A dynamic light scattering inversion method based on regularization matrix reconstruction for flowing aerosol measurement.

Tikhonov regularization, or truncated singular value decomposition (TSVD), is usually used for dynamic light scattering (DLS) inversion of particles in suspension. The Tikhonov regularization method uses a regularization matrix to modify all singular values in the kernel matrix. The modification of large singular values cannot effectively reduce the variance of the estimated values but may introduce bias in the solution, resulting in poor disturbance resistance in the inversion results. The TSVD method, on the other hand, truncates all small singular values, which leads to the loss of particle size information during the inversion process. The shortcomings of the two methods mentioned above do not have a significant impact on the inversion of high signal-to-noise ratio data. However, compared to the classical DLS particle size inversion for non-flowing suspended particles, the DLS inversion of flowing aerosols is more significantly affected by noise, and the extraction of particle size information is more difficult due to the effect of flow velocity, resulting in worse inversion results with increasing aerosol flow velocity for both methods. To improve the accuracy of the particle size distribution (PSD) of flowing aerosols, we introduced a kernel matrix into the regularization matrix, and based on the principles of the two methods, the spectral information of the kernel matrix was utilized to make the modification of small singular values by the regularization matrix. Correspondingly, weak or no modification was made according to the values of large singular values to reduce the introduction of bias. The inversion results of simulated and measured data indicate that the reconstruction of the regularization matrix improves the anti-disturbance performance and avoids the loss of particle size information during the regularization inversion process, thereby significantly improving the PSD accuracy, which is affected by the dual effects of flow velocity and noise in the DLS measurement of flowing particles. The peak error and distribution error of the inversion results by reconstructing the regularization matrix are lower than those of Tikhonov regularization.

Design, synthesis, and in vitro gene transfer efficacy of novel ionizable cholesterol derivatives.

ABSTACTThe medicinal properties of genetic drugs are highly dependent on the design of delivery systems. Ionizable cationic lipids are considered core materials in delivery systems. However, there has not yet been a widespread consensus on the relationship between the wide diversity of lipid structure design and gene delivery efficiency. The aims of the research work were to synthesize ionizable cholesterol derivatives (iChol-lipids) and to evaluate their potential applications as gene delivery vector. A series of iChol-lipids with different head groups were synthesized with carbamate bond spacer. The chemical structures were characterized by 1H NMR, MS, melting range, and pKa. The interactions between iChol-lipids and MALAT1-siRNA were studied by molecular dynamics simulations and compared with market available DC-Chol, which revealed that hydrogen bonds, salt-bridge, and electrostatic interaction were probably involved. The self-assemble behaviors of these lipids were intensively investigated and evaluated by dynamic laser scattering in the presence of different helper lipids and PEGylated lipids. Their plasmid binding ability, transfection efficiency, hemolytic toxicity, and cytotoxicity were fully studied. IZ-Chol-LNPs was proved to be highly potential to effectively complex with DNA, and endosome escape mechanisms mediated by proton sponge effect was verified by pH-sensitive fluorescence probe BCFL.

Circadian Rhythms in Cardiovascular Metabolism.

Energetic demand and nutrient supply fluctuate as a function of time-of-day, in alignment with sleep-wake and fasting-feeding cycles. These daily rhythms are mirrored by 24-hour oscillations in numerous cardiovascular functional parameters, including blood pressure, heart rate, and myocardial contractility. It is, therefore, not surprising that metabolic processes also fluctuate over the course of the day, to ensure temporal needs for ATP, building blocks, and metabolism-based signaling molecules are met. What has become increasingly clear is that in addition to classic signal-response coupling (termed reactionary mechanisms), cardiovascular-relevant cells use autonomous circadian clocks to temporally orchestrate metabolic pathways in preparation for predicted stimuli/stresses (termed anticipatory mechanisms). Here, we review current knowledge regarding circadian regulation of metabolism, how metabolic rhythms are synchronized with cardiovascular function, and whether circadian misalignment/disruption of metabolic processes contribute toward the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease.

