Remarkable Responsiveness Research Articles

Fabrication of antimicrobial cationic hydrogels driven by physically and chemically crosslinking for wound healing

The wound therapy based on antibiotic delivery inevitably leads to the emergence of drug resistance. Hydrogel biomaterials with inherent antibacterial activities have emerged as promising candidates for addressing this issue. However, developing an inherently antibacterial hydrogel through simple and facile strategies to promote localized wound infection healing remains a challenge. In this study, we successfully constructed antimicrobial cationic hydrogels with self-healing and injectable properties through physically and chemically dual-crosslinked networks. The networks were formed by the copolymers poly[(di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate)-co-(4-formylphenyl methacrylate)-co-(2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride solution)] (PDFM) and poly[(di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate)-co-(2-aminoethyl methacrylate hydrochloride)-co-(2-(((6-(6-methyl-4[1H]pyrimidionylureido) hexyl)carbamoyl)oxy)ethyl methacrylate)] (PDAU). The hydrogel systems effectively facilitate the regeneration and healing of infected wounds through the contact bactericidal feature of quaternary ammonium cations. The presence of Schiff base bonds in the injectable hydrogels imparts remarkable pH responsiveness and self-healing properties. In vitro experiments verified their intrinsic antibacterial activities along with their favorable cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility in both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the hydrogel significantly accelerated the healing of bacterially infected in a full-thickness skin wound. This facilely prepared dual-crosslinked hydrogel, without antibiotics loading, holds significant prospects for treating infected wounds.

Formation and annihilation of electrically driven defects in nematic liquid crystals with negative dielectric anisotropy

Orientationally ordered liquid crystals (LCs) exhibit remarkable physical anisotropy and responsiveness to external fields, which give rise to distinguished physical effects and have led to the emergence of a new generation of electric-optical applications. The LCs are also renowned for their abundance of phases and topological defects, which are of significance in studying both fundamental science and practical technology. One simple approach to generating umbilic defects involves applying an electric field to a homeotropically aligned nematic LC with negative dielectric anisotropy <inline-formula><tex-math id="M8">\begin{document}$\Delta \varepsilon $\end{document}</tex-math><alternatives><graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="5-20231655_M8.jpg"/><graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="5-20231655_M8.png"/></alternatives></inline-formula>. However, the influence of material properties and external conditions on the dynamic process of nematic LC defects remains unclear. Here, we select seven kinds of nematic LCs with negative dielectrically anisotropy, ranging from –1.1 to –11.5, to explore the dynamics of electric-field-induced umbilics. By using a linearly increasing electric field parallel to the molecular orientation of LC, we systematically investigate the effects of material property (dielectric anisotropy) and external conditions (temperature and electric field parameters) on the formation and annihilation of umbilic defects. The experimental results show that the dynamic process of forming the umbilic defects in nematic LCs is independent of dielectric anisotropy, temperature, and electric field frequency, but follows the Kibble-Zurek mechanism, in which the density of generated umbilic defects exhibits a power-law scaling with the change of the electric field ramp rate, with a scaling exponent of approximately <inline-formula><tex-math id="M9">\begin{document}$1/2$\end{document}</tex-math><alternatives><graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="5-20231655_M9.jpg"/><graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="5-20231655_M9.png"/></alternatives></inline-formula>. Interestingly, a stronger dielectric anisotropy leads to a higher density of umbilic defects. Additionally, a change in temperature has a significant influence on the density of umbilic defects , in which higher temperature leads to greater defect density under the same external electric field conditions. Furthermore, the annihilation rate of umbilic defects is closely related to the material properties and the ramp of the applied electric field. Specifically, the annihilation rate of umbilic defects becomes faster when dielectric anisotropy is stronger or the electric field ramp is larger. This study provides valuable insights into the relationship between the formation and annihilation of defects, material properties, and external conditions in nematic LCs with dielectrically negative anisotropy, contributing to our comprehensive understanding of the dynamic process of topological defects in soft matter.

Exploring the depths of IgG4: insights into autoimmunity and novel treatments.

