Mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaf powder modified the processing of meat alternatives: Principal component analysis from apparent properties to chemical bonds.

For texture control in plant-meat alternatives, the interrelationship between apparent characteristics and chemical bonds in high-fiber formulations remains unclear. The influence of mulberry leaf powder on apparent characteristics and chemical bonds of raw materials, block and strip products at addition amounts of 0.5-25% was analyzed. The results showed that 8% addition significantly increased the chewiness of the block by 98.12%. The strips' texture shows a downward trend, and the processing produced more redness and color difference. Additives promoted the formation of voids, lamellar and filamentous structures, and the strip produced more striped structures. Disulfide bonds significantly increased in the block, and the ß-turn in the secondary structure enhanced by 12.20%. The ß-turn transformed into a ß-sheet in strips. Principal component analysis revealed that the texture improvement was associated with producing disulfide bonds and ß-turn, providing a basis for high-fiber components to improve products' apparent characteristics by chemical bonds.

Biochemical and protein nutritional potential of mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaf: partial substitution improves the nutrition of conventional protein.

BACKGROUND: With the requirements of environmental, cost and economic sustainability, new sources of alternative proteins in the livestock industry are receiving increasing attention. Mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves are a unique feed resource because of their high protein content and large availability. Therefore, mining sustainable protein suitable for the animal husbandry industry in sericulture resources could achieve a win-win situation. RESULTS: The protein content in mulberry leaves is 232.10-386.16 g kg-1 , and the mean value of crude fat content is 43.76 ± 8.48 g kg-1 , which has the advantages of protein content and energy. In addition, the average content of phytic acid in mulberry leaves is only 1.88 ± 0.56 g kg-1 , which means that it is not inhibited in terms of nutrient absorption. Meanwhile, the digestibility of protein was Bean pulp > Sample 8 ≈ Alfalfa ≈ Sample 13 ≈ Cottonseed meal > Fish meal, and the ß-turn and particle size of mulberry leaf protein are more conducive to digestion in vitro. Furthermore, the protein of Sample 13 had the richest essential amino acids (252.00 g kg-1 ) and the highest essential amino acid index (EAAI), which was superior to conventional feed protein. In addition, the partial substitution of mulberry leaf protein (15%) significantly increased the EAAI value of conventional feed protein. However, to balance nutrition, it is necessary to combine mulberry leaf protein with other proteins to further broaden its application field. CONCLUSION: Mulberry leaves are a new source of feed protein, which helps to alleviate the two major problems of mulberry resource surplus and feed protein resource shortage. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

A Novel Low Molecule Peptides-calcium Chelate from Silkworm Pupae Protein Hydrolysate: Preparation, Antioxidant Activity, and Bioavailability.

BACKGROUND: The antioxidant properties of active peptides from silkworm pupae protein hydrolysate are of interest, and it serves as a novel source of calcium supplement. METHODS: Optimize the preparation parameters of silkworm pupae bioactive peptide-calcium chelate, and investigate the mechanism and bioavailability of silkworm pupae active peptide as a transport carrier to promote calcium ion absorption using simulated gastrointestinal digestion and Caco-2 monolayer cell model. RESULTS: The optimal process parameters for preparing peptide calcium chelate were the peptide calcium mass ratio of 3:1, pH of 6.7, a temperature of 35.6°C, and time of 32.8 min by Box-Behnken design, and the calciumchelating rate reached 84.67%. The DPPH radical scavenging activity of silkworm pupae protein hydrolysatecalcium chelate was 79.36 ± 4.31%, significantly higher than silkworm pupae protein hydrolysate (61.00 ± 9.56%). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy shows that the COO-, N-H, C-H, and C-O groups participated in the formation of silkworm pupae protein hydrolysate-calcium chelate. The particle size of the silkworm pupae protein hydrolysate-calcium chelate was 970.75 ± 30.12 nm, which was significantly higher than that of silkworm pupae protein hydrolysate (253.14 ± 5.72 nm). The silkworm pupae protein hydrolysate-calcium chelate showed a calcium dissolution rate of 71.01 ± 1.91% in the simulated intestinal phase, significantly higher than that of CaCl2 (59.34 ± 1.24%). In the Caco-2 cell monolayers, the silkworm pupae protein hydrolysatecalcium chelate was more favorable for calcium transport. CONCLUSION: A novel silkworm pupa protein hydrolysate-calcium chelate with high antioxidant activity was successfully prepared to improve the bioavailability of calcium.

