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Expression of the Alzheimer's disease associated polypeptide Aβ42 and the human polypeptide hormon islet amyloid polypeptide (hIAPP) and the prohormone precursor (hproIAPP) in neurons of Drosophila melanogaster leads to the formation of protein aggregates in the fat body tissue surrounding the brain. We determined the structure of these membrane-encircled protein aggregates using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and observed the dissolution of protein aggregates after starvation. Electron tomography (ET) as an extension of transmission electron microscopy revealed that these aggregates were comprised of granular subunits having a diameter of 20 nm aligned into highly ordered structures in all three dimensions. The three dimensional (3D) lattice of hIAPP granules were constructed of two unit cells, a body centered tetragonal (BCT) and a triclinic unit cell. A 5-fold twinned structure was observed consisting of the cyclic twinning of the BCT and triclinic unit cells. The interaction between the two nearest hIAPP granules in both unit cells is not only governed by the van der Waals forces and the dipole-dipole interaction but potentially also by filament-like structures that can connect the nearest neighbors. Hence, our 3D structural analysis provides novel insight into the aggregation process of hIAPP in the fat body tissue of Drosophila melanogaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grafting has been widely applied to melon (Cucumis melo L.) production to alleviate obstacles of continuous cropping and control soil-borne diseases. However, grafting often leads to a decline of fruit quality. For example, sometimes bitter fruits are produced on grafted plants. However, the underlying physiological mechanism still remains unclear. This study investigated the effects of different rootstocks on the taste of fruits of the Balengcui, an oriental melon cultivar, during summer production. The results showed that all grafted plants with Cucurbita maxima Duch. rootstocks produced bitter fruits, while non-grafted plants and plants grafted onto muskmelon rootstocks produced no bitter fruits. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and metabonomic analysis were performed to investigate the mechanism underlying the occurrence of bitter fruits. Metabolite comparisons of fruits from plants grafted onto Ribenxuesong rootstocks both with non-grafted plants and plants grafted onto muskmelon rootstocks showed that 17 metabolites including phospholipids, cucurbitacins and flavonoids, exhibited changes. The three Cucurbitacins, Cucurbitacin O, Cucurbitacin C, and Cucurbitacin S, increased dramatically. The 10 phospholipids PS(18:1(9Z)/18:2(9Z,12Z)), PS(P-18:0/15:0), PA(18:1(11Z)/18:1(11Z)), PE(16:0/18:0), PS(O-16:0/17:2(9Z,12Z)), PI(16:0/18:2(9Z,12Z)), PA(15:0/22:6(4Z,7Z,10Z,13Z,16Z,19Z)), PS(P-16:0/17:2(9Z,12Z)), PS(22:0/22:1(11Z)), and PA(17:1(9Z)/0:0)) were significantly decreased, while two PA (16:0/18:2 (9Z, 12Z) and 16:0/18:1 (11Z)), two flavonoids (pelargonidin 3-(6''-malonylglucoside)-5-glucoside and malvidin 3-rutinoside) significantly increased in fruits of plants grafted onto Cucurbita maxima Duch. rootstocks. These metabolites were involved in the glycerophospholipid metabolic pathway, the mevalonate pathway, and the phenylpropanoid pathway. In summary, these results showed that the bitter fruits of grafted Balengcui were caused by Cucurbita maxima Duch. rootstocks. Phospholipids, cucurbitacins, and flavonoids were the key contributors for the occurrence of bitter fruits in Balengcui melon after grafting onto Cucurbita maxima Duch. rootstocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Propofol causes a profound inhibition of fatty acid oxidation and reduces spare electron transfer chain capacity in a range of human and rodent cells and tissues–a feature that might be related to the pathogenesis of Propofol Infusion Syndrome. We aimed to explore the mechanism of propofol-induced alteration of bioenergetic pathways by describing its kinetic characteristics. Methods: We obtained samples of skeletal and cardiac muscle from Wistar rat (n = 3) and human subjects: vastus lateralis from hip surgery patients (n = 11) and myocardium from brain-dead organ donors (n = 10). We assessed mitochondrial functional indices using standard SUIT protocol and high resolution respirometry in fresh tissue homogenates with or without short-term exposure to a range of propofol concentration (2.5–100 μg/ml). After finding concentrations of propofol causing partial inhibition of a particular pathways, we used that concentration to construct kinetic curves by plotting oxygen flux against substrate concentration during its stepwise titration in the presence or absence of propofol. By spectrophotometry we also measured the influence of the same propofol concentrations on the activity of isolated respiratory complexes. Results: We found that human muscle and cardiac tissues are more sensitive to propofol-mediated inhibition of bioenergetic pathways than rat’s tissue. In human homogenates, palmitoyl carnitine-driven respiration was inhibited at much lower concentrations of propofol than that required for a reduction of electron transfer chain capacity, suggesting FAO inhibition mechanism different from downstream limitation or carnitine-palmitoyl transferase-1 inhibition. Inhibition of Complex I was characterised by more marked reduction of Vmax, in keeping with non-competitive nature of the inhibition and the pattern was similar to the inhibition of Complex II or electron transfer chain capacity. There was neither inhibition of Complex IV nor increased leak through inner mitochondrial membrane with up to 100 μg/ml of propofol. If measured in isolation by spectrophotometry, propofol 10 μg/ml did not affect the activity of any respiratory complexes. Conclusion: In human skeletal and heart muscle homogenates, propofol in concentrations that are achieved in propofol-anaesthetized patients, causes a direct inhibition of fatty acid oxidation, in addition to inhibiting flux of electrons through inner mitochondrial membrane. The inhibition is more marked in human as compared to rodent tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: The construction of whole-body magnetic resonance (MR) imaging atlases allows to perform statistical analysis with applications in anomaly detection, longitudinal, and correlation studies. Atlas-based methods require a common coordinate system to which all the subjects are mapped through image registration. Optimisation of the reference space is an important aspect that affects the subsequent analysis of the registered data, and having a reference space that is neutral with respect to local tissue volume is valuable in correlation studies. The purpose of this work is to generate a reference space for whole-body imaging that has zero voxel-wise average volume change when mapped to a cohort. Methods: This work proposes an approach to register multiple whole-body images to a common template using volume changes to generate a synthetic reference space, starting with an initial reference and refining it by warping it with a deformation that brings the voxel-wise average volume change associated to the mappings of all the images in the cohort to zero. Results: Experiments on fat/water separated whole-body MR images show how the method effectively generates a reference space neutral with respect to volume changes, without reducing the quality of the registration nor introducing artefacts in the anatomy, while providing better alignment when compared to an implicit reference groupwise approach. Conclusions: The proposed method allows to quickly generate a reference space neutral with respect to local volume changes, that retains the registration quality of a sharp template, and that can be used for statistical analysis of voxel-wise correlations in large datasets of whole-body image data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic divergence is impacted by many factors, including phylogenetic history, gene flow, genetic drift, and divergent selection. Rotifers are an important component of aquatic ecosystems, and genetic variation is essential to their ongoing adaptive diversification and local adaptation. In addition to coding sequence divergence, variation in gene expression may relate to variable heat tolerance, and can impose ecological barriers within species. Temperature plays a significant role in aquatic ecosystems by affecting species abundance, spatio-temporal distribution, and habitat colonization. Recently described (formerly cryptic) species of the Brachionus calyciflorus complex exhibit different temperature tolerance both in natural and in laboratory studies, and show that B. calyciflorus sensu stricto (s.s.) is a thermotolerant species. Even within B. calyciflorus s.s., there is a tendency for further temperature specializations. Comparison of expressed genes allows us to assess the impact of stressors on both expression and sequence divergence among disparate populations within a single species. Here, we have used RNA-seq to explore expressed genetic diversity in B. calyciflorus s.s. in two mitochondrial DNA lineages with different phylogenetic histories and differences in thermotolerance. We identify a suite of candidate genes that may underlie local adaptation, with a particular focus on the response to sustained high or low temperatures. We do not find adaptive divergence in established candidate genes for thermal adaptation. Rather, we detect divergent selection among our two lineages in genes related to metabolism (lipid metabolism, metabolism of xenobiotics). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduction of synthetic fungicides in agriculture is necessary to guarantee a sustainable production that protects the environment and consumers’ health. Downy mildew caused by the oomycete Plasmopara viticola is the major pathogen in viticulture worldwide and responsible for up to 60% of pesticide treatments. Alternatives to reduce fungicides are thus utterly needed to ensure sustainable vineyard-ecosystems, consumer health and public acceptance. Essential oils (EOs) are amongst the most promising natural plant protection alternatives and have shown their antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties on several agricultural crops. However, the efficiency of EOs highly depends on timing, application method and the molecular interactions between the host, the pathogen and EO. Despite proven EO efficiency, the underlying processes are still not understood and remain a black box. The objectives of the present study were: a) to evaluate whether a continuous fumigation of a particular EO can control downy mildew in order to circumvent the drawbacks of direct application, b) to decipher molecular mechanisms that could be triggered in the host and the pathogen by EO application and c) to try to differentiate whether essential oils directly repress the oomycete or act as plant resistance primers. To achieve this a custom-made climatic chamber was constructed that enabled a continuous fumigation of potted vines with different EOs during long-term experiments. The grapevine (Vitis vinifera) cv Chasselas was chosen in reason of its high susceptibility to Plasmopara viticola. Grapevine cuttings were infected with P. viticola and subsequently exposed to continuous fumigation of different EOs at different concentrations, during 2 application time spans (24 hours and 10 days). Experiments were stopped when infection symptoms were clearly observed on the leaves of the control plants. Plant physiology (photosynthesis and growth rate parameters) were