[Mechanism of Marsdenia tenacissima against ovarian cancer based on network pharmacology and experimental verification].

The present study aimed to explore the main active components and underlying mechanisms of Marsdenia tenacissima in the treatment of ovarian cancer(OC) through network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vitro cell experiments. The active components of M. tenacissima were obtained from the literature search, and their potential targets were obtained from SwissTargetPrediction. The OC-related targets were retrieved from Therapeutic Target Database(TTD), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM), GeneCards, and PharmGKB. The common targets of the drug and the disease were screened out by Venn diagram. Cytoscape was used to construct an "active component-target-disease" network, and the core components were screened out according to the node degree. The protein-protein interaction(PPI) network of the common targets was constructed by STRING and Cytoscape, and the core targets were screened out according to the node degree. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of potential therapeutic targets were carried out with DAVID database. Molecular docking was used to determine the binding activity of some active components to key targets by AutoDock. Finally, the anti-OC activity of M. tenacissima extract was verified based on SKOV3 cells in vitro. The PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was selected for in vitro experimental verification according to the results of GO function and KEGG pathway analyses. Network pharmacology results showed that 39 active components, such as kaempferol, 11α-O-benzoyl-12ß-O-acetyltenacigenin B, and drevogenin Q, were screened out, involving 25 core targets such as AKT1, VEGFA, and EGFR, and the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway was the main pathway of target protein enrichment. The results of molecular docking also showed that the top ten core components showed good binding affinity to the top ten core targets. The results of in vitro experiments showed that M. tenacissima extract could significantly inhibit the proliferation of OC cells, induce apoptosis of OC cells through the mitochondrial pathway, and down-regulate the expression of proteins related to the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. This study shows that M. tenacissima has the characteristics of multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway synergistic effect in the treatment of OC, which provides a theoretical basis for in-depth research on the material basis, mechanism, and clinical application.

Peanut violaxanthin de-epoxidase alleviates the sensitivity of PSII photoinhibition to heat and high irradiance stress in transgenic tobacco.

KEY MESSAGE: This is the first study on peanut VDE, which led to multiple biochemical and physiological changes to heat and HI stress by improving de-epoxidation of the xanthophylls cycle. A peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) violaxanthin de-epoxidase gene (AhVDE) was isolated by RT-PCR and RACE methods. The deduced amino acid sequence of AhVDE showed high identities with violaxanthin de-epoxidase of other plant species. The expression of AhVDE was obviously upregulated by 4, 40 °C and high light, NaCl, and abscisic acid. Sense and RNAi transgenic tobaccos were further used to investigate the physiological effects and functional mechanism of AhVDE. Compared with WT, the content of Z, the ratio of (A + Z)/(V + A + Z) and the non-photochemical quenching were higher in sense plants, and lower in the RNAi lines under heat and high irradiance (HI) stress, respectively. Additionally, photoinhibition of photosystem II (PSII) reflected by the maximal photochemical efficiency in WT lines was more severe, and in the RNAi lines was the most severe compared with that in the sense lines. Meanwhile, overexpressing AhVDE also led to multiple biochemical and physiological changes under heat and HI stress. Higher activities of superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase, lower content of reactive oxygen species and slighter membrane damage were observed in sense lines after heat and HI stress. These results suggested that, peanut VDE can alleviate PSII photoinhibition to heat and HI stress by improving the xanthophyll cycle-dependent energy dissipation.

Calcium contributes to photoprotection and repair of photosystem II in peanut leaves during heat and high irradiance.

