The use of MFAP2 for diagnosis, prognosis and immunotherapy of triple-negative breast cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by significant heterogeneity, presenting a formidable challenge with a poor prognosis and a deficiency of efficacious treatment options. METHODS: In this comprehensive study, we investigated the multifaceted role of Microfibril-associated glycoprotein 2 (MFAP2) in TNBC using a combination of bioinformatics analysis involving Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), OncoDB, UALCAN, Human Protein Atlas (HPA), TIMER, STRING, DAVID, and GSCA databases and in vitro experiments, such as cell culture, MFAP2 gene knockdown, RT-qPCR, western Blot, colony formation, Cell counting kit-8, and wound healing assays. RESULTS: Our findings demonstrated a significant up-regulation of MFAP2 mRNA in TNBC cell lines, emphasizing its potential as a diagnostic biomarker. Validation across multiple datasets further affirmed the elevated expression of MFAP2 in TNBC tissues, underscoring its prognostic relevance. Notably, our study revealed a correlation between MFAP2 expression and immune cell infiltration, suggesting its role in shaping the tumor microenvironment. STRING analysis unveiled interactions with proteins involved in elastic fibers and extracellular matrix constituents. Furthermore, KEGG pathway analysis highlighted enrichment in the TGF-beta signaling pathway, implicating MFAP2 in key cancer-related processes. Drug sensitivity analysis identified potential therapeutic targets, supporting MFAP2's utility in personalized treatment strategies. In vitro experiments corroborated the oncogenic impact of MFAP2, demonstrating its influence on TNBC cell proliferation and migration. CONCLUSION: These comprehensive findings position MFAP2 as a promising biomarker and therapeutic target in TNBC, offering valuable insight for future research and clinical application.

Group sparse-based Taylor expansion method for liver pharmacokinetic parameters imaging of dynamic fluorescence molecular tomography.

OBJECTIVE: Pharmacokinetic parametric images obtained through dynamic fluorescence molecular tomography (DFMT) has ability of capturing dynamic changes in fluorescence concentration, thereby providing three-dimensional metabolic information for applications in biological research and drug development. However, data processing of DFMT is time-consuming, involves a vast amount of data, and the problem itself is ill-posed, which significantly limits the application of pharmacokinetic parametric images reconstruction. In this study, group sparse-based Taylor expansion (GSTE) method is proposed to address these problems. APPROACH: Firstly, Taylor expansion framework is introduced to reduce time and computational cost. Secondly, group sparsity based on structural prior is introduced to improve reconstruction accuracy. Thirdly, alternating iterative solution based on accelerated gradient descent (AGD) algorithm is introduced to solve the problem. MAIN RESULTS: Numerical simulation and in vivo experimental results demonstrate that, in comparison to existing methods, the proposed approach significantly enhances reconstruction speed without a degradation of quality, particularly when confronted with background fluorescence interference from other organs. SIGNIFICANCE: Our research greatly reduces time and computational cost, providing strong support for real-time monitoring of liver metabolism.

Angiotensin II type-2 receptor signaling facilitates liver injury repair and regeneration via inactivation of Hippo pathway.

The angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R) is a well-established component of the renin-angiotensin system and is known to counteract classical activation of this system and protect against organ damage. Pharmacological activation of the AT2R has significant therapeutic benefits, including vasodilation, natriuresis, anti-inflammatory activity, and improved insulin sensitivity. However, the precise biological functions of the AT2R in maintaining homeostasis in liver tissue remain largely unexplored. In this study, we found that the AT2R facilitates liver repair and regeneration following acute injury by deactivating Hippo signaling and that interleukin-6 transcriptionally upregulates expression of the AT2R in hepatocytes through STAT3 acting as a transcription activator binding to promoter regions of the AT2R. Subsequently, elevated AT2R levels activate downstream signaling via heterotrimeric G protein Gα12/13-coupled signals to induce Yap activity, thereby contributing to repair and regeneration processes in the liver. Conversely, a deficiency in the AT2R attenuates regeneration of the liver while increasing susceptibility to acetaminophen-induced liver injury. Administration of an AT2R agonist significantly enhances the repair and regeneration capacity of injured liver tissue. Our findings suggest that the AT2R acts as an upstream regulator in the Hippo pathway and is a potential target in the treatment of liver damage.

FSMN-Net: a free space matching network based on manifold convolution for optical molecular tomography.

