Moringa oleifera Lam. Leaf improves constipation of rats induced by low-fiber-diet: A proteomics study.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The leaf of Moringa oleifera Lam., a medicinal and edible herb for thousands of years in Ayurveda, is used as Pancha (na) karma (purgative) during and after the body cleansing process, to treat constipation, reduce cholesterol and body weight. AIM OF STUDY: The aim was to investigate the diarrhea effects and possible mechanism of M. oleifera leaves in constipation rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The hot water extract of M. oleifera leaves (WEMOL) was prepared and analyzed using LC-20AT HPLC system. The constipated rat model was induced by feeding with low fiber diet for 21 days. After oral administration of WEMOL for 7 days, the excretion parameter analysis, gastro-intestinal propulsion, histological analysis by HE and Alcian blue staining, and gastrointestinal hormone in rat's digestive tract through ELISA were used to evaluate the laxative effect of WEMOL. Label-free quantitation (LFQ) with LC-MS/MS, bioinformatics and Western blot were used to discover and verify the signal pathways and key proteins of WEMOL related to diarrhea. RESULTS: The contents of isoquercitrin and astragalin were 2.7 mg/g and 1.7 mg/g, respectively in WEMOL. The stool number, weight, and water content of constipation rats were significantly reduced, indicating model had been established successfully. WEMOL (1.25 and 2.5 g/kg) increased water content of feces and the levels of Gas, MTL, NPY in gastric antrum and VIP, SP in colon of constipation rats, improved the muscle layer thickness and mucin secretion of colon. The proteomics revealed a total of 1731 differential proteins and 9 signaling pathways, WEMOL increased the expression of Vamp2, Gnai3, and Prkacb. CONCLUSIONS: The laxative mechanism of WEMOL maybe modulate the signaling pathways mediated by 5-HT and Ach receptors, related to gastrointestinal motility and intestinal fluid secretion. It can be considered as the scientific connotation of Pancha (na) karma of M. oleifera leaves in ayurveda.

Aroma characteristics of flaxseed milk via GC-MS-O and odor activity value calculation: Imparts and selection of different flaxseed varieties.

Currently, the effect of varieties on the flavor and stability of flaxseed milk remains unknown. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of different varieties on the stability, sensory, and aromas of flaxseed milk. 51 volatile compounds were identified in flaxseed milk using Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction-Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry-Mass Spectrometry (SBSE-GC-O-MS). Among them, 1-octen-3-ol, 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, and 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine contributed higher relative odor active values (ROAV), resulted in the fruity, roasted, sweet, and cucumber in flaxseed milk. Isovaleraldehyde (green notes) was not detected in XHZM. However, other compounds such as 1-nonanol (floral), γ-nonanolactone and γ-octanoic lactone (coconut milk) had higher concentrations, causing a better sensory evaluation. Additionally, its stability was relatively good. The orthogonal partial least-squares regression (OPLS) model and VIP values showed that eight compounds were responsible for the sensory differences from different varietals. The study provided references to selection and understanding flavor composition basis of flaxseed milk.

Vitro UPLC analysis and mass method identification, and in vivo or cellular immune anti-inflammatory function of Sanhuang Xiexin Decoction (SHXD).

