Search

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver diseases in the world, which begins with liver lipid accumulation and is associated with metabolic syndrome. Also, the name chosen to replace NAFLD was metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). We performed focused drug screening and found that Cilostazol effectively ameliorated hepatic steatosis and might offer potential for NAFLD treatment. Our aim was to investigate the therapeutic effects of Cilostazol on the glycolipid metabolism and intestinal flora in NAFLD mice and explore the specific mechanism. In this study, 7-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks to induce NAFLD, and then treated with intragastric administration for 12 weeks. The results showed that Cilostazol inhibited liver lipid de novo synthesis by regulating the AMPK-ACC1/SCD1 pathway and inhibited liver gluconeogenesis by the AMPK-PGC1α-G6P/PEPCK pathway. Cilostazol improved the intestinal flora diversity and intestinal microbial composition in the NAFLD mice, and specifically regulated Desulfovibrio and Akkermansia. In addition, Cilostazol increased the level of short-chain fatty acids in the NAFLD mice to a level similar to that in the blank Control group. Cilostazol reduces liver lipid accumulation in NAFLD mice by improving glucose and lipid metabolism disorders and intestinal dysfunction, thereby achieving the purpose of treating NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive understanding of the hydrochemical evolution and spatial patterns of shallow groundwater systems is essential for water resource management and wetland ecological restoration. The Baiyangdian Wetland is one of the most concerning areas because of the development of the Xiong'an New Area. The spatial characteristics of groundwater hydrochemistry and potential controlling factors associated with hydrochemical evolution remain unclear. In this study, hydrogeochemistry together with the hierarchical cluster analysis were used to elucidate the hydrochemical processes and hydrological zoning patterns of shallow groundwater systems in the Baiyangdian Wetland, North China Plain. The results showed that hydrochemical compositions of shallow groundwater had considerable spatial variations, which was closely related to the inflow rivers hydrochemistry and the dynamics of groundwater–surface water interactions. A significant increase in SO42− concentration occurring at the cone of the depression was related to extensive pumping caused by anthropogenic activities. Anthropogenic activities were also a major factor controlling the spatial distribution patterns of shallow groundwater hydrochemistry. Ca2+, Mg2+, and SO42− in the wetland and shallow groundwater were primarily derived from carbonate and gypsum dissolution, while Na+ and Cl− originated from halite and silicate dissolution. Rock weathering predominated the geochemical evolution of shallow groundwater in conjunction with carbonate precipitation and cation exchange. The hydrochemistry of the shallow groundwater system presented distinct spatial zonation patterns that were classified into four clusters corresponding to seven subzones. In Zones I–IV, water‐rock interaction was the dominant factor controlling shallow groundwater chemistry, which was driven by the positive groundwater–surface water exchange. The coupled effects of anthropogenic activities and river infiltration and mixing caused the high levels of dissolved components in Zones V–VII. This study contributes to have a better understanding of the water cycle and hydraulic connections among different bodies, and will benefit the rational evaluation of hydrochemical evolution and wetland ecological restoration in the Baiyangdian Wetland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endotoxin is a general term for toxic substances in Gram-negative bacteria, whose damaging effects are mainly derived from the lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in the cell walls of Gram-negative bacteria, and is a strong pyrogen. Obesity is a chronic, low-grade inflammatory condition, and LPS are thought to trigger and exacerbate it. The gut flora is the largest source of LPS in the body, and it is increasingly believed that altered intestinal microorganisms can play an essential role in the pathology of different diseases. Today, the complex axis linking gut flora to inflammatory states and adiposity has not been well elucidated. This review summarises the evidence for an interconnection between LPS, obesity, and gut flora, further expanding our understanding of LPS as a mediator of low-grade inflammatory disease and contributing to lessening the effects of obesity and related metabolic disorders. As well as providing targets associated with LPS, obesity, and gut flora, it is hoped that interventions that combine targets with gut flora address the individual differences in gut flora treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Huangling region is located in the central part of the Chinese Loess Plateau, which is sensitive to climate change due to the transitional characteristics of the natural environmental zone in which it is located. In this study, we utilized a spore–pollen analysis of the Tianjiahe (TJH) profile in Huangling to apply the pollen–climate factor conversion function method. This approach allowed us to quantitatively reconstruct the paleotemperature and paleoprecipitation of the Huangling area during the Middle and Late Holocene. The results show that the Huangling area experienced four climatic stages during the Middle and Late Holocene, including mild and slightly humid → warm and humid → warm and slightly humid → warm and humid. Except for the period of 5.3–4.72 kaBP, during which the climate was relatively cool and dry compared to the present, the climate in the remaining period (4.72–0.03 kaBP) was warmer and more humid than that of the present. The above results provide an important insight for further exploring the mechanism of paleoclimate change and predicting future climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) stands as the foremost cause of patient mortality, and the lack of early diagnosis and defined treatment targets significantly contributes to the suboptimal prevention and management of CVD. Myocardial fibrosis (MF) is not only a complex pathogenic process with no effective treatment currently available but also exerts detrimental effects on the progression of various cardiovascular diseases, thereby escalating their mortality rates. Exosomes are nanoscale biocommunication vehicles that facilitate intercellular communication by transporting bioactive substances, such as nucleic acids and proteins, from specific cell types. Numerous studies have firmly established that microRNAs (miRNAs), as non-coding RNAs, wield post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms and exhibit close associations with various CVDs, including coronary heart disease (CHD), atrial fibrillation (AF), and heart failure (HF). MiRNAs hold significant promise in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In this review, we provide a concise introduction to the biological attributes of exosomes and exosomal miRNAs. We also explore the roles and mechanisms of distinct cell-derived exosomal miRNAs in the context of myocardial fibrosis. These findings underscore the pivotal role of exosomes in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac fibrosis and emphasize their potential as biotherapies and drug delivery vectors for cardiac fibrosis treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to develop prognostic prediction models for patients diagnosed with synchronous thyroid and breast cancer (TBC). Utilizing the SEER database, key predictive factors were identified, including T stage of thyroid cancer, T stage of breast cancer, M stage of breast cancer, patient age, thyroid cancer surgery type, and isotope therapy. A nomogram predicting 5-year and 10-year survival rates was constructed and validated, exhibiting strong performance (C-statistic: 0.79 in the development cohort (95% CI: 0.74-0.84), and 0.82 in the validation cohort (95% CI: 0.77-0.89)). The area under the Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curve ranged from 0.798 to 0.883 for both cohorts. Calibration and decision curve analyses further affirmed the model's clinical utility. Stratifying patients into high-risk and low-risk groups using the nomogram revealed significant differences in survival rates (P < 0.0001). The successful development and validation of this nomogram for predicting 5-year and 10-year survival rates in patients with synchronous TBC hold promise for similar patient