Point-of-care detection of Monkeypox virus clades using high-performance upconversion nanoparticle-based lateral flow assay.

There is an urgent need for a point-of-care testing (POCT) method in developing and underserved regions to distinguish between two Monkeypox virus (MPXV) clades, given their varying transmissibility and clinical manifestations. In this paper, we target the specific complement protein gene fragment of two MPXV clades and construct a high-performance upconversion nanoparticles-based lateral flow assay (UCNPs-based LFA) with double T-lines and a shared C-line. This enables qualitative and quantitative dual-mode detection when combined with a smartphone and a benchtop fluorescence analyzer. The developed LFA exhibits stable performance, convenient operation, rapid readout (within 8 min), and a much lower limit of detection (LOD) (~ pM level) compared to existing POCT methods. The proposed detection platform demonstrates significant potential for pathogen diagnosis using a POCT approach.

Global research trends in immunotherapy for glioma: a comprehensive visualization and bibliometric analysis.

Background: Glioma is a prevalent and lethal brain malignancy; despite current treatment options, the prognosis remains poor. Therefore, immunotherapy has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy. However, research trends and hotspots in glioma immunotherapy have not been systematically analyzed. This study aimed to elucidate global research trends and knowledge structures regarding immunotherapy for glioma using bibliometric analysis. Methods: Publications related to immunotherapy for glioma from 2000-2023 were retrieved from Web of Science Core Collection database (WoSCC). We conducted quantitative analysis and visualization of research trends using various tools, including VOSviewer (1.6.18), CiteSpace (5.7 R3), Microsoft Charticulator, and the Bibliometrix package in R. Results: A total of 4910 publications were included. The number of annual publications exhibited an obvious upward trend since 2019. The USA was the dominant country in terms of publication output and centrality. Frontiers in Immunology published the most articles. Harvard Medical School ranked first in productivity among institutions. Sampson, John H. Ph.D. is the most prolific author in the field with 88 articles and a total of 7055 citations. Clinical Cancer Research has the largest total number and impact factor. Analysis of keywords showed immunotherapy, glioblastoma, immunotherapy, and clinical trials as hot topics. The tumor microenvironment, cell death pathways, chimeric antigen receptor engineering, tumor-associated macrophages, and nivolumab treatment represent indicating shifts in the direction of future glioma immunotherapy development. Conclusion: This bibliometric analysis systematically delineated global landscapes and emerging trends in glioma immunotherapy research. This study highlighted the prominence of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T), Programmed Death-1 (PD-1), and nivolumab in current glioma immunotherapy research. The growing emphasis on specific neoantigens and prognostic tumor markers suggests potential avenues for future exploration. Furthermore, the data underscores the importance of strengthened international collaboration in advancing the field.

Hydrogel-assisted microfluidic spinning of stretchable fibers via fluidic and interfacial self-adaptations.

Stretchable polymeric fibers have enormous potential, but their production requires rigorous environmental controls and considerable resource consumption. It's also challenging for elastic polymers with high performance but poor spinnability, such as silicones like polydimethylsiloxane and Ecoflex. We present a hydrogel-assisted microfluidic spinning (HAMS) method to address these challenges by encapsulating their prepolymers within arbitrarily long, protective, and sacrificable hydrogel fibers. By designing simple apparatuses and manipulating the fluidic and interfacial self-adaptations of oil/water flows, we successfully produce fibers with widely controllable diameter (0.04 to 3.70 millimeters), notable length, high quality (e.g., smooth surface, whole-length uniformity, and rounded section), and remarkable stretchability (up to 1300%) regardless of spinnability. Uniquely, this method allows an easy, effective, and controllable reshaping production of helical fibers with exceptional stretchability and mechanical compliance. We deeply reveal the mechanisms in producing these fibers and demonstrate their potential as textile components, optoelectronic devices, and actuators. The HAMS method would be a powerful tool for mass-producing high-quality stretchable fibers.

Effect of coffee consumption on thyroid function: NHANES 2007-2012 and Mendelian randomization.

