Differential fluorescence features and recovery speeds of different scorpion exoskeleton parts during the molting process.

Scorpion fluorescence under ultraviolet light is a well-known phenomenon, but its features under excitation in the UVA, UVB and UVC bands have not been characterized. Systematic fluorescence characterization revealed indistinguishable fluorescence spectra with a peak wavelength of 475 nm for whole exuviae from second-, third- and fifth-instar scorpions under different ultraviolet light ranges. In-depth investigations of the chelae, mesosoma, metasoma and telson of adult scorpions further indicated heterogeneity in the typical fluorescence spectrum within the visible light range and in the newly reported fluorescence spectrum with a peak wavelength of 320 nm within the ultraviolet light range, which both showed excitation wavelength-independent features. Dynamic fluorescence changes during the molting process of third-instar scorpions revealed the fluorescence heterogeneity-dependent recovery speed of scorpion exoskeletons. The typical fluorescence spectra of the molted chelae and telson rapidly recovered approximately 6 h after ecdysis under UVA light and approximately 36 h after ecdysis under UVB and UVC light. However, it took approximately 12 h and 24 h to obtain the typical fluorescence spectra of the molted metasoma and mesosoma, respectively, under UVA irradiation and 72 h to obtain the typical fluorescence spectra under UVB and UVC irradiation. The fluorescence heterogeneity-dependent fluorescence recovery of the scorpion exoskeleton was further confirmed by tissue section analysis of different segments from molting third-instar scorpions. These findings reveal novel scorpion fluorescence features and provide potential clues on the biological function of scorpion fluorescence.

Aggregate Size Modulates the Oil/Water Interfacial Behavior of Myofibrillar Proteins: Toward the Thicker Interface Film and Disulfide Bond.

Myofibrillar protein (MP) aggregate models have been established to elucidate the correlation between their aggregate sizes and interfacial properties. The interfacial layer thickness was measured by the polystyrene latex method and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation measurement. Interfacial conformations were then characterized in situ (front-surface fluorescence spectroscopy) and ex situ (reactive sulfhydryl group and secondary structure measurement following MP displacement). The viscoelasticity of the interfacial film and its resistance to surfactant-induced competitive displacement were reflected by the dilatational rheology and dynamic interfacial tension with the bulk phase exchange. Finally, we compared the findings of competitive displacement before/after adding a sulfhydryl-blocking agent, N-ethylmaleimide, to highlight the role of S-S linkage on interfacial film formation and stability. We substantiated that the aggregate size of the MP governed their interfacial properties. Small-sized aggregates exhibited more ordered secondary structures on the oil-water interface, which was conducive to the adsorption ratio of the protein and the adsorption dynamics. Although larger aggregates lowered the diffusion rate during interfacial film formation, they allowed the thicker and more viscoelastic interfacial film to be constructed afterward through more disulfide bond formation, resulting in greater resistance to surfactant-induced competitive displacement.

Aliphatic Sulfonyl Fluoride Synthesis via Decarboxylative Fluorosulfonylation of Hypervalent Iodine(III) Carboxylates.

We disclose herein a photocatalytic decarboxylative fluorosulfonylation reaction of various hypervalent iodine(III) carboxylates in combination with 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane-bis(sulfur dioxide) adduct as a sulfonyl source and KHF2 as a desirable fluorine source via a radical sulfur dioxide insertion and fluorination strategy. A one-pot photocatalytic decarboxylative fluorosulfonylation reaction of various carboxylic acids mediated by PhI(OAc)2 was realized, as well. Notably, this transformation can be performed under heating conditions without the need for catalysts.

Terminal temperature dominates the gel quality of chicken meat paste: An emphasis on multiple heating-cooling regimes.

