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Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) albumin was hydrolyzed by alkaline protease, and three new antioxidant peptides (P1, P2, and P3) were successfully separated from the hydrolysate (TBAH). The sequences of the three antioxidant peptides were Gly-Glu-Val-Pro-Trp (GEVPW), Tyr-Met-Glu-Asn-Phe (YMENF), and Ala-Phe-Tyr-Arg-Trp (AFYRW), and their molecular weights were 586.65, 702.79, and 741.85 Da, respectively. All three peptides have a good antioxidant capacity, and P3 (AFYRW) demonstrates the best antioxidant activity of the three. The IC50 values of AFYRW for scavenging hydroxyl radicals (OH·) and (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) DPPH· free radicals were 0.65 and 0.64 mM, respectively. In addition, AFYRW exhibits the strongest lipid peroxidation inhibition ability and the highest reducing power. The results of this research indicate that the three isolated peptides can be used in the development of various antioxidant additives in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

The reconstruction of thermal history is an important component of basin evolution and hydrocarbon exploration. Based on vitrinite reflectance data, we integrate the paleo-temperature gradient and paleo-heat flow methods to reconstruct the thermal history of Junggar Basin. Compared with present thermal state, the Junggar Basin experienced much a higher heat flow of ca. 80–120 mW/m2 during the Carboniferous. This feature can be attributed to large-scale volcanic events and related thermal effects. The hydrocarbon maturation history of Carboniferous source rocks indicates that the temperature rapidly reached the threshold of hydrocarbon generation during the Late Carboniferous and has never achieved such a high level since then. This characteristic resulted in the early maturation of hydrocarbons in Carboniferous source rocks. Meanwhile, the results reveal that hydrocarbon maturities are different among various tectonic units in Junggar Basin. The kerogen either rapidly broke through the dry gas period so that cracking of gas occurred or remained in the oil maturation window forming oil reservoirs, which depended on the tectonic background and depositional environment. In this study, we present the thermal and hydrocarbon maturation history since the Carboniferous, which has important implications for further hydrocarbon exploration in Junggar Basin.

Puerarin has properties of anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation, which has been demonstrated protective effects in atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases. However, the detail molecular mechanism still remains unclear. Here, we determined whether the atheroprotective effect of puerarin was by reducing monocyte adhesion and explored the underlying mechanism. The results showed that puerarin dose- and time-dependently reduced oxLDL-induced monocyte THP-1 adhesion to HUVECs and the expression of adhesion-related genes such as VCAM-1, ICAM-1, MCP-1 and IL-8 in HUVECs. Puerarin activated ERK5 phosphorylation and up-regulated expressions of downstream KLF2 and its targeted genes endothelial nitric oxide synthase and thrombomodulin. However, the protective effects were reversed by ERK5/KLF2 pathway inhibitor XDM8-92, BIX02189 or KLF2 siRNA suggesting the pathway involved in the function. The ex vivo assay, in which THP-1 adhesion to endothelium isolated from apoE-/- mice received various treatments further confirmed the results from HUVECs. Finally, we found that the atherosclerotic lesions in both cross sections at aortic root and whole aorta were significantly reduced in high fat-diet (HFD) mice with puerarin treatment compared with the HFD-only mice, but were increased respectively by 76% and 71% in XMD8-92 group, and 82% and 73% in BIX02189 group. Altogether, the data revealed that puerarin inhibited the monocyte adhesion in vitro and in vivo and thus reduced atherosclerotic lesions in apoE-/- mice; the protective effects were mediated by activation of ERK5/KLF2 signaling pathway. Our findings advance the understanding of puerarin function in atherosclerosis and point out a way to prevent the disease.

Operational optimization is the essential factor to maximize the heat production from the thermal reservoir. Well spacing and the arrangement of the production well are the two most pivotal factors for the thermal reservoir which can ensure long-term production at economically acceptable levels. The Xiong'an geothermal area, located in the western margin of the Bohai Bay Basin, is the most developed region of the carbonate stratum and also is one of the areas that have the greatest hydrothermal geothermal resources in China. In this study, based on the temperature data of the carbonate formation and thermosphysical data from the core samples measurement, a three dimensional thermo-hydraulic coupled numerical model was established to assess the geothermal potential of the carbonate reservoir and the effect of different exploitation schemes (mainly involved the injection fluid temperature, injection mass flow rate and lateral well distance) on the thermal reservoir performance was analyzed over a period of 40 years. The effect of permeability heterogeneity on the thermal reservoir performance was also discussed as a case study. The calculation results were then analyzed on the basis of the output temperature decline curves and the cumulative energy production over the entire period from the production well. Among the three important influence factors on the carbonate reservoir performance, the injection temperature has the most significant effect on the energy production rate, followed by the injection mass flow rate and the lateral well spacing.

Geothermal energy has been recognized as an important clean renewable energy. Accurate assessment of geothermal resources is an essential foundation for their development and utilization. The North Jiangsu Basin (NJB), located in the Lower Yangtze Craton, is shaped like a wedge block of an ancient plate boundary and large-scale carbonate thermal reservoirs are developed in the deep NJB. Moreover, the NJB exhibits a high heat flow background because of its extensive extension since the Late Mesozoic. In this study, we used the Monte Carlo method to evaluate the geothermal resources of the main reservoir shallower than 10 km in the NJB. Compared with the volumetric method, the Monte Carlo method takes into account the variation mode and uncertainties of the input parameters. The simulation results show that the geothermal resources of the sandstone thermal reservoir in the shallow NJB are very rich, with capacities of (6.6–12) × 1020 J (mean 8.6 × 1020 J), (5.1–16) × 1020 J (mean 9.1 × 1020 J), and (3.2–11) × 1020 J (mean 6.6 × 1020 J) for the Yancheng, Sanduo and Dai’nan sandstone reservoir, respectively. In addition, the capacity of the geothermal resource of the carbonate thermal reservoir in the deep NJB is far greater than the former, reaching (9.9–15) × 1021 J (mean 12 × 1021 J). The results indicate capacities of a range value of (1.2–1.7) × 1021 J (mean 1.4 × 1022 J) for the whole NJB (

In the current study, we investigated whether 17beta-estradiol (E2) induces cyclin E expression and triggers cyclin E processing via calpain in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. We found that E2 induced increased expression of cyclin E in a slow and persistent manner, and a rapid yet sustained processing of cyclin E. In addition, estrogenic ethanol was able to stimulate cyclin E truncation. Calpeptin or ALLN greatly suppressed the E2-triggered cyclin E processing and its expression, suggesting a calpain-mediated action for E2. Finally, the E2-induced effects could also be significantly suppressed by BAPTA or U0126, indicating involvement of calcium/ERK signaling. Taken together, these results show that estrogen may contribute to both up-regulation and proteolysis of cyclin E through calpain in MCF-7 cells.

The photophysical properties of hexadecyl 4-biphenylamino benzoate (HBAB), the molecule of which possesses a polar end composed of donor (triphenylamino group) and acceptor (ester group) and a long non-polar alkyl tail, have been carefully studied in different conditions. The results show that the twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) emission is given in polar solvents at room temperature and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) emission is given at 77 K. These can be supported by the solvent effect, temperature effect and the quenching process.

Three copolymers containing alternating rigid and flexible blocks and five PPVs oligomers have been designed and synthesized for the best understanding the relationship of molecular structure and properties of as LED. The results showed that the solubility was improved and the peak positions of absorption and emission spectra were shifted to longer wavelength with different groups substituting.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.