Circulating extracellular vesicles from patients with valvular heart disease induce neutrophil chemotaxis via FOXO3a and the inhibiting role of dexmedetomidine.

We previously demonstrated that circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) from patients with valvular heart disease (VHD; vEVs) contain inflammatory components and inhibit endothelium-dependent vasodilation. Neutrophil chemotaxis plays a key role in renal dysfunction, and dexmedetomidine (DEX) can reduce renal dysfunction in cardiac surgery. However, the roles of vEVs in neutrophil chemotaxis and effects of DEX on vEVs are unknown. Here, we investigated the impact of vEVs on neutrophil chemotaxis in kidneys and the influence of DEX on vEVs. Circulating EVs were isolated from healthy subjects and patients with VHD. The effects of EVs on chemokine generation, forkhead box protein O3a (FOXO3a) pathway activation and neutrophil chemotaxis on cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and kidneys in mice and the influence of DEX on EVs were detected. vEVs increased FOXO3a expression, decreased phosphorylation of Akt and FOXO3a, promoted FOXO3a nuclear translocation, and activated the FOXO3a signaling pathway in vitro. DEX pretreatment reduced vEV-induced CXCL4 and CCL5 expression and neutrophil chemotaxis in cultured HUVECs via the FOXO3a signaling pathway. vEVs were also found to suppress Akt phosphorylation and activate FOXO3a signaling to increase plasma levels of CXCL4 and CCL5 and neutrophil accumulation in kidney. The overall mechanism was inhibited in vivo with DEX pretreatment. Our data demonstrated that vEVs induced CXCL4-CCL5 to stimulate neutrophil infiltration in kidney, which can be inhibited by DEX via the FOXO3a signaling. Our findings reveal a unique mechanism involving vEVs in inducing neutrophils chemotaxis and may provide a novel basis for using DEX in reducing renal dysfunction in valvular heart surgery.

Lesion outline and thermal field distribution of ablative in vitro experiments in myocardia: comparison of radiofrequency and laser ablation.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the lesion outline and thermal field distribution of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and laser ablation (LA) in myocardial ablation in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four fresh porcine hearts were ablated with RFA or LA in vitro. The radiofrequency electrode or laser fiber and two parallel thermocouple probes were inserted into the myocardium under ultrasound guidance. The output power for RFA was 20 W/s and for LA was 5 W/s, and the total thermal energies were 1200 J, 2400 J, 3600 J, and 4800 J. The range of ablation lesions was measured, and temperature data were recorded simultaneously. RESULTS: All coagulation zones were ellipsoidal with clear boundaries. The center of LA was carbonized more obviously than that of RFA. With the accumulation of thermal energy and the extended time, all the ablation lesions induced by both RFA and LA were enlarged. By comparing the increase in thermal energy between the two groups, both the short-axis diameter and the volume change showed significant differences between the 1200 J and 3600 J groups and between the 2400 J and 4800 J groups (all P < 0.05). Both the short-axis diameter and the volume of the coagulation necrosis zone formed by LA were always larger than those of RFA at the same accumulated thermal energy. The temperatures of the two thermocouple probes increased with each energy increment. At the same accumulated energy, the temperature of LA was much higher than that of RFA at the same point. The initial temperature increase at 0.5 cm of LA was rapid. The temperature reached 43 °C and the accumulated energy reached 1200 J after approximately 4 min. After that the temperature increased at a slower rate to 70  C. For the RFA at the point of 0.5 cm, the initial temperature increased rapidly to 30 °C with the same accumulated energy of 1200 J after only 1 min. In the range of 4800 J of accumulated thermal energy, only the temperature of LA at the point of 0.5 cm exceeded 60 °C when the energy reached approximately 3000 J. CONCLUSIONS: Both RFA and LA were shown to be reliable methods for myocardial ablation. The lesion outline and thermal field distribution of RFA and LA should be considered when performing thermal ablation in the intramyocardial septum during hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.

