Functional characterization of NOD1 from golden pompano Trachinotus ovatus.

Fish rely on innate immune system for immunity, and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors (NLRs) are a vital group of receptor for recognition. In the present study, NOD1 gene was cloned and characterized from golden pompano Trachinotus ovatus, a commercially important aquaculture fish species. The ORF of T. ovatus NOD1 was 2820 bp long, encoding 939 amino acid residues with a highly conserved domains containing CARD-NACHT-LRRs. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the T. ovatus NOD1 clustered with those of fish and separated from those of birds and mammals. T. ovatus NOD1 has wide tissue distribution with the highest expression in gills. Bacterial challenges (Streptococcus agalactiae and Vibrio alginolyticus) significantly up-regulated the expression of NOD1 with different response time. The results of T. ovatus NOD1 ligand recognition and signaling pathway analysis revealed that T. ovatus NOD1 could recognize iE-DAP at the concentration of ≧ 100 ng/mL and able to activate NF-κB signaling pathway. This study confirmed that NOD1 play a crucial role in the innate immunity of T. ovatus. The findings of this study improve our understanding on the immune function of NOD1 in teleost, especially T. ovatus.

Understanding Variations in Ferrate Detection through the ABTS Method in the Presence of Electron-Rich Organic Compounds.

The chromogenic reaction between 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS) and ferrate [Fe(VI)] has long been utilized for Fe(VI) content measurement. However, the presence of electron-rich organic compounds has been found to significantly impact Fe(VI) detection using the ABTS method, leading to relative errors ranging from ∼88 to 100%. Reducing substances consumed ABTS•+ and resulted in underestimated Fe(VI) levels. Moreover, the oxidation of electron-rich organics containing hydroxyl groups by Fe(VI) could generate a phenoxyl radical (Ph•), promoting the transformation of Fe(VI) → Fe(V) → Fe(IV). The in situ formation of Fe(IV) can then contribute to ABTS oxidation, altering the ABTS•+:Fe(VI) stoichiometry from 1:1 to 2:1. To overcome these challenges, we introduced Mn(II) as an activator and 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) as a chromogenic agent for Fe(VI) detection. This Mn(II)/TMB method enables rapid completion of the chromogenic reaction within 2 s, with a low detection limit of approximately 4 nM and a wide detection range (0.01-10 µM). Importantly, the Mn(II)/TMB method exhibits superior resistance to reductive interference and effectively eliminates the impact of phenoxyl-radical-mediated intermediate valence iron transfer processes associated with electron-rich organic compounds. Furthermore, this method is resilient to particle interference and demonstrates practical applicability in authentic waters.

Metabolomics integrated network pharmacology reveals the mechanism of Ma-Mu-Ran Antidiarrheal Capsules on acute enteritis mice.

Acute enteritis (AE) is a type of digestive disease caused by biochemical factors that irritate the intestinal tract or pathogenic bacteria that infect it. In China, Ma-Mu-Ran Antidiarrheal Capsules (MMRAC) have been applied against diarrhea caused by AE and bacillary dysentery for many years, but the underlying mechanisms of their beneficial effects are not known. In the present study, network pharmacology and metabolomics were performed to clarify the active ingredients of MMRAC and explore the specific mechanism of MMRAC on AE mice. A total of 43 active components of MMRAC with 87 anti-AE target genes were identified, and these target genes were enriched in IL-17 and HIF-1 signaling pathways. Integration analysis revealed that purine metabolism was the critical metabolic pathway by which MMRAC exerted its therapeutic effect against AE. Specifically, MAPK14, MMP9, PTGS2, HIF1A, EGLN1, NOS2 were the pivotal targets of MMRAC for the treatment of AE, and Western blot analysis revealed MMRAC to decrease protein levels of these pro-inflammatory signaling molecules. According to molecular docking, these key targets have a strong affinity with the MMRAC compounds. Collectively, MMRAC relieved the colon inflammation of AE mice via regulating inflammatory signaling pathways to reduce hypoxia and improved energy metabolism.

Highly Efficient Utilization of Ferrate(VI) Oxidation Capacity Initiated by Mn(II) for Contaminant Oxidation: Role of Manganese Species.