Optical molecular tomography (OMT) can monitor glioblastomas in small animals non-invasively. Although deep learning (DL) methods have made remarkable achievements in this field, improving its generalization against diverse reconstruction systems remains a formidable challenge. In this Letter, a free space matching network (FSMN-Net) was presented to overcome the parameter mismatch problem in different reconstruction systems. Specifically, a novel, to the best of our knowledge, manifold convolution operator was designed by considering the mathematical model of OMT as a space matching process. Based on the dynamic domain expansion concept, an end-to-end fully convolutional codec further integrates this operator to realize robust reconstruction with voxel-level accuracy. The results of numerical simulations and in vivo experiments demonstrate that the FSMN-Net can stably generate high-resolution reconstruction volumetric images under different reconstruction systems.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice on early childhood caries among dental undergraduates and residents in China.

BACKGROUND: Early childhood caries (ECC) causes severe, widespread oral health issues in children. Dental undergraduates and residents are expected to have a solid understanding of ECC for children's oral health promotion. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and clinical practice on ECC among dental undergraduates and residents in China. METHODS: A 23-item electronic questionnaire was distributed to 598 dental undergraduates (4th- and 5th-year undergraduates) and residents (1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-year residents) at the School of Stomatology, Wuhan University, China (in April-May 2023). SPSS Statistics was used to analyze the data using the Chi-square test at a significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 422 questionnaires were completed by participants (recovery rate: 70.6%) from various academic levels. Around 77.3% of participants had heard of ECC (mainly from textbooks), and only 27.5% considered themselves familiar with it. Residents (79.8%) had higher risk awareness of ECC on children's overall health than undergraduates (58.3%) (p < 0.05), but only 54.0% of participants correctly defined ECC. Most participants had a positive understanding of ECC's pathogenic factors and preventive measures, including feeding patterns (71.6%), fluoride application (93.4%), and teeth cleaning (93.1%). Furthermore, only 50.2% of participants encountered ECC cases in clinic. CONCLUSIONS: Despite having a suboptimal level of ECC-related knowledge and practice, dental undergraduates and residents in China demonstrated a more positive attitude towards its etiology-based prevention. Strengthening ECC education, guidance, and practice may enable them to gain a better understanding of ECC learning, which would benefit children's oral health.

Major influencing factors identification and probabilistic health risk assessment of soil potentially toxic elements pollution in coal and metal mines across China: A systematic review.

Deposition of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soils due to different types of mining activities has been an increasingly important concern worldwide. Quantitative differences of soil PTEs contamination and related health risk among typical mines remain unclear. Herein, data from 110 coal mines and 168 metal mines across China were analyzed based on 265 published literatures to evaluate pollution characteristics, spatial distribution, and probabilistic health risks of soil PTEs. The results showed that PTE levels in soil from both mine types significantly exceeded background values. The geoaccumulation index (Igeo) revealed metal-mine soil pollution levels exceeded those of coal mines, with average Igeo values for Cd, Hg, As, Pb, Cu, and Zn being 3.02-15.60 times higher. Spearman correlation and redundancy analysis identified natural and anthropogenic factors affecting soil PTE contamination in both mine types. Mining activities posed a significant carcinogenic risk, with metal-mine soils showing a total carcinogenic risk an order of magnitude higher than in coal-mine soils. This study provides policymakers a quantitative foundation for developing differentiated strategies for sustainable remediation and risk-based management of PTEs in typical mining soils.

Trimethylamine N-Oxide Improves Exercise Performance by Reducing Oxidative Stress through Activation of the Nrf2 Signaling Pathway.

Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) has attracted interest because of its association with cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and evidence for the beneficial effects of TMAO is accumulating. This study investigates the role of TMAO in improving exercise performance and elucidates the underlying molecular mechanisms. Using C2C12 cells, we established an oxidative stress model and administered TMAO treatment. Our results indicate that TMAO significantly protects myoblasts from oxidative stress-induced damage by increasing the expression of Nrf2, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NAD(P)H dehydrogenase (NQO1), and catalase (CAT). In particular, suppression of Nrf2 resulted in a loss of the protective effects of TMAO and a significant decrease in the expression levels of Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1. In addition, we evaluated the effects of TMAO in an exhaustive swimming test in mice. TMAO treatment significantly prolonged swimming endurance, increased glutathione and taurine levels, enhanced glutathione peroxidase activity, and increased the expression of Nrf2 and its downstream antioxidant genes, including HO-1, NQO1, and CAT, in skeletal muscle. These findings underscore the potential of TMAO to counteract exercise-induced oxidative stress. This research provides new insights into the ability of TMAO to alleviate exercise-induced oxidative stress via the Nrf2 signaling pathway, providing a valuable framework for the development of sports nutrition supplements aimed at mitigating oxidative stress.

