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旨在为食用油脂的精准适度加工提供理论依据，以大豆油为油样介质，通过添加β-胡萝卜素和不同脂肪酸改变油样组成，探究碱炼过程中不同植物油底物和碱炼条件（碱液质量分数、超量碱添加量、碱炼温度、碱炼时间）对油脂中β-胡萝卜素脱除率及油脂精炼得率的影响，并测定了油脂在不同植物油底物和碱炼条件脱酸后酸值的变化。结果表明：脂肪酸种类对β-胡萝卜素脱除率有显著影响，碱炼生成的饱和皂棕榈酸皂对β-胡萝卜素的脱除率最高（5.92%），不饱和皂亚麻酸皂对β-胡萝卜素的脱除率最低（2.57%）；游离脂肪酸含量为1.2%时，β-胡萝卜素脱除率最高（4.09%）;油脂中β-胡萝卜素含量越多，β-胡萝卜素脱除率越高；碱液质量分数在12%~18%的中强碱有利于β-胡萝卜素的脱除，脱除率为3.73%~4.30%；随着超量碱添加量的增加，β-胡萝卜素脱除率先升高后降低，超量碱添加量为0.1%时，脱除率最高，为4.09%；碱炼温度越低，β-胡萝卜素脱除率越高，在30 ℃时β-胡萝卜素脱除率最高（4.46%）；随着碱炼时间的延长，β-胡萝卜素脱除率不断增加，在碱炼时间超过30 min后，β-胡萝卜素脱除率增长变缓；棕榈酸、硬脂酸显著降低油脂的精炼得率；随着碱液质量分数、超量碱添加量、碱炼温度、碱炼时间、游离脂肪酸含量的增加，油脂精炼得率总体呈下降趋势，β-胡萝卜素含量对油脂精炼得率无显著影响；除含有大量月桂酸的植物油外，碱炼脱酸可以有效地将油脂酸值（KOH）控制在0.04~0.22 mg/g之间。综上，低温、中强碱有助于β-胡萝卜素的脱除，适当缩短碱炼时间有助于β-胡萝卜素的保留。In order to provide a theoretical basis for the accurate and moderate processing of edible oils, the composition of oil samples was changed by adding β-carotene and different fatty acids using soybean oil as the oil sample medium, and the effects of different vegetable oil substrates and alkali refining conditions (lye mass fraction, excess alkali addition, alkali refining temperature, and alkali refining time) on the removal rate of β-carotene in oils and the refining yields of oils in alkali refining process were investigated. The changes of acid value of oils after deacidification under different vegetable oil substrates and alkali refining conditions were determined. The results showed that the fatty acid type had a significant effect on the removal rate of β-carotene, and the saturated soap palmitic acid soap generated by alkali refining had the highest removal rate of β-carotene (5.92%), while the unsaturated soap linolenic acid soap had the lowest removal rate of β-carotene (2.57%); when the content of free fatty acid was 1.2%, the removal rate of β-carotene was the highest (4.09%), the more the β-carotene content in oils, the higher the β-carotene removal rate; the medium-strong alkali with the lye mass fraction of 12%-18% was conducive to the removal of β-carotene, with the removal rate of β-carotene ranging from 3.73% to 4.30%; with the increase of excess alkali addition, the removal rate of β-carotene first increased and then decreased, and the highest removal rate of 4.09% was found when the excess alkali addition was 0.1%; the lower the alkali refining temperature was, the higher the removal rate of β-carotene was, and the highest removal rate of β-carotene was found at 30 ℃ (4.46%); with the prolonging of the alkali refining time, the removal rate of β-carotene increased continuously, and the increase of removal rate slowed down after more than 30 min of alkali refining; palmitic acid and stearic acid significantly reduced the refining yield of oils; with the increase of lye mass fraction, excess alkali addition, alkali refining temperature, alkali refining time, and the content of free fatty acids, the refining yield of oils showed an overall decreasing trend, and β-carotene content had no effect on the refining yield of oils. Except for vegetable oils containing a large amount of lauric acid, alkali refining could effectively control the acid value of oils in the range of 0.04-0.22 mgKOH/g. In conclusion, low temperature and the medium-strong alkali can help the removal of β-carotene, and the appropriate shortening of alkali refining time can help the retention of β-carotene.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the leading cause of anovulatory infertility. Inadequate understanding of the ovulation drivers hinders PCOS intervention. Herein, we report that follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) controls follicular fluid (FF) glutamine levels to determine ovulation. Murine ovulation starts from FF-exposing granulosa cell (GC) apoptosis. FF glutamine, which decreases in pre-ovulation porcine FF, elevates in PCOS patients FF. High-glutamine chow to elevate FF glutamine inhibits mouse GC apoptosis and induces hormonal, metabolic, and morphologic PCOS traits. Mechanistically, follicle-development-driving FSH promotes GC glutamine synthesis to elevate FF glutamine, which maintain follicle wall integrity by inhibiting GC apoptosis through inactivating ASK1-JNK apoptotic pathway. FSH and glutamine inhibit the rapture of cultured murine follicles. Glutamine removal or ASK1-JNK pathway activation with metformin or AT-101 reversed PCOS traits in PCOS models that are induced with either glutamine or EsR1 -KO. These suggest that glutamine, FSH, and ASK1-JNK pathway are targetable to alleviate PCOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keratoconus, a disorder characterized by corneal thinning and weakening, results in vision