Development of piperine nanoparticles stabilized by OSA modified starch through wet-media milling technique with enhanced anti-adipogenic effect in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Piperine (PIP) has been known for its pharmacological activities with low water solubility and poor dissolution, which limits its nutritional application. The purpose of this research was to enhance PIP stability, dispersibility and biological activity by preparing PIP nanoparticles using the wet-media milling approach combined with nanosuspension solidification methods of spray/freeze drying. Octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA)-modified waxy maize starch was applied as the stabilizer to suppress aggregation of PIP nanoparticles. The particle size, redispersibility, storage stability and in vitro release behavior of PIP nanoparticles were measured. The regulating effect on adipocyte differentiation was evaluated using 3T3-L1 cell model. Results showed that PIP nanoparticles had a reduced particle size of 60 ±â€¯1 nm, increased release rate in the simulated gastric (SGF) and intestinal fluids (SIF) and enhanced inhibition effect on adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells compared with free PIP, indicating that PIP-loaded nanoparticles with improved stability and anti-adipogenic property were developed successfully by combining wet-media milling and drying methods.

Novel Pickering bigels stabilized by whey protein microgels: Interfacial properties, oral sensation and gastrointestinal digestive profiles.

In the ongoing quest to formulate sensory-rich, low-fat products that maintain structural integrity, this work investigated the potential of bigels, especially those created using innovative Pickering techniques. By harnessing the unique properties of whey protein isolate (WPI) and whey protein microgel (WPM) as interfacial stabilizers, WPM-based Pickering bigels exhibited a remarkable particle localization at the interface due to specific intermolecular interactions. The rise in protein concentration not only intensified particle coverage and interface stabilization but also amplified attributes like storage modulus, yield stress, and adhesiveness, owing to enhanced intermolecular forces and a compact gel matrix. Impressively, WPM-based Pickering bigels outshone in practical applications, showcasing exceptional oil retention during freeze-thaw cycles and extended flavor release-a promising indication for frozen food product applications. Furthermore, these bigels underwent a sensory evolution from a lubricious texture at lower concentrations to a stable plateau at higher ones, offering an enriched consumer experience. In a comparative digestibility assessment, WPM-based Pickering bigels demonstrated superior prowess in decelerating the release of free fatty acids, indicating slowed lipid digestion. This study demonstrates the potential to fine-tune oral sensations and digestive profiles in bigels by modulating Pickering particle concentrations.

Therapy management and outcome of acute hydrocephalus secondary to intraventricular hemorrhage in adults.

BACKGROUND: Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) refers to bleeding within the brain's ventricular system, and hydrocephalus is a life-threatening complication of IVH characterized by increased cerebrospinal fluid accumulation in the ventricles resulting in elevated intracranial pressure. IVH poses significant challenges for healthcare providers due to the complexity of the underlying pathophysiology and lack of standardized treatment guidelines. Herein, we performed a systematic review of the treatment strategies for hydrocephalus secondary to IVH. METHODS: This systematic review was prospectively registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023450786). The search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science on July 15, 2023. We included original studies containing valid information on therapy management and outcome of hydrocephalus secondary to primary, spontaneous, and subarachnoid or intracranial hemorrhage following IVH in adults that were published between 2000 and 2023. Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) or modified Ranking Scale (mRS) scores during follow-up were extracted as primary outcomes. The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for Cohort Studies or Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 Tool. RESULTS: Two hundred and seven patients from nine published papers, including two randomized controlled trials, were included in the analysis. The GOS was used in five studies, while the mRS was used in four. Seven interventions were applied, including craniotomy for removal of hematoma, endoscopic removal of hematoma with/without endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), traditional external ventricular drainage (EVD), and various combinations of EVD, lumbar drainage (LD), and intraventricular fibrinolysis (IVF). Endoscopic removal of hematoma was performed in five of nine studies. Traditional EVD had no obvious benefit compared with new management strategies. Three different combinations of EVD, LD, and IVF demonstrated satisfactory outcomes, although more studies are required to confirm their reliability. Removal of hematoma through craniotomy generated reliable result. Generally, endoscopic removal of hematoma with ETV, removal of hematoma through craniotomy, EVD with IVF, and EVD with early continuous LD were useful. CONCLUSION: EVD is still crucial for the management of IVH and hydrocephalus. Despite a more reliable result from the removal of hematoma through craniotomy, a trend toward endoscopic approach was observed due to a less invasive profile.

