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To investigate the effects of particle size and phenolics bounded-insoluble dietary fiber (IB) of white kidney bean skin (WS) on in vitro fermentation profiles, the IB was extracted enzymatically, modified by ordinary and superfine grinding, followed by the preparation of different particle sizes. Their microscopic morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy and laser confocal scanning microscopy. In vitro fermentation experiments and 16S rRNA sequencing were used to investigate the fermentation properties of the two sets of samples and their effects on the abundance of gut microbiota composition. The results showed that the bound phenolics were distributed more equally on the surface of the smaller particles. The slowed fermentation rate and short-chain fatty acid production of WS and IB increased with decreasing particle size. The smaller particle size promoted the Bacteroides and demoted the Lachnospira more significantly. The results suggested that IB could promote the beneficial bacteria such as Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium and Ruminococcaceae ruminococcus, and regulate the structure composition of the gut microbiota. The probiotic effect of IB was more significant than that of WS with the same particle size. This study provides the school of thought on the prebiotic effect of dietary fiber, guides on the modification of dietary fiber by superfine grinding, and suggests the comprehensive utilization of white kidney bean skin.

In this study, the structural characters, antioxidant activities and bile acid-binding ability of sea buckthorn polysaccharides (HRPs) obtained by the commonly used hot water (HRP-W), pressurized hot water (HRP-H), ultrasonic (HRP-U), acid (HRP-C) and alkali (HRP-A) assisted extraction methods were investigated. The results demonstrated that extraction methods had significant effects on extraction yield, monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, particle size, triple-helical structure, and surface morphology of HRPs except for the major linkage bands. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that HRP-U with filamentous reticular microstructure exhibited better thermal stability. The HRP-A with the lowest molecular weight and highest arabinose content possessed the best antioxidant activities. Moreover, the rheological analysis indicated that HRPs with higher galacturonic acid content and molecular weight showed higher viscosity and stronger crosslinking network (HRP-C, HRP-W and HRP-U), which exhibited stronger bile acid binding capacity. The present findings provide scientific evidence in the preparation technology of sea buckthorn polysaccharides with good antioxidant and bile acid binding capacity which are related to the structure affected by the extraction methods.

Rosa roxburghii Tratt pomace (RRTP), an underutilized byproduct, is rich in polyphenol compounds. This study aimed to further explore the purification, characterization, anti-inflammatory activities, and underlying molecular mechanisms of free polyphenols (RRTP-FP) and bound polyphenols (RRTP-BP) from RRTP. The results indicated that AB-8 macroporous resin emerged as the preferred choice for subsequent separation and purification. The purities of purified RRTP-FP (P-RRTP-FP) and purified RRTP-BP (P-RRTP-BP) increased by 103.34% and 66.01%, respectively. Quantitative analysis identified epigallocatechin, epicatechin, and ellagic acid as the main phenolic compounds in P-RRTP-FP. In P-RRTP-BP, the primary phenolic compounds were ellagic acid, epicatechin, and gallic acid. In vitro antioxidant assays demonstrated the superior DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities of P-RRTP-FP and P-RRTP-BP compared to vitamin C. Treatment with P-RRTP-FP and P-RRTP-BP reduced nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitigated the decline in cellular membrane potential, and significantly downregulated the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Additionally, P-RRTP-FP and P-RRTP-BP inhibited the phosphorylation of pertinent proteins in the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. This finding suggests potential utility of RRTP-derived polyphenols as anti-inflammatory agents for managing severe inflammatory conditions.

Rosa roxburghii Tratt pomace is rich in insoluble dietary fiber (IDF). This study aimed to investigate the influence of three modification methods on Rosa roxburghii Tratt pomace insoluble dietary fiber (RIDF). The three modified RIDFs, named U-RIDF, C-RIDF, and UC-RIDF, were prepared using ultrasound, cellulase, and a combination of ultrasound and cellulase methods, respectively. The structure, physicochemical characteristics, and functional properties of the raw RIDF and modified RIDF were comparatively analyzed. The results showed that all three modification methods, especially the ultrasound–cellulase combination treatment, increased the soluble dietary fiber (SDF) content of RIDF, while also causing a transition in surface morphology from smooth and dense to wrinkled and loose structures. Compared with the raw RIDF, the modified RIDF, particularly UC-RIDF, displayed significantly improved water-holding capacity (WHC), oil-binding capacity (OHC), and swelling capacity (SC), with increases of 12.0%, 84.7%, and 91.3%, respectively. Additionally, UC-RIDF demonstrated the highest nitrite ion adsorption capacity (NIAC), cholesterol adsorption capacity (CAC), and bile salt adsorption capacity (BSAC). In summary, the combination of ultrasound and cellulase treatment proved to be an efficient approach for modifying IDF from RRTP, with the potential for developing a functional food ingredient.

