A theoretical study of the oxidation of benzene by manganese oxide clusters: formation of quinone intermediates.

Manganese oxides (MnxOy) have been widely applied in various chemical industrial processes owing to their long lifetime, low cost and high abundance. They have been used as co-reactants for the elimination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs); however, their oxidation mechanism is not clearly established. In this theoretical study, interaction capacities between benzene (C6H6) and MnxOy clusters, which were modeled with MnO2 and Mn2O3 molecules, were investigated by quantum chemical computations using density functional theory (DFT) with the PBE-D3 functional. The interaction capacity between C6H6 and MnxOy was evaluated, and the probing of the initial stage of the C6H6 oxidation at a molecular level offers an in-depth oxidation reaction path. Interaction energies computed in several spin states, along with the analysis of the electron distribution using the quantum theory of atoms in molecules, natural bond orbital and Wiberg bond index techniques as well as local softness values and MO energies of fragments, point out that the interaction between C6H6 and Mn2O3 is stronger than that with MnO2, amounting to -43 and -35 kcal mol-1, respectively, and the metal atom is identified as the primary active site. During the oxide cluster-assisted oxidation, benzene firstly undergoes an oxidation reaction by active oxygen to generate intermediates such as hydroquinone and benzoquinone. The pathway involving p-benzoquinone as the product (noted as PR1) is the most energetically favored one through a transition structure lying at 19 kcal mol-1, below the energy reference of the reactants, leading to an energy barrier significantly lower than that of 36 kcal mol-1 found for the gas phase oxidation reaction with molecular oxygen without the assistance of the oxide clusters. Potential energy profiles illustrating the reaction paths and molecular mechanisms were described in detail.

A mathematical model to investigate the key drivers of the biogeography of the colon microbiota.

The gut microbiota, mainly located in the colon, is engaged in a complex dialogue with the large intestinal epithelium through which important regulatory processes for the health and well-being of the host take place. Imbalances of the microbial populations, called dysbiosis, are related to several pathological status, emphasizing the importance of understanding the gut bacterial ecology. Among the ecological drivers of the microbiota, the spatial structure of the colon is of special interest: spatio-temporal mechanisms can lead to the constitution of spatial interactions among the bacterial populations and of environmental niches that impact the overall colonization of the colon. In the present study, we introduce a mathematical model of the colon microbiota in its fluid environment, based on the explicit coupling of a population dynamics model of microbial populations involved in fibre degradation with a fluid dynamics model of the luminal content. This modeling framework is used to study the main drivers of the spatial structure of the microbiota, specially focusing on the dietary fibre inflow, the epithelial motility, the microbial active swimming and viscosity gradients in the digestive track. We found 1) that the viscosity gradients allow the creation of favorable niches in the vicinity of the mucus layer; 2) that very low microbial active swimming in the radial direction is enough to promote bacterial growth, which sheds a new light on microbial motility in the colon and 3) that dietary fibres are the main driver of the spatial structure of the microbiota in the distal bowel whereas epithelial motility is preponderant for the colonization of the proximal colon; in the transverse colon, fibre levels and chemotaxis have the strongest impact on the distribution of the microbial communities.

Non-surgical chronic rhinosinusitis and quality of life: A Vietnamese perspective.

OBJECTIVE: Evidences which illustrate symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) had negative effects on society and individuals are growing these days. The aims of this study are to assess the quality of life (QoL) of individuals with CRS and to analyze the relationship between socio-demographic as well as clinical factors and the quality of life of patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional and prevalence-based study was conducted from May to July, 2018. We used The Sinonasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) questionnaire to evaluate the quality of life of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. In addition, the univariate logistic regression analysis and logistic regression models were used to calculate the Crude odds ratio (OR), adjusted odds ratio (aOR), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for factors. Statistical significance was considered as P-value <0.05. RESULTS: Among 315 participants, about two fifths of them were diagnosed with CRS. The statistical test illustrated that all factors illustrated significant differences. The main exposure variable, CRS, was significantly associated with poor quality of life, with a 78.02-fold increase in the odds of having a good quality of life score. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings have shown that patients with CRS experience a poorer quality of life than healthy controls. The influencing factors included gender, economic status, exercise and nasal discharge.

