High Stability Hydrogel Magnetic Relaxation Switch Sensor Driven by pH for the Sensitive Detection of Cd2.

The traditional magnetic relaxation switching (MRS) sensors have excellent sensitivity, but their stability is poor because the magnetic relaxation signal is easily affected by the external magnetic field or environmental oxidation. In this study, a highly stable hydrogel bead-based MRS (Gel-MRS) sensor was established for the accurate and sensitive detection of Cd2+ in rice. A pH-responsive hydrogel bead was applied as a core element for the target stimulus and transverse relaxation signal transduction. The stability experiments showed that the transverse relaxation time (T2) change of the Gel-MRS sensor was one-seventh that of traditional magnetic nanoparticles under an external magnetic field and less than a fifth that of Fe2+/Fe3+ conversion in air. The excellent stability was due to the fact that T2 of the Gel-MRS sensor came from the swelling system mediated by pH rather than the traditional aggregation/dispersion or Fe2+/Fe3+ conversion of magnetic nanoparticles. In addition, the target Cd2+ could exclusively trigger a pH response of the hydrogel beads, altering the T2, thus resulting in excellent relaxation properties (R2 = 56.89) and pH responsiveness of the Gel-MRS sensor. The swelling process of the hydrogel beads followed quasi-second-order dynamics. The Gel-MRS sensor demonstrated a remarkable limit of detection as low as 0.009 ng/mL for Cd2+, with a linear range of 0.01-5 ng/mL. The excellent stability and sensitivity made the Gel-MRS sensor have great application potential in food and environmental detection.

Optimization of Different Extraction Methods for Phenolic Compound Verbascoside from Chinese Olea europaea Leaves Using Deep Eutectic Solvents: Impact on Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities.

Chinese Olea europaea leaves, rich in verbascosides, were extracted using ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and wall-breaking extraction (WBE) with deep eutectic solvents (Optimal UAE: 55 min, 200 mL/g liquid-solid ratio, 20% moisture, yielding 206.23 ± 0.58 mg GAE/g total phenolic content (TPC) and 1.59 ± 0.04% verbascoside yield (VAY); Optimal WBE: 140 s, 210 mL/g, 30% moisture, giving 210.69 ± 0.97 mg GAE/g TPC and 1.33 ± 0.2% VAY). HPLC analysis showed that young leaves accumulated higher TPC and phenolic compounds. Among the five olive varieties, Koroneiki and Chemlal showed the highest TPC in UAE, while Arbosana and Chemlal excelled in WBE. WBE yielded a higher TPC and rutin, whereas UAE marginally increased other phenolics. Additionally, the DPPH• assay showed that WBE-extracted verbascoside-rich extracts (VREs) of Chemlal exhibited high antioxidant activity (EC50 of 57 mg/mL), but Koroneiki-VREs exhibited lower activity against the ABTS•+ radical (EC50 of 134 mg/mL). Remarkably, the UAE/WBE-extracted Chemlal-VREs promoted the normal esophageal Het-1A cell line at 25 µg/mL for 24 h; yet, the esophageal cancer Eca-109 cells were sensibly inhibited, especially at 50 µg/mL; and the cell viability decreased dramatically. The results confirmed WBE as a relatively efficient method, and the Chemlal variety may be an excellent source of verbascoside.

Enrichment of antioxidant peptide from rice protein hydrolysates via rice husk derived biochar.

In this study, rice husk biochar was engineered with abundant iron ion sites to enhance the enrichment of antioxidant peptides from rice protein hydrolysates through metal-chelating interactions. The π-π interactions and metal ion chelation were identified as the primary mechanisms for the enrichment process. Through peptide sequencing, four peptides were identified: LKFL (P1: Leu-Lys-Phe-Leu), QLLF (P2: Gln-Leu-Leu-Phe), WLAYG (P3: Trp-Leu-Ala-Tyr-Gly), and HFCGG (P4: His-Phe-Cys-Gly-Gly). The vitro analysis and molecular docking revealed that peptides P1-P4 possessed remarkable scavenging ability against radicals and Fe2+ chelating ability. Notably, peptide P4 showed radical scavenging activity comparable to glutathione (GSH) against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate (ABTS) radicals. Cellular experiments further confirmed that peptide P4 effectively protected HepG2 cells from oxidative stress-induced damage. The modified rice husk biochar proved to be an effective means for enriching rice antioxidant peptides from protein hydrolysates.

