Determination of non-protein-bound iron in human synovial fluid by high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection

Non-protein-bound iron in human synovial fluid was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. The procedure was based on the separation of the iron—diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DPTA) complex formed directly on a chromatographic column containing an anion-exchange resin followed by electrochemical detection. The method enabled more than 0.1 μM Fe(III) to be determined with an injection volume of 10 μl. A mixture of synovial fluid, 20 μM DTPA and acetate buffer was incubated in the presence and absence of superoxide (O⁻₂) generated by a xanthine—xanthine oxidase system and was ultrafiltered through a 30 000 molecular mass cut-off filter. No iron was detected in the ultrafiltrate at physiological pH. However, the presence of iron was observed in the ultrafiltrate at low pH, and O⁻₂ and decreased pH, iron may be released into the synovial fluid.     

Changes in physical activity and energy intake according to abdominal obesity in Korean adult men before and after COVID-19: Data from 2019 and 2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES)

[Purpose] This study aimed to investigate changes in physical activity and energy intake according to abdominal obesity in Korean adult men before and after COVID-19.[Methods] Using data from the 2019 and 2020 KNHANES, the physical activity level measured by the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) the physical activity level by GPAQ, number of days of walking and strength training, aerobic exercise, and total energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, and sugar intake for a total of 2,799 participants were analyzed.[Results] There were no changes in energy intake during the pandemic. The number of days of weekly walking was higher (2019, p = 0.006; 2020, p = 0.012) and strength training was significantly higher (2019, p < 0.0001; 2020 p < 0.0001) in the non-abdominal obesity group than in the abdominal obesity group before and after COVID-19. Strength training at least once a week suppressed abdominal obesity (0.628 times in 2019, p < 0.0001; 0.605 times in 2020, p < 0.0001). In addition, even when the total energy intake and age were adjusted for, strength training influenced the suppression of abdominal obesity (0.634 times in 2019, p < 0.0001; 0.614 times in 2020, p < 0.0001).[Conclusion] Even with the change in the physical activity level, such as walking and aerobic exercise, due to the influence of social distancing measures, strength training influenced the suppression of abdominal obesity, regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic.     

Membrane glycoproteomics of fetal lung fibroblasts using LC/MS

Some aberrant N‐glycosylations are being used as tumor markers, and glycoproteomics is expected to provide novel diagnosis markers and targets of drug developments. However, one has trouble in mass spectrometric glycoproteomics of membrane fraction because of lower intensity of glycopeptides in the existence of surfactants. Previously, we developed a glycopeptide enrichment method by acetone precipitation, and it was successfully applied to human serum glycoproteomics. In this study, we confirmed that this method is useful to remove the surfactants and applicable to membrane glycoproteomics. The glycoproteomic approach to the human fetal lung fibroblasts membrane fraction resulted in the identification of over 272 glycoforms on 63 sites of the 44 glycoproteins. According to the existing databases, the structural features on 41 sites are previously unreported. The most frequently occurring forms at N‐glycosylation site were high‐mannose type containing nine mannose residues (M9) and monosialo‐fucosylated biantennary oligosaccharides. Several unexpected N‐glycans, such as fucosylated complex‐type and fucosylated high‐mannose and/or fucosylated pauci‐mannose types were found in ER and lysosome proteins. Our method provides new insights into transport, biosynthesis, and degradation of glycoproteins.     

北京市5种园林树木蒸腾作用模拟研究

通过对北京市园林5种常用乔木,国槐（Sophora japonica）、银杏（Ginkgo biloba）、白蜡（Fraxinus chinensis）、杜仲（Eucommia ulmoides）和臭椿（Ailanthus altissima）等植物蒸腾作用与周围环境气象因子（温度、湿度、太阳有效辐射）及植株叶面积指数相关关系的研究,利用Javis公式计算冠层气孔阻力,同时采用PM公式计算冠层蒸腾速率和植株日蒸腾量,并分析不同乔木的冠层气孔导度对环境主要驱动因子的响应规律。结果表明：5种被观测乔木中,国槐耗水量最大,白蜡耗水量最小,植株蒸腾量大小依次为国槐〉银杏〉杜仲〉臭椿〉白蜡（P＜0．01）。植物叶片气孔导度及蒸腾量与环境驱动因子太阳辐射及水气压亏缺的相关关系表明,在土壤水分条件较好时,国槐长势优于其它4种乔木,但是其对水分的利用不够经济,在干旱的情况下不能有效节水。     

