Genomic analysis reveals phylogeny of Zygophyllales and mechanism for water retention of a succulent xerophyte.

Revealing the genetic basis for stress-resistant traits in extremophile plants will yield important information for crop improvement. Zygophyllum xanthoxylum, an extant species of the ancient Mediterranean, is a succulent xerophyte that can maintain a favorable water status under desert habitats; however, the genetic basis of this adaptive trait is poorly understood. Furthermore, the phylogenetic position of Zygophyllales, to which Z. xanthoxylum belongs, remains controversial. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the chromosome-level genome of Z. xanthoxylum. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Zygophyllales and Myrtales form a separated taxon as a sister to the clade comprising fabids and malvids, clarifying the phylogenetic position of Zygophyllales at whole-genome scale. Analysis of genomic and transcriptomic data revealed multiple critical mechanisms underlying the efficient osmotic adjustment using Na+ and K+ as "cheap" osmolytes that Z. xanthoxylum has evolved through the expansion and synchronized expression of genes encoding key transporters/channels and their regulators involved in Na+/K+ uptake, transport, and compartmentation. It is worth noting that ZxCNGC1;1 (cyclic nucleotide-gated channels) and ZxCNGC1;2 constituted a previously undiscovered energy-saving pathway for Na+ uptake. Meanwhile, the core genes involved in biosynthesis of cuticular wax also featured an expansion and upregulated expression, contributing to the water retention capacity of Z. xanthoxylum under desert environments. Overall, these findings boost the understanding of evolutionary relationships of eudicots, illustrate the unique water retention mechanism in the succulent xerophyte that is distinct from glycophyte, and thus provide valuable genetic resources for the improvement of stress tolerance in crops and insights into the remediation of sodic lands.

The abscisic acid-responsive element binding factors MAPKKK18 module regulates abscisic acid-induced leaf senescence in Arabidopsis.

The mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 18 (MAPKKK18) has been reported to play a role in abiotic stress priming in long-term abscisic acid (ABA) response including drought tolerance and leaf senescence. However, the upstream transcriptional regulators of MAPKKK18 remain to be determined. Here, we report ABA-responsive element binding factors (ABFs) as upstream transcription factors of MAPKKK18 expression. Mutants of abf2, abf3, abf4, and abf2abf3abf4 dramatically reduced the transcription of MAPKKK18. Our electrophoresis mobility shift assay and dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that ABF2, ABF3, and ABF4 bound to ABA-responsive element cis-elements within the promoter of MAPKKK18 to transactivate its expression. Furthermore, enrichments of the promoter region of MAPKKK18 by ABF2, ABF3, and ABF4 were confirmed by in vivo chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with quantitative PCR. In addition, we found that mutants of mapkkk18 exhibited obvious delayed leaf senescence. Moreover, a genetic study showed that overexpression of ABF2, ABF3, and ABF4 in the background of mapkkk18 mostly phenocopied the stay-green phenotype of mapkkk18 and, expression levels of five target genes of ABFs, that is, NYE1, NYE2, NYC1, PAO, and SAG29, were attenuated as a result of MAPKKK18 mutation. These findings demonstrate that ABF2, ABF3, and ABF4 act as transcription regulators of MAPKKK18 and also suggest that, at least in part, ABA acts in priming leaf senescence via ABF-induced expression of MAPKKK18.

Green manufacturing for achieving carbon neutrality goal requires innovative technologies: A bibliometric analysis from 1991 to 2022.

Recent years have seen a significant increase in interest in green manufacturing as a key driver of global carbon-neutral efforts and sustainable development. To find the research hotspots of green manufacturing and reveal future research trends, this study reviewed and analyzed research articles from the Web of Science database on green manufacturing from 1991 to 2022 using a bibliometric method. The findings indicate a significant rise in the number of articles related to green manufacturing since the 2010s. Moreover, there has been an increase in the involvement of scholars from developing countries such as China and India in this field. Based on the literature review and bibliometric cluster analysis on green manufacturing, we believed that future research may continue following the lines of intelligent technology integration, adoption of frontier engineering techniques, and industry development in line with carbon reduction targets. A framework for future green manufacturing development is proposed, with a focus on Chinese policies. The framework could provide policy implications for developing countries looking to pursue opportunities for development in green manufacturing.

