Summary Oat milk has received increasing attention because of its health benefits, however, the problems of easy sedimentation and deterioration of taste during storage are common problems faced by the industry. Enzymatic extrusion is a technology that combines high‐temperature, high‐pressure and high‐shear extrusion with enzymatic hydrolysis for rapid biological transformation of materials. To evaluate the feasibility of enzymatic extrusion to overcome these disadvantages, the effects of this technology on the physicochemical properties of oat flour and on the stability and sensory score of oat milk have been studied. The results showed that the water solubility index of the enzymatic extrusion sample (2‰ α‐amylase) increased by 37.64% (from 5.99% to 43.63%) and the reducing sugar content increased about 11 times (from 11.61 to 128.31 mg g −1 ) compared with original oat flour. The enzymatic extrusion samples were almost completely gelatinised and their viscosity and degree of order were significantly reduced. The rheological results indicated that the enzymatic extrusion samples exhibited greater viscous fluid characteristics. After enzymatic extrusion treatment, the stability of oat milk was significantly enhanced, sensory evaluation indicated a highest score of 7.29 on the 9‐point hedonic scale (2‰ α‐amylase). This study provides a new way to produce high‐quality oat milk.
Dexmedetomidine has been reported to improve postoperative sleep quality. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of intraoperative dexmedetomidine infusion on postoperative sleep quality and changes in melatonin secretion in older patients undergoing elective thoracoscopic lung surgery. A total of 126 older patients were randomly divided into two groups: dexmedetomidine group (Group D), which received continuous dexmedetomidine infusion at 0.3-0.5 µg/(kg·h) combined with propofol during surgery, and propofol group (Group P), which received propofol alone. The primary outcome was the postoperative sleep quality on the first postoperative night, assessed by the Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ). Secondary outcomes included sleep quality scores on the second and third postoperative nights, melatonin concentrations postoperatively, and the incidence of delirium on the first and seventh postoperative days (discharge day). On the first postoperative night, Group D had a higher sleep quality score compared to Group P (57±11.4 vs 53±10.3; [95% CI, 1.1 to 8.7];P = 0.012), with no difference between the groups on the second and third postoperative nights. There was no statistically significant difference in the preoperative and postoperative night 3 urine 6-SMT concentrations between the two groups (P > 0.05); however, Group D had significantly higher urine 6-SMT concentrations on postoperative nights 1 and 2 compared to Group P (27 (24, 30) vs 21 (17, 24); [95% CI, -8.56 to -4.73]; P = 0.000. 28 (25, 30) vs 26 (21, 27); [95% CI, -4.37 to -1.65]; P = 0.000). There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative delirium between the two groups (P=0.65). Continuous intraoperative infusion of dexmedetomidine can effectively improve sleep quality during the first postoperative night by promoting melatonin secretion over the first two postoperative nights.
A novel bisperoxovanadium complex, [NH4][VO(O2)2(ima)] (1) (ima = imidazole-4-carboxamide), was synthesized by the reaction of NH4VO3 and ima in the presence of H2O2, and the structure was characterized by single-crystal X-ray technology. The adjacent [NH4][VO(O2)2(ima)] monomers further constructed a 3-D supramolecular framework through intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions. The composition of the title complex solution was explored using a combination of multinuclear (1H, 13C and 51V) magnetic resonance, heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC), and variable temperature NMR in a 0.15 mol L−1 NaCl/D2O solution that mimics physiological conditions. According to NMR experimental results, a pair of isomers (Isomers A and B) are observed in aqueous solution, which are attributed to different types of coordination modes between the metal center and the ligands; Isomer B (the main product) has the same coordination structure as the crystal structure of [NH4][VO(O2)2(ima)]. The 51V NMR experiment together with single-crystal X-ray diffraction results indicated that Isomer A is the hexa-coordinated peroxovanadium species while Isomer B is the hepta-coordinated species.
Summary Whole wheat bread is poor in quality, and it is necessary to use certain methods to improve bread texture and glycaemic index, such as adding exogenous protein. This study evaluated the effects of adding different proportions of gluten (focus on exogenous protein enrichment) on dough structure, bread quality, and starch digestibility, focusing on mixing properties, rheological properties, pasting properties, microstructure, basic quality, and starch digestibility. Dough microstructure results showed that gluten addition helped to form a more complete gluten network. The bread quality results showed that gluten‐enriched bread had larger specific volume, lower baking loss, and better textural quality. Starch digestibility results showed that gluten addition slowed down starch digestion to some extent. The experimental results indicated that 40% added gluten could produce bread samples with optimal quality. The subject systematically studied the effect of gluten enrichment on the quality of whole wheat bread, which is a guide to the application.
Peripheral nerve injuries may result in severe long-gap interruptions that are challenging to repair. Autografting is the gold standard surgical approach for repairing long-gap nerve injuries but can result in prominent donor-site complications. Instead, imitating the native neural microarchitecture using synthetic conduits is expected to offer an alternative strategy for improving nerve regeneration. Here, we designed nerve conduits composed of high-resolution anisotropic microfiber grid-cordes with randomly organized nanofiber sheaths to interrogate the positive effects of these biomimetic structures on peripheral nerve regeneration. Anisotropic microfiber-grids demonstrated the capacity to directionally guide Schwann cells and neurites. Nanofiber sheaths conveyed adequate elasticity and permeability, whilst exhibiting a barrier function against the infiltration of fibroblasts. We then used the composite nerve conduits bridge 30-mm long sciatic nerve defects in canine models. At 12 months post-implant, the morphometric and histological recovery, gait recovery, electrophysiological function, and degree of muscle atrophy were assessed. The newly regenerated nerve tissue that formed within the composite nerve conduits showed restored neurological functions that were superior compared to sheaths-only scaffolds and Neurolac nerve conduit controls. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of using synthetic biophysical cues to effectively bridge long-gap peripheral nerve injuries and indicates the promising clinical application prospects of biomimetic composite nerve conduits.
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