Manganese ion [Mn(II)] is a background constituent existing in natural waters. Herein, it was found that only 59% of bisphenol A (BPA), 47% of bisphenol F (BPF), 65% of acetaminophen (AAP), and 49% of 4-tert-butylphenol (4-tBP) were oxidized by 20 µM of Fe(VI), while 97% of BPA, 95% of BPF, 96% of AAP, and 94% of 4-tBP could be oxidized by the Fe(VI)/Mn(II) system [20 µM Fe(VI)/20 µM Mn(II)] at pH 7.0. Further investigations showed that bisphenol S (BPS) was highly reactive with reactive iron species (RFeS) but was sluggish with reactive manganese species (RMnS). By using BPS and methyl phenyl sulfoxide (PMSO) as the probe compounds, it was found that reactive iron species contributed primarily for BPA oxidation at low Mn(II)/Fe(VI) molar ratios (below 0.1), while reactive manganese species [Mn(VII)/Mn(III)] contributed increasingly for BPA oxidation with the elevation of the Mn(II)/Fe(VI) molar ratio (from 0.1 to 3.0). In the interaction of Mn(II) and Fe(VI), the transfer of oxidation capacity from Fe(VI) to Mn(III), including the formation of Mn(VII) and the inhibition of Fe(VI) self-decay, improved the amount of electron equivalents per Fe(VI) for BPA oxidation. UV-vis spectra and dominant transformation product analysis further revealed the evolution of iron and manganese species at different Mn(II)/Fe(VI) molar ratios.

Integrated network pharmacology and metabolomics analyses of the mechanism underlying the efficacy of Ma-Mu-Ran Antidiarrheal Capsules against dextran sulfate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis.

The current study utilizes a comprehensive network pharmacology and metabolomics analysis to investigate the mechanism of action of Ma-Mu-Ran Antidiarrheal Capsules (MMRAC) for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). In this study, we established a mouse model of UC using dextran sulfate sodium. Colonic tissues were collected from mice and then subjected to hematoxylin and eosin staining, as well as histopathological analysis, to assess the therapeutic effect of MMRAC. Furthermore, we assessed the mechanisms through which MMRAC combats UC by employing integrated metabolomics and network pharmacology strategies. Lastly, we validated the key targets identified through western blot and molecular docking. An integrated network of metabolomics and network pharmacology was constructed using Cytoscape to identify eight endogenous metabolites involved in the therapeutic action of MMRAC on UC. Further comprehensive analyses were focused on four key targets and their associated core metabolites and pathways. The results of western blot and molecular docking demonstrated that MMRAC could modulate key targets and their expression levels. The cumulative results indicated that MMRAC restored intestinal function in UC, reduced inflammatory responses, and alleviated oxidative stress by influencing the methionine and cysteine metabolic pathways, as well as the urea cycle. In addition, it had an impact on arginine, proline, glutamate, aspartate, and asparagine metabolic pathways and their associated targets.

High-resolution micro-optical accelerometer with an electromagnetic driver: design and analysis.

Optical displacement detection is widely used in various micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) sensors because of its high sensitivity. The optical accelerometer has a high theoretical resolution. However, due to the small working range of optical detection, the open-loop measuring range of a high-resolution optical accelerometer is usually only tens to hundreds of milligrams. To increase the measurement range, we propose a high-resolution micro-optical accelerometer with electromagnetic force feedback. The optical principle, mechanical structure, and manufacturing process are analyzed. The accelerometer is predicted to work in the first modal with displacement sensitivity at 2.56 µm/g, corresponding to 0th diffraction beam optical sensitivity 1.93%/nm. The designed electromagnetic driver can increase the acceleration measurement range from 0.012 to ±20g. These results provide a theoretical basis for the design and fabrication of a high-resolution micro-optical accelerometer with an electromagnetic driver. The electromagnetic drive scheme introduced effectively improves the dynamic range of high-precision optical accelerometers and can be applied to other optical MEMS sensors.

Effect of sidedness on survival among patients with early-stage colon cancer: a SEER-based propensity score matching analysis.

