Aberrant angiogenic signaling pathways: Accomplices in ovarian cancer progression and treatment.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women, and treatment options are limited. Despite efforts to adjust cancer treatment models and develop new methods, including tumor microenvironment (TME) therapy, more theoretical support is needed. Increasing attention is being given to antiangiogenic measures for TME treatment. Another important concept in ovarian cancer TME is angiogenesis, where tumor cells obtain nutrients and oxygen from surrounding tissues through blood vessels to support further expansion and metastasis. Many neovascularization signaling pathways become imbalanced and hyperactive during this process. Inhibiting these abnormal pathways can yield ideal therapeutic effects in patients, even by reversing drug resistance. However, these deep TME signaling pathways often exhibit crosstalk and correlation. Understanding these interactions may be an important strategy for further treating ovarian cancer. This review summarizes the latest progress and therapeutic strategies for these angiogenic signaling pathways in ovarian cancer.

Fertilizer Effects on the Nitrogen Isotope Composition of Soil and Different Leaf Locations of Potted Camellia sinensis over a Growing Season.

The nitrogen-stable isotopes of plants can be used to verify the source of fertilizers, but the fertilizer uptake patterns in tea (Camellia sinensis) plants are unclear. In this study, potted tea plants were treated with three types of organic fertilizers (OFs), urea, and a control. The tea leaves were sampled over seven months from the top, middle, and base of the plants and analyzed for the δ15N and nitrogen content, along with the corresponding soil samples. The top tea leaves treated with the rapeseed cake OF had the highest δ15N values (up to 6.6‱), followed by the chicken manure, the cow manure, the control, and the urea fertilizer (6.5‱, 4.1‱, 2.2‱, and 0.6‱, respectively). The soil treated with cow manure had the highest δ15N values (6.0‱), followed by the chicken manure, rapeseed cake, control, and urea fertilizer (4.8‱, 4.0‱, 2.5‱, and 1.9‱, respectively). The tea leaves fertilized with rapeseed cake showed only slight δ15N value changes in autumn but increased significantly in early spring and then decreased in late spring, consistent with the delivery of a slow-release fertilizer. Meanwhile, the δ15N values of the top, middle, and basal leaves from the tea plants treated with the rapeseed cake treatment were consistently higher in early spring and lower in autumn and late spring, respectively. The urea and control samples had lower tea leaf δ15N values than the rapeseed cake-treated tea and showed a generalized decrease in the tea leaf δ15N values over time. The results clarify the temporal nitrogen patterns and isotope compositions of tea leaves treated with different fertilizer types and ensure that the δ15N tea leaf values can be used to authenticate the organic fertilizer methods across different harvest periods and leaf locations. The present results based on a pot experiment require further exploration in open agricultural soils in terms of the various potential fertilizer effects on the different variations of nitrogen isotope ratios in tea plants.

Effects of Water Isotope Composition on Stable Isotope Distribution and Fractionation of Rice and Plant Tissues.

Rice origin authenticity is important for food safety and consumer confidence. The stable isotope composition of rice is believed to be closely related to its water source, which affects its origin characteristics. However, the influence of water availability on the distribution of rice stable isotopes (δ2H and δ18O) is not clear. In this study, three irrigation waters with different isotopic values were used to investigate isotopic water use effects of Indica and Japonica rice, using pot experiments. Under three different water isotope treatments, the δ2H values of Indica polished rice showed significant differences (-65.0 ± 2.3, -60.5 ± 0.8 and -55.8 ± 1.7‰, respectively, p < 0.05) compared to δ13C and δ15N, as did Japonica polished rice. The values of δ2H and δ18O of rice became more positive when applying more enriched (in 2H and 18O) water, and the enrichment effect was higher in rice than in the corresponding plant tissue. In addition, the δ2H and δ18O values of Indica rice leaves decreased at the heading stage, increased at the filling stage, and then decreased at the harvest stage. Japonica rice showed a similar trend. δ2H changes from stem to leaf were more negative, but δ18O changes were more positive, and δ2H and δ18O values from leaf to rice were more positive for both brown and polished rice. The results from this study will clarify different water isotopic composition effects on rice and provide useful information to improve rice origin authenticity using stable isotope-based methods.