IgG4 subclass antibodies represent the rarest subclass of IgG antibodies, comprising only 3-5% of antibodies circulating in the bloodstream. These antibodies possess unique structural features, notably their ability to undergo a process known as fragment-antigen binding (Fab)-arm exchange, wherein they exchange half-molecules with other IgG4 antibodies. Functionally, IgG4 antibodies primarily block and exert immunomodulatory effects, particularly in the context of IgE isotype-mediated hypersensitivity reactions. In the context of disease, IgG4 antibodies are prominently observed in various autoimmune diseases combined under the term IgG4 autoimmune diseases (IgG4-AID). These diseases include myasthenia gravis (MG) with autoantibodies against muscle-specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK), nodo-paranodopathies with autoantibodies against paranodal and nodal proteins, pemphigus vulgaris and foliaceus with antibodies against desmoglein and encephalitis with antibodies against LGI1/CASPR2. Additionally, IgG4 antibodies are a prominent feature in the rare entity of IgG4 related disease (IgG4-RD). Intriguingly, both IgG4-AID and IgG4-RD demonstrate a remarkable responsiveness to anti-CD20-mediated B cell depletion therapy (BCDT), suggesting shared underlying immunopathologies. This review aims to provide a comprehensive exploration of B cells, antibody subclasses, and their general properties before examining the distinctive characteristics of IgG4 subclass antibodies in the context of health, IgG4-AID and IgG4-RD. Furthermore, we will examine potential therapeutic strategies for these conditions, with a special focus on leveraging insights gained from anti-CD20-mediated BCDT. Through this analysis, we aim to enhance our understanding of the pathogenesis of IgG4-mediated diseases and identify promising possibilities for targeted therapeutic intervention.

Real-time Adaptive Control of Electric Vehicle Drives using Artificial Neural Networks

This study examines the use of artificial neural networks (ANNs) in real-time adaptive control for electric vehicle (EV) propulsion systems, with the goal of enhancing performance and efficiency. The neural network-based control system is developed and validated using experimental data that includes vehicle speed, battery temperature, battery voltage, and motor temperature. The neural network demonstrates precise control output predictions by effectively adapting to dynamic changes in input parameters, exhibiting a remarkable level of responsiveness to diverse operating settings. The analysis of the experimental findings reveals a strong correlation between the expected and actual control values, confirming the system's dependability and effectiveness in managing torque and voltage instructions for the electric vehicle (EV). The performance indicators, such as mean squared error (MSE), R-squared, mean absolute error (MAE), and root mean squared error (RMSE), demonstrate a small difference between the anticipated and actual values, indicating that the system has a high level of accuracy and predictive capacity. Furthermore, the system displays remarkable responsiveness to changes in velocity, battery temperature, and voltage, showcasing its capacity to adjust to different driving situations while still staying within acceptable levels of fluctuation. This research highlights the capacity of artificial neural networks (ANNs) to facilitate accurate and flexible control systems for electric vehicles (EVs), representing a substantial advancement in improving the performance, efficiency, and adaptability of electric vehicle propulsion in sustainable transportation systems. The neural network-based control system has been proven to be accurate, responsive, and reliable. This highlights its potential to revolutionize future electric vehicle (EV) technologies and contribute to advancements in real-time adaptive control strategies for environmentally friendly transportation systems.

Highly efficient subambient all-day passive radiative cooling textiles with optically responsive MgO embedded in porous cellulose acetate polymer

Passive radiative cooling (PRC) is an electricity-free and spontaneous cooling technology to alleviate the global scorching weather that increasingly threatens human health. Herein, combined with the calculation to reveal the full-spectrum optical constants of MgO and predict its remarkable optical responsiveness for PRC applications. Guided by this calculation, a highly efficient subambient all-day PRC textile is designed by embedding the MgO NPs into porous cellulose acetate (CA) polymer and then dip-coated onto the polyester (polyethylene terephthalate, PET) matrix (PET-CA-MgO). The resulting cooling textile shows both of high solar reflectivity (94.6%) and high infrared emissivity (96.8%), which is found to be originated from the superposition of the optical properties of phonon polariton resonance of MgO (the Fröhlich mode) and Mie scattering of porous CA polymer. More importantly, its theoretical net PRC powers are calculated up to 117.8 and 156.1 W m−2 during the daytime and nighttime, respectively, which is on par with the state-of-the-art. Under direct sunlight, the PET-CA-MgO based PRC textile achieves a subambient temperature reduction of 8 °C, and enables simulated skin to avoid overheating by ∼11 °C as compared to bare skin heater and pristine PET textile. This design strategy for the spectral selective feature of textiles presents an effective approach to further fabricate high-performance PRC garments for practical purposes.