Simultaneous preparation of antioxidant peptides and lipids from microalgae by pretreatment with bacterial proteases.

Chlorella can produce large amounts of lipids and therefore has great potential for biodiesel production. In this study, Chlorella protothecoides was hydrolyzed by several kinds of extracellular bacterial proteases produced by Pseudoalteromonas sp. ZB23-2, B27-3 and JS4-1 before lipid extraction. Hydrolysates with high antioxidant activity were obtained. The scavenging activities of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydrogen peroxide, and hydroxyl free radicals reached 33.47 ± 0.68%, 46.81 ± 2.38%, and 7.35 ± 0.37 µmol·TE/µmol, respectively. Likewise, proteolysis reduced biomass, which resulted in a reduction in lipid leaching reagents by 35.34-45.49%. Compared to the commonly used Kates and Paradis method (171.77 ± 2.50 mg/g), the modified ethanol lipid extraction combined with JS4-1 enzyme pretreatment (291.06 ± 1.70 mg/g) and acetone-ethanol lipid extraction combined with B27-3 protease pretreatment (277.20 ± 3.30 mg/g) resulted in a larger and more diverse lipid extraction. Protease pretreatment combined with less toxic solvents for lipid extraction improved microalgal biorefinery and reduced environmental pollution.

NKG2D Enhances Double-Negative T Cell Regulation of B Cells.

Numerous studies reported a small subpopulation of TCRαß+CD4-CD8- (double-negative) T cells that exert regulatory functions in the peripheral lymphocyte population. However, the origin of these double-negative T (DNT) cells is controversial. Some researchers reported that DNT cells originated from the thymus, and others argued that these cells are derived from peripheral immune induction. We report a possible mechanism for the induction of nonregulatory CD4+ T cells to become regulatory double-negative T (iDNT) cells in vitro. We found that immature bone marrow dendritic cells (CD86+MHC-II- DCs), rather than mature DCs (CD86+MHC-II+), induced high levels of iDNT cells. The addition of an anti-MHC-II antibody to the CD86+MHC-II+ DC group significantly increased induction. These iDNT cells promoted B cell apoptosis and inhibited B cell proliferation and plasma cell formation. A subgroup of iDNT cells expressed NKG2D. Compared to NKG2D- iDNT cells, NKG2D+ iDNT cells released more granzyme B to enhance B cell regulation. This enhancement may function via NKG2D ligands expressed on B cells following lipopolysaccharide stimulation. These results demonstrate that MHC-II impedes induction, and iDNT cells may be MHC independent. NKG2D expression on iDNT cells enhanced the regulatory function of these cells. Our findings elucidate one possible mechanism of the induction of peripheral immune tolerance and provide a potential treatment for chronic allograft rejection in the future.

An alternative solution for α-linolenic acid supplements: in vitro digestive properties of silkworm pupae oil in a pH-stat system.