Background: Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages worldwide, but the effects on the thyroid are unknown. This study aims to examine the association between coffee and thyroid function. Methods: Participant data (≥ 20 years, n = 6578) for the observational study were obtained from NHANES 2007-2012. Analysis was performed using weighted linear regression models and multiple logistic regression models. Genetic datasets for Hyperthyroidism and Hypothyroidism were obtained from the IEU database and contained 462,933 European samples. Mendelian randomization (MR) was used for the analysis, inverse variance weighting (IVW) was the main method of analysis. Results: In the model adjusted for other covariates, participants who drank 2-4 cups of coffee per day had significantly lower TSH concentrations compared to non-coffee drinkers (b=-0.23, 95% CI: -0.30, -0.16), but no statistically significant changes in TT4, FT4, TT3 and FT3. In addition, participants who drank <2 cups of coffee per day showed a low risk of developing subclinical hypothyroidism. (OR=0.60, 95% CI: 0.41, 0.88) Observational studies and MR studies have demonstrated both that coffee consumption has no effect on the risk of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. Conclusions: Our study showed that drinking <2 cups of coffee per day reduced the risk of subclinical hypothyroidism and drinking 2-4 cups of coffee reduced serum TSH concentrations. In addition, coffee consumption was not associated with the risk of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.

Femtosecond laser hybrid processing strategy of transparent hard and brittle materials.

With high hardness, high thermal stability, chemical inertness and excellent optoelectronic properties, transparent hard and brittle materials have drawn significant attentions in frontier domains such as aerospace, photoelectric detection, and high-intensity lasers. Femtosecond laser processing technology demonstrates great potential for transparent hard and brittle materials processing due to its outstanding advantages such as non-contact, true 3D processing and programmable design. However, high-energy laser ablation usually causes severe damage to the surface of the materials, resulting in low processing accuracy, low processing efficiency and poor surface quality. Femtosecond laser hybrid processing strategies have been proven to be an effective solution to solve the above problems. This mini-review summarizes the fundamentals and research progress of femtosecond laser hybrid processing strategies of transparent hard and brittle materials in recent years. Moreover, the challenges and application prospects of these techniques are discussed.

Electrospun Elastic Films Containing AgNW-Bridged MXene Networks as Capacitive Electronic Skins.

Electronic skins (e-skins) are increasingly investigated and applied in wearable devices, but the robustness and convenient production of traditional e-skins are restricted. In this work, electrospun sandwich-structured elastic films (ESEFs) are developed and utilized as capacitive e-skins. The ESEFs consist of two nanocomposite mats as the electrode layers and a sandwiched thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) mat as the dielectric layer. The nanocomposite mats are composed of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and AgNW-bridged MXene (AgNW, silver nanowire; MXene, Ti3C2Tx) conductive network. The resulting ESEFs achieve a tensile strength of 14.80 MPa, an elongation at break of 270%, and an outstanding antifatigue property. E-skins of such ESEFs have the ability to respond to both strain and pressure with a high gauge factor (GF) (strain: GF = 1.21; pressure: GF = 0.029 kPa-1), wide response range (strain: 0-150%; pressure: 0-70 kPa), low response time, and outstanding stability (2000 cycles). On the basis of integrated sensing performances, such e-skins are further applied in monitoring various mechanical stimuli in daily life, including bending of a plastic plate, joint bending, and swallowing.

Recent Advances in Silver Nanowires Electrodes for Flexible Organic/Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes.

Flexible organic light-emitting diodes and perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) have been investigated as an innovative category of revolutionary LED devices for next-generation flat display and lighting applications. A transparent conductive electrode is a key component in flexible OLEDs and PeLEDs, and has been the limitation of the development in this area. Silver nanowires (AgNWs) have been regarded as the most suitable alternative material in TCEs, due to the economical solution synthesis and compatibility with roll-to-roll technology. This mini-review addresses the advances in silver nanowires electrodes for flexible organic/perovskite light-emitting diodes, and the relationship between electrode optimization and device performance is demonstrated. Moreover, the potential strategies and perspectives for their further development of AgNWs-based flexible OLEDs and PeLEDs are presented.

Unified Stress-Strain Model of FRP-Confined Square and Circle Rubber Concrete Columns.