populations, contributing significantly to cancer research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to develop an aspirin-loaded double-modified nano-delivery system for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. In this paper, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) were prepared by the "one-pot two-phase layering method", and polydopamine (PDA) was formed by the self-polymerization of dopamine as a pH-sensitive coating. Gal-modified PDA-modified nanoparticles (Gal-PDA-MSN) were synthesized by linking galactosamine (Gal) with actively targeted galactosamine (Gal) to PDA-coated MSN by a Michael addition reaction. The size, particle size distribution, surface morphology, BET surface area, mesoporous size, and pore volume of the prepared nanoparticles were characterized, and their drug load and drug release behavior in vitro were investigated. Gal-PDA-MSN is pH sensitive and targeted. MSN@Asp is different from the release curves of PDA-MSN@Asp and Gal-PDA-MSN@Asp, the drug release of PDA-MSN@Asp and Gal-PDA-MSN@Asp accelerates with increasing acidity. In vitro experiments showed that the toxicity and inhibitory effects of the three nanodrugs on human liver cancer HepG2 cells were higher than those of free Asp. This drug delivery system facilitates controlled release and targeted therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitosan oligosaccharides are the degradation products of chitin obtained from the shell extracts of shrimps and crabs. Compared with chitosan, chitosan oligosaccharides have better solubility and a wider application range. In this study, high-molecular-weight chitosan oligosaccharides (COST, chitosan oligosaccharides, MW ≤ 1000) were isolated and purified by a GPC gel column, and the molecular weight range was further reduced to obtain high-purity and low-molecular-weight chitosan (COS46). Compared with COST, COS46 is better at inhibiting CCl4-induced cell death, improving cell morphology, reducing ALT content, and improving cell antioxidant capacity. The effects of COST and COS46 on CCl4-induced acute liver injury were further verified in mice. Both COS46 and COST improved the appearance of the liver induced by CCl4, decreased the levels of ALT and AST in serum, and decreased the oxidation/antioxidant index in the liver. From the liver pathological section, the effect of COS46 was better. In addition, some indicators of COS46 showed a dose-dependent effect. In conclusion, compared with COST, low-molecular-weight COS46 has better antioxidant capacity and a better therapeutic effect on CCl4-induced acute liver injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) belongs to the Flaviviridae family and is a representative mosquito-borne flavivirus responsible for acute encephalitis and meningitis in humans. Despite the availability of vaccines, JEV remains a major public health threat with the potential to spread globally. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are an estimated 69,000 cases of JE each year, and this figure is probably an underestimate. The majority of JE victims are children in endemic areas, and almost half of the surviving patients have motor or cognitive sequelae. Thus, the absence of a clinically approved drug for the treatment of JE defines an urgent medical need. Recently, several promising and potential drug candidates were reported through drug repurposing studies, high-throughput drug library screening, and de novo design. This review focuses on the historical aspects of JEV, the biology of JEV replication, targets for therapeutic strategies, a target product profile, and drug development initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does entering the labour market via precarious employment have a long-term scarring effect on one's career? Prior research proposes diverse arguments, but firm conclusions remain elusive. Using panel data from Hong Kong, this study rekindles this debate by revealing the long-lasting effect of first job precarity on workers' subsequent career prospects. A comprehensive measure of precarious employment is constructed to simultaneously account for employment status, contractual status and occupational status, and random effects models are used to test the scarring effect of first job precarity on subsequent monthly income, job satisfaction and fringe benefits. It is also observed that macroeconomic situations, particularly periods of economic crisis, have a detrimental effect on entry into precarious employment. Importantly, the results show the substantial negative consequences of initial precarious employment, highlighting the adverse impact of economic crises on first job precarity and the subsequent scarring effect on career prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TGF‐β is thought to be involved in the physiological functions of early organ development and pathological changes in substantial organ fibrosis, while studies around adipose tissue function and systemic disorders of glucolipid metabolism are still scarce. In this investigation, two animal models, aP2‐SREBP‐1c mice and ob/ob mice, were used. TGF‐β pathway showed up‐regulated in the inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT) of the two models. SB431542, a TGF‐β inhibitor, successfully increased inguinal white adipocyte size by more than 1.5 times and decreased the weight of Peripheral organs including liver, Spleen and Kidney to 73.05%/62.18%/73.23% of pre‐administration weights. The iWAT showed elevated expression of GLUTs and lipases, followed by a recovery of circulation GLU, TG, NEFA, and GLYCEROL to the wild‐type levels in aP2‐SREBP‐1c mice. In contrast, TGF‐β inhibition did not have similar effects on that of ob/ob mice. In vitro, TGF‐β blocker treated mature adipocytes had considerably higher levels of glycerol and triglycerides than the control group, whereas GLUTs and lipases expression levels were unchanged. These findings show that inhibiting the abnormally upregulated TGF‐β pathway will only restore iWAT expansion and ameliorate the global metabolic malfunction of glucose and lipids in lipodystrophy, not obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of mitochondrial dynamics, encompassing fission, fusion, and mitophagy, in cancer progression has been extensively studied. However, the specific impact of mitochondrial dynamics on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still under investigation. Methods: In this study, mitochondrial dynamic genes were obtained from the MitoCarta 3.0 database, and gene expression data were collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Based on the expression of these dynamic genes and differentially expressed genes (DEGs), patients were stratified into two clusters. Subsequently, a prognostic model was constructed using univariate COX regression and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression, and the prognostic signature was evaluated. We analyzed the interaction between these model genes and dynamic genes to identify hub genes and reveal mitochondrial status. Furthermore, we assessed immune infiltration, tumor mutational burden (TMB), tumor stemness indices (TSI), and the response to immune checkpoint block (ICB) therapy using the TIDE algorithm and risk scores. Additionally, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, immunohistochemistry (IHC), western blotting (WB), and immunofluorescence (IF) were conducted to afford detailed visualization of the morphology of the mitochondria and the expression patterns of fission-associated proteins. Results: Patients in Cluster 2 exhibited heightened mitochondrial fission and had a worse prognosis. The up-regulated dynamic genes in Cluster 2 were identified as fission genes. GO/KEGG analyses reconfirmed the connection of Cluster 2 to augmented mitochondrial fission activities. Subsequently, a ten-gene prognostic signature based on the differentially expressed genes between the two clusters was generated, with all ten genes being up-regulated in the high-risk group. Moreover, the potential links between these ten signature genes and mitochondrial dynamics were explored, suggesting their involvement in mediating mitochondrial fission through interaction with MTFR2. Further investigation revealed that the high-risk group had an unfavorable prognosis, with a higher mutation frequency of TP53, increased immune checkpoint expression, a higher TIS score, and a lower TIDE score. The mitochondrial imbalance characterized by increased fission and upregulated MTFR2 and DNM1L expression was substantiated in both HCC specimens and cell lines. Conclusions: In conclusion, we developed a novel MTFR2-related prognostic signature