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Constipation is directly related to the intestinal microenvironment, in which the promotion of gastrointestinal (GI) motility and improvement of gut microbiota distribution are important for alleviating symptoms. Herein, after the intervention of probiotic fermented milk (FMMIX) containing Lacticaseibacillus paracasei JY062 and Lactobacillus gasseri JM1 for 14 d in Kunming mice with loperamide-induced constipation, the results indicated that FMMIX significantly increased the secretion of serum motilin, gastrin and 5-hydroxytryptamine, as well as decreased the secretion of peptide YY, vasoactive intestinal peptide, and nitric oxide in mice. As determined by immunohistochemical analysis, FMMIX promoted an augmentation in the quantity of Cajal interstitial cells. In addition, the mRNA and protein expression of c-kit and stem cell factor (SCF) were upregulated to facilitate intestinal motility. High-throughput sequencing and gas chromatography techniques revealed that FMMIX led to an increase in the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria (Lactobacillus , Oscillospira , Ruminococcus , Coprococcus , and Akkermansia), reduced the presence of harmful bacteria (Prevotella), and resulted in elevated levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) with a superior improvement compared with unfermented milk. Untargeted metabolomics revealed significant upregulation of functional metabolites such as l -pipecolinic acid, dl -phenylalanine, and naringenin in FMMIX, presumably playing a potential role in constipation relief. Overall, our results showed that FMMIX had the potential to alleviate constipation symptoms in mice by improving the secretion of serum GI regulatory peptides and neurotransmitters, increasing the expression of c-kit and SCF proteins, and modulating the gut microbiota structure and SCFA levels, and may be associated with an increase in these functional metabolites. This suggested that FMMIX could be a promising adjunctive strategy for managing constipation symptoms and could contribute to the development of functional foods aimed at improving gut health. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrioventricular septal defects (AVSD) are a complicated subtype of congenital heart defects for which the genetic basis is poorly understood. Many studies have demonstrated that the transcription factor SOX7 plays a pivotal role in cardiovascular development. However, whether SOX7 single nucleotide variants are involved in AVSD pathogenesis is unclear. To explore the potential pathogenic role of SOX7 variants, we recruited a total of 100 sporadic non-syndromic AVSD Chinese Han patients and screened SOX7 variants in the patient cohort by targeted sequencing. Functional assays were performed to evaluate pathogenicity of nonsynonymous variants of SOX7. We identified three rare SOX7 variants, c.40C > G, c.542G > A, and c.743C > T, in the patient cohort, all of which were found to be highly conserved in mammals. Compared to the wild type, these SOX7 variants had increased mRNA expression and decreased protein expression. In developing hearts, SOX7 and GATA4 were highly expressed in the region of atrioventricular cushions. Moreover, SOX7 overexpression promoted the expression of GATA4 in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed that SOX7 could directly bind to the GATA4 promoter and luciferase assays demonstrated that SOX7 activated the GATA4 promoter. The SOX7 variants had impaired transcriptional activity relative to wild-type SOX7. Furthermore, the SOX7 variants altered the ability of GATA4 to regulate its target genes. In conclusion, our findings showed that deleterious SOX7 variants potentially contribute to human AVSD by impairing its interaction with GATA4. This study provides novel insights into the etiology of AVSD and contributes new strategies to the prenatal diagnosis of AVSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The authors perform systematic search for high-performance and cost-effective materials toward electrochemical applications for Co-P system via advanced structural prediction. • Current results identified several stable monolayers, such as CoP, Co 2 P, and Co 3 P 2. • Especially, CoP was predicted to become as potential HER catalyst and anode material. • The paper disclosed the possible multifunctional applications for Co x P y monolayers and provided some theoretical guidance in designing electrocatalysts and anode materials from 2D transition-metal materials used in electrochemical processes. Exploring high-performance and cost-effective materials for electrochemical applications to meet eco-friendly and sustainable energy demands remain as an urgent need all the time. Large specific surface area and robust chemical activity endow two-dimensional (2D) materials with the potential as excellent candidates for electrochemical applications. Herein, we systematically study the 2D morphology for the Co-P system via advanced structural search and identify a series of stable monolayers, such as CoP, Co 2 P, and Co 3 P 2. Detailed first-principle calculations reveal that these monolayers showcase inherent metallicity which benefits boosting the electrochemical process. For hydrogen evolution reactions (HER), the activity of CoP could reach 54 meV, which is comparable to that of Pt. As anode material potassium-ion batteries, CoP exhibits a suitable open circuit voltage and high capacity to store metal ion. This work disclosed the possible multifunctional applications for Co x P y monolayers and provided some theoretical guidance in designing electrocatalysts and anode materials from 2D transition-metal materials used in electrochemical processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The protein Kruppel-like factor 13 (KLF13) is a member of the KLF family and has been identified as a