A novel AgNPs/MOF substrate-based SERS sensor for high-sensitive on-site detection of wheat gluten

Gluten,known as the major allergen in wheat,has gained increasing concerns in industrialized countries,resulting in an urgent need for accurate,high-sensitive,and on-site detection of wheat gluten in complex food systems.Herein,we proposed a silver nanoparticles(AgNPs)/metal-organic framework(MOF)substrate-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering(SERS)sensor for the high-sensitive on-site detection of wheat gluten.The detection occurred on the newly in-situ synthesized AgNPs/MOF-modified SERS substrate,providing an enhancement factor(EF)of 1.89×10^(5).Benefitting from the signal amplification function of AgNPs/MOF and the superiority of SERS,this sensor represented high sensitivity performance and a wide detection range from 1×10^(-15)mol/L to 2×10^(-6)mol/L with a detection limit of 1.16×10^(-16)mol/L,which allowed monitoring the trace of wheat gluten in complex food system without matrix interference.This reliable sandwich SERS sensor may provide a promising platform for high-sensitive,accurate,and on-site detection of allergens in the field of food safety.

Recent Advances in Aqueous Zn||MnO_(2)Batteries

Recently,rechargeable aqueous zinc-based batteries using manganese oxide as the cathode(e.g.,MnO_(2))have gained attention due to their inherent safety,environmental friendliness,and low cost.Despite their potential,achieving high energy density in Zn||MnO_(2)batteries remains challenging,highlighting the need to understand the electrochemical reaction mechanisms underlying these batteries more deeply and optimize battery components,including electrodes and electrolytes.This review comprehensively summarizes the latest advancements for understanding the electrochemistry reaction mechanisms and designing electrodes and electrolytes for Zn||MnO_(2)batteries in mildly and strongly acidic environments.Furthermore,we highlight the key challenges hindering the extensive application of Zn||MnO_(2)batteries,including high-voltage requirements and areal capacity,and propose innovative solutions to overcome these challenges.We suggest that MnO_(2)/Mn^(2+)conversion in neutral electrolytes is a crucial aspect that needs to be addressed to achieve high-performance Zn||MnO_(2)batteries.These approaches could lead to breakthroughs in the future development of Zn||MnO_(2)batteries,off ering a more sustainable,costeff ective,and high-performance alternative to traditional batteries.

Two-Dimensional Materials for Highly Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells

Perovskite solar cells(PSCs)offer low costs and high power conversion efficiency.However,the lack of long-term stability,primarily stemming from the interfacial defects and the sus-ceptible metal electrodes,hinders their practical application.In the past few years,two-dimensional(2D)materials(e.g.,graphene and its derivatives,transitional metal dichalcogenides,MXenes,and black phosphorus)have been identified as a promising solution to solving these problems because of their dangling bond-free surfaces,layer-dependent electronic band structures,tunable functional groups,and inherent compactness.Here,recent progress of 2D material toward efficient and stable PSCs is summarized,including its role as both interface materials and electrodes.We discuss their beneficial effects on perovskite growth,energy level alignment,defect passivation,as well as blocking external stimulus.In particular,the unique properties of 2D materials to form van der Waals heterojunction at the bottom interface are emphasized.Finally,perspectives on the further development of PSCs using 2D materials are provided,such as designing high-quality van der Waals heterojunction,enhancing the uniformity and coverage of 2D nanosheets,and developing new 2D materials-based electrodes.

Food-derived bio-functional peptides for the management of hyperuricemia and associated mechanism

Hyperuricemia,a metabolic disorder related to uric acid metabolism dysregulation,has become a common metabolic disease worldwide,due to changes in lifestyle and dietary structure.In recent years,owing to their high activity and few adverse effects,food-derived active peptides used as functional foods against hyperuricemia have attracted increasing attention.This article aims to focus on the challenge associated with peptide-specific preparation methods development,functional components identification,action mechanism(s)clarification,and bioavailability improvement.The current review proposed recent advances in producing the food-derived peptides with high anti-hyperuricemia activity by protein source screening and matched enzymatic hydrolysis condition adjusting,increased the knowledge about strategies to search antihyperuricemia peptides with definite structure,and emphasized the necessity of combining computer-aided approaches and activity evaluations.In addition,novel action mechanism mediated by gut microbiota was discussed,providing different insights from classical mechanism.Moreover,considering that little attention was paid previously on the structure-activity relationships of anti-hyperuricemia peptides,we collected the sequences from published studies and make a preliminary summary about the structure-activity relationships,which in turn provided guides for enzymatic hydrolysis optimization and bioavailability improvement.Hopefully,this article could promote the development,application and commercialization of food-derived anti-hyperuricemia peptides in the future.