基于GIS的滨海盐渍化农田土壤空间变异及其分区管理

针对滨海盐渍化农田盐碱瘠薄、土壤属性空间变异大、粗放管理效益低的现实,研究管理分区精准划分方法,采取差异化措施,提升盐渍化土地利用水平。该文以无棣县农田为研究区,采用网格法结合土地利用现状定点野外采样、室内化验分析获取土壤属性数据,运用ArcGIS 10.2地统计方法分析土壤属性的空间变异特征;在MATLAB R2016a中采用模糊c-均值聚类法（FCM）计算各样点的模糊隶属度,通过插值预测模糊隶属度的空间分布,基于最大隶属度原则进行分区;通过变异性分析和最小极差法（LSR）差异显著性检验,对分区结果进行精度验证。结果表明：无棣县农田土壤总体呈轻中度盐渍化,有效氮含量偏低,有机质、有效磷含量中等,速效钾含量较高;有机质、有效氮、有效磷、速效钾和含盐量呈中等变异性（变异系数25.0%-52.3%）,空间变异性较大,应分区调控;速效钾、含盐量和pH的块金效应值小于25%,主要受土壤质地、地下水矿化度等结构因素影响,有机质、有效氮和有效磷的块金效应值在50%-75%之间,受耕作方式、施肥等人为因素影响较大。将全县农田划分为3类管理区,估算面积分别为2.56万hm²、1.76万hm²、3.24万hm²;各分区土壤养分变异系数分别为23.9%-51.5%、15.9%-50.3%、14.7%-33.0%,检验结果表明各分区间差异显著,而各分区内部变异性明显低于未分区。管理分区与土壤属性空间分布特征具有较高的拟合度,分区结果可以作为差异化管理的作业单元。研究结果为各分区内部统一、不同分区间差异化管理提供了依据,研究有助于推进滨海盐渍化农田精准化管理水平的提高。     

A method for fast safety screening of explosives in terms of crystal packing and molecular stability

Safety prediction is crucial to the molecular design or the material design of explosives, and the predictions based on any single factor alone will cause much inaccuracy, leading to a desire for a method on multi-bases. The presented proposes an improved method for fast screening explosive safety by combining a crystal packing factor and a molecular one, that is, steric hindrance against shear slide in crystal and molecular stability, denoted by intermolecular friction symbol (IFS) and bond dissociation energy (BDE) of trigger linkage respectively. Employing this BDE-IFS combined method, we understand the impact sensitivities of 24 existing explosives, and predict those of two energetic-energetic cocrystals of the observed CL-20/BTF and the supposed HMX/TATB. As a result, a better understanding is implemented by the combined method relative to molecular stability alone, verifying its improvement of more accurate predictions and the feasibility of IFS to graphically reflect molecular stacking in crystals. Also, this work verifies that the explosive safety is strongly related with its crystal stacking, which determines steric hindrance and influences shear slide.     

Narrow H3K4me2 is required for chicken PGC formation

The development of primordial germ cells (PGCs) undergoes epigenetic modifications. The study of histone methylation in regulating PGCs is beneficial to understand the development and differentiation mechanism of germ stem cells. Notably, it provides a theoretical basis for directed induction and mass acquisition in vitro. However, little is known about the regulation of PGC formation by histone methylation. Here, we found the high enrichment of H3K4me2 in the blastoderm, genital ridges, and testis. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing was performed and the results revealed that genomic H3K4me2 is dynamic in embryonic stem cells, PGCs, and spermatogonial stem cells. This trend was consistent with the H3K4me2 enrichment in the gene promoter region. Additionally, narrow region triggered PGC‐related genes (Bmp4, Wnt5a, and Tcf7l2) and signaling pathways (Wnt and transforming growth factor‐β). After knocking down histone methylase Mll2 in vitro and vivo, the level of H3K4me2 decreased, inhibiting Cvh and Blimp1 expression, then repressing the formation of PGCs. Taken together, our study revealed the whole genome map of H3K4me2 in the formation of PGCs, contributing to improve the epigenetic study in PGC formation and providing materials for bird gene editing and rescue of endangered birds.     

Charge Transfer Modulated Activity of Carbon‐Based Electrocatalysts

Electrocatalysis is the most important electrode reactions for many energy storage and conversion devices, which are considered a key part of the resolution of the energy crisis. Toward this end, design of efficient electrocatalysts is of critical significance. While extensive research has been extended to develop excellent electrocatalysts, the fundamental understanding of the relationship between the electronic and structural properties of electrocatalysts and the catalytic activity must remain a priority. In this review, the activity modulation of electrocatalysts by charge transfer effects, including intramolecular and intermolecular charge transfer, is systematically introduced. With suitable charge transfer modification, such as heteroatom doping, defect engineering, molecule functionalization, and heterojunctions, the electrocatalytic activity of carbon‐based electrocatalysts can be significantly boosted. The manipulation of the electronic structure of carbon‐based materials by charge transfer may serve as a fundamental mechanism for performance enhancement. After establishing an understanding of the relationship between catalytic activity and charge transfer, the opportunities and challenges for the design of electrocatalyst with charge transfer effects are discussed.