Myocardial contrast echocardiography in the diagnosis of postoperative takotsubo myocardiopathy: case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is a brief ventricular dysfunction that usually occurs after emotional or physical stress. Here, we report a patient who underwent cardiac surgery and then developed TCM during the postoperative period. CASE PRESENTATION: A 51-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital complaining of chest tightness, palpitations and dyspnoea after activity. An echocardiogram performed by our hospital showed rheumatic heart disease (severe mitral stenosis and regurgitation) with normal cardiac function and wall motion. After mitral valve replacement, this patient developed heart failure with low blood pressure and tachycardia. Urgent bedside echocardiography demonstrated akinesis in the middle and apical segments of the left ventricle and a depressed ejection fraction (EF) of 36%. Myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) showed similar enhancement intensity in the basal, middle and apical segments. Quantitative analysis showed approximately equivalent maximum intensity in these regions. The diagnosis was considered TCM instead of myocardial infarction. Then, an intra-aortic balloon pump was inserted to maintain effective circulation and reduce the postcardiac load. Given ventilation therapy, postoperative anticoagulation therapy and anti-infection treatment, the patient recovered quickly. In the follow-up examination, the patient remained asymptomatic and showed normalization of ventricular wall motion in the apical segment. CONCLUSION: This report presents a case of TCM in which MCE was used to demonstrate intact microvascular perfusion despite apical akinesis. This report might support the use of MCE as a substitute for invasive coronary angiography.

Predictive modeling of microbial single cells: A review.

In practice, food products tend to be contaminated with food-borne pathogens at a low inoculum level. However, the huge potential risk cannot be ignored because microbes may initiate high-speed growth suitable conditions during the food chain, such as transportation or storage. Thus, it is important to perform predictive modeling of microbial single cells. Several key aspects of microbial single-cell modeling are covered in this review. First, based on previous studies, the techniques of microbial single-cell data acquisition and growth data collection are presented in detail. In addition, the sources of microbial single-cell variability are also summarized. Due to model microbial growth, traditional deterministic mathematical models have been developed. However, most models fail to make accurate predictions at low cell numbers or at the single-cell level due to high cell-to-cell heterogeneity. Stochastic models have been a subject of great interest; and these models take into consideration the variability in microbial single-cell behavior.

[Association of Ureaplasma urealyticum with the types of antisperm antibody in infertile men].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) infection in infertile men, its influence on routine semen parameters and the distribution of antisperm antibody (AsAb) and its types in infertile patients with UU infection. METHODS: We detected the positive rate of UU infection, semen parameters, and the distribution of AsAb and its types in 662 infertile men and 25 normal fertile male controls followed by comparison of the obtained data between the two groups of subjects. RESULTS: The positive rate of UU infection was significantly higher in the infertile men than in the normal controls (52.87% ï¼»350/662ï¼½ vs 16.00% ï¼»4/25ï¼½, χ2 = 11.68, P <0.05). The semen volume, sperm count, sperm concentration and percentage of progressively motile sperm were remarkably lower in the UU-positive infertile males than in the control group (P <0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed between the UU-positive and UU-negative groups in the positive rates of total AsAb (43.4% vs 36.5%, χ2 = 3.25, P >0.05) and AsAb IgA, IgM and IgG in the seminal plasma, or in the percentages of serum AsAb IgM (16.9% vs 20.5%, χ2 = 1.22, P >0.05) and IgG (32.7% vs 28.9%, χ2 = 0.99, P >0.05) except in that of serum AsAb IgA (23.6% vs 17.0%, χ2 = 4.03, P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The UU infection rate is high in infertile males, which decreases the semen volume, total sperm count, motile sperm concentration and percentage of progressively motile sperm and increases the positive rate of serum AsAb IgA.