Natural foods, such as whole pulses, are recommended in the dietary guidelines of the US and China. The plant cell wall structure in whole pulses has important implications for the nutritional functionalities of starch. In this study, garbanzo bean cells with varying degrees of cell wall integrity were subjected to dry heat treatment (DHT) and used to elucidate the food structure-starch digestion properties of pulse food. The morphological features suggested that all cell samples do not exhibit remarkable changes after being subjected to DHT. Molecular rearrangement and the crystallite disruption of starch granules entrapped in cells occurred during DHT as assessed by the crystal structure and thermal properties. DHT decreased the inhibitory effects of enzymes of both the soluble and insoluble components, but the digestion rate and extent of slightly and highly damaged cell samples did not exhibit significant differences compared with their native counterparts. We concluded that the starch digestion of pulse cotyledon cells is primarily determined by the intactness of the cellular structure. This study reveals the role of food structure on the ability to retain the desirable nutritional properties of starch after subjection to physical modification.

The aim of this study was to investigate the antidiabetic effect of the extract from Sargassum pallidum (SPPE) on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) mice. SPPE treatment alleviated hyperglycemia, insulin resistance (IR), liver and pancreatic tissue damage, hyperlipidemia and hepatic oxidative stress resulting from T2DM. SPPE reversed phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPCK) and hexokinase (HK) activities to improve gluconeogenesis and glycogen storage in the liver. Furthermore, SPPE modulated glucose metabolism by regulating the levels of mRNA expression involving the PI3K/Akt/FOXO1/G6pase/GLUT2 pathway and could inhibit fatty acid synthesis by reducing the gene expression levels of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase-1 (ACC-1). A 16 sRNA analysis indicated that SPPE treatment also reversed gut dysbiosis by increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria (Bacteroides and Lactobacillus) and suppressing the proliferation of harmful bacteria (Enterococcus and Helicobacter). Untargeted metabolomics results indicated that histidine metabolism, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism and fatty acid biosynthesis were significantly influenced by SPPE. Thus, SPPE may be applied as an effective dietary supplement or drug in the management of T2DM.

Rosa roxburghii Tratt fruit is a highly valued fruit that contains abundant functional and nutritional constituents. In this study, a novel polysaccharide, named RTFP-1, was isolated and purified from R. roxburghii Tratt fruit. Structural characterization indicated that RTFP-1 was a homogeneous heteropolysaccharide with the molecular weight (Mw) of 128.7 kDa and consisted of arabinose, galactose, glucose, mannose, xylose, and fucose with molar ratio percentages of 34.84, 40.59, 12.11, 5.06, 3.39, and 4.01%, respectively. A CCK-8 assay indicated that RTFP-1 inhibited the cell growth of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Morphological analysis and flow cytometry experiment showed that RTFP-1 promoted the apoptosis of HepG2 cells and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. The underlying molecular mechanisms indicated that RTFP-1 activated the apoptosis of HepG2 cells through ROS-mediated MAPK, STAT, and p53 apoptotic pathways. These results suggest that RTFP-1 might be a potential chemopreventive and antitumor agent.

Obesity threatens human health worldwide, and mounting findings have found that gut microbiota (GM) changes induced by diet intervention influence its development. This study aims to investigate the anti-obesity effects and GM changes of propionylated high-amylose maize starch (PS) in C57BL/6J mice fed with high-fat diet (HFD). In our results, PS decreased the body weight of HFD-fed mice after 8 weeks and regulated the glucose stability and insulin resistance. High-amylose maize starch (HAMS) and PS regulated the serum lipid levels and inflammatory response. Moreover, PS yielded more propionate relative to HAMS, proving that introduced propionyl groups could be released in the colon. 16S rRNA results showed that PS altered GM with the increase of bacteria (S24-7 and Ruminococcus) and decrease of harmful genera, which is linked to the anti-obesity effect. Our results provide a reference for the design of functional dietary fibers inducing high propionate production and GM modulation.

