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Iron is an essential nutrient for maintaining red blood cell metabolism and assisting bone marrow hematopoiesis. Iron deficiency can cause various diseases, such as anemia, stunted growth, and premature birth in pregnant women. As a new iron supplement product, peptide iron chelate has been used as a new ideal iron supplement in recent years because of its advantages of high absorption rate, safety, and no side effects. This paper mainly reviews the preparation of foodborne peptides and peptide iron chelates and the factors affecting their chelation activity, explored the iron-binding mechanism of peptides, summarizes their binding sites and chelation patterns, further analyzes their conformational changes and intermolecular forces, and summarizes how they promote iron bioavailability. The aim is to provide a reference for developing and applying iron peptide chelates in functional foods and new iron supplements.

To investigate the effects of different extraction processes on the physicochemical properties and volatile flavor compounds of chicken oil. This study used three different extraction processes, namely dry, wet and microwave to extract chicken oil. The physicochemical properties of chicken oil extracted by different processes were comprehensively compared. At the same time, the volatile substance composition was determined by headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the key volatile flavor component composition differences in chicken oil extracted by different processes were established by combining relative odor activity values, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis. The results showed that the chicken oil cooked by dry method had the lowest brightness, a redder and yellower color, and a lower content of malondialdehyde. Wet cooking chicken oil had the highest brightness, a greenish or yellowish color, and a lower acid value. The chicken oil cooked by microwave had a slightly darker brightness, lighter yellow and red, higher extraction rate, better oxidation stability, and shorter cooking time. A total of 49 volatile flavor compounds were identified in chicken oil samples extracted using different extraction methods. Among them, 39, 41, and 44 volatile flavor compounds were extracted from chicken oil using dry, wet, and microwave methods, respectively, with a total of 30 volatile flavor compounds. By combining ROAV and PCA, (E,E)-2,4-heptadienal, 1-octen-3-ol, hexanal, (E)-2-deceenal, 1-pentanol, octanal, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, and 3-methylbutanal were identified as the main characteristic flavor compounds of chicken oil. The characteristic flavor substances extracted from chicken oil by microwave method had a high content and a variety of types. This study indicated that microwave technology had the advantages of relatively short time consumption, high yield, good oxidation stability and high content with variety of characteristic flavor substances in chicken oil, making it a worthwhile approach for further research and exploration of chicken oil extraction.

In this study, the study on physicochemical, rheological properties and water-holding capacity of gelatin of chicken lungs was investigated to replace bovine and porcine gelatin. The extraction rates of chicken, bovine and porcine lung gelatin by ultrasound assisted alkaline protease were 52.12 %, 69.06 % and 70 %, respectively. Three lung gelatins had similar molecular weight distribution in SDS-PAGE with low content of high molecular weight subunits. The amino acid content of bovine lung gelatin (18.03 %) was higher than in chicken (16.62 %) and porcine lung (15.30 %). The highest intensity of 2θ = 7.5° diffraction peak in bovine lung gelatin was observed, which indicated that the triple helix content of bovine lung gelatin was higher than that of chicken and porcine lung gelatin. The lowest apparent viscosity of chicken lung gelatin was 0.253 mPa·s, but the highest water holding capacity of chicken lung gelatin was 331.72 %. Therefore, chicken lung gelatin can be used as a substitute for bovine and porcine gelatin in some functional properties.

Abstract Two-dimensional metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have a wide variety of applications in molecular separation and other emerging technologies, including atomically thin electronics. However, due to the inherent fragility and strong interlayer interactions, high-quality MOF crystals of atomic thickness, especially isolated MOF crystal monolayers, have not been easy to prepare. Here, we report the self-condensation-assisted chemical vapour deposition growth of atomically thin MOF single-crystals, yielding monolayer single-crystals of poly[Fe(benzimidazole)2] up to 62 μm in grain sizes. By using transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution atomic force microscopy, high crystallinity and atomic-scale single-crystal structure are verified in the atomically MOF flakes. Moreover, integrating such MOFs with MoS2 to construct ultrathin van der Waals heterostructures is achieved by direct growth of atomically MOF single-crystals onto monolayer MoS2, and enables a highly selective ammonia sensing. These demonstrations signify the great potential of the method in facilitating the development of the fabrication and application of atomically thin MOF crystals.

To efficiently utilize chicken blood, one of the by-products of broiler chickens, the fresh chicken blood was as the main raw material in this study. The peak area of immobilized water in low field nuclear magnetic field was used as the evaluation standard. The effect of different varieties and concentrations of anti-freezing amendments was investigated in the peak area of immobilized water for the frozen chicken blood tofu. Moreover, the preparation process of frozen chicken blood tofu was optimized by response surface design. Furthermore, the water loss rate, texture and color index were analyzed in the optimized frozen chicken blood tofu, which could provide scientific basis for the development of frozen chicken blood tofu products. The results showed that the optimized preparation process of frozen chicken blood tofu was as follows, 0.1% (w/v) of sodium fatty acyllactate, 0.1% (w/v) of potassium alginate, and 2% (w/v) of cassava modified starch. Under this process condition, the low-field nuclear magnetic non-flowing water peak area of frozen chicken blood tofu was 2143, which was the largest compared with the blank group and other treated groups. Therefore, the water retention effect in this study was best. The hardness, chewability, gelability and brightness of the optimized frozen chicken blood tofu were significantly (P