The clinical application value of multi-site mNGS detection of patients with sepsis in intensive care units.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis remains a leading cause of mortality in intensive care units, and rapid and accurate pathogen detection is crucial for effective treatment. This study evaluated the clinical application of multi-site metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) for the diagnosis of sepsis, comparing its performance against conventional methods. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 69 patients with sepsis consecutively admitted to the Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Meizhou People's Hospital. Samples of peripheral blood and infection sites were collected for mNGS and conventional method tests to compare the positive rate of mNGS and traditional pathogen detection methods and the distribution of pathogens. The methods used in this study included a comprehensive analysis of pathogen consistency between peripheral blood and infection site samples. Additionally, the correlation between the pathogens detected and clinical outcomes was investigated. RESULTS: Of the patients with sepsis, 57.97% experienced dyspnea, and 65.2% had underlying diseases, with hypertension being the most common. mNGS demonstrated a significantly higher pathogen detection rate (88%) compared to the conventional method tests (26%). The pathogen consistency rate was 60% between plasma and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples, and that of plasma and local body fluid samples was 63%. The most frequently detected pathogens were gram-negative bacteria, and Klebsiella pneumonia. There were no significant differences in the clinical features between the pathogens. CONCLUSION: mNGS is significantly superior to conventional methods in pathogen detection. There was a notable high pathogen consistency detection between blood and local body fluid samples, supporting the clinical relevance of mNGS. This study highlights the superiority of mNGS in detecting a broad spectrum of pathogens quickly and accurately. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.

Investigating the research trajectory and future trends of immune disorders in diabetes cardiovascular complications: A bibliometric analysis over the past decade based on big data.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular complications of diabetes are a top cause of death in diabetics and often involve immune system problems. Despite numerous studies, there's a shortage of extensive data to advance this field. This study aims to systematically analyze the role of immune dysregulation in these complications using bibliometric methods, to outline the research path and predict future directions. METHODS: Published from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2023, 2826 records from the Web of Science Core Collection were analyzed. Collaboration networks, keyword co-occurrences, references, and research hotspots were visualized and analyzed using Microsoft Office Excel 2019, VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R software. RESULTS: The number of research papers and citations on this topic has been increasing from 2014 to 2023, with significant contributions from the United States and China. Studies have focused on the effects of oxidative stress, inflammation, metabolism, gut microbiota, and COVID-19 on diabetic heart problems, highlighting the role of immune dysregulation in these diseases. CONCLUSION: This research provides an overview of immune dysregulation in the cardiovascular complications of diabetes, explores potential treatments including immunomodulation, insulin resistance, and the benefits of vitamin D on cardiovascular disease, and helps advance the field.

Extraction of antimicrobial peptides from pea protein hydrolysates by sulfonic acid functionalized biochar.

The extraction methods for antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) from plants are varied, but the absence of a standardized and rapid technique remains a challenge. In this study, a functionalized biochar was developed and characterized for the extraction of AMPs from pea protein hydrolysates. The results indicated that the biochar mainly enriched AMPs through electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding and pore filling. Then three novel cationic antimicrobial peptides were identified, among which the RDLFK (Arg-Asp-Leu-Phe-Lys) had the greatest inhibitory effect against Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis, showcasing IC50 value of 2.372 and 1.000 mg/mL, respectively. Additionally, it was found that RDLFK could damage bacterial cell membranes and penetrate the cells to inhibit DNA synthesis. These results provided that the biochar-based extraction method presents an efficient and promising avenue for isolating AMPs, addressing a critical gap in the current methodologies for their extraction from plant sources.

Fluorimetric Tool to Discriminate Glomerular and Tubular Injuries In Vivo.

The etiology and pathological complexity of acute kidney injury (AKI) pose great challenges for early diagnosis, typing, and personalized treatment. It is an important reason for poor prognosis and high mortality of AKI. In order to provide a relatively noninvasive diagnostic and typing method for AKI, we proposed the pathological changes of albumin permeability after glomerular injury and reabsorption efficiency after tubular injury as potential entry points. Thus, a renal tubule labeling fluorescent dye which features albumin concentration-related fluorescence intensity was used to fit these pathological changes. Utilizing this fluorescence assay, we realized urinary tract obstruction imaging as early as 12 h after morbidity. For glomerular and tubular injury discrimination, compared to a healthy control, membranous nephropathy as a representative glomerular injury resulted in enhanced fluorescence intensity of the kidney due to increased albumin penetration, while renal tubular injury caused insufficient dye reabsorption to exhibit weakened fluorescence intensity. The significant differences demonstrated the feasibility of this approach for fluorescence imaging-based AKI typing in vivo.

