Fabrication of amino- and hydroxyl dual-functionalized magnetic microporous organic network for extraction of zearalenone from traditional Chinese medicine prior to the HPLC determination.

Efficient enrichment of trace zearalenone (ZEN) from the complex traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) samples is quite difficult, but of great significance for TCM quality control. Herein, we reported a novel magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) strategy for ZEN enrichment using the amino- and hydroxyl dual-functionalized magnetic microporous organic network (Fe3O4@MON-NH2-OH) as an advanced adsorbent combined with the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) determination. Efficient extraction of ZEN was achieved via the possible hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic, and π-π interactions between Fe3O4@MON-NH2-OH and ZEN. The adsorption capacity of Fe3O4@MON-NH2-OH for ZEN was 215.0 mg g-1 at the room temperature, which was much higher than most of the reported adsorbents. Under the optimal condition, the developed Fe3O4@MON-NH2-OH-MSPE-HPLC method exhibited wide linear range (5-2500 µg L-1), low limits of detection (1.4-35 µg L-1), less adsorbent consumption (5 mg), and large enhancement factor (95) for ZEN. The proposed method was successfully applied to detect trace ZEN from 10 kinds of real TCM samples. Conclusively, this work demonstrates the Fe3O4@MON-NH2-OH can effectively extract trace ZEN from the complex TCM matrices, which may open up a new way for the application of MONs in the enrichment and extraction of trace contaminants or active constituents from the complex TCM samples.

Changes in chemical components and hepatoprotective effect of red Panax notoginseng processed by aspartic acid impregnation treatment.

BACKGROUND: Red Panax notoginseng (RPN) is one of the major processed products of P. notoginseng (PN), with more effective biological activities. However, the traditional processing method of RPN has some disadvantages, such as low conversion rate of ginsenosides and long processing time. RESULTS: In this work, we developed a green, safe, and efficient approach for RPN processing by aspartic acid impregnation pretreatment. Our results showed that the optimized temperature, steaming time, and concentration of aspartic acid were 120 °C, 1 h, and 3% respectively. The original ginsenosides in PN treated by aspartic acid (Asp-PN) were completely converted to rare saponins at 120 °C within just 1 h. The concentration of the rare ginsenosides in Asp-PN was two times higher than that in untreated RPN. In addition, we examined the protective effect of RPN and Asp-PN on acetaminophen-induced liver injury in a mouse model. The results showed that Asp-PN has significantly more potent hepatoprotective action than the RPN. The hepatoprotection of Asp-PN in acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity may be due to its anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory activities. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that aspartic acid impregnation pretreatment may provide an effective method to shorten the steaming time, improve the conversion rate of ginsenosides, and enhance hepatoprotective activity of RPN. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Metabolomic analysis reveals the effect of ultrasonic-microwave pretreatment on flavonoids in tribute Citrus powder.

In this study, the ultrasonic-microwave pretreatment was defined as a processing technology in the production of tribute citrus powder, and it could increase the flavonoid compounds in the processing fruit powder. A total of 183 upregulated metabolites and 280 downregulated metabolites were obtained by non-targeted metabolomics, and the differential metabolites was mainly involved in the pathways of flavonoid biosynthesis, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis. A total of 8 flavonoid differential metabolites were obtained including 5 upregulated metabolites (6"-O-acetylglycitin, scutellarin, isosakuranin, rutin, and robinin), and 3 downregulated metabolites (astragalin, luteolin, and (-)-catechin gallate) by flavonoids-targeted metabolomics. The 8 flavonoid differential metabolites participated in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathways, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis pathways, and isoflavonoid biosynthesis pathways. The results provide a reference for further understanding the relationship between food processing and food components, and also lay a basis for the development of food targeted-processing technologies.

Comparison evaluation pretreatments on the quality characteristics, oxidative stability, and volatile flavor of walnut oil.

In this study, we applied various thermal pretreatment methods (e.g., hot-air, microwave, and stir-frying) to process walnut kernels, and conducted comparative analysis of the physicochemical properties, nutritional components, in vitro antioxidant activity, and flavor substances of the extracted walnut oil (WO). The results indicated that, thermal pretreatment significantly increased the extraction of total trace nutrients (e.g., total phenols, tocopherols, and phytosterols) in WO. The WO produced using microwave had 2316.71 mg/kg of total trace nutrients, closely followed by the stir-frying method, which yielded an 11.22% increase compared to the untreated method. The WO obtained by the microwave method had a higher Oxidative inductance period (4.05 h) and oil yield (2.48%). After analyzing the flavor in WO, we found that aldehydes accounted for 28.77% of the 73 of volatile compounds and 58.12% of the total flavor compound content in microwave-pretreated WO, these percentages were higher than those recorded by using other methods. Based on the comprehensive score obtained by the PCA, microwave-pretreatment might be a promising strategy to improve the quality of WO based on aromatic characteristics.