A survey of various heating strategies, including terminal temperature (70 and 90 °C), step heating (with or without holding at 50 °C for 10 min) and step cooling (with or without holding at 50 °C for 10 min), on the gelation properties of chicken meat paste was conducted. Compared to 70 °C, 90 °C heating drastically increased (p < 0.05) cooking loss (CL) from 5% to > 15% since more immobilized water was pushed out as free water. Step cooling could mitigate the high-temperature-induced CL. The impact of heating strategies on the textural properties of chicken meat is much lower than that on CL. For both 70 °C and 90 °C cooked samples, step heating reduced (p < 0.05) their whiteness by increasing the yellowness. The storage modulus (G') increase during cooling is mainly driven by cooling leaded lower mobility. Overall, low-temperature ramping heating produced excellent meat gel with low energy consumption.

Emerging Biopharmaceuticals from Pimpinella Genus.

Evolved over eons to encode biological assays, plants-derived natural products are still the first dawn of drugs. Most researchers have focused on natural compounds derived from commonly used Pimpinella species, such as P. anisum, P. thellungiana, P. saxifrage, and P. brachycarpa, to investigate their antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Ethnopharmacological studies demonstrated that the genus Pimpinella has the homology characteristics of medicine and food and mainly in the therapy of gastrointestinal dysfunction, respiratory diseases, deworming, and diuresis. The natural product investigation of Pimpinella spp. revealed numerous natural products containing phenylpropanoids, terpenoids, flavonoids, coumarins, sterols, and organic acids. These natural products have the potential to provide future drugs against crucial diseases, such as cancer, hypertension, microbial and insectile infections, and severe inflammations. It is an upcoming field of research to probe a novel and pharmaceutically clinical value on compounds from the genus Pimpinella. In this review, we attempt to summarize the present knowledge on the traditional applications, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of more than twenty-five species of the genus Pimpinella.

Comparison of clinical outcomes of frozen-thawed D5 and D6 blastocysts undergoing preimplantation genetic testing.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to analyze the clinical outcomes of blastocyst which undergo the preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) transplantation from frozen-thawed D5 and D6. In addition, the effect of blastocyst grade on clinical and neonatal outcomes was also investigated in this study. METHODS: The pregnancy and miscarriage rates of 1130 cycles of frozen embryo transfer, including 784 D5 frozen embryos and 346 D6 frozen embryos in the Reproductive Hospital of Shandong University from January to December 2020 were analyzed. Gardner blastocyst scoring was used for blastocyst evaluation. RESULTS: The pregnancy rate of D5 blastocyst was significantly higher, whereas the miscarriage rate of D5 blastocyst was lower, than that of D6 blastocyst tissue biopsy. No significant difference was observed in birth weight and low birth weight of D5 blastocyst and D6 blastocyst, preterm birth, gestational age, and neonatal sex. Frozen-thawed D5 blastocysts have higher pregnancy success rates and lower miscarriage rates compared to D6 blastocysts. CONCLUSION: Therefore, both blastocyst grade and embryo biopsy date must be considered when transferring frozen embryos.

Thoroughly review the recent progresses in improving O/W interfacial properties of proteins through various strategies.

Along with the future food market developing world widely, the personalized nutrition and rational function food design are found to be urgently attracted. Oil in a water (O/W) emulsion system has an excellent ability to maintain nutraceuticals and thus plays a promising role in producing future functional foods. Understanding the interfacial related mechanisms involved are essential for improving the quality of food products. Protein can effectively reduce interfacial tension and stable immiscible phases. The interfacial properties of proteins directly affect the emulsion qualities, which have gradually become a prospective topic. This review will first briefly discuss the interfacial-related fundamental factors of proteins. Next, the paper thoroughly overviewed current physical and chemical strategies tailored to improving the interfacial and emulsion properties of proteins. To be summarized, a higher flexibility could allow protein to be more easily unfolded and adsorbed onto the interface but could also possibly form a softer interfacial film. Several physical strategies, such as thermal, ultrasound and especially high-pressure homogenization are well applied to improve the interfacial properties. The interfacial behavior is also altered by various green chemical strategies, such as pH adjustment, covalent modification, and low molecular weight (LMW) surfactant addition. These strategies upgraded emulsion properties by increasing adsorption load, accelerating diffusion and adsorption rate, associated with lowering interfacial tension, and promoting interfacial protein interactions. Future researches targeted at elucidating interfacial-bulk protein interactions, unraveling interfacial behavior through in silico tools, exploring connection between interfacial-industrial processing properties, and clarifying the interfacial-sensory-digestive relationships of O/W emulsions is needed to develop emulsion applications.