A novel experimental mouse model of diabetic nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: A critical role for acid-sensitive Ion Channel 1a.

BACKGROUND: A two-way relationship exists between type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and human nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Several diabetic NASH models have the disadvantages of long cycles or inconsistent with the actual incidence of human disease, which would be costly and time-consuming to investigate disease pathogenesis and develop drugs. Therefore, there is an urgent need to establish a diabetic NASH mouse model. METHODS: The combination between Fructose-palmitate-cholesterol diet (FPC) and Streptozotocin (STZ) (FPC+STZ) was used to construct diabetic NASH mouse model. The in vivo effects of silencing acid-sensitive Ion Channel 1a (ASIC1a) were examined with an adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9) carrying ASIC1a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) in FPC+STZ model. RESULTS: The mice fed with FPC for 12 weeks had insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, lipid accumulation, and increased hepatic levels of inflammatory factors. However, it still did not develop remarkable liver fibrosis. Most interestingly, noticeable fibrotic scars were observed in the liver of mice from FPC+STZ group. Furthermore, insulin therapy significantly ameliorated FPC+STZ-induced NASH-related liver fibrosis, indicating that hyperglycemia is of great significance in NASH development and progression. Importantly, ASIC1a was found to be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic NASH as demonstrated that silencing ASIC1a in HSCs significantly ameliorated FPC+STZ-induced NASH fibrosis. Mechanistically, ASIC1a interacted with Poly Adp-adenosine ribose polymerase (PARP1) to promote HSC activation by inducing autophagy. CONCLUSION: A FPC diet combined with an injection of STZ induces a diabetic NASH mouse model in a shorter period. Targeting ASIC1a may provide a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of diabetic NASH.

Cuttlefish ink-derived melanin nanoparticle-embedded tremella fuciformis polysaccharide hydrogels for the treatment of MRSA-infected diabetic wounds.

Diabetic wounds arise great attention as they are difficult to heal and easily suffer from serious bacterial infection. However, the overuse of antibiotics increases the resistance of bacteria and makes common drugs ineffective. Here, we developed a photothermal hydrogel (TFP/NP) composed of tremella fuciformis polysaccharides (TFPs) and cuttlefish ink-derived melanin nanoparticles (NPs). The NPs can produce reliable photothermal effects under near-infrared laser (NIR) irradiation and help to remove the bacteria in the wounds, while TFPs were able to form hydrogel frameworks which possessed anti-inflammatory effects and could be applied to promote wound healing. The TFP/NP hydrogels produced stable thermal effects under NIR irradiation and could continuously kill bacteria. The experiment on a full-layer skin wound sMRSA activity and could improve the healing efficiency. The wounds of the mice could be repaired within 14 days after reasonable treatment. In addition, the hydrogels play significant roles in promoting collagen deposition, anti-inflammation, angiogenesis, and cell proliferation during the therapeutic process. This research provides a simple and effective method for the therapy of bacterial infection wounds through the synergistic effect of TFPs and NPs.

Application and Cytotoxicity Evaluation of Fe-MIL-101 Nanozyme in Milk.

In this study, we used Fe-MIL-101 nanozyme to convert lactose into lactitol, and it was proved that Fe-MIL-101 nanozyme has lactase-like activity. Due to the potential health effects of nanomaterials, we evaluated the cytotoxicity of Fe-MIL-101 nanozyme. To reduce the potential toxicity of the nanozyme, we applied centrifugation and membrane filtration. When the membrane aperture size was 100 nm, the residual content of Fe-MIL-101 nanozyme was 14.09 µg/mL. The residual content of Fe-MIL-101 nanozyme was reduced by optimizing time, temperature, and Fe-MIL-101 nanozyme-to-substrate ratio. It was showed that the concentration of Fe was 38.47 mg/kg and the concentration of H2BDC was 0 mg/kg under optimized conditions (110℃, 2 h of reaction and the ratio of Fe-MIL-101 nanozyme to substrate is 1:20). The result met the national standard of China. Experiments measuring cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and cell membrane damage revealed that less than 20 µg/mL Fe-MIL-101 nanozyme had no significant cytotoxicity. Our study findings showed that Fe-MIL-101 nanozyme reduced lactose content in milk.

Layered Porous Ring-Like Carbon Network Protected FeNi Metal Atomic Pairs for Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalysis and Rechargeable Zn-Air Batteries.

