Effects of quercetin- and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum-containing bioactive films on physicochemical properties and microbial safety of grass carp.

In this study, the electrospinning technique was used to co-encapsulate Quercetin (Qu) and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 1-24-LJ in PVA-based nanofibers, and the effect of bioactive films on fish preservation was evaluated at the first time. The findings indicated that both Lpb. plantarum 1-24-LJ and Qu were successfully in the fibers, and co-loaded fibers considerably outperformed single-loaded fiber in terms of bacterial survival and antioxidant activity. Following fish preservation using the loaded fibers, significant reductions were observed in TVB-N, TBARS, and microbial complexity compared to the control group. Additionally, the co-loaded fibers more effectively reduced the counts of H2S-producing bacteria and Pseudomonas. In the future, fibers with both active substances and LAB hold promise as a novel approach for fish preservation.

High-speed electrospinning of phycocyanin and probiotics complex nanofibrous with higher probiotic activity and antioxidation.

This study reports for the first time the co-encapsulation of probiotics and phycocyanin by electrospinning. SEM showed that the electrospun fibers exhibited a homogeneous, smooth surface and a circular shape. XRD and ATR-FTIR results showed that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 1-24-LJ and Pc were co-embedded in the fibers and that the presence of L. plantarum 1-24-LJ promoted the encapsulation of phycocyanin. TG analysis showed that the addition of phycocyanin and L. plantarum 1-24-LJ improved the composite fiber's thermal stability. The fibers co-embedded with phycocyanin and L. plantarum 1-24-LJ had the highest DPPH and ABTS+ activity, indicating that the two may have synergistic antioxidant effects. After 28 days, the viability of the strain could still be above 6 log cfu/g, and the addition of phycocyanin could help to improve the strain's survivability. In this experiment, a co-embedding method for probiotics and antioxidants was proposed, which could effectively increase the survivability of probiotics and improve the antioxidant properties of the fibers.

Combined effects of lipase and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 1-24-LJ on physicochemical property, microbial succession and volatile compounds formation in fermented fish product.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that either the addition of starter culture or enzyme can improve fermentation in fish or other products. However, little research has been carried out on the effects of coupling starter cultures with lipase on the microbial community and product quality. Suanzhayu is a Chinese fermented fish product that mainly relies on spontaneous fermentation, resulting in an unstable flavor and quality. The present study investigated the impact of lipase and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 1-24-LJ on the quality of Suanzhayu. RESULTS: Inoculation decreased pH and 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values, and also helped the dominance of the strain in the ecosystem, whereas lipase addition raised TBARS values and had little effect on pH, water activity (aw ) and microbiota. The addition of lipase and/or Lpb. plantarum increased the content of alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters and umami amino acids. The co-additions with the most significant effect and the total contents of volatile compounds (VCs) and free amino acids (FAAs) were 1801.92 g per 100 g and 21 357.05 mg per 100 g, respectively. Former-Lactobacillus was negatively correlated with pH, aw and Prevotella, but positively with VCs (ethyl ester of heptanoic acid, ethyl ester of octanoic acid) and FAAs (Tyr, Phe). Furthermore, adding Lpb. plantarum 1-24-LJ alone or in combination with lipase shortened the fermentation process. CONCLUSION: The present study provides a recommended Suanzhayu process approach for improving product quality and flavor, as well as shortening fermentation time, by adding Lpb. plantarum 1-24-LJ with or without lipase. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Lipase Addition Promoted the Growth of Proteus and the Formation of Volatile Compounds in Suanzhayu, a Traditional Fermented Fish Product.

This work investigated the effect of lipase addition on a Chinese traditional fermented fish product, Suanzhayu. The accumulation of lactic acid and the decrease of pH during the fermentation were mainly caused by the metabolism of Lactobacillus. The addition of lipase had little effect on pH and the bacterial community structure but promoted the growth of Proteus. The addition of lipase promotes the formation of volatile compounds, especially aldehydes and esters. The formation of volatile compounds is mainly divided into three stages, and lipase had accelerated the fermentation process. Lactobacillus, Enterococcus and Proteus played an important role not only in inhibition of the growth of Escherichia-Shigella, but also in the formation of flavor. This study provides a rapid fermentation method for the Suanzhayu process.

Care Coordination for Breast Cancer Survivors in Urban Underserved Communities: Will Treatment Summaries and Survivorship Care Plans Be Enough?

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined cancer care coordination at federally qualified health centers (FHQCs). The Commission on Cancer's (CoC) standard 3.3, i.e., treatment summaries and survivorship care plans (TS-SCPs), is aimed at improving communication between cancer specialists and primary care providers (PCPs) across all healthcare systems. Whether this will improve care at FQHCs is unclear. We sought to understand breast cancer care coordination at FQHCs before the stepwise implementation of standard 3.3. METHODS: In 2014, we conducted a retrospective chart review at five Chicago FQHCs. We used ICD-9 codes to identify 109 breast cancer cases diagnosed within 5 years of the chart review. We examined charts for (1) external cancer records, (2) PCP documentation of breast cancer histories, and (3) documentation of PCP engagement in cancer-relevant follow-up care. RESULTS: Less than 50% of the charts had PCP documentation of more than one area of cancer-relevant follow-up care. Availability of external records did not increase PCP engagement in cancer-relevant follow-up care. Instead, PCPs who documented information about their patient's breast cancer treatments also documented more cancer-relevant follow-up care. CONCLUSION: Before the stepwise implementation of TS-SCPs, less than 50% of the charts had PCP documentation of more than one area of cancer-related follow-up care. The TS-SCP is designed to facilitate care coordination between specialists and PCPs through increased communication. Our results suggest the availability of external cancer information did not necessarily translate into care delivery. This suggests communication of information alone is insufficient.

