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The phenolics are the main bioactive substances of Huangshan Gongju, a famous chrysanthemum of China, but their digestive characteristics are still unknown. To explore the digestive properties of Huangshan Gongju phenolics, the flower was extracted and subjected to simulated digestions, and their phenolic profile and activity were analyzed. The results indicated that the total phenolics content and antioxidant activity of the extract varied with the simulated digestion steps, and they generally decreased in the oral and small intestine digestions but increased in the gastric digestion, and high correlations were detected between the total phenolics content and antioxidant activity (0.873 r 0.979, p .01). The change of phenolic profile during the simulated digestions was similar to that of total phenolics content, and six individual phenolics were identified and quantified, and three of them, including chlorogenic acid, apigenin-7-O-rutinoside, and apigenin-7-O-6″-acetylglucoside showed higher recovery (64.29%), implying they may be the main functional phenolics of Huangshan Gongju. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This study proved that most phenolics in Huangshan Gongju were relatively stable during digestion. The finding may guarantee the application of Huangshan Gongju in the field of functional foods.

Temperature cycling tests in various temperature ranges were carried out to investigate the magnetic degradation of the Zn-coated NdFeB magnet. The losses of the surface magnetic field and magnetic flux were well fitted by using an index model. Compared with the lower limit temperature, the upper limit temperature had more obvious effect on the magnetic degradation. Once the upper limit temperature exceeded ≥160 °C, the magnetic degradation mainly occurred during the first cycle, which was different from the gradual decline with an increase in cycle number at a temperature of ≤140 °C. Moreover, the temperature cycling with a maximum upper limit temperature of 180 °C led to a loss of the remanence intensity, while the coercivity remained stable. Microstructure and element distribution analysis revealed that the oxidation of the Zn coating layer during the temperature cycling causes its cracking and an insertion of the oxygen element into the NdFeB substrate. The Nd-, Pr-rich phase at grain boundaries provided diffusion channels for oxygen elements, leading to a surface oxidation of NdFeB grains.

is an important material in the food industry, and XuanMugua is the only one which is allowed to serve as a homology of medicine and food in China. This study was conducted to develop an effective ...

Enzymatically derived peptides from different proteins have displayed the potential to provide health benefits. Present research aims to obtain the functional peptides and improve the economic value of camellia seed cake via enzymatic hydrolysis. Camellia seed cake protein hydrolysates (CSCPH) prepared with alcalase demonstrated higher α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity. After ultrafiltration, the α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity of different components was compared. The component (CSCPH‐IV) with the highest activity was selected for further separation and purification. The peptides were purified using reverse‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography (RP‐HPLC) twice and identified as GHSLESIK, GLTSLDRYK and SPGYYDGR by liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS). Subsequently, the preliminarily inhibitory effect of these peptides on α‐glucosidase activity was demonstrated by the molecular docking model. These results showed that three novel peptides isolated from the hydrolysates of camellia seed cake have the potential to be used as anti‐diabetic compounds for the development of functional foods.

Monodisperse SiO2 nanorods with hollow structure were prepared using FeOOH as a template. Powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adso...

Xuan-Mugua is a Chinese traditional fruit and is mainly preserved by air drying. To explore the effect of temperature on the drying property and quality of the fruits, they were sliced and dried at 60-90 °C. The results indicated that the drying time shortened from 150 to 80 min with the increasing temperature and the minimal time was found at 90 °C. The total phenolic content and antioxidant activity generally decreased by 5.09-18.27% at higher temperature (90 °C) and their maximums respectively appeared at 60 and 80 °C. Compared with the medium temperatures (60 and 70°C), the phenolic profiles changed obviously at higher temperatures (80 and 90 °C), and a transformation of chlorogenic acid was detected; besides, with the increasing temperature, the main phenolics including catechin and chlorogenic acid respectively decreased by 29.3% and 18.4%. Taking the above findings together, 70 °C should be the proper temperature to dry Xuan-Mugua fruits.

