Processing Pathway Research Articles

Enhanced degradation of bisphenol S in water using a combination process of electrochemical oxidation with periodate activation

This paper proposed a new system, electrochemically activated periodate (E/PI) with a Ti/RuO2-IrO2 anode, for the efficient degradation of endocrine disrupting chemical bisphenol S (BPS). The results suggested that the degradation efficiency reached 100 % after 30 min at the conditions of PI 0.25 mM, current density 2 mA/cm2 and pH 7.2. In comparison to other activators of PI (e.g., ultrasonic or visible light) and electrochemically activated different oxidants (e.g., persulfates or H2O2), the E/PI system was found to be more effective in degrading BPS. The system showed a faster degradation rate with increasing current density or PI dose, and demonstrated a strong anti-interference capability against the humic acid and inorganic anions present in water. The system also demonstrated excellent stability, and can still remove 100 % of BPS even after 40 intermittent semi-continuous operations (20 h). The singlet oxygen (1O2) was identified as the primary reactive oxygen species (ROS) for the BPS degradation, as revealed by the free radical quenching and the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiment. In addition, the intermediates of BPS during its degradation process and main degradation pathways were proposed. The E/PI system can be used as a new AOPs and has practical application potential in water treatment.

Dosage effect of micron zero-valent iron during thermophilic anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge: Performance and functional community

This work examined the performance and microbial traits in a thermophilic anaerobic digestion (TAD) of waste activated sludge that was impacted by micron zero valent iron (mZVI). Results showed that methane production was promoted by 0.8, 11.9, and 12.0 times, respectively, when mZVI was at dosages of 25, 100, and 250 mg/g total solid (TS). Also, the consumption of volatile fatty acids was increased by mZVI at higher dosages (100 and 250 mg/g TS). Furthermore, 16S rRNA sequencing demonstrated that microbial community stabilized after day 18 regardless of the dosage of mZVI, and that different dosages of mZVI induced different shifts in the functional community of the archaea rather than the bacteria involved in TAD. As a result, mZVI at 100 mg/g TS could increase the relative abundance of archaeal genera Methanothermobacter the most, increasing by 22.8% at the end of TAD compared to CK. Besides, redundancy analysis revealed that the physicochemical properties explained 79.65% and 89.10% of the variations of bacterial and archaeal abundance, respectively. Also, the findings of the correlation analysis revealed that total dissolved iron, ferrous iron, pH, and ammonium nitrogen, may be the key divers of altering functional communities, particularly archaea. Moreover, mZVI at 100 and 250 mg/g TS boosted the metabolic pathways of environmental information processing (ABC transporters) in bacteria and carbon metabolism and methane metabolism for archaea, as well as relative abundances of enzymes and their activities involved in various methanogenic pathways. This study provides new perspectives on the application of mZVI in solid wastes treatments.

Glutamine protects intestinal immunity through microbial metabolites rather than microbiota

Glutamine has anti-inflammatory properties as well as the ability to maintain the integrity of the intestinal barrier. In our previous study, we found that 1.0% glutamine promoted SIgA (secretory immunoglobulin A) synthesis in the gut via both T cell-dependent and non-dependent processes, as well as via the intestinal microbiota. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the intestinal microbiota or microbial metabolites regulate SIgA synthesis. In the mouse model, supplementation with 1.0% glutamine had no significant effect on the intestinal microbiota, but KEGG function prediction showed the difference on microbiota metabolites. Therefore, in this study, untargeted metabolomics techniques were used to detect and analyze the metabolic changes of glutamine in intestinal luminal contents. Metabolomics showed that in the positive ion (POS) mode, a total of 1446 metabolic differentials (VIP ≥ 1, P < 0.05, FC ≥ 2 or FC ≤ 0.5) were annotated in samples treated with glutamine-supplemented group compared to control group, of which 922 were up-regulated and 524 down-regulated. In the negative ion (NEG) mode, 370 differential metabolites (VIP ≥ 1, P < 0.05, FC ≥ 2 or FC ≤ 0.5) were screened, of which 220 were up-regulated and 150 down-regulated. These differential metabolites mainly include bile secretion synthesis, ABC transporters, diterpenoids and other secondary metabolites. KEGG analysis showed that propionic acid metabolism, TCA cycle, endoplasmic reticulum protein processing, nitrogen metabolism and other metabolic pathways were active. The above metabolic pathways and differential metabolites have positive effects on intestinal development and intestinal immunity, and combined with our previous studies, we conclude that glutamine supplementation can may maintain intestinal homeostasis and improving intestinal immunity through intestinal microbial metabolites.

