Search

Migratory birds play an important role in the cross-regional transmission of zoonotic pathogens. Assessing the presence of zoonotic pathogens carried by migratory birds is critical for disease control. However, information about Blastocystis infection in the migratory birds is very limited. Thus, we conducted this study with the aim to explore the occurrence, prevalence and subtyping of Blastocystis in four breeds of migratory birds in northeastern China. From October 2022 to April 2023, a total of 427 fresh fecal samples were obtained from four breeds of migratory birds in five nature reserves in northeastern China, and screened for Blastocystis by PCR amplification. Twenty-one (4.92 %) of the studied samples were confirmed Blastocystis-positive, and two known zoonotic subtypes ST6 and ST7 were founded, with ST7 being the major subtype. Until now, we firstly reported the infection status and subtyping of Blastocystis in the migratory Greater White-Fronted Goose, White Stork, Oriental White Stork and Bean Goose in China. More importantly, these findings present further data on the genetic diversity and transmission routes of Blastocystis and further arouse public health concerns about this organism., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background and Aims: The prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients is increasing, yet its association with postoperative complications of HCC remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of MAFLD on complications after radical resection in HCC patients., Methods: Patients with HCC who underwent radical resection were included. Patients were stratified into MAFLD group and non-MAFLD group. Clinical features and post-hepatectomy complications were compared between the two groups, and logistic regression analysis was used to determine independent risk factors associated with post-hepatectomy complications., Results: Among the 936 eligible patients with HCC who underwent radical resection, concurrent MAFLD was diagnosed in 201 (21.5%) patients. Compared to the non-MAFLD group, the MAFLD group exhibited a higher incidence of complications, including infectious and major complications after radical resection in HCC patients. The logistic regression analysis found that MAFLD was an independent risk factor for complications, including infectious and major complications in HCC patients following radical resection (OR 1.565, 95%CI 1.109-2.343, P = 0.012; OR 2.092, 95%CI 1.386-3.156, P < 0.001; OR 1.859, 95% CI 1.106-3.124, P = 0.019; respectively). Subgroup analysis of HBV-related HCC patients yielded similar findings, and MAFLD patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) exhibited a higher incidence of postoperative complications compared to those without T2DM (all P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Concurrent MAFLD was associated with an increased incidence of complications after radical resection in patients with HCC, especially MAFLD with T2DM., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The objective was to establish a robust and reliable approach for the characterisation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in food contact paperboard. This was achieved through the utilisation of headspace solid-phase microextraction in tandem with comprehensive two-dimensional (2D) gas chromatography (GC) and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC × GC-QTOF-MS). The experimental parameters were optimised, involving the use of a DVB/C-WR/PDMS fibre at a temperature of 80 °C for a duration of 30 min. A total of 344 VOCs comprising aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, ethers, esters, alkanes and aromatic compounds, were tentatively identified in the samples. Twelve compounds believed to be from biogenic sources had a high odour impact making them major contributors to potential taint from the paperboard samples. Significant attention should be devoted to five compounds namely, 2-methylnaphthalene, 2-pentyl-furan, furfural, 1-octen-3-one and 1-octen-3-ol due to their potential adverse impact on the organoleptic qualities of packaged food items and their potential toxicity. Abbreviations: C-WR: carbon wide range; DVB: divinylbenzene; GC-MS: gas chromatography - mass spectrometry; GCxGC-QTOF-MS: comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to quadrupole-time-of-flight - mass spectrometry; HS-SPME: headspace - solid phase microextraction; LOD: limit of detection; LOQ: limit of quantification; OAV: odor activity values; PDMS: polydimethylsiloxane; RI: retention index; TTC: threshold of toxicological concern; VOC: volatile organic compound.

Plastic packaging waste, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has increased significantly in recent decades, arousing a considerable and serious public concern regarding the environment, economy, and policy. Plastic recycling is a useful tool to mitigate this issue. Here, a feasible study was performed to investigate the potential of a novel method for identifying virgin and recycled PET. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was combined with various chemometrics, as a simple and reliable method that achieved a high discrimination rate for 105 batches of virgin PET (v-PET) and recycled PET (r-PET) based on 202 non-volatile organic compounds (NVOCs). Making use of orthogonal partial least-squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) together with non-parametric tests, 26 marker compounds (i.e. 12 intentionally added substances (IAS) and 14 non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) as well as 31 marker compounds (i.e. 11 IAS and 20 NIAS) obtained from positive and combination of positive and negative ionization modes of UPLC-Q-TOF-MS, respectively, were successfully identified. Moreover, 100% accuracy was obtained using a decision tree (DT). Cross-discrimination based on misclassified samples using various chemometrics allowed the prediction accuracy to be improved and to identify a large sample set, thus greatly enhancing the application scope of this method. The possible origins of these detected compounds can be the plastic itself, as well as contamination from food, medicine, pesticides, industry-related substances, and degradation and polymerization products. As many of these compounds are toxic, especially those pesticide related, this indicates an urgent requirement for closed loop recycling. Overall, this analytical method provides a quick, accurate, and robust way to distinguish virgin from recycled PET and thus addresses the issue of potential virgin PET adulteration thereby detecting fraud in the area of PET recycling.

