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Mitochondria, the most crucial energy-generating organelles in eukaryotic cells, play a pivotal role in regulating energy metabolism. However, their significance extends beyond this, as they are also indispensable in vital life processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, immune responses, and redox balance. In response to various physiological signals or external stimuli, a sophisticated mitochondrial quality control (MQC) mechanism has evolved, encompassing key processes like mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial dynamics, and mitophagy, which have garnered increasing attention from researchers to unveil their specific molecular mechanisms. In this review, we present a comprehensive summary of the primary mechanisms and functions of key regulators involved in major components of MQC. Furthermore, the critical physiological functions regulated by MQC and its diverse roles in the progression of various systemic diseases have been described in detail. We also discuss agonists or antagonists targeting MQC, aiming to explore potential therapeutic and research prospects by enhancing MQC to stabilize mitochondrial function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Default mode network (DMN) is the most involved network in the study of brain development and brain diseases. Resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) is the most used method to study DMN, but different studies are inconsistent in the selection of seed. To evaluate the effect of different seed selection on rsFC, we conducted an image-based meta-analysis (IBMA). Methods: We identified 59 coordinates of seed regions of interest (ROIs) within the default mode network (DMN) from 11 studies (retrieved from Web of Science and Pubmed) to calculate the functional connectivity; then, the uncorrected t maps were obtained from the statistical analyses. The IBMA was performed with the t maps. Results: We demonstrate that the overlap of meta-analytic maps across different seeds' ROIs within DMN is relatively low, which cautions us to be cautious with seeds' selection. Discussion: Future studies using the seed-based functional connectivity method should take the reproducibility of different seeds into account. The choice of seed may significantly affect the connectivity results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Hemorrhagic shock (HS) is an important cause of high mortality in traumatized patients. Cryptotanshinone (CTS) is a bioactive compound extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen). The current study aimed to explore the effect and underlying mechanism of CTS on the liver injury induced by HS. Material and methods. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to establish the HS model by hemorrhaging and monitoring mean arterial pressure (MAP). CTS was intravenously administered at concentration of 3.5 mg/kg, 7 mg/kg, or 14 mg/kg 30 minutes before resuscitation. Twenty-four hours after resuscitation, the liver tissue and serum samples were collected for the following examinations. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was used to evaluate hepatic morphology changes. The myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in liver tissue and the serum activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were examined to reveal the extent of liver injury. The protein expression of Bax and Bcl-2 in liver tissue was detected by western blot. The TUNEL assay determined the apoptosis of hepatocytes. Oxidative stress of liver tissue was assessed by the examination of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and oxidative chain complexes (complex I, II, III, IV), as well as cytochrome c expression in cytoplasm and mitochondria, were also used to determine the extent of oxidative injury in the liver. Immunofluorescence (IF) was employed to estimate nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression. The mRNA and protein levels of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductases 1 (NQO1), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were assessed by real-time qPCR, western blot to investigate the mechanism of CTS regulating HS-induced liver injury. Results. H & E staining and a histological score of rat liver suggested that HS induced liver injury. The activity of ALT, AST, and MPO was significantly increased by HS treatment. After CTS administration the ALT, AST, and MPO activities were suppressed, which indicates the liver injury was alleviated by CTS. The HS-induced upregulation of the TUNEL-positive cell rate was suppressed by various doses of CTS. HS-induced ROS production was decreased and the protein expression of Bax and Bcl-2 in the HS-induced rat liver was reversed by CTS administration. In the liver of HS-induced rats, the upregulation of MDA content and the downregulation of GSH content and SOD activity were suppressed by CTS. Additionally, CTS increases ATP content and mitochondrial oxidative complexes activities and suppressed the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to the cytoplasm. Moreover, IF and western blot demonstrated that the activation of Nrf2 blocked by HS was recovered by different doses of CTS in liver tissue. The expression of downstream enzymes of the Nrf2 pathway, including HO-1, NQO1, COX-2, and iNOS, was reversed by CTS in the HS rat model. Conclusions. The current study for the first time revealed the protective effect of CTS in HS-induced liver injury. CTS effectively recovered hepatocyte apoptosis, oxidative stress, and mitochondria damage induced by HS in the rat liver partly via regulating the Nrf2 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important part of phased array system, the research on phased array antenna