Relationship of apolipoprotein C-III proteoform composition with ankle-brachial index and peripheral artery disease in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Apolipoprotein C-III (apoC-III) proteoform composition shows distinct relationships with plasma lipids and cardiovascular risk. The present study tested whether apoC-III proteoforms are associated with risk of peripheral artery disease (PAD). METHODS: ApoC-III proteoforms, i.e., native (C-III0a), and glycosylated with zero (C-III0b), one (C-III1) or two (C-III2) sialic acids, were measured by mass spectrometry immunoassay on 5,734 Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants who were subsequently followed for clinical PAD over 17 years. Ankle-brachial index (ABI) was also assessed at baseline and then 3 and 10 years later in 4,830 participants. RESULTS: Higher baseline C-III0b/C-III1 and lower baseline C-III2/C-III1 were associated with slower decline in ABI (follow-up adjusted for baseline) over time, independently of cardiometabolic risk factors, and plasma triglycerides and HDL cholesterol levels (estimated difference per 1 SD was 0.31 % for both, p < 0.01). The associations between C-III2/C-III1 and changes in ABI were stronger in men (-1.21 % vs. -0.27 % in women), and in Black and Chinese participants (-0.83 % and -0.86 % vs. 0.12 % in White). Higher C-III0b/C-III1 was associated with a trend for lower risk of PAD (HR = 0.84 [95%CI: 0.67-1.04]) that became stronger after excluding participants on lipid-lowering medications (0.73 [95%CI: 0.57-0.94]). Neither change in ABI nor clinical PAD was related to total apoC-III levels. CONCLUSIONS: We found associations of apoC-III proteoform composition with changes in ABI that were independent of other risk factors, including plasma lipids. Our data further support unique properties of apoC-III proteoforms in modulating vascular health that go beyond total apoC-III levels.

Investigating the Mechanism of Microwave-Assisted Enzymolysis Synergized with Magnetic Bead Adsorption for Reducing Ovalbumin Allergenicity through Biomass Spectrometry Analysis.

This study found that, after microwave treatment at 560 W for 30 s, alkaline protease enzymolysis significantly reduced the allergenicity of ovalbumin (OVA). Furthermore, specific adsorption of allergenic anti-enzyme hydrolyzed peptides in the enzymatic products by immunoglobulin G (IgG) bound to magnetic bead further decreased the allergenicity of OVA. The results indicated that microwave treatment disrupts the structure of OVA, increasing the accessibility of OVA to the alkaline protease. A comparison between 17 IgG-binding epitopes identified through high-performance liquid chromatography-higher energy collisional dissociation-tandem mass spectrometry and previously reported immunoglobulin E (IgE)-binding epitopes revealed a complete overlap in binding epitopes at amino acids (AA)125-135, AA151-158, AA357-366, and AA373-381. Additionally, partial overlap was observed at positions AA41-59, AA243-252, and AA320-340. Consequently, these binding epitopes were likely pivotal in eliciting the allergic reaction to OVA, warranting specific attention in future studies. In conclusion, microwave-assisted enzymolysis synergized with magnetic bead adsorption provides an effective method to reduce the allergenicity of OVA.

Systematic single-cell analysis reveals dynamic control of transposable element activity orchestrating the endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition.

BACKGROUND: The endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition (EHT) process during definitive hematopoiesis is highly conserved in vertebrates. Stage-specific expression of transposable elements (TEs) has been detected during zebrafish EHT and may promote hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) formation by activating inflammatory signaling. However, little is known about how TEs contribute to the EHT process in human and mouse. RESULTS: We reconstructed the single-cell EHT trajectories of human and mouse and resolved the dynamic expression patterns of TEs during EHT. Most TEs presented a transient co-upregulation pattern along the conserved EHT trajectories, coinciding with the temporal relaxation of epigenetic silencing systems. TE products can be sensed by multiple pattern recognition receptors, triggering inflammatory signaling to facilitate HSC emergence. Interestingly, we observed that hypoxia-related signals were enriched in cells with higher TE expression. Furthermore, we constructed the hematopoietic cis-regulatory network of accessible TEs and identified potential TE-derived enhancers that may boost the expression of specific EHT marker genes. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides a systematic vision of how TEs are dynamically controlled to promote the hematopoietic fate decisions through transcriptional and cis-regulatory networks, and pre-train the immunity of nascent HSCs.

