Development and evaluation of machine learning models for predicting large-for-gestational-age newborns in women exposed to radiation prior to pregnancy.

INTRODUCTION: The correlation between radiation exposure before pregnancy and abnormal birth weight has been previously proven. However, for large-for-gestational-age (LGA) babies in women exposed to radiation before becoming pregnant, there is no prediction model yet. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data were collected from the National Free Preconception Health Examination Project in China. A sum of 455 neonates (42 SGA births and 423 non-LGA births) were included. A training set (n = 319) and a test set (n = 136) were created from the dataset at random. To develop prediction models for LGA neonates, conventional logistic regression (LR) method and six machine learning methods were used in this study. Recursive feature elimination approach was performed by choosing 10 features which made a big contribution to the prediction models. And the Shapley Additive Explanation model was applied to interpret the most important characteristics that affected forecast outputs. RESULTS: The random forest (RF) model had the highest average area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUC) for predicting LGA in the test set (0.843, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.714-0.974). Except for the logistic regression model (AUC: 0.603, 95%CI: 0.440-0.767), other models' AUCs displayed well. Thereinto, the RF algorithm's final prediction model using 10 characteristics achieved an average AUC of 0.821 (95% CI: 0.693-0.949). CONCLUSION: The prediction model based on machine learning might be a promising tool for the prenatal prediction of LGA births in women with radiation exposure before pregnancy.

GmANKTM21 Positively Regulates Drought Tolerance and Enhanced Stomatal Response through the MAPK Signaling Pathway in Soybean.

Drought stress is one of the significant abiotic stresses that limit soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) growth and production. Ankyrin repeat (ANK) proteins, being highly conserved, occupy a pivotal role in diverse biological processes. ANK genes were classified into nine subfamilies according to conserved domains in the soybean genome. However, the function of ANK-TM subfamily proteins (Ankyrin repeat proteins with a transmembrane domain) in the abiotic-stress response to soybean remains poorly understood. In this study, we first demonstrated the subcellular localization of GmANKTM21 in the cell membrane and nucleus. Drought stress-induced mRNA levels of GmANKTM21, which encodes proteins belonging to the ANK-TM subfamily, Transgenic 35S:GmANKTM21 soybean improved drought tolerance at the germination and seedling stages, with higher stomatal closure in soybean, lower water loss, lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and less reactive oxygen species (ROS) production compared with the wild-type soybean (Dongnong50). RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) and RT-qPCR analysis of differentially expressed transcripts in overexpression of GmANKTM21 further identified potential downstream genes, including GmSPK2, GmSPK4, and GmCYP707A1, which showed higher expression in transgenic soybean, than those in wild-type soybean and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that MAPK signaling pathways were mostly enriched in GmANKTM21 overexpressing soybean plants under drought stress conditions. Therefore, we demonstrate that GmANKTM21 plays an important role in tolerance to drought stress in soybeans.

Covalent Organic Frameworks: Reversible 3D Coalesce via Interlocked Skeleton-Pore Actions and Impacts on π Electronic Structures.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) create extended two-dimensional (2D) skeletons and aligned one-dimensional (1D) channels, constituting a class of novel π architectures with predesignable structural ordering. A distinct feature is that stacks of π building units in skeletons shape the pore walls, onto which a diversity of different units can be assembled to form various pore interfaces, opening a great potential to trigger a strong structural correlation between the skeleton and the pore. However, such a possibility has not yet been explored. Herein, we report reversible three-dimensional (3D) coalescence and interlocked actions between the skeleton and pore in COFs by controlling hydrogen-bonding networks in the pores. Introducing carboxylic acid units to the pore walls develops COFs that can confine water molecular networks, which are locked by the surface carboxylic acid units on the pore walls via multipoint, multichain, and multidirectional hydrogen-bonding interactions. As a result, the skeleton undergoes an interlocked action with pores to shrink over the x-y plane and to stack closer along the z direction upon water uptake. Remarkably, this interlocked action between the skeleton and pore is reversibly driven by water adsorption and desorption and triggers profound effects on π electronic structures and functions, including band gap, light absorption, and emission.

BMP2 induces osteogenic differentiation through ACKR3 in mesenchymal stem cells.

