Search

The leaf of Moringa oleifera Lam., a medicinal and edible herb for thousands of years in Ayurveda, is used as Pancha (na) karma (purgative) during and after the body cleansing process, to treat constipation, reduce cholesterol and body weight. The aim was to investigate the diarrhea effects and possible mechanism of M. oleifera leaves in constipation rats. The hot water extract of M. oleifera leaves (WEMOL) was prepared and analyzed using LC-20AT HPLC system. The constipated rat model was induced by feeding with low fiber diet for 21 days. After oral administration of WEMOL for 7 days, the excretion parameter analysis, gastro-intestinal propulsion, histological analysis by HE and Alcian blue staining, and gastrointestinal hormone in rat's digestive tract through ELISA were used to evaluate the laxative effect of WEMOL. Label-free quantitation (LFQ) with LC-MS/MS, bioinformatics and Western blot were used to discover and verify the signal pathways and key proteins of WEMOL related to diarrhea. The contents of isoquercitrin and astragalin were 2.7 mg/g and 1.7 mg/g, respectively in WEMOL. The stool number, weight, and water content of constipation rats were significantly reduced, indicating model had been established successfully. WEMOL (1.25 and 2.5 g/kg) increased water content of feces and the levels of Gas, MTL, NPY in gastric antrum and VIP, SP in colon of constipation rats, improved the muscle layer thickness and mucin secretion of colon. The proteomics revealed a total of 1731 differential proteins and 9 signaling pathways, WEMOL increased the expression of Vamp2, Gnai3, and Prkacb. The laxative mechanism of WEMOL maybe modulate the signaling pathways mediated by 5-HT and Ach receptors, related to gastrointestinal motility and intestinal fluid secretion. It can be considered as the scientific connotation of Pancha (na) karma of M. oleifera leaves in ayurveda. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • MoS 2 /TiO 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x composites with Ti-S-Mo covalent bond were synthesized. • Doping Ni element could regulate electronic structure of MoS 2 /TiO 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x. • Ni-MoS 2 /TiO 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x composites have an enhanced EMA performance. Two-dimensional MXene and its composites are among the most attractive electromagnetic wave absorption (EMA) materials due to their unique structure. While previous studies have investigated 2D/2D MoS 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x heterojunctions for EMA, there is still a need for further adjustments to interface structure to enhance polarized electron density and electron transfer capacity. In this study, Cl-Ti 3 C 2 T x was prepared by Lewis acid molten salt etching of Ti 3 AlC 2 , and S-Ti 3 C 2 T x was prepared by replacing Cl with S. MoS 2 nanosheets were grown on the surface of S-Ti 3 C 2 T x by a simple hydrothermal method, forming a Ti-S-Mo covalent interface. The EMA properties of the composites were further optimized by adjusting the interface oriented polarization and electronic structure through Ni doping. Compared to MoS 2 /TiO 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x , the electromagnetic wave absorption performance of Ni-MoS 2 /TiO 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x had been significantly improved. When the Ni doping amount was 0.086 mmol, the minimum reflection loss of Ni-MoS 2 /TiO 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x could reach −48.04 dB at 8.64 GHz, with an effective absorption bandwidth of 3.28 GHz. This study provides theoretical basis and experimental evidence for the follow-up research of MXene-based composite EMA materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• HFD stressed GluA3-/Y mice showed significant lower levels of sociability preference for social novelty than wild type. • GluA3-/Y mice showed working spatial memory behavior impairment in Y-maze test and abnormal anxiety in open-field test. • GluA3-/Y mice displayed both low social approach and resistance to change in routine on the T-maze. Cognitive impairment in individuals with intellectual disability (ID) is characterized by developmental delay and deficits in language and memory. Ionotropic AMPA mediate the majority of excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system and are essential for the induction and maintenances of long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD), two cellular models of learning and memory underlie many the symptoms of ID. Clinical research has found obese male patients with GluA3 interrupted underlie the symptom of ID. We tested GluA3-/Y mice under high fat diet (HFD) stress on a series of behavioral paradigms associated with symptoms of ID: wild type mice showed significant levels of sociability, while GluA3-/Y mice did not. Wild type mice showed significant