Studying the stress-strain relationship of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP)-confined rubber concrete (RuC) plays an important role in its application in engineering projects. Most of the existing stress-strain relationship models are established based on the test data of FRP-confined rubber concrete with circular cross-sections, and the effect of the section shape is not considered. Therefore, an analysis-oriented stress-strain model of FRP-confined circular and square rubber concrete columns was studied in this paper for the first time. A database that includes the rubber particle content and section shape on the peak stress-peak strain and axial-lateral strain relationship of FRP-confined rubber concrete was established by collecting 235 test data from the literature. By modifying the key parameters in the existing FRP-confined normal concrete stress-strain relationship model, a unified stress-strain relationship model of FRP-confined RuC with circular and square columns is established. The proposed model is verified, and a good accuracy of the model is proven.

Prognostic value of pulmonary ultrasound score combined with plasma miR-21-3p expression in patients with acute lung injury.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore the value of the combination between lung ultrasound score (LUS) and the expression of plasma miR-21-3p in predicting the prognosis of patients with acute lung injury (ALI). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 136 ALI patients were divided into survival (n = 86) and death groups (n = 50), or into low/middle-risk (n = 77) and high-risk groups (n = 59) according to APACHE II scores. Bioinformatics was used to explore the mechanism of action of miR-21-3p in humans. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of miR-21-3p in plasma, and LUS was recorded. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve and Pearson correlation were also used. RESULTS: The LUS and expression level of plasma miR-21-3p in the death and high-risk groups were significantly higher than those in the survival and low/middle-risk groups (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05). miR-21-3p expression leads to pulmonary fibrosis and promotes the deterioration of ALI patients by regulating fibroblast growth factor and other target genes. ROC curve analysis showed that the best cutoff values for LUS and plasma miR-21-3p expression were 18.60 points and 1.75, respectively. LUS score and miR-21-3p combined predicted the death of ALI patients with the largest area under the curve (0.907, 95% CI: 0.850-0.964), with sensitivity and specificity of 91.6% and 85.2%, respectively. The expression level of plasma miR-21-3p was positively correlated with LUS in the death group (r = 0.827, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: LUS and expression level of miR-21-3p in plasma are correlated with the severity and prognosis of ALI patients, and their combination has a high value for the prognostic assessment of ALI patients.

Upconversion fluorescence-based paper disc for multiplex point-of-care testing in water quality monitoring.

Water quality monitoring is of great significance for human health, which involves a large number of distinct targets detection, such as pathogens, heavy metal ions, and toxins. Traditional detection methods usually carried out in well-equipped central labs are subjected to time, labor, and expense consumption, thus not suitable for implementing water quality monitoring at point of care, where the detection implemented on a multiplexed, miniaturized, and simplified device with rapid and sensitive answer out is desired. To this end, we developed a paper disc relying on upconversion fluorescence signal and aptamer recognition probes for multiplex detection of water contaminants with high sensitivity and specificity. Finally, several different typical kinds of water contaminants have been successfully detected on our paper disc with limit of detection of 115 cfu/mL for Salmonella, 3 ng/mL for Ochratoxin A and Microcystin-LR, 20 nM for Hg2+ and 4 nM for Pb2+, respectively. Additionally, we designed a compact smartphone-based reading device to enable water quality monitoring at point-of-care. Furthermore, this paper disc-based detection platform can be extended to apply to multiplex detection for disease diagnosis and food safety monitoring.

Anisotropic conductive reduced graphene oxide/silk matrices promote post-infarction myocardial function by restoring electrical integrity.

Myocardial infarction (MI) remains the leading cause of death globally, often leading to impaired cardiac function and pathological myocardial microenvironment. Electrical conduction abnormalities of the infarcted myocardium not only induce adverse myocardial remodeling but also prevent tissue repair. Restoring the myocardial electrical integrity, particularly the anisotropic electrical signal propagation within the injured area after infarction is crucial for an effective function recovery. Herein, optimized reduced graphene oxide (rGO) functionalized electrospun silk fibroin (rGO/silk) biomaterials presenting anisotropic conductivity and enhanced suturablity were developed and investigated as cardiac patches for their potential in improving the post-MI myocardial function of rat models. The results show that the anisotropic conductive rGO/silk patches exhibit remarkable therapeutic effect on repairing the infarcted myocardium compared to the nonconductive silk and isotropic conductive rGO/silk patches as determined by the enhanced pumping function, reduced susceptibility to arrhythmias, thickened left ventricular walls and improved survival of functional cardiomyocytes. Their notable effect on promoting the angiogenesis of capillaries in the infarcted myocardium has also been demonstrated. This study highlights an effective and biomimetic reconstruction of the electrical myocardial microenvironment based on the anisotropic conductive rGO/silk biomaterials as a promising option for promoting the repair of infarcted myocardium. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The dysfunctional electrical microenvironment in the infarcted myocardium not only aggravates the adverse myocardial remodeling but also limits the effect of cardiac regenerative medicine. Although various conductive biomaterials have been employed to restore the electrical network in the infarcted myocardium in vivo, the anisotropic nature of the myocardial electrical microenvironment which enables directional electrical signal propagation were neglected. In this study, an anisotropic conductive rGO/silk biomaterial system is developed to improve the myocardial function post infarction by restoring the anisotropic electrical microenvironment in the infarcted myocardium. The promoted effects of anisotropic conductive grafts on repairing infarcted hearts are demonstrated with improved pumping function, cardiomyocyte survival, resistance to ventricular fibrillation, and angiogenesis of capillary network.