T4SEpp: A pipeline integrating protein language models to predict bacterial type IV secreted effectors.

Many pathogenic bacteria use type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) to deliver effectors (T4SEs) into the cytoplasm of eukaryotic cells, causing diseases. The identification of effectors is a crucial step in understanding the mechanisms of bacterial pathogenicity, but this remains a major challenge. In this study, we used the full-length embedding features generated by six pre-trained protein language models to train classifiers predicting T4SEs and compared their performance. We integrated three modules into a model called T4SEpp. The first module searched for full-length homologs of known T4SEs, signal sequences, and effector domains; the second module fine-tuned a machine learning model using data for a signal sequence feature; and the third module used the three best-performing pre-trained protein language models. T4SEpp outperformed other state-of-the-art (SOTA) software tools, achieving ∼0.98 accuracy at a high specificity of ∼0.99, based on the assessment of an independent validation dataset. T4SEpp predicted 13 T4SEs from Helicobacter pylori, including the well-known CagA and 12 other potential ones, among which eleven could potentially interact with human proteins. This suggests that these potential T4SEs may be associated with the pathogenicity of H. pylori. Overall, T4SEpp provides a better solution to assist in the identification of bacterial T4SEs and facilitates studies of bacterial pathogenicity. T4SEpp is freely accessible at https://bis.zju.edu.cn/T4SEpp.

Insight into the Mechanism Underlying the Reduction of Digestibility and IgG/IgE Binding Ability in Ovalbumin during Different High-Temperature Conduction Modes-Induced Glycation.

Effects of different high-temperature conduction modes [high-temperature air conduction (HAC), high-temperature contact conduction (HCC), high-temperature steam conduction (HSC)]-induced glycation on the digestibility and IgG/IgE-binding ability of ovalbumin (OVA) were studied and the mechanisms were investigated. The conformation in OVA-HSC showed minimal structural changes based on circular dichroism, fluorescence, and ultraviolet spectroscopy. The degree of hydrolysis analysis indicated that glycated OVA was more resistant to digestive enzymes. Liquid chromatography-Orbitrap mass spectrometry identified 11, 14, and 15 glycation sites in OVA-HAC, OVA-HCC, and OVA-HSC, respectively. The IgG/IgE-binding ability of OVA was reduced during glycation and digestion, and the interactions among glycation, allergenicity, and digestibility were further investigated. Glycation sites masked the IgG/IgE epitopes resulting in a reduction in allergenicity. Digestion enzymes destroyed the IgG/IgE epitopes thus reducing allergenicity. Meanwhile, the glycation site in proximity to the digestion site of pepsin was observed to cause a reduction in digestibility.

Peptidomics Screening and Molecular Docking with Umami Receptors T1R1/T1R3 of Novel Umami Peptides from Oyster (Crassostrea gigas) Hydrolysates.

