Search

Objectives Alcohol dependence causes extensive damage to the central nervous system, resulting in impaired brain structure and behavioral changes. Moreover, histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors restrain the activity of HDAC and cause increased histone acetylation, which may be related to alcohol dependence. Methods Ethanol dependence was modelled in animals by persistent alcohol exposure and tested in the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. To induce CPP, the alcohol-treated rats were given orally gradient concentration (3%, 6%, and 9% v/v) alcohol administration for 20 consecutive days. The sodium butyrate (NaB)-treated rats were injected daily. Cognitive flexibility was evaluated using an attentional set-shifting task (ASST) in which the rats performed a series of seven consecutive discriminations after the final CPP paradigm. Results Ethanol administration induced alcohol dependence behaviors, with more time spent in the ethanol-paired compartment. Compared with the CPP scores of the control group, the scores of the ethanol- and NaB-treated groups were significantly higher. In the ASST, alcohol-treated rats had significantly increased number of trials to reach criteria (TTC) in most phases, higher error rate, and lower cognitive levels compared to the control group. Moreover, the present findings demonstrated that NaB combined with ethanol caused cognitive deficits as the result of an increased number of TTC during the ASST. Conclusions The attentional/cognitive flexibility of the prefrontal cortex of alcohol-dependent rats was damaged and the NaB administration procedure itself did not produce cognitive deficits, but instead exacerbated cognitive impairment in alcohol-dependent rats.

α-Glucosidase is a key enzyme related to starch digestion and type-2 diabetes. In the present study, the inhibition effect and the underlying mechanism of Chinese bayberry leaves proanthocyanidins (BLPs) on α-glucosidase were investigated by enzyme kinetic analysis, multi-spectroscopy and molecular docking simulation. The results revealed that BLPs was a high potential noncompetitive-type inhibitor of α-glucosidase with the half maximal inhibitory concertation (IC50) value of 0.037 ± 0.001 mg mL−1 and acarbose equivalent (AE) of 517.01 mmol AE g−1. What’s more, BLPs may interact with some amino acids surrounded in the allosteric site of α-glucosidase to form a complex driven by hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction, and thus change the structure and microenvironment of α-glucosidase, leading to the decrease of activity of α-glucosidase. The present study suggested that BLPs as epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG) polymers could be a novel α-glucosidase inhibitor and had potential to be further used in functional food or anti-diabetic drug.

We have determined the interaction strengths of the common naturally occurring amino acids using a complete binding affinity matrix of 20 × 20 pairs of homo-octapeptides consisting of the 20 common amino acids between stationary and mobile states. We used a bead-based fluorescence assay for these measurements. The results provide a basis for analyzing specificity, polymorphisms, and selectivity of inter-amino-acid interactions. Comparative analyses of the binding energies, i.e., the free energies of association (ΔGA), reveal contributions assignable to both main-chain-related and side-chain-related interactions originating from the chemical structures of these 20 common amino acids. Side-chain–side-chain and side-chain–main-chain interactions are found to be pronounced in an identified set of amino acid pairs that determine the basis of inter-amino-acid recognition., Interaction strengths between common amino acids were measured with a bead-based fluorescence assay. The results provide a basis for analyzing specificity and selectivity of inter-amino-acid recognition.

Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation is an adoptive immunotherapy for treating malignant hematopoietic cancers and autoimmune disorders. Preclinical studies of such novel therapies require animal models that enable and sustain human erythrocyte reconstitution. Existing mouse models typically require irradiation to remove mouse HSCs from the bone marrow prior to human immune system reconstitution. Irradiation adversely affects the health of the animal by promoting necrosis and apoptosis of gastrointestinal, neural and muscle tissues, which can lead to wasting, infection, and even death. An irradiation-free mouse model for human erythroid reconstitution is in urgent need. KIT proto-oncogene receptor tyrosine kinase, also known as c-KIT, is an important cell surface marker expressed in both mouse and human HSCs, multipotent progenitors (MPP), and common myeloid progenitors (CMP). KIT signaling plays a key role in cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. Alterned forms of this protein have been shown to be associated with some types of cancer. Point mutation of Val831Met is known to cause macrocytic anemia. We speculate that mice with this mutation experience spontaneous anemia and inhibited HSC function, which would support human erythroid reconstitution without irradiation. NCG-X mouse was generated based on this hypothesis, building upon the severe immunodeficient NCG generated by GemPharmatech years ago. This new strain of mice are deficient of T/B/NK cells with functional inhibition of HSCs. Here, we report that NCG-X supports human HSC transplantation without radiation, enabling complete avoidance of adverse effects on animal health. When compared with irradiated NCG mice, NCG-X mice are able to not only rebuild the human immune system, but also enable human erythroid cells to reconstruct the bone marrow for a prolonged period of time after engraftment: 16 and 30 weeks post-engraftment have been assayed. Though reduced red blood cells and hemoglobin have been observed, 30 weeks post-engraftment enables consistent support from the start to the finish of the preclinical phase. In conclusion, NCG-X provides an improved and preclinical relevant mouse model for therapeutic development of leukemia, thalassemia, other types of blood diseases and autoimmune diseases. Citation Format: Tingting Gu, Cunxiang Ju, Hongyan Sun, Xiang Gao, MingKun Zhang, Weiwei Yu, Mengting Wang, Shuai Li, Shuai Li, Huiyi Wang, Jing Zhao. NCG-X mouse: A novel animal model to evaluate preclinical studies of humanized erythroid reconstitution without irradiation [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 5621.

