Human metabolic phenotype diversity and its association with diet and blood pressure

Metabolic phenotypes are the products of interactions among a variety of factors-dietary, other lifestyle/environmental, gut microbial and genetic. We use a large-scale exploratory analytical approach to investigate metabolic phenotype variation across and within four human populations, based on 1H NMR spectroscopy. Metabolites discriminating across populations are then linked to data for individuals on blood pressure, a major risk factor for coronary heart disease and stroke (leading causes of mortality worldwide). We analyse spectra from two 24-hour urine specimens for each of 4,630 participants from the INTERMAP epidemiological study, involving 17 population samples aged 40-59 in China, Japan, UK and USA. We show that urinary metabolite excretion patterns for East Asian and western population samples, with contrasting diets, diet-related major risk factors, and coronary heart disease/stroke rates, are significantly differentiated (P < 10(-16)), as are Chinese/Japanese metabolic phenotypes, and subgroups with differences in dietary vegetable/animal protein and blood pressure. Among discriminatory metabolites, we quantify four and show association (P < 0.05 to P < 0.0001) of mean 24-hour urinary formate excretion with blood pressure in multiple regression analyses for individuals. Mean 24-hour urinary excretion of alanine (direct) and hippurate (inverse), reflecting diet and gut microbial activities, are also associated with blood pressure of individuals. Metabolic phenotyping applied to high-quality epidemiological data offers the potential to develop an area of aetiopathogenetic knowledge involving discovery of novel biomarkers related to cardiovascular disease risk.     

Towards a transgenic model of Huntington's disease in a non-human primate

Non-human primates are valuable for modelling human disorders and for developing therapeutic strategies; however, little work has been reported in establishing transgenic non-human primate models of human diseases. Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor impairment, cognitive deterioration and psychiatric disturbances followed by death within 10-15 years of the onset of the symptoms. HD is caused by the expansion of cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG, translated into glutamine) trinucleotide repeats in the first exon of the human huntingtin (HTT) gene. Mutant HTT with expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) is widely expressed in the brain and peripheral tissues, but causes selective neurodegeneration that is most prominent in the striatum and cortex of the brain. Although rodent models of HD have been developed, these models do not satisfactorily parallel the brain changes and behavioural features observed in HD patients. Because of the close physiological, neurological and genetic similarities between humans and higher primates, monkeys can serve as very useful models for understanding human physiology and diseases. Here we report our progress in developing a transgenic model of HD in a rhesus macaque that expresses polyglutamine-expanded HTT. Hallmark features of HD, including nuclear inclusions and neuropil aggregates, were observed in the brains of the HD transgenic monkeys. Additionally, the transgenic monkeys showed important clinical features of HD, including dystonia and chorea. A transgenic HD monkey model may open the way to understanding the underlying biology of HD better, and to the development of potential therapies. Moreover, our data suggest that it will be feasible to generate valuable non-human primate models of HD and possibly other human genetic diseases.     

作用对象导向型营销模式初探

作用对象导向型营销模式以产品的直接作用对象作为研究对象,以预见消费者的需求为基本特征并关注企业的长远发展,它有利于增强企业的市场竞争力。     

陕甘宁三河源区1971—2017年极端降水时空变化分析

为了揭示陕甘宁三河源区极端降水时空分布及其变化规律,利用1971—2017年逐日降水、气温数据,辅以气候趋势系数、小波相干分析等方法分析三河源地区极端降水时空变化特征,并探究极端降水指数与厄尔尼诺-南方涛动(ENSO)的关联关系。结果表明:1971—2017年,陕甘宁三河源地区极端降水有明显增多的趋势;在空间分布上受地理位置和地形的影响,总体呈现"南高北低"的分布格局,空间差异显著。研究区内极端降水指数变化增减不一,大部地区极端降水量增多,弱降水日数减少,强降水日数增多,降水强度增大,降水趋于极端化。极端降水指数与多元ENSO指数(MEI)呈显著负相关关系,存在3～5 a及9～12 a时间尺度的显著共振周期。     

Heisenberg李代数的形心

Heisenberg李代数是一类重要的可解李代数, 有深刻的物理背景, 因而也是李代数研究的重要对象之一. 李代数的形心是研究李代数结构的必要工具. 特别地,形心具有自然的环结构,其所有可逆形心构成一个群. 本文讨论了有限维和无限维Heisenberg李代数的形心及其结构.     

大蒜素复配保鲜剂对大口黑鲈保鲜效果的影响

为延长冷藏大口黑鲈的货架期,以新鲜大口黑鲈为材料,研究大蒜素、大蒜素复配茶多酚及葡萄籽提取物处理对冷藏条件(4℃)下贮藏15d的鲈鱼鱼肉品质的影响,以菌落总数结合鲈鱼鱼肉的汁液流失率、硫代巴比妥酸反应物值、pH值、挥发性盐基氮值、肌原纤维蛋白Ca²⁺-ATPase活力和感官评分指标表征大蒜素及其复配保鲜剂对鲈鱼的保鲜效果。结果表明:与对照组及大蒜素单独处理相比,复配保鲜剂有更好地保鲜和维持鱼肉品质的能力,能有效减缓脂质氧化,延缓菌落总数、挥发性盐基氮值、汁液流失率的升高,并保持鱼肉的pH值、感官评分和Ca²⁺-ATPase活力。大蒜素处理组和复配保鲜剂处理组的挥发性盐基氮值分别在第12天和第15天超过25.9mg/100g,与对照组相比分别延长了鲈鱼的贮藏货架期3、6d。大蒜素复配保鲜剂可有效抑制肌原纤维蛋白Ca²⁺-ATPase活力的下降,贮藏15d后对照组酶活力比贮藏初期显著下降了59.9%,而大蒜素和大蒜素复配保鲜剂组分别下降了47.6%、38.0%。大蒜素复配保鲜剂经济环保,对人体无害,可为以天然提取物为水产保鲜剂的开发应用提供数据支撑。     

气相色谱–离子迁移谱分析微囊藻的挥发性成分

建立顶空–气相色谱–离子迁移谱（headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry,HS-GC-IMS）方法，比较了不同生长时期的微囊藻挥发性物质差异。根据离子迁移谱图结果，结合化学计量学方法对比挥发性有机化合物，通过其指纹谱图观察挥发性物质相对含量的变化规律。结果表明，挥发性成分的GC-IMS谱图存在明显差异，前2个主成分累计贡献率达到78.4%。从微囊藻水华样品中共鉴定出91种挥发性成分，其中包括醛类23种、醇类21种、酯类16种、酮类10种、硫醚类7种、酸类2种、萜烯类2种，其中1-丁醇、(E,E)–2,4–癸二烯醛、乙酸、二甲基硫醚、(E)–3–己烯–1–醇、1–辛烯–3–酮等是微囊藻水华特征挥发性差异物。本方法操作简便快速，灵敏度高，可用于藻类水华时挥发性代谢物的筛查及确证，为环境监测提供数据支持。