Study of visual evaluations for wood flooring applying fuzzy logic

This study was aimed to investigate the visual evaluations of wood flooring. The selected 12 species of wood flooring were simulated by computer and combined with the 6 sets of visual image adjectives to design a questionnaire and survey the visual evaluations of consumers. Triangular fuzzy number of fuzzy theory was employed to obtain the scores of the 12 species of wood flooring in the 6 visual image evaluations. The results showed that the differences between different species of wood flooring in the visual evaluation were less significant in terms of “classical and primitive”, “durable and practical”, and “natural and original”. However, the differences were more significant in terms of “Elegant and Soft”, “close and comfortable”, and “tender and amiable”. Furthermore, six groups with relative overall visual images were induced from the comparison of wood flooring by qualitative classification. For example, the overall visual images of Quercus rubra, Acer saccharum and Quercus alba were similar, and they were more “Elegant and Soft”,“durable and practical”,“close and comfortable”, and “tender and amiable”. The overall visual images of Carya ovata, Pinus rigida and Castanea sativa were similar, and they tended to be “classical and primitive” and “natural and original”.     

"Lard fruit" domesticated in China

In this article the attention is drawn to the domestication of Hodgsonia macrocarpa, a melon species with oil-containing seeds. It can yield annually two and a half kilogrammes of edible oil per plant.     

Formation and inhibition of cholesterol oxidation products during marinating of pig feet

Cholesterol oxidation products (COPs), formed during the heating of cholesterol-rich foods, have been shown to cause cancer and coronary heart disease. The objectives of this study were to develop a GC-MS method for the determination of COPs in pig feet meat, skin, and juice during marinating and to study the formation and inhibition of COPs as affected by the incorporation of soy sauce and sugar. Results showed that an HP-5MS column could provide an adequate separation of cholesterol, 5α-cholestane (internal standard), and seven COPs, including 7α-OH, 7β-OH, 5,6β-OH, 5,6α-OH, triol, 25-OH, and 7-keto, within 15 min with a temperature-programming method. Most COPs in pig feet meat were generated at a larger amount than in pig feet skin and marinating juice over a 24 h heating period at about 100 °C. The Maillard browning index rose with increasing heating time, whereas the pH showed a slight change in marinated juice. Both reducing sugar and free amino acid contributed to the formation of Maillard reaction products. The incorporation of soy sauce and crystal sugar into fresh juice was effective in inhibiting COPs formation in pig feet, skin, and juice over a 30 min preheating period.     

水生植物的生态敏感度研究

通过人工室外玻璃水槽养殖试验，研究了几种水生植物在两个不同的生态水平上对重金属 Pb和 Zn的生态效应。结果发现，水生植物对有害环境因子的生态敏感度，在植物组织水平上与在分子水平上的表现截然相反。根据植物体内过氧化氢酶（ CAT）的活性反应来排序，几种水生植物的（ CAT）敏感度为：水花生 >紫背萍 >满江红 >轮叶黑藻 >马来眼子菜。这与植物受 Pb和 Zn伤害后的形态症状表现的生态敏感度（种敏感度）顺序完全相反。把不同的生态敏感度概念（ CAT敏感度和种敏感度）引入生态规划，作为生态敏感区域划定的指标。对具有不同敏感等级和不同的保护水平要求的生态区域，应采用不同的生态敏感度，即 CAT敏感度或种敏感度。     

Analytical models integrated with satellite images for optimized pest management

The global field protection (GFP) was developed to protect and optimize pest management resources integrating satellite images for precise field demarcation with physical models of controlled release devices of pesticides to protect large fields. The GFP was implemented using a graphical user interface to aid the end-user to select location and define an arbitrary perimeter for protection. The system provides coordinates of drop points for the controlled release devices which can be delivered using drone technology, e.g. unmanned air vehicles. In this work, we present the first proof of concept of this technology. A vast number of pest management applications can benefit from this work, including prevention against vector-borne diseases as well as protection of large agriculture fields.     

