Degradation of gaseous hydrocarbons in aerated stirred bioreactors inoculated with Rhodococcus erythropolis: Effect of the carbon source and SIFT-MS method development.

The study of microbial hydrocarbons removal is of great importance for the development of future bioremediation strategies. In this study, we evaluated the removal of a gaseous mixture containing toluene, m-xylene, ethylbenzene, cyclohexane, butane, pentane, hexane and heptane in aerated stirred bioreactors inoculated with Rhodococcus erythropolis and operated under non-sterile conditions. For the real-time measurement of hydrocarbons, a novel systematic approach was implemented using Selected-Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS). The effect of the carbon source (∼9.5 ppmv) on (i) the bioreactors' performance (BR1: dosed with only cyclohexane as a single hydrocarbon versus BR2: dosed with a mixture of the 8 hydrocarbons) and (ii) the evolution of microbial communities over time were investigated. The results showed that cyclohexane reached a maximum removal efficiency (RE) of 53% ± 4% in BR1. In BR2, almost complete removal of toluene, m-xylene and ethylbenzene, being the most water-soluble and easy-to-degrade carbon sources, was observed. REs below 32% were obtained for the remaining compounds. By exposing the microbial consortium to only the five most recalcitrant hydrocarbons, REs between 45% ± 5% and 98% ± 1% were reached. In addition, we observed that airborne microorganisms populated the bioreactors and that the type of carbon source influenced the microbial communities developed. The abundance of species belonging to the genus Rhodococcus was below 10% in all bioreactors at the end of the experiments. This work provides fundamental insights to understand the complex behavior of gaseous hydrocarbon mixtures in bioreactors, along with a systematic approach for the development of SIFT-MS methods.

Molecular characteristics of dissolved organic phosphorus in watershed runoff: Coupled influences of land use and precipitation.

Land use and precipitation are two major factors affecting phosphorus (P) pollution of watershed runoff. However, molecular characterization of dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) in runoff under the joint influences of land use and precipitation remains limited. This study used Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) to study the molecular characteristics of DOP in a typical P-polluted watershed with spatially variable land use and precipitation. The results showed that low precipitation and intense human activity, including phosphate mining and associated industries, resulted in the accumulation of aliphatic DOP compounds in the upper reaches, characterized by low aromaticity and low biological stability. Higher precipitation and widespread agriculture in the middle and lower reaches resulted in highly unsaturated DOP compounds with high biological stability constituting a higher proportion, compared to in the upper reaches. While, under similar precipitation, more aliphatic DOP compounds characterized by lower aromaticity and higher saturation were enriched in the lower reaches due to more influence from urban runoff relative to the middle reaches. Photochemical and/or microbial processes did result in changes in the characteristics of DOP compounds during runoff processes due to the prevalence of low molecular weight and low O/C bioavailable aliphatic DOP molecules in the upper reaches, which were increasingly transformed into refractory compounds from the upper to middle reaches. The results of this study can increase the understanding of the joint impacts of land use and precipitation on DOP compounds in watershed runoff.

Catalytic detoxification of mitoxantrone by graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) supported Fe/Pd bimetallic nanoparticles.

The overuse of antibiotics and antitumor drugs has resulted in more and more extensive pollution of water bodies with organic drugs, causing detrimental ecological effects, which have attracted attention towards effective and sustainable methods for antibiotics and antitumor drug degradation. Here, the hybrid nanomaterial (g-C3N4@Fe/Pd) was synthesized and used to remove a kind of both an antibiotic and antitumor drug named mitoxantrone (MTX) with 92.0% removal efficiency, and the MTX removal capacity is 450 mg/g. After exposing to the hybrid material the MTX aqueous solution changed color from dark blue to lighter progressively, and LC-UV results of residual solutions show that a new peak at 3.0 min (MTX: 13.2 min) after removal by g-C3N4@Fe/Pd appears, with the simultaneous detection of intermediate products indicating that g-C3N4@Fe/Pd indeed degrades MTX. Detailed mass spectrometric analysis suggests that the nuclear mass ratio decreased from 445.2 (M+1H) to 126.0 (M+1H), 169.1 (M+1H), 239.2 (M+1H), 267.3 (M+1H), 285.2 (M+1H), 371.4 (M+1H) and 415.2 (M+1H), and the maximum proportion (5.63%) substance of all degradation products (126.0 (M+1H)) is 40-100 times less toxic than MTX. A mechanism for the removal and degradation of mitoxantrone was proposed. Besides, actual water experiments confirmed that the maximum removal capacity of MTX by g-C3N4@Fe/Pd is up to 492.4 mg/g (0.02 g/L, 10 ppm).