In this study, novel umami peptides were prepared from oyster (Crassostrea gigas) hydrolysates, and their umami mechanisms were investigated. Umami fractions G2 and G3 were isolated by gel filtration chromatography (GFC) and sensory evaluation. The umami scores of the G2 and G3 fractions were 7.8 ± 0.12 and 7.5 ± 0.18, respectively. 36 potential umami peptides with molecular weights below 1500 Da, E and D accounting for >30% of the peptides and iUmami-SCM > 588 were screened by peptidomics. Peptide source analysis revealed that myosin, paramyosin, and sarcoplasmic were the major precursor proteins for these peptides. The electronic tongue results demonstrated that the synthetic peptides DPNDPDMKY and NARIEELEEE possessed an umami characteristic, whereas SIEDVEESRNK and ISIEDVEESRNK possessed a saltiness characteristic. Additionally, molecular docking results indicated that the umami peptide (DPNDPDMKY, NARIEELEEE, SIEDVEESRNK, and ISIEDVEESRNK) binds to H145, S276, H388, T305, Y218, D216, and Q389 residues in the T1R3 taste receptor via a conventional hydrogen bond and a carbon-hydrogen bond. This research provides a new strategy for the screening of umami peptides.

HALD, a human aging and longevity knowledge graph for precision gerontology and geroscience analyses.

Human aging is a natural and inevitable biological process that leads to an increased risk of aging-related diseases. Developing anti-aging therapies for aging-related diseases requires a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms and effects of aging and longevity from a multi-modal and multi-faceted perspective. However, most of the relevant knowledge is scattered in the biomedical literature, the volume of which reached 36 million in PubMed. Here, we presented HALD, a text mining-based human aging and longevity dataset of the biomedical knowledge graph from all published literature related to human aging and longevity in PubMed. HALD integrated multiple state-of-the-art natural language processing (NLP) techniques to improve the accuracy and coverage of the knowledge graph for precision gerontology and geroscience analyses. Up to September 2023, HALD had contained 12,227 entities in 10 types (gene, RNA, protein, carbohydrate, lipid, peptide, pharmaceutical preparations, toxin, mutation, and disease), 115,522 relations, 1,855 aging biomarkers, and 525 longevity biomarkers from 339,918 biomedical articles in PubMed. HALD is available at https://bis.zju.edu.cn/hald .

A chromosome-level genome assembly provides insights into Cornus wilsoniana evolution, oil biosynthesis, and floral bud development.

Cornus wilsoniana W. is a woody oil plant with high oil content and strong hypolipidemic effects, making it a valuable species for medicinal, landscaping, and ecological purposes in China. To advance genetic research on this species, we employed PacBio together with Hi-C data to create a draft genome assembly for C. wilsoniana. Based on an 11-chromosome anchored chromosome-level assembly, the estimated genome size was determined to be 843.51 Mb. The N50 contig size and N50 scaffold size were calculated to be 4.49 and 78.00 Mb, respectively. Furthermore, 30 474 protein-coding genes were annotated. Comparative genomics analysis revealed that C. wilsoniana diverged from its closest species ~12.46 million years ago (Mya). Furthermore, the divergence between Cornaceae and Nyssaceae occurred >62.22 Mya. We also found evidence of whole-genome duplication events and whole-genome triplication γ, occurring at ~44.90 and 115.86 Mya. We further inferred the origins of chromosomes, which sheds light on the complex evolutionary history of the karyotype of C. wilsoniana. Through transcriptional and metabolic analysis, we identified two FAD2 homologous genes that may play a crucial role in controlling the oleic to linoleic acid ratio. We further investigated the correlation between metabolites and genes and identified 33 MADS-TF homologous genes that may affect flower morphology in C. wilsoniana. Overall, this study lays the groundwork for future research aimed at identifying the genetic basis of crucial traits in C. wilsoniana.

Comparison of ovalbumin glycation induced by high-temperature steaming and high-temperature baking: A study combining conventional spectroscopy with high-resolution mass spectrometry.

