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Simple Summary: Organs which receive an irradiation dose because they are located in the vicinity of the irradiation target are considered organs of risk. Before a new irradiation technique is tested in clinical trials, it is important to make an assessment of the potential adverse effects in these organs of risk. Microbeam radiotherapy is an innovative radiotherapy technique suitable to control tumours which are considered radioresistant with conventional, already clinically established irradiation techniques. In a small animal model, we have conducted a risk assessment in the thoracic spinal cord as organ of risk during microbeam irradiation in the thoracic cavity and determined the upper dose limit beyond which neurological signs of temporary or permanent damage occur. Microbeam radiotherapy (MRT), a high dose rate radiotherapy technique using spatial dose fractionation at the micrometre range, has shown a high therapeutic efficacy in vivo in different tumour entities, including lung cancer. We have conducted a toxicity study for the spinal cord as organ of risk during irradiation of a target in the thoracic cavity. In young adult rats, the lower thoracic spinal cord was irradiated over a length of 2 cm with an array of quasi-parallel microbeams of 50 µm width, spaced at a centre-to-centre distance of 400 µm, with MRT peak doses up to 800 Gy. No acute or subacute adverse effects were observed within the first week after irradiation up to MRT peak doses of 400 Gy. No significant differences were seen between irradiated animals and non-irradiated controls in motor function and sensitivity, open field test and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP). After irradiation with MRT peak doses of 450–800 Gy, dose-dependent neurologic signs occurred. Provided that long-term studies do not reveal significant morbidity due to late toxicity, an MRT dose of 400 Gy can be considered safe for the spinal cord in the tested beam geometry and field size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: High‐spin iron species with bridging hydrides have been detected in species trapped during nitrogenase catalysis, but there are few general methods of evaluating Fe−H bonds in high‐spin multinuclear iron systems. An 57Fe nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) study on an Fe(μ‐H)2Fe model complex reveals Fe−H stretching vibrations for bridging hydrides at frequencies greater than 1200 cm−1. These isotope‐sensitive vibrational bands are not evident in infrared (IR) spectra, showing the power of NRVS for identifying hydrides in this high‐spin iron system. Complementary density functional theory (DFT) calculations elucidate the normal modes of the rhomboidal iron hydride core. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: High‐spin iron species with bridging hydrides have been detected in species trapped during nitrogenase catalysis, but there are few general methods of evaluating Fe−H bonds in high‐spin multinuclear iron systems. An 57Fe nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) study on an Fe(μ‐H)2Fe model complex reveals Fe−H stretching vibrations for bridging hydrides at frequencies greater than 1200 cm−1. These isotope‐sensitive vibrational bands are not evident in infrared (IR) spectra, showing the power of NRVS for identifying hydrides in this high‐spin iron system. Complementary density functional theory (DFT) calculations elucidate the normal modes of the rhomboidal iron hydride core. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study assessed the correlation between cortisol (COR) levels and concurrent infection for the patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis for corresponding countermeasure analysis. In total, 86 patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis (non‑infection group) and 32 patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis complicated with infection (infection group) who were diagnosed and treated in the Beijing YouAn Hospital from March 2014 to March 2017 were selected. The fasting venous blood of all the patients was drawn to detect COR, cortisol binding globulin (CBG), blood routine indexes, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), endotoxin and other indicators. The relative expression of CBG mRNA was detected by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The differences and correlation of COR levels between the infection and non-infection groups were compared and analyzed. The concentrations of COR and CBG were decreased with the increase of Child‑Pugh grade, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). COR, CBG and free cortisol (FC) concentrations with the same Child‑Pugh grade in the non-infection group were higher than those in the infection group (P<0.05). COR, CBG and FC concentrations of abdominal infection complicated with sepsis or abdominal infection complicated with pulmonary infection were lower than those of simple abdominal infection (P<0.05). The relative expression of CBG mRNA was detected by RT-qPCR, which also showed that: for Child-Pugh grade, grade A > grade B > grade C (P<0.05), non-infection group > infection group (P<0.05), abdominal infection + sepsis group and abdominal infection + pulmonary infection group were lower than the simple abdominal infection group (P<0.05). The values of white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils, CRP, PCT and endotoxin in the infection group were higher than those in the non-infection group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). COR, CGB and FC were negatively correlated with inflammatory indexes such as WBC, neutrophils, CRP, PCT and endotoxin. The r value of COR and FC in the non-infection group was 0.678, while that of OR and FC in the infection group was 0.787. COR was positively correlated with FC before and after infection. The results of the study show that the cortisol levels of patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis are significantly correlated with whether infected or not, levels of disease condition and infection types, and can be used as sensitive indicators of hepatitis B cirrhosis infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel origami-based acoustic metamaterial (OBAM) was designed and fabricated. • OBAM's tunable and broadband TL capacity at low frequencies was demonstrated. • OBAM's thickness is only 1/18–1/6 λ with λ being the working wavelength. • OBAM allows airflow-permeating and owns high design flexibility and programmability. Noise reduction is of critical importance in many engineering applications. One way to achieve noise reduction is using acoustic metamaterials. However, traditional acoustic metamaterials have long been criticized for the fixed and narrow frequency band in low- and medium-frequency sound attenuation. In this study, by incorporating the accordion origami into Helmholtz resonators as the side cavity, a novel origami-based acoustic metamaterial (OBAM) with tunable and broad bandwidth sound-eliminating capacities is developed. The sound attenuation properties of the proposed OBAM, quantified by transmission loss (TL), are extensively investigated by theoretical, numerical, and experimental methods. The sound attenuation of the OBAM can be readily tuned by air pressure via capitalizing on the single-degree-of-freedom property of accordion origami. The transfer matrix method is used to compute the TL of the OBAM analytically, compared with those obtained from the finite element and acoustic impedance methods. Results show that the theoretical, numerical, and experimental methods have good consistency, and the TL can be easily and quantitatively tuned by pressure in the low-medium frequency band. The working frequency bandwidth (TL larger than 10 dB), achieving an effective attenuation of more than 90% of the sound energy, can reach 500 Hz in the range of 271–790 Hz, in which the thickness of the OBAM is only 1/18–1/6 λ with λ being the working wavelength, demonstrating the powerful and broadband low-frequency sound elimination capacity of the OBAM at sub-wavelength. Moreover, the proposed OBAM allows airflow-permeating, possesses high design flexibility and programmability, and remains scale-independent, real-time tuning, and free of the complex control algorithm. This study paves the way for effective tunable and broadband sound insulation attenuation equipment with efficient ventilation. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The active site of [NiFe] hydrogenase is an excellent catalyst for hydrogen conversion with an intriguing ability to recover from exposure to dioxygen. In their Communication on page 724 ff., W. Lubitz, S. P. Cramer, and co‐workers use the synchrotron technique of nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy to identify normal modes associated with active‐site FeCN and FeCO motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Das aktive Zentrum der [NiFe] ‐ Hydrogenase ist ein exzellenter Katalysator der Wasserstoffumsetzung mit der faszinierenden Fähigkeit, sich nach Sauerstoffexposition zurückzubilden. W. Lubitz, S. P. Cramer et al. nutzen in ihrer Zuschrift auf S. 752 ff. die Synchrotrontechnik der kernresonanten inelastischen Streuung, um Normalmoden der Fe ‐ CN ‐ und Fe ‐ CO ‐ Bewegung im aktiven Zentrum zu identifizieren. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iturin, a metabolite produced by Bacillus subtilis, has a broad-spectrum antibacterial effect, and because they are secreted in the rhizosphere of plants, iturins are often mixed with many organic molecules. In recent years, people have improved their separation and purification methods but still cannot achieve simple and effective procedures, making Iturins an ideal biological control agent for insects and bacteria; commercial value still cannot be realized. With the in-depth studies of Iturins, its anti-cancer, hemolysis and other biological activities have gradually been discovered. This article reviews the branches of the Iturin family, structural features of these metabolite, separation and purification methods used for producing it, culture optimization, and various biological activities of the Iturin family, such as insecticidal, antibacterial, hemolytic and anticarcinogenic properties, among others have been summarized. Furthermore, this review revealed some commercial applications of Iturins and their relevance in research works. For example, in food packaging, clean water has good development potential.This can promote the commercial application of Iturins instead of other chemical and biological control agents that are environmentally friendly, pollution-free and have no side effects on humans. Furthermore, work documented anticancer, hemolytic and other biological activities of Iturin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term hypoxia can induce oxidative stress and apoptosis in hippocampal neurons that can lead to brain injury diseases. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) is widely used in the antiapoptotic therapy of brain injury diseases. However, its mechanism of action is still not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the effect of AS-IV on hypoxia-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in hippocampal neurons and explored its possible mechanism. In vivo, mice were placed in a hypoxic circulatory device containing 10% O2 and gavaged with AS-IV (60 and 120 mg/kg/d) for 4 weeks. In vitro, mouse hippocampal neuronal cells (HT22) were treated with hypoxia (1% O2) for 24 hours in the presence or absence of AS-IV, MDL-28170 (calpain-1 inhibitor), or YC-1 (HIF-1α inhibitor). The protective effect of AS-IV on brain injury was further explored by examining calpain-1 knockout mice. The results showed that hypoxia induced damage to hippocampal neurons, impaired spatial learning and memory abilities, and increased oxidative stress and apoptosis. Treatment with AS-IV or calpain-1 knockout improved the damage to hippocampal neurons and spatial learning and memory, attenuated oxidative stress and inhibited cell apoptosis. These changes were verified in HT22 cells. Overexpression of calpain-1 abolished the improvement of AS-IV on apoptosis and oxidative stress. In addition, the effects of AS-IV were accompanied by decreased calpain-1 and HIF-1α expression, and YC-1 showed a similar effect as AS-IV on calpain-1 and caspase-3 expression. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that AS-IV can downregulate the calpain-1/HIF-1α/caspase-3 pathway and inhibit oxidative stress and apoptosis of hippocampal neurons induced by hypoxia, which provides new ideas for studying the antiapoptotic activity of AS-IV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acne patients frequently receive combination therapy. However, there has been no rigorous review of the efficacy of combining alpha hydroxy acid with IPL for acne vulgaris treatment. Objective: Assessing the effectiveness and safeness of alpha hydroxy acids in combination with IPL in the treatment of people with acne vulgaris. Methods: A computer search of common biomedical databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, Wanfang, CNKI, SinoMed, and VIP, was extensively conducted to identify previous studies on randomized controlled trials of alpha hydroxy acid combined with IPL in the management of acne vulgaris. Results: A total of 18 publications were included (1435 patients with common acne met the inclusion criteria). The meta‐analysis showed that alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) combined with IPL had higher overall efficacy than the control group (OR = 4.24; 95% CI 2.66 ~ 6.74; p < 0.01). In the case of acne vulgaris, AHA combined with IPL and the AHA alone showed a remarkable difference in total efficiency (OR = 4.10; 95% CI 2.12 ~ 7.91; p < 0.01), and AHA combined with IPL were more effective than IPL alone (OR = 4.02; 95% CI 2.25 ~ 7.16; p < 0.01). In addition, the occurrence of adverse reactions that occurred in AHA combined with IPL and control groups did not differ (OR = 0.86; 95% CI 0.46 ~ 1.60; p = 0.64). Conclusion: AHA combined with IPL therapy was superior to other therapies. Although it was slightly more expensive, it was effective and had a wide range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poor lipophilicity and instability of water-soluble polyphenols limit their bioavailability and application in food. However, increasing attention has been given to water-soluble polyphenols due to their multiple biological activities, which prompts the modification of the structure of water-soluble polyphenols to improve their lipophilicity and stability and enable more efficient application. This review presents the enzymatic biosynthesis of lipophilic derivatives of water-soluble polyphenols, which will change the molecular structure of water-soluble polyphenols based on the loss of hydroxyl or carboxyl groups. Therefore, the effects of reaction factors on the structure of polyphenol derivatives and the change in their bioactivities will be further analyzed. Previous studies have shown that lipases, solvent systems, and hydrophobic groups are major factors influencing the synthesis and lipophilicity of polyphenol derivatives. Moreover, the biological activities of polyphenol derivatives were changed to a certain extent, such as through the enhancement or weakening of antioxidant activity in different systems and the increase in anti-influenza virus activity and antibacterial activity. The improvement of lipophilicity also expands polyphenol application in food. This review may contribute to the efficient synthesis of lipophilic derivatives of water-soluble polyphenols to extend the utilization and application range of polyphenols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An aptamer-based magnetoelastic sensor for the determination of Staphylococcus aureus is reported. Aptamers specific to S. aureus were used to ensure specific and selective binding of bacteria on the sensor surface. The sensors were exposed toS. aureusconcentrations of 1 × 101–1 × 1011colony forming units per milliliter, and the changes in resonance frequency were monitored. The sensitivity was higher for sensors with smaller physical dimensions. The biosensor with dimensions of 2 × 5 × 0.028 millimeters provided a linear dynamic range of 101–1011colony forming units per milliliter and a detection limit of 5 colony forming units per milliliter. The results also demonstrated that the magnetoelastic sensors determined the targeted pathogenic species with good selectivity. The method was employed to determineS. aureusin water, and the results were comparable to those obtained by plate-counting methods. The high sensitivity, selectivity, and stability of the aptamer provide a promising approach for the determination of pathogenic bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Myocardial bridge (MB) is a myocardial bundle through which coronary segment tunnels and could compress coronary arteries causing myocardial ischemia. However, the characteristic structural findings of MB remain to be fully elucidated. Recently, we demonstrated that optical coherence tomography (OCT) enables us to visualize adventitial vasa vasorum (VV) formation in humans. In this study, we examined adventitial VV formation at the coronary segment with MB in humans using OCT. Methods We examined 15 consecutive patients with suspected angina pectoris and MB in the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary arteries but no angiographic coronary stenosis. MB was detected on coronary angiography as a segment with milking effect. We performed intracoronary OCT imaging along the entire LAD. Morphometric analysis was performed at MB and proximal/distal segments at every 1 mm. Results OCT examination showed the absence of adventitial VV formation at MB in the LAD, while VV was clearly noted at both the proximal and distal reference segments. Adventitial VV area was significantly