Electroacupuncture pretreatment mediates sympathetic nerves to alleviate myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury via CRH neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion can further exacerbate myocardial injury and increase the risk of death. Our previous research found that the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus plays a crucial role in the improvement of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) by electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment, but its mechanism of action is still unclear. CRH neurons exhibit periodic concentrated expression in PVN, but further research is needed to determine whether they are involved in the improvement of MIRI by EA pretreatment. Meanwhile, numerous studies have shown that changes in sympathetic nervous system innervation and activity are associated with many heart diseases. This study aims to investigate whether EA pretreatment improves MIRI through sympathetic nervous system mediated by PVNCRH neurons. METHODS: Integrated use of fiber-optic recording, chemical genetics and other methods to detect relevant indicators: ECG signals were acquired through Powerlab standard II leads, and LabChart 8 calculated heart rate, ST-segment offset, and heart rate variability (HRV); Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular short-axis shortening (LVFS), left ventricular end-systolic internal diameter (LVIDs) and interventricular septal thickness (IVSs) were measured by echocardiography; Myocardial infarct area (IA) and area at risk (AAR) were calculated by Evans-TTC staining. Pathological changes in cardiomyocytes were observed by HE staining; Changes in PVNCRH neuronal activity were recorded by fiber-optic photometry; Sympathetic nerve discharges were recorded for in vivo electrophysiology; NE and TH protein expression was assayed by Western blot. RESULTS: Our data indicated that EA pretreatment can effectively alleviate MIRI. Meanwhile, we found that in the MIRI model, the number and activity of CRH neurons co labeled with c-Fos in the PVN area of the rat brain increased, and the frequency of sympathetic nerve discharge increased. EA pretreatment could reverse this change. In addition, the results of chemical genetics indicated that inhibiting PVNCRH neurons has a similar protective effect on MIRI as EA pretreatment, and the activation of PVNCRH neurons can counteract this protective effect. CONCLUSION: EA pretreatment can inhibit PVNCRH neurons and improve MIRI by inhibiting sympathetic nerve, which offers fresh perspectives on the application of acupuncture in the management of cardiovascular disease.

Tailored microbial consortium producing hydrolytic enzyme cocktail for maximum saccharification of wheat straw.

The potential of hydrolytic enzyme cocktail obtained from designed bacterial consortium WSh-1 comprising Bacillus subtilis CRN 16, Paenibacillus dendritiformis CRN 18, Niallia circulans CRN 24, Serratia marscens CRN 29, and Streptomyces sp. CRN 30, was investigated for maximum saccharification. Activity was further enhanced to 1.01 U/ml from 0.82 U/ml by supplementing growth medium with biotin and cellobiose as a cofactor and inducer. Through kinetic analysis, the enzyme cocktail showed a high wheat straw affinity with Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) of 0.68 µmol/L and a deconstruction rate (Vmax) of 4.5 U/ml/min. The statistical optimization of critical parameters increased saccharification to 89 %. The optimized process in a 5-L lab-scale bioreactor yielded 501 mg/g of reducing sugar from NaOH-pretreated wheat straw. Lastly, genomic insights revealed unique abundant oligosaccharide deconstruction enzymes with the most diverse CAZyme profile. The consortium-mediated enzyme cocktails offer broader versatility with efficiency for the economical and sustainable valorization of lignocellulosic waste.

Hot-air drying vs. lyophilization of sugar beet flakes for efficient pectin recovery and influence of extraction conditions on pectin physicochemical properties.

