Optimizing color enhancement in dried Penaeus vannamei through high-humidity hot air impingement cooking: Enzyme inactivation, reduced drying time, and Maillard reaction inhibition.

This study was aimed to evaluate the potential of high-humidity hot air impingement cooking (HHAIC) on Penaeus vannamei, focusing on its drying characteristics, microstructure, water distribution, enzyme activity, astaxanthin content, antioxidant capacity, color, and Maillard reaction. Results demonstrated that a 3 min HHAIC significantly improved the shrimp's color and optimized astaxanthin content with a notable increase in scavenging capacity based on an in-vitro as antioxidation activity evaluation. Compared to the untreated samples, HHAIC could significantly inactivate polyphenol oxidase by 95.76%. Also, it suppressed the Maillard reaction by decreasing 5-hydroxymethylfurfural content and shortened the drying time by 40%. In addition, the low-field nuclear magnetic resonance and microstructure analysis showed alterations in the shrimp muscle fiber structure and water distribution. This study indicated that HHAIC could elevate quality, enhance appearance, and reduce the processing time of dried shrimp, presenting valuable implications for industry progress.

Prediction analysis of TBI 24-h survival outcome based on machine learning.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the major reason for the death of young people and is well known for its high mortality and morbidity. This paper aim to predict the 24h survival of patients with TBI. Methods: A total of 1224 samples were involved in this analysis, and the clinical indicators involved included age, gender, blood pressure, MGAP and other fields, among which the target variable was "outcome", which was a binary variable. The methods mainly involved in this paper include data visualization analysis, single factor analysis, feature engineering analysis, random forest model (RF), K-Nearst Neighbors (KNN) model, and so on. Logistic regression model (LR) and deep neural network model (DNN). We will oversample the training set using the SMOTE method because of the very unbalanced labeling of the sample itself. Results: Although the accuracy of all models is very high, the recall rate is relatively low. The DNN model with the best performance only reaches 0.17, and the corresponding AUC is 0.80. After resampling, we find that the recall rate of positive samples of all models has increased a lot, but the AUC of some models has decreased. Finally, the optimal model is LR, whose positive sample recall rate is 0.67 and AUC is 0.82. Conclusion: Through resampling, we obtained that the best model is the RF model, whose recall rate and AUC are the best, and the AUC level is about 0.87, indicating that the accuracy performance of the model is still good.

Predictive value of the Trauma Rating Index in Age, Glasgow Coma Scale, Respiratory rate and Systolic blood pressure score (TRIAGES) for the short-term mortality of older patients with isolated traumatic brain injury: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Trauma Rating Index in Age, Glasgow Coma Scale, Respiratory rate and Systolic blood pressure score (TRIAGES) in predicting 24-hour in-hospital mortality among patients aged 65 years and older with isolated traumatic brain injury (TBI). DESIGN: A retrospective, single-centre cohort study. SETTING: This study was conducted at a government-run tertiary comprehensive hospital. PARTICIPANTS: This study included 982 patients aged 65 years or older with isolated TBI, who were admitted to the emergency department between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021. INTERVENTIONS: None. PRIMARY OUTCOME: 24-hour in-hospital mortality was the primary outcome. RESULTS: Among the 982 patients, 8.75% died within 24 hours of admission. The non-survivors typically had higher TRIAGES and lower GCS scores. Logistic regression showed significant associations of both TRIAGES and GCS with mortality; the adjusted ORs were 1.98 (95% CI 1.74 to 2.25) for TRIAGES and 0.72 (95% CI 0.68 to 0.77) for GCS. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated an area under the ROC curve of 0.86 for GCS and 0.88 for TRIAGES, with a significant difference (p=0.012). However, precision-recall curve (PRC) analysis revealed an area under the PRC of 0.38 for GCS and 0.47 for TRIAGES, without a significant difference (p=0.107). CONCLUSIONS: The TRIAGES system is a promising tool for predicting 24-hour in-hospital mortality in older patients with TBI, demonstrating comparable or slightly superior efficacy to the GCS. Further multicentre studies are recommended for validation.