We evaluated the in vitro digestibility of apple polyphenols mimicking elderly and adult digestion models (dynamic and static systems). The digestibility of total apple polyphenols in small intestine was much higher in the adult dynamic system (62 μg/100 g fresh apple) compared to the static system (20 μg/100 g fresh apple) and elderly dynamic digestion conditions (33 μg/100 g fresh apple). Elderly in vitro static digestion showed better antioxidant activity than the adult system (OH and ABTS

A new isoflavone glycoside, named 3’-hydroxytectorigenin-7-O-β-D-xylosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranoside (1) was isolated from the flowers of Pueraria montana var. lobata (Willd.) Sanjappa & Pradeep. The structure of compound 1 was characterised by HR-ESI-MS and NMR spectroscopic methods. In radical scavenging activity test using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), compound 1 showed moderate activity with IC50 value of 42 ± 4.2 μg/mL.

The present study was conducted for developing a new method to reduce the tannins content of Xuan Mugua fruits. Lactic acid bacteria fermentation-like incubation was explored as an efficient method to reduce the astringency of Mugua fruits by reducing tannins content. To ensure the efficient removal of tannins, the fermentation conditions were optimized such as temperature, time, and ratio of bacteria to Mugua. Bacteria were able to reduce 78% of the tannins content in Mugua under the optimized conditions as assessed by the methylcellulose perceptible tannins assay. Meanwhile, the active components including polysaccharides, triterpenes, and antioxidants of Mugua with bacterial incubation were also explored, which showed the significant decrease compared to non-fermented Mugua. However, the trend for flavor components was different. This research provides a natural method to solve the astringency problem of these fruits and it will extend their application in food industry.

Huangshan Gongju was extracted with organic solvents (ethanol, methanol and acetone) of different concentrations (0-90%), and the extracts' phenolic content and antioxidant activity, as well as the correlations between them were examined. With the increasing concentration of organic solvent, the total phenolic compound (TPC) increased continuously and met its maximum at 70% acetone, whereas the total flavonoid compound (TFC) and most individual phenolics met their maximums at 70% ethanol. Similar changes occurred to the antioxidant activity, including DPPH and ABTS scavenging activities, and their maximums were respectively found at 50% acetone and 70% ethanol. The antioxidant activity correlated strongly with TPC/TFC (r 0.954, p 0.01) and individual phenolics (r 0.886, p 0.05), and the strongest correlations between them were mainly given by luteolin-7-O-glucoside (r 0.975, p 0.001). These results suggested that high content organic solvent (50-70%) was beneficial to obtain Huangshan Gongju extracts of higher phenolic content and antioxidant activity, and 70% ethanol may be the promising solvent. Besides, phenolics were found to be the main antioxidants of Huangshan Gongju extracts, and flavonoids especially luteolin-7-O-glucoside may play more important roles in the antioxidant activity.

Dioscin has been known for its anti-cancer activity; however, its detailed molecular mechanisms have not been studied so far. Herein, we evaluated the anti-cancer activity of dioscin for proliferation inhibition and apoptosis in HepG2 cancer cells. Initially, dioscin was purified and identified from Polygonatum sibiricum by HPLC, MS, and NMR analysis, respectively. Dioscin inhibited the cell multiplication at IC50 of 8.34 μM, altered the cell morphology, arrested the cell cycle in G2/M phase and led to considerable programmed cell death. Furthermore, it has efficiently promoted the mitochondrial pathway and death receptor pathway. The inhibition of Caspase-8 and Caspase-9 proteins in these pathways abolished the dioscin induced apoptosis significantly; while dioscin inhibited the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Moreover, dioscin exposure led to enhanced intracellular ROS generation and the mRNA expression of JNK gene which emphasized their involvement in the apoptosis process in HepG2 cells.

In this work we described the rheological properties of polysaccharides (HBSS, CHSS, DASS, CASS) sequentially extracted from onion (Allium cepa L.). Four onion polysaccharides (ACLPs) solutions resulted into significant differences on their rheological properties. ACLPs solutions showed non-Newtonian shear-thinning behavior over the range of 0.5–2.5%. At concentration of 1%, the apparent viscosity of CHSS was observed to be the highest. The apparent viscosity of ACLPs solutions decreased with the acidic pH (4.0) or alkaline pH (10.0) which was further declined at higher temperature (90 °C). After the addition of various salts, ACLPs had apparent differences on apparent viscosity. The G′ (storage modulus) and G″ (loss modulus) of ACLP solutions were increased with increasing oscillation frequency. Moreover, the crossover value of oscillation frequency gradually decreased with increasing concentration of ACLPs. Our results exhibited that among the ACLPs, CHSS can be used as supplements in the food industry as thickening agent, gelling agent and stabilizer.

