Optimizing the Chemical Compositions of Protective Agents for Freeze-drying Bifidobacterium longum BIOMA 5920

Freeze drying has a deleterious effect on the viability of microorganisms. In front of this difficulty, the present study adopts response surface methodology to optimize the chemical compositions of protective agents to seek for maximum viability of Bifidobacterium longum BIOMA 5920 during freeze-drying. Through the compara- tive analysis of single protectant, the complex protective agents show better effect on the Bifidobacterium viability. Human-like collagen (HLC), trehalose and glycerol are confirmed as significant factors by Box-Behnken Design. The optimized formula for these three variables is tested as follows: HLC 1.23%, trehalose 11.50% and glycerol 4.65%. Under this formula, the viability is 88.23%, 39.67% higher in comparison to the control. The viable count is 1.07×10 9 cfu·g-1 , greatly exceeding the minimum viable count requirement (10 6 cfu·g-1 ).

Immunohistochemical evaluation of vitamin D receptor(VDR) expression in cutaneous melanoma tissues and four VDR gene polymorphisms

Objective:Vitamin D receptor(VDR)mediates vitamin D activity.We examined whether VDR expression in excised melanoma tissues is associated with VDR gene(VDR)polymorphisms.Methods:We evaluated VDR protein expression(by monoclonal antibody immunostaining),melanoma characteristics,and carriage of VDR-Fok I-rs2228570(C>T),VDR-Bsm I-rs1544410(G>A),VDR-ApaI-rs7975232(T>G),and VDR-TaqI-rs731236(T>C)polymorphisms(by restriction fragment length polymorphism).Absence or presence of restriction site was denoted by a capital or lower letter,respectively:"F"and"f"for Fok I,"B"and"b"for Bsm I,"A"and"a"for ApaI,and "T"and"t"for TaqI endonuclease.Seventy-four Italian cutaneous primary melanomas(52.1±12.7 years old)were studied;51.4% were stage Ⅰ,21.6% stage Ⅱ ,13.5% stage Ⅲ,and 13.5% stage Ⅳ melanomas.VDR expression was categorized as follows:100% positive vs.<100%;over the median 20%(high VDR expression)vs.≤20%(low VDR expression);absence vs.presence of VDR-expressing cells.Results:Stage I melanomas,Breslow thickness of<1.00 mm,level II Clark invasion,Aa heterozygous genotype,and AaTT combined genotype were more frequent in melanomas with high vs.low VDR expression.Combined genotypes BbAA,bbAa,AATt,BbAATt,and bbAaTT were more frequent in 100%vs.<100%VDR-expressing cells.Combined genotype AATT was more frequent in melanomas lacking VDR expression(odds ratio=14.5;P=0.025).VDR expression was not associated with metastasis,ulceration,mitosis>1,regression,tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes,tumoral infiltration of vascular tissues,additional skin and non-skin cancers,and melanoma familiarity.Conclusions:We highlighted that VDR polymorphisms can affect VDR expression in excised melanoma cells.Low VDR expression in AATT carriers is a new finding that merits further study.VDR expression possibly poses implications for vitamin D supplementation against melanoma.VDR expression and VDR genotype may become precise medicinal tools for melanoma in the future.

Quantum Chemistry Studies on the Free-radical Growth Mechanism of Polycyclic Arenes from Benzene Precursors

The free-radical growth mechanisms for the formation of polycyclic arenes (PCAs) were constructed based on the block unit of benzene, and were calculated by the quantum chemistry PM3 method. Two kinds of reaction paths are proposed and discussed. The calculation results show that the formation of PCAs is only controlled by the elimination of H atom from benzene, and the corresponding activation energy is 307.60 kJ·mol-1. H2 is only the ef-fluent gas in our proposed reaction mechanism, and the calculation results are in accord with the experimental facts.

行业特色高校外语“3+”培养模式创新与实践——以西安某高校高起点班为例

文章在高校人才培养多元化的趋势和大学英语改革的新背景下,以西安某行业特色型高校为例,论述了高起点本科生英语培养方案、目标及课程设置。并通过社会调查和课堂教学实践构建了一个针对高水平本科生的外语培养及教学模式,试图解决目前理工科院校大学英语课程设置不合理及教学模式单一的现象,为当前的高校的外语教育和外语改革提供一定的借鉴和参考作用。

学术环境与学术发展:再谈中国问题与西方经验——任教美国大学手记

作者根据对中西学术界的观察和亲身体验,通过对美国大学办学的一些具体政策的介绍和讨论,指出严格的研究生训练、公平的教授招聘以及透明的晋升制度对于保持学术高水准是相当重要的。另外,本文还对目前学术界的一些著述“习惯”及对学术发展的影响进行了分析。

COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY OF TWO GEOGRAPHICAL POPULATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN COWPEA WEEVIL, CALLOSOBRUCHUS CHINENSIS (L.) (COLEOPTERA: BRUCHIDAE) IN SOUTHWEST CHINA

The differences of bionomics and ecologics of the two populations of Callosobruchus chinensis on mung bean (Vigna radiatus) at six constant temperatures ( 20, 25, 28, 30, 32, 35℃) and 75% r. h. were researched. ANOVA showed that temperature affected the developmental period and fertility significantly (P<0.05). T-test indicated there was significant difference of the combined immature stages between the two geographical populations at 25 and 32℃ (P<0.05). The average oviposition between the two geographical populations differed significantly at the same temperature (P<0.05). At 30℃ and 75% r. h., effects of 5 commercially grown legume seeds on development and reproduction of the two geographical populations of Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) were researched. The results showed that broad bean and soybean were more suitable for increase for Xichang population in terms of r m values. The adult weight and diameter of emergency hole of the two populations were also compared. According to the differences in the characteristics of development, reproduction, and damage to host seeds between the two geographical populations, conclusion can be drawn that both are different geographical populations.

Recent progress on single-molecule nanocatalysis based on single-molecule fluorescence microscopy

Understanding the heterogeneous catalytic properties of nanoparticles is of great significance for the development of high efficient nanocatalysts, but the intrinsic heterogeneities of nanocatalysts were always covered in traditional ensemble studies. This issue can be overcome if one can follow the catalysis of individual nanoparticles in real time. This paper mainly summarizes recent developments in single- molecule nanocatalysis at single particle level in Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. These developments include the revealing of catalytic kinetics of different types （plane ＆ edge） of surface atoms on individual Pd nanocubes, the observing of in situ deactivation of indi- vidual carbon-supported Pt nanoparticles during the electrocatalytic hydrogen-oxidation reaction, and the measurement of catalytic activation energies on single nanocatalysts for both product formation process and dissociation process, etc. These studies further indicate the advantages or unique abilities of single-molecule methods in the studies of nanocatalvsis or even chemical reactions.