is very necessary. The phased array antenna achieves the scanning beam adaptively by regulating the phase difference between each array element. In this paper, a dual K-band circularly polarized antenna with high broadband, broadband beam, wide axial ratio bandwidth and high radiation efficiency is designed. We combine with the advantages of slot antenna and aperture antenna, use multimode waveguide cavity structure to design an aperture antenna, which is fed to waveguide circular polarizer by slot coupling in order to realize circular polarization radiation. Meanwhile, it has the characteristics of broadband, broadband beam, wide axial ratio bandwidth and high radiation efficiency. A slit antenna is designed by using a multimode waveguide cavity structure and a slit coupling feed to a waveguide circular polarizer is used to achieve circularly polarized radiation. The designed antenna consists of two K-band circularly polarized antenna units, and the spacing between the two units is 9.5 mm, which is fed by a K-band T/R module (Transmitter/Receiver module). In order to study the performance of the pattern in the case of the research group, the 2-unit structure is established. The simulation results of frequency–axial ratio bandwidth are given, and the simulation result of the antenna array is shown. The practical results of antenna design and test are also given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we have proposed a novel structure of Ka-band based phased array antenna with calibration function. In the design of Ka-band antenna, the active phased array system is adopted and the antenna would work in the dual polarization separation mode. We have given out the schematic diagram for the proposed Ka-band antenna, where the Ka-band antenna is in the form of waveguide slot array antenna, with 96 units in azimuth and 1 unit in distance. Each group of units is driven by a single-channel Transmitter/Receiver (T/R) component, and the whole array contains 192 T/R components in total. The size of the T/R component is 55mm(length) ×50mm (width) ×5.8mm (height), 3 Sub-micro Sub-Miniature Push-on (SSMP) blind sockets and a 21-core low-frequency socket are designed on the two sides of the T/R component. In order to meet the technical specifications of phased array antenna, the Ka-band transceiver component is designed based on Low Temperatrue Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) technology to achieve miniaturization and lightweight. In our approach, the feed network includes two parts: transceiver network and calibration network. The transceiver network consists of 24 1:8 time-delay power dividers, 12 two-way power dividers and 2 six-way time-delay power dividers. The power supply required by the Ka-band antenna unit is provided to each active component by the power module after Ka band wavelet control distribution. Simulation and measurement results are given in the form of standing wave and scanning capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Aidi injection (ADI), a traditional Chinese medicine antitumor injection, is usually combined with doxorubicin (DOX) for the treatment of malignant tumours. The cardiotoxicity of DOX is ameliorated by ADI in the clinic. However, the relevant mechanism is unknown. Objective: To investigate the effects of ADI on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and its mechanism. Materials and methods: ICR mice were randomly divided into six groups: control, ADI-L, ADI-H, DOX, DOXþADI-L and DOXþADI-H. DOX (i.p., 0.03mg/10 g) was administered in the presence or absence of ADI (i.p., 0.1 or 0.2 mL/10 g) for two weeks. Heart pathology and levels of AST, LDH, CK, CK-MB and BNP were assessed. H9c2 cells were treated with DOX in the presence or absence of ADI (1, 4, 10%). Cell viability, caspase-3 activity, nuclear morphology, and CBR1 expression were then evaluated. DOX and doxorubicinol (DOXol) concentrations in heart, liver, kidneys, serum, and cells were analysed by UPLC-MS/MS. Results: High-dose ADI significantly reduced DOX-induced pathological changes and the levels of AST, LDH, CK, CK-MB and BNP to normal. Combined treatment with ADI (1, 4, 10%) improved the cell viability, and IC50 increased from 68.51 lM (DOX alone) to 83.47, 176.9, and 310.8 lM, reduced caspase-3 activity by 39.17, 43.96, and 61.82%, respectively. High-dose ADI inhibited the expression of CBR1 protein by 32.3%, reduced DOXol levels in heart, serum and H9c2 cells by 59.8, 72.5 and 48.99%, respectively. Discussion and Conclusions: ADI reduces DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by inhibiting CBR1 expression, which provides a scientific basis for the rational use of ADI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The goal of the study was to analyze the clinical characteristics of Legionella cases caused by Legionella micdadei and explore the diagnosis and treatment. Methods: The pathogen was identified by routine isolation and culture, biochemical identification, serum agglutination test, mass spectrometry identification, and routine PCR. Combined with the related literature review, the clinical diagnosis and treatment of Legionella micdadei were analyzed. Results: The patient suffered from pulmonary infection caused by Legionella micdadei. After treatment with moxifloxacin for 2 weeks, the body temperature dropped and the shadow of the lung was completely absorbed after 2 months. Combined with literature analysis, 8 cases of Legionella micetidis, including 7 males and 1 female, aged from 27 to 57 years old, 6 cases with basic diseases, which were treated with azithromycin, erythromycin or levofloxacin, and all of them achieved good therapeutic effect. Conclusions: The detection of Legionella should be strengthened in patients with pneumonia whose symptoms have no obvious