This study assessed the influence of drying pretreatment and extraction conditions (type of acid and particle size of plant material) on the yield and physicochemical properties of pectin from sugar beet flakes resulted as by-product of sugar beet processing in the sugar industry. The results indicated that the drying conditions (hot-air drying and lyophilization) affected the extraction yield, the chemical composition of pectin, its color, degree of methylation and acetylation, molecular weight, and its rheological and emulsifying properties. The best results for pectin yield (16.20%), galacturonic acid content (91.19 g/100 g), degree of methylation and acetylation (66.93 and 23.87%), and molecular weight (3.89 × 105 g/mol) were obtained when sugar beet flakes were pretreated by hot-air drying, and the extraction was made with citric acid using plant material with particle sizes of 125-200 µm. This pectin also had high emulsion activity (51.42%) and emulsion stability (88.03%). The FT-IR spectra were similar, while pectin thermal behavior was affected by the drying pretreatment and extraction conditions. The results of this study showed that from this by-product of the sugar industry it can be extracted high quality pectin with rheological and emulsifying properties that are superior to commercial citrus and apple pectin.

Effect of salt pretreatments on physico-chemical, cooking and rehydration kinetics of instant rice.

Instant rice is well-suited for ready-to-use applications as low-moisture, light-weight military ration and emergency food for our Armed Forces, offering longer shelf life with rapid rehydration characteristics. Present investigation demonstrated the effect of different salt pretreatment during soaking as precooking operation on the physico-chemical, cooking and rehydration kinetics of instant rice. Application of salt pretreatment reduced bulk density and damaged grain percentage, while enhanced the porosity, volume expansion percent, weight gain percentage, and rehydration characteristics. The grain elongation ratio was not affected significantly by the application of salt pretreatments; however, water uptake and chemical composition were significantly affected. Soaking pretreatment with 1% calcium chloride, followed by open pan cooking and subsequently freeze-thaw-dehydrating until attainment of 5-6% moisture content was found to be the optimal processing condition for developing instant rice with less than 2 min of rehydration time by mere addition of hot water. Modelling of water absorption behaviour revealed that both Peleg (R2 0.980-0.999) and Singh and Kulshrestha (R2 0.966-0.999) models fitted well. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-023-05877-y.

Upgrading pectin methylation for consistently enhanced biomass enzymatic saccharification and cadmium phytoremediation in rice Ospmes site-mutants.

Crop straws provide enormous biomass residues applicable for biofuel production and trace metal phytoremediation. However, as lignocellulose recalcitrance determines a costly process with potential secondary waste liberation, genetic modification of plant cell walls is deemed as a promising solution. Although pectin methylation plays an important role for plant cell wall construction and integrity, little is known about its regulation roles on lignocellulose hydrolysis and trace metal elimination. In this study, we initially performed a typical CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing for site mutations of OsPME31, OsPME34 and OsPME79 in rice, and then determined significantly upgraded pectin methylation degrees in the young seedlings of three distinct site-mutants compared to their wild type. We then examined distinctively improved lignocellulose recalcitrance in three mutants including reduced cellulose levels, crystallinity and polymerization or raised hemicellulose deposition and cellulose accessibility, which led to specifically enlarged biomass porosity either for consistently enhanced biomass enzymatic saccharification under mild alkali pretreatments or for cadmium (Cd) accumulation up to 2.4-fold. Therefore, this study proposed a novel model to elucidate how pectin methylation could play a unique enhancement role for both lignocellulose enzymatic hydrolysis and Cd phytoremediation, providing insights into precise pectin modification for effective biomass utilization and efficient trace metal exclusion.

Enhanced nutrient recovery from anaerobically digested poultry wastewater through struvite precipitation by organic acid pre-treatment and seeding in a bubble column electrolytic reactor.

Limited mineralization of organic phosphorus to phosphate during the anaerobic digestion process poses a significant challenge in the development of cost-effective nutrient recovery strategies from anaerobically digested poultry wastewater (ADPW). This study investigated the influence of organic acids on phosphorus solubilization from ADPW, followed by its recycling in the form of struvite using a bubble column electrolytic reactor (BCER) without adding chemicals. The impact of seeding on the efficiency of PO43- and NH3-N recovery as well as the size distribution of recovered precipitates from the acid pre-treated ADPW was also evaluated. Pre-treatment of the ADPW with oxalic acid achieved complete solubilization of phosphorus, reaching ∼100% extraction efficiency at pH 2.5. The maximum removal efficiency of phosphate and ammonia-nitrogen from the ADPW were 88.9% and 90.1%, respectively, while the addition of 5 and 10 g/L struvite seed to the BCER increased PO43- removal efficiency by 9.6% and 11.5%, respectively. The value of the kinetic rate constant, k, increased from 0.0176 min-1 (unseeded) to 0.0198 min-1, 0.0307 min-1, and 0.0375 min-1 with the seed loading rate of 2, 5, and 10 g/L, respectively. Concurrently, the average particle size rose from 75.3 µm (unseeded) to 82.1 µm, 125.7 µm, and 148.9 µm, respectively. Results from XRD, FTIR, EDS, and dissolved chemical analysis revealed that the solid product obtained from the recovery process was a multi-nutrient fertilizer consisting of 94.7% struvite with negligible levels of heavy metals.

