK pathway and the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway, respectively. In conclusion, we highlight the important role of miR-29c in regulating proliferation and adipogenic differentiation of BMSCs.

Ex Vivo Optimization of Donor Lungs with Inhaled Sevoflurane during Normothermic Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion (VITALISE): A Pilot and Feasibility Study in Sheep.

Volatile anesthetics have been shown in different studies to reduce ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI). Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) facilitates graft evaluation, extends preservation time and potentially enables injury repair and improvement of lung quality. We hypothesized that ventilating lungs with sevoflurane during EVLP would reduce lung injury and improve lung function. We performed a pilot study to test this hypothesis in a slaughterhouse sheep DCD model. Lungs were harvested, flushed and stored on ice for 3 h, after which EVLP was performed for 4 h. Lungs were ventilated with either an FiO2 of 0.4 (EVLP, n = 5) or FiO2 of 0.4 plus sevoflurane at a 2% end-tidal concentration (Cet) (S-EVLP, n = 5). Perfusate, tissue samples and functional measurements were collected and analyzed. A steady state of the target Cet sevoflurane was reached with measurable concentrations in perfusate. Lungs in the S-EVLP group showed significantly better dynamic lung compliance than those in the EVLP group (p = 0.003). Oxygenation capacity was not different in treated lungs for delta partial oxygen pressure (PO2; +3.8 (-4.9/11.1) vs. -11.7 (-12.0/-3.2) kPa, p = 0.151), but there was a trend of a better PO2/FiO2 ratio (p = 0.054). Perfusate ASAT levels in S-EVLP were significantly reduced compared to the control group (198.1 ± 93.66 vs. 223.9 ± 105.7 IU/L, p = 0.02). We conclude that ventilating lungs with sevoflurane during EVLP is feasible and could be useful to improve graft function.

LncRNA HCP5 is Highly Expressed in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus to Suppress Insulin Secretion.

Purpose: LncRNA HCP5 has been reported to participate in high glucose-induced pathological processes, whereas its role in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is unclear. This study aimed to explore the role of HCP5 in GDM. Methods: This study enrolled a total of 220 pregnant women (gestational age = 1 month). A follow-up study was performed until delivery. The occurrence of GDM was checked every month during follow-up. Plasma samples were collected from all participants and expression of HCP5 was determined with RT-qPCR. The 220 patients were divided into high and low GDM groups, and GDM-free curves were plotted for both groups and compared. The ROC curve was plotted to explore the predictive value of plasma HCP5 on the day of admission for GDM. INS-1 cells were transfected with HCP5 expression vector or siRNA, and cell viability under high glucose was determined by the MTT assay. An ELISA was applied to determine insulin levels in the cell culture medium. Results: During follow-up, the level of HCP5 was increased during pregnancy and the high HCP5 level group showed a significantly higher incidence of GDM. Plasma levels of HCP5 on the day of admission effectively separated GDM patients from healthy controls. HCP5 negatively regulated cell viability and insulin secretion under high glucose treatment. Conclusion: HCP5 may act as a predictor for GDM, and it negatively regulated INS-1 cell viability and insulin secretion under high glucose conditions.

Umbilical cord cysts: Classification, diagnosis, prognosis, and pregnancy recommendations.

Umbilical cord cysts (UCCs)-cysts located in the umbilical cord that are derived from an abnormal embryonic development process-are typically an incidental discovery during prenatal ultrasound. It can be described as either a pseudocyst or a true UCC, which results from focal edema or degeneration of Wharton jelly or the remnants of embryonic development, respectively. Due to the relative rarity of the UCC, the clinical guidance of UCCs is not yet available. Herein, the aim of this paper is to discuss the classification, diagnosis, prognosis, and clinical management of UCCs through a literature review, in order to improve the understanding of UCCs among clinical obstetricians and pediatricians.

The Potential Value of Ki-67 in Prognostic Classification in Early Low-Risk Endometrial Cancer.