Navigating Water Policy: Vietnam's Strategic Shift in the Mekong River Basin (2017-2021)

The historic drought and salinity stress experienced in Vietnam in 2020 starkly demonstrated the criticality of wise water diplomacy for the survival of lower Mekong countries, where the urgent need for water and maintaining natural flow are paramount. Consequently, the period from 2017 to 2021 witnessed a notable shift in Vietnam's water diplomacy, focusing on ensuring water security in the region and responding to the actions of upstream countries. This study examines Vietnam's water diplomacy and its pivotal role in safeguarding water security in the Mekong region during the specified timeframe. Employing a qualitative research approach, the study draws upon expert analyses and scholarly articles to shed light on the significance of water security in Vietnam's foreign policy, the profound impact of climate change and water policies on the nation, and Vietnam's proactive involvement in regional and international cooperation mechanisms. The study emphasizes Vietnam's remarkable adaptability and responsiveness to environmental and global changes, further showcasing the country's remarkable flexibility in its foreign policy pursuits.

Graphene and gold nanoparticle-based bionanocomposite for the voltammetric determination of bisphenol A in (micro)plastics

The monitoring of endocrine disruptors in the environment is one of the main strategies in the investigation of potential risks associated with exposure to these chemicals. Bisphenol A is one of the most prevalent endocrine-disrupting compounds and is prone to leaching out from polycarbonate plastic in both freshwater and marine environments. Additionally, microplastics also can leach out bisphenol A during their fragmentation in the water environment. In the quest for a highly sensitive sensor to determine bisphenol A in different matrices, an innovative bionanocomposite material has been achieved. This material is composed of gold nanoparticles and graphene, and was synthesized using a green approach that utilized guava (Psidium guajava) extract for reduction, stabilization, and dispersion purposes. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed well-spread gold nanoparticles with an average diameter of 31 nm on laminated graphene sheets in the composite material. An electrochemical sensor was developed by depositing the bionanocomposite onto a glassy carbon surface, which displayed remarkable responsiveness towards bisphenol A. Experimental conditions such as the amount of graphene, extract: water ratio of bionanocomposite and pH of the supporting electrolyte were optimized to improve the electrochemical performance. The modified electrode displayed a marked improvement in current responses for the oxidation of bisphenol A as compared to the uncovered glassy carbon electrode. A calibration plot was established for bisphenol A in 0.1 mol L−1 Britton-Robinson buffer (pH 4.0), and the detection limit was determined to equal to 15.0 nmol L−1. Recovery data from 92 to 109% were obtained in (micro)plastics samples using the electrochemical sensor and were compared with UV–vis spectrometry, demonstrating its successful application with accurate responses.

Development and Characterization of an Edible Zein/Shellac Composite Film Loaded with Curcumin.

The development of functional edible films is promising for the food industry, and improving the water barrier of edible films has been a research challenge in recent years. In this study, curcumin (Cur) was added to zein (Z) and shellac (S) to prepare an edible composite film with a strong water barrier and antioxidant properties. The addition of curcumin significantly reduced the water vapor permeability (WVP), water solubility (WS), and elongation at break (EB), and it clearly improved the tensile strength (TS), water contact angle (WCA), and optical properties of the composite film. The ZS-Cur films were characterized by SEM, FT-IR, XRD, DSC, and TGA; the results indicated that hydrogen bonds were formed among the curcumin, zein, and shellac, which changed the microstructure and improved the thermal stability of the film. A test of curcumin release behavior showed controlled release of curcumin from the film matrix. ZS-Cur films displayed remarkable pH responsiveness, strong antioxidant properties, and inhibitory effects on E. coli. Therefore, the insoluble active food packaging prepared in this study provides a new strategy for the development of functional edible films and also provides a possibility for the application of edible films to extend the shelf life of fresh food.