Endothelial microparticles are increased in congenital heart diseases and contribute to endothelial dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: We previously demonstrated that endothelial microparticles (EMPs) are increased in mitral valve diseases and impair valvular endothelial cell function. Perioperative systemic inflammation is an important risk factor and complication of cardiac surgery. In this study, we investigate whether EMPs increase in congenital heart diseases to promote inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. METHODS: The level of plasma EMPs in 20 patients with atrial septal defect (ASD), 23 patients with ventricular septal defect (VSD), and 30 healthy subjects were analyzed by flow cytometry. EMPs generated from human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) were injected into C57BL6 mice, or cultured with HUVECs without or with siRNAs targeting P38 MAPK. The expression and/or phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), P38 MAPK, and caveolin-1 in mouse heart and/or in cultured HUVECs were determined. We evaluated generation of nitric oxide (NO) in mouse hearts, and levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in cultured HUVECs and in mice. RESULTS: EMPs were significantly elevated in patients with ASD and VSD, especially in those with pulmonary hypertension when compared with controls. EMPs increased caveolin-1 expression and P38 MAPK phosphorylation and decreased eNOS phosphorylation and NO production in mouse hearts. EMPs stimulated P38 MAPK expression, TNF-α and IL-6 production, which were all inhibited by siRNAs targeting P38 MAPK in cultured HUVECs. CONCLUSIONS: EMPs were increased in adult patients with congenital heart diseases and may contribute to increased inflammation leading to endothelial dysfunction via P38 MAPK-dependent pathways. This novel data provides a potential therapeutic target to address important complications of surgery of congenial heart disease.

[Habitat areas extracting of Poria cocos in Anhui based on "3S" technologies].

"Adversity" is one primary element that impacts the pharmacology components of authentic Chinese herbal medicine. Knowledge about "adversity" is a precondition of yield estimation, quality monitoring, location selection and the geo-herbalism protection. Used 3S(GIS, RS and GPS) technology to combine multi-source key ecological factors of "Anling", and used parasitic relationships between organisms to extracting its suitable region for the first time. Results showed that the "Anling" were mainly distributed in Dabie coteau. Suitable area amount to 36.8 km², Yuexi, Shucheng, Jinzhai and Qianshan which account for about 93.55% of whole congenial region. The first three accounts for about 80.82%. It was Yuexi that account for 1/3 above especially. Field investigation verify accuracy of extraction about 91.67%, which has confirmed it is feasible that using the relationship between parasitic host and parasitic to extract native environment of parasitic traditional medicine based on 3S technology.

Exogenous hydrogen sulfide alleviates high glucose-induced cardiotoxicity via inhibition of leptin signaling in H9c2 cells.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) protects cardiomyoblasts against high glucose (HG)-induced injury by inhibiting the activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). This study aims to determine whether the leptin-p38 MAPK pathway is involved in HG-induced injury and whether exogenous H2S prevents the HG-induced insult through inhibition of the leptin-p38 MAPK pathway in H9c2 cells. H9c2 cells were treated with 35 mM glucose (HG) for 24 h to establish a HG-induced cardiomyocyte injury model. Cell viability; mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ m); apoptosis; reactive oxygen species (ROS) level; and leptin, leptin receptor, and p38 MAPK expression level were measured by the methods indicated. The results showed pretreatment of H9c2 cells with NaHS before exposure to HG led to an increase in cell viability, decrease in apoptotic cells, ROS generation, and a loss of ΔΨ m. Exposure of H9c2 cells to 35 mM glucose for 24 h significantly upregulated the expression levels of leptin and leptin receptors. The increased expression levels of leptin and leptin receptors were markedly attenuated by pretreatment with 400 µM NaHS. In addition, the HG-induced increase in phosphorylated (p) p38 MAPK expression was ameliorated by pretreatment with 50 ng/ml leptin antagonist. In conclusion, the present study has demonstrated for the first time that the leptin-p38 MAPK pathway contributes to the HG-induced injury in H9c2 cells and that exogenous H2S protects H9c2 cells against HG-induced injury at least in part by inhibiting the activation of leptin-p38 MAPK pathway.

Increased carotid intima media thickness is associated with prolactin levels in subjects with untreated prolactinoma: a pilot study.