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Sanhuang Xiexin Decoction (SHXD), consisting of Coptis chinensis Franch., Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi and Rheum palmatum L., is traditionally used for relieving fever, purging fire for removing toxins, eliminating phlegm and haemostasis, eliminating the wetness-evil from the upper warmer, clearing away the heat-evil and expelling superficial evils. Each of the three herbs contained in SHXD has been indicated to have anti-inflammatory effects in vivo, but its effects on rat NK-cell phenotypes remain unexplored, and the comprehensive mechanism of this compound SHXD in curing the inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) remains to be revealed. AIM OF THE STUDY: The study aim was to assess the effect of SHXD on LPS-induced fever and inflammation in a rat model, reduce NLRP3 activation in NK cells expressing specific cell phenotype antibodies and determine the therapeutic value of this approach in vivo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SHXD extract was prepared and analysed by the developed ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method for the simultaneous detection of 14 compounds. The main peaks were firstly identified on an Orbitrap via high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (MS). Then, the extract was used in the rat model of LPS-induced inflammation and fever for pharmacologically study the effects of drug treatment. Peripheral blood lymphocyte cells were isolated from the animals, including those subjected to the SHXD extract treatment, and the cell phenotype was determined prior to cell culture and after treating the cell cultures with the extract. The phenotypes of cells harvested using CD3, CD4, CD8a, CD81, CD161 and CD86 antibodies were used to verify the enhanced memory of the peripheral blood lymphocytes cells (PBMC) that were induced into nature killer (NK) cells. RESULTS: The SHXD extract was prepared, analysed and identified via quality control equipment and was observed to have pharmacological effects that reduced NLRP3 activation and fever in rats. The production of NK cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes was induced by the SHXD extract, which manifested as increased levels of CD4+, CD8a+, CD81+, CD161+ and CD86+ cells. The levels of CD3+ cells were significantly different between the model group and the drug-treated or control groups (p < 0.01) with dose independence, while the levels of CD4+ cells were not significantly different between the drug-treated and control groups, with a trend towards lower levels in the model group with dose independence. The levels of CD4+ cells was significantly different between the drug-treated group and the model groups with dose independence (p < 0.05). The levels of CD86+ cells were not significantly different between the drug-treated group and the model and control groups. The levels of CD8a + cells was significantly different between the model group and the drug and control groups (p < 0.05, dose 2.0 µg/ml), with higher levels in the drug-treated group. The levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD8a + cells in the drug treated group have dose dependence with SHXD. CONCLUSIONS: This experiment revealed that SHXD reduced NLRP3 activation in the blood of LPS-treated rats, which occurred through the activation of NK cells that expressed CD3, CD8a and CD161. SHXD may possess anti-inflammatory effect via activacting the one of major pharmacology effcet of NK cells that expressed CD3, CD8a and CD161 phenotypes expression. This result demonstrates that SHXD may possess ability to enhance the memory of peripheral blood lymphocytes and natural killer cells.

A novel angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptide from tilapia skin: Preparation, identification and its potential antihypertensive mechanism.

To obtain food-derived peptides with high ACE inhibitory activity, tilapia skin was pretreated with steam explosion prior to enzymatic hydrolysis. The results showed that steam explosion pretreatment improved the hydrolysis efficiency and ACE inhibitory activity of fish skin hydrolysates. A novel ACE inhibitory peptide VGLFPSRSF (1009.17 Da) was obtained from steam-exploded fish skin hydrolysates. VGLFPSRSF had an IC50 value of 61.43 µM for ACE inhibitory activity, showing a non-competitive binding mode and gastrointestinal enzyme hydrolysis resistance. Molecular docking results showed that VGLFPSRSF interacted with ACE receptor protein through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. Based on the results of network pharmacological analysis and molecular docking, VGLFPSRSF might regulate blood pressure through interaction with hypertensive targets such as AKT1, ACE, CD4, REN, and MMP9. Steam-exploded tilapia skin peptides had potential antihypertension activity and might be promising to achieve high-value utilization of fish skin by-products.

Pyrazines in food samples: Recent update on occurrence, formation, sampling, pretreatment and analysis methods.

Pyrazines are a class of active aromatic substances existing in various foods. The accumulation of pyrazines has an impact on flavor and quality of food products. This review encompasses the formation mechanisms and control strategies of pyrazines via Maillard reaction (MR), including the new reactants and emerging techniques. Pyrazines characteristics are better understood through the developed sample pretreatments and detection methods. Herein, an in-depth review of pretreatments and analysis methods since 2010 is presented to explore the simple, fast, green, and effective strategies. Sample preparation methods include liquid phase extraction, solid phase extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, and microextraction methods such as liquid phase microextraction, and solid phase microextraction, etc. Detections are made by chromatographic methods, and sensors, etc. Advantages and limitations are discussed and compared for providing insights to further studies.

