Abstract Peaches mainly produced in China are a source of food-derived proteins, but much of it is wasted. To make full use of the peaches and peaches related resources, we extracted proteins, including albumin, globulin, gliadin, and glutelin, from defatted Tibet wild peach kernels using Osborne method to study their angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibiting activity, which is an active ingredient for hypertension treatment. The different enzymatic products of these extracts were further separated by ultrafiltration membranes and reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The component K2 originated from globulin hydrolysate by alcalase treatment showed the highest ACE inhibiting activity (IC50 0.78 mg/mL). Through further analyzing the Mass spectrometry results of K2 and searching the BIOEP database, the specific dipeptide AH (consisted of Ala and His) has been identified as the ACE inhibitory peptide, providing a potential for using Tibet peach kernel-derived peptides as an ingredient in functional food to control hypertension.

Abstract The correlation between the grain thickness and the yield and quality of brown rice was studied using 9 japonica rice varieties harvested in Jilin Province in 2019. The results showed that there were significant differences between the grain thickness of different varieties. The grading of different grain thickness had a great influence on the grains per panicle and the seed setting rate in the yield components. Further, there was no significant correlation between grain thickness and grain type (aspect ratio), while a strong and significant negative correlation was identified between grain-thickness grading (< 2.0 mm) and processing quality. In addition, grain thickness was found to have a positive effect on the quality of taste. In conclusion, grain length, width, and thickness are independent genetic traits. The ratio of thicker grain-thickness-grading would increase with an improvement in the yield and processing quality, and an increase in the thinner grain-thickness-grading ratio would lead to degradation with regard to appearance and taste. The grain thickness of brown rice has an important impact on the quality of the rice.

Abstract Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the progression of diverse human cancers. This work aimed to delve into how microRNA-135a-5p (miR-135a-5p) affects the biological behaviors of Breast Cancer (BC) cells. Methods Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets were used to analyze the expression differences of miR-135a-5p in cancer tissues of BC patients. Quantitative real-time PCR and western blot were conducted to detect miR-135a-5p and Bcl-2 Associated Athanogene (BAG3) expression levels in BC tissues and cells, respectively. The proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell cycle of BC cells were detected by cell counting kit-8 assay, BrdU assay, wound healing assay, transwell assay, and flow cytometry. The targeted relationship between miR-135a-5p and BAG3 mRNA 3′UTR predicted by bioinformatics was further testified by a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Pearson's correlation analysis was adopted to analyze the correlation between miR-135a-5p expression and BAG3 expression. The downstream pathways of BAG3 were analyzed by the LinkedOmics database. Results MiR-135a-5p was significantly down-regulated and BAG3 expression was significantly raised in BC tissues. MiR-135a-5p overexpression repressed the viability, migration and invasion of BC cells, and blocked cell cycle progression in G0/G1 phase while inhibiting miR-135a-5p worked oppositely. BAG3 was verified as a target of miR-135a-5p. Overexpression of BAG3 reversed the impacts of miR-135a-5p on the malignant biological behaviors of BC cells. The high expression of BAG3 was associated with the activation of the cell cycle, mTOR and TGF-β signaling pathways. Conclusion MiR-135a-5p regulates BAG3 to repress the growth, migration, invasion, and cell cycle progression of BC cells.

ABSTRACT Aiming at addressing the uneven pesticide distribution when spraying high-spindle apple trees, the parameters of a homemade profiling boom sprayer were analysed, and the optimal parameter combinations of the profiling sprayer were determined. Fluent was used to simulate the spray for various parameter values. The goodness of fit (R2) with experimentally measured data was 0.9270, which verified the accuracy of the numerical simulations. The response surface methodology (RSM) method was used to obtain optimal parameter values from the simulations, and the effective collection rate and spray distribution coefficient of variation were introduced as response values. A sprayer prototype was manufactured based on the optimal parameters determined by RSM analysis, and the results were verified by vertical droplet distribution tests. The results showed that the spray quality increased by 0.7%, 0.9%, and 0.3% for the three best parameters combinations, the droplet distribution was more uniform, and the effect of the profiling spray was better than that of the control tests. The results can provide guidance for the design of sprayers for orchards, and the optimal combination of parameters can provide a basis for subsequent research on precision modelling of profile spraying.