ANAC087 transcription factor positively regulates age-dependent leaf senescence through modulating the expression of multiple target genes in Arabidopsis.

Leaf senescence is the final stage of leaf development and appropriate onset and progression of leaf senescence are critical for reproductive success and fitness. Although great progress has been made in identifying key genes regulating leaf senescence and elucidating the underlining mechanisms in the model plant Arabidopsis, there is still a gap to understanding the complex regulatory network. In this study, we discovered that Arabidopsis ANAC087 transcription factor (TF) positively modulated leaf senescence. Expression of ANAC087 was induced in senescing leaves and the encoded protein acted as a transcriptional activator. Both constitutive and inducible overexpression lines of ANAC087 showed earlier senescence than control plants, whereas T-DNA insertion mutation and dominant repression of the ANAC087 delayed senescence rate. A quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) profiling showed that the expression of an array of senescence-associated genes was upregulated in inducible ANAC087 overexpression plants including BFN1, NYE1, CEP1, RbohD, SAG13, SAG15, and VPEs, which are involved in programmed cell death (PCD), chlorophyll degradation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. In addition, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (ChIP-qPCR) assays demonstrated that ANAC087 directly bound to the canonical NAC recognition sequence (NACRS) motif in promoters of its target genes. Moreover, mutation of two representative target genes, BFN1 or NYE1 alleviated the senescence rate of ANAC087-overexpression plants, suggesting their genetic regulatory relationship. Taken together, this study indicates that ANAC087 serves as an important regulator linking PCD, ROS, and chlorophyll degradation to leaf senescence.

Ectopic overexpression of a membrane-tethered transcription factor gene NAC60 from oilseed rape positively modulates programmed cell death and age-triggered leaf senescence.

Senescence is an integrative final stage of plant development that is governed by internal and external cues. The NAM, ATAF1/2, CUC2 (NAC) transcription factor (TF) family is specific to plants and membrane-tethered NAC TFs (MTTFs) constitute a unique and sophisticated mechanism in stress responses and development. However, the function of MTTFs in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) remains unknown. Here, we report that BnaNAC60 is an MTTF associated with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. Expression of BnaNAC60 was induced during the progression of leaf senescence. Translocation of BnaNAC60 into nuclei was induced by ER stress and oxidative stress treatments. It binds to the NTLBS motif, rather than the canonical NAC recognition site. Overexpression of BnaNAC60 devoid of the transmembrane domain, but not the full-length BnaNAC60, induces significant reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and hypersensitive response-like cell death in both tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) and oilseed rape protoplasts. Moreover, ectopic overexpression of BnaNAC60 devoid of the transmembrane domain, but not the full-length BnaNAC60, in Arabidopsis also induces precocious leaf senescence. Furthermore, screening and expression profiling identified an array of functional genes that are significantly induced by BnaNAC60 expression. Further it was found that BnaNAC60 can activate the promoter activities of BnaNYC1, BnaRbohD, BnaBFN1, BnaZAT12, and multiple BnaVPEs in a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled to quantitative PCR assays revealed that BnaNAC60 directly binds to the promoter regions of these downstream target genes. To summarize, our data show that BnaNAC60 is an MTTF that modulates cell death, ROS accumulation, and leaf senescence.

Preparation of boronic acid-modified polymer dots under mild conditions and their applications in pH and glucose detection.

