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Shewanella baltica is a specific spoilage organism of golden pomfret. This study aims to explore the antibacterial mechanism of slightly acidic electrolysed water (SAEW) against S. baltica (strains ABa4, ABe2 and BBe1) in golden pomfret broths by metabolomics, proteomics and bioinformatics analyses. S. baltica was decreased by at least 3.94 log CFU/mL after SAEW treatment, and strain ABa4 had the highest resistance. Under SAEW stress, amino acids and organic acids in S. baltica decreased, and nucleotide related compounds degraded. Furthermore, 100 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified. Most DEPs of strains ABe2 and BBe1 were down-regulated, while some DEPs of strain ABa4 were up-regulated, especially those oxidative stress related proteins. These results suggest that the modes of SAEW against S. baltica can be traced to the inhibition of amino acid, carbon, nucleotide and sulphur metabolisms, and the loss of functional proteins for temperature regulation, translation, motility and protein folding.

Asunto(s)

Proteínas Bacterianas , Shewanella , Shewanella/metabolismo , Shewanella/química , Shewanella/genética , Proteínas Bacterianas/metabolismo , Proteínas Bacterianas/genética , Agua/metabolismo , Agua/química , Electrólisis , Antibacterianos/farmacología , Antibacterianos/metabolismo , Antibacterianos/química , Concentración de Iones de Hidrógeno , Vigna/química , Vigna/microbiología , Vigna/metabolismo

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Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) and their N-oxides (PANOs) are phytotoxins produced by various plant species and have been emerged as environmental pollutants. The sorption/desorption behaviors of PAs/PANOs in soil are crucial due to the horizontal transfer of these natural products from PA-producing plants to soil and subsequently absorbed by plant roots. This study firstly investigated the sorption/desorption behaviors of PAs/PANOs in tea plantation soils with distinct characteristics. Sorption amounts for seneciphylline (Sp) and seneciphylline-N-oxide (SpNO) in three acidic soils ranged from 2.9 to 5.9 µg/g and 1.7 to 2.8 µg/g, respectively. Desorption percentages for Sp and SpNO were from 22.2% to 30.5% and 36.1% to 43.9%. In the mixed PAs/PANOs systems, stronger sorption of PAs over PANOs was occurred in tested soils. Additionally, the Freundlich models more precisely described the sorption/desorption isotherms. Cation exchange capacity, sand content and total nitrogen were identified as major influencing factors by linear regression models. Overall, the soils exhibiting higher sorption capacities for compounds with greater hydrophobicity. PANOs were more likely to migrate within soils and be absorbed by tea plants. It contributes to the understanding of environmental fate of PAs/PANOs in tea plantations and provides basic data and clues for the development of PAs/PANOs reduction technology.

Asunto(s)

Camellia sinensis , Alcaloides de Pirrolicidina , Contaminantes del Suelo , Suelo , Alcaloides de Pirrolicidina/química , Alcaloides de Pirrolicidina/análisis , Suelo/química , Camellia sinensis/química , Contaminantes del Suelo/análisis , Contaminantes del Suelo/química , Óxidos/química , Adsorción

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INTRODUCTION: Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is characterized by phenotypic and genetic heterogeneities. However, reports on the large Chinese FTD cohort are lacking. METHODS: Two hundred forty-eight patients with FTD were enrolled. All patients and 2010 healthy controls underwent next generation sequencing. Plasma samples were analyzed for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), α-synuclein (α-syn), neurofilament light chain (NfL), and phosphorylated tau protein 181 (p-tau181). RESULTS: Gene sequencing identified 48 pathogenic or likely pathogenic mutations in a total of 19.4% of patients with FTD (48/248). The most common mutation was the C9orf72 dynamic mutation (5.2%, 13/248). Significantly increased levels of GFAP, α-syn, NfL, and p-tau181 were detected in patients compared to controls (all p < 0.05). GFAP and α-syn presented better performance for diagnosing FTD. DISCUSSION: We investigated the characteristics of phenotypic and genetic spectrum in a large Chinese FTD cohort, and highlighted the utility of plasma biomarkers for diagnosing FTD. HIGHLIGHTS: This study used a frontotemporal dementia (FTD) cohort with a large sample size in Asia to update and reveal the clinical and genetic spectrum, and explore the relationship between multiple plasma biomarkers and FTD phenotypes as well as genotypes. We found for the first time that the C9orf72 dynamic mutation frequency ranks first among all mutations, which broke the previous impression that it was rare in Asian patients. Notably, it was the first time the C9orf72 G4C2 repeat expansion had been identified via whole-genome sequencing data, and this was verified using triplet repeat primed polymerase chain reaction (TP-PCR). We analyzed the diagnostic accuracy of four plasma biomarkers (glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP], α-synuclein [α-syn], neurofilament light chain [NfL], and phosphorylated tau protein 181 [p-tau181]) at the same time, especially for α-syn being included in the FTD cohort for the first time, and found GFAP and α-syn had the highest diagnostic accuracy for FTD and its varied subtypes.