comprising ten mitochondrial dynamics genes. These genes play crucial roles in mitochondrial fission and have the potential to serve as important predictors and therapeutic targets for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research explored the individual contributions of grandparents, domestic workers, and preschool institutions in supporting maternal employment, yet few have examined them simultaneously. More importantly, the increasing diversity and multiplicity in childcare arrangement throughout different stages of childrearing has been largely overlooked. Utilizing data from the Hong Kong Panel Study of Social Dynamics (HKPSSD), this study examines the effects of diverse childcare combinations on women's labor supply from a life course perspective. Our findings reveal that mothers with younger children are considerably less likely to remain in the workforce and work fewer hours than their childless counterparts. Nevertheless, grandparental co-residence, outsourcing and center-based care can all significantly alleviate such motherhood penalty, albeit to different extents. Notably, during the initial years of motherhood, solely relying on either grandparental care or center-based care yields limited effects, but these options become advantageous for mothers when paired with assistance from domestic workers. These findings highlight the potential for policy interventions that directly subsidize parents for marketized approaches to childcare, particularly in societies experiencing a decline in multigenerational households and rising costs for formal childcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies showed that physical activity (PA) is concerned with hypertension (HTN). However, the mediation and interaction role of the obesity index: body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio (WHR), body fat rate (BFR) and visceral fat index (VFI) between PA and HTN has never been studied. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the mediation and interaction of the obesity index between moderate-vigorous recreational physical activity (MVRPA) and HTN. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 4710 individuals aged 41 or older in Torch Development Zone, Zhongshan City. The mediation and interaction of the obesity index were evaluated by a four-way decomposition. 48.07% of participants had HTN among these groups. In the adjusted linear regression model, MVRPA was significantly correlated with WHR (β±SE = -0.005±0.002; P<0.05). Compared to sufficient MVRPA (odds ratio (OR) = 1.35), 95% (confidence interval (CI) = 1.17–1.56), insufficient MVRPA increased the risk of developing HTN. Furthermore, there were associations between BMI, WHR, BFR, VFI and HTN where the adjusted ORs and 95% CIs were 1.11 (1.09–1.13), 6.23 (2.61–14.90), 1.04 (1.03–1.06), 1.07 (1.06–1.09), respectively. The mediation analyses suggested that the impact of MVRPA on HTN risk may partly be explained by changes in obesity index, with a pure indirect mediation of WHR between MVRPA and HTN (P<0.05). Therefore, weight control, especially reducing abdominal obesity and maintaining adequate MVRPA, may lead to more proper control of HTN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data are increasingly used in various fields such as topographic mapping, urban planning, and emergency management. A necessary processing step in the application of airborne LiDAR data is the elimination of mismatch errors. This paper proposes a new method for airborne LiDAR strip adjustment based on point clouds with planar neighborhoods; this method is intended to eliminate errors in airborne LiDAR point clouds. Initially, standard pre-processing tasks such as denoising, ground separation, and resampling are performed on the airborne LiDAR point clouds. Subsequently, this paper introduces a unique approach to extract point clouds with planar neighborhoods which is designed to enhance the registration accuracy of the iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm within the context of airborne LiDAR point clouds. Following the registration of the point clouds using the ICP algorithm, tie points are extracted via a point-to-plane projection method. Finally, a strip adjustment calculation is executed using the extracted tie points, in accordance with the strip adjustment equation for airborne LiDAR point clouds that was derived in this study. Three sets of airborne LiDAR point cloud data were utilized in the experiment outlined in this paper. The results indicate that the proposed strip adjustment method can effectively eliminate mismatch errors in airborne LiDAR point clouds, achieving a registration accuracy and absolute accuracy of 0.05 m. Furthermore, this method's processing efficiency was more than five times higher than that of traditional methods such as ICP and LS3D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the spatial and temporal variations of CO2 column concentration (CO2-CCs) is crucial for tackling climate change and promoting sustainable human development. This study provides an in-depth analysis of CO2 dynamics in the Yellow River Basin, an area significantly affected by both natural and anthropogenic factors. Using data from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2) and the Fourier transformation spectrometer (FTS) of the GOSAT satellite remote sensing sensors, supplemented with ground station data from the Waliguan station, we scrutinized the CO2 levels in the region from 2013 to 2022. The regional CO2-CC displayed a 12-month cyclical variation and a continuous upward trend, escalating by approximately 4.26% over the 10-year period. Spatiotemporal differences were evident in the monthly variation of CO2-CC, with peak and minimum values occurring in May and August respectively. Geographically, the highest CO2-CC was found in the central part of the basin, while the lowest was in the northern part of Inner Mongolia. This study underscores the increased significance of the region's CO2-CC, which showed an increase from 17.0 ppm at the start of the period to 21.0 ppm by the end, representing an overall growth of between 4.35 and 5.25%. The findings highlight the urgency of targeted measures to mitigate CO2 emissions and adapt to their consequences in the Yellow River Basin, contributing to the global efforts against climate change and towards sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonylation with CO surrogates is one of the most common methods for introduction of carbonyl groups in ketone synthesis. However, arylhydrazides have not been used as an aryl source in this denitrogenative method even though they are cheap and accessible. Here, we report development of palladium catalysis for the three‐component reactions of arylboronic acids, CO‐surrogates (benzene‐1,3,5‐triyl triformate), and arylhydrazides under oxygen conditions to produce diaryl ketones. (Hetero)arylhydrazides, as well as (hetero)arylboronic acids are suitable reaction partners, and good functional group compatibility was achieved. This method could be used for streamlined synthesis of diaryl ketones, ketoprofen and fenofibrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Disorders in glucose and lipid metabolism have been shown to exert an influence on bone metabolism. The TyG index, which combines measures of glucose and triglycerides, provides insights into the overall metabolic status. However, the investigation of concurrent disturbances in glucose and lipid metabolism and their specific implications for bone metabolism remains limited in the existing research literature. This study aimed to explore the correlation between the TyG index and bone mineral density (BMD) in US adults. Methods: In the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), subjects were classified based on the TyG index into four groups (< 7.97, 7.97–8.39, 8.39–8.85, > 8.86). Linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the β value and 95% confidence interval (CI). Four multivariable models were constructed. Restricted cubic spline analyses and piecewise linear regression were employed to identify the association between the BMD and TyG index. An analysis of subgroups was also conducted in this study. Results: Significant variations in related characteristics were found among the US adult population, who were distributed into four groups based on the quartiles of the TyG index. A negative correlation between the TyG index and lumbar spine BMD was observed. In the multi-adjusted models, compared to Q1 of the TyG index, the β for Q4 of the TyG index for lumbar spine BMD was [β = − 0.008, 95% CI (− 0.017, 0)] in US adults. The association between the TyG index and lumbar spine