There is increasing interest in developing food-grade coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) ingredients for functional food formulations. This paper reported a spray-drying microencapsulation of CoQ10 (in olive oil) ...using different food-grade biopolymers soy protein isolate (SPI), pea protein isolate (PPI), defatted milk powder and octenylsuccinic anhydride-modified starch (OSA) as the emulsifiers and wall materials, with the aim to improve its water solubility, stability and bioaccessibility. To improve the microencapsulation, maltodextrin (with a dextrose equivalent value of 16) was blended with the emulsifiers to produce the spray-dried microencapsulates. The type of proteins affected their physicochemical characteristics, including particle size, surface hydrophobicity and ξ-potential, which accordingly led to the differences in characteristics of the formed emulsions, e.g. droplet size and distribution profile, flocculated state of droplets, stability against coalescence and creaming, as well as interfacial protein concentration. All the microencapsulate preparations exhibited high encapsulation efficiency and good redispersion and/or dissolution behavior, though the encapsulation efficiency and dissolution behavior varied with the type of applied emulsifiers. The better encapsulation efficiency and dissolution behavior were largely related to the higher interfacial emulsifier concentration of the corresponding original emulsions. Furthermore, the microencapsulation remarkably improved the UV- or heat- stability, as well as the in vitro bioaccessibility of CoQ10. The improvement also distinctly varied with the type of applied emulsifiers. The results suggest that the spray-drying microencapsulation is an effective technique to improve the low water solubility and bioavailability of CoQ10, however, the choice of emulsifiers or wall materials is important for the optimization of the CoQ10 encapsulation.
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•Spray-dried CoQ10 microencapsulates was prepared using different emulsifiers and wall materials.•The microencapsulates exhibited high encapsulation efficiency and good water dispersibility.•The microencapsulation remarkably improved the stability and in vitro bioaccessibility of CoQ10.•The encapsulation efficiency was largely related to the interfacial emulsifier concentration.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Purpose
This report presents the methods and results of the Thoracic Auto‐Segmentation Challenge organized at the 2017 Annual Meeting of American Association of Physicists in Medicine. The purpose of ...the challenge was to provide a benchmark dataset and platform for evaluating performance of autosegmentation methods of organs at risk (OARs) in thoracic CT images.
Methods
Sixty thoracic CT scans provided by three different institutions were separated into 36 training, 12 offline testing, and 12 online testing scans. Eleven participants completed the offline challenge, and seven completed the online challenge. The OARs were left and right lungs, heart, esophagus, and spinal cord. Clinical contours used for treatment planning were quality checked and edited to adhere to the RTOG 1106 contouring guidelines. Algorithms were evaluated using the Dice coefficient, Hausdorff distance, and mean surface distance. A consolidated score was computed by normalizing the metrics against interrater variability and averaging over all patients and structures.
Results
The interrater study revealed highest variability in Dice for the esophagus and spinal cord, and in surface distances for lungs and heart. Five out of seven algorithms that participated in the online challenge employed deep‐learning methods. Although the top three participants using deep learning produced the best segmentation for all structures, there was no significant difference in the performance among them. The fourth place participant used a multi‐atlas‐based approach. The highest Dice scores were produced for lungs, with averages ranging from 0.95 to 0.98, while the lowest Dice scores were produced for esophagus, with a range of 0.55–0.72.
Conclusion
The results of the challenge showed that the lungs and heart can be segmented fairly accurately by various algorithms, while deep‐learning methods performed better on the esophagus. Our dataset together with the manual contours for all training cases continues to be available publicly as an ongoing benchmarking resource.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Genetically site-specific introduction of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) for protein conjugation generally requires incorporation through exogenous feeding of chemically synthesized ncAAs. We ...developed a p-amino-phenylalanine (pAF)-based relay system that enables site-specific functionalization of proteins without chemical synthesis of the building blocks. pAF was biosynthesized under optimized conditions, followed by site-specific incorporation into a specific protein residue. The resulting protein was ready for functionalization using an oxidative conjugation reaction. We demonstrated the use of this relay system by preparing a fluorophore-labeled anti-HER2 single-chain variable fragment antibody for fluorescent imaging.