Abstract Contact resistance has become one of the main bottlenecks that hinder further improvement of mobility and integration density of organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs). Much progress has been made in reducing contact resistance by modifying the electrode/semiconductor interface and decreasing the crystal thickness, however, the development of new organic semiconductor materials with low contact resistance still faces many challenges. Here, 2,6‐bis‐phenylethynyl‐anthracene (BPEA) is found, which is a material that combines high mobility with low contact resistance. Single‐crystal BEPA OFETs with a thickness of ≈20 nm demonstrated high mobility of 4.52 cm2 V−1 s−1, contact resistance as low as 335 Ω cm, and band‐like charge transport behavior. The calculated compatibility of the EHOMO of BPEA with the work function of the Au electrode, and the decreased |EHOMO‐ΦAu| with the increase of external electric field intensity from source to gate both contributed to the efficient charge injection and small contact resistance. More intriguingly, p‐type BPEA as a buffer layer can effectively reduce the contact resistance, improve the mobility, and meanwhile inhibit the double‐slope electrical behavior of p‐channel 2,6‐diphenyl anthracene (DPA) single‐crystal OFETs.

Anthracnose of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis), caused by Colletotrichum spp., poses a significant threat to both the yield and quality of tea production. To address this challenge, researchers have looked to the application of endophytic bacteria as a natural alternative to the use chemical pesticides, offering potential for enhancing disease resistance and abiotic stress tolerance in tea plants. This study focused on identifying effective microbial agents to combat tea anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum fructicola. A total of 38 Bacillus-like strains were isolated from the tea rhizosphere, with 8 isolates showing substantial inhibitory effects against the mycelial growth of C. fructicola, achieving an average inhibition rate of 60.68%. Among these, strain T3 was particularly effective, with a 69.86% inhibition rate. Through morphological, physiological, and biochemical characterization, along with 16S rRNA gene phylogenetics analysis, these strains were identified as B. inaquosorum (T1 and T2), B. tequilensis (T3, T5, T7, T8, and T19), and B. spizizenii (T6). Biological and molecular assays confirmed that these strains could induce the expression of genes associated with antimicrobial compounds like iturin, fengycin, subtilosin, and alkaline protease, which effectively reduced the disease index of tea anthracnose and enhanced tea plant growth. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that B. inaquosorum, B. tequilensis, and B. spizizenii strains are promising biocontrol agents for managing tea anthracnose.

We studied the Escherichia coli outer membrane protein Fiu, a presumed transporter of monomeric ferric catecholates, by introducing Cys residues in its surface loops and modifying them with fluorescein maleimide (FM). Fiu-FM bound iron complexes of the tricatecholate siderophore enterobactin (FeEnt) and glucosylated enterobactin (FeGEnt), their dicatecholate degradation product Fe(DHBS)2 (FeEnt*), the monocatecholates dihydroxybenzoic acid (FeDHBA) and dihydroxybenzoyl serine (FeDHBS), and the siderophore antibiotics cefiderocol (FDC) and MB-1. Unlike high-affinity ligand-gated porins (LGPs), Fiu-FM had only micromolar affinity for iron complexes. Its apparent KD values for FeDHBS, FeDHBA, FeEnt*, FeEnt, FeGEnt, FeFDC, and FeMB-1 were 0.1, 0.7, 0.7, 1.0, 0.3, 0.4, and 4 μM, respectively. Despite its broad binding abilities, the transport repertoires of E. coli Fiu, as well as those of Cir and FepA, were less broad. Fiu only transported FeEnt*. Cir transported FeEnt* and FeDHBS (weakly); FepA transported FeEnt, FeEnt*, and FeDHBA. Both Cir and FepA bound FeGEnt, albeit with lower affinity. Related transporters of Acinetobacter baumannii (PiuA, PirA, BauA) had similarly moderate affinity and broad specificity for di- or monomeric ferric catecholates. Both microbiological and radioisotopic experiments showed Fiu’s exclusive transport of FeEnt*, rather than ferric monocatecholate compounds. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations predicted three binding sites for FeEnt*in the external vestibule of Fiu, and a fourth site deeper in its interior. Alanine scanning mutagenesis in the outermost sites (1a, 1b, and 2) decreased FeEnt* binding affinity as much as 20-fold and reduced or eliminated FeEnt* uptake. Finally, the molecular dynamics simulations suggested a pathway of FeEnt* movement through Fiu that may generally describe the process of metal transport by TonB-dependent receptors.

ESSνSB is a design study for a next-generation long-baseline neutrino experiment that aims at the precise measurement of the CP-violating phase, δCP, in the leptonic sector at the second oscillation maximum. The conceptual design report published from the first phase of the project showed that after 10 years of data taking, more than 70% of the possible δCP range will be covered with 5σ C.L. to reject the no-CP-violation hypothesis. The expected value of δCP precision is smaller than 8◦ for all δCP values. The next phase of the project, the ESSνSB+, aims at using the intense muon flux produced together with neutrinos to measure the neutrino-nucleus cross-section, the dominant term of the systematic uncertainty, in the energy range of 0.2–0.6 GeV, using a Low Energy neutrinos from STORed Muons (LEnuSTORM) and a Low Energy Monitored Neutrino Beam (LEMNB) facilities.

