The Protective Effect and Mechanism of Mild Hypothermia on Lung Injury after Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Pigs.

To explore the protective effect and mechanism of mild hypothermia on lung tissue damage after cardiopulmonary resuscitation in pigs. In this experiment, we electrically stimulated 16 pigs (30 ± 2 kg) for 10 min to cause ventricular fibrillation. The successfully resuscitated animals were randomly divided into two groups, a mild hypothermia group and a control group. We took arterial blood 0.5, 1, 3, and 6 h after ROSC recovery in the two groups of animals for blood gas analysis. We observed the structural changes of lung tissue under an electron microscope and calculate the wet weight/dry weight (W/D) ratio. We quantitatively analyzed the expression differences of representative inflammatory factors [interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha TNF-α)] through the ELISA test. We detected the expression levels of Bax, Bcl-2, and Caspase-3 proteins in lung tissues by Western blot. After 3 h and 6 h of spontaneous circulation was restored, compared with the control group, PaO2/FiO2 decreased significantly (P < 0.05). In addition, the pathological changes, lung W/D and lung MDA of the mild hypothermia group were better than those of the control group. The levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the lung tissue of the mild hypothermia group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The content of Caspase-3 and Bax in the mild hypothermia group was significantly lower than that of the control group. Our experiments have shown that mild hypothermia can reduce lung tissue damage after cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Novel casein-derived immunomodulatory peptide PFPEVFG: Activity assessment, molecular docking, activity site and mechanism of action.

Nowadays, there is still a gap in the knowledge of the structure-activity relationship of immunomodulatory peptides. In this study, PFPEVFG was selected as a peptide with immunomodulatory activity from casein hydrolysate by virtual screening and its immunomodulatory activity was verified by the phagocytosis, proliferation, and expression of cytokines (IL-6, IL-1ß, TNF-α) and chemokines (CXCL1, CXCL2) in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Next, molecular docking and double-stranded small interfering RNA (siRNA) mutually verified that the immunomodulatory activity of PFPEVFG was mediated by TLR2/4. Furthermore, the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) analysis showed that the C19 = O20 site with a HOMO contribution of 32.22988% was its active site, and the phenylalanine, where the C19 = O20 site was located, was its active amino acid. Finally, the combination of pathway inhibitors and Western blot revealed that PFPEVFG activated macrophages through the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. In summary, this study provided a new perspective on deeply understanding the structure-activity relationship of casein-derived immunomodulatory peptides, as well as a further theoretical and technological basis for the application of immunomodulatory peptides.

Ambient fine particulate matter and allergic symptoms in the middle-aged and elderly population: results from the PIFCOPD study.

BACKGROUND: The associations between short- and long-term exposure to ambient fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) and allergic symptoms in middle-aged and elderly populations remain unclear, particularly in China, where most cities have severe air pollution. METHODS: Participants (n = 10,142; age = 40-75 years) were recruited from ten regions in China from 2018 to 2021 for the Predictive Value of Inflammatory Biomarkers and Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 s (FEV1) for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (PIFCOPD) study. Short-term (lag0 and lag0-7 day) and long-term (1-, 3- and 5-year) PM2.5 concentrations at residences were extracted from the air pollutant database known as Tracking Air Pollution (TAP) in China. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to estimate associations for short- and long-term PM2.5 exposure concentrations and long-term exposure models were additionally adjusted for short-term deviations. RESULTS: A 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 on the day the allergic symptoms questionnaire was administered (lag0 day) was associated with higher odds of allergic nasal (1.09, 95% CI 1.05, 1.12) and eye symptoms (1.08, 95% CI 1.05, 1.11), worsening dyspnea caused by allergens (1.06, 95% CI 1.02, 1.10), and ≥ 2 allergic symptoms (1.07, 95% CI 1.03, 1.11), which was similar in the lag0-7 day concentrations. A 10 µg/m3 increase in the 1-year average PM2.5 concentration was associated with an increase of 23% for allergic nasal symptoms, 22% for eye symptoms, 20% for worsening dyspnea caused by allergens, and 21% for ≥ 2 allergic symptoms, similar to the 3- and 5-year average PM2.5 concentrations. These associations between long-term PM2.5 concentration and allergic symptoms were generally unchanged after adjustment for short-term deviations. CONCLUSIONS: Short- and long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 was associated with an increased risk of allergic nasal and eye symptoms, worsening dyspnea caused by allergens, and ≥ 2 allergic symptoms. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trial ID: NCT03532893 (29 Mar 2018).

