Abstract Sesame oil is one of the most commonly used oils in life. It contains a special antioxidant substance called sesame lignans, which has high nutritional value and pharmacological activity. Chromatographic methods are accurate and reliable but not suitable for quality control due to time-consuming. Near-infrared (NIR) quantitative models for quickly determining sesamin, sesamolin and sesame lignans in sesame oil were built using a portable NIR spectrometer combined partial least squares(PLS) algorithm, and the optimal PLS models were developed by comparing the performance of the models with different spectral pretreatment methods and bands selection, the correlation coefficients (R2) were RC2 = 0.98, 0.99, 0.99, RP2 = 0.99, 0.97, 0.94, and the root mean square error (RMSEP) was 2.69 μg/mL, 3.73 μg/mL, and 7.96 μg/mL, respectively. The acceptable results demonstrated that portable NIR spectrometer could be used for monitoring the contents of sesamin, sesamolin, and sesame lignans in sesame oil during the production process to carry out quality control.

Abstract Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women. A previous genome-wide association study reports that rs72755295, a SNP locating at intron of EXO1 (exonuclease 1), is associated with breast cancer. Due to the complete linkage disequilibrium between rs72755295 and rs4149909, a nonsynonymous mutation for EXO1, rs4149909 is supposed to be the causal SNP. Since EXO1 is overexpressed in breast carcinoma samples, we hypothesized that the genetic variations in this locus might confer breast cancer risk by regulating EXO1 expression. To substantiate this, a functional genomics study was performed. The dual luciferase assay indicated that G of rs72755295 presents significantly higher relative enhancer activity than A, thus verifying that this SNP can influence gene expression in breast cell. Through chromosome conformation capture it was disclosed that the enhancer containing rs72755295 can interact with the EXO1 promoter. RNA-seq analysis indicated that EXO1 expression is dependent on the rs72755295 genotype. By chromatin immunoprecipitation, the transcription factor PAX6 (paired box 6) was recognized to bind the region spanning rs72755295. In electrophoretic mobility shift assay, G of rs72755295 displays obviously higher binding affinity with nuclear protein than A. Our results indicated that rs72755295 is a cis-regulatory variation for EXO1 and might confer breast cancer risk besides rs4149909.

Abstract Gut bacterial β-glucuronidase (GUS) can reactivate xenobiotics that exert enterohepatic circulation- triggered gastrointestinal tract toxicity. GUS inhibitors can alleviate drug-induced enteropathy and improve treatment outcomes. We evaluated the inhibitory effect of Polygonum cuspidatum Siebold & Zucc. and its major constituents against Escherichia coli GUS (EcGUS), and characterized the inhibitory mechanism of each of the components. Trans-resveratrol 4’-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (HZ-1) and (-)-epicatechin gallate (HZ-2) isolated from P. cuspidatum were identified as the key components and potent inhibitors. These two components displayed strong to moderate inhibitory effects on EcGUS, with Ki values of 9.95 and 1.95 μM, respectively. Results from molecular docking indicated that HZ-1 and HZ-2 could interact with the key residues Asp163, Ser360, Ile 363, Glu413, Glu504, and Lys 568 of EcGUS via hydrogen bonding. Our findings demonstrate the inhibitory effect of P. cuspidatum and its two components on EcGUS, which supported the further evaluation and development of P. cuspidatum and its two active components as novel candidates for alleviating drug-induced damage in the mammalian gut.

