Research on the Application of Molecular Image Processing in Rice Quality Inspection.

Objective: With the improvement of living standards, consumers are paying more and more attention to the quality of rice. Traditional rice quality detection relies on human sensory judgment, which is inaccurate and inefficient. With the continuous development of molecular imaging technology, more and more scholars at home and abroad have begun to pay attention to its application in the nondestructive testing of agricultural products. Molecular imaging technology combines the advantages of spectral technology and image technology, which can achieve rapid, nondestructive and accurate detection of rice quality. In this paper, taking rice as the research object, we carried out nondestructive detection research on rice varieties, moisture and starch content using molecular imaging technology. We proposed a rapid detection method based on molecular imaging technology for rice variety identification, moisture content and starch content. Molecular images of the rice samples from four origins were obtained using a molecular imaging system, the regions of interest of the rice were identified and, spectral data, textural features and morphological features of the rice were extracted. Spectral, textural and morphological features were selected by principal component analysis (PCA), and nine feature wavelengths were obtained and an optimal model was established with an accuracy of 91.67%, which demonstrated the feasibility of molecular imaging. By comparing the models, the BCC-LS-SVR model based on the RB function had the highest accuracy with R2 of 0.989, RMSEP of 0.767%, R2 of 0.985, and RMSEC of 0.591%. Moreover, starchy rice was detected using molecular imaging. The PCA-SVR model based on the RBF kernel function had the highest accuracy with R2 of 0.989, RMSEC of 0.445%, R2 of 0.991, and RMSEP of 0.669%. Our models demonstrated high accuracy in identifying rice varieties, as well as quantifying moisture and starch content, showcasing the feasibility of molecular imaging technology in rice quality assessment. This research offers a rapid, nondestructive, and accurate method for rice quality assessment, promising significant benefits for agricultural producers and consumers.

Effects of Chinese herbal feed additives on the sperm quality and reproductive capacity in breeding boars.

Currently, Chinese herbal feed additives (CHFA) are commonly utilized in domestic pig farms. However, their impact on the sperm quality and reproductive capacity of imported breeding boars has yet to be thoroughly explored. In this study, the effect of CHFA on the sperm quality and reproductive capacity of the imported Duroc boars was investigated. Sixteen boars were randomly divided into control group and experimental (CHFA treated) group and fed normal or CHFA-levels containing diets, respectively. The sperm quality and reproductive hormone levels were periodically tested, and the reproductive capacity with breeding sows were evaluated. The results showed that the CHFA treated group boars significantly improved sperm volume, sperm concentration, and motility and reduced the sperm abnormalities. Furthermore, the serum levels of reproductive hormone such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone (T) in the CHFA treated group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Although there was no significant difference in the initial birth weight of piglets between the two groups, the CHFA treated group had a significantly higher average number of piglets born, the average number of piglets born alive, the number of piglets weaned at 28 days, and the weaning weight compared to the control group. These findings suggest that CHFA can significantly improve the sperm quality of breeding boars and enhance their reproductive hormone levels as well as the reproductive capacity, providing direct evidence for the further application of CHFA in the management of breeding boars in China.

Cinnamaldehyde induces apoptosis and enhances anti-colorectal cancer activity via covalent binding to HSPD1.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. Although surgical resection and adjuvant radiotherapy/chemotherapy are the mainstays of CRC treatment, the efficacy is unsatisfactory due to several limitations, including high drug resistance. Accordingly, there is a dire need for new drugs or a novel combination approach to treat this patient population. Herein, we found that cinnamaldehyde (CA) could exert an antitumor effect in HCT-116 cell lines. Target fishing, molecular imaging, and live-cell tracing using an alkynyl-CA probe revealed that the heat shock 60 kDa protein 1 (HSPD1) protein was the target of CA. The covalent binding of CA with HSPD1 altered its stability. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that CA could induce cell apoptosis by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and enhanced anti-CRC activity both in vitro and in vivo. Meanwhile, CA combined with different chemotherapeutic agents was beneficial to patients resistant to anti-CRC drug therapy.

Causal effect of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels on low back pain: A two-sample mendelian randomization study.

