Optimization of ultrasonic conditions for improving the characteristics of corn starch-glycyrrhiza polysaccharide composite to prepare enhanced quality lycopene inclusion complex.

In this study, based on response surface optimization of ultrasound pre-treatment conditions for encapsulating lycopene, the corn starch-glycyrrhiza polysaccharide composite (US-CS-GP) was used to prepare a novel lycopene inclusion complex (US-CS-GP-Lyc). Ultrasound treatment (575 W, 25 kHz) at 35 °C for 25 min significantly enhanced the rheological and starch properties of US-CS-GP, facilitating the preparation of US-CS-GP-Lyc with an encapsulation efficiency of 76.12 ±â€¯1.76 %. In addition, the crystalline structure, thermal properties, and microstructure of the obtained lycopene inclusion complex were significantly improved and showed excellent antioxidant activity and storage stability. The US-CS-GP-Lyc exhibited a V-type crystal structure, enhanced lycopene loading capacity, and reduced crystalline regions due to increased amorphous regions, as well as superior thermal properties, including a lower maximum thermal decomposition rate and a higher maximum decomposition temperature. Furthermore, its smooth surface with dense pores provides enhanced space and protection for lycopene loading. Moreover, the US-CS-GP-Lyc displayed the highest DPPH scavenging rate (92.20 %) and enhanced stability under light and prolonged storage. These findings indicate that ultrasonic pretreatment can boost electrostatic forces and hydrogen bonding between corn starch and glycyrrhiza polysaccharide, enhance composite properties, and improve lycopene encapsulation, which may provide a scientific basis for the application of ultrasound technology in the refined processing of starch-polysaccharides composite products.

Improving the properties of whey protein isolate-zein nanogels with novel acidifiers: Re-dispersity, stability and quercetin bioavailability.

Low bioavailability of quercetin (Que) reduces its preclinical and clinical benefits. In order to improve Que bioavailability, a novel whey protein isolate (WPI)-zein nanogel was prepared by pH-driven self-assembly and heat-induced gelatinization. The results showed that hydrochloric acid can be substituted by both acetic acid and citric acid during the pH-driven process. After encapsulation, the bioavailability of Que in nanogels (composed of 70 % WPI) induced by different acidifiers increased to 19.89 % (citric acid), 21.65 % (hydrochloric acid) and 24.34 % (acetic acid), respectively. Comparatively, nanogels induced by acetic acid showed higher stability (pH and storage stability), re-dispersibility (75.62 %), Que bioavailability (24.34 %), and antioxidant capacity (36.78 % for DPPH scavenging rates). s improved performance of nanogels. In mechanism, acetic acid significantly balanced different intermolecular forces by weakening "acid-induced denaturation" effect. Moreover, the faster binding of Que and protein as well as higher protein molecular flexibility and randomness (higher ratio of random coil) was also observed in nanogels induced by acetic acid. All of these changes contributed to improve nanogels performances. Overall, WPI-zein nanogels induced by acetic acid might be a safe, efficiency and stable delivery system to improve the bioavailability of hydrophobic active ingredients.

NEAT1_1 confers gefitinib resistance in lung adenocarcinoma through promoting AKR1C1-mediated ferroptosis defence.

