Synergistic effects of superfine grinding and high hydrostatic pressure on the contents, distribution, digestive behaviors and antioxidant activities of polyphenols in barley leaves.

Barley leaves (BLs) naturally contained abundant phenolics, most of which are hardly completely released from food matrix during gastrointestinal digestion. Superfine grinding (SFG) and high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) are generally used to treat the functional plants due to their effectiveness to cell wall-breaking and improvement of nutraceutical bioavailability. Thus, this study investigated the synergistic effects of SFG and HHP (100, 300, 500 MPa/20 min) on the bioaccessbility of typical phenolics in BLs during the simulated in-vitro digestion. The results demonstrated that the highest bioaccessbility (40.98%) was found in the ultrafine sample with HHP at 500 MPa. CLSM and SEM confirmed SFG led to microstructurally rapture of BLs. Moreover, the recovery index of ABTS radical scavenging activity and FRAP of HHP-treated ultrafine and fine BLs samples maximumly increased by 53.62% and 9.61%, respectively. This study is expecting to provide the theoretical basis to improve the consumer acceptance of BLs.

Effects of Chlorogenic Acid on Lowering IgE-Binding Capacity of Soybean 7S: Comparison between Covalent and Noncovalent Interaction.

Allergenicity of soybean 7S protein (7S) troubles many people around the world. However, many processing methods for lowering allergenicity is invalid. Interaction of 7S with phenolic acids, such as chlorogenic acid (CHA), to structurally modify 7S may lower the allergenicity. Hence, the effects of covalent (C-I, periodate oxidation method) and noncovalent interactions (NC-I) of 7S with CHA in different concentrations (0.3, 0.5, and 1.0 mM) on lowering 7S allergenicity were investigated in this study. The results demonstrated that C-I led to higher binding efficiency (C-0.3:28.51 ± 2.13%) than NC-I (N-0.3:22.66 ± 1.75%). The C-I decreased the α-helix content (C-1:21.06%), while the NC-I increased the random coil content (N-1:24.39%). The covalent 7S-CHA complexes of different concentrations had lower IgE binding capacity (C-0.3:37.38 ± 0.61; C-0.5:34.89 ± 0.80; C-1:35.69 ± 0.61%) compared with that of natural 7S (100%), while the noncovalent 7S-CHA complexes showed concentration-dependent inhibition of IgE binding capacity (N-0.3:57.89 ± 1.23; N-0.5:46.91 ± 1.57; N-1:40.79 ± 0.22%). Both interactions produced binding to known linear epitopes. This study provides the theoretical basis for the CHA application in soybean products to lower soybean allergenicity.

Selective Capture and Manipulation of DNA through Double Charged Nanopores.

In the past few decades, nanometer-scale pores have been employed as powerful tools for sensing biological molecules. Owing to its unique structure and properties, solid-state nanopores provide interesting opportunities for the development of DNA sequencing technology. Controlling DNA translocation in nanopores is an important means of improving the accuracy of sequencing. Here we present a proof of principle study of accelerating DNA captured across targeted graphene nanopores using surface charge density and find the intrinsic mechanism of the combination of electroosmotic flow induced by charges of nanopore and electrostatic attraction/repulsion between the nanopore and ssDNA. The theoretical study performed here provides a new means for controlling DNA transport dynamics and makes better and cheaper application of graphene in molecular sequencing.

The regulation and its application of the charge decay rate in triboelectric nanogenerator.

The decay rate of charge in the friction layer is one of the key factors affecting the output performance of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG). Reducing the decay rate of the triboelectric charge can increase the charge-carrying capacity of the friction layer and improve the output current and voltage of the TENG. This makes a friction generator more suitable for discontinuous driving environments. In contrast, increasing the decay rate of the charge in the friction layer can greatly improve the recovery time of the device, although it reduces the output performance of the generator. This is conducive to the application of friction generator in the field of sensors. In this study, polystyrene (PS) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were added to polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanofibers to adjust the charge decay time in the friction layer, thereby regulating the output performance of the friction generator and sensor. When the amount of added PS in the PVDF nanofiber reached 20%, the charge density on the friction surface increased by 1.9 times, and the charge decay time decreased by 64 times; when 0.1 wt% CNTs were added in the PVDF nanofiber, the charge decay time increased by more than 10 times. The former is more conducive to improving the power generation performance of the TENG, and the latter significantly improves the stability and repeatability of TENG-based sensors. .