The contribution of tumor necrosis factor to multiple sclerosis: a possible role in progression independent of relapse?

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a pleiotropic cytokine regulating many physiological and pathological immune-mediated processes. Specifically, it has been recognized as an essential pro-inflammatory cytokine implicated in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis and progression. MS is a chronic immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system, characterized by multifocal acute and chronic inflammatory demyelination in white and grey matter, along with neuroaxonal loss. A recent concept in the field of MS research is disability resulting from Progression Independent of Relapse Activity (PIRA). PIRA recognizes that disability accumulation since the early phase of the disease can occur independently of relapse activity overcoming the traditional dualistic view of MS as either a relapsing-inflammatory or a progressive-neurodegenerative disease. Several studies have demonstrated an upregulation in TNF expression in both acute and chronic active MS brain lesions. Additionally, elevated TNF levels have been observed in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of MS patients. TNF appears to play a significant role in maintaining chronic intrathecal inflammation, promoting axonal damage neurodegeneration, and consequently contributing to disease progression and disability accumulation. In summary, this review highlights the current understanding of TNF and its receptors in MS progression, specifically focusing on the relatively unexplored PIRA condition. Further research in this area holds promise for potential therapeutic interventions targeting TNF to mitigate disability in MS patients.

Extracellular vesicles may provide an alternative detoxification pathway during skeletal muscle myoblast ageing.

Skeletal muscle (SM) acts as a secretory organ, capable of releasing myokines and extracellular vesicles (SM-EVs) that impact myogenesis and homeostasis. While age-related changes have been previously reported in murine SM-EVs, no study has comprehensively profiled SM-EV in human models. To this end, we provide the first comprehensive comparison of SM-EVs from young and old human primary skeletal muscle cells (HPMCs) to map changes associated with SM ageing. HPMCs, isolated from young (24 ± 1.7 years old) and older (69 ± 2.6 years old) participants, were immunomagnetically sorted based on the presence of the myogenic marker CD56 (N-CAM) and cultured as pure (100% CD56+) or mixed populations (MP: 90% CD56+). SM-EVs were isolated using an optimised protocol combining ultrafiltration and size exclusion chromatography (UF + SEC) and their biological content was extensively characterised using Raman spectroscopy (RS) and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Minimal variations in basic EV parameters (particle number, size, protein markers) were observed between young and old populations. However, biochemical fingerprinting by RS highlighted increased protein (amide I), lipid (phospholipids and phosphatidylcholine) and hypoxanthine signatures for older SM-EVs. Through LC-MS, we identified 84 shared proteins with functions principally related to cell homeostasis, muscle maintenance and transcriptional regulation. Significantly, SM-EVs from older participants were comparatively enriched in proteins involved in oxidative stress and DNA/RNA mutagenesis, such as E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase TTC3 (TTC3), little elongation complex subunit 1 (ICE1) and Acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACACA). These data suggest SM-EVs could provide an alternative pathway for homeostasis and detoxification during SM ageing.

Metabolite comparative variation related lipid metabolisms among fruit, leaf, and stem of Jatropha curcas.