Isolation, identification of antioxidant peptides from earthworm proteins and analysis of the structure-activity relationship of the peptides based on quantum chemical calculations.

Earthworms are emerging sources of edible animal proteins. Earthworm extracts exhibit good in vivo antioxidant activity after oral administration. To better understand the antioxidant activity of earthworms, antioxidant peptides derived from earthworm proteins after gastrointestinal digestion were isolated and identified, and their structure-activity relationships were analysed in this research. Results showed that earthworm protein gastrointestinal digestion products exhibited good antioxidant activity, and 6030 peptide sequences were identified after separation using ion-exchange and gel-chromatography columns. Eleven peptides were screened using computer simulation activity scores, among which AFWYGLPCKL, WPWQMSLY, and GCFRYACGAFY showed the best antioxidant activities. Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) analysis indicated that N29-H10, O122-H38, and the peptide bond binding sites of serine and leucine were active sites of peptides AFWYGLPCKL, GCFRYACGAFY, and WPWQMSLY, respectively. This study provides a new understanding of substance basis of antioxidant activity in earthworms and contributes to application of earthworm proteins as antioxidants in health-foods.

Comprehensive analysis and experimental validation reveal elevated CLCN4 is a promising biomarker in endometrial cancer.

Several studies have reported the role of CLCN4 in tumor progression. However, its mechanism remains to be thoroughly studied. The objective of this study was to explore the potential pathogenic role of CLCN4 in endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) with a better understanding of the pathological mechanisms involved. The potential roles of CLCN4 in different tumors were explored based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the expression difference, mutation, survival, pathological stage, Immunity subtypes, Immune infiltration, tumor microenvironment (TME), tumor mutation burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), mismatch repair (MMR) related to CLCN4 were analyzed. Then, the expression, prognosis, mutation, and functional enrichment of CLCN4 in UCEC were analyzed. Immunohistochemical experiment was used to verify the expression of CLCN4 in endometrial cancer tissues and normal tissues. In vitro, we knocked down of CLCN4 in HEC-1-A cells and performed CCK8, WB, RT-PCR, wound-healing, transwell assays to further validation of the molecular function. Results revealed that high expression of CLCN4 was observed in 20 cancer types of TCGA. CLCN4 expression correlates with poor survival in MESO, BLCA, THCA, especially UCEC tumors. CLCN4 expression was significantly associated with CD4+ T-cell infiltration, especially CD4+ Th1-cell. Immunohistochemical experiment reveals that CLCN4 is high expressed in endometrial tumors, in vitro experiment reveals that knockdown of CLCN4 inhibits the cells proliferation, migration and invasion. Our study is the first to offer a comprehensive understanding of the oncogenic roles of CLCN4 on different tumors. CLCN4 may become a potential biomarker in UCEC.

Association of biological age with health outcomes and its modifiable factors.

Identifying the clinical implications and modifiable and unmodifiable factors of aging requires the measurement of biological age (BA) and age gap. Leveraging the biomedical traits involved with physical measures, biochemical assays, genomic data, and cognitive functions from the healthy participants in the UK Biobank, we establish an integrative BA model consisting of multi-dimensional indicators. Accelerated aging (age gap >3.2 years) at baseline is associated incident circulatory diseases, related chronic disorders, all-cause, and cause-specific mortality. We identify 35 modifiable factors for age gap (p < 4.81 × 10-4 ), where pulmonary functions, body mass, hand grip strength, basal metabolic rate, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and C-reactive protein show the most significant associations. Genetic analyses replicate the possible associations between age gap and health-related outcomes and further identify CST3 as an essential gene for biological aging, which is highly expressed in the brain and is associated with immune and metabolic traits. Our study profiles the landscape of biological aging and provides insights into the preventive strategies and therapeutic targets for aging.