Rosmarinic acid ameliorated oxidative stress, neuronal injuries, and mitochondrial dysfunctions mediated by polyglutamine and ɑ-synuclein in Caenorhabditis elegans models.

Numerous natural antioxidants have been developed into agents for neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) treatment. Rosmarinic acid (RA), an excellent antioxidant, exhibits neuroprotective activity, but its anti-NDs efficacy remains puzzling. Here, Caenorhabditis elegans models were employed to systematically reveal RA-mediated mechanisms in delaying NDs from diverse facets, including oxidative stress, the homeostasis of neural and protein, and mitochondrial disorders. Firstly, RA significantly inhibited reactive oxygen species accumulation, reduced peroxide malonaldehyde production, and strengthened the antioxidant defense system via increasing superoxide dismutase activity. Besides, RA reduced neuronal loss and ameliorated polyglutamine and ɑ-synuclein-mediated dyskinesia in NDs models. Further, in combination with the data and molecular docking results, RA may bind specifically to Huntington protein and ɑ-synuclein to prevent toxic protein aggregation and thus enhance proteostasis. Finally, RA ameliorated mitochondrial dysfunction including increasing adenosine triphosphate and mitochondrial membrane potential levels and rescuing mitochondrial membrane proteins' expressions and mitochondrial structural abnormalities via regulating mitochondrial dynamics genes and improving the mitochondrial kinetic homeostasis. Thus, this study systematically revealed the RA-mediated neuroprotective mechanism and promoted RA as a promising nutritional intervention strategy to prevent NDs.

Smartphone-enabled colorimetric immunoassay for deoxynivalenol based on Mn2+-mediated aggregation of AuNPs.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a common mycotoxin in food that mainly pollutes grain crops and feeds, such as barley, wheat and corn. DON has caused widespread concern in the field of food and feed safety. In this study, a colorimetric immunoassay was proposed based on the aggregation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) due to the decomposition of Mn2+ from gold-coated manganese dioxide (AuNP@MnO2) nanosheets. In this study, 2-(dihydrogen phosphate)-l-ascorbic acid (AAP) was hydrolyzed by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and converted to ascorbic acid (AA). Then, AuNP@MnO2 was reduced to Mn2+ and AuNPs aggregation occurred. Using the unique optical characteristics of AuNPs and AuNP@MnO2, visible color changes realized simple detection of DON with high sensitivity and portability. With increasing DON content, the color changed more obviously. To quantitatively detect DON, pictures can be taken and the blue value can be read by a smartphone. The detection limit (Ic10) of this method was 0.098 ng mL-1, which was 326 times higher than that of traditional competitive ELISA, and the detection range was 0.177-6.073 ng mL-1. This method exhibited high specificity with no cross-reaction in other structural analogs. The average recovery rate of DON in corn flour samples was 89.1 %-110.2 %, demonstrating the high accuracy and stability of this assay in actual sample detection. Therefore, the colorimetric immunoassay can be used for DON-related food safety monitoring.

Processing the Interlayer and Optimizing the Active Layer by One-Step Dissolution Compensation in Organic Solar Cells.

