bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Microencapsulation Techniques on the Stress Resistance and Biological Activity of Bovine Lactoferricin-Lactoferrampin-Encoding Lactobacillus reuteri
Authors: Wang Xueying , Xie Weichun , Zhang Senhao , Shao Yilan , Cai Jiyao , Cai Limeng , Wang Xiaona , Shan Zhifu , Zhou Han , Li Jiaxuan , Cui Wen , Wang Li , Qiao Xinyuan , Li Yijing , Jiang Yanping , Tang Lijie
Published: October 2022

Bovine lactoferricin-lactoferrampin-encoding Lactobacillus reuteri (LR-LFCA) has been found to benefit its host by strengthening its intestinal barrier. However, several questions remain open concerning genetically engineered strains maintaining long-term biological activity at room temperature. In addition, probiotics are vulnerable to harsh conditions in the gut, such as acidity and alkalinity, and bile salts. Microencapsulation is a technique to entrap probiotic bacteria into gastro-resistant polymers to carry them directly to the intestine. We selected nine kinds of wall material combinations to encapsulate LR-LFCA by spray drying microencapsulation. The storage stability, microstructural morphology, biological activity, and simulated digestion in vivo or in vitro of the microencapsulated LR-LFCA were further evaluated. The results showed that LR-LFCA had the highest survival rate when microcapsules were prepared using a wall material mixture (skim milk, sodium glutamate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, maltodextrin, and gelatin). Microencapsulated LR-LFCA increased the stress resistance capacity and colonization abilities. In the present study, we have identified a suitable wall material formulation for spray-dried microencapsulation of genetically engineered probiotic products, which would facilitate their storage and transport.
The Valorization of Banana By-Products: Nutritional Composition, Bioactivities, Applications, and Future Development
Authors: Zou Fanglei , Tan Chunming , Zhang Bo , Wu Wei , Shang Nan
Published: October 2022

Bananas are among the world’s main economic crops and one of the world’s most-selling fresh fruits. However, a great deal of waste and by-products is produced during banana harvesting and consumption, including stems, leaves, inflorescences, and peels. Some of them have the potential to be used to develop new foods. Furthermore, studies have found that banana by-products contain many bioactive substances that have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties and other functions. At present, research on banana by-products has mainly focused on various utilizations of banana stems and leaves, as well as the extraction of active ingredients from banana peels and inflorescences to develop high-value functional products. Based on the current research on the utilization of banana by-products, this paper summarized the composition information, functions, and comprehensive utilization of banana by-products. Moreover, the problems and future development in the utilization of by-products are reviewed. This review is of great value in expanding the potential applications of banana stems, leaves, inflorescences, and peels, which will not only help to reduce waste of agricultural by-product resources and ecological pollution but will also be useful for the development of essential products as alternative sources of healthy food in the future.
Effect of Ethanol on Preparation of Konjac Emulgel-Based Fat Analogue by Freeze-Thaw Treatment
Authors: Jiang Jie , Zongo Abel Wend-Soo , Geng Fang , Li Jing , Li Bin
Published: October 2022

In the current study, a method using ethanol to modulate the texture properties of konjac gel during freeze-thaw process was used to prepare konjac emulgel-based fat analogue. A certain amount of ethanol was added to konjac emulsion, heated to form a konjac emulgel, then frozen at −18 °C for 24 h, and finally thawed to obtain konjac emulgel-based fat analogue. The effects of different ethanol contents on the properties of frozen konjac emulgel were explored, and data was analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The emulgels were compared with pork backfat in terms of hardness, chewiness, tenderness, gel strength, pH, and color. The results showed that the konjac emulgel with 6% ethanol had similar mechanical and physicochemical properties to pork backfat after freeze-thaw treatment. The results of syneresis rate and SEM showed that adding 6% ethanol could not only reduce the syneresis rate, but also effectively weaken the damage to the network structure caused by freeze-thaw treatment. The pH value of konjac emulgel-based fat analogue was between 8.35–8.76, and the L* value was similar to that of pork backfat. The addition of ethanol provided a new idea for the preparation of fat analogues.
IoT-Based Healthcare-Monitoring System towards Improving Quality of Life: A Review
Authors: Abdulmalek Suliman , Nasir Abdul , Jabbar Waheb A. , Almuhaya Mukarram A. M. , Bairagi Anupam Kumar , Khan Md. Al-Masrur , Kee Seong-Hoon
Published: October 2022

The Internet of Things (IoT) is essential in innovative applications such as smart cities, smart homes, education, healthcare, transportation, and defense operations. IoT applications are particularly beneficial for providing healthcare because they enable secure and real-time remote patient monitoring to improve the quality of people’s lives. This review paper explores the latest trends in healthcare-monitoring systems by implementing the role of the IoT. The work discusses the benefits of IoT-based healthcare systems with regard to their significance, and the benefits of IoT healthcare. We provide a systematic review on recent studies of IoT-based healthcare-monitoring systems through literature review. The literature review compares various systems’ effectiveness, efficiency, data protection, privacy, security, and monitoring. The paper also explores wireless- and wearable-sensor-based IoT monitoring systems and provides a classification of healthcare-monitoring sensors. We also elaborate, in detail, on the challenges and open issues regarding healthcare security and privacy, and QoS. Finally, suggestions and recommendations for IoT healthcare applications are laid down at the end of the study along with future directions related to various recent technology trends.
Obstructive Giant Inflammatory Polyposis as a First Manifestation of Crohn’s Disease: A Case Report
Authors: Bratanic Andre , Despalatovic Bruna Rosic , Pavic Berna , Bozikovic Tina , Ardalic Zarko , Grubisic Danijel Antonio , Vilovic Katarina
Published: October 2022

