Establishment and Validation of a Nomogram for Identifying False Positives in Xpert MTB/RIF Rifampicin Resistance Test.

Purpose: This study aimed to establish and validate a diagnostic nomogram for identifying false positives in the Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert) for detection of rifampicin resistance (RIF-R).

Patients And Methods: In this retrospective study, we collected basic patient characteristics and various clinical information from the electronic medical record database. Patients were randomly divided into training and validation groups in a 7:3 ratio.

Vanillin-based flame retardant enables polylactic acid high-efficiency fireproof, anti-UV and oxygen barrier for food packaging.

Polylactic acid (PLA) is widely known for its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and high transparency. However, it still has varied limitations such as flammability, UV sensitivity, and poor oxygen barrier properties. To address these issues, a bio-based compound, hexasubstituted cyclotriphosphazene (HVP), was synthesized by using vanillin and hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene to enhance the overall performance of PLA.

Effects of Different Extraction Methods on the Structural and Functional Properties of Soluble Dietary Fibre from Sweet Potatoes.

In this study, hot water treatment (WT), ultrasonic treatment (UT), ultrasonic-sodium hydroxide treatment (UST), ultrasonic-enzyme treatment (UET), and ultrasonic-microwave treatment (UMT) were used to treat sweet potatoes. The structural, physicochemical, and functional properties of the extracted soluble dietary fibres (SDFs) were named WT-SDF, UT-SDF, UST-SDF, UET-SDF, and UMT-SDF, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal properties, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis were employed.

A novel polysaccharide from blueberry leaves: Extraction, structural characterization, hypolipidemic and hypoglycaemic potentials.

In this study, the structural characterization, physicochemical properties, antioxidant, hypolipidemic, and hypoglycemic potentials of polysaccharide components (BLP-1, BLP-2, and BLP-3) purified from blueberry leaf polysaccharides (BLP) were investigated. Ion chromatography results showed that BLP-1, BLP-2, and BLP-3 contained rhamnose, arabinose, galactose, glucose, and glucuronic acid. In contrast to BLP-1, BLP-2 and BLP-3 included galacturonic acid.

Transcriptomic analysis provides insights into the molecular mechanism of melatonin-mediated cadmium tolerance in Medicago sativa L.

Cadmium (Cd), a toxic element, often makes a serious threat to plant growth and development. Previous studies found that melatonin (Mel) reduced Cd accumulation and reestablished the redox balance to alleviate Cd stress in Medicago sativa L., however, the complex molecular mechanisms are still elusive.

Structure-function relationship and biological activity of polysaccharides from mulberry leaves: A review.

Mulberry (Latin name "Morus alba L.") is a perennial deciduous tree in the family of Moraceae, widely distributed around the world. In China, mulberry is mainly distributed in the south and the Yangtze River basin.

Influence of lactic acid fermentation on the phenolic profile, antioxidant activities, and volatile compounds of black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) juice.

Lactic acid fermentation is an effective method for improving the quality of black chokeberry. This study aimed to investigate the influence of lactic acid bacteria on the phenolic profile, antioxidant activities, and volatiles of black chokeberry juice. Initially, 10  cfu/mL of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus were inoculated into pasteurized black chokeberry juice and fermented for 48 h at 37°C.

High-Performance FAU Zeolite Membranes Derived from Nano-Seeds for Gas Separation.

In this study, high-performance FAU (NaY type) zeolite membranes were successfully synthesized using small-sized seeds of 50 nm, and their gas separation performance was systematically evaluated. Employing nano-sized NaY seeds and an ultra-dilute reaction solution with a molar composition of 80 NaO: 1AlO: 19 SiO: 5000HO, the effects of synthesis temperature, crystallization time, and porous support (α-AlO or mullite) on the formation of FAU membranes were investigated. The results illustrated that further extending the crystallization time or increasing the synthesis temperature led to the formation of a NaP impurity phase on the FAU membrane layer.

Non-volatile and volatile compound changes in blueberry juice inoculated with different lactic acid bacteria strains.

Background: Lactic acid bacteria (LABs) are widely present in foods and affect the flavour of fermented cultures. This study investigates the effects of fermentation with Lactobacillus acidophilus JYLA-16 (La), Lactobacillus plantarum JYLP-375 (Lp), and Lactobacillus rhamnosus JYLR-005 (Lr) on the flavour profile of blueberry juice.

