Decoding the nexus:branched-chain amino acids and their connection with sleep,circadian rhythms,and cardiometabolic health

The sleep-wake cycle stands as an integrative process essential for sustaining optimal brain function and,either directly or indirectly,overall body health,encompassing metabolic and cardiovascular well-being.Given the heightened metabolic activity of the brain,there exists a considerable demand for nutrients in comparison to other organs.Among these,the branched-chain amino acids,comprising leucine,isoleucine,and valine,display distinctive significance,from their contribution to protein structure to their involvement in overall metabolism,especially in cerebral processes.Among the first amino acids that are released into circulation post-food intake,branched-chain amino acids assume a pivotal role in the regulation of protein synthesis,modulating insulin secretion and the amino acid sensing pathway of target of rapamycin.Branched-chain amino acids are key players in influencing the brain's uptake of monoamine precursors,competing for a shared transporter.Beyond their involvement in protein synthesis,these amino acids contribute to the metabolic cycles ofγ-aminobutyric acid and glutamate,as well as energy metabolism.Notably,they impact GABAergic neurons and the excitation/inhibition balance.The rhythmicity of branchedchain amino acids in plasma concentrations,observed over a 24-hour cycle and conserved in rodent models,is under circadian clock control.The mechanisms underlying those rhythms and the physiological consequences of their disruption are not fully understood.Disturbed sleep,obesity,diabetes,and cardiovascular diseases can elevate branched-chain amino acid concentrations or modify their oscillatory dynamics.The mechanisms driving these effects are currently the focal point of ongoing research efforts,since normalizing branched-chain amino acid levels has the ability to alleviate the severity of these pathologies.In this context,the Drosophila model,though underutilized,holds promise in shedding new light on these mechanisms.Initial findings indicate its potential to introduce novel concepts,particularly in elucidating the intricate connections between the circadian clock,sleep/wake,and metabolism.Consequently,the use and transport of branched-chain amino acids emerge as critical components and orchestrators in the web of interactions across multiple organs throughout the sleep/wake cycle.They could represent one of the so far elusive mechanisms connecting sleep patterns to metabolic and cardiovascular health,paving the way for potential therapeutic interventions.

Insights into the changes in the surface properties of goethite with Ni in the lattice in the presence of salicylhydroxamic acid:Experimental and density functional theory studies

Comparative experiments and theoretical analysis of the surface chemistry changes of goethite(GT)and goethite containing Ni(GTN)in the lattice in the presence of salicylhydroxamic acid(SA)were performed.It was revealed that in the presence of 100 g·t^(-1)of SA,the flotation recovery of GTN and GT increased with increasing pH,achieving a maximum recovery of 98.9%for both minerals at p H 8.3 and decreasing beyond that pH,with GTN having a slightly higher recovery than GT,except at pH 8.3.This was further confirmed by the higher complexation energies of GTN···SA(-883.87 kJ·mol^(-1))compared with GT···SA(-604.23 kJ·mol^(-1))resulting from covalent,closed-shell,and conventional hydrogen bonding.The higher adsorption of SA onto GTN relative to GT was due to the formation of aπ-hole in GTN,thereby promoting a higher interaction of the collector with the mineral.Thus,the presence of Ni in the GT lattice improves and decreases the adsorption and desorption of SA onto and from the mineral,respectively,compared with those onto and from GT.

Complete kinetic model for esterification reaction of lauric acid with glycerol to synthesize glycerol monolaurate

Glycerol monolaurate(GML)is a widely used industrial chemical with excellent emulsification and antibacterial effect.The direct esterification of glycerol with lauric acid is the main method to synthesize GML.In this work,the kinetic process of direct esterification was systematically studied using p-toluenesulfonic acid as catalyst.A complete kinetic model of consecutive esterification reaction has been established,and the kinetic equation of acid catalysis was deduced.The isomerization reactions of GML and glycerol dilaurate were investigated.It was found that the reaction was an equilibrium reaction and the reaction rate was faster than the esterification reaction.The kinetic equations of the consecutive esterification reaction were obtained by experiments as k_(1)=(276+92261Xcat)exp(-37720/RT)and k_(2)=(80+4413Xcat)exp(-32240/RT).The kinetic results are beneficial to the optimization of operating conditions and reactor design in GML production process.