Study on the correlation between color and taste of beauty tea infusion and the pivotal contributing compounds based on UV-visible spectroscopy, taste equivalent quantification and metabolite analysis.

This study utilized a colorimeter to determine the color values of 23 beauty tea (BT) samples, the color and the taste characteristics were also quantitatively described through ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy and taste equivalent quantification. Furthermore, metabolomic analysis was conducted by using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). Correlation analysis was employed to preliminarily identify the compounds that contribute to the color and taste of BT infusion. Finally, the contributing compounds were further determined through verification experiment. The results showed that within a certain range, as the color of BT infusion deepened, the taste became stronger, more bitter and astringent, while on the contrary, it became sweeter and mellower. Theaflavins, kaempferol, astragalin, and 5-p-coumaroylquinic acid influenced both the color and taste of the BT infusion. Gallic acid was also determined as a contributor to the color. This study provides new insights into research on tea quality in infusion color and taste aspects.

Structure and Electron Configuration of Imidazole-2-carboxaldehyde and Its Excited Triplet: Resonance Raman and Transient Absorption Spectroscopy and DFT Calculation Investigations.

Imidazole-2-carboxaldehyde (IC) can be generated in atmospheric waters and absorbs solar radiation in the near UV region to produce its excited triplet state (3IC), which contributes to the formation of a secondary organic aerosol (SOA). The photoreactivity of IC is significantly influenced by its surroundings, such as water and acidic environment, because IC is capable of transforming into gem-diol under above conditions. Meanwhile, the electron configuration of 3IC is critical in elucidating the reaction mechanism of 3IC with other anthropogenic and biogenic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In this study, steady-state and time-resolved resonance Raman as well as transient absorption spectroscopic experiments were conducted to provide vibrational and kinetic information on IC and 3IC in the presence of water and acid conditions. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the H-bonding at the carbonyl O was confirmed and the hydrated structure of IC and 3IC was determined. 1,4-Cyclohexadiene is a good hydrogen donor, and it has a second-order rate constant of ∼107 M-1 s-1 toward 3IC. The results of CASSCF calculations suggest that the hydrogen abstraction may involve the transition from the ππ* to nπ* triplet state via the surface-crossing point.

Tracing the geographical origin of tobacco at two spatial scales by stable isotope and element analyses with chemometrics.

Tobacco is a widely cultivated cash crop, but it is often smuggled and sold illegally. Unfortunately, there is currently no way to verify the origin of tobacco in China. In an effort to address this issue, we conducted a study using stable isotopes and elements from 176 tobacco samples at both provincial and municipal scales. Our findings revealed significant differences in δ13C, K, Cs, and 208/206Pb at the provincial-level, and Sr, Se, and Pb at the municipal level. We created a heat map at the municipal level, which showed a similar cluster classification to geographic grouping and provided an initial assessment of tobacco origins. Using OPLS-DA modeling, we achieved a 98.3% accuracy rate for the provincial scale and 97.6% for the municipal scale. It is worth noting that the importance of rankings of variables varied depending on the spatial scale of the evaluation. This study offers the first traceability fingerprint dataset of tobacco and has the potential to combat mislabeling and fraudulent conduct by identifying the geographical origin of tobacco.

Combining stable isotope, multielement and untargeted metabolomics with chemometrics to discriminate the geographical origins of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe).

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is a high-value food and herb worldwide. The quality of ginger is often related to its production regions. In this study, stable isotopes, multiple elements, and metabolites were investigated together to realize ginger origin traceability. Chemometrics showed that ginger samples could be preliminarily separated, and 4 isotopes (δ13C, δ2H, δ18O, and δ34S), 12 mineral elements (Rb, Mn, V, Na, Sm, K, Ga, Cd, Al, Ti, Mg, and Li), 1 bioelement (%C), and 143 metabolites were the most important variables for discrimination. Furthermore, three algorithms were introduced, and the fused dataset based on VIP features led to the highest accuracies for origin classification, with predictive rates of 98% for K-nearest neighbor and 100% for support vector machine and random forest. The results demonstrated that isotopic, elemental, and metabolic fingerprints were useful indicators for the geographical origins of Chinese ginger.