This paper was aimed to improve sausage quality by adding non-meat protein. The effects of adding of four non-meat proteins: Spray-dried blood cells (SBC), soybean protein isolate (SPI), egg white protein (EWP), and porcine plasma protein (PPP) on the quality of Nanjing sausages were investigated. The sensory properties, cooking loss, pressure juice loss, water activity, color difference, chewiness, and microstructure were analyzed. The results showed that among these 4 proteins, the sensory quality and chewiness of Nanjing sausage products were overall improved by adding EWP, in which chewiness was increased by 14.73% compared to the control group. The sausages by adding PPP was significantly increased the water-retaining property, where the steaming loss rate and pressure loss rate was decreased by 13.31% and 55.79%, respectively. The low-field NMR results of sausages by adding SPI and PPP showed that a tendency for T21 was left-shifted. The addition of SBC to sausages was significantly (P

To evaluate the potential of chicken blood for dietary iron supplementation, chicken blood and ferrous chloride were used as raw materials to prepare iron-chelating peptides from chicken blood in this paper. The structure of iron-chelating peptides from chicken blood was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The stability of iron-chelating peptides from chicken blood was analyzed at different temperatures (30~80 ℃) and pH (2~9), and its in vitro stability was also discussed. The study confirmed that it had good thermal stability (iron retention rate above 73.76%) and acid and alkali resistance. The digestive stability of iron-chelating peptides from chicken blood (iron retention of 86.01%) was found to be better than that of ferrous sulfate and ferrous gluconate by simulated digestion in vitro. In addition, under the influence of three dietary factors, namely 1% phytic acid, 1% oxalic acid, and 8% dietary fiber, iron-chelating peptides from chicken blood showed better bioaccessibility than ferrous sulfate and ferrous gluconate.

Calcium-binding peptides have gained significant attention due to their potential applications in various fields. In this study, we aimed to prepare, characterize, and evaluate the stability of calcium-binding peptides derived from chicken blood. Chicken hemoglobin peptides (CPs) were obtained by protease hydrolysis and were applied to prepare chicken hemoglobin peptide–calcium chelate (CP-Ca). The preparation conditions were optimized, and the characteristics and stability of CP-Ca were analyzed. The optimal chelating conditions were determined by single-factor and response surface tests, and the maximum calcium ion chelating rate was 77.54%. Amino acid analysis indicated that glutamic acid and aspartic acid motifs played an important role in the chelation of the calcium ions and CP. According to the characterization analysis, CP-Ca was a different substance compared with CP; calcium ions chelated CPs via the sites of carbonyl oxygen, carboxyl oxygen, and amino nitrogen groups; and after the chelation, the structure changed from a smooth homogeneous plate to compact granular. The stability analysis showed that CP-Ca was stable at different temperatures, pH, and gastrointestinal conditions. The study indicates that chicken blood is a promising source of peptide–calcium chelates, providing a theoretical basis for application in functional foods and improving the utilization value of chicken blood.

Calcium is an essential nutrient and plays an important role in life and health. Insufficient calcium intake in the body can lead to kinds of diseases, such as rickets and osteoporosis. As more and more calcium chelated peptides are prepared from food in recent years, the advantages of calcium chelated peptides like good stability and high bioavailability have attracted much attention and calcium chelated peptides have been reported to be a kind of ideal calcium supplements. In this paper, the research progress of calcium chelted peptide is summarized, the preparation, separation and purification methods of calcium chelted peptide are introduced, the factors affecting its chelating ability are analyzed, and the ways to promote the bioavailability of calcium are also discussed, in order to provide help for the development and utilization of calcium chelted peptide in functional foods in the future.

Bile salt hydrolase (BSH) is an intracellular enzyme which is produced by intestinal flora during the period of growth and reproduction. This enzyme has been suggested to be involved in the host's bile acid balance, lipid metabolism and metabolic responses. Therefore, BSH has always been a research hotspot. Detailed knowledge of BSH structure and substrate preferences is a solid foundation for the development of BSH related products. This review explains the source and distribution of BSH, test method for BSH activity. It also introduces enzymatic properties and genetic organization. Finally, the potential applications of BSH research are briefly discussed. This review would provide theoretical basis for the in-depth research of BSH, developments of related functional foods, and other industry applications.

In this paper, the reaction process parameters of the hydrogel produced by the modified gelatin from chicken, bovine and porcine lungs with carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) and oxidized glucomannan (OKGM) were optimized to produce Schiff base reaction. The results showed the properties of the three composite hydrogels are improved when the value of gelatin/CMCS/OKGM reached 1:2:2. The best modified gelatin/CMCS/OKGM of bovine lung composite hydrogel (COBH) had a gelatin strength of 8.14 N, a swelling rate of 257%, a water evaporation rate of 66.86%, and an antibacterial property of 38.02%. The properties of modified gelatin/CMCS/OKGM of chicken lung composite hydrogel (COCH) were similar to those of COBH. However, the water holding capacity of COCH was higher than that of COBH. The properties of the modified gelatin/CMCS/OKGM for porcine lung composite hydrogel (COPH) were significantly decreased over those of the other two. Therefore, COCH has potential applications in food coating and preservation.

2D and 3D conductive MOFs have performed well in the fields of energy and catalysis. Here, authors synthesise a 1D conductive MOF in which DDA ligands are connected by double Cu ions, forming nanoribbon layers with π-d conjugated nanoribbon planes and out-of-plane π-π stacking, which facilitates charge transport along two dimensions.

Organic metal chalcogenides (OMCs) are organic-inorganic hybrid materials with continuous M-X (X = S, Se, Te) networks that are covalently connected by organic ligands. Here authors report a family of bimetallic OMCs synthesized via selective metal metathesis and oxidation transformation.