Results: This study showed that all LABs strains preferentially used glucose rather than fructose as the carbon source during fermentation.

Fabrication and characterization of soy protein isolation-ferulic acid antioxidant hydrogels.

Background: Soy protein gel products are prone to direct oxidation by reactive oxygen during processing and transportation, thus reducing their functional properties and nutritional values. A covalent complex was prepared with soy protein isolate (SPI) and ferulic acid (FA) catalyzed by laccase (LC). The complex was further treated with microbial transglutaminase (TGase) to form hydrogels.

Effect of Lactobacillus (L. acidophilus NCIB1899, L. casei CRL 431, L. paracasei LP33) fermentation on free and bound polyphenolic, antioxidant activities in three Chenopodium quinoa cultivars.

The application of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation to the production of probiotic beverages is a common method for modifying the health-related functional characteristics and phytochemical content of such beverages. This study evaluated the effect of fermentation with Lactobacillus acidophilus NCIB1899, Lactobacillus casei CRL 431, and Lactobacillus paracasei LP33 on the total phenolic contents (PCs), flavonoid contents (FCs), phenolic profiles, and antioxidant capacities of the solvent-extractable (free) and cell-wall-bound (bound) fractions in quinoa varying in bran color. Compared with unfermented beverages, LAB fermentation significantly increased the free PCs and free FCs by 15.

The preparation of soy glycinin/sugar beet pectin complex network gels catalyzed by laccase under weakly acidic conditions.

Background: Traditional soy protein gel products such as tofu, formed from calcium sulfate or magnesium chloride, have poor textural properties and water retention capacity. Soy glycinin (SG) is the main component affecting the gelation of soy protein and can be cross-linked with polysaccharides, such as sugar beet pectin (SBP), and can be modified by changing system factors (e.g.

Glycated Soy β-Conglycinin Nanoparticle for Efficient Nanocarrier of Curcumin: Formation Mechanism, Thermal Stability, and Storage Stability.

In this study, soy β-conglycinin (7S) was glycated with dextran of different molecular masses (40, 70, 150, 500 kDa) by the dry-heating method to synthesize soy β-conglycinin-dextran (7S-DEX) conjugates. The curcumin (Cur) loaded nanocomplexes were prepared based on 7S-DEX conjugates by a pH-driven self-assemble strategy to enhance the solubility and thermal stability of curcumin. Results showed that the 7S-150 conjugates (glycated from 7S with dextran (150 kDa)) could remain stable in the pH 3.

Evolution of polyphenolic, anthocyanin, and organic acid components during coinoculation fermentation (simultaneous inoculation of LAB and yeast) and sequential fermentation of blueberry wine.

This research aims to investigate the effects of both sequential fermentation and coinoculation fermentation with yeast and lactic acid bacterial (LAB) on the dynamics of changes in basic quality parameters and organic acid, anthocyanin, and phenolic components as well as antioxidant activity during the fermentation of blueberry. The coculture-fermented blueberry wine showed significant decreases in total phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanins,by 23.9%, 15.

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Anti-cancerous Mechanism of Licochalcone A on Human Hepatoma Cell HepG2.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a malignancy with a low survival rate globally, and there is imperative to unearth novel natural phytochemicals as effective therapeutic strategies. Licochalcone A is a chalcone from that displayed various pharmacological efficacy. A globally transcriptome analysis was carried out to reveal the gene expression profiling to explore Licochalcone A's function as an anti-cancer phytochemical on HepG2 cells and investigate its potential mechanisms.

Identification of the critical genes and miRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma by integrated bioinformatics analysis.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a global health problem with complex etiology and pathogenesis. Microarray data are increasingly being used as a novel and effective method for cancer pathogenesis analysis. An integrative analysis of genes and miRNA for HCC was conducted to unravel the potential prognosis of HCC.

Melatonin Confers Plant Cadmium Tolerance: An Update.

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most injurious heavy metals, affecting plant growth and development. Melatonin (-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) was discovered in plants in 1995, and it is since known to act as a multifunctional molecule to alleviate abiotic and biotic stresses, especially Cd stress. Endogenously triggered or exogenously applied melatonin re-establishes the redox homeostasis by the improvement of the antioxidant defense system.

Viscozyme L hydrolysis and Lactobacillus fermentation increase the phenolic compound content and antioxidant properties of aqueous solutions of quinoa pretreated by steaming with α-amylase.