recorded and leaves were sampled at different time points for subsequent RNA extraction and transcriptomics analysis. Strikingly, the Oregano vulgare EO vapour treatment during 24h post-infection proved to be sufficient to reduce downy mildew development by 95%. Total RNA was extracted from leaves of 24h and 10d treatments and used for whole transcriptome shotgun sequencing (RNA-seq). Sequenced reads were then mapped onto the V. vinifera and P. viticola genomes. Less than 1% of reads could be mapped onto the P. viticola genome from treated samples, whereas up to 30% reads from the controls mapped onto the P. viticola genome, thereby confirming the visual observation of P. viticola absence in the treated plants. On average, 80% of reads could be mapped onto the V. vinifera genome for differential expression analysis, which yielded 4800 modulated genes. Transcriptomic data clearly showed that the treatment triggered the plant’s innate immune system with genes involved in salicylic, jasmonic acid and ethylene synthesis and signaling, activating Pathogenesis-Related-proteins as well as phytoalexin synthesis. These results elucidate EO-host-pathogen interactions for the first time and indicate that the antifungal efficiency of EO is mainly due to the triggering of resistance pathways inside the host plants. This is of major importance for the production and research on biopesticides, plant stimulation products and for resistance-breeding strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ascorbic acid was used for the first time to synthesize cellulose nanoparticles (CNP) extracted from okra mucilage. The physical properties of the CNP including their size distribution, and crystalline structures were investigated. The rheological properties of the cellulose nanofluid (CNF) were compared with the bulk okra mucilage and commercial polymer xanthan. The interfacial properties of the CNF at the interface of oil-water (O/W) system were investigated at different concentrations and temperatures. The effects of the interaction between the electrolyte and ultrasonic were determined. Core flooding experiment was conducted at reservoir condition to justify the effect of the flow behaviour and disperse phase behaviour of CNF on additional oil recovery. The performance of the CNF was compared to conventional EOR chemical. The combined method of ultrasonic, weak-acid hydrolysis and nanoprecipitation were effective in producing spherical and polygonal nanoparticles with a mean diameter of 100 nm, increased yield of 51% and preserved crystallinity respectively. The zeta potential result shows that the CNF was stable, and the surface charge signifies long term stability of the fluid when injected into oil field reservoirs. The CNF, okra and xanthan exhibited shear-thinning and pseudoplastic behaviour. The IFT decreased with increase in concentration of CNF, electrolyte and temperature. The pressure drop data confirmed the stability of CNF at 120°C and the formation of oil bank was enough to increase the oil recovery by 20%. CNF was found to be very effective in mobilizing residual oil at high-temperature high-pressure (HTHP) reservoir condition. The energy and cost estimations have shown that investing in ultrasonic-assisted weak-acid hydrolysis is easier, cost-effective, and can reduce energy consumption making the method economically advantageous compared to conventional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: 3D non-contact surface scanners capture highly accurate, calibrated images of surface topography for 3D structures. This study sought to establish the efficacy and accuracy of using 3D surface scanning to characterise spinal curvature and sagittal plane contour. Methods: 10 healthy female adults with a mean age of 25 years, (standard deviation: 3.6 years) underwent both MRI and 3D surface scanning (3DSS) (Artec Eva, Artec Group Inc., Luxembourg) while lying in the lateral decubitus position on a rigid substrate. Prior to 3DSS, anatomical landmarks on the spinous processes of each participant were demarcated using stickers attached to the skin surface. Following 3DSS, oil capsules (fiducial markers) were overlaid on the stickers and the subject underwent MRI. MRI stacks were processed to measure the thoracolumbar spinous process locations, providing an anatomical reference. 3D coordinates for the markers (surface stickers and MRI oil capsules) and for the spinous processes mapped the spinal column profiles and were compared to assess the quality of fit between the 3DSS and MRI marker positions. Results: The RMSE for the polynomials fit to the spinous process, fiducial and surface marker profiles ranged from 0.17–1.15mm for all subjects. The MRI fiducial marker location was well aligned with the spinous process profile in the thoracic and upper lumbar spine for nine of the subjects. Over the 10 subjects, the mean RMSE between the MRI and 3D scan sagittal profiles for all surface markers was 9.8mm (SD 4.2mm). Curvature was well matched for seven of the subjects, with two showing differing curvatures across the lumbar spine due to inconsistent subject positioning. Conclusion: Comparison of the observed trends for vertebral position measured from MRI and 3DSS, suggested the surface markers may provide a useful method for measuring internal changes in sagittal curvature or skeletal changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Seasonality of food availability, physical activity, and infections commonly occurs within rural communities in low and middle-income countries with distinct rainy seasons. To better understand the implications of these regularly occurring environmental stressors for maternal and child health, this study examined seasonal variation in nutrition and health care access of pregnant women and infants in rural South Africa. Methods: We analyzed data from the Venda Health Examination of Mothers, Babies and their Environment (VHEMBE) birth cohort study of 752 mother-infant pairs recruited at delivery from August 2012 to December 2013 in the Vhembe District of Limpopo Province, the northernmost region of South Africa. We used truncated Fourier series regression to assess seasonality of antenatal care (ANC) attendance, dietary intake, and birth size. We additionally regressed ANC attendance on daily rainfall values. Models included adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Maternal ANC attendance, dietary composition, and infant birth size exhibited significant seasonal variation in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses. Adequate frequency of ANC attendance during pregnancy (≥ 4 visits) was highest among women delivering during the gardening season and lowest during the lean (rainy) season. High rainfall during the third trimester was also negatively associated with adequate ANC attendance (adjusted OR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.40, 0.86). Carbohydrate intake declined during the harvest season and increased during the vegetable gardening and lean seasons, while fat intake followed the opposite trend. Infant birth weight, length, and head circumference z-scores peaked following the gardening season and were lowest after the harvest season. Maternal protein intake and ANC ≤ 12 weeks did not significantly vary by season or rainfall. Conclusions: Seasonal patterns were apparent in ANC utilization, dietary intake, and fetal growth in rural South Africa. Interventions to promote maternal and child health in similar settings should consider seasonal factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We identified a mouse strain, HLB444, carrying an N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU)-induced mutation in a highly conserved C2H2 zinc-finger DNA binding motif of the transcriptional regulator KLF15 that exhibits resistance to diet-induced obesity. Characterization of the HLB444 mutant model on high-fat and chow diets revealed a number of phenotypic differences compared to wild-type controls. When fed a high fat diet, HLB444 had lower body fat, resistance to hepatosteatosis, lower circulating glucose and improved insulin sensitivity compared to C57BL/6J controls. Gut microbial profiles in HLB444 generated from 16S rRNA sequencing of fecal samples differed from controls under both chow and high fat diets. HLB444 shares similar phenotypic traits with engineered full- and adipose-specific Klf15 knockout strains; however, some phenotypic differences between this mutant and the other models suggest that the Klf15 mutation in HLB444 is a hypomorphic variant. The HLB444 model will inform further annotation of transcriptional functions of KLF15, especially with respect to the role of the first zinc-finger domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several heart rate variability (HRV) studies show abnormalities in autonomic nervous control in obese and overweight subjects. However, some of the results appear to be controversial. Here we investigate the HRV profile in seventy adult normotensive women and its association with general and visceral adiposity. Specifically, we recorded the electrocardiographic (ECG) activity in subjects during a supine resting state for five minutes in a quiet room late in the morning. Total fat mass (TFM) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) were instead estimated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Finally, we used simple a linear regression analysis of frequency and time-domain parameters to study the relationship between HRV and adiposity. Our data showed an overall reduction of the HRV related to an increase of TFM although this regression appeared significant only for high frequencies (HF). When the linear regression was applied between HRV variables and VAT, the slope of the line increases, thus unveiling a statistically significant relation (i.e. the more VAT, the lower HRV). Finally, a control analysis showed that age does not alter the relation between HRV and VAT when used as a confounding factor in multiple regression. To conclude, these findings point to abnormal activity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in subjects with an excess of VAT and represent a starting point to determine a non-invasive index of cardiac wellness for clinical and nutritional application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fatty acid analogue, 2-(tridec-12-yn-1-ylthio)acetic acid (1-triple TTA), was previously shown to have hypolipidemic effects in rats by targeting mitochondrial activity predominantly in liver. This study aimed to determine if 1-triple TTA could influence carbohydrate metabolism. Male Wistar rats were treated for three weeks with oral supplementation of 100 mg/kg body weight 1-triple TTA. Blood glucose and insulin levels, and liver carbohydrate metabolism gene expression and enzyme activities were determined. In addition, human myotubes and Huh7 liver cells were treated with 1-triple TTA, and glucose and fatty acid oxidation were determined. The level of plasma insulin was significantly reduced in 1-triple TTA-treated rats, resulting in a 32% reduction in the insulin/glucose ratio. The hepatic glucose and glycogen levels were lowered by 22% and 49%, respectively, compared to control. This was accompanied by lower hepatic gene expression of phosphenolpyruvate carboxykinase, the rate-limiting enzyme in gluconeogenesis, and Hnf4A, a regulator of gluconeogenesis. Gene expression of pyruvate kinase, catalysing the final step of glycolysis, was also reduced by 1-triple TTA. In addition, pyruvate dehydrogenase activity was reduced, accompanied by 10-15-fold increased gene expression of its regulator pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 compared to control, suggesting reduced entry of pyruvate into the TCA cycle. Indeed, the NADPH-generating enzyme malic enzyme 1 (ME1) catalysing production of pyruvate from malate, was increased 13-fold at the gene expression level. Despite the decreased glycogen level, genes involved in glycogen synthesis were not affected in livers of 1-triple TTA treated rats. In contrast, the pentose phosphate pathway seemed to be increased as the hepatic gene expression of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) was higher in 1-triple TTA treated rats compared to controls. In human Huh7 liver cells, but not in myotubes, 1-triple-TTA reduced glucose oxidation and induced fatty acid oxidation, in line with previous observations of increased hepatic mitochondrial palmitoyl-CoA oxidation in rats. Importantly, this work recognizes the liver as an important organ in glucose homeostasis. The mitochondrially targeted fatty acid analogue 1-triple TTA seemed to lower hepatic glucose and glycogen levels by inhibition of gluconeogenesis. This was also linked to a reduction in glucose oxidation accompanied by reduced PHD activity and stimulation of ME1 and G6PD, favouring a shift from glucose- to fatty acid oxidation. The reduced plasma insulin/glucose ratio indicate that 1-triple TTA may improve glucose tolerance in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex genetic condition characterized by hyperphagia, hypotonia, low muscle mass, excess body fat, developmental delays, intellectual disability, behavioral problems, and growth hormone deficiency. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of orally administered Diazoxide Choline Controlled-Release Tablets (DCCR) in subjects with PWS. Method: This was a single-center, Phase II study and included a 10-week Open-Label Treatment Period during which subjects were dose escalated, followed by a 4-week Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Treatment Period. Results: Five female and eight male overweight or obese, adolescent and adult subjects with genetically-confirmed PWS with an average age of 15.5±2.9 years were enrolled in the study. There was a statistically significant reduction in hyperphagia at the end of the Open-Label Treatment Period (-4.32, n = 11, p = 0.006). The onset of effect on hyperphagia was rapid and greater reductions in hyperphagia were seen in subjects with moderate to severe Baseline hyperphagia (-5.50, n = 6, p = 0.03), in subjects treated with the highest dose (-6.25, n = 4, p = 0.08), and in subjects with moderate to severe Baseline hyperphagia treated with the highest dose (-7.83, n = 3, p = 0.09). DCCR treatment resulted in a reduction in the number of subjects displaying aggressive behaviors (-57.1%, n = 10, p = 0.01), clinically-relevant reductions in fat mass (-1.58 kg, n = 11, p = 0.02) and increases in lean body mass (2.26 kg, n = 11, p = 0.003). There was a corresponding decrease in waist circumference, and trends for improvements in lipids and insulin resistance. The most common adverse events were peripheral edema and transient increases in glucose. Many of the adverse events were common medical complications of PWS and diazoxide. Conclusion: DCCR treatment appears to address various unmet needs associated with PWS, including hyperphagia and aggressive behaviors in this proof-of-concept study. If the results were replicated in a larger scale study, DCCR may be a preferred therapeutic option for patients with PWS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxalate, a ubiquitous compound in many plant-based foods, is absorbed through the intestine and precipitates with calcium in the kidneys to form stones. Over 80% of diagnosed kidney stones are found to be calcium oxalate. People who form these stones often experience a high rate of recurrence and treatment options remain limited despite decades of dedicated research. Recently, the intestinal microbiome has become a new focus for novel therapies. Studies have shown that select species of Lactobacillus, the most commonly included genus in modern probiotic supplements, can degrade oxalate in vitro and even decrease urinary oxalate in animal models of Primary Hyperoxaluria. Although the purported health benefits of Lactobacillus probiotics vary significantly between species, there is supporting evidence for their potential use as probiotics for oxalate diseases. Defining the unique metabolic properties of Lactobacillus is essential to define how these bacteria interact with the host intestine and influence overall health. We addressed this need by characterizing and comparing the metabolome and lipidome of the oxalate-degrading Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus gasseri using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry. We report many species-specific differences in the metabolic profiles of these Lactobacillus species and discuss potential probiotic relevance and function resulting from their differential expression. Also described is our validation of the oxalate-degrading ability of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus gasseri, even in the presence of other preferred carbon sources, measuring in vitro 14C-oxalate consumption via liquid scintillation counting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goat fat is one of the best sources of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid which has health benefits. However, though CLA is generated in ruminants, CLA consumption is limited to meats and milk products. This study aimed to replace vegetable fat with goat milk fat enriched with CLA. From differing fat sources, four cookie recipes were developed: CVF–vegetable fat cookies; CB–butter cookies; CG–goat milk fat cookies without CLA; CGCLA–goat milk fat cookies with CLA. The cookies were evaluated using physical (color and texture), physical-chemical parameters (lipids, proteins, total sugars, fiber, ash, moisture and Aw), consumer testing (n = 123), and lipid profiles. The CGCLA presented higher values in the color parameters. The highest and the lowest scores obtained for hardness were respectively 5.54 (CB) and 2.21 (CVF). Lipids and total sugars varied inversely; the highest percentages of lipids were in the CVF and CG samples which obtained lower total sugar content. There were no differences in acceptance or preference for the four formulations. The goat cream formulations (CG and CGCLA) were as well accepted as the CFV formulation. For lipid profiles, CFV presented the highest percentage of trans-fatty acids (TFA) at 16.76%. CGCLA presented 70% more CLA than either CB or CG, certifying that CGCLA presents CLA in relevant quantities, even after cooking. The CGCLA presented higher levels of CLA, and in this study it was verified that goat milk cream enriched with CLA can be used in producing cookies, adding functional and nutritional properties, and offering another alternative(s) to produce food from goat milk fat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most manufacturer manuals do not verify the use of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry for body composition analysis in subjects with a metal implant. This study aimed to quantify the effects of a spinal implant on body composition, and to determine whether unadjusted lean mass estimates are valid for patients with a spinal implant. Methods: A total of 30 healthy subjects were recruited. Three consecutive scans were performed for each participant, one with and two without extraneous spinal implant, without repositioning between scans. Lean, fat and bone estimates in the total body, trunk and limb were measured. Results: Precision errors for all total and regional body compositions were within the recommended ranges. Bone masses in the trunk and total body were significantly increased with spinal implant, and the increases exceeded the least significant change. For total and regional lean and fat estimates, the measurements between subjects with and without metal implants were in substantial to almost perfect agreement and the differences were not significant and did not exceed the least significant change. Conclusions: Spinal metal artifacts significantly increased the total body and trunk bone mass but the differences in lean- and fat-related estimates at total and regional body levels and all estimates in the extremity remained within the clinical acceptable range. Thus, a spinal implant may not compromise screening of patients for fat and lean masses using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Application of image reconstruction or a filtering algorithm may help reduce the effect of metallic artifacts and further study is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton gin trash (CGT), a waste product of cotton gins, make up about 10% of each bale of cotton bolls ginned. The current study investigates high value volatile compounds in CGT to add value to this by-product. The volatile compounds in CGT and different parts of the cotton plant were extracted using various methods, identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and then quantified by gas chromatography-flame ionisation detection (GC-FID) against available standards. Terpenoids including monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids were found to be the most abundant, making up 64.66% (area under peak) of total volatiles extracted by hydro-distillation. The major extractable terpenoids in CGT were α-pinene (13.69–23.05 μg/g), β-caryophyllene (3.99–74.32 μg/g), α-humulene (2.00–25.71 μg/g), caryophyllene oxide (41.50–102.08 μg/g) and β-bisabolol (40.05–137.32 μg/g). Recoveries varied between different extraction methods. The terpenoids were found to be more abundant in the calyx (659.12 μg/g) and leaves (627.72 μg/g) than in stalks (112.97 μg/g) and stems (24.24 μg/g) of the cotton plant, indicating the possible biological origin of CGT volatiles. This study is the first to identify and quantify the different terpenoids present in CGT and significantly, β-bisabolol, an abundant compound (sesquiterpene alcohol) which may have valuable biological prospects. These findings therefore contribute to identifying alternative management strategies and uses of CGT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Choline geranate (also described as Choline And GEranic acid, or CAGE) has been developed as a novel biocompatible antiseptic material capable of penetrating skin and aiding the transdermal delivery of co-administered antibiotics. The antibacterial properties of CAGE were analyzed against 24 and 72 hour old biofilms of 11 clinically isolated ESKAPE pathogens (defined as Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumanii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter sp, respectively), including multidrug resistant (MDR) isolates. CAGE was observed to eradicate in vitro biofilms at concentrations as low as 3.56 mM (0.156% v:v) in as little as 2 hours, which represents both an improved potency and rate of biofilm eradication relative to that reported for most common standard-of-care topical antiseptics in current use. In vitro time-kill studies on 24 hour old Staphylococcus aureus biofilms indicate that CAGE exerts its antibacterial effect upon contact and a 0.1% v:v solution reduced biofilm viability by over three orders of magnitude (a 3log10 reduction) in 15 minutes. Furthermore, disruption of the protective layer of exopolymeric substances in mature biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus by CAGE (0.1% v:v) was observed in 120 minutes. Insight into the mechanism of action of CAGE was provided with molecular modeling studies alongside in vitro antibiofilm assays. The geranate ion and geranic acid components of