High-temperature steaming (HTS) and high-temperature baking (HTB)-induced ovalbumin (OVA)-glucose glycation (140 °C, 1-3 min) were compared, and the different mechanisms were evaluated by changes in protein conformation, glycation sites and average degree of substitution per peptide molecule (DSP) values as well as the antioxidant activity of glycated OVA. Conventional spectroscopic results suggested that in comparison with HTB, HTS promoted protein expansion, increased ß-sheet content and made OVA structure more orderly. Liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) analysis showed that 10 glycation sites were found under HTB, while 4 new glycation sites R111, R200, R219 and K323 appeared under HTS, and 2 of them (R219 and K323) were located in internal ß-sheet chains. The antioxidant activities of glycated OVA increased with increasing treatment time, and HTS showed stronger enhancement effect than HTB. Furthermore, the DSP values were generally higher under HTS than HTB. Compared with HTB, HTS with high penetrability could enhance the change of OVA primary structure and spatial conformation, making the protein structure more unfolded and stable, leading to more protein-sugar collisions occurred in inner OVA molecular and significantly promoted glycation. In conclusion, HTS is a promising method for high-temperature short-time glycation reaction, with drastically increasing the protein antioxidant activities.

Effects of different high-temperature conduction modes on the ovalbumin-glucose model: AGEs production and regulation of glycated ovalbumin on gut microbiota.

Food high-temperature processing frequently induces the production of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in the food industry. In this study, the effects of three high-temperature conduction modes on the AGEs production derived from ovalbumin (OVA)-glucose model and the regulation of glycated OVA on gut microbiota were investigated. The peak time of OVA shifted maximally from 13.72 to 13.57 due to the rise in molecular weight, confirming successful coupling between OVA and glucose. The inhibition of superheated steam (SS) on AGEs was observed, with the sample treated by SS showing the lowest content among glycated OVA groups. The analysis revealed an increase in AGEs during digestion and a decrease in fermentation, suggesting the release during digestion and the availability by intestinal flora. Furthermore, an expansion of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, and the inhibition of Desulfovibrio and Escherichia-Shigella were observed, indicating the prebiotic activity of glycated OVA and its potential to improve intestinal health. These results provide valuable information for controlling high-temperature processing to inhibit AGEs formation and highlight the positive effects of glycated proteins on intestinal health.

Construction of a multi-scale effectiveness evaluation system for ecological restoration and protection of territorial space.

The ecological restoration and protection of territorial space is a systematic project for the protection and restoration of ecosystems damaged or degraded by human disturbance. Effectiveness evaluation is of great significance to the optimization, adjustment, and sustainability of ecological restoration and protection. Current research and practices tend to focus on a single element and the site scale. Based on the study on the connotation of ecological restoration and protection of territorial space and the multi-scale characteristics of ecosystems, we constructed a multi-scale effectiveness evaluation system for ecological restoration and protection of territorial space and a full-cycle monitoring system for effectiveness evaluation. The multi-scale effectiveness evaluation system consisted of the regional/watershed scale, the protection and restoration unit scale, and the sub-project scale. The full-cycle monitoring system contained the basic information investigation system before construction, the construction monitoring system during construction, and the multi-scale effectiveness evaluation system after construction. At the regional/watershed scale, structure, quality, and services of ecosystem were concerned and remote sensing was used as the main method to capture data. At the protection and restoration unit scale, ecological stress factors, ecosystem quality and services were concerned, and the main methods were remote sensing combined with field survey. At the sub-project scale, engineering technology measures were concerned and the field survey was used as the main method. In the implementation of the multi-scale effectiveness evaluation, it would be necessary to focus on and solve the key issues including the spillover effect, transmission mechanism, and potential impact of ecological restoration.