The 2.6 angstrom crystal structure of a human A2A adenosine receptor bound to an antagonist

The adenosine class of heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding protein (G protein)-coupled receptors (GPCRs) mediates the important role of extracellular adenosine in many physiological processes and is antagonized by caffeine. We have determined the crystal structure of the human A2A adenosine receptor, in complex with a high-affinity subtype-selective antagonist, ZM241385, to 2.6 angstrom resolution. Four disulfide bridges in the extracellular domain, combined with a subtle repacking of the transmembrane helices relative to the adrenergic and rhodopsin receptor structures, define a pocket distinct from that of other structurally determined GPCRs. The arrangement allows for the binding of the antagonist in an extended conformation, perpendicular to the membrane plane. The binding site highlights an integral role for the extracellular loops, together with the helical core, in ligand recognition by this class of GPCRs and suggests a role for ZM241385 in restricting the movement of a tryptophan residue important in the activation mechanism of the class A receptors.     

Cu~(2+)Zn~(2+)Cd~(2+)对五种单细胞藻类光和色素含量的影响

报道了在Cu2 +Zn2 +和Cd2 +的毒害作用下 ,三角褐指藻、湛江等鞭藻、绿色巴夫藻、青岛大扁藻和小球藻等单细胞藻类中光和色素 1、色素 2和总色素的含量。三种离子以Cd的毒性最大 ,Cu次之 ,Zn最弱。色素 1对重金属毒性较敏感。在 5种藻类中 ,扁藻和巴夫藻的色素含量受毒性影响相对较小     

Novel α-Amylase Inhibitor Hemi-Pyocyanin Produced by Microbial Conversion of Chitinous Discards

α-Amylase inhibitors (aAIs) have been applied for the efficient management of type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to search for potential aAIs produced by microbial fermentation. Among various bacterial strains, Pseudomonas aeruginosa TUN03 was found to be a potential aAI-producing strain, and shrimp heads powder (SHP) was screened as the most suitable C/N source for fermentation. P. aeruginosa TUN03 exhibited the highest aAIs productivity (3100 U/mL) in the medium containing 1.5% SHP with an initial pH of 7–7.5, and fermentation was performed at 27.5 °C for two days. Further, aAI compounds were investigated for scaled-up production in a 14 L-bioreactor system. The results revealed a high yield (4200 U/mL) in a much shorter fermentation time (12 h) compared to fermentation in flasks. Bioactivity-guided purification resulted in the isolation of one major target compound, identified as hemi-pyocyanin (HPC) via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. Its purity was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. HPC demonstrated potent α-amylase inhibitory activity comparable to that of acarbose, a commercial antidiabetic drug. Notably, HPC was determined as a new aAI. The docking study indicated that HPC inhibits α-amylase by binding to amino acid Arg421 at the biding site on enzyme α-amylase with good binding energy (−9.3 kcal/mol) and creating two linkages of H-acceptors.     

绿鳍马面魨年龄和生长的初步研究

1.体长与椎体之间的关系呈正紧密直线相关。其关系式为:L=7.046R 49.590 r=0.938 2.用第一个椎骨的椎体作为观察和测定年轮的材料。年轮在透射光线下界于透明带和不透明带之间。其特征可分为以下三种类型:(1)单带型,(2)双带型,(3)多带型。 3.根据椎体边缘相对生长量的周年测定结果,证实该年轮系一年形成一次,时间为12月份至翌年5、6月份,主要的形成期是4～6月份。 4. 绿鳍马面鲀各龄鱼的平均体长和体重为:Ⅰ龄鱼:119.5毫米,44.5克;Ⅱ龄鱼:159.9毫米,70.9克;Ⅲ龄鱼:194.8毫米,136.9克;Ⅳ龄鱼:215.2毫米,190.8克;Ⅴ龄鱼;229.2毫米,231.3克;Ⅵ龄鱼:245.9毫米,283.5克。 5.体长和体重之间呈指数函数关系。关系式:L=41.324·W~(0.315) 6.从现有的标样观察和分析,绿鳍马面鲀的最高寿命为X龄。年龄组成比较简单,以Ⅲ、Ⅳ龄组占优势,Ⅵ龄以上各组数量极少。