Abstract In order to develop a quick method for predicting fatty acid in rice storage, gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) was applied to detect and analyze volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at different rice storage stages, and partial least squares regression (PLSR) algorithm was used to establish a linear regression model between fatty acid values and characteristic VOCs. The results showed that rice fatty acid values increased gradually with extension of storage time. Odor components of rice mainly included alcohols and aldehydes. Except for 1-octene-3-alcohol, the content of other VOCs showed an overall downward trend during the storage period. After variable optimization using two different algorithms, the correlation coefficient of the PLSR cross validation model could reach 0.9544, and the corresponding root mean square error was 2.4093. In conclusion, fatty acid values of rice with different storage periods could be accurately predicted by using characteristic VOCs variables and chemometric tools, which would provide a rapid and nondestructive detection method for rice quality during storage based on odor information.

Abstract The potential astringency of eight grape cultivars was evaluated based on polyphenol/protein binding. The parameters such as weights, sizes, total phenols, flavanols and tannins of different grape tissues were determined, and the polyphenol/protein binding was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and spectroscopy. The Cabernet Sauvignon had the highest skin proportion, while the Blue French had the highest seed proportion. The Blue French seeds had the highest total phenolic content, while the Cabernet Sauvignon skins had the highest total phenolic content. SDS-PAGE showed that the seed extracts had a better affinity than skin extracts for saliva proteins, but fluorescence spectra demonstrated that the interactions of skin polyphenols with protein were more complex. These results may provide some useful information on grape potential astringency’s evaluation and wine-making in China.

The objectives of this study were to modify Chinese natural zeolite by NaCl and to investigate its suitability as a low-cost clay adsorbent to remove ammonium from aqueous solution. The effect of pH on ammonium removal was investigated by batch experiments. The findings indicated that pH has a significant effect on the removal of ammonium by M-Zeo and maximum adsorption occured at pH 8. Ion exchange dominated the ammonium adsorption process at neutral pH, with the order of exchange selectivity being Na+ > Ca2+ > K+ > Mg2+. The Freundlich model provided a better description of the adsorption process than the Langmuir model. The maximum ammonium adsorption capacity was 17.83 mg/g for M-Zeo at 293K. Considering the adsorption isotherms and thermodynamic studies, the adsorption of ammonium by M-Zeo was endothermic and spontaneous chemisorption. Kinetic studies indicated that the adsorption of ammonium onto M-Zeo is well fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Ea in the Arrhenius equation suggested the adsorption of ammonium on M-Zeo was a fast and diffusion-controlled process. The regeneration rate was 90.61% after 5 cycles. The removal of ammonium from real wastewater was carried out, and the removal efficiency was up to 99.13%. Thus, due to its cost-effectiveness and high adsorption capacity, M-Zeo has potential for use in ammonium removal from aqueous solutions.

OBJECTIVE: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous human γ-herpes virus, which can adapt and evade host immune defense. Dendritic cells (DCs) play a pivotal role in the initiation and maintenance of immune responses. This study investigated the effects of EBV on cord blood monocytes derived DCs (CBDC). METHODS: Monocytes were isolated from cord blood and cultured in medium containing recombinant IL-4 and GM-CSF to induce DCs development. B95-8 supernatant was added in monocytes culture medium for EBV infection at day 0. Phenotypic characterization of DCs, apoptotic cells, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were detected by flow cytometry. The morphology was observed by Hoechst 33258 staining and TUNEL staining, the expression of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) was detected by Western blotting assay and caspase 3, 8 and 9 activity was measured. RESULTS: Phenotypic characterization of DCs was changed in EBV-treated group. Chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation were observed in EBV induced CBDC apoptosis. In addition, caspase 3, caspase 8, and caspase 9 activation were enhanced in the EBV-treated group. This was accompanied by the loss of MMP. Furthermore, XIAP expression was down-regulated in the EBV-treated group and compared to mock-infected group. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that EBV could inhibit CBDC phenotypic differentiation, and induce CBDC apoptosis in caspase-dependent manner with involvement of the mitochondrial pathway. This might help EBV to evade host immune responses to establish persistent infection.