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The staining procedure is critical for investigating intra- and extra-cellular ultrastructure of microorganisms by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Here, we propose a new ultra-low lead staining (ULLS) technique for preparing the ultrathin sections for TEM analysis. Sections of Enterobacter sp. (bacteria), Aspergillus niger (filamentous fungi), Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (fungi), and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (microalgae) were tested. Compared with the sections prepared by the typical double-staining technique, ULLS-based sections showed evident advantages: (i) the staining process only required the addition of Pb(NO3)2; (ii) the Pb level during incubation was set as low as 1 mg/L, which had negligible toxicity to most microbial cells; (iii) the Pb cations were added during microbial culture, which avoided complicated sample preparation as in typical double staining. Taking C. reinhardtii as an example, the ULLS technique allowed fine investigation of microbial ultrastructure, e.g., starch granule, mitochondrion, Golgi apparatus, vacuole, and vesicle. Meanwhile, the physiological processes of the cells such as cell lysis and exocytosis were successfully captured, with relatively high contrast. This study hence shows a bright future on preparation of the high-quality ultrathin sections of microbial cells by the ULLS technique.

Cell‐free methylated DNA immunoprecipitation and high‐throughput sequencing (cfMeDIP‐seq) is a new bisulfite‐free technique, which can detect the whole‐genome methylation of blood cell‐free DNA (cfDNA). Using this technique, we identified differentially methylated regions (DMR) of cfDNA between lung tumors and normal controls. Based on the top 300 DMR, we built a random forest prediction model, which was able to distinguish malignant lung tumors from normal controls with high sensitivity and specificity of 91.0% and 93.3% (AUROC curve of 0.963). In summary, we reported a non–invasive prediction model that had good ability to distinguish malignant pulmonary nodules., This study reported the whole‐genome methylation profiling of plasma cfDNA of patients with pulmonary nodules by cfMeDIP‐seq. A random forest model was used to distinguish pulmonary malignant tumors from normal controls, based on the whole‐genome methylation profiling.

This research investigated the effect of carnosic acid (CA), tert‐butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ), sesamol (SL) and L‐ascorbyl palmitate (AP) on the inhibition of glycidyl esters (GEs) and oxidation parameter changes in rice bran oil (RBO) during heat processing. The electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis showed that the free radical scavenging ability of them was ranked as CA > TBHQ > SL > AP. With the addition of CA, TBHQ, SL and AP (0.6 g kg⁻¹), the GEs content was reduced significantly from 987.98 ± 8.45 to 283.87 ± 4.78, 303.21 ± 4.38, 440.52 ± 3.82 and 500.55 ± 2.99 μg kg⁻¹, respectively. All four free radical scavengers had the highest inhibitory effect on C18:2‐GE, followed by C18:1‐GE and C16:0‐GE. Moreover, the free radical scavengers were also effective to inhibit oil oxidation. Overall, the natural‐free radical scavenger may be a promising candidate to mitigate GE formation and oil oxidation due to its effectiveness and safety.

The Fenton reaction has been widely used in the pretreatment of lignocellulose. It offers the advantages of simple operation, fast reaction speed, and low pollution. In this study, the effects of different proportions of Fenton reagents on the enzymatic hydrolysis of poplar were compared and analyzed, and the optimal ratio of Fenton reagents was obtained. The maximum yield of enzymatic hydrolysis of glucose in Fenton pretreatment samples was 406 mg/g at H2O2 and Fe2+ concentrations of 1.0 mol/L and 0.01 mol/L, respectively, which was 2.5 times that of untreated samples. Meanwhile, the composition analysis and FT-IR analysis showed that Fenton pretreatment could degrade lignin and hemicellulose effectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that Fenton pretreatment can partially destroy the amorphous region of poplar. These findings will contribute to efforts to improve the viability of the Fenton pretreatment process for converting biomass into energy.

The effects of xanthan gum (0 % and 0.3 %) on the quality of low sodium (2.0 %, 2.4 %, 2.8 %, 3.2 %, 3.6 % and 4.0 %) salted beef and property of myofibril proteins (MP) extracted from salted beef were researched. Changes in the salting absorptivity, cooking loss, shear force, color and sensory analysis showed that xanthan gum had a positive effect on the quality of salted beef with low salinity (2.0 %, 2.4 % and 2.8 %). MP of salted beef treated with xanthan gum had higher solubility, lower hydrogen bond than that without it (P < 0.05). The decrease of surface hydrophobicity and intrinsic fluorescence intensity indicated that the chromophore of protein was brought into a hydrophobic environment in the presence of xanthan gum. The electrophoresis showed that xanthan gum could improve the concentration of myosin heavy chain, paramyosin and actin after tumble-salting. The data suggested that salted beef and its MP treated with xanthan gum and 2.8 % salt (XS3) had the best properties. Together, xanthan gum could be considered as a sodium salt substitute for the development of low sodium meat products.

Glycidyl ester (GE) has attracted worldwide attention due to its potential harm to human health. The GE in edible oil forms during the deodorization process of the oil refining, where antioxidants are used to inhibit its formation. To replace unsafe conventional synthetic antioxidants with natural antioxidants, sesame oil (SO) was used to inhibit the formation of GE in corn oil (CO), palm oil (PO), and rice bran oil (RO) during the deodorization process. The results showed that the content of GE in SO, CO, PO and RO followed the decreasing order of RO (1395.88 μg/kg) > PO (376.84 μg/kg) > CO (303.24 μg/kg) > SO (133.19 μg/kg). The concentration of diacylglycerol (DAG) in SO, CO, PO and RO followed the decreasing order of RO (11.64%) > PO (7.56%) > CO (4.11%) > SO (2.59%). The content of GE in oil could be affected by at least three factors: (i) unsaturated fatty acids could promote the formation of GE in oil; (ii) antioxidants in oil could inhibit the formation of GE by scavenging free radicals; and (iii) DAG, as a precursor, could lead to the formation of GE. This result suggested that SO could inhibit the formation of GE in CO, PO and RO. This indicated that when SO was added at 50%, its inhibitory effect was equivalent to that of tert-butylhydroquinone added at 0.02%.

