The potential of glycinin basic peptide derived from soybean as a promising candidate for the natural food additive and preservative: A review.

Glycinin basic peptide (GBP) is the basic polypeptide of soybean glycinin that is isolated using cheap and readily available raw materials (soybean meals). GBP can bear high-temperature processing and has good functional properties, such as emulsification and adhesion properties et al. GBP exhibits broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as fungi. Beyond that, GBP shows enormous application potential to improve the quality and extend the shelf life of food products. This review will systematically provide information on the purification, physicochemical and functional properties of GBP. Moreover, the antimicrobial activities and multi-target antimicrobial mechanism of GBP as well as the applications of GBP in different food products are also reviewed and discussed in detail. This review aims to offer valuable insights for the applications of GBP in the food industry as a promising natural food additive and preservative.

Mechanism of dexmedetomidine protection against cisplatin induced acute kidney injury in rats.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored the molecular mechanisms by which dexmedetomidine (Dex) alleviates cisplatin (CP)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) in rats. METHODS: CP-induced AKI models were established, and Dex was intraperitoneally injected at different concentrations into rats in the model groups. Subsequently, rats were assigned to the control, CP, CP + Dex 10 µg/kg, and CP + Dex 25 µg/kg groups. After weighing the kidneys of the rats, the kidney arterial resistive index was calculated, and CP-induced AKI was evaluated. In addition, four serum biochemical indices were measured: histopathological damage in rat kidneys was detected; levels of inflammatory factors, interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-18, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha, in kidney tissue homogenate of rats were assessed through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); and levels of NLRP-3, caspase-1, cleaved caspase-1, gasdermin D (GSDMD), and GSDMD-N in kidney tissues of rats were determined via western blotting. RESULTS: Dex treatment reduced nephromegaly and serum clinical marker upregulation caused by CP-induced AKI. In addition, hematoxylin and eosin staining revealed that Dex treatment relieved CP-induced kidney tissue injury in AKI rats. ELISA analyses demonstrated that Dex treatment reduced the upregulated levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the kidney tissue of AKI rats induced by CP, thereby alleviating kidney tissue injury. Western blotting indicated that Dex alleviated CP-induced AKI by inhibiting pyroptosis mediated by NLRP-3 and caspase-1. CONCLUSION: Dex protected rats from CP-induced AKI, and the mechanism may be related to NLRP-3/Caspase-1-mediated pyroptosis.

Structure, functional and physicochemical properties of lotus seed protein under different pH environments.

BACKGROUND: The present study investigated the structure, functional and physicochemical properties of lotus seed protein (LSP) under different pH environments. The structures of LSP were characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), zeta potential, particle size distributions, free sulfhydryl and rheological properties. The functional and physicochemical properties of LSP were characterized by color, foaming property, emulsification property, solubility, oil holding capacity, water holding capacity, differential scanning calorimetry analysis and surface hydrophobicity. RESULTS: LSP was mainly composed of eight subunits (18, 25, 31, 47, 51, 56, 65 and 151 kDa), in which the richest band was 25 kDa. FTIR results showed that LSP had high total contents of α-helix and ß-sheet (44.81-46.85%) in acidic environments. Meanwhile, there was more ß-structure and random structure in neutral and alkaline environments (pH 7.0 and 9.0). At pH 5.0, LSP had large particle size (1576.98 nm), high emulsion stability index (91.43 min), foaming stability (75.69%) and water holding capacity (2.21 g g-1), but low solubility (35.98%), free sulfhydryl content (1.95 µmol g-1) and surface hydrophobicity (780). DSC analysis showed the denaturation temperatures (82.23 °C) of LSP at pH 5.0 was higher than those (80.10, 80.52 and 71.82 °C) at pH 3.0, 7.0 and 9.0. The analysis of rheological properties showed that LSP gel had high stability and great strength in an alkaline environment. CONCLUSION: The findings of the present study are anticipated to serve as a valuable reference for the implementation of LSP in the food industry. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Alleviating sleep disturbances and modulating neuronal activity after ischemia: Evidence for the benefits of zolpidem in stroke recovery.