preference for social novelty, while GluA3-/Y mice did not. Normal scores on relevant control measures confirmed general health and physical abilities in both GluA3-/Y and wild type mice (WT), ruling out artifactual explanations for social deficits. GluA3-/Y mice also showed working spatial memory behavior impairment in Y-maze test and abnormal anxiety in open-field test, compared to wild-type littermate controls. GluA3-/Y mice had a significantly reduced spontaneous activities tested by elevated plus maze, display both low social approach and resistance to change in routine on the T-maze, consistent with an ID-like phenotype. These findings demonstrate that selective gene deletion of GluA3 receptor in male mice under oxidative stress induced phenotypic abnormalities related to ID-like symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Driving simulation data and naturalistic driving data are verified mutually. • Distribution of ' speed-spacing-TTCi ' is applied to classify the risky state. • Intervention methods include visual, acoustics and acousto-optical. • The three-level graded alarm is calibrated by driving styles. Rear-end collision and side collision are two types of accidents with the highest accident rate in the world. Numerous studies have focused on rear-end accident research, but only a few constructive countermeasures are put forward. Driving risk evolution at the driver operational level before an accident is critical to collision avoidance. This paper puts forward a driver operational level identification of driving risk and graded alarm under near-crash conditions. Firstly, driving simulation is utilized to acquire the operation data of SV (subjective vehicle) under the condition of emergent deceleration of LV (leading vehicle). The kinematic model is built to characterize the law of the risk discrimination indices of SV including THW (time headway), SHW (space headway) and TTCi (the reciprocal of time to collision). The predicted results are consistent with the naturalistic driving data. Secondly, the three-dimensional distribution ' speed-spacing-TTCi ' is applied to classify the risky driving state of SV. The precarious distribution is concentrated at the area where relative velocity increased to 23–40 km/h and spacing decreased to 18–30 m. Finally, based on the reaction time and braking distance reduction, the optimal external intervention is determined to be the acousto-optic way by driving simulation. For moderate drivers, a three-level alarm of 2.94 s, 1.94 s and 1.1 s is calibrated considering different driving styles and cumulative frequency curve of reaction time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background and objective: Matrix Gla protein (MGP) has been recognized as a potent calcification inhibitor and a regulator for bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). The periodontal ligament (PDL) is a non-mineralized connective tissue located between two mineralized tissues, the cementum and the alveolar bone. However, the mechanism by which PDL prevents mineralization has yet to be defined. This study aims to examine the expression pattern of MGP and BMP-2 during human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs) osteogenic differentiation in vitro, preliminarily exploring their roles in this process. Materials and methods: hPDLCs were obtained and cultured in mineralizing medium. The expression of MGP and BMP-2 was confirmed by RT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining. In the process of osteogenic induction, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, extracelluar calcium deposition, and mineralized nodules were measured. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR was performed to evaluate mRNA expression of MGP, BMP-2 and osteogenic marker genes, including ALP, bone sialoprotein (BSP), type I collagen (COLI), osteocalcin (OCN), and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2). The protein expression of MGP and BMP-2 was analyzed by western blotting. Results: Co-localization of MGP and BMP-2 was visualized in hPDLCs. After osteogenic induction, ALP activity, calcium deposition, mineralized nodules, and osteogenic marker genes were significantly up-regulated. mRNA expression of MGP and BMP-2 generally decreased, although MGP mRNA increased on day 14 and 21 compared with the control, and protein expression of MGP and BMP-2 was down-regulated. Conclusion: Our results indicate that MGP might regulate hPDLCs osteogenic differentiation which might keep a potential relationship with BMP-2 in this process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Nearly monodisperse nanoparticles were synthesized by an environmentally benign low-temperature (140–180°C) method involving pressure-induced decomposition of metal oleates in alcohol. XRD and TEM were employed in the characterization of the samples. In this study, Fe3O4, CoO, MnO, CoFe2O4, MnFe2O4, and