Reduced production of Ethyl Carbamate in wine by regulating the accumulation of arginine in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Ethyl carbamate (EC), a multisite carcinogenic compound, is naturally produced from urea and ethanol in alcoholic beverages. In order to reduce the content of EC in wine, the accumulation of arginine in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was regulated by genetic modifying genes involved in arginine transport and synthesis pathways to reduce the production of urea. Knockout of genes encoding arginine permease (Can1p) and amino acid permease (Gap1p) on the cell membrane as well as argininosuccinate synthase (Arg1) respectively resulted in a maximum reduction of 66.88% (9.40 µg/L) in EC, while overexpressing the gene encoding amino acid transporter (Vba2) reduced EC by 52.94% (24.13 µg/L). Simultaneously overexpressing Vba2 and deleting Arg1 showed the lowest EC production with a decrease of 68% (7.72 µg/L). The yield of total higher alcohols of the mutants all decreased compared with that of the original strain. Comprehensive consideration of flavor compound contents and sensory evaluation results indicated that mutant YG21 obtained by deleting two allele coding Gap1p performed best in must fermentation of Cabernet Sauvignon with the EC content low to 9.40 µg/L and the contents of total higher alcohols and esters of 245.61 mg/L and 41.71 mg/L respectively. This study has provided an effective strategy for reducing the EC in wine.

Polarization-switchable focal vortex beam by an Archimedean array.

Focal position control of vortex beams has tremendous applications in optical field. Herein, non-classical Archimedean arrays were proposed for optical devices with bifocal length and polarization-switchable focal length. The Archimedean arrays were constructed by rotational elliptical holes in a silver film, which were followed by two one-turned Archimedean trajectories. The elliptical holes in this Archimedean array provide the freedom of polarization control for the optical performance by their rotation status. The rotation of elliptical hole can provide additional phase to affect the shape of vortex beam (converged or diverged) under the illumination of circular polarization. The geometric phase of Archimedes trajectory will also determine the focal position of vortex beam. This Archimedean array can produce a converged vortex beam at the specific focal plane according to the handedness of the incident circular polarization and geometrical arrangement of array. The Archimedean array was also demonstrated by experiment and numerical simulation for its exotic optical performance.

Analysis of the Effect of Mixed Fermentation on the Quality of Distilled Jujube Liquor by Gas Chromatography-Ion Mobility Spectrometry and Flavor Sensory Description.

Distilled jujube liquor is an alcoholic beverage made from jujube, which has a unique flavor and a sweet taste. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of mixed fermentation on the quality of distilled jujube liquor by comparing the performance of mixed fermentation between S. cerevisiae, Pichia pastoris and Lactobacillus. The results showed that there were significant differences in the quality of the jujube liquor between the combined strains. Moreover, Lactobacillus increased and P. pastoris reduced the total acid content. The results from an E-nose showed that the contents of methyl, alcohol, aldehyde, and ketone substances in the test bottle decreased significantly after decanting, while the contents of inorganic sulfide and organic sulfide increased. Fifty flavor compounds were detected, including nineteen esters, twelve alcohols, seven ketones, six aldehydes, three alkenes, one furan, one pyridine, and one acid. There were no significant differences in the type or content of flavor compounds. However, PLS-DA showed differences among the samples. Eighteen volatile organic compounds with variable importance in projection values > 1 were obtained. There were sensory differences among the four samples. Compared with the sample fermented with only S. cerevisiae, the samples co-fermented with Lactobacillus or with P. pastoris had an obvious bitter taste and mellow taste, respectively. The sample fermented by all three strains had a prominent fruity flavor. Except for the sample fermented with only S. cerevisiae, the jujube flavor was weakened to varying degrees in all samples. Co-fermentation could be a valuable method to improve the flavor quality of distilled jujube liquor. This study revealed the effects of different mixed fermentation modes on the sensory flavor of distilled jujube liquor and provided a theoretical basis for the establishment of special mixed fermentation agents for distilled jujube liquor in the future.

Endometriosis and New-Onset Coronary Artery Disease in Taiwan: A Nationwide Population-Based Study.

Endometriosis (EM) with chronic inflammation may accelerate the progression of atherosclerosis. Currently, no large or randomized clinical studies have assessed the incidence of cardiovascular events in patients with endometriosis in Asia to investigate whether incident EM is associated with a higher risk of new-onset coronary artery disease (CAD). In this study of a nationwide cohort in Taiwan, we identified 13,988 patients with newly diagnosed EM from 1 January, 2000, through 31 December, 2012. EM and non-EM groups were matched by propensity score at a ratio of 1:1. Of a total 27,976 participants, 358 developed CAD. The incidence rate in the EM group was higher than that in the non-EM group (1.8 per 1,000 person-years vs. 1.3 per 1,000 person-years) during the follow-up period. The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of CAD for the EM group was 1.52 with a 95% confidence interval (1.23-1.87, p < 0.001) after adjusting for demographic characteristics, comorbidities, surgical procedures, frequency of outpatient visits, and medications. Stratified analysis revealed that, among four age groups (20-39, 40-49, 50-54, and above 55 years), the 20-39 years sub-group was associated with a higher risk of CAD (aHR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.16-2.59, p = 0.008). Several sensitivity analyses were conducted for cross-validation, and it showed consistent positive findings. In conclusion, this cohort study revealed that patients with symptomatic EM in Taiwan were associated with increased risk of subsequent CAD than patients without medical records of EM. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm this causal relationship.

