Transcriptomic and Lipidomic Analyses Reveal a Novel Antiapoptotic Mechanism of Peptide IRW in the Arteries of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats through the Reduction of Ceramide Levels and Arachidonic Acid Release.

IRW, an antihypertensive peptide derived from ovotransferrin, has been shown to lower blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) by upregulating angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). ACE2 is cardioprotective and a well-documented inhibitor of apoptosis. This study aims to investigate the anti-apoptotic effects of IRW and its underlying mechanism in SHRs' vasculature.

Day-night hyperarousal in tinnitus patients.

Tinnitus, which affects 12-30 % of the population, is associated with sleep disturbances and daytime dysfunction, yet the neural mechanisms that link wake-up states remain unclear. This study investigated electroencephalographic (EEG) characteristics of 51 tinnitus patients and 51 controls across wakefulness (eyes-open, eyes-closed, mental arithmetic) and sleep stages (N1, N2, N3, REM) to clarify day-night pathological mechanisms. The key findings showed persistent hyperarousal in tinnitus: wakefulness revealed enhanced gamma power (30-45 Hz) in eyes-closed and task states, while sleep demonstrated elevated gamma/beta power across all stages accompanied by reduced delta/theta power in deep sleep (N2/N3).

Frontal gamma-alpha ratio reveals neural oscillatory mechanism of attention shifting in tinnitus.

In clinical practice, the symptoms of tinnitus patients can be temporarily alleviated by diverting their attention away from disturbing sounds. However, the precise mechanisms through which this alleviation occurs are still not well understood. Here, we aimed to directly evaluate the role of attention in tinnitus alleviation by conducting distraction tasks with multilevel loads and resting-state tests among 52 adults with tinnitus and 52 healthy controls.

Identification of the BBX gene family in blueberry at different chromosome ploidy levels and fruit development and response under stress.

Background: Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) fruits are rich in flavonoids such as anthocyanins and have a high nutritional value. The zinc finger protein transcription factor B-box (BBX) plays important roles in plant growth and development, hormone response, abiotic stress, and anthocyanin accumulation.

Ovomucin and its hydrolysates differentially influenced colitis severity in -infected mice.

Egg white protein ovomucin and its hydrolysates were previously reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-adhesive activities. However, their potential to regulate pathogen colonization and disease severity has not been fully characterized. To investigate the effects of ovomucin (OVM) and its hydrolysates including ovomucin-Protex 26L (OP) and -pepsin/pancreatin (OPP) on host resistance to pathogen infection, a well-documented colitis model in mice for attaching and effacing pathogens, , was used in the current study.

Bioavailability and Metabolism of Bioactive Peptide IRW with Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) Upregulatory Activity in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats.

Peptide IRW is the first food-derived angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) upregulator. This study aimed to investigate the pharmacokinetic characteristics of IRW and identify the metabolites contributing to its antihypertensive activity in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Rats were administered 100 mg of IRW/kg of the body weight via an intragastric or intravenous route.

Ovomucin Hydrolysates Reduce Bacterial Adhesion and Inflammation in Enterotoxigenic (ETEC) K88-Challenged Intestinal Epithelial Cells.

Enterotoxigenic (ETEC) K88 is the most common cause of diarrhea in neonatal and postweaning pigs. After adhering to small intestinal epithelial cells via glycoprotein receptor recognition, the pathogen can produce enterotoxins, impair intestinal integrity, trigger watery diarrhea, and induce inflammation via nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase (MAPK) pathways. Inhibiting ETEC K88 adhesion to cell surfaces by interfering with the receptor-fimbriae recognition provides a promising strategy to prevent the initiation and progression of infection.

Electro-oxidative intermolecular C-H amination of heteroarenes proton-coupled electron transfer.

A new electrochemical proton-coupled electron transfer method for the intermolecular C-H amination of heteroarenes without oxidants, metal catalysts and external electrolytes has been developed. Various new N-containing heteroarenes were prepared in medium to high yields, and the indole-containing product could be converted into practical 2-oxindole by simple basic hydrolysis. Mechanistic investigation indicated that ester sulfonyl-substituted -radicals could be formed by the combination of 2,6-lutidine and electrochemical oxidation, which is the key to achieve the desired chemoselectivity.