Colonic inflammatory polyps (pseudopolyps) are common feature of inflammatory bowel diseases. They usually do not grow excessively, rarely reaching more than 15 mm in size, at which point they are termed giant inflammatory polyps. Clinical presentation of these polyps can vary greatly, ranging from being completely asymptomatic, usually detected incidentally, to abdominal cramps, rectal bleeding or intestinal obstruction. More importantly, giant inflammatory polyps can be easily mistaken for colonic malignancy, although without having malignant potential themselves. These polyps rarely regress with successful medical treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases and often require surgical treatment. We present an unusual case of giant inflammatory polyps which was the first presentation of inflammatory bowel disease. It was initially mistaken for colonic malignancy with intestinal obstruction, which led to surgical treatment.
Parental Reminder Strategies and the Cost Implication for Improved Immunisation Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Dathini Hamina , Sharoni Siti , Robert Kever
Published: October 2022

Getting children vaccinated amidst prevailing barriers to immunisation has been challenging in both developed and developing countries. To address these problems, studies on parental reminder strategies were conducted to improve immunisation outcomes in children. These led to the development of different parental reminder interventions. This review systematically reviews different parental interventions and their cost implication for improved immunisations. Five online databases; Medline Complete, the Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL], Academic search premier, SPORTDiscus, and Health Source Nursing/Academic were searched using search terms. A total of 24 articles that met the inclusion criteria were included in this review. Studies that provided sufficient information were included for meta-analysis using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version three, while narrative synthesis was used for the other studies. Results indicate that a heterogeneous and low-quality certainty of evidence on parental voice calls (OR 4.752, 95% CI 1.846–12.231, p = 0.001) exists in improving immunisation coverage. Regarding immunisation timeliness, a high-quality certainty of evidence on Short Message Services (SMS)-delivered health education messages (OR 2.711 95% CI 1.387–5.299, p = 0.004) had more effect on timely immunisation uptake. The average cost of SMS-delivered parental reminder interventions for improved immunisation outcomes was USD 0.50. The study concludes that mobile technology is a promising, cost-effective strategy for improved immunisation outcomes.
Systemic Inflammation Is Associated with Pulmonary Hypertension in Isolated Giant Omphalocele: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Teillet Baptiste , Boukhris Mohamed Riadh , Sfeir Rony , Mur Sébastien , Cailliau Emeline , Sharma Dyuti , Vaast Pascal , Storme Laurent , Le Duc Kévin
Published: October 2022

Our objective is to determine perinatal factors contributing to the development of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with isolated giant omphaloceles (GO). All cases of omphaloceles that underwent prenatal and postnatal care at the University Hospital of Lille between 1996 and 2021 were reviewed. We included all infants with isolated GO, including at least a part of the liver, who were treated by delayed surgical closure. Prenatal and postnatal data were recorded and correlated with postnatal morbidities. We compared outcomes between a group of infants with GO who developed PH and infants with GO with no PH. We identified 120 infants with omphalocele. Fifty isolated GO cases fulfilled the inclusion criteria of our study. The incidence of PH was 30%. We highlighted a prolonged inflammatory state, defined as a CRP superior to 15 mg/L, platelets higher than 500 G/L, and white blood cells higher than 15 G/l for more than 14 days in patients who developed PH. This event occurred in 73% of patients with PH versus 21% of patients without PH (p < 0.05). Late-onset infection was not different between the two groups. We speculate that prolonged inflammatory syndrome promotes PH in infants with GO treated with delayed surgical closure.
The 50 Highest Cited Papers on Shoulder Arthroplasty
Authors: Mercurio Michele , Cofano Erminia , Familiari Filippo , Corona Katia , Cerciello Simone , Gasparini Giorgio , Galasso Olimpio
Published: October 2022

The purpose of this study was to determine the 50 most cited articles on shoulder arthroplasty (SA) and their characteristics. The Thomson ISIWeb of Science was searched with the following search terms: “shoulder arthroplasty”, “shoulder replacement”, “shoulder prosthesis” and “shoulder implant”. All papers dealing with SA, including its perioperative and postoperative management, were included in this study. Citations ranged from 797 to 52 for the 50 highest cited papers on SA. According to absolute numbers, the top 10 papers were cited at least 118 times. Overall, 78% (n = 43) were clinical and the remaining articles were basic science research (one anatomic, six biomechanical). The most prevalent level of evidence was IV (72%). The Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery published 40% of the studies. The majority of studies were conducted in the United States and eight other countries. The publication years of the most-cited articles ranged from 1991 to 2020, with the 2000s accounting for the most articles (96%) and the period from 2006 to 2010 with the absolute largest number of articles (17). This article provides a building block in the SA surgery.
Efficacy of Nasal High-Flow Oxygen Therapy in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients in Long-Term Oxygen and Nocturnal Non-Invasive Ventilation during Exercise Training
Authors: Volpi Valeria , Volpato Eleonora , Compalati Elena , Lebret Marius , Russo Giuseppe , Sciurello Salvatore , Pappacoda Gabriele , Nicolini Antonello , Banfi Paolo
Published: October 2022