AIMS: Sleep disorders are prevalent among stroke survivors and impede stroke recovery, yet they are still insufficiently considered in the management of stroke patients, and the mechanisms by which they occur remain unclear. There is evidence that boosting phasic GABA signaling with zolpidem during the repair phase improves stroke recovery by enhancing neural plasticity; however, as a non-benzodiazepine hypnotic, the effects of zolpidem on post-stroke sleep disorders remain unclear. METHOD: Transient ischemic stroke in male rats was induced with a 30-minute middle cerebral artery occlusion. Zolpidem or vehicle was intraperitoneally delivered once daily from 2 to 7 days after the stroke, and the electroencephalogram and electromyogram were recorded simultaneously. At 24 h after ischemia, c-Fos immunostaining was used to assess the effect of transient ischemic stroke and acute zolpidem treatment on neuronal activity. RESULTS: In addition to the effects on reducing brain damage and mitigating behavioral deficits, repeated zolpidem treatment during the subacute phase of stroke quickly ameliorated circadian rhythm disruption, alleviated sleep fragmentation, and increased sleep depth in ischemic rats. Immunohistochemical staining showed that in contrast to robust activation in para-infarct and some remote areas by 24 h after the onset of focal ischemia, the activity of the ipsilateral suprachiasmatic nucleus, the biological rhythm center, was strongly suppressed. A single dose of zolpidem significantly upregulated c-Fos expression in the ipsilateral suprachiasmatic nucleus to levels comparable to the contralateral side. CONCLUSION: Stroke leads to suprachiasmatic nucleus dysfunction. Zolpidem restores suprachiasmatic nucleus activity and effectively alleviates post-stroke sleep disturbances, indicating its potential to promote stroke recovery.

Structure, physicochemical properties, and biological activities of protein hydrolysates from Zanthoxylum seed.

BACKGROUND: Zanthoxylum seed, as a low-cost and easily accessible plant protein resource, has good potential in the food industry. But protein and its hydrolysates from Zanthoxylum seed are underutilized due to the dearth of studies on them. This study aimed to investigate the structure and physicochemical and biological activities of Zanthoxylum seed protein (ZSP) hydrolysates prepared using Protamex®, Alcalase®, Neutrase®, trypsin, or pepsin. RESULTS: Hydrolysis using each of the five enzymes diminished average particle size and molecular weight of ZSP but increased random coil content. ZSP hydrolysate prepared using pepsin had the highest degree of hydrolysis (24.07%) and the smallest molecular weight (<13 kDa) and average particle size (129.80 nm) with the highest solubility (98.9%). In contrast, ZSP hydrolysate prepared using Alcalase had the highest surface hydrophobicity and foaming capacity (88.89%), as well as the lowest foam stability (45.00%). Moreover, ZSP hydrolysate prepared using Alcalase exhibited the best hydroxyl-radical scavenging (half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50 ) 1.94 mg mL-1 ) and ferrous-ion chelating (IC50 0.61 mg mL-1 ) activities. Additionally, ZSP hydrolysate prepared using pepsin displayed the highest angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition activity (IC50 0.54 mg mL-1 ). CONCLUSION: These data showed that enzyme hydrolysis improved the physicochemical properties of ZSP, and enzymatic hydrolysates of ZSP exhibited significant biological activity. These results provided validation for application of ZSP enzymatic hydrolysates as antioxidants and antihypertensive agents in the food or medicinal industries. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

The structural characteristics and physicochemical properties of mung bean protein hydrolysate of protamex induced by ultrasound.