Actuation mechanism of a nanoscale drilling rig based on nested carbon nanotubes.

With the increasing emphasis on health and the continuous improvement of medical standards, more and more micro/nano devices are being used in the medical field. However, the existing micro/nano devices cannot effectively solve various problems encountered in medical processes and achieve specific therapeutic effects. Based on this, this article designs a new type of nanoscale drilling rig. The nanoscale drilling rig is composed of double-layer nested carbon nanotubes with multiple electrodes, and is powered by an external power source, making it easy to perform long-term surgery in the human body. Through coding strategies, we can adjust the surface charge density and distribution of the nanoscale drilling rig, thereby controlling its periodical rotation and achieving precise medical treatment. In addition, in order to control the length of the nanoscale drill bit, meet the treatment needs of different parts of the human body, and reduce damage to the human body, we have designed a structure of ion electric double layers so that the drill bit can be fixed in different positions, reducing the risk of treatment to a certain extent. This drilling rig enriches the functions of micro/nano devices, which is beneficial for the development of the medical industry.

Electroosmotic Sensing of Uncharged Peptides and Differentiating Their Phosphorylated States Using Nanopores.

The correct characterization and identification of different kinds of proteins is crucial for the survival and development of living organisms, and proteomics research promotes the analysis and understanding of future genome functions. Nanopore technique has been proved to accurately identify individual nucleotides. However, accurate and rapid protein sequencing is difficult due to the variability of protein structures that contains more than 20 amino acids, and it remains very challenging especially for uncharged peptides as they can not be electrophoretically driven through the nanopore. Graphene nanopores have the advantages of high accuracy, sensitivity and low cost in identifying protein phosphorylation modifications. Here, by using all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, charged graphene nanopores are employed to electroosmotically capture and sense uncharged peptides. By further mimicking AFM manipulation of single molecules, it is also found that the uncharged peptides and their phosphorylated states could also be differentiated by both the ionic current and pulling force signals during their pulling processes through the nanopore with a slow and constant velocity. The results shows ability of using nanopores to detect and discriminate single amino acid and its phosphorylation, which is essential for the future low-cost and high-throughput sequencing of protein residues and their post-translational modifications.

Erratum: Addendum: Validation of the digital health literacy assessment among the university students in China.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1294183.].

Roles of TRPM channels in glioma.

Gliomas are the most common type of primary brain tumor. Despite advances in treatment, it remains one of the most aggressive and deadly tumor of the central nervous system (CNS). Gliomas are characterized by high malignancy, heterogeneity, invasiveness, and high resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. It is urgent to find potential new molecular targets for glioma. The TRPM channels consist of TRPM1-TPRM8 and play a role in many cellular functions, including proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, etc. More and more studies have shown that TRPM channels can be used as new therapeutic targets for glioma. In this review, we first introduce the structure, activation patterns, and physiological functions of TRPM channels. Additionally, the pathological mechanism of glioma mediated by TRPM2, 3, 7, and 8 and the related signaling pathways are described. Finally, we discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting TRPM for glioma.

•TRPM channels are widely expressed in the human body and play an important role in gliomas.• Abnormal expression of TRPM2, 3, 7, and 8 channels in gliomas is associated with disease severity and prognosis.•TRPM2, 3, 7, and 8 channels are effective targets in glioma.

Improved consolidated bioprocessing for itaconic acid production by simultaneous optimization of cellulase and metabolic pathway of Neurospora crassa.

Lignocellulose was directly used in itaconic acid production by a model filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa. The promoters of two clock control genes and cellobiohydrolase 1 gene were selected for heterologous genes expression by evaluating different types of promoters. The effect of overexpression of different cellulase was compared, and it was found that expression of cellobiohydrolase 2 from Trichoderma reesei increased the filter paper activity by 2 times, the cellobiohydrolase activity by 4.5 times, and that the itaconic acid titer was also significantly improved. A bidirectional cis-aconitic acid accumulation strategy was established by constructing the reverse glyoxylate shunt and expressing the transporter MTTA, which increased itaconic acid production to 637.2 mg/L. The simultaneous optimization of cellulase and metabolic pathway was more conducive to the improvement of cellulase activity than that of cellulase alone, so as to further increase itaconic acid production. Finally, through the combination of fermentation by optimized strains and medium optimization, the titers of itaconic acid using Avicel and corn stover as substrate were 1165.1 mg/L and 871.3 mg/L, respectively. The results prove the potential of the consolidated bioprocessing that directly converts lignocellulose to itaconic acid by a model cellulase synthesizing strain.