Probiotics mitigate kidney damage after exposure to Sri Lanka's local groundwater from chronic kidney disease with uncertain etiology (CKDu) prevalent area in zebrafish

Groundwater in Sri Lanka, contaminated with environmental toxins, is suspected to potentially induce chronic kidney disease of uncertain etiology (CKDu) in humans. This study aims to elucidate the potential mitigating effects of probiotics on kidney damage induced by exposure to this local groundwater (LW) in zebrafish. We used zebrafish as a model organism and exposed them to local groundwater to evaluate the risk of CKDu. Probiotics were then added at a concentration of 108 colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/mL). Our findings revealed that exposure to local groundwater resulted in abnormalities, such as tail deletion and spinal curvature in zebrafish larvae. However, the addition of probiotics mitigated these effects, improving the hatching rate, heart rate, length, weight, deformity rate, survival rate, and abnormal behavior of zebrafish. It also positively influenced the differential expression levels of kidney development and immunity-related genes (dync2h1, foxj1, pkd2, gata3, slc20a1, il1β, and lyso). Furthermore, exposure to LW decreased both the diversity and abundance of microbiota in zebrafish larvae. However, treatment with probiotics, such as L. plantarum and L. rhamnosus partially restored the disrupted gut microbiota and significantly impacted the cellular process pathways of the microbial community, as determined by KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) analysis. In conclusion, this study highlights the risks associated with Sri Lanka's local groundwater from a CKDu prevalent area and confirms the beneficial effects of different probiotics. These findings may provide new insights into bacterial function in host kidney health.

Effect of Gel Exposition on Calcium and Carbonate Ions Determines the Stm-l Effect on the Crystal Morphology of Calcium Carbonate.

Biomineralization of fish otoliths is regulated by macromolecules, such as proteins, whose presence is crucial for the functionality and properties of these mineralized structures. Special regulatory effects are exerted by intrinsically disordered proteins, such as the polyanionic Starmaker-like protein from medaka, a homolog of zebrafish Starmaker. In this study, we employed a set of bioinspired mineralization experiments with a single diffusion system to investigate the effect of the Starmaker-like protein on calcium carbonate biominerals with regards to the prior exposition of the protein to calcium or carbonate ions. Interestingly, the bioinspired minerals grown in the presence of the Starmaker-like protein in calcium- or carbonate-type experiments differ significantly in terms of morphology and protein distribution within the crystals. Our deeper analysis shows that the Starmaker-like protein action is a result of the environmental conditions to which it is exposed. These findings may be of special interest in the areas of biomineralization process pathways and biomaterial sciences.

The neural model of front-of-package label processing.

Front-of-package (FOP) labels have been adopted in many countries to battle the obesity pandemic and its serious health consequences by providing clearer and easier-to-understand nutrition and health information. The effectiveness of FOP labels has been generally confirmed, with some contextual and individual factors modifying their effectiveness. Existing theories (eg, the dual-process theory) and shifting priorities for self-control, provide some explanations for the FOP label effect. However, the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying the processing of FOP labels remain unknown. Here, a new model, namely, the neural model of FOP label processing, has been proposed to fill this gap by providing an integrated account of FOP label processing while simultaneously considering multiple important situational and individual factors in the same framework. This neural model is built on the core eating network (ie, the ventral reward pathway and the dorsal control pathway) for food cue processing and actual food consumption. The new model explains how FOP labels may facilitate attention, influence the core eating network, and thus alter food choices. It also demonstrates how motivation may modify FOP label processing in 2 ways: affecting attention (the indirect way) and changing the process of evaluating the food (the direct way). It further explains how some contextual and individual factors (eg, ego depletion, time pressure, and health knowledge) influence the process. Thus, the neural model integrates evidence from behavioral, eye-tracking, and neuroimaging studies into a single, integrated account, deepening understanding of the cognitive and neural mechanisms of FOP label processing. This model might facilitate consensus on the most successful FOP label. Moreover, it could provide insights for consumers, food industries, and policy makers and encourage healthy eating behaviors.

