Restricted by the inherent property of low power density, acoustic energy can hardly be effectively captured by conventional piezo- or triboelectric nanogenerators for powering miniature electronics. ...Herein, a novel piezo–tribo hybrid nanogenerator employing nanoporous polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hollow fiber and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) valve, which can mimic the eardrum, has been advocated for efficient acoustic harvesting. The nanoporous, hollow, and valve structure design, together with the effective combination of piezo- and triboelectricity, make the nanoporous PVDF hollow fiber and PDMS valve based acoustic harvester (PHVAH) a promising candidate for acoustic–electric conversion. With an optimal output of 105.5 V and 16.7 μA and a power density of 0.92 W m–2 under the sound stimulation of 117.6 dB and 150 Hz, it can not only recognize audio signals but also convert the sound into electrical energy to light up seven LED bulbs in series. Exhibiting excellent durability and stability, the disruptive innovation proposed here is an effective method for hunting the ubiquitous sound energy in the environment, which provides great potential and impetus for using acoustic–electric conversion to power various low-power-consumption sensors.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I) pectin is composed of backbone of repeating disaccharide units →2)-α-L-Rhap-(1→4)-α-D-GalpA-(1→ and neutral sugar side-chains mainly consisting of arabinose and galactose ...having variable types of linkages. However, since traditional pectin extraction methods damages the RG-I structure, the characteristics and health effects of RG-I remains unclear. Recently, many studies have focused on RG-I, which is often more active than the homogalacturonan (HG) portion of pectic polysaccharides. In food products, RG-I is common to fruits and vegetables and possesses many health benefits. This timely and comprehensive review describes the many different facets of RG-I, including its dietary sources, history, metabolism and potential functionalities, all of which have been compiled to establish a platform for taking full advantage of the functional value of RG-I pectin.
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BFBNIB, GIS, IJS, KISLJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a kind of Gram-positive bacteria which can colonize in the biological gastrointestinal tract and play a variety of probiotic roles. LAB have a wide range of ...applications in industry, animal husbandry, planting, food safety, and medical science fields. Previous studies on LAB have typically concentrated on their effects on improving the digestion and absorption of the gastrointestinal tract, regulating the balance of the microflora, and inhibiting the production and accumulation of toxic substances. The resistance of LAB to cancer is a topic of growing interest and relevance. This paper provided a summary of bio-active substances of LAB when they act against cancer, as well as the safety of LAB in clinical cancer treatment. Moreover, this paper further discussed several possible directions for future research and the potential application of LAB as anti-cancer therapy.
GpsB links peptidoglycan synthases to other proteins that determine the shape of the respiratory pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus; Spn) and other low-GC Gram-positive bacteria. GpsB is ...also required for phosphorylation of proteins by the essential StkP(Spn) Ser/Thr protein kinase. Here we report three classes of frequently arising chromosomal duplications (≈21-176 genes) containing murZ (MurZ-family homolog of MurA) or murA that suppress ΔgpsB or ΔstkP. These duplications arose from three different repeated sequences and demonstrate the facility of pneumococcus to modulate gene dosage of numerous genes. Overproduction of MurZ or MurA alone or overproduction of MurZ caused by ΔkhpAB mutations suppressed ΔgpsB or ΔstkP phenotypes to varying extents. ΔgpsB and ΔstkP were also suppressed by MurZ amino-acid changes distant from the active site, including one in commonly studied laboratory strains, and by truncation or deletion of the homolog of IreB(ReoM). Unlike in other Gram-positive bacteria, MurZ is predominant to MurA in pneumococcal cells. However, ΔgpsB and ΔstkP were not suppressed by ΔclpCP, which did not alter MurZ or MurA amounts. These results support a model in which regulation of MurZ and MurA activity, likely by IreB(Spn), is the only essential requirement for StkP-mediated protein phosphorylation in exponentially growing D39 pneumococcal cells.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Background and aims:
Given the cause of self-stigmatization of patients with rare diseases is complicated, and the self-stigmatization can be prevented by managing the related risk factors. This ...study aimed to report the prevalence as well as influencing factors associated with self-stigmatization in patients with rare diseases.
