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Milk proteins are well known to produce aerated food due to the amphiphilicity. However, milk proteins are commonly added in blends for the desirable properties in food industry. In this study, the foaming properties of milk protein mixtures (MPM), a mixtures of whey protein isolated (WPI) and milk protein concentrate (MPC), was studied through foaming capacity (FC), foam stability (FS), and foam morphology at pH 3.0–9.0. Physiochemical, structural, surface properties, and Pearson correlation analysis were measured to gain insight into foaming behavior. Results indicated that MPM showed excellent FC (113.0–114.3 %) and FS (90.7–93.0 %) at pH 6.0–9.0, and foam displayed a smaller size and uniform distribution. MPM solutions showed smaller particles, higher solubility, and lower apparent viscosity at pH 6.0–9.0, which resulted in an increase in surface pressure and adsorption rate (K diff), facilitating more protein absorbed to interface. To further investigate structural changes, various spectral methods were used, in which the structure of MPM was changed with pH. Correlation analysis further suggests that K diff and solubility positively affect the formation of foam, while free sulfhydryl and β -sheet contributed to stabilizing foams. These findings provide valuable information on MPM as ingredients for aerated foods under acidic, neutral, and alkaline conditions. • Foaming properties of milk proteins mixtures were varied at different pH values. • Milk proteins mixtures showed higher foaming properties at pH 6.0–9.0. • Milk proteins mixtures showed the lowest FC and FS at pH 5.0 and 3.0. • FC was positively correlated with K diff , solubility, and H 0. • FS was highly related to protein structure and interaction between proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 1061 lipids in raw, pasteurized and spray dried goat milk were found by lipidomics. • 185 Different Lipids (DLs) were selected from pairwise comparisons. • Oleic acid (C18:1) were significantly different (P < 0.05). • Five lipids were identified as potential biomarkers. • Glycerophospholipids were more affected by spray drying than pasteurization. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of pasteurization and spray drying on goat milk lipids by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) and multiple variable statistics. A total of 1061 lipids assigned to 29 subclasses in raw and thermal-treated groups were identified. One hundred and 85 different lipids (DLs) (VIP ≥ 1 and |Log 2 FC| ≥ 1.0) were selected from pairwise comparisons of goat milk by different treatments. Glycerophospholipids were the most affected subclasses by thermal processes, especially by spray drying. Five potential lipid markers [(DG (16:1_18:0), TG (18:1_22:1_18:2), Cer (t17:2/31:0), LPC (0:0/20:0), and LPS (20:0/0:0] were used to distinguish different treated goat milk. Moreover, glycerophospholipid metabolism was the primary pathway of DLs. These results would provide more details of lipid profiles in thermally treated (pasteurization and spray drying) goat milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Electrospun membranes from polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) • CNF improved the mechanical properties of PAN electrospun membranes. • Composite membranes with better aerosol filtration properties than the pristine one. • Composite membranes with higher air permeability than the neat PAN. • Application of composite membranes as active layers in respirators/medical masks. Electrospun membranes comprising polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and 0.2 to 0.6 wt% cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) were prepared and characterized for their use as active layers of Filtering Facepiece Respirators (FFRs) and medical masks. Composite membranes with up to 0.4 wt% of CNF exhibited storage modulus values up to approximately 5 times higher and tensile strength and elastic modulus about 2 times and 6 times higher, respectively, compared to neat PAN. All membranes presented filtration efficiencies (FE) superior to 90% for aerosols with a median count diameter of 75 ± 20 nm and geometric standard deviation less than 1.86. For most membranes produced from an equal volume of solution, the increase in CNF content decreased the pressure drop (Δp, up to approximately five times) and increased the quality factor (QF, up to about 4 times) of the composite membranes, compared to neat PAN, due to the formation of more heterogeneous fibers, larger pores, a trend of increasing porosity and lower packing density. The presence of CNF also increased the air permeability (permeability coefficients, k 1 and k 2) of the composite materials. Following a yet not explored approach, it was demonstrated that the presence of CNF in the composition of PAN composite electrospun membranes led to materials with better performance as active filter layers than neat PAN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To evaluate the relationship between the plasma miR-223 expression level and clopidogrel resistance in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. Methods. We performed a search for publications using online databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Chinese Databases (CNKI database, Weipu database, and Wanfang database) from the inception of the databases to June 18, 2023, to identify studies reporting the relationship between the plasma miR-223 level and clopidogrel resistance in ACS patients. Two researchers independently searched and screened to ensure the consistency of the results and assess the quality of the included studies according to the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. A fixed-effects model was used for pooling data with STATA 14.0. Results. Four articles including 399 Chinese ACS patients were eligible for the meta-analysis. Low plasma miR-223 levels were independently correlated with clopidogrel resistance in Chinese ACS patients (OR 0.58, 95% CI: 0.33–1.04). Conclusion. Lower plasma miR-223 levels are associated with clopidogrel resistance in Chinese ACS patients, suggesting that miR-223 may be a potential diagnostic biomarker of clopidogrel resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite electrospun membranes