PURPOSE: This study aims to determine the optimal cut-off value of Ki-67 to better predict the recurrence of early low-risk endometrial cancer (EC). METHODS: Seven hundred and forty-eight patients diagnosed with low-risk EC from West China Second Hospital of Sichuan University and the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and Youden index were used to calculate the optimal cut-off value of Ki-67 expression. The clinicopathological indexes between two groups divided by cut-off value of Ki-67 were compared. The univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to investigate risk factors connected to the recurrence of early low-risk EC. The survival analysis was shown in Kaplan-Meier curve. RESULT: Thirty-three patients were detected with tumor recurrence after primary surgery (4.4%); 33% was the optimal cut-off value of the Ki-67 index. A high Ki-67 was significantly associated with age (P = .002), myometrial invasion (P < .001), and the expression of P53 (P = .007). The multivariate regression analysis verified that Ki67 ≥ 33% was an independent prognostic factor for predicting recurrence. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) and the overall survival (OS) in high Ki-67 group was significantly lower than that in low Ki-67 group (P < .001 and P = .029, respectively). The prognostic values of ER, PR, and P53 in combination with Ki-67 were superior to each single predictor. CONCLUSIONS: The optimal cut-off value of Ki-67 for predicting recurrence is 33%, which quantitatively defines the specific value of Ki-67 that causes high-risk recurrence in early low-risk EC.

The Bax inhibitor GmBI-1α interacts with a Nod factor receptor and plays a dual role in the legume-rhizobia symbiosis.

The gene networks surrounding Nod factor receptors that govern the symbiotic process between legumes and rhizobia remain largely unexplored. Here, we identify 13 novel GmNFR1α-associated proteins by yeast two-hybrid screening, and describe a potential interacting protein, GmBI-1α. GmBI-1α had the highest positive correlation with GmNFR1α in a co-expression network analysis, and its expression at the mRNA level in roots was enhanced by rhizobial infection. Moreover, GmBI-1α-GmNFR1α interaction was shown to occur in vitro and in vivo. The GmBI-1α protein was localized to multiple subcellular locations, including the endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane. Overexpression of GmBI-1α increased the nodule number in transgenic hairy roots or transgenic soybean, whereas down-regulation of GmBI-1α transcripts by RNA interference reduced the nodule number. In addition, the nodules in GmBI-1α-overexpressing plants became smaller in size and infected area with reduced nitrogenase activity. In GmBI-1α-overexpressing transgenic soybean, the elevated GmBI-1α also promoted plant growth and suppressed the expression of defense signaling-related genes. Infection thread analysis of GmBI-1α-overexpressing plants showed that GmBI-1α promoted rhizobial infection. Collectively, our findings support a GmNFR1α-associated protein in the Nod factor signaling pathway and shed new light on the regulatory mechanism of GmNFR1α in rhizobial symbiosis.

Risk factors of emergency cesarean section in pregnant women with severe placenta accreta spectrum: a retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) may cause enormous and potentially life-threatening hemorrhage in the intrapartum and postpartum periods in emergency cesarean section. How to reduce the occurrence of emergency cesarean section in patients with severe PAS is the key to reducing the adverse outcomes of them. This study aimed to investigate the impact of emergency cesarean section on the perioperative outcomes of pregnant women with PAS and neonates, and also aimed to explore the risk factors of emergency cesarean section in pregnant women with PAS. Materials and methods: A retrospective investigation was conducted among 163 pregnant women with severe PAS. Of these, 72 were subjected to emergency cesarean sections. Data on the perioperative characteristics of the mothers and neonates were collected. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to detect associations between maternal and perioperative characteristics and volume of intraoperative bleeding. Binary logical regression was used to analyze the association between maternal preoperative characteristics and emergency cesarean section. Linear regression analysis is used to analyze the relationship between gestational age and emergency cesarean section. Results: The risks of emergency cesarean section increase 98, 112, 124, and 62% when the pregnant women with PAS accompanied by GHD, ICP, more prior cesarean deliveries and more severe PAS type, respectively. Noteworthy, the risk of emergency cesarean section decreases 5% when pre-pregnancy BMI increases 1 kg/m2 (OR: 0.95; CI: 0.82, 0.98; p = 0.038). Moreover, there is no significant linear correlation between emergency cesarean section and gestational age. Conclusion: GHD, ICP, multiple prior cesarean deliveries and severe PAS type may all increase the risk of emergency cesarean section for pregnant women with PAS, while high pre-pregnancy BMI may be a protective factor due to less activity level. For pregnant women with severe PAS accompanied by these high risk factors, more adequate maternal and fetal monitoring should be carried out in the third trimester to reduce the risk of emergency cesarean section.