To elucidate the effects of solvents on phenolic content and antioxidant activity of bamboo leaves extracts, the contents of seven common phenolic compounds in the extracts were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and their influences on the antioxidant activity were investigated by correlation analysis. The results indicated that total phenolic compounds, total flavonoids compounds and total phenolic acids of bamboo leaves extracts were mainly affected by neochlorogenic acid and isoorientin in both methanol and ethanol series, and solvent of high organic solvent or water was beneficial for the extraction of flavonoids and phenolic acids, respectively. Isoorientin showed higher correlation with the antioxidant activity of bamboo leaves extracts than other flavonoids in both methanol and ethanol series, whereas neochlorogenic acid and chlorogenic acid displayed higher correlations with the antioxidant activity than other phenolic acids in methanol and ethanol series, respectively. The current observation implied that the effects of solvents on the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of plant extracts may result from the corresponding changes of high-content phenolic components; and the combination of HPLC analysis and correlation analysis may be helpful to elucidate the effects of different extraction conditions on the phenolic composition and activity of plant extracts.

The selection of the flow stress model of materials has a great influence on the plastic forming simulation of metal. For closed extrusion fine blanking, selecting the accurate and appropriate material flow stress model can make the finite element simulation closer to the real situation, and the simulation data is more reliable. In order to solve the accuracy problem of finite element simulation closed-extruding fine blanking, 5 types of flow stress fitting curve equations were obtained based on the data of sheet metal tensile test. With the secondary development of finite element software Deform-2D, the circular piece of closed-extruding fine blanking forming process was simulated, whose diameter is 14 mm and thickness is 30 mm. The simulation results of different rheological models were compared after physical experiment being carried out.The results show that Ludwik extrapolation rheological model is suitable for finite element simulation of closed-extruding fine blanking technology, which effectively improves closed-extruding fine blanking simulation accuracy. Lay the foundation for the application of closed-extrusion fine blanking in industry.

Onion polysaccharides (ACLP) were sequentially extracted with four different solvents (hot buffer, chelating agent, dilute alkaline and concentrated alkaline) and obtained four fractions, named as HBSS, CHSS, DASS and CASS, respectively. The present studies characterized the ACLP concerning its physicochemical and functional properties. Monosaccharides analysis revealed that mannose (81.68%) was the dominant sugar in HBSS and galactose (67.59%) was the most in CASS. Similarly, CHSS and DASS possessed mannose and galactose as major sugar, which were 25.80% and 31.37%, 20.33% and 33.96%, respectively. The obtained molecular weight of ACLPs were 7.702×103 (HBSS), 4.690×103 (CHSS), 4.943×103 (DASS) and 1.390×103kDa (CASS). CASS resulted in the strongest solubility, fat-binding capacity, foam capacity and foam stability whereas, HBSS showed the highest thermal stability. DASS showed the best hygroscopicity and the best moisture retention was obtained by CHSS. Subsequently, the emulsifying activity and emulsifying stability were the highest for HBSS and the longest for of CASS, respectively. The rheological properties of CHSS exhibited the largest viscosity. Our results indicated that all factions could be considered as functional polysaccharides according to their respective characteristics, which have vast potential in food production.

With an aim to prepare the functional chocolate, corn oil was used as the base oil and β-sitosterol was combined with oryzanol/stearic acid/lecithin to prepare respective oleogels (GO, SO, and LO). Oleogels (12%) were prepared by adding compound oleogelators at different ratios [GO-2:3, SO-1:4, and LO-4:1 (w/w)] in corn oil. The microstructure, interaction, thermodynamic, crystalline, and rheological behavior of formulated oleogels were studied by microscopic observation, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and rotational rheometer, respectively. The results showed that GO had the strongest gel forming ability and the densest gel crystallization network. Moreover, chocolate prepared with GO (cocoa butter and oleogels-1:1) had the similar texture, crystal structure, rheological, and sensory properties to that of dark chocolate. This study provides the possibility for the wider application of oleogel prepared with lower saturated and trans-fatty acids in the chocolate industry.