Gefitinib is one of the most extensively utilized epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) for treating advanced lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients harboring EGFR mutation. However, the emergence of drug resistance significantly compromised the clinical efficacy of EGFR-TKIs. Gaining further insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying gefitinib resistance holds promise for developing novel strategies to overcome the resistance and improve the prognosis in LUAD patients. Here, we identified that the inhibitory efficacy of gefitinib on EGFR-mutated LUAD cells was partially dependent on the induction of ferroptosis, and ferroptosis protection resulted in gefitinib resistance. Among the ferroptosis suppressors, aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C1 (AKR1C1) exhibited significant upregulation in gefitinib-resistant strains of LUAD cells and predicted poor progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of LUAD patients who received first-generation EGFR-TKI treatment. Knockdown of AKR1C1 partially reversed drug resistance by re-sensitizing the LUAD cells to gefitinib-mediated ferroptosis. The decreased expression of miR-338-3p contributed to the aberrant upregulation of AKR1C1 in gefitinib-resistant LUAD cells. Furthermore, upregulated long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1_1 (NEAT1_1) sponged miR-338-3p to neutralize its suppression on AKR1C1. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and miRNA rescue experiment confirmed the NEAT1_1/miR-338-3p/AKR1C1 axis in EGFR-mutated LUAD cells. Gain- and loss-of-function assays demonstrated that the NEAT1_1/miR-338-3p/AKR1C1 axis promoted gefitinib resistance, proliferation, migration, and invasion in LUAD cells. This study reveals the effects of NEAT1_1/miR-338-3p/AKR1C1 axis-mediated ferroptosis defence in gefitinib resistance in LUAD. Thus, targeting NEAT1_1/miR-338-3p/AKR1C1 axis might be a novel strategy for overcoming gefitinib resistance in LUAD harboring EGFR mutation.

DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMANCE OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM INFECTIONS IN PATIENTS WITH NEUROSURGICAL INTENSIVE CARE USING METAGENOMIC NEXT-GENERATION SEQUENCING: A PROSPECTIVE OBSERVATIONAL STUDY.

ABSTRACT: Background. Identifying the causative pathogens of central nervous system infections (CNSIs) is crucial, but the low detection rate of traditional culture methods in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has made the pathogenic diagnosis of CNSIs a longstanding challenge. Patients with CNSIs after neurosurgery often overlap with inflammatory and bleeding. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has shown some benefits in pathogen detection. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic performance of mNGS in the etiological diagnosis of CNSIs in patients after neurosurgery. Methods. In this prospective observational study, we enrolled patients with suspected CNSIs after neurosurgical operations who were admitted to the intensive care unit of Beijing Tiantan Hospital. All enrolled patients' CSF was tested using mNGS and pathogen culture. According to comprehensive clinical diagnosis, the enrolled patients were divided into CNSIs group and non-CNSIs group to compare the diagnostic efficiency of mNGS and pathogen culture. Results. From December 2021 to March 2023, 139 patients were enrolled while 66 in CNSIs group and 73 in non-CNSIs. The mNGS exceeded culture in the variety and quantity of pathogens detected. The mNGS outperformed traditional pathogen culture in terms of positive percent agreement (63.63%), accuracy (82.01%), and negative predictive value (75.00%), with statistically significant differences ( P < 0.05) for traditional pathogen culture. The mNGS also detected bacterial spectrum and antimicrobial resistance genes. Conclusions. Metagenomics has the potential to assist in the diagnosis of patients with CNSIs who have a negative culture.

Effect of subcritical water temperature on the chain conformation and immune activity of ginger polysaccharides.

In this study, the ginger polysaccharides extracted from hot water (HW-G) were modified with subcritical water (SW-G) to effectively regulate their immune activity, and the relationship between polysaccharide chain conformation and immune activity at different subcritical water temperatures was investigated. The results indicated that, compared with HW-G, the xylose and mannose were degraded at high temperatures. The molecular weight of ginger polysaccharide decreased from 1.083 × 106 g/mol to 3.113 × 105 g/mol after subcritical water modification (100-160 °C). The chain conformation transitioned from rigid rod chain to semi-rigid chain and eventually to random coil. The degree of relaxation of the polysaccharide chains showed a continuous increase trend. Additionally, ginger polysaccharide modified by subcritical water at 130 °C was found to promote the proliferation and phagocytosis of 264.7 cells more obviously and signally increase the secretion levels of NO, IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1ß. When the subcritical water temperature exceeds 130 °C, the activity of ginger polysaccharide begins to decline rapidly. These findings demonstrate a close correlation between polysaccharide chain conformation and immunomodulatory activity, confirming the feasibility of the subcritical water temperature effect as a means of immune activity regulation, which opens up a new approach to obtaining highly active polysaccharides.

Effect of subcritical water temperature on the structure, antioxidant activity and immune activity of polysaccharides from Glycyrrhiza inflata Batalin.

