ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to assess the effect of Suanzaoren decoction on stress response of horses in transportation. A total of six male Ili horses were equally divided into Suanzaoren decoction treatment group (n = 3; basal diet supplemented with Suanzaoren decoction, three times/day) and control group (n = 3; basal diet, three times/day). After feeding for five days, all horses were transported for 8 h to simulate stress. Blood and serum samples were obtained before transport (BT), during transport (T), and after transport (AT). Results showed that there was significant interaction between road transport and dietary Suanzaoren decoction supplementation for the white blood cells (WBC), intermediate cell ratio (MID%), granulocyte ratio (GRAN%), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), glucose (GLU), aspartate transaminase (AST), creatine (CK), cortisol (COR), human growth hormone (HGH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and arginine vasopressin content, insulin (INS), and thyronine 4 (T4) in blood and serum. The highest WBC was found in T group. The highest GRAN%, ALT, GLU, AST, CK, T4, ACTH, and INS contents were observed in serum from AT groups, which was decreased by treatment. In conclusion, dietary Suanzaoren decoction supplementation did relieve horse transportation stress. This study provides a useful clinical therapy for relieving transportation stress of horses.

Abstract In this study, rice protein was used as raw material to explore the effects of γ-irradiation treatment doses (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5 kGy) on the physicochemical properties of rice protein (particle size, zeta potential, secondary structure, scanning electron microscope microstructure), surface hydrophobicity (H0), thermal stability), functional properties (solubility, water and oil retention, emulsification) and sensory quality. The results show that when the γ-irradiation dose is 2 kGy, the average particle size of rice protein is the smallest, the absolute value of the potential is the highest 33.58 mV, the content of β-sheets in the secondary structure is at least 31.16 ± 0.16, and the content of random curl is at most 14.56 ± 0.06, the surface of the microstructure is rough and the degree of pore depression is the deepest, the highest H0 is 160.45 ± 2.98, the minimum denaturation temperature (Td) and enthalpy (△H) are 70.49 ± 0.05 °C and 1.30 ± 0.01 J/g, which shows that γ-irradiation treatment can be significant affect the physicochemical properties of rice protein. When the irradiation dose is 2 kGy, the highest solubility of rice protein is 69.18 ± 1.07%, and the highest water and oil holding capacity are 5.89 ± 0.08 g/g and 3.45 ± 0.04 g/g, respectively. The highest emulsification activity and emulsification stability are 45.65 ± 1.26 m2/g and 208.33 ± 4.79 min, which shows that γ-irradiation treatment can improve the functional properties of protein. When the irradiation dose was less than 5 kGy, the sensory quality of rice protein was not significantly affected. The research results provide a theoretical basis for the deep processing and value-added utilization of rice protein by γ-irradiation technology.

Abstract Objectives Osteoblasts are derived from Bone Marrow-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BM-MSCs), which play an indispensable role in bone formation. In this study, the authors aim to investigate the role of IRF4 in the osteogenic differentiation of BM-MSCs and its potential molecular mechanism. Methods The authors used lentivirus infection to overexpress IRF4 in BM-MSCs. The expression of IRF4 and osteogenesis-related genes were detected by qRT-PCR and western blot analysis. The osteogenic differentiation of BM-MSCs was evaluated by Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) activity, Alizarin red staining, and Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) staining. Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP), Dual-Luciferase reporter assay and RNA Immunoprecipitation Assay were applied to confirm the regulatory mechanism between IRF4, miR-636 and DOCK9. Results The authors found IRF4 was down-regulated during the osteogenic differentiation of BM-MSCs, and IRF4 overexpression could decrease the osteogenic differentiation of BM-MSCs by specifically promoting the reduction of Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) activity and down-regulating osteogenic indicators, including OCN, OPN, Runx2 and CollA1. Mechanistically, IRF4 activated microRNA-636 (miR-636) expression via binding to its promoter region, and Dedicator of Cytokinesis 9 (DOCK9) was identified as the target of miR-636 in BM-MSCs. Moreover, the damage in the capacity of osteogenic differentiation of BM-MSCs induced by IRF4 overexpression could be rescued by miR-636 inhibition. Conclusions In summary, this paper proposed that IRF4/miR-636/DOCK9 may be considered as targets for the treatment of osteoporosis (OP).