In order to analyze the effect of final cooling temperature on the wax deposition laws of the crude oil modified with additives, keep the same temperature difference of oil wall and control different final cooling temperatures, static wax deposition contrast test and dynamic shear contrast test were carried out on Daqing oil with nano pour point depressant, Daqing oil with EVA pour point depressant and Daqing blank oil using the wax deposition device of agitation tank, rheometer, differential scanning calorimeter and other test instruments. Then, based on the mechanisms of molecular diffusion and gelling, the wax deposition laws of Daqing oil modified with additives under different experimental conditions were investigated. It is shown that when the final cooling temperature is lower, the blank oil is low in the total wax deposition but its wax crystal structure is stronger; while the oil with additives is significantly higher than the blank oil in the total wax deposition, but there is more condensate in the total amount of wax deposition and the wax crystal structure is weaker. With the increase of the final cooling temperature, the wax deposition in the oil with additives and that in the blank oil decrease gradually and tend to be consistent. When the final cooling temperature is lower and the shear peel strength is weaker, the addition of pour point depressant can increase the wax deposition of pipeline transportation. And once the shear is high or the final cooling temperature is increased, the wax deposition of the oil with additives will be reduced significantly and the safety of pipeline transportation will be improved.

In recent years, the number of CPU cores in a multi-core processor keeps increasing. To leverage the increasing hardware resource, programmers need to develop parallelized software programs. One promising approach to parallelizing high-performance applications is pipeline parallelism, which divides a task into a serial of subtasks and then maps these subtasks to a group of CPU cores, making the communication scheme between the subtasks running on different cores a critical component for the parallelized programs. One widely-used implementation of the communication scheme is software-based, lock-free first-in-first-out queues that move data between different subtasks. The primary design goal of the prior lock-free queues was higher throughput, such that the technique of batching data was heavily used in their enqueue and dequeue operations. Unfortunately, a lock-free queue with batching heavily depends on the assumption that data arrive at a constant rate, and the queue is in an equilibrium state. Experimentally we found that the equilibrium state of a queue rarely happens in real, high-performance use cases (e.g., 10Gbps+ network applications) because data arriving rate fluctuates sharply. As a result, existing queues suffer from performance degradation when used in real applications on multi-core processors. In this paper, we present EQueue, a lock-free queue to handle this robustness issue in existing queues. EQueue is lock-free, efficient, and robust. EQueue can adaptively (1) shrink its queue size when data arriving rate is low to keep its memory footprint small to utilize CPU cache better, and (2) enlarge its queue size to avoid overflow when data arriving rate is in burstiness. Experimental results show that when used in high-performance applications, EQueue can always perform an enqueue/dequeue operation in less than 50 CPU cycles, which outperforms FastForward and MCRingBuffer, two state-of-the-art queues, by factors 3 and 2, respectively.

Thymol is a phenol monoterpene with potential antifungal, antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Due to the low water solubility and high volatility of thymol, encapsulation serves as an effective tool during application. In the present study, cyclodextrin (CD)-based metal-organic-frameworks (MOFs) were synthesized using α-CD, β-CD, and γ-CD as organic building blocks, and further complexed with thymol to produce three CD-MOF-THY inclusion complexes (ICs). The encapsulation content, release kinetics and fruit preservation effect of ICs were analyzed. Results showed that thymol was well embedded in γ-CD-MOFs, with the highest encapsulation content of 286.7 ± 8.4 mg/g. Release kinetics revealed that CD-MOFs exhibited a controlled release effect toward thymol for 35 days. The release kinetics of three ICs fit the Rigter–Peppas model well, with γ-CD-MOF-THY showing the lowest release rate constant of 2.85 at 50 °C, RH 75%. Moreover, γ-CD-MOF-THY exhibited a remarkable preservation performance on cherry tomatoes with the lowest decay index (18.75%) and weight loss (5.17%) after 15 days of storage, suggesting this material as a potential fresh-keeping material for fruit and vegetable preservation.