In this study, we investigated the effects of exogenous calcium nitrate on photoinhibition and thylakoid protein level in peanut plants under heat (40°C) and high irradiance (HI) (1,200 µmol/m(2) per s) stress. Compared with control seedlings (cultivated in 0 mmol/L Ca(NO3 )2 medium), the maximal photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (PSII) in Ca(2+) -treated plants showed a slight decrease after 5 h stress, accompanied by lower degree of PSII closure (1-qP), higher non-photochemical quenching, and lower level of membrane damage. Ca(2+) inhibitors were used to analyze the varieties of antioxidant enzymes activity and PSII proteins. These results indicated that Ca(2+) could protect the subunits of PSII reaction centers from photoinhibition by reducing the generation of reactive oxygen species. In the presence of both ethyleneglycol-bis(2-aminoethylether)-tetraacetic acid and ascorbic acid (AsA), the net degradation of the damaged D1 protein was faster than that only treated with AsA. Our previous study showed that either the transcriptional or the translational level of calmodulin was obviously higher in Ca(2+) -treated plants. These results suggested that, under heat and HI stress, the Ca(2+) signal transduction pathway can alleviate the photoinhibition through regulating the protein repair process besides an enhanced capacity for scavenging reactive oxygen species.

Highly regio- and enantioselective synthesis of γ,δ-unsaturated amido esters by catalytic hydrogenation of conjugated enamides.

An efficient and highly regio- and enantioselective catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation of α,γ-dienamido esters to γ,δ-unsaturated amido esters has been achieved using Rh/TangPhos as the catalyst. A series of γ,δ-unsaturated amido acids were furnished in excellent yields with up to 99% ee. This effective methodology was applied in the asymmetric synthesis of key intermediate of Ramipril, an ACE inhibitor.

[A comparison of ventilation/perfusion single photon emission CT and CT pulmonary angiography for diagnosis of pulmonary embolism].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) single photon emission CT (SPECT) as compared to computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA) for pulmonary embolism (PE). METHODS: In this prospective multicenter study, 111 patients in whom acute or sub-acute PE was clinically confirmed or suspected were enrolled. The patients underwent one-day method V/Q lung scan (including SPECT and planar imaging) within 3 days before and after completion of CTPA. The European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) guidelines for ventilation/perfusion scintigraphy (2009) reference was used as the evaluation criteria of V/Q SPECT imaging. The refined modified prospective investigation of pulmonary embolism diagnosis (RM-PIOPED) criteria was used for evaluation of planar imaging. According to the direct and indirect signs of PE, the imaging of CTPA was evaluated. All patients were followed for at least 6 months. A diagnosis was finally made by consensus of respiratory physicians, radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians based on the clinical data, laboratory tests, imaging features and follow-up results. The difference among diagnostic methods was evaluated for significance using chi-square test. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn according to the results of the 3 diagnostic tests. The area under ROC curve (AUC) was calculated and compared. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Among the 111 patients, PE was confirmed in 80, and excluded in 31. The diagnostic sensitivity/specificity/accuracy of V/Q SPECT, planar imaging, and CTPA were 85.9%/93.5%/88.1%, 75.7%/92.9%/81.4%, and 85.5%/90.0%/86.8%, respectively. By ROC curve analysis, the AUC values of V/Q SPECT, planar imaging and CTPA were 0.898, 0.838, and 0.877, respectively; with 95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.831 to 0.966, 0.759 to 0.917, and 0.801 to 0.954, respectively. The area of the fitted smooth ROC curve was statistically significant (P < 0.05) as compared with the area under the reference line. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that SPECT V/Q imaging is superior to V/Q planar scan and CTPA in the diagnosis of PE.

Characterization, antioxidant activity, and mineral profiling of Auricularia cornea mushroom strains.