less at MB compared with the proximal or distal references. Conclusions These results with OCT imaging indicate that coronary segments with MB lack adventitial VV formation in humans, suggesting that MB could influence morphological and functional changes of the coronary artery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser directed energy deposition (LDED) has a manufacturing advantage, however, the anisotropy of mechanical properties is a challenge. In this work, the tensile and fatigue properties of LDED-ed samples under different direction stresses were systematically investigated. The pore distribution and the microstructure of LDEDed samples were researched, moreover, the micro-hardness, grain orientation spread (GOS), and Schmidt factor of prior-β grain boundaries (α GB) were calculated by nanoindentation and electron backscatter diffraction analyses. It was found that the micro-hardness of α GB was much lower than that of prior-β grains, however, the GOS Value and Schmidt factor of α GB were higher than those of prior-β grains. Therefore, dislocation slip at α GB was easily initiated. The anisotropy of mechanical properties was dependent on the relationship between the prior-β grains and the stress direction. The crack initiation and propagation easily occurred in α GB during horizontal stress. Furthermore, the forming height greatly affected the pore distribution, and larger pores caused a deterioration of mechanical properties during vertical stress. The findings of this work can provide useful insights into the anisotropy of LDED-ed titanium alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the structural vibration can be suppressed by adjusting eigenvalues outside the excitation frequency band, it becomes increasingly difficult to suppress vibration as the width of the excitation frequency band increases. Besides, for some high-precision equipment, e.g. space telescope mirror substrate and rocket motor casings, their complex and diverse modals directly affect the performance. Thus, a novel optimization algorithm was proposed, which applies to achieve eigenvector-based modal control and vibration suppression. The eigenvectors were defined as the objective function, and Nelson's method without truncation error was used to calculate the sensitivity information. Due to the introduction of dynamic equations, the non-linearity of the objective function is prominent. Then, an improved solver that can handle this non-linear topology optimization problem was proposed. The optimization was performed under a multi-material framework, and the extended multi-material interpolation scheme was proposed to readily realize the optimization with three or more materials. In addition, the consistent mass matrix constructed by multi-material interpolation was used to describe the mass matrix without concentrated mass in the dynamic equation. Moreover, the modal assurance criterion was used to track jumping modals. Finally, the modal controllability was achieved through several numerical examples, which verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. • The objective function is derived from the frequency response function. • The mode shape can be designed, and the phase of the key point can be reversed. • Reduce the frequency response function peak to achieve vibration suppression. • Modified solver for nonlinear optimization problems caused by dynamic equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear resonant vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) is a relatively new spectroscopic method which measures site-specific vibrational information and is useful in many research areas. It has an almost zero background and is suitable for measuring weak signals but needs a lot of scans to complete one real spectrum. Due to various reasons, some NRVS scans have occasional spike(s), which can introduce fake peak(s) when the averaged spectrum is converted into partial vibrational density of state (PVDOS) and can mislead the deduction of the corresponding structural information from it. For better use of the NRVS spectra with occasional spikes, people have to identify and smooth the sporadic spiky points while leaving all other points untouched. In this publication, we used the concept of machine learning and created a fully automated procedure for screening and smoothing the occasional spiky points in NRVS spectra. The procedure uses the statistical information obtained from the particular NRVS scan to be processed itself and needs neither an external parameter nor the information from other NRVS scans. A corresponding R subroutine code is also presented to batch process large numbers of measured NRVS scans. This work is the first attempt toward organizing an automatic de-spiking process for NRVS scans without using an external parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Electrochemical ammonia synthesis. • Vibration structure of nitrogenase protein. • Outlook on ammonia economy. The 100th anniversary of a leading nitrogen fixation technology developer like CASALE SA is a reason to reflect over the 20th century successful solution of the problem of world food supply, and to look out for solutions for sustainable developments with respect to ammonia production. We review the role of nitrogen as essential chemical constituent in photosynthesis and biology, and component of ammonia as it is used as fertilizer for primary production by photosynthesis for farming and food supply and its future role as energy carrier. While novel synthesis methods and very advanced synchrotron based x-ray analytical techniques are being developed, we feel it is important to refer to the historical and economical context of nitrogen. The breaking of the N N triple bond remains a fundamental chemical and energetic problem in this context. We review the electrochemical ammonia synthesis as an energetically and environmentally benign method. Two relatively novel X-ray spectroscopy methods, which are relevant for the molecular understanding of the catalysts and biocatalysts, i.e. soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy and nuclear resonant vibration spectroscopy are presented. We illustrate the perceived reality in fertilizer usage on the field, and fertilizer production in the factory complex with photos and thus provide a contrast to the academic view of the molecular process of ammonia function and production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the work, a novel filamentou sodium alginate (SA) /ε-polylysine (PL) fiber with excellent mechanical properties and controllable sizes is prepared in an efficient and environmentally friendly manner via continuous pulling of an electrostatically assembled SA/PL composites at the contact interface of aqueous solutions of cationic polyelectrolyte ε-PL and anionic natural polysaccharide SA. The SA/PL fiber exhibits good antibacterial activity, low cytotoxicity, anti-hemolysis, bioadhesion, and environmental friendliness due to its natural raw materials and green preparation process. In vivo experiments have shown that the SA/PL fiber can promote the healing and repair of skin wounds on the backs of mice via resistance to pathogen infection, reduction of inflammation, and anti-allogeneic allergy of the wound. In summary, these results demonstrate that the SA/PL fiber is a green and biosafe multifunctional natural polymer material, with potential applications in suturing wound. [Display omitted] • A size controllable SA/PL fiber is prepared efficiently via electrostatic self-assembly. • SA/PL fiber has excellent biocompatibility, antibacterial and bioadhesion fuctions. • SA/PL fiber can promote wound healing as an antiallergic surgical suture in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though a variety of treatments for androgenetic alopecia (AGA) currently have been using in clinical, satisfactory therapeutic methods are still lacking. We aimed to compare and rank these treatments for AGA according to their differences in efficacy via Bayesian network meta‐analysis, suggesting the optimal therapy for clinical utility to refer. A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library database was performed and we included eligible randomized controlled trials. We compared differences in treatment effects of monotherapies and combination therapies using the Bayesian network model. The average difference in alteration from baseline of hair density and hair diameter, and variation value (mean ± SD) between the pre‐ and post‐intervention was selected for main outcome measure and secondary outcome measure. Total 49 RCTs involving 3133 patients and six interventions were included. Regardless of based on hair density or hair diameter, topical/systemic combined with adjunctive therapeutics had the best treatment efficacy among all interventions (MD: 40.11; 95% CrI 25.65–54.59), followed by topical combined with systemic medical therapeutics (MD: 36.41; 95% CrI 17.54–55.24). In addition, in terms of