Inhibitory effects (IEs) of flavonoids from Rosa roxburghii and R. sterilis fruits against α-glucosidase were investigated. Crude extract of R. roxburghii fruits (RrCE) and R. sterilis fruits (RsCE) were extracted with ethanol. The n-butanol extraction of aqueous RrCE dispersion (RrCE-B) showed the greatest inhibition of α-glucosidase. The most abundant three components in RrCE-B were kaempferol hexose, rutin, and catechin (Cat). The predominant active compounds were characterized as flavonoids by UV–vis spectra. Combination analysis suggested that RrCE was a favorable choice to combine with acarbose (Aca). After simulated gastric digestion, IEs of flavonoids decreased greatly, especially when sodium nitrite was supplemented in the simulated gastric fluid (SGF). The UV–vis spectra indicated that flavonoids were basically stable in the SGF without sodium nitrite, but were oxidized by the HNO2, a natural component in the gastric fluid. The results of this study will help food scientists design special foods for diabetic patients.

A novel polysaccharide (MFP4P) was isolated from mulberry fruits (Morus alba L.) pulp using a combination of DEAE-Sepharose fast-flow and Sephadex G-100 chromatographic columns. Structural characterization revealed that MFP4P was composed of arabinose, rhamnose, galactose, glucose and galacturonic acid with a molecular weight of 198.2 kDa. The linkage types of MFP4P were proved to be (1 → 6)-linked α-D-Glc, (1 → 2)-linked α-L-Rha, (1 → 3)-linked α-D-Gal, (1 → 3)-linked β-L-Rha and (1 → )-linked α-L-Ara. The MFP4P showed good antioxidant activity with an oxygen radical absorbance capacity value of 121.8 ± 16.5 μM trolox equivalent/g. In addition, the MFP4P promoted pancreatic cell proliferation, increased insulin secretion, and enhanced glucose consumption. In the non-toxic range, the polysaccharide and zinc complexes (MFP4P-Zn) exhibited higher antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities than MFP4P at the same concentration. In vivo hypoglycemic study, MFP4P and MFP4P-Zn both showed decreased blood glucose level and glucose tolerance compared with the model control group.

Parallelizing performance-critical applications are of critical importance for harnessing the power of multicore processors, which are now ubiquitous. Even though wait-free algorithms offer the appeal of completing each operation of a parallelized application in a finite number of steps, high-performance wait-free algorithms at high levels of concurrency are still rare. In this paper, we demonstrate one primary reason for this inefficiency: existing wait-free algorithms are not optimized for processors' caches and write buffers, two key components in modern hardware to accelerate memory accesses. As an example, a wait-free multi-producer-single-consumer queue algorithm, which faces common performance problems of wait-free algorithms, is studied in this paper. We accelerate the queue algorithm by (1) allowing producers to buffer enqueue requests in their local buffers and to write them into the shared queue in batch, to exhibit the spatial locality of the program, and (2) eliminating expensive atomic operations, by giving up some degree of internal consistency to avoid write buffers being drained frequently. The outcome is a write-buffer and cache-friendly queue algorithm which is wait-free and efficient on off-the-shelf multicore processors. The experiments show that the optimized queue algorithm outperforms prior queue algorithms on three different architectures (x86, Power8, and ARMv8). On x86, it outperforms WFQueue, the state-of-the-art solution, by 2-3x, and outperforms CCQueue, the representative of combining solution, by 4-12x. Applying the techniques presented in this paper to other wait-free algorithms is straightforward; our queue example demonstrates that these techniques can be applied to other wait-free algorithms while maintaining the control flow of the original algorithms without dramatic changes.

In the present study, the digestion properties of a polysaccharide from Rosa roxburghii fruit (RTFP-3) under saliva, simulated gastric and small intestinal conditions were studied for the first time. The results indicated that human saliva had no effect on RTFP-3. RTFP-3 was slightly degraded in simulated gastric and small intestinal juices. The molecular weight (Mw) of RTFP-3 was decreased from 67.59 to 44.22 kDa. Meanwhile, the reducing sugars were increased from 0.503 to 1.744 mM. Then, the prebiotic effects of RTFP-3 were examined by in vitro fermentation model. RTFP-3 could significantly increase the production of total short-chain fatty acids from 23.49 to 44.29 mM, and 60.28% of total carbohydrate was consumed after 48 h fermentation. Furthermore, RTFP-3 could significantly modulate the microbial structure by lowering the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes from 14.89 to 4.68 after 48 h fermentation, and improving the relative abundances of some beneficial gut microbiota.