Ultra-responsive and selective ethanol and acetone sensor based on Ce-doped Co3O4 microspheres assembled by submicron spheres with multilayer core-shell structure

The sensitive detection of ethanol and acetone is of great significance to address environmental toxicity concerns. Herein, a novel Ce-doped Co3O4 microsphere is precisely fabricated and assembled by abundant submicron spheres with multilayer core-shell configuration employing metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as template and PVP as the structure-directing agent, and the formation mechanism of the microspheres with hierarchical structure is explored. Moreover, the gas sensing performance of Ce-doped Co3O4 sensor are investigated toward ethanol and acetone. The sensor based on CoCe0.025-350 (the molar ratio of CeCo = 0.025) microspheres exhibits remarkable responsiveness toward ethanol and acetone at relatively low operating temperatures (180 and 200 °C, respectively) and excellent long-term durability. The excellent sensing properties are firstly ascribed to the existence of abundant active sites and surface defects induced by Ce doping, and secondly originated from the hierarchical structure which benefits the absorption, diffusion of the gases on the sensor surface. Furthermore, detection limits as low as 0.1 ppm are achieved by the CoCe0.025–350 sensor. The sensing dynamics of the sensors are also investigated. The versatile strategy report herein can be employed to construct other transition metal oxides with excellent gas sensing properties.

Impact of site specific nutrient omission technique on growth, yield and quality of QPM

Maize holds immense importance as the most widely cultivated crop on a global scale. It exhibits remarkable responsiveness to the external application of fertilizers and the optimal doses of nutrients are essential to augment the growth as well as yield characteristics of maize. Therefore, to investigate the nutrient omission impact on crop growth and yield of quality protein maize (LQMH-1 hybrid) under SSNM application of nutrients, a study was performed at an Agricultural Research Farm, FoA, Wadura, SKUAST Kashmir, India, during Kharif season 2021. The experiment comprised of eight treatments viz., absolute control (T1), NPK (T2), NPKZnS (T3), PKZnS (-N) (T4), NKZnS (-P) (T5), NPZnS (-K) (T6), NPKS (-Zn) (T7) and NPKZn5 (-S) (T8) in RCBD experimental design with three replications. The application of NPKZnS led to a substantial increase in yield metrics, including cob length, cob diameter, ear height, grain rows per cob, and seed index. The treatment (T3) attained a significantly higher leaf area index of 5.82 at 60 DAS with CGR of 2.78g m-2 day-1 at 60-90 DAS and RGR of 52.74 mg g-1 day-1 between 30-60 DAS and also recorded maximum protein content (9.5%). Among the omission of nutrients, nitrogen was found to be the most limiting nutrient that drastically reduced LAI, CGR, RGR, yield characters, and protein content of maize which was trailed by P omission and K omission. However, the omission of Zn and S had the least significant impact on the performance of the QPM hybrid.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the Hebrew Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale.

Nasal obstruction is a common complaint. The Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation scale (NOSE) is a reliable validated tool used to assess the quality of life of patients with nasal obstruction. The purpose of this study is to validate the Hebrew version of the NOSE scale (He-NOSE). A prospective instrument validation was conducted. The NOSE scale was translated primarily from English to Hebrew and then back from Hebrew to English according to the accepted guidelines of the cross-cultural adaptation process. The study group included surgery candidates suffering from nasal obstruction due to a deviated nasal septum and/or inferior turbinate hypertrophy. The study group completed the validated He-NOSE questionnaire twice prior to the surgery and once again, a month post-surgery. A control group of individuals with no history of nasal complaints or surgeries was asked to complete the questionnaire once. Reliability, internal consistency, validity, and responsiveness to change of the He-NOSE were evaluated. Fifty-three patients and 100 controls were included in this study. The scale showed excellent ability to discriminate between the study and the control group, exhibiting significantly lower scores in the control group (73.8 and 7 average scores respectively, p< .001). Good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha .71 and .76) and test-retest reliability (Spearman rank correlation r= .752, p< .0001) were measured. Moreover, the scale revealed remarkable responsiveness to change (p< .00001). The translated and adapted He-NOSE scale can be a useful tool to be applied in both clinical and research fields when assessing nasal obstruction. N/A.