This study demonstrates effects of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) on carbon-nitrogen transformation pathways and microbial community and metabolic function response mechanisms in constructed wetlands. Findings showed co-metabolism of SMX with organic pollutants resulted in high removal of 98.92 ± 0.25% at influent concentrations of 103.08 ± 13.70 μg/L (SMX) and 601.92 ± 22.69 mg/L (COD), and 2 d hydraulic retention. Microbial community, co-occurrence networks, and metabolic pathways analyses showed SMX promoted enrichment of COD and SMX co-metabolizing bacteria like Mycobacterium, Chryseobacterium and Comamonas. Relative abundances of co-metabolic pathways like Amino acid, carbohydrate, and Xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism were elevated. SMX also increased relative abundances of the resistant heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification bacteria Paracoccus and Comamonas and functional genes nxrA, narI, norC and nosZ involved in simultaneous heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification. Consequently, denitrification rate increased by 1.30 mg/(L∙d). However, insufficient reaction substrate and accumulation of 15.29 ± 2.30 mg/L NO

In this study, a covalent organic framework designated as TpPaNO2 was synthesized by a mechanochemical grinding method and then coated on stainless steel wire by a sol-gel technique to prepare a solid-phase microextraction fiber. The TpPaNO2 fiber based solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-electron capture detection was applied to determine the residues of 11 pesticides (trlfuralln, dicofol, α-endosulfan, 1-chloro-4-[2,2-dichloro-1-(4-chlorophenyl)ethenyl]benzene, nitrofen, β-endosulfan, 1-chloro-4-[2,2-dichloro-1-(4-chlorophenyl)ethyl]benzene, 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane, bifenthrin, permethrin and fenvalerate) in vegetable and fruit samples. The effects of extraction time, extraction temperature, sample pH, stirring rate and desorption temperature on the extraction efficiency were investigated. Under the optimized conditions, the limits of detection for the eleven pesticides were in the range of 0.04-0.25 μg/kg. The recoveries of the eleven pesticides in the vegetable and fruit samples were 81.5-111% with the relative standard deviations less than 11.2%.

Headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was adopted for the simultaneous determination of seven chlorophenols (CPs) from honey and canned-yellow-peach samples. A covalent organic framework made of 1,3,5-triformylphloroglucinol (Tp) and benzidine (BD) was used as the SPME fiber coating to preconcentrate the acetylation derivatives of the CPs. The main experimental parameters including derivatization conditions, extraction temperature and time, headspace volume, salt concentration, and desorption temperature were investigated. The fiber showed a high extraction capability for the CPs. The limits of detection (LODs) for the analytes were 0.3-0.7 μg kg

Oxystophyllum changjiangense has high economic value due to its wide applications in horticultural and medicinal fields. Here, the first chloroplast genome of O. changjiangense was sequenced and reported. The chloroplast genome displayed the typical quadripartite structure containing a pair of inverted repeats (IR), a long single-copy region (LSC), and a short single-copy region (SSC). Total 110 genes were found including 76 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. Phylogeny analysis showed O. changjiangense has a close relationship with Phaius species.

Rice protein hydrolysates (RPH) prepared by enzymatic hydrolysis have plenty of bioactive functions. Herein, we investigated the antiaging effect of RPH on Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) and its mechanisms. According to the results, fruit flies reared on 0.2% and 3.2% RP-supplement diet prolonged their average lifespan, 50% survival days, and the maximum lifespan, together with increasing superoxide dismutase, manganese superoxide dismutase, and catalase activity compared to those reared on basal diet. Further studies showed the lifespan extending effect of RPH was regulated by the cooperation with the intrinsic stress protection system (Nrf2/Keap1), age-related signaling pathway (TOR, S6K) and the expression of longevity genes (methuselah). In conclusion, the lifespan extending effect of RPH makes it possible to be applied in food and healthcare industry. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: In previous studies, rice protein hydrolysates (RPH) have been found to have strong antioxidant properties. But so far, most researches focused on the preparation, identification and in vitro antioxidant experiments of RPH, and there is still a lack of researches on its effect on the antioxidant system of fruit flies and the antiaging of fruit flies. This report showed that RPH enhanced the antioxidant system and prolonged the lifespan of Drosophila, which might help us rationally use rice peptides in functional foods.