CRISPR/Cas12a combined with RPA for detection of T. gondii in mouse whole blood.

BACKGROUND: Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic protozoan that is ubiquitous in humans and animals. It can invade any human organ and cause severe diseases, including toxoplasma ophthalmopathy, meningoencephalitis, and liver necrosis. Porcine toxoplasmosis is prevalent in China. CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) and Cas (CRISPR-Associated Protein) systems are widely used for gene editing and pathogen detection. CRISPR-based diagnostics are molecular assays that have been developed to detect parasites with high sensitivity and specificity. METHODS: This study aimed to establish a combined CRISPR/Cas12a and RPA rapid detection method for T. gondii by targeting the B1 gene and 529 bp repeat element (529 RE). The detection results could be visualized by the fluorescence or lateral flow strips (LFS). The sensitivity and specificity of the method were evaluated, and T. gondii-infected mouse blood was used for detection. RESULTS: The results indicated that the established method for T. gondii detection was satisfactory, with a detection limit of 1.5 cp/µl for the two loci. Moreover, the B1 gene could detect 1 tachyzoite per reaction, and the 529 RE could detect 0.1 tachyzoite per reaction, consistently with the highly sensitive nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results. The method was suitable for strains, including RH, and did not cross-react with other protozoa DNA with similar habits. The T. gondii-infected mouse blood samples were all positive for T. gondii at 1, 3, and 5 days post infection (dpi). CONCLUSIONS: This study established a rapid, sensitive, and time-saving DNA detection method for T. gondii that has the potential to be an alternative tool for T. gondii detection in the field.

Short-Term and Long-Term Outcomes of Fetal Ventriculomegaly beyond Gestational 37 Weeks: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Birth defects have brought about major public health problems, and studying the clinical outcomes of the most common prenatal central nervous system abnormality, namely, fetal ventriculomegaly (VM), is helpful for improving reproductive health and fertility quality. This is a retrospective cohort study from 2011 to 2020 in the West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, aiming to evaluate the short-term and long-term outcomes of VM over 37 weeks' gestation to exclude the influence of preterm birth. The study analyzed data from 401 term pregnancies, with 179 VM and 222 controls. From the short-term outcomes, the rate of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission under the VM group (10.06%) was comparatively higher than the control (0.45%), but Apgar scores between both groups at 1 min, 5 min and 10 min were not significantly different. From the long-term outcomes, there were more infants with abnormal neurodevelopment under the VM group than control (14.53% vs. 2.25%, p < 0.001). In addition, NICU admission (p = 0.006), peak width of lateral ventricles (p = 0.030) and postnatal cranial ultrasound suggestive with VM (p = 0.002) were related to infants' long-term outcomes. NICU admission during the perinatal period was an independent risk factor for the adverse long-term outcomes (OR = 3.561, 95% CI 1.029-12.320, p = 0.045). In conclusion, VM impairs short-term and long-term outcomes of term infants. Short-term outcome, especially NICU admission, could predict their adverse long-term outcomes.

A Nomogram Model Based on Neuroendocrine Markers for Predicting the Prognosis of Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of Cervix.

BACKGROUND: Combining traditional clinical parameters with neuroendocrine markers to construct a nomogram model to predict the postoperative recurrence of neuroendocrine carcinoma of cervix (NECC). METHODS: A total of 257 patients were included in this study. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to establish a nomogram model in the training cohorts, which was further validated in the validation cohorts. The calibration curve was used to conduct the internal and external verification of the model. RESULTS: Overall, 41 relapse cases were observed in the training (23 cases) and validation (18 cases) cohorts. The univariate analysis preliminarily showed that FIGO stage, stromal invasion, nerve invasion, lymph vascular space invasion, lymph node involvement, cervical-uterine junction invasion and CgA were correlated with NECC recurrence. The multivariate analysis further confirmed that FIGO stage (p = 0.023), stromal invasion (p = 0.002), lymph vascular space invasion (p = 0.039) and lymph node involvement (p = 0.00) were independent risk factors for NECC recurrence, which were ultimately included in the nomogram model. In addition, superior consistency indices were demonstrated in the training (0.863, 95% CI 0.784-0.942) and validation (0.884, 95% CI 0.758-1.010) cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: The established nomogram model combining traditional clinical parameters with neuroendocrine markers can reliably and accurately predict the recurrence risks in NECC patients.