Abstract The devastating Varroa mite (Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman) is an obligatory ectoparasite of the honey bee, contributing to significant colony losses in North America and throughout the world. The limited number of conventional acaricides to reduce Varroa mites and prevent disease in honey bee colonies is challenged with wide-spread resistance and low target-site selectivity. Here, we propose a biorational approach using comparative genomics for the development of honey bee-safe and selective acaricides targeting the Varroa mite-specific neuropeptidergic system regulated by proctolin, which is lacking in the honey bee. Proctolin is a highly conserved pentapeptide RYLPT (Arg-Tyr-Leu-Pro-Thr) known to act through a G protein-coupled receptor to elicit myotropic activity in arthropod species. A total of 33 different peptidomimetic and peptide variants were tested on the Varroa mite proctolin receptor. Ligand docking model and mutagenesis studies revealed the importance of the core aromatic residue Tyr2 in the proctolin ligand. Peptidomimetics were observed to have significant oral toxicity leading to the paralysis and death of Varroa mites, while there were no negative effects observed for honey bees. We have demonstrated that a taxon-specific physiological target identified by advanced genomics information offers an opportunity to develop Varroa mite-selective acaricides, hence, expedited translational processes.

The second messenger cAMP modulates a wide range of important biological processes. Here, the authors developed a fluorescent indicator termed G-Flamp1, which can accurately report levels of cAMP in living cells.

Abstract In vivo imaging in the deep near‐infrared (NIR) spectral region, that is, beyond 800 nm, has become popular due to its penetration depth. While imaging of the neutral medium/tissue has been repeatedly showcased, imaging of the high‐acidic medium remains challenging partly because of the high‐lying HOMO orbital and hence a high pKa of the electron‐donating group of the NIR fluorophores. We devised a novel electron‐donating group (D6) with which we further synthesized ECJ. ECJ exhibits an absorption wavelength beyond 900 nm and is fluorescent. Its pKa was found to be lower than zero, rendering it suitable for bioimaging of a highly‐acidic medium. Its potential for practical applications was showcased in proof‐of‐concept in vivo imaging with a mouse model.

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring biopolymer possessing numerous functions within the body including wound repair, cell migration, and cell signaling. Due to its unique physical and chemical properties, it is widely used in health care products, cosmetics, and medicine.In 2021, hyaluronic acid is approved as a new resource food raw material in China, which has attracted widespread attention. Understanding its preparation, separation and purification methods is necessary to promote its industrial development.This article summarizes the physiological functions, preparation methods and preparation trends of HA from different sources, the effect of separation and purification method on HA purity, the application fields of hyaluronic acid, aiming to provide ideas for the development and comprehensive utilization of hyaluronic acid.

Abstract Background Acute lung injury (ALI) has received considerable attention in the field of intensive care as it is associated with a high mortality rate. Obacunone (OB), widely found in citrus fruits, is a natural bioactive compound with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. However, it is not clear whether OB protects against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the protective effects of OB and the potential mechanisms against LPS-induced ALI and BEAS-2B cell injury. Methods We established a model of BEAS-2B cell injury and a mouse model of ALI by treating with LPS. Samples of in vitro model were subjected to cell death, Cell Counting Kit-8, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assays. The total number of cells and neutrophils, protein content, and levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β were determined in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Glutathione, reactive oxygen species, and malondialdehyde levels were determined in lung tissue. Additionally, immunohistochemical analysis, immunofluorescence, western blot, quantitative real-time PCR, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were conducted to examine the effects of OB. Furthermore, mice were treated with an Nrf2 inhibitor (ML385) to verify its role in ferroptosis. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance or paired t-tests. Results Compared with the LPS group, OB effectively alleviated LPS-induced ALI by decreasing lung wet/dry weight ratio, reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde production, and superoxide dismutase and glutathione consumption in vivo. In addition, OB significantly alleviated lung histopathological injury, reduced inflammatory cytokine secretion and Fe2+ and 4-HNE levels, and upregulated GPX4, SLC7A11, and Nrf2 expression. Mechanistically, OB activated Nrf2 by inhibiting Nrf2 ubiquitinated proteasome degradation. ML385 reversed the protective effects of OB against LPS-induced ALI. Conclusion Overall, OB alleviates LPS-induced ALI, making it a potential novel protective agent against LPS-induced ALI.

Solution-based synthesis of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) often leads to insoluble powders or fragile films on solution surfaces. Here, the authors report large-area two-dimensional (2D) COF films with controllable thicknesses via vapour induced conversion.

Abstract Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the degree of esterification of p-coumaric acid to triolein via lipase-catalyzed acidolysis, and enzyme load, reaction time and mole ratio of substrates were selected as variables in the experimental design. The results showed that the model employed was highly sufficient for determining the effectiveness and interaction of three selected variables, enzyme load, reaction time and the mole ratio of substrates, on the dependent variable, the degree of esterification. Although the optimization point was not found in the selected range of the three variables, the steepest ascent analysis suggested that an increase of these three variables might lead to a stationary point. However, based on the limitations on increasing the range of tested variables, including possible oxidation of synthesized lipids and increased cost, the degree of esterification so yielded in the designed central composite design should be the one closest to the possible ideal optimized degree. The p-coumarates so produced exhibited varying antioxidant performance in the tested muscle food model, which could be explained by their different lipophilicity. Moreover, the potential health benefits of synthesized phenolic lipids have been discussed. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is a common complication of radiotherapy for which no effective interventions are available. NVP-AUY922, a resorcinylic isoxazole amide drug, exhibits anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and therapeutic effects against various types of cancers. In this study, we explore the role and underlying mechanisms of NVP-AUY922 in the treatment of RILI. We established a model of BEAS-2B cell injury and a mouse model of RILI. Cell proliferation, death, gross weight, and survival rates of mice, and histological parameters were assessed. Additionally, inflammation-related indices and indicators related to ferroptosis were evaluated. Furthermore, immunofluorescence and co-immunoprecipitation were used to determine the interaction between GPX4, LAMP-2A, and HSC70. NVP-AUY922 significantly ameliorated radiation-induced lung tissue damage, inflammatory cell infiltration, proinflammatory cytokine release, and lung epithelial BEAS-2B cell damage. NVP-AUY922 markedly limited the activation of ferroptosis, which is involved in RILI. Mechanistically, NVP-AUY922 prevented chaperone-mediated autophagy of the GPX4 pathway in vitro and in vivo, and the autophagy inhibitor Baf-A1 significantly increased the level of GPX4 and alleviated lung inflammation. NVP-AUY922 can alleviate RILI by inhibiting chaperone-mediated lysosomal degradation of GPX4, demonstrating its potential as a novel protective agent against RILI.