Automatic detection method of bladder tumor cells based on color and shape features

Bladder urothelial carcinoma is the most common malignant tumor disease in urinary system,and its incidence rate ranks ninth in the world.In recent years,the continuous development of hyperspectral imaging technology has provided a new tool for the auxiliary diagnosis of bladder cancer.In this study,based on microscopic hyperspectral data,an automatic detection algorithm of bladder tumor cells combining color features and shape features is proposed.Support vector machine(SVM)is used to build classification models and compare the classification performance of spectral feature,spectral and shape fusion feature,and the fusion feature proposed in this paper on the same classifier.The results show that the sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of our classification algorithm based on shape and color fusion features are 0.952,0.897,and 0.920,respectively,which are better than the classification algorithm only using spectral features.Therefore,this study can effectively extract the cell features of bladder urothelial carcinoma smear,thus achieving automatic,real-time,and noninvasive detection of bladder tumor cells,and then helping doctors improve the efficiency of pathological diagnosis of bladder urothelial cancer,and providing a reliable basis for doctors to choose treatment plans and judge the prognosis of the disease.

Comprehensive analysis of advanced glycation end-products in commonly consumed foods:presenting a database for dietary AGEs and associated exposure assessment

Advanced glycation end-products(AGEs)are a group of heterogeneous compounds formed in heatprocessed foods and are proven to be detrimental to human health.Currently,there is no comprehensive database for AGEs in foods that covers the entire range of food categories,which limits the accurate risk assessment of dietary AGEs in human diseases.In this study,we first established an isotope dilution UHPLCQq Q-MS/MS-based method for simultaneous quantification of 10 major AGEs in foods.The contents of these AGEs were detected in 334 foods covering all main groups consumed in Western and Chinese populations.Nε-Carboxymethyllysine,methylglyoxal-derived hydroimidazolone isomers,and glyoxal-derived hydroimidazolone-1 are predominant AGEs found in most foodstuffs.Total amounts of AGEs were high in processed nuts,bakery products,and certain types of cereals and meats(>150 mg/kg),while low in dairy products,vegetables,fruits,and beverages(<40 mg/kg).Assessment of estimated daily intake implied that the contribution of food groups to daily AGE intake varied a lot under different eating patterns,and selection of high-AGE foods leads to up to a 2.7-fold higher intake of AGEs through daily meals.The presented AGE database allows accurate assessment of dietary exposure to these glycotoxins to explore their physiological impacts on human health.

Immunological disturbance effect of exogenous histamine towards key immune cells

Histamine in food has attracted widespread attention due to the potential toxicity and associated health risk.However,its influences on immunological components,especially the function of key immune cells,are still poorly known.In this work,we explored the effects of exogenous histamine on the function of key immune cells such as intestinal epithelial cells,dendritic cells,and T cells.The results showed that histamine could affect the expression of allergy-related genes in CMT93 cells at a high dose of histamine.Moreover,it’s found that histamine could cause an imbalance in the levels of relevant immune factors secreted by dendritic cells and T cells,especially those related to allergy.At the same time,the proportion of MHC class IIpositive dendritic cells and the proportion of T helper 2(Th2)cells in CD4^(+)T cells increased after histamine stimulation.We concluded that the presence of a certain level of histamine in food may affect the expression of allergy-related cytokines,disrupt the balance of the immune homeostasis,and potentially lead to adverse immune reactions.This work demonstrated the importance of including the estimation of histamine’s immune safety in aquatic products rather than merely considering the potential risk of food poisoning.

