The influence of α and α' subunits on SPI Pickering emulsions based on natural hybrid breeding varieties.

In this study, food-grade protein nanoparticles (Wild-NPs, α-lack-NPs, α'-lack-NPs, and (α + α')-lack-NPs) were organized as emulsion stabilizers via thermal induction. The effects of α and α' subunits in soybean protein isolate (SPI) on Wild nanoparticle Pickering emulsion (Wild-NPPEs), α-lack nanoparticle Pickering emulsion (α-lack-NPPEs), α'-lack nanoparticle Pickering emulsion (α'-lack-NPPEs) and (α + α')-lack nanoparticle Pickering emulsion ((α + α')-lack-NPPEs) were investigated. The Pickering emulsion stabilization mechanism indicated that the α'-lack-NPs particle size, surface hydrophobicity, and contact angle were mostly comparatively large.

Discovering covalent inhibitors of protein-protein interactions from trillions of sulfur(VI) fluoride exchange-modified oligonucleotides.

Molecules that covalently engage target proteins are widely used as activity-based probes and covalent drugs. The performance of these covalent inhibitors is, however, often compromised by the paradox of efficacy and risk, which demands a balance between reactivity and selectivity. The challenge is more evident when targeting protein-protein interactions owing to their low ligandability and undefined reactivity.

Effects of Exogenous Lanthanum Nitrate on the Active Substance Content and Antioxidant Activity of Caterpillar Medicinal Mushroom Cordyceps militaris (Ascomycetes).

Cordyceps militaris is a medicinal and edible mushroom. Researchers often add exogenous substances to the culture medium to increase the active substance content in C. militaris.

Effects of Soybean Trypsin Inhibitor on Pancreatic Oxidative Damage of Mice at Different Growth Periods.

The bioactive components in soybeans have significant physiological functions. However, the intake of soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) may cause metabolic disorders. To investigate the effect of STI intake on pancreatic injury and its mechanism of action, a five-week animal experiment was conducted, meanwhile, a weekly monitor on the degree of oxidation and antioxidant indexes in the serum and pancreas of the animals was carried out.

Clinical Efficacy of Minocycline Hydrochloride for the Treatment of Peri-Implant Disease: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

This systematic review aimed to assess the clinical efficacy of the local application of minocycline hydrochloride for treating peri-implantitis. Four databases-PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure-were searched from their inception through December 2020. English and Chinese randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared minocycline hydrochloride with control regimes, including negative control, iodine solution or glycerin, and chlorhexidine, for patients with peri-implant diseases were retrieved.

Characterization of the physicochemical, thermal and rheological properties of cashew kernel starch.

The study aimed to characterize physicochemical, thermal, and rheological properties of cashew nut starch (CNS) and then compare the obtained results with the properties of potato and corn starches. CNS showed higher gelatinization temperatures (112.29 °C) than those noted for potato and maize starches (78.

Selection and identification of high-affinity aptamer of Kunitz trypsin inhibitor and their application in rapid and specific detection.

Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI), a harmful protein, seriously affects food hygiene and safety. Therefore, a sensitive, efficient, and rapid method for KTI detection is urgently needed. Aptamers are short and single-stranded (ss) DNA that recognize target molecules with high affinity.

How Do Anchors' Characteristics Influence Consumers' Behavioural Intention in Livestream Shopping? A Moderated Chain-Mediation Explanatory Model.

Livestream shopping has become the focus of current marketing practises, while theoretical research on it is still in initial stages. Thus, from the para-social interaction (PSI) theory perspective, this study draws on cognitive-affective system theory as an analytical framework to explore internal mechanisms of how anchors' characteristics influence consumer behavioural intentions in livestream shopping while considering the characteristics of consumer online interaction propensity. We conducted a survey questionnaire with a sample of 355 consumers who experienced livestream shopping and used structural equation modelling to assess their behavioural intentions.

Chemical synthesis of stimuli-responsive guide RNA for conditional control of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing.

