Microwave heating enhances antioxidant and emulsifying activities of ovalbumin glycated with glucose in solid-state.

The aim of this study was to characterize the properties of ovalbumin (OVA) after glycated with glucose under microwave heating. For this purpose, microwave at 480 and 640 W power levels were used for heating the OVA-glucose system in solid-state for 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 min, respectively. The results indicated that the protein molecular weight was increased after glycated with glucose under microwave treatment, the pH of the system was decreased with the increase of microwave treatment power and time, while the UV absorbance, browning intensity, antioxidant activities as well as the emulsifying activity and emulsion stability of the Maillard reaction products (MRPs) were increased in according with the raise of microwave treatment power and time.

Bone morphogenetic protein 7 attenuates epithelial-mesenchymal transition induced by silica.

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical process in the pulmonary fibrosis. It has been reported that bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP-7) was able to reverse EMT in proximal tubular cells. Therefore, we test the hypothesis that EMT contributes to silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis and BMP-7 inhibits EMT in silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

Development of hybrid-type modified chitosan derivative nanoparticles for the intracellular delivery of midkine-siRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Most of the patients with HCC lose the surgical opportunity at the time of diagnosis. Some novel therapeutic modalities, like gene therapy, are promising for the treatment of HCC.

Molecular evolution and functional divergence of zebrafish (Danio rerio) cryptochrome genes.

Cryptochromes function in animal circadian regulation. Zebrafish are known to have six cryptochrome (cry) genes but their evolutionary relationships are not yet fully resolved. Here, comparative genomic analyses revealed that a local duplication of ancestral chordate Cry occurred likely before the first round of vertebrate genome duplication (VGD); following two successive rounds of VGD and subsequent gene losses, coelacanths retained cry1a, cry1b, cry2 and cry3; and following the third-round teleost genome duplication (TGD) and subsequent gene losses, zebrafish retained six cry genes, renamed as cry1aa (zcry1a in the old nomenclature), cry1ab (zcry1b), cry1ba (zcry2a), cry1bb (zcry2b), cry2 (zcry3) and cry3 (zcry4).

Synthesis of 2-amino-1,3,4-oxadiazoles and 2-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazoles via sequential condensation and I2-mediated oxidative C–O/C–S bond formation.

2-Amino-substituted 1,3,4-oxadiazoles and 1,3,4-thiadiazoles were synthesized via condensation of semicarbazide/thiosemicarbazide and the corresponding aldehydes followed by I2-mediated oxidative C–O/C–S bond formation. This transition-metal-free sequential synthesis process is compatible with aromatic, aliphatic, and cinnamic aldehydes, providing facile access to a variety of diazole derivatives bearing a 2-amino substituent in an efficient and scalable fashion.

[Enzymatic production of α-ketoglutaric acid by L-glutamate oxidase from L-glutamic acid].

We produced α-ketoglutaric acid (α-KG) from L-glutamic acid, using enzymatic transformation approach with L-glutamate oxidase (LGOX). First, wild strain Streptomyces sp. FMME066 was mutated with NTG, a genetically stable mutant Streptomyces sp.

Detection and Identification of Six Foodborne Bacteria by Two-tube Multiplex Real Time PCR and Melting Curve Analysis.

Objective: This study is aimed to develop a two-tube melting curve-based multiplex real time PCR assay (MCMRT-PCR) for the simultaneous detection of six common foodborne pathogenic bacteria (diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Shigella in tube 1, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Listeria monocytogenes in tube 2).

Methods: A two-tube MCMRT-PCR assay was performed on 7900HT Fast Real-Time PCR System (Applied Biosystems, USA). Amplification by PCR was optimized to obtain high efficiency.

Increasing the visible light absorption of graphitic carbon nitride (melon) photocatalysts by homogeneous self-modification with nitrogen vacancies.