The structure predicting and structure screening of new structure SnSe are studied by quotient graph and deep learning potential. Using the quotient graph, we predict the new structure based on the feature of the experimental structure. Facing many structures generated by the quotient graph and reducing computation cost, the deep learning potential is used to optimize the structure. Through the electronic fitness function, it is found that the new structure with space group no. 64 shows a good electrical property of p-type and n-type. Based on the new structure, the n-type and p-type thermoelectric properties are studied by First-principles calculations and Boltzmann transport theory. The mechanical stability and thermodynamic stability of the new structure are checked, indicating that the new structure is stable. Due to the cyclic structure, the new structure shows large values of bulk modulus (B ~ 62.82 GPa), shear modulus (G ~ 43.78 GPa), Young’s modulus (E ~ 106.59 GPa), Debye temperature (θ = 291 K), sound velocity (Va ~2890 m/s), and low value of Gruneisen parameter γ ~2.2, implying that strong Sn–Se atomic interactions and large lattice thermal conductivity . At 800 K, the figure of merit of p-type (1.83) is superior to that of n-type (1.68). The main scattering process of both charge transport and thermal transport is dominated by optical phonon branches. This work not only demonstrates the excellent property of the new structure but also provides insights to understand the transport performance of the cyclic structure.

Anisotropic bulk nanocrystal Nd-lean Nd-Fe-B magnets were prepared by hot-pressing the mixture of Nd11.5Fe81.5Nb1B6 melt-spun ribbons and pure Zn powder and subsequent hot-deforming. The effects of deformation on the magnetic properties and microstructure were also studied. The magnetic properties increased significantly for hot-deformed (HD) samples due to the formation of good c-axis texture with increasing deformation. The remanence Mr and maximal energy product (BH)m increased and reached their maximal values at 65% deformation due to the increasing orientation. On the other hand, the grains increased and were elongated normal to the press direction gradually with increasing deformation. The variation trend was similar to that of traditional Nd-Fe-B magnets. However, there was an obvious improvement for coercivity in the initial stage of hot-deformation resulting from the adequate Zn diffusion into grain-boundary. When the deformation was larger than 65%, the magnetic properties were deteriorated due to abnormal grain growth. In order to improve further the coercivity Hci, the samples with Dy addition were prepared. The coercivity of 12300 Oe could be obtained for anisotropic bulk Nd9.5Dy2Fe81.5Nb1B6.

The microstructure and the chemistry distribution of AlNiCo 9 samples were characterized by the X-ray diffraction, magnetic force microscope, field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscope. An interface of a high Al content was formed near the FeCo-rich phases with a size of about 30 nm. S elements mainly combined with Ti to form titanium sulfide bars with the length between 70-150 μm, while S elements was not confirmed in the nanostructured FeCo-rich phase and AlNi-rich phase. Si and Nb preferably existed in the NiAl-rich phase, and a higher content Nb near the Cu precipitate boundary was observed. Moreover, the magnetic domain structure of AlNiCo 9 was also studied.

The effects of the additions of Co, Zr on microstructure and magnetic properties were studied for hot-deformed (HD) nanocomposite Nd11.5Fe81.5-xNb1CoxB6 (x=0, 2, 4, 8) and Nd11.5Fe82.5-xZrxB6 (x=0, 1) magnets, respectively. The remanence of hot-pressed (HP) magnets increased with increasing Co content firstly, but decreased when Co content was more than 2 at. % for HD magnets. Also the intrinsic coercivity (Hci) and maximum energy product ((BH)m) of HD alloys increased firstly, and then decreased with further increasing Co content. The maximum (BH)m of 24 MGOe was obtained at 2 at.% Co addition. Zr addition can improve significantly the c-axis alignment and magnetic properties of HD nanocomposite magnets, and HD Nd11.5Fe81.5Zr1B6 magnet with 1.5 wt.% Zn addition showed enhanced properties with Hci of 7100 Oe and remanent magnetization (Mr) of 1.06 T. The alloys have the structure of plate-like grains, but there are still many coarse grains, which may result from the un-uniform composition in the alloy.

Bamboo leaves soups were subjected to in vitro digestion (including separated oral, gastric and small intestinal digestions, and complete digestion containing above three stages), and their phenolics and antioxidant activities were determined. Compared to control groups, total phenolic content (TPC) in treated groups (including undigested and digested groups) increased at gastric digestion stage but decreased at other digestion stages, and the decrease in small intestinal digestion stage (19.97%) was nearly the same with that in complete digestion stage (19.39%). The antioxidant activity in digested groups almost changed accordingly to their TPC but with no significant difference (p 0.05) as compared with undigested groups; similar results were found in four main individual phenolics including cryptochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid and isoorientin, and their contents were negatively correlated to the pH value of digestion buffers (-0.68 r -0.80, p 0.01). These results indicated that the change of phenolic content and antioxidant activity in digested bamboo leaves soups mainly resulted from the pH of digestion buffers rather than digestive enzymes. In addition, the decrease of phenolics may mainly occur at small intestinal digestion stage where the pH value is the highest in the digestive system.

