Characterization of regulatory genes Plhffp and Plpif1 involved in conidiation regulation in Purpureocillium lavendulum.

Purpureocillium lavendulum is an important biocontrol agent against plant-parasitic nematodes, primarily infecting them with conidia. However, research on the regulatory genes and pathways involved in its conidiation is still limited. In this study, we employed Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated genetic transformation to generate 4,870 random T-DNA insertion mutants of P. lavendulum. Among these mutants, 131 strains exhibited abnormal conidiation, and further in-depth investigations were conducted on two strains (designated as #5-197 and #5-119) that showed significantly reduced conidiation. Through whole-genome re-sequencing and genome walking, we identified the T-DNA insertion sites in these strains and determined the corresponding genes affected by the insertions, namely Plhffp and Plpif1. Both genes were knocked out through homologous recombination, and phenotypic analysis revealed a significant difference in conidiation between the knockout strains and the wild-type strain (ku80). Upon complementation of the ΔPlpif1 strain with the corresponding wildtype allele, conidiation was restored to a level comparable to ku80, providing further evidence of the involvement of this gene in conidiation regulation in P. lavendulum. The knockout of Plhffp or Plpif1 reduced the antioxidant capacity of P. lavendulum, and the absence of Plhffp also resulted in decreased resistance to SDS, suggesting that this gene may be involved in the integrity of the cell wall. RT-qPCR showed that knockout of Plhffp or Plpif1 altered expression levels of several known genes associated with conidiation. Additionally, the analysis of nematode infection assays with Caenorhabditis elegans indicated that the knockout of Plhffp and Plpif1 indirectly reduced the pathogenicity of P. lavendulum towards the nematodes. The results demonstrate that Agrobacterium tumefaciens - mediated T-DNA insertion mutagenesis, gene knockout, and complementation can be highly effective for identifying functionally important genes in P. lavendulum.

Two-dimensional correlation infrared spectroscopy elucidated the volatilization process of the microemulsion composed of peppermint essential oil and composite herbal extract.

Microemulsion is usually a transparent and isotropic liquid mixture composed of oil phase, water phase, surfactant and cosurfactant. The surfactant-framed nanoscale droplets in the microemulsion can penetrate into the skin surface to reduce its barrier function. This makes microemulsion an ideal preparation for the transdermal drug delivery. The permeability of microemulsion may be further enhanced when botanical essential oils that can dissolve the stratum corneum are used as the oil phase. However, the volatility of essential oils is possible to shorten the retention time of the microemulsion on the skin surface. Therefore, analytical methods are required to understand the volatilization process of the microemulsion composed of essential oils to develop the reasonable topical drug carrier system. In this research, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy with an attenuated total reflection (ATR) accessory cooperated with two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2DCOS) to elucidate the volatilization processes of some microemulsions composed of peppermint essential oil. Principal component analysis (PCA) and moving-window two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (MW2DCOS) revealed the multiple stages of the volatilization processes of the microemulsions. Synchronous 2D correlation infrared spectra indicated the compositional changes during each stage. It was found that the successive volatilizations of ethanol, water and menthone were the major events during the volatilization process of the microemulsion composed of peppermint essential oil. Ethanol can accelerate the volatilization of water, while the composite herbal extract seemed to not influence the volatilization of the other ingredients. After a 20-min-long volatilization process, the remaining microemulsion still contained considerable peppermint essential oil to affect the skin. The above results showed the feasibility of developing the microemulsion composed of peppermint essential oil for the transdermal drug delivery of composite herbal extract. This research also proved that the combination of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and 2DCOS was valuable to study the volatilization process of the microemulsion.

Enhancing peach slices radio frequency vacuum drying by combining ultrasound and ultra-high pressure as pretreatments: Effect on drying characteristics, physicochemical quality, texture and sensory evaluation.