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), such as artemisinin-piperaquine (AP), dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DP), and artemether-lumefantrine (AL), is the first-line treatment for malaria in many malaria-endemic areas. However, we lack a detailed evaluation of the cardiotoxicity of these ACTs. This study aimed to analyze the electrocardiographic effects of these three ACTs in malaria patients. METHODS: We analyzed the clinical data of 89 hospitalized patients with falciparum malaria who had received oral doses of three different ACTs. According to the ACTs administered, these patients were divided into three treatment groups: 27 treated with AP (Artequick), 31 with DP (Artekin), and 31 with AL (Coartem). Electrocardiograms and other indicators were recorded before and after the treatment. The QT interval was calculated using Fridericia’s formula (QTcF) and Bazett’s formula (QTcB). RESULTS: Both QTcF and QTcB interval prolongation occurred in all three groups. The incidence of such prolongation between the three groups was not significantly different. The incidence of both moderate and severe prolongation was not significantly different between the three groups. The ΔQTcF and ΔQTcB of the three groups were not significantly different. The intra-group comparison showed significant prolongation of QTcF after AL treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically recommended doses of DP, AL, and AP may cause QT prolongation in some malaria patients but do not cause torsades de pointes ventricular tachycardia or other arrhythmias.

ABSTRACT We aimed to investigate the effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus ACCC11073 on the growth performance, oxidation, inflammation, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family genes of rabbits infected with Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) using antibiotic enrofloxacin hydrochloride (EH) as a reference. There were four treatments including negative control, positive control with L. monocytogenes infection on the first day of feeding trial (PC), PC + EH at 40 mg kg−1, and PC + L. acidophilus at 108 CFU kg−1 of diet using 240 weaned growing rabbits. The results showed that L. monocytogenes infection worsened growth performance of rabbits, whereas EH or L. acidophilus supplementation partially recovered body weight gain, but did not reach the levels of the negative control. Listeria acidophilus and EH decreased L. monocytogenes loads in caecum, liver, spleen, and lymph node, serum oxidative markers including diamine oxidase, malondialdehyde, and protein carbonyl, serum IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. The decreased effects of EH on IL-1β and TNF-α were more pronounced than that of the probiotic. Treatments EH and probiotic also de-regulated the mRNA levels of MAPK1, 3, 6, and 14. Listeria acidophilus exhibits a similar effect to EH against L. monocytogenes in rabbits, and the regulation on inflammatory process is via MAPK family genes. The results suggest that L. acidophilus can be used as a feed additive against L. monocytogenes infection.

Abstract Objective: To determine the role of the dishevelled binding antagonist of beta catenin 1 (DACT1) in the cytoskeletal arrangement of cardiomyocytes in atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods: The DACT1 expression and its associations with the degree of fibrosis and β-catenin in valvular disease patients were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Masson’s staining. DACT1 was overexpressed in the atrial myocyte cell line (HL-1) and the cardiac cell line (H9C2) by adenoviral vectors. Alterations in the fibrous actin (F-actin) content and organization and the expression of β-catenin were detected by flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting. Additionally, the association of DACT1 with gap junctions connexin 43 (Cx43) was detected by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting. Results: Decreased cytoplasmic DACT1 expression in the myocardium was associated with AF (P=0.037) and a high degree of fibrosis (weak vs. strong, P=0.028; weak vs. very strong, P=0.029). A positive association was observed between DACT1 and β-catenin expression in clinical samples (P=0.028, Spearman’s rho=0.408). Furthermore, overexpression of DACT1 in HL-1 and H9C2 cells induced an increase in β-catenin and subsequent partial colocalization of DACT1 and β-catenin. In addition, F-actin content and organization were enhanced. Interestingly, DACT1 was positively correlated with the Cx43 expression in clinical samples (P=0.048, Spearman’s rho=0.370) and changed the Cx43 distribution in cardiac cell lines. Conclusion: DACT1 proved to be a novel AF-related gene by regulating Cx43 via cytoskeletal organization induced by β-catenin accumulation in cardiomyocytes. DACT1 could thus serve as a potential therapeutic marker for AF.