Optimized morphology of the active layer and electrode interface is critical for obtaining high-performance organic solar cells. However, achieving this typically involves a multifaceted, sequential process that renders outcomes unpredictable. Here, by exploiting the dissolution compensation, we propose a one-step method that integrates interlayer fabrication and a controllable morphology optimization. Taking an "out of the box" approach, we incorporate the good solvent of the active layer into the interlayer solution to act as dissolution compensation, breaking the orthogonal solvent principles to allow the morphology of the active layer to evolve to an optimized state while the interface layer is being processed. Using two commercially available material systems, D18:Y6 and D18:L8-BO, as examples, it was found that the JSC and fill factor (FF) device can be improved by using an appropriate ratio of the compensation solvent chloroform in the interlayer solution. As a result, the power conversion efficiency of the device based on the two state-of-the-art systems can be increased by about 7.5% (D18:Y6, from 17.04 to 18.31%; D18:L8-BO, from 17.97 to 19.31%). This one-step strategy has been shown to be universally applicable to other diverse systems and provides a simple yet reliable method for accurately depositing high-quality interlayers with an optimized active layer morphology in high-performance organic solar cells and other solution-processable organic electronics.

Nomogram Predicts Prognostic Factors for Head and Neck Cutaneous Melanoma: A Population-Based Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The head and neck cutaneous melanoma (HNCM) accounts for 20% of newly diagnosed melanoma. Research on prognostic models for their survival yet remains largely unexplored. This study employed a nomogram approach to develop and validate a predictive model for both overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) in patients with HNCM. METHODS: This study analyzed the HNCM patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2014 from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. To identify independent prognostic factors for HNCM, we integrated results from univariate Cox regression analysis, random survival forests, and LASSO regression with cross-validation. A nomogram was designed and validated based on the identified characteristics to predict the 3-, 5-, and 8-year OS and DSS of patients with HNCM. RESULTS: Age, Stage, Ulceration, Thickness, Chemotherapy, lymph node metastasis, and Radiation were identified as independent prognostic factors. The nomogram achieved a satisfactory performance with C-indices of 0.824(DSS) and 0.757(OS) in the training cohort and 0.827(DSS) and 0.749(OS) in the validation cohort, respectively. The area under the curves for the OS at 3, 5, and 8 years were 0.789, 0.788, and 0.794 for the training cohort, and 0.778, 0.776, and 0.795 for the validation cohort, respectively. For DSS, the area under the curves at 3, 5, and 8 years were 0.859, 0.842, and 0.828 in the training cohort, and 0.864, 0.844, and 0.834 in the validation cohort, respectively. The calibration curve showed that there was a strong correlation between the observed outcomes and the predicted survival probability. CONCLUSIONS: This study established and validated predictive nomograms for HNCM patients with robust predictive performance.

Revealing the AcOH-Induced Dissolution Mechanism of Alcohol-Soluble Interlayers.

Water/alcohol-soluble cathode interlayers are widely utilized in organic electronic devices. However, the mechanism by which acetic acid (AcOH) facilitates the solubility of neutral cathode interlayers in water/alcohol remains unclear. This paper focuses on the AcOH-induced dissolution mechanism of neutral cathode interlayer materials and establishes quantitative relationships for chemical reactions. It was found that AcOH could react acid-base with the amino groups of PFN or PDIN, resulting in the formation of trace amounts of quaternary ammonium salts, which ultimately enhance the solubility of PFN and PDIN in methanol. Additionally, this study clarifies the debate about the role of neutral cathode interlayers in organic electronic devices: It is primarily the unprotonated groups of water/alcohol-soluble cathode interlayers that play a critical role in interfacial modification rather than the protonated groups produced by postacid reaction, which lays an important theoretical foundation for the development of high-performance interfacial materials.

Fermented dietary fiber from soy sauce residue exerts antidiabetic effects through regulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and gut microbiota-SCFAs-GPRs axis in type 2 diabetic mellitus mice.