Background: Mushrooms are considered as next-generation healthy food components. Owing to their low-fat content, high-quality proteins, dietary fiber, and rich source of nutraceuticals. They are ideally preferred in formulation of low-caloric functional foods. In this view, the breeding strategies of mushroom Auricularia cornea (A. cornea) focusing on high yield and higher quality with rich nutritional values and health benefits are still needed. Materials and methods: A total of 50 strains of A. cornea were used to analyze the bio efficiency and the time required for fruiting body formation following the cultivation experiment. The calorimetric method was used to evaluate the antioxidant activity and quantify the crude polysaccharides and minerals content thereafter. Results: The results showed that the time required for fruiting body formation and biological efficiency varied significantly among the selected strains. Noticeably, the wild domesticated strain Ac13 of A. cornea mushroom showed the shortest fruit development time (80 days). Similarly, the hybrid strains including Ac3 and Ac15 possessed the highest biological efficiency (82.40 and 94.84%). Hybrid strains Ac18 (15.2%) and cultivated strains Ac33 (15.6%) showed the highest content of crude polysaccharides, while cultivated strains Ac1 and Ac33, demonstrated the highest content of total polysaccharides in the fruiting body (216 mg. g-1 and 200 mg. g-1). In the case of mineral content, the highest zinc contents were observed from the cultivated strain Ac46 (486.33 mg·kg-1). The maximum iron content was detected from the hybrid strain Ac3 (788 mg·kg-1), and the wild domesticated strain Ac28 (350 mg·kg-1). The crude polysaccharides of the A. cornea strain showed significant antioxidant potential, and the ability of Ac33 and Ac24 to scavenge DPPH radicals and ABTS, which was significantly improved compared to other strains, respectively. Principal component analysis was applied to examine the agronomic traits and chemical compounds of various strains of A. cornea mushrooms. The results revealed that cultivated, wild domesticated, and hybrid strains of A. cornea exhibited distinct characteristics in terms of growth, yield, and nutritional properties. Conclusion: The crude polysaccharides from A. cornea mushroom strains act as natural antioxidants, the wild, hybrid, and commercial A. cornea mushroom strains can achieve rapid growth, early maturation, and high yields. The evaluation of biochemical indexes and nutritional characteristics of strains with excellent traits provided a scientific basis for initiating high-quality breeding, provided germplasm resources for the production of "functional food" with real nutritional and health value.

[Spatiotemporal Distribution Characteristics of Co-pollution of PM2.5 and Ozone over BTH with Surrounding Area from 2015 to 2021].

PM2.5 and ozone co-pollution, which are harmful to not only human health but also the social economy, has become the pivotal issue in air pollution prevention and synergistic control, especially in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and its surrounding areas and "2+26" cities. It is necessary to analyze the correlation between PM2.5 and ozone concentration and explore the mechanism of PM2.5 and ozone co-pollution. In order to study the characteristics of PM2.5 and ozone co-pollution in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei with its surrounding area, ArcGIS and SPSS software were used to analyze the correlation between air quality data and meteorological data of the "2+26" cities in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and its surrounding areas from 2015 to 2021. The results indicated:① PM2.5 pollution constantly decreased from 2015 to 2021, and the pollution was concentrated in the central and southern parts of the region; ozone pollution showed a trend of fluctuation and presented a pattern of "low in the southwest and high in the northeast" spatially. In terms of seasonal variation, PM2.5concentration was mainly in the order of winter>spring ≈ autumn>summer, and O3-8h concentration was in the order of summer>spring>autumn>winter. ② In the research area, days with PM2.5 exceeding the standard continued to decline, whereas days with ozone exceeding the standard fluctuated, and days with co-pollution decreased significantly; there was a strong positive correlation between PM2.5 and ozone concentration in summer, with the highest correlation coefficient of 0.52, and a strong negative correlation in winter. ③ Comparing the meteorological conditions of typical cities during the ozone pollution period with that of the co-pollution period, the co-pollution occurred under the temperature range of 23.7-26.5℃, humidity of 48%-65%, and S-SE wind direction.