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate the effect of Artemisia apiacea Hance supplementation on growth performance, cecal opportunistic bacteria, and antimicrobial defense using 120 rabbits. There were four experimental diets containing a control and A. apiacea Hance added at doses of 25, 50, and 75 g kg−1 of feed. The trial lasted for 70 days. The results showed that diets supplemented with A. apiacea Hance improved feed intake, body weight gain, and feed efficiency. Linear and quadratic responses were found between feed intake and herbal meal doses. For cecal opportunistic pathogenic bacteria, compared with the control treatment, the herb decreased cecal C. perfringens, Gram-negative bacteria, and Salmonella spp. by 9.5 to 56.8%. Linear responses of herb doses were found on the four bacteria and a quadratic response on Salmonella spp. In addition, the herb increased the mRNA levels by 12.6 to 57.8% of cecal defensive peptides, including neutrophil peptide defensing-3a, regenerating family member-3 gamma defensin beta-1, and galectin-4. These genes linearly responded to the herb doses. The obtained data suggest that A. apiacea Hance is effective to improve animal growth by beneficially regulating gut opportunistic bacteria and microbicidal peptide activity.

Abstract INTRODUCTION: Concern regarding the cardiotoxicity of antimalarials has been renewed because of their potential to cause QT/QTc interval prolongation related to torsade de pointes (TdP). Artemisinin-piperaquine (AP) is considered an effective artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) for malaria. METHODS: This study involved a retrospective analysis of clinical data of 93 hospitalized malaria patients who had received AP orally. Electrocardiograms (ECGs) were obtained at specific time points in the original study. RESULTS: Some cases of QT prolongation were observed. However, no TdP was found. CONCLUSIONS: AP may cause QT interval prolongation in some malaria patients but may not lead to TdP.

OBJECTIVES: Cystathionine β-synthase is a major enzyme in the metabolism of plasma homocysteine. Hyperhomocysteinemia is positively associated with hypertension and stroke. The present study was performed to examine the possible effects of Cystathionine β-synthase promoter methylation on the development of hypertension and stroke. METHODS: Using quantitative methylation-specific PCR, we determined the Cystathionine β-synthase methylation levels in 218 healthy individuals and 132 and 243 age- and gender-matched stroke and hypertensive patients, respectively. The relative changes in Cystathionine β-synthase promoter methylation were analyzed using the 2–ΔΔCt method. The percent of the methylated reference of Cystathionine β-synthase was used to represent the Cystathionine β-synthase promoter methylation levels. RESULTS: In this study, the Cystathionine β-synthase promoter methylation levels of hypertensive and stroke participants were both higher than that of the healthy individuals (median percentages of the methylated reference were 50.61%, 38.05% and 30.53%, respectively, all p<0.001). Multivariable analysis showed that Cystathionine β-synthase promoter hypermethylation increased the risk of hypertension [odds ratio, OR (95% confidence interval, CI)=1.035 (1.025–1.045)] and stroke [OR (95% CI)=1.015 (1.003–1.028)]. The area under the curve of Cystathionine β-synthase promoter methylation was 0.844 (95% CI: 0.796–0.892) in male patients with hypertension and 0.722 (95% CI: 0.653–0.799) in male patients with stroke. CONCLUSION: Cystathionine β-synthase promoter hypermethylation increases the risk of hypertension and stroke, especially in male patients.

ABSTRACT Picris japonica Thunb., Asteraceae, is an herbal medicine used to dispel heat, reduce swelling and alleviate pain in traditional Mongolian medicine. Its dried whole plant is mainly used to treat flu and mammary abscesses. Given the potential applications of such an herb, detailed pharmacognostic research on P. japonica is needed. This study attempted to fill this need by producing permanent and semi-permanent slides of different organs (root, stem, leaf, pollen grain, fruit and powder of the whole plant) using safranine staining, safranine-fast green double staining and common methods. Furthermore, several featured microscopic structures of P. japonica are described herein. The results obtained provide us with valuable information for botanical quality control and species identification and enable us to detect adulterations in commercial samples of Picris or in laboratory samples.