Dental caries is one of the most common disorders in dentistry. Typically, it is caused by the dissolution of the tooth mineral due to cariogenic organisms. Bioapatite is vulnerable to acid-etching ascribed to a variety of substitutions. This study applied Pb2+ cations to probe the dissolution of synthetic carbonated hydroxylapatite (CHAp) in the acidic environment induced by Enterobacter sp. It indicated a decreasing tendency of crystallite size (from ∼400 nm to 10-20 nm) during gradual incorporation of carbonate (from 2.5 to 13.8 wt %). Meanwhile, the shape of CHAp crystals was transformed from elongated to plate-like. Addition of Enterobacter sp. enhanced P release from CHAp (especially for the CHAp with ∼8 wt % CO3 ) around 10 times. Moreover, the bacterium provided a moderately acidic environment to cause more formation of stable pyromorphite over other Pb-minerals, for example, Pb3 (PO4 )2 , and PbCO3 . Then, transmission electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy mapping successfully confirmed the Pb labeling on the newly formed phosphate mineral as Pb (with high-atomic weight) has strong signal under electron microscopy. This study therefore elucidated that Pb labeling has a bright future to explore the degradation of tooth mineral by microorganisms, as well as to evaluate the resistance of calcium phosphate dental restorative materials.

Seafloor hydrothermal chimneys are significant metal resources and have fundamental effects on marine chemistry balance. Previous studies on growth of the chimneys focused on mineral composition and elemental distribution in chimney walls, but the isotopic composition of different elements and their correlations remain poorly understood. Here, we report lateral Fe and S isotopes from sulfides across a chimney wall in detail from the Deyin-1 hydrothermal field (DHF) on the South Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Pyrite was characterized by increases in both δ34S and δ56Fe from the exterior to the interior within the chimney wall, which is likely related to enhanced S and Fe isotope fractionation between pyrite and fluids derived from the temperature gradient. Furthermore, δ56Fe displayed a well-defined, linear, positive correlation with δ34S in pyrite from the DHF as well as in pyrite from other areas. A model of hydrothermal pyrite formation suggests that, under conditions with uniform hydrothermal fluid, different temperatures and similar pyrite–fluid exchange degrees could result in the observed linear relationships between δ34S and δ56Fe. The regular and coupled Fe–S isotope variations within the chimney wall efficiently constrain the process of hydrothermal sulfide formation.

Human gut microbiome is a promising target for managing type 2 diabetes (T2D). Measures altering gut microbiota like oral intake of probiotics or berberine (BBR), a bacteriostatic agent, merit metabolic homoeostasis. We hence conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with newly diagnosed T2D patients from 20 centres in China. Four-hundred-nine eligible participants were enroled, randomly assigned (1:1:1:1) and completed a 12-week treatment of either BBR-alone, probiotics+BBR, probiotics-alone, or placebo, after a one-week run-in of gentamycin pretreatment. The changes in glycated haemoglobin, as the primary outcome, in the probiotics+BBR (least-squares mean [95% CI], −1.04[−1.19, −0.89]%) and BBR-alone group (−0.99[−1.16, −0.83]%) were significantly greater than that in the placebo and probiotics-alone groups (−0.59[−0.75, −0.44]%, −0.53[−0.68, −0.37]%, P, The gut microbiome affects systemic metabolism and is a therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes. Here the authors demonstrate in a randomized controlled trial that effects of berberine, a plant alkaloid known to lower blood glucose, may be explained by the inhibition of Ruminococcus bromii mediated biotransformation of the bile acid deoxycholic acid.

International audience; The synthesis of CdSe/CdS core/shell nanoparticles was revisited with the help of a causal inference machine learning framework. The tadpole morphology with 1–2 tails was experimentally discovered. The causal inference model revealed the causality between the oleic acid (OA), octadecylphosphonic acid (ODPA) ligands, and the detailed tail shape of the tadpole morphology. Further, with the identified causality, a neural network was provided to predict and directly lead to the original experimental discovery of new tadpole-shaped structures. An entropy-driven nucleation theory was developed to understand both the ligand and temperature dependent experimental data and the causal inference from the machine learning framework. This work provided a vivid example of how the artificial intelligence technology, including machine learning, could benefit the materials science research for the discovery.

p27Kip1, a member of the Cip/Kip family of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors, is now known as a multifunctional protein that plays crucial roles in cell architecture and migration by regulating rearrangements of the actin cytoskeleton and microtubules. The intracellular level of p27Kip1 is increased by anti-proliferative stimuli, such as mitogen deprivation and contact inhibition, which also induce formation of primary cilia, microtubule-based membranous organelles that protrude from the cell surface. However, it remains unknown whether p27Kip1 is associated with ciliogenesis. Here, we have generated p27Kip1-knockout hTERT-immortalized human retinal pigment epithelial cells, and found that ciliogenesis is almost completely disrupted in p27Kip1-knockout cells. The defect of ciliogenesis is rescued by the exogenous expression of wild-type p27Kip1 and, surprisingly, its 86-140 amino acid region, which is neither responsible for CDK inhibition nor remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton and microtubules. Moreover, transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence analyses reveal that p27Kip1 abrogation impairs one of the earliest events of ciliogenesis, docking of the Ehd1-associated preciliary vesicles to the distal appendages of the basal body. Our findings identify a novel CDK-independent function of p27Kip1 in primary cilia formation.