CAGE are predicted to act in concert to integrate into bacterial membranes, affect membrane thinning and perturb membrane homeostasis. Taken together, our results show that CAGE demonstrates all properties required of an effective topical antiseptic and the data also provides insight into how its observed antibiofilm properties may manifest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has become a valuable imaging modality in ophthalmology, especially for the diagnosis and treatment planning of patients with uveal melanoma, the most common primary intra-ocular tumor. We aim to develop and evaluate the value of silent Zero Echo Time (ZTE) MRI to image patients with ocular tumors at 7Tesla. Therefore, ZTE and different types of magnetization-prepared ZTE (FLAIR, SPIR, T2 and Saturation recovery), have been developed. After an initial validation with 7 healthy subjects, nine patients with an eye tumor have been evaluated. The ZTE scans were compared to their Cartesian equivalent in terms of contrast, motion-sensitivity, diagnostic quality and patient comfort. All volunteers and especially the patients reported a more comfortable experience during the ZTE scans, which had at least a 10 dB lower sound pressure. The image contrast in the native ZTE was poor, but in the different magnetization-prepared ZTE, the eye lens, cornea and retina were clearly discriminated. Overall the T2-prepared scan yielded the best contrast, especially between tumor and healthy tissue, and proved to be robust against eye motion. Although the intrinsic 3D nature of the ZTE-technique provides an accurate analysis of the tumor morphology, the quality of the ZTE-images is lower than their Cartesian equivalent. In conclusion, the quality of magnetization-prepared ZTE images is sufficient to assess the 3D tumor morphology, but insufficient for more detailed evaluations. As such this technique can be an option for patients who cannot comply with the sound-levels of Cartesian scans, but for other patients the conventional Cartesian scans offer a better image quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature lacks studies investigating the performance of supplemented replacement heifers grazing on intensively managed warm-season pasture. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of supplement composition (energetic or protein) on the performance, muscle development, thermogenisis, nutrient intake, and digestibility of replacement Holstein heifers grazing Mombaça grass. Eighteen Holstein heifers with an average age and initial body weight (BW) of 12.57 ± 2.54 mo and 218.76 ±47.6 kg, respectively, were submitted to a randomized block design, with six replicates on a rotational grazing system of Panicum maximum cv. Mombaça pasture. Treatments were: control (CON; mineral salt ad libitum); energy supplement (ENE; corn meal as supplement, 8% CP and 3.78 Mcal/kg DE); and protein supplement (PRO; corn and soybean meal, 25% CP and 3.66 Mcal/kg DE). Supplements were individually fed at 0.5% BW. The experiment lasted 120 days, subdivided into three periods. Titanium dioxide and indigestible neutral detergent fiber (iNDF) were used to estimate the intakes and digestibility of the nutrients. BW, wither height, thoracic circumference, body length, and ultrasound of ribeye fat thickness measurements were taken once per period. Body condition score (BCS) was assessed twice during the experiment. The MIXED procedure of SAS, including period as a repeated measure, was used and significance was declared at P ≤ 0.05. Dry matter intake (DMI), CP intake (CPI) and DE intake were greater in heifers fed PRO compared to CON and ENE. Heifers supplemented with ENE had the lowest DMI. Treatment affected pasture intake/BW; it was similar between PRO and CON heifers, and lower for the ENE treatment. A treatment × period interaction was observed for NDF intake (%BW), in which heifers fed PRO and CON had the greatest NDF intake and ENE had the lowest. The digestibility of DM was the greatest in PRO-supplemented heifers and the lowest in CON heifers. Heifers fed ENE had decreased CP digestibility compared to PRO and CON heifers. Average daily gain (ADG) and thoracic circumference gain were greatest in the PRO treatment. BCS was greater in PRO compared to CON and ENE heifers. Supplementing Holstein heifers at 0.5% BW using PRO supplementation resulted in better animal performance, primarily greater ADG, than feeding ENE or not supplementing (CON). In conclusion, our results indicate that dairy heifers should be fed a protein supplement when grazing intensively managed Mombaça grass pasture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China’s transport sector is facing enormous challenges from soaring energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Transport electrification has been viewed as a major solution to transportation decarbonization, and electric vehicles (EVs) have attracted considerable attention from policymakers. This paper analyzes the effects of the introduction of EVs in China. A system dynamics model is developed and applied to assess the energy-saving and emission-reducing impacts of the projected penetration of EVs until the year 2030. Five types of scenarios of various EV penetration rates, electricity generation mixes, and the speed of technological improvement are discussed. Results confirm that reductions in transport GHG emissions and gasoline and diesel consumption by 3.0%–16.2%, 4.4%–16.1%, and 15.8%–34.3%, respectively, will be achieved by 2030 under China’s projected EV penetration scenarios. Results also confirm that if EV penetration is accompanied by decarbonized electricity generation, that is, the use of 55% coal by 2030, then total transport GHG emissions will be further reduced by 0.8%–4.4%. Moreover, further reductions of GHG emissions of up to 5.6% could be achieved through technological improvement. The promotion of EVs could substantially affect the reduction of transport GHG emissions in China, despite the uncertainty of the influence intensity, which is dependent on the penetration rate of EVs, the decarbonization of the power sector, and the technological improvement efficiency of EVs and internal combustion engine vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil impacting the northern Gulf of Mexico shoreline from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon accident was predominantly in the form of water-in-oil emulsions (WOE), a chemically weathered, highly viscous, neutrally buoyant material. Once formed, WOE are extremely difficult to destabilize. Commercially-available oil dispersants are largely ineffective de-emulsifiers as a result of the inability of dispersant surfactants to displace asphaltenes stabilizing the oil-water interface. This study investigated the effectiveness of the commercially-available dispersant Corexit 9500A, modified to enhance its polar fraction, in destabilizing WOE. Results suggest that Corexit modified to include between 20–60% fractional amount of either polar additive (1-octanol or hexylamine) will produce a modest increase in WOE instability, with a Corexit to hexylamine ratio of approximately 80/20 providing the most effective enhanced destabilization. Results support the hypothesis that modifying the fraction of polar constituents in commercial dispersants will increase asphaltene solubility, decrease oil-water interface stability, and enhance WOE instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The voltage-gated potassium channel KCNQ1 (KV7.1) assembles with the KCNE1 accessory protein to generate the slow delayed rectifier current, IKS, which is critical for membrane repolarization as part of the cardiac action potential. Loss-of-function (LOF) mutations in KCNQ1 are the most common cause of congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS), type 1 LQTS, an inherited genetic predisposition to cardiac arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. A detailed structural understanding of KCNQ1 is needed to elucidate the molecular basis for KCNQ1 LOF in disease and to enable structure-guided design of new anti-arrhythmic drugs. In this work, advanced structural models of human KCNQ1 in the resting/closed and activated/open states were developed by Rosetta homology modeling guided by newly available experimentally-based templates: X. leavis KCNQ1 and various resting voltage sensor structures. Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, the capacity of the models to describe experimentally established channel properties including state-dependent voltage sensor gating charge interactions and pore conformations, PIP2 binding sites, and voltage sensor–pore domain interactions were validated. Rosetta energy calculations were applied to assess the utility of each model in interpreting mutation-evoked KCNQ1 dysfunction by predicting the change in protein thermodynamic stability for 50 experimentally characterized KCNQ1 variants with mutations located in the voltage-sensing domain. Energetic destabilization was successfully predicted for folding-defective KCNQ1 LOF mutants whereas wild type-like mutants exhibited no significant energetic frustrations, which supports growing evidence that mutation-induced protein destabilization is an especially common cause of KCNQ1 dysfunction. The new KCNQ1 Rosetta models provide helpful tools in the study of the structural basis for KCNQ1 function and can be used to generate hypotheses to explain KCNQ1 dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkaline-Surfactant-Polymer (ASP) flooding is an efficient chemical enhanced oil recovery (EOR) method gaining popularity in the industry. In this paper, the characteristics of three flooding systems with alkyl aryl sulfonate surfactants and a weak alkali concentration, strong alkali concentration and no alkali concentration were investigated. The emulsification, interfacial tension, viscosity, stability, adsorption resistance as well as the oil displacement effect for the flooding systems and simulated oil of the fourth plant of the Daqing Oilfield were measured. The results show that the three alkyl aryl sulphonates surfactants have different emulsification indexes with the weak and strong alkali concentrations possessing the best and worst indexes at 67.00% and 55.17% respectively, and the combination of surfactant and no alkali concentration with an emulsification index of 63.03%. The interfacial tension between the three flooding systems and the simulated oil of the fourth plant of Daqing Oilfield gets as low as 10−3 mN/m, and reduces as far as 10-4mN/m in certain points detected, all with good anti-dilution performance. In terms of interfacial tension stability, the three flooding systems are seen to reach ultra-low interfacial tension within 90 days. For viscosity stability, the addition of a strong alkali and a weak alkali further hydrolyzes the polymer, leading to an initial rise in viscosity and viscosity retention rates above 80%. In terms of adsorption resistance, ultra-low interfacial tension occurs adsorption is reduced by five times for the strong and weak alkali systems, and reduced by four times for the alkali-free system. These results show that all three combination flooding systems have good adsorption resistance. In the evaluation of oil displacement effect, the average chemical flooding recovery rate (33.83%) of the weak alkali-surfactant-polymer (ASP) system is nearly three percent higher (31.34%) than that of the surfactant-polymer (SP) system, and over seven percent higher (26.71%) than that of the strong ASP system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological success of shallow water reef-building corals has been linked to the symbiosis