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is recently proposed an entity by a group of international experts. However, the impact of MAFLD on the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not clear. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of MAFLD for the prognosis of HCC after radical resection., Methods: HCC patients who received radical resection were enrolled. The recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between MAFLD and non-MAFLD., Results: A total of 576 HCC patients were included, and among them 114 (19.8%) met the diagnostic criteria of MAFLD. The median RFS was 34.0 months in the MAFLD group and 19.0 months in the non-MAFLD group. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year RFS rates were 64.9%, 49.1% and 36.1% in the MAFLD group, which were higher than those of the non-MAFLD group (59.4%, 35.3% and 26.5%, respectively, P = 0.01). The mean OS was 57.0 months in the MAFLD group and 52.2 months in the non-MAFLD group. There was no statistical difference in OS rate between the MAFLD group and non-MAFLD group. Similar results were found in HBV-related HCC patients in the subgroup analysis. Univariate analysis revealed that MAFLD was a protective factor for RFS in HCC patients after radical resection (P < 0.05), and there was no association between MAFLD and OS rate (P > 0.05). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that MAFLD was not an independent protective factor for HCC patients with radical resection., Conclusions: MAFLD improves RFS rate in HCC patients with radical resection, but is not an independent protective factor and not associated with OS rate., (Copyright © 2022 First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine in China. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a term that was proposed in 2020 by a group of international experts. However, the impact of MAFLD on complications after hepatectomy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma is not clear. The aim of this study is to explore the influence of MAFLD on the complications after hepatectomy in patients with hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC). Patients with HBV-HCC who underwent hepatectomy between January 2019 and December 2021 were consecutively enrolled. The predictors of complications after hepatectomy in HBV-HCC patients were retrospectively analyzed. Among the 514 eligible HBV-HCC patients, 117 (22.8%) were diagnosed with concurrent MAFLD. Post hepatectomy complications occurred in 101 patients (19.6%), including 75 patients (14.6%) with infectious complications and 40 patients (7.8%) with major complications. Univariate analysis showed that MAFLD was not the risk factor for complications after hepatectomy in patients with HBV-HCC (P > .05). However, univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that lean-MAFLD was an independent risk factor for post hepatectomy complications in patients with HBV-HCC (odds ratio 2.245; 95% confidence interval 1.243-5.362, P = .028). Similar results were found in the analysis of predictors for infectious and major complications after hepatectomy in patients with HBV-HCC. MAFLD commonly coexists with HBV-HCC and is not directly associated with complications after hepatectomy, but lean-MAFLD is an independent risk factor for post hepatectomy complications in patients with HBV-HCC., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Plastic take-out food containers may release microplastics (MPs) into food and pose a potential risk to food safety and human health. Here, after being subjected to hot water treatment, MPs released from three types of plastic food containers (polypropylene, PP; polyethylene, PE; expanded polystyrene, EPS) were identified by micro-Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that the size of released MPs ranged from 0.8-38 μm and over 96% MPs were smaller than 10 μm. Various MPs concentrations were found from the three types of containers, that is, 1.90 × 10 4 , 1.01 × 10 5 , and 2.82 × 10 6 particles/L on average from PP, PE, and EPS, respectively. Moreover, based on thermal and morphology analysis, we discovered that both relaxations of the polymer chains in the rubbery state and defects caused by processing techniques might contribute to the release of MPs. Thus, such release can be reduced by increasing the thermal stability of the materials and mitigating the defects generated during production.

