Quality improvement effects of electrolyzed water on rice noodles prepared with semidry-milled rice flours.

To investigate the effects of electrolyzed water treatment on the qualities of rice noodles prepared with semidry- milled rice flour, pasting properties and thermal properties of rice flour, and the cooking and textural properties of rice noodles were determined. Higher peak viscosity and lower melting enthalpy were observed in electrolyzed water (EW) treated rice flour. The hardness, gumminess and chewiness of rice noodle in slightly acidic electrolyzed water treated rice noodles with available chlorine concentration (ACC) 20.32 mg/L were increased significantly (p < 0.05). The cooking loss decreased significantly in strong acidic electrolyzed water treated noodles with ACC 10.09 mg/L treatment (p < 0.05). The results indicated that EW could promote the gelatinization of rice flour, and improve the textural qualities of rice noodles. Therefore EW was appropriate to be used in rice noodle production.

[Impacts of combined N and Zn application on Zn translocation, partitioning, and accumulation in Triticum aestivum]. / æ°®é”Œé æ–½å¯¹å°éº¦é”Œè½¬è¿ã€åˆ†é ä¸Žç´¯ç§¯çš„å½±å“.

Field experiment was conducted to examine the effects of combined application of N and Zn fertilizers on translocation, distribution, and accumulation of Zn in different organs in wheat plants. The results showed that Zn concentration and Zn accumulation in each organ were significantly different under different treatments. Compared with N3 (120 kg·hm-2), the grain Zn concentration of N1 (240 kg·hm-2) and N2 (180 kg·hm-2) increased 22.0% and 8.9%, respectively. Compared with the non-Zn application treatment (CK), grain Zn concentration under ZnS (soil Zn fertilization), ZnF (foliar Zn fertilization), and ZnS+ZnF (soil Zn fertilization combined with foliar Zn fertilization) treatments were increased by 5.4%, 60.5% and 72.8%, while Zn accumulation in grain were increased by 21.3% 82.5% and 102.4%, respectively. Zn in grain mainly came from the remobilization of Zn uptaken after antheis, with the accumulative contribution being 89.9% and 100.0% in ZnF and ZnS+ZnF, respectively. Compared with ZnS, Zn fertilizer recovery and use efficiency of ZnF and ZnS+ZnF were increased by 4.8, 1.1 times and 7.9, 2.2 times, respectively. Under current condition, Zn concentration and Zn accumulation in different organs of wheat increased with increasing N rate when it was less than 240 kg·hm-2, which was significantly increased in the grain by foliar Zn application. Therefore, Zn concentration and Zn accumulation in wheat grain could be increased by maintaining the high-yield N fertilization and combining the foliar Zn application in the late growth stage, which would improve Zn nutritional quality of wheat grain.

Effect of Oat and Tartary Buckwheat - Based Food on Cholesterol - Lowering and Gut Microbiota in Hypercholesterolemic Hamsters.

The nutritional components in oat and tartary buckwheat had been assessed to have cholesterollowering effects. However, The effect of oat and tartary buckwheat based-food (OF) on cholesterol-lowering and gut microbiota in hypercholesterole hamsters was still limited studied because they are usually consumed in whole gran as well as after being processed. In this study, normal diets, high fat diet (HFD) with/without OF were fed to hamsters for 30 days respectively and growth parameters, metabolic parameters, and gut microbiota were investigated, respectively. It was found that OF significantly decreased plasma total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol), lowered liver TC, cholesterol ester (CE), and triglycerides (TG) concentrations, and increased fecal weight and bile acids (BA) concentrations, compared with HFD (p < 0.05). Moreover, the concentrations of acetate, propionate, butyrate and total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were significantly increased in hamsters fed with OF, compared with HFD (p < 0.05). OF changed the overall structure of gut microbiota. The relative abundances of Erysipelotrichaceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Lachnospiraceae were decreased and the relative abundance of Eubacteriaceae was increased, compared with HFD. These results suggested that OF could reduce the concentrations of plasma lipid by inhibiting cholesterol absorption in liver and promoting excretions of fecal lipid and BA. And it also increased SCFAs and modulated the gut microbiota effectively to exert the hypocholesterolemic effects.