BACKGROUND: Most previous studies compared survival between left-sided and right-sided colon cancer without adjustment for clinicopathological parameters. We investigated the effect of sidedness on survival among patients with early-stage colon cancer, using a propensity score matching method. METHODS: The 18 registry custom data within the SEER database were used to identify patients who were diagnosed with colon cancer between 2010 and 2014. A propensity score matching analysis was performed using the nearest neighbor method. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. A Cox proportional hazards model was applied to determine the prognostic factors. RESULTS: In the unmatched cohort, 25,094 (35.72%) patients were diagnosed with left-sided colon cancer and 45,156 (64.28%) with right-sided colon cancer. After propensity score matching, each cohort included 5118 patients, and the clinicopathological characteristics were well balanced. In the unmatched cohort, left-sided colon cancer had superior all-cause (χ2=315, P<0.01) and cancer-specific (χ2=43, P<0.01) survival than right-sided tumors. However, in the matched cohort, no difference was observed for all-cause (χ2=0.7, P=0.4) and cancer-specific (χ2=0, P=0.96) survival between left and right colon cancer. The Cox model did not indicate sidedness as a prognostic factor. In the subgroup analysis, stage II right-sided colon cancer had a better survival outcome, while stage III left-sided tumors had a better survival outcome. CONCLUSIONS: After adjusting for clinicopathological characteristics in this study, sidedness showed no impact on survival in early-stage colon cancer. However, sidedness was associated with prognostic differences in stages II and III early-stage colon cancer.

Enhanced Permanganate Oxidation of Sulfamethoxazole and Removal of Dissolved Organics with Biochar: Formation of Highly Oxidative Manganese Intermediate Species and in Situ Activation of Biochar.

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic and was largely used in breeding industry. The reaction rate of SMX with KMnO4 is slow, and the adsorption efficiency of biochar for SMX was inferior (less than 11% in 30 min). By adding biochar powder into SMX solution with the addition of permanganate, the oxidation ratio of SMX surged to 97% in 30 min, and over 58% of the total organic carbon (TOC) was simultaneously removed. KMnO4 interacted with biochar and resulted in the formation of highly oxidative intermediate manganese species, which transformed SMX into hydrolysis products, oxygen-transfer products, and self-coupling products. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis showed that surface area, total pore volume, and micropore volume of biochar increased by 32.1%, 36.4%, and 80.6%, respectively, after reaction process. This in situ activation of biochar with KMnO4 enhanced its adsorption capacity and led to great improvement of TOC removal. Besides KMnO4 oxidation, biochar also enhanced TOC removal in Mn(III) oxidation (KMnO4+ bisulfite) and ozonization of SMX. Considering that KMnO4 could react with biochar and result in the formation of intermediate manganese species, while biochar can be simultaneously activated and exhibit high capacity for organic adsorption, the combination of biochar with the chemical/advanced oxidation could be a promising process for the removal of environmental pollutants.

Impact of Phosphate on Ferrate Oxidation of Organic Compounds: An Underestimated Oxidant.

Ferrate (K2FeO4) is a powerful oxidant and up to 3 mol of electrons could be captured by 1 mol of ferrate in the theoretical conversion of Fe(VI)-Fe(V)-Fe(IV)-Fe(III). However, it is reported that the utilization efficiency of the ferrate oxidation capacity is quite low because of the rapid autodecomposition of intermediate iron species, which negatively influences the potential of ferrate on organic pollutants control. We accidentally found that for the ferrate oxidation of carbamazepine (CBZ), bisphenol S (BPS), diclofenac (DCF), and ciprofloxacin (CIP), the determined reaction rate constants were 1.7-2.4 times lower in phosphate buffer than those in borate buffer at pH 8.0. For the reaction of ferrate with 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS) at pH 7.0, the determined reaction stoichiometries were 1:1.04 in 100 mM phosphate buffer, 1:1.18 in 10 mM phosphate buffer, and 1:1.93 in 10 mM borate buffer, respectively. The oxidation ability of ferrate seems depressed in phosphate buffer. A kinetic model involving the oxidation of ABTS by Fe(VI), Fe(V) and Fe(IV) species was developed and fitted the ABTS•+ formation kinetics well under different buffer conditions. The results showed that phosphate exhibited little influence on the oxidation ability of Fe(VI) and Fe(IV) species, but decreased the specific rate constants of ABTS with Fe(V) species by 1-2 orders of magnitude, resulting in the outcompeting of Fe(V) autodecomposition pathway. The complexation between phosphate anions and Fe(V) species may account for the inhibition effect of phosphate buffer. Considering that many studies regarding ferrate oxidation were carried out in phosphate buffer, the actual oxidation ability of ferrate may be underestimated.

