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Allergic conjunctivitis is the most common type of allergic eye disease, and the incidence in children and adolescents is increasing year by year. Drug therapy can only relieve some symptoms and only in a short period, while allergen immunotherapy is currently a therapy that can significantly improve the symptoms of chronic allergy and the course of the disease. This method has been used abroad for many years but has yet to be reported in China. The author reviews the effective mechanism and clinical efficiency of allergen immunotherapy and provides a reference for the further clinical application in China.

The pollution of micro (nano) plastics is one of the most urgent global environmental problems. Micro (nano) plastics will release from plastic products (e.g., food related products) to the environment, causing potential threats to human health and ecosystem. Therefore, the release of micro (nano) plastics from plastic products (e.g., food containers) deserves more concerns. In the present work, plastic food container was chosen to investigate the release of micro (nano) plastics under two heating methods (100 ℃ hot water and microwave heating) and reuse within nine times were further investigated the release characteristics. The findings demonstrate that: (1) The maximum release amount was 10.3±0.2×1010 particles/L, which was occurred under microwave heating, and it was twice greater than that under hot water heating, indicating that microwave heating could enhance micro (nano) plastics releasing; (2) The amounts of released micro (nano) plastics would fluctuate, and the fluctuation was getting smaller as the use times increasing; (3) The number of use times had no influence on the released particle size, and the amount of nanoplastics (

Polypropylene (PP) composite materials were prepared through two molding methods of injection and compression molding, taking PP, FG as the matrix and thermal conductive filler. The effects of molding methods and FG content on the thermal conductivity of composite materials were studied, and the SEM, XRD, and thermal expansion properties of the materials were further analyzed. Results showed that thermal conductivity of the composite material increases with increasing of the FG content. When the FG content was 75 wt%, the average thermal conductivity of the composite materials prepared by injection molding and compression molding is 9.88 W·m-1·K-1 and 6.03 W·m-1·K-1, respectively. The axial thermal conductivity is 16.6 W·m-1·K-1 and 1.35 W·m-1·K-1, and the radial thermal conductivity is 5.88 W·m-1·K-1 and 26.9 W·m-1·K-1, respectively. In composite materials formed by injection molding, the flaky FG is mainly oriented vertically, while in compression molding, the flaky FG is mainly oriented horizontally.