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BACKGROUND: Multiple system atrophy (MSA), an atypical parkinsonian syndrome, is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease with currently no established fluid biomarkers available. MSA is characterized by an oligodendroglial α-synucleinopathy, progressive neuronal cell loss and concomitant astrocytosis. Here, we investigate glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilament light chain (NfL) as fluid biomarkers for differential diagnosis, assessment of clinical disease severity and prediction of disease progression in MSA. METHODS: GFAP and NfL levels were analyzed in plasma and CSF samples of 47 MSA patients as well as 24 Parkinson's disease (PD) and 25 healthy controls (HC) as reference cohorts. In MSA, biomarker levels were correlated to baseline and longitudinal clinical disease severity (UMSARS scores). RESULTS: In MSA, GFAP levels in CSF and plasma predicted baseline clinical disease severity as indicated by UMSARS scores, while NfL levels predicted clinical disease progression as indicated by longitudinal changes in UMSARS scores. Cross-sectionally, NfL levels in CSF and plasma were significantly elevated in MSA compared to both PD and HC. Receiver operating curves (ROC) indicated high diagnostic accuracy of NfL for distinguishing MSA from PD (CSF: AUC = 0.97, 95% CI 0.90-1.00; plasma: AUC = 0.90, 95% CI 0.81-1.00). DISCUSSION: In MSA, GFAP shows promise as novel biomarker for assessing current clinical disease severity, while NfL might serve as biomarker for prediction of disease progression and differential diagnosis of MSA against PD.

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Microbial amino acid composition (AA) reflects adaptive strategies of cellular and molecular regulations such as a high proportion of acidic AAs, including glutamic and aspartic acids in alkaliphiles. It remains understudied how microbial AA content is linked to their pH adaptation especially in natural environments. Here we examined prokaryotic communities and their AA composition of genes with metagenomics for 39 water and sediments of East African lakes along a gradient of pH spanning from 7.2 to 10.1. We found that Shannon diversity declined with the increasing pH and that species abundance were either positively or negatively associated with pH, indicating their distinct habitat preference in lakes. Microbial communities showed higher acidic proteomes in alkaline than neutral lakes. Species acidic proteomes were also positively correlated with their pH preference, which was consistent across major bacterial lineages. These results suggest selective pressure associated with high pH likely shape microbial amino acid composition both at the species and community levels. Comparative genome analyses further revealed that alkaliphilic microbes contained more functional genes with higher acidic AAs when compared to those in neutral conditions. These traits included genes encoding diverse classes of cation transmembrane transporters, antiporters, and compatible solute transporters, which are involved in cytoplasmic pH homeostasis and osmotic stress defense under high pH conditions. Our results provide the field evidence for the strong relationship between prokaryotic AA composition and their habitat preference and highlight amino acid optimization as strategies for environmental adaptation.

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Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been explored as a potential cathode material for lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries owing to their unique structure. However, traditional CNTs exhibit poor dispersion properties when preparing electrodes. The non-uniform distribution of the conductive agents hinders the formation of enough sites for sulfur loading, which results in the aggregation of sulfur/Li2S and severe polarization. In this study, we propose the acidic functionalization of CNTs in the cathode structure as a practical solution for mitigating the poor dispersion and polysulfide shuttling in lithium-sulfur batteries. Multiwalled CNTs were functionalized by oxidation through acidic treatment using sulfuric, nitric, and mixed acids. The cathode prepared with a mixture of sulfuric and nitric acids showed a coulombic efficiency of 99 % after 100 cycles, with a discharge capacity of 743 mAh g-1. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the acidic functionalization of CNTs as a promising approach for enhancing the electrochemical performance and commercial viability of lithium-sulfur batteries.