loss. Corneal crosslinking (CXL) can halt the progression of keratoconus. The development of accelerated corneal crosslinking (A-CXL) protocols to shorten the treatment time has been hampered by the rapid depletion of stromal oxygen when higher UVA intensities are used, resulting in a reduced cross-linking effect. It is therefore imperative to develop better methods to increase the oxygen concentration within the corneal stroma during the A-CXL process. Photocatalytic oxygen-generating nanomaterials are promising candidates to solve the hypoxia problem during A-CXL. Biocompatible graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) quantum dots (QDs)-based oxygen self-sufficient platforms including g-C3N4 QDs and riboflavin/g-C3N4 QDs composites (RF@g-C3N4 QDs) have been developed in this study. Both display excellent photocatalytic oxygen generation ability, high reactive oxygen species (ROS) yield, and excellent biosafety. More importantly, the A-CXL effect of the g-C3N4 QDs or RF@g-C3N4 QDs composite on male New Zealand white rabbits is better than that of the riboflavin 5'-phosphate sodium (RF) A-CXL protocol under the same conditions, indicating excellent strengthening of the cornea after A-CXL treatments. These lead us to suggest the potential application of g-C3N4 QDs in A-CXL for corneal ectasias and other corneal diseases. NCOMMS-23-46799C Keratoconus can be effectively stabilized by corneal crosslinking (CXL), but the depletion of stromal oxygen limits the efficiency of CXL photochemical reactions. Here the authors address this issue by developing biocompatible graphitic carbon nitride quantum dots- based oxygen self-sufficient platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stimuli‐responsive hydrogels that leverage protein conformational changes are of significant interest in the design of dynamic materials applicable in a myriad of fields, such as drug delivery, actuators, biosensors, and microfluidics. The small calcium binding protein calmodulin (CaM), which undergoes three‐stage conformational changes upon successive binding with Ca2+ and specific ligands, offers a mechanism to create dynamic hydrogels with three distinct physical states. In this work, a CaM‐based recombinant protein hydrogel is engineered using [Ru(bpy)3]2+‐mediated photo‐crosslinking. This hydrogel displays the ability to reversibly increase its Young's modulus by 1.5‐fold and ∼7‐fold, respectively, upon binding with Ca2+ and subsequent interaction with trifluoperazine. The magnitude of stiffness changes is tunable by adjusting the length proportion of dynamic and static domains and modifying protein content. This tunable and reversible control over hydrogel mechanics is further utilized to engineer shape‐morphing materials, highlighting the versatile potential of this CaM‐based protein hydrogel for diverse applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancements in nanochemistry have led to the development of engineered gold nanostructures (GNSs) with remarkable potential for a variety of dental healthcare applications. These innovative nanomaterials offer unique properties and functionalities that can significantly improve dental diagnostics, treatment, and overall oral healthcare applications. This review provides an overview of the latest advancements in the design, synthesis, and application of GNSs for dental healthcare applications. Engineered GNSs have emerged as versatile tools, demonstrating immense potential across different aspects of dentistry, including enhanced imaging and diagnosis, prevention, bioactive coatings, and targeted treatment of oral diseases. Key highlights encompass the precise control over GNSs' size, crystal structure, shape, and surface functionalization, enabling their integration into sensing, imaging diagnostics, drug delivery systems, and regenerative therapies. GNSs, with their exceptional biocompatibility and antimicrobial properties, have demonstrated efficacy in combating dental caries, periodontitis, peri-implantitis, and oral mucosal diseases. Additionally, they show great promise in the development of advanced sensing techniques for early diagnosis, such as nanobiosensor technology, while their role in targeted drug delivery, photothermal therapy, and immunomodulatory approaches has opened new avenues for oral cancer therapy. Challenges including long-term toxicity, biosafety, immune recognition, and personalized treatment are under rigorous investigation. As research at the intersection of nanotechnology and dentistry continues to thrive, this review highlights the transformative potential of engineered GNSs in revolutionizing dental healthcare, offering