Research on multi-dimensional intelligent quantitative assessment of upper limb function based on kinematic parameters.

BACKGROUND: Rehabilitation assessment is a critical component of rehabilitation treatment. OBJECTIVE: This study focuses on a comprehensive analysis of patients' movement performance using the upper limb rehabilitation robot. It quantitatively assessed patients' motor control ability and constructed an intelligent grading model of functional impairments. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of patients' motor ability and provide valuable insights for personalized rehabilitation interventions. METHODS: Patients at different Brunnstrom stages underwent rehabilitation training using the upper limb rehabilitation robot, and data on the distal movement positions of the patients' upper limbs were collected. A total of 22 assessment metrics related to movement efficiency, smoothness, and accuracy were extracted. The performance of these assessment metrics was measured using the Mann-Whitney U test and Pearson correlation analysis. Due to the issue of imbalanced sample categories, data augmentation was performed using the Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique (SMOTE) algorithm based on weighted sampling, and an intelligent grading model of functional impairment based on the Extreme Gradient Boosting Tree (XGBoost) algorithm was constructed. RESULTS: Sixteen assessment metrics were screened. These metrics were effectively normalized to their maximum values, enabling the derivation of quantitative assessment scores for motor control ability across the three dimensions through a weighted fusion approach. Notably, when applied to the data-enhanced dataset, the intelligent grading model exhibited remarkable improvement, achieving an accuracy rate exceeding 0.98. Moreover, significant enhancements were observed in terms of precision, recall, and f1-score. CONCLUSION: The research findings demonstrate that this study enables the quantitative assessment of patients' motor control ability and intelligent grading of functional impairments, thereby contributing to the efficiency enhancement of clinical rehabilitation assessment. Moreover, this method resolves the issues associated with the subjectivity and prolonged periods of traditional rehabilitation assessment methods.

Storage stability and shelf-life of soymilk obtained via repeated boiling and filtering: A predictive model.

This study investigated the effects of different processing methods on the quality and nutrition of soymilk, as well as the changes in storage stability (centrifugal sedimentation rate (CSR), viscosity, and particle size) and shelf-life of soymilk at different storage temperatures (25°C, 35°C, 45°C, and 55°C). Results showed that soymilk processed via the repeated boiling-to-filtering method (RBFM) exhibited the highest protein content (3.89 g/100 g), carbohydrate content (1.27 g/100 g), and stability coefficient (0.950). The CSR and particle size of RBFM soymilk increased gradually during storage at different temperatures, while the viscosity and sensory score decreased. The correlation between the CSR and the sensory score of RBFM soymilk was the highest (R 2 = .9868). The CSR was selected as the key indicator to predict the shelf-life of RBFM soymilk. The average residual variation in RBFM soymilk shelf-life based on the predictive model was 10.78%, indicating the strong accuracy of the model for predicting the shelf-life of RBFM soymilk stored at temperatures ranging from 25-45°C. This study provides a theoretical basis and technological support for the development, transportation, and storage of soymilk and soymilk beverage products.

CO2 sequestration in microbial electrolytic cell-anaerobic digestion system combined with mineral carbonation for sludge hydrolysate treatment.

The combination of microbial electrolytic cells and anaerobic digestion (MEC-AD) became an efficient method to improve CO2 capture for waste sludge treatment. By adding CaCl2 and wollastonite, the CO2 sequestration effect with mineral carbonation under 0 V and 0.8 V was studied. The results showed that applied voltage could increase dissolved chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) degradation efficiency and biogas yield effectively. In addition, wollastonite and CaCl2 exhibited different CO2 sequestration performances due to different Ca2+ release characteristics. Wollastonite appeared to have a better CO2 sequestration effect and provided a wide margin of pH change, but CaCl2 released Ca2+ directly and decreased the pH of the MEC-AD system. The results showed methane yield reached 137.31 and 163.50 mL/g SCOD degraded and CO2 content of biogas is only 12.40 % and 2.22 % under 0.8 V with CaCl2 and wollastonite addition, respectively. Finally, the contribution of chemical CO2 sequestration by mineral carbonation and biological CO2 sequestration by hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis was clarified with CaCl2 addition. The chemical and biological CO2 sequestration percentages were 46.79 % and 53.21 % under 0.8 V, respectively. With the increased applied voltage, the contribution of chemical CO2 sequestration rose accordingly. The findings in this study are of great significance for further comprehending the mechanism of calcium addition on CO2 sequestration in the MEC-AD system and providing guidance for the later engineering application.