Organic thermoelectric (OTE) materials offer a direct way to harvest electricity from heat resources. Although OTE paints can be coated on irregular heat sources via various solution‐processing techniques, most candidates are only soluble in toxic organic solvents and require complex preparation method, limiting their wide industrial applications. Herein, an environment‐friendly waterborne colloid based on a selenium‐substituted diketopyrrolopyrrole derivative (PDPPSe‐12) is utilized using a miniemulsion process to enable water‐dispersive OTE paints. The doped films not only exhibit prominent electrical conductivity and high Seebeck coefficient, but also show unexpected low thermal conductivity, yielding a maximum power factor and figure of merit value of up to 74.77 ± 1.76 μW m−1 K−2 and 0.14, respectively. More importantly, their application potential in a realistic thermoelectric generator (TEG) on a paper substrate by painting is demonstrated, which possesses an output power of 14.70 nW under a temperature difference of 19 K. For the first time, these results reveal that the fabrication of waterborne OTE paints can decrease the thermal conductivity and its integrated organic TEGs exhibit preferable performance. These results offer valuable insights for designing high‐performance OTE paints toward multiple‐energy supplier systems in an environmentally friendly way.

This study investigated the effect of ultrasound assisted chicken cartilage collagen peptide (CP) treatment on the storage quality of chicken breast meat. There were five meat groups at 4 °C for 60 min as follows: untreatment (Control), immersing in deionized water (DW), ultrasound treatment in DW (UDW), immersing in CP (0.15 g/100 mL) solution and immersing in ultrasound combined with CP (UCP). The results showed that the drip and cooking loss of meat decreased significantly in UCP at 4 and −18 °C with the extension of storage time. A large amount of non-flowing water transformed into free water in the 4 °C for 5 d, and the smallest degree of water migration was observed at −18 °C in UCP. The texture parameters of UCP group were significantly improved, especially for decreased hardness and increased elasticity. Furthermore, there had no significant effect on the color of chicken breast.

Abstract Developing efficient and promising tenderising techniques for postmortem meat is a heavily researched topic among meat scientists as consumers are willing to pay more for guaranteed tender meat. However, emerging tenderising techniques are not broadly used in the meat industry and, to some degree, are controversial due to lack of theoretical support. Thus, understanding the mechanisms involved in postmortem tenderisation is essential. This article first provides an overview of the relationship of ageing tenderisation and calpain system, as well as proteomics applied to identify protein biomarkers characterizing tenderness. In general, the ageing tenderisation is mediated by multiple biochemical activities, and it can exhibit better palatability and commercial benefit by combining other interventions. The calpain system plays a key role in ageing tenderisation functions by rupturing myofibrils and regulating proteolysis, glycolysis, apoptosis and metabolic modification. Additionally, tenderising techniques from different aspects including exogenous enzymes, chemistry, physics and the combined methods are discussed in depth. Particularly, innovation of home cooking could be recommended to prepare relatively tender meat due to its convenience and ease of operation by consumers. Furthermore, the combined interventions provide better performance in controlled tenderness. Finally, future trends in developing new tenderising techniques, and applied consideration in the meat processing industry are proposed in order to improve meat quality with higher economical value. Graphical abstract

ABSTRACT: An environmentally sustainable method to extract phosphatidylcholine (PC) from chicken liver (PCCL) and its functional properties were studied. The extraction times, enzymatic hydrolysis time, the solid-liquid ratio as well as types of enzymes (protamex proteinase and neutral proteinase) were investigated. Furthermore, the content of PCCL, emulsifying properties and solubilities of PCCL were also determined. The optimum conditions of extracting PCCL were found to be: reaction time of 3.75 h, enzymatic hydrolysis time of 85.22 min, 1: 3.15 (w/v) of solid-liquid ratio, using protamex proteinase, and the yield and concentration of PCCL was 88.92% and 0.89 mg/mL, respectively. Solubility and emulsifying properties of PCCL showed that the HLB value of PCCL was 10, and in ethanol and glycerol, the solubility of PCCL was 0.5850 g/mL and 0.0965 g/mL, respectively, which was shown to have good ethanol solubility and lipophilicity. From the perspective of green production and high-value utilization of by-products, PCCL could be used as a potential new lecithin source, providing ideas for the development and application of PC of animal origin.

This paper aimed to evaluate the effects of ultrasound-assisted L-histidine marination (UMH) on meat quality and actomyosin properties of beef M. semitendinosus. Our results found that UMH treatment effectively avoided excessive liquid withdrawal, and disrupted myofibril integrity by modifying the water distribution and weakening connection of actin-myosin with increased muscle pH. The ultrasound-treated sample provided more opportunity for the filtration of L-histidine to intervene the isoelectric point and conformation of muscle protein. The activated caspase-3 and changes of ATPase activity in UMH-treated meat accelerated the postmortem ageing, and L-histidine might competitively inhibit the actin-myosin binding by the imidazole group. UMH decreased the surface hydrophobicity by shielding hydrophobic area and unfolding the actomyosin structure. In addition, the increased actomyosin solubility with smaller particle size enhanced the SH content for better cross-linking of myosin tail, and formation of heat-set gelling protein structure. Therefore, UMH treatment manifested the potential to improve beef quality.

