Loss Of Recovery Research Articles

An exceptionally preserved fossil assemblage from the early Jurassic of Chongqing (China) reveals a complex lacustrine ecosystem

One of the five greatest mass extinction events in the history of life occurred at the end of the Triassic (~ 201 million years ago), as confirmed by profound loss of life in marine realm. Terrestrial ecosystems were also suffered but the extent of life loss and timing of subsequent recovery remain equivocal, largely because of scarcity of fossil record. Here we report an exceptionally-preserved fossil assemblage, Yuzhou Biota, from the Sinemurian (~ 199–193 Ma), Early Jurassic lacustrine deposits of northern Chongqing, China. The biota documents the first known trophically complex lacustrine ecosystem after the end-Triassic extinction in China, including various representative species ranging from primary consumers (e.g., ostracods, conchostracans, gastropods and bivalves) to large predators (e.g., a variety of jawed fishes and pliosauroids). The most striking feature is its diversified aquatic vertebrates; the hybodontiforms, ceratodontiforms, ptycholepiformes, ginglymodians and pliosauroids from the biota all represent their first occurrences above the Triassic-Jurassic boundary in China. As such, the discovery enriches our understanding of the faunal turnover of aquatic vertebrates following the end-Triassic mass extinction, and provides a novel window on the Early Jurassic lacustrine ecosystems.

A rheological model analog for assessing the resilience of socio-technical systems across sectors

A rheological model is proposed that captures the performance loss and properties of a potential subsequent recovery of socio-technical systems subject to arbitrary disruptions. The model facilitates the quantitative assessment of such systems’ resilience. While most models known from the literature describe systems that fully recover from aforementioned load events, the proposed model can capture also permanent performance loss or post disruption improvement. To demonstrate the versatility of the approach for a wide range of the socio-technical system spectrum, the model is applied to three systems: the frequency stability of the continental Europe power grid, flight operations of German airports, and the revenue of the German gastronomic sector. Fitting the proposed two-spring, one-damper, single-degree-of-freedom model to the recorded performance data determines relevant parameters which serve as a quantitative measure of the respective system’s resilience. The small set of model parameters can be associated with relevant resilience dimensions. Variation of these parameters allows to quantitively determine the change of the model’s response to the load events, and thus of the resilience predicted by the model. This allows to identify parameter ranges in which the model predicts, e.g., full recovery of a system, instead of permanent performance loss.

Examining primary aromatic amines' stability in aqueous food simulants: effects of 3% acetic acid and water test conditions

Primary aromatic amines (PAAs) may be found in food contact materials and can potentially migrate from packaging material into the packed foodstuffs. Certain members of this substance class are of particular concern due to their toxicological properties. Legislators and authorities require a risk assessment regarding the transfer of PAAs into food. The evaluation of PAAs’ migration into food relies on migration or extraction tests using aqueous and acidic food simulants or solvents. However, PAAs exhibit stability issues in acidic media, which could lead to an underestimation of migration. Therefore, a systematic stability study was conducted for 28 PAAs in 3% acetic acid and water at different storage conditions. Standard solutions of 2 and 10 ng/ml of the amines in these media were prepared and stored under the following conditions: 2 h at 40 °C, 70 °C, and 100 °C, and 10 days at − 20 °C, 4 °C, 20 °C, 40° C, and 60 °C. The test solutions were analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, and recovery was calculated against freshly prepared standard solutions. It was found that several PAAs undergo a loss of recovery under the investigated conditions; 7 of the substances were identified to be the most unstable: 3,3ʹ-dimethoxybenzidine, 3,3ʹ-dimethylbenzidine, 6-methoxy-m-toluidine, 4-methoxy-m-phenylendiamine, 2,6-toluenediamine, benzidine and 2,4-toluenediamine. It was concluded that both time and storage temperature play a pivotal role in the stability of PAAs. The experiments also demonstrated that PAAs exhibit greater stability in water than in 3% acetic acid.

Sequences at gene segment termini inclusive of untranslated regions and partial open reading frames play a critical role in mammalian orthoreovirus S gene packaging.

