Genome-wide characterisation of HD-Zip transcription factors and functional analysis of PbHB24 during stone cell formation in Chinese white pear (Pyrus bretschneideri).

BACKGROUND: The homodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) is a conserved transcription factor family unique to plants that regulate multiple developmental processes including lignificaion. Stone cell content is a key determinant negatively affecting pear fruit quality, which causes a grainy texture of fruit flesh, because of the lignified cell walls. RESULTS: In this study, a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of HD-Zip genes in Chinese white pear (Pyrus bretschneideri) (PbHBs) was performed. Genome-wide identification of the PbHB gene family revealed 67 genes encoding PbHB proteins, which could be divided into four subgroups (I, II, III, and IV). For some members, similar intron/exon structural patterns support close evolutionary relationships within the same subgroup. The functions of each subgroup of the PbHB family were predicted through comparative analysis with the HB genes in Arabidopsis and other plants. Cis-element analysis indicated that PbHB genes might be involved in plant hormone signalling and external environmental responses, such as light, stress, and temperature. Furthermore, RNA-sequencing data and quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) verification revealed the regulatory roles of PbHB genes in pear stone cell formation. Further, co-expression network analysis revealed that the eight PbHB genes could be classified into different clusters of co-expression with lignin-related genes. Besides, the biological function of PbHB24 in promoting stone cell formation has been demonstrated by overexpression in fruitlets. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided the comprehensive analysis of PbHBs and highlighted the importance of PbHB24 during stone cell development in pear fruits.

Visible-Light-Promoted Selenylation/Cyclization of o-Alkynyl Benzylazides/o-Propargyl Arylazides: Synthesis of Seleno-Substituted Isoquinolines and Quinolines.

A simple and efficient visible-light-promoted selenylation/cyclization of o-alkynyl benzylazides/o-propargyl arylazides have been realized for the practical synthesis of seleno-substituted isoquinolines and quinolines. This strategy provides the synthesis of valuable seleno-substituted isoquinoline and quinoline derivatives via the construction of one C(sp2)-Se bond and one C-N bond within one process.

The multiple mediating effects of self-efficacy and resilience on the relationship between social support and procrastination among vocational college students: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has revealed a negative association between social support and procrastination. However, few studies have investigated the mechanism underlying this relationship among vocational college students. OBJECTIVE: Based on the social cognitive theory, this study was intended to investigate the multiple mediating effects of self-efficacy and resilience on the relationship between social support and procrastination among vocational college students. METHODS: This study employed a cross-sectional design involving a sample of 1,379 students from a vocational college in China. Data were collected using the General Procrastination Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Resilience Scale-14. The PROCESS macro for SPSS was used to examine the multiple mediation model. RESULTS: Our findings indicate significant negative correlations between social support, self-efficacy, resilience, and procrastination. The multiple mediation analysis showed that social support did not have a significant direct impact on procrastination. Instead, the relationship between social support and procrastination was fully mediated by self-efficacy (indirect effect: -0.017; 95% CI: -0.032, -0.004) and resilience (indirect effect: -0.047; 95% CI: -0.072, -0.025), and sequentially mediated by both factors (indirect effect: -0.013; 95% CI: -0.020, -0.007). CONCLUSIONS: The results emphasise the importance of enhancing self-efficacy and resilience in initiatives aimed at preventing and intervening in case of procrastination among vocational college students. Additionally, strengthening social support may also be crucial to preventing or reducing procrastination among this population.

Molecular Engineering Regulation Achieving Out-of-Plane Polarization in Rare-Earth Hybrid Double Perovskites for Ferroelectrics and Circularly Polarized Luminescence.