This study aimed to perform a meta-analysis to determine the efficacy and safety of emricasan. Nine databases were searched for clinical trials investigating the efficacy of emricasan treatment in patients with liver cirrhosis or fibrosis. A manual search was conducted to identify the missing trials. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk of bias tool. Efficacy of emricasan treatment was defined as a positive change in apoptosis-related parameters from baseline to the last follow-up visit. Overall, emricasan treatment is more effective in patients with liver cirrhosis or fibrosis than placebo (standardized mean difference [SMD] [95% confidence intervals (CI)]=0.28 [0.14; 0.41]). No significant change in model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score between the emricasan and placebo groups was noted (SMD [95% CI]=0.18 [-0.01; 0.36]; p=0.058). A 50 mg dose of emricasan had the highest efficacy rate compared to placebo (SMD [95% CI]=0.28 [0.06; 0.50]; p=0.012), followed by the 5 mg dosing regimen (SMD [95% CI]=0.28 [0.06; 0.50]; p=0.012). Treatment with emricasan resulted in significant reductions in ALT (mean difference (MD) [95% CI]=-5.89 [-10.59; -1.20]; p=0.014) and caspase3/7 levels (MD [95%CI]=-1215.93 [-1238.53; -1193.33]; p<0.001), respectively. No significant increase in the rate of overall adverse events was noted (OR [95% CI]=1.52 [0.97; 2.37]; p=0.069). Treatment with emricasan is more effective in improving liver function and apoptosis parameters compared to placebo, with a well-tolerated safety profile. However, due to the poor quality of the analyzed studies, the small number of trials and patients, and the short follow-up periods, more robust trials are still warranted.

Abstract Under the conditions of weak basis and the reaction temperature range of 110-150 °C, lysine, arginine and histidine were reacted with L-ascorbic acid at equal amount for 30-150 min, respectively and the formation of browning products was monitored with UV–vis spectrometry. The kinetic characteristics of their non-enzymatic browning reaction were investigated. The study results indicated that the non-enzymatic browning reaction of these three amino acids with L-ascorbic acid to form browning products was zero-order reaction. The apparent activation energies for the formation of browning products from L-ascorbic acid/lysine, L-ascorbic acid/arginine and L-ascorbic acid/histidine systems were 54.94, 50.08 and 35.31kJ/mol. The activation energy data indicated the degree of effects of reaction temperature on non-enzymatic browning reaction. Within the temperature range of 110-150 °C, the reaction rate of L-ascorbic acid/lysine system was the fastest one, followed by that of the L-ascorbic acid/arginine system. The reaction rate of L-ascorbic acid/histidine system was the slowest one. Based on the observed kinetic data, the formation mechanisms of browning products were proposed.

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the effect of chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) against osteoarthritis (OA) and preliminarily discuss the osteoprotegerin (OPG), receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) and RANK expression in a rat OA model. Methods: Thirty-six 6-week-old Male SD rats were randomly divided into three groups: sham-operated group(CON), OA-induction group(OA), COS intervention group(n=12/group). At 4 weeks after the operation, COS (50 ul) intervention weekily for consecutive 5 weeks. The OA and CON groups received an injection of 50 ul physiological saline. At death, 11 weeks following surgery, cartilage was harvested and total RNA and protein were extracted. Both the morphological changes of the cartilage were observed and harvested the total RNA and protein. Meanwhile, the expression of OPG, RANKL and RANK in cartilage were determined. Results: The expression of OPG and RANKL were both enhanced in the cartilage of the OA model. Compared with the OA group, COS treatment improved the cartilage damage (both extent and grade). Furthermore, the COS group showed highly OPG and lower RANKL. Simultaneously, COS treatment upregulated the ratio of OPG/RANKL and downregulated the RANKL/RANK. Conclusion: Chitosan oligosaccharides may be used as a unique biological agent to prevent and treat osteoarthritis, and this effect is associated with modulation of the expression of osteoprotegerin and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand.

Abstract The transformation law of the Maillard reaction products with three different reactants ratios - equimolar reactants, excess L-glutamic acid and excess L-ascorbic acid reaction respectively, five different temperatures, and different time conditions for the L-ascorbic acid / L-glutamic acid system were investigated. Results showed that, the increase of the reaction time and temperature led to the increase of the browning products, uncoloured intermediate products, as well as aroma compounds. Compared with the equimolar reaction system, the excess L-ascorbic acid reaction system produced more browning products and uncoloured intermediate products, while the aroma compounds production remained the same. In the excess L-glutamic acid system, the uncoloured intermediate products increased slightly, the browning products remained the same, while the aroma compounds increased.