[Effects of reduced nitrogen application and supplemental irrigation on photosynthetic characteristics and grain yield in high-yield populations of winter wheat.] / å‡æ°®è¡¥æ°´å¯¹å°éº¦é«˜äº§ç¾¤ä½“å ‰åˆæ€§èƒ½åŠäº§é‡çš„å½±å“.

A field experiment was conducted to study the effects of reduced nitrogen application and supplemental irrigation on the light environment, photosynthetic characteristics and yield components in high-yield wheat population. The treatments included three irrigation schedules [no irrigation (W1), medium irrigation (W2, the soil relative water content of 70%±5% after jointing stage), well-irrigation (W3, the soil relative water content of 85%±5% after jointing stage)] and three nitrogen application levels [no nitrogen (N1), reduced nitrogen (N2,195 kg N·hm-2), high nitrogen (N3, 270 kg N·hm-2)]. The results indicated that the N2W2 treatment significantly improved the light environment of high-yield wheat populations, the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and the light transmission rate at the region of 20-30 cm canopy increased by 34.5% and 10.8%, respectively, when compared with the high nitrogen-supplementary water treatments (N3W2, N3W3). The leaf area index (LAI) of N2W2 was the highest among all treatments tested, which decreased slowly at grain filling stage, and the period with higher LAI value (>7.6) was 3-4 days longer than that of high-nitrogen and non-nitrogen treatments, as well as, the leaf photosynthetic potential was increased by 9.7% on average. Under the treatments of N2W2 and N2W3, the photosynthetic rate (Pn) was relatively higher at grain-filling stage, while the difference was not significant compared with the treatment of N3W2. The apparent quantum yield in flag leaves of N2W2 reached 0.1 µmol CO2·m-2·s-1, Pn value kept on the level of 27.692 µmol CO2·m-2·s-1 and the light compensation point (LCP) was relatively lower, which demonstrated a stronger photosynthetic productivity. The grain yield of N2W2 was the highest among all treatments.

The level of expression of thioredoxin is linked to fundamental properties and applications of wheat seeds.

Work with cereals (barley and wheat) and a legume (Medicago truncatula) has established thioredoxin h (Trx h) as a central regulatory protein of seeds. Trx h acts by reducing disulfide (S-S) groups of diverse seed proteins (storage proteins, enzymes, and enzyme inhibitors), thereby facilitating germination. Early in vitro protein studies were complemented with experiments in which barley seeds with Trx h overexpressed in the endosperm showed accelerated germination and early or enhanced expression of associated enzymes (alpha-amylase and pullulanase). The current study extends the transgenic work to wheat. Two approaches were followed to alter the expression of Trx h genes in the endosperm: (1) a hordein promoter and its protein body targeting sequence led to overexpression of Trx h5, and (2) an antisense construct of Trx h9 resulted in cytosolic underexpression of that gene (Arabidopsis designation). Underexpression of Trx h9 led to effects opposite to those observed for overexpression Trx h5 in barley-retardation of germination and delayed or reduced expression of associated enzymes. Similar enzyme changes were observed in developing seeds. The wheat lines with underexpressed Trx showed delayed preharvest sprouting when grown in the greenhouse or field without a decrease in final yield. Wheat with overexpressed Trx h5 showed changes commensurate with earlier in vitro work: increased solubility of disulfide proteins and lower allergenicity of the gliadin fraction. The results are further evidence that the level of Trx h in cereal endosperm determines fundamental properties as well as potential applications of the seed.

Clinical significance of Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin(NGAL) expression in primary rectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence has demonstrated that Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is up-regulated in multiple malignancies, including oesophagus cancer, and plays a critical role in tumorigenesis and progression. However, till now, little is known about the role of NGAL in human rectal cancer. Its association with clinicopathologic characteristics and expression of MMP-9, one of its target genes, has not been reported systematically in rectal cancer. Therefore, to further determine the potential involvement of NGAL in rectal cancer, we have evaluated the expression level of NGAL mRNA by real time RT-PCR, and further elucidated the correlation of NGAL mRNA expression with clinicopathologic features and MMP-9 in rectal cancer. METHODS: 100 paired samples of rectal cancer and adjacent normal tissues obtained from inpatients undergoing surgical operation were allocated into two groups (cancer group and control group). The mRNA expression of NGAL and MMP-9 was determined by real-time RT-PCR. The association between their expression and clinicopathological characteristics of rectal cancer were analysised. RESULTS: Among the 100 rectal cancers, 69 cases of NGAL mRNA up-regulation were observed. NGAL mRNA up-regulation was positively correlated with MMP-9 (rs = 0.393, p < 0.001). In rectal cancer, NGAL mRNA overexpression was significantly associated with depth of invasion (p = 0.028), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.009), venous involvement (p = 0.023) and advanced pTNM stage (p = 0.011). CONCLUSION: In human rectal cancer, NGAL mRNA expression was elevated. NGAL mRNA up-regulation was correlated significantly with tumor progression and MMP-9 mRNA overexpression in rectal cancer, suggesting a more aggressive phenotype. NGAL could be used for rectal cancer characterization.