Out-of-plane polarization is a highly desired property of two-dimensional (2D) ferroelectrics for application in vertical sandwich-type photoferroelectric devices, especially in ultrathin ferroelectronic devices. Nevertheless, despite great advances that have been made in recent years, out-of-plane polarization remains unrealized in the 2D hybrid double perovskite ferroelectric family. Here, from our previous work 2D hybrid double perovskite HQERN ((S3HQ)4EuRb(NO3)8, S3HQ = S-3-hydroxylquinuclidinium), we designed a molecular strategy of F-substitution on organic component to successfully obtain FQERN ((S3FQ)4EuRb(NO3)8, S3FQ = S-3-fluoroquinuclidinium) showing circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) response. Remarkably, compared to the monopolar axis ferroelectric HQERN, FQERN not only shows multiferroicity with the coexistence of multipolar axis ferroelectricity and ferroelasticity but also realizes out-of-plane ferroelectric polarization and a dramatic enhancement of Curie temperature of 94 K. This is mainly due to the introduction of F-substituted organic cations, which leads to a change in orientation and a reduction in crystal lattice void occupancy. Our study demonstrates that F-substitution is an efficient strategy to realize and optimize ferroelectric functional characteristics, giving more possibility of 2D ferroelectric materials for applications in micro-nano optoelectronic devices.

Solar-Driven Reforming of Methane and Nitrogen to Methanol and Ammonium on Iron-Modified Zeolite under Ambient Conditions in Water.

Artificial photosynthesis from selective methane oxidation or nitrogen reduction to value-added chemicals provides a promising pathway for the sustainable chemical industry, while still remaining a great challenge due to the extreme difficulty in C-H and N≡N bond cleavage under ambient conditions. Catalysts that can cocatalyze these two reactions simultaneously are rarely reported. Here, Fe-ZSM-5 with highly dispersed extra-framework Fe-oxo species enables efficient and selective photocatalytic conversion of methane and nitrogen to coproduce methanol and ammonia using H2O as the redox reagent under ambient conditions. The optimized Fe-ZSM-5 photocatalyst achieves up to 0.88 mol/molFe·h of methanol products with 97% selectivity. Meanwhile, the productivity of ammonia is 0.61 mol/molFe·h. In situ EPR and DRIFT studies disclose that water serves as a redox reagent to provide hydroxyl radicals for methane oxidation and protons for nitrogen hydrogenation. Quantum chemical calculations revealed that Fe-oxo species play a significant role in the coactivation of methane and nitrogen molecules, which lowers the energy barriers of rate-determining steps for methanol and ammonia generation.

SYNGR2 serves as a prognostic biomarker and correlates with immune infiltrates in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Synaptogyrin-2 (SYNGR2) plays an important role in regulating membrane traffic in non-neuronal cells. However, the role of SYNGR2 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. METHODS: All original data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases and integrated via R 3.5.3. SYNGR2 expression was explored in the TCGA and GEO databases. The correlations between SYNGR2 and cancer immune characteristics were analyzed via the TIMER and TISIDB databases. RESULTS: In general, SYNGR2 was predominantly overexpressed and had reference values in the diagnosis and prognostic estimation of ESCC. Upregulated SYNGR2 was associated with poorer overall survival, disease-specific survival and T stage in ESCC. Mechanistically, we identified hub genes that included a total of 38 SYNGR2-related genes, which were tightly associated with the protein polyubiquitination pathway in ESCC patients. SYNGR2 expression was negatively related to the infiltrating levels of T helper cells. SYNGR2 methylation was positively correlated with the expression of chemokines (CCL2 and CXCL12), chemokine receptors (CCR1 and CCR2), immunoinhibitors (CXCL12 and TNFRSF4) and immunostimulators (CSF1R and PDCD1LG2) in ESCC. CONCLUSION: SYNGR2 may be used as a biomarker for determining prognosis and immune infiltration in ESCC.

Single Gold Nanostars Achieve Inherent Cascade Catalytic and Near-Infrared Photothermal Activities for Efficient Tumor Therapy.

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) used as photosensitizers for photothermal therapy (PTT) have attracted extensive attention. However, limited tissue penetration of light seriously hinders the practical application, causing Au NPs to be combined with multiple theranostic agents to improve the treatment effect. Herein, we fabricate one potent gold nanostars (GNS) that can unify the dual nanozyme activities and photothermal property, achieving effective synergistic cascade catalytic and photothermal therapy. Notably, GNS is prepared by a green and facile one-step synthesis method using biodegradable poly(γ-glutamic acid) as a medium. The single GNS exhibits inherent dual nanozyme activities, glucose oxidase- and peroxidase-like activities, which not only convert glucose of tumor tissue into hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) but also catalyze H2O2 to produce the amount of toxic hydroxyl radicals (•OH), leading to an amplified cascade catalytic therapy. Moreover, the cascade catalytic activity of GNS is enhanced 1.4-fold in the photothermal effect. Finally, the GNS can achieve photoacoustic imaging-guided efficient synergistic cascade catalytic and photothermal therapy with a high antitumor rate of 97.0%. This simple but multifunctional GNS could provide a new strategy facilitating the practical treatment application of single Au NPs.