Diffusion-/perfusion-weighted imaging fusion to automatically identify stroke within 4.5 h.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to develop machine learning (ML) models based on diffusion- and perfusion-weighted imaging fusion (DP fusion) for identifying stroke within 4.5 h, to compare them with DWI- and/or PWI-based ML models, and to construct an automatic segmentation-classification model and compare with manual labeling methods. METHODS: ML models were developed from multimodal MRI datasets of acute stroke patients within 24 h of clear symptom onset from two centers. The processes included manual segmentation, registration, DP fusion, feature extraction, and model establishment (logistic regression (LR) and support vector machine (SVM)). A segmentation-classification model (X-Net) was proposed for automatically identifying stroke within 4.5 h. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, Dice coefficients, decision curve analysis, and calibration curves were used to evaluate model performance. RESULTS: A total of 418 patients (≤ 4.5 h: 214; > 4.5 h: 204) were evaluated. The DP fusion model achieved the highest AUC in identifying the onset time in the training (LR: 0.95; SVM: 0.92) and test sets (LR: 0.91; SVM: 0.90). The DP fusion-LR model displayed consistent positive and greater net benefits than other models across a broad range of risk thresholds. The calibration curve demonstrated the good calibration of the DP fusion-LR model (average absolute error: 0.049). The X-Net model obtained the highest Dice coefficients (DWI: 0.81; Tmax: 0.83) and achieved similar performance to manual labeling (AUC: 0.84). CONCLUSIONS: The automatic segmentation-classification models based on DWI and PWI fusion images had high performance in identifying stroke within 4.5 h. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) fusion images had high performance in identifying stroke within 4.5 h. The automatic segmentation-classification models based on DWI and PWI fusion images could provide clinicians with decision-making guidance for acute stroke patients with unknown onset time. KEY POINTS: • The diffusion/perfusion-weighted imaging fusion model had the best performance in identifying stroke within 4.5 h. • The X-Net model had the highest Dice and achieved performance close to manual labeling in segmenting lesions of acute stroke. • The automatic segmentation-classification model based on DP fusion images performed well in identifying stroke within 4.5 h.

Fatostatin promotes anti-tumor immunity by reducing SREBP2 mediated cholesterol metabolism in tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes.

Aberrant lipid metabolism impacts intratumoral T cell-mediated immune response and tumor growth. Fatostatin functions as an inhibitor of sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP) activation. However, the complex effects of fatostatin on cholesterol metabolism in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and its influence on T cell anti-tumor immunity remain unclear. In this study, fatostatin effectively suppressed B16 melanoma, MC38 colon cancer, and Lewis lung cancer (LLC) transplanted tumor growth in immunocompetent mice by reducing SREBPs-mediated lipid metabolism, especially cholesterol levels. Mechanistically, fatostatin decreased intracellular cholesterol accumulation and inhibited X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1)-mediated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, reducing Treg cells and alleviating CD8+ T cell exhaustion in the TME, exerting anti-tumor activity. Nevertheless， this effect was impaired in immunodeficient nude mice, suggesting fatostatin's anti-tumor efficacy in transplanted tumors partly relies on T cell-mediated anti-tumor immunity. Our study highlights SREBP2-mediated cholesterol metabolism as a potential strategy for anti-tumor immunotherapy, and confirms fatostatin's promise in tumor immunotherapy.

Saikosaponin F ameliorates depression-associated dry eye disease by inhibiting TRIM8-induced TAK1 ubiquitination.

