Significant spatiotemporal changes in atmospheric particulate mercury pollution in China: Insights from meta-analysis and machine-learning.

PM bound mercury (PBM) in the atmosphere is a major component of total mercury, which is a pollutant of global concern and a potent neurotoxicant when converted to methylmercury. Despite its importance, comprehensive macroanalyses of PBM on large scales are still lacking. To explore the driving factors, spatiotemporal pollution distribution, and associated health risks, we compiled a comprehensive dataset consisting of PBM concentrations and spatiotemporal information across China from 2000 to 2023 that was collected from the published scientific literature with valid data.

Deletion of protein kinase C θ attenuates hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury and further elucidates its mechanism in pathophysiology.

Objectives: Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (HIR) is a severe process in pathophysiology that occurs clinically in hepatectomy, and hepatic transplantations. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of PKC θ deletion against HIR injury and elucidate its mechanism in pathophysiology.

Materials And Methods: HIR injury was induced in wild-type and PKC θ deletion mice treated with or without heme.

Regulation of gut microbiota on immune cell ferroptosis: A novel insight for immunotherapy against tumor.

Gut microbiota contributes to the homeostasis of immune system and is related to various diseases such as tumorigenesis. Ferroptosis, a new type of cell death, is also involved in the disease pathogenesis. Recent studies have found the correlations of gut microbiota mediated ferroptosis and immune cell death.

Temporal interference stimulation targets deep primate brain.

Temporal interference (TI) stimulation, a novel non-invasive stimulation strategy, has recently been shown to modulate neural activity in deep brain regions of living mice. Yet, it is uncertain if this method is applicable to larger brains and whether the electric field produced under traditional safety currents can penetrate deep regions as observed in mice. Despite recent model-based simulation studies offering positive evidence at both macro- and micro-scale levels, the absence of electrophysiological data from actual brains hinders comprehensive understanding and potential application of TI.

Preparation and recognition mechanism study of an scFv targeting chloramphenicol for a hybridization chain reaction-CRISPR/Cas12a amplified fluoroimmunoassay.

Recombinant antibody-based immunoassays have emerged as crucial techniques for detecting antibiotic residues in food samples. Developing a stable recombinant antibody production system and enhancing detection sensitivity are crucial for their biosensing applications. Here, we bioengineered a single-chain fragment variable (scFv) antibody to target chloramphenicol (CAP) using both Bacillus subtilis and HEK 293 systems, with the HEK 293-derived scFv demonstrating superior sensitivity.

Preparation and Characterization of Multilayer pH-Responsive Hydrogel Loaded Peptides.

To develop a safe, targeted, and efficient assembly of a stable polypeptide delivery system, in this work, chitosan, sodium alginate, and sodium tripolyphosphate were used as materials for the preparation of hydrogels. M-SCT hydrogels were prepared by ionic gelation and the layer-by-layer (LBL) method. The composite hydrogels exhibited excellent pH sensitivity and peptides (GLP) loading capacity.

Deep learning for detection of age-related macular degeneration: A systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of deep learning algorithms to identify age-related macular degeneration and to explore factors impacting the results for future model training.

Methods: Diagnostic accuracy studies published in PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrails.gov before 11 August 2022 which employed deep learning for age-related macular degeneration detection were identified and extracted by two independent researchers.

selection and optimization of high-affinity aptamer for milk allergen α-lactalbumin and its application in dual-mode detection.

Milk is one of the most common sources of protein in people's daily lives, and it is also recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the eight categories of food allergies to human beings. α-lactalbumin (α-La) is the main cause of milk allergy. In this study, a single-stranded DNA aptamer with high binding affinity to α-La were selected using systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) method.

Screening of Single-Stranded DNA Aptamer Specific for Florfenicol and Application in Detection of Food Safety.

In this work, the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) aptamers specific to florfenicol (FF) and having a high binding affinity were prepared using the magnetic bead-based systematic evolution of ligands by the exponential enrichment technique (MB-SELEX). After 10 rounds of the MB-SELEX screening, aptamers that can simultaneously recognize FF and its metabolite florfenicol amine (FFA) were obtained. The aptamer with the lowest dissociation constant (K) was truncated and optimized based on a secondary structure analysis.

Selection and Characterization of DNA Aptamers for Constructing Aptamer-AuNPs Colorimetric Method for Detection of AFM1.

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), one of the most toxic mycotoxins, is a feed and food contaminant of global concern. To isolate the ssDNA aptamer of AFM1, synthesized magnetic graphene oxide nanomaterials, 12 rounds of subtractive systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) selection were carried out. As a result, 24 candidate aptamers were selected, and their sequence similarity exceeded 97%.

Nanozyme-enabled sensing strategies for determining the total antioxidant capacity of food samples.

Gold doped copper hexacyanoferrate (Au@Cu-HCF) nanozyme-based colorimetric sensing strategies were exploited to measure total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of some plant-derived food samples. The new developed Au@Cu-HCF nanozyme replaces natural enzymes to catalyze a redox reaction, and antioxidants can compete with substrates in the interaction with OH, leading to an antioxidant concentration-dependent color change. Depending on the Au@Cu-HCF-based ABTS colorimetric strategy, a smartphone-based sensor was devised using smartphone's camera as a "smart detector".