α-Linolenic acid (ALA) is recognised to have a regulatory effect on cardiovascular diseases. Due to the low bioavailability of linseed oil (LINO), which is the most common ALA supplement, it is necessary to find a replacement for ALA supplements that is more easily accepted by the human body. The content of ALA in silkworm pupae oil (SPO) is 32.60 ± 0.67%, and SPO can be substituted as a dietary lipid to meet the demand of the human body. In the present study, a pH-stat system was used to investigate the release degree of free fatty acids (FFAs) from SPO and construct a first-order kinetic model. Digestion experiments in vitro with different lipids showed that the maximum release FFA levels were SPO > SO (soybean oil) > LO (lard oil) > MSO (mulberry seed oil) > LINO, and the first-order kinetic apparent rate constants were LINO > SPO > LO > SO > MSO. Triacylglycerol (TAG) and fatty acid composition are the decisive factors in determining the level of lipid digestion. Therefore, the maximum level of FFAs released from SPO (84.34 ± 1.37%) was much higher than that of LINO (49.78 ± 0.52%) when the hydrolysis rates were 0.2114 s-1 and 0.2249 s-1, respectively. In addition, the smaller emulsion droplet size (609.24 ± 43.46 nm) and weaker surface charge (-17.93 ± 0.42 mV) also resulted in higher levels of SPO under in vitro digestion conditions. Meanwhile, due to low melting and crystallisation temperature, SPO is quickly absorbed by the human body. Overall, SPO can be used as a new alternative for ALA supplements based on its superior digestive properties.

Biokinetics and biotransformation of paralytic shellfish toxins in different tissues of Yesso scallops, Patinopecten yessoensis.

Paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) are a group of natural toxic substances often found in marine bivalves. Accumulation, anatomical distribution, biotransformation and depuration of PSTs in different tissues of bivalves, however, are still not very well understood. In this study, we investigated biokinetics and biotransformation of PSTs in six different tissues, namely gill, mantle, gonad, adductor muscle, kidney, and digestive gland, in Yesso scallops Patinopecten yessoensis exposed to a toxic strain of dinoflagellate Alexandrium pacificum. High daily accumulation rate (DAR) was recorded at the beginning stage of the experiment. Most of the PSTs in toxic algae ingested by scallops were retained and the toxicity level of PSTs in scallops exceeded the regulatory limit within 5 days. At the late stage of the experiment, however, DAR decreased obviously due to the removal of PSTs. Fitting results of the biokinetics model indicated that the amount of PSTs transferred from digestive gland to mantle, adductor muscle, gonad, kidney, and gill in a decreasing order, and adductor muscle, kidney, and gonad had higher removal rate than gill and mantle. Toxin profile in digestive gland was dominated by N-sulfocarbamoyl toxins 1/2 (C1/2), closely resembled that of the toxic algae. In contrast, toxin components in kidney were dominated by high-potency neosaxitoxin (NEO) and saxitoxin (STX), suggesting that the kidney be a major organ for transformation of PSTs.

NICE classification in diagnosis and treatment of colorectal lesions / 中国内镜杂志

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of NICE classification in non-magnifying narrow band imaging for real-time histologic prediction and therapeutic guidance of colorectal lesions. Methods According to NICE classification, histologic prediction and therapeutic guidance were given for raised or flat raised colorectal mucosal lesions. According to pathology following biopsy, endoscopy or surgery, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of NICE classification were valued. The observation consistency test was also carried out. Results 241 patients with 307 lesions were studied. The non-neoplastic lesions were 12.07%, adenomatous lesions were 82.07%, carcinomas were 5.86%. The lesions ranged from 0.1 cm to 6.0 cm in diameter. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of NICE classification in differentiating non-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions were 97.04%, 89.19%, 96.09%, 98.50%, 80.49%. The Kappa of non-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions was 0.795. The Kappa of submucosal deep infiltrating lesions and lesions above superficial submucosa was 0.875. The total Kappa was 0.814. Conclusion NICE classification can accurately predict the histology of colorectal lesions and guide treatments. It is help to the moderate treatment mode in which merely neoplastic lesions are included in endoscopic resections or surgical procedures.