A growing attention is attracted to the use of recycled plastics as food contact materials, and its chemical safety research and discrimination approach are indispensable. In current study, ultraviolet-visible spectrometry (UV-Vis) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) were used to provide spectral and mass fingerprinting for polyethylene (PE). Coupling with chemometrics, two methods were developed to discriminate recycled and virgin PE. UV-Vis combined with chemometrics could be a more accessible, simpler and faster approach. 237-331 nm in UV spectrum was regarded as marker region selected by orthogonal partial least-squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) and the accuracy of both calibration and validation set could reach 100% in linear discrimination analysis (LDA) based on this region. Besides, 2314 ions were detected by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and processed by MS-DIAL. 48 candidate chemicals were identified, including ketone, esters, carboxylic acid, alcohols and phenols, amine, nitriles, aldehydes and others. Possible origins of these compounds could be classified as plastic, food, drug, cosmetics and pesticide related. Many of these compounds are highly toxic, especially pesticide related, indicating that recycling in closed loop or sorting by the recycled plastic articles is very necessary if the recycled PE is going to be used as food contact material., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, we prepared new antioxidant active plastic bottle caps by incorporating butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) or butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and 2% ( w / w ) white masterbatch in high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry revealed that the antioxidants and HDPE were uniformly mixed with noncovalent bonding. In addition, the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) test revealed that the change in melting point and initial extrapolation temperature of the antioxidant active caps was not significant. Sensory evaluation and removal torque tests validated the suitability of the antioxidant active plastic bottle caps in industrial application. The antioxidant activity increased with a greater concentration of BHA and BHT incorporated in both antioxidant active caps ( p < 0.05) and with more impact on the BHA cap compared to BHT cap in terms of antioxidant activity. Migration experiments for 10 days at 40 °C and 2 h at 70 °C showed that active antioxidants in the plastic bottle cap were more easily released into fatty foods and milk products that are highly sensitive to oxidation, and the migration of BHA and BHT did not exceed the maximum amount specified in (EC) No 1333/2008 (<200 mg/kg). As such, the antioxidant active plastic bottle caps inhibited oxidation, thereby ensuring higher food quality.

Cosmetics containing botanic ingredients have been used from thousands of years up to now in China. Because of the consumers&apos; demand for health and beauty,the number of products about &quot; botanic&quot; have been growing rapidly in the cosmetics market,which has played an important role in upgrading the industry and enhancing the international competitiveness nowadays. Therefore,to strengthen the management about used botanic raw materials in cosmetics products and revise the application regulation of new raw materials has become an important work to ensure product quality,promote the healthy and stable development of cosmetic business. The article summarizes the related mandatory regulations and standards about botanic ingredients which used as activity function in major cosmetic business countries or regions. Furthermore,the information of botanic ingredients commonly used in non-special cosmetics notification and special cosmetic registration system were described to expect the better application and development.

Atmospheric pressure gas chromatography (APGC) coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) and electron ionization mass spectrometry together with commercial library search are two complementary techniques for non-target screening of volatile and semi-volatile compounds. Optimization was first conducted to achieve easier search of correspondent peaks between the two systems. Analytical strategy for the determination of volatile and semi-volatile compound with different identification confidence levels was then proposed and applied to food contact grade polypropylene (PP) samples. Identification was found to be much easier and less time-consuming especially when correspondent peak was found in the two systems with the help of library search, exact mass of precursor and fragment ions as well as Kovats Index (KI). The behavior of APGC-QTOF-MS was also further investigated. Apart from the M +. ion and the well-known adduct [M+H] + others such as [M-3H + O] + , [M-3H+2O] + and [M-H+3O] + were also observed for n-alkanes. Besides, new reaction products were found, formed by diol compounds (1-Monostearoylglycerol, 2-Monostearoylglycerol and NX 8000K) and silanediol dimethyl, which would be a transformation product of the silicone base septum or the methyl 5% phenyl polysiloxane based column. These new compounds were only detected in APGC-MS-QTOF as EI-GC-MS was not enough sensitive for this purpose., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Three new thiodiketopiperazines, geospallins A⁻C ( 1 ⁻ 3 ), together with nine known analogues ( 4 ⁻ 12 ), were isolated from the culture of the deep-sea sediment-derived fungus Geosmithia pallida FS140. Among them, geospallins A and B ( 1 and 2 ) represent rare examples of thiodiketopiperazines featuring an S-methyl group at C-10 and a tertiary hydroxyl group at C-11. Their structures were determined by high-resolution electrospray mass spectrometry (HRESIMS), spectroscopic analyses, and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Their angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity was reported, and geospallins A⁻C ( 1 ⁻ 3 ) showed inhibitory activity with IC 50 values of 29⁻35 µM.

A rapid and sensitive method for classification of virgin and recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS) food containers was developed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and chemometrics. This method includes preparing a transparent film by dissolution, examining by FTIR and developing classification models. The degradation of EPS containers occurring during the recycling process was reflected by the carbonyl region of the infrared spectrum which was used as variables for multivariate data analysis. PCA was used to reduce the data dimension and view the sample similarities. Soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA), partial least squares-discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) and linear discrimination analysis (LDA) were applied to construct three classification models. The best discrimination results were obtained by an LDA model, with all samples correctly classified. PLS-DA and SIMCA could not classify the recycled EPS samples with low levels of adulteration. When applying this method to commercially available EPS containers, about 45% of samples were shown to contain recycled polystyrene resins. It is concluded that the carbonyl region of the infrared spectra coupled with chemometrics could be a powerful tool for the classification of virgin and recycled EPS food containers.

