Chlamydomonas reinhardtii polysaccharides retard rice starch retrogradation by weakening hydrogen bond strength within starch double helices.

This study investigated the effects of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii polysaccharides (CRPs) on retarding the retrogradation of japonica rice starch (JS) and glutinous rice starch (GS). Structure characterization revealed that CRPs, with an average molecular weight of 505 kDa, mainly consisted of glucose, mannose, and galactose and featured a triple-helix structure. CRPs could reduce the storage modulus increment of JS during the cooling process by interacting with amylose, thereby inhibiting gel network formation.

Bacillus velezensis strain NA16 shows high poultry feather-degrading efficiency, protease and amino acid production.

Isolated Bacillus velezensis strain NA16, which produces proteases, amino acids and the transcription levels of different keratinolytic enzymes and disulfide reductase genes in whole gene sequencing, was evaluated during feather degradation. The result shows under optimum fermentation conditions, chicken feather fermentation showed total amino acid concentration of 7599 mg/L, degradation efficiency of 99.3% at 72 h, and protease activity of 1058 U/mL and keratinase activity of 288 U/mL at 48 h.

Molecular Mechanism of Calycosin Inhibited Vascular Calcification.

Vascular calcification (VC) is a pathological condition frequently observed in cardiovascular diseases. Primary factors contributing to VC are osteogenic differentiation of vascular smooth muscle and hydroxyapatite deposition. Targeted autophagy (a lysosome-mediated mechanism for degradation/recycling of unnecessary cellular components) is a useful approach for inhibiting VC and promoting vascular cell health.

RhB@MOF-5 Composite Film as a Fluorescence Sensor for Detection of Chilled Pork Freshness.

This study presents a novel composite thin film based on rhodamine B encapsulated into MOF-5 (Metal Organic Frameworks) as a fluorescence sensor for the real-time detection of the freshness of chilled pork. The composite film can adsorb and respond to the volatile amines produced by the quality deterioration of pork during storage at 4 °C, with the fluorescence intensity of RhB decreasing over time. The quantitative model used for predicting the freshness indicator (total volatile base nitrogen) of pork was built using the fluorescence spectra (excited at 340 nm) of the RhB@MOF-5 composite film combined with the partial least squares (PLS) algorithm, providing R and R values of 0.

Molecular Dynamics Study on Regimes of Head-on Droplet Collision.

The head-on collision of two water droplets with a diameter of 10 nm in an atmospheric environment was investigated via molecular dynamics simulations. The gas molecules between droplets were visualized, and the phenomena of gas extrusion and gas molecules being captured were found. By observing and analyzing the holes regime, a "periphery-sucking" mechanism was proposed to explain the thinning in the middle of the expanding disk and the holes appearing.

Comparison of the immersion chilling and freezing and traditional air freezing on the quality of beef during storage.

Compared to traditional air freezing, immersion chilling and freezing shows an improvement in the freezing effect on meat quality, but it is not known whether this advantage persists over longer storage periods. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to compare the effects of immersion chilling and freezing (ICF) and traditional air freezing (TAF) on the physical and chemical indexes in beef longissimus muscle during a storage period of 150 days. In the current study, the longissimus muscle from Luxi cattle (aged 20-24 months) was analyzed, with samples independently frozen by ICF and TAF.

Novel β-mannanase/GLP-1 fusion peptide high effectively ameliorates obesity in a mouse model by modifying balance of gut microbiota.

We constructed a novel β-mannanase/GLP-1 fusion peptide, termed MGLP_1, and evaluated its ability to ameliorate obesity in a high-fat/high-sugar diet (HFSD)-induced mouse model. Eight-wk MGLP_1 treatment notably reduced obesity, as reflected by significant changes of body weight, serum triglyceride level, fatty liver and adipose tissue distribution. Amelioration of HFSD-induced gut dysbiosis by MGLP_1 was evidenced by reduced abundance ratio of bacterial phyla Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes, enhanced abundance of beneficial probiotic genera (Bifidobacterium, Lachnospiraceae, Ileibacterium), and reduced abundance of harmful genera (Clostridium, Romboutsia).

Surviving winter on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau: Pikas suppress energy demands and exploit yak feces to survive winter.

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, with low precipitation, low oxygen partial pressure, and temperatures routinely dropping below -30 °C in winter, presents several physiological challenges to its fauna. Yet it is home to many endemic mammalian species, including the plateau pika (). How these small animals that are incapable of hibernation survive the winter is an enigma.

A Microfluidic Biosensor Based on Magnetic Nanoparticle Separation, Quantum Dots Labeling and MnO Nanoflower Amplification for Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Typhimurium.