The gut plays a crucial role in the development and progression of metabolic disorders, particularly in relation to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). While a high intake of dietary fiber is inversely associated with the risk of T2DM, the specific effects of various dietary fibers on T2DM are not fully understood. This study investigated the anti-diabetic properties of fermented dietary fiber (FDF) derived from soy sauce residue in T2DM mice, demonstrating its ability to lower blood glucose levels and ameliorate insulin resistance. Our findings revealed that FDF could enhance hepatic glucose metabolism via the IRS-1/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Additionally, the anti-diabetic effect of FDF was correlated with alterations in gut microbiota composition in T2DM mice, promoting a healthier gut environment. Specifically, FDF increased the abundance of beneficial flora such as Dubosiella, Butyricimonas, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, Lactobacillus and Osillibacter, while reducing harmful bacteria including Bilophila, Parabacteroides and Enterorhabdus. Further analysis of microbial metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and bile acids (BAs), provided evidence of FDF's regulatory effects on cecal contents in T2DM mice. Importantly, FDF treatment significantly restored the G-protein-coupled receptors (GPRs) expression in the colon of T2DM mice. In conclusion, our study suggests that the anti-diabetic effects of FDF are associated with the regulation of both the liver-gut axis and the gut microbiota-SCFAs-GPRs axis.

Effect of dietary supplementation Ampelopsis grossedentata extract on growth performance and muscle nutrition of Megalobrama hoffmanni by gut bacterial mediation.

Nowadays, Megalobrama hoffmanni is a typical cultured fish in south China due to its resource decline in the Pearl River. Meanwhile, since antibiotics had been banned internationally, Chinese medical herbal plant serving as alternative to antibiotics has been adopted in aquaculture. In the present study, to ensure the health growth of M. hoffmanni, extract of traditional medical herbal plant Ampelopsis grossedentata was dietary supplemented and a series experiments were performed, including growth performance determination, physiological/biochemical detection, nutrition analysis, histology analysis, and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Growth performance enhancement was determined since the weight gain rate (WGR), specific growth rate (SGR), and condition factor (CF) of M. hoffmanni increased as feeding inclusion A. grossedentata extract. Interestingly, the total content of muscle fatty acids ascended via supplementing A. grossedentata extract at middle level, in which group the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) significantly increased and thus retarded the lipid peroxidation process (manifesting as malondialdehyde (MDA) content rising). Additionally, immune response and inflammatory reaction was stimulated in low and high level A. grossedentata extract added groups, indicating a suitable dosage of A. grossedentata extract benefited in safety production. Moreover, gut microbiota community varied hugely as daily supplementation A. grossedentata extract and the keystone species were tightly related to lipid transformation, which ultimately led to fatty acids composition variation. Our results confirmed that dietary supplementation A. grossedentata extract at the middle level (0.5‰, w/w) is suitable for serving as feed additive in healthful aquaculture of M. hoffmanni.

A Review: Cytochrome P450 in Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Alcoholic fatty liver disease (FALD) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have similar pathological spectra, both of which are associated with a series of symptoms, including steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. These clinical manifestations are caused by hepatic lipid synthesis and metabolism dysregulation and affect human health. Despite having been studied extensively, targeted therapies remain elusive. The Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) family is the most important drug-metabolising enzyme in the body, primarily in the liver. It is responsible for the metabolism of endogenous and exogenous compounds, completing biological transformation. This process is relevant to the occurrence and development of AFLD and NAFLD. In this review, the correlation between CYP450 and liver lipid metabolic diseases is summarised, providing new insights for the treatment of AFLD and NAFLD.

Changes in Spino-pelvic Sagittal Parameters after Oblique Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion and Their Correlation with Clinical Outcome.