accurate, personalized, and minimally invasive solutions to address the oral health challenges of the modern era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exosomes, a type of extracellular vesicles, have attracted considerable attention due to their ability to provide valuable insights into the pathophysiological microenvironment of the cells from which they originate. This characteristic implicates their potential use as diagnostic disease biomarkers clinically, including cancer, infectious diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. Aptasensors, which are electrochemical aptamers based biosensing devices, have emerged as a new class of powerful detection technology to conventional methods like ELISA and Western analysis, primarily because of their capability for high performance bioanalysis. This review covers the current research landscape on the detection of exosomes utilizing nanoarchitectonics strategy for the development of electrochemical aptasensors. Strategies involving signal amplification and biofouling prevention are discussed, with an emphasis on nanoarchitectonics-based bio-interfaces, showcasing their potential to enhance sensitivity and selectivity through optimal conduction and mass transport properties. The ongoing challenges to broaden the clinical applications of these biosensors are also highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wearable electronic sensors have recently attracted tremendous attention in applications such as personal health monitoring, human movement detection, and sensory skins as they offer a promising alternative to counterparts made from traditional metallic conductors and bulky metallic conductors. However, the real-world use of most wearable sensors is often hindered by their limited stretchability and sensitivity, and ultimately, their difficulty to integrate into textiles. To overcome these limitations, wearable sensors can incorporate flexible conductive fibers as electrically active components. In this study, we adopt a scalable wet-spinning approach to directly produce flexible and conductive fibers from aqueous mixtures of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene and natural rubber (NR). The electrical conductivity and stretchability of these fibers were tuned by varying their MXene loading, enabling knittability into textiles for wearable sensors. As individual filaments, these MXene/NR fibers exhibit suitable conductivity dependence on strain variations, making them ideal for motivating sensors. Meanwhile, textiles from knitted MXene/NR fibers demonstrate great stability as capacitive touch sensors. Collectively, we believe that these elastic and conductive MXene/NR-based fibers and textiles are promising candidates for wearable sensors and smart textiles.

Defective oocyte maturation is a common cause of female infertility. The loss of the zona pellucida (ZP) represents a specific condition of impaired oocyte maturation. The extracellular matrix known as the ZP envelops mammalian oocytes and preimplantation embryos, exerting significant influence on oogenesis, fertilization, and embryo implantation. However, the genetic factors leading to the loss of the ZP in oocytes are not well understood. This study focused on patients who underwent oocyte retrieval surgery after ovarian stimulation and were found to have abnormal oocyte maturation without the presence of the ZP. Ultrasonography was performed during the surgical procedure to evaluate follicle development. Peripheral blood samples from the patient were subjected to exome sequencing. Here, a novel, previously unreported heterozygous mutation in the ZP1 gene was identified. Within the ZP1 gene, we discovered a novel heterozygous mutation ( ZP1 NM_207341.4:c.785A>G (p.Y262C)), specifically located in the trefoil domain. Bioinformatics comparisons further revealed conservation of the ZP1 -Y262C mutation across different species. Model predictions of amino acid mutations on protein structure and cell immunofluorescence/western blot experiments collectively confirmed the detrimental effects of the ZP1 -Y262C mutation on the function and expression of the ZP1 protein. The ZP1 -Y262C mutation represents the novel mutation in the trefoil domain of the ZP1 protein, which is associated with defective oocyte maturation in humans. Our report enhances comprehension regarding the involvement of ZP-associated genes in female infertility and offers enriched understanding for the genetic diagnosis of this condition., Competing Interests: The 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 © 2024 Cao, Yu, Fang, Shi, Li, Lu, Shen, Zhu, Wang and Kong.)