In recent years, bone loss related diseases have attracted more and more attention, such as osteoporosis and osteonecrosis of the femoral head exhibited symptoms of osteopenia or insufficient bone mass in a certain stage. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which can be induced to differentiate into osteoblasts under certain conditions can provide a new solution bone disease. Herein, we deciphered the possible mechanism by which BMP2 drives the transduction of MSCs to the osteoblast lineage through ACKR3/p38/MAPK signaling. The levels of ACKR3 in femoral tissues of samples from humans with different ages and sexes were measured firstly and found that ACKR3 protein levels increase with age. In vitro cellular assays showed that ACKR3 inhibits BMP2-induced osteo-differentiation and promotes adipo-differentiation of MSCs, whereas siACKR3 exhibited the opposite effects. In vitro embryo femur culture experiment showed that inhibition of ACKR3 enhanced BMP2-induced trabecular bone formation in C57BL6/J mouse. In terms of molecular mechanisms, we found that p38/MAPK signaling might play the key role. ACKR3 agonist TC14012 suppressed the phosphorylation of p38 and STAT3 in BMP2 induced MSCs differentiation. Our findings suggested that ACKR3 might be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of bone-associated diseases and bone-tissue engineering.

GmMDE genes bridge the maturity gene E1 and florigens in photoperiodic regulation of flowering in soybean.

Soybean (Glycine max) is highly sensitive to photoperiod, which affects flowering time and plant architecture and thus limits the distribution range of elite soybean cultivars. The major maturity gene E1 confers the most prominent effect on photoperiod sensitivity, but its downstream signaling pathway remains largely unknown. Here, we confirm that the encoded E1 protein is a transcriptional repressor. The expression of seven GmMDE genes (Glycine max MADS-box genes downregulated by E1) was suppressed when E1 was overexpressed and promoted when E1 was knocked out through clustered regularly-interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR associated protein 9 (Cas9)-mediated mutagenesis. These GmMDEs exhibited similar tissue specificity and expression patterns, including in response to photoperiod, E1 expression, and E1 genotype. E1 repressed GmMDE promoter activity. Results for two GmMDEs showed that E1 epigenetically silences their expression by directly binding to their promoters to increase H3K27me3 levels. The overexpression of GmMDE06 promoted flowering and post-flowering termination of stem growth. The late flowering phenotype of E1-overexpressing soybean lines was reversed by the overexpression of GmMDE06, placing GmMDE06 downstream of E1. The overexpression of GmMDE06 increased the expression of the soybean FLOWERING LOCUS T orthologs GmFT2a and GmFT5a, leading to feedback upregulation of GmMDE, indicating that GmMDE and GmFT2a/GmFT5a form a positive regulatory feedback loop promoting flowering. GmMDE06 also promoted post-flowering termination of stem growth by repressing the expression of the shoot identity gene Dt1. The E1-GmMDEs-GmFT2a/5a-Dt1 signaling pathway illustrates how soybean responds to photoperiod by modulating flowering time and post-flowering stem termination.

High resolution electronic spectroscopy of uranium mononitride, UN.

The isoelectronic molecules UN and UO+ are known to have Ω = 3.5 and Ω = 4.5 ground states, respectively (where Ω is the unsigned projection of the electronic angular momentum along the internuclear axis). A ligand field theory model has been proposed to account for the difference [Matthew and Morse, J. Chem. Phys. 138, 184303 (2013)]. The ground state of UO+ arises from the U3+(5f3(4I4.5))O2- configuration. Owing to the higher nominal charge of the N3- ligand, the U3+ ion in UN is stabilized by promoting one of the 5f electrons to the more polarizable 7s orbital, reducing the repulsive interaction with the ligand and rendering U3+(5f27s(4H3.5))N3- the lowest energy configuration. In the present work, we have advanced the characterization of the UN ground state through studies of two electronic transitions, [18.35]4.5-X(1)3.5 and [18.63]4.5-X(1)3.5, using sub-Doppler laser excitation techniques with fluorescence detection. Spectra were recorded under field-free conditions and in the presence of static electric or magnetic fields. The ground state electric dipole moment [µ = 4.30(2) D] and magnetic ge-factor [2.160(9)] were determined from these data. These values were both consistent with the 5f27s configurational assignment. Dispersed fluorescence measurements were used to determine vibrational constants for the ground and first electronically excited states. Electric dipole moments and magnetic ge-factors are also reported for the higher-energy electronically excited states.