CRISPR-Cas9 promotes changes in identity or abundance of nucleic acids in live cells and is a programmable modality of broad biotechnological and therapeutic interest. To reduce off-target effects, tools for conditional control of CRISPR-Cas9 functions are under active research, such as stimuli-responsive guide RNA (gRNA). However, the types of physiologically relevant stimuli that can trigger gRNA are largely limited due to the lack of a versatile synthetic approach in chemistry to introduce diverse labile modifications into gRNA.

Wavelength-Selective Activation of Photocaged DNAzymes for Metal Ion Sensing in Live Cells.

RNA-cleaving DNAzymes are widely applied as sensors for detecting metal ions in environmental samples owing to their high sensitivity and selectivity, but their use for sensing biological metal ions in live cells is challenging because constitutive sensors fail to report the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of biological processes. Photocaged DNAzymes can be activated by light for sensing purposes that need spatial and temporal resolution. Studying complex biological processes requires logic photocontrol, but unfortunately all the literature-reported photocaged DNAzymes working in live cells cannot be selectively controlled by light irradiation at different wavelengths.

Hepatocyte Growth Factor Inhibits Renal Angiotensin II Expression in 5/6 Nephrectomized Rats.

Angiotensin II (Ang II) contributes to renal dysfunction, while hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) protects against renal dysfunction. However, the relationship between Ang II and HGF in chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effect of HGF on Ang II expression in CKD.

Orthogonal Activation of RNA-Cleaving DNAzymes in Live Cells by Reactive Oxygen Species.

RNA-cleaving DNAzymes are useful tools for intracellular metal-ion sensing and gene regulation. Incorporating stimuli-responsive modifications into these DNAzymes enables their activities to be spatiotemporally and chemically controlled for more precise applications. Despite the successful development of many caged DNAzymes for light-induced activation, DNAzymes that can be intracellularly activated by chemical inputs of biological importance, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), are still scarce.

Catechin attenuates TNF-α induced inflammatory response via AMPK-SIRT1 pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Chronic inflammation is a fundamental symptom of many diseases. Catechin possesses anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the mechanism of catechin to prevent inflammation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes caused by TNF-α remains unknown.

Role of the thioredoxin interacting protein in diabetic nephropathy and the mechanism of regulating NOD‑like receptor protein 3 inflammatory corpuscle.

Inflammatory response serves an important role in diabetic nephropathy (DN); however, the mechanism of inflammatory response results in renal damage is not yet clear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of the thioredoxin interacting protein (TXNIP)/NOD‑like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) axis‑mediated activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in DN. A diabetic rat model was induced by streptozotocin injection.

Enhancing Catalytic Activity of Uranyl-Dependent DNAzyme by Flexible Linker Insertion for More Sensitive Detection of Uranyl Ion.

The uranyl-dependent DNAzyme 39E cleaves its nucleic acid substrate in the presence of uranyl ion (UO). It has been widely utilized in many sensor designs for selective and sensitive detection of UO in the environment and inside live cells. In this work, by inserting a flexible linker (C3 Spacer) into one critical site (A) of the 39E catalytic core, we successfully enhanced the original catalytic activity of 39E up to 8.

Evanescent wave aptasensor for continuous and online aminoglycoside antibiotics detection based on target binding facilitated fluorescence quenching.

The biosensors capable for on-site continuous and online monitoring of pollutants in environment are highly desired due to their practical importance and convenience. The group specific detection of pollutants is especially attractive due to the diversity of environmental pollutants. Here we devise an evanescent wave aptasensor based on target binding facilitated fluorescence quenching (FQ-EWA) for the online continuous and group-specific detection of aminoglycoside antibiotics (AMGAs).

Hepatocyte growth factor inhibits tubular epithelial‑myofibroblast transdifferentiation by suppression of angiotensin II via the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Tubular epithelial‑myofibroblast transdifferentiation (TEMT) is important in the development of chronic renal failure. The present study investigated whether hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) inhibits TEMT, and whether this function may be associated with the inhibition of angiotensin II (AngII) and the Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK2/STAT3) signaling pathway. Human HK‑2 kidney proximal tubular cells were divided into 4 groups and treated with AngII (1x10‑6 M), HGF (8x10‑3 M), AngII plus HGF or control conditions, followed by an assessment of apoptosis induction and the expression levels of α‑smooth muscle actin (α‑SMA), which is a marker of TEMT.

