Abstract Background: Primary cutaneous CD4+ small/medium-sized pleomorphic T-Cell lymphoproliferative disorder (PC-SMTLD) has been considered as a controversial dermatological disease that has been included in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma group, presenting most commonly as a solitary nodule and/or plaque with a specific and characteristic head and neck predilection. Due to the considerable overlap between PC-SMTLD and pseudolymphoma (PL), the differential diagnosis is often challenging. Methylation of DNA at position 5 of cytosine, and the subsequent reduction in intracellular 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) levels, is a key epigenetic event in several cancers, including systemic lymphomas. However, it has rarely been studied in cutaneous lymphomas. Objectives: The authors aimed to explore the role of differential 5-hmC immunostaining as a useful marker to distinguish PC-SMTLD from PL. Methods: Retrospective case series study with immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence analysis of 5-hmC was performed in PL and PC-SMTLD. Results: Significant decrease of 5-hmC nuclear staining was observed in PC-SMTLD when compared with PL (p<0.0001). By semi-quantitative grade integration, there were statistical differences in the final 5-hmC scores in the two study groups. The IF co-staining of 5-hmC with CD4 revealed a decrease of 5-hmC in CD4+ lymphocytes of PC-SMTLD. Study limitations: The small clinical sample size of the study. Conclusions: The immunorreactivity of 5-hmC in CD4+ lymphocytes was highly suggestive of a benign process as PL. Furthermore, the decrease of 5-hmC nuclear staining in PC-SMTLD indicated its lymphoproliferative status and helped to make the differential diagnosis with PL. © 2023 Sociedade Brasileira de Dermatologia. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Abstract A chitosan-based edible coating was prepared by incorporating γ-polyglutamic acid and curcumin. The physical, mechanical and antimicrobial properties of the chitosan/γ-polyglutamic acid/curcumin edible coating were characterized. Furthermore, the effect of chitosan/γ-polyglutamic acid/curcumin edible coating on the shelf-life of fresh beef was investigated. The γ-polyglutamic acid and curcumin incorporation greatly improved the performance of chitosan coating, including coating formation and antimicrobial activity. After the application of coating, the chitosan/γ-polyglutamic acid/curcumin edible coating had a good protection effect on the color of beef and was conducive to prolonging the shelf life of beef with good quality compared to pure curcumin edible coating. These results revealed that application of chitosan/γ-polyglutamic acid/ curcumin edible coating will be a good way to preserve freshness of fresh beef.

Abstract Kaempferol, an important flavonol, has numerous health-beneficial bioactivities and possesses a great potential for application in medicine, food, and cosmetics industries. To improve the production of kaempferol in an in vitro synthetic biosystem, we designed and constructed a panel of bifunctional enzymes by fusing the flavanone 3-hydroxylase (AtF3H) and the flavonol synthase (AtFLS1) of Arabidopsis thaliana with different orientation and different peptide linker type and length. By comparing the output of kaempferol, we obtained a highly active bifunctional enzyme AtF3H-(GGGGS)2-AtFLS1 with a Km value of 0.129 ± 0.016 mM. After optimization of a series of reaction parameters, kaempferol was produced at 100.54 ± 0.54 mg/L, the currently highest kaempferol output in an in vitro synthetic biosystem, and the substrate conversion rate was 68.26% ± 0.05%. In addition, we observed substrate inhibition for the AtFLS1, which eventually limited the production of kaempferol. This study provides a highly active biocatalyst for production of kaempferol and an insight into biosynthesis of other valuable molecules.

ABSTRACT Objective: To explore the clinical features of carriers of chromosome 2 translocations, enabling informed genetic counseling of these patients. Materials and Methods: Eighty-two male carriers of a translocation who were infertile or receiving fertility counseling were recruited. Cytogenetic analyses were performed using G-banding. A search of PubMed was performed to determine whether the identified translocations on chromosome 2 are involved in male infertility. The relationships of translocation breakpoints with male infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss were analyzed. Results: Of the 82 translocation carriers, 9 (11%) were carriers of a chromosome 2 translocation. Four cases had oligozoospermia or infertility, while five had normal semen. In an analysis of the literature, 55 patients who were carriers of chromosome 2 translocations were also reviewed. Breakpoints at 2p13 and 2q31 were observed in six patients each, and were the most common. Breakpoints at 2p23, 2p13, 2p11.2, 2q31, and 2q37 were associated to both pre-gestational and gestational infertility, while other breakpoints were associated with gestational infertility. Conclusions: All breakpoints at chromosome 2 were correlated with gestational infertility. Carriers of chromosome 2 translocations should therefore receive counseling to continue with natural conception and use of different technologies available via assisted reproductive technology, such as preimplantation genetic diagnosis.

Deer antler is a precious animal-sourced traditional Chinese medicine. We aimed to rapidly assess the quality of deer antler slices by electronic nose so that we can ensure medical safety. In this study, response intensity of the electronic nose was favorably optimized, and samples were well assessed by using an electronic nose based on LDA model. The results obtained herein suggested that electronic nose could be an effective method to rapidly assess the quality of deer antler slices, and could also be an important tool for categorization of complex aroma mixtures for the control of quality of drugs or food.