An EEG-based attention recognition method: fusion of time domain, frequency domain, and non-linear dynamics features.

Introduction: Attention is a complex cognitive function of human brain that plays a vital role in our daily lives. Electroencephalogram (EEG) is used to measure and analyze attention due to its high temporal resolution. Although several attention recognition brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have been proposed, there is a scarcity of studies with a sufficient number of subjects, valid paradigms, and reliable recognition analysis across subjects.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 Activation Is Not a Common Feature of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitory Peptides.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) catalyzes the formation of angiotensin II (Ang II), a vasoconstrictor, whereas its homologue ACE2 degrades Ang II into angiotensin (1-7) (Ang (1-7)), a vasodilator. Given the similarities in structure and their interconnected roles in the regulation of cardiovascular system, this study aims to investigate if ACE-inhibitory (ACEi) peptides can also activate ACE2. About 200 potent ACEi peptides were subjected to molecular docking, 20 peptides were selected for cell and in vitro enzymatic activity studies, and 5 peptides were fed orally to spontaneously hypertensive rats at a dose of 15 mg/kg body weight/day for 7 days.

Egg White Protein Ovotransferrin-Derived IRW (Ile-Arg-Trp) Inhibits LPS-Induced Barrier Integrity Dysfunction and Inflammation in Caco-2 Cells.

Tripeptide IRW derived from egg ovotransferrin was initially identified to be an inhibitor of angiotensin-converting enzyme. Later, IRW has been shown to possess various bioactivities, including anti-inflammatory activity and the ability to suppress colitis development. Nevertheless, its role in protecting intestinal barrier integrity has not been reported.

Lactoferrin Alleviated AFM1-Induced Apoptosis in Intestinal NCM 460 Cells through the Autophagy Pathway.

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is the only mycotoxin with maximum residue limit in milk, which may result in serious human diseases. On the contrary, lactoferrin (Lf) is an active protein with multiple functions. Studies have confirmed that Lf has a powerful potential to protect the intestines, but the influence of Lf on mycotoxins is not clear.

Research on Unsafe Behavior of Construction Workers Under the Bidirectional Effect of Formal Rule Awareness and Conformity Mentality.

At present, China's engineering safety management has developed to a certain level, but the number of casualties caused by construction accidents is still increasing in recent years, and the safety problems in the construction industry are still worrying. For purpose of effectively reducing construction workers' unsafe behavior and improve the efficiency of construction safety management, based on multi-agent modeling, this paper analyzes the influencing factors during construction workers' cognitive process from the perspective of safety cognition, constructs the interaction and cognition of the agent under the bidirectional effect of formal rule awareness and conformity mentality model, and set behavior rules and parameters through the Net Logo platform for simulation. The results show that: Unsafe behavior of construction workers is related to the failure of cognitive process, and the role of workers' psychology and consciousness will affect the cognitive process; The higher the level of conformity intention of construction workers, the easier it is to increase the unsafe behavior of the group; Formal rule awareness can play a greater role only when the management standard is at a high level, and can correct the workers' safety cognition and effectively correct the workers' unsafe behavior; Under certain construction site environmental risks, the interaction between formal rule awareness and conformity mentality in an appropriate range is conducive to the realization of construction project life cycle management.

Impact of food-derived bioactive peptides on gut function and health.

The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is the largest interface between our body and the environment. It is an organ system extending from the mouth to the anus and functions for food intake, digestion, transport and absorption of nutrients, meanwhile providing protection from environmental factors, like toxins, antigens, and pathogens. Diet is one of the leading factors modulating the function of the GIT.

Aflatoxin B1 and Aflatoxin M1 Induce Compromised Intestinal Integrity through Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis.

With the growing diversity and complexity of diet, humans are at risk of simultaneous exposure to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), which are well-known contaminants in dairy and other agricultural products worldwide. The intestine represents the first barrier against external contaminants; however, evidence about the combined effect of AFB1 and AFM1 on intestinal integrity is lacking. , the serum biochemical parameters related to intestinal barrier function, ratio of villus height/crypt depth, and distribution pattern of claudin-1 and zonula occluden-1 were significantly affected in mice exposed to 0.