INTRODUCTION: Kinesin-1 motor is a molecular walking machine constructed with amino acids. The understanding of how those structural elements play their mechanical roles is the key to the understanding of kinesin-1 mechanism. METHODS: Using molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the role of a helix structure, α4 (also called switch-II helix), of kinesin-1’s motor domain in its processive movement along microtubule. RESULTS: Through the analysis of the structure and the interactions between α4 and the surrounding residues in different nucleotide-binding states, we find that, mechanically, this helix functions as a shaft for kinesin-1’s motor-domain rotation and, structurally, it is an amphipathic helix ensuring its shaft functioning. The hydrophobic side of α4 consists strictly of hydrophobic residues, making it behave like a lubricated surface in contact with the core β-sheet of kinesin-1’s motor domain. The opposite hydrophilic side of α4 leans firmly against microtubule with charged residues locating at both ends to facilitate its positioning onto the intra-tubulin groove. CONCLUSIONS: The special structural feature of α4 makes for an effective reduction of the conformational work in kinesin-1’s force generation process.

Raltitrexed has shown efficacy and safety in many tumor types; however, the clinical data on the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma is rare. In this report, we aim to assess the efficacy and safety of raltitrexed plus oxaliplatin (OXA)-based transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). Patients with uHCC were recruited from multi-centers in China and assigned randomly to raltitrexed+OXA-based (n=76), fluorouracil+OXA-based (n=76), and doxorubicin+OXA-based (n=75) TACE treatment. The primary end point was overall survival (OS). Tumor response was assessed using response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST), modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (mRECIST), and European Association for the Study of the Liver criteria (EASL). Safety and toxicity were evaluated using the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria. The raltitrexed group showed a better disease control rate evaluated using RECIST (raltitrexed vs. fluorouracil vs. doxorubicin: 96.1 vs. 84.2 vs. 86.7%, P=0.05) and a better overall response rate on the basis of mRECIST (67.1 vs. 47.4 vs. 50.7%, P=0.03) and EASL (67.1 vs. 47.4 vs. 49.3%, P=0.02). The median OS and median progression-free survival (PFS) were higher in the raltitrexed group (median OS: 13.4 vs. 9.6 vs. 8.5 months; median PFS: 6.7 vs 4.9 vs 4.6 months). The most common toxicities included elevated aspartate aminotransferase (78.9 vs. 86.8 vs. 81.3%) and abdominal nonspecific pain (68.4 vs. 81.6 vs. 78.7%). No significant differences were found in the overall number of patients who experienced any toxicity. Raltitrexed plus OXA-based TACE suggested a safe and efficacious regimen in uHCC patients. The results warrant further clinical investigation.

Introduction 5-O-Galloylquinic acid from green tea and other plants is attracting increasing attention for its antioxidant and antileishmanial bioactivities. It is always isolated using a silica column, a Sephadex column and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods, which are either laborious or instrument dependent. Objective To develop a new method to easily separate 5-O-galloylquinic acid. Methodology Mesoporous zirconium phosphate (m-ZrP) was prepared to conveniently separate 5-O-galloylquinic acid from Chinese green tea extract, and the target compound was easily obtained by simple steps of adsorption, washing and desorption. The effects of the green tea extraction conditions, extract concentrations, and m-ZrP adsorption/desorption dynamics on the 5-O-galloylquinic acid separation were evaluated. Results 5-O-Galloylquinic acid that was separated from a 70% ethanol extract of green tea was of moderate HPLC purity (92%) and recovery (88%), and an increased non-specific binding of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on m-ZrP was observed in the diluted tea extract. The times for maximal adsorption of 5-O-galloylquinic acid in 70% ethanol extract and maximal desorption of 5-O-galloylquinic acid in 0.4% phosphoric acid solution were confirmed as 7 h and 5 h, respectively. Conclusion A facile method to separate 5-O-galloylquinic acid from Chinese green tea extract using m-ZrP was established. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The effect of annealing on the microstructural characterization and magnetic properties of 2J4 alloy has been investigated.The alloys were annealed in argon atmosphere for 0.5h at different temperatures.The results indicated that there were some precipitated phases afer annealing,which can pin domain boundary movement, thus leading to improved magnetic energy product and hysteresis properties due to enhanced coercivity and remanence. Magnetic domain morphology showed that the number of domains increased after heat treatment, the exchange energy between magnetic domains and the energy of magnetocrystalline anisotropy increased with increasing domain number,thus leading to better coercivity. With increasing temperature from 620°C to 680°C, saturation magnetization increased at first, and then decreased under the effect of increase in precipitates and decrease in strain and dislocations. The coercivity,hysteresis loss and ratio of the remanence to saturation magnetization keeped increasing due to increase of tiny and dispersed precipitates. This study can provide theoretically a reliable way for preparing 2J4 magnetic alloys with high performance.