High-flow oxygen therapy (HFOT) improves gas exchange and dead space washout and reduces the level of work required for breathing. This study aimed to evaluate pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) combined with HFOT in COPD patients treated with nocturnal non-invasive ventilation (NIV) and long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT). In particular, we sought to discover whether the addition of HFOT during exercise training could improve patients’ performance, mainly with regard to their Six-Minute Walking Test (6MWT) outcomes, and reduce the exacerbation rates, periods of rehospitalization or need to resort to unscheduled visits. Thirty-one COPD subjects (13 female) who used nocturnal NIV were included in a randomized controlled trial and allocated to one of two groups: the experimental group (EG), with 15 subjects, subjected to PR with HFOT; and the control group (CG), with 16 subjects, subjected to PR without HFOT. The primary outcome of the study was the observation of changes in the 6MWT. The secondary outcome of the study was related to the rate of exacerbation and hospitalization. Data were collected at baseline and after one, two and three cycles of cycle-ergometer exercise training performed in 20 supervised sessions of 40 min thrice per week, with a washout period of 3 months between each rehabilitation cycle. Statistical significance was not found for the 6MWT distance (W = 0.974; p = 0.672) at the last follow-up, but statistical significance was found for the Borg scale in regard to dyspnea (W = 2.50; p < 0.001) and fatigue (W = 2.00; p < 0.001). HFOT may offer a positive option for dyspnea-affected COPD patients in the context of LTOT and nocturnal NIV.
Cervical Cancer Diagnosis Using an Integrated System of Principal Component Analysis, Genetic Algorithm, and Multilayer Perceptron
Authors: Dweekat Odai Y. , Lam Sarah S.
Published: October 2022

Cervical cancer is one of the most dangerous diseases that affect women worldwide. The diagnosis of cervical cancer is challenging, costly, and time-consuming. Existing literature has focused on traditional machine learning techniques and deep learning to identify and predict cervical cancer. This research proposes an integrated system of Genetic Algorithm (GA), Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) that accurately predicts cervical cancer. GA is used to optimize the MLP hyperparameters, and the MLPs act as simulators within the GA to provide the prediction accuracy of the solutions. The proposed method uses PCA to transform the available factors; the transformed features are subsequently used as inputs to the MLP for model training. To contrast with the PCA method, different subsets of the original factors are selected. The performance of the integrated system of PCA–GA–MLP is compared with nine different classification algorithms. The results indicate that the proposed method outperforms the studied classification algorithms. The PCA–GA–MLP model achieves the best accuracy in diagnosing Hinselmann, Biopsy, and Cytology when compared to existing approaches in the literature that were implemented on the same dataset. This study introduces a robust tool that allows medical teams to predict cervical cancer in its early stage.
Risk Factors of Muscle Wasting in Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Relevance of the Persistent Failure of Conventional Combination Therapy
Authors: Gomez-Ramirez Eli E. , Ramirez-Villafaña Melissa , Gamez-Nava Jorge I. , Cons-Molina Fidencio , Rodriguez Jimenez Norma A. , Saldaña-Cruz Ana M. , Cardona-Muñoz Ernesto G. , Totsuka-Sutto Sylvia E. , Ponce-Guarneros Juan M. , Trujillo Xochitl , Huerta Miguel , Cruz-Jentoft Alfonso J. , Gonzalez-Lopez Laura
Published: October 2022

Background: Muscle wasting, also known as myopenia, is frequent in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). To date, it is still unknown if the failure of pharmacologic therapies increases the risk of myopenia in RA. Objective: To identify if treatment failure with conventional synthetic DMARDs (csDMARDs) constitutes an independent risk factor of muscle wasting in women with RA. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. We included 277 women with RA. Assessments in RA patients included: clinical, epidemiological, and therapeutic variables. The skeletal muscle index (SMI) was estimated by DXA, and myopenia was diagnosed if they had an SMI < 5.45 kg/m2. Multivariable logistic regression models identified risk factors of myopenia. Results: Muscle wasting was observed in 28.2% of patients with RA. The risk factors of myopenia in RA were menopausal (OR: 4.45, 95% CI: 1.86 to 10.64) and failure of combined therapy with csDMARDs (OR: 2.42, 95% CI: 1.15 to 5.07). The increased body mass index was protective (OR:0.81, 95% CI: 0.75 to 0.87). Conclusions: Around one of four patients with RA presented muscle wasting. Muscle wasting is related to treatment failure of combined csDMARDs; other factors influencing the presence of muscle wasting is being postmenopausal, whereas, the body mass index was a protective factor.
Successful Management of IT Projects in Healthcare Institutions after COVID-19: Role of Digital Orientation and Innovation Adaption
Authors: Tucmeanu Elena Roxana , Tucmeanu Alin Iulian , Iliescu Madalina Gabriela , Żywiołek Justyna , Yousaf Zahid
Published: October 2022