BACKGROUND: The limited physicochemical properties (such as low foaming and emulsifying capacity) of mung bean protein hydrolysate restrict its application in the food industry. Ultrasound treatment could change the structures of protein hydrolysate to accordingly affect its physicochemical properties. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ultrasound treatment on the structural and physicochemical properties of mung bean protein hydrolysate of protamex (MBHP). The structural characteristics of MBHP were evaluated using tricine sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, laser scattering, fluorescence spectrometry, etc. Solubility, fat absorption capacity and foaming, emulsifying and thermal properties were determined to characterize the physicochemical properties of MBHP. RESULTS: MBHP and ultrasonicated-MBHPs (UT-MBHPs) all contained five main bands of 25.8, 12.1, 5.6, 4.8 and 3.9 kDa, illustrating that ultrasound did not change the subunits of MBHP. Ultrasound treatment increased the contents of α-helix, ß-sheet and random coil and enhanced the intrinsic fluorescence intensity of MBHP, but decreased the content of ß-turn, which demonstrated that ultrasound modified the secondary and tertiary structures of MBHP. UT-MBHPs exhibited higher solubility, foaming capacity and emulsifying properties than MBHP, among which MBHP-330 W had the highest solubility (97.32%), foaming capacity (200%), emulsification activity index (306.96 m2 g-1 ) and emulsion stability index (94.80%) at pH 9.0. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound treatment enhanced the physicochemical properties of MBHP, which could broaden its application as a vital ingredient in the food industry. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Whole-brain connectivity to the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis calretinin-expressing interneurons in male mice.

The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a neuropeptide-enriched brain region that modulates a wide variety of emotional behaviours and states, including stress, anxiety, reward and social interaction. The BNST consists of diverse subregions and neuronal ensembles; however, because of the high molecular heterogeneity within BNST neurons, the mechanisms through which the BNST regulates distinct emotional behaviours remain largely unclear. Prior studies have identified BNST calretinin (CR)-expressing neurons, which lack neuropeptides. Here, employing virus-based cell-type-specific retrograde and anterograde tracing systems, we mapped the whole-brain monosynaptic inputs and axonal projections of BNST CR-expressing neurons in male mice. We found that BNST CR-expressing neurons received inputs mainly from the amygdalopiriform transition area, central amygdala and hippocampus and moderately from the medial preoptic area, basolateral amygdala, paraventricular thalamus and lateral hypothalamus. Within the BNST, plenty of input neurons were primarily located in the oval and interfascicular subregions. Furthermore, numerous BNST CR-expressing neuronal boutons were observed within the BNST but not in other brain regions, thus suggesting that these neurons are a type of interneuron. These results will help further elucidate the neuronal circuits underlying the elaborate and distinct functions of the BNST.

Anti-osteoporotic drugs affect the pathogenesis of gut microbiota and its metabolites: a clinical study.

Background: Disordered gut microbiota (GM) structure and function may contribute to osteoporosis (OP). This study explores how traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) intervention affects the structure and function of the GM in patients with OP. Method: In a 3-month clinical study, 43 patients were randomly divided into two groups receiving conventional treatment and combined TCM (Yigu decoction, YGD) treatment. The correlation between the intestinal flora and its metabolites was analyzed using 16S rDNA and untargeted metabolomics and the combination of the two. Results: After three months of treatment, patients in the treatment group had better bone mineral density (BMD) than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Patients in the treatment group had obvious abundance changes in GM microbes, such as Bacteroides, Escherichia-Shigella, Faecalibacterium, Megamonas, Blautia, Klebsiella, Romboutsia, Akkermansia, and Prevotella_9. The functional changes observed in the GM mainly involved changes in metabolic function, genetic information processing and cellular processes. The metabolites for which major changes were observed were capsazepine, Phe-Tyr, dichlorprop, D-pyroglutamic acid and tamsulosin. These metabolites may act through metabolic pathways, the citrate cycle (TCA cycle) and beta alanine metabolism. Combined analysis showed that the main acting metabolites were dichlorprop, capsazepine, D-pyroglutamic acid and tamsulosin. Conclusion: This study showed that TCM influenced the structure and function of the GM in patients with OP, which may be one mechanism by which TCM promotes the rehabilitation of patients with OP through the GM.

[Chrysin alleviates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting ferroptosis in rats].