To maximally maintain fruits and vegetables quality after harvest, this study used ultrasonic (US) and ultra-high pressure (UHP) techniques as pretreatments for radio frequency vacuum (RFV) drying of peach slices, and investigated the effects of different pretreatments (US, UHP, UHP-US, and US-UHP) on drying characteristics, physicochemical qualities, texture properties, and sensory evaluation of peach slices. Results showed that the drying rate was increased by 15.79 âˆ¼ 54.39 % and the contents of pectin, hemicellulose, total phenolic, total flavonoid, phenolic acids, individual sugar annd antioxidant of the samples were significantly increased after US combined with UHP pretreatment (P < 0.05). US-UHP + RFV dried peach slices obtained brighter color, better texture attributes of hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness, springiness, and resilience. The dehydrated samples pretreated by UHP-US had the best overall acceptance, appearance, and crispness with lower off-odor and sourness compared to the dehydrated peach slices with US and UHP pretreatment. Notably, the highest cellulose and organic acids were found in dehydrated peach slices by control, followed by samples US, and samples with UHP pretreatment. The microstructure showed that the internal organization of peach slices appeared as uniform and regular honeycomb porous structure after US-UHP pretreatment. The findings may provide theoretical reference for the development of energy-efficient and high-quality drying technology for fruits and vegetables.

A high-performance photoelectrochemical sensor based on CdS-Au composite nanomaterials and localized surface plasmon resonance for ultrasensitive detection of ascorbic acid.

Ascorbic acid (AA), which plays a vital role in the metabolism of the human body, is closely correlated with various diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, scurvy, Parkinson's disease, urinary stones, and diarrhea. The detection of AA is of great significance for early prevention and diagnosis of related diseases. In this paper, a high-performance photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensor was constructed based on cadmium sulfide-gold (CdS-Au) composite nanomaterials for ultrasensitive ascorbic acid (AA) detection. Due to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), the PEC performance of CdS-Au composite nanomaterials was significantly improved compared to CdS semiconductor nanomaterials. Under the optimal conditions, the AA concentration was linearly related to the photocurrent signal in the range of 0.01 µM-200 µM, with the detection limit being 0.2 nM (S/N = 3) and the sensitivity being 642.9 µA mM-1 cm-2. In addition, the mechanism of the PEC sensor based on CdS-Au composite nanomaterials for ultrasensitive AA detection was discussed. Lastly, the self-constructed PEC sensors have been successfully applied in detecting AA in vitamin C tablets and actual blood samples, meeting the detection criteria required by the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (CP, 2020 edition). The self-fabricated PEC sensors in this paper are expected to be used for quality assessment of AA-related drugs and diagnosis of relevant diseases.

Drying kinetics prediction and quality effect of ultrasonic synergy vacuum far-infrared drying of Codonopsis pilosula.

By using ultrasonic synergy vacuum far-infrared drying (US-VFID), the effects of different conditions on the drying kinetics, functional properties, and microstructure of Codonopsis pilosula slices were studied. The sparrow search algorithm (SSA) was used to optimize the back-propagation (BP) neural network to predict the moisture ratio during drying. With the increase of ultrasonic frequency, power and radiation temperature, the drying time of C. pilosula was shortened. The drying time of US-VFID was 25% shorter than VFID, when radiation temperature was 50°C, ultrasonic power was 48 W, and frequency was 28 kHz. The SSA-BP neural network, the average absolute error prediction was 0.0067. Compared with hot air drying (HAD), the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of C. pilosula by US-VFID were increased by 29.47% and 8.67%, respectively, and a reduction in color contrast of 16.19%. The dilation and generation of microcapillary of C. pilosula were more obvious. The study revealed US-VFID could be used for the selection and process control of agro-processing methods for C. pilosula products.

Evaluation of the Effect of Ultrasonic Pretreatment on the Drying Kinetics and Quality Characteristics of Codonopsis pilosula Slices Based on the Grey Correlation Method.