1J50 alloy is one of the major iron–nickel compositions,well-known for high flux density, low coercivity and high saturation induction.In this study,the microstructure and magnetic domain struture of the soft magentic alloy 1J50 before and after heat treatment (HT) were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM)、transmission electronmicroscopy (TEM) and magnetic force microscope (MFM). The results showed that grain size and domain size were small before HT,there was high-density dialocation in the alloy.After HT,grain size increased, the internal stress, dislocation and other defects were reduced,magnetic domains became wider,the number of the domain decreased and the exchange energy between the magnetic domain reduced,leading to the decrease of the coercivity and increase of permeability.It was also found that the curie temperature was not changed after heat treatment. The research can provide theoretically a reliable way for preparing Fe-Ni soft magnetic alloys with high performance.

In this paper, the NdFeB magnets were prepared by hot pressing and deforming, the influence of pressing temperature, pressing strain, deforming temperature, deforming rate and amount on the density, hardness and magnetic properties of magnets were analyzed with the microstructure analysis. The results show that the density of the magnets and the hardness increase with the increase of the hot pressing temperature and pressure, but the hardness decreases when the pressing temperature reaches 800°C.After thermal deformation, the gap of the magnets reduced, the density is increased, the hardness becomes larger, and the grains are oriented in the direction of deformation, which leads to higher magnetic properties. However, when the deformation rate is too low, or the deformation temperature is too high, there is an abnormal phenomenon of grain growth, leading to the decrease of coercivity and harness of the material.

The fruits of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis are folk medicines in China and their major components are geniposide and water soluble pigment crocins. This study compared the chemical profiles and free radical scavenging activities of two Zhizi species from five provinces of China, including Jiangxi, Anhui, Hunan, Sichuan and Henan. The results showed that Jiangxi Zhizi contained higher levels of volatiles (71.84%), crocins (20.38 mg/g), geniposide (31.36 mg/g) and flavonoids (84.42 μg quercetin/mg) than four other Zhizi fruits; whereas Hunan Zhizi provided higher total phenolics (33.81 μg catechin/mg) and ABTS/DPPH radical scavenging activities. These findings implied that Jiangxi Zhizi would be suitable for extraction of gardenia yellow and geniposide, as well as preparation of essential oil. This information may provide valuable guidance for application of Zhizi fruits to biomedicine industry in China., Food science; Food engineering; Food technology; Food processing; Food analysis; Food composition; Food chemistry; Gardenia jasminoides; Volatiles; Active components; Different regions; Antioxidative activities.

The Nd-Fe-B powder was prepared to bulk by cold pressing, and then was hot-deformed by the vacuum hot-pressing machine. Effects of hot-deformation temperature and rate on the density, anisotropy, performance and microstructure were studied. The results showed that the grain size was small, but the density and orientation degree was low, thus leading to poor performance when the deformation temperature was too low or deformation rate was too large. When the temperature was higher than 750 °C or the rate was lower than 0.1mm/s, the anisotropic magnets with good density and texture could be obtained. However, the magnetic properties of hot-deformed magnets deteriorated due to the present of coarse grains. From the microstructure of hot-deformed magnets it could be seen that there were plenty of coarse and irregular grains, which have a higher Nd content than the plate-like grains. The optimum magnetic properties could be obtained at deformation temperature of 700 °C and rate of 0.1 mm/s.