Interfacial modification using the cross-linkable tannic acid for highly-efficient perovskite solar cells with excellent stability

Although the performance of perovskite solar cells(PSCs)has been dramatically increased in recent years,stability is still the main obstacle preventing the PSCs from being commercial.PSC device instability can be caused by a variety of reasons,including ions diffusion,surface and grain boundary defects,etc.In this work,the cross-linkable tannic acid(TA)is introduced to modify perovskite film through post-treatment method.The numerous organic functional groups(–OH and C=O)in TA can interact with the uncoordinated Pb^(2+)and I^(-)ions in perovskite,thus passivating defects and inhibiting ions diffusion.In addition,the formed TA network can absorb a small amount of the residual moisture inside the device to protect the perovskite layer.Furthermore,TA modification regulates the energy level of perovskite,and reduces interfacial charge recombination.Ultimately,following TA treatment,the device efficiency is increased significantly from 21.31%to 23.11%,with a decreased hysteresis effect.Notably,the treated device shows excellent air,thermal,and operational stability.In light of this,the readily available,inexpensive TA has the potential to operate as a multipurpose interfacial modifier to increase device efficiency while also enhancing device stability.

Stabilizing perovskite precursors with the reductive natural amino acid for printable mesoscopic perovskite solar cells

Solution processability significantly advances the development of highly-efficient perovskite solar cells.However,the precursor solution tends to undergo irreversible degradation reactions,impairing the device performance and reproducibility.Here,we utilize a reductive natural amino acid,Nacetylcysteine(NALC),to stabilize the precursor solution for printable carbon-based hole-conductorfree mesoscopic perovskite solar cells.We find that I_(2) can be generated in the aged solution containing methylammonium iodide(MI) in an inert atmosphere and speed up the MA-FA^(+)(formamidinium) reaction which produces large-size cations and hinders the formation of perovskite phase.NALC effectively stabilizes the precursor via its sulfhydryl group which reduces I_(2) back to I^(-)and provides H^(+).The NALC-stabilized precursor which is aged for 1440 h leads to devices with a power conversion efficiency equivalent to 98% of that for devices prepared with the fresh precursor.Furthermore,NALC improves the device power conversion efficiency from 16.16% to 18.41% along with enhanced stability under atmospheric conditions by modifying grain boundaries in perovskite films and reducing associated defects.

Gut microbiota induced abnormal amino acids and their correlation with diabetic retinopathy

AIM:To explore the correlation of gut microbiota and the metabolites with the progression of diabetic retinopathy(DR)and provide a novel strategy to elucidate the pathological mechanism of DR.METHODS:The fecal samples from 32 type 2 diabetes patients with proliferative retinopathy(PDR),23 with nonproliferative retinopathy(NPDR),27 without retinopathy(DM),and 29 from the sex-,age-and BMI-matched healthy controls(29 HC)were analyzed by 16S rDNA gene sequencing.Sixty fecal samples from PDR,DM,and HC groups were assayed by untargeted metabolomics.Fecal metabolites were measured using liquid chromatographymass spectrometry(LC-MS)analysis.Associations between gut microbiota and fecal metabolites were analyzed.RESULTS:A cluster of 2 microbiome and 12 metabolites accompanied with the severity of DR,and the close correlation of the disease progression with PDR-related microbiome and metabolites were found.To be specific,the structure of gut microbiota differed in four groups.Diversity and richness of gut microbiota were significantly lower in PDR and NPDR groups,than those in DM and HC groups.A cluster of microbiome enriched in PDR group,including Pseudomonas,Ruminococcaceae-UCG-002,Ruminococcaceae-UCG-005,Christensenellaceae-R-7,was observed.Functional analysis showed that the glucose and nicotinate degradations were significantly higher in PDR group than those in HC group.Arginine,serine,ornithine,and arachidonic acid were significantly enriched in PDR group,while proline was enriched in HC group.Functional analysis illustrated that arginine biosynthesis,lysine degradation,histidine catabolism,central carbon catabolism in cancer,D-arginine and D-ornithine catabolism were elevated in PDR group.Correlation analysis revealed that Ruminococcaceae-UCG-002 and Christensenellaceae-R-7 were positively associated with L-arginine,ornithine levels in fecal samples.CONCLUSION:This study elaborates the different microbiota structure in the gut from four groups.The relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae-UCG-002 and Parabacteroides are associated with the severity of DR.Amino acid and fatty acid catabolism is especially disordered in PDR group.This may help provide a novel diagnostic parameter for DR,especially PDR.

