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Choline-Chloride-Based Eutectic Solvent for the Efficient Production of Docosahexaenoyl and Eicosapentaenoyl Ethanolamides via an Enzymatic Process

Liang H, Qin X, Tan CP, Li D, Wang Y

J Agric Food Chem, 2018 Nov 21;66(46):12361-12367.
PMID: 30394748 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b04804

Docosahexaenoyl and eicosapentaenoyl ethanolamides (DHEA and EPEA) have physiological functions, including immunomodulation, brain development, and anti-inflammation, but their efficient production is still unresolved. In this study, choline-chloride-based natural deep eutectic solvents are used as media to improve the production of DHEA and EPEA. The water content showed a key effect on the reactant conversion. Adding water to choline chloride-glucose (CG, molar ratio of 5:2) led to a significant increase (13.03% for EPEA and 27.95% for DHEA) in the yields after 1 h. The high yields of EPEA (96.84%) and DHEA (90.06%) were obtained under the optimized conditions [fish oil ethyl esters/ethanolamine molar ratio of 1:2, temperature of 60 °C, 1 h, enzyme loading of 2195 units, and CG containing 8.50% water of 43.30% (w/w, relative to total reactants)]. The products could be easily separated using centrifugation. In summary, the research has the potential to produce fatty acyl ethanolamides.
Fulltext Effectiveness of plyometric training vs. complex training on the explosive power of lower limbs: A Systematic review

Wang X, Lv C, Qin X, Ji S, Dong D

Front Physiol, 2022;13:1061110.
PMID: 36741805 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1061110

Introduction: Explosive power is considered an important factor in competitive events. Thus, strategies such as complex training (CT) and plyometric training (PLT) are effective at improving explosive power. However, it is still not clear which of the two strategies can enable greater improvements on the explosive power. Thus, the aim of this systematic review was to compare the effects of PLT and CT on the explosive power of the lower limbs. Methods: The Review Manager and GraphPad Prism programs were used to analyze the synthetic and time effects (effects over training time) on explosive power (i.e., jump ability, sprint ability) and maximum strength. Our research identified 87 studies comprising 1,355 subjects aged 10-26.4 years. Results: The results suggested the following: 1) Synthetic effects on jump ability (Hedges' g): .79 (p < .001) for unloaded PLT, 1.35 (p < .001) for loaded PLT and .85 (p < .001) for CT; 2) Synthetic effects on sprint ability: .83 (p < .001) for unloaded PLT, -2.11 (p < .001) for loaded PLT and -.78 (p < .001) for CT; 3) Synthetic effects on maximum strength: .84 (p < .001) for loaded PLT and 1.53 (p < .001) for CT; 4) The time effects of unloaded PLT and CT on explosive power were similar, but the time effects of CT on maximum strength were obviously above that of PLT. Discussion: In conclusion, unloaded PLT and CT have a similar effect on explosive performance in the short term but loaded PLT has a better effect. The improvement of the maximum strength caused by CT was greater than that induced by PLT. In addition, more than 10 weeks of training may be more beneficial for the improvement of power. Therefore, for explosive power training, we suggest adopting unloaded or light-loaded PLT during a short season and applying CT during an annual or long training cycle.
Fulltext Multi-center Performance Evaluations of Tacrolimus and Cyclosporine Electrochemiluminescence Immunoassays in the Asia-Pacific Region

Qin X, Rui J, Xia Y, Mu H, Song SH, Raja Aziddin RE, et al.