A novel reduced melon photocatalyst with a bandgap of 2.03 eV developed here has a widened visible light absorption range and suppressed radiative recombination of photo-excited charge carriers due to the homogeneous self-modification with nitrogen vacancies. As a consequence, the reduced melon shows a much superior photocatalytic activity compared to the pristine melon in generating •OH radicals and degrading the organic pollutant Rhodamine B.

I2-mediated oxidative C-N bond formation for metal-free one-pot synthesis of di-, tri-, and tetrasubstituted pyrazoles from α,β-unsaturated aldehydes/ketones and hydrazines.

An I2-mediated metal-free oxidative C-N bond formation methodology has been established for the regioselective pyrazole synthesis. This practical and eco-friendly one-pot protocol requires no isolation of the less stable intermediates hydrazones and provides a facile access to a variety of di-, tri-, and tetrasubstituted (aryl, alkyl, and/or vinyl) pyrazoles from readily available α,β-unsaturated aldehydes/ketones and hydrazine salts.

p53-Dependent apoptosis induced in human bronchial epithelial (16-HBE) cells by PM(2.5) sampled from air in Guangzhou, China.

Epidemiological studies have shown that air pollution particulate matter (PM) is associated with increased respiratory morbidity and mortality. However, the mechanisms are not fully understood. Oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis plays an important role in the occurrence of respiratory diseases.

Switching the selectivity of the photoreduction reaction of carbon dioxide by controlling the band structure of a g-C3N4 photocatalyst.

The selectivity of the CO2 photoreduction reaction in the presence of water vapour can be modulated by the band structure of a g-C3N4 photocatalyst. The major products obtained using bulk g-C3N4 with a bandgap of 2.77 eV and g-C3N4 nanosheets with a bandgap of 2.

Effects of Dietary Chromium Methionine on Growth Performance, Carcass Composition, Meat Colour and Expression of the Colour-related Gene Myoglobin of Growing-finishing Pigs.

To investigate the effect of dietary chromium (Cr) as Cr methionine (CrMet) on growth performance, carcass traits, pork quality, meat colour and expression of meat colour-related genes in growing-finishing pigs, 189 crossbred Duroc×(Landrace×Yorkshire) growing-finishing pigs (male, castrated, average initial BW 74.58±1.52 kg) were selected and randomly allocated into four groups.

Image denoising using nonsubsampled shearlet transform and twin support vector machines.

Denoising of images is one of the most basic tasks of image processing. It is a challenging work to design a edge/texture-preserving image denoising scheme. Nonsubsampled shearlet transform (NSST) is an effective multi-scale and multi-direction analysis method, it not only can exactly compute the shearlet coefficients based on a multiresolution analysis, but also can provide nearly optimal approximation for a piecewise smooth function.

[A novel one-tube multiplex RT-PCR assay for simultaneous detection of six human coronaviruses].

Objective: To develop an one-tube multiplex RT-PCR assay for simultaneous detection of six human coronaviruses (HCoVs).

Methods: Genbank sequences of six human coronaviruses, including HCoV-NL63, HCoV-229E, SARS-CoV, HCoV-OC43, MERS-CoV, and HCoV-HKU1, were included as reference sequences. Primers were designed based on multiple alignment of reference sequences, targeting the conserved regions of each species of HcoV.

Hypermethylation of DDAH2 promoter contributes to the dysfunction of endothelial progenitor cells in coronary artery disease patients.

Background: Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) may be a biomarker for vascular function and cardiovascular risk in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 2 (DDAH2) regulates the function of EPCs. This study aimed to examine whether hypermethylation of DDAH2 promoter contributes to impaired function of EPCs in CAD patients.

[Establishment and primary application of a novel resequencing pathogen microarray-based assay for detecting pathogens in patients with unexplained diarrhea].

In this study, a novel resequencing pathogen microarray (RPM)-based multi-pathogen detection assay was developed to simultaneously detect 14 rotaviruses, 7 caliciviruses, 8 astroviruses, 28 enteroviruses, and 16 rare diarrhea viruses in patients with diarrhea syndrome. The specificity of the assay was examined using confirmed virus-positive specimens, and the sensitivity was evaluated by serial ten-fold dilutions of in vitro transcribed RNA. RPM assay could detect and differentiate virus types/subtypes at 20-2000 copies/microL.