Efficacy of meniscus suture absorbability on meniscus healing success rate via second-look arthroscopy after meniscal repair: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To preserve the meniscus's function, repairing the torn meniscus has become a common understanding. After which, the search for the ideal suture material is continuous. However, it is still controversial about the efficacy of suture absorbability on meniscus healing. METHODS: This review is designed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. INCLUSION CRITERIA: (1) Studies on meniscus repair; (2) Second-look arthroscopy was performed; (3) The meniscus was repaired by absorbable and non-absorbable sutures; (4) The healing condition of repaired meniscus via second-look arthroscopy was described. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: (1) Animal studies, cadaveric studies, or in vitro research; (2) Meniscus transplantation; (3) Open meniscus repair; (4) Reviews, meta-analysis, case reports, letters, and comments; (5) non-English studies. MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Database were searched up to October 2022. Risk of bias and methodology quality of included literature were assessed according to ROBINS-I and the modified Coleman Methodological Scale (MCMS). Descriptive analysis was performed, and meta-analysis was completed by RevMan5.4.1. RESULTS: Four studies were included in the systematic review. Among them, three studies were brought into the meta-analysis, including 1 cohort study and 2 case series studies about 130 patients with meniscal tears combined with anterior cruciate ligament injury. Forty-two cases were repaired by absorbable sutures, and 88 were repaired by non-absorbable sutures. Using the fixed effect model, there was a statistical difference in the healing success rate between the absorbable and the non-absorbable groups [RR1.20, 95%CI (1.03, 1.40)]. CONCLUSION: In early and limited studies, insufficient evidence supports that non-absorbable sutures in meniscus repair surgery could improve meniscal healing success rate under second-look arthroscopy compared with absorbable sutures. In contrast, available data suggest that absorbable sutures have an advantage in meniscal healing. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The review was registered in the PROSPERO System Review International Pre-Registration System (Registration number CRD42021283739).

CTRP6 regulates M1 macrophage polarization via the PPAR-γ/NF-κB pathway and reprogramming glycolysis in recurrent spontaneous abortion.

Aberrant polarization and functions of decidual macrophages are closely related to recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein 6 (CTRP6) is a member of the adiponectin paralog family, and plays indispensable roles in inflammation, glucose uptake and tumor metastasis. However, the regulatory effect of CTRP6 on macrophage polarization and glycolysis in RSA and the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we first found that CTRP6 expression was positively correlated with the M1 macrophage marker (CD86) in decidual tissues by dual immunofluorescence analysis. In vitro experiments indicated that CTRP6 could facilitate M1 macrophage activation through the PPAR-γ/NF-κB pathway and manipulate the glycolysis of macrophages. Notably, in addition to silencing CTRP6, treatment with a PPAR-γ agonist (GW1929) inhibited M1 macrophage polarization and rescued embryo absorption in vivo. Taken together, these results identify previously unrevealed functions of CTRP6 in macrophage transformation during RSA.

Anti-cancer treatment within two weeks serves as a risk factor for clinical outcomes among cancer patients with COVID-19.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in infections among patients with cancer. Our study aimed to investigate the potential adverse impact of anti-cancer treatments within 2 weeks of COVID-19 infection on clinical outcomes in patients with cancer. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed 70 cancer patients with COVID-19 infection from the First Hospital of Jilin University in Changchun City, Jilin Province, between March and June 2022. Data on demographic characteristics, vaccination status, COVID-19 clinical classification, symptoms, complications, tumor-related characteristics, laboratory examinations and medical interventions were extracted from electronic medical record. The primary outcome of our study was Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission. Logistic regression model was performed to investigate the association between anti-cancer treatments within 2 weeks after COVID-19 infection and the risk of ICU admission. Results: Of the 70 patients enrolled in this study, 37 received anti-cancer treatments within 2 weeks after COVID-19 infection. Patients receiving anti-cancer treatment were more likely to experience non-mild COVID-19, require oxygen therapy, develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and exhibit elevated inflammatory levels. The risk of ICU admission (P<0.001) and 30-day mortality after reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) negative conversion (P=0.007) was significantly higher in patients receiving anti-cancer treatments. In multivariate Logistic regression analysis, non-mild classification of COVID-19, anti-cancer treatments within 2 weeks and ECOG > 1were all independently associated with ICU admission after adjusting for confounder factors. The risk of ICU admission rose to 43.63 times (95% confidence interval=1.31-1452.94, P=0.035) in patients receiving anti-cancer treatments within 2 weeks. Conclusion: Anti-cancer treatments within 2 weeks of COVID-19 infection increase the risk of ICU admission and 30-day mortality after RT-PCR negative conversion in patients with cancer. It may be recommended to postpone cancer-related treatments for more than 2 weeks in cancer patients with COVID-19 infection.