This research aims to examine specific issues that how healthcare institutions successfully manage IT projects after the deadly disease of COVID-19. The world’s healthcare institute changed its traditional way of treatment to IT-based equipment after COVID-19. Hence, this study investigated the how digital orientation helps healthcare institutes for successful management of IT. Our study identifies the critical role of digital orientation and innovation adaption in the successful management of IT. The mediating role of innovation adaption in the association between digital orientation and successful management of IT was also investigated. In total, 456 questionnaires were used for the collection of data from eight different healthcare centers. We selected participants through random sampling. Findings on the healthcare institution showed that successful management of IT is predicted through digital orientation. This study’s results proved that digital orientation impacts innovation adaption, and similarly, innovation adaption influences the successful management of IT. The outcomes show the mediating role of innovation adaption in the linkage between digital orientation and successful management of IT. Current research contributes to the existing literature through combined impacts of the digital orientation, innovation adaption, and successful management of IT through means of demonstrating how, when, and why digital orientation supports the successful management of IT. Moreover, innovation adaption performs a significant role in the extant digitalize world; thus, we chose innovation adaption as a mediator in this study.
Assessing Alignment of Patient and Clinician Perspectives on Community Health Resources for Chronic Disease Management
Authors: Potharaju Kameswari A. , Fields Jessica D. , Cemballi Anupama G. , Pantell Matthew S. , Desai Riya , Akom Antwi , Shah Aekta , Cruz Tessa , Nguyen Kim H. , Lyles Courtney R.
Published: October 2022

Addressing social determinants of health (SDoH) is associated with improved clinical outcomes for patients with chronic diseases in safety-net settings. This qualitative study supplemented by descriptive quantitative analysis investigates the degree of alignment between patient and clinicians’ perceptions of SDoH resources and referrals in clinics within the public healthcare delivery system in San Francisco. We conducted a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews, patient-led neighborhood tours, and in-person clinic visit observations with 10 patients and 7 primary care clinicians. Using a convergent parallel mixed methodology, we also completed a descriptive quantitative analysis comparing the categories of neighborhood health resources mentioned by patients or community leaders to the resources integrated into the electronic health record. We found that patients held a wealth of knowledge about neighborhood resources relevant to SDoH that were highly localized and specific to their communities. In addition, multiple stakeholders were involved in conducting SDoH screenings and referrals, including clinicians, system navigators such as case workers, and community-based organizations. Yet, the information flow between these stakeholders and patients lacked systematization, and the prioritization of social needs by patients and clinicians was misaligned, as represented by qualitative themes as well as quantitative differences in resource category distribution analysis (p < 0.001). Our results shed light upon opportunities for strengthening social care delivery in safety-net healthcare settings by improving patient engagement, clinic workflow, EHR engagement, and resource dissemination.
Flowering Phenology of Six Seasonal-Flowering Strawberry Cultivars in a Coordinated European Study
Authors: Krüger Erika , Woznicki Tomasz L. , Heide Ola M. , Kusnierek Krzysztof , Rivero Rodmar , Masny Agnieszka , Sowik Iwona , Brauksiepe Bastienne , Eimert Klaus , Mott Daniela , Savini Gianluca , Demene Marino , Guy Karine , Petit Aurélie , Denoyes Beatrice , Sønsteby Anita
Published: October 2022

The flowering phenology of six genetically distant strawberry cultivars (‘Candonga®’ (ES), ‘Clery’ (IT), ‘Florence’ (UK), ‘Frida’ (NO), ‘Gariguette’ (FR), and ‘Sonata’ (NL)) was studied for 3 years in relation to climatic parameters in open-field cultivation at three locations (Norway, Poland, Germany) and in soil-less cultivation at two locations (Italy, and France), covering a distance of 16 degrees of latitude. This proved to be a useful approach for unravelling the climatic adaptation and plasticity of strawberry genotypes and their suitability both for profitable cultivation and as a breeding pedigree. Despite the intercorrelated character of the climatic variables, the observed results highlight the importance of global radiation as a powerful modifying phenological factor in strawberry. Generally, early flower initiation was associated with elevated temperature and global radiation. ‘Frida’ revealed the highest dependency on global radiation for flower initiation, while ‘Sonata’ was least affected by temperature and radiation. In general, temperature and global radiation in periods both preceding and following flower initiation had a stronger positive effect on the number of flowers than on crowns, especially under open-field conditions. The influence of these factors was highly variable across the cultivars: ‘Clery’, ‘Florence’, and ‘Gariguette’ were most affected, while ‘Frida’ was least influenced.
Combined Dairy Manure-Food Waste Digestate as a Medium for Pleurotus djamor—Mineral Composition in Substrate and Bioaccumulation of Elements in Fruiting Bodies
Authors: Jasinska Agnieszka , Prasad Raghavendra , Lisiecka Jolanta , Roszak Michal , Stoknes Ketil , Mleczek Miroslaw , Niedzielski Przemyslaw
Published: October 2022