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether chrysin reduces cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury(CIRI) by inhi-biting ferroptosis in rats. Male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham group, a model group, high-, medium-, and low-dose chrysin groups(200, 100, and 50 mg·kg~(-1)), and a positive drug group(Ginaton, 21.6 mg·kg~(-1)). The CIRI model was induced in rats by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion(tMCAO). The indexes were evaluated and the samples were taken 24 h after the operation. The neurological deficit score was used to detect neurological function. The 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride(TTC) staining was used to detect the cerebral infarction area. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and Nissl staining were used to observe the morphological structure of brain tissues. Prussian blue staining was used to observe the iron accumulation in the brain. Total iron, lipid pero-xide, and malondialdehyde in serum and brain tissues were detected by biochemical reagents. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR), immunohistochemistry, and Western blot were used to detect mRNA and protein expression of solute carrier fa-mily 7 member 11(SLC7A11), transferrin receptor 1(TFR1), glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4), acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member 4(ACSL4), and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2) in brain tissues. Compared with the model group, the groups with drug intervention showed restored neurological function, decreased cerebral infarction rate, and alleviated pathological changes. The low-dose chrysin group was selected as the optimal dosing group. Compared with the model group, the chrysin groups showed reduced content of total iron, lipid peroxide, and malondialdehyde in brain tissues and serum, increased mRNA and protein expression levels of SLC7A11 and GPX4, and decreased mRNA and protein expression levels of TFR1, PTGS2, and ACSL4. Chrysin may regulate iron metabolism via regulating the related targets of ferroptosis and inhibit neuronal ferroptosis induced by CIRI.

Changes in quality components and antioxidant activity of peony seed soy sauce during low-salt solid-state fermentation.

BACKGROUND: In this study, the fermentation conditions of peony seed soy sauce (PSSS) koji were optimized by response surface method, and the quality components and antioxidant activity of PSSS were investigated at different low-salt solid-state fermentation stages. RESULTS: Results of response surface method showed that the optimal fermentation conditions were 460.6 g kg-1 water content, 48.6 h culture time, 31.5 °C culture temperature and ratio 2.1:1 (w/w) of peony seed meal:wheat bran, with the highest neutral protease activity (2193.78 U g-1 ) of PSSS koji. PSSS had the highest amino acid nitrogen (7.69 g L-1 ), salt-free soluble solids (185.26 g L-1 ), total free amino acids (49.03 g L-1 ), essential free amino acids (19.58 g L-1 ) and umami free amino acids (16.64 g L-1 ) at 20 days of fermentation. The highest total phenolics were 5.414 g gallic acid equivalent L-1 and total flavonoids 0.617 g rutin equivalent L-1 , as well as the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity (86.19%) and reducing power (0.8802, A700 ) of PSSS fermented at 30 days. Sensory evaluation showed that fermentation of 20 days and 25 days could produce a better taste and aroma of PSSS than 15 days and 30 days. CONCLUSION: PSSS had the highest quality components in the middle of fermentation (20 days) and the highest antioxidant activity in the late fermentation period (30 days). These results demonstrated that peony seed meal could be used to produce high-quality soy sauce with high antioxidant activity. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Chrysin alleviates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting ferroptosis in rats / 中国中药杂志