Assessment of cost of illness and quality of life in chronic rhinosinusitis patients with surgical treatment.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a popular and tiring disease with significant impacts on the economy and on the Health-related Quality of Life (HRQOL) of patients. This study aims to estimate the cost of illness (COI) and to assess the Health-related Quality of Life (HRQOL) in patients with CRS who underwent surgery in Vietnam and to analyse the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and the COI as well as the HRQOL. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Ear, Nose, Throat Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City (ENT Hospital HCMC), Vietnam between August and October 2018. The direct medical and non-medical costs, the indirect costs (productivity loss), and the HRQOL of patients with CRS were measured. A subjective assessment of quality of life (QOL) using EuroQol 5 Dimensions 5 Levels (EQ-5D-5L) was used to evaluate the health status of these patients after surgery. Characteristics related with the COI and the HRQOL were identified by multiple regression. RESULTS: A total of 264 inpatients with CRS participated in the study. The mean COI for inpatients with CRS was $812.83 and direct costs accounted for a major proportion (89.32%) of the total cost. In addition, the surgery represented the most significant direct medical cost with 58.57% of the total cost. Most of the patients reported no problems with mobility (89.1%), self-care (93.9%), usual activities (77.2%), and anxiety/depression (64.0%). The mean EQ-5D-5L utility score was 0.76 (SD = 0.17), and the mean Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS) score was 76.57 (SD = 13.34). The results of multiple regression showed that gender, occupations, monthly income, prior surgery and family history of CRS affected the total cost while the HRQOL of patients were related to education, smoking behaviour, exercise behaviour and family history of CRS. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that although endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) accounted for the largest expense in the COI, this surgical treatment helped to improve the HRQOL in patients with CRS. The findings provided a reference for policy makers in CRS management as well as for adjustment of costs for patients so as to reduce disease burden and to enhance their QOL.

Dengue fever in Southern of Vietnam: A survey of reported knowledge, attitudes, and practices.

OBJECTIVE: Dengue fever (DF) is an acute infectious disease with high incidence in tropical countries, such as Vietnam, where dengue prevention is a challenge for the health sector, government, and policy makers. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices in southern Vietnam and explore their relationships with the characteristics of the people. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted, using interviews with 1,906 urban participants and 493 rural participants in southern Vietnam in July 2018. RESULTS: The study found a lack of knowledge regarding DF symptoms, with only 37.2% having a good level of knowledge, although 57.1% had good attitudes and 56.1% had good practices. Television (85.4 %) and the internet (69.5%) were the two main sources of information, and information provided by healthcare professionals was low. Participants with good knowledge had approximately 1.7 times the probability of having a good attitude and 5.0 times the probability of having good practices of those without. Urban participants had 1.3 times the level of knowledge than those in rural areas (p = 0.025), while the quality of attitude scores of rural participants was 1.3 times (p = 0.029) that of urban participants. CONCLUSIONS: Improvements in knowledge of DF, as well as in attitudes and practices toward dengue, are required, such as might be achieved through increased publicity and knowledge dissemination.

Enhanced, robust light-driven H2 generation by gallium-doped titania nanoparticles.

The splitting of water into molecular hydrogen and oxygen with the use of renewable solar energy is considered one of the most promising routes to yield sustainable fuel. Herein, we report the H2 evolution performance of gallium doped TiO2 photocatalysts with varying degrees of Ga dopant. The gallium(iii) ions induced significant changes in the structural, textural and electronic properties of TiO2 nanoparticles, resulting in remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activity and good stability for H2 production. Ga3+ ions can act as hole traps that enable a large number of excited electrons to migrate towards the TiO2 surface, thereby facilitating electron transfer and charge separation. Additionally, the cationic dopant and its induced defects might introduce a mid-gap state, promoting electron migration and prolonging the lifetime of charge carrier pairs. We have discovered that the optimal Ga dopant concentration was 3.125 at% and that the incorporation of platinum (0.5 wt%) as a co-catalyst further improved the H2 evolution rate up to 5722 µmol g-1 h-1. Pt not only acts as an electron sink, drastically increasing the electron/hole pair lifetime, but it also creates an intimate contact at the heterojunction between Pt and Ga-TiO2, thus improving the interfacial electron transfer process. These catalyst design strategies provide new ways of designing transition metal photocatalysts that improve green fuel production from renewable solar energy and water.