Hyperprolactinemia is associated with endothelial dysfunction and atherogenic risk factors, but carotid intima media thickness (IMT) has not been studied in hyperprolactinemic patients. To determine whether untreated hyperprolactinemia contributes to increased carotid IMT. Thirty-one prolactinoma patients and 60 healthy controls were respectively studied. Participants underwent hormone evaluation. Anthropometric parameters (body mass index and blood pressure), inflammatory markers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and fibrinogen), serum glucose, insulin, lipid and apolipoprotein profiles were also determined. Endothelial function measured as the flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of a brachial artery and carotid IMT were evaluated using high-resolution ultrasonography. Multivariate linear regression analysis was applied to identify independent determinants of FMD and carotid IMT. Triglycerides, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, apolipoprotein (apo)B/apoA-I ratio, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and fibrinogen were significantly higher, while apoA-I was significantly lower in patients with prolactinomas than in the controls. Meanwhile, decreased FMD and increased carotid IMT were observed in hyperprolactinemic group. Serum prolactin was positively correlated with triglycerides, apoB/apoA-I ratio, hypogonadal, hsCRP and fibrinogen (P < 0.05), but inversely associated with apoA-I and HDL-C (P ≤ 0.001). Moreover, prolactin was found negatively correlated with FMD (r = -0.576, P < 0.0001), and positively correlated with mean carotid IMT (r = 0.652, P < 0.0001). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that prolactin determined, independent of traditional risk factors, FMD (B = -0.589, 95% confidence interval (CI) -2.525 to -0.804, P = 0.001) and mean carotid IMT (B = 0.527, 95% CI 0.027-0.069, P < 0.0001). Hyperprolactinemia may be involved in the preclinical increase in carotid IMT, directly or by promoting atherogenic factors, including insulin resistance, low-grade inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Additional studies are warranted to confirm our findings and explore the mechanisms underlying prolactin-associated early atherosclerosis.

Endothelial microparticles increase in mitral valve disease and impair mitral valve endothelial function.

Mitral valve endothelial cells are important for maintaining lifelong mitral valve integrity and function. Plasma endothelial microparticles (EMPs) increased in various pathological conditions related to activation of endothelial cells. However, whether EMPs will increase in mitral valve disease and their relationship remains unclear. Here, 81 patients with mitral valve disease and 45 healthy subjects were analyzed for the generation of EMPs by flow cytometry. Human mitral valve endothelial cells (HMVECs) were treated with EMPs. The phosphorylation of Akt and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), the association of eNOS and heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), and the generation of nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide anion (O(2)(∙-)) were measured. EMPs were increased significantly in patients with mitral valve disease compared with those in healthy subjects. EMPs were negatively correlated with mitral valve area in patients with isolated mitral stenosis. EMPs were significantly higher in the group with severe mitral regurgitation than those in the group with mild and moderate mitral regurgitation. Furthermore, EMPs were decreased dramatically in both Akt and eNOS phosphorylation and the association of HSP90 with eNOS in HMVECs. EMPs decreased NO production but increased O(2)(∙-) generation in HMVECs. Our data demonstrated that EMPs were significantly increased in patients with mitral valve disease. The increase of EMPs can in turn impair HMVEC function by inhibiting the Akt/eNOS-HSP90 signaling pathway. These findings suggest that EMPs may be a therapeutic target for mitral valve disease.

Simvastatin reduces myocardial injury undergoing noncoronary artery cardiac surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Myocardial injury during cardiac surgery is a major cause of perioperative morbidity and mortality. We determined whether perioperative statin therapy is cardioprotective in patients undergoing noncoronary artery cardiac surgery and the potential mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS: One hundred fifty-one patients undergoing noncoronary artery cardiac surgery were randomly assigned to either a statin group (n=77) or a control group (n=74). Simvastatin (20 mg) was administered preoperatively and postoperatively. Plasma were analyzed for troponin T, isoenzyme of creatine kinase, C-reaction protein, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen. Cardiac echocardiography was performed. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), Akt, p38, heat shock protein 90, caveolin-1, and nitric oxide (NO) in the heart were detected. Simvastatin significantly reduced plasma troponin T, isoenzyme of creatine kinase, C-reaction protein, blood urea nitrogen , creatinine, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and the requirement of inotropic postoperatively. Simvastatin increased NO production, the expression of eNOS and phosphorylation at serine1177, phosphorylation of Akt, expression of heat shock protein 90, heat shock protein 90 association with eNOS and decreased eNOS phosphorylation at threonine 495, phosphorylation of p38, and expression of caveolin-1. Simvastatin also improved cardiac function postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative statin therapy can improve cardiac function and renal function by reducing myocardial injury and inflammatory response through activating Akt-eNOS and attenuating p38 signaling pathways in patients undergoing noncoronary artery cardiac surgery. Clinical Trial Registration- URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01178710.