Genome-wide characterization of NAC transcription factors in Camellia sinensis and the involvement of CsNAC28 in drought tolerance.

The NAM, ATAF1/2, and CUC2 (NAC) transcription factors, which are members of a plant-specific gene family, play critical roles during the growth and development of plants and in their adaption to environmental stress. Few NAC transcription factors have been functionally characterized in tea plants (Camellia sinensis). Based on the analysis of the gene structure, motif pattern, and evolutionary relationship, we identified 104 NAC genes in C. sinensis. Among them, CsNAC28 is constitutively expressed in all organs, and most significantly, exhibiting remarkable responsiveness to abscisic acid (ABA) treatment and drought stress. ABA is a primary stress-related hormone. Recently, ABA-responsive element binding factor 2 (CsABF2) was identified in the ABA pathway of C. sinensis. However, the involvement of the CsABF2-mediated ABA pathway in regulating CsNACs was not known. Herein, a series of biochemical and genetic approaches supported the fact that CsNAC28 could potentially act as a transcription factor in the downstream of CsABF2. Furthermore, we investigated the function of CsNAC28 in the adapting of a plant to drought stress. The results showed that overexpression of CsNAC28 in Arabidopsis conferred hypersensitivity to ABA treatment and decreased the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in improved dehydration tolerance. Under conditions of drought, the expression levels of ABA pathway-related genes and drought stress‒inducible genes were greater in CsNAC28 overexpression lines than in the wild type. Our study's comprehensive characterization of NAC genes in C. sinensis could serve as a foundation for exploring the molecular mechanism of CsNAC-mediated drought responsiveness.

Extremely Small Iron Oxide Nanoparticles with pH-Dependent Solubility Transition as T1/T2 Switchable Contrast Agents for MRI

Extremely small iron oxide nanoparticles (ESIONPs), which have a switchable contrast signal and a favorable biocompatibility, are gaining considerable attention as smart magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents (CAs). Adaptive MRI CAs could improve the accuracy of tumor diagnosis because they realize rapid imaging signal conversion under an endogenous stimulus. Herein, based on the hydrophilic to hydrophobic transition of polymers, we propose a pH-responsive T1/T2 switchable ESIONP contrast agent. ESIONPs are functionalized at the surface with adamantane groups through a polyethylene glycol (PEG) chain, and subsequently, a stimuli-responsive polymer (PSDM) with pH-dependent solubility is introduced through the host–guest interaction between adamantane and β-cyclodextrin (β-CD). The obtained ESIONPs-PEG-PSDM is equipped with remarkable pH responsiveness, which triggers the aggregation of ESIONPs under the tumor acid condition, leading to the switch from a T1 to a T2 contrast agent. In vivo MRI experiments show that the T2 contrast signal is selectively enhanced at the tumor location after injection of ESIONPs-PEG-PSDM. Therefore, ESIONPs-PEG-PSDM with pH-induced hydrophilic to hydrophobic transition is a potential smart MRI contrast agent for precise tumor diagnosis.

The Prostate Cancer Immune Microenvironment, Biomarkers and Therapeutic Intervention

Advanced prostate cancers have a poor survival rate and a lack of effective treatment options. In order to broaden the available treatments, immunotherapies have been investigated. These include cancer vaccines, immune checkpoint inhibitors, chimeric antigen receptor T cells and bispecific antibodies. In addition, combinations of different immunotherapies and with standard therapy have been explored. Despite the success of the Sipuleucel-T vaccine in the metastatic, castrate-resistant prostate cancer setting, other immunotherapies have not shown the same efficacy in this population at large. Some individual patients, however, have shown remarkable responsiveness to these therapies. Therefore, work is underway to identify which populations will respond positively to therapy via the identification of predictive biomarkers. These include biomarkers of the immunologically active tumour microenvironment and biomarkers indicative of high neoantigen expression in the tumour. This review examines the constitution of the prostate tumour immune microenvironment, explores the effectiveness of immunotherapies, and finally investigates how therapy selection can be optimised by the use of biomarkers.

