Amine response smartphone-based portable and intelligent polyvinyl alcohol films for real-time detection of shrimp freshness.

Food freshness monitoring is an important component in ensuring food safety for consumers and the food industry. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a portable, low-cost, and efficient detection method to determine the freshness. In this study, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was used as polymer carrier to prepare electrospinning film containing curcumin (Cur) and gardenia blue (GB) as intelligent indicator label on food packaging for real-time nondestructive detection of freshness of shrimp. The detection limit of ammonia response is less than or equal to 20 ppm, and the detection time is about 1 min, indicating that it has a sensitive response effect. At the same time, a smartphone application that can identify amines in response to color changes has been developed, and consumers can understand freshness by scanning the label. This study demonstrates the huge potential of smart indicator labels for food freshness monitoring.

Angiotensin IV ameliorates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by increasing glutathione peroxidase 4 and alleviating ferroptosis.

BACKGROUND: Doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity is an important cause of poor prognosis in cancer patients treated with DOX. Angiotensin IV (Ang IV) has multiple protective effects against cardiovascular diseases, including diabetic cardiomyopathy and myocardial infarction, but its role in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity is currently unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of Ang IV on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. METHODS: The viability of primary cardiomyocytes was measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 assays and Hoechst 33342/propidium iodide staining in vitro. ELISAs (serum cTnT and CK-MB) and echocardiography were performed to assess myocardial injury and cardiac function in vivo. Phalloidin staining, haematoxylin and eosin staining and wheat germ agglutinin staining were conducted to detect cardiomyocyte atrophy. We also performed C11 BODIPY staining, measured the levels of Ptgs2 and malondialdehyde and detected the concentrations of ferrous ions, glutathione and oxidized glutathione to indicate ferroptosis. RESULTS: Ang IV not only attenuated DOX-induced atrophy and cardiomyocyte injury in vitro but also alleviated myocardial injury and improved cardiac function in DOX-treated mice in vivo. Moreover, Ang IV reversed DOX-induced downregulation of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and inhibited ferroptosis both in vitro and in vivo. Knockdown of GPX4 by siRNA abolished the cardioprotective effects of Ang IV. Furthermore, Ang IV increased GPX4 levels and ameliorated ferroptosis in RAS-selective lethal 3-treated primary cardiomyocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Ang IV ameliorates DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by upregulating GPX4 and inhibiting ferroptosis. Ang IV may be a promising candidate to protect against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in the future.

Efficacy and tolerability of minocycline in depressive patients with or without treatment-resistant: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Minocycline, an antibiotic with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties, has been used for treating psychiatric disorders in research. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of minocycline in patients having depression with or without treatment-resistance. Methods: Electronic databases including Embase, PubMed, and the Cochrane library were searched for relevant studies published up to October 17, 2022. The primary efficacy outcome was the change in depression severity scores and the secondary efficacy outcomes included the changes in Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores and the incidence of response and partial response. Safety outcomes were evaluated based on the incidence of classified adverse events and all-cause discontinuation. Results: Five studies with 374 patients were selected for analysis. The minocycline group demonstrated a significant reduction in depression severity scale (standardized mean difference [SMD]: -0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.98 to -0.20, P = 0.003) and CGI (SMD: -0.28, 95% CI: -0.56 to -0.01, P = 0.042) scores; however, no statistical difference was found in terms of the BDI score, response, and partial response. No significant differences were found between the groups in terms of adverse events (other than dizziness) and discontinuation rates. Subgroup analysis showed that minocycline was also effective in reducing depression severity scores in treatment-resistant depression (SMD: -0.36, 95% CI: -0.64 to -0.09, P = 0.010). Subgroup analysis of Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (17-item) scores showed a statistical difference in response in patients with depression (relative risk: 2.51, 95% CI: 1.13 to 5.57, P = 0.024). Conclusions: Minocycline may improve depressive symptoms and augment response to treatment in patients with depression irrespective of treatment-resistance. However, clinical trials with large sample sizes are warranted for evaluating long-term outcomes with minocycline. Systematic review registration: https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2022-12-0051/.

A diagnostic method for cardiomyopathy based on multimodal data.

OBJECTIVES: Currently, a multitude of machine learning techniques are available for the diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) by utilizing electrocardiography (ECG) data. However, these methods rely on digital versions of ECG data, while in practice, numerous ECG data still exist in paper form. As a result, the accuracy of the existing machine learning diagnostic models is suboptimal in practical scenarios. In order to enhance the accuracy of machine learning models for diagnosing cardiomyopathy, we propose a multimodal machine learning model capable of diagnosing both HCM and DCM. METHODS: Our study employed an artificial neural network (ANN) for feature extraction from both the echocardiogram report form and biochemical examination data. Furthermore, a convolutional neural network (CNN) was utilized for feature extraction from the electrocardiogram (ECG). The resulting extracted features were subsequently integrated and inputted into a multilayer perceptron (MLP) for diagnostic classification. RESULTS: Our multimodal fusion model achieved a precision of 89.87%, recall of 91.20%, F1 score of 89.13%, and precision of 89.72%. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to existing machine learning models, our proposed multimodal fusion model has achieved superior results in various performance metrics. We believe that our method is effective.

