•The retainment of carotenoid-containing micelles leads to quantitative losses.•KOH concentrations have a significant effect on saponification reaction.•A duration of 60 min is the optimal time for ...saponification reaction.•A fully optimised extraction procedure for quantification of carotenoids in avocado.•Carotenoid content in avocado is higher than previously reported.
Quantification of carotenoids in avocado fruit is a great challenge due to their co-extraction with high-oil concentration and the inherent nature of carotenoids to degrade and undergo cis/trans photoisomerization with prolonged extraction times and high temperatures. The study provides an optimised and validated methodology for quantification of carotenoids in the high-oil avocado matrix, with > 93% recovery of all carotenoids tested being significantly greater than previously published. Saponification with 15% KOH for 60 min was optimal for the avocado matrix. For the first time, this study identified that soap, produced during the saponification reaction, resulted in a significant reduction of carotenoid content from the avocado matrix, due to the production of micelles. A significantly higher carotenoid content (3.58 versus 2.0 mg/100 g DW) was able to be extracted after saponification with acidified phosphate buffer, instead of water as reported previously. Carotenoid profiles of five avocado cultivars were identified and quantified.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
We describe a new generalized Wick theorem for interacting fields in two-dimensional conformal field theory and briefly discuss its relation to the Borcherds identity and its derivation by an ...analytic method. We give examples of calculating operator product expansions using the generalized Wick theorem including fermionic fields.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Highlights • GPNMB expression is up-regulated after ischemia–reperfusion injury. • GPNMB significantly ameliorated infarct volume. • The protective mechanism of GPNMB will be involvement of ...phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and Akt.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of dietary levels of digestible histidine (dHis) and MP on lactational performance and plasma and muscle concentrations of free AA in ...dairy cows. A randomized block design experiment was conducted with 48 Holstein cows, including 20 primiparous, averaging (±SD) 103 ± 22 d in milk and 45 ± 9 kg/d milk yield at the beginning of the experiment. A 2-wk covariate period preceded 12 experimental wk, of which 10 wk were for data and sample collection. Experimental treatments were (1) MP-adequate (MPA) diet with 2.1% dHis of MP (MPA2.1), (2) MPA with 3.0% dHis (MPA3.0), (3) MP-deficient (MPD) diet with 2.1% dHis (MPD2.1), and (4) MPD with 3.0% dHis (MPD3.0). Actual dHis supply was estimated at 64, 97, 57, and 88 g/d, respectively. Diets supplied MP at 110% (MPA) and 96% (MPD) of NRC 2001 dairy model requirements calculated based on DMI and production data during the experiment. Dry matter intake and milk yield data were collected daily, milk samples for composition and blood samples for AA analysis were collected every other week, and muscle biopsies at the end of covariate period, and during wk 12 of the experiment. The overall DMI was not affected by dHis or MP level. Milk yield tended to be increased by 3.0% dHis compared with 2.1% dHis. Milk true protein concentration and yield were not affected by treatments, whereas milk urea nitrogen concentration was lower for MPD versus the MPA diet. Milk fat concentration was lower for MPD versus MPA. There was a MP × dHis interaction for milk fat yield and energy-corrected milk; milk fat was lower for MPD3.0 versus MPD2.1, but similar for cows fed the MPA diet regardless of dHis level whereas energy-corrected milk was greater for MPA3.0 versus MPA2.1 but tended to be lower for MPD3.0 versus MPD2.1. Plasma His concentration was greater for cows fed dHis3.0, and concentration of sum of essential AA was greater, whereas carnosine, 1-Methyl-His and 3-Methyl-His concentrations were lower for cows fed MPA versus MPD diet. Muscle concentration of His was greater for cows fed dHis3.0 treatment. The apparent efficiency of His utilization was increased at lower MP and His levels. Overall, cows fed a corn silage-based diet supplying MP at 110% of NRC (2001) requirements tended to have increased ECM yield and similar milk protein yield to cows fed a diet supplying MP at 96% of requirements. Supplying dHis at 3.0% of MP (or 86 and 96 g/d, for MPD3.0 and MPA3.0, respectively) tended to increase milk yield and increased plasma and muscle concentrations of His but had minor or no effects on other production variables in dairy cows.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The identification of protein–protein interaction sites is essential for the mutant design and prediction of protein–protein networks. The interaction sites of residue units were predicted using ...support vector machines (SVM) and the profiles of sequentially/spatially neighboring residues, plus additional information. When only sequence information was used, prediction performance was highest using the feature vectors, sequentially neighboring profiles and predicted interaction site ratios, which were calculated by SVM regression using amino acid compositions. When structural information was also used, prediction performance was highest using the feature vectors, spatially neighboring residue profiles, accessible surface areas, and the with/without protein interaction sites ratios predicted by SVM regression and amino acid compositions. In the latter case, the precision at recall = 50% was 54–56% for a homo–hetero mixed test set and >20% higher than for random prediction. Approximately 30% of the residues wrongly predicted as interaction sites were the closest sequentially/spatially neighboring on the interaction site residues. The predicted residues covered 86–87% of the actual interfaces (96–97% of interfaces with over 20 residues). This prediction performance appeared to be slightly higher than a previously reported study. Comparing the prediction accuracy of each molecule, it seems to be easier to predict interaction sites for stable complexes.