Facial Palsy Induced by Checkpoint Blockade: A Single Center Retrospective Study.

The augmented immune response caused by immune checkpoint inhibitors leads to the emergence of a class of side effects called immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Facial palsy (FP) is rarely reported as an irAE. In this retrospective study, we reviewed the records of 353 patients treated with immunotherapy in our center from 2015-2018. We identified 4 male patients and 1 female patient with FP. Four had metastatic melanoma and were treated with ipilimumab either as monotherapy or in combination with nivolumab or pembrolizumab. The remaining patient had metastatic bladder cancer, treated with atezolizumab. FP was unilateral and occurred 1-23 weeks after starting immunotherapy. FP was part of a more diffuse neuropathic process in 3 of our patients. Lymphocytic pleocytosis was seen in the cerebrospinal fluid of 3 patients who had lumbar punctures. Magnetic resonance imaging showed enhancement of the intracranial portion of the affected facial nerve in 4 patients. The outcome was favorable in all of the patients noting that 1 patient had incomplete recovery. We conclude that FP, in isolation or as a part of a polyneuropathy, is common among neurological irAEs associated with checkpoint inhibitors and generally has a good prognosis.

[Cultivation of aerobic granular sludge with municipal wastewater and studies on its characteristics under the continuous flow].

The aerobic granular sludge was cultivated successfully in a continuous-flow airlift aerobic granular sludge fluidized bed (CAFB), with low-concentration municipal sewage as the influent and flocculent activated sludge as the seeding sludge. The formation, characteristics and the biological diversity of the aerobic granules in the CAFB were investigated and analyzed. Experimental results showed that many dense and compact granules with diameter of 800-1 000 microm were formed as early as the 6th days operation. At the start-up stage, sludge volume index (SVI) decreased to 35 mL x g(-1), the mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) concentration increased to 6000 mg x L(-1), and the mass fraction of extracellular polymeric substances increased significantly. The granules presented a good biological diversity and high biomass contents at the steady running stage. The aerobic granules were basically composed of coccid and bacillus as observed by the scanning electron microscope. A large number of voids and channels were found to be located on the surface of the granules. The removal rate of COD maintained at 70% -75% at the steady stage of CAFB running, and the effluent COD concentrations were 70 mg x L(-1). At the 32nd day of operation, filamentous bacteria grew apparently and sludge bulking happened. Above results showed the CAFB aerobic granules formed rapidly, and performed a good ability on the pollutant removal. However, more work is necessary on the steady running of this novel bioreactor in the future.

Sox1 acts through multiple independent pathways to promote neurogenesis.

Although Sox1, Sox2, and Sox3 are all part of the Sox-B1 group of transcriptional regulators, only Sox1 appears to play a direct role in neural cell fate determination and differentiation. We find that overexpression of Sox1 but not Sox2 or Sox3 in cultured neural progenitor cells is sufficient to induce neuronal lineage commitment. Sox1 binds directly to the Hes1 promoter and suppresses Hes1 transcription, thus attenuating Notch signaling. Sox1 also binds to beta-catenin and suppresses beta-catenin-mediated TCF/LEF signaling, thus potentially attenuating the wnt signaling pathway. The C-terminus of Sox1 is required for both of these interactions. Sox1 also promotes exit of cells from cell cycle and up-regulates transcription of the proneural bHLH transcription factor neurogenin 1 (ngn1). These observations suggest that Sox1 works through multiple independent pathways to promote neuronal cell fate determination and differentiation.

[Acoustic analysis of the voice restored by using a tracheoesophageal slit-like fistula].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of voice restored by using a tracheoesophageal slit-like fistula objectively through acoustic analysis. METHODS: Seven objective voice parameters (fundamental frequency, intensity, duration, formant F1, F2, F3 and their energy, jitter, and shimmer) of esophageal speech, Blom-Singer prosthesis voice, tracheoesophageal slit-like fistula voice, primary or modified surgical restored, and normal voice were analyzed and compared. RESULTS: T test was used for statistical analysis. The maximum phonation time of slit-like fistula voice was shorter than that of normal voice, longer than that of esophageal voice, no significant difference compared with that of Blom-Singer prosthesis voice. Its sound intensity of it was similar to that of normal voice and Blom-Singer voice, better than that of esophageal voice. Its fundamental frequency was lower than that of normal voice. Its shimmer and jitter was more than that of normal voice, less than that of esophageal voice, and similar to that of Blom-singer one. Compared with esophageal voice, all formants but F1 of it were not statistically different. No statistical difference between the 2 groups of slit-like fistula patients, i.e., the instant slit-like fistula construction after total laryngectomy and the second stage slit-like fistula construction. CONCLUSION: The voice quality of the patients with tracheoesophageal slit-like fistula is similar to that of the normal and could meet the needs of daily life.