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Peptide separation selectivity was evaluated for hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) ZIC-HILIC, ZIC-cHILIC, and XBridge Amide sorbents using formic acid as eluent additive (pH 2.7). Sequence-specific retention prediction algorithms were trained using retention datasets of ∼30,000 peptides for each column. Our retention models were able to attain ∼0.98 R2-value and yielded retention coefficients that can be probed to understand peptide-stationary phase interaction. Overall, the hydrophilicity for these columns decreased when the mobile phase changed pH from 4.5 to 2.7, when using 0.1 % formic acid in the mobile phase. The acidic residues became protonated, and the resultant hydrophilic interaction is dampened at the lower pH, leaving only the basic residues as the primary hydrophilic interactors. Hence, peptides of increasing charge have higher retention. In this comparison between the three columns, ZIC-HILIC has the highest chromatographic resolution between groups of peptides of different charge. From the position-dependent retention coefficients for ZIC-HILIC at pH 2.7, we found that the amino acids at the terminal positions of the peptide modulate the basicity of the N-terminal amino group or the C-terminal Arg/Lys for tryptic peptides. With respect to the separation orthogonality between HILIC and acidic pH RPLC for two dimensional separations, the orthogonality values were lower at pH 2.7 than operating HILIC at pH 4.5 for the first dimension. We also demonstrate that ZIC-HILIC was able to distinguish citrullinated and deamidated peptides based on predicted retention values.

RESUMEN

Acidic xylanase PjxA from Penicillium janthinellum MA21601, with good eosinophilic and enzymatic activity, is an excellent candidate for xylan degradation to achieve effective utilization of biomass materials. However, the low thermal stability of PjxA has become a major bottleneck in its application. In this study, the flexible sites of PjxA were identified and rigidified through computational simulations of structure and sequence analysis combined with folding free energy calculations. Finally, a combined mutase PjxA-DS was constructed by rational integration of the two single mutants S82N and D45N. Compared to PjxA, PjxA-DS showed a 115.11-fold longer half-life at 50 °C and a 2.02-fold higher specific enzyme activity. Computer simulation analysis showed that S82N and D45N acted synergistically to improve the thermostability of PjxA. The stabilization of the N-terminus and the active center of PjxA, the increase in surface positive charge and hydrophilicity are the main reasons for the improved thermostability and catalytic activity of PjxA. Rigidification of the flexible site is an effective method for improving the thermostability of enzymes, S82N and D45N can be used as effective targets for the thermostability engineering modification of GH11 acidic xylanase.

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Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables (F&V) play a pivotal role in modern diets due to their convenience and nutritional value. However, their perishable nature renders them susceptible to rapid spoilage, causing quality deterioration, safety risks, and economic losses along the supply chain. Traditional preservation methods, while effective to some extent, often fall short in maintaining the quality and safety of fresh-cut F&V. This comprehensive review examines the utilization of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) as a novel preservation technique for fresh-cut F&V. The review encompasses the production mechanisms, sterilization principles, classifications and application of SAEW. It explores the effects of SAEW on microbial inactivation, quality parameters, and metabolic pathways in fresh-cut F&V. Additionally, it assesses the synergistic effects of SAEW when combined with other preservation methods. SAEW demonstrates remarkable potential in extending the shelf life of fresh-cut F&V by effectively inhibiting microbial growth, suppressing browning, preserving chemical content, and influencing various metabolic processes. Moreover, its synergy with different treatments enhances its overall efficacy in maintaining fresh-cut F&V quality. The review highlights the promising role of SAEW as an innovative preservation approach for fresh-cut F&V. However, challenges regarding its widespread implementation and potential limitations require further exploration. Overall, SAEW stands as a significant contender in ensuring the safety and quality of fresh-cut F&V paving the way for future research and application in the food industry.

Asunto(s)

Electrólisis , Conservación de Alimentos , Frutas , Verduras , Agua , Frutas/química , Conservación de Alimentos/métodos , Verduras/química , Agua/química , Concentración de Iones de Hidrógeno , Microbiología de Alimentos

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Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB), which perform the second step of aerobic nitrification, play an important role in soil. In the present study, we report a novel isolate from agricultural soil affiliated with the genus Nitrobacter and its physiological characteristics. We sampled the surface soil of a vegetable field and obtained mixed culture A31 using the most probable number (MPN) method with inorganic medium containing 0.75| |mM urea (pH 5.5). The dilution-extinction procedure on culture A31 led to the isolation of a strain that was designated as Nitrobacter sp. A67. The nxrB1 gene sequence of Nitrobacter sp. A67 (302 bp) was classified into Cluster 5, and the highest sequence identity was 96.10% with Nitrobacter sp. BS5/19. The NO2- oxidation activity of Nitrobacter sp. A67 was investigated at various pH. The optimum pH for NO2- oxidation was 5.8-6.4. This result indicates that Nitrobacter sp. A67 is a moderately acidophilic nitrite-oxidizing bacterium.

