High-fructose diet induced changes in gut microbiota structure and function, which have been linked to inflammatory response. However, the effect of small or appropriate doses of fructose on gut ...microbiota and inflammatory cytokines is not fully understood. Hence, the abundance changes of gut microbiota in fructose-treated Sprague-Dawley rats were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. The effects of fructose diet on metabolic disorders were evaluated by blood biochemical parameter test, histological analysis, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) analysis, ELISA analysis, and Western blot. Rats were intragastrically administered with pure fructose at the dose of 0 (Con), 2.6 (Fru-L), 5.3 (Fru-M), and 10.5 g/kg/day (Fru-H) for 20 weeks. The results showed that there were 36.5% increase of uric acid level in the Fru-H group when compared with the Con group. The serum proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, and MIP-2) were significantly increased (P<0.05), and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was significantly decreased (P<0.05) with fructose treatment. A higher fructose intake induced lipid accumulation in the liver and inflammatory cell infiltration in the pancreas and colon and increased the abundances of Lachnospira, Parasutterella, Marvinbryantia, and Blantia in colonic contents. Fructose intake increased the expressions of lipid accumulation proteins including perilipin-1, ADRP, and Tip-47 in the colon. Moreover, the higher level intake of fructose impaired intestinal barrier function due to the decrease of the expression of tight junction proteins (ZO-1 and occludin). In summary, there were no negative effects on body weight, fasting blood glucose, gut microbiota, and SCFAs in colonic contents of rats when fructose intake is in small or appropriate doses. High intake of fructose can increase uric acid, proinflammatory cytokines, intestinal permeability, and lipid accumulation in the liver and induce inflammatory response in the pancreas and colon.
100 is believed to be a tough diffusion direction for Li+ in LiFePO4, leading to the belief that the rate performance of 100-oriented LiFePO4 is poor. Here we report the fabrication of 12 nm-thick ...100-oriented LiFePO4 nanoflakes by a simple one-pot solvothermal method. The nanoflakes exhibit unexpectedly excellent electrochemical performance, in stark contrast to what was previously believed. Such an exceptional result is attributed to a decreased thermodynamic transformation barrier height (Δμb) associated with increased active population.
Coarse cereals rich in polyphenols, dietary fiber, and other functional components exert multiple health benefits. We investigated the effects of cooked oats, tartary buckwheat, and foxtail millet on ...lipid profile, oxido-inflammatory responses, gut microbiota, and colonic short-chain fatty acids composition in high-fat diet (HFD) fed rats. Rats were fed with a basal diet, HFD, oats diet (22% oat in HFD), tartary buckwheat diet (22% tartary buckwheat in HFD), and foxtail millet diet (22% foxtail millet in HFD) for 12 weeks. Results demonstrated that oats and tartary buckwheat attenuated oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in serum, and significantly increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Romboutsia in colonic digesta. Spearman’s correlation analysis revealed that the changed bacteria were strongly correlated with oxidative stress and inflammation-related parameters. The concentration of the butyrate level was elevated by 2.16-fold after oats supplementation. In addition, oats and tartary buckwheat significantly downregulated the expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors γ in liver tissue. In summary, our results suggested that oats and tartary buckwheat could modulate gut microbiota composition, improve lipid metabolism, and decrease oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in HFD fed rats. The present work could provide scientific evidence for developing coarse cereals-based functional food for preventing hyperlipidemia.
A noise source impedance extraction method for switched-mode power supply (SMPS) under operating condition is proposed and validated in this letter. First, a simplified precalibration method using ...several known impedances is introduced to eliminate the influence of measurement instruments and other parasitic effects. Second, the configuration of the proposed method is presented and the calculation methods of common-mode and differential-mode noise source impedances using microwave transmission analysis are described, respectively. The experimental results show that the proposed method can extract the noise source impedance of SMPS in wide frequency band with sufficient accuracy. Compared with traditional methods, the complex calibration process can be simplified, and no more additional equipment is required. Moreover, a novel multiple-function line impedance stabilization network (MF-LISN) with the function of electromagnetic interference measurement and noise source impedance extraction is designed according to the proposed method. Since only MF-LISN is used, it can be more convenient to extract the noise source impedance of SMPS for electromagnetic compatibility pretest.
Fruit softening that occurs during fruit ripening and postharvest storage determines the fruit quality, shelf life and commercial value and makes fruits more attractive for seed dispersal. In ...addition, over-softening results in fruit eventual decay, render fruit susceptible to invasion by opportunistic pathogens. Many studies have been conducted to reveal how fruit softens and how to control softening. However, softening is a complex and delicate life process, including physiological, biochemical and metabolic changes, which are closely related to each other and are affected by environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity and light. In this review, the current knowledge regarding fruit softening mechanisms is summarized from cell wall metabolism (cell wall structure changes and cell-wall-degrading enzymes), plant hormones (ETH, ABA, IAA and BR et al.), transcription factors (MADS-Box, AP2/ERF, NAC, MYB and BZR) and epigenetics (DNA methylation, histone demethylation and histone acetylation) and a diagram of the regulatory relationship between these factors is provided. It will provide reference for the cultivation of anti-softening fruits.