The issue of non-renewable energy scarcity has persisted over an extended period, primarily due to the depletion of fossil fuel reserves and the adverse effects of their utilization. This scarcity stems from the finite nature of fossil energy resources. The development of oil energy or biofuels aims to utilize oil-producing plants such as Jatropha curcas to develop alternative energy resources. However, metabolomic studies in Jatropha curcas are limited and need more investigations. Therefore, this research was essential to find biomarkers of metabolites among the fruit, leaf, and stem of Jatropha curcas using the GC-MS technique. We tested the metabolite profile with the R program, especially the metaboanalystR package, to determine fold change metabolite and pathway analysis. We found that 54 metabolites were detected in both fruit, leaf, and stem tissues of Jatropha curcas L, of which 19 metabolites were upregulated in the fruit, 20 metabolites in the leaf, and 15 up-regulated metabolites in the stem. The metabolites found formed three clusters based on correlation and networking metabolites analysis. The three clusters showed a relationship with the lipid biosynthesis pathway. In this study, provisional information was obtained that there was a different pattern of expression of metabolites between fruit, leaf, and stem tissues in Jatropha curcas, which was thought to be related to the critical metabolites of oleic acid and methylcyclohexane carboxylate in the biosynthetic pathway of fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids. This information is essential as an initial reference for genetic engineering Jatropha curcas so that it can be used to transform plants, especially lipid-producing plants, as a source of oil.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of free perampanel concentrations in practice: A practical analytical technique based on centrifugal ultrafiltration sample separation.

Objectives: The centrifugal ultrafiltration-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method was established to determine the free perampanel (PER) concentration in children with epilepsy. Methods: Free PER concentration was obtained using centrifugal ultrafiltration devices. The internal standard was PER-D5. The method was investigated for selectivity, carryover, lower limit of quantification, calibration curve, accuracy, precision, matrix effects, recovery, and stability. The Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the correlation between the free and total PER concentrations. A nonparametric test was used to estimate the effects of PER along with other antiepileptic drugs on the total and free PER concentrations. Results: The free PER concentration was positively correlated with the total PER concentration in the 57 plasma samples (r = 0.793 > 0, P < 0.001). Additionally, the free PER concentrations were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in valproic acid (VPA) co-therapy (9.87 ± 5.83) compared with non-VPA co-therapy (5.03 ± 4.57). Conclusions: The proposed method is efficient, sensitive, and suitable for detecting free PER concentrations in children with epilepsy. Simultaneously, the free PER concentration response to clinical outcomes in children with epilepsy was more clinically significant, particularly when combined with VPA.

A non-targeted metabolomics comparative study on plasma of pfizer and sinopharm COVID-19 vaccinated individuals, assessed by (TIMS-QTOF) mass spectrometry.

COVID-19 is a highly contagious infectious disease that has posed a global threat, leading to a widespread pandemic characterized by multi-organ complications and failures. AIMS: The present study was conducted to evaluate the impact of Pfizer and Sinopharm vaccines on metabolomic changes and their correlations with immune pathways. MAIN METHODS: The study used a cross-sectional design and implemented an untargeted metabolomics-based approach. Plasma samples were obtained from three groups: non-vaccinated participants, Sinopharm-vaccinated participants, and Pfizer-vaccinated participants. Comparative metabolomic analysis was conducted using TIMS-QTOF, and multiple t-tests with a 5 % false discovery rate (FDR) were performed using MetaboAnalyst software. KEY FINDINGS: Out of the 105 metabolites detected, 72 showed statistically significant changes (p-value < 0.05) across the different groups. Notably, several metabolites such as neopterin, pyridoxal, and syringic acid were markedly altered in individuals vaccinated with Pfizer. Conversely, in the Sinopharm-vaccinated group, significant alterations were observed in sphinganine, neopterin, and sphingosine. These metabolites hold potential as biomarkers for evaluating vaccine efficacy. Additionally, both Pfizer and Sinopharm vaccinations were found to influence sphingolipid and histidine metabolisms compared to the control group. The Sinopharm group also displayed changes in lysine degradation relative to the control group. When comparing the enriched pathways between the Pfizer and Sinopharm-vaccinated groups, differences were observed in purine metabolism. Furthermore, alterations in tryptophan and vitamin B6 metabolism were noted when comparing the Pfizer-vaccinated group with both the control and Sinopharm-vaccinated groups. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings highlight the importance of metabolomics in assessing vaccine effectiveness and identifying potential biomarkers for monitoring the efficacy of newly developed vaccines in a shorter timeframe.

Investigation of bioactive phytochemical compounds of the Ethiopian medicinal plant using GC-MS and FTIR.