[Changes of CD(4)(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells and CD(4)(+)IL-17(+)T cells in cigarette smoke-exposed rats].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the changes of CD(4)(+)IL-17(+) T (Th17) and CD(4)(+)Foxp3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells in peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and therefore to explore the role of Th17 and Treg in cigarette smoke-induced airway inflammation/COPD in rats. METHODS: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: a 12 wk smoke-exposure group, a 24 wk smoke-exposure group, a 12 wk control group and a 24 wk control group (n = 10 each). Cells in BALF were collected and analyzed by absolute and differential cell counts. IL-17 and IL-6 levels in serum and BALF were tested by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The proportion of CD(4)(+)IL-17(+) T and CD(4)(+)Foxp3(+) Treg in peripheral blood and BALF were determined by flow cytometry. The mRNA expressions of IL-17 and Foxp3 were measured by real-time PCR. Comparisons of the data between different groups were performed using one-way ANOVA, and SNK and Games-Howell test were used for comparison between 2 groups. RESULTS: Levels of IL-17 were remarkable increased in the 12 wk smoke-exposure group and the 24 wk smoke-exposure group in serum [(52.6 ± 1.8) ng/L, (75.4 ± 6.0) ng/L] and BALF [(78.1 ± 5.8) ng/L, (95.0 ± 6.8) ng/L] compared with the 12 wk control group [(40.0 ± 3.2)ng/L, (54.5 ± 4.6) ng/L] and the 24 wk control group [(36.7 ± 3.2) ng/L, (53.9 ± 3.7) ng/L], all P < 0.05. IL-6 in serum was significantly increased in the 24 wk smoke-exposure group [(31.4 ± 2.1) ng/L] compared with the 24 wk control group [(11.5 ± 0.5) ng/L], and it was increased in the 12 wk and the 24 wk smoke-exposure group [(33.3 ± 2.3) ng/L, (44.6 ± 3.0) ng/L] compared with the 12 wk and the 24 wk control group [(15.6 ± 1.8) ng/L, (18.0 ± 1.9) ng/L] in BALF. Ratio of Th17 was higher in the 12 wk and the 24 wk smoke-exposure groups in peripheral blood [(1.81 ± 0.19)%, (3.74 ± 0.55)%] and BALF [(7.84 ± 0.28)%, (8.01 ± 0.39)%] compared with the12 wk [(0.97 ± 0.08)%, (5.64 ± 0.54)%] and the 24 wk control group [(1.08 ± 0.10)%, (5.95 ± 0.48)%]. Ratio of Treg in BALF was higher in the smoke-exposure groups [(8.81 ± 0.49)%, (11.98 ± 0.72)%] compared with the control groups [(4.34 ± 0.28)%, (5.21 ± 0.42)%]. The level of IL-17 mRNA was increased in the 12 wk and the 24 wk smoke-exposure group in peripheral blood (25.7 ± 2.0, 33.9 ± 1.5) and in BALF (22.2 ± 1.8, 34.7 ± 4.2) compared with the 12 wk (11.3 ± 2.6, 11.6 ± 2.4) and the 24 wk (11.1 ± 2.0, 13.5 ± 3.4) control groups. Foxp3 mRNA was increased in the smoke-exposure groups (24.4 ± 2.7, 30.3 ± 2.7) compared with the control groups (12.7 ± 2.7, 14.6 ± 3.8). Th17 in smoke-exposure groups was positively correlated with counts of total cells and macrophages (r = 0.512, 0.543, all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: An elevated expression of Th17 and Treg cells and an increase of inflammatory cytokines were evident in airway inflammation of cigarette smoke-exposed rats, suggesting that Treg was involved in the immunological regulation and Th17 was associated with the persistent inflammation in cigarette smoke-induced airway inflammation in rats.

Genetic linkage map construction and quantitative trait loci mapping of agronomic traits in Gloeostereum incarnatum.

Gloeostereum incarnatum is an edible medicinal mushroom widely grown in China. Using the whole genome of G. incarnatum, simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were developed and synthetic primers were designed to construct its first genetic linkage map. The 1,048.6 cm map is composed of 10 linkage groups and contains 183 SSR markers. In total, 112 genome assembly sequences were anchored, representing 16.43 Mb and covering 46.41% of the genome. Selfing populations were used for quantitative trait loci (QTL) targeting, and the composite interval mapping method was used to co-localize the mycelium growth rate (potato dextrose agar and sawdust), growth period, yield and fruiting body length, and width and thickness. The 14 QTLs of agronomic traits had LOD values of 3.20-6.51 and contribution rates of 2.22-13.18%. No linkage relationship was found between the mycelium growth rate and the growth period, but a linkage relationship was observed among the length, width and thickness of the fruiting bodies. Using NCBI's BLAST alignment, the genomic sequences corresponding to the QTL regions were compared, and a TPR-like protein candidate gene was selected. Using whole-genome data, 138 candidate genes were found in four sequence fragments of two SSR markers located in the same scaffold. The genetic map and QTLs established in this study will aid in developing selective markers for agronomic traits and identifying corresponding genes, thereby providing a scientific basis for the further gene mapping of quantitative traits and the marker-assisted selection of functional genes in G. incarnatum breeding programs.