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the impact of OLIF on spinal-pelvic sagittal parameters and its correlation with clinical outcomes in patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 43 patients (23 males, 20 females) with lumbar 4/5 degenerative spondylolisthesis who underwent OLIF from January 2018 to January 2023 was conducted. Key parameters studied included SP, DH, FH, AS, LL, SS, PT, PI, and LASD. Results: All surgeries were successfully completed according to the original plan, and the minimum follow-up time was greater than 6 months, with a mean operation time of 198.21±51.32 min; the mean intraoperative bleeding volume was 121.00±56.88 ml. The VAS score of lumbar pain and ODI index decreased from the preoperative VAS score, and the ODI index of lower lumbar pain from the preoperative VAS score of 6.50±1.36 and 74.36±6.27 to the postoperative Lumbar pain of 3.20±1.28 and 32.41±8.21, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (P < .05). 6.27 to 3.20±1.28 and 32.41±8.21 at the final follow-up visit. The differences were statistically significant (P < .05). The results of Pearson correlation analysis showed positive correlation between postoperative LL and FH, SP and AS, VAS (P < .05), and service correlation between SP and SS, LASD (P < .05), and correlation between pre- and post-surgery difference of LL, FH, SP and the improvement rate of ODI and VAS scores (P < .05), with the difference of pre- and post-surgery difference of LL, FH and the ODI, VAS score improvement rate were the strongest correlation. Postoperatively, significant improvements were observed in LL and FH. Pearson correlation analysis indicated a positive correlation between changes in sagittal parameters and clinical outcomes, measured by VAS and ODI scores. Conclusion: The postoperative spine-pelvis sagittal parameters were significantly improved compared with the preoperative ones, and the changes of the spine-pelvis sagittal parameters before and after the operation were correlated with the clinical outcomes, among which the differences of LL and FH had the strongest correlation with the improvement rates of ODI and VAS scores. OLIF effectively improved spinal-pelvic sagittal parameters and clinical outcomes in degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis, with changes in LL and FH showing the strongest correlation with patient-reported outcome improvements. An oblique lateral interbody fusion can effectively reconstruct spine-pelvis sagittal parameters in patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis.

[Research Progress on the Role of Berberine in Hematologic Malignancies and Its Related Mechanisms --Review].

Berberine, a traditional Chinese medicine, is an isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from the rhizome of Coptis chinensis. It has anti-inflammatory and antidiarrheal effects and is commonly used in the treatment of infections and gastrointestinal diseases. In recent years, studies have found that berberine can play a wide range of anti-cancer effects in the treatment of leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, etc. In hematologic malignancies, berberine can induce autophagy, promote apoptosis, regulate cell cycle, inhibit inflammatory response, cause oxidative damage to cancer cells and interact with miRNA to inhibit the proliferation, migration and colony formation of cancer cells. This paper will review the role and related mechanisms of berberine in hematological malignancies.

Management of pediatric vanishing testes syndrome based on pathological diagnosis: a single-center retrospective study.

This study aims to explore the optimal management strategy for pediatric vanishing testes syndrome (VTS) based on pathological characteristics. We retrospectively analyzed clinical data and pathological results of children with unilateral VTS who underwent surgical treatment at our center from July 2012 to July 2023. The children were categorized into the testicular excision group and testicular preservation group based on the surgical approach. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared between the two groups. Pathological examination results of excised testicular tissues were collected and analyzed, and long-term follow-up was conducted. A total of 368 children were included in this study. The age of the children at the time of surgery was 27 months (range, 6-156). Among them, 267 cases (72.6%) had VTS on the left side, and 101 cases (27.4%) on the right side. There were no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) in age, affected side, contralateral testicular hypertrophy (CTH), testicular location, and preferred surgical incision between the testicular excision group (n = 336) and the testicular preservation group (n = 32). In the preservation group, two children experienced scrotal incision infections, showing a statistically significant difference compared to the excision group (P < 0.05). Pathological examination of excised tissues revealed fibrosis as the most common finding (79.5%), followed by vas deferens involvement (67%), epididymis involvement (40.5%), calcification (38.4%), and hemosiderin deposition (17.9%). Seminiferous tubules (SNT) was present in 24 cases (7.1%), germ cells (GC)in 15 cases (4.5%), and ectopic adrenal cortical tissue(EACT) in 1 case (0.3%). VTS belongs to a type of non-palpable testes (NPT) and requires surgical exploration. Considering the risk of scrotal incision infection after preserving atrophic testicular remnants and the unpredictable malignant potential, we recommend excision.

An n-Type Open-Shell Conjugated Polymer with High-Spin Ground-State and High Intrinsic Electrical Conductivity.

