Effects of Different Dietary Selenium Sources on the Meat Quality and Antioxidant Capacity of Yellow Catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco).

To assess the effect of dietary selenium (Se) sources on the meat quality and antioxidant capacity of yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco), sodium selenite (Na2SeO3), Se yeast, and selenium-enriched Spirulina platensis (Se-SP) were supplemented in the control diet at 0.30 mg Se/kg feed to formulate four diets. The experimental period lasted 50 days. The results showed that Se levels in the plasma, liver, muscle, and whole body were significantly increased by dietary Se yeast supplementation (P < 0.05) but showed no change in response to Na2SeO3 (P > 0.05). The three types of Se all increased the firmness and decreased the fracturability of the muscles (P < 0.05), but only Na2SeO3 resulted in higher springiness, flexibility, stringiness, and stickiness (P < 0.05). In addition, the muscle n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content was increased by Se yeast (P < 0.05). Regarding antioxidant capacity, dietary Se yeast and Se-SP supplementation improved hepatic glutathione peroxidase activity but decreased hepatic malondialdehyde content (P < 0.05). Given these results, Se yeast was found to be the optimal source of Se for yellow catfish for higher tissue retention, antioxidant capacity, and PUFA levels. Dietary Se is an effective way to regulate the meat quality and antioxidant capacity of yellow catfish.

Effect of the mineral-microbial complexes on the quality, soil nutrients, and microbial community of tailing substrates for growing potted Rorippa.

With China's industrialization and a rapidly developing coal industry, tailings have become one of the most widely distributed solid wastes, responsible for degrading available land and damaging the surrounding ecological environment. This study investigated the effect of adding mineral-microbial complexes to tailing substrates for the improvement of plant growth and substrate microbial community. The results revealed that compared with other treatments, the growth of Rorippa was considerably better after the addition of mineral-microbial complexes to the substrate, indicating that the mineral-microbial complexes promoted plant growth. After the addition of mineral-microbial complexes, the fertility indicators of the substrate showed a substantial improvement, in addition to the pH and organic matter (OM). The addition of fertilizers to the substrate plays a key role in plant growth, whereas the addition of microbial supplements to the substrate alone has little effect on plant growth. The results of high-throughput sequencing showed that the main microbial communities present in the substrate were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Nitrospirae. The results of the microbial community α-diversity analysis showed that the addition of the mineral-microbial complexes improved the abundance and diversity of the substrate microbial community. Results of the microbial community ß-diversity analysis indicated that the experimental group showed a higher correlation with the microbial community relative to the background group. Network analysis revealed similar correlations between microbial communities and environmental factors, and total phosphorous (TP)-pH-available potassium (AK)-available nitrogen (AN) and TP-electronic conductivity (EC)-AK-AN were the main drivers of microbial communities in the background and experimental groups, respectively. The findings of this study provide a theoretical basis for the resource utilization of tailings and vegetation restoration using tailings.

Synergistic coupling Co3Fe7 alloy and CoFe2O4 spinel for highly efficient removal of 2,4-dichlorophenol by activating peroxymonosulfate.

Efficient wastewater restoration depends on the robustness and capability of the catalyst to promote sophisticated decontamination technologies. In this study, Co3Fe7-CoFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) prepared by facile pyrolysis were completely characterized and used to decompose 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP). Furthermore, the catalytic performance and relevant mechanisms involved in the activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) were also investigated. The optimal conditions were achieved at the catalyst loading of 0.05 g L-1, PMS dosage of 1.26 g L-1, and pH of 7.7 through the response surface methodology by using the Box-Behnken design model. Under optimal conditions, 97.1% efficiency of 2,4-DCP removal was obtained within 30 min. Moreover, the quenching experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance result indicated that sulfate (SO4•-) and hydroxyl (HO•) radicals were considered as the dominant reactive oxygen species, which resulted in the effective removal of 2,4-DCP in the Co3Fe7-CoFe2O4/PMS system. Moreover, Co3Fe7-CoFe2O4 showed efficient catalytic performance in continuous five runs and exhibited less metal leaching of 0.052 and 0.036 mg L-1 for Co and Fe species, respectively. Furthermore, no considerable change was observed in the structural characteristics of the fresh and used Co3Fe7-CoFe2O4 catalytic system. The above-mentioned results indicated that the synergistic effects between Co3Fe7 alloy and CoFe2O4 spinel not only significantly improved the activity and long-term durability of the catalyst, but also accelerated the Co3+/Co2+ and Fe3+/Fe2+ redox cycles. Overall, the Co3Fe7-CoFe2O4/PMS system provides a novel advanced oxidation approach to further develop multifunctional transition metal-based nanomaterials responsible for producing surface-bound radicals and enhancing the remediation of refractory pollutants in the environmental application.