Ultrasonic (US) maltreatment was performed before the vacuum far-infrared drying (VFID) of Codonopsis pilosula (CP) slices to investigate the effects of different US parameters on the drying characteristics and nutrients of CP slices. The grey correlation method with relative correlation degree (ri) as the evaluation measure was used to construct a model for the evaluation of the pretreatment quality of CP and to determine the optimal pretreatment conditions. The results showed that with the increase in US frequency and power, the drying rate increased. Under the conditions of US power of 180 W, frequency of 60 kHz and a pre-treatment time of 30 min, the drying time reduced by 28.6%. The contents of polysaccharide and syringin in dried CP slices pretreated by US increased by 14.7% and 62.0%, respectively, compared to the non-pre-treated samples, while the total flavonoid content decreased by 10.0%. In terms of colour, pretreatment had a certain protective effect on the red colour of dried products. The highest relative correlation (0.574) and the best overall quality of performance were observed at 180 W, 60 kHz and 30 min. Overall, US technology is suitable for the pretreatment processing of CP, which is of great significance to the drying of CP.

Effect of Ultrasonic Pretreatment on the Far-Infrared Drying Process and Quality Characteristics of Licorice.

In this paper, the effects of different ultrasonic pretreatment processes on the far-infrared drying characteristics, quality indexes, and microstructure of licorice are evaluated. The results showed that ultrasonic pretreatment, combined with far-infrared drying, significantly reduced the drying time and moisture content of licorice compared with those of the control group. The highest total flavonoid content was obtained at an ultrasound power of 80 W. The total phenolic content (0.686 mg gallic acid equivalent/g) was higher than that in the control group, the increase was 19.4%, and its content was the highest at the sonication frequency of 20 kHz. The antioxidant capacity tended to increase and then decrease with the increase in sonication time, sonication power, and sonication frequency, and was the highest at 30 min of sonication. The soluble sugar content (31.490 mg glucose equivalent/g) was the highest at 30 kHz and 30 min. Observation of the microstructure revealed that the surface structure of the ultrasonic pretreated licorice slices changed significantly, forming more micropore channels, which facilitated the mass heat transfer during the drying process. In conclusion, ultrasonic pretreatment can significantly improve the quality of licorice tablets and significantly reduce the time required for subsequent drying. The combination of pretreatment parameters of 60 W ultrasonic power and 40 kHz ultrasonic frequency for 30 min was found to be an optimal combination of pretreatment parameters; therefore, this study may provide a technical reference for the industrialization of licorice drying.

In situ reconstructed AgZn3 nanoparticles supported on zinc nanoplates for efficient CO2 electroreduction to tunable syngas.

Developing efficient electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction to syngas with tunable H2/CO ratios and high total faradaic efficiency is challenging. Herein, we report an effective catalyst composed of in situ reconstructed AgZn3 nanoparticles and Zn nanoplates for syngas synthesis, showing nearly 100% Faraday efficiency to syngas with a tunable H2/CO ratio from 2 : 1 to 1 : 2. Moreover, the in situ electrochemical measurements coupled with theoretical calculations disclose that the Zn site in AgZn3 nanoparticles and the hollow site between Ag and Zn in AgZn3 are the possible active sites for CO and H2 generation, respectively. This work has guiding significance for designing dual site catalysts for CO2 electroreduction to tunable syngas.

Effects of Different Drying Methods on the Drying Characteristics and Quality of Codonopsis pilosulae Slices.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of rotary microwave vacuum drying (RMVD), radio frequency vacuum drying (RFVD), vacuum far infrared drying (VFID), vacuum drying (VD), hot air drying (HD) and natural drying (ND) on the drying characteristics, active ingredients and microstructure of Codonopsis pilosulae slices. Compared with the fitting results of the four models, the Weibull model is the most suitable drying model for Codonopsis. The RFVD and HD color difference values were smaller compared to ND. The effective moisture diffusivity (Deff) under different drying methods was between 0.06 × 10-8 m2/s and 3.95 × 10-8 m2/s. RMVD-dried products had the shortest drying time and retained more active ingredients. The microstructure analysis revealed that the porous structure of RMVD is more favorable for water migration. RMVD is a promising dehydration method for obtaining high-value-added dried Codonopsis products.