Effects of Light Shading, Fertilization, and Cultivar Type on the Stable Isotope Distribution of Hybrid Rice.

The effect of fertilizer supply and light intensity on the distribution of elemental contents (%C and %N) and light stable isotopes (C, N, H, and O) in different rice fractions (rice husk, brown rice, and polished rice) of two hybrid rice cultivars (maintainer lines You-1B and Zhong-9B) were investigated. Significant variations were observed for δ13C (-31.3 to -28.3‱), δ15N (2.4 to 2.7‱), δ2H (-125.7 to -84.7‱), and δ18O (15.1‱ to 23.7‱) values in different rice fractions among different cultivars. Fertilizer treatments showed a strong association with %N, δ15N, δ2H, and δ18O values while it did not impart any significant variation for the %C and δ13C values. Light intensity levels also showed a significant influence on the isotopic values of different rice fractions. The δ13C values showed a positive correlation with irradiance. The δ2H and δ15N values decreased with an increase in the irradiance. The light intensity levels did not show any significant change for δ18O values in rice fractions. Multivariate ANOVA showed a significant interaction effect of different factors (light intensity, fertilizer concentration, and rice variety) on the isotopic composition of rice fractions. It is concluded that all environmental and cultivation factors mentioned above significantly influenced the isotopic values and should be considered when addressing the authenticity and origin of rice. Furthermore, care should be taken when selecting rice fractions for traceability and authenticity studies since isotopic signatures vary considerably among different rice fractions.

A review of recent compound-specific isotope analysis studies applied to food authentication.

Compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA) of food products is a relatively new and novel technique used to authenticate food and detect adulteration. This paper provides a review of recent on-line and off-line CSIA applications of plant and animal origin foods, essential oils and plant extracts. Different food discrimination techniques, applications, scope, and recent studies are discussed. CSIA δ13C values are widely used to verify geographical origin, organic production, and adulteration. The δ15N values of individual amino acids and nitrate fertilizers have proven effective to authenticate organic foods, while δ2H and δ18O values are useful to link food products with local precipitation for geographical origin verification. Most CSIA techniques focus on fatty acids, amino acids, monosaccharides, disaccharides, organic acids, and volatile compounds enabling more selective and detailed origin and authentication information than bulk isotope analyses.. In conclusion, CSIA has a stronger analytical advantage for the authentication of food compared to bulk stable isotope analysis, especially for honey, beverages, essential oils, and processed foods.

Stable isotope characterization of tobacco products: A determination of synthetic or natural nicotine authenticity.

RATIONALE: "Tobacco-free" or synthetic nicotine products have appeared in some markets, increasing potential health risks and regulatory compliance challenges. Currently, there are few reliable methods for the determination of authenticity of natural and synthetic nicotine. Analytical techniques based on stable isotopes have broad application prospects in the traceability and identification of agricultural products. METHODS: Tobacco leaves from four main tobacco production regions in China and different types of tobacco products were extracted with n-hexane and 5% sodium hydroxide to obtain nicotine extracts. Subsequent stable isotope mass spectrometry was performed by analyzing δ2 H, δ13 C, and δ15 N values of nicotine. RESULTS: Firstly, results from a batch of 233 samples indicated stable isotopes were closely related to climate and geographical locations and provide a basis for a determination of the origin of tobacco leaves. In addition, the δ2 H values had significant differences between natural and synthetic nicotine and the results indicate a δ2 H value of -163.0‰ could be the threshold for assessing synthetic and natural nicotine. Finally, a total of 239 results further validated the δ2 H value as a metric for source authentication of commercial tobacco products. CONCLUSIONS: Synthetic (S)-(-)-nicotine could be accurately and quickly identified using the method developed by measuring δ2 H values in a qualitative manner. To our knowledge, this is the first time a stable isotope mass spectrometry technique has been used for distinguishing the source of nicotine. This technique will aid in the accurate identification, labelling, and regulation of synthetic nicotine-based tobacco products.