Background CANT1, as calcium-activated protein nucleotidase 1, is a kind of phosphatase. It is overexpressed in some tumors and related to poor prognosis, but few studies explore its function and ...carcinogenic mechanism in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods The expression of CANT1 mRNA and protein was analyzed by the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and immunohistochemistry(IHC) staining. The relationship between CANT1 expression and clinicopathology was evaluated by various public databases. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the diagnostic accuracy of CANT1 by the area under curve (AUC). Univariate, multivariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier curves were applied to evaluate the predictive value of CANT1 on the prognosis of HCC. Methsurv was used to analyze gene changes and DNA methylation, and its impact on prognosis. The enrichment analysis of DEGs associated with CANT1 revealed the biological process of CANT1 based on Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). The relationship between immune cell infiltration level and CANT1 expression in HCC was investigated using the single-sample GSEA (ssGSEA) method and the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database. Finally, the association between CANT1 and immune checkpoints and drug sensitivity was also analyzed. Results CANT1 was highly expressed in 22 cancers, including HCC, and CANT1 overexpression in HCC was confirmed by IHC. The expression of CANT1 was correlated with clinical features, such as histologic grade. Highly expressed CANT1 caused poor overall survival (OS) of HCC patients. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis suggested that CANT1 was an independent prognostic marker. Of the 31 DNA methylation at CpG sites, three CpG sites were associated with the prognosis of HCC. GSEA indicated that CANT1 was mainly involved in the cell cycle, DNA replication, and etc. Moreover, CANT1 expression was correlated with immune cell infiltration and independently associated with the prognosis of HCC patients. Finally, CANT1 expression was correlated with most immune checkpoints and drug sensitivity. Conclusion CANT1 may be a latent oncogene of HCC, and associated with immune cells and immune checkpoints, which may assist in HCC treatment. Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma, CANT1, Prognosis, Immune cell infiltration, Immune checkpoints
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
A broadband dual‐polarised reconfigurable frequency selective surface (RFSS) based on general dual‐branch parallel circuit model is proposed by the authors. The specific circuit model is constructed ...to feature the switchable functions of transmission and reflection characteristics by introducing a parallel branch. It is beneficial to clarify the operating mechanism and provide an effective guidance to satisfy the switching bandwidth requirements of the desired RFSS. In order to validate the proposed concept of the dual‐branch parallel circuit model, a broadband dual‐polarised RFSS prototype has been designed, fabricated and measured. A satisfactory agreement can be reached between the synthesis, simulation and measurement. The experimental results exhibit the merits of low insertion loss, broad switching bandwidth and good angular stability for different polarisation and different incident angles.
A broadband dual‐polarised reconfigurable frequency selective surface (RFSS) based on general dual‐branch parallel circuit model is proposed. The specific circuit model is constructed to feature the switchable functions of transmission and reflection characteristics, by introducing a parallel branch. It is beneficial to clarifying the operating mechanism and providing an effective guidance to satisfy the switching bandwidth requirements of the desired RFSS.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Objective
The purpose of this study is to explore the application value of two‐dimensional ultrasound and shear wave elastography (SWE) in the multidimensional evaluation of diastasis recti abdominis ...(DRA) during different gestational periods.
Methods
A cohort of 202 gravidas that were examined in our hospital between June 2021 and September 2022 were selected for the purpose of the study, which included 26 cases with <14 weeks of pregnancy, 36 cases in the 14th–27th week of pregnancy, 36 cases in the 28th–34th week of pregnancy, 32 cases in the 35th–38th week of pregnancy, 45 cases at 42 days postpartum, and 27 cases at 3 months postpartum. The inter‐rectus distance (IRD) and the thickness in each gestational period were measured, and Young's modulus of the rectus abdominis at different gestational periods was measured using SWE by two sonographers. The differences in IRD, thickness, and elasticity characteristics during different periods, and the correlation between rectus abdominis elasticity and IRD, thickness, body mass index (BMI), neonatal weight, and delivery mode were analyzed and compared. The consistency of SWE parameters obtained by different sonographers was also compared.
Results
There were significant differences in IRD, thickness, and Young's modulus during different gestational periods (P = .000, P < .001, P < .001). Early postpartum IRD and Young's modulus did not restore to the level of early pregnancy (P < .001, P < .001), while the thickness of rectus abdominis was not significantly different from that of early pregnancy (P = .211). The Young's modulus of rectus abdominis was negatively correlated with the IRD (r = .515), positively correlated with the thickness of rectus abdominis (r = .408), and weakly negatively correlated with maternal BMI (r = −.296). There was no significant correlation with neonatal weight or delivery mode (P = .147, .648). The Bland–Altman plot showed that the two sonographers had good consistency in evaluating the elasticity of rectus abdominis by SWE.
Conclusion
The multidimensional evaluation of DRA by ultrasound is feasible and IRD and Young's modulus can be used to evaluate the postpartum recovery of DRA. The combination of the two can objectively reflect the severity of DRA morphology and function.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Monopolar spindle‐1 (Mps1) is a critical interphase regulator that also involves into the spindle assembly checkpoint for the cell cycle control in both mitosis and meiosis. However, the functions of ...Mps1 during mouse early embryo development is still unclear. In this study, we reported the important roles of Mps1 in the first cleavage of mouse embryos. Our data indicated that the loss of Mps1 activity caused precocious cleavage of zygotes to 2‐cell embryos; however, prolonged culture disturbed the early embryo development to the blastocyst. We found that the spindle organization was disrupted after Mps1 inhibition, and the chromosomes were misaligned in the first cleavage. Moreover, the kinetochore–microtubule attachment was lost and Aurora B failed to accumulate to the kinetochores, indicating that the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) was activated. Furthermore, the inhibition of Mps1 activity resulted in an increase of DNA damage, which further induced oxidative stress, showing with positive γ‐H2A.X signal and increased reactive oxygen species level. Ultimately, irreparable DNA damage and oxidative stress‐activated apoptosis and autophagy, which was confirmed by the positive Annexin‐V signal and increased autophagosomes. Taken together, our data indicated that Mps1 played important roles in the control of SAC and DNA repair during mouse early embryo development.
