Bee Bread Ameliorates Vascular Inflammation and Impaired Vasorelaxation in Obesity-Induced Vascular Damage Rat Model: The Role of eNOS/NO/cGMP-Signaling Pathway

Obesity and hyperlipidemia are major risk factors for developing vascular diseases. Bee bread (BB) has been reported to exhibit some biological actions, including anti-obesity and anti-hyperlipidemic. This study aims to investigate whether bee bread can ameliorate vascular inflammation and impaired vasorelaxation activity through eNOS/NO/cGMP pathway in obese rats. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 10/group), namely: control (normal group), obese rats (OB group), obese rats treated with bee bread (0.5 g/kg/day, OB/BB group) and obese rats treated with orlistat (10 mg/kg/day, OB/OR group). The latter three groups were given a high-fat diet (HFD) for 6 weeks to induced obesity before being administered with their respective treatments for another 6 weeks. After 12 weeks of the total experimental period, rats in the OB group demonstrated significantly higher Lee obesity index, lipid profile (total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein), aortic proinflammatory markers (tumor necrosis factor-α, nuclear factor-κβ), aortic structural damage and impairment in vasorelaxation response to acetylcholine (ACh). Bee bread significantly ameliorated the obesity-induced vascular damage manifested by improvements in the lipid profile, aortic inflammatory markers, and the impaired vasorelaxation activity by significantly enhancing nitric oxide release, promoting endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) immunoexpression. These findings suggest that the administration of bee bread ameliorates the impaired vasorelaxation response to ACh by improving eNOS/NO/cGMP-signaling pathway in obese rats, suggesting its vascular therapeutic role.     

Application of novel extractants for actinide(III)/ lanthanide(III) separation in hollow-fibre modules

Separation tests using hollow-fibre modules were performed for the difficult selective extraction of trivalent actinides over fission lanthanides from acidic media. This article shows that with 2,6-di(5,6-dipropyl-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)pyridine as the extractant, up to 94% americium could be extracted from 1.0 kmol/m³ HNO₃, with minimal lanthanide co-extraction. Using a synergistic mixture of bis(chlorophenyl)dithiophosphinic acid and tri-n-octyl phosphine oxide, tests were performed on extraction, lanthanide scrubbing and stripping. In the extraction test, up to 99.99% americium could be extracted from 0.5 kmol/m³ HNO₃, with approximately one third of the lanthanides being co-extracted. Mass transfer calculations using a consistent set of input data showed good agreement with the experiments.     

Multiple Na,K-ATPase Subunits Colocalize in the Brush Border of Mouse Choroid Plexus Epithelial Cells

(1) Background: The unusual accumulation of Na,K-ATPase complexes in the brush border membrane of choroid plexus epithelial cells have intrigued researchers for decades. However, the full range of the expressed Na,K-ATPase subunits and their relation to the microvillus cytoskeleton remains unknown. (2) Methods: RT-PCR analysis, co-immunoprecipitation, native PAGE, mass spectrometry, and differential centrifugation were combined with high-resolution immunofluorescence histochemistry, proximity ligase assays, and stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy on mouse choroid plexus cells or tissues in order to resolve these issues. (3) Results: The choroid plexus epithelium expresses Na,K-ATPase subunits α1, α2, β1, β2, β3, and phospholemman. The α1, α2, β1, and β2, subunits are all localized to the brush border membrane, where they appear to form a complex. The ATPase complexes may stabilize in the brush border membrane via anchoring to microvillar actin indirectly through ankyrin-3 or directly via other co-precipitated proteins. Aquaporin 1 (AQP1) may form part of the proposed multi-protein complexes in contrast to another membrane protein, the Na-K-2Cl cotransporter 1 (NKCC1). NKCC1 expression seems necessary for full brush border membrane accumulation of the Na,K-ATPase in the choroid plexus. (4) Conclusion: A multitude of Na,K-ATPase subunits form molecular complexes in the choroid plexus brush border, which may bind to the cytoskeleton by various alternative actin binding proteins.     

