Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) for simultaneous detection of DNA from sunflower,poppy, flaxseed,sesame and soy allergenic ingredients in commercial food products

This work describes a multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) technique for the simultaneous detection of five food allergens: sunflower, poppy, flaxseed, sesame and soy. Species-specific MLPA half-probes were designed to detect the DNA from the targeted species. Ligated probes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and amplicons were detected using capillary electrophoresis. The specificity of the MLPA system was assessed against DNA from more than 50 plant and animal species. The limit of detection (LOD) of the assay was determined to be 10 mg kg⁻¹in a model cookie experimentally spiked with different concentrations of the target species. The applicability of the MLPA was demonstrated through the analysis of 56 different commercial products (breads, pastries, cereals, chocolates, drinks, etc.), evidencing the presence of one or more undeclared allergenic ingredients in some of the tested samples. Real-time PCR assays were also performed to confirm and complement MLPA results. The MLPA technique has proved as a qualified screening tool for determining the presence of low amounts of sunflower, poppy, flaxseed, sesame and soy in processed foods.     

The effects of oxygenation aeration treatment on dissipation behaviors of tricaine mesylate in carp (Cyprinus carpio) muscle and water

Tricaine mesylate (MS-222) is one of the most used anesthetics in fish. It can be absorbed by the human body via food consumption, with related detriments to human health. In this study, a modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method was developed for the determination of MS-222 in carp muscle and water samples using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). For cleanup procedure, multiplug filtration cleanup (m-PFC) method with n-Hexane delipidation was adopted. The extraction solvent, cleanup methods and sorbents were optimized. All method validation parameters were in the acceptable range. The dissipation behavior study was followed by the method development. Firstly, the anesthesia dose and time were optimized in application study. Secondly, carps were revived for different period of time with (experimental group) and without (control group) the oxygenation aeration treatment to compare the dissipation rate of MS-222. After being anesthetized for 6 h at 50 mg/L and 12 h of elimination, the concentrations of MS-222 in crap muscle and water of experimental group was lower than those of control group. After 36 h of elimination under oxygenation aeration, over 90% of MS-222 was dissipated in carp muscle. The results showed that the half-life of MS-222 in carp muscle was 6.2 h. The findings suggested that the commonly-used oxygenation aeration treatment in aquaculture production had potential effects in accelerating the dissipation of MS-222 in carp and water. In this study, three days of withdrawal period was recommended in carps after MS-222 administration under oxygenation aeration.     

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes-based magnetic solid-phase extraction for the determination of zearalenone and its derivatives in maize by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

A simple and rapid magnetic solid-phase extraction (M-SPE) procedure using multi-walled carbon nanotube-magnetic nanoparticles (MWCNT-MNPs) as sorbents was established for purification of zearalenone (ZEA), α-zearalenol (α-ZOL), β-zearalenol (β-ZOL), zearalanone (ZAN), α-zearalanol (α-ZAL) and β-zearalanol (β-ZAL) in maize. The main parameters affecting the clean-up efficiency were thoroughly investigated, and high purification efficiencies for all analytes were obtained. The resulting MWCNT-MNP-ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method was validated for maize samples. The matrix effects were greatly minimized using the M-SPE approach, with signal suppression/enhancement values decreased from 69.9–127.6% to 92.1–103.8%. Consequently, complex matrix-matched calibration curves were not necessary and the calibrations constructed in acetonitrile could be applied for accurate quantification of the targeted mycotoxins in real samples. The average recoveries ranged from 75.8 to 104.1% and the inter- and intra-day precision values expressed as RSDs, were all lower than 14%. Limits of detection and quantification were in the range of 0.03–0.04 and 0.07–0.10 μg/kg, respectively. The analytical performance of the developed method was also successfully evaluated with maize samples, and this method was proved to be a powerful tool for monitoring ZEA and its derivatives in maize.     

油管锚工艺的应用分析

为降低油井生产过程中的冲程损失,进一步提高开发效果,在理论分析的基础上提出了一种旋转油管锚。介绍了这种工具的结构和工作原理,它具有结构简单、施工方便、性能可靠、经济耐用、作业成功率高等特点。现场应用表明,作业一次成功率达100%。     

催化裂化装置衬里技术的现状和展望

根据目前国内催化裂化装置衬里的状况,就单层隔热耐磨衬里的优点及应用、衬里料化学成分的控制、钢丝纤维、侧拉环锚固钉以及衬里的抗冻试验分别进行了阐述。简单介绍了法国的高耐磨衬里,并对衬里的发展方向进行了展望。     

Localization under anchor node uncertainty for underwater acoustic sensor networks

This paper deals with the problem of sensor node localization in the presence of uncertainty in anchor node location. Aqueous environments are prone to adverse effects of underwater currents. This adversity causes non‐negligible mobility to the anchor nodes deployed under water. Localization in the presence of uncertainty in the anchor node location is quite challenging. Also, the authors consider the ray‐bending property of underwater medium due to depth dependent sound speed, to furnish the accurate position estimate of the target node. Standard ray equations are used to model the path followed by acoustic rays in water. Maximum likelihood estimation is proposed to estimate the location of target node with uncertainty in anchor node positions and is compared with the scheme with exact knowledge of anchor node positions, and the results are reported. Monte Carlo simulation is used to assess the performance of the proposed method. Also, the Cramer‐Rao lower bound with uncertainty in anchor nodes is derived and described. Simulation results of the proposed algorithm outperform the existing algorithm with known anchor location by up to 49.4%, and hence, accuracy is improved in the proposed method.     