Four Main Active Ingredients Derived from a Traditional Chinese Medicine Guanxin Shutong Capsule Cause Cardioprotection during Myocardial Ischemia Injury Calcium Overload Suppression.

Guanxin Shutong capsule is a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of myocardial ischemia (MI). Previous studies have shown that the formula has four main active ingredients (FMAI), protocatechuic acid, cryptotanshinone, borneol, and eugenol. However, the mechanisms of action of these FMAI against MI injury are still not well known. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective effects of the FMAI on MI in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, rat neonatal cardiomyocytes were isolated, the cell viability and apoptosis rate were, respectively, measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method and fluorescence activating cell sorter, and the intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+ ]i ) and CaM and CaMKII δ mRNA as well as protein levels were determined. Meanwhile, their downstream targets of RyR2 and PLB were also measured by western blot. In vivo, a rat model of coronary artery ligation was used to evaluate the cardioprotective effects. Infarct sizes of heart tissues and levels of serum biochemical indicators, including creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, superoxide dismutase, and glutamate oxaloacetic transaminase, were measured. The in vitro results showed that the FMAI inhibited cell apoptosis, reduced [Ca2+ ]i , decreased the expression of CaM and CaMKII δ, and increased the expression of RyR2 and PLB. In vivo, the FMAI diminished infract size, reduced creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and aspartate aminotransferase levels, and enhanced superoxide dismutase activity. In conclusion, our data suggest that the FMAI suppressed calcium overload and exerted its protective effect via its antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and anti-apoptosis activities. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Transcriptome-Wide Identification and Prediction of miRNAs and Their Targets in Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis by High-Throughput Sequencing Analysis.

Long dormancy period of seeds limits the large-scale artificial cultivation of the scarce Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis, an important traditional Chinese medicine. Characterizing miRNAs and their targets is crucial to understanding the role of miRNAs during seed dormancy in this species. Considering the limited genome information of this species, we first sequenced and assembled the transcriptome data of dormant seeds and their seed coats as the reference genome. A total of 146,671 unigenes with an average length of 923 bp were identified and showed functional diversity based on different annotation methods. Two small RNA libraries from respective seeds and seed coats were sequenced and the combining data indicates that 263 conserved miRNAs belonging to at least 83 families and 768 novel miRNAs in 1174 transcripts were found. The annotations of the predicted putative targets of miRNAs suggest that these miRNAs were mainly involved in the cell, metabolism and genetic information processing by direct and indirect regulation patterns in dormant seeds of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis. Therefore, we provide the first known miRNA profiles and their targets, which will assist with further study of the molecular mechanism of seed dormancy in P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis.

Eriocitrin prevents Sepsis-induced acute kidney injury through anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation via modulating Nrf2/DRP1/OPA1 signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Severe inflammation and oxidative stress are characteristics of sepsis-associated kidney injury with high morbidity and mortality. Eriocitrin (ERI) has shown promise in suppressing sepsis-associated kidney injury and LPS-induced periodontal disease, however, its efficacy in alleviating SAKI remains unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of ERI on SAKI through in vivo and in vitro experiments, elucidating its underlying mechanism. METHODS: The therapeutic effects of ERI against SAKI were evaluated by survival rate, changes of serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and statistic of renal histological score in a Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced septic mice. Impactions about anti-coagulation, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidative stress and improvement of mitochondrial damage and mitochondrial morphology were further assayed. In vitro, HUVECs upon stimulation of LPS with or without different dosage of ERI, followed by evaluating changes in inflammation, mitochondrial dynamic equilibrium and signaling pathways. RESULTS: ERI demonstrated ameliorative effects on SAKI by attenuating inflammation, oxidative stress and coagulation evidenced by the improved survival rate, alleviated kidney histological injury, declined BUN and Scr in serum and diminished levels of inflammation cytokines, and coagulation factors. Mechanistically, ERI suppressed DRP1-regulated mitochondrial fission and promoted OPA1-modulated mitochondrial fusion by activating Nrf2 in septic mice and LPS-stimulated HUVECs, which maintained mitochondrial dynamic equilibrium, improved mitochondrial morphology, assured integrity of mitochondrial function, decreased oxidative stress, impeded overwhelming inflammation, and thus, played a pivotal role in ERI's protection against SAKI. CONCLUSION: Our data confirmed the therapeutic potential of ERI in mitigating SAKI，suggesting its viability as a pharmacological agent in clinic settings.