Severe Obesity and Sleep-Disordered Breathing as Risk Factors for Emergence Agitation in Pediatric Ambulatory Surgery.

PURPOSE: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) may be a critical risk factor for emergence agitation (EA). We hypothesized that SDB diagnosis is a predictor of EA in children after general anesthesia for ambulatory surgery. DESIGN: Prospective, observational, cohort study. METHODS: Children aged 4 to 17 years were assessed for the occurrence of EA. Differences in probability of EA were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analyses. FINDINGS: Of 1,076 children, 66 (6.1%) had EA. Compared with those without EA, children with EA were younger (P < .001), more likely to have had mask induction (P < .001) and a preoperative diagnosis of SDB (P = .008). On multivariable analysis, SDB, severe obesity, decreasing age in years, increasing first arousal pain score, and intraoperative use of sevoflurane were independently associated with EA. CONCLUSIONS: SDB and severe obesity may be critical independent predictors of EA in children. Mechanisms underlying these observations deserve further elucidation.

Three-dimensional ruthenium-doped TiO2 sea urchins for enhanced visible-light-responsive H2 production.

Three-dimensional (3D) monodispersed sea urchin-like Ru-doped rutile TiO2 hierarchical architectures composed of radially aligned, densely-packed TiO2 nanorods have been successfully synthesized via an acid-hydrothermal method at low temperature without the assistance of any structure-directing agent and post annealing treatment. The addition of a minuscule concentration of ruthenium dopants remarkably catalyzes the formation of the 3D urchin structure and drives the enhanced photocatalytic H2 production under visible light irradiation, not possible on undoped and bulk rutile TiO2. Increasing ruthenium doping dosage not only increases the surface area up to 166 m(2) g(-1) but also induces enhanced photoresponse in the regime of visible and near infrared light. The doping introduces defect impurity levels, i.e. oxygen vacancy and under-coordinated Ti(3+), significantly below the conduction band of TiO2, and ruthenium species act as electron donors/acceptors that accelerate the photogenerated hole and electron transfer and efficiently suppress the rapid charge recombination, therefore improving the visible-light-driven activity.

MR enterography under the age of 10 years: a single institutional experience.

BACKGROUND: MR enterography (MRE) plays a major role in the imaging of pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) but can be challenging to perform in young children. OBJECTIVE: To review our institutional experience regarding the performance of MRE in children younger than 10 years of age, including the use of general anesthesia (GA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval was obtained. Radiology and anesthesia records were searched to identify MRE exams in children younger than 10 years old between June 2009 and May 2013. The following information was documented: demographics, indications for MRE, use of GA, imaging diagnoses, and documented GA-related side effects or adverse events. Imaging was reviewed to document study length, quality and progression of oral contrast material. RESULTS: One hundred six children (59 boys [56%]) younger than 10 years old underwent 119 MRE examinations (age range: 1 month to 9 years, 11 months). Common indications for MRE included known IBD (42%) and suspected IBD (38%). One hundred ten (92%) examinations were performed under GA. Mean exam length was 52 ± 13 min for GA patients with a range of 31--113 min. Median time under GA was 155 min. Oral contrast material reached the terminal ileum in 31%. Side effects/adverse events associated with GA were uncommon and minor, including transient nausea in 13 children (11%) and emesis in 9 (8%). CONCLUSION: Diagnostic-quality MRE can be performed successfully in young children. The majority of MRE exams were performed under GA, with only occasional minor side effects/adverse events.

Dry Reforming of Methane on a Highly-Active Ni-CeO2 Catalyst: Effects of Metal-Support Interactions on C-H Bond Breaking.