Janus GaOClX (X = F, Br, and I) monolayers as predicted using first-principles calculations: a novel class of nanodielectrics with superior energy storage properties.

Dielectric materials play an important role in devices for energy conversion and storage. Based on first-principles calculations, novel two-dimensional Janus GaOClX (X = F, Br, and I) monolayers with superior energy storage properties are predicted. They are indirect-bandgap semiconductors with bandgaps in the range of 2.18-4.36 eV, and possess anisotropic carrier mobility, strong mechanical flexibility, and excellent out-of-plane piezoelectricity. More importantly, it is found that the GaOCl monolayer and Janus GaOClX monolayers could exhibit an ultrahigh energy storage density (as high as 893.32 J cm-3) comparable to those of electrochemical supercapacitors and batteries, unparalleled by other dielectric materials reported to date. This work opens up a new window in searching for novel dielectric materials, which could be used in dielectric capacitors with superior energy storage density and power density, excellent efficiency and thermal stability.

Regulation of d-Band Centers in Localized CdS Homojunctions through Facet Control for Improved Photocatalytic Water Splitting.

The accelerated kinetic behaviour of charge carrier transfer and its unhindered surface reaction dynamic process involving oxygenated-intermediate activation and conversion are urgently required in photocatalytic water (H2 O) overall splitting, which has not been nevertheless resolved yet. Herein, localized CdS homojunctions with optimal collocation of high and low index facets to regulate d-band center for chemically adsorbing and activating key intermediates (*-OH and *-O) have been achieved in H2 O overall splitting into hydrogen. Density functional theory, hall effect, and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy confirm that, electrons and holes are kinetically transferred to reductive high index facet (002) and oxidative low index facet (110) of the localized CdS homojunction induced by facet Fermi level difference to dehydrogenate *-OH and couple *-O for hydrogen and oxygen evolution, respectively, along with a solar conversion into hydrogen (STH) of 2.20 % by Air Mass 1.5 Global filter irradiation. These findings contribute to solving the kinetic bottleneck issues of photocatalytic H2 O splitting, which will further enhance STH.

Ultrahigh mechanical flexibility induced superior piezoelectricity of InSeBr-type 2D Janus materials.

InSeBr-Type monolayers, ternary In(Se,S)(Br,Cl) compounds, are typical two-dimensional (2D) Janus materials and can be exfoliated from their bulk crystals. The structural stability, electronic properties, mechanical flexibility, and intrinsic piezoelectricity of these InSeBr-type 2D Janus monolayers are comprehensively investigated by first-principles calculations. Our calculations show that the stable InSeBr-type monolayers exhibit ultrahigh mechanical flexibility with low Young's moduli. Due to the amazing flexibility of the InSeBr monolayer with an ultra-low Young's modulus of 0.81 N m-1, the piezoelectric strain coefficient d11 can reach 103 pm V-1 orders of magnitude (around 2361-3224 pm V-1), which is larger than those of reported 2D materials and even superior to those of conventional perovskite bulk materials. Such a superior piezoelectric response of InSeBr-type monolayers could facilitate their practical applications in sensors and energy harvesters.

The role of ADRB2 gene polymorphisms in malignancies.

Beta-2-adrenergic receptor is a member of the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily, which is highly expressed in most malignancies. There is increasing evidence showing that beta-2-adrenergic receptors are associated with carcinogenesis, proliferation, immune regulation, invasion, angiogenesis, clinical prognosis and treatment resistance in malignancies. Polymorphisms of the ADRB2 gene have been confirmed to be associated with transcriptional activity, mRNA translation, and beta-2-adrenergic receptor expression and sensitivity. This review discusses clinically relevant examples of single nucleotide polymorphisms of ADRB2 in malignancies and the effects of these polymorphisms on cancer susceptibility, prognosis and treatment response of cancer patients.

Janus 2D titanium nitride halide TiNX0.5Y0.5 (X, Y = F, Cl, or Br, and X ≠ Y) monolayers with giant out-of-plane piezoelectricity and high carrier mobility.