Cyclodextrin-based metal-organic framework materials: Classifications, synthesis strategies and applications in variegated delivery systems.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are coordination compounds that possess an adjustable structure and controllable function. Despite their wide applications in various industries, the use of MOFs in the fields of food and biomedicine is limited mainly due to their potential biological toxicity. Researchers have thus focused on developing biocompatible MOFs to address this issue. Among them, cyclodextrin-based metal-organic frameworks (CD-MOFs) have emerged as a promising alternative. CD-MOFs are novel MOFs synthesized using naturally carbohydrate cyclodextrin and alkali metal cations, and possess renewable, non-toxic, and edible characteristics. Due to their high specific surface area, controllable porosity, great biocompatibility, CD-MOFs have been widely used in various delivery systems, such as encapsulation of nutraceuticals, flavors, and antibacterial agents. Although the field of CD-MOF materials is still in its early stages, they provide a promising direction for the development of MOF materials in the delivery field. This review describes classification and structural characteristics, followed by an introduction to formation mechanism and commonly used synthetic methods for CD-MOFs. Additionally, we discuss the status of the application of various delivery systems based on CD-MOFs. Finally, we address the challenges and prospects of CD-MOF materials, with the aim of providing new insights and ideas for their future development.

Simvastatin ameliorates angiotensin II-induced endothelial dysfunction through restoration of Rho-BH4-eNOS-NO pathway.

Endothelial dysfunction contributes to the initiation and development of hypertension. We previously found that simvastatin moderately decreases blood pressure in 2-kidney-2-clip (2k2c) renal hypertension, but the precise mechanisms are still unclear. The present study was designed to examine the protective actions of simvastatin in 2k2c-evoked endothelial dysfunction and also delineate the underlying mechanisms. Here we show that 2k2c-induced elevation in plasma angiotensin II impaired acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation, suppressed endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) activity and reduced nitric oxide (NO) production. Additionally, the levels of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), an essential cofactor of eNOS, as well as the activity of GTP cyclohydrolase I (GTPCH I), the rate-limiting enzyme for BH4 synthesis, were markedly reduced. Administration of simvastatin significantly improved acetylcholine-induced endothelium-dependent carotid arteries relaxation at 9 weeks in reno-hypertensive rats. Notably, GTPCH I activity, BH4 production, p-eNOS expression and NO levels in the vascular endothelium were elevated as a result of simvastatin administration. In cultured rat arterial endothelial cells, simvastatin restored BH4, GTPCH I activity and NO release impaired by angiotensin II, and pretreatment with mevalonate (MVA) or geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) abolished the beneficial effects exerted by simvastatin. Moreover, RhoA inhibitor C3 exoenzyme, Rho kinase inhibitor Y-27632 and dominant negative mutant of RhoA prevented BH4 and NO loss due to Ang II treatment. Taken together, normalization of BH4-eNOS-NO pathway at least in part accounts for the beneficial actions of simvastatin on vascular endothelium during 2k2c hypertension, and RhoA-Rho kinase pathway is involved in regulation of BH4 production.

Predictive value of left ventricular dyssynchrony for short-term outcomes in three-vessel disease patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting with preserved or mildly reduced left ventricular ejection fraction.