Inclined pile foundations are widely used in civil engineering by virtue of sufficient horizontal stiffness, but few studies have touched upon the seismic performance of inclined piles in liquefiable soil. To better understand the performance of the inclined piles in liquefiable soil under earthquake conditions, a series of 1 g shaking table tests of inclined and vertical piles in liquefiable soil were performed. Superstructure-pile-soil dynamic interaction was considered while three types of earthquake waves with different characteristics were selected as the applied earthquake motions. The horizontal acceleration of the superstructure and the pile cap, the rotational acceleration of the pile cap, the total base shear force, and the bending moment of two types of physical models were monitored and analyzed. The results show that inclined piles in liquefiable soil can effectively reduce the horizontal vibration of the superstructure and the pile cap, and the acceleration reduction of the pile cap is about 2.5 times larger than that of the superstructure. Meanwhile, inclined piles can also reduce the total base shear force, and the extent of reduction depends on the input earthquake wave. Besides, the results suggest that the maximum bending moment of inclined piles is located at the pile head, and its value is positively correlated with the amplitude of the earthquake wave, and is affected by the type of the input earthquake wave. Overall, inclined pile foundations show satisfactory seismic performance for a superstructure-foundation-liquefiable soil system, and this study, with a rich amount of data, can serve as an important reference for the seismic design of inclined piles in liquefiable soil.

Directly modulating the choice between homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) - two independent pathways for repairing DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) - has the potential to improve the efficiency of gene targeting by CRISPR/Cas9. Here, we have developed a rapid and easy-to-score screening approach for identifying small molecules that affect the choice between the two DSB repair pathways. Using this tool, we identified a small molecule, farrerol, that promotes HR but does not affect NHEJ. Further mechanistic studies indicate that farrerol functions through stimulating the recruitment of RAD51 to DSB sites. Importantly, we demonstrated that farrerol effectively promotes precise targeted integration in human cells, mouse cells and mouse embryos at multiple genomic loci. In addition, treating cells with farrerol did not have any obvious negative effect on genomic stability. Moreover, farrerol significantly improved the knock-in efficiency in blastocysts, and the subsequently generated knock-in mice retained the capacity for germline transmission.

Chinese bayberry leaves proanthocyanidins (BLPs) belongs to the prodelphinidin category with potent EGCG unit, whose inhibition effect on α-amylase and their interaction were investigated by in vitro digestion and enzyme kinetic analysis, multi fluorescence spectroscopies (fluorescence quenching, synchronous fluorescence, and three-dimensional fluorescence), circular dichroism spectra, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and in silico modelling. The results revealed that BLPs was a mixed inhibitor to α-amylase with the IC50 value of 3.075 ± 0.073 μg/mL. BLPs could lead to a static fluorescence quenching of α-amylase, mainly by means of interacting with amino acids (mainly Try and Tyr residues) in one site on α-amylase molecule under the action of hydrogen bonding and/or Van der Waals force. This interaction further induced the change of secondary conformational structure, functional group structure and hydrophobicity of α-amylase, thus resulting in lowering activity. Molecular docking simulated that this binding occurred in a cavity on the surface of the α-amylase molecule, and BLPs trimer showed a relatively high binding energy. The present study provided a new insight of BLPs as an α-amylase inhibitor, which could be considered in anti-diabetic therapy.

Differentiated somatic cells can be reprogrammed to totipotent embryos through somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) with low efficiency. The histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) has been found to improve SCNT efficiency, but the underlying mechanism remains undetermined. Here, we examined genome-wide H3K9ac during SCNT embryo development and found that aberrant H3K9ac regions resulted in reduced 2-cell genome activation. TSA treatment largely corrects aberrant acetylation in SCNT embryos with an efficiency that is dictated by the native epigenetic environment. We further identified that the overexpression of Dux greatly improves SCNT efficiency by correcting the aberrant H3K9ac signal at its target sites, ensuring appropriate 2-cell genome activation. Intriguingly, the improvement in development mediated by TSA and Kdm4b is impeded by Dux knockout in SCNT embryos. Together, our study reveals that reprogramming of H3K9ac is important for optimal SCNT efficiency and identifies Dux as a crucial transcription factor in this process.

With the rapid development of the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies, the Smart Learning Environment (SLE) has emerged. This paper takes Central China Normal University as an example to evaluate SLE in universities. Taking the physical, resource and social of SLE as the first-level indexes of the evaluation index system, an index system with 3 first-level indexes and 26 second-level indexes was constructed by referring to relevant literature and the actual needs of teachers and students. According to this evaluation index system, a questionnaire was designed to collect data. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation (FCE) were used to analyze the sample data and evaluate SLE, which can provide reference for the subsequent improvement of SLE.

A solid-phase microextraction with carbon nanospheres coated fiber coupled with gas chromatographic detection was established for the determination of eight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (naphthalene, biphenyl, acenaphthene, fluorine, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, and pyrene) in water and soil samples. The experimental parameters (extraction temperature, extraction time, stirring rate, headspace volume, salt content, and desorption temperature) which affect the extraction efficiency were studied. Under the optimized conditions, good linearity between the peak areas and the concentrations of the analytes was achieved in the concentration range of 0.5-300 ng/mL for water samples, and in the concentration range of 6.0-2700 ng/g for soil samples. The detection limits for the analytes were in the range of 0.12-0.45 ng/mL for water samples, and in the range of 1.53-2.70 ng/g for soil samples. The method recoveries of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons for spiked water samples were 80.10-120.1% with relative standard deviations less than 13.9%. The method recoveries of the analytes for spiked soil samples were 80.40-119.6% with relative standard deviations less than 14.4%. The fiber was reused over 100 times without a significant loss of extraction efficiency.