Mitigation of high-fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis by thyme (Thymus quinquecostatus Celak) polyphenol-rich extract (TPE): insights into gut microbiota modulation and bile acid metabolism.

Our previous study demonstrated that thyme polyphenol-rich extract (TPE) mitigated hepatic injury induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) through the regulation of lipid metabolism, promotion of short-chain fatty acid production, enhancement of intestinal barrier function, and attenuation of inflammation. In this study, we aimed to further elucidate additional mechanisms underlying TPE-mediated preventive effects on hepatic steatosis, with a specific focus on its impact on the gut microbiota and bile acid (BA) metabolism in HFD-fed mice. TPE treatment resulted in a significant reduction in serum total BA levels and a notable increase in fecal total BA levels. In particular, elevations in fecal conjugated BA levels, in turn, impede intestinal farnesoid X receptor (FXR) signaling, thereby enhancing hepatic synthesis and fecal excretion of BAs. The downregulated mRNA expression levels of intestinal Fxr and Fgf15, and hepatic Fgfr4, along with the upregulated mRNA expression levels of Cyp7a1 and Cyp27a1 after TPE treatment also prove the above inference. Meanwhile, TPE appeared to promote BA efflux and enterohepatic circulation, as evidenced by changes in the mRNA levels of Bsep, Ntpc, Shp, Asbt, Ibabp, and Ostα/ß. TPE also modulated the gut microbiota and was characterized by an increased relative abundance of Lactobacillus. Furthermore, antibiotic treatment depleted the intestinal flora in mice, also abrogating the hepatoprotective effect of TPE against NAFLD. These findings collectively indicate that TPE effectively mitigates HFD-induced NAFLD by modulating the gut-liver axis, specifically targeting the gut microbiota and bile acid metabolism.

A quality comparison for Xiecun Huangjiu with different aging stages based on chemical profile, aroma composition and microbial succession.

The Xiecun Huangjiu (XCHJ), an exemplary representation of North Huangjiu, exhibits a distinct and invigorating aroma predominantly formed during its aging period. In this study, we observed dynamic changes in 16 key aroma compounds by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) during the aging of XCHJ, with compounds such as phenethylalcohol, isoamylalcohol, benzaldehyde, and ethylbenzoate initially increasing and then decreasing. Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) detected nineteen amino acids, with total content ranging from 1901.45 to 3764.45 mg/L. High-throughput sequencing indicated that Pseudomonas, Ochrobactrum, Moesziomyces and Aspergillus et al. were abundant in aged XCHJ. Totally, 4 bacteria and 8 fungi exhibited strong associations with aroma compounds production. Physicochemical properties were primarily interacted with Pseudomonas, Aspergillus, Pseudeurotium, Thermomyces, Bacteroides and Blautia. Furthermore, co-occurrence network analysis highlighted significant interactions between Pantoea, Rhodotorula, Monascus, and amino acids. These findings provide valuable insights for the regulation of aroma in aged XCHJ.

Autoinducer-2 quorum sensing regulates biofilm formation and chain elongation metabolic pathways to enhance caproate synthesis in microbial electrochemical system.