Application of hyperspectral imaging assisted with integrated deep learning approaches in identifying geographical origins and predicting nutrient contents of Coix seeds.

Coix seed (CS, Coix lachryma-jobi L. var. ma-yuen (Roman.) Stapf) has rich nutrients, including starch, protein and oil. The geographical origin with a protected geographical indication and high levels of nutrient contents ensures the quality of CS, but non-destructive and rapid methods for predicting these quality indicators remain to be explored. This paper proposed hyperspectral imaging (HSI) assisted with the integrated deep learning models of attention mechanism (AM), convolutional neural networks, and long short-term memory. The method achieved the effective wavelengths selection, the highest prediction accuracy for production region discrimination and the lowest mean absolute error and root mean squared error for nutrient contents prediction. Moreover, the wavelengths selected via the AM model were explicable and reliable for predicting the geographical origins and nutrient contents. The proposed combination of HSI with integrated deep learning models has great potential in the quality evaluation of CS.

Stable isotope and elemental profiles determine geographical origin of saffron from China and Iran.

Origin verification of high-value saffron is essential for fair trade and to protect consumers' interests and rights. A traceability method using elemental content (% C and % N) and stable isotopes (δ13C, δ2H, δ18O, and δ15N) combined with chemometrics was developed to discriminate saffron from Iran and China and classify major domestic production areas in China. Results showed that Iranian samples had lower % C and % N contents but higher δ13C values than Chinese origin saffron, with δ13C acting as an important variable for origin discrimination. Moreover, δ2H and δ13C isotopes were found to be important variables to classify Chinese regional saffron origin. Two supervised pattern recognition models (PLS-DA) developed to classify Iranian and Chinese saffron, and regional Chinese saffron had a discrimination accuracy of 85.0 % and 80.2 %, respectively. These models provide the basis for a new regulatory inspection procedure to verify saffron origin and label claims, minimizing fraudulent mislabeling and adding value to saffron from specific regions.

Recent advances in Chinese food authentication and origin verification using isotope ratio mass spectrometry.

Over the last decade, isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) using up to 5 light stable isotopes (13C/12C, 2H/1H, 15N/14N, 18O/16O, 34S/32S) has become more widely applied for food origin verification as well as food authentication in China. IRMS technology is increasingly used to authenticate a range of food products including organic foods, honey, beverages, tea, animal products, fruits, oils, cereals, spices and condiments that are frequently unique to a specific region of China. Compared to other food authenticity and traceability techniques, IRMS has been successfully used to characterize, classify and identify many Chinese food products, reducing fraud and food safety problems and improving consumer trust and confidence. IRMS techniques also provides scientific support to enhance China's strict government regulatory policies. Isotope testing verifies geographical origin labelling of domestic and imported foods, protects and verifies high value foods that are unique to China, and indicates environmentally friendly farming practices such as 'green' or 'organic' methods. This paper reviews recently published Chinese research to highlight the recent advances of IRMS as a regulatory and verification tool for Chinese food products.

Comparative analysis of nitrogen content and its influence on actinorhizal nodule and rhizospheric microorganism diversity in three Alnus species.