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of Copper Chaperone for Superoxide Dismutase (CCS) Gene Family in Response to Abiotic Stress in Soybean.

Copper Chaperone For Superoxide Dismutase (CCS) genes encode copper chaperone for Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and dramatically affect the activity of SOD through regulating copper delivery from target to SOD. SOD is the effective component of the antioxidant defense system in plant cells to reduce oxidative damage by eliminating Reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are produced during abiotic stress. CCS might play an important role in abiotic stress to eliminate the damage caused by ROS, however, little is known about CCS in soybean in abiotic stress regulation. In this study, 31 GmCCS gene family members were identified from soybean genome. These genes were classified into 4 subfamilies in the phylogenetic tree. Characteristics of 31 GmCCS genes including gene structure, chromosomal location, collinearity, conserved domain, protein motif, cis-elements, and tissue expression profiling were systematically analyzed. RT-qPCR was used to analyze the expression of 31 GmCCS under abiotic stress, and the results showed that 5 GmCCS genes(GmCCS5, GmCCS7, GmCCS8, GmCCS11 and GmCCS24) were significantly induced by some kind of abiotic stress. The functions of these GmCCS genes in abiotic stress were tested using yeast expression system and soybean hairy roots. The results showed that GmCCS7/GmCCS24 participated in drought stress regulation. Soybean hairy roots expressing GmCCS7/GmCCS24 showed improved drought stress tolerance, with increased SOD and other antioxidant enzyme activities. The results of this study provide reference value in-depth study CCS gene family, and important gene resources for the genetic improvement of soybean drought stress tolerance.

Enterobacter Strain IPPBiotE33 Displays a Synergistic Effect with Bacillus thuringiensis Bt185.

The discovery and isolation of new non-Bt insecticidal bacteria and genes are significant for the development of new biopesticides against coleopteran pests. In this study, we evaluated the insecticidal activity of non-Bt insecticidal bacteria, PPBiotE33, IPPBiotC41, IPPBiotA42 and IPPBiotC43, isolated from the peanut rhizosphere. All these strains showed insecticidal activity against first- and third-instar larvae of Holotrichia parallela, Holotrichia oblita, Anomala corpulenta and Potosia brevitarsis. IPPBiotE33 showed the highest toxicity among the four strains and exhibited virulence against Colaphellus bowringi. The genome of IPPBiotE33 was sequenced, and a new protein, 03673, with growth inhibition effects on C. bowringi was obtained. In addition, IPPBiotE33 had a synergistic effect with Bacillus thuringiensis Bt185 against H. parallela in bioassays and back-inoculation experiments with peanut seedlings. IPPBiotE33 induced a decrease in hemocytes and an increase in phenol oxidase activity in H. parallela hemolymph, known as the immunosuppressive effect, which mediated synergistic activity with Bt185. This study increased our knowledge of the new insecticidal strain IPPBiotE33 and shed new light on the research on new insecticidal coaction mechanisms and new blended pesticides.

Reduced Bone Mineral Density in Middle-Aged Male Patients with Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency.

The aim of the work was to investigate the bone mineral density (BMD) in middle-aged male patients with both childhood-onset (CO) and adulthood-onset (AO) adult growth hormone deficiency (AGHD). In this retrospective cross-sectional study in a major medical center in China, dual X-ray absorptiometry was performed in 50 male AGHD patients (average age was 35.2±9.8 years) and 50 age- and BMI-matched non-athletic healthy men. BMD was compared between AGHD patients and controls. Compared with healthy controls, AGHD group had significantly decreased IGF-1 (p1<0.001) and IGF-1 SDS (p1<0.001). Serum testosterone levels were significantly lower in AGHD patients (p1<0.001), mainly in AO AGHD patients (p3<0.001). The BMD of the femoral neck, trochanter, femoral shaft, total hip, and lumbar spine were significantly lower in all AGHD patients compared with healthy controls (all p1<0.05), especially in CO AGHD patients (all p2<0.05). Multiple stepwise linear regression indicated AGHD was negatively correlated with BMD at each site (ß<0, p<0.05). Additionally, serum testosterone level was an independent influencing factor of BMD of the femoral neck (ß=0.256, p=0.018) and lumbar spine (ß=0.219, p=0.040). BMD was significantly reduced in AGHD patients, especially in CO AGHD patients. Our data suggested that the status of growth hormone deficiency and testosterone level were important for maintaining of bone mineral density in middle-aged male patients with AGHD.