Our data indicated that monopolar spindles‐1 played important roles in the control of spindle assembly checkpoint and DNA repair during mouse early embryo development.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT) is a conserved and fundamental process during which the maternal environment is converted to an environment of embryonic-driven development through dramatic ...reprogramming. However, how maternally supplied transcripts are dynamically regulated during MZT remains largely unknown. Herein, through genome-wide profiling of RNA 5-methylcytosine (m5C) modification in zebrafish early embryos, we found that m5C-modified maternal mRNAs display higher stability than non-m5C-modified mRNAs during MZT. We discovered that Y-box binding protein 1 (Ybx1) preferentially recognizes m5C-modified mRNAs through π-π interactions with a key residue, Trp45, in Ybx1’s cold shock domain (CSD), which plays essential roles in maternal mRNA stability and early embryogenesis of zebrafish. Together with the mRNA stabilizer Pabpc1a, Ybx1 promotes the stability of its target mRNAs in an m5C-dependent manner. Our study demonstrates an unexpected mechanism of RNA m5C-regulated maternal mRNA stabilization during zebrafish MZT, highlighting the critical role of m5C mRNA modification in early development.
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•RNA-BisSeq revealed a dynamic RNA m5C landscape during zebrafish embryogenesis•Ybx1 preferentially recognizes m5C-modified mRNAs•Ybx1 deficiency leads to early gastrulation defects in zebrafish embryos•Ybx1 and Pabpc1a coordinately regulate m5C-modified maternal mRNA stability
RNA modifications exert important effects in many critical physiological processes. Using RNA-BisSeq, Yang et al. provide a comprehensive view of the RNA m5C landscape in zebrafish early embryos and show that m5C-modified maternal mRNAs are stabilized by Ybx1 and Pabpc1a during zebrafish MZT.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Plants are known to respond to Ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B: 280-320 nm) by generating phenolic metabolites which absorbs UV-B light. Phenolics are extraordinarily abundant in
leaves and are ...considered, together with pleasant volatile terpenoids, as primary flavor determinants in tea beverages. In this study, we focused on the effects of UV-B exposure (at 35 μW cm
for 0, 0.5, 2, and 8 h) on tea transcriptional and metabolic alterations, specifically related to tea flavor metabolite production. Out of 34,737 unigenes, a total of 18,081 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) due to UV-B treatments were identified. Additionally, the phenylpropanoid pathway was found as one of the most significantly UV-B affected top 20 KEGG pathways while flavonoid and monoterpenoid pathway-related genes were enhanced at 0.5 h. In the UVR8-signal transduction pathway,
was suppressed at both short and long exposure of UV-B with genes downstream differentially expressed. Divergent expression of
at different treatments could have differentially altered structural and regulatory genes upstream of flavonoid biosynthesis pathways. Suppression of
at 0.5 h could have led to the up-regulation of structural
, and
genes resulting in accumulation of specialized metabolites at a shorter duration of UV-B exposure. Specialized metabolite profiling revealed the correlated alterations in the abundances of catechins and some volatile terpenoids in all the treatments with significant accumulation of specialized metabolites at 0.5 h treatment. A significant increase in specialized metabolites at 0.5 h treatment and no significant alteration observed at longer UVB treatment suggested that shorter exposure to UV-B led to different display in gene expression and accumulation of specialized metabolites in tea shoots in response to UV-B stress. Taken together, our results indicated that the UV-B treatment applied in this study differentially altered the UVR8-signal transduction, flavonoid and terpenoid pathways at transcriptional and metabolic levels in tea plants. Our results show strong potential for UV-B application in flavor improvement in tea at the industrial level.
Conjugated polymers have been widely adopted as active materials in hydrogel‐based stretchable supercapacitors, but the relatively low conductivity and poor structural stability limit their ...applications. Herein, highly conductive graphene was incorporated as a substrate to anchor polyaniline (PANI) in a hydrogel‐based stretchable electrode. Graphene not only provided an effective conducting network in the electrode, but also stabilized PANI during repeating charge‐discharge processes due to strong π‐π interaction between graphene and PANI. The obtained electrode showed high capacitance of 500.13 mF cm−2 and 100 % capacitance retention after 10000 charge‐discharge cycles. The symmetrical supercapacitor using this novel stretchable electrode showed a high capacitance of 218.26 mF cm−2, high capacitance retention of 43 % even when stretched at 150 % strain, and no capacitance decay when stretched to 100 % and then released to 0 % repeatedly for 2000 cycles, all of which were much better than the device based on the electrode without adding graphene. Such outstanding electrochemical performance shows the great application potential of highly conductive graphene in conjugated polymer‐based stretchable energy storage devices.
A bit of a stretch: As an effective conductivity enhancer and immobilizing substrate, highly conductive graphene promotes the property of conjugated polymers in hydrogel‐based stretchable supercapacitors. The electrode shows high capacitance of 500.13 mF cm−2 and 100 % capacitance retention after 10000 charge‐discharge cycles. The assembled symmetrical supercapacitor shows a high capacitance of 218.26 mF cm−2, and no capacitance decay during stretch‐releasing cycles.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
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