Alnus spp. (alder) are typical nonleguminous nitrogen-fixing trees that have a symbiotic relationship with Frankia. To explore the differences in nitrogen-fixing microorganisms between three alders (A. cremastogyne, A. glutinosa, and A. formosana) with different chromosome ploidies, the community structure and compositional diversity of potential nitrogen-fixing microorganism in root nodules and rhizosphere soil were comparatively analyzed using 16S rRNA and nitrogenase (nifH) gene sequencing. The nitrogen contents in the root nodules and rhizosphere soil were also determined. The results showed that the contents of total nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen in the root nodules of the three alders are significantly higher than those in the rhizosphere soils, while the ammonium nitrogen content show the opposite trend. The family, genus, and species levels showed obviously differences between root nodules and rhizosphere soils, while there were no significant differences at the classification level between the three alders. At the phylum level, the dominant phyla from 16S rRNA and nifH gene data in the root nodules and rhizosphere soil of the three alders are phylum Actinomycetota and phylum Pseudomonadota, respectively. The LEfSe results showed that there are significant differences in the dominant groups in the root nodules and rhizosphere oil of the three alders. The relative abundances of dominant groups also showed obvious differences between the root nodules and rhizosphere soils of three alders. The relative abundances of Frankia and unclassified_Frankia in root nodules are obviously higher than those in rhizosphere soils, and their relative abundances in A. glutinosa root nodules are significantly higher than those in A. cremastogyne and A. formosana at the genus and species levels. The diversity of potential nitrogen-fixing microorganism from 16S rRNA and nifH gene data in the A. glutinosa root nodules and rhizosphere soils are all higher than those in A. cremastogyne and A. formosana. The results of functional prediction also showed that the OTUs for nitrogen fixation, nitrate respiration, and ureolysis in A. glutinosa root nodules are higher than those in the other two alders. Redundancy analysis revealed that the total nitrogen content mostly affects the Frankia community. Overall, there are significant differences in the community composition and structure of potential nitrogen-fixing microorganism in the root nodules and rhizosphere soils between the three alders. A. glutinosa showed a relatively stronger nitrogen fixation capacity than A. formosana and A. cremastogyne. The results help elucidates how the community structure and nitrogen-fixing ability of potential nitrogen-fixing microorganism differ between alder species and serve as a reference for applying Frankia to alder plantations.

Nutrient content prediction and geographical origin identification of red raspberry fruits by combining hyperspectral imaging with chemometrics.

The geographical origin and the important nutrient contents greatly affect the quality of red raspberry (RRB, Rubus idaeus L.), a popular fruit with various health benefits. In this study, a chemometrics-assisted hyperspectral imaging (HSI) method was developed for predicting the nutrient contents, including pectin polysaccharides (PPS), reducing sugars (RS), total flavonoids (TF) and total phenolics (TP), and identifying the geographical origin of RRB fruits. The results showed that these nutrient contents in RRB fruits had significant differences between regions (P < 0.05) and could be well predicted based on the HSI full or effective wavelengths selected through competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) and variable iterative space shrinkage approach (VISSA). The best prediction results of PPS, RS, TF, and TP contents were achieved with the highest residual predictive deviation (RPD) values of 3.66, 3.95, 2.85, and 4.85, respectively. The RRB fruits from multi-regions in China were effectively distinguished by using the first derivative-partial least squares discriminant analysis (DER-PLSDA) model, with an accuracy of above 97%. Meanwhile, the fruits from three protected geographical indication (PGI) regions were successfully classified by using the orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLSDA) model, with an accuracy of above 98%. The study results indicate that HSI assisted with chemometrics is a promising method for predicting the important nutrient contents and identifying the geographical origin of red raspberry fruits.

Geographical origin classification of peanuts and processed fractions using stable isotopes.

This study investigates the use of stable isotopes (C, N, H, and O) to characterize the geographical origin of peanuts along with different peanut fractions including whole peanut kernel, peanut shell, delipidized peanuts and peanut oil. Peanut samples were procured in 2017 from three distinctive growing regions (Shandong, Jilin, and Jiangsu) in China. Peanut processing significantly influenced the δ 13C, δ 2H, and δ 18O values of different peanut fractions, whereas δ 15N values were consistent across all fractions and unaffected by peanut processing. Geographical differences of peanut kernels and associated peanut fractions showed a maximum variance for δ 15N and δ 18O values which indicated their strong potential to discriminate origin. Different geographical classification models (SVM, LDA, and k-NN) were tested for peanut kernels and associated peanut fractions. LDA achieved the highest classification percentage, both on the training and validation sets. Delipidized peanuts had the best classification rate compared to the other fractions.

Predicting isoscapes based on an environmental similarity model for the geographical origin of Chinese rice.

The authentication of geographical origin of food is important using stable isotope analysis. However, the isotopic databank is still short of comprehensive. The isoscapes model based on environmental similarity is used for the first time to predict the geospatial distribution of δ13C, δ2H and δ18O in Chinese rice in 2017 and 2018. 794 rice samples in 2017 were used to build isoscapes model. Independent verification shows that the predicted isotope distribution from this new approach is of high accuracy, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.51 ‰, 7.09 ‰ and 2.06 ‰ for δ13C, δ2H and δ18O values for 2017, respectively. Our results indicate that it is possible to predict the spatial distribution of stable isotopes in rice using an isoscapes model based on environmental similarity. This novel strategy can enrich and complement a stable isotope reference database for rice origin identification at regional scale.