Ann Lab Med, 2018 Mar;38(2):85-94.
PMID: 29214751 DOI: 10.3343/alm.2018.38.2.85

BACKGROUND: The immunosuppressant drugs (ISDs), tacrolimus and cyclosporine, are vital for solid organ transplant patients to prevent rejection. However, toxicity is a concern, and absorption is highly variable across patients; therefore, ISD levels need to be precisely monitored. In the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, tacrolimus and cyclosporine concentrations are typically measured using immunoassays. The objective of this study was to assess the analytical performance of Roche Elecsystacrolimus and cyclosporinee electrochemiluminescence immunoassays (ECLIAs).
METHODS: This evaluation was performed in seven centers across China, South Korea, and Malaysia. Imprecision (repeatability and reproducibility), assay accuracy, and lot-to-lot reagent variability were tested. The Elecsys ECLIAs were compared with commercially available immunoassays (Architect, Dimension, and Viva-E systems) using whole blood samples from patients with various transplant types (kidney, liver, heart, and bone marrow).
RESULTS: Coefficients of variation for repeatability and reproducibility were ≤5.4% and ≤12.4%, respectively, for the tacrolimus ECLIA, and ≤5.1% and ≤7.3%, respectively, for the cyclosporine ECLIA. Method comparisons of the tacrolimus ECLIA with Architect, Dimension, and Viva-E systems yielded slope values of 1.01, 1.14, and 0.897, respectively. The cyclosporine ECLIA showed even closer agreements with the Architect, Dimension, and Viva-E systems (slope values of 1.04, 1.04, and 1.09, respectively). No major differences were observed among the different transplant types.
CONCLUSIONS: The tacrolimus and cyclosporine ECLIAs demonstrated excellent precision and close agreement with other immunoassays tested. These results show that both assays are suitable for ISD monitoring in an APAC population across a range of different transplant types.
Fulltext Health systems efficiency in China and ASEAN, 2015-2020: a DEA-Tobit and SFA analysis application

Kang J, Peng R, Feng J, Wei J, Li Z, Huang F, et al.

BMJ Open, 2023 Sep 06;13(9):e075030.
PMID: 37673450 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075030

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the health systems efficiency in China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries from 2015 to 2020.
DESIGN: Health efficiency analysis using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and stochastic frontier approach analysis.
SETTING: Health systems in China and ASEAN countries.
METHODS: DEA-Malmquist model and SFA model were used to analyse the health system efficiency among China and ASEAN countries, and the Tobit regression model was employed to analyse the factors affecting the efficiency of health system among these countries.
RESULTS: In 2020, the average technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency of China and 10 ASEAN countries' health systems were 0.700, 1 and 0.701, respectively. The average total factor productivity (TFP) index of the health systems in 11 countries from 2015 to 2020 was 0.962, with a decrease of 1.4%, among which the average technical efficiency index was 1.016, and the average technical progress efficiency index was 0.947. In the past 6 years, the TFP index of the health system in Malaysia was higher than 1, while the TFP index of other countries was lower than 1. The cost efficiency among China and ASEAN countries was relatively high and stable. The per capita gross domestic product (current US$) and the urban population have significant effects on the efficiency of health systems.
CONCLUSIONS: Health systems inefficiency is existing in China and the majority ASEAN countries. However, the lower/middle-income countries outperformed high-income countries. Technical efficiency is the key to improve the TFP of health systems. It is suggested that China and ASEAN countries should enhance scale efficiency, accelerate technological progress and strengthen regional health cooperation according to their respective situations.
Fulltext Deposition, Characterization, and Modeling of Scandium-Doped Aluminum Nitride Thin Film for Piezoelectric Devices

Zhang Q, Chen M, Liu H, Zhao X, Qin X, Wang F, et al.

Materials (Basel), 2021 Oct 27;14(21).
PMID: 34771961 DOI: 10.3390/ma14216437

In this work, we systematically studied the deposition, characterization, and crystal structure modeling of ScAlN thin film. Measurements of the piezoelectric device's relevant material properties, such as crystal structure, crystallographic orientation, and piezoelectric response, were performed to characterize the Sc0.29Al0.71N thin film grown using pulsed DC magnetron sputtering. Crystal structure modeling of the ScAlN thin film is proposed and validated, and the structure-property relations are discussed. The investigation results indicated that the sputtered thin film using seed layer technique had a good crystalline quality and a clear grain boundary. In addition, the effective piezoelectric coefficient d33 was up to 12.6 pC/N, and there was no wurtzite-to-rocksalt phase transition under high pressure. These good features demonstrated that the sputtered ScAlN is promising for application in high-coupling piezoelectric devices with high-pressure stability.
Fulltext The chromosome-scale reference genome of black pepper provides insight into piperine biosynthesis

Hu L, Xu Z, Wang M, Fan R, Yuan D, Wu B, et al.