Effect of acupuncture pretreatment on inflammatory response of exercise-induced skeletal muscle damage in rats based on TLR9/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway. / 基于TLR9/MyD88/NF­κBä¿¡å·é€šè·¯æŽ¢è®¨é’ˆåˆºé¢„å¤„ç†å¯¹è¿åŠ¨æ€§éª¨éª¼è‚ŒæŸä¼¤å¤§é¼ ç‚Žæ€§ååº”çš„å½±å“.

OBJECTIVES: To observe the effects of acupuncture pretreatment on toll-like receptor 9/myeloid differentiation factor 88/nuclear factor-κB (TLR9/MyD88/NF-κB) signaling pathway and inflammatory response in the rats with exercise-induced skeletal muscle damage (EIMD) and explore the underlying mechanism of this pretreatment for EIMD. METHODS: A total of 88 male SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group (8 rats), a model group (40 rats) and an acupuncture pretreatment group (40 rats). In the model group and the acupuncture pretreatment group, 5 subgroups were randomized according to the sampling time of 0, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h of modeling, with 8 rats in each one, respectively. Before modeling, in the acupuncture pretreatment group, acupuncture was delivered at bilateral "Zusanli" (ST 36) and "Guanyuan" (CV 4) for 20 min, once daily for consecutive 7 days. By one-time intermittent downhill centrifugal exercise on animal experimental treadmill, EIMD model was established in the model group and the acupuncture pretreatment group. The ultrastructure of gastrocnemius muscle was observed under transmission electron microscope. The levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the serum were detected by ELISA. The protein and mRNA expression of TLR9, MyD88 and NF-κB p65 in the gastrocnemius tissue of rats was detected by the Western blot and real-time PCR, respectively. RESULTS: Compared with the blank group, the gastrocnemius ultrastructure in the model group showed the damage of different degrees, with myofilaments disarranged and twisted, mitochondria obviously swollen and mitochondrial crista partially defected. Compared with the model group, the injury was mild, most of muscle fibers were arranged neatly and the number of mitochondria increased remarkably in the acupuncture pretreatment group. Compared with the blank group, in the model group, the serum IL-6 levels increased at 0, 12, 24 and 48 h after modeling in the rats (P<0.01), and TNF-α levels were elevated at each time point after modeling (P<0.05, P<0.01). In the acupuncture pretreatment group, the serum IL-6 levels were reduced at 12, 24 and 48 h after modeling (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the TNF-α levels decreased at 24, 48 and 72 h after modeling (P<0.01) when compared with those in the model group at the same time points separately. The serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels ascended and then tended to decline in the model group and the acupuncture pretreatment group. Compared with the blank group, the protein and mRNA expression of TLR9 and NF-κB p65 in the gastrocnemius tissue increased at 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after modeling (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the protein and mRNA expression levels of MyD88 in the gastrocnemius tissue at each time point after modeling were elevated (P<0.05, P<0.01) in the model group. When compared with the model group at the same time points, in the acupuncture pretreatment group, the protein expression of TLR9 in the gastrocnemius tissue decreased at 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after modeling (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the mRNA expression of TLR9 was declined at 24, 48 and 72 h after modeling (P<0.01, P<0.05); the protein and mRNA expression of MyD88 in the gastrocnemius decreased at 24, 48 and 72 h after modeling (P<0.01, P<0.05), and that of NF-κB p65 was reduced at 24 h and 48 h after modeling (P<0.01). The protein and mRNA expression of TLR9, MyD88 and NF-κB p65 in the gastrocnemius tissue showed a trend of decrease after increase in the model group and the acupuncture pretreatment group. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture pretreatment can alleviate exercise-induced skeletal muscle damage, which may be related to modulating the expression of TLR9/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway to inhibit the inflammatory response.

Ultrasonic-ethanol pretreatment assisted aqueous enzymatic extraction of hemp seed oil with low Δ9-THC.