Characterization of Microbial Diversity and Community Structure in Fermentation Pit Mud of Different Ages for Production of Strong-Aroma Baijiu.

In the traditional fermentation process of strong-aroma Baijiu, a fermentation pit mud (FPM) provides many genera of microorganisms for fermentation. However, the functional microorganisms that have an important effect on the quality of Baijiu and their changes with the age of fermentation pit (FP) are poorly understood. Herein, the Roche 454 pyrosequencing technique and a phospholipid fatty-acid analysis were employed to reveal the structure and diversity of prokaryotic communities in FPM samples that have been aged for 5, 30, and 100 years. The results revealed an increase in total prokaryotic biomass with an FP age; however, Shannon's diversity index decreased significantly (p < 0.01). These results suggested that a unique microbial community structure evolved with uninterrupted use of the FP. The number of functional microorganisms, which could produce the flavor compounds of strong-aroma Baijiu, increased with the FP age. Among them, Clostridium and Ruminococcaceae are microorganisms that directly produce caproic acid. The increase of their relative abundance in the FPM might have improved the quality of strong-aroma Baijiu. Syntrophomonas, Methanobacterium, and Methanocorpusculum might also be beneficial to caproic acid production. They are not directly involved but provide possible environmental factors for caproic acid production. Overall, our study results indicated that an uninterrupted use of the FP shapes the particular microbial community structure in the FPM. This research provides scientific support for the concept that the aged FP yields a high-quality Baijiu.In the traditional fermentation process of strong-aroma Baijiu, a fermentation pit mud (FPM) provides many genera of microorganisms for fermentation. However, the functional microorganisms that have an important effect on the quality of Baijiu and their changes with the age of fermentation pit (FP) are poorly understood. Herein, the Roche 454 pyrosequencing technique and a phospholipid fatty-acid analysis were employed to reveal the structure and diversity of prokaryotic communities in FPM samples that have been aged for 5, 30, and 100 years. The results revealed an increase in total prokaryotic biomass with an FP age; however, Shannon's diversity index decreased significantly (p < 0.01). These results suggested that a unique microbial community structure evolved with uninterrupted use of the FP. The number of functional microorganisms, which could produce the flavor compounds of strong-aroma Baijiu, increased with the FP age. Among them, Clostridium and Ruminococcaceae are microorganisms that directly produce caproic acid. The increase of their relative abundance in the FPM might have improved the quality of strong-aroma Baijiu. Syntrophomonas, Methanobacterium, and Methanocorpusculum might also be beneficial to caproic acid production. They are not directly involved but provide possible environmental factors for caproic acid production. Overall, our study results indicated that an uninterrupted use of the FP shapes the particular microbial community structure in the FPM. This research provides scientific support for the concept that the aged FP yields a high-quality Baijiu.

The efficacy and safety of H1-antihistamine versus Montelukast for allergic rhinitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: In order to verify the differences of effectiveness and safety between SAHs and Montelukast, and to find out potential uncared-for problems, we performed a systematic review and Meta-analysis to proceed a qualitative describe and quantitative assessment. METHODS: We searched the databases of Pubmed, the Cochrane Library, Nature and Science as well as Wanfang data and CNKI from 2000 to March 2016, using key words "Montelukast SAH" or "H1-antihistamine Montelukast", or "Loratadine Montelukast", or "Desloratadine Montelukast", or "Levocetirizine Montelukast", or "Cetirizen Montelukast", or "Fexofenadine Montelukast". And also we included studies through relevant citations in related literature. Meta-analysis and bias of risk were performed. We analyzed Heterogeneity and publish bias as well. RESULT: Montelukast seems more effective in nighttime symptoms compare with SAHs (P=0.008, MD=-0.04, 95%CI: -0.08, -0.01). No significant difference was found between Montelukast and SAHs in CSS (P=0.10, MD=0.03, 95%CI: -0.01, 0.07). Montelukast and SAHs combined therapy was more effective than Montelukast DNSS (P=0.0006, MD=0.15, 95%CI: 0.07, 0.24) but not in CSS (P=0.04, MD=0.08, 95%CI: 0.00, 0.15; Bonferroni correction α=0.017). CONCLUSION: Montelukast has a significant influence in improving patients' nasal symptoms quality of live but is not as effective as SAHs, and may have a slight advantage over SAHs in relieving nighttime symptoms significantly. Combined therapy is more effective in improving patients' day time symptom than Montelukast. Probably, patients might have a lower asthenia incidence rate when using Montelukas.