Quorum sensing (QS) have been explored extensively. However, most studies focused on N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) participating in intraspecies QS. In this study, autoinducer-2 (AI-2, participating in interspecies QS) with different concentration was investigated for chain elongation in microbial electrosynthesis (MES). The results demonstrated that the R3 treatment, which involved adding 10 µM of 4,5-dihydroxy-2,3-pentanedione (DPD) in the reactor, exhibited the best performance. The concentration of caproate was increased by 66.88% and the redox activity of cathodic electroactive biofilms (EABs) was enhanced. Meanwhile, microbial community data indicated that Negativicutes relative abundance was increased obviously in R3 treatment. In this study, the transcriptome Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) databases were used to analyze the metabolic pathway of chain elongation involving fatty acid biosynthesis (FAB) pathway and reverse ß-oxidization (RBO) pathway. KEGG analysis revealed that fatty acid elongation metabolism (p < 0.001), tryptophan metabolism (p < 0.01), arginine and proline metabolism (p < 0.05) were significantly improved in R3 treatment. GO analysis suggested that R3 treatment mainly upregulated significantly transmembrane signaling receptor activity (p < 0.01), oxidoreductase activity (p < 0.05), and phosphorelay signal transduction (p < 0.05). Moreover, metatranscriptomic analyses also showed that R3 treatment could upregulate the LuxP extracellular receptor, LuxO transcriptional activator, LsrB periplasmic protein, and were beneficial to both FAB and RBO pathways. These findings provided a new insight into chain elongation in MES system.

Multifunctional gallic acid self-assembled hydrogel for alleviation of ethanol-induced acute gastric injury.

Ethanol-induced acute gastric injury is a prevalent type of digestive tract ulcer, yet conventional treatments strategies frequently encounter several limitations, such as poor bioavailability, degradation of enzymes and adverse side effects. Gallic acid (GA), a natural compound extracted from dogwood, has demonstrated potential protective effects in mitigating acute gastric injury. However, its poor stability and limited bioavailability have restricted applications in vivo. To address these issues, we report a hydrogel constructed only by gallic acid with high bioavailability for alleviation of gastric injury. Molecular dynamic simulation studies revealed that the self-assembly of GA into hydrogel was predominantly attributed to π-π and hydrogen bonds. After assembling, the GA hydrogel exhibits superior anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptosis and anti-inflammatory properties compared with free GA. As anticipated, in vitro experiments demonstrated that GA hydrogel possessed the remarkable ability to promote the proliferation of GES-1 cells, and alleviates apoptosis and inflammation caused by ethanol. Subsequent in vivo investigation further confirmed that GA hydrogel significantly alleviated ethanol-triggered acute gastric injury. Mechanistically, GA hydrogel treatment enhanced the antioxidant capacity, reduced oxidative stress while simultaneously suppressing the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and reduced the production of pro-apoptotic proteins during the process of gastric injury. Our finding suggest that this multifunctional GA hydrogel is a promising candidate for gastric injury, particularly in cases of ethanol-induced acute gastric injury.

Thyme (Thymus quinquecostatus Celak) Polyphenol-Rich Extract (TPE) Alleviates HFD-Induced Liver Injury in Mice by Inactivating the TLR4/NF-κB Signaling Pathway through the Gut-Liver Axis.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a significant and urgent global health concern. Thyme (Thymus quinquecostatus Celak) is a plant commonly used in cuisine and traditional medicine in Asian countries and possesses potential liver-protective properties. This study aimed to assess the hepatoprotective effects of thyme polyphenol-rich extract (TPE) on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD and further explore possible mechanisms based on the gut-liver axis. HFD-induced liver injury in C57 mice is markedly ameliorated by TPE supplementation in a dose-dependent manner. TPE also regulates the expression of liver lipid metabolic genes (i.e., Hmgcr, Srebp-1, Fasn, and Cyp7a1), enhancing the production of SCFAs and regulating serum metabolites by modulating gut microbial dysbiosis. Furthermore, TPE enhances the intestinal barrier function and alleviates intestinal inflammation by upregulating tight junction protein expression (i.e., ZO-1 and occluding) and inactivating the intestinal TLR4/NF-κB pathway in HFD-fed mice. Consequently, gut-derived LPS translocation to the circulation was blocked, the liver TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway was repressed, and subsequent pro-inflammatory cytokine production was restrained. Conclusively, TPE might exert anti-NAFLD effects through the gut-liver axis and has the potential to be used as a dietary supplement for the management of NAFLD.