Two kinds of 2:17R Sm-Co alloys, Sm2(Fe,Cu,Zr,Co)17 and pure binary Sm2Co17 were prepared, and the amorphous powder was prepared by high-energy ball milling Sm-Co alloys. The bulk nanocrystalline SmCo7 was prepared by hot-pressing the amorphous powder, and the magnetic properties and phase composition were studied. Initial Sm2(Fe,Cu,Zr,Co)17 showed a large value of coercivity while the pure Sm2Co17 almost showed no coercivity. However, after ball milling the grain size of alloys decreased dramatically until completely amorphous. Two kinds of alloys showed the different phase composition and magnetic properties after hot-pressing. It was found that the pure Sm2Co17 bulk magnet showed a high coercivity Hc and had the 1:7H phase. On the other hand, the Sm2(Fe,Cu,Zr,Co)17 showed high saturation magnetization Ms and very low Hc since the Fe-Co and Sm2Co3 phase were precipitated from the alloy.

We investigated the antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of sequentially extracted onion polysaccharide fractions namely HBSS, CHSS, DASS and CASS. The different antioxidant assays indicated that ACLPs exhibited potentially appreciable antioxidant activity in a dose-dependent manner. Among all the fractions, CHSS rendered the highest antioxidant action towards ABTS radical cations (97.52%), Fe2+ chelating (98.94%) and superoxide anion radical scavenging (76.27%). Whereas, HBSS possessed the highest potential for DPPH radicals (93.68%), hydroxyl radicals (65.12%) as well as for reducing power (0.559). CASS exhibited the highest lipid peroxidation inhibition (86.43%), while, DASS showed the best β-carotene bleaching inhibition (92.26%). Furthermore, regardless of the bacterial strain, DASS represented the strongest antibacterial activity on the basis of largest inhibition zone, the lowest minimal inhibitory concentration and maximum inhibition of bacterial growth in liquid medium. Overall results indicated that ACLPs hold a promise as potential natural antioxidant additives and antimicrobial agents for formulating the functional foods with potential applications in the medical and food industries.

Phenolic acids and flavonoids in bamboo leaves are of great importance for their functional attributes, but they can hardly be separated simultaneously. In this study, zirconia was prepared and applied as a potential absorbent for simultaneous separation of these phenolic compounds. Three phenolic acids (neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid and cryptochlorogenic acid) and two flavonoids (isoorientin and orientin) were isolated at the same time. The influence of bamboo leaves extraction conditions, zirconia calcination temperatures, desorption conditions and absorption/desorption dynamics on the separation were further investigated. When zirconia-400 (calcined at 400 °C) was treated with 70% ethanol extract of bamboo leaves for 40 min followed by desorption with 70% acetic acid solution for 60 min, the recovery of three chlorogenic acids and two flavonoids was about 65%. To conclude, the concise method developed here may provide a new way for simultaneous separation of phenolic acids and flavonoids from various plants.

The closed-extruding fine blanking was developed to form thick plate and low plasticity materials. In this paper, the principle and process of the closed-extruding fine blanking were elaborated. The material flow and the influence of the process parameters on the forming quality were analyzed. At the same time, by means of metallographic observation and analysis of microhardness as well as surface residual stress, the characteristics of the material in the closed-extruding fine-blanking process were investigated.

Methyl protodioscin (MPD) is a steroid saponin which has been well known for its pharmacological properties. Herein, we evaluated the anti-cancer activity of MPD for proliferation inhibition and apoptosis induction in Hela cells. MPD was purified from the rhizoma of Polygonatum sibiricum primarily and identified by HPLC, UPLC-TOF-MS/MS and NMR analysis, respectively. Results showed that MPD repressed cell proliferation at IC50 of 18.49 μM, altered cell morphology, arrested the cell cycle in G2/M phase, facilitated the generation of intracellular ROS and led to cell apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, MPD treatment promoted death receptor pathway and mitochondrial pathway efficiently. The inhibition of Caspase-8 and Caspase-9 proteins in these pathways abolished the apoptosis significantly, further demonstrated the mechanism of MPD-induced apoptosis. These findings offer novel information that MPD may be considered as a possible natural anti-cancerous agent in the form of functional foods or medicinal products.