Super-enhancer-driven LIF promotes the mesenchymal transition in glioblastoma by activating ITGB2 signaling feedback in microglia.

BACKGROUND: The mesenchymal (MES) subtype of glioblastoma (GBM) is believed to be influenced by both cancer cell-intrinsic alterations and extrinsic cellular interactions, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unexplored. METHODS: Identification of microglial heterogeneity by bioinformatics analysis. Transwell migration, invasion assays, and tumor models were used to determine gene function and the role of small molecule inhibitors. RNA sequencing, chromatin immunoprecipitation, and dual-luciferase reporter assays were performed to explore the underlying regulatory mechanisms. RESULTS: We identified the inflammatory microglial subtype of tumor-associated microglia (TAM) and found that its specific gene ITGB2 was highly expressed in TAM of MES GBM tissues. Mechanistically, the activation of ITGB2 in microglia promoted the interaction between the SH2 domain of STAT3 and the cytoplasmic domain of ITGB2, thereby stimulating the JAK1/STAT3/IL-6 signaling feedback to promote the MES transition of GBM cells. Additionally, microglia communicated with GBM cells through the interaction between the receptor ITGB2 on microglia and the ligand ICAM-1 on GBM cells, while an increased secretion of ICAM-1 was induced by the proinflammatory cytokine LIF. Further studies demonstrated that inhibition of CDK7 substantially reduced the recruitment of SNW1 to the super-enhancer of LIF, resulting in transcriptional inhibition of LIF. We identified notoginsenoside R1 as a novel LIF inhibitor that exhibited synergistic effects in combination with temozolomide. CONCLUSIONS: Our research reveals that the epigenetic-mediated interaction of GBM cells with TAM drives the MES transition of GBM and provides a novel therapeutic avenue for patients with MES GBM.

TGR5-mediated lateral hypothalamus-dCA3-dorsolateral septum circuit regulates depressive-like behavior in male mice.

Although bile acids play a notable role in depression, the pathological significance of the bile acid TGR5 membrane-type receptor in this disorder remains elusive. Using depression models of chronic social defeat stress and chronic restraint stress in male mice, we found that TGR5 in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) predominantly decreased in GABAergic neurons, the excitability of which increased in depressive-like mice. Upregulation of TGR5 or inhibition of GABAergic excitability in LHA markedly alleviated depressive-like behavior, whereas down-regulation of TGR5 or enhancement of GABAergic excitability facilitated stress-induced depressive-like behavior. TGR5 also bidirectionally regulated excitability of LHA GABAergic neurons via extracellular regulated protein kinases-dependent Kv4.2 channels. Notably, LHA GABAergic neurons specifically innervated dorsal CA3 (dCA3) CaMKIIα neurons for mediation of depressive-like behavior. LHA GABAergic TGR5 exerted antidepressant-like effects by disinhibiting dCA3 CaMKIIα neurons projecting to the dorsolateral septum (DLS). These findings advance our understanding of TGR5 and the LHAGABA→dCA3CaMKIIα→DLSGABA circuit for the development of potential therapeutic strategies in depression.

Soliton and dispersive wave generation with third-order dispersion and temporal boundary.

We investigate the pulse evolution and energy conservation condition at the temporal boundary under third-order dispersion. When the fundamental soliton crosses the temporal boundary and forms two reflected pulses and one transmitted pulse, the power of the transmitted pulse first increases and then decreases as the incident spectrum shifts toward the blue side. If the transmitted spectrum lies in the anomalous group-velocity dispersion region, second-order soliton is formed and dispersive wave is radiated. We present a modified phase-matching condition to predict the resonance frequencies. The predicted results are in good agreement with the results obtained by numerically solving the nonlinear Schrödinger equation.

Acidification-Induced Micronano Mechanical Properties and Microscopic Permeability Enhancement Mechanism of Coal.