Analysis of the Genome Sequence of Strain GiC-126 of Gloeostereum incarnatum with Genetic Linkage Map.

Gloeostereum incarnatum has edible and medicinal value and was first cultivated and domesticated in China. We sequenced the G. incarnatum monokaryotic strain GiC-126 on an Illumina HiSeq X Ten system and obtained a 34.52-Mb genome assembly sequence that encoded 16,895 predicted genes. We combined the GiC-126 genome with the published genome of G. incarnatum strain CCMJ2665 to construct a genetic linkage map (GiC-126 genome) that had 10 linkage groups (LGs), and the 15 assembly sequences of CCMJ2665 were integrated into 8 LGs. We identified 1912 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci and detected 700 genes containing 768 SSRs in the genome; 65 and 100 of them were annotated with gene ontology (GO) terms and KEGG pathways, respectively. Carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) were identified in 20 fungal genomes and annotated; among them, 144 CAZymes were annotated in the GiC-126 genome. The A mating-type locus (MAT-A) of G. incarnatum was located on scaffold885 at 38.9 cM of LG1 and was flanked by two homeodomain (HD1) genes, mip and beta-fg. Fourteen segregation distortion markers were detected in the genetic linkage map, all of which were skewed toward the parent GiC-126. They formed three segregation distortion regions (SDR1-SDR3), and 22 predictive genes were found in scaffold1920 where three segregation distortion markers were located in SDR1. In this study, we corrected and updated the genomic information of G. incarnatum. Our results will provide a theoretical basis for fine gene mapping, functional gene cloning, and genetic breeding the follow-up of G. incarnatum.

[Chemical Compositions and Sources of n-Alkanes and Saccharides in PM2.5 from Taian City During the Summer].

To investigate the variations and sources of n-alkanes and sugars in Taian City during summer, PM2.5 samples were collected from July 22 to August 19, 2016. The identified n-alkane and sugar sources were investigated using a principal component analysis (PCA) multiple linear regression (MLR) model and a backward trajectory model. The results showed that the mass concentrations of PM2.5 during summer were (37.2±11.5) µg·m-3. The mass concentrations of n-alkanes were (83.3±34.7) ng·m-3, the carbon preference index (CPI) was 1.83, and the relative contribution of wax n-alkanes was 34.7%-69.4%, suggesting that contributions from terrestrial plants were more significant in Taian City. The results showed that the mass concentrations of sugars in Taian City during summer were (73.4±46.6) ng·m-3. Levoglucan, galactosan, and mannosan were the main saccharides, accounting for 64.0%, 7.1%, and 6.3% of the total concentrations of sugars, respectively, indicating that biomass burning is much more significant in Taian City. The results of the PCA-MLR model suggested that n-alkanes and sugars in Taian City during summer were mostly from terrestrial plants, coal burning and biomass burning. The backward trajectory model showed that the pollution mostly came from the native sources of Shandong province and the inland cities in the south.

HSP70 and mucin 5B: novel protein targets of N,N'-dinitrosopiperazine-induced nasopharyngeal tumorigenesis.

N,N'-Dinitrosopiperazine (DNP) induces nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and shows organ specificity to the nasopharyngeal epithelium. To investigate its mechanism, the rat NPC model was induced using DNP. Rat NPC and normal nasopharyngeal cells were obtained from the NPC model using laser capture. The total proteins from these cell samples were separated with two-dimension polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis techniques, and highly expressed proteins (> five-fold) were analyzed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight and bioinformatics. The results showed that HSP70 and mucin 5B expression increased not only in rat NPC but also in atypical hyperplasia nasopharyngeal tissues, a precancer stage of NPC. High-expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and mucin 5B was further supported by western blot analysis. The immunofluorescence and western-blotting studies further showed that DNP induced the expression of HSP70 and mucin 5B in a dosage-dependent manner in normal nasopharyngeal epithelia cells. Our data indicate that DNP triggers over-expression of HSP70 and mucin 5B, and is involved in nasopharyngeal tumorigenesis. HSP70 and mucin 5B may be important targets in nasopharyngeal tumorigenesis induced by DNP.