Diversity climate, trust, and turnover intentions: A multilevel dynamic system.

Past research on employee trust and diversity climate is cross-sectional and often overlooks the distinction between overall unit climate and individual perceptions of climate. The current article addresses the complex relationship between trust and diversity climate, including directionality, evolution over time, multilevel characteristics, and influence on the critical outcome of turnover intentions. Using a novel, a multilevel analysis of cross-lagged panel data with latent interactions, we examined 6 years of data from 3,218 faculty members across 294 departments in a large U.S. university. We then (a) separated within-department and between-department diversity climate perceptions, (b) examined the directionality and durability of the relationships among trust and diversity climate perceptions, and (c) examined employee turnover intentions as an outcome of the trust/diversity climate perception feedback process that we identified. Results revealed a reciprocal relationship between within-department diversity climate and trust. These relationships continued over the full 6-year period and, as hypothesized, were stronger in departments with more unsupportive diversity climates. When all three variables were modeled at both levels of analysis, an influence on future turnover intentions was observed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Access to mental health consultations by immigrants and refugees in Canada.

BACKGROUND: Few quantitative studies have used national-level data to examine access to mental health consultation (MHC) by immigrants in Canada, and even fewer studies investigate MHCs using the following variables: immigrant admission category, duration in Canada since landing and world source regions. This study examines MHCs by immigrants and refugees-compared with those of Canadian-born respondents-while controlling for self-reported mental health (SRMH) and immigrant characteristics, using a population-based survey linked to immigrant landing information. This study, which is based on a linked database, allows for much richer insight into immigrant populations than most previous studies. DATA AND METHODS: Based on data from four cycles (2011 to 2014) of the Canadian Community Health Survey linked to data from the Longitudinal Immigration Database, the odds ratios of having had MHCs are compared between the Canadian-born population and immigrants by immigration dimensions, while controlling for SRMH. Results are hierarchically adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic factors and sense of belonging. RESULTS: After the above-mentioned factors were controlled for, immigrants were much less likely than Canadian-born respondents to access MHCs. Specifically, compared with the Canadian-born population that had high levels of SRMH, immigrants with high levels of SRMH were statistically less likely to have had an MHC (odds ratio [OR]=0.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] from 0.4 to 0.5), while those with low SRMH levels were more likely to report an MHC (OR=4.8, 95% CI from 4.5 to 5.1, for the Canadian-born population but OR=1.8, 95% CI from 1.5 to 2.1, for immigrants). Most Asian immigrants with low SRMH levels were only as likely to report MHCs as Canadian-born respondents with high SRMH levels. Refugees with low SRMH levels also had only a slightly elevated MHC level (OR=1.6, 95% CI from 1.1 to 2.3) compared with Canadian-born individuals with high SRMH levels. Overall, refugees were not more likely than immigrants of other admission categories to report having had an MHC, even though previous findings have shown that refugees report low levels of SRMH. DISCUSSION: This study provides new evidence on the differences in access to MHC between Canadian-born individuals and immigrants by various characteristics, while controlling for SRMH. Results probably reflect the structural or cultural barriers to MHC and point to a possible pathway to either maintain or improve mental health among immigrants.

The mental health of immigrants and refugees: Canadian evidence from a nationally linked database.

