No abstract

Whether osteoarthritis (OA) is associated with alterations in the epigenetic status of anabolic factors is largely unknown. To answer the question, we investigated the DNA methylation and histone modification of SOX-9 gene promoter, a typical anabolic gene, in the articular cartilage from nine patients with femoral neck fractures without OA and from nine hip OA patients. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and bisulfite sequencing analysis (BSQ) showed that the methylation of SOX-9 promoter was increased in OA cartilage compared to normal cartilage. The decreased SOX-9 gene and protein expression in OA chondrocytes was reversed by the treatment of 5-azacytidine (5-AzaC), the demethylating agent. Methylation of SOX-9 proximal promoters reduced the binding affinity of transcription factors CCAAT-binding factor/nuclear factor-Y and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element-binding. There was a significant increase in H3K9 and H3K27 trimethylation and a significant decrease in the acetylation of H3K9, 15, 18, 23, and 27 at SOX-9 promoters in OA chondrocytes. These findings suggest that hip OA is associated with a change in the epigenetic status of SOX-9 promoter, including increased DNA methylation and altered histone modification. ß

No abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the physicochemical and sensory properties of cooked emulsion sausages containing different levels of lotus rhizome powder (0, 1, 2, and 3%, based on total weight). Lotus rhizome powder had no significant (p>0.05) impact on pH, moisture, protein, or ash content of sausage. However, fat content was slightly but significantly (p<0.05) decreased when the level of lotus rhizome powder was increased in the sausages. The addition of lotus rhizome powder to sausages at over 1% resulted in significantly (p<0.05) darker and less red color of cooked sausage compared to control. Increase in lotus rhizome level slightly improved the emulsion stability and apparent viscosity. Significant (p<0.05) reduction in cooking loss was observed when more than 1% of lotus rhizome powder was added to sausages. The textural properties of sausages were unaffected by the inclusion of lotus rhizome except for springiness and chewiness. On the manufacture day, control sausage had significantly (p<0.05) higher TBARS value than treatments. Regarding sensory characteristics, increased levels of lotus rhizome powder decreased (p<0.05) color and juiciness scores. However, cooked sausages exhibited similar overall acceptability regardless of the level of lotus rhizome powder added to sausages. Therefore, lotus rhizome powder, an antioxidant dietary fiber, could be used as an effective natural ingredient in meat products for the development of healthier and functional food.

3D interference printing enables the single-step production of multilayered ultralong nanochannel arrays with nanoscale regularity. The superior depth-of-focus of this technique realizes a state-of-the-art nanostructure which has intensively stacked 32 layers of inch-long, horizonontal nanochannels with sub-100 nm holes in a monolithic matrix (≈15 μm). This exceptional structure can be integrated into microfluidic devices, facilitating high-flux rheological platforms using nanocapillarity.