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The objective of this study was to characterize the physicochemical, proximal, textural, and visual properties of plant-based meat (PBM) patties blended with natural pigments such as anthocyanin from black beans, Fe-chlorophyll from spinach, and edible red and purple pigments. A comparison was made between these plant-based pigments and the pigments derived from animal-based sources (control). The values of the color coordinates of the developed patties were broadly distributed (L* [lightness], a* [redness], and b* [yellowness] of raw PBMs: 34–53, 2–25, and 4–27; steamed: 29–42, 4–21, and 5–25; and cooked: 28–43, 5–19, and 9–21, respectively). The proximate chemical analysis revealed no (P >.05) significant difference between the PBMs and the control in terms of moisture (63.28–61.25), crude protein (20.98–19.17) crude fat (3.19–2.92) and ash content (3.80–1.71). Nevertheless, significant differences (P <.05) were observed in textural attributes among all samples (S1-S16) in terms of hardness, chewiness, and gumminess. For instance, hardness (6.39–3.72), chewiness (9.27–4.13), and gumminess (3.04–1.60). Conversely, springiness showed considerable variations (P <.05) in a majority of PBM samples except for S1 (dilute red) (3.06) and S4 (paprika) (3.06) than control (3.31). For DPPH radical scavenging activity of patties samples incorporated with, the S10 (Red Cabbage) (19.95), S13 (Grape skin Color) (24.35), S15 (Anthocyanin) (33.12), and S16 (Fe-pheophytin) (18.69) of PBMs had significantly higher activity (P <.05) than the control (5.14). To sum up, the inclusion of natural pigments in PBM resulted in improved overall properties without any deleterious effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The two-phase pressure drop and heat transfer coefficients of FC-72(C6F14) in two multi-ported rectangular microchannels with hydraulic diameters of 61 and 278μm were measured by varying heat flux from 0.6 to 45.1kW/m2 and mass flux from 188 to 1539kg/m2 s. Direct heating using a DC power supply provided a heating load to the test section. The pressure drop increased with increasing vapor quality and mass flux. The heat flux negligibly affected the pressure drop under identical mass flux and vapor quality conditions, indicating that most of the pressure drop was caused by friction. When the vapor quality exceeded 0.2–0.4, the heat transfer coefficient decreased with increasing vapor quality due to early dry-out of liquid film on the channel surface. In addition, the comparison between the predicted pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient by the existing correlations and the measured values was presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract Pt-doped NiSi‒NiSi 2 thin films in a uniform lamellar structure with a periodicity on the scale of a few tens of nanometers were formed on Si(001) substrates using a continuous laser scanning process. When the Pt-doped NiSi film was melted at high temperatures and was supercooled at high solidification rates (a high scanning speed of over 200 mm/s), a NiSi‒NiSi 2 lamellar structure evolved while interacting with the underlying Si substrate and following the classical eutectic solidification path. The lamellar spacing could be easily controlled by the laser scanning speed. In addition, the periodically formed, nearly single-crystalline NiSi and NiSi 2 phases exhibited epitaxial relationships with each other and also with the Si(001) substrate. It is believed that this novel NiSi‒NiSi 2 lamellar structure can be used as a template for application areas requiring an electrode with a line/space pattern on the scale of a few tens of nanometers that can be prepared without using costly photolithographic processes. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • High speed laser scanning formed Pt-doped NiSi‒NiSi 2 lamellar films on Si(001). • Lamellar spacing can be controlled by the scanning speed. • Lamellar stripes possess a mutual epitaxial relationship with each other. • Formation mechanism is explained using three-step eutectic solidification kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Airborne pathogens retain prolonged infectious activity once attached to the indoor environment, posing a pervasive threat to public health. Conventional air filters suffer from ineffective inactivation of the physics-separated microorganisms, and the chemical-based antimicrobial materials face challenges of poor stability/efficiency and inefficient viral inactivation. We, therefore, developed a rapid, reliable antimicrobial method against the attached indoor bacteria/viruses using a large-scale tunneling charge-motivated disinfection device fabricated by directly dispersing monolayer graphene on insulators. Free charges can be stably immobilized under the monolayer graphene through the tunneling effect. The stored charges can motivate continuous electron loss of attached microorganisms for accelerated disinfection, overcoming the diffusion limitation of chemical disinfectants. Complete (>99.99%) and broad-spectrum disinfection was achieved <1 min of attachment to the scaled-up device (25 square centimeters), reliably for 72 hours at high temperature (60°C) and humidity (90%). This method can be readily applied to high-touch surfaces in indoor environments for pathogen control.