BMD was found to be nonlinear (all nonlinear p < 0.001), with a threshold value based on restricted cubic spline analyses. Above the threshold point, the β for lumbar spine BMD was − 0.042 (95% CI, − 0.059, − 0.024). Below the threshold points, no significant difference was observed (p > 0.05). No significant interactions were observed among subgroups based on age, gender, presence of diabetes, BMI, and use of antidiabetic and antihyperlipidemic agents. Similar patterns of association were observed in total and subtotal bone density. Conclusions: This study identified a nonlinear association between the TyG index and BMD in the US population. Furthermore, an increased level of the TyG index may indicate a higher risk of osteoporosis among US adults. These findings highlight the importance of considering glucose and lipid metabolism disturbances in understanding bone health and the potential for developing preventive strategies for osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a liver disease syndrome. The prevalence of NAFLD has continued to increase globally, and NAFLD has become a worldwide public health problem. Glucosamine (GLC) is an amino monosaccharide derivative of glucose. GLC has been proven to not only be effective in anti-inflammation applications, but also to modulate the gut microbiota effectively. Therefore, in this study, the therapeutic effect of GLC in the NAFLD context and the mechanisms underlying these effects were explored. Specifically, an NAFLD model was established by feeding mice a high-fat and high-sugar diet (HFHSD), and the HFHSD-fed NAFLD mice were treated with GLC. First, we investigated the effect of treating NAFLD mice with GLC by analyzing serum- and liver-related indicator levels. We found that GLC attenuated insulin resistance and inflammation, increased antioxidant function, and attenuated serum and liver lipid metabolism in the mice. Then, we investigated the mechanism underlying liver lipid metabolism, inflammation, and intestinal barrier function in these mice. We found that GLC can improve liver lipid metabolism and relieve insulin resistance and oxidative stress levels. In addition, GLC treatment increased intestinal barrier function, reduced LPS translocation, and reduced liver inflammation by inhibiting the activation of the LPS/TLR4/NF-κB pathway, thereby effectively ameliorating liver lesions in NAFLD mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) are being explored as nanocarriers for therapeutics delivery, which can address a number of intrinsic drawbacks of therapeutics. To translate laboratory innovation into clinical application, their potential toxicity has been of great concern. This review attempts to comprehensively summarize the existing literature on the toxicity assessment of SiNPs. The current data suggest that the composition of SiNPs, their physicochemical properties, their administration route, their frequency and duration of administration, and the sex of animal models are related to their tissue and blood toxicity, immunotoxicity, and genotoxicity. However, the correlation between in vitro and in vivo toxicity has not been well established, mainly because both the in vitro and the in vivo-dosed quantities are unrealistic. This article also discusses important factors to consider in the toxicology of SiNPs and current approaches to reducing their toxicity. The aim is to give readers a better understanding of the toxicology of silica nanoparticles and to help identify key gaps in knowledge and techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying the thresholds for the positive responses of total net primary productivity (NPP) to nitrogen (N) enrichment is an essential prerequisite for predicting the benefits of N deposition on ecosystem carbon sequestration. However, the responses of below-ground NPP (BNPP) to N enrichment are unknown in many ecosystems, which limits our ability to understand the carbon cycling under the scenario of increasing N availability. We examined the changes in above-ground NPP (ANPP), BNPP, and NPP of a temperate meadow steppe across a wide-ranging N addition gradient (0, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 g N m-2 year-1) during 5 years. Both ANPP and NPP increased nonlinearly with N addition rates. The N saturation threshold for ANPP (TA) and NPP (TN) was at the rate of 13.11 and 6.70 g N m-2 year-1, respectively. BNPP decreased with increasing N addition when N addition rates 5 g N m-2 year-1, resulting in much lower TN than TA. Soil N enrichment played a key role in driving the negative impacts of high N addition rates on BNPP, and consequently on the earlier occurrence of N saturation threshold for NPP. Our results highlight the negative effects of soil N enrichment on NPP in natural grasslands super-saturated with N. Furthermore, by considering ANPP and BNPP simultaneously, our results indicate that previous findings from above-ground might have over-estimated the positive effects of N deposition on primary productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neural network models play an important role in crop extraction based on remote sensing data. However, when dealing with high-dimensional remote sensing data, these models are susceptible to performance degradation. In order to address the challenges associated with multi-source Gaofen satellite data, a novel method is proposed for dimension reduction and crop classification. This method combines the benefits of the stacked autoencoder network for data dimensionality reduction, and the convolutional neural network for classification. By leveraging the advantages of multi-dimensional remote sensing information, and mitigating the impact of dimensionality on the classification accuracy, this method aims to improve the effectiveness of crop classification. The proposed method was applied to the extraction of crop-planting areas in the Yangling Agricultural Demonstration Zone, using multi-temporal spectral data collected from the Gaofen satellites. The results demonstrate that the fusion network, which extracts low-dimensional characteristics, offers advantages in classification accuracy. At the same time, the proposed model is compared with methods such as the decision tree (DT), random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), hyperspectral image classification based on a convolutional neural network (HICCNN), and a characteristic selection classification method based on a convolutional neural network (CSCNN). The overall accuracy of the proposed method can reach 98.57%, which is 7.95%, 4.69%, 5.68%, 1.21%, and 1.10% higher than the above methods, respectively. The effectiveness of the proposed model was verified through experiments. Additionally, the model demonstrates a strong robustness when classifying based on new data. When extracting the crop area of the entire Yangling District, the errors for wheat and corn are only 9.6% and 6.3%, respectively, and the extraction results accurately reflect the actual planting situation of crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitooligosaccharide (COS) is a natural product from the ocean, and while many studies have reported its important role in metabolic diseases, no study has systematically elaborated the anti-obesity effect and mechanism of COS. Herein, COSM (MW ≤ 3000 Da) was administered to diet-induced obese mice by oral gavage once daily for eight weeks. The results show that COSM administration reduced body weight; slowed weight gain; reduced serum Glu, insulin, NEFA, TC, TG, and LDL-C levels; increased serum HSL and HDL-C levels; improved inflammation; and reduced lipid droplet size in adipose tissue. Further lipidomic analysis of adipose tissue revealed that 31 lipid species are considered to be underlying lipid biomarkers in COS therapy. These lipids are mainly enriched in pathways involving insulin resistance, thermogenesis, cholesterol metabolism, glyceride metabolism and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), which sheds light on the weight loss mechanism of COS. The Western blot assay demonstrated that COSM intervention can improve insulin resistance, inhibit de novo synthesis, and promote thermogenesis and β-oxidation in mitochondria by the AMPK pathway, thereby alleviating high-fat diet-induced obesity. In short, our study can provide a more comprehensive direction for the application of COS in obesity based on molecular markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrient resorption is a fundamental physiological process in plants, with important ecological controls over numerous ecosystem functions. However, the role of community assembly in driving responses of nutrient