Abstract P023: Mismatch repair deficiency is not sufficient to increase tumor immunogenicity

Abstract Deficient DNA mismatch repair (dMMR) in human cancer is associated with high tumor mutation burden (TMB), frameshift mutation-derived neoantigens, increased T cell infiltration, and remarkable responsiveness to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. Nevertheless, about half of these tumors do not respond to ICB for unclear reasons. While tumor cell line transplant models of dMMR have helped solidify the importance of TMB in immune response, critical questions remain regarding the role of immune surveillance in the evolution of dMMR tumors induced in vivo. Here, we developed autochthonous mouse models of lung and colon cancer with highly efficient ablation of MMR genes via in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 targeting. Surprisingly, dMMR in these models did not result in increased immunogenicity or response to ICB, which we showed is driven by profound intratumoral heterogeneity. Studies in animals depleted of T cells further demonstrated that immune surveillance in dMMR tumors has no impact on TMB but shapes the clonal architecture of neoantigens. These results provide important context for understanding immune evasion in cancers with high TMB and have major implications for therapies aimed at increasing TMB. Citation Format: Peter M. K. Westcott, Francesc M. Remolar, Olivia Smith, Haley Hauck, Nathan J. Sacks, Zackery A. Ely, Alex M. Jaeger, William M. Rideout, Arjun Bhutkar, Daniel Zhang, Mary C. Beytagh, Roderick T. Bronson, David A. Canner, Santiago Naranjo, Abbey Jin, J. J. Patten, Amanda M. Cruz, Isidro Cortes-Ciriano, Tyler Jacks. Mismatch repair deficiency is not sufficient to increase tumor immunogenicity [abstract]. In: Abstracts: AACR Virtual Special Conference: Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy; 2021 Oct 5-6. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2022;10(1 Suppl):Abstract nr P023.

A high-performance enzyme-activated near-infrared probe for the sensing and tracking of tumor-related NQO1 in cells and in vivo

High-performance near-infrared (NIR) probes can achieve rapid and effective imaging and tracking of tumor biomarkers, which have attracted extensive attention in tumor visualization and early diagnosis. Fast response speed and high contrast fluorogenic enhancement are important criteria for high-performance imaging probes. Here, by introducing two hydrophilic sulfonates into the probe structure, we designed and optimized a new NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO1) activated NIR fluorogenic probe (S-QCy7-NQO1) for sensitive detection and evaluation of NQO1 activity in cell and tumor xenografts mice. The catalytic reduction activity of NQO1 quickly eliminated the highly selective quinone trigger, and then the probe S-QCy7-NQO1 was converted into S-QCy7 with an extended conjugated system, resulting in a 245-fold increase in NIR fluorescence, 4.9 times higher than that of QCy7-NQO1 without sulfonates. The introduction of two hydrophilic sulfonates also endows S-QCy7-NQO1 a fast response to NQO1, which is 2 times faster than QCy7-NQO1. The probe S-QCy7-NQO1 showed remarkable responsiveness, sensitivity and optical performance to NQO1 under physiological conditions, allowing the detection of endogenous NQO1 activity in living cells with an ultra-high positive-to-negative ratio (108-fold). Notably, with the improved responsiveness and optical properties, it was further applied to high-contrast imaging of tumor-bearing mice, achieving the maximum fluorescence response within 10 min. On this basis, S-QCy7-NQO1 can be a potentially practical tool for early cancer diagnosis characterized by elevated NOQ1 levels.

High protein diet-induced metabolic changes are transcriptionally regulated via KLF15-dependent and independent pathways

High protein diet (HPD) is an affordable and positive approach in prevention and treatment of many diseases. It is believed that transcriptional regulation is responsible for adaptation after HPD feeding and Kruppel-like factor 15 (KLF15), a zinc finger transcription factor that has been proved to perform transcriptional regulation over amino acid, lipid and glucose metabolism, is known to be involved at least in part in this HPD response. To gain more insight into molecular mechanisms by which HPD controls expressions of genes involved in amino acid metabolism in the liver, we performed RNA-seq analysis of mice fed HPD for a short period (3 days). Compared to a low protein diet, HPD feeding significantly increased hepatic expressions of enzymes involved in the breakdown of all the 20 amino acids. Moreover, using KLF15 knockout mice and in vivo Ad-luc analytical system, we were able to identify Cth (cystathionine gamma-lyase) as a new target gene of KLF15 transcription as well as Ast (aspartate aminotransferase) as an example of KLF15-independent gene despite its remarkable responsiveness to HPD. These findings provide us with a clue to elucidate the entire transcriptional regulatory mechanisms of amino acid metabolic pathways.