Desiderata for Languages to be Used in the Defnition of Reference Business Processes

In many modern enterprises, explicit business process de nitions facilitate the pursuit of business goals in such ways as best practice reuse, process analysis, processe ciency improvement, and automation. Most real-world business processes are large and complex. Successfully capturing, analysing, and automating these processes requires process de nition languages that capture a variety of process aspects with a wealth of details. Mostcurrent process modelling languages, such as Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN),focus on structural control ows among activities while providing inadequate support for other process de nition needs. In this paper, we rst illustrate these inadequacies through our experiences with a collection of real-world reference business processes from the Aus-tralian lending industry. We observe that the most signi cant inadequacies include lack of resource management, exception handling, process variation, and data ow integration.These identi ed shortcomings led us to consider the Little-JIL language as a vehicle forde ning business processes. Little-JIL addresses the afore-mentioned inadequacies with a number of innovative features. Our investigation concludes that these innovative features are e ective in addressing a number of key reference business process de nition needs.     

Effects of Microbial Utilization of Phenolic Acids and their Phenolic Acid Breakdown Products on Allelopathic Interactions

Reversible sorption of phenolic acids by soils may provide some protection to phenolic acids from microbial degradation. In the absence of microbes, reversible sorption 35 days after addition of 0.5–3 mol/g of ferulic acid or p-coumaric acid was 8–14% in Cecil A_p horizon and 31–38% in Cecil B_t, horizon soil materials. The reversibly sorbed/solution ratios (r/s) for ferulic acid or p-coumaric acid ranged from 0.12 to 0.25 in A_p and 0.65 to 0.85 in B_t horizon soil materials. When microbes were introduced, the r/s ratio for both the A_p and B_t horizon soil materials increased over time up to 5 and 2, respectively, thereby indicating a more rapid utilization of solution phenolic acids over reversibly sorbed phenolic acids. The increase in r/s ratio and the overall microbial utilization of ferulic acid and/or p-coumaric acid were much more rapid in A_p than in B_t horizon soil materials. Reversible sorption, however, provided protection of phenolic acids from microbial utilization for only very short periods of time. Differential soil fixation, microbial production of benzoic acids (e.g., vanillic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid) from cinnamic acids (e.g., ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid, respectively), and the subsequent differential utilization of cinnamic and benzoic acids by soil microbes indicated that these processes can substantially influence the magnitude and duration of the phytoxicity of individual phenolic acids.     

Flow shop batching and scheduling with sequence-dependent setup times

This paper addresses the flow shop batching and scheduling problem where sequence-dependent family setup times are present and the objective is to minimize makespan. We consider violating the group technology assumption by dividing product families into batches. In order to reduce setup times, inconsistent batches are formed on different machines, which lead to non-permutation schedules. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the splitting of job families into inconsistent batches has been considered in a flow shop system. A tabu search algorithm is developed which contains several neighbourhood functions, double tabu lists and a multilevel diversification structure. Compared to the state-of-the-art meta-heuristics for this problem, the proposed tabu search algorithm achieves further improvement when the group scheduling assumption is dropped. Also, various experiments conducted on the benchmark problem instances confirm the benefits of batching. Therefore, it will be prudent for the practitioners to consider adopting inconsistent batches and non-permutation schedules to improve their operational efficiency within a reasonable amount of computational effort.     

Inhibition and recovery of cucumber roots given multiple treatments of ferulic acid in nutrient culture

Ferulic acid, a frequently cited allelopathic agent, inhibited photosynthesis, leaf expansion, and root elongation of cucumber seedlings grown in aerated nutrient cultures in a growth chamber. Other effects were a reduction in the proportion of radioactivity fixed by photosynthesis translocated to roots, a stimulation in secondary root initiation, and an increase in root-shoot ratios. Inhibition of leaf expansion and root elongation induced by multiple ferulic acid treatments was rapidly lost once ferulic acid was removed from the root environment. The changes in general root morphology, i.e., average root length and root number, associated with ferulic acid treatments, were partially reversed or not affected when ferulic acid was removed from the root environment.Paper No. 11411 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7601. The use of trade names in this publication does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service of the products named, nor criticism of similar ones not mentioned.     

