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The antibacterial activity of Cinnamaldehyde against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Bovine Mastitis is investigated in this study, providing insights into inhibition mechanisms and elucidating the effects on bacterial cell membranes. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration were determined in this study. In addition, growth curves and a time-kill assay were constructed to assess the antibacterial activity of Cinnamaldehyde. The study revealed that the MIC values ranged from 62.5 to 125 μg/mL, and the MBC values ranged from 125 to 250 μg/mL. The presence of sublethal concentrations of Cinnamaldehyde impeded bacterial growth, while high concentrations demonstrated a significant and rapid bactericidal effect. Subsequently, we examined cell morphology using SEM and TEM, evaluated membrane integrity via laser confocal fluorescence microscopy, and measured levels of β-galactosidase, extracellular DNA release, LDH activity, and ROS, to assess the antibacterial mechanism of Cinnamaldehyde. The findings indicated that with higher concentrations of Cinnamaldehyde, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus demonstrated significant morphological alterations and disruption of both the cell wall and membrane. Furthermore, Cinnamaldehyde disrupted the integrity of membranes and increased permeability of the outer membrane in a manner dependent on its concentration. Cinnamaldehyde notably triggered the release of β-galactosidase, extracellular DNA, and LDH, in addition to elevating cellular ROS levels. Finally, the effect of Cinnamaldehyde on the transcription levels of genes related to cell membrane synthesis was assessed using RT-qPCR, and the effect of Cinnamaldehyde on the total protein content of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus cells was assessed using WB. The RT-qPCR results showed that Cinnamaldehyde at 1xMIC notably upregulated the transcription levels of genes related to fatty acid biosynthesis in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus cell membranes, with a significant or highly significant effect. The WB results showed that Cinnamaldehyde exerts its antibacterial action by suppressing protein expression in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. These findings illustrate that Cinnamaldehyde exerts a potent inhibitory effect on Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, establishing a fundamental foundation for the potential use of Cinnamaldehyde essential oil as an antibacterial agent in the treatment of bovine mastitis, in accordance with established scientific standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matrine possesses a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities as one of the primary components of Chinese herbal medicine Sophora flavescens extract, along with fewer side effects and low toxicity. Matrine possesses anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-virus, antibiosis, and anti-oxidative properties and protects the central nervous and cardiovascular systems, immunosuppression, intestinal flora balance regulation, and broad-spectrum insecticidal activities. We reviewed the recent progress in matrine research in terms of the pharmacological activities and associated mechanisms to provide a reference for the wide and safe application of matrine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although crop conversion from annual to perennial crops has been considered as one path towards climate-smart and resource-efficient agriculture, the effects of this conversion on soil multifunctionality and biomass yields remain unclear. The objective of the study is to enhance soil multifunctionality while exerting a marginal influence on farmer income. Here, we investigated the effects of annual winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and two perennial crops (a grass (Lolium perenne L.), a legume (Medicago sativa L.), and their mixture) on soil multifunctionality and biomass yield on the Yellow River floodplain. Soil multifunctionality was assessed by the capacity of water regulation and the multifunctionality of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) cycles. C cycle multifunctionality index is the average of β-xylosidase, β-cellobiosidase, and β-1, 4-glucosidase. N cycle multifunctionality index is the average of L-leucine aminopeptidase and β-1, 4-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, and acid phosphatase represented (and dominated) P cycle functions. The results showed that perennial crops enhanced soil multifunctionality by 207% for L. perenne, 311% for M. sativa, and 438% for L. perenne + M. sativa, compared with annual winter wheat (T. aestivum). The effect of perennial crops on soil multifunctionality increased with infiltration rate, dissolved organic C, microbial biomass C, and extracellular enzymatic activities for both C and N acquisition. However, we observed that perennial crops had a lower biomass yield than annual crop. Therefore, the transition of agricultural landscapes to perennials needs to take into account the balance between environmental protection and food security, as well as environmental heterogeneity, to promote sustainable agricultural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the role of CD147, a protein found on certain immune cells, in the development and recurrence of psoriasis. The study discovered that high levels of CD147 on CD4+ T cells were associated with the effectiveness of IL-17A inhibitor treatment and the likelihood of psoriasis returning. The researchers developed two models that accurately predicted treatment outcomes and long-term effectiveness based on CD147 levels. Additionally, the study found that a lack of CD147 on CD4+ T cells worsened psoriasis and increased the chances of it coming back. These findings provide valuable insights into the causes of psoriasis and could inform personalized treatment approaches. [Extracted from the article]

AbstractThe calligraphy on Xuan paper written by Cao Hongxun, who was a scholar at the end of the Qing Dynasty, was comprehensively characterized using various analytical techniques in order to provide support for further conservation. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to identify the type of oil in the stains. The color difference, acidity, microstructure and elemental composition of the paper areas with and without the oil stains were analyzed and characterized using colorimetry, pH measurements, and scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS), respectively. Paper fibers were observed using SEM and an optical microscope after dying with Herzberg stain. The results demonstrate that the stain in this paper artifact is mineral oil and the paper was produced using softwood, paper mulberry and herb fibers. A large color difference, lower pH and changes in the carbon ratio were present in the oil stains. However, the stains did not affect the elemental composition of the paper. Overall, this study provides evidence for further conservation treatment, such as selecting proper paper and cleaning reagents for the stains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heart requires a variety of energy substrates to maintain proper contractile function. Glucose and long-chain fatty acids (FA) are the major cardiac metabolic substrates under physiological conditions. Upon stress, a shift of cardiac substrate preference toward either glucose or FA is associated with cardiac diseases. For example, in pressure-overloaded hypertrophic hearts, there is a long-lasting substrate shift toward glucose, while in hearts with diabetic cardiomyopathy, the fuel is switched toward FA. Stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1), a well-established calcium (Ca2+) sensor of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ store, is increasingly recognized as a critical player in mediating both cardiac hypertrophy and diabetic cardiomyopathy. However, the cause–effect relationship between STIM1 and glucose/FA metabolism and the possible mechanisms by which STIM1 is involved in these cardiac metabolic diseases are poorly understood. In this review, we first discussed STIM1-dependent signaling in cardiomyocytes and metabolic changes in cardiac hypertrophy and diabetic cardiomyopathy. Second, we provided examples of the involvement of STIM1 in energy metabolism to discuss the emerging role of STIM1 in the regulation of energy substrate preference in metabolic cardiac diseases and speculated the corresponding underlying molecular mechanisms of the crosstalk between STIM1 and cardiac energy substrate preference. Finally, we briefly discussed and presented future perspectives on the possibility of targeting STIM1 to rescue cardiac metabolic diseases. Taken together, STIM1 emerges as a key player in regulating cardiac energy substrate preference, and revealing the underlying molecular mechanisms by which STIM1 mediates cardiac energy metabolism could be helpful to find novel targets to prevent or treat cardiac metabolic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although abnormal metabolism plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, the details are unclear. Objectives: Here, we identified to explore the role and mechanism of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) on the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Methods: The level of LPC in plasma and skin lesions and the expression of G2A on skin lesions of psoriasis patients were detected by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, or immunohistochemistry, respectively. The glycolysis in the skin lesions of imiquimod (IMQ)‐induced psoriasis‐like mouse model was detected by extracellular acidification rate. LPC was subcutaneously injected into IMQ‐treated mouse ears, and the phenotype as well as the glycolysis were evaluated. Exploring the effects and mechanism of LPC on keratinocytes