Mammalian orthoreovirus (MRV) is a prototypic member of the Spinareoviridae family and has ten double-stranded RNA segments. One copy of each segment must be faithfully packaged into the mature virion, and prior literature suggests that nucleotides (nts) at the terminal ends of each gene likely facilitate their packaging. However, little is known about the precise packaging sequences required or how the packaging process is coordinated. Using a novel approach, we have determined that 200 nts at each terminus, inclusive of untranslated regions (UTR) and parts of the open reading frame (ORF), are sufficient for packaging S gene segments (S1-S4) individually and together into replicating virus. Further, we mapped the minimal sequences required for packaging the S1 gene segment into a replicating virus to 25 5' nts and 50 3' nts. The S1 UTRs, while not sufficient, were necessary for efficient packaging, as mutations of the 5' or 3' UTRs led to a complete loss of virus recovery. Using a second novel assay, we determined that 50 5' nts and 50 3' nts of S1 are sufficient to package a non-viral gene segment into MRV. The 5' and 3' termini of the S1 gene are predicted to form a panhandle structure and specific mutations within the stem of the predicted panhandle region led to a significant decrease in viral recovery. Additionally, mutation of six nts that are conserved across the three major serotypes of MRV that are predicted to form an unpaired loop in the S1 3' UTR, led to a complete loss of viral recovery. Overall, our data provide strong experimental proof that MRV packaging signals lie at the terminal ends of the S gene segments and offer support that the sequence requirements for efficient packaging of the S1 segment include a predicted panhandle structure and specific sequences within an unpaired loop in the 3' UTR.

Effect of ore quality on non‐aqueous oil sand extraction performance

AbstractCurrent commercial aqueous based extraction processes are energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) intensive and require large tailings ponds. Non‐aqueous extraction (NAE) of bitumen from mineable oil sands is an alternative that eliminates tailings ponds with potentially lower energy requirements and GHG emissions. The economics of the NAE process depend partly on the impact of ore quality on bitumen recovery and product quality (low water and solids content). It has been claimed that NAE performance is insensitive to the quality (bitumen content) of the oil sand ores. However, the available data are ambiguous because different extraction methods and solvents were used in different studies and, in many cases, a limited range of ore qualities was examined. In this study, bitumen was extracted from eight ores of different quality with cyclohexane using a multistage method equivalent to a countercurrent process with a solvent/ore ratio of 0.67 w/w. The bitumen recovery and the water and solids content of the product bitumen were determined for each ore. It was found that bitumen recovery correlated negatively to clay content of the ore. The loss of recovery was attributed to bitumen adsorption on clays. The product quality was insensitive to the ore quality and instead depended on the density of the fluid medium, as expected with a centrifuge‐based separation method. The recovery and product quality from the NAE method were similar to those from aqueous extractions.

Activation of glutamatergic neurones in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus promotes cortical activation and behavioural emergence from sevoflurane-induced unconsciousness in mice

BackgroundThe neural mechanisms underlying sevoflurane-induced loss of consciousness and recovery of consciousness after anaesthesia remain unknown. We investigated whether glutamatergic pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPT) neurones are involved in the regulation of states of consciousness under sevoflurane anaesthesia. MethodsIn vivo fibre photometry combined with electroencephalography (EEG)/electromyography recording was used to record changes in the activity of glutamatergic PPT neurones under sevoflurane anaesthesia. Chemogenetic and cortical EEG recordings were used to explore their roles in the induction of and emergence from sevoflurane anaesthesia. Optogenetic methods combined with EEG recordings were used to explore the roles of glutamatergic PPT neurones and of the PPT-ventral tegmental area pathway in maintenance of anaesthesia. ResultsThe population activity of glutamatergic PPT neurones was reduced before sevoflurane-induced loss of righting reflex and gradually recovered after return of righting reflex. Chemogenetic inhibition of glutamatergic PPT neurones accelerated induction of anaesthesia (hM4Di-CNO vs mCherry-CNO, 76 [17] vs 121 [27] s, P<0.0001) and delayed emergence from sevoflurane anaesthesia (278 [98] vs 145 [53] s, P<0.0001) but increased sevoflurane sensitivity. Optogenetic stimulation of glutamatergic PPT neurons or of the PPT-ventral tegmental area pathway promoted cortical activation and behavioural emergence during steady-state sevoflurane anaesthesia, reduced the depth of anaesthesia, and caused cortical arousal during sevoflurane-induced EEG burst suppression. ConclusionsGlutamatergic PPT neurones regulate induction and emergence of sevoflurane anaesthesia.

