Construction and Mechanism of Action of Gelatin/Sodium Hexametaphosphate/Glutamine Aminotransferase Based Composite Hydrogel System

In this study, a composite hydrogel system was constructed by cross-linking of primary network hydrogels of gelatin (GE) and sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) by transglutaminase (TGase) after addition of Lactobacillus plantarum in order to improve its viability and bioavailability. The experimental results showed that the modification by SHMP and TGase changed the gel strength, water distribution state, and gel network structure of gelatin, and reduced the gelation rate, so that the three-dimensional network structure of the gel was more stable, and the intermolecular forces of the composite hydrogel was stronger, contributing to the resistance of the encapsulated L. plantarum to adverse environments. The presence of L. plantarum was found to slightly disrupt the ordered structure of the hydrogel by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Endogenous fluorescence spectroscopy analysis showed that addition of L. plantarum resulted in the exposure of the extended region containing tryptophan within the GE molecule to a more polar environment. The steric effect occurred during the gelling process, delaying the formation of covalent crosslinks and physical interactions between the biopolymer molecules, which led to changes in their microstructure. Simulated gastrointestinal digestion tests and storage tests showed that L. plantarum encapsulated in GE/SHMP/TGase gels had better survival rates and gastrointestinal release properties compared to single GE-based hydrogels. It was confirmed that GE/SHMP/TGase hydrogels had a better protective effect on L. plantarum. In conclusion, this study has explored a new method for preparing GE-based hydrogels as a delivery system for probiotics, which will provide a theoretical basis for the development of probiotic functional foods

The Eco-Friendly Biochar and Valuable Bio-Oil from Caragana korshinskii: Pyrolysis Preparation, Characterization, and Adsorption Applications

Carbonization of biomass can prepare carbon materials with excellent properties. In order to explore the comprehensive utilization and recycling of Caragana korshinskii biomass, 15 kinds of Caragana korshinskii biochar (CB) were prepared by controlling the oxygen-limited pyrolysis process. Moreover, we pay attention to the dynamic changes of microstructure of CB and the by-products. The physicochemical properties of CB were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), BET-specific surface area (BET-SSA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), and Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The optimal preparation technology was evaluated by batch adsorption application experiment of NO3−, and the pyrolysis mechanism was explored. The results showed that the pyrolysis temperature is the most important factor in the properties of CB. With the increase of temperature, the content of C, pH, mesoporous structure, BET-SSA of CB increased, the cation exchange capacity (CEC) decreased and then increased, but the yield and the content of O and N decreased. The CEC, pH, and BET-SSA of CB under each pyrolysis process were 16.64–81.4 cmol·kg−1, 6.65–8.99, and 13.52–133.49 m2·g−1, respectively. CB contains abundant functional groups and mesoporous structure. As the pyrolysis temperature and time increases, the bond valence structure of C 1s, Ca 2p, and O 1s is more stable, and the phase structure of CaCO3 is more obvious, where the aromaticity increases, and the polarity decreases. The CB prepared at 650 °C for 3 h presented the best adsorption performance, and the maximum theoretical adsorption capacity for NO3− reached 120.65 mg·g−1. The Langmuir model and pseudo-second-order model can well describe the isothermal and kinetics adsorption process of NO3−, respectively. Compared with other cellulose and lignin-based biomass materials, CB showed efficient adsorption performance of NO3− without complicated modification condition. The by-products contain bio-soil and tail gas, which are potential source of liquid fuel and chemical raw materials. Especially, the bio-oil of CB contains α-d-glucopyranose, which can be used in medical tests and medicines

Analysis of genetic biomarkers, polymorphisms in ADME-related genes and their impact on pharmacotherapy for prostate cancer

Abstract Prostate cancer (PCa) is a non-cutaneous malignancy in males with wide variation in incidence rates across the globe. It is the second most reported cause of cancer death. Its etiology may have been linked to genetic polymorphisms, which are not only dominating cause of malignancy casualties but also exerts significant effects on pharmacotherapy outcomes. Although many therapeutic options are available, but suitable candidates identified by useful biomarkers can exhibit maximum therapeutic efficacy. The single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) reported in androgen receptor signaling genes influence the effectiveness of androgen receptor pathway inhibitors and androgen deprivation therapy. Furthermore, SNPs located in genes involved in transport, drug metabolism, and efflux pumps also influence the efficacy of pharmacotherapy. Hence, SNPs biomarkers provide the basis for individualized pharmacotherapy. The pharmacotherapeutic options for PCa include hormonal therapy, chemotherapy (Docetaxel, Mitoxantrone, Cabazitaxel, and Estramustine, etc.), and radiotherapy. Here, we overview the impact of SNPs reported in various genes on the pharmacotherapy for PCa and evaluate current genetic biomarkers with an emphasis on early diagnosis and individualized treatment strategy in PCa

“Sketch and Peel” Lithography for High-Resolution Multiscale Patterning

We report a unique lithographic process, termed “Sketch and Peel” lithography (SPL), for fast, clean, and reliable patterning of metallic structures from tens of nanometers to submillimeter scale using direct writing technology. The key idea of SPL process is to define structures using their presketched outlines as the templates for subsequent selective peeling of evaporated metallic layer. With reduced exposure area, SPL process enables significantly improved patterning efficiency up to hundreds of times higher and greatly mitigated proximity effect compared to current direct writing strategy. We demonstrate that multiscale hierarchical metallic structures with arbitrary shapes and minimal feature size of ∼15 nm could be defined with high fidelity using SPL process for potential nanoelectronic and nano-optical applications