Association of apolipoproteins C-I and C-II truncations with coronary heart disease and progression of coronary artery calcium: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Higher truncated-to-native proteoform ratios of apolipoproteins (apo) C-I (C-I'/C-I) and C-II (C-II'/C-II) are associated with less atherogenic lipid profiles. We examined prospective relationships of C-I'/C-II and C-II'/C-II with coronary heart disease (CHD) and coronary artery calcium (CAC). METHODS: ApoC-I and apoC-II proteoforms were measured by mass spectrometry immunoassay in 5790 MESA baseline plasma samples. CHD events (myocardial infarction, resuscitated cardiac arrest, fatal CHD, n = 434) were evaluated for up to 17 years. CAC was measured 1-4 times over 10 years for incident CAC (if baseline CAC = 0), and changes (follow-up adjusted for baseline) in CAC score and density (if baseline CAC>0). RESULTS: C-II'/C-II was inversely associated with CHD (n = 434 events) after adjusting for non-lipid cardiovascular risk factors (Hazard ratio: 0.89 [95% CI: 0.81-0.98] per SD), however, the association was attenuated after further adjustment for HDL levels (0.93 [0.83-1.03]). There was no association between C-I'/C-I and CHD (0.98 [0.88-1.08]). C-II'/C-II was positively associated with changes in CAC score (3.4% [95%CI: 0.6, 6.3]) and density (6.3% [0.3, 4.2]), while C-I'/C-I was inversely associated with incident CAC (Risk ratio: 0.89 [95% CI: 0.81, 0.98]) in fully adjusted models that included plasma lipids. Total apoC-I and apoC-II concentrations were not associated with CHD, incident CAC or change in CAC score. CONCLUSIONS: Increased apoC-II truncation was associated with reduced CHD, possibly explained by differences in lipid metabolism. Increased apoC-I and apoC-II truncations were also associated with less CAC progression and/or development of denser coronary plaques.

Integrating omics databases for enhanced crop breeding.

Crop plant breeding involves selecting and developing new plant varieties with desirable traits such as increased yield, improved disease resistance, and enhanced nutritional value. With the development of high-throughput technologies, such as genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics, crop breeding has entered a new era. However, to effectively use these technologies, integration of multi-omics data from different databases is required. Integration of omics data provides a comprehensive understanding of the biological processes underlying plant traits and their interactions. This review highlights the importance of integrating omics databases in crop plant breeding, discusses available omics data and databases, describes integration challenges, and highlights recent developments and potential benefits. Taken together, the integration of omics databases is a critical step towards enhancing crop plant breeding and improving global food security.

Apo CIII Proteoforms, Plasma Lipids, and Cardiovascular Risk in MESA.

BACKGROUND: Apo CIII (apolipoprotein CIII) is an important regulator of triglyceride metabolism and was associated with cardiovascular risk in several cohorts. It is present in 4 major proteoforms, a native peptide (CIII0a), and glycosylated proteoforms with zero (CIII0b), 1 (CIII1, most abundant), or 2 (CIII2) sialic acids, which may differentially modify lipoprotein metabolism. We studied the relationships of these proteoforms with plasma lipids and cardiovascular risk. METHODS: Apo CIII proteoforms were measured by mass spectrometry immunoassay in baseline plasma samples of 5791 participants of Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, an observational community-based cohort. Standard plasma lipids were collected for up to 16 years and cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, resuscitated cardiac arrest, or stroke) were adjudicated for up to 17 years. RESULTS: Apo CIII proteoform composition differed by age, sex, race and ethnicity, body mass index, and fasting glucose. Notably, CIII1 was lower in older participants, men and Black and Chinese (versus White) participants, and higher in obesity and diabetes. In contrast, CIII2 was higher in older participants, men, Black, and Chinese persons, and lower in Hispanic individuals and obesity. Higher CIII2 to CIII1 ratio (CIII2/III1) was associated with lower triglycerides and higher HDL (high-density lipoprotein) in cross-sectional and longitudinal models, independently of clinical and demographic risk factors and total apo CIII. The associations of CIII0a/III1 and CIII0b/III1 with plasma lipids were weaker and varied through cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Total apo CIII and CIII2/III1 were positively associated with cardiovascular disease risk (n=669 events, hazard ratios, 1.14 [95% CI, 1.04-1.25] and 1.21 [1.11-1.31], respectively); however, the associations were attenuated after adjustment for clinical and demographic characteristics (1.07 [0.98-1.16]; 1.07 [0.97-1.17]). In contrast, CIII0b/III1 was inversely associated with cardiovascular disease risk even after full adjustment including plasma lipids (0.86 [0.79-0.93]). CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate differences in clinical and demographic relationships of apo CIII proteoforms, and highlight the importance of apo CIII proteoform composition in predicting future lipid patterns and cardiovascular disease risk.