A double-edged sword: Constructed wetland-microbial fuel cells promote organics removal via entrapment

Recently, constructed wetland-microbial fuel cells (CW-MFCs) are found to enhance the organics removal via the connection of the external circuit. Yet, it is unclear why the energy output is unmatched with the enhancement of the organics removal. This study compared the dynamic changes of the organics in a CW-MFC microcosm operated under the close circuit and open circuit. As a result, the close circuit facilitated the organics removal by 9 % before the proportional discharge of carbon metabolites. This suggested that organics entrapment should account for the huge loss of carbon recovery; and closing the external circuit could further promote the organics entrapment. Besides, polyhydroxybutyrate was found accumulated in the MFC culture experiment, evidencing that the fed-batch mode of operation could result in a feast-famine pattern of microbial metabolism. Despite the fast organics entrapment during the first hours, prolonging the operation time would lead to continuous carbon gas emission, along with the substantially elevated coulombic efficiency. Together, these results explained the substantial COD removal enhancement with low electricity yield, and cautioned the safe use of the MFC integration to spare the system from overaccumulation of organics.

PTEN knockout using retrogradely transported AAVs transiently restores locomotor abilities in both acute and chronic spinal cord injury

Restoring function in chronic stages of spinal cord injury (SCI) has often been met with failure or reduced efficacy when regenerative strategies are delayed past the acute or sub-acute stages of injury. Restoring function in the chronically injured spinal cord remains a critical challenge. We found that a single injection of retrogradely transported adeno-associated viruses (AAVrg) to knockout the phosphatase and tensin homolog protein (PTEN) in chronic SCI can effectively target both damaged and spared axons and transiently restore locomotor functions in near-complete injury models. AAVrg's were injected to deliver cre recombinase and/or a red fluorescent protein (RFP) under the human Synapsin 1 promoter (hSyn1) into the spinal cords of C57BL/6 PTENFloxΔ/Δ mice to knockout PTEN (PTEN-KO) in a severe thoracic SCI crush model at both acute and chronic time points. PTEN-KO improved locomotor abilities in both acute and chronic SCI conditions over a 9-week period. Regardless of whether treatment was initiated at the time of injury (acute), or three months after SCI (chronic), mice with limited hindlimb joint movement gained hindlimb weight support after treatment. Interestingly, functional improvements were not sustained beyond 9 weeks coincident with a loss of RFP reporter-gene expression and a near-complete loss of treatment-associated functional recovery by 6 months post-treatment. Treatment effects were also specific to severely injured mice; animals with weight support at the time of treatment lost function over a 6-month period. Retrograde tracing with Fluorogold revealed viable neurons throughout the motor cortex despite a loss of RFP expression at 9 weeks post-PTEN-KO. However, few Fluorogold labeled neurons were detected within the motor cortex at 6 months post-treatment. BDA labeling from the motor cortex revealed a dense corticospinal tract (CST) bundle in all groups except chronically treated PTEN-KO mice, indicating a potential long-term toxic effect of PTEN-KO to neurons in the motor cortex which was corroborated by a loss of β-tubulin III labeling above the lesion within spinal cords after PTEN-KO. PTEN-KO mice had significantly more β-tubulin III labeled axons within the lesion when treatment was delivered acutely, but not chronically post-SCI. In conclusion, we have found that using AAVrg's to knockout PTEN is an effective manipulation capable of restoring motor functions in chronic SCI and can enhance axon growth of currently unidentified axon populations when delivered acutely after injury. However, the long-term consequences of PTEN-KO on neuronal health and viability should be further explored.

