Modification on phenolic profiles and enhancement of antioxidant activity of proso millets during germination

Changes in phenolic profiles and antioxidant activity of three varieties of proso millet during germination were investigated. Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) increased significantly with prolongation in germination period. After germination for 6 days, TPC of the free and bound fractions increased 6.30–8.66-fold and 77.65–116.18%, respectively. The free and bound phenolic compounds identified by UPLC-MS/MS, displayed significant variations. Feruloylquinic acid and N,N′-bis-(p-coumaroyl)-putrescine biosynthesized during germination, are reported for the first time in proso millets. Other phenolics including trans- and cis-ferulic, trans-p-coumaric, vanillic acid and ferulic acid dimers (DFAs) were increased significantly along with a new DFA (8,5′-DFA) seemingly produced during germination. The germinated proso milllets displayed superior antioxidant activity than the corresponding ungerminated samples indicating that germination could be one applicable method for improving phenolic profiles and antioxidant capacity of proso millets. Thus germinated proso millet could be exploited as a functional ingredient in several products

Integrated development optimization model and its solving method of multiple gas fields

To optimize production schedule and production plan of multiple gas fields with certain amount of investment and constraints and to maximize their economic benefits under the production sharing contact (PSC) mode, a quantitative relationship was applied to describe the production performance depending on the development status of multiple gas fields in China and abroad. Furthermore, with the PSC-based net present value (NPV) as the objective function, a mixed integer nonlinear programming model for gas fields with optimized production schedule and productivity was established. An adaptive layer-embedded genetic algorithm was proposed to solve this model. Through handling the variables and constraints for solving this model and improving the genetic structure, genetic operators and termination conditions of standard genetic algorithm, modeling and solving techniques were formed for integrated and efficient development of multiple gas fields. Results obtained by three methods, i.e. multi-scheme comparison without mathematical model, standard genetic algorithm which induces penalty function to treat constraints, and adaptive layer-embedded genetic algorithm, were compared. The proposed optimization model is accurate, and the proposed layer-embedded genetic algorithm provides satisfactory convergence and calculation rate, ensuring that multiple gas fields could be exploited orderly. Key words: multiple gas fields, gas field integrated development, economic benefits, development optimization model, layer-embedded genetic algorith

Enhanced properties of poly(vinyl alcohol) composite films with functionalized graphene

Three types of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composite films containing graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and novel sulfonated graphene oxide (SRGO) as a filler were successfully prepared by a simple solution casting. The structure and properties of graphene-based PVA composites films were investigated. The results showed that the properties of the polymer composites films were sensitive to the structure of graphene. GO acted as the best reinforcing filler to enhance the mechanical property of PVA because it has many oxygen functional groups which could enhance the interfacial interactions through the formation of hydrogen bonds with PVA chains. The tensile strength and modulus of the resulting PVA/GO composites could reach 280 MPa and 13.5 GPa, respectively. RGO could improve the dielectric properties of PVA and the electrical conductivities were increased by similar to 10(11) orders of magnitude in the composites with 50 wt% of filler loadings as compared to that of neat PVA. SRGO could enhance the mechanical and dielectric properties of PVA simultaneously. The mechanical properties of PVA could be efficiently improved due to the strong interaction between the -SO3H groups on the SRGO sheets and PVA chains. The tensile strength and modulus of the resulting PVA/SRGO composites could reach 252 MPa and 8.5 GPa, respectively. Although the conductivity values of PVA/SRGO composites were less than those of the PVA/RGO composites, they were still increased by similar to 10(10) orders of magnitude in the composites with 50 wt% of filler loadings as compared to that of neat PVA. These results demonstrated that PVA films with enhancement in the mechanical and electronic properties can be fabricated with proper modified graphene

Role of A20 in Interferon-α-Mediated Functional Restoration of Myeloid Dendritic Cells in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global health problem characterized by a high rate of chronic infection, which may in part be due to a defect in myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs). This defect appears to be remedied by treatment with interferon-α (IFN-α) -based antiviral therapies; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying mDC dysfunction in HCV infection and restoration by IFN-α treatment are unclear. The ubiquitin-editing protein A20 plays a crucial role in controlling the maturation, cytokine production and immunostimulatory function of mDCs. We propose that the expression of A20 correlates with the function of mDCs during HCV infection and IFN-α therapy. In this study, we observed that A20 expression in mDCs isolated from chronically HCV-infected subjects was significantly higher than healthy subjects or subjects achieving sustained virological responses (SVR) following antiviral treatment. Notably, A20 expression in mDCs from HCV patients during IFN-α treatment was significantly lower than for untreated patients, SVR patients, or healthy subjects. Besides, A20 expression in mDCs stimulated by polyI:C differed between HCV patients and healthy subjects, and this difference could be abrogated by the treatment with IFN-α in vitro. Additionally, A20 expression by polyI:C-activated mDCs, with or without IFN-α treatment, negatively correlated with the expression of HLA-DR, CD86 and CCR7, and the secretion of interleukin-12 (IL-12), but positively associated with the production of IL-10. Importantly, silencing A20 expression using small interfering RNAs increased the production of IL-12 in mDCs of chronically HCV-infected individuals. These findings suggest that A20 plays a crucial role in negative regulation of innate immune responses during chronic viral infection