Serum metabolomics model and its metabolic characteristics in patients with different syndromes of dyslipidemia based on nuclear magnetic resonance.

Dyslipidemia is known as a common clinical disease that affects the health of millions of people around the world. The treatment of dyslipidemia with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is generally based on the accurate identification of disease syndromes. TCM syndromes are judged by traditional four-diagnosis method, which is subjective and fuzzy. Additionally, the judgment of TCM syndromes highly depend on doctors' own clinical experience. In this present study, we used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based serum metabolomics patterns to figure out the metabolic characteristics of different syndromes in patients with dyslipidemia. In total, we enrolled 60 patients with dyslipidemia (30 cases with Spleen and Kidney Yang Deficiency syndrome (SKYD) and 30 cases with Phlegm-Dampness Retention syndrome (PDR)) and 20 healthy controls. Based on NMR technique, the serum metabolomics patterns of patients with different syndromes and healthy controls were analyzed, in the hope of screening the different metabolites among different syndromes and the differential metabolic pathway, as well as exploring the changes of metabolic network among different syndromes of dyslipidemia. The results suggested that the serum metabolomics patterns based on NMR was used to identify serum metabolites in patients with dyslipidemia of SKYD and PDR as well as healthy controls. Besides, it was found that the metabolic patterns of these three groups can be distinguished well and the different metabolites between different syndromes can be screened. From the point of view of metabolites, the metabolic characteristics of the patients with PDR were mainly the accumulation of noxious metabolites, while the metabolic characteristics of the patients with SKYD were mainly the lack of metabolites with protective function. From the point of view of metabolic mode, there were different metabolic patterns in patients with different syndromes of dyslipidemia in liver metabolism, oxidation, inflammatory reaction as well as energy metabolism, which reflects the difference of syndromes from different angles. The differences in metabolic outcomes among patients with different syndromes of dyslipidemia had a close association with to the effects of multiple signaling pathways. This study identified the characteristics of serum metabolic model of patients with different syndromes of dyslipidemia and the potential differential metabolites and characteristic metabolic characteristics of syndromes in order to understand the biological characteristics of patients with dyslipidemia of SKYD and PDR.

Enhancement of COD, ammonia, phosphate and sulfide simultaneous removal by the anaerobic photosynthetic bacterium of Ectothiorhodospira magna in batch and sequencing batch culture.

An anaerobic photosynthetic bacterium, with chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), total phosphorus (TP) and sulfide (S2-) simultaneous removal ability, strain SU6, was isolated and identified as belonging to Ectothiorhodospira magna. Its removal efficiencies were simultaneously evaluated in batch culture and influenced in sequencing batch culture. The maximum COD, NH3-N, TP and S2- removal rates of 93.04%, 86.70%, 37.55% and 99.99% were obtained in batch culture with an initial pH 8.0 at 35 °C after 72 h. The simultaneous removal efficiency was enhanced in sequencing batch culture, and 789.27 mg/L COD, 68.91 mg/L NH3-N, 70.20 mg/L S2- and 5.26 mg/L TP were removed by the end of the last cycle within 24 h. This was the first time of reporting contaminants' simultaneous removal by a pure-cultured photosynthetic bacterium. The experimental results demonstrate that E. magna can efficiently serve as a good candidate in anaerobic wastewater contaminants' simultaneous removal, and maybe as another model anaerobic photosynthetic microorganism for water purification investigations.