Abstract In this paper, LS-dyna software was used to simulate the charging process of cylindrical shell when EFP has different angles, and some interesting phenomena and laws were found. Cylindrical elastic wave σr was generated when the cylindrical shell was impacted by EFP. The cylindrical elastic wave σr was correlated with the time required for the cylindrical shell charge to be successfully detonated. When the EFP warhead penetration Angle θ ranges from 0° to 10°, the σr increases linearly with (cosθ)-1/2. With the increase of θ, the tangential velocity vy had an obvious effect on the impact of EFP on the cylindrical shell, and the linear relationship between the elastic wave σr and (cosθ)-1/2 does not change. When the θ was greater than 45°, EFP could not successfully impact and detonate the cylindrical shell charge. The EFP velocity was measured by velocity measurement method with an error of 1.3%. The experimental results have strong similarity with the simulation results, indicating that the parameters of the numerical simulation model have good reliability.

Abstract Machine learning (ML) featured on its ability of learning and extracting features from a large set of data and automatically building statistical models. Through cooperation with intelligent sensors, which is designed to imitate human organs to analyze the sensory characteristics of foods, ML-based intelligent sensory systems such as electronic nose (E-nose) and electronic tongue (E-tongue) are developed for sensing applications in food industry. Consumption of alcohol beverages keep growing worldwide in recent years and fraudulent activities are stimulated due to the high price of alcoholic drinks, which motivates the application of intelligent sensory technology with high efficiency and accuracy for real-time quality control. Thus, this paper firstly summarizes the novel intelligent sensors that is suitable for sensory evaluation and the advanced ML algorithms used to create intelligent systems. Then the paper describes the mechanism of commercial ML-enabled intelligent devices and summarizes their practical sensing applications on the real-time quality control of a variety of alcoholic beverages, in term of detection of frauds and adulterations, aroma analysis, monitoring of the production process, and correlation with human sensory perception. Finally, the potential applications and future opportunities of ML-enabled intelligent sensor systems in the alcohol industry are discussed.

Abstract Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the intestine, demonstrating an increasing incidence every year. TongXieYaoFang (TXYF) has been used widely in China as a complementary therapy to relieve the symptoms of IBD for hundreds of years. In the present research, a network pharmacology-based approach was used to systematically explore the intrinsic mechanisms of TXYF in IBD at the molecular level. Network pharmacology-based methods, which mainly included database mining, screening of bioactive compounds, target prediction, collection of IBD-related targets, gene enrichment analysis, network construction, and molecular docking, were employed in the present study. Network analysis revealed a total of 108 potential targets derived from 22 component compounds of TXYF, among which 34 targets were common with the IBD-related targets. In the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, 10 key targets were identified. The gene enrichment analysis suggested that anti-inflammatory processes, such as NF-kappa B signaling pathway and Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, could be the core processes involved in the action of TXYF in IBD. Molecular docking results revealed that three compounds present in TXYF exhibited strong binding affinity for PTGS2. The present study provides novel insights into the molecular mechanisms and network approaches of TXYF action in IBD from a systemic perspective. The potential targets and pathways identified in the present study would assist in further research on the clinical application of TXYF in IBD therapy.

OBJECTIVES: Hip fractures are a worldwide public health problem. The incidence of hip fracture is high among the elderly, and it is an important cause of death and disability in this population. This observational study aimed to investigate the effect of acute hip fracture on the recovery of neurological function and the prognosis of patients with acute cerebral infarction, as well as whether surgical treatment of combined acute fracture can improve the prognosis of patients. METHODS: Thirty patients with acute cerebral infarction combined with acute hip fracture, who were hospitalized in two hospitals between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2019, were included. The patients did not undergo surgical treatment. The control group included patients with common acute cerebral infarction without hip fracture admitted in the same period. The neurological function recovery, hospitalization period, half a year recovery rate, incidence of complications, and one-year mortality rate between the two groups were compared. Eleven patients with acute cerebral infarction combined with hip fracture, who underwent surgical treatment, were selected and compared with those in the non-surgery group. RESULTS: Compared with patients with common acute cerebral infarction, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of those with acute cerebral infarction combined with hip fracture was higher (7.2±5.4 vs. 5.6%±4.3, p=0.034), the hospitalization period was prolonged (16.1±8.9% vs. 12.2±5.3, p=0.041), and the half a year recovery rate was lower (26.7% vs. 53.3%, p=0.016). Additionally, the incidence of pulmonary infection and lower extremity deep vein thrombosis was increased (30% vs. 11.7%, p=0.03; 6.7% vs. 0, p=0.043). The one-year mortality rate of patients with hip fracture was higher than that of patients with common cerebral infarction (23.3% vs. 6.7%, p=0.027). Compared with the non-surgical group, the good recovery rate after half a year of surgical treatment of the group with cerebral infarction and acute hip fracture had an increasing trend, while the hospitalization cycle, incidence of complications, and one-year mortality rate were all decreased, although this was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Acute cerebral infarction combined with hip fracture leads to worse neurological recovery, prolonged hospitalization period, increased complications, decreased patient prognosis, and increased one-year mortality. Surgical treatment improves the prognosis of patients with acute cerebral infarction. These findings may provide insights into the management of acute cerebral infarction.