One-dimensional nitrogen doped porous carbon nano-array arranged by carbon nanotubes for electrochemical sensing ascorbic acid, dopamine and uric acid simultaneously.

In this work, one-dimensional nitrogen doped porous carbon nano-arrays arranged by carbon nanotube (1D CNTs@NPC) were first constructed, using a coating technology at room temperature and followed by high temperature carbonization. It was expected that the resulting glassy carbon electrodes modified by 1D CNTs@NPC (CNTs@NPC/GCE) could express different electrochemical responses to ascorbic acid (AA), dopamine (DA), uric acid (UA), by virtue of the synergistic-improved effect between CNTs and NPC. Under the optimized conditions, there were excellent analytical parameters for CNTs@NPC/GCE to detect AA, DA and UA, i.e. a wide linear range of 40-2100µM for AA, 0.5-49µM for DA and 3-50µM for AA with low detection limits of 0.36µM, 0.02µmol l-1and 0.57µM respectively. Importantly, the proposed CNTs@NPC/GCE was efficiently applied to determine AA, DA and UA in some real samples with high stability, reproducibility and selectivity. This work will offer an efficient potential for diagnosing ascorbic acid, dopamine or uric acid-related diseases on clinical testing in future.

Sustained Delivery of Timolol Using Nanostructured Lipid Carriers-Laden Soft Contact Lenses.

The contact lens prepared by the conventional soaking method using timolol-soaking solution showed poor drug uptake and high burst release with altered critical lens properties. In this study, timolol-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) were prepared and evaluated for enhanced timolol uptake and sustained release for the effective management of glaucoma. The characterization studies indicated that timolol-loaded NLCs were spherical in shape with an average size of 130-138 nm and a zeta potential of -46.6 to 51.3 mV. Critical lens properties such as swelling, optical transmittance, and protein adherence were improved with NLC-laden lenses compared to the conventional soaked lenses (SM-TB). Moreover, SM-TB lens showed low timolol uptake, high burst release, and short release duration up to 24 h compared to timolol-NLC-laden lens that showed high timolol uptake, and the cumulative release was sustained up to 96 h. The ability to sustain timolol release improved proportionally with an increase in the amount of Capmul MCMC8 (liquid lipid) in NLCs. In addition, NLC-laden lens was found to be safe according to the results of ocular irritation and histopathological studies. In the rabbit tear fluid model, NLC-30%-Cap-CL batch showed high timolol concentration at all time points up to 60 h. Further, pharmacodynamic study showed sustained reduction in IOP by NLC-30%-Cap-CL batch for 96 h compared to 48 h and 6 h with SM-TB lens and eye drop solution, respectively. In conclusion, NLCs enhanced timolol uptake in the contact lens from the soaking solution using soaking method with improved in vitro and in vivo results for better clinical outcomes in the patients with glaucoma.

Silence of cZNF292 suppresses the growth, migration, and invasion of human esophageal cancer Eca-109 cells via upregulating miR-206.

Circular RNA (circRNA) cZNF292 has been previously revealed as a circular oncogenic RNA. This study attempted to illustrate the functions of cZNF292 in human esophageal carcinoma Eca-109 cells. Eca-109 cells were transfected with the short hairpin RNA specific against cZNF292 (sh-cZNF292) and/or miR-206 inhibitor. cZNF292 and miR-206 expression was examined by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell counting kit-8 and flow cytometry were performed for detecting cell growth including cell viability as well as apoptosis. Various kinds of factors, which are involved in cell development including proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were determined by western blot analysis. Besides, the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and PI3K/AKT signaling was measured by western blot analysis. It was found that cZNF292 silencing decreased Eca-109 cell viability and induced apoptosis. In the meantime, cZNF292 silencing inhibited cell migration and invasion. cZNF292 silencing upregulated miR-206 expression. And miR-206 downregulation impaired the suppressive effects of cZNF292 silence toward Eca-109 cell growth, migration, and invasion. cZNF292 silencing activated AMPK signaling and inactivated PI3K/AKT signaling also via regulating miR-206. In conclusion, silencing of cZNF292 abated growth, migration, and invasion of Eca-109 cells by upregulating miR-206, which subsequently modulated AMPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways.