Comparison of immune responses and intestinal flora in epicutaneously sensitized BALB/c or C57BL/6 mouse models of food allergy

Cutaneous exposure to food allergens through a disrupted skin barrier is recognized as an important cause of food allergy,and the cutaneous sensitized mouse model has been established to investigate relevant allergic disorders.However,the role of different genetic backgrounds of mice on immune responses to food allergens upon epicutaneous sensitization is largely unknown.In this study,two strains of mice,i.e.,the BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice,were epicutaneously sensitized with ovalbumin on atopic dermatitis(AD)-like skin lesions,followed by intragastric challenge to induce IgE-mediated food allergy.Allergic outcomes were measured as clinical signs,specific antibodies and cytokines,and immune cell subpopulations,as well as changes in intestinal barrier function and gut microbiota.Results showed that both strains of mice exhibited typical food-allergic symptoms with a Th2-skewed response.The C57BL/6 mice,rather than the BALB/c mice,were fitter for establishing an epicutaneously sensitized model of food allergy since a stronger Th2-biased response and severer disruptions in the intestinal barrier and gut homeostasis were observed.This study provides knowledge for selecting an appropriate mouse model to study food-allergic responses associated with AD-like skin lesions and highlights the role of genetic variations in the immune mechanism underlying pathogenesis of food allergy.

Oral administration of Bacillus coagulans TQ-35 alleviates allergic responses in OVA-sensitive BALB/c mice

Bacillus coagulans has been extensively studied so far,but there has been a lack of research on its usage in allergy.In this study,we designed to assess the effect of different concentrations of B.coagulans on food allergy in a BALB/c mouse model of ovalbumin(OVA)-induced food allergy and its effect on gut microbes.The assessment of symptoms,specific immunoglobulin E(IgE),T-cell differentiation,and related gene expression levels in sensitized mice by assay indicated that high doses of oral B.coagulans could alleviate allergic symptoms.Treatment with B.coagulans,in the high-dose group,significantly reduced IgE and IgG1 levels and modulated the balance of T helper type 1 cell(Th1)and Th2 and the expression of relevant genes in the spleen.16S rRNA analysis showed that probiotics improved the structure of the microbiota,in particular by boosting the percentage of Clostridia,Bacteroides vulgatus and Enterococcus faecium,and by increasing the abundance of microbial species,thereby modulating the immune system.Therefore,this study can provide insights into the practical application of B.coagulans doses to alleviate OVA allergy.

The Study on the Relationship between Dynamic Balance Energy Distribution and Spectral Stability with Voltage Change in White Organic Light Emitting Diode

The stable spectrum can be obtained when the voltage changes, which is a necessary condition for the white organic light emitting diode (WOLED) device to be widely used in the field of solid-state lighting. However, with the increase of voltage, the movement of the recombination zone (RZ) is inevitable because the perfect bipolar host material is difficult to obtain, which will redistribute the energy in the light emitting layer (EML) and affect the stability of the spectrum. We fabricate a series of ternary hybrid WOLEDs with a simple structure by inserting ultra-thin PO-T2T into the blue exciplex (TCTA:TPBi) to form the green interface exciplex. Without considering the movement of RZ, device B2 realizes the dynamic balance energy distribution in EML and stable spectrum by controlling two processes of the Dexter energy transfer and exciton capture. By modifying the doping ratio of the host material, we also find that the broadened RZ is helpful to further improve the spectral stability of the device. When the voltage changes from 3 V to 7 V, the change range of color coordinates is only (0.026, 0.025).

The Influence of Energy Transfer on the Color Temperature Change in Color-Tunable Organic Light Emitting Diodes with Interface Exciplex

The color-tunable white organic light-emitting diode (CT-WOLED) with wide correlation color temperature (CCT) has many advantages in optimizing the artificial light source to adapt to the human physiological cycle. The research on the change trend of CCT and the law of extending the change range of CCT will help to further improve the performance of this kind of device. The present work fabricated a series of CT-WOLED devices with a simple structure, which are all composed of two ultra-thin phosphor layers (PO-01 and Flrpic) and a spacer interlayer. The yellow interface exciplex (TCTA/PO-T2T) formed between the spacer layer (PO-T2T) and transmission material (TCTA) in EML will decrease the CCT value at low voltage. The relationship between the energy transfer in EML and CCT change trend is investigated by adjusting the interface exciplexes and the thickness of the interlayer or the phosphor layer in devices A, B and C, respectively. The results demonstrate that a simple OLED device with an interlayer inserted between two ultra-thin phosphor layers can achieve a wider CCT span from 3359 K to 6451 K at voltage increases from 2.75 V to 8.25 V. .

The Main Progress of Perovskite Solar Cells in 2020-2021

Perovskite solar cells(PSCs)emerging as a promising photovoltaic technology with high efficiency and low manufacturing cost have attracted the attention from all over the world.Both the efficiency and stability of PSCs have increased steadily in recent years,and the research on reducing lead leakage and developing eco-friendly lead-free perovskites pushes forward the commercialization of PSCs step by step.This review summarizes the main progress of PSCs in 2020 and 2021 from the aspects of efficiency,stability,perovskite-based tandem devices,and lead-free PSCs.Moreover,a brief discussion on the development of PSC modules and its challenges toward practical application is provided.