In this work, red quinoa was successively subjected to α-amylase steaming, complex enzyme Viscozyme (R) L hydrolysis, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation. The total phenolic compound content (TPC), flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant capacities of the solvent-extractable (free) and bound fractions and the individual phenolic compounds released were determined. Compared to steaming with α-amylase, enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation of quinoa resulted in approximately 82.

Constitutive secretory expression and characterization of nitrilase from Alcaligenes faecalis in Pichia pastoris for production of R-mandelic acid.

Nitrilases can directly hydrolyze nitrile compounds into carboxylic acids and ammonium. To solve the current problems of bioconversions using nitrilases, including the difficult separation of products from the resting cells used as the catalyst and high costs of chemical inducers, a nitrilase from Alcaligenes faecalis was heterologously expressed in Pichia pastoris X33. The stable nitrilase-expressing strain No.

Integrated miRNA and mRNA omics reveal the anti-cancerous mechanism of Licochalcone B on Human Hepatoma Cell HepG2.

To unravel the potential of Licochalcone B as an anti-tumour phytochemical agent and evaluate its underlying mechanisms, we analyzed the mRNAs and miRNAs expression profiles of HepG2 cells in response to Licochalcone B (120 μM). mRNA and miRNA expression libraries were conducted and functional analysis for differential expression mRNAs was carried out utilizing Clue GO. We found 763 Licochalcone B -responsive differently expressed genes, among them, 572 mRNAs were up-regulated and 191 mRNAs were down-regulated, many of which were related to the MAPK signaling pathway.

Upscale production of (R)-mandelic acid with a stereospecific nitrilase in an aqueous system.

(R)-Mandelic acid (R-MA) is a key precursor for the synthesis of semi-synthetic penicillin, cephalosporin, anti-obesity drugs, antitumor agents, and chiral resolving agents for the resolution of racemic alcohols and amines. In this study, an enzymatic method for the large-scale production of R-MA by a stereospecific nitrilase in an aqueous system was developed. The nitrilase activity of the Escherichia coli BL21(DE3)/pET-Nit whole cells reached 138.

White mulberry fruit polysaccharides enhance endothelial nitric oxide production to relax arteries in vitro and reduce blood pressure in vivo.

Mulberry fruit polysaccharides have demonstrated excellent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypolipidemic, and hypoglycemic properties. This study tested the effect of white mulberry fruit polysaccharides (WMFPs) on blood pressure. WMFPs induced endothelium-dependent relaxation in rat mesenteric arteries and NO production in endothelial cells, both of which were reversed by the NO synthase inhibitor Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride, a phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002, a cell-permeable Ca chelator (1,2-bis (o-aminophenoxy) ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (acetoxymethyl ester)), and inhibitors of molecules downstream of NO, including the soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one, the potassium channel inhibitor tetraethylammonium chloride, the large conductance calcium-activated potassium channel-specific inhibitor iberiotoxin, and the K channel inhibitor glibenclamide.

Antioxidant and Hemolysis Protective Effects of Polyphenol-Rich Extract from Mulberry Fruits.

Background: Mulberry fruits are a superior source of polyphenol, especially anthocyanins that contribute potentially to the beneficial effects which include reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancers with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and chemoprotective properties.

Objectives: In this study, purification of the polyphenol-rich extract from mulberry fruit (MPE) was purified and assessed the activities of antioxidant and hemolysis protective and .

Materials And Methods: Antioxidant activities was measured by quantifying its 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity, reducing power and Fe-chelating ability.

Tumor necrosis factor α promotes HEp-2 cell proliferation via toll-like receptor 4 and NF-κB signaling pathways.

Laryngeal carcinoma is a serious, life-threatening disease. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), a proinflammatory cytokine, has complex effects on the proliferation and growth of cancer cells. Previously, we treated a laryngeal cancer cell line (HEp-2) with TNF-α and demonstrated that this treatment suppressed polycystin-2, a transient receptor potential cation channel expression and ATP-induced Ca release but increased HEp-2 cell proliferation and growth.

Improved 1-Deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) production in mulberry leaves fermented by microorganism.

DNJ, an inhibitor of α-glucosidase, is used to suppress the elevation of postprandial hyperglycemia. In this study, we focus on screening an appropriate microorganism for performing fermentation to improve DNJ content in mulberry leaf. Results showed that Ganoderma lucidum was selected from 8 species and shown to be the most effective in improvement of DNJ production from mulberry leaves through fermentation.