Alcoholic liver disease is the most prevalent chronic liver disease. Melatonin is known to control many vital processes. Here, we explored a novel molecular mechanism by which melatonin‐induced SIRT1 ...signaling protects against alcohol‐mediated oxidative stress and liver injury. Gene expression profiles and metabolic changes were measured in liver specimens of mice and human subjects. Expression levels of Cb1r, Crbn, Btg2, Yy1, pro‐inflammatory cytokines, and Cyp2e1 were significantly enhanced in chronic alcohol‐challenged mice and human subjects. Levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), hepatic CYP2E1 protein, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were elevated in alcohol‐fed WT mice but not in Cb1r antagonist‐treated, Crbn null, or Yy1‐silenced mice. Importantly, alcohol‐induced Yy1 and Cyp2e1 expression, ROS amount, and liver injury were markedly diminished by melatonin treatment and the transduction of Sirt1 in mice, whereas this phenomenon was prominently ablated by silencing of Sirt1. Notably, SIRT1 physically interacted with YY1 and attenuated YY1 occupancy on the Cyp2e1 gene promoter. Melatonin‐SIRT1 signaling ameliorates alcohol‐induced oxidative liver injury by disrupting the CRBN‐YY1‐CYP2E1 signaling pathway. The manipulation of CRBN‐YY1‐CYP2E1 signaling network by the melatonin‐SIRT1 pathway highlights a novel entry point for treating alcoholic liver disease.
In recent years, the wooden breast condition has emerged as a major meat quality defect in the poultry industry worldwide. Broiler pectoralis major muscle with the wooden breast condition is ...characterized by hardness upon human palpation, which can lead to decrease in meat value or even reduced consumer acceptance. The current method of wooden breast detection involves a visual and/or tactile evaluation. In this paper, we present a sideview imaging system for online detection of chicken breast fillets affected by the wooden breast condition. The system can measure a physical deformation (bending) of an individual chicken-breast fillet through high-speed imaging at about 200 frames per second and custom image processing techniques. The developed image processing algorithm shows the over 95% classification performance in detecting wooden breast fillets.
Genus Rubus represents the second largest genus of the family Rosaceae in Taiwan, with 41 currently recognized species across three subgenera (Chamaebatus, Idaoeobatus, and Malochobatus). Despite ...previous morphological and cytological studies, little is known regarding the overall phylogenetic relationships among the Rubus species in Taiwan, and their relationships to congeneric species in continental China. We characterized eight complete plastomes of Taiwan endemic Rubus species: subg. Idaeobatus (R. glandulosopunctatus, R. incanus, R. parviaraliifolius, R rubroangustifolius, R. taitoensis, and R. taiwanicolus) and subg. Malachobatus (R. kawakamii and R. laciniastostipulatus) to determine their phylogenetic relationships. The plastomes were highly conserved and the size of the complete plastome sequences ranged from 155,566 to 156,236 bp. The overall GC content ranged from 37.0 to 37.3%. The frequency of codon usage showed similar patterns among species, and 29 of the 73 common protein-coding genes were positively selected. The comparative phylogenomic analysis identified four highly variable intergenic regions (rps16/trnQ, petA/psbJ, rpl32/trnL-UAG, and trnT-UGU/trnL-UAA). Phylogenetic analysis of 31 representative complete plastomes within the family Rosaceae revealed three major lineages within Rubus in Taiwan. However, overall phylogenetic relationships among endemic species require broader taxon sampling to gain new insights into infrageneric relationships and their plastome evolution.
To determine the incidence rate of narcolepsy in South Korea and closely examine the relationship between narcolepsy, which is believed to be an autoimmune response, and other systemic autoimmune ...diseases.
We examined data from the South Korean nationwide health insurance claims database from 2010 to 2019. Our study included patients with narcolepsy as well as age- and sex-matched controls without narcolepsy. We estimated the incidence of narcolepsy and the odds ratio of narcolepsy and associated autoimmune comorbidities in South Korea.
We identified 8710 patients with narcolepsy (59.8% men and 40.2% women). The incidence of narcolepsy was 0.05%. Patients with narcolepsy were at a significantly high risk of ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjögren's syndrome, which diseases are known to be related to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes.
Narcolepsy is closely related to systemic autoimmune diseases, particularly those related to HLA genes.
•As the relationship between narcolepsy and other systemic autoimmune diseases is yet to be defined, we closely examined the relationship based on national insurance claims database.•As a result, we found narcolepsy to be highly associated with several systemic autoimmune diseases such as ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis and Sjogren's syndrome.These three autoimmune diseases are highly associated with the HLA gene.•Narcolepsy is highly associated with DQB106:02, which may explain its increased odds of comorbidity.
Many existing financial models for power plants chose a design based on the maximum thermal efficiency excluding the operational (OPEX) and capital (CAPEX) cost variations of technical factors. These ...factors are often fixed because including them in financial assessments can be burdensome and it is assumed that maximum efficiency equals maximum profit. However, this assumption may not always be right. Through 19,440 power plant steam-cycle design solutions and their associated OPEX and CAPEX, this study found the eighth most thermally-efficient solution to be $1.284 M more profitable than the traditional thermally-optimized design solution. As such, this paper presents a model incorporating technical factors through parametric estimation by minimizing the burden on decision makers. While this may reduce precision, it allows for quick cost assessments across differing design solutions. The data for model development was collected from a Korean-constructed, operational 600 MW coal-fired power plant in the Philippines. Using the Thermoflex software, nearly all design configurations’ heat rate outputs are simulated. Profitability is then optimized based on the resultant design configuration’s impact on revenue and CAPEX and OPEX costs. The simulation inputs included variables found to be most impactful on the steam generated power efficiency per existing literature. Lastly, the model includes an assessment of cost impacts among recent environmental regulations by incorporating carbon tax costs and a sensitivity analysis. The economic analysis model discussed in this paper is non-existent in current literature and will aid the power-plant project investment industry through their project feasibility analyses.