a mixture of Ni, NiO, Ni2O3 nanoparticles, exhibiting various shapes and assemblies, were obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Effect of intake conditions on GCI combustion was investigated with low-octane gasoline. • Both low-temperature and high-temperature reactions affect GCI combustion processes. • Pressure promotes low-temperature reaction and temperature/equivalence ratio suppresses it. • High-temperature heat release is sensitive to octane sensitivity due to toluene blending. • Cool flame appears in fuel-lean region while hot flame kernel initiates in fuel-rich region. Gasoline compression ignition (GCI) engines favor low-octane fuels (RON = 60–80). However, low-octane fuels possessing low-temperature reactions strongly interact with in-cylinder thermodynamic conditions, which in turn significantly affect GCI combustion characteristics. In this work, using a toluene primary reference fuel (TPRF) with RON = 75, the effects of intake pressure and temperature on combustion evolutions, low-temperature heat release (LTHR), high-temperature heat release (HTHR), and indicated thermal efficiency were numerically investigated in a single-cylinder GCI engine, allowing for the role of octane sensitivity. An early injection timing was considered to obtain relatively homogeneous mixtures and large variations in intake pressure were employed to simulate low to medium loads. The results show that for a given equivalence ratio, the peak of the LTHR and HTHR and the main combustion phasing positively correlates with intake pressure. However, an opposite tendency in the peak of the HTHR is observed for a fixed amount of fuel injection. When octane sensitivity is elevated, the peak of in-cylinder pressure and heat release rate is reduced and ignition timing is retarded, especially for the HTHR. Elevating intake temperature facilitates high-temperature combustion while suppresses low-temperature reactions, which results in nonlinear variations in combustion phasing at a certain range of intake temperatures. The correlations of operating conditions and combustion evolutions are evaluated by pressure-temperature trajectory and Livengood-Wu integration, which indicates the significance of intake pressure in GCI combustion. Finally, combustion evolutions show that low-temperature reactions first take place at fuel-lean regions and hot flame pockets develop in fuel-rich regions, which suggests that low-temperature ignition is more sensitive to ambient temperatures while high-temperature ignition is more dependent on equivalence ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High Co-Ni steel was successfully synthesized by SPS and deformation process. • The ultra-high strength of 1997.3 MPa and good ductility of 11% was achieved. • The strengthening mechanism of the SPSed high Co-Ni steel was revealed. A combination of spark plasma sintering and deformation was developed to fabricate ultra-high strength steel with good ductility in this investigation. Microstructure and mechanical properties of the produced M54 steel were subsequently investigated. Martensite matrix produced by distinctive mechanism of spark plasma sintering led to ultra-high strength of the specimen S and D. Also, the specimen D exhibited good ductility due to gradually closing of micro-pores during SPS compression. Thus, based on the combined procedures, the produced high Co-Ni steel directly achieved ultra-high strength and good ductility without complicated traditional heat treatment process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Na 0.54 Bi 0.46 TiO 2.96 compound was prepared by the sol-gel means and sintered at different temperatures. The effect of sintering temperature on the electrical properties and diffusion behavior of oxygen ions was systematically studied. The bulk conductivity of Na 0.54 Bi 0.46 TiO 2.96 compound increases first and then decreases with the increase of sintering temperature. At the sintering temperature of 1273 K, the highest bulk conductivity of the Na 0.54 Bi 0.46 TiO 2.96 sample can reach up to 3.35 × 10-4 S/cm. The total conductivity of the Na 0.54 Bi 0.46 TiO 2.96 sample shows a monotonous upward trend with increasing sintering temperature. The internal friction spectrum results present that the oxygen vacancy concentration and the relaxation activation energy of the Na 0.54 Bi 0.46 TiO 2.96 sample show an upward trend, but the mobility of the oxygen vacancy diffusion decreases with the sintering temperature. The Na 0.54 Bi 0.46 TiO 2.96 sample sintered at 1273 K is characterized by a higher oxygen vacancy concentration and mobility, resulting in the high grain conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-entropy oxides (HEOs) have been considered promising novel photocatalytic materials due to their tunable compositions, bandgaps, and excellent thermal stability. Investigating the effects of molar ratio of single atoms in HEOs