Histone recognition is important for understanding the mechanisms of histone modification, which play a pivotal role in transcriptional regulation during plant development. Here, we identified three cysteine-tryptophan (CW)-domain containing zinc finger (ZF) proteins involved in histone recognition, namely OsCW-ZF3, OsCW-ZF5 and OsCW-ZF7. Protein sequence analysis showed that they have two unknown motifs in addition to the CW domain. All three OsCW-ZFs were expressed in aerial tissues, with relatively high levels in developing panicles. Subcellular localization revealed that the OsCW-ZFs target the cell nucleus and CW domains are not necessary for their nuclear localization. In contrast to OsCW-ZF3 and OsCW-ZF5 where the CW domains bind histone H3 lysine 4 with different methylated forms (H3K4me), the CW domain from OsCW-ZF7 recognizes only trimethylated histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4me3). Analysis of mutant suggested that three conserved tryptophan residues in the CW domain are essential for binding to H3K4me. Further study found that OsCW-ZF7 interacts with TAFII20, a transcription initiation factor TFIID 20kDa subunit. Knockout of OsCW-ZF7 caused defective development of awns. This study provides new insights into our understanding of the CW domain and lays a foundation for further investigation of its roles in rice., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The effects of organic additives (Irgafos 168, Irganox 1076, Tinuvin 622, Chimassorb 944, UV-P, and UV-531) on silver release from nanosilver-polyethylene composite films into an acidic food simulant (3% acetic acid) were investigated using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The limits of detection and quantification, coefficient of determination, and recoveries of the method used were 3.7ngL -1 , 12.4ngL -1 , 0.999, and 89-113%, respectively. The results indicated that additives can affect silver release via two simultaneous processes: (i) reactions between organic additives and silver that promote silver release from the composite film to the acidic food simulant; and (ii) the promotion or inhibition of silver release by affecting silver oxidation. High temperature and humidity treatment of the composite films was found to significantly increase silver release by promoting silver oxidation., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Accurate diffusion coefficient data of additives in a polymer are of paramount importance for estimating the migration of the additives over time. This paper shows how this diffusion coefficient can be estimated for three plastic additives [2-(2'-hydroxy-5'-methylphenyl) (UV-P), 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT) and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)] in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation method. MD simulations were performed at temperatures of 293-433 K. The diffusion coefficient was calculated through the Einstein relationship connecting the data of mean-square displacement at different times. Comparison of the diffusion coefficients simulated by the MD simulation technique, predicted by the Piringer model and experiments, showed that, except for a few samples, the MD-simulated values were in agreement with the experimental values within one order of magnitude. Furthermore, the diffusion process for additives is discussed in detail, and four factors - the interaction energy between additive molecules and PET, fractional free volume, molecular shape and size, and self-diffusion of the polymer - are proposed to illustrate the microscopic diffusion mechanism. The movement trajectories of additives in PET cell models suggested that the additive molecules oscillate slowly rather than hopping for a long time. Occasionally, when a sufficiently large hole was created adjacently, the molecule could undergo spatial motion by jumping into the free-volume hole and consequently start a continuous oscillation and hop. The results indicate that MD simulation is a useful approach for predicting the microstructure and diffusion coefficient of plastic additives, and help to estimate the migration level of additives from PET packaging.

The antitumor properties of bacteria have been demonstrated over the past decades. However, the efficacy is limited and unclear. Furthermore, systemic infection remains a serious concern in bacteria treatment. In this study, the effect of YB1, a rationally designed 'obligate' anaerobic Salmonella typhimurium strain, on liver tumor growth and metastasis in a nude mouse orthotopic liver tumor model was investigated. The orthotopic liver tumor model was established in nude mice using the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line MHCC-97L. Two weeks after orthotopic liver tumor implantation, YB1, SL7207 and saline were respectively administered through the tail vein of the mice. Longitudinal monitoring of tumor growth and metastasis was performed using Xenogen IVIS, and direct measurements of tumor volume were taken 3 weeks after treatment. In vitro , MHCC-97L and PLC cells were incubated with YB1 or SL7207 under anaerobic conditions. YB1 was observed to invade tumor cells and induce tumor cell apoptosis and death. The results revealed that all mice in the YB1 group were alive 3 weeks after YB1 injection while all mice in the SL7207 group died within 11 days of the SL7207 injection. The body weight decreased by ~9% on day 1 after YB1 injection and but subsequently recovered. Liver tumor growth and metastases were significantly inhibited following YB1 treatment. By contrast to the control group, a large number of Gr1-positive cells were detected on days 1 to 21 following YB1 treatment. Furthermore, YB1 also effectively invaded tumor cells and induced tumor cell apoptosis and death. In conclusion, YB1 suppressed liver tumor growth and metastasis in a nude mice liver tumor model. The potential mechanism may be through enhancing innate immune response and inducing tumor cell apoptosis and cell death.