A 3D, Magnetically Actuated, Aligned Collagen Fiber Hydrogel Platform Recapitulates Physical Microenvironment of Myoblasts for Enhancing Myogenesis.

Many cell responses that underlie the development, maturation, and function of tissues are guided by the architecture and mechanical loading of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Because mechanical stimulation must be transmitted through the ECM architecture, the synergy between these two factors is important. However, recapitulating the synergy of these physical microenvironmental cues in vitro remains challenging. To address this, a 3D magnetically actuated collagen hydrogel platform is developed that enables combined control of ECM architecture and mechanical stimulation. With this platform, it is demonstrated how these factors synergistically promote cell alignment of C2C12 myoblasts and enhance myogenesis. This promotion is driven in part by the dynamics of Yes-associated protein and structure of cellular microtubule networks. This facile platform holds great promises for regulating cell behavior and fate, generating a broad range of engineered physiologically representative microtissues in vitro, and quantifying the mechanobiology underlying their functions.

rGO/Silk Fibroin-Modified Nanofibrous Patches Prevent Ventricular Remodeling via Yap/Taz-TGFß1/Smads Signaling After Myocardial Infarction in Rats.

Objective: After acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the loss of cardiomyocytes and dysregulation of extracellular matrix homeostasis results in impaired cardiac function and eventually heart failure. Cardiac patches have emerged as a potential therapeutic strategy for AMI. In this study, we fabricated and produced reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/silk fibroin-modified nanofibrous biomaterials as a cardiac patch to repair rat heart tissue after AMI and investigated the potential role of rGO/silk patch on reducing myocardial fibrosis and improving cardiac function in the infarcted rats. Method: rGO/silk nanofibrous biomaterial was prepared by electrospinning and vacuum filtration. A rat model of AMI was used to investigate the ability of patches with rGO/silk to repair the injured heart in vivo. Echocardiography and stress-strain analysis of the left ventricular papillary muscles was used to assess the cardiac function and mechanical property of injured hearts treated with this cardiac patch. Masson's trichrome staining and immunohistochemical staining for Col1A1 was used to observe the degree of myocardial fibrosis at 28 days after patch implantation. The potential direct mechanism of the new patch to reduce myocardial fibrosis was explored in vitro and in vivo. Results: Both echocardiography and histopathological staining demonstrated improved cardiac systolic function and ventricular remodeling after implantation of the rGO/silk patch. Additionally, cardiac fibrosis and myocardial stiffness of the infarcted area were improved with rGO/silk. On RNA-sequencing, the gene expression of matrix-regulated genes was altered in cardiofibroblasts treated with rGO. Western blot analysis revealed decreased expression of the Yap/Taz-TGFß1/Smads signaling pathway in heart tissue of the rGO/silk patch group as compared with controls. Furthermore, the rGO directly effect on Col I and Col III expression and Yap/Taz-TGFß1/Smads signaling was confirmed in isolated cardiofibroblasts in vitro. Conclusion: This study suggested that rGO/silk improved cardiac function and reduced cardiac fibrosis in heart tissue after AMI. The mechanism of the anti-fibrosis effect may involve a direct regulation of rGO on Yap/Taz-TGFß1/Smads signaling in cardiofibroblasts.

Purification, Identification, Activity Evaluation, and Stability of Antioxidant Peptides from Alcalase Hydrolysate of Antarctic Krill (Euphausia superba) Proteins.