Bimetallic atom catalysts exhibit ultra-high oxygen electrocatalytic activity by harnessing mutual promotion and synergistic effects between adjacent metal active centers, surpassing the performance of single metal atomic catalysts. Herein, FeNi atom pairs protected by hierarchical porous annular carbon grids (P-FeNi-NPC) are introduced using a mediator-assisted MOFs-derived strategy. The introduction of the multi-block copolymer P123 ensures the uniform confinement and dispersion of metal ions, followed by thermal decomposition to form a "planetary-ring-like" carbon framework that anchors the bimetallic atomic pairs in the active region. The homogeneous distribution of adjacent Fe-N4 and Ni-N4 active sites significantly enhances catalytic activity and stability. Leveraging unique electronic and geometric structures, the resulting P-FeNi-NPC catalyst demonstrates exceptional ORR and OER activities with an ΔE value of 0.705 (E1/2 = 0.845 V, Ej = 10 = 1.55 V). Theoretical calculations unveil that FeNi bimetallic sites loaded on nitrogen-doped carbon frameworks with specific curvature effectively modulate the energy of d-band centers, thus balancing the free energy of oxygen-containing intermediates. This study presents a novel and versatile approach for synthesizing advanced bifunctional catalysts, poised to drive the future development of Zn-air batteries.

Cascade Synthesis of Fe-N2-Fe Dual-Atom Catalysts for Superior Oxygen Catalysis.

Dual-atom catalysts (DACs) have been proposed to break the limitation of single-atom catalysts (SACs) in the synergistic activation of multiple molecules and intermediates, offering an additional degree of freedom for catalytic regulation. However, it remains a challenge to synthesize DACs with high uniformity, atomic accuracy, and satisfactory loadings. Herein, we report a facile cascade synthetic strategy for DAC via precise electrostatic interaction control and neighboring vacancy construction. We synthesized well-defined, uniformly dispersed dual Fe sites which were connected by two nitrogen bonds (denoted as Fe-N2-Fe). The as-synthesized DAC exhibited superior catalytic performances towards oxygen reduction reaction, including good half-wave potential (0.91 V), high kinetic current density (21.66 mA cm-2), and perfect durability. Theoretical calculation revealed that the DAC structure effectively tunes the oxygen adsorption configuration and decreases the cleavage barrier, thereby improving the catalytic kinetics. The DAC-based zinc-air batteries exhibited impressive power densities of 169.8 and 52.18 mW cm-2 at 25 °C and -40 °C, which is 1.7 and 2.0 times higher than those based on Pt/C+Ir/C, respectively. We also demonstrated the universality of our strategy in synthesizing other M-N2-M DACs (M=Co, Cu, Ru, Pd, Pt, and Au), facilitating the construction of a DAC library for different catalytic applications.

Alleviation of Salt Stress and Changes in Glycyrrhizic Acid Accumulation by Dark Septate Endophytes in Glycyrrhiza glabra Grown under Salt Stress.

This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms by which dark septate endophytes (DSE) regulate salt tolerance and the accumulation of bioactive constituents in licorice. First, the salt stress tolerance and resynthesis with the plant effect of isolated DSE from wild licorice were tested. Second, the performance of licorice inoculated with DSE, which had the best salt-tolerant and growth-promoting effects, was examined under salt stress. All isolated DSE showed salt tolerance and promoted plant growth, withCurvularia lunata D43 being the most effective. Under salt stress, C. lunata D43 could promote growth, increase antioxidant enzyme activities, enhance glycyrrhizic acid accumulation, improve key enzyme activities in the glycyrrhizic acid synthesis pathway, and induce the expression of the key enzyme gene and salt tolerance gene of licorice. The structural equation model demonstrated that DSE alleviate the negative effects of salt stress through direct and indirect pathways. Variations in key enzyme activities, gene expression, and bioactive constituent concentration can be attributed to the effects of DSE. These results contribute to revealing the value of DSE for cultivating medicinal plants in saline soils.

Solvent Effects on the Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity Associated with Camellia polyodonta Flower Extracts.