Biochemical compositions and transcriptome analysis reveal dynamic changes of embryonic development and nutrition metabolism in Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis)

The aim of this study was to investigate the energy sources and utilization patterns during embryonic development of Chinese sturgeon through analyzing the biochemical components of embryos at different development stages, and to explore the physiological characteristics and related molecular mechanism during embryogenesis in combination with an embryonic transcriptome analysis. Chinese sturgeon embryo samples were collected at different development stages (fertilized eggs, neurula stage, and tail touching head stage). The results showed that embryonic development was a process of continuous energy consumption. The change of total protein content was consistent with total amino acid content, showing a trend of increasing first and then decreasing. However, the total lipid content decreased significantly during early embryonic development. As for amino acid profile, leucine, arginine and lysine contents showed the highest level within essential amino acids (EAA), while glutamic acid, alanine, aspartic acid and serine contents showed the highest level within non-essential amino acids (NEAA). In terms of fatty acid content, the main quantitative fatty acids were C16:0 in saturated fatty acids (SFA), C18:1 in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and C22:6n-3 (DHA), C18:2n-6 as well as C20:5n-3 (EPA) in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The content of C20:4n-6 (ARA), EPA and DHA were increased at neurula stage compared to fertilized eggs, which indicated their important roles in the structural composition during embryogenesis. Notably, Chinese sturgeon may have the ability to elongate n-3 PUFA to partially meet its requirements for highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) during embryonic development. Transcriptome analysis showed that 19,078 and 6326 differential expressed genes (DEGs) were up-regulated and down-regulated respectively from fertilized eggs to neurula stage; while 3556 and 3150 DEGs were up-regulated and down-regulated respectively from neurula stage to tail touching head stage. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the protein processing pathway was significantly enriched in early embryonic development through the up-regulated genes of imp4, pwp2, utp21, nop10, rpl10_17_35 and rps25; while the down-regulated genes of ccne1, ccna2, ccnb1, cdk1_2 and plk1 were associated with cell proliferation and differentiation pathway. In late embryonic development, the pathways related to aerobic metabolism, amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism were significantly enriched through the up-regulated genes of mdh1, fumc, idh2, elovl6 and dgat2; and the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway was significantly down-regulated. In general, this study revealed the continuous energy consumption during embryonic development of Chinese sturgeon with specific energy substrates at different stages, and highlighted the DEGs and related pathway involved in the ontogeny and nutrient metabolism, which emphasizes the essentiality of high quality egg production for the success of captive breeding of Chinese sturgeon and would guide the broodstock nutrition for high quality egg production.

Investigating premotor reaching biases after prism adaptation

ABSTRACT Prism adaptation (PA) is both a visuomotor learning task and potential treatment for spatial neglect after stroke. While PA’s aftereffects can improve neglect symptoms, therapeutic benefits vary across individuals, possibly due to differences in neglect subtypes. Neglect symptoms can be described along an information processing pathway, yielding perceptual (input) and premotor (output) neglect subtypes. There is some evidence that PA mainly benefits persons with premotor neglect. We investigated whether PA modulates the premotor stage of information processing by examining whether PA could induce a premotor bias in healthy adults. We measured perceptual and premotor biases using a speeded reach task that compares the initiation time of leftward and rightward reaches to lateralized targets from different hand start positions. Using a randomized mixed experimental design, 30 right-handed healthy adults completed this speeded reach task before and after either left-shifting (n = 15) or right-shifting (n = 15) PA. As hypothesized, left-shifting PA speeded initiation time specifically for reaches in the rightward direction, regardless of target location (p = .02, ηp 2 = .18), suggesting that PA induced a premotor bias in the direction of the prism aftereffect. These findings have implications for PA’s underlying mechanisms, which can inform visuomotor learning theories and PA’s use as a treatment for spatial neglect.

