Search

Objective: Field trials were conducted in 13 citrus production regions including Hunan and Hubei provinces to evaluate the safety of the application of acetamiprid and pyriproxyfen on citrus. The residue, dissipation dynamics and dietary risk assessment of acetamiprid and pyriproxyfen in citrus fruit were investigated. Methods: The samples were extracted with 1% acetic acid in acetonitrile, purified using a mixture of primary secondary amine and graphitized carbon black, and detected by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Results: Excellent linearity (R2 > 0.99) was observed between the response peak area and the concentration of acetamiprid and pyriproxyfen in the range of 0.001–0.5 mg/L. In whole citrus fruit and flesh spiked at 0.01, 0.5 and 2.5 mg/kg, the recoveries of acetamiprid and pyriproxyfen ranged from 83.0% to 104.3% and from 74.8% to 98.7% with relative standard deviation (RSDs) of 3.8% to 10.0% and 2.0 to 6.0%, respectively. The limits of quantification (LOQs) for the analytes were both 0.01 mg/kg. The dissipation dynamics of acetamiprid and pyriproxyfen in whole citrus fruit was fitted to a first-order kinetics model. The degradation half-lives of acetamiprid and pyriproxyfen in whole citrus fruit were 5.1–15.8 days and 4.5–21.2 days, respectively. Twenty-seven percent acetamiprid-pyriproxyfen dispersible concentrate was sprayed twice on citrus at the recommended dosage of 500 g/hm2 (2 000 × dilution). At a 7-day safety interval, the residues of acetamiprid and pyriproxyfen in citrus fruit ranged from less than 0.01 mg/kg to 0.45 mg/kg and to 0.68 mg/kg, respectively. At a 10-day safety interval, the residues of acetamiprid and pyriproxyfen in citrus fruit ranged from less than 0.01 mg/kg to 0.40 mg/kg and to 0.56 mg/kg, respectively and were both lower than the maximum residue limits (MRLs) for acetamiprid (0.5 mg/kg) and pyriproxyfen (2.0 mg/kg) according to the Chinese national standard. The risk assessment results showed that the acute and chronic dietary exposure risk of acetamiprid and pyriproxyfen ranged from 0.0% to 53.0% (much lower than 100%) for people in different age groups, which was at an acceptable level. Conclusion: This study can provide guidance for the safety evaluation and rational application of acetamiprid and pyriproxyfen in citrus.

Abstract: This study investigated the hydrogenation and dehydrogenation behavior of Mg2Co nanoparticles and carbon nanotube (CNT) composites using temperature-programmed deposition, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). We used the mechanical alloying method to prepare nanosized Mg2Co particles on CNTs with three loadings of alloys. The introduction of CNTs showed dehydrogenation, hydrogen desorption starting at 370°C, with the majority of hydrogen being below 500°C. This can be explained by the fact that Mg2Co alloy deposited on CNT surface induced the dissociation of hydrogen into two atoms, which were spilt over and then intercalated into the interlayer of CNT. Accordingly, the atomic intercalation enabled the reduction of the hydrogen desorption activation barrier. The spillover mechanism of hydrogen storage can be confirmed by XRD and Raman spectroscopy because of larger interspacing (d 002) and weaker graphite degree (I D/I G) of CNTs after hydrogenation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Sow milk yield and quality is crucial for the survival and growth of piglets. To understand the molecular mechanisms of lactogenesis and lactation, mammary tissue samples were taken from six sows at -17(±2), 1 and 17(±2) days relative to parturition. Mammary tissues from two sows in the same stage were used to extract RNA, which were subsequently pooled in equal amounts. Nine pooled samples were hybridized to porcine Affymetrix GeneChips. Totally 1,524 genes were detected as significantly differentially expressed over the time course tested (p<0.01, q<0.01, fold change≥2 or ≤-2), including 709 upregulated and 575 downregulated genes identified at peak lactation compared to late pregnancy. Gene ontology analysis revealed that most of the upregulated genes were involved in transport, biosynthetic processes, and homeostasis, whereas most of the downregulated genes were involved in intracellular signaling cascades, cell cycle, and DNA replication. Furthermore, we identified 64 differentially expressed genes of the solute carrier families. Taken together, our microarray analysis provides insights into previously uncharacterized changes in transcriptome between late pregnancy and peak lactation in the porcine mammary gland. The solute carrier genes and other differentially expressed genes identified in this study will guide further characterization of their function to enhance milk yield and piglet growth.