Methods:
From January to April 2022, the respondent-driven sampling (RDS) method was used to select patients with rare diseases through the Chinese Organization for Rare Disorders as the subjects. Based on the theoretical model of health ecology, logistic regression analysis was used to explore the association between self-stigmatization level and sample characteristics of patients with rare diseases.
Results:
A total of 530 patients were included, 50.2% of whom were male, and most of them are under 45 years old (86.5%). The prevalence of self-stigmatization in patients with rare diseases was 85.7%. Logistic regression analysis indicated that age (OR: 0.624, 95% CI: 0.399, 0.976), mental health status (OR: 0.184, 95% CI: 0.076, 0.445), family relations (OR: 0.180, 95% CI: 0.074, 0.434), full time work (OR: 2.835, 95% CI: 1.024, 7.849) and medical insurance (OR: 0.296, 95% CI: 0.105, 0.835) were risk factors for self-stigmatization of patients with rare diseases.
Conclusions:
Chinese patients with rare diseases have a high level of self-stigmatization, and the potential risk factors are multi-level and multi-dimensional.
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NUK, OILJ, SAZU, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Due to various technical issues, existing numerical weather prediction (NWP) models often perform poorly at forecasting rainfall in the first several hours. To correct the bias of an NWP model and ...improve the accuracy of short-range precipitation forecasting, we propose a deep learning-based approach called UNetMask, which combines NWP forecasts with the output of a convolutional neural network called UNet. The UNetMask involves training the UNet on historical data from the NWP model and gridded rainfall observations for 6-hour precipitation forecasting. The overlap of the UNet output and the NWP forecasts at the same rainfall threshold yields a mask. The UNetMask blends the UNet output and the NWP forecasts by taking the maximum between them and passing through the mask, which provides the corrected 6-hour rainfall forecasts. We evaluated UNetMask on a test set and in real-time verification. The results showed that UNetMask outperforms the NWP model in 6-hour precipitation prediction by reducing the FAR and improving CSI scores. Sensitivity tests also showed that different small rainfall thresholds applied to the UNet and the NWP model have different effects on UNetMask’s forecast performance. This study shows that UNetMask is a promising approach for improving rainfall forecasting of NWP models.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
The present research was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of Lactobacillus plantarum and its fermentation products on growth performance, specific immune function, ...intestinal pH, and cecal microorganisms in yellow-feather broilers. A total of 1,200 yellow-feather broilers of similar weight and good health condition at 1 d of age were selected and randomly divided into 5 groups. The CK group was fed the basal diet, and the experimental group (I, II, III, IV) were supplemented with 0.1, 0.15% L. plantarum and 3, 4% L. plantarum fermentation products. The results showed that each treatment could improve the growth performance (P < 0.05) and feed conversion rate of yellow-feather broilers. Besides, the pH value of the gastrointestinal tract of yellow-feather broilers (P < 0.05) was significantly reduced through the use of L. plantarum and its fermentation products as additives, which also facilitated the animals to regulate the balance of cecal microorganisms. The immune function assay showed that the bursal index (P < 0.05), spleen index (P < 0.05), and the content of serum immunoglobulins IgA and IgG (P < 0.05) were significantly increased in yellow-finned broilers aged 1 to 21 d by supplementing the diet with L. plantarum. In conclusion, adding L. plantarum or its fermentation products to the diet can improve the growth performance of yellow-feather broilers, and the direct addition of L. plantarum is better than adding fermentation products.