of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) with contents of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) of 5–20 wt% were prepared. The increase in cellulose content improved the mechanical properties of the materials up to approximately 2-fold in the tensile strength and 6-fold in elastic modulus compared to the PAN membrane. Filtration performance of the composite membranes against aerosolized salt nanoparticles was evaluated under conditions relevant to their use as active layers in Filtering Facepiece Respirators (FFR), such as N95s. In general, all composite membranes presented values of filtration efficiency (FE) superior to 90%. Pressure drop (Δp) values of the materials, in general, decreased with increasing content of CNCs. In general, an increase of the quality factor (QF) was observed with increasing content of CNCs in the membrane compositions, possibly due to a trend for the porosity of the composite materials to increase. The membrane containing 20 wt% of CNCs presented the highest QF (0.034 ± 0.002 Pa-1), one of the highest FE of 95.97 ± 0.62%, particle penetration (P) of 4.03 ± 0.62%, and the lowest Δp of 9.60 ± 1.04 mmH 2 O. Thus, it is possible to prepare composite membranes of PAN reinforced with high content of natural, biodegradable, and abundant CNCs, and to evaluate comprehensively their potential to be used in air filtration applications such as respirators and cleanroom filters. [Display omitted] • Nanocellulose in PAN electrospun membranes improve their mechanical properties. • Membranes with high CNCs content showed good aerosol filtration performance. • Composite membranes may be more valuable for aerosol filtration than PAN ones. • PAN/nanocellulose membranes have potential to be used as active layers in N95s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotic combination is a promising strategy to extend the lifetime of antibiotics and thereby combat antimicrobial resistance. However, screening for new antibiotic combinations is both time-consuming and labor-intensive. In recent years, an increasing number of researchers have used computational models to predict effective antibiotic combinations. In this review, we summarized existing computational models for antibiotic combinations and discussed the limitations and challenges of these models in detail. In addition, we also collected and summarized available data resources and tools for antibiotic combinations. This study aims to help computational biologists design more accurate and interpretable computational models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The composition of a binary liquid aerosol system exhibits size-dependence. • Electrospun filters can alter aerosol composition through size selective filtration. • Drop size and composition of filtered aerosol correlates with filter properties. • Fiber diameter and membrane thickness are key properties for selective filtration. Binary liquid aerosols were filtered using electrospun fiber membranes for the purpose of demonstrating the feasibility of changing aerosol composition through size selection. The impacts of filtration on the particle size distribution and the overall composition of the aerosols were studied and correlated to the filter properties. The binary liquid aerosols comprised di(2-ethylhexyl) sebacate and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, with median mobility diameters between 200 nm and 300 nm. Droplet size-resolved measurements of aerosol composition, performed using a combination of cascade impactor and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS), revealed size-dependent compositional variation. Electrospun membranes of polyacrylonitrile with four different fiber diameters, ranging from 300 nm to 1 μm, were tested. The membranes with small fiber diameters were more likely to have significant impact on both the size and composition of the aerosols. Electrospun membranes consisting of 300 nm diameter fibers altered the median particle diameter by as much as 4%, and the overall composition of the aerosols by as much as 30%. Membranes with large fiber diameters, on the other hand, exhibited negligible effects on the aerosol systems with regard to both aerosol size and composition. Electrospun cellulose acetate membranes of different thicknesses were also tested on a binary aerosol system with the same components. Thicker filters resulted in greater decrease in mean particle size and greater change of aerosol composition, up to 16%. The changes in aerosol size distribution and composition upon filtration were correlated through the droplet size-dependence of the aerosol composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is one of the major causes of death and disability, and hypertensive ICH (HICH) is the most common type of ICH. Currently, the outcomes of HICH patients remain poor after treatment, and early prognosis prediction of HICH is important. However, there are limited effective clinical treatments and biomarkers for HICH patients. Although circRNA has been widely studied in diseases, the role of plasma exosomal circRNAs in HICH remains unknown. The present study was conducted to investigate the characteristics and function of plasma exosomal circRNAs in six HICH patients using circRNA microarray and bioinformatics analysis. The results showed that there were 499 differentially expressed exosomal circRNAs between the HICH patients and control subjects. According to GO annotation and KEGG pathway analyses, the targets regulated by differentially expressed exosomal circRNAs were tightly related to the development of HICH via nerve/neuronal growth, neuroinflammation and endothelial homeostasis. And the differentially expressed exosomal circRNAs could mainly bind to four RNA-binding proteins (EIF4A3, FMRP, AGO2 and HUR). Moreover, of differentially expressed exosomal circRNAs, hsa_circ_00054843, hsa_circ_0010493 and hsa_circ_00090516 were significantly associated with bleeding volume and Glasgow Coma Scale score of the subjects. Our findings firstly revealed that the plasma exosomal circRNAs are significantly involved in the progression of HICH, and could be potent biomarkers for HICH. This provides the basis for further research to pinpoint the best biomarkers and illustrate the mechanism of exosomal circRNAs in