ABSTRACT This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary protein and net energy (NE) levels on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen metabolism, and faecal microbiota of growing-finishing pigs. Eighteen crossed barrows were randomly allocated into one of three dietary treatments: high protein + high NE diet, low protein + high NE diet, and low protein + low NE diet. The whole experiment lasted 90 days and was divided into three phases (phase I: 25-50 kg; phase II: 50-75 kg; phase III: 75-105 kg). All pigs were individually housed in a metabolism cage and subjected to four-day total faeces and urine collection period at the end of each phase. There was no significant difference in growth performance, nutrient digestibility, serum total protein, and albumin concentrations of pigs among the dietary treatments. Compared with the high protein + high NE diet, pigs fed low protein + high NE and low protein + low NE diets had lower N intake, urine N, and total N excretion in each phase. At the end of the experiment, pigs fed the low protein + high NE and low protein + low NE diets had lower blood urea nitrogen, serum NH3-N concentrations, faecal pH value, faecal NH3-N concentration, and faecal Escherichia coli count than those fed the high protein + high NE diet. However, there was no significant difference in all of the above indexes between low protein + high NE and low protein + low NE diets. Decreasing the dietary protein content by 3.5 percentage units has no adverse effects on growth performance and nutrient digestibility of pigs while significantly reduces N excretion and faecal Escherichia coli count. Moreover, further decreasing dietary NE level in the low-protein diet by 0.35-0.5 MJ/kg does not affect growth performance, nutrient digestibility, N excretion, blood profiles, and faecal Escherichia coli count of pigs.

The effect of bisacodyl on the treatment of rats with slow transit constipation (STC) was studied. Forty-five female Wister rats were divided into control group, STC group, and STC bisacodyl group. The immunohistochemical method was used to determine interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) and the expression of c-Kit protein. Body mass and the number of defecations were significantly decreased in the STC group compared with the control group on the 100th day after diphenoxylate administration, while dry weight of feces was significantly increased and the intestinal transit time was prolonged. There were significant differences in the number of defecations, dry weight of feces, and intestinal transit time among the three groups. The number of defecations was higher, dry weight of feces was lower, and intestinal transit time was shorter in the STC bisacodyl group compared to the STC group. In addition, ICC basement membrane dissolution occurred in the colon wall of the STC group. The connection between ICC and surrounding cells was destroyed, and the nucleus shrunken to different degrees. Moreover, c-Kit expression in the STC group was significantly lower than the control group. The connection between ICC and surrounding cells in the STC bisacodyl group was significantly stronger than the STC group, and the number of ICC and the expression of c-Kit were increased. Bisacodyl could reduce the severity of STC in rats by increasing the number of ICC and the expression of c-Kit.

Abstract The naturally occurring wild barley mutant eibi1/hvabcg31 suffers from severe water loss due to the permeable leaf cuticle. Eibi1/HvABCG31 encodes a full ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, HvABCG31, playing a role in cutin deposition in the elongation zone of growing barley leaves. The eibi1 allele has pleiotropic effects on the appearance of leaves, plant stature, fertility, spike and grain size, and rate of germination. Comparative transcriptome profile of the leaf elongation zone of the eibi1 mutant as well as its isogenic wild type showed that various pathogenesis-related genes were up-regulated in the eibi1 mutant. The known cuticle-related genes that we analyzed did not show significant expression difference between the mutant and wild type. These results suggest that the pleiotropic effects may be a compensatory consequence of the activation of defense genes in the eibi1 mutation. Furthermore, we were able to find the mutation of the eibi1/hvabcg31 allele by comparing transcript sequences, which indicated that the RNA-Seq is useful not only for researches on general molecular mechanism but also for the identification of possible mutant genes.

