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In this paper, we consider a class of functionals subject to a duality restriction. The functional is of the form J(Ω,Ω*)=∫Ωf+∫Ω*g $\mathcal{J}\left({\Omega},{{\Omega}}^{{\ast}}\right)={\int }_{{\Omega}}f+{\int }_{{{\Omega}}^{{\ast}}}g$ , where f, g are given nonnegative functions in a manifold. The duality is a relation α(x, y) ≤ 0 ∀ x ∈ Ω, y ∈ Ω*, for a suitable function α. This model covers several geometric and physical applications. In this paper we review two topological methods introduced in the study of the functional, and discuss possible extensions of the methods to related problems.

Yungui Plateau is rich in fungal diversity. Hyphomycetes, growing on submerged wood, can promote the degradation of organisms and the reuse of rotten wood energy. During an investigation of hyphomycetes in this region, 19 species of dematiaceous hyphomycetes were collected in Yungui Plateau.Both morphological identification and multi-gene phylogenetic analyses of ITS, tef1 and LSU sequences supported Coryneum sevenseptatis as a new species. Phaeoisaria guizhouensis and Pleurothecium yunanensis were introduced, based on morphology. Morphological descriptions and illustrations of the new species were detailed. Known species are listed with notes.

In this article, we study the Musielak-Orlicz-Gauss image problem based on the Gauss curvature flow in Li et al. We deal with some cases in which there is no uniform estimate for the Gauss curvature flow. By the use of the topological method in Guang et al., a special initial condition is chosen such that the Gauss curvature flow converges to a solution of the Musielak-Orlicz-Gauss image problem.

The genus Xylaria comprises a diverse group of fungi with a global distribution and significant ecological importance, known for being a source of bioactive secondary metabolites with antibacterial, antioxidative, anticarcinogenic, and additional properties. In this study, we present a comprehensive taxonomic revision of the species of Xylaria found in some parts of southern China, characterized by an extensive multilocus phylogeny analysis based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS), TUB2 (β‐tubulin), and DNA‐directed RNA polymerase II subunit 2 (rpb2) gene regions. Morphological examination and detailed comparative analyses of the collected specimens were conducted to determine the distinctiveness of each species. The multilocus phylogeny approach allowed us to infer evolutionary relationships and assess species boundaries accurately, leading to the identification of 40 novel Xylaria species hitherto unknown to science. The newly described species are: X. baoshanensis, X. bawanglingensis, X. botryoidalis, X. dadugangensis, X. doupengshanensis, X. fanglanii, X. glaucae, X. guizhouensis, X. japonica, X. jinghongensis, X. jinshanensis, X. kuankuoshuiensis, X. liboensis, X. negundinis, X. orbiculati, X. ovata, X. pseudoanisopleura, X. pseudocubensis, X. pseudobambusicola, X. pseudoglobosa, X. pseudohemisphaerica, X. pseudohypoxylon, X. puerensis, X. qianensis, X. qiongzhouensis, X. rhombostroma, X. serratifoliae, X. shishangensis, X. shuqunii, X. shuangjiangensis, X. sinensis, X. tongrenensis, X. umbellata, X. xishuiensis, X. yaorenshanensis, X. yinggelingensis, X. yumingii, X. yunnanensis, X. zangmui, and X. zonghuangii. The study's findings shed light on the distinctiveness of the newly described species, supported by both morphological distinctions and phylogenetic relationships with their close relatives. This taxonomic revision significantly contributes to our understanding the diversity of Xylaria in China and enriches the knowledge of fungal biodiversity worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the existence of solutions to the centroaffine Minkowski problem, namely the existence of closed convex hypersurfaces in the Euclidean space \mathbb {R}^{n+1} with prescribed centroaffine curvature. This problem can be described as a variational problem with a functional resembling Kantorovich's dual functional in optimal transportation. By using the Gauss curvature flow, we obtain new conditions for the existence of solutions to the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider a class of functionals subject to a duality restriction. The functional is of the form J (Ω , Ω * ) = ∫ Ω f + ∫ Ω * g , where f, g are given nonnegative functions in a manifold. The duality is a relation α(x, y) ≤ 0 ∀ x ∈ Ω, y ∈ Ω*, for a suitable function α. This model covers several geometric and physical applications. In this paper we review two topological methods introduced in the study of the functional, and discuss possible extensions of the methods to related problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sophora flavescens is a widely used traditional Chinese herbal medicine. In this work, a new pterocarpan glycoside, kurarinol C (1) together with six known compounds, sophoracarpan A (2), trifohrhizin-6'-monoacetate (3), trifohrhizin (4), maackiain (5), (6S,6aS,11aR）-6α-methoxy-pterocarpin (6), L-maackiain (7) were isolated from the roots of S. flavescens. Among them, compounds 2 and 6 were discovered from S. flavescens for the first time. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive NMR and MS analyses. Furthermore, the antioxidant activities of these compounds were evaluated by the ABTS and DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Three compounds (5, 6, 7) exhibited stronger antioxidant capacity against the ABTS enzyme at 20 µg/mL (scavenging rates > 55%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our previous study, target drug delivery and treatment of malignant tumors have been achieved by using platelets as carriers loading nano-chemotherapeutic agents (ND-DOX). However, drug release from ND-DOX-loaded platelets is dependent on negative platelet activation by tumor cells, whose activation is not significant enough for the resulting drug release to take an effective anti-tumor effect. Exploring strategies to proactively manipulate the controlled release of drug-laden platelets is imperative. The present study innovatively revealed that photodynamic action can activate platelets in a spatiotemporally controlled manner. Consequently, based on the previous study, platelets were used to load iron oxide-polyglycerol-doxorubicin-chlorin e6 composites (IO-PG-DOX-Ce6), wherein the laser-triggered drug release ability and anti-tumor capability were demonstrated. The findings suggested that IO-PG-DOX-Ce6 could be stably loaded by platelets in high volume without any decrease in viability. Importantly and interestingly, drug-loaded platelets were significantly activated by laser irradiation, characterized by intracellular ROS accumulation and up-regulation of CD62p. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and hydrated particle size results also showed a significant aggregation response of laser irradiated-drug-loaded platelets. Further transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements indicated that the activated platelets released extracellularly their cargo drug after laser exposure, which could be taken up by co-cultured tumor cells. Finally, the co-culture model of drug-loaded platelets and tumor cells proved that laser-triggered delivery system of platelets could effectively damage the DNA and promote apoptosis of tumor cells. Overall, the present study discovers a drug-loaded platelets delivery using photodynamic effect, enabling laser-controlled intelligent drug delivery and anti-tumor therapy, which provides a novel and feasible approach for clinical application of cytopharmaceuticals. What is the context? 1. Platelets were applied to load IO-PG-DOX-Ce6, wherein the laser-triggered drug release and anti-tumor effect were investigated in vitro. 2. The findings indicated that IO-PG-DOX-Ce6 could be stably loaded by platelets in high volume without any decrease in viability, which may attribute to the activation of autophagy in platelets. 3. IO-PG-DOX-Ce6-loaded platelets could be significantly activated by laser irradiation (690 nm). 4. Activated platelets released extracellularly their cargo drug after laser exposure, which could be taken up by co-cultured tumor cells 5. The co-culture model of drug-loaded platelets and tumor cells proved that the laser-triggered delivery system of platelets could effectively damage the DNA and promote apoptosis of tumor cells. What is new? 1. Platelets could be utilized as the vehicle to load photosensitizer-loaded-nano-drug. 2. Photodynamic action can activate platelets in a spatiotemporally controlled manner, which could be a tool to regulate the activation of platelets. 3. The laser-triggered activation of drug-loaded platelets allows for target release of cargo. 4. The limitation of the current research is that only in vitro experiments were carried out to demonstrate our conclusions. What is impact? The present work provides a novel and feasible approach for the clinical application of cytopharmaceuticals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The |$L_p$| dual Minkowski problem with |$p<0