Due to their broken out-of-plane inversion symmetry, Janus two-dimensional (2D) materials exhibit some exceptional and interesting physical properties and have recently attracted increasing attention. Herein, based on first-principles calculations, we propose a series of Janus 2D titanium nitride halide TiNX0.5Y0.5 (X, Y = F, Cl, or Br, and X ≠ Y) monolayers constructed from 2D ternary compounds TiNX (X = F, Cl, or Br), where the halogen atoms X or Y are located on each side of the monolayer, respectively. Our calculations confirm that the Janus monolayers are both dynamically and thermally stable. As compared with those of perfect TiNX monolayers, the band-structure changes of Janus TiNX0.5Y0.5 monolayers are very limited and the corresponding bandgaps only increase by about 0.1-0.2 eV. Meanwhile, the Janus TiNX0.5Y0.5 monolayers show remarkable out-of-plane piezoelectricity by virtue of their broken centrosymmetry. The calculated out-of-plane piezoelectric coefficient d31 is as high as 0.34 pm V-1, which is larger than those of most 2D piezoelectric materials reported previously. In addition, it is found that the formation of Janus structures could effectively improve the carrier mobility. The hole mobilities along the x-direction (y-direction) of Janus TiNF0.5Cl0.5 and TiNF0.5Br0.5 monolayers reach as high as 5402 (5118) and 5538 (4135) cm2 V-1 s-1 at 300 K, respectively, which is almost twice as large as those of perfect TiNX monolayers. The giant out-of-plane piezoelectricity and high carrier mobility of Janus TiNX0.5Y0.5 monolayers suggest that these novel 2D materials could be promising for applications in electronic and piezoelectric devices.

Cloning, expression, and bioinformatics analysis and characterization of a ß-galactosidase from Bacillus coagulans T242.

The activities of ß-galactosidases from bacteria and molds are affected by temperature, pH, and other factors in the processing of dairy products, limiting their application, so it is necessary to find alternative lactases. In this study, the ß-galactosidase gene from Bacillus coagulans T242 was cloned, co-expressed with a molecular chaperone in Escherichia coli BL21, and subjected to bioinformatic and kinetic analyses and lactase characterization. The results show that the enzyme is a novel thermostable neutral lactase with optimum hydrolytic activity at pH 6.8 and 50°C. The thermal stability and increased lactose hydrolysis activity of ß-galactosidase in the presence of Ca2+ indicated its potential application in the dairy industry.

Low-Energy Facets on CdS Allomorph Junctions with Optimal Phase Ratio to Boost Charge Directional Transfer for Photocatalytic H2 Fuel Evolution.

Low-energy facets on CdS allomorph junctions with optimal phase ratio are designed to boost charge directional transfer for photocatalytic H2 fuel evolution. Fermi energy level difference between low-energy facets as driving force promotes electrons directional transfer to hexagonal CdS(102) facet and holes to cubic CdS(111) facet. The optimal allomorphs CdS presents superior photocatalytic H2 evolution rate of 32.95 mmol g-1 h-1 with release in a large amount of visible H2 bubbles, which is much higher than single-phase CdS with high-energy facets and even supports noble metal photocatalysts. This scientific perspective on low-energy facets of allomorph junctions with optimal phase ratio breaks the long-held view of pursuing high-energy crystal surfaces, which will break the understanding on surface structure crystal facet engineering of photocatalytic materials.

Antibiofilm Activity of Lactobacillus plantarum 12 Exopolysaccharides against Shigella flexneri.

In developing countries, Shigella flexneri is the most common enteric pathogen causing bacillary dysentery. Biofilm formation by S. flexneri can cause the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains, which poses serious threats to food safety and human health. In this study, the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum 12 exopolysaccharides (L-EPSs) and S. flexneri exopolysaccharides (S-EPSs) on S. flexneri CMCC51574 biofilm formation were investigated. The results showed that L-EPS could decrease polysaccharide production in the extracellular polymeric matrix of S. flexneri and inhibit biofilm formation by S. flexneri L-EPS could decrease the minimum biofilm elimination concentration (MBEC) of antibiotics against S. flexneri biofilm and inhibit S. flexneri adhesion to and invasion into HT-29 cell monolayers, which might be ascribed to S. flexneri biofilm disturbance by L-EPS. In contrast, S-EPS exhibited the opposite effects compared to L-EPS. The monosaccharide composition analysis showed that L-EPS was composed of mannose, glucuronic acid, galactosamine, glucose, galactose, and xylose, with the molar ratio of 32.26:0.99:1.79:5.63:0.05:4.07, while S-EPS was composed of mannose, glucuronic acid, galactosamine, glucose, and galactose, with the molar ratio of 25.43:2.28:7.13:5.35. L-EPS was separated into the neutral polysaccharide L-EPS 1-1 and the acidic polysaccharide L-EPS 2-1 by ion-exchange chromatography and gel chromatography. L-EPS 2-1 exerted higher antibiofilm activity than L-EPS 1-1. The antibiofilm activity of L-EPS might be associated with its structure.IMPORTANCES. flexneri is a widespread foodborne pathogen causing food contamination and responsible for food poisoning outbreaks related to various foods in developing countries. Not only has biofilm formation by S. flexneri been difficult to eliminate, but it has also increased the drug resistance of the strain. In the present study, it was demonstrated that L-EPSs secreted by Lactobacillus plantrum 12 could inhibit S. flexneri biofilm formation on, adhesion to, and invasion into HT-29 cells. Also, L-EPSs could decrease the minimum biofilm elimination concentration (MBEC) of the antibiotics used against S. flexneri biofilm. Therefore, L-EPSs were shown to be bioactive macromolecules with the potential ability to act against S. flexneri infections.