For utilizing the largest source of marine proteins, Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) proteins were defatted and hydrolyzed separately using pepsin, alcalase, papain, trypsin, and netrase, and alcalase hydrolysate (EPAH) showed the highest DPPH radical (DPPH·) and hydroxyl radical (HO·) scavenging activity among five hydrolysates. Using ultrafiltration and chromatography methods, fifteen antioxidant peptides were purified from EPAH and identified as Asn-Gln-Met (NQM), Trp-Phe-Pro-Met (WFPM), Gln-Asn-Pro-Thr (QNPT), Tyr-Met-Asn-Phe (YMNF), Ser-Gly-Pro-Ala (SGPA), Ser-Leu-Pro-Tyr (SLPY), Gln-Tyr-Pro-Pro-Met-Gln-Tyr (QYPPMQY), Glu-Tyr-Glu-Ala (EYEA), Asn-Trp-Asp-Asp-Met-Arg-Ile-Val-Ala-Val (NWDDMRIVAV), Trp-Asp-Asp-Met-Glu-Arg-Leu-Val-Met-Ile (WDDMERLVMI), Asn-Trp-Asp-Asp-Met-Glu-Pro-Ser-Phe (NWD-DMEPSF), Asn-Gly-Pro-Asp-Pro-Arg-Pro-Ser-Gln-Gln (NGPDPRPSQQ), Ala-Phe-Leu-Trp-Asn (AFLWA), Asn-Val-Pro-Asp-Met (NVPDM), and Thr-Phe-Pro-Ile-Tyr-Asp-Tyr-Pro-Gln (TFPIYDPQ), respectively, using a protein sequencer and ESI/MS. Among fifteen antioxidant peptides, SLPY, QYPPMQY and EYEA showed the highest scavenging activities on DPPH· (EC50 values of 1.18 ± 0.036, 1.547 ± 0.150, and 1.372 ± 0.274 mg/mL, respectively), HO· (EC50 values of 0.826 ± 0.027, 1.022 ± 0.058, and 0.946 ± 0.011 mg/mL, respectively), and superoxide anion radical (EC50 values of 0.789 ± 0.079, 0.913 ± 0.007, and 0.793 ± 0.056 mg/mL, respectively). Moreover, SLPY, QYPPMQY and EYEA showed strong reducing power, protective capability against H2O2-damaged plasmid DNA, and lipid peroxidation inhibition ability. Furthermore, SLPY, QYPPMQY, and EYEA had high stability under temperatures lower than 80 °C, pH values ranged from 6-8, and simulated GI digestion for 180 min. The results showed that fifteen antioxidant peptides from alcalase hydrolysate of Antarctic krill proteins, especially SLPY, QYPPMQY and EYEA, might serve as effective antioxidant agents applied in food and health products.

Antioxidant Peptides from Collagen Hydrolysate of Redlip Croaker (Pseudosciaena polyactis) Scales: Preparation, Characterization, and Cytoprotective Effects on H2O2-Damaged HepG2 Cells.

Bioactive peptides from fish collagens with antioxidant properties have become a topic of great interest for health, food, and processing/preservation industries. To explore the high-value utilized way of scales produced during the fish processing, collagen hydrolysates of redlip croaker (Pseudosciaena polyactis) scales were prepared using six different proteases, and the hydrolysate (RSCH) prepared using neutrase showed the highest degree of hydrolysis (21.36 ± 1.18%) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH·) radical scavenging activity (30.97 ± 1.56%) among the six hydrolysates. Subsequently, six antioxidant peptides were purified from RSCH using membrane ultrafiltration and serial chromatography, and their amino acid sequences were identified as DGPEGR, GPEGPMGLE, EGPFGPEG, YGPDGPTG, GFIGPTE, and IGPLGA with molecular masses of 629.61, 885.95, 788.96, 762.75, 733.80, and 526.61 Da, respectively. Among six collagen peptides, GPEGPMGLE, EGPFGPEG, and GFIGPTE exhibited the strongest scavenging activities on DPPH· radical (EC50 0.59, 0.37, and 0.45 mg/mL), hydroxyl radical (EC50 0.45, 0.33, and 0.32 mg/mL), and superoxide anion radical (EC50 0.62, 0.47, and 0.74 mg/mL). GPEGPMGLE, EGPFGPEG, and GFIGPTE showed high inhibiting ability on lipid peroxidation in a linoleic acid model system and protective activities on oxidation-damaged DNA. More importantly, GPEGPMGLE, EGPFGPEG, and GFIGPTE could protect HepG2 cells from H2O2-induced oxidative damage through decreasing the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and MDA and activating intracellular antioxidant enzymes of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). These results suggested that six collagen peptides (RCP1-RCP6), especially GPEGPMGLE, EGPFGPEG, and GFIGPTE, might serve as potential antioxidants applied in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products.