Abrupt transitions in a southwest USA desert grassland related to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation.

Prediction of abrupt ecosystem transitions resulting from climatic change will be an essential element of adaptation strategies in the coming decades. In the arid southwest USA, the collapse and recovery of long-lived perennial grasses have important effects on ecosystem services, but the causes of these variations have been poorly understood. Here we use a quality-controlled vegetation monitoring dataset initiated in 1915 to show that grass cover dynamics during the 20th century were closely correlated to the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) index. The relationship out-performed models correlating grasses to yearly precipitation and drought indices, suggesting that ecosystem transitions attributed only to local disturbances were instead influenced by climate teleconnections. Shifts in PDO phase over time were associated with the persistent loss of core grass species and recovery of transient species, so recovery of grasses in aggregate concealed significant changes in species composition. However, the relationship between PDO and grass cover broke down after 1995; grass cover is consistently lower than PDO would predict. The decoupling of grass cover from the PDO suggests that a threshold had been crossed in which warming or land degradation overwhelmed the ability of any grass species to recover during favorable periods.

Computed Tomography Neurography for Visualization of the In Vivo Nervous System: A Proof of Concept.

The human peripheral nervous system embodies anatomical, physiologic, and diagnostic perplexities that remain unexplained. Yet in the course of human history, there are no mechanisms, such as computed tomography (CT) or radiography, by which to image the peripheral nervous system in vivo using a contrast agent that is identified by ionizing radiation, which would aid in surgical navigation, diagnostic radiology, and basic science thereof. A novel class of contrast was created by linking iodine to lidocaine. The radiodensity of 0.5% experimental contrast molecule was compared with a control of 1% lidocaine by placing 1.5-mL aliquots of each liquid into centrifuge tubes and performing micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) synchronously under identical settings. Physiologic binding to the sciatic nerve was evaluated by injecting 10 mg of the experimental contrast and 10 mg of the control into the contralateral sciatic nerve, and documenting loss of hindlimb function and recovery. In vivo visualization of the sciatic nerve was evaluated by injecting 10 mg of experimental contrast or control into either sciatic nerve and imaging the hindlimbs under identical conditions using micro-CT. The mean Hounsfield unit of the contrast was 56.09 compared with -0.48 for control (116-fold increase, P = .0001). Hindlimb paresis revealed similar degree of paresis, baseline recovery, and time to recovery. In vivo enhancement between the contralateral sciatic nerves was similar. Iodinated lidocaine offers a viable mechanism for in vivo peripheral nerve imaging using CT; however, it requires modification to improve in vivo radiodensity.

Recovery of Naturally Occurring Human Borne Microbial Contamination from Settle Plates Exposed in a Unidirectional Airflow Workstation for 4 Hours

The ability of irradiated 90 mm diameter tryptone soya agar settle plates, exposed for 4 hours in a unidirectional airflow (UDAF) workstation to recover microbial contamination, was investigated. The investigation was completed by direct contamination of numerous plates with naturally occurring microbe-carrying particles (MCPs) dispersed from a person within an enclosed environment. Half of these plates were subsequently exposed in a UDAF workstation for 4 hours and then incubated. The other half, contaminated with a similar number of MCPs, were not exposed in the workstation and provided the controls. Investigation of the reduction of plate weight during exposure was also completed to help understand the influence of plate media water content to any loss of microbial recovery. Following incubation, the numbers of recovered micro-organisms were compared and it was determined that the average number of recovered test plate colonies was reduced by 8.7% compared to the control plates and the exposure of the plates to UDAF for 4 hours reduced the plate weight, associated with loss of the media water, by an average of 12.3%. It was concluded that the ability of the plates to recover micro-organisms, following a 4 hour exposure to UDAF, was not significantly reduced. Key words: Microbiological settle plate desiccation, media dehydration, unidirectional airflow (UDAF), 4 hour exposure, microbe-carrying particles (MCPs), environmental monitoring, settle plate sampling.