Microbial ecology of biofiltration used for producing safe drinking water.

Biofiltration is a water purification technology playing a pivotal role in producing safe drinking water. This technology attracts many interests worldwide due to its advantages, such as no addition of chemicals, a low energy input, and a high removal efficiency of organic compounds, undesirable taste and odours, and pathogens. The current review describes the microbial ecology of three biofiltration processes that are routinely used in drinking water treatment plants, i.e. (i) rapid sand filtration (RSF), (ii) granular activated carbon filtration (GACF), and (iii) slow sand filtration (SSF). We summarised and compared the characteristics, removal performance, and corresponding (newly revealed) mechanisms of the three biofiltration processes. Specifically, the microbial ecology of the different biofilter processes and the role of microbial communities in removing nutrients, organic compounds, and pathogens were reviewed. Finally, we highlight the limitations and challenges in the study of biofiltration in drinking water production, and propose future perspectives for obtaining a comprehensive understanding of the microbial ecology of biofiltration, which is needed to promote and optimise its further application. KEY POINTS: • Biofilters are composed of complex microbiomes, primarily shaped by water quality. • Conventional biofilters contribute to address safety challenges in drinking water. • Studies may underestimate the active/functional role of microbiomes in biofilters.

Treatment of Short Stature with Aromatase Inhibitors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The objective of the study is to determine the risks and benefits of treating idiopathic short stature (ISS) with aromatase inhibitors (AIs). We comprehensively searched PubMed, Embase, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure between establishment year and January 31, 2020. Mean difference (MD)/Standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) of individual studies were pooled using fixed or random effects models. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were also performed. Publication bias was estimated using funnel plots and Egger tests. Fourteen studies including 388 participants were included. The meta-analysis results showed that AIs significantly increased final height (MD=2.46, 95% CI: 0.8-4.12) and predicted adult height (MD=0.34, 95% CI: 0.11-0.57). Changes in bone age (MD=-0.1, 95% CI: -0.86-0.66) and bone mineral density (MD=-0.05, 95% CI: -0.19-0.1) were not different between intervention and control group. AI significantly increased testosterone level (SMD=2.01, 95% CI: 0.8-3.23) and reduced estradiol level (SMD=-1.13, 95% CI: -1.87 to -0.40); The intervention and control group had no significant differences in the levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (SMD=-0.31, 95%CI: -0.68-0.06) and IGF-1 (SMD=0.7, 95% CI: -0.66-2.06) levels. Adverse events were more frequent in the intervention group than in the control group (odds ratio=3.12, 95% CI: 1.44-6.73). In conclusion, both AI monotherapy and AI combination therapy can increase predicted adult height and testosterone levels.

Morphological Abnormalities in the Basal Ganglia of Dystonia Patients.

OBJECTIVE: The pathophysiology of dystonia is poorly understood. As opposed to secondary forms of dystonia, primary dystonia has long been believed to lack any neuroanatomical substrate. During trajectory planning for DBS, however, conspicuous T2-hyperinstensive signal alterations (SA) were registered within the target region, even in young patients, where ischemia is rare. METHODS: Fifty MRIs of primary dystonia patients scheduled for DBS were analyzed. Total basal ganglia (BG) volumes, as well as proportionate SA volumes, were measured and compared to 50 age-matched control patients. RESULTS: There was a 10-fold preponderance of percentaged SA within the globus pallidus (GP) in dystonia patients. The greatest disparity was in young patients <25 years. Also, total BG volume differences were observed with larger GP and markedly smaller putamen and caudate in the dystonia group. CONCLUSIONS: BG morphology in primary dystonia differed from a control population. Volume reductions of the putamen and caudate may reflect functional degeneration, while volume increases of the GP may indicate overactivity. T2-hyperintensive SA in the GP of young primary dystonia patients, where microvascular lesions are highly unlikely, are striking. Their pathogenic role remains unclear.