Osimertinib, a selective third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), effectively targets the EGFR T790M mutant in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the newly identified EGFR C797S mutation confers resistance to osimertinib. In this study, we explored the role of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) in osimertinib resistance. Patients exhibiting osimertinib resistance initially displayed elevated PDK1 expression. Osimertinib-resistant cell lines with the EGFR C797S mutation were established using A549, NCI-H292, PC-9, and NCI-H1975 NSCLC cells for both in vitro and in vivo investigations. These EGFR C797S mutant cells exhibited heightened phosphorylation of EGFR, leading to the activation of downstream oncogenic pathways. The EGFR C797S mutation appeared to increase PDK1-driven glycolysis through the EGFR/AKT/HIF-1α axis. Combining osimertinib with the PDK1 inhibitor leelamine helped successfully overcome osimertinib resistance in allograft models. CRISPR-mediated PDK1 knockout effectively inhibited tumor formation in xenograft models. Our study established a clear link between the EGFR C797S mutation and elevated PDK1 expression, opening new avenues for the discovery of targeted therapies and improving our understanding of the roles of EGFR mutations in cancer progression., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Partial cystectomy procedures for urinary bladder-related dysfunction involve long recovery periods, during which urodynamic studies (UDS) intermittently assess lower urinary tract function. However, UDS are not patient-friendly, they exhibit user-to-user variability, and they amount to snapshots in time, limiting the ability to collect continuous, longitudinal data. These procedures also pose the risk of catheter-associated urinary tract infections, which can progress to ascending pyelonephritis due to prolonged lower tract manipulation in high-risk patients. Here, we introduce a fully bladder-implantable platform that allows for continuous, real-time measurements of changes in mechanical strain associated with bladder filling and emptying via wireless telemetry, including a wireless bioresorbable strain gauge validated in a benchtop partial cystectomy model. We demonstrate that this system can reproducibly measure real-time changes in a rodent model up to 30 d postimplantation with minimal foreign body response. Studies in a nonhuman primate partial cystectomy model demonstrate concordance of pressure measurements up to 8 wk compared with traditional UDS. These results suggest that our system can be used as a suitable alternative to UDS for long-term postoperative bladder recovery monitoring., Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.

The automation of organic compound synthesis is pivotal for expediting the development of such compounds. In addition, enhancing development efficiency can be achieved by incorporating autonomous functions alongside automation. To achieve this, we developed an autonomous synthesis robot that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic technology to establish optimal synthetic recipes. Given a target molecule, our AI initially plans synthetic pathways and defines reaction conditions. It then iteratively refines these plans using feedback from the experimental robot, gradually optimizing the recipe. The system performance was validated by successfully determining synthetic recipes for three organic compounds, yielding that conversion rates that outperform existing references. Notably, this autonomous system is designed around batch reactors, making it accessible and valuable to chemists in standard laboratory settings, thereby streamlining research endeavors.

Death is the inevitable fate of all living organisms, whether at the individual or cellular level. For a long time, cell death was believed to be an undesirable but unavoidable final outcome of nonfunctioning cells, as inflammation was inevitably triggered in response to damage. However, experimental evidence accumulated over the past few decades has revealed different types of cell death that are genetically programmed to eliminate unnecessary or severely damaged cells that may damage surrounding tissues. Several types of cell death, including apoptosis, necrosis, autophagic cell death, and lysosomal cell death, which are classified as programmed cell death, and pyroptosis, necroptosis, and NETosis, which are classified as inflammatory cell death, have been described over the years. Recently, several novel forms of cell death, namely, mitoptosis, paraptosis, immunogenic cell death, entosis, methuosis, parthanatos, ferroptosis, autosis, alkaliptosis, oxeiptosis, cuproptosis, and erebosis, have been discovered and advanced our understanding of cell death and its complexity. In this review, we provide a historical overview of the discovery and characterization of different forms of cell death and highlight their diversity and complexity. We also briefly discuss the regulatory mechanisms underlying each type of cell death and the implications of cell death in various physiological and pathological contexts. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of different mechanisms of cell death that can be leveraged to develop novel therapeutic strategies for various diseases., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