The migration of styrene and ethylbenzene from virgin and recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS) containers into isooctane was investigated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). EPS containers were in two-sided contact with isooctane at temperatures of 25 and 40°C. It was shown that recycled EPS gave greater migration ratios compared with virgin EPS, which indicated that styrene and ethylbenzene migrated more easily from recycled EPS. In addition, an analytical method to distinguish between virgin and recycled EPS containers was established by GC-MS followed by principal component analysis (PCA). The relative peak area of the identified compounds was used as input data for PCA. Distinct separation between virgin and recycled EPS was achieved on a score plot. Extension of this method to other plastics may be of great interest for recycled plastics identification.

Cuticular wax, a hydrophobic layer on the surface of all aerial plant organs, has essential roles in plant growth and survival under various environments. Here we report a wax-deficient rice mutant oshsd1 with reduced epicuticular wax crystals and thicker cuticle membrane. Quantification of the wax components and fatty acids showed elevated levels of very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) and accumulation of soluble fatty acids in the leaves of the oshsd1 mutant. We determined the causative gene OsHSD1, a member of the short-chain dehydrogenase reductase family, through map-based cloning. It was ubiquitously expressed and responded to cold stress and exogenous treatments with NaCl or brassinosteroid analogs. Transient expression of OsHSD1-tagged green fluorescent protein revealed that OsHSD1 localized to both oil bodies and endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Dehydrogenase activity assays demonstrated that OsHSD1 was an NAD(+)/NADP(+)-dependent sterol dehydrogenase. Furthermore, OsHSD1 mutation resulted in faster protein degradation, but had no effect on the dehydrogenase activity. Together, our data indicated that OsHSD1 plays a specialized role in cuticle formation and lipid homeostasis, probably by mediating sterol signaling. This work provides new insights into oil-body associated proteins involved in wax and lipid metabolism., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study investigates the determination and migration of stabilizers and plasticizers from polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Two methods [ultrasonic extraction with dichloromethane or methanol and total dissolution with phenol/tetrachloroethane (m:m/1:1)] for pre-concentration of additives in PET material were performed. The diffusion of these additives from PET was evaluated by immersing in deionized water, acetic acid 3% (w/v), ethanol 20% (v/v), ethanol 50% (v/v) and isooctane at 20, 40, 55 and 70°C, respectively. The amount of additives in PET and food simulants was quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detector (HPLC-PDA). The optimized HPLC method showed high correlation coefficients (R ≥ 0.9993), good precision, accuracy and reproducibility. Experimental diffusion coefficients (DP) were calculated according to a mathematical model based on Fick's second law, and the DP values of considered compounds ranged from 9.8 × 10(-15) to 1.4 × 10(-8) cm(2) s(-1) The experimental DP values were also compared with that predicted by currently used diffusion models. In addition, the effect of temperature on the diffusion rate was assessed. The effect of temperature on the diffusion coefficients followed an Arrhenius-type model with active energies ranged from 40.4 to 113.8 kJ mol(-1) for the target compounds., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Neuroblastoma currently has poor prognosis, therefore we proposed a new strategy by targeting neuroblastoma with genetically engineered anaerobic Salmonella (Sal-YB1)., Methods: Nude and nonobese diabetic-severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD-SCID) orthotopic mouse models were used, and Sal-YB1 was administered via tail vein. The therapeutic effectiveness, bio-safety, and mechanisms were studied., Results: No mice died of therapy-related complications. Tumor size reduction was 70 and 30% in nude and NOD-SCID mice, respectively. No Salmonella was detected in the urine; 75% mice had positive stool culture if diaminopimelic acid was added, but all turned negative subsequently. Tumor tissues had more Sal-YB1 infiltration, necrosis, and shrinkage in Sal-YB1-treated mice. Significantly higher expression of TLR4, TNF-stimulated gene 6 protein (TSG6), and cleaved caspase 1, 3, 8, and 9 was found in the tumor masses of the Sal-YB1-treated group with a decrease of interleukin 1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK) and nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor alpha (IκBα). There was a high release of TNFα both in human macrophages and mouse tumor tissues with Sal-YB1 treatment. The antitumor effect of the supernatant derived from macrophages treated with Sal-YB1 could be reversed with TNFα and pan-caspase inhibitors., Conclusions: This new approach in targeting neuroblastoma by bio-engineered Salmonella with the assistance of macrophages indirectly may have a clinical therapeutic impact in the future.

