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Objectives: To investigate the frailty status of inpatients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and analyse its influencing factors, so as to provide evidence for the early identification of high‐risk groups and frailty management. Background: Early identification of frailty can guide the development and implementation of holistic and individualized treatment plans. However, at present, the frailty of patients with CHF has not attracted enough attention. Design: A cross‐sectional study. Methods: From June 2022 to June 2023, a convenience sample of 256 participants were recruited at a hospital in China. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of frailty in patients with CHF, and an ROC curve was drawn to determine the cut‐off values for each influencing factor. STROBE checklist guides the reporting of the manuscript. Results: A total of 270 questionnaires were sent out during the survey, and 256 valid questionnaires were ultimately recovered, resulting in an effective recovery rate of 94.8%. The incidence of frailty in hospitalized patients with CHF was 68.75%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that age, self‐care ability, nutritional risk, Kinesiophobia and NT‐proBNP were risk factors for frailty, while albumin and LVEF were protective factors. Conclusion: Multidimensional frailty was prevalent in hospitalized patients with CHF. Medical staff should take measures as early as possible from the aspects of exercise, nutrition, psychology and disease to delay the occurrence and development of frailty and reduce the occurrence of clinical adverse events caused by frailty. Relevance to Clinical Practice: This study emphasizes the importance of the early identification of multidimensional frailty and measures can be taken to delay the occurrence and development of frailty through exercise, nutrition, psychology and disease treatment. Patient or Public Contribution: Patients contributed through sharing their information required for the case report form and filling out questionnaires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential for mitigating intestinal inflammation through the gut-bone axis in the treatment of osteoporosis is significant. While various gut-derived postbiotics or bacterial metabolites have been created as dietary supplements to prevent or reverse bone loss, their efficacy and safety still need improvement. Herein, a colon-targeted drug delivery system is developed using surface engineering of polyvinyl butyrate nanoparticles by shellac resin to achieve sustained release of postbiotics butyric acid at the colorectal site. These engineered postbiotics nanoparticles can effectively suppress macrophage inflammatory activation, modulate the redox balance, and regulate the composition of the gut microbiota, thereby restoring epithelial barriers, inhibiting bacterial invasion, and down-regulating pro-inflammatory responses. As a result, the remission of systemic inflammation is accompanied by a rebalancing of osteoblast and osteoclast activity, alleviating inflammatory bowel disease-related and post-menopausal bone loss. Specifically, the treatment of engineered postbiotics nanoparticles can also improve the quality and quantity of bone with restoration of deteriorative mechanical properties, which indicating a therapeutic potential on fracture prevention. This study provides valuable insights into the gut-bone axis and establishes a promising and safe therapeutic strategy for osteoporosis. Gut inflammation and bone loss have previously been linked. Here, the authors show colon-targeted engineered postbiotics can protect the gut and reduce systemic inflammation, which rebalances inflammation disturbed osteoblast-osteoclast levels restoring bone homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the built‐in electric field induced by spontaneous polarization in hybrid perovskite (HP) ferroelectrics, the devices based on them exhibit excellent performance in self‐powered photodetection. However, most of the self‐powered photodetector are made of lead‐based HP ferroelectrics and have a relatively narrow photoresponse waveband. Although lead‐free HPs solve the problem of lead toxicity, their optoelectronic performance is inferior to that of lead‐based HPs and photoresponse waveband is limited by its optical band gap, which hinders their further application. To solve this problem, herein, a lead‐free HP ferroelectric (HDA)BiI5 (HDA is hexane‐1,6‐diammonium) with large spontaneous polarization shows an enhanced photocurrent and achieves x‐ray‐ultraviolet–visible‐near‐infrared (x‐ray‐UV–Vis–NIR) photoresponse through the ferro‐pyro‐phototronic (FPP) effect. The ferroelectric, pyroelectric, and photovoltaic characteristics coupled together in a single‐phase (HDA)BiI5 ferroelectric is an effective way to improve the performance of the devices. What is particularly attractive is that the FPP effect not only improves the optoelectronic performance of (HDA)BiI5, but also achieves broadband photoresponses beyond its optical absorption range. Especially, the current boosting with an exceptional contrast of ~1100% and 2400% under 520 and 637 nm, respectively, which is associated with FPP effect. Meanwhile, single crystal self‐powered photodetector based on (HDA)BiI5 also exhibit significant FPP effects even under high‐energy x‐ray, which owns an outstanding sensitivity of 170.7 μC Gy−1 cm−2 and a lower detection limit of 266 nGy s−1 at 0 V bias. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the coupling of multiple physical effects and improve device performance based on lead‐free HP ferroelectrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the potential of using nanotechnology to modulate the gut microbiota in colorectal cancer (CRC) therapy. It explains the association between specific microbiomes and CRC initiation and progression, as well as their impact on treatment outcomes. The article explores various strategies for modulating the gut microbiota, such as antibiotics, fecal microbiota transplants, probiotics, prebiotics, and diet modifications. It suggests that nanotechnology can offer targeted approaches for manipulating the gut microbiota in CRC therapy, but further research is needed to develop effective delivery systems for bacteria-targeting medicines. The article also highlights challenges that need to be addressed in the use of nanomedicine for CRC management. Overall, nanomedicine shows promise in modulating the gut microbiota for CRC therapy. [Extracted from the article]