Clinical manifestation and laboratory examinations of invasive Scedosporium infection / 临床检验杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical manifestation and the characteristics of laboratory examinations of invasive Scedocporium infection.Methods The clinical data of 8 patients infected with Scedosporium from January 2011 to April 2017 were collected and retrospective analysis combined with related literatures was performed.Results Among the 8 patients,6 strains of S.apiospermum,1 strains of Peudallescheria boydii and 1 strains of S.prolificans were detectable.The predisposing factors of Scedosporium infection were trauma,environmental exposure and hypoimmunity.The septahypha in specimens could be direcdy observed under microscopic examination with positive rate 100％.The growth speed of cultured colony was relatively fast and the invasiveness was strong.The colony of Scedosporium displayed various forms from white cashmere to black yeast sample.The color was gradually become dark from the center of colony with lengthening time of cultivation.Scedosporium could be identified by microscopic morphology combining culture technique.Conclusion The course of invasive Scedosporium infection may progress rapidly with serious and dangerous illness state.The most common infection of Scedosporium should be induced by S.apiospernum.The knowledge and understanding for Scedosporium infection should be strengthened to improve the level of diagnosis and treatment.

The analysis of differet nutrition support treatment and nursing in patients with severe acute pancreatitis / 肠外与肠内营养

Objective:To explore the effect and nursing measures of parenteral nutrition support treatment and nasal jejunum nutrition support treatment in patients with acute severe pancreatitis.Method:85 cases of acute severe pancreatitis were divided into the study group and the control group.The patients in the control group were given routine parenteral nutrition support therapy and clinical nursing.The patients in the study group were treated with nasal jejunum tube for enteral nutrition support,and the corresponding clinical nursing intervention was given during the treatment.The clinical indexes of two groups were compared and analyzed.Result:Before treatment,there were no significant difference in serum CRP,ALB,TP levels between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05).After nutritional treatment and clinical nursing,the above indexes of the two groups were improved,but the indexes of the study group improved significantly more than the control group (P ＜ 0.05).The BMI index in the study group was not significantly different compared with the control group (P ＞ 0.05).In the study group,the first time of get out of bed,mechanical ventilation time,abdominal distension remission time,sserum amylase and urine amylase recovery time were significantly lower than those of the control group (P ＜ 0.05).The incidence of complications including abdominal distension,diarrhea,nausea and vomiting,upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion:nasal jejunum nutrition support treatment can not only play a vital role in treatment of acute severe pancreatitis patients with malnutrition,but also protect the patient gastrointestinal tract.The individualized nursing intervention can effectively reduce the incidence of complications and ensure the successful implementation of enteral nutrition.

Surgical treatment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: a retrospective study of 104 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinicopathological features, surgical treatment techniques, and prognostic risk factors of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). METHODS: A total of 104 ICC cases were collected from January 2008 to December 2013 at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital and divided into the hepatic hilum lymphadenectomy (HLL, 21 cases), extended hepatic hilum lymphadenectomy (EHLL, 12 cases), and non-lymphadenectomy (NL, 71 cases) groups. The clinical data of the patients were retrospectively analyzed, and the prognostic differences were compared among different groups. RESULTS: The 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival (OS) rates of all cases were 72.1%, 56.1%, and 43.7%, respectively. The median survival duration was 34 months. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS rates of the HLL group (42.9%, 28.6%, and 28.6%, respectively) were significantly lower than those of the NL group (78.9%, 62.5%, and 47.8%, respectively). Meanwhile, the 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS rates of the EHLL group (75.0%, 56.1%, and 33.3%, respectively) were not significantly different from those of the other two groups. Univariate analysis showed that age, gender, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage, differentiation, ferritin (Fer), carbohydrate antigen19-9 (CA19-9) and carcinoembryonicantigen (CEA) levels, lymph node metastasis (LNM), and lymph node dissection (LND) were prognostic factors for the long-term survival of ICC. Meanwhile, multivariate analysis revealed that age, AJCC stage, differentiation, Fer levels, and LNM were independent risk factors for survival. CONCLUSIONS: ICC patients will not benefit from lymphadenectomy in the absence of LNM. However, systematic lymphadenectomy may improve ICC outcomes if the location of lymphatic metastasis is known. Age, AJCC stage, differentiation, Fer level, and LNM are independent risk factors for survival in ICC.

CHRNA5 polymorphisms and risk of lung cancer in Chinese Han smokers.