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether chrysin reduces cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury(CIRI) by inhi-biting ferroptosis in rats. Male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham group, a model group, high-, medium-, and low-dose chrysin groups(200, 100, and 50 mg·kg~(-1)), and a positive drug group(Ginaton, 21.6 mg·kg~(-1)). The CIRI model was induced in rats by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion(tMCAO). The indexes were evaluated and the samples were taken 24 h after the operation. The neurological deficit score was used to detect neurological function. The 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride(TTC) staining was used to detect the cerebral infarction area. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and Nissl staining were used to observe the morphological structure of brain tissues. Prussian blue staining was used to observe the iron accumulation in the brain. Total iron, lipid pero-xide, and malondialdehyde in serum and brain tissues were detected by biochemical reagents. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR), immunohistochemistry, and Western blot were used to detect mRNA and protein expression of solute carrier fa-mily 7 member 11(SLC7A11), transferrin receptor 1(TFR1), glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4), acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member 4(ACSL4), and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2) in brain tissues. Compared with the model group, the groups with drug intervention showed restored neurological function, decreased cerebral infarction rate, and alleviated pathological changes. The low-dose chrysin group was selected as the optimal dosing group. Compared with the model group, the chrysin groups showed reduced content of total iron, lipid peroxide, and malondialdehyde in brain tissues and serum, increased mRNA and protein expression levels of SLC7A11 and GPX4, and decreased mRNA and protein expression levels of TFR1, PTGS2, and ACSL4. Chrysin may regulate iron metabolism via regulating the related targets of ferroptosis and inhibit neuronal ferroptosis induced by CIRI.

Influence of ultrasound treatment on the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of mung bean protein hydrolysate.

This study aimed to investigate influence of ultrasonic treatment on physicochemical and antioxidant properties of mung bean protein hydrolysate (MPH). Physicochemical properties of MPH were evaluated by Tricine-SDS-PAGE, particle size distribution, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and fluorescence spectroscopy, among others. Radicals scavenging activities of ABTS, hydroxyl, superoxide anion, Fe2+ chelating ability and reducing power characterized antioxidant activities of MPH. MPH contained four bands of 25.6, 12.8, 10.6 and 4.9 kDa, in which 4.9 kDa was the most abundant. Ultrasonic treatment increased the contents of aromatic and hydrophobic amino acids in MPH. Ultrasonic treatment decreased the content of α-helix of MPH and increased ß-sheet and ß-turn compared to MPH. MPH-546 W (ultrasonic treatment 546 W, 20 min) had the lowest average particle size (290.13 nm), zeta potential (-36.37 mV) and surface hydrophobicity (367.95 A.U.). Antioxidant activities of ultrasonicated-MPH increased with the ultrasonic power, achieving the lowest IC50 (mg/mL) of 0.1087 (ABTS), 1.796 (hydroxyl), 1.003 (superoxide anion) and 0.185 (Fe2+ chelating ability) in 546 W power. These results indicated ultrasonic treatment would be a promising method to improve the antioxidant properties of MPH, which would broaden the application scope of MPH as bioactive components in the food industry.

Feasibility study of simultaneous multislice diffusion kurtosis imaging with different acceleration factors in the liver.

BACKGROUND: Simultaneous multislice diffusion-weighted imaging (SMS-DWI) has been used to reduce image acquisition time. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) based on the SMS technique in the liver and the influence of this method compared with that of conventional DWI sequences on image quality and DKI-derived quantitative parameters. METHODS: Forty volunteers underwent SMS-DWI sequences with acceleration factors of 2 and 3 (SMS2-DWI, SMS3-DWI) and conventional DWI (C-DWI) of the liver with three b-values (50, 800, 2000 s/mm2) in a 3T system. Qualitative image quality parameters and quantitative measurements of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), mean kurtosis (MK), mean apparent diffusivity (MD) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) for the liver were compared between the three sequences. RESULTS: The scan times of C-DWI, SMS2-DWI, and SMS3-DWI were 4 min 11 s, 2 min 2 s, and 1 min 34 s, respectively. For all image quality parameters, there were no significant differences observed between C-DWI and SMS2-DWI (all p > 0.05) in the images with b-values of 800 and 2000 s/mm2. C-DWI and SMS2-DWI exhibited better scores than SMS3-DWI (all p < 0.01) in the images with b-values of 2000 s/mm2. In the images with b-values of 800 s/mm2, C-DWI and SMS2-DWI exhibited better scores than SMS3-DWI for artefacts and overall image quality (all p < 0.01), and C-DWI exhibited better scores than SMS3-DWI for the visibility of intrahepatic vessels (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in the sharpness of the right lobe edge (p = 0.144), conspicuity of the left lobe (p = 0.370) or visibility of intrahepatic vessels (p = 0.109) between SMS2-DWI and SMS3-DWI. There were no significant differences in the sharpness of the right lobe edge (p = 0.066) or conspicuity of the left lobe (p = 0.131) between C-DWI and SMS3-DWI. For the b-value of 800 s/mm2, there were no statistically significant differences between SMS2-DWI and C-DWI (p = 1.000) or between SMS2-DWI and SMS3-DWI (p = 0.059), whereas SMS3-DWI had a significantly lower SNR than C-DWI (p = 0.024). For the DKI-derived parameters (MK and MD) and ADC values, there were no significant differences between the three sequences (MK, p = 0.606; MD, p = 0.831; ADC, p = 0.264). CONCLUSIONS: SMS-DWI with an acceleration factor of 2 is feasible for the liver, resulting in considerable reductions in scan time while maintaining similar image quality, comparable DKI parameters and ADC values compared with those of C-DWI.