The aim of the current research was to examine lipid oxidation in chicken meat heated to different temperatures followed by refrigerator storage and the factors contributing to lipid oxidation. It showed that lipid oxidation was significantly promoted when meat was heated up to 70°C and stored for 2 and 4 D as measured by thiobarbituric acid reactive substance. The monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids also decreased significantly (P < 0.05) with the increase of heating temperature. The liberation of nonheme iron and increase of hydroxyl radical were observed in heated chicken meat, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes was decreased considerably at higher temperatures. The changes of these prooxidants and antioxidants might constitute a possible mechanism for the stronger lipid oxidation in heated meat.

Abstract The effects of ultrasound power on extraction kinetic model, and physicochemical and structural characteristics of collagen from chicken lung were studied. Ultrasound power caused a significant increase in extraction rate and equilibrium concentration, with the maximum extraction yield (31.25%) at 150 W. The experimental data were consistent with the predicted ones in this empirical equation, in which the percentage error differences was 0.026–4.159%. Besides, ultrasound treatment did not affect their triple-helical structure. The thermal stability of pepsin-soluble collagen by ultrasound pre-treatment (UPSC) was higher, due to the higher imino acid content (20.76%). UPSC also exhibited better solubility and fibril forming capacity. Overall, the kinetic model of UPSC from chicken lung could serve the purpose of obtaining collagen, which displayed a potential alternative source to mammal collagens for application in food, biomaterials and biomedical fields. Graphical abstract

The effect of ultrasound assisted konjac glucomannan treatment on the properties of chicken plasma protein gelation was investigated in this study. There were four gelation groups as follows: untreated plasma protein gelation (Control), gelation added konjac glucomannan (KGG), gelation by ultrasound treatment alone (UG) and gelation added konjac glucomannan combined with ultrasound treatment (KGUG). The data showed that the gelation strength and water-holding capacity of the treated groups were significantly increased compared with those of Control. The strongest bonding water was present in KGUG, followed by KGG and UG in low-field nuclear magnetic resonance. The storage energy (G′) and loss energy modulus (G″) of KGUG showed the largest rheological properties, and the G′ value was higher than that of G″. Furthermore, the elastic and gelatinous properties of UG, KGG and KGUG played a dominant role in viscoelasticity. After konjac glucomannan addition, the particle size of KGG increased significantly. Compared with that of the Control and KGG, the average particle size of UG and KGUG decreased significantly after ultrasound treatment. The hydrophobicity and disulfide bonds mainly affected the formation of heat-induced gelation in these four groups. Furthermore, KGUG with the highest hydrophobicity and disulfide bonds revealed the best stability. Therefore, the gelation of chicken plasma protein by ultrasound assisted konjac glucomannan treatment had excellent gelling properties.

Honey bees are important managed pollinators that fulfill important ecological and economic functions. In recent decades, the obligate ectoparasite Varroa destructor severely affected the survival of honey bees, as it weakened them by different means. A common treatment against V. destructor is formic acid fumigation, which has been used for decades by beekeepers across the world. This treatment is known to be effective, but many beekeepers report adverse effects of formic acid on bees, which include damage to the brood, worker bee mortality, and queen loss. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms of formic acid detoxification in honey bees. Recently, we reported upregulation of the bee enzyme, 10-formyl-THFDH, under formic acid fumigation. Here, the active site of this enzyme is characterized by an interdisciplinary approach combining homology modeling and protein mutagenesis. In addition, the limitations of the 3D protein structure prediction program AlphaFold2 are shown in regard to docking studies. This study provides a more thorough understanding of the molecular detoxification mechanisms of formic acid in Apis mellifera.

Summary: eIF5-mimic protein (5MP) is a translational regulatory protein that binds the small ribosomal subunit and modulates its activity. 5MP is proposed to reprogram non-AUG translation rates for oncogenes in cancer, but its role in controlling non-AUG initiated synthesis of deleterious repeat-peptide products, such as FMRpolyG observed in fragile-X-associated tremor ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), is unknown. Here, we show that 5MP can suppress both general and repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation by a common mechanism in a manner dependent on its interaction with eIF3. Essentially, 5MP displaces eIF5 through the eIF3c subunit within the preinitiation complex (PIC), thereby increasing the accuracy of initiation. In Drosophila, 5MP/Kra represses neuronal toxicity and enhances the lifespan in an FXTAS disease model. These results implicate 5MP in protecting cells from unwanted byproducts of non-AUG translation in neurodegeneration.

Objective The aim was to investigate the influence of ultrasound and adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP) marination (UAMP) on tenderness and structure of myofibrillar proteins of beef. Methods Five groups, the untreated meat (Control), deionized water marination (DW), ultrasound followed by DW (UDW), AMP marination (AMP), and ultrasound followed by AMP (UAMP) were studied. Myofibrillar fragmentation, cooking loss, shear force, thermograms, histological observation of meats and myofibrillar proteins properties were investigated in these different treatments. Results The results showed that UAMP significantly increased myofibrillar fragmentation index from 152 (Control), 231 (AMP), and 307 (UDW) to 355 (p