resorption to perturbation remains largely unknown. Following the Price equation framework and the Community Assembly and Ecosystem Function framework, we quantified the contribution of species loss, species gain, and shared species to the reduction of community-level nutrient resorption efficiency in response to multi-level nitrogen (N) addition in a temperate steppe, after continuous N addition for seven years. Reductions of both N and phosphorus (P) resorption efficiency (NRE and PRE, respectively) were positively correlated with N addition levels. The dissimilarities in species composition between N-enriched and control communities increased with N addition levels, and N-enriched plots showed substantial species losses and gains. Interestingly, the reduction of community-scale NRE and PRE mostly resulted from N-induced decreases in resorption efficiency for the shared species in the control and N-enriched communities. There were negative correlations between the contributions of species richness effect and species identity effect and between the number and identity of species gained for the changes in both NRE and PRE following N enrichment. By simultaneously considering N-induced changes in species composition and in species-level resorption, our work presents a more complete picture of how different community assembly processes contribute to N-induced changes in community-level resorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Our previous study demonstrated that previous aphid infestation significantly upregulates the transcription of marker genes associated with salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis. However, accumulating experimental evidence has revealed that SA and JA signaling cascades in plant immune responses always act antagonistically across a diverse range of herbivore–plant systems. In this study, we determined the potential role of JA in suppressing plant defense responses in seedlings of the wheat cultivar XN979 through preference and performance experiments using grain aphids and evaluated the underlying mechanisms through the transcriptional profiles of marker genes related to JA- and SA-dependent responses and the formation of tryptamine. The obtained results reveal that the accumulation of JA during aphid infestation probably facilitates the forming of tryptamine, which is then probably converted into IAA or serotonin to alter the plant's physiological properties and facilitate the feeding behaviors of aphids, compensating for the adverse effects of SA- or JA-dependent responses in host plants to colonizer attacks. As a result of this experiment, we have a better understanding of the antagonistic interactions between hormone signaling processes. Crop plants have coevolved phytohormone-mediated defenses to combat and/or repel their colonizers. The present study determined the effects of jasmonic acid (JA) accumulation during aphid infestation on the preference and performance of Sitobion miscanthi Takahashi (Hemiptera: Aphididae), and its potential role in fine-tuning hormone-dependent responses in XN979 wheat cultivar seedlings was evaluated via the transcriptional profiles of marker genes related to JA- and salicylic acid (SA)-dependent responses. The preference experiment and the life table data reveal that direct foliage spraying of 2.5 mM methyl jasmonate (MeJA) exhibited weak negative or positive effects on the preferential selection and the population dynamics and oviposition parameters of S. miscanthi. The transcription level of phytohormone biosynthesis genes shows that foliage spraying of MeJA significantly upregulated the marker genes in the JA biosynthesis pathway while downregulating the SA pathway. In addition, either MeJA treatment or previous aphid infestation significantly induced upregulated transcription of the genes involved in the JA- and SA-dependent defense responses, and the transcription level of the tryptophan decarboxylase (TaTDC) gene, which facilitates the conversion of L-tryptophan to tryptamine, was rapidly upregulated after the treatments as well. The main products of tryptamine conversion could play a crucial role in suppressing SA-dependent defense responses. These results will provide more experimental evidence to enable understanding of the antagonistic interaction between hormone signaling processes in cereals under aphid infestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tianhuang formula (THF) is a Chinese medicine prescription that is patented and clinically approved, and has been shown to improve energy metabolism, but the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study is to clarify the potential mechanisms of THF in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: A murine model of T2DM was induced by high-fat diet (HFD) feeding combined with low-dose streptozocin (STZ) injections, and the diabetic mice were treated with THF by gavaging for consecutive 10 weeks. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum insulin, blood lipid, mitochondrial Ca2+ (mCa2+) levels and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), as well as ATP production were analyzed. The target genes and proteins expression of visceral adipose tissue (Vat) was tested by RT-PCR and western blot, respectively. The underlying mechanism of the regulating energy metabolism effect of THF was further explored in the insulin resistance model of 3T3-L1 adipocytes cultured with dexamethasone (DXM). Results: THF restored impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance in diabetic mice. Serum levels of lipids were significantly decreased, as well as fasting blood glucose and insulin in THF-treated mice. THF regulated mCa2+ uptake, increased MMP and ATP content in VAT. THF increased the mRNA and protein expression of AMPK, phosphorylated AMPK (p-AMPK), MICU1, sirtuin1 (SIRT1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α). THF could increase the mCa2+ level of 3T3-L1 adipocytes and regulate mitochondrial function. The protein expression of AMPK, p-AMPK, mCa2+ uniporter (MCU) and MICU1 decreased upon adding AMPK inhibitor compound C to 3T3-L1 adipocytes and the protein expression of MCU and MICU1 decreased upon adding the MCU inhibitor ruthenium red. Conclusions: These results demonstrated that THF ameliorated glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in T2DM mice through the improvement of AMPK/MICU1 pathway-dependent mitochondrial function in adipose tissue. Highlights: • AMPK-MCU/MICU1 mediated mCa2+ uptake in adipose tissue played an important role in insulin resistance • THF restored impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance in diabetic mice induced by HFD/STZ • THF improved the mitochondrial function of in T2DM mice via AMPK-MICU1 pathway [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study investigated the clinicopathological features, immunophenotypic characteristics and differential diagnosis of primary breast carcinomas with signet ring cell differentiation, as well as differences in the traits of signet ring-like cell mucin. Methods: A total of five cases of primary breast cancer diagnosed with signet ring cell differentiation and treated at The First People's Hospital of Jingmen from January 2016 to December 2021 were collected. HE, immunohistochemical staining, and AB-PAS staining were used for the analysis. Results: Although we strictly selected all the primary breast cancer cases with signet ring cell differentiation, there were differences in the arrangement of the cells and the grading of nuclei. Our immunohistochemical results showed that the ER was consistently strongly positive, and the PR expression was not consistent, while all the cases of HER2 were negative. CK7 was negative in one case, and CK20 and CK5/6 were not expressed in all the cases. The mucin MUC1 was positive and showed two patterns. MUC2 was strongly positive in all the cases. All the cases were negative for CDX2, SATB2, PAX8, TTF-1, and Napsin A, while the positive expression of COX2, Villin, and WT-1 was not constant. One case expressed neuroendocrine markers. The expression level of Ki67 was between 10 and 30%. AB (pH 2.5)-PAS staining revealed that the intracellular mucus contained more cells with neutral mucus, while the extracellular mucus was mainly acidic. Conclusion: We found that histological morphology, cell morphology, and nuclear grading differentiate among different cases. The immunohistochemical characteristics of primary breast cancers diagnosed with signet ring cell differentiation are helpful for identification. The differences in the expression patterns of mucins may be related to unfavorable clinicopathological factors, but their usefulness