Scan Time Reduction in Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Diffusion-Weighted Imaging and Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging of the Abdominal Organs: Using a Simultaneous Multislice Technique With Different Acceleration Factors.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of quantitative intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) analyses in the upper abdominal organs by simultaneous multislice diffusion-weighted imaging (SMS-DWI). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In this prospective study, a total of 32 participants underwent conventional DWI (C-DWI) and SMS-DWI sequences with acceleration factors of 2 and 3 (SMS2-DWI and SMS3-DWI, respectively) in the upper abdomen with multiple b-values (0, 10, 20, 50, 80, 100, 150, 200, 500, 800, 1000, 1500, and 2000 seconds/mm2) on a 3 T system (MAGNETOM Prisma; Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany). Image quality and quantitatively measurements of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), true diffusion coefficient (D), pseudodiffusion coefficient (D*), perfusion fraction (f), mean kurtosis (MK), and mean apparent diffusivity (MD) for the liver, pancreas, kidney cortex and medulla, spleen, and erector spine muscle were compared between the 3 sequences. RESULTS: The acquisition times for C-DWI, SMS2-DWI, and SMS3-DWI were 10 minutes 57 seconds, 5 minutes 9 seconds, and 3 minutes 54 seconds. For image quality parameters, C-DWI and SMS2-DWI yielded better results than SMS3-DWI (P < 0.05). SMS2-DWI had equivalent IVIM and DKI parameters compared with that of C-DWI (P > 0.05). No statistically significant differences in the ADC, D, f, and MD values between the 3 sequences (P > 0.05) were observed. The D* and MK values of the liver (P = 0.005 and P = 0.012) and pancreas (P = 0.019) between SMS3-DWI and C-DWI were significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: SMS2-DWI can substantially reduce the scan time while maintaining equivalent IVIM and DKI parameters in the abdominal organs compared with C-DWI.

[Industrial Emission Characteristics and Control Countermeasures of VOCs in Chinese Rapid Economic Development Areas].

With the rapid development of China's economy, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as the precursor of smog and ozone are of increasing concern, especially in rapidly developing areas. This paper is a systematic analysis of VOCs emissions and distribution trends in 12 typical industrial sectors, garbage and wastewater treatment plants, comprehensive industrial parks, and residential districts in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Pearl River Delta Regions. The results show that pharmacy, rubber producing, as well as paint spraying are the top three industries among the 12 typical industries with the highest average VOCs emission concentrations at 541, 499, and 450 mg·m-3, respectively. By comparison, the average emission concentration of VOCs from the pharmaceutical industry in Yangtze River Delta and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region was, respectively, about 112 and 1.00×103 mg·m-3. The paint spraying industry in the Pearl River Delta region has the highest emission rate with an average concentration of 1.04×103 mg·m-3. The investigation pertaining to the distribution of different VOCs categories indicates that highly toxic aromatics and halogenated hydrocarbons account for the highest emissions in paint spraying and pharmaceutical industries, reaching ratios of 55.99% and 26.57%, respectively. Additionally, among the three major economic zones, the VOCs concentration is the lowest in residential areas and comprehensive industrial parks in the Yangtze River Delta but the highest in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region, which is consistent with the distribution of industrial emissions in each region. Moreover, the research reveals that VOCs concentration in residential districts experienced a fluctuating reduction from 2002 to 2018. The significant reduction since 2016 suggests that formulated policies, laws and standards, along with the performed techniques have made significant contributions to the control of VOCs.

