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The effect of combined treatment of different mass fractions (0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75% and 1.0%) L-lysine and 0.5% transglutaminase (TGase) on the water-holding capacity (WHC), texture, water mobility and distribution, microstructure and protein conformation of low-salt chicken meat batter (LCMB) gels was studied. The results showed that TGase alone had no significant effect on the WHC (P > 0.05), but significantly increased the hardness of LCMB gels (P < 0.05). In the presence of TGase, the hardness, springiness, cohesiveness and chewiness of LCMB gels showed an increasing trend with increased content L-lysine. The results of low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy indicated that L-lysine combined with TGase could increase the relative content of immobilized water (P21) and decrease the relative content of free water (P22) in LCMB gels, promote the formation of a three-dimensional ordered, compact and continuous gel network structure, and enhance the exposure of tryptophan, tyrosine and aliphatic amino acid residues in meat proteins. In conclusion, L-lysine combined with TGase treatment can improve the gel quality of LCMB by affecting its water distribution, microstructure and protein conformation.

The differences in physicochemical properties of oat, pea and apple dietary fibers and the effects of their addition on gel properties of low-salt (1% NaCl, m/m) chicken breast surimi were studied. The results showed that the water-holding capacity and swelling power of the three dietary fibers in descending order were pea dietary fiber > apple dietary fiber > oat dietary fiber. The addition of each of these dietary fibers could significantly improve the cooking yield, hardness and chewiness of low-salt chicken breast surimi (P < 0.05), and the effect of pea and apple dietary fibers was more pronounced than that of oat dietary fiber. All the dietary fibers could increase the storage modulus (Gʹ), shorten the transverse relaxation time of free water (T22), increase the relative contents of weakly bound water (P2b) and immobilized water (P21) in the gel, and promote the formation of a compact and dense three-dimensional network structure. Pea dietary fiber significantly increased the relative content of β-sheet structure (P < 0.05), whereas apple and oat dietary fibers significantly increased the relative content of β-turn (P < 0.05). In conclusion, oat, pea and apple dietary fibers can significantly improve the water-holding capacity and texture properties of low-salt chicken breast surimi gel by changing the rheological properties, water mobility and distribution, microstructure and protein secondary structure.

BACKGROUND RESULTS CONCLUSION Cold chain distribution with multiple links maintains low temperatures to ensure the quality of meat products, whereas temperature fluctuations during this are often disregarded by the industry. The present study simulated two distinct temperatures cold chain distribution processes. Quality indicators and high‐throughput sequencing were employed to investigate the effects of temperature fluctuations on the quality and microbial diversity of beef meatballs during cold chain distribution.Quality indicators revealed that temperature fluctuations during simulated cold chain distribution significantly (P < 0.05) exacerbated the quality deterioration of beef meatballs. High‐throughput sequencing demonstrated that temperature fluctuations affected the diversity and structure of microbial community. Lower microbial species abundance and higher microbial species diversity were observed in the temperature fluctuations group. Proteobacteria and Pseudomonas were identified as the dominant phylum and genus in beef meatballs, respectively, exhibiting faster growth rates and greater relative abundance under temperature fluctuations.The present study demonstrates that temperature fluctuations during simulated cold chain distribution can worsen spoilage and shorten the shelf life of beef meatballs. It also offers certain insights into the spoilage mechanism and preservation of meat products during cold chain distribution. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a multifactorial chronic metabolic disease with multiple complications. Crataegus pinnatifida (CP) and Wolfiporia extensa (WE) are traditional functional foods with improving metabolic health properties. This study demonstrated the effect of CP and WE combination on ameliorating obesity induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). Moreover, the CP-WE food pair ameliorated HFD-induced metabolic disorders, including glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, and hepatic steatosis. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and analysis revealed that CP combined with WE reshaped the composition of gut microbiota in HFD-fed mice. Furthermore, correlation analysis revealed a substantial association between the obesity-related parameters and the shifts in predominant bacterial genera influenced by the food pair intervention. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the CP-WE food pair ameliorated HFD-induced obesity and reshaped gut microbiota composition, providing a promising approach to combat obesity through specific food combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although recent years have seen considerable interest in stimuli‐responsive hydrogels, their strict preparation conditions and narrow applicability limit their use as diverse sensors and soft robots. Herein, a versatile Agar‐Zwirrions hybrid hydrogel actuator (Agar/PSBMA) integrated with simultaneous temperature self‐sensing and wide‐range electrical response is developed. To prepare the Agar/PSBMA hydrogel, a simple and controllable preforming post‐enhancing and mechanical pressing method is used by introducing zwitterions materials into a temperature‐sensitive Agar matrix. Owing to the design, the compact multiplex complementary structure generated by this method and the materials can facilitate the improvement of flexibility, stretchability, and toughness while providing mechanical dissipation and adhesion properties. Importantly, the visible detected temperature self‐sensing ability during 10–40 °C, and quick and wide‐range bending responses of both high‐voltage and low‐voltage electric fields make it unique over other actuators. Furthermore, the electrical response behavior of the hydrogel is found to be impacted by mechanical characteristics and charge polarization based on the finite element Abaqus simulations analysis. The prepared versatile hydrogels show the potential for applications as soft robotics and controlled transportation of adhered substances while simultaneously monitoring their working temperature, which expands the response range of hydrogel actuators and broadens the scope of application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep is crucial for human health, insufficient sleep or poor sleep quality may negatively affect sleep function and lead to a state of sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation can result in various health problems, including chronic pain. The intricate relationship between sleep and pain is complex and intertwined, with daytime pain affecting sleep quality and poor sleep increasing pain intensity. The article first describes the influence of sleep on the onset and development of pain, and then explores the impact of daytime pain intensity on nighttime sleep quality and subsequent pain thresholds. However, the primary emphasis is placed on the pivotal role of oxidative stress in this bidirectional relationship. Although the exact mechanisms underlying sleep and chronic pain are unclear, this review focuses on the role of oxidative stress. Numerous studies on sleep deprivation have demonstrated that it can lead to varying degrees of increased pain sensitivity, while chronic pain leads to sleep deprivation and further exacerbates pain. Further research on the role of oxidative stress in the mechanism of sleep deprivation-induced pain sensitization seems reasonable. This article comprehensively reviews the current research on the interrelationship between sleep deprivation, pain and the crucial role of oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Activated neutrophils release depolymerized chromatin and protein particles into the extracellular space, forming reticular Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs). This process is accompanied by programmed inflammatory cell death of neutrophils, known as NETosis. Previous reports have demonstrated that NETosis plays a significant role in immune resistance and microenvironmental regulation in cancer. This study sought to characterize the function and molecular mechanism of NETosis-correlated long non-coding RNAs (NCLs) in the prognostic treatment of liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC). Methods: We obtained the transcriptomic and clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and evaluated the expression of NCLs in LIHC. A prognostic signature of NCLs was constructed using Cox and Last Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (Lasso) regression, while the accuracy of model was validated by the ROC curves and nomogram, etc. In addition, we analyzed the associations between NCLs and oncogenic mutation, immune infiltration and evasion. Finally, LIHC patients were classified into four subgroups based on consensus cluster analysis, and drug sensitivity was predicted. Results: After screening, we established a risk model combining 5 hub-NCLs and demonstrated its reliability. Independence checks suggest that the model may serve as an independent predictor of LIHC prognosis. Enrichment analysis revealed a concentration of immune-related pathways in the high-risk group. Immune infiltration indicates that immunotherapy could be more effective in the low-risk group. Upon consistent cluster analysis, cluster subgroup 4 presented a better prognosis. Sensitivity tests showed the distinctions in therapeutic effectiveness among various drugs in different subgroups. Conclusion: Overall, we have developed a prognostic signature that can discriminate different LIHC subgroups through the 5 selected NCLs, with the objective of providing LIHC patients a more precise, personalized treatment regimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The three-dimensional framework structure makes the ZnMn2O4 spinel an excellent host material for zinc ion intercalation and deintercalation