Background: Previous observational studies have suggested the involvement of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in chronic pain. However, whether the 25(OH)D is a novel target for management, the causality remains unclear. Methods: A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was conducted to identify the causal association between 25(OH)D and low back pain (LBP). The primary analysis was revealing causality from serum 25(OH)D level (n = 417,580) on LBP (21,140 cases and 227,388 controls). The replicated analysis was performing MR estimates from circulating 25(OH)D concentration (n = 79,366) on LBP experienced last month (118,471 cases and 343,386 controls). Inverse variance weighted (IVW) was used as the main analysis. In addition, we used weighted median and MR-Egger to enhance the robustness. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the robustness of MR results. Results: IVW estimation indicated strong evidence that higher serum 25(OH)D levels exerted a protective effect on LBP (OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.83-0.96, p = 0.002). Similar trends were also found in replicate analysis (OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.96-1.00, p = 0.07). After meta-analysis combining primary and replicated analysis, the causal effect is significant (p = 0.03). Sensitivity analysis supported that the MR estimates were robust. Conclusion: In our MR study, genetically increased serum 25(OH)D levels were associated with a reduced risk of LBP in the European population. This might have an implication for clinicians that vitamin D supplements might be effective for patients with LBP in clinical practice.

Understanding carotenoid biosynthetic pathway control points using metabolomic analysis and natural genetic variation.

Advances in analytical methodologies, including those coupled with mass spectrometry (gas chromatography and liquid chromatography; GC-MS and LC-MS) have facilitated profiling of carotenoids in complex plant extracts. The combination of metabolomic data together with diverse germplasm resources provides a means to discover the underlying genetic factors responsible for modulating the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway. Here we summarize metabolomics methodologies for large-scale metabolite analysis and provide guidelines for genetic analysis to leverage natural variation for identification of genes encoding biosynthetic pathway enzymes based on linkage mapping and/or genome-wide association studies (GWAS). We also demonstrate the workflow for identifying genes in carotenoid biosynthesis based on natural variation using case studies in several species.

A phased genome based on single sperm sequencing reveals crossover pattern and complex relatedness in tea plants.

For diploid organisms that are highly heterozygous, a phased haploid genome can greatly aid in functional genomic, population genetic and breeding studies. Based on the genome sequencing of 135 single sperm cells of the elite tea cultivar 'Fudingdabai', we herein phased the genome of Camellia sinensis, one of the most popular beverage crops worldwide. High-resolution genetic and recombination maps of Fudingdabai were constructed, which revealed that crossover (CO) positions were frequently located in the 5' and 3' ends of annotated genes, while CO distributions across the genome were random. The low CO frequency in tea can be explained by strong CO interference, and CO simulation revealed the proportion of interference insensitive CO ranged from 5.2% to 11.7%. We furthermore developed a method to infer the relatedness between tea accessions and detected complex kinship and genetic signatures of 106 tea accessions. Among them, 59 accessions were closely related with Fudingdabai and 31 of them were first-degree relatives. We additionally identified genes displaying allele specific expression patterns between the two haplotypes of Fudingdabai and genes displaying significantly differential expression levels between Fudingdabai and other haplotypes. These results lay the foundation for further investigation of genetic and epigenetic factors underpinning the regulation of gene expression and provide insights into the evolution of tea plants as well as a valuable genetic resource for future breeding efforts.

Genome assembly of wild tea tree DASZ reveals pedigree and selection history of tea varieties.

Wild teas are valuable genetic resources for studying domestication and breeding. Here we report the assembly of a high-quality chromosome-scale reference genome for an ancient tea tree. The further RNA sequencing of 217 diverse tea accessions clarifies the pedigree of tea cultivars and reveals key contributors in the breeding of Chinese tea. Candidate genes associated with flavonoid biosynthesis are identified by genome-wide association study. Specifically, diverse allelic function of CsANR, CsF3'5'H and CsMYB5 is verified by transient overexpression and enzymatic assays, providing comprehensive insights into the biosynthesis of catechins, the most important bioactive compounds in tea plants. The inconspicuous differentiation between ancient trees and cultivars at both genetic and metabolic levels implies that tea may not have undergone long-term artificial directional selection in terms of flavor-related metabolites. These genomic resources provide evolutionary insight into tea plants and lay the foundation for better understanding the biosynthesis of beneficial natural compounds.

The effectiveness of acupuncture for Parkinson's disease: An overview of systematic reviews.