Due to certain problems with petroleum-based products, the development of a renewable and green adhesive is urgent and important. Yeast hydrolysate, which contains more than 55% protein, possesses many advantages in its source (it originates from yeast as opposed to petroleum) and environmental protection. In this work, a wood adhesive based on yeast hydrolysate was developed through the addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), polyvinyl alcohol, and ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether (EGDE) to improve properties of the yeast hydrolysate adhesive via the epoxy group in EGDE. The influence of EGDE on the adhesive properties (density, viscosity, solid content, bonding strength, and curing temperature) was investigated. The thermal property and changes in molecular structure during curing were characterized via differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. These results indicated that a ring-opening reaction between the epoxy group of EGDE and the active group had an important influence on the properties.

Bone volumes and quality are related to their hormone levels in laying hens. In this study, we investigated letrozole (LZ) induced effects on the physicochemical properties of cortical bone in laying hens. After 9-wk LZ treatment, we observed that LZ could decrease estrogen level in laying hens. As a result, both the plasma tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase and bone Gla protein activities were suppressed significantly. In addition, carbonate substitution was inhibited significantly in humerus and femur confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. Meanwhile, the mineral density and yield load capacities of humerus and femur were improved. This study demonstrated that the high crystallinity and low carbonate substitution were tightly correlated with the relatively enhanced mechanical properties. Moreover, it elucidated biochemical mechanisms of estrogen in regulating mineralogical and mechanical properties of bones in laying hens.

For solution-processed quantum dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs), improving hole injection efficiency to balance carriers in the emitter is a priority for achieving high device performance. Aiming at this, we introduce a new strategy by utilizing advantage of special properties of poly [(9,9-bis(3’-(N,N-dimethylamino)propyl)-2,7-fluorene)-alt-2,7-(9,9-ioctyl-fluorene)(PFN), in which a small amount of PFN is simply mixed with CdSe/CdS/ZnS QDs (QDs@PFN) as emitting layer (EML). For QDs@PFN EML, the PFN additive not only can appreciably upshift the valence band maximum (VBM) of the QDs layer by 0.41 eV through interaction between its lone-pair electrons of the nitrogen atom and the QDs surface, but also maintains efficient electron injection/transport of QDs due to n-type semiconductor property. As a consequence, the hole injection efficiency has been remarkably improved in QDs@PFN EML-based device and then the optimized QLED has been successfully realized with a maximum current efficiency of 16.21 cd A−1 and corresponding to the EQE of 14.77%, meaning a 1.8-fold improvement. The results demonstrated that adding a small amount of polymer materials containing aliphatic amine groups into QDs EML could be a simple and effective way to improve hole injection while maintaining effective electron injection/transport in high-performance all-solution-processed QLEDs.

A new two-dimensional carbon allotrope, which consists of 18 atoms in a hexagonal cell, is theoretically investigated by performing first-principle method. The allotrope displays a P6/mmm symmetry (termed as hP-C18 carbon). The new 2D carbon phase has an sp2-sp3 network, consisting of hexagons and octagons formed by near-by atoms. The calculations demonstrate that hP-C18 carbon is a metastable 2D carbon phase compared to graphene, but it is more energetically stable than penta-graphene. The dynamical, thermal and mechanical stabilities are demonstrated by phonon dispersion, ab inito MD simulations and elastic constants, respectively. The analysis of electronic band structure shows that hP-C18 is an indirect semiconductor with a band gap of 2.93 eV (HSE06). Besides, its buckled 3D structure, hP-C18-3D carbon, is also predicted. The stability of the new 3D phase is discussed by phonon dispersion and elastic constants. It is found that hP-C18-3D carbon is a super-hard indirect semiconductor with an indirect band gap of 2.24 eV (HSE06). Thus, hP-C18 carbon and its buckled 3D structure may possess not only potential electronic applications but also mechanical applications.

Background The triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index) has been proposed as a simple and reliable alternative insulin resistance (IR) marker, while the homeostasis model assessment for IR (HOMA-IR) is the most frequently used index. Few studies have evaluated the role of IR assessed by the TyG index and HOMA-IR on arterial stiffness in a type 2 diabetes (T2D) population with a high risk of increased arterial stiffness. We aimed to investigate the association of the TyG index and HOMA-IR with arterial stiffness in patients with T2D. Methods We recruited 3185 patients with T2D, who underwent brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), an indicator of arterial stiffness, but without previous cardiovascular disease. Increased arterial stiffness was defined as a baPWV value greater than the 75th percentile (18.15 m/s) in the present study. The TyG index was determined as ln(fasting triglycerides [mg/dL] × fasting glucose [mg/dL]/2), and the HOMA-IR was calculated as (fasting insulin [μIU/mL] × fasting glucose [mmol/L])/22.5. Results The mean age of the study participants was 54.6 ± 12.0 years, and 1954 (61.4%) were men. Seemingly unrelated regression estimation analysis demonstrated that the TyG index had stronger associations with baPWV than the HOMA-IR (all P Conclusions Compared with the HOMA-IR, the TyG index is independently and more strongly associated with arterial stiffness in patients with T2D.

