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Active food packaging is currently of high demand in food industries to provide protections to food. Food packaging is not only used to store and protect food from the environment, but also to provide functional values with the incorporation of active agent. Essential oils (EOs) extracted from a variety of plants represent active ingredients of natural origin which provide numerous benefits to food, aromatherapy, pharmaceutical, and food packaging industries due to their functional properties. Numerous researches have been carried out in developing active food packaging such as insect repellent packaging containing essential oils. Insect repellent packaging could create safety measures by repelling insect from exterior environment or the inhibition of larvae from food within. In this paper, different application of EOs on different types of food packaging, applications, processing methods, migration of active compounds and performance of insect repellency are reviewed. Future perspectives and applications of insect repellence using safe, natural and more effective strategies are also discussed. EOs as the active insect repellent agents in food packaging offer great opportunities to protect the quality of food. Some important factors such as legislative concerns (e.g. toxicity test, migration of active substances from packaging materials), economics, and further study on the release period of active agent to the environment should be considered to successfully implement insect repellent agents in food packaging.

The growing world population and urbanization have worsened noise pollution, driving the development of sound absorption (SA) research across the globe. This study aims to analyse the SA global research trends and discover the opportunities for future development or collaboration using systematic bibliometric analysis. A total of 2970 articles since 1913 were systematically retrieved. Results reveal that the most productive journal had taken 10.3 % of the total publications. A high correlation = 0.87 was found between the number of co-authorship and the h-index of a scholar. China has the highest number of publications 55.3 % and most research focused on porous materials. Present findings could be helpful to further develop SA from a global level perspective.

Vitamin E (tocopherols and tocotrienols) has demonstrated significant biological effects on enhancing human health and play a promising role in food systems. Studies have shown the relative antioxidant activity of vitamin E contributes to food preservation. It can reduce the negative impact of chemical reactions on food systems by improving their safety, nutritional value, and shelf-life. This review aims to discuss the functionality of vitamin E, mainly focusing on its sources, physico-chemical characteristics, biological functions, and application as a food stabilizer. Relevant studies were identified through searches in online databases such as Scopus, PubMed, ISI Web of Science, and Google Scholar using appropriate keywords. Vitamin E has been found to act on cellular signaling pathways, effectively combating oxidative stress which benefits for anti-inflammation, anti-cancer, cardioprotection, neuroprotection, skin health, and other degenerative conditions. The functions of γ- and δ- tocotrienol and tocopherol have been found to exhibit anti-inflammation and anti-cancer properties. Vitamin E also contributes to cardio health via cardiomyocyte anti-apoptosis. Additionally, vitamin E offers good protection against lipid peroxidation under food processing and storage conditions. Vitamin E works in oils, fats, and active packaging by stabilizing their lipid components to prevent off-flavours and changes in the colour of the food constituents. Supplementation of α-tocopherol up to 0.2% in oils is able provide higher oxidative stability. Therefore, it can be inferred that vitamin E could be utilized as a functional ingredient in food preservation and for enhancing nutritional quality.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) contributes to the progression of malignancy. However, the functional role and regulatory mechanisms of NGF in the development of neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) are unclear. Here, we show that an androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT)-stimulated transcription factor, ZBTB46, upregulated NGF via ZBTB46 mediated-transcriptional activation of NGF. NGF regulates NEPC differentiation by physically interacting with a G-protein-coupled receptor, cholinergic receptor muscarinic 4 (CHRM4), after ADT. Pharmacologic NGF blockade and NGF knockdown markedly inhibited CHRM4-mediated NEPC differentiation and AKT-MYCN signaling activation. CHRM4 stimulation was associated with ADT resistance and was significantly correlated with increased NGF in high-grade and small-cell neuroendocrine prostate cancer (SCNC) patient samples. Our results reveal a role of the NGF in the development of NEPC that is linked to ZBTB46 upregulation and CHRM4 accumulation. Our study provides evidence that the NGF-CHRM4 axis has potential to be considered as a therapeutic target to impair NEPC progression.Here, the authors discover that NGF, upregulated by transcription factor ZBTB46 in prostate cancer exposed to androgen therapy, promotes neuroendocrine differentiation. They show that NGF interacts with the GPCR CHRM4, that both NGF and CHRM4 are upregulated in highly metastatic prostate cancer and that targeting NGF reduces therapy resistance in a mouse xenograft model.