BACKGROUND: Few studies of the healthy immigrant effect (HIE) have examined the mental health outcomes of Canadian-born individuals on a national scale compared with immigrants by admission category. This study fills this gap by examining the self-reported mental health (SRMH) of immigrants by admission category and other immigration dimensions (e.g., source world region and duration since landing) and making comparisons with Canadian-born respondents to a population-based survey. DATA AND METHODS: Based on four cycles (2011 to 2014) of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) linked to the Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB), odds ratios of high (i.e., excellent or very good) SRMH among Canadian-born respondents and IMDB-linked immigrants are compared using logistic regression. Among the IMDB immigrant population, high SRMH was also examined according to the above-mentioned immigration dimensions. Adjusted results were hierarchically controlled for age, sex, social and economic factors, and sense of belonging. RESULTS: Age-sex adjusted results show that immigrants, especially refugees, are less likely than the Canadian-born population to report high mental health levels, but these differences disappeared after full adjustment. The odds of immigrants having high SRMH differed more by source world region and duration since landing. For example, fully adjusted results show support for the HIE, with recent immigrants (interviewed within 10 years of landing) more likely to report high SRMH than either the Canadian-born population or established immigrants. Greater odds of high SRMH among recent immigrants also holds across admission classes and for selected world regions. DISCUSSION: This study provides new evidence on differences in mental health between Canadian-born individuals and immigrants by various characteristics. Results support a deterioration of the HIE in SRMH and identify factors significantly associated with SRMH. This study can also serve as a baseline for further studies on the impact of COVID-19 on immigrants' mental health by immigrant category.

Application of improved single blastomere fixation technique in preimplantation genetic diagnosis.

To modify a fixation method improving the intensity and clarity of the single blastomeric signal detection by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in preimplantation genetic diagnosis. 333 cycles of assisted reproduction with preimplantation genetic diagnosis FISH (PGD-FISH) performed in our hospital were analyzed and a total of 3452 single blastomeres were obtained. For the conventional fixation method, the blastomeres were kept in 0.1% sodium citrate with 0.2 mg/ml bovine serum albumin (BSA) for 2-5 min. FISH was performed and the internal relationship between embryo quality and fixed rate, signal detection rate, and signal determination rate was explored. With the modified method, 91.54% of blastomeres were fixed, while 88.30% were fixed with the conventional method. The signal detection rate was significantly increased for the modified group than for the conventional group (compared 98.53% with 94.78%, P < 0.001). Especially, the signal determination rate also showed a significant difference between the two methods (compared 90.51% with 74.17%, P < 0.001). After the development of the fixation method, the fixation efficiency and the signal determination rate were greatly improved, providing more definite diagnosis for the patient. It will hopefully allow more assisted reproduction programs to offer their patients preimplantation genetic diagnosis with FISH.

The Application of Expectation and Standard Deviation Calculations in the Evaluation of Dissolved Arsenic in the Pu River, Liaoning Province, Northeastern China.

Water samples were collected from the Pu River in 2017 to research the distribution and accumulation characteristics of dissolved arsenic. We mainly built three types of expectation and standard deviation calculations corresponding to discrete, weighted and continuous random variables. The continuous expectation and standard deviation calculations are defined based on the concentration function and average formula, and the weighted expectation and standard deviation calculations are defined based on the relationship between the concentration and distance. The results indicate that the discrete expectation (1.8351 [Formula: see text]/L) and standard deviation (0.6410 [Formula: see text]/L) describe the average level and the deviation degree, respectively, of dissolved arsenic, and the continuous expectation (1.8684 [Formula: see text]/L) and standard deviation (0.5375 [Formula: see text]/L) mainly describe the average level and the dispersion degree, respectively, of dissolved arsenic after its accumulation. The weighted expectation (1.2997 [Formula: see text]/L) and standard deviation (0.2816 [Formula: see text]/L) reflect the average level and the dispersion degree, respectively, of dissolved arsenic and reveal the quantitative relationship between the concentration of dissolved arsenic and distance. The combination of the three types of expectation and standard deviation calculations and the concentration function may comprehensively describe the distribution and accumulation characteristics of dissolved arsenic, which can provide a theoretical foundation for guiding the reduction of arsenic pollution in the Pu River.