For the first time, boronic acid-modified polymer dots (B-PDs) were fabricated by a "synthesis-modification integration" route using polyethylenimine (PEI) and phenylboronic acid as precursors. Under optimized preparation conditions, the B-PDs exhibited an average size of 2.2 nm, good water solubility, and high fluorescence quantum yield of 8.69%. The B-PDs showed reversible fluorescence response in acid solutions (blue emissions) and alkaline solutions (green emissions). The fluorescence emissions of B-PDs demonstrated an obvious red shift with varying the pH value from 1 - 13. Moreover, glucose could assemble on the surface of B-PDs due to the reversible reaction between boronic acid and cis-diols, which resulted in a blue shift of emission wavelength and an obvious increase of FL intensity at λex = 380 nm based on the aggregation-induced enhancement effect. The glucose sensing method was thus developed in the range 0.0001 - 1.0 mol L-1. Applications to real human blood and glucose injection samples demonstrated satisfactory results. The B-PDs based on the analytical method display good selectivity, wide detection range, and simplicity in preparation and detection, implying promising applications as a practical platform for biosensing.

Discoloration investigations of freeze-dried carrot cylinders from physical structure and color-related chemical compositions.

BACKGROUND: High carotenoid content always lead to a yellower/redder color in carrots, while a puzzling phenomenon still exists that freeze-dried carrots (FDC) have a higher carotenoid content but a lighter color compared with thermal-dried carrots. It seems that carotenoid is not the only main factor affecting sample color. Hence the discoloration characteristics of freeze-dried carrots were comprehensively analyzed from physical structure and color-related chemical composition profile. RESULTS: Outcomes of low-field nuclear magnetic resonance and scanning electron microscopy showed that sublimation of immobilized water preserved the intact porous structure of FDC, which kept the volume shrinkage below 30% and led to less accumulations of color-related compositions. Besides, results of correlation and principal component analysis-X model proved that lutein and caffeic acid mainly affected a* value (r = 0.917) and b* value (r = 0.836) of FDC, respectively. Moreover, lipoxygenase indirectly affected sample color by degrading carotenoids, and the lutein content loss for fresh and blanching FDC was 41.56% and 47.14%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The discoloration of FDC was significantly affected by both physical structure and color-related chemical compositions. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

A Novel NAC-Type Transcription Factor, NAC87, from Oilseed Rape Modulates Reactive Oxygen Species Accumulation and Cell Death.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are thought to play a dual role in plants by functioning as signaling molecules and toxic by-products of aerobic metabolism. The hypersensitive response (HR) is a typical feature of immune responses in plants and also a type of programmed cell death (PCD). How these two processes are regulated in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) at the transcriptional level remains largely unknown. In this study, we report that an oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) NAM-ATAF-CUC (NAC)-type transcription factor NAC87 modulates ROS and cell death accompanied by typical changes at the morphological and cellular levels. The BnaNAC87 gene was induced by multiple stress and hormone treatments and was highly expressed in senescent leaves by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR). BnaNAC87 is located in nuclei and has transcriptional activation activity. Expression of BnaNAC87 promoted significant ROS production, cell death as well as death of protoplasts, as indicated by histological staining. In addition, putative downstream target genes of NAC87 were identified through both qRT-PCR and dual luciferase reporter assays. We found that genes implicated in ROS generation (RbohB), cell death (VPE1a, ZEN1), leaf senescence (WRKY6, ZAT12) and defense (PR2, PR5 and HIN1) were significantly induced. Through an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), we confirmed that BnaNAC87 directly binds to the NACRS-containing promoter fragments of ZEN1, ZAT12, HIN1 and PR5 genes. From these results, we conclude that oilseed rape NAC87 is a novel NAC transcription factor that acts as a positive regulator of ROS metabolism and cell death.

Determination of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities from peel, flesh, seed of guava (Psidium guajava L.).