[Pollution Characteristics and Source Analysis of n-alkanes and Saccharides in PM2.5 During the Winter in Liaocheng City].

To investigate molecular composition, mass concentrations, and sources of n-alkanes and sugars which are adsorbed in ambient particulate matters in Liaocheng City during winter, PM2.5 samples were collected from January 17 to February 15, 2017 at Liaocheng University. 19 kinds (C18-C36) of n-alkanes and 10 kinds of sugars were determined using GC-MS. The identification of n-alkane and sugar sources were investigated using principal component analysis (PCA). The results showed that the mass concentrations of total n-alkanes in PM2.5 during the winter were (456.9±252.5) ng·m-3. During the haze period, the concentrations of n-alkanes were two times higher than those on clear days. Additionally, the concentrations of n-alkanes during fireworks event I and fireworks event Ⅱ were 0.9 times and 1.2 times higher than those on clear days. During the sampling period, the Carbon preference index (CPI) was 1.2±0.1, and the contribution from plant wax concentrations for n-alkanes (% Wax Cn) was between 3.1%~36.0%, indicating that fossil fuels were the major source of n-alkanes in Liaocheng City during the winter. The mass concentrations of saccharides in PM2.5 during the winter were (415.5±213.8) ng·m-3. Levoglucosan was the most abundant species, followed by galactosan and mannosan, which accounted for more than 91.6% of total saccharides, indicating that biomass burning was much more significant in Liaocheng City. PCA further suggested that n-alkane and saccharide compounds in atmospheric aerosol during the winter in Liaocheng City were primarily derived from fossil fuel and biomass burning.

[Diurnal Variations and Source Analysis of Water-soluble Compounds in PM2.5 During the Winter in Liaocheng City].

To investigate the diurnal variations and sources of water-soluble compounds in Liaocheng City, PM2.5 samples were collected between January and February 2017. The PM2.5 samples were analyzed for the compositions, concentrations, and sources of water-soluble inorganic ions, oxalic acid, and levoglucosan. The sources of these chemical compound were investigated using principal component analysis (PCA) and multiple linear regression (MLR) modeling. The results showed that the mass concentrations of PM2.5during the nighttime were higher than those during the daytime, and the average concentrations exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (GB 3095-2012) by more than 1.8 times. Moreover, atmospheric pollution was worse during the day than during the night. SNA (SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+) were the dominant species among the inorganic ions, the relative abundance of which with respect to the total concentrations of inorganic ions was 73.4% and 77.1% during the daytime and nighttime, respectively. The ratios of anion to cation equivalents (AE/CE) were less than one, suggesting that the PM2.5 was slightly alkaline, and the degree of acidity at night was stronger than during the day. The results of the correlation analyses suggested that aqueous-phase oxidation was the major formation pathway of oxalic acid, which is driven by acid-catalyzed oxidation. The oxalic acid was mainly influenced by biomass burning during the winter in Liaocheng City. The results of the PCA-MLR model suggested that water-soluble compounds in Liaocheng City were mostly from vehicular emissions and secondary oxidation, biomass burning, while the impacts of mineral dust and coal burning were relatively minor.

[Source Analysis and Health Risk Assessment of PAHs in PM2.5 During Winter in Liaocheng City].