An analytical method for the quantitative determination of 4 antioxidants, 9 ultraviolet (UV) stabilizers, 12 phthalate plasticizers and 2 photoinitiators in plastic food package using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detector (HPLC-PDA) has been developed. Parameters affecting the efficiency in the process such as extraction and chromatographic conditions were studied in order to determine operating conditions. The analytical method of ASE-HPLC showed good linearity with good correlation coefficients (R ≥ 0.9833). The limits of detection and quantification were between 0.03 and 0.30 µg mL(-1) and between 0.10 and 1.00 µg mL(-1) for 27 analytes. Average spiked recoveries for most analytes in samples were >70.4% at 10, 20 and 40 µg g(-1) spiked levels, except UV-9 and Irganox 1010 (58.6 and 64.0% spiked at 10 µg g(-1), respectively), the relative standard deviations were in the range from 0.4 to 15.4%. The methodology has been proposed for the analysis of 27 polymer additives in plastic food package., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Boron (B) is essential for plant growth, and B deficiency causes severe losses in crop yield. Here we isolated and characterized a rice (Oryza sativa L.) mutant named dwarf and tiller-enhancing 1 (dte1), which exhibits defects under low-B conditions, including retarded growth, increased number of tillers and impaired pollen fertility. Map-based cloning revealed that dte1 encodes a NOD26-LIKE INTRINSIC PROTEIN orthologous to known B channel proteins AtNIP5;1 in Arabidopsis and TASSEL-LESS1 in maize. Its identity was verified by transgenic complementation and RNA-interference. Subcellular localization showed DTE1 is mainly localized in the plasma membrane. The accumulation of DTE1 transcripts both in roots and shoots significantly increased within 3h of the onset of B starvation, but decreased within 1h of B replenishment. GUS staining indicated that DTE1s are expressed abundantly in exodermal cells in roots, as well as in nodal region of adult leaves. Although the dte1 mutation apparently reduces the total B content in plants, it does not affect in vivo B concentrations under B-deficient conditions. These data provide evidence that DTE1 is critical for vegetative growth and reproductive development in rice grown under B-deficient conditions., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The effect of exposure time, temperature and food simulants, especially additives, on the release of silver from nanosilver-polyethylene composite films to food simulants was studied. Two different type of nanosilver-polyethylene composite films (with or without additives) were chosen to conduct the experiment with the aim of exploring the behaviour of silver migration. It was shown that the migration of silver into 50% ethanol at 40 and 70°C was much less than that into 3% acetic acid. With the increase of exposure time and temperature, the release of silver increased. The migration even continued after a long exposure time (14 days at 20°C, 10 days at 40°C, and 6 days at 70°C respectively). Only about 0.15‰ of silver migrated from composite films with the additives into 3% acetic acid after 6 days of exposure at 70°C, while about 1.3% of silver migrated from composite films that did not contain additives under the same conditions. This could be because the addition of the antioxidants and light stabilisers prevents silver from being oxidised, which is an important way for the release of silver.

An analytical method based on ICP-MS was developed for the determination of Ti in food simulants (3% (w/v) aqueous acetic acid and 50% (v/v) aqueous ethanol). The method was used to determine the migration of Ti from nano-TiO₂-PE films used for food packaging into food simulants under different temperature and migration time conditions. The maximum migration amounts into 3% (w/v) aqueous acetic acid were 1.4 ± 0.02, 6.3 ± 0.5 and 12.1 ± 0.2 μg kg(-1) at 25, 70 and 100°C, respectively, while into 50% (v/v) aqueous ethanol, the maximum migration amounts were 0.5 ± 0.1, 0.6 ± 0.03 and 2.1 ± 0.1 μg kg(-1) at 25, 70 and 100°C, respectively. Increasing the additive content in the film promoted migration of nanoparticles. The results indicated that the migration of nanoparticles might occur via dissolution from the surface and cut edges of the solid phase (film) into the liquid phase (food simulant).

A highly selective and sensitive method was developed for the simultaneous determination of four β-agonists (clenbuterol, salbutamol, ractopamine and terbutaline) in beef by immunoaffinity chromatography purification coupled to ultra-high-performance LC-MS/MS. The MS/MS conditions, ultra-high-performance LC mobile phase, injection solution, sample purification process and matrix effect were studied to optimise the operation conditions. The limits of detection (LODs) of the instrument for the studied β-agonists ranged from 0.20 to 0.25 µg l(-1), and the LODs of the method for the studied β-agonists ranged from 0.20 to 3.00 µg kg(-1) for beef. Calibration curves were constructed using a standard solution diluted with blank beef matrix. The linear ranges of the calibration curves ranged from 5 to 100 µg kg(-1) and the coefficients of determination were >0.9942 (n = 10) for all four β-agonists. Samples spiked at 5, 10 and 50 µg kg(-1) showed recoveries >72% and RSDs <6.6%. The method is suitable for the simultaneous detection of four β-agonists at trace levels in beef.