as a prognostic marker remains to be further understood. The heterogeneity of cell mucus, the differentiation of tumor cells, and the phenotypic changes of tumors also need further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paleoclimate studies of loess in China have focused mostly on the time series of a single borehole or profile. However, research on loess strata and regional paleoenvironmental patterns could facilitate a deeper understanding of loess as a paleoenvironmental indicator and provide new insights into interpreting loess in sedimentary records of the paleoclimate. In this study, we determined the spatial pattern and regional characteristics of the paleoclimate during the Last Interglacial period in the Luohe River Basin, Shaanxi Province, China. We selected four representative boreholes in the study area (ZK04, ZK18, ZK13, and ZK19) from different landforms and zones, distributed from the northwest to the southeast, as well as three classic profiles (JB, JD, and LC). From north to south, comparative analyses were conducted of the loess strata, magnetic susceptibility, and grain size, and we analyzed the distribution characteristics of loess and paleosols in different geomorphological regions. The results showed that both the thickness and the sedimentation rate of loess in this river basin decreased from north to south. There were few paleosol horizons in the northern Liangmao area, but numerous such horizons in the southern plateau, and the degree of paleosol development increased from north to south. The magnetic susceptibility increased, whereas the particle composition tended to become thinner from north to south. The climate fluctuations of the Last Glacial recorded by the loess and paleosols in different regions were inconsistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: the study was to find a suitable treatment for acute drug-induced liver injury. The use of nanocarriers can improve the therapeutic effect of natural drugs by targeting hepatocytes and higher loads. Methods: firstly, uniformly dispersed three-dimensional dendritic mesoporous silica nanospheres (MSNs) were synthesized. Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) was covalently modified on MSN surfaces through amide bond and then loaded with COSM to form drug-loaded nanoparticles (COSM@MSN-NH2-GA). The constructed drug-loaded nano-delivery system was determined by characterization analysis. Finally, the effect of nano-drug particles on cell viability was evaluated and the cell uptake in vitro was observed. Results: GA was successfully modified to obtain the spherical nano-carrier MSN-NH2-GA (≤200 nm). The neutral surface charge improves its biocompatibility. MSN-NH2-GA has high drug loading (28.36% ± 1.00) because of its suitable specific surface area and pore volume. In vitro cell experiments showed that COSM@MSN-NH2-GA significantly enhanced the uptake of liver cells (LO2) and decreased the AST and ALT indexes. Conclusion: this study demonstrated for the first time that formulation and delivery schemes using natural drug COSM and nanocarrier MSN have a protective effect on APAP-induced hepatocyte injury. This result provides a potential nano-delivery scheme for the targeted therapy of acute drug-induced liver injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing electrical environments can influence the performance of herbivorous insects and adversely affect their control strategies. The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), is a pest that devastates cruciferous vegetables. An age–stage, two-sex life table of P. xylostella over multiple generations was established to describe the effect of varying high-voltage electrostatic field (HVEF) exposure on their performance after the age-cohort eggs were exposed to HVEF at an intensity of 5.0 kV/cm for different durations. The results show that direct HVEF exposure adversely affected the population dynamics parameters of P. xylostella over multiple generations. In particular, the net reproduction rate, intrinsic natural increase rate, and finite increase rate of the P. xylostella population significantly decreased in the third and fifth generations under HVEF exposure for 10 min, while the mean generation time and doubling time significantly increased. Similarly, HVEF exposure for 10 min rapidly reduced the survival rate of adult P. xylostella in the first generation, and subsequently, it declined evenly and slowly. Meanwhile, the fecundity parameters of P. xylostella revealed that HVEF exposure for 10 min had the strongest inhibition effect on reproduction over five consecutive generations. In addition, HVEF exposure significantly increased the superoxide dismutase activity to produce extra hydrogen peroxide; however, increased catalase and peroxidase activity or reduced peroxidase activity triggered the accumulation of malondialdehyde in instar P. xylostella, especially after 10 min of treatment. The present findings provide experimental evidence and a theoretical basis for developing control strategies for P. xylostella under new HVEF environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat production worldwide is severely challenged by different pest and pathogen species, and misguided application of chemicals in farming significantly stimulates crop invaders to develop insecticide resistance. The growing desire for sustainable agriculture has promoted the breeding of wheat cultivars with durable pests and diseases resistance tolerance traits, which have become increasingly imperative for wheat production. Various genetic breeding techniques, including transgenic breeding, molecular marker-assisted breeding, molecular breeding with gene pyramiding, gene silencing, and gene editing, have been successfully deployed into wheat cultivar improvement, and have significantly promoted the process of breeding cultivars with multiple substantial resistance traits. Although the success of practical applications of some of these resistant wheat cultivars in farming has suggested that these approaches are effective strategies for combating fungal diseases and herbivorous insects, there remains significant challenges for wheat molecular breeding programs. Thus, this review illustrates and summarizes the recent advances and drawbacks related to the measures associated with molecular breeding in common wheat cultivar improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The diagnosis of primary membranous nephropathy (PMN) often depends on invasive renal biopsy, and the diagnosis based on clinical manifestations and target antigens may not be completely reliable as it could be affected by uncertain factors. Moreover, different experts could even have different diagnosis results due to their different experiences, which could further impact the reliability of the diagnosis. Therefore, how to properly integrate the knowledge of different experts to provide more reliable and comprehensive PMN diagnosis has become an urgent issue. Methods: This paper develops a belief rule-based system for PMN diagnosis. The belief rule base is constructed based on the knowledge of the experts, with 9 biochemical indicators selected as the input variables. The belief rule-based system is developed of three layers: (1) input layer; (2) belief rule base layer; and (3) output layer, where 9 biochemical indicators are selected as the input variables and the diagnosis result is provided as the conclusion. The belief rule base layer is constructed based on the knowledge of the experts. The final validation was held with gold pattern clinical cases, i.e., with known and clinically confirmed diagnoses. Results: 134 patients are used in this study, and the proposed method is defined by its sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and area under curve (AUC), which are 98.0%, 96.9%, 97.8% and 0.93, respectively. The results of this study present a novel and effective way for PMN diagnosis without the requirement of renal biopsy. Conclusions: Through analysis of the diagnosis results and comparisons with other methods, it can be concluded that the developed system could help diagnose PMN based on biochemical indicators with relatively high accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A better understanding of the nitrogen (N) saturation threshold for plant carbon (C) sequestration would help project the variations of ecosystem C sequestration under the background of increasing N inputs, but the underlying mechanisms are far from clear. This study aimed to elucidate the role of N-induced litter accumulation in mediating the impacts of N addition on plant C sequestration. Methods: Based on a seven-year N addition field experiment in a temperate steppe, we measured soil properties, plant species richness, litter biomass, and aboveground biomass C stocks under mown (low litter accumulation) and unmown conditions (high litter accumulation). Results: The impacts of N addition on plant C sequestration in grasslands were dependent on addition rates and mowing conditions. There was a threshold for the positive impacts of increasing N addition rates on plant community aboveground C stocks under unmown conditions but not under mown conditions. Litter accumulation was a key factor driving the divergent effects of N addition under different conditions. Results of structural equation modelling showed that N addition had direct and positive effects on plant C sequestration both in unmown plots with litter mass < 200 g m−2 and mown plots, and that such positive effects disappeared in unmown plots with litter mass > 200 g m−2. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the indirect role of litter in mediating the impacts of N inputs on ecosystem C cycling through changing the capacity of plant C sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupying public spaces can be an effective tactic for conveying a semantic message of protest and gaining wider support; however, it may also severely disrupt the everyday lives of non‐participants and causes a backfire. Therefore, it remains unclear whether and how the occupy movements have shifted political attitudes among the general public. Bringing a social‐spatial perspective to the case of the Occupy Central Movement (OCM) in Hong Kong, this study investigates how the attitudinal impact of occupation has varied according to people's spatial proximity to the protest sites. Using two waves of individual‐level panel data collected right before and after the OCM and detailed geo‐information on the respondents' home addresses and the occupied areas, we apply a difference‐in‐differences (DIDs) design to identify the causal link between space and attitudes. In addition, propensity score matching (PSM) methods are used to ensure the comparability of nearby and faraway residents. The results show that after the OCM, residents living near the occupied areas not only maintained their support for the pro‐democracy camp but also became more liberal as compared to faraway residents. This phenomenon can be explained by the "on‐site" effect, which suggests that the direct exposure to protestors' solidarity and the repressive actions of authorities arouse bystanders' sympathy for the protestors and support for their political cause. Such influence appears to be long‐lasting and can be evidenced by the local election results after the protest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antireflection coatings (ARCs) are crucial components of high‐efficiency solar cells. A new ARC design philosophy, dubbed high‐low refractive index stacks, has demonstrated good potential to minimize reflection losses for triple‐junction and quadruple‐junction solar cells in simulations. We have implemented such novel ARCs on GaInP/InGaAs/Ge triple‐junction solar cells and compared the experimental performances—external quantum efficiency and reflectivity—with that of identical devices equipping the classic double‐layer ARC. For typical materials such as MgF2/ZnS with ambient glass, the results show that the new design improves the short circuit current by 1.8% at normal incidence and 1.6% and 1% for angles of incidence of 30° and 50°, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multisource data fusion technique has been proven to perform better in crop classification. However, traditional fusion methods simply stack the original source data and their corresponding features, which can be only regarded as a superficial fusion method rather than deep fusion. This paper proposes a pixel-level fusion method for multispectral data and dual polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) data based on the polarization extension, which yields synthetic quad PolSAR data. Then we can generate high-dimensional features by means of various polarization decomposition schemes. High-dimensional features usually cause the curse of the dimensionality problem. To overcome this drawback in crop classification using the end-to-end network, we propose a simple network, namely the full tensor decomposition network (FTDN), where the feature extraction in the hidden layer is accomplished by tensor transformation. The number of parameters of the FTDN is considerably fewer than that of traditional neural networks. Moreover, the FTDN admits higher classification accuracy by making full use of structural information of PolSAR data. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the fusion method and the FTDN model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging flavivirus that is associated with neurological complications, such as neuroinflammatory Guillain Barré Syndrome in adults and microcephaly in newborns, and remains a potentially significant and international public health concern. The World Health Organization is urging the development of novel antiviral therapeutic strategies against ZIKV, as there are no clinically approved vaccines or drugs against this virus. Given the public health crisis that is related to ZIKV cases in the last decade, efficient strategies should be identified rapidly to combat or treat ZIKV infection. Several promising strategies have been reported through drug repurposing studies, de novo design, and the high-throughput screening of compound libraries in only a few years. This review summarizes the genome and structure of ZIKV, viral life cycle, transmission cycle, clinical manifestations, cellular and animal models, and antiviral drug developments, with the goal of increasing our understanding of ZIKV and ultimately defeating it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the prevalence and distribution of mental disorders in the elderly population 5 years after the Lushan earthquake in Ya'an, China. Methods: A multi-stage, group-matching random sampling method was adopted with 2579 elderly participants (≥ 60 years old) who were interviewed from January to May 2019. Preliminary screening was conducted using the scale by trained psychiatric nurses, followed by a diagnostic interview during the second stage using Chinese Version of the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder by trained psychiatrists. Results: A total of 2561 participants were included in this study with complete data. The weighted lifetime prevalence of all mental disorders in the elderly was 16.2% (95% CI 15.3–17.1), and the weighted 12-month prevalence was 15.2% (95% CI 13.4–17.0). Depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, substance-related and addictive disorders were the most common mental disorders. The 12-month prevalence of all mental disorders were significantly higher in the elderly living alone, with chronic somatic disease, and being poor (P < 0.05). The 12-month prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was significantly higher in the elderly in extremely severely earthquake-affected areas (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The results of this study show that mental health status of the elderly in Ya'an area differ by socio-economic development, geographical location, and natural disasters. The social and economic development characteristics, the impact of major natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes), and population characteristics should be combined to formulate strategies and interventions to promote the mental health of the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) level changes may be another reason for increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of FSH in atherosclerosis and its underlying mechanism. Methods: ApoE−/− mice were divided into 4 groups, namely, the sham group, bilaterally orchidectomized group, FSH group, and testosterone-only group. Blood lipid and hormone levels were tested, aorta Oil Red O staining; the levels of NF-κB, Akt, eNOS, and FSH receptors in the aorta were measured by Western blotting. Expression of VCAM-1 was detected via Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were used to induce endothelial injury model by adding FSH, and the levels of NF-κB, Akt, eNOS, and FSHR were tested in HUVECs. Results: FSH treatment exacerbated atherosclerotic lesions in ApoE−/− mice. Moreover, FSH could promote the expression of VCAM-1 protein in HUVECs, and this effect was possibly mediated by the activation of NF-κB, while NF-κB activation was further enhanced by the activation of the PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway. FSH