The bioactive ingredients of essential oil from Valerianae Jatamansi Rhizoma et Radix (the Rhizome et Radix from Valerianae Jatamansi Jones) (EOVJRR) on the efficacy of inhibiting microglial activation were investigated with the approach of spectrum-efficacy relationship. Fourteen batches of Valerianae Jatamansi Rhizoma et Radix were extracted and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and their activities in the efficacy of inhibiting microglial activation were assayed by measuring the inflammatory responses induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in microglia cells from mice. The spectrum-efficacy relationships between fingerprints and the efficacy of inhibiting microglial activation of EOVJRR were established by grey relational analysis (GRA). Twenty common peaks were obtained from the GC-MS fingerprints of EOVJRR. P12 (vetivenol), P1 (bornyl acetate), P5 (seychellene), and P3 (β-elemene) indicated inhibition on microglia activation together, according to the spectrum-efficacy relationships. The current results established a general model for the spectrum-efficacy relationships of EOVJRR by GC-MS and the efficacy of inhibiting microglial activation, which could be applied to identify the bioactive ingredient and control the quality of herbs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) serves as an immunosuppressive agent in the malignant tumor microenvironment, facilitating the development and metastasis of lung cancer. The photodynamic effect destabilizes cellular homeostasis owing to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in the enhanced pro-inflammatory function of immunocytes. In our previous study, the Ce6-mediated photodynamic effect was found to have kept the viability of macrophages and to remodel them into the M1 phenotype. However, the mechanism remains unrevealed. The present study now explores the mechanism of photodynamic therapy (PDT)-mediated reprogramming of macrophages. As expected, Ce6-mediated PDT was capable of generating reactive oxygen species, which was continuously degraded, causing "low intensity" damage to DNA and thereby triggering subsequent DNA damage response in macrophages. The autophagy was thus observed in Ce6-treated macrophages and was shown to protect cells from being photodynamically apoptotic. More importantly, Ce6 PDT could activate the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) molecule, a sensor of DNA damage, which could activate the downstream nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) upon activation, mediating the polarization of macrophages towards the M1 phenotype thereupon. In addition, inhibition of ROS induced by PDT attenuated the DNA damage, STING activation, and M1-phenotype reprogramming. Furthermore, the silence of the STING weakened Ce6 treatment-mediated M1 remodeling of macrophages as well. Altogether, these findings indicate the Ce6-induced photodynamic effect polarizes macrophages into an M1 phenotype through oxidative DNA damage and subsequent activation of the STING. This work reveals the crucial mechanism by which photodynamic therapy regulates the macrophage phenotype and also provides a novel intervenable signaling target for remodeling macrophages into the M1 phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]