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BACKGROUND: Copper (Cu), an essential trace mineral regulating multiple actions of inflammation and oxidative stress, has been implicated in risk for preterm birth (PTB). OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the association of maternal Cu concentration during pregnancy with PTB risk and gestational duration in a large multicohort study including diverse populations. METHODS: Maternal plasma or serum samples of 10,449 singleton live births were obtained from 18 geographically diverse study cohorts. Maternal Cu concentrations were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The associations of maternal Cu with PTB and gestational duration were analyzed using logistic and linear regressions for each cohort. The estimates were then combined using meta-analysis. Associations between maternal Cu and acute-phase reactants (APRs) and infection status were analyzed in 1239 samples from the Malawi cohort. RESULTS: The maternal prenatal Cu concentration in our study samples followed normal distribution with mean of 1.92 μg/mL and standard deviation of 0.43 μg/mL, and Cu concentrations increased with gestational age up to 20 wk. The random-effect meta-analysis across 18 cohorts revealed that 1 μg/mL increase in maternal Cu concentration was associated with higher risk of PTB with odds ratio of 1.30 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08, 1.57) and shorter gestational duration of 1.64 d (95% CI: 0.56, 2.73). In the Malawi cohort, higher maternal Cu concentration, concentrations of multiple APRs, and infections (malaria and HIV) were correlated and associated with greater risk of PTB and shorter gestational duration. CONCLUSIONS: Our study supports robust negative association between maternal Cu and gestational duration and positive association with risk for PTB. Cu concentration was strongly correlated with APRs and infection status suggesting its potential role in inflammation, a pathway implicated in the mechanisms of PTB. Therefore, maternal Cu could be used as potential marker of integrated inflammatory pathways during pregnancy and risk for PTB.

Cross-contamination of foodborne pathogenic bacteria is a widespread phenomenon in food processing and production, storage and transportation, and household consumption. It is regarded as one of the important causes of foodborne disease outbreaks. Using mathematical models to simulate the transfer of foodborne pathogenic bacteria in different food media enhances our understanding of the pattern of transmission of the pathogens through cross-contamination. Determining the key links in the microbial cross-contamination by combined use of cross-contamination modelling with microbiological risk assessment and designing novel antimicrobial coatings will effectively prevent and control the occurrence of microbial cross-contamination. Therefore, this article reviews the food safety problems caused by cross-contamination of pathogenic bacteria in the food industry and household settings, and provides a detailed overview of the latest progress in mathematical modelling of cross-contamination of foodborne pathogenic bacteria, and describes the application of microbial risk assessment combined with hazard analysis and critical control point (MRA-HACCP) and antimicrobial coatings in the prevention and control of cross-contamination of foodborne pathogenic bacteria from the perspectives of both global control and source control. It concludes with an outlook on future research and control strategies for foodborne pathogen cross-contamination.

Ice preservation is one of the most extensive methods of food preservation, and improving the ability of ice preservation is a key and difficult problem in the field of food preservation. However, the limited ability of traditional ice to inhibit microbial viability hinders the further development of the food industry. At present, new functional ices such as electrolyzed water ice, ozone ice, plasma activated water ice, bacteriostatic substance added ice, fluidized ice, ultraviolet radiation ice and composite functional ice, which have better preservation effect than traditional ice and therefore have broad prospects for development and application, have found wide applications in the field of food preservation. Research on new functional ice with better sterilization and preservation effect has become a hot spot in the food industry. Therefore, this paper summarizes the preparation, sterilization and preservation mechanism of new functional ice in order to provide a theoretical basis and scientific evidence for further development of new functional ice and to promote the application of new functional ice in food sterilization and preservation.

In this study, the wild type 6421 and the fruit color mutant E55 of pepper were evaluated for fruit color, pigment contents and quality components at different developmental stages. The results demonstrated that the fruit color of 6421 and E55 changed from green to yellow and then to red, and from green to brown and then to orange, respectively, as the fruit developed from mature green to ripe. For both 6421 and E55, the color parameters a* and C* increased, while hue angle (h) value decreased. Furthermore, chlorophyll (Chl) content declined, whereas carotenoid (Car) content increased. Additionally, the contents of VC, soluble sugar, soluble protein and capsaicin increased, while cellulose content decreased. At the mature green stage, there was no significant difference between 6421 and E55 in five color parameters (L*, a*, b*, C*, and h values), Chl and Car contents or six quality indicators (cellulose, VC, soluble sugar, soluble protein, and capsaicin contents) (P > 0.05). During the color-turning to ripening stages, L*, b* and C* values and VC and soluble sugar contents were significantly higher and soluble protein and cellulose contents were significantly lower in E55 than in 6421 (p 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that for both 6421 and E55, Chl and Car contents were significantly or extremely significantly correlated with each quality parameter except for cellulose content. Among the tested quality indicators, soluble sugar, soluble protein, and capsaicin contents were significantly or extremely significantly positively correlated with each other, while cellulose content was significantly or highly significantly negatively correlated with the other indicators. This study can serve as a theoretical basis for research on the coloration mechanism of peppers as well as for the screening and breeding of high-quality pepper cultivars.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prevalent tumour with high morbidity rates worldwide, and its incidence among younger populations is rising. Early diagnosis of CRC can help control the associated mortality. Fungi are common microorganisms in nature. Recent studies have shown that fungi may have a similar association with tumours as bacteria do. As an increasing number of tumour-associated fungi are discovered, this provides new ideas for the diagnosis and prognosis of tumours. The relationship between fungi and colorectal tumours has also been recently identified by scientists. Therefore, this paper describes the limitations and prospects of the application of fungi in diagnosing CRC and predicting CRC prognosis.

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is a condition resulting from perinatal brain injury and can lead to physical disabilities. Exosomes derived from human amniotic mesenchymal stromal cells (hAMSC-Exos) hold promise as potential therapeutic options. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the impact of hAMSC-Exos on neuronal cells and their role in regulating apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. Methods: hAMSC-Exos were isolated via ultracentrifugation and characterized via transmission electron microscopy, particle size analysis, and flow cytometry. In vitro, neuronal damage was induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). CP rat models were established via left common carotid artery ligation. Apoptosis levels in cells and CP rats were assessed using flow cytometry, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT–qPCR), Western blotting, and TUNEL analysis. Results: The results demonstrated successful isolation of hAMSC-Exos via ultracentrifugation, as the isolated cells were positive for CD9 (79.7%) and CD63 (80.2%). Treatment with hAMSC-Exos significantly mitigated the reduction in cell viability induced by LPS. Flow cytometry revealed that LPS-induced damage promoted apoptosis, but this effect was attenuated by treatment with hAMSC-Exos. Additionally, the expression of caspase-3 and caspase-9 and the Bcl-2/Bax ratio indicated that excessive apoptosis could be attenuated by treatment with hAMSC-Exos. Furthermore, tail vein injection of hAMSC-Exos improved the neurobehavioral function of CP rats. Histological analysis via HE and TUNEL staining showed that apoptosis-related damage was attenuated following hAMSC-Exo treatment. Conclusions: In conclusion, hAMSC-Exos effectively promote neuronal cell survival by regulating apoptosis, indicating their potential as a promising therapeutic option for CP that merits further investigation.