Cotton fabrics are widely used in clothing, packaging, and medical applications because of their excellent comfort, breathability, and low cost. However, it poses a threat to use them in specific scenarios, where flame retardance and antibacterial activity are highly desired. In this work, we propose the functionalization route by using layer-by-layer assembly of polyethyleneimine (PEI), phytic acid (PA), iron (Fe3+), and aluminum (Al3+) ions on cotton fabrics. Interestingly, the modified cotton fabric showed good biocompatibility in the cell viability (> 70%) and hemolysis (< 3%) test. In addition to biocompatibility, the antibacterial performance was largely improved for the modified cotton fabric with the antibacterial efficacy of > 99% due to the presence of Fe3+ and Al3+ that work in a synergistic manner. In term of flame retardance, the modified cotton fabric exhibited self-extinguishing characteristics in vertical burning experiments, with the Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI) of 35.0%. The excellent flame-retardant property was further supported by the results in cone calorimetry test, thermal gravimetric analysis, and TG-IR test, elucidating the underlying mechanism that rapid formation of dense char layer by the thermal decomposition of PEI/PA/FeAl system is effective to prevent the spreading of flame and thus protect the cotton from burning. This work provides a strategy to achieve multifunctionality on cotton fabrics, which may inspire the design on other types of fabrics or materials for extended applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of urbanization and industrialization, air pollution is increasingly harmful to life on earth. At present, purifying polluted air through functional filter materials is an effective but still challenging and important strategy. But there was the problem that the air filter protection materials are easy to get wet, which will reduce the filtering effect and cause the service life to decrease. In this study, we used PU fiber membrane prepared with electrospinning as the substrate, fluorinated silica nanoparticles (F-SNs) and quaternary ammonium salt silica particles (Q-SNs) were used as functional particles, PDMS were used as adhesive to prepare hydrophobic and anti-fouling F/Q-SNs-PU fiber membrane through coating. F/Q-SNs-PU fiber membrane exhibited excellent hydrophobic stability, excellent anti-fouling and self-cleaning ability, and filtration effect. Therefore, F/Q-SNs-PU fiber membrane can effectively alleviate the air filtration problem in high humidity environment by virtue of its excellent hydrophobic anti-fouling performance and filtering effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint disease characterized by progressive degeneration of articular cartilage. A challenge in the development of disease-modifying drugs is effective delivery to chondrocytes. The unique structure of the joint promotes rapid clearance of drugs through synovial fluid, and the dense and avascular cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) limits drug penetration. Here, we show that poly(lactide-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles coated in chondrocyte membranes (CM-NPs) were preferentially taken up by rat chondrocytes ex vivo compared with uncoated nanoparticles. Internalization of the CM-NPs was mediated primarily by E-cadherin, clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and micropinocytosis. These CM-NPs adhered to the cartilage ECM in rat knee joints in vivo and penetrated deeply into the cartilage matrix with a residence time of more than 34 days. Simulated synovial fluid clearance studies showed that CM-NPs loaded with a Wnt pathway inhibitor, adavivint (CM-NPs-Ada), delayed the catabolic metabolism of rat and human chondrocytes and cartilage explants under inflammatory conditions. In a surgical model of rat OA, drug-loaded CM-NPs effectively restored gait, attenuated periarticular bone remodeling, and provided chondroprotection against cartilage degeneration. OA progression was also mitigated by CM-NPs-Ada in a canine model of anterior cruciate ligament transection. These results demonstrate the feasibility of using chondrocyte membrane–coated nanoparticles to improve the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of anti-OA drugs. Editor's summary: Osteoarthritis (OA) lacks effective disease-modifying treatments partially because of the difficulty of delivering drugs to dense and avascular cartilage tissue. Here, Deng et al. disguised drug-carrying nanoparticles with chondrocyte membranes to increase the interaction of the nanoparticles with cartilage. These membrane-coated nanoparticles retained critical chondrocyte proteins that supported cell and matrix interactions in explanted rat and human cartilage. These nanoparticles were retained in rat knee in vivo for at least 34 days. In rat and canine models of injury-induced OA, release of a Wnt-pathway inhibitor from these nanoparticles improved cartilage and subchondral bone morphology. These findings support the further development of chondrocyte-mimicking particles for cartilage drug delivery and OA therapy. —Molly