Low crude protein formulation with supplemental amino acids for its impacts on intestinal health and growth performance of growing-finishing pigs

Background Low crude protein(CP)formulations with supplemental amino acids(AA)are used to enhance intestinal health,reduce costs,minimize environmental impact,and maintain growth performance of pigs.However,extensive reduction of dietary CP can compromise growth performance due to limited synthesis of non-essential AA and limited availability of bioactive compounds from protein supplements even when AA requirements are met.Moreover,implementing a low CP formulation can increase the net energy(NE)content in feeds causing excessive fat deposition.Additional supplementation of functional AA,coupled with low CP formulation could further enhance intestinal health and glucose metabolism,improving nitrogen utilization,and growth performance.Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of low CP formulations with supplemental AA on the intestinal health and growth performance of growing-finishing pigs.Methods In Exp.1,90 pigs(19.7±1.1 kg,45 barrows and 45 gilts)were assigned to 3 treatments:CON(18.0%CP,supplementing Lys,Met,and Thr),LCP(16.0%CP,supplementing Lys,Met,Thr,Trp,and Val),and LCPT(16.1%CP,LCP+0.05%SID Trp).In Exp.2,72 pigs(34.2±4.2 kg BW)were assigned to 3 treatments:CON(17.7%CP,meeting the requirements of Lys,Met,Thr,and Trp);LCP(15.0%CP,meeting Lys,Thr,Trp,Met,Val,Ile,and Phe);and VLCP(12.8%CP,meeting Lys,Thr,Trp,Met,Val,Ile,Phe,His,and Leu).In Exp.3,72 pigs(54.1±5.9 kg BW)were assigned to 3 treatments and fed experimental diets for 3 phases(grower 2,finishing 1,and finishing 2).Treatments were CON(18.0%,13.8%,12.7%CP for 3 phases;meeting Lys,Met,Thr,and Trp);LCP(13.5%,11.4%,10.4%CP for 3 phases;meeting Lys,Thr,Trp,Met,Val,Ile,and Phe);and LCPG(14.1%,12.8%,11.1%CP for 3 phases;LCP+Glu to match SID Glu with CON).All diets had 2.6 Mcal/kg NE.Results In Exp.1,overall,the growth performance did not differ among treatments.The LCPT increased(P<0.05)Claudin-1 expression in the duodenum and jejunum.The LCP and LCPT increased(P<0.05)CAT-1,4F2hc,and B0AT expressions in the jejunum.In Exp.2,overall,the VLCP reduced(P<0.05)G:F and BUN.The LCP and VLCP increased(P<0.05)the backfat thickness(BFT).In Exp.3,overall,growth performance and BFT did not differ among treatments.The LCPG reduced(P<0.05)BUN,whereas increased the insulin in plasma.The LCP and LCPG reduced(P<0.05)the abundance of Streptococcaceae,whereas the LCP reduced(P<0.05)Erysipelotrichaceae,and the alpha diversity.Conclusions When implementing low CP formulation,CP can be reduced by supplementation of Lys,Thr,Met,Trp,Val,and Ile without affecting the growth performance of growing-finishing pigs when NE is adjusted to avoid increased fat deposition.Supplementation of Trp above the requirement or supplementation of Glu in low CP formulation seems to benefit intestinal health as well as improved nitrogen utilization and glucose metabolism.