A concise approach to polysubstituted oxazoles from N-acyl-2-bromo enamides via a copper(I)/amino acid-catalyzed intramolecular C-O bond formation.

A straightforward and efficient copper(I)/amino acid-catalyzed intramolecular Ullmann-type C-O coupling reaction has been developed. This protocol affords a facile methodology for the synthesis of a series of novel 2,4,5-substituted oxazoles from readily accessible N-acyl-2-bromo enamides under mild conditions.

Aberrant miRNA profiles associated with chronic benzene poisoning.

Chronic occupational benzene exposure is associated with an increased risk of hematological malignancies. To gain an insight into the new biomarkers and molecular mechanisms of chronic benzene poisoning, miRNA profiles and mRNA expression pattern from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of chronic benzene poisoning patients and health controls matched age and gender without benzene exposure were performed using the Exiqon miRNA PCR ARRAY and Gene Chip Human Gene 2.0ST Arrays, respectively.

A two-tube multiplex reverse transcription PCR assay for simultaneous detection of viral and bacterial pathogens of infectious diarrhea.

Diarrhea caused by viral and bacterial infections is a major health problem in developing countries. The purpose of this study is to develop a two-tube multiplex PCR assay using automatic electrophoresis for simultaneous detection of 13 diarrhea-causative viruses or bacteria, with an intended application in provincial Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, China. The assay was designed to detect rotavirus A, norovirus genogroups GI and GII, human astrovirus, enteric adenoviruses, and human bocavirus (tube 1), and Salmonella, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, diarrheagenic Escherichia coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Shigella, Yersinia, and Vibrio cholera (tube 2).

PTEN methylation involved in benzene-induced hematotoxicity.

It is well known that benzene is a hematotoxic carcinogen. PTEN promoter methylation is a representative example of transcriptional silencing of tumor suppressor genes. However, the effect of PTEN methylation on benzene-induced hematotoxicity has not yet been elucidated.

Enzymatic production of α-ketoglutaric acid from l-glutamic acid via l-glutamate oxidase.

In this study, a novel strategy for α-ketoglutaric acid (α-KG) production from l-glutamic acid using recombinant l-glutamate oxidase (LGOX) was developed. First, by analyzing the molecular structure characteristics of l-glutamic acid and α-KG, LGOX was found to be the best catalyst for oxidizing the amino group of l-glutamic acid to a ketonic group without the need for exogenous cofactor. Then the LGOX gene was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) in a soluble and active form, and the recombinant LGOX activity reached to a maximum value of 0.

Long non-coding RNA NR_045623 and NR_028291 involved in benzene hematotoxicity in occupationally benzene-exposed workers.

Benzene is an established human hematotoxicant and leukemogen. New insights into the pathogenesis of benzene hematotoxicity are urgently needed. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) widely participate in various physiological and pathological processes.

Aberrant hypomethylated STAT3 was identified as a biomarker of chronic benzene poisoning through integrating DNA methylation and mRNA expression data.

Chronic occupational benzene exposure is associated with an increased risk of hematological malignancies such as aplastic anemia and leukemia. The new biomarker and action mechanisms of chronic benzene poisoning are still required to be explored. Aberrant DNA methylation, which may lead to genomic instability and the altered gene expression, is frequently observed in hematological cancers.

mTOR inhibition of cardamonin on antiproliferation of A549 cells is involved in a FKBP12 independent fashion.

Aims: Cardamonin has previously demonstrated that it had an antiproliferative effect on vascular smooth muscle cells by inhibiting the activity of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). The antiproliferative effect and the possible mechanism of combining with mTOR of cardamonin were investigated on A549 cells.

Main Methods: Cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis were measured by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) and flow cytometry, respectively.