Study on Ultrasonic Far-Infrared Radiation Drying and Quality Characteristics of Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.) under Different Pretreatments.

In order to explore the effects of different pretreatment methods on the ultrasonic far-infrared synergistic drying characteristics and quality of wolfberry, the bioactive components (polysaccharide, total phenol, total flavonoids, and antioxidants), the quality characteristics (rehydration ratio, color, vitamin C content, and betaine content), and the microstructure of the dried products were used as evaluation indices to test wolfberry treated by five different pretreatments (hot blanching; candied pretreatment; NaOH solution treatment; NaCl solution treatment; and Na2CO3 solution treatment). The results showed that hot blanching pretreatment improved the drying rate and shortened the drying time, and that the vitamin C content of dried products pretreated by hot blanching (92.56 mg/100 g) was higher than that of dried products pretreated by other methods. All five pretreatment methods increased the contents of the total phenols, vitamin C, and betaine of wolfberry. Wolfberry treated by candied pretreatment had lower color differences and higher contents of polysaccharide (0.83 g/g), total phenol (9.26 mg/g), and total flavonoids (2.61 mg/g) than wolfberry treated by the other pretreatment methods. Wolfberry pretreated by NaCl solution had the strongest antioxidant capacity (65.01%). Wolfberry pretreated by Na2CO3 solution had the highest betaine content (3.24%). The observation of the microstructure of the dried products revealed that hot blanching caused the most damage to wolfberry, while the candied pretreatment was less destructive to the tissue cells of wolfberry. On the whole, the dried wolfberry products obtained by the candied pretreatment were of a better quality than products obtained by the other pretreatment methods.

The Mediating Effect of Perceived Social Support on Mental Health and Life Satisfaction among Residents: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of 8500 Subjects in Taian City, China.

Several studies have explored the relationship between mental health and life satisfaction. However, few studies have clarified the mechanisms underlying the relationship between mental health and life satisfaction among a large sample of the whole population. The aim of this study was to explore the mediating role of perceived social support between mental health and life satisfaction among the residents in Taian City, China. A total of 8500 residents were included in the analysis. A descriptive analysis was conducted to describe the sample characteristics. Pearson correlation was employed to explore the correlation between mental health and life satisfaction. The mediating role of perceived social support was analyzed using SPSS26.0. This study found that the residents' average score of life satisfaction was 24.60 ± 4.12. Mental health was significantly correlated with perceived social support and life satisfaction. After adjusting for controlling variables, perceived social support played a partially mediating effect on mental health and life satisfaction, accounting for 21.04% of the total effect. However, data are cross-sectional, and causal conclusions cannot be drawn. Attention should be paid to the residents' mental health and intervention should be considered for residents with mental disorders to improve the residents' life satisfaction.

Effect of ultrasonic far-infrared synergistic drying on the characteristics and qualities of wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.).

This study investigated the effects of ultrasonic frequency, ultrasonic power, irradiation height and temperature on the drying characteristics, quality and microstructure of wolfberry by ultrasonic-assisted far-infrared drying. By fitting five commonly used thin-layer drying mathematical models, it was found that the coefficient of determination (R2) of the Weibull model was 0.99400-0.99825, the root mean square error (RMSE) was 1.2162 × 10-4-4.5209 × 10-4, and the reduced chi-square (χ2) was 0.00207-0.00663, which was the best fit. Under the application of ultrasound, the average drying rate of wolfberry increased. Compared with natural drying, the polysaccharide content increased by 33.2 % at 250 mm irradiation height, and the total phenol content increased by 44.9 % at 40 kHz ultrasonic frequency. The antioxidant activity was the strongest, and the total flavonoids content was the highest (2.594 mg/g) at 24 W ultrasonic power. By comparing the microstructure of wolfberry under different drying methods, such as a fresh sample, natural drying, hot air drying, and ultrasonic-assisted drying, we found that the ultrasonic assistance increased the number of micropores on the surface of wolfberry, reduced the damage to epidermal cells, reduced the mass transfer resistance of the drying process and accelerated the drying process. This study shows that ultrasonic-assisted far-infrared drying technology played a significant role in the heat and mass transfer of wolfberry drying, and had great potential in the commercial processing of wolfberry.

