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Wavelet transformation is a widely used method in high-frequency sequence stratigraphic analysis. However, the application is problematic since different wavelets always return the same sequence analysis results. To address this issue, we applied five commonly used wavelets to theoretical sequence models to document some application criteria. Five gradual scale-change sequence models were simplified from the glutenite succession deposition by gravity flows to form the fining-upwards cycle sequences (FUCS) and coarsening-upwards cycle sequences (CUCS). After conducting theoretical sequence model tests, the optimal wavelet (sym4) was selected and successfully used with actual data to identify the sequence boundaries. We also proposed a new method to optimize the scale of continuous wavelet transformation (CWT) for sequence boundary determination. We found that the balloon-like marks in scalograms of db4, sym4, and coif4 wavelet determine, respectively, the fourth-order sequence boundary, the thick succession sequence boundaries in FUCS, and the thick succession sequence in FUCS and CUCS. Comparing the sequence identification results shows that the asymmetric wavelets had an advantage in high-frequency sequence boundary determination and sedimentary cycle discrimination through the amplitude trend of the coefficient, in which the sym4 wavelet is the most effective. In conclusion, the asymmetry of wavelets is the first selection principle, of which asymmetric wavelets are more sensitive to sediment deposition by flood flows. The match of the wavelet between the sequence is the second selection principle, in which the correlation of time-frequency impacts the accuracy of sequence surface localization. However, the waveform of the wavelet is a visual and abstract parameter for sequence boundary detection. The appropriate wavelet for lacustrine sequence analysis is the asymmetric wavelet with a weak number of side lobes. The depositional flows, depositional process, and autogenic are three sedimentary factors that influence the sequence analysis results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The study aimed to clarify the changes in the concentration of inflammatory mediators, proteases, and cartilage degradation biomarkers in the synovial fluid of joints in an equine osteoarthritis model. Material and Methods: Osteoarthritis was induced in eight Mongolian horses by a sterile intra-articular injection of amphotericin B, which was injected into the left carpal joint in a dose of 2 mL (25 mg/mL). The control group comprised five horses which were injected with an equal dose of sterile physiological saline into the left carpal joint. Synovial fluid was obtained at baseline and every week after injection. Test methods were based on ELISA. Results: In the course of the osteoarthritis, the concentration of biomarkers in joint synovial fluid showed an increasing trend. IL-1, IL-6, MMP-9, MMP-13, ADAMTS-5, CS846, GAG, HA, CTX-II, and COMP concentrations sharply increased before the onset of significant symptoms of lameness, whereas TNF-α, MMP-2, and MMP-3 concentrations rose sharply after the occurrence of such symptoms. Conclusion: The results obtained confirm that the concentrations of IL-1, IL-6, MMP-9, MMP-13, ADAMTS-5, CS846, GAG, HA, CTX-II and COMP increase substantially in equine osteoarthritis, which provides a theoretical basis for the rapid diagnosis of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been studied for the treatment of acute liver failure (ALF) for several years. MSCs may exert their effect via complex paracrine mechanisms. Heme oxygenase (HO) 1, a rate-limiting enzyme in heme metabolism, exerts a wide range of anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and immunoregulatory effects in a variety of diseases. However, the relationship between MSCs and HO-1 in the treatment of ALF is still unclear. We investigated the preventive and therapeutic potential of intravenously administered BMSCs. Methods: Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) obtained from Sprague-Dawley rats were isolated and cultured. We employed BMSCs, hemin (a HO-1 inducer) and zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP, the HO-1 activity inhibitor) in D-galactosamine (D-Gal)/lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced ALF rats. Rats were sacrificed at days 1, 3, 5, and 7 posttransfusion, respectively. Blood samples and liver tissues were collected. Hepatic injury, HO-1 activity, chemokines, inflammatory cytokines, the number and oxidative activity of neutrophils, ki67, and TUNEL-positive cells were evaluated. Results: HO-1 induction or BMSCs transplantation attenuated D-galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide-induced increases in alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin (TBIL), ammonia, and inflammatory cytokines. Treatment with hemin or BMSCs also inhibited neutrophil infiltration, oxidative activity, and hepatocyte apoptosis. The protective effect of BMSCs was partially neutralized by ZnPP, suggesting the key role of HO-1 in the process. Conclusions: These findings may correlate with inhibition of nuclear factor-κ B activation. BMSCs ameliorated ALF by increasing the HO-1 expression, which reduced PMN infiltration and function, and played an important antiinflammatory and anti-apoptotic role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]