Detection and analysis of serum bile acid profile in patients with colonic polyps

BACKGROUND Analyzing the variations in serum bile acid(BA)profile can provide a certain biological basis for early warning and prevention of various diseases.There is currently no comprehensive study on the relationship between the serum BA profile and colonic polyps.AIM To study the serum BA profile detection results of patients with colonic polyps,and analyze the correlation between BA and colonic polyps.METHODS From January 1,2022,to June 1,2023,204 patients with colonic polyps who were diagnosed and treated at Zhongda Hospital Southeast University were chosen as the study subjects,and 135 non-polyp people who underwent physical examination were chosen as the control group.Gathering all patients'clinical information,typical biochemical indicators,and BA profile.RESULTS Compared with the control group,the serum levels of taurocholic acid,glycocholic acid,glycochenodeoxycholic acid,and taurochenodeoxycholic acid in the colonic polyp group were significantly higher than those in the control group,while the content of deoxycholic acid(DCA)was lower than that in the control group(P<0.05).When colonic polyps were analyzed as subgroups,it was shown that there was a strong correlation between changes in the BA profile and polyp diameter,location,morphology,pathological kind,etc.CONCLUSION The serum BA profile showed significant changes in patients with colonic polyps,with a significant increase in primary conjugated BA content and a decrease in secondary free bile acid DCA content.There is a certain correlation between primary free BA and pathological parameters of polyps.

Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to produce formic acid coupled with oxidative conversion of biomass

Electrochemical reduction of CO_(2)(CO_(2)RR)has become a research hot spot in recent years in the context of carbon neutrality.HCOOH is one of the most promising products obtained by electrochemical reduction of CO_(2) due to its high energy value as estimated by market price per energy unit and wide application in chemical industry.Biomass is the most abundant renewable resource in the natural world.Coupling biomass oxidative conversion with CO_(2)RR driven by renewable electricity would well achieve carbon negativity.In this work,we comprehensively reviewed the current research progress on CO_(2)RR to produce HCOOH and coupled system for conversion of biomass and its derivatives to produce value-added products.Sn-and Bi-based electrocatalysts are discussed for CO_(2)RR with regards to the structure of the catalyst and reaction mechanisms.Electro-oxidation reactions of biomass derived sugars,alcohols,furan aldehydes and even polymeric components of lignocellulose were reviewed as alternatives to replace oxygen evolution reaction(OER)in the conventional electrolysis process.It was recommended that to further improve the efficiency of the coupled system,future work should be focused on the development of more efficient and stable catalysts,careful design of the electrolytic cells for improving the mass transfer and development of environment-friendly processes for recovering the formed formate and biomass oxidation products.

Treatment of Helicobacter pylori with potassium competitive acid blockers:A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infects over half the global population,causing gastrointestinal diseases like dyspepsia,gastritis,duodenitis,peptic ulcers,GMALT lymphoma,and gastric adenocarcinoma.Eradicating H.pylori is crucial for treating and preventing these conditions.While conventional proton pump inhibitor(PPI)-based triple therapy is effective,there’s growing interest in longer acid suppression therapies.Potassium competitive acid blocker(P-CAB)triple and dual therapy are new regimens for H.pylori eradication.Initially used in Asian populations,vonoprazan(VPZ)has been recently Food and Drug Administration-approved for H.pylori eradication.AIM To assess the efficacy of regimens containing P-CABs in eradicating H.pylori infection.METHODS This study,following PRISMA 2020 guidelines,conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis by searching MEDLINE and Scopus libraries for randomized clinical trials(RCTs)or observational studies with the following command:[("Helicobacter pylori"OR"H pylori")AND("Treatment"OR"Therapy"OR"Eradication")AND("Vonaprazan"OR"Potassium-Competitive Acid Blocker"OR"P-CAB"OR"PCAB"OR"Revaprazan"OR"Linaprazan"OR"Soraprazan"OR"Tegoprazan")].Studies comparing the efficacy of P-CABs-based treatment to classical PPIs in eradicating H.pylori were included.Exclusion criteria included case reports,case series,unpublished trials,or conference abstracts.Data variables encompassed age,diagnosis method,sample sizes,study duration,intervention and control,and H.pylori eradication method were gathered by two independent reviewers.Meta-analysis was performed in R software,and forest plots were generated.RESULTS A total of 256 references were initially retrieved through the search command.Ultimately,fifteen studies(7 RCTs,7 retrospective observational studies,and 1 comparative unique study)were included,comparing P-CAB triple therapy to PPI triple therapy.The intention-to-treat analysis involved 8049 patients,with 4471 in the P-CAB intervention group and 3578 in the PPI control group across these studies.The analysis revealed a significant difference in H.pylori eradication between VPZ triple therapy and PPI triple therapy in both RCTs and observational studies[risk ratio(RR)=1.17,95%confidence interval(CI):1.11-1.22,P<0.0001]and(RR=1.13,95%CI:1.09-1.17,P<0.0001],respectively.However,no significant difference was found between tegoprazan(TPZ)triple therapy and PPI triple therapy in both RCTs and observational studies(RR=1.04,95%CI:0.93-1.16,P=0.5)and(RR=1.03,95%CI:0.97-1.10,P=0.3),respectively.CONCLUSION VPZ-based triple therapy outperformed conventional PPI-based triple therapy in eradicating H.pylori,positioning it as a highly effective first-line regimen.Additionally,TPZ-based triple therapy was non-inferior to classical PPI triple therapy.