To investigate the mass concentrations, sources, and health effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ambient particulate matter (PM) in Liaocheng City during winter, 14 types of PAHs in PM2.5 were determined from January to February of 2017. The sources of the PAHs were analyzed by using diagnostics ratios and the principal component analysis (PCA)-multiple linear regression (MLR) model,and the health risk of PAHs was assessed by BaP equivalent concentrations (BaPeq) and incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR). The results showed that the mass concentrations of PAHs in PM2.5 during winter were (64.89±48.23) ng·m-3, Fla, Pyr, and Chry were predominant species, accounting for 15.5%, 12.8%, and 12.7% of the total concentrations of PAHs, respectively. Moreover, the ring distribution of the PAHs was dominated by four-ring PAHs. The pollution during the pre-Spring Festival and firework Ⅱwere the most severe during the sampling period. The results of the PCA-MLR model suggested that PAHs originated mostly from coal burning, biomass burning, and vehicle emissions. The toxicity exposure index (TEQ) in Liaocheng City during winter was (6.37±4.92) ng·m-3. The results of the risk model revealed that the ILCR of adults was higher than that of children, and both groups of ILCR for winter were in the range of the risk threshold. This suggests that a potential risk in terms of inhalation PAH exposure for residents in Liaocheng City.

Practicability of TTI application to yogurt quality prediction in plausible scenarios of a distribution system with temperature variations.

Yogurt has high temperature sensitivity, resulting in the temperature variations from production to consumption. Cooling capacity of cold chain facilities and product storage height are regarded as factors contributing to temperature variations in this study. To find an effective method to monitor temperature history of every yogurt product, three measurements were used: the set point of a cold chamber, a data logger, and a time-temperature integrator (TTI). The mean measured yogurt quality factor (acidity, °T) of 30 samples was 92.1 °T, and predicted values were 91.8 °T from the set point, 93.3 °T from the data logger, and 92.4 °T from the TTI. In terms of individual prediction, the SSE of the TTI showed the smallest difference (5.76) followed by 81.5 of the set point and 118.9 of the data logger. Thus, the TTI showed the best performance and can be used to monitor the time-temperature history of yogurt in the cold chain system.

[Diurnal Variation of Dicarboxylic Acids and Related SOA in PM2.5 from Heze City in Winter].

To identify the diurnal variation and formation mechanism of dicarboxylic acids and related compounds in PM2.5 from Heze City, PM2.5 samples were collected in the winter (December) of 2017, which were subsequently analyzed for dicarboxylic acids, ketocarboxylic acids, α-dicarbonyls, and levoglucosan (Levo). The results showed that the total concentrations of dicarboxylic and ketocarboxylic acids were higher during daytime than those during nighttime. In contrast to the diurnal variation of dicarboxylic and ketocarboxylic acids, the total concentrations of α-dicarbonyls exhibited higher concentrations in nighttime than in daytime. Because α-dicarbonyls are the major precursors of dicarboxylic acids, the opposing patterns suggest that the photochemical oxidation in daytime is stronger than that in nighttime. Oxalic acid (C2) is the dominant species during both day-and nighttime, followed by phahalic acid (Ph), succinic acid (C4), and malonic acid (C3), which is consistent with that in other urban regions. The mass ratios of C3/C4 (R2>0.7) correlated strongly with temperature, indicating that organic compounds in the atmosphere of Heze City are mainly derived from the photochemical oxidation of local emissions rather than long-range transport in winter. C2 correlated with in-situ pH and SO42-, suggesting that aqueous-phase oxidation was the major formation pathway of C2, which is driven by acid-catalyzed oxidation. Since the major SOA (C2, glyoxal, and methyglyoxal, secondary organic aerosol) correlated with Levo and the average mass rations of K+/organic carbon was 0.06 (ranging from 0.03 to 0.13), it can be concluded that the dicarboxylic acids and related SOA and K+ in Heze City were significantly influenced by biomass burning in winter.

[Analysis of Seasonal Variations in Chemical Characteristics and Sources of PM2.5 During Summer and Winter in Ji'nan City].