Seasonal changes in endoplasmic reticulum stress and steroidogenesis in the ovary of the wild ground squirrels (Citellus dauricus Brandt)

The development of the follicle is accompanied by steroidogenesis and secretion, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) requires significant synthesis of relevant proteins to support changes in the follicular microenvironment. The aim of this study was to investigate whether seasonal changes in gonadotropins and ovarian steroid hormones in the wild ground squirrels induce endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and changes in ERS-mediated unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling. There were significant seasonal differences in ovarian mass, with values higher in the breeding season and relatively low in the non-breeding season. Histological observations revealed that ovaries in the breeding season had germ cells including primordial follicles, primary follicles, secondary follicles, tertiary follicles, and the corpus luteal, whereas ovaries consisted mainly of primary and secondary follicles in the non-breeding season. Analysis of ovarian transcriptome data showed that 1298 genes were up-regulated in expression and 1432 genes were down-regulated in expression during both periods. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis indicated that these genes were mainly enriched in estrogen signaling pathways, ovarian steroidogenesis and endoplasmic reticulum protein processing pathways. The expression levels of steroidogenic enzymes (P450scc, P450c17, 3β-HSD, and P450arom) and gonadotropin receptor (FSHR and LHR) were significantly increased during the breeding season compared to the non-breeding season. GRP78 and UPR signaling factors (ATF4, ATF6, XBP1s) associated with ERS were expressed in both seasons. The mRNA expressions of Atf6 and Xbp1s were higher in the breeding season than those of the non-breeding season. Conversely, Atf4 and its downstream homologous protein (Chop) exhibited higher expression during the non-breeding season. In addition, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol-17β, and progesterone of serum were significantly higher in the breeding season than those of the non-breeding season. These results suggested that UPR signaling, associated with seasonal changes in ovarian steroidogenesis, was activated during the breeding season and that ERS might be involved in regulating seasonal changes in ovarian steroidogenesis in the wild ground squirrels.

In vitro assessment of inflammatory skin potential of poly(methyl methacrylate) at non-cytotoxic concentrations.

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is considered an attractive substrate material for fabricating wearable skin sensors such as fitness bands and microfluidic devices. Despite its widespread use, inflammatory and allergic responses have been attributed to the use of this material. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to obtain a comprehensive understanding of potential biological effects triggered by PMMA at non-cytotoxic concentrations using in vitro models of NIH3T3 fibroblasts and reconstructed human epidermis (RhE). It was hypothesized that concentrations that do not reduce cell viability are sufficient to activate pathways of inflammatory processes in the skin. The study included cytotoxicity, cell metabolism, cytokine quantification, histopathological, and gene expression analyses. The NIH3T3 cell line was used as a testbed for screening cell toxicity levels associated with the concentration of PMMA with different molecular weights (MWs) (i.e., MW ~5,000 and ~15,000 g/mol). The lower MW of PMMA had a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50 ) value of 5.7 mg/cm2 , indicating greater detrimental effects than the higher MW (IC50 = 14.0 mg/cm2 ). Non-cytotoxic concentrations of 3.0 mg/cm2 for MW ~15,000 g/mol and 0.9 mg/cm2 for MW ~5,000 g/mol) induced negative metabolic changes in NIH3T3 cells. Cell viability was severely reduced to 7% after the exposure to degradation by-products generated after thermal and photodegradation degradation of PMMA. PMMA at non-cytotoxic concentrations still induced overexpression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors (IL1B, CXCL10, CCL5, IL1R1, IL7, IL17A, VEGFA, FGF2, IFNG, IL15) on the RhE model. The inflammatory response was also supported by histopathological and gene expression analyses of PMMA-treated RhE, indicating tissue damage and gene overexpression. Results suggested that non-cytotoxic concentrations of PMMA (3.0 to 5.6 mg/cm2 for MW ~15,000 g/mol and 0.9 to 2.1 mg/cm2 for MW ~5,000 g/mol) were sufficient to negatively alter NIH3T3 cells metabolism and activate inflammatory events in the RhE skin.

Anti-osteoporosis mechanism of resistance exercise in ovariectomized rats based on transcriptome analysis: a pilot study.