Spectrum-effect relationship between GC-QTOF-MS fingerprint and antioxidant, anti-inflammatory activities of Schizonepeta tenuifolia essential oil.

Schizonepeta tenuifolia (Benth.) Briq, a traditional Chinese medicine, is an annual herbaceous plant that is widely distributed in China, Japan, and Korea. The essential oil (EO) of S. tenuifolia has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the components contributing to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities remain unclear. This study was aimed at investigating the spectrum-effect relationship between GC-MS fingerprint and the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of S. tenuifolia EO. Here, the fingerprints of EO from 10 batches of S. tenuifolia from various sources were established using GC-MS, and the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory bioactivities were evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and nitric oxide inhibitory assays, respectively. Finally, 13 common peaks were identified from 10 batches of S. tenuifolia by searching against the standard mass spectra in NIST 14 and comparing the literature retention index. The different sources of S. tenuifolia EO exhibit mild antioxidant activities and significant anti-inflammatory effects. In particular, menthone (peak 3), isomenthone (peak 4), pulegone (peak 7), piperitone (peak 8), and ß-caryophyllene (peak 11) might be the dominant constituents responsible for the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of S. tenuifolia EO. This method may provide a time-saving, convenient way to screen the potential effective components of S. tenuifolia EO.

Distinction of High- and Low-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on the Functional Reorganization of the Motor Network in Stroke Patients.

Objective: To investigate the functional reorganization of the motor network after repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in stroke patients with motor dysfunction and the distinction between high-frequency rTMS (HF-rTMS) and low-frequency rTMS (LF-rTMS). Methods: Thirty-three subcortical stroke patients were enrolled and assigned to the HF-rTMS group, LF-rTMS group, and sham group. Each patient of rTMS groups received either 10.0 Hz rTMS over the ipsilesional primary motor cortex (M1) or 1.0 Hz rTMS over the contralesional M1 for 10 consecutive days. A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan and neurological examinations were performed at baseline and after rTMS. The motor network and functional connectivities intramotor network with the core brain regions including the bilateral M1, premotor area (PMA), and supplementary motor area (SMA) were calculated. Comparisons of functional connectivities and Pearson correlation analysis between functional connectivity changes and behavioral improvement were calculated. Results: Significant motor improvement was found after rTMS in all groups which was larger in two rTMS groups than in the sham group. The functional connectivities of the motor network were significantly increased in bilateral M1, SMA, and contralesional PMA after real rTMS. These changes were only detected in the regions of the ipsilesional hemisphere in the HF-rTMS group and in the regions of the contralesional hemisphere in the LF-rTMS group. Significantly changed functional connectivities of the intramotor network were found between the ipsilesional M1 and SMA and contralesional PMA, between contralesional M1 and contralesional SMA, between contralesional SMA and ipsilesional SMA and contralesional PMA in the HF-rTMS group in which the changed connectivity between ipsilesional M1 and contralesional PMA was obviously correlated with the motor improvement. In addition, the functional connectivity of the intramotor network between ipsilesional M1 and contralesional PMA was significantly higher in the HF-rTMS group than in the LF-rTMS group. Conclusion: Both HF-rTMS and LF-rTMS have a positive effect on motor recovery in patients with subcortical stroke and could promote the reorganization of the motor network. HF-rTMS may contribute more to the functional connectivity reorganization of the ipsilesional motor network and realize greater benefit to the motor recovery.

Phosphatase AtDBP1 negatively regulates drought and salt tolerance through altering leaf surface permeability in Arabidopsis.

