Synergistic Effect of Two Plasticizers on Thermal Stability, Transparency, and Migration Resistance of Zinc Arginine Stabilized PVC.

The effect of different plasticizers on thermal stability, transparency, and migration resistance of the PVC stabilized with zinc arginine [Zn(Arg)2] was investigated. The thermal stability, migration resistance, and transparency of PVC with tributyl citrate (TBC) were better than PVC with dioctyl phthalate (DOP) characterized by oven aging method, migration test, and near infrared-visible-ultraviolet spectrophotometer. At the same time, the longer the carbon chain in citric acid esters, the better the thermal stability and transparency of PVC sample. The hydroxyl group in citric acid esters is helpful to improve the thermal stability of PVC samples. However, the elongation at break and Tg value of PVC containing DOP were very close to those of PVC containing TBC. The calculation results of Hansen solubility parameters also illustrated that DOP had better compatibility with PVC than TBC. Therefore, the excellent transparency and thermal stability of TBC plasticized PVC were attributed to the good compatibility between TBC and Zn(Arg)2, which was verified by the solubility test. Lastly, the mixture of dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP) and TBC was used as plasticizers for Zn(Arg)2 stabilized PVC. When the ratio of TBC and DOTP was 1:1, the transparency, thermal stability, and migration resistance of Zn(Arg)2 stabilized PVC samples were better than those of PVC plasticized by DOP or TBC alone. The mechanism was that the compatibility between Zn(Arg)2 and PVC was greatly improved by the synergetic effect of TBC and DOTP, resulting in the improvement of thermal stability, migration resistance, and transparency of PVC samples.

Goose parvovirus and the protein NS1 induce apoptosis through the AIF-mitochondrial pathway in goose embryo fibroblasts.

In this study, the effects of Goose parvovirus (GPV) infection as well as the possible role of NS1 protein on apoptosis induction in goose embryo fibroblast (GEF) cells were examined. Flow cytometry analysis and TUNEL assays revealed that GPV infection and NS1 transfection induced significant apoptosis in GEF cells compared to what was observed in mock-infected cells. Interestingly, the increase in the rate of apoptosis detected in GPV-infected GEFs was accompanied by an increased viral load in the cells. In addition, the apoptotic pathway was mediated by apoptosis-inducing factors (AIFs) and internal factors that influence the release of AIFs. The results indicated that the mitochondrial membrane potential was decreased, and AIF expression was increased in the nucleus (P < 0.01). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) increased gradually within 48 h (P < 0.001). Cathepsin D activities were also increased (P < 0.05). The results demonstrated that the AIF-mediated pathway is a new mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and that mitochondrial depolarization, ROS content, and cathepsin D activities are the key factors influencing apoptosis in GEF cells.

Integrative microRNA-mRNA Analysis of Muscle Tissues in Qianhua Mutton Merino and Small Tail Han Sheep Reveals Key Roles for oar-miR-655-3p and oar-miR-381-5p.

The Qianhua Mutton Merino (QHMM) is a new variety of sheep (Ovis aries) with improved meat performance compared with the traditional Small Tail Han (STH) sheep variety. We recently reported the transcriptome profiling of longissimus muscle tissues between QHMM and STH sheep. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate key micro (mi)RNA-mRNA networks associated with sheep muscle growth and development. We used miRNA sequencing to obtain longissimus muscle miRNA profiles from QHMM and STH sheep. We identified a total of 153 known sheep miRNAs, of which 4 were differentially expressed (DE) between the 2 sheep varieties. We combined these results with mRNA library data to build an miRNA-mRNA network, including 26 target genes of the 4 DE miRNAs. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses showed that 26 target genes were significantly enriched in 86 biological processes, including muscle organogenesis, myoblast migration, cell proliferation, and adipose tissue development, and in 9 metabolic pathways, including carbohydrate, nucleotide, and amino acid metabolic pathways. oar-miR-655-3p and its target gene ACSM3 and oar-miR-381-5p and its target gene ABAT were selected for subsequent analysis based on GO and KEGG analyses. The binding sites of oar-miR-655-3p with ACSM3 and oar-miR-381-5p with ABAT were validated by a dual-luciferase reporter gene detection system. This represents the first integrative analysis of miRNA-mRNA networks in QHMM and STH muscles and suggests that DE miRNAs, especially oar-miR-655-3p and oar-miR-381-5p, play crucial roles in muscle growth and development.