improvement after antibiotic treatment. Azithromycin, erythromycin or levofloxacin are effective in the treatment of Legionella spp. infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probing the binding between a microbe and surface is critical for understanding biofilm formation processes, developing biosensors, and designing biomaterials, but it remains a challenge. Here, we demonstrate a method to measure the interfacial forces of bacteria attached to the surface. We tracked the intrinsic fluctuations of individual bacterial cells using an interferometric plasmonic imaging technique. Unlike the existing methods, this approach determined the potential energy profile and quantified the adhesion strength of single cells by analyzing the fluctuations. This method provides insights into biofilm formation and can also serve as a promising platform for investigating biological entity/surface interactions, such as pathogenicity, microbial cell capture and detection, and antimicrobial interface screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we reveal the transmission properties of the M-type combined solitary wave in birefringent fiber with third-order dispersion, self-frequency shift, self-steepening, fifth-order nonlinearity and the gain (loss) effects. The numerical simulations show that the M-type solitary wave can be stably transmitted through 300 dispersion lengths via balancing the variety of effects. And it can even be stably transmitted under the condition of limited interference under a small perturbation of noise, amplitude and phase position. The results can provide certain references for the research of optical soliton communication and optical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate assessment of profile soil moisture for spatial domains is usually difficult due to the associated costs, strong spatial-temporal variability, and nonlinear relationship between surface and profile moisture. Here we attempted to use observation operators built by Cumulative Distribution Frequency (CDF) matching method to directly predict profile soil moisture from surface measurements based on multi-station in situ observations from the Soil and Climate Analysis Network (SCAN). We first analyzed the effects of temporal resolution (hourly, daily and weekly) and data length (half year in non-growing season, half year in growing season, one year, two years and four years) on the performance of observation operators. The results showed that temporal resolution had a negligible influence on the performance of observation operators. However, data length significantly changed the prediction accuracy of observation operators, and a two-year interval was identified as the optimal data length in building observation operators. A dataset with a two-year duration was therefore used to test the robustness of observation operators in three primary climates (humid continental, humid subtropical and semiarid) of the continental USA, with the popular exponential filter employed as a reference approach. The results indicated that observation operators reliably predicted profile soil moisture for the majority of stations in both calibration and validation periods and performed almost equally well with the exponential filter method. This suggests that observation operators are a feasible statistical tool for depth scaling of soil moisture. The findings here have the potential to be applied in profile soil moisture prediction from surface measurements at a range of environments if the target site has long enough (two years) soil moisture observations even with coarse temporal resolutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a behavioral disorder of school-age population. It is well known that 5-HT dysfunction is correlated with impulsivity, which is one of the common characteristics of ODD. The enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (TPH-2) synthesizes 5-HT in serotonergic neurons of the midbrain raphe. The purposes of this study were to investigate the potential association of TPH-2 polymorphisms with susceptibility to ODD in a Han Chinese school population. Methods: Four polymorphisms (rs4570625, rs11178997, rs1386494 and rs7305115) of the TPH-2 gene were analyzed by using polymerase chain reaction and DNA microarray hybridization in a case-control study of 276 Han Chinese individuals (124 ODD and 152 controls). Results: In single marker analyses,there was a significant difference in the genotype (χ2 = 4.163, P = 0.041) and allele frequency (χ2 = 3.930, P = 0.047) of rs1386494 between ODD and control groups. Haplotype analyses revealed higher frequencies of haplotypes TA (rs4570625-rs11178997), TAG (rs4570625-rs11178997-rs1386494), TAA (rs4570625-rs11178997-rs7305115) and TAGA (rs4570625-rs11178997-rs1386494-rs7305115), but lower frequencies of haplotypes GA (rs4570625-rs11178997) and GAG (rs4570625-rs11178997-rs1386494) in ODD compared to control groups. Conclusions: These findings suggest the role of these TPH-2 gene variants in susceptibility to ODD. Some haplotypes might be the risk factors for Chinese Han children with ODD, while others might be preventable factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate assessment of profile soil moisture for spatial domains is usually difficult due to the associated costs, strong spatial-temporal variability, and nonlinear relationship between surface and profile moisture. Here we attempted to use observation operators built by Cumulative Distribution Frequency (CDF) matching method to directly upscale surface observations to profile soil moisture based on multi-station in situ measurements from the Soil and Climate Analysis Network (SCAN). We first analyzed the effects of temporal resolution (hourly, daily and weekly) and data length (half year in