In this study, ultrasonic-ethanol pretreatment combined with AEE was developed for oil extraction from hemp seeds. The oil yield reached a maximum of 23.32 % at 200 W ultrasonic power and 30 min ultrasonic time, at this point, the degradation rate of Δ9-THC was 83.11 %. By determining the composition of hemp seed before and after pretreatment, it was shown that ultrasonic-ethanol pretreatment reduced the protein content of the raw material. An enzyme mixture consisting of pectinase and hemicellulase (1/1/1, w/w/w) was experimentally determined to be used, and the AEE extraction conditions were optimized using the Plackett-Burman design and the Box-Behnken. The optimal conditions were determined to be pH 5, total enzyme activity of 37,800 U/g, liquid-solid ratio of 10.4 mL/g, enzyme digestion temperature of 32 °C, enzymatic time of 189 min, and oil recovery of 88.38 %. The results of confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the emulsion formed during ultrasonic ethanol pretreatment was not uniformly distributed, and the droplets appeared to be aggregated; and the irregular pores of hemp seed increased after pretreatment. The contents of Δ9-THC and CBN in the extracted oil samples were 9.58 mg/kg and 52.45 mg/kg, respectively. Compared with the oil extracted by Soxhlet extraction (SE), the oil extracted by this experimental method was of better quality and similar in fatty acid composition.

Use of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash as a supplementary cementitious material: CO2 mineralization coupled with mechanochemical pretreatment.

The use of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash, commonly referred to as "fly ash", as a supplementary cementitious material (SCM), has been explored to mitigate the CO2 emissions resulting from cement production. Nevertheless, the incorporation of fly ash as an SCM in mortar has been shown to weaken its compressive strength and increase the risk of heavy metal leaching. In light of these challenges, this study aims to comprehensively evaluate the influence of CO2 pressure, temperature, and residual water/binder ratio on the CO2 uptake and compressive strength of mortar when combined with fly ash. Additionally, this study systematically examines the feasibility of mechanochemical pretreatment, which enhances the homogenization of fly ash and augments the density of the mortar's microstructure. The results indicate that the use of mechanochemical pretreatment leads to a notable 43.6% increase in 28-day compressive strength and diminishes the leaching of As, Ba, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn by 17.9-77.8%. Finally, a reaction kinetics model is proposed to elucidate the CO2 sequestration process under varying conditions. These findings offer valuable guidance for incorporating fly ash as an SCM and CO2 sequestrator in mortar.

Investigation of pre-treatment techniques on spent substrate of Pleurotus ostreatus for enhanced biobutanol production using Clostridium acetobutylicum MTCC 11274.

Addressing global energy demand, researchers sought eco-friendly biobutanol production from lignocellulosic waste biomass. In the present research work, five different pre-treatment methods viz., Microwave, Ultrasound, Alkali, Acid, and Hybrid, were investigated to explore its biobutanol production potential by utilizing Pleurotus ostreatus spent as substrate. The compositional and physico-chemical changes of the pre-treated Spent Mushroom Substrate (SMS) were assessed using SEM, FTIR, and XRD. Hybrid pre-treatment (Microwave, Alkali, Ultrasound) showed higher delignification when compared to conventional pre-treatment method. Hybrid pre-treated SMS resulted in higher total reducing sugars (521.53 ± 1.84 mg/g) than indigenous SMS (267.89 ± 1.53 mg/g). Fermentation of hybrid pre-treated SMS with Clostridium acetobutylicum MTCC 11274 produced the highest biobutanol concentration (9.84 ± 0.03 g/L) and yielded 0.38 ± 0.02 g/g of biobutanol. This study revealed that hybrid pre-treatment could be a promising solution for enhanced biobutanol production using SMS biomass.

A New Target of Electroacupuncture Pretreatment Mediated Sympathetic Nervous to Improve MIRI: Glutamatergic Neurons in Fastigial Nucleus of the Cerebellum.