OBJECTIVES: Acupuncture is an alternative therapy for Parkinson's disease (PD), but its efficacy and safety are controversial. This overview aimed to summarize the existing evidence from systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) in order to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for PD. METHODS: Seven electronic databases were searched from their inception until July 2019. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) and Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR2) checklists were used to assess evidence quality and methodological quality, respectively. The outcomes of study were calculated using mean differences (MDs) and risk ratios (RRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs). A meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS: A total of 12 SRs/MAs were included. All 12 SRs/MAs had more than one critical weakness in AMSTAR 2 and were considered of critically low methodological quality. The quality of evidence was unsatisfactory according to the GRADE checklist. Meta-analyses showed that acupuncture combined with drug for the treatment of PD can significantly improve the total effectiveness rate compared with drug alone (RR = 1.25, 95 % CI 1.16-1.34, P < 0.001). It was also found that acupuncture combined with drug significantly improved the UPDRS I-IV total summed scores (WMD=-6.18, 95 % CI -10.32 to -2.04, P < 0.001) and Webster scores (WMD=-4.20, 95 % CI -7.59 to -0.81, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture might improve the UPDRS score, Webster score, and total effective rate in treatment of PD. It might be a safe and useful adjunctive treatment for patients with PD. However, we should interpret the findings of these reviews with caution, considering the overall limited methodological and reporting quality.

The effectiveness of music therapy for patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: To assess the effectiveness of music therapy on the quality of life, anxiety, depression and pain of patients with cancer. DESIGN: Systematic review. DATA SOURCES: Five electronic databases were searched in September 2018 for randomized controlled trials evaluating music therapy for patients with cancer. REVIEW METHODS: The quality of the studies was assessed using the risk of bias tool recommended by the Cochrane Handbook Version 5.1.0 and the Revman version 5.3 software was used to perform the meta-analysis. The outcomes were overall quality of life, anxiety, depression and pain. RESULTS: A total of 19 trials evaluating 1,548 patients were included in this study, of which 765 were in the control group and 783 in the experimental group. Compared with standard care, music therapy can significantly increase the score of the overall quality of life in patients with cancer. In addition, music therapy was found to be more effective for decreasing the score of anxiety, depression and pain. CONCLUSION: Music therapy can improve the overall quality of life of patients with cancer, with an observed optimal intervention duration of 1-2 months. Meanwhile, anxiety, depression and pain are improved as well. Nevertheless, high-quality trials are still needed to further determine the effects of music intervention in supportive cancer care.

Survival analysis of intraoperative blood salvage for patients with malignancy disease: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative blood salvage as a blood-saving strategy has been widely used in surgery. Considering its theoretic risk of malignant tumor cells being reinfused and the corresponding blood metastases, the safety of intraoperative blood salvage in cancer surgery remains controversial. METHODS: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA), we searched the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and EMBASE to November 2017. We included only studies comparing intraoperative blood salvage with allogeneic blood transfusion. RESULTS: This meta-analysis included 9 studies with 4354 patients with 1346 patients in the intraoperative blood salvage group and 3008 patients in the allogeneic blood transfusion group. There were no significant differences in the 5-year overall survival outcome (odds ratio [OR] 1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80-1.58), 5-year disease-free survival outcome (OR 1.08; 95% CI 0.86-1.35), or 5-year recurrence rate (OR 0.86; 95% CI 0.71-1.05) between the 2 study groups. Subgroup analysis also showed no significant differences in the 5-year overall survival outcome (OR 0.97; 95% CI 0.57-1.67) of hepatocellular carcinoma patients in liver transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with malignant disease, intraoperative blood salvage did not increase the tumor recurrence rate and had comparable survival outcomes with allogeneic blood transfusion.

13-Oxyingenol dodecanoate, a cytotoxic ingenol derivative, induces mitochondrial apoptosis and caspase-dependent Akt decrease in K562 cells.

13-Oxyingenol dodecanoate (13OD) is an ingenol derivative prepared from Chinese traditional medicine Euphorbia kansui without any report about its bioactivity. The present study demonstrated for the first time that 13OD displayed potent cytotoxicity against chronic myeloid leukemia K562 cells in vitro. 13OD inhibited proliferation, induced G2/M phase arrest, and exhibited potent apoptotic activity in K562 cells. In K562 cells, 13OD disrupted the mitochondrial membrane potential and induced high level of ROS, which played an indispensable role in 13OD-induced apoptosis. Further investigations on the molecular mechanisms revealed that total Akt protein level was decreased in a caspase-dependent way after treatment with 13OD; in addition, ERK was activated by 13OD, and this activation played a protective role in 13OD stimulation. Altogether, these results revealed that the cytotoxic ingenol derivative 13OD induced apoptosis with novel mechanisms for the proapoptotic function in cancer cells, and suggested that 13OD may serve as a lead template for rational drug design and for future anticancer agent development.

