Search

BACKGROUND RESULTS CONCLUSION Cold chain distribution with multiple links maintains low temperatures to ensure the quality of meat products, whereas temperature fluctuations during this are often disregarded by the industry. The present study simulated two distinct temperatures cold chain distribution processes. Quality indicators and high‐throughput sequencing were employed to investigate the effects of temperature fluctuations on the quality and microbial diversity of beef meatballs during cold chain distribution.Quality indicators revealed that temperature fluctuations during simulated cold chain distribution significantly (P < 0.05) exacerbated the quality deterioration of beef meatballs. High‐throughput sequencing demonstrated that temperature fluctuations affected the diversity and structure of microbial community. Lower microbial species abundance and higher microbial species diversity were observed in the temperature fluctuations group. Proteobacteria and Pseudomonas were identified as the dominant phylum and genus in beef meatballs, respectively, exhibiting faster growth rates and greater relative abundance under temperature fluctuations.The present study demonstrates that temperature fluctuations during simulated cold chain distribution can worsen spoilage and shorten the shelf life of beef meatballs. It also offers certain insights into the spoilage mechanism and preservation of meat products during cold chain distribution. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

:F1y ash,cement,coal gangue and water are used as backfill materials to backfill in mine, which can not only reaiize the large-scale utiiizaiion of soiid waste resources, but ako effectively control the surface subsidence of the mine. In this study, the rheologccal properiies, mechanical properiies and hydration characteristics of cemented gangue backfill werestudeed. The rheologccal properties, compressive strength, hydration products and nicrostructure of gangue backfill werestudeed respectively. The results showed that when the content of 325 ordinary Portland cement was 15%, the content of low cakum lly ash !s more than 20%,and the mass concentration of slurry was kept above 77%,the minimum compressive strength of the prepared gangue backfill sample at 28 d curing age was more than 4. 229 MPa, which provided good roof support for underground backfill mining. Secondly, the influence of fly ash content and slurry mass concentrafion on the rheological properties of gangue filfing slurry were Investigated by rheological test, the corresponding rheologccal parameters and rheologcal equation fitting of filing slurry are obtamed. In addition, the mineral composition, hydration products and rmcrostructure of gangue cemented backfill materials were studied. Therefore, this study can provide some theoretical guidance for the apphcation of sohd waste n the ield of mine backi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft tissue models play a crucial role in virtual surgery. However, most existing methods use uniform meshes and overall refinement to construct inhomogeneous soft tissues for virtual lungs. This leads to a complex computation and poor model realism. Therefore, a real-time non-uniform surface refinement model (RNSM) for lung adenocarcinoma surgery is proposed in this paper. First, to better describe the inhomogeneous soft tissues, the tetrahedra are subdivided to different degrees depending on their densities, which reduce the model's complexity while ensuring accuracy. Second, to improve the model accuracy, the model surface is subdivided using the Loop subdivision method. Finally, an optimal algorithm based on deformation radius is designed to enhance the deformation in real-time, in which a linear attenuation method of physical quantities is used to simulate the deformation of the weak deformation regions directly, and the finite element method (FEM) is used for the strong deformation regions. The experimental results show that the model is more accurate and faster than the existing soft tissue models for lung adenocarcinoma surgery simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the past, present, and future of lipid and protein oxidation in muscle food. It highlights the importance of understanding the delicate balance between oxidation and meat quality, with moderate oxidation enhancing sensory attributes and excessive oxidation leading to undesirable effects. The article also discusses the potential benefits and drawbacks of oxidation on human health, emphasizing the need for strategic oxidative control in precision nutrition. The future holds promise for developing innovative approaches that leverage oxidation for personalized health and well-being. [Extracted from the article]

Muscle food provides a variety of nutrients to maintain the normal activities and metabolism of the human body. However, a series of studies have revealed a close association between the oxidized muscle food and human health. To thoroughly understand the impact of the oxidation of muscle food on human health, it is necessary to systematically pay attention to the oxidation derived from the periods including both before ingestion and during digestion. We clearly distinguished the oxidation of muscle food before ingestion and during digestion and discuss the potential effects of oxidation products in muscle food on human health. The existing knowledge gaps and the challenges potentially encountered in fully understanding the mechanisms and effects of these oxidation products are also provided. Oxidative processes occurring during the storage and processing of muscle foods may potentially induce oxidative stress responses within the human body upon ingestion. Oxidation products in muscle food, such as lipid oxidation products and protein oxidation products, exhibit both beneficial and detrimental effects on human health. The impact of these oxidative products from muscle foods commences within the digestive system, where they can directly affect health or indirectly through the formation of novel metabolic byproducts. Oxidized muscle foods can lead to immune system imbalance, nervous system damage, and cardiovascular inflammation, thereby increasing the risk of autoimmune diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Although the current findings suggest a potential link between oxidation products of muscle foods and human health, further in vivo studies using animal models or human trials are essential to ultimately determine these effects. • Exposure to oxidized muscle initiates oxidative stress in the digestive system. • Oxidized muscle foods also cause systemic oxidative stress. • They also damage cardiovascular, nervous and immune systems to raise disease risk. • Some oxidized products participate in the normal biological metabolic process. • Understanding impact of external oxidation on human health is a challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the effects of chitosan film containing star anise essential oil nanofiltration (CFSAO) and superchilled (SC) temperature on the changes of physicochemical and microbiological indexes of rabbit meat patties within 15 days of storage were studied. The total aerobic bacteria counts, malondialdehyde content, protein carbonyl content, total sulfhydryl content, and metmyoglobin content continued to grow throughout the entire experimental period, and the maximum absorption peak at the soret region of myoglobin gradually decreased. Along with the storage time extended, the brightness and redness of rabbit meat significantly decreased (P < 0.05), while the yellowness significantly increased (P < 0.05). The results of storage experiments showed that chitosan composite films and SC temperature had good inhibition on lipid oxidation, myoglobin oxidation and degradation, sulfhydryl content reduction, and microbial growth of rabbit meat after 15 days of storage, and could slow down the change of rabbit meat color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy is a mainstay of therapy for B cell malignancies, however many patients fail to respond or eventually develop resistance. The current understanding of mechanisms responsible for this resistance is limited. When peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy donors were cultured with Raji cells for 7 days, rituximab (RTX) induced NK cell-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), enhanced NK cell viability and increased or maintained NK expression of CD56, CD16, CD57 and KIR. T cells, mainly CD4+, mediated these changes in a contact-dependent manner, with local T cell production of IL2 playing a central role. Similar findings were found when autologous B cells were used as target cells demonstrating the need for T cell help was not due to allogenic reaction. Results with other anti-CD20 and anti-EGFR antibodies were consistent. Small numbers of T cells activated by anti-CD3/CD28 beads or bispecific antibody enhanced RTX-mediated NK cell ADCC, viability and phenotypical changes. Pathway analysis of bulk NK cell mRNA sequencing after activation by RTX with and without T cells was consistent with T cells maintaining the viability of the activated NK cells. These findings suggest T cell help, mediated in large part by local production of IL2, contributes to NK cell ADCC and viability, and that activating T cells in the tumor microenvironment, such as through the use of anti-CD3 based bispecific antibodies, could enhance the efficacy of anti-CD20 and other mAb therapies where NK-mediated ADCC is a primary mechanism of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructing buffer barriers using high-quality bentonite-based