Examining the Dogma of “Watchful Waiting” in Firearm-Related Nerve Injuries: Are We Under Treating?

Introduction: Firearm-related extremity trauma can lead to significant, life-altering, nerve injuries. The current dogma for treating these injuries is “watchful waiting.” However, nerve transection secondary to firearm trauma does occur, and these injuries require operative management. Failure to recognize higher grade injuries can lead to delayed surgical management and loss of functional recovery. The purpose of our study was to identify the rate of nerve transection in firearm-related peripheral nerve injuries at a level 1 trauma centre, and to evaluate useful diagnostic tools that can aid in early diagnosis. Materials and Methods: The Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre trauma and emergency databases were used to identify patients who sustained firearm-related extremity nerve injuries between January 2000 and January 2020. Retrospective chart review of clinical notes and electrodiagnostic data was used to confirm the presence of nerve injury. Demographic data, injury details, imaging and electrodiagnostic data, treatment plans and functional outcomes were collected. Results: A total of 1957 patients sustained trauma from firearms between 2000 and 2020 of which 9% (n = 86) suffered a peripheral nerve injury, with a total of 121 peripheral nerves affected. Surgical exploration and/or high definition ultrasound imaging confirmed nerve transection (neurotmesis) in 22% of cases (n = 21) and high-grade axonotmesis in 20% of cases (n = 20). Only 39% of nerve injuries (n = 38) represented a neuropraxic injury which resolved spontaneously. Of those with higher grade injuries, management included nerve repair (n = 14), nerve grafting (n = 6), nerve transfers (n = 2) and tendon transfers (n = 3). No significant difference was found between the severity of nerve injury and the patient’s overall injury severity score (p > 0.05). Nerve transections had a higher likelihood of concomitant vascular injury. Conclusion: Our study found a 22% rate of nerve transection in closed firearm-related peripheral nerve injuries. High-definition ultrasound is a useful adjunct in diagnosing nerve transections, and can help guide early treatment following extremity trauma from firearms.

Pathways of degradation in rangelands in Northern Tanzania show their loss of resistance, but potential for recovery

Semiarid rangelands are identified as at high risk of degradation due to anthropogenic pressure and climate change. Through tracking timelines of degradation we aimed to identify whether degradation results from a loss of resistance to environmental shocks, or loss of recovery, both of which are important prerequisites for restoration. Here we combined extensive field surveys with remote sensing data to explore whether long-term changes in grazing potential demonstrate loss of resistance (ability to maintain function despite pressure) or loss of recovery (ability to recover following shocks). To monitor degradation, we created a bare ground index: a measure of grazeable vegetation cover visible in satellite imagery, allowing for machine learning based image classification. We found that locations that ended up the most degraded tended to decline in condition more during years of widespread degradation but maintained their recovery potential. These results suggest that resilience in rangelands is lost through declines in resistance, rather than loss of recovery potential. We show that the long-term rate of degradation correlates negatively with rainfall and positively with human population and livestock density, and conclude that sensitive land and grazing management could enable restoration of degraded landscapes, given their retained ability to recover.

Multi-objective aerodynamic optimization of an axisymmetric variable-geometry inlet with a Mach 5 design point

The inlet is a critical component of the air-breathing system of an aircraft engine and an appropriate inlet design can address the issue of aerodynamic contradiction between low and high Mach numbers, restricting aircraft flight over a wide speed range. Therefore, in this study, an axisymmetric variable-geometry inlet with a Mach 5 design point was designed. A multi-point multi-objective optimization design, based on the Kriging surrogate model and non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II algorithm, was performed. Wind tunnel tests and numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the inlet performance and flow field details. The steady-state pressure distribution was recorded, and shadowgraph images were obtained simultaneously to comprehensively evaluate the inlet performance. The experimental and numerical results indicate that the design and optimization methods of the inlet are effective. The inlet operated appropriately and stably over a wide range of speeds, and the total pressure recovery (TPR) coefficient reaches 0.421 at the design point. The optimization results show that a 21.36% gain in the TPR coefficient at Ma = 3.0 was achieved at the cost of a 2.44% loss of total pressure recovery at Ma = 5.0. It is also beneficial in terms of the total pressure distortion at Ma = 5.0, which is reduced by 6.54%. This indicates that the inlet design and optimization framework developed in this study is promising for wide use in practical engineering applications.