Screening of foodborne pathogens is an effective way to prevent microbial food poisoning. A microfluidic biosensor was developed for rapid and sensitive detection of Typhimurium using quantum dots (QDs) as fluorescent probes for sensor readout and manganese dioxide nanoflowers (MnO NFs) and as QDs nanocarriers for signal amplification. Prior to testing, amino-modified MnO nanoflowers (MnO-NH NFs) were conjugated with carboxyl-modified QDs through EDC/NHSS method to form MnO-QD NFs, and MnO-QD NFs were functionalized with polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) to form MnO-QD-pAb NFs.

Injection therapies for lateral epicondylalgia: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis.

Background: There are many injection therapies for lateral epicondylalgia but there has been no previous comprehensive comparison, based on the Bayesian method.

Methods: The MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases were searched for appropriate literature. The outcome measurement was the pain score.

Treatments for shoulder impingement syndrome: a PRISMA systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Many treatments for shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS) are available in clinical practice; some of which have already been compared with other treatments by various investigators. However, a comprehensive treatment comparison is lacking. Several widely used electronic databases were searched for eligible studies.

[Design and arrangement of the CHIP (CHinese In Prato) study].

Following the rapid economic development, China is experiencing a progressive increase in the incidence of cardiovascular (CV) events and in the prevalence of CV risk factors. According to recent estimations, the prevalence of diabetes sharply increased from 1% in 1980 to 11% in 2013. Migration from China to Europe is now mainly concentrated in Countries of the Southern Europe, e.

Characters available in photoplethysmogram for blood pressure estimation: beyond the pulse transit time.

The continuous and noninvasive blood pressure (BP) measurement based on pulse transit time (PTT) doesn't need cuff and could monitor BP in real time for a long period. However, PTT is just a time index derived from electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmogram (PPG), while BP-related information within the PPG waveform has seldom been taken into consideration. We hypothesized that PPG waveform feature might be useful for BP estimation.

Bronchiectasis: still a problem.

Objective: The purpose of this descriptive review was to delineate the current knowledge of bronchiectasis in terms of prevalence, burden of disease, pathophysiology, and management.

Data Sources: The National Library of Medicines MEDLINE and PubMed database (2005-2013) were used to conduct a search using the keyword term "bronchiectasis". The references for articles being considered for inclusion were searched from additional sources such as conference proceedings.

Association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer: the missing link.

Objective: This review focuses on current knowledge of specific processes that drive chronic airway inflammation which are important in the pathogenesis of both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer.

Data Sources: The data used in this review were obtained mainly from studies reported in the PubMed database (1997 - 2012) using the terms of COPD and lung cancer.

Study Selection: Data from published articles about prevalence of COPD-lung cancer overlap and mechanism involved in lung cancer development in COPD were identified, retrieved and reviewed.

Acute pulmonary embolism: the clinical conundrum.

Despite important advances in the diagnosis and treatment of acute pulmonary embolism (APE), assessment of risk and appropriate management of patients remains a difficult task in clinical practice. In addition to hemodynamic instability and critically clinical condition, acute right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) is a major determinant of in-hospital outcomes. The purpose of this review is to discuss the results of these recent developments.

Effects of quinestrol and levonorgestrel on populations of plateau pikas, Ochotona curzoniae, in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Background: Plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae, Hodgson, 1858) are viewed as a pest in the Tibetan Plateau meadow ecosystem when their population densities are high. Traditional culling using rodenticides often poses a high risk to non-target species and even to humans. In this study, an investigation was made of the infertility effects of quinestrol (E), levonorgestrel (P) and a combination of the two (EP, ratio E:P = 1:2) on plateau pikas during 2007 and 2008.

Behavioral mechanisms of male sterilization on plateau pika in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau.

Fertility control is an alternative non-lethal method in the management of rodents. Previous modeling suggests that the efficacy of male sterilization depends on mating systems of animals, but behavioral mechanisms of male sterilization have not been investigated. Here we investigated the behavioral mechanism of the sterilant quinestrol in reducing the fertility of plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) inhabiting the Qinghai-Tibet plateau.

[Effects of epidermal growth factor receptor on airway inflammation in a rat asthmatic model].

Objective: To explore the possible roles of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the process of acute and chronic airway inflammation in a rat asthmatic model.

Methods: Forty-five Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into control groups (subgroups A1, A2, A4), asthmatic groups (subgroups B1, B2, B4) and treatment groups (subgroups C1, C2, C4), with 5 mice in each subgroup. Mice in the asthmatic and treatment groups were exposed to OVA challenge for 1 week, 2 weeks and 4 weeks.

Effects of Astragalus membranaceus in promoting T-helper cell type 1 polarization and interferon-gamma production by up-regulating T-bet expression in patients with asthma.

Objective: To explore the effect of Astragalus membranaceus (AM) on T-helper cell type 1 (Thl) specific transcription factor T-box expressed in T cells (T-bet) expression and Thl/Th2 equilibrium.

Methods: The levels of T-bet mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 15 patients with asthma and 15 healthy subjects were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). PBMCs in asthma patients were incubated with AM and then the concentration of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in the supernate before and after AM intervention were determined by ELISA.