cardiac transcription factor that is involved in heart development. However, the relationship between KLF13 variants and CHDs in humans remains largely unknown. The present study aimed to screen the KLF13 variants in CHD patients and genetically analyze the functions of these variants. Methods: KLF13 variants were sequenced in a cohort of 309 CHD patients and population-matched healthy controls (n = 200) using targeted sequencing. To investigate the effect of variants on the functional properties of the KLF13 protein, the expression and subcellular localization of the protein, as well as the transcriptional activities of downstream genes and physical interactions with other transcription factors, were assessed. Results: Two heterozygous variants, c.487C > T (P163S) and c.467G > A (S156N), were identified in two out of 309 CHD patients with tricuspid valve atresia and transposition of the great arteries, respectively. No variants were found among healthy controls. The variant c.467G > A (S156N) had increased protein expression and enhanced functionality compared with the wild type, without affecting the subcellular localization. The other variant, c.487C > T (P163S), did not show any abnormalities in protein expression or subcellular localization; however, it inhibited the transcriptional activities of downstream target genes and physically interacted with TBX5, another cardiac transcription factor. Conclusion: Our results show that the S156N and P163S variants may affect the transcriptional function of KLF13 and physical interaction with TBX5. These results identified KLF13 as a potential genetic risk factor for congenital heart disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the quality of steel is of paramount importance in modern production, the defects detection of steel surface is significantly crucial. In this field, two‐stage detection algorithms have encountered issues about low detection speed, while one‐stage detection algorithms have room for improvement in detection accuracy. How to trade‐off between accuracy and speed of detection to better meet the demands of industrial production remains a challenge. To address this problem, this paper proposes a You Only Look Once version 5 (YOLOv5)‐based improved method ACD‐YOLO. ACD‐YOLO model incorporates anchors optimization, context augmentation module, and efficient convolution operators. In anchor optimization, the boundaries of anchors are optimized using an improved genetic algorithm. Moreover, to improve detection accuracy, a context augmentation module is incorporated into both the head and the backbone end of the network. Additionally, efficient convolution operators are adopted to address the increase of computation complexity caused by the context augmentation module. Experimental results show that ACD‐YOLO achieves mean average precision of 79.3%, with frames per second of 72. Compared to reference methods, ACD‐YOLO achieves the best balance between accuracy and speed of detection, and is more suitable for practice industrial production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on transformation acoustics, an arbitrary-shaped acoustic cloak capable of functioning as an information exchange-enabling internal cloak and a movement-allowing external cloak is presented. The general expressions of material parameters for the acoustic cloaks with arbitrarily conformal or non-conformal boundaries are derived, and then the performances of developed cloaks are validated by full-wave simulations. Finally, the different characteristics of the linear and nonlinear transformations-based cloaks are compared and analyzed. The proposed cloak could lead to wider applications beyond that of normal cloaks, since it effectively compensates the insufficiencies of traditional internal and external cloaks. Besides, this work also provides a new method to design bifunctional device and suggests an alternative way to make a large object invisible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlinear optical microscopy, based on femtosecond laserspectralreshaping, characterized and imaged graphene samples made from differentmethods, both on slides and in a biological environment. This techniqueclearly discriminates between graphene flakes with different numbersof layers and reveals the distinct nonlinear optical properties ofreduced graphene oxide as compared to mechanically exfoliated or chemicalvapor deposition grown graphene. The nonlinearity makes it applicableto scattering samples (such as tissue) as opposed to previous methods,such as transmission. This was demonstrated by high-resolution imagingof breast cancer cells incubated with graphene flakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, is vital for vertebrate development and adult homeostasis. Acid α-glucosidase (GAA) is a glycoside hydrolase involved in the lysosomal breakdown of glycogen. Our previous study showed that GAA was highly expressed in mouse pulmonary veins. While whether GAA was involved in angiogenesis remained largely unknown, thus, we performed knockdown experiments both in vivo and in vitro and endothelial cell function experiments to clarify this concern point. We identified that GAA expressed widely at different levels during zebrafish embryonic development and GAA morphants showed excessive angiogenesis of ISV at later stage. In GAA knockdown HUVECs, the migration and tube formation capacity were increased, resulted from the formation of large lamellipodia-like protrusions at the edge of cells. By analyzing autophagic flux, we found that autophagy disorder was the mechanism of GAA knockdown-induced excessive angiogenesis. The block of autophagic flux caused upregulation of Rac1, a small GTPase, and the latter promoted excessive sprouts in zebrafish and enhanced angiogenic behavior in HUVECs. In addition, overexpression of transcription factor E3, a master regulator of