Ingol-type diterpenes from Euphorbia antiquorum with mouse 11ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibition activity.

Eighteen new ingol-type diterpenes, euphorantins A-R (1-18), along with four known analogues (19-22), were isolated from the aerial parts of Euphorbia antiquorum. Compounds 1-3 are the first examples of C-17-oxygenated ingol-type diterpenes, and compounds 16-18 represent a rare class of 2,3-di-epimers of ingols. Diterpenes 1, 14, and 22 exhibited inhibitory activities against mouse 11ß-HSD1 with IC50 values of 12.0, 6.4, and 0.41 µM, respectively.

Puerarin attenuates ovalbumin-induced lung inflammation and hemostatic unbalance in rat asthma model.

Aim. We aimed to investigate and evaluate the preventive activity of puerarin on the ovalbumin-induced asthma rat model. Materials and Methods. Male Wistar rats were sensitized intraperitoneally on days 0, 7, and 14 and challenged to ovalbumin intratracheally on day 21. Groups of sensitized rats were treated randomly either with placebo, puerarin, dexamethasone, or puerarin combined with dexamethasone, from days 15 to 20. Inflammatory markers, including cell counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), inflammatory cytokines, histopathology, and coagulation parameters, such as coagulation tests and the activity of coagulation factors, were analyzed. Results. Puerarin significantly inhibited the recruitment of inflammatory cells in BALF and lung tissue. At the same time, the release of IL-4, IL-10, and IFN- γ in serum and the expression of mRNAs in lung tissue homogenate were changed by puerarin. Administration of puerarin also effectively rectified the coagulation disorder in asthmatic rats, such as prothrombin time (PT) (P < 0.01), thrombin time (TT) (P < 0.05), fibrinogen (FIB) (P < 0.01),the activity of factor II (FII) (P < 0.01), the activity of factor V (FV) (P < 0.05), the activity of factor VII (FVII) (P < 0.05), the activity of factor X (FX) (P < 0.05), the activity of factor VIII (FVIII) (P < 0.01), the activity of factor IX (FIX) (P < 0.05), and the activity of factor XII (FXII) (P < 0.05). Conclusions. Our results provide a clue that puerarin was useful for the preventive of allergic airway disease in rodents.

Beneficial effects of the Chinese herbal medicine Sanjie Zhentong Capsule on experimental endometriosis in rats.

AIM: To analyze the composition of the Chinese herbal medicine Sanjie Zhentong Capsule (SJZTC) and test the therapeutic efficacy of each component in a rat model of endometriosis. METHODS: A rapid resolution liquid chromatography (RRLC) method coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (Q-TOF MS) has been developed for the analysis of SJZTC. Two main ingredients, Drac(h)onis sanguis and saponin, were tested in the endometriosis model. Sixty Lewis female rats were in the estrous cycle stage when endometriosis was experimentally initiated by peritoneal implantation of endometrial tissue. Four weeks later, a second laparotomy was performed and implant volumes were measured. After that, the implanted rats were randomized into five study groups: control group (treatment with saline), anastrozole group (treatment with anastrole, 18 µg per day), loureirin A group (treated with loureirin A, 97.2 mg), ginsenoside Re group (treated with ginsenoside Re, 64.8 mg), and SJZTC groups (treated with SJZTC, 86.4 mg) administered once a day for 4 weeks via gastric gavage. After four weeks of treatment, a third laparotomy was performed, implant volumes were re-measured, and the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were tested. RESULTS: A total of 38 compounds including, both the target and unknown compounds, were rapidly predicted in the capsule extract by the developed method. Compared with the control group, the anastrozole group, loureirin A group, ginsenoside Re group, and SJZTC treated group showed smaller implant volumes, as well as lower levels of VEGF and TNF-α in the peritoneal focus (P < 0.01 for all comparisons). Furthermore, parameters in the groups treated with SJZTC, loureirin A and ginsenoside Re were significantly better than the control group and the anastrozole group. These results indicate that SJZTC and its two main components are effective in reducing the development of endometriosis.

Expression Profiling and Proteomic Analysis of JIN Chinese Herbal Formula in Lung Carcinoma H460 Xenografts.