The present investigation aimed to study the utilisation of combined dairy manure-food waste digestate as a substrate (experimental mushroom substrate—EMS) for Pleurotus djamor (strain 2708, Mycelia) cultivation. Considering the lack of scientific information about the influence of elements concentration in growing substrates on the bioaccumulation of elements in cultivated mushrooms and their residual concentrations in substrates left after cultivation (spent mushroom substrate—SMS), a multi-elemental analysis of 38 elements was carried out. In the study, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) was used for elemental analysis. The P. djamor cultivated on EMS resulted in a yield of 196.50 g/bag, achieving a biological efficiency (BE) of 39.90%. High variability in the elemental concentrations among substrates both before and after mushroom cultivation was evident. The studied elements accumulation in P. djamor was in an increasing trend in three subsequent flushes and was also reflected in the bioconcentration factors (BCFs). The highest BCF (2.35) was determined for Fe. Interestingly, the BCF values for all studied trace elements with detrimental health effects were lower than 1.00. The estimated daily intake (EDI) reflected that the P. djamor fruiting bodies grown on EMS can serve as an excellent dietary source of essential major and trace elements: Ca, Mg, Na, Mn, Mo, Ni, Se and Zn. On the other hand, EDI values for K, Cu, Fe, Ag, Ba, Cd, Al, Sb and Sr were greater than the referred guideline values corresponding to higher intake. Overall, the study presented an insight into elemental accumulations and demonstrated the potential utilisation of combined dairy manure-food waste digestate.
Mormon Fundamentalist, Polygamous Marriage and What It May Tell Us about Being Human
Authors: Jankowiak William
Published: October 2022

The research that forms this paper was conducted over six years 1993-1999 in a Mormon Fundamentalist community in Western USA. I wanted to understand if it was possible to love multiple individuals at the same time or if, instead, there was a preference for emotional involvement. I live inside the community dwelling with different families which enable me to view ordinary life and daily interactions that are often not noted in survey research. I supplement this approach by collecting the life history of people’s relationships and feelings toward one another. My results are present as a set of ethnographic narratives that highlight the emotional fulfillment and angst of individual experience trying to love more than one person at the same time. I found that the impulse to form dyadic love is relentless; women are the primary agents behind the push towards a more exclusive couple centered or dyad love intimacy; the “favorite” wife was readily identified in 52 out of 60 families. This presents something of a paradox: humans are both a pair-bond species who desire to form dyadic unions, even when they are not culturally sanctioned, and who have an adaptive cognitive capacity to create alternative ways of living.
Unprofessional or Admirable? Determinants of Purchasing Behavior in Government Officials’ Livestreamed Shopping
Authors: Guo Wenshan , Sun Ninghua
Published: October 2022

As a new form of poverty governance, government officials’ livestreaming e-commerce of agricultural and sideline products has been booming since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in 2019. However, exploring the determinants of consumer purchase intentions in the context of government officials’ livestreaming is still limited. Drawing on the stimulus–organism–response (S–O–R) framework, this study develops a research model to examine the effect of platform factor (information quality), user factor (bullet screen mutuality), and streamer factors (streamer trustworthiness, streamer expertise, and streamer responsiveness) on perceived information usefulness and arousal, which in turn affect purchase intention. This study also integrates impulsiveness as a moderator. We use structural equation modeling to analyze 430 samples. Our results show that perceived information usefulness and arousal have a significant positive influence on purchase intention. Moreover, impulsiveness moderates the relationship between perceived information usefulness and purchase intention and between arousal and purchase intention. Livestreaming features and streamer characteristics can activate these two mechanisms. This study provides theoretical contributions to livestreaming and the S–O–R literature, as well as practical insights into livestreaming government officials.
Metabolomics-Driven Mining of Metabolite Resources: Applications and Prospects for Improving Vegetable Crops
Authors: Singh Dhananjaya , Bisen Mansi , Shukla Renu , Prabha Ratna , Maurya Sudarshan , Reddy Yesaru , Singh Prabhakar , Rai Nagendra , Chaubey Tribhuvan , Chaturvedi Krishna , Srivastava Sudhir , Farooqi Mohammad , Gupta Vijai , Sarma Birinchi , Rai Anil , Behera Tusar
Published: October 2022

Vegetable crops possess a prominent nutri-metabolite pool that not only contributes to the crop performance in the fields, but also offers nutritional security for humans. In the pursuit of identifying, quantifying and functionally characterizing the cellular metabolome pool, biomolecule separation technologies, data acquisition platforms, chemical libraries, bioinformatics tools, databases and visualization techniques have come to play significant role. High-throughput metabolomics unravels structurally diverse nutrition-rich metabolites and their entangled interactions in vegetable plants. It has helped to link identified phytometabolites with unique phenotypic traits, nutri-functional characters, defense mechanisms and crop productivity. In this study, we explore mining diverse metabolites, localizing cellular metabolic pathways, classifying functional biomolecules and establishing linkages between metabolic fluxes and genomic regulations, using comprehensive metabolomics deciphers of the plant’s performance in the environment. We discuss exemplary reports covering the implications of metabolomics, addressing metabolic changes in vegetable plants during crop domestication, stage-dependent growth, fruit development, nutri-metabolic capabilities, climatic impacts, plant-microbe-pest interactions and anthropogenic activities. Efforts leading to identify biomarker metabolites, candidate proteins and the genes responsible for plant health, defense mechanisms and nutri-rich crop produce are documented. With the insights on metabolite-QTL (mQTL) driven genetic architecture, molecular breeding in vegetable crops can be revolutionized for developing better nutritional capabilities, improved tolerance against diseases/pests and enhanced climate resilience in plants.
Design of Cyclic Peptide-Based Nanospheres and the Delivery of siRNA
Authors: Ke Junfeng , Zhang Jingli , Li Junyang , Liu Junqiu , Guan Shuwen
Published: October 2022