This study compared the cellular and genetic characteristics of bovine skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs) from Hanwoo (a Korean native cattle breed), including calves and mature cattle. SMSCs were isolated using magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) from tissue samples of six Hanwoo (three calves and three mature cattle) using the CD29 antibody. Calves' SMSCs exhibited significantly faster growth rates than did those from cattle ( P  < 0.01), with a doubling time of 2.43 days. Genetic analysis revealed higher MyoD and Pax7 expression in SMSCs from calves during proliferation than in those from mature cattle ( P  < 0.001). However, FASN and PLAG1 expression levels were higher in mature cattle than in calves during both proliferation and differentiation ( P  < 0.001). These findings highlight the need for strategies to improve bovine muscle cell growth to produce competitive cultivated meat at a competitive price., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier B.V.)

This study explored the changes in the physiochemical, textural, sensory, and functional characteristics of plant-based meat (PBM) after incorporating novel plant-based ingredients including spirulina (SPI), duck Weed (DW), and yellow Chlorella (YC). In the chromaticity evaluation, the YC group (YCI YC2, and YC3%) displayed significant differences ( p < 0.05) in lightness (L*) indices as compared to the control. Whereas, based on concertation gradient of SPI microalgae (SP0.5, SP0.7, and SP1%) incorporated into PBM patties demonstrated that SPI 1 had the lowest values ( p < 0.05) in redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) followed by SPI 0.7 and SPI 0.5% concentration, respectively. The concentration gradient of the YC group indicated that YC3 was intended to be the highest crude fat value followed by YC2 and YCI. The ash content in PBM patties increased considerably ( p < 0.05) as the concentration level of microalgae advanced in all treated groups. Based on the concentration level of YC incorporated microalgae into PBM patties indicated that YC 3 had the highest ( p < 0.05) gumminess and chewiness while YC 1 had the lowest reported values in terms of gumminess and chewiness. Moreover, springiness and cohesiveness showed considerable differences between SPI and YC groups. In the sensory evaluation, SPI 1 showed the lowest value only in color and appearance ( p < 0.05), conversely, the other sensory parameters were non-significant among all treatment groups ( p > 0.05). The micronutrient in PBM presented an irregular pattern after incorporating various ingredients. However, levels were higher ( p < 0.05) in the DW group (DW 0.5 DW 0.7, and DW% 1) than those in the other groups. Moreover, the SPI and YC groups showed detectable levels of diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity with, SP 1 showing the highest level of antioxidant activity. Acknowledging the limited research on PBM production, extraction technologies, and selecting various novel suitable ingredients in meat substitutes. Hence, to fill this knowledge gap an attempt has been made to incorporate various concentrations of microalgae including SPI, YC, and DW to enhance the quality and functionality of meat alternatives. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that describes the physiochemical, textural, sensory, and nutritional attributes of PBM incorporated with novel microalgae. Collectively these results indicate that the incorporation of SPI, DW, and YC may improve the quality of PBM without showing deleterious outcomes on the quality and functionality of the ultimate PBM products., Competing Interests: SS was employed by Healthy Food Technology, Sunjin Co., Ltd., Icheon, Republic of Korea. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Bakhsh, Park, Baritugo, Kim, Sil Moon, Rahman and Park.)

Metabolic disorder is a major characteristic of cancer cells, and controlling genes involved in metabolic shifts can be an effective strategy for cancer treatment. Andrographolide (AG), a diterpenoid lactone, is widely recognized as a natural anticancer drug due to its ability to inhibit cancer growth. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanism underlying the mitochondrial‑mediated anticancer effect of AG by inhibiting pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) expression in lung cancer cells. Cells were treated with AG and PDK1 mRNA and protein expression was determined using reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and western blotting, respectively. As a result, AG significantly inhibited the viability of human lung cancer cells and suppressed aerobic glycolysis by decreasing lactate generation. AG further decreased the PDK1 protein and mRNA levels in a dose‑dependent manner. AG‑induced cell death was assessed by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. AG induced apoptotic cell death that was associated with the cleavage of poly (ADP ribose) polymerase, activation of caspase‑3, and mitochondrial damage, which was associated with an increase in reactive oxygen species and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. AG‑induced cell death was partially suppressed via PDK1 overexpression in lung cancer cells. Therefore, the anticancer effects of AG on human lung cancer cells may negatively regulate the expression of PDK1.