Analytical evaluation of different carbon sources and growth stimulators on the biomass and lipid production of Chlorella vulgaris – Implications for biofuels

The key challenges in lipid production from marine microalgae include the selection of appropriate strain, optimization of the culture conditions and enhancement of biolipid yield. This study is aimed at evaluating the optimal harvest time and effect of chlorella growth factor (CGF) extract, carbon sources and phytohormones on the biomass and lipid production in Chlorella vulgaris. CGF, extracted using hot water from Chlorella has been reported to possess various medicinal properties. However, in the present study, for the first time in C. vulgaris, CGF was found as a best growth stimulator by enhancing the biomass level (1.208 kg m⁻³) significantly on day 5. Gibberellin and citrate augmented the biomass by 0.935 kg m⁻³ and 1.025 kg m⁻³. Combination of CGF and phytohormones were more effective than CGF and carbon sources. Analysis of fatty acid methyl esters indicated that the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids is higher in cytokinin, abscisic acid and CGF, and are also rich in short chain carbon atoms, ideal criteria for biodiesel. Nitrogen starvation favoured synthesis of more unsaturated fatty acids than saturated. This study shows that CGF enhances the biomass and lipid significantly and thus can be used for large scale biomass production.     

Assessing sustainable forest biomass potential and bioenergy implications for the northern Lake States region,USA

Forestlands in the United States have tremendous potential for providing feedstocks necessary to meet emerging renewable energy standards. The Lake States region is one area recognized for its high potential of supplying forest-derived biomass; however, the long-term availability of roundwood harvests and associated residues from this region has not been fully explored. Better distribution and temporal availability estimates are needed to formulate emerging state policies regarding renewable energy development. We used a novel predictive methodology to quantify sustainable biomass availability and likely harvest levels over a 100-year period in the Lake States region. USDA Forest Inventory and Analysis estimates of timberland were combined with published growth and yield models, and historic harvest data using the Forest Age Class Change Simulator (FACCS) to generate availability estimates. Monte-Carlo simulation was used to develop probability distributions of biomass harvests and to incorporate the uncertainty of future harvest levels. Our results indicate that 11.27–15.71 Mt y⁻¹ dry roundwood could be sustainably harvested from the Lake States. Assuming 65% collection rate, 1.87–2.62 Mt y⁻¹ residue could be removed, which if substituted for coal would generate 2.12–2.99 GW h of electricity on equivalent energy basis while reducing GHG (CO₂e) emission by 1.91–2.69 Mt annually. In addition to promoting energy security and reducing GHG emissions, forest residues for energy may create additional revenues and employment opportunities in a region historically dependent on forest-based industries.     

Continuous liquid-phase valorization of bio-ethanol towards bio-butanol over metal modified alumina

Commercial mixed-phase aluminum oxide was used as a heterogeneous catalyst support, providing slightly basic properties which are well-suited for the condensation of bio-ethanol to C₄ hydrocarbons, such as 1-butanol. Different metals (Cu, Ni and Co), at various metal loadings were deposited on the support. Consequently, the catalytic reactions were carried out in a continuous laboratory-scale fixed bed reactor operated at 240 °C and 70 bar. The catalysts were characterized by means of XRD, TEM, FT-IR, XPS and ICP-OES. Different metals were found to give entirely different product distributions. With the best catalysts, the selectivities towards 1-butanol close to 70% were reached, while the ethanol conversion typically varied between 10 and 30% – strongly depending on the metal applied. It was observed that low loading of copper and high loading of nickel were responsible for the formation of 1-butanol, whereas cobalt and high loading of copper resulted in the production of ethyl acetate. The reaction was found to be extremely sensitive to catalyst preparation conditions and procedures such as metal loading, calcination/reduction temperature and, thereby, to the formation of corresponding crystallite structure.     

面向离散文本舆情分析的分聚类方案

离散文本已经成为一种占据重要地位的舆情信息表现形式,根据离散文本的特点,提出基于特征概念网的离散文本舆情信息的分聚类框架,在此基础上给出分聚类方案。在聚类算法中,运用了遗传算法的全局并行搜索能力、k—means的高效局部聚类能力和小生境的保持种群多样性抑制漂移能力;在分类算法中,先将训练文本库进行类内聚类成子类,对子类构建特征概念网以生成替代该子类的文本,再用KNN算法进行分类。最后结合舆情分析进一步提出了可用的改进方案。