non-growing season, half year in growing season, one year, two years and four years) on the performance of observation operators. The results showed that temporal resolution had a negligible influence on the performance of observation operators. However, data length significantly changed the prediction accuracy of observation operators; prediction errors decreased as data length increased from half year (non-growing season) to two years, but accuracy did not further improve at longer interval. A dataset with a two-year duration was therefore used to test the robustness of observation operators in three primary climates (humid continental, humid subtropical and semiarid) of the continental USA, with the popular exponential filter employed as a reference approach. The results indicated that observation operators generally performed better than exponential filter method in both calibration and validation periods. This suggests that observation operators are a robust statistical tool for upscaling soil moisture from surface to profile. The findings here may be applied in the prediction of profile soil moisture from surface measurements obtained via various means, including remote sensing techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AtDjB1 is a mitochondria-located J-protein in Arabidopsis thaliana. It is involved in the regulation of plant growth and development; however, the exact mechanisms remain to be determined. We performed comparison analyses of phenotypes, auxin signalling, redox status, mitochondrial structure and function using wild-type plants, AtDjB1 mutants, rescued AtDjB1 mutants by AtDjB1 or YUCCA2 (an auxin synthesis gene), and AtDjB1 overexpression plants. AtDjB1 mutants (atj1-1 or atj1-4) exhibited inhibition of growth and development and reductions in the level of IAA and the expression of YUCCA genes compared to wild-type plants. The introduction of AtDjB1 or YUCCA2 into atj1-1 largely rescued phenotypic defects and the IAA level, indicating that AtDjB1 probably regulates growth and development via auxin. Furthermore, atj1-1 plants displayed a significant reduction in amount/activity of mitochondrial complex I compared to wild-type plants; this resulted in the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, exogenous H2O2 markedly inhibited the expression of YUCCA genes in wild-type plants. In contrast, the reducing agent ascorbate increased the expression of YUCCA genes and IAA level in atj1-1 plants, indicating that the low auxin level observed in atj1-1 was probably due to the high oxidation status. Overall, the data presented here suggest that AtDjB1 is required for mitochondrial complex I activity and regulates growth and development through ROS-mediated auxin signalling in Arabidopsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polysaccharide isolated from Bletilla striata, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine (Bletilla striata polysaccharide [BSP]) has been found to play important roles in endothelial cells proliferation, inducible nitric oxide stimulation, wound healing acceleration and other processes. Recent studies found that B. striata has anti-oxidative properties, however, potential anti-aging effects of BSP in whole organisms has not been characterized. Objective: To investigate whether BSP has anti-aging effects on Caenorhabditis elegans. Materials and Methods: After treatment with BSP, the lifespan, locomotion ability, and stress resistance of C. elegans was determined. To provide insight into the underlying mechanism for the anti-aging effect of BSP, we measured its effect on bacterial growth, brood size of C. elegans, and the insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling pathway. Results: After BSP treatment, the lifespan of C. elegans was extended, and its locomotion ability and stress resistance were increased. BSP was found to have no effect on bacterial growth or on reproduction of C. elegans, However, mRNA levels of age-1 and hcf-1 were reduced after BSP treatment. Additionally, we observed that BSP did not extend the lifespan of daf-16 mutant animals. Conclusion: BSP produces an anti-aging effect on C. elegans through the insulin/IGF signaling pathway and holds promise for future development as a functional food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N-doped SiO2 at TiO2 core-shell structural materials has been synthesised successfully via a simple two-step method. First, SiO2 spheres were obtained by using a slightly modified Stöber process. Then, N-doped SiO2 at TiO2 were prepared via coating SiO2 template with TiO2 layers, followed by N-doping using NH4NO3 as the N source. According to Kato et al. the as-obtained products were well characterised by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV-vis absorption spectra. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared products was evaluated by photocatalytic decolourisation of rhodamine B aqueous solution at ambient temperature under UV and visible-light irradiation. The experimental results showed that the diameter of N-doped SiO2 at TiO2 spheres was about 250 nm and the thickness of the TiO2 shell was 10-20 nm, the products exhibited a high photocatalytic activity because N atoms were incorporated into the titanium dioxide planes to decrease the bandgap energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The reaction of 5-amino-3-cyano-1-(2, 6-dichloro-4-trifluoromethylphenyl)-1H-pyrazole and 5-amino-1-[2, 6-dichloro-4-(trifluoromethylphenyl]-4-trifluoromethylsulfinyl-1H-pyrazole-3-carbonitrile (Fipronil) with arylsulfonyl chlorides gave the 5-arylsulfonamides at room temperature in high yields. Some of these compounds had insecticidal activity against pests such as army worm and rice plant hopper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]