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the mechanisms by which PD98059 and LY294002 interfere with the abnormal deposition of extracellular matrix regulated by connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) of rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). Methods: Rat PASMCs were cultured and separated into a control group. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was performed to detect the expression of collagen III and fibronectin mRNA. Immunohistochemistry and western blot analyses were performed to detect the expression of collagen III protein. Results: The expression of collagen III and fibronectin mRNA was greater in PASMCs stimulated with CTGF for 48 h, than in the control group. After 72h of stimulation, the expression of collagen III protein in the PASMCs was greater than in the control. The equivalent gene and protein expression of the CPL group were much more significant. Conclusions: CTGF can stimulate the gene expression of collagen III and fibronectin in PASMCs, which may be one of the factors that promote pulmonary vascular remodeling (PVR) under the conditions of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). PD98059 and LY294002 can inhibit the ERK1/2 and PI3K/PKB signaling pathways, respectively, thus interfering with the biological effects of CTGF. This may be a new way to reduce PAH-PVR.

Background Aspergillus niger has the ability to secrete feruloyl esterase. However, for economically viable industrial applications, it is necessary to increase their catalytic activities and/or protein yields to satisfy the increasing needs for feruloyl esterases. Results The gene AnFaeA that encodes a type A feruloyl esterase was successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris by a two-copy engineered yeast. After a screen in shaker flask, a one-copy strain GSKFA3 having the highest feruloyl esterase activity of 2.4 U/mL was obtained. Then, the pPICZaA-AnFaeA plasmid was transformed into GSKFA3 and the transformants were grown on YPDS plates with antibiotic Zeocin. After cultivation, a two-copy strain GSKZaFA20 with the highest feruloyl esterase activity of 15.49 U/mL was obtained. The expressed protein (recombinant AnFaeA) may be a glycoprotein with an apparent molecular weight of 40 kDa. It displayed the maximum activity at pH 6.0 and 50°C, and was stable at a pH range of 4.0-6.5 and at below 45°C. Its activity was not significantly affected by K+, Ca2 +, Mg2 +, Cu2 +, Zn2 +, Mn2 +, Na+ and EDTA, but activated by Fe2 +. The Km and Vmax toward 4-nitrophenyl ferulate were 5.5 mM and 69.0 U/mg, respectively. Conclusions The two-copy strain GSKZaFA20 showed a 4.4-fold increase in extracellular enzyme activity compared with the one-copy strain GSKFA3. Construction of two-copy strain improved secretion of recombinant AnFaeA in P. pastoris.

Objetivo:Explorar o efeito da eritromicina sobre lesões pulmonares induzidas por hiperóxia.Métodos:Uma prole de ratos Sprague-Dawley (SD) prematuros com um dia de vida foi dividida aleatoriamente em quatro grupos: grupo 1 ar + cloreto de sódio, grupo 2 ar + eritromicina, grupo 3 hiperóxia + cloreto de sódio e grupo 4 hiperóxia + eritromicina. Com um, sete e 14 dias de exposição, foram detectadas Glutationa (GSH) e Interleucina-1 beta (IL-1 beta) pelo ensaio imunossorvente ligado à enzima (ELISA), e o ácido bicinconinico (BCA) foi utilizado para detectar a proteína GSH. O mRNA da γ-glutamil-cisteina-sintetase (γ-GCS) foi detectado por reação em cadeia da polimerase via transcriptase reversa (RT-PCR).Resultados:Comparadas ao grupo 1, as expressões do mRNA da GSH e da γ-GCS no grupo 3 aumentaram significativamente com um e sete dias de exposição (p < 0,05), porém a expressão de mRNA da γ-GCS diminuiu significativamente aos 14 dias; a expressão de IL-1 beta no grupo 3 aumentou significativamente aos 7 dias de exposição (p < 0,05) e diminuiu significativamente aos 14 dias. Comparadas ao grupo 3, as expressões do mRNA da GSH e da γ-GCS no grupo 4 aumentaram significativamente com um, sete e 14 dias de exposição (p< 0,05), porém as expressões de GSH mostraram uma tendência de queda aos 14 dias; a expressão de IL-1 beta no grupo 4 foi reduzida significativamente com um e sete dias de exposição (p < 0,05).Conclusões:As variações de IL-1 beta e GSH mediadas por oxidantes estão envolvidas no desenvolvimento de lesão pulmonar induzida por hiperóxia. A eritromicina poderá regular positivamente a atividade da γ-GCS, aumentando a expressão de GSH, inibindo os níveis de interleucina-1beta mediada por oxidante e aliviando a lesão pulmonar induzida por hiperóxia por meio de um efeito antioxidante.