[VOCs Emission Inventory and Variation Characteristics of Artificial Sources in Hubei Province in the Yangtze River Economic Belt].

In this study, a 2018 anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emission inventory in Hubei Province was conducted using the emission factor method based on activity levels of five sources. The emission characteristics and variation trends of process sources from 2009 to 2018 were further analyzed. Total anthropogenic VOCs emissions were 6.52×105 tons in Hubei Province, accounting for about 6.41% of the country's total omissions. The contributions of fossil combustion sources, process sources, solvent sources, mobile sources, and waste disposal sources were 3.26%, 76.39%, 4.54%, 14.72%, and 1.09%, respectively. Process sources involving 45 sub-categories of nine industries accounted for a significant proportion of VOCs emissions, with Wuhan and Yichang recording the highest VOCs emission levels. The VOCs emissions intensity of each city and state were analyzed based the level of economic activity and territorial area. Tianmen and Shennongjia had higher VOCs emissions per unit of GDP, while Wuhan, Ezhou, and Tianmen had higher VOCs emissions per unit area. Regarding process source contributions, VOCs emissions increased progressively to 2.45×105 tons in 2009 and then stabilized between 2015 and 2017 with maximum emissions of 7.01×105 tons. In 2018, VOCs emissions decreased to 4.98×105 tons. This trend was similar to national anthropogenic emissions. Two industrial sectors, namely chemical raw materials and rubber and plastics, were the main driving force with contributions of 33.85%-51.55% and 7.07%-38.13%, respectively. Among them, the production of chemicals and active pesticide and pharmaceutical ingredients played an important role in contributing to VOCs emissions, while emissions during foam plastics production varied greatly, increasing sharply to more than 2.00×104 tons in 2015-2017. Under the guidance of the relevant national and local policies, emissions from key industries were significantly reduced in Hubei Province.

[Sources and Distribution Characteristics of HCBD in Rapid Economic Development Areas].

In order to understand the sources and distribution characteristics of hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH), and Pearl River Delta (PRD), the emission sources, as well as their distribution in water and soil were analyzed based on the production levels of chlorinated hydrocarbons and wastewater discharge in the three regions. The results showed that the by-products of trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and wastewater treatment plants were the main sources of HCBD in the three regions. In 2018, the total emissions of HCBD from by-products of TCE and PCE in the three regions were 498.46 t, among which the proportion of by-products of TCE was 66.9%. The HCBD emissions of the three regional industrial and domestic wastewater treatment plants were 628.9 kg and 254.6 kg, respectively. The emissions of HCBD from hydrocarbon chlorination production and wastewater treatment plants in YRD were significantly higher at 497.8 t and 648 kg, respectively, while the emissions from the two sources in BTH were 0.37 t and 125 kg, respectively, and in PRD they were 0.29 t and 110.3 kg, respectively. The average concentrations of HCBD in the natural water of YRD, BTH and PRD were 0.35, 0.25, and 0.64 µg·L-1, respectively, and in the drinking water concentrations were 0.16, 0.09, and 0.04 µg·L-1, respectively. The overall level of HCBD in urban drinking water was relatively low. The concentrations of HCBD in industrial soil were significantly higher than in farmland soil, at 9.3-24.6 ng·g-1 and 0.13-2.67 ng·g-1, respectively. Similar to the situation in water bodies, HCBD pollution in the soil of YRD was the most serious, which was related to the fact that HCBD emissions in YRD were significantly higher than in BTH and PRD.