blocks is crucial for the secure disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW). However, the density distribution and anisotropy of full-size bentonite-sand blocks are not yet fully understood, which may affect their quality and performance as buffer barriers. This study aimed to address this critical issue by conducting computed tomography (CT) scanning tests on full-size bentonite-sand blocks in the radial, angular, and vertical directions to obtain CT numbers and density. The analysis of the density distribution and anisotropy in these three directions followed. Subsequently, thermal conductivity and hydraulic conductivity tests were conducted in these directions to explore their relationship with density anisotropy. The findings revealed that the block density gradually decreased with increasing radius in the radial direction and first decreased slightly and then increased slightly in the angular and vertical directions. However, the density of the bentonite-sand mixture inside the blocks ranged from 1.96 g/cm³ to 2.09 g/cm³, with minimal differences. Additionally, there was no significant difference in density between the radial and angular directions, with an average density of 2.06 g/cm³. The density in the vertical direction was slightly lower, with an average density of 2.04 g/cm³. Scanning electron microscope images validated the presence of anisotropy in block density caused by horizontally oriented bentonite aggregates resulting from axial compression. However, the presence of quartz sand and incompressible impurities in the blocks created preferential flow paths, mitigating the impact of block density anisotropy on thermal and hydraulic conductivity. Consequently, thermal conductivity, averaging 1.60 W/m·K, and hydraulic conductivity, averaging 3.12 × 10−10 cm/s, demonstrated isotropy in all three directions. These block parameters meet the design requirements for an effective buffer barrier. This study systematically reveals the density distribution of full-size bentonite-sand blocks and its impact on the performance, providing important references for the safe design of HLW repositories. • Demonstrating block quality through determination of block density distribution and anisotropy. • Horizontally oriented bentonite aggregates contribute to block density anisotropy. • Blocks exhibit isotropic thermal conductivity and hydraulic conductivity. • Mitigated impact of density anisotropy on hydro-thermal properties due to the presence of sand and incompressible impurities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistance to anti-cancer monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy remains a clinical challenge. Previous work in our laboratory has shown that T cell help in the form of interleukin-2 maintains long-term NK cell viability and NK cell-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). Lack of such T cell help may be a potential mechanism for resistance to mAb therapy. Here, we evaluate whether concomitant treatment with anti-CD3 × anti-cancer bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) can overcome this resistance by enhancing T cell help, and thereby maintaining long-term NK cell-mediated ADCC. Normal donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells were depleted of T cells, replenished with defined numbers of autologous T cells (from 0.75 to 50%) and co-cultured with mono-/bispecific antibody-treated target tumor cells for up to 7 days. At low T cell concentrations, bsAb-activated T cells (mainly CD4+ T cells) were more effective than resting T cells at maintaining NK cell viability and ADCC. Brief (4 h to 2 day) bsAb exposure was sufficient to enhance long-term ADCC by NK cells. These findings raise the hypothesis that local T cell activation mediated by systemic treatment with anti-CD3 X anti-cancer bsAb may enhance the anti-tumor efficacy of monospecific mAbs that mediate their primary therapeutic effect via NK-mediated ADCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to systematically evaluate telomere dynamics across a spectrum of pediatric cancers, search for underlying molecular mechanisms, and assess potential prognostic value.Methods: The fraction of telomeric reads was determined from whole-genome sequencing data for paired tumor and normal samples from 653 patients with 23 cancer types from the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project. Telomere dynamics were characterized as the ratio of telomere fractions between tumor and normal samples. Somatic mutations were gathered, RNA sequencing data for 330 patients were analyzed for gene expression, and Cox regression was used to assess the telomere dynamics on patient survival.Results: Telomere lengthening was observed in 28.7% of solid tumors, 10.5% of brain tumors, and 4.3% of hematological cancers. Among 81 samples with telomere lengthening, 26 had somatic mutations in alpha thalassemia/mental retardation syndrome X-linked gene, corroborated by a low level of the gene expression in the subset of tumors with RNA sequencing. Telomerase reverse transcriptase gene amplification and/or activation was observed in 10 tumors with telomere lengthening, including two leukemias of the E2A-PBX1 subtype. Among hematological cancers, pathway analysis for genes with expressions most negatively correlated with telomere fractions suggests the implication of a gene ontology process of antigen presentation by Major histocompatibility complex class II. A higher ratio of telomere fractions was statistically significantly associated with poorer survival for patients with brain tumors (hazard ratio = 2.18, 95% confidence interval = 1.37 to 3.46).Conclusion: Because telomerase inhibitors are currently being explored as potential agents to treat pediatric cancer, these data are valuable because they identify a subpopulation of patients with reactivation of telomerase who are most likely to benefit from this novel therapeutic option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical activation has been widely used to synthesize porous carbon materials due to its promising application on energy storages. To ensure the sufficient activation, heavily usage of activation agent is necessary, which is unsafe and uneconomical for massive production. Here a sol-gel assisted chemical activation strategy was proposed to synthesize nitrogen doped porous carbon material. The sol-gel process ensured the activation agent uniformly mixed with carbon precursors, which achieved sufficient activation at a quietly low consumption of activation agent. As synthesized carbon material possesses high specific surface area (2140 m2/g) and N, O content (5.42 at.% and 11.29 at.%). Electrochemical characterization shows that the material delivers a capacitance of 334 F/g in 1 M H 2 SO 4 electrolyte. The sol-gel assisted chemical activation is a promising strategy to synthesize low-cost nitrogen doped porous carbon materials. Image 1 • A sol-gel assisted chemical activation was proposed to synthesize nitrogen doped porous carbon. • The carbon shows high specific surface area (2140 m2/g) and high N, O content (5.42 at.% and 11.29 at.%). • The nitrogen doped carbon material delivers a high capacitance of 334 F/g in aqueous electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The effects of malondialdehyde on myofibrillar proteins oxidation in muscle homogenate of rabbit meat were investigated. • Malondialdehyde could directly cause myoglobin autoxidation and myofibrillar protein carbonylation. • Malondialdehyde could promote the formation of hypervalent myoglobin species and release of non-heme iron, thereby promoting myofibrillar proteins oxidation. Abstract The effects of malondialdehyde (MDA) as a byproduct of lipid oxidation on myoglobin and myofibrillar proteins (MP) oxidations in muscle homogenates containing components native to rabbit muscle were investigated. For myoglobin, MDA could lead to increase in metmyoglobin percentage. For MP, MDA could promote protein carbonylation and loss of tryptophan fluorescence. In addition, MDA could affect reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating system by promoting the formation of hypervalent myoglobin species and release of non-heme iron. The result of MDA-MP adducts fluorescence intensity indicated that ROS-generating systems may be the main reason for protein carbonylation at the later of incubation treatment. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that the ability of ROS-generating systems to facilitate protein oxidation was enhanced with MDA, which was responsible for the formation of protein cross-linking throughout incubation treatment. Taken together, the ability of MDA on promoting the oxidation of MP in rabbit muscle homogenates may be relied on both adduct reactions and the influence on ROS-generating system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Silurian Tanezzuft Formation 'hot shale' in North Africa is a high-quality source rock and a major contributor to the oil and gas reserves of the Paleozoic Ghadames Basin. This hot shale has similar sedimentary characteristics to those of the Silurian Longmaxi Formation shale in the Sichuan Basin in China, which is a proven prolific source of shale gas. In this study, the oil and gas accumulation conditions and sedimentary characteristics of the Tanezzuft shale are compared with those of the commercially exploited Longmaxi shale and the Marcellus and Barnett shales (North America), and criteria for shale oil and gas potential in the Tanezzuft shale are established from these commercially exploited shales. For the Tanezzuft shale, the net pay thickness of effective source rock, total organic carbon, thermal maturity and burial depth, and the locations of faults in the Ghadames Basin are analyzed and mapped. The distributions of these variables are then used to predict the distribution of shale oil and gas with respect to the established criteria. It is shown that the Tanezzuft shale has significant potential for the production of shale oil and gas; in particular, the northeastern and southwestern slopes of the Ghadames Basin are the most favorable in terms of prospective shale oil and gas exploration. Highlights • Delineated the contour distribution of the thickness, Toc, Ro, and buried depth of the Silurian shale. • Compared the fundamental parameters of shale oil and gas that have been successfully developed. • Pointed out the favorable area distribution of shale oil and shale gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This work investigated the interrelationship among myoglobin, lipid, and protein oxidations in rabbit meat during refrigerated and superchilled storage. Peroxide value gradually increased (p < 0.05) and decreased thereafter (p > 0.05) with increased storage time for both storage treatments. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) significantly increased (p < 0.05) throughout the storage time for the storage temperature considered. The metmyoglobin proportion markedly increased (p < 0.05) and remained constant thereafter (p > 0.05). For both storage temperature levels, the extractable heme iron content significantly declined (p < 0.05), whereas non-heme iron content considerably increased (p < 0.05). With prolonged storage time, the protein carbonyl content significantly increased (p < 0.05), along with significant loss in sulfhydryl content (p < 0.05). Superchilled samples maintained lower rates of increase in metmyoglobin content, TBARS, and protein carbonyl content compared with refrigerated samples. Moreover, principal component analysis presented good correlations between TBARS, protein carbonyls and metmyoglobin content. Taken together, myoglobin, lipid and protein oxidations occurred concurrently in rabbit meat during both storage treatments and each oxidation process seemed to promote the other. Highlights • Compared with refrigerated temperature, superchilled temperature can diminish the rate of myoglobin, lipid, and protein oxidations. • Myoglobin, lipid and protein oxidations occurred concurrently in rabbit meat during refrigerated and superchilled storage. • Each oxidation process seemed to facilitate one another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: We investigated the effect of peroxyl radicals (ROO·), which are products of lipid peroxidation, on the structure and gel properties of myofibrillar proteins (MPs) isolated from rabbit meat. 2,2′‐Azobis(2‐amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) was heated to stably derive ROO·. As the AAPH concentration increased, the protein carbonyl compounds significantly accumulated (P < 0.05), and the total sulfhydryl content was significantly lost (P < 0.05). Circular dichroism spectra, UV absorption spectra, intrinsic fluorescence spectra and surface hydrophobicity revealed that ROO· caused protein unfolding and conformational changes in MPs. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE) analysis indicated that moderate (0–3 mm) and relatively high (5 and 10 mm) AAPH concentrations could lead to protein crosslinking and protein aggregation, respectively. These changes in protein structure could influence the gelling properties of MPs. Low‐level protein oxidation could increase gel strength and water holding capacity, whereas high‐level protein oxidation could reduce gel properties. Moderate oxidative modification generated by peroxyl radicals can result in protein cross‐linking as a result of the formation of disulfide bonds, thereby increasing gel strength and water holding capacity. Protein crosslinking can further aggregate to form protein polymers because of the formation of other covalent bonds, in addition to disulfide bonds, under excessive oxidative modification conditions; thus high‐level protein oxidation could reduce gel properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gallbladder cancer is highly lethal, with notable differences in incidence by geography and ethnic background. The aim of this study was to identify common genetic susceptibility alleles for gallbladder cancer.Methods: In this case-control genome-wide association study (GWAS), we did a genome-wide scan of gallbladder cancer cases and hospital visitor controls, both of Indian descent, followed by imputation across the genome. Cases were patients aged 20-80 years with microscopically confirmed primary gallbladder cancer diagnosed or treated at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India, and enrolled in the study between Sept 12, 2010, and June 8, 2015. We only included patients who had been diagnosed less than 1 year before the date of enrolment and excluded patients with any other malignancies. We recruited visitor controls aged 20-80 years with no history of cancer visiting all departments or units of Tata Memorial Hospital during the same time period and frequency matched them to cases on the basis of age, sex, and current region of residence. We estimated association using logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, and five eigenvectors. We recruited samples for a replication cohort from patients visiting Tata Memorial Hospital between Aug 4, 2015, and May 17, 2016, and patients visiting the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India, between July, 2010, and May, 2015. We used the same inclusion and exclusion criteria for the replication set. We examined three of the most significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the replication cohort and did a meta-analysis of the GWAS discovery and replication sets to get combined estimates of association.Findings: The discovery cohort comprised 1042 gallbladder cancer cases and 1709 controls and the replication cohort contained 428 gallbladder cancer cases and 420 controls. We observed genome-wide significant associations for several markers in the chromosomal region 7q21.12 harbouring both the ABCB1 and ABCB4 genes, with the most notable SNPs after replication and meta-analysis being rs1558375 (GWAS p=3·8 × 10-9; replication p=0·01; combined p=2·3 × 10-10); rs17209837 (GWAS p=2·0 × 10-8; replication p=0·02; combined p=2·3 × 10-9), and rs4148808 (GWAS p=2·4 × 10-8; replication p=0·008; combined p=2·7 × 10-9). Combined estimates of per-allele trend odds ratios were 1·47 (95% CI 1·30-1·66; p=2·31 × 10-10) for rs1558375, 1·61 (1·38-1·89; p=2·26 × 10-9) for rs17209837, and 1·57 (1·35-1·82; p=2·71 × 10-9) for rs4148808. GWAS heritability analysis suggested that common variants are associated with substantial variation in risk of gallbladder cancer (sibling relative risk 3·15 [95% CI 1·80-5·49]).Interpretation: To our knowledge, this study is the first report of common genetic variation conferring gallbladder cancer risk at genome-wide significance. This finding, along with in-silico and biological evidence indicating the potential functional significance of ABCB1 and ABCB4, underlines the likely importance of these hepatobiliary phospholipid transporter genes in the pathology of gallbladder cancer.Funding: The Tata Memorial Centre and Department of Biotechnology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of lung cancer have identified regions of common genetic variation with lung cancer risk in Europeans who smoke and never-smoking Asian women. This study aimed to conduct a GWAS in African Americans, who have higher rates of lung cancer despite smoking fewer cigarettes per day when compared with Caucasians. This population provides a different genetic architecture based on underlying African ancestry allowing the identification of new regions and exploration of known regions for finer mapping. Materials and methods We genotyped 1,024,001 SNPs in 1737 cases and 3602 controls in stage 1, followed by a replication phase of 20 SNPs ( p < 1.51 × 10 −5 ) in an independent set of 866 cases and 796 controls in stage 2. Results and conclusion In the combined analysis, we confirmed two loci to be associated with lung cancer that achieved the threshold of genome-wide significance: 15q25.1 marked by rs2036527 ( p = 1.3 × 10 −9 ; OR = 1.32; 95% CI = 1.20–1.44) near CHRNA5 , and 5p15.33 marked by rs2853677 ( p = 2.8 × 10 −9 ; OR = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.18–1.39) near TERT . The association with rs2853677 is driven by the adenocarcinoma subtype of lung cancer ( p = 1.3 × 10 −8 ; OR = 1.37; 95% CI = 1.23–1.54). No SNPs reached genome-wide significance for either of the main effect models examining smoking − cigarettes per day and current or former smoker. Our study was powered to identify strong risk loci for lung cancer in African Americans; we confirmed results previously reported in African Americans and other populations for two loci near plausible candidate genes, CHRNA5 and TERT , on 15q25.1 and 5p15.33 respectively, are associated with lung cancer. Additional work is required to map and understand the biological underpinnings of the strong association of these loci with lung cancer risk in African Americans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research on optical wireless communication (OWC) has been going on for more than two decades. Particularly, visible light communication (VLC), as a means of OWC combining communication with illumination, has been regarded as a promising indoor high-speed wireless approach for short-distance access. Recently, lightwave, millimeter-wave (mmWave), terahertz (THz) and other spectrum mediums are considered as potential candidates for beyond fifth-generation/sixth-generation (B5G/6G) mobile communication networks. On the basis of previous studies, this review focuses on revealing how the research of next-generation OWC technology should be carried out to meet the requirements of B5G/6G for practical deployment. The research, development and engineering transformation of the OWC systems are a paragon of interdisciplinary. It involves a wide discussion on how to build a high-speed, multi-user, full-duplex, white-light OWC system based on existing technologies by showing the innovations and trade-offs at various levels with material, device, air-interface technology, system and network architecture. The compatibility of OWC is emphasized and some advanced heterogeneous OWC systems are presented, which involves the combination or integration of various functions such as sensing, near-infrared (NIR) beam-steering, positioning and coexistence with radio frequency (RF) communication. Finally, several potential directions are pointed out for the actual engineering deployment in the B5G/6G era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The fat portion of traditional Chinese bacon was used as a food matrix. • The microbial community and metabolic characteristics of fat portion was revealed. • The metabolic profile consists mainly of lipids and lipid-like molecules. • Salinivibrio was a dominant bacterium detected firstly in fermented meat. • Salinivibrio , Staphylococcus and Vibrio showed strong correlation with metabolites. Both lean meat and fat together contribute to the consumer impression of traditional Chinese bacon. The quality of this meat product is mainly dependent on numerous biochemical reactions and microbes. For the first time, this study reveals the microbial community succession and metabolic characteristics of the fat portion during the processing of traditional Chinese bacon by high-throughput sequencing and untargeted metabolomics (ultra-high performance liquid chromatography, UHPLC). The results showed that Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were the predominant bacterial phyla in traditional Chinese bacon. At the genus level, 15 core genera (relative abundance >1%) were identified, including Salinivibrio , Staphylococcus , Brochothrix , Vibrio , Psychrobacter , Acinetobacter , Carnobacterium , Aeromonas , Pseudomona , Cobetia , Macrococcus , Enterobacter , Kocuria , unclassified-f- Vibrionaceae , and Empedobacter. Distinct separation between different groups were identified by principal component analysis, revealing significant differences in the metabolic characteristics of different samples. A total of 262 metabolites were identified, and most of the metabolites belonged to lipids and lipid-like molecules, of which 60 were identified as differential metabolites. Results of correlation analysis indicated that some differential metabolites were significantly positively correlated with dominant bacteria, such as Salinivibrio , Vibrio , Cobetia and Staphylococcus , which reinforced the fact that microorganisms have an indispensable role in the quality formation of traditional Chinese bacon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural gases in Ordovician reservoirs of the Tazhong area of the Tarim Basin appear derived by oil-cracking gas. The gases show very different geochemical characteristics. Most of the gases in the middle and eastern part of the No. 1 fault-slope zone are characterized by high gas dryness coefficients and have methane δ 13 C 1 values heavier than primary gas. These features are different from gases in the western part of the No. 1 fault-slope zone. Thus, we propose that there existed mixing between more mature, 13 C-rich methane dominated gas and less mature wet gas with 13 C-depleted methane. The hypothesis is supported by (1) roughly a positive correlation between the gas dryness coefficient and methane δ 13 C 1 value, (2) significantly heavier δ 13 C 1 values in the eastern part of the study area than in the west, and (3) significantly heavier δ 13 C 1 values than anticipated for unaltered gas co-generated with C 2 –C 4 . The charge and mixing of the dry gas into the Ordovician pools may have resulted in increase in wax contents of the oils, gas/oil ratios, gas dryness coefficients and methane δ 13 C values, leading to a positive correlation between gas/oil ratio and paraffin wax content as a result of continuous fractionation and removal of light components of an oil with progressive gas influx and thus gas washing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a joint (pooled) analysis of three genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in individuals of Chinese ancestry (5,337 ESCC cases and 5,787 controls) with 9,654 ESCC cases and 10,058 controls for follow-up. In a logistic regression model adjusted for age, sex, study and two eigenvectors, two new loci achieved genome-wide significance, marked by rs7447927 at 5q31.2 (per-allele odds ratio (OR) = 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.82-0.88; P = 7.72 × 10−20) and rs1642764 at 17p13.1 (per-allele OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.85-0.91; P = 3.10 × 10−13). rs7447927 is a synonymous SNP in TMEM173, and rs1642764 is an intronic SNP in ATP1B2, near TP53. Furthermore, a locus in the HLA class II region at 6p21.32 (rs35597309) achieved genome-wide significance in the two populations at highest risk for ESSC (OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.22-1.46; P = 1.99 × 10−10). Our joint analysis identifies new ESCC susceptibility loci overall as well as a new locus unique to the population in the Taihang Mountain region at high risk of ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The properties of white meat, such as chicken and fish, changed quickly in the early postmortem period. This study focused on the relationship between myofibrillar protein and the eating quality of chicken in this period. The results showed that the eating quality of chicken, such as texture, water holding capacity and shear force value, decreased in the early postmortem period. The western blot analysis indicated that the desmin and troponin T were degraded significantly with postmortem time. Meanwhile, the myofibril protein degeneration in this period was evaluated by Fourier transform infrared and Differential Scanning Calorimetry. The findings demonstrated that the ordered structure of the myofibrillar protein was destroyed, and its thermal stability was reduced with the prolongation of postmortem time. Subsequently, the transmission electron microscope results suggested that the heating processing could destroy the connection between the weakened Z‐line and the myofilament. Overall, the decline in thermal stability and degradation of myofibrillar may worsen the structural instability of chicken during heating, which may be a significant contributor to the variations of chicken quality in the early postmortem period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age-adjusted mortality rates for prostate cancer are higher for African-American men compared with those of European ancestry. Recent data suggest that West African men also have elevated risk for prostate cancer relative to European men. Genetic susceptibility to prostate cancer could account for part of this difference. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of prostate cancer in West African men in the Ghana Prostate Study. Association testing was performed using multivariable logistic regression adjusted for age and genetic ancestry for 474 prostate cancer cases and 458 population-based controls on the Illumina HumanOmni-5 Quad BeadChip. The most promising association was at 10p14 within an intron of a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA RP11-543F8.2) 360 kb centromeric of GATA3 ( p = 1.29E−7). In sub-analyses, SNPs at 5q31.3 were associated with high Gleason score (≥7) cancers, the strongest of which was a missense SNP in PCDHA1 (rs34575154, p = 3.66E−8), and SNPs at Xq28 (rs985081, p = 8.66E−9) and 6q21 (rs2185710, p = 5.95E−8) were associated with low Gleason score (<7) cancers. We sought to validate our findings in silico in the African Ancestry Prostate Cancer GWAS Consortium, but only one SNP, at 10p14, replicated at p < 0.05. Of the 90 prostate cancer loci reported from studies of men of European, Asian or African-American ancestry, we were able to test 81 in the Ghana Prostate Study, and 10 of these replicated at p < 0.05. Further genetic studies of prostate cancer in West African men are needed to confirm our promising susceptibility loci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The C3435T (rs1045642) polymorphism, located in multi-drug resistance gene 1 (MDR1), has demonstrated its role in decreasing the P-gp activity level which is related to the carcinogenesis. Many published studies have evaluated the association between the MDR1 C3435T polymorphism and breast cancer risk. However, the results remain conflicting rather than conclusive. To derive a more precise estimation of the association between MDR1 C3435T polymorphism and risk of breast cancer, we performed a meta-analysis comprised of 10 case–control studies, including 5282 breast cancer cases and 7703 controls. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the strength of the association. The overall results indicated that the variant genotypes were associated with a significantly increased risk of breast cancer (TT versus CC: OR=1.45, 95% CI=1.14–1.30, TT versus CT/CC: OR=1.13, 95% CI=1.04–1.23, TT/CT versus CC: OR=1.22, 95% CI=1.02–1.46). Our results suggest that the MDR1 C3435T polymorphism may contribute to individual susceptibility to breast cancer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The avian-origin influenza A(H7N9) virus has emerged as a cause of human infections. The authors describe the clinical, virological, and histopathological changes of 6 fatal human infections by avian influenza A(H7N9) virus.Background. Systematic analysis of histopathological and serial virological changes of fatal influenza A(H7N9) cases is lacking.Methods. Patients with A(H7N9) infection admitted to our intensive care unit during 10–23 April 2013 were included. Viral loads in the respiratory tract, as inferred from the cycle threshold (Ct) value of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the serum hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) antibody titer, were analyzed. Postmortem biopsies of the lung, liver, kidney, spleen, bone marrow, and heart were examined.Results. Twelve patients (6 deaths, 6 survivors) were included. Median viral load was higher in sputa than the nasopharyngeal swabs for fatal cases (median Ct, 23 vs 30.5; P = .08). RT-PCR for A(H7N9) was positive in stool samples (4/6 [67%]) of fatal cases and (2/6 [33%]) of survivors, but was negative in the cerebrospinal fluid, urine, or blood of all patients. Nosocomial bacterial infections were more common in patients who died than in survivors (83% vs 50%). HAI titers increased by ≥4-fold in those with convalescent sera. Postmortem biopsy for 3 patients showed acute diffuse alveolar damage. Patient 1, who died 8 days after symptom onset, had intra-alveolar hemorrhage. Patients 2 and 3, who died 11 days after symptom onset, had pulmonary fibroproliferative changes. Reactive hemophagocytosis in the bone marrow and lymphoid atrophy in splenic tissues were compatible with laboratory findings of leukopenia, lymphopenia, and thrombocytopenia. Hypoxic and fatty changes of kidney and liver tissues are compatible with impaired renal or liver function.Conclusions. Fatal A(H7N9) infection was characterized by viral and secondary bacterial pneumonia with 67% having positive RT-PCR in stool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the impacts that influence water quality is critical to the development of best management practices at the large watershed scale. This study describes the spatiotemporal variation in surface water quality and identifies their main impact in the Haihe River basin, China. Multivariate statistical techniques are applied to analyze the similarities among the sampling sites and to identify the main pollution sources in surface water. Results show that: (1) the basin can be clustered into two regions, water quality being better in the mountainous vs. plain regions; (2) water quality improves due to implementation of a strict state policy on environmental pollution control, prodded by the hosting of the Olympic games in the cities of Beijing and Tianjin; and (3) agricultural and residential land uses as well as livestock-breeding are the main sources affecting water quality in the mountainous regions, whereas rural waste discharge - including domestic waste sewage, human and animal feces, and solid waste - significantly influences water quality in the plain regions. The waste discharge of industrial factories may be a significant source of water pollution in the plain regions. Results indicate that the environmental management from pollution sinks and sources, long-lasting legal framework, and adequate economic incentives should be improved to optimize the large-scale watershed management under the background of the rapid development of countries like China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • PSE-like meat was induced by incubation of post-mortem rabbit at 37 °C for 3 h. • PSE-like incubation could activate ROS-generating systems. • Enhanced ROS-generating systems in PSE-like meat boosted protein oxidation. • PSE-like meat fervently responded to protein oxidative degradation. This work investigated the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) - generating systems on the softening of the pale, soft and exudative-like (PSE-like) rabbit meat during aging. PSE-like meat was induced by incubation of post-mortem rabbit Longissimus thoracis et lumborum at 37 °C for 3 h. During aging, PSE-like meat samples had higher values in peroxides value, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, metmyoglobin percentage, ferrylmyoglobin content, non-heme iron content, hydroxyl radical content and ROS concentration compared with the normal ones, suggesting that PSE-like incubation could activate lipid-oxidizing system, myoglobin-mediated oxidation system, together with metal-catalyzed oxidation system. Additionally, higher protein carbonyl content was observed in PSE-like meat, along with a significant loss in sulfhydryl group. The results of SDS-PAGE suggested that more serious protein degradation occurred in PSE-like meat. It is plausible that the activated ROS-generating system played an underlying role in the softening texture during the aging period of PSE-like meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified multiple SNPs associated with prostate cancer (PrCa). Population isolates may have different sets of risk alleles for PrCa constituting unique population and individual risk profiles. Methods: To test this hypothesis, associations between 31 GWAS SNPs of PrCa were examined among 979 PrCa cases and 1,251 controls of Ashkenazic descent using logistic regression. We also investigated risks by age at diagnosis, pathological features of PrCa, and family history of cancer. Moreover, we examined associations between cumulative number of risk alleles and PrCa and assessed the utility of risk alleles in PrCa risk prediction by comparing the area under the curve (AUC) for different logistic models. Results: Of the 31 genotyped SNPs, 8 were associated with PrCa at p≤0.002 (corrected p-value threshold) with odds ratios (ORs) ranging from 1.22 to 1.42 per risk allele. Four SNPs were associated with aggressive PrCa, while three other SNPs showed potential interactions for PrCa by family history of PrCa (rs8102476; 19q13), lung cancer (rs17021918; 4q22), and breast cancer (rs10896449; 11q13). Men in the highest vs. lowest quartile of cumulative number of risk alleles had ORs of 3.70 (95% CI 2.76–4.97); 3.76 (95% CI 2.57–5.50), and 5.20 (95% CI 2.94–9.19) for overall PrCa, aggressive cancer and younger age at diagnosis, respectively. The addition of cumulative risk alleles to the model containing age at diagnosis and family history of PrCa yielded a slightly higher AUC (0.69 vs. 0.64). Conclusion: These data define a set of risk alleles associated with PrCa in men of Ashkenazic descent and indicate possible genetic differences for PrCa between populations of European and Ashkenazic ancestry. Use of genetic markers might provide an opportunity to identify men at highest risk for younger age of onset PrCa; however, their clinical utility in identifying men at highest risk for aggressive cancer remains limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic variation on the Y chromosome has not been convincingly implicated in prostate cancer risk. To comprehensively analyze the role of inherited Y chromosome variation in prostate cancer risk in individuals of European ancestry, we genotyped 34 binary Y chromosome markers in 3,995 prostate cancer cases and 3,815 control subjects drawn from four studies. In this set, we identified nominally significant association between a rare haplogroup, E1b1b1c, and prostate cancer in stage I ( P = 0.012, OR = 0.51; 95% confidence interval 0.30-0.87). Population substructure of E1b1b1c carriers suggested Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, prompting a replication phase in individuals of both European and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. The association was not significant for prostate cancer overall in studies of either Ashkenazi Jewish (1,686 cases and 1,597 control subjects) or European (686 cases and 734 control subjects) ancestry ( P = 0.078), but a meta-analysis of stage I and II studies revealed a nominally significant association with prostate cancer risk ( P = 0.010, OR = 0.77; 95% confidence interval 0.62-0.94). Comparing haplogroup frequencies between studies, we noted strong similarities between those conducted in the US and France, in which the majority of men carried R1 haplogroups, resembling Northwestern European populations. On the other hand, Finns had a remarkably different haplogroup distribution with a preponderance of N1c and I1 haplogroups. In summary, our results suggest that inherited Y chromosome variation plays a limited role in prostate cancer etiology in European populations but warrant follow-up in additional large and well characterized studies of multiple ethnic backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) protein levels form the basis for a widely used test to screen men for prostate cancer. Germline variants in the gene that encodes the PSA protein ( KLK3) have been shown to be associated with both serum PSA levels and prostate cancer. Based on a resequencing analysis of a 56 kb region on chromosome 19q13.33, centered on the KLK3 gene, we fine mapped this locus by genotyping tag SNPs in 3,522 prostate cancer cases and 3,338 controls from five case-control studies. We did not observe a strong association with the KLK3 variant, reported in previous studies to confer risk for prostate cancer (rs2735839; P = 0.20) but did observe three highly correlated SNPs (rs17632542, rs62113212 and rs62113214) associated with prostate cancer [ P = 3.41 × 