Camellia polyodonta flowers contain limited information available regarding the composition of their bioactive compounds and activity. The objective of this study was to identify phenolic compounds and investigate the effect of different solvents (ethanol and methanol) on the phenolic content and antioxidant activity in C. polyodonta flowers. The analysis using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS revealed the presence of 105 phytochemicals and the most common compounds were flavonols, procyanidins, and ellagitannins. Interestingly, flavonol triglycosides were identified for the first time in these flowers. The study demonstrated that the concentration of the solvent had a significant impact on the total phenolic compound (TPC), total flavonoid compound (TFC), and total proanthocyanidin content (TPAC). The TPC, TFC, and TPAC showed a remarkable increase with the increasing concentration of the solvent, reaching their maximum levels (138.23 mg GAE/g DW, 421.62 mg RE/g DW, 60.77 mg PB2E/g DW) at 70% ethanol. However, the total anthocyanin content reached its maximum at low concentrations (0.49 mg CGE/g DW). Similar trends were observed in the antioxidant activity, as measured by the DPPH· assay (DPPH radical scavenging activity), ABTS·+ assay (ABTS radical cation scavenging activity), and FRAP assay (Ferric reducing antioxidant power). The maximum antioxidant activity was observed at 100% solvents and 70% methanol. Among the 14 individual phenolic compounds, 70% methanol yielded the highest content for 8 (cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, procyanidin B2, procyanidin B4, epicatechin, rutin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, astragaline and quercitrin) out of the 14 compounds. Additionally, it was found that epicatechin was the most abundant phenolic compound, accounting for approximately 20339.37 µg/g DW. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that 70% methanol is the most effective solvent for extracting polyphenols from C. polyodonta flowers. These results provided chemical information and potential antioxidant value for further research in C. polyodonta flowers.

Schottky-contact intrinsic current blocking layer for high efficiency AlGaInP-based red mini-LEDs.

AlGaInP-based red light emitting diodes (LEDs) are considered as promising light sources in future full-color displays. At present, vertical chip configuration is still the mainstream device structure of AlGaInP-based red LEDs. However, current crowding around p-electrode severely hinders an efficient improvement. Here, we propose a Schottky-contact current blocking layer (SCBL) to enhance current spreading and to improve light extraction efficiency of AlGaInP-based red vertical miniaturized LEDs (mini-LEDs). By utilizing the Schottky contact between ITO and p-GaP, the SCBL can hinder current crowding around the p-electrode. The current is forced to inject into an active region through a p-GaP+ ohmic contact layer, avoiding light absorption by p-electrode. Through the transfer length method, the Schottky contact characteristics between the ITO and p-GaP as well as the ohmic contact characteristics between ITO and p-GaP+ are demonstrated. Benefiting from superior current spreading and improved light extraction, a mini-LED with SCBL realizes an enhancement of 31.8% in external quantum efficiency (EQE) at 20 mA in comparison with a mini-LED without SCBL.

Rhodium-Catalyzed Pyridylation of Alkynamides with Pyridylboronic Acids: A Route to Functionalized Enamides.

The catalytic direct hydroarylation of alkynamides is a highly efficient approach for accessing functionalized trisubstituted arylalkenes with amide groups. Herein, we report a rhodium-catalyzed pyridylation of alkynamides with pyridylboronic acids, yielding diverse primary, secondary, and tertiary enamides in good to excellent yields (up to 94%). This reaction demonstrates broad tolerance towards various alkyl and aryl functional groups, providing convenient access to a diverse array of alkenylpyridine derivatives. To demonstrate potential applications in late-stage hydropyridylation, we synthesized α,ß-unsaturated ketones, aldehydes, and esters with high yields from the pyridylation product of Weinreb amides. This indirect expansion of the substrate scope enhances the practicality of this strategy. Additionally, the α,ß-unsaturated ketone obtained can be further reduced to yield a chiral alcohol with a 99% ee, further demonstrating the versatility and potential utility of this approach.

Impact of atropisomerism on a non-steroidal glucocorticoid receptor agonist.

To investigate atropisomers of non-steroidal glucocorticoid receptor modulator GSK866, a virtual library of substituted benzoic acid analogues was enumerated. Compounds from this library were subjected to a torsion angle scan using Spartan'20 to calculate the torsion rotation energy barrier which identified compounds predicted to be stable as atropisomers. After synthesis of the library, analysis showed that compounds 13 and 14 existed as stable atropisomers 13a, 13b, 14a and 14b, in agreement with the earlier calculations. Screening in a glucocorticoid receptor cellular assay showed that one compound from each atropisomer pair was significantly more potent than the other. Docking in a public structure of the glucocorticoid receptor (PBD code 3E7C) enabled the stereochemistry of the two most potent compounds 13a and 14b to be assigned as (R a) and (S a), respectively.