MCC950 Ameliorates Diabetic Muscle Atrophy in Mice by Inhibition of Pyroptosis and Its Synergistic Effect with Aerobic Exercise.

Diabetic muscle atrophy is an inflammation-related complication of type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Even though regular exercise prevents further deterioration of atrophic status, there is no effective mediator available for treatment and the underlying cellular mechanisms are less explored. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of MCC950, a specific, small-molecule inhibitor of NLRP3, to treat pyroptosis and diabetic muscle atrophy in mice. Furthermore, we used MCC950 to intervene in the protective effects of aerobic exercise against muscle atrophy in diabetic mice. Blood and gastrocnemius muscle (GAS) samples were collected after 12 weeks of intervention and the atrophic state was assessed. We initially corroborated a diabetic muscle atrophy phenotype in db/db mice (D) by comparison with control m/m mice (W) by examining parameters such as fasting blood glucose (D vs. W: 24.47 ± 0.45 mmol L-1 vs. 4.26 ± 0.6 mmol L-1, p < 0.05), grip strength (D vs. W: 166.87 ± 15.19 g vs. 191.76 ± 14.13 g, p < 0.05), exercise time (D vs. W: 1082.38 ± 104.67 s vs. 1716 ± 168.55 s, p < 0.05) and exercise speed to exhaustion (D vs. W: 24.25 ± 2.12 m min-1 vs. 34.75 ± 2.66 m min-1, p < 0.05), GAS wet weight (D vs. W: 0.07 ± 0.01 g vs. 0.13 ± 0.01 g, p < 0.05), the ratio of GAS wet weight to body weight (D vs. W: 0.18 ± 0.01% vs. 0.54 ± 0.02%, p < 0.05), and muscle fiber cross-sectional area (FCSA) (D vs. W: 1875 ± 368.19 µm2 vs. 2747.83 ± 406.44 µm2, p < 0.05). We found that both MCC950 (10 mg kg-1) treatment and exercise improved the atrophic parameters that had deteriorated in the db/db mice, inhibited serum inflammatory markers and significantly attenuated pyroptosis in atrophic GAS. In addition, a combined MCC950 treatment with exercise (DEI) exhibited a further improvement in glucose uptake capacity and muscle performance. This combined treatment also improved the FCSA of GAS muscle indicated by Laminin immunofluorescence compared to the group with the inhibitor treatment alone (DI) (DEI vs. DI: 2597 ± 310.97 vs. 1974.67 ± 326.15 µm2, p < 0.05) or exercise only (DE) (DEI vs. DE: 2597 ± 310.97 vs. 2006.33 ± 263.468 µm2, p < 0.05). Intriguingly, the combination of MCC950 treatment and exercise significantly reduced NLRP3-mediated inflammatory factors such as cleaved-Caspase-1, GSDMD-N and prevented apoptosis and pyroptosis in atrophic GAS. These findings for the first time demonstrate that targeting NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis with MCC950 improves diabetic muscle homeostasis and muscle function. We also report that inhibiting pyroptosis by MCC950 can enhance the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise on diabetic muscle atrophy. Since T2DM and muscle atrophy are age-related diseases, the young mice used in the current study do not seem to fully reflect the characteristics of diabetic muscle atrophy. Considering the fragile nature of db/db mice and for the complete implementation of the exercise intervention, we used relatively young db/db mice and the atrophic state in the mice was thoroughly confirmed. Taken together, the current study comprehensively investigated the therapeutic effect of NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis inhibited by MCC950 on diabetic muscle mass, strength and exercise performance, as well as the synergistic effects of MCC950 and exercise intervention, therefore providing a novel strategy for the treatment of the disease.

Nanoparticulate bioceramic putty suppresses osteoclastogenesis and inflammatory bone loss in mice via inhibition of TRAF6-mediated signalling pathways: A laboratory investigation.