BACKGROUND: The delayed drying of newly harvested tiger nuts can lead to mold and rancidity. Timely drying is therefore important. However, few studies have analyzed the impact of hot‐air drying on the quality of tiger‐nut oil and starch, making it essential to establish optimal drying conditions. RESULTS: The results showed that the drying temperature was the most important factor affecting the drying speed, followed by drying airflow rate and loading capacity. A logarithmic model can describe the hot‐air drying process of tiger nuts. The oil yield of tiger nut was highest after drying at 60 °C, reaching 22.40%. Meanwhile, the starch extracted from after drying at 60 °C had the highest solubility and expansion rate, 4.77% and 9.74%, respectively. Starch has the highest viscosity after drying at 70 °C, and it forms gel easily after aging. CONCLUSION: High‐quality tiger nuts should be produced under optimal conditions: a hot‐air drying temperature of 60 °C, an airflow rate of 1.0 m s−1, and a loading capacity of 100 g. The results of this study have practical implications for the effective drying of tiger nuts. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistance to chemotherapy is a significant concern in the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and occurs due to various mechanisms. This study is aimed to evaluate the effects of RING finger protein 138 (RNF138) in the development of cisplatin resistance to NPC. After gene overexpression and silencing, the expression levels of RNF138 were evaluated. The impacts of RNF138 on the proliferation and apoptosis rate of NPC cells were then assessed. γ-H2AX-mediated DNA damage was determined via immunofluorescence assay. Moreover, a tumor xenograft mouse model was developed to investigate the role of RNF138 on NPC progression in vivo. Additionally, transcriptome analysis was performed in 5–8 F cells transfection with OE-RNF1138 or OE-NC.Cisplatin significantly inhibited the proliferation, and promoted apoptosis and DNA damage in NPC cells; however, overexpression of RNF138 reversed the aforementioned regulatory role of cisplatin on NPC cells. Knockdown of RNF138 resulted in contrasting phenotypic outcomes. Additionally, in nude mice, RNF138 overexpression attenuated the suppressive effects of cisplatin on the growth of xenograft tumor, while RNF138 silencing further enhanced the inhibiting role of cisplatin. We further indicated that in 5–8 F cells following RNF138 overexpression, some pathways such as PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, human papillomavirus infection and ErbB signaling pathway that have been reported to be associated with NPC progression and cisplatin resistance were significantly enriched. These findings indicate that the modulation of RNF138 could potentially address the issue of chemotherapy failure by overcoming cisplatin resistance in NPC cells, making it a promising candidate for targeted drug therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf senescence is a major concern for postharvest leafy vegetables, as leaves are highly prone to yellowing and nutrient loss, resulting in reduced commercial value and limited shelf-life. This study aimed to investigate the effect of L-cysteine (L-cys) on postharvest Chinese flowering cabbage stored at 20 °C. The results showed that 0.5 g L−1 L-cys treatment effectively slowed leaf senescence by downregulating chlorophyll degradation genes (BrNYC1, BrNOL, BrPPH, BrPAO, BrNYE, and BrSAGs) and senescence marker gene BrSAG12. Moreover, this treatment exhibited positive influence on the nutritional quality of cabbage. Also, L-cys treatment maintained ROS homeostasis, preventing excessive ROS accumulation and lipid membrane oxidation. L-cys treatment also maintained a higher total antioxidant capacity and scavenging rate of •OH and O2•−. Additionally, L-cys treatment maintained high levels of ascorbate and glutathione and activated antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase) and the expression of the encoding genes. Furthermore, L-cys treatment elevated endogenous H2S levels, which are correlated with increased L-cysteine desulfhydrase activity and the upregulation of H2S biosynthesis-related genes. These findings suggest that L-cys can delay leaf senescence by reducing chlorophyll breakdown, maintaining ROS homeostasis, and stimulating endogenous H2S production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Forsythia suspensa (F. suspensa) is a plant of the Oleaceae family that is used as a medicinal plant. It is a traditional Chinese medicine that functions in clearing heat and detoxification. F. suspensa contains various phytochemicals, such as lignans, flavonoids, triterpenoids, and phenylethanolic glycosides; however, the main active phytochemical in F. suspensa is phillygenin, which has lipid-lowering, antioxidant, antihypertensive, and tyrosinase inhibitory effects. However, the content of phillygenin in F. suspensa is very low, limiting its application. Methods: This study used wild F. suspensa leaves (FSL) from Lingchuan County (LC), Anze County (AC), Pingshun County (PS), and Pingding County (PD) in Shanxi Province as experimental materials. Through a single factor and orthogonal experimental design, the fermentation time, temperature, and humidity of F. suspensa leaf fermented tea (FSLFT) were optimized using a black tea fermentation machine. By comparing the differences in phillygrin and phillygenin content in FSL and FSLFT, the optimal production process for increasing phillygenin content in FSLFT was sought. This study also compared the differences in bioactive substance content and in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial functions of wild FSLFT from the four counties to evaluate the quality of wild FSLFT from the four counties. Results: The optimal technological parameters of Forsythia suspensa leaf fermented tea (FSLFT): fermentation time of 2 h, fermentation humidity of 80%, fermentation temperature of 35°C, the experimental results showed that the order of influence of each factor on phillygenin content was C (fermentation temperature) > A (fermentation time) > B (fermentation humidity). The cellulase activity of FSLFT was significantly higher than that of FSL (P < 0.05). The total volatile compounds of the wild FSLFT from the four counties were 87 volatile aroma components, 13 of which were common aroma components, and the PCA scores ranged from high to low as follows: AZ-FSLFT > LC-FSLFT > PS-FSLFT > PD-FSLFT. The antioxidant effects of the FSLFT were as follows: AZ-FSLFT > LC-FSLFT > PS-FSLFT > PD-FSLFT. PD-FSLFT had the least inhibitory effect on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, whereas AZ-FSLFT had the greatest inhibitory effect. Conclusion: Fermentation promoted the conversion of phillygrin to phillygenin in FSL, which might be related to the increased cellulase activity in FSL during fermentation. The AZ-FSLFT had the best quality and functional activity, which made sense given its active ingredient content. The AZ-FSLFT had the best quality and functional activity, which made sense given its active ingredient content. This study contributes to the comprehensive development and utilization of F. suspensa leaves for economic and healthcare purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The open interconnection and sharing characteristics of innovation-oriented enterprises aggravate the potential detrimental effects of intellectual property risks, while the proliferation of uncertainty factors perpetually amplifies the ripples of these risks. This study employed the grounded theory method, complemented by expert interviews, case analyses of intellectual property risk incidents, examination of intellectual property-related laws and regulations, as well as other relevant materials. It gathered comprehensive risk information and conducted an in-depth exploration of the underlying factors that contribute to intellectual property risks in enterprises. These factors encompassed risks associated with intellectual property dispute feedback, intellectual property competition, open innovation, intellectual property legal aspects, and environmental considerations. An index system for risk factors is established based on the comprehensive information collected. Furthermore, a system flow diagram depicting the mechanism of risk formation is developed using the system dynamics model. The study delves into the causal relationships among all risk factors and examines their impact on the overall intellectual property risk system within the enterprise. By simulating the dynamic evolution trend of intellectual property risk over time, the research reveals insights that can assist innovation-oriented enterprises operating in open environments in optimising their intellectual property risk management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]