Many traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulae have been used in cancer therapy. The JIN formula is an ancient herbal formula recorded in the classic TCM book Jin Kui Yao Lue (Golden Chamber). The JIN formula significantly delayed the growth of subcutaneous human H460 xenografted tumors in vivo compared with the growth of mock controls. Gene array analysis of signal transduction in cancer showed that the JIN formula acted on multiple targets such as the mitogen-activated protein kinase, hedgehog, and Wnt signaling pathways. The coformula treatment of JIN and diamminedichloroplatinum (DDP) affected the stress/heat shock pathway. Proteomic analysis showed 36 and 84 differentially expressed proteins between the mock and DDP groups and between the mock and JIN groups, respectively. GoMiner analysis revealed that the differentially expressed proteins between the JIN and mock groups were enriched during cellular metabolic processes, and so forth. The ones between the DDP and mock groups were enriched during protein-DNA complex assembly, and so forth. Most downregulated proteins in the JIN group were heat shock proteins (HSPs) such as HSP90AA1 and HSPA1B, which could be used as markers to monitor responses to the JIN formula therapy. The mechanism of action of the JIN formula on HSP proteins warrants further investigation.

[Comparison of the effects of sanjie zhentong capsule and danazol on the endometriosis rats].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of sanjie zhentong capsule (SZC) and danazol on rats with endometriosis (EMT). METHODS: Totally 48 adult female Lewis rats were selected, 12 as the blank control group, and the rest 36 rats in the estrus cycle were used to establish the EMT model. After modeling they were randomly divided into 3 groups, i.e., the model control group, the SZC treatment group, and the danazol treatment group, 12 in each group. Four weeks later the focus was measured by a second laparotomy. The normal saline at 1 mL/day was administered to rats in the model control group, SZC at 86.4 mg/day to those in the SZC treatment group, and danazol at 7.2 mg/day to those in the danazol treatment group. All the treatment lasted for 4 weeks. At the end of the treatment, a third laparotomy was performed to measure the size of focus. The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was detected using immunohistochemical assay. The cell apoptosis rate was detected using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxy-UTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL). The concentration of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the peritoneal fluid and the serum were detected using ELISA. RESULTS: There was statistical difference in the change of the focus volume between the SZC treatment group (-23.27 +/- 18.18) and the danazol treatment group (-12.28 +/- 10.04) and the model control group (13.97 +/- 7.54, P < 0.01). The expression of ectopic PCNA significantly decreased and the positive expression rate of TUNEL obviously increased in the two treatment groups when compared with the model control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The expression of ectopic PCNA decreased and the positive expression rate of TUNEL increased more obviously in the SZC treatment group than in the danazol treatment group (P < 0.01). The concentration of PGE2 in the peritoneal fluid and the serum was significantly lower in the two treatment group when compared with the model control group (P < 0.01). The concentration of PGE2 in the peritoneal fluid and the serum was significantly lower in the SZC treatment group than in the danazol treatment group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: SZC and danazol both could inhibit the focus growth in EMT rats. SZC showed better effects. It was an effective drug for treating EMT.

[Influences of acupuncture on infertility of rats with polycystic ovarian syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect and mechanism of acupuncture on infertility of rats with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). METHODS: PCOS rat model was induced by subcutaneous injection of oil solution of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in immature (24-day-old) female rats for continuous 20 days. Rats for control were given with same dose of oil for instead. PCOS rats were randomly divided into the model group untreated and the acupuncture group treated by needling acupoints of Guanyuan (CV4), Zhongji (CV3), Sanyin-jiao (SP6) and Zigong (CX-CA1), 15 min once a day for 5 continuous days, starting from the 80th day after birth. All rats were sacrificed at terminal of the treatment, their uterus and bilateral ovaries were dissected for observation and blood levels of sex hormones were measured. RESULTS: compared with the model group, the number of implanted blastocyte and blastocyte implantation rate were higher and the blood levels of testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) were lower in the acupuncture group (P < 0.05); but the difference between groups in serum levels of follicular stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone and progesterone were of statistical insignificance (P > 0.05). Moreover, the wet weight of ovary was lower and the equipotent diameter and area of glandular organ and cavity, area ratio of gland and the stroma, and mean thickness of endometria were higher in the acupuncture group than those in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture can conspicuously downregulate the expressions of serum levels of T and E2, improve the development of ovaries and uterus, promote ovulation, enhance endometrial receptivity, and advance blastocyte implantation.