Diagnosis and prognosis for exercise-induced muscle injuries: from conventional imaging to emerging point-of-care testing.

With the development of modern society, we have witnessed a significant increase of people who join in sport exercises, which also brings significantly increasing exercise-induced muscle injuries, resulting in reduction and even cessation of participation in sports and physical activities. Although severely injured muscles can hardly realize full functional restoration, skeletal muscles subjected to minor muscle injuries (e.g., tears, lacerations, and contusions) hold remarkable regeneration capacity to be healed without therapeutic interventions. However, delayed diagnosis or inappropriate prognosis will cause exacerbation of the injuries. Therefore, timely diagnosis and prognosis of muscle injuries is important to the recovery of injured muscles. Here, in this review, we discuss the definition and classification of exercise-induced muscle injuries, and then analyze their underlying mechanism. Subsequently, we provide detailed introductions to both conventional and emerging techniques for evaluation of exercise-induced muscle injuries with focus on emerging portable and wearable devices for point-of-care testing (POCT). Finally, we point out existing challenges and prospects in this field. We envision that an integrated system that combines physiological and biochemical analyses is anticipated to be realized in the future for assessing muscle injuries.

Solvent-Free Fabrication of Carbon Nanotube/Silk Fibroin Electrospun Matrices for Enhancing Cardiomyocyte Functionalities.

Cardiac tissue engineering holds great potential in regenerating functional cardiac tissues for various applications. The major strategy is to design scaffolds recapitulating the native cardiac microenvironment to enhance cell and tissue functionalities. Among various biomaterial systems, nanofibrous matrices with aligned morphologies and enhanced conductivity incline to induce the formation of oriented engineered cardiac tissues with enhanced functionalities. The challenge is to functionalize the scaffolds with conductive additives without influencing their biocompatibility. In this study, we developed a fully aqueous process for the fabrication of conductive carbon nanotube/silk fibroin (CNT/silk) electrospun scaffolds. The carbon nanotubes are well dispersed within the nanofibers, providing the scaffolds with enhanced conductivity and excellent biocompatibility for the culture of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes with improved cell spreading and enhanced expression of cardiac-specific proteins. Moreover, the aligned CNT/silk fibroin composite scaffolds exhibit abilities to guide the oriented organization of cardiac tissues and the biomimicking distribution of sarcomeres and gap junctions. The findings demonstrate the great potential of the CNT/silk scaffolds prepared through this aqueous processing method in supporting the formation of cardiac tissues with enhanced functionalities.

Microfluidic Printing of Three-Dimensional Graphene Electroactive Microfibrous Scaffolds.

Graphene materials have attracted special attention because of their electrical conductivity, mechanical properties, and favorable biocompatibility. Although various methods have been developed for fabricating micro/nano conductive fibrous scaffolds, it is still challenging to fabricate the three-dimensional (3D) graphene fibrous scaffolds. Herein, we developed a new method, termed as microfluidic 3D printing technology (M3DP), to fabricate 3D graphene oxide (GO) microfibrous scaffolds with an adjustable fiber length, fiber diameter, and scaffold structure by integrating the microfluidic spinning technology with a programmable 3D printing system. GO microfibrous scaffolds were then transformed into conductive reduced graphene oxide (rGO) microfibrous scaffolds by hydrothermal reduction. Our results demonstrated that the fabricated 3D fibrous graphene scaffolds exhibited tunable structures, maneuverable mechanical properties, and good electrical conductivity and biocompatibility, as reflected by the adhesion and proliferation of SH-SY5Y cells on the graphene microfibrous scaffolds in an obviously oriented manner. The developed M3DP would be a powerful tool for fabricating 3D graphene microfibrous scaffolds for electroactive tissue regeneration and drug-screening applications.