autophagy, rescued upregulation of RAC1 and enhanced angiogenic function in GAA-knockdown HUVECs. Also, inhibition of Rac1 partly restored enhanced angiogenic function in GAA-knockdown HUVECs. Taken together, our study firstly reported a novel function of GAA in angiogenesis which is mediated by upregulation of Rac1 induced by autophagy disorder. • GAA deficiency promotes excessive angiogenesis in zebrafish intersegmental vessels. • GAA deficiency enhances migration and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. • GAA deficiency mediated the excessive angiogenesis through autophagy buildup and subsequent upregulation of RAC1. • Regulation of autophagy and inhibition of RAC1 restored the GAA deficiency-mediated excessive angiogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A John's equation-based consistency condition (JECC) and restoration of corrupted projection had ever been proposed for the circular trajectory cone beam CT (CBCT) imaging. They attempted to derive the so-called JECC, i.e., a data consistency condition (DCC) from John's equation. Unfortunately, there is an imperceptible incorrectness in their derivation, which is disproved here by following the line of their thought. The basic cause leading to the imperceptible incorrectness is that John's equation was incorrectly applied to a characteristic manifold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The NiFe-LDH nanosheets grow on the carbon nanofibers via an in-situ conversion strategy. • The CNF@NiFe-LDH interlayer can effectively restrict the diffusion of polysulfides. • The CNF@NiFe-LDH interlayer cells exhibit good cyclic and rate performances. • High initial discharge capacity of 799 mAh g−1 at 1 C with a low decay ratio of 0.045 % per-cycle over 500 cycles. To solve the shuttle effect of polysulfides and sluggish reaction kinetics in Li-S batteries, a functional interlayer added between the cathode and separator has been proven to be a very effective means. The pleasing interlayer is usually formed by the conductive skeleton and active components that have polysulfide adsorption and catalytic conversion abilities. In this paper, an electrospinning method assisted with in-site growth strategy has been developed to design a hierarchical functional film with NiFe-LDH nanosheets anchored on carbon nanofibers (CNF@NiFe-LDH). Structural characterizations and electrochemical measurements have been taken to indicate that the CNF@NiFe-LDH interlayer can effectively restrict the diffusion of polysulfides and accelerate the redox kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few prognostic biomarkers exist for lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), which has a poor five-year survival rate. Using bioinformatics, this study evaluated NPLOC4 as a prognostic marker for patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma. Shorter survival periods and tumor growth were linked to high NPLOC4 expression.Disulfiram (DSF) combined with copper (Cu) targets NPLOC4 to achieve antitumor effects in lung squamous cell carcinoma. Thus, we investigated the effects of DSF with Cu in LUSC. Gene-set enrichment analysis identified ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis as the NPLOC4-associated mechanism influencing LUSC prognosis. In SK-MES-1 cell lines, DSF + Cu increased K48-linked ubiquitinated protein expression and apoptosis. This study identified NPLOC4 as a prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for LUSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A dual domain deep-learning-based approach is proposed for MAR in baggage CT. • The SIN is used to repair the metal erosion trace in the sinogram domain. • The PRN is proposed to refine and correct the sinogram inconsistency artifacts. During the security check, the metal in the baggage engenders serious metal artifacts on the Computed Tomography (CT) image. To reduce the effect of metal artifacts on the judgment of prohibited items during such activity, a Deep Learning (DL) method combined with dual domain information in CT images is proposed in this work. As for the methodology of work, the metal areas are segmented, in the first phase, from the metal artifact CT image and they are then projected into the sinogram domain using the Forward Projection (FP) algorithm. As the trace of the metal-corresponding projection area in the sinogram domain is considered to be missing data, the linear interpolation method is adopted to correct the metal missing trace, and the Sino-Inpainting Network (SIN) is deployed to repair the metal erosion trace. By adopting the Filtered Back Projection (FBP) algorithm to reproduce the results of the sinogram restoration, the mutual information between the sinogram domain and the image domain is completed. In the second phase, the sinogram inconsistent artifacts are repaired using the Partial Refine Network (PRN) after the corrected image restoration. The PRN only depends on the effective pixels outside the metal damaged area to restore the trace area; thus, this technique can be more effective to refine the image details. Finally, the metal mask, obtained by threshold segmentation, is inserted into the repaired reconstructed image. Using both simulated data and real data, a comparison between the proposed method, the conventional method, and the DL method is performed. Quantitative results show that the Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) and the Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) in the reconstructed image of the baggage, obtained through the proposed network, are 31.0722 dB and 0.9718, respectively; thus, they are better than the other tested methods. Moreover, the results of the experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the suggested method in recovering the lost data of the metal corrosion area in the sinogram and in suppressing the secondary artifacts