Self-assembly of chlorogenic acid into hydrogel for accelerating wound healing.

Wound healing remains a considerable challenge due to its complex inflammatory microenvironment. Developing novel wound dressing materials with superior wound repair capabilities is highly required. However, conventional dressing hydrogels for wound healing are often limited by their complex cross-linking, high treatment costs, and drug-related side effects. In this study, we report a novel dressing hydrogel constructed only by the self-assembly of chlorogenic acid (CA). Molecular dynamic simulation studies revealed the formation of CA hydrogel was mainly through non-covalent interactions, such as π-π and hydrogen bond. Meanwhile, CA hydrogel exhibited superior self-healing, injectability, and biocompatibility properties, making it a promising candidate for wound treatment. As expected, in vitro experiments demonstrated that CA hydrogel possessed remarkable anti-inflammatory activity, and its ability to promote the generation of microvessels in HUVEC cells, as well as the promotion of microvessel formation in HUVEC cells and proliferation of HaCAT cells. Subsequent in vivo investigation further demonstrated that CA hydrogel accelerated wound healing in rats through regulating macrophage polarization. Mechanistically, the CA hydrogel treatment enhanced the closure rate, collagen deposition, and re-epithelialization while simultaneously suppressing the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increasing the production of CD31 and VEGF during the wound healing process. Our findings indicate that this multifunctional CA hydrogel is a promising candidate for wound healing, particularly in cases of impaired angiogenesis and inflammatory responses.

Identification of muttony-related compounds in cooked mutton tallows and their flavor intensities subjected to phenolic extract from thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.).

Mutton possesses a typical flavor, known as "muttony" or "goaty", which significantly limits consumers' acceptability and its further popularization. Generally, this unpleasant flavor originates from mutton tallow. Thus, we first characterized the key volatiles of the cooked mutton tallow (CMT) via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/olfactometry (GC-MS/O) and odor activity value (OAV). Combined with aroma recombination and omission tests, eleven compounds, involving 4-methyloctanoic acid, 4-methynonanoic acid, octanoic acid, decanoic acid, hexanal, heptanal, (E)-2-octenal, (E)-2-nonenal, (E)-2-decenal, 2-nonanone and 2-penty-furan, were screened out to be responsible for the "muttony" flavor. The objective of this study was to investigate the sensory property and acceptability of CMTs, elaborated with 4 different levels of thyme phenolic extract (TPE), through descriptive sensory analysis and key muttony-related compounds identification. The results showed that, of different TPEs employed, CMT plus TPE3 was the most effective strategy to control the key "muttony" contributors, thereby to improve flavor profile of CMT.

Tendon-inspired hybrid hydrogel based on polyvinyl alcohol and gallic acid-lysozyme for promoting wound closure and healing.

Noninvasive wound closure remains a challenge in the field of wound healing. In this study, we report the development of a cross-linked P-GL hydrogel constructed from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and GL (a hydrogel consisting of gallic acid and lysozyme) that effectively promotes wound closure and healing. The P-GL hydrogel exhibited a unique lamellar and tendon-like fibrous network structure, providing good thermo-sensitivity and tissue adhesiveness up to 60 MPa, as well as retaining autonomous self-healing and acid resistance capacities. In addition, the P-GL hydrogel exhibited sustained release characteristics lasting >100 h, excellent biocompatibility both in vitro and in vivo, as well as good antibacterial activity and mechanical properties. The in vivo full-thickness skin wounds model revealed the positive wound closure and healing therapeutic effects of the P-GL hydrogels were confirmed, showing a promising potential as a noninvasive wound closure and healing bio-adhesive hydrogel.

Volatomics-assisted characterization of aroma and off-flavor contributors in fresh and thermally treated kiwifruit juice.