Characteristics and Quality Analysis of Radio Frequency-Hot Air Combined Segmented Drying of Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum).

To overcome the problems of a long conventional drying time, low energy efficiency, and poor product quality, a segmented drying approach was developed for fresh wolfberry (Lycium barbarum) using a radio frequency (RF)-hot air drying process, which was investigated under different parameters of plate spacing (80, 90, 100 mm), vacuum degree (0.015, 0.025, 0.035 Mpa), and hot air temperature (50, 55, 60 °C). Analysis of the wolfberry's drying characteristics, comprehensive quality, and microstructure indicated that: combined drying was faster and less time-consuming than natural drying or hot air drying, and components such as polysaccharides, ascorbic acid, and betaine in wolfberries were effectively retained. Based on the acceptable drying rate, stable temperature application, and avoidance of arcing effects, the optimal combined segmented drying parameters were determined to be as follows: a plate spacing of 90 mm, vacuum degree of 0.025 MPa, and air temperature of 55 °C. For the dried wolfberries under these conditions, the total drying time was 17 h and the berries had an improved comprehensive quality, the content of total soluble sugars was 0.62 g/g, total phenol was 10.01 mg/g, total flavonoids was 2.60 mg/g, VC was 3.18 mg/100 g, betaine was 3.48%, oxidation resistance represented by an inhibition rate was 66.14%, color was better, and rehydration rate was 48.56%. The microstructure was more regular because of the special dielectric heating characteristics of RF vacuuming. Despite the differing drying characteristics of individual materials, the overall RF-hot air combined drying process was found to achieve high-quality dehydration of wolfberries.

Isolation, Optimization of Fermentation Conditions, and Characterization of an Exopolysaccharide from Pseudoalteromonas agarivorans Hao 2018.

In recent years, the wide application of exopolysaccharides (EPSs) in food, cosmetics, medicine, and other fields has drawn tremendous attention. In this study, an EPS produced by Pseudoalteromonas agarivorans Hao 2018 was isolated and purified, and its fermentation conditions were optimized. Its structure and biological functions were also studied. The purity and molecular weight of EPS were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the EPS exhibited a number average of 2.26 × 105 and a weight average of 2.84 × 105. EPS has good adsorption for Cu2+ and Pb2+. The adsorption rates can reach up to 69.79% and 82.46%, respectively. The hygroscopic property of EPS was higher than that of chitosan, but slightly lower than that of sodium hyaluronate. However, the water-retaining activity of EPS was similar to that of chitosan and sodium hyaluronate. EPS has strong ability to scavenge free radicals, including OH radical and O2- radical. Further, its activity on O2- radicals has similarities with that of vitamin C. EPS has broad application prospects in many fields, such as cosmetics, environmental protection.

Isolation, Characterization, and Pharmaceutical Applications of an Exopolysaccharide from Aerococcus Uriaeequi.

Many marine bacteria secrete exopolysaccharides (EPSs), which are made up of a substantial component of the macro-molecules surrounding cells. Recently, the wide demand for EPSs for food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and other applications has led to great interest in them. In this study, an EPS produced by marine bacteria Aerococcus uriaeequi HZ strains (EPS-A) was isolated and purified to examine its structure and biological function. The molecular weight of EPS-A analyzed by high-performance liquid gel filtration chromatography (HPGFC) is found to have a number average of 2.22 × 105 and weight average of 2.84 × 105, respectively. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and Fourier-transform⁻infrared (FT⁻IR) analysis indicate that EPS-A was a polysaccharide composed of glucose and a little mannose. In addition, the flocculating rate of sewage of EPS-A was 79.90%. The hygroscopicity studies showed that hygroscopicity of EPS-A was higher than chitosan but lower than that of sodium hyaluronate. The moisture retention of EPS-A showed similar retention activity to both chitosan and sodium hyaluronate. EPS-A also can scavenge free radicals including both OH• free radical and O2•- free radical and the activity to O2•- free radical is similar to vitamin C. Safety assessment on mice indicated that the EPS-A is safe for external use and oral administration. EPS-A has great potential for applications in medicine due to its characteristics mentioned above.