AIM: This study aimed to determine the effects of iRoot BP Plus on receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis in vitro and inflammation-mediated bone resorption in vivo and investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODOLOGY: CCK-8 was performed to test cell viability in RANKL-induced RAW 264.7 cells and BMDMs in response to iRoot BP Plus. The effect of iRoot BP Plus on osteoclastogenesis was determined using TRAP staining and phalloidin staining, respectively. Pit formation assay was conducted to measure osteoclast resorptive capacity. Western blot and qPCR were performed to examine osteoclast-related proteins and gene expression, respectively. Western blot was also used to investigate the signalling pathways involved. For in vivo experiments, an LPS-induced mouse calvarial bone resorption model was established to analyse the effect of iRoot BP Plus on bone resorption (n = 6 per group). At 7 days, mouse calvaria were collected and prepared for histological analysis. RESULTS: We identified that iRoot BP Plus extracts significantly attenuated RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis, reduced sealing zone formation, restrained osteolytic capacity and decreased osteoclast-specific gene expression (p < .01). Mechanistically, iRoot BP Plus extracts reduced TRAF6 via proteasomal degradation, then suppressed the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), blocked the nuclear translocation of c-Fos and diminished nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 and NFATc1 accumulation. Consistent with the in vitro results, iRoot BP Plus extracts attenuated osteoclast activity thus protecting against inflammatory bone resorption in vivo (p < .05), which was accompanied by a suppression of TRAF6, c-Fos, NFATc1 and cathepsin K expression. CONCLUSION: These findings provide valuable insights into the signalling mechanisms underlying nanoparticulate bioceramic putty-mediated bone homeostasis.

RBCK1 overexpression is associated with immune cell infiltration and poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

RBCK1 is an important E3 ubiquitin ligase, which plays an important role in many major diseases. However, the function and mechanism of RBCK1 in pan-cancer and its association with immune cell infiltration have not been reported. The purpose of this study is to find out the expression of RBCK1 in cancer, and to explore the relationship between RBCK1 and the prognosis of patients. Our results show that the expression of RBCK1 is up-regulated in a variety of malignant tumors, and is closely related to the prognosis of patients. Further studies have shown that RBCK1 regulates protein expression in the nucleus and plays an important role in ribosome and valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation. Genetic variation analysis showed that RBCK1 was mainly involved in missense mutations in multiple tumors, and mutated patients showed poor prognoses. Further studies showed that RBCK1 may be interacted with proteins such as RNRPB, MCRS1, TRIB3, MKKS and ARPC3. Through protein interaction analysis, we found 43 proteins interacting with RBCK1 in liver cancer. We also analyzed immune cell infiltration and found that RBCK1 expression was positively correlated with T cells and macrophages, while it was negatively correlated with neutrophils, NK cells, and DCs in liver cancer. Finally, we confirmed experimentally that RBCK1 can significantly inhibit the apoptosis and invasion of HCC. Therefore, we speculate that RBCK1 plays an important regulatory role in the occurrence and development of HCC.

Spatial-temporal evolution of overweight and obesity among Chinese adolescents from 2016 to 2020.

This study examines the spatial-temporal evolution of overweight and obesity among Chinese adolescents aged 14-17. Data from five national surveys conducted between 2016 and 2020 were analyzed to determine distribution patterns and trends. Results showed that overweight and obesity exhibit spatial clustering, with greater severity in the north and less severity in the south. The issue has spread from the northeast to the southwest of Mainland China. Using a local autocorrelation model, the regions were divided into a northern disease cold spot area (Inner Mongolia) and a southern disease hot spot area (Guangxi). Over the past five years, overweight rates among Chinese adolescents have not been effectively curbed, but obesity has shown some success in control and reversal until 2019. Future efforts should focus on the spatial-temporal pattern of disease spread, targeting hotspot areas and abnormal values for regional synergy and precise prevention and control.

Dynamic fluorescence molecular tomography metabolic parameters solution based on problem decomposition and prior refactor.

Dynamic fluorescence molecular tomography (DFMT), as a noninvasive optical imaging method, can quantify metabolic parameters of living animal organs and assist in the diagnosis of metabolic diseases. However, existing DFMT methods do not have a high capacity to reconstruct abnormal metabolic regions, and require additional prior information and complicated solution methods. This paper introduces a problem decomposition and prior refactor (PDPR) method. The PDPR decomposes the metabolic parameters into two kinds of problems depending on their temporal coupling, which are solved using regularization and parameter fitting. Moreover, PDPR introduces the idea of divide-and-conquer to refactor prior information to ensure discrimination between metabolic abnormal regions and normal tissues. Experimental results show that PDPR is capable of separating abnormal metabolic regions of the liver and has the potential to quantify metabolic parameters and diagnose liver metabolic diseases in small animals.