and CD4+ T cells by culturing primary keratinocytes and CD4+ T in vitro. Results: We found that LPC was significantly increased both in the plasma and skin lesions of psoriatic patients, while G2A, exerting an essential role in LPC‐inducing biological functions, was increased in psoriatic lesions. The abundance of LPC was positively correlated with glycolytic activity in the psoriasis‐like mouse model. LPC treatment facilitated psoriasis‐like inflammation and glycolytic activity in skin lesions. Mechanistically, the LPC/G2A axis significantly triggered glycolytic activity and produced inflammatory factors in keratinocytes, and blockade of glycolysis abrogated LPC‐induced expression of inflammatory mediators in keratinocytes. LPC activated STAT1, resulting in recognition and binding to the promoters of GCK and PKLR, which are glycolytic rate‐limiting enzymes. Furthermore, the LPC/G2A axis directly benefited Th1 differentiation, which was dependent on LPC‐induced glycolytic activity. Notably, LPC indirectly facilitated Th17 differentiation by inducing the secretion of IL‐1β in keratinocytes‐T cells coculture system. Conclusions: Taken together, our findings revealed the role of the LPC/G2A axis in the pathogenesis of psoriasis; targeting LPC/G2A is a potential strategy for psoriasis therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the world's leading causes of death and a major chronic respiratory disease. Aerobic exercise, the cornerstone of pulmonary rehabilitation, improves prognosis of COPD patients; however, few studies have comprehensively examined the changes in RNA transcript levels and the crosstalk between various transcripts in this context. This study identified the expression of RNA transcripts in COPD patients who engaged in aerobic exercise training for 12 weeks, and further constructions of the possible RNAs networks were made. Methods: Peripheral blood samples for all four COPD patients who benefited from 12 weeks of PR were collected pre- and post-aerobic exercises and evaluated for the expression of mRNA, miRNA, lncRNA, and circRNA with high-throughput RNA sequencing followed by GEO date validation. In addition, enrichment analyses were conducted on different expressed mRNAs. LncRNA-mRNA and circRNA-mRNA coexpression networks, as well as lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA and circRNA-miRNA-mRNA competing expression networks (ceRNAs) in COPD were constructed. Results: We identified and analyzed the differentially expressed mRNAs and noncoding RNAs in the peripheral blood of COPD patients' post-exercise. Eighty-six mRNAs, 570 lncRNAs, 8 miRNAs, and 2087 circRNAs were differentially expressed. Direct function enrichment analysis and Gene Set Variation Analysis showed that differentially expressed RNAs(DE-RNAs) correlated with several critical biological processes such as chemotaxis, DNA replication, anti-infection humoral response, oxidative phosphorylation, and immunometabolism, which might affect the progression of COPD. Some DE-RNAs were validated by Geo databases and RT-PCR, and the results were highly correlated with RNA sequencing. We constructed ceRNA networks of DE-RNAs in COPD. Conclusions: The systematic understanding of the impact of aerobic exercise on COPD was achieved using transcriptomic profiling. This research offers a number of potential candidates for clarifying the regulatory mechanisms that exercise has on COPD, which could ultimately help in understanding the pathophysiology of COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of mining belt transportation, various foreign objects may appear, which will have a great impact on the crusher and belt, thus affecting production progress and causing serious safety accidents. Therefore, it is important to detect foreign objects in the early stages of intrusion in mining belt conveyor systems. To solve this problem, the YOLOv4_GECA method is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the GECA attention module is added to establish the YOLOv4_GECA foreign object detection model in the mineral belt to enhance the foreign object feature extraction capability. Secondly, based on this model, the learning rate decay of restart cosine annealing is used to improve the foreign object image detection performance of the model. Finally, we collected belt transport image information from the Pai Shan Lou gold mine site in Shenyang and established a belt foreign body detection dataset. The experimental results show that the average detection accuracy of the YOLOv4_GECA method proposed in this paper is 90.1%, the recall rate is 90.7%, and the average detection time is 30 ms, which meets the requirements for detection accuracy and real-time performance at the mine belt transportation site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a series of Al-doped metal-organic frameworks (AlxZr(1−x)-UiO-66) were synthesized through a one-step solvothermal method. Various characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and N2 sorption measurement, suggested that the Al doping was uniform and barely influenced the crystallinity, chemical stability, and thermal stability of the materials. Two cationic dyes, safranine T (ST) and methylene blue (MB), were selected for investigating the adsorption performances of Al-doped UiO-66 materials. Al0.3Zr0.7-UiO-66 exhibited 9.63 and 5.54 times higher adsorption capacities than UiO-66, 498 mg/g and 251 mg/g for ST and MB, respectively. The improved adsorption performance can be attributed to π-π interaction, hydrogen bond, and the coordination between the dye and Al-doped MOF. The pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models explained the adsorption process well, which indicated that the dye adsorption on Al0.3Zr0.7-UiO-66 mostly occurred through chemisorption on homogeneous surfaces. A thermodynamic study indicated the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. The adsorption capacity did not decrease significantly after four cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) kills more than 3 million people worldwide every year. Despite progress in the treatment of symptoms and prevention of acute exacerbations, few advances have been made to ameliorate disease progression or affect mortality. Exercise plays a positive role in the prevention and treatment of diaphragm dysfunction in COPD, and the changes in diaphragm structure and function induced by exercise are closely related to the regulation of oxidative stress. But the mechanism remains unclear. So the aim of this study was to reveal the therapeutic mechanism of exercise to COPD using both in vivo and in vitro experiments. In this study, cigarette smoke (CS) induced COPD mice model, treadmill aerobic training for COPD mice were constructed and cigarette smoke extract (CSE) induced bronchial epithelial cells (BECs) model were used for COPD study. Bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporting analysis, and RT-qPCR detection were used to clarify the interacted relationship among lncRNA, miRNA, and mRNA. ROS, inflammatory cytokines expression, and EMT relative protein α-SMA were detected using immunofluorescence and ELISA detection. The result shows that exercise ameliorates COPD induced lung injury by inhibit ROS, inflammation, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) relative protein α-SMA expression. RT-qPCR detection shows that lnc-H19 expression was increased in lung tissues of COPD mice. Exercise decreased COPD induced lnc-H19 expression. Downregulation lnc-H19 inhibits COPD mediated lung injury. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporting analysis confirmed that miR-181 and PDCD4 were downstream targets of lnc-H19. Upregulation of PDCD4 or downregulation of miR-181 reversed the protective effect of si-lnc-H19 to BECs after exposure to CSE. In conclusion, lncRNA H19 contributes to smoke-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by targeting miR-181/PDCD4 Axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ibrutinib has revolutionized the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Both ibrutinib monotherapy and ibrutinib‐based combination therapy are important salvage options for patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) MCL. The real‐world efficacy and safety profile of the two strategies in Chinese patients with R/R MCL remain unclarified. Methods: In the present study, data of 121 R/R MCL patients who received either ibrutinib monotherapy (N = 68) or ibrutinib combination therapy (N = 53) in 13 medical centers in China were retrospectively reviewed. Results: With a median follow‐up of 20.5 months, the overall response rate was 60.3% versus 84.9% (p = 0.003), complete remission rate was 16.2% versus 43.4% (p < 0.001), and median progression‐free survival (PFS) was 18.5 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 12.1–21.8) vs. 30.8 months (95% CI, 23.5‐NR) (hazard ratio, 0.53 [95% CI, 0.30–0.93]; p = 0.025), with ibrutinib monotherapy and ibrutinib‐based combination therapy, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that patients with male gender, no refractory disease, Ki67 <30%, previous line of therapy = 1, non‐blastoid subtype, and the number of extranodal sites involved <2 might benefits more from the combination therapy. Treatment‐emergent adverse events were similar, except for a higher incidence of all grade neutropenia in the ibrutinib combination group (12.7% vs. 32.0%, p = 0.017). Conclusions: Ibrutinib combination therapy demonstrated potentially superior efficacy and comparable tolerability to ibrutinib monotherapy. Ibrutinib‐based combination therapy could be one of the prominent treatment options for R/R MCL patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural indicators (anthocyanins and betacyanins) were mixed in different volumetric ratios (3:1, 3:2, 1:1, 2:3 and 1:3) and used for the preparation of κ-carrageenan-based pH-sensing films. Anthocyanins and betacyanins were fixed into