Background: D-Hydroxyphenylglycine is considered to be an important chiral molecular building-block of antibiotic reagents such as pesticides, and β-lactam antibiotics. The process of its production is catalyzed by D-hydantoinase and D-carbamoylase in a two-step enzyme reaction. How to enhance the catalytic potential of the two enzymes is valuable for industrial application. In this investigation, an Escherichia coli strain genetically engineered with D-hydantoinase was immobilized by calcium alginate with certain adjuncts to evaluate the optimal condition for the biosynthesis of D-carbamoyl-p-hydroxyphenylglycine (D-CpHPG), the compound further be converted to D-hydroxyphenylglycine (D-HPG) by carbamoylase. Results: The optimal medium to produce D-CpHPG by whole-cell immobilization was a modified Luria-Bertani (LB) added with 3.0% (W/V) alginate, 1.5% (W/V) diatomite, 0.05% (W/V) CaCl2 and 1.00 mM MnCl2.The optimized diameter of immobilized beads for the whole-cell biosynthesis here was 2.60 mm. The maximized production rates of D-CpHPG were up to 76%, and the immobilized beads could be reused for 12 batches. Conclusions: This investigation not only provides an effective procedure for biological production of D-CpHPG, but gives an insight into the whole-cell immobilization technology.

Background: Wheat 1BL/1RS translocation lines are planted around the world for their disease resistance and high yield. Most of them are poor in bread making, which is partially caused by ω-secalins that are encoded by the ω-secalin gene family, which is located on the short arm of rye chromosome 1R (1RS). However, information on the structure and evolution of the ω-secalin gene family is still limited. Results: We first generated a physical map of the ω-secalin gene family covering 195 kb of the Sec-1 locus based on sequencing three bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones of the 1BL/1RS translocation wheat cultivar Shimai 15. A BAC contig was constructed spanning 168 kb of the Sec-1 locus on 1RS. Twelve ω-secalin genes were arranged in a head-to-tail fashion, separated by 8.2-21.6 kb spacers on the contig, whereas six other ω-secalin genes were arranged head-to-tail, separated by 8.2-8.4 kb of spacers on clone BAC125. The 18 ω-secalin genes can be classified into six types among which eight ω-secalin genes were expressed during seed development. The ω-secalin genes with the 1074-bp open reading frame (ORF) represented the main population. Except for two pseudogenes, the N-terminal of the ω-secalin gene was conserved, whereas variations in the C-terminal led to a change in ORF length. The spacers can be sorted into two classes. Class-1 spacers contained conserved and non-conservative sequences. Conclusion: The ω-secalin gene family consisted of at least 18 members in the 1BL/1RS translocation line cv. Shimai 15. Eight ω-secalin genes were expressed during seed development. Eighteen members may originate from a progenitor with a 1,074-bp ORF. The spacers differed in length and sequence conservation.

The growth of ratoon rice (Oryza sativa L.) is affected by growth of main rice, so it could be evaluated by determining growing condition of main rice. Objective of the study was to find regression model for predicting ratoon rice growth rhythm through establishing the quantitative relationship between growth rhythm in ratoon rice and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) after heading of main rice. NDVI at key growth stages of main rice was measured using active spectrometry for 12 varieties in 2008 and for 23 varieties in 2009, and compared the physiological indexes of main and ratoon rice. There was an exponential correlation (P < 0.05) between the NDVI after heading of the main rice and biomass, N concentration of green leaves and stems or leaf area index (LAI) after heading of the ratoon rice for all the 12 varieties in 2008. The regression models from the rice variety experiment in 2008 were used to calculate predicted values with NDVI after heading of main rice in 2009. The results showed that the predicted values of biomass, N uptake, and LAI in ratoon rice were significantly different to measured values. However, there were exponential and significantly positive correlation (p < 0.05) between biomass and N uptake and LAI in ratoon rice and NDVI after heading of main rice in 2009. Therefore, it suggested that regression models were not perfect, and need to be improved adding more parameters about spectral characteristic of main and ratoon rice.

