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• An aqueous two-phase extraction method was established for separating peptides. • This method is simple and efficient for separation of antioxidative peptides. • The top-phase purified peptide exhibited a strong antioxidant activity. • The top-phase purified peptide improved the viability of oxidative damaged cells. • Ten new peptides with potential antioxidant activity were obtained. An ethanol/(NH 4) 2 SO 4 biphasic (aqueous two-phase) system was designed to effectively separate antioxidant peptides from Xuanwei ham, and its potential to prevent ultraviolet A-induced damage to skin cells was explored. Optimization via single factor experiments and response surface methodology revealed that under 20 % ethanol aqueous solution (w/w), 25.5 % (NH 4) 2 SO 4 aqueous solution (w/w), and pH 8.80 conditions, the optimal extraction ratio was 59.0 ± 1.73 %. In vitro antioxidant activity and cellular assays showed that the peptide purified in the upper phase exhibited strong antioxidant activity, increasing the viability of HaCat cells damaged by UVA irradiation from 56.14 ± 1.05 % to 66.3 ± 1.76 %. We used an in silico peptide screening strategy and identified 10 with potential antioxidant activity, emphasizing the important role of amino acids Pro, Gly, and Ala in antioxidant activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Summarizing the novel preparation methods of BAPs derived from dry-cured ham. • Discussing the challenge of maintaining metabolic stability of BAPs. • Providing legal and regulatory frameworks of BAPs in various countries. Dry-cured hams contain abundant bioactive peptides with significant potential for the development of functional foods. However, the limited bioavailability of food-derived bioactive peptides has hindered their utilization in health food development. Moreover, there is insufficient regulatory information regarding bioactive peptides and related products globally. This review summarizes diverse bioactive peptides derived from dry-cured ham and by-products originating from various countries and regions. The bioactivity, preparation techniques, bioavailability, and metabolic stability of these bioactive peptides are described, as well as the legal and regulatory frameworks in various countries. The primary objectives of this review are to dig deeper into the functionality of dry-cured ham and provide theoretical support for the commercialization of bioactive peptides from food sources, especially the dry-cured ham. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between long-term ozone (O₃) exposure and readmission for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) remains elusive. In this study, we collected individual-level information on AECOPD hospitalizations from a standardized electronic database in Guangzhou from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2015. We calculated the annual mean O₃ concentration prior to the dates of the index hospitalization for AECOPD using patients' residential addresses. Employing Cox proportional hazards models, we assessed the association between long-term O₃ concentration and the risk of AECOPD readmission across several time frames (30 days, 90 days, 180 days, and 365 days). We estimated the disease and economic burden of AECOPD readmissions attributable to O₃ using a counterfactual approach. Of the 4574 patients included in the study, 1398 (30.6%) were readmitted during the study period, with 262 (5.7%) readmitted within 30 days. The annual mean O₃ concentration was 90.3 μg/m3 (standard deviation [SD] = 8.2 μg/m3). A 10-μg/m3 increase in long-term O₃ concentration resulted in a hazard ratio (HR) for AECOPD readmission within 30 days of 1.28 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09 to 1.49), with similar results for readmission within 90, 180, and 365 days. Older patients (aged 75 years or above) and males were more susceptible (HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.10–1.61 and HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.09–1.53, respectively). The population attributable fraction for 30-day readmission due to O₃ exposure was 29.0% (95% CI, 28.4%–30.0%), and the attributable mean cost per participant was 362.3 USD (354.5–370.2). Long-term exposure to elevated O₃ concentrations is associated with an increased risk of AECOPD readmission, contributing to a significant disease and economic burden. [Display omitted] • Long-term exposure to ozone has detrimental effects on AECOPD readmission. • Male and older patients are at a higher risk of AECOPD readmission. • Reducing ozone exposure related to the reduction in readmission and medical costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation is commonly used to improve the nutritional, functional, and sensory characteristics of fruit juice. Here, we explore the effects of fermentation with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Lactiplantibacillus pentosus on the physicochemical properties, antioxidant activities, sensory properties, and metabolic profile of jackfruit juice. The colony counts of the