films by hydrogen bond, which changed the spatial structure of the κ-carrageenan films. Betacyanins reduced the crystallinity of κ-carrageenan films while anthocyanin had little effect on the crystallinity of the films. Betacyanins significantly improved the thermal stability of the film, while anthocyanins had little effect on it. In addition, anthocyanins and betacyanins significantly improved the oxidation resistance, water vapor permeability, ammonia sensitivity and UV shielding performance of the films. The complex films showed good color stability. It monitored the physical and chemical indexes of pork during storage, and measured the color change of indicator film during this process. Results showed that the color change of the film containing anthocyanins/betacyanins mixture in the volume ratio of 3:1 was the most significant with the pork spoilage. According to the correlation analysis and principal component analysis, total color differences(ΔE) can indicate the freshness of pork. Therefore, the pH sensing film prepared by us provides a reference for the freshness indication of pork. [Display omitted] • Six different k -carrageenan films were combined with anthocyanins, betacyanins and their mixed dyes. • The film showed high pH-sensitive property and gas sensing properties. • The film exhibits UV-blocking ability and antioxidant behaviors. • The film realized real-time pork freshness detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the eigenvalue problem of real supersymmetric tensors was proposed, there have been many results regarding the numerical algorithms for computing the spectral radius of nonnegative tensors, among which the NQZ method is the most studied. However, the NQZ method is only suitable for calculating the spectral radius of a special weakly primitive tensor, or a weakly irreducible primitive tensor that satisfies certain conditions. In this paper, by means of diagonal similarrity transformation of tensors, we construct a numerical algorithm for computing the spectral radius of nonnegative tensors with the aid of power functions. This algorithm is suitable for the calculation of the spectral radius of all weakly irreducible nonnegative tensors. Furthermore, it is efficient and can be widely applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qingzhuan tea (QZT) is classified as compressed dark tea and has been an essential daily commodity for ethnic minority communities in China's border areas. It boasts unique flavor characteristics and health benefits, captivating the attention of consumers both domestically and internationally. However, the QZT industry's historical closed nature and lengthy processing cycle have impeded a comprehensive scientific understanding and evaluation of this tea, as well as hindered the overall healthy development of the industry. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the research progress on QZT, covering defluoridation techniques, processing technology, flavor characteristics, chemical composition, microbial communities, health benefits, and their underlying mechanisms. A technology system aimed at reducing fluoride levels in tea, known as "appropriate fertilization-selection of low-fluorine tea tree varieties-control of raw material tenderness and growing period," has been proposed. Through the implementation of specific processing techniques, QZT exhibiting an orange-red infusion color, a mellow taste, and an aged aroma. During the key pile fermentation process, microorganisms release extracellular enzymes that initiate enzymatic and moist heat reactions, resulting in oxidation, hydrolysis, polymerization, and secondary metabolic conversions. These reactions serve as the underlying foundation for the distinctive sensory attributes of QZT. The regulation of microorganisms plays a vital role in attaining the desired flavor of QZT. Moreover, QZT encompasses a diverse array of bioactive constituents, which offer numerous health advantages such as antioxidative properties, anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects, modulation of the intestinal microbiota, and alleviation of non-alcoholic fatty liver. • A systematic approach to reduce fluoride in tea is proposed. • Specific techniques are used to create Qingzhuan tea (QZT) with vibrant color, taste and aroma. • The role of microorganisms in developing QZT's sensory traits is revealed. • Diverse bioactive compounds in QZT for health benefits are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TEMPO‐oxidized nanofibrillated cellulose (ONFC) with charged carboxyl groups is introduced for the efficient exfoliation of two‐dimensional (2D) MoS2/graphene composites. As an effective dispersant agent, ONFC can be easily absorbed between the adjacent layers, so as to prevent the accumulation of the exfoliated nanosheets. With the assistance of charged ONFC, the exfoliated MoS2/graphene is gradually increased in the aqueous dispersions with the elongated sonication time. After dewatering, self‐standing MoS2/Graphene/ONFC/CNTs composite films are rationally constructed using ONFC as flexible fibrous skeleton, and CNTs/graphene as 1D/2D interpenetrating electrical networks. Ultrathin MoS2 nanosheets anchored on the 1D/2D heterogeneous networks is directly acted as an ideal paper‐anode for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) without using traditional metallic current collector. The self‐standing flexible electrode materials based on natural cellulose will promote the future green electronics with high flexibility, miniaturization, and increased portability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anti-angiogenic therapy has been shown to be a promising strategy for anti-tumor treatment. Increasing evidence indicates that tumor angiogenesis is affected by exosomes that are secreted by mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), but whether exosomes derived from MSCs suppress or promote angiogenesis remain paradoxical. The purpose of this study focused on understanding the potential role of exosomes derived from stem cells of human deciduous exfoliated teeth (SHED-Exos) in regulating angiogenesis and the underlying molecular mechanism. Methods: Exosomes were isolated from supernatants of SHED cells using an exosome purification kit and were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis and western blot analysis. Cell Counting Kit-8, flow cytometric assays, western blots, wound healing and transwell migration assays were performed to characterize the roles of SHED-Exos on cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The anti-angiogenic activity of SHED-Exos was assessed via a tube formation assay of endothelial cells and angiogenesis-related factors were analyzed by western blotting. In vivo, we used the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay and an oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) xenograft transplantation model with nude mice that received multi-point injections at three-day intervals to evaluate the effects on angiogenesis. Furthermore, the sequencing of microRNAs (miRNAs) in SHED-Exos was performed to investigate the underlying anti-angiogenic mechanism. Results: The results showed that SHED-Exos inhibit cell proliferation and migration and induce apoptosis in HUVECs. SHED-Exos suppress the tube-like structure formation of HUVECs in vitro. SHED-Exos downregulate several angiogenesis-related factors, including VEGFA, MMP-9 and ANGPT1. In vivo, the chick CAM assay verified that treatment with SHED-Exos inhibits micro-vascular formation, and importantly, significantly reduces the micro-vascular formation of tumors generated from xenografted OSCC cells, which was associated with the inhibition of tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, our data suggested that SHED-Exos are enriched with miR-100-5p and miR-1246 and are transferred to endothelial cells, which results in decreased tube formation via the down-regulation of VEGFA expression. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that SHED-Exos inhibit angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo, which suggests that SHED-Exos could potentially serve as a novel and effective therapeutic approach for anti-angiogenic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carrageenan (carrageenan, CG), a kind of natural sulfated polysaccharide extracted from red seaweed, is a reliable green matrix, which has excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, antioxidant, antivirus and anti-tumor properties. Based on carrageenan, hydrogels with various structures and properties (mechanical strength, gel properties and cell affinity) can be widely applied n biomedicine field by combining with other bio materials and physical or chemical crosslinking. In this review, several types of Cara glue gels and their applications in drug delivery, wound healing, issue engineering, and biosensor are reviewed, providing theoretical basis for the development of carrageenan n biomedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lettuce, a globally consumed nutritious vegetable, is often linked to concerns regarding pesticide residues. To address this issue, we conducted field trials and utilized dynamiCROP modeling to examine the uptake, distribution, translocation, and dissipation of five pesticides (λ-cyhalothrin, difenoconazole, acetamiprid, dimethomorph, and β-cypermethrin) commonly detected in lettuce. At harvest, pesticides residues were below the maximum residue limits (MRLs) at 0.05, 0.39, 0.047, 0.72, and 0.072 mg kg−1, respectively. Simulation results elucidated distinct behaviors of the pesticides following application to lettuce foliage across various compartments. However, all pesticides exhibited a common dissipation trend, initially stabilizing or increasing before gradually declining. For all five pesticides, the largest contribution of residues on lettuce leaves came from the leaf surface during the early period after