Search Results (43)

MicroRNA-155-3p (miR-155-3p) is an important biomarker in various pathological conditions, including cancer, making the development of sensitive and specific detection methods crucial. Here, we present a molecular beacon (MB-G4) that underwent a conformational switch upon hybridization with miR-155-3p, enabling the formation of a G-quadruplex (G4) structure. This G4 was recognized by the fluorogenic ligand N-methyl mesoporphyrin IX (NMM), producing a fluorescence signal proportional to the target concentration, making it a new detection method. The conformational dynamics of MB-G4 were characterized through circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), confirming the transition from a hairpin structure to an RNA–DNA hybrid duplex that facilitated G4 formation. The optimization of the experimental conditions, including the potassium chloride (KCl) and NMM concentrations, ensured selective detection with minimal background signal. The detection limit (LOD) was determined to be 10.85 nM, using a linear fluorescence response curve, and the specificity studies demonstrated a clear distinction between miR-155-3p and miR-155-5p. Furthermore, MB-G4 was studied with total RNA extracted from the lung cancer cell line A549 to evaluate its detection in a more complex environment and was able to detect its target, validating its potential for biological sample analysis. Full article

Zearalenone (ZEN), a toxic estrogenic mycotoxin in cereals, threatens human and animal health through reproductive, immune, and cytotoxic effects, necessitating sensitive detection methods. While nanobodies offer advantages over conventional antibodies for on-site ZEN detection, their application remains unexplored. This study aimed to develop an anti-ZEN nanobody derived from an anti-ZEN phage display nanobody library. An alpaca was immunized with a ZEN-bovine serum albumin (ZEN-BSA) antigen, achieving peak serum antibody titers (1:25,600) following four immunizations. A high-capacity phage display nanobody library (1.0 × 10¹¹ plaque-forming units/mL) was constructed. Following four rounds of biopanning, an enrichment factor of 479 was achieved. Phage ELISA screening identified six phage display nanobodies with specific ZEN-binding activity, and multiple sequence alignment revealed four unique nanobody sequences. The selected phage display nanobody, designated phage-V44, was expressed and purified, and its presence was validated by SDS-PAGE and western blotting, which detected a single approximately 17 kDa band consistent with the expected nanobody size. We established a working curve for an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) for ZEN, which showed an IC50 value of 7.55 ng/mL. The specificity and affinity of the V44 were also verified. Collectively, the study successfully constructed an anti-ZEN phage display nanobody library, screened four specific ZEN-binding phage display nanobodies, and prepared the anti-ZEN nanobody V44. Thereby establishing a foundation for the nanobody’s future integration into rapid on-site detection methods for ZEN in both animal feed and human food products. Full article

Addressing the black hole information paradox necessitates the exploration of various hypotheses and theoretical frameworks. Among these, the proposition to utilize quantum entanglement, as introduced by Don N. Page, shows great promise. This study builds upon Page’s theoretical foundation and proposes a simplified model for elucidating the evolution of black hole von Neumann entropy. This model simulates the process of Hawking radiation using entangled photon pairs. Our experiment suggests that quantum entanglement may offer a plausible avenue for resolving the paradox, thereby lending support to Page’s proposal. The results suggest that this model may contribution to the exploration of one of the most profound puzzles in theoretical physics. Full article

Consumer sex influences phenotypic differences in digestive functions that may underlie variations in food disintegration. This study used an in vitro digestion model to test the hypothesis that emulsions follow distinct digestive pathways in men and women. Model emulsions were prepared using medium-chain triglycerides stabilized by beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, or lactoferrin, and by three non-protein emulsifiers: Tween 80, lecithin, and sucrose esters. All emulsions were produced by high-pressure homogenization (0.57 MPa, 5 passes) and then subjected to in vitro digestion under simulated conditions of the male or female gastrointestine. Digesta samples were analyzed via confocal microscopy and laser-based particle sizing, revealing that protein-stabilized emulsions were responsive to physiological differences between males and females, whereas emulsions stabilized by non-protein emulsifiers remained mostly unaffected by sex-based differences. Absolute differential analyses of emulsion droplet size-distribution curves showed that changes in breakdown trajectories for emulsions were pronouncedly noticeable in gastric effluents. Further, SDS-PAGE analysis of digesta showed that breakdown patterns of protein-stabilized emulsions are consistent with prior evidence found for healthy adults; however, results under female gut conditions indicated variations in protein clotting that may alter bioaccessible levels of bioactive peptides. Thus, this study underscores the importance of considering consumer biological sex in food design, especially regarding emulsion-based products for targeted digestive responses. Full article