In our previous study, AtDBP1 encoding a DBP factor was identified as a putative abiotic stress candidate gene. DBP factors are important regulators that participate in both transcriptional regulation and post-translational regulation, but their roles in abiotic stress are still not well-understood. So we conducted a detailed study on the function of AtDBP1 in abiotic stress. It is found that expression of AtDBP1 could be induced by drought and salt, and the induction by salt was inhibited in ABA-deficient mutant aba2-3, indicating the expression of AtDBP1 was ABA-inducible. Overexpression of AtDBP1 resulted in a rapid stomatal closure, and elevated expression of drought/salt-responsive genes, which should help Arabidopsis to enhance the drought and salt tolerance. Unexpectedly, overexpression of AtDBP1 decreased the drought and salt tolerance of Arabidopsis. Further analysis suggested that AtDBP1 is involved in cuticle wax and cuticle membrane regulation. Overexpression of AtDBP1 showed increased cuticular conductance due to a decreased cuticle wax accumulation and cuticle membrane thickness. The cuticular wax provides an essential barrier for decreasing nonstomatal water loss during drought stress, so overexpression of AtDBP1 showed decreased drought tolerance possibly ascribed to the change of cuticle membrane structure. Our previous study elucidated that AtDBP1 was also involved in flowering time regulation. Taken together, the results above indicated that AtDBP1 was involved in both plant development and stress regulation. The mechanism of AtDBP1 in this study indicates that genes involved in both plant development and stress regulation might be not suitable for production application in breeding. Collectively, our results provide some new ideas on purposefully increasing the abiotic stress without influence on plant growth and development.

Different Therapeutic Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Upper and Lower Limb Recovery of Stroke Patients with Motor Dysfunction: A Meta-Analysis.

Objective: To explore the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the motor recovery of stroke patients and the effect differences between the upper limb and lower limb. Methods: Randomized control trials published until January 2019 were searched from PubMed, Embase, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library databases. The standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was estimated separately for upper and lower limb motor outcomes to understand the mean effect size. Results: Twenty-nine studies with 664 subjects were included in this meta-analysis. The overall analyses of tDCS demonstrated significant effect size both for the upper limb (SMD = 0.26, P = 0.002) and the lower limb (SMD = 0.47, P = 0.002). Compared with acute and subacute stroke patients, chronic stroke patients obtained significant effects after tDCS (SMD = 0.25, P = 0.03) in upper limb function. Furthermore, both anode and cathode stimulations produced significant effect size for stroke patients after ≤10 sessions of tDCS (anode: SMD = 0.40, P = 0.001; cathode: SMD = 0.79, P < 0.0001) with >0.029 mA/cm2 of density (anode: SMD = 0.46, P = 0.002; cathode: SMD = 0.79, P < 0.0001). But for lower limb function, more prominent effects were found in subacute stroke patients (SMD = 0.56, P = 0.001) with bilateral tDCS (SMD = 0.59, p = 0.009). Conclusion: tDCS is effective for the recovery of stroke patients with motor dysfunction. In addition, upper limb and lower limb functions obtain distinct effects from different therapeutic parameters of tDCS at different stages, respectively.

Improvement of imprinting effect of ionic liquid molecularly imprinted polymers by use of a molecular crowding agent.

We aimed to improve the imprinting effect of ionic liquid molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) by use of a molecular crowding agent. The ionic liquid 1-vinyl-3-ethylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ([VEIm][BF4]) was used as the functional monomer and aesculetin was used as the template molecule in a crowding environment, which was made up of a tetrahydrofuran solution of polystyrene. The ionic liquid MIPs that were prepared in the crowding environment displayed an enhanced imprinting effect. NMR peak shifts of active hydrogen of aesculetin suggested that interaction between the functional monomer and the template could be increased by the use of a crowding agent in the self-assembly process. The retention and selectivity of aesculetin were affected greatly by high molecular crowding, the amount of high molecular weight crowding agent, and the ratio of [VEIm][BF4] to aesculetin. The optimal MIPs were used as solid-phase extraction sorbents to extract aesculetin from Cichorium glandulosum. A calibration curve was obtained with aesculetin concentrations from 0.0005 to 0.05 mg mL-1 (correlation coefficient R 2 of 0.9999, y = 1519x + 0.0923). The limit of quantification was 0.12 µg mL-1, and the limit of detection was 0.05 µg mL-1. The absolute recovery of aesculetin was (80 ± 2)% (n = 3), and the purity of aesculetin was (92 ± 0.5)% (n = 5). As a conclusion, molecular crowding is an effective approach to obtain ionic liquid MIPs with high selectivity even in a polar solvent environment.