Gut microbiota dysbiosis and intestinal barrier impairment in diarrhea caused by cold drink and high-fat diet.

Cold drink and high-fat diet (CDHFD) are common diet patterns. However, the potential risks remain unclear. We investigated the effects of CDHFD in adult mice and explored the mechanisms of action. Twenty adult male mice were randomly divided into control and model groups, and the control group was fed a normal diet, whereas the model group was fed CDHFD for 28 days. We found that mice in the model group developed diarrhea symptoms accompanied by fatigue and weakness. Analysis of the intestinal flora revealed that the model group had a lower diversity and richness of microorganism species in the gut than the control group. Furthermore, the characteristic analysis indicated that CDHFD downregulated specific bacteria, such as norank_f_Muribaculaceae, Muribaculum, and Odoribacter, which are known to be associated with the systemic inflammatory response and mucosal barrier function. Blood tests showed that immune cells and inflammatory cytokines were significantly elevated in the model group, along with increased LPS induced by CDHFD. Pathological investigations demonstrated that CDHFD damages the intestinal mucosa while affecting the expression of tight junction proteins, including ZO-1, Claudin-1, Claudin-2, and Occludin, which may be attributed to the activation of the TRAF6/IκB/p65 signaling pathway. In conclusion, impaired gut microbial and mechanical barrier function is responsible for CDHFD-induced diarrhea. In this study, we constructed a model of diet-induced diarrhea by simulating human dietary patterns, evaluated the long-term effects of CDHFD on human intestinal barriers and immune systems, and revealed its mechanism of action based on chronic inflammation. This study validated the model's fit to provide an effective screening model for drug or functional food development.

Research status and prospect of nano silver (Ag)-modified photocatalytic materials for degradation of organic pollutants.

Nano silver (Ag) was metallic Ag monomers with particle size to the nanoscale. Photocatalyst was a kind of semiconductor material with photocatalytic function. Loading precious metal Ag onto semiconductor surfaces by microwave, laser-induced, solvent-thermal and hydrothermal methods could capture photogenerated electrons, reduced the compounding rate of holes and photogenerated electrons during the photocatalytic process, thereby improving the electron transfer efficiency of photocatalysis and enhancing the absorption of visible light by silver nanoparticles through the plasma resonance effect. The highly reactive free radicals produced by photocatalysts were used in the organic degradation process to degrade organic matter into inorganic matter and was a faster, more efficient and less polluting method of pollutant degradation, which has attracted a lot of attention from researchers. This review discussed the modification of various types of photocatalysts by nano Ag through different methods. The photocatalytic degradation of dyes, antibiotics and persistent organic pollutants by different modified composites was also analyzed. This review covered the several ways and means in which nano Ag has modified diverse photocatalytic materials as well as the photocatalytic degradation of dyes, antibiotics and persistent organic pollutants. This review identified the drawbacks of the existing nano Ag-modified photocatalytic materials, including their low yield and lack of recyclability, and it also offered suggestions for potential future directions for their improvement. The purpose of this review was to further research on the technology of nano Ag-modified photocatalytic materials and to encourage the creation of new modified photocatalytic nanomaterials for the treatment of organic pollutant degradation.

Bifidobacterium longum promotes postoperative liver function recovery in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Timely liver function recovery (LFR) is crucial for postoperative hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Here, we established the significance of LFR on patient long-term survival through retrospective and prospective cohorts and identified a key gut microbe, Bifidobacterium longum, depleted in patients with delayed recovery. Fecal microbiota transfer from HCC patients with delayed recovery to mice similarly impacted recovery time post hepatectomy. However, oral gavage of B. longum improved liver function and repair in these mice. In a clinical trial of HCC patients, orally administering a probiotic bacteria cocktail containing B. longum reduced the rates of delayed recovery, shortened hospital stays, and improved overall 1-year survival. These benefits, attributed to diminished liver inflammation, reduced liver fibrosis, and hepatocyte proliferation, were associated with changes in key metabolic pathways, including 5-hydroxytryptamine, secondary bile acids, and short-chain fatty acids. Our findings propose that gut microbiota modulation can enhance LFR, thereby improving postoperative outcomes for HCC patients.