An Improved Auxiliary Resonant Commutated Pole Inverter With Low Loss of Energy Recovery

This brief proposes an improved auxiliary resonant commutated pole inverter (ARCPI) to optimize the transmission efficiency of the inverter. During the commutation process of the inverter, main switches can acquire zero-voltage switching and auxiliary switches can acquire zero-current switching, bringing about the significant reduction of switching loss. Besides, when the resonant state suspends in each switching cycle, the surplus energy in the resonant inductor will be fed back to the energy-storage capacitor through only one auxiliary diode, making for low loss of energy recovery. This brief illustrates each working state in a switching cycle. The relative experimental waveform indicates that switches acquire soft-switching. The efficiency of the proposed inverter achieves 99.1% at rated output power. Thus, the proposed inverter can have efficiency superiority over other similar inverters.

Study on the synergistic heat transfer of double boundary layers in the jacketed vacuum membrane distillation process

During the process of membrane distillation (MD) heat recovery, due to the adverse effects of the heat exchange boundary layer and membrane surface boundary layer, the latent heat is hindered in its transfer and ultimately leading to the loss of heat recovery and mass transfer capacity of the system. In this study, a novel type of jacketed hollow fiber vacuum membrane distillation module (J-HF-VMD-M) has been successfully developed. It has the dual functions of “feed evaporation” and “vapor condensation”, which is helpful in reducing the volume and complexity of the system. Based on the structural characteristics of the jacketed module, a “Synergistic heat transfer model of double boundary layers” (SHT-DBL Model) is proposed for the first time. Compared with the previous “independent heat transfer” method between boundary layers, the “synergistic heat transfer” can overcome the above challenges more effectively. Compared with the non-heat recovery process in experimental range, the equivalent membrane distillation flux of the jacketed-type heat recovery process increased by 246.1 %, especially the gain output ratio increased by 145.1 %, and the corresponding increment is more significant than that of the traditional heat recovery process.

Влияние неоднородной теплозащиты на характеристики излучения антенны космического аппарата

Introduction: Knowledge of the electrical characteristics of the onboard antenna on the trajectory of the descent of the spacecraft makes it possible to assess the presence or absence of radio communication. Under conditions of aerodynamic heating, the thermal protection of the onboard antenna heats up unevenly in thickness and becomes electrically inhomogeneous. Purpose of the work: Determination of the radio technical characteristics of the onboard antennas of the returning spacecraft with the effect of high-temperature heating on the thermal protection of the antenna based on calculations using the developed mathematical model of the antenna with thermal protection. Methods: Expressions for the structure of the radiation field of a rectangular waveguide under the above conditions were derived by the WKB method. Of the well-known analytical methods of solution, it is possible to use the method of integral transformations and the method of eigenfunctions. Both of these methods were used in this work. Results: The obtained theoretical results are new, they allow predicting the radio technical characteristics of the onboard antenna, taking into account uneven heating across the thickness of the thermal protection at low temperature gradients. A mathematical model of the spacecraft's onboard antenna on the descent trajectory has been developed, taking into account the inhomogeneity of thermal protection under conditions of aerodynamic heating. Practical significance: The development of a mathematical model of the main radio technical characteristics of onboard antennas, taking into account the impact of high-temperature aerodynamic heating, as well as the results of numerical calculations, can be applied in the development of recommendations for choosing thermal protection and recommendations for reducing the effect of temperature changes in the electrical parameters of thermal protection on the characteristics of onboard antennas and reducing time loss of radio communication or loss recovery.

Oral Supplementation of Low-Molecular-Weight Collagen Peptides Reduces Skin Wrinkles and Improves Biophysical Properties of Skin: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Study.