Bubbfil spinning is to use polymers' or melts' bubbles or membranes for fabrication of nanomaterials including smooth nanofibers and discontinuous nanofibers by using electrostatic force, blowing air or mechanical force to overcome the surface tension, it mainly includes the bubble-electrospinning, blown bubble spinning and membrane spinning. The initial ejecting velocity of the Bubbfil spinning process is as high as 100 meters per second. A history of the development of Bubbfil spinning is briefly elucidated, its main properties are emphasized, some effective modifications are discussed for different applications including single bubble electrospinning, blown bubble spinning, air-jet assisted bubble electrospinning, electrostatic-field-assisted blown bubble spinning, and vibration bubble electrospinning which is suitable for melts or high-concentration solutions. Morphology properties are also discussed for different applications.

The results of several new clinical trials that compared the effectiveness of entecavir (ETV) treatment with that of adefovir (ADV) treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) were published in recent years. However, the numbers of patients included in these clinical trials were too small to draw a clear conclusion as to whether ETV is more effective than ADV. Therefore, a new meta-analysis was needed to compare ETV with ADV for the treatment of CHB. A search of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CCTR), MEDLINE, the Science Citation Index, Embase, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and the Wanfang Database for relevant studies published between 1966 and 2010 was performed. Trials comparing the use of ETV and ADV for the treatment of CHB were assessed. Of the 2,358 studies screened, 13 randomized controlled clinical trials comprising 1,230 patients (ETV therapy, 621; ADV therapy, 609) were analyzed. The serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA clearance rate obtained in patients treated with ETV was significantly higher than that in patients treated with ADV at the 24th and 48th weeks of treatment (24 weeks: 59.6% vs. 31.8%, relative risk [RR], 1.82, 95% CI: 1.49-2.23; 48 weeks: 78.3% vs. 50.4%, RR, 1.61, 95% CI: 1.32-1.96). The serum HBeAg clearance rate, the HBeAg seroconversion rate, and the ALT normalization rate obtained for patients treated with ETV were also higher than the corresponding values for patients treated with ADV at the 48th week of treatment. The safety profiles were similar between patients treated with ETV and those treated with ADV. The evidence reviewed in this meta-analysis suggests that patients with hepatitis B have a greater likelihood of achieving a viral response and a biomedical response when treated with ETV than when treated with ADV.

OBJECTIVES: Family members of patients in a vegetative state have relatively high rates of anxiety and distress. It is important to recognize the problems faced by this population and apply psychological interventions to help them. This exploratory study describes the psychological stress experienced by family members of patients in a vegetative state. We discuss the effectiveness of a psychological crisis intervention directed at this population and offer suggestions for future clinical work. METHODS: A total of 107 family members of patients in a vegetative state were included in the study. The intervention included four steps: acquisition of facts about each family, sharing their first thoughts concerning the event, assessment of their emotional reactions and developing their coping abilities. The Symptom Check List-90 was used to evaluate the psychological distress of the participants at baseline and one month after the psychological intervention. Differences between the Symptom Check List-90 scores at the baseline and follow-up evaluations were analyzed. RESULTS: All participants in the study had significantly higher Symptom Check List-90 factor scores than the national norms at baseline. There were no significant differences between the intervention group and the control group at baseline. Most of the Symptom Check List-90 factor scores at the one-month follow-up evaluation were significantly lower than those at baseline for both groups; however, the intervention group improved significantly more than the control group on most subscales, including somatization, obsessive-compulsive behavior, depression, and anxiety. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that the four-step intervention method effectively improves the mental health of the family members who received this treatment and lessens the psychological symptoms of somatization, obsessive-compulsive behavior, depression and anxiety.