application, and from the soil in the long term. Health risk assessments indicated negligible risks associated with consuming lettuce containing these pesticides, both in the short and long term. [Display omitted] • The dissipation trends of five pesticides were similar in leaf surface, air and soil. • Acetamiprid and λ-cyhalothrin translocated faster from the leaf surface to its interior. • The field trial results aligned well with dynamiCROP model predictions (R2 = 0.59–0.96). • Health risks from consuming pesticide-treated lettuce are negligible for consumers. • Our results shed light on establishing MRLs and practices in pesticide application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The iron-chalcogenide superconductor FeTe1–xSex displays a variety of exotic features distinct from iron pnictides. Although much effort has been devoted to understanding the interplay between magnetism and superconductivity near x = 0.5, the existence of a spin glass phase with short-range magnetic order in the doping range (x ∼ 0.1–0.3) has rarely been studied. Here, we use DC/AC magnetization and (quasi) elastic neutron scattering to confirm the spin-glass nature of the short-range magnetic order in a Fe1.07Te0.8Se0.2 sample. The AC-frequency dependent spin-freezing temperature Tf generates a frequency sensitivity ΔTf(ω)/[Tf(ω)Δlog10ω] ≈ 0.028 and the description of the critical slowing down with τ = τ0(Tf/TSG – 1)−z v gives TSG ≈ 22 K and zv ≈ 10, comparable to that of a classical spin-glass system. We have also extended the frequency-dependent Tf to the smaller time scale using energy-resolution-dependent neutron diffraction measurements, in which the TN of the short-range magnetic order increases systematically with increasing energy resolution. By removing the excess iron through annealing in oxygen, the spin-freezing behavior disappears, and bulk superconductivity is realized. Thus, the excess Fe is the driving force for the formation of the spin-glass phase detrimental to bulk superconductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the model actinomycete strain, Streptomyces coelicolor, an orphan histidine kinase (HK) named OhkA (encoded by SCO1596), which belongs to bacterial two-component regulatory systems (TCSs), has been identified as being involved in the regulation of both antibiotic biosynthesis and morphological development. However, its cognate response regulator (RR) remains unknown due to its isolated genetic location on the genome, which impedes the elucidation of the mechanism underlying OhkA-mediated regulation. Here, we identified the orphan RR OrrA (encoded by SCO3008) as the cognate RR of OhkA according to mutant phenotypic changes, transcriptomics analysis, and bacterial two-hybrid experiment. Considering that the partner RR of the orphan HK is also orphan, a library of mutants with in-frame individual deletion of these functionally unknown orphan RR-encoding genes were generated. Through phenotypic analysis, it was found that the ∆orrA mutant exhibited similar phenotypic changes as that of the ∆ohkA mutant, showing increased production of actinorhodin (ACT) and undecylprodigiosin (RED), and pink colony surface. Further transcriptomics analysis showed these two mutants exhibited highly similar transcriptomics profiles. Finally, the direct interaction between OhkA and OrrA was revealed by bacterial two-hybrid system. The identification of the partner RR of OhkA lays a good foundation for an in-depth elucidation of the molecular mechanism underlying OhkA-mediated regulation of development and antibiotic biosynthesis in Streptomyces. Key points: • OrrA was identified as the partner RR of the orphan histidine kinase OhkA. • The ∆orrA and ∆ohkA mutants showed similar phenotype and transcriptomic profiling. • Specific interaction of OrrA and OhkA was revealed by bacterial two-hybrid system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most common interstitial lung diseases with a poor prognosis. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be involved in IPF in several studies. However, the role of lncRNA SNHG16 in IPF is largely unknown.Methods: Firstly, experimental pulmonary fibrosis model was established by using bleomycin (BML). Histology and Western blotting assays were used to determine the different stages of fibrosis and expression of several fibrosis biomarkers. The expression of SNHG16 was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). EdU staining and wound-healing assay were utilized to analyze proliferation and migration of lung fibroblast cells. Molecular mechanism of SNHG16 was explored by bioinformatics, dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation assay (RIP), and qRT-PCR.Results: The expression of SNHG16 was significantly up-regulated in bleomycin-(BLM) induced lung fibrosis and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-induced fibroblast. Knockdown of SNHG16 could attenuate fibrogenesis. Mechanistically, SNHG16 was able to bind and regulate the expression of miR-455-3p. Moreover, SNHG16 also regulated the expression of Notch2 by targeting miR-455-3p. Finally, SNHG16 could promote fibrogenesis by regulating the expression of Notch2.Conclusion: Taken together, our study demonstrated that SNHG16 promoted pulmonary fibrosis by targeting miR-455-3p to regulate the Notch2 pathway. These findings might provide a novel insight into pathologic process of lung fibrosis and may provide prevention strategies in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of garlic (Allium sativum L.) is attributed to nutrients and organosulfur compounds. In this study, the quality of "Laba" garlic with the same degree of greening produced by soaking or fumigating with acetic acid was investigated using fresh garlic as the control. Garlic fumigated with acetic acid exhibited higher soluble solid, monosaccharide, and polyphenol contents. The flavor profiles were significantly distinguished without overlap using the linear discriminant analysis classification model. Thirty volatile compounds were detected in the garlic samples, of which 16 were common among the three garlic samples, while four and five unique compounds were identified in fresh and fumigated garlic, respectively. "Laba" garlic fumigated with acetic acid showed more varieties of allyic compounds and higher contents of thiocycloalka(e)nes than that soaked in acetic acid. In summary, "Laba" garlic produced by fumigation with acetic acid was of higher quality than that produced by soaking in acetic acid. Practical applications: "Laba" garlic is made by pickling aged garlic in vinegar. However, green pigment, water‐soluble vitamins (including vitamin B and C) and sugars might transfer from garlic to the soaking solution. Therefore, "Laba" garlic was prepared by dry processing, through fumigation with acetic acid. Clarification of quality difference between "Laba" garlic products produced by traditional and dry processing methods will provide useful information for the "Laba" garlic processing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rejuvenated asphalt binders were subjected to re-aging. • The properties of the rejuvenated asphalt binders change rapidly first and slowly later. • More dosage of rejuvenator exhibited more obvious effects on the aging rheological behavior. • Aged asphalt binder was less affected by re-aging. The use of rejuvenator can potentially restore original properties of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) materials to achieve the purpose of reuse, but less attention has been paid to the aging properties of rejuvenated asphalt binders. In this study, original asphalt binder, aged binder and the rejuvenated binders with 3 %, 6 %, and 9 % of rejuvenator by total weight of binder were prepared first. Then the five rejuvenated binders were subjected to the oven aging. Based on the results from Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Dynamic Shear Rheometer, the chemical and rheological properties of the five binders were investigated due to re-aging. It is showed that the of carbonyl index of the rejuvenated binders and original binder increase rapidly during the fast-aging state and then slowly during the constant-aging state, while aged binder increases approximately linearly. The rheological properties indexes such as complex shear modulus, phase angle δ, crossover frequency, crossover modulus, rheological index, G-R parameter and rutting factor of the five binders were determined, and the variation of these indexes are similar or opposite to carbonyl index during aging. Aging performances of the five binders were investigated using the oven aging indexes. It is showed the rejuvenated binders with more dosage of rejuvenator have faster aging rate and more obvious effects on the aging rheological behavior. The rheological properties of the aged binder are less affected by the re-aging. Among the rheological property indexes, the G-R-based oven aging index is most susceptible to the re-aging. There are some certain close relationships between the chemical property change and rheological property evolution during re-aging for the five binders, without considering the aging times and the dosage of rejuvenator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional distance regularized level set evolution method has been very popular in image segmentation, but usually it cannot converge to the desired boundary when there are multiple and unwanted boundaries in the image. By observation, the gradient direction between the target boundaries and the unwanted boundaries are usually different in one image. The gradient direction information of the boundaries can guide the orientation of the level set function evolution. In this study, the authors improved the conventional distance regularized level set evolution method, introduced new edge indicator functions and proposed an oriented distance regularized level set evolution method for image segmentation. The experiment results show the