In this study, the polysaccharide from Glycyrrhiza inflata Batalin extracted by hot water (HW-GP) was further physically modified with subcritical water to obtain novel polysaccharides (SW-GP). Comparative analysis was conducted to examine the disparities in conformation and bioactivity between HW-GP and SW-GP, aiming to precisely regulate the structure of the polysaccharides and enhance their bioactivity by controlling subcritical water temperature. The results showed that, compared with HW-GP, subcritical water modification (100-160 °C) not only significantly reduced the molecular weight of polysaccharides (from 5.586 × 105 g/mol to 1.484 × 105 g/mol), but also modulated the intermolecular interaction forces, which maintain the conformation of the polysaccharides, including electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, thereby dynamically transforming the polysaccharide chain conformation from triple helix to random coil, and the strength of the chain conformation shifted from rigid to flexible. In addition, the modification of the SW-GP structure by subcritical water also enhanced its biological activity. SW-GP (140 °C) with low molecular weight and semi-rigid triple helix conformation showed the best scavenging effect on the DPPH, ABTS, and hydroxyl radicals, and exhibited excellent antioxidant activity. SW-GP (130 °C) with medium molecular weight and semi-rigid triple helix conformation significantly promoted the proliferation and phagocytosis of RAW264.7 cells, as well as increased the release levels of NO, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß, and the immunomodulatory activity was much higher than that of other polysaccharides. These findings confirmed the feasibility of using subcritical water temperature as a regulatory feature for the structure and bioactivity of glycyrrhiza polysaccharides, which may have reference significance for the modification of polysaccharides with heightened bioactivity.

A novel Sagittaria sagittifolia L. polysaccharides mitigate DSS-induced colitis via modulation of gut microbiota and MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathways.

Sagittaria sagittifolia L. polysaccharides possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune-modulatory properties. In this study, we identified a novel S. sagittifolia L. polysaccharide, named PSSP-1, and evaluated its potential in alleviating dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in a mouse model. The results demonstrated that administration of PSSP-1 at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg·bw significantly reduced the disease activity index (DAI) and suppressed the expression of inflammatory cytokines in UC mice. Furthermore, PSSP-1 treatment upregulated the expression levels of claudin-1, occludin, and ZO-1, and promoted the diversity and abundance of beneficial gut microbiota, including Lactobacillus and Candidatus_Saccharimonas, while reducing the levels of Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobiota. Particularly, the Lactobacillus_johnsonii species may play a potentially significant role in modulating colitis. Subsequently, there was a significant increase in the levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Additionally, the correlation analyses revealed positive associations between PSSP-1 supplementation and Nitrosospira and Dialister, which are implicated in gut inflammation. Mechanistically, PSSP-1 intervention inhibited the protein phosphorylation of key molecules in the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways. Collectively, these findings suggest that PSSP-1 mitigates colitis symptoms by repairing the intestinal barrier, promoting microbial metabolism, and regulating the gut microbiota-MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathways.

Novel antioxidant peptides identified from coix seed by molecular docking, quantum chemical calculations and invitro study in HepG2 cells.

The aim of the study was to identify potent antioxidant peptides sourced from coix seed, analyze the structure-activity relationship through molecular docking and quantum chemical calculation. Molecular docking results showed that among thirteen peptides selected in silico, eight had favourable binding interaction with the Keap1-Kelch domain (2FLU). Promising peptides with significant binding scores were further evaluated using quantum calculation. It was shown that peptide FFDR exhibited exceptional stability, with a high energy gap of 5.24 eV and low Highest Occupied Molecular Orbitals (HOMO) and Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbitals (LUMO) values. Furthermore, FFDR displayed the capacity to enhance the expression of Nrf2-Keap1 antioxidant genes (CAT, SOD, GSH-Px) and improved cellular redox balance by increasing reduced glutathione (GSH) while reducing oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and malonaldehyde (MDA) levels. These findings highlight the potential of coix seed peptides in developing novel, effective and stable antioxidant-based functional foods.

Redesign of air/oil-water interface via physical fields coupled with pH shifting to improve the emulsification, foaming, and digestion properties of plant proteins.