This study describes the preparation of a low-cost adsorbent (hybrid coal gangue–polyacrylamide (HCGPAM)) based on activated coal gangue and acrylamide, and explores the effects of using it to remove Cu2+ and Pb2+ from wastewater. It investigated factors such as the impact of the initial concentrations of Pb2+ and Cu2+, adsorption time and temperature, and solution pH. The HCGPAM was fully characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), and the Pb2+ and Cu2+ concentrations were measured using graphite furnace AAS. The adsorption performance experiment was conducted at 25 ℃ with initial Pb2+ and Cu2+ concentrations of 100 ug⋅ml− 1, an adsorbent dosage of 0.350 g, and an adsorption time of 30 min. The pH values of the Pb2+ and Cu2+ solutions were 5 and 4, respectively. When the adsorption effect was at an optimum, the Pb2+ and Cu2+ attained adsorption rates of 59.05% and 80.6%, respectively. The HCGPAM can be used to treat polluted sewage and therefore has favorable prospects for commercial application.

Elevating levels of environmental lead (Pb) results in serious hazards to health of animals and human beings. In this study, daily diet with three different levels of Pb (Pb nitrate at doses of 1, 10, and 100 mg/kg body weight) were fed to ISA Brown layers. It showed that the kidney and liver have the relatively high Pb concentration (2.34 and 0.51 ppm) after culture, while the meat has the Pb concentration as low as 0.07 ppm (lower than the standard of Codex Alimentarius). It was also confirmed that egg laying worked as a potential pathway for hens to excrete Pb as Pb concentrations in eggshell and yolk increased from 0.10 to 3.11 ppm. However, the Pb concentration in egg white remains at a safe level (

Fat-related diseases and chemical hazards produced during the frying process pose a major threat to human health. Coatings have been used as a practical method to reduce the amount of oil and chemical hazards associated with fried foods. Methyl cellulose (MC) and soy protein isolate were used as coating materials to pretreat Chinese fried dough cake (CFDC) before frying. The 1.5% MC concentration was the best choice for coating to simultaneously lower oil and chemical hazards in CFDC. The CFDC prepared using 1.5% MC had 11.3% oil, 73.70 μg/kg acrylamide, 0.15 mg KOH/100 kg acid, 8.54 mmol/kg peroxide, p-anisidine value of 6.36, 0.36 μg/g malondialdehyde, 0.13 μg/g 4-hydroxy-2-(E)-hexenal (HHE), 0.51 μg/g 4-hydroxy-2-(E)-nonenal (HNE), and 4,272 μg/kg glycidyl ester. In contrast, the uncoated CFDC had 19.2% oil, 117.55 μg/kg acrylamide, 0.25 mg KOH/100 kg acid, 14.40 mmol/kg peroxide, p-anisidine value of 9.76, 0.63 μg/g malondialdehyde, 0.23 μg/g HHE, 0.86 μg/g HNE, and 5,758 μg/kg glycidyl ester. MC and soy protein isolate enhanced the oil barrier of the coating film, which effectively reduced the heat transfer coefficients, oil transfer, oil oxidation, and chemical hazards in the CFDC. Our work on this edible coating contributes to methods for control of oil and chemical hazards in fried foods. HIGHLIGHTS

Green prickly ash (Zanthoxylum armatum) and red prickly ash (Zanthoxylum bungeanum) fruit have unique flavor and aroma characteristics that affect consumers' purchasing preferences. However, differences in aroma components and relevant biosynthesis genes have not been systematically investigated in green and red prickly ash. Here, through the analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), differentially abundant metabolites, and terpenoid biosynthetic pathways, we characterize the different aroma components of green and red prickly ash fruits and identify key genes in the terpenoid biosynthetic pathway. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to identify 41 terpenoids from green prickly ash and 61 terpenoids from red prickly ash. Piperitone was the most abundant terpenoid in green prickly ash fruit, whereas limonene was most abundant in red prickly ash. Intergroup correlation analysis and redundancy analysis showed that HDS2, MVK2, and MVD are key genes for terpenoid synthesis in green prickly ash, whereas FDPS2 and FDPS3 play an important role in the terpenoid synthesis of red prickly ash. In summary, differences in the composition and content of terpenoids are the main factors that cause differences in the aromas of green and red prickly ash, and these differences reflect contrasting expression patterns of terpenoid synthesis genes.

Canine adenovirus (CAdV) has a high prevalence in canine populations. High affinity neutralizing antibodies against conserved epitopes can provide protective immunity against CAdV and protect against future outbreaks. In this study, we identified two CAdV-2-specific neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), 2C1 and 7D7, which recognized two linear-dependent epitopes. MAb 2C1 potently neutralized CAdV-2 with a 50% neutralization titer (NT50) of 4096, and mAb 7D7 partially neutralized CAdV-2 with a 50% NT50 of 64. Immunoprecipitation, Western blot and protein spectral analysis indicated that both neutralizing mAbs recognized the hexon protein (Hex) of CAdV-2. Through a 12-mer random peptide phage display and synthetic peptides analysis, we finely mapped the neutralizing epitopes to two 10-amino acid (aa) peptides within the CAdV Hex: 634RIKQRETPAL643 located on the surface region, and 736PESYKDRMYS745 located in the inner region of the expected 3D structure of trimeric Hex. Importantly, the two epitopes are highly conserved among all CAdV isolates by sequence alignment analysis. Thus, these results provide insights into the interaction between virus and mAbs at the aa level and may have potential applications in the development of novel therapeutic or epitope-based vaccines, antibody therapeutics and a diagnostic method suitable for the rapid detection of all CAdVs.