Computational prediction of a novel 1D InSeI nanochain with high stability and promising wide-bandgap properties.

Low-dimensional materials have aroused widespread interest for their novel and fascinating properties. Based on first-principles calculations, we predict the one-dimensional (1D) InSeI nanochains with van der Waals (vdW) interchain interactions, which could be exfoliated mechanically and kept at steady states at room temperature. Compared with bulk InSeI, the single nanochain InSeI has a larger direct bandgap of 3.15 eV. Its calculated carrier mobility is as high as 54.17 and 27.49 cm2 V-1 s-1 for holes and electrons, respectively, comparable with those of other 1D materials. In addition, a direct-to-indirect bandgap transition is implemented under a small applied strain (∼6%). More importantly, the nanochains are found to be promising candidates for optoelectronic devices since they possess a high absorption coefficient of ∼105 cm-1 in the ultraviolet region. The results thus pave a novel avenue for the applications of InSeI nanochains with excellent thermal stability in nanoelectronic and optoelectronic devices.

First-principles investigation on the transport properties of quaternary CoFeRGa (R = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Cu, and Nb) Heusler compounds.

The Heusler alloys CoFeRGa (R = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Cu, and Nb) have similar chemical compositions, but exhibit remarkably distinct electronic structures, magnetism and transport properties. These structures cover an extensive range of spin gapless semiconductors, half-metals, semiconductors and metals with either ferromagnetic, ferrimagnetic, antiferromagnetic, or nonmagnetic states. The Heusler alloys have three types of structures, namely, type-I, type-II, and type-III. By means of first-principles calculation combined with the Boltzmann equation within the consideration of spin-freedom, we explore the transport feature of the most stable structure (type-I). In addition, we provide evidence that all the considered materials are mechanically and dynamically stable, possessing high strength and toughness to resist compression and tensile strain. Moreover, the distinct electronic (metallic, insulating, and half-metallic) properties and magnetic behaviors originate mainly from a cooperative electron transfer and electronic structures have been verified by our calculation. Finally, we found that the tunable electronic structure with varied atomic numbers has significant influence on the spin-Seebeck effect. Correspondingly, the calculated spin-Seebeck coefficient of CoFeCrGa is -60.29 µV K-1 at 300 K, which is larger than that of other quaternary Heusler compounds. Our results provide a band-engineering platform to design Heusler structures with different electronic behaviors in isomorphic compounds, which provide the way for accelerating the pre-screening of materials to advance and for using the quaternary Heusler compounds for potential applications in spin caloritronic devices.

Disease severity and clinical outcomes of community-acquired pneumonia caused by non-influenza respiratory viruses in adults: a multicentre prospective registry study from the CAP-China Network.