Landscape of Sequence Variations in Homologous Copies of FAD2 and FAD3 in Rapeseed(Brassica napus L.)Germplasm with High/Low Linolenic Acid Trait

Genetic manipulation(either restraint or enhancement)of the biosynthesis pathway ofα-linolenic acid(ALA)in seed oil is an important goal in Brassica napus breeding.B.napus is a tetraploid plant whose genome often har-bors four and six homologous copies,respectively,of the two fatty acid desaturases FAD2 and FAD3,which con-trol the last two steps of ALA biosynthesis during seed oil accumulation.In this study,we compared their promoters,coding sequences,and expression levels in three high-ALA inbred lines 2006L,R8Q10,and YH25005,a low-ALA line A28,a low-ALA/high-oleic-acid accession SW,and the wildtype ZS11.The expression levels of most FAD2 and FAD3 homologs in the three high-ALA accessions were higher than those in ZS11 and much higher than those in A28 and SW.The three high-ALA accessions shared similar sequences with the pro-moters and CDSs of BnFAD3.C4 and BnFAD3.A3.In A28 and SW,substitution of three amino acid residues in BnFAD2.A5 and BnFAD2.C5,an absence of BnFAD2.C1 locus,and a 549 bp long deletion on the BnFAD3.A3 promoter were detected.The profile of BnFAD2 mutation in the two low-ALA accessions A28 and SW is different from that reported in previous studies.The mutations in BnFAD3 in the high-ALA accessions are reported for thefirst time.In identifying the sites of these mutations,we provide detailed information to aid the design of mole-cular markers for accelerated breeding schemes.

Betulinic acid protects against ovarian impairment by decreasing F-2 toxin-induced oxidative stress and inflammation associated with the downregulation of p38 expression in mice

F-2 toxin is an estrogenic mycotoxin that causes reproductive disorders in animals.Betulinic acid(BA)is a natural pentacyclic lupane-structure triterpenoid that has diverse pharmacological activities.In this study,the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of BA and its underlying mechanism are explored in F-2 toxin-triggered mouse ovarian damage.We found that BA alleviated the F-2 toxin-induced ovarian impairment by stimulating follicle growth,reducing inflammatory cell infiltration,repairing damaged mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum.Simultaneously,BA not only reversed F-2 toxin-induced reduction of follicle stimulating hormone(FSH)and luteinizing hormone(LH)levels in the serum,but also restrained the protein expression of the estrogen receptors a(ERa)and ERβ.Moreover,BA restored the balance of F-2 toxin-induced ovarian redox system disorders.Subsequently,we found that 0.25 mg/kg BA played an anti-inflammatory role in the F-2 toxin-induced ovarian impairment by decreasing interleukin-1β(IL-1β).IL-6,and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)mRNA expression,as well as inhibiting p38 protein expression.These data demonstrated that BA exerts its protective effect on F-2 toxin-induced ovarian oxidative impairment and inflammation by inhibiting p38 expression,which implies a natural product-based medicine to ameliorate F-2 toxin-caused female reproductive toxicity and provides a detoxifying method for food contaminated by mycotoxin.