two selected strains reached approximately 8.0 log CFU/mL at 48 h and the results showed significant increases in total phenolic, flavonoid content, antioxidant activities, and color parameters at the end of the LAB fermentation. Electronic tongue analysis revealed that LAB fermentation significantly altered the values of sourness, bitterness, astringency, aftertaste-B, aftertaste-A, umami, richness and saltiness. A total of 765 compounds were screened for discriminative pre- and post-fermentation differential metabolites by non-target metabolomics analysis in different fermentation groups. These findings highlight the great potential of using jackfruit pulp for LAB fermentation to develop bioactive probiotic juices. [Display omitted] • LAB fermentation enhances the health-promoting effects of jackfruit juice. • LAB fermentation significantly affected the flavor of jackfruit juice. • The non-targeted metabolomics provided the key metabolite profiling and pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Investigate the daily commuting patterns allowing both late arrival in the morning and early departure in the evening. • Derive all possible equilibrium traffic flows. • Develop a combined regime of time-varying road toll and linear location-dependent parking fee. • Design a parking reservation regime joint with time-varying road toll. This paper extends the work of Zhang et al. (2008) to investigate the daily commuting patterns allowing both late arrival in the morning and early departure in the evening in a linear city. Given the fixed parking locations of morning commuters, the Nash equilibrium principle is employed to formulate commuters' departure time choice in the evening and the user equilibrium principle in terms of daily travel cost is adopted to formulate the departure time choice of morning commuters. A combined regime of linear location-dependent parking fee and time-varying road toll is then proposed to reduce the total social cost (TSC) for the linear city. All the possible equilibrium traffic flows are analytically derived. The analytical results show that (1) commuters, who arrive at work early in the morning, may not depart early in the evening, but their evening trip costs must be lower; (2) when the parking spaces become denser, the evening commute starts earlier and the morning commute starts later; (3) a linear location-dependent parking fee could either advance or postpone the earliest departure time in the morning; (4) three parking modes, distinguished by the order in which commuters park, occur successively as the parking fee rate increases; and (5) an appropriate parking fee can always improve the system efficiency, but no matter how the parking fee is changed, it is impossible to completely eliminate the efficiency loss in the morning. Furthermore, a parking reservation regime joint with time-varying road toll is designed to minimize the TSC for the linear city. Finally, a set of numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the model's properties and these proposed regimes' performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns with measures of the sensitivity of a multiple nonzero finite generalized singular value of two matrices having the same number of columns. Our results show that a multiple nonzero generalized singular value generally has multiple condition numbers and their explicit expressions are derived. A numerical example is used to verify our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Hydrazone-linked covalent organic framework TpBch is designed and synthesized. • The adsorption performance of TpBch can be easily controlled by ambient pH. • TpBch is promising for pH-mediated removal of DOX from aqueous solution. Doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) from pharmaceutical industry and daily life can cause inherent damage to human health and living organisms. The adsorption and removal of DOX from the contaminated water is urgent and the development of efficient adsorbents is highly desired. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have charming properties such as diverse structures, intrinsic porosity, large surface area and good chemical stability, presenting huge potential in contaminants elimination. Herein, a novel hydrazone-linked COFs (TpBch) was designed and synthesized via solvothermal method and served as an efficient adsorbent for pH-mediated adsorption and removal of DOX from aqueous solution. Intriguingly, the adsorption performance of TpBch was easily controlled by the ambient pH. The adsorption isotherms, thermodynamics and kinetics, desorption and regeneration of TpBch for DOX adsorption was detailedly investigated. Additionally, TpBch could be easily regenerated through the variation of pH, without the use of any toxic organic solvents. The developed hydrazone-linked COFs TpBch is promising as adsorbent for pH-mediated adsorption and removal of DOX from the aqueous environment with fast adsorption rate, high adsorption capacity and good reusability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The health-related quality of life among