White-flesh guava is widely planted in tropical or subtropical areas of Southeast Asia. Despite of folk statements on specific function, few researches are focused on the description of its plant secondary metabolites. In the present work, contents of total phenolics and flavonoids as well as antioxidant activity from different parts (peel, flesh, and seed) were determined. The constituents of ethanol extracts were characterized by HPLC-QTOF-MS. A total of 69 phenolic compounds as well as nine polar compounds were detected, with flavonoids, hydrolyzable tannins, phenolic acid derivatives, and benzophenones of the four predominant phenolic compounds. Moreover, the presence of other phenolics (lignan, phenylethanoid, stilbenoid, and dihydrochalcones) was revealed. Simultaneously, the polar compounds, such as triterpenoids, iridoid were identified. Benzophenones and triterpenoids were proved to be marked constitutes of peel and flesh, respectively. The existence of isoflavonoids, lignan, phenylethanoid were firstly reported for edible parts or by-products of guava. The results showed that white-flesh guavas, particularly peel parts, were superior resources of antioxidant compounds, with exploitation value.

Oilseed rape NAC56 transcription factor modulates reactive oxygen species accumulation and hypersensitive response-like cell death.

The NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, CUC2) transcription factor gene family is plant-specific and plays diverse roles in development and responses to abiotic stresses and pathogen challenge. Oilseed rape (Brassica napus) or canola is an important oil crop worldwide, however, the function of NAC genes in it remains largely elusive. In the present study, we identified and characterized the NAC56 gene isolated from oilseed rape. Expression of BnaNAC56 was induced by abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonic acid (JA), methyl viologen (MV) and a necrotrophic fungal pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, but repressed by cold. BnaNAC56 is a transcription activator and localized to nuclei. Overexpression of BnaNAC56 induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and hypersensitive response (HR)-like cell death, with various physiological measurements supporting these. Furthermore, BnaNAC56 expression caused evident nuclear DNA fragmentation. Moreover, quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis identified that the expression levels of multiple genes regulating ROS homeostasis, cell death and defense response were significantly induced. Using a dual luciferase reporter assay, we further confirmed that BnaNAC56 could activate the expression of a few ROS- and cell death-related genes. In summary, our data demonstrate that BnaNAC56 functions as a stress-responsive transcriptional activator and plays a role in modulating ROS accumulation and cell death.

Comparison of different drying methods on the physical properties, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of raspberry powders.

BACKGROUND: Dehydration has been considered as one of the traditional but most effective techniques for perishable fruits. Raspberry powders obtained after dehydration can be added as ingredients into food formulations such as bakery and dairy products. In this study, raspberry powders obtained by hot air drying (HAD), infrared radiation drying (IRD), hot air and explosion puffing drying (HA-EPD), infrared radiation and microwave vacuum drying (IR-MVD) and freeze drying (FD) were compared on physical properties, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity. RESULTS: Drying techniques affected the physical properties, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of raspberry powders greatly. FD led to significantly higher (P < 0.05) values of water solubility (45.26%), soluble solid (63.46%), hygroscopicity (18.06%), color parameters and anthocyanin retention (60.70%) of raspberry powder compared with other drying methods. However, thermal drying techniques, especially combined drying methods, were superior to FD in final total polyphenol content, total flavonoid content and antioxidant activity. The combined drying methods, especially IR-MVD, showed the highest total polyphenol content (123.22 g GAE kg(-1) dw) and total flavonoid content (0.30 g CAE kg(-1) dw). Additionally, IR-MVD performed better in antioxidant activity retention. CONCLUSION: Overall, combined drying methods, especially IR-MVD, were found to result in better quality of raspberry powders among the thermal drying techniques. IR-MVD could be recommended for use in the drying industry because of its advantages in time saving and nutrient retention.