The buildup of plaques in atherosclerosis leads to cardiovascular events, with chronic unresolved inflammation and overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) being major drivers of plaque progression. Nanotherapeutics that can resolve inflammation and scavenge ROS have the potential to treat atherosclerosis. Here we demonstrate the potential of black phosphorus nanosheets (BPNSs) as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of atherosclerosis. BPNSs can effectively scavenge a broad spectrum of ROS and suppress atherosclerosis-associated pro-inflammatory cytokine production in lesional macrophages. We also demonstrate ROS-responsive, targeted-peptide-modified BPNS-based carriers for the delivery of resolvin D1 (an inflammation-resolving lipid mediator) to lesional macrophages, which further boosts the anti-atherosclerotic efficacy. The targeted nanotherapeutics not only reduce plaque areas but also substantially improve plaque stability in high-fat-diet-fed apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. This study presents a therapeutic strategy against atherosclerosis, and highlights the potential of BPNS-based therapeutics to treat other inflammatory diseases., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

Ocular disorders remain a major global health challenge with unmet medical needs. RNA nanomedicine has shown significant therapeutic benefits and safety profiles in patients with complex eye disorders, already benefiting numerous patients with gene-related eye disorders. The effective delivery of RNA to the unique structure of the eye is challenging owing to RNA instability, off-target effects, and ocular physiological barriers. Specifically tailored RNA medication, coupled with sophisticated engineered delivery platforms, is crucial to guide and advance developments in treatments for oculopathy. Herein we review recent advances in RNA-based nanomedicine, innovative delivery strategies, and current clinical progress and present challenges in ocular disease therapy., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests W.T. declares the following competing financial interest(s): W.T. receives consults (or on scientific advisory boards) for, lectured (and received a fee), or conducts sponsored research at Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women’s Hospital for the following entities: Novo Nordisk A/S, Henlius USA Inc. The other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This review explores the potential of integrating nano-delivery systems with traditional Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, and Chinese medical theory. It highlights the intersections and potential of nano-delivery systems in enhancing the effectiveness of traditional herbal medicine and acupuncture treatments. In addition, it discusses how the integration of nano-delivery systems with Chinese medical theory can modernize herbal medicine and make it more readily accessible on a global scale. Finally, it analyzes the challenges and future directions in this field.

The droplet-to-iron electrochemical reaction is common in nature and industrial production, and it causes damage to the economy, safety, and the environment. The electrochemical reaction of droplet-to-iron is a coupling process of wetting and corrosion. Presently, investigations into electrochemical reactions mainly focus on the corrosions caused by a solution, and wetting is rarely considered. However, for the droplet-to-iron electrochemical reaction, the mechanism of charge transfer in the process is still unclear. In this paper, a reactive molecular dynamics simulation model for the droplet-to-iron electrochemical reaction is developed for the first time. The electrochemical reaction of droplet-to-iron is studied, and the interaction between droplet wetting and corrosion on iron is investigated. The effects of temperature, electric field strength, and salt concentration on the electrochemical reaction are explored. Results show that droplet wetting on the iron surface and the formation of a single-molecular-layer ordered structure are prerequisites for corrosion. The hydroxyl radicals that penetrate the ordered structure acquire electrons from iron atoms on the substrate surface under the action of Coulomb forces and form iron-containing oxides with these iron atoms. The corrosion products and craters lead to a reduced droplet height, which promotes droplet wetting on iron and further intensifies the droplet-to-iron electrochemical reaction., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)