Color is a major feature that strongly influences the consumer's perception, selection, and acceptance of various foods. An improved understanding regarding bio-safety protocols, health welfare, and the nutritional importance of food colorants has shifted the attention of the scientific community toward natural pigments to replace their toxic synthetic counterparts. However, owing to safety and toxicity concerns, incorporating natural colorants directly from viable sources into plant-based meat (PBM) has many limitations. Nonetheless, over time, safe and cheap extraction techniques have been developed to extract the purified form of coloring agents from raw materials to be incorporated into PBM products. Subsequently, extracted anthocyanin has displayed compounds like Delphinidin-3-mono glucoside (D3G) at 3.1 min and Petunidin-3-mono glucoside (P3G) at 5.1 277, 515, and 546 nm at chromatographic lambda. Fe-pheophytin was successfully generated from chlorophyll through the ion exchange method. Likewise, the optical density (OD) of synthesized leghemoglobin (LegH) indicated that pBHA bacteria grow more rigorously containing ampicillin with a dilution factor of 10 after 1 h of inoculation. The potential LegH sequence was identified at 2500 bp through gel electrophoresis. The color coordinates and absorbance level of natural pigments showed significant differences ( p < 0.05) with the control. The development of coloring agents originating from natural sources for PBM can be considered advantageous compared to animal myoglobin in terms of health and functionality. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to produce natural coloring agents for PBM by extracting and developing chlorophyll from spinach, extracting anthocyanins from black beans, and inserting recombinant plasmids into microorganisms to produce LegH.

The purpose of this study was to compare marbling score, meat quality, juiciness, sarcomere length, and skeletal muscle satellite cell (SMSC) growth and related gene expression between Woori black pig (WB) and the Landrace, Yorkshire, and Duroc (LYD) crossbreed at different body weights (b.w.). WB was developed to improve meat quality and growth efficiency by crossbreeding Duroc with Korean native black pig. A total of 24 pigs were sacrificed when their b.w. reached about 50, 75, 100, and 120 kg. SMSC were isolated from the femoris muscles, and muscle and adipose tissues were sampled from the middle and the subcutaneous part of the femoris of hind legs, respectively. Expression levels of genes including Myoblast determination protein 1 (MyoD), Paired box gene 3 (Pax3), Myosin heavy chain (MyHC), and Myogenin, which are responsible for the growth and development of SMSC, were higher in LYD than the WB. Muscle growth inhibitor myostatin (MSTN), however, was expressed more in WB compared to LYD ( p < 0.01). Numbers of SMSC extracted from femoris muscle of LYD at 50, 75, 100, and 120 kg b.w. were 8.5 ± 0.223, 8.6 ± 0.245, 7.2 ± 0.249, and 10.9 ± 0.795, and those from WB were 6.2 ± 0.32, 6.2 ± 0.374, 5.3 ± 0.423, and 17.1 ± 0.315, respectively. Expression of adipogenic genes in adipose tissue including CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (CEBP)-β, peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)-γ, and fatty acid synthase (FASN), were greater in WB when compared with LYD ( p < 0.01). Results from the current study suggest that different muscle cell numbers between 2 different breeds might be affected by related gene expression and this warrants further investigation on other growth factors regulating animal growth and development., Competing Interests: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (© Copyright 2023 Korean Society of Animal Science and Technology.)