10, per-allele trend odds ratio (OR) = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.67-0.89]. The signal was apparent only for nonaggressive prostate cancer cases with Gleason score <7 and disease stage 8 or stage ≥III ( P = 0.31, per-allele trend OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 0.90-1.40). One of the three highly correlated SNPs, rs17632542, introduces a non-synonymous amino acid change in the KLK3 protein with a predicted benign or neutral functional impact. Baseline PSA levels were 43.7% higher in control subjects with no minor alleles (1.61 ng/ml, 95% CI = 1.49-1.72) than in those with one or more minor alleles at any one of the three SNPs (1.12 ng/ml, 95% CI = 0.96-1.28) ( P = 9.70 × 10). Together our results suggest that germline KLK3 variants could influence the diagnosis of nonaggressive prostate cancer by influencing the likelihood of biopsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many popular methods for exploring gene-gene interactions, including the case-only approach, rely on the key assumption that physically distant loci are in linkage equilibrium in the underlying population. These methods utilize the presence of correlation between unlinked loci in a disease-enriched sample as evidence of interactions among the loci in the etiology of the disease. We use data from the CGEMS case-control genome-wide association study of breast cancer to demonstrate empirically that the case-only and related methods have the potential to create large-scale false positives because of the presence of population stratification (PS) that creates long-range linkage disequilibrium in the genome. We show that the bias can be removed by considering parametric and nonparametric methods that assume gene-gene independence between unlinked loci, not in the entire population, but only conditional on population substructure that can be uncovered based on the principal components of a suitably large panel of PS markers. Applications in the CGEMS study as well as simulated data show that the proposed methods are robust to the presence of population stratification and are yet much more powerful, relative to standard logistic regression methods that are also commonly used as robust alternatives to the case-only type methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of source of oil/gas in the platform basin area in Tarim Basin has been debated for a long time, and the debate is focused on whether the marine oil/gas resources that have been discovered in the basin were originated from hydrocarbon source rocks in the Cambrian-Lower Ordovician or in the Mid-Upper Ordovician. In this paper a summary was made in regard to the major points and supporting data by the predecessors, and a discussion was conducted toward the core issues related to the study on the oil source in the Tarim Basin area, such as choice of correlation parameters, influence of maturation and physical differentiation on oil source correlation parameters, and geological and geochemical significance of these relevant correlation indices. It is quite probable that different interpretation results could arise from the oil source correlation due to choice of parameters severely affected by the thermal maturation and physical differentiation effect, and insisted that only those parameters that come with clearly defined geochemical significance and are less affected by thermal maturation and variations occurring during secondary evolution process are valid ones. The marine crude in Tarim Basin covers contributions that were originated from two sets of hydrocarbon source rocks as mentioned above but dominated by the one from the Mid-Upper Ordovician hydrocarbon source rocks. Here oil of mixed sources occurs extensively, and crude from Cambrian sources was also discovered. It is suggested that for further study on the origin of marine crudes in Tarim Basin, the parameters used for correlation of oil sources shall be optimized, and a comprehensive set of geological and geochemical methods shall be adopted for this purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Calpain activity inhibition reduces post-mortem lysosomal destruction. • Calpain could induce the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in post-mortem muscle. • Mitochondrial pathway apoptosis influences post-mortem tenderness in chicken. While calpain's role in myofibrillar protein degradation is well-established, its impact on post-mortem apoptosis remains fully elucidated. This study aimed to examine how calpain influences the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in post-mortem muscle cells and assess its potential impact on chicken tenderness. The findings indicate that the calpain inhibitor treatment could decelerate the rate of lysosome destruction in post-mortem chicken, which is a crucial factor in delaying the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Subsequently, this inhibition enhanced the mitochondrial membrane's stability and suppressed the apoptosis-inducing factor Cyt c release into the sarcoplasm. The Western blot results in a greater myofibrillar protein degradation degree in the caspase inhibitor samples compared to the calpain inhibitor samples. Interestingly, the two groups had no significant difference in shear force. Based on these reasons, a novel perspective was introduced in this paper: Calpain could affect the change in meat tenderness by regulating mitochondrial apoptosis in the post-mortem period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To overcome the drawbacks of dehydration and low gel strength of the gels of l -arginine-treated konjac glucomannan (KGM), thermally irreversible gel was prepared by l -arginine induced KGM-modified starch mixed sol. The effects of the three modified starches (corn modified starch, acetylated bis-starch adipate, and hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate) on the mixed system were investigated by texture analysis, scanning electron microscopy, Low field NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Differential thermal analysis. The results showed a gradual increase in hardness with increasing concentration of modified starch. Differential thermal results indicated that acetylated bis-starch adipate composited gels had the highest thermal decomposition temperature (309 °C). The changes in the textural properties and thermal stability of the three mixed gels were mainly attributed to the enhanced hydrogen bonding between starch/KGM/ l -arginine, and changes in the microstructure. When the starch concentration was higher, the denser the gel network structure was, the more difficult it was for water trapped in the gel system to precipitate out. The results indicated that acetylated bis-starch adipate was more suitable to be added to the mixed system to prepare thermally irreversible gels. • The three modified starch could enhance textural properties of composite gels. • The composite gel with acetylated bis-starch adipate (ABS) had better properties. • l -arginine changed the microstructure of KGM/modified starch composite gel. • l -arginine promoted cross-linking between modified starch and KGM molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND RESULTS CONCLUSION The steam processing characteristics of chicken are a key factor in the simplicity and versatility of steamed chicken dishes. The aim of this study was to investigate in depth the changes in tenderness and water retention of marinated chicken at different slow steaming endpoint temperatures, and to further explore the effect of the evolution of protein conformations on the water status.The results showed that chicken samples’ shear force peaked at 80 °C and decreased rapidly at 90 °C. As the steaming endpoint temperature increased between 50 and 90 °C, T21, T22, moisture content and centrifugal loss decreased, but P21, P22 and myofibril water‐holding capacity showed regular changes. The electrophoretic bands and protein conformation changes showed that protein in marinated chicken underwent different degrees of denaturation, degradation and aggregation. And at 70 °C, with an increase of hydrophobic groups and crosslinking of disulfide bonds as well as an increase in the number of denatured sarcoplasmic proteins, the intermolecular network was enhanced, thus affecting the water retention.Water status of chicken meat heated at different steaming temperatures is closely related to the evolution of protein conformations. The present study serves as a robust theoretical foundation for enhancing the quality of steamed chicken products at an industrial scale. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of the retail display temperature (8 °C, 3 °C and − 1 °C) on the discoloration of the Longissimus thoracis et lumborum of rabbits and the associations among such effects with microbial spoilage, myoglobin autoxidation, lipid oxidation, and protein oxidation were investigated. The total aerobic count, total volatile basic nitrogen content, metmyoglobin content, protein carbonyl content, and contents of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances steadily increased during retail display. Moreover, the lightness and redness of the rabbit meat significantly (P < 0.05) declined over time, whereas the yellowness increased considerably (P < 0.05) with prolonged retail time. Canonical correlation analysis suggested that microbial spoilage, myoglobin autoxidation, lipid oxidation, and protein oxidation jointly affected rabbit meat color. Linear mixed models further revealed that microbial spoilage, myoglobin autoxidation, lipid oxidation and protein oxidation positively affected yellowness, and they inversely impacted lightness and redness. • The effects of retail display temperatures (8°C, 3 °C and -1 °C) on the discoloration of rabbit meat were investigated. • Linear mixed models were used to estimate the relationship between color changes versus microbial spoilage and oxidation reactions. • Rabbit meat color was affected by myoglobin autoxidation, microbial spoilage, lipid oxidation, and protein oxidation during retail display. • -1 °C can be developed as a commercial retail temperature for rabbit meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Effects of thermal temperature on the shelf life of braised chicken were studied. • Thermal at 95 °C and 121 °C could prolong the shelf life of braised chicken. • Fresh odor of 84 °C/95 °C-treated braised chicken was maintained during storage. • Clostridium and Bacillus were only very active in 84 °C-treated samples. • 95 °C can be developed as one potential thermal temperature for braised chicken. This work investigated the effects of different thermal temperatures (84 °C for 35 min, 95 °C for 30 min, and 121 °C for 20 min) on the shelf life and microbial diversity of Dezhou-braised chicken. During refrigerated storage at 4 °C, the increase rate of total viable counts, pH and TVB-N value, was lower in 95 °C-treated and 121 °C-sterilized groups, when compared with 84 °C-treated group. Electronic nose revealed that the fresh odor of Dezhou-braised chicken treated by 84 °C and 95 °C could be maintained during storage. Additionally, 95 °C contributed to the maintenance of good texture of chicken. High throughput sequencing showed that Bacillus and Clostridium were only very active in 84 °C-treated samples, but not in 95 °C-treated and 121 °C-sterilized samples. Taken together, 95 °C can be developed as one potential thermal treatment temperature for Dezhou-braised chicken, due to its positive effects on maintaining fresh odor and texture together with extending shelf life while also protecting food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to obtain chitosan composite films with gratifying physical and functional properties. First, we developed a Pickering emulsion containing clove essential oil (CEO)-loaded nanoparticles with 1:2 (w /w) zein and sodium caseinate (NaCas). We found that in this ratio, the CEO-loaded zein-NaCas (C/ZN) nanoparticles had smaller particle size, proper polydispersity index (PDI) and zeta potential as well as higher encapsulation efficiency. Then, the acquired C/ZN nanoparticles were incorporated into chitosan film at three levels (0.2%, 0.4% and 0.6%), reducing the water vapor permeability to 4.62 × 10−6 g·s−1·m−1·Pa. Also, the tensile strength and break elongation of chitosan films were increased, reaching 38.67 MPa and 1.56%, respectively. The infrared spectroscopy verified that the intermolecular hydrogen bonds exist between chitosan and C/ZN nanoparticles. The chitosan composite films showed a controlled-release property of CEO in 96 h. Finally, the chitosan composite films showed the improved antibacterial property by creating larger inhibition zones against Escherichia coli (3.29 mm) and Staphylococcus aureus (6.15 mm). In general, we improved the water resistance, light blocking, mechanical strength, controlled-release and antibacterial properties of chitosan film with C/ZN nanoparticles. The current edible antibacterial films have great potential on applications for food preservation and food delivery system. The schematic illustration of the preparation of chitosan films with CEO-loaded zein-NaCas nanoparticles. [Display omitted] • A stable Pickering emulsion containing CEO-loaded zein-NaCas nanoparticles was developed and incorporated to chitosan film. • The acquired Pickering emulsion could improve the water resistance and light blocking properties of chitosan film. • The acquired Pickering emulsion could improve the mechanical properties of chitosan film. • The composite chitosan films exhibited a controlled-release on CEO and a strong antimicrobial activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The effects of stewing at a constant temperature (95 °C) for different times (45 and 90 min) on the physicochemical characteristics of lean meat (LM) and lean meat in pork belly (LMIPB) were investigated. When the stewing time was 90 min, the hardness, springiness, cohesiveness and chewiness of LMIPB were 186.35 g, 0.07 (ratio), 0.18 (ratio) and 241.90 g lower than those of LM, respectively. The chemical changes in myofibrillar protein (MP) mainly including the degree of oxidation degradation, such as carbonyl content, cross‐linked polymer and β‐sheet, were increased with prolonged stewing time. The sulfhydryl content, Zeta potential (absolute value) and α‐helix were decreased markedly. The chemical changes of MP in the LMIPB were greater than those in the LM during the stewing process. These results indicated that fat in stewing process could promote the oxidation degradation of MP in meat, and then affected the texture characteristics of meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With mounting interest in translating genome-wide association study (GWAS) hits from large meta-analyses (meta-GWAS) in diverse clinical settings, evaluating their generalizability in target populations is crucial. Here, we consider long-term survivors of childhood cancers from the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort Study, and we show the limited generalizability of 1,376 robust SNP associations reported in the general population across 12 complex anthropometric and cardiometabolic phenotypes (n = 2,231; observed-to-expected replication ratio = 0.70, p = 6.2 × 10−8). An examination of five comparable phenotypes in a second independent cohort of survivors from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study corroborated the overall limited generalizability of meta-GWAS hits to survivors (n = 4,212; observed-to-expected replication ratio = 0.55, p = 5.6 × 10−15). Finally, in direct comparisons of survivor samples against independent equivalently powered general population samples from the UK Biobank, we consistently observed lower meta-GWAS hit replication rates and poorer polygenic risk score predictive performance in survivor samples for multiple phenotypes. As a possible explanation, we found that meta-GWAS hits were less likely to be replicated in survivors who had been exposed to cancer therapies that are associated with phenotype risk. Examination of complementary DNA methylation data in a subset of survivors revealed that treatment-related methylation patterns at genomic sites linked to meta-GWAS hits may disrupt established genetic signals in survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different NaCl content and drying temperatures on the lipid oxidation, protein oxidation, and physical properties of dry‐cured chicken. In the final product, lipid oxidation, protein oxidation, and physical properties were significantly affected by NaCl and temperature. Increased NaCl content and temperature led to significantly increased level of indicators including conjugated diene, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and carbonyl contents (P < 0.05). Conversely, the sulfhydryl contents and surface hydrophobicity significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Results of sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis further indicated that NaCl and temperature affected protein oxidation and degradation. According to the drying curve, the main factor affecting the drying time was the drying temperature and a slower rate of moisture loss occurred in samples with higher NaCl content. Moreover, due to the effects of temperature on lipid and protein oxidation and moisture diffusion, the hardness and shrinkage ratio increased with temperature. Practical Application: Dry‐cured chicken is a kind of air‐dried meat product. During actual production of dry‐cured chicken, its physicochemical characteristics (e.g., lipid and protein oxidation and texture) are affected by NaCl content and drying temperature. In this study, the NaCl content and drying temperature were found to promote lipid and protein oxidation and have significant effects on texture properties. Therefore, the NaCl content and drying temperature should be controlled to improve the quality of dry‐cured chicken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple route is presented to fabricate the nano zero‐valent iron/carbon sphere (nZVI/CSs) composites via Fe2+ ion‐adsorption and then reduction reaction on the pre‐prepared CSs. The nZVI/CSs composites with monodispersed nZVI particles are successfully fabricated. The monodispersed nZVI particles with 30–50 nm in size are uniformly decorated on the sub‐microsized CSs with about 250 nm in diameter. These nZVI/CSs composites are of enough high specific surface area (about 55.8 m2⋅g−1) and good ferromagnetism. Importantly, such nZVI/CSs have exhibited significantly stronger and faster removal performances to the organic pollutants compared with the pure nZVI and pure CSs, in addition to the easy separation from solutions. Typically, in the DDT [or 1,1,1‐trichloro‐2, 2‐bis(4‐chlorophenyl)ethane] aqueous solution with 10 ppm, more than 95% of DDT content can be removed within 140 min after adding 1.0 g⋅L−1 nZVI/CSs. The capacity of removal is up to 15.6 mg⋅g−1, remarkably larger than the previously reported one (2.5 mg⋅g−1) by carbon nanotubes. This is attributed to the synergistic effects from the CSs' high adsorptivity and nZVI's strong reducibility. This study not only provides a new candidate material for the treatment of the DDT‐polluted environments, but also deepens understanding the process of