The efficacy and safety of methylprednisolone in hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure: a prospective multi-center clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) is a severe condition with high mortality due to lack of efficient therapy. Until now, the use of methylprednisolone (MP) in HBV-ACLF is still controversial. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MP in HBV-ACLF. METHODS: Totally 171 HBV-ACLF patients from three medical centers were randomly allocated into MP group (83 patients treated with MP intravenously guttae for 7 days plus standard treatment: 1.5 mg/kg/day [day 1-3], 1 mg/kg/day [day 4-5], and 0.5 mg/kg/day [day 6-7]) and control group (88 patients treated with standard treatment). The primary endpoints were 6-month mortality and prognostic factors for 6-month survival. The survival time, cause of death, adverse events, liver function, and HBV DNA replication were analyzed. RESULTS: The 6-month mortality was significantly lower in MP group than control group [32.4% vs. 42.5%, P = 0.0037]. MP treatment was an independent prognostic factor for 6-month survival [HR (95% CI) 0.547(0.308-0.973); P = 0.040]. Factors associated with reduced 6-month mortality in MP group included HBV DNA and lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR) (P < 0.05). Based on ROC curve, LMR+MELD had a better predictive value for prognosis of HBV-ACLF under MP treatment. No significant difference in HBV DNA replication was observed between groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: MP therapy is an effective and safe clinical strategy in HBV-ACLF, increasing the 6-month survival rate. Clinical trials registered at http://www.chictr.org.cn as ChiCTR-TRC-13003113 registered on 16 March 2013.

Effects of Combination of Anti-CTLA-4 and Anti-PD-1 on Gastric Cancer Cells Proliferation, Apoptosis and Metastasis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common and lethal varieties of cancers. Anticancer activities of anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 antibodies have been explored in different cancers, including GC. The study aimed to explore the role of combination therapy with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 antibodies in GC cells, and understand the possible underlying molecular mechanism. METHODS: MKN-45 and MGC-803 cells were divided into four groups, namely control, CTLA-4, PD-1, and CTLA-4&PD-1. Cell viability, cell cycle, apoptosis, migration and invasion were measured by MTT, flow cytometry, and transwell assays, respectively. Expression levels of different mRNAs and proteins associated with apoptosis, epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), ß-catenin, MAPK, and PI3K/AKT pathways were assessed by RT-qPCR and western blot analysis, respectively. The tumor formation in vivo was examined by tumor Xenograft model assay. RESULTS: Combination with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 antibodies significantly suppressed cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, as well as inhibited migration, invasion, and EMT in MKN-45 and MGC-803 cells. Western blotting revealed that combination with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 antibodies declined the activation of ß-catenin, MAPK and PI3K/AKT signal pathways. Moreover, combination of anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 antibodies inhibited tumor formation in vivo. Furthermore, the mRNA levels of CTLA-4 and PD-1 were significantly decreased in si-CTLA and si-PD-1 transfected cells, and combination with si-CTLA and si-PD-1 also suppressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion, EMT and induced apoptosis in MKN-45 cells. CONCLUSION: Combination therapy with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 antibodies presented the promising outcomes in GC, although further investigations are warranted.

Two-photon interferences on a silica-on-silicon chip with telecom-band photon pairs generated in a fiber.

We report two-photon interferences on a silica-on-silicon chip of Mach-Zehnder interferometer using telecommunication-band correlated photon pairs. The photon pairs were generated by spontaneous four-waving mixing process in a dispersion-shifted fiber. The integrated chip, which was fabricated by standard silica-on-silicon planar lightwave circuit technology, contained a Mach-Zehnder interferometer with a thermo-optic phase shifter. The insertion loss of the interferometer was less than 1 dB. We demonstrated two-photon interferences with both degenerate- and non-degenerate-frequency photon pairs on the Mach-Zehnder interferometer chip. A high fringe visibility was achieved in the interference with nondegenerate-frequency photons. Properties of quantum interference were demonstrated in the interference with degenerate-frequency photon pairs, which is an important way to manipulate the quantum state. These results show great potential of silica-on-silicon photonic chips in applications for the fiber-chip scheme in quantum networks.