in the reconstructed image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several limitations in algorithms and datasets in the field of X-ray security inspection result in the low accuracy of X-ray image inspection. In the literature, there have been rare studies proposed and datasets prepared for the topic of dangerous objects segmentation. In this work, we contribute a purely manual segmentation for labeling the existing X-ray security inspection dataset namely, SIXRay, with the pixel-level semantic information of dangerous objects. We also propose a composition method for X-ray security inspection images to effectively augment the positive samples. This composition method can quickly obtain the positive sample images using affine transformation and HSV features of X-ray images. Furthermore, to improve the recognition accuracy, especially for adjacent and overlapping dangerous objects, we propose to combine the target detection algorithm (i.e., the softer-non maximum suppression, Softer-NMS) with Mask RCNN, which is named as the Softer-Mask RCNN. Compared with the original model (i.e., Mask RCNN), the Softer-Mask RCNN improves by 3.4% in accuracy (mAP), and 6.2% with adding synthetic data. The study result indicates that our proposed method in this work can effectively improve the recognition performance of dangerous objects depicting in the X-ray security inspection images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tube of X-ray computed tomography (CT) system emitting a polychromatic spectrum of photons leads to beam hardening artifacts such as cupping and streaks, while the metal implants in the imaged object results in metal artifacts in the reconstructed images. The simultaneous emergence of various beam-hardening artifacts degrades the diagnostic accuracy of CT images in clinics. Thus, it should be deeply investigated for suppressing such artifacts. In this study, data consistency condition is exploited to construct an objective function. Non-convex optimization algorithm is employed to solve the optimal scaling factors. Finally, an optimal bone correction is acquired to simultaneously correct for cupping, streaks and metal artifacts. Experimental result acquired by a realistic computer simulation demonstrates that the proposed method can adaptively determine the optimal scaling factors, and then correct for various beam-hardening artifacts in the reconstructed CT images. Especially, as compared to the nonlinear least squares before variable substitution, the running time of the new CT image reconstruction algorithm decreases 82.36% and residual error reduces 55.95%. As compared to the nonlinear least squares after variable substitution, the running time of the new algorithm decreases 67.54% with the same residual error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Disulfiram (DSF) is an approved drug for the treatment of alcohol dependence. Accumulating evidence indicates that DSF, alone or in combination with copper (Cu), possesses strong antitumor activity in various malignancies. This study investigated the effects of DSF on gastric cancer (GC) and the potential mechanisms involved.Methods: GC cell proliferation and apoptosis upon treatment with DSF with or without copper were analyzed using CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, and flow cytometry. Glucose metabolism was investigated using glucose consumption and lactate production assays. The expression of caspase-3, Bcl-2, LC-3, P62, S6K1, c-Myc, GLUT1, PKM2, and LDHA was analyzed using western blot assay. In vivo nude mice studies were performed to verify the findings from in vitro analyses.Results: Our study showed that DSF was highly toxic to GC cells in a Cu-dependent manner. Nontoxic concentrations of Cu enhanced the inhibitory effects of DSF on cell viability and colony formation. DSF also induced apoptotic and autophagic cell death in the presence of Cu. In addition, DSF/Cu inhibited glycolysis and xenograft growth of GC cells by suppressing the expression of S6K1, c-Myc, and their downstream molecules, including GLUT1, PKM2, and LDHA.Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that DSF/Cu exerted antitumor activity against GC cells both in vitro and in vivo. DSF/Cu may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enzymatic modification can effectively improve the gel properties of protein-based food matrices. However, how bacterial proteases influence milk gels has been rarely reported. In the current study, the proteases isolated from two strains of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum , namely YM13–8.1 and YN22–3.1, demonstrated significant improvement in the textural properties of acid-induced gels characterized by increased hardness and a more compact, dense and fine-pored structure. The inclusion of milk-coagulating proteases resulted in a significant augmentation of hydrophobic interactions and disulfide bonds within the protein gels. Furthermore, both proteases exhibited rennet-like characteristics through κ-casein hydrolysis, with key hydrolysis sites identified as Tyr25-Ile26, Ala65-Ala66 and Lys112-Asn113. By utilizing MALDI-TOF-MS, whole genome sequencing and RT-qPCR analysis, we successfully identified the gene responsible for encoding the proteases as prtA , which has not been previously characterized. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that the newly characterized protease prtA exerts a positive influence on milk gelling. [Display omitted] • A novel coagulation-promoting protease was found from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. • The protease enhanced the textural characteristics of acid-induced gels. • The protease exhibited specific hydrolysis sites within κ-casein. • The protease was identified as prtA through LC-MS/MS and whole genome sequencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Probiotics can serve as immunomodulators that regulate the activation of immune cells. This study aimed to screen potential probiotic strains that can enhance NK cell toxicity to improve host immunity.In this investigation, we examined three potential probiotic strains, namely Lactiplantibacillus plantarum YZX21 (YZX21), Bifidobacterium bifidum FL-276.1 (FL-276.1) and Lacticaseibacillus casei K11 (K11), to assess their capacity in modulating NK cytotoxicity both in vitro and in vivo, while elucidating the underlying mechanisms involved.The findings demonstrated that K11 exhibited superior efficacy in enhancing NK cytotoxicity. Subsequent analysis revealed that K11 significantly augmented the secretion of perforin and granzyme B by NK cells through activation of receptors NKp30 and NKp46 via the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. Furthermore, heat-inactivated K11 also enhanced NK cell activity to an extent comparable to live bacteria, with lipoteichoic acid from K11 identified as a crucial factor mediating the activation of NK cell cytotoxicity.Our study suggests that K11 may have potential applications as probiotics or postbiotics for regulating NK cell cytotoxicity to enhance immunity.Methods: Probiotics can serve as immunomodulators that regulate the activation of immune cells. This study aimed to screen potential probiotic strains that can enhance NK cell toxicity to improve host immunity.In this investigation, we examined three potential probiotic strains, namely Lactiplantibacillus plantarum YZX21 (YZX21), Bifidobacterium bifidum FL-276.1 (FL-276.1) and Lacticaseibacillus casei K11 (K11), to assess their capacity in modulating NK cytotoxicity both in vitro and in vivo, while elucidating the underlying mechanisms involved.The findings demonstrated that K11 exhibited superior efficacy in enhancing NK cytotoxicity. Subsequent analysis revealed that K11 significantly augmented the secretion of perforin and granzyme B by NK cells through activation of receptors NKp30 and NKp46 via the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. Furthermore, heat-inactivated K11 also enhanced NK cell activity to an extent comparable to live bacteria, with lipoteichoic acid from K11 identified as a crucial factor mediating the activation of NK cell cytotoxicity.Our study suggests that K11 may have potential applications as probiotics or postbiotics for regulating NK cell cytotoxicity to enhance immunity.Results: Probiotics can serve as immunomodulators that regulate the activation of immune cells. This study aimed to screen potential probiotic strains that can enhance NK cell toxicity to improve host immunity.In this investigation, we examined three potential probiotic strains, namely Lactiplantibacillus plantarum YZX21 (YZX21), Bifidobacterium bifidum FL-276.1 (FL-276.1) and Lacticaseibacillus casei K11 (K11), to assess their capacity in modulating NK cytotoxicity both in vitro and in vivo, while elucidating the underlying mechanisms involved.The findings demonstrated that K11 exhibited superior efficacy in enhancing NK cytotoxicity. Subsequent analysis revealed that K11 significantly augmented the secretion of perforin and granzyme B by NK cells through activation of receptors NKp30 and NKp46 via the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. Furthermore, heat-inactivated K11 also enhanced NK cell activity to an extent comparable to live bacteria, with lipoteichoic acid from K11 identified as a crucial factor mediating the activation of NK cell cytotoxicity.Our study suggests that K11 may have potential applications as probiotics or postbiotics for regulating NK cell cytotoxicity to enhance immunity.Conclusion: Probiotics can serve as immunomodulators that regulate the activation of immune cells. This study aimed to screen potential probiotic strains that can enhance NK cell toxicity to improve host immunity.In this investigation, we examined three potential probiotic strains, namely Lactiplantibacillus plantarum YZX21 (YZX21), Bifidobacterium bifidum FL-276.1 (FL-276.1) and Lacticaseibacillus casei K11 (K11), to assess their capacity in modulating NK cytotoxicity both in vitro and in vivo, while elucidating the underlying mechanisms involved.The findings demonstrated that K11 exhibited superior efficacy in enhancing NK cytotoxicity. Subsequent analysis revealed that K11 significantly augmented the secretion of perforin and granzyme B by NK cells through activation of receptors NKp30 and NKp46 via the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. Furthermore, heat-inactivated K11 also enhanced NK cell activity to an extent comparable to live bacteria, with lipoteichoic acid from K11 identified as a crucial factor mediating the activation of NK cell cytotoxicity.Our study suggests that K11 may have potential applications as probiotics or postbiotics for regulating NK cell cytotoxicity to enhance immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteolysis is often used to improve gel-forming properties of protein, however, the proteolytic effect of lactic acid bacteria on protein gel properties has been rarely reported. The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential role of proteolysis by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum in casein gel formation during fermentation. A total of fifty-four L. plantarum strains were subjected to a screening of proteolytic ability and twenty-one strains were found possessing extracellular protease-producing abilities. The top nine strains with varying proteolytic abilities were investigated for their impacts on casein gel formation. Interestingly, the casein gels fermented by the strains with the highest and lowest proteolytic abilities both showed relatively low hardness and lower storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″) in rheological analyses. However, two strains, namely L. Plantarum YM13-8.1 and L. Plantarum