Expression and clinical significance of short-chain fatty acids in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy

BACKGROUND Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy(ICP)is a pregnancy-specific liver condition that typically arises in the middle and late stages of pregnancy.Short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs),prominent metabolites of the gut microbiota,have significant connections with various pregnancy complications,and some SCFAs hold potential for treating such complications.However,the metabolic profile of SCFAs in patients with ICP remains unclear.AIM To investigate the metabolic profiles and differences in SCFAs present in the maternal and cord blood of patients with ICP and determine the clinical significance of these findings.METHODS Maternal serum and cord blood samples were collected from both patients with ICP(ICP group)and normal pregnant women(NP group).Targeted metabolomics was used to assess the SCFA levels in these samples.RESULTS Significant differences in maternal SCFAs were observed between the ICP and NP groups.Most SCFAs exhibited a consistent declining trend in cord blood samples from the ICP group,mirroring the pattern seen in maternal serum.Correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between maternal serum SCFAs and cord blood SCFAs[r(Pearson)=0.88,P=7.93e-95].In both maternal serum and cord blood,acetic and caproic acids were identified as key metabolites contributing to the differences in SCFAs between the two groups(variable importance for the projection>1).Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated that multiple SCFAs in maternal blood have excellent diagnostic capabilities for ICP,with caproic acid exhibiting the highest diagnostic efficacy(area under the curve=0.97).CONCLUSION Compared with the NP group,significant alterations were observed in the SCFAs of maternal serum and cord blood in the ICP group,although they displayed distinct patterns of change.Furthermore,the SCFA levels in maternal serum and cord blood were significantly positively correlated.Notably,certain maternal serum SCFAs,specifically caproic and acetic acids,demonstrated excellent diagnostic efficiency for ICP.

Effect of dapagliflozin on uric acid in patients with chronic heart failure and hyperuricemia

BACKGROUND Patients with chronic heart failure(CHF)frequently develop hyperuricemia,an elevated serum uric acid level,associated with adverse outcomes.Dapagliflozin,a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor,demonstrates reduction in cardiovascular mortality and hospitalization in patients with CHF and ejection fraction(HFrEF),irrespective of diabetes.However,dapagliflozin’s effect on the uric acid levels in patients with CHF and hyperuricemia remain unclear.AIM To investigate the effects of dapagliflozin on uric acid levels in CHF patients with hyperuricemia.METHODS We conducted a randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled trial in 200 patients with CHF and hyperuricemia,with HFrEF and serum uric acid levels≥7 mg/dL(≥416μmol/L).The participants were randomly assigned to receive a daily dose of 10 mg dapagliflozin or placebo for 24 months.The primary endpoint was the change in serum uric acid level from baseline to 24 months.Secondary endpoints included changes in left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),Nterminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP),and quality of life(QoL)scores,as well as the incidence of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure.RESULTS At 24 months,dapagliflozin significantly reduced serum uric acid levels by 1.2 mg/dL(71μmol/L)compared with placebo(95%CI:-1.5 to-0.9;P<0.001).Dapagliflozin also significantly improved LVEF by 3.5%(95%CI:2.1-4.9;P<0.001),NT-proBNP by 25%(95%CI:18-32;P<0.001),and QoL scores by 10 points(95%CI:7-13;P<0.001)and reduced the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure by 35%(95%CI:15–50;P=0.002)compared with the placebo.Adverse events were similar between the two groups,except for a higher rate of genital infections in the dapagliflozin group(10%vs 2%,P=0.01).CONCLUSION Dapagliflozin significantly lowered serum uric acid levels and improved the clinical outcomes in patients with CHF and hyperuricemia.Therefore,dapagliflozin may be a useful therapeutic option for this high-risk population.