between the coral host and its dinoflagellate symbionts (herein ‘symbionts’). As mixotrophs, symbiotic corals depend on nutrients 1) transferred from their photosynthetic symbionts (autotrophy) and 2) acquired by host feeding on particulate organic resources (heterotrophy). However, coral species differ in the extent to which they depend on heterotrophy for nutrition and these differences are typically poorly defined. Here, a multi-tracer fatty acid approach was used to evaluate the trophic strategies of three species of common reef-building coral (Galaxea fascicularis, Pachyseris speciosa, and Pocillopora verrucosa) whose trophic strategies had previously been identified using carbon stable isotopes. The composition and various indices of fatty acids were compared to examine the relative contribution of symbiont autotrophy and host heterotrophy in coral energy acquisition. A linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was used to estimate the contribution of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) derived from various potential sources to the coral hosts. The total fatty acid composition and fatty acid indices revealed differences between the more heterotrophic (P. verrucosa) and more autotrophic (P. speciosa) coral hosts, with the coral host G. fascicularis showing overlap with the other two species and greater variability overall. For the more heterotrophic P. verrucosa, the fatty acid indices and LDA results both indicated a greater proportion of copepod-derived fatty acids compared to the other coral species. Overall, the LDA estimated that PUFA derived from particulate resources (e.g., copepods and diatoms) comprised a greater proportion of coral host PUFA in contrast to the lower proportion of symbiont-derived PUFA. These estimates provide insight into the importance of heterotrophy in coral nutrition, especially in productive reef systems. The study supports carbon stable isotope results and demonstrates the utility of fatty acid analyses for exploring the trophic strategies of reef-building corals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity is highly prevalent worldwide. More and more studies have been conducted on the relationship between H. pylori infection and obesity or overweight. But the relationship between them is controversial in the literatures and there is no comprehensive evidence for the correlation. Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of H. pylori infection in Chinese adult subjects who received routine physical examinations and the relationship between H. pylori and obesity. Methods: Literatures on H. pylori infection and obesity in Chinese population were searched in online databases. Relevant data were extracted independently by two researchers and meta-analysis was performed by using Review manager 5.3 software. Results: 22 articles were selected with a total sample size of 178033. The pooled prevalence of H. pylori was 42% (95%CI: 37% to 47%) and mean difference of BMI between subjects with and without H. pylori infection was 0.94 (95%CI: -0.04 to 1.91). 9 eligible studies with 27111 subjects were used to calculated pooled OR value because they contained obesity groups. The OR value showed that H. pylori-positive subjects tended to be obese at a risk of 1.20 (95% CI: 1.13 to 1.28). Conclusion: In China, obesity has association with H. pylori infection. H. pylori infection may be one of the risk factors for obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to reveal the distribution pattern of antebrachial cutaneous nerves and provide a morphological basis for sensory reconstruction during flap transplantation. Forearm specimens containing skin and subcutaneous fat were obtained from 24 upper extremities of 12 adult cadavers. Cutaneous nerves were visualized using modified Sihler's staining. Then the data was used to show the distribution pattern and innervation area of the forearm cutaneous nerve. The anterior branch of lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve innervates 26% of the medial anterior forearm; the posterior branch innervates 38.21% of the lateral anterior forearm and 24.46% of the lateral posterior forearm. The anterior branch of medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve innervates the medial aspect of the forearm covering 27.67% of the anterior region; the posterior branch the lateral part of the forearm covering 7.67% and 34.75% of the anterior and posterior regions, respectively. The posterior antebrachial cutaneous nerve covers 41.04% of the posterior forearm. Coaptations were found between the branches of these cutaneous nerves. The relatively dense secondary nerve branches were found in the middle 1/3 of the lateral anterior forearm and the middle 1/3 of the medial posterior forearm. The relatively dense tertiary nerve branches were the middle 1/3 and lower 1/3 of the medial anterior forearm. The intradermal nerve branches were the relatively dense in the middle 1/3 of the medial anterior and lateral posterior forearm. The middle 1/3 of the medial and lateral forearm had the relatively dense total nerve branches. These results can be used sensory matching while designing forearm flaps for reconstruction surgeries to obtain improved recovery of sensory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The continued practice of a sport linked to the unilateral predominance of the dominant side can provoke chronic asymmetric adaptations in the myotendinous structure and mechanical properties. Objectives: The main purpose was to determine whether asymmetry between the preferred and non-preferred lower limb is present in the lower limb tendon structure, muscle architecture and stiffness values of professional badminton players. Methods: Sixteen male professional badminton players (age = 24.1 ± 6.7 years; body height = 177.90 ± 7.53 cm) participated in this study. The muscle architecture of the vastus lateralis (VL), medial gastrocnemius (MG) and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) and the structure of patellar and Achilles tendons were measured in the dominant and non-dominant lower limb with ultrasonography. Stiffness was also measured at the same points with a hand-held MyotonPro. Significant differences between the dominant and non-dominant lower limb were determined using Student’s t test for related samples. Results: Bilateral differences were observed for thickness, width and cross-sectional area (CSA) in both tendons showing higher values for the dominant side: patellar tendon CSA (2.02 ± 0.64 vs. 1.51 ± 0.42 cm2; p < 0.05) and Achilles tendon CSA (1.12 ± 0.18 vs. 0.92 ± 0.28 cm2; p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in muscle architecture and myotonic variables between the dominant and non-dominant lower limb. Conclusions: The prolonged practice of badminton caused asymmetries in the CSA, width and thickness of the patellar and Achilles tendon between the dominant and non-dominant lower limbs. No bilateral differences were found in the muscle architecture of VL, MG and LG or in the stiffness of any muscle or tendon analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the associations between abundance of rumen ciliate protozoa and the proportion of the main bioactive fatty acids related to rumen biohydrogenation, as 18:0, t10-18:1, t11-18:1, c9,t11-18:2, 18:3n-3 and 18:2 n-6, in rumen and meat of growing lambs, using data derived from 3 production experiments. A global correlation analysis and a linear regression analysis considering the effect of the experiment were performed. Ten of the 86 lambs involved in the experiments did not present ciliate cells in rumen liquor and the remaining lambs presented an average of 1.35 × 106ciliates / ml rumen liquor. From the nine genera of ciliates identified, Entodinium was the most abundant, averaging 1.17 × 106 cells / ml of rumen liquor. A large variation among lambs was observed for both rumen concentration and community structure of ciliates. Rumen t11-18:1 (P < 0.001) and meat deposition of t11-18:1 (P < 0.001) and of c9,t11-18:2 (P < 0.001) increased linearly with total ciliates, whereas the t10/t11 ratio in rumen (P = 0.002) and in meat (P = 0.036) decreased linearly. Entodiniomorphids seems to be strongly related with meat deposition oft11-18:1 and c9,t11-18:2 and with the reduction of the trans-10 shifted pathway. Completeness of RBH decreased linearly with Holotrichs (P = 0.029), Entodiniomorphids (P = 0.029), Isotricha (P = 0.011) and Epidinium (P = 0.027) abundances. Rumen 18:0 also decreased linearly with increasing counts of total ciliates (P = 0.015), Holotrichs (P = 0.020), Entodiniomorphids (P = 0.010) and Isotricha (P = 0.014). Rumen protozoa were positively linked with the deposition of healthy bioactive FA and simultaneously negatively associated with the occurrence of trans-10 shift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by demyelinated lesions in the central nervous system. Destruction of myelin and secondary damage to axons and neurons leads to significant disability, particularly in people with progressive MS. Accumulating evidence suggests that the potential for myelin repair exists in MS, although for unclear reasons this process fails. The cells responsible for producing myelin, the oligodendrocytes, and their progenitors, oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), have been identified at the site of lesions, even in adults. Their presence suggests the possibility that endogenous remyelination without transplantation of donor stem cells may be a mechanism for myelin repair in MS. Strategies to develop novel therapies have focused on induction of signaling pathways that stimulate OPCs to mature into myelin-producing oligodendrocytes that could then possibly remyelinate lesions. We have been investigating pharmacological approaches to enhance OPC differentiation, and have identified that the combination of two agents, triiodothyronine (T3) and quetiapine, leads to an additive effect on OPC differentiation and consequent myelin production via both overlapping and distinct signaling pathways. While the ultimate production of myelin requires cholesterol biosynthesis, we identified that quetiapine enhances gene expression in this pathway more potently than T3. Two blockers of cholesterol production, betulin and simvastatin, reduced OPC differentiation into myelin producing oligodendrocytes. Elucidating the nature of agents that lead to complementary and additive effects on oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelin production may pave the way for more efficient induction of remyelination in people with MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines whether tobacco expenditure leads to the crowding out or crowding in of different expenditure items in South Africa. We apply genetic matching to expenditure quartiles of the 2010/2011 South African Income and Expenditure Survey. Genetic matching is a more appealing approach for dealing with the endogeneity of tobacco expenditure that often plagues studies using systems of demand equations. Further, genetic matching provides transparent measures of covariate balance giving the analyst objective means of assessing match success. We find that the poorest tobacco consuming households in South Africa consistently allocate smaller budget shares towards food items than non-smoking households. Specifically, we find that dairy, fruits, nuts and oils are displaced in favour of tobacco expenditure in the two poorest quartiles. Unsurprisingly, food items are never displaced for households in the top two quartiles, given these households’ greater access to resources. Like other studies in the literature, we find that tobacco expenditure consistently crowds-in alcohol across all quartiles confirming the strong complementarities between the two. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brachiopods were thought to have dominated deep-sea hydrothermal vents and hydrocarbon seeps for most of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic, and were believed to have been outcompeted and replaced by chemosymbiotic bivalves during the Late Cretaceous. But recent findings of bivalve-rich seep deposits of Paleozoic and Mesozoic age have questioned this paradigm. By tabulating the generic diversity of the dominant brachiopod and bivalve clades–dimerelloid brachiopods and chemosymbiotic bivalves–from hydrocarbon seeps through the Phanerozoic, we show that their evolutionary trajectories are largely unrelated to one another, indicating that they have not been competing for the same resources. We hypothesize that the dimerelloid brachiopods generally preferred seeps with abundant hydrocarbons in the bottom waters above the seep, such as oil seeps or methane seeps with diffusive seepage, whereas seeps with strong, advective fluid flow and hence abundant hydrogen sulfide were less favorable for them. At methane seeps typified by diffusive seepage and oil seeps, oxidation of hydrocarbons in the bottom water by chemotrophic bacteria enhances the growth of bacterioplankton, on which the brachiopods could have filter fed. Whereas chemosymbiotic bivalves mostly relied on sulfide-oxidizing symbionts for nutrition, for the brachiopods aerobic bacterial oxidation of methane and other hydrocarbons played a more prominent role. The availability of geofuels (i.e. the reduced chemical compounds used in chemosynthesis such as hydrogen sulfide, methane, and other hydrocarbons) at seeps is mostly governed by fluid flow rates, geological setting, and marine sulfate concentrations. Thus rather than competition, we suggest that geofuel type and availability controlled the distribution of brachiopods and bivalves at hydrocarbon seeps through the Phanerozoic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the mating season, Iberian red deer males (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) present a large visible dark ventral area in their abdomen. This characteristic dark-haired area is formed by the impregnation of the hair with sprayed urine and gland secretions and contains volatile compounds that can be used in intraspecific communication. Here, we used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to describe the lipophilic chemicals from the dark ventral patch of males from different populations with different levels of intrasexual competition. Amongst all the compounds found, m-cresol, benzoic acid, cholesterol and 4-hydroxy-benzenopropanoic acid were the most abundant. The proportions of these compounds varied with age as well as with the level of intra-sexual competition, independently of age. In particular, red deer males experiencing higher intra-sexual competition had lower proportions of aromatic compounds (especially m-cresol) but higher proportions of carboxylic acids on their dark bellies. Males in a high male-male competition situation, invest in volatile compounds that can reveal their age, dominance status and condition, and that, in addition, enhance this signal. On the contrary, males from low intra-sexual competition populations have chemical profiles more characteristic of young individuals. This research shows a first glance of how secretion of volatile compounds of male deer can be modulated due to the intensity of male-male competition in the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flavodoxins are small electron transfer proteins containing flavin mononucleotide (FMN) as a prosthetic group, which play an important role during oxidative stress or iron limitation. The aims of this study were the identification and characterization of flavodoxins in the model aromatic-degrader Paraburkholderia xenovorans LB400 and the analyses of their protective effects during oxidative stress induced by paraquat and H2O2. Two genes (BxeA0278 and BxeB0391) encoding flavodoxins (hereafter referred to as fldX for avooxin from P. enovorans), were identified at the LB400 major and minor chromosome. Genomic context of the flavodoxin-encoding genes showed genes encoding membrane proteins, transporters, and proteins involved in redox processes and biosynthesis of macromolecules. A secondary structure prediction of both LB400 flavodoxins showed the characteristic flavodoxin structure of five ß-sheets intercalated with five α-helices. FldX1 contains a loop intercalated in the fifth β-strand, which indicates that it belongs to the long-chain flavodoxins, whereas FldX2 is a short-chain flavodoxin. A phylogenetic analysis of 73 flavodoxins from 43 bacterial genera revealed eight clusters (I-VIII), while FldX1 and FldX2 grouped separately within a long-chain and a short-chain flavodoxin clades. FldX1 and FldX2 were overexpressed in P. xenovorans. Interestingly, the strain overexpressing the long-chain flavodoxin FldX1 (p2-fldX1) showed a faster growth in glucose than the control strain. The recombinant strain overexpressing the long-chain flavodoxin FldX1 (p2-fldx1) exposed to paraquat (20 mM) possessed lower susceptibility to growth inhibition on plates and higher survival in liquid medium than the control strain. The strains overexpressing the flavodoxins FldX1 and FldX2 showed higher survival during exposure to 1 mM paraquat (>95%) than the control strain (68%). Compared to the control strain, strains overexpressing FldX1 and FldX2 showed lower lipid peroxidation (>20%) after exposure to 1 mM paraquat and a lower protein carbonylation (~30%) after exposure to 1 mM H2O2 was observed. During exposure to paraquat, strain p2-fldx1 downregulated the katG4, hpf, trxB1 and ohr genes (> 2-fold), whereas strain p2-fldx2 upregulated the oxyR and ahpC1 genes (> 2-fold). In conclusion, the flavodoxins FldX1 and FldX2 of P. xenovorans LB400 conferred protection to cells exposed to the oxidizing agents paraquat and H2O2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic systemic inflammation is an important causative factor in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. However, the effect of chronic Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection on arterial stiffness, a predictor of cardiovascular events, remains unclear. We evaluated the association between Hp infection and arterial stiffness in asymptomatic healthy individuals. Methods: Arterial stiffness was evaluated using the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI). We included subjects who underwent CAVI and anti-Hp IgG antibody evaluations, simultaneously, between March 2013 and July 2017. Demographic characteristics and metabolic and cardiovascular parameters were compared with respect to anti-Hp IgG antibody status. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the effect of Hp-seropositivity and conventional cardiovascular risk factors on arterial stiffness. Results: Of 2,251 subjects, 1,326 (58.9%) were included in the Hp-seropositive group. Median age (P < 0.001) and systolic blood pressure (P = 0.027) were significantly higher in the Hp-seropositive than in the Hp-seronegative group. Levels of LDL-cholesterol were significantly higher in the Hp-seropositive than in the Hp-seronegative group (P = 0.016). Other serum metabolic parameters were not significantly different between the two groups. The median CAVI value and the proportion of subjects with a CAVI ≥ 8 were significantly higher in the Hp-seropositive than in the Hp-seronegative group (both P < 0.001). On multivariable logistic regression analyses, Hp-seropositivity, age, body mass index, waist circumference, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia were significantly associated with high CAVI values. In the subgroup analysis conducted according to age group, a tendency towards an increased association between Hp-seropositivity and CAVI was observed with increasing age, even though the difference did not reach the statistical significance. Conclusions: Hp-seropositivity was significantly associated with arterial stiffness. Hp infection may contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to determine the effects of sleep or lying deprivation on the behavior of dairy cows. Data were collected from 8 multi- and 4 primiparous cows (DIM = 199 ± 44 (mean ± SD); days pregnant = 77 ± 30). Using a crossover design, each cow experienced: 1) sleep deprivation implemented by noise or physical contact when their posture suggested sleep, and 2) lying deprivation imposed by a grid placed on the pen floor. One day before treatment (baseline), and treatment day (treatment) were followed by a 12-d washout period (with the first 7 d used to evaluate recovery). Study days were organized from 2100 to 2059. During habituation (d -3 and -2 before treatment), baseline (d -1), and trt (d 0), housing was individual boxstalls (mattress with no bedding). After treatment, cows returned to sand-bedded freestalls for a 7-d recovery period (d 1 to 7) where data on lying behaviors were collected. Following the recovery period, an additional 5-d period was provided to allow the cows a 12-d period between exposures to treatments. Daily lying time, number lying bouts, bout duration, and number of steps were recorded by dataloggers attached to the hind leg of cows throughout the study period. Data were analyzed using a mixed model including fixed effects of treatment (sleep deprivation vs. sleep and lying deprivation), day, and their interaction with significant main effects separated using a PDIFF statement (P ≤ 0.05). Interactions between treatment and day were detected for daily lying time and the number of bouts. Lying time was lower for both treatments during the treatment period compared to baseline. Lying time increased during the recovery period for both lying and sleep deprived cows. However, it took 4 d for the lying deprived cows to fully recover their lying time after treatment, whereas it took the sleep deprived cows 2 d for their lying time to return to baseline levels. Results suggest that both sleep and lying deprivation can have impact cow behavior. Management factors that limit freestall access likely reduce lying time and sleep, causing negative welfare implications for dairy cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ozone is an asthma trigger. In mice, the gut microbiome contributes to ozone-induced airway hyperresponsiveness, a defining feature of asthma, but the mechanistic basis for the role of the gut microbiome has not been established. Gut bacteria can affect the function of distal organs by generating metabolites that enter the blood and circulate systemically. We hypothesized that global metabolomic profiling of serum collected from ozone exposed mice could be used to identify metabolites contributing to the role of the microbiome in ozone-induced airway hyperresponsiveness. Mice were treated for two weeks with a cocktail of antibiotics (ampicillin, neomycin, metronidazole, and vancomycin) in the drinking water or with control water and then exposed to air or ozone (2 ppm for 3 hours). Twenty four hours later, blood was harvested and serum analyzed via liquid-chromatography or gas-chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Antibiotic treatment significantly affected 228 of the 562 biochemicals identified, including reductions in the known bacterially-derived metabolites, equol, indole propionate, 3-indoxyl sulfate, and 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate, confirming the efficacy of the antibiotic treatment. Ozone exposure caused significant changes in 334 