HICH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ticagrelor, acting as a reversible platelet aggregation inhibitor of P2Y12 receptors (P2Y12R), is regarded as one of the first-line antiplatelet drugs for acute cardiovascular diseases. Though the probability of ticagrelor resistance is much lower than that of clopidogrel, there have been recent reports of ticagrelor resistance. In this review, we summarized the clinical application of ticagrelor and then presented the criteria and current status of ticagrelor resistance. We further discussed the potential mechanisms for ticagrelor resistance in terms of drug absorption, metabolism, and receptor action. In conclusion, the incidences of ticagrelor resistance fluctuated between 0 and 20%, and possible mechanisms mainly arose from its absorption and receptor action. Specifically, a variety of factors, such as the drug form of ticagrelor, gut microecology, and the expression and function of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and P2Y12R, have been shown to be associated with ticagrelor resistance. The exact mechanisms of ticagrelor resistance warrant further exploration, which may contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of ticagrelor resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enantiomerically enriched aromatic secondary alcohols and its derivatives are important chiral intermediates utilized widely in pharmacy, chemical, hormone, spices and chiral auxiliary materials. Thus, the key factors affecting the asymmetric reduction were successfully analyzed using R. mucilaginosa CCTCC M2014255 resting cells. The optimal temperature, buffer pH, co-substrate and its concentration, resting cells concentration were systematically investigated. Under the optimized conditions, acetophenone and its derivatives were effectively asymmetrically reduced by R.mucilaginosa CCTCC M2014255 while the conversion reached >99.0 % and e. e. of product were >99.0 %, respectively. These results provide a theoretical and technical support for realizing industrialized production of enantiomerically enriched aromatic secondary alcohols by microbial catalytic asymmetric synthesis. Graphical Abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, the virus generates numerous viral mRNAs/proteins and viral loads, which plays a major role in driving T cell tolerance, viral persistence, and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, currently available anti-HBV agents have no direct effect on viral mRNA transcription and protein expression. In this study, we designed a recombinant fusion of p53 protein with the cell-penetrating peptide PTD (protein transduction domain of trans-activator of transcription), which mediated p53 internalization into hepatocytes. PTD-p53 effectively suppressed HBV transcription and antigen expression by interaction with viral enhancers. We further provide evidence that PTD-p53 counteracts the viral transcription feedback loop and effectively suppressed HBV production of viral mRNAs, as well as HBsAg, HBeAg, and HBcAg, both in vitro and in vivo. Our results thereby provide a basis for developing a new therapeutic approach against HBV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Metastable state of the liquid on wrinkled electrospun mats has been investigated. • Analytical model of apparent contact angle has been proposed and validated. • 3D input parameters obtained via X-ray microCT analysis served as key inputs. • Theory and experiments are in good agreement. • A 'doubly re-entrant' structure has been successfully created on electrospun fibers. Electrospun mats with targeted wettability are a way forward to diversify their mainstream applications and can facilitate in creating a platform for a remarkable set of properties. Limited control over the fiber morphology and surface chemistry, along with the complex architecture of electrospun mats, pose some of the key challenges for maneuvering the wettability. Herein, we present the design principles that underpin the key determinants responsible for a metastable state of a water droplet on electrospun mats possessing wrinkled surface topography. A 'first-of-its-kind' analytical model of apparent contact angle based on the modified Cassie-Baxter state has been proposed that accounts for the dual-scale roughness originating from fiber wrinkles and protuberances created by fiber–fiber contacts. Three-dimensional (3D) fiber and structural parameters obtained via X-ray microcomputed tomography (microCT) analysis served as key inputs for predictive modeling. The analytical model of the apparent advancing and receding contact angles has been validated with electrospun mats having well-defined orientation characteristics. In general, the theory and experiments are in reasonable agreement. Although similar magnitudes of static and advancing contact angles of water on surfaces of randomly and aligned electrospun mats have been experimentally observed, the receding contact angles differed significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) chronically infects approximately 350 million people worldwide. The replication of HBV which genome is only 3.2 kb long relies heavily on host factors. Previous studies demonstrated that a highly expressed liver-specific microRNA (miRNA) miR-122 suppresses HBV expression and replication in multiple ways. In this study, we found that the miR-122 response elements in viral genome facilitate HBV expression and replication in miR-122 highly-expressed hepatocytes. Moreover, mutations in miR-122 response elements are correlated with viral loads and disease progression in HBV-infected patients. We next found that HBV mRNA with miR-122 response elements alone could lead to altered expression of multiple host genes by whole genome expression analysis. HBV mRNA-mediated miR-122 down-regulation plays a major role in HBV mRNA-induced differential gene expression. HBV mRNA could enhance viral replication via miR-122 degradation and the up-regulation of its target cyclin G1. Our study thereby reveals that under the unique condition of high abundance of miR-122 and viral mRNAs and much lower level of miR-122 target in HBV infection, HBV may have evolved to employ the miRNA-mediated virus and host mRNAs network for optimal fitness within hepatocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]