Curcumin Compensates GLP-1 Deficiency via the Microbiota-Bile Acids Axis and Modulation in Functional Crosstalk between TGR5 and FXR in ob/ob Mice.

SCOPE: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) deficiency occurs in obesity-related pathologies due to defects in the intestinal lumen. And expanding the L-cell population has emerged as a promising avenue to elevate GLP-1 secretion to tackle metabolic disorders. Curcumin (Cur), the principal active component of spice turmeric, possesses well-established anti-obesity properties. To clarify, the study investigates whether Cur promotes GLP-1 secretion built upon the L-cell expansion. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cur (60 mg kg-1 ) is administered orally to male ob/ob mice for 8 weeks. Cur ameliorates obesity and impaires glucose tolerance through increasing energy expenditure in ob/ob mice, accompanied by the maintenance of crypt architecture and gut permeability. It refines the microbial structure and bile acid (BA) profiles, resulting in deoxycholic acid (DCA) accumulation by weakening the enrichment of Lactobacillus. Further analyses show radically different properties of Cur on the intestine function of TGR5 and FXR (i.e., activation and repression). Cur amplifies L-cell number to promote GLP-1 secretion in ob/ob mice. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that Cur may act as a natural TGR5 agonist and FXR antagonist to improve obesity by enhancing GLP-1 release from L-cell expansion via the gut microbiota-BAs-TGR5/FXR axis, and it may serve as a promising therapeutic agent to compensate obesity-related metabolic disorders.

Predictive value of the Trauma Rating Index in Age, Glasgow Coma Scale, Respiratory rate and Systolic blood pressure score (TRIAGES) and Revised Trauma Score (RTS) for the short-term mortality of patients with isolated traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND: Ensuring rapid and precise mortality prediction in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) at the emergency department (ED) is paramount in patient triage and enhancing their outcomes. We aimed to estimate and compare the predictive power of the Trauma Rating Index in Age, Glasgow Coma Scale, Respiratory rate, and Systolic blood pressure score (TRIAGES) and Revised Trauma Score (RTS) for 24-h in-hospital mortality in patients with isolated TBI. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective single-center study analyzing clinical data from 1156 patients with isolated acute TBI treated in the ED of the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020. We calculated each patient's TRIAGES and RTS scores and estimated their predictive value for short-term mortality using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: 87 patients (7.53%) died within 24 h of admission. The non-survival group had higher TRIAGES and lower RTS than the survival group. Compared to non-survivors, survivors exhibited higher Glasgow Coma Scale scores (GCS) with a median score of 15 (12, 15) compared to a median score of 4.0 (3.0, 6.0). The crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for TRIAGES were 1.79, 95% CI (1.62 to 1.98) and 1.79, 95% CI (1.60 to 2.00), respectively. The crude and adjusted ORs for RTS were 0.39, 95% CI (0.33 to 0.45) and 0.40, 95% CI (0.34 to 0.47), respectively. The area under the ROC (AUROC) curve of TRIAGES, RTS, and GCS was 0.865 (0.844 to 0.884), 0.863 (0.842 to 0.882), and 0.869 (0.830 to 0.909), respectively. The optimal cut-off values for predicting 24-h in-hospital mortality were 3 for TRIAGES, 6.08 for RTS, and 8 for GCS. The subgroup analysis showed a higher AUROC in TRIAGES (0.845) compared to GCS (0.836) and RTS (0.829) among patients aged 65 and above, although the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: TRIAGES and RTS have shown promising efficacy in predicting 24-h in-hospital mortality in patients with isolated TBI, with comparable performance to GCS. However, improving the comprehensiveness of assessment does not necessarily translate into an overall increase in predictive ability.

A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis of the Challenges Perceived by Nurses in Home Health Nursing.