failed to activate Akt and NF-κB in the presence of the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 in HUVECs. Conclusion: FSH promoted the development of atherosclerosis by increasing VCAM-1 protein expression via activating PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Fu Fang Zhen Zhu Tiao Zhi (FTZ) is a traditional Chinese herbal prescription widely used to treat dyslipidemia, metabolic diseases, and diabetic coronary disorders. Cardiomyocyte death and loss of regenerative ability cause cardiac dysfunction and heart failure. FTZ can effectively treat diabetic cardiomyopathy and macrovascular diseases; however, the mechanism behind the phenomenon is still unclear. Here, we determined the mechanism of action of FTZ in treating myocardial infarction. Methods. Male C57BL/6 mice were treated with 2.4 or 1.2 g/kg FTZ, or administered saline by oral gavage daily for four weeks, and a 24-hour ligation was administered to the artery. Echocardiography was used to evaluate cardiac function. Hematoxylin and eosin and Evans blue/triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining were carried out by staining the cardiac tissue, used to evaluate cardiac function and infarct size. Using western blotting and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, we determined the relative levels of NOD-like receptor protein (NLRP) 3, ASC, cleaved caspase-l (C-Caspase-1), GSDMD, and GSDMD-N. TUNEL, immunohistochemical, and immunofluorescence staining were used to determine cell death and NLRP3 expression. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18. Results. FTZ reduced ischemia-induced cardiomyocyte cell death in vivo and H2O2-induced cell death in vitro by maintaining cardiac architecture and restoring cardiac function. FTZ decreased the NLRP3 expression and inhibited pyroptosis-correlated genes, including NLRP3, ASC, GSDMD, C-Caspase-1, and GSDMD-N. NLRP3 overexpression impaired the efficacy of FTZ by inducing pyroptosis. Conclusion. FTZ could preserve cardiac function resulting from ischemic insult by inhibiting pyroptosis, which was partially reversed by NLRP3 overexpression, indicating that NLRP3 could be a potential target of FTZ in treating myocardial infarction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hulun Lake is located in the Hulun Buir Grassland in Inner Mongolia and is an important component of the northern ecological barrier of China. Fluctuations in its area directly affect the stability of the surrounding ecological environments. In this study, Hulun Lake was taken as the study object, and meteorological data, water body area, water level, reservoir capacity, runoff volume, and social statistical data were used to study the dynamic changes in Hulun Lake and the critical driving forces. We constructed a balance analysis equation, determined the role of groundwater in the water cycle, and examined the minimum ecological water demand of Hulun Lake. The results of the analyses revealed that during the last 55 years, the variation trends of the water level, area, and reservoir capacity were generally consistent and could be divided into six stages. The increased temperature decreased precipitation, and increased evaporation resulted in decreased water flow from the major rivers supplying the lake, which was the main cause of the decrease in the water level and area of Hulun Lake. Groundwater was involved in the water cycle of Hulun Lake. After deducting the seepage and surface drainage, we found that the groundwater recharge volume was around 792 million m3 yearly. Based on the environmental, ecological, and production functions of Hulun Lake, the minimum ecological water demand is 11.272 billion m3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lakes are important water resources in Inner Mongolia and play essential roles in flood storage, water source maintenance, aquaculture, water volume regulation, and the regional ecological balance. However, most lakes in Inner Mongolia have undergone significant shrinkage over the past few decades. In order to quantify the lake changes in Inner Mongolia and analyze the factors associated with these changes, information about 546 lakes in seven years (1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2018) was retrieved using 30 m resolution Landsat images taken of the entire region over 29 years (1989–2018). In addition, water census data from 2010 and 1:250,000 geological maps were used as references. The analysis revealed that the lakes in Inner Mongolia exhibited rapidly decreasing trends during the past three decades, with both the area and the number of lakes decreasing to a minimum by 2010. The number of lakes with areas of >1 km2 decreased from 384 in 1990 to 301 in 2018; the total area of lakes with individual areas of >1 km2 decreased from 4905.74 km2 in 1990 to 4187.45 km2 in 2018. With respect to the lake distribution among different geomorphological units, the analysis revealed that the lake shrinkage was most pronounced on the West Liaohe Plain, followed by the northern Inner Mongolian Plateau. Furthermore, in relation to different climatic zones, lake shrinkage primarily occurred in the mid-temperate semi-arid zone, wherein the lake area decreased by 776.6 km2. We hypothesize that the changes in the lake number and area in Inner Mongolia resulted from the combined effects of natural conditions and anthropogenic disturbances; possibly, lake shrinkage was mainly driven by the rising temperature and decreasing precipitation, along with water regulation projects, agricultural irrigation, mining development, and population growth that also had non-negligible effects on the lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, laser scanning systems have been widely used to acquire multi-level three-dimensional spatial objects in real time. The laser scanning system is used to acquire the three-dimensional point cloud data of urban scenes. Due to the large-scale characteristics of urban scenes, and the problems of scanning occlusion, scanning path, and limited scanning laser range, the laser scanning system cannot scan every object in the scene comprehensively, multidirectionally and finely, so the corresponding three-dimensional point cloud data collected by many objects are incomplete, and the data images are relatively sparse and unevenly distributed. The existing point cloud denoising and enhancement algorithms, such as AMLS, RMLS, LOP, and WLOP, all use local information to enhance the missing or sparse parts of the point cloud. This point cloud enhancement method is only limited to a small range and cannot do anything for the larger missing area of the point cloud. Even if it is done reluctantly, the effect is not satisfactory. There are a lot of repetitive and similar features in urban buildings, such as the repetitive areas of floors and balconies in buildings. These repetitive areas are distributed in different positions of point clouds, so the repetitive information has non local characteristics. Based on the nonlocal characteristics of building point cloud data and the repetitive structure of buildings, this article proposes a nonlocal point cloud data enhancement algorithm, which organizes the point cloud data in the repeated area into a set of basic geometric elements (planes). The structures are registered in a unified coordinate system, and the point cloud is enhanced and denoised through two denoising processes, "out-of-plane" and "in-plane." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a primary cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Oxidative stress and inflammation are important pathogenic factors contributing to ALD. We investigated the protective mechanism of galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) against ALD through their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities by performing in vivo and in vitro experiments. Western blot and RT‒PCR results indicated that the expression of cytochrome P450 protein 2E1 (CYP2E1) in liver tissues and L02 cells was reduced in the GOS-treated mice compared with the model group. In addition, GOS prominently reduced the expression of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), increased the expression of the nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and haem oxygenase-1 (HO-1) proteins, and enhanced the antioxidant capacity. In addition, GOS decreased inflammation by reducing inflammatory factor levels and inhibiting the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. Based on these results, GOS may be a prospective functional food for the prevention and treatment of ALD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]