The distinctive aroma profile of kiwifruit juice was significantly changed during thermal treatment, however, the theoretical basis for clarifying and controlling the changes was deficient. In this study, we applied volatomics techniques to investigate the contributors of off-flavors in thermally treated kiwifruit juice. Sixteen aroma compounds were identified to be responsible for the typical "fruity", "grassy", and "cucumber-like" flavors of fresh kiwifruit by two different fused silica capillary columns coupled with chromatography-olfactometry/detection frequency (GC-O/DF) analysis and calculation of odor activity value (OAV). Thirty-one odor-active compounds were determined as important contributors to the sensory profile of thermally treated kiwifruit juice, 14 of which were common to all varieties investigated. The key aroma compounds on fresh kiwifruit significantly decreased after thermal treatment, while decanal, (E)-2-decenal, methional, ß-damascenone, 1-octen-3-one, DMHF, and dimethyl sulfide which presented undesirable cooked cabbage/potato, roasted fruit, and sulfurous odors, were accumulated in a large amount. By applying PLSR analysis, (E)-2-decenal, methional, ß-damascenone, DMHF, and dimethyl sulfide were further verified to have great contributions to the formation of the cooked off-flavor during thermal treatment. Moreover, XX was found to be more thermal-sensitive and more prone to forming cooked off-flavors after thermal treatment. This study could provide theoretical guidance for the regulation of thermal-induced off-flavors during the manufacturing of kiwifruit juice.

Role of galectin-3 in cardiac dysfunction induced by subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a severe acute cerebrovascular event that not only impairs the central nervous system but also negatively affects various other organs, including the heart. The underlying mechanisms, however, remain unclear. In this study, we discovered that mice with SAH exhibited significant cardiac injuries, such as extended QT and QTc intervals, cardiac fibrosis, and reduced cardiac ejection fractions. This phenomenon was accompanied by increased galectin-3 expression in the cardiac ventricle and can be reversed by galectin-3 inhibitor TD139. Interestingly, we also observed increased co-expression of galectin-3 in macrophage within the heart tissue of SAH mice. Additionally, when macrophage activation was suppressed using the beta-blocker propranolol, cardiac function improved, and galectin-3 expression in the cardiac tissue decreased. Collectively, our findings offer new insights into the role of galectin-3 in SAH-related cardiac dysfunction and suggest a macrophage-galectin-3 axis as a potential therapeutic strategy.

The six-year biochar retention interacted with fertilizer addition alters the soil organic nitrogen supply capacity in bulk and rhizosphere soil.

Nitrogen fractions in soil, like organic nitrogen, mineral nitrogen, and free amino acids, are sensitive pointers to the soil nitrogen pools involved in nutrient cycling. As a potential improvement measure, biochar might improve soil fertility and nutrient availability. However, few studies have focused on the long-term effects of biochar retention on the soil nitrogen supply capacity of bulk and rhizosphere soil in brown earth. Therefore, a six-year field experiment was conducted in 2013, concentrating on the impact of biochar retention on soil nitrogen fractions. Four biochar rates were tested: no biochar amendment (CK); 15.75 t ha-1 of biochar (BC1); 31.5 t ha-1 of biochar (BC2); 47.25 t ha-1 of biochar (BC3). Our results showed that the elevated application rates significantly enhanced soil organic matter (SOM), and total nitrogen (TN), and improved pH in both bulk and rhizosphere soils. Acid-hydrolyzable nitrogen (AHN) content in biochar treatments was higher than that of CK in bulk and rhizosphere soil. The content of non-hydrolyzable nitrogen (NHN) was increased in 47.25 t ha-1 of biochar retention. Ammonium nitrogen (AN) and amino sugar nitrogen (ASN) contents were higher in bulk soil than in rhizosphere soil. Neutral amino acid contents were the highest both in bulk and rhizosphere soil. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that soil organic nitrogen was significantly influenced by BC3 treatment in bulk soil, and largely influenced by other treatments in rhizosphere soil. Partial least square path modeling (PLSPM) revealed that NH4+-N was mainly derived from amino acid nitrogen (AAN) and AN in bulk soil and AAN and ASN in rhizosphere soil. These results indicate that different biochar retention rates contributed to improve soil nutrients. Amino acid nitrogen was the prominent nitrogen source of NH4+-N in bulk and rhizosphere soils.