hair density, treatment efficacy had significant difference sequentially among topical medical therapeutics (MD: 22.15; 95% CrI 12.88–31.42), systemic medical therapeutics (MD: 19.91; 95% CrI 6.504–33.22), and adjunctive therapeutics (MD: 18.60; 95% CrI 8.020–29.10) compared to placebo. In recent years, combination therapies are showing significant promise as potential therapies. Taken together with the outcomes of this study, despite the specific mechanism of the effect of combination therapies was not clear and further studies are needed, it may be the best treatment for AGA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Altrenogest (ALT), a synthetic progestogen, serves a critical role in estrus synchronization among animals like gilts and mares. However, its practical application in animal husbandry is hampered due to its poor solubility and limited oral bioavailability. To address this challenge, a solvent evaporation method was employed to create an inclusion complex of ALT with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (ALT/HP-β-CD). The formation of this inclusion complex was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, power X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and docking calculations. In addition, we further conducted pharmacokinetic investigation involving gilts, comparing ALT/HP-β-CD inclusion complex to an ALT oral solution. The physicochemical characterization results unveiled a transformation of ALT's crystal morphology into an amorphous state, with ALT effectively entering the cavity of HP-β-CD. Compared with ALT, the solubility of ALT/HP-β-CD inclusion complex increased by 1026.51-fold, and its dissolution rate demonstrated significant improvement. Pharmacokinetic assessments further revealed that the oral bioavailability of ALT/HP-β-CD inclusion complex surpassed that of the ALT oral solution, with a relative bioavailability of 114.08 %. In conclusion, complexation with HP-β-CD represents a highly effective approach to improve both the solubility and oral bioavailability of ALT. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tea is a globally significant agricultural product, renowned for its economic and cultural value. The process of tea cultivation and production involves tea plantation management, disease control, harvesting, processing, sorting and safety and quality assessment. The quality of tea can be affected by many factors, involving variety, environment, picking and processing. Nevertheless, quality assessment of tea often relies on manual experience and specialized knowledge, which is accompanied by subjectivity and inconsistency. Furthermore, the tea production process also faces several challenges, such as pest and disease prediction and detection, supply chain monitoring and traceability. This review introduces intelligent technologies applied in tea industry, including computer vision, machine learning, spectroscopic techniques, artificial sensors, big data, internet of things, and blockchain. We summarize the progress of the application of intelligent technologies in tea industry, analyze the existing challenges and gaps, and suggest future research trends. The review is expected to provide novel insights into the application of intelligent technologies in tea industry to build a transparent, traceable, and sustainable tea industry chain. Intelligent technologies have a broad application prospect in tea industry to improve product quality, efficiency, transparency, and traceability. Particularly, combination of intelligent technologies may result in better performance. Open datasets are necessary for storage of huge amount of information. Standardization of intelligent technologies establishes a solid foundation for development of sustainable tea industry. Furthermore, transition to portable devices is the most responsive direction to tea market demands. • The main intelligent technologies used in tea industry were introduced. • The applications of intelligent technologies in tea industry were summarized. • The opportunities, challenges and perspectives of intelligent technologies in tea industry were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS)-based complex coacervate has attracted much attention in drug oral delivery due to its pH-responsive property. As a unique ampholyte polymer, the self-coacervation of CMCS has great research potential. In this work, CMCS self-coacervates were prepared by adjusting the pH of the CMCS aqueous solution close to its isoelectric point. The Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results revealed that electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions were involved in the self-coacervation of CMCS. The obtained self-coacervates presented a dense surface structure, and were stable at a wide pH range of 3.0–6.0, and gradually dissolved under basic conditions. Although self-coacervation decreased the crystallinity and thermal stability of CMCS, the obtained coacervates showed excellent pH-responsive properties and ionic strength stability. We also investigated its potential in lactoferrin (LF) encapsulation and oral delivery. The CMCS self-coacervates exhibited a high encapsulation efficiency (EE) of 94.79 ± 0.49% and loading capacity (LC) of 26.29 ± 0.52% when the addition amount of LF was 2 mg. The simulated gastric digestion results demonstrated that CMCS self-coacervates could protect more than 80% of LF from hydrolysis and maintain the bioactivities of LF. Accordingly, the self-coacervation of CMCS could be used as a pH-responsive encapsulation and delivery strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Chromatin loops juxtapose distal enhancers with active promoters, but their molecular architecture and relationship with transcription remain unclear. In erythroid cells, the locus control region (LCR) and β-globin promoter form a chromatin loop that requires transcription factor GATA1 and the associated molecule Ldb1. We employed artificial zinc fingers (ZF) to tether Ldb1 to the β-globin promoter in GATA1 null erythroblasts, in which the β-globin locus is relaxed and inactive. Remarkably, targeting Ldb1 or only its self-association domain to the β-globin promoter substantially activated β-globin transcription in the absence of GATA1. Promoter-tethered Ldb1 interacted with endogenous Ldb1 complexes at the LCR to form a chromatin loop, causing recruitment and phosphorylation of RNA polymerase II. ZF-Ldb1 proteins were inactive at alleles lacking the LCR, demonstrating that their activities depend on long-range interactions. Our findings establish Ldb1 as a critical effector of GATA1-mediated loop formation and indicate that chromatin looping causally underlies gene regulation. PaperFlick: Display Omitted [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple, highly sensitive, and label-free impedimetric immunosensor for detection of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) has been developed by immobilizing anti-microcystin-LR on gold nanoparticle/L-cysteine coated electrode. Under optimal conditions, MC-LR could be determined with a detection limit of 1.82 × 10-2 ng mL-1 and a linearity between 0.05 and 300.0 ng mL-1. Moreover, the immunosensor exhibited long-term stability, and good reproducibility of the signal could be obtained up to 42 times with an R.S.D. of 3.58%. The average recovery rate was in the range of 96.8 ∼ 112.5%. In addition, the whole detection time was only 15 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Adduct of mononuclear and dinuclear citrate zinc complex [Zn(Hcit)(phen)(H2O)][Zn2(Hcit)(phen)2(H2O)3]·13.5H2O (1) and its aggregate [Zn3(Hcit)2(phen)4] n ·14nH2O (2) (H4cit=citric acid, phen=1,10-phenanthroline) were synthesized in weak acidic solutions. The former was obtained from the reaction of zinc nitrate, citric acid and phenanthroline in a molar ratio of 3:2:3, while a slightly excess of phenanthroline results in the formation of the polymeric product 2 in a molar ratio of 3:2:4. Transformation of 1 to 2 was finished by the reaction of 1 with an equimolar of phenanthroline in 72% yield. Reverse conversion of 2 to 1 is obtained in 77% yield, showing an equilibrium between 1 and 2. Neutral compound 1 consists of one monomeric anionic unit [Zn(Hcit)(phen)(H2O)]− and one dimeric cationic unit [Zn2(Hcit)(phen)2(H2O)3]+ that connect each other by strong hydrogen bonds [O6⋯O4w 2.636(2); O7⋯O3w 2.630(3)Å]. In 2, the citrate ligand links each trinuclear unit [Zn3(Hcit)2(phen)4] to generate an infinite 1D chain that extents into a 3D supramolecular structure by intra- and inter-molecular hydrogen bonds. Moreover, 1 and 2 exhibit strong fluorescence at room temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