An analytical method for the determination of silver in food simulants (3% (w/v) aqueous acetic acid or 95% (v/v) aqueous ethanol) was developed based on inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Recoveries ranged from 87% to 109% and RSDs ranged from 0.7% to 7.8%. The procedure was applied to determine the migration of silver from nanosilver-polyethylene food packaging film into food simulants at different temperatures and migration times. Results indicated that the maximum migration ratios were 1.70%, 3.00% and 5.60% for 3% (w/v) aqueous acetic acid at 20, 40 and 70 °C, respectively, while for 95% (v/v) aqueous ethanol the maximum migration ratios were 0.24%, 0.23% and 0.22% at 20, 40 and 70 °C., (© 2011 Taylor & Francis)

A highly selective and sensitive method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 12 sulfonamides in beef and milk by immunoaffinity chromatography purification coupled to ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The MS/MS conditions, UPLC mobile phase, injection solution, sample purification process, and matrix effect were studied to optimize the operating conditions. The limits of detection (LODs) of the instrument for the studied sulfonamides ranged from 0.4 to 2.0 μg L(-1), being 1.6-8.0 μg kg(-1) for beef and 1.8-6.4 μg kg(-1) for milk. The standard solution was diluted with blank beef or milk matrix for the construction of calibration curves, which had a linear range from 10 to 200 μg kg(-1) and regression coefficients higher than 0.990 (n=10) for all the studied sulfonamides. Samples spiked at 10, 20, and 100 μg kg(-1) showed recoveries above 70% and relative standard deviations below 10%.

Migration investigations were carried out on paper packaging materials in contact with solid food simulants. The aim was to investigate the migration behaviour of a series of isothiazolinone biocides (2-methyl-3-isothiazolinone (MI), 1,2-benzisothiazolinone (BIT) and 2-octyl-3-isothiazolinone (OIT)) as potential contaminants in paper materials, at varying temperatures and migration times, for the food simulants Tenax and Porapak. Based on the migration results, Tenax was found to be a good food simulant, and was more suitable than Porapak at high temperature. Petri dishes were found to be suitable for use as migration cells when the compounds to be evaluated were non-volatile. The amount of migration gradually increased with time and increasing temperature, finally reaching a steady value. When the temperature was higher than the boiling point of OIT, the migration rate decreased because of volatilization. The maximum migration rates were 3.4% for MI, 2.2% for BIT and 10.6% for OIT at high temperature (≥100 °C). Two kinds of paper packaging for food were tested with the method that was developed. OIT in the papers migrated into the food simulants but the amount that migrated was less than 0.14 µg kg(-1)., (© 2011 Taylor & Francis)

The detection of silver in nano-plastic food packaging by microwave digestion coupled with either inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was investigated. Microwave digestion was optimised by trialling different acid mixtures. Both ICP-AES and ICP-MS showed good reproducibility, repeatability and recovery. For ICP-AES the limit of detection of the method (LODm) was 25.0 µg g(-1), the limit of detection of the instrument (LODi) was 30.0 ng ml(-1), the linear range was 0.10-10.0 µg ml(-1). The average recoveries for blank samples spiked with silver at 100, 250 and 500 µg g(-1) ranged from 82.53% to 87.60%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were from 1.79% to 8.30%. For ICP-MS analysis the LODm was 0.75 µg g(-1), the LODi was 0.04 ng ml(-1), the linear range was 0.20-500.0 ng ml(-1), the RSDs were 2.26-4.79%, and the recoveries were 78.09-92.72% (spiked concentrations of 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 µg g(-1)). These results indicate that the proposed method could be employed to analyse silver in nano-plastic food packaging.

A novel and simple method to detect isothiazolinone-type biocides (2-methyl-3-isothiazolinone (MI), 5-chloro-2-methyl-3-isothiazolinone (CMI), 1,2-benzisothiazolinone (BIT) and 2-octyl-3-isothiazolinone (OIT)) in paper used for food packaging by ultrasonic extraction coupled with UPLC-MS/MS was developed. Parameters affecting process efficiency such as extraction solvents, UPLC mobile phase, gradient elution procedure and MS/MS conditions were studied to optimise the operating conditions. Using the optimised gradient elution procedure, the retention time was less than 6 min. The limits of detection (LODs) were found to be between 0.001 and 0.010 mg kg⁻¹, which was validated using actual concentrations. After diluting the standard solution with a blank matrix, the linear calibration curve ranges were 0.002-1.000 mg kg⁻¹ for BIT and OIT, 0.005-1.000 mg kg⁻¹ for MI, and 0.020-1.000 mg kg⁻¹ for CMI, with correlation coefficients higher than 0.9985 (n = 6). A good level of precision with a mean recovery greater than 81.3% and a relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 6.2% were also obtained. A methodology has been proposed for the analysis of isothiazolinones in paper.