The metal detoxification mechanism is essential for the accumulation activity of some polychaetes. In order to investigate the detoxification function of metalloprotein II in polychaete Perinereis aibuhitensis, a recombinant fusion protein of MP II was successfully expressed in vitro and an anti-MP II polyclonal antibody was got. The tissue distribution of MP II in P. aibuhitensis and the protein expression under Cd, Pb and Zn exposure were detected by ELISA with this antibody. The results showed that MP II was higher in the intestine of P. aibuhitensis, followed by the body wall and parapodium. Cd, Zn and Pb exposure can induced MP II expression, but the change trend of MP II under various heavy metal exposure was different. The amount of MP II induced in P. aibuhitensis increased with the rises of Cd concentration, but there is no significant relationship between Zn and Pb concentration and MP II level.

A functionalized covalent organic framework (COF) was synthesized via room-temperature solvent-free mechano-chemical grinding method and used as a solid-phase extraction adsorbent for the extraction of eight biogenic amines (tryptamine, n-butylamine, phenylethylamine, cadaverine, putrescine, tyramine, spermine, and spermidine) in diverse meat samples. The target biogenic amines were derived with dansyl chloride to form stable fluorogenic derivatives for their high-performance liquid chromatography–fluorescence detection. The main important experimental parameters were investigated and optimized by both one-factor-at-a-time and response surface methodologies. Under the optimum conditions, a linear response for the biogenic amines was observed in the concentration range of 5.0–800.0 μg L−1 with the coefficients of determination (r2) ranging from 0.9944 to 0.9981. The limits of detection of this method (at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3) for the analytes ranged from 0.92 to 2.57 μg L−1. The method recoveries of the target biogenic amines for five meat samples ranged from 80.3 to 115%, with relative standard deviations lower than 12%. The results indicate that the prepared COF is an effective adsorbent for the enrichment of biogenic amines.

Lotus leaf flavonoids (LLF) are a group of bioactive natural substances. In this study, the structure, thermal properties, rheology behaviors and in vitro digestibility of cooked LLF-starch complex were investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis showed the shift in gelatinization peak to a higher temperature and the decrease in gelatinization enthalpies in the complexes significantly. The short-term retrogradation was retarded either. The flow behaviors of starch pastes changed with adding LLF. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed a less compact structure in LLF-starch complex and laser confocal scanning microscope (CLSM) images detected that LLF mostly distributed around starch granules, which further prove the binding between LLF and starch. Moreover, fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) elucidated LLF probably interacted with starch by non-covalent bond especially hydrogen bond. In addition, LLF-starch complex exhibited inhibitory effect on starch digestion compared to pregelatinized starch, and the reasonable content of LLF-starch complex was (0.7 g/100 g). Thus, LLF-starch complex can be potentially used as a functional additive for high resistant starch (RS) and low glycemic index (GI) diets.

Multifunctional nanoplatforms for imaging‐guided synergistic antitumor treatment are highly desirable in biomedical applications. However, anticancer treatment is largely affected by the pre‐existing hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME), which not only causes the resistance of the tumors to photodynamic therapy (PDT), but also promotes tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Here, a continuous O2 self‐enriched nanoplatform is constructed for multimodal imaging‐guided synergistic phototherapy based on octahedral gold nanoshells (GNSs), which are constructed by a more facile and straightforward one‐step method using platinum (Pt) nanozyme‐decorated metal–organic frameworks (MOF) as the inner template. The Pt‐decorated MOF@GNSs (PtMGs) are further functionalized with human serum albumin‐chelated gadolinium (HSA‐Gd, HGd) and loaded with indocyanine green (ICG) (ICG‐PtMGs@HGd) to achieve a synergistic PDT/PTT effect and fluorescence (FL)/multispectral optoacoustic tomography (MSOT)/X‐ray computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The Pt‐decorated nanoplatform endows remarkable catalase‐like behavior and facilitates the continuous decomposition of the endogenous H2O2 into O2 to enhance the PDT effect under hypoxic TME. HSA modification enhances the biocompatibility and tumor‐targeting ability of the nanocomposites. This TME‐responsive and O2 self‐supplement nanoparticle holds great potential as a multifunctional theranostic nanoplatform for the multimodal imaging‐guided synergistic phototherapy of solid tumors., In this research, a tumor environment (TEM)‐responsive and continuous O2 self‐enriched drug delivery platform based on octahedral gold nanoshells (GNSs) using Pt‐decorated metal–organic frameworks (MOF) as inner template is constructed. The obtained nanostructures are further functionalized with human serum albumin‐gadolinium hybrid (HSA‐Gd, HGd) and loaded with indocyanine green (ICG) (ICG‐PtMGs@HGd) to achieve a multimodal imaging guided enhanced photodynamic therapy/photothermal therapy PDT/PTT effect.