processes. However, the high migration energy barrier of zinc ions from the tetrahedron 8a site to the octahedron 16c site in the ZnMn2O4 spinel framework limits its practical application for zinc-ion batteries. The focus of this work is to reduce the migration resistance of zinc ions by constructing cationic zinc vacancies in ZnMn2O4 (named Zn1−x□xMn2O4). The reasonable structure adjusted by alkaline etching is conducive to the diffusion of zinc ions. Combining the electrochemical tests and theoretical investigations, it was found that the introduction of zinc vacancies in the Zn1−x□xMn2O4 spinel framework caused the diffusion barrier of zinc ions to be reduced by approximately 0.4 eV compared to ZnMn2O4. In addition, the optimal Zn0.65□0.35Mn2O4 with 35% zinc vacancies was cross-linked by conductive carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to establish an excellent conducting network. The as-prepared Zn0.65□0.35Mn2O4/CNT composite exhibits a high reversible capacity of 479.3 mA h g−1 at 0.05 A g−1 with a good energy density of 640 W h kg−1 at 28 W kg−1. Our work is to convert the electrochemically poorly active traditional ZnMn2O4 spinel into a functionally active electrode for zinc-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing biologically mimetic nanofibers (NFs) is crucial for their applications as scaffolds in tissue engineering and drug carriers. Herein, we present a strategy to facilely fabricate core-sheath NFs using coaxial electrospinning technique. Poly([epsilon]-caprolactone) (PCL) and silk fibroin (SF) were employed as component materials to construct PCUSF NFs with PCL cores uniformly encapsulated by SF sheaths. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy demonstrate a uniform core-sheath structure of the coaxial NFs. The engineered core-sheath structure confers the composite NFs with greatly improved properties including surface hydrophilicity and mechanical properties. In vitro cell culture validates that the core-sheath NFs are favorable to the cultured rat pheochromocytoma cells (PC 12) attachment. To further demonstrate the advantage of the coupled structural integrity, the PCUSF core-sheath NFs were compared with the NFs produced from PCL and SF blend. Results showed that the PCUSF NFs possessed a tensile strength of -6.93 [+ or -] 0.52 MPa and an elongation at break of -294.31 [+ or -] 24.17%, whereas the blend NFs possessed -5.55 [+ or -] 0.50 MPa and -88.05 [+ or -] 13.98%, respectively. Dexamethasone-phosphate sodium (DEX) was employed as a model drug, whereby the in vitro release study indicates that the NFs exhibit an ideal releasing profile, capable of releasing DEX continuously over a period of 450 h. The constructed PCUSF core-sheath NFs are promising candidates for biomedical applications., INTRODUCTION In tissue regeneration, native extracellular matrix (ECM) not only serves as a scaffold to support the proliferation and migration of cells but also provides a variety of biochemical and [...]

Amphiphilic block copolymers-based aqueous color inks show great potential in the field of visual communication design. However, the conventional step-by-step chemistry employed to synthesize the amphiphilic block copolymers is intricate, with low yield and high economic and environmental costs. In this work, we present a novel method for preparing an amphiphilic AB di-block copolymer of PCL-b-PAA by employing a combined polymerization strategy that involves both cationic ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of the ε-caprolactone monomer and the reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization on the acrylic acid monomer simultaneously. The corresponding polycaprolactone (PCL) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) serve as the hydrophobic and hydrophilic units, respectively. The effectiveness of the amphiphilic AB di-block copolymer as the polymeric pigment dispersant for water-based color inks is evaluated. The amphiphilic AB di-block copolymer of PCL-b-PAA exhibits a molecular weight of 1400 g mol−1, which is consistent with the theoretical value and suitable for polymeric dispersant application. The high surface excess (Γmax) of the PCL-b-PAA in water indicates a densely packed molecular morphology at the water/air interface. Additionally, micelles can be stably formed in the aqueous PCL-b-PAA solution at very low concentrations by demonstrating a low CMC value of 10−4 wt% and a micelle dimension of approximately 30 nm. The model ink dispersion is prepared using organic dyes (Disperse Yellow 232) and the amphiphilic block copolymer of PCL-b-PAA. The dispersion demonstrates near-Newtonian behavior, which is highly favorable for the application as inkjet ink. Furthermore, the ink dispersion displays a low viscosity, making it particularly suitable for visual communication design and printing purposes. Moreover, the ink dispersion demonstrates an unimodal distribution of the particle size, with an average diameter of approximately 500 nm. It retains exceptional stability of dispersion and even conducts a thermal aging treatment at 60 °C for 5 days. This work presents a facile and efficient synthetic strategy and molecular design of AB di-block copolymer-based dispersants for dye dispersions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]