An acid solution improves the pore-plugging problem in hydraulic fracturing, which in turn improves the permeability of the coal seam. The study aimed to investigate the effect of mixed acid on the micronano mechanical properties and permeability of the coal seam. The surface morphology of acidified coal was analyzed from the micronano scale using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, the micronano scale mechanical characteristics of acidified coal were examined using the mechanical mode in an atomic force microscope. Furthermore, the complexity and connectivity of the micronano pores of samples were investigated using the low-temperature nitrogen adsorption and mercury intrusion porosimetry methods and the fractal theory. The results indicated that the surface minerals of acidified coal were dissolved, loosening the coal and increasing the complexity of the pore structure. Mineral deformation and pore deformation weakened the mechanical properties of coal at the micronano scale, and the mean elastic modulus of acidified coal (B# and E#) decreased by 28.78 and 25.66% compared to that of raw coal. The acid solution effectively enlarged the pore diameter, transitioning from micropores to mesopores and macropores, and the total pore volume of acidified coal increased by 1.88 times and 1.25 times, Kn increased from 0.064 to 0.581 and 0.37, respectively. The type of methane diffusion in the diffusion pores changed from Knudsen diffusion to transition-type diffusion. The tortuosity of the pore structure of acidified coal decreased, the fractal dimension of the tortuosity of the pore structure decreased, and the permeability increased by nearly three times. The research results indicate that the mechanical properties of coal decrease after acidification and that the microstructural changes can promote methane migration (diffusion-seepage), which can provide theoretical guidance for coalbed methane extraction in low-permeability coal reservoirs.

Mice lacking Astn2 have ASD-like behaviors and altered cerebellar circuit properties.

Astrotactin 2 (ASTN2) is a transmembrane neuronal protein highly expressed in the cerebellum that functions in receptor trafficking and modulates cerebellar Purkinje cell (PC) synaptic activity. We recently reported a family with a paternally inherited intragenic ASTN2 duplication with a range of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), learning difficulties, and speech and language delay. To provide a genetic model for the role of the cerebellum in ASD-related behaviors and study the role of ASTN2 in cerebellar circuit function, we generated global and PC-specific conditional Astn2 knockout (KO and cKO, respectively) mouse lines. Astn2 KO mice exhibit strong ASD-related behavioral phenotypes, including a marked decrease in separation-induced pup ultrasonic vocalization calls, hyperactivity and repetitive behaviors, altered social behaviors, and impaired cerebellar-dependent eyeblink conditioning. Hyperactivity and repetitive behaviors were also prominent in Astn2 cKO animals. By Golgi staining, Astn2 KO PCs have region-specific changes in dendritic spine density and filopodia numbers. Proteomic analysis of Astn2 KO cerebellum reveals a marked upregulation of ASTN2 family member, ASTN1, a neuron-glial adhesion protein. Immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy demonstrates a significant increase in Bergmann glia volume in the molecular layer of Astn2 KO animals. Electrophysiological experiments indicate a reduced frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs), as well as increased amplitudes of both spontaneous EPSCs and inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) in the Astn2 KO animals, suggesting that pre- and postsynaptic components of synaptic transmission are altered. Thus, ASTN2 regulates ASD-like behaviors and cerebellar circuit properties.

Mesenchymal stem cells-derived extracellular vesicle-incorporated H19 attenuates cardiac remodeling in rats with heart failure.

Cardiac remodeling is manifested by hypertrophy and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes, resulting in the progression of cardiovascular diseases. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) serve as modifiers of cardiac remodeling. In this study, we aimed to explore the molecular mechanism of H19 shuttled by mesenchymal stem cells (MSC)-derived extracellular vesicles (EV) in cardiac remodeling upon heart failure (HF). Using the GEO database, H19, microRNA (miR)-29b-3p, and CDC42 were screened out as differentially expressed biomolecules in HF. H19 and CDC42 were elevated, and miR-29b-3p was decreased after MSC-EV treatment in rats subjected to ligation of the coronary artery. MSC-EV alleviated myocardial injury in rats with HF. H19 downregulation exacerbated myocardial injury, while miR-29b-3p inhibitor alleviated myocardial injury. By contrast, CDC42 downregulation aggravated the myocardial injury again. PI3K/AKT pathway was activated by MSC-EV. These findings provide insights into how H19 shuttled by EV mitigates cardiac remodeling through a competitive endogenous RNA network regarding miR-29b-3p and CDC42.