Solid polymer electrolyte based on poly (ethyl methacrylate) (PEMA) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI) was prepared for electrochemical double-layer capacitor (EDLC) application. Incorporation of 50 wt% LiTFSI elevated the ionic conductivity by five orders of magnitude from (4.64 ± 0.01) × 10 –11 to (1.22 ± 0.01) × 10 –6 S cm −1 . The doping of LiTFSI also improved the thermal stability of the polymer electrolyte from 331 to 384 ºC. Moreover, structural information from FTIR suggested that Li + can interact with oxygen of carbonyl and ester groups of PEMA. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) showed that there is an improvement on the electrochemical stability window from 2.2 to 3.2 V upon addition of 40 and 50 wt% of LiTFSI. Transference number analysis affirmed that ion is the major contributor to the ionic conductivity of the PEMA-LiTFSI polymer electrolyte system. The fabricated PEMA-LiTFSI-based EDLC cell exhibited specific capacitance of 358.1 m F g −1 . The energy density and power density of the PEMA-LiTFSI-based EDLC cell were 22.2 mWh kg −1 and 14.0 W kg −1 , respectively.

Azo dyes are commonly used as a coloring agent in the textile industry to beautify the textile products. However, due to the non-biodegradable and toxic nature of azo dyes, it is imperative to degrade the toxic dye in the textile effluent in order to prevent it from penetrating the aquatic ecosystem and causing environmental pollution. For this purpose, binary photocatalysts of polyaniline—tin oxide (PAni-SnO 2 ) with different weight percent of SnO 2 were synthesized using template-free method. The chemical structures and oxidation states of the photocatalysts were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and ultra-violet visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopies, respectively. The existence of SnO 2 was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, while morphology of the photocatalysts was investigated by field emission scanning electron microsocopy (FESEM). Electrical conductivities of PAni-SnO 2 binary photocatalysts were measured by conductivity meter showing conductivity range of 6.55 × 10 –6 –2.66 × 10 –3 S cm −1 . The photodegradation performance of PAni-SnO 2 binary phorocatalysts for toxic RB5 azo dye was in the range of 30.26–72.94% in which PAni-SnO 2 (10%) demonstrates the highest photodegradation performance of 72.94%. This can be explained by its high surface area nanorods and nanotubes morphology that promotes electron conductivity (2.66 × 10 –3 S cm −1 ) and for better RB5 adsorption. Also, its low band gap (1.98 eV) enabling easy excitation of electrons to form electron–hole pairs and low electron-pair recombination rate (low PL emission intensity of 7.29 × 10 3 a.u.) are the other factors that contribute to its excellent photodegradation performance. Graphical abstract

Background CUL4A has been known for its oncogenic properties in various human cancers. However, its role in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) has not been explored. Methods We retrospectively investigated 105 iCCA cases from a single medical institution. Tissue microarrays were used for immunohistochemical analysis of CUL4A expression. CUL4A expression vectors were introduced in cell lines. Cell migration and invasion assays were used to compare the mobility potential of iCCA cells under basal conditions and after manipulation. Then we evaluated the effects of CUL4A on the cell growth by proliferation assay, and further checked the susceptibility to cisplatin in iCCA cells with or without CUL4A overexpression. Results CUL4A overexpression was detected in 34 cases (32.4%). Patients with CUL4A-overexpressing tumors exhibited shortened disease-free survival (mean, 27.7 versus 90.4 months; P  = 0.011). In the multivariate analysis model, CUL4A overexpression was shown to be an independent unfavorable predictor for disease-free survival ( P  = 0.045). Moreover, stably transfected CUL4A-overexpressing iCCA cell lines displayed an increased mobility potential and enhanced cell growth without impact on susceptibility to cisplatin. Conclusions Our data demonstrate that overexpression of CUL4A plays an oncogenic role in iCCA and adversely affects disease-free survival. Thus, it may prove to be a powerful prognostic factor and a potential therapeutic target.