Job satisfaction and associated factors among healthcare staff: a cross-sectional study in Guangdong Province, China.

OBJECTIVES: This cross-sectional study aimed to explore job satisfaction among healthcare staff in Guangdong following the health system reforms in 2009, and to investigate the association between job satisfaction and work stress, work-family conflict and doctor-patient relationship. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: The Fifth National Health Service Survey was carried out in Guangdong, China. PARTICIPANTS: All participants in this study were healthcare staff including physicians, nurses and public health staff from hospitals, health service centres and health clinics. A total of 6583 questionnaires were distributed and collected. After excluding the incomplete questionnaires, 5845 questionnaires were included for the analysis. OUTCOME MEASURES: Sociodemographic information and scores for evaluating job satisfaction, work stress, work-family conflict and doctor-patient relationship were obtained using the questionnaire developed by the National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China. To assess the significantly associated factors on job satisfaction of the healthcare staff in Guangdong, a binary logistic regression model was used. RESULTS: Based on the 5845 valid responses of the healthcare staff who worked in Guangdong, the mean score of overall perception of job satisfaction was 3.99 on a scale of 1-6. Among the sociodemographic variables, occupation, educational background, professional status, years of service, annual income and night shift frequency significantly influenced the level of job satisfaction. Work stress, work-family conflict and doctor-patient relationship also had significant effect on job satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: The overall job satisfaction exceeded slightly dissatisfied (score 3) and approached slightly satisfied (score 4). Measures to enhance job satisfaction include the reduction of workload, increase of welfare, maintaining moderate stress and balancing work-family conflict. Moreover, relevant laws should be issued to protect the healthcare staff from violent acts.

Eplerenone restores 24-h blood pressure circadian rhythm and reduces advanced glycation end-products in rhesus macaques with spontaneous hypertensive metabolic syndrome.

Hypertension is often associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS), and serves as a risk factor of MetS and its complications. Blood pressure circadian rhythm in hypertensive patients has been suggested to contribute to cardiovascular consequences and organ damage of hypertension. But circadian changes of BP and their response to drugs have not been clearly investigated in non-human primates (NHPs) of MetS with hypertension. Here, we identified 16 elderly, hypertensive MetS rhesus monkeys from our in-house cohort. With implanted telemetry, we investigate BP changes and its circadian rhythm, together with the effect of antihypertensive drugs on BP and its diurnal fluctuation. MetS hypertensive monkeys displayed higher BP, obesity, glucose intolerance, and dyslipidemia. We also confirmed impaired 24-h BP circadian rhythm in MetS hypertensive monkeys. Importantly, Eplerenone, a mineralocorticoid receptor blocker, exerts multiple beneficial effects in MetS hypertensive monkeys, including BP reduction, 24-h BP circadian rhythm restoration, and decreased plasma concentration of inflammation factors and advanced glycation end-products. In summary, we identified a naturally-developed hypertensive MetS NHP model, which is of great value in the studies on pathogenesis of MetS-associated hypertension and development of novel therapeutic strategies. We also provided multiple novel mechanistic insights of the beneficial effect of Eplerenone on MetS with hypertension.

The variation of root exudates from the hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii under cadmium stress: metabonomics analysis.