A series of Cu x O self-assembled mesoporous microspheres (SMMs), with different and controlled morphology (virus-like, urchin-like, spherical), were synthesized by facile liquid phase approach. The morphology of the as-prepared Cu x O SMMs was evolved from spherical to virus-like shape by controlling the ratio of DI water in solution. It can also realize the transformation from loose assembly to dense assembly by extending the reaction time. These Cu x O SMMs exhibited good response to NO2 gas at room temperature, benefiting from their 3D self-assembly structure. Among these the resulting virus-like CuxO SNMMs-based sensor exhibits largely enhanced response to 1 ppm NO2 gas at room temperature. The enhanced response of the virus-like Cu2O SMMsbased sensor can be ascribed to the high surface area, hierarchical 3D nanostructures, micropores for effective gas diffusion, the heterojunctions formed between CuO and Cu2O, and the existence of abundant surface oxygen vacancies.

The creation of contemporary ink and landscape painting is not only a kind of artistic creation,but also represents the”unity of man and nature”.The”rhythm of life”expressed in the combination of water and ink implies the unique way of Chinese painting,and finally presents a pattern of.

Synthesis of two-dimensional (2D) materials by wet-chemical methods is usually accompanied by surface functionalization, which plays critical roles in stabilizing and functionalizing the targeted materials. These termination reactions can bring thermodynamically stable products and versatile applications, however, leaving experimental characterization of surface structures challenging as well. In this work, newly emerging 2D conductive transition metal borides, Cr2B2 MBene is selected as a prototype to investigate the surface functionalization phenomenon. By first-principles calculation plus efficient structural exploration, we provide an atomistic understanding of the chemical origin and kinetics of surface functionalization occurred in aqueous environment, and screen the surface structure of Cr2B2T2 (T = OH, O, Cl, and H) MBenes. Results clearly unravel the functionalization process of MBenes and the stable surface structures of functionalized MBenes. It is found that both H2O and HCl molecules can split on the bare Cr2B2 in a nearly spontaneous manner, enabling functionalization of Cr2B2T2. Binding energy of termination groups on Cr2B2 quantifies the relative stability of functionalized Cr2B2T2 in the order: Cr2B2O2 > Cr2B2Cl2 > Cr2B2(OH)2 > Cr2B2H2. Furthermore, we demonstrate that both Cr2B2 and functionalized Cr2B2T2 MBenes are electronically conductive 2D materials with zero band gap, which is beneficial for electrochemical applications.

Comparative plastomics approaches have been used to identify available molecular markers for different taxonomic level studies of orchid species. However, the adoption of such methods has been largely limited in phylogeographic studies. Therefore, in this study, Dendrobium huoshanense, an endangered species with extremely small populations, was used as a model system to test whether the comparative plastomic approaches could screen available molecular markers for the phylogeographic study. We sequenced two more plastomes of D. huoshanense and compared them with our previously published one. A total of 27 mutational hotspot regions and six polymorphic cpSSRs have been screened for the phylogeographic studies of D. huoshanense. The cpDNA haplotype data revealed that the existence of haplotype distribution center was located in Dabieshan Mts. (Huoshan). The genetic diversity and phylogenetic analyses showed that the populations of D. huoshanense have been isolated and evolved independently for long period. On the contrary, based on cpSSR data, the genetic structure analysis revealed a mixed structure among the populations in Anhui and Jiangxi province, which suggested that the hybridization or introgression events have occurred among the populations of D. huoshanense. These results indicated that human activities have played key roles in shaping the genetic diversity and distributional patterns of D. huoshanense. According to our results, both two markers showed a high resolution for the phylogeographic studies of D. huoshanense. Therefore, we put forth that comparative plastomic approaches could revealed available molecular markers for phylogeographic study, especially for the species with extremely small populations., Based on the comparative plastomic approaches, a total of 27 mutational hotspot regions and six polymorphic cpSSRs have been selected to assess the genetic diversity and distributional patterns of D. huoshanense. According to our results, both two markers showed a high resolution for the phylogeographic studies of D. huoshanense.

Due to the misuse of hormones and antibiotics resulting in drug residues in meat products, serious concerns have arisen regarding to the potential risks for human health. In this paper, a simple and efficient method was developed to simultaneously quantify six steroid hormones and six antibiotics in fatty foods by combining pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Adsorbents, extraction temperature, extraction time, recycle time and several other parameters were optimized in current investigation. The optimized PLE method was employed by using n-hexane-methanol-acetonitrile (2:1:1, v/v/v) as extraction solvent, silica gel as lipid sorbent, and the optimum parameters were 60 °C, 1500 psi and 10 min, respectively. Under the optimal conditions, the recoveries of spiked samples ranged from 82.2% to 115.0%. The limits of quantifications (LODs) were from 0.4 to 25.0 μg/kg. The developed PLE method was successfully applied to analyze steroid hormones and antibiotics in 27 fatty foods of hotpot ingredients without any additional clean-up steps. The results showed that the residues of estradiol benzoate (EB) and enrofloxacin (EN) in some matrices were much higher than maximum residue limits (MRLs) value, especially EB in fish, which exceeded 176.7 μg/kg. The results demonstrated that the developed method was sensitive and efficient in testing hotpot ingredients, and was an excellent analytical tool for monitoring residues of steroid hormones and antibiotics in fatty foods.