Ogle [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manipulating the tumor immune contexture towards a more active state can result in better therapeutic outcomes. Here we describe an easily accessible bacterial biomineralization-generated immunomodulator, which we name Ausome (Au + [exo]some). Ausome comprises a gold nanoparticle core covered by bacterial components; the former affords an inducible hyperthermia effect, while the latter mobilizes diverse immune responses. Multiple pattern recognition receptors actively participate in Ausome-initiated immune responses, which lead to the release of a broad spectrum of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the activation of effector immune cells. Upon laser irradiation, tumor-accumulated Ausome elicits a hyperthermic response, which improves tissue blood perfusion and contributes to enhanced infiltration of immunostimulatory modules, including cytokines and effector lymphocytes. This immune-modulating strategy mediated by Ausome ultimately brings about a comprehensive immune reaction and selectively amplifies the effects of local antitumor immunity, enhancing the efficacy of well-established chemo- or immuno-therapies in preclinical cancer models in female mice. Bacteria have been exploited as a potential bio-factory for the synthesis of nanoparticles. Here the authors report the generation of gold nanoparticles from Escherichia coli and show their application for eliciting hyperthermia and anti-tumor immune responses in preclinical cancer models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro-arc oxidation (MAO) technology, as an efficient and widely used technology, can fabricate a ceramic film on magnesium (Mg) alloys in situ to significantly improve corrosion resistance. The study aims to investigate the effect of voltage modes on the preparation and performance of MAO coating on Mg alloys. The scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, potential dynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements were applied for characterizing the microstructure, composition, and corrosion resistance of the MAO film, respectively. The results revealed that employed 300/350 V step-up mode, the MAO film showed a more uniform distribution of surface micro-pores, fewer micro-cracks and denser inner layer, lower corrosion current density (1.871 × 10−3 mA·cm−2), and higher electrochemical impedance value, compared to other voltage treated parameters. Therefore, it could be concluded that the step-up voltage parameters are conducive to the optimization of microstructure, improvement of corrosion resistance of MAO coating, and reduction of the energy consumption during processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low temperature is the most common abiotic stress factor in peanut cultivation. Chitooligosaccharide (COS) plays an important role in the low-temperature resistance in plants, however, the role of COS in regulating the cold tolerance in peanuts is not clear. This research investigated the effects of exogenous COS on peanut seedlings in response to low temperatures. The results showed that exogenous COS can significantly alleviate the cooling symptoms of seedlings by reducing the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) under simulated low-temperature conditions (8 °C). These reductions may be related to the elevation of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and polyphenoloxidase (PPO) activities and the increased contents of osmotic substances such as soluble sugars (SS), soluble protein (SP), proline (Pro), and total phenols (TP) compared with those in untreated seedlings. Meanwhile, the contents of chlorophyll a and b in a peanut leaf also increased, as well as the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), resulted in an increased plant height, a heavier fresh weight, and an increased dry weight. Notably, the treatment of 100 mg·L−1 COS had maximum gain effects compared with those of other treatments. In summary, this study revealed the usage of COS for chilling stress alleviation, and 100 mg L−1 foliar spraying is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem of deviation in quality grading of Angora rabbit (long-haired rabbit) hair in production, sales, trading and transaction, the national standards GSB 16-3743--2020 "Grading standard sample of Angora rabbit hair-white raw hair" was developed according to GB/T 13832--2009 "Angora rabbit hair". The standard sample complements and perfects GB/T 13832--2009 "Angora rabbit hair", through uniformity analysis, stability analysis, fixed value test and uncertainty analysis and so on, which can be used in the quality classification and grading quality of the rabbit trading of rabbit. The standard sample fills the gaps of Angora rabbit hair standard sample in China for a long time, and provides an important basis for the production, processing, trading and inspection of Angora rabbit hair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem of deviation in quality grading of Angora rabbit (long-haired rabbit) hair in production, sales, trading and transaction, the national standards GSB 16-3743-2020 " Grading standard sample of Angora rabbit hair-white raw hair" was developed according to GB/T 13832--2009 "Angora rabbit hair". The standard sample complements and perfects GB/T 13832--2009 "Angora rabbit hair", through uniformity analysis, stability analysis, fixed value test and uncertainty analysis and so on, which can be used in the quality classification and grading quality of the rabbit trading of rabbit. The standard sample fills the gaps of Angora rabbit hair standard sample in China for a long time, and provides an important basis for the production, processing, trading and inspection of Angora rabbit hair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treating and utilizing heavy metal enriched plants have become growing problems. In this work, a series of composite foams were made from the powder of Cadmium-rich plant, polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and polyurethane (PU). Test results indicated that the addition of plant powder can not only increase the specific surface area, but also improve the apparent density and thermal stability of the foams. Besides, compared with the foam without plant powder, the powder-added foams exhibited a decreasing trend for thermal conductivity, and the minimum was 0.048 w/(m·k), which indicated that the addition of plant powder can help to enhance the thermal insulation of composite foam. More importantly, the results of leaching experiment showed that the leaching rate of heavy metal cadmium in the composite foam with 50% plant powder content was as low as 0.14% after being immersed in the acidic (pH = 3) solution for 5 days, which implies that the foam materials are very safe. This study provides a new way to realize high value-added resource utilization of heavy metal-enriched plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blockage and infection are common in hospitals, especially with long-term indwelling catheters, due to bacterial adhesion, colonization, and other reasons. A drug-sustained-release antibacterial coating for urinary catheters was described in this paper. Chlorhexidine (CHX) and triclosan (TCS) were encapsulated in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres and mixed with a modified chitosan hydrogel deposited on the surface of silicone rubber. The results showed that drugs can be released continuously more than 35 days. Catechol-modified chitosan (Chi-C) hydrogel was successful synthesized according to FT-IR and UV spectrophotometry, as well as 1H NMR. Furthermore, the coating with CHX and TCS presented stable antibacterial ability compared to the other groups. The results of CCK-8 revealed that the coating was cytotoxic-free and had a wide range of applications. The findings could provide a new drug sustained-release system and hydrogel-microsphere assembly for urinary catheters. The microspheres presented a sustained release more than 40 days with a remarkable initial burst release. The microspheres/catechol-modified chitosan (Chi-C)/silicon rubber system emerged stable binding ability in liquid environment more than 14 days. The Chi-C/chlorhexidine (CHX)+triclosan (TCS) microspheres system presented better antimicrobial property for entire experiment period. The coated samples showed no significant difference for relative growth rate (RGR) compared to different groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron is an essential element for cell proliferation and homeostasis by engaging in cell metabolism including DNA synthesis, cell cycle, and redox cycling; however, iron overload could contribute to tumor initiation, proliferation, metastasis, and angiogenesis. Therefore, manipulating iron metabolisms, such as using iron chelators, transferrin receptor 1 (TFR1) Abs, and cytotoxic ligands conjugated to transferrin, has become a considerable strategy for cancer therapy. However, there remain major limitations for potential translation to the clinic based on the regulation of iron metabolism in cancer treatment. Nanotechnology has made great advances for cancer treatment by improving the therapeutic potential and lowering the side‐effects of the proved drugs and those under various stages of development. Early studies that combined nanotechnology with therapeutic means for the regulation of iron metabolism have shown certain promise for developing specific treatment options based on the intervention of cancer iron acquisition, transportation, and utilization. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of iron metabolism involved in cancer and review the recent advances in iron‐regulatory nanotherapeutics for improved cancer therapy. We also envision the future development of nanotherapeutics for improved treatment for certain types of cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic degradation is an advanced technique towards remediation of wastewater laden with organic contaminants. In the present study, in order to improve the photocatalytic activity and recycling times of TiO2 under visible light, TiO2 was facilely in situ immobilized on activated carbon fiber (ACF) surface by coating and hydrothermal treatment, called ACF-TiO2. XRD indicated that TiO2 on ACF-TiO2 was nano anatase type with a grain size of 3.72 nm. SEM, XPS and FT-IR analysis showed that TiO2 was uniformly dispersed on the surface of ACF, and the C element of ACF entered the lattice of TiO2, forming Ti–O–C bond. According to the analysis of UV-Vis DRS, the response of ACF-TiO2 to light exhibited a significant red shift, and the bandgap energy value decreased to 3.03 eV; In the process of eliminating MB, the presence of ACF improved the photocatalytic performance of TiO2 and the loaded TiO2 continuously degraded the MB molecules adsorbed by ACF. The whole process of adsorption-photocatalytic degradation was dynamically completed, and the synergistic effect between ACF and nano TiO2 was beneficial to the in situ regeneration and sustainable use of ACF-TiO2. This study may provide a facile reference to prepare ACF supported TiO2 without the sacrifice of the pores and adsorption capacity of substrates of ACF, and the desirable performance can be highly applied in the treatment of wastewater contaminated with organic dyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More effective personalized cancer vaccines: Cancer-targeting vaccines are a promising therapy for patients after tumor removal. However, tumor tissues may not be strongly immunogenic, limiting vaccine efficacy. Here, Chen and colleagues developed an individualized cancer vaccine by incorporating cell membranes from the bacteria Escherichia coli and autologous tumor cell membranes into nanoparticles that could be given after tumor resection. The authors showed that these hybrid membrane nanoparticles induced strong tumor-specific immune responses with improved survival and long-term protection against tumor rechallenge in mice. There was no evidence of immune system overstimulation from bacterial cell wall contamination. These findings support the further development of these postoperative individualized cancer vaccines. Cancer vaccines based on resected tumors from patients have gained great interest as an individualized cancer treatment strategy. However, eliciting a robust therapeutic effect with personalized vaccines remains a challenge because of the weak immunogenicity of autologous tumor antigens. Utilizing exogenous prokaryotic constituents that act as adjuvants to enhance immunogenicity is a promising strategy to overcome this limitation. However, nonspecific stimulation of the immune system may elicit an undesirable immunopathological state. To specifically trigger sufficient antitumor reactivity without notable adverse effects, we developed an antigen and adjuvant codelivery nanoparticle vaccine based on Escherichia coli cytoplasmic membranes (EMs) and tumor cell membranes (TMs) from resected autologous tumor tissue. Introduction of the EM into the hybrid membrane nanoparticle vaccines (HM-NPs) induced dendritic cell maturation, thus activating splenic T cells. HM-NPs showed efficacy in immunogenic CT26 colon and 4T1 breast tumor mouse models and also efficiently induced tumor regression in B16-F10 melanoma and EMT6 breast tumor mouse models. Furthermore, HM-NPs provoked a strong tumor-specific immune response, which not only extended postoperative animal survival but also conferred long-term protection (up to 3 months) against tumor rechallenge in a CT26 colon tumor mouse model. Specific depletion of different immune cell populations revealed that CD8+ T and NK cells were crucial to the vaccine-elicited tumor regression. Individualized autologous tumor antigen vaccines based on effective activation of the innate immune system by bacterial cytoplasmic membranes hold great potential for personalized treatment of postoperative patients with cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective tumor vaccine vector that can rapidly display neoantigens is urgently needed. Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) can strongly activate the innate immune system and are qualified as immunoadjuvants. Here, we describe a versatile OMV-based vaccine platform to elicit a specific anti-tumor immune response via specifically presenting antigens onto OMV surface. We first display tumor antigens on the OMVs surface by fusing with ClyA protein, and then simplify the antigen display process by employing a Plug-and-Display system comprising the tag/catcher protein pairs. OMVs decorated with different protein catchers can simultaneously display multiple, distinct tumor antigens to elicit a synergistic antitumour immune response. In addition, the bioengineered OMVs loaded with different tumor antigens can abrogate lung melanoma metastasis and inhibit subcutaneous colorectal cancer growth. The ability of the bioengineered OMV-based platform to rapidly and simultaneously display antigens may facilitate the development of these agents for personalized tumour vaccines. Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs), non-replicative particles secreted by Gram-negative bacteria, are known for their immunostimulatory and adjuvant properties. Here, by employing a Plug-and-Display technology, the authors engineer OMVs to display tumor antigens on the surface, a platform that promotes anti-tumor immune responses in preclinical cancer models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Salivagram is one of the imaging modalities to detect pulmonary aspiration in children. This study aims to optimize the classification of pulmonary aspiration detected by salivagram with a semi-quantitative analytical method. Methods: This is a retrospective study involving 737 patients (471 males, 266 females; aged 1 month to 8 years; mean age 5.3 months, median age 3.0 months old) with suspected pulmonary aspiration, who had salivagram done between January 2018 and June 2019. Positive cases were divided into 10 groups (Grade 1, R2, L2, R2L2, R3, L3, R3L2, R2L3, R3L3, and 4) according to the scintigraphic findings. Aspiration index was determined as the ratio of the count in the respiratory tract to the total count in the image field of view and compared among different groups using the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis. Results: A total of 180 cases had positive scintigraphic findings of various grades of aspiration (24.4%, 180/737). There is a high consistency among the two independent nuclear medicine physicians involved in the study, in determining both the disease gradings (κ = 0.919;95% CI: 0.915–0.923) and aspiration index (ICC = 0.994;95% CI: 0.993–0.996). There is no significant difference (p > 0.05) in aspiration index among the gradings in "mild" group (grade 1, R2, L2, L2R2), and "moderate" group (grade R3, R3L2, R3L3). After dividing the different grades into "mild", "moderate" and "severe" groups, the aspiration index of "mild" group is 4.40 ± 2.01, that of "moderate" group is 16.43 ± 8.20, and that of "severe" group is 46.94 ± 14.81. Difference in groups was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). In ROC curve analysis, AUC of "mild" and "moderate" groups is 0.970 and that of "moderate" and "severe" groups is 0.943; the cut-off value with highest diagnostic efficiency is 6.75 between "mild" and "moderate" groups and 38.00 between "moderate" and "severe" groups. Conclusions: We introduced a semi-quantitative analytical method in pulmonary aspiration on salivagram, to optimize