ObjectiveThis study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of remote medication management of rivaroxaban by pharmacists for geriatric patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA single-site, prospective cohort study was conducted among patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation who received rivaroxaban therapy from July 2019 to December 2019. Patients in the pharmacist-led education and follow-up service (PEFS) group were managed remotely by a pharmacist. In contrast, those in the usual care (UC) group were managed by other providers. Data of routine blood tests, coagulation function tests, which also included cardiac function parameters were collected. The number and type of provider encounters, interventions related to rivaroxaban therapy, the occurrence of thromboembolism or bleeding, and the time of the first outpatient visit after discharge were recorded.ResultsA total of 600 patients were recruited, and results of 381 patients were analyzed in the end, of which 179 patients were from the PEFS group and 202 were from the UC group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the occurrence ratio of systemic thrombosis, heart failure (LVEF < 40%), and left atrial dilation, which was defined as enlargement of left atrial diameter (LAD) > 40 mm. The cumulative incidences of bleeding complications, such as gastrointestinal tract and skin ecchymosis, were significantly higher in the UC group (12.4% vs. 6.1%, P=0.038; 4.5% vs. 0.6%, P=0.018). There was no significant difference after pharmacist intervention in terms of thrombosis occurrence ratio between the two groups (P = 0.338, HR: 0.722, 95% CI: 0.372-1.405). Remote instruction by a pharmacist reduced outpatient service frequency within the first 30 days after discharge (23.7% vs. 1.1%, P < 0.001). However, more patients in the PEFS group presented for the first outpatient revisit later than 40 days post-discharge (12.8% vs. 21.3%, P < 0.001).ConclusionRemote pharmacist-led medication instruction of rivaroxaban could reduce bleeding complications of the gastrointestinal tract and skin ecchymosis and postpone the first outpatient revisit after discharge.

Abstract Three isostructural donor–acceptor complexes DPTTA‐FXTCNQ (X = 1, 2, 4) are investigated experimentally and theoretically. By tuning the number of F atoms in the acceptor molecules, the resulting complexes display a continuous down shift of the valence band maximum, conducting band minimum, and optical bandgap. The majority carriers convert from hole (DPTTA‐F1TCNQ), balanced hole, and electron (DPTTA‐F2TCNQ) to electron (DPTTA‐F4TCNQ). This result shows that band engineering can be realized easily in the donor–acceptor complex systems by tuning the electron affinity of the acceptor. The bandgaps of these three complexes vary from 0.31 to 0.41 eV; this narrow bandgap feature is crucial for achieving high thermoelectric performance and the unintentional doping in DPTTA‐F4TCNQ leads to the effective suppression of the bipolar cancelling effect on the Seebeck coefficient and the highest power factor.

Summary: In the latest decade, two-dimensional (2D) π-d conjugated metal organic frameworks (MOFs) constructed from metal ions with square-planar coordination geometry and benzene- or triphenylene-derived ligands with ortho-disubstituted N, O, or S donor atoms have received great research interests because of their exceptional physical properties and promising applications. New MOFs of this class are constantly being reported, but 2D metal bis(diselenolene) MOFs based on organic ligands with ortho-disubstituted Se donor atoms have not been synthesized. Herein, a Lewis-acid-induced dealkylation protocol is introduced to the synthesis of arenepolyselenols and related coordination polymers. A triphenylene-derived diselenaborole compound is synthesized and employed as precursor reagent for the synthesis of 2,3,6,7,10,11-triphenylenehexaselenol (H6TPHS) and the first conductive metal organic framework namely Co-TPHS based on triphenylenehexaselenolate (TPHS6−). Co-TPHS exhibits porous honeycomb 2D structure and electrically conductive and glassy magnetic properties. : Subject Areas: Chemical Synthesis; Magnetic Property; Polymers Subject Areas: Chemical Synthesis, Magnetic Property, Polymers

The aim of this study was to optimize and characterize Flavourzyme hydrolysis conditions for the preparation of antioxidant peptides from duck meat, using response surface methodology. The results indicated that optimal Flavourzyme hydrolysis conditions for preparation of antioxidant peptides from duck protein were a temperature of 50.19°C, pH 5.45, and a reaction time of 1.03 h. Compared to non-hydrolyzed duck meat, Flavourzyme hydrolysis significantly improved the hydroxyl-radical scavenging, DPPH radical-scavenging, ferrous ion-chelating, reducing, and ABTS radical cation-scavenging activities of duck meat. Therefore, Flavourzyme can be regarded as an effective hydrolytic enzyme for the preparation of antioxidant peptides from duck meat.

Developing large-scale flexible display technologies calls for new gate dielectric materials balancing the insulating property and molecular packing of organic semiconductors. Ji et al. synthesize a dielectric copolymer contributing with charge mobility of 5 cm2 V−1 s−1 and low operating voltage of 3 V.

Abstract SlpB, a surface layer protein isolated from Lactobacillus crispatus, has the potential to enhance the antimicrobial activity of nisin. Previous research indicated that, when combined with nisin, SlpB acted synergistically to inhibit Staphylococcus saprophyticus growth, thus extending the shelf life of chicken meat. In order to understand how SlpB enhances the antibacterial activity of nisin, electron microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, flow cytometry and transmembrane electrical potential analysis were used to study cell wall organization and cell membrane integrity. No remarkable bacteriolytic effects were observed, indicating that cell death could not be attributed to cell lysis, although SlpB caused dramatic modifications of cell wall, thereby altering cell shape. The combination of SlpB and nisin also induced the release of ATP or UV-absorbing materials, as well as sudden dissipation of the transmembrane electrical potential by compromising membrane integrity. Considering that SlpB led to structural disorganization of the cell wall, and nisin access is enhanced to form a stable pore, cell death is a predictable outcome. SlpB significantly enhanced the effect of nisin at half of the minimum inhibitory concentration, which resulted in cell death by destroying the cell wall and cell membrane, therefore providing a new, feasible approach in food preservation.