Medicinal plants Highly aromatic crude materials are utilized for treating warts as an alternative medicine to surgical treatment because they can be permanently removed from the body. Thus, this investigation aimed to extract plant material from Calotropis procera leaves, describe the phytochemical screening, analyze anti-microbial activities, determine the functional groups in FTIR, and identify the chemical compounds in GC-MS. The PH, specific gravity, and viscosity of the crude extracts of Calotropis procera were determined at 4.5, 0.79, and 0.49, respectively. Analyze the solubility of crude extracts; ethanol can dissolve while water does not. Flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, tannins, and saponins were also present in the phytochemical screening tests of the Calotropis procera extracts, triterpenoids, terpenoids, and steroids were not present in the crude extract. Flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, tannins, and saponins are the primary phytochemical components found in therapeutic plant material. The Calotropis procera crude extracts analyzed for functional groups by FT-IR contained a hydroxyl group, alkane, carbonyl, aldehyde, ketone, phenols, ester, alcohol, and methylene. The chemical compounds analyzed by GC-MS of Calotropis procera crude material were found to have 22 main compounds. Of 22 compounds, 5 compounds are active ingredients for the applications of medical purposes. The bioactive compounds found in the Calotropis procera plant extract are neophytadiene, hexahydrofarnesyl, lanosterol, 2,4-dimethylbenzo [H]quinolone, and squalene. Those bioactive compounds have anti-bacterial, analgesic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiviral, and anti-cancer properties. In an in vitro antimicrobial activity test, the crude extract effectively inhibited more gram-positive bacteria than gram-negative bacteria. This collective reason is why the traditional therapist uses this Calotropis procera plant for the treatment of warts.

Association of immune evasion in myeloid sarcomas with disease manifestation and patients' survival.

Introduction: Myeloid sarcomas (MS) comprise rare extramedullary manifestations of myeloid neoplasms with poor patients' outcome. While the clinical relevance of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is well established in many malignancies, there exists limited information in MS. Methods: The expression of the human leukocyte antigen class I (HLA-I) antigens, HLA-I antigen processing and presenting machinery (APM) components and the composition of the TME of 45 MS and paired bone marrow (BM) samples from two independent cohorts were assessed by immunohistochemistry, multispectral imaging, and RNA sequencing (RNAseq). Results: A significant downregulation of the HLA-I heavy chain (HC; 67.5%) and ß2-microglobulin (ß2M; 64.8%), but an upregulation of HLA-G was found in MS compared to BM samples, which was confirmed in a publicly available dataset. Moreover, MS tumors showed a predominantly immune cell excluded TME with decreased numbers of tissue infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) (9.5%) compared to paired BM (22.9%). RNAseq analysis of a subset of 10 MS patients with preserved and reduced HLA-I HC expression revealed 150 differentially expressed genes and a significantly reduced expression of inflammatory response genes was found in samples with preserved HLA-I expression. Furthermore, low HLA-I expression and low TIL numbers in the TME of MS cases were linked to an inferior patients' outcome. Discussion: This study demonstrated a high prevalence of immune escape strategies in the pathogenesis and extramedullary spread of MS, which was also found in patients without evidence of any BM pathology, which yields the rational for the development of novel individually tailored therapies for MS patients.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Cocaine and its Hydroxy Metabolites in Seized Cocaine and a Large Cohort of Hair Samples.