Zirconium phosphate (ZrP) was prepared and employed to separate strictinin-rich tea polyphenol from Chinese green tea extracts. The influences of ZrP calcination temperatures, green tea extraction conditions, and the amounts of ZrP on the isolation of strictinin-rich tea polyphenol were evaluated; the absorption and desorption dynamics of strictinin on ZrP were also determined. Our results revealed that the HPLC content of strictinin increased from 4.96% in 70% ethanol extract of green tea to 58.2% in isolated strictinin-rich tea polyphenol obtained by ZrP-900 (ZrP calcined at 900°C). Furthermore, the suitable time for both strictinin absorption and desorption was 4 hours at 37°C. The method developed here consisted of easy steps such as ZrP absorption, water washing, and 0.4% phosphoric acid solution desorption, which may facilitate the detection and isolation of strictinin from different samples.

Microtubule not only provides the track for kinesin but also modulates kinesin’s mechanochemical cycle. Microtubule binding greatly increases the rates of two chemical steps occurring inside the nucleotide-binding pocket (NBP) of kinesin, i.e., ATP hydrolysis and ADP release. Kinesin neck linker docking (the key force-generation step) is initiated by the motor head rotation induced by ATP binding which needs an anchor provided by microtubule. These functions of microtubule can only be accomplished through interactions with kinesin. Based on the newly obtained crystal structures of kinesin-microtubule complexes, we investigate the interactions between kinesin’s NBP and microtubule using molecular dynamics simulations. We find that the N-3 motif of NBP has direct interactions with a group of negatively charged residues on α-tubulin through Ser235 and Lys237. These specific long-range interactions induce binding of NBP to microtubule at the right position and assist the formation of the indirect interaction between NBP and microtubule. These interactions between N-3 and microtubule have an important anchor effect for kinesin’s motor domain during its rotation with Ser235 as the rotation center, and also play a crucial role in stabilizing the ATP-hydrolysis environment.

We aimed to compare the survival benefit of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with conservative treatment for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT), furthermore, to reveal which PVTT types benefit from TACE treatment. From August 2007 to January 2010, a prospective controlled study was performed on consecutive patients with advanced HCC and PVTT. Of a total of 150 patients, 115 were treated with TACE (lipiodol and anticancer agents ± gelatin sponge embolization), and 35 who refused to accept the procedure were treated with conservative treatment. We performed survival analysis of the two treatment groups and then stratified by a new classification of PVTT that was divided into four types. Overall survival was significantly better in the TACE group than in the conservative group (8.67 months vs. 1.4 months, P

Hibernation in the Arctic ground Squirrel (AGS) is a regulated, adaptive response to arctic environmental conditions. Problem statement: Regional brain Blood Flow (rCBF) has been observed to increase dramatically during arousal in hibernators. However, the real time dynamic change in PtO2 during arousal has not been studied, we hypothesized that PtO2 is Interdependent of Tbrain and a key component in the arousal process. Approach: Simultaneous in vivo measurements of PtO2 and brain temperature (Tbrain) in conjunction with oxygen consumption (V02) were conducted in the striatum of non-sedated, non-anesthetized Arctic ground squirrels during spontaneous arousal from hibernation. Results: A dramatic fluctuation of brain tissue oxygen partial pressure (PtO2) is associated with the complex phenomena of spontaneous arousal. In this study, we observed that: (1) a PtO2 elevation precedes changes in Tbrain and V02; (2) PtO2 changes do not correlate with changes in V02 during arousal and (3), endogenous O2 shift from O2 enriched blood to brain in hibernating AGS induces an arousal with the pharmaceutical chemical, efaproxiral (RSR-13). Conclusion: The four turning points of PtO2 appearing at different Tbrain during arousal suggest that changes in PtO2 are Tbrain interdependent and support the concept that arousal from hibernation is complex process invoking different feedbacks.

Bulk isotropic and anisotropic Nd13.5Fe80.4Ga0.5B5.6 and Nd13.5Fe80.4Ga0.5B5.6/Fe magnets were synthesized by applying spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique. The effect of hot-pressing temperature on the magnetic properties of hot-pressed (HP) and hot-deformed (HD) magnets without additive and with 5% Fe addition was investigated. With increasing sintering temperature for HP magnets, the grain grew gradually. For HD magnets, the optimal magnetic properties could be obtained at hot-pressing temperature 680°C due to the development of desired c-axis texture and uniform microstructure, which resulted from the appropriate and uniform grain size in HP magnets. Fe addition could enhance remanence (Br) and magnetic energy products ((BH)m) of HP and HD magnets. However, the maximum magnetic energy product of HD magnets decreased when hot-pressing temperature was higher than 650°C.