on their crystal structure, defects, and band structures is crucial for realizing their potential photocatalytic applications. We designed and synthesized (La 0.2 Ce 0.2 Gd 0.2 Zr 0.2 Fe x)O 2 HEOs by varying the molar ratio of Fe to study its influence on the atomic arrangement, crystal structure, defects, and optoelectronic properties. With increasing molar ratio of Fe, the valence band position of (La 0.2 Ce 0.2 Gd 0.2 Zr 0.2 Fe x)O 2 gradually decreased, the crystal structure became more ordered, and the defects decreased. Among them, (La 0.2 Ce 0.2 Gd 0.2 Zr 0.2 Fe 0.05)O 2 (H-1) had an appropriate band structure and abundant defects, exhibiting excellent photocatalytic performance. The results showed that the degradation rate of tetracycline reached 95.4% under visible light irradiation for 3 h. After five cycles, its structure and photocatalytic performance remained unchanged. This study lays the foundation for further exploration and optimization of high-entropy oxides for photocatalytic applications. • The Fe ratio impacts (La 0.2 Ce 0.2 Gd 0.2 Zr 0.2 Fe x)O 2 's structure, defects, and bandgap. • Defects in high-entropy oxides impact photogenerated carrier transport. • (La 0.2 Ce 0.2 Gd 0.2 Zr 0.2 Fe x)O 2 has excellent photocatalytic degradation of TCH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalysis is a reliable method to solve energy crisis and generate green energy hydrogen. ZnO@ZnS (ZOS) formed heterojunction repressed carrier complexation and thus enhanced photocatalytic performance, but its low photoresponse efficiency limited its photocatalytic performance. Therefore, in this paper, ZnO@ZnS was modified with ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) to form ZnO@ZnS@FeOOH composites with coupling interface. The modification of EDTA could inhibite the oxidation of FeOOH during the synthesis process, and what's more it could enhance the charge transfer at the heterojunction interface to promote the separation of electron-hole pairs and photoresponsive ability to further enhanced the hydrogen precipitation performance. The concentration of EDTA and Fe sources were regulated to investigate the photocatalytic hydrogen production capacity of the composites. The results indicated that the ternary composite ZnO@ZnS@FeOOH had the superior hydrogen evolution performance with the hydrogen evolution rate of 529.17 umol g−1 h−1, which was 2.4 times higher than that of ZOS. EDTA acts as an electron channel to enhance the inter-interfacial electron transfer capability, and the loading of FeOOH formed a heterojunction structure, which promoted carrier separation and enhanced the photoresponse. It's the synergistic effect to enhanced the photocatalytic hydrogen production performance. This paper provided a method for the construction of ternary heterojunctions and interfacial charge transport channels. [Display omitted] • EDTA was coated on ZnO@ZnS to form ZnO@ZnS@FeOOH. • EDTA facilitates the growth of FeOOH avoiding oxidation on the surface of ZnO@ZnS. • EDTA as an electron channel, enhanced the interfacial electron transport capacity. • The ZnO@ZnS@FeOOH exhibited photocatalytic activity of 529.17 umol g−1 h−1 of H 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel preparation process consisting of four stages has been successfully developed to produce Ti 52 Al 48 (at.%) intermetallic compound porous material based on the combined action of making pores arising from the replication of space holders and Kirkendall effect. The porous TiAl exhibits a typical double pore structure, millimeter pores distributed in matrix and micrometer pores embedded in pore walls and struts. Moreover a complete open-cellular structure and homogeneous distribution can be observed and the porosity even more than 80% can be easily achieved. Compressive tests and micrograph observation illustrate that the most suitable sintering temperature should be around 1400 °C for the porous TiAl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Al75V12.5Fe12.5 − x Cu x (x =0, 6.25, and 12.5 at%) amorphous powders were synthesized by MA. [•] Bulk Al75V12.5Fe12.5 amorphous alloy is obtained by means of hydraulic pressing. [•] The Vickers microhardness of bulk sample is in the range of 821-927 HV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angong Niuhuang Wan (AGNHW) is a prescription from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that has been used for centuries to treat ischemic stroke (IS) and hemorrhagic stroke (HS). According to a recent study, targeting ferroptosis might be effective in the management of IS and HS. However, the ferroptosis-related effects and mechanisms of AGNHW have not yet been reported. This research examines the anti-ferroptosis mechanisms of AGNHW in the treatment of IS and HS. A system pharmacological approach including in vivo experiment, UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS, network pharmacology, molecular