Ischemic heart disease is a fatal cardiovascular disease that irreversibly impairs the function of the heart, followed by reperfusion leading to a further increase in infarct size. Clinically, we call it myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI). A growing number of clinical observations and experimental studies have found electroacupuncture (EA) to be effective in alleviating MIRI. This study attempts to investigate whether glutamatergic neurons in fastigial nucleus (FN) of the cerebellum are involved in EA pretreatment to alleviate MIRI via sympathetic nerves, and the potential mechanisms of EA pretreatment process. A MIRI model was established by ligating the coronary artery of the left anterior descending branch of the heart for 30 minutes, followed by 2 hours of reperfusion. Multichannel physiological recordings, electrocardiogram, cardiac ultrasound, chemical genetics, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunofluorescence staining methods were combined to demonstrate that EA pretreatment inhibited neuronal firing and c-Fos expression in FN of the cerebellum and reduced cardiac sympathetic firing. Meanwhile, EA pretreatment significantly reduced cardiac ejection fraction (EF), shortening fraction (SF), percentage infarct area, decreased myocardial norepinephrine (NE), creatine kinase isoenzyme MB (CK-MB) concentrations, and improved MIRI-induced myocardial tissue morphology. The results were similar to the inhibition of glutamatergic neurons in FN. However, the activation of glutamatergic neurons in FN diminished the aforementioned effects of EA pretreatment. This study revealed that glutamatergic neurons in FN of the cerebellum is involved in EA pretreatment mediated sympathetic nervous and may be a potential mediator for improving MIRI.

Pre-treatment risk factors to predict early cisplatin-related nephrotoxicity in locally advanced head and neck cancer patients treated with chemoradiation: A single Institution experience.

OBJECTIVES: Cisplatin is essential in the curative treatment of locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC) patients. The assessment of risk factors to predict an early cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity could help in better managing one of the most relevant cisplatin-related dose-limiting factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively collected data of LA-HNSCC patients treated at our Institution from 2008 to 2019. Patients received cisplatin in a curative setting concurrently with radiation. Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) was assessed as a dichotomous variable (CreaIncr) based on pre-treatment values, and values recorded at days 6-20 post-first cycle of cisplatin. Univariable logistic regression models were performed to investigate associations between CreaIncr and clinical characteristics. A multivariable logistic model on a priori selected putative covariates was performed. RESULTS: Of the 350 LA-HNSCC treated patients, 204 were analyzed. Ninety (44 %) suffered from any grade AKI (grade I 51.1 %): out of them, 84.4 % received high-dose cisplatin (100 mg/m2 q21). On the univariable logistic regression model, male sex, age, serum uric acid, creatinine, concomitant drugs, and cisplatin schedule were significantly associated with a higher rate of AKI. At multivariable model, age (p = 0.034), baseline creatinine (p = 0.027), concomitant drugs (p = 0.043), and cisplatin schedule (one-day bolus or fractionated high-dose vs. weekly; p = 0.001) maintained their significant association. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying pre-treatment risk factors in LA-HNSCC patients may improve decision-making in a setting where cisplatin has a curative significance. A strict monitoring of AKI could avoid cisplatin dose adjustments, interruptions, and treatment delays, thus limiting a negative impact on outcomes.

Mechanism of the Allergenicity Reduction of Ovalbumin by Microwave Pretreatment-Assisted Enzymolysis through Biological Mass Spectrometry.

Ovalbumin (OVA) is a major allergen in hen eggs. Enzymolysis has been demonstrated as an efficient method for reducing OVA allergenicity. This study demonstrates that microwave pretreatment (MP) at 400 W for 20 s assisting bromelain enzymolysis further decreases the allergenicity of OVA, which was attributed to the increase in the degree of hydrolysis and promoted the destruction of IgE-binding epitopes. The results showed that MP could promote OVA unfolding, expose hydrophobic domains, and disrupt tightly packed α-helical structures and disulfide bonds, which increased the degree of hydrolysis by 7.28% and the contents of peptides below 1 kDa from 43.55 to 85.06% in hydrolysates compared with that for untreated OVA. Biological mass spectrometry demonstrated that the number of intact IgE-binding epitope peptides in MP-assisted OVA hydrolysates decreased by 533 compared to that in hydrolysis without MP; consequently, their IgG/IgE binding rates decreased more significantly. Therefore, MP-assisted enzymolysis may provide an alternative method for decreasing the OVA allergenicity.

Electroacupuncture Pretreatment Attenuates Learning Memory Impairment Induced by Repeated Propofol Exposure and Modulates Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity in Rats.