Lung cancer is the most frequent cancer among men in many countries. It is the result of interactions between genetic and environmental factors, among which tobacco smoking is a key environmental factor. CHRNA5, Cholinergic Receptor, Neuronal Nicotinic, Alpha Polypeptide-5, was previously reported to be associated with lung cancer risk. To identify the genetic susceptibility and tobacco smoking that influence lung cancer risk in Han population, we performed a case-control study in 228 patients and 301 controls. These data were compared using the χ(2)-test, genetic model analysis, and haplotype analysis. rs495956, rs680244, rs601079, rs555018, 588765 and rs11637635 showed an increased risk of lung cancer in both allelic model and genetic mode analysis. The genotype G/A-A/A of rs11637635 was most strongly associated with a 2.17-fold increased risk of lung cancer in dominant model (p = 0.018). One SNP, rs684513, was associated with a 0.645-fold decreased risk (p = 0.033) in allelic model analysis. By haplotype association analysis, haplotype sequences CTTATCAAAGA and GA of CHRNA5 were found to be associated with a 2.03-fold and 1.91-fold increased lung cancer risk (p < 0.05). Our results, combined with those from previous studies, suggest that genetic variation in CHRNA5 may influence susceptibility to lung cancer among Han smokers.

Association of colorectal cancer susceptibility variants with esophageal cancer in a Chinese population.

AIM: To investigate the association between colorectal cancer (CRC) genetic susceptibility variants and esophageal cancer in a Chinese Han population. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted including 360 esophageal cancer patients and 310 healthy controls. Thirty-one single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with CRC risk from previous genome-wide association studies were analyzed. SNPs were genotyped using Sequenom Mass-ARRAY technology, and genotypic frequencies in controls were tested for departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium using a Fisher's exact test. The allelic frequencies were compared between cases and controls using a χ(2) test. Associations between the SNPs and the risk of esophageal cancer were tested using various genetic models (codominant, dominant, recessive, overdominant, and additive). ORs and 95%CIs were calculated by unconditional logistic regression with adjustments for age and sex. RESULTS: The minor alleles of rs1321311 and rs4444235 were associated with a 1.53-fold (95%CI: 1.15-2.06; P = 0.004) and 1.28-fold (95%CI: 1.03-1.60; P = 0.028) increased risk of esophageal cancer in the allelic model analysis, respectively. In the genetic model analysis, the C/C genotype of rs3802842 was associated with a reduced risk of esophageal cancer in the codominant model (OR = 0.52, 95%CI: 0.31-0.88; P = 0.033) and recessive model (OR = 0.55, 95%CI: 0.34-0.87; P = 0.010). The rs4939827 C/T-T/T genotype was associated with a 0.67-fold (95%CI: 0.46-0.98; P = 0.038) decreased esophageal cancer risk under the dominant model. In addition, rs6687758, rs1321311, and rs4444235 were associated with an increased risk. In particular, the T/T genotype of rs1321311 was associated with an 8.06-fold (95%CI: 1.96-33.07; P = 0.004) increased risk in the codominant model. CONCLUSION: These results provide evidence that known genetic variants associated with CRC risk confer risk for esophageal cancer, and may bring risk for other digestive system tumors.

Single tube genotyping of CYP2A6 gene deletion based on copy number determination by quantitative real-time PCR.

The CYP2A6*4 allele, characterized as the whole deletion of this gene, is closely associated with nicotine dependence, cancer susceptibility, and drug responsiveness. It has long been a significant challenge for pharmacogenetics scientists to develop a reliable method to detect this molecular variant due to its high homology with its homologous genes CYP2A6 and CYP2A3 in the clinical setting. Here, we introduce a quantitative real-time PCR assay that specifically amplifies CYP2A6 by designing a specific set of primers and the probe, which effectively prevent the amplification of the CYP2A7 and CYP2A13 alleles. CYP2A6 gene copy numbers were normalized to albumin (ALB) which was co-amplified simultaneously in a single-tube duplex reaction and at a setting as the internal reference gene. The established assay was validated with a selection of previously genotyped DNA samples, which harbored none, one or two CYP2A6 gene copies. The results were in complete concordance with previously published data and no overlap between the three groups was observed. Further analysis of a cohort of 120 samples revealed high specificity and sensitivity of this assay as demonstrated by the agreement of determined gene copy numbers in all of the cases. In conclusion, this novel assay allows reliable and sensitive detection of the CYP2A6 gene deletion, which will be useful for pharmacogenetics studies and routine clinical settings.