AIMS: Saikosaponin F (SsF) is one of the major active ingredients of Radix Bupleuri, an herb widely used in the treatment of depression. Studies have shown that dry eye disease often occurs together with depression. The aim of this study is to investigate whether SsF can improve depression-associated dry eye disease and explore the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Behavioral test was used to verify the effect of SsF on CUMS-induced depression-like behaviors in mice. Corneal fluorescein staining, phenol red cotton thread test and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining were used to observe the effect of SsF on depression-associated dry eye disease. Western blot (WB) was performed to observe the expression of TAK1 protein and key proteins of NF-κB and MAPK (P38) inflammatory pathways in the hippocampus and cornea. Immunohistochemical staining was used to observe the expression of microglia, and immunoprecipitation was used to observe K63-linked TAK1 ubiquitination. Subsequently, we constructed a viral vector sh-TAK1 to silence TAK1 protein to verify whether SsF exerted its therapeutic effect based on TAK1. The expression of inflammatory factors such as IL-1ß, TNF-α and IL-18 in hippocampus and cornea were detected by ELISA. Overexpression of TRIM8 (OE-TRIM8) by viral vector was used to verify whether SsF improved depression-associated dry eye disease based on TRIM8. RESULTS: SsF treatment significantly improved the depression-like behavior, increased tear production and restored corneal injury in depression-related dry eye model mice. SsF treatment downregulated TAK1 expression and TRIM8-induced K63-linked TAK1 polyubiquitination, while inhibiting the activation of NF-κB and MAPK (P38) inflammatory pathways and microglial expression. In addition, selective inhibition of TAK1 expression ameliorated depression-associated dry eye disease, while overexpression of TRIM8 attenuated the therapeutic effect of SsF on depression-associated dry eye disease. CONCLUSION: SsF inhibited the polyubiquitination of TAK1 by acting on TRIM8, resulting in the downregulation of TAK1 expression, inhibition of inflammatory response, and improvement of CUMS-induced depression-associated dry eye disease.

Initial diet shapes resistance-gene composition and fecal microbiome dynamics in young ruminants during nursing.

This study was conducted to examine how colostrum pasteurization affects resistance genes and microbial communities in calf feces. Forty female Holstein calves were randomly assigned to either the control (CON) group, which received unheated colostrum, or the pasteurized colostrum (PAT) group. The calves body weight was measured weekly before morning feeding. Calf starter intake were measured and recorded daily before morning feeding. Samples of colostrum were collected before feeding. Blood was collected on d 1 and 70 before morning feeding. Ten calves were randomly selected from each group (n = 20 calves total) for fecal sampling on d 3, 28, 56 and 70 for subsequent DNA extraction and metagenomic sequencing. Total bacterial counts in the colostrum were markedly higher in the CON group than in the PAT group. Pasteurized colostrum administration substantially reduced the ARO diversity and diminishes the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae, thereby decreasing their contribution to resistance genes. Pasteurization also reduced glucoside hydrolase-66 activity in 3-day-old calves which led to an increase in the activity of aminoglycoside antibiotics, resulting in 52.63 % of PAT-enriched bacteria acquiring aminoglycoside resistance genes. However, from the perspective of overall microbial community, the proportion of aminoglycoside, beta-lactam and tetracycline resistance genes carried by microbial community in PAT group was lower than CON group (P < 0.05). Fecal samples from the PAT group contained greater abundances of Subdoligranulum (P < 0.05) and Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group (P < 0.05) on days 28 and 70 compared to CON. Network analysis and abundance variations of the different bacteria obtained by linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis showed that pasteurized colostrum feeding reduced the interactions among related bacteria and maintained stability of the hind-gut microbiome. In conclusion, these findings underscore the intricate interactions between early diet, calf resistance-gene transmission and microbial dynamics, which should be carefully considered in calf-rearing practices.

A New Method of Krackow Suture Combined with Nice Knot for the Treatment of Inferior Patellar Fractures.

Introduction: We present a new surgical technique of Krackow suture combined with vertical Nice knot for the treatment of inferior patellar fractures and report the clinical results. Patients and Methods: Seventeen consecutive patients admitted with inferior patellar fractures over a 2-year period from June 2019 to February 2022 were prospectively enrolled. The AO classification was 34-A1. All patients underwent open reduction and fixation with Krackow sutures in combination with vertical Nice knot. Postoperative follow-up was performed for at least 1 year to evaluate knee function. Results: The mean age of seventeen patients was 53.2 ± 9.5 years (39-68 years), and all patients were followed up for more than 12 months. The operation time was 54.6 ± 7.7 min (42-68 min). No patients had nonunion, joint stiffness, and joint pain. All cases achieved bony union at an average of 9.9 ± 1.5 weeks (8-13 weeks) after surgery. At the last follow-up, there was no significant difference in range of motion between the injured knee (129.7 ± 3.3°, range 125-135°) and the unaffected knee (130.8 ± 3.8°, range 126-137°) (t = 0.28, P > 0.05). The mean Bostman score of the knee joint was 29.6 ± 0.7, including 15 excellent cases (88.2%) and two good case (11.8%). Conclusion: Krackow sutures combined with vertical Nice knots are stable and reliable in the treatment of inferior patellar fractures. Knee rehabilitation can be performed immediately after surgery and satisfactory knee function can be achieved. It is a safe, simple, and reliable alternative surgical method, and patients do not need to bear the secondary surgical injury of removing the internal fixation material. Therefore, it is suitable for the application of clinical promotion. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43465-023-01093-0.