Impulse Fluid Simulation.

We propose a new incompressible Navier-Stokes solver based on the impulse gauge transformation. The mathematical model of our approach draws from the impulse-velocity formulation of Navier-Stokes equations, which evolves the fluid impulse as an auxiliary variable of the system that can be projected to obtain the incompressible flow velocities at the end of each time step. We solve the impulse-form equations numerically on a Cartesian grid. At the heart of our simulation algorithm is a novel model to treat the impulse stretching and a harmonic boundary treatment to incorporate the surface tension effects accurately. We also build an impulse PIC/FLIP solver to support free-surface fluid simulation. Our impulse solver can naturally produce rich vortical flow details without artificial enhancements. We showcase this feature by using our solver to facilitate a wide range of fluid simulation tasks including smoke, liquid, and surface-tension flow. In addition, we discuss a convenient mechanism in our framework to control the scale and strength of the turbulent effects of fluid.

Nomograms predict survival benefits of radical prostatectomy and chemotherapy for prostate cancer with bone metastases: A SEER-based study.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify independent prognosis-associated factors of bone-metastatic prostate cancer. The nomograms were further developed to obtain indicators for the prognostic evaluation. Methods: A total of 7315 bone-metastatic prostate cancer (PCa) patients from 2010 to 2016 were retrospectively collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Patients were randomly divided into the training cohort (n=5,120) and test cohort (n=2,195) in a ratio of 7:3. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were applied to evaluate potential risk factors. A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was further performed to decrease the confounding effect and re-evaluate the influence of radical prostatectomy and chemotherapy on prognosis. Combining these potential prognosis factors, the nomograms of cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) at different times were established. C-indexes, calibration curves, and decision curves were developed to evaluate the discrimination, calibration, and clinical benefit of the nomograms. Results: Eleven independent prognosis factors for CSS and twelve for OS were utilized to conduct the nomograms respectively. The C-indexes of nomograms for CSS and OS were 0.712 and 0.702, respectively. A favorable consistency between the predicted and actual survival probabilities was demonstrated by adopting calibration curves. Decision curves also exhibited a positive clinical benefit of the nomograms. Conclusions: Nomograms were formulated successfully to predict 3-year and 5-year CSS and OS for bone-metastatic PCa patients. Radical prostatectomy and chemotherapy were strongly associated with the bone-metastatic PCa prognosis.

A cross-sectional study on the effect of dietary zinc intake on the relationship between serum vitamin D3 and HOMA-IR.

Introduction: Serum vitamin D3 concentration is associated with the risk of insulin resistance. Zinc has also been reported to be associated with a lower risk of insulin resistance. In addition, zinc is an essential cofactor in the activation of vitamin D3. However, the effect of dietary zinc intake on the relationship between vitamin D3 and insulin resistance risk has not been fully studied. Therefore, we designed this cross-sectional study to assess the impact of changes in zinc intake on the relationship between vitamin D3 and insulin resistance risk. Study design and methods: This study analyzed data from the national Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2005 to 2018, involving 9,545 participants. Participants were stratified by zinc intake category (low zinc intake <9.58 mg/ day; High zinc intake: ≥9.58 mg/ day). Results: In this cross-sectional study, serum vitamin D3 levels were independently associated with the risk of insulin resistance in both the low and high Zinc intakes (ß: -0.26, 95%Cl: -0.56~0.04 vs. ß: -0.56, 95%Cl: -1.01~-0.11). In addition, this association was influenced by different dietary zinc intakes (interaction P < 0.05). Conclusions: Our results suggest that zinc intake may influence the association between serum vitamin D3 and the risk of insulin resistance. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to provide more evidence of this finding.

Processing Technology and Quality Change during Storage of Fish Sausages with Textured Soy Protein.