Blue light promotes zero-valent sulfur production in a deep-sea bacterium.

Increasing evidence has shown that light exists in a diverse range of deep-sea environments. We unexpectedly found that blue light is necessary to produce excess zero-valent sulfur (ZVS) in Erythrobacter flavus 21-3, a bacterium that has been recently isolated from a deep-sea cold seep. E. flavus 21-3 is able to convert thiosulfate to ZVS using a novel thiosulfate oxidation pathway comprising a thiosulfate dehydrogenase (TsdA) and a thiosulfohydrolase (SoxB). Using proteomic, bacterial two-hybrid and heterologous expression assays, we found that the light-oxygen-voltage histidine kinase LOV-1477 responds to blue light and activates the diguanylate cyclase DGC-2902 to produce c-di-GMP. Subsequently, the PilZ domain-containing protein mPilZ-1753 binds to c-di-GMP and activates TsdA through direct interaction. Finally, Raman spectroscopy and gene knockout results verified that TsdA and two SoxB homologs cooperate to regulate ZVS production. As ZVS is an energy source for E. flavus 21-3, we propose that deep-sea blue light provides E. flavus 21-3 with a selective advantage in the cold seep, suggesting a previously unappreciated relationship between light-sensing pathways and sulfur metabolism in a deep-sea microorganism.

Cortical activation in robot-assisted dynamic and static resistance training combining VR interaction: An fNIRS based pilot study.

BACKGROUND: There are few isometric training systems based on upper limb rehabilitation robots. Its efficacy and neural mechanism are not well understood. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the cortex activation of dynamic resistance and static (isometric) training based on upper limb rehabilitation robot combined with virtual reality (VR) interaction by using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). METHODS: Twenty subjects were included in this study. The experiment adopts the block paradigm design. Experiment in dynamic and static conditions consisted of three trials, each consisting of task (60 s)-rest (40 s). The neural activities of the sensorimotor cortex (SMC), premotor cortex (PMC) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) were measured. The cortex activation and functional connectivity (FC) were analyzed. RESULTS: Both the dynamic and static training can activate SMC, PMC, and PFC. In SMC and PMC, the activation of static training was stronger than dynamic training, there were significant differences between the two modes of each region of interest (ROI) (p < 0.05) (SMC: p = 0.022, ES = 0.72, PMC: p = 0.039, ES = 0.63). Besides, the FC between all ROIs of the static training was stronger than that of the dynamic training. CONCLUSION: The static training based on upper limb rehabilitation robot may better facilitate the cortical activation associated with motor control.

Cognitive and motor cortex activation during robot-assisted multi-sensory interactive motor rehabilitation training: An fNIRS based pilot study.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of multiple virtual reality (VR) interaction modalities based on force-haptic feedback combined with visual or auditory feedback in different ways on cerebral cortical activation by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Methods: A modular multi-sensory VR interaction system based on a planar upper-limb rehabilitation robot was developed. Twenty healthy participants completed active elbow flexion and extension training in four VR interaction patterns, including haptic (H), haptic + auditory (HA), haptic + visual (HV), and haptic + visual + auditory (HVA). Cortical activation changes in the sensorimotor cortex (SMC), premotor cortex (PMC), and prefrontal cortex (PFC) were measured. Results: Four interaction patterns all had significant activation effects on the motor and cognitive regions of the cerebral cortex (p < 0.05). Among them, in the HVA interaction mode, the cortical activation of each ROI was the strongest, followed by HV, HA, and H. The connectivity between channels of SMC and bilateral PFC, as well as the connectivity between channels in PMC, was the strongest under HVA and HV conditions. Besides, the two-way ANOVA of visual and auditory feedback showed that it was difficult for auditory feedback to have a strong impact on activation without visual feedback. In addition, under the condition of visual feedback, the effect of fusion auditory feedback on the activation degree was significantly higher than that of no auditory feedback. Conclusions: The interaction mode of visual, auditory, and haptic multi-sensory integration is conducive to stronger cortical activation and cognitive control. Besides, there is an interaction effect between visual and auditory feedback, thus improving the cortical activation level. This research enriches the research on activation and connectivity of cognitive and motor cortex in the process of modular multi-sensory interaction training of rehabilitation robots. These conclusions provide a theoretical basis for the optimal design of the interaction mode of the rehabilitation robot and the possible scheme of clinical VR rehabilitation.