Transcriptomic and proteomic profiling reveals the intestinal immunotoxicity induced by aflatoxin M1 and ochratoxin A.

Mycotoxins-contaminated milk could threaten human health; therefore, it is necessary to demonstrate the toxicological effect of mycotoxins in milk. Most recently, researchers have paid more attention to the immunotoxic effects of the individual cereal-contaminating mycotoxins, namely, zearalenone and deoxynivalenol. However, there is scant information about the intestinal immunotoxicity of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), let alone that of a combination of AFM1 and ochratoxin A (OTA), which often co-occur in milk.

Transcriptome Analysis of Ochratoxin A-Induced Apoptosis in Differentiated Caco-2 Cells.

Ochratoxin A (OTA), an important mycotoxin that occurs in food and animal feed, has aroused widespread concern in recent years. Previous studies have indicated that OTA causes nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, genotoxicity, immunotoxicity, cytotoxicity, and neurotoxicity. The intestinal toxicity of OTA has gradually become a focus of research, but the mechanisms underlying this toxicity have not been described.

Modulation activity of heat-treated and untreated lactoferrin on the TLR-4 pathway in anoxia cell model and cerebral ischemia reperfusion mouse model.

This study aimed to investigate the modulation activity of heated and nonheated lactoferrins in an inflammatory pathway in anoxia and reoxygenation cell and cerebral ischemic reperfusion mouse models. Rat pheochromocytoma 12 (PC-12) cells were subjected to oxygen and glucose deprivation in vitro to construct an anoxia and reoxygenation cell model, and Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) mice were given carotid artery "ligation-relaxation" in vivo to construct a cerebral ischemic reperfusion mouse model. The protein levels of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) and downstream inflammatory proteins including nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and IL-1β were detected.

Modulation of intestinal epithelial permeability and mucin mRNA (MUC2, MUC5AC, and MUC5B) expression and protein secretion in Caco-2/HT29-MTX co-cultures exposed to aflatoxin M1, ochratoxin A, and zearalenone individually or collectively.

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), ochratoxin A (OTA), and zearalenone (ZEA) are mycotoxins commonly found in milk. Mycotoxin contamination has caused food safety concerns worldwide since most of the toxic effects in humans are serious. The combined toxic effects of these mycotoxins on intestinal epithelial cells have not been reported.

Transcriptional and Proteomic Analysis Revealed a Synergistic Effect of Aflatoxin M1 and Ochratoxin A Mycotoxins on the Intestinal Epithelial Integrity of Differentiated Human Caco-2 Cells.

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a common mycotoxin in dairy milk, and it is typically concurrently present with other mycotoxins that may represent a threat to food safety. However, knowledge of how AFM1, alone or in combination with other mycotoxins, may affect human intestinal epithelial integrity remain to be established. We employed transcriptome and proteome analysis integrated with biological validation to reveal the molecular basis underlining the effect of exposure to AFM1, ochratoxin A (OTA), or both on the intestinal epithelial integrity of differentiated Caco-2 cells.

Dietary leucine supplementation alters energy metabolism and induces slow-to-fast transitions in longissimus dorsi muscle of weanling piglets.

Leucine plays an important role in promoting muscle protein synthesis and muscle remodelling. However, what percentage of leucine is appropriate in creep feed and what proteome profile alterations are caused by dietary leucine in the skeletal muscle of piglets remain elusive. In this case, we applied isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation to analyse the proteome profile of the longissimus dorsi muscles of weanling piglets fed a normal leucine diet (NL; 1·66 % leucine) and a high-leucine diet (HL; 2·1 % leucine).

Near-IR Electrochromic Film Prepared by Oxidative Electropolymerization of the Cyclometalated Pt(II) Chloride with a Triphenylamine Group.

A cyclometalated platinum chloride [(L)PtCl] {L = 4-[p-(diphenylamino)phenyl]-6-phenyl-2,2'-bipyridine} was successfully synthesized and characterized by (1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, MALDI-TOF MS, elemental analysis, and X-ray crystallography. Its oxidative electropolymerization proceeds smoothly on the working Pt and ITO electrodes by cyclic voltammetry. The film thickness can be easily tuned by controlling the CV scan number.