Reusable split-aptamer-based biosensor for rapid detection of cocaine in serum by using an all-fiber evanescent wave optical biosensing platform.

A rapid, facile, and sensitive assay of cocaine in biological fluids is important to prevent illegal abuse of drugs. A two-step structure-switching aptasensor has been developed for cocaine detection based on evanescent wave optical biosensing platform. In the proposed biosensing platform, two tailored aptamer probes were used to construct the molecular structure switching.

Label-free fluorescence detection of melamine with a truncated aptamer.

The 2008 Chinese milk scandal caused by the adulteration of melamine encouraged the public to pay attention to melamine detection in milk products and other food stuffs. To allow simple and rapid detection of melamine, we previously isolated an 88 nt melamine aptamer (called Rd29C33) using the structure-switching SELEX. However, this 88 nt oligonucleotide is costly to synthesize, and may also complicate the rational design of biosensors for melamine detection.

Portable Detection of Melamine in Milk Using a Personal Glucose Meter Based on an in Vitro Selected Structure-Switching Aptamer.

Melamine detection in milk and other foods has attracted much attention since the discovery that melamine-adulterated food causes severe kidney damage. Although many methods have been developed to detect melamine, few methods can provide quantitative results using an affordable and portable device that is suitable for home use or field application. To achieve this goal, we herein report the first in vitro selection of a melamine responsive aptamer using a structure-switching method.

Association between circulating levels of galanin and pre-pregnancy body mass index in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus.

Galanin is an important neuropeptide which induces an increase in obesity and appetite, improving insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in experimental animals. Although significantly higher levels of plasma galanin are found in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), there is a limited understanding of its precise mechanism underlying this variation. In the present study, concentrations of circulating galanin were determined at baseline in pregnant women with GDM and pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT).

CDX2 enhances HTR-8/SVneo trophoblast cell invasion by altering the expression of matrix metalloproteinases.

Background/aims: The invasion of trophoblast cells into the maternal uterine decidua is critical for normal placentation, establishment of pregnancy and maintenance of fetal growth in humans. Several growth factors and cytokines have been implicated in trophoblast invasion, but the underlying regulatory mechanisms of invasion are not fully understood. Our earlier studies have found that caudal-related homeobox transcription factor 2 (CDX2) is hypomethylated in human pre-eclampsia placental tissues.

Pain assessment using the critical-care pain observation tool in Chinese critically ill ventilated adults.

Context: The psychometric properties of the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool (CPOT) need to be tested in general intensive care unit patient populations in China.

Objectives: To further evaluate the psychometric properties of the CPOT and provide a pain assessment method for Chinese critically ill ventilated adults by validating a translation of the CPOT.

Methods: A total of 63 conscious ventilated Chinese adults were repeatedly assessed by two independent raters using the CPOT at rest as well as before and during the two procedures: 1) nociceptive procedure (turning) and 2) non-nociceptive procedure (taking noninvasive blood pressure).

Endogenous galanin as a novel biomarker to predict gestational diabetes mellitus.

Although a significantly higher level of plasma galanin was found in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in our previous study, it is unknown whether plasma galanin is biomarker for the prediction of GDM. The present study aims to further evaluate the relationship between endogenous galanin and GDM in pregnant women and to find out the precise mechanism by which galanin plays role in the pathogenesis of GDM. The study registered thirty pregnant women with GDM and thirty pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT).

Pathological changes, TGF-β1 expression, and the effects of hepatocyte growth factor in 5/6 nephrectomized rats.

Several studies have shown that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) ameliorates chronic renal failure, but its mechanism of action is unclear. This study was designed to test the delivery of HGF in the PCI-neo vector, using the 5/6 nephrectomized rat as a model for chronic renal failure, and to confirm that this protective function is associated with decreased protein expression of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1). Rats were randomly divided into the following groups: Control (untreated), PCI-neo (vector control), 5/6 nephrectomy, and PCI-neo-HGF.