DDT removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Calpain lead to the myofibrillar protein degradation in the early postmortem. • Desmin degradation broke the Z-line and caused α-actinin released to sarcoplasm. • The weakened Z-line intensify the transverse contraction of muscle fragments. • Varying heating shrinkage result in different eating qualities of cooked chicken. Although the relationship between myofibrillar protein status and cooked meat quality is well documented, its underlying mechanism still need to be clarified. In this study, the effect of calpain-induced myofibrillar degradation on the cooked chicken quality was discussed by comparing the difference in muscle fiber's heat shrinkage state. In early postmortem, the protein around Z-line was degraded, which would cause the unstable Z-line and released into the sarcoplasm, according to WB results. This phenomenon will aggravate the lateral contraction of muscle fragments during the heating process. Then along comes a higher cooking loss and lower texture properties of meat. Above findings indicate that the Z-line dissociation caused by calpain in the early postmortem period is an essential reason for the quality difference of mature chicken. This study provided a fresh light on the mechanism underlying the impact of myofibril degradation in the early postmortem on the quality of cooked chicken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Adult cancer patients and survivors often experience social integration and connectedness chal-lenges. This systematic review summarizes the effect of social integration or social connectedness interventions among young- and middle-aged cancer patients and survivors based on 28 empirical studies published between 2000 and 2021. We found that social integration interventions that utilize technology- and/or non-technology-based platforms show improved social outcomes, increased awareness about available cancer-related resources, decreased perceived isolation, increased knowledge and access to cancer survivorship resources, and improved patient-reported outcomes among cancer individuals versus the comparison individuals. We recommend utilizing suitable platforms, whether technological or non-technological, to facilitate connections between cancer patients/survivors with friends, fellow cancer patients, or society members. This will enable pa-tients/survivors to access essential resources and support, thus enhancing their ability to cope with challenging life situations and ultimately improving social well-being and health outcomes. Background: The majority of adult cancer patients/survivors encounter social challenges (e.g., obtaining social support, maintaining social relationships, feelings of social isolation). This systematic review summarizes intervention studies addressing social integration or social connectedness issues among young- and middle-aged cancer patients/survivors. Methods: We searched the PubMed, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases (January 2000–May 2021) to identify intervention studies that addressed social integration, social connectedness, social support, and social isolation for cancer patients/survivors in young- and middle-aged adulthood (18–64.9 years) through a randomized controlled trial (RCT). We categorized the interventions as technology-based, non-technology-based, and mixed-type (technology- and non-technology-based). Results: A total of 28 studies were identified. These interventions demonstrated improved social outcomes (e.g., increased social support, decreased loneliness), increased awareness of available cancer-related resources, and better patient-reported outcomes among patients/survivors versus controls. Specifically, the use of internet-based discussion sessions was associated with improved social cohesion and social support. Receiving social support from peers through networking sites was associated with improved physical activity. Additionally, implementing mixed-type interventions led to better social support from peer survivors, less fear of social interactions, and improved social connectedness. Conclusions: Using existing technology- and/or non-technology-based platforms to facilitate social connectedness among cancer patients/survivors in young- or middle-aged adulthood can help them cope with stressful life circumstances and improve quality-of-life. Further interventions targeting social integration (e.g., social network interventions) are needed to improve the complex social integration challenges experienced by cancer patients and survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cancer-related worry (CRW; concerns related to cancer and its late effects) is prevalent among childhood cancer survivors. Elevated CRW has been associated with self-reported suboptimal physical activity. The aim of this investigation was to describe associations between CRW and objectively assessed physical activity in childhood cancer survivors. Methods: CRW was assessed at a baseline evaluation using six survey items. Weekly minutes of moderate and vigorous physical activity were captured by actigraphy 5.25 (3.8-8.0) yr later. Factor analysis was used to identify types of worry; multiple regression determined independent associations between CRW and moderate and vigorous physical activity adjusting for sex, race, diagnosis, age at baseline, anxiety level at baseline, self-reported physical activity at baseline, and pain interference at baseline. Results: Participants (n = 1223) were an average of 30.9 (SD, 6.9) yr at baseline and 36.1 (SD, 7.1) yr at follow-up. Thirty-seven percent were survivors of leukemia, 26% of non-CNS solid tumors, 19% of lymphoma, 11% of CNS tumors, and 6% of other malignancies. Two types of CRW were identified: "body-focused" and "general fear." Body-focused CRW (β = -19.6, P = 0.012), endorsing pain interference (β = -27.7, P = 0.002) at baseline, and having a diagnosis of CNS tumor (β = -41.3, P = 0.0003) or non-CNS solid tumor (β = -19.4, P = 0.02) were negatively associated with physical activity at follow-up. Conclusions: CRW related to bodily function and appearance is associated with decreased physical activity. Clinicians should consider the potential negative impact of CRW on physical activity levels and provide behavioral counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the clinical characteristics and prognostic value of prognostic nutritional index (PNI) for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) treated in the rituximab era, baseline clinical and disease characteristics were recorded in our hospital. Concentration of T-helper cell type (Th1/Th2/Th17) cytokine profiles were measured by flow cytometry. DLBCL patients were classified into low and high PNI group based on the cutoff value as previously reported. Clinical features and survivals were compared between high and low group. In all, 114 (37%) out of 309 patients were classified as low PNI group. The low group had lower levels of albumin, hemoglobin and lymphocyte counts, and older age, and high lactate dehydroxygenase (LDH), and high frequencies of advanced stage, poor performance status, B symptoms, extranodal involvement, and higher level of interferon gamma (INF-γ). Low PNI was associated with poor overall survival (OS) in univariate analyses. But these significances did not stand in the paired patients matched by the well-established prognostic factors. In parallel, there was no significance between survival and PNI in the multivariate analyses. PNI was closely correlated with the well-established prognostic factors for DLBCL patients and was not an independent prognostic factor in our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This work investigated protein oxidation, proteolysis and their interrelationship during the manufacturing process of low-sodium Chinese traditional bacon. The bacons were prepared by four different salting treatments: substituting sodium chloride (NaCl) using 0, 30, 50, and 70% of potassium chloride (KCl). Protein oxidation was evaluated by total carbonylation, thiol oxidation, and tryptophan fluorescence changes. Proteolysis was detected by non-protein nitrogen, free amino acid, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In the manufacturing process of low-sodium Chinese bacon, protein oxidation and protein proteolysis were simultaneously observed. Electrophoresis pattern showed that 70% substitution of KCl could promote proteolysis, meanwhile, protein oxidation possibly facilitated by 70% KCl replacement resulted in reduced tryptophan fluorescence and increased total carbonyl content. Additionally, a good correlation between protein oxidation and proteolysis was observed. Highlights • High ratio replacement (70%) of KCl could promote proteolysis and protein oxidation. • Protein oxidation and proteolysis simultaneously occurred in the processing of Chinese traditional low-salt meat. • Protein oxidation and proteolysis were coupled, and each process seemed to facilitate one another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study which investigates the statistical imputation of uncommon and common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with a novel reference set. The study has used patterns of relation disequilibrium determined in a reference set of haplotypes to know identify genetic variants in silico. Results show that for common variants, a reference set of enough size can predict common SNPs if there is a variance in population ancestry.

A correction to the article "A genome-wide association study of prostate cancer in West African men" that was published in the December 3, 2013 issue is presented.