SU5, a new Auraptene analog with improved metabolic stability, ameliorates nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in methionine- and choline-deficient diet-fed db/db mice.

Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) has been considered as a promising target for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), while existing FXR agonists suffer from serious side effects. Thus, it is very necessary to identify novel FXR agonists with good safety. Auraptene (AUR) is a new FXR agonist with excellent safety and extensive pharmacological activities, while the lactone of AUR is vulnerable to esterolysis.

A Novel Colorimetric Nano Aptasensor for Ultrasensitive Detection of Aflatoxin B1 Based on the Exonuclease III-Assisted Signal Amplification Approach.

The detection of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) has recently garnered much attention on the issue of food safety. In this study, a novel and sensitive aptasensor towards AFB1 is proposed using an Exonuclease III (Exo III)-integrated signal amplification strategy. This reported sensing strategy is regulated by aptamer-functionalized nanobeads that can target AFB1; furthermore, complementary DNA (cDNA) strands can lock the immobilized aptamer strands, preventing the signal amplification function of Exo III in the absence of AFB1.

Anterior thalamic stimulation improves working memory precision judgments.

Background: The anterior nucleus of thalamus (ANT) has been suggested as an extended hippocampal system. The circuit of ANT and hippocampus has been widely demonstrated to be associated with memory function. Both lesions to each region and disrupting inter-regional information flow can induce working memory impairment.

Toxic effects of metal copper stress on immunity, metabolism and pathologic changes in Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir japonica sinensis).

Copper (Cu), which represents a major physiological challenge for crab culture, is ubiquitous in the aquatic culture environment, and gills are the first organs that come into direct contact with the environment. However, the molecular basis of the response of crabs to Cu stress remains unclear. Here, we conducted a transcriptome and differential expression analysis on the gills from Chinese mitten crab unexposed and exposed to Cu for 24 h.

A broad-spectrum sensing strategy for the tetracycline family of antibiotics based on an ovalbumin-stabilized gold nanocluster and its application in a pump-free microfluidic sensing platform.

With increasing concerns related to the abuse of antibiotics in livestock production worldwide, simple and rapid screening methods for monitoring antibiotics in animal-derived foods are highly desirable. In this study, we propose a facile synthesis strategy for gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) exhibiting remarkable optical properties by employing ovalbumin (OVA) as the template. The OVA-stabilized AuNCs (AuNCs@OVA) manifest intriguing multicolour fluorescence and a gradually declining fluorescence intensity at 650 nm with an increasing concentration of tetracycline family antibiotics (TCs) including tetracycline, chlorotetracycline, oxytetracycline, and doxycycline, which are a widely used class of antibiotics for treating infections in food-producing animals.

Evaluation of Volatile Compounds during the Fermentation Process of Yogurts by Based on Odor Activity Value and Heat Map Analysis.

The volatile composition of yogurt produced by fermentation at different time points was investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with simultaneous distillation and extraction. A total of 53 volatile compounds including 11 aldehydes, 10 ketones, 8 acids, 7 benzene derivatives, 13 hydrocarbons, and 4 other compounds were identified in all of the samples. Ketones and hydrocarbons were the predominant volatile components in the early stage, whereas acids were the predominant volatiles in the late stage.

Cyclodextrin-Modified CeO Nanoparticles as a Multifunctional Nanozyme for Combinational Therapy of Psoriasis.

Purpose: Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced oxidative stress plays a key role in the pathogenesis and progression of psoriasis by causing inflammation. Antioxidative strategies eradicating ROS may serve as effective and easy treatment options for psoriasis, while nanozymes with intrinsic antioxidant enzyme-like activity have not been explored for psoriasis treatment. The aim of this study is to fabricate β-cyclodextrins (β-CDs)-modified ceria nanoparticles (β-CDs/CeO NPs) with drug-loaded and multimimic-enzyme activities for combinational psoriasis therapy.

Evaluation of Volatile Compounds in Milks Fermented Using Traditional Starter Cultures and Probiotics Based on Odor Activity Value and Chemometric Techniques.

The volatile components of milks fermented using traditional starter cultures (Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus) and probiotics (Lactobacillus lactis, Lactobacillus bifidus, Lactobacillus casei, and Lactobacillus plantarum) were investigated by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) combined with simultaneous distillation extraction (SDE). A total of 53 volatile compounds were detected, being 10 aldehydes, 11 ketones, 10 acids, 11 hydrocarbons, 7 benzene derivatives, and 4 other compounds. The starter culture was found to significantly affect the composition of volatile components in the fermented milks.

Ovarian cancer metastasis to the breast 18 years after the initial diagnosis: A case report.

Rationale: Ovarian cancer often metastasizes, but it is unusual to transfer to the breast as an isolated mass. In particular, it is rare for patients to have breast metastases after 18 years of diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Therefore, accurate identification of ovarian cancer mammary gland metastasis can contribute to the treatment of the disease.

Value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound for preoperative assessment of liver reserve function in patients with liver tumors.

This study aimed to investigate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for preoperative assessment of liver reserve function in patients with liver tumors. The indocyanine green (ICG) clearance tests and CEUS examinations of 45 noncirrhotic patients with liver tumors were performed prior to liver resection. Parameters time to peak (TtoPk), arrival time (Atm) as well as perfusion parameters A, k and A x k were generated from time-intensity curve (TIC) of CEUS.