Ni-CeO2 is a highly efficient, stable and non-expensive catalyst for methane dry reforming at relative low temperatures (700 K). The active phase of the catalyst consists of small nanoparticles of nickel dispersed on partially reduced ceria. Experiments of ambient pressure XPS indicate that methane dissociates on Ni/CeO2 at temperatures as low as 300 K, generating CHx and COx species on the surface of the catalyst. Strong metal-support interactions activate Ni for the dissociation of methane. The results of density-functional calculations show a drop in the effective barrier for methane activation from 0.9 eV on Ni(111) to only 0.15 eV on Ni/CeO2-x (111). At 700 K, under methane dry reforming conditions, no signals for adsorbed CHx or C species are detected in the C 1s XPS region. The reforming of methane proceeds in a clean and efficient way.

Activation of inflammasome by attenuated Salmonella typhimurium in bacteria-mediated cancer therapy.

Escherichia coli and attenuated Salmonella both naturally accumulate in a tumor mass, yet have distinct therapeutic efficacy: the E. coli K-12 strain (MG1655) cannot induce as significant a tumor suppression as attenuated Salmonella typhimurium, despite similar levels of accumulation in the tumor. To elucidate the mechanism of the robust antitumor effect of S. typhimurium, the cytokine profiles elicited by bacterial colonization in tumors were analyzed. C57BL/6 mice bearing MC38 tumors were injected with Salmonella or MG1655 in the tail vein. Tumors were collected 3 days post-infection and homogenized. Inflammasome-related signals were measured by real-time PCR, ELISA and western blot analysis. Only attenuated Salmonella triggered significant levels of the inflammatory cytokine IL-1ß in the tumor, whereas tumor growth was significantly suppressed. In addition, transcript levels of the core molecules of inflammasome signaling, IPAF, NLRP3 and P2X7, were significantly elevated only in Salmonella-treated tumors. Upon direct interaction between Salmonella and BMDM, BMDM expressed inflammasome-related proteins such as NLRP3, IPAF and caspase-1 p10, and secreted a significant amount of IL-1ß in supernatants. Coincubation assays with BMDM and Salmonella-treated MC38 cells (damaged cancer cells) revealed secretion of IL-1ß only when TLR4 and inflammasome were activated by both LPS and damaged cancer cells. ATP released from damaged cancer cells was also identified as a mechanism of NLRP3 activation. In conclusion, Salmonella activate the inflammasome pathway using damage signals released from cancer cells and through direct interaction with macrophages.

Characteristics of Posterior Ethmoidal Artery and Its Relationship with Anterior Ethmoidal Artery and Skull Base on CT Scan.

Objective: Investigation of the anterior and posterior ethmoidal arteries on computed tomography (CT) scans of the sinuses before and during surgery is important, especially for inexperienced surgeons. The aim of this study was to examine the anatomical characteristics of the posterior ethmoid artery in Vietnamese and the distance from the posterior ethmoid artery to the anterior ethmoid artery and the skull base on CT scan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving patients aged ≥18 years who underwent CT scan imaging at the Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City from February 2023 to July 2023. Results: There were 100 patients in this study, of whom 51% (51/100) were female and 49% (49/100) were male. Patient ages ranged from 20 to 84 years. Their average age was 40.92±14.65 years. The distance on CT scan between the posterior and anterior ethmoidal arteries was 13.98±1.95 mm (9.3 to 18.6 mm). This distance in males was significantly higher than female (p=0.001). However, there is no difference in this distance between the left and right side (p=0.67). The distance between the posterior ethmoid artery and skull base ranged from 0 to 5.4 mm. The average distance between the posterior ethmoidal artery and skull base on CT scan was 0.95±0.94 mm. The diameter of the posterior ethmoid artery was 0.57-0.91 mm. The average diameter of the posterior ethmoidal artery on CT scan was 0.76±0.09 mm. Conclusion: The characteristics of the posterior ethmoid artery should be considered when examining the CT scan. Distance from the posterior ethmoid This study provides useful information on the characteristics of the posterior ethmoid artery on CT scans, which can be applied in endoscopic sinus surgery and skull base surgery.

