89 research outputs found
Spatial patterns of wheat grain composition in relation to nutritional quality and processing properties
The quality of wheat-based food. products, especially bread quality, is
significantly affected by the characteristics of the wheat flour, both in term of
processing quality and nutritional value. White flour, by far the most used flour
in breadmaking, derives from grinding of the grain starchy endosperm. Several
studies have demonstrated that the endosperm tissue shows significant
inhomogeneity in its chemical composition, with both quantitative and qualitative
patterns of tissue distribution observed for all its main storage components.
This project has focused on a detailed study of the spatial distributions of
proteins and starch within the wheat endosperm, how they are influenced by
genetic and environmental factors and how they affect the processing
properties of the flour. Multiple technologies, including protein/starch chemistry,
immunocytochemistry and microscopy, have been used to achieve the research
aims.
The results show a clear deceasing gradient in total protein in the endosperm
from the subaleurone toward the centre of the grain. Strong spatial gradients
were also observed in the composition of gluten proteins. These patterns were
best visualised in vivo by Immunofluorescence microscopy. The SE-HPLC
profiles, which can be used to predict processing quality, also showed gradients
across the grain.
The pattern of distribution of starch showed an opposite trend to that of
proteins, being higher in the central endosperm cells than in subaleurone cells.
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The amylose/amylopectin ratio also varied spatially in grain of some of the
cultivars.
Strong genotype effects were found for all parameters that were measured.
Nitrogen fertilisation was found to have a strong impact on the amount of
protein (both quantity and quality) and their distributions. Moreover, it also
influenced, albeit to a much smaller extent, the amount of starch.
The detailed information on protein and starch distribution within endosperm
and effects of genotype and nitrogen fertiliser from this study provided
knowledge that would lead to greater understanding of protein and starch
synthesis as well as nutrition transport within grain. It is also potentially
beneficial for improving milling technology and selecting breeding candidates for
different purposes
Microencapsulation of vitamins in food applications to prevent losses in processing and storage: A review
Implications of GWTC-3 on primordial black holes from vacuum bubbles
The population of black holes inferred from the detection of gravitational
waves by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration has revealed interesting features
in the properties of black holes in the universe. We analyze the GWTC-3 dataset
assuming the detected black holes in each event had an either astrophysical or
primordial origin. In particular, we consider astrophysical black holes
described by the fiducial \textsc{Power Law + Peak} distribution and primordial
black holes whose mass function obeys a broken power law. These primordial
black holes can be generated by vacuum bubbles that nucleate during inflation.
We find that astrophysical black holes dominate the events with mass less than
, whereas primordial black holes are responsible for the
massive end, and also for the peak at in the mass
distribution. More than half of the observed events could come from primordial
black hole mergers. We also discuss the implications on the primordial black
hole formation mechanism and the underlying inflationary model.Comment: The ABH model has been update
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Gradients in compositions in the starchy endosperm of wheat have implications for milling and processing
Background: Wheat is the major food grain consumed in temperate countries. Most wheat is consumed after
milling to produce white flour, which corresponds to the endosperm storage tissue of the grain. Because the
starchy endosperm accounts for about 80% of the grain dry weight, the miller aims to achieve flour yields
approaching this value.
Scope and approach: Bioimaging can be combined with biochemical analysis of fractions produced by sequential
pearling of whole grains to determine the distributions of components within the endosperm tissue.
Key findings and conclusions: This reveals that endosperm is not homogeneous, but exhibits gradients in composition
from the outer to the inner part. These include gradients in both amount and composition. For example,
the content of gluten proteins decreases but the proportion of glutenin polymers increases from the outside to the
centre of the tissue. However, the content of starch increases with changes in the granule size distribution, the
proportions of amylose and amylopectin, and their thermal properties. Hence these parts of the endosperm differ
in the functional properties for food processing. Gradients also exist in minor components which may affect
health and processing, such as dietary fibre and lipids. The gradients in grain composition are reflected in
differences in the compositions of the mill streams which are combined to give white flour (which may number
over 20). These differences could therefore be exploited by millers and food processors to develop flours with
compositions and properties for specific end uses
An Artificial Light Source Influences Mating and Oviposition of Black Soldier Flies, Hermetia illucens
Current methods for mass-rearing black soldier flies, Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), in the laboratory are dependent on sunlight. Quartz-iodine lamps and rare earth lamps were examined as artificial light sources for stimulating H. illucens to mate and lay eggs. Sunlight was used as the control. Adults in the quartz-iodine lamp treatment had a mating rate of 61% of those in the sunlight control. No mating occurred when the rare earth lamp was used as a substitute. Egg hatch for the quartz-iodine lamp and sunlight treatments occurred in approximately 4 days, and the hatch rate was similar between these two treatments. Larval and pupal development under these treatments required approximately 18 and 15 days at 28°° C, respectively. Development of methods for mass rearing of H. illucens using artificial light will enable production of this fly throughout the year without investing in greenhouse space or requiring sunlight