The relationship between incidence of cesarean section and physical activity during pregnancy among pregnant women of diverse age groups: Dose-response meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of evidence related to physical activity and risk of cesarean section (CS) by age and/or weight in pregnant women. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of physical activity on the incidence of CS and explore the relationship of age and body mass index (BMI) with incidence of CS. SEARCH STRATEGY: A systematic search was conducted in CNKI, WANGFANG, Web of Science, and PubMed from inception to 31 August 2021. SELECTION CRITERIA: Experimental studies were included if the participants were pregnant, if intervention included physical activity and controls received routine prenatal care only, and if primary outcome was CS. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Meta-analysis included a heterogeneity test, data combination, subgroup analysis, forest plot, sensitivity analysis, and dose-response regression analysis. MAIN RESULTS: Sixty-two studies were included. Physical activity during pregnancy decreased the incidence of CS (relative risk [RR] 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.74-0.88, P < 0.001). The incidence of CS was lower among the overweight/obese group (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.65-0.93) compared with the normal weight group (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.74-0.90). The incidence of CS was lowest among the young age group (RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.46-0.80) compared with the middle age group (RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.64-0.85) and the older age group (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.82-1.00). The critical value, when age becomes a risk factor for CS, was 31.7 years in the intervention group and 28.5 years in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity during pregnancy can reduce the incidence of CS, especially among obese people, and prolong the gestational age span.

A Review of Advanced Abdominal Wall Hernia Patch Materials.

Tension-free abdominal wall hernia patch materials (AWHPMs) play an important role in the repair of abdominal wall defects (AWDs), which have a recurrence rate of <1%. Nevertheless, there are still significant challenges in the development of tailored, biomimetic, and extracellular matrix (ECM)-like AWHPMs that satisfy the clinical demands of abdominal wall repair (AWR) while effectively handling post-operative complications associated with abdominal hernias, such as intra-abdominal visceral adhesion and abnormal healing. This extensive review presents a comprehensive guide to the high-end fabrication and the precise selection of these advanced AWHPMs. The review begins by briefly introducing the structures, sources, and properties of AWHPMs, and critically evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of different types of AWHPMs for AWR applications. The review subsequently summarizes and elaborates upon state-of-the-art AWHPM fabrication methods and their key characteristics (e.g., mechanical, physicochemical, and biological properties in vitro/vivo). This review uses compelling examples to demonstrate that advanced AWHPMs with multiple functionalities (e.g., anti-deformation, anti-inflammation, anti-adhesion, pro-healing properties, etc.) can meet the fundamental clinical demands required to successfully repair AWDs. In particular, there have been several developments in the enhancement of biomimetic AWHPMs with multiple properties, and additional breakthroughs are expected in the near future.

Stabilization of oil-in-water high internal phase emulsions with octenyl succinic acid starch and beeswax oleogel.

High internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) based on beeswax (BW) oleogels and octenyl succinic acid starch (OSA starch) were prepared by a facile one-step method. Effects of the oleogelation of internal phase on the formation, stability and functionality of the HIPEs were investigated. OSA starch absorbed at the interface allowed high surface charge (|ζ| > 25 mV) of the droplets, and small droplet size (d ≈ 5 m). Microstructural observation suggested that the HIPEs were of O/W type with droplets packed tightly. With the increase in BW content (0-4 %), the particle size (4-7 µm) and ζ-potential (-25 ~ -30 mV) of the HIPEs were first decreased and then increased. Stability analysis revealed that the addition of BW effectively improved emulsion stability against centrifugation, freeze-thawing, changes in pH and ionic strength, and the HIPE with 2 % BW presented the best stability. Rheological tests indicated that the HIPEs with higher content of BW exhibited higher storage modulus, solid-like properties, and shear thinning behaviors. Creep-recovery results implied that the oleogelation enhanced the structure of HIPEs and improved the deformation resistance of the systems. When subjected to light and heat, oleogel-in-water HIPEs showed advantages in protecting ß-carotene from degradation, and ß-carotene in the HIPEs with 2 % BW had the lowest degradation rate. These findings suggested that gelation of oil phase could improve the stability of HIPEs and the encapsulation capability, which would be meaningful for the development of novel healthy food.