In recent years, cyclic peptides have attracted much attention due to their chemical and enzymatic stability, low toxicity, and easy modification. In general, the self-assembled nanostructures of cyclic peptides tend to form nanotubes in a cyclic stacking manner through hydrogen bonding. However, studies exploring other assembly strategies are scarce. In this context, we proposed a new assembly strategy based on cyclic peptides with covalent self-assembly. Here, cyclic peptide-(DPDPDP) was rationally designed and used as a building block to construct new assemblies. With cyclo-(DP)3 as the structural unit and 2,2′-diamino-N-methyldiethylamine as the linker, positively charged nanospheres ((CP)6NS) based on cyclo-(DP)3 were successfully constructed by covalent self-assembly. We assessed their size and morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), TEM, and DLS. (CP)6NS were found to have a strong positive charge, so they could bind to siRNA through electrostatic interactions. Confocal microscopy analysis and cell viability assays showed that (CP)6NS had high cellular internalization efficiency and low cytotoxicity. More importantly, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and flow cytometry analyses indicated that (CP)6NS-siRNA complexes potently inhibited gene expression and promoted tumor cell apoptosis. These results suggest that (CP)6NS may be a potential siRNA carrier for gene therapy.
Fermented Angelicae tenussimae with Aspergillus oryzae Improves Skin Barrier Properties, Moisturizing, and Anti-Inflammatory Responses
Authors: Ha Chang-Woo , Sohn Eun-Hwa , Kim Sung-Hyeok , Jang Sohee , Park Myung-Rye , Kim Youn-Kyu , Bae In-Young
Published: October 2022

Angelicae tenussimae root has been used as a traditional medicine in Asia. Recently, anti-melanogenic and anti-photogenic effects of fermented A. tenuissima root (FAT) were identified. However, information about the anti-atopic dermatitis action of FAT is limited. Thus, the purpose of this study is to determine the applicability of FAT to AD by identifying the efficacy of FAT on the skin barrier and inflammatory response, which are the main pathogenesis of AD. Expression levels of skin barrier components and the production of inflammatory mediators in human keratinocyte and mouse macrophage cells were measured by quantitative RT-PCR or ELISA. FAT upregulated the expression of skin barrier components (filaggrin, involucrin, loricurin, SPTLC1) and inhibited the secretion of an inflammatory chemokine TARC in HaCaT cells. Furthermore, it suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α) and nitric oxide production in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. In addition, ligustilide increased filaggrin and SPTLC1, and also lowered pro-inflammatory mediators that increased in atopic environments, such as in FAT results. This means that ligustilide, one of the active ingredients derived from FAT, can ameliorate AD, at least in part, by promoting skin barrier formation and downregulating inflammatory mediators. These results suggest that FAT is a potential functional cosmetic material for the care and management of AD.
Physiological and Transcriptomic Analyses Uncover the Reason for the Inhibition of Photosynthesis by Phosphate Deficiency in Cucumis melo L.
Authors: Li Pengli , Yu Jing , Feng Ningxiao , Weng Jinyang , Rehman Asad , Huang Jinyang , Tu Song , Niu Qingliang
Published: October 2022

Phosphate (Pi) deficiency is a common phenomenon in agricultural production and limits plant growth. Recent work showed that long-term Pi deficiency caused the inhibition of photosynthesis and inefficient electron transport. However, the underlying mechanisms are still unknown. In this study, we used the physiological, histochemical, and transcriptomic methods to investigate the effect of low-Pi stress on photosynthetic gas exchange parameters, cell membrane lipid, chloroplast ultrastructure, and transcriptional regulation of key genes in melon seedlings. The results showed that Pi deficiency significantly downregulated the expression of aquaporin genes, induced an increase in ABA levels, and reduced the water content and free water content of melon leaves, which caused physiological drought in melon leaves. Therefore, gas exchange was disturbed. Pi deficiency also reduced the phospholipid contents in leaf cell membranes, caused the peroxidation of membrane lipids, and destroyed the ultrastructure of chloroplasts. The transcriptomic analysis showed that 822 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were upregulated and 1254 downregulated by Pi deficiency in leaves. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that DEGs significantly enriched in chloroplast thylakoid membrane composition (GO:0009535), photosynthesis-antenna proteins (map00196), and photosynthesis pathways (map00195) were downregulated by Pi deficiency. It indicated that Pi deficiency regulated photosynthesis-related genes at the transcriptional level, thereby affecting the histochemical properties and physiological functions, and consequently causing the reduced light assimilation ability and photosynthesis efficiency. It enriches the mechanism of photosynthesis inhibition by Pi deficiency.
Melatonin Enhances Drought Tolerance in Rice Seedlings by Modulating Antioxidant Systems, Osmoregulation, and Corresponding Gene Expression
Authors: Luo Chengke , Min Weifang , Akhtar Maryam , Lu Xuping , Bai Xiaorong , Zhang Yinxia , Tian Lei , Li Peifu
Published: October 2022