The application of plant proteins in food systems is largely hindered by their poor foaming or emulsifying properties and low digestibility compared with animal proteins, especially due to the aggregate state with tightly folded structure, slowly adsorbing at the interfaces, generating films with lower mechanical properties, and exposing less cutting sites. Physical fields and pH shifting have certain synergistic effects to efficiently tune the structure and redesign the interfacial layer of plant proteins, further enhancing their foaming or emulsifying properties. The improvement mechanisms mainly include: i) Aggregated plant proteins are depolymerized to form small protein particles and flexible structure is more easily exposed by combination treatment; ii) Particles with appropriate surface properties are quickly adsorbed to the interfacial layer, and then unfolded and rearranged to generate a tightly packed stiff interfacial layer to enhance bubble and emulsion stability; and iii) The unfolding and rearrangement of protein structure at the interface may result in the exposure of more cutting sites of digestive enzymes. This review summarizes the latest research progress on the structural changes, interfacial behaviors, and digestion properties of plant proteins under combined treatment, and elucidates the future development of these modification technologies for plant proteins in the food industry.

Effects of slit dual-frequency ultrasound-assisted pulping on the structure, functional properties and antioxidant activity of Lycium barbarum proteins and in situ real-time monitoring process.

To improve the protein dissolution rate and the quality of fresh Lycium barbarum pulp (LBP), we optimized the slit dual-frequency ultrasound-assisted pulping process, explored the dissolution kinetics of Lycium barbarum protein (LBPr), and established a near-infrared spectroscopy in situ real-time monitoring model for LBPr dissolution through spectral information analysis and chemometric methods. The results showed that under optimal conditions (dual-frequency 28-33 kHz, 300 W, 31 min, 40 °C, interval ratio 5:2 s/s), ultrasonic treatment not only significantly increased LBPr dissolution rate (increased by 71.48 %, p < 0.05), improved other nutrient contents and color, but also reduced the protein particle size, changed the amino acid composition ratio and protein structure, and increased the surface hydrophobicity, zeta potential, and free sulfhydryl content of protein, as well as the antioxidant activity of LBPr. In addition, ultrasonication significantly improved the functional properties of the protein, including thermal stability, foaming, emulsification and oil absorption capacity. Furthermore, the real-time monitoring model of the dissolution process was able to quantitatively predict the dissolution rate of LBPr with good calibration and prediction performance (Rc = 0.9835, RMSECV = 2.174, Rp = 0.9841, RMSEP = 1.206). These findings indicated that dual-frequency ultrasound has great potential to improve the quality of LBP and may provide a theoretical basis for the establishment of an intelligent control system in the industrialized production of LBP and the functional development of LBPr.

Economic impact of metagenomic next-generation sequencing versus traditional bacterial culture for postoperative central nervous system infections using a decision analysis mode: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

IMPORTANCE: Diagnosing and treating postoperative central nervous system infections (PCNSIs) remains challenging due to the low detection rate and time-consuming nature of traditional methods for identifying microorganisms in cerebrospinal fluid. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) technology provides a rapid and comprehensive understanding of microbial composition in PCNSIs by swiftly sequencing and analyzing the microbial genome. The current study aimed to assess the economic impact of using mNGS versus traditional bacterial culture-directed PCNSIs diagnosis and therapy in post-neurosurgical patients from Beijing Tiantan Hospital. mNGS is a relatively expensive test item, and whether it has the corresponding health-economic significance in the clinical application of diagnosing intracranial infection has not been studied clearly. Therefore, the investigators hope to explore the clinical application value of mNGS detection in PCNSIs after neurosurgery.

Schlafen-5 inhibits LINE-1 retrotransposition.