Antioxidant Peptides from the Protein Hydrolysate of Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorous niphonius) Muscle by in Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion and Their In Vitro Activities.

For the full use of Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorous niphonius) muscle to produce antioxidant peptides, the proteins of Spanish mackerel muscle were separately hydrolyzed under five kinds of enzymes and in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, and antioxidant peptides were isolated from the protein hydrolysate using ultrafiltration and multiple chromatography methods. The results showed that the hydrolysate (SMPH) prepared using in vitro GI digestion showed the highest degree of hydrolysis (27.45 ± 1.76%) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (52.58 ± 2.68%) at the concentration of 10 mg protein/mL among the six protein hydrolysates, and 12 peptides (SMP-1 to SMP-12) were prepared from SMPH. Among them, SMP-3, SMP-7, SMP-10, and SMP-11 showed the higher DPPH radical scavenging activities and were identified as Pro-Glu-Leu-Asp-Trp (PELDW), Trp-Pro-Asp-His-Trp (WPDHW), and Phe-Gly-Tyr-Asp-Trp-Trp (FGYDWW), and Tyr-Leu-His-Phe-Trp (YLHFW), respectively. PELDW, WPDHW, FGYDWW, and YLHFW showed high scavenging activities on DPPH radical (EC50 1.53, 0.70, 0.53, and 0.97 mg/mL, respectively), hydroxyl radical (EC50 1.12, 0.38, 0.26, and 0.67 mg/mL, respectively), and superoxide anion radical (EC50 0.85, 0.49, 0.34, and 1.37 mg/mL, respectively). Moreover, PELDW, WPDHW, FGYDWW, and YLHFW could dose-dependently inhibit lipid peroxidation in the linoleic acid model system and protect plasmid DNA (pBR322DNA) against oxidative damage induced by H2O2 in the tested model systems. In addition, PELDW, WPDHW, FGYDWW, and YLHFW could retain their high activities when they were treated under a low temperature (<60 °C) and a moderate pH environment (pH 5-9). These present results indicate that the protein hydrolysate, fractions, and isolated peptides from Spanish mackerel muscle have strong antioxidant activity and might have the potential to be used in health food products.

Identification and Active Evaluation of Antioxidant Peptides from Protein Hydrolysates of Skipjack Tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) Head.

For the full use of fish by-products to produce antioxidant peptides, skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) heads generated during can processing were defatted and hydrolyzed using the in vitro gastrointestinal (GI) digestion (pepsin-trypsin system) method and six antioxidant peptides (P1 to P6) were purified from the head hydrolysate (KPH) using ultrafiltration and serial chromatography methods. Six isolated peptides (P1 to P6) were identified as Val-Glu-Glu (VEE, P1), Trp-Met-Phe-Asp-Trp (WMFDW, P2), Asp-Ala-Gly-Pro-Tyr-Gly-Pro-Ile (DAGPYGPI, P3), Trp-Met-Gly-Pro-Tyr (WMGPY, P4), Glu-Arg-Gly-Pro-Leu-Gly-Pro-His (ERGPLGPH, P5), and Glu-Met- Gly-Pro-Ala (EMGPA, P6), respectively, using a protein sequencer and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometer. Among skipjack tuna head hydrolysates, fractions, and six isolated peptides (P1 to P6), WMFDW (P2), WMGPY (P4), and EMGPA (P6) showed the highest radical scavenging activities on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (EC50 values of 0.31, 0.33, and 0.46 mg/mL for WMFDW, WMGPY, and EMGPA, respectively), hydroxyl (EC50 values of 0.30, 0.43, and 0.52 mg/mL for WMFDW, WMGPY, and EMGPA, respectively), and superoxide anion (EC50 values of 0.56, 0.38, and 0.71 mg/mL for WMFDW, WMGPY, and EMGPA, respectively). Moreover, WMFDW, WMGPY, and EMGPA showed strong capability in reducing power and lipd peroxidation inhibition in the linoleic acid system. In addition, WMFDW, WMGPY, and EMGPA can retain strong antioxidant activity at temperatures lower than 60 °C and pH values ranged from 5 to 9. The results showed that six isolated peptides (P1 to P6) from skipjack tuna heads, especially WMFDW, WMGPY, and EMGPA, might be applied in health care products acting as powerful antioxidant agents.