Formation of advanced glycation end products of chicken breast meat induced by freeze-thaw cycles and subsequent cooking.

The impacts of freeze-thaw (F-T) cycles and cooking on the basic composition, protein and lipid oxidation, and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) of chicken breasts were studied. During F-T cycles, the moisture and protein contents of raw and cooked chicken breasts decreased, and protein and lipid oxidation occurred, increasing carbonyl and TBARS contents. Meanwhile, the contents of methylglyoxal, glyoxal, and hydroxymethylfurfural in raw meat increased by 2.27, 2.27, and 5 times, respectively, whereas glyoxal and hydroxymethylfurfural contents increased by 2.73 and 3 times, respectively, after cooking as F-T cycles increased. The formation of carboxymethyl lysine, pentosidine, and fluorescent AGEs in cooked samples was confirmed using an ELISA kit and fluorescent intensity. The study also revealed that AGEs contents of chicken meat were negatively correlated with moisture contents and positively correlated with carbonyl and TBARS levels. Therefore, F-T cycles and subsequent cooking promoted AGEs formation in cooked meat.

Research Progress on the Preparation and Action Mechanism of Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents and Their Application in Food.

Natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) is the eutectic mixture which is formed by hydrogen bond donors (HBDs) and hydrogen bond acceptors (HBAs) with a certain molar ratio through hydrogen bonding. NADES is a liquid with low cost, easy preparation, biodegradability, sustainability and environmental friendliness at room temperature. At present, it is widely used in food, medicine and other areas. First, the composition, preparation and properties of NADES are outlined. Second, the potential mechanism of NADES in freezing preservation, the removal of heavy metals from food and the extraction of phenolic compounds, and its application in cryopreservation, food analysis and food component extraction, and as a food taste enhancer and food film, are summarized. Lastly, the potential and challenges of its application in the food field are reviewed. This review could provide a theoretical basis for the wide application of NADES in food processing and production.

A Novel Polysaccharide from AuriculariaAuricula Alleviates Thrombosis Induced by Carrageenan in Mice.

The increasing incidence of cardiovascular diseases has created an urgent need for safe and effective antithrombotic agents. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the structural characteristics and antithrombotic activity of a novel polysaccharide isolated from Auriculariaauricula fruiting bodies. The purified polysaccharide AAP-b2 (12.02 kDa) was composed of mannose, glucuronic acid, glucose and xylose, with a molar ratio of 89.25:30.50:4.25:1.00. Methylation and NMR analyses showed that AAP-b2 primarily consisted of →2,3)-Manp-(1→, →3)-Manp-(1→, →4)-GlcAp-(1→ and Manp-(1→. A thrombus mouse model induced by carrageenan was used in this research to evaluate its antithrombotic effect. AAP-b2 significantly inhibited platelet aggregation, reduced the black tail length and prolonged the coagulation time, including activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT) and thrombin time (TT), exerting a good inhibitory effect on thrombosis in mice. The antithrombotic activity of AAP-b2 was found to be related to the inhibition of platelet activation by regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthases (eNOs), endothelin-1 (ET-1), prostacyclin (PGI2) and thromboxane B2 (TXB2), along with the enhancement of anticoagulant activity by affecting antithrombin III (AT-III) and protein C (PC) pathways.

Case report of neurofibromatosis type 1 combined with primary ciliary dyskinesia.

Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a genetic disease in which the lungs are rarely involved. However, in NF cases with lung involvement, chest computed tomography may show bilateral basal reticulations, apical bullae, and cysts without bronchiectasis. Herein, we report a patient diagnosed with NF on the basis of the results of genetic testing who presented with early-onset wet cough and bronchiectasis. Considering the differential diagnosis of bronchiectasis combined with his early-onset wet cough, sinusitis, and sperm quality decline, we considered the possibility of primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). Further electron microscopy analysis of cilia and identification of homozygous mutations in the RSPH4A gene confirmed the diagnosis of PCD. Therefore, for patients with NF, when an image change exists in the lungs that does not correspond to NF, the possibility of other diagnoses, including PCD, must be considered.

Clinical characteristics and genetic spectrum of 26 individuals of Chinese origin with primary ciliary dyskinesia.

BACKGROUND: Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare, highly heterogeneous genetic disorder involving the impairment of motile cilia. With no single gold standard for PCD diagnosis and complicated multiorgan dysfunction, the diagnosis of PCD can be difficult in clinical settings. Some methods for diagnosis, such as nasal nitric oxide measurement and digital high-speed video microscopy with ciliary beat pattern analysis, can be expensive or unavailable. To confirm PCD diagnosis, we used a strategy combining assessment of typical symptoms with whole-exome sequencing (WES) and/or low-pass whole-genome sequencing (WGS) as an unbiased detection tool to identify known pathogenic mutations, novel variations, and copy number variations. RESULTS: A total of 26 individuals of Chinese origin with a confirmed PCD diagnosis aged 13 to 61 years (median age, 24.5 years) were included. Biallelic pathogenic mutations were identified in 19 of the 26 patients, including 8 recorded HGMD mutations and 24 novel mutations. The detection rate reached 73.1%. DNAH5 was the most frequently mutated gene, and c.8383C > T was the most common mutated variant, but it is relatively rare in PCD patients from other ethnic groups. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the practical clinical utility of combining WES and low-pass WGS as a no-bias detecting tool in adult patients with PCD, showing a clinical characteristics and genetic spectrum of Chinese PCD patients.