YN22-3.1, which possess a relatively moderate level of proteolytic ability among the nine strains, significantly improved the hardness and water-holding capacity of casein gels and presented a more dense and uniform gel structure, which was accompanied by an increased hydrophobicity and disulfide bond content. The results indicate that the strains YM13-8.1 and YN22-3.1 can facilitate the formation of casein gel by improving the aggregation of protein molecules in fermentation. Concludingly, we propose that the proteolysis by L. plantarum proteinases dramatically influences the casein gel properties, and the effects, to a certain degree, are strain-specific. [Display omitted] • Moderate hydrolysis of casein by L. plantarum facilitated gel formation. • Protease hydrolysis improved gel hardness and water-holding capacity. • Disulfide bonds and hydrophobic amino acids were increased by moderate hydrolysis. • Gel texture, rheology, and microstructure were characterized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spray drying is a promising technique for embedding and stabilizing lactic acid bacteria. However, bacteria are unable to withstand high-temperature environment. Naturally small molecules fall short in meeting the evolving demands of production. Therefore, it is imperative to explore non-chemical pretreatment methods urgently, with the aim of enhancing their protective efficacy. In this study, natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) were synthesized by glycerin-betaine to improve the survival rates of spray-dried Lactobacillus bulgaricus sp1.1. Results revealed that the spray drying survival rate of L. bulgaricus sp1.1 after adding NADES was 30.54%, which was 4.72 times higher than adding equal amounts of untreated glycerin and betaine, and the number of viable bacteria decreased less than 1 log after 6 months of storage. The investigation revealed that the impact of NADES was localized external to the cell rather than within. Through crosslinking with the peptidoglycan on the cell wall, NADES bolstered the cell wall structure thereby creating a protective barrier. This resulted in a reduction of damage to the membrane and ribosome induced by high temperatures during the lactic acid bacteria’s exposure. This study synthesized NADES using current protective agents as an effective method to enhance heat resistance of lactic acid bacteria for spray drying for the first time, and the lactic acid bacteria powder with high survival rate and high storage stability was successfully prepared, which provides a new approach for its industrial application.Graphical Abstract: Spray drying is a promising technique for embedding and stabilizing lactic acid bacteria. However, bacteria are unable to withstand high-temperature environment. Naturally small molecules fall short in meeting the evolving demands of production. Therefore, it is imperative to explore non-chemical pretreatment methods urgently, with the aim of enhancing their protective efficacy. In this study, natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) were synthesized by glycerin-betaine to improve the survival rates of spray-dried Lactobacillus bulgaricus sp1.1. Results revealed that the spray drying survival rate of L. bulgaricus sp1.1 after adding NADES was 30.54%, which was 4.72 times higher than adding equal amounts of untreated glycerin and betaine, and the number of viable bacteria decreased less than 1 log after 6 months of storage. The investigation revealed that the impact of NADES was localized external to the cell rather than within. Through crosslinking with the peptidoglycan on the cell wall, NADES bolstered the cell wall structure thereby creating a protective barrier. This resulted in a reduction of damage to the membrane and ribosome induced by high temperatures during the lactic acid bacteria’s exposure. This study synthesized NADES using current protective agents as an effective method to enhance heat resistance of lactic acid bacteria for spray drying for the first time, and the lactic acid bacteria powder with high survival rate and high storage stability was successfully prepared, which provides a new approach for its industrial application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Increasing evidence suggests that many adipokines are involved in cancer-related anorexia and cachexia syndrome (CACS), although the underlying mechanism remains to be clarify. Asprosin is a new peptide hormone mainly secreted by white adipose tissues that can increase appetite and body weight. In this cross-sectional study, we tested whether asprosin may intervene in the development of CACS. Methods: The fasting plasma asprosin levels were determined via enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay. Anorexia was determined using the anorexia/cachexia subscale (A/CS) of the functional assessment of anorexia/cachexia therapy (FAACT) questionnaire. The body composition was assessed using bioelectrical impedance analysis. The association of plasma asprosin with anorexia, cachexia, and nutritional status was analyzed. Results: One hundred twenty treatment-naïve patients with pathological confirmed gastrointestinal or lung cancer and 14 mild gastritis patients were recruited. We found no significant difference in asprosin levels between subgroups of patients by age, sex, cancer types or stage. Correlation analysis suggested that asprosin levels were positively associated with body fat mass (r = 0.248, p = 0.043). No correlations were found between asprosin levels and hemoglobin, white blood cell count, blood platelet count, albumin, C-reactive protein, glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, body mass index, body fat percentage, protein, skeletal muscle, muscle mass, lean body mass, and basal metabolic rate. Furthermore, asprosin levels were not significantly different between patients with or