Reduction of nicotine content in tobacco through microbial degradation: research progress and potential applications.

Originally native to South America, tobacco and is now distributed worldwide as a major cash crop. Nicotine is the main harmful component of tobacco leaves, cigarette smoke and tobacco waste, which severely affects not only the flavor of the tobacco leaf, but also causes great damage to human health. As the anti-smoking movement continued to grow since the 1950s, and consumers become more aware of their health and environmental protection, the world tobacco industry has been committed to research, develop and produce low nicotine cigarette products with relatively low risk to human health.

Chitosan-zein-icariin complexes modulate double emulsion phase transitions to potentiate absorption efficiency.

This study developed a chitosan-zein-icariin ternary complex through reversed-phase precipitation to stabilize double emulsions using one-step emulsification method. Results indicated that icariin and chitosan-zein formed spherical microstructures via the rearrangement of hydrogen bonding networks and hydrophobic interactions. All complexes exhibited pale-yellow color and demonstrated single and uniform size distribution.

Effects of Carbon Fiber Content on the Crystallization and Rheological Properties of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polyamide 6.

Carbon fiber (CF)-reinforced polyamide 6 (PA6) composites have an excellent performance, attributed to properties such as light quality, high strength, and vibration reduction, and they are widely used in fields such as aerospace and transportation. Four kinds of carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide 6 (CF/PA6) composite pellets with carbon fiber contents of 20, 30, 40, and 50 wt.% were prepared using twin screw extrusion.

LzSCL9, a Novel GRAS Transcription Factor in Lanzhou Lily ( var. ), Participates in Regulation of Trichokonins-Primed Heat Stress Tolerance.

In our previous research, we found that trichokonins' (TKs) employment improved the thermotolerance of the Lanzhou lily, a renowned edible crop species endemic to China that is relatively susceptible to high temperatures (HTs). Here, a novel Lanzhou lily GRAS gene, , was identified to respond to heat stress (HS) and HS+TKs treatment based on transcriptome and RT-qPCR analysis. TKs could improve the upregulation of during long-term HS.

A Systematic Hierarchical Virtual Screening Model for RhlR Inhibitors Based on PCA, Pharmacophore, Docking, and Molecular Dynamics.

RhlR plays a key role in the quorum sensing of . The current structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies of RhlR inhibitors mainly focus on elucidating the functional groups. Based on a systematic review of previous research on RhlR inhibitors, this study aims to establish a systematic, hierarchical screening model for RhlR inhibitors.

Huanglian Wendan Decoction Improves Insomnia in Rats by Regulating BDNF/TrkB Signaling Pathway Through Gut Microbiota-Mediated SCFAs and Affecting Microglia Polarization.

Insomnia is a typical type of sleep disorder. Huanglian Wendan Decoction (HWD) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with the effects of regulating Qi, drying dampness and resolving phlegm, calming the mind, and relieving irritation. This study aims to investigate the effect of HWD on insomnia in rats and its mechanism.

An analysis of clinical characteristics of rare bilateral medial medullary infarction: An observational study.

This study aimed to characterize the risk factors, etiology, clinical manifestations, anatomical characteristics, stroke mechanisms, imaging features, and prognosis of bilateral medial medullary infarction (BMMI). A retrospective analysis was conducted on 11 patients with BMMI who met the inclusion criteria at the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January 2013 to January 2023. The patients' imaging and clinical features were analyzed and summarized.

Advancements in the research of immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Esophageal cancer (EC) has a high mortality rate and poor prognosis. Most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage or with distant metastasis, making surgery impossible. Traditional curative radiotherapy and chemotherapy have limited efficacy.

Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation for epilepsy.

Background: Several studies have suggested that transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) may be effective for the treatment of epilepsy. However, auricular acupoint therapy (including auricular acupuncture and auricular point-sticking therapy), a method of stimulating the vagus nerve, has been poorly reviewed. This systematic review is the first to categorize auricular acupoint therapy as transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), aiming to assess the efficacy of taVNS in patients with epilepsy (PWE), and to analyse the results of animal experiments on the antiepileptic effects of taVNS.

Huanglian Jiedu decoction alleviates neurobehavioral damage in mice with chronic alcohol exposure through the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK pathway.

Objective: Long-term alcohol consumption can cause organic damage to the brain, resulting in mental and nervous system abnormalities and intellectual impairment. Huanglian Jiedu decoction (HLJDD) is the classic representative of clearing heat and detoxifying. This study aimed to explore the effects and possible mechanisms of HLJDD on brain injury in chronic alcohol-exposed mice.