Long interspersed element 1 (LINE-1) is the only currently known active autonomous transposon in humans, and its retrotransposition may cause deleterious effects on the structure and function of host cell genomes and result in sporadic genetic diseases. Host cells therefore developed defense strategies to restrict LINE-1 mobilization. In this study, we demonstrated that IFN-inducible Schlafen5 (SLFN5) inhibits LINE-1 retrotransposition. Mechanistic studies revealed that SLFN5 interrupts LINE-1 ribonucleoprotein particle (RNP) formation, thus diminishing nuclear entry of the LINE-1 RNA template and subsequent LINE-1 cDNA production. The ability of SLFN5 to bind to LINE-1 RNA and the involvement of the helicase domain of SLFN5 in its inhibitory activity suggest a mechanism that SLFN5 binds to LINE-1 RNA followed by dissociation of ORF1p through its helicase activity, resulting in impaired RNP formation. These data highlight a new mechanism of host cells to restrict LINE-1 mobilization.

Effects of different sources of proteins on the formation of starch-lipid-protein complexes.

In the present study, the influence of different sources of proteins on the formation of complexes with starch and lipid were investigated. A model system containing wheat starch (WS), palmitic acid (PA) and four proteins (whey protein isolate, egg white protein, soy protein isolate and pea protein isolate) was used to prepare the complexes by Rapid Visco Analyzer. The addition of PA in the pasted WS-protein systems resulted in higher cooling viscosity compared to the pasted WS-PA systems, which was interpreted as being due to the formation of WS-PA-protein complexes. Analyses from differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy showed that more complexes were formed in WS-PA-protein systems than in WS-PA systems, especially in the WS-PA-whey protein isolate. The better emulsifying action of whey protein isolate was proposed to be accountable for the greater amounts of complexes formed compared to other three proteins. This study provides important information about the formation of starch-lipid-protein complexes in regard to the selection of proteins for food processing.

Identifying depression in the United States veterans using deep learning algorithms, NHANES 2005-2018.

BACKGROUND: Depression is a common mental health problem among veterans, with high mortality. Despite the numerous conducted investigations, the prediction and identification of risk factors for depression are still severely limited. This study used a deep learning algorithm to identify depression in veterans and its factors associated with clinical manifestations. METHODS: Our data originated from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2018). A dataset of 2,546 veterans was identified using deep learning and five traditional machine learning algorithms with 10-fold cross-validation. Model performance was assessed by examining the area under the subject operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, recall, specificity, precision, and F1 score. RESULTS: Deep learning had the highest AUC (0.891, 95%CI 0.869-0.914) and specificity (0.906) in identifying depression in veterans. Further study on depression among veterans of different ages showed that the AUC values for deep learning were 0.929 (95%CI 0.904-0.955) in the middle-aged group and 0.924(95%CI 0.900-0.948) in the older age group. In addition to general health conditions, sleep difficulties, memory impairment, work incapacity, income, BMI, and chronic diseases, factors such as vitamins E and C, and palmitic acid were also identified as important influencing factors. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with traditional machine learning methods, deep learning algorithms achieved optimal performance, making it conducive for identifying depression and its risk factors among veterans.

Diagnostic accuracy of optical coherence tomography for margin assessment in breast-conserving surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor among women, and its incidence is increasing annually. At present, the results of the study on whether optical coherence tomography (OCT) can be used as an intraoperative margin assessment method for breast-conserving surgery (BCS) are inconsistent. We herein conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the diagnostic value of OCT in BCS. METHODS: PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase were used to search relevant studies published up to September 15, 2022. We used Review Manager 5.4, Meta-Disc 1.4, and STATA 16.0 for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The results displayed 18 studies with 782 patients included according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Meta-analysis showed the pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and the area under the curve (AUC) of OCT in the margin assessment of BCS were 0.91 (95% CI 0.88-0.93), 0.88 (95% CI 0.83-0.92), 7.53 (95% CI 5.19-10.93), 0.11(95% CI 0.08-0.14), 70.37 (95% CI 39.78-124.47), and 0.94 (95% CI 0.92-0.96), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: OCT is a promising technique in intraoperative margin assessment of breast cancer patients.

Function of hsa_circ_0006646 as a competing endogenous RNA to promote progression in gastric cancer by regulating the miR-665-HMGB1 axis.