A novel polysaccharide (MOP-2) was extracted and purified from the leaves of Moringa oleifera by hot water extraction and chromatographic purification. Structural characterization revealed that MOP-2 had an average molecular weight of 155.35 kDa and consisted of arabinose, glucose and galactose with molar percentages of 35.8, 6.67, and 57.53%, respectively. The backbone chain of MOP-2 was proven to be →3,6)-β-D-Galp(1→ and →6)-β-D-Galp-(1→, and the side chains contained →5)-α-L-Araf-(1→, α-L-Araf-(1→, and α-D-Glcp-(1→. In vitro immunomodulatory assay revealed that MOP-2 could significantly enhance the proliferation and pinocytic capacity of the RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Furthermore, MOP-2 promoted the secretion of reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) by activating mRNA expressions of iNOS, IL-6 and TNF-α. These findings suggest that MOP-2 can be developed as a novel natural immunoregulatory agent in functional foods.

Polysaccharides from Gracilaria lemaneiformis possess various beneficial bioactive functions, but the immunomodulatory activity remains incompletely known. In the present study, a new low molecular-weight sulfated polysaccharide named as GLP-2 was isolated from G. lemaneiformis. The chemical composition and structural characteristics of GLP-2 were determined by high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC), gas chromatography (GC), infrared (IR) spectrum, methylation and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses. In addition, the immunomodulatory activity and underlying mechanism of GLP-2 were examined using murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells. The results indicated GLP-2 could significantly improve the proliferation and pinocytic capability of RAW264.7 cells, and promote the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) by activating iNOS, IL-6 and TNF-α gene expressions. These results suggested that GLP-2 could be developed as a potent immunomodulatory agent for use in functional foods and dietary supplements.

Intact pinto bean cotyledon cells were isolated and hydrothermally treated at three different moisture contents (15%, 25% and 35%) at 100 °C for 8 h to investigate the effect of cell wall encapsulation on starch molecular re-arrangement during heat-moisture treatment (HMT). Compared to the intact cells, HMT had a more pronounced effect on isolated starch as deduced from damage on the surface as well as an increase in crystallinity and thermal stability, suggesting that intact cell wall structure can limit the molecular mobility of starch polymers within granules. The different digestion results between isolated starches and intact cells suggested that cellular structure may control starch digestion rate and extent. Furthermore, the diffusion experiments using the amylase-sized FITC dextran probe revealed the mechanisms behind the differential effect of HMT on isolated starches and intact cells, and findings can be useful in green processing of whole pulse foods.

The phenolic contents, antioxidant, and antiproliferative activities of Malus doumeri were evaluated. Heyuanxiaoguo variety contained higher level of total phenolics (101.9 mg GAE/g fruit, DW), whereas Xinyishanzha variety exhibited the highest total flavonoids (85.35 mg CE/g fruit, DW), and highest cellular antioxidant and antiproliferative activities. Higher ORAC and PSC values were found in Limushan variety. Chlorogenic acid, phloretin-2′-xyloglucoside and ursolic acid were the predominant phenolics in M. doumeri, their contents were highest in Limushan (1850 mg/100g fruit, DW), Xinyishanzha (2212 mg/100g fruit, DW), and Heyuanxiaoguo variety (506.3 mg/100g fruit, DW), respectively. Among the 14 compounds identified, chlorogenic acid and phloretin glycosides accounted for 55.95% of the extracellular antioxidant capacity, while quercetin, luteolin, ursolic acid, and chlorogenic acid contributed significantly to the intracellular antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the intracellular antioxidant property of the Xinyishanzha extracts was related to the protection of endogenous antioxidant enzymes activities and inhibition of reactive oxygen species production.

Tremella fuciformis Berk, a popular nutritious mushroom in China, has attracted increasing attention due to its various bioactivities. In the present work, T. fuciformis polysaccharides (TP) were extracted with hot water. It mainly consisted of mannose, as well as 10.77% (w/w) uronic acid. In additional, the anti-photoaging effects of TP were evaluated using a 30-day UV-irradiated animal assay. TP could efficiently reduce the water and collagen losses of the skin, and inhibit the increase of glycosaminoglycans. Moreover, a histopathological study showed that, UV-induced skin structural alterations were alleviated as well as repairing endogenous collagen breakdown and maintaining the ratio of type I/III collagen, after oral treatment of TP. The activities of SOD, GSH-Px and CAT were increased compared to the irradiated control group without treatment. Accordingly, TP can be used as a potential functional food supplement for skin function protection.