[The Process of Healing Child Physical Abuse: Sprouting and Twining].

BACKGROUND: Child physical abuse impacts the physical and psychological health of survivors. Healing child abuse is an essential process that helps survivors reorganize the meaning of the trauma and pursue a normal life. Considering the trauma of child physical abuse within the social context allows the experiences of individual survivors to be reflected in their process of healing. PURPOSE: To explore the social interaction and construction process of healing experienced by survivors of child physical abuse. METHODS: A qualitative research design using grounded theory was applied. Purposive and theoretical sampling was used to recruit survivors of childhood physical abuse who had experienced healing. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were used and data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. RESULTS: The process of healing child physical abuse in this study was a process of sprouting and twining. Three core categories emerged: thriving, relationships, and ethics. The healing process was analogous to a seed growing in poor soil, sprouting out from the ground, and striving to live by seeking support. The survivors constantly established interactive relationships with their selves and with others and struggled to keep family bonds grounded and growing within the frame of ethics. CONCLUSIONS / IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The healing process of sprouting and twining for child physical abuse survivors in Taiwan integrates thriving, relationships, and ethics. Professionals working with child-physical-abuse survivors must recognize conflicts in ethics. Strategies should be developed to assist survivors to cope with the impact of childhood trauma in order to facilitate the healing process.

Exome sequencing identifies a novel mutation in GJA8 associated with inherited cataract in a Chinese family.

BACKGROUND: Congenital cataract is a clinical and genetic heterogeneous group of eye disorders that causes visual impairment and childhood blindness. In this study, a Chinese family with congenital cataract is studied. METHODS: In order to identify the genetic defects which were associated with congenital cataract, a whole-exome sequencing approach is performed to screen for the potential mutation-causing disease. RESULTS: The result revealed a novel heterozygous mutation (c.433G > T; p.G145W) in exon 2 the of GJA8 gene, which can be detected in all affected individuals, but not the unaffected family members. Meanwhile, this novel mutation cannot be retrieved in 100 healthy local Chinese controls and five other SNPs databases (dbSNP, ESP, ExAC, HTD and HGVD). Moreover, p.G145W was predicted as a mutation with pathogenicity by using bioinformatics methods, including PolyPhen-2, SIFT, PROVEAN, SNPs3D and the mutation significance cutoff (MSC). However, molecular function analysis of this novel mutation (p.G145W, GJA8) indicated that it did not affect the subcellular distributions and the trafficking of GJA8 protein to the plasma membrane. The truth of pathogenic significance with this novel mutation in GJA8 gene needed to be further studied. CONCLUSIONS: The c.433G > T (p.G145W) mutation in the GJA8 gene was first reported to our best knowledge. The results of our study would further broaden the mutation spectrum of GJA8 associated with congenital cataract.

[Research on Breeding of the New Rehmannia glutinosa Variety].

Objective: To breed new Rehmannia glutinosa varieties with best comprehensive properties. Methods: By space mutation of hybrid seeds of 85-5 and Beijing No. 1,after systemic breeding, Huaidi 81 with excellent comprehensive characters was screened. Fresh weight, benchmark composition content, resistance, chlorophyll and anthocyanin content, photosynthetic characteristics of the new variety and the main cultivars were determined. Results: Per plant fresh weight of Huaidi 81 was higher than those five main varieties and there was extremely significant difference between Huaidi 81 and other varieties,the yield of Huaidi 81( 82 353 kg / hm2) was29. 7% higher than that 5 main varieties. The catalpol content of different Rehmannia glutinosa varieties ranked in the order as follows, Beijing No. 3( 1. 601%) > Qinhuai( 1. 588%) > Huaidi 81( 1. 314%) > Godden nine > 85-5( 1. 073%) > Huaifeng( 0. 924%),the catalpol content of Huaidi 81 was in the middle, and there was no significant difference between Huaidi 81 and Godden nine,but extremely significant difference from other varieties. The acteoside content of different Rehmannia glutinosa varieties ranked in the order as follows,Huaidi 81( 0. 096%) > Qin Huai( 0. 069%) > 85-5( 0. 047%) > Beijing No. 3( 0. 035%) > Huaifeng( 0. 023%) > Golden nine( 0. 022%),the content of acteoside of Huaidi 81 was higher than those five main varieties, and there was extremely significant difference between Huaidi 81 and other varieties. Huaidi 81 had high resistance to Septoris digitalis, and had middle resistance to leaf ring rot, which indicated that Huaidi 81 had good resistance to leaf disease. Huaidi 81 with the highest chlorophyll content and moderate anthocyanin content, and had the highest photosynthetic rate. Conclusion: The new variety Huaidi 81 with best comprehensive properties is suitable for popularizing as a new Rehmannia glutinosa variety.