Background and objective: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is the reference standard intervention in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with three-vessel disease (3VD). We aimed to evaluate the predictive value of left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony for short-term adverse outcomes in patients with 3VD undergoing CABG with preserved or mildly reduced LV ejection fraction (LVEF). Materials and methods: This study involved ninety-five 3VD patients with preserved or mildly reduced LVEF undergoing scheduled on-pump CABG. The pre-operative diameters and volumes of LV and LVEF were obtained by two-dimensional echocardiography. LV dyssynchrony parameters were acquired by real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT-3DE) and analyzed by HeartModel quantification software. And the perfusion index of LV was obtained by contrast echocardiography. The clinical endpoints of short-term adverse outcomes comprised 30-day mortality and/or composite outcomes of postoperative complications. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify risk factors for the occurrence of post-CABG short-term adverse outcomes. Results: Short-term adverse outcomes occurred in 12 (12.6%) patients. These patients had higher LV dyssynchrony parameters obtained through RT-3DE. The standard deviation (SD) of the time to minimum systolic volume (Tmsv) corrected by heart rate over 16 segments (Tmsv16-SD%) [odds ratio (OR), 1.362; 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.090-1.702); P = 0.006], one of the LV dyssynchrony parameters, was independently associated with short-term adverse outcomes. Patients with poor synchronization tended to spend more time in the intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital after surgery. Conclusion: Pre-operative LV dyssynchrony parameter Tmsv16-SD% obtained through RT-3DE could be a useful additional predictor of postoperative short-term adverse outcomes in 3VD patients with preserved or mildly reduced LVEF undergoing CABG.

[Smoking impairs endothelial function in ED patients].

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether smoking affects the endothelial function of young ED patients with no cardiovascular disease. METHODS: This study included 69 ED patients (21 smokers and 48 non-smokers) and 16 age-matched normal healthy controls. All underwent measurement of brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) and examinations of blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose. RESULTS: Brachial artery FMD was remarkably decreased in the ED patients, even more significantly in the smokers ([6.0 +/- 0.8]%) than in the non-smokers ([9.7 +/- 2.5]%) (P < 0.05), as compared with that in the normal healthy controls ([14.0 +/- 2. 5]%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Endothelial function is impaired in ED patients, and is further damaged by smoking.

Expanded human cord blood-derived endothelial progenitor cells salvage infarcted myocardium in rats with acute myocardial infarction.

1. Cell transplantation has promise as a therapeutic option for restoring impaired heart function after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). However, the optimal cell type to use remains controversial. We investigated the therapeutic efficacy and feasibility of intramyocardial transplantation of human umbilical cord blood-derived endothelial progenitor cells (hUCB-EPC) in rats with AMI. 2. The Wistar rats myocardial infarction model was established by ligating the left anterior descending artery. The labelled hUCB-EPC were transplanted through intramyocardial injection. Left ventricular function was assessed using a pressure-volume catheter and echocardiogram. Anti-VIII immunohistochemistry staining was used to reflect the degree of angiogenesis in peri-infarcted areas by calculating the average capillary density. The fibrosis degree of infarcted myocardium was analysed by Masson staining and the collagen volume fraction was calculated. 3. The labelled donor endothelial progenitor cells were detected in the new microvessels in host myocardium by double-positive staining with CM-Dil and FITC-UEA-l. An increase in left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular fractional shortening, left ventricular end-systolic pressure, first derivative of left ventricular pressure (+dP/dtmax and -dP/dtmax), as well as a decrease in the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in rats with cell therapy indicated a significant improvement in global heart function. The cell therapy group had increased microvessel formation and a decreased degree of myocardial fibrosis compared to the control group. Moreover, the degree of myocardial fibrosis was less than that of the control group. 4. The improved global heart function and decreased cardiac fibrosis in rats with AMI implies the potential benefit of hUCB-EPC transplantation.

High pressure-assisted vacuum-freeze drying: A novel, efficient way to accelerate moisture migration in shrimp processing.