Asunto(s)

Nitrificación , Nitritos , Nitrobacter , Oxidación-Reducción , Filogenia , ARN Ribosómico 16S , Microbiología del Suelo , Urea , Nitrobacter/metabolismo , Nitrobacter/genética , Nitritos/metabolismo , Urea/metabolismo , Concentración de Iones de Hidrógeno , ARN Ribosómico 16S/genética , ADN Bacteriano/genética , Análisis de Secuencia de ADN

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to investigate the presence of astrocyte antibodies in patients, excluding aquaporin-4 or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) antibodies, while evaluating associated biomarkers and pathologies. METHODS: Patient serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were tested for antibodies using tissue- and cell-based assays. Neurofilament light chain (NFL) and GFAP in the CSF were detected using single-molecule array (SIMOA). RESULTS: 116 patients accepted SIMOA. Fifteen functional neurological disorders patients without antibodies were designated as controls. Thirty-five patients were positive for astrocyte antibodies (Anti-GFAP: 7; Anti-AQP4: 7; unknown antibodies: 21, designed as the double-negative group, DNAP). The most frequent phenotype of DNAP was encephalitis (42.9%), followed by myelitis (23.8%), movement disorders (19.0%), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-like (ALS-like) disease (14.2%). The levels of CSF GFAP and NFL in DNAP were higher than in the control (GFAP: 1967.29 [776.60-13214.47] vs 475.38 [16.80-943.60] pg/mL, p < 0.001; NFL: 549.11 [162.08-2462.61] vs 214.18 [81.60-349.60] pg/mL, p = 0.002). GFAP levels decreased in DNAP (n = 5) after immunotherapy (2446.75 [1583.45-6277.33] vs 1380.46 [272.16-2005.80] pg/mL, p = 0.043), while there was no difference in NFL levels (2273.78 [162.08-2462.61] vs 890.42 [645.06-3168.06] pg/mL, p = 0.893). Two brain biopsy patterns were observed: one exhibited prominent tissue proliferation and hypertrophic astrocytes, with local loss of astrocytes, while the other showed severe astrocyte depletion with loss of neurofilaments around the vessels. Eighteen patients received immunotherapy, and improved except one with ALS-like symptoms. We identified anti-vimentin in this patient. DISCUSSION: There are unidentified astrocyte antibodies. The manifestations of double-negativity are heterogeneous; nevertheless, the pathology and biomarkers remain consistent with astrocytopathy. Immunotherapy is effective.

Asunto(s)

Acuaporina 4 , Astrocitos , Biomarcadores , Proteína Ácida Fibrilar de la Glía , Inmunoglobulina G , Humanos , Proteína Ácida Fibrilar de la Glía/líquido cefalorraquídeo , Proteína Ácida Fibrilar de la Glía/inmunología , Femenino , Masculino , Acuaporina 4/inmunología , Persona de Mediana Edad , Astrocitos/inmunología , Astrocitos/metabolismo , Astrocitos/patología , Estudios Retrospectivos , Adulto , Biomarcadores/líquido cefalorraquídeo , Biomarcadores/sangre , Anciano , Inmunoglobulina G/líquido cefalorraquídeo , Inmunoglobulina G/sangre , Proteínas de Neurofilamentos/líquido cefalorraquídeo , Proteínas de Neurofilamentos/sangre , Autoanticuerpos/líquido cefalorraquídeo , Autoanticuerpos/sangre , Adulto Joven , Adolescente