docking, microscale thermophoresis, and in vitro experiment was utilized to study the anti-ferroptosis mechanisms of AGNHW against IS and HS. In vivo experiments indicated that AGNHW enhanced nerve function, decreased cerebral infarct volume, ameliorated histological brain injuries, improved the structural integrity of the blood-brain barrier, ameliorated the mitochondrial dysfunction and morphology disruption, and inhibits ROS, LPO and Fe2+ accumulations in IS and HS rats. Using UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS, the key ingredients of AGNHW-containing serum were identified as bilirubin, berberine, baicalin, and wogonoside. According to the network pharmacology analyses, AGNHW could inhibit ferroptosis by modulating the PPAR and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. The core targets are PPARγ, AKT, and GPX4. Molecular docking and microscale thermophoresis experiments further revealed that the key ingredients have strong interactions with ferroptosis-regulating core proteins. Moreover, in vitro experiment results showed that AGNHW alleviated ferroptosis injury induced by erastin in PC12 cells, increased cell viability, reduced the LPO and Fe2+ levels, and up-regulated mRNA expressions of PPARγ, AKT, and GPX4. AGNHW also up-regulated protein expressions of PPARγ, p-AKT/AKT, and GPX4 in IS and HS rats. AGNHW attenuated ferroptosis in treating IS and HS by targeting the PPARγ/AKT/GPX4 pathway. This work reveals AGNHW's anti-ferroptosis mechanism against IS and HS, but it also develops an integrated approach to demonstrate the common characteristics of drugs in treating different diseases. [Display omitted] • Angong Niuhuang Wan (AGNHW) is used for treating ischemic stroke (IS) and hemorrhagic stroke (HS) by eliminating phlegm and clearing heat. • Mechanism of AGNHW against IS and HS was related to inhibiting oxidative stress-induced ferroptosis in neurons. • Regulation of oxidative stress-induced ferroptosis in neurons was mediated by PPARγ/AKT/GPX4 pathway. • Bilirubin, berberine, baicalin, and wogonoside were the key active ingredients of AGNHW against IS and HS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrical performance and relaxation behavior of Na+ doped BaBiNb 5 O 15 compound were investigated. The grain conductivity of the BaBi 0.96 Na 0.04 Nb 5 O 15-δ compound is 4.71 × 10−5 S/cm at 763 K, which is an order of magnitude lower than the parent sample at the same measuring temperature. The highest total conductivity of the BaBi 0.96 Na 0.04 Nb 5 O 15-δ and BaBiNb 5 O 15 sample can reach 1.12 × 10−4 S/cm and 4.0 × 10−5 S/cm at 643 K, respectively, which indicates that the slight Na+ doping can improve the total conductivity. A dielectric relaxation peak related to thermal activation was observed. The activation energy values are E = 0.47 eV for BaBiNb 5 O 15 sample, and E = 0.49 eV for BaBi 0.96 Na 0.04 Nb 5 O 15-δ sample, which indicates that the relaxation activation energy increases with the Bi3+ ions partially replaced by Na+ ions in the BaBiNb 5 O 15 compound. In addition, the oxygen relaxation peak position shifts to the low-frequency direction, which indicates that Na+ ions doping causes the decrease of oxygen vacancy mobility. The lower oxygen vacancy mobility results in the lower grain conductivity in the BaBi 0.96 Na 0.04 Nb 5 O 15-δ sample. After aging for the different time at 773 K, the excellent thermal stability of the BaBi 0.96 Na 0.04 Nb 5 O 15-δ sample can be found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The synthesis of nanoparticles via the decomposition of organometallic compounds has been studied extensively, but the effect of pressure has received little attention. Here we firstly focus on the pressure effect, and utilize it as well as the solvent and temperature effects to develop a “green” cheap low-temperature (140–200°C) strategy via the decomposition of iron oleate in alcohol (or other alkanols) using oleic acid as the protecting reagent. The obtained monodisperse Fe3O4 nanocrystals (NCs) exhibit satisfying superparamagnetism. The mechanism of the process has been investigated and it was shown both high pressure and alkanol as the solvent can facilitate the formation of magnetite NCs. Furthermore, the solvent used in the preparation can control the shape, size and dispersion of NCs. In addition, the effects of reactant concentration, reaction time, temperature, and the mol ratio of oleic acid on the Fe3O4 NCs have also been discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