Industrial and agricultural waste amendments interact with microorganism activities to enhance P availability in rice-paddy soils.

Adding industrial and agricultural wastes to farmland can increase soil available phosphorus (P) pool and boost crop production, but the process affecting soil P transformation and bioavailability is still poorly understood. We studied the effects of straw (ST), biochar (BC) and Si-modified biochar (Si-BC) amendments on the available-P content and its fraction transformation in rice-paddy soils. Our results showed that these three soil amendments significantly increased the concentrations of both microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and microbial biomass-P (MBP) during the first rice season; by contrast, the effects of ST and BC application were relatively poor on acid-phosphatase (ACP) activity, which was increased by 24 % under ST and 14 % under BC. Soil total P concentrations did not differ significantly, although the concentration and percentage of each P-fraction were altered significantly among treatments. Although all three applications increase soil available-P concentration by promoting the transformation of organic-P (Po) components to inorganic-P (Pi), there are differences in the transformation efficiency of the soil P fraction between these amendments. Redundancy analysis results also showed significant clustering of soil P-fraction transformations after ST and BC treatments. Structural equation model analysis further indicated that all amendments regulated microbial processes by changing soil pH and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), thereby promoting soil P transformation and improving P efficiency. Sodium bicarbonate-extractable Po (NaHCO3-Po) contributed most to soil available-P under the different amendments. Compared to ST and Si-BC, BC application improved more soil microbial status and the transformation of soil unavailable-P into available-P, therefore the application of BC in rice fields is the most beneficial method to promote phosphorus use and production sustainability in rice. These findings helped to understand the effects of using industrial and agricultural waste (e.g. straw, biochar and Si-modified biochar) on soil P-fractions and so provided a reference for sustainable resource use and green production in rice-paddy ecosystems.

[Characteristics of Soil Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Ecological Stoichiometry in Vegetable Fields and Orchard in the Coastal Area of Fuzhou].

The soil ecological stoichiometric characteristics of different agricultural land use types have a certain indicator function for characterizing the level of soil nutrient supply and are of great significance to the management of nutrient resources in farmland ecosystems. In order to reveal the soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) contents and their ecological stoichiometric characteristics in different vegetable fields and orchard agricultural land use types, this study took vegetable fields (taro field and jicama field) and orchards (citrus tree orchard, watermelon field, and pear tree orchard) as the research objects in the coastal area of Fuzhou City. The contents of soil C, N, and P and their ecological stoichiometric characteristics in different vegetable fields and orchard agricultural land uses were measured and analyzed. The soil C and N contents were in the order of orchard>vegetable field (P<0.05). The C content in the citrus tree orchard was the highest (4.44 g·kg-1), and the N content in the watermelon field was the highest (1.46 g·kg-1). The soil P content was vegetable field>orchard (P<0.05), and the jicama field had the highest P content (0.19 g·kg-1). The soil carbon and nitrogen ratio (C/N), carbon and phosphorus ratio (C/P), and nitrogen and phosphorus ratio (N/P) were orchard>vegetable field (P<0.05). Among them, the citrus tree orchard had the highest C/N (7.40) and C/P (61.43), and the watermelon field had the highest N/P (10.27). Soil N content was significantly and negatively correlated with bulk density and conductivity (r=-0.49, r=-0.28, P<0.05), and there was a significant and positive correlation with soil water content (r=0.61, P<0.05). C/P and C/N were significantly and positively correlated with SOM (r=0.71, r=0.64, P<0.01). In the process of crop planting and management in the coastal area of Fuzhou City, it is necessary to reasonably add nitrogen fertilizer to compensate for the N limitation, and slow-release nitrogen fertilizer is better for promoting the sustainable supply of nitrogen nutrients in the growth and development of crops.

Identification and Functional Analysis of ToBPI1/LBP and ToBPI2/LBP in Anti-Bacterial Infection of Trachinotus ovatus.

Bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) are a group of antibacterial proteins that play an important role in the host's innate immune defense against pathogen infection. In this study, two BPI/LBPs, named ToBPI1/LBP (1434 bp in length, 478 amino acids) and ToBPI2/LBP (1422 bp in length, 474 amino acids), were identified from the golden pompano. ToBPI1/LBP and ToBPI2/LBP were significantly expressed in immune-related tissues after being challenged with Streptococcus agalactiae and Vibrio alginolyticus. The two BPI/LBPs showed significant antibacterial activity against Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive S. agalactiae and Streptococcus iniae. In contrast, the antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Corynebacterium glutamicum, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, V. alginolyticus and Vibrio harveyi was low and decreased with time. The membrane permeability of bacteria treated with recombinant ToBPI1/LBP and ToBPI2/LBP was significantly enhanced. These results suggest that ToBPI1/LBP and ToBPI2/LBP may play important immunological roles in the immune response of the golden pompano to bacteria. This study will provide basic information and new insights into the immune response mechanism of the golden pompano to bacteria and the function of BPI/LBP.

Exploring the Formation Mechanism of Coamorphous Andrographolide-Oxymatrine Based on Molecular Dynamics and Spectroscopy.

Coamorphous drug delivery systems have shown great potential in improving the solubility and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. However, the coamorphous formation mechanism remains unclear. In this study, coamorphous andrographolide (AP) - oxymatrine (OMT) was successfully prepared by solvent evaporation and characterized by PXRD and DSC. The potential groups of intermolecular interactions in coamorphous binary systems were predicted by the molecular electrostatic potential (ESP) in the density functional theory (DFT) and the HOMO and LUMO in the molecular frontier orbitals, which had been confirmed by FTIR, FT-NIR, and Raman spectroscopy. Molecular dynamics (MD) was used to explore the mechanism of coamorphous formation. The results of the solvent-state radial distribution function (RDF) showed that the hydrogen bonds between AP and OMT molecules were irregular and intermittent in the solvent system of AP-OMT-methanol (MeOH) until MeOH was completely volatilized to form a stable coamorphous AP-OMT system, which has been preliminarily verified by solvent-state FT-NIR and solvent-state Raman spectroscopy. In addition, the solubility of coamorphous AP-OMT was significantly higher than that of crystalline AP. The results of intrinsic dissolution experiments showed that the intrinsic dissolution rate (IDR) of coamorphous AP-OMT was 2.5 times that of crystalline AP, although recrystallization occurred during dissolution. In conclusion, the results of the experimental solvent-state RDF, solvent-state FT-NIR, and solvent-state Raman spectroscopy can be used to better understand the coamorphous formation process and to guide the preparation of coamorphous AP-OMT.

[Determination of amino acid contents in cottonseeds using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy].

A total of 445 samples with great variability in amino acid contents were harvested for different seasons in different regions for developing calibration equations of amino acid content in cottonseeds. The spectral data of cotton kernel powder was processed using the first derivative mathematical treatment combined with SNV and de-trend, as well as modified partial least squares (MPLS) regression method. The chemometric models for 17 amino acids present in cottonseed were developed, and 12 of them were excellent for the determination of related amino acids, namely asparagic acid, threonine, glutamic acid, glycine, alanine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, lysine, histidine, and arginine, with RPDc of 3.735-7.132 and determination coefficient (r2) of 0.910-0.979 in external validation. For those 12 amino acids, their values predicted by NIRS are comparable to those obtained by the chemical method with good accuracy. The RPDc of serine, methionine, tyrosine and proline were 2.205 -2.814, and their determination coefficient (r2) were 0.800-0.830 in external validation. For those 4 amino acids, the values from NIRS are not so accurate as chemical analysis, but could be used in sample screening in cotton breeding program. While the equation for cystine was useless as its RPDc was only 1.358, which was not suitable for estimating its content in cottonseeds.

Ferrate self-decomposition in water is also a self-activation process: Role of Fe(V) species and enhancement with Fe(III) in methyl phenyl sulfoxide oxidation by excess ferrate.