A meta-analysis for the role of proton pump inhibitor therapy in patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux.

We aimed to systematically review the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding the therapeutic efficiency of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy for laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). Randomized and placebo-controlled trials regarding the therapeutic efficacy of PPIs on LPR patients were systematically searched from MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE. Data were extracted from eligible studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Heterogeneity among these eligible studies was evaluated by the Q-statistic and I 2 test, based on which a fixed- or random-effects model was performed to pooled relative risks (RRs) for the response rate and standardized mean differences (SMDs) for reflux symptom index (RSI) and the reflux finding score (RFS). Potential publication bias was evaluated by trim and fill method. Totally, 13 RCTs including 831 LPR patients were eligible for this meta-analysis. Pooled results demonstrated that the total RSI significantly improved for patients who received PPI therapy by comparing with those receiving placebo (SMD = 3.65; 95 % CI 1.56-5.75), though no significant difference was found in response rate (RR = 0.04, 95 % CI -0.06 to 0.14) and RFS (SMD = 0.91; 95 % CI -0.53 to 2.35) between these two groups of patients. No publication bias was found among eligible studies. PPI treatment could significantly improve reflux symptoms in LPR patients and, therefore, should be taken into consideration for LPR management with other strategies, such as lifestyle modification.

Effect of silencing of high mobility group A2 gene on gastric cancer MKN-45 cells.

AIM: To investigate the effect of high mobility group A2 (HMGA2) gene silencing on gastric cancer MKN-45 cells in vitro. METHODS: HMGA2 short hairpin RNA (shRNA) expression plasmids were constructed, including a pair of random scrambled sequences. Human gastric cancer cell line MKN-45 cells were divided into three groups: blank control group (non-transfected cells), transfected group (cells transfected with HMGA2 shRNA recombinant plasmid) and scrambled sequence group (transfected with random scrambled plasmid). Cells were transfected with HMGA2 shRNA recombinant plasmids and scrambled plasmid in vitro, and the cells transfection efficiency was assayed by fluorescence microscopy. The HMGA2 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, gastric cancer cells apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry, cell proliferation was detected by methyl thiazol tetrazolium, and the protein expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (Akt), P27, caspase-9 and B-cell leukemia/lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) were analyzed by Western blotting. RESULTS: Compared with the blank control group and the scrambled sequence group, the levels of HMGA2 mRNA and protein expression in the transfected group were significantly reduced (P < 0.05). The relative HMGA2 mRNA expression levels of the blank control group, transfected group and scrambled sequence group were 0.674 ± 0.129, 0.374 ± 0.048 and 0.689 ± 0.124, respectively. The relative HMGA2 protein expression levels of the blank control group, transfected group and scrambled sequence group were 0.554 ± 0.082, 0.113 ± 0.032 and 0.484 ± 0.123, respectively. Moreover, transfection with the scrambled sequence had no effect on the expression of HMGA2. After being transfected with shRNA for 24, 48 and 72 h, the cell apoptotic rates of the transfected group were 21.65% ± 0.28%, 39.98% ± 1.82% and 24.51% ± 0.93%, respectively, which significantly higher than those of blank control group (4.72% ± 1.34%, 5.83% ± 0.13% and 5.22% ± 1.07%) and scrambled sequence group (4.28% ± 1.33%, 7.87% ± 1.43% and 6.71% ± 0.92%). After 24, 48 and 72 h, the cell proliferation inhibition rates in the transfected group were 31.57% ± 1.17%, 39.45% ± 2.07% and 37.56% ± 2.32%, respectively; the most obvious cell proliferation inhibition appeared at 48 h after transfection. Compared with the blank control group and scrambled sequence group, after transfection of shRNA for 72 h, the protein expression levels of PI3K (0.042 ± 0.005 vs 0.069 ± 0.003, 0.067 ± 0.05), Akt (0.248 ± 0.004 vs 0.489 ± 0.006, 0.496 ± 0.104) and Bcl-2 (0.295 ± 0.084 vs 0.592 ± 0.072, 0.594 ± 0.109) were significantly reduced. The protein expression levels of P27 (0.151 ± 0.010 vs 0.068 ± 0.014, 0.060 ± 0.013) and caspase-9 (0.136 ± 0.042 vs 0.075 ± 0.010, 0.073 ± 0.072) were significantly upregulated. CONCLUSION: HMGA2 shRNA gene silencing induces apoptosis and suppresses proliferation of MKN-45 cells.