As cocaine is not only incorporated into hair via blood following ingestion but also by external contamination, hair samples are commonly tested for cocaine metabolites to prove ingestion. However, cocaine metabolites can also be present as degradation products in typical street cocaine samples. The present study investigates minor hydroxycocaine metabolites para- and meta-hydroxycocaine together with para- and meta-hydroxybenzoylecgonine in seized cocaine (n=200) and hair samples from routine casework (n=2,389). Analytical results of hair samples were interpreted using an established decision model for the differentiation between actual use and external contamination using metabolic ratios (metabolite to cocaine). They were further examined concerning background of request, hair color, body site of sample collection, sex, and metabolic ratios of the main metabolites (benzoylecgonine, norcocaine, and cocaethylene). All seized cocaine samples were positive for para- and meta-hydroxycocaine with a maximum percentage of 0.025 and 0.052 %, respectively; para- and meta-hydroxybenzoylecgonine were detected in 55 and 56 % of samples with a maximum percentage of 0.044 and 0.024 %, respectively. Analytical results of 424 hair samples (17.7 %) were interpreted as being predominantly from contamination; the majority of these samples were from traffic medicine cases (83.7 %). Metabolic ratios of minor hydroxycocaine metabolites were significantly higher in hair samples interpreted as originating from use than in samples interpreted as caused by contamination. Metabolic ratios for hydroxycocaines were significantly higher in forensic cases compared to abstinence controls and also in black hair compared to blond/gray hair. However, this was not the case for hydroxybenzoylecgonine metabolic ratios. No statistical difference was observed with regard to the donor's sex. Hydroxycocaine metabolic ratios increased significantly with increasing ratios of norcocaine and cocaethylene to cocaine, respectively. The study demonstrates that hydroxycocaine metabolites (including thresholds for their metabolic ratios) must be used for a reliable interpretation of positive cocaine results in hair samples.

Simultaneous determination of quaternary phosphonium compounds and phosphine oxides in environmental water and solid samples by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Quaternary phosphonium compounds (QPCs) and phosphine oxides (POs) are emerging contaminants that are attracting increasing attention. In the present study, a method for the quantification of QPCs and POs in multiple environmental media was developed using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Analytes were extracted from water samples using solid phase extraction, and for the solid samples, ultrasonic extraction was employed. Compared with analytical methods established by previous studies, the approach developed in this study is more suitable for the quantitative analysis of compounds along with high sensitivity. The method quantification limit reached 0.12-2.55 ng⋅L-1 in water samples and 0.004-0.10 ng⋅g-1 in solid samples. The recoveries of target analytes spiked at low, medium and high concentrations in water and solid samples were in the range of 56.4-120 %, with relative standard deviations below 20 % (n = 6). Furthermore, the validated method succeeded in applying to analyse of eight QPCs and four POs in real environmental samples. At least five QPCs and two POs were detected in each environmental medium. This quantitative method would assist in further investigations on the occurrence, migration and the source of QPCs and POs.

In situ imaging of LPMO action on plant tissues.

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are copper-dependent enzymes that oxidatively cleave recalcitrant polysaccharides such as cellulose. Several studies have reported LPMO action in synergy with other carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) for the degradation of lignocellulosic biomass but direct LPMO action at the plant tissue level remains challenging to investigate. Here, we have developed a MALDI-MS imaging workflow to detect oxidised oligosaccharides released by a cellulose-active LPMO at cellular level on maize tissues. Using this workflow, we imaged LPMO action and gained insight into the spatial variation and relative abundance of oxidised and non-oxidised oligosaccharides. We reveal a targeted action of the LPMO related to the composition and organisation of plant cell walls.

High sensitivity profiling of N-glycans from mouse serum using fluorescent imidazolium tags by HILIC electrospray ionisation spectrometry.

N-linked glycosylation is a ubiquitous protein post-translational modification in which aberrant glycan biosynthesis has been linked to severe conditions like cancer. Accurate qualitative and quantitative analysis of N-glycans are crucial for investigating their physiological functions. Owing to the intrinsic absence of chromophores and high polarity of the glycans, current detection methods are restricted to liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Herein, we describe three new imidazolium-based glycan tags: 2'GITag, 3'GITag, and 4'GITag, that significantly improve both the limit of detection and limit of quantification of derivatized oligosaccharides, in terms of fluorescence intensity and ionisation efficiency. Our top-performing derivatisation agent, 4'GITag, shifted the detection sensitivity range from high femtomole to sub-femtomole levels in ESI-MS compared to traditional glycan label, 2AB, enabling the identification of 24 N-glycans in mouse serum, including those bearing sialic acids. Additionally, 4'GITag stabilized Na-salt forms of sialic acids, simplifying the simultaneous analysis of neutral and negative charged N-glycans significantly, avoiding the need for complex derivatisation procedures typically required for the detection of sialylated species. Overall, the favorable performance of imidazolium tags in the derivatisation and sensitive profiling of glycans has the potential for labeling tissue or live cells to explore disease biomarkers and for developing new targeted therapeutic strategies.