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Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) is a rare, multiple malformation/intellectual disability disorder caused by pathogenic variants of DHCR7. DHCR7 catalyzes the reduction of 7-dehydrocholesterol (7DHC) to cholesterol in the final step of cholesterol biosynthesis. This results in accumulation of 7DHC and a cholesterol deficiency. Although the biochemical defect is well delineated and multiple mechanisms underlying developmental defects have been explored, the post developmental neuropathological consequences of altered central nervous system sterol composition have not been studied. Preclinical studies suggest that astroglial activation may occur in SLOS. To determine if astroglial activation is present in individuals with SLOS, we quantified cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) glial fibrillary acidic protein using a Quanterix Simoa® GFAP Discovery Kit for SR-X™. Relative to an age-appropriate comparison group, we found that CSF GFAP levels were elevated 3.9-fold in SLOS (3980 ± 3732 versus 1010 ± 577 pg/ml, p = 0.0184). Simvastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitor, has previously been shown to increase expression of hypomorphic DHCR7 alleles and in a placebo-controlled trial improved serum sterol levels and decreased irritability. Using archived CSF samples from that prior study, we observed a significant decrease (p = 0.0119) in CSF GFAP levels in response to treatment with simvastatin. Although further work needs to be done to understand the potential contribution of neuroinflammation to SLOS neuropathology and cognitive dysfunction, these data confirm astroglial activation in SLOS and suggest that CSF GFAP may be a useful biomarker to monitor therapeutic responses.

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Recently included in the 2024 new revised diagnostic criteria of Alzheimer's disease (AD), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) has garnered significant attention. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to comprehensively evaluate the diagnostic, differential diagnostic, and prospective diagnostic performance of GFAP in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood for AD continuum. A literature search using common electronic databases, important websites and historical search way was performed from inception to the beginning of March 2023. The inclusion criteria was studies evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of GFAP in CSF and/or blood for the AD continuum patients, utilizing PET scans, CSF biomarkers and/or clinical criteria. The systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted referring to the Cochrane Handbook. In total, 34 articles were eventually included in the meta-analysis, 29 of which were published within the past three years. Blood GFAP exhibited good diagnostic accuracy across various AD continuum patients, and the summary area under curve for distinguishing PET positive and negative individuals, CSF biomarkers defined positive and negative individuals, clinically diagnosed AD and cognitive unimpaired controls, AD and/or mild cognitive impairment and other neurological diseases, and prospective cases and controls was 0.85[0.81-0.88], 0.77[0.73-0.81], 0.92[0.90-0.94], 0.80[0.77-0.84], and 0.79[0.75-0.82], respectively. Only several studies were recognized to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CSF GFAP, which was not as good as that of blood GFAP (paired mixed data: AUC = 0.86 vs. AUC = 0.77), but its accuracy remarkably increased to AUC = 0.91 when combined with other factors like sex, age, and ApoE genotype. In summary, GFAP, particularly in blood, shown good diagnostic, differential diagnostic, and prospective diagnostic accuracy for AD continuum patients, with improved accuracy when used alongside other basic indexes.

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Aim: RADA16-PLGA composite scaffolds constructed with simultaneous loading of BMSCs and TGF-ß3 and explored their ability for chondrogenic differentiation in vitro.Methods: The performance of the composite scaffolds is assessed by rheometer assay, electron microscopic structural observation and ELISA release assay. The biosafety of the composite scaffolds is assessed by cytocompatibility assay and cell migration ability. The chondrogenic differentiation ability of composite scaffolds is evaluated by Alisin blue staining, PCR and immunofluorescence staining.Results: The composite scaffold has a good ECM-like structure, the ability to control the release of TGF-ß3 and good biocompatibility. More importantly, the composite scaffolds can induce the differentiation of BMSCs to chondrocytes.Conclusion: Composite scaffolds are expected to enhance the endogenous NP repair process.

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[Box: see text].

Asunto(s)

Diferenciación Celular , Condrocitos , Condrogénesis , Células Madre Mesenquimatosas , Copolímero de Ácido Poliláctico-Ácido Poliglicólico , Andamios del Tejido , Factor de Crecimiento Transformador beta3 , Factor de Crecimiento Transformador beta3/farmacología , Factor de Crecimiento Transformador beta3/metabolismo , Diferenciación Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Condrogénesis/efectos de los fármacos , Andamios del Tejido/química , Copolímero de Ácido Poliláctico-Ácido Poliglicólico/química , Células Madre Mesenquimatosas/citología , Células Madre Mesenquimatosas/efectos de los fármacos , Células Madre Mesenquimatosas/metabolismo , Condrocitos/citología , Condrocitos/efectos de los fármacos , Condrocitos/metabolismo , Animales , Humanos , Ingeniería de Tejidos/métodos , Células Cultivadas , Concentración de Iones de Hidrógeno , Ácido Poliglicólico/química , Materiales Biocompatibles/química , Materiales Biocompatibles/farmacología , Nanopartículas/química