Objective:To explore the effect of erythromycin on hyperoxia-induced lung injury.Methods:One-day-old preterm offspring Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into four groups: group 1, air + sodium chloride; group 2, air + erythromycin;group 3, hyperoxia + sodium chloride; and group 4, hyperoxia + erythromycin. At one, seven, and 14 days of exposure, glutathione (GSH) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) were detected by double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and bicinchoninic acid (BCA) was used to detect GSH protein. γ-glutamine-cysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) mRNA was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Results:Compared with group 1, expressions of GSH and γ-GCS mRNA in group 3 were significantly increased at one and seven days of exposure (p < 0.05), but expression of γ-GCS mRNA was significantly reduced at 14 days; expression of IL-1 beta in group 3 was significantly increased at seven days of exposure (p < 0.05), and was significantly reduced at 14 days. Compared with group 3, expressions of GSH and γ-GCS mRNA in group 4 were significantly increased at one, seven, and 14 days of exposure (p < 0.05), but expressions of GSH showed a downward trend at 14 days; expression of IL-1 beta in group 4 was significantly reduced at one and seven days of exposure (p < 0.05).Conclusions:Changes in oxidant-mediated IL-1 beta and GSH are involved in the development of hyperoxia-induced lung injury. Erythromycin may up-regulate the activity of γ-GCS, increasing the expression of GSH, inhibiting the levels of oxidant-mediated IL-1 beta and alleviating hyperoxia-induced lung injury via an antioxidant effect.

Background: The AdEasy system is a fast-track system for generating recombinant adenoviruses using the efficient homologous recombination machinery between shuttle and adenovirus backbone plasmids in Escherichia coli BJ5183 cells. The key step is homologous recombination in BJ5183 cells, which is driven by RecA activity. However, culture time is stringently limited to reduce the damage to recombinant plasmids by RecA activity. Therefore, rapid identification of recombinant adenoviruses within the limited time-period is critical. Results: We developed a simple negative selection method to identify recombinant adenoviruses using colony PCR, which improves the efficiency of adenovirus recombination screening and packaging. Conclusions: The negative selection method to identify AdEasy adenovirus recombinants by colony PCR can identify the recombined colony within a short time-period, and maximally avoid damage to the recombinant plasmid by limiting recombination time, resulting in improved adenovirus packaging.

Uma série de materiais híbridos mesoporos MCM-41, contendo diferentes grupos amino (como 3-aminopropila (AP-), (2-aminoetilamino)propila (AAP-), ou [2-(2-aminoetilamino)etilamino]propila (AEP-)) foi preparada pelo método de pós-enxertia e caracterizada por difração de raio X de pó (XRD), adsorção de N2, espectroscopia de infravermelho com transformada de Fourier (FT-IR) e dessorção de CO2 com temperatura controlada (CO2-TPD). As propriedades catalíticas destes materiais híbridos para a reação de transesterificação de dimetil oxalato com fenol foram investigadas. Verificou-se que todos são ativos, particularmente o AEP-MCM-41, que apresentou a maior atividade dentre eles. Apenas um pequeno decréscimo na atividade foi observado após vários ensaios catalíticos sucessivos utilizando o mesmo catalisador, indicando uma boa reciclabilidade do mesmo. Notavelmente, a atividade do catalisador pode ser regenerado por simples tratamento com base, sob condições brandas. Além disso, os efeitos da densidade e da força básica dos grupos amino sobre as propriedades catalíticas foram exploradas na proposição do mecanismo de reação, incluindo a provável rota que leva à formação do subproduto anisol.

A series of hybrid mesoporous MCM-41 materials containing different amino groups (such as 3-aminopropyl (AP-), (2-aminoethylamino)propyl (AAP-), or [2-(2-aminoethylamino)ethylamino]propyl (AEP-) group) were prepared by a post-grafting method, and characterized by means of X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and temperature-programmed desorption of CO2 (CO2-TPD). The catalytic properties of these hybrid materials were investigated for the transesterification of dimethyl oxalate with phenol. All the samples were active for the transesterification. Among them, the sample AEP-MCM-41 exhibited the highest activity under test conditions. And only a slight decrease in activity could be observed after few runs, indicating the good recyclability of this catalyst. Notably, the activity of the used catalyst could be regenerated by simple treatment with diluted basic agents under mild conditions. Moreover, effects of the density and the basic strength of the amino groups on the catalytic properties were taken into consideration for understanding the reaction mechanism and the possible formation route of the by-product anisole.