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Abstract The aim of this study was to identify the locations and harvest months in Guizhou province, China, producing the most suitable red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) for winemaking. Fruit from Guanling, Luodian and Zhenfeng counties was harvested separately from successive fruit cycles in August, September and October, respectively. The key traits measured were fruit weight, pulp yield, soluble solids content, and titratable acid. Wine characteristics measured were alcohol content, total carbohydrates, titratable acidity, volatile acidity, and betacyanin content. The overall suitability of fruit from each location for winemaking was evaluated using a multi‐factor, unweighted, scorecard. On that basis, fruit from Guanling county harvested in August was the most suitable. Fruit from Luodian, and Zhenfeng was most suitable when harvested in August and September, and September, respectively. These results provide a preliminary guide for the sourcing of red dragon fruit from Guizhou for wine production.

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury can occur during small-for-size liver transplantation, resulting in delayed graft function and decreased long-term graft survival. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of genetic overexpression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in protecting hepatocytes against I/R injury in a rat model of small-for-size liver transplantation. L02 liver cells were transfected with the eNOS gene using an adenovirus (Ad-eNOS). eNOS expression was detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. To evaluate the effect of eNOS overexpression, L02 cells were placed in a hypoxic environment for 12 h and immediately transferred to an oxygen-enriched atmosphere. For in vivo testing, rats pretreated with Ad-eNOS or control underwent small-for-size liver transplantation. At 6 h after reperfusion, the bile quantity, serum transaminase and nitric oxide (NO) levels, and histological outcomes were evaluated. Cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry or TUNEL assay. In vitro, Ad-eNOS prevented apoptosis in L02 cells with an increase in the level of NO in culture supernatant. In vivo, Ad-eNOS pre-treatment significantly increased bile production, improved abnormal transaminase levels, diminished apoptosis among liver cells, and decreased hepatocellular damage at 6 h after I/R injury. The eNOS-mediated renal protective effects might be associated with the downregulation of tumor necrosis factor-α and a reduction in macrophage activation in the early stage of reperfusion in small-for-size liver allografts. eNOS-derived NO production significantly attenuates hepatic I/R injury. Thus, eNOS overexpression constitutes a promising therapeutic approach to prevent liver I/R injury following small-for-size liver transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible electronics with great functional characteristics have proved to be a stepping stone in the field of wearable devices. Amongst all, gesture-sensing techniques have been widely studied for human-machine interfaces. In this paper, we propose a self-powered gesture-sensing system attached to the back of the hands, which has the capability of distinguishing hand gestures by measuring the triboelectric nanogenerator output signal. By attaching the sensor on the back of the hand, we can sense the displacement of tendons to detect the gestures. In addition, humidity resistance and durability of the device were tested and validated. Furthermore, we have established a set of rules to define the relationship between gestures and corresponding English letters. Therefore, the proposed sensor can further serve as an electronic sign language translator by converting gestures into words. Finally, we can integrate this system into gloves to enhance the applicability and utility. Overall, we have developed a real-time self-powered back-of-hand sensing system which can recognize various hand gestures.

Wine produced by fermentation of Chestnut rose (Rosa roxburghii) hips, known as cili (Chinese-Mandarin), in Guizhou province, and other places in China is becoming popular but there is limited knowledge of suitable yeast strains for its production. In this study, we first investigated the oenological properties of six commercial S. cerevisiae yeast strains (X16, F33, SH12, GV107, S102, RMS2), one commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. bayanus (S103), one commercial, non-Saccharomyces yeast strain, Torulaspora delbrueckii Prelude, and one indigenous S. cerevisiae strain, CZ, for cili wine fermentation. We measured the key traits of each of the yeast strains, viz., sulfite resistance, flocculation, hydrogen sulfide production capacity, fermentation rate, and yeast growth curves. Subsequently, we measured the resultant wine characteristics, viz., pH, alcohol content, residual sugar, titratable acidity, volatile acidity, ascorbic acid content and headspace volatile compounds. The overall suitability of each yeast type was evaluated using a multi-factor, unweighted, scorecard. On that basis, RMS2 was the most suitable, and closely followed by CZ and X16. This study is the first comparative evaluation of yeasts for cili wine production and provides a preliminary guide for their selection.