With the acceleration of urbanization, effective smart city programs need to consider both daily management and crisis management. In this process, to enable health information technology to better contribute to the construction of smart cities, the government and firms need to pay attention to the public's intention to adopt technology. Based on the context of China's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in smart cities, we analyze the influencing factors of the behavioral intention to use health information technology using an extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model. Data for this study were collected from 721 inhabitants of 290 smart cities in China. The empirical results showed that performance expectations, effort expectations, social influence, and facilitating conditions positively affected their behavioral intention to use health information technology, whereas perceived risk had the opposite effect. This study found that the positive effects of social influence and effort expectations on the behavioral intention to use health information technology increased with improvement in the perceived level of city smartness and technical information transparency. Finally, we discuss theoretical and practical implications. • We analyze the public's acceptance intention for health information technology in public crisis management by smart cities. • The perceived city smartness level and technical information transparency are added to the UTAUT model. • The boundary conditions affecting intention to use health information technology are examined. • The applicability of the UTAUT model is empirically supported in the context of a sudden public crisis in smart cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(−)‐Epigallocatechin‐3‐O‐gallate(EGCG) was enzymatically modified to enhance the lipophilicity and the antioxidant property. The determination of optimal reaction conditions are as follows: Lipase DF "Amano" 15 and acetone were used as catalyst and solvent, respectively. Equal molar of EGCG and vinyl laurate (1:1); lipase addition of 6.0% (w/w of total substrates); reaction temperature of 50°C and reaction time of 96 h, which obtained the conversion rate of EGCG at 80.1%. The structure of EGCG lauroyl derivatives were 5″‐O‐lauroyl‐EGCG, 3″,5″‐2‐O‐lauroyl‐EGCG, and 5′,3″,5″‐3‐O‐lauroyl‐EGCG, identified by high‐performance liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Compared with the logP of precursor EGCG (0.69 ± 0.03), the logP of EGCG lauroyl derivatives was 1.37 ± 0.19, 2.27 ± 0.33, and 3.28 ± 0.37, increasing by 0.98, 2.28, and 3.75 times, respectively (p < 0.05), suggesting the grafted fatty acid chains make EGCG derivatives more lipophilic, and the lipid solubility gradually increased as the number of substituents increased. Furthermore, EGCG lauroyl derivatives had excellent lipid oxidation than that of EGCG. The POVs (peroxide values) of soybean oil with mono‐, di‐, tri‐lauroyl EGCG were significantly reduced by 42%, 47%, and 57% than that of EGCG at 21 days, respectively, indicating the antioxidative inhibition of these derivatives decreased with the increase in substituents. This indicates that these derivatives have broad prospects of the antioxidant application while improving their solubility properties in lipophilic environments/high‐fat food. Practical Application: The lipophilic esterification reaction of EGCG catalyzed by new catalytic lipase DF "Amano" 15 was carried out in a non‐aqueous solvent.Various reaction factors on a higher conversion rate of EGCG lauroyl derivatives were evaluated. The lipophilicity and antioxidant properties of EGCG lauroyl derivatives were much excellent than that of parent EGCG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study metalloenzymes in detail, we developed a new experimental setup allowing the controlled preparation of catalytic intermediates for characterization by various spectroscopic techniques. The in situ monitoring of redox transitions by infrared spectroscopy in enzyme lyophilizate, crystals, and solution during gas exchange in a wide temperature range can be accomplished as well. Two O2‐tolerant [NiFe]‐hydrogenases were investigated as model systems. First, we utilized our platform to prepare highly concentrated hydrogenase lyophilizate in a paramagnetic state harboring a bridging hydride. This procedure proved beneficial for 57Fe nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy and revealed, in combination with density functional theory calculations, the vibrational fingerprint of this catalytic intermediate. The same in situ IR setup, combined with resonance Raman spectroscopy, provided detailed insights into the redox chemistry of enzyme crystals, underlining the general necessity to complement X‐ray crystallographic data with spectroscopic analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zur Untersuchung von Metalloenzymen haben wir einen Aufbau für die Präparation katalytischer Intermediate und deren anschließende Charakterisierung mit spektroskopischen Techniken entwickelt. Mit diesem können Redoxreaktionen in Enzymen in Form von Lyophilisat, gelöst oder als Kristall in einem großen Temperaturbereich IR‐spektroskopisch in situ verfolgt werden. Zwei sauerstofftolerante [NiFe]‐Hydrogenasen wurden als Modellenzyme untersucht. Zunächst wurde der Aufbau zur Herstellung von komprimiertem Lyophilisat einer Hydrogenase in einem paramagnetischen Zustand mit verbrückendem Hydrid genutzt. Dies erleichterte die Charakterisierung durch 57Fe‐kernresonante inelastische Streuung und erlaubte es, in Kombination mit DFT, die schwingungsspektroskopischen Merkmale dieses katalytischen Intermediats zu detektieren. Der In‐situ‐IR‐Aufbau lieferte zusammen mit Resonanz‐Raman‐Untersuchungen auch Einblicke in die Redoxchemie von Proteinkristallen. Eine Ergänzung röntgenkristallographischer Daten durch komplementäre spektroskopische Analysen ist daher essentiell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, consumers have an increasing demand for health products. In this study, an oral liquid was developed using a compound extract consisting of three herbal extracts (Dendrobium nobile Lindl., Lycium barbarum, and Puerariae lobatae Radix) because the compound extract (a combination of all three extracts) was superior to every single extract in promoting the phagocytic capacity of RAW264.7 macrophages and the proliferation ability of GES‐1 cells. In this oral liquid, the dosage of the stabilizer and the sweetener was selected using a stability test and sensory quality evaluation. When 0.30% (m/v) xanthan gum and 0.20% (m/v) mogroside were added, the oral liquid had not only a good stability but also the highest sensory score for overall acceptability. The chemical composition analysis showed that the oral liquid had various functional ingredients including polysaccharides, phenols, alkaloids, and so forth. The immune‐enhancing efficacy of the oral liquid was evaluated in BALB/c mice by measuring the levels of different immune indicators. The results indicated that the oral liquid obviously enhanced nonspecific and specific immunity. A rat model with ethanol‐induced gastric ulcer was used to examine the protective effect of the oral liquid on the gastric mucosa and to explore the related mechanisms. The oral administration of the oral liquid for days significantly prevented the formation of gastric ulcer. This study provided an effective oral liquid that could enhance immunity and protect gastric mucosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to reveal the different mechanisms of delaying starch digestion by ECG, EGCG and Procyanidin based on the perspective of α-amylase-flavanol interaction and starch-flavanol interaction. The interaction characteristics of flavanols with α-amylase were studied from five aspects: enzyme inhibition, kinetics, fluorescence quenching, circular dichroism (CD) and computer simulation. The IC50 of flavanols (ECG, EGCG and Procyanidin) against α-amylase were 172.21 ± 0.22, 732.15 ± 0.13 and 504.45 ± 0.19 μg/mL according to the results of α-amylase inhibition experiment, respectively. ECG and Procyanidin showed mixed inhibition against α-amylase, while EGCG showed non-competition against α-amylase. However, thermodynamic parameters，computer-based docking and dynamic simulation proved that ECG and EGCG-α-amylase complexs were mainly driven by van der Waals and hydrogen bonds, while Procyanidin-α-amylase complexs was driven by hydrophobic interaction. In addition, it was indicated, by means of starch‑iodine complex spectroscopy, that flavanols inhibited the digestion of starch not only through bind with α-amylase but also through bind with starch. Thus, flavanols as a starch-based food additive have the potential to be employed as adjuvant therapy for diabetes. Unlabelled Image • Flavanols showed effective inhibition activity on α-amylase. • Flavanols combined with α-amylase and induced its conformational changes. • There were different interaction mechanisms between three flavanols and α-amylase. • Flavanols can change the digestion properties of starch by interacting with it [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, (-)-Epigallocatechin-3- O -gallate (EGCG) esterification reaction was catalyzed by Novozym 435, Lipozyme RM, Lipozyme TLIM, and lipase Amano 30SD in acetonitrile. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were used to analyze the structural stability of different lipases in acetonitrile and their effect on EGCG esterification reaction. The results showed that conversion rate of EGCG catalyzed by Lipozyme RM was the highest, followed by Lipozyme TLIM. FTIR indicated that the secondary structure of Lipozyme RM was the most stable. MD simulations suggested that whole structural stability of Lipozyme RM in acetonitrile was superior to Novozym 435 and lipase Amano 30SD and similar to Lipozyme TLIM due to their similar conformation, while the active site of Lipozyme RM is more flexible than that of Lipozyme TLIM, which indicated that lipase with stable whole structure and flexible active site may be more conducive to the esterification of EGCG in acetonitrile. This study provided a direction for rapidly screening lipase to synthetize EGCG or other polyphenols esterified derivatives. [Display omitted] • Different lipases have different catalytic activity for EGCG esterification. • α-Helix content of lipases treated with acetonitrile decreased. • Different lipases have various tolerance to acetonitrile. • Lipozyme RM and Lipozyme TLIM have more stable structure than other lipases. • Lipase with stable structure and flexible active site benefits EGCG esterification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, (-)-Epigallocatechin-3- O -gallate (EGCG) esterification reaction was catalyzed by Novozym 435, Lipozyme RM, Lipozyme TLIM, and lipase Amano 30SD in acetonitrile. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were used to analyze the structural stability of different lipases in acetonitrile and their effect on EGCG esterification reaction. The results showed that conversion rate of EGCG catalyzed by Lipozyme RM was the highest, followed by Lipozyme TLIM. FTIR indicated that the secondary structure of Lipozyme RM was the most stable. MD simulations suggested that whole structural stability of Lipozyme RM in acetonitrile was superior to Novozym 435 and lipase Amano 30SD and similar to Lipozyme TLIM due to their similar conformation, while the active site of Lipozyme RM is more flexible than that of Lipozyme TLIM, which indicated that lipase with stable whole structure and flexible active site may be more conducive to the esterification of EGCG in acetonitrile. This study provided a direction for rapidly screening lipase to synthetize EGCG or other polyphenols esterified derivatives. [Display omitted] • Different lipases have different catalytic activity for EGCG esterification. • α-Helix content of lipases treated with acetonitrile decreased. • Different lipases have various tolerance to acetonitrile. • Lipozyme RM and Lipozyme TLIM have more stable structure than other lipases. • Lipase with stable structure and flexible active site benefits EGCG esterification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ginkgolide B (GB), which has been demonstrated as the most efficacious naturally occurring platelet-activating factor (PAF) antagonist, is extensively utilized for the management of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular ailments. Nevertheless, its limited oral bioavailability is hindered by its low solubility in gastric acid and inadequate stability in intestinal fluid, thereby constraining its practical application. This study aimed to develop GB nanocrystals (GB-NCs) and GB nanocrystals self-stabilized Pickering nano-emulsion (GB-NSSPNE) using a miniaturized wet bead milling method. Comparative evaluations were conducted in vivo and in vitro to assess their effectiveness. The findings revealed that GB-NSSPNE, with its intact nanoparticle slow release and absorption, was more effective in enhancing the oral bioavailability of GB compared to the rapid release and absorption of GB-NCs. This finding suggests a potential novel strategy for the oral delivery of GB. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals have been reported to affect liver function. However, there is currently little and inconsistent knowledge about the effects of combined and individual urinary metals on specific parameters of liver function in the general population. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate their associations. This study involved 807 general population from the China National Human Biomonitoring of Zhejiang Province 2017–2018. Concentrations of urinary metals, including Chromium (Cr), Cobalt (Co), Nickle (Ni), Arsenic (As), Selenium (Se), Molybdenum (Mo), Cadmium (Cd), Thallium (Tl) and Lead (Pb) were measured. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), direct bilirubin (DBIL), total bilirubin (TBIL) as liver function biomarkers. Multivariable linear regression and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression were employed to explore the associations of urinary metals with liver function biomarkers. Subgroup analysis stratified by gender and age, excluding smokers and drinkers for sensitivity analysis. Both statistical models indicated that urinary metals were positively associated with ALT and AST, while negatively with TP, ALB, DBIL and TBIL. In the WQS analysis, each quartile increase in the ln-transformed levels of metal mixtures was associated with 4.11 IU/L (95% CI: 1.07, 7.15) higher ALT and 3.00 IU/L (95% CI: 1.75, 4.25) higher AST, as well as, with 0.67 g/L (95% CI: 1.24, −0.11) lower TP, 0.74 g/L (95% CI: 1.09, −0.39) lower ALB, 0.38 μmol/L (95% CI: 0.67, −0.09) lower DBIL, and 1.56 μmol/L (95% CI: 2.22, −0.90) lower TBIL. The association between urinary metals and ALT was primarily driven by Cd (55.8%), Cr contributed the most to the association with AST (20.2%) and TBIL (45.2%), while the association with TP was primarily driven by Ni (38.2%), the association with ALB was primarily driven by As (32.8%), and the association with DBIL was primarily driven by Pb (30.9%). The associations between urinary metals and liver function might differ by sex and age. Urinary metals were significantly associated with liver function parameters. Further studies are required to clarify the relationship between heavy metals and liver function. [Display omitted] • Urinary metals were significantly associated with liver function biomarkers individually in the general population. • Both statistical models indicated that urinary metals were positively associated with ALT and AST, and negatively associated with TP, ALB, DBIL, and TBIL. • The associations between urinary metals and liver function might differ by sex and age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel design for a three-dimensional compression-torsion mechanical metamaterial based on the three-period minimal surface (TPMS) theory. Unlike the conventional approach of utilizing chiral or diagonal rod structures to achieve compressive-torsional properties in metamaterials, this paper employs a two-dimensional level of TPMS theory and the synergistic effect of a re-entrant structure to achieve compressive-torsional properties. Theoretical, experimental, and numerical methods were employed to investigate the deformation characteristics and mechanical properties of the proposed structure. The paper investigates the impact of the periodic value of the TPMS on the torsion direction, as well as the influence of unit cell radius r on the deformation characteristics, torsion angle, and Poisson's ratio of the lattice structure. The length of radius r can be appropriately selected to control the torsion angle and negative Poisson's ratio (NPR) effect of the structure. Furthermore, by adjusting the period values of the TPMS, the torsion direction of the structure can be controlled. Finally, the torsion angle, Poisson's ratio, stiffness and specific energy absorption (SEA) were compared with the structure with a diagonal rod microstructure (SDRM). The findings indicate that the proposed structure exhibits superior torsion performance and NPR effect compared to the previously proposed three-dimensional compression-torsion material. This design concept has significant implications for the development of smart devices, aerospace engineering, and conservation engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to improve the sustainable availability of insoluble polypeptide aggregates that are inevitably produced during protein hydrolysis. A controlled pH-response method was employed to process goat milk casein insoluble polypeptide aggregates and obtain soluble nano-delivery carriers (GMC). Zein-GMC-chitosan (Z-GMC-CS) ternary nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully designed by spontaneous assembly with enhanced solubility, stability, and bioaccessibility of lutein (Lut). Results showed that a novel ternary nanoscale stabilized hydrophilic particle (Lut-Z-GMC-CS) was successfully designed with a particle size of 122.8 ± 3.2 nm. Morphological results demonstrated the smooth spherical shape of the new ternary NPs. Successful encapsulation of Lut by these NPs was verified by FT-IR and XRD analysis. Incorporating GMC in Lut-Z-CS (Lut-Z-GMC-CS) NPs significantly improved their water solubility, stability, antioxidant activity, and bioaccessibility. The gastrointestinal digestion stability of Lut-Z-GMC-CS NPs could control the effective release of Lut into the intestine. Moreover, the ussing-chamber experiment indicated penetration of the ternary composite NPs into the intestinal wall to get absorbed by the body. These findings would facilitate the development of sustainable peptide by-products for novel high-quality delivery platforms. [Display omitted] • Soluble peptide aggregates (GMC) were prepared by pH-response method. • Zein-GMC-chitosan ternary nanoparticles were fabricated to deliver Lutein. • GMC combined with CS enhanced the various stability and bioaccessibility of Lutein. • GMC and Lutein exerted a synergistic effect in the ternary nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 15 newly created plastomes from Malvaceae s.l. and Dipterocarpaceae are reported. • The relationships among eight subfamilies within Malvaceae s.l. are strongly supported. • Inverted Repeat regions boundaries have fluctuated within the plastomes of Malvaceae s.l. • Malvaceae s.l. diversified from the late Cretaceous to early Eocene. Malvaceae s.l. is the largest family of Malvales, comprising more than 4225 species. Within Malvaceae, the phylogenetic relationships among subfamilies remain controversial. To resolve these relationships and explore plastome evolution in Malvaceae, we assembled a complete plastome data set of 39 Malvales species, including newly reported sequences for 13 Malvaceae and two Dipterocarpaceae species. All species possessed the typical quadripartite structure of angiosperm plastomes, but significant independent expansions of the Inverted Repeat regions were detected in Abelmoschus esculentus and Durio zibethinus. Nine coding sequences were identified with positively selected sites in Malvaceae. Several highly variable noncoding and coding regions were identified in the plastomes of Malvaceae that may be valuable for phylogenetic reconstruction at lower taxonomic levels. Phylogenetic reconstructions based on 78 protein-coding genes strongly supported nearly all relationships among Malvaceae subfamilies. The diversification of the subfamilies of Malvaceae was dated to the late Cretaceous and early Eocene, during a time of global warmth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of studies showed that aluminum (Al) has potential neurotoxicity to human and animal bodies. Al-treated animals showed anxiety-like behavior, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) changes. Bergamot essential oil (BEO) is a kind of well-known plant extract from the fresh fruit of bergamot. Previous studies suggested that BEO improved mood and relieved symptoms of stress-induced anxiety. This study was designed to study the effects of BEO on anxiety-like behavior, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and GABA system in aluminum trichloride (AlCl 3) treated rats. Results showed that AlCl 3 exposure induced anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze and the open field test. Moreover, AlCl 3 exposure decreased the level of GABA and the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the hippocampus (HP) and the frontal cortex (FC). In addition, AlCl 3 exposure increased the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and the levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the HP and the FC. To the contrary, co-administration of BEO and AlCl 3 improved the anxiety-like behavior, GABA system, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. These results indicated that BEO can alleviate the anxiety-like behavior of AlCl 3 -exposed rats through the combined action of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and GABA regulation. • Aluminum exposure induced the anxiety-like behavior. • Aluminum exposure induced oxidative damage and neuroinflammation in brain. • Aluminum exposure decreased GABA levels in several brain regions. • BEO alleviated the aluminum-induced anxiety by antioxidation and anti-inflammatory. • BEO alleviated the aluminum-induced anxiety by regulating the level of GABA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing interest in screening α‐amylase inhibitors from natural products for application in the development of new antidiabetic drugs or functional foods. In this study, a structure‐based virtual screening was applied to rapidly identify the α‐amylase inhibitors from medicine food homology (MFH) plants. Similarity search, docking & scoring were used for further filter small molecules. As a result, 21 corresponding potential α‐amylase inhibitors from MFH plants were obtained. And, six polyphenol compounds (curcumin, procyanidins, epicatechin gallate (ECG), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), hesperidin, and puerarin) were highlighted for further verification after a thorough assessment of the classification of hit molecules as well as docking scores. The results of the enzyme inhibition test showed that ECG, EGCG, and procyanidins had the better binding ability of α‐amylase among these six polyphenols. The Ki values of ECG, EGCG, and procyanidins on α‐amylase were 0.70, 1.68, and 0.24, respectively. The CD spectra results indicated that the three polyphenols can cause conformational changes in α‐amylase. Practical applications: A structure‐based virtual screening method for rapid identifying α‐amylase inhibitors from MFH plants was developed successfully in this study. These findings suggested that natural polyphenols such as ECG, EGCG, and procyanidins may be a potential inhibitor of α‐amylase which could be used as a nutrient supplement for the prevention of diabetes mellitus or can be further used in the development of hypoglycemic drugs. At the same time, it can provide theoretical guidance for the better utilization and development of medicine food homology plants containing these potential α‐amylase inhibitors. Moreover, this work may provide ideas and references for the screening of other target protein inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to reveal the interaction and inhibitory mechanisms of tangeretin (TAN), nobiletin (NBT), and their acidic hydroxylated forms, 5-demethyltangeretin (5-DT) and 5-demethylnobiletin (5-DN) on porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL) using spectroscopic techniques and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. PPL inhibition assay showed that the inhibitory activity of NBT (IC 50 value of 3.60 ± 0.19 μM) was superior to those of three polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs), indicating it may be related to the methoxy groups at the 3′-position in its molecular structure. Inhibition kinetic analyses demonstrated that the inhibition types of the 4 PMFs were consistent with the mixed inhibition model, which agreed well with the results from the ultraviolet-visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, Circular dichroism (CD), fluorescence spectroscopy, molecular docking, and MD simulation that PMFs could bind to the PPL catalytic site and non-catalytic site, affecting the normal spatial conformation of PPL and weakening its ability to decompose the substrate. All these findings suggest that PMFs are a kind of natural lipase inhibitors, and NBT has the potential as a lipase inhibition precursor because of its unique flavone skeleton structure. Unlabelled Image • NBT was the strongest lipase inhibitory activity (IC 50 = 3.60 ± 0.19 μM) than other 3 PMFs. • MD was applied to study the structure-activity relationship of PMFs on PPL. • The mechanism of PPL inhibition by PMFs was analyzed in vitro and in silico. • The inhibition of PMF on PPL is related to the -OCH 3 of its 3′-position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of double-network hydrogel, cross-linked with microcrystalline cellulose grafted with ε-polylysine (MCC-PL) and N , N -methylene bisacrylamide/acrylic acid, was synthesised to efficiently inhibit bacterial proliferation and remove heavy metals. The physicochemical properties of the MCC-PL hydrogel (MCC-PLH) were characterised using scanning electronic microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential thermogravimetric analysis. The adsorption results showed that the optimal adsorption conditions were temperature of 313 K at pH of 5 and 6 of Pb2+ and Cu2+, respectively. The adsorption mechanism of MCC-PLH5 was successfully determined using Freundlich isotherm, pseudo-second kinetics, and intra-particle diffusion model, in conjunction with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Adsorption thermodynamic studies indicated that the process was spontaneous and endothermic. Antibacterial experiments showed that PL-grafted MCC hydrogel exhibited more efficient and durable antibacterial activity than MCC, indicating its potential for water