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Water sorption and its hysteresis are widespread phenomena that are important for food processing and food quality. In the present study, water sorption and desorption isotherms of wheat flour were measured at three temperatures using a dynamic vapor sorption (DVS) instrument, and modeled according to the Vrentas-Vrentas (VV) theory. Results showed that the degree of water sorption hysteresis decreased with an increase in temperature. In addition, overlapping between desorption and sorption isotherms was observed at high water activity. Based on this, an approach was proposed to determine the critical water content at which glass transition occurs. For both water sorption and desorption, the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter χ varied with the volume fraction of water, and a modified Fermi function was proposed using the Peleg model to describe this relationship. When desorption isotherms were modeled based on the sorption parameter χ, the VV model parameter k was expressed as a function of the volume fraction of water using a Fermi-type function.

The water adsorption process by dough films at 20 and 40 ℃ was measured using a dynamic vapor sorption system under nine relative humidity (RH) levels. Water diffusivity was expressed as a function of water content and temperature according to the Vrentas & Duda free volume theory. The parameters of the free volume model were obtained by inversion of water content as a function of time. The results showed that the water diffusion coefficient determined based on the free volume theory could well simulate the water adsorption process by dough films at most water contents tested, but the predicted values were significantly lower than the actual ones at low water contents. Therefore, the Vrentas & Duda was improved by adding a free volume term as a function of water content. As the water content increased, the water diffusion coefficient slightly decreased initially, then increased, and finally increased rapidly. Finally, the mechanism of water diffusion at low water contents was discussed from the perspectives of β-transition and free volume changes.

Background There are few studies on continuous intercostal nerve block after single operation hole thoracoscopic surgery, that is, two-port thoracoscopic surgery. Objective To evaluate the analgesic effect of continuous intercostal nerve block after thoracoscopic surgery. Methods A total of 80 patients who underwent single operation hole thoracoscopic surgery in our hospital between September 2020 and June 2021 were enrolled and divided into two groups. Based on basic analgesia, an intercostal catheter was placed during the operation for continuous intercostal block analgesia after the operation in the experimental group (group A, n = 40). The control group (group B, n = 40) was treated with sufentanil intravenous analgesia after surgery, which is namely "basic analgesia." The postoperative pain scores, restlessness during the recovery period, effect on reducing opioid use, postoperative chest complications, patient satisfaction, etc., were compared between the two groups. Results The pain scores of patients in group A were significantly lower compared with those in group B at 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours after surgery (3.325 ± 1.163 vs. 4.550 ± 1.176, 2.650 ± 1.001 vs. 4.000 ± 1.038, 2.325 ± 0.917 vs. 3.700 ± 0.966, and 1.775 ± 1.050 vs. 3.150 ± 1.075, p < 0.001, respectively). Sufentanil consumption in group A was significantly lower than in group B at 48 hours after surgery (98.625 ± 4.158 vs. 106.000 ± 7.228, p < 0.001). Conclusion Multimodal analgesia is ideal for early pain control after thoracotomy. A continuous intercostal nerve block can effectively reduce postoperative pain in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The TIFY family is a plant-specific gene family that is involved in regulating a variety of plant processes, including developmental and defense responses. The Cymbidium species have certain ornamental and ecological value. However, the characteristics and functions of TIFY genes in Cymbidium remain poorly understood. This study conducted a genome analysis of the TIFY gene family in Cymbidium goeringii, C. ensifolium, and C. sinense and investigated their physicochemical properties, phylogenetic relationships, gene structures, and expression patterns under heat stress in C. goeringii. C. goeringii (26), C. ensifolium (19), and C. sinense (21). A total of 66 TIFY genes were identified, and they were classified into four subfamilies (JAZ, ZML, PPD, and TIFY) based on their systematic evolutionary relationships. Sequence analysis showed that TIFYs contained a conserved TIFY domain and that genes within the same subfamily had structural similarity. Analysis of cis-regulatory elements revealed that these genes contain numerous light-responsive elements and stress-responsive elements. We subjected C. goeringii (16 h light/8 h dark) to 24 h of 38 °C high-temperature stress in a climate chamber. Additionally, results from RT-qPCR experiments showed that under heat stress, the expression levels of eight genes in C. goeringii show significant differences. Among them, the JAZ subfamily exhibited the strongest response to heat stress, initially showing upregulation followed by a downregulation trend. In conclusion, this study investigated the role of TIFY genes in three Cymbidium species, providing insights into C. goeringii under heat stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important genus in Orchidaceae, Cymbidium has rich ecological diversity and significant economic value. DNA binding with one zinc finger (Dof) proteins are pivotal plant-specific transcription factors that play crucial roles in the growth, development, and stress response of plants. Although the Dof genes have been identified and functionally analyzed in numerous plants, exploration in Orchidaceae remains limited. We conducted a thorough analysis of the Dof gene family in Cymbidium goeringii, C. ensifolium, and C. sinensis. In total, 91 Dof genes (27 CgDofs, 34 CeDofs, 30 CsDofs) were identified, and Dof genes were divided into five groups (I–V) based on phylogenetic analysis. All Dof proteins have motif 1 and motif 2 conserved domains and over half of the genes contained introns. Chromosomal localization and collinearity analysis of Dof genes revealed their evolutionary relationships and potential gene duplication events. Analysis of cis-elements in CgDofs, CeDofs, and CsDofs promoters showed that light-responsive cis-elements were the most common, followed by hormone-responsive elements, plant growth-related elements, and abiotic stress response elements. Dof proteins in three Cymbidium species primarily exhibit a random coil structure, while homology modeling exhibited significant similarity. In addition, RT-qPCR analysis showed that the expression levels of nine CgDofs changed greatly under heat stress. CgDof03, CgDof22, CgDof27, CgDof08, and CgDof23 showed varying degrees of upregulation. Most upregulated genes under heat stress belong to group I, indicating that the Dof genes in group I have great potential for high-temperature resistance. In conclusion, our study systematically demonstrated the molecular characteristics of Dof genes in different Cymbidium species, preliminarily revealed the patterns of heat stress, and provided a reference for further exploration of stress breeding in orchids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]