without cachexia. However, patients with anorexia had significantly lower asprosin levels compared with patients without anorexia. No significant difference in asprosin levels between gastritis and gastric cancer patients. Similarly, no significant change of asprosin levels occurred postoperatively in 10 gastric cancer patients. Conclusions: Patients with anorexia had significantly lower asprosin levels compared with patients without anorexia. We therefore speculated that asprosin might intervene in the development of cancer anorexia and serve as a potential therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive investigation of the differences in flavor profiles among different strains of fermented brown milk (FBM) is important to guide the improvement of the flavor quality of FBM. Seven samples were analyzed by dynamic headspace extraction (DHS) and gas chromatography–olfactometry–mass spectrometry (GC–O–MS), and a total of 73 odor compounds were identified. Key odor compounds including 3-methyl-1-butanol, ethyl acetate, linalool, furfuryl alcohol, 2-pentylfuran, hexanal, and 1-octen-3-ol, were screened by multivariate statistical analysis to reveal the flavor differences of FBM from different strains. 3-Methyl-1-butanol and ethyl acetate were found to be the key odor compounds distinguishing FBM by strain K56 from other strains, and the fermentation strains were found to be the key factors affecting the flavor of FBM compared to the fermentation substrate and fermentation process. This study provided a relatively systematic investigation of the flavor of FBM and could be used to monitor changes in odor components and sensory characteristics for product quality control. [Display omitted] • The odorants were detected in FBM using DHS–GC–MS for the first time. • Fermentation strains are a key factor in FBM flavor differences. • The FBM obtained from the K56 strain has fruity and whisky aromas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The designed novel nickel and calcium dual-atomic site catalysts efficiently catalyze CO 2 reduction to methanol with high activity and selectivity due to the synergistic effect of Ni and Ca atoms. [Display omitted] • An efficient nickel and calcium dual-atomic site catalysts (Ni-Ca DACs) for electrocatalytic CO 2 reduction was proposed. • The Ni-Ca DACs can convert CO 2 into methanol with high activity and selectivity. • The dual-atomic active sites of Ni and Ca atoms provide the synergistic effect to largely stabilize the key intermediates *OCHO and *CHO for further CO 2 hydrogenation. • Adjacent Ni and Ca atoms tune the polarized charges and d-band center of metal reaction center. • The designed Ni-Ca DACs provide a new avenue for reducing or replacing use of the transition metals. Atomically dispersed transition metal sites embedded into nitrogen-doped graphene provide promising potential for the electrochemical CO 2 reduction to CO, but the catalytic efficiency for further hydrogenation to methanol is seriously restricted. Herein, combining the advantage of single transition metal, alkaline-earth metal, and multiple active sites, we designed nickel and calcium dual-atomic site catalysts (Ni-Ca DACs) supported on N-doped graphene to enable CO 2 hydrogenation. First-principles calculations reveal that the electron-rich Ni atom serves as the carbon adsorption site, and the adjacent Ca atom with electron-deficient properties acts as the oxygen adsorption site, which largely stabilizes many CH x O y species through the O-Ca bond, especially the *OCHO, thus facilitating CO 2 reduction. More importantly, a synergistic adsorption process on Ni-Ca sites promote the formation of *CHO species that is considered as the key intermediate for generation of multi-electron products. Different from the single Ni or Ca catalysts that produce mainly CO or HCOOH, the Ni-Ca DACs can selectively catalyze CO 2 reduction to CH 3 OH, with a low limiting potential of −0.52 V, while suppressing the hydrogen evolution reaction. The outstanding catalytic activity originates from the tuned polarized charge and d-band center of active sites by synergistic interaction of adjacent Ni and Ca atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phospholipids are increasingly recognized as nutrients with potential health benefits, but comparative studies on the composition of phospholipids in different animal milk have not been thorough. In this study, phospholipid composition of four types of animal milks from cow, goat, donkey, and yak was measured, and 33 fatty acids and 74 molecular species of phospholipids were found. Among the four types of animal milks, C16:0, C18:0, and C18:1 were the major fatty acids of phospholipids, and the fatty acids were mainly saturated fatty acids. Additionally, the molecular species of phospholipids in various animal milk differed, and 18:0/18:2 was the most abundant molecular species. Furthermore, significantly different phospholipid molecular species of each group were screened out. The results reported herein will contribute to understanding the differences in functional and nutritional properties of phospholipids from different animal milks which can enhance the utilization of various animal milk sources. [Display omitted] • 33 fatty acids and 74 molecular species were analyzed in four types of animal milks. • C16:0, C18:0, and C18:1 were the major phospholipid fatty acids in animal milk. • Phospholipids in the animal milk were SFAs > MUFAs > PUFAs. • The molecular species of phospholipid with the highest content was 18:0/18:2. • Significantly different types of phospholipid molecules were screened out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Odor is an important attribute of fermented dairy products and is an important factor in determining consumer acceptance. However, the odor characteristics of brown lactobacillus beverage (BLB) and the differences