Determination and expression analysis of functional genes in Lactobacillus plantarum

In this study, the bacteriocin production of two Lactobacillus plantarum strains was investigated and their effectiveness as protective cultures for the biopreservation of turkey meat was assessed. Especially, the genetic loci for bacteriocin production of Lactobacillus plantarum strains BFE 5092 and PCS20 were completely analysed and the protective Lactobacillus plantarum BFE 5092 grew and produced bacteriocin at 8 or 10°C as well as during sessile growth on turkey meat

An Active and Soft Hydrogel Actuator to Stimulate Live Cell Clusters by Self-folding

The hydrogels are widely used in various applications, and their successful uses depend on controlling the mechanical properties. In this study, we present an advanced strategy to develop hydrogel actuator designed to stimulate live cell clusters by self-folding. The hydrogel actuator consisting of two layers with different expansion ratios were fabricated to have various curvatures in self-folding. The expansion ratio of the hydrogel tuned with the molecular weight and concentration of gel-forming polymers, and temperature-sensitive molecules in a controlled manner. As a result, the hydrogel actuator could stimulate live cell clusters by compression and tension repeatedly, in response to temperature. The cell clusters were compressed in the 0.7-fold decreases of the radius of curvature with 1.0 mm in room temperature, as compared to that of 1.4 mm in 37 degrees C. Interestingly, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2) in MCF-7 tumor cells exposed by mechanical stimulation was expressed more than in those without stimulation. Overall, this new strategy to prepare the active and soft hydrogel actuator would be actively used in tissue engineering, drug delivery, and micro-scale actuators

Clinical impacts of the concomitant use of L-asparaginase and total parenteral nutrition containing L-aspartic acid in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia

IntroductionL-asparaginase (ASNase) depletes L-asparagine and causes the death of leukemic cells, making it a mainstay for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, ASNase's activity can be inhibited by L-aspartic acid (Asp), which competes for the same substrate and reduces the drug's efficacy. While many commercially used total parenteral nutrition (TPN) products contain Asp, it is unclear how the concomitant use of TPNs containing Asp (Asp-TPN) affects ALL patients treated with ASNase. This propensity-matched retrospective cohort study evaluated the clinical effects of the interaction between ASNase and Asp-TPN.MethodsThe study population included newly diagnosed adult Korean ALL patients who received VPDL induction therapy consisting of vincristine, prednisolone, daunorubicin, and Escherichia coli L-asparaginase between 2004 and 2021. Patients were divided into two groups based on their exposure to Asp-TPN: (1) Asp-TPN group and (2) control group. Data, including baseline characteristics, disease information, medication information, and laboratory data, were collected retrospectively. The primary outcomes for the effectiveness were overall and complete response rates. Relapse-free survival at six months and one year of treatment were also evaluated. The safety of both TPN and ASNase was evaluated by comparing liver function test levels between groups. A 1:1 propensity score matching analysis was conducted to minimize potential selection bias.ResultsThe analysis included a total of 112 ALL patients, and 34 of whom received Asp-TPN and ASNase concomitantly. After propensity score matching, 30 patients remained in each group. The concomitant use of Asp-TPN and ASNase did not affect the overall response rate (odds ratio [OR] 0.53; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.17–1.62) or the complete response rate (OR 0.86; 95% CI = 0.29–2.59) of the ASNase-including induction therapy. The concomitant use of Asp-TPN and ASNase also did not impact relapse-free survival (RFS) at six months and one year of treatment (OR 1.00; 95% CI = 0.36–2.78 and OR 1.24; 95% CI, 0.50–3.12, respectively). The peak levels of each liver function test (LFT) and the frequency of LFT elevations were evaluated during induction therapy and showed no difference between the two groups.ConclusionThere is no clear rationale for avoiding Asp-TPN in ASNase-treated patients

Patterned Si thin film electrodes for enhancing structural stability

A patterned film (electrode) with lozenge-shaped Si tiles could be successfully fabricated by masking with an expanded metal foil during film deposition. Its electrochemical properties and structural stability during the charge-discharge process were examined and compared with those of a continuous (conventional) film electrode. The patterned electrode exhibited a remarkably improved cycleability (75% capacity retention after 120 cycles) and an enhanced structural stability compared to the continuous electrode. The good electrochemical performance of the patterned electrode was attributed to the space between Si tiles that acted as a buffer against the volume change of the Si electrode

Building a collection of phage-derived capsular depolymerases to tackle relevant A. baumannii capsular types

A. baumannii is the major cause of nosocomial and drug-resistant infections, its capsule representing a major virulence factor. This pathogen evolved to display a high variety of capsular types for evading host defenses and protecting themselves from predators. Some bacteriophages also evolved to produce capsular depolymerases, enzymes that specifically bind and degrade the bacterial capsules, allowing these phages to overcome this barrier and proceed with the infection. In this study, 94 carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii clinical isolates (Northern region of Portugal, 2005-2012), were screened for their resistance genes by PCR. Genes Oxa-23, Imp-like and Oxa-24 were present in 76%, 20% and 16% of the isolates, respectively. Based on their resistance gene profile, the genomes of 23 strains were sequenced. Using in silico typing with Kaptive, we found 4 prevalent capsular types, namely, KL2 (39%), KL7 (30%), KL9 (4%) and KL120 (26%). Aiming at implementing an effective depolymerase-based anti-virulence strategy to control A. baumannii infections, we isolated novel capsular depolymerases from lytic and prophages, ending with an in-house collection of enzymes targeting 10 capsular types (KL1, KL2, KL9, KL19, KL30, KL32, KL38, KL44, KL45, KL67). Experiments using a human serum model proved that all capsular depolymerases can effectively sensitize A. baumannii to the host complement killing activity, that otherwise were resistant. Therefore, capsular depolymerases have demonstrated to be a very powerful anti-virulence weapon and an emerging solution to treat A.baumannii-related infections. As a result, the collection of capsular depolymerases available was expanded to 17 K-specific depolymerases, advancing the prospects of application of these enzymes to control A. baumannii infections.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio