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In this study, the rheological and textural properties and water-holding capacity of pea 7S and 11S globulin gels induced by high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) at 100–500 MPa for 10 min were measured. The major interaction forces maintaining gel morphology were determined by dissolving the gels in different solvents. The microscopic structure of the gels was observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that after HHP treatment at 300 MPa, pea 7S and 11S globulin solutions gradually turned into gels. When the pressure continued to increase to 500 MPa, the formed gels exhibited higher strength, harder texture and higher water-holding capacity. The 11S globulin had weaker gel-forming ability, but higher water-holding capacity (100%) compared with 7S. Furthermore, the overall water-holding capacity and gel strength of 7S–11S mixed gels (in mass ratios of 1:2, 1:1 and 2:1) were significantly improved compared with those of the neat gels. The major forces that maintain the gel structure were hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interaction, followed by disulfide bonds and electrostatic interaction. Therefore, by changing HHP conditions, the strength and texture of pea globulin gels could be controlled.

Pseudogenes were initially thought to have no function and were called by aliases, such as "junk genes." With the emergence of large-scale genomics projects and more and more experimental studies, pseudogenes have been shown to play an important role in the occurrence and development of solid tumors, especially playing an important regulatory role in the occurrence and develepment of liver cancer, such as regulating the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, metastasis, and immunity of liver cancer cells. Recent studies showed that pseudogenes can act as regulators of oncogenes and tumor suppressors in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and can thus serve as prognostic markers and even therapeutic targets for this cancer type. In this review, we systematically summarize the mechanisms and functions of different pseudogenes in HCC and present their future prospects as therapeutic targets.

To overcome the limitations of the oral limitations of capsaicin, this study prepared a thiolated chitosan-zein nanoparticle delivery system loaded with capsaicin. The preparation process was optimized based on particle size and loading capacity, and the efficiency of encapsulation was verified by fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The stability and release properties of the capsaicin-loaded nanoparticles were also evaluated during in vitro digestion. The results showed that at a thiolated chitosan to zein to capsaicin of 10:10:1, the particle size of the nanoparticles, which were observed to be regular spherical in shape, was (76.05 ± 1.06) nm, and the loading capacity was (36.85 ± 1.22) μg/mg. The nanoparticles were formed through hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions. In addition, the nanoparticles had good pH stability and ionic strength stability, which could effectively delay the release of capsaicin during simulated digestion in vitro, and the release ratio after 4 h digestion was only (40.08 ± 4.28)%. The nanoparticles can be used for oral delivery of capsaicin.

The dissolution behavior of the main elements of fly ash in acid-base systems. Fly ash mainly leaches aluminum-iron elements in the acid system, and the leaching rate of iron is much higher than that of aluminum. Under alkaline conditions, silicon-aluminum elements are mainly dissolved, and the leaching rate of silicon elements is much higher than that of aluminum elements. Silicon aluminum exists in the amorphous phase state, and the extraction rate of silicon aluminum is low by acid leaching and alkali solution alone, and the use of high temperature melting combined with acid leaching and alkaline solution process can make silicon aluminum bond break and improve the element extraction rate. The types of fly ash synthetic flocculants are summarized, and they are divided into inorganic polymer flocculants and inor- ganic-organic hybrid polymer flocculants according to the chemical components of fly ash to prepare flocculants, among which inorganic polymer flocculants are divided into monoacids, diacids and polyacids according to the number and types of acids contained in their anion series, and anionic acids are mainly silicate, sulfate, chloride ion and phosphate. The development of fly ash synthetic flocculants and the problems to be solved urgently are prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), as a derivative of furan, is an intermediate with good stability. It is a plastic monomer for the preparation of corrosion-resistant plastics with a rigid biomass base and is considered to be one of the most promising monomers for the production of sustainable polymer materials. In this article, the synthetic routes for the preparation of FDCA from metal catalysts and natural catalysts were reviewed, and the application prospects of FDCA was briefly described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acupuncture has demonstrated positive efficacy in the treatment of brain disorders. However, significant challenges lie in integrating acupuncture with modern technologies, promoting its clinical application in treating brain disorders, elucidating the mechanisms underlying acupuncture's preventive and therapeutic effects on brain disorders, and accelerating the pace of translational development in acupuncture medicine. This paper briefly outlines the current research status, challenges, and potential future directions in acupuncture treatment for brain disorders, aiming to provide essential insights for the modernization and development of acupuncture in the treatment of brain disorders.

Background and Objective: Controversies exists with regard to target volumes as far as thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) is concerned in the multimodality treatment for limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LSCLC). The aim of this study is to prospectively compare the local control rate, toxicity profiles, and overall survival (OS) between patients received different target volumes irradiation after induction chemotherapy., Methods: LSCLC patients received 2 cycles of etoposide and cisplatin (EP) induction chemotherapy and were randomly assigned to receive TRT to either the post- or pre-chemotherapy tumor extent (GTV-T) as study arm and control arm, CTV-N included the positive nodal drainage area for both arms. One to 2 weeks after induction chemotherapy, 45 Gy/30 Fx/19 d TRT was administered concurrently with the third cycle of EP regimen. After that, additional 3 cycles of EP consolidation were administered. Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) was administered to patients with a complete response., Results: Thirty-seven and 40 patients were randomly assigned to study arm and control arm. The local recurrence rates were 32.4% and 28.2% respectively (P = 0.80); the isolated nodal failure (INF) rates were 3.0% and 2.6% respectively (P = 0.91); all INF sites were in the ipsilateral supraclavicular fossa. Medastinal N3 disease was the risk factor for INF (P = 0.02, OR = 14.13, 95% CI: 1.47-136.13). During radiotherapy, grade I, II weight loss was observed in 29.4%, 5.9% and 56.4%, 7.7% patients respectively (P = 0.04). Grade 0-I and II-III late pulmonary injury was developed in 97.1%, 2.9% and 86.4%, 15.4% patients respectively (P = 0.07). Median survival time was 22.1 months and 26.9 months respectively. The 1 to 3-year OS were 77.9%, 44.4%, 37.3% and 75.8%, 56.3%, 41.7% respectively (P = 0.79)., Conclusions: The preliminary results of this study indicate that irradiant the post-chemotherapy tumor extent (GTV-T) and positive nodal drainage area did not decrease local control and overall survival while radiation toxicity was reduced. But the current sample size has not met designed requirements, and further investigation is warranted before final conclusions could be drawn.