Tri-component hydrocolloid as egg white replacement in meringues: gellan gum with soy protein isolate and maltodextrin.

BACKGROUND: In the quest for sustainable food ingredients, the present study delves into the potential of a tri-component hydrocolloid blend, comprising gellan gum (GG), soy protein isolate (SPI) and maltodextrin (MD), as a replacement for egg white in meringue production. The research aims to elucidate the intricate physical properties of meringue containing this tri-component structure, focusing on foaming dynamics, rheological behavior and the textural properties of the resulting meringue cookies. RESULTS: Experiments were conducted with various hydrocolloids (k-carrageenan, GG, and locust bean gum) and GG was identified as optimal for improving foaming capacity and foaming stability. Rheological evaluations showed a positive correlation between increased GG concentration within the tri-component matrix and an increase in both storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G"), indicating improved structural integrity. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of the texture profiles of cookies prepared with this blend highlighted the ability of higher GG concentrations to satisfactorily replicate the tactile and visual qualities of traditional egg white-based meringues. This result was particularly evident compared to formulations utilizing solely SPI or the combined SPI-MD configuration. CONCLUSION: Conclusively, the results of the present study highlight the significant potential of the GG-SPI-MD tri-component structure to closely mimic the critical properties of egg white, thus offering a promising plant-based alternative for meringue production. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Generation of mouse and rat xenogeneic ovaries in vitro for production of mouse oocyte.

The system forming ovarian follicles is developed to investigate in vitro folliculogenesis in a confined environment to obtain functional oocytes. Several studies have reported the successful generation of fully functional oocytes using mouse-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and mouse female germline stem cells (fGSCs) as sources of stem cells for in vitro gametogenesis models. In addition, human oogonia have been generated through heterologous co-culture of differentiated human primordial germ cell-like cells (hPGCLCs) with mouse germline somatic cells, although oocyte formation remains challenging. Thus, studies on in vitro ovarian formation in other species are utilized as an introductory approach for in vitro mammalian gametogenesis by understanding the differences in culture systems between species and underlying mechanisms. In this study, we optimized the method of the entire oogenesis process from rat embryonic gonads. We identified well-maturated MII oocytes from rat gonads using our constructed method. Moreover, we generated the first successful in vitro reconstitution of xenogeneic follicles from mouse primordial germ cells (PGCs) and rat somatic cells. We also established an appropriate culture medium and incubation period for xenogeneic follicles. This method will be helpful in studies of xenogeneic follicular development and oocyte generation.

One-hit kill: On the inactivation of RNA viruses by ultraviolet (UV)-C-induced genomic damage.

Large scale outbreaks of infectious respiratory disease have repeatedly plagued the globe over the last 100 years. The scope and strength of the outbreaks are getting worse as pathogenic RNA viruses are rapidly evolving and highly evasive to vaccines and anti-viral drugs. Germicidal UV-C is considered as a robust agent to disinfect RNA viruses regardless of their evolution. While genomic damage by UV-C has been known to be associated with viral inactivation, the precise relationship between the damage and inactivation remains unsettled as genomic damage has been analyzed in small areas, typically under 0.5 kb. In this study, we assessed genomic damage by the reduced efficiency of reverse transcription of regions of up to 7.2 kb. Our data seem to indicate that genomic damage was directly proportional to the size of the genome, and a single hit of damage was sufficient for inactivation of RNA viruses. The high efficacy of UV-C is already effectively adopted to inactivate airborne RNA viruses.

Strong intramolecular charge-transfer effect strengthening naphthoquinone-based chemosensor: Experimental and theoretical evaluation.

An aminophenol-linked naphthoquinone-based fluorometric and colorimetric chemosensor 2-chloro-3-((3-hydroxyphenyl) amino) naphthalene-1,4-dione (2CAN-Dione) was synthesized for selective detection of Sn2+ ion in aqueous solution. The amine and conversion of carbonyl into carboxyl groups play a vital role in the sensing mechanism when Sn2+ is added to 2CAN-Dione. Comprehensive characterization of the sensor was carried out using standard spectral and analytical approaches. Because of the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) effect and the turn-on sensing mode, the strong fluorometric emission towards Sn2+ was observed at about 435 nm. The chemosensor exhibited good selectivity for Sn2+ in the presence of coexisting metal ions. An improved linear connection was established with a low limit of detection (0.167 µM). FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and quantum chemistry methods were performed to verify the binding coordination mechanism. The chemosensing probe 2CAN-Dione was successfully employed in bioimaging investigations, demonstrating that it is a reliable fluorescent marker for Sn2+ in human cancer cells.