Clinical Efficacy of Pentoxifylline Combined with Thioctic Acid in the Treatment of Painful Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Objective:To observe the efficacy of pentoxifylline+thioctic acid in the treatment of patients with painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy(PDPN).Methods:70 patients with PDPN admitted from October 2019 to October 2022 were selected and randomly grouped,with pentoxifylline+thioctic acid treatment in Group A and thioctic acid treatment in Group B,and the treatment efficacy was compared.Results:The treatment efficacy in Group A was higher than that of Group B,P<0.05;the points of each symptom of PDPN in Group A were lower than that of Group B,P<0.05;the C-reactive protein and electromyography indexes of PDPN patients in Group A were better than that of Group B,P<0.05.Conclusion:PDPN patients treated with pentoxifylline+thioctic acid can optimize nerve function,inhibit inflammation progression,and reduce PDPN symptoms,which is an efficient and feasible treatment option.

Development of Morus alba Reinforced Poly-Lactic Acid with Elevated Mechanical and Thermal Properties

This research investigates the mechanical and thermal properties of Morus alba combined with polylactic acid in comparison with other natural fibers. The study uses three different fiber and PLA compositions - 20%, 30%, and 40% respectively - to produce composite materials. In addition, another composite with the same fiber volume is treated with a 4% NaOH solution to improve mechanical properties. The composites are processed by twin-screw extrusion, granulation, and injection molding. Tensile strength measurements of raw fibers and NaOH-treated fibers were carried out using a single-fiber tensile test with a gauge length of 40 mm. It was observed that the NaOH surface treatment increases the resistance against tensile loading and exhibited improved properties for raw fiber strands. The diameter of the fibers was measured using optical microscopy. During this research, flexural tests, impact tests, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and heat deflection temperature measurements (HDT) were conducted to evaluate the mechanical and thermal properties of the developed composite samples. The results indicate that the mechanical properties of NaOH-treated Morus alba-reinforced polylactic acid outperform both virgin PLA samples and untreated Morus alba samples.

In-vitro digestibility,protein digestibility corrected amino acid,and sensory properties of banana-cassava gluten-free pasta with soy protein isolate and egg white protein addition

Soy protein isolate and egg white protein were added to cassava-banana gluten-free pasta and the effects on the nutritional quality,digestibility properties,protein digestibility corrected amino acid(PDCAA),and sensory acceptance of the pasta was observed.Banana-cassava composite flour(75:25)was blended with soy protein isolate or egg white protein at the following rates:0,5,10,and 15 g/100 g flour.Cooked pasta samples were analysed for total phenolic content(TPC),antioxidant activity,amino acid profiles,protein content,starch digestibility,protein digestibility and protein digestibility corrected amino acid score(PDCAAS).Addition of both proteins decreased starch digestibility,increased protein digestibility,improved the balance of the amino acid profile,and PDCAAS whereas only soy protein isolate enhanced the TPC and antioxidant capacity of the banana-cassava pasta.An egg white protein-fortified banana-cassava pasta had better customer acceptance and purchase intent than soy protein isolate inclusion.

Data cleaning method for the process of acid production with flue gas based on improved random forest

Acid production with flue gas is a complex nonlinear process with multiple variables and strong coupling.The operation data is an important basis for state monitoring,optimal control,and fault diagnosis.However,the operating environment of acid production with flue gas is complex and there is much equipment.The data obtained by the detection equipment is seriously polluted and prone to abnormal phenomena such as data loss and outliers.Therefore,to solve the problem of abnormal data in the process of acid production with flue gas,a data cleaning method based on improved random forest is proposed.Firstly,an outlier data recognition model based on isolation forest is designed to identify and eliminate the outliers in the dataset.Secondly,an improved random forest regression model is established.Genetic algorithm is used to optimize the hyperparameters of the random forest regression model.Then the optimal parameter combination is found in the search space and the trend of data is predicted.Finally,the improved random forest data cleaning method is used to compensate for the missing data after eliminating abnormal data and the data cleaning is realized.Results show that the proposed method can accurately eliminate and compensate for the abnormal data in the process of acid production with flue gas.The method improves the accuracy of compensation for missing data.With the data after cleaning,a more accurate model can be established,which is significant to the subsequent temperature control.The conversion rate of SO_(2) can be further improved,thereby improving the yield of sulfuric acid and economic benefits.