Effect of different drying technologies on drying characteristics and quality of red pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.): a comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Hot air drying and sun drying are traditional drying technologies widely used in the drying of agricultural products for a long time, but usually recognized as time-consuming or producing lower-quality products. Infrared drying is a rather effective drying technology that has advantages over traditional drying technologies. Thus, in order to investigate the application of infrared drying in the dehydration of red pepper, the drying characteristics and quality of infrared-dried red pepper were compared with those of sun-dried and hot air-dried red pepper. RESULTS: The infrared drying technology significantly enhanced the drying rate when compared with hot air drying and sun drying. Temperature was the most important factor affecting the moisture transfer during the process of infrared drying as well as hot air drying. Effective moisture diffusivity (Deff ) values of infrared drying ranged from 1.58 × 10(-9) to 3.78 × 10(-9) m(2) s(-1) . The Ea values of infrared drying and hot air drying were 42.67 and 44.48 kJ mol(-1) respectively. Infrared drying and hot air drying produced color loss to a similar extent. Relatively higher crispness values were observed for infrared-dried samples. CONCLUSION: Sun drying produced dried red pepper with the best color when compared with hot air drying and infrared drying. Meanwhile, infrared drying markedly improved the drying rate at the same drying temperature level of hot air drying, and the products obtained had relatively better quality with higher crispness values. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Influence of pre-drying treatments on physicochemical and organoleptic properties of explosion puff dried jackfruit chips.

The effects of hot air drying (AD), freeze drying (FD), infrared drying (IR), microwave drying (MV), vacuum drying (VD) as pre-drying treatments for explosion puff drying (EPD) on qualities of jackfruit chips were studied. The lowest total color differences (∆E) were found in the FD-, MV- and VD-EPD dried chips. Volume expansion effect (9.2 %) was only observed in the FD-EPD dried chips, which corresponded to its well expanded honeycomb microstructures and high rehydration rate. Compared with AD-, IR-, MV- and VD-EPD, the FD-EPD dried fruit chips exhibited lower hardness and higher crispness, indicative of a crispier texture. FD-EPD dried fruits also obtained high retentions of ascorbic acid, phenolics and carotenoids compared with that of the other puffed products. The results of sensory evaluation suggested that the FD-EPD was a more beneficial combination because it enhanced the overall qualities of jackfruit chips. In conclusion, the FD-EPD could be used as a novel combination drying method for processing valuable and/or high quality fruit chips.

Formation of key aroma-active and off-flavor components in concentrated peach puree.

Non-volatiles offer some insight into the formation of aroma-active components in peach puree (PP), but more depth investigation is still needed. Formation pathways of key aroma-active and off-flavor components in PP during thermal concentration (PP + C) and sterilization (PP + C + S) are unclear. Therefore, GC-O-MS combined with UPLC-MS/MS was used to identify the volatile and nonvolatile components and their formation pathways. Among the 36 aroma-active compounds, the contents of γ-decalactone, hexyl acetate, leaf acetate, hexanal, and 1-hexanol (odor activity value ≥ 1) decreased by 46 %, 100 %, 100 %, 92 %, and 100 % between PP and PP + C + S, causing the weakening of "green" and "fruity" attributes. Off-flavor components including 1-octen-3-one, isobutyric acid, isothiazole, and isovaleric acid were identified during thermal processing. 1-Octen-3-one content increased by 75 % from PP to PP + C + S through linolenic acid metabolism, which contributed to "cooked"; the formation of isobutyric and isovaleric acids, isothiazole, resulted in the enhancement of "sour/rancid" via serine and leucine metabolism.

The potential of glucosidase and glucose oxidase for aroma improvement in concentrated peach puree based on volatilomics and metabolomics.

Cooked off-flavor was produced during the processing of concentrated peach puree (CPP), which led to aroma deterioration. Enzymatic treatment was beneficial in eliminating off-flavors and improving the aroma quality. Herein, the efficacy of glycosidase (AR2000), glucose oxidation (GOD), and their combination on the inhibition of off-flavors and aroma enhancement were evaluated. Compared with CPP, contents of benzaldehyde, benzyl alcohol, nonanal, and linalool increased by 198%, 1222%, 781%, and 71% after AR2000 treatment via the metabolisms of shikimate, glucose, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid, leading to the strengthening of floral and grassy. Due to the removal of 1-octen-3-one via linolenic acid metabolism, cooked off-flavor could be significantly weakened by GOD. Furthermore, Furthermore, the combination of AR2000 and GOD could not only inhibit the production of 1-octen-3-one to weaken the cooked note but also enhance grassy and floral attributes via the increase of aldehydes and alcohols.