To prevent surgical site infection (SSI), which significantly increases the rate morbidity and mortality, eliminating microorganisms is prominent. Antimicrobial resistance is identified as a global health challenge. This work proposes a new strategy to eliminate microorganisms of deep tissue through electrical stimulation with an ultrasound (US)-driven implantable, biodegradable, and vibrant triboelectric nanogenerator (IBV-TENG). After a programmed lifetime, the IBV-TENG can be eliminated by provoking the on-demand device dissolution by controlling US intensity with no surgical removal of the device from the body. A voltage of ≈4 V and current of ≈22 µA generated from IBV-TENG under ultrasound in vitro, confirming inactivating ≈100% of Staphylococcus aureus and ≈99% of Escherichia coli. Furthermore, ex vivo results show that IBV-TENG implanted under porcine tissue successfully inactivates bacteria. This antibacterial technology is expected to be a countermeasure strategy against SSIs, increasing life expectancy and healthcare quality by preventing microorganisms of deep tissue., (© 2022 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The present study evaluated the properties and ochratoxin A (OTA) degradation capacity of the dietary probiotic Pediococcus pentosaceus BalaMMB-P3, isolated from a milk coagulant. The acidic tolerance of the isolate at pH 2-3 was checked with bile salts. No hemolytic activity was noted, which confirmed the nonpathogenicity of the strain. The isolate was tested in vitro for antibiotic susceptibility, enzymatic activity, bile salts hydrolase activity and antifungal activity against Penicillium verrucosum , Fusarium graminearum and Aspergillus ochraceus . A molecular docking-based OTA toxicity assessment was carried out for multitargeted proteins. The 16S rRNA gene-based phylogenetic assessment identified the strain as P. pentosaceus, and was authenticated in GenBank. The carboxylesterase and glutathione s-transferase enzymes showed active and strong interactions with esters and amide bonds, respectively. The compound exhibited carcinogenic and cytotoxicity effects at an LD 50 value of 20 mg/kg. Furthermore, the strain showed a potent ability to reduce OTA and suggested the prospects for utilization in nutritional aspects of food.

Self-powered implantable devices have the potential to extend device operation time inside the body and reduce the necessity for high-risk repeated surgery. Without the technological innovation of in vivo energy harvesters driven by biomechanical energy, energy harvesters are insufficient and inconvenient to power titanium-packaged implantable medical devices. Here, we report on a commercial coin battery-sized high-performance inertia-driven triboelectric nanogenerator (I-TENG) based on body motion and gravity. We demonstrate that the enclosed five-stacked I-TENG converts mechanical energy into electricity at 4.9 μW/cm 3 (root-mean-square output). In a preclinical test, we show that the device successfully harvests energy using real-time output voltage data monitored via Bluetooth and demonstrate the ability to charge a lithium-ion battery. Furthermore, we successfully integrate a cardiac pacemaker with the I-TENG, and confirm the ventricle pacing and sensing operation mode of the self-rechargeable cardiac pacemaker system. This proof-of-concept device may lead to the development of new self-rechargeable implantable medical devices., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

The magneto-thermal effect, which represents the conversion of magnetostatic energy to heat from magnetic materials, has been spotlighted for potential therapeutic usage in hyperthermia treatments. However, the realization of its potential has been challenged owing to the limited heating from the magnetic nanoparticles. Here, we explored a new-concept of magneto-thermal modality marked by low-power-driven, fast resonant spin-excitation followed by consequent energy dissipation, which concept has yet to be realized for current hyperthermia applications. We investigated the effect of spin resonance-mediated heat dissipation using superparamagnetic Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles and achieved an extraordinary initial temperature increment rate of more than 150 K/s, which is a significant increase in comparison to that for the conventional magnetic heat induction of nanoparticles. This work would offer highly efficient heat generation and precision wireless controllability for realization of magnetic-hyperthermia-based medical treatment.

HG1 is a Leu-rich antimicrobial peptide (AMP). Previously, the peptide was shown to lose its activity in human serum although it possessed potent and broad spectrum antimicrobial activity against a wide range of pathogenic microbes. In an attempt to design an HG1 isomer that can overcome the problem of HG1, a structure–activity relationship study was conducted by substitution of each of five Leu residues with a Gln residue. Each substitute was tested for its antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or Candida strains. In addition, the antimicrobial activity of HG1 isomers was examined in the presence of glycosaminoglycans or lipid components occurring in the extracellular matrix, human serum and wound fluid. As a result, it was determined that the third residue (Leu) in the sequence of HG1 was mainly responsible for abrogation of its antimicrobial activity in human serum or wound fluid. An HG1 isomer (L3Q) with a Gln-3 substitution exhibited a potent antibacterial activity in 50% human serum. While the anti-MRSA activity of L3Q was equivalent to that of HG1, its anti-Candida activity was found to be substantially reduced. In order to improve anti-Candida activity of L3Q, its cationicity was enhanced by replacement of the C-terminal Ala-19 with a Lys residue. Overall, an HG1 isomer with two substitutions of Gln-3 and Lys-19, named haloganan, was verified to have an advantage over HG1 in that it exerted its potent antimicrobial activity under conditions containing human serum and/or wound fluid.