[Research on Breeding of Dioscorea opposita cv. Tiegun].

OBJECTIVE: To breeding the new varieties Dioscorea opposita cv. Tiegun with the best comprehensive properties. METHODS: Seven new Dioscorea opposita. cv. Tiegun cultivars were screened by space mutation breeding of Dioscorea opposita cv. Tiegun bulbils. Yield,allantoin content,water soluble extractive and the resistance of these seven cultivars were compared with the main cultivar Dioscorea opposita cv. Tiegun( CK). Meanwhile, the nutrition quality of new cultivars No. 6 and No. 10 were compared with the main cultivar. RESULTS: (1) The fresh weight per plant ranked in the order as follows: No. 6 > No. 10 > No. 4 > No. 9 > No. 1 > CK > No. 2 > No. 8. The drying rate ranked in the order as follows: No. 2 > No. 10 > No. 9 > No. 6 > No. 8 > CK > No. 1 > No. 4. Dry weight per plant ranked in the order as follows: No. 10 > No. 9 > No. 6 > No. 2 > No. 1 > CK > No. 4 > No. 8. The fresh weight per plant, drying rate and dry weight per plant of No. 6 and No. 10 were higher than the main cultivar. (2) The allantoin content ranked in the order as follows: No. 6 > No. 4 > No. 10 > CK > No. 9 > No. 8 > No. 2 > No. 1. (3) The water soluble extractive contents ranked in the order as follows: No. 6 > No. 2 > No. 4 > No. 10 > No. 1 > CK > No. 9 > No. 8. The water soluble extractive content of No. 6 was higher than No. 10 and the main cultivar. (4) No. 10 had the best taste of dry, soft, sweet and fragrant, No. 6 had the taste of dry, floury and hard, and No. 9 had the taste of dry and crisp. (5) No. 6 had the strongest resistance to Gloeosporium pestis and Cykindrosporium dioscoreae; No. 10 had a middle resistance to Gloeosporium pestis and a strong resistance to Cykindrosporium dioscoreae; and the main cultivar had a middle degree of being prone to Gloeosporium pestis and a middle resistance to Cykindrosporium dioscoreae. (6) The content of starch, reducing sugar, protein and ash in No. 6 and No. 10 were higher than that of the main cultivar,while the content of water in No. 6 and No. 10 were lower,which indicated that the nutrition quality of No. 6 and No. 10 is better than the main cultivar. CONCLUSION: The new cultivar No. 10 is suitable for popularizing as a new variety of edible Dioscorea opposita cv. Tiegun. The new cultivar No. 6 is suitable for popularizing as a new variety of medicinal Dioscorea opposita cv. Tiegun.

Lateral flow immunoassay for quantitative detection of ractopamine in swine urine.

A strip reader based lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) was established for the rapid and quantitative detection of ractopamine (RAC) in swine urine. The ratio of the optical densities (ODs) of the test line (AT) to that of the control line (AC) was used to effectively minimize interference among strips and sample variations. The linear range for the quantitative detection of RAC was 0.2 ng/mL to 3.5 ng/mL with a median inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.59 ± 0.06 ng/mL. The limit of detection (LOD) of the LFIA was 0.13 ng/mL. The intra-assay recovery rates were 92.97%, 97.25%, and 107.41%, whereas the inter-assay rates were 80.07%, 108.17%, and 93.7%, respectively.