proposed method has a better segmentation result in images with multiple boundaries. Moreover, alternately selecting the edge indicator functions we proposed during the level set evolution can lead the zero level set contour to converge to the desired boundaries in complicated images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• RIPK1 plays an important role in cell death, especially necroptosis, associated with inflammation and tumor. • Activation of RIPK1 is correlated with many skin diseases, including melanoma, psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus. • Inhibitors of RIPK1 may be a new strategy for skin diseases. Skin diseases bring great psychological and physical impacts on patients, however, a considerable number of skin diseases still lack effective treatments, such as psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus, melanoma and so on. Receptor-interacting serine threonine kinase 1 (RIPK1) plays an important role in cell death, especially necroptosis, associated with inflammation and tumor. As many molecules modulate the ubiquitination of RIPK1, disruption of this checkpoint can lead to skin diseases, which can be ameliorated by RIPK1 inhibitors. This review will focus on the molecular mechanism of RIPK1 activation in inflammation as well as the current knowledges on the contribution of RIPK1 in skin diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the aroma components of bead-shaped green teas were compared through headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry/olfactometry (GC–MS/O) coupled with chemometrics. A total of 62 volatile compounds were identified in 16 green tea samples. Notably, comparison of GC–MS/O and odour activity values (OAV) results revealed that nonanal, decanal, (E)-2-nonenal, β-ionone, and 1-octen-3-one were the most powerful aroma-active compounds that contributed to the aroma profile of the bead-shaped green teas. Furthermore, multivariate statistical techniques (such as principal component analysis, partial least squares-discriminant analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis) were used to characterise the bead-shaped green teas according to their geographical origin and the flavour characteristics of their volatile compounds. Additionally, the variable importance in the projection method was used to identify 20 volatile markers that could successfully distinguish bead-shaped green teas on the basis of three flavour characteristics. The results of the analysis revealed that HS-SPME and GC–MS/O coupled with chemometrics can provide an effective method for characterising and classifying bead-shaped green teas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-angiogenic drugs are an effective therapeutic method for the treatment of melanomas. Apatinib is a small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor, which has potent inhibitory activity on tumor angiogenesis. Due to the low water solubility and stability of Apatinib, we aimed to design and develop poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and Poloxamer 407 nanoparticles to encapsulate Apatinib (Apa/p NPs) to improve the efficacy of application in melanoma treatment. The size and morphology of the nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In vitro proliferation assays were used to assess the capacity of Apa/p NPs to suppress the growth of B16 cells. Furthermore, we constructed melanoma models using C57BL/6 mice, and preliminary evaluation of the effect and mechanism of Apa/p NPs on tumor inhibition was performed in vivo. The results showed that the size of Apa/p NPs averaged 136 ± 0.27 nm and the nanoparticles were evenly dispersed. Moreover, Apa/p NPs significantly inhibited the growth of B16 cells and melanoma tumors, compared with the naked drug treatment and control groups. The protein levels of VEGFR-2, phosphorylated (p)-VEGFR-2 and p-ERK1/2 in tumor tissues were inhibited by Apa/p NP treatment, as detected by Western blot. The results of this study suggested that Apa/p NPs could inhibit the growth of melanoma tumors by inhibiting the phosphorylation and expression of VEGFR-2 and downstream ERK1/2, providing a theoretical basis for the clinical application of Apatinib in the treatment of melanoma. • It was the first to evaluate the inhibitory effects of Apatinib/PLGA/Poloxamer-407 nanoparticles (Apa/p NPs) on melanoma in vitro and in vivo. • Apa/p NPs were prepared by emulsification-volatilization method, which overcame the clinical problems associated with Apatinib, such as poor hydrophilicity, low bioavailability and low penetration through dermal and vascular tissues. • Apa/p NPs caused local hypoxia and ischemia of tumor tissues, which in-turn resulted in necrosis of tumor cells and attenuation of tumor growth. The mechanism of action for this was through a reduction in both the phosphorylation and total protein levels of VEGFR-2 by Apa/p NP treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an experimental investigation into the flexural and cracking behavior of corroded reinforced concrete continuous beams with 11‐month wet–dry cycles strengthened by anodic polarized carbon‐fabric‐reinforced cementitious matrix (C‐FRCM) plates. The failure modes and flexural bearing capacities were discussed. The influences of the layer of carbon fabric mesh and complete carbon fiber‐reinforced polymer (CFRP) wrapping as end anchorage on the strengthening effectiveness were explored. The complete crack development patterns were captured by a digital image correlation system, and the results showed that the C‐FRCM system can provide satisfactory crack width control, as proved by the reduced crack spacing and the maximum crack width. The flexural capacities of the strengthened beams were effectively enhanced and the debonding failure can be eliminated through complete CFRP wrappings. Moreover, the design recommendations were proposed based on the estimation of the crack development as per related design guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Two-dimensional (2D) metal nanoparticle platforms hold great potential in high-throughput point-of-care testing on basis of their excellent fluorescence enhancement effect. Self-assembly of metal nanoparticles (NPs) is versatile but simple for the preparation of 2D platforms; however, the surface charges on NPs would repel each other and induce large gaps on platforms, which hinder the generation of intense hotspots in electromagnetic fields and thus weaken the fluorescence enhancement effect. Here, we presented the hierarchical assembly of large-sized silver (Ag) NPs and small-sized gold (Au) NPs for constructing fluorescence enhanced platforms. The small Au NPs with weak fluorescence were chosen to complementarily fill into the larger gaps of the pre-assembled Ag platforms for increasing the electromagnetic hotspots. The resulting Ag/Au hybrid platforms (1-, 3- and 6-Ag/Au) exhibited growing fluorescence enhancement effects and the maximum enhanced factor reached 3.6-fold. The inserting of small Au NPs enhanced the fluorescence emission of fluorescent dye (cyanine-5) on the Ag platforms, especially on the monolayer 1-Ag platform, which increased by 161.6%. Moreover, the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations revealed the underlying cause of the improved electromagnetic fields in the Ag/Au hierarchical architecture in comparison to the Ag or Au NP. This work presents the hierarchical assembly is expected to be a powerful tool in the large-scale fabrication of fluorescence enhanced detection platforms. Graphical abstract The hierarchical assembly of silver and gold NPs toward constructing 2D fluorescence enhanced detection platforms. Unlabelled Image Highlights • The 2D metal NP platforms were constructed through the hierarchical assembly of different-sized Ag and Au NPs. • The small Au NPs were complementarily inserted into the large interspace of Ag platforms to induce additional hotspots. • The 2D hierarchical nanostructures achieved stronger fluorescence enhanced effect in fluorescence biodetection. • Fluorescence enhanced mechanism was mainly the improved electromagnetic fields rather than the weak fluorescence of Au NPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Due to cage-like voids in the lattice, skutterudite NiP 3 is regarded as a promising negative electrode material with high specific capacity. The fabrication of phosphide based on ceramic routes always leads to multiphase formation and serious agglomeration of particles. The resultant cycle performance is thus to be improved. In this paper, single phase skutterudite NiP 3 particles (NNP) were fabricated by the reaction of NiS precursor with red phosphorus. As comparison, skutterudite NiP 3 was also prepared by the direct reaction of Ni with red phosphorus (MNP). After 50 cycles, NNP retained 712 mAh g−1 at current density of 159.1 mAg−1, while MNP delivered a capacity less than that of commercial graphite within 16 cycles. According to CV analysis, the improvement in cycling performance of NNP was attributed to an insertion-dominated two-step lithiation process, while MNP undergone a straightforward conversion process. The formation of layer-structured intermediate Li x NiP 3 phase by an insertion reaction would compete with the direct generation of Li 3 P and Ni (0) composites by a typical conversion reaction. The improvement in the rating performance originates from the low-impedance of charge transfer and fast migration of Li+ in the electrode of NNP. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Single phase skutterudite NiP 3 is fabricated using NiS precursor. • A size dependent lithiation path selection is confirmed. • An insertion-dominated lithiation process improves cycling performance. • The selection of lithiation process depends on the thermodynamic and kinetic competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Electron transfer efficiency in electroactive biofilm is the limiting factor for bioelectricity output of bioelectrochemical system. Here, carbon felt (CF) is coated with manganese dioxide (MnO 2) which acts as electron mediator in electroactive biofilm. A wrapping layer of conducting Poly 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene is developed to protect the MnO 2 and enhance electron transfer efficiency of MnO 2 mediator. The hybrid bioanode (PEDOT/MnO 2 /CF bioanode) delivered the highest electron transfer efficiency (6.3 × 10−9 mol cm−2 s−1/2) and the highest capacitance of 4.78 F, much higher than bare CF bioanode (1.50 ± 0.04 × 10−9 mol cm−2 s−1/2 and 0.42 F). As a result, microbial fuel cells could produce a maximum power density of 1534 ± 13 mW m−2, approximately 57.7% higher than that with the bare carbon felt anode (972 ± 21 mW m−2). Possible mechanisms are proposed to help understanding the different function of the PEDOT and MnO 2 on the anodic layer. This study introduces an effective method for the fabrication of high performance anode. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • A MnO 2 layer acts as electron mediator in electrochemical biofilm. • The wrapping layer of PEDOT helps to enhance electron transfer efficiency. • Electron transfer efficiency improved by ~4 times. • PEDOT/MnO 2 /CF anode increases the maximum power density by 143%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) mainly occurs as a result of abnormal proliferation and apoptosis resistance of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). Endothelial progenitor cell (EPC)-derived exosomes (Exos) (EPC-Exos) relieve PAH. However, there is still insufficient knowledge of whether EPC-Exos contribute to the pathological process of PAH, especially for PASMC repair. This study aimed to determine the effects of EPC-Exos on the proliferation, migration, and apoptosis of PASMCs and explore the possible underlying molecular mechanisms through bioinformatics analysis and in vitro testing. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the Ras signaling pathway and Exos were crucial in PAH. The PAH differential microRNAs (miRNAs) and miRNAs identified in EPC-Exos were intersected to obtain miR-21-5p. A target gene prediction program predicted mitofusin-2 (Mfn2) as a potential target of miR-21-5p. Cellular experiments demonstrated that EPC-Exos attenuated the viability, proliferation, migration, and apoptosis resistance of PASMCs under hypoxia. Mechanistically, EPC-Exos significantly upregulated Mfn2 expression and attenuated Ras-Raf-ERK1/2 signaling pathway activity. In conclusion, EPC-Exos suppress cell viability, proliferation, and migration and promote apoptosis in PASMCs under hypoxic conditions. It is possible to transport miR-21-5p to improve the expression of Mfn2 and inhibit the Ras-Raf-ERK1/2 signaling pathway directly or by targeting the expression of Mfn2. EPC-Exos are a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of PAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inefficient extracellular electron transfer within bioanode leads to low current production by microbial fuel cell (MFC). In this study, magnetite was sprinkled in electroactive biofilm with the aid of magnet field. Magnetite located inside biofilm (interior-doped biofilm) facilitated the electron delivery of electroactive bacteria far away from electrode surface. Electron transfer efficiency was improved by 12% and 37% compared with that of biofilms with magnetite located at the interface of biofilm/electrode (surface-doped biofilm) and that without any magnetite (control biofilm) respectively. The output power density of MFC with interior-doped biofilm (764 ± 32 mW m −2 ) was greatly increased compared with that of MFCs with surface-doped biofilm (604 ± 22 mW m −2 ) and control biofilm (475 ± 12 mW m −2 ). SEM images showed that magnetite evenly distributed inside the interior-doped biofilm and penetrated the electroactive biofilm, which would facilitate extracellular electron transfer across electroactive biofilms and thus improving the bioelectricity production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by epidermal hyperplasia and increased T cell infiltration. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) is a key factor that affects T cell function and immune response. However, whether the expression of CTLA-4 affects the severity of psoriasis is still unknown. Objective The aim of the project was to investigate the correlation between the expression of CTLA-4 and the severity of psoriasis. Methods The plasma soluble CTLA-4 levels and membrane CTLA-4 expression were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemistry analysis in mild, moderate and severe psoriasis patients, respectively. Imiquimod-induced mouse model of psoriasis was treated with CTLA-4 immunoglobulin fusion protein (CTLA-4 Ig) or anti-CTLA-4 antibody. Epidermal thickness and infiltrating CD3+ T cell counts were evaluated. Results The plasma soluble CTLA-4 levels had no significant difference among mild, moderate, and severe patients ( p >  0.05). However, the membrane CTLA-4 expression in skin was significantly higher in mild psoriasis patients compared to moderate and severe psoriasis patients (17652.86 ± 18095.66 vs 6901.36 ± 4400.77 vs 3970.24 ± 5509.15, p <  0.001). Furthermore, in imiquimod-induced mouse model of psoriasis, the results showed that mimicking CTLA-4 function improved the skin phenotype and reduced epidermal thickness (172.87 ± 28.25 vs 245.87 ± 36.61 μm, n = 6, p <  0.01) as well as infiltrating CD3+ T cell counts (5.09 ± 3.45 vs 13.45 ± 4.70, p <  0.01) compared to control group. However, blocking CTLA-4 function aggregated the skin phenotype including enhanced epidermal thickness and infiltrating CD3+ T cell counts compared to control group. Conclusion These results indicated that the expression of mCTLA-4 in skin lesion inversely correlated with the severity of psoriasis and CTLA-4 might play a critical role in the disease severity of psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message We present the orthodontic treatment of a 20-year-old Chinese man with the moderate skeletal Class III malocclusion. The usages of the temporary anchorage devices and the surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion ( SARPE) have provided a variety of options for the treatment of Class III malocclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermosensitive LCST phase separation behaviors of poly( N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) aqueous solutions have been investigated by a power compensation differential scanning calorimetry which can be subjected to relatively high cooling and heating scanning rates. Significant difference in the thermal properties is observed in four different concentration regions. The typical demixing enthalpy recovery behavior is observed in region III and IV, but cannot be observed in region II. In concentration region I, only one concentration-dependent glass transition behavior can be observed. The distinct thermal features in different concentration regions were interpreted by the complexity of chemical structure, and there are more than one polar groups in the repeating unit of PNIPAM, hydrogen bonded with different numbers of water molecules in different concentration regions. The endothermic phase separation process involved both a chemical process of the breakage of hydrogen bonding between polymer and water molecules and a physical process of the coil-to-globule transition of swelling polymer chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we prepared layer-by-layer (LbL) assembled films of fluorescein isothicyanate labeled poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH-FITC) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) on cotton fabrics, and researched the influence of the PAH-FITC concentration on the FTIC aggregation. With the LbL assembly, the ratio of FITC dimers to monomers in films approached a constant that was decided by the deposition situation of PAH-FITC on cotton. The concentration increase of the PAH-FITC solution induced more FTIC dyes to deposit on fabrics, thus generating a higher degree of H-aggregation. Interestingly, as the PAH-FITC concentration decreased, a high content of FITC dimers was obtained in LbL-assembled films as well. The possible reason is the excessive PAA in LbL films made the counter PAH-FITC chains coil overlap, increasing the aggregation degree. Additionally, the H-aggregates with weak fluorescence were effectively inhibited in PAH-FITC films, which were prepared by a multi-immersion in the PAH-FITC solution. This work shows the concentration-dependent dye aggregation in LbL-assembly, providing a new strategy for the applications of dye molecules on fabrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leymus chinensis is an important perennial forage grass natively distributed in the Eurasian Steppe. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of its adaptation to extreme environmental conditions. Based on L. chinensis cold-treated sequence database, a highly expressed S -adenosylmethionine decarboxylase gene ( LcSAMDC1 ) was isolated from L. chinensis . Gene structure analysis showed that LcSAMDC1 has two introns and three exons as well as three non-overlapping ORFs in its mRNA sequence. One hour of cold exposure caused a significant up-regulation of LcSAMDC1 , while abscisic acid (ABA), salt, and osmotic stresses slightly induced its expression. Analysis of gene expression in different tissues showed that LcSAMDC1 was expressed ubiquitously, with higher levels in the young spike and rhizome. Overexpression of the main ORF of LcSAMDC1 in transgenic Arabidopsis promoted increased tolerance to cold and salt stress relative to wild type Arabidopsis. The concentration of polyamines, proline, and chlorophyll was significantly higher in transgenic Arabidopsis , and spermine of polyamines increased more under cold than under salt stress. These results suggest that LcSAMDC1 was induced in response to cold and could influence the production of polyamines involved in stress tolerance of L. chinensis . Moreover, transgenic expression of LcSAMDC1 could be used to improve the abiotic resistance of crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA topoisomerases are essential to modulate DNA topology during various cellular genetic processes. The expression and distinct prognostic value of topoisomerase isoforms in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is not well established. In the current study, we have examined the mRNA expression of topoisomerase isoforms by using Oncomine analysis and investigated their prognostic value via the Kaplan–Meier plotter database in NSCLC patients. Our analysis indicated that the expression level of topoisomerases in lung cancer was higher compared with normal tissues. Especially, high expression of two topoisomerase isoforms, TOP2A and TOP3A, was found to be correlated to worse overall survival (OS) in all NSCLC and lung adenocarcinoma (Ade) patients, but not in lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients. In a contrast, high expression of isoforms TOP1 and TOP2B indicated better OS in all NSCLC and Ade, but not in SCC patients. Meanwhile, high expression of TOP1MT and TOP3B was not correlated with OS in NSCLC patients. Furthermore, we also demonstrated a relationship between topoisomerase isoforms and the clinicopathological features for the NSCLC patients, such as grades, clinical stages, lymph node status, smoking status, gender, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. These results support that TOP2A and TOP3A are associated with worse prognosis in NSCLC patients. In addition, our study also shows that TOP1 and TOP2B contribute to favorable prognosis in NSCLC patients. The exact prognostic significance of TOP1MT and TOP3B need to be further elucidated. Comprehensive evaluation of expression and prognosis of topoisomerase isoforms will be a benefit for the better understanding of heterogeneity and complexity in the molecular biology of NSCLC, paving a way for more accurate prediction of prognosis and discovery of potential drug targets for NSCLC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disease. Lipids play an important role in regulating the inflammatory response. However, the alteration of lipids involved in psoriasis particular in skin lesions remain unclear. Here, we performed the lipidomics to investigate lipid profiling in the skin lesions of the imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis and psoriasis patients. The findings showed that ceramides phosphate (CerP) and ceramides were enriched in psoriatic lesions compared with controls from both psoriasis patients and psoriasis-like mouse model. Psoriasis patients were classified into two subtypes, the CC1 and CC2, by consensus clustering of these lipid signatures. The CC1 was characterized by the higher levels of CerP, uric acid, and more severe psoriasis, compared with CC2 subtype. Interestingly, ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P), dramatically enriched in CC1 subtype, facilitated imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like inflammatory responses. Mechanistically, C1P induced the expression of inflammatory factors and activated DNA replication and cell cycle signaling pathways in the primary keratinocytes. Inhibiting the production of C1P with ceramide kinase inhibitor effectively alleviated the imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like inflammation. Taken together, we described the landscape of lipids alteration and established lipids classification based on pattern of abundance of lipids in psoriatic skin lesions. Suppression of C1P pathway is a novel potential strategy for psoriasis treatment. [Display omitted] • Ceramides phosphate (CerP) and ceramides were enriched in psoriatic lesions compared with controls • The psoriasis was classified into two subtypes by consensus clustering of lipid signatures • One of subtypes was characterized by the higher levels of CerP and more severe psoriasis • Ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P) facilitated psoriasis like dermatitis • Suppression of C1P pathway effectively alleviated pathogenesis of psoriasis [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a common disease and eustachian tube (ET) dysfunction is widely known to be related to the incidence of OME; however, objective evaluation tools for ET function are lacking. To evaluate ET openings by tubomanometry (TMM) in adult patients with otitis media with effusion (OME), the ET patency of 123 ears, including 63 ears of OME patients and 60 control ears, were tested using TMM and tympanometry. ET patency was evaluated by the R value and ET score, and was compared to the tympanogram results. The eustachian tube dysfunction questionnaire (ETDQ-7) was used to assess the severity of the symptoms in OME patients. The results showed that the rates of restricted opening or blocked ET under pressures of 30, 40, and 50 mbar by TMM testing were 10, 5, and 0 %, respectively (control group) and 76.19, 66.7, and 57.97 %, respectively (OME group) ( p < 0.05 for all pressure groups). However, the rates were 77.42, 71.97, and 61.29 % in the type B tympanogram group, and 75, 62.5, and 46.87 % in the type C tympanogram group; no significant difference was found at each testing pressure ( p = 0.821, 0.246, and 0.516; respectively) between these tympanogram groups. The mean ETDQ-7 score in OME patients was 16.40 ± 10.72, which was significantly negatively correlated with the ET score at 30 and 40 mbar (30 mbar: correlation coefficient −0.29, p = 0.025; 40 mbar: correlation coefficient −0.28; p = 0.030), but not at 50 mbar (correlation coefficient −0.013, p = 0.924). These findings showed that ET blockage or delayed opening were found in most adult patients with OME when evaluated by this innovative and semi objective TMM, testing pressures should be considered when assessing the results of TMM in OME patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The newly discovered subset of memory T cells, tissue resident memory T (TRM) cells, reside in peripheral tissues for a long time, contributing to a rapid immune response and constituting the first line of defense when pathogens invade cells. Tissue resident memory T cells have unique transcriptome characteristics, and their presence in peripheral tissues is regulated by many factors. TRM cells residing in different tissues often express different surface markers. In addition to CD8+ and CD4+ T cells, which are the best-characterized T cells, Treg cells and various innate T cells can reside in nonlymphoid tissues. Many recent studies have shown that tissue resident memory T cells play indispensable roles in tumor immunity and allergic diseases. This paper reviews the differentiation, regulation, variety and function of TRM cells and the roles they play in skin diseases, including cutaneous melanoma and psoriasis. • Tissue-resident memory T cells exhibit distinct tissue-specific and niche-specific functions in immune detection network. • Multiple factors control the development and resident of Tissue-resident memory T cell. • Tissue-resident memory T cells participate in skin inflammation and contribute tomaintaining the recurrence of skin diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic acid contaminated wastewater has been of great concerns for water recovery. Base-functionalized metal−organic framework DETA-UiO-66 by grafting diethylenetriamine onto UiO-66 achieved remarkable H 2 -FA capacity with large adsorption rate compared with parent UiO-66 and sulfonate-functionalized SO 3 H-UiO-66. According to the adsorption behavior at various p Hs, an adsorption mechanism was proposed involving the acid–base interaction and weak electrostatic interaction. Further investigation including adsorption kinetics, isotherms, thermodynamics, demonstrated that the H 2 -FA adsorption process on DETA-UiO-66 was a spontaneous exothermic process with a theoretical adsorption capacity reaching up to 561.8 mg g−1 at 10 °C. In addition, DETA-UiO-66 can be recovered through simple ethanol washing and reused for at least three times, remaining high adsorption capacity and adsorption rate. Meanwhile, DETA-UiO-66 showed high adsorption capacities for citric acid and sorbic acid, indicating DETA-UiO-66's wide potentials in capturing various organic acid pollutants. [Display omitted] • The amino-functionalized material DETA-UiO-66 was first synthesized by grafting diethylenetriamine onto robust UiO-66 via post-synthetic modification. • DETA-functionalized materials were applied to the adsorptive removal of organic acid pollutants, showing excellent adsorption performance. • Superior performance was observed on the DETA-UiO-66 prepared with high thermal stability proved by the TGA curve and excellent chemical resistance after immersion in acidic and basic solutions. • Adsorption mechanism was proposed involving the dominant acid-base interaction and weak electrostatic interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease, with lesions mainly manifesting as scaly erythematous plaques. The mild or moderate of psoriasis is the main type of patients in hospital, and topical application remains the preferred treatment option for psoriasis therapy, therefore, the development of novel topical agents has an essential role in psoriasis therapy. To identify potential drugs for psoriasis topical treatment. We performed drug screening by Imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriatic like inflammation in mouse model, followed mouse epidermis by RNA-seq to find the key molecules affecting the drug. The qRT-PCR, WB were performed to test mRNA and protein expression, and Chip assay had been conducted to examine Stat3 bound to promoter of FABP5. In this study, we identified VX-509, which topical application significantly attenuated IMQ-induced psoriatic like inflammation