Characterization of clinical and genetic spectrum of Chinese patients with cystic fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by biallelic mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. The clinical features and mutation spectrum of CF have been well characterized in Caucasians, while limited studies were conducted in Chinese patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 20 individuals from 19 families were diagnosed with CF in this study. We analyzed the clinical features and screened all coding exons of CFTR using a combination of Sanger sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification analysis. RESULTS: The median age at onset was 9.3 years in our cohort, while the median age at diagnosis was 19 years. The respiratory system was most frequently affected in this study: all patients (100%, 19/19) presented diffuse bronchiectasis and 61.1% (11/18) of patients showed a forced expiratory volume in 1 s below 80% predicted. Six patients (6/20, 30%) exhibited allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). Only 4 (4/20, 20%) patients presented pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PI). Three adult male patients receiving examinations for congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens were all found positive for the condition. A total of 22 distinct mutations were detected in this cohort, with the variant p.G970D as the most common variant (12/38 alleles, 31.6%). Four variants (p.Y109D, p.I203F, p.D572E, and exon 2-3 deletion) were novel, which expanded the mutation spectrum of Chinese CF patients. CONCLUSIONS: Chinese CF patients showed different clinical features and a distinct CFTR mutation spectrum compared with Caucasians. There is a significant diagnosis delay, suggesting the current underdiagnosis of CF in China.

Extraction Optimization, Structural Characterization, and Anticoagulant Activity of Acidic Polysaccharides from Auricularia auricula-judae.

To explore Auricularia auricula-judae polysaccharides (AAP) as natural anticoagulants for application in the functional food industry, ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) was optimized for the extraction of AAP by using a response surface methodology (RSM). The maximum extraction yield of crude AAP (14.74 mg/g) was obtained at the optimized extraction parameters as follows: Extraction temperature (74 °C), extraction time (27 min), the ratio of liquid to raw material (103 mL/g), and ultrasound power (198 W). Furthermore, the acidic AAP (aAAP) was precipitated with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) from crude AAP (cAAP). aAAP was further purified using ion exchange chromatography with a DEAE Purose 6 Fast Flow column to obtain aAAP-1. Additionally, according to the HPLC analysis, the aAAP-1 was mainly composed of mannose, glucuronic acid, glucose, galactose, and xylose, with a molar ratio of 80.63:9.88:2.25:1:31.13. Moreover, the results of the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), and thrombin time (TT) indicated aAAP-1 had anticoagulant activity, which was a synergic anticoagulant activity by the endogenous and exogenous pathway.

Cloning and functional characterization of SAD genes in potato.

Stearoyl-acyl carrier protein desaturase (SAD), locating in the plastid stroma, is an important fatty acid biosynthetic enzyme in higher plants. SAD catalyzes desaturation of stearoyl-ACP to oleyl-ACP and plays a key role in determining the homeostasis between saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids, which is an important player in cold acclimation in plants. Here, four new full-length cDNA of SADs (ScoSAD, SaSAD, ScaSAD and StSAD) were cloned from four Solanum species, Solanum commersonii, S. acaule, S. cardiophyllum and S. tuberosum, respectively. The ORF of the four SADs were 1182 bp in length, encoding 393 amino acids. A sequence alignment indicated 13 amino acids varied among the SADs of three wild species. Further analysis showed that the freezing tolerance and cold acclimation capacity of S. commersonii are similar to S. acaule and their SAD amino acid sequences were identical but differed from that of S. cardiophyllum, which is sensitive to freezing. Furthermore, the sequence alignments between StSAD and ScoSAD indicated that only 7 different amino acids at residues were found in SAD of S. tuberosum (Zhongshu8) against the protein sequence of ScoSAD. A phylogenetic analysis showed the three wild potato species had the closest genetic relationship with the SAD of S. lycopersicum and Nicotiana tomentosiformis but not S. tuberosum. The SAD gene from S. commersonii (ScoSAD) was cloned into multiple sites of the pBI121 plant binary vector and transformed into the cultivated potato variety Zhongshu 8. A freeze tolerance analysis showed overexpression of the ScoSAD gene in transgenic plants significantly enhanced freeze tolerance in cv. Zhongshu 8 and increased their linoleic acid content, suggesting that linoleic acid likely plays a key role in improving freeze tolerance in potato plants. This study provided some new insights into how SAD regulates in the freezing tolerance and cold acclimation in potato.