Background: Mounting evidences indicate that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel class of non-coding RNAs and play vital roles in the tumorigenesis and aggressiveness including gastric cancer (GC). Nevertheless, the precise functions and underlying mechanisms of circRNAs in GC remain largely unknown. Methods: The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data set GSE163416 was analyzed to screen the key circRNAs in GC. hsa_circ_0006646 was chosen for further study. GC tissues and matched adjacent normal gastric mucosal epithelial tissues were obtained from the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University. The expressions of hsa_circ_0006646 was detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). hsa_circ_0006646 was knocked down to identify its effects on GC cells. Bioinformatics algorithms were analyzed to predict the microRNA (miRNAs) potentially sponged by hsa_circ_0006646 and its target genes. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was conducted to determine the subcellular location of hsa_circ_0006646 and the predicted miRNA. Then, qRT-PCR, luciferase reporter assay, radioimmunoprecipitation assay, Western blotting, and miRNA rescue experiments were used to confirm the hsa_circ_0006646-related regulatory axis in GC. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, wound healing, and Transwell experiments were performed to determine the effect of the hsa_circ_0006646-related regulatory axis on GC cells' malignant behaviors in vitro. The xenograft tumor mouse model was established to evaluate the effect of hsa_circ_0006646 in vivo. Results: hsa_circ_0006646 exhibited a high expression in GC tissues as compared to corresponding adjacent normal gastric mucosal epithelial tissues and its high expression was positively correlated with TNM stage, lymph node invasion and poor prognosis (P<0.05). Knockdown of hsa_circ_0006646 suppressed the proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion in GC cells (all P<0.05). hsa_circ_0006646 upregulated high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) by sponging miR-665 in GC cells (P<0.05). The hsa_circ_0006646-miR-665-HMGB1 axis promoted malignant behaviors and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in GC cells by activating the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway (P<0.05). The existence of hsa_circ_0006646-miR-665-HMGB1 axis was confirmed in GC specimens (P<0.05). Consequently, down-regulated hsa_circ_0006646 inhibited the progression and EMT of GC cells in vivo (P<0.05). Conclusions: For the first time, we demonstrated that hsa_circ_0006646-miR-665-HMGB1 axis exerted its tumor-promoting effects in GC, which suggested that hsa_circ_0006646 could be potentially targeted for GC treatment.

Study on the interaction and functional properties of Dolichos lablab L. protein-tea polyphenols complexes.

Tea polyphenols (TP) and plant proteins are significant materials in the food industry, the interactions between them are beneficial for their stability, functional properties, and biological activity. In this study, the mechanism and interaction between Dolichos lablab L. protein (DLP) obtained from nine treatments and three tea polyphenol monomers (EGCG, ECG, and EGC) were investigated. The results showed that the fluorescence of DLP was noticeably quenched and exhibited static quenching after the addition of polyphenols. DLP exhibited 1-2 binding sites for EGCG and ECG, but weakly binding to EGC (<1). The binding sites of DLP-TP were found to be in close proximity to the tyrosine residues, primarily interacting through hydrophobic interactions, van der Waals forces, and hydrogen bonds. The antioxidant capacity of DLP-TP compound was significantly improved after digestion. ECG showed a strong resistance to intestinal digestion. Compared with ECG (653.456 µg/mL), the content of free tea polyphenols of 20/40 kHz-ECG after digestion was 732.42 µg/mL. DLP-TP complexes significantly improved the storage stability, thermal stability, and bioaccessibility of tea polyphenols. The interaction between TP and DLP, as a protein-polyphenol complex, has great potential for application in preparing emulsion delivery systems due to their antioxidant activity and improved stability.

Slit dual-frequency ultrasound-assisted pulping of Lycium barbarum fresh fruit to improve the dissolution of polysaccharides and in situ real-time monitoring.