Free and bound phenolic compounds were extracted from four varieties (BQ, Dulihuang; CHQK, Changheiqingke; ZQ25, Zangqing 25 and ZQ320, Zangqing 320) of dehulled highland barley. Phenolics composition, antioxidant and antiproliferative activities were analysed. Total phenolics ranged from 333.9 ± 17.1 to 460.8 ± 5.7 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g grain (dry weight, DW), total flavonoids are between 145.5 ± 10.0 and 247.4 ± 20.3 mg catechin equivalents (CE)/100 g grain (DW), and ferulic acid is the dominant phenolic compound. These extracts showed excellent antioxidant activities determined by oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) assays, as well as potent antiproliferative activity towards HepG2 human liver cancer cells. Bound phenolics make a significant contribution to total phenolics content, antioxidant and anticancer activities. This study suggested that highland barley exhibits the unique phenolic compound profile with potential health benefits, and it may serve as ingredients for functional foods.

The aim of this study was to isolate key active compounds from Toona sinensis leaves (TSL) with antioxidant and anticancer activities. Four compounds, quercetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (QLR), kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside (KLR), 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β-D-glucopyranose (PGG) and ethyl gallate (EG), were purified from the ethyl acetate fraction of TSL by column chromatography. Their structures were identified by mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry analyses. All four compounds exhibited strong antioxidant activities (including ABTS radical scavenging activities and ORAC values). PGG showed the strongest antioxidant activity. KLR showed the strongest anticancer activities against human hepatoma HepG2 and human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. QLR, PGG, and EG showed relatively weak anticancer activities. These results suggest that four compounds are key chemical compositions valuable for preparing functional foods in the food industry.

Nowadays, anyone carrying a mobile device can enjoy the various location-based services provided by the Internet of Things (IoT). ‘Aggregate nearest neighbor query’ is a new type of location-based query which asks the question, ‘what is the best location for a given group of people to gather?’ There are numerous, promising applications for this type of query, but it needs to be done in a secure and private way. Therefore, a trajectory privacy-preserving scheme, based on a trusted anonymous server (TAS) is proposed. Specifically, in the snapshot queries, the TAS generates a group request that satisfies the spatial K-anonymity for the group of users—to prevent the location-based service provider (LSP) from an inference attack—and in continuous queries, the TAS determines whether the group request needs to be resent by detecting whether the users will leave their secure areas, so as to reduce the probability that the LSP reconstructs the users’ real trajectories. Furthermore, an aggregate nearest neighbor query algorithm based on strategy optimization, is adopted, to minimize the overhead of the LSP. The response speed of the results is improved by narrowing the search scope of the points of interest (POIs) and speeding up the prune of the non-nearest neighbors. The security analysis and simulation results demonstrated that our proposed scheme could protect the users’ location and trajectory privacy, and the response speed and communication overhead of the service, were superior to other peer algorithms, both in the snapshot and continuous queries.

For high-dimensional and massive data sets, traditional centralized gene expression programming (GEP) or improved algorithms lead to increased run-time and decreased prediction accuracy. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a new improved algorithm called distributed function mining for gene expression programming based on fast reduction (DFMGEP-FR). In DFMGEP-FR, fast attribution reduction in binary search algorithms (FAR-BSA) is proposed to quickly find the optimal attribution set, and the function consistency replacement algorithm is given to solve integration of the local function model. Thorough comparative experiments for DFMGEP-FR, centralized GEP and the parallel gene expression programming algorithm based on simulated annealing (parallel GEPSA) are included in this paper. For the waveform, mushroom, connect-4 and musk datasets, the comparative results show that the average time-consumption of DFMGEP-FR drops by 89.09%%, 88.85%, 85.79% and 93.06%, respectively, in contrast to centralized GEP and by 12.5%, 8.42%, 9.62% and 13.75%, respectively, compared with parallel GEPSA. Six well-studied UCI test data sets demonstrate the efficiency and capability of our proposed DFMGEP-FR algorithm for distributed function mining.

