Determination of bisphenol A and 4-nonylphenol in media samples for <i>in vitro</i>fertilization by high-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an important treatment for infertility, and in recent years, the delivery rate in IVF has increased markedly with the progress of reproductive medicine. However, chemical contaminants in IVF media have not been fully studied. A simple method using highperformance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry was therefore investigated for quantitation of bisphenol A (BPA), 4nonylphenol (NP) and 4-n-nonylphenol (n-NP) in IVF media. Media samples were processed using the solid-phase extraction method. The quantitation limits of BPA, NP, and n-NP were 0.5, 5 and 0.5 ng·ml-1, respectively, and the recoveries for BPA, NP and n-NP added to the media samples were above 90%. Commercially available media samples for IVF including 15 media for incubation of ova, 9 sperm washing media (SWM), 4 human serum albumin (HSA) samples and 2 substitute serum (SS) samples were examined, with 2 lots for each sample. NP was detected in 3 media for incubation of ova, 12 SWM, 7 HSA samples and 4 SS samples, in ranges of 6.3 14.5, 5.3 21.7, 5.5 164.0 and 9.0 19.0 ng·ml-1, respectively. BPA and n-NP were not detected in any of the samples.

Extraction and Powder Product of Fructo-oligosaccharide from Jerusalem Artichoke

Fructo-oligosaccharide （FOS） is a type of dietary fiber. It can not be digested by enzymes in the body. It also helps to improve a digestion in the intestine, an excretion system and prevent the cancer. Jerusalem artichoke is scanned and analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography （HPLC） for quantity of FOS. They are selected for extraction and drying process. Studies on the extraction for a powder making, the conditions are optimum for maximum yield. Experiments manage using a factorial real 2 × 4 × 6 in 2 blocks of Randomized Complete Block Design （RCBD） models. The first factor studies on two types of solvent. The second factor is the four levels of temperature in the extraction with water at 25 ℃, 35 ℃, 50℃ and 60℃ for 30 min. The third factor is the ratio of sample per solvent as 5, 6, 10, 15, 20 and 30 times. The data and comparison of average is analyzed by Duncan＇s New Mutiple Range Test at the significant level 0.05. The concentrated extracts are processed to powder by freeze drying, a hot air and vacuum drying. Optimal conditions control the temperature and time by heating in both vacuum and conventional oven. The results of temperature on the extraction are significantly different at a = 0.05. In drying process with high temperature, the color of product is more yellow （b） and less white （L）. The difference of color value is statistically significant at level a = 0.05. The sensory evaluation of food products are added the extracted powder and attribute by panelist. High level acceptance of product is aspectual about texture and flavor. FOS is the trend of functional foods for health. It is focus on low energy and on obesity including increasing the absorption of calcium.

Decoding the genetic program of micronucleus formation: linking chromosomal instability to human disease

A recent study by Adams and colleagues published in Nature unveiled more than one hundred genes that are involved in micronucleus formation,1 which is a biomarker for genomic instability and associated with aging,cancer,and other disorders.2 As an outstanding achievement,the authors identified DSCC1(DNA Replication And Sister Chromatid Cohesion 1)as a critical gene protecting against early developmental defects,genomic instability,reduced proliferative capacity,cohesinopathy-related phenotypes,and tumor development in vivo.

Switching off DNA repair—how colorectal cancer evades targeted therapies through adaptive mutability

A very recent study by Russo et al.published in Science demonstrates that colorectal cancer(CRC)cells adapt to targeted therapies by downregulating DNA repair at the expense of an increased mutation frequency and microsatellite instability(MSI).1 The authors intriguingly showed that CRC cells are capable of activating stress-induced mutagenesis similar to unicellular organisms in a transient and controlled manner,allowing them to survive under targeted therapies(Fig.1).