Identification of stable reference genes for quantitative gene expression analysis in the duodenum of meat-type ducks

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is an important method to detect gene expression at the molecular level. The selection of appropriate housekeeping genes is the key to accurately calculating the expression level of target genes and conducting gene function studies. In this study, the expression of eight candidate reference genes, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), beta-actin (β-actin), 18S ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA), hydroxymethylbilane synthase (HMBS), hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase 1 (HPRT1), TATA box binding protein (TBP), ribosomal protein L13 (RPL13), and tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein (YWHAZ), in the duodenal epithelial tissue of 42-day-old meat-type ducks were detected using qPCR. Furthermore, their expression stability was analyzed using the geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper programs. The results indicated that HMBS and YWHAZ were the most stably expressed genes. All three programs indicated that the expression of 18S rRNA was the least stable, making it unsuitable for the study of gene expression in meat-type duck tissues. This study provides stable reference genes for gene expression analysis and contributes to further studies on the gene function of meat-type ducks

Poboljšanje emulgatorskih svojstava konjugata hidrolizata pšeničnoga glutena i λ-karagenana

Gluten hydrolysate was prepared through limited enzymatic hydrolysis of wheat gluten resulting from the byproducts of wheat starch. The enzyme applied in the present study was Protamex. Response surface methodology was used to investigate the effects of pH, gluten hydrolysate (GHP)λ-carrageenan (C) ratio and reaction time on emulsifying properties of the GHP-C conjugate. The regression model for emulsion activity index (EAI) was significant at p=0.001, while reaction time had a significant effect on EAI of the conjugate with regression coefficient of 4.25. The interactions of pH and GHP/ C ratio, and GHP/C ratio and reaction time significantly affected the EAI of the conjugate. Both the emulsifying property and nitrogen solubility index (NSI) of GHP-C conjugate prepared under the optimal conditions increased more remarkably, compared to the control. The denaturation temperature of GHP-C conjugate obviously increased compared to wheat gluten. The addition of GHP-C conjugate had different effects on dough characteristics. Moreover, this conjugate can delay the increase in the bread crumb firmness during storage. It demonstrated that this conjugate couldimprove the dough characteristics and had anti-staling properties of bread.Hidrolizat glutena pripravljen je ograničenom enzimskom hidrolizom pšeničnoga glutena dobivenog kao nusproizvod pšeničnoga škroba. U radu je upotrijebljen enzim Protamex. Metodom odzivne površine (response surface methodology) ispitivan je utjecaj pH, odnos gluten hidrolizat (GHP)λ-karagenan (C) i trajanje reakcije na emulgatorska svojstva GHP-C konjugata. Regresijski model za indeks aktivnosti emulzije (EAI) bio je značajan pri p=0,001, a vrijeme reakcije bitno je utjecalo na EAI konjugata s koeficijentom regresije od 4,25. Međusobni odnos pH i GHP/C, te vremena reakcije značajno utječe na EAI konjugata. GHP-C konjugati, pripravljeni pod optimalnim uvjetima, imali su bitno poboljšana emulgatorska svojstva i indeks topljivosti dušika (NSI) u usporedbi s kontrolnim uzorkom. Temperatura je denaturacije GHP-C konjugata vi{a u usporedbi s glutenom. Dodatak GHP-C konjugata različito je utjecao na osobine tijesta. Konjugat omogučava da se duže očuva svježina krušnih mrvica tijekom skladištenja, poboljšaju svojstva tijesta i uspori starenje kruha

Expression analysis of banana MaECHI1 during fruit ripening with different treatments

The main function of endochitinase is believed to be pathogenesis related protein. However, more and more scientists reported the roles of endochitinase in plant growth and development. In order to investigate the role of endochitinase in postharvest banana fruit ripening, an endochitinase gene known as MaECHI1 had been isolated from a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA) library. MaECHI1 was mainly expressed in banana fruit and flowers. Ethylene biosynthesis, gene expression and chitinase activities in different stages of postharvest banana fruit with or without ethylene and 1-methylcycle–propene (1-MCP) treatments were investigated. The results show that under ethylene treatment, banana ethylene production, gene expression, and chitinase activities increased markedly at the onset of banana ripening. Moreover, banana ethylene production and MaECHI1 gene expression peaks appeared earlier with ethylene treatment than with other treatment. MaECHI1 gene expression was markedly responsive to the fruit ripening process and to exogenous ethylene treatment.Keywords: Banana (Musa acuminata L.AAA), endochitinase gene expression, ethylene production fruit ripenin

Quantum discord induced by white noises

We discuss the creation of quantum discord between two two-level atoms trapped in an optical cavity in a noisy environment. It is shown that nonzero steady-state quantum discord between atoms can be obtained when the white-noise field is separately imposed on atoms or cavity mode, while the steady-state quantum discord reaches zero if both cavity mode and atoms are driven simultaneously by white-noise fields. In particular, we demonstrate that white-noise field in different cases can play a variously constructive role in the generation of quantum discord.Comment: 6 figure

Continuous fabrication of microcapsules with controllable metal covered nanoparticle arrays using droplet microfluidics for localized surface plasmon resonance

Particle-laden plasmonic microcapsules were fabricated continuously using microfluidic technology, showing high LSPR with high-density “hot-spot” scattering sites.</p

Effect of Casein Hydrolysates on Yogurt Fermentation and Texture Properties during Storage