Two types of cast iron materials-flake graphite cast iron and ductile cast iron-were investigated by the method of magnetic adaptive testing, which is based on the systematic measurement and the ...evaluation of minor magnetic hysteresis loops. In all cases, even within the same type of material rather big differences existed considering both the chemical composition and the material structure of the investigated sample series. The matrix structure was determined by traditional metallographic examination, and these values were compared with the non-destructively measured magnetic parameters. It was shown that the relative pearlite volume fraction of the metallic matrix of cast iron samples could be determined by this method with a good reliability. The same is true also for the relative chill content of the matrix, as long as the samples contain chill at all. A general expression was found to characterize those correlations, which do not depend on the actual sample and neither on the applied parameters of the concrete magnetic measurement.
BodyParts3D is a dictionary-type database for anatomy in which anatomical concepts are represented by 3D structure data that specify corresponding segments of a 3D whole-body model for an adult human ...male. It encompasses morphological and geometrical knowledge in anatomy and complements ontological representation. Moreover, BodyParts3D introduces a universal coordinate system in human anatomy, which may facilitate management of samples and data in biomedical research and clinical practice. As of today, 382 anatomical concepts, sufficient for mapping materials in most molecular medicine experiments, have been specified. Expansion of the dictionary by adding further segments and details to the whole-body model will continue in collaboration with clinical researchers until sufficient resolution and accuracy for most clinical application are achieved. BodyParts3D is accessible at: http://lifesciencedb.jp/ag/bp3d/.
The E2 ubiquitin conjugating enzyme Ubc13 and the E3 ubiquitin ligases Rad18 and Rnf8 promote homologous recombination (HR)-mediated double-strand break (DSB) repair by enhancing polymerization of ...the Rad51 recombinase at γ-ray-induced DSB sites. To analyze functional interactions between the three enzymes, we created RAD18(-/-), RNF8(-/-), RAD18(-/-)/RNF8(-/-) and UBC13(-/-)clones in chicken DT40 cells. To assess the capability of HR, we measured the cellular sensitivity to camptothecin (topoisomerase I poison) and olaparib (poly(ADP ribose)polymerase inhibitor) because these chemotherapeutic agents induce DSBs during DNA replication, which are repaired exclusively by HR. RAD18(-/-), RNF8(-/-) and RAD18(-/-)/RNF8(-/-) clones showed very similar levels of hypersensitivity, indicating that Rad18 and Rnf8 operate in the same pathway in the promotion of HR. Although these three mutants show less prominent defects in the formation of Rad51 foci than UBC13(-/-)cells, they are more sensitive to camptothecin and olaparib than UBC13(-/-)cells. Thus, Rad18 and Rnf8 promote HR-dependent repair in a manner distinct from Ubc13. Remarkably, deletion of Ku70, a protein essential for nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) significantly restored tolerance of RAD18(-/-) and RNF8(-/-) cells to camptothecin and olaparib without affecting Rad51 focus formation. Thus, in cellular tolerance to the chemotherapeutic agents, the two enzymes collaboratively promote DSB repair by HR by suppressing the toxic effect of NHEJ on HR rather than enhancing Rad51 focus formation. In contrast, following exposure to γ-rays, RAD18(-/-), RNF8(-/-), RAD18(-/-)/RNF8(-/-) and UBC13(-/-)cells showed close correlation between cellular survival and Rad51 focus formation at DSB sites. In summary, the current study reveals that Rad18 and Rnf8 facilitate HR by two distinct mechanisms: suppression of the toxic effect of NHEJ on HR during DNA replication and the promotion of Rad51 focus formation at radiotherapy-induced DSB sites.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
We report new limits on the absolute brightness and spatial fluctuations of the cosmic infrared background (CIB) via the AKARI satellite. We carried out observations at 65, 90, 140, and 160 Delta *mm ...as a cosmological survey in AKARI Deep Field South, which is one of the lowest cirrus regions with a contiguous area of the sky. After removing bright galaxies and subtracting zodiacal and Galactic foregrounds from the measured sky brightness, we successfully measured the CIB brightness and its fluctuations across a wide range of angular scales, from arcminutes to degrees. The measured CIB brightness is consistent with previous results reported from COBE data, but significantly higher than the lower limits at 70 and 160 Delta *mm obtained via Spitzer from the stacking analysis of selected 24 Delta *mm sources. The discrepancy with the Spitzer result is possibly due to a new galaxy population at high redshift obscured by hot dust or unknown diffuse emission. From a power spectrum analysis at 90 Delta *mm, two components were identified: the CIB fluctuations with shot noise due to individual galaxies in a small angular scale from the beam size up to 10 arcminutes, and Galactic cirrus emission dominating at the largest angular scales of a few degrees. The overall shape of the power spectrum at 90 Delta *mm is very similar to that at longer wavelengths, as observed by Spitzer and the Balloon-borne Large-Aperture Submillimeter Telescope (BLAST). Our power spectrum, with an intermediate angular scale of 10-30 arcminutes, gives a firm upper limit for galaxy clustering, which was found by Spitzer and BLAST. Moreover, the color of the CIB fluctuations, which is obtained by combining our data with the previous results, is as red as ultra-luminous infrared galaxies at high redshift. These galaxies are not likely to provide the majority of the CIB emission at 90 Delta *mm, but are responsible for the fluctuations. Our results provide new constraints on the evolution and clustering properties of distant infrared galaxies and any diffuse emission from the early universe.
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