Effects of photoaging on structure and characteristics of biofilms on microplastic in soil: Biomass and microbial community.

Understanding of the environmental behaviors of microplastics is limited by a lack of knowledge about how photoaging influences biofilm formation on microplastics in soil. Here, original microplastics (OMPs) and photoaged-microplastics (AMPs) were incubated in soil to study the effect of photoaging on formation and characteristics of biofilm on the poly (butylene succinate) microplastics. Because photoaging decreased the hydrophobicity of the microplastic, the biomass of biofilm on the OMPs was nearly twice that on the AMPs in the early stage of incubation. However, the significance of the substrate on biomass in the biofilm declined as the plastisphere developed. The bacterial communities in the plastisphere were distinct from, and less diverse than, those in surrounding soil. The dominant genera in the OMPs and AMPs plastispheres were Achromobacter and Burkholderia, respectively, indicating that photoaging changed the composition of the bacterial community of biofilm at the genus level. Meantime, photoaging decreased the complexity and stability of the plastisphere bacterial community network. Results of Biolog ECO-microplate assays and functional prediction from amplicons showed that photoaging treatment enhanced the carbon metabolic capacity of the microplastic biofilm. This study provides new insights into the formation of plastispheres in soil.

Preparation of magnetic DTPA-modified chitosan composite microspheres for enhanced adsorption of Pb(II) from aqueous solution.

In this study, magnetic DTPA-modified chitosan composite microspheres (MDCM) were prepared by reverse emulsion-double crosslinking method (carbodiimide followed by glutaraldehyde) for removal of Pb(II) from aqueous solution. The obtained magnetic adsorbents were characterized by FTIR, SEM, XRD, VSM, BET, and 13C NMR. The effects of the pH, contact time, initial concentration, and competitive metal cations (Na(I), Ca(II), or Mg(II)) on Pb(II) adsorption were investigated. The results revealed that MDCM exhibited high removal performance over a wide pH range and in the presence of competitive metal cations. The maximum adsorption capacity of MDCM for Pb(II) is 214.63 mg g-1 at pH 3, which is higher than most recently reported magnetic adsorbents. Adsorption kinetics and isotherms can be described by the pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir model, respectively. In addition, MDCM is easy to regenerate and can be reused five cycles with high adsorption capacity. Finally, the adsorption mechanism was further revealed by FTIR and XPS analysis. Overall, MDCM has practical application potential in removing Pb(II) from contaminated wastewater due to its high adsorption efficiency, good reusability, and convenient magnetic separation.

Residual current detection method based on improved VMD-BPNN.

To further enhance the residual current detection capability of low-voltage distribution networks, an improved adaptive residual current detection method that combines variational modal decomposition (VMD) and BP neural network (BPNN) is proposed. Firstly, the method employs the envelope entropy as the adaptability function, optimizes the [k, ɑ] combination value of the VMD decomposition using the bacterial foraging-particle swarm algorithm (BFO-PSO), and utilizes the interrelation number R as the classification index with the Least Mean Square Algorithm (LMS) to classify, filter, and extract the effective signal from the decomposed signal. Then, the extracted signals are detected by BPNN, and the training data are utilized to predict the residual current signals. Simulation and experimental data demonstrate that the proposed algorithm exhibits strong robustness and high detection accuracy. With an ambient noise of 10dB, the signal-to-noise ratio is 16.3108dB, the RMSE is 0.4359, and the goodness-of-fit is 0.9627 after processing by the algorithm presented in this paper, which are superior to the Variational Modal Decomposition-Long Short-Term Memory (VMD-LSTM) and Normalized-Least Mean Square (N-LMS) detection methods. The results were also statistically analyzed in conjunction with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, which demonstrated significance at the experimental data level, indicating the high accuracy of the algorithms presented in this paper and providing a certain reference for new residual current protection devices for biological body electrocution.