caregivers of relatives with dementia was improved via a self-management support program. • Support group integrated the four sources suggested by Bandura's theory is a means to enhance major aspects of caregiver self-efficacy. • The self-management support program also provided beneficial effect on care recipients' behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. This study was designed to examine the feasibility of a caregiving self-management support program developed for caregivers of relatives with dementia in Shanghai. A total of 41 caregivers were recruited for a quasi-experimental study. The experimental group of 26 participants attended six bi-weekly social support group sessions. The control group of 15 participants received three monthly telephone instructions. All of participants received an illustrated caregiver educational booklet and three educational presentations during a six-month follow-up period. The results demonstrated a stronger sense of self-efficacy regarding the gathering of information about dementia care in both study groups compared to the baseline data. Caregivers participating in the group sessions reported better health-related quality of life, improved responses to behavioral disturbances, and efficacy in the management of stress than those who received telephone instructions. This study provided some preliminary information regarding ways to improve self-management for the target population in mainland China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-step inexact Newton-Chebyshev-like method is proposed to solve inverse eigenvalue problems. Unlike general Newton type methods which need to invert the Jacobian matrix that may lead to an unexpected instability, the proposed method can guarantee the numerical stability by exploiting the Chebyshev method to approximate the inverse of the Jacobian matrix. Theoretically, we prove that the proposed method converges cubically. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess outcomes in obese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who sustained an osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) treated by percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in the improved prone position and right lateral position. Between January 2015 and May 2016, a total of 60 patients were enrolled in this randomized controlled study. Patients in group A were placed in the improved prone position for a bilateral transpedicular technique, and those in group B were placed in the right lateral position for a left transverse process-pedicle approach. Clinical and radiologic outcomes were assessed and compared between the 2 groups during the 12-month follow-up period. All operations were successfully completed without any serious sequelae. The operation time, fluoroscopic time, scores for respiratory condition during the operation, intravertebral cement volume, and incidence of cement leakage were significantly greater in group A compared with group B (P < 0.01). During the follow-up period, all patients in both groups experienced significant improvement in pain relief. Satisfactory functional improvement was obtained at 3 months postoperatively. Treatment of obese patients with COPD suffering from painful OVCF by PVP in both the improved prone position with a bilateral technique and the right lateral position with a unilateral technique was relatively safe and effective. However, unilateral PVP in the right lateral position was associated with a shorter operation time, limited fluoroscopic time, and minimal cement leakage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, a novel biodegradable Zn-0.8Cu coronary artery stent was fabricated and implanted into porcine coronary arteries for up to 24 months. Micro-CT analysis showed that the implanted stent was able to maintain structural integrity after 6 months, while its disintegration occurred after 9 months of implantation. After 24 months of implantation, approximately 28 ± 13 vol% of the stent remained. Optical coherence tomography and histological analysis showed that the endothelialization process could be completed within the first month after implantation, and no inflammation responses or thrombosis formation was observed within 24 months. Cross-section analysis indicated that the subsequent degradation products had been removed in the abluminal direction, guaranteeing that the strut could be replaced by normal tissue without the risk of contaminating the circulatory system, causing neither thrombosis nor inflammation response. The present work demonstrates that the Zn-0.8Cu stent has provided sufficient structural supporting and exhibited an appropriate degradation rate during 24 months of implantation without degradation product accumulation, thrombosis, or inflammation response. The results indicate that the Zn-0.8Cu coronary artery stent is promising for further clinical applications. Although Zn and its alloys have been considered to be potential candidates of biodegradable metals for vascular stent use, by far, no Zn-based stent with appropriate medical device performance has been reported