Mitochondrial DNA levels in blood and tissue samples from breast cancer patients of different stages.

AIMS: Alterations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been implicated in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. We here evaluated the diagnostic and prognostic potential of mtDNA as a biomarker for breast cancer. METHODS: Using multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction, nuclear DNA (nDNA) and mtDNA levels in serum, buffy coat, tumor, and tumor-adjacent tissue samples from 50 breast cancer patients were determined and assessed for associations with clinicopathological features. To evaluate mtDNA as a biomarker for distinguishing between the four sample types, we created receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: The mtDNA levels in buffy coat were significantly lower than in other sample types. Relative to tumor-adjacent tissue, reduced levels of mtDNA were identified in buffy coat and tumor tissue but not in serum. According to ROC curve analysis, mtDNA levels could be used to distinguish between buffy coat and tumor-adjacent tissue samples with good sensitivity (77%) and specificity (83%). Moreover, mtDNA levels in serum and tumor tissue were positively associated with cancer TMN stage. CONCLUSIONS: The mtDNA levels in blood samples may represent a promising, non-invasive biomarker in breast cancer patients. Additional, large-scale validation studies are required to establish the potential use of mtDNA levels in the early diagnosis and monitoring of breast cancer.

Study on the maternal mortality ratio from 1995 to 2004 among residential and migrant women in Beijing / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) of residential and migrant women in Beijing.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A retrospective study from 1995 to 2004 was performed to analyze data from the maternal death cases.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The MMR of resident and migrant of Beijing from 1995 to 2004 were 17.9 and 51.3 per ten thousand respectively. The main reasons of maternal deaths among residents were embolism (21.2%), hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy (18.3%), postpartum hemorrhage (14.4%) and ectopic pregnancy/heart disease (9.6%). The main reasons of migrant maternal deaths were postpartum hemorrhage (25.2%), embolism (19.7%), hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy (17.3%) and liver disease (9.5%). The avoidable deaths were accounted for 18.9%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The MMR in Beijing local residents was close to that in developed countries. To further reduce MMR in Beijing would depend on the better administration of related issues among floating population. Poor quatily delivery must be banned together with strengthening the training programs on health workers. It is also important to improve the knowledge and skills of medical staff for rescuing the complications of pregnancy and ectopic pregnancy.</p>

Blood lead level and related risk factors among children aged 0-6 years in Beijing / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe blood lead level and related risk factors among children of 0 - 6-year old in Beijing.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Stratified-clustered-random sampling and simple random sampling were used. A total of 2 262 children of 0 - 6 years old were investigated from May to July 2001. They were permanent residents in Beijing. Blood lead level was tested by graphite atomizer absorption spectrophotometer. At the same time, related factors were investigated using a standardized questionnaire.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mean lead level of children in Beijing was 96.8 micro g/L with 35.7% of those >/= 100 micro g/L, and 2.5% >/= 200 micro g/L. The proportion of lead poisoning was significantly higher in rural children (P < 0.01). The proportion of lead poisoning in 2-year-old group was higher than that in other age groups. The proportion of lead poisoning in boys was significantly higher than that in girls (P < 0.01). The following factors might serve as major risk factors related to child lead poisoning, such as, never or rarely drinking milk, living in nearby highways (less than 50 meters) or living in the first floor/bungalow, and so on.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The blood lead level of >/= 100 micro g/L among Beijing children appeared to be a big problem. Decision-makers should pay more attention to prevent blood lead level being high, and to cure these children who suffered in lead poisoning. Effective intervention measures on these target populations should be taken.</p>