Elucidating the therapeutic mechanism of Hengqing II decoction in Alzheimer's disease using network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques.

PURPOSE: The aim of our research was to investigate the mechanism of the Hengqing II decoction in treating Alzheimer's disease (AD) through network pharmacology and experimental validation methods. METHODS: Firstly, the major chemical compounds of Hengqing II decoction were characterized by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS), and the gene sets related to AD treatment by Hengqing II decoction were collected through the database of PubChem, Swiss TargetPrediction, and DisGeNET. Secondly, a multi-level molecular network of "Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-compound-target-disease" was constructed and visualized using the STRING platform and Cytoscape 3.9.1 software, and the enrichment analysis based on the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway databases was performed to predict the potential active compounds and targets of Hengqing II decoction for treating AD. Finally, molecular docking simulation was applied to investigate the binding interactions between potential active compounds and key targets, and the western blotting technique was employed to examine the expression levels of AKT1, TNF-α, and NOS2 proteins affected by active compounds. RESULTS: Totally 120 compounds in Hengqing II decoction were characterized by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Network pharmacology results showed that potential active compounds in Hengqing II decoction in treating AD included catalpol, gastrodin, and rehmannioside D, etc., and the main target proteins were TNF-α, NOS2, and AKT1. Further functional enrichment analysis revealed that Hengqing II decoction mainly exerted its therapeutic effects on AD by regulating lipid and atherosclerosis signaling pathways, AD signaling pathways, AKT1 signaling pathways, and PTGS2 signaling pathways. CONCLUSION: Hengqing II decoction exerted therapeutic effects on AD through multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway regulation, and its action mechanisms were related to oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, autophagy, and other pathways. Our research laid the data foundation for further exploration of action mechanism and clarification of clinical positioning and provided new ideas and clues in TCM formula research.

Emerging role of NEDD8-mediated neddylation in age-related metabolic diseases.

Aging in humans is associated with abdominal distribution and remodeling of body fat and a parallel gradual increase in the prevalence of metabolic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and fatty liver disease, as well as the risk of developing metabolic complications. Current treatments might be improved by understanding the detailed mechanisms underlying the onset of age-related metabolic disorders. Neddylation, a post-translational modification that adds the ubiquitin-like protein NEDD8 to substrate proteins, has recently been linked to age-related metabolic diseases, opening new avenues of investigation and raising a potential target for treatment of these diseases. In this review, we will focus on the potential role of NEDD8-mediated neddylation in age-related metabolic dysregulation, insulin resistance, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and fatty liver. We propose that alterations in NEDD8-mediated neddylation contribute to triggering insulin resistance and the development of age-related metabolic dysregulation, thus highlighting NEDD8 as a promising therapeutic target for preventing age-related metabolic diseases.

The peripheral immune cell counts and mouth ulcers: A two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Objective: This study explored the causal association of peripheral immune cell counts with mouth ulcers (MUs) by two-sample Mendelian Randomization. Design: The counts of 12 circulating immune cell types (leukocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, neutrophils, basophils, CD4+ cells, CD8+ cells, unswitched memory B cells, NK cells, B cells and a derived ratio (CD4+/CD8+)) were determined as the exposure. MUs were the outcome. The analysis was conducted mostly using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) approach. MR Egger, weighted median, weighted mode and simple mode were used to detect the horizontal pleiotropy. Results: The IVW results for leukocytes and lymphocyte counts were OR = 0.93, 95 % CI = 0.88-0.98, p = 0.0115 and OR = 0.91, 95 % CI: 0.84-0.98, p = 0.0150, respectively. The Wald ratio result for CD4+ cell and CD8+ cell counts were OR = 0.70, 95 % CI: 0.65-0.75, p = 1.05 × 10-20 and OR = 1.25, 95 % CI: 1.19-1.31, p = 9.99 × 10-21, respectively. Conclusions: This study supports a causal effect of peripheral immune cell counts on MUs. Higher leukocyte, lymphocyte and CD4+ cell counts can protect against MUs, but higher CD8+ cell counts enhance the risk of MUs. This finding confirms host immune factors play a crucial role in the aetiology of MUs.