A tale of two studies: is peripheral eosinophilia associated with Dientamoeba fragilis detection in adult stool samples?

The protozoan parasite Dientamoeba fragilis is a frequently isolated stool organism and postulated cause of gastrointestinal symptoms. Peripheral blood eosinophilia has been described. This is the first study amongst the Australasian adult population to assess the relationship between organism detection and eosinophilia. A case-control study took place over 7 years at a single Sydney laboratory site, evaluating patients with D. fragilis identified on stool using real-time PCR with a recent full blood count, to control groups with Giardia spp. and sequential negatives with neither organism. A nested study compared those with microscopic evidence of D. fragilis as a marker of disease burden, to molecular diagnosis alone. Sixty-four D. fragilis, 30 Giardia spp., and 94 sequential controls were enrolled. Only 60.1% of samples were preserved in sodium acetate-acetic acid formalin (SAF) fixative, indication mostly not documented. The major co-organism detected amongst all participants was Blastocystis sp., particularly in the D. fragilis cohort (37.2%). The most common pathogen amongst sequential controls was Campylobacter spp. (7.4%). Patients with D. fragilis were more likely (12.5%) to have a clinically significant eosinophilia (>0.5×109/L) compared to those with Giardia spp. (3.3%) or sequential controls (4.3%) (p=0.03). A significant difference was also noted in the overall median eosinophil count of those with D. fragilis versus all controls (0.2 vs 0.1×109/L, p=0.01); however, this was within the reference interval (where up to >0.5×109/L is accepted in healthy individuals within a typical population). No eosinophil difference was found between those with molecular versus additional microscopic detection of D. fragilis (0.1 vs 0.1×109/L). These results support an association between the identification of clinically significant peripheral blood eosinophilia and D. fragilis presence, which may impact the diagnostic approach to the patient with unexplained eosinophilia. Further prospective trials may help assess any significance further and the implication of co-carriage with other enteric organisms. The importance of clinical indication and need for appropriate fixative media in diagnostic parasitology are also highlighted.

Dientamoeba fragilis: a family cluster of disease associated with marked peripheral eosinophilia.

Dientamoeba fragilis has emerged as an important and underrecognized cause of gastrointestinal illness. We report a familial cluster of D. fragilis associated with marked peripheral eosinophilia and gastrointestinal symptoms. Dientamoeba fragilis infection should be considered in the setting of unexplained eosinophilia. If confirmed, screening of household members should be considered.

Patterns of risk for anxiety-depression amongst Vietnamese-immigrants: a comparison with source and host populations.

BACKGROUND: Studies suggest that immigrants have higher rates of anxiety-depression than compatriots in low-middle income countries and lower rates than populations in host high income countries. Elucidating the factors that underlie these stepwise variations in prevalence may throw new light on the pathogenesis of anxiety-depressive disorders globally. This study aimed to examine whether quantitative differences in exposure to, or the interaction between, risk factors account for these anxiety-depression prevalence differences amongst immigrant relative to source and host country populations. METHODS: Multistage population mental health surveys were conducted in three groups: 1) a Vietnamese-immigrant sample settled in Australia (n = 1161); 2) a Vietnamese source country sample residing in the Mekong Delta region (n = 3039); 3) an Australian-born host country sample (n = 7964). Multivariable logistic regression analyses compared risk factors between the Vietnamese-immigrant group and: 1) the Mekong Delta Vietnamese; and 2) the Australian-born group. Twelve month anxiety-depression diagnoses were the main outcome measures, derived from the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), supplemented by an indigenously derived measure - the Phan Vietnamese Psychiatric Scale (PVPS) in both Vietnamese groups. RESULTS: The 12-month prevalence of anxiety-depression showed a stepwise increase across groups: Mekong Delta Vietnamese 4.8%; Vietnamese-immigrants 7.0%; Australian-born 10.2%. The two Vietnamese populations showed a similar risk profile with older age, exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs), multiple physical illnesses and substance use disorder (SUD) being associated with anxiety-depression, with the older Vietnamese-immigrants reporting greater exposure to these factors. The interaction between key risk factors differed fundamentally when comparing Vietnamese-immigrant and Australian-born samples. Age emerged as the major discriminator, with young Vietnamese-immigrants exhibiting particularly low rates of anxiety-depression. CONCLUSIONS: The findings reported here suggest that core risk factors for anxiety-depression may be universal, but their patterning and interaction may differ according to country-of-origin. The study also highlights the importance of including both standard international and culturally-specific measures to index cross-cultural manifestations of common mental disorders.