A fibrous magnetic boron nitride nanocomposite was synthesized and is shown to be a viable adsorbent for the magnetic solid phase extraction of pesticides prior to their quantitation by gas chromatography with electron capture detection. The optimum conditions were obtained by both single factor optimization and response surface analysis (Box-Behnken design). Under the optimized conditions, the response to the ten pesticides (dicofol, α-endosulfan, p,p’-DDE, nitrofen, β-endosulfan, p,p’-DDD, p,p’-DDT, bifenthrin, permethrin and fenvalerate) is linear in the 0.03–40 ng·mL−1 concentration range with the coefficients of determination ranging from 0.9970 to 0.9992. The relative standard deviations at concentration levels of 0.5 ng·mL−1, 20 ng·mL−1 and 40 ng·mL−1 were below 8.7%. The recoveries of the analytes from spiked tea water and tea beverage samples varied between 84.5% and 122%, with relative standard deviations ranging from 4.8 to 12%. The limits of detection are between 0.01 and 0.05 ng·mL−1. The adsorbent can be reused over 50 times without significant loss of extraction efficiency.

Understanding the hydration behavior of cereals during cooking is industrially important in order to optimize processing conditions. In this study, barley porridge was cooked in a sealed tin can at 100, 115, and 121 &deg, C, respectively, and changes in water uptake and hygroscopic swelling in dehulled barley grains were measured during the cooking of canned porridge. In order to describe and better understand the hydration behaviors of barley grains during the cooking process, a three-dimensional (3D) numerical model was developed and validated. The proposed model was found to be adequate for representing the moisture absorption characteristics with a mean relative deviation modulus (P) ranging from 4.325% to 5.058%. The analysis of the 3D simulation of hygroscopic swelling was satisfactory for describing the expansion in the geometry of barley. Given that the model represented the experimental values adequately, it can be applied to the simulation and design of cooking processes of cereals grains, allowing for saving in both time and costs.

The inhibition effect of three common proanthocyanidins (PA) on the retrogradation properties of maize starch was investigated (including grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPA), peanut skin proanthocyanidins (PSPA), and pine bark proanthocyanidins (PBPA)). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that PA could significantly decrease the values of melting enthalpy of retrogradation (ΔHr) and the degree of relative crystallinity, suggesting that the starch re-crystallization was retarded by PA. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) characterizations illustrated that retrograded PA-starch samples formed a looser matrix with less appearance of continuous flakes during storage. Overall, 0.5 %-2.0 % of three PAs exhibited suppression of starch retrogradation after 21-day cooling storage, mainly resulting from the PA-starch interaction. Among them, PSPA showed the most substantial inhibition effect on starch retrogradation, which might be attributed to its structural features. This study suggested that PA could be a new type of inhibitor to suppress starch retrogradation.

Small molecular gels (SMGs) have drawn much attention due to their unique properties which can be used in wide range of applications. In this work, the two-component hydrogels based on intermolecular interaction were prepared by the mixing appropriate ratios of melamine (M) and nitrilotriacetic acid (N) in pure water. These obtained hydrogels, which own a three-dimensional (3D) supramolecular structure, responded to several external stimuli such as temperature, pH and halogen ions. Otherwise, the two-component hydrogels mixed with M and N in organic-water mixtures were studied by calculating the Hansen Solubility Parameters of the solvents, a gelation range of the known two-component could be defined. The untested solvent lied in this known range might be gelled by M and N, which is a useful model to identify the gelation and the particular application of a suitable two-component hydrogels.

A novel multi-residue method was developed for the simultaneous analysis of tetracyclines and β-receptor agonists in chicken by coupling pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The parameters of PLE method was optimised, such as extraction solvents, extraction temperature and several other parameters. The performance of the method was assessed and compared to QuEChERS extraction and ultrasound assisted extraction, which were widely used for the chicken extraction. PLE method proved to be suitable for the determination of tetracycline and β-receptor agonists, showing high recoveries, in the range of 84.1–107.9% with relative standard deviation less than 20%. PLE provided low LODs for CHL, OX and TE which were 18.0, 42.0 and 54.0 ng/kg respectively. Additionally, matrix effect of the PLE method exhibited slight effect on all target drugs. However, both ultrasound assisted extraction and QuEChERS extraction exhibited low recoveries and high LODs. The results showed that the established PLE method could be applied to the multiresidue analysis of tetracyclines and β-receptor agonists in chicken to ensure the safety of our daily food supply.

