Characteristic tryptic peptides and gelling properties of porcine skin gelatin affected by thermal action

Thermal action in extraction process had effects on characteristic tryptic peptides identification and gelling properties of porcine gelatin. SDS-PAGE, HPLC-LTQ/Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry, texture analyser and rheometer were used to evaluate collagen depolymerisation degree, characteristic tryptic peptides and gelling properties of gelatins prepared in various thermal actions. Results showed that with increasing temperature and time, depolymerisation degree enlarged, while gel strength, gelling and melting temperature decreased. Mass spectra showed that 47 and 49 common characteristic tryptic peptides were identified in gelatins extracted at 50 °C and 100 °C with various times, respectively. Moreover, 34 common characteristic tryptic peptides were identified in all gelatin samples. Further comparison between this work and our previous investigations yielded 20 common characteristic tryptic peptides, which stably exist in various thermal actions. These common characteristic tryptic peptides may be very helpful for the accurate authentication of porcine gelatin.     

Effect of hyperbranched poly(citric polyethylene glycol) with various polyethylene glycol chain lengths on starch plasticization and retrogradation

A series of hyperbranched poly(citric polyethylene glycol) (PCPEG) materials with varied polyethylene glycol (PEG) chain lengths as plasticizers were mixed with maize starch (MS) via cooking and film‐forming. The structure, pasting property, plasticization, aging property, moisture absorption and compatibility of plasticized starches were studied by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, rapid viscosity analysis, tension testing, moisture absorption measurements and scanning electron microscopy. Compared with PEG and citric acid, PCPEG was more effective in promoting starch chain movement and inhibiting the retrogradation of starch film. Also, PCPEG/MS had smaller moisture content. The longer the plasticizer chain, the better were the aging resistance and moisture resistance of starch. But with an increase of PEG chain length, mechanical properties of PCPEG/MS deteriorated and the compatibility between PCPEG and MS decreased. The hyperbranched derivative of PEG with longer chain exhibited improved plasticization and compatibility with starch. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry     

TiO2/MXene-Assisted LDI-MS for Urine Metabolic Profiling in Urinary Disease

Cancer remains an intractable medical problem. Rapid diagnosis and identification of cancer are critical to differentiate it from nonmalignant diseases. High-throughput biofluid metabolic analysis has potential for cancer diagnosis. Nevertheless, the present metabolite analysis method does not meet the demand for high-throughput screening of diseases. Herein, a high-throughput, cost-effective, and noninvasive urine metabolic profiling method based on TiO₂/MXene-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) is presented for the efficient screening of bladder cancer (BC) and nonmalignant urinary disease. Combined with machine learning, TiO₂/MXene-assisted LDI-MS enables high diagnostic accuracy (96.8%) for the classification of patient groups (including 47 BC and 46 ureteral calculus (UC) patients) from healthy controls (113 cases). In addition, BC patients can also be identified from noncancerous UC individuals with an accuracy of 88.3% in the independent test cohort. Furthermore, metabolite variations between BC and UC individuals are investigated based on relative quantification, and related pathways are also discussed. These results suggest that this method, based on urine metabolic patterns, provides a potential tool for rapidly distinguishing urinary diseases and it may pave the way for precision medicine.     

Harmful effects of pyrethroid ester insecticide on the male reproductive system mainly through affecting testicular function and inflammatory markers

Pyrethroid esters are widely used as insecticides worldwide. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the harmful effect of deltamethrin on the male reproductive system through the assessment of reproductive hormones, inflammatory markers, and testicular function. To achieve our aim, eighty male 7-9-week-old, Wistar rats were taken, weighed, and divided into four experimental groups. The first group was kept as a control group, and the other three groups were given deltamethrin orally at different concentrations (0.87, 8.7, and 17.4 mg/kg body weight) for nine weeks. The results indicated that deltamethrin administration associated with a significant decrease in reproductive hormones, especially FSH, LH, and significant elevation in the interleukin 2 (IL2), interleukin 6 (IL6), histamine, and cortisol levels. Also, the significance of inhibition of sperm motility and viability, decreased testis weights, sperm count, and fructose in semen were noted. These findings clarify the harmful effect of deltamethrin on the male reproductive system by producing a significant alteration in reproductive hormones, inflammatory markers as well as testicular function.     

酸性服役管线管BNS力学及耐腐蚀性能研究

文章介绍了包钢钢管公司酸性服役管线管BNS成分设计要求,对材料的拉伸性能、冲击性能、组织以及耐腐蚀性能进行了检测和分析,正火处理后,材料具有良好的力学性能和抗腐蚀性能.试验结果表明,设计的BNS完全能满足酸性服役条件下管线管性能要求.     