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•C3G increased the viability and inhibited the apoptosis of RPE cells.•C3G improved the barrier function of RPE cells.•C3G suppressed the ER stress and maintained normal ER morphology ...in RPE cells.•C3G activated the Nrf2 pathway to promote RPE survival.
Excessive exposure to blue light from smartphones, computers, and other video equipment causes retinal degeneration. Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) exerts protective effects on retinal cells. However, the mechanism by which C3G enhances the barrier function of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells remains unclear. This study investigated the effects of C3G on blue light-irradiated A2E-containing RPE cells and explored whether or not the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and downstream nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) pathways are involved in the mechanism. Results showed that C3G (10 and 25 μM) observably increased the viability and inhibited the apoptosis of RPE cells. Furthermore, C3G enhanced the barrier function of RPE cells and upregulated the expression of tight junction proteins. Blue light irradiation triggered ER stress, but C3G significantly suppressed the PERK/eIF2α/ATF4/CHOP pathway and maintained normal ER morphology in RPE cells. C3G also activated the Nrf2 pathway to promote RPE survival, which was independent of ER stress modulating Nrf2 activity. This study suggests that C3G promotes the barrier function of RPE cells by regulating ER stress-induced apoptosis, thereby offering a new approach to preventing retinal diseases. Thus, C3G is a potential functional food ingredient to improve visual health.
Abstract
Objectives
The aim of this study is to determine the mechanism through which 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) affects the quality of red ‘Fuji’ apples, which were stored for a short duration.
...Materials and Methods
Red ‘Fuji’ apples were treated with 1-MCP (1.0 μl/L), stored at 25 °C for 0, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h, and ethylene production was measured. An integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis was performed on apples stored for 24 h.
Results
The release of ethylene was significantly delayed from red ‘Fuji’ apples subjected to 1-MCP treatment. By performing an integrated transcriptome and metabolome analyses, we identified 117 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 44 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs). By performing functional enrichment analysis, we found that DEGs were involved in the following pathways: carbon metabolism (LPD2, gpmA, LTA2, ACC, PSAT1, MdCAS2), phytohormone signal transduction (EBF1), amino acid metabolism (MdACS-1), fatty acid metabolism (LOX1.5, KCS4, KAS1), energy metabolism (Lhcb1, Lhcb6, PsbY, GPDHC1, PUMP5), metabolic pathways (TRE1, HEXO1) and cell wall metabolism (CSLG2). Thus, these DEGs were involved in the ripening of fruits, and they controlled the quality of fruits at the post-harvest stage. The metabolites were enriched with DAMs. These were found to be individually involved in the metabolic pathway, secondary metabolite biosynthesis, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavonoids, and flavonol synthesis.
Conclusions
The results indicate that 1-MCP inhibits the biosynthesis of ethylene and suppresses energy metabolism. Moreover, it also downregulates metabolic pathways and the enzymatic genes related to fruit quality. Therefore, 1-MCP delays the ripening of fruits at the post-harvest stage. This study helps us understand how 1-MCP treatment affects the ripening and quality of fruits.
The 26S proteasome is an ATP-dependent proteolytic complex in eukaryotes, which is mainly responsible for the degradation of damaged and misfolded proteins and some regulatory proteins in cells, and ...it is essential to maintain the balance of protein levels in the cell. The ubiquitin-26S proteasome pathway, which targets a wide range of protein substrates in plants, is an important post-translational regulatory mechanism involved in various stages of plant growth and development and in the maturation process of fleshy fruits. Fleshy fruit ripening is a complex biological process, which is the sum of a series of physiological and biochemical reactions, including the biosynthesis and signal transduction of ripening related hormones, pigment metabolism, fruit texture changes and the formation of nutritional quality. This paper reviews the structure of the 26S proteasome and the mechanism of the ubiquitin-26S proteasome pathway, and it summarizes the function of this pathway in the ripening process of fleshy fruits.
This paper proposes a method for extracting transmission characteristics of interconnects in printed circuit boards (PCBs) from near-field emission. A wideband microstrip line electric probe is used ...to measure the near-field emission. There are two key technologies in the extraction principle, obtaining the transfer function and the input signal estimation, and they are explained in detail. To validate the method, one-trace structures, including a corner trace and a via trace, and a multi-trace structure were measured. The transmission characteristics extracted by the proposed method agrees well with the standard vector network analyzer (VNA) measurements up to frequency of 12 GHz. The error caused by the distance and the disturbance signal is investigated.
When the fuel cell (FC) is being activated before used in industrial applications, a power conditioner is needed to interface the FC with the load. Due to low current ripples, high output power, and ...simple structure, the multi-phase interleaved non-isolated DC-DC converter is most suitable for the power conditioner. This paper proposed, analyzed and designed a four-phase interleaved buck-boost converter with changed load connection (CLC-FIBC) for the FC activation with characteristics as simple structure, wide input current, high current, and low current ripples. The operating principle and mathematical model of the CLC-FIBC were firstly analyzed, derived and presented, and then mathematical equations of transistor voltage stress and inductor current ripple are derived respectively. Besides, this CLC-FIBC was compared with several DC-DC converters to prove the superiority. The simulation and experimental prototype was built to validate the theoretical analysis after presenting some design considerations. Simulation and experimental results show that the CLC-FIBC has characteristics of both step up/down function, high power, wide input current range, and low current ripples.
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