Features and algorithms: facilitating investigation of secreted effectors in Gram-negative bacteria.

Gram-negative bacteria deliver effector proteins through type III, IV, or VI secretion systems (T3SSs, T4SSs, and T6SSs) into host cells, causing infections and diseases. In general, effector proteins for each of these distinct secretion systems lack homology and are difficult to identify. Sequence analysis has disclosed many common features, helping us to understand the evolution, function, and secretion mechanisms of the effectors. In combination with various algorithms, the known common features have facilitated accurate prediction of new effectors. Ensemblers or integrated pipelines achieve a better prediction of performance, which combines multiple computational models or modules with multidimensional features. Natural language processing (NLP) models also show the merits, which could enable discovery of novel features and, in turn, facilitate more precise effector prediction, extending our knowledge about each secretion mechanism.

An association of CSF apolipoprotein E glycosylation and amyloid-beta 42 in individuals who carry the APOE4 allele.

Carrying the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) Ɛ4 allele is associated with an increased risk of cerebral amyloidosis and late-onset Alzheimer's disease, but the degree to which apoE glycosylation affects its development is not clear. In a previous pilot study, we identified distinct total and secondary isoform-specific cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) apoE glycosylation profiles, with the E4 isoform having the lowest glycosylation percentage (E2 > E3 > E4). In this work, we extend the analysis to a larger cohort of individuals (n = 106), utilizing matched plasma and CSF samples with clinical measures of AD biomarkers. The results confirm the isoform-specific glycosylation of apoE in CSF, resulting from secondary CSF apoE glycosylation patterns. CSF apoE glycosylation percentages positively correlated with CSF Aß42 levels (r = 0.53, p < 0.0001). These correlations were not observed for plasma apoE glycosylation. CSF total and secondary apoE glycosylation percentages also correlated with the concentration of CSF small high-density lipoprotein particles (s-HDL-P), which we have previously shown to be correlated with CSF Aß42 levels and measures of cognitive function. Desialylation of apoE purified from CSF showed reduced Aß42 degradation in microglia with E4 > E3 and increased binding affinity to heparin. These results indicate that apoE glycosylation has a new and important role in influencing brain Aß metabolism and can be a potential target of treatment.

Flavor substances of low-valued red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) hydrolysates derived from double enzymatic systems.

To make better use of low-valued crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), double enzymatic systems containing endopeptidase and Flavourzyme® were applied to investigate their effect on the physicochemical properties and volatile substances of low-valued crayfish. The results demonstrated that the double enzymatic hydrolysis had a positive effect on reduced bitterness and increased umami. Among them, the highest degree of hydrolysis (31.67 %) was obtained using trypsin and Flavourzyme® (TF), which showed 96.32 % of peptides with molecular weight < 0.5 kDa and 101.99 mg/g of free amino acids. The quality and quantity analysis showed that the types and relative contents of volatile compounds especially benzaldehyde, 1-octen-3-ol, nonanal, hexanal, 2-nonanone, 2-undecanonewere increased in the double enzymatic hydrolysis. In addition, the increase of esters and pyrazines was also found in gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). The results indicated that different enzymatic systems could be performed to enhance the flavor substances of low-valued crayfish. In conclusion, double enzymatic hydrolysis may be used as an advisable technique to promote the high-value utilization of low-valued crayfish and provides valuable information for the shrimp products requiring enzymatic hydrolysis.

A novel N-arachidonoyl-l-alanine-catabolizing strain of Serratia marcescens for the bioremediation of Cd and Cr co-contamination.

Cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) are widespread contaminants with a high risk to the environment and humans. Herein we isolated a novel strain of Serratia marcescens, namely strain S27, from soil co-contaminated with Cd and Cr. This strain showed strong resistance to Cd as well as Cr. S27 cells demonstrated Cd adsorption rate of 45.8% and Cr reduction capacity of 84.4% under optimal growth conditions (i.e., 30 °C, 200 rpm, and pH 7.5). Microscopic characterization of S27 cells revealed the importance of the functional groups C-O-C, C-H-O, C-C, C-H, and -OH, and also indicated that Cr reduction occurred on bacterial cell membrane. Cd(II) and Cr(VI) bioaccumulation on S27 cell surface was mainly in the form of Cd(OH)2 and Cr2O3, respectively. Further, metabolomic analyses revealed that N-arachidonoyl-l-alanine was the key metabolite that promoted Cd and Cr complexation by S27; it primarily promotes γ-linolenic acid (GLA) metabolism, producing siderophores and coordinating with organic acids to enhance metal bioavailability. To summarize, our results suggest that S27 is promising for the bioremediation of environments contaminated with Cd and Cr in tropical regions.

Comparison of mesh repair and suture repair for the treatment of incarcerated femoral hernia: a retrospective, single-center study.

BACKGROUND: Femoral hernias often present with incarceration or strangulation that requires emergency surgery. However, recommendations vary regarding optimal approaches for incarcerated femoral hernia. The aim of this study is to compare clinical efficacy between mesh repair and suture repair for the treatment of incarcerated femoral hernia. METHODS: Retrospective, single-center analysis of the clinical data from 48 patients with incarcerated femoral hernia, including 16 patients who underwent mesh repair (mesh repair group) and 32 patients who underwent traditional suture repair (suture repair group). RESULTS: The mean age, body mass index, incarceration duration, hernia sac size, operation duration, and the rates of postoperative incision infection, recurrence, chronic pain, and mortality were not significantly different between the suture repair and mesh repair groups (P > 0.05 for all). In contrast, the female/male ratio; the rates of bowel obstruction, coexisting diseases, and nighttime operation; and the American Society of Anesthesiologists grade were higher and the rate of prophylactic antibiotic use and the mean cost of hospitalization were lower in the suture repair group than in the mesh repair group (P < 0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: The surgical approach should be chosen based on the patient's condition. Mesh repair for the emergency treatment of incarcerated femoral hernia is safe and effective, whereas suture repair is suitable for elderly patients, those with more coexisting diseases, and those with limited life expectancy.

Ultrasound-assisted glycation and the allergenicity of α-lactalbumin.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound-assisted glycation is a promising method for decreasing the allergenicity of α-lactalbumin (ALA). However, there is a lack of in vivo studies on the allergenicity of ultrasound-assisted glycated ALA. In this study, the effects of the ultrasound-assisted glycation of ALA on the allergenicity and intestinal microflora were characterized using a BALB/c mouse model. RESULTS: Increased immunoglobulin -G/ immunoglobulin-E (IgG/IgE) and interleukin-4/6 (IL-4/6) secretions, and reduced interferon-γ (IFN-γ) secretions were found in the serum of ALA sensitized and challenged, mice in comparison with a control group. However, there was no significant difference between the mice fed with ultrasound-assisted glycated ALA and the control group. Mice that were sensitized and challenged with ALA showed disrupted intestinal microflora, manifesting in significantly decreased Firmicutes and significantly increased Proteobacteria. It was found that 100ALA-gal could maintain the intestinal microflora of mice in a normal state. Pearson's rank correlation showed that Proteobacteria and Spirochaetota were correlated positively with the IL-4/IL-6 level and were correlated negatively with the expression of IFN-γ. Proteobacteria were also significantly positively correlated with IL-6 and negatively correlated with IFN-γ (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These results suggested that ultrasound-assisted glycation on ALA can maintain the intestinal microflora in a normal state thus balancing the proportion of Th1/Th2 to decrease allergic reaction. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.