ESE­1 suppresses the growth, invasion and migration of human NSCLC cells and tumor formation in vivo.

Lung cancer is the first leading cause of cancer­related death in the United States. Non­small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer and is associated with a poor patient prognosis. Identification of promising molecular targets is required for the effective prevention and therapy of NSCLC. Epithelial­specific ETS­1 (ESE­1) belongs to the superfamily of ETS transcription factors. The effect of ESE­1 on tumorigenesis is controversial in several types of cancer while its role in lung cancer remains unknown. The present study was designed to investigate whether ESE­1 expression affects tumorigenic activity using human NSCLC cells and a mouse xenograft model. ESE­1 expression suppressed anchorage­independent growth in soft agar assay and led to an increase in G1 arrest and apoptosis in human NSCLC cells. ESE­1 expression suppressed the invasion and migration of human NSCLC cells. Western blot analysis, RT­PCR and promoter assay indicated that ESE­1 expression was transcriptionally downregulated by treatment of transforming growth factor (TGF)­ß, an EMT (epithelial­mesenchymal transition) stimulator. The xenograft study indicated that ESE­1 expression inhibited tumor formation and development. Our data demonstrated that ESE­1 plays a key role as a tumor suppressor in human NSCLC.

Arctigenin represses TGF-ß-induced epithelial mesenchymal transition in human lung cancer cells.

Arctigenin (ARC) is a lignan that is abundant in Asteraceae plants, which show anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. The current study investigated whether ARC affects cancer progression and metastasis, focusing on EMT using invasive human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. No toxicity was observed in the cells treated with different doses of ARC (12-100 µM). The treatment of ARC repressed TGF-ß-stimulated changes of metastatic morphology and cell invasion and migration. ARC inhibited TGF-ß-induced phosphorylation and transcriptional activity of smad2/3, and expression of snail. ARC also decreased expression of N-cadherin and increased expression of E-cadherin in dose-dependent and time-dependent manners. These changes were accompanied by decreased amount of phospho-smad2/3 in nucleus and nuclear translocation of smad2/3. Moreover, ARC repressed TGF-ß-induced phosphorylation of ERK and transcriptional activity of ß-catenin. Our data demonstrate anti-metastatic activity of ARC in lung cancer model.

A Novel Murine Anti-Lactoferrin Monoclonal Antibody Activates Human Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes through Membrane-Bound Lactoferrin and TLR4.

Soluble lactoferrin (LTF) is a versatile molecule that not only regulates the iron homeostasis, but also harbors direct microbicidal and immunomodulating abilities in mammalian body fluids. In contrast, little is known about the function of membrane-bound LTF (mbLTF), although its expression on human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (huPMNs) has been reported for decades. Given that LTF/anti-LTF antibodies represent a potential diagnostic/prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target in patients with immune disorders, we wished, in the present study, to generate a novel human LTF- (huLTF-) specific mAb suitable for detailed analyses on the expression and function of mbLTF as well as for deciphering the underlying mechanisms. By using the traditional hybridoma cell fusion technology, we obtained a murine IgG1 (kappa) mAb, M-860, against huLTF. M-860 recognizes a conformational epitope of huLTF as it binds to natural, but not denatured, huLTF in ELISA. Moreover, M-860 detects mbLTF by FACS and captures endogenous huLTF in total cell lysates of huPMNs. Functionally, M-860 induces the activation of huPMNs partially through TLR4 but independently of phagocytosis. M-860 is thus a powerful tool to analyze the expression and function of human mbLTF, which will further our understanding of the roles of LTF in health and disease.