Although broad knowledge of influenza viral pneumonia has been established, the significance of non-influenza respiratory viruses in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and their impact on clinical outcomes remains unclear, especially in the non-immunocompromised adult population.Hospitalised immunocompetent patients with CAP were prospectively recruited from 34 hospitals in mainland China. Respiratory viruses were detected by molecular methods. Comparisons were conducted between influenza and non-influenza viral infection groups.In total, 915 out of 2336 adult patients with viral infection were enrolled in the analysis, with influenza virus (28.4%) the most frequently detected virus, followed by respiratory syncytial virus (3.6%), adenovirus (3.3%), human coronavirus (3.0%), parainfluenza virus (2.2%), human rhinovirus (1.8%) and human metapneumovirus (1.5%). Non-influenza viral infections accounted for 27.4% of viral pneumonia. Consolidation was more frequently observed in patients with adenovirus infection. The occurrence of complications such as sepsis (40.1% versus 39.6%; p=0.890) and hypoxaemia (40.1% versus 37.2%; p=0.449) during hospitalisation in the influenza viral infection group did not differ from that of the non-influenza viral infection group. Compared with influenza virus infection, the multivariable adjusted odds ratios of CURB-65 (confusion, urea >7 mmol·L-1, respiratory rate ≥30 breaths·min-1, blood pressure <90 mmHg (systolic) or ≤60 mmHg (diastolic), age ≥65 years) ≥3, arterial oxygen tension/inspiratory oxygen fraction <200 mmHg, and occurrence of sepsis and hypoxaemia for non-influenza respiratory virus infection were 0.87 (95% CI 0.26-2.84), 0.72 (95% CI 0.26-1.98), 1.00 (95% CI 0.63-1.58) and 1.05 (95% CI 0.66-1.65), respectively. The hazard ratio of 90-day mortality was 0.51 (95% CI 0.13-1.91).The high incidence of complications in non-influenza viral pneumonia and similar impact of non-influenza respiratory viruses relative to influenza virus on disease severity and outcomes suggest more attention should be given to CAP caused by non-influenza respiratory viruses.

Improved structure-stability and packaging characters of crosslinked collagen fiber-based film with casein, keratin and SPI.

BACKGROUND: To improve the structure-stability and packing characters of collagen fiber, we manufactured crosslinked collagen fiber (CColF)-based edible films using transglutaminase (TGase). Then we made a comparison on structure-stability and packing characteristics among the CColF-based films loaded with casein (CN), keratin (KRT) and soy protein isolate (SPI), respectively. RESULTS: Observed from scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the CColF loaded with CN, KRT and SPI showed some unique morphology of the additional proteins. The CColF-protein films performed better packing characteristics including barrier properties, mechanical properties and thermal-stability properties, compared with CColF films. Importantly, with 500 g kg-1 CN (of CColF) addition, CColF-based films possessed a greater thermal stability than the other films judged from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Meanwhile, the CColF loaded with 100 g kg-1 CN provided a higher value of tensile strength (TS) and the CColF loaded with 100 g kg-1 KRT showed a higher value in elongation-at-break (EAB) than the other films. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the collagen fiber-based edible films with better structure-stability and packing characteristics for food packaging was obtained which could be an advantage to promote the development of the application of collagen in packing products. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Human antigen R enhances the epithelial-mesenchymal transition via regulation of ZEB-1 in the human airway epithelium.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence suggests that human antigen R (HuR) is involved in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process of several diseases. However, the role of HuR in EMT in the airway epithelial cells of patients with COPD remains unclear. METHODS: BEAS-2B cells were cultured and treated with 3%CSE. Western blotting, RT-PCR and immunofluoresence were used to detect the expression of HuR, ZEB-1. RNAi was used to suppress HuR expression. Then knockdown of HuR, RT-PCR and Western blotting showed that with siHuR-1 and siHuR-3, clear suppression of HuR expression was confirmed. We chose siHuR-3, the most effective one, to proceed with subsequent experiments. Immunofluorescence analysis, western blotting were used to detect the expression of E-cadherin, vimentin, ZEB-1 and HuR. RESULTS: We show that more HuR expression is enhanced in the airways epithelium of smokers with or without COPD than controls (nonsmoker non-COPD patients). However, there was no definite correlation between HuR expression and FEV1%. Further study reveals that knockdown of HuR significantly increases the apoptosis of BEAS-2B cells and down-regulates ZEB-1 expression. CONCLUSIONS: EMT is partially enhanced through the HuR-binding proteins and its post-transcriptional regulation role in airway epithelium in COPD.

Assessing and comparing antioxidant activities of lactobacilli strains by using different chemical and cellular antioxidant methods.

Some lactobacilli strains had beneficial effects on human beings due to their antioxidant activities. In this study lactobacilli strains stored in our laboratory were screened for potential antioxidant activities by investigating their 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging activity, oxygen radical absorbance capacity, resistance to H2O2, and hydroxyl free radical scavenging activity; then the antioxidant activities of the screened strains were evaluated by cellular antioxidant assay and protection for HT-29 cells against H2O2 injury assay. The results showed that Lactobacillus plantarum Y44 could scavenge oxygen free radicals, inhibit the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species without creating obvious cytotoxic effects, and protect HT-29 cells against H2O2 injury evidenced by the significant decrease of the Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax)/B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) ratio and heat shock protein 70 expression, increase of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities, and decrease of malondialdehyde level of HT-29 cells damaged by H2O2. It was speculated that L. plantarum Y44 protect HT-29 cells against oxygen radical injury through scavenging reactive oxygen species and activating intracellular antioxidant enzymes. A significant correlation was observed among the results of the hydroxyl radical scavenging assay, protection assay for HT-29 cells against H2O2 injury, and the cellular antioxidant assay. The findings indicated that L. plantarum Y44 could be a probiotic candidate with antioxidant properties and combining several chemical antioxidant methods and antioxidant cellular models could be an effective procedure to screen lactobacilli strains with antioxidant activity.