Bioactivity of silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav.) berries parts against Galleria mellonella and Erwinia carotovora and LC-MS chemical profile of its potential extract.

Natural products received much attention as an environmentally beneficial solution for pest management. Therefore, the extracts of invasive silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav.) weeds using their berries parts (seeds, peels and mucilage) supported by bioassay-guided fractionation were tested against both the greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella) and Erwinia carotovora pv. carotovora causes of the blackleg of potatoes. The seeds and peels of S. elaeagnifolium were successively extracted by maceration using dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), and ethanol (EtOH), respectively. While, its mucilage was extracted using EtOAc. The successive EtOH extract of the plant seeds had promising inhibition efficacy and the best minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) of 50 µg/ml against E. Carotovora amongst other extracts (DCM and EtOAc of the plant berries parts). Depending on dose response activity, EtOH extract had G. mellonella larval mortality and pupal duration rates (LC50; 198.30 and LC95; 1294.73 µg/ml), respectively. Additionally, this EtOH extract of seeds was fractionated using preparative TLC to three characteristic bands. The insecticidal and bacterial activities of these isolated bands (SEA, SEB, and SEC) were evaluated at a dose of 100 µg/ml, causing mortality by 48.48, 62.63 and 92.93% (G. mellonella larvae) and inhibition by 15.22, 0.00 and 31.66 mm (E. carotovora), respectively. Moreover, the separated major three bands were tentatively identified using LC-ESI-MS analysis revealing the presence of two phenolic acids; chlorogenic acid (SEA) and dicaffeoyl quinic acid (SEB) in addition to one steroidal saponin (SEC) annotated as borassoside E or yamoscin. Finally, the plant seeds' successive EtOH extract as well as its active constituents, exhibited potential broad-spectrum activity and the ability to participate in future pest management initiatives. A field study is also recommended to validate its bio-efficacy against selected pests and to develop its formulations.

Assessment of body compositions in the prediction of metabolic syndrome in adults.

Background: The musculoskeletal system participates in the pathology of metabolic disorders. Several studies have focused on body composition changes; however, the adipose tissue between muscle bundles with different metabolic statuses has rarely been studied. This study sought to explore the association between body compositions and metabolic disorders in Asians, and identify whether these body compositions can be used to detect metabolic disorders with different waist circumferences (WCs) by computed tomography (CT). Methods: A total of 116 subjects were included in the study and categorized into the following four groups according to WC and metabolic syndrome (MS): (I) the healthy control group; (II) the normal WC with metabolic disorder group; (III) the normal WC with MS group; and (IV) the larger WC with MS group. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria based on WC, laboratory tests, body mass index (BMI), and medical history was used to diagnose MS. Body composition parameters, such as muscle attenuation, the cross-sectional area of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), muscle, extramyocellular lipid (EMCL), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and the ratios between different compositions [e.g., the SMR (SAT/muscle), EMR (EMCL/muscle), and VMR (VAT/muscle)] were calculated for the thigh and abdomen. The areas under the curve (AUCs) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves adjusted for multiple comparisons were used to discriminate among metabolic disorders. Results: The groups with metabolic disorders had more SAT (P=0.001) and EMCL (P=0.040) in the thigh, and more VAT (P=0.001) and a higher SMR (P<0.001) in the abdomen. EMCL and muscle attenuation in the thigh (AUCs =0.790 and 0.791), and the VMR and SMR in the abdomen were better able to diagnose metabolic disorders (AUCs =0.752 and 0.746) than other body composition parameters. While SAT and EMCL in the thigh (AUCs =0.768 and 0.760), and VAT and the VMR in the abdomen (AUCs =0.788 and 0.775) were better able to diagnose MS than other parameters. Conclusions: Body composition parameters for the thigh and abdomen could assist in detecting patients with an increased risk of MS.

Tapping the potential of Calotropis procera hairy roots for cardiac glycosides production and their identification using UHPLC/QTOF-MS.