PURPOSE: To aggregate and synthesize the findings of qualitative studies exploring the challenges perceived by nurses in home health nursing. DESIGN: A qualitative meta-synthesis. METHOD: A comprehensive search of multiple databases was conducted in December 2020 and updated in October 2022. Data were analyzed using the meta-aggregation method, and the analytical process used to derive themes was inductive. FINDINGS: Eleven qualitative studies were included, and four major challenges perceived by nurses were identified: (1) challenges in the performance of duties, (2) struggles with specific and restricted factors related to practice, (3) underestimation of the value of emotion, and (4) a difficult-to-surmount relationship gap. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL EVIDENCE: Home health nursing is associated with numerous challenges due to its complexity and high demand. The findings of this study are beneficial with respect to obtaining a deeper understanding of the challenges associated with home nursing. After considering the existing problems, it is necessary to take measures to overcome these challenges, and individuals, families and society should make efforts to develop this profession further.

Ginsenoside compound K increases glucagon-like peptide-1 release and L-cell abundance in db/db mice through TGR5/YAP signaling.

BACKGROUND: Incretin impairment refers to L-cell-derived glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) deficiency, commonly observed in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Promoting the enteroendocrine L-cell population to elevate GLP-1 secretory capacity represents a potential therapeutic strategy for T2DM. It has been established that ginsenoside compound K (CK) could stimulate GLP-1 secretion; however, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. METHODS: CK was intragastrically administered to male db/db mice for 4 weeks that subsequently underwent oral glucose tolerance testing. Serum samples were collected to measure the GLP-1 secretion, insulin level, inflammatory factors, and bile acid (BA) profiles. Ileum epithelial injury was detected by Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) and Masson staining. Gene markers associated with L-cell differentiation were evaluated by RT-PCR, and L-cells were labeled by Gcg via immunofluorescence assays. TGR5 and YAP expression was analyzed by immunoblotting and immunofluorescence assays. RESULTS: Compound K attenuated hyperglycemia and inflammation in db/db mice and upregulated TGR5 expression by increasing lithocholic acid (LCA) and deoxycholic acid (DCA) levels in response to ileum epithelium injury. Meanwhile, fibrosis was alleviated, and the crypt architecture was restored, with increased L-cell abundance and serum GLP-1 levels. The upregulation in genes associated with L-cell differentiation promoted transformation into L-cells. Further mechanistic analyses showed that the effects of CK on the L-cell population required YAP activation, which triggered actin cytoskeleton dynamics. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that TGR5 could modulate the abundance of L-cells to enhance GLP-1 release through YAP-driven intestinal regeneration in db/db mice. Accordingly, CK has huge prospects for application to alleviate incretin impairment in T2DM.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Acupuncture Treatment for Oral Ulcer.

Background: Oral ulcer (OU) is a common oral mucosal disease manifested with obvious pain. In some studies, the efficacy of acupuncture in OU has been confirmed, but systematic reviews and meta-analyses for them are lacking. Our aim is to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of OU. Methods: We searched the literature from eight databases from their inception to December 2021. We included randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for the treatment of oral ulcer. The meta-analysis was carried out using Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 16.0. The main outcomes were the effective rate and the recurrence rate, the secondary outcomes were the visual analogue score (VAS) and the ulcer healing time. Results: Totally, 18 studies were finally included in the meta-analysis, including 1,422 patients. In meta-analyses, we found that in comparison with Western medicine, acupuncture can improve effective rate (OR = 5.40, 95% CI: 3.40 to 8.58), reduce the ulcer recurrence rate (OR = 0.21, 95% CI: 0.13 to 0.33), and relieve the ulcer pain (MD = -2.26, 95% CI: -4.27to-0.24). In addition, compared with Western medicine, acupuncture plus Western medicine also can improve effective rate (OR = 2.95, 95% CI: 1.48 to 5.85). Compared with the Chinese medicine, the acupuncture plus Chinese medicine can improve the effective rate (OR = 8.26, 95% CI: 3.61 to 18.88) and relieve the ulcer pain (MD = -1.85, 95% CI: -2.51 to -1.19). Conclusion: Acupuncture may be more effective than Western medicine in terms of efficacy rate, and acupuncture combined with Western or Chinese medicine may have the potential to reduce the recurrence of ulcer and relieve the ulcer pain. However, due to limited evidence, higher quality and more rigorously designed clinical trials with larger sample sizes will be needed to further confirm our findings.

