Metali u medu iz provincije Henan, Kina: sustavna analiza metodom ICP-AES

In this study, the method for determining ten elements (including K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd) was designed. With this method, we evaluated 15 honey samples, including three kinds of honey collected from 11 different geographic sites in Henan province of China, with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The obtained detecting data were analysed with principal component analysis, correlation analysis, and cluster analysis techniques. The results showed that the recovery is in the range of 93.0−107.0 %, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were all below 5.89 %, which indicates that the current analytical method is dependable for the detection of metallic elements in honey. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.U ovom istraživanju osmišljena je metoda određivanja deset elemenata (K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb i Cd). Tom metodom evaluirano je 15 uzoraka meda, uključujući tri vrste meda prikupljenih s 11 lokaliteta u provinciji Henan, Kina, atomskom emisijskom spektrometrijom s induktivno spregnutom plazmom (ICP-AES). Dobiveni podatci proučeni su analizom glavnih komponenti, korelacijskom analizom i tehnikama klasterskih analiza. Rezultati su pokazali da se oporaba kreće u rasponu od 93,0 do 107,0 %, a relativne standardne devijacije (RSD) bile su ispod 5,89 %, što ukazuje da je trenutačna analitička metoda pouzdana za otkrivanje metala u medu. Ovo djelo je dano na korištenje pod licencom Creative Commons Imenovanje 4.0 međunarodna

An improved particle swarm optimization algorithm and its application to search for new magnetic ground states in the Hubbard model

An improved particle swarm optimization algorithm is proposed and its superiority over standard particle swarm optimization algorithm is tested on two typical benchmark functions. By employing this algorithm to search for the magnetic ground states of the Hubbard model on the real-space square lattice with finite size based on the mean-field approximation, two new magnetic states, namely the double striped-type antiferromagnetic state and the triple antiferromagnetic state, are found. We further perform mean-field calculations in the thermodynamical limit to confirm that these two new magnetic states are not a result of a finite-size effect, where the properties of the double striped-type antiferromagnetic state are also presented.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

A predator-prey interaction between a marine Pseudoalteromonas sp. and Gram-positive bacteria

Predator-prey interactions play important roles in the cycling of marine organic matter. Here we show that a Gram-negative bacterium isolated from marine sediments (Pseudoalteromonas sp. strain CF6-2) can kill Gram-positive bacteria of diverse peptidoglycan (PG) chemotypes by secreting the metalloprotease pseudoalterin. Secretion of the enzyme requires a Type II secretion system. Pseudoalterin binds to the glycan strands of Gram positive bacterial PG and degrades the PG peptide chains, leading to cell death. The released nutrients, including PG-derived D-amino acids, can then be utilized by strain CF6-2 for growth. Pseudoalterin synthesis is induced by PG degradation products such as glycine and glycine-rich oligopeptides. Genes encoding putative pseudoalterin-like proteins are found in many other marine bacteria. This study reveals a new microbial interaction in the ocean

PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway participates in neuroprotection by dexmedetomidine inhibits neuronic autophagy following traumatic brain injury in rats

Dexmedetomidine (Dex) has been demonstrated to provide neuroprotective effect against brain injury in the central nervous system. However, the underlying mechanism of this neuroprotection remains unclear. In this study, we explored whether Dex has the protective potential in rat models of traumatic brain injury(TBI). More importantly, our study further investigated the role of neuronic autophagy induced by PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in this neuroprotective action. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a diffuse cortical impact injury caused by a modified weight-drop device and Dex (15ug/kg, i.v.) was administered immediately after TBI. Wet-dry weight method was used to evaluate brain edema. Motor function outcome was assessed by Neurologic Severity Score and the spatial learning ability was evaluated in a Morris water maze. The co-localization of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3) and neuronal nuclei (NeuN), or LC3 and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) were analyzed by immunofluorescence respectively. The expression of LC3, Phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-Akt) and p-mTOR were quantified using Western blot analysis. Our results showed treatment of rats exposed to TBI with Dex caused not only marked reduction in cerebral edema, motor and cognitive functions deficits, but also a decrease in LC3 levels and a increase in p-Akt and p-mTOR levels. Taken together, these findings indicated that treatment with Dex after TBI could inhibited neuronic autophagy in the hippocampus mediated by the activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, finally promoting neurological recovery.Abbreviations: TBI, Traumatic brain injury; Dex, Dexmedetomidine; LC3, Light chain 3; NeuN, Neuronal nuclei; mTOR, Mammalian target of rapamycin; Akt, Protein kinase