Background Glycidyl esters (GEs) have attracted worldwide attention for their potential harm to human health. The GEs in edible oils mainly form during the deodorization of the oil refining processes. We used sesamol and sesamolin to inhibit the formation of GEs in model corn oil (MCO), model palm oil (MPO) and model rice bran oil (MRO) during a deodorization process. Results The results showed that, in the three model oils, the total GE content was in the following order from highest to lowest: MRO (1437.98 μg kg-1 ) > MPO (388.64 μg kg-1 ) > MCO (314.81 μg kg-1 ). The inhibitory effect of the three antioxidants on the formation of GEs in the MCO was in the following order from strongest to weakest: tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) > sesamol > sesamolin. Conclusion When the mass percentage of sesamol was 0.05%, its inhibition percentage on GEs was close to the inhibition percentage of 0.02% added TBHQ. The present study provides a foundation for understanding how to inhibit the formation of GEs in oils by adding sesamol during the deodorization process.

Raman spectroscopy has been widely applied in the analysis of biological tissues. In this study, beak cuticle was studied to investigate its compositional and secondary structural changes during the laying period and aging of laying hens. The analysis revealed markedly increased contents of amide I and amino acids (phenylalanine and tyrosine) within the beak during the intense laying period from 17 to 20 weeks. In addition, α-helical protein was also gradually synthesized in this period. The relative area ratio of 1003/1448 cm−1 (assigned to the vibrations of phenylalanine and organic C-H respectively) was confirmed as an excellent indicator for estimating the start of the laying period. This ratio increased from 0.36 to 0.42 from 17 to 20 weeks. The Raman peak at 1156 cm−1 was assigned to carotenoids in the beak. The intensities of the 1156 cm−1 peak significantly decreased during aging. The area ratio of 1156/1448 cm−1 was successfully applied to estimate ages (still within the laying period) of laying hens. This study shows the potential of using Raman spectroscopy to quantify ages and laying period of birds.

The effects of rosemary extract, grape seed extract (GSE) and green tea polyphenol (GTP) on the physicochemical properties and N‐nitrosamines content of western‐style smoked sausage were investigated. Among the additives, GTP had the highest total phenol content (109.82 mg GAE/g DW) and the best scavenging capacity on ABTS (IC₅₀ = 0.16 g/ml). Rosemary extract and GTP reduced the hardness of sausage (p .05). Rosemary extract increased the a* and b* values of sausage significantly (p .05). The additives all decreased the pH values, TBARs values of sausage (p

Obesity and diabetes mellitus have become major health problems worldwide. In recent years, genistein has been found to be capable of inhibiting obesity and alleviating insulin resistance. However, the molecular mechanism of genistein against obesity is still not fully understood. In this study, we used 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and obese mice as models to explore the molecular mechanism of genistein against obesity. We found that genistein can inhibit obesity and downregulate the expression of miR-222 in mouse adipose tissue. In 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, treatment with miR-222 inhibitor or genistein reduced the expression of miR-222 and promoted lipid decomposition, while miR-222 treatment increased the expression of miR-222 and inhibited lipolysis. Moreover, the dual-luciferase reporter assay system confirmed that BTG2 and adipor1 are the target genes of miR-222. Experiments conducted in vitro and in vivo suggest that genistein may regulate lipid metabolism in the adipose tissue of obese mice by regulating the expression of miR-222 and its target genes, BTG2 and adipor1. Our findings provide a new epigenetic mechanism underpinning the ability of genistein to resist obesity. These results may provide a reference point for the dietary treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

In the present study, peony seed oil was encapsulated using a combination of whey protein isolate, corn syrup and soy lecithin (0.75%) as wall materials by spray drying. This formulation exhibited highest encapsulation efficiency and oxidative stability and least loss of bioactive compounds. The microstructure showed the peony seed oil microcapsules formed a complete core-shell structure with smooth surface and no apparent cracks or fissures. In-vitro digestion behavior showed more than 80% of the encapsulated oil was released from microcapsules after simulated gastrointestinal digestion.

In this study, geochemical compositions of elements in sulfide samples collected from the Deyin-1 hydrothermal field near the 15°S southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (SMAR) were analyzed by the X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to examine the enrichment regulations of ore-forming elements and hydrothermal mineralization. These sulfide precipitates can be classified macroscopically into three types: Fe-rich sulfide, Fe-Cu-rich sulfide and Fe-Zn-rich sulfide, and are characterized by the enrichment of base metal elements along with a sequence of Fe>Zn>Cu. Compared with sulfides from other hydrothermal fields on MAR, Zn concentrations of sulfides in the research area are significantly high, while Cu concentrations are relatively low. For all major, trace or rare-earth elements (REE), their concentrations and related characteristic parameters exhibit significant variations (up to one or two orders of magnitude), which indicates the sulfides from different hydrothermal vents or even a same station were formed at different stages of hydrothermal mineralization, and suggests the variations of chemical compositions of the hydrothermal fluid with respect to time. The hydrothermal temperatures of sulfides precipitation decreased gradually from station TVG10 (st.TVG10) to st.TVG12, and to st.TVG11, indicating that the precipitation of hydrothermal sulfides is subjected to conditions changed from high temperature to low temperature, and that the hydrothermal activity of study area was at the late stage of a general trend of evolution from strong to weak. The abnormally low concentrations of REE in sulfides and their similar chondrite-normalized REE patterns show that REEs in all sulfides were derived from a same source, but underwent different processes of migration or enrichment, or sulfides were formed at different stages of hydrothermal mineralization. The sulfides collected from the active hydrothermal vent were mainly attributed to precipitating directly from the hydrothermal fluid, while those collected from the extinct hydrothermal chimney might have already been altered by the seawater. Generally, ore-forming elements in the sulfides can be divided into three groups: Fe-based element group, Cu-based element group and Zn-based element group. The first group includes Fe, Mn, Cr, Mo, Sn, Rb and bio-enriching elements, such as P and Si, reflecting the similar characteristics to Fe in the study area. And the second group contains Cu, W, Co, Se, Te and Bi, suggesting the similar behavior with Cu. Moreover, the third group includes Zn, Hf, Hg, Cd, Ta, Ga, Pb, As, Ag, Ni and Sb, which indicates the geochemical characteristics of most dispersed trace elements controlled by Zn-bearing minerals to some extent.