Amplification of genes at 13q34 has been reported to be associated with tumor proliferation and progression in diverse types of cancers. However, its role in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) has yet to be explored. We examined two iCCA cell lines and 86 cases of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma to analyze copy number of three target genes, including cullin 4A (CUL4A), insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2), and transcription factor Dp-1 (TFDP1) at 13q34 by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The cell lines and all tumor samples were used to test the relationship between copy number (CN) alterations and protein expression by western blotting and immunohistochemical assays, respectively. IRS2 was introduced, and each target gene was silenced in cell lines. The mobility potential of cells was compared in the basal condition and after manipulation using cell migration and invasion assays. CN alterations correlated with protein expression levels. The SNU1079 cell line containing deletions of the target genes demonstrated decreased protein expression levels and significantly lower numbers of migratory and invasive cells, as opposed to the RBE cell line, which does not contain CN alterations. Overexpression of IRS2 by introducing IRS2 in SUN1079 cells increased the mobility potential. In contrast, silencing each target gene showed a trend or statistical significance toward inhibition of migratory and invasive capacities in RBE cells. In tumor samples, the amplification of each of these genes was associated with poor disease-free survival. Twelve cases (13.9%) demonstrated copy numbers > 4 for all three genes tested (CUL4A, IRS2, and TFDP1), and showed a significant difference in disease-free survival by both univariate and multivariate survival analyses (hazard ratio, 2.69; 95% confidence interval, 1.23 to 5.88; P = 0.013). Our data demonstrate that amplification of genes at 13q34 plays an oncogenic role in iCCA featuring adverse disease-free survival, which may provide new directions for targeted therapy.

The international consensus classification or the World Health Organization classifications underrepresented driver alterations enriched in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML). To address this, we retrospectively characterized the genomic landscape of 105 pediatric patients with AML of East Asian ancestry using transcriptome and whole-exome sequencing (WES). In addition to the common recurrent fusions such as RUNX1::RUNX1T1 and CBFB::MYH11 , we identified rearrangements involving KMT2A , NUP98 , GLIS , as well as FLT3 and UBTF tandem duplications. The median somatic mutation rate in AML was 0.97 per megabase, as estimated by WES. Frequently mutated pathways included signaling: 68.6% (72/105), transcription: 37.1% (39/105), epigenetic regulation: 26.7% (28/105), cohesin: 7.6% (8/105), RNA binding: 3.8% (4/105), and protein modification: 5.7% (6/105). When analyzed together, high-risk genetic subtypes including GLISr , UBTF tandem duplications, PICALM::MLLT10 , and HOXr were significantly associated with poorer 5 year overall survival (OS) in multivariable analysis ( p -value = 0.037). Although FLT3 internal tandem duplications were significantly associated with inferior 5 year OS in univariable analysis, this effect was not significant in multivariable analysis ( p -value = 0.382). Patients with RUNX1 mutations had inferior 5 year OS in multivariable analysis ( p -value = 0.009). These findings suggest specific genomic alterations that may refine risk stratification and guide future therapeutic protocols in Taiwanese pediatric patients with AML.

In recent decades, there has been a growing demand for shampoos derived from botanical sources due to their avoidance of synthetic and highly allergenic chemicals used as bioactives and excipients. These hair care products are free from sulfates, parabens, silicones, synthetic fragrances, and artificial colours. Natural shampoos are sustainable, skin-friendly, and eco-friendly to the environment. Garcinia mangostana (Mangosteen) peel is usually discarded as agricultural waste. It consists of numerous bioactives which exhibit promising activities for hair care and scalp maintenance. This study aimed to formulate and evaluate a novel hair shampoo containing standardised mangosteen peel extract. The formulation of the mangosteen shampoo utilised botanical ingredients and naturally derived components. It underwent an evaluation to assess its physicochemical properties, including visual inspection, pH, surface tension, percentage solid content, wetting time, foam ability and stability, as well as dirt dispersion. These properties were then compared to those of two commercially available hair shampoos. Its antimicrobial activity towards Malassezia furfur ATCC 14521 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 was also examined and compared with the commercial shampoo using the microbroth dilution method. Its antioxidant activity was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity assay. It was noticed that all formulations (F1–F4) had acceptable physicochemical properties, and they fell within the standard range. F2 had the best antifungal activity (MIC 0.039 mg/mL, MFC 0.156 mg/mL), and moderate antibacterial (MIC 2.50 mg/mL, MBC 5.00 mg/mL) and antioxidant activities (IC50 21.9 ± 3.27 mg/mL; AEAC 26.3 ± 4.06 mg AA/100 g sample). A microscopic examination of hair strands after washing revealed the successful removal of artificial sebum, signifying a good detergency effect. The physical and chemical properties of the hair shampoo formula remained stable without phase separation. In conclusion, the formulated clean hair shampoo with standardised mangosteen peel extract has good cleansing properties, and it is effective in inhibiting dandruff-causing microbial and scavenging free radicals.