P38 kinase in gastrointestinal cancers.

Gastrointestinal cancers are a leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide with 4.2 million new cases and 3.2 million deaths estimated in 2020. Despite the advances in primary and adjuvant therapies, patients still develop distant metastases and require novel therapies. Mitogen­activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are crucial signaling pathways that regulate many cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, stress responses and cancer development. p38 Mitogen Activated Protein Kinases (p38 MAPKs) includes four isoforms: p38α (MAPK14), p38ß (MAPK11), p38γ (MAPK12), and p38δ (MAPK13). p38 MAPK was first identified as a stress response protein kinase that phosphorylates different transcriptional factors. Dysregulation of p38 pathways, in particular p38γ, are associated with cancer development, metastasis, autophagy and tumor microenvironment. In this article, we provide an overview of p38 and p38γ with respect to gastrointestinal cancers. Furthermore, targeting p38γ is also discussed as a potential therapy for gastrointestinal cancers.

Optimizing Ultrasonic-Assisted and Microwave-Assisted Extraction Processes to Recover Phenolics and Flavonoids from Passion Fruit Peels.

This study optimized the ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) processes to acquire phenolics and flavonoids from passion fruit peels using a mixture of ethanol, acetone, and water. An augmented simplex-centroid design was employed to find the suitable volume ratio among solvent ingredients to attain the highest extraction yield of phenolics and flavonoids. One-factor experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of UAE and MAE parameters on the recovery yield of phenolics and flavonoids before the two processes were optimized using Box-Behnken Design (BBD) models. The optimal UAE conditions for recovering phenolics and flavonoids from passion fruit peel powder (PFP) were 28 mL/g of liquid-to-solid ratio (LSR), 608 W of ultrasonic power, and 63 °C for 20 min to acquire total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) at 39.38 mg of gallic acid equivalents per gram of dried basis (mg GAE/g db) and 25.79 mg of rutin equivalents per gram of dried basis (mg RE/g db), respectively. MAE conditions for attaining phenolics and flavonoids from PFP were 26 mL/g of LSR and 606 W of microwave power for 2 min to recover TPC and TFC at 17.74 mg GAE/g db and 8.11 mg RE/g db, respectively. The second-order kinetic model was employed to determine the UAE and MAE mechanism of TPC and TFC and the thermodynamic parameters of the extraction processes. The antioxidant activities of passion fruit peel extracts at optimal conditions were examined to compare the efficiency of UAE and MAE. This study establishes an effective approach for obtaining phenolics and flavonoids from passion fruit peels.

Targeting fat mass and obesity-associated protein mitigates human colorectal cancer growth in vitro and in a murine model.

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant cause of cancer related mortality. Fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) is a m6A mRNA demethylase that plays an oncogenic role in various malignancies. In this study we evaluated the role of FTO in CRC tumorigenesis. Methods: Cell proliferation assays were conducted in 6 CRC cell lines with the FTO inhibitor CS1 (50-3200 nM) (± 5-FU 5-80 mM) and after lentivirus mediated FTO knockdown. Cell cycle and apoptosis assays were conducted in HCT116 cells (24 h and 48 h, 290 nM CS1). Western blot and m6A dot plot assays were performed to assess CS1 inhibition of cell cycle proteins and FTO demethylase activity. Migration and invasion assays of shFTO cells and CS1 treated cells were performed. An in vivo heterotopic model of HCT116 cells treated with CS1 or with FTO knockdown cells was performed. RNA-seq was performed on shFTO cells to assess which molecular and metabolic pathways were impacted. RT-PCR was conducted on select genes down-regulated by FTO knockdown. Results: We found that the FTO inhibitor, CS1 suppressed CRC cell proliferation in 6 colorectal cancer cell lines and in the 5-Fluorouracil resistant cell line (HCT116-5FUR). CS1 induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase by down regulation of CDC25C and promoted apoptosis of HCT116 cells. CS1 suppressed in vivo tumor growth in the HCT116 heterotopic model (p< 0.05). Lentivirus knockdown of FTO in HCT116 cells (shFTO) mitigated in vivo tumor proliferation and in vitro demethylase activity, cell growth, migration and invasion compared to shScr controls (p< 0.01). RNA-seq of shFTO cells compared to shScr demonstrated down-regulation of pathways related to oxidative phosphorylation, MYC and Akt/ mTOR signaling pathways. Discussion: Further work exploring the targeted pathways will elucidate precise downstream mechanisms that can potentially translate these findings to clinical trials.