Prognostic impact of absolute peripheral blood NK cell count after four cycles of R-CHOP-like regimen treatment in patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma.

As a subtype of lymphocyte, natural killer (NK) cell is the first line of defense that shows a strong function in tumor immunotherapy response and clinical outcomes. The current study aims to investigate the prognostic influence of peripheral blood absolute NK cell count after four cycles of rituximab combined with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (R-CHOP) treatment (NKCC4) in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients. A total of 261 DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP from January 2018 to September 2022 were enrolled. The low NKCC4 was observed in patients who died during the study period compared with survival individuals. A NKCC4 < 135 cells/µl had a remarkable negative influence in overall survival and progression-free survival (PFS) compared to a NKCC4 ≥ 135 cells/µl (p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0004, respectively). In addition, the OS and PFS were synergistically lower in a NKCC4 < 135 cells/µl group among DLBCL patients with GCB type or high IPI. In conclusion, this study indicates NCKK4 as a valuable marker in clinical practice and provides an insight for combination treatment of R-CHOP to improve outcomes of DLBCL patients.

1D Chiral Enantiomer Lead-Free Perovskites Induced Chiralopical Activity and Photoelectric Response.

Chirality is a fascinating geometrical concept with widespread applications in biology, chemistry, and materials. Incorporating chirality into hybrid perovskite materials can induce novel physical properties (chiral optical activity, nonlinear optics, etc.). Hybrid lead-free or lead-substituted perovskite materials, as representatives of perovskites, have been widely used in fields such as photovoltaics, sensors, catalysis, and detectors. However, the successful introduction of chirality into hybrid lead-free perovskites, which can enable their potential applications in areas such as circularly polarized light photodetectors, memories, and spin transistors, remains a challenging research topic. Here, we synthesized two new chiral lead-free perovskites, [(R)-2-methylpiperazine][BiI5] and [(S)-2-methylpiperazine][BiI5]. The material possesses a perovskite structure with a one-dimensional (1D) arrangement, denoted as ABX5. This structure is composed of chiral cations, specifically methylpiperazine, and endless chains of [BiI3] along the a-axis. These chains are assembled from distorted coplanar [BiI5]2- octahedra. The testing results revealed that (R)-1 and (S)-1 have narrow band gaps (Eg-R = 2.016 eV, Eg-S = 1.964 eV), high photoelectric response, and long carrier lifetime [R = 4.94 µs (τ), S = 7.85 µs (τ)]. It is worth noting that 1D chiral lead-free perovskites (R)-1 and (S)-1, which are synthesized in this study with narrow band gaps, high photoelectric response, and long carrier lifetime, have the potential to serve as alternative materials for the perovskite layer in future iterations of lead-free perovskite solar cells. Moreover, this research will inspire the preparation of multifunctional, lead-free perovskites.

Inhibitory effects of hinokitiol on the development and pathogenicity of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides.

Postharvest anthracnose of mango fruit caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is a devastating fungal disease, which causes tremendous quality deterioration and economic losses. Hinokitiol, an environmentally friendly natural compound, is effective in controlling a variety of postharvest fungal diseases. However, there is still a lack of research on the inhibitory effect of hinokitiol on C. gloeosporioides and its possible modes of action. In the present study, the activity of hinokitiol against C. gloeosporioides and its potential mechanisms involved have been investigated. We found that hinokitiol treatment could effectively inhibit the virulence of C. gloeosporioides to harvested mango fruit. After treatment with 8 mg/L hinokitiol, the mycelial growth of C. gloeosporioides was completely inhibited. When the concentration of hinokitiol reached 9 mg/L, the spore germination rate of C. gloeosporioides decreased to 2.43% after 9 h of cultivation. The inhibitory effect is mainly due to the attenuation in cell viability, and impairment in plasma membrane followed by leakage of cytoplasmic contents such as nucleic acids, proteins, and soluble carbohydrates, which ultimately leads to the destruction of cell structure. Furthermore, hinokitiol suppressed the expression of pathogenicity-related genes, leading to reduced infection activity. Collectively, these results suggest that hinokitiol may be an excellent bio-fungicides for the management of mango anthracnose.