Amine oxidase copper-containing 3 aggravates cardiac remodelling by generating hydrogen peroxide after myocardial infarction.

Amine oxidase copper-containing 3 (AOC3) is a member of the semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase enzyme family. It acts as an ectoenzyme catalysing the oxidative deamination of primary amines and generating hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ). While AOC3 is implicated in cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, its role in cardiac remodelling after myocardial infarction (MI) is unclear. In this study, we first confirmed a long-term upregulation of AOC3 in both cardiac myofibroblasts after MI in vivo and angiotensin II (ANGII)-treated cardiac fibroblasts in vitro. AOC3 knockdown not only inhibited the activation of cardiac fibroblasts induced by ANGII but also alleviated cardiac fibrosis in mice after MI. Using sh-AOC3 lentiviruses, exogenous recombinant AOC3 (r-AOC3), semicarbazide (an AOC3 inhibitor), and catalase (a hydrogen peroxide scavenger) treatments, we also demonstrated that AOC3 promoted H2 O2 generation, increased oxidative stress, and enhanced ERK1/2 activation, which were responsible for the activation of cardiac fibroblasts. In particular, AOC3 knockdown also improved cardiac function and hypertrophy after MI. Through a coculture system, we confirmed that AOC3 expressed on cardiac myofibroblasts was able to enhance oxidative stress and induce hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes by promoting H2 O2 generation. Similarly, r-AOC3 promoted H2 O2 generation and resulted in oxidative stress and hypertrophy of cardiomyocytes, which were almost inhibited by both semicarbazide and catalase. In conclusion, AOC3 plays a critical role in cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy after MI by promoting the generation of H2 O2 . AOC3 is a promising therapeutic target against cardiac remodelling. © 2023 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.

Advances in modified hyaluronic acid-based hydrogels for skin wound healing.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a natural linear anionic polysaccharide with many unique characteristics such as excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability, native biofunctionality, hydrophilicity, and non-immunoreactivity. HA plays crucial roles in numerous biological processes, including the inflammatory response, cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, differentiation, angiogenesis, and tissue regeneration. All these properties and biological functions of HA make it an appealing material for the synthesis of biomedical hydrogels for skin wound healing. Since HA is not able to be gelate alone, it must be processed and functionalized through chemical modifications and crosslinking to generate versatile HA-based hydrogels. In recent years, different physical and chemical crosslinking strategies for HA-based hydrogels have been developed and designed, such as radical polymerization, Schiff-base crosslinking, enzymatic crosslinking, and dynamic covalent crosslinking, and they have broad and promising applications in skin wound healing and tissue engineering. In this review, we focus on chemical modification and crosslinking strategies for HA-based hydrogels, aiming to provide an overview of the latest advances in the development of HA-based hydrogels for skin wound healing. We summarize and propose feasible measures for the application of HA-based hydrogels for skin treatment, and discuss future application trends, which may ultimately promote HA-based hydrogels as a promising biomaterial for clinical applications.

GrpEL1 regulates mitochondrial unfolded protein response after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage in vivo and in vitro.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a hemorrhagic stroke disease with high mortality and disability rates. Neurological recovery in early brain injury (EBI) after SAH is a crucial stage to reduce complications and improve the prognosis of patients. The mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) is an essential mitochondrial damage repair process, that degrades aggresomes formed by misfolded proteins. UPRmt is a response to cellular stress and enhances mitochondrial homeostasis. GrpEL1 is a nucleotide exchange factor that assists mtHSP70 in nonnative folding proteins in mitochondria. However, the role of UPRmt and GrpEL1 after SAH is unclear. Western blot, Immunofluorescence, Aggresome staining, JC-1 staining were conducted to detect UPRmt after SAH in vivo and in vitro. The results showed that the UPRmt-related proteins HSP60 and mtHSP70 did not change in the EBI after SAH in vivo and in vitro but increased in the isolated mitochondria. In vitro primary neurons treated with oxyhemoglobin (OxyHb) achieved the same result as MG132 induction, increasing neuron protein aggresomes. The expression of GRPEL1 was unchanged in total protein and mitochondrial protein by Western blot. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) experiments showed that the GRPEL1-mtHSP70 complex decreased after OxyHb treatment. After GRPEL1 overexpression, the GRPEL1-mtHSP70 complex increased, while aggresome in neurons decreased. JC-1 showed an increased mitochondrial membrane potential, ATP content increased, and Western blot analysis revealed decreased cleaved-Caspase 9, suggesting improved mitochondrial function. In conclusion, the reduced GrpEL1-mtHSP70 complex is an essential factor affecting UPRmt in EBI after SAH. Increasing GrpEL1 promotes GrpEL1 and mtHSP70 binding, promoting the neuronal mitochondrial homeostasis, and might be an essential clinical intervention target for EBI after SAH.