Application of testicular spermatozoa cryopreservation in assisted reproduction.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficiency of spermatozoa cryopreservation and to compare the clinical pregnancy outcomes in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using fresh versus cryopreserved spermatozoa collected by testicular sperm aspiration (TESA). METHODS: A retrospective study was performed to compare the outcomes of men who accepted frozen-spermatozoa-based TESA-ICSI with those of men who underwent TESA-ICSI using fresh spermatozoa between January 1, 2015, and December 30, 2016. The groups were matched for age. The rates of fertilization, good-quality embryos, blastocyst formation, and clinical pregnancy outcomes were obtained from clinical records and were compared between the groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the frozen TESA group (n=79) and the fresh TESA group (n=194) in the rates of fertilization (71.4% vs 73.4%), good-quality embryos (55.3% vs 54.5%), blastocyst formation (60.9% vs 60.1%), clinical pregnancy (61.7% vs 55.1%), and live delivery (51.1% vs 45.7%) (P>0.05 for all comparisons). CONCLUSION: Freezing low-count sperm collected by TESA with a cryoprotectant was an efficient method in the treatment of male factor infertility.

The distribution and enrichment characteristics of copper in soil and Phragmites australis of Liao River estuary wetland.

The aims of the present investigation were to reveal the distribution and enrichment characteristics of copper in soil and Phragmites australis of Liao River estuary wetland. The concentrations of copper in root, stem, leaf, and ear of Phragmites australis as well as in soil were determined to study the absorption capacity of copper by wild Phragmites australis of Liao River estuary wetland. The study was carried out at test pool of the Shenyang Agricultural University, and the experimental materials (soil, irrigating water and Phragmites australis) were derived from Liao River estuary wetland. The concentrations of copper in soil and Phragmites australis were 16.4441 to 49.0209 mg/kg and 0.8621 to 89.5524 mg/kg, respectively. The results indicated that the enrichment coefficients of copper in different tissues of Phragmites australis changed with the growth of Phragmites australis. The results revealed that the enrichment coefficients of copper in the whole Phragmites australis were greater than 1 at each growing stage of the Phragmites australis. The results also showed that the transfer coefficients of Phragmites australis to copper changed with the growth of Phragmites australis. The results revealed that the Phragmites australis had a good removal effect on copper from soil and had some characteristics of copper hyperaccumulator.

Conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI): which is preferred for advanced age patients with five or fewer oocytes retrieved?

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical outcomes of conventional IVF and ICSI in female patients aged 40 years and over with no more than five oocytes retrieved and non-male factor infertility. METHODS: A retrospective study of a cohort of 644 patients undergoing IVF/ICSI treatment. The 534 female patients aged ≧ 40 years with no more than five oocytes retrieved and non-male factor infertility undergoing their first conventional IVF cycles were assigned in IVF group. The rest of 110 patients aged 40 years and over with no more than five oocytes retrieved and non-male factor infertility undergoing first ICSI cycles were recruited in ICSI group. RESULTS: Our results showed the clinical pregnancy, live birth and miscarriage rates were similar between the IVF and ICSI groups (21.59% vs. 13.25%, P > 0.05; 12.16% vs. 6.02%, P > 0.05; 43.68% vs. 54.55%, P > 0.05; respectively), however, the implantation and cumulative live-birth rates were significantly higher in the IVF compared to the ICSI group (15.11% vs. 7.75%, 14.59% vs. 5.56%, P < 0.05), though the IVF group had a lower normal fertilization rate (61.56% vs. 76.00%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides strong evidences that the conventional IVF exhibits advantages over the ICSI method in non-male factor infertility for advanced age patients with five or fewer oocytes retrieved.