The present work deals with the establishment of hairy root cultures from different explants of C. procera using Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain A4. A high transformation frequency (95%) was obtained from leaves followed by cotyledons (81.6%) and hypocotyls (38.3%). Genetic transformation of hairy roots was confirmed through PCR by amplifying a 400 bp fragment of the rolB gene. Hairy roots were highly branched, possessed plagiotropic and rapid growth on hormone-free ½ B5 medium. Ten cardiac glycosides, including calotropagenin, calotoxin, frugoside, coroglaucigenin, calotropin, calactin, uzarigenin, asclepin, uscharidin, and uscharin, based on their specific masses and fragmentation properties were identified in ethanolic extracts of hairy roots by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry UHPLC/QTOF-MS. This protocol could be used as a powerful tool for large-scale in vitro production of highly valued cardiac glycosides and for further transcriptomics or metabolomics studies.

Targeted multiplex validation of CSF proteomic biomarkers: implications for differentiation of PCNSL from tumor-free controls and other brain tumors.

Introduction: Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that affects brain parenchyma, eyes, cerebrospinal fluid, and spinal cord. Diagnosing PCNSL can be challenging because imaging studies often show similar patterns as other brain tumors, and stereotactic brain lesion biopsy conformation is invasive and not always possible. This study aimed to validate a previous proteomic profiling (PMID: 32610669) of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and develop a CSF-based proteomic panel for accurate PCNSL diagnosis and differentiation. Methods: CSF samples were collected from patients of 30 PCNSL, 30 other brain tumors, and 31 tumor-free/benign controls. Liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry targeted proteomics analysis was used to establish CSF-based proteomic panels. Results: Final proteomic panels were selected and optimized to diagnose PCNSL from tumor-free controls or other brain tumor lesions with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.873 (95%CI: 0.723-0.948) and 0.937 (95%CI: 0.807- 0.985), respectively. Pathways analysis showed diagnosis panel features were significantly enriched in pathways related to extracellular matrices-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, and PI3K-Akt signaling, while prion disease, mineral absorption and HIF-1 signaling were significantly enriched with differentiation panel features. Discussion: This study suggests an accurate clinical test panel for PCNSL diagnosis and differentiation with CSF-based proteomic signatures, which may help overcome the challenges of current diagnostic methods and improve patient outcomes.

Acrylamide formation in air-fryer roasted legumes as affected by legume species and roasting degree: the correlation of acrylamide with asparagine and free sugars.

Acrylamide is a well-recognized hazardous compound with known carcinogenic, genotoxic, neurotoxic, and reproductive toxic effects. This research aimed to investigate how different legume species and roasting durations influence acrylamide formation during air-fryer roasting. The study also examined the relationship between acrylamide formation and the levels of free asparagine and free sugars in different bean species. Asparagine content varies substantially across different bean species. Sucrose was the predominant sugar across all bean species, with smaller amounts of galactose and glucose. Air-fryer-roasted Wandu kong (garden pea) showed the highest acrylamide formation, followed by Ultari kong (kidney bean) and Heoktae (black soybean), in that order. Beans roasted for longer periods in an air fryer contained significantly higher levels of acrylamide. This study revealed a strong positive correlation between acrylamide formation and the level of free asparagine in the beans, highlighting the risks associated with certain legume species and air-fryer roasting durations.

Use of Proteomics for Dietary Reconstruction: A Case Study Using Animal Teeth from Ancient Mesopotamia.

This research examines animal teeth from Early Dynastic (2900-2350 BCE) Mesopotamia (Southern Iraq) to assess animal management practices and identify consumption patterns in animal diets. The objective to answer larger questions about food management and environmental resilience in ancient early complex societies in the Near East was achieved by the use of mass spectrometry-based proteomics for dietary reconstruction. Dietary MS, a revolutionary new methodology applying proteomics techniques to archeological sample sets to reconstruct ancient animal diet. A developed protein extraction technique followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry allowed for the identification of the specific plant species consumed in order to highlight variable herd management strategies, resource optimization, for each taxon over time. It also provided information about overall health and indications of disease. This is the first study to apply a full suite of analyses to the region and provides the foundations of a necessary long-term view of human interaction within an environment, through both time and space.