Global integrative meta-analysis of the responses in soil organic carbon stock to biochar amendment.

Applying biochar to soil has been recognized as a promising practice of climate-smart agriculture, with considerable potential in enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. Previous studies showed that biochar-induced increases in SOC stock varied substantially among experiments, while the explanatory factors responsible for such variability are still not well assessed. Here, we conducted an integrative meta-analysis of the magnitude and efficiency of biochar-induced change in SOC stock, using a database including 476 field measurements at 101 sites across the globe. Biochar amendment increased SOC stock by 6.13 ± 1.62 (95% confidence interval, CI) and 7.01 ± 1.11 (95% CI) Mg C ha-1, respectively, compared to their unfertilized (R0) and mineral nitrogen (N) fertilized (Rn) references. Of which approx. 52% (R0) and 50% (Rn) were contributed directly by biochar-C input. Corresponding biochar carbon efficiencies in R0 and Rn datasets were estimated as 58.20 ± 10.37% and 65.58 ± 9.26% (95% CI), respectively. The change magnitude of SOC stock increased significantly (p < 0.01) with the increasing amount of biochar-C input, while carbon efficiency of biochar showed an opposite trend. Biochar amendment sequestered larger amounts of SOC with higher efficiency in acidic and loamy soils than in alkaline and sandy soils. Biochar amendments with higher C/N ratio caused higher SOC increase than those with lower C/N ratio. Random forest (RF) algorithm showed that accumulative biochar-C input, soil pH, and biochar C/N ratio were the three most-important factors regulating the SOC stock responses. Overall, these results suggest that applying high C/N ratio biochar in acidic soils is a recommendable agricultural practice from the perspective of enhancing organic carbon.

High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema Combined with Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum: A Case Report.

Background: High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is a serious life-threatening disease that occurs after rapid ascent to high altitude; its main early-stage presentations include fatigue, headache, low-grade fever, dyspnea, and cough. X-ray and computed tomography (CT) images show pulmonary shadows and patches, which may be localized (initial right lung field predomination) or generalized to the bilateral lung base. Case Presentation: In this report, we present a case of a 25-year-old man diagnosed with HAPE combined with spontaneous pneumomediastinum. After a quick descent and effective medical treatment, this patient made a full recovery. The case may provide helpful information for the prevention and treatment of this disease since an increased number of people, especially young men, currently travel and work at high altitudes. Conclusion: After accurate clinical diagnosis with the help of CT or X-ray, immediate descent and appropriate oxygen supplementation are the most effective treatments for HAPE at high altitude.

Unlocking the Potential of Microwave Sterilization Technology in Ready-to-Eat Imitation Crab Meat Production.

Microwave sterilization is a novel potential sterilization technology to improve food quality. An industrial microwave sterilization system was used to sterilize imitation crab meat under thermal processing intensity F0 = 1, 2, 3. The characteristics of the microwave process, such as heating rate, processing time, and C100, were calculated. In addition, the quality of processed imitation crab meat was investigated. Compared with the conventional retort method, microwave sterilization significantly shortened the processing time of imitation crab meat by 63.71% to 72.45%. Under the same thermal processing intensity, microwave sterilization has demonstrated better results than retort sterilization in terms of water-holding capacity, color, and texture. Furthermore, microwave-treated imitation crab meat ingredients had a greater capacity to bind water molecules and obtained a more appropriate secondary protein structure. In addition, microwave technology can better preserve the unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) of imitation crab meat, which are 9.14%, 1.19%, and 0.32% higher than the traditional method at F0 = 1, 2, 3. The results would provide useful data for the subsequent research and development of ready-to-eat surimi products.