D-limonene Inhibits Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Seizure via Adenosine A2A Receptor Modulation on GABAergic Neuronal Activity

Background: Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by the recurrence of seizures. One-third of patients with epilepsy may not respond to antiseizure drugs. Purpose: We aimed to examine whether D-limonene, a cyclic monoterpene, exhibited any antiseizure activity in the pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced kindling mouse model and in vitro. Methods: PTZ kindling mouse model was established by administering PTZ (30 mg/kg) intraperitoneally to mice once every 48 h. We performed immunoblot blots, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis after the behavioral study. Results: An acute injection of PTZ (60 mg/kg) induced seizure in mice, while pretreatment with D-limonene inhibited PTZ-induced seizure. Repeated administration of PTZ (30 mg/kg) increased the seizure score gradually in mice, which was reduced in D-limonene (10 mg/kg)-pretreated group. In addition, D-limonene treatment increased glutamate decarboxylase-67 (GAD-67) expression in the hippocampus. Axonal sprouting of hippocampal neurons after kindling was inhibited by D-limonene pretreatment. Moreover, D-limonene reduced the expression levels of Neuronal PAS Domain Protein 4 (Npas4)-induced by PTZ. Furthermore, the adenosine A2A antagonist {"type":"entrez-protein","attrs":{"text":"SCH58261","term_id":"1052882304","term_text":"SCH58261"}}SCH58261 and ZM241385 inhibited anticonvulsant activity and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurotransmission-induced by D-limonene. Conclusion: These results suggest that D-limonene exhibits anticonvulsant activity through modulation of adenosine A2A receptors on GABAergic neuronal function.     

Unveiling the role of Fe3O4in polymer spin valve near Verwey transition

The spinterface formed between ferromagnetic(FM)electrode and organic materials is vital for performance optimization in organic spin valve(OSV).Half-metallic Fe₃O₄with drastic change in structure,conductivity and magnetic property near Verwey transition can serve as an intrinsic spinterface regulator.However,such modulating effect of Fe₃O₄in OSV has not been comprehensively investigated,especially below the Verwey transition temperature(Tv).Here,we highlight the important role of Fe₃O₄electrode in reliable-working and controllable Fe₃O₄/P3HT/Co polymer spin valves by investigating the magnetoresistance(MR)above and below 7V.In order to distinguish between different contributions to charge transport and related MR responses,the systematic electronic and magnetic characterizations were carried out in full temperature range.Particularly,the first-order metal-insulator transition in Fe₃O₄has a dramatic effect on the MR enhancement of polymer spin valves at 7V.Moreover,both the conducting mode transformation and MR line shape modulation could be accomplished across 7V.This research renders unique scenario to multimodal storage by external thermodynamic parameters,and further reveals the importance of spin-dependent interfacial modification in polymer spin valves.     

攀西钒钛磁铁矿尾矿制备储水泡沫陶瓷的研究

以攀西钒钛磁铁尾矿和废玻璃为主要原料通过高温烧结法制备储水泡沫陶瓷，研究原料配比和发泡剂（SiC）添加量对材料性能的影响。结果表明:随着钒钛磁铁矿尾矿含量的增加，材料的体积密度及抗压强度逐渐增大，平均气孔孔径逐渐减小；当尾矿添加量为50 wt%，材料的体积吸水率出现极值。当SiC添加量为0.3 wt%，材料内部气孔分布均匀，平均孔径约为2.93 mm。最终以50.0 wt%的钒钛磁铁矿尾矿和50.0 wt%的废玻璃为原料，外加3.0 wt%的石英，0.3 wt%的SiC，3.0 wt%的Na3PO4，在1040℃下制得性能最优的储水泡沫陶瓷，材料的体积密度为0.26 g/cm-3、体积吸水率为56.5%和抗压强度为0.68 MPa。采用SEM、XRD等检测手段研究材料的微观形貌及物相组成，结果表明储水泡沫陶瓷内部由三维立体结构组成，有利于储存水分；材料主要物相包括硅灰石、长石、透辉石和钛铁矿。      

A first-principles investigation on mechanical and metallic properties of titanium carbides under pressure

The titanium carbides are potential candidates to achieve both high hardness and refractory property. We carried out a structural search for titanium carbides at three pressures of 0 GPa, 30 GPa and 50 GPa. A phase diagram of the Ti-C system at 0 K was obtained by elucidating formation enthalpies as a function of compositions, and their mechanical and metallic properties of titanium carbides were investigated systematically. We also discussed the relation of titanium concentration to the both mechanical and metallic properties of titanium carbides. It has been found that the average valence electron density and tractility improved at higher concentrations of titanium, while the degree of covalent bonding directionality decreased. To this effect, the hardness of titanium carbide decreases as the content of titanium increases. Our results indicated that the titanium content significantly affected the metallic properties of the Ti-C system.