Intercellular mitochondrial transfer as a means of revitalizing injured glomerular endothelial cells.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can rescue injured target cells via mitochondrial transfer. However, it has not been fully understood how bone marrow-derived MSCs repair glomeruli in diabetic kidney disease (DKD). AIM: To explore the mitochondrial transfer involved in the rescue of injured glomerular endothelial cells (GECs) by MSCs, both in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: In vitro experiments were performed to investigate the effect of co-culture with MSCs on high glucose-induced GECs. The transfer of mitochondria was visua lized using fluorescent microscopy. GECs were freshly sorted and ultimately tested for apoptosis, viability, mRNA expression by real-time reverse transcri ptase-polymerase chain reaction, protein expression by western blot, and mitochondrial function. Moreover, streptozotocin-induced DKD rats were infused with MSCs, and renal function and oxidative stress were detected with an automatic biochemical analyzer and related-detection kits after 2 wk. Kidney histology was analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin, periodic acid-Schiff, and immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: Fluorescence imaging confirmed that MSCs transferred mitochondria to injured GECs when co-cultured in vitro. We found that the apoptosis, proliferation, and mitochondrial function of injured GECs were improved following co-culture. Additionally, MSCs decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor-α] and pro-apoptotic factors (caspase 3 and Bax). Mitochondrial transfer also enhanced the expression of superoxide dismutase 2, B cell lymphoma-2, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) 3, and mitofusin 2 and inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) and dynamin-related protein 1 expression. Furthermore, MSCs significantly ameliorated functional parameters (blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine) and decreased the production of malondialdehyde, advanced glycation end products, and ROS, whereas they increased the levels of GPx and superoxide dismutase in vivo. In addition, significant reductions in the glomerular basement membrane and renal interstitial fibrosis were observed following MSC treatment. CONCLUSION: MSCs can rejuvenate damaged GECs via mitochondrial transfer. Additionally, the improvement of renal function and pathological changes in DKD by MSCs may be related to the mechanism of mitochondrial transfer.

Relationship Between Blood Glucose Level and Prevalence and Frequency of Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between blood glucose level and the prevalence and frequency of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of female participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database between 2007 and 2016. Dose-response analysis curves and univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to determine the relationship between blood glucose level and the prevalence and frequency of SUI. RESULTS: A total of 10,771 participants were included in this study, of which 6,466 (60.0%) reported no SUI, 4,305 (31.1%) reported monthly SUI, and 953 (8.8%) reported weekly SUI. We found that the blood glucose levels were higher in the weekly SUI group than in the monthly SUI and no SUI groups. Based on blood glucose levels, participants were divided into 3 groups: ≤86.0 mg/dL group, >86.0 to 98.0 mg/dL group, and >98.0 mg/dL group. Dose-response curves showed a nonlinear positive correlation between blood glucose levels and the prevalence and extent of SUI, and participants in the glucose >98.0 mg/dL group had a 15.2% higher risk (adjusted odds risk, 1.152; 95% confidence interval, 1.027-1.293; P = 0.016) of SUI prevalence and 12.5% higher risk (adjusted odds risk 1.125; 95% confidence interval, 1.009-1.255; P = 0.034) of SUI frequency than participants in the glucose ≤86.0 mg/dL group. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the prevalence and frequency of SUI in women were positively correlated with blood glucose levels, and these findings warrant further study and application to clinical practice to control SUI in women.

Hydrogen-rich water regulates effects of ROS balance on morphology, growth and secondary metabolism via glutathione peroxidase in Ganoderma lucidum.