decontamination. Unlabelled Image • Microcrystalline cellulose grafted with ε-polylysine is synthesised successfully. • Double-network composite hydrogel is prepared to remove Pb2+/Cu2+ from aqueous solutions. • MCC-PLH exhibited well antimicrobial efficiency against both the E. coli and S. aureus bacteria. • MCC-PLH has a potential for water decontamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the crude polysaccharide from argun palm (Medemia argun) fruit was extracted with hot water and deproteinized by four different methods. Its structure characterization, thermal property and antioxidant activity were investigated by FT-IR spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscope, Congo-red, I 2 -KI, DPPH• assay, ABTS•+ assay, TGA and DSC analysis. It indicated that the NaCl method was the best method in deproteinization. The argun fruit polysaccharide linked by the β-glycosidic bonds. The molecular weight of polysaccharide deproteinized with NaCl was 4.46 × 105 Da. It showed that the polysaccharide from argun palm fruit consisted of fructose, arabinose, rhamnose, galactose, glucose, xylose, and galacturonic acid. The result of TGA and DSC assay indicated that argun fruit polysaccharide has a favorable thermal stability. It was proved that, the argun fruit polysaccharide possessed high antioxidant activity and would be a new natural antioxidant. • The argun fruit polysaccharide was obtained by the hot-water extraction method. • NaCl method was the best deproteinization method for argun fruit polysaccharide. • Argun fruit polysaccharide bonded by β-glycosidic bonds. • Argun fruit polysaccharide had a good antioxidant capacity and thermal stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dummy template surface molecularly imprinted polymers based on silica gel were prepared through the surface molecular imprinting technique. Nonpoisonous nicotinamide, which is a structural analogue of imidacloprid and acetamidine, was chosen as the dummy template molecule. The obtained polymers were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction. The results showed that the polymers exhibited high adsorption capacity and selectivity for imidacloprid and acetamiprid. The maximum adsorption capacities of the polymers toward imidacloprid and acetamiprid were 42.05 and 22.99 mg/g, and the adsorption could reach binding equilibrium within 150 min. The polymers were successfully applied as column‐filling materials to extract imidacloprid and acetamiprid from tea polyphenols with a relatively high removal rate (92.36 and 95.20%). The polymers also showed great stability and reusability during the application. The obtained polymers possessed good application prospects for removing imidacloprid and acetamiprid in tea polyphenol production processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The fingered citron extract was encapsulated using different carrier agents. • GMS microcapsules had the highest encapsulation yield and efficiency. • The physicochemical properties of GMS microcapsules indicated good storage stability. • GMS microcapsules had a good ability to reconstitute the powders. • DSC, SEM, XRD, and FT-IR analysis confirmed the quality of the GMS microcapsules. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of the Fingered citron extract (FCE) microcapsules powders with different formulations of the encapsulation carrier agents [gum arabic (GA), maltodextrin (MD), modified starch (MS), and whey protein (WP)], which are obtained through spray drying. Encapsulation yield, encapsulation efficiency, moisture content, hygroscopicity, water activity, density properties, Carr's index, cohesiveness, flowability, porosity, wettability, solubility, color, particle size, thermal behavior, relative crystallinity, and micrographs were analyzed. Moreover, chemical structure of the microcapsule powder was identified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Best results were achieved when Fingered citron extract was encapsulated using gum arabic/maltodextrin/modified starch (GMS) formulation as carrier agents, where it had the highest encapsulation yield (89.39%) and encapsulation efficiency (87.20%). Furthermore, it achieved the best result in density properties, flowability, porosity, wettability, and relative crystallinity. These results have shown that using gum arabic/maltodextrin/modified starch formulation was superior for production of the Fingered citron extract microcapsules powders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separation and enrichment of phenolics from peony flowers were performed to improve the anti-biofilm and antibacterial activities for the first time. Through several times of separation, the purity of phenolics components increased significantly, and the anti-biofilm and antibacterial activities of phenolics components against E. coli and S. aureus were also significantly improved. Finally, the phenolics of peony flowers in the eluent of silica gel column chromatography (PPF-ESGCC) were found to exhibit the highest anti-biofilm and antibacterial activities. The inhibition rates of PPF-ESGCC on biofilms of E. coli and S. aureus were 77.93%, and 87.03% respectively, at a very low concentration (1/2 MIC, 0.235 mg/mL). It was found that the biofilm inhibition was achieved by inhibiting their swimming, swarming, twitching motilities, exopolysaccharide (EPS) production, and quorum sensing (QS). Moreover, there was a positive dose-dependent relationship (r = 0.75 to 1) between the inhibition rates and concentrations of PPF-ESGCC during the critical biofilm-formation stage (1–3 days). Chemical composition analysis showed the PPF-ESGCC comprised of gallic acid, kaempferol-7-O-glucoside, and apigenin-7-O-glucoside. In conclusion, PPF-ESGCC exhibited strong inhibitory effect on biofilm formation and gallic acid, kaempferol-7-O-glucoside, and apigenin-7-O-glucoside might play a crucial role in inhibiting biofilm formation. Meanwhile, this study indicated that PPF-ESGCC, a new natural QS inhibitor and biofilm inhibitor, could be used as a novel intervention strategy to enhance the safety and quality of food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Overcome the problem of how to obtain the precise bounds of uncertain parameters in practical engineering. • A novel convex modelling method is proposed completely based on the sample data without empirical prediction in advance. • An optimization procedure is established to find the bounds of variations to cover all the given data with a small domain. • Strong prediction capability and good generalization ability of the method are revealed via evaluation criteria. • Accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method are illustrated by systematical comparisons. In this paper, a novel method for non-probabilistic convex modelling with the bounds to precisely encircle all the data of uncertain parameters extracted from practical engineering is developed. The method is based on the traditional statistical method and the correlation analysis technique. Mean values and correlation coefficients of uncertain parameters are first calculated by utilizing the information of all the given data. Then, a simple yet effective optimization procedure is first introduced in the mathematical modelling process for uncertain parameters to obtain their precise bounds. This procedure works by optimizing the area of the convex model, at the same time, covering all the given data. Thus, the effective mathematical expression of the convex models are finally formulated. To test the prediction capability and generalization ability of the proposed convex modelling method, evaluation criteria, i.e. volume ratio, standard volume ratio, and prediction accuracy are established. The performance of the proposed method is systematically studied and compared with other existing competitive methods through test standards. The results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the present method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transparent inhibition zone by p-coumaric acid (pCA) proving its inhibitory effect on quorum sensing. The treatment with a mixture of 0.1% Potassium Sorbate (PS)+0.01% pCA resulted in gradual inhibition of the viable counts of meat. In addition, the microbial counts of the samples treated with the mixture of pCA and PS were significantly lower than that treated with PS alone, which indicated that the effect of the mixture on bacteria and protein decomposition was stronger than that of PS alone, which can better delay the spoilage of meat. P-coumaric acid reduced the generation of biogenic amines, mitigating the spoilage of chilled pork meat. During sensory evaluation, pork meat treated with the mixture of pCA and PS scored higher than the control group. P-coumaric acid could be used to reduce the amount of PS, and the application of the mixture greatly enhanced the preservation efficiency and the quality of pork. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]