Background: Recurrent propofol anesthesia in the peak of neurodevelopment may lead to learning-memory decline. This study aimed to examine the efficacy of electroacupuncture pretreatment in ameliorating the aforementioned learning memory deficits and to explore its underlying mechanisms in a rat model of repeated propofol exposure. Methods: 10-day-old Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to five groups: the control, fat emulsion, propofol, electroacupuncture pretreatment and electroacupuncture pretreatment combined with propofol groups. The electroacupuncture pretreatment involved three consecutive daily sessions, while propofol was received intraperitoneally once daily for five days. Following the modeling period, the rats' learning-memory performance was assessed using the New Novel Arm Y-maze, New Object Recognition, and Morris Water Maze. The Nissl staining method was used to observe the development of hippocampal neurons, while Golgi staining was employed to observe hippocampal synaptic development. Results: The electroacupuncture pretreatment significantly attenuated the learning and memory impairment induced by recurring propofol exposure in rats. Additionally, it facilitated the development of hippocampal neurons and synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. Immunofluorescence and Western Blot analyses were conducted to detect the expression of proteins related to apoptosis, learning memory, and synaptic plasticity. In the propofol group, the pro-apoptotic factors Caspase-3 and Bax was up-regulated, while the anti-apoptotic factor Bcl-2 was down-regulated, as compared to the blank group. Additionally, the phosphorylated cAMP-response element binding protein (pCREB), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), synaptophysin, and growth associated protein-43 (GAP-43) was significantly decreased. In contrast, the electroacupuncture pretreatment combined with propofol group exhibited decreased the Caspase-3 and Bax and increased the Bcl-2, as compared to the propofol group, meanwhile, the pCREB, BDNF, Synaptophysin and GAP-43 was increased. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that electroacupuncture pretreatment can alleviate the learning and memory impairment induced by recurring propofol exposure in rats. This is achieved by enhancing hippocampal synaptic plasticity, activating the pCREB/BDNF pathway and inhibiting neuronal apoptosis.

Effect of ABA Pre-Treatment on Rice Plant Transcriptome Response to Multiple Abiotic Stress.

Half of the world's population depends on rice plant cultivation, yet environmental stresses continue to substantially impact the production of one of our most valuable staple foods. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the transcriptome of the IAC1131 rice genotype when exposed to a suite of multiple abiotic stresses, either with or without pre-treatment with the plant hormone ABA (Abscisic acid). Four groups of IAC1131 rice plants were grown including control plants incubated with ABA, non-ABA-incubated control plants, stressed plants incubated with ABA, and non-ABA-incubated stressed plants, with leaf samples harvested after 0 days (control) and 4 days (stressed). We found that high concentrations of ABA applied exogenously to the control plants under normal conditions did not alter the IAC1131 transcriptome profile significantly. The observed changes in the transcriptome of the IAC1131 plants in response to multiple abiotic stress were made even more pronounced by ABA pre-treatment, which induced the upregulation of a significant number of additional genes. Although ABA application impacted the plant transcriptome, multiple abiotic stress was the dominant factor in modifying gene expression in the IAC1131 plants. Exogenous ABA application may mitigate the effects of stress through ABA-dependent signalling pathways related to biological photosynthesis functions. Pre-treatment with ABA alters the photosynthesis function negatively by reducing stomatal conductance, therefore helping plants to conserve the energy required for survival under unfavourable environmental conditions.

Enhancement of volatile fatty acids production through anaerobic co-digestion of navel orange residue and waste activated sludge: Effect of pre-treatment and substrate proportions.

In this study, the co-digestion system with Navel orange residues (NOR) and Waste activated sludge (WAS) was established, by pre-treating the NOR and setting different volatile solids (VS) ratios of NOR to WAS to motivate the production of volatile fatty acids (VFA). The pre-treatment method (pH 7 and temperature 70 °C) promoted the release of dissolved organic matter, and the concentration of soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) increased by 45.56% compared with the untreated group (pH 3 and temperature 20 °C). In the co-digestion system, the highest VFA yield (5716.69 mg/L) was obtained at VS ratio of 2. When the VS ratio was increased to 4, the imbalance in proportions of carbon and nitrogen affected VFA production, and the high concentration of essential oils (EO) present in the NOR inhibited the methane production; the cumulative yield of methane gas decreased by 24.10% compared with the yield obtained when the VS ratio was 2. Analysis of microbial community revealed that an increase in the number of VFA-producing microbial populations and the abundance of Methanobacteria resulted in the accumulation of acetic acid. This study demonstrated that co-digestion of NOR with WAS improve VFA production, thus realizing the utilization of solid wastes and reducing environmental pollution.