A new method using gel permeation chromatography (GPC) cleanup followed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS-MS) has been established for simultaneous determination of 18 carbamate pesticides in nuts (chestnut and pine nut). Recoveries obtained by fortifying nut (spiking at 0.02 mg/kg) range from 70.21% to 89.56%. The proposed method features good sensitivity. Its limits of quantification are low enough to allow pesticide residues to be determined at concentrations below the maximum residue levels legally accepted. The precision, expressed as relative standard deviation, ranges from 2.26% to 4.07%.

Background: ECE-CYC2 clade genes known in patterning floral dorsoventral asymmetry (zygomorphy) in Antirrhinum majus are conserved in the dorsal identity function including arresting the dorsal stamen. However, it remains uncertain whether the same mechanism underlies abortion of the ventral stamens, an important morphological trait related to evolution and diversification of zygomorphy in Lamiales sensu lato, a major clade of predominantly zygomorphically flowered angiosperms. Opithandra (Gesneriaceae) is of particular interests in addressing this question as it is in the base of Lamiales s.l., an early representative of this type zygomorphy., Results: We investigated the expression patterns of four ECE-CYC2 clade genes and two putative target cyclinD3 genes in Opithandra using RNA in situ hybridization and RT-PCR. OpdCYC gene expressions were correlated with abortion of both dorsal and ventral stamens in Opithandra, strengthened by the negatively correlated expression of their putative target OpdcyclinD3 genes. The complement of OpdcyclinD3 to OpdCYC expressions further indicated that OpdCYC expressions were related to the dorsal and ventral stamen abortion through negative effects on OpdcyclinD3 genes., Conclusion: These results suggest that ECE-CYC2 clade TCP genes are not only functionally conserved in the dorsal stamen repression, but also involved in arresting ventral stamens, a genetic mechanism underlying the establishment of zygomorphy with abortion of both the dorsal and ventral stamens evolved in angiosperms, especially within Lamiales s.l.

In order to compensate for the fact that direct current electrical fields could not reduce or correct spinal-cord edema after trauma, methylprednisolone was used 2 hr after spinal-cord injury to promote the efficacy of the direct current electrical field. Thirty-three dogs were randomly divided into three groups and their spinal cords were injured with the Allen method (weight-dropping technique). Group A, a control group; Group B, implantation of an electrical stimulator 6 hr after spinal-cord injury; and Group C, given an injection of a large dose of methylprednisolone 2 hr after injury. Electric stimulators were implanted into the dogs' bodies 6 hr post-injury. The nerve functions, evoked potential cortical somatosensory and three kinds of nerve morphometric changes, were observed 1 to 3 months after injury. The indexes of Groups B and C were much better than Group A (p<0.05). The results in Group C were better than in Group B. Differences were statistically significant. The combination of direct current electrical field and an injection of a large dose of methylpredwisolone could effectively treat spinal cord injury, promoting earlier recovery of nerve function.

The government of Yongan in Fujian province has developed a multisectoral primary health care program in the rural community of Dahu with the aim of reaching "Health for All" by 1993. In keeping with the spirit of the Alma Ata declaration and the tradition of local self-reliance in China, the program has involved the entire community and is financed almost exclusively at the local level. Community leaders were trained in the importance of primary health care so that they could serve as role models. The project includes school health education, domestic hygiene education, reconstruction of homes to separate the kitchen, toilet and animals pens, road construction to eliminate dust, environmental sanitation, occupational health, and the upgrading of health care facilities. A number of local ordinances regarding construction, zoning and smoking have also been instituted. The results of the project's first year of implementation in two villages indicate that construction of the new road is near completion, and access to clean water is almost universal. Gains are also reported in the percentage of the population receiving physical examinations, the number of health stations that now meet state standards, and the number of homes that are constructed according to the new guidelines.

Using a simplified resonant cavity consisted of an optical parallel glass plate and a diffraction grating at near grazing incidence and the appropriate laser parameters, coumarin 120 laser pulses close to the Fourier transform limit have been obtained. These laser pulses have a spectral linewidth of 600 +/- 40 MHz and a pulse width of 1.5 +/- 0.2 ns. The laser wavelength tuning range is from 4280 to 4600 A.