The clinical effects of a new management mode for hypertensive patients: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The Internet, smartphones, and the application of health technology have great potential for hypertension management. We aim to evaluate a new mode of mobile health management with a social network application to guide blood pressure management in patients with hypertension. METHODS: Using a randomized controlled trial design, 120 hypertensive patients in the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University who volunteered to participate in the study were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group was divided into low, middle, or high-risk groups according to the cardiovascular risk stratification. The blood pressures of both the experimental group (the WeChat-guided new mode group) and the control group (the conventional mode group) were administered for three months. RESULTS: With intervention, both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P=0.016). The SBP and DBP of the experimental group after intervention were lower than those before intervention (P<0.001), which was not observed in the control group (P=0.056). There was no difference in the SBP drops in the low-risk, middle-risk, and high-risk groups (P=0.402). Similarly, no difference in DBP drop was observed (P=0.628). There were no differences in Colorado Pretrial Assessment Tool (CPAT) scores between the experimental group and the control group before intervention (P=0.509). After intervention, CPAT scores in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.001). Before intervention, there was no significant difference in the Hypertension Patients Self-Management Behavior Rating Scale (HPSMBRS) scores, blood lipid, body mass index (BMI), and urinary microalbumin between the experimental group and the control group (P>0.05). After intervention, the HPSMBRS score in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). The HPSMBRS score of the experimental group after intervention was higher than before intervention, and BMI, urinary microalbumin, TC, LDL-C were lower than before intervention (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This new mode of mobile health management has a good effect on blood pressure control in patients with hypertension. It provides evidence for the application of mobile information technology for hypertension patients in clinical practice.

Association between TSH Level and Pregnancy Outcomes in Euthyroid Women Undergoing IVF/ICSI: A Retrospective Study and Meta-analysis.

The aim of this study was to determine the association between thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level and pregnancy outcomes in euthyroid women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). A total of 1185 women were enrolled in the retrospective study, and 12 studies with a total of 6624 women were included in the meta-analysis (including the data of the present retrospective study). Participants in the retrospective study were divided into two groups in terms of their serum TSH levels: TSH ≤2.5 mIU/L group (n=830) and TSH >2.5 mIU/L group (n=355). They were monitored for the status of clinical pregnancy or miscarriage. In the TSH ≤2.5 mIU/L group, 441 (53.1%) women achieved clinical pregnancy, while 48 (5.8%) had early pregnancy loss and 12 (1.4%) had ectopic pregnancy. In the TSH >2.5 mIU/L group, 175 (49.3%) women achieved clinical pregnancy, while 21 (5.9%) had early pregnancy loss and 3 (0.8%) had ectopic pregnancy. No significant differences were observed between the two groups in pregnancy outcomes (P=0.126, P=0.512, P=0.297). The meta-analysis also revealed no significant difference in the clinical pregnancy rate and the miscarriage rate between women with serum TSH ≤2.5 mIU/L and those with serum TSH >2.5 mIU/L. In conclusion, high TSH levels (TSH level >2.5 mIU/L) did not affect clinical pregnancy rate or increase miscarriage rate in euthyroid women undergoing IVF/ICSI.

Metformin reverses PARP inhibitors-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and PD-L1 upregulation in triple-negative breast cancer.

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors have emerged as promising targeted therapies for BRCA-mutated cancers by blocking repair of DNA double-strand breaks. However, resistance to PARP inhibitors (PARPi) has been described in some patients lowering the overall response rates. To investigate the underlying mechanisms of PARPi resistance, we developed the adaptive resistant clones in triple-negative breast cancer cell lines. We identified epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and upregulation of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in resistant cells and further demonstrated the important role of Akt S473 phosphorylation in PARPi resistance. In addition, PARPi mediated EMT is independent of PD-L1 upregulation. Blocking the p-Akt S473 axis by metformin reversed EMT and PD-L1 expression which sensitized PARPi-resistant cells to cytotoxic T cells. Thus, a combination of metformin and PARP inhibitors may be a promising therapeutic strategy to increase the efficacy of PARP inhibitors and tumor sensitivity to immunotherapy.