The effects of soy lecithin concentration on the physical properties of whey protein isolate (WPI) stabilized emulsion and the corresponding microcapsules obtained by spray drying were investigated. Results showed that the addition of lecithin reduced the droplet size and interfacial viscoelastic properties of the emulsion. The ζ-potential of the oil/water emulsion initially decreased and then increased with increasing soy lecithin concentration. The emulsion stability depended on the interaction between lecithin and whey protein isolate (WPI) on the interface, which formed a compact adsorption to response external deformations and thus enhanced the stability of emulsion. Microcapsules, obtained by spray drying of emulsion, exhibited good redispersibility in water. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the particles prepared by addition of lecithin showed compact surface. High encapsulation efficiency was observed at intermediate soy lecithin concentration (0.50–1.00%) because of the synergistic effect of lecithin and WPI in this region.

Mineralogical changes and solubility of bioapatite in mice cortical bones (2- and 5 months old) were investigated by Raman spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma spectrometry in this study. The Raman analyses show that the full width at half maximum values of the 960 cm−1 peak exhibit a slight increase during mouse pregnancy, which suggests slightly decreasing crystallinity. Additionally, aging significantly increases the solubility of bone bioapatite. The 1070 cm−1 peak indicates the enriched carbonate incorporation during aging from 2 to 5 months. The elevated solubility of bioapatite and low bone density are consistent with the low crystallinity of bioapatite.

In this study to screen for stable, high Taxol-producing cell lines (CL5, CL12, and CL21) of Taxus cuspidata, stem tissues were used to induce calli, which were then subcultured nine times to establish suspension cell cultures. From 97 cell lines obtained from conditioned cultures, 10 cell lines with high Taxol content were selected. Stability analyses on solid and liquid B5 media were then used to obtain lines that stably produced high levels of Taxol. Fresh biomass and Taxol production of the ninth generation became stable. Taxol content of selected CL5, CL12, and CL21 samples was 0.0448, 0.0477, and 0.0428% of dry mass (DW), respectively. Proliferation of CL5, CL12 and CL21 was 346.3, 382.5, and 409.2%, respectively. From work over about 2 years, the three cell lines appear suitable for mass production of Taxol, promoting the industrialisation and commercial-scale production of Taxol using cell culture.

Polypyrrole/aligned carbon nanotubes (PPy/ACNTs) core-shell nanotube arrays on metal foil have been fabricated through an electrochemical method. The as-prepared PPy/ACNTs electrode materials with novel nanostructure, which is very conducive to the transmission of electrons and ions, possess greatly improved electrochemical performance. The specific capacitances of PPy/ACNTs electrode materials can reach 505 F/g (vs. the both mass of PPy and ACNTs) in three-electrode system. In two-electrode system, the specific capacitances of the PPy/ACNTs electrode materials can reach 456 F/g (vs. the both mass of PPy and ACNTs). The PPy/ACNTs electrode materials also exhibit greatly improved rate capability and superior cycling performance.

The fate and activity of β-arrestin2, a key player in the regulation of desensitization and endocytosis of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), are regulated by mouse double minute 2 homolog (Mdm2)-mediated ubiquitination. However, details of the molecular mechanisms of β-arrestin2 ubiquitination remain unclear. Studies on β-arrestin2 and Mdm2 mutants with modified nucleocytoplasmic shuttling properties have revealed that β-arrestin2 ubiquitination occurs in the nucleus in a Gβγ- and clathrin-dependent manner. The nuclear entry of both β-arrestin2 and Mdm2 commonly relies on the presence of importin complex but can occur independently of each other. Gβγ and clathrin regulated the nuclear entry of β-arrestin2 by mediating the interaction between β-arrestin2 and importin β1. In contrast, Akt-mediated phosphorylation of two serine residues of Mdm2 partly regulated the nuclear entry of Mdm2. Ubiquitinated β-arrestin2 along with Mdm2 translocated to the cytoplasm where they play various functional roles including receptor endocytosis and ubiquitination of other cytoplasmic proteins. The nuclear export of Mdm2 required nuclear entry and interaction of β-arrestin2 with Mdm2. Ubiquitination was required for the translocation of β-arrestin2 toward activated receptors on the plasma membrane and for its endocytic activity. The current study revealed the cellular components and processes involved in the ubiquitination of β-arrestin2, and these findings could be quintessential for providing directions and detailed strategies for the manipulation of GPCR functions and development of GPCR-related therapeutics.