The moderating role of circadian gene polymorphisms in the relationship between sleep disturbance and circulating lymphocyte subsets in colorectal cancer patients.

AIM: We investigated the impact of sleep disturbance on immune status in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with consideration of the moderating role of circadian clock gene polymorphisms. METHODS: A prospective longitudinal study design was used to collect information regarding sleep disturbance. Blood samples for immunologic assays were obtained the day before the first (baseline) and last cycles of 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) chemotherapy. Clinical sleep disturbance was compared between the two-time points using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) global score. We analysed single-nucleotide polymorphisms in rs2278749, rs3749474, rs2291738, rs17031614, and rs2287161. The dependent variables included changes in the percentages of CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, and CD16/56+ lymphocytes between the two-time points. The results were analysed using moderated regression analysis; the p-values were adjusted using the false discovery rate. RESULTS: Among the 104 patients, no significant dyadic associations were observed between changes in lymphocyte percentages and the PSQI global score. However, the moderated regression analysis revealed five significant associations (rs2287161 with CD8+, rs2278749 and rs2291738 with CD19+, and rs17031614 with CD4+ and CD16/56+ lymphocytes). The inclusion of each interaction resulted in a significant increase (5.7-10.7%) in the variance explained by changes in lymphocyte percentage. CONCLUSION: Patients with specific circadian gene allele types may be more susceptible to immune dysregulation when experiencing sleep disturbances. Considering that sleep disturbance is a modifiable factor that can impact immune regulation, it is essential to prioritise the management of sleep disturbances in CRC patients receiving FOLFOX chemotherapy.

Comparative Study on the Immunogenicity of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines in Patients Receiving Adjuvant and Palliative Chemotherapy.

This study was conducted to investigate potential differences in vaccine efficacy between patients undergoing palliative chemotherapy and receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. Additionally, the study proved the influence of vaccination timing on vaccine efficacy during active chemotherapy. Anti-receptor-binding domain (RBD) IgG binding antibody assays and surrogate neutralizing antibody assays were performed after BNT162b2 or mRNA-1273 vaccination in 45 solid cancer patients (23 adjuvant and 22 palliative chemotherapy) and in 24 healthy controls before vaccination (baseline), at every two to four weeks after the first (post-dose 1) and the second vaccination (post-dose 2). The levels of anti-RBD IgG and neutralizing antibodies increased significantly from baseline through post-dose 1 to post-dose 2 in all three groups. At the post-dose 1, the anti-RBD IgG and neutralizing antibody levels were significantly lower in cancer patients than in healthy controls. However, by post-dose 2, the seropositivity of anti-RBD IgG and neutralizing antibodies uniformly reached 100% across all groups, with no significant disparity in antibody levels among the three groups. Moreover, the antibody titers were not significantly different between patients with a vaccine and chemotherapy interval of more than 14 days or those with less than 14 days. This study demonstrated that after second doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, humoral immune responses in patients receiving chemotherapy were comparable to those of healthy controls, regardless of whether the purpose of the anti-cancer treatment was palliative or adjuvant. Furthermore, the timing of vaccination did not affect the level of humoral immunity after the second vaccination.

Current Status of Flow Cytometric Immunophenotyping of Hematolymphoid Neoplasms in Korea.