Antibody Dynamics of 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) Virus in Infected Patients and Vaccinated People in China
BACKGROUND: To evaluate the risk of the recurrence and the efficiency of the vaccination, we followed-up antibody responses in patients with the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza and persons who received the pandemic H1N1 vaccine in Guangzhou China. METHODS: We collected serum samples from 129 patients and 86 vaccinated persons at day 0, 15, 30, 180 after the disease onset or the vaccination, respectively. Antibody titers in these serum samples were determined by haemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay using a local isolated virus strain A/Guangdong Liwan/SWL1538/2009(H1N1). RESULTS: HI antibody positive rate of the patients increased significantly from 0% to 60% at day 15 (Ď(2)â=â78, P<0.001) and 100% at day 30 (Ď(2)â=â23, P<0.001), but decreased significantly to 52% at day 180 (Ď(2)â=â38, P<0.001), while that of vaccinated subjects increased from 0% to 78% at day 15 (Ď(2)â=â110, P<0.001) and 81% at day 30 (Ď(2)â=â0.32, Pâ=â0.57), but decreased significantly to 34% at day 180 (Ď(2)â=â39, P<0.001). Geometric mean titers (GMT) of HI antibodies in positive samples from the patients did not change significantly between day 15 and day 30 (Tâ=â0.92, Pâ=â0.36), but it decreased significantly from 80 at day 30 to 52 at day 180 (Tâ=â4.5, P<0.001). GMT of vaccinated persons increased significantly from 100 at day 15 to 193 at day 30 (Tâ=â4.5, P<0.001), but deceased significantly to 74 at day 180 (Tâ=â5.1, P<0.001). Compared to the patients, the vaccinated subjects showed lower seroconversion rate (Ď(2)â=â11, P<0.001; Ď(2)â=â5.9, Pâ=â0.015), but higher GMT (Tâ=â6.0, P<0.001; Tâ=â3.6, Pâ=â0.001) at day 30 and day 180, respectively. CONCLUSION: Vaccination of 2009 influenza A (H1N1) was effective. However, about half or more recovered patients and vaccinated persons might have lost sufficient immunity against the recurrence of the viral infection after half a year. Vaccination or re-vaccination may be necessary for prevention of the recurrence
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GWAS Identifies Novel Susceptibility Loci on 6p21.32 and 21q21.3 for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Carriers
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have recently identified KIF1B as susceptibility locus for hepatitis B virus (HBV)ârelated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To further identify novel susceptibility loci associated with HBVârelated HCC and replicate the previously reported association, we performed a large three-stage GWAS in the Han Chinese population. 523,663 autosomal SNPs in 1,538 HBVâpositive HCC patients and 1,465 chronic HBV carriers were genotyped for the discovery stage. Top candidate SNPs were genotyped in the initial validation samples of 2,112 HBVâpositive HCC cases and 2,208 HBV carriers and then in the second validation samples of 1,021 cases and 1,491 HBV carriers. We discovered two novel associations at rs9272105 (HLA-DQA1/DRB1) on 6p21.32 (OR = 1.30, P = 1.13Ă) and rs455804 (GRIK1) on 21q21.3 (OR = 0.84, P = 1.86Ă), which were further replicated in the fourth independent sample of 1,298 cases and 1,026 controls (rs9272105: OR = 1.25, P = 1.71Ă; rs455804: OR = 0.84, P = 6.92Ă). We also revealed the associations of HLA-DRB1*0405 and 0901*0602, which could partially account for the association at rs9272105. The association at rs455804 implicates GRIK1 as a novel susceptibility gene for HBVârelated HCC, suggesting the involvement of glutamate signaling in the development of HBVârelated HCC
MiRâ338 regulates NFATc1 expression and inhibits the proliferation and epithelialâmesenchymal transition of human nonâsmallâcell lung cancer cells
Abstract Background It is well known that nuclear factor of activated T cells c1 (NFATc1) expression is closely associated with progression of many cancers. And we found that miRâ338 could directly target the NFATc1. However, the precise mechanisms of miRâ338 in nonâsmallâcell lung cancer (NSCLC) have not been well clarified. Our study aimed to explore the interaction between NFATc1 and miRâ338 in NSCLC. Methods Quantitative RTâPCR was utilized to determine the expressions of NFATc1 and miRâ338 in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. And the cell proliferation and epithelialâmesenchymal transition (EMT) were assessed to determine the functional roles of miRâ338 and NFATc1 in NSCLC cells. NFATc1 expression was detected using quantitative RTâPCR and western blotting, respectively. Luciferase reporter assays were performed to validate NFATc1 as a target of miRâ338 in NSCLC cells. Results In this study, our results showed that NFATc1 expression was significantly upâregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines, and the miRâ338 level was dramatically downâregulated. Moreover high NFATc1 expression was closely associated with low miRâ338 level in NSCLC tissues. Moreover introduction of miRâ338 significantly inhibited proliferation and EMT of NSCLC cells. Bioinformatics analysis predicted that the NFATc1 was a potential target gene of miRâ338. We demonstrated that miRâ338 could directly target NFATc1 by using luciferase reporter assay. Besides, knockdown of NFATc1 had the similar effects with miRâ338 overexpression on NSCLC cells. Upâregulation of NFATc1 in NSCLC cells partially abolished the inhibitory effects of miRâ338 mimic. Conclusions Overexpression of miRâ338 inhibited cell proliferation and EMT of NSCLC cells by directly downâregulating NFATc1 expression
Proof and Generalization of Kaplan-Yorke's Conjecture on Periodic Solution of Differential Delay Equations
1991 Mathematics Subject Classification. 34,58.In this paper, using the theory of existence of periodic solutions of Hamiltonian systems, we show that infinitely many periodic solutions of differential delay equations can be yielded from a family of periodic solutions of the coupled generalized Hamiltonian systems. Some sufficient conditions on the existence of periodic solutions of differential delay equations are obtained. As a corollary of our results, we show that the conjecture of Kaplan-Yorke on the search for periodic solutions for certain special classes of scalar differential delay equations is true
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