[One stage thyroidectomy and bilateral neck dissection for well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the indications, safety and difficulties of one stage thyroidectomy and bilateral neck lymph node dissection for well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma. METHODS: A retrospective review was carried out in 36 well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients so treated from 1990 to 2004. Various incisions including H, L and modified Kocher types were selected according to the location of primary tumor and status of cervical lymph node metastasis. Either total thyroidectomy or sub-total thyroidectomy combined with bilateral neck lymph node dissection according to the principles of modified radical neck lymph node dissection: preserving the internal jugular vein, spinal accessory nerve and sternocleidomastoid muscles. RESULTS: There was no operative death in this group. Postoperative complications included: 2 wound bleeding, 3 recurrent laryngeal nerve resection due to tumor involvement, 1 recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, 2 unilateral internal branch of superior laryngeal nerve injury, 9 unilateral external branch of superior laryngeal nerve injury, 3 unilateral accessory nerve injury, 5 unilateral sympathetic nerve injury, 2 unilateral phrenic nerve injury, 6 chylus fistula, 13 temporary hypoparathyroidism, 2 permanent hypoparathyroidism. The dissected lymph nodes were found to be positive from 0 to 21 in each patient with a mean of 8.3. Of the 36 patients: 31 had bilateral positive lymph nodes; 3 unilateral positive; 2 bilateral negative lymph nodes. The follow up period ranged from 1 to 13 years, Three patients died of distant metastasis, 1 died of cerebral vascular accident. 7 patients lost in follow-up. Totally, 25 patients are still alive, 3 patients had local relapse and were surgically treated again. CONCLUSION: The procedure of one-stage thyroidectomy and bilateral neck lymph node dissection for well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma is safe, as it is mandatory that at least one unilateral internal jugular vein should be preserved; one unilateral recurrent laryngeal nerves and accessory nerves should not be injured. Well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients whose bilateral cervical lymph nodes are clinically suspected to be positive (obviously enlarged, hard, purplish grapelike lymph node) or are confirmed pathologically to be positive are indications for one-stage thyroidectomy and bilateral neck lymph node dissection. Total or sub-total thyroidectomy should be undertaken with emphasis that at least one parathyroid with blood supply should be preserved. It is of utmost importance that not only the cancer be completely resected but the function of the organs be preserved.

[Spectrophotometric determination of chondroitin sulfate with victory blue B].

In pH 4.0 acetic acid-sodium acetate buffer solution, cationic dye victory blue B shows an absorption peak at 614 nm, and the absorption peak decreases after it reacts with chondroitin sulfate to form association particles. The decrease in absorption value is linear with chondroitin sulfate concentration in the range of 0. 1-5 microg x mL(-1), and the correlation efficient is 0.9986. The method was applied to the determination of chondroitin sulfate in synthesis samples and real samples with rapidity, simplicity and good accuracy.

Resonance scattering effect of rhodamine dye association nanoparticles and its application to respective determination of trace ClO2 and Cl2.