Crop residue,manure and fertilizer in dryland maize under reduced tillage in northern China: I grain yields and nutrient use efficiencies

The rapidly increasing population and associated quest for food and feed in China has led to increased soil cultivation and nitrogen (N) fertilizer use, and as a consequence to increased wind erosion and unbalanced crop nutrition. In the study presented here, we explored the long-term effects of various combinations of maize stover, cattle manure and nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizer applications on maize (Zea mays L.) yield and nutrient and water use efficiencies under reduced tillage practices. In a companion paper, we present the effects on nutrient balances and soil fertility characteristics. The ongoing factorial field trial was conducted at Shouyang Dryland Farming Experimental Station in northern China from 1993 onwards. The incomplete, determinant-optimal design comprised 12 treatments, including a control treatment, in duplicate. Grain yields and N, P, and potassium (K) uptakes and N, P and K use efficiencies were greatly influenced by the amount of rain during the growing season (GSR), and by soil water at sowing (SWS). There were highly significant interactions between GSR and added stover and manure, expressed in complex annual variations in grain yield and N, P and K use efficiencies. Annual mean grain yields ranged from 3,000 kg ha⁻¹ to 10,000 kg ha⁻¹ and treatment mean yields from 4,500 kg ha⁻¹ to 7,000 kg ha⁻¹. Balanced combination of stover (3,000–6,000 kg), manure (1,500–6,000 kg) and N fertilizer (105 kg) gave the highest yield. Stover and manure were important for supplying K, but the effects differed greatly between years. Overall mean N recovery efficiency (NRE) ranged from 28% to 54%, depending on N source. NRE in wet years ranged from 50% to 90%. In conclusion, balanced combinations of stover, manure and NP fertilizer gave the highest yield and NRE. Reduced tillage with adding stover and manure in autumn prior to ploughing is effective in minimizing labor requirement and wind erosion. The potentials of split applications of N fertilizer, targeted to the need of the growing crop (response farming), should be explored to further increase the N use efficiency.     

Influence of Phenolic acids on microbial populations in the rhizosphere of cucumber

Experiments were conducted to determine whether changes in soil microbial populations that occur in response to additions of certain allelopathic phenolic acids to bulk soil also occur in the rhizosphere. Cucumber seedlings were transplanted into cups containing a nutrient-enriched mixture of Portsmouth B₁, soil and sand and were watered five times (once every 48 hr) with aqueous solutions of ferulic,p-coumaric, or vanillic acid (each at 0, 0.25, or 0.50ol/g soil material). Nutrient solution was applied on alternate days. Leaf growth was suppressed by up to 42% by phenolic acids, but changes in root growth varied with the compound and concentration in solution. Significant increases (over 600% relative to controls) in populations of fast-growing bacteria in the rhizosphere were detected after two but not after five treatments, and increases (400% relative to controls) in numbers of fungal propagules were detected after five treatments. Such increases suggested that chronic exposure to a phenolic acid might resuit in high populations of rhizosphere microorganisms that could metabolize the compounds and thus alter observable responses by the plant. To test this, plants were watered repeatedly with a low-concentration solution of ferulic acid (chronic treatments; 0.0 or 0.1mol/g soil material in one experiment, 0.000 or 0.025imol/g soil material in a second) and then once with a highconcentration solution (acute treatment; 0.0, 0.5, or 1.0mol/g soil material in the first experiment; 0.000, 0.125, or 0.250mol/g soil material in the second).Paper No. 12385 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, North Carolina. The use of trade names in this publication does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service or the United States Department of Agriculture of the products named, nor criticism of similar ones not mentioned. Acute treatments and some chronic treatments suppressed leaf growth, but results were inconsistent for root growth. Acute treatments increased numbers of several types of bacteria in the rhizosphere but had inconsistent effects on fungi. Chronic treatments had no effect on numbers of bacteria or fungal propagules in the rhizosphere. Furthermore, chronic treatments did not alter responses of plants or microbial populations to the subsequent acute treatment. Results demonstrated that phenolic acids in soil, which must pass through the rhizosphere before interaction with plant roots can occur, alter the microbial ecology of the rhizosphere. However, microbially mediated acclimation of plants to relatively high concentrations of ferulic acid was not observed.