In this study, we modeled the water absorption, softening and shear viscosity change kinetics of canned rice porridge during cooking as well as estimated the thermodynamic properties involved in hydration. Moreover, the internal microstructure of rice kernels was observed under different hydrothermal conditions. During cooking, the water absorption and shear viscosity alteration rate increased with temperature, whereas the softening rate decreased. However, the temperature did not significantly affect the equilibrium value of the physical properties. The variation tendencies of the moisture content and hardness of the kernels could be expressed satisfactorily by the exponential and the generalized exponential models. The porridge shear viscosity variations fitted the sigmoidal and its generalized models. Thermodynamic parameters (enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs free energy) revealed that the hydration process was non-spontaneous and exothermic. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy images and the results of the X-ray diffraction analysis showed the microstructure of the kernels during cooking, and the kernels formed a homogeneous mesh structure at earlier times during the initial stage at higher temperatures. These findings would provide valuable information for the optimization of canned rice porridge production.

Background G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are one of the most important molecules that transfer signals across the plasma membrane, and play central roles in physiological systems. The molecular architecture of GPCRs allows them to bind to diverse chemicals, including environmental contaminants. Methods To investigate the effects of benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) on GPCR signaling, GPCR and the protein kinase A (PKA) catalytic subunit of Perinereis aibuhitensis were cloned. The expression patterns of these two genes during B(a)P exposure were determined with real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. The PKA content in P. aibuhitensis under B(a)P exposure was examined. Results The full-length cDNAs of PaGPCR and the PaPKA catalytic subunit were 1,514 and 2,662 nucleotides, respectively, encoding 338 and 350 amino acids, respectively. Multiple sequence alignments indicated that the deduced amino acid sequence of PaGPCR shared a low level of similarity with the orphan GPCRs of polychaetes and echinoderms, whereas PaPKA shared a high level of identify with the PKA catalytic subunits of other invertebrates. B(a)P exposure time-dependently elevated the expression of PaGPCR and PaPKA. The expression of both PaGPCR and PaPKA was also dose-dependent, except at a dose of 10 μg/L B(a)P. The PKA content in concentration group was elevated on day 4, with time prolonging the PKA content was down-regulated to control level. Discussion These results suggested that GPCR signaling in P. aibuhitensis was involved in the polychaete’s response to environmental contaminants.

In this study, lotus leaf flavonoids (LLF) were found to show a notable inhibition activity on α-amylase in a mixed-type manner with IC50 value of (5.58 ± 0.10) mg/mL. The intrinsic fluorescence of α-amylase was quenched by the interaction with LLF through a static quenching mechanism, and LLF-α-amylase complex was spontaneously formed mainly driven by the hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bonding. Multispectroscopic analyses (synchronous fluorescence, three-dimensional fluorescence, circular dichroism (CD) and fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR)) comprehensively demonstrated that the binding of LLF to α-amylase would change the conformation and microenvironment of α-amylase, resulting in inhibiting the enzyme activity. The present study indicated that LLF had potential to be as an ingredient in functional food for the prevention of type-2 diabetes.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) type 31 is an important pathogenic subtype associated with cervical cancer. The aims of the present study were to analyze E5, E6, E7 and L1 gene mutations of HPV‑31 among females, and to elucidate the evolutionary associations between them. In total, 87 positive samples were collected. The E5, E6, E7 and L1 genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced. Subsequently, two phylogenetic trees were constructed from the nucleotide sequences of the E5, E6 and E7 and the L1 variants of HPV‑31. In total, 31 mutation sites of E5, E6 and E7 genes were identified, of which 16 were non‑synonymous. T4053A (F80I), C285T (H60Y), C520T (A138V) and A743G (K62E) were the most common non‑synonymous mutations. A total of 30 mutation sites of L1 genes were identified, of which four were non‑synonymous. The most common non‑synonymous mutations of L1 genes were A6350G (T29A) and C6372A (T36N). By phylogenetic analysis, A and C variants were most frequently detected, while B variants were less frequently detected in this population. The sequence variation data obtained in the present study provides a foundation for future research regarding HPV‑induced oncogenesis, and may prove valuable for developing diagnostic probes and in the design of HPV vaccines for targeted populations.

Self-regulated learning is a key competence for our knowledge-based society. The learning strategy use enhancement program developed earlier was called 'gakusyuhou-kouza' in Japanese. The program was provided by researchers and included lecture and practice about a learning strategy. The lecture was provided to give participants opportunities to experience cognitive psychology experiments and theoretical explanations with regard to the strategy. To facilitate the students' perception of the effectiveness of the strategy, firstly students solved a problem prior to receiving information about the strategy, then the researcher instructed them on the strategy. In order to examine the combined effect of researcher-provided instruction and school teacher-provided training, students' spontaneous use of lesson induction (LI) in their math class was analyzed. In this study, the researcher delivered the aptly-named researcher-provided instruction. It should be possible for the schoolteacher to provide that instruction, if the teacher has sufficient understanding of the relevant psychological mechanisms and some training in the conduct of cognitive experiments.

