Optimization of antioxidant peptide production from grass carp sarcoplasmic protein using response surface methodology

The sarcoplasmic protein was extracted from the muscle of grass carp, a Chinese freshwater carp, and was hydrolyzed with five proteases to produce antioxidant peptides. Papain hydrolysate was found to have the greatest activity against lipid peroxidation. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize the hydrolysis conditions (including enzyme to substrate ratio, time and temperature). The minimum EC₅₀ value (317.25 μg/mL) which signified the maximum antioxidant activity was obtained at an enzyme to substrate ratio of 0.79%, an incubation time of 5.69 h and an incubation temperature of 52.15 °C, which was in agreement with the predicted value (313.99 μg/mL) estimated by RSM within a 95% confidence interval. Also, it was found that moderate denaturation of the sarcoplasmic protein and a modest increase in the degree of hydrolysis promoted the antioxidant activities of the hydrolysates. Oligopeptides (< 3 kDa) contributed more to the antioxidant activity than polypeptides.     

Energy efficiency actions related to the rollout of smart meters for small consumers, application to the Austrian system

Smart meters (SM) may provide large benefits to all stakeholders by providing the information required to implement certain sets of demand response actions. Benefits produced by SM related actions depend on the features of these actions, the system and the targeted consumer group.We first lay out an analytical framework to analyze the application of Demand Response (DR) actions. Based on this framework, we describe a way to determine the response of domestic load in a system to the implementation of DR actions. We propose determining the overall change in the consumption behavior of domestic load based on previously obtained estimates of the peak load and overall consumption reduction for different types of consumers in different types of systems resulting from the application of each set of actions. We have carried out a comprehensive literature review to provide here such estimates.We apply the analytical framework and methodology developed to characterize the reaction of consumers in the Austrian system to different SM related actions. Finally, we provide guidelines on which DR actions to implement in this system and how to implement them. The use of advanced indirect feedback on consumption behavior, critical peak prices and simple time-of-use tariffs is advocated.     

ATP-regulation of antioxidant properties and phenolics in litchi fruit during browning and pathogen infection process

The impact of energy level on antioxidant properties in relation to pericarp browning and loss of disease resistance of litchi fruit was investigated. Litchi fruits were vacuum-infiltrated with distiled water (control), 1 mM adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and 0.5 mM 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) under 75 kPa for 3 min before being inoculated with Peronophythora litchi or not. ATP-treated fruits presented higher activities of antioxidant enzymes, including catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). Higher activities of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging, reducing power and contents of phenolic compounds were also observed in ATP-treated fruit during storage. In contrast, DNP treatment lowered the enzymes activities, scavenging ability and the contents of phenolic compounds. Higher levels of antioxidant enzymatic system and non-enzymatic system were observed in P. litchii-inoculated fruits than those in non-inoculated fruits. Application of ATP and DNP exhibited a similar change patterns and effects in inoculated fruits. When related to previously reported ATP levels, the results suggested that ATP levels could regulate the antioxidant system. Sufficient available energy is crucial for inhibiting browning and preventing the loss of disease resistance in harvested litchi fruit.     

Factor structure and criterion-related validity of the metaperspective version of the Coach–Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q).

The coach–athlete relationship has been purported to be shaped by coaches’ and athletes’ self-perceptions (e.g., I trust my coach/athlete) and metaperceptions (e.g., My coach/athlete trusts me) of closeness, commitment, and complementarity (3Cs). The development of the Coach–Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q; S. Jowett & N. Ntoumanis, 2004) has enabled the assessment of coaches’ and athletes’ self-perceptions of the relationship as defined by the 3Cs. The author conducted 2 studies to examine the factor structure and criterion-related validity of the CART-Q when its items are worded to express metaperceptions. In the 1st study, confirmatory factor analyses employing a sample of athletes (n = 201) supported the validity of a 3-dimensional model in which the factors were separate but correlated for metacloseness, metacommitment, and metacomplementarity. The 2nd study provided further evidence of validity when the 3 factors were examined relative to criterion variables with 2 independent samples: athletes (n = 189) and coaches (n = 138). These results highlight that the conceptual model from which the CART-Q was developed captures the relationship quality through athletes’ and coaches’ feelings (closeness), thoughts (commitment), and behaviors (complementarity). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