Study of Microbial Sulfur Metabolism in a Near Real-Time Pathway through Confocal Raman Quantitative 3D Imaging.

As microbial sulfur metabolism significantly contributes to the formation and cycling of deep-sea sulfur, studying their sulfur metabolism is important for understanding the deep-sea sulfur cycle. However, conventional methods are limited in near real-time studies of bacterial metabolism. Recently, Raman spectroscopy has been widely used in studies on biological metabolism due to its low-cost, rapid, label-free, and nondestructive features, providing us with new approaches to solve the above limitation. Here, we used the confocal Raman quantitative 3D imaging method to nondestructively detect the growth and metabolism of Erythrobacter flavus 21-3 in the long term and near real time, which possessed a pathway mediating the formation of elemental sulfur in the deep sea, but the dynamic process was unknown. In this study, its dynamic sulfur metabolism was visualized and quantitatively assessed in near real time using 3D imaging and related calculations. Based on 3D imaging, the growth and metabolism of microbial colonies growing under both hyperoxic and hypoxic conditions were quantified by volume calculation and ratio analysis. Additionally, unprecedented details of growth and metabolism were uncovered by this method. Due to this successful application, this method is potentially significant for analyzing the in situ biological processes of microorganisms in the future. IMPORTANCE Microorganisms contribute significantly to the formation of deep-sea elemental sulfur, so studies on their growth and dynamic sulfur metabolism are important to understand the deep-sea sulfur cycle. However, near real-time in situ nondestructive metabolic studies of microorganisms remain a great challenge due to the limitations of existing methods. We thus used an imaging-related workflow by confocal Raman microscopy. More detailed descriptions of the sulfur metabolism of E. flavus 21-3 were disclosed, which perfectly complemented previous research results. Therefore, this method is potentially significant for analyzing the in-situ biological processes of microorganisms in the future. To our knowledge, this is the first label-free and nondestructive in situ technique that can provide temporally persistent 3D visualization and quantitative information about bacteria.

Mucoadhesive Hydrogel with Anti-gastric Acid and Sustained-Release Functions for Amelioration of DSS-Induced Ulcerative Colitis.

Mucoadhesive hydrogels with multifunctional properties such as gastric acid resistance and sustained drug release in the intestinal tract are highly desirable for the oral treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Polyphenols are proven to have great efficacies compared with the first-line drugs for IBD treatments. We recently reported that gallic acid (GA) was capable of forming a hydrogel. However, this hydrogel is prone to easy degradation and poor adhesion in vivo. To tackle this problem, the current study introduced sodium alginate (SA) to form a gallic acid/sodium alginate hybrid hydrogel (GAS). As expected, the GAS hydrogel showed excellent antiacid, mucoadhesive, and sustained degradation properties in the intestinal tract. In vitro studies demonstrated that the GAS hydrogel significantly alleviated ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice. The colonic length of the GAS group (7.75 ± 0.38 cm) was significantly longer than that of the UC group (6.12 ± 0.25 cm). The disease activity index (DAI) value of the UC group was (5.5 ± 0.57), which was markedly higher than that of the GAS group (2.5 ± 0.65). The GAS hydrogel also could inhibit the expression of inflammatory cytokines, regulating macrophage polarization and improving the intestinal mucosal barrier functions. All these results indicated that the GAS hydrogel was an ideal candidate for oral treatment of UC.