Shaanxi University of Technology

Enhancing the concentration of nitric oxide (NO) in tumor tissues via exogenous NO donors represents an efficient approach to augment the anti-tumor therapeutic effect of NO. Herein, a Golgi-targetable and photo-triggered NO donor, DYG-NO has been designed for the quantitative and localized NO release using an aminoquinoline derivative as the fluorescence reporter and Golgi-targetable group. The solution of DYG-NO was colorless and non-fluorescent due to the inhibition of intramolecular charge transfer state of the 7-aminoquolines between the imine group and trifluoromethyl group. Upon photo-triggered by UV light at 365 nm, DYG-NO fully released NO within 60 min, resulting in a 20-fold increase in fluorescence intensity at 535 nm, which was suitable to quantitate NO dose in vitro. Moreover, DYG-NO performed good photo-stability, and the NO decomposition pathway was not interfered by other interfering substances. In addition, DYG-NO was successfully applied to monitor and investigate the dynamic changes of NO level in living cells and zebrafish. Notably, DYG-NO is the first constructed Golgi-targetable NO donor that can precisely release NO in Golgi apparatus.

Dynamic cancer control is a current health system priority, yet methods for achieving it are lacking. This study aims to review the application of system dynamics modeling (SDM) on cancer control and evaluate the research quality.

Articles were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus from the inception of the study to 15 November 2023. Inclusion criteria were English original studies focusing on cancer control with SDM methodology, including prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment, and palliative care. Exclusion criteria were non-original research, and studies lacking SDM focus. Analysis involved categorization of studies and extraction of relevant data to answer the research question, ensuring a comprehensive synthesis of the field. Quality assessment was used to evaluate the SDM for cancer control.

Sixteen studies were included in this systematic review predominantly from the United States (7, 43.75%), with a focus on breast cancer research (5, 31.25%). Studies were categorized by WHO cancer control modules, and some studies may contribute to multiple modules. The results showed that included studies comprised two focused on prevention (1.25%), ten on early detection (62.50%), six on diagnosis and treatment (37.50%), with none addressing palliative care. Seven studies presented a complete SDM process, among which nine developed causal loop diagrams for conceptual models, ten utilized stock-flow charts to develop computational models, and thirteen conducted simulations.

This review's macrofocus on SDM in cancer control missed detailed methodological analysis. The limited number of studies and lack of stage-specific intervention comparisons limit comprehensiveness. Detailed analysis of SDM construction was also not conducted, potentially overlooking nuances in cancer control strategies.

SDM in cancer control is underutilized, focusing mainly on early detection and treatment. Inconsistencies suggest a need for standardized SDM approaches. Future research should expand SDM's application and integrate it into cancer control strategies.

Lactococcus lactis strains from traditional fermented foods are important sources of both probiotic candidates and natural biopreservatives. In this study, L. lactis ZB1, isolated from Zhenba bacon (Shaanxi, China), was comprehensively characterized for its genomic features and antifungal activity. Genomic analysis revealed a genome size of 2.312 Mb with 2165 protein-coding genes, 64 tRNAs, and 19 rRNAs. Key genes associated with carbohydrate metabolism, stress resistance, and bacteriocin biosynthesis were identified, including a cluster encoding class IIc bacteriocin, suggesting probiotic potential and antimicrobial capacity. The cell-free supernatant (CFS) of ZB1 exhibited strong, concentration-dependent antifungal activity against food spoilage fungi (Penicillium griseofulvum Dierckx, Aspergillus ochraceus), achieving inhibition rates over 60 % at 40 % CFS concentration and above 90 % at 80 %. The antifungal effect remained highly stable following heat treatment. The inhibition activity was largely unchanged after treatment at 60 °C and 80 °C, and even after heating at 100 °C, the inhibition rate decreased by only about 10 %. In contrast, the activity was markedly reduced after pH neutralization, indicating that organic acids were the major active components. Protease treatment had little effect, further confirming the non-proteinaceous nature of the primary antifungal substances. These findings highlight L. lactis ZB1 as a promising probiotic strain and a thermally stable, organic acid-mediated natural preservative for improving the safety and shelf life of food products.