Circulating bile acid profile characteristics in PCOS patients and the role of bile acids in predicting the pathogenesis of PCOS.

Background: The metabolic profile of bile acids and their potential role as biomarkers in the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have not been thoroughly characterized. Assessing their predictive value for PCOS is of significant importance. Methods: In this study, we enrolled 408 women with PCOS and 204 non-PCOS controls. The serum bile acid profile was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS). We analyzed the differences in serum bile acid profiles between PCOS patients using the OPLS-DA model. Additionally, we examined the relationship between bile acid profiles and parameters related to glucose metabolism and hyperandrogenism. ROC analysis was employed to identify potential biomarkers for PCOS pathogenesis. XGboost was utilized for cross-validation. Results: The bile acid profile was found to be altered in PCOS patients. Specifically, the primary and secondary unconjugated bile acid fractions were significantly higher in the PCOS population. We identified five bile acid metabolite candidates that exhibited the most significant differences between PCOS and non-PCOS controls. DCA was associated with deposition index, fasting and postprandial insulin but was influenced by testosterone. CDCA and LCA combined with testosterone showed potential as biomarkers for the pathogenesis of PCOS. Conclusion: The circulating bile acid profile undergoes changes in PCOS. DCA is associated with deposition index, fasting and postprandial insulin and its level is influenced by testosterone. CDCA and LCA combined with testosterone have the potential to serve as biomarkers for the pathogenesis of PCOS.

Protein-encapsulated doxorubicin reduces cardiotoxicity in hiPSC-cardiomyocytes and cardiac spheroids while maintaining anticancer efficacy.

The chemotherapeutic doxorubicin (DOX) detrimentally impacts the heart during cancer treatment. This necessitates development of non-cardiotoxic delivery systems that retain DOX anticancer efficacy. We used human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs), endothelial cells (hiPSC-ECs), cardiac fibroblasts (hiPSC-CFs), multi-lineage cardiac spheroids (hiPSC-CSs), patient-specific hiPSCs, and multiple human cancer cell lines to compare the anticancer efficacy and reduced cardiotoxicity of single protein encapsulated DOX (SPEDOX-6), to standard unformulated (UF) DOX. Cell viability assays and immunostaining in human cancer cells, hiPSC-ECs, and hiPSC-CFs revealed robust uptake of SPEDOX-6 and efficacy in killing these proliferative cell types. In contrast, hiPSC-CMs and hiPSC-CSs exhibited substantially lower cytotoxicity during SPEDOX-6 treatment compared with UF DOX. SPEDOX-6-treated hiPSC-CMs and hiPSC-CSs maintained their functionality, as indicated by sarcomere contractility assessment, calcium imaging, multielectrode arrays, and RNA sequencing. This study demonstrates the potential of SPEDOX-6 to alleviate cardiotoxic side effects associated with UF DOX, while maintaining its anticancer potency.

High-strength nacre-like composite films based on pre-polymerised polydopamine and polyethyleneimine cross-linked MXene layers via multi-bonding interactions.