Abstract Nanocrystals of a 2D π–d conjugated copper bis(diselenolene) coordination polymer (Cu‐BHS, BHS = benzenehexaselenolate) are synthesized via a simple homogeneous reaction between cupric ions and benzenehexaselenol (H6BHS). Its 2D extended hexagonal lattice is confirmed by powder X‐ray diffraction, and further characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrical conductivity measured on compressed powder sample reaches 110 S cm−1 at 300 K, which is among the highest value ever reported for coordination polymers. Furthermore, the intrinsic metallic characteristics of Cu‐BHS are confirmed by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and band structure calculation.

Second derivative and Fourier self-deconvolution (FSD) are two commonly used techniques to resolve the overlapped component peaks from the often featureless amide I band in Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) curve-fitting approach for protein secondary structural analysis. Yet, the reliability of these two techniques is greatly affected by the omnipresent water vapor in the atmosphere. Several criteria are currently in use as quality controls to ensure the protein absorption spectrum is negligibly affected by water vapor interference. In this study, through a second derivative study of liquid water, we first argue that the previously established criteria cannot guarantee a reliable evaluation of water vapor interference due to a phenomenon that we refer to as sample’s absorbance-dependent water vapor interference. Then, through a comparative study of protein and liquid water, we show that a protein absorption spectrum can still be significantly affected by water vapor interference even though it satisfies the established criteria. At last, we propose to use the comparison between the second derivative spectra of protein and liquid water as a new criterion to better evaluate water vapor interference for more reliable second derivative and FSD treatments on the protein amide I band.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are critical drug targets. GPCRs convey signals from the extracellular to the intracellular environment through G proteins. Some ligands that bind to GPCRs activate different downstream signaling pathways. G protein activation, or β-arrestin biased signaling, involves ligands binding to receptors and stabilizing conformations that trigger a specific pathway. β-arrestin biased signaling has become a hot target for structure-based drug discovery. However, challenges include that there are few crystal structures available in the Protein Data Bank and that GPCRs are highly dynamic. Hence, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are especially valuable for obtaining detailed mechanistic information, including identification of allosteric sites and understanding modulators’ interactions with receptors and ligands. Here, we highlight recent MD simulation studies and enhanced sampling methods used to study biased G protein-coupled receptor signaling and their conformational dynamics as well as applications to drug discovery.

In order to handle the extremely high stored energy in future proton-proton colliders, an extremely high-efficiency collimation system is required for safe operation. At the LHC, the major limiting locations in terms of particle losses on superconducting (SC) magnets are the dispersion suppressors downstream of the transverse collimation insertion. These losses are due to the protons experiencing single diffractive interactions in the primary collimators. How to solve this problem is very important for future proton-proton colliders, such as the Future Circular Hadron-Hadron Collider and the Super Proton-Proton Collider. In this article, a novel method is proposed, which arranges both the transverse and momentum collimation in the same long straight section. In this way, additional absorbers between the two cleaning hierarchies can clean those particles related to the single diffractive effect, with the downstream momentum collimation system intercepting any further leakage. The effectiveness of the method has been confirmed by multiparticle simulations. In addition, SC quadrupoles with special designs such as an enlarged aperture and good shielding are adopted to enhance the phase advance in the transverse collimation section so that tertiary collimators can be arranged to clean off the tertiary halo which emerges from the secondary collimators and improve the collimation efficiency. With one more collimation stage in the transverse collimation, the beam losses in both the momentum collimation section and the experimental regions can be largely reduced. Multiparticle simulation results with the merlin code confirm the effectiveness of the collimation method. At last, we provide a protection scheme of the SC magnets in the collimation section. The fluka simulations show that, by adding some special protective collimators in front of the magnets, the maximum power deposition in the SC coils is reduced dramatically, which is proven to be valid for protecting the SC magnets from quenching.

This work reports a study on the development of a sensitive immunosensor for the assay of actin, which is fabricated using sensing material chitosan-Zn nanoparticles (NPs) and anti-actin modified on glassy carbon electrode respectively. The prepared materials were characterized using transmission electron microscope (TEM), fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra, and circular dichroism (CD) techniques. Meanwhile, the electrochemical properties were studied by linear sweep voltammetric (LSV), electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS), and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). According to the experiments, under the optimum conditions, the linear fitting equation was I (μA) = −17.31 + 78.97c (R2 = 0.9948). The linear range was from 0.0001 to 0.1 mg/mL and the detection limit (LOD, S/N = 3) was 21.52 ng/mL. The interference studies were also performed for checking the sensors’ selectivity to actin. With better properties of the chitosan-Zn NPs, the modified electrode is considered as a better candidate than Western blot or immunohistochemical method for real-time usability. The detection limit reported is the lowest till date and this method provides a new approach for quality evaluation.

Short bunch beams of high intensity are required by many applications, and they are usually obtained by using bunch compression before the extraction in relatively slow cycling synchrotrons or accumulator rings. In this article, short bunch extraction by the bunch compression method is proposed to apply to a rapid cycling synchrotron (RCS) where the time duration is very limited to exploit the bunch compression process. The method is practically applied in the RCS of the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) to obtain short-bunch beams for white neutron applications. Different short-bunch extraction scenarios have been studied, from keeping full beam power to reduced beam powers. A special desynchronization method is designed to solve the problem of slow acceleration during the bunch rotation process when the magnetic field is still ramping up. The space charge effect and beam loading effect during the bunch compression have also been taken into account in this high-intensity RCS. Multiparticle simulations have been carried out to show the effectiveness of the method with the input of the CSNS RCS. With a sacrifice of about two-thirds of the beam power, the rms bunch length of the extracted beam can be reduced to about one-ninth of the one in the nominal operation mode.