Dietary supplemental coated essential oils and organic acids mixture improves growth performance and gut health along with reduces Salmonella load of broiler chickens infected with Salmonella Enteritidis

Background Reducing Salmonella infection in broiler chickens by using effective and safe alternatives to antibiotics is vital to provide safer poultry meat and minimize the emergence of drug-resistant Salmonella and the spread of salmonellosis to humans.This study was to first evaluate the protective efficacy of feeding coated essential oils and organic acids mixture(EOA)on broiler chickens infected with Salmonella Enteritidis(S.Enteritidis,SE),and then its action mechanism was further explored.Methods A total of 4801-day-old Arbor Acres male chickens were randomly assigned into five treatments with six replicates,including non-challenged control fed with basal diet(A),SE-challenged control(B),and SE-infected birds fed a basal diet with 300 mg/kg of EOA(BL),500 mg/kg of EOA(BM)and 800 mg/kg of EOA(BH),respectively.All birds on challenged groups were infected with Salmonella Enteritidis on d 13.Results Feeding EOA showed a reversed ability on negative effects caused by SE infection,as evidenced by decreasing the feed conversion rate(FCR)and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth(VH/CD)(P<0.05),obviously decreasing intestinal and internal organs Salmonella load along with increasing cecal butyric acid-producing bacteria abundance(P<0.05).Moreover,supplemental different levels of EOA notably up-regulated claudin-1(CLDN-1),occludin(OCLN),zonula occludens-1(ZO-1),mucin-2(MUC-2),fatty acid binding protein-2(FABP-2),nuclear factor kappa-light-chainenhancer of activated B cells(NF-κB),myeloid differential protein-88(MyD88)and interleukin-6(IL-6)mRNA levels in the ileum of the infected chickens after challenge,whereas down-regulated toll-like receptor-4(TLR-4)mRNA levels(P<0.05).Linear discriminant analysis combined effect size measurements analysis(LEfSe)showed that the relative abundance of g_Butyricicoccus,g_Anaerotruncus and g_unclassified_f_Bacillaceae significantly was enriched in infected birds given EOA.Also,phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states(PICRUSt)analysis showed that alpha-linolenic acid metabolism,fatty acid metabolism and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids were significantly enriched in the EOA group.Conclusion Our data suggest that the essential oils and organic acids mixture can be used as an effective strategy to ameliorate and alleviate Salmonella Enteritidis infection in broilers.

Effects of tannic acid on the immunity and intestinal health of broiler chickens with necrotic enteritis infection

Background In broiler chickens,necrotic enteritis(NE)infection can reduce production performance.Tannic acid has shown great potential as a treatment of NE in broilers.However,the appropriate dosage of tannic acid in NE of broilers and the improvement effect on intestinal health are not very clear.In this study,we aimed to investigate the effects of different doses of tannic acid on the production performance,immunity,and intestinal health of broilers by constructing an NE model with C.perfringens infection and determining the appropriate dosage of tannic acid with regard to NE.Results Challenged birds showed significant reduction in body weight,villus height,and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth(P<0.05)and increase in the feed consumption gain ratio,intestinal lesion score,and crypt depth(P<0.05).The infection significantly reduced the relative Bacteroidota and Ligilactobacillus abundance(P<0.05)and increased the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidota and cecal content of C.perfringens(P<0.05).Challenged birds fed diets supplemented with tannic acid showed significantly increased mRNA expression of nutrient transport carriers and intestinal barrier genes and growth performance and reduced serum zonulin and endotoxin levels(P<0.05).Addi-tion of tannic acid to the diet inhibited the inflammatory response by reducing the number of coccidia oocysts in feces and the content of C.perfringens in the cecum.Specifically,tannic acid reduced the serum levels of C reactive protein,myeloperoxidase,and specific IgY and ileal mucosal secretory immunoglobulin A levels in the ileal mucosa compared with those in the NE-infected birds.NE-infected birds fed diets supplemented with tannic acid also showed significantly increased relative Anaerocolumna,Thermoanaerobacterium,and Thermosinus abundance(P<0.05);their microbial composition and functional predictions were similar to those of the NC group.Conclusions Tannic acid in the diet alleviated NE by enhancing the intestinal barrier and absorption function.The recommended dietary tannic acid additive level is 500–750 mg/kg.Our study findings would be useful in reducing related economic losses in the broiler industry.