Different Doses of Fingolimod in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: The efficacy and safety of fingolimod for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) had been well verified in several large randomized controlled trials (RCTs) during the past decade. However, there are fewer systematic comparisons of different doses of fingolimod and whether the dose of 0.5 mg/d is the optimal one still remains to be solved. Objective: The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the four existing doses of fingolimod in the treatment of RRMS, especially the dose of 0.5 mg/d. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and clinicaltrials.gov were searched for RCTs which were performed to evaluate different doses of fingolimod and the corresponding control (placebo or DMTs) up to October 2020. Review Manager 5.3 software was used to assess the data. The risk ratio (RR) and mean difference (MD) was analyzed and calculated with a random effect model. Results: We pooled 7184 patients from 11 RCTs. Fingolimod 0.5 mg/d was superior to control group in all eight efficacy outcomes including annualized relapse rate (ARR) (MD -0.22, 95%CI -0.29 to -0.14, p < 0.00001) but surprisingly showed a higher risk of basal-cell carcinoma (RR 4.40, 95%CI 1.58 to 12.24, p = 0.004). Although 1.25 mg/d is more than twice the dose of 0.5 mg/d, the effect size was almost similar between them. Dose of 5 mg/d obtained an unsatisfactory efficacy while showing a greater risk of adverse events than other three doses (RR 1.17, 95%CI 1.05 to 1.30, p = 0.003). Additionally, fingolimod 0.25 mg/d not only showed a better performance in delaying the disease progress of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), but also achieved a certain degree of patient treatment satisfaction. Conclusion: At present, 0.5 mg/d remains to be the optimal dose of fingolimod for RRMS patients but trials of a lower dose are still of great clinical significance and should be paid more attentions.

Thermoresponsive Pentablock Copolymer on Silica: Temperature Effects on Adsorption, Surface Forces, and Friction.

The adsorption of hydrophilic or amphiphilic multiblock copolymers provides a powerful means to produce well-defined "smart" surfaces, especially if one or several blocks are sensitive to external stimuli. We focus here on an A-B-A-B-A copolymer, where A is a cationic poly((3-acrylamido-propyl)-trimethylammonium chloride) (PAMPTMA) block containing 15 (end blocks) or 30 (middle block) repeat units and B is a neutral thermosensitive water-soluble poly(2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline) (PIPOZ) block with 50 repeat units. X-ray reflectivity and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring were employed to study the adsorption of PAMPTMA15-PIPOZ50-PAMPTMA30-PIPOZ50-PAMPTMA15 on silica surfaces. The latter technique was employed at different temperatures up to 50 °C. Surface forces and friction between the two silica surfaces across aqueous pentablock copolymer solutions at different temperatures were determined with the atomic force microscopy colloidal probe force and friction measurements. The cationic pentablock copolymer was found to have a high affinity to the negatively charged silica surface, leading to a thin (2 nm) and rigid adsorbed layer. A steric force was encountered at a separation of around 3 nm from hard wall contact. A capillary condensation of a polymer-rich phase was observed at the cloud point of the solution. The friction forces were evaluated using Amontons' rule modified with an adhesion term.

Shape-dependent electrocatalytic activity of monodispersed palladium nanocrystals toward formic acid oxidation.

The catalytic activity of different-shaped and monodispersed palladium nanocrystals, including cubes, octahedra and rhombic dodecahedra, toward the electrochemical oxidation of formic acid has been systematically evaluated in both HClO4 and H2SO4 solutions. Notably, the cubic palladium nanocrystals wholly exposed with {100} facets exhibit the highest activity, while the rhombic dodecahedra with {110} facets show the lowest electrocatalytic performance. Furthermore, compared with HClO4 electrolyte, the catalytic activity is found to be obviously lower in H2SO4 solution likely due to the competitive adsorption of SO4(2-) ions and formic acid on the surface of Pd nanocrystals.

Role of UPP in evaluating bladder outlet obstruction due to benign prostatic enlargement.

AIMS: To study the role of UPP in assessing bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) due to benign prostatic enlargement (BPE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Urodynamic results from 1281 elderly men with Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) obtained from September 1999 through July 2005 were retrospectively analyzed. Independent sample t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the parameters of different groups according to PFS. Chi-square test was used to compare the percentage of urethral pressure profile (UPP) types between different groups. ROC curve was used to study the practical value of UPP parameters in diagnosing BOO. RESULTS: According to PFS, patients were divided into three groups: Obstructed, equivocal obstructed and unobstructed. There was significant difference between the unobstructed and obstructed group in the age of patients, bladder capacity, residual volume, voided volume, voided time, prostatic plateau area (PPA), prostatic length, functional profile length, pressure of bladder neck, and pressure of seminal colliculus, but not in maximum urethral closure pressure. All UPP parameters correlated significantly to the diagnosis of bladder outlet obstruction due to BPE. The largest area under the ROC curve was that of PPA. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that PPA on UPP is useful in assessing the grade of obstruction due to BPE when PFS fails, a finding still to be evaluated by prospective studies.