Steamed pork with pickled and dried mustard (PDM) is a famous Chinese dish. Here, we examined the effects of PDM on nutritional quality, sensory quality, and shelf life of steamed pork belly. Proximate composition, lipid oxidation, fatty acid profiles, protein hydrolysis and oxidation, sensory evaluation, and induction period (IP) of steamed pork belly were determined after addition of different levels (0–100%, WPDM/W pork belly) of PDM. The results demonstrated that PDM could significantly (p

Accurate systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurement is still an open problem in biomedical engineering. This paper introduced a method how to preprocess the PPG and ECG signals to get a series of parameters to estimate blood pressure. It developed a threshold detector to extract characteristic points of PPG and ECG waves and calculated several useful features such as pulse wave velocity. The paper also introduced a BP-feature based model by using those features to estimate SBP and DBP. The accuracy of detection algorithm reached 98.2% by comparing with SFM database. The estimation results were validated by a large-scale dataset we acquired by strict experiment procedures. The average deviation error in estimating SBP and DBP was 0.25 and 2.24 mmHg respectively. The standard deviation between the measured and predicted blood pressure was 8.92 mmHg for systolic pressure and 8.13mmHg for diastolic pressure, which met the standard of AAMI. The results indicated that the BP-feature based model has a reliable estimation of blood pressure.

The present study was aimed at evaluating the rapidity and duration of melatonin as an antidepressant in a rat model of depression. The rats were subjected to a six-week period of unpredictable mild stress followed by melatonin treatment. Three groups of rats were included in this study: Controls (CON - no stress exposure), Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress (CUS) and CUS followed by melatonin (MT). Stressors consisted of exposure to rotation on a shaker, placement in a chamber maintained at 4°C, lights off for 3h, lights on overnight, exposure to an aversive odor, 45° tilted cages, food and water deprivation and crowding and isolated housing. Subsequently, the saline vehicle (CUS) or melatonin was administered at a dose of 10mg/kg for 14days period. Body weight and behavioral tests were used to evaluate depression-like behavior and its recovery following melatonin treatment. While body weight increases were significantly lower in rats exposed to CUS versus CON, body weights of the MT group increased significantly following melatonin treatment as compared with the CUS group. With regard to results obtained with behavioral assays indicative of depression, rapid and long-term functional recoveries in depression were observed in the MT as compared to the CUS group. The results indicate that not only does melatonin induce an antidepressant-like action within this rat model of depression, but does so with a rapid onset and prolonged efficacy. As most current treatments for depression require an extended period of administration, our current results suggest that melatonin may prove to be a particularly effect agent to promote a rapid onset and prolonged behavioral benefits in the treatment of depression.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the major causative agent of cervical cancer, which accounts for the second highest cancer burden in women worldwide. HPV-52, the prevalent subtype in Asia, especially in southwest China, was analyzed in this study. To analyze polymorphisms, intratypic variants, and genetic variability in the E6-E7 (n=26) and L1 (n=53) genes of HPV-52, these genes were sequenced and the sequences were submitted to GenBank. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using the neighbor-joining and Kimura 2-parameters methods, followed by analysis of the diversity of secondary structure. Finally, we estimated the selection pressures acting on the E6-E7 and L1 genes. Fifty-one novel variants of HPV-52 L1, and two novel variants of HPV-52 E6-E7 were identified in this study. Thirty single nucleotide changes were observed in HPV-52 E6-E7 sequences with 19/30 non-synonymous mutations and 11/30 synonymous mutations (five in the alpha helix and five in the beta sheet). Fifty-five single nucleotide changes were observed in HPV-52 L1 sequences with 17/55 non-synonymous mutations (seven in the alpha helix and fourteen in the beta sheet) and 38/55 synonymous mutations. Selective pressure analysis predicted that most of these mutations reflect positive selection. Identifying new variants in HPV-52 may inform the rational design of new vaccines specifically for women in southwest China. Knowledge of genetic variation in HPV may be useful as an epidemiologic correlate of cervical cancer risk, or may even provide critical information for developing diagnostic probes.

The aim of this paper is to summarise the blocking effects of parthenolide on the cytokines and pathways that cause inflammation. Analyses of the chemical structure of parthenolide have tried to identify the active domains that play key roles in its anti-inflammatory activity. This review focuses on the anti-inflammatory actions of parthenolide in both in vitro and in vivo. These data will be helpful for future investigations into the effects of parthenolide on inflammation.

For the last two decades, China has achieved high economic growth, accompanied with rapid development and a series of problems in real estate markets. In order to promote a healthy real estate market, some cities in China began their studies and practice in mass appraisal of real properties for transaction tax purposes. Mass appraisal (MA) has been used worldwide by most assessment jurisdictions to provide estimates of market values for more than fifty years. However, different from the real estate markets in developed countries, traditional mass appraisal techniques are hard to be implemented due to the varied characteristics in the real estate markets of China. This paper investigates the characteristics of the real estate markets of China and innovatively comes up with the Unity Valuation Approach based on the traditional mass appraisal techniques. Then with an empirical analysis based on the practical experiences in Shenzhen City of China, the results demonstrate that the Unity Valuation Approach is acceptable and reliable. Our findings also suggest that this approach is also applicable and helpful to countries or areas where transaction volumes are sufficient.