RESUMEN

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is a marker associated with astrocyte activation and plays a role in various pathologic processes, including traumatic brain injury, stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases. Interacting boson approximation (Iba-1) is a marker protein for microglia, which are important in neuroinflammatory responses. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the impact of general anesthetics on the expression of GFAP and Iba-1 in animal models. A meta-analysis was conducted using databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, Springer, and Web of Science. The quality of the selected publications was estimated using the SYRCLE guidelines to ensure credibility and consistency of the research. Continuous variables were measured using mean difference or standardized mean difference (SMD), with a 95% confidence interval (CI) calculated. Ten randomized controlled animal experiments were included in this analysis, utilizing different general anesthetics such as sevoflurane and propofol compared to untreated control groups. The results consistently demonstrated a significant increase in GFAP (SMD = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.72, P = 0.01) and Iba-1 (SMD = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.83, P = 0.03) expression in the general anesthetic-treated groups, suggesting a neuroinflammatory response induced by these agents. Assessment of publication bias revealed no significant bias in the included studies. This meta-analysis highlights the impact of general anesthetics on GFAP expression in animal models, emphasizing the importance of understanding the neuroinflammatory response associated with anesthesia administration. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying molecular pathways and explore possible therapeutic interventions to mitigate adverse effects associated with anesthesia administration.

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Electrochemical acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is an important part for water electrolysis utilizing a proton exchange membrane (PEM) apparatus for industrial H2 production. RuO2 has garnered considerable attention as a potential acidic OER electrocatalyst. However, the overoxidation of Ru active sites under high potential conditions is usually harmful for activity and stability, thereby posing a challenge for large-scale commercialization, which needs effective strategies to circumvent the leaching of Ru and further activate Ru sites. Herein, a Mini-Review is presented to summarize the recent developments regarding the activation and stabilization of the Ru active sites and lattice oxygen through the modulation of the d-band center, coordination environment, bridged heteroatoms, and vacancy engineering, as well as structural protection strategies and reaction pathway optimization to promote the acidic OER activity and stability of RuO2-based electrocatalysts. This Mini-Review offers a profound understanding of the design of RuO2-based electrocatalysts with greatly enhanced acidic OER performances.

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVE: To determine the significance of immunological markers in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and comorbid pathology. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty-five patients were examined. Two groups of patients were distinguished: the main group with moderate and severe OSA and the control group without OSA. The subjects underwent anthropometry, polysomnography, assessment of cognitive and emotional disorders. Glial fibrillar acidic protein (GFAP), antibodies against NR1-NR2 subunits of NMDA receptors (AT to GRIN2A) and the acetylcholine receptor (AT to AChR), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were studied by enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: In patients with OSA, indicators of markers: GFAP (p=0.017), BDNF (p=0.006), antibodies to AChR (p=0.002), as well as chronic cerebral ischemia (p=0.000), depression on the HADS (p=0.004) and the Beck scale (p=0.000), drowsiness on the Epworth scale (p=0.001), asthenia on the visual analogue scale (p=0.000) and the MFI 20 (p=0.013) were higher than in the control group. A relationship was established in the main group between the identified subjective disorders on the Mini-Mental State Examination scale (MMSE) and BDNF (r=0.302, p=0.014) and the average score on the MMSE and BDNF (r=-0.266, p=0.032). CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate the relationship of neurospecific proteins with cognitive impairment in patients with OSA. The neuromarker GFAP in patients with sleep apnea has shown itself to be a predictor of decreased neurogenesis, and BDNF as a representative marker of neuroplasticity. Large values of AT to AChR in patients with OSA may indicate possible neuromuscular transmission disorders. Along with drowsiness and asthenia, patients with OSA have changes in the emotional background, mainly due to depression. The severity of depression and the severity of asthenia increase with increasing severity of apnea and are probably associated with low levels of saturation, which in turn leads to dysregulation of the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala.

