Gel properties and network structure of the hydrogel constructed by iota-carrageenan and Ala-Lys dipeptide.

Gel properties of hydrogel-forming by Ala-Lys dipeptide (AK) and iota-carrageenan (ι-C) were investigated by rheological behavior, fourier transform infrared analysis, cryo-scanning electron microscopy, low field-NMR relaxometry and magnetic resonance imaging. Iota-carrageenan was changed from a liquid to a gel with the addition of AK, and the existence of AK significantly increased the storage modulus (G') of ι-C from 590.4 to 1077.

Conjugation of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate and protein isolate from large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) roe: improvement of antioxidant activity and structural characteristics.

Background: Large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) roe is the main by-product in the processing of large yellow croaker. Previous studies have found that its protein isolates are composed of vitellogenin, as well as vitellogenin B and C, having good functional properties. (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is a natural antioxidant component that can be combined with protein to improve antioxidant activity and structural characteristics of protein.

[Pathologic tumor volume predicting survival outcomes of patients with local advanced glottic carcinoma].

The aim of this study was to evaluate the predicting role of tumor volume as evaluated by postoperative pathologic examination on overall survival（OS） and disease free survival（DFS） in patients with local advanced glottic carcinoma. In this study, the records of 406 consecutive patients with local advanced glottic carcinoma（T3-T4 stages） who underwent surgery ± chemoradiotherapy from January 2005 to December 2010 were retrospectively reviewed and followed up. The demographic characteristics, disease staging, and pathologic tumor volume were analyzed.

Efficient microwave absorber and supercapacitors derived from puffed-rice-based biomass carbon: Effects of activating temperature.

Biomass-based carbon is gaining increasing attention because it presents a promising prospect for economic growth and social sustainable development. Moreover, it is an excellent medium for application in electromagnetic and electronic devices. Here, puffed-rice-based carbon is obtained at various activating temperatures, and when the hollow bulges on the carbon disappear, the morphology of the carbon changes into sheet-like structures.

Preoperative tracheotomy as reflection of tumor size impacting oncologic outcomes of patients with advanced stage glottic carcinoma.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of preoperative tracheotomy on oncologic outcomes of advanced stage glottic carcinoma patients, and to explore the potential reason.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 413 consecutive advanced stage glottic carcinoma patients from January 2005 to December 2010. The correlation of preoperative tracheotomy and potential impacting factor of tumor size involving tumor diameter and tumor area with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) was fully assessed.

Cryptobiosis-inspired assembly of "AND" logic gate platform for potential tumor-specific drug delivery.

Developing tumor-specific drug delivery systems with minimized off-target cargo leakage remains an enduring challenge. In this study, inspired from the natural cryptobiosis explored by certain organisms and stimuli-responsive polyphenol‒metal coordination chemistry, doxorubicin (DOX)-conjugated gelatin nanoparticles with protective shells formed by complex of tannic acid and Fe (DG@TA-Fe NPs) were successfully developed as an "AND" logic gate platform for tumor-targeted DOX delivery. Moreover, benefiting from the well-reported photothermal conversion ability of TA-Fe complex, a synergistic tumor inhibition effect was confirmed by treating 4T1 tumor-bearing mice with DG@TA-Fe NPs and localized near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation.

On the nonlinear relationship between energy consumption and economic and social development: evidence from Henan Province, China.

The sustainable development of China's economy and society has been restricted by energy and environmental issues. With the implementation of the Rise of Central China strategy, Henan, a populous province in China, is facing the threat of an energy shortage as its economy grows steadily and the urbanization process accelerates. Using panel data of 18 cities in Henan Province for the period of 2006-2018, this study investigates the relationship between energy consumption and economic and social development variables based on the extended Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology (STIRPAT) model and threshold regression method.

Impacts of Spartina alterniflora invasion on soil carbon contents and stability in the Yellow River Delta, China.

Spartina alterniflora has rapidly expanded in coastal wetlands of China, and this would affect soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and stability. In the present work, the impacts of S. alterniflora colonization on SOC pool and stability was deciphered to better understand how alien species altered the carbon cycle in the Yellow River Delta (YRD).

Voice rehabilitation after total laryngectomy with the infrahyoid musculocutaneous flap.

Background: It is important for the patients to reconstruct the voice phonic function by surgery after total laryngectomy in the developing countries.

Aims/objectives: To investigate the clinical outcomes of voice reconstruction using an infrahyoid musculocutaneous flap for patients after total laryngectomies.

Materials And Methods: Eighteen male patients recruited were laryngectomized.

Intermolecular interaction in the hybrid gel of scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) male gonad hydrolysates and κ-carrageenan.

Various bond disrupting agents including NaCl, GuHCl, urea, and SDS were introduced to investigate the intermolecular interactions between scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) male gonad hydrolysates (SMGHs) and κ-carrageenan (κ-C), which were monitored by changes in rheological property, water distribution, conformation characterization and microstructure by using rheometer, low field-NMR relaxometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, cryo-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM), and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The results showed that the bond disrupting agents deteriorated the rheological property of SMGHs/κ-C in a dose-dependent manner. Indeed, at the same concentration of 2 M, NaCl deteriorated the SMGHs/κ-C more obviously than GuHCl and urea.

Circulating immune parameters-based nomogram for predicting malignancy in laryngeal neoplasm.

Background: Malignancy prediction remains important to preoperative diagnosis and postoperative follow-up in laryngeal neoplasm.

Aim: To evaluate the circulating immune population and develop a nomogram for prediction of malignancy in patients with laryngeal neoplasm.