in odor among different types of these products have rarely been studied. Here, a comprehensive analysis of different types of BLB were performed by SPME–GC–O–MS and SPME–GC×GC–O–MS techniques based on untargeted metabolomics. Compared with SPME–GC–O–MS, SPME–GC×GC–O–MS identified 26 new odor compounds in BLB, indicating that this method is more suitable for odor characterization of BLB. A total of 149 odor compounds were identified from 13 BLBs, of which 40 were odor-active compounds. Ketones, alcohols, acids, aldehydes, and esters accounted for about 80% of the total odor compounds and constituted the basic odor profile of the BLB. In addition to identifying indicator flavor compounds such as furfuryl alcohol, octanoic acid, and β -myrcene, which are responsible for the differences in odor profiles between different BLBs, the reference content ranges in BLBs were precisely quantified. These findings will provide new insights into the species traceability and odor characterization of BLB samples. [Display omitted] • Twenty six new odor compounds were identified in BLB by SPME–GC×GC–O–MS. • SPME–GC×GC–O–MS was more suitable for odor characterization of BLB. • Indicative odorants in the BLB and their content ranges were given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to select probiotic strains that could be used in drinkable yogurt to yield viable cells following storage at room temperature (RT). The uniquely high altitude conditions in Tibet and the alcoholic environment of certain products, such as the highland barley wine homemade in Tibet, may induce unusual characteristics of microbial strains. A total of 27 lactic acid bacteria were isolated from homemade highland barley wines. One strain, Lactobacillus reuteri WHH1689, demonstrated no ability for lactose utilization, exhibited a high survival rate during storage at RT in drinkable yogurts, and produced very weak post-acidification. This strain showed great resistance to conditions simulating the gastrointestinal tract, including strong adherence to HT-29 cells and inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli, Shigella flexneri, Salmonella paratyphi β, and Staphylococcus aureus. A dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)–induced mouse model was used to evaluate the in vivo influence of Lb. reuteri WHH1689 on the intestinal flora and showed that strain WHH1689 increased viable counts of bifidobacteria in feces of mice. The probiotic strain selected in this study—with its high survival at RT and lack of serious post-acidification problems—may provide significant improvements for dairy industry products by extending the storage time of dairy products with living cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an experimental investigation into the corrosion of stainless steel bar in the stressed state. By performing an electrochemical accelerated corrosion test on S11203 stainless steel bar under different strain levels and a tensile test on corroded stainless steel bar, effect of strain level on corrosion of stainless steel bar was investigated. The experimental results indicated that strain level affected the degree of corrosion of stainless steel bar. The higher the strain, the higher the degree of corrosion. The degree of corrosion of stainless steel bar under a strain of 1.0 × 10 −3 was 9 percent higher than that of under zero strain. With increase of the degree of corrosion, the yield strength, ultimate strength and elongation of stainless steel bar gradually degenerated, and especially significant for the degradation of elongation. It was also found that the influence of strain level (≤1.0 × 10 −3 ) on corrosion morphology and mechanical properties of stainless steel bar within 15% corrosion degree was not significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We suggest an icing detection method based on infrared thermal wave detection. • We introduce the original icing and icing damage detection methods. • We have defined an index for evaluating the de-icing performance of the electro-impulse de-icing system. The aircraft icing poses a significant hazard to aircraft safety and it is important to remove the ice in time. The electro-impulse de-icing (EIDI) system is a mechanical de-icing method, which prevents ice accumulation on that part of the aircraft where ice is more likely to form. Since its discovery research on the theory and application of the EIDI system continued to progress. In this paper, the formation of ice is detected using infrared thermography of the heat signal generated on the aircraft skin surface. Ice accretion specimen are produced to explore the effects of seven critical parameters. The performance of the EIDI system is evaluated using the infrared thermal wave test. The infrared thermography sequence of the ice accretion specimen is acquired by the infrared camera during de-icing operation. The ice detection of the EIDI system employs a method that achieves the original icing detection and icing damage detection based on infrared image processing, including principal component analysis (PCA) and Canny edge detection. The measurement of the original icing on center and radius is achieved by the three-point method, which may be further employed to evaluate the icing manufacturing error. An icing damage detection method is also designed and applied. An index based on the infrared thermal image processing results is introduced to evaluate the performance of the EIDI system under different experimental conditions. The quantitative behaviour of de-icing performance in terms of seven important parameters involved in manufacturing the ice has been verified and discussed. The results show that PCA and Canny edge detection may be effectively exploited to implement ice shape detection and, in turn, to improve the design of the EIDI system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]