To investigate seasonal variations in the chemical compositions of aerosols in Ji'nan City, PM2.5 samples were collected during summer and winter in 2015. The sampling period lasted one month during each season. PM2.5 samples were analyzed for the composition, concentration, and sources of water-soluble inorganic ions, organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC). Results showed that mass concentrations of PM2.5 in winter were about twice those in summer, and concentration levels varied between fine and excellent. The concentrations of total water-soluble inorganic ions were also higher in winter than in summer, with SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+ being the dominant species and well correlated with each other. NH4+ in PM2.5 mostly existed in the form of (NH4)2SO4 and NH4NO3 in both summer and winter. There was strong secondary oxidation of SO2 and NO2. The sulfate oxidizing rate (SOR) was higher in summer than in winter, while the nitrate oxidizing rate (NOR) showed the opposite trend. The ratio of anions to cations in both summer and winter were less than one, suggesting that PM2.5 were slightly alkaline. The ISORROPIA-Ⅱ mode showed that acidity in winter was stronger than in summer. Concentations of OC and EC were both higher in winter than in summer. The ratios of OC to EC and WSOC to OC and estimated concentrations of secondary organic carbon (SOC) showed that secondary pollution was more serious in winter than in summer. Principal component analysis(PCA)indicated that the major sources contributing to inorganic ions were secondary oxidation and biomass burning in summer, and coal combustion and secondary pollutants formed by chemical oxidation of precursors emitted from coal combustion in winter.

[Effects of spraying paclobutrazol at different stages on physiological characteristics, yield and quality of peanut]. / 不同时期喷施多效唑对花生生理特性、产量和品质的影响.

To explore the optimum stage of spraying with paclobutrazol (PBZ) for different peanut cultivars under high yield condition, we investigated the effects of spraying PBZ at different stages on chlorophyll content, root activity, protective enzymes, nitrogen and carbon metabolism enzymes of leaves, pod yield and kernel quality of peanut, with Huayu 20 and Huayu 25 as materials. The results showed that spraying PBZ at different stages increased root activity, chlorophyll content, SOD, POD, CAT, SS, SPS, PEPC activities and decreased the MDA content, NR, GS, GDH and GOGAT activities for pod setting stage of two cultivars. These results suggested that the effects would be more obvious at earlier spray time. For HY25, the most significant effects of spraying PBZ on those parameters of pod filling stage could be obtained when the main stem height was 25 cm. For HY20, spraying PBZ when the main stem height was 25 cm decreased the activities of protective enzymes. Earlier spraying time to HY20 would lead to early senescence, lower chlorophyll content, root activity and carbon metabolism enzyme activity. For HY20, the most significant effects of spraying PBZ on those parameters of pod filling stage could be obtained when the main stem height was 30 cm. Our results indicated that PBZ treatments at the optimum stage could improve pod yield and economic coefficient of both cultivars and enhance the fat content and the relative content of oleic acid and the O/L. Under high yield condition, the optimum stage of spraying PBZ was 25 cm height of the main stem for HY25 and 30 cm for HY20.

[Compositions and Sources of Summertime Dicarboxylic Acids and Related SOA in PM2.5 from Mt. Taishan].

To identify the compositions and sources of dicarboxylic acids and related SOA in Mt. Taishan, PM2.5 samples were collected from July to August, 2004, and analyzed for dicarboxylic acids and related compounds, the tracers of biogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA) (Isopene, α-/ß-Pinene and ß-caryophyllene SOA tracers), water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and inorganic ions. The results showed that total dicarboxylic acids were (376±189) ng·m-3, and C2 was the most abundant dicarboxylic acid, followed by C3, C4 and C9. The concentrations of diacids were more abundant than those in marine regions, but lower than those in urban and other mountainous areas, indicating that the atmosphere in Mt. Taishan was less influenced by anthropogenic pollution. C2/C4, C3/C4 and F/M ratios indicated that diacids were mostly produced by more intensive photochemical oxidation. The relative abundance of C9 to the total diacids, C9/C6 and C9/Ph ratios were higher than those in urban, marine and mountainous regions, further suggesting that SOA in Mt. Taishan atmosphere were mostly derived from biogenic sources rather than anthropogenic sources. Compared to the budgets of model and correlation analysis, it suggested that diacids and related SOA in Mt. Taishan were mostly derived from photochemical oxidation of local biogenic sources.