and supplement to the current classification of pulmonary aspiration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibacterial and antioxidant properties exert an indispensable effect on biomedical and packaging materials which are mainly made of fiber-based fabrics. The current research illustrates a novel type of composite fiber which was prepared from thermoplastic polyurethane (PU), polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and tea polyphenols (TP) through wet-spinning technology. The PU-PAN mass ratio was optimized upon the mechanical property; TP was incorporated into the composite fiber with different contents. The obtained fibers were fully characterized in terms of mechanical, thermal, morphological properties as well as surface wettability. Additionally, in vitro TP release, antioxidant and antibacterial activity of such composite fibers before and after washing were under investigation systematically and orderly. The findings showed that TP-loaded composite fibers with an average diameter around 120 μm performed a sustained TP release behavior and desirable cytocompatibility. According to the capacity on scavenging 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals, the observation of scavenging ratio reaching to 97 % proved the excellent antioxidant performance. Furthermore, the ideal antibacterial activity against Gram-negative E. coli and Gram-positive S. aureus was also demonstrated. Collectively, this study provides a facile strategy to design and prepare a novel type of composite fibers and fabrics, which may be put into application as wound dressing and tissue conduit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peanut is ranked among the eight major food allergens. Ara h 2 is its major allergen, recognized by more than 90% of serum IgE from peanut-allergic patients. Cross-linking catalysed by microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) is proved to be feasible to decrease the allergenicity of Ara h 2. The crosslinking reaction occurred both inter- and intra-molecular could gain products with different molecular weights. In this study, after MTGase catalysed crosslinking, the products were separated into low molecular weight part of Ara h 2 (LP-Ara h 2) and high molecular weight part of Ara h 2 (HP-Ara h 2), and the structure, digestibility, IgG and IgE binding capability of each part were analysed. Compared with LP-Ara h 2, HP-Ara h 2 was found to have looser structure, higher digestion rate and corresponding lower immunogenicity. By controlling the reaction condition to get different products, the protein desensitization processes would get a better result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is listed among the eight major food allergens, in which Ara h 2 is the major allergen. The microbial transglutaminase (MTGase)‐catalyzed cross‐linking reaction reduces the allergenicity of Ara h 2. However, deamidation might occur and influence the cross‐linking reaction. In this work, native and reduced Ara h 2 were catalyzed by MTGase. In addition to intermolecular cross‐linking, intramolecular cross‐linking and deamidation were proven to occur simultaneously. Moreover, intramolecular cross‐linking sites were identified using mass spectrometry and the PLINK software. The reactions moved toward different directions because of different reduction conditions and different protein concentrations. Practical applications: Cross‐linking is a common processing method used to improve the textural and functional properties of protein. Deamidation reaction might occur during processing and influence the cross‐linking reaction. The two types of reactions have a competitive relation, because both of them occur on glutamine residue. In Ara h 2 and MTGase system, protein concentration and reduction content influence the direction of reaction. The results can be applied to modify the reaction system of Ara h 2 catalyzed by MTGase. In addition, the relationship between structure and properties changes on Ara h 2 was discussed based on analysis of cross‐linking sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sensitive and selective surface plasmon resonance (SPR) aptasensor has been developed for the real-time determination of lysozyme. The thiol-terminated lysozyme aptamer was covalently attached to the surface of sensor through Au–S bonding. In the presence of lysozyme, the aptamer captured lysozyme on the surface and enhanced the SPR signal that was proportional to the concentration of lysozyme. Under the optimized conditions, the SPR signal was linear with lysozyme concentration from 1 to 100 µmol/L. The detection limit for lysozyme was 0.5 µmol/L. The aptasensor also provided high specificity for lysozyme and was unaffected by other proteins. This aptasensor provides rapid, simple, and sensitive determination of lysozyme detection and a promising strategy for other proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A polyvinylidene fluoride-based membrane bearing the diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid chelating group was employed to recover Cu(II) from the Cu(II)-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid complex aqueous solution. Effects of Ca(II), Fe(II), and Fe(III) on Cu(II) uptake were investigated by static batch adsorption tests and dynamic adsorption filtration. Isotherms, kinetics, and breakthrough curves of Cu(II) uptakes in the presence of the three cations at concentrations of 1 mmol L−1were elucidated. The three cations showed a positive effect on the Cu(II) uptake; the stimulative roles were in the order of Fe(III) > Fe(II) > Ca(II). They did not alter the adsorption behavior of the membrane; adsorption isotherms and kinetics could be described by Langmuir and Lagergren second-order models, and Cu(II) adsorption was a spontaneous and exothermic process. The presence of