Application of in vitro and in vivo models in the study of food allergy

Food allergy is one of the most important food safety problems that has attracted increasing attention.The food allergy experimental models provide not only the accurate allergen detection and evaluation methods but also the powerful approaches for mechanism investigations.In this paper,we reviewed the common food allergy cell models including mast cell,basophil granulocyte and basophil,as well as the animal models of BALB/c mouse,C3H/HeJ mouse,and BN rat.We also introduced zebrafish,a promising model organism for investigating immunity though lacking direct applications in food allergy to date,and focused on traumatic inflammation,bacterial infection and viral infection models.In addition,we also summarized the clinical diagnostic research methods for food allergy.The elucidation of these topics will help researchers to understand the characteristics and mechanisms of various models and thus select the proper models for particular study,so as to support further investigations of food allergy.

治疗效果显著的1例AFP增高的原发性肺鳞癌病例报道

背景与目的产生甲胎蛋白(alpha-fetoprotein,AFP)的原发性肺鳞癌很少见,迄今为止只有4例相关报道。AFP增高的具体原因和治疗产生AFP原发性肺鳞癌的有效方案目前还不清楚。现报告1例产生AFP的肺鳞癌诊断和治疗经过,为后续临床工作提供参考价值。方法回顾性分析山东省肿瘤医院2020年10月23日收治的1例AFP增高的原发性肺鳞癌患者的诊断、治疗过程并进行文献复习。结果患者男性,52岁,初始诊断:右肺上叶鳞癌T4N3M0、Ⅲc期纵隔淋巴结转移肺内多发转移。肿瘤标记物以血清异常增高的AFP为主。两线化疗快速进展后,三线予以安罗替尼+卡瑞丽珠单抗方案治疗,2个周期和4个周期后疗效评估分别为部分反应(partial response,PR)和病情稳定(stable disease,SD)。第5个周期治疗后因消化道出血更换为白蛋白紫杉醇+卡瑞丽珠单抗方案治疗,病情得到持续控制。结论案例报道中产生AFP的原发性肺鳞癌患者对安罗替尼联合免疫治疗反应良好,可为今后临床工作和研究AFP增高的原发性肺鳞癌带来指导意义。

Low-Temperature Soft-Cover-Assisted Hydrolysis Deposition of Large-Scale TiO_2 Layer for Efficient Perovskite Solar Modules

Perovskite solar cells with TiO_2 electron transport layers exhibit power conversion efficiency(PCE) as high as 22.7% in single cells. However, the preparation process of the TiO_2 layer is adopted by an unscalable method or requires high-temperature sintering, which precludes its potential use for mass production of flexible devices. In this study, a scalable low-temperature softcover-assisted hydrolysis(SAH) method is presented,where the precursor solution is sandwiched between a soft cover and preheated substrate to form a closed hydrolysis environment. Compact homogeneous TiO_2 films with a needle-like structure were obtained after the hydrolysis of a TiCl_4 aqueous solution. Moreover, by careful optimization of the TiO_2 fabrication conditions, a high PCE of 14.01% could be achieved for a solar module(4 × 4 cm^2) prepared using the SAH method. This method provides a novel approach for the efficient scale-up of the low-temperature TiO_2 film growth for industrial applications.

D-tryptophan triggered epithelial-mesenchymal transition by activating TGF-βsignaling pathway

D-tryptophan is a special kind of nonprotein amino acid showing multiple physiological functions,but the detailed mechanisms are not fully revealed,impairing its further development and applications.This work was to investigate D-tryptophan physiological function and demonstrate the underlying mechanisms.D-tryptophan suppressed HaCaT cell proliferation but increased cell migration.Specifically,D-tryptophan decreased E-cadherin and increased Snail,Twist,and Slug expression,resulting in the development of an epithelial-mesenchymal transitions(EMT)phenomenon.Moreover,D-tryptophan promoted the expression of transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)1,and Smad4 knockout damages D-tryptophan’s ability.These results indicated that D-tryptophan stimulated HaCaT cells to produce TGF-β1 and thus activated the TGF-β/Samd pathway,resulting in the triggering of EMT.This study revealed the molecular mechanisms of D-tryptophan activity,provided D-tryptophan as a potential approach for cancer treatment,wound healing,organ development and other relevant applications.