Nat Commun, 2019 10 16;10(1):4702.
PMID: 31619678 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12607-6

Black pepper (Piper nigrum), dubbed the 'King of Spices' and 'Black Gold', is one of the most widely used spices. Here, we present its reference genome assembly by integrating PacBio, 10x Chromium, BioNano DLS optical mapping, and Hi-C mapping technologies. The 761.2 Mb sequences (45 scaffolds with an N50 of 29.8 Mb) are assembled into 26 pseudochromosomes. A phylogenomic analysis of representative plant genomes places magnoliids as sister to the monocots-eudicots clade and indicates that black pepper has diverged from the shared Laurales-Magnoliales lineage approximately 180 million years ago. Comparative genomic analyses reveal specific gene expansions in the glycosyltransferase, cytochrome P450, shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase, lysine decarboxylase, and acyltransferase gene families. Comparative transcriptomic analyses disclose berry-specific upregulated expression in representative genes in each of these gene families. These data provide an evolutionary perspective and shed light on the metabolic processes relevant to the molecular basis of species-specific piperine biosynthesis.
Fulltext The complex genome and adaptive evolution of polyploid Chinese pepper (Zanthoxylum armatum and Zanthoxylum bungeanum)

Hu L, Xu Z, Fan R, Wang G, Wang F, Qin X, et al.

Plant Biotechnol J, 2023 Jan;21(1):78-96.
PMID: 36117410 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13926

Zanthoxylum armatum and Zanthoxylum bungeanum, known as 'Chinese pepper', are distinguished by their extraordinary complex genomes, phenotypic innovation of adaptive evolution and species-special metabolites. Here, we report reference-grade genomes of Z. armatum and Z. bungeanum. Using high coverage sequence data and comprehensive assembly strategies, we derived 66 pseudochromosomes comprising 33 homologous phased groups of two subgenomes, including autotetraploid Z. armatum. The genomic rearrangements and two whole-genome duplications created large (~4.5 Gb) complex genomes with a high ratio of repetitive sequences (>82%) and high chromosome number (2n = 4x = 132). Further analysis of the high-quality genomes shed lights on the genomic basis of involutional reproduction, allomones biosynthesis and adaptive evolution in Chinese pepper, revealing a high consistent relationship between genomic evolution, environmental factors and phenotypic innovation. Our study provides genomic resources and new insights for investigating diversification and phenotypic innovation in Chinese pepper, with broader implications for the protection of plants under severe environmental changes.
Fulltext Dissecting the Shared Genetic Architecture of Suicide Attempt, Psychiatric Disorders, and Known Risk Factors

Mullins N, Kang J, Campos AI, Coleman JRI, Edwards AC, Galfalvy H, et al.

Biol Psychiatry, 2022 Feb 01;91(3):313-327.
PMID: 34861974 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.05.029

BACKGROUND: Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide, and nonfatal suicide attempts, which occur far more frequently, are a major source of disability and social and economic burden. Both have substantial genetic etiology, which is partially shared and partially distinct from that of related psychiatric disorders.
METHODS: We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 29,782 suicide attempt (SA) cases and 519,961 controls in the International Suicide Genetics Consortium (ISGC). The GWAS of SA was conditioned on psychiatric disorders using GWAS summary statistics via multitrait-based conditional and joint analysis, to remove genetic effects on SA mediated by psychiatric disorders. We investigated the shared and divergent genetic architectures of SA, psychiatric disorders, and other known risk factors.
RESULTS: Two loci reached genome-wide significance for SA: the major histocompatibility complex and an intergenic locus on chromosome 7, the latter of which remained associated with SA after conditioning on psychiatric disorders and replicated in an independent cohort from the Million Veteran Program. This locus has been implicated in risk-taking behavior, smoking, and insomnia. SA showed strong genetic correlation with psychiatric disorders, particularly major depression, and also with smoking, pain, risk-taking behavior, sleep disturbances, lower educational attainment, reproductive traits, lower socioeconomic status, and poorer general health. After conditioning on psychiatric disorders, the genetic correlations between SA and psychiatric disorders decreased, whereas those with nonpsychiatric traits remained largely unchanged.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results identify a risk locus that contributes more strongly to SA than other phenotypes and suggest a shared underlying biology between SA and known risk factors that is not mediated by psychiatric disorders.