Screening probiotics from Lactobacillus strains according to their abilities to inhibit pathogen adhesion and induction of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-8.

Probiotics can be screened according to their abilities to inhibit pathogen adhesion and inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Eleven Lactobacillus strains isolated from traditional fermented dairy foods in Xinjiang, China, were studied for their potential to inhibit adhesion of Escherichia coli to intestinal epithelial cells and to inhibit E. coli-induced production of interleukin (IL)-8 by intestinal epithelial cells. The results showed that the 11 strains could inhibit adhesion of E. coli to Caco-2 cell monolayers and inhibit the induction of IL-8 production by E. coli in HT-29 cells. The inhibiting activities of the Lactobacillus strains against E. coli adhesion and IL-8 induction were strain-specific and not positively correlated, whereas the excluding activity of the strains against E. coli adhesion and their coaggregation with E. coli were positively correlated. The effector molecules of the strains with probiotic potential should be identified to explain the mechanism behind these observations.

Plastein reaction enhanced bile-acid binding capacity of soybean protein hydrolysates and whey protein hydrolysates.

Plastein reaction is a modification reaction that can improve the functional properties of protein hydrolysate. The product of the reaction is a thixotropic aggregation of peptides. This study investigated the formation condition of soybean-whey plastein and bile acid binding capacity of plastein. Soy protein and whey protein were hydrolyzed by pepsin. The mixture (1:1, w/w) of two hydrolysates was modified by pepsin again. After the reaction, the decrease in free amino groups and the turbidity of the modified hydrolysate were measured to obtain appropriate reaction condition. Results showed that the concentration of hydrolysates 40% (w/v), enzyme ratio of 2.0 KU/g protein, pH 5.0, 37 °C, reaction time of 3.0 h respectively, were showed maximum changes in protein hydrolysates. Tricine SDS-PAGE analysis under denaturing conditions revealed that whey protein was more sensitive to pepsin and yielded different polypeptides (PPs) of molecular weight ranged from 3.5-17 kDa. However, a high molecular weight PP was completely hydrolyzed while PPs of 14.2-26 kDa were partially digested after pepsin treatment. Native page analysis further revealed the presence of a high-molecular weight PP in crude and purified plastein product. The bile acid binding capacity was improved by the plastein reaction. The amount of binding sodium deoxycholate, sodium taurocholate, and sodium cholate were 0.75, 2.0 and 1.87 µmol/100 mg respectively.

Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome: a literature review and case study of a Chinese woman presenting a novel FLCN mutation.

BACKGROUND: The Birt-Hogg-Dubé (BHD) syndrome is a very rare autosomal dominant form of genodermatosis caused by germline mutations in the folliculin (FLCN) gene, which is mapped to the p11.2 region in chromosome 17. BHD commonly presents cutaneous fibrofolliculomas, pulmonary cysts, renal cell carcinoma, and recurrent pneumothoraxes. The disease is easily ignored or misdiagnosed as pneumothorax, pulmonary lymphangiomyomatosis (LAM), or emphysema. Follow-up and guidelines for managing recurrent pneumothoraxes in these patients are lacking. CASE PRESENTATION: We reported the case of a 56-year-old Chinese woman who presented skin lesions, multiple lung bubblae, recurrent pneumothoraxes, thyroid nodules, and pulmonary inflammatory pseudotumors (PITs). The patient had a family history of pneumothoraxes and renal tumor. The BHD diagnosis was confirmed by genetic testing, which revealed a novel FLCN mutation in exon 14. Furthermore, the patient underwent a bullectomy because of recurrent pneumothorax 6 years ago. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, the novel mutation in exon 14 and the manifestation of PIT in the present case have never been reported for BHD. The patient underwent a bullectomy previously with no relapse at the last follow-up before the preparation of this report, thereby suggesting that thoracotomy with bullectomy may be a possible therapeutic approach for some BHD patients with recurrent pneumothorax.