ABSTRACT: Apple yield estimation using a smartphone with image processing technology offers advantages such as low cost, quick access and simple operation. This article proposes distribution framework consisting of the acquisition of fruit tree images, yield prediction in smarphone client, data processing and model calculation in server client for estimating the potential fruit yield. An image processing method was designed including the core steps of image segmentation with R/B value combined with V value and circle-fitting using curvature analysis. This method enabled four parameters to be obtained, namely, total identified pixel area (TP), fitting circle amount (FC), average radius of the fitting circle (RC) and small polygon pixel area (SP). A individual tree yield estimation model on an ANN (Artificial Neural Network) was developed with three layers, four input parameters, 14 hidden neurons, and one output parameter. The system was used on an experimental Fuji apple (Malus domestica Borkh. cv. Red Fuji) orchard. Twenty-six tree samples were selected from a total of 80 trees according to the multiples of the number three for the establishment model, whereby 21 groups of data were trained and 5 groups o data were validated. The R2 value for the training datasets was 0.996 and the relative root mean squared error (RRMSE) value 0.063. The RRMSE value for the validation dataset was 0.284 Furthermore, a yield map with 80 apple trees was generated, and the space distribution o the yield was identified. It provided appreciable decision support for site-specific management.

ABSTRACT The world collection of sugarcane (Saccharum hybrids. and related grasses (WCSRG) is an important source of genes for sugarcane and energycane breeding. The core collection or diversity panel of the WCSRG was created in Canal Point with 300 accession and 10 checks to evaluate its diversity. The fiber components of the species and accessions within the WCSRG are unknown, so a shredded and dried fiber sample was taken from each accession and sent for fiber analysis. The acetyl groups, acid insoluble lignin, acid soluble lignin, arabinan, glucan, holocellulose, total lignin, structural ash, and xylan were quantified on a % fiber basis and nonstructural ash on a % total basis. There were significant, but not large differences between species for holocellulose, lignin, acetyl, acid soluble lignin, nonstructural ash, and glucan. For each trait, Saccharum spontaneum had significantly more holocellulose, glucan, lignin, and nonstructural ash and less acetyl and acid soluble lignin than other species. In all populations, glucan and holocellulose were positively correlated and glucan and lignin were negatively correlated. In hybrids, internode length correlated positively with holocellulose and nonstructural ash and negatively with lignin. Principal component analysis indicated that a large amount of diversity exists within each of the species. The results suggest that strategic use of the WCSRG could provide both positive and negative selection for fiber-related traits could be made within all species of the collection.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the expression levels of serum miRNAs in diabetic retinopathy and type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Serum miRNA expression profiles from diabetic retinopathy cases (type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with diabetic retinopathy) and type 2 diabetes mellitus controls (type 2 diabetes mellitus patients without diabetic retinopathy) were examined by miRNA-specific microarray analysis. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to validate the significantly differentially expressed serum miRNAs from the microarray analysis of 45 diabetic retinopathy cases and 45 age-, sex-, body mass index- and duration-of-diabetes-matched type 2 diabetes mellitus controls. The relative changes in serum miRNA expression levels were analyzed using the 2-ΔΔCt method. RESULTS: A total of 5 diabetic retinopathy cases and 5 type 2 diabetes mellitus controls were included in the miRNA-specific microarray analysis. The serum levels of miR-3939 and miR-1910-3p differed significantly between the two groups in the screening stage; however, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction did not reveal significant differences in miRNA expression for 45 diabetic retinopathy cases and their matched type 2 diabetes mellitus controls. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that miR-3939 and miR-1910-3p may not play important roles in the development of diabetic retinopathy; however, studies with a larger sample size are needed to confirm our findings.

Ni was added into graphite-lead free tin bronze composite layers on surface of steel sheets by primary sintering mixed powders of graphite and CuSn10 with addition of a nickel nitrate and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) solution in an ammonia decomposition atmosphere. The reduced Ni particles attached on the surface of graphite and CuSn10 particles help to link them together. The conjunction of graphite and CuSn10 matrix in the composites treated by cold rolling and second sintering is well, and no cracks can be observed at the interface between graphite and CuSn10 matrix. The addition of Ni will improve the interface; increase hardness, anti-friction and anti-wear performance of the composites greatly. The Ni containing graphite-CuSn10 composites demonstrate better tribological performance than CuSn10Pb10 alloy, which makes them promising lead free bearing materials for heavy load engines.