Demands for high-strength flexible electrodes have significantly increased across various fields, especially in wearable electronics. Inspired by the strong integrated layered structure of the natural nacre via multi-bonding interactions, we report the fabrication of the strong integrated nacre-like composite films based on pre-polymerised polydopamine and polyethyleneimine cross-linked MXene layers (p-DEM), achieving the synergic effect of hydrogen bonding, covalent bonding and electrostatic interactions. As a result, a high-level tensile strength of âˆ¼302 MPa, 10.8 times higher than that of the plain MXene film, is obtained for the prepared p-DE0.5M composite film. Meanwhile, the composite film also delivers superior energy storage (∼1218F cm-3 at 5 mV s-1) and rate performances (capacitance retention of 81.3% at 1000 mV s-1). To demonstrate the practical application of the composite films, a symmetrical supercapacitor based on p-DE0.5M electrodes is assembled, which shows stable energy storage performances under different deformation states such as bending angles at 0, 60, 90 and 180°, or withstand repeated bending times (1000 cycles). This type of multi-bonding interactions induced strong integrated MXene assembly may promote the wide applications of MXene-based films in flexible electronics, artificial intelligence, and tissue engineering, to name a few.

Characteristics of gelatin from lizardfish (Saurida micropectoralis) and threadfin bream (Nemipterus hexodon) skins as influenced by extraction conditions.

Gelatins from lizardfish and threadfin bream skins were extracted using distilled water at 45 and 60 °C and 4, 8 and 12 h. Gelatin recovered from both lizardfish and threadfin bream skins was in the range of 63.96-91.46%. As extraction temperature and duration increased, the turbidity of gelatin solution from both species increased. Gelatins isolated from either lizardfish or threadfin bream skins at 45 °C for 4 and 8 h showed the maximum bloom strength (245.03-320.85 g), which were also greater than commercial gelatin from bovine (208.55 g) (P < 0.05). The gelatin gels (6.67%, w/v) could set at 4 °C within 3 min and were able to set at room temperatures within 51.83 min. Gelatins extracted from both fish skins contained α1-, ß- and γ-chains as predominant protein components. The lightness of all gelatin gels faintly declined with an increase in extraction temperature and time. Among the various production conditions explored, lizardfish/threadfin bream skin gelatin developed at 45 °C and 8 h was found to be highly comparable to commercial bovine gelatin. Based on the results obtained, gelatin from both fish species could be used as a replacement for land animal counterparts and can be used in many different food and pharmaceutical products.

The prognostic and immunological role of FKBP1A in an integrated muti-omics cancers analysis, especially lung cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: FKBP1A, a gene encoding the FK506-binding protein 1A, has emerged as a significant player in cancer progression and prognosis. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the multifaceted role of FKBP1A in cancer, focusing on its differential expression patterns, prognostic implications, genetic alterations, and associations with the tumor microenvironment. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using large-scale datasets, including GTEx, TCGA, HPA, and cBioPortal, we analyzed FKBP1A expression across normal tissues and various cancer types. Our findings revealed that FKBP1A exhibited aberrant upregulation in most human cancers, making it a potential biomarker for malignancy. Moreover, FKBP1A expression correlated with poor overall survival, disease-specific survival, disease-free interval, and progression-free interval in several cancers, indicating its prognostic significance. Genetic alteration analysis showed that FKBP1A gene amplification was prevalent, particularly in ovarian cancer. Furthermore, FKBP1A expression was associated with tumor mutational burden and microsatellite instability, highlighting its potential involvement in tumor-immune response. Notably, FKBP1A expression positively correlated with stromal and immune cell scores, suggesting its role in shaping the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, according to the functional enrichment analysis, experimental validation in lung adenocarcinoma confirmed the role of FKBP1A through the regulation of EGFR signaling by apoptosis, which is consistent with drug sensitivity analysis to some extent. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, FKBP1A exhibits differential expression in cancer, serves as a prognostic indicator, undergoes genetic alterations, and influences the tumor-immune microenvironment. These findings shed light on the multifaceted role of FKBP1A in cancer development and progression, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target and guidance of clinical drugs selection, and provide valuable insights into patient prognosis for interventions based on pharmaceuticals.