This study evaluated possible utilization of infrared drying (ID) as an alternative to spray- (SD) and freeze-drying (FD) for fish skin-derived gelatins. Physical, functional, thermal, and spectroscopic analyses were conducted for characterization of the resulting gelatin powders. Energy consumption for the applied drying methods were 3.41, 8.46 and 25.33 kWh/kg for ID, SD and FD respectively, indicating that ID had the lowest energy consumption among the studied methods. Gel strength, on the other hand, was lower (398.4 g) in infrared-dried gelatin (ID-FG) compared to that (454.9 g) of freeze-dried gelatin (FD-FG) and that (472.7 g) of spray-dried gelatin (SD-FG). TGA curves indicated that ID-FG showed more resilience to thermal degradation. SDS-PAGE and UV-Vis spectra indicated that slight degradation was observed in the β-configuration of ID-FG. ID-FG and SD-FG gelatins had the highest water holding capacity (WHC), protein solubility and transparency values compared to that of FD-FG. Morphological structures of the samples were quite different as shown by SEM visuals. Ultimately, the findings showed that infrared drying may be a promising alternative for gelatin processing, maintaining product quality and supporting sustainable practices in food and other industries. Full article

This study presents and compares two methods for identifying the types of extracellular vesicles (EVs) from different cell lines. Through SDS-PAGE analysis, we discovered that the ratio of CD63 to CD81 in different EVs is consistent and distinct, making it a reliable characteristic for recognizing EVs secreted by cancer cells. However, the electrophoresis and imaging processes may introduce errors in the concentration values, especially at lower concentrations, rendering this method potentially less effective. An alternative approach involves the use of quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and electroanalytical interdigitated electrode (IDT) biosensors for EV type identification and quantification. The QCM frequency shift caused by EVs is directly proportional to their concentration, while electroanalysis relies on measuring the curvature of the I−V curve as a distinguishing feature, which is also proportional to EV concentration. Linear regression lines for the QCM frequency shift and the electroanalysis curvature of various EV types are plotted separately, enabling the estimation of the corresponding concentration for an unknown EV type on the graphs. By intersecting the results from both biosensors, the unknown EV type can be identified. The biosensor analysis method proves to be an effective means of analyzing both the type and concentration of EVs from different cell lines. Full article

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection constitutes a leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. The identification of HCC risk factors and the development of prognostic risk scores are essential for early diagnosis and prognosis. The aim of this observational, retrospective study was to evaluate baseline risk factors associated with HCC in CHB. Six hundred thirty-two consecutive adults with CHB (n = 632) [median age: 46 (IQR: 24)], attending the outpatients’ Hepatology clinics between 01/1993–09/2020 were evaluated. Core promoter mutations and cirrhosis-HCC (GAG-HCC), Chinese University-HCC (CU-HCC), risk estimation for hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis B (REACH-B), Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4), and Platelet Age Gender–HBV (PAGE-B) prognostic scores were calculated, and receiver operating curves were used to assess their prognostic performance. HCC was developed in 34 (5.38%) patients. In the multivariable Cox regression analysis, advanced age (HR: 1.086, 95% CI: 1.037–1.137), male sex (HR: 7.696, 95% CI: 1.971–30.046), alcohol abuse (HR: 2.903, 95% CI: 1.222–6.987) and cirrhosis (HR: 21.239, 95% CI: 6.001–75.167) at baseline were independently associated with the development of HCC. GAG-HCC and PAGE-B showed the highest performance with c-statistics of 0.895 (95% CI: 0.829–0.961) and 0.857 (95% CI: 0.791–0.924), respectively. In the subgroup of patients with cirrhosis, the performance of all scores declined. When treated and untreated patients were studied separately, the discriminatory ability of the scores differed. In conclusion, HCC development was independently associated with advanced age, male sex, alcohol abuse, and baseline cirrhosis among a diverse population with CHB. GAG-HCC and PAGE-B showed high discriminatory performance to assess the risk of HCC development in these patients, but these performances declined in the subgroup of patients with cirrhosis. Further research to develop scores more specific to certain CHB subgroups is needed. Full article