Background: Flow cytometric immunophenotyping of hematolymphoid neoplasms (FCI-HLN) is essential for diagnosis, classification, and minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring. FCI-HLN is typically performed using in-house protocols, raising the need for standardization. Therefore, we surveyed the current status of FCI-HLN in Korea to obtain fundamental data for quality improvement and standardization. Methods: Eight university hospitals actively conducting FCI-HLN participated in our survey. We analyzed responses to a questionnaire that included inquiries regarding test items, reagent antibodies (RAs), fluorophores, sample amounts (SAs), reagent antibody amounts (RAAs), acquisition cell number (ACN), isotype control (IC) usage, positive/negative criteria, and reporting. Results: Most hospitals used acute HLN, chronic HLN, plasma cell neoplasm (PCN), and MRD panels. The numbers of RAs were heterogeneous, with a maximum of 32, 26, 12, 14, and 10 antibodies used for acute HLN, chronic HLN, PCN, ALL-MRD, and multiple myeloma-MRD, respectively. The number of fluorophores ranged from 4 to 10. RAs, SAs, RAAs, and ACN were diverse. Most hospitals used a positive criterion of 20%, whereas one used 10% for acute and chronic HLN panels. Five hospitals used ICs for the negative criterion. Positive/negative assignments, percentages, and general opinions were commonly reported. In MRD reporting, the limit of detection and lower limit of quantification were included. Conclusions: This is the first comprehensive study on the current status of FCI-HLN in Korea, confirming the high heterogeneity and complexity of FCI-HLN practices. Standardization of FCI-HLN is urgently needed. The findings provide a reference for establishing standard FCI-HLN guidelines.

Pediatric humoral immune responses and infection risk after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and two-dose vaccination during SARS-CoV-2 omicron BA.5 and BN.1 variants predominance in South Korea.

Background: Humoral immune responses and infection risk after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination during the Omicron BA.5 and BN.1 variants predominant period remains unexplored in pediatric population. Methods: We examined anti-spike (anti-S) immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses in a total of 986 children aged 4-18 years who visited outpatient clinics between June 2022 and January 2023, with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection alone, completed two doses of COVID-19 vaccination alone, vaccine-breakthrough infection (i.e., infection after the single dose of vaccination), and no antigenic exposure. Furthermore, to determine SARS-CoV-2 infection risk, the incidence of newly developed SARS-CoV-2 infection was investigated up to March 2023. Results: The anti-S IgG levels in the 'vaccine-breakthrough infection' group exceeded those in the 'infection alone' and 'vaccination alone' groups (both P <0.01). Furthermore, the 'vaccination alone' group experienced more rapid anti-S IgG waning than the 'infection alone' and 'vaccine-breakthrough infection' groups (both P <0.01). We could not identify newly developed SARS-CoV-2 infection in the 'vaccine-breakthrough infection' group. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that hybrid immunity, acquired from SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination, was a potentially higher and longer-lasting humoral immune response and protected against SARS-CoV-2 infection in pediatric population during Omicron BA.5 and BN.1 variants predominant.

Particulate matter 10 induces oxidative stress and apoptosis in rhesus macaques skin fibroblast.

Background: Particulate matter (PM) is a major air pollutant that affects human health worldwide. PM can pass through the skin barrier, thus causing skin diseases such as heat rash, allergic reaction, infection, or inflammation. However, only a few studies have been conducted on the cytotoxic effects of PM exposure on large-scale animals. Therefore, herein, we investigated whether and how PM affects rhesus macaque skin fibroblasts. Methods: Rhesus macaque skin fibroblasts were treated with various concentrations of PM10 (1, 5, 10, 50, and 100 µg/mL) and incubated for 24, 48, and 72 h. Then, cell viability assay, TUNEL assay, and qRT-PCR were performed on the treated cells. Further, the reactive oxygen species, glutathione, and cathepsin B levels were determined. The MTT assay revealed that PM10 (>50 µg/mL) proportionately reduced the cell proliferation rate. Results: PM10 treatment increased TUNEL-positive cell numbers, following the pro-apoptosis-associated genes (CASP3 and BAX) and tumor suppressor gene TP53 were significantly upregulated. PM10 treatment induced reactive oxidative stress. Cathepsin B intensity was increased, whereas GSH intensity was decreased. The mRNA expression levels of antioxidant enzyme-related genes (CAT, GPX1 and GPX3) were significantly upregulated. Furthermore, PM10 reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential. The mRNA expression of mitochondrial complex genes, such as NDUFA1, NDUFA2, NDUFAC2, NDUFS4, and ATP5H were also significantly upregulated. In conclusion, these results showed that PM10 triggers apoptosis and mitochondrial damage, thus inducing ROS accumulation. These findings provide potential information on the cytotoxic effects of PM10 treatment and help to understand the mechanism of air pollution-induced skin diseases.