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Dietary intake of potato starch could induce a dramatic increase in blood glucose and is positively associated with chronic metabolic diseases (type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc.). Grape ...seed proanthocyanidins (GSP) are known to decrease starch digestion by inhibiting digestive enzymes or changing the physicochemical properties of starch. In the present study, GSP were complexed with potato starch to prepare polyphenol-starch complexes. The physiochemical properties and digestibility of complexes were investigated by in vitro digestion model, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, rapid visco analyzer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy as well as texture profile analysis. Results indicated that the peak viscosity, breakdown, trough, and setback of the complexes disappeared, replaced by a special continuous increase in paste viscosity. The complexes showed a lower final viscosity and higher thermal stability with the increasing binding amount of GSP. GSP decreased the hardness of the complexes' gel significantly. FT-IR indicated that GSP might interact with potato starch through noncovalent forces. Additionally, the complexes also showed a higher content of slowly digestible starch and resistant starch than that of the native starch. Thus, we inferred that the addition of GSP could modify the digestibility of potato starch and be an optional way to modify the starch with lower digestion.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract Unicystic ameloblastoma (UAM) of the jaw can be effectively reduced in volume through decompression, which promotes bone regeneration and restores jaw symmetry. This study quantitatively ...evaluated changes in mandible volume and symmetry following decompression of mandibular UAM. This study included 17 patients who underwent surgical decompression followed by second-stage curettage for mandibular UAM. Preoperative and postoperative three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) images were collected. Bone volume and the area of cortical perforation were measured to assess bone growth during decompression. Mandibular volumetric symmetry was analyzed by calculating the volumetric ratio of the two sides of the mandible. Twelve pairs of landmarks were identified on the surface of the lesion regions, and their coordinates were used to calculate the mean asymmetry index (AI) of the mandible. Paired t -tests and the Mann–Whitney U test were used for statistical analysis, with p < 0.05 considered indicative of statistical significance. The mean duration of decompression was 9.41 ± 3.28 months. The mean bone volume increased by 8.07 ± 2.41%, and cortical perforation recovery was 71.97 ± 14.99%. The volumetric symmetry of the mandible improved significantly (p < 0.05), and a statistically significant decrease in AI was observed (p < 0.05). In conclusion, UAM decompression enhances bone growth and symmetry recovery of the mandible. The present evaluation technique is clinically useful for quantitatively assessing mandibular asymmetry.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Summary
In ellipsoid‐shaped ovococcus bacteria, such as the pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), side‐wall (peripheral) peptidoglycan (PG) synthesis emanates from midcells and is ...catalyzed by the essential class B penicillin‐binding protein PBP2b transpeptidase (TP). We report that mutations that inactivate the pneumococcal YceG‐domain protein, Spd_1346 (renamed MltG), remove the requirement for PBP2b. ΔmltG mutants in unencapsulated strains accumulate inactivation mutations of class A PBP1a, which possesses TP and transglycosylase (TG) activities. The ‘synthetic viable’ genetic relationship between Δpbp1a and ΔmltG mutations extends to essential ΔmreCD and ΔrodZ mutations that misregulate peripheral PG synthesis. Remarkably, the single MltG(Y488D) change suppresses the requirement for PBP2b, MreCD, RodZ and RodA. Structural modeling and comparisons, catalytic‐site changes and an interspecies chimera indicate that pneumococcal MltG is the functional homologue of the recently reported MltG endo‐lytic transglycosylase of Escherichia coli. Depletion of pneumococcal MltG or mltG(Y488D) increases sphericity of cells, and MltG localizes with peripheral PG synthesis proteins during division. Finally, growth of Δpbp1a ΔmltG or mltG(Y488D) mutants depends on induction of expression of the WalRK TCS regulon of PG hydrolases. These results fit a model in which MltG releases anchored PG glycan strands synthesized by PBP1a for crosslinking by a PBP2b:RodA complex in peripheral PG synthesis.
An endo‐lytic transglycosylase, named MltGSpn, is reported as a new component of the peripheral (side‐wall‐like) peptidoglycan (PG) synthesis machine in the ovococcus pathogen, Streptococcus pneumoniae. ‘Synthetic viable’ combinations of null mutations and a single MltG(Y488D) change suppress the requirement for the essential PBP2b, MreCD, RodZ and RodA proteins and suggest a genetic interaction between PBP2b and RodA. A model is proposed in which MltG releases newly synthesized glycan chains for crosslinking in peripheral PG synthesis.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
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