To reveal the role of ferrate self-decomposition and the fates of intermediate iron species [Fe(V)/Fe(IV) species] during ferrate oxidation, the reaction between ferrate and methyl phenyl sulfoxide (PMSO) at pH 7.0 was investigated as a model system in this study. Interestingly, the apparent second-order rate constants (kapp) between ferrate and PMSO was found to increase with ferrate dosage in the condition of excess ferrate in borate buffer. This ferrate dosage effect was diminished greatly in the condition of excess PMSO where ferrate self-decomposition was lessened largely, or counterbalanced by adding a strong complexing ligand (e.g. pyrophosphate) to sequester Fe(V) oxidation, demonstrating that the Fe(V) species derived from ferrate self-decomposition plays an important role in PMSO oxidation. A mechanistic kinetics model involving the ferrate self-decomposition and PMSO oxidation by Fe(VI), Fe(V) and Fe(IV) species was then developed and validated. The modeling results show that up to 99% of the PMSO oxidation was contributed by the ferrate self-decomposition resultant Fe(V) species in borate buffer, revealing that ferrate self-decomposition is also a self-activation process. The direct Fe(VI) oxidation of PMSO was impervious to presence of phosphate or Fe(III), while the Fe(V) oxidation pathway was strongly inhibited by phosphate complexation or enhanced with Fe(III). Similar ferrate dosage effect and its counterbalance by pyrophosphate as well as the Fe(III) enhancement were also observed in ferrate oxidation of micropollutants like carbamazepine, diclofenac and sulfamethoxazole, implying the general role of Fe(V) and promising Fe(III) enhancement during ferrate oxidation of micropollutants.

Physicians' very brief (30-sec) intervention for smoking cessation on 13 671 smokers in China: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Three to 10 minutes of smoking cessation advice by physicians is effective to increase quit rates, but is not routinely practised. We examined the effectiveness of physicians' very brief (approximately 30 sec) smoking cessation intervention on quit rates among Chinese outpatient smokers. DESIGN: A pragmatic, open-label, individually randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Seventy-two medical outpatient departments of hospitals and/or community health centers in Guangdong, China. PARTICIPANTS: Chinese adults who were daily cigarette smokers (n = 13 671, 99% males) were invited by their physician to participate during outpatient consultation. Smokers who were receiving smoking cessation treatment or were judged to need specialist treatment for cessation were excluded. INTERVENTIONS: The intervention group (n = 7015) received a 30-sec intervention including physician's very brief advice, a leaflet with graphic warnings and a card with contact information of available cessation services. The control group (n = 6656) received a very brief intervention on consuming vegetables and fruit. A total of 3466 participants in the intervention group were further randomized to receive a brief booster advice from trained study personnel via telephone 1 month following their doctor visit. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was self-reported 7-day point prevalence abstinence (PPA) in the intervention and control groups at the 12-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes included self-reported 30-day abstinence and biochemically validated abstinence at 12-month follow-up. FINDINGS: By intention-to-treat, the intervention (versus control) group had greater self-reported 7-day abstinence [9.1 versus 7.8%, odds ratio (OR) = 1.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03-1.26, P = 0.008] and 30-day abstinence (8.0 versus 6.9%, OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.03-1.27, P = 0.01) at 12-month follow-up. The effect size increased when only participants who received the intervention from compliant physicians were included (7-day PPA, OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.11-1.74). The group difference in biochemically validated abstinence was small (0.8 versus 0.8%, OR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.71-1.42, P = 0.99). CONCLUSION: A 30-sec smoking cessation intervention increased self-reported abstinence among mainly male smokers in China at 12-month follow-up (risk difference = 1.3%), and should be feasible to provide in most settings and delivered by all health-care professionals.

[Expression of PTEN, matrix metaloproteinases 2 and 9 in thymomas].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the expression of PTEN, MMP-2 and MMP-9 in thymomas and their correlation with clinical significance. METHODS: Immunohistochemical S-P assay was used to detect the expression of PTEN, MMP-2 and MMP-9 in 45 thymomas and 16 non-neoplastic thymuses. RESULTS: The positive rate of PTEN, MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression in 45 thymomas were 53.5%, 48.9% and 62.2%, respectively. There were significant differences between non-neoplastic thymus and thymomas (P < 0.05). The expression of PTEN, MMP-2 correlated with histological type (P < 0.05) and different clinical stage of the thymoma (P < 0.01). The expression of MMP-9 was not correlated with histological type and different clinical stages of thymoma (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: PTEN, MMP-2 and MMP-9 may play an important role in the occurrence and development of thymoma. The expression of PTEN and MMP-2 correlates with the malignance and the aggression of thymoma.