Chemometric origin classification of Chinese garlic using sulfur-containing compounds, assisted by stable isotopes and bioelements.

Geographical origin discrimination of agro-products is essential to guarantee food safety and fair trade. Garlic samples cultivated in six provinces or major production regions in China were characterized for stable isotopes (δ13C, δ2H, δ18O, δ15N, and δ34S), bioelemental contents (% C, % N and % S), and sulfur-containing compounds (8 organosulfur components and 2 amino acids). Results showed that many of the 18 analyzed garlic variables had significant differences among production regions. Some sulfur-containing compounds found in garlic from different provinces had a strong correlation with sulfur isotopes, suggesting garlic sulfur isotopes were also affected by geographical origin. Two supervised pattern recognition models (PLS-DA and k-NN) were developed using stable isotopes, elemental contents, and sulfur-containing compounds, and had a discrimination accuracy of 93.4 % and 87.8 %, respectively. Chemometric classification models using multi-isotopes, elements and sulfur-containing compounds provides a useful method to authenticate Chinese garlic origins.

Stable isotope and photosynthetic response of tea grown under different temperature and light conditions.

The stable isotope and photosynthesis response of tea (Camellia sinensis) is determined under different light and temperature conditions. The results showed that isotopes of young tea leaves were more enriched with increasing light intensity (31 ~ 411 µmol m-2∙s-1). However, the value of δ13C and δ15N seemed depleted, while δ2H and δ18O became enriched as temperature increasing from 15 to 35 °C. Significant isotope differences were found in tea leaves harvested between early growth (0 ~ 10 days) and later growth (10 ~ 21 days) periods (p < 0.05). Pearson's correlation showed a negative correlation between isotopes (δ13C, δ15N and δ2H) and photosynthetic parameters (EVAP and CI) ranging from 0.497 to 0.872, under 25 °C/203 µmol m-2∙s-1. But δ18O had a weak correlation with all photosynthetic parameters under the same conditions. These distinctive correlations between isotopes and photosynthetic parameters provide new insights which could be used to predict tea isotope responses arising from subtle seasonal or climate change conditions.

Stable Isotope Effects of Biogas Slurry Applied as an Organic Fertilizer to Rice, Straw, and Soil.

Biogas slurry (BS) is now increasingly used for organic rice production in China. However, the isotopic response and fractionation of different BS application rates to characterize organic rice cultivation have not yet been investigated. In this study, different fertilizer treatments were applied to rice paddy soil including urea, BS with five different application rates and a control with no fertilizer added. Multiproxy analyses (% C, % N, δ13C, δ15N, δ2H, and δ18O) of rice, rice straw, and soil were undertaken using elemental analyzer-isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Rice, straw, and soil showed only minor isotopic and elemental variations across all fertilizer treatments except for δ15N. δ15N values of rice and straw became more positive (+6.1 to +11.2‰ and +6.1 to +12.2‰, respectively) with increasing BS application rates and became more negative with urea fertilization (+2.8 and +3.0‰, respectively). The soil had more positive δ15N values after BS application but showed no significant change with different application rates. No obvious δ15N isotopic differences were found between the control soil and soils fertilized with urea. 15N fractionation was observed between rice, straw, and soil (Δrice-soil -2.0 to +4.3‰, Δstraw-soil -1.9 to +5.3‰) and their isotopic values were strongly correlated to each other (r > 0.94, p < 0.01). Results showed that % C, % N, δ13C, δ2H, and δ18O in rice displayed only minor variations for different fertilizers. However, δ15N values increased in response to BS application, confirming that BS leaves an enriched 15N isotopic marker in soil, straw, and rice, indicating its organically cultivated status. Results from this study will enhance the stable isotope δ15N databank for assessing organic practices using different fertilizer sources.