High pressure processing (HPP), as nonthermal processing technology, has the potential to increase the drying rate due to its improvement of heat and mass exchange in different processes. In this study, the moisture migration in shrimps during HPP-vacuum-freeze drying (HPP-VFD) processes has been monitored by using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance and magnetic resonance image (MRI) in comparison with hot air-drying and VFD. Based on the T2 relaxation spectra, three water fractions corresponding to bound water (hydrogen-bonded water), immobile water (water trapped by organization structure or cell member), and free water were observed. For group B, with increasing drying time (4 to 22 hr), the transverse relaxation times of T21 , T22 , and T23 were significantly decreased (76.79%, 57.78%, and 40.9%) (P < 0.05). The content of immobile water (A22 ) and free water (A23 ) decreased (81.55% and 89.07%), whereas the bound water (A21 ) increased (7.26%). In comparison with group B, the T21 , T22 , and T23 of group C showed greater decrease (83.12%, 87.12%, and 89.57% for group C) so that HPP pretreatment could shorten the relaxation time. MRI analysis further proved that HPP-VFD drying has improved drying efficiency, and moisture migration was from the exterior to the interior part with increasing drying time. SEM analysis demonstrated that no significant damage of muscle fibers with narrower gaps was observed for groups B and C. Overall, HPP, as a pretreatment technology, could accelerate the moisture migration and improve the drying efficiency of VFD process for shrimp. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: High pressure processing (HPP) is now well known as a nonthermal processing technology and becoming increasingly acknowledged. However, there is limited information about its application in shrimp-drying process and the moisture dynamic of shrimp subjected to high pressure processing-assisted vacuum-freeze drying. This study could provide valuable information regarding the moisture status and migration in HPP-VFD shrimp monitored by LF-NMR and MRI methods. The results showed that HPP processing at 550 MPa for 10 min can be used as an interesting method for drying pretreatment, increasing its drying rate and consequently reducing its process time, and it demonstrated that the methods used in this study had good correlation coefficient with physicochemical properties of shrimp, which may be real-time and nondestructive monitoring methods for shrimp-drying process.

Simultaneous extraction of phenolic compounds of citrus peel extracts: effect of ultrasound.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) has been widely applied in the extraction of a variety of biologically active compounds including phenolic compounds. However, there is an insufficiency of information on simultaneous extraction of these compounds in this area. In the present study, seven phenolic compounds of two families including cinnamic acids (caffeic, p-coumaric, ferulic, sinapic acid), and benzoic acids (protocatechuic, p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic acid) from citrus (Citrus unshiuMarc) peels were evaluated by UAE. The effects of ultrasonic variables including extraction time, temperature, and ultrasonic power on the yields of seven phenolic acids was investigated. Results showed that the yields of phenolic compounds increased with both ultrasonic time and temperature increased, whereas the opposite occurred with increasing time at higher temperature to some certain. In the case of 40 degrees C, the decrease in the yields of some phenolic compounds was observed with increased time, whereas those of other compounds did not significantly declined. Ultrasonic power has a positive effect on the yields of phenolic acids under study. Among all ultrasound variables, temperature is the most sensitive on stability of phenolic compounds. Moreover, when phenolic compounds from citrus peel extracts were subjected to ultrasound process, the benzoic acids were more stable than the cinnamic acids. Meanwhile, the optimal ultrasound condition was different one compound from another. These were partly attributed to both the differently chemical structures of phenolic acids and the combination effects of ultrasonic variables.

Improved large-scale production of vitamin B12 by Pseudomonas denitrificans with betaine feeding.

The strategy of betaine control for vitamin B12 large-scale fermentation by Pseudomonas denitrificans was investigated in this paper. The results obtained in shake-flask experiments demonstrated that betaine could greatly stimulate vitamin B12 biosynthesis but had an inhibition to cell growth. Based on the influence of betaine on the fermentation of P. denitrificans, betaine feeding was a beneficial strategy to solve the inconsistency between cell growth and vitamin B12 production. As a result, an effective and economical strategy of betaine feeding was established for vitamin B12 fermentation in 120-m3 fermenter, in which betaine was continuously fed to maintain betaine concentration of the broth at the range of 5-7g/l during 50-140h of fermentation.

Investigation of low-resistivity from hydrogenated lightly B-doped diamond by ion implantation.

We have implanted boron (B) ions (dosage: 5×1014 cm-2) into diamond and then hydrogenated the sample by implantating hydrogen ions at room temperature. A p-type diamond material with a low resistivity of 7.37 mΩ cm has been obtained in our experiment, which suggests that the hydrogenation of B-doped diamond results in a low-resistivity p-type material. Interestingly, inverse annealing, in which carrier concentration decreased with increasing annealing temperature, was observed at annealing temperatures above 600 °C. In addition, the formation mechanism of a low-resistivity material has been studied by density functional theory calculation using a plane wave method.