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is the main cause of fractures in women.Resistance exercise has a positive effect on bone mineral density in postmenopausal osteoporosis patients, but its mechanism is unclear.The purpose of this study was to explore the mechanism of resistance exercise in improving ovariectomized osteoporotic rats based on the transcriptome sequencing technique. Eighteen female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the sham-operated group, the non-exercise group, and the resistance exercise group.The rat model of postmenopausal osteoporosis was established by bilateral ovariectomy.Ten weeks after the operation, the resistance exercise group received 2 weeks of adaptive training, and 12 weeks of resistance exercise began in the 13th week.The rats were trained 5 days per week, in 4 sets of 3 repetitions per day.After the intervention, all rats were sacrificed, and the body weight, bone mineral density, trabecular bone microarchitecture, and bone biomechanics were examined.At the same time, RNA-seq and enrichment analysis of gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes were performed on the left tibias, followed by Elisa and RT-qPCR verification. It had been found that resistance exercise can effectively counteract the weight gain of ovariectomized osteoporotic rats, and has a good effect on bone mineral density and trabecular bone microarchitecture. Enrichment analysis showed that regulation of gene expression and osteoclast differentiation is the most closely related biological process and signaling pathway shared by RE/Ovx and NE/Ovx groups. Our results revealed that resistance exercise can play a role in inhibiting osteoclast activation and preventing the enhancement of osteoclast bone resorption function in ovariectomized osteoporotic rats by inhibiting Fos/Fosb-regulated TRAP activation and relieving Calcr inhibition, which has important application value in preventing bone loss caused by estrogen deficiency.

Impact of sampling location and aging on the Longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle proteome of dry-aged beef

This study aimed to explore the differences in the proteome and molecular pathways between two sampling locations (external, internal) of bovine Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscles at 0, 21, and 28 days of dry-aging (i.e. 3, 24, and 31 days post-mortem). It further assessed the impact of post-mortem aging on the meat proteome changes and the biological processes at interplay. Proteins related to defence response to bacterium and regulation of viral entry into host cell were identified to be more abundant on the external location before dry-aging, which may be associated to the oxidative conditions and microbial activity to which post-mortem muscle is exposed during dressing, chilling, and/or quartering of the carcasses. This highlights the relevance of sampling from interior tissues when searching for meat quality biomarkers. As dry-aging progressed, the meat proteome and related biological processes changed differently between sampling locations; proteins related to cell-cell adhesion and ATP metabolic processes pathways were revealed in the external location at 21 and 28 days, respectively. On the other hand, the impact of aging on the proteome of the interior meat samples, evidenced that muscle contraction and structure together with energy metabolism were the major pathways driving dry-aging. Additionally, aging impacted other pathways in the interior tissues, such as regulation of calcium import, neutrophil activation, and regeneration. Overall, the differences in the proteome allowed discriminating the three dry-aging times, regardless of the sampling location. Several proteins were proposed for validation as robust biomarkers to monitor the aging process (tenderization) of dry-aged beef: TTN, GRM4, EEF1A1, LDB3, CILP2, TNNT3, GAPDH, SERPINI1, and OMD.

Astaxanthin enhances autophagy, amyloid beta clearance and exerts anti-inflammatory effects in in vitro models of Alzheimer’s disease-related blood brain barrier dysfunction and inflammation

Defective degradation and clearance of amyloid-β as well as inflammation per se are crucial players in the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A defective transport across the blood–brain barrier is causative for amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation in the brain, provoking amyloid plaque formation. Using primary porcine brain capillary endothelial cells and murine organotypic hippocampal slice cultures as in vitro models of AD, we investigated the effects of the antioxidant astaxanthin (ASX) on Aβ clearance and neuroinflammation. We report that ASX enhanced the clearance of misfolded proteins in primary porcine brain capillary endothelial cells by inducing autophagy and altered the Aβ processing pathway. We observed a reduction in the expression levels of intracellular and secreted amyloid precursor protein/Aβ accompanied by an increase in ABC transporters ABCA1, ABCG1 as well as low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 mRNA levels. Furthermore, ASX treatment increased autophagic flux as evidenced by increased lipidation of LC3B-II as well as reduced protein expression of phosphorylated S6 ribosomal protein and mTOR. In LPS-stimulated brain slices, ASX exerted anti-inflammatory effects by reducing the secretion of inflammatory cytokines while shifting microglia polarization from M1 to M2 phenotype. Our data suggest ASX as potential therapeutic compound ameliorating AD-related blood brain barrier impairment and inflammation.