The addition of textured soy protein (TSP) to surimi products extends the supply of fish protein and improves nutritional and sensory properties, which has attracted considerable research interest. In this study, a single-factor experiment and orthogonal experiment were used to determine the optimal process conditions and to assess the quality indicators of fish sausages during frozen storage. The results indicated that the optimal process conditions were as follows: the addition of 15% TSP, 8% potato starch, and 5% lard oil, resulting in a gel strength of 1894.32 g·cm. During storage of the formulation-optimized fish sausages for 180 days, the water-holding capacity, whiteness, texture properties, and gel strength of the fish sausages all decreased, whereas cooking loss, thawing loss, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances value, and total volatile base nitrogen value all increased. Consequently, TSP is beneficial to improve the gel strength and sensory score of fish sausages. The quality of fish sausages with added TSP was acceptable after storage at -18 °C, for 120 days.

The Relationship between Exercise Behavior and Mental Health during the COVID-19 Epidemic: Research Based on the Weibo Exercise Behavior User Dictionary.

In the context of COVID-19, people face conditions of great stress and are susceptible to negative emotions such as worry, fear, and doubt. Therefore, the focus of epidemic prevention should be on mental health as well as physical health. It is important to pay attention to people's mental health while mitigating and controlling the epidemic. As an intervention to improve mental health, exercise behavior has attracted increasing attention from scholars due to its convenience and low cost. Therefore, the goal of this paper was to investigate the differences between characteristics related to linguistic expression and mental health indicators among different groups of Weibo users by constructing a Weibo exercise behavior user lexicon to explore the influence of exercise behavior on mental health. This study developed a user dictionary of exercise behavior, classified Sina Weibo users' exercise behavior, and established relevant systems to uncover the expressive characteristics of psychological vocabulary and behavioral vocabulary to explore the differences in expressive features related to psychological and behavioral vocabulary and mental health indicators among users who engage in different forms of exercise behavior during the period of COVID-19. As a result of an analysis of variance (ANOVA) conducted during the COVID-19 epidemic, (1) based on the constructed user lexicon of motion behavior in Weibo, the classification program exhibited good performance; (2) there were significant differences in the expressions of some lexical features among users who exhibited different motor behaviors; and (3) both nonphysical exercise and physical exercise behavior had positive relationships with some mental health indicators, but the mechanism associated with nonphysical exercise requires further exploration. This study provides a scientific online evaluation methodology and support for research concerning exercise and mental health during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Land Use Transition and Eco-Environmental Effects in Karst Mountain Area Based on Production-Living-Ecological Space: A Case Study of Longlin Multinational Autonomous County, Southwest China.

The linkage mechanisms and optimization strategies between land use transition and eco-environmental effects that occur in the production-living-ecological space of karst mountain areas remain under-explored in the current literature. Based on county data collected in Longlin Multinational Autonomous County of Guangxi, which is located in the rocky desertification area of Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guizhou, this study contributes a county-level analysis on land use transition and eco-environmental effects by addressing two research questions: (1) Which factors of land use transition are related to the eco-environmental effects of production-living-ecological space? (2) What are the key land allocation mechanisms behind the interventions of local rocky desertification regulation policies? We conducted two sets of analyses to answer these two questions: quantitative analyses of the spatial and temporal evolution between land use transition, rocky desertification, and its eco-environmental effects, and qualitative analyses of policy interventions on production-living-ecological land development and rocky desertification management. The findings show that the occurrence of rocky desertification accompanied by unreasonable land use structure transition and its important factor is caused by ecological land being restricted by production-living land. Specifically, urbanization strategies coordinating ecological and socio-economic effects is significant to karst mountain areas. Moreover, the orderly increase of woodland slows down rocky desertification. Policies of "returning farmland to forest" and "afforestation of wasteland" have significantly reduced rocky desertification that can be applied to other geographical situations.

Chromosome-level assembly of the Neolamarckia cadamba genome provides insights into the evolution of cadambine biosynthesis.