Reshaping the Cortical Connectivity Gradient by Long-Term Cognitive Training During Development.

The organization of the brain follows a topological hierarchy that changes dynamically during development. However, it remains unknown whether and how cognitive training administered over multiple years during development can modify this hierarchical topology. By measuring the brain and behavior of school children who had carried out abacus-based mental calculation (AMC) training for five years (starting from 7 years to 12 years old) in pre-training and post-training, we revealed the reshaping effect of long-term AMC intervention during development on the brain hierarchical topology. We observed the development-induced emergence of the default network, AMC training-promoted shifting, and regional changes in cortical gradients. Moreover, the training-induced gradient changes were located in visual and somatomotor areas in association with the visuospatial/motor-imagery strategy. We found that gradient-based features can predict the math ability within groups. Our findings provide novel insights into the dynamic nature of network recruitment impacted by long-term cognitive training during development.

Insight of pH-shifting as an effective pretreatment to reduce the antigenicity of lectin from red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) combining with autoclaving treatments: The structure investigation.

Combined effects of pH-shifting and an autoclaving cycle (121 °C, 15 min) on red kidney bean lectin (RKBL) were investigated using intrinsic and extrinsic fluorescence, UV, FTIR, DSC, SEC, dot-blot analysis and in vitro digestibility. Spectroscopic studies suggested that the protein refolding was stable after 3 h incubation with the hydrophobic exposure after pH-shifting, and hydrophobicity was significantly increased with the formation of more looser structure, which would influence the structural stability of known epitopes. In details, the increase of ß-turn and reduction of random coil was related with the lower denaturation enthalpy, while the protein aggregation was also observed in acidic treated samples after autoclaving. Lower antigenicity and good digestibility suggested the exposure of enzyme cutting sites, and confirmed the effectivity of pH-shifting prior to the autoclaving. Then the results would be beneficial to the development of hypoallergenic kidney bean foods.

Diagnostic value of mesenteric CTA combined with D-dimer level and inflammatory factor changes in severity of mesenteric artery embolism.

Objective: To investigate the value of mesenteric CTA combined with D-dimer (DD) level and inflammatory factor changes in evaluating the severity of mesenteric artery embolism. Methods: This is a retrospective study. The imaging data of mesenteric CTA and the levels of plasma DD and inflammatory factors in 120 patients with mesenteric artery embolism confirmed by DSA or surgery in Baoding No.1 Central Hospital were analyzed retrospectively from January 2021 to December 2022. The coincidence rate of CTA alone and CTA combined with DD and inflammatory factors with the results of surgery or DSA was compared and analyzed. The specificity, sensitivity and accuracy of CTA alone and CTA combined with DD and inflammatory factors in diagnosing superior mesenteric artery embolism were compared. The correlations of different severity of mesenteric artery embolism with DD and inflammatory factor levels were compared and analyzed. Results: There was a significant difference in the coincidence rate between CTA diagnosis and CTA combined with DD and inflammatory factors diagnosis (p= 0.01). And the sensitivity and accuracy of the latter were significantly higher than those of the former (sensitivity, p= 0.01; accuracy, p= 0.00). The levels of plasma DD, TNF-a, CRP and IL-6 in the intestinal wall thinning group were significantly higher than those in the thickening group (p= 0.00). The above indexes increased significantly in the decreased intestinal wall enhancement group compared with the increased intestinal wall enhancement group (p= 0.00). DD, TNF-ɑ, CRP and IL-6 levels increased with the increase in stenosis severity. Conclusion: Mesenteric CTA combined with plasma DD and inflammatory factor levels can effectively determine the severity of mesenteric arterial embolism, and provide a scientific basis for early clinical diagnosis and treatment.