Rice is the third largest food crop in the world, especially in Asia. Its production in various regions is affected to different degrees by drought stress. Melatonin (MT), a novel growth regulator, plays an essential role in enhancing stress resistance in crops. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism by which melatonin helps mitigate drought damage in rice remains unclear. Therefore, in the present study, rice seedlings pretreated with melatonin (200 μM) were stressed with drought (water potential of −0.5 MPa). These rice seedlings were subsequently examined for their phenotypes and physiological and molecular properties, including metabolite contents, enzyme activities, and the corresponding gene expression levels. The findings demonstrated that drought stress induced an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, lipoxygenase (LOX) activity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS, e.g., O2− and H2O2) in rice seedlings. However, the melatonin application significantly reduced LOX activity and the MDA and ROS contents (O2− production rate and H2O2 content), with a decrease of 29.35%, 47.23%, and (45.54% and 49.33%), respectively. It activated the expression of ALM1, OsPOX1, OsCATC, and OsAPX2, which increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), respectively. Meanwhile, the melatonin pretreatment enhanced the proline, fructose, and sucrose content by inducing OsP5CS, OsSUS7, and OsSPS1 gene expression levels. Moreover, the melatonin pretreatment considerably up-regulated the expression levels of the melatonin synthesis genes TDC2 and ASMT1 under drought stress by 7-fold and 5-fold, approximately. These improvements were reflected by an increase in the relative water content (RWC) and the root-shoot ratio in the drought-stressed rice seedlings that received a melatonin application. Consequently, melatonin considerably reduced the adverse effects of drought stress on rice seedlings and improved rice’s ability to tolerate drought by primarily boosting endogenous antioxidant enzymes and osmoregulation abilities.
Sensory Neuron-Specific Deletion of Tropomyosin Receptor Kinase A (TrkA) in Mice Abolishes Osteoarthritis (OA) Pain via NGF/TrkA Intervention of Peripheral Sensitization
Authors: O-Sullivan InSug , Kc Ranjan , Singh Gurjit , Das Vaskar , Ma Kaige , Li Xin , Mwale Fackson , Votta-Velis Gina , Bruce Benjamin , Natarajan Anbazhagan Arivarasu , van Wijnen Andre J. , Im Hee-Jeong
Published: October 2022

Tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA/NTRK1) is a high-affinity receptor for nerve growth factor (NGF), a potent pain mediator. NGF/TrkA signaling elevates synovial sensory neuronal distributions in the joints and causes osteoarthritis (OA) pain. We investigated the mechanisms of pain transmission as to whether peripheral sensory neurons are linked to the cellular plasticity in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and are critical for OA hyperalgesia. Sensory neuron-specific deletion of TrkA was achieved by tamoxifen injection in 4-week-old TrkAfl/fl;NaV1.8CreERT2 (Ntrk1 fl/fl;Scn10aCreERT2) mice. OA was induced by partial medial meniscectomy (PMM) in 12-week-old mice, and OA-pain-related behavior was analyzed for 12 weeks followed by comprehensive histopathological examinations. OA-associated joint pain was markedly improved without cartilage protection in sensory-neuron-specific conditional TrkA knock-out (cKO) mice. Alleviated hyperalgesia was associated with suppression of the NGF/TrkA pathway and reduced angiogenesis in fibroblast-like synovial cells. Elevated pain transmitters in the DRG of OA-induced mice were significantly diminished in sensory-neuron-specific TrkA cKO and global TrkA cKO mice. Spinal glial activity and brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) were significantly increased in OA-induced mice but were substantially eliminated by sensory-neuron-specific deletion. Our results suggest that augmentation of NGF/TrkA signaling in the joint synovium and the peripheral sensory neurons facilitate pro-nociception and centralized pain sensitization.
The Flavonol Quercitrin Hinders GSK3 Activity and Potentiates the Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway
Authors: Predes Danilo , Maia Lorena A. , Matias Isadora , Araujo Hannah Paola Mota , Soares Carolina , Barros-Aragão Fernanda G. Q. , Oliveira Luiz F. S. , Reis Renata R. , Amado Nathalia G. , Simas Alessandro B. C. , Mendes Fabio A. , Gomes Flávia C. A. , Figueiredo Claudia P. , Abreu Jose G.
Published: October 2022

The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway dictates cell proliferation and differentiation during embryonic development and tissue homeostasis. Its deregulation is associated with many pathological conditions, including neurodegenerative disease, frequently downregulated. The lack of efficient treatment for these diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), makes Wnt signaling an attractive target for therapies. Interestingly, novel Wnt signaling activating compounds are less frequently described than inhibitors, turning the quest for novel positive modulators even more appealing. In that sense, natural compounds are an outstanding source of potential drug leads. Here, we combine different experimental models, cell-based approaches, neuronal culture assays, and rodent behavior tests with Xenopus laevis phenotypic analysis to characterize quercitrin, a natural compound, as a novel Wnt signaling potentiator. We find that quercitrin potentiates the signaling in a concentration-dependent manner and increases the occurrence of the Xenopus secondary axis phenotype mediated by Xwnt8 injection. Using a GSK3 biosensor, we describe that quercitrin impairs GSK3 activity and increases phosphorylated GSK3β S9 levels. Treatment with XAV939, an inhibitor downstream of GSK3, impairs the quercitrin-mediated effect. Next, we show that quercitrin potentiates the Wnt3a-synaptogenic effect in hippocampal neurons in culture, which is blocked by XAV939. Quercitrin treatment also rescues the hippocampal synapse loss induced by intracerebroventricular injection of amyloid-β oligomers (AβO) in mice. Finally, quercitrin rescues AβO-mediated memory impairment, which is prevented by XAV939. Thus, our study uncovers a novel function for quercitrin as a Wnt/β-catenin signaling potentiator, describes its mechanism of action, and opens new avenues for AD treatments.
Comparative Genomics and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Chloroplast Genomes in Three Medicinal Salvia Species for Bioexploration
Authors: Du Qing , Yang Heyu , Zeng Jing , Chen Zhuoer , Zhou Junchen , Sun Sihui , Wang Bin , Liu Chang
Published: October 2022