Incretins, including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), secreted from enteroendocrine cells after food ingestion, are currently recognized to regulate glucose metabolism through insulin secretion. We previously demonstrated that platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) induces the migration of osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells through mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, including p38 MAP kinase. In the present study, we investigated whether or not incretins affect the osteoblast migration. The PDGF-BB-induced cell migration was significantly reinforced by GLP-1, GIP or cAMP analogues in MC3T3-E1 cells and normal human osteoblasts. The upregulated migration by GLP-1 or cAMP analogues was suppressed by H89, an inhibitor of protein kinase A. The amplification by GLP-1 of migration induced by PDGF-BB was almost completely reduced by SB203580, a p38 MAP kinase inhibitor in MC3T3-E1 cells and normal human osteoblasts. In addition, GIP markedly strengthened the PDGF-BB-induced phosphorylation of p38 MAP kinase. Exendin-4, a GLP-1 analogue, induced Rho A expression and its translocation from cytoplasm to plasma membranes in osteoblasts at the epiphyseal lines of developing mouse femurs in vivo. These results strongly suggest that incretins accelerates the PDGF-BB-induced migration of osteoblasts via protein kinase A, and the up-regulation of p38 MAP kinase is involved in this acceleration. Our findings may highlight the novel potential of incretins to bone physiology and therapeutic strategy against bone repair.

Although canine adenovirus (CAdV) is highly prevalent in dogs, there is currently a lack of a quick diagnostic method. In this study, we developed a rapid immunochromatographic strip (ICS) assay using colloidal gold coupled to CAdV-2-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). BALB/c mice were immunized with a purified CAdV-2 suspension, and four mAbs (belonging to two different epitopes) were generated and designated as 2C1, 7D7, 10D1, and 4G1. Western blot and protein spectral analysis indicated that the hexon protein of CAdV-2 recognized all four mAbs. The colloidal gold-coupled 7D7 and 2C1 mAbs were chosen for inclusion in the rapid ICS assay. The optimal concentrations of the coating antibody (2C1), the capture antibody (7D7), and the goat anti-mouse antibody were 1.0 mg/ml, 10 μg/ml, and 2.0 mg/ml, respectively. The limit of detection was approximately 2.0 × 102 tissue culture infective dose (TCID50)/ml. Other common canine viruses were tested to evaluate the specificity of the ICS, and positive results were observed for only CAdV-1 and CAdV-2. The ICS test was conducted on 360 samples to detect CAdV, and the results were compared with those of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. The ICS test was found to be a sufficiently sensitive and specific detection method for the convenient and rapid detection of CAdV.

Objective Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with an increased prevalence of dysglycaemia, which includes impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Patients with PCOS demonstrate abnormal patterns of steroid hormones. Here, we analyse the correlation between glucose metabolism and serum steroid hormones in PCOS. Design Observational double-centre study. Patients 914 patients with PCOS. Measurements We assessed the glucose metabolism status of all patients according to the 1999 WHO criteria. Serum steroid hormones were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results The median age of the patients was 26 years (interquartile range: 21-30), and 40.6% (371/914) had abnormal glucose metabolism: 29.3% (268/914) had prediabetes, and 11.3% (103/914) had T2DM. Correlation analysis not adjusting for confounding factors revealed that serum aldosterone, androstenedione, oestrone, pregnenolone and the free androgen index were positively correlated, while progesterone was negatively correlated with the risk of abnormal glucose metabolism. After adjusting for age, body mass index and fasting insulin levels in the logistic regression model, only aldosterone (P = .013), androstenedione (P = .046) and oestrone (P = .014; in quartiles) were correlated with the risk of abnormal glucose metabolism. Conclusions This study indicates a high prevalence of prediabetes and T2DM in patients with PCOS. Furthermore, there were positive correlations of serum aldosterone, androstenedione and oestrone with the risk of abnormal glucose metabolism after adjusting for confounding factors.

Melanin is a broad term for a family of complex organic macromolecules that contain phenol or indole groups. Melanins are found in animals, plants, and microorganisms and are widely used in medicine, food, and chemical industries. However, at present, the synthesis of plant melanin is still unclear and hinders the development and utilization of melanin. To clarify the composition of plant melanin and the key synthetic genes, we observed the cytological observation of the melanin-forming tissue of ZB seeds and analyzed the transcriptome and metabolite profiles of different developmental stages. We measured seed melanin content and gene expression levels and used redundancy analysis (RDA) to identify key genes that affected melanin synthesis. The seed melanin content was 3.85 % at the green fruit stage (S2) and reached a peak of 4.33 % at the fruit maturity stage (S4). Tyrosine and hydroquinone contents were highest at S2: 830 mg/kg and 77.23 mg/kg, respectively. Catechin, L-epicatechin, procyanidin B1, and p-coumaric acid were the main flavonoids in ZB seeds and reached their highest levels at S2. RDA analysis confirmed that S2 was the key period of melanin synthesis and that ZbPPO, ZbLAR, ZbTYRP1, and ZbTYR had crucial roles in the synthesis of ZB melanin-related substances.