With the development of wireless sensor networks, certain network problems have become more prominent, such as limited node resources, low data transmission security, and short network life cycles. To solve these problems effectively, it is important to design an efficient and trusted secure routing algorithm for wireless sensor networks. Traditional ant-colony optimization algorithms exhibit only local convergence, without considering the residual energy of the nodes and many other problems. This paper introduces a multi-attribute pheromone ant secure routing algorithm based on reputation value (MPASR). This algorithm can reduce the energy consumption of a network and improve the reliability of the nodes’ reputations by filtering nodes with higher coincidence rates and improving the method used to update the nodes’ communication behaviors. At the same time, the node reputation value, the residual node energy and the transmission delay are combined to formulate a synthetic pheromone that is used in the formula for calculating the random proportion rule in traditional ant-colony optimization to select the optimal data transmission path. Simulation results show that the improved algorithm can increase both the security of data transmission and the quality of routing service.

Function model finding has become an important tool for analysis of data collected from wireless sensor networks (WSNs). With the development of WSNs, a large number of sensors have been widely deployed so that the collected data show the characteristics of distribution and mass. For distributed and massive sensor data, traditional centralized function model finding algorithms would lead to a significant decrease in performance. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a distributed global function model finding algorithm for wireless sensor network data (DGFMF-WSND). In DGFMF-WSND, on the basis of gene expression programming (GEP), an adaptive population generation strategy based on sub-population associated evolution is applied to improve the convergence speed of GEP. Secondly, to solve the generation of global function model in distributed wireless sensor networks data, this paper provides a global model generation algorithm based on unconstrained nonlinear least squares. Four representative datasets are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm. The comparative results show that the improved GEP with adaptive population generation strategy outperforms all other algorithms on the average convergence speed, time-consumption, value of R-square, and prediction accuracy. Meanwhile, experimental results also show that DGFMF-WSND has a clear advantage in terms of time-consumption and error of fitting. Moreover, with increasing of dataset size, DGFMF-WSND also demonstrates good speed-up ratio and scale-up ratio.

Abstract Background The clinical syndrome of thalassemia intermedia (TI) results from the β-globin genotypes in combination with factors to produce fetal haemoglobin (HbF) and/or co-inheritance of α-thalassemia. However, very little is currently known of the molecular basis of Chinese TI patients. Methods We systematically analyzed and characterized β-globin genotypes, α-thalassemia determinants, and known primary genetic modifiers linked to the production of HbF and the aggravation of α/β imbalance in 117 Chinese TI patients. Genotype-phenotype correlations were analyzed based on retrospective clinical observations. Results A total of 117 TI patients were divided into two major groups, namely heterozygous β-thalassemia (n = 20) in which 14 were characterized as having a mild TI with the Hb levels of 68-95 g/L except for five co-inherited αααanti-3.7 triplication and one carried a dominant mutation; and β-thalassemia homozygotes or compound heterozygotes for β-thalassemia and other β-globin defects in which the β+-thalassemia mutation was the most common (49/97), hemoglobin E (HbE) variants was second (27/97), and deletional hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HPFH) or δβ-thalassemia was third (11/97). Two novel mutations, Term CD+32(A→C) and Cap+39(C→T), have been detected. Conclusions Chinese TI patients showed considerable heterogeneity, both phenotypically and genotypically. The clinical outcomes of our TI patients were mostly explained by the genotypes linked to the β- and α-globin gene cluster. However, for a group of 14 patients (13 β0/βN and 1 β+/βN) with known heterozygous mutations of β-thalassemia and three with homozygous β-thalassemia (β0/β0), the existence of other causative genetic determinants is remaining to be molecularly defined.

Abstract Background The HLA-A*02-B*46 haplotype is one of most frequent haplotypes among Guangdong Han populations. To explore the characteristics of the HLA-A*02-B*46 haplotype in Guangdong Han populations, the genetic polymorphism of HLA-A*02-B*46 haplotype was analysed by PCR-SBT in our study. Findings Among 88 samples with the homozygotes for HLA-A*02-B*46 in the low resolution, 4 different alleles for A*02 (A*0201, A*0203, A*0206, A*0207) and 1 allele for B*46 (B*4601) were identified by PCR-SBT. Among them, the A*0207 allele was the predominant allele. Inversely, among the samples with HLA-A*2-B*46(-), six alleles were detected for A*02 (A*020101, A*0203, A*0205, A*0206 and A*0207), and the A*0201 allele was predominant. On the other hand, the HLA-A*02-B*46 haplotype presented moderate heterozygosis (32.95%). In addition, the linkage with DRB1 was analysed in HLA-A*2-B*46 haplotype, and there existed 10 alleles with DRB1. With the low resolution for DRB1, the other 10 DRB1 alleles all linked with the HLA-A*02-B*46 haplotype except for DRB1*01, DRB1*10, and DRB1*17. Moreover, we found eight alleles of DRB1 in the HLA-A*0207-B*4601 haplotype. Conclusion The polymorphism distribution of the A*02 allele between the HLA-A*02-B*46 and HLA-A*02-B*46(-) haplotypes among the Guangdong Han populations provides useful information for research on unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (UHSCT), anthropology, and disease association for populations with the HLA-A*02-B*46 haplotype.