Rapeseed PP2C37 Interacts with PYR/PYL Abscisic Acid Receptors and Negatively Regulates Drought Tolerance.

Global water deficit is a severe abiotic stress threatening the yielding and quality of crops. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a phytohormone that mediates drought tolerance. Protein kinases and phosphatases function as molecular switches in eukaryotes. Protein phosphatases type 2C (PP2Cs) are a major family that play essential roles in ABA signaling and stress responses. However, the role and underlying mechanism of PP2C in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) mediating drought response has not been reported yet. Here, we characterized a PP2C family member, BnaPP2C37, and its expression level was highly induced by ABA and dehydration treatments. It negatively regulates drought tolerance in rapeseed. We further identified that BnaPP2C37 interacted with multiple PYR/PYL receptors and a drought regulator BnaCPK5 (calcium-dependent protein kinase 5) through yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays. Specifically, BnaPYL1 and BnaPYL9 repress BnaPP2C37 phosphatase activity. Moreover, the pull-down assay and phosphatase assays show BnaPP2C37 interacts with BnaCPK5 to dephosphorylate BnaCPK5 and its downstream BnaABF3. Furthermore, a dual-luciferase assay revealed BnaPP2C37 transcript level was enhanced by BnaABF3 and BnaABF4, forming a negative feedback regulation to ABA response. In summary, we identified that BnaPP2C37 functions negatively in drought tolerance of rapeseed, and its phosphatase activity is repressed by BnaPYL1/9 whereas its transcriptional level is upregulated by BnaABF3/4.

UiO-66(Zr)-2OH-Supported Pd0 NP Catalysts Accelerated a Fenton-Like Reaction: Iron Cycling and Hydrogen Peroxide Generation Achieved Simultaneously.

Both the sluggish kinetics of Fe(II) regeneration and usage restriction of H2O2 have severely hindered the scientific progress of the Fenton reaction toward practical applications. Herein, a reduction strategy of activated hydrogen, which was used to simultaneously generate H2O2 and accelerate the regeneration of ferrous in a Fenton-like reaction based on the reduction of activated hydrogen derived from H2, was proposed. Two types of composite catalysts, namely, Pd/UiO-66(Zr)-2OH and Pd@UiO-66(Zr)-2OH, were successfully prepared by loading nano-Pd particles onto the outer and inner pores of UiO-66(Zr)-2OH in different loading modes, respectively. They were used to enhance the reduction of activated hydrogen. The characterization results based on the analysis of scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the materials were successfully prepared. By using a trace amount of ferrous iron and without adding H2O2, trimethoprim (C0 = 20 mg·L-1), as a target pollutant, could be nearly 100% degraded within 180 min in the reaction system composed of these two materials. The cycle of iron and the self-generation of H2O2 were verified by the detection of ferrous H2O2 in the system. Density functional theory calculation results further confirmed that the pore-filled Pd0 NPs, as the main catalytic site for Pd@UiO-66(Zr)-2OH, could produce H2O2 under the combined action of hydrogen and oxygen. The Pd@UiO-66(Zr)-2OH system had excellent stability after multiple applications (at least 6 cycles), all of which resulted in 100% removal of trimethoprim. The degradation efficiency of the Pd/UiO-66(Zr)-2OH system for TMP gradually decreased from 97 to 80% after six cycles. The results of electron paramagnetic resonance combined with classical radical burst experiments revealed the degradation pathways in the reaction system with hydroxyl radicals and singlet oxygen as the main reactive oxygen particles.

Influence of different pre-treatments on flavor quality of freeze-dried carrots mediated by carotenoids and metabolites during 120-day storage.