The isoquinoline alkaloid berberine, derived from Coptidis rhizoma, exhibits antibacterial, hypoglycemic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Canagliflozin is a sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor. We synthesized compounds B9OC and B9OBU by conjugating canagliflozin and n-butane at the C9 position of berberine, aiming to develop antimicrobial agents for combating bacterial infections worldwide. We utilized clinically prevalent pathogenic bacteria, namely Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to investigate the antibacterial efficacy of B9OC. This was accomplished through the determination of the MIC₈₀ values, analysis of bacterial growth curves, evaluation of biofilm formation using crystal violet staining, assessment of impact on bacterial proteins via SDS-PAGE analysis, and observation of alterations in bacterial morphology utilizing field emission scanning electron microscopy. Meanwhile, the ADMET of compound B9OC was predicted using a computer-aided method. The findings revealed that B9OC exhibited lower minimal inhibitory concentrations against all three bacteria compared to berberine alone or in combination with canagliflozin. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of B9OC against the three experimental strains were determined to be 0.035, 0.258, and 0.331 mM. However, B9OBu exhibited a lower level of antimicrobial activity compared to berberine. The compound B9OC exhibits a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity by disrupting the integrity of bacterial cell walls, leading to cellular rupture and the subsequent degradation of intracellular proteins. Full article

The information loss paradox associated with black hole Hawking evaporation is an unresolved problem in modern theoretical physics. In a recent brief essay, we revisited the evolution of the black hole entanglement entropy via the Euclidean path integral (EPI) of the quantum state and allow for the branching of semi-classical histories along the Lorentzian evolution. We posited that there exist at least two histories that contribute to EPI, where one is an information-losing history, while the other is an information-preserving one. At early times, the former dominates EPI, while at the late times, the latter becomes dominant. By doing so, we recovered the essence of the Page curve, and thus, the unitarity, albeit with the turning point, i.e., the Page time, much shifted toward the late time. In this full-length paper, we fill in the details of our arguments and calculations to strengthen our notion. One implication of this modified Page curve is that the entropy bound may thus be violated. We comment on the similarity and difference between our approach and that of the replica wormholes and the islands’ conjectures. Full article

Ambient sun drying is the method most used by Indigenous communities for preserving fruits and seeds harvested from the forest. It is an effective method to increase the shelf-life of highly perishable foods and prevent spoilage until important bioactive compounds can be extracted at distant locations. The ambient sun drying kinetics and oil extraction of the pulp and seeds of commercially important oleaginous fruit directly obtained from the rainforests and swamps of Guyana, namely Astrocaryum vulgare (Awara), Astrocaryum aculeatum (Kuru), Oenocarpus bacaba (Turu), Mauritia flexuosa (Ite), Euterpe oleracea (Acai), Caryocar nuciferum (Souari), Attalea maripa (Kukrit), and Carapa guianensis (Crabwood), were studied. The fruits were dried under ambient conditions from initial moisture contents ranging from 24–71% to a final moisture content of 5%. Three models, the Lewis model, the modified Page model, and the standard logistic function (SLF) model, were utilized to model the drying kinetics and to estimate the parameters governing the drying process. These models were demonstrated to fit the experimental data with excellent goodness of fit (>0.98). The SLF, never used before to model drying kinetics, was observed to be the best-suited model overall, with the highest correlation coefficient and the least Chi-square (χ²). Depending on the fruit type, the estimated point where the maximum drying rate occurs varies from 35 min to 350 min for sun-dried fruit pulp and up to 4000 min for sun-dried kernels. The steepness of the drying curves varied from −0.5 to −3.5 g/min. The results of this work will aid in the design, development, optimization, and control of the ambient drying processes of economically and functionally important oleaginous forest fruits. This knowledge will assist in addressing the key challenge of spoilage faced by Indigenous communities in the preservation of tropical oleaginous fruits and seeds, possibly aiding in the preservation of functional characteristics of the extracted oils and adducing to the sustainable economic utilization of such fruit. Full article

Andean tubers and tuberous roots have nutritional and medicinal properties transferred through ancestral generations. In this study, we aim to promote cultivation and consumption by developing a snack based on these crops. Corn grits were thoroughly mixed with sweet potato, mashua, and three varieties of oca flour (white, yellow, and red) in an 80:20 ratio, and a single-screw laboratory extruder was utilized to produce third-generation (3G) dried pellets. Microwave expansion was studied, and the dried 3G pellets and expanded snacks were characterized. The microwave expansion curves of the dried 3G pellets were adjusted to the Page, logarithmic, and Midilli–Kucuk models. During the characterization, the influence of the raw material composition was observed in sectional expansion, water content, water activity, water absorption, water solubility, swelling, optical and textural properties, and bioactive compounds. According to global color variation (mixture vs. expanded and dried vs. expanded) and bioactive compound analysis, the mashua suffered little chemical change or nutritional loss during the process. The extrusion process was shown to be an ideal method for manufacturing snacks from Andean tuber flours. Full article