Ganoderma lucidum is one of the most important medicinal fungi, but the lack of basic study on the fungus has hindered the further development of its value. To investigate the roles of the redox system in G. lucidum, acetic acid (HAc) was applied as a reactive oxygen species (ROS) stress inducer, and hydrogen-rich water (HRW) was used to relieve the ROS stress in this study. Our results demonstrate that the treatment of 5% HRW significantly decreased the ROS content, maintained biomass and polar growth morphology of mycelium, and decreased secondary metabolism under HAc-induced oxidative stress. Furthermore, the roles of HRW were largely dependent on restoring the glutathione system under HAc stress in G. lucidum. To provide further evidence, we used two glutathione peroxidase (GPX)-defective strains, the gpxi strain, the mercaptosuccinic acid (MS, a GPX inhibitor)-treated wide-type (WT) strain, and gpx overexpression strains for further research. The results show that HRW was unable to relieve the HAc-induced ROS overproduction, decreased biomass, mycelium morphology change and increased secondary metabolism biosynthesis in the absence of GPX function. The gpx overexpression strains exhibited resistance to HAc-induced oxidative stress. Thus, we propose that HRW regulates morphology, growth and secondary metabolism via glutathione peroxidase under HAc stress in the fungus G. lucidum. Furthermore, our research also provides a method to study the ROS system in other fungi.

Heat Stress Modulates Mycelium Growth, Heat Shock Protein Expression, Ganoderic Acid Biosynthesis, and Hyphal Branching of Ganoderma lucidum via Cytosolic Ca2.

UNLABELLED: Heat stress (HS) influences the growth and development of organisms. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of how organisms sense HS and respond to it is required. Ganoderma lucidum, a higher basidiomycete with bioactive secondary metabolites, has become a potential model system due to the complete sequencing of its genome, transgenic systems, and reliable reverse genetic tools. In this study, we found that HS inhibited mycelium growth, reduced hyphal branching, and induced the accumulation of ganoderic acid biosynthesis and heat shock proteins (HSPs) in G. lucidum Our data showed that HS induced a significant increase in cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration. Further evidence showed that Ca(2+) might be a factor in the HS-mediated regulation of hyphal branching, ganoderic acid (GA) biosynthesis, and the accumulation of HSPs. Our results further showed that the calcium-permeable channel gene (cch)-silenced and phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase gene (plc)-silenced strains reduced the HS-induced increase in HSP expression compared with that observed for the wild type (WT). This study demonstrates that cytosolic Ca(2+) participates in heat shock signal transduction and regulates downstream events in filamentous fungi. IMPORTANCE: Ganoderma lucidum, a higher basidiomycete with bioactive secondary metabolites, has become a potential model system for evaluating how environmental factors regulate the development and secondary metabolism of basidiomycetes. Heat stress (HS) is an important environmental challenge. In this study, we found that HS inhibited mycelium growth, reduced hyphal branching, and induced HSP expression and ganoderic acid biosynthesis in G. lucidum Further evidence showed that Ca(2+) might be a factor in the HS-mediated regulation of hyphal branching, GA biosynthesis, and the accumulation of HSPs. This study demonstrates that cytosolic Ca(2+) participates in heat shock signal transduction and regulates downstream events in filamentous fungi. Our research offers a new way to understand the mechanism underlying the physiological and metabolic responses to other environmental factors in G. lucidum This research may also provide the basis for heat shock signal transduction studies of other fungi.

UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase influences polysaccharide synthesis, cell wall components, and hyphal branching in Ganoderma lucidum via regulation of the balance between glucose-1-phosphate and UDP-glucose.

UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGP) is a key enzyme involved in carbohydrate metabolism, but there are few studies on the functions of this enzyme in fungi. The ugp gene of Ganoderma lucidum was cloned, and enzyme kinetic parameters of the UGP recombinant protein were determined in vitro, revealing that this protein was functional and catalyzed the reversible conversion between Glc-1-P and UDP-Glc. ugp silencing by RNA interference resulted in changes in the levels of the intermediate metabolites Glc-1-P and UDP-Glc. The compounds and structure of the cell wall in the silenced strains were also altered compared with those in the wild-type strains. Moreover, the number of hyphal branches was also changed in the silenced strains. To verify the role of UGP in hyphal branching, a ugp-overexpressing strain was constructed. The results showed that the number of hyphal branches was influenced by UGP. The mechanism underlying hyphal branching was further investigated by adding exogenous Glc-1-P. Our results showed that hyphal branching was regulated by a change in the cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration, which was affected by the level of the intermediate metabolite Glc-1-P, in G. lucidum. Our findings indicate the existence of an interaction between carbon metabolism and Ca(2+) signaling in this fungus.