Thrombus architecture is influenced by the antiplatelet loading treatment in patients with acute myocardial infarction

BackgroundIntracoronary thrombus formation is a main cause of acute myocardial infarction triggered by platelet activation. However, there are no data on the impact of different treatment strategies with antiplatelet agents before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on histological characteristics of thrombus formation. ObjectiveIn this study, we investigate the impact of preinterventional administration of the P2Y12-inhibitors clopidogrel and prasugrel on thrombus composition, highlighting significant changes associated with the antiplatelet pre-treatment. MethodsWe prospectively enrolled 104 consecutive patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing immediate PCI and thrombus aspiration by immunohistochemical staining along with RNA-sequencing employing Nanostring analysis. Fifty-two patients were treated with either prasugrel loading (60 mg) or clopidogrel loading (600 mg) prior to PCI, respectively. ResultsIn Patients with STEMI, intracoronary thrombus architecture was significantly altered between patients pre-treated with prasugrel when compared to clopidogrel. Fibrin content of thrombi was significantly decreased (41.8 % versus 66.7 %, p = 0.009) after pre-treatment with prasugrel compared to clopidogrel. Furthermore, levels of MPO positive cells in intracoronary thrombi were significantly decreased in patients with prasugrel pre-treatment (90.5 versus 201.1, p = 0.014) indicating an association of antiplatelet pre-treatment and the inflammatory responses during thrombus formation. Most strikingly, we observed significant differences among both pre-treatment groups regarding altered RNA expression and signaling pathways of thrombo-inflammatory processes within the thrombotic material, which were independently associated with antiplatelet strategies. ConclusionsOur study elucidates the impact of antiplatelet pre-treatment on thrombus remodeling and architecture, thereby lowering the risk of recurrent adverse cardiovascular events in prasugrel-treated patients.

Uncovering the shared molecule and mechanism between ulcerative colitis and atherosclerosis: an integrative genomic analysis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) and atherosclerosis (AS) are closely related. However, the pathologic mechanisms underlying the co-occurrence of UC and AS are not well understood. To reveal the hub molecule and mechanism involved in the co-occurrence of UC and AS. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of UC and AS were obtained, and the shared DEGs of UC and AS were explored for biological function. Next, the hub genes were explored using the cytoHubba plugin. The predictive ability of the hub genes was measured by constructing the receiver operating characteristic curve. Analyses of immune infiltration and the single-gene gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) for the hub genes were further carried out. Identification of 59 DEGs (55 were upregulated and four were downregulated) shared by both UC and AS was performed. Enriched pathways of the shared DEGs were mainly related to immunity and inflammation. Protein tyrosine phosphatase, receptor type, C (PTPRC) was identified as the hub crosstalk gene for the comorbidity of UC and AS. The upregulation of PTPRC was correlated with mast cells resting, T cells CD4 memory resting, macrophages M0, and macrophages M1. Pathways of immune and inflammatory processes, including NF-kappa B, viral protein interaction with cytokine and cytokine receptor, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, were significantly correlated with high expression of PTPRC in UC and AS. At the transcriptional level, our study reveals that imbalanced inflammatory and immune responses are the key pathological mechanisms underlying the comorbidity of UC and AS and that PTPRC is a key biomarker for the comorbidity of UC and AS.

Latencies Associated with Neuronal Pathways of Visual Emotional Processing.

Latencies Associated with Neuronal Pathways of Visual Emotional Processing.

Multiple pathways involved in the Ca ascorbate-induced enhancement of Meyerozyma guilliermondii biocontrol efficacy

The external environment and yeast’s inherent physiological characteristics play important roles in the biocontrol efficacy of antagonistic yeast. Attention has been focused on increasing biocontrol efficacy by improving yeast environmental adaptability in recent years. In this study, the effect and mechanism of calcium ascorbate (Ca ascorbate) on enhancement of Meyerozyma guilliermondii biocontrol effectiveness were investigated based on transcriptome sequencing, and physiological and biochemical activity analysis of yeast cells. The results demonstrated that the yeast induced by 0.2 g/L Ca ascorbate inhibit gray decay substantially compared with the control, non-induced, ascorbic acid (VC) and calcium chloride (CaCl2) induced groups.The results of transcriptome sequencing showed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of M. guilliermondii induced by Ca ascorbate were mainly enriched in those GO functions such as “cell process, metabolic process, antioxidant” and KEGG pathways such as “ribosome, metabolism, cell cycle”. Ca ascorbate induction could significantly upregulate the expression of genes related to ribosome synthesis (RIM101, PAN3, NHP2, and RPS19A), growth and metabolism (HXT2 and SDH4), and antioxidation (FMN1 and SNZ1). The accelerated growth dynamics and cell metabolic activity as well as the elevated antioxidant enzyme activity were all in line with the transcriptomic data. As expected, the increased antioxidant enzyme activity reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA). These results demonstrated that the mechanism of Ca ascorbate-induced enhancement of biocontrol efficacy is related to accelerating yeast proliferation and colonization, improving nutrient utilization, enhancing cell homeostasis and cell wall structure, and improving the environmental adaptability of yeast cells. Additionally, Ca2+ also has a synergistic effect on yeast physiological activity and antioxidant activity to promote the improvement of yeast biocontrol efficacy.