Methods: A primary cohort of 156 patients was divided into laryngeal benign lesion, premalignant lesion and malignant lesion groups.

miR-665 is downregulated in glioma and inhibits tumor cell proliferation, migration and invasion by targeting high mobility group box 1.

Glioma is the most common brain tumor in adults. microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) play an essential role in tumor development and progression. The present study aimed to investigate the potential clinical significance and function of miR-665 in glioma.

The Role of Keratin-8 and Keratin-18 Polymorphisms and Protein Levels in the Occurrence and Progression of Vocal Leukoplakia.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the association between the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and tissue protein level of keratin-8/18 and the occurrence and progression of vocal leukoplakia.

Methods: The case-control study enrolled 158 patients with vocal leukoplakia, 326 patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), and 268 healthy controls, which were tested for genotype analysis with keratin-8 and keratin-18 gene polymorphisms using pyrosequencing. The tissue protein expression levels of keratin-8 and keratin-18 were evaluated using immunohistochemistry.

On the indirect environmental outcomes of COVID-19: short-term revival with futuristic long-term implications.

The aim of this study is to identify and highlight the positive and negative indirect environmental impacts of COVID-19, with a particular focus on the most affected economies (USA, China, Spain, and Italy). In this respect, the empirical and theoretical dimensions of the contents of those impacts are analyzed. Research findings reveal a significant relationship between contingency actions and positive indirect impacts such as air quality improvements, clean beaches, and the decline in environmental noise.

Sensitive detection of extremely small iron oxide nanoparticles in living mice using MP2RAGE with advanced image co-registration.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a widely used non-invasive methodology for both preclinical and clinical studies. However, MRI lacks molecular specificity. Molecular contrast agents for MRI would be highly beneficial for detecting specific pathological lesions and quantitatively evaluating therapeutic efficacy in vivo.

Miniature two-photon microscopy for enlarged field-of-view, multi-plane and long-term brain imaging.

We have developed a miniature two-photon microscope equipped with an axial scanning mechanism and a long-working-distance miniature objective to enable multi-plane imaging over a volume of 420 × 420 × 180 μm at a lateral resolution of ~1 μm. Together with the detachable design that permits long-term recurring imaging, our miniature two-photon microscope can help decipher neuronal mechanisms in freely behaving animals.

[Effects of ant disturbance on soil organic carbon cycle: A review.].

The impact of ants, as consumer and decomposer in ecosystems, on soil organic carbon pool is a hotspot in soil fauna research. Recently, effects of ants on soil organic carbon pool dynamics have been mainly documented in terms of soil macro-elements storage, physical and chemical properties, and microbial community. We summarized the effects of ant disturbance on soil organic carbon cycle.

The spatial spillover effect and nonlinear relationship analysis between environmental decentralization, government corruption and air pollution: Evidence from China.

The massive development of the Chinese economy is being hindered by the deteriorating air pollution problem. Many methods have been used by the Chinese government to solve this environmental dilemma, out of which environmental decentralization is one of the important measures. The transparency of environmental decentralization may be weakened by the existence of the corruption problem, resulting in further deterioration of the air pollution problem.

Rutin-Loaded Silver Nanoparticles With Antithrombotic Function.

In this paper, we fabricated rutin-loaded silver nanoparticles (Rutin@AgNPs) as the nano-anticoagulant with antithrombotic function. The serum stability, anticoagulation activity, and bleeding risk of Rutin@AgNPs were evaluated. The results showed Rutin@AgNPs had good serum stability, hemocompatibility, and cytocompatibility.

Transferrin receptor 1 plays an important role in muscle development and denervation-induced muscular atrophy.

Previous studies demonstrate an accumulation of transferrin and transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) in regenerating peripheral nerves. However, the expression and function of transferrin and TfR1 in the denervated skeletal muscle remain poorly understood. In this study, a mouse model of denervation was produced by complete tear of the left brachial plexus nerve.

Complex coacervation of scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) male gonad hydrolysates and κ-carrageenan: Effect of NaCl and KCl.

The complex coacervation between scallop Patinopecten yessoensis male gonad hydrolysates (SMGHs) and κ-carrageenan (κ-C) as influenced by ionic strength (NaCl and KCl) were monitored by using turbidimetric analysis at pH 1-12. The optical density of SMGHs/κ-C complexes initially increased at lower ionic strength (0-0.5 M) whereas decreased at higher ionic strength (0.

Exosomal lncRNA ROR1-AS1 Derived from Tumor Cells Promotes Glioma Progression via Regulating miR-4686.

Objective: Glioma is one of the most common central nervous system malignant tumors, accounting for 45%-60% of adult intracranial tumors. However, the clinical treatment of glioma is limited. It is of great significance to seek new therapeutic methods for glioma via gene therapy.

A Degradable and Self-Healable Vitrimer Based on Non-isocyanate Polyurethane.

Developing degradable and self-healable elastomers composed of reusable resources is of great value but is rarely reported because of the undegradable molecular chains. Herein, we report a class of degradable and self-healable vitrimers based on non-isocyanate polyurethane elastomer. Such vitrimers are fabricated by copolymerizing (6-membered cyclic carbonate) and amino-terminated liquid nitrile rubber.

Soil organic matter and salinity as critical factors affecting the bacterial community and function of Phragmites australis dominated riparian and coastal wetlands.

Soil salinization poses a great threat to the natural ecosystem and interferes with the structure and function of the biological community, resulting in different vegetation distributions. However, little attention is paid to the changes in microbial community in different wetland types with the same vegetation. In this study, the Yellow River Delta was used as a model because of its typical and extensive distribution of Phragmites australis-dominated saltwater and freshwater wetlands.