Ca(II), Fe(II), and Fe(III) increased the sorption capacity of the membrane stack by 1.3, 1.9, and 3 times. Breakthrough time and the exhaustion time of membrane stacks were also extended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel cleavable amphiphilic peptide (CAP) was designed to be specifically responsive to fibroblast activation protein-α (FAP-α), a protease specifically expressed on the surface of cancer-associated fibroblasts. The CAP self-assembled into fiber-like nanostructures in solution, while the presence of hydrophobic chemotherapeutic drugs readily transformed the assemblies into drug-loaded spherical nanoparticles. The disassembly of these nanoparticles (CAP-NPs) upon FAP-α cleavage resulted in rapid and efficient release of the encapsulated drugs specifically at tumor sites. This Transformers- like drug delivery strategy could allow them to disrupt the stromal barrier and enhance local drug accumulation. Therapeutic results suggested that drug-loaded CAP-NPs hold promising tumor specificity and therapeutic efficacy for various solid tumor models, confirming its potential utility and versatility in antitumor therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel cleavable amphiphilic peptide (CAP) was designed to be specifically responsive to fibroblast activation protein-α (FAP-α), a protease specifically expressed on the surface of cancer-associated fibroblasts. The CAP self-assembled into fiber-like nanostructures in solution, while the presence of hydrophobic chemotherapeutic drugs readily transformed the assemblies into drug-loaded spherical nanoparticles. The disassembly of these nanoparticles (CAP-NPs) upon FAP-α cleavage resulted in rapid and efficient release of the encapsulated drugs specifically at tumor sites. This Transformers-like drug delivery strategy could allow them to disrupt the stromal barrier and enhance local drug accumulation. Therapeutic results suggested that drug-loaded CAP-NPs hold promising tumor specificity and therapeutic efficacy for various solid tumor models, confirming its potential utility and versatility in antitumor therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The FOLFIRINOX regimen, a combination of three chemotherapy agents (5-fluorouracil, irinotecan, oxaliplatin) and folinic acid (a vitamin B derivatives reducing the side effect of 5-fluorouracil), has proved to be effective in the treatment of pancreatic cancer, and is more efficacious than the long-term reference standard, gemcitabine. However, the FOLFIRINOX is associated with high-grade toxicity, which markedly limits its clinical application. Encapsulation of drugs in nanocarriers that selectively target cancer cells promises to be an effective method for co-delivery of drug combinations and to mitigate the side effects of conventional chemotherapy. Here we reported the development of multiple layer-by-layer lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles with targeting capability that show excellent biocompatibility and synergistically combine the favorable properties of liposomes and polymer nanoparticles. Relative to nanoparticles consisting of polymer alone, these novel nanocarriers have a long half-life in vivo and a higher stability in serum. The nanocarriers were loaded with the three active antitumor constituents of FOLFIRINOX regimen. Little drugs were released from the nanoparticles in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution, but the cargoes were quickly released after the nanoparticles were taken up by tumor cells. These innovative drug-loaded nanoparticles achieved higher antitumor efficacy and showed minimal side effects compared with the FOLFIRINOX regimen alone. Our study suggested that the multiple layer-by-layer hybrid nanoparticles have great potential for improving the chemotherapeutic efficacy for the patients with pancreatic cancer. This platform also provides new opportunities for tailored design of nanoparticles that may offer therapeutics benefits for a range of other tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid/polyvinylidene fluoride (APTMS-DTPA/PVDF) chelating membrane was employed to remove Cu(II) from an aqueous solution. The influence of Co(II), Ni(II), tartrate, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) on the sorption of Cu(II) was investigated by a series of dynamic adsorption tests and by density-functional theory (DFT) calculations. Isotherms and kinetics of the membrane sorption process towards Cu(II) in the presence of the two other cations and the two complexing reagents were elucidated. The DFT descriptors, such as chemical potential, electronegativity, electrophilicity index and charge transfer, and the complexation energy, were calculated. Cu(II) showed higher electrophilicity than Co(II) and Ni(II), and the sorption of Cu(II) by the chelating membrane in the absence of tartrate and EDTA was stronger than in their presence. Ni(II) tended to form a more stable complex with the complexing ligand than Co(II). EDTA interfered more strongly with Cu(II) uptake than tartrate. Adsorption isotherms and adsorption kinetics were fitted to the Langmuir and the Lagergren second-order models. The [Cu(APTMS-DTPA)]2−complex exhibited higher charge transfer and a more negative complexation energy than [Co(APTMS-DTPA)]2−, [Ni(APTMS-DTPA)]2−, Cu-tartrate, and Cu-EDTA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High seed vigor is important for agricultural production due to the associated potential for increased growth and productivity. However, a better understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms is required because the genetic basis for seed vigor remains unknown. We used single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers to map quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for four seed vigor traits in two connected recombinant inbred line (RIL) maize