Open-shell conjugated polymers with a high intrinsic conductivity and high-spin ground state hold considerable promise for applications in organic electronics and spintronics. Herein, two novel acceptor-acceptor (A-A) conjugated polymers based on a highly electron-deficient quinoidal benzodifurandione unit have been developed, namely DPP-BFDO-Th and DPP-BFDO. The incorporation of the quinoidal moiety into the polymers backbones enables deeply aligned lower-lying lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) levels of below -4.0 eV. Notably, DPP-BFDO exhibits an exceptionally low LUMO (-4.63 eV) and a high-spin ground state characterized by strong diradical characters. Moreover, a self-doping through intermolecular charge-transfer is observed for DPP-BFDO, as evidenced by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies. The high carrier concentration in combination with a planar and linear conjugated backbone yields a remarkable electrical conductivity (σ) of 1.04 S cm-1 in the "undoped" native form, ranking among the highest values reported for n-type radical-based conjugated polymers. When employed as an n-type thermoelectric material, DPP-BFDO achieves a power factor of 12.59 µW m-1 K-2. Furthermore, upon n-doping, the σ could be improved to 65.68 S cm-1. This study underscores the great potential of electron-deficient quinoidal units in constructing dopant-free n-type conductive polymers with a high-spin ground state and exceptional intrinsic conductivity.

Adaptive functions of structural variants in human brain development.

Quantifying the structural variants (SVs) in nonhuman primates could provide a niche to clarify the genetic backgrounds underlying human-specific traits, but such resource is largely lacking. Here, we report an accurate SV map in a population of 562 rhesus macaques, verified by in-house benchmarks of eight macaque genomes with long-read sequencing and another one with genome assembly. This map indicates stronger selective constrains on inversions at regulatory regions, suggesting a strategy for prioritizing them with the most important functions. Accordingly, we identified 75 human-specific inversions and prioritized them. The top-ranked inversions have substantially shaped the human transcriptome, through their dual effects of reconfiguring the ancestral genomic architecture and introducing regional mutation hotspots at the inverted regions. As a proof of concept, we linked APCDD1, located on one of these inversions and down-regulated specifically in humans, to neuronal maturation and cognitive ability. We thus highlight inversions in shaping the human uniqueness in brain development.

Does the Sagittal Radiographic Morphology of Subtalar Joint Affect the Alignment of Foot?

OBJECTIVES: The etiology of flatfoot and cavus foot is multicausal and controversial. So far, no literature reports the relationship between the sagittal morphology of subtalar joint and the alignment of foot. The purpose of this study was to explore whether the subtalar alignment would influence the configuration of foot. METHODS: From January 2017 to January 2020, we included 109 feet in the flatfoot group, 95 feet in the cavus group, and 104 feet in the control group in this retrospective comparative study. The Gissane angle and calcaneal posterior articular surface inclination angle represented the sagittal morphology of the subtalar joint. Meary's angle, calcaneal pitch angle, and talar pitch angle reflected the alignment of foot. They were measured in the weightbearing foot X-rays. The angles in different groups were compared via Mann-Whitney U test. We calculated the correlation between the sagittal alignment of subtalar joint and the alignment of foot using Spearman's correlation analysis. Interobserver and intraobserver reliability were calculated. RESULTS: The Gissane angle, calcaneal posterior articular surface inclination angle, Meary's angle, talar pitch angle, and calcaneal pitch angle were significantly different in the three groups. The Gissane angle had an excellent correlation with the Meary's angle (r = 0.850, p < 0.0001), and the talar pitch angle (r = -0.825, p < 0.0001), and a good correlation with the calcaneal pitch angle (r = 0.638, p < 0.0001). The calcaneal posterior articular surface inclination angle had an excellent correlation with the Meary's angle (r = -0.902, p < 0.001), and the talar pitch angle (r = 0.887, p < 0.0001), and a good correlation with the calcaneal pitch angle (r = -0.702, p < 0.0001). The interobserver and intraobserver reliability for all radiographic measurements was good to excellent. CONCLUSION: A subtalar joint with a larger Gissane angle and a more horizontal calcaneal posterior articular surface angle tended to have a higher foot arch and vice versa. The inspiration from this study was that the deformities of flatfoot and cavus foot may relate to the subtalar deformity.