Banner Life Sciences (United States)

ABSTRACTConstructive species are the creators and constructors of plant communities, exerting significant control over community structure and environmental formation. This study investigates the effects of grazing intensity on the biomass and importance value of the constructive species in a desert steppe and its contribution to community biomass. This study conducted a 5‐year monitoring on a long‐term grazing experimental platform in desert grasslands. The experiment set four grazing intensities, and from May to September each year, the aboveground biomass, plant height, density, and community biomass of the community were measured. Results showed that different grazing intensities altered the importance value and aboveground biomass of Stipa breviflora, which were regulated by rainfall and temperature during the growing season. In years with higher rainfall, the importance value was relatively low, whereas in years with higher average growing season temperatures, the importance value was higher. In dry years with less rainfall and higher temperatures, the importance value of S. breviflora under moderate and heavy grazing approached 1, significantly greater than that under control and light grazing. The effects of grazing intensity on biomass varied across years. In the wet year of 2016, aboveground standing crop increased with grazing intensity, while in dry years (2017) and average rainfall years (2018 and 2019), the trend reversed. Furthermore, compared to the control, light, moderate, and heavy grazing increased the contribution rate of S. breviflora aboveground biomass to community biomass. The study concludes that constructive species in desert steppes exhibit greater adaptability and growth advantages under the dual pressures of climate variability and grazing, which intensifies competition with other plants and makes the desert steppe more vulnerable. This phenomenon intensifies with increasing grazing intensity. Therefore, the study suggests that light grazing management in desert steppes is beneficial for adapting to future climate variability and challenges.

Background Leiomyosarcoma of the skin is a rare malignant mesenchymal neoplasm categorized as cutaneous or subcutaneous. This study identified demographic and pathological factors affecting the prognosis and treatment of leiomyosarcoma of the skin. Methods Data of patients with skin leiomyosarcoma was extracted from 2000 to 2020 using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Propensity score matching and prognostic nomograms were used to analyze survival rate predictions. Results Most patients were >65 years of age (50.5%), male (78.8%), and White (88.5%). The overall 5-year survival was 79.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 77.4–82.6), and the 5-year cause-specific survival rate was 95.7% (95% CI = 94.2–97.2). Based on treatment, the 5-year cause-specific survival rate was 82.9% (95% CI = 80.3–85.6) for surgery only, 60.2% (95% CI = 47.7–76.0) for both radiation and surgery, and 68.2% (95% CI = 58.9–78.9) for no treatment. Multivariable analysis showed that head and neck tumors were associated with worse mortality. Conclusion The results provide valuable insights that could shape development of future clinical protocols for skin leiomyosarcoma and impact patient care and treatment efficacy.

The presented study describes the development of a membrane permeation non-sink dissolution method that can provide analysis of complete drug speciation and emulate the in vivo performance of poorly water-soluble Biopharmaceutical Classification System class II compounds. The designed membrane permeation methodology permits evaluation of free/dissolved/unbound drug from amorphous solid dispersion formulations with the use of a two-cell apparatus, biorelevant dissolution media, and a biomimetic polymer membrane. It offers insight into oral drug dissolution, permeation, and absorption. Amorphous solid dispersions of felodipine were prepared by hot melt extrusion and spray drying techniques and evaluated for in vitro performance. Prior to ranking performance of extruded and spray-dried felodipine solid dispersions, optimization of the dissolution methodology was performed for parameters such as agitation rate, membrane type, and membrane pore size. The particle size and zeta potential were analyzed during dissolution experiments to understand drug/polymer speciation and supersaturation sustainment of felodipine solid dispersions. Bland-Altman analysis was performed to measure the agreement or equivalence between dissolution profiles acquired using polymer membranes and porcine intestines and to establish the biomimetic nature of the treated polymer membranes. The utility of the membrane permeation dissolution methodology is seen during the evaluation of felodipine solid dispersions produced by spray drying and hot melt extrusion. The membrane permeation dissolution methodology can suggest formulation performance and be employed as a screening tool for selection of candidates to move forward to pharmacokinetic studies. Furthermore, the presented model is a cost-effective technique.

The objective of this proof-of-concept study was to develop a platform for controlled drug delivery based on silk fibroin (SF) and to explore the feasibility of using SF in oral drug delivery. The SF-containing matrixes were prepared via spray-drying and film casting, and the release profile of the model drug naproxen sodium was evaluated. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) has been used to observe conformational changes in SF- and drug-containing compositions. SF-based films, spray-dried microparticles, and matrixes loaded with naproxen were prepared. Both FTIR spectra and in vitro dissolution data demonstrated that SF β-sheet conformation regulates the release profile of naproxen. The controlled release characteristics of the SF-containing compositions were evaluated as a function of SF concentration, temperature, and exposure to dehydrating solvents. The results suggest that SF may be an attractive polymer for use in controlled drug delivery systems.

Many researchers have shown a link between employee job satisfaction and customer satisfaction in the private sector. Customer satisfaction is the end result of whether the particular service and/or a product meet the customer's needs. The purpose of this research project was to assess the level of employee job satisfaction in the Virginia WIC Program and to determine whether a correlation exists between the level of employee job satisfaction and program participation rates. The results of this study showed that high levels of employee job satisfaction were positively correlated to high program participation rates in the Virginia WIC Program.

ABSTRACTThe effect of heating film‐forming solutions on physical and molecular properties of cast wheat gluten (WG) films was determined. Glycerol‐plasticized films were cast from alkaline (pH 10), heat‐treated (55,75, or 95°C for 10 min) solutions of WG in aqueous ethanol. Protein solubility (PS) of films in water decreased (P<0.05) with increasing temperature. Gel permeation chromatograms showed reduced extractability of protein fractions other than ω‐gliadins in WG films. This reduced extractability was due to disulfide (S‐S) bond formation. SDS‐PAGE patterns of native WG and WG film samples suggested increased cross‐linking through covalent S‐S bonds in films from solutions heated at 75 or 95°C. Water resistance in potential packaging applications of WG edible films could be modified by adjusting heat‐treating temperature.

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