SARM1 Ablation Is Protective and Preserves Spatial Vision in an In Vivo Mouse Model of Retinal Ganglion Cell Degeneration

The challenge of developing gene therapies for genetic forms of blindness is heightened by the heterogeneity of these conditions. However, mechanistic commonalities indicate key pathways that may be targeted in a gene-independent approach. Mitochondrial dysfunction and axon degeneration are common features of many neurodegenerative conditions including retinal degenerations. Here we explore the neuroprotective effect afforded by the absence of sterile alpha and Toll/interleukin-1 receptor motif-containing 1 (SARM1), a prodegenerative NADase, in a rotenone-induced mouse model of retinal ganglion cell loss and visual dysfunction. Sarm1 knockout mice retain visual function after rotenone insult, displaying preservation of photopic negative response following rotenone treatment in addition to significantly higher optokinetic response measurements than wild type mice following rotenone. Protection of spatial vision is sustained over time in both sexes and is accompanied by increased RGC survival and additionally preservation of axonal density in optic nerves of Sarm1^−/− mice insulted with rotenone. Primary fibroblasts extracted from Sarm1^−/− mice demonstrate an increased oxygen consumption rate relative to those from wild type mice, with significantly higher basal, maximal and spare respiratory capacity. Collectively, our data indicate that Sarm1 ablation increases mitochondrial bioenergetics and confers histological and functional protection in vivo in the mouse retina against mitochondrial dysfunction, a hallmark of many neurodegenerative conditions including a variety of ocular disorders.     

Microfluidic continuous magnetophoretic protein separation using nanoparticle aggregates

We demonstrate a microfluidic continuous-flow protein separation process in which silica-coated superparamagnetic nanoparticles interact preferentially with hemoglobin in a mixture with bovine serum albumin, and the resulting hemoglobin-nanoparticle aggregates are recovered online using magnetophoresis. We present detailed modeling and analysis of this process yielding quantitative estimates of the recovery of both proteins, validated by experiments. While several previous studies utilize an average particle size in modeling magnetophoretic particle trajectories or process design, in this study we emphasize the importance of accounting for particle size distributions in calculating particle recovery, and therefore in estimating separation efficiency. We combine experimentally measured size distributions of protein-nanoparticle aggregates with simulations of particle trajectories and provide a simple analytical method to calculate the efficiency of separation at various flow speeds, which fully accounts for heterogeneity in particle sizes. Our method can potentially be used for affinity based biomolecular separations at both analytical and preparative scales by exploiting well-established techniques to functionalize nanoparticle surfaces with selective ligands. Further, the modeling methodology presented here may be applied to provide better estimates of particle recovery in a broad range of magnetophoretic separation processes involving heterogeneity in particle sizes.     

基于联合学习的问答情感分类方法

面向问答型评论的情感分类在情感分析领域是一项新颖且极具挑战性的研究任务。由于问答型评论情感分类标注数据非常匮乏,基于监督学习的情感分类方法的性能有一定限制。为了解决上述困境,该文提出了一种基于联合学习的问答情感分类方法。该方法通过大量自然标注普通评论辅助问答情感分类任务,将问答情感分类作为主任务,将普通评论情感分类作为辅助任务。具体而言,首先通过主任务模型单独学习问答型评论的情感信息;其次,使用问答型评论和普通评论共同训练辅助任务模型,以获取问答型评论的辅助情感信息;最后通过联合学习同时学习和更新主任务模型及辅助任务模型的参数。实验结果表明,基于联合学习的问答情感分类方法能较好融合问答型评论和普通评论的情感信息,大幅提升问答情感分类任务的性能。