Neolamarckia cadamba (Roxb.), a close relative of Coffea canephora and Ophiorrhiza pumila, is an important traditional medicine in Southeast Asia. Three major glycosidic monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs), cadambine and its derivatives 3ß-isodihydrocadambine and 3ß-dihydrocadambine, accumulate in the bark and leaves, and exhibit antimalarial, antiproliferative, antioxidant, anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. Here, we report a chromosome-scale N. cadamba genome, with 744.5 Mb assembled into 22 pseudochromosomes with contig N50 and scaffold N50 of 824.14 Kb and 29.20 Mb, respectively. Comparative genomic analysis of N. cadamba with Co. canephora revealed that N. cadamba underwent a relatively recent whole-genome duplication (WGD) event after diverging from Co. canephora, which contributed to the evolution of the MIA biosynthetic pathway. We determined the key intermediates of the cadambine biosynthetic pathway and further showed that NcSTR1 catalyzed the synthesis of strictosidine in N. cadamba. A new component, epoxystrictosidine (C27H34N2O10, m/z 547.2285), was identified in the cadambine biosynthetic pathway. Combining genome-wide association study (GWAS), population analysis, multi-omics analysis and metabolic gene cluster prediction, this study will shed light on the evolution of MIA biosynthetic pathway genes. This N. cadamba reference sequence will accelerate the understanding of the evolutionary history of specific metabolic pathways and facilitate the development of tools for enhancing bioactive productivity by metabolic engineering in microbes or by molecular breeding in plants.

Internet Gaming Disorder in Early Adolescents: Gender and Depression Differences in a Latent Growth Model.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that many Internet game players may have experienced Internet gaming disorder (IGD), which is thought to coexist with a variety of cognitive and psychological disorders, such as depression. A three-year, four-point longitudinal tracking study was conducted to examine the trajectory of IGD of Chinese early adolescents, as well as the predictive level of gender and depression for IGD. Participants (N = 316) completed questionnaires assessing IGD and depression at the time of the T1, T2, T3, and T4. This study adopted the widely used latent growth model for data analysis. The results showed that, in the early stage of adolescence, (1) the development trajectory of individual IGD was shown as a nonlinear latent variable growth model; the IGD was significantly higher than zero when teenagers were first measured (sixth grade); and, while on the rise, its growth rate is gradually slowing. (2) Gender can significantly predict the development trajectory of individual IGD. (3) Individuals with a high initial level of depression usually have a high initial level of IGD, individuals with a large range of depression display a large range of IGD, and those with a rapid rate of depression change show similar change in their IGD. In sum, this study provided an empirical basis for the prevention and intervention of IGD in early adolescents.

Application of X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive spectroscopy in the isolation of sulfated polysaccharide from Porphyra haitanensis and its antioxidant capacity under in vitro digestion.

BACKGROUND: The separation and purification of Porphyra haitanensis polysaccharide (PHP), and the determination of changes in molecular weight (Mw) and antioxidant capacity after in vitro digestion, were undertaken. RESULTS: Analysis of two polysaccharide fractions (PHP0.5-1-UF and PHP1.0-1-UF) by various techniques showed that they were very pure sulfated polysaccharides without pigment or protein. PHP0.5-1-UF was filamentous or 'tape-like' sheets, whereas PHP1.0-1-UF had some filaments and large numbers of rounded aggregates. The Mw of PHP, PHP0.5-1-UF and PHP1.0-1-UF was 2.06 × 106 (±2.02%), 6.68 × 106 (±3.17%), and 1.14 × 106 (±3.44%) (g mol-1 ), respectively. After in vitro digestion, the Mw of PHP, PHP0.5-1-UF, and PHP1.0-1-UF decreased. Their antioxidant capacities were markedly higher than before digestion, especially PHP0.5-1-UF and its digestion products, which might be related to the reductions in Mw. CONCLUSION: These findings provide a greater understanding of the separation and purification of sulfated polysaccharides and the influence of digestion on biological activity. They also contribute to the practical application of sulfated polysaccharides in functional foods. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Doping Effect on Cu2Se Thermoelectric Performance: A Review.

Cu2Se, owing to its intrinsic excellent thermoelectric (TE) performance emerging from the peculiar nature of "liquid-like" Cu+ ions, has been regarded as one of the most promising thermoelectric materials recently. However, the commercial use is still something far from reach unless effective approaches can be applied to further increase the figure of merit (ZT) of Cu2Se, and doping has shown wide development prospect. Until now, the highest ZT value of 2.62 has been achieved in Al doped samples, which is twice as much as the original pure Cu2Se. Herein, various doping elements from all main groups and some transitional groups that have been used as dopants in enhancing the TE performance of Cu2Se are summarized, and the mechanisms of TE performance enhancement are analyzed. In addition, points of great concern for further enhancing the TE performance of doped Cu2Se are proposed.