He-charged Cu films were prepared at room temperature by direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering in a He/Ar mixed atmosphere. Morphological changes, He desorption behaviors, and He bubble evolution of He-charged Cu films after the annealing treatments at different temperatures were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. The results of SEM revealed that some blisters and pinholes were found at the surface and cross-section of He-charged Cu films after the annealing. The results of TDS profiles suggested that different kinds of He could be introduced into Cu films by a magnetron sputtering method. TEM analysis suggested that nano-sized He bubbles could be formed in as-deposited Cu films, and He bubble size increased with the increasing annealing temperature. The growth mechanism of helium bubbles in Cu film was suggested to originate from the migration and coalescence (MC) mechanism. • Blisters and pinholes can be formed in He-charged Cu film after the annealing. • Different kinds of He can be introduced into Cu films by means of direct current magnetron sputtering. • The growth mechanism of helium bubbles in Cu film should be the migration and coalescence mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cytokine storm (CS) is a rapidly occurring, complex, and highly lethal systemic acute inflammatory response induced by pathogens and other factors. Currently, no clinical therapeutic drugs are available with a significant effect and minimal side effects. Given the pathogenesis of CS, natural products have become important resources for bioactive agents in the discovery of anti-CS drugs. This study aimed to provide guidance for preventing and treating CS-related diseases by reviewing the natural products identified to inhibit CS in recent years. A comprehensive literature review was conducted on CS and natural products, utilizing databases such as PubMed and Web of Science. The quality of the studies was evaluated and summarized for further analysis. This study summarized more than 30 types of natural products, including 9 classes of flavonoids, phenols, and terpenoids, among others. In vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that these natural products could effectively inhibit CS via nuclear factor kappa-B, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathways. Moreover, the enzyme inhibition assays revealed that more than 20 chemical components had the potential to inhibit ACE2, 3CL-protease, and papain-like protease activity. The experimental results were obtained using advanced technologies such as biochips and omics. Various natural compounds in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) extracts could directly or indirectly inhibit CS occurrence, potentially serving as effective drugs for treating CS-related diseases. This study may guide further exploration of the therapeutic effects and biochemical mechanisms of natural products on CS. [Display omitted] • Initially reviews the potential natural products for the treatment of cytokine storm. • Initially summarizes target proteins for natural products treating cytokine storm. • Initially summarizes the pathways of natural products inhibiting cytokine storm. • Investigates the potential targets- ACE2、3CLpro、PLpro based enzyme inhibition assays. • Initially summarizes technical methods in investigated relevant research experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional Chinese medicine offer unique advantages in mitigating and preventing early or intermediate stage for treating heart failure (HF). The purpose of this study was to assess the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of Xin-shu-bao (XSB) at different stages of HF following induction of a myocardial infarction (MI) in mice and use mass spectrometry-based proteomics to identify potential therapeutic targets for different stages of HF based on the molecular changes following XSB treatment. XSB had high cardioprotective efficacy in the pre-HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) stages, but had a weak or no effect in the post-HFrEF stages. This was supported by echocardiographic measurements showing that XSB decreased ejection fraction and fractional shortening in HF. XSB administration improved cardiac function in the pre- and post-HFrEF mouse model, ameliorated deleterious changes to the morphology and subcellular structure of cardiomyocytes, and reduced cardiac fibrosis. Proteomics analysis showed that XSB intervention exclusively targeted thrombomodulin (THBD) and stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) proteins when administered to the mice for both 8 and 6 weeks. Furthermore, XSB intervention for 8, 6, and 4 weeks after MI induction increased the expression of fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) and decreased arrestin β1 (ARRB1), which are classic biomarkers of cardiac fibroblast transformation and collagen synthesis, respectively. Overall, the study suggests that early intervention with XSB could be an effective strategy for preventing HFrEF and highlights potential therapeutic targets for further investigation into HFrEF remediation strategies. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the issues of existing powder metallurgy particle reinforced composites, such as poor wettability between ceramic reinforcement and Al matrix, the toxicity of quasicrystal, the compositional limitations of high entropy alloy, and poor thermal stability of amorphous alloy reinforcement, etc. Al matrix composites reinforced with Co-based hard particles (M7) were synthesized by a powder metallurgy process. The effects of sintering temperature, M7 hard particle content, and particle size on the microstructure and mechanical behavior of the composites were investigated. The results show that as the sintering temperature rises, the interdiffusion reaction between M7 particles and Al matrix is enhanced, the diffusion layer becomes thicker, the in-situ generated intermetallic compounds such as Al 3 Ni 2 , Al 13 Cr 2 , Co 2 Al 9 and Al 72.5 Co 16.5 Ni 11 become more abundant, and parts of M7 particles gradually dissolve in the Al matrix and the interdiffusion layer disappeared. When the sintering temperature was raised from 580°C to 640°C, the microhardness and yield strength were improved from 23.9 to 34.7 HV 0.1 and 40.9–175.2 MPa, respectively. The composites' microhardness and strength increase as the M7 particle content increases. Meanwhile, the smaller the particle size, the greater the microhardness and yield strength. The strengthening mechanism of M7/Al composites is mainly attributed to the synergistic effects of the in-situ generated multiphase intermetallic compounds strengthening, solid solution strengthening, and M7 hard particles dispersion strengthening. Furthermore, the M7/Al composites' microhardness and strength were respectively 27.6% and 146.1% higher than those of the SiC/Al composites containing the same size and content of SiC particles, which is mainly due to the good interfacial wettability between M7 and Al matrix. It indicates that metal-based hard particles could be better alternative reinforcements to produce high performance composites. • Al matrix composites reinforced with Co-based hard particles were synthesized by PM. • There was a significant improvement in the mechanical properties of the M7 /Al composites. • The synergistic reinforcement mechanism for M7 /Al composites is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human plasma is a readily available clinical sample that reflects the status of the body in normal physiological and disease states. Although the wide dynamic range and immense complexity of plasma proteins are obstacles, comprehensive proteomic analysis of human plasma is necessary for biomarker discovery and further verification. Various methods such as immunodepletion, protein equalization and hyper fractionation have been applied to reduce the influence of high-abundance proteins (HAPs) and to reduce the high level of complexity. However, the depth at which the human plasma proteome has been explored in a relatively short time frame has been limited, which impedes the transfer of proteomic techniques to clinical research. Development of an optimal strategy is expected to improve the efficiency of human plasma proteome profiling. Here, five three-dimensional strategies combining HAP depletion (the 1st dimension) and protein fractionation (the 2nd dimension), followed by LC-MS/MS analysis (the 3rd dimension) were developed and compared for human plasma proteome profiling. Pros and cons of the five strategies are discussed for two issues: HAP depletion and complexity reduction. Strategies A and B used proteome equalization and tandem Seppro IgY14 immunodepletion, respectively, as the first dimension. Proteome equalization (strategy A) was biased toward the enrichment of basic and low-molecular weight proteins and had limited ability to enrich low-abundance proteins. By tandem removal of HAPs (strategy B), the efficiency of HAP depletion was significantly increased, whereas more off-target proteins were subtracted simultaneously. In the comparison of complexity reduction, strategy D involved a deglycosylation step before high-pH RPLC separation. However, the increase in sequence coverage did not increase the protein number as expected. Strategy E introduced SDS-PAGE separation of proteins, and the results showed oversampling of HAPs and identification of fewer proteins. Strategy C combined single Seppro IgY14 immunodepletion, high-pH RPLC fractionation and LC-MS/MS analysis. It generated the largest dataset, containing 1544 plasma protein groups and 258 newly identified proteins in a 30-h-machine-time analysis, making it the optimum three-dimensional strategy in our study. Further analysis of the integrated data from the five strategies showed identical distribution patterns in terms of sequence features and GO functional analysis with the 1929-plasma-protein dataset, further supporting the reliability of our plasma protein identifications. The characterization of 20 cytokines in the concentration range from sub-nanograms/milliliter to micrograms/milliliter demonstrated the sensitivity of the current strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A GP subset as a novel biological monitoring index of cerebral ischemic injury and repair by BNJ. • Key MAPK pathway of BNJ protection against ischemic injury enriched by the complementary omics techniques. • Core TFs of the MAPK signaling pathway play a more important role in cerebral ischemic injury and repair by BNJ. Stroke is the one of the most common causes of death worldwide. Systematic description and characterization of the types of stroke and the effects induced in the cerebral cortex have not been performed so far. Here, we analyzed the protein and mRNA expression in the cerebral cortex12 h after ischemic injury and repair. Drug intervention using Buchang Naoxintong Jiaonang (BNJ), which has been reported to have good clinical therapeutic effects, was selected for our study of cerebral ischemic repair in rat models. Two powerful techniques can be merged in a single study to examine and yield new perspectives in physiology and pathophysiology. Combining LC–MS/MS and DNA microarray analyses of the rat cerebral cortex confidently identified two large datasets in more than three biological replicates. Quantitative approaches were then used to quantify the differences among the four experimental groups the naive, sham, middle cerebral artery occlusion MCAO and MCAO + BNJ groups by a label-free proteomics approach and a Cy5-labeled microarray approach. In brief, 3217 unique proteins and 24,300 unique gene symbols were confidently identified. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that of these unique proteins and gene symbols, 269 proteins and 632 gene symbols were identified to be differentially expressed. The results of subcellular localization, hierarchical clustering, and pathway enrichment analyses were combined with the results of the injury and repair phase analyses, and twelve proteins and twenty-seven gene symbols were significantly differentially expressed and were identified as potential candidates for cerebral ischemic injury involvement; all the candidates were verified by western blot and quantitative real-time PCR analysis. The primary enriched MAPK signaling pathway may play a key role in the molecular mechanisms related to cerebral ischemic injury. The observations of the present study help to illuminate the regulatory mechanism of cerebral ischemic injury and repair due to BNJ intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a lack of systematic descriptions and characterization of strokes and their effects in both the cerebral hippocampus and cortex. Shuxuetong (SXT) injection was reported to have good therapeutic effects in the clinic; therefore, it was selected as a drug intervention method for cerebral ischemia repair in rat models. The aim of this study was to understand the features of molecules and pathways and to reveal key processes of SXT repair. Evaluation of neurological deficit and infarct volume measurement was used to estimate the pharmacological effects of SXT injection on Ischemia-reperfusion(I/R) model rats. LC-MS/MS and RNA-Seq analysis were used to analyze the proteins and mRNA expression in the cerebral hippocampus and cortex 6 h and 24 h after ischemic injury and repair. A label-free approach (IBAQ) for proteomics analysis and FPKM based on gene read count for transcriptomics analysis were used to quantify the differences among the three experimental groups (Sham, Model and SXT-treated groups). Transcriptomics and proteomics analyses were verified by RT-qPCR and western blotting. By combining LC-MS/MS and RNA-Seq, eight larger datasets (two time points and two tissues) were confidently identified in more than three biological replicates. An average of 4500 unique proteins and 8200 protein-coding genes were confidently identified. By combining the subcellular localization, hierarchical clustering, pathway enrichment analysis in the injury and repair phase, six core proteins and related genes that were significantly expressed were verified as candidates for cerebral ischemic injury by western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR. Meanwhile, the results indicated that there was better expression in the 6 h group by significant proteomics analysis during the development and progression of cerebral ischemia. Two primary co-enriched pathways, the PI3K-AKT and MAPK signaling pathways, and six related core candidates may play key roles in molecular mechanisms related to cerebral ischemic injury and repair by SXT injection. Our data not only identified six core candidates and two key signaling pathways for cerebral ischemic injury and verification but also provided evidence for the explanation, prevention and treatment of cerebral ischemia by SXT injection. The results of the present study provide evidence for the explanation, prevention and treatment of cerebral ischemia by SXT injection. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]