Abstract Background Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been studied and applied extensively because of their ability to self-renew and differentiate into various cell types. Since most human diseases models are murine, mouse MSCs should have been studied in detail. The mdx mouse – a Duchenne muscular dystrophy model – was produced by introducing a point mutation in the dystrophin gene. To understand the role of dystrophin in MSCs, we compared MSCs from mdx and C57BL/10 mice, focusing particularly on the aspects of light and electron microscopic morphology, immunophenotyping, and differentiation potential. Results Our study showed that at passage 10, mdx-MSCs exhibited increased heterochromatin, larger vacuoles, and more lysosomes under electron microscopy compared to C57BL/10-MSCs. C57BL/10-MSCs formed a few myotubes, while mdx-MSCs did not at the same passages. By passage 21, mdx-MSCs but not C57BL/10-MSCs had gradually lost their proliferative ability. In addition, a significant difference in the expression of CD34, not Sca-1 and CD11b, was observed between the MSCs from the 2 mice. Conclusion Our current study reveals that the MSCs from the 2 mice, namely, C57BL/10 and mdx, exhibit differences in proliferative and myogenic abilities. The results suggest that the changes in mouse MSC behavior may be influenced by lack of dystrophin protein in mdx mouse.

Abstract Background Schwann cells (SC) which are myelin-forming cells in peripheral nervous system are very useful for the treatment of diseases of peripheral nervous system and central nervous system. However, it is difficult to obtain sufficient large number of SC for clinical use, so alternative cell systems are desired. Results Using a procedure similar to the one used for propagation of neural stem cells, we could induce rat adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) into floating neurospheres. In addition to being able to differentiate into neuronal- and glial-like cells, neurospheres could be induced to differentiate into SC-like cells. SC-like cells were bi- or tri-polar in shape and immunopositive for nestin and SC markers p75, GFAP and S-100, identical to genuine SC. We also found that SC-like cells could induce the differentiation of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells efficiently, perhaps through secretion of soluble substances. We showed further that SC-like cells could form myelin structures with PC12 cell neurites in vitro. Conclusion These findings indicated that ADSC could differentiate into SC-like cells in terms of morphology, phenotype and functional capacities. SC-like cells induced from ADSC may be useful for the treatment of neurological diseases.

Abstract Background Duchenne musclar dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disease caused by mutations of dystrophin gene, there is no effective treatment for this disorder at present. Plasmid-mediated gene therapy is a promising therapeutical approach for the treatment of DMD. One of the major issues with plasmid-mediated gene therapy for DMD is poor transfection efficiency and distribution. The herpes simplex virus protein VP22 has the capacity to spread from a primary transduced cell to surrounding cells and improve the outcome of gene transfer. To improve the efficiency of plasmid-mediated gene therapy and investigate the utility of the intercellular trafficking properties of VP22-linked protein for the treatment for DMD, expression vectors for C-terminal versions of VP22-microdystrophin fusion protein was constructed and the VP22-mediated shuttle effect was evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. Results Our results clearly demonstrate that the VP22-microdystrophin fusion protein could transport into C2C12 cells from 3T3 cells, moreover, the VP22-microdystrophin fusion protein enhanced greatly the amount of microdystrophin that accumulated following microdystrophin gene transfer in both transfected 3T3 cells and in the muscles of dystrophin-deficient (mdx) mice. Conclusion These results highlight the efficiency of the VP22-mediated intercellular protein delivery for potential therapy of DMD and suggested that protein transduction may be a potential and versatile tool to enhance the effects of gene delivery for somatic gene therapy of DMD.