Changes in carotenoids and volatiles (including ß-carotene-metabolites) of freeze-dried carrots (FDC) treated by thermal/nonthermal-ultrasound (40 KHz, 10 min) and ascorbic (2%, w/v)-CaCl2 (1%, w/v) solution ((H)UAA-CaCl2) during a 120-day storage period were investigated. The results of HS-SPME/GC-MS showed that caryophyllene was the dominant volatile compound (70.80-275.74 µg/g, d.b) in FDC, and 144 volatile compounds were detected in 6 samples. Besides, 23 volatile compounds were significantly correlated with ß-carotene content (p < 0.05), and ß-carotene degraded to off-flavor compounds (ß-ionone: 22.85-117.26 µg/g, ß-cyclocitral: 0-113.84 µg/g and dihydroactindiolide: 4.04-128.37 µg/g) that had adverse effects on FDC flavor. However, UAA-CaCl2 effectively preserved the total carotenoid content (793.37 µg/g), and HUAA-CaCl2 reduced the off-odors (such as ß-cyclocitral and isothymol) formation at the end of storage. These results indicated that (H)UAA-CaCl2 treatments were conducive to the maintenance of carotenoids and the flavor quality of FDC.

Acupuncture for abducens nerve palsy after radiochemotherapy: a CARE-compliant case report.

BACKGROUND: Delayed abducens nerve palsy after chemoradiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is often accompanied by ocular ischemia and cranial nerve damage, thereby increasing the risk of conventional strabismus surgery. Therefore, patients often prefer conservative treatment. Herein we report a case of acupuncture for delayed abducens nerve palsy after chemoradiotherapy for NPC. CASE PRESENTATION: A 39-year-old patient who previously received chemotherapy and radiotherapy for NPC developed a unilateral abducens nerve palsy with numbness in the face and stiffness in the neck muscles after six years. Based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), medical history, and physical examination, he was diagnosed with abducens nerve palsy after chemoradiotherapy. The acupuncture treatment regimen was mainly based on periocular electroacupuncture, supplemented with wheat grain moxibustion and warming needle moxibustion, which were performed three times a week. After one month with a total of 17 acupuncture sessions, the patient's affected eye abduction function recovered completely. Facial sensory abnormalities and neck stiffness also improved significantly. Follow-up at two months reported no recurrence. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture may be a conservative treatment option for patients with abducens nerve palsy after chemoradiotherapy.

Effects of predictive nursing intervention on cognitive impairment and neurological function in ischemic stroke patients.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic stroke is a clinical emergency caused by insufficient intracranial blood supply, which eventually leads to brain tissue necrosis and neurological impairment. Predictive nursing intervention has achieved impressive success in the nursing of multiple surgeries. However, the role of predictive nursing intervention in the care of patients with ischemic stroke remains unclear. METHODS: This study was a randomized controlled trial. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 126 patients were randomly assigned into two groups, namely the control group and the predictive nursing intervention group. Both groups were treated with thrombolytic therapy with alteplase. The patients in the control group were given routine nursing intervention and the predictive nursing intervention group received additional predictive care. Neurologic functions and cognitive impairment were evaluated by National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA), Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scales, respectively. Door-to-Needle Times, venous thromboembolism (VTE)-related parameters, and complications were recorded. RESULTS: Predictive nursing intervention significantly shortened the Door-to-Needle Times and enhanced the peak/average femoral venous blood flow and femoral venous diameter. In addition, predictive nursing intervention improved the NIHSS, FMA, MMSE, and MoCA scores and remarkably reduced the recurrence of ischemic stroke, deep vein thrombosis and gingival bleeding. CONCLUSION: Predictive nursing intervention is beneficial to improve the effects of thrombolytic therapy in patients with ischemic stroke, which improves the neurological, cognitive and motor functions of patients, and reduces the occurrence of complications, suggesting an important clinical application value.