Taurine has positive effects on bone metabolism. However, the effects of taurine on osteoblast apoptosis in vitro have not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the activity of taurine on apoptosis of mouse osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. The data showed that 1, 5, 10, or 20 mM taurine resulted in 16.7, 34.2, 66.9, or 63.75% reduction of MC3T3-E1 cell apoptosis induced by the serum deprivation (serum-free α-MEM), respectively. Taurine (1, 5, or 10 mM) also reduced cytochrome c release and inhibited activation of caspase-3 and -9, which were measured using fluorogenic substrates for caspase-3/caspase-9, in serum-deprived MC3T3-E1 cells. Furthermore, taurine (10 mM) induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation in MC3T3-E1 cells. Knockdown of the taurine transporter (TAUT) or treatment with the ERK-specific inhibitor PD98059 (10 μM) blocked the activation of ERK induced by taurine (10 mM) and abolished the anti-apoptotic effect of taurine (10 mM) in MC3T3-E1 cells. The present results demonstrate for the first time that taurine inhibits serum deprivation-induced osteoblast apoptosis via the TAUT/ERK signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Interferon-α (IFN-α) treatment is associated with up-regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression and marked growth inhibition of colon cancer cell lines. We aimed to determine the effect of combining IFN-α and gefitinib in the growth of human colon cancer cell lines. METHODS: Two human colon cancer cell lines SW480 and LOVO were treated with IFN-α alone or gefitinib alone or IFN-α plus gefitinib. Proliferation of colon cancer cells was measured by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay; the apoptosis rate was analysed by flow cytometry (FCM). The expression of XIAP, XAF1 mRNA was detected by RT-PCR and the expression of XIAP, XAF1 protein was detected by western blotting. RESULTS: Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium showed that IFN-α, gefitinib and IFN-α plus gefitinib significantly inhibited SW480 and LOVO cells in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05). The FCM revealed that IFN α, gefitinib and IFN-α plus gefitinib could markedly upgrade the apoptosis rate (p < 0.05). The expression of XIAP mRNA down-regulated markedly (p < 0.05) while the expression of XAF1 mRNA up-regulated significantly (p < 0.05). The expression of XIAP protein was down-regulated markedly (p < 0.05) while the expression of XAF1 protein was up-regulated significantly (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: IFN-α promotes the antiproliferaative effect of gefitinib on human colon cancer cell lines and the mechanism may be related to up-regulation expression of EGFR by IFN-α.

ANTECEDENTES Y OBJETIVOS: El tratamiento con interferón α (IFN-α) se halla asociado con la regulación por incremento de la expresión del receptor del factor de crecimiento epidérmico y la acentuada inhibición del crecimiento de las líneas celulares del cáncer colorrectal. El presente trabajo tuvo por objetivo determinar el efecto que se produce al combinar el IFN-α y el gefitinib en el crecimiento de las líneas celulares del cáncer de colon. MÉTODOS: Dos líneas celulares de cáncer del colon en humanos - SW480 y LOVO - fueron tratadas con IFN-α solamente, gefitinib solamente, o IFN-α más gefitinib. La proliferación de las células cancerosas del colon se midió mediante ensayo de metil tiazolil tetrazolio (MTT); la tasa de apoptosis se analizó mediante citometría de flujo (CMF); la expresión de XIAP/XAF1 mRNA fue detectada mediante RT-PCR y la expresión de la proteína XIAP/XAF1 fue detectada mediante inmunoblot (western blot). RESULTADOS: El MTT mostró que el IFN-α, el gefitinib, y el IFN-α más gefitinib inhibían de forma significativa las células SW480 y LOVO en dependencia de la dosis (p < 0.05). La CMF reveló que el IFN-α, el gefitinib, y el IFN-α más gefitinib podían aumentar notablemente la tasa de apoptosis (p < 0.05). La expresión de XIAP mRNA tuvo una marcada regulación por decremento (p < 0.05) mientras que la expresión de XAF1 mRNA tuvo una significativa regulación por incremento (p < 0.05); la expresión de la proteína XIAP fue notablemente regulada por decremento (p < 0.05) mientras que la expresión de la proteína XAF1 fue regulada por incremento de manera significativa (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIÓN: El IFN-α promueve el efecto antiproliferativo del gefitinib sobre las líneas celulares del cáncer colorrectal, y el mecanismo puede hallarse relacionado con la expresión de la regulación por incremento del EGFR mediante el IFN-α.