The basalt-hosted Wocan hydrothermal field (WHF) was identified in 2013 during Chinese Dayang 28th cruise, which is located on the slow-spreading Carlsberg Ridge, northwest Indian Ocean. Few investigation has been carried out on the hydrothermal activities and associated sulfide deposit in this area. Herein, we report Fe and S isotope compositions of sulfide minerals including chalcopyrite, bornite, pyrite and sphalerite collected from the WHF. The results showed that all sulfide minerals display small δ34S variations (2.44‰ to 5.37‰, with an average of 4.00‰), and a wide δ56Fe range (−2.05‰ to 0.10‰, with an average of −0.92‰). Sulfur and iron isotopes in paired pyrite and chalcopyrite minerals reveal that it did not reach the equilibrium fractionation during pyrite precipitation, and support that the FeS precipitates first during the pyrite formation. The δ56Fe values of chalcopyrite and concurrent bornite are characterized by a well-defined negative correlation, which may be related to the repeated dissolution-reprecipitation of these copper-bearing sulfides under Fe-limited conditions. Most pyrites from the WHF demonstrate a positive correlation between δ56Fe and δ34S values, in accord with those from other hydrothermal fields, which can be explained by the temperature gradient and similar degrees of isotope exchange in the stable hydrothermal system. Conversely, the δ56Fe and δ34S values of chalcopyrite exhibit a slightly negative correlation, in which the temperature gradient can explain the negative correlation, but cannot cover the wide ranges of δ56Fe and δ34S values. More work on fractionation parameters and chalcopyrite formation mechanisms is still needed. In summary, the coupling of Fe and S isotopes is a useful tool in helping to delineate processes of sulfide mineralization in hydrothermal systems

A seafloor hydrothermal field, named Deyin-1 later, near 15°S southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (SMAR) was newly found during the 22nd cruise carried out by the China Ocean Mineral Resources Research & Development Association (COMRA). Sulfide samples were collected at three stations from the hydrothermal field during the 26th cruise in 2012. In this paper, mineralogical characteristics of the sulfides were analyzed with optical microscope, X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope and electron microprobe to study the crystallization sequence of minerals and the process of hydrothermal mineralization. According to the difference of the ore-forming metal elements, the sulfide samples can be divided into three types: (1) the Ferich sulfide, which contains mainly pyrite and chalcopyrite; (2) the Fe-Cu-rich sulfide consisting predominantly of pyrite, chalcopyrite and isocubanite, with lesser amount of sphalerite, marmatite and pyrrhotine; and (3) the Fe-Zn-rich sulfide dominated by pyrite, sphalerite and marmatite, with variable amounts of chalcopyrite, isocubanite, pyrrhotine, marcasite, galena and gratonite. Mineral precipitations in these sulfides are in the sequence of chalcopyrite (isocubanite and possible coarse pyrite), fine pyrite, sphalerite (marmatite), galena, gratonite and then the minerals out of the dissolution. Two morphologically distinct generations (Py-I and Py-II) of pyrite are identified in each of the samples; inclusions of marmatite tend to exist in the coarse pyrite crystals (Py-I). Sphalerite in the Fe-Zn-rich sulfide is characterized by a “chalcopyrite disease” phenomenon. Mineral paragenetic relationships and a wide range of chemical compositions suggest that the environment of hydrothermal mineralization was largely changing. By comparison, the Fe-rich sulfide was formed in a relatively stable environment with a high temperature, but the conditions for the formation of the Fe-Cu-rich sulfide were variable. The Fe-Zn-rich sulfide was precipitated during the hydrothermal venting at relatively low temperature.

In this study, using Taxus cuspidata as a raw material, we obtained stable high-yielding cell lines by subculturing and quantified paclitaxel content using ultrasonic extraction combined with TLC–UV spectrophotometry. In single factor and multiple factors tests to optimize design and study the effects of elicitors, precursors, and metabolic inhibitors on paclitaxel production by Taxus cuspidata cells, paclitaxel production reached 4.32 mg/L when 100 μmol/L methyl jasmonate, 20 mg/L salicylic acid, 400 mg/L phenylalanine and 2 mg/L gibberellin (GA3) were added to the culture medium of suspension cells. When adding metabolic adjustment factors on the 7th day of culture, extra- and intracellular paclitaxel production was the highest at 4.855 mg/L, paclitaxel release rate was 10.48 %, fresh mass and paclitaxel production of cell increased, respectively, by 6.08 and 11.57 %. By controlling the anabolism of paclitaxel, paclitaxel yield was significantly improved.

We compared 10 established and 2 new satellite reflectance algorithms for estimating chlorophyll- a (Chl- a ) in a temperate reservoir in southwest Ohio using coincident hyperspectral aircraft imagery and dense coincident surface observations collected within 1 h of image acquisition to develop simple proxies for algal blooms in water bodies sensitive to algal blooms (especially toxic or harmful algal blooms (HABs)) and to facilitate portability between multispectral satellite imagers for regional algal bloom monitoring. All algorithms were compared with narrow band hyperspectral aircraft images. These images were subsequently upscaled spectrally and spatially to simulate 5 current and near future satellite imaging systems. Established and new Chl- a algorithms were then applied to the synthetic satellite images and compared to coincident surface observations of Chl- a collected from 44 sites within 1 h of aircraft acquisition of the imagery. We found several promising algorithm/satellite imager combinations for routine Chl- a estimation in smaller inland water bodies with operational and near-future satellite systems. The CI, MCI, FLH, NDCI, 2BDA and 3 BDA Chl- a algorithms worked well with CASI imagery. The NDCI, 2BDA, and 3BDA Chl- a algorithms worked well with simulated WorldView-2 and 3, Sentinel-2, and MERIS-like imagery. NDCI was the most widely applicable Chl- a algorithm with good performance for CASI, WorldView 2 and 3, Sentinel-2 and MERIS-like imagery and limited performance with MODIS imagery. A new fluorescence line height “greenness” algorithm yielded the best Chl- a estimates with simulated Landsat-8 imagery.