Cadmium exposure promotes ferroptosis by upregulating Heat Shock Protein 70 in vascular endothelial damage of zebrafish

Cadmium (Cd) exposure is a risk factor for endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease. Ferroptosis is a type of cell death that relies on lipid peroxidation. Whether ferroptosis acts in Cd-induced vascular endothelial damage and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we found that Cd resulted in ferroptosis of vascular endothelial cells (ECs) in vivo and in vitro. In the visualized zebrafish embryos, Cd accumulated in vascular ECs, ROS and lipid peroxidation levels were increased, and the oxidoreductase system was disturbed after exposure. Moreover, Cd decreased Gpx4 in ECs and caused smaller mitochondria with increased membrane density. Accompanied by ferroptosis, the number of ECs and the area of the caudal venous plexus in zebrafish embryos were reduced, and the survival rate of HUVECs decreased. These effects were partially reversed by ferrostatin-1 and aggravated by erastin. Mechanistically, an excessive increase in Heat Shock Protein 70 (Hsp70) was identified by transcriptomics after Cd exposure. Inhibition of Hsp70 by VER-155008 or siRNA ameliorated Cd-induced ferroptosis, thereby alleviating endothelial injury. Furthermore, Hsp70 regulated Cd-induced ferroptosis by targeting multiple targets, including Gpx4, Fth1, Nrf2 and Acsl4. Our findings provide a new approach to investigating the endothelial damage of Cd and indicate that regulation of Hsp70 is an important target for alleviating this process

Diagnostic Potential of microRNAs in Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid for Pneumonia—A Preliminary Report

Current clinical needs require the development and use of rapid and effective diagnostic indicators to accelerate the identification of pneumonia and the process of microbiological diagnosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in extracellular vesicles (EVs) have become attractive candidates for novel biomarkers to evaluate the presence and progress of many diseases. We assessed their performance as biomarkers of pneumonia. Patients were divided into the pneumonia group (with pneumonia) and the control group (without pneumonia). We identified and compared two upregulated miRNAs in EVs derived from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF-EVs) between the two groups (PmiR–17–5p = 0.009; PmiR–193a–5p = 0.031). Interestingly, in cell-debris pellets and EVs-free supernatants derived from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF-cell-debris pellets and BALF-EVs-free supernatants), total plasma, and EVs derived from plasma (plasma-EVs), the expression of miR–17–5p and miR–193a–5p showed no difference between pneumonia group and control group. In vitro experiments revealed that miR–17–5p and miR–193a–5p were strikingly upregulated in EVs derived from macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide. MiR–17–5p (area under the curve, AUC: 0.753) and miR–193a–5p (AUC: 0.692) in BALF-EVs are not inferior to procalcitonin (AUC: 0.685) in the diagnosis of pneumonia. Furthermore, miR–17–5p and miR–193a–5p in BALF-EVs had a significantly higher specificity compared to procalcitonin and could be served as a potential diagnostic marker. MiR–17–5p and miR–193a–5p in EVs may be involved in lung inflammation by influencing the forkhead box O (FoxO) signaling pathway and protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum. This study is one of the few studies which focused on the potential diagnostic role of miRNAs in BALF-EVs for pneumonia and the possibility to use them as new biomarkers for a rapid and early diagnosis

Kinematics of the Tengchong Terrane in SE Tibet from the late Eocene to early Miocene: Insights from coeval mid-crustal detachments and strike-slip shear zones.

It is generally believed that the extrusion of SE Tibet was bounded by the dextral Gaoligong and the sinistral Ailaoshan-Red River strike-slip shear zones from the Oligocene to early Miocene. This study integrates field map- ping, structural analysis and geochronology in western Yunnan (China), where foliated Precambrian basement rocks and late Cretaceous to early Eocene plutons are exposed to the west of the Gaoligong shear zone. We found that late Eocene to early Miocene flat-lying ductile shear zones were kinematically related to steeply dip- ping strike-slip shear zones. Four elongated gneiss domes (Donghe, Guyong, Yingjiang and Sudian) are cored by high-grade metamorphic rocks and pre-kinematic granite plutons, and bounded by top-to-NE detachments and NE-trending dextral strike-slip shear zones. Zircon U-Pb ages from LA-ICP-MS analysis and 40Ar/39Ar ages of micas and hornblende demonstrate that the flat-lying Donghe Detachment (N 35–15 Ma) and the Nabang dextral strike-slip shear zone (41–19 Ma) were sites of prolonged, mostly coeval ductile deformation from amphibolite to greenschist facies metamorphism. The Gaoligong shear zone experienced dextral shearing under similar meta- morphic conditions between 32 and 10 Ma. Consistent 40Ar/39Ar ages of hornblende from the three shear zones indicate their contemporaneity at mid-crustal depth, causing the rapid exhumation and SW-ward extrusion of the Tengchong Terrane. The strain geometry and shear zone kinematics in the Tengchong Terrane are interpreted with folding of the anisotropic lithosphere around a vertical axis, i.e., the northeast corner of the Indian Plate since 41 Ma. The newly discovered NE-trending Sudian, Yingjiang, and Lianghe strike-slip shear zones are subordinate ductile faults accommodating the initially rapid clockwise rotation of the Tengchong Terrane. The detachments caused mid-crustal decoupling and faster SW-ward extrusion below the sedimentary cover, whereas the strike-slip shear zones accommodated extrusion and clockwise rotation of the Tengchong Terrane around the proto-Eastern Himalayan syntaxis since the late Eocene.ISSN:0040-1951ISSN:1879-326