Hydroponic experiments were conducted to investigate the variation of root exudates from the hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii under the stress of cadmium (Cd). S. alfredii was cultured for 4 days in the nutrient solution spiked with CdCl2 at concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 40, and 400 µM Cd after the pre-culture. The root exudates were collected and analyzed by GC-MS, and 62 compounds were identified. Of these compounds, the orthogonal partial least-squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) showed that there were a distinct difference among the root exudates with different Cd treatments and 20 compounds resulting in this difference were found out. Changing tendencies in the relative content of these 20 compounds under the different Cd treatments were analyzed. These results indicated that trehalose, erythritol, naphthalene, d-pinitol and n-octacosane might be closely related to the Cd stabilization, phosphoric acid, tetradecanoic acid, oxalic acid, threonic acid and glycine could be attributed to the Cd mobilization, and mannitol, oleic acid, 3-hydroxybutanoic acid, fructose, octacosanol and ribitol could copy well with the Cd stress.

Transformation of bioactive compounds by Fusarium sacchari fungus isolated from the soil-cultivated ginseng.

Ginsenoside bioactive compounds, namely, compound K (C-K), compound Mx (C-Mx), and ginsenoside Mc (G-Mc), were the metabolites of ginsenosides Rb 1, Rb 2, Rb 3, and Rc by intestinal microflora of humans or rats, microorganisms, and enzymes, and C-K showed beneficial effects in vitro and in vivo as an antitumoral agent. The objective of this work was to explore an efficient procedure for biotransformation of these bioactive compounds. Thus, a filamentous fungus, Fusarium sacchari, was first obtained from the soil-cultivated ginseng, which was verified to possess a potent capacity of transformation of C-K, C-Mx, and G-Mc. The optimal biotransformation conditions of F. sacchari with C-K, C-Mx, and G-Mc were obtained as follows: transforming temperature, 30 degrees C; transforming time, 6 days; rotary speed, 160 rpm; pH of the medium, 5.5. HPLC analysis indicated that these three bioactive compounds were key metabolites and their structures were confirmed by (1)H and (13)C NMR analysis. Moreover, the in vitro antitumor activities of C-K, C-Mx, and G-Mc and the in vivo antitumor activities of the transformed product mainly containing these compounds were also evaluated. Among C-K, C-Mx, and G-Mc, C-K exhibited the most potent antitumor activities. The in vivo study showed that the transformed products by F. sacchari had much more antitumor activity than those of commonly used ginsenoside Rg3 and Paclitaxel.

[Optimization of biotransformation conditions of active component in Panax notoginseng stalks and leaves by Fusarium sacchari].

By using Fusarium sacchari, a rare microbial strain isolated and screened from planted ginseng soil, the active component notoginseng triterpenes in Panax notoginseng stalks and leaves was biotransformed. Taking three main anti-tumor components, i. e., 20 (S)-protopanoxadiol-20-O-beta-D-glucopyranose (compound K, C-K), 20-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl (1 --> 6) -beta-D-glucopyranosyl-20 (S)-protopanaxadiol (compound Mx, C-Mx) and 20 (S)-protopanoxadiol-20-O-alpha-L-arabofuranose (1 --> 6)-beta-D-glucopyranose (ginseng Mc, G-Mc) as evaluation indices, the optimization of biotransformation conditions of notoginseng triterpenes in P. notoginseng stalks and leaves were obtained by factor biotransformation experiment, i. e., initial pH value 6, substrate addition 40 mg, medium volume 30 ml, and transforming for 6 days at 30 degrees C. The method could increase the utility and economic benefit of P. notoginseng stalks and leaves effectively.

[Isolation and identification of minor bioactive saponins from the leaves of Panax notoginseng].

The minor bioactive saponins of the total saponin from the leaves of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen. were separated and purified by column chromatographies on silica gel and thin layer gel. Four compounds were identified as: ginsenoside C-K (I) [20 (S) -protopanaxadiol 20-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside], ginsenoside-Rh1 (II) [20 (S) -protopanaxatriol-6-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside], ginsenoside-Mc (III) [20 (S)-protopanaxadiol 20-O-alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl (1 --> 6) -D-glucopyranoside] and notoginsenoside-Fe (IV) [20(S) -protopanaxadiol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosido-20-O-alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl(1 --> 6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside]. Compound I was isolated from the leaves of Panax notoginseng for the first time.