because of the low mechanical properties of zinc. The present work presents promising results of a Zn-Cu biodegradable vascular stent in porcine coronary arteries. The Zn-Cu stent fabricated in this work demonstrated adequate medical device performance both in vitro and in vivo and degraded at a proper rate without safety problems induced. Furthermore, large animal models have more cardiovascular similarities as humans. Results of this study may provide further information of the Zn-based stents for translational medicine research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the association between discordance in crown–rump length (CRL) and adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes in dichorionic twin pregnancies. This was a retrospective cohort study of dichorionic twin pregnancies after IVF that showed two live fetuses at the first ultrasound scan between 6 +5 and 8 weeks gestational age from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2016. Study groups were defined by the presence or absence of 20% or more discordance in CRL. The primary outcomes were early fetal loss of one or both fetuses before 12 weeks and birthweight discordance. Secondary outcomes included fetal anomalies, fetal loss between 12 and 28 weeks, stillbirth, small for gestational age (SGA) at birth, low birthweight (LBW), very low birthweight (VLBW), admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and preterm delivery (PTD). CRL-discordant twin pregnancies were more likely to end in the loss of one fetus before 12 weeks' gestation (odds ratio [OR] 15.877, 95% confidence interval [CI] 10.495–24.019). Discordant twin pregnancies with twin deliveries had a significantly higher risk of birthweight discordance (OR 1.943, 95% CI 1.032–3.989). There was no significant difference in perinatal outcomes including fetal anomalies, PTD, LBW, VLBW, SGA, neonatal death and admission to NICU between singleton or twin deliveries. Discordant twin pregnancies were at increased risk of one fetal loss prior to 12 weeks' gestation. Except for birthweight discordance, there was no significant difference between CRL discordance and other adverse perinatal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Application of combined bioelectrical signal acquisition and analysis is crucial to objectively evaluating Deqi. • The usage of sham needles and the design of self-control are necessary prerequisites to identify the state of Deqi accurately. • Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation simulating acupuncture Deqi can achieve better therapeutic effect. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) is a treatment approach derived from acupuncture but with better efficacy, safety, and non-invasiveness. It is, therefore, increasingly used in clinical practice. Traditionally, Deqi is considered a positive response of the body to acupuncture-like stimulation and essential for the efficacy of acupuncture. We hypothesized that applying array electrodes to simulate acupuncture Deqi stimulation would improve the clinical efficacy of TEAS. However, there is no comprehensive and objective method for evaluating Deqi , which may hinder the optimization of TEAS to improve its effectiveness. Therefore, objectively revealing multi-temporal dynamics of the body during the Deqi state and then screening appropriate stimulation parameters for TEAS to simulate the Deqi response is crucial for optimizing TEAS. In this self-controlled, quasi-experimental study, 30 healthy subjects will be enrolled to participate in two sections. There will be two sections in this study. The first section will puncture the "Shousanli" acupoint (LI10) with sham and verum acupuncture manipulations. Meanwhile, the electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyography (EMG), electrocardiograph (ECG), and galvanic skin response (GSR) will be recorded, and the subjective Deqi sensation questionnaire will be assessed. Then the correlation between objective signals and Deqi scores will be investigated to find the most suitable indicators that may reveal acupuncture Deqi. In the second section an array of electrodes with a similar stimulation depth of acupuncture will be used at LI10, and the appropriate rated parameters of TEAS will be determined according to the thresholds of these objective indicators at the state of Deqi. The primary outcomes are changes in EEG and EMG from baseline to the end of the study. Secondary outcomes include the Deqi sensation scale, ECG, and GSR. Adverse events will be recorded. This study will be the first to apply integrated bioelectric signal technology to quantitatively assess Deqi and use it to optimize TEAS stimulation parameters. It will promote a better understanding and application of Deqi in the practice of TEAS and lay the foundation for the realization of a closed-loop feedback TEAS mode. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2200060530. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine and freshwater biodiversity is under threat from both natural and manmade causes. Biological monitoring is currently a top priority for biodiversity protection. Given present limitations, traditional biological monitoring methods may not achieve the proposed monitoring aims. Environmental DNA metabarcoding technology reflects species information by capturing and extracting DNA from environmental samples, using molecular biology techniques to sequence and analyze the DNA, and comparing the obtained information with existing reference libraries to obtain species identification. However, its practical application has highlighted several limitations. This paper summarizes the main steps in the environmental application of eDNA metabarcoding technology in aquatic ecosystems, including the discovery of unknown species, the detection of invasive species, and evaluations of biodiversity. At present, with the rapid development of big data and artificial intelligence, certain advanced technologies and devices can be combined with environmental DNA metabarcoding technology to promote further development of aquatic species monitoring and management. [Display omitted] • The workflow of eDNA metabarcoding technology is summarized. • eDNA metabarcoding technology contributes to effectively biomonitoring. • Invasive species and endangered species are vital detection targets of eDNA method. • Limitations and issues exist in the application of eDNA metabarcoding technology. • eDNA metabarcoding technology is expected to be combined with other technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract By using a new Fragment-Based Virtual Screen strategy, two series of novel FBA-II inhibitors (thiourea derivatives) were de novo discovered based on the active site of fructose-1, 6-bisphosphate aldolase from Cyanobacterial (CyFBA). In comparison, most of the N -(2-benzoylhydrazine-1-carbonothioyl) benzamide derivatives (L14∼L22) exhibit higher CyFBA-II inhibitory activities compared to N -(phenylcarbamothioyl) benzamide derivatives (L1∼L13). Especially, compound L14 not only shows higher CyFBA-II activity (K i = 0.65 μM), but also exhibits most potent in vivo activity against Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (EC 50 = 0.09 ppm), higher (7-fold) than that of our previous inhibitor (EC 50 = 0.6 ppm). The binding modes of compound L14 and CyFBA-II were further elucidated by jointly using DOX computational protocol, MM-PBSA and site-directed mutagenesis assays. The positive results suggest that strategy adopted in this study was promising to rapidly discovery the potent inhibitors with novel scaffolds. The satisfactory algicide activities suggest that the thiourea derivatives is very likely to be a promising lead for the development of novel specific algicides to solve Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHABs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scutebarbatine A (SBT-A), a diterpenoid alkaloid, has exerted cytotoxicity on hepatocellular carcinoma cells in our previous works. Here, the antitumor activity of SBT-A in breast cancer cells and the underlying mechanism were explored. The anti-proliferative effect of SBT-A was measured by trypan blue staining, 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation and colony formation assay. DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) were evaluated by observing the nuclear focus formation of γ-H2AX. Cell cycle distribution was assessed by flow cytometry. Apoptosis was determined by a TUNEL assay. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and superoxide production were measured with 2′, 7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) and dihydroethidium (DHE) staining, respectively. The results indicated that SBT-A showed a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect against breast cancer cells while revealing less toxicity toward MCF-10A breast epithelial cells. Moreover, SBT-A remarkably induced DNA damage, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in both MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells. SBT-A treatment increased the levels of ROS and cytosolic superoxide production. Pretreatment with N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), a ROS scavenger, was sufficient to block viability reduction, DNA damage, apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress caused by SBT-A. By exposure to SBT-A, the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) was upregulated, while the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) was downregulated. In addition, SBT-A inhibited the EGFR signaling pathway by decreasing EGFR expression and phosphorylation of Akt and p70S6K. As mentioned above, SBT-A has a potent inhibitory effect on breast cancer cells through induction of DNA damage, apoptosis and ER stress via ROS generation and modulation of MAPK and EGFR/Akt signaling pathway. • SBT-A induces DNA damage, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in breast cancer cells. • Elevation of ROS is associated with DNA damage, apoptosis and ER stress induced by SBT-A. • Suppression of ERK activity and EGFR/Akt pathway are involved in anticancer activities of SBT-A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]