populations under four treatment conditions during seed germination. Sixty-five QTLs distributed between the two populations were identified and a meta-analysis was used to integrate genetic maps. Sixty-one initially identified QTLs were integrated into 18 meta-QTLs (mQTLs). Initial QTLs with contribution to phenotypic variation values of R2>10% were integrated into mQTLs. Twenty-three candidate genes for association with seed vigor traits coincided with 13 mQTLs. The candidate genes had functions in the glycolytic pathway and in protein metabolism. QTLs with major effects (R2>10%) were identified under at least one treatment condition for mQTL2, mQTL3-2, and mQTL3-4. Candidate genes included a calcium-dependent protein kinase gene (302810918) involved in signal transduction that mapped in the mQTL3-2 interval associated with germination energy (GE) and germination percentage (GP), and an hsp20/alpha crystallin family protein gene (At5g51440) that mapped in the mQTL3-4 interval associated with GE and GP. Two initial QTLs with a major effect under at least two treatment conditions were identified for mQTL5-2. A cucumisin-like Ser protease gene (At5g67360) mapped in the mQTL5-2 interval associated with GP. The chromosome regions for mQTL2, mQTL3-2, mQTL3-4, and mQTL5-2 may be hot spots for QTLs related to seed vigor traits. The mQTLs and candidate genes identified in this study provide valuable information for the identification of additional quantitative trait genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study investigated the effects of easy versus difficult math on event-related potentials as a function of self-esteem in 28 undergraduate students. First, it was found that participants responded much more rapidly to an easy task. Second, the amplitude of P2 (150-300 ms) was more positive amplified in low self-esteem participants when compared to high self-esteem participants. Third, the difficult task elicited a greater N2 (300-450 ms) com-ponent than the easy task, but only in the low self-esteem participants. Finally, the easy task elicited a greater late positive component (LPC: 450-600 ms) compared with the difficult task and the difficult task elicited a greater LPC (900-1200 ms) components compared with the easy task separately, which were consistent with behavioral reaction times. We speculate that the difficult math might have induced more negative emotions in subjects with low self-esteem, and that low self-esteem individuals might be more susceptible to interpret the difficult task as threatening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptomyces sahachiroi ATCC 33158 produces the potent antitumor antibiotic azinomycin B, which is featured with a set of unusual functionalized moieties. However, the genetic analyses of azinomycin B biosynthetic pathway are hampered by the low efficiency of S. sahachiroi genetic manipulation. In this study, we developed two efficient DNA transfer systems for S. sahachiroi ATCC 33158 by optimizing a variety of parameters known to affect intergeneric conjugation and protoplast transformation. High efficiencies of 4 × 102 transformants per μg DNA and 2.47 × 10−4 conjugants per recipient were achieved when using the integrative vector pJTU2554. With the use of these improved genetic manipulation systems, aziU3 was discovered to play a key role in the biosynthesis of azinomycin B. In-frame deletion and complementation experiments demonstrated clearly that aziU3 is essential for azinomycin B biosynthesis. Changing the native promoter and insertion of an additional aziU3 gene copy resulted in two mutant strains over-producing azinomycin B. Real-time PCR verified that overexpression of aziU3 significantly improved the azinomycin B production in these mutant strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With 1 figure and 5 tables Abstract Leaf area (LA) is the most important photosynthesis acceptor, and therefore, size of LA (especially the three ear-leaves) plays a vital role in dry matter accumulation and grain yield in maize. Genetic mechanisms on LA have a theoretical significance for breeding maize with high yield. However, the genetic control of LA remains unknown in maize. In this study, QTL for LA were mapped using two sets of connected F2 : 3 populations with 229 and 245 families evaluated in two to three environments. Meta-analysis was used to integrate genetic maps and detect QTL across two populations. A total of 38 QTL were detected, 17 in population 1 and 21 in population 2. Thirty-eight QTL were integrated in 13 meta-QTL (mQTL). The novel mQTL2-1 was found to include two initial QTL, and mQTL5-2 to include four initial QTL. Both of them had one of the initial QTL with R2 over 10%. Therefore, the chromosome regions for these two mQTL with high QTL co-localization might be hot spots for important QTL for LA. Seven key candidate genes controlling related traits of LA were observed to be coincided with five corresponding mQTL, including Arlng1, ArPFL2/ OsH1, ArCLF/ArCyCB2;3(LL), ArCYCD3;2, and Osnrl. Especially, Arlng1 was mapped within the important mQTL2-1 interval. Fine mapping for genetic regions of such mQTL is worth further study and could be put into use in marker-assisted breeding. The results provide useful information for further researching and understanding of the molecular mechanisms with regard to LA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let R( D) be the algebra generated in Sobolev space W 22( D) by the rational functions with poles outside the unit disk $$ \overline D $$ . In this paper the multiplication operators M g on R( D) is studied and it is proved that M g ∼ $$ M_{z^n } $$ if and only if g is an n-Blaschke product. Furthermore, if g is an n-Blaschke product, then M g has uncountably many Banach reducing subspaces if and only if n > 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]