Orally administered collagen peptides could contribute to antiaging by replacing the degraded extracellular matrix proteins caused by photoaging. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of low-molecular-weight collagen peptides for treating photoaged and dry skin. In this randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, double-blinded trial, we randomly assigned study participants (n = 100) to either the test product group or placebo group at a 1:1 ratio for 12 weeks. The wrinkle scale score, eye wrinkle volume, roughness parameters, such as the average maximum height of the wrinkle (Rz), arithmetic average within the total measuring length of the wrinkle (Ra), maximum profile valley depth of the wrinkle (Rv), and skin hydration, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), overall elasticity (R2), and ratio of elastic recovery to total deformation (R7) were evaluated at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks. Safety assessments with serial blood tests were also conducted. Efficacy assessments of data from 84 participants were conducted as the per-protocol analysis. After 12 weeks, the 10-grade crow's feet photo scale score, eye wrinkle volume, skin roughness parameters (Rz, Ra, and Rv), skin elasticity (R2 and R7), skin hydration, and TEWL were significantly improved in the test product group compared to the placebo group. There were no adverse events or abnormalities according to laboratory analysis associated with using the test material during the study period. This study showed that the oral supplementation of low-molecular-weight collagen peptides could improve the wrinkles, elasticity, hydration, and barrier integrity of photoaged facial skin. This clinical study was registered with the Korean Clinical Research Information Service and International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (No: KCT0006500).

Conformation changes and emulsifying properties of myofibrillar proteins in water: Effects of electrostatic interaction with chitosan

Great interests have been attracted toward muscle protein in a water-soluble state with improved functionality for further designing meat protein fortified low-salt functional foods. In the present study, electrostatic interaction of chitosan (CH) with myofibrillar proteins (MP) in water aqueous solution was investigated, and the linked structure changes and emulsion stabilization of MP were studied. Results showed that the electrostatic interaction inhibited MP aggregation, and smaller particle size complexes were formed at pH 6.0, leading to the loss of β-sheet contents and recovery of α-helix contents with decreasing MP/CH mixing ratio (5:1 and 1:1). The tertiary structure confirmed the conformation changes of MP in which more hydrophobic groups and active sulfhydryl groups were exposed (P < 0.05), and the fluorescence was also quenched. With decreasing mixing ratio, the droplet size of emulsion decreased (P < 0.05), while the absorbed protein content increased (P < 0.05). After 7 d of storage, complex at a ratio of 1:1 displayed desirable emulsion stability, which could be due to the improved emulsifying capacity, enhanced electrostatic repulsion and steric effects. These findings provide a better understanding of conformation changes of MP in water aqueous solution induced by electrostatic interactions at mild acidic pH and help to fabricate stable protein/polysaccharide emulsification systems for further developing meat protein-based functional food to deliver health.

The Arabidopsis TETRATRICOPEPTIDE-REPEAT THIOREDOXIN-LIKE (TTL) family members are involved in root system formation via their interaction with cytoskeleton and cell wall remodeling.

Lateral roots (LR) are essential components of the plant edaphic interface; contributing to water and nutrient uptake, biotic and abiotic interactions, stress survival, and plant anchorage. We have identified the TETRATRICOPEPTIDE-REPEAT THIOREDOXIN-LIKE 3 (TTL3) gene as being related to LR emergence and later development. Loss of function of TTL3 leads to a reduced number of emerged LR due to delayed development of lateral root primordia (LRP). This trait is further enhanced in the triple mutant ttl1ttl3ttl4. TTL3 interacts with microtubules and endomembranes, and is known to participate in the brassinosteroid (BR) signaling pathway. Both ttl3 and ttl1ttl3ttl4 mutants are less sensitive to BR treatment in terms of LR formation and primary root growth. The ability of TTL3 to modulate biophysical properties of the cell wall was established under restrictive conditions of hyperosmotic stress and loss of root growth recovery, which was enhanced in ttl1ttl3ttl4. Timing and spatial distribution of TTL3 expression is consistent with its role in development of LRP before their emergence and subsequent growth of LR. TTL3 emerged as a component of the root system morphogenesis regulatory network.