Qualitative analysis of Schizonepeta annua (Pall.) Schischk essential oil by gas chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

In this study, a method for the qualitative analysis of small molecular compounds in Schizonepeta annua (Pall.) Schischk essential oil was established based on gas chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In addition to an automated search of the NIST library, the identification of oxygenated monoterpenes, phenolic esters, and phenolic compounds was achieved by two additional strategies. One strategy involved comparing the relative errors of accurate masses measured for ions in the experimental spectra with those calculated for fragments identified from the NIST database of candidate matches. The second strategy involved combination of the product ion scans and positive chemical ionisation spectra for structural elucidation. Overall, 95.45% of the total essential oil volatile chemical content of Schizonepeta annua (Pall.) Schischk was identified, with phenolic monoterpenes dominating.

[Effect of compound Longmaining decoction with different combinations on intestinal absorption of puerarin].

To study the effects of compound Longmaining(FFLMN) with different combinations on the intestinal absorption of puerarin. The rat single pass intestinal perfusion model was adopted, and the concentration of puerarin in intestinal samples was determined by HPLC. The effects of different combination groups on the absorption of puerarin in duodenum, jejunum, ileum and colon were investigated. The combined drugs were GG(Puerariae Lobatae Radix), GG-CSL (Puerariae Lobatae Radix compared with Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma), GG-CX(Puerariae Lobatae Radix compared with Chuanxiong Rhizoma) and FFLMN (compound Longmaining). We found that the absorption rate constant(Ka) and the apparent coefficient(Papp) of puerarin had no significant difference between GG-CSL and FFLMN groups, but significantly higher in GG and GG-CX groups(P<0.05) in the duodenum and ileum. In jejunum and colon, Ka and Papp of puerarin showed significant differences between GG and other groups(P<0.05). At the same time, FFLMN also had significant differences with GG-CSL and GG-CX groups(P<0.05). The results showed that in the whole intestine of rats, FFLMN could significantly promote the absorption of puerarin. In the duodenum and ileum, Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma played a significant role in promoting absorption of puerarin. In jejunum and colon, Dioscoreae Nipponicae Rhizoma and Chuanxiong Rhizoma have a synergistic effect in promoting absorption of puerarin.

Interactive effects of glutamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid on growth performance and skeletal muscle amino acid metabolism of 22-42-day-old broilers exposed to hot environment.

The present experiment was conducted to investigate the interactive effects between dietary glutamine (Gln, 0 and 5 g/kg) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA, 0 and 100 mg/kg) on growth performance and amino acid (AA) metabolism of broilers under hot environment. A total of 360 22-day-old Arbor Acres male chickens were randomly assigned to five treatment groups under thermoneutral chamber (PC, 23 °C) and cyclic heat stress (HS, 30-34 °C cycling) conditions. Compared with the PC group, cyclic HS decreased (P < 0.05) daily weight gain (DWG), daily feed consumption (DFC), the concentrations of Gln, glutamate (Glu), and GABA, and the activities of glutaminase and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) in breast muscle at 28, 35, and 42 days, while it increased (P < 0.05) the activities of glutamine synthetase (GS) and gamma-aminobutyric acid transaminase (GABA-T) at 28, 35, and 42 days. Dietary Gln and GABA improved (P < 0.05) DWG and DFC of broilers under cyclic HS during 28-42 days. In breast muscle, the Gln supplementation increased (P < 0.05) the concentrations of Gln (28, 35, and 42 days), Glu (28, 35, and 42 days), and GABA (42 days) and the activities of glutaminase (28, 35, and 42 days) and GAD (28, 35, and 42 days) but decreased (P < 0.05) GS activities at 28, 35, and 42 days and GABA-T activities at 28 days. The addition of GABA increased (P < 0.05) the concentrations of Gln and Glu and activities of glutaminase and GAD, while it decreased (P < 0.05) GABA-T activities at 28, 35, and 42 days. Significant interactions (P < 0.05) between Gln and GABA were found on breast skeletal muscle Gln concentrations, glutaminase activities, GS activities at 28 and 35 days, and DWG, GABA concentrations, and GABA-T activities at 28, 35, and 42 days in broilers under cyclic HS. In conclusion, the present results indicated that the interactions of exogenous Gln and GABA could offer a potential nutritional strategy to prevent HS-related depression in skeletal muscle Gln and GABA metabolism of broilers.