Producing bacterial cellulose from industrial recycling paper waste sludge.

This study aimed to produce bacterial cellulose from paper waste sludge (PWS) as a method of utilizing the cellulose source from the remaining pulp in the material. Initially, PWS was hydrolyzed by sulfuric acid to create an enriched-reducing sugar hydrolysate. One-factor experiments were conducted with a fixed amount of PWS (5 g) to investigate the influence of hydrolysis conditions, including water, sulfuric acid addition, temperature, and retention time, on the production yield of reducing sugars. Based on these results, the Box-Behnken model was designed to optimize the hydrolysis reaction. The optimal hydrolysis conditions were 10 ml/g of the sulfuric acid solution (30.9%) at 105.5 °C for 90 min of retention time 0.81 (gGE/g PWS), corresponding to a conversion yield of 40.5%). Subsequently, 100 ml of the filtered and neutralized PWS hydrolysate was used as the culture to produce the bacterial cellulose (BC) using Acetobacter xylinum, which produced 12 g/L of bacterial cellulose. The conversion yield of bacterial cellulose calculated as the ratio of the weight of produced bacterial cellulose to that of cellulose in PWS reached 33.3%. The structure of the obtained BC was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to indicate the formation of nano-cellulose fiber networks. This research proposed a combined method to convert paper waste sludge into bacterial cellulose, demonstrating the potential for waste utilization and sustainable production of paper industries for added-value products.

Green extraction of phenolics and flavonoids from black mulberry fruit using natural deep eutectic solvents: optimization and surface morphology.

This study deployed ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE), combined with natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES), to extract phenolics and flavonoids from the black mulberry fruit, and the antioxidant activity was examined. The extraction yields of NADES-based UAE were assessed based on the yields of phenolics and flavonoids extracted from the black mulberry fruit. This study selected the molar ratios of hydrogen bond acceptors (HBA) and hydrogen bond donors HBD at 1:2 from previous studies. Choline chloride-lactic acid showed the highest solubility with phenolics and flavonoids among NADES systems. One-factor experiments evaluated the effect of UAE conditions (liquid-to-solid ratio (LSR), water content in NADES, temperature, and time) on TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activity. The suitable NADES-based UAE conditions for extracting phenolics and flavonoids from the black mulberry fruit were 60 ml/g of LSR, 40% water content, 70 °C, and 15 min. Response surface methodology with the Box-Behnken design model optimized the NADES-based UAE process based on response (TPC, TFC, ABTS, OH, and DPPH). The optimal conditions for the NADES-based UAE process were 70 ml/g of LSR, 38.9% water content in NADES, 67.9 °C, and 24.2 min of extraction time. The predicted values of the Box-Behnken design were compatible with the experimental results. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to survey the surface of black mulberry fruit with and without sonication. SEM can assist in demonstrating the destructive effect of NADES and ultrasonic waves on material surfaces. SEM findings indicated the high surface destruction capacity of NADES, which partially contributed to a superior extraction yield of NADES than conventional organic solvents. The study proposes an efficient and green method for extracting bioactive compounds from black mulberry fruits. The black mulberry fruit extracts can be applied to meat preservation and beverages with high antioxidants.