metabolites. Importantly, ozone-induced changes in many of these metabolites were different in control and antibiotic-treated mice. For example, most medium and long chain fatty acids declined by 20–50% with ozone exposure in antibiotic-treated but not control mice. Most taurine-conjugated bile acids increased with ozone exposure in antibiotic-treated but not control mice. Ozone also caused marked (9-fold and 5-fold) increases in the polyamines, spermine and spermidine, respectively, in control but not antibiotic-treated mice. Each of these metabolites has the capacity to alter airway responsiveness and may account for the role of the microbiome in pulmonary responses to ozone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of black cumin usage on some qualitative properties and formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) in meatball production was investigated. It was found that black cumin usage rate, cooking process and temperature had a significant effect (p<0,01) on the water content, pH, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values of meatballs. On the other hand, black cumin usage significantly (p<0,01) reduced the water content and cooking loss. The water content and cooking loss of the meatballs decreased with increases in the usage rate. While IQx, IQ, MeIQ, 7,8-DiMeIQx, 4,8-DiMeIQx, AαC, and MeAαC could not be detected in meatballs, varying amounts of MeIQx (up to 1,53 ng/g) and PhIP (up to 1,22 ng/g) were determined. The total amounts of HAAs ranged between non-detected (nd) to 2,75 ng/g. Both the usage rate and cooking temperature had a very significant effect (p<0,01) on the total contents of HAAs. The total amounts of HAAs were decreased in correlation with the increases in the usage rate; the proportion which is increased when the cooking temperature increased as well. Results of the present study suggested that addition of black cumin may have a substantial role in decreasing the TBARS value, cooking loss, and HAA contents during meatball production. Therefore, using of black cumin in meatball production has been suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the distribution of cellular membrane phospholipid composition is well characterised in human erythrocytes, in-vivo turnover and dynamic flux of phospholipids between plasma and erythrocytes in physiological and in particular during disease states are mostly unknown. Erythrocyte mass primarily consisted of lipids and phosphatidylcholine (PC) contributes to the significant proportion of phospholipid membrane composition. Esterified membrane PC can be utilised during pathological processes to generate pro and anti-inflammatory lipid mediators, which can contribute to the pathogenesis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In this study, utilising isotope labelling of choline and analytical methods with electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS), we characterised individual molecular composition and dynamic exchange of PC, sphingomyelins (SM) and lysophosphatidylcholines (LPC) between plasma and erythrocytes. In ARDS patients, there were significant alterations in PC molecular composition, coupled with a continuous loss of arachidonoyl-PC species over time. Infusion of methyl-D9-choline chloride resulted in enrichment of labelled choline into plasma PC and LPC via CDP-choline pathway with subsequent incorporation into erythrocyte PC. As expected, erythrocyte methyl-D9 PC enrichment is much slower than plasma. Patients had much faster and higher fractional enrichment of all PC and LPC molecules suggesting increased flux between plasma and erythrocytes. There was a particular pattern of incorporation, where the arachidonoyl-PC species achieved equilibrium with plasma rapidly and retained highest concentrations of enrichment compared to the other PC species. Increased enrichment of arachidonoyl-PC coupled with virtually no increase or depletion of its concentrations suggests the possibility of substrate donation for other cell types for the participation of eicosanoid biosynthesis during inflammatory conditions like ARDS. In summary, this study revealed an alerted pattern erythrocyte molecular phospholipid composition and flux in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome and the pathological consequences of these changes needs further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of a membrane-enveloped virus starts with the assembly of a curved layer of capsid proteins lining the interior of the plasma membrane (PM) of the host cell. This layer develops into a spherical shell (capsid) enveloped by a lipid-rich membrane. In many cases, the budding process stalls prior to the release of the virus. Recently, Brownian dynamics simulations of a coarse-grained model system reproduced protracted pausing and stalling, which suggests that the origin of pausing/stalling is to be found in the physics of the budding process. Here, we propose that the pausing/stalling observed in the simulations can be understood as a purely kinetic phenomenon associated with the neck geometry. A geometrical potential energy barrier develops during the budding that must be overcome by capsid proteins diffusing along the membrane prior to incorporation into the capsid. The barrier is generated by a conflict between the positive Gauss curvature of the assembling capsid and the negative Gauss curvature of the neck region. A continuum theory description is proposed and is compared with the Brownian simulations of the budding of enveloped viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Over the past decades, obesity stigma has become a substantial public health issue as studies have highlighted its negative consequences for mental and physical health. However, comparative studies are scarce. In this cross-national study, we focus on the following research questions: (1) Are there differences in the magnitude of public obesity stigma between Germany and the United States (US), and (2) are there differences in the associations of sociodemographic as well as experience (i.e. former obesity experience) and contact-related (i.e. contact to a person with obesity) factors with public obesity stigma between these two countries? Material and methods: National telephone surveys in Germany and the United States were conducted (total sample = 2,802) by using vignettes for the description of a person with obesity. Fat Phobia Scale, negative reactions, and desire for social distance were assessed as components of public obesity stigma. All three stigma components were examined with multilevel linear regression analyses. Results: Overall, results show that public obesity stigma is significantly more pronounced in the US than in Germany. Relationships between obesity stigma and sociodemographic as well as experience and contact-related factors remain rather inconclusive, though, in general, stronger associations are shown in the US. Conclusions: Contrary to the normalization hypothesis, findings indicate that a comparatively high prevalence of obesity like in the US is associated with a higher level of obesity stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was carried out to gain quantitative information on the diet-dependent faecal microbial biomass of dairy cows, especially on the biomass fractions of fungi, Gram-positive (G+) and Gram-negative (G-) bacteria. Groups of high-yield, low-yield and non-lactating cows were investigated at four different farms. A mean faecal microbial biomass C (MBC) concentration of 33.5 mg g-1 DM was obtained by the chloroform fumigation extraction method. This is similar to a mean microbial C concentration of 31.8 mg g-1 DM, which is the sum of bacterial C and fungal C, estimated by cell-wall derived muramic acid (MurN) and fungal glucosamine (GlcN), respectively. However, the response of these two approaches to the feeding regime was contradictory, due to feeding effects on the conversion values. The higher neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) concentrations in the non-lactating group led to higher (P < 0.05) concentrations of cellulose and lignin in their faeces in comparison with the lactating cows. This change in faecal chemical composition in the non-lactating group was accompanied by usually higher ratios of G+/G- phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), ergosterol/MBC and fungal C/bacterial C. Although bacteria dominate the faecal microbial biomass, fungi contribute a considerable mean percentage of roughly 20% to the faecal microbiome, according to PLFA and amino sugar data, which requires more attention in the future. Near-infra red spectroscopic estimates of organic N and C fractions of cow faeces were able to model microbial biomarkers successfully, which might be useful in the future to predict its N2O emission potential and fertilizer value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine outcomes of 23-gauge (23G) pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for complex diabetic tractional retinal detachment (TRD) in Chicago's Cook County Health and Hospitals System (CCHHS). Materials and methods: This is a retrospective noncomparative study of diabetic TRD cases that underwent PPV at CCHHS. Primary retinal reattachment rate, visual function, and postoperative complications were analyzed. Results: Sixty nine consecutive cases were included. Primary reattachment and final attachment were achieved in 68/69 eyes (98.6%). Secondary retinal detachment was noted in 1 eye (1.4%). Vitreous hemorrhage requiring repeat PPV developed in 5 eyes (7.2%) and reoperation due to other complications was required in 4/69 eyes (5.8%). Perfluoropropane (C3F8) gas tamponade was used in 91.3% of eyes and silicone oil in 8.7% of eyes. Mean LogMAR visual acuity significantly improved from 1.84 ± 0.61 to 0.93 ± 0.66, (P<0.0001). Vision was stabilized or improved in 66 eyes (95.7%). Visual acuity of 20/200 or better was achieved in 49/69 eyes (71.0%) and 20/50 or better in 16/69 eyes (23.2%). Conclusions: Even in patients with severe and advanced diabetic TRD pathology and unique demographics as seen in CCHHS, modern vitrectomy techniques can provide excellent anatomical and visual outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate cardiometabolic risk factor levels in a group of Norwegian 10-year-old children compared to international values and examine the association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and the reference-standardized clustered risk score. Methods: 913 children (49% girls) were included from the Active Smarter Kids (ASK) study. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC) to HDL-C ratio, triglyceride (TG), glucose, insulin, homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) score and CRF, were standardized according to international age-and sex-specific reference values. Results: The Norwegian children had significantly more favorable WC, DBP, glucose, HDL-C and CRF levels compared to the international reference values, but similar or less favorable levels of other cardiometabolic risk factors. CRF was the variable that differed the most from the international values (mean (95% CI) 1.20 (1.16 to 1.24) SD). The clustered risk score (excluding CRF) was higher in the Norwegian children, but decreased to below international levels when including CRF (mean (95% CI) - 0.08 (- 0.12 to –0.05) SD). CRF had a significant inverse association with the clustered risk score (excluding CRF) (β - 0.37 SD, 95% CI –0.43 to –0.31). Conclusions: Norwegian children have substantially higher CRF levels than international standards, and including CRF in clustered risk scores reduces overall risk in Norwegian children below that of international levels. CRF is associated with improved cardiometabolic health in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To examine the associations of dietary patterns with odds of elevated Blood Pressure (BP) among Lebanese adult males using principal component analysis (PCA), and compare the results to two other data reduction methods, including reduced rank regression (RRR) and partial least-squares (PLS) regression. Methods: Data from the National Nutrition and Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Survey conducted in Lebanon between years 2008 and 2009 were used. Dietary intake data were collected by a 61-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). In addition, anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were obtained following standard techniques. For the purpose of this study, data of males older than 20 years with no history of chronic diseases were selected (n = 673). Elevated BP was indicated if the systolic blood pressure was > = 130mm Hg and/or the diastolic blood pressure > = 85 mm Hg. Dietary patterns were constructed using PCA, PLS and RRR and compared based on the performance to identify plausible patterns associated with elevated BP. For PLS and RR, the response variables were BMI, waist circumference and percent body fat. Multiple logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations between the dietary pattern scores of each method and risk of elevated BP. Results: Three dietary patterns were identified using PCA: Western, Traditional Lebanese, and Fish and alcohol. Both the Western and the Traditional Lebanese patterns were associated with higher odds of elevated BP in the study population (OR = 1.23, CI 1.03, 1.46; OR = 1.29, CI 1.09, 1.52 respectively). The comparison among the three methods for dietary patterns derivation showed that PLS and RRR derived patterns explained greater variance in the outcome (PCA: 1.2%; PLS: 14.1%; RRR: 15.36%) and were significantly associated with elevated BP, while the PCA dietary patterns were descriptive of the study population’s real dietary habits (PCA: 23.6%; PLS: 19.8%; RRR: 11.3%). Conclusions: The Western and Traditional Lebanese dietary patterns were associated with higher odds of elevated BP among Lebanese males. The findings of this study showed that, compared to PCA, the use of RRR method resulted in more significant associations with the outcome while the PCA-derived patterns were more related to the real habits in the study population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acylcarnitines are fatty acyl esters of L-carnitine and facilitate the entry of long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria via the carnitine shuttle, where they are metabolized via ß-oxidation. Alterations of acylcarnitine species can be diagnostic for fatty acid oxidation disorders and organic aciduria and are thus frequently used to screen newborns. Only a subfraction of all known acylcarnitines is thereby monitored and quantified. Therefore, a method for the simultaneous fast and robust detection of all known acylcarnitines was developed using a single concise liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) approach. Derivatization by 3-nitrophenylhydrazine increased the signal intensity of the acylcarnitines and a linear elution from a reversed phase column was observed that was dependent on the length of the carbon chain. This allowed a precise prediction of the exact elution time for each acylcarnitine class, which depended solely on the chemical nature of the carbon chain. This method can be further used to screen for yet unknown acylcarnitine species and adds a layer of confidence for their correct identification. Altogether 123 acylcarnitines species were used to establish a targeted low-resolution LC-MS method. The method was applied to acylcarnitine profiling in several mouse tissues and fluids, in order to identify large differences in the quantity and composition of acylcarnitines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy expenditure and substrate utilisation were measured in 5 men pre- and post- a 67 day, 1750km unassisted Antarctic traverse from the Hercules Inlet to the Ross Sea Ice via the South pole pulling sledges weighing 120kg whilst experiencing temperatures as low as -57°C. A 36-hours protocol in a whole body calorimeter was employed to measure periods of rest, sleep and three periods of standardised stepping exercises at 80, 100 and 120 steps min-1; participants were fed isocalorically. Unlike previous expeditions where large weight loss was reported, only a modest loss of body weight (7%, P = 0.03) was found; fat tissue was reduced by 53% (P = 0.03) together with a small, but not statistically significant, increase in lean tissue weight (P = 0.18). This loss occurred despite a high-energy intake (6500 kcal/day) designed to match energy expenditure. An energy balance analysis suggested the loss in body weight could be due to the energy requirements of thermoregulation. Differences in energy expenditure [4.9 (0.1) vs 4.5 (0.1) kcal/min. P = 0.03], carbohydrate utilisation [450 (180) vs 569 (195) g/day; P = 0.03] and lipid utilisation [450 (61) vs 388 (127) g/day, P = 0.03] at low levels of exertion were different from pre-expedition values. Only carbohydrate utilisation remained statistically significant when normalised to body weight. The differences in energy expenditure and substrate utilisation between the pre- and post-expedition for other physiological states (sleeping, resting, higher levels of exercise, etc) were small and not statistically significant. Whilst inter-subject variability was large, there was a tendency for increased carbohydrate utilisation, post-expedition, when fasted that decreased upon feeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein solubility is a critical prerequisite to any proteomics analysis. Combination of urea/thiourea and 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS) have been routinely used to enhance protein solubilization for oil palm proteomics studies in recent years. The goals of these proteomics analysis are essentially to complement the knowledge regarding the regulation networks and mechanisms of the oil palm fatty acid biosynthesis. Through omics integration, the information is able to build a regulatory model to support efforts in improving the economic value and sustainability of palm oil in the global oil and vegetable market. Our study evaluated the utilization of sodium deoxycholate as an alternative solubilization buffer/additive to urea/thiourea and CHAPS. Efficiency of urea/thiourea/CHAPS, urea/CHAPS, urea/sodium deoxycholate and sodium deoxycholate buffers in solubilizing the oil palm (Elaeis guineensis var. Tenera) mesocarp proteins were compared. Based on the protein yields and electrophoretic profile, combination of urea/thiourea/CHAPS were shown to remain a better solubilization buffer and additive, but the differences with sodium deoxycholate buffer was insignificant. A deeper mass spectrometric and statistical analyses on the identified proteins and peptides from all the evaluated solubilization buffers revealed that sodium deoxycholate had increased the number of identified proteins from oil palm mesocarps, enriched their gene ontologies and reduced the number of carbamylated lysine residues by more than 67.0%, compared to urea/thiourea/CHAPS buffer. Although only 62.0% of the total identified proteins were shared between the urea/thiourea/CHAPS and sodium deoxycholate buffers, the importance of the remaining 38.0% proteins depends on the applications. The only observed limitations to the application of sodium deoxycholate in protein solubilization were the interference with protein quantitation and but it could be easily rectified through a 4-fold dilution. All the proteomics data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD013255. In conclusion, sodium deoxycholate is applicable in the solubilization of proteins extracted from oil palm mesocarps with higher efficiency compared to urea/thiourea/CHAPS buffer. The sodium deoxycholate buffer is more favorable for proteomics analysis due to its proven advantages over urea/thiourea/CHAPS buffer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the heterogeneous effects of exchange rate and stock market on carbon emission allowance price in four emissions trading scheme pilots in China. We employ a panel quantile regression model, which can describe both individual and distributional heterogeneity. The empirical results illustrate that the effects of explanatory variables on carbon emission allowance price is heterogeneous along the whole quantiles. Specifically, exchange rate has a negative effect on carbon emission allowance price at lower quantiles, while becomes a positive effect at higher quantiles. In addition, a negative effect exists between domestic stock market and carbon emission allowance price, and the intensity decreasing along with the increase of quantile. By contrast, an increasing positive effect is discovered between European stock market and domestic carbon emission allowance prices. Finally, heterogeneous effects on carbon emission allowance price can also be proved in European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU-ETS). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurate and accessible diagnosis is key for the control of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Yet, current diagnostic tests for VL have severe limitations: they are invasive or not suitable as point of care (POC) test or their performance is suboptimal in East Africa. We analysed the antigens in the VL serodiagnostics development pipeline to identify shortcomings and to propose strategies in the development of an alternative POC test for VL in East Africa. Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify and to analyse all antigens for VL serodiagnosis that have been published before 2018 in order to identify candidates and gaps in the pipeline for a new POC test in East Africa. Methods: A systematic literature search was performed on PubMed for original research articles on Leishmania-specific antigens for antibody detection of VL in humans. From each article, the following information was extracted: the antigen name, test format and characteristics, its reported sensitivity and specificity and study cohort specifications. Results: One hundred and seven articles containing information about 96 tests based on 89 different antigens were included in this study. Eighty six of these tests, comprising 80 antigens, were evaluated in phase I and II studies only. Only 20 antigens, all of which are native, contain a carbohydrate and/or lipid moiety. Twenty-four antigens, of which 7 are non-native, are composed of antigen mixtures. Nineteen tests, comprising 18 antigens, have been evaluated on East African specimens, of which only 2 (rK28 based immunochromatographic test and intact promastigote based indirect fluorescent antibody technique) consistently showed sensitivities above 94 and specificities above 97% in a phase III study and one in a phase II study (dot blot with SLA). Only rK28 is a non-native mixture of antigens which we consider suitable for further evaluation and implementation. Conclusions: The development pipeline for an alternative serodiagnostic test for VL is almost empty. Most antigens are not sufficiently evaluated. Non-protein antigens and antigen mixtures are being neglected. We propose to expand the evaluation of existing antigen candidates and to investigate the diagnostic potential of defined non-native carbohydrate and lipid antigens for VL serodiagnosis in East Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]