Pen-holding postures (PHPs) can significantly affect the speed and quality of writing, and incorrect postures can lead to health problems. This paper presents and experimentally implements a methodology for quickly recognizing and correcting poor writing postures using a digital dot matrix pen. The method first extracts basic handwriting information, including page number, handwriting coordinates, movement trajectory, pen tip pressure, stroke sequence, and pen handling time. This information is then used to generate writing features that are fed into our proposed fusion classification model, which combines a simple parameter-free attention module for convolutional neural networks (CNNs) called NetworkSimAM, CNNs, and an extension of the well-known long short-term memory (LTSM) called Mogrifier LSTM or MLSTM. Finally, the method ends with a classification step (Softmax) to recognize the type of PHP. The implemented method achieves significant results through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and loss functions, including a recognition accuracy of 72%, which is, for example, higher than that of the single-stroke model (i.e., TabNet incorporating SimAM). The obtained results show that a promising solution is provided for accurate and efficient PHP recognition and has the potential to improve writing speed and quality while reducing health problems induced by incorrect postures. Full article

In order to solve the problem that students have insufficient understanding of the full-field goniophotometer instrumentation due to the expensive equipment and the high requirements of the experimental environment, virtual reality technology is used to complete the virtual laboratory of a light intensity distribution measurement of the full-field goniophotometer through Unity 3D. The virtual laboratory is designed for near-field measurement, mid-field measurement, and far-field measurement of light intensity. It combines 3D MAX and C# to realize the model building of laboratory, luminaire and full-field goniophotometer, the dynamic drawing of light distribution curves, and the simulation system can also be run on mobile phones. The experimental process is mainly through the manipulation of the virtual experimenter and each module to generate collision detection, pop-up buttons, and click on the button triggers an event and the operation prompt page appears. The light distribution curve is generated dynamically by reading and processing the IES file data to generate 3D coordinates. This virtual simulation laboratory is demonstrated on multiple platforms. The results proved that the virtual simulation restored the experimental process vividly and can complete the experimental teaching remotely. Full article

The potential development of a rapid and highly sensitive breast cancer (BC) diagnostic method has been increasingly investigated by many researchers in order to significantly improve the diagnosis of this disease that affects millions of women worldwide. Thus, this investigation aimed to establish a potential BC urinary peptidomic pattern using one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (1D SDS-PAGE) coupled with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) as a useful approach for BC diagnosis. The results of Lowry’s assay demonstrated that the total protein concentration increased after precipitation and that the healthy control group (HCs, 160 to 318 µg/mL, 142 ± DD µg/mL, on average) presented higher total protein content than the BC patients (140 to 311 µg/mL, 115 ± DD µg/mL, on average). Related to MALDI-TOF MS analysis, the results revealed that four peptide ion biosignatures (m/z 1046.5, 1062.5, 1237.7 and 1727.9) allowed the discrimination between BC patients and HCs. The distinction efficiency and accuracy of BC urine peptides were determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis that enabled the recognition of some features with great sensitivity (88%) and specificity (98%). Therefore, the obtained data revealed MALDI-TOF MS as a powerful tool to explore peptidomic biosignatures due to its speed, sensitivity, and mass accuracy, which allow the establishment of novel disease biomarkers. Full article

The growth of digital libraries has yielded a large number of handwritten historical documents in the form of images, often accompanied by a digital transcription of the content. The ability to track the position of the words of the digital transcription in the images can be important both for the study of the document by humanities scholars and for further automatic processing. We propose a learning-free method for automatically aligning the transcription to the document image. The method receives as input the digital image of the document and the transcription of its content and aims at linking the transcription to the corresponding images within the page at the word level. The method comprises two main original contributions: a line-level segmentation algorithm capable of detecting text lines with curved baseline, and a text-to-image alignment algorithm capable of dealing with under- and over-segmentation errors at the word level. Experiments on pages from a 17th-century Italian manuscript have demonstrated that the line segmentation method allows one to segment 92% of the text line correctly. They also demonstrated that it achieves a correct alignment accuracy greater than 68%. Moreover, the performance achieved on widely used data sets compare favourably with the state of the art. Full article