Asunto(s)

Biomarcadores , Factor Neurotrófico Derivado del Encéfalo , Apnea Obstructiva del Sueño , Humanos , Apnea Obstructiva del Sueño/inmunología , Apnea Obstructiva del Sueño/sangre , Apnea Obstructiva del Sueño/complicaciones , Masculino , Factor Neurotrófico Derivado del Encéfalo/sangre , Persona de Mediana Edad , Femenino , Biomarcadores/sangre , Proteína Ácida Fibrilar de la Glía/sangre , Adulto , Polisomnografía , Comorbilidad , Receptores de N-Metil-D-Aspartato/inmunología , Depresión/sangre , Depresión/epidemiología , Depresión/etiología , Astenia , Anciano

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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death worldwide, and the number of CVD patients continues to increase despite extensive research and developments in this field. Chronic inflammation is a pivotal pathological component of CVD, and unveiling new proinflammatory factors will help devise novel preventive and therapeutic strategies. The extracellular matrix (ECM) not only provides structural support between cells, but also contributes to cellular functions. Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is a collagen-binding matricellular protein that is particularly induced during development and tissue remodeling. A proinflammatory role for SPARC has been demonstrated in various animal models, such as in the lipopolysaccharide-induced footpad model and dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis model. Recent clinical studies reported a positive correlation between elevated plasma SPARC levels and hypertension, obesity, and the inflammatory marker high-sensitive C-reactive protein. In addition, SPARC gene deletion attenuates the cardiac injury induced by aging, myocardial infarction, and pressure-load, suggesting that SPARC has deleterious effects on CVD. This review summarizes the regulatory and proinflammatory mechanisms of SPARC on CVD, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cerebrovascular disease, and discusses the rationale behind measuring SPARC as a biomarker of CVD, and the effects of inhibition of SPARC in the prevention and treatment of CVD.

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The enhanced utilization of noble metal catalysts through highly porous nanostructures is crucial to advancing the commercialization prospects of proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE). In this study, hierarchically structured IrOx-based nanofiber catalyst materials for acidic water electrolysis are synthesized by electrospinning, a process known for its scalability and ease of operation. A calcination study at various temperatures from 400 to 800 °C is employed to find the best candidates for both electrocatalytic activity and stability. Morphology, structure, phase, and chemical composition are investigated using a scale-bridging approach by SEM, TEM, XRD, and XPS to shed light on the structure-function relationship of the thermally prepared nanofibers. Activity and stability are monitored by a scanning flow cell (SFC) coupled with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). We evaluate the dissolution of all metals potentially incorporated into the final catalyst material throughout the synthesis pathway. Despite the opposite trend of performance and stability, the present study demonstrates that an optimum between these two aspects can be achieved at 600 °C, exhibiting values that are 1.4 and 2.4 times higher than those of the commercial reference material, respectively. The dissolution of metal contaminations such as Ni, Fe, and Cr remains minimal, exhibiting no correlation with the steps of the electrochemical protocol applied, thus exerting a negligible influence on the stability of the nanofibrous catalyst materials. This work demonstrates the scalability of electrospinning to produce nanofibers with enhanced catalyst utilization and their testing by SFC-ICP-MS. Moreover, it illustrates the influence of calcination temperature on the structure and chemical composition of the nanofibers, resulting in outstanding electrocatalytic performance and stability compared to commercial catalyst materials for PEMWE.

RESUMEN

This study aimed to investigate the impact of slightly acidic electrolyzed water combined with lithium magnesium silicate hydrosol on the quality of fresh slices of Gastrodia elata under varying storage temperatures, including room temperature fresh slices of Gastrodia elata 25 °C and 37 °C. Fresh slices of Gastrodia elata 25 and 37 samples were stored for 13 days and extensively analyzed for color, weight loss, decay index, bacterial count, vitamin C, and polysaccharide contents during different storage periods. The findings revealed that the slightly acidic electrolyzed water + hydrosol treatment notably decreased weight loss and decay index compared to distilled water and slightly acidic electrolyzed water treatments. Moreover, fresh slices of Gastrodia elata treated with slightly acidic electrolyzed water + hydrosol exhibited untraceable bacterial counts after 3 days, with counts starting to increase after 7 days of storage. The bacterial counts rose from 3.25 to 5.36 and from 4.13 to 5.79 log CFU/g under both storage conditions. The application of slightly acidic electrolyzed water + hydrosol resulted in reduced chromaticity values of L*, a*, and b* on the Gastrodia elata surface, along with a lower percentage loss of polysaccharide contents and vitamin C compared to distilled water and slightly acidic electrolyzed water treatments. These results suggested that Gastrodia elata treated with slightly acidic electrolyzed water + hydrosol maintained its quality characteristics and nutritional attributes, exhibiting greater stability during storage.