To systematically determine their phylogenetic relationships and develop molecular markers for species discrimination of Salvia bowleyana, S. splendens, and S. officinalis, we sequenced their chloroplast genomes using the Illumina Hiseq 2500 platform. The chloroplast genomes length of S. bowleyana, S. splendens, and S. officinalis were 151,387 bp, 150,604 bp, and 151,163 bp, respectively. The six genes ndhB, rpl2, rpl23, rps7, rps12, and ycf2 were present in the IR regions. The chloroplast genomes of S. bowleyana, S. splendens, and S. officinalis contain 29 tandem repeats; 35, 29, 24 simple-sequence repeats, and 47, 49, 40 interspersed repeats, respectively. The three specific intergenic sequences (IGS) of rps16-trnQ-UUG, trnL-UAA-trnF-GAA, and trnM-CAU-atpE were found to discriminate the 23 Salvia species. A total of 91 intergenic spacer sequences were identified through genetic distance analysis. The two specific IGS regions (trnG-GCC-trnM-CAU and ycf3-trnS-GGA) have the highest K2p value identified in the three studied Salvia species. Furthermore, the phylogenetic tree showed that the 23 Salvia species formed a monophyletic group. Two pairs of genus-specific DNA barcode primers were found. The results will provide a solid foundation to understand the phylogenetic classification of the three Salvia species. Moreover, the specific intergenic regions can provide the probability to discriminate the Salvia species between the phenotype and the distinction of gene fragments.
Discovery of a Dual SENP1 and SENP2 Inhibitor
Authors: Brand Michael , Bommeli Elias Benjamin , Rütimann Marc , Lindenmann Urs , Riedl Rainer
Published: October 2022

SUMOylation is a reversible post–translational modification (PTM) involving covalent attachment of small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) proteins to substrate proteins. Dysregulation of SUMOylation and deSUMOylation results in cellular malfunction and is linked to various diseases, such as cancer. Sentrin-specific proteases (SENPs) were identified for the maturation of SUMOs and the deconjugation of SUMOs from their substrate proteins. Hence, this is a promising target tackling the dysregulation of the SUMOylation process. Herein, we report the discovery of a novel protein-protein interaction (PPI) inhibitor for SENP1-SUMO1 by virtual screening and subsequent medicinal chemistry optimization of the hit molecule. The optimized inhibitor ZHAWOC8697 showed IC50 values of 8.6 μM against SENP1 and 2.3 μM against SENP2. With a photo affinity probe the SENP target was validated. This novel SENP inhibitor represents a new valuable tool for the study of SUMOylation processes and the SENP-associated development of small molecule-based treatment options.
Oxidative Stress Amelioration of Novel Peptides Extracted from Enzymatic Hydrolysates of Chinese Pecan Cake
Authors: Zhang Jiaojiao , Wu Shaozhen , Wang Qingqing , Yuan Qinjie , Li Yane , Reboredo-Rodríguez Patricia , Varela-López Alfonso , He Zhiping , Wu Fenghua , Hu Hao , Liu Xingquan
Published: October 2022

Pecan (Carya cathayensis) is an important economic crop, and its hydrolyzed peptides have been evidenced to reduce the effect of oxidative stress due to their antioxidant capacity. Hence, the protocols of ultrafiltration and gel filtration chromatography were established to obtain bioactive peptides from by-products of C. cathayensis (pecan cake). As measured by DPPH/ABTS radical scavenging, the peptides with less molecular weight (MW) possess higher antioxidant capacity. PCPH-III (MW < 3 kDa) presented higher radical scavenging capacity than PCPH-II (3 kDa < MW < 10 kDa) and PCPH-I (MW > 10 kDa) measured by DPPH (IC50: 111.0 μg/ mL) and measured by ABTs (IC50: 402.9 μg/mL). The secondary structure and amino acid composition varied by their MW, in which PCPH-II contained more α-helices (26.71%) and β-sheets (36.96%), PCPH-III contained higher ratios of β-turns (36.87%), while the composition of different secondary of PCPH-I was even 25 ± 5.76%. The variation trend of α-helix and random experienced slightly varied from PCPH-I to PCPH-II, while significantly decreased from PCPH-II to PCPH-III. The increasing antioxidant capacity is followed by the content of proline, and PCPH-III had the highest composition (8.03%). With regard to the six peptides identified by LC-MS/MS, two of them (VYGYADK and VLFSNY) showed stronger antioxidant capacity than others. In silico molecular docking demonstrated their combining abilities with a transcription factor Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) and speculated that they inhibit oxidative stress through activating the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE pathway. Meanwhile, increased activity of SOD and CAT—antioxidant markers—were found in H2O2-induced cells. The residue of tyrosine was demonstrated to contribute the most antioxidant capacity of VYGYADK and its position affected less. This study provided a novel peptide screening and by-product utilization process that can be applied in natural product developments.