Recommended Values for the Hydrophobicity and Mechanical Properties of Coating Materials Usable for Preparing Controlled-Release Fertilizers.

The hydrophobicity and mechanical properties of coating materials and the nitrogen (N) release rates of 11 kinds of controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs) were determined in this study. The results show that the N release periods of the CRFs had negative correlations with the water absorption (WA) of the coating materials (y = 166.06x-1.24, r = 0.986), while they were positively correlated with the water contact angle (WCA) and elongation at break (EB) (y = 37.28x0.18, r = 0.701; y = -19.42 + 2.57x, r = 0.737). According to the fitted functional equation, CRFs that could fulfil the N release period of 30 days had a coating material WA < 2.4%, WCA > 68.8°, and EB > 57.7%. The recommended values for a CRF that can fulfil the N release period of 30 days are WA < 3.0%, WCA > 60.0°, and EB > 30.0% in the coating materials. CRFs with different nutrient release periods can be designed according to the recommended values to meet the needs of different crops. Furthermore, our experiments have illustrated that the N release period target of 30 days can be reached for modified sulfur-coated fertilizers (MSCFs) by improving their mechanical properties.

Long non-coding RNA expression in PBMCs of patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis.

Purpose: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection is the primary cause of the chronic infectious illness tuberculosis (TB). Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are functional RNA molecules that cannot be translated into proteins and play a crucial role in regulating the immune system's innate and adaptive responses. It has been demonstrated that the dysregulation of lncRNA expression is associated with various human diseases. However, the mechanism underlying the involvement of so many lncRNAs in the immune response to TB infection remains unclear. The objective of our current study was to identify a number of significantly differentially expressed lncRNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from TB patients and to select the most indicative lncRNAs as potential biomarkers for active pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods: Microarray analysis was performed to determine the lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles in TB patients using a case-control model. The differentially expressed lncRNAs were subjected to gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis to investigate potential roles and pathways associated with the pathogenesis of TB infection, and to screen lncRNAs specifically linked to TB infection. Using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (QRT-PCR), specific lncRNAs were identified in TB patients and latent infections. Results: Our findings revealed that various signaling pathways were differentially expressed in TB-infected individuals, suggesting a potential role for lncRNAs in the immunological responses driven by TB infection. This study provides crucial guidelines for future functional research. Upregulated lncRNAs were mainly enriched in Neutrophil extracellular trap formation and Chemokine signaling pathways, while downregulated lncRNAs were enriched in Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and Cushing syndrome in TB PBMCs. Furthermore, we found that lnc-XPNPEP1-5, lnc-CASKIN2-2, lnc-HSPA13-6, lnc-CLIC5-1, and LINC02502 were significantly downregulated in TB-infected patients, while LINC00528, lnc-SLC45A4-3, and LINC00926 were significantly upregulated in TB patients and latent infections. These eight lncRNAs, identified as novel biological marker candidates for diagnosing TB infection, were validated by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (QRT-PCR). Conclusion: The abnormally expressed lncRNAs identified in this research may provide crucial information for understanding the pathophysiological characteristics of TB patients and the dysfunction of PBMCs. Our findings reveal potential targets for early TB diagnosis and therapy, as well as offer new insights into the mechanisms underlying TB infection.

The Amplified DNA Logic Gates Based on Aptamer-Receptor Recognition for Cell Detection and Bioimaging.

A powerful and accurate method for identifying and isolating cells would be of great importance due to its sensitivity, gentleness and effectiveness. Here, we designed a receptor-based DNA logic device that allows Boolean logic analysis of multiple cells. For ease of expression, the molecules on the cell surface that can bind to the aptamer are referred to as "receptors". This DNA logic device sends signals based on cell surface sgc8c and sgc4f receptor expression by performing NOT, NOR, AND and OR logic operations, and amplifies and evaluates the signals using HCR. Meanwhile, the release of ICG from the endopore of HMSNs is controlled by affecting structural changes in the DNA logic device. This approach can accurately identify and treat multiple cells on demand based on the presence or absence of cell-specific receptors, facilitating the development of personalized medicine.