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Optical orthogonal codes (OOCs) were designed for multimedia optical CDMA systems with quality of service requirements in optical fiber networks. Two-dimensional (2-D) multiple-weight optical orthogonal codes have been invested as they can overcome the drawbacks of nonlinear effects in large spreading sequences. In this paper, we reveal the combinatorial properties of optimal 2-D OOCs and focus our attention on the constructions for a family of optimal 2-D multiple-weight optical orthogonal codes by combinatorial methods, such as incomplete difference matrix, h-perfect cyclic packing, and skew starter. In particular, an improved construction of skew starters with multiple weights is also proposed to solve the existence of optimal multiple-weight optical orthogonal codes. Our numerical examples demonstrate that the proposed construction is very helpful for optimizing the utilization of optical network effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meat and bone meal (MBM) is a high-quality alternative protein source used to replace fishmeal (FM). However, the molecular mechanisms of over-substituted FM by MBM resulted in growth reduction are still not clear. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of FM replacement by MBM on the concentration of postprandial free amino acid (FAA) and mRNA abundance of peptide and amino acid transporters in juvenile turbot ( Scophthalmus maximus L.). Fish were fed with FM diet (60% FM), MBM diet (33% FM + 34.2% MBM) and MBM + AA diet (MBM diet with essential amino acid (EAA) added to match the AA profile of FM) for 30 days. Results showed that compared with the FM diet, MBM diet led to a reduction in FAA concentration peak values in plasma and muscle. MBM + AA diet significantly elevated the peak values of FAA concentrations to FM diet level in plasma, but not in muscle. Furthermore, compared with FM diet, MBM diet significantly increased gene expression of PepT1 and major amino acid transporters in intestine, whereas MBM diet greatly downregulated gene expression of T-type amino acid transporter-1, system ASC amino acid transporter-2 and cationic amino acid transporter-2 in muscle. Supplemented EAA did not ameliorate these different effects in intestine and muscle. Overall, this study provided a comprehensive explanation for the relationship between diet, FAA concentrations and AA transportations, which provides a molecular basis for further using MBM to replace FM in aquafeeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angelica sinensis has been used to attenuate cold-induced cutaneous vasospasm syndrome, such as Raynaud’s disease and frostbite, in China for many years. Ferulic acid (PubChem CID: 445858) and Z-ligustilide (PubChem CID: 529865), two major components extracted from Angelica sinensis, had been reported to inhibit vasoconstriction induced by vasoconstrictors. In this study, the pharmacological interaction in regulating cold-induced vascular smooth muscle cell contraction via cold-sensing protein TRPM8 and TRPA1 was analyzed between ferulic acid and Z-ligustilide. Pharmacological interaction on inhibiting [Ca2+]i influx evoked by TRPM8 agonist WS-12 or TRPA1 agonist ASP 7663 as well as cold-induced upregulation of TRPM8 was determined using isobolographic analysis. The isobolograms demonstrated that the combinations investigated in this study produced a synergistic interaction. Combination effect of two components in inhibiting RhoA activation and phosphorylation of MLC20 induced by WS-12 or ASP 7663 was also being quantified. These findings suggest that the therapeutic effect of Angelica sinensis on cold-induced vasospasm may be partially attributed to combinational effect, via TRPM8 and TPRA1 way, between ferulic acid and Z-ligustilide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]