A new resonance scattering method, based on resonance scattering (RS) effect, for the respective determination of ClO2 and Cl2 in water samples was developed. In HCl-NaAc buffer solutions with the pH value of 1.42, chlorine dioxide, or chlorine, oxidizes I- to form 12, which then reacts with the excess I- to form I3-. The resulting 13- would combine, respectively, with four rhodamine(Rh) dyes, including rhodamine B (RhB), butyl rhodamine B (b-RhB), rhodamine 6G (RhG), and rhodamine S (RhS), to form association particles which exhibit a stronger resonance scattering (RS) effect at 420 nm. For four systems of RhB, bRhB, RhG, and RhS, chlorine dioxide was, respectively, determined in the concentration range of 0.0056 to approximately 0.787 mg/L, 0.0034 to approximately 0.396 mg/L, 0.0057 to approximately 0.795 mg/L, and 0.0052 to approximately 0.313 mg/L, with the detection limits of 0.0011 mg/L, 0.006 mg/L, 0.0054 mg/ L, and 0.0023 mg/L ClO2, respectively. At the same experimental conditions as those for the determination of ClO2, chlorine was, respectively, determined in the concentration range of 0.013 to approximately 0.784 mg/L, 0.0136 to approximately 0.522 mg/ L, 0.014 to approximately 0.81 mg/L, and 0.014 to approximately 0.42 mg/L, with the detection limits of 0.0016 mg/L, 0.0104 mg/L, 0.0079 mg/L, and 0.0037 mg/L Cl2, respectively. The total RS value originally from ClO2 and Cl2 was recorded in the buffer solution, while the RS value from ClO2 was obtained by using dimethyl sulfoxide to mask chlorine. Thus the RS value of chlorine was calculated by deducting the RS value of chlorine dioxide from the total RS value. The RhB RS method was chosen for the determination of ClO2 and Cl2 in drinking water, with advantages of high sensitivity, good selectivity, simplicity, rapidity, and convenience.

[Study on molecular identification and pre-harvest sprouting characteristic of the transgenic anti-trxs-gene wheat line 00T89].

Pre-harvest sprouting of wheat is caused by a series of enzymes, in which alpha-amylase plays a key role. Thioredoxin (trx) is an important protein capable of reducing S-S to -SH. The authors transferred the anti-trxs gene into wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar Wanmai 48 in 2000 in order to obtain a transgenic line with low activities of trx and alpha-amylase in wheat seeds to enhance their resistance to pre-harvest sprouting. In this work, a pair of specific anti-trxs primers were used in PCR test to validate the transgenic plants in T4 lines. A pair of primers of a wheat actin gene cDNA and a pair of trxs gene primers were used in the reverse transcription PCR test to measure the relative content of trx mRNA in the transgenic positive lines. The experiments of pre-harvest sprouting were carried out to test the resistance to pre-harvest sprouting. The results showed that there were 13 positive lines with the anti-trxs gene among 18 transgenic lines. In the maturity stage, the 8 relative contents of the trx mRNA in the 13 positive lines were reduced evidently (P < 0.01). The trx mRNA was correlated with the sprouting parameters significantly (r = 0.7181) . 6 lines with low trx mRNA showed stronger resistance to pre-harvest sprouting during the period from 30 days after anthesis to 10 days after maturity. Compared with non-transgenic plant (Wanmai 48, CK), the average sprouting time of these lines was postponed by 2.7 days (P < 0.01), the sprouting ratio of seeds on spikes and the spike sprouting degree were reduced by 35.5% (P < 0.01) and 47.5% (P < 0.01), respectively. However, 25 days after maturity, the sprouting capacity of the positive lines recovered gradually, and no significant differences were found between them (P > 0.05) . Thus, it can be concluded that the wheat pre-sprouting was controlled effectively in some 00T89 transgenic lines as a result of the expression of anti-trxs gene.

[Rhodamine 6G association particle based spectrophotometric determination of hydroxy free radical and its application to the selection of antioxidant].

In HCl-NaAc buffer solution, the hydroxy free radical from the Fenton reaction is captured by excess KI and releases I3-. The I3- combines with Rhodamine B (RhB, lamdamax=554 nm), Rhodamine 6G(Rh6G, lamdamax=526 nm), Rhodamine S (RhS, lamdamax=526 nm), and butyl Rhodamine B(b -RhB, A,lamdamax56 nm) to form association particles, so the absorbance at max wavelength decreases. The concentration of hydroxy free radical (calculated by the concentration of hydrogen peroxide) is proportional to the decreased absorbance of the systems of RhB, Rh6G, RhS, b-RhB in the range of 0.136-0.680 microg x L(-1), 0.34-0.680 microg x mL(-1), 0.034-0.680 microg x mL(-1), 0.034-0.680 microg c mL(-1), espectively. Based on this fact, a new method for the determination of scavenging percentage of hydroxy free radical with antioxidant was developed. The resistance to oxidation of four substances and six kinds of tea extract were measured with satisfactory results.