in mouse model. And then, we verified Epidermal Fatty acid binding protein (E-FABP/FABP5) was significantly decreased in VX-509 treated mouse epidermis by RNA-seq. FABP5 is a key molecule in lipid metabolism, administration of FABP5 inhibitor or knock down of FABP5 expression remarkably abrogated psoriatic inflammation as well as lipid metabolism. Mechanistically, our finding showed that VX-509 blocked IL-22 induced signaling pathway, particular in activation of Stat3. Furthermore, we identified Stat3 is a transcriptional factor associated with FABP5 promoters and VX-509 treatment remarkably attenuated IL-22-induced FABP5 expression through Stat3 in KCs. This study demonstrated administration of VX-509 is a potential promising topical drug for treatment of psoriasis, FABP5 is a critical targeted molecule in psoriasis therapy. Figure. The VX-509 topical formulation reduces psoriatic keratinocytes activation through modulation of Stat3/FABP5 pathway. [Display omitted] • The topical administration of VX-509 is a promising strategy for psoriasis treatment; VX-509 attenuates psoriasis inflammation through Stat3/FABP5 pathway; FABP5 is a targeted molecule for psoriasis treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and efficient approach was developed to fabricate an amperometric sensor for hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) determination based on one-pot synthesis of highly dispersed PtAu nanoparticles–CTAB–graphene nanocomposites. In this study, graphene oxide was first functionalized with a cationic surfactant, cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB); then PtAu nanoparticles (NPs) were deposited on graphene (GR) via a simple chemical co-reduction method. A large amounts of highly dispersed bimetallic PtAu nanoparticles could be well loaded on the surface of the graphene, as revealed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In addition, PtAuNPs–CTAB–GR nanocomposites were also characterized by electrochemical methods including cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The experimental results demonstrated that constructed sensor exhibited good catalytic activity toward H 2 O 2 , and obtained a wide linear range from 5.0 × 10 −9 to 4.8 × 10 −6 mol/L with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.7 × 10 −9 mol/L (S/N = 3). Moreover, it could also be applied to real samples analysis. The excellent performance of this H 2 O 2 sensor could be ascribed to graphene being used as effective load matrix for the deposition of PtAuNPs and synergistic effect of bimetallic PtAuNPs and graphene nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ginger, one of the most widely consumed condiment for various foods and beverages, has many pharmacological effects. 6-gingerol, a naturally occurring phenol, is one of the major pungent constituents of ginger. The purpose of this study was to characterize the effect of 6-gingerol on the p38/Nrf2/HO-1 and p38/NF-κB signaling pathway, as a possible means of combating hypoxia-related oxidative stress. H9c2 cells were chemically induced with CoCl 2 to mimic hypoxia-associated cellular damage. Cardiomyocyte injury was assessed by lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase. Reactive oxygen species production was assessed by 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate. The antioxidative property of 6-gingerol was measured by estimating the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione and glutathione disulfide. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry after Annexin V-FITC-propidium iodide double staining. Western blotting was used to evaluate levels of p-p38, p38, cytoplasm p65, nuclear p65, total p65, nuclear Nrf2, total Nrf2, Keap1, HIF-1α, and HO-1. 6-gingerol was able to counter hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte injury as evidenced by inhibiting the levels of oxidative stress indexes and increasing the percentage of apoptosis. Furthermore, 6-gingerol was able to down-regulate p-p38/p38, nuclear p65, total p65 and Keap1 expression induced by CoCl 2 stimulation and increased cytoplasm p65, nuclear Nrf2, total Nrf2, HO-1, and HIF-1α expression. However, treatment with specific Nrf2 inhibitor blunted the activation of Nrf2 signaling and removed the protective effects of 6-gingerol. These experiments provide evidence that 6-gingerol exerts cytoprotective effects, which may be associated with the regulation of oxidative stress and apoptosis, potentially through activating the Nrf2 pathway and inhibiting the p38/NF-κB pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Changes in characteristic aroma-active compounds occur during processing at an industrial scale. • Pile fermentation increases the proportion of olefinic aldehyde compounds. • Methoxybenzene compounds formed during pile fermentation were weakened by aging. • Olefinic aldehydes, ketones, and methoxybenzenes were the characteristic volatiles of aged fragrances. Changes in key odorants and aroma profiles of Qingzhuan tea (QZT) during its manufacture were determined using headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/olfactometry. An aroma profile was constructed to illustrate sensory changes during manufacture. The characteristic aroma of QZT was aged fragrance, which was mostly developed during pile fermentation and was enhanced during the aging and drying stages. Using volatile compounds found in the raw materials, sun-dried green tea and QZT finished product were compared by orthogonal partial least square-discriminant analysis. Among 108 detected volatiles, 19 were significantly upregulated and 15 were downregulated. (E)-β-Ionone, (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal, 1-octen-3-one, (E,E)-2,4-heptadienal, (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal, safranal, (E)-2-nonenal, α-ionone, and 1,2,3-trimethoxybenzene were found to be significant contributors to the aged QZT fragrance, reflecting their high odor-activity values and aroma intensities. Finally, the metabolic transformation of key aroma-active compounds was systematically analyzed. This study provided a theoretical basis for improving the processing and quality of QZT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common disease that increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. However, studies of an association between OSAS and glaucoma neuropathy have reported controversial findings. Objective: The main purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a significant association exists between OSAS and glaucoma by performing a meta-analysis of previous studies. Methods: A comprehensive literature search using the PubMed and Embase databases was performed to identify cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies related to the topic. We estimated a pooled odds ratio (OR) for the association between OSAS and glaucoma, by a fixed- or random-effects model. Results: In total, 16 studies with 2,278,832 participants met the inclusion criteria: one retrospective cohort study reported an adjusted hazard ratio of glaucoma of 1.67 (95% CI = 1.30–2.17). Using a fixed-effects model, the pooled OR of six case-control studies was 1.96 (95% CI = 1.37 2.80). A significant association was also identified in a meta-analysis of nine cross-sectional studies using a random-effects model, which showed a pooled OR of 1.41 (95% CI = 1.11 1.79). However, the reported pooled estimates for case control studies and cross-sectional studies were based on unadjusted ORs. Conclusions: Our results suggest that OSAS is associated with the prevalence of glaucoma. However, this result was based only on unadjusted estimates. Prospective cohort studies designed to take into consideration potential confounders, or examination of data from interventional trials to determine whether a reduction in OSAS status is associated with a reduced incidence of glaucoma, are needed to clarify whether OSAS is an independent risk factor for glaucoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ginger, one of the most widely consumed condiment for various foods and beverages, has many pharmacological effects. 6-gingerol, a naturally occurring phenol, is one of the major pungent constituents of ginger. The purpose of this study was to characterize the effect of 6-gingerol on the p38/Nrf2/HO-1 and p38/NF-κB signaling pathway, as a possible means of combating hypoxia-related oxidative stress. H9c2 cells were chemically induced with CoCl2 to mimic hypoxia-associated cellular damage. Cardiomyocyte injury was assessed by lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase. Reactive oxygen species production was assessed by 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate. The antioxidative property of 6-gingerol was measured by estimating the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione and glutathione disulfide. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry after Annexin V-FITC-propidium iodide double staining. Western blotting was used to evaluate levels of p-p38, p38, cytoplasm p65, nuclear p65, total p65, nuclear Nrf2, total Nrf2, Keap1, HIF-1α, and HO-1. 6-gingerol was able to counter hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte injury as evidenced by inhibiting the levels of oxidative stress indexes and increasing the percentage of apoptosis. Furthermore, 6-gingerol was able to down-regulate p-p38/p38, nuclear p65, total p65 and Keap1 expression induced by CoCl2 stimulation and increased cytoplasm p65, nuclear Nrf2, total Nrf2, HO-1, and HIF-1α expression. However, treatment with specific Nrf2 inhibitor blunted the activation of Nrf2 signaling and removed the protective effects of 6-gingerol. These experiments provide evidence that 6-gingerol exerts cytoprotective effects, which may be associated with the regulation of oxidative stress and apoptosis, potentially through activating the Nrf2 pathway and inhibiting the p38/NF-κB pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]