U radu je istražen utjecaj kazeina hidroliziranog papainom na kiselost jogurta i rast probiotskih bakterija tijekom fermentacije. Procijenjen je postotak preživljavanja probiotskih bakterija te tekstura jogurta tijekom skladištenja na 4 °C. Hidrolizati su znatno smanjili vrijeme fermentacije i koagulacije jogurta. Povećanje kiselosti nakon fermentacije je smanjeno dodatkom hidrolizata. Hidrolizati su povećali broj probiotičkih bakterija na početku fermentacije, ali se pred kraj fermentacije smanjio rast probiotičkih organizama. Dodatak hidrolizata povećao je postotak preživljavanja probiotičkih bakterija. Hidrolizati su značajno (p<0,05) povećali adhezivnost jogurta, osim 0,5 % hidrolizata sa stupnjem hidrolize od 8,5 %. Dodatak hidrolizata značajno je poboljšao (p<0,05) senzorska svojstva jogurta nakon skladištenja. Utjecaj hidrolizata kazeina na fermentaciju i teksturu ovisi o njihovoj molekularnoj masi.Effects of casein hydrolysates by papain on acidification of the yogurts and growth of probiotic bacteria during yogurt fermentation have been investigated. The viability of probiotic bacteria and texture characteristics of the yogurts during storage at 4 °C have been evaluated. The hydrolysates strongly decreased the fermentation and coagulation time of the yogurts. The post-fermentation acidification was retarded by the hydrolysates. The hydrolysates increased the probiotic counts during initial fermentation stage. The growth of the probiotic organisms decreased at the final stage. Survival of probiotic bacteria was improved by the hydrolysates. The hydrolysates significantly (p<0.05) increased the adhesiveness of the yogurts except for 0.5 % of hydrolysate with degree of hydrolysis of 8.5 %. The sensory evaluation scores of the yogurts were significantly (p<0.05) improved by the hydrolysates after the storage. The effect of casein hydrolysates on fermentation and texture properties was related to the molecular mass of the hydrolysates

Survivability of Lactobacillus rhamnosus during the Preparation of Soy Cheese

Svrha je ovog istraživanja razvoj novog probiotičkog sira od soje na bazi kineskog sira sufu. Sir je dobiven fermentacijom sojinog mlijeka s pomoću bakterijskih starter kultura (DH1 i GH4) i L. rhamnosus 6013. Nakon zrenja uspoređene su ocjene senzorskih svojstava probiotičkog sira od soje (standard SB/T 10170-93) s kontrolnim uzorkom. Ispitani su promjena pH-vrijednosti, rast bakterija i preživljavanje potencijalne probiotičke kulture L. rhamnosus 6013 tijekom fermentacije i skladištenja na 10 °C. Nakon 6 sati fermentacije, L. rhamnosus 6013 bio je sposoban rasti u sojinom mlijeku sve do 108-109 CFU/mL. Nakon skladištenja tijekom 30 dana pri 10 °C primijećeno je slabo opadanje pH-vrijednosti i broja živih stanica bakterija. Broj živih stanica nakon 30 dana iznosio je 107 CFU/g L. rhamnosus 6013, 106 CFU/g DH1 i 106 CFU/g GH4. Udio stahioze, rafinoze i saharoze u siru od soje određen je visokodjelotvornom tekućinskom kromatografijom. Rezultati pokazuju da L. rhamnosus 6013 može koristiti oligosaharide soje kao izvor ugljika. Dodatak od 2 do 4 % soli nije značajnije utjecao na preživljavanje kulture L. rhamnosus 6013, što znači da ta bakterija može podnijeti tehnološku preradu bez negativnog utjecaja na fermentaciju i senzorska svojstva sira od soje.The aim of this study was to develop a new probiotic soy cheese on the basis of chinese sufu. The soy cheese was made from soymilk fermented with soy cheese bacterial starter cultures (DH1 and GH4) and L. rhamnosus 6013. After ripening, probiotic soy cheese sensory scores (standard SB/T 10170-93) were compared to the control. The changes in pH, bacterial growth and the survivability of the potential probiotic L. rhamnosus 6013 during fermentation and storage at 10 °C were examined. After 6 h of fermentation, L. rhamnosus 6013 was capable of growing in soymilk as high as 108–109 CFU/mL. After being stored for 30 days at 10 °C, slight decrease in pH and the viable counts of the strain was noticed. The viable counts of L. rhamnosus 6013, DH1 and GH4 were 107, 106 and 106 CFU/g, respectively, after storage for 30 days. The levels of stachyose, raffinose and sucrose in soy cheese were determined by high performance liquid chromatography. The results indicated that L. rhamnosus 6013 could utilize the soybean oligosaccharides as carbon sources. In addition, 2–4 % of NaCl had little effect on the survivability of L. rhamnosus 6013. It indicated that L. rhamnosus 6013 could withstand the technological processing of soy cheese and had no negative effect on the fermentation and the sensory properties of the soy cheese

Discontinuous moving shot technique for conformal thermal ablation in an ex vivo porcine liver model

PURPOSEWe aimed to determine the ablation characteristics of discontinuous moving shot technique (DMST) in microwave ablation (MWA), radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and laser ablation (LA), and analyze the differences compared with fixed electrode technique (FET) in an ex vivo porcine liver model.METHODSFET was defined as the ablation needle remaining fixed during ablation. In DMST, ablation needle moved backward for a fixed distance twice along the long axis during ablation. Four moving distances (0.5 cm, 0.75 cm, 1 cm and 2 cm) were used in DMST. Long-axis diameter (LAD) and short-axis diameter (SAD) of ablation zones were measured. The ratio of LAD/SAD was calculated.RESULTSThe shape and size of ablation zones were different between DMST and FET. Compared with FET, DMST could achieve greater LAD when the moving distance became long enough. In MWA with DMST, SAD decreased with the extension of moving distance and finally became smaller than the SAD in FET. While in LA and RFA, the change of moving distance did not affect SAD significantly.CONCLUSIONIn MWA, RFA and LA, the characteristics of ablation zone of DMST were different from that of FET. This unique ablation technique may be suitable for conformal thermal ablation