Development of pH-responsive antioxidant soy protein isolate films incorporated with cellulose nanocrystals and curcumin nanocapsules to monitor shrimp freshness

Spherical curcumin/polyvinylpyrrolidone nanocapsules (CurNC) with the improved water solubility and thermal stability than native curcumin (Cur) were synthesized. Subsequently, soy protein isolate-based pH-sensitive multifunctional packaging films reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), CurNC, CNC/CurNC, and CNC/Cur were developed for shrimp freshness detection. It was found that adding the CNC-containing agents improved the tensile strength, hydrogen bond interactions, thermal stability, and crystalline structure of the film and decreased its water solubility and water vapor and oxygen permeability. The Cur-containing agents decreased the L* (lightness/darkness) and a* (redness/greenness) values and increased the b* (yellowness/blueness) and ΔE (total color difference) values of the film. A more dense and uniform matrix of the nanocomposite films was likely responsible for delaying the release of Cur from the film matrix. Interestingly, CNC/CurNC film displayed higher antiradical scavenging activity than CNC/Cur film, as well as remarkable color responsiveness to pH changes and NH3 presence. Moreover, the CNC/CurNC film was able to decrease the total volatile basic nitrogen of stored shrimp and visually monitor shrimp freshness in real-time.

Robust versatile nanocellulose/polyvinyl alcohol/carbon dot hydrogels for biomechanical sensing

A new type of nanocellulose/poly(vinyl alcohol)/carbon dot (NPC) multifunctional hydrogel was successfully fabricated by an one-step in-situ hydrothermal method. The one-pot strategy led to the formation of a complex hydrogen bonding/dynamic boric acid ester/nitrogen-doped carbon dots network, and endowed the hydrogel with multifunctionality. The hydrogel underwent self-healing at room temperature (25 °C) and exhibited double-emission fluorescence and high mechanical strength (tensile strength of up to 2.98 MPa). An NPC hydrogel-based capacitive sensor exhibited remarkable linear capacitance responsiveness toward pressure, strain, and glucose concentration, and enabled real-time synchronous quantitative pressure/glucose sensing with multiple linear correlations, which was a key performance criteria for biomechanical sensors. The versatility and multiple advantages of the as-prepared hydrogel demonstrate the potential of biological–mechanical sensing materials using natural cellulosic biomass.

Acetoin modulates conformational change of surfactin: Interfacial assembly and crude oil-washing performance

Due to its special structure, the cyclic lipopeptide surfactin showed remarkable responsiveness to stimuli such as pH, temperature and metal ions. However, few studies investigated the effect of fermented by-products on the conformational change and interfacial assembly of surfactin. Here, the effect of acetoin, a primary metabolite of Bacillus subtilis, on the conformational change and interfacial assembly of surfactin was studied in detail. Surface tension measurements showed that the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of surfactin increased from 1.14 × 10−5 to 4.32 × 10−5 M in the presence of acetoin. Moreover, acetoin has increased the interfacial tension of surfactin aqueous solution-crude oil from 1.08 mN/m to 3.01 mN/m. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra and dynamic light-scattering (DLS) further demonstrated that acetoin had induced the conformational transition of surfactin from β-sheet to β-turn structure, and caused surfactin forming some larger micelle aggregations. Afterwards, it was further found that acetoin decreased the oil sand cleaning efficiency of surfactin from 59.7% to 6.6%, and deteriorated the O/W emulsion stability and altered the silicate wettability toward less water wet state. Based on the experimental results, a possible mechanism of the interaction between surfactin and acetoin was proposed.