In this study, the relationship between expressible fluid (EF) measurements and the woody breast (WB) condition in broiler breast fillets (pectoralis major) was investigated and the deep learning ...algorithm (DLA) was evaluated to predict degrees of the WB condition based on EF images. Fillet samples were collected from a commercial plant and categorized into normal (no WB), moderate WB, and severe WB groups. EF of fresh and frozen samples were measured using the filter paper press method. The features of the images were analyzed using traditional manual method, gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) method and the DLA method, respectively. The results show that there were significant differences in average EF measurements between three WB categories (P < 0.05) regardless of fillet state (Fresh or Frozen). The DLA feature, instead of EF ratios, showed a close relationship between the WB grade and Water-holding capacity (WHC) in broiler breast fillets directly based on EF images. The correct classification rate of WB grades could be as high as 93.3% for fresh and 92.3% for frozen fillets in independent validation set. Data suggest that the WB condition significantly affects the meat WHC measured by the EF method. The deep learning algorithm provides a useful reference for the assessment of the EF images.
•Expressible fluid was measured in raw chicken meat with woody breast condition.•Deep learning algorithm was used to assess meat based on expressible fluid images.•There is relationship between expressible fluid and woody breast condition.•Deep learning algorithm may be used to assess water-holding capacity of raw meat.
Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) was investigated to detect and visualize beef adulteration with duck meat. Minced beef was adulterated with duck meat in range of 0–100% (
w
/
w
) at 10% increments. ...Visible and near-infrared (VNIR) hyperspectral images were acquired, and extracted spectra were analyzed with preprocessing methods. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) and principal component regression (PCR) modeling methods were individually utilized, and the PLSR model based on full raw spectra performed best. To make the preferred model practical, optimal wavelengths were individually selected using two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) and PC loadings. The model based on competent wavelengths selected from PC loadings resulted in good performance of
R
p
2
= 0.96, RMSEP = 6.58%, and RPD = 4.86 with limit of detection (LOD) of 7.59%. Finally, spatially distributed visualization was achieved using the simplified model, and adulteration levels were readily discernible. Known distributed samples were also successfully visualized, and the validity of visualization was thus proved. Results demonstrated the potential of the HSI to detect minced beef adulteration with duck meat.
Background
Postoperative C5 palsy is a widely known complication of cervical decompression surgery. Many studies have focused on its etiology and factors affecting it. However, no study to date has ...evaluated the association between the clinical outcome and recovery duration of post-operative C5 palsy. We evaluated this in our current report.
Methods
A retrospective analysis was conducted for 710 consecutive degenerative cervical spine decompression surgeries performed in a single institution. We included all patients who underwent any type of surgical procedure for cervical spinal stenosis, ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), or cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Demographic, radiologic, clinical information was recorded. Finally, correlation analysis was conducted to identify demographic, radiologic, or clinical factors related with recovery duration (within or after 6 months).
Results
The incident rate of postoperative C5 palsy was 5.1 % (36/710 cases). Analysis of recovery duration revealed that 18 patients had recovered within 6 months and 33 (91.7 %) within 2 years, whilst 3 individuals (8.3 %) had not fully recovered within the follow-up period. Factors related to longer recovery (>6 months) included motor grade ≤2 (
p
< 0.001), presence of multi-segment paresis involving more than the C5 root (
p
= 0.002), loss of somatic sensation with pain (
p
= 0.008), and the degree of posterior spinal cord shifting (
p
= 0.040). Furthermore, multivariate analysis revealed that motor grade ≤2 (
p
= 0.010) had a significant effect on a recovery duration beyond 6 months.
Conclusions
A motor grade ≤2, the presence of multi-segment paresis involving more than the C5 root, the loss of somatic sensation with pain, and the degree of posterior spinal cord shifting significantly influence whether the duration of recovery from postoperative C5 palsy will take longer than 6 months.
► We studied thermal conductivity of the bimodal distribution filler system. ► The particle size and relative composition affects the thermal conducting path of composite. ► The effect of the ...relative size of filler defined using particle size ratio (RD). ► The maximum thermal conductivity was exhibited at the continuous curve of bimodal distribution.
High thermal-conductivity fillers of aluminum nitride (AlN) and boron nitride (BN) were incorporated in the epoxy matrix in order to identify the effects of the particle size and the relative composition on the thermal conductivity of composites. In the bimodal distribution of polygonal AlN and planar BN particles, the optimal thermal conductive path was strongly affected by the packing efficiency and interfacial resistance of the particles in a sensitive way and, consequently, the maximum thermal conductivity was achieved up to 8.0W/mK in the 1:1 volume ratio of AlN:BN particles. In the optimal volume ratio of the two fillers at 1:1, the relative filler size, which was represented by the shape factor (or the diameter ratio of the two filler particles, RD), also influenced the thermal conductivity giving the maximum conductivity at the shape factor RD≈1. The optimal morphology and composition of the AlN/BN composite systems were clearly visualized and thoroughly discussed in the filler distribution curves plotting the filler-appearance frequency as a function of particle size. The developed methodology validated that two different particles should be packed well to fill up the interstitial space and, simultaneously, the contact resistance and the contact area of the fillers should be optimized to maximize the thermal conductivity.
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