[Clinical significance of mutant p53 protein expression in lung adenocarcinoma].

BACKGROUND: P53 is a tumor protein that acts as a tumor suppressor. The mutation of P53 may cause loss of tumor suppressor functions and gain of functions favoring cellular proliferation and apoptosis inhibition. The clinical implications of the tumor protein P53 gene (TP53) mutation in lung adenocarcinoma are indefinite. The aim of this study is to explore the clinical significance of the mutant P53 protein expression in lung adenocarcinoma tissues. METHODS: The clinicopathological data of 120 lung adenocarcinoma patients who underwent surgery were retrospectively analyzed. The mutant P53 protein expression was detected using the immunohistochemical method. Furthermore, the relationship between the mutant P53 expression and the clinicopathological parameters was analyzed using the Chi-square test, whereas that between the mutant P53 expression and overall survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression model. RESULTS: The mutant P53 protein expression rate was 63.3%. Accordingly, the mutant P53 expression was significantly associated with tumor size (P=0.041) and clinicopathological stage (P=0.025). On the one hand, a univariate survival analysis showed that tumor size (P=0.031), lymph node metastasis (P<0.001), clinicopathological stage (P<0.001), and mutant P53 expression (P=0.038) were associated with overall survival. On the other hand, a multivariate survival analysis showed that lymph node metastasis (P=0.014) was an independent poor prognostic factor for overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with lung adenocarcinoma with mutant TP53 had a poor outcome. Accordingly, the mutant P53 protein may serve as a molecular prognosis marker for lung adenocarcinoma patients.

UVA irradiation induced heme oxygenase-1: a novel phototherapy for morphea.

Long wave UVA radiation (340-400 nm) causes detrimental as well as beneficial effects on human skin. Studies of human skin fibroblasts irradiated with UVA demonstrate increased expression of both antifibrotic heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1). The use of UVA-induced MMP-1 is well-studied in treating skin fibrotic conditions such as localized scleroderma, now called morphea. However, the role that UVA-induced HO-1 plays in phototherapy of morphea has not been characterized. In the present manuscript, we have illustrated and reviewed the biological function of HO-1 and the use of UVA1 wavebands (340-400 nm) for phototherapy; the potential use of HO-1 induction in UVA therapy of morphea is also discussed.

High-dimensional time irreversibility analysis of human interbeat intervals.

Time irreversibility is a subject of increasing interest in biomedicine. However, measurements of this property have been limited to a two-dimensional state space and few effective methods for high-dimensional time irreversibility testing have been reported. Using a strategy based on multiple bidimensional tests, we propose an extension of the traditional low-dimensional method for the estimation of time irreversibility in a high-dimensional state space. The method is applied to both physiological and synthetic interbeat (RR) intervals and the results indicate that time irreversibility should be an intrinsic characteristic of human RR intervals and is complementary to the conventional properties that can be measured in the time and frequency domain. Furthermore, a loss of time irreversibility is detected when the method is applied to patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Compared with the traditional time irreversibility test, the proposed method is not only capable of quantifying time irreversibility in a more reliable manner, but is also effective for analysis of short records of only a few minutes' length, which would be more useful clinically.

[Expression and function of microRNA in embryonic stem cell].

Embryonic stem cells are the cells that have the ability both to self-renew and to differentiate into all the mature cell types in an adult. Both of these processes are tightly regulated by genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. Increasing evidence indicates that a class of single-stranded non-coding RNA, known as "microRNAs", also plays a critical role in this process. MicroRNA can bind to target mRNAs by specific base pairing, then degrade mRNAs or inhibit protein translation. Therefore, they can participate in post-transcriptional regulation. Recently, scientists began to study the effect of microRNA on embryonic stem cell and found that some microRNAs are specifically expressed and form an intricate network of microRNAs, regulating key transcription factors and other genes. This review focuses on the expression of microRNA in embryonic stem cell and their functions. We discuss some microRNA that are specifically expressed in embryonic stem cell and their regulating effect on self-renewal and differentiation.

[A wireless ECG monitor based on ARM].

This paper presents a novel monitor which uses ARM controller AT91SAM7S64 as its main processor, LCM (Liquid Crystal Display Module) for displaying ECG waves, SD (Secure Digital memory) card for data storage and RF module PTR8000 for radio data transmission. This portable monitor boasts alarm function for abnormality and can provide dynamic ECG monitoring for patients.

[A design of a portable acquistion system for autonomic nervous function data].

In this paper, a design of the portable acquisition system for autonomic nervous function data based on the microcontroller is introduced. The system contains an electrocardiogram amplifier and an AD convertor, using SD memory card as its storage device and thus it can record data for a longer time and exchange data with PC easily. The system with a simple structure realizes its miniaturization and low energy consumption.