In this study, the slit dual-frequency ultrasound-assisted pulping of fresh Lycium barbarum fruit was optimized to improve the dissolution of polysaccharides. The microscopic mechanism of polysaccharide dissolution was explored through establishing polysaccharides dissolution kinetics model and visualizing the multi-physical fields during ultrasonic process, and an in situ real-time monitoring model was established by the relationship between the chemical value and spectral information collected by near-infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that, under optimal conditions, treatment with ultrasound (28-33 kHz, 250 W, 30 min) not only significantly promoted the dissolution rate of polysaccharides in Lycium barbarum pulp (LBPPs, increased by 43.64 %, p < 0.01), reduced its molecular weight, but also improved the arabinose molar ratio, the uniformity of polysaccharide particles, and the antioxidant activity of LBPPs. Correlation analysis indicated that ultrasonic treatment is closely related to LBPPs content, particle size and scavenging capacity against superoxide anion radicals (ptotal sugar content < 0.01, pparticle size < 0.05 and psuperoxide anion scavenging < 0.05). Moreover, the in situ real-time monitoring model for the pulping process could quantitatively predict LBPPs dissolution rate and its superoxide anion radical scavenging capacity with good calibration and prediction performance (Rc = 0.9841, RMSECV = 0.0873, Rp = 0.9772, RMSEP = 0.0530; Rc = 0.9874, RMSECV = 0.1246, Rp = 0.9868, RMSEP = 0.0665). These results indicated that slit dual-frequency ultrasound has great potential in improving the quality of Lycium barbarum pulp, which may provide theoretical support for the industrial development of intelligent systems for polysaccharides preparation.

Association between anemia and depression: results from NHANES 2005-2018 and mendelian randomization analyses.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between anemia and depression remains controversial. OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between anemia/hemoglobin and depression. METHODS: The data for our cross-sectional study were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2018. Weighted multivariate logistic regression was performed to examine the association between anemia/hemoglobin and depression. Inverse variance weighted (IVW), weighted-median, and MR-Egger were used in MR analyses to assess the causal relationship between anemia/hemoglobin and depression. Heterogeneity and directional pleiotropy were assessed using the Cochrane Q test and Egger-intercept test, respectively. Sensitivity analysis was conducted by the leave-one-out approach. All analyses were carried out using IBM SPSS 24.0 and R version 4.2.2. RESULTS: A total of 29,391 NHANES participants were included in this study. After adjusting for all covariates, the association between anemia/hemoglobin and depression was not significant (P < 0.05). IVW estimates revealed that broad anemia had no significant effect on the risk of depression (OR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.99-1.01, P = 0.432). Findings of weighted median and MR-Egger were consistent with those from IVW (weighted median: OR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.99-1.02; P = 0.547; MR-Egger: OR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.98-1.03, P = 0.605). The results of three MR Analyses methods also showed no causal association between hemoglobin and depression. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings do not support a causal association between anemia and depression. The association between hemoglobin concentration and depression was not statistically significant either.

C1ql4 regulates breast cancer cell stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition through PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Background: The stemness characteristic of breast cancer (BC) is a crucial factor underlying cancer recurrence and metastasis after operative therapy and chemoradiotherapy. Understanding the potential mechanism of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) may ameliorate the prognosis of patients. Methods: We collected clinical specimens of BC patients for staining and statistical analysis to verify the expression status and clinical significance of complement C1q-like 4 (C1ql4). Western blot and qRT-PCR were employed to detect the expression of molecules. Flow cytometry was used to examine cell cycle, cell apoptosis and the portion of BCSCs. Wound healing and Transwell assays were used to detect cell metastasis. The effect of C1ql4 on breast cancer progression in vivo was examined in a nude mouse tumor bearing model. Results: Our clinical analysis showed that C1ql4 was highly expressed in BC tissues and cell lines, and the high expression of C1ql4 was significantly corelated with the malignancy of BC patients. Moreover, we also found that C1ql4 was overexpressed in BCSCs. C1ql4 knockdown suppressed the BCSC and EMT properties, promoted cell cycle progression, enhanced BC cell apoptosis, and inhibited cell migration and invasion, whereas the C1ql4 overexpression exhibited the opposite effects. Mechanistically, C1ql4 promoted the activation and nuclear location of NF-κB and the expression of downstream factors TNF-α and IL-1ß. Moreover, inhibition of PI3K/AKT signaling suppressed the C1ql4-induced stemness and EMT. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that C1ql4 promotes the BC cell stemness and EMT via modulating the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling, and provides a promising target for BC treatment.