CRISPR-Cas9-assisted genome editing in elevates the frequency of unintended mutations.

Cas-assisted lambda Red recombineering techniques have rapidly become a mainstay of bacterial genome editing. Such techniques have been used to construct both individual mutants and massive libraries to assess the effects of genomic changes. We have found that a commonly used Cas9-assisted editing method results in unintended mutations elsewhere in the genome in 26% of edited clones.

Conditional expression of FumA in enhances synthesis of L-malic acid.

Currently, the L-malic acid titer achieved through fermentation reaches 201 g/L, meeting industrial demands satisfactorily. However, the co-presence of structurally similar fumaric acid and succinic acid in fermentation products suggests a theoretical potential for further improvement in L-malic acid production. In the tricarboxylic acid cycle, fumarate reductase mediates the conversion of succinic acid to fumaric acid.

Meta-analysis of KAP toward COVID-19 in Chinese residents.

Background: During the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there have been many studies on knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward prevention of COVID-19 infection in China. Except for symptomatic treatment and vaccination, KAP toward COVID-19 plays an important role in the prevention of COVID-19. There is no systematic evaluation and meta-analysis of KAP toward COVID-19 in China.

Saikosaponin D mitigate pilocarpine-induced astrocyte injury by regulating the NLRP3/caspase-1 signaling pathway.

Studies have shown that saikosaponin D (SSD) has favorable neurotherapeutic effects. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore the efficacy and possible molecular mechanisms of SSD on pilocarpine (PP)-induced astrocyte injury. Primary astrocytes were isolated from juvenile rats and identified using immunofluorescence.

Elucidating the role of L. in sepsis-induced acute lung injury via network pharmacology: emphasis on inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and the PI3K-AKT pathway.

Context: Sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. L. (Crassulaceae) (RR) and its extracts have shown anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and lung-protective effects.

Enhancing l-Malic Acid Production in via Natural Activation of Gene Expression.

The efficient production of l-malic acid using requires overcoming challenges in synthesis efficiency and excessive byproduct buildup. This study addresses these hurdles, improving the activity of NADH-dependent malate dehydrogenase (Mdh) in the early stages of the fermentation process. By employing a constitutive promoter to express the responsible for the transfer of reducing equivalents between NAD(H) and NADP(H) in , the l-malic acid production was significantly elevated.

Multidimensional Criteria for Virtual Screening of PqsR Inhibitors Based on Pharmacophore, Docking, and Molecular Dynamics.

is a clinically challenging pathogen due to its high resistance to antibiotics. Quorum sensing inhibitors (QSIs) have been proposed as a promising strategy to overcome this resistance by interfering with the bacterial communication system. Among the potential targets of QSIs, PqsR is a key regulator of quorum sensing in .

Cortical Sulcal Abnormalities Revealed by Sulcal Morphometry in Patients with Chronic and Episodic Migraine.

Purpose: Previous studies have reported mixed results regarding the importance of cortical abnormalities in patients with migraines. However, cortical sulci, as a component of the cerebral cortex, have not been specifically investigated in migraine patients. Therefore, we aim to evaluate alterations in cortical sulcal morphology among patients with chronic migraine (CM), episodic migraine (EM), and healthy controls (HCs).

Synonymous edits in the genome have substantial and condition-dependent effects on fitness.

CRISPR-Cas-based genome editing is widely used in bacteria at scales ranging from construction of individual mutants to massively parallel libraries. This procedure relies on guide RNA-directed cleavage of the genome followed by repair with a template that introduces a desired mutation along with synonymous "immunizing" mutations to prevent re-cleavage of the genome after editing. Because the immunizing mutations do not change the protein sequence, they are often assumed to be neutral.

False positive angiographic aneurysm of the anterior segment of the M1 bifurcation of the middle cerebral artery: a case report.

Occlusion of an intracranial arterial branch, resulting in a false positive aneurysm on vascular imaging, is extremely rare, with only a few reports in the literature and mostly in the posterior circulation artery or the middle cerebral artery (MCA) bifurcation. We report a case of a 69 years-old woman with a subacute infarct lesion in the left frontal lobe, for whom both computed tomographic angiography (CTA) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) of the cerebral vessels showed aneurysms in the anterior segment of the M1 bifurcation of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and in the bifurcation of the MCA. The aneurysm in the MCA bifurcation was found during craniotomy, whereas the anterior segment of the M1 bifurcation had intact branch vessels with severe atherosclerosis and no aneurysm was present.