A novel and selective spectral method for the determination of trace chlorine in water basing on the resonance scattering effect of rhodamine B-I(3) association nanoparticles.

In Na(2)HPO(4)-citric acid buffer solution, Cl(2) can oxidize I(-) to form I(2) and then it reacts with excess I(-) to form I(3)(-). The I(3)(-) combines respectively with rhodamine dyes, including rhodamine B (RhB), butyl rhodamine B (b-RhB), rhodamine 6G (RhG) and rhodamine S (RhS), to form association particles which give stronger resonance scattering (RS) effect at 400 nm. The RS intensity of the RhB, b-RhB, RhG and RhS systems is proportional to chlorine concentrations in the range of 0.008-1.74, 0.019-1.33, 0.021-2.11 and 0.019-2.04 microg/mL Cl(2), respectively. The detection limits of the systems were 0.0020, 0.0048, 0.0063 and 0.0017 microg/mL, respectively. In them, the RhB system has good stability and high sensitivity, and has been applied to the analysis of chlorine in drinking water, with satisfactory results which is in agreement with that of the methyl orange (MO) spectrophotometry.

A simple and sensitive resonance scattering spectral method for determination of hydroxyl radical in Fenton system using rhodamine S and its application to screening the antioxidant.

Based on resonance scattering (RS) effect of rhodamine dye association particles, a new resonance scattering method for the determination of hydroxyl free radical from Fenton reaction was developed. In HCl-NaAc buffer solution, the OH of Fenton reaction oxidized the excess I(-) to I(3)(-). The I(3)(-) combined, respectively, with rhodamine B (RhB), butyl rhodamine B (b-RhB), rhodamine 6G (RhG) and rhodamine S (RhS) to form association particles that exhibit stronger resonance scattering effect at 420nm and 610nm. However, the RS peak at about 610nm was interfered with its synchronous fluorescence peak at 580nm for RhB, 580nm for b-RhB, 560nm for RhG and 560nm for RhS, respectively. The concentration of H(2)O(2) in the range of 0.648-21.6mumol/L, 0.423-13.0mumol/L, 0.216-13.0mumol/L and 0.092-13.0mumol/L was linear to its resonance scattering intensity at 420nm. Its detection limit was 0.15mumol/L, 0.10mumol/L, 0.092mumol/L and 0.044mumol/L, H(2)O(2), respectively. This RhS RS method was applied to selection of the antioxidant, with satisfactory results.

Biodegradation of imazapyr in typical soils in Zhejiang Province, China.

The degradation of imazapyr in non-sterile and sterile soils from four sampling sites in Zhejiang, China was studied. The results showed that the half-lives of imazapyr in non-sterile soils were in the range of 30 to 45 d, while 81 to 133 d in sterile (by autoclaving) soils. It means the rate constants of imazapyr under non-sterile conditions were 2.3-4.4 times faster than that under sterile (by autoclaving) conditions, evidently indicating that the indigenous microorganisms in soil play an important role in the degradation of imazapyr. The different sterilization methods could result in different degradation rates of imazapyr. The heat of sterilization of soil largely decreased the degradation. However, the sterile treatment of soil by sodium azide had a different effect from that by autoclaving. Further more, the mechanism was also discussed. Biodegradation in four non-sterile soils accounted for 62% to 78% of imazapyr degradation. In contrast, less than 39% of imazapyr degradation was associated with chemical mechanisms. Therefore, the degradation mechanism was predominantly involved in biology including organisms and microorganisms in soil. Two imazapyr-degrading bacterial strains were isolated in enrichment culture technique and they were identified as Pseudomonas fluorescenes biotype II (ZJX-5) and Bacillus cereus (ZJX-9), respectively. When added at a concentration of 50 microg/g in mineral salts medium (MSM), ZJX-5 and ZJX-9 could degrade 81% and 87% imazapyr after 48 h of incubation. For the treatment of incorporation of ZJX-5 or ZJX-9 into soil, the degradation rate enhanced 3-4 fold faster than that for control samples, which showed an important value in quick decontamination of imazapyr in soil.