LncRNAH19 acts as a ceRNA of let-7 g to facilitate endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension via regulating TGF-ß signalling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) is a challenging lung arterial disorder with remarkably high incidence and mortality rates, and the efficiency of current HPH treatment strategies is unsatisfactory. Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) in the pulmonary artery plays a crucial role in HPH. Previous studies have shown that lncRNA-H19 (H19) is involved in many cardiovascular diseases by regulating cell proliferation and differentiation but the role of H19 in EndMT in HPH has not been defined. METHODS: In this research, the expression of H19 was investigated in PAH human patients and rat models. Then, we established a hypoxia-induced HPH rat model to evaluate H19 function in HPH by Echocardiography and hemodynamic measurements. Moreover, luciferase reporter gene detection, and western blotting were used to explore the mechanism of H19. RESULTS: Here, we first found that the expression of H19 was significantly increased in the endodermis of pulmonary arteries and that H19 deficiency obviously ameliorated pulmonary vascular remodelling and right heart failure in HPH rats, and these effects were associated with inhibition of EndMT. Moreover, an analysis of luciferase activity indicated that microRNA-let-7 g (let-7 g) was a direct target of H19. H19 deficiency or let-7 g overexpression can markedly downregulate the expression of TGFßR1, a novel target gene of let-7 g. Furthermore, inhibition of TGFßR1 induced similar effects to H19 deficiency. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our findings demonstrate that the H19/let-7 g/TGFßR1 axis is crucial in the pathogenesis of HPH by stimulating EndMT. Our study may provide new ideas for further research on HPH therapy in the near future.

Enhancing storage stability of pea peptides through encapsulation in maltodextrin and gum tragacanth via monitoring scavenge ability to free radicals.

Pea peptides can lead to degradation through oxidation, deamidation, hydrolysis, or cyclization during production, processing, and storage, which in turn limit their broader application. To stabilize pea peptides, this study employed spray drying technology to create a pea peptide micro-encapsule using maltodextrin, gum tragacanth, and pea peptides. Four key factors, including polysaccharide ratio, glycopeptide ratio, solid-liquid ratio, and inlet temperature, were optimized to enhance the antioxidant properties of the pea peptide micro-encapsule. The results indicated that the utilization of maltodextrin and gum tragacanth significantly improves the storage stability and antioxidant activity of pea peptides. Moreover, optimal storage stability for pea peptides was achieved with a polysaccharide ratio of 9:1, a glycopeptide ratio of 10:1, a solid-liquid ratio of 4:40, and an inlet temperature of 180 °C. After 60 days of storage, the encapsulated pea peptides maintained 70.22 %, 25.19 %, and 40.32 % for scavenging abilities to hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion, and ABTS radical, respectively. In contrast, the unencapsulated pea peptides showed a decline to 47.02 %, 0 %, and 24.46 % in the same antioxidant activities after storage. These findings underscore the potential of spray drying technology to enhance the functional properties of pea peptides for various applications.

Non-malignant pathological results from CT-guided biopsy for pulmonary nodules: a predictive model for identifying false-negative results.

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography (CT)-guided biopsy (CTB) procedures are commonly used to aid in the diagnosis of pulmonary nodules (PNs). When CTB findings indicate a non-malignant lesion, it is critical to correctly determine false-negative results. Therefore, the current study was designed to construct a predictive model for predicting false-negative cases among patients receiving CTB for PNs who receive non-malignant results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2016 to December 2020, consecutive patients from two centers who received CTB-based non-malignant pathology results while undergoing evaluation for PNs were examined retrospectively. A training cohort was used to discover characteristics that predicted false negative results, allowing the development of a predictive model. The remaining patients were used to establish a testing cohort that served to validate predictive model accuracy. RESULTS: The training cohort included 102 patients with PNs who showed non-malignant pathology results based on CTB. Each patient underwent CTB for a single nodule. Among these patients, 85 and 17 patients, respectively, showed true negative and false negative PNs. Through univariate and multivariate analyses, higher standardized maximum uptake values (SUVmax, P = 0.001) and CTB-based findings of suspected malignant cells (P = 0.043) were identified as being predictive of false negative results. Following that, these two predictors were combined to produce a predictive model. The model achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.945. Furthermore, it demonstrated sensitivity and specificity values of 88.2% and 87.1% respectively. The testing cohort included 62 patients, each of whom had a single PN. When the developed model was used to evaluate this testing cohort, this yielded an AUC value of 0.851. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with PNs, the predictive model developed herein demonstrated good diagnostic effectiveness for identifying false-negative CTB-based non-malignant pathology data.