Elevated pretreatment plasma fibrinogen level is associated with metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between pretreatment fibrinogen levels and metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Methods The study included 503 NSCLC patients with a clear pathological diagnosis and 168 patients diagnosed with benign lung diseases by histological examination.Pretreatment plasma fibrinogen values were quantified,and the relationship between plasma fibrinogen level and clinical variables comprising tumor size,metastasis,and clinical stage was examined using Kruskal-Wallis test,Wilcoxon rank sum test,and Chi-square test.Results The median plasma fibrinogen values were statistically higher in NSCLC patients with metastasis than patients with benign lung diseases and NSCLC patients without metastasis(Kruskal-Wallis test;P<0.001).Plasma fibrinogen values were also significantly higher in advanced clinical stages(Wilcoxon rank sum test;P<0.001).A significant relationship was observed between elevated fibrinogen(>2.974 g/L)and metastasis,clinical stage,and tumor size(Chi-square test;P<0.001).Conclusion This correlation suggests that elevated pretreatment plasma fibrinogen levels can predict metastasis and advanced tumor stage in NSCLC patients.

No consistent daily variation in DNA methylation detected in Populus nigra leaves by methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism analysis

DNA methylation, an epigenetic mechanism used by cells to control gene expression, has an important biological role in plant development and environmental fitness. Since plant DNA methylation is closely related to environmental conditions, variation during the day is expected. Here, in genetically identical plants of Populus nigra clone N46, DNA methylation changes in leaves over a 24 h period were detected using the methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism method. The results showed different DNA methylation patterns in mature poplar leaves: not only in individuals at the same time, but also in samples at each of the six time during the day. In addition, night samples had a higher percentage of methylation than in morning samples. However, no statistically significant differences were found among the samples gathered at different times. Similar results were obtained for three other P. nigra clones with different genetic backgrounds. Real time qPCR showed that the DNA methyltransferase genes Pt-MET1 and Pt-SOM1 involved in CG DNA methylation in poplar were stable over a 24 h period in leaves of P. nigra N46 compared with circadian-controlled genes. That could be part of the reason that methylation of CCGG sites is stable in those leaves. That DNA methylation differed even in genetically identical plants indicates the specificity of DNA methylation changes in their genomes. No statistically significant differences in methylation changes were found between day and night, suggesting that DNA methylation is more stable than expected and is unlikely to be involved in circadian regulation in plants.

Site-specific N-glycosylation characterization and allergenicity analysis of globulin-1 S allele from wheat

N-glycans in many proteins are of great concern because of their strong association with food allergies. Triticum aestivum(bread wheat), a major food crop, is known as one of the “Big Eight” allergenic groups. However, little research has been done about N-glycans in wheat glycoproteins. In this study, a soluble wheat glycoprotein was purified from wheat and further identified as globulin-1 S allele(GSA). The wheat GSA displayed significant IgE-binding activity. Moreover, one N-glycosylation site and 6 kinds of N-glycans were identified by mass spectrometry, including 3 high mannose types and 3 complex types. Furthermore, the IgE-binding activity of wheat GSA is proved to be reduced by the removal of N-glycan, thermal treatment(temperatures > 80 ℃), and strong acidic treatment(pH 3.0). These findings would provide a better understanding of the effects of N-glycosylation, thermal treatment, and acidic treatment on the molecular characteristics of GSA, and further provide new insights into the development of hypoallergenic wheat products.

An In-Situ Formed Tunneling Layer Enriches the Options of Anode for Efficient and Stable Regular Perovskite Solar Cells

Perovskite solar cells(PSCs)are taking steps to commercialization.However,the halogen-reactive anode with high cost becomes a stumbling block.Here,the halogen migration in PSCs is utilized to in situ generate a uniform tunneling layer between the hole transport materials and anodes,which enriches the options of anodes by breaking the Schottky barrier,enabling the regular PSCs with both high efficiency and stability.Specifically,the regular PSC that uses silver iodide as the tunneling layer and copper as the anode obtains a champion power conversion efficiency of 23.24%(certified 22.74%)with an aperture area of 1.04 cm^(2).The devices are stable,maintaining 98.6%of the initial effi-ciency after 500 h of operation at the maximum power point with continuous 1 sun illumination.PSCs with different tunneling layers and anodes are fabricated,which confirm the generality of the strategy.