Biofabrication of functional bone tissue: defining tissue-engineered scaffolds from nature.

Damage to bone leads to pain and loss of movement in the musculoskeletal system. Although bone can regenerate, sometimes it is damaged beyond its innate capacity. Research interest is increasingly turning to tissue engineering (TE) processes to provide a clinical solution for bone defects. Despite the increasing biomimicry of tissue-engineered scaffolds, significant gaps remain in creating the complex bone substitutes, which include the biochemical and physical conditions required to recapitulate bone cells' natural growth, differentiation and maturation. Combining advanced biomaterials with new additive manufacturing technologies allows the development of 3D tissue, capable of forming cell aggregates and organoids based on natural and stimulated cues. Here, we provide an overview of the structure and mechanical properties of natural bone, the role of bone cells, the remodelling process, cytokines and signalling pathways, causes of bone defects and typical treatments and new TE strategies. We highlight processes of selecting biomaterials, cells and growth factors. Finally, we discuss innovative tissue-engineered models that have physiological and anatomical relevance for cancer treatments, injectable stimuli gels, and other therapeutic drug delivery systems. We also review current challenges and prospects of bone TE. Overall, this review serves as guide to understand and develop better tissue-engineered bone designs.

MiRNAs that target amyloid precursor protein processing machinery in extracellular vesicles and particles derived from oral squamous cells carcinoma.

Considering that microRNAs (miRNAs), extracellular vesicles and particles (EVPs) and the amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing have been shown to be altered in oral squamous cells carcinoma (OSCC), it is possible that miRNAs that target APP processing pathways in EVPs are impacted in tumor cells. Our aim was to evaluate miRNAs that target APP itself or disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain 10 (ADAM10), which generate a trophic compound, sAPPα, in EVPs derived from OSCC cell lines, an aggressive and non-invasive, compared to normal keratinocytes. We used two OSCC cell lines, an aggressive human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line (SCC09) and a less aggressive cell line (CAL27) compared with a keratinocyte lineage (HaCaT). Cells were maintained in cell media, from which we isolated EVPs. EVPs were evaluated regarding their size and concentration using Nanotracking Analysis. We measured the levels of miRNAs which had as potential downstream target APP or ADAM10, specifically miR-20a-5p, miR-103a-3p, miR-424-5p, miR-92b-3p, miR-31-5p, and miR-93-5. There were no differences on size distributions and concentration of isolated EVPs. OSCC cell lines-derived EVPs miR-20a-5p, miR-92b-3p, and miR-93-5p were upregulated in comparison to HaCaT-derived EVPs; while miR-31-5p was reduced in EVPs obtained from CAL27 cells. Our results indicate changes in miRNAs that target APP machinery processing in EVPs derived from OSCC cell lines of different aggressiveness, which may be involved with abnormal miRNA expression in OSCC tissue and/or releasing tumor suppressor miRNA.

Oxymatrine Alleviates Collagen-Induced Arthritis in Mice by Regulating the Immune Balance of T Cells.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by systemic immunity and autoimmune disorders. We have previously found that oxymatrine (OMT), a natural alkaloid, can alleviate rheumatoid arthritis without knowing whether OMT can alleviate rheumatoid arthritis through gut microbiota. In this study, we found that OMT can alleviate collagen-induced arthritis in mice and reconstruct the immune balance of Th1/Th2, Treg/Th17, and Tfr/Tfh cells. Colon transcriptome gene enrichment analysis indicated that oxymatrine may alleviate collagen induced arthritis in mice through immune system process pathway. Furthermore, OMT significantly altered the gut microbiota variety, changed the composition of microbial colonies, and reshaped the gut microbiota of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice, which may participate in the regulation of the balance of Th1/Th2, Treg/Th17, and Tfr/Tfh cells to alleviate collagen-induced arthritis in mice.